Valley Voice Issue 146 (1 August, 2019)

Valley Voice

Volume XXXIX No. 15 1 August, 2019 ourvalleyvoice.com

Tulare Board of Public Utilities president resigns

Make a difference to a child — become a CASA volunteer

DAVE ADALIAN

ALEXANDRA FELLER

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

The president of Tulare’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has resigned following a dispute over how to treat dangerous contamination of Tulare’s drinking water.

Jim Pennington--who joined the BPU in 2016 and was the sole board member remaining after a purge of the five-member commission in 2017-says he chose to resign following a contentious meeting with Mayor Jose Sigala, Vice Mayor Dennis Mederos and City Manager Rob Hunt over the city’s approach to eliminating the carcinogen trichloropropane (TCP) from Tulare’s drinking water. The meeting took place in April, and Pennington resigned in May.

‘Asking Tough Questions’

According to Pennington, his experience and knowledge of BPU business, and the questions it caused him to ask, ultimately led to his decision to step down. He also cited a lack of support from Hunt. The clash with city leadership, he said, came after he began researching alternatives to the city’s plan to remove TCP from water drawn by seven contaminated wells.

“I had a little knowledge, so I was the dangerous one,” Pennington said. “Rob (Hunt) didn’t support me at all. When I asked the staff for things and started asking tough questions, they had a surprise meeting and started chewing my butt for asking questions.”

Mayor Sigala, however, said the

BPU continued on 14 »

alexandra@ourvalleyvoice.com

ing and cooking. They are not alone. It is estimated that one million Californians have no access to safe drinking water. Domestic wells and small community water systems throughout the San Joaquin Valley have been declared contaminated, a situation that was made worse by the state’s devastating drought.

In a quote from the Fresno Bee Newsom said, ““The idea that we’re living in a state with a million people who don’t have access to clean, safe and affordable drinking water is a disgrace,” he said. “This is the wealthiest state. This is the wealthiest democracy in the world, and it’s happened on our watch. We own this. Those who want to criticize us are right. We’ve been neglectful, and it’s outrageous.”

The bill provides for the administration of $130 million annually for the next 10 years to clean up groundwater

Although placing a child in the foster care system is the last resort for social workers, it does happen when the child is in an unstable or abusive home environment. In this instance, the foster child could be assigned a Court Appointed Special Advocate.

CASA is a non-profit organization founded in an effort to advocate for the safety and well-being of children in foster care. Advocates are meant to represent the child’s best interests and voice in court.

CASA of Tulare County works specifically with local foster youth cases and have offices in Porterville and Visalia.

Superior Court Judge David Soukup of Seattle, WA, founded CASA in 1977 after feeling worried he was not receiving enough information to make educated decisions about the foster cases that came across his desk.

According to the CASA website, “To ensure he was getting all the facts and the long-term welfare of each child was being represented, Judge Soukup came up with an idea that would change America’s judicial procedure and the lives of over a million children.”

A judge must recognize and appoint a CASA volunteer to a child’s case in court. Once a volunteer has been assigned to a case, they are meant to advocate for that child’s welfare. Volunteers will maintain only a few cases at once as they take a great deal of time investment.

WATER continued on 13 »

CASA continued on 13 »

Gov. Newsom signs SB 200, is joined by Dolores Huerta, state lawmakers, safe water activists and resident leaders impacted by unsafe drinking water. Courtesy/Community Water Center

Safe, affordable drinking water bill passes with bipartisan support

STAFF REPORTS On July 25 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 200, the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.

He chose the community of Tombstone Territory in Fresno County to sign the bill to highlight the lack of safe drinking water in rural California.

Tombstone is a small neighborhood of about four blocks less than 1 mile from the town of Sanger.

Sanger has a centralized community water system. But Tombstone, like many small rural communities, relies on private wells. Two years ago the community learned that its water had levels of nitrate above state health standards and high levels of bacteria.

Nitrates can be especially dangerous, especially for babies, because they decrease the ability of their blood to carry oxygen.

Since then Tombstone residents have had to buy bottled water for drink-

SEIU members protest Tulare Business is booming in Visalia Business Research Park County salary increases STAFF REPORTS On Friday, July 26 SEIU 521 Tulare County members held a press conference and rally in front of the Tulare County CAO’s office building.

Workers from social services, roads and maintenance, health and others presented banners signed by hundreds of County workers. Messages addressed to Jason Britt highlighted the stark comparison between the county’s proposed 2% salary increase and the more than 10% increase that the Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved for the CAO. “There is a critical health and safety crisis impacting our residents across our county and it’s directly tied to our inability to recruit and retain qualified staff to support the needs of our residents,” said Tabatha Gomez, Social Worker in Child Welfare Services. “This year alone, our County CAO, Jason Britt, is scheduled to receive more than $20,000 in raises. Meanwhile, many of our Tulare County co-workers are having to

depend on public assistance themselves, cannot afford the out-of-reach healthcare costs, and are continuing to fall further behind our neighboring counties while the cost of living continues to rise.”

During the last five months, Tulare County employees have repeatedly expressed their concerns directly to the board of supervisors, in petitions on behalf of concerned Tulare County employees across the county, and at a community town hall. The co-workers have highlighted issues that affect all county residents: Stagnant wages have led to turnover and short staffing that leave residents without the services they need. Employees point to inadequate staffing in Child Welfare Services where there has been an increase in allegations of child abuse and neglect by 20.5% since 2009, and to the county’s failure to adequately staff health services in a county that has been officially designated as a health care professional shortage

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MIKE SEIB Plans for a new Hilton Garden Inn Hotel have been approved by the Planning Commission of Visalia. The 113-room hotel is to be built in Visalia’s BRP (Business Research Park) and promises to bring jobs and tourism to Visalia and the surrounding areas.

Planner Paul Bernal successfully managed to get the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) approved June 24 and put the ball back in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.’s court. The next step is filing for a building permit before ground is broken.

“There are three different master plans in the BRP,” said Bernal. “There is the Plaza Business Park, the Square at Plaza and the Gateway Business Park, where the new Hilton will be located.”

The architectural theme will be consistent with “Early California Mission Style”, incorporating smooth plaster finishes, El Dorado stone veneer and tile roofs as stated in the Gateway Business Park master plan (Planning Commission Agenda Mon-

day June 24, 2019).

“We want to support growth in the area,” said city council member Brian Pochoogian. “Our hope is that guests will come into Visalia to do business, use our services and enjoy our restaurants.”

The BRP is adjacent to Visalia’s booming Industrial Park just south of Hurley Street with close access to Highway 198 and State Route 99. Although the zone has existed for decades, just over 10% of the 150 acres has been built upon and 90-100 acres have been planned for and approved by the city.

A study consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) concluded that the environmental impacts would be negligible. A small addendum adding 13 rooms to the initial plan of 100 rooms was approved.

“The UPS distribution center provides a great hub for new businesses in addition to excellent freeway access,” continued Pochoogian. “We have great infrastructure in place. Visalia has done a great job handling growth.

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1 August, 2019 Valley Voice

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FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK

Dampen the Insanity

With the fall semester drawing near and higher levels of education correlating with higher median weekly earnings, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Most & Least Educated Cities in America as well as accompanying videos.

To determine where the most educated Americans are choosing to settle, WalletHub compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to racial education gap to quality of the public-school system.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

Most Educated Cities

Ann Arbor, MI San Jose, CA Washington, DC Durham, NC Madison, WI San Francisco, CA Boston, MA Seattle, WA Austin, TX Provo, UT

Least Educated Cities

Fresno, CA Ocala, FL Hickory, NC Stockton, CA Salinas, CA Modesto, CA Bakersfield, CA McAllen, TX Brownsville, TX Visalia, CA

KEY STATS

Our Valley Voice August Ads

• The Ann Arbor, MI, metro area has the highest share of bachelor’s degree holders aged 25 and older, 54.40 percent, which is 3.9 times higher than in Visalia-Porterville, CA, the metro area with the lowest at 13.90 percent.

Perhaps this in part explains why our Valley is so rabidly conservative.

Critical thinking is always more difficult--more complex and elastic, requiring better primary and higher education--than complacent, spoonfed conservatism. While indicative of the Stockholm Syndrome, the data may also explain how the Republican party has devolved into being a cult of

personality.

To quote Pete Townsend: “I know that the hypnotized never lie.

Do ya?”

Only in this case it’s the inadequately educated--and they do, indeed, lie. First they lie to themselves by accepting Trump’s repulsive behavior.

I know they’re better than that--they just don’t pipe up. Then they lie to others by excusing it.

I’m here to tell you that you can be a solid Republican and still be appalled by Trump. You can proudly vote your pocketbook--as Republicans are wont to do--and still disavow, say, racism. Or narcissism. Outright lies.

All Republicans should be disgusted by his supporters’ “send her back” chant at Trump’s North Carolina rally on 17 July. Not least because Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the target of this invective, is a naturalized citizen--but because she has demonstrated sufficient love of her new country to roll up her sleeves, stand for election, and help lead it. Trump’s reaction? Certainly not to dampen the insanity. Instead, he stood gloating upon the podium, basking like Mussolini in the roar of the crowd for 13 horrific, sickening seconds.

It sure as hell seems we’re more than 11 years removed from the 2008 rally where John McCain--the Republican presidential nominee at the time, remember?--reclaimed the microphone from a supporter who questioned Barak Obama’s trustworthiness, calling him an “Arab.”

“No, ma’am,” McCain said, taking control of the moment. “He’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”

I’d say we’ve traveled about 80 years--only backward in time, and to some place like Germany or Alabama.

I am so sick of winning.

Enough is too much. There has been enough sordidness for a lifetime in the brief two and a half years of the Trump presidency--a litany I’m not going to glorify either by specifying or enumerating.

Neither will I bash the Republicans. They’ll have to live with themselves. But I do call out those Republicans of conscience. Why so silent?

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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.

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Mike Seib

Reporters: Use your voice: send letters, concerns, or corrections to editor@ourvalleyvoice.com PO Box 325, Ivanhoe, CA 93235

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Alexandra Feller

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Production/Website: Tony Maldonado

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Valley Voice 1 August, 2019

POLITICAL FIX Rich? Yes, Smart? No

Everyone knows California is one of the largest economies in the world, rivaling England for fifth place. We are rich, trend setting, diverse, scenic, innovative and have a $30 billion or so surplus in our state’s general and rainy day fund.

But as the saying goes, money doesn’t always buy happiness and California’s booming economy has also produced a state with the highest rate of poverty, homelessness and income inequality in the country.

Now we have one more embarrassing distinction. Our golden state, even with our vaunted University of California system, is also the least educated.

According to WalletHub, out of the largest 150 metro areas in the country, California has the six least educated cities out of the bottom 10.

And guess who came in last?

The Visalia/Porterville metro area.

WalletHub looked at the share of adults aged 25 and older with a high school diploma, Associate, Bachelor or Graduate’s degree. They also took into consideration the quality of the metro area’s public school system.

California’s failing education system has economic implications.

Higher levels of education tend to lead to higher salaries. And the more that high school or college graduates earn, the more tax dollars they contribute to their hometown, explaining the circular relationship between lower education, poor cities, and poverty.

The top 10 most educated metro areas in the United States according to WalletHub are Ann Arbor MI, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA, Washington DC-Arlington-Alexandria, Durham-Chapel Hill NC, Madison WI, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward CA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA, Austin-Round Rock TX, and Provo-Orem, UT. The 10 least educated metro areas are Fresno CA, Ocala FL, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton NC, Stockton-Lodi CA, Salinas CA, Modesto CA, Bakersfield CA, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission TX, Brownsville-Harlingen TX, Visalia-Porterville CA. What are the political implications of poorly educated cities? When pollsters analyze the demographic make-up of Trump’s base the one constant is uneducated white males.

But is this true or fake news?

The Visalia/Porterville region is strongly Republican and voted for Mr. Trump - and now we know that we are the least educated. Did the rest of the bottom 10 follow suit?

When looking at the results from the 2016 presidential election, the most educated cities overwhelmingly voted for Ms. Clinton. But the bottom 10 were a little more complicated. The least educated cities needed a deeper dive than just election numbers.

The bottom 20 cities were a mixed bag. Who they voted for depended on the percent of their Hispanic population. Obviously the majority of Hispanics, at any education level, did not vote for Mr. Trump.

So why did the Visalia/Porterville area?

When a city in the least educated bottom 10 hit the critical point of 70%

Hispanic the scales tipped towards Ms. Clinton. It seemed that percent was the threshold needed to counterbalance the fact that Hispanics are notorious for low voter turnout.

At 65% Hispanic, the Visalia/Porterville region is just low enough to still vote for Mr. Trump 51% to Ms. Clinton’s 41% The same was true for the Bakersfield, Modesto, and Fresno areas that all hover around 50% Hispanic and voted for Trump by an 11 point advantage. Modesto and Stockton have a very ethnically diverse population and voted for Ms. Clinton.

Brownsville and McAllen Texas, number 148 and 149 on the scale of least educated cities, have a Hispanic population of 90% and voted for Ms. Clinton.

But in such areas as Ocala FL, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton NC, number 142 and 143 least educated cities, Whites made up 70 -75% of the population and voted 65% for Trump and 30% for Ms. Clinton. The same was true for low-ranking Lafayette LA, Lakeland-Winterhaven FL, and Reading PA. All have a large uneducated White population and voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Trump.

In addition, Mississippi, West Virginia and Louisiana were ranked last on WalletHub’s list of educated states and all voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Trump.

The most educated cities on the other hand voted overwhelmingly for Ms. Clinton. Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan and the most educated region of the United States, voted 27% for Mr. Trump. Only 21% voted for Mr. Trump in the second most educated region, San Joe/ Santa Clara.

The only exception to the top 10 most educated cities was number 10, Provo Utah. Being predominantly Mormon, they voted just over 50% for Mr. Trump The nagging question is that if Russia meddled in our election on behalf of Mr. Trump and the least educated Whites in the country vote for him –wouldn’t those be considered red flags in electing him again?

Democrats’ Last Gasp

In the six hours of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony on July 24 Tulare County will be remembered for Congress Member Devin Nunes’ opening statement. He is the Republican ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He along with 10 other Republicans questioned the validity of Mr. Mueller’s final report.

Here is a transcript of Mr. Nunes’ statement.

“Thank you Mr. Chairman. Welcome everyone to the last gasp of the Russia collusion conspiracy theory. As Democrats continue to foist this spectacle on the American people, as well as you Mr. Mueller, the American people may recall the media first began spreading this conspiracy theory in the spring of 2016 when Fusion GPS, funded by the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign, started developing the Steele Dossier, a collection of outlandish accusations that Trump and his associates or Russian agents. Fusion GPS, Steele, and other Confederates fed these absurdities tonight more partisan reporters and to top officials in numerous gov-

3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com ernment agencies including the FBI, the Department of Justice and the State Department.

Among other things the FBI used dossier allegations to obtain a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign. Despite acknowledging dossier allegations as being salacious and unverified, former FBI director James Comey briefed those allegations to President Obama and President-elect Trump. Those briefings conveniently leaked to the press, resulting in a publication of the dossier and launching thousands of false press stories based on the word of a foreign exspy, one who admitted he was desperate that Trump lose the election and who was eventually fired as an FBI source for leaking to the press.

After Comey himself was fired by his own admission, he leaked derogatory information on President Trump to the press for the specific purpose, and successfully so, of engineering the appointment of a special counsel who sits before us here today. The FBI investigation was marred by further corruption and bizarre abuses top DOJ official Bruce Ohr whose own life worked on Fusion GPS is anti-Trump operation fed Steele’s information to the FBI even after the FBI fired Steele.

The top FBI investigator and his lover, another top FBI official, constantly texted how much they hated Trump and wanted to stop him from being elected, and the entire investigation was open based not on five-eyes (PH) intelligence but on a tip from a foreign politician about a conversation involving Joseph Mifsud. He is a Maltese diplomat who is widely portrayed as a Russian agent but seems to have far more connections with Western governments including our own FBI and our own State Department than with Russia.

Brazenly ignoring all of these red flags as well as the transparent absurdity of the claims they are making, the Democrats have argued for nearly three years that evidence of collusion is hidden just around the corner. Like the Loch Ness monster, they insist it’s there, even if no one could find it.

Consider this, in March 2017, Democrats on this committee said they had more than circumstantial evidence of collusion, but they couldn’t reveal it yet.

Mr. Mueller was soon appointed, and they said he would find the collision.

Then, when no collision was found in Mr. Mueller’s indictments, the Democrats said we’d find it in his final report.

Then, when there was no collusion in the report, we were told Attorney General Barr was hiding it. Then, when it was clear Barr wasn’t hiding anything, we were told it would be revealed through a hearing was with Mr. Mueller himself.

And now that Mr. Mueller is here, they are claiming that the collusion has actually been in his report all along, hidden in plain sight.

And they are right. There is collusion in plain sight. Collusion between Russia and the Democratic Party. The Democrats colluded with Russian sources to develop the Steele dossier and Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya colluded with the dossier’s key architect, Fusion GPS head Glenn Simpson.

The Democrats have already admitted both in interviews and through their usual anonymous statements to reporters that today’s hearing is not about getting information at all. They said they want to “Bring the Mueller report to life and create a television moment

through ploys like having Mr. Mueller recite passages from his own report.”

In other words, this hearing is political theater, it’s a Hail Mary attempt to convince the American people that collusion Israel and that it it’s concealed in the report. Granted, that’s a strange argument to make about a report that is public. It’s almost like the Democrats prepared arguments accusing Mr. Barr of hiding the report and didn’t bother to update their claims once he publish the entire thing.

Among congressional Democrats, the Russia investigation was never about finding the truth, it’s always been a simple media operation. By their own accounts, this operation continues in this room today. Once again, numerous pressing issues this committee needs to address are put on hold to indulge the political fantasies of people who believed it was their destiny to serve Hillary Clinton’s administration. It’s time for the curtain to close on the Russia hoax. The conspiracy theory is dead. At some point, I would argue, we’re going to have to get back to work. Until then, I yield back the balance of my time.”

Mr. Mueller’s report found that the Russians meddled in our election on behalf of President Trump.

Mr. Nunes’ findings say that it was actually the Democrats who colluded with the Russians on behalf of Hilary Clinton.

We can be civil and agree to disagree on this issue, right?

But what about respect?

Respecting our war heroes, the United States Intelligence Community, Veterans, and Gold Star Families is not a partisan issue. But Mr. Trump and Mr. Nunes continue to disrespect these groups and their fellow Republicans.

Mr. Mueller received the Bronze Star with a distinction for valor for his actions in one battle, and he’d been airlifted out of the jungle during another firefight after being shot in the thigh.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Mueller were born just two years apart, raised in similar wealthy backgrounds in Northeastern cities, both deeply influenced by their fathers, both star prep school athletes, both Ivy League educated.

But while Mr. Mueller volunteered for the Marines, Mr. Trump dodged the draft by getting medical referrals for bone spurs. And he cannot even tell you which foot.

Mueller, for his part, not only volunteered for the Marines, he spent a year waiting for an injured knee to heal so he could serve. Also, after 9/11, Mr. Mueller with his integrity and hard work ethic as head of the FBI, was the one who kept us safe by preventing further terrorist attacks.

The same is true for war hero and United States Senator John McCain.

Why have Republicans remained silent while Mr. Trump has been allowed to disparage his reputation, even after death.

Why hasn’t our representative in the United States Congress, Mr. Nunes, said anything?

I f there is one thing I will believe to my dying day after all the lawsuits, losing my home, and the death of my son - is that silence is complicity.

Shame on the Republican Party.

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Text to 911 now available in unincorporated Kings County areas STAFF REPORTS “Call if you can -- Text if you can’t” is the slogan developed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the new technology makes its debut in the unincorporated areas of Kings County.

The service is NOT currently available in the cities of Hanford, Lemoore or Corcoran.

The Kings County Sheriff’s Office and State Emergency Communications 9-1-1 officials are honored to announce that the Kings County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center is equipped to receive and respond to mobile phone SMS Text-to-9-1-1 messages, effective immediately.

This service is available for use by the deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech impaired and in situations where it is too dangerous to make a voice call

to 9-1-1. All phones or devices must include a text or data plan to send a text to 9-1-1.

The benefits to citizens are significant, especially in cases when the caller cannot communicate verbally.

Examples include not only the hearing-impaired, but also when a crime is in process, the caller is facing domestic abuse, the caller is injured and cannot speak, or other scenarios.

Below are the FCC guidelines for how to contact 9-1-1. If you use a wireless phone or other type of mobile device, make sure to do the following in an emergency: • Always contact 9-1-1 by making a voice call, if you can. “Call if you can – Text if you can’t.”

• If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech disabled, and Text-to-9-1-1 is not available, use a TTY or telecommunica-

•

•

•

• •

tions relay service, if available.

If you text 9-1-1 and text is not available in your area, you will receive a bounce back message advising “text is not available please make a voice call to 9-1-1.” Bounce back messages are intended to minimize your risk of mistakenly believing that a text to 9-1-1 has been transmitted.

Location accuracy varies by carrier and should not be relied upon. Be prepared to give your location.

Text-to-9-1-1 service will not be available if the wireless carrier cannot ascertain a location of the device sending the message.

A text or data plan is required to place a text to 9-1-1.

Our system is capable of re-

ceiving photos or video, however the only carrier that currently supports this is Sprint.

No other provider currently supports photos or videos.

• Text messages should be sent in plain language and not contain popular abbreviations (SMH, LOL, ICYMI) or emoji’s, which will not be recognized.

• Text-to-9-1-1 cannot be sent in a group text. Do not send your emergency text to anyone other than 9-1-1.

• Texts must be in English only. There currently is no language interpretation for text available. This is still in development.

Using a phone to call 9-1-1 is still the most efficient way to reach emergency help.

“Call if you can – Text if you can’t”

The Source LGBT+ Center Youth Leadership Academy returns from Ecuador STAFF REPORTS The Source LGBT+ Center’s Youth Leadership Academy returned last week from a service, educational, and cultural exchange trip to Ecuador. The group stayed at the Latitude Foundation*, in Otavalo, Ecuador (about an hour and fifteen minutes north of Quito, the capital).

Nick Vargas, Director of Development at The Source, said “The Source LGBT+ Center has a youth leadership academy for people ages 16 to 23. It’s a 6-month program that meets twice a month. During sessions the participants go through modules on LGBT+ history, public speaking, advocacy, personal finance, slam poetry, and other topics of use to young leaders. In addition, they complete a class project around health care access. This year, The Source received a donation for travel. Executive Director Brian Poth and I chose Ecuador because we know two Visalians, Gwyn and Maggie Reniers, who have a non-profit hotel that

BUSINESS PARK continued from 1

We hope to create jobs and provide services not only for Visalia but also for surrounding cities like Hanford, Exeter and Lemoore.”

The Industrial Park just north of the site features multi-million dollar companies including California Dairies, JoAnn Stores Distribution Center and VF Corporation and continues to grow, boosted by a $130 million investment in roads and infrastructure such as sewer and electric connections.

Across Hurley Street, the BRP fea-

hosts service-groups. Plus, recently, same-sex marriage was made legal in Ecuador. While there, the class worked with the local LGBT+ community, as

well as provided needed school supplies to the youth in Ecuador. School is not free there, and supplies can be very expensive. Every participant, includ-

tures a commercial research “campus-like setting” according to members of the Planning Commission. It is intended to engender foot traffic and more development over the next few years, including restaurants, retail stores and more. Emphasis on education and research with some light industry is the goal. The BRP is intended to have a much less strenuous set of provisions than its neighbor, the Industrial Park.

City council member Steve Nelsen told The Valley Voice that he respected Hilton as a company: “They have done their due diligence and we are off

on the right foot. Our goal is adding restaurants and services in the area.

We can handle anything and everything that comes our way.”

Pochoogian echoed Nelsen’s enthusiasm, claiming that roads are in place and ready for more business.

The “Gateway Business Park” which is a parcel of the BRP, includes the master-planned development depicting the hotel around a public street extension with approximately 79,000 square-feet of general office space and 17,200 square-feet of retail space, on the 3.5 acre lot.

The hotel will also premier luxuri-

ing the chaperones, were “packing for a purpose” with back packs, pens, pencils, and other school supplies.”

Vargas continues, “For most of the academy, it was the first time on a plane and the first time leaving California. Brian and I are using this as the final education piece of this year’s academy to show students what it is like to travel internationally and interact with a different culture. We expect to make the international travel component an ongoing part of the youth leadership academy.” Applications will be taken for the next class in September. www.thesourcelgbt.org The group who traveled to Ecuador includes Max Smith, Briauna Guerrero, Raquel Lorenz, Kristen Loya, Jared Rubio, Joshua Sanchez, Rory Summers, Ruben Vela, and Karigan Wann. The Source LGBT+ Center staff are Brian Poth, Nick Vargas, Dean Jackson, and Edwin Gomez. *The Latitude Foundation, http://latitudefoundation.org

ous outdoor swimming pool and patio areas, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a lobby/business center with wifi access, a continental breakfast, a covered vehicular check-in area and more.

The proposal for construction, was made by Klassen Corporation out of Bakersfield, a mainstay of commercial and industrial construction in the valley for over 40 years.

Klasssen awaits a building permit.

Hilton has several properties in the area including The Marriott in Visalia and Hampton Inns in Visalia and Tulare.

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Progress continues at Tulare Local Healthcare District JOSEPH OLDENBOURG

joseph@ourvalleyvoice.com

The Tulare Local Health Care District (TLHCD) appears to have made astonishing progress since re-opening its hospital late last year under the auspices of Adventist Health, say the facts that emerged at its most recent regular board meeting on July 24.

While the mid-July census hovered at just under 10, according to Randy Dodd, Adventist Health’s President

of Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC), the emergency room has continued to see an average of roughly 77 patients per day.

Scheduled to open August 19 is the hospital’s new obstetrics department.

Financially speaking, TLCHD appears to be digging itself out of the hole it was left in when, under closure, the hospital transitioned from management by Healthcare Conglomerate Associates to that of Adventist Health.

Through bankruptcy proceedings, TLHCD has nearly halved the sum of its accounts payable to approximately $16 million.

Still pending are the revenue streams TRMC is due to receive when Medicare and Medical payments can be cleared.

According to Dan Heckathorne, interim TLHCD CFO, the district so far has accepted $5.8 million in a line of credit extended by the City of Tulare.

Thus far, the interest rate on this loan amounts to $264 thousand annually.

Payments are broken down into two $136-thousand checks, one issued in January and the other in July.

TLHCD’s most recent interest installment was paid to the city on July 26.

Heckathorne said it was important that TLHCD honor this commitment and that the district has striven to do so.

COS offering classes in Microsoft Office, business writing, and OSHA STAFF REPORTS The COS Training Resource Center is offering several upcoming shortterm classes. They have released a schedule of Microsoft Excel and Office classes for the 2019-2020 year in basic, intermediate and advanced levels.

They are also offering Business Writing and OSHA 10 classes.

Microsoft Excel is offered at three different skill levels and will go over how to use Excel, how to enter formulas, advanced formulas, creating charts and more. These classes will be offered in two (3) hour sessions in the Fall and in the Spring. Each 2 days training is $149 per person and includes the book.

The training center is also offering

Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook and Intermediate Microsoft Word as well. Each class is 3 hours and cost $75 per person, including the book.

A need exists in the business community for various computer skill training and the Training Resource Center’s goal is to provide valuable training to Tulare and Kings county businesses. This propelled them to offer these classes. One student at a previous Excel class said that the class was “very thorough and goes at a good pace, which allows everyone to keep up”. Another participant said that the class was good and they feel like they can start using Excel now.

These computer classes are hands-on and trainees will be learning the program on a computer, following the

trainer. There will be time to practice what participants are learning with the trainer present, so that questions may be asked.

Another training that has been requested in the Tulare county area is Business Writing. This training will go over grammar, spelling, proofreading, writing appropriate emails, and conveying tone and emotion through writing. This workshop is 2 days for a total of 6 hours and costs $149 per person. One previous trainee commented, “Instructor was great and I did learn new techniques from her presentation. Thank you!”

Also being offered on August 19 & 20 is an OSHA 10 General Industry class from 7:00 am – 12:00 pm each day. This OSHA 10-hour course is intended for

California Food Expo expands proven award platform STAFF REPORTS The California Food Expo’s expanded suite of awards promises expanded brand exposure and exclusive new opportunities with the unveiling of the Golden State Award and the Fred Ruiz Award.

Applications for these awards and the New Product Awards announced in June are available on the Expo’s website now through August 23, 2019.

“The Expo’s first priority is connecting exhibiting companies with business opportunities through new retail and foodservice buyer introductions, heightened brand awareness, and valuable industry and peer network connections,” said Amy Fuentes, Manager of the California Food Expo. “Our award programs have served as a catalyst for new product launches and reinforced longstanding company brands in valuable retail stores including Whole Foods, William Sonoma, Safeway, Vons, Vallarta Supermarkets and others.”

The Golden State Award invites all exhibitors to submit a product of their choice for a chance to be voted the most ‘liked’ California Food Expo product.

All submissions will be posted on the Expo’s Instagram page and Facebook where followers will be able to vote by liking the product of their choice beginning on Monday, August 26 through Sunday, September 8, 2019.

Award participants are encouraged to rally their followers for a chance to win a complimentary 10x10 booth at the 2020 California Food Expo. All submissions will be displayed on a photo backdrop at this year’s Expo.

The Fred Ruiz Award, named in honor of Fred Ruiz, founder of Ruiz Food Products Inc., the largest frozen Mexican food manufacturer in the U.S. will recognize one innovative California food or beverage company who is recognized by their peers as a pioneer in innovation and a steward in their community.

Award finalists will have the honor to present their company to a member of the Ruiz family and the Expo’s founding partners for an opportunity to be chosen as the sole winner of this prestigious award.

The New Product Awards announced in June offers awards in two distinct categories: the Buyer’s Choice Award and Consumer’s Choice Awards, giving participants an opportunity to have their entries reviewed and judged by both buyers and consumers for a chance to win 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in each category.

The Buyer’s Choice Award will be judged by the Expo’s Retail Advisory Council – an esteemed group of retail buyers who represent a diverse range of categories and store formats. The Consumer’s Choice Award will be judged by the Expo’s official Consumer Panel which mirrors the demographics of California for gender, ethnicity, age, income and education.

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Th

workers in General Industry. It is designed to teach workplace safety and reduce jobsite hazards. Previous trainee Mr. Luna states, “I highly recommend this course. Mr. Melendez is an outstanding instructor whose experience and knowledge base is second to none. The course covered several OSHA related safety topics along with current and new trends. A must for anyone thinking about entering the safety field!”

For more information on any of these classes, or to register, please visit our website at www.cos.edu/trainingcenter . For questions, please email us at trainingcenter@cos.edu or call us at 559.688.3130.

All award applications are available exclusively to 2019 confirmed exhibitors and are open for submission now through August 23, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

For more information about the full suite of Expo awards, including complete contest rules and how to apply, please visit https://californiafoodexpo. com/awards.

About the California Food Expo:

The California Food Expo is an exclusive industry trade show for California food and beverage companies to connect with more than 750 qualified retail and foodservice buyers, network with industry peers and showcase California’s thriving food industry.

For more information about the California Food Expo including the complete event agenda, or to register to exhibit or attend, please visit: www.CaliforniaFoodExpo.com.

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6

AGRICULTURE

Combination of strategies fights rural crime CHRISTINE SOUZA

Ag Alert/California Farm Bureau Federation

Drained fuel tanks, missing tractors, damaged irrigation pumps, the disappearance of crops and animals— California farmers and ranchers face those and other costly rural crimes.

To battle these ongoing problems, rural law enforcement agencies deploy new technology while emphasizing a tried-and-true crime-stopping method: increased communication and information sharing between deputies and farmers.

“We want farmers to understand that we need that information, so call us,” Colusa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Bradwell said. “Don’t be worried about whether you are bugging us or not, just get that information to us, because we build our cases off of information. If they want to call and text us directly, we push that. Any little thing out of the ordinary is what we want to hear about.”

Farmers Gary and Jake Driver of Grimes, father and son, say exchanging information with local law enforcement has always been a priority, especially because their farm has been hit by thieves in the past. Often, they said, battery thefts are a problem; more recently, fuel thefts have risen.

“A lot of our crime issues are people stealing fuel out of the (large) tanks, as well as from fuel wagons or from out in the field,” Jake Driver said. “Pretty much anything they can

get their hands on, they are going to take.”

Identifying fuel theft as the farm’s biggest issue, Gary Driver said the farm uses surveillance cameras and has invested in a security company to monitor the farm.

“Our trap wagons have gas motors on them, and they are stealing from those. You may get a gallon or a gallon and a half, but when you have 10 or more parked out there, they get it all,” he said.

In the case of Colusa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Bradwell,right, shows Grimes farmer Jake Driver a smartphone application meant to help faciltrap wagons, trail- itate communication between deputies and residents, and to report anything suspicious happening on the farm. Christine Souza/ ers or semitrailers CFBF lon drums in the back of their trucks communication and helps deputies used to fuel implements of husbandry, Jake Driver said, and just start filling them,” Bradwell build bigger cases.

“A lot of farm thefts do not meet “People will steal the whole wagon,” said, adding that for agricultural crimes, “the loss is significantly highfelony status, so we have to make bigadding that the value of the wagon is er than residential crimes because the ger cases,” he said. “A lot of minor about $6,000, and the cost to replace equipment value is so much money.” thefts or suspicious circumstances go 1,000 gallons of fuel would be valued Bradwell said the Colusa County unreported—and that is the informaat another $4,000.

Sheriff’s Department relies on a smarttion we need to know, because they Bradwell said thieves have also phone application for faster commucommonly lead to the larger-value broken into large, on-farm fuel tanks. nication and reporting of crimes and thefts.

The more comfortable a person “They break the locks off, open up suspicious activity by residents and gets, the more risk they will take in the valve, and if they can’t, they’ll cut farmers.

The app, he said, improves the hoses. Some of them have 50-galCRIME continued on 12 »

Department of Labor working to improve temporary visa program STAFF REPORTS Furthering the agenda to help America’s farmers, the Department of Labor (the Department), Employment and Training Administration and Wage and Hour Division, posted July 15 online a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to solicit public comment on proposed changes to improve the H-2A temporary agricultural labor certification program.

These proposed changes would modernize the Department’s H-2A regulations in a way that is responsive to stakeholder concerns and enhances employer access to a legal source of agricultural labor, while maintaining

the program’s protections for the U.S. workforce and enhancing enforcement against fraud and abuse.

The NPRM includes several major proposals that would streamline and simplify the H-2A application process, strengthen protections for U.S. and foreign workers, and ease unnecessary burdens on employers.

For example, the NPRM would streamline the H-2A application process by mandating electronic filing of job orders and applications, promoting the use of digital signatures, and providing employers with the option of staggering the entry of H-2A workers on a single application.

The NPRM also proposes to

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The Department is posting a copy of the NPRM in advance of its publication in the Federal Register.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement on the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to modernize the H-2A program to reflect stakeholder concerns and improve access to a legal source of agricultural labor: “President Trump once again shows his commitment to helping America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers continue to be the most productive in the world by increasing their access to a stable and legal workforce. The proposed rule will increase access to a reliable legal agricultural workforce, easing unnecessary burdens on farmers, increase enforcement against fraud and abuse, all while maintaining protections for America’s workers. When this rule goes into effect, our farmers will be released from unnecessary and burdensome regulations allowing them to do what they do best.”

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strengthen protections for U.S. and foreign workers by enhancing standards applicable to rental housing and public accommodations, strengthening surety bond requirements, expanding the Department’s authority to use enforcement tools like program debarment for substantial violations of program rules, and updating the methodologies used to determine the Adverse Effect Wage Rates and prevailing wages to ensure U.S. workers similarly employed are not adversely impacted.

Finally, the NPRM would expand access to the H-2A program by revising the definition of agricultural labor or services to include employers engaged in reforestation and pine straw activities, as workers performing these services share many of the same characteristics as traditional agricultural crews.

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VALLEYSCENE

ourvalleyvoice.com

Visalia Players present “The Odd Couple” at Ice House NANCY HOLLEY “The Odd Couple,” Neil Simon classic comedy, opens the Visalia Players’ 63rd season of providing live theatre to the community. Since The Odd Couple opened in 1965, became a movie in 1968, and was a successful TV series in the 1970s, many younger readers may not be familiar with its quintessential theme: the hilarity and complexity of relationships.

Generally roommates have commonalities (plural). For Felix Ungar (Henry Ralston) and Oscar Madison (John Olmos), the shared circumstance (singular) is divorce. Otherwise, they couldn’t be more different. Felix has a compulsion for neatness and order. According to Ralston, “The role of Felix is perfect. It is me! Very neurotic!”

Oscar on the other hand is slovenly. “He smokes, drinks, gambles, and just doesn’t care about anything,” comments Olmos. He and his poker playing buddies --Murray (Art Simon), Roy (Mike Nelson), Speed (Don Ajluni), and Vinnie (David Peden) – have a great time playing poker and poking fun at Felix. Nelson noted that one of his favorite lines is “He washed the cards!”

Added to the mix are the upstairs neighbors, a couple of sisters, one a divorcee, the other a widow -- Cecily

John Olmos as Oscar Madison and Henry Ralston as Felix Ungar

(Marguerite Koster) and Gwendolyn (Susan Mathews).

When asked how a play from the 1960s might be relevant today, Koster replied, “because it’s about relationships. We add a bit of spice to it.”

Mathews added, “Everyone is able to relate to friendships, couples, and

things you would like to say but don’t.

You’ll be laughing hysterically.”

When asked about the believability of the characters, Olmos noted “Leeni (Director Mitchell) asks that we tell her about our character and how our character relates to others in the play.

The exercise helps characterization.”

Olmos continued, “I’m pulling from the adults I knew in the 60s; how they acted; the manners they had.” Ajluni commented “If the show is well cast, and the director lets you run with it, you are going to have a good show.”

Mitchell believes that the play is funnier than the movie. “The play opens with a poker game accompanied by hilarious remarks. The tone for comedy is immediately set. I love doing comedies. I can make them my own. Our main focus is capturing the humor and the essence of the characters.”

Mitchell and her costume crew are ensuring that the set decoration and the costumes set the period for the play.

Peden summed up the views of the cast, “Anyone who comes should be prepared to have a fun evening. Who doesn’t need a laugh once in awhile?”

“The Odd Couple” runs for three weekends at the Ice House Theatre at Race and Santa Fe in Visalia. Evening performances are at 7:30pm on 8/2, 8/3, 8/9, 8/10, 8/16, and 8/17, and matinees are at 2pm on 8/4, 8/11, and 8/18. To purchase tickets go to the Visalia Players’ website at www.visaliaplayers.org, their Facebook page “Visalia Community Players”, or call 734-3900.

“Holiday, Harmonies and Hits” with Beach Boys at Visalia Fox STAFF REPORTS

Tulare County Fair kicks off with Marshall Tucker Band STAFF REPORTS The centennial celebration at the Tulare County Fair kicks off five days of headliner entertainment on Wednesday, Sept. 11, with the Marshall Tucker Band on the Bud Light stage.

The concert venue will feature allnew giant video screens and will now seat up to 1,500 concert-goers, thanks to the support of presenting sponsor Eagle Mountain Casino.

The Marshall Tucker Band is a tried-and-true Southern band, known for its long and successful career with hits such as “Heard It in a Love Song,” “Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain,” and “Long Hard Ride.” The band has enjoyed a long and successful history with its mix of rock, blues, jazz, country, soul and bluegrass.

The concert is free with gate ad-

mission to the Fair.

The Tulare County Fair will run Sept. 11-15, offering more than 100 free things to do, a look back at the Fair’s 100 years, five days of free entertainment for the family, educational activities for children, the annual Junior Livestock Auction on Sunday, Sept.

15, and more.

The Fair is offering discounts on tickets, carnival wristbands and frontof-the line wristbands through July 31.

Applications for entertainers interested in performing at the fair (without compensation) are now available online. Applications are due

by Aug. 3.

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

The Beach Boys are coming to the Visalia Fox Theatre on December 5, 2019 at 7:30pm during their Holiday, Harmonies and Hits tour. Tickets went on sale to the public on July 26 at 12pm and are available at the Visalia Fox Theatre box office, by phone at (559) 6251FOX and foxvisalia.org.

You can capsulize most pop music acts by reciting how many hits they’ve had and how many millions of albums they’ve sold. But these conventional measurements fall short when you’re assessing the impact of The Beach Boys. This band has birthed a torrent of hit singles and sold albums by the tens of millions. But its greater significance lies in the fact that The Beach Boys’ songs have forever changed the musical landscape, profoundly influencing countless performing artists to follow.

The Beach Boys are led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who, along with Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill, Keith Hubacher, Christian Love, Brian Eichenberger, Randy Leago and Scott Totten continue the legacy of the iconic American band. Grammy-winning songwriter Bruce Johnston joined The Beach Boys in 1965, replacing Glenn Campbell, who filled-in for Brian Wilson, on vocals/bass, when he retired from touring. Highly regarded in his field, Johnston’s vocal work with such legendary artists as Elton John and Pink Floyd firmly established him among rock’s elite artists.

Captained by Mike Love, The Beach Boys play an astoundingly busy sched-

ule of concerts, averaging 150 shows a year, ranging from sundrenched summer festivals to gala New Year’s celebrations and special events across the globe.

The Beach Boys have continued to create and perform with the same bold imagination and style that marked their explosive debut over 50 years ago. In 2013, their Capitol Records release, Sounds of Summer (RIAA certified triple platinum with over three million in sales and climbing), and its companion The Warmth of the Sun marked a resurgence in Beach Boys interest that again rocked the world.

The Beach Boys found through their music the key to unfading youth— and they made copies for everyone. To these guys, the beach isn’t just a place where the surf comes to play— it’s where life is renewed and made whole again.

Had this remarkable band been less committed to its art and its fans, it could have retired from the field with honor at dozens of points along the way, confident that it had made a lasting contribution to world culture.

It could have rested on the success of the epoch-shifting Pet Sounds masterpiece in 1966... or after Mike Love’s concept album Endless Summer ignited a second generation of Beach Boys fans and stirred a tempest that rocked the music world... or after recording Love’s co-written Golden Globe nominated “Kokomo” in 1988 and seeing it become its best selling single ever... or after being inducted that same year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame... or after

BEACH BOYS continued on 10 »

1 August, 2019 Valley Voice

8

Redwood Digital Film students selected for All American Film Festival STAFF REPORTS Redwood High School’s Digital Film students made the Official Selections for the All American Film Festival in New York City.

This is the biggest and most prestigious High School Film festival in the USA. The three film projects are, “Cowhide Football Highlight,” “What Do You Show Them racing highlight,” and “Ranger TV Broadcast Journalism Highlight.”

This national event will take place: October 11th - October 13, 2019.

Redwood’s Digital Film program will have two students attending, Joshua Glass and Aiden Kempf, as well as their instructor Mr Henshaw.

These Redwood students will have an experience of a lifetime. They will

meet industry experts, college and

university recruiters and fellow film-

makers. There will be Industry Insider Panels and workshops.

Students will have an opportunity to screen their films along with their competitors from all over the nation.

The event will culminate with the Teen Indie Awards Show on Sunday night October 13.

At that time, the students will find out if they’ve won the award for their category.

The cost for this event will be $1,350 each. They are seeking donations to cover the expenses of this once in a lifetime trip.

Proceeds will go towards the expenses of airfare, hotel, bus passes and food.

Please make checks payable to “Redwood High School,” in the memo, write “Digital Film Program.”

STEPS Grant Program provides work readiness training and employment TULARE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION When asked in a mock interview to name one of his strengths, Porterville College student Juan said, “I’m pretty good at working with my hands.” This summer, Juan got the opportunity to demonstrate his hands-on abilities through a job placement with the Porterville Adult School. The SEE Youth Program was able to help Juan and more than 20 other young people in the Porterville area gain work experience beginning in June.

Through a grant from the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB), participants were given work readiness training and placed with various public and private orga-

nizations in the Porterville area. The grant, entitled STEPS (Summer Training and Employment Program for Students), was awarded to the SEE Workforce Development Program to help young adults with special needs, ages 16-21, gain work experience.

Porterville Adult School director Staci Phipps has been very impressed with Juan and his teammate, David.

“They have this amazing ‘what can we do next’ attitude,” she smiled. The young men were given the task of stripping and polishing the school’s vinyl tile – a job district maintenance personnel thought would take about a week. Utilizing a floor buffer, the young men had the floors gleaming in two days.

Charley also enjoys work at the Porterville Public Library.

Training through the STEPS grant was conducted in small cohorts. For several days prior to their job placements, participants met in the SEE youth room at the Porterville Employment Connection on Henderson Avenue. Looking a bit like an urban coffee lounge, the room featured a high central table for work and conversation.

The table also doubled as a place where a panel could assemble to conduct mock interviews with participants.

During the work readiness workshops, SEE’s Linda Patino and Benny Rivera led participants in exploring careers, building résumés and interview skills, learning about appropriate work behavior and attire, and filling out timesheets. Because money earned by participants through the grant is deposited into their bank accounts, the program also included financial management lessons. In total, participants received 40 hours of work readiness training and up to 175 hours of work experience. Participants also visited local agencies as part of their career exploration component.

Across town, Charley and Estefani were working shifts at the Porterville Public Library. While Porterville College student Charley made quick work of re-shelving books, Estefani worked the front desk, checking books in and out. “I enjoy helping people, especially if they need to find certain books,” she smiled.

For more information about SEE’s training programs for youth and adults, call Linda Patino at (559) 730-2737.

‘Driving change’ is focus of human resource conference STAFF REPORTS SHRM of Tulare/Kings Counties, an affiliate chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, will hold its annual conference from 8 am to 4:30pm on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center.

The conference will feature three keynote speakers: Trisha Zulic from California State Council of SHRM; Cynthia Johnson, a professor of communication and psychology at College of the Sequoias and division chair for the Language and Communications Studies division; and Tracy Butz, a workplace culture expert and author.

Online registration is available at www.shrmtularekings.org. Discounted admission is available through Aug. 15; student admission is reduced to $75 per person; general admission is $175 per person.

SHRM of Tulare/Kings Counties is an association formed to serve the professional, educational and networking needs of human resources professionals in the Tulare and Kings county areas. Its purpose is to serve as a forum for personal and professional development; provide opportunities for members to develop leadership, managerial and public speaking skills; and to share local, state and national human resource management issues.

“The conference will provide valuable information to those who are in the HR field or studying HR, and it will be very useful for small business owners who need to understand changes in human relations policies,” noted Shelly Little, president.

For information, visit www. shrmtularekings.org or contact Little at president@shrmtularekings.org or call 734-0570.

Valley Voice 1 August, 2019

Calendar

August 1: Friends of the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve public outreach meeting Monache High School, 960 N. Newcomb St. Porterville Room G-201 Chemistry/Biology Lab. Please enter though main office 3:00 to 5:00pm, Join local citizens to save the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve. Contact richard.garcia@kernkaweah.sierraclub. org August 2: 18 The Odd Couple” Visalia Players present this classic comedy and Tony Award winner about sloppy and super neat roommates.

Icehouse Theatre, 410 E. Race, Visalia.

August 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 & 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday matinees August 4, 11 & 18 at 2 p.m. Info 559 734-3900 or www.visaliaplayers.org August 3: 1st Saturday in Three Rivers Arts Consortium presents event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors and invite all for a town-wide celebration. Go to the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map of participating venues. Info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559-561-3463.

August 3: Gadabouts Meeting 10:00 am, Senior Center, 310 North Locust St., Visalia, CA 93291 August 6: Visalia Public Cemetery New Mural Unveiling The Visalia Cemetery will be hosting an unveiling of a new mural and the artist’s reception. Tuesday at 9am Light refreshments will be served. 1300 W. Goshen, Call 734-6181 with more information.

August 8: Visalia Community Republican Assembly Meetings on the Second Thursday of every month at Ryan’s Restaurant on Mooney. 6:30-8 PM. Contact info: 559361-9071.

August 8: Rotary Brew Fest The Rotary Brew Fest scholarship fundraiser, with a twist of whiskey and wine,at the College of the Sequoias Porter Field House, 915 S. Mooney Blvd.

VIP pre-reception from 5 to 6 p.m., featuring premium tastings for $100 per person. General admission 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m for $50 per person. Proceeds support scholarships through the Visalia Rotary Community Foundation and the COS Foundation.Tickets available at Visalia’s Rotary Club meetings, online at cos.edu/fundraiser or by calling Sylvia Stiff, sylviast@cos.edu, 7303861.

August 9 thru Sept 1: Children’s Story” A chilling tale set in an American school the morning after a war we lost.

Presented by the Kings Players at Temple Theater, 514 Visalia St., Hanford.

August 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 & 31 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees August 18, 25 & September 1 at 2 p.m. Info 559 584-7241 or www.kingsplayers.net August 9: Sing-Along for Kids!

Creative Center’s presents a Fantastic FUNtasy Sing-Along for Kids! This event includes interactive singing and dancing, storytime with an alpaca and a squid, a live band and bubbles!

10:30am-11:30am, The Creative Center 410 E Race Ave, Visalia, CA FREE FOR KIDS! Adults $2, Info -Stevi Daniels 559733-9329 August 10: Celebrant Singers Grand Homecoming Concert LJ Williams Theatre, 1001 W. Main St., Visalia. 7:00pm. All seats are FREE and

9 a love offering will be received. Contactwww.celebrants.org

of participating venues. Info, visit 1stsaturdaytr.com or call 559-561-3463.

August 10: Hodgetwins at the Fox Visalia Fox Theater, Doors open at 7:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM $29.00 - $40.00,Info 625-1369

September 11-15: Tulare County Fair Features local agriculture, livestock, floriculture, fine arts, photography, clothing, woodwork, handmade jewelry, food and needlecraft; plus live entertainment, food vendors and rides.620 S. K St. in Tulare. Info tcfair. org .

August 12: “Meet the Mayor”, Visalia Mayor Bob Link welcomes Visalia residents as he holds office hours.

Meetings are conducted in 15-minute increments and allow citizens time to meet one on one with Mayor Link. All meetings will be by appointment time and start at 5 p.m. Office hours will be held at the City of Visalia Administration Office located across from the Transit Center at 220 N. Santa Fe. For questions, or to book an appointment time, contact Kathy Rouse, City of Visalia Administration, at 713-4355. To reach Mayor Link directly, email bob. link@visalia.city.

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

Info (559) 740-4178

August 12: Celebrant Singers WorldTouch Partner’s Banquet, Monday, 6pm at GateWay Church, 1100 S. Sowell, Visalia. Call (559) 740-4000 for reservations, both table sponsorship and individual seats. A delicious meal from Sue Sa’s Creative Catering will be served. Contact www.celebrants.org

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

August 18: Installation of First Congregational Church Pastor, Rev. Janice E. Hill will be installed at 3 pm. It will be held at The First Congregational Church UCC, 220 W Tulare Avenue, Tulare,Please join us in a celebration of her ministries immediately following her installation.

RSVP 559.686.5528

September 15: Boots and Brews Celebrate Flag Day the American way with the Exeter Republican Women Federated, 6:00 – 7:00,VIP reception, 7:00pm Program and Dinner at The Pine Residence, 1600 Palm Rd. Exeter.

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

Aug 22: The State of the County Luncheon Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center 300 S Court St, Visalia, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. The State of the County Luncheon, Tulare County Board of Supervisors highlights the county’s accomplishments, outline a foundation for the future and recognize an area. Board of Supervisor Chairperson Kuyler Crocker will award California Citrus Mutual the Tulare County Outstanding Partner Award. Info Visalia Chamber of Commerce August 23: Center for Integrated Medicine 25th Anniversary Open House.

Dr. Kwong, co-founder and owner will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of her medical practice. 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Interactive Chinese Medicine Booth, How to locate acupuncture points, Herb I.D. and its functions.

Complimentary Massages, Door Prizes, Photo Booth, Tai Chi/ Qi Gong 816 W. Oak Ave. Visalia,www.allholisticmed. org,559-625-4246 August 24: Shootout to support Larry Micari for Board of Supervisors Kingsburg Gun Club, 2246 Gilbert Drive, Check in and registration: 7:30 am-8:15 am, Shooting: 8:30 am Prizes, 1st Place Shooter Kimber Custom II, 1st Place team (each shooter receives a gun) Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, High Score Female Shooter, Tristar Sporting Arms Setter S/T 12 Breakfast Burritos, BBQ and More!Tickets includes: Prize drawing ticket, lunch and a fun morning of shooting. Register online at micari4supervisor.com/ shootout or contact: Beth Micari at bmicari@msn.com / (559) 280-7546 Bobby Rader (559) 799-5891 September 7: 1st Saturday in Three Rivers Arts Consortium presents event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors and invite all for a town-wide celebration. Go to the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Hwy. for a map

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

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

September 20:. Crush Party at the College of the Sequoias The event in the Tulare Center at COS will feature wine tasting and food samples from local restaurants and caterers. Tickets are available, pre-sale only, for $50 and can be purchased at tularechamber.org or by calling (559)686-1547.

September 27: Oktoberfest AT Vossler Farms. With your ticket you’ll get food samplings, wine tastings, and of course, beer tastings from local breweries. We’ll also have some incredible live music. Our goal is to share the Central Valley’s best food, wine, beer, and entertainment with the community.Tickets now $50. The week of the event, tickets $60 and we’ll likely sell out again this year.

September 28: Sierra Vocal Arts Ensemble Annual Fundraiser Gala Concert

“The Best of the Best” Door openat at 5:30 p.m., Springville Memorial Building, 35944 HWY 190 Springville, Tickets - $50 (Dinner Included) Tickets are available from any ensemble member, at Hanson Travel Ideas in Porterville or by calling (559) 804-7995.

October 4: Rockin’ the Arbor Rockin’ the Arbor is the Lemoore Chamber’s Annual concert series. 6:30 – 10;30pm downtown Lemoore. There is live entertainment provided by various valley bands. Local food vendors as well as various organizations/businesses are welcomed to participate.

Family friendly fun on a Friday night in downtown Lemoore for all to have!

There is also a beer garden provided for the 21 and over crowd.

November 8 and 9: Over the Edge The Source LGBT+ Center will host the second annual Visalia Over The Edge fundraiser event at Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center. Participants will rappel from the 8th floor of the hotel, after raising a minimum of $1,000 for the center. Last year, two individuals in their 70’s joined about 80 others and went “Over the Edge” in support. Details on how to register and raise funds at https://visaliaovertheedge.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.

Tuesdays: Barmageddon Trivia Thunderdome, 9pm-1am Challenge your friends to the ultimate trivia throwdown. Earn some bragging rights in categories ranging from Saturday morning cartoons, classic video games, and pop culture films.

Free sign ups at 9:30pm.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7am Healing Hearts Walks Walk a 1 mile loop on the paved roads inside the Visalia Cemetery, Free coffee. Meet at the Veterans’ Memorial Wall. For more information call 7346181.

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1 August, 2019 Valley Voice

Tulare County Fair’s Junior Fair Board revitalized

Celebrant Singers fundraising, holding homecoming concert

STAFF REPORTS

STAFF REPORTS

The Tulare County Fair’s Junior Fair Board is back, just in time to be part of the 100th anniversary of the fair, Sept.

11 through 15.

The junior fair board gives high school students the opportunity to learn about the business aspects of launching a fair and gain leadership skills, explained Kris Costa, dean of career technical education at West Hills College Lemoore. Costa and Stacy Coelho serve as program advisors for the Tulare County Junior Fair Board.

“It’s especially appropriate to revitalize the junior fair board for this 100th anniversary year,” Costa added.

“The Tulare Chamber of Commerce has been very supportive, as has the International Agri-Center and the local FFA chapters. This will give students a great opportunity for them to grow in their leadership skills.”

Junior Fair Board members will participate in pre-fair activities such as coordinating the Kids’ Day School Tours program and helping to prepare the fairgrounds for opening day.

During the fair they will help set up and maintain displays and provide support for contests, livestock auctions and the High School Madness competition.

“The Junior Fair Board has been rekindled with full support of the Tulare County Fair Foundation,” noted foundation board president Geneva Shannon. “It is an important opportunity for these kids to learn what goes on behind the scenes and grow in their leadership skills. They will learn about the fair business but also learn about cooperation and collaboration. We expect that these students will become ambassadors in their communities,

sharing what they have learned about the importance of agriculture and the role of the fair in supporting ag.”

The Junior Fair Board members are: Xarah Avila, Mission Oak High School; Allie Brown, Golden West High School; Avery Coelho, Tulare Western High School; Emma Coelho, Tulare Western High School; Clay Costa, Tulare Western High School; Kylee Filiponi, Mt. Whitney High School; Kirsten Franks, Visalia Technical Early College High School; Ryan Majarian, Mt. Whitney High School; Rachel Majarian, Mt. Whitney High School; Rebekah Meza, Tulare Western High School; Kyndall Schakel, Central Valley Christian High School; Jenna Schmidt, Central Valley Christian High School.

The Tulare County Fair, Sept. 11-15, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with a wide variety of displays and events in the works to celebrate this landmark year. The fair’s concert venue this year will feature all-new giant video screens and will now seat up to 1,500 concert-goers, thanks to the support of Eagle Mountain Casino.

Concerts are free with gate admission to the Fair. Traditional favorites continue, including fun fair food, great rides and entertainment ranging from comedy and gold rush mining to an illusionist team and Walk on the Wild Side’s exotic animals.

Applications for entertainers interested in performing at the fair (without compensation) are now available online. Applications are due by Aug. 3.

Visit www.tcfair.org for information on online value days, including discounted unlimited rides wristbands, and ongoing updates to the schedule of events, or call the fairgrounds office at 686-4707.

Jon Stemkoski’s CELEBRANT SINGERS is one of the nation’s premier music and missions organizations and is headquartered in Visalia, CA. Singers, instrumentalists, signers for the hearing impaired, and sound/ lighting technicians are given extraordinary opportunities for spiritual, intellectual, social and musical growth while using their gifts in hands-on domestic and international cross cultural ministry. CELEBRANT SINGERS stands out by combining spiritual depth with musical excellence and quality leadership. To date, over 3,200 Celebrant alumni have ministered in all 50 States and 101 additional countries – including more than 6,000 Roman Catholic parishes in the United States and countless more worldwide.

Each CELEBRANT team is composed of 10 singers, a 12-piece live orchestra, sound and lighting technicians and a signer for the hearing impaired. Chosen by audition from across North America and all over the world, these highly-talented and committed young adults are not salaried but have dedicated their lives to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world through music, testimony, prayer and the ministry of the Word.

From midtown Manhattan to the turbulent streets of Tehran, Monte Carlo to the slums of Calcutta, Miami to war-torn Northern Ireland, over 8 million people have gathered to hear CELEBRANT SINGERS message of hope and encouragement.

It’s been a solid ministry with

Contests galore at 100th Tulare County Fair STAFF REPORTS The centennial edition of the Tulare County Fair will feature fun for all ages, including butter sculpting, pie and corn dog-eating contests, young performer competitions and High School Madness contests.

Entry forms for all competitions, and deadline details, can be found at www.tcfair.org.

• The free butter sculpture contest happens at 5pm on Thursday, Sept. 12.

Two categories are provided: ages 12

BEACH BOYS continued from 7

watching its worldwide album sales blow past l00 million... or after winning the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 [along with The Who, Bob Marley, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr. and Les Paul]. And still, The Beach Boys continue to have fun, fun, fun, with no end in sight. In 2012, The Beach Boys scheduled a 74-concert date limited 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour which was scheduled as a limited run reunion tour and ended in the U.S. July 15th and internationally on Sept 28th in which the original members reunited and released “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts, their highest chart position in 37 years and an unprecedented milestone.

In 2016, The Beach Boys celebrated the 50th anniversary of the hit “Good

proven and consistent results. Since 1977, more than 3,200 young adults (and some older ones) have served through CELEBRANT SINGERS. Once a year, the eingers come home bringing fresh reports “from the field” (this year it’s the U.S. and Ecuador) to share during our Homecoming Events.

The Grand Homecoming Concert is Saturday, August 10th 7pm at LJ Williams Theatre, 1001 W. Main St., Visalia.

All seats are FREE and a love offering will be received.

The CELEBRANT singers’ main annual fundraiser, the WorldTouch Partner’s Banquet, is Monday, August 12th 6pm at GateWay Church, 1100 S. Sowell, Visalia. Call (559) 740-4000 for reservations, both table sponsorship and individual seats. A delicious meal from Sue Sa’s Creative Catering will be served.

and under and ages 13 and older. Contestants will be given supplies and first- through third-place winners will receive prizes.

• The popular corn dog-eating contest, sponsored by Milo’s Corn Dogs, will be held at 5pm on Saturday, Sept.

14. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Pre-entry fee is $10. Contestants must be 18 or older to participate.

• The Kid’s Talent competition, for children 14 and younger, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15 starting at 11:30.

Prizes from $50 to $150 will be present-

ed to first through third-place winners.

• The fourth annual pie eating contest will be held at 5pm on Sunday, Sept. 15, featuring pies provided by Black Bear Diner. Participants must be at least 18. The first- place winner will receive reserved seating at the John Michael Montgomery concert and a meet and greet with the band.

Entry forms for all events can be found on the Fair website, www.tcfair. org. For further information, contact the Tulare County Fair office at 559-686-4707.

The Tulare County Fair is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with a wide variety of displays and events in the works to celebrate this landmark year. Traditional favorites continue, including fun fair food, the annual Junior Livestock Auction, great rides and entertainment ranging from comedy and gold rush mining to an illusionist team and Walk on the Wild Side’s exotic animals. Visit www.tcfair.org for information and ongoing updates to the schedule of events, or call the fairgrounds office at 559-686-4707.

Vibrations,” which is widely considered one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of rock and roll. The band commemorated this prolific time in the life of the Beach Boys with a 50 Years of Good Vibrations tour.

Additionally, in September 2016, front man Mike Love released his highly-anticipated New York Times best-selling memoir titled GOOD VIBRATIONS: My Life as a Beach Boy. In 2017, Love released a special double album through BMG entitled Unleash the Love. Featuring 13 previously unreleased songs and 14 re-recordings of Beach Boys classics— the album is a testament and continuation of Love’s remarkable career. Most recently, to celebrate the 2018 Christmas season, Love released a special new holiday album through BMG, Reason For the Season. The 12 track holiday album features new holiday songs and old favorites with featured guests including Hanson as well as vocals from

Love’s children.

Few, if any, acts can match The Beach Boys’ concert presence, spirit and performance. They were center-stage at Live Aid, multiple Farm Aids, the Statue of Liberty’s 100th Anniversary Salute, the Super Bowl and the White House. On one day alone— July 4, 1985— they played to nearly 2 million fans at shows in Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. Love’s role as the band’s front man sometimes overshadows his stature as one of rock’s foremost songwriters.

“Surfin’,” The Beach Boys’ first hit came from his pen. Love wrote the classics “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “California Girls” and the Grammy nominated “Good Vibrations.” Years later, he showed he still had the lyrical chops by co-writing the irresistible and chart- topping “Kokomo.”

On The Beach Boys’ horizon is a continued national/world tour and

charity activities through Mike Love’s Love Foundation, which supports national environmental and educational initiatives. Love and The Beach Boys’ recent efforts raised over a quarter of a million dollars for the Red Cross to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina and made additional contributions to the disaster relief in Haiti.

The band has appeared on countless worldwide TV shows throughout the years including: The Ed Sullivan Show, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and The Tonight Show. Other television appearances include performances on Don Imus’ MSNBC show Imus In The Morning, TNT’s NBA AllStar Game, NBC’s Macy’s Day Parade, The Today Show, PBS’ A Capitol Fourth, Good Morning America, Weekend Today, The O’Reilly Factor.

Visalia Fox Theatre 300 W. Main St. Visalia, CA 93291 559.625.1369

Valley Voice 1 August, 2019

11

AGRICULTURE

Agricultural pilots work to recruit new generation KEVIN HECTEMAN

Ag Alert/California Farm Bureau Federation

For 40 years, Rick Richter has been patrolling the skies over California at low altitude, laying down seed and crop-protection material to help his customers, many of them rice farmers. As he nears retirement, he’s fortunate to have a successor available to take over his business— his son, Nick.

Rick Richter set up his own business in Colusa County in 1983, just himself and one plane. From there, he’s grown to seven planes, 150 customers, 40,000 acres of rice and five pilots. Only he and Nick are full time.

“Now I’m kind of stepping back, and he’s taking more control over what happens out here on a daily basis,” said Richter, 67.

Securing the future is an age-old problem. The National Agricultural Aviation Association’s recently released Aerial Application Industry Survey puts the average age of agricultural pilots at 47.4 years and operators at 55 years.

NAAA did note that the percentage of operators younger than 40 has reached 15%, vs. 11% seven years ago. The largest percentage of pilots, 25%, is in the 30-39 age category.

Terry Gage, president of the California Agricultural Aircraft Association, said she believes the California age averages are likely higher than the NAAA numbers.

“Many of our operators here in California have been here for decades,” Gage said. “These are longstanding businesses. As you know, anybody that tries to work in California knows that California is a very difficult place to start a business.”

Richter said he’s seen a lot of younger pilots joining the ranks in the past five years. Operators looking for the next generation of pilots don’t have to go too far, he added.

“Most of them are local,” Richter said. “They’re just local farm kids that have been raised on a farm, and they’ve got some knowledge of farming and a passion for flying. They put it all together, and it really works out to be a pretty good career path

for them.”

Those getting started will have to work their way from the ground up, running the loading trucks used to resupply aircraft with seed, fertilizer or crop-protection materials between passes over the fields.

“You have to pay your dues—be willing to work a year or two on the ground and then work your way into the airplane,” Rick Richter, left, has been flying since 1979 and running his own business since 1983. He’s preparing to hand off the business to Richter said. “If his son, Nick, who has 10 years’ experience at the stick. Kevin Hecteman/CFBF you can show an rial-application work will take up sume, and if they keep coming back, owner/operator that you’re willing most of the rest of the summer. Off- if they’re persistent, why, you know, to do that, and sacrifice some time, seasons are for maintenance work sometimes I’ll give them a job and maybe they’ll let you get into an airand spending time with family, the see what they’ve got to offer.” plane eventually.”

Richters said.

That kind of networking is how That’s how he and his son did it— Taking over Richter Aviation will most people in California get startRick said he started loading in 1976, be “a big step,” Nick said, and he has ed, Gage said. There are agriculturthree years before he started flying. ideas for expanding and updating al-aviation schools in the U.S., mostly In Nick’s case, it started the business. The Richters recent- in the South, that mainly teach flight even sooner. ly acquired a newer plane with a skills, she added.

“I started on the ground in high larger capacity, and Nick wants to “If you were to walk in right now, school,” Nick Richter said, somekeep growing. if you had your commercial pilot’s thing that continued through col“A bigger plane is in the future,” license, it would be more of an inlege. “I probably worked on the he said. “That just allows me, the terview on your personality set to ground eight or 10 years before I owner, to do more, because I know see if it was something that would started flying.”

I’m going to do it the right way. No- work, and then if there was an operHe now has 10 years of seat time body takes care of something like ator willing to bring you on,” Gage under his belt, and said he wants the person that owns it.” said. “But that’s the hard part, right? to continue in the business even Agricultural pilots need a com- Because if you start, you’re going as he acknowledged he won’t get mercial pilot’s license. Operators of to start as a mixer-loader. It’s very rich doing it. aerial-application businesses need expensive to live in California. And “It’s more of the love of flying to be certified under Federal Avia- some of these guys, young guys, have and agriculture that keeps the pition Regulations Part 137 and in Cal- families they need to support. So it’s lots in this career,” the younger ifornia, pilots need an applicator’s a tough industry to break into.”

Richter said. license from the state Department The main thing aspiring pilots It also helps if you’re an early bird. of Pesticide Regulation. need may be something they don’t “During the busy season, we get Rick Richter said those who want teach in flight school. out here at roughly a half-hour or so to fly but didn’t get the chance to “Basically, you just have to have before the sun comes up,” he said. grow up in a family business should a passion for flying and agriculture, “We figure out what the day’s going start by calling an operator such and you’ll go a long ways in this busito entail, what jobs each pilot is goas himself and asking what they ness,” Rick Richter said. “But the pasing to do. We’ll go as long as we can need to do. sion is what’s needed.” see the ground.”

“I never go out and try to seek (Kevin Hecteman is an assistant Late spring and early summer anybody,” he said. “They always editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted constitute rice-planting season; aecome to see me. You just take the re- at khecteman@cfbf.com.)

Frank Zonneveld, Fukuda Family to be honored at 2019 Kings County banquet STAFF REPORTS The Lemoore Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Pete Hanse and the Kings County Farm Bureau as the honorees at the 25th Annual Jack Stone-Kings County Salute to Agriculture Banquet.

The Lemoore Chamber of Commerce will host the event on Friday, September 6, 2019, at the Fialho Family Hangar in Lemoore. Frank Zonneveld will be honored as the 2019 Agriculturalist of the Year.

The Ag Supporter of the Year will be presented to the Fukuda Family.

Mr. Zonneveld’s family began farming in 1973 with 20 acres and 200+ cows. Eventually his father passed down the farm to his sons

and they have since grown the farm to include five dairies with approximately 8500 cows. In addition to the dairies they also grow pistachios, almonds, walnuts, tomatoes, cotton and corn.

Mr. Zonneveld credits their success to hiring good people and getting out and working alongside of them!

Mr. Zonneveld currently serves as Chairman of the Kings River Watch Association where he feels strongly about representing his fellow farmers who face serious water concerns.

The Fukuda Family’s roots run deep in Kings County. They believe their passion for the ag industry comes for their love of their community and their desire to protect the

industry.

The family’s love of community has been passed down from Mr. and Mrs. Fukuda who own and operate Oliver Whitakers Co. in Corcoran.

Todd Fukuda is the owner of Weinberger, Fukuda and Associates an ag consulting firm that provides Pest Control Advisory services to the pistachio industry. And Aaron Fukuda is the General Manager of Tulare Irrigation District.

The family’s combined efforts is dedicated to contributing to the agriculture community by providing pest-free products, delivering water to the crops, maintaining ag vehicles and supporting future generations through education and training.

In addition to honoring this

year’s Agriculturalist, Ag Supporter, the evening will include a hosted social, hors d’oeuvres and dinner. Socializing begins at 6:00 p.m., dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m., followed by the awards program at 8:00 p.m.

Sponsorship opportunities and reservations to decorate tables are being accepted.

Inquiries and reservations for the event may be made by calling the Lemoore Chamber at 559-924-6401.

Tickets are $75/each or a table for 8 for $525. Tickets will not be available at the door.

For more information about the event, please contact Samantha White at 904-440-4148, or via email at samantha@lemoorechamber.org

1 August, 2019 Valley Voice

12

Cryptocurrencies are a sleeping investment giant — but don’t tell anyone MANNY OLDENBOURG It wouldn’t be a surprise if you heard the word Bitcoin circulating around at work or home whether it be through media or word of mouth.

Bitcoin’s genesis comes from the 2008 financial crisis as a backlash against institutions and the powers that be with finance. Frustrated with the banks being bailed out instead of the people, a group of programmers develop Bitcoin as an alternative.

The identity of the programmers are somewhat mysterious but the credit goes to someone with the alias Satoshi Nakamoto, who could be one person or a group of people.

Odds are you probably heard of the term cryptocurrency thrown around as well. Cryptocurrency is a form of digital money that is transported through the internet. Bitcoin was the first decentralized cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin doesn’t depend on a centralized bank or a government’s fiat supply. The fiat supply is physical money, like US dollars, over which banks and the Federal Reserve have control.

Therefore people can send money via person to person globally without using a third party. When there is a third party involved, there will always be fees or interest rates--which is how these parties stay in business.

All these reasons given are why Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are going through a process of global acceptance and adoption.

Of course the market is volatile for crypto currencies right now since they have only been around for a few years.

The only thing is, you’ll regret waiting for them to become mainstream and stable. Taking advantage of the volatility in the market now is key to giant returns.

It gets better!

Bitcoin is not the only cryptocurrency out there. In fact, there are over 1600 cryptocurrencies. The nickname

CRIME

continued from 6 stealing higher-value items.”

Robert Spiegel, policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said law enforcement will gain another beneficial tool through Senate Bill 224 by Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, that was signed into law recently by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Noting that CFBF supported the legislation, Spiegel said SB 224 “not only establishes theft of agricultural equipment as a specific crime, it also creates an opportunity for local law enforcement to collect data specifically related to theft of agricultural equipment and provides funding for

for these other cryptocurrencies are called “alt coins.” Of course not all of them will succeed. Many have become obsolete or will become obsolete in the near future. But it’s some of these “alt coins” that are exciting because of their potential.

XRP

One of these “alt coins” is a sleeping monster called XRP. XRP is a super efficient cryptocurrency developed by the company Ripple. It actually has its origins back in 2004. At that time, Jed McCaleb came up with the idea of Ripple. With the help of the brilliant minds of Arthur Brito and David Schwartz, the basic code for XRP was created.

In 2005, they got help from Ryan Fugger that had a system called ‘open coin’ which transformed the project into Ripple. In 2012, the seasoned tech executive Chris Larsen joined as the first CEO of Ripple.

Under his supervision, traction really started in 2013. Ripple set out to recruit as many global banks as they could partner with.

In 2015, former vice president of Yahoo!, Brad Garlinghouse, became the new CEO of Ripple. Partnerships ranging from angel investors, payment providers, banks, the International Money Fund (IMF), and digital asset exchanges have been forged.

Ripple now has over 200 partners, and chances are you’ve heard of at least some of them.

To name a few are American Express, MoneyGram, HSBC, Bank of America, and Google. Bank of America came out recently with a patent to use Ripples inter ledger protocol, which is a good use case for XRP. So why are so many institutions partnering with Ripple? Well, it just comes down to simple math. The chart below will illuminate.

As you can see, XRP is in a league of its own. No other currency, main stream or crpyo offers this level of convenience or keeps up with the pace of today’s business needs.

The financial incentives behind adopting this system are too strong to pass up for the leaders in finance.

There will be increasing pressure on institutions that haven’t joined Ripple because they will lose their competitive edge.

What do these partnerships with major financial institutions mean in terms of XRP’s value?

Up. All these institutions are in the

testing stages and they haven’t actually gone live with Ripple - yet. But once it does go live, the fireworks will start.

Just about 5 trillion dollars a day is transferred between banks internationally. If XRP is used in facilitating those exchanges of trillions of dollars, the market capitalization will include all those trillions and the value of the XRP token will jump to about 120 USD. Currently, the XRP token is trading at 32 cents. Therefore, the value of XRP would multiply over 350 times its current value.

It’s uncertain whether all this will happen over a year or four years, but you certainly don’t want to be on the outside looking in when it does.

There will always be innovation with new startups and their new cryptocurrencies.

But as of now, Ripple already has its foot in the door with establishments and holds all the cards when it comes to system adoption.

When discussing the potential of Ripple with my former economics professor, Jared Barton from Channel Islands, he decided to do his own research.

Two days later I got an email.

“I am seriously considering asking my spouse if she’d like to put a couple grand in it, just to see,” he said.

traditional systems (3-5 business days) BTC ( 1 hour or more) XRP (sliver is too small, 4 sec)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

-Payment process in seconds

the state’s rural crime prevention programs.”

“While this legislation will be a great tool for law enforcement, California’s farmers and ranchers must also be willing to report thefts and other, perhaps seemingly insignificant, crimes to the appropriate officials,” Spiegel said. “This has the potential to greatly assist rural law enforcement with establishing crime trends and mapping that can be utilized in larger investigations and lead to arrests.”

Another promising aid in solving and preventing rural crime is known as SmartWater, new forensic technology to assist law enforcement in recovering stolen property and catching thieves. First used in Tulare County, the product is a liquid that its manu-

facturer says can be applied to nearly any surface.

Colorless and chemically coded, SmartWater fluoresces under ultraviolet light. Anyone touching an object marked with SmartWater will pick up the chemical code—even after the liquid has dried—and will carry it on their skin and clothing. Under a UV light, the solution glows a bright yellow.

“SmartWater is like DNA,” said Madera County Farm Bureau Executive Director Christina Beckstead, who said the county Farm Bureau is among several that offer SmartWater as a member benefit.

Providing an example of a recent fuel theft at a Madera-area farm, Beckstead said the SmartWater technology helped deputies tie thieves to

the crime after a traffic stop involving a truck.

“In this case, the gentleman had touched the handle on the fuel tank, so the SmartWater had been transferred from the tank onto his hands,” said Beckstead, who noted that the county utilizes both SmartWater and Owner-Applied Numbers to ensure that recovered property can be returned to the rightful owner. “The deputies light one guy up, and he’s got the SmartWater all over his hands. The truck is stolen, they are found with other stolen items and possession of drugs, and it all tied back.”

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

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Valley Voice 1 August, 2019

CASA

continued from 1 “This is our most defenseless population. We are taking part in caring for these kids because there is no one else to care for them,” Alberto Ramos, CASA of Tulare County Associate Director, said.

Volunteers are encouraged to meet regularly with their child in order to form a strong bond with them.

This shows the child that they are a safe and reliable adult, Ramos tells the new volunteers. Maintaining an open stream of communication is key in a CASA partnership.

CASA of Tulare County recently started a new round of training for volunteers. The application and training process lasts around five weeks.

In this process, CASA takes the time to ensure their volunteers are informed and qualified to properly address the issues in their assigned cases.

The trainings are every Tuesday, Thursday for three hours. Each week a different speaker comes to talk on issues the volunteers might face in their cases. A few training topics listed on the CASA of Tulare County website are, “The needs and development of children and youth, understanding families, establishing boundaries, and court writing.”

It would be difficult for CASA training seminars to cover all of the ins and outs of the court system, but the purpose of the training is to make sure they have a good base line to learn from in the future.

In addition to this, future advocates are required to complete two courtroom observations. This means watching another case unfold and learning from how the CASA volunteer handles it in court.

After the volunteer has completed their background check and 5-week training process, they will be sworn by the court promising to keep justice in mind and do what is best for the child.

Being an advocate is not always easy, “We have to separate what we think is best and what we want for the kids from what might be the law,” Ramos later said during the volunteer orientation.

As volunteers grow closer to the child they are partnered with, their

WATER

continued from 1 across the state, particularly in agricultural communities. The bill contains an urgency clause and will immediately become effective.

The priority of the bill is not just to clean up the water from private wells but to consolidate some of the state’s 7,000 water systems and provide funding to maintain and operate that infrastructure. Maintaining the infrastructure of a small water system has been a huge stumbling block in the past for rural poor communities finding a per-

13 emotional attachment could interfere with what is best for the child.

Ramos explains that a priority of the foster system is to return the child to their biological family if possible.

In some cases the foster family environment may provide the child with more socioeconomic opportunities, but they will still be returned to their biological family if the home is stable and safe.

In this case, Ramos says, it is important for a CASA volunteer to evaluate their role in the child’s life and remember that they need to prioritize following the law while sufficiently supporting the child.

Having been an advocate himself, Ramos knows it can be difficult, and assures the volunteers there will always be other experienced supervisors at the CASA office in Tulare and Porterville available for consultation.

CASA does not receive public funding for each case they take on like other foster youth organizations. Instead, they rely on grant funds and volunteer assistance according to Executive Director Eric Johnson. A great deal of their funds goes to training volunteers and maintaining cases.

“We celebrate you because that means we can serve more kids. That also means we lose more money. But, we want to serve more kids because that’s the moral thing to do. We want to be out of jobs by making sure every kid has an advocate,” Johnson passionately said during the volunteer orientation.

Johnson explained to the new volunteers that he himself was a foster youth, and this is a driving factor in his passion for CASA. He hopes to help kids have a better experience in the foster system than he did.

Foster kids are sometimes pushed in and out of homes due to bad behavior. However, CASA has found that once they have a relationship with some of these at risk cases, the number of homes they leave goes down.

This could be attributed to the extra support coming from the CASA volunteer. By having regular meetings with the child, they are able to help them work through the issues that were contributing to negative behavior.

They will soon be starting a “street

manent solution to cleaning their contaminated water.

The bill, sponsored by State Senator Bill Monning, (D) San Luis Obispo, passed the senate 37-1.

Newsom wanted to pay for the bill through a new tax. “The right way to fund water cleanup would be to require the polluters to pay,” said the Sierra Club. Newsom’s original proposal was to levy a tax on commercial, residential, and agriculture users.

Demonstrating that the minority Republican Party in California can influence new legislation, Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) fought for the bill not to be

A new CASA volunteer attends a training seminar. Alexandra Feller/Valley Voice

team” program for which they will need volunteers for according to Melissa Murphy, the Marketing Coordinator at CASA. This program could be an alternative for those who feel they are not equipped to handle a case. This team of volunteers will be working to spread information about CASA to the community through fundraisers and other events.

Since CASA relies so heavily on volunteers, they encourage anyone and everyone to apply and complete the process of becoming an advocate. As

CASA continues to make a difference with foster youth in Tulare County, they need more help with the growing number of foster cases burdening the court system.

Trainings happen four times a year. The next training process will begin on October 8, lasting till November 14. Applications may be submitted any time and can be found online. Those who are interested are encouraged to email info@casatulareco.org, or call 559-625-4007 for more information.

paid through a new tax but through the General Fund, said the following aboutthe bill: “My Senate Republican colleagues and I support providing clean drinking water for our hardworking families without raising taxes. The State’s inability to provide clean drinking water to some of California’s most rural and disadvantaged communities is a moral failure.

“Having clean drinking water is a necessity, and Senate Republicans worked to help these disadvantaged families without raising taxes or creating a fee. With a $22 billion budget surplus in this state, there was no need to

raise taxes on Californians.”

The Community Water Center, a group that mobilizes disadvantaged communities through organizing, education, and advocacy to solve their water problems, took part in the bill signing ceremony.

Director Susan de Anda said in a statement, “The fact that this victory was secured by the direct advocacy, over the course of years and decades, of impacted communities themselves, once again demonstrates the power of people to change the trajectory of their society toward a place of greater justice.”

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1 August, 2019 Valley Voice

14

BRIEFLY WAUKENA JOINT UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFERING FREE MEALS

Waukena Joint Union Elementary School District announced today it will continue its policy to operate the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2019-2020 school year.

Schools qualifying to operate CEP serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge and eliminate the collection of meal applications for free, reduced-price, and paid student meals. This new approach reduces burdens for both families and school administrators and helps ensure that students receive nutritious meals.

The district will still be requesting the Household Income Data Form from households for each student participating in the CEP. Completing this Household Income Data Collection Form is still necessary to determine if your household is eligible for oth-

BPU

continued from 1 quality of Pennington’s governance of the BPU was questionable.

“There was concern with his leadership, and (I) pretty much had to let him go,” Sigala said. “I think ... Jim (Pennington) knows why, he knows what the concerns were.”

Sigala declined to comment further on Pennington’s resignation, citing a need to protect Pennington’s privacy. He called the dispute “a personnel-kind of issue.”

Lack of Information

Pennington says his independent attempts to research ways of removing TCP--an widely-used insecticide found to be a harmful groundwater contaminant at even small concentrations--from the city’s water supply led to a clash with staff at City Hall, and eventually the “surprise” meeting and his resignation.

“You’re supposed to trust the staff and ask questions on their information,” Pennington said. “We’re not allowed to investigate on our own.”

Pennington’s unilateral fact-finding regarding TCP and subsequent questioning of staff over the issue, Sigala says, ran counter to how the BPU is intended to operate.

“I think the Board of Public Utilities, if you read the charter, any initiative or action has to come from the majority,” he said. “One individual is not the majority.”

Pennington defended his actions, saying the BPU members were not being presented with complete information by staff at City Hall.

“Then you don’t get answers,” he said. “All you get is their version of the story.”

Pennington also claims the city has voided contracts made by past BPU members without consulting the current BPU membership. City staff, he said, relies on the current membership being ignorant of the body’s past agreements and decisions in order to influence the deci-

er benefits.

For additional information please contact the following person: Loretta M. Myers Attention Business Manager 19113 Road 28 Tulare, CA 93274 Phone: (559) 686-3328 Email: lorettam@waukena.k12.ca.us

BUENA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFERING FREE MEALS

Buena Vista Elementary School District today announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs for the 2019-2020 school year. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge at the following sites: Buena Vista Elementary School For additional information please contact: Carole Mederos, Principal/Superintendent, 21660 Road 60, Tulare, CA 93274 559-686-2015, cmederos@buenavistaeagles.org

sions they are making now.

“You only know what the staff tells you. You don’t know what happened before,” he said. “The void has and is going to continue to cost the city money.”

The city, Pennington says, further usurped the BPU’s authority when it told state officials filters would be used to address the TCP problem before the BPU had made its final decision.

“We got ourselves committed to a direction without the Board’s approval,” he said.

State Deadline Looms

At the heart of the issue is a state mandate requiring Tulare to make its drinking water TCP-free no later than May of 2021. After settlement of a recent class-action lawsuit against the makers of TCP, Tulare received a payout of $16 million to decontaminate its polluted water wells. The two available approaches to curing the problem are drilling new wells or adding filters to the city’s existing wells.

Support staff for the BPU recommended the use of massive granular activated carbon (GAC) filters as the solution. At its meeting on July 18, the BPU voted to purchase up to 18 GAC filter housings for use on the city’s TCP-contaminated wells. The purchase order authorized by the BPU to cover the cost was $2,959,808.98.

At the same meeting, the BPU commissioners also elected Chris Harrell as Pennington’s replacement as president. Renee Soto filled the seat left vacant by Pennington’s departure.

Purchasing the filter units in bulk should provide a savings for the city in the long-term, as well as helping ensure the city meets the May 2021 deadline, according to Jim Funk, the city’s project manager.

Picking the Best Fix

Yet before voting to approve the purchase, the BPU commissioners questioned whether drilling new wells could be the more appropriate solution to the city’s TCP problem.

KAWEAH DELTA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION HOLDING GOLF CLASSIC ON AUGUST 2

ception in 1988, the classic has become the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation’s premier fundraising event, raising more than $1.6 million for Kaweah Delta projects.

The Foundation, led by a volunteer Board, was formed in 1979 to cultivate community philanthropy and support projects that facilitate the development of a safe, vibrant and healthy community.

To register for the golf classic, call 559-624-2359 or visit https://one.bidpal. net/kdgolf.

Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation was created in 1979 to help Kaweah Delta Health Care District achieve excellence in patient care through fundraising from the hospital family and the community. Since that time the nonprofit 501(c) (3) Foundation, with its elected board of directors, has raised nearly $59 million in support of Kaweah Delta.

The Foundation raises funds through personal solicitation, grants, special events, direct mail, and social media appeals as well as through future, planned gifts such as bequests

“There’s been some controversy concerning the approach the city is taking to mitigate TCP in our water,” said BPU Vice Chair Howard Stroman.

“There have been some individuals who suggest drilling new wells instead of treating the existing wells would be an appropriate way to go.”

The cost of drilling a new well and equipping it is in the neighborhood of $1 million. The city would need to replace seven wells.

The GAC filter system will require maintenance and periodic replacement of the charcoal at a cost of more than $100,000 per unit, and that--according to Tulare resident Charles Ritchie, who opposes the filtering solution--will lead to a heavy uptick in the rate the city charges users for water.

“Treating TCP with filters is going to raise the rates by 50%,” he said.

“They’re going to spend their $16 million in cleanup settlement funds and not address the problem.”

Ritchie also says the filtering solution does not solve other costly problems with the city’s water supply, including a declining pumping volume at some wells and decay of aging infrastructure.

and it’s going to be a bad well,” he said. “To do a test well and then drill a production well doesn’t, to me, make economic sense.”

Ritchie, however, says the wells can be made safe by using internal sleeves to block the flow of TCP-tainted water, which he says tends not to seep lower than about 300 feet below ground.

On Friday, Aug. 2, the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation will host its 31st annual Kaweah Delta Golf Classic at the Visalia Country Club.

Proceeds from this year’s tournament, which will begin with a 9 a.m. shotgun start, will support the Foundation’s “Mind Over Matter” campaign. Proceeds of this campaign will help fund the Brain Lab system, which will help provide life-saving technology for neurosurgery patients and patients in need of cancer treatment at Sequoia Regional Cancer Center.

Throughout its life, the golf classic has helped Kaweah Delta fund the Sequoia Regional Cancer Center, the Acequia Wing, the da Vinci Surgical Robot, the Helipad, the refurbishment of the Labor & Delivery Department, and many other capital projects across the District.

The golf classic is presented by the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation and the following major tournament sponsors: the Foundation for Medical Care of Tulare & Kings Counties, Inc. and Key Medical Group. Since its in-

Only Sure Method

Funk, however, maintains using GAC filters is the only way to be certain TCP is removed from the water supply.

“To take a well that you know production, that you know the constituent--and TCP happens to be one of them--and we’re going to spend this money to treat it, it seems more of a guaranteed method,” he said. “I just think with the risk of drilling test wells and going down that path, I think the city is much better off to spend the money where it knows production and the water quality issues.”

Drilling new wells, Funk says, is too risky in light of the looming state deadline to solve the issue.

“We don’t have a great knowledge of underground aquifers and that we can go to this point and it’s going to be a good well or we go to that point

5 Parts per Trillion Limit

Brandon Stipe--design engineer and co-owner of Provost and Pritchard Consulting Group, the company the city has hired to oversee technical aspects of the decontamination project--says TCP removal is particularly challenging.

“One of the really difficult things about TCP is just how low the maximum contaminant level has been set. It’s set at the level of five parts per trillion,” he said. “For reference, most maximum contaminant levels that we have encountered historically have either been in the partsper-million or the parts-per-billion (range). It’s a really, really small concentration.”

Hunt is adamant in his support for using filters to solve Tulare’s TCP contamination problem.

“We have a TCP settlement that we’re bound to deal with this. And ... hope is not an option and hope is not a plan,” Hunt said. “We can’t drill our way out of this.”

Using filters, he said, is a proven solution for removing TCP. “To go and to say we’re going to pop a new well in for a couple million bucks and hope that there’s no TCP pumped up, the reality is it’s starting to show up at these (five-parts-pertrillion) levels,” Hunt said. “It’s showing up in other wells.”

Ridding the city’s water supply of TCP, Hunt says, requires unity on the part of those tasked with providing a solution.

“We have to deal with it,” he said.

“We can’t ignore it, and we can’t continue to not have a good strong focus on where we’re going.”

Valley Voice 1 August, 2019

15

VOICES & OPINIONS

To hire an attorney or not, that is the question GREGORY BLEVINS William Shakespeare may have been on to something when he included the line “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” in one of his plays. Many people feel that way, except when they need one. Our complex society demands we use attorneys periodically. Finding the right one does not have to be difficult, but it is a process.

Attorneys tend to focus their practice on specific areas of the law. There are so many areas that no one attorney can be good at everything. Any attorney can practice in any area of the law, but you are going to pay for their training unless you get someone wellversed with your legal matter.

Do not be afraid to interview them and ask questions. While attorneys do not usually keep score of wins and losses, they should be able to clearly and quickly develop a preliminary game plan if it is in their area of expertise.

Ask questions and keep in mind there may be a strategy to win, or there may be a strategy to limit liability. Sometimes an attorney’s job is damage control. Legal matters are fluid and a strategy may change at any moment.

Paying a consultation fee may be required, so find out when setting the appointment. The only thing an attorney has for sale is their time, and they cannot waste it by constantly giving free advice. No one should be expected to work for free. It is much better to pay a consultation fee and find out the attorney is not right for your rather than pay a retainer fee and have a bad outcome.

Hire local. If you live in Bakersfield and have a legal matter in Sacramento, hire an attorney in Sacramento. Part of what you are paying for is an attorney who knows the local legal system.

They know the local rules, the judges, and opposing counsel. These relationships will help bring about a favorable resolution to a serious legal matter.

Over the years I have seen many out of town attorneys not understand the local nuances, to the detriment of their client.

Ask friends or family for recommendations. These are more like references, and no employer would hire someone without checking references. But keep in mind that an attorney will not give you the names of former clients because of attorney-client privilege and possible client embarrass-

ment. A simple test to check their professionalism is to ask for the name of a former client. If you get it, run!

Know what you get for your money. It is important to have the attorney clearly spell out what he will do for the fee. For instance, ninety-eight percent of all legal matters settle without the need to go to trial. If the fee you are paying includes a trial, you are probably paying for something you will not use.

Hiring an attorney means hiring someone who will be in your corner.

Make sure it is the right attorney for you. Once you have come to that conclusion, and you sign the agreement, take their advice. A good attorney will give you accurate information, but sometimes the truth is hard to swallow.

Ask questions but take advice.

Remember they work for you. An attorney should be responsive to your inquiries, but you hired the attorney to do a job. You would never tell a painter how to paint your house, but you should be able to ask when it is going to be done. Attorneys control the legal strategy, but the ultimate decision on accepting the outcome is yours. You can be hands off or you can be informed every step of the way – it

is your choice.

Do not be surprise if you do not see work being done. When you go to the doctor, the doctor will check your blood pressure, or listen to your heart.

You can see the work being performed.

Attorneys operate differently. They work behind the scenes. Many attorneys network with other attorneys to keep up on new strategies to employ or the state of the law. There have been many nights after I left the office that something pops into my mind and I end up doing research at home at midnight for a client who never knew that happened.

Legal matters need experts like attorneys. You would never pull your own tooth, so never fight your own legal battle. William Shakespeare got it wrong. Let’s not kill all the lawyers because you may need one someday.

(Note: Gregory Blevins is an attorney, completed his undergraduate degree in Management of Human Resources at Fresno Pacific University, has an MBA from Pepperdine University, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Public Administration at the University of La Verne. He currently serves as a member of the Kings County Mental Health Advisory Board.)

Veterans’ Corner: VA extends agent orange presumption to ‘Blue Water Navy’ veterans SCOTT HOLWELL

KINGS COUNTY VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER When congress signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act last year, 100% service-connected disabled Veterans became eligible for Space Available Travel.

Better known as ‘Space-A’ or military hops, Air Mobility Command (AMC) maintains an extensive network of flights throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Supplementing this network, several Air National Guard and Naval Aviation Units have flights available.

To be eligible for Space-A flights, Veterans must have a permanent and

INSANITY continued from 2

Where’s your outrage?

It’s past time to dampen the insanity.

Henceforth, whenever this presi-

total service-connected disability rating. These Vets must also obtain a DD Form 2765, “Department of Defense/ Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card (TAN).

The Space-A Program fills surplus capacity and seating on DOD aircraft.

A popular perk among retirees, now eligible Veterans can take advantage of the program and fly for free. So, whether the Veteran is looking for a getaway to Hawaii or a trip to catchup with their Veteran brothers and sisters on the other side of the country, the Space-A travel program can fly you there.

Eligible Veterans looking for flights should review schedules at AMC passenger terminals or go to https://

www.amc.af.mil/Home/AMC-TravelSite/AMC-Space-Available-Travel-Page/.

Most AMC terminals on military bases or at commercial airports, have a Facebook page that posts flight schedules and seat availability. Once a flight and destination are selected the Veteran can register in person, either at the terminal, or by email/fax. (Adapted from VA.gov) The Kings County Veterans Service Office can complete the DMV Veteran Status Verification Form for the California Veteran Designation on your driver’s license and also issues Veteran I.D. cards to honorably discharged veterans. Contact Scott Holwell at the email address provided below, if you would like to receive periodic veter-

an’s information by email. There are many state and federal benefits and programs available to veterans and their dependents. To determine if you are eligible for any of these benefits, visit or call our office. We can and will assist you in completing all required application forms. You can get information on the Web from the Kings County Veterans Service Office webpage at www.countyofkings.com/vets.

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

dent says or does something beyond the pale, please--if only for the decency doing so would represent--at least speak out against it. This will not mean you’re suddenly not a Republican. It’ll mean you might, suddenly, be in jeopardy of preserving your integrity.

If, however fractionally, Trump’s

antics somehow become the new normal, your complicity--or silence--will have contributed to affirming these heinous new norms.

It’s the responsibility of the legislative branch to oversee that of the executive. But it’s our job--yours and mine--to oversee the performance of

the former. And if House and Senate Republicans won’t speak up for decency because of political trepidation, you average Republicans on the street do not have similar fears to assuage.

Do ya?

Joseph Oldenbourg

Your comments from ourvalleyvoice.com

“

I am so sorry for loss. I have loss a child from a car accident. It was in another state. But I to know the pain of news paper not telling the story correct. When I read the piece I thought. How do they know. And for them to print it. Our Lord will keep your Dana in his arms forever until each of you in the Lord’s timing will join her. Prayers for u each minute of the day. God Bless

— Linda Martinez on “Her smile and laugh..”

“

”

I do not know your family but we have 2 daughters one younger and one a couple years older than your Dana. I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet girl. When I 1st saw the TD article I was disgusted that they would print it wether it was fact or not. It didn’t seem right that an officer would even make a comment to the press like that. I’m sorry you had to write this letter, it’s not anyone’s business. Times Delta violated your privacy at a horrific time. I’m so sorry this happened to you and your family.

— Jennifer Cotta-Smithson on “Her smile and laugh..”

”

“

It is not illegal to come to U.S. borders “seeking” asylum and refuge. They are not coming in without permission. They are stuck at the border.

The ones who are being held in cages are the ones who are being “processed”. What kind of people who would put their children in danger crossing a desert, etc.? How about the people who came in covered wagons to California looking for gold? How about ALL the people who left their countries of origin looking for a better way of life in America and build this country? We are all decedents of immigrants. There was a time when it wasn’t necessary to “apply” for permission to come to America.

Perhaps it would please you to retro evict all generations from America who’s ancestors were not given permission to come here. If so, are your bags packed?

— Californian on Locals protest detention of migrant children

”

16

Valley Voice

1 August, 2019

Westlands Water District gives big to save Boys & Girls Club Mendota STAFF REPORTS On Tuesday, July 16, 2019, Westlands Water District Board of Directors voted unanimously to contribute $36,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota.

In a letter to Westlands’ Board, Kathryn Weakland of the Boys & Girls Club explained that without immediate funding the Club was at risk of closing, “The shortfall is due to: increased operating costs, minimum wage increases and lack of sustainable funding sources.”

Robert Silva, the Mayor of the City of Mendota, addressed the Board during the meeting expressing the importance of the Boys & Girls Club providing services to children in the City.

Westlands Water District Board President Don Peracchi thanked Mayor Silva, City Manager Cristian Gonzales and the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota for allowing Westlands the opportunity to support the community.

The Boy & Girls Club of Mendota serves over 300 children, 95 percent of whom live in public housing near the club. All the children served have families residing well below poverty level, with an average income of $16,000 a year. Approximately 85 percent of the children served by the

club have a parent or parents who work for farmers in Westlands.

The Club provides a safe and welcoming space for children to learn, grow, play and are provided with nutritious meals daily.

Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands, expressed the need to support the children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota, and he noted this was one means of mitigating socioeconomic impacts resulting from the District having retired approximately 40,000 acres of land near the City of Mendota.

The Boys & Girls Club of Mendota is continuing to work diligently to establish relationships with potential donors and create a fundraiser, intended to ensure annual contributions keeping the Club operational.

“We are so thankful to Westlands Water District Board of Directors for this generous gift to keep the doors of the Mendota Club open to children who rely on the services, positive environment and diversified educational programs provided by the Club every day,” said BGCFC Kathryn Weakland, VP of Development. “We are still working to secure permanent funding, but this will help us seek the right opportunities in the meantime.”

SEIU members protest Jason Britt’s salary and pay raise while some employees of Tulare County qualify for food stamps. Courtesy photo

PROTEST continued from 1

area. The board of supervisors has yet to address these and other systemic concerns.

“For too long Tulare County has served as a training ground for employees who leave to join neighboring counties that offer better salaries and benefits,” said Laura Hernandez,

a Child Support Specialist. Every year, we are spending thousands of dollars on retraining new staff only to continuously see them leave. Those impacted most by the high turnover rates are the residents we serve. We are putting at risk the lives of those that depend on our care to survive – and they are most often the lives of children and elders. This is unacceptable.”

Office/Retail for Rent available for the first time in 25 years 400 W Caldwell $2925, 3250 sqft

559-972-7778

Contact Zeeb Commercial Real Estate Shari Aguirre — 559-799-6082 — DRE #01115021