Valley Voice Issue 136 (7 March, 2019)

Valley Voice

Mathis, Hurtado introduce water legislation

Local historic schoolhouse still serves students

STAFF REPORTS

JOHN DILLON

to help move things forward for a permanent low-barrier shelter in the city.”

It’s unclear when or where this permanent shelter will be established due to the scope and scale of the project. There aren’t many viable locations for such a shelter, so construction may be the only option. The process of simply getting the building approved can be time consuming and expensive.

Not to mention the cost of running such a facility year round could be extreme. Ward mentioned that a similar permanent shelter in San Benito has a yearly operating cost of $2.5 million.

In the meantime, warming center organizers like Ward and Felix may have to settle for another temporary facility at a different location for 2019-2020.

“Maybe we can operate three

Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), representing the 14th Senate District in California, along with principal co-authors Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno), Assemblymember Devon Mathis (R-Visalia), Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), and Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield), have recently announced the introduction of Senate Bill 559.

The bipartisan supported legislation will secure California’s water supply by investing $400 million in general funds towards the Friant-Kern Canal, one of the Central Valley’s most critical water delivery facilities.

Currently, the Friant-Kern Canal’s conveyance capacity has degraded due to several factors, including severe land subsidence caused by regional groundwater overdraft. A portion of the canal, roughly 20 miles long, has subsided twelve feet below its original design elevation, including three feet of subsidence from 2014 – 2017.

As a result, the canal has suffered the loss of 60 percent of its carrying capacity – constricting the delivery of water to some of California’s most vulnerable communities.

“From 2012 – 2016, California experienced one of the most severe drought conditions. As a result, many of our farmers, families and entire communities within the Central Valley continue to experience limited access to one of their most fundamental rights – clean water,” stated Senator Hurtado.

“The Valley’s socioeconomic health depends on the conveyance of clean and safe water.

WARMING continued on 12 »

WATER continued on 12 »

john@ourvalleyvoice.com

Just outside of Visalia, a relic of decades past continues its legacy of education.

Venice Hill School is an historic one-room schoolhouse located off Road 180 that is still being used today. The building is operating as a library and study space for the rural Eleanor Roosevelt Community Learning Center (ERCLC). Every day, homeschooled students use its resources to their benefit.

“It’s always been a school, even back to the 1890s,” said Daniel Huecker, Superintendent of the ERCLC. Tulare County has records of students attending in the early 1910s and has evidence about the historic building.

Huecker recalled the original school closedthe mid-20th century, but he says the grounds must always be used for education.

According to the California Department of Education, the schoolhouse was used as a private school from July 1980 to August 2004. The charter for the ERCLC started forming in 2002 and took over the schoolhouse when the private school shut down.

“We’re a charter school that’s set up for families that homeschool their kids,” said Huecker. “There’s certain things you can do at home, but kids still like to get together and play and parents still like to get together and talk, so we offer different opportunities for that.”

The ERCLC doesn’t operate as a traditional school, but instead offers enrichment classes for children to build their social relationships with

EDUCATION continued on 11 »

Volume XXXIX No. 5 7 March, 2019 ourvalleyvoice.com

Pastor Cisco handed out goodbye care packages on the final night the St. Paul’s Warming Center was open. Martin Velasco-Ramos/Valley Voice

St. Paul’s warming center closes, possibly for good MARTIN VELASCO-RAMOS martin@ourvalleyvoice.com

The St. Paul’s warming center in Visalia closed its doors last month, possibly forever. Pastor Suzy Ward doesn’t believe the city would approve another low-barrier shelter for the homeless next year, because local residents have been critical of its presence since its inception in the winter of 2017. But although the warming center may never reopen at St. Paul’s, another warming center may be in the works at another location.

According to Homeless Initiatives Program Coordinator, Chaz Feliz, the next shelter may be a permanent one.

“A small committee including myself, KTHA, Suzy, the City of Visalia, the faith community, and a couple interested community stakeholders have been meeting regularly since late 2018

First Lady kicks off “Be Best” initiative VICKIE RIDDLE

SPECIAL TO THE VALLEY VOICE

Special to the Voice, Exeter Resident Vickie Riddle covers the First Lady.

First Lady Melania Trump is on a two-day trip visiting three states to promote the three pillars of her ‘Be Best’ initiative which includes the well being of children, online safety and opioid abuse.

This is Mrs. Trump’s first solo domestic overnight trip.

On March 4 this proud Central Valley resident had the honor to attend a closed-to-the public event as Mrs. Trump arrived at a secure location, separate but still part of the Tulsa International airport.

Mrs. Trump travelled in Air Force 2, a modified Boeing 757.

Temperatures were below nine degrees and the wind chill factor was minus 10 degrees. The piercing cold did not hinder our First Lady, who

took her time shaking hands and visiting with each member of Tulsa’s welcome delegation: Oklahoma First Lady, Sarah Stitt, and Tulsa mayor G.T Bynum, all while everyone else appeared to be restless with shivers.

Following the greetings, Mrs. Trump entered her motorcade vehicle, a beige Ford Excursion, and made her way to the Dove School of Discovery, where a kindergarten class was awaiting her with four round tables of eager readers.

From Tulsa the First Lady flew to Washington State to tour Microsoft’s main campus in Redmond. The general manager of Microsoft’s games demonstrated the Xbox parental controls, Xbox adaptive controller and Microsoft’s new online safety research station.

Mrs. Trump wrapped up her trip in Las Vegas, where she participated in a town hall concerning the opioid crisis.

White House Travel is preceded by

Mrs Trump visits Dove Academy, a charter school where she read to children and some children read to her. Emily Goodin

an advance team one week prior to a visit. Last week Tulsa weather was in the 70’s. This morning the advance team had single layer clothing and cute shoes and bare, red ankles but as always the Presidential crew was pro-

fessional and enthusiastically helped all who attended.

One example was secret service sharing heat escaping from their lowered window.... helping thaw out this writer’s cold, cold hands!

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

2

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK

Persistence Wins the Day

The legality of Tulare’s City Council extending a $9 million line of credit to Tulare Regional Medical Center in a 2-0 vote may--or may not ever--be adjudicated. I’m not sure it matters anymore.

Last week the hospital drew $4,861,885 on its line and is looking, this week, to take on a further $1,138,115. It is anticipated that the remaining $3 million will be accessed at the end of this month.

Reports from the latest hospital board meeting indicated that the City of Tulare was exceptionally professional and a pleasure to work with.

So much for Carlton Jones.

You can be for or against the line of credit, and smile favorably, or not, over the legality of a 2-0 vote approving it--but here are some facts: Last month the hospital’s emergency room attended to an average of 72 patients per day, with a high single-day tally at nearly 90.

The hospital will be holding a health fair on May 4th and 5th focusing on dental and vision screening for the disadvantaged and underinsured amongst us.

The hospital’s medical executive committee--it’s credentialled staff of physicians--is numbered at 199 and is expected to increase by approximately 35.

A surgical on-call agreement has been arranged with a group of doctors operating out of Hanford.

These are good things.

Once a plethora, the many lawsuits involving the hospital and/or the district--north, I think, of 45--have dwindled down to a handful. According to its attorney, this will finally free the district to be, simply, a landlord to Adventist Health.

A far cry from six months ago, when there was still some uncertainty whether the hospital could stick its scheduled October re-opening date.

Good things, the saying goes, come to those who wait. That, of course, is nonsense. If you sit on your hands you’ll get whatever life throws at you-and you won’t even be able to catch it.

Persistence wins the day.

Having covered this morass for three years now I can assure you that nobody involved with the success of the hospital sat on their hands. It was a hard slog personally requiring only Christ knows what.

The people I’m writing about organized a group, strategized, held numerous meetings and forged ahead--during the course of which three elections were won and a possibly corrupt bond measure forestalled. They faced dirty tricks and prevailed. Further, at the behest of the new board the group engineered, the hospital was voluntarily closed for a year to avoid what could have amounted to a permanent closure by the state. That’s a leap of faith far beyond any “those who wait” complacency.

So we have a hospital now in Tulare. It’s not the hospital everyone wants, or even needs, yet. But it will stabilize, and grow, flowering more medical departments as it goes. It will become vital not only for Tulare, but for the region in general in preventing patient overflow in surrounding hospitals.

It will provide good jobs.

Still, there are a couple of catches which will require yet further persistence.

Somehow, the tower must be finished. And the whole of the hospital must be seismically acceptable to the state, I think by 2030.

The hospital has been open nearly five months now, and has made great strides since having been flat on its back--it is still, technically speaking, in bankruptcy proceedings. So I don’t expect it will require eleven and a half years more to become compliant with state law. I wouldn’t even be surprised, given the difference between the egregious HCCA rubber stamp old board and the independent new one, if a bond to complete the tower succeeded.

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

Sales/Writing: Catherine Doe

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-972-7778

Reporters: John Dillon

john@ourvalleyvoice.com

Dave Adalian

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Martin Velasco-Ramos martin@ourvalleyvoice.com

Production/Website: Tony Maldonado

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-799-4100

Valley Voice 7 March, 2019

POLITICAL FIX You Go Girl!

In Chicago two African American women were the top two vote getters out of 14 candidates for mayor. On February 26, 2019 Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle advanced to an April 2 runoff election. The election is already being heralded as historic because it will elect Chicago’s first African American woman. Ms. Lightfoot is also openly gay and, if elected, she would be the first openly LGBT Mayor of Chicago.

In California women are crushing it in Washington D.C. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris are two of the most influential legislators on the Hill. Senator Feinstein became the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee—the first woman to assume that role— and was also the first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, a position she has held since 2009.

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) is the first female Speaker of the House and is third in line to be president.

Unlike Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco or Pocahontas , Ms. Pelosi is so effective in dealing with President Trump the only belittling nick name he can think of is “Nancy.”

Although not in the girls’ club, I have to also commend Congress Member Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) on his election as the House Minority Leader. For the first time in U.S. history, both the Speaker of the House and House Minority Leader come from the same state.

So how’s the pink wave rolling in the Central Valley?

There are seven incorporated

towns in Tulare County and four in Kings County. Women are on every council except for one, and in over half of those, a woman is either the mayor, vice mayor, or both.

So did Visalia pick a woman to be mayor or vice mayor?

That would be a little difficult because it is the one city out of 11 that does not have a woman on its council.

Women run for Visalia City Council--they just don’t normally win. I grew up in here and I can only recall two women ever sitting at the dais.

During the 2018 general election, then candidate for City Council District 3 Brian Poochigian stopped me at the door of a candidates’ forum.

He was anxious to hear my election predictions before we went to print. I told him I did expect him to win, but that I was going to encourage voters to vote for Merritt Wiseman even though the Valley Voice does not endorse candidates.

He said he totally understood and was very much looking forward to reading my column.

Good answer Brian!

Candidate Steve Woods on the other hand was just offended.

After waxing poetic how compassionate he is and how many strong women voices shape his opinion, Mr. Woods commented on my column saying, “Our city, our very nation, needs many more men who have learned long ago to listen to all voices, and to respect all opinions. I have done so, and will continue to do so.”

Wrong answer Steve!

I remember when I was nine

3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com months pregnant as the night manager at my work place in Berkeley locking up at 10pm. The parking lot was several blocks away and I was neither able to fight back or run away from a possible perpetrator while on my way to my car.

I was also aware that homicide is one of the leading causes of death of pregnant women in the United States.

Though my care level at nine months was through the basement, I still managed to reorganize my life so I neither carried a purse or wallet so I would be less of a target.

I wonder if Mr. Woods has ever left his wallet at home because he had a big red target painted on his back.

I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer. I’m just saying this isn’t something men think about.

A man can participate in the Women’s March, and surround himself with “strong women’s voices.”

But that’s not the point.

The point is that the Visalia City Council is missing out on the perspective of over half the world’s population. No amount of male compassion can replace perspective.

Of course men have their own crosses to bear.

Out of sheer stupidity, men are at a much higher risk of dying a violent death than are women.

You can’t cure stupid, but society can make the world a safer place for women and children. That will happen faster as women take their place in local and federal government.

I don’t know if the other Central

Valley towns deserve any special credit for having women on their councils. In fact, Lemoore is waging an all out war on their only female council member.

But let’s just be honest--Visalia runs a pretty tight ship, but it sure would be nice to see something other than a gaggle of old white men sitting at the dais.

A Bountiful Harvest

Some people might confuse the ballot harvesting that happened in North Carolina versus a campaign strategy in California.

In a nut shell here’s the difference.

What happened in California is called a “ground game.” What happened in North Carolina was voter fraud and the state had to void the 2018 ninth district Congressional election.

In California volunteers went door to door to remind residents to vote. Then volunteers offered to drive any voter in the house to their polling place or deliver their sealed ballot to a drop off box.

Republican volunteers for Congressional candidate Mark Harris of North Carolina did the same thing, except his volunteers filled out the ballots themselves.

If not already obvious, that’s illegal.

The volunteers in North Carolina took it one step further and helped families fill out applications to receive absentee ballots. Those ballots never arrived and it is presumed those ballots went to the volunteers who then voted for the Republican candidate.

Mr. Harris claims to have no knowledge of what the volunteers

POLITICAL FIX continued on 6 »

4

Visalia converting to 3-can trash system STAFF REPORTS Say goodbye to the split can!

No more split trash cans, Visalia.

During the months of March through June, your split can will be converted into a blue-lid can for recyclables and you’ll receive a new gray-lid can for trash. Your green waste can will not change.

With three cans, sorting will be easier, and you’ll have more room for trash and recyclables. It’s easier for you and better for the environment.

All pick-up dates will remain the same, and there’s no additional cost to you.

Curious when your street will be converted?

For more information email communityfeedback@visalia.city or call 1

(833) COV-BILL, or 1 (833) 268-2455, and press option 4.

How will the conversion work?

The Solid Waste team will work street by street, starting in March.

What does this mean for residents?

• The week before your street is converted, your cans will be marked with a large, orange sticker letting you know that your conversion day is coming and reminding you to roll out your cans on your normal pick-up day.

On your usual pick-up day, you’ll roll out your cans as normal. The City of Visalia will take it from there!

•

•

•

As usual, a solid waste truck will drive by and empty the split can, and the driver will continue on their route.

Later that day, a delivery crew will come by and deliver the new containers. Each home will receive one new refuse container and one new/refurbished recycling container.

Both the refuse and recycling container will be fitted with a RFID tag.

A second crew will follow closely behind the delivery crew. This crew will remove obsolete split containers and/ or refurbish split containers for use at a recycling container.

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

Wondering about your green waste can?

• When your green waste pickup day comes, you’ll place your can(s) curbside, no matter if they need to be serviced or not.

• A solid waste truck will drive by and empty the green waste containers and the driver will continue on their route.

• A crew will follow the solid waste truck and will install RFID tags on all green waste containers. No new green waste cans will be delivered and no green waste cans will be removed.

Healthy Visalia committee hosting Walk With a Doc on March 9 STAFF REPORTS On Saturday, March 9, from 8-9:15 a.m., the Healthy Visalia Committee will hold its next Walk with the Doc Program.

The topic for the walk is colon cancer and will take place at Blain Park, 3101 S. Court St. Put on in partnership with Kaweah Delta, Family HealthCare Network, Tulare County

Health & Human Services Agency, Key Medical Group, Humana, Health Net and the Visalia Parks and Recreation Department, these walks take place on the second Saturday of the month.

They encourage a healthy and active lifestyle and are open to people of all ages. Walkers will enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating walk with friendly doctors and healthcare professionals from Kaweah Delta, Family HealthCare

Network and other local health organizations who will provide support and answer medical-related questions.

Dr. Ron Marconi, who serves as the Physician Advisor, encourages everyone in the community to join the walk.

Walking was recently recognized by the Surgeon General of the U.S. as one of the single most important things we can do for our health. Walking is low impact; easy to start activity. It is

safe - with a doctor’s okay - for people with orthopedic ailments, heart conditions, and those who are more than 20% overweight.

This is a FREE program and pre-registration is not required. A health topic will be presented at each walk, healthy snacks will be provided as well as raffle prizes. A list of walk days will be announced through: www.walkwithadoc.org and www.healthyvisalia.org.

20th annual Spelling Championship held at Lamp Liter Inn cruited agri-businessman and word enthusiast Scot Hillman to be the spelling master.

At this year’s 20th annual Spelling Championship, held February 20, Ms. Bellin, Mr. Hillman and longtime judges Dr. Pansy Ceballos and Carlyn Lambert, guided 227 spellers from throughout the county through hundreds of words.

Over the years, the competition grew in size with students participating from an increasing number of Tulare County elementary and middle schools. In the 10th year of the compe-

tition, the event, having outgrown the Lamp Liter Inn and the former Holiday On March 27, 2000, parents and Inn locations, relocated to the Visalia teachers packed the ballroom at the Convention Center, where it has reLamp Liter Inn in Visalia to see 62 stumained since. dents from 33 Tulare County schools Today, the Tulare County Spelling compete in the first annual Tulare Championship is the largest regional County Spelling Championship. The spelling bee in the network of compeyear before, then Tulare County Supertitions throughout the nation that feed intendent of Schools Jim Vidak invited into the Scripps National Spelling Bee. retired instructional consultant Nancy “Over the years, participation in Bellin to create a spelling championthis program has given thousands of ship in partnership with the Visalia Tulare County students increased oral Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. language skills and self confidence that To help with the event, Ms. Bellin releads to success in all areas of life,” said Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Tim Hire.

At the beginning of the event, Mr. Hire took a moment to thank the judges and to recognize Nancy Bellin with a speHere are just a few cial plaque for her years of service to reasons why you the students who should ATTEND PC! participate in the Spelling ChamPriority registration for the Summer Enrollment fees are waived for all of pionship. “From and Fall semesters begins April 3. our dual-enrollment students day one, our Open registration begins April 17. fearless special Enrollment fees are waived for all of events coordinaour students who receive the tor Nancy Bellin Promise Grant has been at the helm. Truly one of More than $150,000 in scholarship our most enthuI chose to attend money is awarded to our students siastic, dedicated, every year Porterville College and thoughtful because it offered me team members, We offer 32 associate degrees, 14 a clear path to a certificates of achievement, and 13 we gratefully four-year university. job skills certificates present her with I took transfer-level this token of courses at PC and was Our average class size is 26, which our esteem.” accepted by the means you’ll receive one-on-one Five and a University of attention from your instructors half hours later, California, Berkeley. the competition Free resources (books, meal cards, had dwindled school supplies, and university tours) are available to those who to two spellers - CAELUM PEYRON qualify – Kayla Barnes, 2018 PC Graduate a seventh-grade student at George To apply, visit www.portervillecollege.edu/recorder. For more information, call (559) 791-2200.

McCann School in Visalia and

TULARE COUNTY OFFICE OF ED

PORTERVILLE COLLEGE

APPLY TODAY!

“

”

Kayla Barnes of George McCann School is the 2019 Spelling Champion.

Manroop Turna, an eighth-grade student at Woodlake Valley Middle School.

In the seventh round, Kayla spelled “plumeria” correctly, while Manroop misspelled “cuisinier.” This advanced Kayla to the eighth round, where she spelled “ballistic” correctly to win the championship. As part of the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register sponsorship of the competition, Kayla is eligible to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee beginning May 27 in National Harbor, Maryland.

This year, six students tied for third place. They include: Trey Amundson, a seventh grader from Cherry Avenue Middle School in Tulare; J.T. Amaral, a seventh grader from Sequoia Union School in Lemon Cove; Juliet Prosser, a seventh grader from Green Acres Middle School in Visalia; Luis Mendoza, a seventh grader from Carl F. Smith Middle School in Terra Bella; Mikhael Duquette, a sixth grader from Cottonwood Creek Elementary School in Visalia; and Arlyn Pagtama, an eighth grader from Summit Charter Collegiate Academy in Porterville.

Valley Voice 7 March, 2019

5

AGRICULTURE

Wet winter aids groundwater replenishment CHRISTINE SOUZA

CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Heavy rains this winter will help replenish groundwater aquifers and benefit projects that use excess surface water to recharge groundwater basins. Water managers say such projects will be key to addressing California’s groundwater woes.

At the California Department of Water Resources, planners focus on a voluntary strategy known as FloodMAR, which stands for “managed aquifer recharge.” The strategy combines floodwater operations and groundwater management in an effort to benefit working landscapes, and could also aid local groundwater agencies as they implement the state Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires overdrafted groundwater basins to be in balance by the 2040s.

“With recent events, the focus is on flood risk reduction, which includes the use of levees and bypasses to keep floodwater off of land assets—such as agriculture—and get water out of the system quickly if there is nowhere to store it,” DWR Supervising Engineer Jennifer Marr said. “Flood-MAR projects can help slow down flows and provide prime locations to divert floodwater to maximize recharge.”

The Flood-MAR team, Marr said, envisions a future where flood agencies could contact local groundwater sustainability agencies before or during a storm, and obtain a list of landowners with prime recharge locations.

“In the future, all water rights, conveyance and other infrastructure (would be) in place and ready for the next event. Ideally, landowners would

be compensated for the public benefits their Flood-MAR projects provide,” Marr said.

DWR Supervising Engineer Jim Wieking said with SGMA and changes in the state’s weather, it makes sense to connect management of surface water and groundwater.

“We’re starting to get floodwater experts in the room with surface water managers and groundwater managers,” he said. “Flood-MAR is saying: Maybe we can look at the potential for essentially irrigating fields in the wintertime and that would increase water into the aquifers in those areas.”

Recharging groundwater has long been a priority of the Selma-based Consolidated Irrigation District, which serves farmers with water from the Kings River.

Consolidated Irrigation District General Manager Phil Desatoff said the district has been using floodwater to replenish groundwater since the 1870s, and started purchasing land for recharge purposes in 1921 when the district was officially formed.

“The district has been doing this slowly, but now with SGMA it becomes a major priority; we have to get this done,” Desatoff said. “We’re going to capture more of this floodwater and put it underground.”

Located near the Kings River and with coarse soils that offer a favorable water-percolation rate, the district has 1,400 acres of ponds for groundwater recharge and plans to construct more.

During the wet winter of 2016-17, Desatoff said the district diverted an average 900 cubic feet per second or 1,800 acre-feet of floodwater per day for groundwater recharge, from Janu-

ary through September.

“That’s 408,000 acre-feet of water that we were putting in the system,” he said.

Consolidated Irrigation District formed the Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency and intends to work with neighboring districts.

“We are going to be in balance, in fact we’re almost in balance now,” Desatoff said.

Helen Dahlke, a hydrology expert and professor with the University of California, Davis, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, has been working with farmers, studying onfarm groundwater recharge locations and suitability for various crops.

“In many regions, we can definitely do more actively recharging our groundwater aquifers,” said Dahlke, who currently has trials on alfalfa at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center.

“It really depends on what region, how much surface water is available for recharge, what kind of sediment structure or hydrogeology we have underneath and whether it’s suited for conveying large amounts quickly.”

Despite abundant precipitation in recent weeks, she said the timing is not the best for studying impact of recharge on certain crops.

“We prefer on-farm recharge to happen in January and February, just because that is considered the dormancy season for most crops,” Dahlke said. “With almond trees already blooming, often there is a greater risk of applying water on those crops.”

She said recent precipitation has helped groundwater recharge overall, but there is “very little way of estimating how much it is helping.”

“It’s more or less impossible to account for all of the heterogeneity that we have in the landscape,” Dahlke said.

DWR’s Wieking said groundwater recharge is driven by precipitation and runoff, and precipitation also influences the amount of active recharge that can be applied. With the significant amount of precipitation this year, he said he believes much natural recharge is taking place and more water is available for farmers to take advantage of on-farm recharge.

The state tracks groundwater elevation trends through its California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring program.

“CASGEM information is updated annually and so there will be new updates after this water year,” Wieking said. “Information collected from different wells is compiled so water managers can compare year to year. In terms of recharge for this year, we’re ahead of average and so we’re probably recharging more water to our groundwater basin than we do on average. In terms of knowing how we’ve done in a given year, you don’t really find out until a couple of years down the line, usually.”

Dahlke noted that after analyzing groundwater data following 2017, the wettest year on record for Northern California, “we could see in some wells the level rising 10, 20, and in extreme cases 30 feet, which is a lot—but measuring the water table does not tell us the volume of water that we have in the groundwater aquifer.”

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

Commentary: CCA officer supports proposed CA Cattle Council TONY TOSO

OPINION FOR CFBF AG ALERT

I would like to take just a moment to visit with you about the upcoming opportunity we have as cattle producers to cast our votes to approve establishment of the California Cattle Council.

Senate Bill 965 of 2018 allowed the California Department of Food and Agriculture to hold a referendum for eligible producers to decide if they would like to assess themselves to create the California Cattle Council. The council would allow California’s cattle producers opportunities to promote, educate and advance cattle issues in our state, as opposed to what is allowable under the California Beef Council checkoff mandate for marketing and promotion of beef.

If approved by a majority vote of eligible producers, the council would open the doors for our state’s nearly 24,000 cattle producers, beef and dairy, to protect and defend our way of life.

The council’s formation would SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

present the opportunity for producers to put the power of defining ourselves into our own hands, as opposed to the way we have been portrayed by activists seeking to distort beef and dairy cattle production and its producers in this state, depicting us as something less than honorable and as a business that should be eradicated. These militants try to control the narrative and define what it is we do. Given the opportunity, they would relish the chance to put an end to animal agriculture in California altogether.

The formation of the California Cattle Council would give us, as cattle producers, the opportunity to join together and take on the fabrications, misrepresentations and downright lies, and convey a truthful and powerful message about cattle producers in this state.

Our story is one of stewardship, responsibility and trustworthiness that must be conveyed to our elected leaders, agency personnel and the over 39 million people that live here with us in California.

The Cattle Council can be an instrumental vehicle in getting this message out there. How? With revenue generated by the sale of qualified animals ($1 per head, refundable to those producers not wishing to participate), it is estimated we could put about $3 million per year toward efforts to refute these baseless attacks. It would give our ranchers and dairy farmers an opportunity to go on the offensive to get our message out, and with strength in numbers it would provide the financial horsepower to make these important messages resonate with elected leaders, agency person-

JOHN DEERE 8430T

CATTLE continued on 11 »

CHALLENGER MT845C

ATI MACHINERY

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

nel and the public in general.

Think of the significant impact we could have on some of our elected officials if we were able to get Dr. Frank Mitloehner’s studies from UC Davis on myths of livestock impact in greenhouse gases into their hands, and then be able to get these leaders out on the dairies and ranches to see them in action and help them reconcile truth from myth or unsupported allegations.

Imagine if we could put more oomph behind showing the benefits of grazing and prescribed fire to the

AG EQUIPMENT RENTAL

Serving Farmers Since 1975

Call:

• Challenger MT865 – MT855 – MT845 – MT835 – MT765 • John Deere 9620T – 9520T – 8430T – 8520T – 8400T • John Deere MFWD Wheel Tractors – 275HP to 150HP • Cat Challenger 95-85-75 Rubber Belted Tractors • Case MX285 – MXM 175 Wheel Tractors • Cat D8K Direct Drive Mounted and Drawbar Tractors • Cat D6C – 3 & 5 Shank Rippers - Discs

1-888-461-0625

www.atimachinery.com

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

6

Nephrologist expands practice at Visalia Medical Clinic STAFF REPORTS Nephrologist Tariq Javed has expanded his practice at Visalia Medical Clinic and is now accepting new patients.

Dr. Javed is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Nephrology.

He completed his nephrology fellowship at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, where he served as chief fellow, and his internal med-

icine residency at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

A nephrologist treats kidney conditions, and prescribes treatments that may include medication, diet changes or dialysis.

Patients are referred to a nephrologist when signs of potential kidney disease are seen, such as blood or pro-

tein in the urine, kidney stones, fluid retention leading to swollen legs or ankles, nausea or back pain.

Visalia Medical Clinic, an affiliate of the Kaweah Delta Medical Foundation, offers the expertise of 64 providers, ranging from cardiology, pediatrics and orthopedic surgery to physical therapy, inter-

nal and family medicine, gastroenterology and dermatology and more.

The Quick Care and Sequoia Prompt Care walk-in clinics are open Monday through Friday 8am to 7pm; Saturdays from 8am to 5pm and Sundays from 9am to 2pm. For information, call 739-2000 or visit www.vmchealth.com.

For information, contact Ben Brennan, MD, at Visalia Medical Clinic, 739-2000.

Kaweah Delta set to begin monthly diabetes groups in March STAFF REPORTS In an effort to help people who have diabetes live better lives, Kaweah Delta will begin a series of free monthly diabetes support groups through October, in Visalia, Lindsay, Woodlake and Cutler/Orosi.

Support group attendees can expect peer support in a small group atmosphere that is caring and safe.

Each group will review the following monthly topics: • March: Seven Key Behaviors for Diabetes Self-Management • April: Kidney Disease/Dialysis • May: Foot care and Diabetes • June: Diabetes and Stroke • July: Rheumatoid Arthritis • August: New Medications/

POLITICAL FIX continued from 3

were doing.

As a result, North Carolina Congressional District 9 has called for a new election in May. Mr. Harris has declined to run again.

As a result of California’s ground game seven Republican congressional districts were flipped and Republicans had to admit they were out campaigned.

League of Women Voter volunteer, Maile Melkonian, took off her non-partisan hat one week before the general

• •

Treatment Options September: Menopause…Help!

October: Share Healthy Recipes

The diabetes support groups are provided by Kaweah Delta’s Community Outreach Department in collaboration with Kaweah Delta’s Chronic Disease Management Center, the Lindsay Diabetes Project, and Community Services & Employment Center (C-SET) Senior Services.

The free diabetes support groups will take place on the following dates and at the following locations: Visalia • On the first Thursday of the month from 5:30-7 p.m. at the

election to work for the Janz for Congress campaign.

Mr. Janz’ ground game had its own strategy but was similar to what the Democratic Party was doing all over the state.

According to Ms. Melokian, volunteers had master lists of residents that were registered Democrats and knocked on all their doors. She and her partner would ask the occupants of the house if they planned on voting.

If the answer was yes then they asked if they needed any assistance such as a ride to their polling place.

“We had explicit instructions not to touch any ballots unless it was

Our family serving yours since 1973

Senior Care Home & Assisted Living www.casagrandeseniorcarehomes.com

347 E. Walnut, Visalia

(559) 733-0233

(559) 562-2522

111 W. Honolulu, Lindsay

Lindsay (Spanish and English) • Spanish: On the second Thursday of the month from 5:30 -7 p.m. at Lindsay Healthy Start Family Resource Center, 400 E. Hermosa, Lindsay.

• English: On the third Tuesday of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. at Lindsay Healthy Start Family Resource Center, 400 E. Hermosa, Lindsay.

Woodlake • On the third Thursday of the month from 5:30-7 p.m. at Woodlake Manor Apartments,

sealed in the blue envelope and then only if the resident asked us to deliver it for them.”

Ms. Melokian recounted one instance where the resident wanted them to take his ballot to a drop off box. But the envelop was ripped and she and her partner were not comfortable handling the ballot. They instead offered to drive the resident to his polling place so he could hand it in himself.

At the polling place the poll workers discovered he had the wrong ballot. The man had saved his ballot from the June primary and had misplaced his general election ballot. The poll workers gave him a provisional ballot that, after being verified by the registrars’ office, is counted like a regular ballot.

When the California election returns were certified a month later, and several Republicans who had

e

Th

200 E. Sierra Ave., Woodlake.

Cutler/Orosi • On the last Thursday of the month from 5:30-7 p.m. at Cutler Senior Center, Ledbetter Park, 12691 Avenue 408, Cutler.

Tulare County continues to exceed state averages for rates of diabetes, according to the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency.

Adults diagnosed with diabetes one of several diseases linked to obesity - has climbed since 2007, reaching 13.2 percent in 2012, compared to 8.4 percent statewide in 2012. For more information on Kaweah Delta’s diabetes support groups, please call 624-2416.

been ahead on election night ended up losing their seat, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said the California election system “just defies logic to me.”

Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State, said in a statement to the Hill, “It is bizarre that Paul Ryan cannot grasp basic voting rights protections.

It shouldn’t ‘defy logic’ that elections officials are meticulous in counting every eligible ballot. California works to ensure every ballot is counted properly and every ballot is accounted for.

In the most populous state in the nation — and the state with the largest number of registered voters — this takes time.”

Ms. Melokian, who has been non-partisan her entire life, said California wants to ensure that everyone votes.

“You really have to screw things up not to vote here,” she said.

Manor House Senior Living at its Best!

ck d che l n a y b al Come quiet, sm e out th charm of town ter!

Exe

Palmer Company Insurance HOME • AUTO • FARM COMMERCIAL • LIFE • HEALTH

Kaweah Delta Chronic Disease Management Center, 325 S. Willis St., Visalia.

IBA WEST

● ● ● ●

www.exetermanorhouse.org Beautiful bedrooms w/private bath Comfortably controlled heating & cooling Three meals a day & snacks Close to churches, shopping & recreation

Call to schedule a Free lunch & tour!

710 Lennox, Exeter

(559) 592-2132

7 March, 2019

VALLEYSCENE

ourvalleyvoice.com

Visalia Breakfast Lions present Irish Fest 2019 at Rawhide Ballpark STAFF REPORTS The Visalia Breakfast Lions present the 8th Annual Irish Fest 2019 on Saturday, March 16th at Rawhide Ballpark from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, following the St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Main St. Downtown Visalia.

The Visalia Breakfast Lions, a community-minded service organization that donates thousands of dollars to over 20 local and national charities, is hosting the annual Irish Fest at Rawhide Ballpark located at 345 N. Jacob St. Guests will be able to listen to music from local band Borrowed Time while enjoying sampling craft beers from different craft breweries also many assorted wines will be available.

Breweries scheduled to attend include Bueno Distributing and their selection of fine craft beers, Donaghy, The Wort Hog Brewing Co., TC Hops Home Brewers, Sequoia Brewing Co., Tactical Ops Brewing, Valleywide Distributing, Temblor Brewing Co., House of Pendragon Brewery, Dust Bowl

Brewing Co., Firestone Walker.

Our exciting list of food truck vendors include Pita Kabob, Quesadilla Gorilla, Sequoia Brewing Co., Kerribb Flava’, Planing Mill Pizza and A&W they will be onsite for tasty food purchases.

Doors open at 1:00pm, brew sampling ends at 4:30pm with the event wrapping up at 5:00pm. This event is open to all guests 21 and over with all net proceeds benefiting local charities.

Advanced tickets are on sale now for just $40.00 per person and can be purchased at the door for $50.00. Prior to the Irish Fest, at 10:00am, is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Main St in Downtown Visalia.

After the parade grab a lift on the Visalia Towne Trolley and head down to Rawhide Ballpark to partake in some brew, music and food at Irish Fest 2019!

If you would like more information about Irish Fest 2019, please contact Terry Culotta at 559-909-0091 http:// visaliabreakfastlions.org/contact/

Self-Help Enterprises announces leadership institute STAFF REPORTS Residents of disadvantaged rural communities in California’s San Joaquin Valley often find it challenging to participate and effectively lead their communities in regards to water quality and quantity issues that they face.

To help build leadership capacity and acquire water management tools, SelfHelp Enterprises invites community water board members and staff, water leaders, and residents from rural communities to participate in the 2019 Rural Communities Water Managers Leadership Institute.

The six-month Leadership Institute program is scheduled for March 2019 through August 2019 with sessions held one Saturday per month at Self-Help Enterprises located at 8445 W. Elowin Ct., in Visalia. The first session will be held on March 23, 2019. Tentative dates for the subsequent sessions are: April 27, May 18, June 29, July 20, and August 24, 2019.

The deadline to apply is March 12, 2019. The program is free of charge thanks to the generous support from the Central Valley Community Foundation, USDA Rural Development, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 and through an agreement with the State Department of Water Resources The Leadership Institute will con-

sist of trainings, workshops, and educational tours focused on building and maintaining long-term water management expertise in rural communities.

The curriculum for the program will focus on topics including, but not limited to: local and regional community water uses, challenges, and solutions; California water management and planning programs including, water management agencies, laws and regulations; effective community participation in water management and planning; available funding and financing; an educational water tour; and sustaining community participation in water management and planning, building community networks and recruiting/ building new community leaders.

“Water planning is important to ensure that water sources are available over the long-term and during drought periods. However, disadvantaged communities have been disproportionately represented on the boards and committees of regional water management and planning programs, such as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program,” said Eva Dominguez, Community Development Program Manager at Self-Help Enterprises. “Through the Leadership Institute, water managers from disadvantaged communities

Leadership continued on 10 »

Rawhide Bring Los Tigres Del Norte to Visalia STAFF REPORTS The Rawhide, in partnership with the Roox Agency (Tulare, CA) announced that Latin music royalty will be performing at the Ballpark in the Fall of 2019.

Los Tigres Del Norte will be the headliner music act during the inaugural ‘Miche Fest’ – a family-friendly music & food festival coming to Rawhide Ballpark on Sunday, September 29th.

“This has been a work in progress for many months now” stated Rawhide General Manager, Jennifer Reynolds, “and we’re happy to finally take this exciting news public! The ballpark has been host to many different kinds of events, but this will be our first large concert, and we could not have asked for better partners. This

will be a special community event in honor of Hispanic Heritage month.”

In 2018, Los Tigres Del Norte performed around the world for over 17 million fans. They are also the only Latin band to have a Hollywood star.

Tickets for this event are on sale now at www.RawhideBaseball.com (online only). $50 for General Admission, and $120 for VIP. For a limited time only, use promo code ‘MICHE19’ for $10 off the purchase of a GA ticket.

If your group or organization is interested in this event, you can contact Jennifer@rawhidebaseball.com or Euler@rooxagency.com for details. If you are interested in being a vendor at the event you can apply online at rawhidebaseball.com.

California Connections Academy begins enrollment for 2019-20 STAFF REPORTS California Connections Academy Central, a high quality tuition-free, virtual public school, announces open enrollment for the 2019-20 school year.

The school serves more than 500 students in the 2018-19 school year in grades from transitional kindergarten to 12th grade, residing in Tulare, Fresno, Kern, Kings and Inyo counties.

The flexible learning option accommodates the needs of the modern student.

“California Connections Academy supports your best interests as a student,” said Sarah Randolph, senior at California Connections Academy Central. “Since I enrolled as a freshman, the teachers and counselors have worked with me to develop a course load reflecting my dream to enter the medical field.”

Teachers work closely with students to develop individualized learning plans using advanced technological tools and a rigorous curriculum that nurtures strengths and provides additional support in difficult areas.

The school serves a diverse student body, which includes competitive athletes facing challenging schedules, former homeschooled students seeking high caliber teacher support, and other students seeking expanded course offerings, among others.

“The 2019-20 school year marks our 13th year offering students across Central California a challenging and individualized learning path,” said Marcus White, site administrator at California Connections Academy Central. “Our school gives students the opportunity to reach their highest academic potential while pursuing outside passions and activities.”

Prolific California Connections Academy alums include world champion figure skaters Mirai Nigasu, Vincent Zhou, Karen Chen, and Nathan Chen, who accommodated rigorous training schedules and international championships with the school’s flexibility.

Beyond the flexibility, the benefits of online learning include a high-quality curriculum which meets rigorous state education standards, and state-credentialed teachers who lead a variety of courses, including honors and (AP)® classes, digital technology and career technical courses.

In addition, the school offers a variety of UC “a-g” courses such as science wet labs, numerous visual performing arts courses and more. California Connections Academy offers students National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society chapters, and an AVID program to help students in grades 6-12 prepare for college.

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

8

Fresno Airport receives $35m in infrastructure financing STAFF REPORTS Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) today announced California State Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) approval of the Airport’s $35 million infrastructure loan for the 3-level parking structure related to FATforward, FAT’s parking and terminal expansion program.

IBank finances public infrastructure and private development that promotes economic development and improves the quality of life in California communities.

Approval of the Airport’s $35 million loan is a result of the expansion program’s strong alignment with IBank’s mission. The 30-year loan at a 3.15 percent is the largest to date under IBank’s Infrastructure State Revolving Fund Program.

Recognizing the value of the project to the region in terms of its economic contribution and job creation, the Airport received State legislative and Fresno City Council support for IBank’s loan.

FAT’s FATforward initiative represents approximately 1,220 direct, induced and indirect jobs and $182 million in economic impact activity.

“At a time when airports across the nation are challenged with funding infrastructure needs, IBank’s approval advances Fresno Yosemite

International Airport’s effort by investing in this major parking project to accommodate the region’s growth,” said Director of Aviation Kevin Meikle.

“The investment aligns with efforts to meet capacity demands of the future by providing safe, efficient, and modern facilities while maintaining a high level of service expected by travelers and guests.”

“IBank is thrilled to help support infrastructure and economic development in the Central Valley. We recognize the importance of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport as a catalyst for growth and economic impact in the region and are proud to invest in the community,” said Nancee Robles, Acting Executive Director, California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank).

FATforward is the largest expansion program in the Airport’s history; a $115 million multi-year; multiphased program that will include Terminal and parking expansions, and a new and expanded International Arrivals facility.

Expected to be operational by late 2022, the expansion will provide a world-class transportation facility capable of meeting the demands of the region and serve as a convenient, friendly airport with the best traveler amenities for years to come.

Tulare car show benefits veterans STAFF REPORTS AMVETS (American Veterans) 3rd Annual Cars at the Park Car show is scheduled for April 6, 2019 at Zumwalt Park in Tulare. All the proceeds will go towards services and programs for Veterans and their families.

AMVETS is a nonprofit Veteran Service Organization and was the first VSO chartered by the Federal Government.

State Headquarters, which overseas operations, is in Tulare at 157 South K St. Some of the FREE programs and services that AMVETS provides are: Service Officers - Provide assistance regarding benefits and to help file VA claims.

Scholarships – Financial assistance to Veterans enrolled in college, trade or vocational school Career Center – Provides employment assistance as well as help with resumes and use of our computer lab and more.

Career Closet – We provide clothing to men and women Veteran who might need them for an interview or for work.

Homeless Veteran Outreach: Through our Welcome Home Program we provide furniture and other household items to Veterans who have been homeless but are now rebuilding their lives through the HUD/VASH Program.

Legislative Advocacy – Our Legislative team is active in advocating on behalf of our Veterans and their dependents.

Other programs include – Americanism, Women veterans Outreach, JROTC, VAVS (Veterans Administration Volunteer Services) and countless Community Service Projects.

The Car Show will have LOTS of information about Veterans organizations as well as other nonprofit, food and nonfood vendors.

For information please contact Sharon Allison-Crook, Director of Marketing & Programs at sharon@amvetsca.org

Local experts lead Visalia Chamber leadership conference sessions STAFF REPORTS Local Industry Experts Lead Visalia Chamber Impact Leadership Conference Breakout Sessions In addition to keynote speakers David Carr and Justin Patton, the 2019 Impact Leadership Conference will include a full day of breakout sessions covering topics from Healthy Boundaries for Teams to Generational Diversity and Mentoring. Each breakout session will be presented by local industry experts.

Healthy Boundaries for Teams: To build a successful team you must have well defined roles and boundaries, but boundaries can be a touchy topic for some leaders. The panelists in this session will tackle questions including: How to create healthy boundaries within a team, how to enforce boundaries in the workplace and how to hold people accountable to professional boundaries. In addition, the session will explore how personal life boundaries affect the workplace. Attendees will be provided resources with applicable strategies and suggestions to help leaders build a healthy team. This panel will be moderated by Rachel Ingram, (TechCare360) with panelists: Michael Zurek, (Associate MFT, Trinity Ministries), Karen Gross, (Owner, State Farm Insurance), and Danielle Duran (LMFT, Duran Counseling).

Generational Diversity: Gen X, Millennial, Baby Boomer, Gen Z and Traditionalists, in today’s workplace leaders must know how to work with, communicate and motivate employees from many different generations. In this breakout session attendees will learn why generational diversity can be difficult for leaders and will identify challenges and strengths that each generation can bring to a team. The session will examine historical events and how they have shaped each generation’s values and behaviors, and introduce techniques to help leaders communicate and motivate team members from each generation. This session will be led by Health Bixler, COS Training Resource Center.

Making Mentoring Work: Every great leader needs a great mentor, someone to confide in, someone to learn from, but in order to benefit from an mentoring relationship, the mentee must take the lead. Mentoring works best when the protégé takes the lead role in the relationship, it is particu-

larly helpful when they have a strong idea of where they want to go and what help they are looking for the mentor to provide. This session will address how to effectively community expectations to avoid common mentoring pitfalls, by helping attendees think ahead and create a stronger dialogue between the mentor and protégé. This session will be led by Jason Hopper, Author of “Modern Mentor: How to Find a Mentor and Make it Work”.

Changing Workforce in the Face of #metoo: Sexual harassment in the workplace is one of the most common concerns for employers. Awareness of sexual harassment has been heightened with the recent #metoo movement. This session will examine the changing workplace landscape in the context of #metoo and identify essential current legal issues and mandates regarding workplace sexual harassment in California and the impact on employer liability and employee safety.

Attendees will learn best practices and policies for creating a culture of safety and respect in the workplace. This session will be led by Caity Meader (Executive Director, Family Services of Tulare County) and Faith Driscoll (Associate Attorney, Barsamian & Moody) Crisis Communication: Is your organization prepared for a crisis? Do you know how to effectively communicate the right message when something negative ends up on the news, in the newspaper or on social media? This breakout session will pull from the collective knowledge of the panelist to discuss practical examples of what to do and not to do when it comes to crisis communication. Panelists include: Kevin Mizner, (Campus Police Chief, College of the Sequoias), Ashely Richie, (Media Supervisor, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office), Reggie Ellis (President & Publishers, The Sun-Gazette Newspaper) Moderated by: Colby Wells, (Public Affairs Manager, SoCalGas).

The 2019 Impact Leadership Conference will be held Thursday, March 21, 2019 at the Visalia Convention Center.

The conference is hosted by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce with sponsorship support from The Groppetti Automotive Family, Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, Paloma Development and Gateway Financial Group.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.visaliachamber.org/impact or call the Visalia Chamber of Commerce at 559-734-5876.

Valley Voice 7 March, 2019

Calendar

March 2 – Arts Consortium presents 1st Saturday in Three Rivers 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors.

Strt at Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map. More info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559561-3463.

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

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

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

March 9: Birding Field Trip Yokohl Valley Annual favorite trip up Yokohl Valley Road to look for raptors, Mountain Bluebird and Lewis’s Woodpecker.

Bring water, snacks & lunch, sun protection, bird book, binoculars, family and friends. Contact Gary Lindquist at (559) 734-0833. First meeting place: McDonald’s parking lot at Mary’s Vineyard, 1401 E. Noble, Visalia at 7:00 am, leave at 7:15 am. Second meeting place: Yokohl Valley and Hwy 198 at 7:30 am.

March 10: Kings Symphony Young Artists Concert Features the winner of this year’s Young Artist Competition, plus “Barber of Seville” and music by SaintSaens and Tchaikovsky. 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 340 N. Irwin, Hanford. www.facebook.com, type in Young Artist Concert March 14: Ground breaking on Sequoia High School’s new campus.

Location: Woodland Street, south of Houston Avenue, 4:00pm. Join the VUSD Board of Trustees, Superintendent Todd Oto, Sequoia High School Principal Adolfo Reyes and school staff members for the ceremonial event. .

For further information, please contact Robert Gröeber, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, at (559) 730-7529 or rgroeber@vusd.org.

March 14: Friends of Yaudanchi meeting Monache High School Science Bldg, Porterville 4:00. Enter through the main lobby. Join in the conservation of this unique ecological reserve. Info Richard J. Garcia richardjgarcia@ comcast.net March 16: Learn how to dance the salsa and learn about Dementia at the same time Valley Adult Day Services- VADS, 227 E Oak Ave, Porterville. 4pm – 8pm, food, prizes and free adult care services available during the event.

Learn about the services VADS has to offer.

Free vendors table are available. The event is being sponsored by UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program – School of Medicine and VADS. Info call Kayla Muller at 559-783-9815.

March 16: St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Visalia Breakfast Lions Irish Fest Parade starts at 10:00am alog Main St. Rawhide Ballpark from 1:00pm to

9 5:00pm, following the Parade. Music

by Borrowed Time, sampling of craft beers, also assorted wines. Attendees must be 21 and over with all net proceeds benefiting local charities.Tickets on sale now for $40.00 per person or at the door for $50.00. Contact Terry Culotta 909-0091 http://visaliabreakfastlions.org/contact/ March 16: Fred Davis Dinner Hosts Controller Betty Yee The public is invited to meet Betty Yee at the Third Annual Fred Davis Dinner at the Lamp Liter Inn in Visalia.Tickets available online at secure.actblue. com/donate/freddavis2019,or at the Tulare County Democratic office, 1320 WE. Walnut in Visalia, or Sherry (559) 901-5994.

March 21: Visalia Chamber’s Impact Leadership Conference Visalia Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Event focuses on creating opportunities for learning that focus on activism, leadership and workplace skills. Tickets are $250–$325 at visaliachamber.org/impact.

March 23: CASA of Tulare County’s 3rd annual Superhero Run 5K and 1K Run/Walk, raffle, pancake breakfast from the Visalia Breakfast Lions, plus a superhero costume contest. 7 to 11:30 a.m. at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia. Registration is $25–$35 at runsignup.com.

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

March 30 & 31: South Valley Art Tour The spring studio tour hosted by the Arts Consortium features over 35 artists at 19 locations. www.artsconsortium.org/events/acsvat March 30: Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ 2nd annual Trap Shoot fundraiser 9:30 a.m. at Tulare County Trap Club. $60 includes two rounds of trap, lunch, raffle ticket and Annie Oakley Shootout. First place prize is a Ruger Carbine Rifle 9mm! RSVP, text 805-8012617, email mmartinez@fca.org.

March 30: Visalia Host Lions presents its 2nd annual Murder Mystery Dinner Cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. at the Visalia Convention Center. The Roaring 1920s theme encourages participants to don flapper dresses and double-breasted suits. $75 RSVP 559936-5712 or laguilar@thelockwoodagency.net.

March 30 & 31:South Valley Art Tour The spring studio tour hosted by the Arts Consortium features over 35 artists at 19 locations. www.artsconsortium.org/events/acsvat April 2: 8th annual Downtown Visalia Wine Walk!

Come experience the beauty and elegance of Downtown Visalia while

tasting decadent wines at over 30 locations throughout Downtown! Your passport will get you into each location where they will have a variety of wines for you to try in your signature, souvenir wine glass, live entertainment throughout. This is a SELL OUT event so get your tickets now. Check-in will begin at 4:30pm and will end at 6:30pm. Check-in will take place across the street from the Fox Theater at 225 W. Main St. April 6: Soroptimist International of Tulare 6th Annual Tea Sweet Treats, Tea Sandwiches,.Fresh Fruit, 11 30 am to 1 30pm. Tulare Community Church 1820 Gem St Tulare.

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

April 6: 3rd Annual Cars at the Park Car show Zumwalt Park in Tulare. Put on by AMVETS (American Veterans) All the proceeds will go towards services and programs for Veterans and their families.

State Headquarters, which overseas operations, is in Tulare at 157 South K St.For information please contact Sharon Allison-Crook, Director of Marketing & Programs (559) 688-3407 (559) 827-3494 or email: sharon@amvetsca. org April 6:Gadabout Meeting 10:00 AM Visalia Senior Center 310 N. Locust April 6: 1st Saturday in Three Rivers Arts Consortium presents tour 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors and invite all for a town-wide celebration. Go to the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map of participating venues. For more info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559-561-3463.

April 6: 2nd annual Totally Forked Fundraiser and Foodies’ Night Out Presented by Exeter Optimists, 4 to 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Ave. Silent auction, live entertainment as local chefs dazzle attendees with off-menu delights with wine and craft beer pairings.

April 6: The Okie From Muskogee: A Tribute to the Bakersfield Sound Show at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox Theatre in Visalia. Tickets are $15-$30 at ticketfly. com.

April 13: Sequoia Symphony Orchestra “Wonders of Europe”—Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez and Respigni’s Pines of Rome—at the Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main St. in Visalia at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10-$45 at sequoiasymphonyorchestra.com.

April 13: 87th Annual Lindsay Orange Blossom Festival Lindsay Orange Blossom Parade and Festival at Lindsay Park! Parade starts at 10am, festival goes from 11am to 5pm. Live music, food vendors, bounce houses, a 5k and 10k fun-run, a carnival and more! Learn more at lindsayorangeblossom.org.

April 29: Culpepper & Merriweather Circus The Corcoran Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the circus. Proceeds from the benefit will go towards the 100th Christmas Tree Lighting event.

Info, Lisa Shaw at 559-992-4514.

May 2: Tulare County Youth Orchestras Concert on the Visalia Fox Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. Free event. For more info, visit foxvisalia.org.

May 3: An Evening at the Derby Assistance League of Visalia. Annu-

al fundraiser at Koetsier Ranch 8230 Ave 272, Visalia. All proceeds from the event benefit the League’s five children’s programs. “Horse racing” at 6:30. Dinner is prepared by Koetsier Ranch chefs at 7:30. 100 silent auction items and a drawing for our Disney raffle. Info on our website -- www.assistanceleague.org/visalia – or 559-7371907.

May 3: 6th Annual Hands in the Community Golf Tournament Hands in the Community (HNC) announces its 6th Annual Golf Tournament at the Ridge Creek Golf Course in Dinuba, California. This year, in addition to regular corporate sponsorships, HNC is offering the community the opportunity to sponsor local First Responder teams as a special “Thank you” for all they do for us on a daily basis. information, sign-up forms and Sponsorship Opportunities forms are available at www.hnconline.org OR contact HNC at 559-625-3822.

May 4: 1st Saturday in Three Rivers Arts Consortium presents tour 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors and invite all for a town-wide celebration. Go to the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map of participating venues. For more info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559-561-3463.

May 11 & 12: 66th annual Woodlake Lions Rodeo and Parade Woodlake. Visit woodlakelionsclub. com for all the details.

May 25: Pride Visalia, South Valley’s premier all-ages community event For the LGBT+ community and their friends, families and allies, will have food, information and craft booths, live music and more from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Old Lumber Yard, 300 E. Oak Ave. in Visalia. Tickets are $5–$125 at eventbrite.com.

Tues-Wed: 3PM-7PM; Thu-Sat: 11AM2PM Tulare Public Library, Veterans Resource Center, Referral services to all veterans and their families.

Saturday 10:00 – Tuesday through Thursday: Homework Help Tulare Public Library Homework Help 4:00 - 7:00pm, grades K-12th in our Learning Center, Every other Wednesday: Knitting Club Tulare Public Library 5:30pm; September 26th in the Olympic Room. All ages welcome! To register for book clubs or computer classes call 559-685-4503 or stop by the research and information desk.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Visalia Duplicate Bridge Club 12 noon Tuesdays, 7pm Thursday, and 12 noon Fridays - $6 on Tuesdays and Friday and $7 on Fridays. Includes lunch. At First Christian Church, 1023 N. Chinowth St. Info Elaine Smith 559 734-4780 First Tuesdays of month: National Alliance on Mental Illness, 5:45pm Education Meeting: 7pm Support Group St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Visalia, 120 N. Hall, Corner of Center and Hall. For more information call: (559) 627-1306 Mondays: Bridge Club, 9:30am-2pm 210 W Center Street Visalia. Admission is free. For additional information call: Joan Dinwiddie, (559) 732-0855 Mondays: Knitters, 10am-12:30pm 210 W Center Street Visalia. Everyone is welcome.

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

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

10

STEAM Expo set for March 9 at TCOE Planetarium & Science Center STAFF REPORTS On Saturday, March 9, the community is invited to celebrate everything about science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) at the annual STEAM Expo – one of the largest family science festivals in the Central Valley.

Now in its fifth year, the event is designed to engage students and families in learning about educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Leadership continued from 7

will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively participate and represent their communities in these regional water management programs.”

Similarly, the Leadership Institute offers a unique opportunity for water board members and community leaders to come together to develop skills

This year, the free Expo will provide students and their families with fun and engaging activities to build their STEAM-related knowledge, including visiting the annual Tulare County Science & Engineering Fair with over 50 entries from students vying for a chance to compete at the California State Science Fair.

The Expo will also include coding and hands-on art activities, a robotics exhibition, and a makerspace. Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear speaker presentations and visit vendor and exhibitor booths.

Representatives from seven community organizations, including the National Park Service and the UC Master Gardeners, will give short, 10-minute career presentations to students and parents.

New this year is a student art contest held in partnership with the SCICON outdoor education program.

The purpose of the contest is to provide art to update educational display boards utilized at SCICON’s outdoor classrooms.

Middle school and high school students, groups or classes will have

their projects judged at the STEAM Expo and winners will be announced during the Science & Engineering Fair awards ceremony.

The winning projects will be adapted to 4’ x 4’ educational boards displayed at SCICON and unveiled at the SCICON BBQ & Wildflower Festival on April 14.

The STEAM Expo is a free, open house-style event for families with children of all ages. For more information, contact Jared Marr or Paula Terrill at (559) 651-3031.

and acquire tools to become more effective as decision makers. “Participating in the 2016 Leadership Institute helped me gain valuable skills, including preparing and practicing how to structure a public presentation. This led me to gain confidence when communicating with the public and stakeholders”, said Jim Maciel, Chairman of the Armona Community Services District. “Board Members and those involved in water at a local level will gain

knowledge that will benefit small communities for many years to come.”

The application and more information is available online at http://bit. ly/2019LeadershipInstitute.

Because space is limited and the program free of charge, it is asked that participants commit to fully participate and stay in the program the entire time. Following the Leadership Institute, participants will stay networked to ensure small rural communities have a voice in Cal-

ifornia’s regional water management, while they pursue resources needed to build sustainable, healthy water systems. To date, the Leadership Institute has trained more than 50 new water leaders in rural communities from Merced County to Kern County.

For questions, additional information regarding the program or assistance to complete the application, please contact Eva Dominguez at (559) 802-1634 or EvaD@SelfHelpEn-

Valley Voice 7 March, 2019

11

Kaweah Delta selects members of Emergency Department Council STAFF REPORTS Kaweah Delta has selected the members of its first Emergency Department Advisory Council aiming to enhance patient experiences in its Emergency Department, one of the busiest in the state.

The following 14 people were selected to sit on the council, which had its first meeting on Feb. 27: Phil Bourdette, Guy Christian, Susan Delgado, Laurie Diamant, Sean Doyle, Rick Eastes, Kathy Johnston, Ravi Kumar, M.D., Christine Moore, Belva Peden, Monica Peterson, Gailerd Swisegood, Ann Tonini, and Thomas Wright. Members will attend a monthly 90-minute meeting with several Kaweah Delta staff members, and will serve a two-year term.

“Regular feedback from the community is important because it helps us improve,” said Deborah Volosin, Director of Community Engagement

CATTLE

continued from 5 public and how these undertakings, in tandem, could help thwart devastating fires, all the while helping improve our rangelands from invasive or noxious plant species, improving our air and water quality and enhancing open space.

How great it would be to educate the public on what the vast majority of producers do every day to provide their livestock with the best in care and welfare management. Our voluntary participation and adherence to programs like Beef Quality Assurance and our investments in the best tech-

EDUCATION continued from 1

peers. These classes include Drama, Fencing, Robotics, Archery, and Woodshop among others. Huecker boasts around 50 different classes for varying age levels.

The Center just opened its new facilities and expanded the campus to include a workshop and a makers’ studio complete with 3-D printers. Administrators look forward to using the full extent of the campus as a permanent home for the program.

“We bring together a community of homeschoolers so it’s not just the responsibilities of that parent, but they work together with our paid staff and other parents, so it’s a more collaborative learning experience,” said Huecker. Instead of teaching rooms of students, the ERCLC provides resources for parents to teach their kids and for kids to teach themselves.

Choice seems to be the main theme at Eleanor Roosevelt. “It was a great place for kids. It was very free and creative. The teachers really care about the students and are deeply interested in their goals and interests,” said Logan Schuman, an alumni of the program. “It fostered a great environment to help me become more confident and to forge my own path later in life.”

Even in 2012, a promotional video made by the school includes student testimony lauding the Center’s academic freedom.

According to the ERCLC website, parents are also very happy with the environment at Eleanor Roosevelt.

“ERCLC is more than just a place to

at Kaweah Delta. “This new council will create a dialogue and help us gather ideas so that we can continually improve programs and policies to address healthcare challenges and enhance the experience of our Emergency Department patients and visitors.”

Kaweah Delta’s Emergency Department is currently undergoing a multi-phase expansion that is expected to be complete in Summer 2020. It will modernize, expand and improve Kaweah Delta’s ED facilities to better serve patients and meet the needs of the growing community in the following ways: • Grow the number of patient beds from 41 to 74 beds • Nearly double the size of the waiting room to accommodate 100+ patients • Add a new area that will allow patients to be more quickly

screened.

Kaweah Delta’s ED was originally built to serve 72,000 patients a year, but today, staff there cares for more than 90,000 patients a year. To help make sure that patients are getting the care they need, there is now a patient navigator in the ED, who makes sure that patients are getting the care they need. In addition to answering questions and helping patients understand the process of care in the ED, the patient navigator, a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) can also monitor patient vital signs. Kaweah Delta has also made changes to ensure that after patients are seen by a registered nurse upon arrival and have vitals taken by an ED technician, they are seen by a doctor within 30 minutes of arrival, so that if any tests are needed, they can be ordered.

As a large regional healthcare orga-

nization, it is Kaweah Delta’s mission to serve the broad community. This new council is modeled after a council that Kaweah Delta created in 2017, a Patient and Family Advisory Council.

The group of patients and their family members work with healthcare providers to improve patient experiences.

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

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

nology to help us help our livestock needs to be communicated.

These could be some of the benefits we could realize by taking the step to approve the Cattle Council.

I have often said that when it’s shipping time in the spring, we are incredibly proud of the animals we load onto those trucks. It makes our hearts swell with pride to reap those rewards, not only in the form of a paycheck, but in the awesomeness of having created something special that feeds and benefits so many.

However, my proudest moments are seeing my kids saddled up with me and being a part of our family operation—it’s something bigger than just a job or a product. It’s the tradition, it’s

the land, it’s the animals, but most of all it’s the people, it’s our families, it’s the passage from one generation to the next and the pride and satisfaction to see it carry on.

So when you consider your Cattle Council referendum ballot, I would encourage you to think about the dollar you would spend per animal, not necessarily as just another business expense, but rather as an investment.

This is an investment in the future of animal agriculture in California, but most importantly into our families’ futures, honoring our legacy as ranchers and dairy producers, and positioning our family operations for what tomorrow brings.

This critical message, from us as

producers about what we do, needs to be conveyed to the people of California not just once, but continually, and we must be vigilant about it. The Cattle Council will help get that message to the right ears and put us all in a better position to succeed. Please join me in supporting the California Cattle Council.

(Tony Toso, a cattle rancher from Hornitos, is first vice president of the California Cattlemen’s Association.)

(Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and not of the Valley Voice or California Farm Bureau Federation. The California Department of Food and Agriculture says ballots on the council referendum must be returned by March 22.)

learn or get a diploma; it’s hands-on preparing students for life and their future, with a well-rounded education staff willing to help the students achieve their hopes and dreams out of life,” says Ashlie Standlee on the Center’s website. “Every student gets a tailored education to their needs and abilities.”

Funding for Eleanor Roosevelt comes from the state and, like traditional schools, depends on attendance. The school gets paid a proportional amount for the resources used per student, though it appears they also make use of a Booster Club described as “supplemental support by a parent-led organization,” according to the ERCLC website.

California charter schools were recently confronted with a proposed law introducing mandatory transparency.

Senate Bill 126 aims to require charter schools and the entities operating them to be compliant with the Ralph M. Brown Open Meeting Act and the California Public Records Act. While not an existential threat to charter schools, it allows for average citizens to know if local charter schools comply with their oversight committees.

In ERCLC’s case, the Tulare County Office of Education oversees its conduct. Chris Reed is the District 6 Trustee on the Tulare County Board of Education. She’s directly involved with the oversight of charter schools and she has been a big proponent of different learning opportunities.

“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that parents want more and more choices and lots of parents are homeschooling. For that, I think Eleanor Roosevelt is the perfect solution,” said Reed. She has helped the ERCLC

flourish within the California charter system since the beginning.

Reed remembered the conception of the Eleanor Roosevelt charter.

“Charter law was new and we had never had a charter school let alone a homeschooling center,” said Reed. She sees charter schools as a necessary alternative to traditional schools.

“Every charter school fulfills a need,” said Reed. “La Sierra fills a need for a military boot camp school, Valley Life focuses on Stephen Covey’s work and performing arts, and Eleanor Roosevelt fills the need of providing homeschooling resources.”

The Office of Education helps out where it’s needed, Reed says. She mentioned one time early on in Eleanor Roosevelt’s operation, the staff needed a gardener and the Board of Education

was able to assist with that.

“When a parent decides to homeschool their children, it could be very beneficial to the family if it’s done correctly,” said Reed.

As a charter, the Eleanor Roosevelt Community Learning Center finds itself in a unique position. While not being solely a community-driven education source, it still finds balance with its supporters and parents. The ERCLC fills a need in Tulare County for homeschool resources and parents are happy with their choices.

Eleanor Roosevelt is currently accepting applications for the 20192020 school year at www.erclc.org/ enrollment.

GET SOLAR

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

BEST PRICES IN THE VALLEY!

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

559.688.2544

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

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

12

WARMING

have to tangle with the idea of large groups of homeless potentially traveling through their neighborhood on a daily basis. It seems like a difficult idea to sell, but Ward and her supporters have done it before—twice.

Their success seems to stem from the growing need for low-barrier shelters. In Tulare County, homelessness has risen 400% just in the last year. Felix emphasized that our county in particular is chronically under resourced compared to the local need. Most shelters in the area have strict admission policies and are typically segregated by gender. This leaves many homeless couples or families out on the street.

The warming center at St. Paul’s, however, accepted pretty much everyone regardless of their sobriety or who they had with them. During its lifespan, the shelter took in many furry friends and even a couple with a baby.

And that kind of acceptance policy has helped keep families together.

Alejandro Torro,19, and his mother are originally from New Jersey and have been homeless for ever since his mother had a falling out with an ex. They’ve been staying at the warming center together for the past three months. Usually, a traditional shelter would not allow that Torro stay in the same facility as his mother. But because the warming center was a low-barrier shelter with no gender restriction policies, they were able to

stay under the same roof.

But with the warming center closing, their time together might be limited. Torro explained that if their plan to rent a place in Three Rivers doesn’t work out, they’ll be forced to stay at seperate shelters, something that Torro does not look forward to because they’ve never been apart like that before.

According to Torro, the hardest part of all of this has been the lack of empathy he’s experienced from the community, and even from some of staff at the warming center. He was, however, grateful for the three months that he didn’t have to worry about having a roof over his head.

Sometimes that’s enough to help people get back on their feet.

Randy Jones and Maria Aldana are a couple who lost everything. They went from having 40 grand in savings to being unemployed and living in their car. They drifted from truck stop to truck stop until they eventually found themselves at the warming center. For them, the shelter provided an opportunity to cultivate some security during an uncertain time.

“It created a lot of stability for us,” Aldana explained. “I actually got a job while we were here.”

“And that was the most important thing,” Jones added. “A little time and stability. We’ve been here about a month and a half. It didn’t take long

for our lives to go down hill, but it’s not taking very long for our lives to go back up hill.”

Aldana and Jones are hopeful about the future and thank Jesus every day. And it’s arguably thanks to the warming center that they feel that way. So it’s concerning for organizers like Ward and Felix who understand the benefits of a low barrier shelter.

Not only has the warming center provided shelter and stability, but it’s also provided medical aid, mental health services, and enrolled the most vulnerable in programs that help homeless find permanent housing. All of that will be going away for now, but that doesn’t mean people on the front lines and behind the scenes will stop working towards a more permanent solution for our homeless population.

“Fortunately, we have some new funding coming in soon, that interested agencies can access for a shelter and other homeless projects…” explained Felix. “It’s challenging, as folks across the state know very well, but I’m hopeful key parties will continue to work and try to identify some solutions that make sense for our community. “ Until alternate for St. Paul’s comes around, organizers and the homeless will have to take lessons from the little church on Central and have a little faith.

In the words of Randy Jones, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

portion of the canal, and also limit opportunities to maximize groundwater recharge projects that will be continued from 1 very important to helping the Valley Not only does this canal support comply with the Sustainable Groundnearly 1.2 million acres of family farms water Management Act,” said Jason in California,but it provides one in Phillips, CEO, Friant Water Authority. every five jobs directly related to agri“On behalf of the farmers, businesses culture,” continued Senator Hurtado. and communities who rely on the Fri“For this reason, I am proud to stand ant-Kern Canal, we very much apprewith my colleagues to introduce SB ciate Senator Hurtado’s leadership on 559. This legislation prioritizes our this legislation.” most disadvantage communities by “Today, we are fighting for the furestoring water supply in the Centure of the Central Valley, and I am tral Valley.” pleased to join my colleagues in this “The Friant-Kern Canal has lost bipartisan effort and support funding 60 percent of its carrying capacity in for the Friant-Kern Canal,” said Senator some locations. This problem threatBorgeas. “Valley farmers and our comens about 350,000 acres of highly promunities depend on this infrastrucductive farmland below the damaged ture to ensure a reliable supply of water. By restoring the canal to its full operational state, we ensure the delivery of clean and reliable water supply to our communities and farmers.

This investment in our water infrastructure is long overdue and critical for our valley.”

“California faces a stark reality when it comes to water,” said Assemblymember Arambula. “Scarce water supplies, aging infrastructure and a growing population are some of the stressors on our state’s water system. That is why we need real-time solutions to our long-term Melissa Hurtado and Devon Mathis, with other Central Valley politicians, water challenges. recently announced SB 559. Courtesy photo

Restoring the Friant-Kern Water Canal will help us protect our existing water supply while we work on reaching sustainable solutions that will get water out to our communities.”

“SB 559 is crucial to keep the Friant-Kern Canal, the largest artery for water on the eastside of the Valley, afloat. This measure is extremely important to keeping this economic engine which powers our economy and provides tremendous benefit locally, statewide and even nationally. Failing to fix the Friant-Kern Canal is not an option, simply because having water is never an option. I am proud to coauthor this measure with Senator Hurtado and look forward to bringing this funding to the Valley,” said Assemblymember Mathis.

“Water is the lifeblood of the Valley and the backbone of California’s economy. Senate Bill 559 is a step towards bringing the Friant-Kern Canal to its full capacity and addressing the State’s critical water needs. This measure will invest in our future by building water infrastructure projects and helping our local water districts fulfill their sustainable groundwater management plans,” stated Assembymember Salas.

“On behalf of the City of Porterville, I am very appreciative of our leaders’ efforts and support by introducing SB 559,” said Porterville Mayor Martha Flores. “The Friant-Kern Canal is the lifeblood to the southeastern San Joaquin Valley, and the canal being fullyefficient with the ability to carry surface water to its designed capacity is essential, especially in consideration of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” continued Mayor Flores. “The Friant-Kern Canal plays a valuable strategic role in the sustainability of Porterville as the city seeks to enhance its surface water recharge program and reduce its groundwater footprint.”

“We need to be at the forefront

of this issue, taking every tactical approach possible to secure our water supply,” stated Tulare County Supervisor Eddie Valero. “Sadly, the drought has impacted our rural communities significantly. That is why legislation like SB 559 is needed. This bill directly addresses the issues while raising awareness about all the various communities that are impacted by limited access to clean water.”

“Our valley is a special place, full of hard-working people with promise and opportunity. To protect our jobs and communities, however, we must fix our water infrastructure,” said Edwin Camp, President, D.M. Camp & Sons. “Just like the technology industry powers the economy in the Silicon Valley and the entertainment industry drives the economy in Hollywood, water is the lifeblood of the Valley economy. And a healthy, productive and sustainable valley matters to California.”

“The Friant-Kern Canal was specifically designed to carry water to recharge basins that help maintain stable groundwater levels,” said Jon Parker, General Manager of the KernWater Bank Authority. “In addition, many of the recharge basins that receive water from the canal support habitat for migratory waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway. By providing funds to repair the canal, SB 559 will preserve and possibly expand existing habitat opportunities.”

The 152 mile canal, which runs from Friant Dam to the Kern River in Bakersfield, conveys water for groundwater storage and clean drinking water for some of the state’s most vulnerable communities.

Moreover, the canal provides irrigation for more than 18,000 individual family farms– almost a quarter of the Valley’s agriculture land and 22 percent of all farms in California.

continued from 1

months in the summer and three months in the winter or something like that—a warming center and a cooling center,” Ward explained. “And work towards a twelve-month facility, but we have to fine those avenues of financial support.”

But will local property managers really rent out their space to the homeless?. Landlords have been known to reject tenants with a history of being homeless despite their enrollment in housing programs for fear of damage to their property or because they simply harbored a negative perception of the homeless community.

And even if they do find someone willing to rent the space out or find another faith-based community to donate their space for free, there’s the always the question of whether or not the city and local residents would welcome a homeless shelter in their neighborhood. It’s likely that the new location will have to be larger than St. Paul’s to meet the growing number of homeless. Ward’s shelter alone was reaching max capacity of 100 homeless a night at the warming center on multiple occasions.

That means wherever the intended location of the new shelter may be, the city and the local residents will

WATER

Valley Voice 7 March, 2019

Water and the Future of the San Joaquin Valley PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CA This publication was developed with partial support from the US Department of Agriculture under OCE Cooperative Agreement number 58-011-17-004, PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measures or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office.

To view the entire PPIC report please go to https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/ uploads/water-and-the-future-of-the-sanjoaquin-valley-overview.pdf The San Joaquin Valley—California’s largest agricultural region and an important contributor to the nation’s food supply—is in a time of great change.

The valley produces more than half of the state’s agricultural output.

Irrigated farming is the region’s main economic driver and predominant water user.

Stress on the valley’s water system is growing. Local water supplies are limited, particularly in the southern half of the region.

To irrigate their crops, many farmers use water imported from Northern California through the Sacramento– San Joaquin Delta. But in many places farmers have also relied on groundwater overdraft—pumping groundwater in excess of the rate at which it is replenished.

Worsening droughts, increasing regulations to protect endangered native fishes, and growing demand for Delta imports in Southern California have compounded surface water scarcity. While overdraft has been a challenge for many decades, the pace of groundwater pumping has accelerated, especially during the 2012– 16 drought.

Addressing long-term declines in groundwater reserves and adapting to worsening droughts are essential steps toward a more prosperous future.

A chronic decline in groundwater levels is making drinking water and irrigation wells go dry, increasing the amount of energy required to pump water, harming ecosystems, and reducing reserves to cope with future droughts.

It also causes land to sink, which damages major regional infrastructure, including canals that deliver water across the state.

These problems spurred the enactment in Fall 2014 of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which requires local water users to bring groundwater use to sustainable levels by the early 2040s.

With the largest groundwater overdraft in the state, the valley is ground zero for implementing this law. SGMA will have a broad impact on valley agriculture in coming years— and will likely entail some permanent idling of farmland.

Balancing Water Supplies and Demands

To close the groundwater deficit, groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in the valley’s overdrafted basins will have to augment their supplies, reduce their demands, or use some combination of these two approaches. A range of options are under consideration, but they are not likely to be equally effective or practical. Our analysis highlights the most promising approaches.

Expanding Supplies

Developing new supplies is limited by a variety of factors, including cost. We find that most valley farmers will not be willing to pay more than $300–$500/acre-feet for new long-term water supplies. The best options:

Capture more local runoff.

Capturing and storing additional water from big storms has the most potential. In particular, recharging groundwater could deliver significant new supplies at a cost farmers can afford. Coordinating management of surface and groundwater storage can help boost overall water storage capacity. Although building the proposed Temperance Flat Reservoir could also help, it appears to cost more than what most farmers would be willing to pay.

Manage the system differently to increase water imports.

Big investments to increase imports have limited potential to help valley agriculture. Most water from California WaterFix and proposed surface storage expansion would go to the Bay Area and Southern California.

These options are also relatively expensive for valley farmers. Without federal or state support, expanding Shasta Reservoir—which would principally benefit valley farmers—is also likely to cost too much. Instead of relying on such projects, engaging in more coordinated management of the entire Central Valley network of surface and groundwater reservoirs appears to be a better option. This strategy would significantly increase capacity, yielding nearly half as much new water as building a new reservoir at Temperance Flat, at a much lower cost.

Use urban conservation to support population growth.

New state laws require cities and suburbs to reduce per capita water use. These savings can support population growth— thereby reducing competition with valley agriculture for scarce water supplies. However, farmers should not expect significant additional urban water savings to be available for valley agriculture.

Managing Demand

New water supplies available to valley agriculture can address only about one-quarter of the region’s long-term groundwater imbalance. At 1.8 million acre-feet per year, that deficit is substantial.

This means that reductions in agricultural water use will have to cover most of the groundwater deficit. The best options:

Reduce agricultural water use.

Switching to crops that use less water and idling cropland are the best ways to reduce water use. In contrast, greater irrigation efficiency (e.g., switching from flood to drip irrigation) generally reduces how much water is applied to the land, but not overall water use.

This is because most irrigation water not consumed by plants returns to rivers or recharges aquifers where it can be used again. Investments in irrigation efficiency will remain worthwhile for other reasons—including to protect water quality.

Expand water trading.

By giving farmers more flexibility, water trading can reduce the costs of transitioning to sustainable groundwater use. If farmers have no flexibility to trade water or adapt crop choices, ending overdraft without new supplies requires fallowing 780,000 acres and causes crop revenue losses of about $3.5 billion per year.

If broader, valley-wide surface water trading is an option, farmers in the south would buy some water from the north, where it is more abundant.

This would further reduce the need to fallow the most profitable fruit, nut, and vegetable crops. The net result would be much lower crop revenue losses. Overall, the drop in regional GDP and employment would be about a third lower with valley-wide surface water trading than without it.

The Optimal Portfolio

A portfolio approach to balancing water supplies and demands—combining cost-effective supply strategies and water trading to help farmers manage demands—is most promising.

This combined approach would decrease the need for land fallowing by more than a quarter, from 750,000 acres to 535,000 acres.

Annual regional GDP losses in crops and related activities (dairy, meat, and food processing) would decline—to $1.3 billion from $2.1 billion (37% lower).

Annual job losses would also decline—to 13,000 from 21,000 (40% lower). With this portfolio, GDP and job losses equal roughly 4 percent

13

of today’s agricultural economy, and less than 1 percent of the total regional economy.

Priorities for Action

Expanding local and regional infrastructure for water conveyance may be necessary to facilitate recharge and take full advantage of water trading opportunities.

Land subsidence—sinking—from excess groundwater pumping has reduced the capacity of two of the valley’s critical conveyance arteries: the Friant Kern Canal and the California Aqueduct.

These reductions limit the ability to move water from the wetter northern part of the valley to the drier south. Investments in new east-west conveyance may also be warranted, along the lines of Kern County’s Cross-Valley Canal.

There is also a need to rethink infrastructure operations to maximize the potential of surface and groundwater storage as a system.

Analysis of new surface storage opportunities should be considered in this light.

Dam operations need to be updated to work with advanced weather forecasting technology and account for a changing climate.

State and federal agencies will be essential partners in these efforts, but regional and local entities that own and operate storage and conveyance infrastructure should play an important role in assessing system capacity issues and potential.

7 March, 2019 Valley Voice

14

Lawsuit claims negligence in death of elderly woman at care home STAFF REPORTS Julie Balderas, a 90-year-old woman with dementia, was admitted to Linwood Meadows Care Center for custodial care in 2017.

It’s alleged that because of facility staff negligence during her residency, Balderas suffered several severe falls that required hospital visits; wandered unseen from the facility numerous times; and endured medication errors that left her unable to communicate and with kidney damage.

A California Department of Public Health investigation later substantiated the allegations of medication errors.

Balderas passed away in December 2018, just days after being transferred from the facility to the hospital. According to the lawsuit, the substandard care provided to Balderas resulted from the facility operators’ focus on unlawfully increasing their business earnings by underfunding the facility, instead of providing the legally mandated minimum care to elderly residents.

Garcia & Artigliere filed a lawsuit against Linwood Meadows Care Center for elder abuse, and negligent hiring and supervision.

“As alleged in our Complaint, Julie’s injuries would not have occurred had the defendants simply complied with applicable state and federal rules, laws and regulations, as well as the acceptable standards of practice and guidelines governing the operation of a skilled nursing facility which are designed to protect the health and safety of patients,” said Attorney Stephen Garcia. “Moreover, through deficiencies issued by the Department of Health Services and other lawsuits against the

facility, it’s clear the defendants were aware of their ongoing negligent care.

Instead of correcting their deficiencies, the facility’s management operators and owners focused on ways to increase their revenues. They did this by allegedly diverting funds into their own pockets and leaving the facility with insufficient funds to meet the needs of its residents, including Julie.”

Allegations and Background

Balderas was admitted to the facility in May 2017, following a hospital stay at Kaweah Delta Medical Center.

She had been hospitalized after falling at home and subsequently exhibited periodic confusion and disorientation.

By this time, her diagnosis included dementia with wandering behaviors. Her family could no longer care for her at home and placed Balderas in the facility for long-term care.

Balderas’ conditions left her dependent for all activities of daily living, including transferring, mobility, dressing, grooming, bathing, hygiene, toileting and medication management. Just prior to admission, the facility and Balderas’ family discussed her conditions and associated needs, including her episodes of incontinence and dementia-related behaviors.

During the discussion, facility operators guaranteed to Balderas’ family that while the facility did not have a lockdown or memory care unit, the facility could and would meet the custodial care needs of Balderas and keep her safe, the lawsuit alleges.

Unfortunately, it appears the facility failed Balderas in this regard. In January

2018, she was hospitalized at Kaweah Delta Medical Center after falling at the facility. Her admitting diagnoses included a urinary tract infection and facial lacerations.

By 2018, she had also become wheelchair bound, incontinent and had developed swallowing difficulties. By July 2018, she showed increasing Sundowners’ and dementia-related symptoms, including severe agitation in the evenings, hallucinations and combativeness.

In October 2018, Balderas fell face forward out of her wheelchair and was again transferred to Kaweah Delta Medical Center.

When she arrived there, hospital personnel discovered bruising on her face and hands.

After this incident, Balderas eloped from the facility several times. In one instance, she was found in the parking lot. Requests by her family to put interventions in place to keep her safe went unanswered, the suit alleges.

From October 2018 through November 2018, Balderas suffered a series of falls. The facility had yet to put an alarm or low bed in place to address her tendency to attempt unassisted transfers.

She was routinely found incoherent by her family, sleeping through the day, and barely able to open her eyes. In fact, another resident’s family became so concerned about Balderas’ apparent decline that they told her family that facility staff routinely left Balderas lying in bed all day, according to the lawsuit.

On October 19, 2018, Balderas’ facility physician started medication orders for her that included 3 mg per day of Lorazepam concentrate administered under the tongue for anxiety and another 0.5 mg of Lorazepam solution by mouth as

needed every six hours for restlessness, which would add another 2 mg of the drug to the 3 mg that Balderas was routinely receiving.

On November 18, 2018, Balderas suffered another unwitnessed fall. Six days later, on November 24, her family found her unresponsive and unable to open her eyes or communicate.

She was finally transferred to Kaweah Delta Medical Center on November 28, 2018. Her diagnoses included severe dehydration and acute kidney damage resulting from medication errors, the suit alleges.

On December 4, 2018, the Department of Public Health investigated and substantiated the allegations pertaining to the medication errors suffered

by Balderas.

During the investigation, it was found that the facility pharmacist had recommended in writing, on a form dated November 5, 2018, that the Lorazepam dosage be reduced to 2 mg per day, which is the maximum recommended dosage per day. The response from staff caring for Balderas was the following: “IDT agrees to start Depakote (an anti-convulsant sometimes used to treat manic episodes related to bipolar disorder) then decrease to BID (twice a day), reevaluate effectiveness of medication x 3 weeks.”

Also, during the investigation, the facility’s director of nursing was unable to find documentation related to monitoring for possible adverse reactions or side effects from the Lorazepam use.

On December 13, 2018, Balderas passed away after spending the remainder of her life enduring painful injuries caused by the alleged incompetent care she received while at the facility.

Valley Voice 7 March, 2019

15

VOICES & OPINIONS

Tulare Local Healthcare District voters should be proud DREW PHELPS Despite all the recent conflict in the Tulare Local Healthcare District and the uncertain, yet hopeful path the district faces, I believe that we need, every now and then, to take a step back and remember how far we’ve come. As we’re left reeling by the recent New Yorker story and the criminal investigations into the actions of HCCA and Benny Benzeevi, I think it’s an appropriate time to also reflect on what has been achieved, and what it means for our community.

When the news broke that Benzeevi spent upwards of $230,000 on foreign spies for Kumar’s recall election in June 2017, many political observers unfamiliar with the specifics criticized his foolishness and lack of campaign savvy.

While it’s true that Benzeevi’s tactics were incredibly wasteful and traditional campaign methods probably would have been cheaper and more effective, I also find his choice to be an indication of the dire circumstances that led him to that point.

In the year and a half prior to the recall, the prior board had lost three elections — Measure I and two board seats — by a minimum margin of 23%.

Benzeevi and Kumar knew the walls were closing in and, after having tried traditional methods in those failed elections, resorted to more unconventional means.

We, the voters of the Tulare Healthcare District, are the obstacle which brought them to that point. Through our efforts — organizing grassroots election strategies and activating voters, building a social media community of over 2,000 members, and keeping our mission focused — we managed to overcome such significant investment against us with the power of community engagement. Whether you knocked on doors for the recall or other campaigns, did some research and shared on the Citizens for Hospital Accountability page, put up a yard sign, or simply shared the message with your friends and neighbors, you were an integral part of this movement and deserve thanks.

At the time of the recall, our efforts had already picked up plenty of momentum, and I believe both sides had an inkling of the impending outcome (hence Benzeevi’s desperate tactics).

However, there were many times earlier in the process in which the outcome was not nearly so certain. While the

vote margins may not show it, Measure I and the elections of Kevin Northcraft and Mike Jamaica were all hard-fought elections which required significant coordination on the part of those involved, and excitement from the voters to make a change. Legitimate, respectable, fact-based campaigns were delivered, and the voters responded with overwhelming support.

I was fortunate enough to be able to devote substantial time working on messaging and organizing for those campaigns. I was — and still am — amazed at the shift in the community and the activation of voters we all witnessed around this issue.

It may not seem special to some, but I tend to believe that in many parts of the United States, with the modern political climate, this sort of organization and change at the local level is impossible. Only in a place like the Valley can such strong community engagement and togetherness emerge around issues of local importance.

If you don’t believe me, look at Moreno Valley. They have been dealing with Benny’s older brother, Iddo Benzeevi, for a longer period and have yet to remove him from the community.

In fact, despite the efforts of a few con-

cerned citizens, he has, essentially, been able to elect a city council of his choosing. On one hand, this speaks to the lack of organizational commitment: in many of these races, concerned groups put forth more than one candidate, splitting the vote against Benzeevi’s option. On the other hand, though, it indicates that there are simply communities which, for one reason or another, have difficulty mustering the critical mass required to make a change at this scale. I am honored to say that I live in a place that can — and did — enact this sort of transformation.

Looking forward, this assuredness in our community spirit makes me hopeful. While it wasn’t a mystery before, it is now crystal-clear that local issues bring us together. If you give the voters in this community a convincing message, they will show up. I believe this is something we should all be proud of.

Drew Phelps is a healthcare advocate, land use professional, and fourth-generation Tularean. He was a primary member of Citizens for Hospital Accountability and holds his Master’s in American Politics from Claremont Graduate University.

Join with other friends of Yaudanchi & help reopen this unique reserve FRIENDS OF YAUDANCHI If you would like to help conserve this unique ecological reserve, join Friends of Yaudanchi at our March 14th meeting in Porterville 4:00 pm at the Monache High School Science Bldg. Enter through the main lobby.

Contact Richard J. Garcia richardjgarcia@ comcast.net For centuries the Yaudanchi people thrived on the eastern edge of the bountiful Central Valley where the Tule River forms an alluvial fan as it tumbles out of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. A small sub-tribe of the Yokuts Indians, the Yaudanchi coexisted with nature in an incredibly rich and diverse oak woodland forest that stretched westward entwined with the maze of creeks and sloughs that flowed to the shoreline of the vast Tulare Lake. The shallow lake was the largest body of freshwater west of the Mississippi River - and sustained massive Tule reed marsh wetlands that were an oasis for millions of resident and migrating waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway.

Stories passed down by generations of early pioneers who settled the Tule and Kaweah River basins tell of great Tule elk and deer herds, mighty grizzly bears,

badgers, kangaroo rats, foxes, fish, frogs, crawdads, mosquitoes and flocks of migrating birds that could block the sun when taking flight. Early travelers could ride for miles between the small valley towns that flourished in these massive oak and sycamore groves and never leave the shade of the giant trees and vines thriving in the rich sandy loam soil that is now being utilized for farms, dairies, and houses.

The landscape of this area is vastly different now--the rivers are dammed, water diverted, the dry lake bed is cultivated by large farming operations with a thirst for the valley’s receding groundwater. With the loss of this wetland habitat only remnants of the valley’s once abundant wildlife remain.

One small area, however, near the town of Porterville was saved from development and was designated an Ecological Reserve largely through the efforts of local individuals, diverse community groups, and persistent citizens. In 1975, recognizing the value of this land, the people of Porterville along with numerous groups-- including the Porterville City Council, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, the Kern and Tulare County

Audubon Societies, the Safari Club and the Porterville State Hospital’s Board-banded together to urge the state to retain the property and turn it into a preserve.

Working together they created the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve (YER) an area that consists of over 165 acres of rare undeveloped Tule River floodplain and provides upland and wetland habitat for a multitude of plants and animals. The property and its hiking trails were open to the public for over forty years and was used by Porterville schools as an outdoor educational classroom. Located on efficient aquifers over the river’s historic old channel, it would be pressed into service as a groundwater recharge ponding basin during wet years, and at times functioned as a blue heron rookery. In the dry years the reserve’s only water lifeline was the open unlined Campbell-Moreland Ditch that transverses the YER property.

However in 2017, the Porterville Developmental Center unexpectedly terminated its agreement with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage the Reserve. Gates were locked and signs removed. For all intents and purposes, Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve was closed.

The reason given that the reserve was no longer going to be managed for habitat and wildlife was because of a pipeline the downstream Vandalia Water District is proposing to reduce their seepage losses. The pipeline project would be devastating to the reserve’s plants and wildlife and would also have a negative impact on downstream aquifers and water well users including the nearby City of Porterville.

After receiving comments from concerned citizens including native plant and bird experts the Vandalia Water District has put the pipeline project on a temporary hold but the ditch company contends that this is only a slight delay and they plan to proceed with the Campbell-Moreland Ditch pipeline project putting the future of the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve in peril.

A small group of activist called Friends of Yaudanchi which includes members of the Tule River Indian Tribe is currently working to stop the pending pipeline project and reestablish the reserve as a publicly accessible nature preserve that could be used as a tribal meeting place and outdoor environmental education facility.

No, it wasn’t what Cohen said that was striking about this testimony. It was the performance of the Republican attack dogs masquerading as lawmakers. This was like that scene in Game of Thrones where a ravenous dog pack tears their disgusting master apart.

That’s the one where I was rooting for the dogs. In their eagerness to tear Cohen limb from limb, again and again these minions completely ignored the single most important issue in the hearings, which is: It was obvious from the beginning that Cohen is the very quintessence of a crooked lawyer. I lost count of the lies, deceptions, dirty deals and various screwings that he either instigated or carried out on orders. If that is indeed so, and the Republicans tried every means they could to call the remainder of his reputation into question, why

did no one raise the issue of-just what was Trump doing in the midst of all this malfeasance?

Was Trump aware of all the lawbreaking going on? If he was, then he needs to be impeached and removed. I say that cautiously because I am completely aware that Mike Pence is no improvement.

And if he wasn’t, that’s just as bad. You have three choices-1. Trump is so stupid he was led by the nose by this man.

2. He’s crazy-i.e. with an exploding ego who thinks he’s so smart no one can be meaner than him. 3, He’s dishonest-well, that’s nothing new for Presidents, either Republican or Democrat.

Its just that this one bathes himself in it. I just wish some of his supporters would get sick of the stench.

Trump and the lawyer STEVE PENDLETON I spent a day recently (since I am retired I have the luxury of wasting time) listening to the revelations of Michael Cohen. In case you’ve been living in a cave-or just listening to Fox-you know him as the President’s ex (very ex)lawyer. He’s also AKA ‘The Fixer’. With all the alleged Mafia connections of our Leader, one wonders if he had a more illustrious title-Capo di Capo? Michael ‘Corleone’? Whatever his monicker, its obvious you wouldn’t want to go for a rowboat ride with this man.

Well, recently our denigrated publicly sponsored radio stations KFCF and KPFA aired an entire day’s hearing of Cohen getting grilled by members of Congress. This wasn’t fake news; it was taken straight from the witness’ mouth-and the mouths of those we

laughingly called ‘Representatives’.

I’m not going to pontificate on whether or not Cohen lied (some more) on the stand. His record of deception is quite adequate to send him off for years to some bastille where he will become acquainted with baloney sandwiches, weekly showers and strange cellies. I believe he pled guilty to enough charges to send one of us mortals up the river for life plus. And of course, unlike so many other disgraceful villains (fill in the blanks here)he is most certainly not in like for a presidential pardon.

Cohen pretty much contented himself labeling his erstwhile boss with such endearing descriptions as ‘racist’. ‘ ‘dishonest’ and a ‘cheat’. We can agree with him, or simply slough it off as fake news. After all, the Teflon Don never allows mortal sludge to touch him.

16

7 March, 2019

Valley Voice