Valley Voice Issue 148 (5 September, 2019)

IT’S A GIRL!

GRAND MARSHAL NAMED VALLEY SCENE PAGE 7

ADVENTIST TULARE’S FIRST NEWBORN

PAGE 5

talktohopper.com

Valley Voice

Volume XXXIX No. 16 5 September, 2019 ourvalleyvoice.com

Tulare PD and councilman butt heads again

Hanford council votes for hemp moratorium

DAVE ADALIAN

CATHERINE DOE

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Tulare City Councilman Carlton Jones is at the center of yet another controversy involving the Tulare Police Department.

In a statement issued to local media by Jones on August 25, Jones describes an alleged confrontation between himself and TPD officer Lt. Jarod Boatman. Boatman, according to Jones’ statement, later filed a “criminal police report” in which Boatman accused Jones of challenging the officer to a physical fight.

“In this report Stg (sic) Jarod Boatman accused me of a crime, stating while walking to my car after a council meeting that I stopped, took an aggressive stance, removed my arm sling (less than 2 weeks after surgery) and challenging (sic) him to a fight,” Jones wrote.

Jones Claims Innocence

Jones also claims an investigation into the incident by Fresno attorney Dan Rowley cleared him of any wrongdoing.

“I was lucky that my entire walk to my car was caught on surveillance video and showed that I did not do the things I was accused of in Boatman’s report,” Jones wrote.

The altercation between Jones and Boatman began during a meeting of the Tulare City Council, and continued later in the parking lot after the meeting concluded, according to a source who spoke under condition of anonymity.

TULARE PD continued on 14 »

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

Volunteers wait outside the museum for news on the lease. Catherine Doe/Valley Voice

Hanford’s Carnegie Museum wins fight to keep lease CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

After a tense few weeks the Hanford Carnegie Museum succeeded in keeping its lease with the city at the former Carnegie Library. The Carnegie Museum has a long-term lease to rent the 115 year-old building in exchange for all maintenance including HVAC, roof and structural repairs.

After a testy August 20 city council meeting the museum received a letter August 23 giving the private nonprofit 10 days to complete a list of 18 repairs or be evicted.

On receiving the letter Museum Board President Sylvia Gonzales Scherer called an emergency board meeting to discuss what she explained was a “grim” situation. “I saw a grown man cry,” she said, referring

to an older gentlemen on the board.

But another board member said let’s work together to get this done. “If the ship sinks we will go down together, but we will go down fighting.”

Maintenance Issues

Community Development Director Mata started the August 20 city council’s discussion concerning the museum’s maintenance with a power point presentation that showed minor and major problems, primarily on the exterior.

Mata followed up a few days later by hand delivering a letter to the museum’s president containing a list of 18 repairs that had to be completed

by September 3.

During the meeting, Mata described problems such as most of CARNEGIE continued on 16 »

One of the most fertile valleys in the United States can’t seem to make up its mind about hemp.

The federal government passed the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp and left the rule making up to the individual states.

California’s regulations regarding hemp is addressed in AB228 but hasn’t made it out of committee.

That means the cities and counties are on their own.

Hanford and Tulare County voted that they need more time to develop ordinances to regulate the industry.

Kings County gave approval with some restrictions to growing hemp.

But one of the most conservative areas in California, Kern County, has given hemp the green light. Cerise Montanio, Deputy Director of Kern’s Agricultural Commissioner’s Office told the Bakersfield Californian. “We don’t have a moratorium. We don’t have ordinances,” she said. “We are allowing it.”

During an August 20 Hanford public hearing to extend the emergency ordinance to restrict the production of hemp, the city council voted for a 10-month and 15-day extension.

The vote for the moratorium came over the objections of Council Member John Draxler.

Draxler, like Kern County, didn’t understand the need for regulating a legal crop. “I’m just a fan of private enterprise and don’t like cities to intervene.” He added that the city didn’t have to have a perfect ordinance right

HEMP continued on 13 »

Community opens its arms to new Visalia Wellness Center MIKE SEIB Community leaders, Tulare County management and press gathered on a sunny morning for the long-awaited Open House and ribbon cutting at Visalia’s new state-of-theart Wellness Center Wednesday, August 21. The soft opening preceded a Grand Opening Friday, August 23, and a week of activities and welcoming for people finishing their recovery.

“This hasn’t been the easiest of roads. Our phenomenal staff has stepped up,” said Tulare County Supervisor Kuyler Crocker.

In February of 2017 about 50 residents attended two community listening sessions, most of whom were against the facility. Concerned resi-

dents thought the county was opening up a rehab center for drug addicts or the mentally ill.

In fact the facility is drug and alcohol free and will serve individuals who are near the end of their recovery, and the new facility is outpatient only. To enter the facility it is required that you are 18 years old or older and stable with regard to your wellness journey.

Assistant Director of the center, Artemisa Gonzalez, echoed statements by Crocker.

“The biggest obstacle is the stigma against mental health issues.

Once members are stabilized they can be socially accepted and relearn life skills. We will be partnering with

WELLNESS continued on 12 »

5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

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FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK

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Hate Is Good

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STOP MOSQUITOES BEFORE THEY BITE! Mosquitoes only need a tablespoon of water to lay eggs!

It takes 5-7 days for a mosquito egg to develop into an adult. Dump water at least once a week to kill mosquitoes before they bite you.

Check your yard TWICE a week for these common mosquito sources:

PLANT TRAYS

OVERWATERED PLANTS

PET WATER BOWLS

Early September again, if you can believe it, that time of year when, for a brief month and a half, two major sports seasons--baseball and, now, football--collide. I love them both for vastly different reasons. And I have my favorite teams. But at this particular juncture some baseball teams are being eliminated from the post season while some college teams--and that’s what I mean by football--are already being stricken from championship contention.

Every game counts, right? In most sports, you get eliminated toward the end of the season. In one particular sport you can foul it up right off the bat.

That is to say, from the first game--and for your entire conference. Last year, Washington’s season opening 21-16 loss to Auburn not only killed the Huskies’ playoff hopes, but also dimmed the nation’s estimation of the Pac-12 as a whole.

Last Saturday Oregon--another Pac12 team--found a way to lose its own season opener, again to Auburn, 27-21.

For the conference, the ramifications of the game will like as not be akin to last year’s.

I hate this. But I have learned, over 51 years of being a fan, that hate--like greed, famously, according to Gordon Gekko--is good.

I don’t mean this conference-killing nonsense. When I began as a fan in 1968 it was the Pac-8. Four more teams have only made the conference stronger, despite reducing my team’s chances by what seems 50%. Despite the nation’s estimation.

When you root for your team and it wins--jubilation; but, should it lose, heartbreak. That’s the rollercoaster of being a fan.

And if you’re not a fan? What if you hate a particular team? When you hateroot against a team and it wins--meh-disaffection; but, should it lose, jubilation. No rollercoaster. There’s only ever an upside. Ergo, hate is good.

But only in spirit. As an anti-fan, and strictly concerning the play on the field, diamond, court, pitch or rink. Not in any physical manner regarding the players. And certainly not in parking lot assaults on rival fans. Dodger Stadium comes to mind, 2014 specifically, when two Dodger fans beat and permanently disabled a Giants fan.

I’ve always hated the soulless Dodgers. For several years now they have been among the elite teams in major

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league baseball, assembling an enviable roster and amassing an impressive record. I can live with this--especially since it’s been 31 years since their last World Series victory. Their losses in the last two Series were particularly delicious. Had they won? Meh. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014. This will last me a lifetime. But I’ll always tune in to hateroot against the Dodgers.

Hate is not just a strong word.

Hate is good.

Now, in football, I don’t like Notre Dame because it doesn’t seem fair to me that, lo these many years, NBC should have awarded it an exclusive television contract. And I dislike Brigham Young because many of its players seem to have gone on their mission before playing, thus securing a level of maturity surpassing their opponents.

But I hate USC. I’ll give them their 11national titles. Still, I hate their plodding fight songs; I hate their gaudy colors, their smarmy culture, their cheating elitism, their self-entitlement--you name it. An example: In 2005 we took our oldest off to college--to the University of Oregon--and it just so happened that, that weekend, the Ducks were hosting USC. Mercifully, we had planned to spend that Thursday and Friday night well clear of Saturday’s action by treating ourselves to a stay at the Heathman Hotel in Portland. It’s an Occasion, taking your oldest off to college. Sadly, we didn’t escape. Who do you suppose had taken over the place? Yes, on their way to Eugene, a contingent of drunken Trojan supporters and even the school’s marching band--which played, hideously and too loud, in the hotel lobby. What was a celebration for us was merely a staging point for them.

Top-ranked USC went on to crush the Ducks 45-13. Meh. Ever hear of a sore winner? This lot lacked the least smattering of graciousness. If there were a national championship to be had for gloating in advance, for conceit, these people would have exceeded the 11 titles their team has actually won. Some consolation, then, that a few years later, because of NCAA violations, USC was forced to vacate the last two wins of its 2004 national championship season and all of its wins for 2005. Go Ducks!

Hate pairs well with sports. I wish it didn’t with politics.

— Joseph Oldenbourg

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Valley Voice 5 September, 2019

POLITICAL FIX Tripling Down on Trump

I’m just going to say it. Trump is going to lose in 2020.

No one is willing to say it out loud because of what happened in 2016.

When the political pundits and polls predicted Hilary Clinton would win no one knew of the extent of Russian involvement in our election or the European elections. Even my college educated friend was repeating a known fake story she saw on facebook that was circulated by Russia against Ms. Clinton and she ended up voting for Mr. Trump.

I guarantee she is not voting for him again.

In fact according to a CNN exit poll for the 2018 congressional election, half of white women voted Democrat and half voted Republican. In 2016 53% of white women voted for Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump will always have his base. But his base alone was not big enough in 2016 to put him in the White House and is not big enough now. His narrow victory was due to a majority of white women, moderate Republicans, and independents who voted for President Obama in 2012.

Independents voted for Mr. Trump because they liked the fact he didn’t follow the establishment’s rules and was going to shake up the status quo in Washington DC. And because he said he was one of us.

But the working class is asking themselves why they ever thought a billionaire was one of them. Mr. Trump has never had to fuss with health insurance and has never been unemployed. He paid his way out of the draft, sent his kids to private schools, and doesn’t drive. His family doesn’t cook their own meals, make their own bed, do their own laundry, clean their own toilettes, or take out their own garbage.

The only time Mr. Trump is “one of us” is when he needs our vote.

Mr. Trump lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College by a margin of 70,000 votes in three key Midwestern states.

Are those 70,000 independents going to vote for Mr. Trump again?

To get another view I called frequent Valley Voice online commenter and lifelong Republican Xavier Avila to ask if he thought Mr. Trump would win in 2020. I was a bit surprised by his answer.

“I’m a realist. I honestly don’t know,” he said.

Mr. Avila still thought that Mr. Trump had a good chance of winning but did not consider it a sure thing. He felt the Midwestern states were behind him in 2016 and would be so again. Mr. Avila said that independents don’t like regulations so Mr. Trump might even pick up more in 2020.

He saw former Vice President Joe Biden as Mr. Trump’s biggest threat.

“Biden represents Obama’s legacy and a lot of those independents who voted for Trump voted for Obama in 2012.

As far as Mr. Trump losing the farmers vote because of the trade war, “I see that as more hype than anything else.”

Mr. Avila said he just returned from a dairy conference in Iowa and said “Iowans are not leaving Trump.”

“They all see the cheating being done

by China and know something has to be done about it,” he said.

California Republican Woman of the year Vicki Riddle also had changed her position on Mr. Trump – to being even more bullish than she was two

months ago.

“I’m tripling down on Trump,” she said.

“Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot. A lot of their presidential front runners are defining their party as ‘socialism is good,’” and that, she says, is alienating the moderate Democrats and Republicans in general.

Ms. Riddle also pointed out that whereas Mr. Trump’s rallies are typically attended by 50,000 supporters this week’s rallies by presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders only attracted 15,000 people.

“He goes above the press and directly to the people and connects with them,” she said.

It would be like Christmas coming early, Ms. Riddle said, if Democrats nominated either Ms. Warren or Mr. Sanders next June.

Concerning farmers, she feels as though they have tripled down on Mr. Trump also. That message was clear when he negotiated the Unite States, Mexico, Canada Trade Agreement and the fact that Vice President Pence visited Lemoore.

Mr. Avila bet a couple beers that former Representative David Valadao would jump into the Congressional race. He still feels a little guilty taking free beer from his friends because he knew it was such a sure thing.

I don’t think Mr. Avila will be making the same wager when it comes to Mr. Trump in 2020. But I might want to bet Ms. Riddle an elderflower cake that Mr. Trump is not going to win. I’m just sorry I have to wait until 2020 to taste her cooking again.

Aliens Versus the Climate

In July, a humorous Facebook page titled Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us was posted by Matty Roberts. He thought it would be funny to suggest everyone raid of the air force base on September 20 in search of aliens.

A few weeks later 1.5 million clicked “interested” and 2 million people registered as “coming” to this ill-equipped and desolate corner of Nevada.

Mr. Roberts quickly updated his post to say he was just kidding don’t show up. But it was too late. The “raid” went viral.

Besides being an open training range for the United States Air Force and completely off limits, Area 51 is in a region of the state with only 184 hotel rooms. The closest town, Rachel, has a population of 56 and has just 13 rooms in the Little A’le’Inn. They plan on trucking in extra food and opening up 30 acres for camping.

But Alien hunters have been warned that there will be limited cell service, and no internet, ice, water or food as it all will quickly sell out.

The closest gas and toilettes will be 90 miles away.”If you’re coming, be prepared because it’s probably not going to be nice,” said one town’s store owner.

While alien chasers in Nevada will be trying to find a toilette, the rest of the world will be participating in the September 20 Global Climate Strike.

The Global Climate Strike will be students, workers, and citizens going on strike to jump start the world on doing something about climate change.

September 20 is the official day of the strike but climate awareness events are going on all week, the biggest of which is the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23.

3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com “There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society,” stated the United Nations, calling the threat to our planet “A race we can win.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is congregating world leaders to make concrete plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

But the summit’s most famous attendee will not be a world leader but a 15 year old girl, Greta Thunberg, who landed in New York on August 28 after sailing across the Atlantic.. Thunberg traveled on a zero-emissions sailboat to reduce the environmental impact of her journey.

A movement called #FridaysForFuture began in August 2018, when Ms. Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks. She then continued striking every Friday until Sweden agreed to change its policies to fall in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Swedish teenager has become the figurehead of a youth movement of climate activists after her weekly protests inspired students to strike every Friday in more than 100 cities worldwide, including the United States.

Why are the kids striking?

Kids began questioning why they were studying to secure their future when there may be no future.

From Ms. Thunberg’s first strike, and the ensuing student movement, evolved the Global Climate Strike.

So is Tulare County participating in the Global Climate Strike?

Well if one logs onto 350.org or globalclimatestrike.net you can see

all the events happening around the world on September 20, and one of them is happening right here in Visalia.

The globalclimatestrike.net suggests that if people cannot strike then organize or attend climate awareness march, rally or teach-in. Roy Kendall, an aspiring journalist, perennial student, and fulltime worker at 72 years old, opted to organize a teach-in.

He submitted the following Press Release to the Valley Voice.

Tulare County is located in the rich San Joaquin Valley of California’s agricultural heartland. It routinely ranks in the top three of all farm counties in America.

It produces over 240 agricultural crops for human consumption, livestock feed, and seed crops.

The county had 45 crops worth more than $1 million each in gross value in 2017 with milk leading the list at 1.7 billion.

The 2017 gross value of all agricultural commodities produced in Tulare County was $7 billion. The county led the nation in agricultural exports in 2017; it exported agricultural products to 80 countries that year.

Tulare County’s climate and geography has created the productivity that makes all this possible. But many of the conditions we see today—the land under our feet, the temperature, and the precipitation—have been very different in the past. These conditions have been changing since Tulare County was first settled in the mid-1800s, and they have been changing even faster since the 1970s.

John Austin, a resident of Tulare County who is active in science education, will make a presentation on Friday September 20, about how our climate has changed over the past 500 million years

POLITICAL FIX continued on 15 »

Cardiologist Cardiologist Reza Rafie, MD, has returned to Visalia Medical Clinic after completing a Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Rafie is now trained to deliver non-surgical procedures such as balloon angioplasty and stenting, in addition to general cardiology.

He is Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Board of Echocardiography and the Board of Cardiology, among other professional organizations.

Reza Rafie, MD

✓Cardiology Fellowship, Kaiser Permanente Department of Cardiology

✓Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, USC

DR. RAFIE IS NOW ACCEPTING REFERRALS

Jason Mihalcin, DO Be Well Visalia 5400Clinic W. Hillsdale Ave. Medical

559-739-2000

www.vmchealth.com

5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

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Kaweah Delta adds eight new beds, expansion continues

STAFF REPORTS As work continues on its project to nearly double the size of one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, Kaweah Delta added eight new beds to its emergency department this week and opened a new area that is helping patients seeking emergency care get quickly screened by medical providers.

“This is an important step in our efforts to modernize, expand and improve our emergency department to help meet the needs of our growing community,” said Gary Herbst, Chief Executive Officer of Kaweah Delta.

“We’ve opened up eight new beds in a new area adjacent to the emergency department for people with minor illnesses and injuries, but in doing so, we’ve made more beds and space available in our ED for patients who require a higher, more critical level of care.

These beds are ultimately allowing our team to focus on caring for people who have true emergencies.”

Kaweah Delta enlisted the help of its community to test out the eight-bed

area known as Zone 6, prior to its opening and ran a series of mock trials, testing everything from care to processes to the patient experience. Meg Salinas, a member of Kaweah Delta’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, was one of about 30 people who volunteered to be patients during the mock trials.

“These beds are going to help immensely to take off a lot of the overload in the emergency room. It will make things go much faster,” said Salinas, who as a council member has learned when to go to the ED versus when to go to the doctor or an urgent care. “It’s been really helpful for me because the more knowledge I have, the more I can help my family when they ask me whether they should go to the emergency room. I can help them and say, ‘Let’s go this direction instead.’”

After patients go through the ED registration process and the triage nurse takes their vitals, they enter a new Physician-at-Triage area. There, medical providers examine patients in this separate and enclosed space and order any labs, x-rays, or other tests a patient may need. Patients stay there for lab draws

(the space has a TV and small waiting area), before heading back out to the ED waiting area until the team has the results to determine the next course of care. When Kaweah Delta’s ED expansion is complete, lab services will move from the basement to this area.

Also with the opening of Zone 6, Kaweah Delta’s former ED security weapon screening has moved to the Mineral King Wing near the Guild Courtyard gift shop. This allows Security Services to screen more people entering our Mineral King Wing, not just the ED, and adds another layer of security for Kaweah Delta patients and visitors.

Kaweah Delta’s ED is undergoing a multi-phase expansion that is expected to be complete in 2020. It will modernize, expand, and improve Kaweah Delta’s ED facilities to better serve patients and meet the needs of the growing community by: • Growing the number of patient beds from 41 to 74 beds • Nearly doubling the size of the waiting room to accommodate 100+ patients • Adding a new area that will al-

low patients to be more quickly screened.

Kaweah Delta is a level III trauma center- the only trauma center between Bakersfield and Fresno. Its ED was built to serve 72,000 patients a year, but today, staff cares for more than 90,000 patients a year. Kaweah Delta has added a patient navigator to the ED who makes sure that patients are getting the care and information they need. In addition to answering questions and helping patients understand the process of care in the ED, the patient navigator, a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) can also monitor patient vital signs.

Kaweah Delta has also made changes to ensure that after patients are seen by a registered nurse upon arrival and have vitals taken by an ED technician, they are seen by a doctor within 30 minutes of arrival so that any needed tests can be ordered.

Kaweah Delta continues to offer free valet parking services from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends at the ED entrance off Mineral King Avenue.

Quail Park, Kaweah Delta to host Senior Tool Box STAFF REPORTS Quail Park and Kaweah Delta Health Care District are sponsoring “The Senior Tool Box Conference and Informational Fair” for its second year.

Kimberly Jensen, Quail Park’s Senior Specialist, created this event so that, free of charge, the community can obtain a better understanding regarding services in our area and be prepared for the future. There are 6 speaking event

options to choose from at this event.

Three speakers present separate topics in different rooms at the same time.

Attendees need to register by Oct. 1 and choose which topics they would like to participate in. After the first session, attendees are encouraged to visit the vendor booths where professionals will share important information about their services. After the break three more speakers will discuss three different topics again. Attendees can stay for

one session or both.

The Senior Tool Box Conference and Informational Fair, on October 4th from 8am to 12 pm, located at the Christ Lutheran Church, 3830 W. Tulare Ave, Visalia, is filled with information that becomes a valuable tool in decision making. Pre-planning is essential for peace of mind and a feeling of security.

Speakers from all over the county will be there. Choose from the following topics: Get Your Power of Attorney, Trusts and Wills in Order! Did you know that you need to update your Will, Power of Attorney and Trusts if there is a change in your preferences on who is going to be helping you when you can no longer help yourself? What happens if you don’t have a Will or Power of Attorney? Did you know that by not having a Trust connected to your Will, it can cost the estate a lot of time and money?

Caring for the Caregiver is important especially since over thirty percent of the time, the caregiver dies before the person they are caring for.

Marie Espinola, Director of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of Central California, will discuss how to support to a caregiver and help them get a break and time for themselves.

Dementia Training will be offered to anybody who is working with or car-

e

Th

ing for someone with dementia. Marie Espinola will discuss dementia and instruct on how to deal with behaviors. She will also answer any questions that caregivers might have regarding dementia.

How to Pay for Senior Care Without Going Broke! Greg Steen will discuss this important issue, since all Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care Communities in our area, are private pay. Ask the important questions and get the important answers and put that knowledge in your senior toolbox for future use.

Quality Aging and Tips on Living Longer Kimberly Jensen will discuss how simple changes in your life can directly affect your future and help you to have healthier longevity. Living a longer life is fine but living longer and being healthier for a longer period of time is the BEST! Senior Living Options Kimberly Jensen will discuss all that are available in our area. Find out what the difference between Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living and Independent Living. Are you financially able to withstand the burden of costs that are coming your way?

Contact Kimberly Jensen (559) 7377443 for free call-in registration before October 1.

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Valley Voice 5 September, 2019

5

College of the Sequoias reaches all-time highs STAFF REPORTS Over 13,000 students will attend College of the Sequoias’ three campuses While the 2019 semester recently started, Friday, August 9 provided a time for reflection for faculty, staff and administrators at College of the Sequoias.

At Friday’s convocation, Superintendent/President Brent Calvin released official numbers that illustrated the District’s growth and success in Kings and Tulare Counties.

Since 2013-14, the District has realized an increase of 15% in funded enrollment. During that same time span, the District has seen an 87% increase in awards including a 136% jump in certificate completions and 60% more degrees. These awards, totaling nearly 3200 for 2018-2019, are an all-time high for the College of the Sequoias.

The last five years of success have led to financial prosperity and stability as well. The District has an annual op-

erating surplus of over $1M (on revenue of $70M) and maintains an overall general fund reserve of over 30%, approximately $21M. On Friday, Calvin also announced that the District now offers 31 approved Associate Degree for Transfer (AD-T) Degrees. These degrees, which are approved by the California State University System, assist students with seamless transfer to any of the twenty three campuses. The District’s 31 AD-Ts are the third most at any college within the 114-community college system and the most in the San Joaquin Valley. “Having this breadth and depth of degrees allows our students to choose a ma-

jor that is right for them, and then be guaranteed that those units will count when they transfer to a CSU,” stated Calvin. These options have led the Sequoias District to realize a 79% increase in AD-Ts awarded in the last two years — from 387 to 692.

“Our transfers to the University of California and California State University systems, remain very strong,” stated Calvin. As the following chart illustrates, College of the Sequoias had the third most UC and CSU transfers in the San Joaquin Valley behind only the much larger Bakersfield College and Fresno City College during the 2017-18 year. Transfers to UC and CSU campus-

es represent approximately half of the College’s overall transfers in any given year with the other half opting to go to a private college or university or go out of state.

Calvin continued, “While we are currently waiting for the official transfer numbers for 2018-19, we have every reason to believe that numbers will be even higher, with our record number of degrees awarded last year.”

The College of the Sequoias operates three campuses—Visalia, Tulare, and Hanford—and offers the College Promise which allows nearly 100% of its students to attend tuition free or at least be reimbursed for successful completion of their classes. Each campus offers a full slate of general education courses needed for transfer in addition to Career and Technical Education anchor programs specific to that campus.

Visalia offers Nursing and Allied Health programs; Hanford hosts the Police and Fire Academies; and Tulare offers Agriculture, Welding, and Architecture.

It’s a girl! First baby born at Adventist Health Tulare Birth Center STAFF REPORTS The first baby born under the Adventist Health banner made her arrival at 1:49 p.m. Monday to the cheers and tears of an excited obstetrics team and a hospital family that could barely contain their excitement.

Baby Alayah Rene Valdez was born to Jessica Rene Valdez, 24, of Tulare, and was delivered via cesarean section

by Tulare obstetrician Abraham Betre, DO, who was thrilled to deliver the first baby for Adventist Health Tulare.

Mother and baby are doing well.

“I’m delighted and very happy,” Betre said about delivering Tulare’s

first baby. “The staff was great, and the family is very happy. We have all been waiting to restore birthing service for a long time, and now it’s back. We are very excited to provide this service to the community.”

Baby Alayah weighed 7 pounds and measured 20½ inches in length.

Valdez has two boys, ages 4 and 6, but this is her first daughter.

Valdez said she would remember most how the staff made her feel.

“It was special,” she said, “just exciting. I’m a little tired now, but it was good. The nurses were all really nice.”

The team had been preparing

for the arrival of the first baby for weeks, and the California Department of Public Health last week gave the team the green light to open the unit on schedule.

On delivery day, the team decorated Jessica’s room with balloons and flowers to welcome her and the baby, and two huge gift baskets were waiting for her, filled with baby items.

Toni Gonzales, director of the Tulare Birth Center, said: “From the moment my day began, everyone – from the ED nurses to the housekeepers to the kitchen staff – kept asking me, ‘Is the first baby here yet?’ And then

when we heard the lullaby play over the hospital loudspeaker, we cheered and cried – that was so special!”

Now that the Birth Center is open, Gonzales said the team looks forward to welcoming many new babies to the hospital.

Expectant moms may arrange a tour of the birth center by appointment by calling 559-685-3491.

Adventist Health in the Central Valley is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii.

5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

6

AGRICULTURE

Bounty of the County tickets now available

KEVIN HECTEMAN

Ag Alert/California Farm Bureau Federation

For the 10th year in a row, Tulare County Farm Bureau is inviting the community to join us in celebration of Tulare County Agriculture at Bounty of the County on Sept. 6, 2019, at the Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch in Ivanhoe.

Guests can enjoy the finest food and beverage made with locally sourced products at the tasting event, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $50 each and available at the Tulare County Farm Bureau office. Tickets will also be available at the door for $70.

The country casual evening will include live music by the Danny Millsap Band as well as door prizes provided

by Farm Bureau and participating local vendors. The popular gun raffle will be back, with 3 firearms to be given away that night (all federal and state firearm

transfer laws apply). Event and raffle tickets are on sale at the office, and gun raffle tickets will be available the night of the event.

“This is such a great event, we celebrate local artisans and chefs, enjoy some great food and drink, and it is a relaxing time at the historic ranch,” said Joe Russell, Tulare County Farm Bureau President.

Local farmers, restaurants and businesses will be showcasing their culinary delights at Bounty of the County including the following vendors: All Fired Up! Pizza, Cacciatore Fine Wines & Olive Oils, Ciao Cow Creamery, Hazel’s Kitchen, Mama K’s Cafe, Naturally Nuts, Nestle-Häagen Dazs, Puffed Perfection, Quesadilla Gorilla, Rosa Brothers Milk Company, Rosa’s Italian Restaurant, Sue Sa’s Creative Catering, The Naked Nut, Three Rivers Brewing Co., Tulare Meat

Locker and Sausage Co., Western BBQ Company. There’s still room for a couple more exhibitors to be added, call soon if you’d like to reserve space and bring food or beverage to this year’s event.

The “Best of Bounty” contest will be held again this year, where guests can vote for their favorite dishes exhibited at Bounty of the County. Guests can vote for their favorites in the categories of: Most Savory, Best Sweet Treat and Best Fresh Product. Exhibitors will be awarded prizes, recognition and of course bragging rights for being named the “Best of Bounty”.

Sponsors for the evening include: Bank of the Sierra, County of Tulare, Farm Credit West, Gar Tootelian Inc., High Sierra Ag Inc., Kast and Co., Kaweah Pump Inc., Larry Micari for Supervisor, Nationwide, Sierra Crest Ag Inc., Southern California Edison, Taste

Tulare County, and Zion’s Ag Finance.

Gun Raffle partners: CA Rural Crime Prevention Taskforce, Lawrence Tractor Co. and Smokin’ Barrel Firearms. Top prize this year is a Benelli Shotgun Super Black Eagle 3 Camo, 12 gauge with 28” barrel, along with a Kimber 1911 Custom II handgun, and a “pick your caliber” Savage 111 Trophy Hunter XP Rifle with scope. Raffle tickets are $50, available now or at event.

Admission Tickets are available for $50 pre-sale and $70 at the door. Contact the Tulare County Farm Bureau at 7328301 to buy tickets today!

Tulare County is the leading agriculture production county and the top dairy-producing county in the nation.

The Tulare County Farm Bureau represents more than 1,300 family farmers and works to promote and enhance the viability of Tulare County agriculture.

Organic avocado production is on the increase KEVIN HECTEMAN

Ag Alert/California Farm Bureau Federation

With the demand for organic crops and the demand for avocados on the upswing, perhaps it’s only natural that organic avocados would find their way in the marketplace.

“Our organic growers are extremely important,” said Connor Huser, grower relations representative at Mission Produce in Oxnard. “A lot of our customers and consumers are demanding the product. A lot of times, California organics are coming off at a time when other countries of origin don’t have as heavy a supply, so it can really benefit these growers here in California.”

As a percentage of the California crop, organic Hass avocados are on the rise, according to Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing at the California Avocado Commission in Irvine.

As of Aug. 28, the organic Hass harvest was estimated to be 18.6 million pounds, or about 9.9% of the state’s total crop. In 2013-14, California growers harvested 15.4 million pounds of organic Hass avocados, or 5.5% of the total crop.

In 2016, the most recent year for which U.S. Department of Agriculture figures are available, 286 California

farms harvested 11,656 tons of organic avocados from 3,883 acres. That crop was valued at $30.7 million.

California Certified Organic Farmers, a USDA-accredited organic certifier, reported 201 CCOF-certified farmers growing organic avocados on nearly 2,000 acres.

Organic agriculture has steadily grown in recent years,” said Kelly Damewood, chief executive of Santa Cruz-based CCOF. “Similarly, the media has covered the strong consumer demand for avocados. It is likely that consumer demand for both organic and avocados is leading to growth in sales for organic avocado growers and interest from conventional avocado producers to transition.”

As with any other commodity, converting from conventional to organic is a years-long process. Farmers making the switch can’t use prohibited inputs for three years before the first certified organic harvest, Damewood said.

“The main difference between transitioning an orchard compared to a vegetable field is that the existing trees can be transitioned to organic,” Damewood said. “The transition of trees and land happens simultaneously.”

While row-crop farmers can

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use cover crops and green manures through the transition period, “with orchards there are irrigation costs, pest management, annual pruning, etc. that require a larger financial commitment and continued management,” Damewood added. “Therefore, transitioning orchards can be more expensive and riskier for farmers.”

Huser said more conventional growers are asking about going organic.

“Some are moving forward with that,” Huser said. “Others, you know, it’s somewhat of an intimidating process and they kind of just fall back to the conventional production.”

While the expenses are immediate, the payoff is not.

“During those three years, you have to actively farm as you would be organic, but you’re not getting paid organic prices because you’re not technically certified organic,” Huser said, noting that planting a new grove to be organic is generally infeasible.

“Most growers, if they have healthy trees, they don’t want to take them out of production just to go to organic,” Huser said.

Those who do make the switch will find higher prices for their product. As of Aug. 21, size 48 avocados—an industry standard, with the number representing the amount of fruit needed to fill a 25-pound box—saw field prices of $1.80 to $2 per pound for conventional fruit, according to the California Avocado Society. Organic 48s were fetching $2 to $2.40 per pound.

“It really falls back on the market and what the market’s doing,” Huser said. “This year, there were times when organic pricing fetched a pretSALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

ty large premium over conventional pricing, but as the conventional market got hot, it closed that gap. So, it can be beneficial, and they do fetch more money. However, it really just falls back on supply and demand.”

Thrips are among the top pest concerns in the grove, said Sonia Rios, a subtropical horticulture advisor at University of California Cooperative Extension in Riverside County.

“What they do is that they jump on the young fruit while it’s still growing, and while they eat, it can scar the fruit,” Rios said. The avocados will appear to have scabs, she added, “and no one’s going to want to buy that.”

While conventional growers are usually on top of their spray programs to keep thrips in check, Rios said, their organic counterparts have more limited options.

“Usually, how those organic pesticides work is that they actually have to come in contact with the insect itself to actually kill it, to knock down the populations,” Rios said.

Rios said a lot of growers in her area have expressed an interest in switching to organic production.

DeLyser said the Avocado Commission doesn’t have an official program in place to assist with organic conversion but has begun maintaining a webpage with information and connections at https://www.californiaavocadogrowers.com/growing/become-certified-organic-avocado-grower.

DeLyser noted that the commission generally doesn’t differentiate when pitching avocados to the public.

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

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5 September, 2019

VALLEYSCENE

ourvalleyvoice.com

Three Tulare County teachers to be honored Terri Dillard is entering her 25th year as a teacher. She began her caSince 1994, the Central California reer at Sunnyside Union School before Chinese Cultural Center has partnered transitioning to Rockford School in with the Tulare County Office of Edu- 2000 where she serves as a first-grade cation to honor teachers through the teacher. Mrs. Dillard is praised by Confucius’ Birthday/Educators of the Rockford Superintendent Caron Borba Year Awards event. Chinese people as “one of the most dedicated teacharound the world often mark the oc- ers that I have ever met.” Mrs. Dillard casion of Confucius’ birthday in late spends her break time and lunches September by recognizing exemplary with students in her classroom, helpteachers. Each year, members of the ing them improve on their reading Chinese Cultural Center hold a dinner skills. She takes struggling readers to celebration at their facilities in Visalia great heights, giving each student speto honor one elementary, one middle, cial attention to ensure that no one and one high school teacher. slips through the cracks.

On Thursday, September 19, invit“Even after 25 years in education, ed educators, family, and friends will Terri is willing to try new teaching celebrate three exemplary teachers at methods and adapt her teaching style the 26th Annual Confucius’ Birthday/ and curriculum to enable her stuEducators of the dents to be 21st Year Awards. “This century learners,” year’s winners are said Mrs. Borba. exceptional teach“She is a great role ers who have a model and help passion for buildto new teachers as ing character and well. When I think life skills in their of Terri Dillard as students,” said a teacher, she is Tulare County Surock solid.” perintendent of “I feel my Schools Tim Hire. job is to give my “The positive difstudents a solid ference they make foundation in edin the lives of their ucation and help students will be build their charremembered for acter,” said Mrs. Terri Dillard. Courtesy photo years to come.”

Dillard. “I work The winners it into lessons and use books at stoof the 2019 Educators of the Year ry time that have character-building Awards are: themes. We often use the themes to talk about how we treat each other ELEMENTARY EDUCATOR OF when situations arise in class or on the playground. I also try to share stories THE YEAR about things happening around them Terri Dillard, First-Grade to teach them compassion.”

STAFF REPORTS

Hands in the Community has helped with service projects for over ten years. Courtesy photo

Hands in the Community plans dinner for tenth anniversary STAFF REPORTS Hands in the Community (HNC) started with a phone call. It was several weeks before Christmas when founding executive director, Lester Moon, received a phone call from someone stating that he and his wife had been buying gifts to give to the church, but their Christmas program was already planned. Instead, the church referred them to Lester.

After picking up the donation, Moon said, “I had a truck bed full of brand new toys that I needed to donate, so I called around to the local churches, looking for one that would take the toys on such short notice.” Eventually, a small church answered the call.

When the pastor’s wife answered and heard what he had, there was a moment of silence —and then she began to cry. She said, “We just had a meeting, and we were thinking of

cancelling our Christmas program, because donations had not come in to provide it. “ After meeting with the pastor, they went to work wrapping all the gifts and distributing them throughout the neighborhood. When they knocked on the doors, they could see that the people were living very meagerly: lawn chairs for furniture and sleeping on the floors.

That was Hands in the Community’s very first effort to reach out to the community.

At about this same time - 2008 - Moon attended a community meeting and heard a discussion on how to combat increased gangs, poverty and unemployment in Visalia. Moon suggested organizing a network connecting people in need with volunteers and local agencies. When no one else stepped forward to fill that need, Moon

HANDS continued on 10 »

Teacher Rockford School

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Fair announces centennial year’s Tulare County Libraries participating in national library card sign-up month parade grand marshal STAFF REPORTS The Tulare County Fair has selected dairyman Joe Airosa of Tulare as the grand marshal for the centennial celebration parade on opening day, Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Airosa has been involved in the fair, 4H and FFA for 65 years, he estimates. He showed livestock as a high school student in the 1950s, served as a 4H leader in the 1970s and 1980s, and showed his children, grandchildren, nephews, friends and neighborhood kids how to raise and show livestock.

“I made a living with animals – I have a passion for them and I get a lot of satisfaction out of working with kids, helping them learn about the real world,” Airosa said.” They learn it’s a lot of hard work, they lose sleep and don’t always win, but it’s an important education for them.”

In addition to showing and in-

structing kids in the livestock rings, Airosa was very involved and supportive of the replacement heifer sale from its beginning, and served as chairman one year. He also exhibited his own hogs and dairy cattle in the senior open division, and was one of the founders of a car club that started the first Destruction Derby in 1964.

“Being named the parade grand marshal is a big honor. I’m shocked,” Airosa said. “The fair is important to the community and we get to see people once a year that we haven’t seen all year. It’s like a reunion.”

Tulare County Fair CEO Pamela Fyock added that “no one is more deserving to be recognized in this 100th year than Joe. He has worked tirelessly on this century celebration.”

The Tulare County Fair is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with a wide variety of displays and events in

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STAFF REPORTS The Tulare County Library teams up this September with the American Library Association, libraries across the country, Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and the rest of the Toy Story 4 cast to let everyone know libraries go beyond books during the annual National Library Card Sign-Up Month. Your Library Card brings stories to life at our Library branches and online at our website. In addition, our staff is there to help people of all ages find just what they need to go “to infinity and beyond”. Remember a Free Library Card is the most important school supply of all!

During National Library Card SignUp Month, the Friends of Tulare County Library is sponsoring a drawing for Toy Story themed prizes including a grand prize including Toy Story 1-3, popcorn, and Twizzlers for each region. Each Tulare County Library branch will give

away a Toy Story book, coloring book, and colored pencils. Prize drawing will take place October 4 to October 8, 2019.

There are two ways to enter the drawing: sign up for a library card or turn in a “Toy Story” character coloring page to your Tulare County Library Branch.

The Library helps build a foundation for children from the earliest ages by providing the basic tools for school readiness and teaching families and caregivers the importance of early literacy. Students can find tools for success working with our trained librarians and staff on how best to use our resources. Lifelong learning doesn’t stop with school, so the Library provides resources that help every step of the way, including our adult literacy program that helps people with reading, writing, math and more that leads to more success in life, work, and going back to school.

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ocal Angle

5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

Up, through, under, over and around in Mineral King BRIAN NEWTON Three wise (older) men and one young buck half their age set out August 6 on a backpacking trip to White Chief Bowl and remote Ansel Lake in Mineral King. Roy Kendall, Lew Griswold, and I carried packs just less than a reasonable 30 pounds but time weighs heavily on tired, out of shape bodies so they felt like 45-pound packs.

Justin Zack, on the other hand, bounded up the trail with ease.

We camped the first night in the lower White Chief Bowl before the waterfall only 3 miles from the trailhead.

The next day Justin and I had enough energy to walk inside the fascinating White Chief mine the full 70 yards to the end. Abandoned in the 19th century, it is totally safe to enter because it was drilled through solid rock and the shaft is perfectly horizontal, a symmetrical 7-8 feet square. Fifty yards directly above the mine is another story,

LIBRARY continued from 7

As the world changes, the Library works to lead the way to provide free and equal access, which is increasingly important in rural areas. The Library has introduced innovations, including science technology engineering and math (STEM) programs, computer coding classes, and virtual reality learning tools that provide hands-on opportunities for creative exploration. After school, students can come to the Li-

however. There lies a twin mine, same dimensions but perfectly vertical, dropping approximately 40 feet into water of undetermined depth. This mine shaft has no cover and if you fell in there’s no climbing out.

After the mine exploration Justin and I stashed our packs off trail and climbed 800 vertical feet to fish White Chief Lake. We had good fun catching and releasing 25 brook trout in one hour. Then we joined Roy for an hour of spelunking in a few of the caves near the mines. Many sections were wet, muddy, steep, narrow, and challenging with occasionally all five hazards in the same section.

We garnered enough gumption to hike up and over the caves to camp at upper White Chief Bowl, a total of only four miles from the parking lot but higher in elevation.

In hopes of achieving our Ansel Lake destination we wisely chose to

leave our camp set up and only carry the 10 essentials in day packs for the 800 foot climb over the brooding ridge at the south end of the bowl and down 400 feet to the lake. I thought we could summit in two hours but I misjudged the location of the easiest pass over the ridge. Sorry guys to have to make you ascend a twenty-five foot chimney. Technically not difficult but not reassuring to the three who have never rock climbed. The hike down to the lake was also slow because of large boulder fields.

We agreed our drop dead turnaround time would be 4 PM, leaving Justin and I only one hour to fish. I got skunked but he caught three beauties and released two of them, so we quickly cooked and ate his 11-incher. It was delicious.

On the ascent to exit the Ansel Lake bowl I failed to find the correct descent route so this time so this time

we had to descend a difficult, even more exposed cliff. Sorry guys.

Lew averted a more serious accident while glissading down a short section of snow field and couldn’t stop before falling into a crevasse where the snow ended among the rocks. He did sustain a cut fingertip.

Roy didn’t have the confidence to negotiate the rough terrain rapidly so he and I returned to camp by flashlight, cold, hungry, and done in.

Justin was heroic, returning uphill in the dark (I knew he’d come) to help.

Often over the four days he doubled back to carry the packs of some of his exhausted elders.

There was a brief discussion about climbing up to Eagle Lake for one more day of camping but the majority opted for Cold Springs campground and the scrumptious dinners served at the Silver City Resort.

brary to borrow books, do homework, and access the internet. Need additional help? Go online for resources and tutoring available anywhere with your computer or devices, simply login with your free Library Card.

In addition, Libraries are a great value to patrons and their communities. Check out the value calculator to see how libraries help by providing “free” services: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/what-libraries-do/calculator .

Open and free to everyone in our communities, our libraries provide gathering places, improve quality of life, add

to economic value, and enhance access to culture and education.

“Tulare County Library provides so much for students of all ages,” says County Librarian, Darla Wegener.

“There is something for everyone and it begins with a free Library Card. Access is critical in rural areas, so we now are fine free as well.”

Throughout September and beyond, Library staff looks forward to giving you the “Smartest Card”. Come during September so staff can take a picture of you with your new Card.

Lost your Card? Come in and get a free

replacement Card. Complete the form for your card and bring it to the desk at your local Tulare County Library branch. Find what you need to get a card online at www.tularecountylibrary.org/getlibrarycard.html or contact the Library at 559 713-2700.

The Tulare County Library serves all the citizens of Tulare County with locations in seventeen communities, four book machines, and online at www.tularecountyLibrary.org. Like the Library on Facebook www.facebook.com/tularecountylibrary or follow us on Twitter twitter.com/TulareCountyLib.

Valley Voice 5 September, 2019

Calendar

September 4 - September 27: Musae Exhibition and Opening Reception Hosted by Arts Visalia. Opening Reception is First Friday, September 6th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Arts Visalia Visual Art Center 214 E. Oak Ave. Gallery Hours: Noon-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays. Attn: Janelle Howard, Gallery Director. 559-739-0905, artsvisalia@sbcglobal.net September 5 – December 12: Visalia Fox Film Series The Visalia Fox Theatre has prided itself on bringing classic films back to the big screen for new audiences to experience and for long-time fans of the films to enjoy as well! Thursday, September 5th – Tombstone, Wednesday, September 25th – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Thursday, October 5th – Ghostbusters, Wednesday, October 30th – Psycho, Wednesday, November 6th – A Face in the Crowd, Thursday, November 21st – The Big Lebowski, Thursday, December 12th – The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wednesday, December 18th – Miracle on 34th Street September 6:Annual Bounty of the County Tulare County Farm Bureau is inviting the community to join us in celebration of Tulare County Agriculture at Bounty of the County at the Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch in Ivanhoe.

Enjoy the finest food and beverage made with locally sourced products at the tasting event, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $50 each and available at the Tulare County Farm Bureau office. Tickets will also be available at the door for $70. Contact the Tulare County Farm Bureau at 732-8301 to buy tickets today!

September 6: First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Visalia 5-8 p.m. Start at the Arts Consortium, 300 E. Oak, or Arts Visalia, 214 E. Oak, to pick up a map. Then visit all the venues. Snacks, wine and music. www. artsconsortium.org September 6: Enchanted Evening Fundraiser Music by Run 4 Cover to benefit the Enchanted Playhouse’s first production at the Visalia Fox Theatre, “Cinderella.”

7 p.m. at the Lamp Liter Inn, 3300 W. Mineral King, Visalia. www.facebook. com/EnchantedEveningFundraiserfortheEnchantedPlayhouseTheater September 7: 16th Annual Visalia Teen Idol Talented teens performing before local celebrity judges at 5 p.m. at L.J. Williams Theatre, 1001 W. Main, Visalia. Go to Facebook: Visalia Teen Idol September 7: “The Wedding Singer” (1998) starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Hanford Fox Theatre, 326 N. Irwin. 559 584-7823 or www.foxhanford.com September 7: 1st Saturday in Three Rivers Arts Consortium presents event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors and invite all for a town-wide celebration. Go to the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map of participating venues. Info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559-561-3463.

September 7: Gadabouts Meeting Senior Center, 10:00 AM, 310 North Locust St., Visalia, Contact Info: Barbara Davis (559) 732-5066 September 9: Visalia in 2030: Still the Jewel of the Valley?

210 Connect will hold a forum, 7:00pm 210 W Center, on Visalia’s general plan, the document that outlines how Visalia will grow for the next decade. Issues revolving around avoiding sprawl, preserving farm land, economic development, traffic and preserving the environment will be discussed. Panelists will include Visalia City Councilman Greg Collins, City of Visalia principal planner Paul Scheibel,, and members of the citizens advisory board and historical preservation committees.

Information: (559) 739-9010 or https:// www.facebook.com/210Connect/ September 10: KJUG Radio’s Summer Concert Series Features Adam Craig, one of Rolling Stones’s 10 new country artists you need to know, at 6:30 p.m. at Whitendale Park, Beech and West streets, Visalia. Free. Food for sale. Bring lawn chairs. Go to Facebook: KJUG Concert Series September 10: 38th Annual Tulare County College Night Representatives from nearly 70 universities and colleges will be on hand to answer questions about entrance requirements, available degrees, and tuition expenses at their institutions at the Heritage Complex at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, 5:30 p.m.,In addition to the college representatives, students and parents can visit four informational presentations (beginning at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.) on topics that include financial aid, SAT/ ACT test preparation, and registration information for the University of California and California State University systems. More information is available at tcoe.org/collegenight.

September 11 – “Do not get hooked #EverythingPasses” Surgeon and obstetrician Dr. Cesar Lozano presents his new touring conference at 8 p.m. at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main St. in Visalia. Tickets are $35-$75 at eventbrite.com.

September 11-15: Tulare County Fair Features local agriculture, livestock, floriculture, fine arts, photography, clothing, woodwork, handmade jewelry, food and needlecraft; plus live entertainment, food vendors and rides.

Scheduled concerts, Sept. 11—Marshall Tucker Band, Sept. 12—Uncle Kracker, Sept. 13—Ashanti, Sept. 14—38 Special, Sept. 15—John Michael Montgomery.

620 S. K St. in Tulare. Info tcfair.org .

September 12: Stories of Redemption Banquet You do not want to miss this powerful event at the Visalia Rescue Mission 741 N Santa Fe St. An inspirational testimony from a Mother & Daughter will move each person in attendance. Catering will be provided by Local Valhalla’s Restaurant. Silent Auction will be available. Tickets $60.00 each & Sponsorship Opportunities are available.

Info (559) 740-4178 September 12: The Visalia Republican Assembly Group meets on the 2nd Thursfay of each month. For information and contact call 559-361-9072 or email us at jcocoj932@gmail.com.

September 12: Thursday Night Market Place Every Thursday from 5:30-9 p.m. at Civic Park, Irwin and Seventh streets in Hanford. Certified farmers’ market, food vendors, pony and train rides and live music, this week featuring60s and 70s music by Prestige.

September 14 – Cheech & Chong Comedie team takes the stage at 8 p.m. on their “O Cannabis” tour at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main

9 St. in Visalia. Tickets are $55-$70 at ticketfly.com or call 559-625-1369.

Adult content.

Sept. 14: 25th Anniversary Pro Youth Gala ProYouth to celebrate 25 years of learning and growth at 6 p.m. on Saturday, , at the Marriott Hotel. Event will feature a look back at the organization’s growth, testimonials from students who have been supported by ProYouth and reflections by community members. To RSVP or for further information, call 374-2030 or email Teresa Ramos, tramos@pyheart.org. Sponsorships are available.

September 14: Pot Luck to contrast and compare the 1967 USS LIBERTY ATTACK to 9-11 5 pm at 1213 S. Fairway St. Visalia. Meet two survivors of the USS Liberty, one author, and maybe one ae911truth.org engineer to participate. RSVP 559-9011974 royjkendall@hotmail.com.

September 14: Silent comedies with Dean Mora on the mighty pipe organ Begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Hanford Fox Theatre, 326 N. Irwin. 559 584-7823 or www.foxhanford.com Sunday, September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrate at Manuel F. Hernandez Community Center, 247 W. Ferguson, Visalia, from 1-4 p.m. with family friendly events including live performances, music, crafts, games and food vendors. Freed. www.visistvisalia.com/ eventdetail September 15: Boots and Brews Celebrate Flag Day the American way with the Exeter Republican Women Federated, 6:00 – 7:00,VIP reception, 7:00pm Program and Dinner at The Pine Residence, 1600 Palm Rd. Exeter.

Event sponsored by Tulare County Supervisor Kuyler Crocker and candidate for TCBOS District 1 Larry Micari, Distinguished speakers, Dinner and Raffle, Tickets $75, VIP $125. Info 280-3726 or 972-3707.

September 17: The League of Women Voters of Tulare County Luncheon Celebrating the centennial of the 19th Amendment with a luncheon featuring guest speaker Diana Dooley, Gov. Jerry Brown’s chief of staff in 2018.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m. at Left of Center Café, 699 W. Center Ave. in Visalia. $15 per person for buffet lunch. RSVP by 5 p.m. on Sept. 13 at LWVTC2020@ gmail.com.

Sept. 19: Society for Human Resource Management Conference SHRM of Tulare/Kings Counties, an affiliate chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, will hold its annual conference from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Visalia Convention Center. Keynote speakers: Trisha Zulic from California State Council of SHRM; Cynthia Johnson, a professor of communication and psychology at College of the Sequoias and division chair for the Language and Communications Studies division; and Tracy Butz, a workplace culture expert and author. Online registration is available at www.shrmtularekings.org.

September 20-22:18th annual Visalia Home Expo Visalia Convention Center, 303 E. Acequia in Visalia between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m on Friday.; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets $6-$8,. Go to visaliahomeshows. com.

September 20:. Crush Party at the College of the Sequoias The event in the Tulare Center at COS

building B will feature wine tasting and food samples from local restaurants and caterers. Tickets are available, pre-sale only, for $50 and can be purchased at tularechamber.org or by calling (559)686-1547. Must be 21 to attend.

September 20: Global Climate Strike Presentation John Austin, a resident of Tulare County who is active in science education, will make a presentation about how our climate has changed over the past 500 million years and how it is projected to change over the coming decades. many of the conditions we see today have been changing since Tulare County was first settled in the mid-1800s, and they have been changing even faster since the 1970s. Pot luck with a Mexican theme. Please RSVP at 559-901-1974 or royjkendall@hotmail. com. 1213 S. Fairway Street, Visalia.

September 20: Audubon Speaker Meeting Birds of the Southeast Gary Lindquist will emphasize how the moist habitats of the Southeast provide for an unusually large number of bird species. 7:00pm, Parish Hall, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 120 N. Hall St. Visalia September 20: Night of Improv Students from Redwood, El Diamante, Mt. Whitney and Golden West will present a night of improv at 7 p.m. at the Rotary Theater, 330 S. Dollner St. in Visalia. For more info, call 559-786-3148.

September 20: Corcoran Farmers’ and Artisans Market Mark your calendars for great produce, homemade breads, dip & soup mixes, jams, handmade soaps, entertainment, beer/wine garden and so much more!

Sept. 21, Tulare County Library Book Sale Tulare County Library lobby 9am - 12, 200 W Oak Ave. Visalia, Library phone number: 559.713.2700, Friends website: www.tularecountylibrary.org/ friends-library We will be selling hardback fiction and nonfiction, children’s books, DVD’s, and more. All starting at about $1 or less. Donations and memberships encouraged. Books will be sold while supplies last.

September 21: 19th Annual Downtown Hanford Blues & Roots Festival The Hanford Blues and Roots Festival will be held on Saturday, September 21st from 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. under the stars in beautiful Civic Park 113 Court St. Make sure you bring your dancing shoes as well as your blankets or lawn chairs for a fantastic evening of Blues in downtown Hanford.

September 21:Dave’s Automotive Celebrates 40 Years Come celebrate with Jim and Jayna Eager, 420 N. Bridge in Vislia from 11 - 2 with K-Jug Country music, a taco Truck and A&W root beer. Then from 6 - 8 come hear the band Shilo starring Kris Korsgaden September 21: Living Rosary A candlelight procession will begin at 7:00pm on the steps of St. Mary’s Parish Center and will continue onto the grounds of George McCann Memorial culminating in the final mystery prayed inside St. Mary’s church. 506 N. Garden St. Visalia CA 93291.

September 22:Our Lady of Fatima Celebration Parade, carnival, free barbecue lunch, live and silent auctions as well as sweet shop.starting in downtown Visalia at 9:30am. Mass will be celebrated 10:30am at St. Mary’s.200 Race Avenue Visalia CA 93291.

5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

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Storytimes return at Visalia library STAFF REPORTS Toddler storytimes returns Sept 3rd at the Visalia branch of the Tulare County Library at 10am in the Children’s Wing. Infants and toddlers ages 0-2 years of age and their caregivers are invited to share interactive stories, songs, puppets, and fingerplays. Storytime is followed by unstructured playtime with education toys, an ideal way to socialize your toddler and connect with other caregivers.

Visalia branch library offers free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers as it is never too early to expose kids to the love of reading.

Storytime is a great way for children to learn early learning and literacy skills, develop a love of reading, and make new friends. Research shows that early literacy skills including singing, help build phonological awareness. This is a fancy way of saying that kids begin to recognize and work with sounds in spoken language, an essential foundation for learning to read. There’s an emphasis on rhyme and rhyth-

HANDS

continued from 7 founded Hands in the Community.

Over the years, HNC has partnered with community agencies including Visalia Rescue Mission, Visalia Emergency Aid Council, Family Services of Tulare County, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Health and Human Services, Veterans Services, District Attorney’s Office, CSET and Samaritan’s Center.

Volunteers have been the grease that makes the whole engine run.

With over 1,200 volunteers, you can see 15-20 volunteers in the office daily, answering phones and doing everything from repairing computers, counseling families and individuals, preparing for a fundraiser and running programs for elementary students and seniors.

Volunteers at HNC are of all ages and backgrounds and include school interns/externs looking to gain job experience. Outside the office, volunteers include local doctors, plumbers, landscapers, painters, electricians, carpenters, dentists, drivers, movers, cleaners, locksmiths, and handymen, to name a few.

Over 50% of the clients are elderly, needing ramps, home repairs and yard and home clean-up. Groups of volunteers from schools, churches and organizations come together to do some of those projects. Group directors often call and ask if they can get on the cal-

mic movement in our storytimes to fosters spatial skills and counting, which are prerequisites for learning mathematics.

Preschool aged children (3-5 years of age) and their caregivers are invited to weekly storytimes that emphasize kindergarten readiness. We share picture books, flannel stories, action rhymes, songs, and puppets in the Children’s Wing of the Visalia Branch every Thursday at 11am. Children who participate in storytimes develop essential kindergarten readiness skills like following directions, counting, rhyming, learning opposites, colors, learning to use scissors, new vocabulary words, and socialization. Our activities emphasize fine motor skills essential to developing writing, and scissor skills. Activities emphasize STEM/STEAM skills that include process art, engineering challenges, magnets, mazes and more!

The Visalia branch is located at 200 W Oak Avenue, with entrances on Encina and Locust.

endar for those jobs, because people want to make the world a better place to live. They want to be part of something that changes lives.

It was over 11 years ago that Moon was operating from his home. At that time, there was only $400 in donations. In 2009, someone offered to donate office space and pay for the utilities for 3 years. Moon did not expect to be able to move into office space so quickly.

Through the program last year, $2.1 million dollars’ worth of goods and services were donated back to the community, assisting over 700 families throughout Tulare, Kings and lower Fresno Counties.

In the coming decade, Moon hopes to see HNC become more self-sustainable, with the increase of paid administrative staff and growth in business and church participation. His vision is for the organization to assist an increasing number of clients, while expanding the volunteer base to meet their needs.

Hands in the Community’s 10th Annual Dinner and Silent Auction – Pouring Out Blessings – will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 6:00pm at the Visalia Convention Center. There will be delicious food and fine wines, followed by a silent and live auction, which will include trips, vacation packages, gourmet foods, wines and much more. For information or reservations, call 559-625-3822.

Crush Party

Join the Tulare Chamber of Commerce and the COS Foundation for an evening of

FOOD & WINE TASTING

at the COS Tulare Center Friday, September 20th 6-9pm

Event Admission (Pre-sale only): $50 Wine tree opportunity drawing tickets: $20 Tickets: tularechamber.org  686-1547 (Must be 21 or over to attend)

Parade Grand Marshal Joe Airosa with grandchildren on his dairy farm. Courtesy photo

MARSHAL continued from 7

the works to celebrate this landmark year. Traditional favorites continue, including fun fair food, the annual Junior Livestock Auction, great rides and entertainment ranging from comedy

AWARDS continued from 7

MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR Anderson Schmidt, Physical Education Teacher/Coach Sunnyside Union School

and gold rush mining to an illusionist team, an extreme dogs stunt show and five nights of great entertainment on the Bud Light stage.

Visit www.tcfair.org for information and ongoing updates to the schedule of events, or call the fairgrounds office at 686-4707.

HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR John Lujan, Mathematics Teacher Strathmore High School

John Lujan is a mathematics teacher at Strathmore High School with 20 years of teaching experience across all grade levels. On some days, In his sixth year at Sunnyside he might be in his classroom explainUnion School, physical education ing math problems and guiding stuteacher Anderson Schmidt has estab- dents to solutions. More often though, lished himself as a campus leader. Sun- he’s at the Strathmore High School nyside Superintendent Steve Tsuboi re- farm helping students learn math conports that upon arriving, Mr. Schmidt cepts through real-world applications. set out specific goals and objectives to A self-described chili pepper farmer, develop Sunnyside’s first true physiMr. Lujan uses cal education prohis knowledge gram. His program of agriculture to can be described teach students in as a true learning his classes, which environment that range from math requires students skills for freshto think, research, men to consumer and apply specific math for seniors. topics along with At the farm, stuthe outdoor physdents have plantical activities. In ed their own addition to his seeds and learn teaching duties, math through the Mr. Schmidt is business of farmSunnyside’s coach ing, marketing, for all sports, inand sales. cluding football, Anderson Schmidt. Courtesy photo “Twenty years soccer, basketball, from now, my stutrack and field, dents may not recross country, and member the point baseball. “He also slope formula, but developed our they will rememfirst cross-country ber how I treated team and the Marthem,” said Mr. athon Madness Lujan. “I try to program where treat them with his students run respect and create 26 miles in 26 a fun learning endays with many vironment.” far exceeding this Porterville distance,” said Unified School Mr. Tsuboi.

District Superin“My main John Lujan. Courtesy photo tendent Dr. Nate goal as a physical Nelson shared that education teacher is to help students Mr. Lujan possesses the unique abilidevelop life-long learning skills to ad- ty to connect with every student and dress their health, fitness, and nutri- an enthusiasm for teaching that gets tion,” Mr. Schmidt said. “I hope to in- them excited about learning. Mr. Lustill confidence in them and the ability jan has used his abilities to lead a Reto take their dreams and set the goals connecting Youth class, and serve as a they need to achieve them.” coach for Math Super Bowl teams and In addition to his responsibilities the Step Up Program. Mr. Lujan won for physical education, Mr. Schmidt a National Education Association Huhas worked with several new educa- man Rights Leadership Award in 2015. tors as a Teacher Induction Program He is currently the Strathmore High support provider. Most remarkably he School Class of 2022 co-advisor, Key took on the role of English Language Club advisor, and announcer for the Development teacher for the junior football team. high students last year, demonstratFor more information about the ing his willingness to step outside his Confucius’ Birthday/Educators of the teaching area for the betterment of Year Awards, contact Marlene Moreno the students. at marlenem@tcoe.org.

Valley Voice 5 September, 2019

11

AGRICULTURE

Farm Bureau’s South Valley Caucus welcomes development director STAFF REPORTS The South Valley Caucus, made up of Farm Bureaus from Kings, Tulare, Fresno and Madera counties, has hired Paula Vinzant as their new development director.

In this newly created position, Vinzant will focus on promoting Farm Bureau’s message of advocating for the local ag industry. She’ll be working on growing membership and securing event sponsorships to help ensure the growth and continued success of the four Farm Bureaus in the South Valley Caucus.

“Farm Bureau is doing important

work in the Valley on behalf of our farmers and ranchers, yet there remains a number of people who aren’t aware of the contribution we’re making in supporting the local economy,” said KCFB Executive Director Dusty Ference. “Given her background and skill set, Paula is uniquely qualified to help carry our message and grow our membership base, allowing us to continue advocating for our members.”

A fourth-generation Texan, Vinzant studied communication at Texas Tech. She moved to California 27 year ago and now calls Visalia home.

After spending nearly 20 years running a staffing service, she got her start

in politics in 2010 working for Michael Reagan. She went on to become the political affairs and finance director for the California State Assembly Republican Caucus. In 2013, she went to work as the finance director and fundraiser for former Senator Andy Vidak’s campaign, helping to secure his seat in a special election.

Until Vidak lost his reelection bid last year, Vinzant served as his district director, managing his offices in Hanford, Bakersfield and Fresno. She maintained relationships with constituents from across the Valley in areas of healthcare, education, finance, oil and agriculture. She devoted a great deal

of time helping farmers and ranchers navigate complicated issues like water and high-speed rail.

“Having spent the past several years supporting the Valley’s farmers and ranchers through my role with Senator Vidak, I have both the experience and desire to continue the work I started through this position with Farm Bureau,” Vinzant said. “I’m looking forward to helping people understand the many benefits that come with joining and supporting this organization.”

She can be reached at paulavinzant@rocketmail.com, or (559) 901-4278.

Dairy Girl Network is now enrolling for Inspire Mentor Program STAFF REPORTS Dairy Girl Network (DGN) is excited to announce the national roll-out of Class II of Inspire, a mentoring program. This program facilitates and encourages women to connect through an organized mentee-mentor experience; expand personal networks of role models, coaches, sounding boards and friends, deliver resources for personal and professional development and ultimately help more dairy women achieve their personal and professional goals.

Applications are now being accepted for mentors and mentees. The application deadline is August 16, 2019, with the pairing process to be completed by the first week of September.

The mission of DGN is to help our members connect, inspire and achieve. This mentoring program will

create an opportunity for all three of our values to be realized. “This program is especially important because our members have expressed interest in building more meaningful relationships through DGN. They enjoy the new connections and interaction that our Connect networking events provide, however, it can be difficult to find the right mentor without help. The long-term partnership created by Inspire fills that gap.” stated Laura Daniels, Founder and President of Dairy Girl Network.

Prior to Class II of Inspire, this program went through a beta-phase and the first national rollout in January 2019. For the beta-phase, a select group of women were paired to help further nurture Inspire and allow it to go through a growth, evaluation and redesign stage. Afterwards, DGN

rolled the program out nationally to 50 mentor-mentee pairs earlier this year. During these times, our mentor-mentee pairs established and built long standing relationships. “It was instant friendship as we had so much in common, especially our love of dairy cattle. The conversations were easy, even as time got away from us. As a fellow working mom and wife, I respect and trust her personal and professional opinion. Participating in the Inspire program has been an amazing experience, one I highly recommend.” shared by beta participant mentee Mary Mackinson Faber.

Members of DGN can sign up for Inspire at https://dairygirlnetwork. com/inspireregistration/.

Membership is free for all dairywomen. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Dairy Girl

Groups work to restore fish populations CHRISTINE SOUZA

Ag Alert/California Farm Bureau Federation

To improve the ecosystem and recover fish populations, California water users and water managers routinely collaborate with state and federal fishery and water agencies and conservation groups to build habitat improvement projects that they believe will lead to a better water future for the state.

In the Sacramento River near Redding this spring, water districts, government agencies and others collaborated to construct the Market Street Gravel Project to benefit fish. The effort includes participation by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, state agencies, nonprofit organizations and the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors. Settlement Contractors include: Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, Reclamation District 108, River Garden Farms, Sutter Mutual Water Company and Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District.

Reclamation District 108 Deputy Manager William Vanderwaal said that to complete the $429,000 project, 12,000 tons of gravel were placed into the river and developed as new spawning habitat for chinook salmon and steelhead trout. It is one of many Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program projects to be completed in the past four years, he said, adding that more projects are being planned. A similar gravel project was done at the Market Street location in 2016, and an-

other near Keswick Dam in July.

“There are four runs of salmon on the Sacramento River and the most endangered or threatened one is the winter-run chinook,” Vanderwaal said.

“They used to spawn upstream of Shasta Reservoir, but the installation of Shasta and Keswick dams cut off their traditional spawning grounds, so part of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) includes putting in gravel for spawning in locations downstream.”

John Hannon, a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation fisheries biologist, said a big part of the agency’s focus is cold water management for winter-run chinook that spawn in the summer.

“The more we can restore habitat and improve fish populations, the fewer constraints there will be on water availability,” Hannon said.

“Market Street is an augmentation spot where we put gravel in and as high flows come down they wash it downstream and we continuously replace the gravel,” Hannon said. “It maintains about a 10-mile reach of habitat in the river there in Redding so winter-run chinook can spawn close to the dam and maintain as high a survival as we can get with the cold water that we provide.”

Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District communications director Cynde Davis agreed that adding gravel to increase spawning is proving successful.

“Biologists that do the redd (gravel nests where female salmon and steelhead deposit eggs) surveys say

that although not many redds were seen initially at Market Street, at a later date, they did see a number of them,” Davis said. “Gravel projects are considered to be beneficial because during high-water events the gravel will be washed downstream and create more habitat. This is why the Keswick Gravel Project upstream and Market Street will be repeated at intervals to provide gravel for the redds and to be spread further downstream.”

To enhance these efforts, Vanderwaal said, at least three more projects are planned for this fall that involve adding side channels to provide rearing habitat for juvenile salmon.

“These projects are showing success with fish spawning in the gravel areas and juveniles using the side channels,” Vanderwaal said.

Orland almond and prune farmer Mike Vereschagin, president of the Orland-Artois Water District, said he is happy to see that restoration funds from his water rates are being spent on projects that appear to be yielding positive results.

“We’re doing our part to save the fisheries,” said Vereschagin, a California Farm Bureau Federation board member. “Our water rates include a restoration fund that we all pay into, so we’re accessing some of those dollars and getting more bang for the buck by the districts loaning the personnel and equipment that they have instead of hiring it out at a more costly rate. We’re getting more done than if we would have hired outside

Network, go to https://dairygirlnetwork.com/join/. It’s fast, free and easy to sign up. If you have any questions about the application process or the program, please contact Andrea Brossard, Educational Resource Lead for Dairy Girl Network.

Dairy Girl Network is made possible by Vision sponsors: Dairy Herd Management and Mycogen Seeds, in addition to support from Sustaining sponsors: DeLaval, DMI and Land O’Lakes.

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contractors.”

Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and others pay a “Restoration Charge” as part of their water rates to the Bureau, Vanderwaal explained, adding that this money funds the CVPIA program operated by the Bureau and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Through that program, he said, a grant is provided to California State University, Chico, Geographic Information Center to work with Settlement Contractors and others to execute the projects.

These habitat-enhancing projects, Vanderwaal said, are the types of projects that will be included in voluntary agreements being negotiated between the state and representatives of Sacramento Valley water agencies.

Water managers say they’re hopeful the agreements will serve as an alternative to state-mandated “unimpaired flows” plans being drafted by the State Water Resources Control Board.

A proposal affecting Sacramento Valley tributaries would be the second phase of the water board’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The plan affecting Sacramento River tributaries has not been released, but water-resource managers in the region said they have been collaborating with government agencies and environmental groups to develop voluntary agreements that would accomplish the goals of the state board’s flows-only methodology.

“I’m optimistic that projects like this and future ones, hopefully

FISH continued on 13 »

5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

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National LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) conference in Visalia STAFF REPORTS In partnership with the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force has opened registration for the National LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team Conference, held October 8-9, 2019, in Visalia, California. The conference is for suicide loss survivors, clinicians, first responders, active military and veterans, faith-based and non-governmental organizations, educations, family members, and supporters who seek to learn more about suicide prevention, intervention, postvention, and care and support.

Keynote speakers include Kevin

WELLNESS continued from 1

Employment Connection to help our members get housing, employment and self-reliance. It’s a total turnaround. Everyone that comes through our door will be helped either here or at partner organizations.”

The goal of these centers is to facilitate a smooth transition from intensive mental health treatment to rejoining the community as a stable, self-reliant individual. This can be achieved once “we break up the stigma associated with mental health issues,” added Crocker. “It should be looked at as a disease like any other.”

The 5,600 square-foot multi-use

Briggs, retired California Highway Patrol Officer and author of Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair; Govan Martin, III, Executive Director of Prevent Suicide PA; Dr. Lanny Berman, retired Executive Director of AAS; Kim Ruocco, Vice President of Suicide Prevention and Postvention for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS); Tom Downwen, National Chair of Suicide Prevention for AMVETs; and Dr. Frank Campbell, the creator of the LOSS Team model, and past president of AAS. Other events scheduled to take place during the conference include a screening of the award-winning documentary “The S Word” with live commentary provided by the film’s direc-

tor, Lisa Klein. Internationally known street painter Lorelle Miller is scheduled to create a 15-foot interactive art installation based on a mandala as a healing area. Additionally, a healing room is being provided for suicide loss survivors and other supporters.

Local resident, national speaker and expert in community-based suicide prevention, postvention, strategic planning, and Director of the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force, Noah Whitaker, says, “Hope is the greatest tool we have toward fixing the challenging problems of despair in our communities. However, hope alone is fruitless without action.

This conference will have information for anyone who has been touched by the issue of suicide and has a desire to

assist others through their struggles with despair.” Though the national rate for suicide increased by 24% between 1999 and 2014, through suicide prevention efforts, Tulare County suicide rates have remained level and have dropped by 50% in 2019. Suicide is rated as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

Registration for the conference, being held at the Visalia Convention Center, is available at www.bit. ly/nltc2019. Continuing education credits are available with conference attendance. For travel details, please visit https://bit.ly/33jmDoS. To become an event sponsor, visit https://bit. ly/2TgPG87.

facility, located at 1223 S. Lovers Lane, was purchased by the county in 2016.

Tulare County held several community forums to share the architect’s drawings of changes to the former Tulare Kings Builders Exchange building. The exterior improvements include adding a garden area, a gazebo, landscaping, lighting and fencing.

During a tour of the grounds, Activities Coordinator for the Wellness Center, Luz Bedolla, highlighted a roomy garden area, an innovative kitchen design featuring a rotating recipe board and mirror, and a library where members can study and relax.

Bedolla also remarked that there is a bus stop right over the back fence on Lover’s Lane for easy access.

The new wellness center is a sister site to the Porterville Wellness Center as well as a location in Fresno.

As members continue in their journey of recovery, many want and need the skills and relationships these centers provide. They can learn computer skills, gardening, nutrition education, cooking instruction, how to create resumes and behave in the context of an interview and much more. Most important, members will have a place to bond with others with similar experiences. Mental Health Director Donna Ortiz emphasized “socialization in a safe environment.”

Activities will include arts and crafts programs, dance, karaoke, movies, bingo, jewelry making and games. On a more serious note, support groups including Anxiety and Depression Management, Stress Reduction and Techniques, Family Support Groups, Your Center Your Voice, L.G.B.T.Q. and Alliance will hold sessions daily.

The contract for operational services was awarded to Kings View Behavioral Health Systems, which leads the field in the Valley with mental health facilities in Fresno, Kings, Shasta and Tulare counties.

Kings View CEO since 2018, Amanda Nugent Divine, LMFT said that it is not useful to judge mental health in terms of black and white: “Everyone is on a mental health spectrum and it is possible to move along the spectrum. It’s not about weakness. We believe that people can and will get better. As my staff well knows, relationships and connections are the cornerstones of mental

health and our success.”

“We need to stop blaming the person and keeping them from succeeding,” added Kings View associate Jennifer Montgomery . “Sometimes we are the first people to ask ‘How are you feeling?’”

Kings View was founded in 1951 in Reedley by the Mennonite Central Committee. Over the decades they expanded their services to include drug and alcohol abuse prevention and restoration, facilities providing work environments for disabled adults and Tele-psychiatry programs.

Kings View Executive Director of Behavioral Health Colleen Overholt, LMFT, fleshed out more technical details: “This is an opportunity to change lives. At its core, our philosophy is rooted in the Wellness and Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). This model is evidence-based and self-designed.”

WRAP was designed in 1997 and has been used around the world to address physical and mental issues.

This includes PTSD sustained by combat soldiers, added Overholt.

The facility will continue to be funded by the Mental Health Services Act passed in 2004 as Prop 63. This Act imposes a 1% tax on personal incomes over $1 million and has generated over $15 billion since then.

For more information about Tulare County’s Wellness Centers, please visit the Facebook for the Porterville Wellness Center on 333 W. Henderson Avenue in Porterville at https://www. facebook.com/pages/Porterville-Wellness-Center/2072855349619351.

Robin’s Rockin’ Ranch Tuesday, September 26 Starting at 10:00 a.m.

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Valley Voice 5 September, 2019

FISH

continued from 11 through voluntary agreements that are set up, will restore the fish populations and make significant progress towards achieving the original CVPIA goals,” Vanderwaal said. “Our water supply is heavily contingent upon the recovery of the fish runs, so we’re tak-

HEMP

continued from 1 now in order to allow farmers to start planting hemp.

The city could always pass an ordinance later, he said.

Community Development Director Darlene Mata adopted the same stance as the Tulare County Board of Supervisors.

She advised the Hanford City Council that it needed to have in-place regulations such as the testing of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, zoning, and change the municipal code before it could allow the cultivation of hemp.

Hanford Police Chief Parker Sever said that industrial hemp was indistinguishable from marijuana and that

13

ing steps to be proactive about helping bring back the fish run populations.”

Referring to this latest round of projects on the Sacramento River, California Farm Bureau Federation Environmental Policy Analyst Justin Fredrickson said, “The hands-on, multi-tiered approach of restoring and mimicking habitats historically used by the fish is not limited to

the Sacramento River.It’s an on-theground, win-win approach that is rapidly delivering results that theorists in planning rooms have only talked about for years.”

“This is what makes voluntary agreements different from the State Water Board’s flows-only approach,” Fredrickson said. “Tackling the many stressors that challenge the fish is also

happening in places like the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers.”

his fear was that growers would take advantage of a laissez faire attitude by the city as a loophole to grow recreational pot.

To save staff time, Mata was hoping to adopt parts of the state’s ordinance once it was passed by the California legislature.

Mata said the city is still in the process of finishing the recreational cannabis and food truck ordinances and can’t get to writing the hemp ordinance until those have progressed.

Mata added that it takes at least four months for a new ordinance to get through the planning commission and city council.

Mata said the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s anticipated ordinance will establish the percent of THC but has written nothing

about the manufacturing side of hemp, which the city needs.

The drying and manufacturing of hemp products is what produces a strong smell and was one of the reasons Hanford has not allowed outdoor grows of recreational pot.

Mata said that the company HDL paid for staff time to write the ordinance concerning the growth and manufacture of recreational pot and that maybe hemp farmers could do the same.

Elisa Stewart, from UC Merced, spoke during the public hearing against Hanford’s extending the moratorium.

“June is planting time and getting seed is challenging,” she said. “If you want to be ready for 2020 you need to allow people time to get up to speed.”

Her company grows 210 acres of hemp outside of Chowchilla in coordination with the University of California Merced for research.

She said her company would be open to helping pay for staff time for Hanford to write its ordinance.

The final vote was 5-0 to extend the moratorium on hemp cultivation but advised the staff to pursue outside help in completing the ordinance. The city council can only approve one more 12-month moratorium before it has to allow the cultivation of hemp.

As for Kern County? It has 6,864 cultivated acres of hemp, eclipsing all other growers in the state.

“I’d like to see this become a crop on your top-10 list in Kern County,” said Arvin-area hemp grower Kent Stenderup to the Californian.

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5 September, 2019 Valley Voice

14

Porterville opens new state of the art detention center MIKE SEIB After a musical introduction by Porterville High School’s Monache Choir and Band Wednesday morning, County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux introduced several speakers and made a few comments himself regarding a south Tulare County project long in the making.

“There are a lot of bad guys that need to be sitting in the facility right behind us,” began Boudreaux. “But we are mainly focused on rehabilitation.

The key goal is individuals entering our doors once, and not twice. It is very important that our inmates learn skills while they are with us.”

Supervisor of Tulare County’s District 5 and real estate business owner Dennis Townsend added, “This has been a full decade in the making. Many involved have since retired and passed away and we wish to honor their selflessness. This is a much needed facility for public safety. Our officers will have more time to respond to calls and this new facility is a testament to the commitment of everyone involved.”

Porterville mayor Martha A. Flores and the Chairman of Board and State Community Corrections Linda Penner also spoke to the crowd: “Facilities like this make a difference,” said Penner.

“They hold individuals accountable and help them better themselves.”

The new $72 million, 100,000 square-foot South County Detention Center is the first built in Tulare County since the Adult Pre-Trial Facility built in 1999 and the only detention center built south of Visalia in Tulare County.

The new facility is located near Scranton Avenue and Newcomb Street, close to the Porterville Municipal Airport and Sports Complex.

TULARE PD continued from 1

Fight to the Finish

According to Jones, Boatman told the officer who took his statement their aggressive confrontations were likely to continue.

“Officer Jarrod (sic) Boatman told the investigator that he doesn’t think this will end between me and him until we fight,” Jones wrote.

Jones, in his written statement, claimed Boatman is preparing to kill him. The officer’s report about the confrontation with Jones, the councilman said, is an attempt to establish a false history of aggression on Jones’ part.

“I’m afraid that Officer Boatman is trying to create a fake situation to shoot me,” Jones wrote. “I’m worried about my safety and the safety of my entire community. Knowing an officer will lie and make a false claim should concern us all.”

A Personnel Matter

According to Jones, City Attorney Mario Zamora has refused to release Rowley’s investigation into the confrontation. Jones claims the report establishes there was no wrongdoing on his part.

Zamora, however, said the report could not be released because it addresses a confidential personnel matter.

“The report involves Boatman, so that makes it a personnel issue,” he

The project began in 2012 when Tulare County received notification from the state that it was competitively selected to receive funding. Construction was completed this year after the state Fire Marshall approved and granted occupancy June 14.

Over the past few years, after the groundbreaking on June 8, 2016, Tulare County and the City of Porterville have worked with several local and state agencies and companies in

earnest to reach their goal. The DLR Group was the architect, Bernards Bros were the general contractors, and Vanir Construction Managers oversaw the construction.

The building has a kitchen, bakery, laundry room, medical center, administration center and visitation center.

Most importantly, the new facility uses a modern housing pod design with four units branching off of one control panel and 172 cameras

intended to protect inmates and officers alike.

“This will help our officers save time and money,” said District 3 Supervisor Amy Shuklian. “This facility not only offers top-notch medical care but also allows our officers to spend time responding to those in need rather than transporting suspects north to Visalia.”

said. “The Records Act says we’re not to give them out, unless there are certain circumstances.”

place to deal with such situations.

“In that instance, the police department has an internal affairs investigator and it would be investigated,” Zamora said.

countable just like anyone else in the city when it comes to complaints of harassment, intimidation or whatever,” he said.

Sigala, however, has not made himself familiar with the details of the incident between Jones and Boatman.

He has also not read any report on the incident.

“I’m assuming there’s a report,” Sigala said. “I haven’t seen it.”

A special closed session of the city council was scheduled for Tuesday evening, September 3. Listed on the agenda for the meeting were three conferences between the City Council and its attorneys. The first of the three lists “six items of anticipated litigation” as a topic for discussion. A second item describes a consultation regarding litigation stemming from a “complaint made by existing city employee,” while a third discussion was to focus on two more “items of anticipated litigation.”

One of the three items may involve Councilman Greg Nunley’s demand the city pay him $16.5 million to compensate him for damages to his reputation and his business stemming from reports Nunley had failed to meet payment deadlines established with the city regarding several of his real estate development projects.

“Council obviously rejected the claim (by Nunley),” Sigala said.

“From what I understand, you have six months from that time to file a lawsuit.”

Nunley’s six months will expire in mid-October.

Keeping Them Honest

Jones says there is a larger issue that must be addressed: Boatman’s honesty.

“Tulare PD and the Tulare County DA’s Office knows that Officer Boatman made a false claim and has yet to do anything,” Jones claims. “The public should be made aware, and any case that Boatman has testified in should be reviewed.”

Under the so-called Brady Rule--established by the 1963 US Supreme Court Case Brady v. Maryland--prosecutors must reveal to defendants whether a police officer has a history of giving dishonest testimony. Jones made a passing reference to Brady in his statement regarding Boatman.

Zamora, while not able to discuss particulars of the alleged incident between Jones and Boatman, said the Brady Rule is clear.

“Dishonest officers must be identified,” he said.

He also said accusations of misbehavior are frequent for civil institutions.

“It’s pretty common in every agency, especially one that deals with a criminal element,” Zamora said. “Anyone can file a complaint.”

Should it be discovered any member of the TPD was dishonest in an official report, city policy is already in

Records Act Violation

Despite the reasoning behind Jones’ statement to the press, it appears he is again releasing confidential matter detailing a confidential personnel issue. Such disclosures are a violation of the California Public Records Act. Previously, the city was sued for the wrongful termination of Tulare Chief of Police Wes Hensley by Visalia attorney Michael Lampe. In the suit, Lampe claimed Jones obtained a copy of a confidential report that detailed results of an investigation into the behavior of Hensley and shared portions of it with members of the public. Jones allegedly posted part of the report on his social media accounts.

According to Lampe, Jones release of the report on Hensley would result in “multiple damage claims against the city.”

Several members of the TPD, Lampe said, had contacted his office, and Jones would likely be a co-defendant in several cases.

‘Anticipated Litigation’

If Jones has violated Boatman’s privacy, Mayor Jose Sigala believes there should be consequences.

“Councilmembers should be ac-

Valley Voice 5 September, 2019

15

VOICES & OPINIONS

Visalia students are ‘beating the odds’ CRAIG WHEATON, ED.D. Have you heard? The Learning Policy Institute released a study of California school districts where students are “beating the odds” and achieving at levels beyond what you might expect. Visalia Unified School District is on that list (learningpolicyinstitute. org/product/positive-outliers-districts-beating-odds-report) and doing just that!

I did not see an article in the local paper, nor did I see a press release from VUSD. Why would such a significant report go under the radar? Perhaps because it does not conform to the recent crisis narrative regarding achievement and classroom discipline that led to a change in district leadership. The study is an accurate measurement of VUSD student achievement and should be a front-page event.

In thinking about what I want for my grandchildren, who are VUSD students, I want them to gain the skills needed to be successful at whatever they choose to do with their lives. I want VUSD to support parents’ efforts at home in building their futures, as the often-used VUSD tag line suggests, “We Build Futures!” This article confirmed that the funding plans, support and programs are working for children of all backgrounds.

Let’s look more closely at what the study tells us about the Visalia Unified School District.

First, the results are based on a close examination of the first three years of the new state assessments, 2015-17. These assessments are much harder for students because they require complex critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication, in both language and

mathematics. What this study found is that there are “156 positive outlier districts” that, by their analysis and definition, are districts where students have achieved at a higher level than one might expect when compared to their demographic data - income level, ethnicity and parent education levels.

“These results show, for the first time, which California districts and communities appear to have best supported the academic achievement of African American and Hispanic students, as well as White students.…”

Many of you have seen news articles regarding low adult education levels in Tulare County. The most recent was a 2018 WalletHub listing that rated Tulare County the lowest adult education level out of 150 metropolitan areas. Just a reminder, that is for adults over the age of 25. To put this in perspective, I’ll quote Adam Peck, exec-

utive director of the Tulare Workforce Investment Board (WIB), from a recent presentation to the Visalia Economic Development Board: “The low education levels are not a reflection of the performance of our local education system, but instead a reflection of the high percentage of immigrants with low education levels that come to our community to work.”

The next time I see a VUSD teacher or administrator, I’m going to thank them for their hard work and dedication, and I’m going to remind them that our community continues to support their efforts. The local school district is “beating the odds,” making sure that all our kids are prepared for success. I know this is true for my grandchildren and for many of your children as well. Let’s celebrate what is working, and let’s fix what is not.

Veterans’ Corner: CHAMPVA healthcare benefit The Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA) is a program very similar to TRICARE. But, they are not the same. When a veteran is retired from the military, both the veteran and their family members are eligible for TRICARE. People eligible for TRICARE are not eligible for CHAMPVA. Additionally, veterans are not eligible for CHAMPVA care for themselves. Only family members qualify for CHAMPVA benefits.

There are several ways to qualify.

You can qualify if the veteran has a 100% permanent and total service-connected rating, or if the veteran dies

while rated 100% permanent and total. This does not include Individual Unemployability which is a temporary rating.

You can also qualify if the veteran dies of a service-connected condition, or a service member dies in the line of duty after 30 days of entry into service for reasons other than misconduct. If a surviving spouse remarries prior to age 55, eligibility terminates. Remarry after 55 and the benefit continues.

CHAMPVA can save a veteran, and their family, thousands of dollars a year. For more information contact our office. You can also view related

fact-sheets at https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/pubs/factsheets.asp#champva.

The Kings County Veterans Service Office can complete the DMV Veteran Status Verification Form for the California Veteran Designation on your driver’s license and also issues Veteran I.D. cards to honorably discharged veterans.

Contact Scott Holwell at the email address provided below, if you would like to receive periodic veteran’s information by email. There are many state and federal benefits and programs available to veterans and their depen-

dents. To determine if you are eligible for any of these benefits, visit or call our office. We can and will assist you in completing all required application forms. You can get information on the Web from the Kings County Veterans Service Office webpage at www.countyofkings.com/vets.

Scott Holwell, retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, is the Veterans Service Officer for Kings County. Send your questions to the Veterans Service Office, 1400 W. Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230; call (559)852-2669; or e-mail scott.holwell@ co.kings.ca.us

POLITICAL FIX

torical evidence on climate change.

This event is free and open to the public. It is a pot luck with a Mexican theme. Please RSVP at 559-901-1974 or royjkendall@hotmail.com. 1213 S. Fairway Street, Visalia, is the location for this presentation.

So what are you going to be doing September 20? Alien hunting or attending a teach-in on climate change?

Searching for extraterrestrials ironically could be the better use of your time as they might have an extra planet in case we screw up ours.

As for my husband, he will probably be watching college football Friday night rooting against the USC Trojans. They are playing the Utah Utes, another team he is not crazy about because they were admitted in to the

PAC 12 even though, as everyone can see, they are not on the Pacific like the original PAC 8.

But who knows? After climate causes devastating floods or the state falls into the Pacific during a major earthquake, maybe Utah will be beach front property and people will start paying attention.

continued from 3

and how it is projected to change over coming decades.

September 20 corresponds to a worldwide 350.org environmental groups’ climate change strike. Rather than being an actual strike, the goal of this event is to educate regarding the scientific and his-

Your comments from ourvalleyvoice.com

“

QUOTE: “This community faces many challenges. We need to protect our water, make health care more affordable and accessible, work to bring new jobs and job training to the Central Valley, and stand up for seniors and veterans to ensure they get the benefits they deserve.” So why didn’t you address these matters while you were previously in office. Too busy trying to look and sound like Devin Nunes? If that is your game plan again, don’t bother running, we don’t need two Devin’s. Unless you want your share of Devin’s Cow fans?

— LongTimeTularean on Valadao Announces Candidacy

“

I hope I will be pleasantly surprised, but I’m afraid this center will draw the unsavory type of clientele that most government-run, social welfare programs do. As a resident that lives close by and have children that walk in this neighborhood, I’m angered our Board of Supervisor representative, Mr. Crocker, did little to nothing to find a better-suited site for this center. The “community”, the title of this article references, surely does not include those of us who will live with the environment this center will create.

— M. Kay on Visalia Wellness Center

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”

The city council will vote to shut & knock it down then use city money to build something useless as always.

— Valerie on Carnegie Museum/Hanford

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” “ ”

In case the city council decides to not save the museum it is important to remember that once a historic building is lost then the next one will be all that much easier to tear down. I encourage citizens of Hanford who value their town’s history to fight the council tooth and nail. March on City Hall, boycott council members’ businesses or any business that does not support saving the museum. Hold town hall meetings with or without the presence of council members to keep the spirit of the movement alive and well. Make it uncomfortable for them. Remember the city council is supposed to represent the people, remind them of what the consequences will be in the next election. Good luck Hanford!

— Save the Hanford Museum on Carnegie Museum/Hanford

” ”

Probably the worst thing that Democrats have foisted on us is a relaxation of criminal law to the point that if a theft is less than $900.00, it’s only a misdemeanor. BTW, you don’t think that Gavin Newsom will allow low income to be built in his neighborhood. Do you? They don’t care just so long as they get theirs!

— Dave M on Dampen the Insanity

That was a very touching story brought tears to my eyes, we hear the lullaby playing hear when a baby is born and it’s heart warming, so I can only imaging how it must of felt for you all, being your 1st baby Congrats to All… blessings to mom, baby and your staff

— martha on First baby at Adventist Tulare

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16

Valley Voice

5 September, 2019

CARNEGIE continued from 1

the sprinklers were broken, there was little grass to speak of and that all but two rose bushes had died.

The pictures showed mounds of dirt destined for flowerbeds that were graded incorrectly and would allow water to flow next to the building.

Dirt was also piled up against the wrought iron fence that would lead to rusting.

She also showed pictures of a non working HVAC unit and apparent cracks in the masonry down the side of the tower that could allow water intrusion and cause permanent damage.

Besides maintenance issues, the pictures illustrate clutter and debris littered around the grounds. Mata said that, besides the needed repairs, the city would be requesting that the museum do a better job of keeping the grounds clean.

The last slide showed that a sink in one of three bathrooms was broken.

Scherer explained that they are doing their best given limited finances. Most work, clean up and repairs are done with the use of a small group of volunteers.

She said that they laid $1500 worth of new sod in April but a heat wave killed it. Scherer felt personally responsible and said that when it gets cooler in the fall she was going

to pay for new sod herself.

Herculean Effort to get Repairs Done

After receiving the city’s letter volunteers showed up in droves to complete the repairs.

By Friday August 30 all of the repairs had been completed according to Patricia Dickerson, museum director, except the wrought iron fence. The wrought iron fence that surrounds the property had rusted over the years and needed to be power-washed, sanded, and repainted. A crew of volunteers worked over the holiday weekend to get it done.

Dickerson said that the city’s strict time-line mobilized residents and community groups such as the high school ROTC and AMVETS to complete repairs that normally would have take months given the museum’s small group of volunteers.

Emily Burnias, member of the local AMVETs, said, “when it comes to female veterans we don’t fool around. We get it done.”

She added that the task facing the museum volunteers was nearly impossible but that the city managed to “bring together former enemies to work together to keep the museum open and that is what community is all about.”

On Friday, August 30, a plumber from WCC Plumbing in Hanford drove up to the museum, got out of his truck, and asked to see the bro-

ken sink. Scherer said he had the sink replaced within hours. Many supporters of the museum who haven’t been heard before the threatened eviction wanted to come out and help, said Scherer.

Concerning cracks in the building’s facade, it was Scherer’s understanding that the city and museum would be requesting a formal structural inspection of the building and that the cracks were off the table for now.

Though ecstatic about not being evicted after the final inspection on September 3, Scherer thought it was unjust and a little cruel to expect volunteers to work in over 100-degree heat over a holiday weekend to get the repairs done on time.

No members of the city council were present during the inspection on August 20 or September 3 but Mata said they were being kept apprised of the situation.

“I would love the city council to come out and see what we have done,” said Dickerson.

Scherer has also encouraged city council members to visit the museum offering to supply the cheese and wine and give them the grand tour.

Steve Alfieris, an attorney with Dias Law Firm representing the museum, was present during the September 3 inspection. He said that at this point we need to start asking not what the city wants but why.

“Why has the city been leaning on

the museum recently?”

He said that the repairs took a herculean effort to complete and that it was unreasonable to expect a nonprofit to accomplish what the city was asking them to do.

“We need to get back as to why.

The more that the nonprofit has to spend on emergency repairs and attorney fees the more it weakens the museum.”

During the city council meeting Alfieris said that the lease started January 1, 1997 and runs until 2031. He queried, “Is this a gift from the city?

No it is not because the museum has taken on the maintenance of a 115 year-old building.” Alfieres said that they already put on a $100,000 roof on an asset they do not even own.

Supporters of the museum also pointed out that the money the museum raises to maintain the building is money the city does not have to take out of its budget. They wondered what the city’s back up plan was to maintain the building if they kicked out the museum.

Scherer said that maintaining a 115 year-old building is a money pit.

A follow-up meeting on the inspection is scheduled for Thursday September 5 at 9am. The meeting will likely be closed to the public because it involves a lease but people are invited to wait in the lobby for updates. The meeting will be at the city’s staff office at 317 N. Douty St.

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