Valley Voice Issue 135 (21 February, 2019)

Valley Voice

Controversy erupts over Tulare loan vote

Tulare growth signals strong economy

TONY MALDONADO

DAVE ADALIAN

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

2018 was a strong growth year for Tulare, and all indicators signal more of the same to come in 2019, with upticks in the housing, retail and commercial sectors pointing toward good economic times ahead.

Slow and Steady

Things are going so well, in fact, the city may soon have to widen its boundaries, adding new land for additional construction, said Traci Myers, deputy director of Community and Economic Development. In 2018, the city issued 341 permits for new single-family homes, a jump of nearly 10% from the previous year. Those permits translate into more than 340,000 square feet of living space.

While those numbers don’t rival those of the pre-recession boom of the early 2000s, Myers says they represent a more reliable growth period to come.

“I think it’s significant when you see what we were at during the recession,” she said. “It’s a good thing, because you don’t want to see a huge jump. Slow and steady growth is indicative of a good economy.”

Large increases in the annual number of building permits, such as those seen prior to the 2008 crash of the housing market, are a warning sign, Myers said, with greater growth perhaps signaling another recession on the horizon. The numbers the city is seeing now likely herald reliable, healthy growth.

“For Tulare, getting into the 300s and maybe the 400s, shows a good, sustainable market,” Myers said of the

GROWTH continued on 11 »

Volume XXXIX No. 4 21 February, 2019 ourvalleyvoice.com

An anti-high speed rail sign sits in Hanford, across from houses demolished to make way for high speed rail tracks. Catherine Doe/Valley Voice

High speed rail gets a haircut — and Kings County’s left with the mess CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

Last week when Governor Gavin Newsom declared California did not have enough money to finish the High-Speed Rail (HSR) not a few well informed Kings County residents said, “I told you so.”

One Kings County resident who could only speak off the record said, “Newsom stated the obvious and it’s what we have been saying all along in court. The voters voted for highspeed rail between SF and LA but they were never going to get it.”

“Let’s Get Real”

During Newsom’s first State of the State address on February 12 before a joint session of the California Legislature he dropped a bombshell

about High-Speed Rail.

“Let’s be real, the project, as currently planned, would cost too much and take too long. …Right now, there simply isn’t a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A. I wish there were. However, we do have the capacity to complete a high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield.”

While media outlets and President Donald Trump immediately declared HSR dead, Newsom clarified the following day that HSR was still very much alive.

In Newsom’s reshaped plan, the Bakersfield to Merced line will be completed by 2027 and expanded by 52 miles.

The Central Valley segment was lengthened from 119 miles to 171

HSR continued on 12 »

Was the Tulare City Council’s recent vote to extend a $9m line of credit to the Tulare Local Healthcare District legal?

Mario Zamora, Tulare’s interim city attorney, says yes. Marguerite Melo, an attorney who has previously taken on the City of Tulare, says no.

Tulare City Councilman Carlton Jones says his colleagues on the city council broke the law, and has posted on Facebook encouraging community members to file complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) which handles conflicts of interest in California politics.

David Alavezos, an Assistant Tulare County District Attorney, says that the district attorney’s office hasn’t received any submissions regarding the vote, so the office can’t comment.

Why the controversy?

Councilmen Greg Nunley and Dennis Mederos have previously recused themselves from discussions regarding the line of credit. Nunley is purchasing land from the district, and Mederos has previously represented members of the district’s board; Mederos also owns property adjacent to the hospital.

That left Councilmembers Jose Sigala, Terry Sayre, and Jones to discuss the line of credit.

But Jones was unable to attend previous meetings in which the line of credit was discussed -- and he minced no words when speaking about the proposal on social media, stating that even when he was able to

VOTE CONTROVERSY continued on 14 »

Eagle Mountain planning new resort casino MARTIN VELASCO-RAMOS martin@ourvalleyvoice.com

Eagle Mountain Casino plans to move down from the Tule River Reservation and build a new casino near the Porterville Airport.

But the plans don’t end there. The new site will be upgraded to a casino & resort boasting a 250-room hotel, a 29,000-sq./ft. convention center, a 1,700-seat entertainment center, a wastewater treatment plant, and a new fire department.

The proposed relocation comes after concerns from both casino management and the Tule River Tribe.

The largest concern for the tribe is the amount of water consumed by the current casino, which uses up to 40,000 gallons of water a day.

There are currently 200 tribe members who can’t live on the reservation because there isn’t housing.

Multiple families are forced to live in one home.

Moving the casino elsewhere

could alleviate that issue by freeing up water for around 80 new homes on the reservation.

There are also plans on expanding the Tribal school site.

Expansion on the Tule Reservation has been a major hurdle because of the high granite content on the reservation. Before any construction project can begin a site needs to be leveled first, a costly endeavor ranging hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to Neil Peyron, Chairman of the Tule River Tribal Council, the reservation intends to refit the existing site instead of undertaking expensive construction projects.

“The plan is when the casino relocates, the administration, the housing authority, and our medical services will move into [the current casino site] which is bigger so we can expand our services. And the buildings down there will be used for youth services and elder services more closely related to the school and to the gymnasium like our cultural programs.”

The move could also help prevent altercations with locals. The amount of traffic the casino receives on a daily basis poses a risk to residents not

only on the roads but also on private property.

Some casino goers misinterpret

CASINO continued on 13 »

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

2

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK

The Courage to Defend Democracy

The title of this column is actually a quote from Tulare Local Healthcare District (TLHCD) Board President Kevin Northcraft. These were the words he used to commend the Tulare City Council at its February 12 special meeting.

At issue–the sole issue–was the approval of a $9 million line of credit that TLHCD requested from the council.

Councilmembers Greg Nunley and Dennis Mederos had previously recused themselves from the matter, leaving a quorum consisting of Councilmembers Jose Sigala, Terry Sayre and Carlton Jones.

Jones walked out of a January closed session when discussion of the issue was first scheduled. He failed to appear at the regular Febrary 5 meeting, and was again a no-show at the February 12 special meeting. Because Nunley and Mederos had recused themselves, Jones’ boycott killed any quorum and therefore any line of credit.

Which TLHCD needs desperately if it hopes to keep the hospital open.

The alternative to the city’s assistance–and this was only ever a possibility– was onerous, usurious loans.

Knowing this, Jones persisted in his boycott, despite the fact the City of Tulare stands to earn upwards of $900,000 in interest from the loan.

Despite the fact that TLHCD put up $14 million in collateral in the form of Evolutions Fitness Center and the board’s “cottage” properties.

Jones took his ball and went home. Then stayed there.

But this was not something the hospital could wait on.

Nunley at least had the decency to appear at the special meeting. Appropriately, he absented himself when it was revealed that there was only the topic of a loan at issue.

This left Sigala, Sayre and Mederos in attendance at the special meeting.

Mederos remained to unrecuse himself. Citing the “Rule of Necessity” he read a prepared statement that he said was required by law.

Then he abstained from the discussion and did not participate in the vote.

Why? To create a quorum so a vote could be taken.

Sigala and Sayre gave their nod of approval. Then Northcraft thanked them.

Messy and elegant simultaneously, Mederos’ move solved the log jam so petulantly created by Jones.

I guess democracy itself is simultaneously messy and elegant.

The logical next step is to recall Jones. He knows how vital having a hospital is for any community. Yet, for whatever reason–I suspect known only to himself–he became an obstructionist. Maybe he thinks he’s more important than his constituents’ healthcare.

A better question is whether the residents of his district prefer healthcare or Carlton.

Because it’s clear he must go.

It may seem irregular that, of a council of five, only two members were required to pass a motion. Worse is that a single member–Jones–could have potentially closed the hospital.

I therefore urge Jones’ constituents, the residents of District 3, to have the courage to defend democracy. To have the courage to defend themselves. Had Jones prevailed, the hospital almost certainly would have closed. Remember that TLHCD remains in federal bankruptcy court–so I can’t write with any certainty as to the securing of a loan, no matter how usurious.

Suffice it to say that the hospital will stay open despite Jones’ selfish irresponsibility. I shouldn’t have to detail a history of his past antics to motivate his constituents to recall him.

So here it is in black and white, District 3: Which do you prefer, healthcare or Carlton?

Joseph Oldenbourg

RETAIL SPACES AVAILABLE!

Ask about FREE RENT!!!

1,316sf - 1,322sf available

Valley Voice

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

Super Stop Shopping Center SWC Bardsley Avenue & E Street, Tulare

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.

ALKALINE WATER STORE BUSINESS FOR SALE CALL FOR MORE INFO

The first five copies of this newspaper are free. Subsequent copies are 25 cents per copy without prior arrangement. Please contact us for more information.

CALL JAN LAZARUS (559) 260-3974 All information contained herein has been obtained from sources deemed reliable.

However, no warranty or guarantee us made as to the accuracy of the information.

Broker is Landlord/Property Owner of these listings.

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

Sales/Writing: Catherine Doe

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-972-7778

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 21 February, 2019

POLITICAL FIX I’m sure everyone has heard that Russia launched a massive social media campaign of misinformation during the 2016 election.

What locals may not know is that an Israeli spy group was doing the exact same thing in Tulare.

Shocked? Dr. Benny Benzeevi, Dr. Parmod Kumar and Carlton Jones aren’t.

In the February 18 and 25 issue of The New Yorker magazine it says how Dr. Benzeevi hired a private Israeli intelligence company, Psy-Group, to take whatever means necessary to defeat the recall effort against Dr. Kumar in July of 2017.

“Psy-Group’s slogan” said the magazine, “was ‘Shape Reality,’ and its techniques included the use of elaborate false identities to manipulate its targets. Psy-Group was part of a new wave of private intelligence firms that recruited from the ranks of Israel’s secret services—self-described ‘private Mossads.’ The most aggressive of these firms seemed willing to do just about anything for their clients.”

The motivation for the Psy-Group was that if they had been successful in Tulare the company would have used it as a launching pad for higher-paying clients in bigger and more expensive campaigns in the United States.

The motivation for Dr. Benzeevi was that if he did not retain control of the hospital board he and Dr. Kumar would lose tens of millions of dollars.

The New Yorker article is so long it is spread out over two print editions, only one of which will be on the stands at press time.

The article is also on our Facebook page, but for those of you who do not have time to read 8,742 words about a complicated conspiracy I will sum it up here.

The New Yorker wrote: “On April 22, 2017, Benzeevi arrived in Tel Aviv. He checked into the Dan Hotel, across from the city’s seafront promenade. ….. Then Benzeevi would meet with Burstien, who would walk him through the company’s proposed campaign to keep Kumar on the hospital board. …..Benzeevi had already received a draft of Psy-Group’s battle plan, contained in an e-mail that was password-protected and marked ‘privileged & confidential.’ The proposal assured Benzeevi that Psy-Group’s activities would be ‘fully disconnected’ from him and his hospital-management company.

“To close the deal, Burstien called in Ram Ben-Barak, one of his biggest hired guns. Lanky and charismatic, Ben-Barak looked like someone from Mossad central casting. A former company employee said that Benzeevi “appeared to like the idea that someone from Mossad would be on his side.” Before Benzeevi flew back to California, he was given the number of a bank account where he could wire Psy-Group the fee for the Tulare campaign—two hundred and thirty thousand dollars.”

According to The New Yorker The Psy-Group organized in 2014 and started with European clients.

They used computers at libraries or Internet cafés to cover up its on line activities and created dummy Gmail accounts, unattributed Web sites, fake companies and Avatars or

fake personae.

They created fake think tanks then used avatars to spread fake reports compiled by the think tank.

The Avatars were so convincing, said The New Yorker, that they would be quoted in mainstream media.

Against this backdrop, Alex Gutierrez, a member of the Citizens for Hospital Accountability, convinced his mom, Senovia Gutierrez, to run for the hospital board to replace Dr. Kumar in the event he is recalled.

From the voter’s view point it looked like an energetic mother-son duo doing their civic duty running for an extremely down ballot hospital board seat. What we didn’t see was how scary running for office was about to get for both of them.

Mr. Gutierrez was threatened by then-Mayor Carlton Jones, who was a good friend of Dr. Kumar, to watch his back, and his house and car burned to the ground in two suspicious fires.

Ms. Gutierrez could have lost her job because of the smear campaign.

The New Yorker reported, “A former Psy-Group official told me, ‘I never initiated any physical fire on any project whatsoever.’”

Mr. Gutierrez is not 100% convinced.

To defeat the recall the Psy-Group created websites such as Tularespeaks.com, Tulareleaks.com, and Draintulareswamp.com that started appearing in June of 2017.

Campaign flyers appeared on door handles ridiculing Ms. Gutierrez for having zero experience and articles appeared questioning her ability to manage finances because of a 2003 bankruptcy. Photographs were taken of her house, making it appear as though she were taking bribes.

An Avatar was created to post comments on social media alleging the bribes and questioning whether Ms. Gutierrez was an American citizen.

Little did anyone know at the time that an international spy group was paid $230,000 to smear Ms. Gutierrez’ reputation and intimidate her son into submission.

But the Valley Voice had its suspicions.

In a July 6 article by Dave Adalian he writes, “The supporters of Dr. Parmod Kumar appear to be playing loose with the truth” when noting “the appearance of a suspicious website” aimed at Ms. Gutierrez.

“The website appears intended to generate drama where none exists,” said Mr. Adalian.

“I guess you might see that in a big city or on a national level,” our own writer and webmaster Tony Maldonado told The New Yorker. “But to see it in a small town, about a hospital board in Tulare, is just insane.”

Dr. Kumar’s campaign advisor said of Psy-Group’s tactics, “It didn’t really hurt Senovia,” McKinney said.

“It made it look like she was being harassed. It hurt Kumar. It backfired.”

Backfire it did. Dr. Kumar was recalled by 80% of the vote and Ms. Gutierrez was elected to take his place.

Tulare Resident and rabble- rouser, Elaine Hollingsworth said, “I believe Senovia and her son Alex did a fine job in standing up to all the threats and nastiness they endured.

Perhaps part of it is due to the fact that Senovia having come from Mex-

3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com ico desiring a better life in the States felt she couldn’t sit back and watch the corruption in her community in her beloved new country.

Again, Psy-Group failed because people with guts stood up and lead the charge and they succeeded at the voting both!”

Why do you think the Russians were successful in their meddling in our national elections but the Psy-Group was such a resounding failure in Tulare?

I asked this question to Xavier Avila and Jim Reeves, two politically astute Tulare County residents on the opposite side of the aisle.

Before answering my question Mr. Avila gave me a thorough tongue lashing for suggesting that President Trump won the election because of Russian meddling.

“It’s really an insult to us Trump supporters to say the Russian’s were successful because for us the Russians had absolutely nothing to do with our voting for Trump . For us the thought of Hilary Clinton being President was enough but for me it wasn’t just a vote against someone I didn’t want . It was because I believe Trump could actually do some good things .

So far he has been successful. “ After Mr. Avila got that off of his chest he proceeded with some astute observations.

“The people of Tulare already had their minds made up . Measure I was soundly defeated. Then Kevin Northcraft and Mike Jamaica both won their elections to the Hospital Board by huge margins (against incumbents and supporters of Dr. Benzeevi.) Those elections were long before the Psy-Group was hired. The trend to clean up the Hospital Board was there.

“So when the Psy-Group started appearing on FB we knew something different was happening but we citizens did a good job countering them . I think they didn’t expect how effective we were. We called out many fake accounts. Now with the Mossad Agent for Hire it makes perfect sense.

“I do believe the dirty tricks backfired on Benzeevi. Kumar was recalled by 81%.

“They thought we were just a bunch of small town hicks that could be easily fooled. They were completely wrong . Tulare People are smart and in the end The People of Tulare voted to pass Measure H by 88 percent.

“This just goes to show, that people are not going to be swayed by gimmicks. The Truth is by far more effective.”

Mr. Reeves said, “Good question. I wondered that myself.

“I think there may have been several reasons. One might be the money and resources dedicated to the effort. Russia had the resources of the GRU (foreign intelligence service of Russia) and Putin behind them, and very likely assistance from Trump’s campaign or supporters. Psy-Group had only the $230,000 from Benzeevi, and probably only dedicated a small number of people not familiar with Tulare to the effort. Being a relatively new company, how much of that money actually went to the Tulare op-

eration, rather than just keeping the lights on and the Internet bill paid?

“One wonders about what assistance they received from locals? Did that assistance, if any, help or hinder?

“We could be generous and say the local citizenry was too smart to be taken in by the tactics of Psy-Group (but then they do keep re-electing Nunes, so there’s that).

“Or perhaps the people motivated enough to actually vote in something as obscure as a hospital board recall were interested enough to question something that came across their Facebook feeds.

“Whatever happened, it’s clear that Psy-Group either targeted the wrong demographic in their campaign and missed the thousand voters that made the decision, or their tactics were so lame that it didn’t matter.”

And finally…..

In ironies of ironies, in 2012 Dr. Kumar, along with a partner, was in negotiations to buy the Valley Voice.

Just think if he did?

We would not be writing about a recall election or Israeli spy group, because Dr. Benzeevi would have most likely taken possession of the hospital, and it would probably be closed because he doesn’t pay his bills.

And there isn’t anything Tulareans could have done about it because they would not have known until it was too late.

As it was, Ms. Gutirrez got on the board just under the wire before Dr. Benzeevi started selling off all of the hospital’s assets or taking out huge loans against them.

In short, local journalism is vital.

As pointed out in The New Yorker, the same model was used in the Russian meddling in the national elections as in Tulare--but we caught them.

We caught Dr. Benzeevi when he changed the language on the Measure I from what the board voted on to wording making it easier to take hospital funds.

We reported on the suspicious fires, fake websites, and the phony break-ins of the Yes on I campaign office.

While the VTD did report on the hospital, as a high official in Tulare County administration said, the VTD was always trying to do catch up.

When The New Yorker did their research on the recall election they used the Valley Voice as their main resource. They interviewed our webmaster, Maldonado, who has been reporting on the hospital with the sophistication and grit of any Washington Post reporter.

But the saga is not over as the legal fallout of what Dr. Benzeevi did is now playing out in the courts.

We have not let up on our reporting but unfortunately the Visalia Times-Delta just let go their point man on the hospital, Luis Hernandez.

Buying the Valley Voice would have been the best investment Dr. Kumar ever made.

Which brings us full circle to The New Yorker article in asking: Why was Russia successful in their misinformation campaign but Israel was not successful in Tulare?

Because of local journalism.

4

Benzeevi funds hearing to continue in March

TONY MALDONADO

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com

Arguments over the fate of Tulare Regional Medical Center manager Dr. Benny Benzeevi’s seized cash will resume on March 4.

Approximately $937,000 was seized by the Tulare County District Attorney’s office. They claim the cash came from an illegal transaction.

Benzeevi’s lawyers claim that the transaction was explicitly allowed when the Tulare Local Healthcare District’s Board of Directors voted to let Benzeevi’s company, Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, seek out and execute loans on its behalf.

The district is the legal entity that owns Tulare Regional; Benzeevi’s company, Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) managed the hospital from May 2014 until November 22, 2018.

While the entirety of the proceedings were initially slated to just last two weeks, the first two weeks were taken up by the District Attorney’s office’s arguments.

The seized funds came from a $3m sale-leaseback transaction executed by Benzeevi a month before the district filed bankruptcy: HCCA received $3m on August 31, and the district declared itself bankrupt on September 29.

The funds were wired directly into a bank account owned by “Tulare Asset Management.” Benzeevi’s attorneys claim that account was part of HCCA, though it was legally registered at Benzeevi’s home address at the time the proceeds were transferred into it; $2.4m of those funds

were subsequently transferred to his personal account.

The judge in the case, Hon. John Bianco, signed the warrant allowing the district attorney’s office to seize the cash. He’ll also be the one to decide whether Benzeevi will get it back as the office continues to investigate his company’s time in Tulare.

Auditor Testifies

Darrell Early, an Investigative Auditor with the California Department of Justice, testified regarding his findings during the series of hearings.

Early has prepared at least one Investigative Auditor Report, dated December 19, which states that he began assisting the Tulare County District Attorney’s office with the investigation in January 2018.

He examined multiple bank accounts as a part of his work, he told the court, including two HCCA accounts, Benzeevi’s personal bank account, and Tulare Regional Medical Center’s account. $2.4m of the funds were transferred into Benzeevi’s account on September 13, 2017, Early told the court. Days earlier, on September 10, $499,727.93 was transferred to the Baker Hostetler law firm; Bruce Greene, Benzeevi’s preferred lawyer at the firm, would later send Benzeevi a letter dated September 29, 2017, advising that neither he nor his firm could further represent HCCA, Benzeevi, or any other affiliated entity.

Earlier in the hearing, Delbert Bryant, the hospital’s long-time controller, testified that the hospital’s profit and loss statements would in-

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

clude cash held in the Tulare Asset Management account.

Early stated that it was not proper under generally accepted accounting principles to count one company’s cash as another’s, leading Eliot Peters, an attorney for Benzeevi, to object -an objection that Bianco sustained.

“The fact that Tulare Asset Management was in Dr. Benzeevi’s name does not mean it’s not a hospital account,” Bianco said. “Tulare Asset Management is a hospital account.”

Peters stated that an operating agreement showed Tulare Asset Management was a subsidiary of HCCA; after significant debate between Peters and Trevor Holly, an attorney for the district attorney’s office, Peters agreed to have a sealed envelope with the document delivered to the court.

On cross-examination, Early told Peters he hadn’t thoroughly read the Management Services Agreement, the contract between HCCA and the district that Peters states allowed HCCA to pay itself from the district’s bank accounts.

HCCA claims that the district owed it millions in loans the company extended so that the district could continue operating Tulare Regional, including loans for operations and payroll expenses.

Former CNO Testifies to Supply Problems

Angie Graziano, HCCA’s former Chief Nursing Officer, testified that starting in 2017, the hospital began facing supply issues.

Prior reporting has shown that the Tulare Local Healthcare District

and Tulare Regional, under HCCA’s management: • had at one point owed rent on its Hillman Clinic from February to September of 2017, • had racked up $473,625.65 in past due bills to Southern California Edison, some dating as far back as January 2017, • owed Tulare County for $132,622.08 in elections expenses, dating as far back as the August 30, 2016 Measure I Bond election, • took out an $800,000 line of credit from Bank of the Sierra to repay Cardinal Pharmaceuticals, a drug vendor Graziano said supply issues worsened by March 2017, resulting in weekly meetings with HCCA CFO Alan Germany to discuss supply issues; by April 2017, the situation had devolved so much that daily “huddles” were held at 9am and meetings at 11am to discuss vendors that had put the hospital on credit hold.

She told the court that in her 29 years of experience, she’d never before needed to hold daily meetings regarding supply problems.

By April, 20 vendors had put the hospital on a credit hold; that number spiked to upwards of 45 by August, she told the court.

Accountants Testify

Michael Certini, an accountant with HCCA, worked at Tulare Regional for three years -- he was initially an Accountemps temporary worker before being hired on permanently, he said.

HEARING continued on 13 »

Valley Voice 21 February, 2019

5

AGRICULTURE

In SJ Valley, high-speed rail concerns linger KEVIN HECTEMAN

CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

As Mark Twain might have said, reports of the death of the California high-speed rail project have been greatly exaggerated--and in the San Joaquin Valley, farmers continue to face the impacts of the line’s construction.

In his State of the State address last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom said completing the entire San Francisco-to-Los Angeles project as currently envisioned “would cost too much and take too long.”

He said he wants to focus on completing the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, already under construction.

In the immediate aftermath of the speech, several media reports spoke of Newsom “pulling the plug” on the project, because he said that right now, “there simply isn’t a path” for the train to connect to Sacramento, San Francisco or Los Angeles.

But in the San Joaquin Valley, farmers from Merced to Kern counties still stand to lose land and livelihoods to bullet-train right of way.

“Unfortunately, nothing changes,” said Dusty Ference, executive director of the Kings County Farm Bureau.

“High-speed rail construction broke ground several months ago here in

Kings County. The rail’s going to continue construction.”

How the governor’s plans play out in the state Legislature remains unclear, according to Robert Spiegel, a policy specialist on transportation issues for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

“From a legislative perspective, ongoing funding will be an interesting discussion this year. Does the Legislature continue to appropriate a significant amount of cap-and-trade money to the project? Will ridership be able to cover the costs of ongoing operations?

Is the state prepared to backfill those losses? There are more questions than answers on both the short-term and long-term implications,” Spiegel said.

Funding for wildfire prevention, forest management and water infrastructure are sure to figure into the debate, he added.

There’s also the $3.5 billion in federal money allocated by Congress for the rail project, which Spiegel called “a significant carrot.”

“The funding’s still there—the $3.5 billion from the feds; they have to show something or pay that back,” he said. “It is a much smaller project, and one that I don’t believe in any way fulfills the vision that California voters went to the polls over and supported more than a decade ago.”

Proposition 1A, approved by voters in November 2008, authorized nearly $10 billion in bonds to help the California High-Speed Rail Authority construct the system. The proposition spoke of connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles in a running time of two hours, 40 minutes.

“Even though the citizens of California, through the ballot initiative, expected high-speed rail to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles in a little over two and a half hours, I think there’s an interesting constitutional dilemma now associated to it,” Spiegel said.

Christina Beckstead, executive director of the Madera County Farm Bureau, said she wonders what the revised rail plan might mean for a spot called the Central Valley Wye, a junction in Madera and Merced counties intended to connect the main Central Valley leg to eventual lines serving San Jose and Sacramento.

In January 2017, the CHSRA identified an alignment for a preferred route following Highway 152 from west to east, with the Sacramento line splitting off at Road 11. At the time, the rail authority reported this alignment would take 2,144 acres of farmland deemed Important Farmland under the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program, and affect 31 agricultural operations.

“If the wye goes away, it would be positive for the growers that are being impacted out there,” Beckstead said, noting that at least one farmer would be put out of business entirely due to the alignment. She also said one disadvantaged community in the area of the wye was supposed to benefit.

Beckstead said the governor’s statement about high-speed rail left her with more questions than answers.

“Now, if the wye isn’t there, does that kill everything? Or is it just put on hold until they decide to do whatever else they’re going to do later on down the line? I don’t know,” Beckstead said.

Farmers in her county have different infrastructure priorities, she added.

“I have growers that were making public comments the other day, saying, ‘No, we don’t need this. We needed that money to do other things, like water infrastructure,’” she said.

Ference said he foresees an inevitable build-out of the system—and a dearth of ticket sales.

“It doesn’t make sense to many of us down here,” Ference said, “Who’s going to ride the thing? But we’re still going to have it in our neighborhood.”

(Kevin Hecteman is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be reached at khecteman@cfbf.com.)

Thefts continue to trouble beekeepers CHRISTINE SOUZA

CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

For some commercial beekeepers, California’s almond bloom ended before it officially started.

Early last week, Tulare County beekeeper Steve Godlin of Visalia learned that about 100 honeybee colonies he was managing had disappeared from an almond orchard west of Visalia.

“We got hit. It’s a nightmare,” said Godlin, who had been managing the colonies for a fellow beekeeper from North Dakota. “It’s very discouraging, obviously, to get the bees this far to a payday and then have them stolen.”

Citing a shortage of bees for almond pollination, which this year requires about 2.14 million apiaries for more than 1 million bearing acres of almonds, Godlin said the bees were likely stolen Feb. 10.

Deputies from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Agricultural Crimes Unit also took a report of a likely related theft the next day: Just a few miles from the Godlin location, Gunter Honey reported a second theft of another 96 hives.

Godlin said 100 beehives would be valued at $20,000 for the bees alone and another $20,000 for the pollination services—and that to steal that many hives would require a one-ton truck and forklift. His advice to farmers?

SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

“Know your beekeepers, and if you or anybody in the public sees somebody loading bees up in an almond orchard, call the police. That’s not the way it works. Bees should be going into the almonds, not out,” Godlin said.

Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy Rowdy Freeman, who investigates rural and agricultural crimes, said a theft of 100 or 200 hives at a time would likely be committed by someone who is a beekeeper.

“They know what they are doing.

They have beekeeping equipment.

They know how to go in and take them and have the means to do it. It could be a beekeeper who lost a lot of hives and can’t fulfill his contract. Desperation leads to theft, so they will steal the hives from someone,” Freeman said, noting that other bee thefts had been reported already this year in Kern County and in Southern California, with a total of 300 hives lost.

“What we typically see is they steal hives from one area and then drive several hours to put them on a contract, because the people there won’t necessarily know that they are stolen,” Freeman said. “Almond growers need to know whose bees are going into their orchards, what markings are going to be on those hives, and if they see anything different, they need to report it.”

Early this month, Freeman investigated reports of a small number of bees stolen from Butte and Glenn

Equipment Co. (559) 685-5000 Rental Co. (559) 685-5028 311 E. Kern Ave. Tulare www.linderequipment.com

Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy Rowdy Freeman checks on commercial apiaries in an almond orchard near Oroville. Freeman says law-enforcement agencies around the state have received reports of bee-colony thefts, suggesting potentially tight supplies of bees for pollination.

Christine Souza/California Farm Bureau Federation

counties. He later recovered about half of the bees, after deputies spotted some of the stolen hives loaded onto a small utility trailer parked in a driveway in Biggs.

Two adults were arrested for the alleged crime and for felony possession of stolen property. The recovered bees were returned to the beekeeper-owner in Glenn County.

The sheriff’s department said the suspects planned to place the hives in an almond orchard in exchange for payment for pollination services.

Freeman said smaller apiary thefts

could be carried out by people who aren’t beekeepers, but are just looking to make quick cash.

“In a recent case I worked, they saw an ad on Craigslist, and they responded to that and came to an agreement,” he said. “The farmer doesn’t know who they are really dealing with, and that guy comes out and drops off a bunch of boxes that look like beehives and the farmer is happy he has bees. But he doesn’t look inside of them. One case, there weren’t any bees in the boxes, and they weren’t beekeepers.”

BEES continued on 11 »

Tulare & Kings Counties Only!

We Buy Junk Cars & Farm Equipment No papers, No problem

559-967-4666 Same Day Pick Up

CAS

H

559-230-7062 Habla Espanol

6

Sheriff unveils Memorial Highway STAFF REPORTS Sheriff Mike Boudreaux unveiled the Deputy Scott Ballantyne and Pilot James Chavez Memorial Highway Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, three years to the day after the Sheriff’s light sport aircraft, Sheriff One, crashed on a hillside near Lake Success.

The Memorial Highway honors the fallen, Sheriff Boudreaux said.

“The Deputy Scott Ballantyne and Pilot James Chavez Memorial Highway is one that I wish never existed. Three years after that tragic day, we all still mourn the loss of two very dedicated and talented men. It’s a reminder of the dangerous job the men and women of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office do day in and day out. Although this Highway dedication doesn’t bring our heroes back, it is a way for us to honor them and the ultimate sacrifice they made,” he said.

People came from across the country to attend the unveiling ceremony which took place at Lake Success. A moment of silence was observed at 4:15 p.m. at the time of the crash.

Two brand new signs mark the Memorial Highway on Highway 190 near Lake Success, located above and below the hillside where the crash took place. The signs were installed Friday and were covered up until Sunday.

The Ballantyne Chavez Memorial Highway occupies the 4-mile portion of California State Highway Route 190 between its intersection with Pleasant Oak Drive and just south of HQ Drive, between postmile 22.53 and postmile 26.53.

In September of 2017, Sergeant Javier Martinez, who serves as president of the Tulare County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, began the process of getting a memorial highway named in honor of Deputy Ballantyne and Pilot Chavez. He worked with Assemblyman Devon Mathis to get it passed through the state and with KRC SAFETY Co., Inc. to have the signs made.

The cost for the project, estimated at $30,000, including the signs, installation and permits, was donated by KRC SAFETY. Sheriff Boudreaux thanked the

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Assemblyman Devon Mathis for their hard work on this project as well as KRC SAFETY for its generosity.

Sheriff’s aviation unit promotes public safety

On Feb. 10, 2016, Sheriff One had just cleared the scene overhead after assisting with the arrest of an armed suspect.

It was a typical assignment, one that Deputy Ballantyne and Pilot Chavez had helped with many times before.

As Chavez flew Sheriff One, Deputy Ballantyne used high-tech equipment to monitor suspects and help guide deputies on the ground, Sheriff Boudreaux said.

Previously with Sheriff One, Deputy Ballantyne and Pilot Chavez were able to locate a lost 3-year-old child, an Alzheimer’s patient, and spot fires and even interrupt burglaries in progress.

They provided good safety for Deputies on the ground in the pursuit and apprehension of criminals.

Deputy Ballantyne greatly enjoyed working as a Tactical Flight Officer. As a sworn Deputy, he could be called to testify in court and he knew the county well. He loved working for the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Boudreaux said.

“He loved wearing the badge,” he said. “This was his passion.”

Deputy Ballantyne lived in Visalia most of his life. He is survived by his mother, Jean Ballantyne; his brother, John Ballantyne and his wife, Stacy, and their two daughters, Ashley and Hayley Ballantyne; his sister, Mary Benson, and her husband, David; his sister, JoAnn Coleman, and her husband, Dennis, and her daughter, Shannon Moore; and his Aunt Marylin and Uncle William Silveira, a retired Tulare County Superior Court Judge, and their two children, Amy Silveira and Matthew Silveira and his wife, Leslie.

Deputy Ballantyne was preceded in death by his father, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Stanley E. Ballantyne; and a nephew, Colton Moore.

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux unveils the Deputy Scott Ballantyne and Pilot James Chavez Memorial Highway on Feb. 10, 2019 at Lake Success. Teresa Douglass/Tulare County Sheriff’s Office

Loved to fly

James Chavez had extensive flying experience. As a civilian, he flew private aircraft and commercial aircraft.

As a U.S. Navy Officer, he served as a Maintenance Officer aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during a 1998 overseas deployment.

In 2005, he transferred to the Army National Guard and became a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Chavez flew many Blackhawk missions and earned the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge during a deployment to Iraq in 2010-2011.

In all, Chavez had more than 900 hours flying the Blackhawk and received his 20-year service letter from the military in 2013. He continued to serve actively with the U.S. Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Major. He was in his last stage of achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Before James Chavez was hired to fly Sheriff One for the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, he was a volunteer for 13 years with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Aero Squadron, a group of volunteer pilots and observers who assist with Search and Rescue and other tasks requiring aircrafts. At the time of his death, he was the commander of the Sheriff’s Aero Squadron.

Pilot Chavez lived in Hanford. He

is survived by his wife, Melissa “Missy” Chavez and their two children, Jayleen and Josiah.

Their legacy lives on

In 2016, the Sheriff’s Office was devastated by the crash of Sheriff One and the loss of Deputy Ballantyne and Pilot Chavez. But with resolve, the Sheriff’s Office has become stronger and even more committed to the service and protection of the people of Tulare County through aerial support.

In 2017, Sheriff Boudreaux unveiled two new Cessna airplanes which were paid for with insurance money from the plane crash and operational budget savings. The two aircraft provide safety to the men and women in uniform on the ground and a safer community for Tulare County.

“The population of Tulare County has grown big enough that it demands the need for aerial support for law enforcement and to increase the safety of our communities and to protect our agricultural partners,” Sheriff Boudreaux said.

The Sheriff’s Cessna 206 aircraft is named Tribute in honor of the fallen, specifically Ballantyne and Chavez.

Tribute’s tail numbers, 189JC, combine Deputy Ballantyne’s Badge No. 189 with Pilot Chavez’s initials, JC.

Pockets Change teaches financial skills to Visalia foster youth JOHN DILLON

john@ourvalleyvoice.com

A new organization is revolutionizing the way money is taught to children and one stop on their tour of

change was Visalia.

Pockets Change is an organization dedicated to teaching youth about healthy money habits and financial planning. They recently came to Visalia’s College of the Sequoias and con-

GET SOLAR

Design your system how you want it Solar Panels & Products Solar Installations Solar System Repair Energy Management

BEST PRICES IN THE VALLEY!

1434 E. Tulare Ave. Tulare, Ca 93274 Sales@altsyssolar.com

559.688.2544

www.tularesolar.com Contractor License #944549 C-46 Solar

ducted a one -day workshop on the basics of finances to foster kids.

In the class, the teachers cover budgeting, banking, income, and more facets of money personalities.

“Money is probably the very first encounter after becoming an adult,” said Pam Capalad, a Certified Financial Planner with the group. “It’s good to know your money personality and make sure it’s a match.”

Capalad works with educators to impart the wisdom she’s learned in her profession. She was hired early on by a camp that taught financial literacy. “It was something that completely opened my eyes to something I was completely unaware about. I couldn’t believe I didn’t learn this when I was 12,” said Capalad.

After her early experience with teaching kids about money, she moved from the Bay Area to New York City. She wanted to help educate more people about good money practices, but she felt unhappy with the system she worked for.

“I think a big part of it for me is that I worked in wealth management for 7 years and I learned that it is straight-

up designed to take advantage of poor people and people of color,” said Capalad. “We throw out these huge numbers to scare people. The reason why I still teach youth is because I see adults with these situations.”

Capalad’s colleagues agreed with her sentiment. “Social justice is what led me to Pockets Change,” said Brian “Dyalekt” Kushner, a hip hop artist and finance educator. “One thing I feel gives me a unique identity is that I come from exactly where [the kids] come from,” he said.

Dyalekt moved from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to New York to pursue performing arts and legal studies. He turned wholly to rap and theater after seeing the law firm he worked for mistreating its clients. Dyalekt soon began teaching.

“I don’t believe that those who can’t, teach. I believe those who can, must teach,” said Dyalekt. “We want youth to be able to live the lives they intend to live.”

Angela Ferrero, another educator with Pockets Change, has a similar story to both her co-workers. “I got into

POCKETS CHANGE continued on 11 »

21 February, 2019

VALLEYSCENE

ourvalleyvoice.com

Watchale Writing Workshop to debut in Visalia MARTIN VELASCO-RAMOS martin@ourvalleyvoice.com

Rawhide announce first ever Design-a-Jersey contest for kids STAFF REPORTS The Rawhide announced recently that it will hold its first ever Design-a Jersey Contest for children ages 16 and under. The winner will have their jersey worn by Rawhide players on Sunday August 4th. During the game, jerseys will be auctioned and all proceeds will go to Valley Children’s Healthcare.

Contestants will design their jerseys on templates provided at www.

RawhideBaseball.com, and submit their designs by March 1st. The winner will be selected, and announced on

March 8th.

Valley Children’s Healthcare will receive all proceeds from the jersey auction. Valley Children Healthcare has been recognized two years in a row by U.S. News and World Report as one of the “Best Children’s Hospitals”, and is planning to build a Visalia hospital location in the near future.

Las Madrinas (translation: The Godmothers) Guild will be assisting with this fundraiser, which is a first for Visalia. Las Madrinas Guild is one of the 13 original guilds formed to support Valley Children’s Healthcare.

Local organizers from College of the Sequoias in Visalia will be hosting the first ever Watchale Workshop, a free writing workshop blending student and professional writers. The one-day event is free to attend on April 6th and will include a series of workshops, lectures, and readings. Organizers intend to create an “alternative narrative” of the literary community in the Central Valley by shifting the spotlight onto women of color.

Nine writers and educators will be hosting lectures and workshops.

The workshop seems traditionally academic. But the three featured writers are anything but traditional.

Monique Quintana, the first feature, was born and raised in Fresno and became a college drop out after getting pregnant while attending community college. Seven years later, she returned to school and discovered a passion for reading and writing, eventually switching to English as a major. Quintana, however, feared her love for literature would be viewed as impractical and kept her involvement in the arts a secret.

But Quintana’s inclination for creative writing only grew with time.

She began to take creative writing classes, attending workshops, and with the encouragement of professors she began to take more risks. She got her master’s in Creative Writing.

She wrote short stories, poems, blogs and articles. Magazines took notice.

So much so that she eventually became a contributor at Clash Media and Senior Contributing Editor at Luna Luna Magazine.

Today, Quintana blogs about Latinx Literature at her site Bloodmoonblog.com, and has an upcoming book called Cenote City. The novel is a contemporary retelling of the Latin American legend of La Llorona. It’s been described as a gothic novel, magical realism, and a vessel for elements of horror. As for the story, it’s centered around Marcrina Lopez, a midwife for the dead in a fictional dystopian version of the Central Valley. The book is set to release next month and is available for pre-order on Amazon.

The second feature, Brenda Venezia, is also a lifelong Fresno resident.

Venezia’s relationship literature

Workshop continued on 10 »

Small Town Cruizers to hold “Poker Chips for K-9” fundraiser STAFF REPORTS The Small Town Cruizers Car Club of Tulare County will be hosting a very special Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament Fundraiser to benefit our local law enforcement canine heroes. The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 21511 Road 76, in Tulare, with registration starting at 5pm and the dealing of cards beginning at 6pm.

Organizers and members of the Small Town Cruizers say, “this is a great opportunity for people who love to

play cards to come together for a couple of hours on a Saturday evening, and raise some much-needed money for our law enforcement K-9 agencies in Tulare County, plus the tournament is really a lot of fun with plenty of raffle prizes, food and more!”

The Small Town Cruizers Car Club is a non-profit 501(c)7 organization which has been raising money to support three different K9 agencies in Tulare County since 2017. The initial cost of a new canine is approximately

$10,000, and the average service life of trained canine is only 5-6 years. Therefore, it is extremely important for the K-9 Paws for the Cause Program to continue providing support to our local patrol officers.

John Leland, a member of the Town Small Town Cruizers Car Club and a key organizer of the tournament states, “This is going to be a very fun and impactful event, raising a little extra funds for some new law paws, while enjoying an evening of playing cards with

friends and new acquaintances. The cost to enter the tournament is only $50, and includes food and drinks (no alcohol please). More importantly, the tournament will help support our local K-9 agencies, enhancing the quality of safety in our own neighborhoods and help save lives.”

For more information about this fundraising event, call John at 559-7868773 or visit www.smalltowncruizers. org We hope you will join us on Saturday, March 2.

Trivia Night Fundraiser set for Feb 28

Betty Yee coming to Visalia March 16

STAFF REPORTS

STAFF REPORTS

On February 28, A&W on Mooney Blvd in Visalia will host its first ever Fabulous Fifties & Swinging Sixties Trivia Night Fundraiser.

Proceeds from the event will go to support one of the three K-9 agencies in Tulare County.

The event is currently scheduled to be held on the last Thursday of each month from 6 to 8pm at 2611 S. Mooney Blvd.

The trivia night will be presented by former DJs, “Bobby B & the Big T” and feature five 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. Each team will be limited to 2-6 players.

Half of the entrance fee automatically goes to the K-9 charity, with the remaining funds going to the trivia winner.

Organizers of the event say, “trivia nights are an excellent source of entertainment--they promote healthy social interaction, provide a fun venue for people to show off their knowledge and memory, and in our case, help generate funds for a noteworthy charity.”

Also, according to Bobby B & the Big T, “having a trivia night rolling back to the 50’s & 60’s is not only enabling folks to take a stroll down memory lane, but it also provides a type of reminiscence therapy, which may help with our brain function and better cognition.

But more importantly, we just wanted to give people our age the opportunity to come out to a place they all remember, and just have a little fun!”

This event is wholeheartedly sponsored by Craig Van Horn, owner of several A&W Restaurants in Tulare and Kings County, as well as the Small Town Cruizers Car Club, a community-minded, non-profit organization, fundraising for local K-9s since 2017.

The group truly hopes to see you there, and don’t forget to invite a friend!

Valley residents will be able to hear from Betty Yee, California’s dynamic newly re-elected Controller, when she keynotes the Fred Davis Dinner on Saturday March 16 at the Lamp Liter Inn in Visalia.

Yee’s office goes far beyond paying California’s bills and monitoring the State’s budget. As the chief fiscal officer of California, Betty Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the State’s financial resources and audits government agencies that spend state funds, including cities and counties. She also serves on numerous boards and commissions that oversee areas of enormous impact on Californians, including the state’s two major pension funds, health and science, housing and infrastructure, consumer protection, land management, transportation, environment and energy. She opposes “fracking” and supports clean, sustainable energy for California.

Betty Yee is a reformer, fighting to

provide fair and efficient services to taxpayers and to uphold our rights.

She was the chief architect of the 2017 Taxpayer Transparency and Fairness Act (AB 102 , which includes establishing an independent Office of Taxpayer Appeals administered by expert tax judges. She has battled insurance companies to make them pay people the benefits due to them.

The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Betty Yee grew up in San Francisco helping her parents with their laundry business. She spoke no English until she went to public school; she later graduated from University of California, Berkeley. Betty Yee is married to Steven Jacobs, a civil rights activist and retired rabbi.

The public is invited to meet and hear from this fascinating public servant, Betty Yee, at the Third Annual Fred Davis Dinner. Tickets are available online at secure.actblue.com/donate/ freddavis2019, at the Tulare County Democratic office, 1320 WE. Walnut in Visalia, or by calling event coordinator Sherry at (559) 901-5994.

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

8

Tulare County Library presents “Before I Discussion on New Trends in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Die” programs, a Book to Action program STAFF REPORTS Internationally-recognized memory care expert and renowned author David Troxel, MPH invites you to attend a free discussion on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:00 p.m. for those interested in learning more about the latest research and trends that are shaping the way we think about Alzheimer’s and dementia care today.

During his talk, which will be held at Prestige Assisted Living at Visalia, Troxel will share the newest trends in dementia care, including the latest research and treatments that are helping people with dementia live fuller, richer lives.

Troxel’s expertise is rooted in the “Best Friends Approach” – a treatment philosophy he helped pioneer that redefines how families and caregivers can enhance the lives of individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Simply put, it’s suggested that what a person with dementia needs most of all is a friend, a “Best Friend.” This can be a family member, friend, or staff member who empathizes with their situation, remains loving and positive, and is dedicated to helping the person feel safe, secure and valued.

Troxel recently published his sixth book, A Dignified Life, The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care. He is

Prestige Assisted Living’s memory care consultant and helped design their innovative memory care program, Expressions.

Expressions is designed to keep memory care residents active and engaged. Compassionate caregivers take the time to understand elements of a person’s life story so that we can personalize and tailor each service we provide. We build relationships with our residents based on trust, empathy, support and humor, always focusing on them and not their disease.

Prestige’s Expressions Memory Care program uses innovative care techniques and life enrichment programming to provide people with dementia and their families an environment in which the individual can live a productive and active life and be treated with dignity and respect.

The upcoming interactive session with David Troxel will encourage questions from attendees and complimentary refreshments will be served.

He’ll also be available after the presentation for questions.

Seating is limited. Call Penny at (559) 735-0828 to reserve your spot today, or if you would like to learn more about Expressions memory care. Visit www.PrestigeCare.com for more information.

Great movie heroes on hand at symphony concert DONNA OROZCO Batman, Wonder Woman and other super heroes will be on hand when the Sequoia Symphony performs exciting movie themes of super hero films at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 at the Visalia Fox Theatre.

The symphony’s annual film music concert will feature well-known themes from such films as “Superman,” “The Incredibles,” “Batman,” “The Avengers” and many others.

Before the concert, those attending the Red Carpet reception can have their pictures taken with Spiderman, Captain America and characters from “Star Wars” from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The reception includes wine, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and drawings. Fresno Lexus will have their latest model

on display.

Those portraying the “Star Wars” characters are part of the 501st Legion Star Wars group that creates their own authentic costumes and makes appearances and raises money for a variety of charities. The super heroes are part of Hero Alliance.

The audience is invited to attend the pre-concert preview by music director Bruce Kiesling at 6:45 p.m.

Tickets for the Red Carpet reception are $35.

Tickets for both the concert and Red Carpet reception are available at the symphony office, 208 W. Main Street, Suite D, Visalia, downstairs in Montgomery Square. Tickets are also available at 732-8600 or go to www.sequoiasymphonyorchestra.com.

Our 44th Year in Downtown Visalia

316 W. Main Street Visalia, CA 93291

559-734-7079 Certified Gemologist Appraiser

www.michaelscustomjewelry.com COMPLIMENTARY CLEANING AND INSPECTION OF YOUR JEWELRY 3-D DESIGNS • CERTIFIED APPRAISALS • FINE ENGRAVING RING SIZING • RESTRINGING • WATCH REPAIR WATCH BATTERIES • WATCH BANDS STONE REPLACEMENT • PRONG RETIPPING FREE GIFT WRAPPING WITH PURCHASE

STAFF REPORTS Tulare County Library, along with the California Center for the Book, is proud to present “Before I Die” a Book to Action program series at the Visalia Branch Library. The series is based on the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, the programs, running throughout late February and March of 2019, feature open dialogue on topics related to death and dying, and ways to prepare and overcome to find fulfillment. The series include a book discussion group, guest speakers, and programs that provide ideas on creating wills and cleaning up the past and the things that may wear a person down to make room for more life, happiness, and joy.

Ongoing during February and March at the Visalia Branch Library, patrons will be invited to complete the sentence “Before I Die I Want to…” to be featured in the branch. This is a perfect way to express those things that one never accomplished, for which there is still time to fulfill in life.

February 26, 2019, 6-8 pm-Creating Living Wills with Attorney Paul Mullen from Central California Legal Services.

Join us as we learn about creating living wills that help ensure that all your legal affairs are in order.

On March 5, 2019 from 6:30-7:30 pm

the First Tuesday Book Club’s discussion features The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Magareta Magnusson. What do you have around your home that is taking up space in your emotional and physical wellbeing?

What are you hanging onto for which your family will have to clean up?

March 16, 2019, 1-3 pm features Advanced Health Care Directives and Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment with Jill McCarthy from Hinds Hospice. Join this program to learn about health care options for end of life treatment and planning.

March 30, 2019, 1-3 pm-Death Café with Jonathan Waltmire-Enjoy cake and snacks as participants open dialogue about death and dying.

The Visalia Branch is located in downtown Visalia at 200 W. Oak Avenue, with entrances on Encina and Locust Streets.

The Book to Action program comes to the Tulare County Library in part by the California Center of the Book, a program of the California Library Association and supported by the U.S. Institution of Museum and Library Services, and under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act in California administered by the California State Librarian.

Valley Voice 21 February, 2019

Calendar

February 21 & 22 & 23: ‘Once Upon a Mattress Redwood High School presents the musical comedy version of the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea” Feb 21 & 22 at 7:00pm, Feb 23 2:00 and 7:00. L.J. Williams Theatre, 1001 W. Main, Visalia.

Facebook: RHS Musical—Once Upon a Mattress February 22: “Moonstruck” Featuring Cher, will be shown at the Hanford Fox Theatre, 326 N. Irwin, at 7 p.m. 559 584-7823 or www.foxhanford. com 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 22, 23, The Dining Room’ in Hanford Dining room vignettes 7:30pm. Some funny, some touching—create an indepth portrait of a vanishing species—upper middle class. Also showing March 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 & 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday matinees March 3, 10 & 17 at 2 p.m. At the Temple Theater, 514 Visalia St., Hanford. 559 584-7241 or www.kingsplayers.org February. 22, 23, March 1 & 2: Matilda! The Musical’ Theater Arts Alliance presents “Matilda! The Musical,” 7:00pm !:00pm matinees on Sat and Sun. The Tony Award winning story of a girl who dreams of a better life, at Café 210, 210 W. Center, Visalia. www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/4067642 February 23: Tulare Kings Writers 10 a. m., Blue Room, in the Visalia Library (Oak St.) Our speaker is Springville Author, Brent Gill who will tell us about writing and publishing Fire on Black Mountain, a junior high/middle school book. Info Marilyn http://fictionforyou. com/ 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 February 23: “The Best of Broadway” Features music from some of the shows presented at the Encore Theatre over its 40 years. Music by the Tulare Community band and 20 performers at 7:30 p.m. at the Tulare Community Auditorium, 755 E. Tulare in Tulare. Go to Facebook: Tulare Jt. Union HS Foundation—Best of Broadway February 24: Lewis Hill Preserve Wild Flower Walk Dotted by cattle and small farms, the land around SRT’s Lewis Hill Preserve near Porterville rises to offer amazing views and something even more rare, striped adobe lily and adobe sunburst.

1 – 4 Wear sturdy shoes, a hat and long pants. Bring snacks and water as well.

Info – Aaron Collins www.sequoiariverlands.org 559) 738-0211 x118, 359-1305 (cell) February 24: “An Afternoon of Jazz and Broadway” The 59th Annual Bisconer Memorial

Chamber Concert at 5:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Tulare, Tulare and H streets. Free. www.ucctulare.org/bisconer-memorial-chamer-concert February 26: New Trends in Dementia Care with David Troxel MPH Prestige Assisted Living in Visalia, 3120 W. Caldwell, is pleased to welcome David Troxel MPH 6:00 – 7:30, author of six books and leading expert on Alzheimer’s and dementia. For info and to reserve your seat call 735-0828.

February 28: Fabulous Fifties & Swinging Sixties Trivia Night Fundraiser.

Sponsored by Small Town Cruisers Car Club of Tulare 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.

March1: Art is Healing Exhibition and Opening Reception at Arts Visalia Exhibition runs February 27th through March 29th. Gallery Hours: Noon-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays. Opening Reception is First Friday, March 1st from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.214 E. Oak Ave. Info,Janelle Howard, Gallery Director. 559739-0905, artsvisalia@sbcglobal.net 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 fun-filled fundraiser will be at 21511 Road 76, in Tulare, registration starting at 5:00 p.m. and the dealing of cards beginning at 6:00 p.m. Plenty of raffle prizes, food and more!”

March 2:Gadabout Meeting 10:00 AM Visalia Senior Center 310 N. Locust March 2 – Arts Consortium presents 1st Saturday in Three Rivers 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors. Strt at Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map. More info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559-561-3463.

March 2: Great Movies/Great Music Sequoia Symphony Orchestra presents “: Marvel-ous Heroes” at the Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main St. in Visalia at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10-$45 at sequoiasymphonyorchestra.com.

March 2 & 3: Gun Expo Visalia Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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. Vis-

9 it tcoe.org/SlickRock for information.

Awards ceremony at the Visalia Fox Theater on May 10.

March 16: St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Visalia Breakfast Lions Irish Fest Parade starts at 10:00am alog Main St. Rawhide Ballpark from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, following the Parade. 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 21: Visalia Chamber’s Impact Leadership Conference Visalia Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Event focuses on creating opportunities for learning that focus on activism, leadership and workplace skills. Tickets are $250–$325 at visaliachamber.org/impact.

March 23: CASA of Tulare County’s 3rd annual Superhero Run 5K and 1K Run/Walk, raffle, pancake breakfast from the Visalia Breakfast Lions, plus a superhero costume contest.

7 to 11:30 a.m. at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia. Registration is $25–$35 at runsignup.com.

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.

March 30 & 31: South Valley Art Tour The spring studio tour hosted by the Arts Consortium features over 35 artists at 19 locations. www.artsconsortium. org/events/acsvat March 30: Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ 2nd annual Trap Shoot fundraiser 9:30 a.m. at Tulare County Trap Club. $60 includes two rounds of trap, lunch, raffle ticket and Annie Oakley Shootout.

First place prize is a Ruger Carbine Rifle 9mm! RSVP, text 805-801-2617, email mmartinez@fca.org.

March 30: Visalia Host Lions presents its 2nd annual Murder Mystery Dinner Cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. at the Visalia Convention Center. The Roaring 1920s theme encourages participants to don flapper dresses and double-breasted suits. $75 RSVP 559-936-5712 or laguilar@thelockwoodagency.net.

April 6: Soroptimist International of Tulare 6th Annual Tea Sweet Treats, Tea Sandwiches,.Fresh Fruit, 11 30 am to 1 30pm. Tulare Com-

munity 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: 11AM-2PM Tulare Public Library, Veterans Resource Center, Referral services to all veterans and their families.

Saturday 10:00 – Tuesday through Thursday: Homework Help Tulare Public Library Homework Help 4:00 - 7:00pm, grades K-12th in our Learning Center, Every other Wednesday: Knitting Club Tulare Public Library 5:30pm; September 26th in the Olympic Room. All ages welcome! To register for book clubs or computer classes call 559685-4503 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 734-6181.

2nd Tuesday, Monthly: Yappy Hour, 5-9pm Well-mannered, leashed pets are welcome at the Planing Mill Artisan Pizzeria, 514 East Main Street, Suite A, in Visalia. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Valley Oak SPCA. (559) 651-1111.

Wednesdays: Barmageddon Game Night Come blow off some steam at our game night. Happy hour from 6-8pm.

1st Thursday, Monthly: Veterans Support Group, 5:30-7pm Free support group for global war on terrorism & post 9-11 (Veterans Only) at the Tulare Public Library, 475 North M Street in Tulare. Facilitated by: Dr. Lance Zimmerman, PhD of Veterans Counseling Clinic.

1st and 3rd Thursdays, Monthly: Central Valley Tea Party Meetings, 6pm 819 West Visalia Rd, Farmersville.

3rd Thursday, Monthly: Gathering At the Oval, 12:30-1pm Lifting up the needs and concerns of Visalia through individual prayer and meditation at Oval Park, 808 North Court Street in Visalia.(559) 967-4065.

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

10

WORKSHOP continued from 7

began at an early. At the age of seven, she was creating small publications like a neighborhood newspaper she would take door-to-door. She went on to Edison High School and then Fresno State, where she majored in English and eventually became a teacher. Her love for books led her to become involved in Central Valley Women Writers of Color Collective. And her work has appeared in Glass: A Journal of Poetry, The Collagist, Puerto Del Sol, Luna Luna Magazine, and elsewhere.

Aside from being a writer, Venezia also became the director of Fresno Women Read, a community based reading series that highlights women and non-binary writers through classes and reading events. Some of their most recent readers were Sandy Little, a life coach who writes about her experiences with academia and her time in prison; and HAUNTIE, recipient of the 2016 Robert Dana Anhinga Prize for Poetry for their debut collection, To Whitey and the Cracker Jack.

Venezia is also a member of the

San Joaquin Literary Association and will be involved in the 2019 Word Fest on February 23rd, which will feature performances by authors Li-young Lee, Steven Sanchez, and Yazmin Monet Watkins.

When asked why there’s such a push to create events like Fresno Women Read and the Watchale Workshop, Venezia claimed that it comes from a lack of recognition in other more traditional writing spaces.

“A lot of us in the Valley have seen these spaces and maybe a lot of us don’t feel recognized in these spaces.

Now, I think, people are starting to say, ‘You know what? How about we just recognize ourselves.’”

Watchale Workshop Executive director Jamie Moore agrees.

“I think part of why it’s important for me to host Watchale is to create a platform that is intentional on featuring LGBT+ writers and people of color.

The Central Valley has an amazing literary legacy often only attributed to white male wrtiers...Watchale is not excluding men, but rather putting women in charge of the literary conversation.”

The last feature, Wendy C. Ortiz, is a psychotherapist who’s taken charge of that conversation through her own writing. Ortiz began her writing career journaling at six years old and has converted some of her writing from her twenty’s into successful memoirs like Excavation, Bruja, and Hollywood Notebook. Featured in the Los Angeles Times, Story Quarterly, and the New York Times, her work explores the troubling nature of an often predatory world, to her adventures with travel, unemployment, and romantic relationships.

Although Ortiz would not consider herself a “career academic”, she has read and spoken at universities like UC San Diego, UCR Palm Desert Low Residency MFA, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, UC Santa Barbara and Eastern Illinois University. Her books are taught at various creative writing programs and Ivy League educational institutions have even archived some of her early work.

Part of the admiration for her writing comes from its novel and unapologetic nature. Her second book is a fusion of prose and poetry, while her

third book is considered a “dreamoir,” capturing the unconscious to illustrate the inner-workings of her mind and the world around her.

Ortiz is currently working on a new book, but suggests reading Excavation if someone wants to become familiar with her writing style.

The three featured writers are only a small glimpse into the powerhouse of women and writers of color showcasing and sharing their creative process at the Watchale Workshop.

Moore believes it’s past due for the south Valley to be a meeting place for literary events in the same way Fresno and Merced have done.

“Watchale is a space for student writers to feel a part of something; envision what a career focused on writing or literary arts looks like. This is especially necessary because we don’t tend to value that in this area as much as our urban counterparts.”

Registration is free and open to the public at https://www.watchaleworkshop.com.

For any questions about the workshop, donations, or volunteering email watchaleworkshop@gmail.com.

Valley Voice 21 February, 2019

West Hills College Coalinga Career and Job Fair set for March 21

11

reer and job fair in Coalinga on March 21 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The event, which will be held in the West Hills College Coalinga Gymnasium at 300 Cherry Lane, is open to the public and will feature employers from a wide variety of career fields such as truck driving, education, agriculture and law enforcement.

“The Career and Job Fair this year

has a large range of careers with the opportunity for job seekers to speak to employers and put a face with the resume,” said Claudia Call, Interim Coordinator – Workforce Grant and the event’s organizer. “In many cases, they may get the opportunity to be interviewed on the spot.”

Event attendees are encouraged to dress professionally and bring copies

of their resume.

For more information, visit http:// tiny.cc/2019fair or contact Claudia Call at 559-934-2153 or 559-908-0692 or email claudiacall@whccd.edu.

Business and organizations can register for free to be vendors at the event. Register today at http://tiny. cc/2019fair

“We weren’t really teaching life skills. The big thing I noticed was the huge difference,” said Ferrero.

“This is 30 minutes apart. Why is it so different?”

Ferrero linked up with Capalad at the money camp they both worked at and decided to found Pockets Change.

“Our big hope for Pockets Change is to see it as something that needs to be taught,” said Ferrero.

The organization came to COS because the college wants kids to have a

strong sense of money management.

In fact, Pockets Change teaches people from the age of 5 and 6 to their early 20s. The Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success (YESS) Program at COS asked the group to facilitate the workshop.

This specific class was given to current and former foster youth from Tulare and Kings counties. “We want to get it into kids’ minds early that these are daily living skills. This is stuff they need every day,” said Miriam Sallam.

The YESS program gives underprivileged youth resources they need and a chance to succeed. They work closely with the COS Foundation and the program provides a safe haven and a quiet space for students to do work.

“My dream is that our youth would be able to learn these skills and be successful,” said Sallam.

Pockets Change hopes to return to the Visalia area and continue educating kids about financial capabilities.

Travaille and Phippen Inc. in Manteca said one of the beekeepers he works with was unable to bring the truckload of bees that he had agreed upon, but was able to deliver 400 bee colonies for Phippen’s almonds.

“I got what I needed, but just by the skin of my chinny-chin-chin,” Phippen said, adding, “It’s a challenge every year.”

Phippen said he expects the cost of pollination services this year will be approximately $190 per colony.

“The trees are excited and trying to open,” he said. “The weather’s been cool, so it held them back, but with this warm storm, I’m afraid they are going to progress quicker than they have been.”

Machado said it would take a while to gauge the impact of last week’s rains on the almond bloom.

“We just don’t know yet,” he said.

Freeman offered suggestions for preventing bee theft: Beekeepers should place bees out of sight and off the road, and mark hives, lids and frames with identifying information so that recovered bees can be traced back to the owner.

Growers paying for pollination services should verify that colonies in the orchard or field match with the contract they have with the beekeeper.

Though it is not cost-effective for every hive, beekeepers should strategically place GPS trackers in certain hives.

Beekeepers and farmers should maintain a close working relationship.

The California State Beekeepers Association offers up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of persons responsible for stealing bees and/or beekeeping equipment; information may be sent to calstatebeekeepers@agamsi.com.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department asked anyone with information regarding the stolen apiaries there to contact its Agricultural Crimes Unit: 559-802-9401.

GROWTH

what do you do?”

I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Myers said.

number of single-family permits issued each year.

New housing isn’t the only sign Tulare is seeing an economic upswing.

“The other thing that we saw was the infill at commercial spots,” Myers said. “There’s the backfill of the Mervin’s and the backfill of the vacant KMart.”

The former Mervin’s building now houses Harbor Freight Salvage Tools and a Dollar Tree, while KMart’s one-time home is occupied by Ross Dress for Less and dd’s discounts. At the Smart and Final shopping center on Prosperity Avenue, Turner’s Outdoorsman has opened its doors, and Habit Burger has replaced the Long John Silver’s.

“They actually knocked it down and built a brand-new building,” Myers said.

The city has also approved another truck stop, a Pilot Flying J at Paige Avenue on Highway 99. Construction there has already started.

“They want to be open in May. They’re going like gangbusters out there,” Myers said. “That’s huge for the city for sales tax generation.”

The city’s other truck stop, Love’s, is also “definitely a top sales tax generator,” she said. The two truck stops should not find themselves competing too directly, due to fleet sales of fuel, though they will be vying for the business of passing motorists.

“There was some concern they’re going to cannibalize each other, but

CNS Steel has decided to relocate to the city’s industrial park, doubling the size of their facility in a two-phase construction that will result in 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

Myers sees the decision to expand as a boon for Tulare.

“We’re lucky he didn’t decide to move out of the area,” Myers said. “He decided to stay here and reinvest.”

Another local business, Hydraulic Controls, is also set to expand on Blackstone Avenue, and the city can expect to see a variety of both residential and commercial development at Cartmill Avenue at Highway 99. Two separate developers have plans to build various business and multi-family residences in the area, and they have strong backing from the city council.

“This council’s really wanting to be aggressive and get some retail attraction there,” Myers said.

Meanwhile, Myers, the council and the city’s other business boosters are working to attract yet more new businesses to town. A new Jack-in-the-Box restaurant is a likelihood, as is a Planet Fitness gymnasium, and the city is “working with” Aldi--an international developer of grocery stories and the parent company Trader Joe’s--to bring the city another supermarket.

While Myers said such negotiations “can take years,” she’s confident they’ll find Tulare a good fit for their plans to expand.

“It’s just persistence and keeping up with it and showing them the benefit of the community,” she said.

STAFF REPORTS West Hills College Coalinga, along with the City of Coalinga; Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board’s Workforce Connection and All Youth One System; Fresno County Department of Social Services; and California Community Colleges’ Doing What Matters will be presenting a ca-

POCKETS CHANGE continued from 6

education because that was my haven growing up,” said Ferrero.

Early in her childhood, she moved from Chicago to a Navajo reservation and grew up there. When she started her career, Ferrero began teaching both at a city school and at a school on the reservation. She was upset by the inequity at the reservation school.

BEES

continued from 5 Freeman, who also became interested in beekeeping after investigating a theft in 2013 and now maintains about 50 hives of his own, said the thefts this season are likely related to a limited supply of bees.

Whether or not almond growers will have enough bees remains to be seen.

Mel Machado, director of member relations for the Blue Diamond Growers cooperative, said he hadn’t heard “any issues related to a shortage of bees.”

Almond grower Dave Phippen of

continued from 1

A Bigger City

If these numbers do continue, and Myers believes they will, then Tulare could soon need to widen the city limits to include more buildable land.

“At this point we’re looking at annexations because our supply is running out,” she said. “We’ve got a couple annexations that are already underway. There’s 17 acres south of Bardsley and east of Mooney. The other one we have ongoing right now is commercial. It’s about 240 acres at Cartmill (Avenue) and (Highway) 99.”

In 2018, the city also issued 30 permits for multi-family housing construction, representing about 120 new units in apartments and condos.

Ginder Development, a builder with similar projects in Visalia and Fresno, is continuing construction of 168 new apartments on Hillman Street, and the Tulare County Housing Authority is constructing 10 low-income multi-family units at Sacramento Street and Inyo Avenue.

“If those build out, we’re running out of supply,” Myers said of the currently planned annexations.

For the growth to continue, the city will have to take in even more new land for construction.

“It’s kind of cut-and-dry,” Myers said. “You’ve got this many acres. Then

Shopping Opportunities

New Life Downtown

In what could be a major turning point for Tulare’s downtown business district, the Linder Building has finally been sold. The new owner is the Visalia-based Radiant Church.

“They’re going to have the meeting space for their church. Then they anticipate having a coffee shop. They saw this building as an opportunity,” Myers said.

This is not Radiant’s first foray into building development. In Visalia, Radiant purchased and remodeled the Planing Mill Building. Their success there has many in Tulare hoping to see a new vitality downtown.

“A lot of old-school people here think if someone can revitalize it (the Linder Building), it will turn downtown around,” Myers said.

That seems to already be happening, with the EJ Ryan Building next door also getting a makeover and new businesses, including an escape room and martial arts studio. A new Starbucks Coffee has opened at Cross and J Street, and Wayback Burger is a new addition downtown.

Additionally, a four-unit residential project is underway near the library at M Street and San Joaquin Avenue.

Thriving Industry

Tulare can also boast of two new major industrial developments.

(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

12

HSR

continued from 1 by extending it in the north from Madera to Merced and south into downtown Bakersfield.

But a condition of receiving the federal grant was that each section had to be economically viable, meaning ridership from Merced to Bakersfield would have to financially sustain the operating cost.

The delayed completion date and lack of sustainability have put the entire project in jeopardy.

Newsom’s strategy to comply with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is to complete the Merced to Bakersfield segment and to finish the environmental review for the 520 miles of phase one by December 31, 2022.

The Central Valley segment is considered the spine of HSR and is a subsection of phase one from SF to LA. After Newsom’s announcement Trump demanded the money back.

In a tweet he said, “California has been forced to cancel the massive bullet train project after having spent and wasted many billions of dollars. They owe the Federal Government three and a half billion dollars. We want that money back now.

Whole project is a “green” disaster!”

Newsom shot back, “Fake news.

We’re building high-speed rail, connecting the Central Valley and beyond. This is CA’s money, allocated by Congress for this project.

We’re not giving it back. The train is leaving the station — better get on

board! (Also,desperatelysearching

for some wall $$??)”

Notice of Intent to Terminate Agreement But seven days later, on February 19, the FRA issued a letter to the CHSRA Director with the subject line “Notice of Intent to Terminate Cooperative Agreement No. FRHSR-0118-12-01-01.

A press release from the FRA said, “The U.S. Department of Transportation announced today that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) intends to cancel $929 million in Federal grant funds yet to be paid for the California High-Speed Rail project envisioned to connect the L.A. Basin to the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, the Department announced it is actively exploring every legal option to seek the return from California of $2.5 billion in Federal funds FRA previously granted for this now-defunct project.”

A letter to the Chairperson of the CHSRA states, “FRA has determined that CHSRA has materially failed to comply with the terms of the Agreement and has failed to make reasonable progress on the project.”

Background A high-speed train connecting northern and southern California first appeared on the ballot as Proposition 1A in 2008 under the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Proposition 1A was a general obligation bond measure requesting $9.95 billion dollars as seed money to build a train that went from

San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2.4 hours, cost less than $100 round trip, and be fully completed by 2028.

Phase 2 of the project was a leg from the Central Valley to Sacramento and another leg from San Bernardino to San Diego.

The system would comprise 800 miles in all.

As the years ticked by construction was delayed and costs spiraled out of control.

Private investors were part of the initial calculus but never materialized.

There were also not enough funds allotted for the many tunnels, suspensions, and other safety structures required for trains raging at more than 200 miles per hour through the developed, densely populated urban and coastal regions.

Once problems with the route, lack of transparency, and leadership, became clear the City of Atherton started filing law suits and Kings County soon followed.

The suits claim that the voters were not getting the affordable highspeed train they voted for in 2008.

Where the court system has not agreed, the Federal Government apparently has.

Kings County - Ground Zero for Mismanagement A Hanford resident who has been involved in the legal challenges since 2011 gave the Valley Voice a tour of the many construction sites in Kings County.

He did not want his name used and will be referred to as Sam. “If you want to build a HighSpeed Rail would you want the route to be a straight or curvy?” asked Sam. If the rail authority was interested in staying in budget, and actually wanted a finished product, he said the route would parallel Interstate 5.

The original route was in fact going to parallel Interstate 5 until Congressman Jim Costa traded his vote on Obamacare in exchange for having HSR run through Fresno.

Similar politics came into play when the rail was diverted again through Palmdale, a southern California town not close to any major highway.

“It’s a scam,” he said. “It’s all politics.”

Sam, who has driven the entire Central Valley segment, read all the documents, and often attends California High-Speed Rail Authority board meetings, said that HSR’s incompetence has been a major reason for the cost over runs.

“Since the beginning there has been no game plan,” he said.

In just the 29 miles of rail that traverses Kings County, HSR crisscrosses Highway 43 five times and goes over tributaries of the Kings River three times.

Sam said, “When the HSR engineer finally made it to Kings County he remarked ‘we can’t go across a river.’”

The engineer wasn’t saying a rail road cannot cross a river.

He was saying that HSR had no idea a river was there and major changes would need to be made.

Sam said that the CHSRA mapped out the train’s route in an office somewhere up north using

Google Maps.

Not having eyes on the ground meant the Authority was unaware of major landmarks such as the Kings River tributaries, cemeteries, and indispensible industries such as Baker Commodities, the only rendering plant in the South Valley that dairies can access.

“Lakeside Cemetery has been there for 150 years. The families of the departed raised hell and HSR had to move the overpass slightly to the east,” he said.

The lack of planning is even more poignant when driving the actual route.

Empty fields where homes, dairies and businesses used to sit now languish waiting for a train that might never arrive.

Deteriorating earthen onramps, half built overpasses, random mounds of dirt, and pieces of rail bed intermittently dot the landscape.

Another Kings County resident who did not want to be named said, “Don’t start what you can’t finish, because it will be our nightmare.

It’s a mess.”

Converse to what is happening on the ground, Sam said that when CHSRA gives a presentation about how construction is going they give the illusion of connectivity.

“The scam is that the truthfulness is lacking beyond comprehension,” he said. In terms of the connectivity, “Nothing connects to nothing. Fractured is the name of the game.”

In another example of how the Authority has wasted millions of dollars, Sam said that the CHSRA opened up bidding and awarded contracts to build Construction Package 1from Madera to Fresno before they had their plans ready.

Because of the delay to the contractor, the Authority had to hand over a $60 million fine.

“That means the contractor made $60 million dollars without turning over one shovel of dirt,” said Sam. He said it happened again with Construction Package 2 and 3 that runs through a corner of Tulare County.

The Authority had to pay a $50 million dollar fine to that contractor for not having their plan ready and delaying the start of construction.

Having attended many board meetings, Sam said these mistakes happen because the CHSRA Board rubberstamps the chairman’s decisions -- similar to what the former Tulare Hospital Board would do for Dr. Benny Benzeevi.

“Guess how many times the board has voted no?” questioned Sam. “One board member has voted no once.”

Diane Sharp, a former Hanford City Council Member said, “Former Gov. Brown betrayed the will of the voters by gross overspending and lack of accountability with this pet project.”

“How many lives have been turned upside down....people forced to sell their homes, uproot their families; ranches invaded, it’s disgusting,” she added.

“The best outcome for Kings County would be if the state would clean up its mess and leave our county the way they found it.”

Valley Voice 21 February, 2019

HEARING continued from 4

During his time at HCCA, Certini said that he handled “cash and fixed assets,” the “month end close,” and the hospital’s general ledger.

Issues with the Cerner electronic medical center system compounded the hospital’s financial problems, he told the court.

Data wasn’t being properly transferred from Cerner into the hospital’s accounting systems, and though Cerner’s engineers were working with HCCA to attempt to fix the problem, the end result was erroneous entries in the hospital’s general ledger.

Transactions weren’t being adjusted for “contractual allowances,” the difference in what a hospital charges for a service and what’s actually paid for the service by insurers, he said.

Delbert Bryant, the district’s longtime controller, also took the stand.

After HCCA took over management of the district’s hospital, he became an HCCA employee.

In December of 2016, Bryant said HCCA’s first loan to the district occurred -- without it, employees’ paychecks would have bounced. The loans were memorialized in promissory notes, which HCCA could issue without needing the district’s permission: if the district couldn’t pay for operations, HCCA could choose to make an interest-bearing loan on the district’s behalf, and obligate the district to repay it.

In 2017, Benzeevi told Bryant that the district’s obligations to HCCA were “substantial and needed to be paid,” he claimed; additionally, the “daily sweep” process agreed to in the contract between HCCA and the district was never enacted, he claims.

By the spring of 2017, Bryant said that the hospital’s “cash on hand” was down to “less than $1 million for all obligations -- not just payroll,” and that the hospital sometimes had less

CASINO

continued from 1 the reservation as a place of tourism, when in reality it’s sovereign land with its own set of laws and government. Such misunderstandings often lead to incidents of trespassing and harassment.

From the casino management side, concerns are more about profitability and safety.

Anyone who’s ever visited the Eagle Mountain Casino knows the winding road to and from the reservation can be dangerous. The casino has even riffed off the perilous journey to the slot machines by selling t-shirts that read “I survived Tule River Tribe of California Road to Eagle Mountain Casino.”

Funny, but the casino is aware of the serious danger the road holds for its clients--so much so that the casino has a strict no alcohol policy to discourage drunk driving.

Moving the casino near the Porterville airport will not only make the drive shorter and safer, but it will also allow the new casino to sell alcohol. Profits are likely to increase via the new hotel and convention center as well.

The increase in profits is not just good for the casino and its employ-

13

than 3 days cash on hand.

The promissory notes weren’t made public until a September 2017 Visalia Times-Delta article; but, at some point, Bryant said a public records request was made that caused alarm bells to ring.

Benzeevi believed the request came from inside the accounting department, Bryant said, and told Bryant privately that he would find out who the requestor was and “sue them for every penny -- even take their house from them.”

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 Senovia Gutierrez were not a “real” board member -- at the time, Greene, HCCA, and Wilbourn did not consider her one, as they had not “seated” her -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

ees. A prosperous casino, means a prosperous reservation. The Tule River Tribe gets a whopping 95% of its money from casino profits, money that is used to fund all of the programs designed to support schools, the elderly, and upgrades to water treatment plants that can no longer keep up with the amount of contamination found in the reservation.

But the beneficiaries don’t end there. The city of Porterville will also get a piece of the pie.

The convention and hotel space provided by the new site could bring more consumers to the Porterville area, especially during large events like the World Ag Expo.

“We haven’t really had any opposition,” Project Manager Matt Ross explained. “Any time we have, it’s been lack of information or misinformation. Some folks were worried this may impact some of their businesses like holding weddings and things like that...And then they started looking and realized, ‘Wait, actually we can have more weddings and they can actually have a spot to stay.’ So there’s synergy rather than competition.”

Homeowners will also see benefits from the casino’s move. The new fire department on the proposed site can provide more emergency service coverage in the southwest side of Porterville and effectively lower home in-

08/23/17 effective 12:00 p.m. and that she had not requested to move the time of her resignation forward to the 24th 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.”

Jamaica Takes The Stand

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

surance costs in that area.

Local businesses can also rest a little easier because the new fire department will likely contain a ladder fire truck designed to reach higher floors typical of commercial buildings.

It’s a valuable asset that will keep businesses safer and potentially lower insurance costs as well.

Furthermore, the casino and resort will have a net-zero effect on the local water system because of the water treatment plant included in the project. In other words, the casino will have little to no impact on the local domestic water system because the tertiary plant will clean water from the casino to the level it can be used to irrigate local lawns and crops.

During construction, hundreds of temporary jobs will be created.

And thanks to the additional facilities planned, 400 new permanent jobs will be up for grabs to staff the casino, restaurant, convention center, and hotel.

“The biggest [increase] is obviously going to be in the departments we don’t have,” explained Eagle Mountain Casino General Manager Matthew Mingrone. “I don’t have anybody to work in banquets and the convention space...Nobody to run a hotel, whether it’s front desk, management, housekeeping, supervision, engineering.”

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 if Jamaica had received support from doctors who did business with Tulare Regional Medical Center to stand.

Jamaica had, he said.

Peters also asked Jamaica about his actions in a July 26, 2017 board meeting -- the meeting in which the board refused to seat Gutierrez.

After it became apparent that Gutierrez would not be seated and recognized as a board member, Jamaica said he left the meeting to deny former district board members Richard Torrez and Linda Wilbourn a quorum.

At the moment, casino management is holding off on recruitment because there’s still a degree of red tape preventing the project from moving forward.

Just in the county level alone there are negotiations that need to be made regarding repair costs of a road that runs along the proposed site.

These costs are estimated at around $10 million. The debate with the county revolves around how much of the cost will be paid by the casino and when.

Then there’s the pending approval of the gaming trust from the federal government.

Casino management hopes the project has been reviewed. But when the approval will come through is anyone’s guess, especially in a government that struggles to stay open.

Finally, the casino will have to receive approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

“We got our fingers crossed,” Mingrone explained. “When everything is approved and we have everything ready to go, the Tribal Council will have to go back and sit with the governor to negotiate a new compact, which is an agreement having to do with the casino.”

Construction isn’t expected to begin until Summer of 2020.

21 February, 2019 Valley Voice

14

VOTE CONTROVERSY continued from 1

attend the council’s meetings again, he would recuse himself from voting on the measure.

His prior absences already ensured the council never had a quorum, and couldn’t approve the measure; any recusals would also ensure a quorum would never be reached. The city wouldn’t be able to loan any money to the hospital district, whose only alternatives would be three high-interest lenders, according to court documents.

“I’m here for the people. I’m protecting the people. I’m not going to let you rob the city. I suggest you explore other options. Either take the other loan or approach the county. Or better yet stop trying to tax people without a vote,” Jones wrote in a comment to Tulare Local Healthcare District board member Xavier Avila on Facebook.

In another post, Jones has said he believes any loan to the district would be a bad investment -- stating that the district “couldn’t scare the banks to make a horrible investment” and that Avila would “not scare” him.

On February 12, the council met to discuss the line of credit again; and, again, Jones’ seat was empty.

This time, Mederos decided not to recuse himself: he invoked the “rule of necessity,” which he stated allowed a public officer to exercise the “essential duties of a council member’s office, despite a conflict of interest, where it is necessary to proceed when there is no alternative, reasonable way to do otherwise.”

In a statement to explain his decision, Mederos stated that Jones’ lack of attendance -- and alleged bargaining for his attendance, as Mederos claimed Jones would only attend a meeting if the item were agendized as a resolution -- was causing a “paralysis of government on this issue.”

Rule of Necessity, conflicts, and more

A guide published by the California League of Cities, backed by references to California laws and FPPC advice letters, states the Rule of Necessity isn’t allowed when the problem is simple obstructionism or the failure of a member to attend a meeting.

“There are instances in this state where legislative bodies have been deadlocked two to two (2-2) for months, with the fifth vote disqualified because of conflict of interest,”

the guide reads.

Even if the Rule of Necessity allowed Mederos to stay on the dais, the guide states that Nunley and Mederos should have been chosen at random -- such as by flipping a coin, throwing dice, or another impartial method of selection.

“Whatever method is used, all disqualified officials must participate in the random selection and all must have an equal likelihood of being chosen,” the guide states.

Another section of the guide references Government Code 36936, which states that “Resolutions, orders for the payment of money, and all ordinances require a recorded majority vote of the total membership of the city council.”

Jones has pointed to both sections of the guide on social media to bolster his argument that the council’s actions are illegal.

Conflicting legal viewpoints

Zamora told the Voice that, in his opinion, the vote was legal on multiple grounds.

Regarding Government Code 36936, he stated that a line of credit was not a “payment of money,” an issue that Zamora claims was researched weeks before the vote.

“The legal definition of “payment” is “Performance of an obligation by the delivery of money or some other valuable thing accepted in partial or full discharge of the obligation.” An obligation means that there is a requirement to do something - essentially that there is some type of debt being satisfied. In this case, in order for the loan to be considered an “payment of money”, the City must have been obligated to provide the loan for an existing debt. There was not an existing debt, and therefore there is no “payment of money” and therefore passage by 3 votes was not required, just a majority of votes cast,” Zamora wrote.

“One can say we are just parsing words, but in the legal world, we have something called the rules of statutory construction. That gives us guidance as to how we interpret language in a statute such as Gov. Code 36936 when there may be a dispute. The important rules of statutory construction here are that 1) words are to be given their plain meaning, 2) we don’t insert, delete, or ignore words or out of a statute, and 3) we must assume that every word was chosen by the legislature and they knew what they were doing,” Zamora added. “These legal requirements are important because

the legislature used the words ‘payment of money’ and not something else so we must assume they meant exactly that. They could have said that any ‘expenditure of money’ requires 3 votes (and which would cover this situation), but they didn’t. So in my opinion, Gov Code 36936 simply doesn’t apply. Because 36936 doesn’t apply, as long as you have a quorum, then majority rules.”

He added that any concerns over the Rule of Necessity were mooted, because he doesn’t believe Mederos was ever conflicted -- simply overcautious.

Any past work doesn’t constitute a conflict, Zamora said, because Mederos would have no current financial interest in the transaction, leaving the subject of his property adjacent to the hospital.

Different sections of political practice regulations either do not apply or allow Mederos to take part in the decision, Zamora said, leading up to the question of whether or not the decision would cause a financial effect on Mederos’ property that would be a “realistic possibility and more than hypothetical or theoretical.”

Because the property would only be affected in a hypothetical situation; and, even if there is more than a hypothetical impact, Zamora states Mederos would still be able to take part in the discussions and the vote.

“And, finally, this would be one of those situations where there would be an exception to the conflict. The FPPC rules allow an exception even if a conflict that was 1) foreseeable and 2) material, if the decision applies to the public generally,” Zamora writes.

“The FPPC materials specifically state, ‘Even if an official otherwise has a conflict of interest, the official is not disqualified from the participating in the decision if the “public generally” exception applies. This public generally exception applies when the financial effect on a public official or the official’s interests is indistinguishable from its effect on the public generally.’” My opinion is that it would apply in this circumstance,” he added.

Visalia attorney Marguerite Melo, of the Melo & Sarsfield law firm, gave her point of view on the situation to the Voice.

Melo was employed for 11 years with the Tulare County District Attorney’s office before transferring to the Kern County District Attorney’s office, and was previously appointed to the California Office of the Inspector General’s office as a Special Assistant Inspector General in 2007.

(Note: The office of Melo & Sarsfield has also represented the Valley Voice’s owners in other litigation.)

Melo stated she believed the vote was illegal due to Mederos’ conflicts, and stated the “Rule of Necessity” should never have been invoked -- because providing the district with a loan isn’t a necessary act at all.

“What is an emergency for TRMC is not an emergency for the City. I mean, I like the option of having a hospital when I’m in Tulare, but when we’re talking about legal workings and transfer of taxpayer money, you have to take caution with it,” she said. “And creating what they say is an emergency just isn’t there -- but then, they said this isn’t really about being a necessity, this is about him not actually having a conflict.”

While she liked the council, she said “what they’re doing, and what they did, was absolutely illegal,” while Jones’ actions to essentially filibuster the council’s votes was legal.

That hinges on Mederos’ conflicts, she said.

“For him [an attorney] to recuse himself holds a lot more weight than a board member who has no legal training,” she said. “For me, for Zamora to make a judgement call when an attorney has already made that judgement -- is problematic at least.”

“It’s the fact that [Mederos] has specialized knowledge to determine whether or not he should have recused himself,” she added. “If it’s questionable, why don’t we go ahead with what Mederos believes it is?”

Next steps unclear

While Jones has solicited complaints on Facebook to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, representatives with the commission were unable to confirm by press time whether any complaints were received.

Zamora, however, suggests that Jones show up to the table if he’s got an issue with the way the vote was conducted.

“If Mr. Jones thinks that there is still an issue, the easiest way to remedy that is to agendize it so Mr. Jones can show up and we can cure any deficiencies he believes exist,” Zamora wrote to the Voice. “Perhaps he will so request at the next meeting. I don’t think there is any issue given my prior response, but in any event, the outcome would be the same since all that is required is a 2-1 vote.”

A request for comment was left at Mederos’ office, but was not returned by publication time.

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY FOR LEASE 5650 sqft. of gated space on S. Mooney Blvd across from the Tulare County Superior Court 21 internal parking stalls, elevator, and spacious offices — ideal for attorneys!

BRE #01115021

CALL SHARI AGUIRRE AT 799-6082

Valley Voice 21 February, 2019

15

VOICES & OPINIONS

Thank you for your Salvation Army donations The Salvation Army of Tulare & Visalia THANKS EVERYONE for their support during 2018. The annual Red Kettle Campaign funds Christmas programs for struggling families and part of our annual budget. Donors, sponsors, volunteers and employees’ yearround generosity and dedication enable us to continue serving the Tulare, Visalia, Ivanhoe, Goshen, Farmersville, Dinuba and Woodville communities.

We delivered 56 social services and programs to all age groups in Tulare County to satisfy the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. These

ranged from after-school activities and music programs to summer camps, back-packs, school supplies, food pantry and emergency food bags, support for the homeless, hygiene kits, nursing home visits, plus seasonal programs.

At Thanksgiving and Christmas, 614 families (967 children) received Food Boxes and toys. Thank you to our Angel Tree Program participants, organizations that held toy drives, volunteer bell ringers and all who restored Hope to many.

We participated in Visalia’s 73rd Annual Candy Cane Lane Parade and

in the 64th Annual Tulare Children’s Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting where our float was adjudged for “Best Craftsmanship.”

The Salvation Army was among the first on the scene when large wildfires erupted across California, most notably the Camp, Carr, Mendocino Complex and Woolsey fires. Administrative fees are waived, so 100 percent of your Emergency Disaster Services donation funds relief efforts. Our organization supports stricken communities until disaster-related needs are met.

We are blessed by our communi-

ty partners. Without them, our food pantry’s shelves would be bare, programs would be cut and our Red Kettle fundraising efforts would fall short of what is required to provide services in the New Year.

Again, thank you for your past support. We look forward to your continued help so that, in turn, we may assist those in most need during 2019.

Sincerely, Lieutenants Yonathan & Cynthia Escobar The Salvation Army of Tulare & Visalia

Your comments from ourvalleyvoice.com

“

Is Tulare doomed for some reason. Why does ineptitude prevail and why do we persecute each other just to do the popular thing.

The decision to make this loan had limited due diligence. Very few questions were asked by the two members that voted, interim City Manager was trying to express concern and caution. This would have been the perfect time to ask where exactly is the $9 million coming out of the city – General Fund? No figures were presented to show the hospital can pay this back, it is highly unlikely they can meet these terms. Just look at the Adventist lease, less than $5 million coming to the District until 2023, property tax money will be tied up with the bond holders for at least the same period of time if not longer. The $6 million for the sale of equipment that has been touted by Mr. Avila is now only $4.75 million. It is very simple math to see that it doesn’t add up when they have bankruptcy to get out of and a lot of debt that must be paid after filing bankruptcy.

Because Jones has not been well liked he becomes the focus of this decision instead of the loan itself. Tsk, tsk…..

“

— Janet LeBaron on The courage to defend democracy

“

When will our elected officials actually do due diligence in such momentous decisions instead of jumping on whatever is the popular movement. Hasn’t our past history shown us that ideology isn’t working out well for Tulare.

— Disappointed on Tulare moves forward with line of credit

“

Wow! That’s a lot of misinformation in one comment! The loan had been under discussion for more than 2 months, this was the third discussion by the Council on this issue. Council member Sayre and Mayor Sigala were diligent in getting the information they needed to make their decision and asked questions in previous meetings. Finance director, Darlene Thompson, said specifically where the money was coming from. The loan is backed by $14 million in property, and is structured so payments will be made from AH lease payments.

Council member Jones abdicated his responsibility to attend meetings and vote and put in writing it was so he could deny the rest of the council their vote. Can’t help but wonder who is behind the misinformation campaign on this issue and why?

— Chris Northcraft on Tulare moves forward with $9m

“

“

MindBlown: Clarification, the citizens did not support the last bond measure when the hospital was still being held hostage by Benzeevi and his board of merry morons. As for the line of credit approved this week, only time will tell. Maybe the City will be made whole and earn close to $1 million in interest, maybe Carlton will be proven right.

But hey, on the positive side, this is a way for the city to recoup the money Carlton cost them with the Chief Hensley fiasco.

— CitizensVoice on Tulare moves forward with $9m

”

”

Or perhaps Jones was interested in not involving the City further with the corrupt antics of the Hospital District?

It hasn’t really been noted that I’ve seen how deeply Mederos is conflicted, even aside from property issues: He served on the ad hoc committee that advised the Hospital Board directly regarding the negotiations with Adventist.

This means he is essentially all but party to the agreement process.

He advised on lease and management terms – never yet signed afict up until the minute I post this – th.at left the Board in such dire straits by not extracting better terms from Adventist.

” ”

”

Did you see the article in the New Yorker? Moosad used by Benzeevi and Co. in our little town.

These guys held the whole towns attention for months with a false narrative.

Carlton couldn’t even figure out that his name, along with other city officials was placed at the end of a demeaning letter to the CMS by HCCA…..

Someone had tried a recall and the interest wasn’t there. Maybe now?

— Concerned on The courage to defend democracy

Whether he skirts on the rarely invoked “rule of necessity” remains to be seen.

But it’s really bad form for him to be involved with both boards.

This is a horrible decision by these three City Council members. I agree that having a hospital in Tulare is important, but it is not the responsibility of the City, or the City Council to decide that. The voters clearly did not support the last bond measure, so what makes these three think the citizens want them to use City funds to support a failing endeavor. If the true priority of the hospital district board was to run the “hospital” and the other assets that they own would be enough to accomplish this, they should sell their other assets and focus on the hospital. Instead, a large portion of the City’s reserve funds are now tied to this mismanaged boondoggle.

— MindBlown on Tulare moves forward with $9m

“

”

Thank God for smart, courageous people! Dennis, Terry and Jose saved the hospital. That temporary loan was needed, and the city will be well compensated. The hospital NOW has great management & board- with the District in place, we can bring a good bond measure to the people to complete the Tower- needed for Earthquake (seismic) codes. Without the Tower, the non-compliant current wing would close, and the hospital would be lost. We, the people have work still to do: support the hospital and support a good bond. The last one was a money-grab by HCCA- and we said no.

Beyond that, one has to look at Sigala’s petition to pressure Jones as a potential Brown Act issue. Was it a serial meeting signaling his intent on how he would vote to the board. or even that Mederos needed to come up with a solution?

Maybe the Hospital Board shouldn’t cash any checks on this loan and spend the money until the Brown Act issues are fully resolved.

— Good Governance is Good on Courage to defend democracy

“

”

This wasn’t courage, it was an out to the pressure he was receiving to be involved in pushing this loan through because of the District’s desperation.

Courage would have been choosing to be involved and actually researching the safety of this loan and weighing the risks verses the rewards. Along with providing the constituents confidence that he did so, instead of the “we need a hospital.” Just as important as a hospital, if not more important, is a strong City infrastructure.

— Disappointed on Courage to defend democracy

”

16

21 February, 2019

Valley Voice