Valley Voice Issue 105 (16 November, 2017)

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Volume XXXVII No. 22 • 16 November, 2017

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Farmersville, Woodlake Vote for Sales, Pot Taxes

Caliva’s San Jose dispensary, pictured above. The company was awarded three permits to operate a 350,000 sqft. cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution facility. Courtesy/Caliva

Hanford Awards Marijuana Permits for Industrial Zone Catherine Doe Three marijuana production companies, Caliva, Genezen and Premium Extracts, were all smiles at the November 7 Hanford City Council meeting -and it wasn’t because they were smoking their products. The trio of companies were awarded the coveted and limited commercial cannabis permits to manufacture pot in the Hanford’s industrial zone.

Staff with the City of Hanford reviewed the permit applications of five companies and three came out on top.

Caliva received three permits for

cultivation, manufacturing and distribution at a 350,000 square foot facility on 47 acres. Premium Extracts received one manufacturing permit, and Genezen received 14 permits to cultivate, manufacture, and distribute marijuana and the one campus permit to operate at a 50 acre campus like facility.

Rand Martin, from Caliva, reminisced about how only a year ago, Hanford Community Development Director Darlene Mata and Hanford Police Chief Parker Sever toured their San Jose company, and now they’re going to be part of the Hanford family.

HANFORD continued on 4 »

Tulare PD’s Administrative Leave Costing Thousands Nancy Vigran As of November 7, the City of Tulare is potentially spending more than $37,000 per month on police personnel who are not currently working, having been placed on paid administrative leave pending investigations.

The sum includes their salaries and benefits, but does not include any additional pay, which may be paid to Acting Police Chief Barry Jones, or other additional overtime pay of others in the department.

Police Chief Wes Hensley was placed on leave by City Manager Joe Carlini some seven weeks ago. His status remains pending investigation, and it is unclear if the investigation has even started.

Jones was named acting chief by Carlini at the time of Hensley being placed on leave. Jones is actually the Tulare PD investigations captain and is the

longest serving captain within the department, which is why Carlini placed him in charge.

On Tuesday, Capt. Fred Yncla and Lt. Jerod Boatman were also placed on leave – an apparent coincidence, as they were not placed on leave for the same reason(s), Carlini said.

According to Carlini, he and Jones discussed situations surrounding Yncla and Boatman, with Carlini deciding Jones should place them on leave status.

“Stuff like this does have an effect on morale,” Jones said, “but I want to stress this will not hinder patrol, or change in anyway [the duties of the department].”

There are more than 75 sworn police officers serving the city and safety is their Number 1 priority, Jones said.

The department is currently looking to hire additional officers which has nothing to do with the three officials be-

TULARE PD continued on 4 »

Only two Tulare County cities had measures to vote upon on November 7 – Farmersville and Woodlake. With 16% of registered voters in the combined cities making the decisions, both cities will see an increase in sales taxation come January, 2018; furthermore, both will be taxing potential cannabis businesses.

Through passage of Measure P in Farmersville, residents and visitors will see an additional half cent sales tax on purchases made within the city, bringing the sales tax percentage to 8.75. This could bring an estimated $280,000 into the city coffers annually.

“This will definitely flush the deficit for half of this year, and should keep us going for the next two to three years,” said Farmersville Mayor Paul Boyer.

Measure Q authorizes “a commercial cannabis business tax in the city on commercial cannabis businesses up to $25 per square foot (annually adjusted by CPI) or 10% of gross receipts, to maintain essential public safety and general city services including, but not limited to, police, drug addiction and gang

Nancy Vigran prevention, park maintenance, street maintenance,” according to the measure.

Farmersville Cannabis Ordinance

At the time of the election, no ordinance for cannabis businesses had been put into play by the city council. As of November 13, that changed.

With a 4-0 vote, Farmersville Mayor Pro Tem Matt Sisk being absent, council passed an ordinance to allow the commercial cultivation and processing of the drug in industrial zones within the city. The ordinance bans, however, any dispensaries within city limits. As within the state ruling, the commercial businesses must be at least 600 feet from schools, school bus stops and churches, said Mayor Boyer, “which pretty much limits the area to be north of Terry Avenue up to Highway 198.

“Hopefully we’ll have some

TAXES continued on 6 »

Lawsuit Claims TCSO Deputies Ambushed Innocent Man Deputies of the Tulare County Sheriff Department beat a Strathmore man unconscious, denied him medical care, held him overnight, then forced him to walk home, according to a lawsuit filed against those deputies and the Department last month in federal court.

The beating, the suit alleges, resulted from an argument with a police dispatcher.

Dave Adalian

“He kind of failed the attitude test,” said Visalia attorney Matthew Owdom, who represents Huerta in the suit. “He said he wanted to speak to a sergeant. I don’t know if that ever happened.”

Huerta also never spoke to anyone at the Sheriff’s Department, Owdom says, yet an hour later, after Huerta and his parents had gone to Wrong Number bed, they were awakened On the night of by a pounding at their April 26, Strathmore According to a federal lawsuit front door. They found a resident Ramiro Huerta, filed last month, Strathmore group of confrontational 41, called the Porterville resident Ramiro Huerta was Police Department to re- ambushed outside his home by county deputies waiting port a suspicious circum- Tulare County Sheriff’s Deputies. on their doorstep, apparstance outside the rural The image shows the three facial ently angered by Huerta’s Huerta suffered during exchange with the Porhome he shares with his fractures the April 26 attack, including a terville PD. 74-year-old mother and severely broken nose and two “This was the outfit 81-year-old father. He fractures of his eye orbit that (TCSO) that brought resulted in permanent vision loss. was told Porterville ofCourtesy photo him in and imprisoned ficers did not have jurishim until the next day. diction in the area, leadThey’re the same organization that creing Huerta to argue with the dispatcher ated these injuries,” Owdom said. “One and ask to speak with the supervising sergeant during a series of calls.

LAWSUIT continued on 8 »

2 • Valley Voice

16 November, 2017 FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

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The Kid’s favorite comedian is Louie C. K. Maybe not so much, now.

She is, she said, very disappointed that someone who could come across as funny and insightful would be revealed as so disturbed.

She was in the kitchen making dinner when a report of his contribution to the latest cultural catastrophe came over the evening news.

“Eww--” she said. “Gross!”

I immediately changed the channel to an Ivy League football game I could not have cared less about.

Because I knew the ensuing conversation around the dinner table would better be steered by her parents than by any news anchorperson.

My gender--perhaps deservedly--did not emerge from the conversation, say, covered in glory. Tarred would be more accurate--especially by the Chief.

I don’t know any men who would behave as Harvey Weinstein and Louie C. K. et al. have--at least, I don’t think so. But the Chief has had a much different life experience.

“Men,” she said, “are dogs.”

We’re at an interesting crossroads, culturally speaking, where--at long last--sexual impropriety of any stripe is suddenly intolerable. I’ve always thought it so--but, as I’ve said, I don’t believe I’ve ever known any of these predatory fiends.

I’ve never so much as witnessed a grope, cat-call or wolf-whistle.

I have therefore failed to realize, apparently, just how pervasive a cancer this is.

I can’t help but wonder, then, if this somehow makes me complicit.

On the plus side of the ledger, the Chief has adjusted to me.

On the minus side, these predatory fiends seem to freely swim in a sea of ignoramuses like me. And, no--I’m not taking a bow.

It is curious how all this translates with celebrity. If you appreciate a certain performer it comes as an almost unbelievable blow if he is revealed as personally less than some character he portrays.

Old hat, I know, but still a dark night of the soul.

I hope we’re at a moment, now, when even verbal sexual predation--harassment--is stamped out. After all, the acceptance of marriage equality came suddenly after a quest lasting decades.

But this would require men--all men, even homosexual men, in light of Kevin Spacey’s alleged misconduct--to magically change, from the president on down to our state assemblyman.

Not only am I not taking a bow, I’m not holding my breath.

Sexual assault, it seems to me, is more about power--perhaps rage--than anything sexual. I can’t even imagine it.

Harassment, on the other hand--including crude sexual comments--seem casually demonstrative of an assumed ownership.

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”

The Shadow may know--it turns out I have no clue.

Joseph Oldenbourg

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

Publisher/Editor: Joseph Oldenbourg (joseph@ourvalleyvoice.com) (559) 972-7778

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Catherine Doe (catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com) Dave Adalian (dave@ourvalleyvoice.com) Production/Website: Tony Maldonado (tony@ourvalleyvoice.com)

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16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • 3

Political Fix THE DOUBLEMINT TWINS

Did you hear that Tulare Regional Medical Center just picked up two new allies? They’re Assemblyman Devon Mathis and Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones.

When Joseph Oldenbourg, editor of the Valley Voice, heard the news he said, “If I had a gun I don’t know if I’d shoot myself or someone else.”

Do you think someone should clue in Mr. Mathis and Mr. Jones that the Tulare hospital has closed? Not only did the hospital close, one of the largest tax payers and employers in Tulare, but it happened on their watch.

Where were Mr. Mathis and Mr. Jones when the hospital was falling off a cliff?

Mr. Jones is quoted as saying earlier in the year concerning the hospital, “We have our own responsibilities here, as a council. If I wanted to run the hospital, I would have ran for the hospital board.”

Mr. Mathis, who after many requests over the years refused to do anything for the hospital, now has the gall, during the joint city council and hospital board meeting on November 7, to submit a letter of support to the Tulare Regional Medical Center Board of Directors?

Mr. Mathis shouldn’t be submitting a letter of support--he should be submitting a letter of apology.

As for Mr. Jones, Jenifer Burcham of Tulare asked during public comment for the reorganization of the city council and the removal of Mr. Jones as mayor.

The chamber audience broke out into applause.

While writing my November 1 Political Fix column about Mr. Mathis’ current personal and political challenges, I thought how ironic it was that the only elected official to come to Mr. Mathis’ defense was in fact Mr. Jones.

Alberto Aguilar, a former member of the hospital district’s Bond Oversight Committee, told the Voice’s Dave Adalian in March of 2016 that Mathis hadn’t requested an audit because “he owes Dr. [Benny] Benzeevi” a favor.

Benzeevi, of course, is the CEO of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, the company which is embroiled in battle over the management of Tulare Regional.

The claim came up later in attack mailers that Mathis’ office claimed were conjured up by Devin Nunes.

In a May 2016 press release, posted on the website GovBuddy, Mathis’ office quoted Jones as stating that he was “standing there and at no time did Assemblyman Mathis say he owed Dr. Benzeevi a favor.”

Mathis’ office also claimed the Voice has “long history of reporting false information.”

Picturing Mr. Jones furrow his brow while defending his buddy Mathis made me realize how identical the two are.

Like the Doublemint Twins: double fresh and double smooth.

Both Mr. Mathis and Mr. Jones are Tulare high school graduates, have been married twice, and have a passel of “his, hers, and theirs” kids to support.

Both have been in hot water with the ladies, and I’m not referring to their wives.

Both men ran for the California State Assembly in 2014 on opposite sides of the aisle but have only the most

Catherine Doe

questionable grasp on their chosen political party. Depending how the wind (or money) is blowing that day determines if Mr. Mathis votes Republican or not. And Mr. Jones is a more conservative Democrat than most Republicans I know.

Both men have anger management problems that spill from the bedroom over into their professional lives.

And both of these representatives were handsomely paid off by the CEO of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, Dr. Benny Benzeevi.

Which brings us to similarity #10 and #11 – Mr. Mathis and Mr. Jones deftly navigate the pay to play political game, yet both have a tenuous handle on their own personal finances.

As for Mr. Mathis, each assembly member is given a certain amount per day, called a per diem, for living expenses while working in Sacramento. The member can pocket what they don’t use.

Congressman David Valadao of Hanford started his political career in the California State Assembly and shared an apartment in the capitol with his chief of staff while the assembly was in session. Staying at an apartment and eating in versus staying at a hotel saves about $1000 a month.

That’s what I call a fiscal conservative.

Mr. Mathis, on the other hand, parks his princely rear end at the Embassy Suites Hotel, orders room service, goes bar hopping and clubbing and ends up, according to his divorce papers, actually spending more money than receives for his per diem.

That’s what I call a tax and spend liberal.

In 2014, before he even received his first assembly paycheck, the unemployed Mr. Mathis bought himself a $70,000 truck with a $1,600 per month payment.

Then his family moved from their modest, but affordable, home in southwest Visalia to an expensive rental in North Visalia’s Shannon Ranch. These financial obligations all landed on top of his existing debts and child support payments.

Mr. Jones has been under financial stress for years. He has been sued by creditors, collection agencies, and has had his wages garnished. His house was foreclosed on and he was the subject of several small claims suits. The current flap over Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley allegedly has includes something to do with Mr. Jones’ use of a city credit card.

One local business woman’s testimony--whose credit card number was allegedly stolen by Mr. Jones-- said, “He stopped by my business unannounced, pushed me up against the counter and said that if I don’t quit asking for my money he would announce to my soon to be ex that he and I were having an affair.”

The fact is that Mr. Mathis and Mr. Jones are extremely financially compromised. For Mr. Mathis to support a family of nine in Visalia, and his bachelor lifestyle in Sacramento, means his bills must outpace his assembly salary.

The same financial reality seems to be true for Mr.Jones.

Similarity #12 – Mr. Jones and Mr. Mathis are two of the most financially vulnerable elected officials in Tulare County.

So what is a politician to do?

Given the constant drum beat of bad press Mr. Mathis receives, I predict that

even Mr. Jones will jump ship and dump his friend.

But then what will happen to the Doublemint Twins?

I guess it will just have to change it to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber.

I’ll let the reader pick who is who.

WHY ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS USED AS HUSH MONEY TO PROTECT SEXUAL PREDATORS?

Here is a riddle: What’s the difference between the Hollywood bubble that protects sexual predators like Harvey Weinstein and the California State Assembly Rules Committee?

One is located in Southern California and the other is in Sacramento.

It seems that while everyone has been shocked over the hundreds of allegations concerning sexual harassment and the abuse of women in Sacramento, the Assembly Rules Committee has known the whole time.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “roughly $1 million in settlement payments have been made since 2006.”

These payments have been made in secret to settle cases of sexual harassment, racism and other claims.

That amount doesn’t include legal fees the rules committee often pays for outside council. Nor does it reflect all the settlements, because the rules committee won’t release all the information.

Nor would they say against whom the settlements were made.

Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee said, “Over the years, specific cases of demands for sexual favors and other forms of harassment have been ignored or covered up, often with secret payoffs to the victims.”

The Los Angeles Times and Sacramento Bee requests for documents concerning complaints against lawmakers and their staff produced very little information but both papers received the same laughable letter from the Assembly Rules Committee.

The letter stated “The public disclosure of records concerning complaints and investigations compromises the privacy rights of victims, witnesses, and others. Public disclosure may even have the unfortunate effect of discouraging our employees and others from coming forward with complaints or information,” said Assembly Chief Administrative Officer Debra Gravert.

So how well is the Assembly Rules Committee strategy working to encourage women to come forward?

Here is the response given to the Los Angeles Times of the newly formed organization WeSaidEnough.

“The Legislature continues to do what it does best, protect itself,” the organization wrote. “This release of documents gets taxpayers no closer to knowing what happens when an employee makes a complaint and how it was handled. We have no way of knowing if this represents the full universe of complaints or just a select few. We continue to call on the Legislature to be completely transparent about their process and settlements that they have paid out.”

State Senator Richard Roth of Riv-

erside, who has fought hard for change, said, “the way the legislature deals with complaints is certainly not a process that encourages people to come forward,” he told the New York Times.

Two legislators that we know of who have been shielded by the rules committee are Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra from San Fernando Valley and our own Assemblyman, Devon Mathis Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra sexually assaulted a fellow staffer when he was in the position of chief of staff. Elise Flynn Gyore, who worked in the capitol, but not with Bocanegra, said he aggressively reached under her blouse and menaced her while at a popular night club, following her around and making her fear for her safety.

The incident was reported to the Assembly Rules Committee in 2009. Mr. Bocanegra was elected in 2012 without any disclosure to his constituents regarding what he had done because the committee covered the incident up.

According to the Fresno Bee, “women in his district got nowhere after they asked the Assembly Rules Committee to make public the sexual harassment complaints it received about him (Bocangra.)

How is protecting someone the committee concluded was a predator in the public’s interest?”

Now there is Janie Sustaita’s and Joel Rosales’ cases. They were both former District Directors for Assemblyman Devon Mathis, one in 2015 and the other in 2017. According to the Visalia Times-Delta (VTD) Ms. Sustaita said she reported to the Assembly Rules Committee that she was “routinely bullied, degraded and subjected to overt sexism

by Mathis himself and by others while he stood by.”

She said Mathis told her “she was too sensitive because she is a woman, threatened to replace her with a man and told her that a man would do a better job than her and that she did not need a raise because her ‘boy toy’ boyfriend could support her.”

She also said that Mr. Mathis’ new chief of staff, Justin Turner, called her a “bitch” and a “snake.”

Mr. Rosales reported to the rules committee that Mr. Mathis would describe in what position and for how long he would want to have sex with certain women whose names would come up in conversation in the office.

Mr. Rosales also reported Mr. Mathis continually threatening his job.

After Ms. Sustaita was written up for being disloyal to the assemblyman she wrote to the rules committee again saying, according to the VTD, “they win – I quit.”

The Assembly Rules Committee human resource department chief told Ms. Sustaita that none of her complaints could be substantiated, and responded to her quitting by saying, “I’m sorry to hear you had a difficult day” and said she would be willing to work with Sustaita on the issues. “If, however, you’ve determined that your preference is to resign at this time, I will process your resignation in our personnel system.”

Ms. Sustaita’s response, according to the VTD, was, “Human resources is not out to protect employees, they are protecting the Assembly.”

4 • Valley Voice

16 November, 2017

Nunes’ Turkish Connection Catches Mueller’s Attention Dave Adalian Congressman Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) is back in the national media spotlight as special council Robert Mueller now turns his attention on the comings and goings of the local career politician.

Flynn’s Turkish Breakfast

As reported by the Valley Voice in May, on January 18, Nunes attended a breakfast meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at the invitation of disgraced former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was also present. Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus may also have attended.

Nunes and Flynn were members of the Trump administration’s transition team at the time the meeting took place.

Two days after the meeting, Flynn accepted his position as national security adviser to the President. By February 13, he had been fired for failing to disclose his paid work as a Turkish lobbyist.

The meeting took place in a Trumpowned hotel.

At the time the meeting was revealed, Nunes’ office downplayed its significance, saying that Nunes was one of several US dignitaries in attendance, along with several foreign ambassadors.

The “working breakfast” was reported by the Turkish media, including a mention of Nunes as a “Republican heavyweight.”

‘US-Turkish Agenda’

Reporting of the meeting in the Turkish media contradicts Nunes’ claim that several foreign ambassadors were in attendance, making it clear that Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu was the only foreign official present.

“An aide of the foreign minister didn’t provide additional details on the meeting,” Turkish newspaper The Daily Sabah reported, “but said that Çavuşoğlu was the only foreign leader at the breakfast, and the topics on the US-Turkish agenda were discussed by the attendees.”

Tulare PD Continued from 1

ing out on leave, but rather with other officers who have elected to leave, he said.

Henlsey, Yncla and Boatman have been placed on leave for personnel matters, which remain confidential.

“It’s a process,” Carlini said. “It takes time for investigation.”

Carlini was named permanent city manager of Tulare earlier this year.

He had served the city’s public works

Hanford Continued from 1

He added that after Hanford’s public hearing on November 21 the company will have everything they need to apply for the California State permit starting January 1.

Randy Knott from Genezen said that their company is looking forward to working with West Hills College in jobs creation in the marijuana cultivation industry. She said that workers sitting at ergonomic tables in a climate controlled

Nunes’ attendance at the meeting was largely forgotten as Nunes found himself facing an ethics investigation stemming from a mysterious late-night clandestine meeting at the White House in March. Nunes at first said he had been briefing President Donald Trump about reports that conversations, which included President Trump’s name and those of his associates, has been “incidentally collected” during the period immediately before Trump took office.

That was a lie.

Instead, it was revealed Nunes had obtained the reports during a secret visit to the White House grounds the previous night. The New York Times reported the source of Nunes’ information was two White House staffers, one of whom, Michael Ellis, a lawyer with the White House Counsel’s Office, was previously an attorney for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) that Nunes chairs.

ports. When seen in light of Nunes’ association with Flynn and his participation in a meeting with Turkish officials, this alternate possibility is gaining traction.

nitsky, a Russian lawyer and auditor who was arrested in 2008 and died in custody.

In Vino Veritas

In the wake of Nunes’ odd behavior, the Congressman then canceled a hearing of the HPSCI that would have included testimony from former CIA Director James Brennen, former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, regarding possible connections between the Russian government and the Trump campaign during the election.

That led to widespread calls for Nunes to resign from the HPSCI. In April, Nunes removed himself from his role in the investigation; however, he has continued to issue subpoenas and gather evidence in apparent defiance of his promise, raising the ire of Democratic members of the committee.

Nunes is currently facing a House Ethics Committee investigation because of his behavior.

At the time, speculation in the media was that Nunes’ contacts inside the White House may have alerted Nunes that his own name appeared in the re-

Last week, the London-based newspaper The Guardian reported Flynn is now being investigated for his role in a scheme to kidnap US resident and Turkish national Fethullah Gülen, a Muslim cleric who opposes the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Edroğan. NBC News also reported Mueller has sufficient evidence to prosecute both Flynn and his son for their roles in the scheme.

Flynn, according to reports, would have been paid $15 million for the kidnapping. The disgraced former US Army general previously attempted to seek an immunity deal in exchange for his testimony before Mueller took charge of the investigation, but was rebuffed. Mueller made a similar immunity deal with former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who in October pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russian agents who were attempting to pass stolen Democratic emails to Trump’s campaign.

Mueller has now turned his attention to a meeting between Flynn and California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Coronado) that allegedly took place on September 20.

During that meeting, Rohrabacher allegedly offered to provide proof Russia was not the source of the hacked Democratic emails WikiLeaks released just ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

In exchange, Rohrabacher wanted immunity for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The congressman has a history of championing Russia, including advocating for the repeal of the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law that froze the assets of Russian prosecutors and investigators who took part in the death of Sergi Mag-

In light of the Flynn-Rohrbacher meeting, and Flynn’s paid work as an agent for both Turkey and Russia, speculation about the nature of the Flynn-Nunes meeting has revived in the national press. Such guesswork is given more credence in the context of Nunes’ evasion of the truth regarding his secret, late-night visit to the White House in March.

It is unclear if Flynn was still working as a Turkish agent when he and Nunes attended the January 18 meeting with the Turkish foreign minister. According to the Wall Street Journal, Flynn met Turkish officials to discuss the kidnapping of the Turkish cleric in mid-December, less than a month before Flynn and Nunes met with Turkish officials.

There is another odd Russian coincidence concerning Nunes, his part ownership of a Napa Valley winery that has sold products in Russia through Luding, a Russian-owned distribution company.

Nunes has no controlling interest in the winery, and its managers claim to have made only small shipments to Russia.

Trump also has holdings in the wine industry, and his product is sold in Russia.

The winery connection seems innocuous until considered in the light of revelations about meetings between Papadopoulos and Russian agents who were seeking to pass hacked Democratic emails to the Trump campaign. Those meeting were attended by Olga Vinogradova, a woman incorrectly described as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s niece.

Vinogradova is, in fact, a former Russian wine distributor. Papadopoulos was arrested in July and has pleaded guilty to lying to officials from the FBI. What take if any Nunes and his staff have on these circumstances remains unknown, as the congressman steadfastly refuses to discuss his behavior in these matters with local press.

department for the prior four years.

As city manager, he has 355 employees under him and serves 63,000 citizens, he said.

“If it’s something we need to investigate, I need to investigate,” he said, “I did that as public works director and I do it as city manager.

“I don’t do things on a whim. I am very thorough. I think things out and then make decisions.

“The citizens need to be patient for the investigations to take place.

“Resolutions will be made, and I

will stick by those resolutions,” he said.

Council members have expressed they are not at liberty to discuss the issues regarding the police personnel on leave.

Any further questions have been referred to the city’s attorney, Heather Phillips.

Phillips returned a phone call leaving a message saying these are private personnel management issues and she could not comment any further. She did confirm, in the past, Chief Hensley’s situation as personnel in nature and

not criminal.

While Yncla’s and Boatman’s situations are also deemed personnel, per Carlini, it is not yet confirmed that there is nothing criminal in play.

Hensley has served the department for 26 years and was promoted to chief in the summer of 2015.

Yncla and Boatman have both served in the department for around 17 years – Yncla being promoted to captain in the spring of 2015; Boatman, promoted to lieutenant also in the spring of 2015, was named Officer of the Year for 2008.

environment would lengthen the careers of farm laborers.

Jose Rivas, founder of Premium Extracts, expressed that he thought Hanford’s permitting process was “fantastic” and that he is looking forward to moving back to town.

One of the two companies that were not recommended for a permit was Bridge the Gap, the only local company involved in the process. Bridge the Gap just closed escrow on a building in Hanford’s Industrial Zone and requested that the city council reconsider their application.

Council member Justin Mendes felt the application process was unfair to the smaller companies who may not have the slick interviewing skills as the big city companies. He didn’t think it was fair that every other industry in Hanford can request an appeal except the pot industry.

Other council members agreed the possibility of an appeal should at least be considered. Mata said the city staff would research a possible process and would bring it back to the city council at the next meeting.

Conditional Use Permits ((CUP)

are anticipated to be approved for the three companies at the public hearing on November 21. Any company that is involved in the marijuana industry has to apply for a CUP no matter where they are located.

The hearing will also establish the “Cannabis Division” and establish the Cannabis Permit fee focusing on full cost recovery of any city expenditure in developing the process.

Most importantly, the hearing will review the language for the cannabis tax that will be on the November 6, 2018 ballot.

Reason to Wonder

Flynn Kidnapping Indictment Pending

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • 5

Kaweah Delta Joins Nationwide Sierra View Receives National Recognition for Quality Research Network Staff Reports A hospital emergency department may not seem the most likely place to perform a clinical trial. Loud, stressful and chaotic, the American emergency room offers a tried-and-true backdrop for television and motion picture productions but is not typically considered the domain of painstaking academic research.

However, physicians will attest that important life-saving research can take place amid the chaos.

Kaweah Delta Health Care District, through the Office of Research and Grants, has been selected as one of eight locations where for the next five years, clinical trials will take place in an attempt to improve clinical outcomes for patients with neurologic, cardiac, respiratory, hematologic and traumatic emergencies.

“Research at Kaweah Delta is in the big leagues. Not only are we participating in multicenter studies, a good percentage of our resident doctors are doing research and other scholarly projects under the supervision of their faculty,” said Vicken Totten, M.D. Institutional Research Director at Kaweah Delta.

“Together we are searching for ways to improve the care of our patients.”

Oregon Health Sciences University has chosen Kaweah Delta as one of the sites to conduct its clinical trials for the National Institutes of Health’s SIREN or Strategies to Innovate Emergency Care Clinical Trials Network. The network of 11 national hubs all have spokes – emergency departments across the country – which are working together to gain valuable insight in a way that would be impossible to do otherwise.

Oregon Health Sciences University is one of the 11 hubs. Each hub has a number of spokes or sub-Hubs. Kaweah Delta Health Care District was selected as a spoke for OHSU. In addition to Kaweah Delta, OHSU will conduct trials at the University of Alabama Medical Center, the University of Wisconsin Medical Center, the University of Utah Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, Ohio State University Medical Center, Wake Forest Baptist Health, and University of Rochester Medical Center.

Mohamud Daya, M.D., and Benjamin Sun, M.D., both professors of Emer-

gency Medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine, are the grant recipients who will be coordinating the research hub.

“What we find may change medical practices across the country, and we know that academic medical centers are committed to finding the best way of managing emergency health care,” Sun said.

Daya and other emergency medicine researchers at OHSU have been involved with clinical trials for over a decade, and this new network allows researchers to test clinical practices through randomized double-blind control trials – the gold standard of medical research. The large scale and wide geographic distribution allows clinicians to draw conclusions about uncertain medical interventions that are currently assumed to be of equal benefit. For example, emergency physicians administering medications for seizures will now be able to compare recovery rates for patients treated with one FDA-approved drug against another.

“The challenge has always been, how do you do research in an emergency care setting,” Daya said. “Now, we should be able to complete the highest-level studies in acute, life-threatening circumstances.”

Each of the 11 hub sites receive $160,000 in the first year, followed by $98,000 in each of the next four years to establish and coordinate research. With an increasing number of patients seeking treatment in emergency departments nationwide, the research hubs should begin to quickly amass statistically valid comparisons between treatment options.

“A hundred or 200 patients is not enough, but if you can get into the hundreds or thousands of patients enrolled in a trial, you can come up with definitive answers,” Daya said. “The only way to answer these questions is by doing large randomized clinical trials.”

Research is supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the NIH under Award Number U24NS100657. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Kaweah Delta is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County.

The Joint Commission has recognized Sierra View Medical Center as a 2017 Pioneers in Quality™ Data Contributor for its contributions to electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data for quality improvement in health care.

Until recently, most hospitals collected information to measure health care quality by manually abstracting data from patient records.

Today, through eCQMs—which rely on structured, encoded data present in the electronic health record—hospitals can electronically collect and transmit data on the quality of care that patients receive.

The electronic data can be analyzed to measure and improve care processes, performance and outcomes.

“Many hours have been spent on the eCQMs and it has paid off. We have a dedicated team in the Quality Improvement department who work day in and day out to ensure that our data is correct prior to it being reported out. They are dedicated and diligent, and our organization benefits, as a result,” said Melissa Fuentes, SVMC Director of Quality, Care Management and Performance Improvement.

The Joint Commission, the United States’ leading accreditor of health care organizations, established the Pioneers in Quality™ program to assist and recognize hospitals that report eCQM data, as well as share best practices for all hospitals in gathering, analyzing and leveraging eCQM data for quality improvement.

Of more than 3,200 Joint Commission-accredited hospitals that reported 2016 data, Sierra View was one of only 480 who have been named 2017 Pioneers in Quality™ hospitals for embracing new technology to submit data about the care it provides to patients.

Staff Reports “This achievement affirms the continuing efforts of Sierra View Medical Center to be a transparent quality driven organization,” said Sierra View VP of Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive, Dr. Jeffery Hudson-Covolo.

“Transmitting validated data allows us to learn from the shared data experience of other organizations across the country and ultimately improve the quality of our care for local patients.”

Sierra View also hosted a successful survey from The Joint Commission in September after two new service lines were evaluated for quality patient care: Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Urgent Care.

Though these two areas of care were not part of the accreditation process in 2016, The Joint Commission reported a successful survey meaning they are on the right track for accreditation in the future “We commend Sierra View Medical Center as a 2017 Pioneers in Quality™ organization for its contributions and commitment to electronic clinical quality measure data and practice toward quality improvement,” said David W. Baker, MD, MPH, FACP, executive vice president, Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission.

“At Sierra View Medical Center, we are continuing to grow and achieve the next steps in healthcare to provide the highest quality care to our patients,” said SVMC CEO, Donna Hefner. “This year we received The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval, had two new service lines receive excellent survey scores, were named Large Employer of The Year by the Porterville Chamber of Commerce and now have received this honor as a Pioneers in Quality™ organization.”

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6 • Valley Voice

16 November, 2017

Hospital Board Appoints New Member, Evolutions Progresses Tony Maldonado Tulare’s hospital board is finally whole after the appointment of a new member on November 14 -- and Evolutions could open this weekend, if the stars align.

The Tulare Local Healthcare District’s Board of Directors chose Stephen Harrell to replace the seat vacated by Richard Torrez upon his resignation on September 28, 2017.

Harrell will serve out the remainder of Torrez’ term, which expires in November 2018.

Harrell and Phil Smith were both interviewed by the board at the meeting.

While the board praised Smith’s financial acumen and skill set, they ultimately chose Harrell in a unanimous vote.

Evolutions Could Reopen Soon

A plan to reopen Evolutions continues to progress, Tulare attorney Dennis Mederos told the public.

A company represented by Mederos would lease Evolutions’ gym facilities and operate them while the board focuses on rebuilding the hospital.

“We’re trying to let the district devote all of its efforts and all of its time into getting its hospital open,” he said.

“If we get the favorable ruling we’re looking for that will deliver possession to the district, I anticipate being able to ramp up this lease very shortly.” “[Evolutions is] not our top priority.

The hospital is our top priority,” Board Chairman Kevin Northcraft said.

Staff from the Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation, the Tulare Local Development Company, and the Tulare Hospital Foundation will participate in the management of the company.

“These entities are doing this for the benefit of the community,” Mederos said.

There would also be an oversight committee to monitor the operations of the resuscitated Evolutions, selected by the members of the hospital district’s board, Mederos said.

“This operation will be totally transparent, though representatives,” he said.

The hospital district will head to federal bankruptcy court on Thursday

Taxes

Continued from 1 businesses interested.”

The ordinance disallows outdoor growth of cannabis plants, commercially or privately. This, Boyer said, will limit the temptation for jumping the fence to get to the product, as well as altercations between neighbors.

The mayor is glad that council did not vote to include dispensaries in the ordinance.

“I don’t see the cost benefits in that,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a good thing for the young folks to be around.”

However, “Honestly, I am ecstatic,” Boyer said of passage of the two measures. Everyone will benefit with public safety being at the top of the list.

Boyer’s visions for the future of the city are flourishing, with the possibilities of enhancing gang prevention and drug rehab programs, partnering with the school district for a summer swim program, and aiding the local Boys & Girls

morning to seek a ruling that would allow it to take control of the hospital and its properties -- including Evolutions -immediately.

If a judge rules in the hospital’s favor, it could revive the gym in short order.

“We’ve actually had an ambitious goal, which is to open this weekend,” Mederos said. “If we can get the insurance taken care of, and if we can get a favorable ruling from the court, I truly believe we’ll get Evolutions open very quickly.”

Stephen Harrell

Harrell currently serves on the Tulare County Ambulance Compliance committee, and works as a personal trainer.

He’s a member of Citizens for Hospital Accountability, the group which has previously supported Northcraft and board members Mike Jamaica and Senovia Gutierrez.

His addition to the board means the whole body is now comprised of those who are either members of, or have been supported by, the group.

He stated that he has over thirty years of experience in law enforcement, including in the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and the Tulare Police Department.

“I’ve always been a hands-on type manager -- I’m involved in everything that goes on,” Harrell said. “Anything that my people do, I do also.”

He told the Voice that he felt that his experience would carry over to any position he serves in, including the board.

While Harrell said he would be able to interact with everyone and anyone, he did say that knowing the other board members would help.

He also told the board he shared their mindset.

“My philosophy and what I would think needs to be done is exactly what this board is doing,” he said. “This board is finally standing up and taking their hospital back again -- and bringing some respect back to the hospital that has been deteriorating for quite some time.”

He also stated that his first priori-

Club dancing in his head.

Woodlake Measures

Similarly, in Woodlake Measure R’s passage ups sales taxation by one percent, bringing it to 8.75% within that city, as well.

Measure S is similar in structure to Farmersville’s Measure Q, with the same taxation of cannabis businesses. However, in Woodlake, the city council passed an ordinance, in August, to not only allow cultivation and processing, but dispensaries and testing as well – which will receive the same taxation.

Like Farmersville, Woodlake held several public hearings on both issues.

“I am pleased voters had an opportunity to have a say with these matters,” Woodlake Mayor Rudy Mendoza said.

“That’s what I call democracy in action.

“Unfortunately, a city of our size doesn’t have the benefit of a huge sales tax such as Visalia or Tulare.”

The city previously formed an advisory committee to look into how it would best benefit by the added income,

Stephen Harrell. Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice

ty -- after ensuring that Tulare Regional Medical Center would be reopened -- would be to restore the public’s confidence in the hospital. He wasn’t sure whether he would run in November of 2018, though.

Locked Doors

Hospital board meetings have traditionally been held inside the conference room of Evolutions Gym. That room was locked shut at the Tuesday meeting.

Instead, chairs and a volunteer-provided speaker system were set up by the time attendees milled into the lobby of Evolutions.

Evolutions and all of the hospital district’s other properties are still managed by Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) until November 27, or until a judge allows the hospital district to reject the company’s contract sooner.

It’s unclear whether the decision to lock the meeting room was made

by HCCA, but Jamaica did say he had received some advance notice that the room would be locked.

The move came after a critical opinion piece ran in the Visalia Times-Delta, penned by HCCA CEO Benny Benzeevi, in which he called the board’s actions to declare bankruptcy reckless, and after he told the local daily that

Mendoza said. Public safety is at the top of the list followed by road improvements, infrastructure and recreational opportunities.

At its last city council meeting there was to be discussion on now forming an oversight committee, which would report back to council. For those who opposed either the sales tax increase or cannabis ordinance, this is a good chance to get involved and see how it works out, Mendoza said.

The cannabis ordinance is very intense and lengthy, he added. “It’s that way by design – to dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘t.’ This will help minimize the potential impact from allowing just anyone to come in with a business.”

Mendoza sees that, or lack thereof, as being the success or failure to other cities and counties around the state.

The cultivation cannabis application is 24 pages. The dispensary application is 21 pages. There is a $250 pre-application fee for any cannabis business.

Each applicant pays a hefty non-refundable application fee upon submis-

Board Chairman Kevin Northcraft was “whining and crying like a baby.”

Phil Smith

While Smith wasn’t ultimately chosen, the board specifically praised his financial background and asked for any help he could provide as they navigate the healthcare district’s bankruptcy.

Smith is a former member of the Tulare Board of Public Utilities, and previously ran against Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones for election to the Tulare City Council.

He has over 30 years of experience in the finance industry.

“I believe what I bring to this particular body is 20 years of commercial lending, 30 years of banking. My job now is to analyze financial statements and to project the outcome of projects,” Smith said. “This body, regardless of who gets the seat, is going to be working on a projected basis for years to come -and the financial information needs to be solid, and it has to be explainable to the public.”

Northcraft noted that while he personally favored Harrell, he noted Smith’s financial background and abilities.

“I think it’s a tough decision -- in a way we can’t make the wrong decision, but there are really good reasons to support Phil as well as Steve,” he said.

sion - $2,400 for cultivation, manufacturing, distribution or testing. These applications are to be renewed on an annual basis.

Dispensary applicants pay an initial $537 phase 1 fee. If the background check meets with approval, then Phase 2 brings a $2,400 fee and a subsequent $816 fee, if the applicant moves on to final approval.

Each application will be considered on a case to case basis and the fees pay for the intensive work of city staff, Mendoza said. To date, the city has had two applicants for dispensaries and a handful for cultivation businesses. On top of this, once a business is accepted, each employee has to be permitted at $300/each.

For more information on the application and cannabis business in Woodlake, visit: https://www.californiacannabiscpa.com/blog/cannabis-business-licenses-available-in-woodlake-ca “We’re feeling pretty good about how we’ve handled the whole process,” Mendoza said.

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • 7

Agriculture Perdue Hears Concerns of California Farmers Kevin Hecteman, CFBF

On a sunny Sunday in Modesto, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue came to town to hear about what keeps California farmers up at night.

Trade, regulations and immigration led the list.

Perdue appeared at a town hall-style meeting hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation.

During a question-and-answer session, dairy farmer Rien Doornenbal of Escalon told Perdue he’s worried about the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement—a deal President Donald Trump campaigned against and has threatened to abandon.

“Before NAFTA, there was virtually no dairy products exported out of the United States,” Doornenbal said. “Now, 23 years after NAFTA started, we’re sending about 15 percent of our total dairy production out of the country.

Mexico is our No. 1 customer.”

In answering Doornenbal’s concerns, Perdue said, “I want to make sure you understand we’re making that point every week at trade meetings at the White House, and they know how important it is.”

Perdue said he believes a deal will be done in the end.

In describing his concern about regulations, walnut grower Joe Ferrari of Linden told Perdue he doesn’t want to go to jail for doing his job. He’s worried about the havoc the Food Safety Modernization Act could cause for him and his business.

“One of the big concerns I have deals with the way this is being enforced,” Ferrari said. “Basically, the first time you mess up and you don’t comply with the regulation, it’s a misdemeanor; second time, it’s a Class E felony.

“I don’t want to have farming criminalized any longer,” he said.

Dan Sutton, who grows leafy greens in San Luis Obispo County, said the Food and Drug Administration—the agency assigned by Congress to oversee FSMA—isn’t doing enough to educate people.

“I think we have a right to understand what their intent is, what they’re looking for, what they intend to do when they come out to our operations,” Sutton said. “It’s that unknown that really scares a lot of us.

“I am now personally liable for our operation’s product,” he said. “My kids are 8, 6 and 4. I don’t want to face a felony charge for something that I feel I’m doing 100 percent correctly.”

Perdue expressed sympathy with those concerns, and said his agency SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, right, responds to a comment from the audience during a town hall hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation and moderated by CFBF President Paul Wenger, left, at Modesto Junior College on Sunday. Photo/Kevin Hecteman

would work with the FDA. “Unless we can get (the law’s problems) corrected and work together in that, I don’t know if Congress will have the courage to back up on this at all,” Perdue said. “We may have to try to do it simply by common sense with the regulations.”

CFBF President Paul Wenger, who moderated the question-and-answer session, described regulatory reform as a top Farm Bureau priority.

“We’ve heard that maybe in the farm bill, rather than just having more dollars available for producers through certain programs, they’re looking at regulatory reform being part of the bill—actually expedite things so that people don’t have these added costs,” Wenger said, adding that regulatory reform might reduce the need for other USDA programs that help farmers comply with regulations that it and other agencies oversee.

Wenger noted that Perdue mentioned a proposed H-2C visa program, contained in a congressional bill, that would replace the existing H-2A agricultural immigration program. Perdue praised recent passage of the H-2C bill by the House Judiciary Committee, but Wenger said CFBF cannot support it in its current form.

“It’s not going to work for us,” Wenger said. “Hopefully, I got that message clear in my comments to him. We need a more comprehensive guestworker program that will allow for portability from farm to farm, commodity to commodity, state to state.”

As written, the law caps the number of H-2C visas at 450,000 and ties visa holders to one employer for the length of their stay.

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Water, of course, is always a top is- fledged tour,” Perdue told the crowd. sue in California. Joey Airoso, a dairy Following the Modesto town hall farmer from Pixley, brought up the meeting, Perdue visited with a young state’s recently ended drought in ad- farmer in Madera County and toured dressing Perdue. the Grimmway Farm carrot operation in “I don’t think the state by itself is Kern County. going to fix it,” Airoso told Perdue. “We Wenger was happy Perdue was able are going to need your help in protect- to make it to California. ing the water supply here.”

“I think he heard farmers very well Afterward, Airoso said he was im- here,” Wenger said. “He’s at ease with pressed by the meeting with the secretary. farmers. He’s a farmer, a veterinarian— “I think he’s a pretty genuine person, he feels very comfortable being with and I think it certainly was important farmers and talking a farmer’s language.” for him to pay Pe r d u e , a visit to the a former No. 1 ag state governor of in the UnitGeorgia, said ed States,” he believes Airoso said.

American As to farmers stand water, Airoon comso said, “The mon ground. role that Cal“ Yo u ’ v e ifornia plays got a percepin agriculture tion of Georand producgia, Georgians ing food for have a percepour country tion of CaliU.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, right, talks with, and around fornia, but the the world—it from left, CFBF First Vice President Jamie Johansson, great thing, CFBF President Paul Wenger and state Secretary of Food certainly is and Agriculture Karen Ross prior to a town hall meeting in when you important for Modesto this week. Photo/Kevin Hecteman come around the secretary to ag people, of ag of the United States of America to there’s a lot of commonality and a lot have a close eye on the water supply here of common thinking about what we do in California, and the ability for agricul- and why we do it,” Perdue said. “That’s ture to maintain a portion of that water one of the things I love about this job.” to grow food.”

(Kevin Hecteman is an assistant edPerdue had hoped to visit Califor- itor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at nia during the summer, but Hurricane khecteman@cfbf.com.)

Harvey diverted his attention to HousThis article reprinted with the perton instead. mission of the California Farm Bureau “I’d love to come back and get a full- Federation.

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8 • Valley Voice

16 November, 2017

HCCA Employees Get Paychecks Late — Again Tony Maldonado Employees of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates lined up November 9 for their promised paychecks. Confusion ruled as they were told, without any notice, that the checks wouldn’t be available.

The company, which manages Tulare Regional Medical Center under a contract soon to end, didn’t have anything for them, instead receiving a greeting from security guards posted at Tulare Regional Medical Center’s Allied Building.

The employees ended up being paid Friday — on Veterans’ Day, when banks are normally closed.

“We are all standing here but the building is all locked up,” one employee said.

Dr. Benny Benzeevi, the company’s CEO, stated that the failure to pay employees rested squarely with the Tulare Local Healthcare District, the legal entity which owns Tulare Regional.

However, the hospital’s employees are HCCA’s under a management contract between the two entities.

“This is yet another example of the consequences of the Board’s irresponsible actions,” Benzeevi told the Voice.

“And, once again, HCCA has to step in and clean up their mess.”

Lawsuit Continued from 1

big question is what role the Porterville Police Department played in this. Obviously they played a role in sending the information to the Tulare Sheriff.”

TCSO Statement: ‘Two Sides’

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux issued the following written statement about the incident, and the lawsuit against the TCSO and its deputies: “There are two sides to every story. You have heard one side. Our side, which involves a personnel matter, will be heard during litigation.

“Our office is aware of the allegation which is pending litigation. This complaint and every complaint received by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is meticulously reviewed. At this time, there is no evidence to support the allegation.

“Due to the pending litigation, we are unable to elaborate on our position or the circumstances of the incident.”

The Porterville Police Department, whose officer were not at the Huerta home at the time of the incident, also issued a statement to Owdom denying any role in the beating. They have been notified to preserve all evidence regarding their contact with Huerta.

“We anticipate getting a substantial amount of information in the discovery process,” said Owdom. “We will be very aggressive in finding out. There will probably be a significant number of reports.”

Gay Slurs and Taunts

While the TCSO is unable to elaborate on what happened that night, the lawsuit filed on October 25 in the United States District Court for the Eastern

Employees that spoke to the Voice on the condition of anonymity said that they were previously instructed to pick up their last checks at 1pm Thursday at the hospital’s human resources office.

“They have notes posted at the hospital on the door and security posted at the doors not allowing employees in to pick up their paychecks that are still owed to them,” one employee told Employees waited Thursday for paychecks that didn’t come until the following day — Veterans’ Day, a bank holiday. Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice the Voice.

Tulare Local Healthcare District’s Board “He is the sole person,” the emEmployees of Directors, said he’d received word that ployee said were told the checks would include employees weren’t being paid as well.

Employees also claimed that Alan left over vacation and sick pay — but “I got several messages about the Germany, the company’s chief financial they didn’t.

Employees were told that they could paychecks. Just despicable,” he said. “I officer, said that he was not allowed to collect their final checks on November am fairly sure that HCCA got a govern- release the checks.

“Human resources personnel left 27, which would include any sick pay, ment check of 1.3 million dollars in the last three weeks. I am so sorry that the early and we were met by security paid time off, or other benefits.

The employees that contacted the employees are suffering through no fault guards and the HR is all locked up,” another said.

Voice spanned multiple departments. of their own.”

One employee in a position to be “We have families to feed,” he said.

All said they weren’t getting their checks. aware claimed that Benzeevi was with“We need to get paid.”

Kevin Northcraft, Chairman of the holding the checks.

District of California can and does go into the ugly details of Huerta and other witnesses’ version of events.

When Huerta and his mother answered their front door the night of April 26, they told the deputies who they found there they no longer required aid and asked them to leave. When Huerta refused to open a locked security screen and allow the deputies inside, they began to taunt him. “‘Why are you hiding behind your mother?’” Owdom said the deputies asked his client. They also used homophobic slurs against him, a form of abuse that continued throughout Huerta’s 24-hour ordeal.

Eventually, the deputies appeared to leave, and Huerta finally left the family home to close the gate protecting the property, which the deputies had left open. That, says Owdom, is when he was attacked and severely injured.

“They believed they were leaving.

They see tail lights leaving, they think everyone is gone,” Owdom said. “He goes to close the gate, and as he’s going out he gets tackled from behind.”

More officers joined the attack as Huerta was trying to get back into his home.

“They just beat the shit out of him,” Owdom said.

Extensive Injuries, Permanent Damage

With the security gate now unlocked, the deputies dragged Huerta back inside his home, where they continued to beat him as his mother stood by, unable to intercede, the lawsuit says.

“Mom’s standing there watching, just kind of in shock,” Owdom said.

The officers used batons and similar weapons, and repeatedly kicked Huerta in the head as he lay in his living room.

They then dragged him into his front yard and pepper sprayed him, before taking him to a squad car. Once in custody, Huerta was punched in the face until he lost consciousness.

Huerta suffered three facial fractures during the beating, and has permanent loss of vision as a result.

“The pictures show the significant fracture in his nose,” Owdom said.

“There are two other injuries related to the eye orbital. The guy’s got permanently impaired vision.”

Huerta’s injuries were apparently so severe the deputies took him for a check of his vital signs at Sierra View Hospital. They refused to allow staff to treat the unconscious Huerta once they learned his condition was stable, the lawsuit alleges. “‘Did we kill the guy?’ is probably what they’re wondering,” Owdom said.

No Charges Against Huerta

While still at the hospital, Huerta regained consciousness. He was then left alone with a female deputy after his examination, and the homophobic taunts continued, as he was questioned about his sexual preferences. “(The) female deputy comes up to him and asks if he’s a bottom or a top.

That’s exactly what she said,” said Owdom. “She also asked if he liked Portuguese men. Apparently, there were some Portuguese deputies (involved in beating Huerta).”

Huerta was then jailed overnight in Porterville. He was released the next morning, but not allowed to call for a ride. Deputies, the suit says, told Huerta to walk the seven to 10 miles home. His parents then returned Huerta to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

No charges have been filed against Huerta as a result of the events of April

26. Owdom says he does not expect any will be filed now.

“If charges were filed now, I’d want to investigate how that could possible happen,” he said. “I’d be very keen on finding out why charges were brought six or seven months down the line after the suit was filed in federal court.”

Hate Crime?

Owdom believes his client attracted the attention of TCSO deputies by arguing with the Porterville PD dispatcher.

He then angered them by refusing to allow the deputies inside his home, which is when they began to attempt to draw Huerta out by attacking his homosexuality. If charges are brought against the individuals who attacked Huerta, they could include hate crime prosecutions.

“It’s not hard to tell he’s gay when you talk to him,” Owdom said of his client. “That’s what happened to Ramiro.

It’s real. It happened.”

Owdom would like to see those responsible for injuring Huerta brought to justice.

“Someone did something to the guy, and no one has been charged. He’s (Huerta) certainly never been charged,” he said. “That’s the whole point of this lawsuit.”

While the circumstances surrounding Huerta’s treatment by deputies who responded to his call for aid are still in question, there is no uncertainty about who inflicted Huerta’s injuries--the deputies later returned to the Huerta household to retrieve keys and sunglasses they lost while in fighting with Huerta in his living room--and Owdom is uncertain what defense the deputies involved may offer when the case reaches court.

“They thought they could get away with it.

Who knows what they’re going to say?”

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • 9

Visalia to Form Tourist Marketing District Catherine Doe Visalia hoteliers are stepping up to the plate to promote tourism to the city.

On October 16 they asked the Visalia City Council to approve their plan to form the Visalia Tourism Marketing District (VTMD). The council approved the plan and will hold a final public hearing on December 4.

The Hoteliers hope to create a revenue source devoted to marketing Visalia as a tourist, meeting, and event destination. Tourism Districts have been successful in marketing and increasing hotel occupancy rates throughout the United States.

In California there are more than 100 tourism marketing districts includ-

ing Fresno, Stockton, Davis, Bishop, and Madera County that have raised over $225 million to promote tourism.

The District will be funded through a 2% assessment on the room rates of each hotel property in the district and will be paid by hotel guests. Assessments will not be collected on stays of more than 30 days.

According to the consulting agency that put together the proposal, Civitas, the district could generate approximately $600,000 a year to promote travel and tourism in Visalia. City staff believes the revenue may be higher than $600,000 based on the most recent hotel reports.

The city anticipates $30 million or more hotel revenues for 2018.

The proposed VTMD includes all

hotels located within the boundaries of Visalia that have more than 20 hotel rooms. Out of the 18 lodging facilities in Visalia, 15 would be included in the proposed district Murphy’s Motel, Relax Inn and the Spaulding House Bed and Breakfast are not included in the plan because they have fewer than 20 rooms.

The VTMD will have a five-year life span beginning January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022. Every year there will be a 30-day period in which owners paying more than 50% of the assessment may initiate a city council hearing on VTMD termination if the hotel owner feels the district is not working.

After five years, the members can vote to keep or disband the program.

The VTMD is similar to the Downtown Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID,) that periodically has to go through a recertification process amongst its members. As with the PBID, the city will be responsible for collecting the assessment on a monthly basis and will be compensated 1% of the proceeds which will be approximately $6,000 a year.

Anil Chagan, owner of the Downtown Comfort Suites and the Hampton Inn in Visalia, is chairing the VTMD committee.

Also on the committee are Samantha Rummage-Mathias of the Wyndham Inn, Carrie Groover of the Marriott and Robert Lee of the Lampliter Inn.

Resignation Letter Reveals Alleged Sexual Harassment, Unfair Pay by Mathis Catherine Doe A resignation letter by a former employee of Assemblyman Devon Mathis appears to corroborate claims of sexism made by another former staffer, and recount inappropriate comments made about multiple women.

The letter, sent to the California Assembly Rules Committee by former Assemblyman Devon Mathis staffer Joel Rosales, outlines why he resigned in June of 2015 as Mathis’ District Coordinator.

Many of his accusations mirror the complaints written in the Visalia Times-Delta of former District Director, Janie Sustaita, who resigned in July of 2017.

In his letter, Rosales recounts inappropriate comments Mathis made about Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang from San Bernadino County and about a businesswoman in Visalia.

Rosales requested the Visalia woman not be identified. In both comments, Mathis described different ways and durations in which he would want to have sex with the women.

Cole Azare, Mathis’ Chief of Staff at the time, pulled Mathis into the other office after he made the comments.

Azare confirmed Rosales’ account saying, “I told Devon that he can’t be say-

ing stuff like that.”

At the time Mathis’ office was what is known at the capitol as “the dog house’ which is the smallest office in the building.

There is little privacy in the office, and Mathis’ one female employee, scheduler Amanda Morello, likely would have heard the conversations.

Azare, who had known Mathis for years, added that Mathis did not make harassing comments often and never heard him say them directly to women.

Rosales agreed with Azare.

But Mathis’ former District Director Janie Sustaita, recently reported to the Visalia Times-Delta that “she was routinely bullied, degraded and subjected to overt sexism by Mathis himself.”

“We are seeing a man that basically became a completely different person after he got elected,” said Azare.

Roales also reported to the rules committee that Mathis never paid him for the job he was doing. According to his letter, Rosales was the acting District Coordinator but was being paid the lower salary of a field representative.

“As much work as I did I should have been receiving about $50,000 a year instead of the $30,000 I was getting,” said Rosales.

Rosales also points out in his letter misuse of campaign funds and using state employees to do campaign work while on state time. When Rosales told Mathis it was against campaign finance rules to use state employees to campaign on state time he was told to do it anyway.

“My job was always being threatened,” said Rosales. “Mathis would always tell me you need to do your job or we will find someone else that will, get it done.”

Sustaita experienced the same job insecurity while working for Mathis.

According to the Times-Delta she said, “the same day he promoted her, Mathis threatened to fire her three times.

He told her he should have hired a man instead.”

Mathis also allegedly paid Sustaita at a lower pay scale than the position she held.

Rosales reported Mathis campaign violations to the Fair Political Practices Commission and said that Mathis was eventually fined by the committee.

From the letter: 1. The assemblyman made sexual statements that are unbecoming of a person in his position on numerous occasions listed below.

a. As I was up in Sacramento for training, I was going through the list of elected members a pictures to gain knowledge of who they are by name and face.

When I came across the picture of Ling Ling Chang the assemblyman made a comment saying he wouldn’t mind having 10 minutes alone with her. At the time I thought the comment was in appropriate and Collier Azare pulled him in the office to talk to him. b. I had set a meeting with newly hired CEO of [a Visalia organization] which was a productive meeting.

Some time later that week I had a meeting with the assemblyman in his district office, we were discussing the meeting I had taken and who with.

When I came to the meeting with [the Visalia executive] he said to me he would love the chance to bend her over a desk, just 5 minutes is all he needed, he began to laugh which made me uncomfortable.

I said that was not right brother (call him that because we are veterans) he said it’s a joke and I that was the end.

We then began to discuss the meeting.

The full letter is available on the Voice’s website at ourvalleyvoice.com.

Veterans’ Fraternity Suspends Devon Mathis Catherine Doe In a letter dated October 25, the Omega Delta Sigma Veterans Fraternity suspended Assemblyman Devon Mathis from the organization.

The letter stated, “It was brought to our attention that Omega Delta Sigma alumnus Devon Mathis is currently under investigation for an alleged sexual assault. In response, the Omega Delta Sigma Board of Trustees and National Officers Board have unanimously elected to suspend Mr. Mathis’ affiliation with the organization on a temporary basis.

As veterans of the United States military, each of our members took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. This includes the right to due process. We will await the results of the legal investigation and will pursue additional action only if necessary.”

The Omega Delta Sigma National Veterans Fraternity was founded in 1999 when a group of college veterans got together and came to the conclusion that they did not fit into traditional college fraternities.

According to their website, “Being veterans they already had one of the strongest bonds there are but they wanted that to carry over into their collegiate experience so they decided to found Omega Delta Sigma. The first Chapter was brought into being at the University of Florida that same year.”

Since 2008 Omega Delta Sigma became a national fraternity and has chapters all over the country at 10 universities. Mathis became a member of Omega Delta Sigma during his time at Fresno State.

“As stated in our organization’s preamble and as military veterans ourselves,

honor, integrity, and respect are words that not only reside in our hearts, but were and still are a way of life for us. Let it be known in no uncertain terms that Omega Delta Sigma, National Veterans Fraternity, Inc. condemns all acts of sexual assault and sexual harassment in all its forms,” Vincent Rivera, National President of Omega Delta Sigma, said in a statement sent to the Voice.

“Such acts are the antithesis of who we are. No person who is found to have committed an action of this type will be permitted to affiliate with this organization and this organization will not affiliate with them,” he continued.

Mathis’ local, and Sacramento, offices did not return requests for comment from the Voice.

His local office did state that long time staffer Justin Turner was the current Chief of Staff and that Sam Cannon was

no longer with the assemblyman’s office.

Cannon met Mathis three years ago while working for the Committee on Rules while training new assembly members. Cannon was working for Mathis since the end of May. Cannon was Mathis’ third chief of staff.

Former campaign manager Cole Azare was Mathis’ first chief of staff until April 15, 2015.

After Azare, Mathis hired lobbyist Sean Doherty, who was then fired May 5, 2016.

A suspension from Omega Delta Sigma Veterans Fraternity means that Mathis cannot affiliate himself with the organization.

He cannot use their name on his letterhead, during campaign events or attend the organization’s events.

10 • Valley Voice

16 November, 2017

Education Visalia’s University Prepatory High Holding Info Night Staff Reports University Preparatory High School (UPHS) is holding an Information night for students interested in attending the school in spring 2018, or fall 2018 on Thursday, November 30, from 6–7pm at the College of Sequoias, Yokut Building, Room 9.

UPHS is an early college high school chartered by the Tulare County Office of Education (TCOE) in partnership with COS. UPHS offers students the opportunity to complete high school courses while concurrently taking college courses at COS. UPHS is a free, public high school which opened in fall 2009.

UPHS welcomes all highly-motivated students looking for an accelerated and rigorous academic program that prepares them for college success.

One of the many strengths of University Preparatory High School is the opportunity it provides students to acclimate to college culture and develop the many skills required for college success while still in high school.

UPHS students learn to navigate the complexities of the modern college experience, develop academic and social self-reliance, and acquire learning strategies that will serve them well for a lifetime.

Students will experience their high

school years in a college setting, participate in college classes and earn a minimum of 20 college units before graduating from high school.

Students also focus on leadership at University Preparatory High School.

Students start and run numerous clubs and school activities. Currently, the UPHS student body runs 33 clubs including sports, video gaming, community service and more.

Not only does UPHS offer students the opportunity to excel as leaders, the school also has many competitive academic teams, including: a state-qualifying Science Olympiad team, a winning Step Up Team, a Slick Rock Film Fes-

tival winner, a second-place Mock Trial team, and a “Rookie of the Year” Robotics team.

Additionally, UPHS offers a robust Fine Arts program which includes a full drama production, an improvisation class, stage directing class, fundamentals of acting class, choir, folklorico dance, and a handbell choir which performs regularly in the community.

Please RSVP to attend Information Night by calling the UPHS Parent Liaison Araceli Alcala at (559) 730-2529, or by emailing her at aracelia@uphsconnect.org.

For more information about UPHS, visit the TCOE web page: tcoe.org/uphs.

Distracted Driving Remains Threat in Front of CA Schools Staff Reports Drivers distracted by phones, passengers, pets, food and much more drove past California schools on Tuesday morning, visibly unfocused on what should be their only task behind the wheel – responsible, safe driving.

Through the annual Roadwatch survey, Friday Night Live (FNL) members across California witnessed first-hand the reality that distracted driving remains a prevalent threat to other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

On Oct. 10, Friday Night Live members surveyed 88 intersections near high schools and middle schools in 30 counties across California and observed 10,252 cases of distracted driving in just one hour’s time, an average of 116.5 instances per intersection surveyed.

That means that at any given minute between 7:00 and 8:00 am, there were at least 171 distracted drivers in California – in one single minute.

Furthermore, these observations occurred in front of schools, at a time when it is most likely to be filled with pedestrians, new drivers and cyclists.

These results show an increase in distracted driving behaviors of over 7.5% since 2016 when 12,852 instances were recorded at 119 intersections during Roadwatch.

In Orange County alone, FNL members observed more than 2,250 accounts of distracted driving during their Roadwatch assessment of 11 intersections, for an average of 205 instances recorded per location and an average of 37.5 instances of distracted driving per minute.

Driven by a desire to improve traffic safety in their local communities and empowered by a grant from The Allstate Foundation through the California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP), students compiled startling statistics from among thousands of vehicles they observed with both attentive and distracted drivers.

Distractions during this learning-focused Roadwatch ranged from the all-too-typical hand-held use of a cellphone to the less-often-observed kissing, eating with utensils and using a tablet.

Each distraction observed is highly dangerous and 100% avoidable.

The top distractions while driving observed were: • Use of hand-held device: 3,224 total, 37 per intersection average • Eating or drinking: 2,313 total, 27 per intersection average • Personal grooming: 1,253 total, 14 per intersection average • Reaching for an item: 1,138 total, 13 per intersection average

Visalia Unified Health Clinic Opens November 17 Staff Reports Visalia Unified School District is proud to announce the opening of Visalia Unified Health & Wellness Clinic, VUSD’s very own private medical clinic.

The facility is located at 5344 West Cypress Ave., Suite 102, Visalia, CA 93291.

The Clinic is open Monday through Saturday and serves employees, spouses, and dependents that are insured by VUSD. Services at the clinic are provided by Visalia-based Elite Corporate Medical Services, which provides on-site medical clinics for employers throughout

California.

The Clinic is a medical resource that provides a variety of medical services, including on-site laboratory and pharmacy services for VUSD employees and their families. Patients have access to medical care with shorter wait times, no co-pays, and no deductibles; all services provided by the clinic are 100% free.

The ceremony will begin at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 17, 2017.

Refreshments will be available after the ribbon cutting, and the clinic will be open for employees and community members to view.

Travis, a junior at VTEC High School in Visalia, discusses the programs offered in the US Army with a local recruiter. Courtesy/Tulare County Office of Education

Tulare County Office of Ed. Hosts College/Career Fair Travis, a junior at Visalia Unified’s VTEC High School, has a plan for his future, which he clearly articulated in the crowd of young people at the annual College and Career Fair. “I’m interested in enlisting in the US Army to build my welding skills and learn more about engineering.”

The young man shared that he appreciates that the Army may pay for additional studies after his service, saying “I’m glad to serve while gaining skills that will enable me to support myself and help others. I want to be able to contribute to the economy.”

Travis was among nearly 400 high school seniors and juniors from districts throughout Tulare County who attended the annual College and Career Fair in the Tulare County Office of Education Redwood Conference Center on October 25. Organized by the Tulare County Office of Education Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), the College and Career Fair is an event designed to provide students with various learning disabilities exposure to post-secondary education and training opportunities as they transition to adult life.

Staff Reports The College and Career Fair featured dozens of representatives from area community colleges, adult schools and trade institutes, and military recruiters and local employment supporters, including California Highway Patrol, TCOE’s Services for Education & Employment (SEE), Proteus and the California Department of Rehabilitation. At the beginning of the fair, representatives from each agency gave an overview of their program offerings before heading to their booths to talk with students.

“Now that we’ve offered this event for several years, we can see that there is a greater understanding among both students and staff regarding postsecondary services and options,” said Jennifer Reimer, administrator with the Special Services Division’s Mild to Moderate Program. “There are so many quality resources out there for students and it’s important that they know what those are.”

For more information on postsecondary opportunities for students with special needs, contact Jennifer Reimer at (559) 730-2910, extension 5141.

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • 11

Comments & Letters

“

“

As a long time reader of this paper, I Catherine Doe called it “taking his eye have followed the articles written about off of the ball”. Sure he got criticized. our assemblyman and his antics.

He deserved it. He promised to fight for water for us and it was discovered that The Valley Voice has covered Mathis he was busy fighting for his own self agsince day one of his running for office. grandizement.

They treated him better than any other paper in the county. God knows the Let’s see. What else has been covered?

VTD didn’t give him the time of day Perhaps we should talk about his wife when he was a candidate that was likely defrauding Wounded Warriors and to lose. collecting a monthly care taker stipend when she wasn’t performing those duties They treated him well after he got elect- 4/7 days a week. The Valley Voice coved. They covered the birth of his twins. ered that and Mathis’ sycophants blindThey covered his election victory and ly defended him again in the comments talked about it as the miracle that it was. section.

Unlike the Fresno Bee which didn’t even think to discuss what happened with the Maybe we should talk about the email Mathis campaign even though they had that clearly was received by Mr. Mathis done something nobody thought was and his wife, directing the paid legislapossible. tive staff to prioritize donors for meetings with Mathis. I’ll give you a hint.

They covered his efforts to reach across That is Chicago pay to play politics right the aisle when he attended the opening there and it is a crime. of the Democrat HQ, much to the chagrin of the Tulare County Republican Let’s talk about him refusing to ask for establishment, we can all be sure. Yet an audit of the hospital board because they covered it for what it was. Some- he ostensibly owed its chairman (a mathing the other papers did not do. jor donor to the Mathis campaign) a favor. Flagrant corruption. And where are Overall Mathis was treated very well we now with that hospital. Oh yeah, we up until, it seems, some new manage- can all read that tragic story in the news. ment took over in his office. Manage- But Mathis sycophants were there to dement which prioritized him waging a fend him again in the comments. quixotic fight over the vaccine bill from summer of 2015 (SB277 I think) which Oh I think my favorite one was when he ‘led the charge against’ instead of his, then Chief of Staff (Sean Doherty), fighting for water like he promised us. got caught trying to submit ‘anonymous But then it seems that some stupidity comments’ on articles critical of Mathis started developing from Mathis’ office. to steer the public discussion in a difHe had a flagship bill in 2015 (AB954) ferent direction. Honestly, how amateur which would have helped bring water could he be? to the residents of Tulare County who had seen their wells run dry. But instead I wonder, how many other goodies can of making that his priority, it was dis- I find besides the big one that is on evcovered that he was more interested in eryone’s mind right now? The FACT making a bid for leadership of the Re- that Mathis is currently being investipublican caucus in Sacramento. I think gated for sexually assaulting a woman in

Something doesn’t smell right! Is this City Council and City Manager conducting witch-hunts for personal reasons? Breckenridge made really good money during his paid leave over so-called personnel matters (at least everyone knew what those personnel matters were). That city manager dragged that out way too long (of course Dorman was a friend of Jerry’s). Now here we go again except this time we are in the dark about what the so-called personnel matters are about. Paying out $37,000 a month of citizens money without any explanation just doesn’t sit right. If you want to keep citizens in the dark about what is really going on then at least put these guys on UNPAID administration leave.

”

— Barbara on Tulare Police Personnel on Administrative Leave Costing

Sacramento. A woman that, according to the articles so far written, was passed out drunk. We could talk about the fact that the Voice looked into Mathis’ past and found that this isn’t the first time a woman has made a claim like this against him (hint, his ex wife did in their divorce papers as covered in this very article). I wonder how many more cases like this there are? Generally, predators tend to repeat offend so, like Harvey Weinstein, I would bet we see more women coming out about him in time.

the lease and forced her out).

-Presided over an illegal operation where only donors got to set up meetings with Mathis, -Protected a major donor from an audit that was deftly needed to possibly save the hospital (conveniently that donor was the chairman of said hospital board),

-Defrauded the Army by signing a contract to be available to deploy but fully Then there is the revelation in this ar- intending to file for a family hardship ticle that he signed a contract with the separation should they have asked him Army that he had no intention to carto do so (hint, illegal). ry out? I am not lawyer but I would be willing to be that he definitely commit- -Being a sexual predator both in Sacted premeditated fraud. I wonder when ramento and here at home in Tulare the Army will get around to reading County with his ex wife. this and recouping the money they paid him?

-Having his former Chief of Staff bully the Valley Voice because they had the Then there is his voting record, he nerve to be critical of Mathis (seems promises that he will vote against cap more people should be critical of him). and trade and then votes to extend it.

He promises that he will vote against -Lied to his constituents on numerous the telecom bill and then votes in its occasions. Cap and Trade and Telecom favor. I can’t imagine why the people bill for example. who supported him, who endorsed him, who donated to him, who picked him in There are numerous other issues the 2014 and again in 2016 would be pissed Valley Voice has covered while the VTD off that he basically just lies right to their hasn’t had the cajones to talk about a faces after promising that he will always man that has proven to be one of the do what his district asks him to do. most vile and corrupt leaders that has ever come out of Tulare County. It’s But hey, keep blindly defending him. It’s time that this fake individual step down like you’re clearly either a family mem- from his position and let someone who ber of his or some close friend who will will not cover the office in scandal after join him in obscurity if he goes down scandal, take over. for all his crimes. He’s only been caught: Personally, I will be supporting Gubler for Assembly, just like Mike Boudreaux -Breaking Fair Political Practice Com- and Senator Vidak are doing. It’s time mission regulations (see the article for us to have real leadership and real about his rental house income, or even representation. Not this pathetic shell of more interestingly how his wife treated a man who hasn’t accomplished a single their tenant when they willfully broke thing he promised us in 2014.

”

— Long Time Reader on Political Fix (2 November, 2017)

“

He is breaking so many laws, you must be paid be paid within 7 days of the pay period cut which assuming last Saturday means he has until this Saturday to pay the employees. The WARN letter was done incorrectly, you just can’t give 3 day notice and close, unless for certain reasons that were not met.

You also can’t lay people off with a further notice date, take away their work and ask them to use their PTO. Remember this is HCCA – your employer – not the hospital. Hospital has no money to pay anyone because he took it all.

Veteran’s Corner: New VA ID Card Coming in November Scott Holwell All honorably discharged veterans of every era are now able to get a photo identification card from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) starting in November, due to a law passed in 2015.

The law, known as the Veterans Identification Card Act 2015, directs the USDVA to issue a

hard-copy, photo ID to any honorably discharged veteran who applies.

The card must contain the veteran’s name, photo and a non-Social Security identification number.

Veterans who want one of the new cards must first register online with Vets. gov, a website that authenticates users through ID.me, a third-party verification system.

A timeline for how long it will take to receive a card after application has not yet been established.

There is presently no fee associated with issuance of the ID cards. Congress passed the ID law as a way to help veterans prove their service, without showing a copy of their DD-214.

”

— Truth16 on HCCA Employees Report Withheld Final Checks

Those who receive health care from the VA or have a disability rating can get a photo ID VA health card, also known as a Veteran Health Identification Card.

Military retirees also hold an ID card issued by the Defense Department.

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

Contact Scott Holwell 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 dependents.

To determine if you are eligible for any of these benefits, call or visit 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.

12 • Valley Voice

Briefly…

BANK OF THE SIERRA COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF WOODLAKE BRANCH

Bank of the Sierra has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Woodlake Branch of Citizens Business Bank on Friday, November 3. The Woodlake Branch is located at 232 N. Valencia Boulevard. Existing customers can now take advantage of Bank of the Sierra’s wide variety of products and services and gain access to a growing number of convenient locations and ATMs. Kevin McPhaill, Bank President and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, “We are excited about this expansion. Woodlake is a wonderful part of Tulare County and we look forward to becoming part of the Woodlake community.”

SCAMMERS TRY TO PHISH FOR BENEFITS

Community members who receive TulareWORKs benefits, CalWORKs or CalFresh, are being targeted by a scam using fraudulent text messages to phish for personal information.

Text messages that are being sent by the scammers instruct recipients to call the number listed in the text. After dialing the number, recipients are prompted by an automated system to register their card by inputting their 16-digit card number and security PIN. The automated system instructs that they’ll be unable to get access to their benefits unless they

16 November, 2017 input the information.

TulareWORKs advises that this is a scam. Community members should never give out their card number or personal information.

If community members believe they were impacted by this scam, they should call the TulareWORKs call center at 1-800-540-6880.

HIGH-RISK DUI OFFENDERS

Felony and repeat misdemeanor DUI offenders are over represented in traffic crashes involving alcohol and other drugs, often with tragic results. A $168,358 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to the Tulare County Probation Department will be making sure that these worst-of-the-worst offenders are complying with all court orders.

Tulare County Chief Probation Officer, Michelle Bonwell, said *The intent of the Tulare County DUI Probation Supervision Program is to respond quickly and aggressively to felony DUI offenders through the assignment of two full-time Probation Officers.* The grant will fund Probation Department officials to intensely monitor drivers on probation for felony DUI or multiple misdemeanor DUI convictions.

Supervision for these high-risk offenders includes: · Developing and/or maintaining a *Hot Sheet* program to notify patrol and traffic officers to be on the lookout for identified repeat DUI offenders with a suspended or revoked license as a result of DUI convictions · Increasing the percentage of DUI probationers in compliance with

court-ordered probation · Conducting unannounced home searches · Conducting random alcohol and drug testing · Utilizing special monitoring to ensure compliance with court-ordered DUI education and treatment programs The Intensive Probation Supervision for High-Risk Felony and Repeat DUI Offenders grant is aimed at reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol and other drug related collisions in the county. In 2014, 19 were killed and 178 injured in such crashes in Tulare County.

Complying with probation orders is the first and most necessary step to keep these offenders from being a danger to themselves or others in the future,* said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. *The Office of Traffic Safety and the Tulare County Probation Department will be working together to help keep the streets and highways safe across the County of Tulare and the state.* Funding for the grant is from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

HOUSE PASSES FUNDING EXTENSIONS FOR CRITICAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

The United States House of Representatives has passed legislation to extend federal funding for critical health programs.

H.R. 3922, the Championing Healthy Kids Act, combines funding

extensions from multiple bills to ensure these vital programs remain available. Included in the legislative package was U.S. Congressman David G. Valadao’s (CA21) Community Health and Medical Professionals Improve Our Nation Act, legislation originally introduced by Congressman Valadao and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Valadao’s provisions expand the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program and increases funding for residencies to $126.5 million, nearly double their current funding levels.

“I applaud my colleagues in the House of Representatives for passing this legislation which extends funding for the critical health care programs my constituents depend upon,” stated Congressman Valadao.

“The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program ensures our most disadvantaged communities have access to the medical professionals and health care services they deserve.”

In addition to a two-year extension of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, HR 3922 includes a five-year extension of the children’s health Insurance Program as well as two-year extensions of the children’s health Insurance Program, Federally Qualified Health Centers, the National Health Service Corps, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, the Youth Empowerment Program, and the Personal Responsibility Education Program.

H.R. 3922, the Championing Healthy Kids Act passed the House of Representatives on Friday, November 3, 2017, by a vote of 242 -174.

Valley Holidays Holiday Movie Magic at the Visalia Convention Center Staff Reports The Visalia Convention Center inaugural “Holiday Movie Magic” movie day at the Visalia Convention Center will take place Sunday, December 10.

This event will be fun for the whole family, and is open to all ages.

The children’s classic movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” will be featured on two big screens; with the first showing at 11:30am and the second showing at 2:30pm. Each ticket will include the movie, popcorn, cookies and they won’t forget the milk, reading of The Night Before Christmas and additional holiday entertainment provided by local performing arts groups.

Kids of all ages are encouraged to wear their favorite and festive pajamas for a pajama contest with prizes awarded to multiple winners. And it doesn’t stop there, a special guest appearance from the Grinch himself will occur.

The Visalia Convention Center “Holiday Movie Magic” movie day was created to be all about families, and to provide the opportunity to bring a little

more joy and cheer to the community during the holiday season. This truly is an event for all and will bring smiles to all who attend.

Tickets are $10; children 2 and under are free. Bring a new or gently-used children’s book and receive $2 off each ticket per book. Books will be donated to Read for Life. Read for Life is a non-profit that supports literacy in Tulare County beginning at birth. Read for Life is committed to breaking the cycle of illiteracy through early intervention, direct service projects and community awareness Tickets can be purchased at the Visalia Convention Center Box Office, Monday through Friday, or online at www.visaliatix.com. For more information, call the Visalia Convention Center Box Office at (559) 713-4040.

Sponsorship and Vendor Participation information is available. Please contact Amanda Arreola at amanda.arreola@visalia.city or 559-713-4602.

For up to date event information please check our Facebook page at www. facebook.com/visaliaconventioncenter.

The Visalia Convention Center’s Holiday Movie Magic day will screen “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” on December 10.

Holiday Movies on the Big Screen of the Fox Theatres Staff Reports The Hanford Fox Theatre holds special movie afternoons and evenings – year round. For the holidays, it will be showing the following: Friday, Nov. 24 @ 2:pm - Mickey’s Christmas Carol with Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas - Mickey’s Christmas Carol is rated G and the running time is 26 minutes. Mickey’s Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated featurette produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999) is rated G with a running time is 70 minutes. Mickey and his friends tell three stories including “Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas”, “A Very Goofy

Christmas” and “Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi.”

Saturday, Dec. 9 @ 2pm - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with Frosty the Snowman - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is rated TV-G and the running time is 47 minutes. Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer is a 1964 Christmas stop motion animated television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions.

Frosty the Snowman is rated G and the running time is 25 minutes. Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 animated Christmas television special based on the song “Frosty the Snowman”. The program, which first aired on December 7, 1969 on CBS, was produced for television by Rankin/Bass Productions and featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as the film’s narrator and Jackie Vernon

MOVIES continued on C6 »

Joan Seibel’s wood carvings will be available to purchase, such as this Colt’s Head, from the Arts Visalia Show.

Shopping the Arts This Holiday Season In December, Arts Visalia is pleased to host its Annual Holiday Show & Sale.

It’s a most wonderful time of year when Arts Visalia’s gift shop spills over into the entire gallery, featuring a wide variety of unique works of art, hand-crafted by local artisans.

This season of giving, support the arts in your community by shopping with local artisans. The Arts Visalia exhibition runs now - December 16.

The official opening reception will be held on First Friday, December 1, from 6-8pm.

Arts Visalia has the pleasure in taking part in Downtown Visalia’s Holiday Open House with special extended hours for the Holiday season!

On Thursday, November 30, December 7 and December 14, Arts Visalia will be open until 8pm.

Be sure to take advantage of these extended hours to view the Annual Holiday Show & Sale, purchase one-of-akind gifts, and enjoy the wonderful organizations, restaurants and shops that Downtown Visalia has to offer.

Participating artisans and crafters of the show include Andrew Turner, Antonio Cuellar, Carrie Bragg, David Daniels, Debb Campbell, Elsah Cort, Heidi Steinman, Janet Ontko, Jasmine Gregory, Joan Seibel, Kay Woods, Laurie Gorman, Mark Dillon, Melissa Stewart, Miguel Pujol, Susan Guzzetta, Toni Best, Yanninia Marie, Anne and HJ Brown, Mike Wood and Brenda Wood.

Basketry & Gourds

Toni Best was first exposed to basketry while in the 8th grade – she’s been perfecting her art ever since and added gourds as a medium to also weave pine needles.

Staff Reports

“It became a passion,” she said. As a retired musician, “when I create [pine needle coiling on gourds], I can actually hear music.”

Best’s work is well-known throughout the Valley and beyond. She teaches classes locally and around the country.

In a six-hour class with basketry, students may have only completed 3” x 1 ½” of a project, but by adding a prepared gourd, “you can come away with something you created and feel you really did something,” she said.

Best uses Florida pine needles, which are very flexible and long, she said.

Other needles may be woven wet or damp, but the will shrink when dried.

With Florida needles, the weaving can be done dry, she said.

At least 10 of Best’s gourds and/or basketry art will be on display and for sale during the Arts Visalia show.

Paintings in Oil

Visalia native Heidi Steinman found her artistic talent early in life by winning an award in first grade.

She subsequently won again and again throughout grammar school, with teachers singling her out, she said, for her artistic talent and telling her parents she had a real gift.

Her love for working in oil started in high school and remains today. After winning an award for art in the congressional district of her home, her work was displayed in Washington DC for one year.

Steinman will have up to 10 oils on display during Arts Visalia, room permitting. Her artwork is in arrays of sizes

SHOPPING continued on C5 »

C2 • Valley Voice

16November,2017

For those who missed the Central Valley Women’s Network Holiday Marketplace Boutique, there is still a lot of opportunity to shop local. Enjoy a stroll through one of the many art galleries in the South Valley and find the perfect gift for someone on your list. Photos/Catherine Doe/Valley Voice

16 November, 2017

History of the Christmas Tree

Valley Voice • C3

Staff Reports Christmas trees trace back to the Scandinavian Vikings, who thought evergreens were special plants of the Sun God of Balder.

And although history doesn’t reveal an absolute as to where the first Christmas tree came to be – there is little dispute that it was from what is now known as Northern Europe.

Evergreen boughs over doors and windows were said to keep away illness, evil spirits, ghosts and witches.

Others thought the sun was a god, and as the days became shorter in winter, it was due to the sun god becoming weak or ill.

Evergreen boughs were brought in as a reminder that the plants would grow again, once the sun god was stronger and the days grew longer.

While evergreen were traditionally used to celebrate winter festivals for thousands of years by Christians and pagans, alike, many credit the Christmas tree to Germany, where in the 16th century devout Christians brought trees into their homes and decorated them.

The Christmas Tree in America

When the tradition followed the Europeans to America in the 19th century and trees starting being put up in the homes of Pennsylvania Germans – many Americans thought it was odd.

To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred and not a novelty.

Various festive or frivolous customs were not readily accepted.

Bringing home the tree in the 1900’s. Courtesy/Vintage Photographs

However, Americans adapted in the early 20th century – with children especially finding new festivities welcome such as decorating a tree with homemade ornaments and various foods including apples and nuts.

With the discovery of electricity and subsequent Christmas lights – trees would glow for days and nights on end.

Trees soon became a large party of the holiday season, being placed in town squares bringing the community together.

A German Christmas Tree Legend youngest sons own bed (he had to share with There is a German legend about how the Christmas tree came into being and it goes: Once on a cold Christmas Eve night, a forester and his family were in their cottage gathered round the fire to keep warm. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

When the forester opened the door, he found a poor little boy standing on the door step, lost and alone. The forester welcomed him into his house and the family fed and washed him and put him to bed in the

his brother that night!).

The next morning, Christmas Morning, the family were woken up by a choir of angels, and the poor little boy had turned into Jesus, the Christ Child. The Christ Child went into the front garden of the cottage and broke a branch off a Fir tree and gave it to the family as a present to say thank you for looking after him.

So ever since them, people have remembered that night by bringing a Christmas tree into their homes! – WhyChristmas.com

16November,2017

C4 • Valley Voice

Holiday Calendar November 22 – December 16: Arts Visalia Holiday Show & Sale For part of November and December, Arts Visalia will host their annual Holiday Show & Sale. This special exhibition will have many items for sale by a variety of artists from the gift shop expanded through the exhibit space.

Exhibit will run from November 22 through December 16, with First Friday being December 1, from 6-8pm. This is a great opportunity to purchase gifts for loved ones.

November 24 – Hanford Christmas Parade 6pm – Lights and Sounds of Christmas along 7th and Douty. For more information, contact the Hanford Chamber, (559) 582-0483.

Visalia Candy Lane Parade Judge’s Award entry from a previous year.

Courtesy/Downtown Visalians

chocolate, coffee & s’mores wit roasting marshmalllows over the campfire. Bring your own chair. Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the local Bread Basket Food Pantry. The museum is located at 44264 Sierra Dr. in Three Rivers. For more information, call (559) 561-2702.

December 2: Le Tres Petit Noel 10am-5pm – An intimate gathering of artists and their work in the Three Rivers’ Studio of Elsah Cort Studio at the end of Skyline Drive in Three Rivers.

For more information, call (559) 5614671.

December 2: 26th Annual Spirit of the Holidays Christmas Tree Auction & Wine Tasting 5-8pm - Exeter Kiwanis presents its annual Spirit of the Holidays at the Exeter Veteran’s Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Blvd.

Premium Wines - Whiskey Tasting Hors d’oeuvres - Raffle - Silent Auction - Live Auction. Semi-formal dress requested. Tickets are $60 each. For more information, visit www.exeterkiwanis. org.

December 2: Annual Dinuba Christmas Tree Lighting 5:30pm – tree lighting follows the parade at The Entertainment Plaza, 289 South L Street. Contact, Dinuba Community Services, (559) 591-5900.

December 1: Springville Christmas in the Park 1pm - Held in the Springville park located in the center of downtown Springville. Fun - Food - Fellowship.

There is the lighting of the tree; Memorial tree reading of names followed by lighting of candles; entertainment, a visit from Santa Claus at dusk, caroling throughout the evening, photo opportunities with Santa Claus (Bring your camera), refreshments, raffles and more.

Bins will be available for those bringing non-perishable items for the food drive.

This is a community wide event sponsored by the Springville Volunteer Fire Department.

December 1: Exeter Christmas in Paradise Parade 6:30pm - in downtown Exeter on Pine Street. For more information, contact Exeter Community Services at (559) 5925262.

December 2: Community Caroling 5-7pm – Join the Three Rivers Museum for Old Fashion Caroling. Hot

December 7: A Rock n Roll Christmas in Tulare 6:30pm – 62nd Annual Tulare tree lighting ceremony at Tulare Ave. and K St. followed by the Annual Tulare Christmas Children’s Parade with holiday family fun and market – cookies & hot chocolate served. For more information, visit www.tularedowntown.com or call (559) 685-2350.

December 7: Corcoran Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting 6-10pm - This is an annual event occurring the first Thursday of December every year.

Parade down Whitley Avenue, vendor booths, Santa Meet and Greet under the Gazebo, Tree Lighting and Dedication.

For more information, call Corcoran Chamber of Commerce (559) 9924514.

November 27 – Visalia 72nd Candy Cane Lane Parade 7pm - Visalia’s Candy Cane Lane Parade “Winter Wonderland” will celebrate its 72nd year bringing holiday spirit to the streets of Downtown Visalia.

The 1 ½ mile route proceeds West on Main Street from Liberty to Conyer.

December 1: Christmas in Lemon Cove and Annual Bake Sale 4-7pm - Museum Open House with refreshments and some Southern Bluegrass Gospel Music. 32792 Sierra Drive in Lemon Cove.

Museum, sponsored by the Tule River Historical Society. Patty Torrey and friends will make music throughout the afternoon. Blacksmithing, weaving, woodworking, butter churning and cider pressing also throughout the afternoon. Refreshments will include hot cider and more brought by the Back Country Cookers. Admission is free.

34902 Hwy 190 - enter through the rodeo gates.

December 3- Hanford Rockin’ Rudolph Run 8:15-8:30am - Kid’s Fun Run (12 and under) $15 race fee ($20 after Nov. 28) & $2.50 sign-up fee 8:30am – 5K Run/Walk - $30 race fee ($35 after Nov. 28) & $2.50 sign-up fee N. Douty. The Rockin’ Rudolph Run is a great way to start the holiday season with a great stroll through downtown Hanford. The event features a 5k Run/ Walk, Kid’s Reindeer Run and a Costume Contest. You can even create a Team when you register. The Team can be made of your family, co-workers, friends, or even with Santa’s reindeer.

Included with registration - One Really Nice Sweatshirt; Finisher’s Christmas Medal for all, Santa Claus will be there for pictures, Costume Contest, Chip Timed Race (Kids Race is not timed).

For more information, visit www.runsignup.com/Race/CA/Hanford/HanfordRockinRudolphRun#directions December 3: Old Fashion Christmas Open House 1-4pm - At the Springville Historical

December 8: Exeter Women’s Club 6th Annual Christmas Home Tour 4-8pm - Visit four local home decked with festive holiday decorations. Exeter Women’s Clubhouse will serve as the hospitality house with hot cocoa, snacks and live music all evening, 201 Kaweah Ave. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 the night of the tour. Tickets are available at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce or Antiques by the Water Tower. For more information, call (559) 592-6738.

The Zalud House, dressed up with vintage seasonal decorations, hosts tours on December 8, 9, 15 & 16.

Courtesy/City of Porterville

December 8, 9, 15 & 16: Old Fashion Christmas Tours Candlelight Tours @ Zalud House 6-8pm – The Zalud House comes alive

with the holiday spirit featuring special seasonal displays, vintage decorations and yuletide piano music. The guided tours and refreshments are sure to provide an enjoyable evening for the whole family. Admission is only $3 for adults and $1 for children. For more information, call (559) 782-7548; (559) 7917695.

December 9: Masquerade - 37th Annual Visalia Chamber Christmas Tree Auction 7-11:30pm - Live Christmas tree auction with formal dinner, dancing, and wine tasting. New event layout featuring partnerships between charities with live auction trees and local restaurants.

Live Music by Run4Cover so you can dance the night away.

Appearance by the Golden West Drum Line to kick off the live auction. Entertainment by Aerial Yoga Artists during the VIP reception. Mask-ed Sponsor surprise to wrap up the silent auctions.

Tickets $70; VIP tickets-sold out! For more information (559) 734-5876 or at www.visaliachamber.org December 10: 42nd Annual Senior Christmas Dinner & Dance 1:30pm – at Burton Middle School featuring Jimmy Kusserow and the Fabulous Studio Band. Dinner, dancing and door prizes!

Dinner service provided by the Burton Middle School Leadership Team.

Tickets are $10 in advance or at the door. Space is limited. Tickets may be purchased at the Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange. For more information, call (559) 791-7695.

December 15: Lindsay Community Christmas Celebration 6pm – Following its Celebration of Lights Parade, Santa arrives at City Hall with a toy for every boy and girl, sponsored by the Lindsay Police Officers Association. Santa’s helpers bring cookies and cocoa for all the good little boys and girls, and the big ones too. For more information call (559) 562-7168 or (559) 562-4929.

December 15: Winter Talent Night – Lindsay Community Theatre 7:30pm - This evening of music will feature high school and college age singers and musicians sharing their favorite songs. You will be pleased by the talent presented by our local youth. $5 all seats. For more information, contact Jim Kliegl – theater manager at jrkliegl103@gmail.com or (559) 2842223.

December 16: Community Christmas Praise Night A night of praise music offered to our community by local worship teams and individuals joyfully celebrating the birth and life of Christ Jesus. Selections will center on raising our voices, our spirits and our hearts to the Maker and keeper of our lives. Lindsay Community Theatre - Admission Free - Donations gratefully accepted. For more information, contact Jim Kliegl – theater manager at jrkliegl103@gmail.com or (559) 284-2223.

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • C5 Southern Pacific Depot Restaurant.

Other South Valley Holiday Art Sales

The Arts Consortium is hosting a $100 or Under Membership Show from Nov. 29 – Dec. 22 including First Friday in December. The gallery at 300 E. Oak St. in Visalia. Original artwork entries will include original artwork including paintings, cards, mugs, pottery and woodwork.

Toni Best will also have some of her basketry and/or gourds here as well. The gallery is open from Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 3pm. For more information, call (559) 802-3266.

Le Tres Petite Noel is a one-day event

on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10am – 5pm at the Cort Gallery at the end of Skyline Rd. in Three Rivers. Featuring the artwork of Elsah Cort and her friends, on display and for sale will be mandala ornaments and calendars, Native American jewelry, hand-knit scarves and hats, homemade jams and goodies, and giclee prints – digital collages. For more information, call (559) 561-4671.

The Porterville Art Association Gift Shop always has a lot of member artwork available including paintings, books by local authors, jewelry, hand-knit scarves, hand-woven handbags wood work, pottery and more. The gallery and gift shop is located at 151 N. Main St. in Porterville. For hours and more information, call (559) 784-4323.

Entangled – a sample of Toni Best’s gourd-basketry work, available at the Arts Visalia Holiday Show & Sale.

Shopping Continued from C1 and prices.

Another

Arts Visalia Holiday Event

Join Arts Visalia for a morning of free face painting at the 13th Annual Race Against Hunger’s Kid’s Zone on Thursday, November 23, Thanksgiving Day, Arts Visalia is partnering with the Visalia Emergency Aid Council to provide fun activities for the children of this beneficial event. All proceeds from the

• •

Race Against Hunger benefit the Visalia Emergency Aid Food Pantry. The Race Against Hunger provides critical funding for food assistance to more than 1,100 families (2,500 children) in need each month. Arts Visalia is happy to be a part of such a cause.

Arts Visalia is also excited to participate in the Chamber of Commerce’s 36th annual Christmas Tree Auction, with a small tree for the silent auction.

The Arts Visalia Annual Holiday Show & Sale is sponsored in part by TS Ranch Flatbeds, Bueno Beverage, Jack & Charlie’s, the Vintage Press and the

Holiday Gifts Irrigation Supplies • Agricultural Supplies • Lawn & Garden Supplies www.FruitGrowers.com

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The Patient Fisherman is one of Heidi Steinman’s recent oils. Some of her original pieces will be available during the Arts Visalia Show, open now through Dec. 16.

Find Unique and Charming Gifts in EXETER!

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Exeter Downtown Shops Open Late Thursday Evenings November 30 & December 7, 14 & 21 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

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5 - 8 pm

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Exeter Gift Certificates make Great Christmas Gifts Employees, Friends, Loved Ones, Teachers, Stocking Stuffers and MORE! Available at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce ALL YEAR LONG!

101 W. Pine St. Exeter 559•592•2919 www.ExeterChamber.com

16November,2017

C6 • Valley Voice

Holiday Pies

excessive browning.

4. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.

Staff Reports

Are you on pie duty for an upcoming holiday gathering? Here are a couple of pie recipes for delicious results and easy to create!

Choose your own crust – homemade or ready-to-use.

Delicious Mincemeat Pie

Filling • 1 jar (20.5 oz) ready-to-use mincemeat (2 cups) • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans • 1 ½ cups Gala apple, peeled, chopped • 1/2 cup chopped dried Calimyrna figs • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar • 1/3 cup brandy • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Best Apple Pie

Filling 6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples 3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon juice Steps 1. Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.

2. In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crustlined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust – use your imagination here!

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent

• • • • • • •

meat (meatless) pie filling 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and chopped 1/2 cups golden raisins 1/2 cups dried cranberries 1 1/2 cups walnuts chopped 1/2 cups brown sugar packed 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup rum or apple juice

Steps 1. Combine mincemeat, apples, raisins, cranberries, walnuts, brown sugar, lemon juice and rum or apple juice in a glass or plastic bowl, mix well. Cover

and refrigerate overnight.

2. The next day, remove mincemeat filling from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Stir mincemeat filling and pour into prepared pie crust. Top with second pie crust, crimp edges and make slits or make a lattice top.

4. Bake in preheated oven on low shelf for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully, you may need to cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.

Steps 1. In medium bowl, stir together mincemeat, pecans, apple, figs, brown sugar, brandy and lemon peel. Cover; refrigerate at least 8 hours.

2. Let pie filling stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425°F. Stir filling well; pour into crustlined plate. Top with second crust and flute; cut slits in several places.

3. Bake on lowest oven rack 40 to 45 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about five hours.

Mincemeat Pie, Minus Meat

Filling • 1 jar (18 oz.) prepared mince-

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Movies

Continued from C1 as the title character.

Saturday, Dec. 16 @ 7pm - National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is rated PG-13 and the running time is 97 minutes.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a 1989 American Christmas comedy film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. It is the third installment in National Lampoon’s Vacation film series, and was written by John Hughes, based on his short story in National Lampoon magazine, “Christmas ‘59”. The film stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid, with Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki as the Griswold children Audrey and Rusty, respectively.

Since its release in 1989, Christmas Vacation has often been labeled as a modern Christmas classic Tickets for all movies are $5 ($6 day of ) or $6 if charged by credit card; there is a $2 restoration fee with each order.

The Hanford Fox is located at 326

North Irwin St. For more information visit www. foxhanford.com/ or call (559) 584-7423.

The Visalia Fox Theatre is also offering holiday movies including: Wednesday, Dec. 6 @ 6:30 pm - It’s a Wonderful Life - An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett; directed by Frank Capra; starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.

Thursday Dec. 21 @ 6:30 pm – Scrooged - A selfish, cynical T.V. executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve. Written by Mitch Glazer, Michael O’Donoghue; directed by Richard Donner; starring Bill Murray, Karen Allen and John Forsythe.

Tickets for these movies are $5 and will include a small popcorn for the first 100 in attendance.

The Visalia Fox is located at 300 W. Main St. For more information, visit www.foxvisalia.org/ or call (559) 625-1259.

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • C7

Winter Dance Party Returns to Visalia Fox Staff Reports

The popular live concert experience, “Winter Dance Party” returns to the Visalia Fox Theatre, Saturday, December 9 at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now through the Fox Theatre box office and Ticketfly.

John Mueller’s “Winter Dance Party” ® is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper’s final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates. Each live concert performance includes over two hours of unbridled, high voltage entertainment featuring all the hit songs of the 50’s era: That’ll Be the Day, Peggy Sue, Oh, Boy, Rave on, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace, and many, many more.

John Mueller, the critically acclaimed former star of the US touring version of the London/Broadway hit musical “Buddy…the Buddy Holly Story,” performs as Buddy Holly and Linwood Sasser fills the legendary footsteps of the Big Bopper. Ray Anthony performs as Ritchie Valens and is a renowned star of the “Legends of Rock and Roll” show at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. The very

authentic and energetic four-piece band (guitar, drums, stand-up bass, and sax) includes Grammy award winning Mike Acosta on saxophone.

The Winter Dance Party show has performed in front of over two million people on national TV for the Jerry Lewis Telethon, has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada at theatres, performing arts centers, ballrooms, corporate events, casinos and even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with John Mellencamp, Marshall Crenshaw and others.

Highlights over the years have included receiving the keys to the city of Green Bay, WI from the Mayor, playing at the legendary Surf Ballroom on the same day Buddy, Ritchie, and the Big Bopper did 40 years prior and performing on stage with Maria Elena Holly (Buddy’s widow), Niki Sullivan (an original Cricket band member) and Tommy Allsup (original Winter Dance Party guitarist and legendary Nashville producer.)

Tickets for the show are $26$37. For more information, contact the Visalia Fox Theatre at (559) 6251369 or visit the website at www.foxvisalia.org.

Happy Holidays!

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16 November, 2017

The Nation’s Christmas Tree

Valley Voice • C8

National Park Service

This tree has inspired thousands of people including R.J. Senior and the late Charles E. Lee of Sanger, California. In 1924, R.J. Senior visited what was then General Grant National Park, and found himself standing by the Grant Tree with a little girl. As they admired the huge tree, the girl exclaimed, “what a wonderful Christmas tree it would be!”

The idea stayed with Mr. Senior, and in 1925, with the help of Mr. Lee, the first Christmas program was held at the Grant Tree at noon on Christmas Day. Mr. R.J. Senior, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Lee, then secretary of the Chamber, conceived the idea of an annual ceremony. Mr. Lee wrote to President Calvin Coolidge, who designated the General Grant as the Nation’s Christmas Tree on April 28, 1926.

At one of the early gatherings, Colonel John White, longtime Park Superintendent, expressed the feeling that brings people here year after year. “We are gathered here around a tree that is worthy of representing the spirit of America on Christmas Day. That spirit is best expressed in the plain things of life, the love of the family circle, the simple life of the out-of-doors.

The tree is a pillar that is a testimony that things of the spirit transcend those of the flesh.”

Some people have returned many times to rededicate themselves to the spirit of the season in the presence of this magnificent tree.

In 1976, the 50th ceremony was at-

Couresy/D. Dierkes/NPS

tended by Elizabeth Gates, who remembered the adventure of getting to the first program with her father R. J. Senior.

It was a much longer, colder and more hazardous trip than today’s. Peter Beier, 27 years old at the first ceremony, still had a perfect attendance record at the 50th anniversary.

He even made the trek to the tree in 1971 when a snowstorm had closed the road and the ceremony was held outside the park. He and a handful of

hardy campers made it to the tree to watch as park rangers placed the traditional wreath.

A Sanger native who took part in the first ceremony as a child later returned to deliver the Christmas message. Jasper G. Havens was a minister in Idaho and Utah when he returned to speak in 1978. He recalled the cold trip of 1926 in the family’s Model-T Ford.

In 1984, Al Saroyan, then 73, was honored at the 58th ceremony as one of

the three Sanger High School trumpet players who performed at the 1926 event.

The Sanger Chamber of Commerce continues to sponsor the annual Christmas “Trek to the Tree” on the second Sunday of December at 2:30 p.m.

Note: Trek to the Tree will be held on Sunday, Dec. 10. The Sanger Chamber of Commerce is offering three types of bus trips – a lunch bus, direct-service only bus or dinner bus. Call the chamber for more information, (559) 875-4575.

Valley Scene

16 November, 2017

Artist Reception for Bishops and Zanini at PAA, December 3 Staff Reports The latest Porterville Arts Association exhibit features the work of Bill Bishop, Susie Bishop and Ron Zanini.

The exhibit is currently open, however, the artist reception is Sunday, Dec. 3 from 2-4pm.

Bill Bishop’s expertise in reproducing both fish and birds from wood stems from a true love for fly fishing and watching birds. He believes in accuracy and his clients are pleased.

He is a graduate of Art Center School of Design. His world-class sculptures of birds and fish are in private collections throughout the United States.

An accomplished artist, Bill Bishop combines his God–given artistic ability with his love of the outdoors. He creates world-class wood sculptures of birds and fish for private collections.

Bishop worked in Freelance Illustration, Technical Illustration in the

Aerospace Industry and as a Medical Illustrator at UCLA, School of Dentistry.

When he attended a Duck’s Unlimited fundraiser he knew what his next creative endeavor would be. He began carving water fowl and in 1987 won World Champion in the Champion in Open Class Decorative-life size division. For 34 years he has been sculpting detailed art from wood.

Susie Negus Bishop knew at a very young age she loved nature and art. She was raised on a ranch in Springville and spent summers at the Balch Park-station her family owned. This legacy has greatly influenced her art. She is happy to reside again in Porterville with her artist husband, Bill.

She is a self-taught artist, learning from nature and directed by her rock, her faith in God. Early in the late seventies, she painted for Ducks Unlimited and at a fundraiser met her future

PORTERVILLE ART continued on B6 »

Elf The Musical Jr. Arrives for The Holidays at LJ Theatre Visalia

Elf The Musical JR stars Mattie Cole as Jovie and Logan Lancaster as Buddy.

Courtesy/Tulare County Office of Education

Staff Reports The Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Elf The Musical JR is a fitting way to welcome the holiday season to Tulare County. Based on the beloved holiday film starring Will Ferrell, Elf JR is a heartwarming, fish-out-of-water musical that chronicles Buddy the Elf ’s quest to find his true identity.

“Following the very dramatic productions we featured in 2016, including The Secret Garden and Les Misérables, I knew that I wanted to direct a feel-good, funny and exciting musical for our fall 2017 show,” said the show’s director and Theatre Company vocal coach Charlotte Garcia Da Rosa. After reading the script and listening to the music for Elf, I knew I had found the show! With a cast of 107 performers, this show offers many kids the chance to be featured in a truly joyfilled, family show!”

The story of Elf begins with Buddy,

an orphan toddler, mistakenly crawling into Santa’s bag of gifts. Transported to the North Pole, Buddy is raised as an elf, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.

With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

“A role as well-known as Buddy is as much a challenge as it is a reward,” said Logan Lancaster, who plays the title character. “People already know and love him, which makes my job easy. While on the surface he seems easy to play, my challenge is to add to it and make it unique.”

ELF MUSICAL continued on B6 »

Selena Mejia, a two-year student at The Creative Center, displays her self-portrait available at the Soup, Sip & Shop event, Nov. 16. Nancy Vigran

The Creative Center Celebrates 40 Years and Looking Forward For 40 years The Creative Center has served the South Valley community by offering visual and performing arts classes to those who might not otherwise have had the opportunity. It was the vision of Violet Ginsburg that brought about the facility, helping adults with developmental disabilities further their passions and bring their goals to fruition.

A former union army outpost, plating works plant, icehouse, barn and accompanying warehouses, which The Creative Center calls home, was leased to the Center back in 1977 by Visalia City Council for $100 per year – that price still exists today. The lease was contingent upon the Center developing $15,000 worth of improvements to the property every five years – which has been done and then some for every five-year period since.

Nancy Vigran

Current Student Body

The 92 current students are between 20 – 74 years of age. Some are new, others have attended the Center for 20 or 30 years. It can accommodate up to 100 students.

“We always expand to take in new students, but at times have a waiting list,” said Amanda Guajardo, executive director. “We try to meet everyone’s needs.”

While many students live in Visalia, some come from as far as Three Rivers, Dinuba, Reedley and Armona to attend classes, five days per week.

Classes include the visual arts, performing arts and life skills.

Students “are not required to be

CREATIVE CENTER continued on B3 »

Jethro Tull at Visalia Fox, Ticket Sale Starts November 17 It was on the 2nd of February 1968 at the world-famous Marquee Club in Wardour Street that Jethro Tull first performed under that name. The group would go on to become one of the most successful and enduring bands of their era, selling over 60 million albums worldwide and entering the cultural collective consciousness along the way.

To celebrate this golden anniversary, Ian Anderson will present 50 years of Jethro Tull at Visalia Fox Theatre on June 5, 2018, as part of the worldwide touring schedule. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 17 at foxvisalia.org and by phone at 625-1FOX (1369).

The debut album, This Was, was

Staff Reports released later that same year. Founder, frontman and flautist, Ian Anderson, is rightly credited with introducing the flute to rock as a front line instrument, not to mention the codpiece!

Jethro Tull are one of the biggest selling Progressive Rock artists of all time, and the group’s immense and diverse catalogue of work encompasses folk, blues, classical and heavy rock stylings. The anniversary concerts will feature a broad mix of material, some of it focussing on the earlier formative period through to the “heavy hitters” of the Tull catalogue

JETHRO TULL continued on B6 »

16November,2017

B2 • Valley Voice

Kaweah Delta to Hold Holiday Cheer Event on December 5 Staff Reports

Kaweah Delta Health Care District will celebrate the holiday season on Tuesday, Dec. 5, with a Christmas tree lighting event featuring Santa, music from local students, and refreshments.

The event will take place from 5-7pm inside the Acequia Wing Lob-

by of Kaweah Delta Medical Center, 305 W. Acequia Ave., Visalia. Parking is available in the parking structure across from the medical center on Acequia Avenue.

Refreshments will be provided to those in attendance. Santa will make an appearance, so attendees are encouraged to bring cameras for pho-

tos. Additionally, the Mt. Whitney High School Choral Department and Jazz Band will provide musical performances.

Kaweah Delta is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County.

With over 5,000 dedicated medical professionals and employees, Kaweah Delta is committed to meeting the community’s health needs through state-of-the-art medicine, high-quality preventive services and specialized health centers and clinics.

For more information, visit www. kaweahdelta.org.

McKellar Family Farms Seeks to Boost Tulare County Agritoursim Staff Reports McKellar Family Farms is a non-profit organization in Ivanhoe, CA, offering group wagon tours of its 182acre working citrus farm. Since 2015, they have hosted thousands of visitors on their farm—including tourists, local students, and community members—and they aim to reach thousands more through the development of a Self-Guided Walking Tour, set to open in the spring of 2018.

The Central Valley may be one of the most agriculturally rich regions in the nation, but surprisingly, it lacks authentic agricultural experiences where visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at a working farm. That’s where McKellar Family Farms comes in. With close to two million tourists coming to Tulare County to visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks each year, McKellar Family Farms aims to educate people from around the world about the citrus industry.

While McKellar Farm Farms’ group wagon tours have been successful in ed-

ucating many visitors about agriculture, a self-guided walking tour would allow them to open their doors to an estimated 30,000 guests, many of whom have never stepped foot on a farm before. During the tour, visitors will take a journey on the farm, exploring a variety of informational and interactive exhibits, all focusing around the citrus industry.

“We’re looking forward to where McKellar Family Farms is headed,” said Farmer Bob McKellar, CEO of McKellar Family Farms. “We’re not in it for the money. We just want to share our farm with people.”

As a non-profit, McKellar Family Farms is seeking funds to open the walking tour in spring 2018.

They already have the designated space for the tour, complete with several structures, security fencing, public restrooms, and more. With the community’s sup-

port, McKellar Family Farms can help bring agritourism to Tulare County.

For more information about McKellar Family Farms or to donate toward the development of the Self-Guided Walking Tour, visit mckellarfamilyfarms.com,

call (559) 731-7925, or email info@mckellarfarms.com. If you are interested in organizing a wagon tour for your group, you must schedule it in advance by calling or emailing our office. Hours of operation vary.

Coming to the Hanford Fox Theatre Pink Martini Fri., Dec. 1 @ 7 pm $42 - $65

A Very Merry Kissmas W/Tyler Farr Sat. Dec. 11 @ 7pm Call for ticket info!

Terra Bella Friday, Dec. 5 @ 7 pm $20

$5 Movies Mickey’s Christmas Carol & Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas - Friday, Nov. 24 @ 7pm Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer& Frosty the Snowman - Saturday, Dec. 9 @ 2pm

(559) 584-7823

www.foxhanford.com

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • B3

Creative Center Continued from B1

artists,” Guajardo said, “but they are required to have a passion for the arts.”

And, while the Center does not provide transportation, staff does their best to make arrangements to get students to class every day. For example, in life skills, students may learn to take public transportation on their own.

While many students may have a preponderance toward either visual or performing arts, they are encouraged to take part in both whenever possible.

People First

There is a student council called People First. Twenty-year-old Selena Mejia is president and Tim Buss, 31, is vice president.

Mejia is fairly new to the Center, having been a student for the past two years.

The Woodlake resident enjoys expressing herself in her visual arts work.

“I call myself an alien because I am not like anyone else,” she said.

In a self-portrait, she draws herself with a small alien caricature, her cats, her mother hugging her and more. Text fills the background with printed words, cut from a book. It isn’t the text that matters, but rather the look of the words filling the rest of the artwork.

Her life has not been easy, she said.

She was raped at the age of 10. Her father was a drunk. Her mother has suffered

from being victimized as well, and from a broken marriage. Still, Mejia is upbeat and enjoys living with her siblings and her mom. She’s learned to cope, she said.

“All my art comes from heart,” she said. It expresses, “there are things worth fighting for in life.”

Buss returned as a student about two years ago. He had an approximate fiveyear leave following his first eight years of study at the Center.

Active in the theatre, Buss has been in about 12 plays, he said, and he is now learning to work behind the camera by filming some of the Center’s podcasts for U-Tube. He plays the saxophone in the well-known Blues Brothers Act of the Center, and also paints in visual arts classes.

“Acting has always been a part of my life,” he said, with a lot of his family also being into theater.

Being officers within People First, Mejia and Buss get to travel around the state for conferences of similar groups, where they meet and learn other ideas and activities to bring home to the Center, he said. It’s a benefit which he enjoys.

Of the Center, Buss said, “It is really just a nice place to be.”

New Staff

While there is some longtime staff, many of the teachers and aides are new.

A Visalia native, Stevi Daniels, is a visual arts instructor and arts marketing director. An artist herself, Daniels taught art in Honduras for three years. Upon her return to the Central Valley, she began her work at the Center this past summer.

Camelo Ruiz is head of the performing arts department and has been with the Center for about a year-and-a-half.

He works with students not only onstage, but backstage, teaching them to operate lights, sound equipment, cameras and more. Students also paint backdrops and create props for the Center’s theater productions. And just this week, with the help of a Southern California Edison grant, the Center will have installed its first theater curtain. It’s an exciting time for performing arts at the Center.

Elizabeth Avila is being assisted in her first jewelry work by fellow student Lori Cabe.

Jewelry is one of the many visual arts taught at the Center. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

ley native who attended a school for the performing arts in Southern California, he has returned to the area having been involved in some 150 productions Los Angeles and New York theatre scenes.

“I’ve been acting for 25 years,” Rapozo said, “I was bred in theatre.”

Rapozo has a brother and two cousins who are developmentally handicapped, so this seemed a natural fit, he said.

Rapozo is helping out with the Christmas show and will have his own schedule of teaching with the onset of the New Year, including dance and musical theatre.

Visalia native Cory Janca has been taking in all the Center has to offer for the past eight years.

The 26-year-old is a writer, and enjoys theatre and visual arts. He has done some professional acting and is writing a play through the request of a friend, which they plan to produce together.

Janca is a good spokesman for the Center, and, perhaps, should consider public speaking for human rights.

The formidable Janca said, “We should all treat each other with respect.

Unfortunately, women still struggle, so-

cially, and we need to respect them, especially when in a relationship with them.”

Soup, Sip & Shop

While the performing arts department is readying for its holiday show, the visual arts department has been all a-bustle preparing for its annual Soup, Sip & Shop event on Thursday, November 16.

Open from 5-7pm, visitors and shoppers will receive free homemade soup and enjoy live music while strolling the Center’s Jon Ginsburg Gallery viewing the offerings of handmade gifts all by students.

Proceeds from the sale benefit the Center and students.

The Creative Center’s Soup, Sip & Shop will be held in the gallery at 410 E. Race Ave. Some artwork will be available for sale in the gallery following the event and well into the month of December. For more information, call (559) 733-9329.

A summation of The Creative Center was presented by 26-year-old student Michael McGregor.

“It is a place where we can all be family and do things other people would not have thought possible.”

The Theatre, the Theatre, What’s Happened to the Theatre?

While Tim Buss prefers the theatre, he also paints in oils during visual arts class in the Center. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

In early December, the theatre department will produce Christmas Around the World depicting song, dance, drama and costumes from various countries including Japan, Australia, England and Mexico.

Many of the theatre productions include dance and JP Rapozo is new on staff with some fresh ideas. A South Val-

New performing arts instructor JP Rapozo instructs students during a dance class.

Rapozo begins his first full teaching class schedule in January with dance and musical theatre. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

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Calendar NOVEMBER November 17, 18: Elf The Musical Jr. At the L.J. Williams Theater, 1001 W. Main St., Visalia. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $20 for reserved seating. Evening performances will be held at 7:00 p.m. on November 16, 17 and 18. A 2:00 p.m. matinee is scheduled for November 18. The production also features a backstage character experience entitled “Buddy’s North Pole Adventure.”

For an additional $10 ticket, children are invited.

Tickets available at Visalia TCOE locations: 6200 S. Mooney Blvd. and 7000 Doe Ave, Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

November 17: Grand Opening of Visalia Unified Health and Wellness Clinic 2pm: Visalia Unified School District is proud to announce the opening of Visalia Unified Health & Wellness Clinic, VUSD’s very own private medical clinic. The facility is located at 5344 West Cypress Ave., Suite 102, Visalia, CA 93291. The Clinic is open Monday through Saturday and serves employees, spouses, and dependents that are insured by VUSD.

and the directions for the first caedo. Held at the Internationcard stop. Convenience and fuel al Agri-Center. For more infrostops will be available. mation, call (559) 688-1030 or Your first Poker hand is $10.00, info@farmshow.org. you can buy additional hands for $5:00 each. There will be an opportunity to draw a last chance card at the final stop for an addi- December 1: Christmas in tional $5.00. You must be present Lemon Cove and Annual Bake at turn-in to win.

Sale All hands must be turned in by 4-7pm - Museum Open House 12:30 PM. After expenses, the with refreshments and some pot will be divided between the Southern Bluegrass Gospel Music. 32792 Sierra Drive in Lemon best highball and lowball hand.

Cove.

If you have further questions, please call Dave Smith (559) 202- December 1: Springville 7119 or Tim Day @ (559) 310- Christmas in the Park 9575 or www.rollinrelicscarclub. 1pm - Held in the Springville park located in the center of downblogspot.com town Springville. Fun - Food November 22 – December 16: Fellowship. There is the lighting Arts Visalia Holiday Show & of the tree; Memorial tree reading Sale of names followed by lighting of For part of November and Decandles; entertainment, a visit cember, Arts Visalia will host from Santa Claus at dusk, caroltheir annual Holiday Show & ing throughout the evening, phoSale. This special exhibition will to opportunities with Santa Claus have many items for sale by a (Bring your camera), refreshvariety of artists from the gift ments, raffles and more. Bins will shop expanded through the exbe available for those bringing hibit space. Exhibit will run from non-perishable items for the food November 22 through December drive. This is a community wide 16, with First Friday being Deevent sponsored by the Springville cember 1, from 6-8pm. This is Volunteer Fire Department. a great opportunity to purchase December 1: Exeter Christmas gifts for loved ones. in Paradise Parade 6:30pm - in downtown Exeter on November 24 – Hanford Pine Street. For more informaChristmas Parade 6pm – Lights and Sounds of tion, contact Exeter Community Christmas along 7th and Douty. Services at (559) 592-5262.

DECEMBER

The ceremony will begin at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 17, 2017. Refreshments will be available after the ribbon cutting, and the clinic will be open for em- For more information, contact ployees and community members the Hanford Chamber, (559) 582-0483. to view.

November 27 – Visalia 72nd November 18: “Making DeCandy Cane Lane Parade mocracy Work - Locally” 8am - 12pm: The Rollin’ Relics 7pm - Visalia’s Candy Cane Car Club invites “one and all” to Lane Parade “Winter Wonthe Thirteenth Annual Poker/Tu- derland” will celebrate its 72nd lare County Monument Run. It year bringing holiday spirit to will be about 100 miles, 3 hour the streets of Downtown Visalia. drive. If your hotrod, truck, or The 1 ½ mile route proceeds West motorcycle won’t start, then bring on Main Street from Liberty to your family car and enjoy the fun! Conyer.

Registration is from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM at the Porterville Airport, 1893 S Newcomb. The run will be about 100 miles and end by 12:30 PM. At registration, you will receive further instructions

December 2: Community Caroling

5-7pm – Join the Three Rivers Museum for Old Fashion Caroling. Hot chocolate, coffee & s’mores wit roasting marshmalllows over the campfire. Bring your own chair. Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the local Bread Basket Food Pantry.

The museum is located at 44264 Sierra Dr. in Three Rivers. For more information, call (559) November 28: Tulare Christmas 561-2702.

Tree Auction December 2: Le Tres Petit Noel 5:30pm - Social hour and tree 10am-5pm – An intimate gatherviewing followed by welcome ing of artists and their work in the and dinner at 6:30pm. Catered Three Rivers’ Studio of Elsah Cort

by Fugazzis, MC - David Ma- Studio at the end of Skyline Drive

in Three Rivers. For more information, call (559) 561-4671.

December 2: 26th Annual Spirit of the Holidays Christmas Tree Auction & Wine Tasting 5-8pm - Exeter Kiwanis presents its annual Spirit of the Holidays at the Exeter Veteran’s Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Blvd.

Premium Wines - Whiskey Tasting - Hors d’oeuvres - Raffle - Silent Auction - Live Auction. Semi-formal dress requested. Tickets are $60 each. For more information, visit www.exeterkiwanis.org.

December 2: Annual Dinuba Christmas Tree Lighting 5:30pm – tree lighting follows the parade at The Entertainment Plaza, 289 South L Street. Contact, Dinuba Community Services, (559) 591-5900.

December 3- Hanford Rockin’ Rudolph Run 8:15-8:30am - Kid’s Fun Run (12 and under) $15 race fee ($20 after Nov. 28) & $2.50 sign-up fee 8:30am – 5K Run/Walk - $30 race fee ($35 after Nov. 28) & $2.50 sign-up fee N. Douty. The Rockin’ Rudolph Run is a great way to start the holiday season with a great stroll through downtown Hanford. The event features a 5k Run/Walk, Kid’s Reindeer Run and a Costume Contest. You can even create a Team when you register. The Team can be made of your family, co-workers, friends, or even with Santa’s reindeer. Included with registration - One Really Nice Sweatshirt; Finisher’s Christmas Medal for all, Santa Claus will be there for pictures, Costume Contest, Chip Timed Race (Kids Race is not timed).

For more information, visit www.runsignup.com/Race/CA/ Hanford/HanfordRockinRudolphRun#directions December 3: Old Fashion Christmas Open House 1-4pm - At the Springville Historical Museum, sponsored by the Tule River Historical Society. Patty Torrey and friends will make music throughout the afternoon.

Blacksmithing, weaving, wood-

working, butter churning and cider pressing also throughout the afternoon. Refreshments will include hot cider and more brought by the Back Country Cookers.

Admission is free. 34902 Hwy 190 - enter through the rodeo gates.

decked with festive holiday decorations. Exeter Women’s Clubhouse will serve as the hospitality house with hot cocoa, snacks and live music all evening, 201 Kaweah Ave. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 the night of the tour. Tickets are available at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce December 5: Holiday Cheer or Antiques by the Water Tower.

Event 5-7pm: Celebrate the holidays For more information, call (559) from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 592-6738.

5, with music from Mt. Whit- December 8, 9, 15 & 16: Old ney High School’s Choral De- Fashion Christmas Tours Canpartment and Jazz Band, refresh- dlelight Tours @ Zalud House ments, and a visit from Santa at 6-8pm – The Zalud House comes Kaweah Delta Medical Center, alive with the holiday spirit fea305 W. Acequia Ave., Visalia. In- turing special seasonal displays, formation: 624-5985. vintage decorations and yuletide piano music. The guided tours December 6: Visalia Chamber and refreshments are sure to proTravel Slide Shows 12-1pm - Learn more about two vide an enjoyable evening for the trips that the Visalia Chamber of whole family. Admission is only Commerce is offering, including $3 for adults and $1 for children.

South Pacific Wonders (Australia For more information, call (559) and New Zealand) and Spotlight 782-7548; (559) 791-7695.

on NYC Holiday. Both will be December 9: Critter Creek held at the City Administration Open House Office, 220 N. Santa Fe, Visalia. 11am-2pm - Entrance is by doThe presentation will start with nation. The gate will close at South Pacific Wonders and will 1:30pm to allow you enough time to tour. The Open House be held back-to-back. will be unguided, so the pace is December 7: A Rock n Roll leisurely and there are more opChristmas in Tulare portunities to take pictures. Our 6:30pm – 62nd Annual Tulare tree volunteers will be on hand to anlighting ceremony at Tulare Ave. swer any questions that you have and K St. followed by the Annual and to share stories about some Tulare Christmas Children’s Pa- of our permanent residents. The rade with holiday family fun and gift shop will be open where you market – cookies & hot chocolate can find gifts for the holidays. served. For more information, We have a picnic area, so bring a visit www.tularedowntown.com lunch, or the country store next or call (559) 685-2350. door has refreshments. There will December 7: Corcoran Christ- also be a bake sale where holiday goodies will be on sale. Call (559) mas Parade and Tree Lighting 6-10pm - This is an annual 338-2415 or email at crittercreeevent occurring the first Thurs- kwildlife@hughes.net for inforday of December every year. mation.

Parade down Whitley Avenue, December 9: Masquerade vendor booths, Santa Meet and 37th Annual Visalia Chamber Greet under the Gazebo, Tree Christmas Tree Auction Lighting and Dedication. For 7-11:30pm - Live Christmas tree more information, call Corcor- auction with formal dinner, dancan Chamber of Commerce (559) ing, and wine tasting. New event 992-4514. layout featuring partnerships be-

Appearance by the Golden West Drum Line to kick off the live auction. Entertainment by Aerial Yoga Artists during the VIP reception. Mask-ed Sponsor surprise to wrap up the silent auctions.

Tickets $70; VIP tickets-sold out!

For more information (559) 7345876 or at www.visaliachamber. org

For more information call (559) 562-7168 or (559) 5624929.

December 15: Winter Talent Night – Lindsay Community Theatre 7:30pm - This evening of music will feature high school and college age singers and musicians sharing their favorite songs. You December 10: 42nd Annual will be pleased by the talent preSenior Christmas Dinner & sented by our local youth. $5 all Dance seats. For more information, con1:30pm – at Burton Middle tact Jim Kliegl – theater managSchool featuring Jimmy Kusserow er at jrkliegl103@gmail.com or and the Fabulous Studio Band. (559) 284-2223.

Dinner, dancing and door prizes!

December 16: Community Dinner service provided by the Christmas Praise Night Burton Middle School Leadership A night of praise music offered to Team. Tickets are $10 in advance our community by local worship or at the door. Space is limited. teams and individuals joyfully Tickets may be purchased at the celebrating the birth and life of Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange. Christ Jesus. Selections will cenFor more information, call (559) ter on raising our voices, our spir791-7695. its and our hearts to the Maker December 10: Holiday Movie and keeper of our lives. Lindsay Magic Community Theatre - Admis11:30am, 2:30pm – We will be fea- sion Free - Donations gratefully turing the children’s classic movie accepted. For more information, “How the Grinch Stole Christ- contact Jim Kliegl – theater manmas!” on two big screens; with ager at jrkliegl103@gmail.com or the first showing at 11:30am and (559) 284-2223. the second showing at 2:30pm.

And it doesn’t stop there, a special guest appearance from the Visalia Grinch himself! All included in the price of admission.

Mondays: National Alliance on

CONTINUOUS

Tickets are $10, children 2 and under are free. Bring a new or gently used children’s book and receive $2.00 off each ticket per book.

Mental Illness, 5:45pm Education Meeting: 7pm Support Group St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Visalia, 120 N. Hall, Corner of CenTickets can be purchased at the ter and Hall. For more informaVisalia Convention Center Box tion call: (559) 627-1306 Office, Monday through Friday, Mondays: Bridge Club, or online at www.visaliatix.com. 9:30am-2pm For more information call the 210 W Center Street Visalia. AdVisalia Convention Center Box mission is free. For additional inOffice at (559) 713-4040. formation call: Joan Dinwiddie, (559) 732-0855 December 15: Lindsay Com-

munity Christmas Celebration 6pm – Following its Celebration of Lights Parade, Santa arrives at City Hall with a toy for every boy and girl, sponsored by the Lindtween charities with live auction say Police Officers Association.

December 8: Exeter Women’s trees and local restaurants. Live Santa’s helpers bring cookies and Club 6th Annual Christmas Music by Run4Cover so you can cocoa for all the good little boys Home Tour 4-8pm - Visit four local home dance the night away. and girls, and the big ones too.

Mondays: Knitters, 10am12:30pm 210 W Center Street Visalia. Everyone is welcome.

Mondays: Monday Karaoke at Barmageddon, 9pm-1am Karaoke Jockey Miss Sammi will be hosting from 9pm - 1am. No Cover.

16November,2017

B6 • Valley Voice

Elf Musical Continued from B1

Bill Bishop’s world-class sculptures of birds and fish are in private collections throughout the United States. Courtesy/Porterville Art Association

Porterville Art Continued from B1

husband Bill. Private collectors enjoy her oil and most recent acrylic paintings of wildlife and landscapes.

Susie Bishop loves to share her abilities in painting. She gives beginning lessons to all ages. She and Bill are retired from foster parenting but still realize that art is very important for self-expression and healing and growth.

Ron Zanini has been making decorative wood boxes since his retirement from teaching in 2002.

Using spalted, distressed, patterned, burl, and other otherwise unusual woods, Zanini creates something special that is truly “one-of-a-kind.”

After working as a teacher, while simultaneously being his grandfather’s estate executor, farming the ranch– driving, spraying crops, and signing checks–

all work stopped. That was the beginning of discovering his passion for creating the wooden boxes. Zanini converted his garage into a workshop, purchased some band saws, and started collecting wood– buckeye, sycamore, walnut, peach, orange, pecan, mulberry, and many others– for his projects. He estimates he has completed more than 300 boxes, has another 300-plus boxes in various stages, and more wood than he could ever use.

Among the designs he has created are redwood trees, black bear, birds, flowers and a peacock. His work has incredibly intricate sheer piece of wood that he had to glue on to of another. Each little piece got inlaid with tons and tons of little pieces, sometimes in different colors of woods to bring out the design.

The Porterville Art Association present show will remain up until January 10. The gallery is located at 151 N. Main St. For more information, call (559) 784-4323.

While in New York, Buddy meets and falls in love with Jovie, a skeptical young woman who works with him in Macy’s Christmas department. “Compared to Buddy, Jovie comes across as mean and cynical, when she’s actually just guarded and a bit quirky,” said Mattie Cole, who plays the character.

“Buddy’s honesty gets to her in the end. That’s all Jovie wants – someone she could trust with her heart. My challenge is trying to keep a straight face at some of the things that Logan does onstage.”

Tickets to the November performances of Elf JR are now on sale at the Mooney Boulevard and Doe Avenue offices of the Tulare County Office of Education.

Tickets are $12 for general admission and $20 for reserved seating.

Evening performances will be held at 7:00pm on November 16, 17 and 18.

A 2:00pm matinee is scheduled for November 18.

The production also features a backstage character experience entitled “Buddy’s North Pole Adventure.”

For an additional $10 ticket, children are invited backstage before each show for a tour of Santa’s workshop with Buddy the Elf. Only 50 backstage tickets are available per show.

For more information about the production and tickets, call the Theatre Company at (559) 651-1482.

SCHEDULE

L.J. Williams Theater, 1001 W. Main St., Visalia

Show Times

Evening Shows (7:00pm): November 16, 17, 18 Matinee Show (2:00pm): November 18

Show Ticket Information

• $10 preshow “Buddy’s North Pole Adventure” passes • $12 general admission • $20 reserved seating Tickets available at Visalia TCOE locations: • 6200 S. Mooney Blvd.

• 7000 Doe Ave. Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

Cash or check only.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Principal Characters

• Buddy played by Logan Lancaster • Jovie played by Mattie Cole • Santa played by Eli Adams • Charlie the Elf played by Mason Lalanne • Shawanda the Elf played by Mia Larsen • Walter Hobbs played by Zach Glasgow • Emily Hobbs played by Kaitlyn West • Michael Hobbs played by Luciano Noguera • Deb played by Allison Martin • Chadwick played by Emilie Walker • Matthews played by Paige Ragan • Mr. Greenway played by Parker Chalabian

Jethro Tull Continued from B1

from the albums This Was, Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung, Thick As A Brick, Too Old To Rock And Roll: Too Young To Die, Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses, Crest Of A Knave and even a touch of TAAB2 from 2012.

Anderson says: “I am not usually a birthday or anniversary kind of guy but, just for once, I won’t be a party-pooper either! I treasure the memories of the earlier years of Jethro Tull repertoire, associated as it is with the adventures of visiting so many countries for the first time to connect with new fans around the world. And this is a celebration of all the 33 band members who graced our ranks - musicians who brought their talents, skills and styles to bear on the performances live and in the studio. Join me and the current band for a nostalgic evening of varied music, representative of my ever-changing songwriting as our careers progressed through the years.”

Ian Anderson is accompanied by Tull band musicians David Goodier (bass), John O’Hara (keyboards), Florian Opahle (guitar), Scott Hammond (drums) and surprise virtual guests

About Jethro Tull

Formed in 1968, Jethro Tull have released 30 studio and live albums, selling more than 60 million copies worldwide.

During their 50-year history, the band has performed over 3,000 concerts in more than 50 countries, playing 100+ concerts each year.

16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • B7

Book Notes The Glass Castle and Dead Wake Newell G. Bringhurst

T w o well-written non-fiction books, each crafted by an acclaimed author make for absorbing reading.

Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle: A Memoir following its initial publication in 2005 appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for an incredible 261 weeks.

Wall’s non-fiction account recently reemerged as a best seller in the wake of the release of the motion picture adaptation.

Through the pages of her stranger-than-fiction account, Walls recalls the joys and struggles of her childhood and teenage years.

A true page-turner, her memoir provides unflinching insights into her highly dysfunctional family and the resulting deprivation endured by all. Symptomatic of such suffering was her alcoholic father, who fancied himself an aspiring innovator but whose irresponsible behavior cursed the family with unrelenting poverty.

Her mother, an unfulfilled artist and writer experienced constant bouts of chronic depression, causing her to ignore her motherly responsibilities. During Jeannette’s formative years, the family led a nomadic existence, living in a series of communities in California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Ultimately, the family settled in Welsh, West Virginia—a downtrodden Appalachian coal mining community.

Irish Christmas at Visalia Fox Staff Reports Take a journey through Christmas in Ireland with superb dancing, singing and Irish traditional music celebrating the international spirit of the holiday season.

The Visalia Fox Theatre at 308 W. Main Street will host An Irish Christmas on December 2 at 7pm.

Tickets are on sale now, ranging from $20 to $60.

An Irish Christmas features an award-winning cast of Irish dancers led by World Champion Dancers Scott Doherty (Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Rockin’ Road to Dublin) Tyler Schwartz (Magic of the Dance, Gaelforce Dance, Celtic Fyre) and Connor Reider in a memorable night that spar-

kles with the charm and magic that only this festive time of year can bring.

Celebrate the great tradition of butter making, chase the wren on St. Stephen’s Day, draw down the half door for spectacular dance, enjoy superb music-making and singing of Christmas carols in an unforgettable Irish night!

Songs spinning out of the mists and into the familiar Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy and Carol of the Bells, and superb music of the pipes, flutes, fiddles, and bodhráns are just the beginning of this great Irish night! Not to be Missed! Ireland at its best!

Tickets can be purchased by heading to https://www.foxvisalia.org/ event/1536406-irish-christmas-visalia/ or visiting the Fox Theater box office.

As Jeannette came of age, she along with her older sister sought the means to escape her intolerable environment particularly as the family’s situation further deteriorated.

In sum, The Glass Castle holds the reader’s attention throughout.

Equally engaging is Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by master story teller Erik Larson.

Through his gripping account, Larson vividly captures the drama surrounding the sinking of the Lusita-

More than 40 years in Downtown Visalia

nia in May 1915.

A casualty of World War I, a German U-Boat torpedoed the British luxury liner twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland, killing 1,198 passengers, including 123 Americans.

This audacious attack generated a storm of indignation, particularly in the United States, which had declared its neutrality.

There had been numerous warnings of a possible attack, including the publication in New York City newspapers of a German warning on the morning of the ship’s sailing.

The British Admiralty had broken the German codes enabling it to track the whereabouts of U-Boats, including U-20—the deadly craft that sunk the Lusitania.

Larson provides a series of vivid personal accounts of passengers and crew aboard the doomed vessel.

Dead Wake effectively recreates the tension of the whole affair from both the British and German perspectives.

Newell G. Bringhurst, a retired professor of History and Political Science, welcomes responses and comments at newellgb@hotmail.com

559-734-7079

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16 November, 2017

Valley Voice • B8

Daffodils Rarely Disappoint Bonnie Preston, UCCE Master Gardener

If you are going to have only one bulb in your garden, daffodils are the world’s most popular choice. Why? They are permanent and increase from year to year. They are colorful and come in a fascinating array of colors and size.

Also, they are very hardy, able to withstand hot summers and cold winters. In short, they are the perfect addition to nearly every landscape. Right now, when the soil temperature has cooled, is the best time to get your spring bulb garden planted.

Daffodils originated in Asia and Southern Europe. The most commonly known is the trumpet flower, distinguished by a long cup or trumpet that is surrounded by six petals, but there are other types available too. In fact, there are 24,000 named cultivars with different colors and characteristics. They are classified into 12 divisions based on the size, shape and growth height. Bulbs are sized by their noses or tips. Look for the words DN I or DN II when purchasing.

This identification tells you that each bulb will produce one or two flowers.

The beauty of this flower is that it will easily fit into your landscape. Line a driveway or walkway, cluster in different areas of the garden, plant around the base of a deciduous tree, place them individually to create spot color, or use pots for a burst of color on your doorstep to announce spring. The main requirement is well-drained soil and moisture in the spring.

How to plant is an often-asked question. Plant daffodils approximately 5” to 8’’ deep in loosely packed soil.

The depth is determined by the bulb size (place larger bulbs deeper). Leave 2” to 6” between bulbs, when planting several in the same hole. The best exposure will be north or east, and the flower will turn to face the sun. If planted in pots you can crowd them, but make sure there is room for adequate drainage.

It is not absolutely necessary to fertilize, but it will help the development of the bulb and in turn plants will be more successful. Use either a special fertilizer for bulbs or a general plant fertilizer. After planting, water well. Moisture is very important since bulbs will not start their growth in dry conditions.

Did you know that when displaying daffodils as cut flowers, daffodils and tulips do not mix well in the same vase?

The sap from the daffodils will kill the tulips. To make them compatible, place the daffodils in a separate vase for 24 hours before mixing with the tulips.

To ensure the bulbs’ health for the coming years, fertilize after blooming is over, and continue to fertilize every two weeks for three feedings. It is best to leave them alone while the foliage turns yellow and begins to die down. Do not cut foliage before it dies back. Gardeners tend to get impatient and will fold and tie with rubber bands, or braid the greenery. This will damage the bulb for the following year. The daffodil bulb needs all the nutrients from the foliage to help ensure blooms each year. This

Right now is the best time to plant colorful daffodils.

process will usually take about 10 to 12 weeks. You can remove the foliage once it falls away.

After your bulbs have been in the ground for a number of years, you may notice that they are no longer blooming but still have plenty of greenery. This is the signal that it is time to pull up and separate the bulbs because they are too crowded and don’t receive enough light and nutrients to bloom.

The time to divide daffodils is in the late spring, after they have begun to die back and are starting to turn yellow.

Carefully loosen the soil and dig around the clump. Lift the entire clump of bulbs out of the ground. Check each one and discard any soft bulbs. Only replant the hard, firm bulbs. Once separated, im-

mediately replant. You can use the same area if desired.

When choosing your bulbs remember a naturalizing group will bloom intermittently over a long period of time.

If you choose to go with one or two varieties you will have most of your blooms at the same time. To extend the bloom period, plant narcissus bulbocodium, one of the first to bloom, and tazetta, one of the last to bloom.

Colors are numerous, and there are many different combinations to choose.

Look for double daffodils that have extra petals and resemble a rose or camellia when blooming. Whatever your choice, creating a spring bulb garden filled with daffodils will be the perfect way to usher in next spring.