Valley Voice Issue 123 (16 August, 2018)

Valley Voice

Visalia aquatic center hits rough waters

DA files charges against victim of alleged sheriff assault

CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

The verdict is in, everyone wants an Aquatic Center and confidence is high that grant money and naming rights could pay for most of the facility’s construction.

The fly in the ointment is the likely $600,000-a-year tab for maintenance that grants don’t cover.

The Aquatic Wellness Center Working Group, formed to research the feasibility of a community pool complex, presented its findings at the August 6 Visalia City Council meeting. The complex would include a 50-meter competitive pool, children’s play pool, and a shallow pool for lessons and rehab.

The complex could be located on the corner of School and Burke close to the Visalia Emergency Communications Center.

At the end of its presentation the working group asked the city council for $40,000 in seed money to hire a professional to draft a preliminary design and a business plan.

Councilmember Phil Cox said that last year’s estimate of six million dollars gave him heartburn. The new price tag of $12 to $15 million to build the complex is not justifiable he said.

“How does this pencil out? It doesn’t,” said Cox. David Alberstein, chair of the

AQUATIC continued on 13 »

DAVE ADALIAN

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Andrew Janz met his supporters in Exeter. John Dillon/Valley Voice

Janz makes campaign stop at an Exeter home JOHN DILLON Democratic Congressional candidate Andrew Janz held a meet-andgreet in Exeter on Thursday, August 9th, 2018. The event was held at a house near the outskirts of town. At around six o’clock, people began to flood into the home and took their seats. Chairs were brought in from the outside patio to accommodate the audience of about 45 people.

Before Janz showed up, staffers milled about talking to attendees as well as setting up a table filled with shirts, bumper stickers, and buttons reading “Andrew Janz for Congress”

and “Nunestan.” The latter button had the international prohibition symbol over it (the red circle with the cross through it, universally meaning ‘no’).

It’s a clever play on the idea that Republicans are conspiring with Russia, which, during its USSR days, had several satellite countries ending in ‘-”stan.”

Audience members struck up conversations about various topics from their latest doctor’s appointment to the most recent national news. The turnout was largely comprised of M M aa dd ee rr aa white people over the age of 55, but there were several younger people and Madera people of color there as well. ? c

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

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A new draft ordinance document was distributed and discussed at the Tulare County Animal Services (TCAS) Advisory Committee meeting on August 9.

The goal of the advisory committee is to update the county’s regulations concerning domestic animals and protect them within the unincorporated area of Tulare County. Copies of the draft ordinances and new standards can be downloaded from the TCAS website, www.tcanimalservices.org Patrick Hamblin, Director of TCAS, invited concerned citizens to email their feedback and suggest changes.

“We will be accepting comments and recommendations from the community beginning now through September 28 at animalcontrolsupport@ tularehhsa.org.”

Community outreach meetings will be held in September and TCAS is hoping to present a final draft of the ordinances to the Tulare County Board of Supervisors (BOS) at its first meeting in October. With the BOS’ approval the ordinances will be ready to enforce in January of 2019.

During public comment attend-

ees spoke both in favor and against the operations at Top Dog Kennel, the subject of recent community concern.

Tulare County Supervisor Amy Shuklian pointed out that there are 12 commercial kennels in the county and that Top Dog is not the only one for which the new ordinances will apply.

Elle Blankenship read a statement from Petra House who runs a Labrador rescue out of Fresno. House said that she has no problem with responsible breeders, but Ron Abbott’s Top Dog Kennel is not a commercial business but a puppy mill.

House said that she understands that the county cannot shut Top Dog Kennel down but, considering how over-burdened the Central Valley is with rescue dogs, believes the county should make such large operations not cost effective through tough regulations.

Jeanne Kirkland didn’t like the c e fact that Abbott raised dogs specificala ly for profit and allegedly maximizes production over the health of the animals. “The county should have a zero tolerance for puppy mills,” she said, “and remove the profit element.”

Amy Lockwood said that she has experience with puppy mills and that she can’t believe that the county

Legend

ORDINANCES continued on 14 »

On April 26, 2017, Ramiro Huerta — according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on his behalf — was assaulted in a surprise attack by several deputies of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department after he called for assistance to his rural Strathmore home.

Now, more than a year after the incident, Huerta and his attorneys are fighting a series of minor misdemeanor criminal charges filed against him by the Tulare County District Attorney.

The allegations against Huerta include making unlawful 911 calls and resisting arrest. A trial date is set in the matters for December 4 at the Tulare County Superior Court in Porterville.

Obstruction and Intimidation

The move by the DA’s office, says Matthew Owdom, who represents Huerta in both the civil and criminal matters, is an attempt to intimidate his client and slow discovery of evidence in the pending federal civil rights case.

“They filed these BS charges after the (civil rights) lawsuit was filed,” Owdom said. “They initiated a

ASSAULT continued on 12 »

JANZ continued on 11 »

Updated Tulare County kennel ordinances discussed CATHERINE DOE

Volume XXXVIII No. 16 16 August, 2018 ourvalleyvoice.com

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for the Center for Biological Diversity, which fought the BLM to a standstill Santa Barbara The Bureau of I ÆLand Manage- over the VV ee nn ttissue uu rr aa in 2013. ment’s (BLM) Bakersfield Office is However, those uneasy now over Ventura nasking for the public’s opinion on a fracking’s potential to pollute air, soil plan to open some 1.6 million acres of and groundwater--as well as causing Los Angeles land in Central California to hydraulic seismic instability--may want to wait fracturing--an oil and gas extraction to hit the panic button. method more commonly known as “fracking.”

Wait and See Environmentalists should definiLakewood says how the Center Planning Area for Bakersfield tely be very concerned the Bureau has Hydraulic Fracturing Supplemental NEPA started looking at fracking again, says dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

County Boundary Bakersfield Field Office

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FRACKING continued on 15 »

16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

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FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

There’s California, it seems to me, and then there’s the rest of the world.

Speaking of the rest of the world, California’s economy is currently the fifth largest, globally. Imagine everything going on in California--everything from farming to high tech--and it’s a diverse range of endeavors and people to meet them.

If I could live anywhere it’d be in California. In fact, I often wish I lived there.

But I don’t. I live in Tulare County.

Tulare County is the Arkansas of California. Maybe the Mississippi.

A right-wing, knee-jerk backwater where a poorly drawn cartoon such as Devin Nunes is not only comfortable, but--in all likelihood--safe.

His support is legion and blind, both--while Nunes himself seems more concerned with his relationship with the White House than that with his own constituents. Those who support Nunes are complicit in the undermining of America.

Which is not being made “great again.”

Trump is far from presidential. He has the typical gravitas all megalomaniacs share--that is, everything is about himself, even if it’s all in his own head. Internationally he’s mocked, and he talks a big game until the time for whatever summit arrives. Then he caves. He’s a bully, a liar and a blowhard. And, as I’ve previously written, he’s in the Russian mafia. Yet Nunes continually bends over (you can decide which way) to support the Orange Horror. Just recently, Nunes was recorded opining that a Republican-controlled congress is this president’s last line of defense.

So much for Twitter.

Last I looked, we live under the rule of law--not a cult of personality--and congress, such as it is, remains a branch of government co-equal with and as a check on the executive.

Californians understand this.

Nunes’ constituents will still re-elect him.

In the nearly 20 years I’ve lived in this Comic-con of a county I’ve witnessed a whole cast of bad actors upon the public stage. Their chief virtue now, of course, is that they’re all gone.

Let’s take a stroll down Memory Lane, shall we?

Former Tulare Police Chief Jerry Breckinridge is gone, after his documented kerfuffle with wife, booze and driving, to take his issues up in the city of Arvin.

The entirety of the former Tulare Local Healthcare District Board is gone, thank God. Individually and collectively an unprecedented disgrace. Sherrie Bell, Dr. Parmod Kumar, Richard Torrez, Linda Wilbourn and Laura Gadke are no more--at least, as a board. How any of them can show their face in the city of Tulare eludes me.

And on that note, gone, too, is Dr. Benny Benzeevi.

There are many more--I have omitted, for instance, the City of Tulare Public Cemetery District--but my favorite has to be former Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones. True, he yet sits on the city council. But after antics that might have shamed Caligula, he voted for his own removal.

Go figure.

If only it were ever that easy.

See how much better the public good can be when certain bad actors exit the stage?

Now another needs to go.

Care to guess which one? I’ll give you a hint: Whoever puts party, or self-interest, over country is a traitor.

Get off your duff in November and vote.

— Joseph Oldenbourg

Valley Voice

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

The Voice strives for accuracy in reporting.

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

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

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

Publisher/Editor:

Joseph Oldenbourg

joseph@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-731-8687

Reporters:

Catherine Doe

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-972-7778

Dave Adalian

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Production/Website: Tony Maldonado

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-799-4100

Valley Voice 16 August, 2018

POLITICAL FIX Brother can you spare a dime? – or $500?

The first time I saw The Dollar Store it was 1991 and I was in Stockton for work. I thought it was a brain storm of an idea, especially with three toddlers’ stocking to fill at Christmas. I was still in my 20’s and not cognizant of the fact of how poor Stockton was or that these types of stores were only located in regions with the lowest median incomes.

And Stockton’s finances haven’t gotten much better since.

During the Great Recession in 2008 the city declared bankruptcy and it was known as America’s foreclosure capital. Stockton has since pulled itself out of bankruptcy but currently a quarter of the population lives in poverty and the median income, $46,000, is roughly one-fourth below the national level.

That makes the average Stockton employee one major automobile repair away from economic ruin.

So what could be a creative solution for the worst income inequality in the richest country in the world?

Maybe Universal Basic Income (UBI) would work.

The concept of UBI is an unconditional cash payment to all citizens.

The idea to implement UBI has been bounced about all over the world.

Proponents see UBI as a neat solution to poverty and it removes the bureaucracy of the Department of Welfare. Detractors argue it would remove the incentive to work.

UBI has been tried on limited groups in Finland, Canada, Uganda and Cambodia. A 12-year pilot program is underway in Kenya.

So why not Stockton?

Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs, at 27, is the youngest mayor and the first African-American to hold the job there and he is leading the charge.

Mr. Tubbs grew up in South Stockton, where payday lenders and pawn shops exploit the desperation of working poor people. His father was in prison for gang-related crime. His mother worked in medical customer service and struggled to pay bills, relying on welfare and food stamps.

His plan is to deliver $500 a month in donated cash to a 100 local families, no strings attached.

The trial would be the first in the United States, though Alaska provides similar free money. For the past 40 years, all Alaskans, including children, have received an annual cash payment from oil royalties.

The trial program in Stockton, along with two other scholarship programs, is funded by private donations.

Billionaires such as the Spanos family, which owns the Los Angeles Chargers football team, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, and Pacific Gas and Electric have donated a million dollars to start the pilot project.

If the UBI program is considered a success, Mr. Tubbs will seek to convince the rest of the state and even the federal government to consider it.

But what constitutes a success?

Skeptics suggest it’s a worse version of welfare.

Maybe poor people will just spend it on drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes and lazy people will quit going to work.

The New York Times interviewed a

possible recipient. “‘Oh, my,’ said Ms. Holliman, who still carries credit card debt of more than $500 and does not earn enough money to regularly buy fresh fruit.

‘When you’re struggling, you’re going to rush and pay your bills.’”

Residents say they’d spend the $500 on everything from rent, to child care, to food or even luxuries like a new television, Tubbs said. He hopes to chip away at assumptions that poorer residents might use the money on drugs and wants to show most are going to buy the necessities.

A Mr. Hughs on Facebook said: “It is such a fundamental idea behind America that if you work hard, you can get ahead — and you certainly don’t live in poverty. But that isn’t true today, and it hasn’t been true in the country for decades…….I believe that unless we make significant changes today, the income inequality in our country will continue to grow and call into question the very nature of our social contract.”

So do Alaskans use their free hand-out to buy drugs? Research says that they use their royalties for education, to get them through seasonal changes in their work, or to pay for heating during the winter.

And the “hand-out” hasn’t tarnished their reputation as hard workers, either.

“It’s about changing the narrative around who’s deserving,” Mr. Tubbs told The New York Times.

You Left Your Heart Where?

I used to fantasize about renting or owning an atelier in San Francisco.

I wanted to hear the big city sounds, feel the crisp air of the Bay, gaze up at the sky scrapers, and every once in a while see a play at the Curran Theater. I even liked the honking taxis.

I imagined myself getting up in the morning to walk to Café de la Presse at the foot of China Town, buying a Paris Match, and sitting down for a leisurely coffee.

Recently I apartment sat for a friend who lives in San Francisco while it was 105 degrees here and 80 degrees there. I quarantined myself in her bedroom to finish off a huge backlog of work. The apartment was down an ally next to China Town where my friend warned me the homeless defecated at night and urged me to take off my shoes before going inside.

Her place was secured by three beat up doors and four rickety locks, making me wonder every time I left her building if I would ever figure out how to get back inside. At least I knew I had a place to go to the bathroom in a pinch.

When I finally did emerge from my cinderblock enclosure I ambled up Grant Street to fulfill my ancient quest at Café de la Presse.

To my chagrin there was no Paris Match, no Hola, no Le Monde, no Herald Tribune, and no Guardian.

A little defeated, I switched to plan B and decided to hike back up Grant Avenue to Columbus and check out City Lights Books to pick up the free local rags.

For those of you who do not know, City Lights is a San Francisco landmark where the Beat Generation of novelists and poetry writers started the 1960’s revolution.

I was a little hesitant about my

3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com plan because I didn’t bring a bag and wondered if I wanted to carry all those newspapers with me as I wandered through North Beach looking for a café.

Ends up, I wasn’t going to need a bag.

Going in and out of the musty smelling shelves and not finding their newspaper rack, I gave up and asked the 20-something clerk behind the counter.

“Where do you keep your newspapers?” I asked.

“Papers?” he said.

Yes P-A-P-E-R,-S” I said.

“Oh we don’t have those,” he smirked and returned his gaze back to his phone.

I was in the City for a full week, long enough for the local newspapers to go through the distribution cycle. While I did come across some kiosks indicating that San Francisco still had newspapers, they were all empty. On my fifth day I finally found one SF Weekly in the Financial District.

Café de la Presse did have the New York Times, but I can get the New York Times delivered on my front lawn in Visalia, which if you haven’t heard (see further inside this issue) is a pretty great place to live.

So what was I doing in San Francisco?

The collapse of the press in the best-read city in the United States is a bit disquieting, especially in these times when the press is under siege by our Dear Leader.

Steve Schmidt, former Republican strategist, said about Mr. Trump’s assault on the press: “This is deliberate. This is an assault on objective truth. And once you get people to surrender their sovereignty, what is true is what the leader says is true, what is true is what the leader believes is true, even though what’s true is staring you in the face. When that happens, you are no longer living in a democratic republic.”

Mr. Trump confirmed Mr. Schmidt’s point during one of his populist rallies: “Just remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”

In other words, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Well, I think the lack of newspapers in San Francisco also gives up a bit of our sovereignty. Good thing Visalia has the Valley Voice!

Besides the lack of local and international press, the nail in the coffin for my love affair with San Francisco came one late afternoon after seeing a tear jerker movie in the Financial District. I emerged from the theater on the cusp of a

pity party as the fog was casting an eerie shadow over the Trans America Building.

Then I remembered passing a Starbucks.

A latte would be just the ticket, and even with my nonexistent sense of direction (traveling for me is always an adventure) I found my way back to the Starbucks and pulled on the handle. It didn’t budge. I tried the other handle and it didn’t budge, either. While shaking the door I smashed my teary eyes against the glass looking a little disheveled to see if anyone was inside.

Unbelievably, Starbucks was closed. It was 5:30pm.

To my relief I found another Starbucks two blocks away but it was closed also. In fact all the restaurants and cafés were closed along Market Street and in the Financial district.

My only option was a baguette and cheese in the deli section of Safeway.

From that point on I left behind any romanticizing about San Francisco in the rear view mirror.

It didn’t smell like the city I used to know. It didn’t sound or feel like the city I used to know. As a kid, in the 1970’s, my parents and I would stay at the Clift Hotel on Geary and I would go across the street to the news stand (gone) and gawk at all the foreign magazines. Before taking off for the day, we would get our sandwiches at Dave’s Delicatessen (still there) and head across the Bay Bridge for what would be a glorious fall afternoon of watching the Cal Bears lose to whatever team they happened to be playing.

Tony Bennett probably sold a lot of records, and Café de la Presse still hums with an international crowd, but no one has ever left their heart in San Francisco and they certainly won’t in the future.

Whether I’m sitting along the Willamette River watching the eclipse with Teddy, or reclining on a worn out red velvet upholstered chair in a La Paz movie theater with Alex, or engaging in my first kiss at the Marin Headlands with my husband, it’s not where you are but who you are with.

I never left my heart in San Francisco. I left it with the people I love.

16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

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Guest column: Terry Sayre running for Tulare Council District 2 TERRY SAYRE CANDIDATE FOR TULARE COUNCIL As a longtime resident of Tulare I have I have felt the call to run for City Council representing district 2. I have witnessed the impact of City boards, councils and government on our city and community as well as its individual citizens for over fifty years. As the representative for district 2 I will be accountable to the citizens of Tulare and the law of the State of California. I am excited to have the opportunity to serve as your City Council woman for District 2.

In 1966 I began my teaching career for Tulare City Schools at Kohn Dennis Mederos is a Tulare attorney and businessman running for Tulare City Council.

Elementary school, the newest campus in Tulare at that time. Since then I have taught at Kohn, Roosevelt, and Cypress schools. I served on a special reading team at Wilson, Garden and Maple schools as well. It has been my privilege to serve the youth and families of Tulare. It is rewarding and fun to run into my former students and their families as I shop in and support Tulare.

My husband and I raised our five children in Tulare where we were involved with Encore Theater, Sharks swim club, Susan’s Studio of Dance, Youth Soccer. Church groups, school sports and cheerleading. As a widow

SAYRE COLUMN continued on 15 »

Dennis Mederos to run for Tulare Council District 4 seat STAFF REPORTS Dennis Mederos, an attorney, businessman, local farmer, and active member of the Tulare community has declared his candidacy for the District 4 Council seat for the City of Tulare.

One other candidate, Chris Harrell, is currently running for the seat.

“David Macedo has decided to not run again for City Council. With his encouragement, I’ve decided to be a candidate for his seat.

I’ve been actively involved in the community stretching over a long period of time. I was born in Tulare, grew up here, and have been engaged

in business and public affairs virtually my whole adult life.

Having watched what has taken place over the course of the last several months, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to step up and provide the experience, leadership and professionalism I know I’m capable of giving to the City of Tulare.

The time has come to quickly take steps to bring harmony to our community. I believe I’m the right person to accomplish this for District 4, and more importantly for our City.”

The campaign has announced

MEDEROS continued on 14 »

Terry Sayre is running for Tulare City Council.

Tulare councilman accused of fraud, threatening employees DAVE ADALIAN

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Tulare City Councilman Greg Nunley threatened to have city employees fired, committed fraud in his business dealings with the city, and used his position on the Council for personal benefit, according to a lawsuit filed August 3 in Tulare County Superior Court.

Also named as defendants in the civil lawsuit are a trio of companies owned by Nunley--Great Valley Builders, Hidden Oak Development Company and Del Lago Place--as well as the city of Tulare and 50 possible co-defendants to be named later. The suit was filed by Visalia attorney Michael Lampe on behalf of David W. Frost, a retired lieutenant with the Tulare Police Department.

Lampe also represents fired Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley in his legal action against the city.

Avoiding Fees

The bulk of Nunley’s wrongdoing, if the allegations are true, stem from his repeated avoidance of developer fees of more then $443,000 owed to the city. The agreements Nunley signed with the city date back as far as the last decade and continue until August of last year. “... Nunley used his official position to influence, or attempt to influence, the City’s decision to immediately seek payment of these fees,” according to the lawsuit.

Fees due for the Oak Creek Apartments alone total $336,349. Other projects involved include Bella Oaks ($92,492 in unpaid deferred fees) and

the Diamonte Project ($14,277).

Attorney Lampe declined to comment on the record for this story.

False Representation

The lawsuit alleges Nunley first knowingly entered into a fraudulent contract with the city regarding his real estate holdings in March of 2016.

Just nine months before he was elected to the Tulare City Council, March 10, 2016, Nunley applied for a building permit for a 32-unit apartment building, the Oak Creek Apartments. On the application, Nunley listed himself and his wife as owners of the property. The property was in fact owned by Seminole 32, a limited liability company.

“This representation was false, and Nunley knew the representation was false at the time it was made,” according to the suit.

The developers fees--$336,249--remain unpaid, and the lawsuit alleges Nunley continues to use his influence at City Hall to avoid payment. Because Nunley and his wife do not own the land, any lien held by the city to recover the fees may not be enforceable.

City Manager’s Job Threatened

Nunley has threatened the jobs of three city employees, including Interim City Manager Willard Epps, the lawsuit says, the result of fallout from another entanglement with the city involving Nunley’s development projects.

City building inspectors apparently issued stop-work notices for a pair

NUNLEY continued on 15 »

Valley Voice 16 August, 2018

Widow seeks husband’s Exeter City Council seat DAVE ADALIAN

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Barbara Sally, widow of recently deceased Exeter City Councilman Dale Sally, would like to fill the remainder of her late husband’s term.

The council, which seems to favor the idea, will make its decision after the Valley Voice goes to press on August 14.

The council officially declared Dale Sally’s vacant on July 24.

Providing Continuity

Dale Sally first took a seat on the Exeter Council by appointment in 2011, and he was reelected to a fouryear term most recently in 2016, as an at-large member. Exeter will switch to district elections in the next cycle.

Should Barbara Sally replace her husband, she will be eligible to run for the seat again in 2020.

“She’s in the district, obviously, although it wasn’t required because he was elected at-large,” said City Administrator Adam Ennis. “That was something they (the council) wanted to consider because of the continuity.”

Barbara Sally, who had taken on the role of her husband’s caretaker after he suffered a stroke in 2017, is more familiar with city business and her husband’s role in it, a factor influencing the council’s decision to con-

sider her for the seat.

“Being married to Dale, with him on the council, she’d been to a lot of the council meetings, and that was a plus,” said Ennis.

Love for Exeter

Barbara Sally says her family, friends and Exeter residents in general have endorsed her desire to step into her husband’s seat. Sally and her husband shared a passion for the city, she says, and she wants to continue Dale Sally’s civic work to preserve Exeter’s atmosphere.

“I think I love Exeter as much as he did,” Barbara Sally said. “I’ve only been here for 51 years. I like the smalltown charm. I like knowing people and saying hi when they’re downtown. I talked it over with my kids, and they’re backing me.”

Her phone has also been ringing, she says, with calls of support from friends and well-wishers.

Compared to her husband, Barbara Sally says, her knowledge of city affairs is limited, though it certainly exceeds that of most other possible candidates for the position.

“I sort of know what is going on,” she said. “I don’t have nearly the knowledge he (Dale Sally) had on other items. They’re (city staff and members of the council) willing to sit with

me and bring me up to date after they vote.”

No Time for Election

Dale Sally’s death came as a shock to staff at City Hall and the rest of the council.

“It was unexpected, although he had just come out of a surgery and was recovering,” Ennis said.

Sally died July 2, and the council has just 60 days to find a replacement.

The general election is already set for November, and state law requires a larger time gap than is available.

“Essentially, the time frame to get a special election, the timing, we were already too close to the general election,” Ennis said. “You want folks to have time to go through the process.”

The Exeter City Charter makes a provision for instances such as this, allowing the council to appoint members to replenish its ranks.

‘Might Be Perfect’

When the council discovered Sally wished to take over for her husband, the idea seemed natural, says Mayor Teresa Boyce.

“Dale had a stroke, so she (Barbara Sally) had to take him everywhere and do everything for him, so she’s so up on the council,” Boyce said.

“We didn’t think of her, but when she

5

expressed interest, we went, ‘Oh my gosh! She might be perfect.’”

Because the vacant council seat was last elected at-large, there is no residency requirement when filling it. Since the city will move to by-district elections in November, when Boyce, Mayor Pro Tem Mary Waterman Philpot and Councilman Gordon Gerdes’ terms all expire, however, it seemed prudent to pick a replacement who lives in District B. “Since his position is not up for election, we could appoint anybody in any district to finish his term,” Boyce said. “Then we thought if we found somebody who wanted to run from his district, if they wanted to go for reelection in two years, they might have a leg up.”

Boyce will seek reelection, she said, though she has yet to file her intent with the County Elections Office.

While Barbara Sally seems the natural choice to replace her husband, Mayor Boyce would still like to talk the appointment over with Sally before the final decision is made.

“I want to see if Barbara is really serious,” Boyce said. “Then, we’ll decide at the next council meeting what we’re going to do.”

The Exeter City Council will meet at 7 pm Tuesday, August 14, at Exeter City Hall, 137 North F Street.

Early polls show support for Tulare hospital lease TONY MALDONADO

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com

Telephone polling results show largely positive public opinion for Adventist Health’s management and potential lease of Tulare Regional Medical Center, according to a presentation given to Tulare Local Healthcare District board members on Monday night, August 6.

At the same meeting, the board voted to finalize the ballot question that voters will need to approve in order for Adventist to lease the hospital; they will meet Thursday, August 16, to file an argument in favor of the measure with the Tulare County Elections Office.

The board also discussed -- in closed session -- an adversary proceeding against Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA), the district’s former management partner. Legal filings from both sides show that the district could be close to settling with the company.

Polling Favorable

Christine Pickering, Adventist’s Regional Director of Communications for the Central California region, spoke to the board regarding the results of a telephone survey conducted between July 23 and August 1.

The surveyors conducted a total of 350 interviews, with a stated margin of error of 5.24 percentage points.

Before being presented with any positive messaging, 77% of those surveyed said they would vote in support of the Adventist measure, with an additional 5% saying they’d lean towards it. Thirteen percent said they’d vote against it, with 1% saying they’d lean towards voting against it.

Support jumped to 88% in favor and 1% leaning towards the measure once respondents were presented

with positive messaging, the survey results show.

Those messages included statements such as “In emergencies, every second counts. Without this measure, we will be left without an emergency room in our community. More lives will be lost that might otherwise have been saved if an emergency room was available locally,” which 69% of respondents said was “Very Convincing,” and 19% said was “Somewhat Convincing,” coming up as the highest rated support message.

The large positive response came as a pleasant surprise.

Shane Smith, an attorney with the McCormick Barstow law firm advising the board on the ballot measure, said that his “socks were knocked off” when he saw the results.

“I can tell you the rule of thumb when you’re on the ‘Yes’ side of a ballot measure, you’re hoping that your first poll shows you something like 58-60 percent,” Smith said.

“The support in that’s in the community for this measure already is overwhelming,” he added.

According to the survey results, the voters contacted also had a positive opinion of Adventist Health, which operates hospitals across California and in parts of Hawaii and Oregon.

A majority of voters “strongly agreed” or “somewhat agreed” with statements including: • “Given all the changes in the marketplace, our local hospital is unlikely to survive without a larger healthcare organization such as Adventist Health,” which respondents 61% strongly and 25% somewhat agreed with, • “This deal with Adventist Health is the best way for us to get our local hospital, Tulare Regional Medical Center,

to re-open and stay open,” which 57% and 28% strongly and somewhat agreed with, respectively, • “A partnership with Adventist Health will lead to higher quality healthcare in our area,” which 51% and 32% strongly and somewhat agreed with, respectively.

“It was very rewarding, I think, to recognize along with the excellent press coverage that the public’s well aware of what we’re doing, and expressing a lot of support for the plan to reopen our hospital with Adventist Health,” Kevin Northcraft, the district board’s president, said. “That was very exciting -- it doesn’t mean we can relax, we need to keep working, but it’s a very positive initial indication of the public’s support for our efforts.”

Ballot Question

The final ballot question, which will head to the voters, will read: “To assure ongoing emergency medical services, acute care hospital services, and other healthcare services, as well as substantial investments by Adventist Health to meet the needs of Tulare-area residents, shall the Tulare Local Healthcare District enter into a lease of its hospital for up to 30 years at fair market value to Adventist Health, at no additional cost to taxpayers?”

The board confirmed the measure after some discussion, taking out a nonessential section of the question that originally mentioned the sale of the hospital’s furniture and fixtures -- to avoid voters confusing the sale of the furniture with the sale of the hospital -- and adding “no additional cost” to make clear that any tax obligations would remain.

The board has 10 days from the

submission of the measure to submit an argument in favor to the Tulare County Elections Office, which it plans to discuss and finalize at the special August 16 meeting at 6:30pm.

Any members of the community interested in submitting a rebuttal argument would be required to do so within 20 days of the question’s submission, and Tulare County Counsel would need to file an impartial analysis of the measure within 30 days of its submission, according to Smith’s presentation.

Potential Settlement

A Chapter 9 status report filed by the district, and a status report in the Tulare Local Healthcare District v HCCA adversary proceeding filed by HCCA, appears to show that the district is close to settling with the company.

“Time was spent engaged in settlement discussion with HCCA,” the district’s filing reads. “A tentative settlement was reached on August 1, 2018.”

In a section titled “next phase,” the district’s bankruptcy attorney, Riley Walter, writes that the district plans to file “one or more legal malpractice lawsuits” and “anticipates settling all the litigation involving HCCA.” HCCA’s filing states that the August 1 settlement was “subject to the execution of a formal settlement and final approval by the [Tulare Local Healthcare District] Board.”

Todd Wynkoop, an attorney for the district with McCormick Barstow, declined to comment on the filings.

“At this time it is not appropriate for the District or its counsel to comment on the existence or not of any settlement with HCCA,” he wrote. “If a settlement agreement is considered by the District at any time in the future, it will be properly noticed in accordance with the Brown Act.”

16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

6

AGRICULTURE

Success Dam enlargement effort successful TULARE COUNTY FARM BUREAU Last month, the federal government authorized $74 million for the Success Dam enlargement – a 30-year-project that has had its fair share of bumps in the road.

The flood protection project by the Army Corps of Engineers will take Porterville residents and 400,000 acres of productive farmland from a 50-year flood status to a more than 100-year status, according to an article published in a July 18 South Valley Water Association newsletter.

The project will increase the lake’s storage capacity by nearly 30,000 acre feet, allowing water releases to be

better timed. Currently, the lake’s full capacity is about 82,000 acre feet. To achieve this increase in storage, the Success Dam spillway will be raised 10 feet and widened another 165 feet.

Funds for the enlargement will come from the $15 billion allocated for flood control and hurricane recovery projects included in the 2018 federal budget approved by Congress this spring. Local organizations worked with Congressman Kevin McCarthy to ensure the project was a priority to the Trump Administration.

Raising Success Dam has been in the works since the project was given its first green light in 1986, using fed-

eral funding for design and engineering from 2003 through 2005. Unfortunately, the project was faced with a major hurdle in 2004 when the Army Corps said Success had seepage and potential seismic problems.

In 2005, the Corps made a preliminary determination that the dam was in severe danger of “liquefaction,” saturated soil that turns to slurry when shaken, and required the reservoir be drawn down to a maximum level of 29,000 acre feet.

Ten years and about $60 million worth of studies later, the Corps reversed its view of Success Dam’s safety announcing in 2015 it passed the

review and was certified safe. The Army Corps is estimating it will start construction on Success Dam in 2022 with completion in 2024.

Work to move the enlargement project along has been done through a local group made up of Tulare and Kings counties, the City of Porterville, several local water agencies and the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District. Over the past several years, minimal work has been done as federal funds trickled in slowly. Now that the project is authorized to receive funding for most, if not the full cost of the project, there is hope to accelerate the enlargement.

Ruling casts doubt on insecticide’s future availability CHING LEE, CFBF The manufacturer of the insecticide chlorpyrifos said a court order to ban the material does not require immediate change to uses of the pesticide, and that it expects the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to challenge the ruling.

In a 2-to-1 decision last week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave the EPA 60 days to cancel the registration and all food-residue tolerances for the broad-spectrum pesticide, which has been used to protect a wide range of California-grown crops, including almonds, alfalfa, citrus fruit, walnuts, cotton, vegetables and others.

The ruling vacates an order by the EPA last year to deny a petition from environmental groups and farmworker advocates to ban the material, prompting the lawsuit. The groups have been urging a ban since 2007, when they first petitioned the agency.

The 2017 EPA order reversed plans proposed by the Obama administration in 2015 to cancel tolerances for chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate first approved for use in 1965 and sold commercially as Lorsban, Warhawk, Vulcan and other brand names.

The agency said it would “continue to review the science addressing neurodevelopmental effects” and complete its assessment by October 2022.

In its decision, the court said it

could find “no justification for the EPA’s decision in its 2017 order to maintain a tolerance for chlorpyrifos in the face of scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children.”

EPA has not said what it plans to do. It could appeal the decision or comply with the court ruling and cancel registration for chlorpyrifos.

Corteva Agriscience, a division of DowDupont, which manufactures chlorpyrifos, said in a statement that “all approved uses and tolerances remain intact until the U.S. EPA makes a final decision.” Noting the court’s split decision, the company said it expects “all appellate options to challenge the majority’s decision will be considered.”

If the ruling stands and chlorpyrifos is banned, “we expect significant impacts to food and fiber production,” said Jim Houston, California Farm Bureau Federation manager of governmental and legal affairs.

As a pest control advisor, Justin Nay of Integral Ag in Butte County said losing chlorpyrifos would force pest managers to rely more on what few products remain to fight certain pests, and more frequent usage could render those materials less effective over time.

“You take away Lorsban, we really only have pyrethroids left as our main knock-down product, which is going to shorten its lifespan in the field,” he said.

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Because chlorpyrifos use already faces significant restrictions, Nay said many farmers have cut usage. He said he now uses it primarily to fight codling moth in walnuts, and leaffooted bug and navel orangeworm in almonds.

“I feel like we’ve already done a good job of not using it wastefully,” Nay said. “That being said, when you need it, you need it.”

Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, said the Central Coast “has drastically reduced the use” of chlorpyrifos as part of an agricultural water-quality program.

“It is one of the tools in the toolbox that keeps getting smaller with bad decisions like this one,” he said of the court ruling.

Though he doesn’t use chlorpyrifos every year, Merced County farmer Cannon Michael said for certain crops and certain pests such as the cotton aphid, “there’s really not anything out there that’s really effective.”

Losing the material, he said, would lead to “a big economic loss” if farmers don’t have a way to control these pests.

“We just have a much more limited suite of products, so anything that comes off the table is a big potential loss for us,” he said.

Michael said “a lot of scientific evidence” shows chlorpyrifos can be used safely, and California farmers were “instrumental in working with regulators” on a plan that offers “a lot of protections” while allowing farmers to continue using the product.

Having a complete ban, he said, would “put us in an impossible situation.”

“We’re very conscious of how things are applied, when they’re applied, making sure the worker is protected,” he said. “We take very seriously our responsibility to not do things that endanger our workers—and endanger the consumer.”

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Greg Meyers, who grows tree crops in Fresno County, said he uses chlorpyrifos against navel orangeworm in his almonds and pistachios, but said he has “generally moved away from it” because of the many regulatory hurdles.

“It requires different equipment to mix and load,” he said. “If you’re applying it by ground, your cab has to be airtight. It has to have an EPA-approved air filtration system. You’re not allowed to go into the field unless you have protective clothing—coveralls, gloves, rubber boots, respirator, all that stuff.”

But he said it remains an important tool to have for times such as last year, when infestations of navel orangeworm were “horrendous” and damage to almond crops was “off the charts.”

Tulare County citrus grower Chris Lange described chlorpyrifos as “a very effective tool,” particularly for soft-scale insects.

He said he would hate to lose it, but would transition to other materials.

“We have other options,” he said.

“They might not be as effective and they might not be as cheap, but I think we’ve just got to bite the bullet and transition to something else.”

Stuart Woolf, a diversified grower in Fresno County with almonds, pistachios and other crops, said chlorpyrifos can take on many pests, including aphids and twig borer, while “other products that remain are less effective.” But he said he’s starting to use more bio- based products.

“You’ve got to try everything you can,” he said.

(Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@ cfbf.com.)

This article reprinted with the permission of the California Farm Bureau Federation.

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16 August, 2018

VALLEYSCENE

ourvalleyvoice.com

Tulare County Museum hosts Korean Cultural Exhibit opening September 8 STAFF REPORTS The Tulare County Museum is excited to host its twelfth cultural exhibit in the History of Tulare County Farm Labor & Agriculture Museum!

The newest exhibit will highlight the Korean community in Tulare County and its contributions to agriculture.

The exhibit is part of a rotating series to increase awareness of the rich cultures that helped shape Tulare County.

The Korean Exhibit Creating A Fruitful Legacy: Honoring Korean Experiences in Tulare County will fill the gallery with artifacts, photographs, and stories that tell an important part of Tulare County’s agricultural history.

The Korean exhibit’s opening will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3pm on Saturday, September 8.

The event will feature brief presentations from local community members, including Dr. Marn Cha of California State University Fresno, who will share their family histories and the impacts they had on this area.

Traditional Korean food will also be provided by Korean Chili restaurant to give guests a taste of Korea.

A video will be shown in the theater that will examine Korean history during the early 1900s.

Also during this time visitors may tour the exhibit to learn more about

Korean Exhibit continued on 10 »

A rendering of The Darling Hotel, which will feature 34 guest rooms and a rooftop lounge.

Former Tulare County Courthouse to become boutique hotel STAFF REPORTS

CCPRA rodeo kicks off Tulare County Fair STAFF REPORTS Dozens of rodeo competitors and a trick rope rider will gallop together for the benefit of the Tulare County Fair.

Hosted by the Tulare County Fair Foundation, the fair’s annual pre-fair rodeo is slated for Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7pm. The California Cowboys Pro Rodeo Association (CCPRA) sanctioned event A person riding a horse Description generated with very high confidence will feature both timed and rough stock events. In addition to the rodeo competition, trick rope rider Tomás Garcilazo will perform.

Four days later, on Sept. 12, the 2018 Tulare County Fair will open for its five-day run.

Pre-sale rodeo tickets are $10 with free parking for the rodeo at the fairgrounds. Rodeo tickets, plus fair time admission, unlimited ride wristbands and motorsports tickets are available at tcfair.org.

“Competition at the rodeo will be fierce as it is the last rodeo before the California finals,” said Pamela Fyock, chief executive officer of the Tulare County Fair. “While the competitors are vying for prize money, the fair

wins, too.” Fyock shared that proceeds from the fundraising event will be reinvested into the fairgrounds.

The Tulare County Fair Foundation is responsible for the vast amount of renewal and improvement projects the Fair has been able to complete in the last five years. Most of the projects center on the livestock area to improve the facilities for 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) projects.

The California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association is a leading rodeo organization in California. Its competitors come from all walks of life. They include teachers, bank executives, veterinarians, peace officers, students and ranchers. CCPRA rodeo contestants vie for about $500,000 in prize money throughout the year. The prize money comes from entry fees and added purses.

Trick rope rider Tomás Garcilazo is a native of Mexico City and currently a resident of southern California.

He was introduced at an early age to his family heritage and tradition of “La Charrería,” which is a skill performed through the generations only by the Mexican Charro. Charros

Rodeo continued on 10 »

The County of Tulare closed on a deal to sell the old Tulare County Courthouse Annex to Courthouse Square Ventures, LLC, a group of local investors who plan to transform the building into a boutique hotel, restoring much of its art deco era features.

Last October, the county requested proposals for redevelopment of the building located in downtown Visalia that has remained vacant since 2008, when county staff relocated offices. In December, the county approved the proposal by Courthouse Square Ventures, LLC, to renovate the building into a hotel while maintaining its art deco features.

The hotel will include 34 guestrooms and feature a rooftop lounge, outdoor pool, gym, and conference room space. It will be named The Darling, a tasteful nod to its era, as well as a subtle reference to the project lead’s

late birth mother, Darlene.

“The hope is that this central, iconic structure can serve as a lasting landmark for Visalia, as well as give a subtle tribute to the history and people of this area,” Matt Ainley, the project lead, said. “We will do our best to make this a unique boutique hotel, something that will leave a positive impression on visitors and be a source of pride for the community.”

The sale also includes the purchase of the current Tulare County Probation Department office adjacent to the hotel. Tulare County Probation will continue to occupy the building while it transitions to another location. Once the building is empty, it will either be redeveloped as a second phase of the hotel or used for a separate purpose.

Construction on The Darling will begin this month with plans to open by early 2020.

Get set to celebrate Oktoberfest at Vossler Farms on September 28 STAFF REPORTS For the fifth year, the Visalia Chamber of Commerce will host Oktoberfest at Vossler Farms Pumpkin Patch in Visalia, California on Friday, September 28th. This annual community festival will feature food, beer and wine tastings, local vendors and live music.

Building on the success of last year’s record-breaking attendance, Oktoberfest 2018 is expected to attract up to 1,500 people and more than 60 vendors. Businesses interested in sponsoring Oktoberfest will receive exhibition space, tickets and recognition during the event. Oktoberfest provides businesses with awesome exposure and the opportunity to expand their reach and brand recognition to a large audience. Sponsorship information can be found at www.visaliachamber.org/ oktoberfest or by calling the Visalia Chamber of Commerce at 559-7345876. Restaurants, caterers, breweries and wineries interested in being a part of this community festival should con-

tact the Visalia Chamber of Commerce for participation details.

General admission tickets are $40 (advance purchase) or $50 the day of the event. Ticket admission includes live entertainment, food and a mug for beer and wine tasting. This year there will be three live bands performing. The CJ Green Band was discovered locally at the KJUG county showdown, this local band has recently played with many Nashville artists at local KJUG concerts. JJ Brown is a country artist whose music has been compared to Keith Urban, Eric Church and Bruce Springsteen. Erick Tyler & the Vibe is an exciting and powerful blend of Rock, Funk, Reggae and Pop music.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.visaliachamber.org/oktoberfest.

For more information, call the Visalia Chamber at (559)734-5876 or go to www.visaliachamber.org.

Driving an opportunity economy, the Visalia Chamber is a catalyst, convener and champion of local businesses.

16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

8

Book Notes

The Italian Party NEWELL BRINGHURST newellgb@hotmail.com

Both entertaining and informative is COS Professor Christina Lynch’s spritely-written The Italian Party.

Set in the historic northern Italian city of Siena in 1956, the novel focuses on American newly-weds Michael and Scottie Messina, recent emigrants to the picturesque Tuscan township. Michael presents himself as a Ford Motor Company official, selling tractors to local farmers. But he is actually an undercover CIA agent—such fact he keeps from his wife.

Michael is under secret orders to intervene in Siena’s upcoming elections to defeat of the town’s incumbent Communist mayor.

He faces a formable challenge, in that the Communist Party commands major support both locally and in the nation.

Given ongoing Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, Michael considers himself an American patriot, doing his part to stop the spread of Communism.

Michael hides one other secret from his seemingly naïve wife—his close relationship with Duncan, his frequently-visited CIA contact

based in Rome who is also Michael’s homosexual lover.

In turn, Scottie has kept a number of secrets from her husband.

This is not surprising given that the couple barely know each other, having hastily married following a whirlwind romance.

At the time of their marriage Scottie fails to tell her husband that she is pregnant, as a result of a previous relationship.

Following the couple’s arrival in Italy, she conceals her involvement with three local males.

One, strictly plutonic, is her relationship with a young village boy, Roberto, who gives her lessons in Italian, and, as a skilled equestrian, revives her deep-seated passion for horseback riding.

Two older Italians romantically pursue Scottie. One is none other than the town’s Communist mayor, Ugo —whom her husband

is concurrently seeking to depose.

Scottie adroitly rejects Ugo’s clumsy, oafish advances. By contrast, she engages in a passionate extramarital affair with the young, dashing Carlo Chigi Piccolomini—the landlord owner of the villa the American expatriates occupy.

Scottie finds his charming, exotic persona irresistible— qualities lacking in her closeted gay husband.

Lynch’s tale carries the reader along with ample doses of romance, suspense, and intrigue, punctuated by unexpected twists and turns. The author, moreover, skillfully intertwines her story with current events occurring both in Italy and the international arena.

Among these is a 1956 insurrection by citizens of Hungary attempting to overthrow an oppressive Communist regime im-

posed by the Soviet Union. Although the Hungarian Revolt failed, it effectively undermined the legitimacy of the Italian Communist Party. Also featured is a cameo appearance by then-United States Ambassador to Italy, the colorful, controversial Clare Booth Luce. Thus, the reader is effectively transposed back to the Cold War era of the mid-Twentieth Century.

Also evocative is Lynch’s affectionate portrayal of Italian life and culture, clearly reflective of her own experience of living in Tuscany for some four years. Providing a welcome dose of comic relief is the author’s adroit use of wry, sly humorous prose throughout. The novel is also a commentary on 1950s American manners and morals, highlighting the oppressive circumscribed role assigned women during this repressive, white, male-dominated era. In essence, Professor Lynch’s. The Italian Party is a romantic spy thriller with its share of skullduggery, political and otherwise.

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

Valley Voice 16 August, 2018

Calendar

August 17, 24, 31 Food Truck Fridays 11:00am - 9:00pm Visalia Mall, 2031 S. Mooney Blvd. in between Blaze Pizza and Macy’s. call Feder for information at 697-4931.

August 17: Corcoran’s Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market 5:00pm to 8:00pm Next to Christmas Tree Park Chittenden Avenue Featuring award-winning wines from Rancho Notso Grande, Bobby Salazar’s salsa tasting, free hot dogs sponsored

by Smithfield Farms, complimentary reusable grocery totes for the first 100 shoppers, performance by August Band and Corcoran’s own Jonathon Gallegos, contact 559-992-4514 August 18: Tulare Kings Writers Meeting 10 a.m. in the Blue Room of the Visalia Library on Oak St., Marilyn Meredith will talk about describing characters and places in the best possible ways.

She is the publisher of over 40 published books. http://fictionforyou.com/ August 18: The Hell of a Half Marathon Exeter from 7 to 11 a.m. Race begins at the Veteran’s Memorial Park on Kaweah Avenue and Sequoia Drive in Exeter. For nfo https://runsignup.com/ Race/CA/Exeter/HellofaHalfMarathon August 28: KJUG FREE Country Concert in the Hanford Civic Park 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Hanford Civic Park, Hanford Chamber of Commerce, Stay tuned for more info on Artist, Free, 582-0483 hanfordchamber@comcast. net August 31: Family Night at Visalia Adventure Park $18 wristband gets you unlimited access to go karts, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages, and laser tag. Karaoke mic will be available, too. Hwy 198 and Akers St., 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.For more info, visit adventurepark.com/ family-fun.

September 8: Pops in the Park 8:00 PM Zumwalt Park, Tulare, Featuring the very best of pop, classical, film and Broadway. Tickets available at sequoiasymphonyorchestra.com September 9th: Exeter Courthouse Gallery Presents Images X3 Artist Reception 2:00-4:00 PM, Pastel, acrylic, metal art by Nancy Quinn, Sandy Richter, Nancy Randell. Refreshments to be served, 125 South “B” St, Exeter CA, sho open from September 1 - October 29.

September 11: Knights of Columbus pray the rosary for those lost on

9 9-11-2001 5:30pm at the Veteran’s Memorial inside the Visalia Public Cemetery.All are welcome, For info call Cindy Summers 734-6181 Sept. 12 through Sept. 16” Tulare County Fair The annual celebration includes scrumptious food, celebrity entertainment, interactive children’s activities, hundreds of animals, a wildlife adventure, a thrilling carnival, exciting motorsports, a rodeo, an impressive Junior Livestock Auction and more.

For information visit tcfair.org. #TulareFair2018 September 15: Roots Run Deep (Hopud Imaykihn Dautad) The Tulare County Museum in Mooney Grove is excited to host the event in honor of California Native American Day 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the History of Tulare County Farm Labor & Agriculture Museum grounds. Basketry workshops, film screenings, Indian tacos, vendors, a raffle. Amy King, Tulare County Museum Curator 559-624-7326 September 20: Annual Waiters Race in Downtown Visalia Main Street, 5:15. Cheer your favorite waiters and waitresses as they compete for big prizes! Men & Women Racers Wanted! Full and Quick service, men and women divisions win: 1st $1000 2nd $500 3rd $250. Register at www.waitersrace.net Mary Jo Eastes 559-730-1808 September 21st: Bounty of the County Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, 9th annual tasting event! Tickets on sale now, $50 each!! $70 at the door. Credit cards accepted.

Call Farm Bureau at 732-8301 to buy tickets!

September 21st - Public Safety Awards Luncheon Hanford Civic Auditorium Tickets available by calling the Chamber offices at (559) 582-0483. Join us in honoring our local heroes.If you’re interested in being a sponsor for this event please contact us ASAP. September 22nd: Visalia Teen Idol Watch ten teen finalist compete for the title of 2018 Visalia Teen Idol. 6:00pm LJ Williams Theater, 1001 W. Main St. September 28th: The Visalia Chamber and Vossler Farms will host Oktoberfest 5:30 – 9:00 pm. Tickets go on sale July 1st and include entrance a mug for samples, tasting from more than 20 restaurants and live music. $40.00 in advance, $50.00 the day of and can be purchased at www.visaliachamber. org/oktoberfest.

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Streaming Video Courses available with Tulare County Library card STAFF REPORTS Exclusively from August 1 to 31, 2018, valid Tulare County Library card holders can enjoy unlimited access to over 150 streaming video courses through the Great Courses Library Collection from RBdigital.

This is a one month free trial for review by our library patrons, so we’re asking for your input.

Please let us know your thoughts and comments by emailing questions@ tularecountylibrary.org.

These Great Courses are taught by some of the world’s top professors, experts, and instructors with engaging lectures and exploration videos.

Covering a wide range of subjects, this includes economics, health, history, travel, child development, public speaking, psychology, art, music, professional development and much more.

Learn and enjoy using Great Courses for free during this trial.

You’ll find the Great Courses Li-

brary Collection on Tulare County Library’s website under www.tularecountylibrary.org/elibrary under the RBdigital button or download the Rbdigital app to stream the courses.

After logging in with your library card, make an Rbdigital account and sign in and access all the courses you want.

Check out and watch lectures over and over again for the whole month of August as a Tulare County Library resident and card holder.

For more information call us at (559) 7132700 or stop by your local branch library.

The Tulare County Library serves all the citizens of Tulare County with locations in seventeen communities, four book machines, two adult literacy centers, and online at www.tularecountylibrary.org.

Like the Library on Facebook www. facebook.com/tularecountylibrary or follow us on Twitter twitter.com/TulareCountyLib .

16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

10

Child Support Awareness month events planned STAFF REPORTS August is Child Support Awareness Month and the Tulare County Department of Child Support Services has planned a number of events for the community to attend.

During the month of August, the Tulare County Department of Child Support Services will host two Resource and Employment Fairs, provide a Modification workshop, a Compromise of Arrears Program (COAP) workshop, visit local libraries, attend “Make A Difference Monday” at the Visalia Rawhide game and offer an evening Orientation Workshop.

A department representative will

be at local libraries to discuss services offered by Child Support on the following dates: • Lindsay – August 16, 2018 • Porterville – August 17, 2018 A fair will be in Porterville at the Employment Development Department located at 1063 W. Henderson Avenue on August 21, 2018 from 9am to 12pm.

On August 27, 2018, representatives of the department will attend “Make A Difference Monday” at the Visalia Rawhide game beginning at 11am. They will provide the community information and answer questions regarding services offered by the department.

They will also be hosting an Orientation Workshop on August 28, 2018 at 5:30pm in their Visalia office for new customers. The workshop will educate customers on the process of case opening, establishing a child support order and understanding child support legal documents.

Tulare County Department of Child Support Services assists approximately 25,000 children. Their vision is to educate and empower families with the knowledge and resources to promote the well-being of children. The department provides the following services at no cost: • Parentage Orders

• •

Child Support Orders Modification of Child Support Orders • Employment and other Family Centered Referrals For your child support needs, they are here to serve you at the following locations: Visalia, 8040 W. Doe Avenue, Visalia, CA or Porterville, 259 N. Main Street, Porterville, CA. Office hours for both locations are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

More information on Tulare County Department of Child Support Services is available at their county website: http://tularecounty.ca.gov/dcss

Lindsay’s True Gold Honey partners with Rolls-Royce club STAFF REPORTS The Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club is gearing up for its Annual Meet at The Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe beginning August 18, 2018. A week of luxury has been planned for the members, who will also come together to celebrate the launch of the club’s new publication, Strive for Perfection , produced in partnership with publisher St James’s House.

The hardback, coffee–table book will be of the highest quality, and explores the living legacy of the world’s most famous luxury motorcar, RollsRoyce. Profiling models old and new, the book celebrates the company’s

Rodeo

continued from 7 take extreme pride in their highly developed horsemanship and roping abilities.

In addition to the pre-fair rodeo,

Korean Exhibit continued from 7

how the Korean culture has been a large part of Tulare County history.

The exhibit includes many items on loan from the Reedley Museum’s collection and the Central California Korean Historical Society that are stunning.

Please join us in celebrating this exciting occasion at the History of Tulare County Farm Labor & Agriculture Museum in Mooney Grove Park (27000 S. Mooney Blvd. Visalia).

Museum entrance is free. Mooney Grove Park will be charging a $6 entrance fee per vehicle at the front gate.

Seniors enter for free.

The Tulare County Museum is the

unceasing pursuit of excellence—an ethos that earned Rolls-Royce the status of “best car in the world”.

“At True Gold Honey, we knew this sponsorship/partnership with Rolls-Royce was a perfect match due to the shared values of quality and legacy,” said Co-Founder Tyler Sample.

The annual publication also serves as a carefully curated guide to some of the most must-have products and experiences in the world, ranging

from jewelry to travel, gastronomy to architecture. This year’s book features the finest collection yet, and many of these exclusive names and brands will be exhibiting at the event on August 18, including the award winning honeys of True Gold Honey.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Richard Freed, the CEO and owner of St James’s House, said, “The annual Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club meet is one of the highlights of the year, and this year’s is going to be one of the

most luxurious events yet. We are extremely proud of the publication and honoured to be working alongside such exceptional companies and organizations on the project.”

The presentation of the book will take place during the Gala Dinner on the Saturday afternoon after the judging and prize-giving section of the rally. More than a thousand guests and VIPs are expected to attend over the course of the event.

True Gold Honey is located in Lindsay, CA and is run by the dynamic mother son duo and 3rd and 4th generation beekeepers Sarah and Tyler Sample.

another highlight of the Tulare County Fair is its free concert series. This year’s headliners are Sheila E. (Sept.

12); Clay Walker (Sept. 13); Con Funk Shun (Sept. 14); Queen Nation (Sept.

15) and Smash Mouth (Sept. 16).

The Tulare County Fair’s mission

is to showcase agriculture and create family fun. The five-day fair opens on Sept. 12 and runs through Sept.

16, 2018. The annual celebration includes scrumptious food, celebrity entertainment, interactive children’s activities, hundreds of animals, a

wildlife adventure, a thrilling carnival, exciting motorsports, a rodeo, an impressive Junior Livestock Auction and more. The Tulare County Fair has been a community tradition for more than a century. For more information visit tcfair.org. #TulareFair2018

largest museum in Tulare County, housing one of the largest Native American basket collections in California, as well as artifacts of the pioneer era, agriculture equipment, restored buildings, and many other treasures that tell the history of Tulare County.

The newest addition to the Museum is the History of Farm Labor and Agriculture Museum, where several cultural groups and their contributions to farm labor and agriculture will be featured.

The museum aims to educate residents of Tulare County as well as visitors on the importance of Tulare County and its history with the hope of recognizing the unique roll it has played in California History.

For more information about the Museum and its activities, visit tularecountymuseum.org and follow us on Facebook!

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Valley Voice 16 August, 2018

11

Nurse practitioner joins Visalia Medical Clinic STAFF REPORTS Annita Cline, family nurse practitioner, is now seeing patients at Visalia Medical Clinic’s QuickCare walk-in clinic.

Cline comes to VMC from Kaweah Delta Health Care District, where she served as a nurse practitioner hospitalist in an observation unit attached to the Emergency Department. Earlier, she served as a family nurse practitioner in Clovis and as a registered nurse in a level 1 trauma ICU in Fresno for 15 years.

“I like the fast-paced environment and the variety of a walk-in clin-

ic like QuickCare, because it allows me to use my critical care assessment skills,” Cline noted.

Cline taught critical care nursing at Fresno City College as an adjunct clinical instructor. She instituted palliative (end of life) care training for critical care staff members as a trial program. That training is now mandatory.

She holds a master’s of nursing – family practice degree; a bachelor’s degree in nursing; and is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. She has served as a Critical Care Regis-

tered Nurse Ambassador, helping registered nurses study for and secure the certification.

Visalia Medical Clinic, an affiliate of the Kaweah Delta Medical Foundation, offers the expertise of more than 50 providers. VMC also offers a lab and imaging including CT and MRI. The QuickCare walk-in clinic is located at 5400 W. Hillsdale, Visalia.

Sequoia Prompt Care is located at 1110 S. Ben Maddox Way. Both clinics are open Monday through Friday 8am to 7pm; Saturdays from 8am to 5pm; Sundays from 9am to 2pm. For information, call 739-2000 or visit www. vmchealth.com.

In case you haven’t heard, Visalia is a great place to live CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

According to the 2018 Visalia Public Opinion Survey, 89% of respondents said that Visalia’s quality of life is average to high. While average is not a stellar review, only 11% said it was low or very low but 42% that said the quality of life is high to very high.

The majority of respondents to the survey own their home, have lived in Visalia for over 10 years, and 92% were registered voters. Facebook is the preferred method of getting their news about Visalia.

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) was in charge of conducting the opinion poll and took 1289 online and face-to-face surveys in English and Spanish from February 26 to April 13. There is a three percent margin of error.

In other results gleaned from the annual survey, 85% of the residents rated the city’s efforts favorably in providing a safe community, a few points higher than last year’s survey.

Of the 37% of respondents who had contact with the Visalia Police Department, 62% rated their experience as high or very high. That is a 10% increase from last year. The fire department rated even higher at 78%.

Just like the last two years’ results, residents ranked road maintenance the most essential city service besides Police and Fire. The roads that the respondents most want to see repaired or widened were Demaree, Akers, Caldwell, Shirk, Riggin and Tulare

JANZ

continued from 1 Soon, someone cried out, “Andrew’s here!” and everyone turned their attention to the door to see the man in question.

As soon as he walked in, he had a smile on his face, and began shaking hands and speaking with people. If anyone asked for a picture, he obliged and continued to speak with them.

After around 20 minutes, a staffer got the crowd’s attention and asked them to please sit. Janz and the host, Garrick Peterson, took the stage. Peterson introduced Janz, sharing with the audience that for years he had been praying for a solid Democrat to take over Nunes’ seat in the House and that Janz was “answering a prayer”.

Janz thanked him for his hospitality and his team for setting up the event with a voice that filled the room.

He spoke on the current state of affairs in both Washington and his home dis-

among others.

When asked an open-ended question about the most important thing the city should be working on to make Visalia better, the number one answer was the increasing number of homeless. This has been the number one answer since 2016.

Gangs were a close second as to what concerned Visalians. Gangs had fallen off the list over the last few years, and according to Joel Rosales, Public Opinion Survey Chair, they made a surprising comeback. Rosales believed the resurgence was due to the increased amount of tagging and the resulting violence of rival gangs fighting over turf.

Because the homeless have been a main concern of residents for years, the CAC added a new question to the survey, “What would be your recommendation to address the homeless issue within city limits?”

Responses varied from a work program, relocation, shelters, mental health services, to affordable housing.

City Council Member Phil Cox said that in terms of the homeless “it’s what people see” and that because of the lack of sufficient media coverage residents aren’t aware of the new work program the city set up for the homeless.

Councilmember Steve Nelsen concurred with Cox, saying that the information from the media is slanted and biased and the city should do a better job of getting the correct information out. He added that most people do not understand the laws concerning the

homeless in that they have a right to use the parks and sit on the benches and that the police can’t just buy them a one way ticket out of town.

Mayor Warren Gubler corrected his fellow council members and said that the homeless work program has been covered in the media and that the respondents’ answers were most likely a reflection of that. In fact the Valley Voice featured a detailed article about the city’s work program for the homeless in the July 19 issue.

Vice Mayor Bob Link pointed out that homeless is a visual issue. If residents don’t see it in their own neighborhoods then they see the homeless when they drive to work or school. “It affects everyone.” He said that four Visalia Police officers are devoted to only handling the homeless and that code enforcement has been instrumental in creating solutions.

Council member Greg Collins said that because the Visalia Times-Delta’s front page articles always feature crime that it affects the residents’ perception of how safe the community is.

He also mused that now that the city has resolved some of Visalia’s traffic circulation problems, he will be curious to see if the efforts will be reflected in next year’s survey.

But Collins primarily wanted to know what most surprised the CAC members who administered the survey.

Rosales said that he was expecting more negative comments concerning the homeless. He expected to hear comments like “ship them out” but in-

stead heard respondents say they prefer a work program.

“Visalians showed a lot of heart.”

Suzanne Monroe, a long-time member of the CAC, said that the homeless has always been a big concern. For the first three years, she said that most the respondents’ comments were negative. But now residents have offered more positive solutions to alleviating the homeless problem “The city has gotten a lot kinder,” Monroe said.

Monroe also expressed dismay that only 46% of the residents ever use Visalia’s trail system. Several other CAC members and the council were also surprised so few people used the trails and wanted to get the word out to the residents.

A map of the city’s trails can be found on: https://www.visalia.city/depts/ parks_n_recreation/parkinfo/ default.asp Besides using the trail system, 64% attended an event at the Convention Center, 79% used a park and 47% attended a Rawhide Game.

To sum up the survey, issues that most concern Visalians are what the residents feel the city is handling.

While gangs are still a big concern, Visalians have a lot of confidence in their Police and fire Departments to deal with the situation.

Link said he appreciates the survey because “it tells us what we are doing right and what we could be doing better.”

trict, sharing the news that a member of Congress was indicted, alluding to Chris Collins’ (R-NY) recent arrest for insider trading.

He went on to describe D.C. as a swamp that swallowed Nunes as soon as he took money from corporations, that he’s now beholden to PACs instead of his constituents. Janz also focused on the tariffs affecting farmers and continually claimed that he would work with and for farmers to secure water rights and fair prices on aluminum and steel for their businesses.

The candidate then turned to his opponent.

He shared the fact that Nunes hasn’t done a town hall since 2010 and promised to rectify that by pledging to hold at least two town halls each year.

He also spoke on the MSNBC scandal which broke late on Wednesday, August 8th. The Rachel Maddow Show claimed to have evidence of Nunes’ speaking at a private fundraiser of the imperative goal of keeping the House seats which would keep the Republi-

can Party in power. Janz condemned Nunes for placing party and personal political goals above his constituents’ needs and/or desires.

“This is the most important election in a generation,” Janz stated plainly. “We’re fighting against Donald Trump’s agenda, an agenda of division and hate.”

He thanked the audience who, in turn, erupted into applause. After a moment, he declared that he would be taking questions. During this time, he doubled down on his belief in helping local issues and listening to his community.

Two questions that stood out from the slew of queries was his stance on abortion and his stance on the death penalty.

Janz shared with the group that he struggled with both topics. Ultimately, on abortion, he came to the conclusion that no one likes to have an abortion, and that it’s not something one seeks out, but the process should be there should women require it.

When it came to the death penalty, however, he wrestled with the topic a little more than he did with abortion.

He explained his background as a Fresno County prosecutor and he wanted to make sure that people know that until he is removed from his duties there, he has to legally uphold the law.

“I’m not going to go into work and tell my boss that I’m not going to do my job,” Janz expressed in defense.

He continued to explain his stance that he hasn’t made up his mind on the issue yet, but he’s currently bound by the parameters of his job to uphold the law of the state.

These are two of the biggest hot-button issues between Democrats and Republicans, specifically in this district. It creates a crevasse between voter camps, and it often leaves some behind floundering for a candidate that they believe in.

“We have a unique responsibility at this specific point in our history,” Janz claimed during his speech.

16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

12

Nunes discusses impeachment, email theft on secret tape

CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

Congressman Devin Nunes was caught on a secret recording during a private fundraiser for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers stating that he supports the impeachment of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and that he considers stealing an opponent’s emails a crime.

“Because somebody stole the emails, gave ‘em to Cathy, Cathy released ‘em. Well, if that’s the case, then that’s criminal.”

Nunes’ statement that stealing opponents’ emails is a crime is in direct conflict with the Trump administration.

In regards to Rosenstein, Nunes said, “I’ve said publicly Rosenstein deserves to be impeached. I mean, so, I don’t think you’re gonna get any ar-

ASSAULT continued from 1

brand-new prosecution six months after the incident in an effort to get Mr. Huerta to drop the suit.”

His client, he says, did not call the emergency services line prior to the beating.

“He never called 911 that night,” Owdom said. “He called the Porterville non-emergency line. I think these are completely improper charges. He’s (Huerta) not going to be intimidated by these kinds of hi-jinks.”

The attorney says both cases will move forward.

“I want to discover what the thought process is there to give the county and the Sheriff’s Department help to keep them from producing records,” Owdom said. “Why did they refile this thing weeks after the (civil rights) lawsuit was filed. How did that happen?”

‘Highly Improper’

In a move Owdom calls “bizarre,” the attorney representing the county in the civil rights case referred to Owdom’s request for documents from the District Attorney’s office during a hearing before a federal judge.

Myers’ knowledge of the discovery request, according to Owdom, indicates the DA’s office and the County Counsel’s office have been coordinating their efforts regarding his client.

During the hearing, Owdom says that county’s attorney accused Owdom’s office of failing to turn over documents still being held by the DA’s office.

gument from most of our colleagues.”

According to Fox News, House Speaker Paul Ryan publicly opposed the conservative-led bid to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, saying their accusations don’t rise to the necessary level of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

“I don’t think we should be cavalier with this process,” said Ryan.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes also emphasized the importance of the Republicans’ holding on to Congress in November in order to protect President Trump.

“If Sessions won’t unrecuse and Mueller won’t clear the president, we’re the only ones…we have to keep all these seats,” he continued. “We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away.”

According to the United States Constitution there are three branch-

es of government. The legislative, or Congress and the Senate, is designed to be a check on the executive Branch.

The judicial is the third branch of government.

It was the legislative branch of government that forced President Nixon out of office during Watergate.

Nunes’ constitutional role in Washington is legislative oversight, not protecting the president.

Nunes’ spokesman Jack Langer defended Nunes’ comments as “routine observations” in an email to Politico.

“It’s unsurprising to see the leftwing media spin Chairman Nunes’ routine observations as some nefarious plot, since these same media outlets spent the last year and a half touting a non-existent Russia collusion conspiracy,” Langer wrote to Politico.

Nunes, who has been criticized for not being accessible to his own con-

stituents, made himself available to the constituents of Washington State’s Congressional District 5 July 30 during a private fundraiser for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

McMorris Rodgers, who represents a solid Republican district, endured a tough primary July 31, squeaking out a first place finish by less than one point against her Democrat opponent.

Nunes was in McMorris Rodgers’ district August 6 campaigning and fundraising for the embattled Republican.

The audio came from a recording made by a member of the progressive group Fuse Washington. The member paid to attend the fundraiser and provided the audio to MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show; audio excerpts from the recording are available on MSNBC’s website, the transcriptions are available at ourvalleyvoice.com.

Those documents have not been released as of August 2, Owdom says, though he delivered the demand by hand to the DA on May 23.

Owdom accused the county’s attorney of twice violating Federal Rule of Procedure 11 prohibiting the filing of unsupported or frivolous arguments, or filing them for an improper purpose. The DA’s office and the Office of the County Counsel are on notice Owdom intends to look more deeply at their interactions and their legality.

“I made a demand last week that the District Attorney and the County Counsel preserve all communications between their offices in this case,” Owdom said. “I think all of this is the proper subject of discovery.”

The county’s behavior regarding his client has been unethical, Owdom says.

“They initiated this (criminal charges against Huerta), I am almost certain, in an attempt by the county and the District Attorney to, first of all, coerce Ramiro into dropping his civil rights lawsuit, and, second, to stymie the discovery in federal court,” he said.

“Either is highly improper.”

The attorney who initially filed has since gone to a different office.”

The criminal matter is also moving slowly through the Superior Court system. A trial confirmation hearing is set for November 29. That follows a pretrial meeting on November 1. A jury trial is set for December 4.

All of the hearings on the Huerta case are scheduled for Department 19 in at the Porterville Courthouse. While Alavezos cannot discuss particulars in the case, he invites the public to attend to find out what evidence the county has against Huerta.

“You may not have all the information,” he said.

than 10 miles.

Long Delays and Miscommunications

David Alavezos, spokesman for the District Attorney’s office, says the halfyear gap between the incident and his office’s decision to charge Huerta with a crime are the result of a slow pace within the DA’s office, personnel changes and poor communication.

“There was a delay on some things,” Alavezos said. “Apparently there may have been some miscommunications.

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Suspicious Circumstances

TCSO Statement

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux issued the following statement: “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 charges Huerta now face stem from an incident that took place at the rural Strathmore home he shares with his elderly parents.

DA Causing Delays On the night of April 26, 2017, HuerThe move by the District Attorney ta called the Porterville Police Depart- to charge Huerta criminally is delayment’s non-emergency line to report ing when Boudreaux will be able to suspicious circumstances near his elaborate on his deputies’ actions. home. When told the PPD did not have “As a result of that filing, a part jurisdiction in the area, Huerta argued of the critical discovery in the case with the dispatcher, his attorney says, has been postponed,” Owdom said. asking to speak to a supervisor.

“That’s the officers’ personnel records “He kind of failed the attitude and files.” test,” Owdom said at the time.

Still, work on the case is moving Huerta did not contact the TCSO or forward quickly where it can. call 911 that night, yet hours later, after “We’re in the thick of litigation he and his parents had gone to bed, right now,” said Owdom. several deputies appeared on his doorHuerta is facing a deposition in step, according to the federal lawsuit. the civil case in September, and OwHuerta refused to grant the offic� dom will be taking depositions from cers access to his home, and the dep- several county employees before movuties then attempted to draw Huerta, ing onto the officers involved in the who is gay, out of his home by taunt- incidents of April 26, 2017. ing him, the suit alleges.

“There hasn’t been any kind of After failing to lure Huerta out- explosive discovery we’ve locked in side with homophobic slurs, the TCSO stone yet,” he said. officers then feigned their departure, Owdom has taken on co-counsel attacking Huerta when he was closing in the case, adding attorney Doug Roa gate the deputies had left open, Ow- chen to Huerta’s legal team. Rochen dom stated in the suit. had previous success arguing a promiDeputies beat Huerta in his front nent civil rights case against the TCSO yard before dragging him back into his and one its deputies involving bribhome, where the assault continued in ery and multiple incidents of sexuhis living room, according to the suit. al assault.

The interaction with the deputies “He’s the guy who nailed the left Huerta with a severely broken county on the (former Tulare County nose and two fractures of his eye orbit- Sheriff’s deputy William) Nulick case, al bone that have resulted in perma- the deputy who was coercing sexual nent vision loss. favors when he pulled people over,” What is apparently not in dispute Owdom said. is that deputies took Huerta to Sierra Nulick was given a five-year prisView Hospital in Porterville. Huerta on sentence in 2016 after pleading no did not receive treatment for his inju- contest to sexual assault under color ries before being locked overnight in a of authority to avoid a possible life county holding facility. sentence during a jury trial. In the civil Released the next morning, Huer- case that resulted from Nulick’s behavta was not allowed to call for a ride. ior, Tulare County was forced to pay He eventually returned home on $2.2 million to settle the matter. foot from Porterville, a walk of more

Valley Voice 16 August, 2018

AQUATIC continued from 1

committee, introduced several options on how to pay for the Aquatic Complex, though he acknowledged that there are few resources to pay for the maintenance.

Alberstein conceded that the income generated by the complex would likely never make it self sufficient.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Patrick Lozano said that the department is always concerned when the city proposes building anything.

He said that the city can get it built but the problem is the long-term costs.

Lozano said that their research estimates that it will cost the city $45,000 to $60,000 a month to maintain the complex.

There are currently several facilities already being subsidized by Visalia’s General Fund, making the council very reluctant to take on one more. Facilities such as the Visalia Golf Course, Visalia Convention Center, Rawhide and the Animal Control Facility cost the city from $300,000 to one million dollars each a year to maintain.

The Need is Real

No one argued about the need for an aquatic Center. The city of Visalia owns the Redwood High pool, but it is in need of repair and Redwood’s water polo and swim teams have priority over its use during the school year.

Because Visalia has no dedicated public pool, only eight weeks are available when school is out for expanded public use.

The College of Sequoia’s pool is off-limits to the public even though it was built with the residents’ tax dollars.

In contrast to Visalia, Porterville and Reedley each have a 50-meter pool. Clovis has five, making the town a destination for water polo tournaments and swim meets. Clovis has expressed a desire for Visalia to build its own facility because they have more tournaments than they can handle and are overwhelmed.

Lindsay ha a 25-meter pool but cities cannot host competitive swim events without a 50-meter pool.

During the Aquatic Wellness Center Working Group’s presentation it highlighted that demand for pool time in Visalia is more than the city can handle and is growing.

Alberstein said that a year-round city pool is needed for recreational uses, swim lesson, water safety instruction, aquatic exercise, therapy, and rehab, swim meets, water polo, Special Olympics, triathlons, and the Senior Olympics.

The 50-meter pool would mostly be used to attract tournaments and swim meets from around the state and would provide a facility for the Visalia teams to host their own event.

The pool can accommodate two swim team practices at once, two water polo team practices or games at once, combined practices and long and short course swimming competitions.

Alberstein said that most of the community revenue, such as dining, shopping, sales, and bed taxes, will come almost exclusively from the 50-meter pool.

Visalia Mayor Warren Gubler said that the complex would cement Visalia’s growing reputation as a sports destination. Currently Visalia hosts the Senior Olympics, pickle ball tournaments and Cal Ripkin.

During public comment seven attendees spoke in favor of the facility while three said more research needs

13 to be done before any seed money is allotted.

Macy Wilfong said she was a mom of several swimmers and that the pools in Visalia are too overcrowded.

She said that swimming families’ needs are not being met by the city council.

“You can always find a way,” she said.

Leanne Peters said that Visalia has to host all of its competitions in Clovis, and all that money is being spent there. Major Roger, Redwood High’s water polo coach, said that Southern California and Northern California teams are always looking for tournaments and would come year round to Visalia’s events.

Attendance also increases in competitions and events when they are held in the Central Valley because of the convenient location to the state’s metropolitan areas.

Several doctors spoke about the health benefits of having a city-owned pool available to its youth. They said that studies have revealed that those who learn to swim at a young age have better balance and cognitive abilities throughout life.

Swimming is a sport in which the thousands of local children who suffer from asthma can participate they said. Over-weight and obese children are more likely to swim than do sports on dry land because they are more mobile and it is better for their joints.

Several people pointed out that Visalia provides no access to swimming to its disabled community. The proposed complex would provide access to everyone.

Harold Meyers said during public comment that he was having similar sticker shock as Cox. Seven to nine million dollars will be spent constructing the 50-meter pool alone, according to the research, but would only account for three percent of the complex’ total use, with the vast majority of people using the children’s and shallow pools. He felt that the shallow pool and kids’ play area would fulfill all the

The Proposed Facility - Design

8

community’s health and recreation needs and might even turn a profit.

Joel Rosales said that if you look at the city’s projected budget four years out Visalia will be running a deficit.

Given that, he said, it doesn’t make sense to be putting the city in a $12 million hole.

Council member Steve Nelsen was not convinced of the idea of “If we build it they will come.” He said there are no guarantees, and that makes the project’s finances even riskier. Nelsen said that the city already has several capital projects in the works, such as the public safety building and city hall. He didn’t want to see those projects deferred because of the Aquatic Complex.

Nelsen felt it was premature to make a decision to grant $40,000 seed money.

Council member Greg Collins, who has been the catalyst for the complex from the beginning, said that all those city facilities that Visalia subsidizes enhance the quality of life in Visalia.

“There is always a price to pay for the public benefit.”

Collins agreed that the city could accomplish what it needed with the

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two smaller pools, and that the ad hoc committee was going to have to show the council a pathway to make the 50-meter pool work. He felt the group needed to do a little more homework before the council agreed to handing over $40,000.

Vice Mayor Bob Link said that he has “heard loud and clear” that there is a definite need for a community pool but that he did not support approving of the seed money. He suggested that the Aquatic Center be handed over to the Parks and Recreation Department and work with the ad hoc committee to do more research.

Collins agreed with the two organizations working together and not closing any doors in terms of the Aquatic Center. These are the types of amenities that differentiate Visalia from other communities, he said.

Gubler said, “We are talking about $40,000 not $12 million,” and was in favor of approving the seed money.

The vote was 4-1 not to approve the seed money but to have the ad hoc committee and Parks and Recreation combine forces to do more research.

The project is scheduled to come in front of the council again early in 2019.

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16 August, 2018 Valley Voice

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MEDEROS continued from 4

early endorsements which include Tulare Mayor, David Macedo, former Assemblywoman, Connie Conway, retired Superintendent of Tulare City Schools, Bill Postelwaite, retired Tulare City Manager, Lynn Dredge, retired Superintendent of Tulare City Schools, John Beck, past National Commander of Amvets, Jim Pidgeon and Tulare County Board of Education Member, Pat Hillman.

Mederos was born and raised on a farm west of Tulare. He is a graduate of Tulare Western High School, COS, and he graduated from UCLA. He attended San Joaquin College of Law in Fresno and after being admitted to the practice of law began his law practice in Tulare in 1980.

Mederos has been an attorney, business owner and agricultural farmer in Tulare for over 35 years.

Mederos has served on the Board of Trustees of the Tulare County branch of the American Cancer Society, the Board of Trustees of the Tulare City Historical Society, the Board of the

ORDINANCES continued from 1

doesn’t already have rules in place to handle a business such as Abbott’s.

The last commenter said that her cousin went to Top Dog Kennel and said the facility was filthy and that “the dogs were jammed into cage after cage after cage.”

Leroy Green, who owns a kennel in Fresno, spoke not only in defense of Top Dog Kennel but in defense of Abbott’s character.

“I have known Ron Abbott for approximately five years. I have found him to be a spiritual man, a man of integrity and humility. We both enjoy breeding and training bird dogs and German shepherd dogs. In the breeding and training of dogs a person’s word is one of the most important aspects of the business. Ron exemplifies this quality. His employees have the highest respect for him. He leads by example,” said Green.

Green continued, “Having been a Fresno Police Department Chaplain for 2 years I have seen all walks of life, as you can well imagine, Ron and his operation are a perfect 10 on a scale of 1 thru 10.”

Abbott attended the meeting and introduced himself, saying he was available to the committee if they had any questions. Time had run out so he did not get a chance to speak during public comment but said in an email: “Amy Shuklian, Board of Supervisors, came to my home, we visited about 30 minutes, then she and her assistant, took a tour of my Kennels! Their comments were that they were surprised, in a good way, with the space, and condition of my facility.

“As to the Advisory Meeting, I just wanted to be available to any serious members! The comments about, ani-

COS Foundation, and is a past President of the Tulare-Angra do Heroismo Sister City Foundation. He is a member of the Tulare County Cabrillo Club and the Roma Lodge of the Sons of Italy. He also served the community in 2002 as Chairman for the Tulare Joint Union High School District Boundary Redistricting Committee.

As a result of his commitment to the community and to non-profit organizations, Mederos has been recognized for his service on numerous occasions. These awards include being a two-time recipient of the American Cancer Society’s Esther Greenberg Memorial Award for notable contributions in his fundraising efforts in support of cancer control in Tulare County and, along with his wife, Cathy, he was a recipient of the Golden Apple Award for service to education by the Tulare County chapter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

In 2013 Mederos was honored by the Tulare Chamber of Commerce as The Man of the Year. Mederos was inducted and also earned entry in 2013 on the Wall of Fame at Tulare Western

High School.

From 1991-1992, Mederos was the President of the Tulare County Bar Association and he served on its board for eight years.

He is currently General Counsel for the Tulare Chamber of Commerce, the Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation, and the Tulare Joint Union High School District Foundation. He also serves as an Alternate Public Member of the Tulare County LAFCO Commission. In 1998 he was appointed by the Superior Court to serve on the founding committee for the Tulare County Community Focus Court Planning Team.

Mederos stresses several issues of absolute importance to Tulare, including: 1) support of our Police and Fire Departments, 2) balancing the budget, 3) enhancing infrastructure, 4) economic development, and 5) improving and repairing our streets. He also feels it is absolutely essential that Tulare has clean and safe drinking water for its citizens.

“The Council will need to select a permanent City Attorney and has to resolve the leadership issues of the Tu-

lare Police Department,” Mederos said.

“The City Employees are the backbone to the smooth operation of our City. They must work without unnecessary interference and not in a hostile work environment. The Council’s most important next step is to hire the best City Manager possible. This hire by the Council needs to be the right pick so that our City can once again operate efficiently.”

Mederos is married to his wife Cathy who is a member of the Tulare Joint Union High School District Board and they are longtime residents of District 4. They have three children, Melissa Mederos-Semoes (and her husband, David Semoes), Megan Mederos, and Michael Mederos. They also have one granddaughter, Emily.

The campaign is in its formative stages. Pat Hillman and Connie Conway will serve as Honorary Co-Campaign Chairs. Kenneth B. Nunes will serve as Campaign Treasurer and the campaign committee is being established. The Facebook page for the campaign can be found at Mederos4Council. The e-mail address is mederos4council@gmail.com

mals in cages, by some, is so far from truth, it’s embarrassing for their ignorance!”

Draft ordinances and Commercial Kennel Minimum Standards After public comment Hamblin distributed the draft of the ordnances and a draft of the kennel minimum standards. He said that the documents have been in the works for over two years and the committee took recommendations from the SPCA and other states and counties on such issues as recommended measurements for enclosures, hours of exercise, and number of allowed animals. He said the committee relied heavily on San Luis Obispo’s ordinances as they were a good fit for Tulare County.

Hamblin pointed out a few highlights of the new ordinances, such as the new breeder’s permit, section on violations, and that all sales of animals will be banned at swap meets. There will also be mandatory micro-chipping for every dog.

The biggest change in the ordinances that will affect Abbott’s business is the maximum of 25 adult dogs.

An adult dog is four months old. Abbott has struggled to keep within the former restriction of a maximum of 45 dogs and has been cited by the county for being over that number.

According to former employees, Abbott has an especially difficult time staying under 45 dogs after the births of multiple litters that have not sold and have reached four months old.

filed in this article said they did not attend Abbott’s church nor were they members of his family.

Jeff Krikorian from Bakersfield said: “My wife and I had the most pleasant time during our time of buying our Labradoodle At Top Dog. Ron and his staff were wonderful to work with from the beginning of our first conversation to the final purchase . The kennels are a four star facility as far as we could see and we received a tour of the entire Kennel. The dogs are beautiful and precious and you could eat off the floors. Ron has called my wife and myself several times to check on our Molly to see how she is doing. That is first class customer service. So without being rude to the people writing these negative post. You are liars, and you are activists , and that is what you do.”

Crystal Bubeck wrote to Abbott: “Our BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL just turned 3 years. Our Sierra is absolutely the BEST dog ever. I got her for my husband birthday from Ronald Abbott, and its definitely my husband’s best friend and bestest friend to our son.

Mr. Rob Abbott, everything you said about her temperament and natural beauty and EXCELLENCE health, and the back round of our new pup was great. And it NEVER ONCE LEFT my husband and I, EVER questioning our decision to bring her to her FUR-EVER home. We have had a blessed and beautiful time so far with our Sierra.”

Victor Molano wrote: “Ron recently lost one of his studs that he has loved and spent many hours and money to care and keep alive. I’ve seen the devastation it caused him to lose a dog he loves so much. I have seen the love and nurture he gives to his dogs of all ages and breeds. I would highly recommend and reference Ronald Abbott to anyone as a qualified breeder who loves and gives a good life to the purebred dogs he has raised.”

Linda Schimizzi from Mission Viejo said: “We were pleased to see that the dogs and puppies were kept in large dog runs instead of tiny cages. Also there is a huge enclosed area where the puppies get to romp and play with each other but not roaming out in the open. This area was very clean and afforded the puppies lots of room to run and chase each other………We are very happy that we found a breeder like Mr. Abbott who obviously

cares about the health and overall well being of his dogs/puppies. Top Dog Enterprises is NOT a puppy mill.”

Timothy and Mary Hollabaugh from Nevada said: “We purchased our dear little puppy Roxy from Ron Abbott’s Top Dog Kennels in June of 2017. We were specifically looking for Yorkshire terriers and Roxy fit the bill perfectly. We selected the Top Dog Kennels for our purchase because we knew from past experience that the Abbotts Kennel treated each animal with the utmost of care and love. Roxy displayed all the characteristics of an animal that was properly loved and nurtured. When we picked her up she was freshly bathed and combed. While we were there we also saw many other animals. Each looked to be in great health and good spirits.”

The following couple did want their name in the paper out of fear of retaliation from “animal activists.” “………you can imagine the surprise and shock it was to find Mr. Abbotts name associated with a ‘puppy mill’. I knew there must have been a mistake this could not be the same breeder we know. “………As a family, we took our 3 children out to visit his farm and see the puppies. When we arrived my husband and I were very impressed with his farm and the animals that resided on it. Growing up on a working farm of 5 acres, I know firsthand of the amount of work that it takes to keep a farm in such an impressive state of cleanliness. I first noticed there was no odor, as we walked around his farm showing our kids the all the different animals waiting our turn to meet the puppies. All the kennels were very clean, animals were placed appropriately, and his staff were very attentive to them. We were able to see firsthand that the animals on his farm were well taken care of.

“We visited Mr. Abbotts farm on three separate occasions, and always found the farm in its usual impressive state. “(We) are very offended that Mr. Abbotts name, and business is being portrayed in this manner. It is wrong to have this done to someone, and have it advertised when it is false. Especially when more than likely those making accusations have not personally have been on his farm, or possibly used false information to do so. ……. Damage has been done, I hope you will consider helping Mr. Abbott and print true information from people who have experience with him.”

Abbott’s Satisfied Customers Speak out

Abbott stated that for every unsatisfied customer he has hundreds of happy customers. At his request many of his satisfied customers emailed the Valley Voice to give their first person testimonies. All of the customers pro-

The Visalia Public Cemetery is requesting proposals for Tree Maintenance and Trimming.

Contact the office at 559-734-6181 for bid packet and forms.

Job walk on 8/28/18 at 8:30am.

Bids close on 9-17-18 at noon.

1300 W Goshen Ave, Visalia, CA, 93291

Valley Voice 16 August, 2018

SAYRE COLUMN continued from 4

I continued to support my children as a single mom and to have the satisfaction and blessing of seeing them mature to successful contributing and service oriented adults.

Since retiring from teaching I continue to work with student teachers and interns supporting them as their University supervisor and mentor. I teach classes for National University and work with state wide organizations providing professional development for teachers.

NUNLEY

continued from 4 of homes in the Bella Oaks Subdivision on July 20 after Nunley and his project managers failed to request inspections necessary before work could proceed. The move, the suit says, prompted Nunley to call Interim City Manager Willard Epps to demand the two city employees responsible be fired. When Epps refused, Nunley allegedly threatened to have Epps fired and replaced by one of his former employees who now works in city management.

“Nunley’s threatened conduct is a blatant attempt to use his official position to influence, or attempt to influence, City personnel in a manner to his benefit at the expense of the general public and should be enjoined by this court,” the lawsuit states.

FRACKING continued from 1

responds will depend entirely on what conclusion the Bureau reaches at the end of the lengthy process of writing an environmental impact statement (EIS). Yet she and the Center want the BLM to know there is a definte end they must reach.

“Ultimately, the very clear message is these areas shouldn’t be opened at all,” Lakewood said.

The massive range under consideration--approximately 1.6 million in total acreage--is spread over nearly a quarter of the state’s area. Included are parts of Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Many of the areas sit beside the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument on the Central Coast.

Others closer to home are adjacent to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on land the BLM controls in the Kaweah Delta Watershed.

Should the BLM conclude fracking is safe, it would be allowed only on land newly leased for gas and oil extraction. Current leases will not be affected by the EIS now being drafted.

The Center for Biological Diversity will be monitoring the creation of the EIS as the process moves along, Lakewood says, issuing mainly technical opinions.

“The Center will certainly be providing comments,” she said.

Threat to Agriculture

Fracking, which has long been controversial because of its wide ranging impacts on the environment, presents a particularly grim threat in the Central Valley, where the multi-billion-dollar ag industry depends on clean groundwater for production.

“Agriculture is the power house

15 Truly once a teacher always a teacher and that is a gift I am grateful to possess. I have the capacity to listen, observe, problem solve, communicate and work with diverse groups.

I possess creativity, new ideas, energy and the willingness to be inclusive and respectful of all those I come in contact with.

Within the community I have served on boards and in service clubs.

I have been the facilitator of Leadership Tulare for the past five years, an Ambassador of the Chamber for over ten years, serve on the Library Advisory Board and Hospital Foundation Board.

I am a Tulare Noon Kiwanian and love

Unstated Interest

Finally, the lawsuit also accuses Nunley of failing to fully disclose his ownership interest in the Del Lago Place Tesori Subdivision when the Council was considering two yearlong extensions of developers fee deferments on $1,048,622 in infrastructure improvement connected to the project.

Nunley was present during Council discussions and commented during a public hearing on the matter.

The action amounts to undue influence, the suit alleges.

“As an elected public official, Nunley has failed to exercise the powers conferred upon him with disinterested skill, zeal, and diligence primarily for the benefit of the public,” it reads.

“As an elected public official, Nunley

in your area,” Lakewood said. “All oil and gas drilling is a problem, but fracking is a problem above and beyond that.”

In the hydraulic fracturing process, a range of chemicals is injected into a well to boost production.

The chemicals, often proprietary to the drilling companies, can create a wide range of damage to human health and the environment, Lakewood says, and the danger is made manifold because of uncertainty about the formulations used.

“We know those chemicals can cause really dangerous health impacts,” Lakewood said. “We don’t actually know what all those chemicals are, because the operators hide them.”

‘It Comes Back Up’

To rid themselves of fracking waste, the used fluids are often pumped back into the now empty wells. It doesn’t necessarily stay there.

“It comes back up,” Lakewood said.

Alternatively, oil and drilling companies are allowed to store the used noxious chemicals in uncovered ponds, where the pollutants can evaporate into the open air.

This option is presents a particularly acute danger in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, which is home to the worst air in the United States.

The first option of leaving the chemicals in the ground is also uniquely damaging to the areas of California in question.

“One of the ways it’s gotten rid of is to inject it into the ground,” Lakewood said. “That causes seismic problems in an area already prone to earthquakes.”

Doing Its Job

Serena Baker, spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management, says the BLM is only performing work it must do, and the job is only to gather information at this point.

serving the youth of Tulare. I have also served on the Salvation Army Board.

There are so many ways to be involved in our city and to support one another.

That is the way we can put Tulare First!

The three areas I would like to focus on as I serve as the City Council representative of district 2 are: 1. To be pro-business supporting and strengthening current Tulare business and attracting new businesses to Tulare in order to increase the tax base as well as create new and maintain current jobs.

2. To return courtesy and respect to the City council, among the

members and between City Council, city Government and Tulare citizens.

3. To insure the efficiency and effectiveness of City Government including: Financial responsibility Promoting economic development Effective timelines and permitting processes Public safety Water, garbage and sewer services Road maintenance

has used his position to advance his own private interests at the expense of the public. As an elected public official, Nunley has exposed the City to liability for harassing and threatening City employees.”

second City Council meeting of the month, scheduled for August 21.

Deferments of developers fees are common, Zamora said, however because of Nunley’s ownership interest in the properties in question, the city will take a closer look at the relevant law and Nunley’s actions. It could lead to changes in Council policy, as well, Zamora said.

“What did happen?” he said.

“Do we need to do something moving forward?”

At this point, Zamora’s main concern is any possible wrongdoing on the part of City Hall. His aim is to keep the city from sanctions that may result because of its dealings with Nunley.

“We have our own due diligence to do. We’ll look into it, just like everything,” he said. “The claims were made. My job is to protect the city.”

City to Investigate

Newly hired Interim City Attorney Mario Zamora says the city says the city must respond to the lawsuit, as it a named defendant, and it will conduct its own investigation into the charges.

“The city is named in the lawsuit.

We have to respond in some way, so we will,” Zamora said. “There’s not a lot in the suit that mentions the city. It’s mainly dealing with Mr. Nunley.”

The city’s response is due within 30 days of the August 3 filing date of the case. Timing means the issue cannot be addressed officially until the

“We’re just analyzing the impact of potential hydraulic fracking,” she said. “This is basically Bureau of Land Management is making good on our commitment to analyze the potential impacts, as per our agreement.”

Baker is referring to a 2013 court ruling in a case brought against the BLM by the Center for Biological Diversity and Los Padres Forest Watch.

In that decision, the Bureau was ordered not to issue any new leases for oil and gas extraction until it had done comprehensive studies on the possible negative impacts, both socioeconomic and environmental.

“They (BLM) said one in four of these wells could be fracked, but they didn’t analyze the impacts,” said Lakewood of the original call under the Obama administration to open the land for drilling. “That’s against the laws. They barely even mentioned fracking.”

A more than 1,500-page report contained only three brief references to hydraulic fracturing in the original documentation.

No New Leases Anyway

Baker says the 2013 decision did not actually halt the BLM from issuing new oil and gas extraction contracts, as that had already happened.

New leases were not being issued as a preventative measure during the drafting of a resource management plan (RMP) for the area that was to be issued in 2014.

“We don’t see it as a moratorium,” she said. “When we were drafting the RMP, the decision was made to hold off on any oil and gas sales until we’d had a chance to finish the analysis.”

The BLM, Baker says, in not merely going through the motions. While it is already studying the potential of fracking to harm species, the environment, groundwater and the local economy, as well as potential for increased seismic activity, it will be

looking to public input for other areas not already under consideration.

“Really, the public input will determine if there are additional items that need to be studied and the range of alternative management strategies to be drafted,” Baker said.

Public Input Process

Whether fracking will ultimately be allowed will depend on the result of studies being performed now, as well as in the future.

That means it isn’t clear how the BLM’s decision will ultimately fall, nor is it entirely clear yet what the next step in creating the EIS will be.

“It kind of depends on what we find during this analysis,” Baker said.

“This is really just the very first step in the planning process. There will be more studies.”

When the first draft of the EIS is compiled using public input being gathered now through September 7, it will present a slate of options that will be presented to the public for another round of commentary.

At some point, public meetings will be held throughout the area. Baker hopes the public will follow the BLM as it moves through the process of drafting the EIS, allowing them to better aid in its creation.

“Then those meetings will really give folks an opportunity to come and ask questions,” she said.

Lakewood also encourages the public to participate.

“They can certainly get in contact with the Bureau of Land Management and let them know you’re not interested in fracking in your area,” she said.

Comments can be emailed to blm_ca_bkfo_oil_gas_update@blm. gov or mailed to the Bakersfield Field Office, Attn: Bakersfield RMP Hydraulic Fracturing Analysis, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, 93308.

For more information, visit www. blm.gov/california.

16

16 August, 2018

Congressman Valadao visits southern border

Valley Voice

STAFF REPORTS Today, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-21) concluded a Congressional Delegation visit to the United States Mexico Southwest Border. Facilitated by the Department of Homeland Security, Congressman Valadao, joined by Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Congressman Jeff Denham (R-CA) traveled to San Ysidro, San Diego, and Otay Mesa, California.

The trip, which focused on conditions at U.S. Detention and Processing Centers, border security infrastructure, and potential threats to our southern border, included site visits, briefings, and operational demonstrations.

Congressman David G, Valadao stated, “The situation at our southern border faces several challenges and overcoming these obstacles requires a multi-faceted approach. There are few things more important than ensuring the safety of children, regardless of which country they hail.” He continued, “Federal immigration policy has serious consequences for thousands of families especially those here in the Central Valley. It’s critical for Member of Congress to have real, firsthand knowledge of the conditions at our border and the situations our Border Patrol agents face each

Valadao discusses border infrastructure with Border Patrol agents at Imperial Beach. Courtesy photo

and every day.”

The Delegation toured the Otay Mesa Detention Center, observed enforcement operations and seizures at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, meetings regarding potential threats to our Border Infrastructure System (BIS), and received multiple briefings from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Securing America’s Borders (USCBP) officials on border technology, canine utilization, and inspection procedures.

At the San Ysidro Port of Entry

Members witnessed canine utilization demonstrations and were briefed on pedestrian and vehicle inspection procedures, multi-layered enforcement operations and seizures, and Z-PORTAL technology.

In Otay Mesa, California, Members received aerial and ground tours of terrain and border security infrastructure, including the Galvez Tunnel site. Additionally, Members visited and received an operational briefing at the Border Wall Prototype site. Furthermore, Members were given an in-depth briefing on

Congressman Valadao tours the Galvez tunnel.

Courtesy photo

coastal threats and AMOC Intel Briefings, at Air and Marine North Island Naval Air Station.

Congressman David G. Valadao represents California’s 21st Congressional District, which includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties.