Valley Voice Issue 39 (19 February, 2015)

Volume XXXV No. 4 • 19 February, 2015

www.ourvalleyvoice.com

West Coast Port Shutdown Has Ripple Effect Joseph Oldenbourg The news out of San Francisco on Friday, February 6 was not auspicious for oceangoing commerce. Nor was it good for the lengthy inland chain of producers, manufacturers, packers and truckers who send goods of all kinds to market at the nation’s West Coast ports. The Pacific Maritime Association announced that the weekend’s vessel loading and unloading operations would be temporarily suspended, with yard, rail and gate operations continuing at terminal operators’ discretion.

On behalf of 72 companies among the world’s leading shipping lines and terminal operators, the PMA negotiates and administers maritime labor agreements with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union including a coast-

wide contract covering roughly 13,600 longshore, clerk and foreman workers at 29 ports along the West Coast. These ports drive nearly half of all maritime trade in the United States, including more than 70% of all imports from Asia.

PMA stated that because ongoing union slowdowns had brought ports up and down the coast almost to a standstill, PMA member companies concluded that they would no longer continue to compensate workers at “premium pay for diminished productivity.”

“After three months of union slowdowns, it makes no sense to pay extra for less work,” said PMA spokesman Wade Gates, “especially if there is no end in sight to the union’s actions which needlessly brought West Coast ports to the brink of gridlock.”

Exeter Police Officer Mourned Staff Reports The late Exeter police officer Daniel Green, 31, was laid to rest Tuesday, February 17, following a funeral service at the First Assembly of God Church in Visalia filled to capacity with family members, fellow officers, friends and those who just wanted to pay their respect. The funeral procession lined

with hundreds of motorcycles and cars including law enforcement officers from all around the state, the Patriot Guard Riders and American Legion Riders, made its way from Visalia through the town of Exeter, where Green served in law enforcement for the past 11 years.

Green’s body was found Friday, February 6 in his Goshen home

OFFICER continued on 8 »

SeaPort employees Gustavo Mora, Tabitha Boese (station manager) and Yendis Sanchez work at the airline’s new Visalia counter. Photo by Nancy Vigran.

SeaPort Takes Flight in Visalia Nancy Vigran The much anticipated SeaPort Airlines had its first flights arrive and takeoff from Visalia on February 9, with planes nearly full. The new airline service ties the South Valley with direct flights to Burbank and Sacramento, seven days per week. Flights are available four times a day, weekdays, with one flight to each destination on weekends.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremo-

ny on the inaugural day, Visalia Airport Manager Mario Cifuentez said, “We haven’t had four flights a day since 2001, when we had flights to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport).”

The Portland-based airlines flies nineseat, single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan turboprop airplanes to other destinations along the West Coast and in the midSouth. The one-hour-15-minute flight

SEAPORT continued on 9 »

Export Totals From California Alone (In $ U.S. millions) 2014 Trade Statistics are available through the International Trade Administration’s “Trade Stats Express.” Source: US Department of Commerce, CalChamber

On average, union dock workers earn a salary average of $147,000 per year and would see their wages climb about 3 percent under a proposal, along with fully-paid health care costs of about

$35,000 per year per union member.

Pension costs would also rise under a proposal, according to the PMA.

PORTS continued on 13 »

Commission Updates City Council The Visalia City Council and the Visalia Planning Commission held a joint meeting on February 3 at the Convention Center to update the city council members about major planning issues. Josh McDonnell, city planner, presented an update on the increase in building permits, progress on the general plan and the city’s sign ordinance that, after four years of being discussed and dissected, has yet to be completed. McDonnell also explained the one piece of the general plan that is a state mandate, the Housing Element.

General Plan On October 14, 2014, the Visalia City Council adopted the general plan, which will manage the city’s growth through at least 2030, and likely beyond. The plan builds on the 1991 General Plan, emphasizing growth in all four of the City’s quadrants. It also establishes Downtown Visalia as the central core of the city and Mooney Boulevard as the regional retail hub of Tulare and Kings Counties.

Adopting a general plan is just one step in a multi-year process. Several parts of the document are designed to be implemented over the coming decade. The General Plan devotes chapter 9 to describing items to be implemented in coming years, and can be accessed at the following website, http://www.visaliageneralplanupdate.com The immediate priority is revising the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance to establish consistency with the General Plan. These code changes are critical in implementing the new plan, so staff is working diligently to get this process underway.

Catherine Doe The updated General Plan includes new land use designations and associated densities that will require revisions to their accompanying zoning designations, design districts, and development standards. Given the technical nature of the Zoning Ordinance, staff’s recommendation will be to rely on the Planning Commission to serve as the Technical Advisory Committee for reviewing and commenting on proposed zoning and subdivision changes.

After the city council passed the General Plan, a business associated with real estate development challenged the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), alleging that the document insufficiently analyzes the potential impacts that the city’s blueprint may have on the environment.

A settlement meeting was held in January of this year and the city is waiting for materials from the petitioner regarding a potential settlement proposal.

The name of the litigant is Visalia Retail, LP, a real estate affiliated company out of Fresno founded by developers Michael and Jon Thomason. The two developers successfully requested zone changes in Fresno’s general plan in 2008 and filed suit in Redding in 2010 over paying developer fees, a case in which they lost.

It is not known whether a settlement can be reached. If a mutually agreeable settlement is not identified, the case will continue to hearing within the next four to eight months.

PLANNING continued on 7 »

2 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015 FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

Not A Shot In The Dark

I am more than perturbed by the fact that vaccinations--which in my childhood were not only free, but compulsory, and conveniently administered at school--are now something of a political hot potato, particularly for those on the right. Don’t get me wrong.

There are liberal enclaves where the vaccination rates are not as high as they should be, although this seems to be due to parental choice rather than political posturing. Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are the two most recent to weigh in on this debate.

But why is there even a debate? Let’s be clear: Getting one’s children vaccinated is a public health responsibility, much in the same fashion that jury duty is a civic responsibility. In the same way that someone under indictment is owed an impartial jury of his peers (we do, after all, call it due process) those who cannot be vaccinated--infants, those with vaccine allergies and people with suppressed immune systems--are owed the protection of what the medicos call “herd immunity.”

It’s not as though the science is a shot in the dark.

So long ago as a thousand years, the Chinese developed a variolation against smallpox in humans. In using this technique--variolation is a deliberate infection--dried smallpox scabs were blown into the nose of a person who then contracted a mild form of the disease. Upon recovery, the individual was immune. And while between 1 to 2 percent of those variolated, later died as a result, roughly 30% died when they contracted the disease naturally. By 1700, the practice had spread to Africa, India and the Ottoman Empire.

Edward Jenner’s 1796 use of cowpox (vacca, being the Latin for cow, gave us the word “vaccination”) material to create immunity to smallpox, therefore, was not so much a scientific breakthrough as a continuation in a sequence of events that, over the next 200 years, lead to the eradication of the disease.

“You should get your kids vaccinated,” President Obama told Savannah Guthrie during a recent interview broadcast on NBC’s Today show. “It’s good for them.”

The president was specifically referring to the measles outbreak centered in California that has sickened more than 100 people in the United States. Doctors are urging parents not to listen to anti-vaccination activists who have convinced a small number of parents not to inoculate their children by claiming the vaccines can cause autism.

The “link” between vaccinations and autism has long been debunked, although it is still used as a springboard in an ongoing discussion about vaccines in an arc encompassing everything from individual to state rights. Vaccination should be free, compulsory, conveniently administered at school--and paid for by the federal government.

“I understand that there are families that in some cases are concerned about the effect of vaccinations,” the president said. “The science is, you know, pretty indisputable. We’ve looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, but there aren’t reasons to not.”

I took three of the previous four paragraphs, more or less, from online somewhere-and I did so because it was the president speaking, and I think he said it best.

But imagine this: In my parents’ lifetime there was a president of this country who at 39 years of age was stricken by what was then thought of as a childhood disease--polio.

Of course I’m referring to Franklin Roosevelt. Could you imagine such a malady affecting a sitting president today? Or that, in this day and age, someone with such a condition would even consider running for that office? Of course not! And not because of the optics of it. Think Dr. Jonas Salk. Or should I have written “thank?”

The man became a national hero and the disease became a thing of the past. I have never known anyone with polio--and I’d be willing to bet big that, on these shores at least, I never will.

Sat. Feb 21 & Sun. Feb 22 Sat. Feb 21 & Sun. Feb 22 That said, another thing I’ll never do is get a flu shot.

11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

I have nothing against flu shots, and I’m not skeptical about their efficaciousness.

Sat. 21 & Sun. 22 93277 (559) 741-9484 Models: 5224 W.Feb Redding Ave.,Feb Visalia Even if they provide an effective protection of 25%, still, that’s better than nothing for Models: 5224 W. Redding Ave., Visalia 93277 (559) 741-9484 11:00 a.m.-5:00 Located on Akers p.m. south of Caldwell those who think they need them. And the peace of mind factor is likely to be beneficial Located on Akers south of Caldwell Models: 5224 W. Redding Ave., Visalia 93277 (559) 741-9484 Located on Akers south of Caldwell in its own right. But I have peace of mind because I haven’t had the flu in 40 years. Flu Incentives & Price Reductions On Available Homes.

Incentives & Price Reductions On Available Homes. season comes and goes and I simply do not contract the virus.

Incentives30-45 & PriceDay Reductions On Available Homes.

Escrow for Quick Move-In. 30-45 Day Escrow for Quick Move-In. Sat. Feb 21 & Sun. Feb 22 Not any more, I mean. Not since the mid 1970s, when--twice--I suffered with what 30-45 Day Escrow for Quick Move-In. 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

I suspect were two different strains of influenza. Each time I was properly sick for 10 days Models: 5224 W.imagined…

Redding Ave., Visaliain93277 (559) 741-9484gated community. the youimagined… a desirable thelifestyle lifestyle community.

Live Live theLive lifestyle you you imagined… ininsouth aa desirable desirable gated community. to two weeks and, as I’ve previously said about passing a kidney stone, death seemed like Located on Akers of Caldwell gated an attractive option. I don’t mean the kind of flu that I’ve heard described as akin to a Incentives & Price Reductions On Available Homes.

Lot 73 3937 S. Heritage St. 73 -S.3937 S. Heritage St. truly ferocious cold--those were the kinder, gentler symptoms that only appeared toward Lot - 5061 W. Ave. Lot 3636-W. 5061 W.Concord Concord Ave. Lot 73 Lot - 3937 Heritage St. $305,755 Now $302,800 Lot 36$346,950 - $346,950 5061 Ave. + Concord $5,000 Upgrade Incentive 30-45 Day Escrow for Quick Move-In. the end of each bout. I’m talking about the kind of sick where you can’t keep anything $305,755 Now $302,800 + $5,000 Upgrade Incentive $305,755 Now $302,800 $346,950 + $5,000 Upgrade Incentive down, including water, and you have to gingerly suck on a wrung-out towel so you don’t die of dehydration.

Live the lifestyle you imagined… in a desirable gated community.

But all that was 40 years ago. Apart from scaring my parents half to death, the result, Lot 73 - 3937 S. Heritage St. Lot 36 - 5061 W. Concord Ave. practically speaking, is that I’ve never really been sick since then--certainly not with the $305,755 Now $302,800 $346,950 + $5,000 Upgrade Incentive flu. And I consider it to have been well worth the bother for what has thus far proved to 1,881 Sq.Ft. - 4 Bed/3 bath—3 car tandem garage 2,254 Sq.Ft. - 4 Bed/2.5 Bath Guest Suite with own entrance into home 3 car tandem garage be an immunity.

(Includes total upgrades of $20,950) Granite counter tops in kitchen (Includes total upgrades $27,755) 1,881 Sq.Ft. -bath—3 4 of Bed/3 bath—3 cargarage tandem garage I don’t remember there having been anything like a flu shot in those days. If there had 2,254 Sq.Ft. 4 Bed/2.5 Bath 1,881 Sq.Ft. 4 Bed/3 car tandem 2,254 Sq.Ft. - 4 Bed/2.5 Bath with own into tandem garage Guest Suite withSuite own entrance homeinto homebeen, you can bet I would have taken it 3 car garage Lot 75 -Guest 4015 S. Heritage St.entrance Lottandem 713- car 3926 San Joaquin St. (Includes total upgrades of $20,950) Granite counter tops in kitchen

Open House Extravaganza Open House Extravaganza ! !

Open House Extravaganza !

Open House Extravaganza !

(Includes total$292,800 upgrades Now of $20,950) $288,000 2,254 Sq.Ft. - 4 Bed/2.5 Bath

3 car tandem 71 -San 3926 Sangarage Joaquin St. Lot 71 Lot - 3926 Joaquin St. (Includes total upgrades of $20,950)

$292,800 Now $288,000 $292,800 Now $288,000

Granite counter tops in kitchen $306,660 Now $297,800 total upgrades of $27,755) (Includes (Includes total upgrades of $27,755)

1,881 Sq.Ft. - 4 Bed/3 bath—3 car tandem garage Guest Suite with own entrance into home Granite counter tops in kitchen $306,660 Now $297,800 $306,660 Now $297,800 (Includes total upgrades of $27,755)

Lot 71 - 3926 San Joaquin St.

Lot 75 - 4015 S. Heritage St.

1,671 Sq.Ft. - 3 Bed/2 Bath with den 3 car tandem garage - Corner lot for RV Parking Upgraded granite in kitchen & master bath Stainless steel appliance package (Includes total upgrades of $30,300)

1,881 Sq.Ft. - 4 Bed/2 Bath + Game Room 3 car tandem garage Hardwood floors - Granite kitchen countertops (Includes total upgrades of $29,660)

$292,800 Now $288,000

— Joseph Oldenbourg

75 -S.4015 S. Heritage St. Lot 75 Lot - 4015 Heritage St. $306,660 Now $297,800

The Valley Voice is your newspaper Published by The Valley Voice, LLC. Publisher/Editor: Joseph Oldenbourg joseph@ourvalleyvoice.com

~ Under Construction ~ Lot 34 W. Concord Ave. : 3 bd/2 ba. w/ den - 3 1,881 car garage - 2,108 sq. ft.

Sq.Ft. - 4 Sq.Ft. Bed/2 + Game 1,671 Sq.Ft. - 3Sq.Ft. Bed/2 with den 1,881 -Bath 4 Bed/2 BathRoom + Game Room 1,671 - Bath 3- 5049 Bed/2 Bath with den + $5,000 Incentive (Includes total upgrades $24,455) $328,955 1,881 Sq.Ft. - 4of Bath + Game Room 1,671- Corner Sq.Ft. - 3lot Bed/2 Bath withUpgrade den 3Bed/2 car tandem garage 3 car tandem for RVlot Parking 3 car tandem garage 3 car3garage tandem garage Corner for RV Parking 3 car tandem garage car tandem garage - Corner lot for RV Parking UpgradedUpgraded granite ingranite kitchen master Hardwood floors - Granite kitchen &bath master bath Hardwood floors Granitecountertops kitchen countertops Upgraded granite in in&kitchen & master bath Hardwood floors - Granite kitchen-kitchen countertops For more information, contact Stainless Stainless steel appliance packagepackage (Includes total upgrades of $29,660) Stainless steel appliance (Includes total(Includes upgrades oftotal $29,660) steel appliance package upgrades of $29,660) Denise Hunt (559) 741-9484 (Includes total upgrades upgrades of of $30,300) (Includes (Includes total upgrades of $30,300) total $30,300) Email: denisehuntrealtor@gmail.com Marketed by:

~ Under Construction ~~ ~ Under Construction ~ Under Construction ~

Sequoia Crossing reserves the right to modify plans, specifications, colors, maps, pricing and financing without notice or obligation. Square footage is approximate.

Prices effective 8/1/14. Broker co-op 3%. Summit Homes Builders, Inc. License #961587.

Lot 34 - 5049 W. Concord Ave. : 3 bd/2 ba. w/ den - 3 car garage - 2,108 sq. ft.

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+ $5,000 UpgradeUpgrade IncentiveIncentive (Includes total upgrades of $24,455) $328,955 + $5,000 (Includes total upgrades of $24,455) $328,955

Staff:

Catherine Doe, writer (catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com) Tony Maldonado, webmaster (tony@ourvalleyvoice.com) Nancy Vigran, sales (nancy@ourvalleyvoice.com) Stefan Barros, sports (stefan@ourvalleyvoice.com)

For more information, contact

Hunt (559) 741-9484 ForDenise more information, contactcontact For more information, Email: denisehuntrealtor@gmail.com

Denise Hunt Hunt (559)(559) 741-9484 Denise 741-9484

Sequoia Crossing reserves the right to modify plans, specifications, colors, maps, pricing and financing without notice or obligation. Square footage is approximate.

Prices effective 8/1/14. Broker co-op 3%. Summit Homes Builders, Inc. License #961587.

Email: denisehuntrealtor@gmail.com Email: denisehuntrealtor@gmail.com

Contact us & share your opinion: www.ourvalleyvoice.com 208 W. Main St., Ste. E • Visalia, CA 93291

Marketed by: License#01246424

Marketed by:

Sequoia Crossing reserves the right to modify plans, specifications, colors, maps, pricing and financing without notice or obligation. Square footage is approximate.

Sequoia Crossing reserves the right8/1/14. to modify plans, specifications, pricing financing without notice or obligation. Square footage is approximate.

Prices effective Broker co-op 3%. Summitcolors, Homesmaps, Builders, Inc.and License #961587.

Prices effective 8/1/14. Broker co-op 3%. Summit Homes Builders, Inc. License #961587.

Marketed by: License#01246424

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19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 3

Political Fix A New World

There has been a paradigm shift in the traditional way political campaigns play out in California. It used to be Republican against Democrat. But now, with the top-two primary election, and the fact that Republicans are no longer viable in statewide elections, it’s liberal against more liberal. And in the case of Barbara Boxer’s senate seat, it has become Black versus Hispanic.

Even though California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is half Black and half Indian, is the only one to officially declare her candidacy for the 2016 senatorial race, Hispanics are already crying foul. Her announcement four weeks ago has strategically been accompanied with no campaigning. Obviously her declaration was hardly an attempt to connect with the voters, but more of a warning shot across the bows of her rivals--mainly Hispanics--to get out of her way. As a result, the Hispanic caucus is feeling pushed aside.

Does the average voter know Ms. Harris is running for senate? No. Does every possible political rival? Yes. Mission accomplished.

Jeb Bush seems to be employing the same tactic. At a recent New York fundraiser, Mr. Bush sent a warning shot over his 2016 Republican presidential rivals that he has the fundraising market cornered, at least on the East Coast. A private equity mogul recently hosted a Park Avenue soiree for Mr. Bush at $100,000 a person, a shocking amount even for Wall Street. That’s one small step for Chris Christie’s securing a Vice Presidential place on the ticket, and one giant step for Mr. Bush’s securing his party’s Presidential nomination.

As for the California senate race, the three next top contenders are former LA mayor, Antonio Villariagosa, and two US representatives, Loretta Sanchez and Xavier Becerra. Of the three, Mr. Villariagosa has the least to lose and the most to gain. He has the least to lose because he won’t lose a congressional seat like his other two rivals might. He has the best chances because he has statewide name recognition being a former mayor of the largest city in California.

Not all that notoriety is positive. In a poll taken in the first week of February, Ms. Harris leads Mr. Villaraigosa by 45% to 23%. Even more interesting though is each candidate’s likability. According to a Public Policy poll, Ms. Harris has a 45% favorability rating with 30% viewing her unfavorably, while Mr. Villaraigosa’s favorability rating is at 26%, with 44% viewing him unfavorably.

The last time a senate seat was open in California was in 1993--and it was a different world. Teenagers did not have cell phones, and there was no on-line shopping, social media or Google. In 1993, when people registered to vote they were a Democrat or a Republican--or they did not get to vote in the primary. Now, nearly 25% of registered voters are “other” or “decline to state” and everyone can participate in the primary. Most significantly, Barbara Boxer ran a hard race against a Republican, a highly unlikely scenario to play out for Ms. Harris in 2016 California.

Catherine Doe

I Have All the Answers

My daughter and I took a four-hour Greyhound bus trip from hell a few months ago. Though we were one of the last to board, the front row seats were empty. I thought: What luck! I thought wrong. Being so close to the driver got me four hours of fascinating Greyhound history and Tea Party politics with a twist. He kept saying “I have all the answers, but they are not calling me.” I couldn’t imagine why.

Now I have a deeper understanding of this man’s almost Tourette’s syndrome-like repetition of, “I have all the answers.” I get it. Concerning the vast number of Republican presidential candidates and what to do with them-I have all the answers, but they are not calling me.

Right now the Republicans are facing a deep field of possible presidential candidates, most with adequate name recognition to make a go of it. After taking note of all the politicians who paraded around the Iowa Freedom Summit and all those who whored themselves out to the Koch brothers in Palm Springs, I counted a field of 16 serious contenders.

That number of candidates will result in two things. First, an internecine bloodbath and, worse, several eight-hour televised debates.

The Republican Party has an easy out. There is a simple and efficient way to narrow the field right now and save everyone a lot of time and money.

The first step is easy. Legislators do not win presidential races, managers do.

Eminent scholar, Texas Governor Rick Perry, made a jab at eminent wing nut Texas Senator Ted Cruz by saying, “I think that they (the American people) are going to make a rather radical shift away from a young untested United States Senator whose policies have really failed.” Mr. Perry has a point that Senators struggle in the oval office. Besides, the Republicans cannot be on record as continually criticizing Obama as a crappy manager because he only has experience being a Senator, and then turn around and nominate one themselves.

So, if you eliminate the Senators, and fringe candidates who have never held elected office, (Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carli Fiorina) that leaves 10 governors. Out of those, Mitt Romney just took himself out of the race in an announcement at the end of January.

Sarah Palin took herself out of the race by giving an incoherent speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit that left many of her Republican detractors saying , “told you so.” We can eliminate Chris Christie because, as I mentioned in last issue’s Political Fix, I think he is running for Vice President, and he digs himself an ever deeper political hole every week. We can then eliminate the religious fanatics, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal, because gay marriage is a reality, and the Earth is more than 6000 years old--and we need our leader to live in the now.

That leaves Gov. Perry, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush and the Koch Brothers’ sweetheart, Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

But no one knows who the heck Mike Pence is, so let’s just eliminate him too.

The most serious contender right now is Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker. As he dangerously ascends the polls, presi-

dential candidates have sent their proxies out to the news talk shows to make sure everyone knows that Mr. Walker did not graduate college. It’s not just that Rhodes Scholars and master degrees are now the norm for a US President, it’s that we can’t have candidates “punt” serious political questions such as whether or not they believe in evolution. Finally, Gov. “Oops” Rick Perry is just too goofy and will not survive 20 minutes on the same debate stage with Mr. Bush.

They should go with him right now.

The Republicans can spare themselves a nasty sand box brawl and save a lot of money that could instead go to defeating Hillary. Problem solved.

On the Subject of Republican Conventions

It’s a slow news cycle so I want to go down memory lane--well, my grandmother, Florence Doe’s memory lane.

What reminds me of my grandmother is not just the talk of the Republican convention but the resurrection of former Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. She would always say that 1964 was the last true convention where no one knew who was going to win the nomination until the actual event. Sen. Goldwater did win on the first ballot in 1964, but it was a hard-fought battle that was not certain until the delegates’ votes were counted.

When I was in college, my grandmother lamented the fact that nowadays (early 1980s) everyone showed up for the parties and that the convention was now just one big coronation.

As Vice Chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, my grandmother attended the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Republican conventions as a delegate or an alternate. It was the 1952 convention and election that were really a personal highlight in her political career. Democrats had dominated the presidency since 1933, then dealt a crushing blow to the Republicans when Thomas Dewey lost in a stunner in 1948. But Republicans were excited in 1952, knowing that victory was so close they could taste it.

In 1952, no less than seven viable candidates showed up to fight for the nomination, six of them with committed delegates. The California delegation was committed to casting its votes for Governor Earl Warren, which it did on the first ballot. When Gov. Warren did not garner enough delegates to win the nomination, the California delegation was instructed, via telegraph, to switch their votes to Dwight Eisenhower. The excitement not only culminated when Mr. Eisenhower won the nomination, but when grandma’s friend, Senator Richard Nixon, was nominated as Vice President. The story goes that she held off reporters while Sen. Nixon sat with the California delegation and hurriedly wrote his acceptance speech.

In the 1980s, as her eyesight failed, we took long rides out to the ranch and I read her the newspaper every day during my summers between college. Not many people were talking about Sen. Goldwater by then, but my grandmother still was. He was known as Mr. Conservative--and he was her kind of conservative. Conservative in those days meant spending significantly less money than

you had and keeping your nose out of other people’s lives. Talk of religion was absolutely out-of-bounds to the point where if a candidate had even mentioned Jesus he would have been branded as crazy.

Sen. Goldwater had taken a leave of absence from the American memory but not for her. As he grew older, he articulated where he stood on many issues of the day, showing what a real conservative was made of. “A lot of so-called conservatives today don’t know what the word means,” he told the Los Angeles Times in a 1994 interview. “They think I’ve turned liberal because I believe a woman has a right to an abortion. That’s a decision that’s up to the pregnant woman, not up to the Pope or some do-gooders or the religious right. It’s not a conservative issue at all.”

According to the Washington Post, “During the 1990s, Sen. Goldwater spoke out in favor of allowing gays to serve in the military, and he worked in Phoenix to end job discrimination against gays. ‘The big thing is to make this country, along with every other country in the world with a few exceptions, quit discriminating against people just because they’re gay,’ he said. ‘You don’t have to agree with it, but they have a constitutional right to be gay. And that’s what brings me into it.’”

Mr. Goldwater was her type of conservative. I wish they would both come back.

How Do I Say Goodbye?

This is the last column that I will be writing in my family home. I’m having a hard time saying goodbye, so I’ll just write a few of my favorite memories: Listening to Teddy sing show tunes in her bedroom. Decorating the house for all the holidays, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and of course the grand daddy of them all, Christmas. Seeing Chuck’s sweaty corpse draped over the TV room couch after working all day in the orange grove in 100-plus degree heat. Watching Panther being born in the bottom drawer of Teddy’s dresser.

Watching Manny instantly know how to ride a dirt bike after my husband, having tried to show him how it’s done, lost control and plowed right into the lemon grove. Summertime dinners out on the brick. Easter egg hunts. Movie night.

When the kids took a mattress and sledded down the stairs. When Manny, Mercedes and I went “ghost hunting” and Manny, the older brother, ran back to the safety of the car. When Mercedes and I went for a walk, at night, in the fog, then couldn’t find the house; we did find a dog’s corpse, though. Joseph and I, the kids and their friends playing marathon rounds of charades into the summer nights. Never knowing who was going to be asleep on our couch when I got up in the morning. Listening to the boys play video games for hours as I wrote in my room. Listening to Manny play guitar and record his symphonies on his computer. Baking Alex’s 11th birthday cake and realizing that I had accidently cooked and frosted brownies and no one noticed. Watching Alex hog tie an already decorated and lighted Christmas tree to a door so it wouldn’t fall over

POLITICAL FIX continued on 9 »

4 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

International Business Growing Big at Ag Expo Militarily, it makes sense; economically, it doesn’t.”

Dressed in a small, tight white cap Algeria, Mered said, is also a market and a flowing white thawb, the traditional primed for US dairy exports. The coungarb of devout Muslims of Northern Af- try consumes some five billion liters of rica, it was clear Khider Abdelkader had milk a year, but produces only one biltraveled a very long way to participate lion liters itself. in the 2015 World Ag Expo at the InHelping American growers and ternational ag manAgri-Cenufacturter in Tuers reach lare last those overweek. seas marA b kets is the delkader, job of the general US Dedirector of par tment Av Khider, of Coma ranching merce’s Inoperation ternational that supTrade Adplies 40 minisVolunteer greeters chat in the International Business Center p e r c e n t while visiting foreign nationals dine, chat and regroup in the t r a t i o n , of his background. The Center’s goal is pair potential buyers and which country’s sellers, as well as providing meeting spaces and translation was repret u r k e y s , services during the 2015 World Ag Expo at the International sented at some six Agri-Center in Tulare last week. the Expo million by Pat birds annually, was part of a large con- Sweeney, senior international trade spetingent of Algerian farmers and grow- cialist for the Office of Transportation ers who attended the Expo for the first and Machinery. time this year. In the Expo’s Interna“Our mission is to help export US tional Business Center, Abdelkader was products,” he said. “We help bring buyfar from alone, as dozens agricultural ers to producers and bring producers to business people from around the globe buyers.” planned their visits, found translators Sweeney was also on hand to give a and met with US government trade of- global market presentation to US-based ficials. sellers, giving them information intendThrough a French-speaking transla- ed to let them know “what markets to tor, Abdelkader said he came to the Expo pay attention to, especially Mexico,” he to find ways of modernizing his turkey said. “The equipment matches pretty production, as well as to find direct well.” sources for the eggs he raises to grown As it stands, 75 percent of US ag birds. Some 85 percent of the genetics exports go to countries with developed he uses come from US sources, he said. ag industries, with the majority going “He’s dependent on European dis- to just three countries: Mexico, Canada tributors to reach the American market,” and Australia. That remaining 25 persaid translator Mokhtar Mered. “The Al- cent could be vastly expanded, Sweeney gerians don’t understand why they have said. to use French distributors when they Some international visitors were (the French) are a former colonial power. less goal-oriented. Arturo Ortiz Trev-

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iňo, owner of Intersisa, a Torreón, Mexico-based maker of vitamin and mineral mixers for the dairy industry, was at the Expo just for the experience.

“I come here only to see,” he said.

Torreón dairies’ produce some 7.5 million liters of milk a day, Treviňo said, but he insisted he was not looking to expand his business, only satisfying his curiosity about agriculture outside his homeland.

“I go to look,” he said in his halting but serviceable English.

For visitors like Treviňo, the Expo’s International Business Center is an ideal resource.

“The goal is to connect the international visitor with products they can take back to their countries,” said Irene Santos, volunteer chair of the Expo’s International Committee. At the Center, foreign visitors could meet for prearranged visits with sellers, utilize private meeting areas and find interpreters. The Center also provided help to walk-in visitors such as Treviňo.

“It’s busy,” said Harry Burgess, the volunteer in charge of arranging for translators. “They come and go.”

Using mainly exchange students, Burgess said the center could provide language services for speakers of common European languages, as well as more exotic tongues, such as Armenian, Kiswahili and Tajik.

Mariam Hirina, a Romanian national, needed no assistance talking business with the English-speaking equipment sellers he came to Tulare to meet.

2015 marks his second visit to the Expo, where he hoped to find sources for used farm equipment for his company, Gelda S.R.L., to resell in Eastern Europe.

“I met several very interesting people,” he said in heavily-accented but otherwise perfect English. “I got new connections through US Commercial Services.”

The dealers he’s connected with can expect big sales as a result.

“We’ll start on a small scale,” Hirina said, “a few million (dollars) a year.”

The potential for profit moves both ways, said Graham Corlett, key account manager for CTD Manufacturing of Canada. It was Corlett’s third year at the Expo, where he was hoping to increase sales for his company while the US dollar remains strong against the Canadian.

“Americans like the savings,” he said.

“It’s easy (to do business here) with the Canadian dollar down 20 cents.”

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State Officials Acknowledge Groundwater Contamination

Documents made public by state regulators recently show that thousands of oil and gas wells and hundreds of illegally operating oil industry waste-disposal wells are injecting fluids into aquifers in violation of state law and the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. California state agencies had until February 6 to submit a plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency detailing how the state agencies will protect water resources associated with oil development. The plan submitted by the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources last Friday allows oil companies in California to continue injecting wastewater into aquifers for several more months and, in some instances, until 2017. State regulators have already allowed aquifers that were suitable for drinking water and agriculture to be contaminated.

State oil regulators shut down a handful of illegal waste-disposal wells last summer, but hundreds of others are still operating across the state, including wells in Monterey, Kern and Los Angeles counties and near San Luis Obispo.

“Gov. Jerry Brown must immediately ban fracking and halt the use of illegal injection wells in California,” said Adam Scow, California director of Food and Water Watch, on behalf of Californians Against Fracking. “This fiasco shows that the state simply cannot handle the massive toxic wastewater problem produced by fracking and oil and gas development.

It shows that the state has not complied with the minimum protections required by federal law. All unsafe and illegal injection needs to stop immediately.”

Californians Against Fracking is a coalition of about 200 environmental business, health, agriculture, labor, political and environmental justice organizations working to win a statewide ban on fracking and other dangerous extraction techniques in California. Follow @CAagainstFrack on Twitter.

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19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 5

Drought Woes Continue for Tulare County Residents Nancy Vigran Unseasonably warm temperatures with a ridge of high pressure holding any potential weather systems from entering California have only added to the drought situation, especially for the Valley. And the chance of any sizeable amount of rainfall in the immediate future is bleak.

“It’s looking grim, at least for the next 7 or 10 days,” said Kevin Durfee, meteorologist with the US National Weather Service in Hanford.

“And, the snow pack is really pretty pathetic,” he said.

The local Southern Sierra snowpack is at 24% of normal, he said, which is actually better than last year at this time, when it was 12%.

Even though March can be a wet month, it would be difficult at this stage to get caught up, Durfee added.

“We would need 20 inches of snow in the mountains,” he said.

California is entering its fourth consecutive year of drought, with the most severe impact hitting Tulare County, said Andrew Lockman, Tulare County Office of Emergency Services manager. Within the county, the area to the east of Porterville is most effected.

Many wells there are only 25- to 60feet deep. Some property owners have had intermittent problems in the past, but the recent drought has turned off the tap on 938 private wells for property owners.

That is 55% of reported private well-problems in the state, Lockman said.

Reports of non-working wells continue to come in to the Emergency Services office; however, it is probable that more are just being reported than are now running dry, he said.

Last summer saw neighbors aiding one another with garden hoses to wells that were operational offered to those who did not have water. However, a constant fear of another well going dry is a major worry in the area.

The county has aided the area with portable showers in the neighborhood, the bottle water program wherein every two weeks residents receive fresh drinking water, and most recently a tank program, where residents receive the use of a 1,500-2,000-gallon tank, refilled on a regular basis with potable water. These are all temporary solutions.

“We’re kind of slapping BandAids on this thing,” Lockman said.

Long-term solutions continue to be discussed. Of course, for those who can afford it, the easiest solution is to dig deeper wells. However, many in the area are renters, and landlords may or may not be willing to invest that cost into the property, basically evicting renters who cannot afford to move elsewhere.

Some are looking to tap into the water system of the nearby city of Porterville. But while the Porterville City Council continues discussion on that idea, most recently at its February 5 meeting, this would be a major undertaking, Lockman said.

It would take at least five years, at the cost of an estimated $25 to $30 million, he said.

“It is not the City of Porterville’s responsibility,” he said, adding that the city should look after its own first.

And while it may be willing to consider tapping into the water system for those out in the county, outside city limits, “where does the $30 million come

from?” he questioned.

The infrastructure and physical work may only take a year, but finding the funds, planning, engineering studies and prep work could take four years or longer.

One example that has worked is the unincorporated area of Cameron Creek Colony just outside Farmersville. Some wells have also gone dry there.

Residents with intermittent well problems began speaking about it a couple of years ago and by June, 2014 told county officials they had a problem. 938 Reported Private Well Failures (increase of 27 from Because they had been previous report) as of February 17, 2015. Map courtesy County of Tulare. talking about it and researching potential solutions, they found commitment to move forward, Locktheir solutions quickly, Lockman said. man said. If they can pull together and Within weeks, the Cameron Creek work together, they may be able to find residents received $1 million in grant a similar solution, but it will take time.

As the drought continmoney, half of which was granted from the State Water Resources Control ues, the problems are worsening.

“Absolutely yes, unfortunateBoard, drinking water division, and half ly, it is getting worse,” Lockman said. of which came from USDA Rural Devel“We are starting with a much largopment. The money has been spent on engineering, planning and now the frui- er deficit (of water) than last year,” he tion of the pipeline from Farmersville to said, “and we are the most impacted the community. Residents now have the part of the state, that I have heard of.”

There is a chance of some relief in opportunity to hook-up to the city water-service. Water service should be avail- the weeks to come, Durfee offered. able to those who sign up by next month. The long-range report, which indicates The unincorporated residents of weather predictions for 60 to 90 days, Monson, east of Dinuba, are not so offers a 33% chance of better than avlucky. While they have expressed con- erage rainfall. But, whether that will cern and many wells have gone dry, come to fruition is still yet to come. they did not have the organization or

6 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Covered California Announces Open Enrollment Extension Staff Reports On February 16, the deadline for enrollment in a Covered California health insurance plan was extended through Friday, February 20.

Family HealthCare Network’s team of certified enrollment counselors remain available to the public. If you started to enroll in a Covered California plan by February 15 but have not yet completed the process, you may complete it by February 20 with the assistance of a certified enroller.

FHCN’s certified enrollment counselors are offering extended assistance hours this week at each of the organi-

zation’s 14 health centers throughout Tulare and Kings Counties as well as its Resource Center in Porterville. Covered California’s Special Enrollment Period also began Monday, February 16th, for consumers who did not start their application to enroll during the open enrollment period. Consumers must have a “qualifying life event” in order to enroll in a health plan during the Special Enrollment Period.

Visit any FHCN health center to speak with a counselor regarding your coverage options or call the organization’s enrollment line at (559) 741-4366 for dates and times available by location.

California Friday Night Live Partnership Announces Grant Staff Reports The California Friday Night Live Partnership, supported by the Tulare County Office of Education, recently announced a $400,000 award to support the implementation of traffic safety and underage drinking prevention programs. Friday Night Live county programs across the state will receive mini-grants to address these critical issues through youth designed peer-to-peer campaigns.

The grant award comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The mini-grants will provide an opportunity for youth to partner with local law enforcement agencies, parents and community members.

The new grants will be used by FNL programs across California to build upon Roadwatch, an annual observational and educational study administered by the CFNLP. Student researchers from 28 counties observed 8,378 incidents of distracted driving in a one-hour period.

Behaviors ranged from talking and texting on cell phones, to eating and drinking, and personal grooming. To build on Roadwatch, young people in FNL programs will implement campaigns such as Casey’s Pledge, Count Me In!, and TRACE, focusing on reducing underage drinking, improving

More than 40 years in Downtown Visalia

roadway safety, as well as educating parents by partnering with their local California Highway Patrol to present the parent program, Start Smart.

Additionally, the grant will support the implementation of the statewide FNL Youth Traffic Safety Summit held in Anaheim, CA. This two-day event draws 600 high-school-aged youth from across California to develop youth-led traffic safety campaigns to bring back and implement in their schools.

During the last six years, FNL youth have created impactful campaigns and driven significant community changes such as cross-walk and traffic light installations, re-engineering of roadways near schools, local policy, as well as norm-changing distracted driving efforts.

“Youth respond to other youth much better than adult-driven and -delivered messages,” said Dr. Jim Kooler, CFNLP Administrator. “And by supporting them with the skills and opportunities to make positive changes in their communities, we will see results that matter.”

California’s roadway death toll today stands at a level not seen since 1950, despite huge increases in population and miles driven since then. This is a direct result of enforcement, engineering, emergency medical services, education and the coordinated efforts resulting from the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan.

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Kingsburg Hospital District Actions Opposed by Citizens’ Committee The Kingsburg Citizens’ Committee (KCC), while not an official subcommittee, is an organization of local residents, opposed a lease to be approved by the Kingsburg Hospital District (KHD) Board. It is investigating other potential buyers for the Kingsburg Hospital.

The Board is considering entering into a lease with a “for profit” company, contracting with the Fresno County Mental Health Department to convert the small, local community hospital into a locked mental health facility. The goal of the Kingsburg Citizens’ Committee is to ensure that the KHD Board complies with the requirements of the Measure K initiative approved by voters in 2010, and the California Health and Safety Code, to provide a facility that will serve all residents of the community and tax payers paying into the hospital district, which extends into Kings and Tulare Counties.

This operator’s services do not extend to more than those who suffer with mental illness. Kingsburg, California, is a small, incorporated town located in Southern Fresno County.

But the board already has a tentative lease--discussed during the closed session at its February 4 meeting--between the district and George Lytal, CEO of Crestwood Behavioral Health.

The lease has yet to be signed because

Staff Reports Richard Harriman, an attorney working with the KCC, objected to a lack of access to pertinent documents.

“We object to you going forward with any action on the Crestwood matter,” Harriman said.

Harriman said he was looking for financial and staff reports, a copy lease or its draft, all consultant’s reports and any real estate listing agreements.

“The other thing we’d be looking for would be data to support the decision the board is enacting partially under Measure K and what was authorized in that initiative,” he said. Measure K allows the board to sell the hospital building-- with voter approval.

But, according to the KCC, no voter approval can be possible given the dearth of documentation on the matter.

After having failed to find the relevant board documents online, Harriman contacted the district’s counsel, the Farley Law Firm of Visalia, and requested the paperwork from attorney Moses Diaz.

According to Harriman, Diaz said, “there wouldn’t be a staff report because you’re short-staffed and there wouldn’t be any other written documentation.”

This sourcing

story was compiled by the Kingsburg Recorder.

19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 7

Planning Continued from p. 1

The decision following the hearing may or may not provide a final outcome, as there may be further work required or there may also be appeals of the decision. In the meantime, the existence of the litigation is not preventing implementation of the General Plan. The city, until ordered otherwise, will continue to implement the policies of the updated General Plan.

The General Plan splits Visalia’s growth into three tiers. Tier I is projected to taken 7 years of growth before the city reaches Tier II. As Visalia continues to develop within Tier I, decision makers will be asked to provide direction on implementing a variety of other General Plan-adopted policies and programs.

Some examples of upcoming policy efforts include: • Create a program that addresses mitigation of prime farmland conversion in Tiers IIand III (Land Use Policy LU-P-34) • Adopt specific development standards for scenic entryways and roadway corridors along the Highway 198 Corridor (Land Use Policy LU-P-37) • Create a voluntary Affordable Housing Overlay zone that provides incentives for the development of affordable housing (Land Use Policy LU-P-58) • An annual General Plan status report is scheduled to be prepared and circulated by city staff each April. A copy of the status report can be found under April’s agenda on the City of Visalia website.

Building permits Good news was the order of the day concerning building permits. In total, the city issued 4,147 permits in 2014 with a total estimated valuation of $181,337,948. This represents a 21% increase in the number of permits issued and a 2% increase in valuation compared to 2013.

Building permits issued in Visalia are an accurate indicator of the economic health of the city. About ten years ago, during the economic boom, from approximately 2005-2007, Visalia witnessed the highest permit numbers and valuations in the city’s history. Total permits reached as high as 5,677 and a valuation of $490,674,445 in 2006. However, starting in 2008 and until 2011, Visalia witnessed a substantial decline to a low of 3,017 in permits issued until 2012. The drop in development activity effected Visalia by resulting, “in a significant loss of both private and public sector jobs in that economic category. The last couple years of increasing development activity has resulted in the return of some of these jobs,” said McDonnell. In 2014, the city’s permit numbers compared to 2013 were steady and grew

along with valuation.

The RHNA number illuminated McDonnell added that, “The city is two changing trends in Visalia since moving back to pre-bubble numbers, but the last set of requirements was issued. isn’t quite First, the tothere yet. tal number Building Permits ‐ We should of housing be back up units fore10 year overview in a couple casted for years. With the 8-year Units 2005 2010 2014 that said, p e r i o d Single Family 1450 320 415 the city is ( 2 0 1 4 Multi Family 100 11 20 developing 2023) has New Commercial 45 21 26 at a nice, been resteady, susduced by tainable over 28%, pace right due to a now so we’re pretty satisfied with the last generally downward trend in population couple years of recovery.” projections in the last couple of years.

Second, the number of new units tarHousing Element Update geted for affordable income2 families is The Housing Element is one of sev- increased by 391 units (9%), since 2007 en required sections of a General Plan.

Much of the content of the old State law requires that each jurisdiction Housing Element can be re-used for the in California prepare and periodically new update. A draft of the Housing Elupdate its Housing Element. The pur- ement should be ready for the planning pose of the Housing Element is to ensure commission to review by October and that local governments have an adequate for the city council’s approval by Nosupply of affordable housing for its low vember or December. The Housing Eleincome residents. The Housing Element ment plan is due to the state by Decemis the only ber 15th. compoBuilding Permits Issued nent of Sign Or– over 10 years for SFD/MFD/Commercial NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS BY YEAR a jurisdinance (2005‐2014) d i c t i o n’s Locals General don’t rePlan that alize that is required a sign orto be redinance viewed exists or and certipay atfied by the tention to State. signs until T h e banners, c i t y ’s sandwich Housing boards, Element, adopted in 2010, covered a 7 billboards and the like start multiplying 1/2-year period from January 2007 to and make the city look tacky. When that July 2014. The city is required to adopt happens, the council members start geta new Housing Element prior to De- ting calls. Visalians want to know why cember 31, 2015. The upcoming Hous- their town suddenly looks trashy and ing Element will cover the period from cluttered, to which the council member December 31, 2015, to December 31, replies, “Because Visalia still has to up2023, an 8-year period. date its sign ordinance and many of the The state decides how much land existing rules are unenforceable.” needs to be allocated to accommodate The problem came to a head in the Visalia’s low income residents. This in- economic boom of the real estate indicator is referred to as the city’s Region- dustry in 2007, when many vacant lots al Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). would be cluttered with signs of varying The RHNA is the minimum statewide quality and size every Sunday. Several projection of additional housing units real estate agents might forget to pick that the State determines will be need- up their sign for months, and in the ed to accommodate projected household old days, when it used to rain, the signs growth of all income levels by the end of would start looking like garbage strewn a given Housing Element cycle. on empty lots. Amy Shuklian, elected Visalia received an estimate of right at the end of the boom, used to go 10,021 units it will need to accommodate the city’s low income residents.

Visalia now needs to prove that it has sufficient land to accommodate the 10,021 units it was allocated. But the city is not required to actually develop the units that it was allocated during the planning period--it is simply required to prove it has sufficient land designated to comply with the RHNA allocation.

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3

around on Sundays and throw the most offensive signs into her car and dump them at Visalia’s corporation yard. Voters liked her initiative and commitment to cleaning up Visalia and it helped her win her seat on city council.

A lot has changed since those heady days of 2007--such as the amount of rain and number of real estate signs scattered throughout the city. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the sign ordinance.

At last year’s city council retreat conducted at the Rawhide, Steve Nelsen complained that this would be the third straight retreat that the city council was talking about the sign ordinance. It was decided that a professional needed to be hired to succeed in writing a sign ordinance. An argument ensued about why the city had to spend the money on a consultant to rewrite the city’s sign ordinance. Shuklian wanted to know why city staff couldn’t just tweek the existing onr. McDonnell replied that, just for the fact the council had been arguing over the issue for years, is reason enough to indicate that we need the help of a professional. Visalia City Manager Mike Olmos pointed out the divergent opinions just in the room. The sign ordinance will need to be different in different parts of the city--downtown, Mooney, Highway 198. It was going to be controversial and would get done faster with a consultant.

Steve Nelsen’s final comment was “Do we want to look like Blackstone Avenue in Fresno or do we want to look like Visalia?” He supported putting an end to the sign ordinance debate and hiring a consultant.

In March, 2014, the city council authorized a contract with Dyett & Bhatia to prepare the update. An eight-member Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was assembled to advise on the consultant’s draft ordinance update and provide recommendations to the document.

The nine members of the TAC consist of Council members and Planning Commissioners. Because the issue was finally in the hands of a consultant, the city council did not debate the issue for the first time in three years at their 2015 retreat at Cafe 210.

Surprise, surprise--the TAC was unable to come to a consensus about the consultant’s sign ordinance update, but the majority agreed on a final draft this January. The draft is being reviewed by the planning commission, which will make its recommendation to the city council. It is projected that the planning commission will have its recommendation ready in March and will be presenting at the April city council meeting.

8 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Officer

Continued from p. 1

Photos by Nancy Vigran and Tony Maldonado.

by a fellow police officer, after he failed to show up for work. His ex-wife, Erika Sandoval, 28, has been arrested in connection with his murder. According to the Tulare County District Attorney’s office, she has been charged with first degree murder, which could lead to the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole, if convicted. She has plead not guilty.

Together, the two have a two-year-old son, who is currently living with relatives.

Members of the Exeter Police Department had diligently remained

by Green’s side since his body was found. They escorted him from the scene to the coroner’s office, from there to the Smith Family Chapel in

Exeter, where closed casket visitation was held Monday, February 16.

The town of Exeter has rallied with blue ribbons and lights in local businesses and residents, in honor of the late officer. Flags have been kept at half-mast.

Residents, business owners and law enforcement came out to pay homage to Green, as his procession passed through town shortly after 1 p.m.

“We came out to support the family and the community,” said Maxine Hardin, an Exeter resident. “It’s a sad day.”

Angela Holland had just picked up her daughter from preschool.

“Out of respect we stopped,” she said, accompanied by her daughter and other family members.

Tulare County and Farmersville fire departments hung a large American flag from two hook-and-

ladder trucks, across Pine Street for the procession to drive under.

“We did it to honor Officer Green,” said Lieutenant Jared Smith, who works out for Tulare County Fire out of the Exeter Station.

“We knew him from running calls with him in town, but not on a personnel level,” Smith said.

“He was an excellent police officer.

Green was raised in Porterville and spent all of his law enforcement career with the Exeter Police Department.

The procession continued on to Porterville. Officer Green was laid to rest in the Porterville Cemetery later that afternoon.

Exeter Police ask that donations be made to the Daniel Green Memorial Fund, to benefit Green’s twoyear-old son. An account has been made at Bank of the Sierra and donations can be made at any branch.

Some Valley RadioShacks To Close Staff Reports RadioShack, known by many baby-boomers as the go-to place for electronics in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 5, following 11 consistent quarterly losses.

The well-known chain will be closing at least 1,784 of its 4,297 stores throughout the nation and Mexico.

Included on the list for closing by the end of March is the Tulare store, located at 1583 Hillman Street in the Tulare Pavilion Shopping Center, and the North Visalia store, located in the Orchard Walk East shop-

ping center at 3318 N Dinuba Blvd.

Hanford’s RadioShack, located at 114 N 12th Ave, is also facing closure by the end of March.

The manager of the Tulare store was unable to comment on the closure and it is unclear whether employees may be offered employment at other locations.

Those spared from the first slew of closures include Porterville, Dinuba, Visalia’s Mooney location,

Hanford, Lemoore and Corcoran.

RadioShack was founded in 1921

by Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, brothers interested in amateur, or ham, radio equipment. Their one-store location in Boston with a mail-order business saw continued growth until it fell on hard times in the ‘60s and was bought out by the Tandy Corporation. The mail-order business was closed and local stores popped up around the nation.

Tandy’s RadioShack became a household name in the ‘70s with the

popularity of citizens band radios.

With the computer age coming, Tandy made computers compatible with IBM. When electronics became all the rage, Tandy began losing ground. In 2000, the company dropped the name Tandy and remained RadioShack. And when new companies large in electronics such as BestBuy and Amazon took over, RadioShack lost its footing and began losing ground in the industry. During recent years, its stores have remained alive mostly through mobile device sales.

Once known as the world’s largest electronic chain, it is unclear at this time just how long the other stores will remain in business.

19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 9

SeaPort

Continued from p. 1 from Visalia to Burbank extends on to San Diego, where a change of planes can fly passengers on to San Felipe, Mexico.

“Visalia is an underserved market,” said Rob McKinney, President of SeaPort Airlines. “I flew in on the first flight and it was nearly full.”

Indeed, the airlines has indicated that many of its flights, during the first couple of weeks operating in Visalia, were and are full or near capacity. But, the airline must see continued success to keep the Visalia market open.

Airlines receive subsidies from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program to serve smaller markets like Visalia throughout the country. New limits on subsidies must now fall under a $200 per passenger average, to keep operations going.

McKinney said, he is confident that SeaPort can do this. The airlines will need to fly approximately 9,400 passengers per year to and from Visalia.

“It usually takes about a year to judge,” McKinney said, referring to passenger usage.

The number of flights can be changed within fairly short notice, if needed, he said. So can flight destinations. However, McKinney said he is pleased with the service to the state’s capitol and Burbank.

SeaPort service started the day following the last flight of Great Lakes Airlines, which had serviced Visalia since 2008 and flew from Visalia to Los Angeles International Airport. Low passenger usage on Great Lakes aided the Visalia City Council’s decision for the change to SeaPort. In fact, Great Lakes averaged about 5,200 passengers during its last year with Visalia.

The airline has a two-year contract to service Visalia, which McKinney said he hopes will last long in to the future.

SeaPort is offering a $39 one-way special price with tickets purchased

by March 15. Tickets must be used

by March 31. Regular pricing will then range from $49 to $99, dependent upon final destination location.

For more ticketing information call: 888-573-2767, or visit Seaport on the web at: www.seaportairlines.com.

Political Fix Continued from p. 3

because the trunk split. Canning thousands of jars of Elberta peach jam to sell at local crafts fairs.

I loved wrapping presents at midnight in my bedroom while all the kids slept. I loved listening to their squeals Christmas morning as they opened their stockings. I loved the thousands of hours I spent writing in my bedroom with the view of the foothills--first, all of the family genealogies that took me 10 years to complete, and now the Valley Voice.

The landlords, close relatives, had their reasons to make us leave our home, head-scratching though they were: It’s best for the kids; because supposedly Joseph and I were getting divorced; because “Catherine’s problem is that she is just too spoiled.”

I gaze out the window at my car with 245,000 miles on it--a car that I share with three other people--as I sit on our rollout craigslist couch with a cracked tooth in the back of my mouth and wonder how much more spoiled I am going to get. Because I don’t think I can survive any more spoiling.

Mike Knopf, Bob Keenan, and John Zumwalt.

Long Time BIA Executive Bob Keenan Celebrates Retirement After 25 years of service and dedication, CEO Bob Keenan retired from the Building Industry Association (BIA) at the end of January.

In recognition of his dedication and community service, the BIA hosted a Retirement Social for Keenan on February 6, at the Visalia LampLiter Inn. The evening included presentations from Visalia City Councilmember Warren Gubler, and Visalia City Manager Mike Olmos, Tulare City Councilmember Shea Gowin and Woodlake Mayor Rudy Mendoza just to name a few.

Proclamations of recognition of Bob’s achievement in the industry were provided by California State Senators, Jean Fuller and Andy Vidak, along with Assemblyman Devon Mathis, who attended the event to swear in the 2015 BIA

Board of Directors. Don Sharp was the event’s Master of Ceremonies. The funfilled evening included stories, roasts and recognition and was attended by over 75 people, along with the Keenan family.

Many of the distinguished guests complemented Keenan with keeping the local industry together and moving ahead through the tough economic slump. Mike Knopf, President of Quad Knopf, Inc., and Brian Ennis from Ennis Builders, were among the many to speak of Keenan’s character and working strong to help protect affordable housing, property rights and to ensure municipalities accurately followed land use and development policies. The common theme of the evening was, “job well done” to BIA Bob. Keenan came to the local BIA in

Patrick Isherwood 1990. Affectionately known among peers as “BIA BOB,” he has been a leader and advocate for home building and development issues. Keenan also has served in various community service positions, such as being appointed to the Hanford General Plan Update Citizens Advisory Committee, the Visalia Unified School District School Facilities Committee and the Porterville Building Standards Update Committee.

Established in 1989, the Building Industry Association of Tulare and Kings Counties (BIATKC) is a non-profit organization representing all member builders, developers, subcontractors and associated businesses in Tulare and Kings Counties.

10 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

National MS Society Offers ‘Cognifitness’ Program in Visalia Staff Reports The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Southern California & Nevada Chapter will host a program called “Cognifitness” in Visalia on Saturday, February 28, 2015.

This 1/2 day program is perfect for MS patients who have difficulty finding words or finishing their sentences. The program will also be helpful to those who also may find it difficult to focus on a task without getting distracted, or who often have a hard time keeping track of activities and appointments.

Patti HIll, SLP/CCC, at Kaweah Delta, will share strategies to help people with MS get through the cognition challenges, and will also help people realize their optimal thinking skills utilizing techniques that have everyday applications.

Fotini Alfieris, Community Devel-

opment Manager for the Central Valley office said, “Once again, the Society is helping its clients with a program that assists in teaching Cognition strategies.

Cognifitness will be great mental exercise for all who attend.”

“Cognifitness” will be held on Saturday, February 28th, 2015, from 9:30am to 1:30pm at Kaweah Delta Rehabilitation Hospital located at 840 S. Akers Street in Visalia.

The program cost is $10 and reservations in advance are required.

To register or to receive more information, call 559.439.2154 or email Fotini at fotini.alfieris@nmss.org.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving.

Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS,

an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system.

Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.

The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

MS stops people from moving.

The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t.

We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2009 alone, through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted over $132 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives.

To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested nearly $36 million to support 375 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. To learn more about MS and the work of the National MS Society, visit www.nationalMSsociety.org

High-Speed Rail Authority Issues Rail Delivery Partner Request for Qualifications Staff Reports As California’s high-speed rail program transitions from preliminary design and planning to delivery, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has issued a Request for Qualifications regarding their upcoming Rail Delivery Partner procurement.

“This is the latest major milestone for us in our work to bring the nation’s first high-speed rail system to California,” said Authority Chief Program Manager Frank Vacca. “The services we are seeking will accelerate construction to concurrent project sections and help deliver high-speed rail to Californians sooner than we previously thought possible.”

Firms have until March 23, 2015

at 3:00 p.m. (PST) to submit their statement of qualifications. The Authority will review these applications and establish a shortlist for interviews of the most highly qualified firms to provide the Authority’s RDP services.

Firms will be selected based on several criteria including past performance, key personnel and organizational structure, delivery approach, understanding of the project, and innovative ideas to deliver high-speed rail to California cost-effectively and more quickly.

The services sought by the Authority through this RFQ would have the winning firm overseeing program management, support for strategic advice, business planning, continued develop-

ment and management assistance. Additional areas expand the focus to include program delivery, systems and project integration, and specialized technical expertise for the next steps in the project.

RDP services enhance accountability for program delivery and project execution while also focusing on future high-speed rail related needs with expanded contract capabilities. The Authority will continue to maintain oversight and primary responsibility for strategic planning including setting Program policies and direction, project planning and determining key delivery strategies and phasing.

Authority staff received approval from the Authority Board of Directors at the November 18, 2014 meeting to

seek qualified teams to provide program management, integration and program delivery services. The Authority anticipates making a Recommendation of Award to the Board in June and beginning the transition from the current Project Management Team consultant services to the RDP shortly thereafter.

The RDP contract would be for services through 2022, which allows the firm to correspond with the beginning of high-speed rail operations.

The Authority is committed to small businesses playing a role in delivering the high-speed rail program. The RDP contract will include the Authority’s adopted 30 percent goal for small business participation in the work.

RACA Welcomes in the 114th Congress; Looks Ahead to 2015 Priorities Staff Reports The Rural and Agriculture Council of America (RACA) President, Jack Alexander, recently issued the following statement regarding the start of the 114th session of the United States Congress: “RACA looks forward to working with the new session of Congress. RACA welcomes and congratulates both the newly elected and reelected Members.

RACA remains committed to advancing policies that enhance rural America

and looks forward to continuing our dialogue from 2014 with the Administration, federal agencies, and Congress.”

Alexander continued by noting, “RACA plans to expand its work in 2015 through increased involvement in targeted coalitions and continued work with industry stakeholders. RACA looks forward to partnering with those working toward a common goal of building upon the success and prosperity of rural businesses, agriculture, and energy production.”

“Tax reform and tax extension

packages will be a critical issue in the 114th Congress. RACA supports a list of tax extenders including consumer renewal credits as they link to wind and solar production and the Section 179 tax code that allows for deductions of qualifying equipment purchases.”

“We are currently experiencing record levels of energy production from nearly every sector,” noted Alexander.

“RACA’s goal is to maintain this upward trend and we will work to promote an “all of the above” energy portfolio in

order to advance policies affecting all sectors of energy production including wind, solar, coal, oil, and natural gas.”

Alexander concluded, “Rural America rolled up our sleeves and got to work long ago. We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration on these issues which are of importance to all of those across rural America.

Trade, taxes and energy are only three of the items we will address as the new session begins and we will look to expand on our efforts as the year moves forward.”

McCarthy Now Accepting Summer Internship Applications Staff Reports Congressman Kevin McCarthy announced he is accepting internship applications for his Summer Internship Program for the summer of 2015.

“My first congressional internship almost 30 years ago was one of my most valuable learning experiences,” said McCarthy. “Through my internship, I gained a tremendous appreciation and understanding of public service. That is why I am inviting all interested college students and recent graduates to apply for an internship in my offices this summer, since a congressional internship is one of those unique educational

opportunities to learn about our Federal legislative process and work on issues important to our community.”

Applicants must possess good writing and computer skills, be enrolled in college or recently graduated, and should have a minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average.

Preference will be given to residents of California’s 23rd Congressional District (which includes most of Kern and Tulare counties and part of

Los Angeles County); however, all applications will be considered.

Students are also required to submit a resume and a 250 word essay detailing their interest in the Summer Internship program and what they expect to learn from the experience.

Summer interns are responsible for their expenses, including transportation and lodging costs, and are eligible to receive a $1,500 stipend, before taxes, if they intern in both the district and Wash-

ington, D.C. offices. The Summer Internship program will be an eight-week session; interns will spend two weeks in the Bakersfield district office and six weeks in the Washington, D.C. office.

Applications and supporting documents should be sent to Congressman McCarthy’s Bakersfield office at: 4100 Empire Drive, Suite 150, Bakersfield, California 93309, or emailed to: Robin.Lake-Foster@mail.house.gov.

Applications must be postmarked or emailed no later than Friday, March 20, 2015, but applicants are advised to submit their application as early as possible as decisions will be made on a rolling basis.

19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 11

4 Valley Organizations Share $225,000 Wells Fargo Clean Technology and Innovation Grants Staff Reports UC Merced, Fresno State, United Farm Workers Foundation, and SelfHelp Enterprises were four of the 45 national organizations recently selected to receive a grant from the 2014 Wells Fargo Clean Technology and Innovation grant program totaling $4.5 million. The grants are part of a focused effort to support technology advancements for a clean energy future.

UC Merced’s School of Engineering will use its $100,000 Clean

Technology and Innovation grant to support its Water, Energy, Food Challenge – a focus within the university’s Innovation and Design Clinic where students develop preliminary designs to solve environmental challenges set forth by community members, businesses and organizations in the San Joaquin Valley. The student teams will present their technologies at the Innovate 2 Grow competition held in May. Grants to Fresno State, United Farm Workers Foundation and Self-Help Enterprises will support each organizations’

drought-related effort. CSU Fresno will use its $75,000 grant to study the economic and social impact the drought is having on the San Joaquin Valley. United Farm Workers Foundation and SelfHelp Enterprises, each awarded $25,000, will utilize grant funding to provide assistance to Valley residents impacted by the drought, as well as educational efforts on water management and usage.

The Wells Fargo Clean Technology and Innovation grant program began in 2012 as part of Wells Fargo’s commitment to provide $100 million

to environmentally-focused nonprofits, colleges and universities by 2020.

It is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and is strategically aligned with the company’s vision and values to foster economic development, especially in underserved communities, to accelerate the global “green” economy.

The goal of the program is to inspire innovation from entrepreneurs and fund research entities working on critical environmental issues.

Tulare Man Charged with Destructive Device and Robbery Staff Reports On February 3, 2015, the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare filed charges against Larry Jay Mock, 40, of Tulare for Use of a Destructive Device, Possession of a Destructive Device, Robbery, Vandalism and Evading an Officer. Mock was also charged with special allegations that he has a prior strike and four prior prison allegations.

On January 27, 2015, Mock entered Marshall’s department store in Visalia and detonated what is believed

to have been a hydrochloric acid explosive device, commonly referred to as an “acid bomb,” according to the Visalia Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit.

Mock used the explosion in order to flee through the fire exit with stolen property.

The following day, Mock was pulled over for a simple traffic infraction by the Visalia Police Department.

Larry Jay Mock. Photo: VPD While the officer was con-

tacting dispatch, Mock fled the scene at a high rate of speed. He drove recklessly through traffic, forcing the officer to terminate the pursuit. With the assistance of residents in the area, the officer was able to find Mock’s vehicle again and, as Mock drove through an orchard, he finally abandoned his vehicle,

fleeing on foot. Inside the vehicle, two more acid bombs were found, along with bomb-making materials and the purse Mock had stolen from Marshall’s the previous day. Mock was taken into custody without incident on January 29.

Mock was arraigned on February 3, when he pled not guilty to all charges. A Preliminary Hearing was set for February 19 in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court.

If convicted, Mock faces up to 24 years and four months in state prison.

Public Works/Development Projects For the Week of February 15, 2015 This update provides information to the public only on projects that may interrupt major routes of transportation within the City of Visalia. For more information on Public Works projects, call the Public Works Customer Service Line at 713-4428 or go to the City of Visalia website at www.ci.visalia.ca.us.

College of the Sequoias President/Superintendent Stan Carrizosa. Photo courtesy COS.

College of the Sequoias Receives Clean Bill of Health from Accreditors Staff Reports College of the Sequoias was the recipient of welcome news earlier this month: the college’s accreditation status is back to normal.

The state’s community college accreditor, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, sent the college a letter dated Feb. 9, stating that its accreditation had been fully reaffirmed.

The letter represents the end of the proverbial tunnel for COS — and a milestone for the college.

“It was two years ago now, it was February 11, 2013, at 2:10 P.M., when we gathered in this very room and we talked about having received our action letter from the ACCJC,” Stan Carrizosa, the college’s President/Superintendent, said during a conference assembled to announce the news. “For those of us that were here and remember that experience, it was a very somber afternoon.”

The college was handed a Show Cause warning in 2012, before being upgraded to Warning by the commission in 2014. The latest verdict removes all sanctions from the college and requires it to issue a Follow-Up Report

— a report outlining to the ACCJC how the college is continuing its work addressing the commission’s recommendations — by October 15, 2015.

Groups of staff, students, faculty, and administrators from across the college’s three campuses worked tirelessly to draft reports, create and implement programs, internally evaluate the college’s processes, and provide outreach to the rest of the college community on the progress being made — amongst other tasks.

“Those of us who were there then, who have been here, and who have joined us, have all recognized that we pulled together in a way that can only be described now as pretty incredible,” Carrizosa said.

The college has thoroughly reinvented its internal processes — governance, planning, research to the point that it has dubbed the new way of doing things at the college as ‘COS 2.0,’ using the phrase to market the progress the college has made.

“When we were here in this room that day, it really did feel like a funeral,” said Lori Cardoza, president of the college’s Board of Trustees. “But when I left here that day, I had no doubt in my mind that we would get through this.”

1.

Traffic Signal installation at Houston Ave and Mooney Blvd.

Lane restrictions, at Houston Ave and Mooney Blvd, for day work between 9am and 3pm.

• Days and hours of work being done: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm • Date of expected completion: 04/30/15 • Who work is being done for: City of Visalia • Responsible Contractor/Contact: Madco Electric/Michael Merigian: 559-647-5633 2. (New) Trenching and boring to install conduit on Walnut Ave between Linwood Ave and County Center.

Eastbound lane restrictions, along Walnut Ave between Linwood Ave and County Center, for day work between 9am and 3pm.

• Days and hours of work being done: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm • Date of expected completion: 02/27/15 • Who work is being done for: AT&T • Responsible Contractor/Contact: Martin Construction/ Robert Martin: 661-808-9375 3. Replacement of SCE equipment on Walnut Ave west of Linwood Ave. Temporary eastbound lane restriction, on Walnut Ave west of Linwood Ave, for day work between 9am and 3pm.

• Days and hours of work being done: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm • Date of expected completion: 02/19/15

• Who work is being done for: SCE • Responsible Contractor/Contact: Kari Martin: 559-334-4049 4. (New) Replacement of SCE equipment on Houston Ave between Hall Ave and Rinaldi Ave. Westbound lane restrictions, along Houston Ave between Hall Ave and Rinaldi Ave, for night work between 10pm and 6am.

• Days and hours of work being done: Saturday-Sunday 10:00pm - 6:00am • Date of expected completion: 02/22/2015 • Who work is being done for: SCE • Responsible Contractor/Contact: Asplundh Construction/Lisa Crain: 559-684-3898 5.

(New) Replace traffic signal pole on northeast corner of Tulare Ave and Court St. Shoulder closure, along northeast corner of Tulare Ave and Court St, for day work between 7am and 4pm.

• Days and hours of work being done: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 4:00pm • Date of expected completion: 02/23/2015 • Who work is being done for: City of Visalia • Responsible Contractor/Contact: A-C Electric/Terry Hash: 559-7324733 6. (New) Replacement of SCE equipment on K Ave east of Pinkham St. Eastbound lane restrictions, along K Ave east of Pinkham St, for day work between 9am and 2pm.

• Days and hours of work being done: Tuesday 9:00am - 2:00pm • Date of expected completion: 2/17/2015 • Who work is being done for: SCE Responsible Contractor/Contact: Asplundh Construction/ Danielle Clark: 559-684-3898

12 • Valley Voice

Briefly…

VICE MAYOR WARREN GUBLER HOSTS ‘DONUTS AND DISCUSSION’

Enjoy Donuts and Discussion with Visalia Vice Mayor Warren Gubler, Public Works Director Adam Ennis and Engineering Manager Nick Mascias from 7 to 8:30am Saturday, February 21, at the Donut Factory, 3100 N. Demaree.

This informal gathering allows citizend to address their concerns or ask questions one-on-one with Gubler. Ennis and Mascias will provide updatse on road and infrastructure projects coming up throughout the City, including updates on intersection improvements at Demaree and Goshen, and traffic signal installation at Houston and Mooney.

Vice Mayor Gubler also can be reached through 713-4400, x3313, or by email at wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO APPOINT RESIDENTS NEEDED FOR THE HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Applications are available for residents in Districts 1 and 5 interested in serving a three-year term on the Tulare County Health Advisory Committee.

Each district has one opening and members must attend regularly scheduled meetings, the second Monday of every other even month, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

The Committee is comprised of five county members, five residents as appointed by the Board of Supervisors, and five community partners.

“Input from residents from each district is very valuable,” says County Health Officer Dr. Karen Haught.

The Committee advises the county’s Health & Human Services Agency on health issues affecting the community, and report to the Board of Supervisors on a periodic basis.

Districts needed are as follows: District 1: Exeter, Farmersville, Lemon Cove, Lindsay, Strathmore, Three Rivers, East Visalia, portions of Kings Canyon, Sequoia National Parks and Sequoia National Forest District 5: Porterville, Springville, Terra Bella, Alpine, Ducor, Camp Nelson, California Hot Springs, Posey, Kennedy Meadows, Ponderosa, Sequoia Crest, and surrounding areas of southeast Tulare County.

Applications are available at the Public Health Department or online at http://tinyurl.com/p3axu5t Submissions by mail can be sent to Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, Attn: Dr. Karen Haught, County Health Officer, 5957 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277. Residents can also fax or email applications to 559624-1071 or MSpence@tularehhsa.org.

PC SPRING 2015 COMMUNITY EDUCATION SCHEDULE

There is still time to register for a Porterville College Community Education course. Community Education courses are designed to meet the needs of the community. These non-credit courses are designed to provide learning and enjoyment in a friendly, worry-free environment at a reasonable cost.

Current spring offerings include:

19 February, 2015 Exercise for the Community, Fireline Safety for Hired Vendors and Intro to Yoga. Pre-registration is required for all classes.

Exercise for the Community takes place now through May 15, Mondays through Thursdays from 7-8am and 8-9am in Rm. FIT 751 in the Fitness Center. Cost is $80 per person. Join at any time. Cost of class is not pro-rated.

Fireline Safety for Hired Vendors will take place from 8am to 5pm Saturdays, March 14, 21, 28, and April 11 and 25 in SM 102. Cost: $70 per person.

The PC Fire Technology Department, the U.S. Forest Service and CAL Fire will offer this one-day training that is required annually for operators of privately-owned equipment used to respond to active wild-land fires. Pre-registration/ payment required. No walk-ins will be accepted. Class size is limited.

Find your form in the beginner friendly Intro to Yoga class being offered from 5:30-6:30pm Mondays and Wednesdays from February 23 through March 18 in FIT 744. Cost for the entire course is $55. Students will learn to perform simple flow sequences to safely increase flexibility, improve balance and gain muscle strength. Students will need to bring a yoga block and mat to class.

Register for classes in the Porterville College Admissions Office during business hours. For more information on Community Education Classes call 7912220 or visit www.portervillecollege. edu/community_ed.

PC OFFERING LATE START CLASSES

Porterville College is offering several late start classes for both new and returning students. Late start classes offer a semester’s worth of units in half the time.

Late start options include such classes as: Intro Windows Spreadsheet/ Excel, Intro to English for Second Language Learners, Principles of Marketing, Intro to Database/Access, Principles of Economics/Microeconomics (online) and more. Classes start in February or March. For a full list of late start classes visit www.portervillecollege.edu, click “Programs and Classes,” “Schedule of Classes” and then click “Late Start Classes.”

PC also offers community education, online, weekend classes, as well as summer school. Even if you work full time and have a family, PC can help you accomplish your educational goals. PC offers childcare, financial aid and assistance, scholarships, student work programs and evening classes.

To apply visit www.portervillecollege.edu and click on the “Future Student” tab. Applications are available online. Porterville College is located at 100 East College Avenue in Porterville. For more information visit www.portervillecollege.edu or call (559) 791-2200.

EXETER HONORS VOLUNTEERS AT 92ND ANNUAL BANQUET

Exeter’s Man and Woman of the Year, Heritage, Beautification and Business of the Year will be honored at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce’s 92nd Annual Banquet, Saturday, February 21, 2015, at 6pm in the Exeter Veterans Memorial Building. Tickets are $40 each and are available at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce.

The honorees for 2014 are: Woman

of the Year, Rosemary Hellwig; Man of the Year, Pete Renteria. Heritage Award recipients are Esther Baum and Felix Ortiz. The event honors those whose commitment, dedication and teamwork has made a positive impact on the people, quality of life and the business community of Exeter.

The 2014 Business of the Year is Pine Street Pediatrics and the Beautification Award recipient is Exeter Unified School District. Selection, in the case of the business, is made on community impact, developing a positive workforce and strong business principles. The beautification criteria is businesses that constantly work towards beautification, pride in business and community and by setting examples for others. The purpose of the awards is to increase public awareness of the vital role business plays within the community and to bestow recognition on those businesses that have achieved excellence in their field.

Mid Valley Disposal is proud to announce their 4th Annual Recycler of the Year Award is Exeter Flower Company.

This award recognizes an Organization, Business, Individual, School or Recycling Education Program that fits the criteria and who contributes to the recycling efforts in the City of Exeter.

CITY COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS SEEK NEW MEMBERS

The City of Visalia is accepting applications from interested citizens for its City committees and commissions.

Here is a list of current vacancies.

Citizens Advisory Committee – acts as a liaison between the general public and the City Council concerning community issues. The committee currently has a vacancy for one regular member and three alternate members.

Disability Advocacy Committee – advises the City on the needs of disabled people. The committee promotes physical, social, communication and attitudinal access for every citizen of Visalia.

The committee currently has a vacancy for one regular member and two alternate members.

Environmental Committee – heightens environmental awareness and conservation in Visalia. Issues addressed include air quality, hazardous waste, recycling, water conservation and all other natural resources. The Committee currently has vacancies for two regular members and one alternate member.

Historic Preservation Committee – administers and carries out the standards and specifications of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and promotes historic preservation including encouraging building owners to initiate preservation efforts. The Committee currently has a vacancy for two alternate members.

North Visalia Neighborhood Advisory Committee – serves as a liaison between the City and the North Visalia community. It is a forum for citizen complaints, problems and provides recommendations to the City Council. The Committee has vacancies for two regular members and four alternate members.

Parks and Recreation Commission – advises the City Council and staff in matters pertaining to parks, playgrounds and recreation centers. The Commission has a vacancy for one alternate member.

Transit Advisory Committee – researches and analyzes the community’s continuing transit needs, reviews op-

erations, markets the transit program and makes recommendations about the business affairs of the transit system. The Committee has vacancies for three regular members and two alternate members.

Waterways and Trails Committee – advises on matters related to the Bikeway Master Plan and the Waterway and Trail Master Plan. The Committee has vacancies for four regular members and four alternate members.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and kept for a period of two years. If you have further questions you may visit the City’s website, Committees/Commissions to view the informational handbook and application or you may contact the City Clerk’s Office (559) 713-4512.

“TULARE LOVE TALES” CONTEST AWARDS $100 TO WINNER

On February 13, the Tulare Downtown Association was proud to announce its winner of the “Tulare Love Tales” contest, Mrs. Judith Mendoza of Tulare.

Mendoza receives a $100 cash prize for her entry on the Tulare Downtown Association’s Facebook page commemorating this year’s Valentine’s Day. The prize was awarded on February 13 at noon at the Tulare Chamber of Commerce. The contest was part of the Touch of Manhattan promotion which took place the week of February 7 – 15 in downtown Tulare. There was free Manhattan-style clam chowder at the Tulare Chamber of Commerce from 11am – 2pm. Stores and shops in the downtown Tulare district ran specials, promotions and in-store activities as a part of the event.

For the Tulare Love Tales contest, participants were asked to relate what their ideal date was, or would be, or tell a story of love that they liked. Most people opted for the ideal date they wanted and all entries for this particular contest were submitted by women. The prize was for the best entry was determined by a judging panel.

For more information, contact the Tulare Downtown Association at (559)685-2350 or visit the website at tularedowntown.com or Tulare Downtown Association on Facebook.

BANK OF THE SIERRA ANNOUNCES LUIS RUIZ AS VP, SENIOR BRANCH LOAN OFFICER

Bank of the Sierra recently named Luis Ruiz as Vice President, Senior Branch Loan Officer of its Main Street Branch located in Visalia, CA. In his new position, Ruiz will meet with prospective clients to cultivate banking relationships, including developing and managing commercial loan accounts along with other financial products and services.

Ruiz was most recently employed as VP/Principal Relationship Manager for Wells Fargo Bank. Prior to Wells Fargo, Ruiz was Sr. VP/Commercial Banking Officer III for Rabobank North America. Ruiz attended Saint Mary’s College of California where he obtained a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration and Management, General.

“We are excited to have Luis working with us and his background will provide a great addition to our team,” stated David Soares, Visalia Market President.

19 February, 2015

Ports

Continued from p. 1

The PMA was founded in 1949, when break bulk cargo was transported in the belly of ships. Since then, it has negotiated several landmark labor agreements with the ILWU, including the Mechanization and Modernization Agreement of 1960 that paved the way for containerized cargo to reshape the industry. The metal cargo container, now recognized across the globe, is the standard means of transport for many of the goods that fuel the U.S. and world economies.

A spokeswoman for the ILWU said in an email February 6, “The PMA is playing a dangerous and unnecessary game of brinkmanship by idling vessels for two days in a not-too-disguised effort to intimidate the ILWU membership.”

On February 5, ILWU President Robert McEllrath said, “PMA is leaving ships at sea and claiming there’s no space on the docks, but there are acres of asphalt just waiting for the containers on those ships, and hundreds of longshore workers ready to unload them.”

On February 6, 26 ships were waiting at anchor outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

This is particularly bad news here in Tulare County, which last year took its place as the nation’s number-one agricultural producer. News of the port shutdowns came just days before the county was to host its annual World Ag Expo, the largest show of its kind in the world.

“The ports shutdown is a devastating blow to California farms--we are extremely disappointed by the stalemate and the waste of wholesome healthy fresh produce, nuts, and other Ag products not able to reach their destinations abroad.

This slow down has a huge ripple impact all across the Ag sector and is causing tremendous economic impact and other setbacks,” said Tricia Stever Blattler, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. “Especially with the drought moving into a fourth year, it is so difficult to watch these products go to waste knowing how much work goes in to producing these crops with limited water.”

“Today’s announcement by the Pacific Maritime Association further jeopardizes California citrus exports as the industry reaches what would normally be peak demand for California fruit,” stated California Citrus Mutual President Joel Nelsen. “Last October we began warning those in government about impacts to our $2.4b industry that historically exports 25 percentage of its fresh tonnage; that warning manifested into little action.”

California navel oranges and lemons began a major push into Asia and Australia in late December, beginning an export season that runs well into April.

“But already we have quantified losing 25 percent of our opportunity year to date,” said Nelsen. “Fruit is rotting on the docks, sales are being canceled by the customer and our industry has slowed its harvesting so as not to place matured fruit into the market place. All this damage is created by two entities that seek to maximize their economic well-being while sacrificing others.”

In 2002, the PMA and ILWU reached a landmark agreement that ushered in an era of technology for the West Coast waterfront; in 2008, they agreed

Valley Voice • 13 to enable automation at port terminals.

Since 2002, the workforce has increased as new technology has enabled greater cargo volumes at West Coast ports.

The port shutdowns threaten an export opportunity representing $500 million for California citrus alone.

For the 20012/13 season the industry exported approximately 28m cartons of navel oranges with an estimated value of $385m. Lemons ranked second, with six million cartons exported at a $109m value. The previous season comparable numbers were 28.7m cartons at $385m and almost identical figures for lemons.

Further compounding the problem is that needed inputs that arrived in December continue to sit on docks unable to be loaded onto trucks and shipped north to industry locations. Some of California’s citrus is being trucked to ports along the Gulf Coast for export via the Panama Canal as those ports and ones along the East Coast are said not to be involved in the work stoppage.

“Holding hostage food destined for those that want it thereby diminishing revenues for innocent stakeholders is not a vehicle that should be pursued, but that is exactly what the two parties are doing. Apparently government condones the activity,” concluded Nelsen.

2002 saw the last comprehensive shutdown of West Coast ports. Contract negotiations had broken down completely, and a lockout was imposed on the ILWU that was lifted after 10 days under a court order sought by President George W. Bush, invoking the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act. A comprehensive port shutdown could cost the U.S. economy roughly $2 billion a day, according to the National Retail Federation. The ports that handle about one-quarter of the nation’s international trade, amounting to nearly $1 trillion annually.

The two sides are negotiating a new contract after the previous contract expired last July.

The PMA has accused the ILWU of foot-dragging--work slowdowns--since last October as a means to leverage negotiations on behalf of its 20,000 dockworkers. The ILWU, blaming the PMA for worsening port congestion due to a change in shipping practices, painted the PMA’s February 6 closures as an exaggeration of the magnitude of the crisis.

Last month a federal mediator became involved, and while Union officials have admitted that a settlement is near, still to be decided are the issues of compensation and how to arbitrate future disputes.

Pressure has been steadily mounting on the two sides to wrap things up. In a February 9 letter to Robert McEllrath of the ILWU and James McKenna of the PMA, California’s Senators Feinstein and Boxer co-penned the following letter: We write today to urge you both to swiftly resolve the outstanding issues that remain in your contract negotiation which has been underway since the expiration of your previous agreement in July. Time is absolutely of the essence because significant economic damage has already been done to those people and businesses that rely on the efficient functioning of our ports. The economic impact of the increased congestion at the ports is simply unacceptable and unsustainable.

At the time of this writing, seven-

teen ships are anchored at bay awaiting the opportunity to come into port at the Port of Oakland. Twenty-two ships are anchored at bay awaiting the chance to dock at the Los Angeles - Long Beach Port Complex.

As we understand it, in normal times these ships rarely have to wait to dock. Ships have been diverted from California ports in search of more efficient offloading sites.

Long term damage to the competitiveness of California ports may have already occurred. These are terrible circumstances.

The continued congestion, delays, terminal closures, night shift reductions, and slowdowns at the ports have led to extremely late deliveries and billions of dollars in disrupted sales of critically needed goods, including agriculture and textile products in important export markets. This is an especially grave concern as it could potentially undermine long term demand for American products. For example, we have learned that the citrus industry is entering its peak exporting season in February and March but has been experiencing customer delivery delays of three to four weeks. Further, we have learned that a large shipment of California rice destined for Asia is likely to be cancelled, costing farmers in our state tens of millions of dollars in income. The slowdown at the ports has also disrupted the supply chains of California-based retailers, and has forced them to rely more on expensive air freight services to ensure their products reach American consumers.

Clearly the ramifications of this slowdown are hurting the California economy and our households, small businesses and communities. This is unacceptable.

We strongly urge you to focus on the remaining issues at hand and to reject any further pressure tactics which contribute to the slowdown. Last month, we were heartened to see both of your organizations pursue voluntary Federal mediation assistance and are hopeful that you can leverage the expertise of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) to work through your remaining disagreements.

We urge you both to recognize that the current impasse has serious and troubling ramifications for our state and for our nation. The stakes are far too high for the status quo to persist. It is imperative that you achieve an agreement immediately.

Executives from leading industry associations discussed the dire economic effects of the West Coast port situation on February 11--the day on which PMA/ILWU negotiations were set to resume-- on Manufacturing Talk Radio, a live Internet broadcast to business and industry around the world.

According to Peter Freidman, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, the agriculture industry could lose many foreign buyers permanently to other countries that can supply produce more reliably because their ports are mechanized, making them less vulnerable to the kind of months-long impasse faced by the PMA and ILWU. Mark Hirzel, President of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association, added that brokers and forwarders might shift imports away from West Coast ports, steepening a 12year decline in traffic. In 2002, West Coast ports handled roughly 60 percent of the nation’s container volume, a figure which by 2014 fell to below 44 percent.

But Freidman pointed out that agriculture cannot make a practice of shipping perishables to Gulf States or East Coast ports for overseas delivery be-

cause the longer farm-to-consumer time would result in an unacceptable level of spoilage.

To Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy at the National Retail Federation, the impasse super cedes retail issues, impacting every segment of the economy and rippling outward on a global scale. A recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation indicated that a port strike could see daily losses as high as $2 billion, and it was stated that losses already may be approaching that amount because of the ripple effects the container congestion has already caused in supply chains.

On February 11, it was reported that there was nearly no space at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports to offload containers from the 40 ships waiting at sea, and no room either at those ports for empty containers to be stored while waiting to be loaded with exports to go back on ships headed across the Pacific. Imports and exports through West Coast ports were, therefore, in a logjam.

According to Manufacturing Talk Radio, The White House stated that the president was aware of the situation and that it was up to the two sides to work things out.

But later on the 11th, the PMA announced that all 29 West Coast ports will be “mostly closed four of the next five days.” Because it would have to pay holiday or weekend wages, it said, the PMA stated it would not hire crews to load or unload ships on February 12, and between February 14 and 16.

“The union is standing by ready to negotiate, as we have been for the past several days,” ILWU President Robert McEllrath said in a written statement, suggesting that the PMA was “trying to sabotage negotiations.”

On February 14, amid further stalled negotiations, The White House announced it was at last prepared to send US Secretary of Labor, Thomas E. Perez, to San Francisco in an effort to broker a settlement. It was not until the 16th that a spokesman for the labor secretary said that Perez would arrive the following day.

“We hope Secretary Perez can really get the parties to work out whatever their final issues are and get a deal,” said National Retail Federation executive Jonathan Gold on Fox Business News.

Asian exporters, meanwhile, have faced rising shipping rates. Some have been forced to reroute their goods by more expensive air freight.

On February 15, Japan’s Honda Motor Co. announced that, because of port-related delays in parts shipments, it would slow production for a week at plants in Ohio, Indiana and the Canadian province of Ontario.

With costs rising everywhere and no known limit to the damage this impasse could do to recovering economies across the globe, at press time only one thing remained clear: The estimated $2 billion in daily damage it could cost the US economy might be merely a drop in the bucket as the effects of the port shutdown ripple across ever more countries and ever widening markets.

This story was compiled by sourcing the Associated Press, the PR Newswire and the websites of the PMA, ILWU and Senator Dianne Feinstein.

14 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Viewpoint Vaccines: A Public Health Necessity Ralph Kingsford, MD As a physician, it’s hard to understand why we continue to debate and politicize an issue that is arguably one of the most well regarded developments in medical history – the advent of vaccines.

For centuries, people faced serious, long-term effects of diseases like measles and polio – and many died. In this day and age, however, we live longer and healthier lives thanks in great part to the development of immunizations.

The creation of these treatments, that reliably prevent communicable diseases, is one of the largest strides in public health, yet we’re seeing huge steps taken backwards as people opt out of immunizing their children. And, why? Because of “internet studies” and unsubstantiated blogs falsely claiming the dangers of vaccination. Fears about potential links between childhood vaccinations and autism have been blown out of proportion, and vaccines continue to be important to the health of children in particular and the public in general.

As the measles outbreak linked to Disneyland continues to spread, I and my fellow pediatricians are deeply concerned about the children who have been infected, and those who are at risk because they have not been vaccinated.

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly urges parents to make sure their children have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. While it is best to get the vaccine as soon as your child reaches the recommended age, it is never too late to get your children caught up so they can receive the vaccine and be fully protected. Before we see more outbreaks like the recent explosion of measles at Disneyland, let’s stop debating what we know works to keep our kids and our communities safe.

Vaccinations continue to remain essential to our public health and the success rate has been very good. However, we have to remain vigilant to the threats that an under-vaccinated population can pose. The outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) a few years ago led health officials to revisit the question of a booster vaccine in order to ensure ongoing vaccination from this highly contagious bacterial disease. Among adults, whooping cough can last up to 10 weeks and can be debilitat-

ing. For infants, the disease can be fatal.

I would encourage all mothers and adult caregivers of infants, to ensure they get a Tdap vaccine booster.

What is even more important is the benefit that is afforded to those unfortunate children and adults who may be unable to be vaccinated due to immune deficiencies or just because to are too young to receive certain vaccines. It is heartbreaking to know that these vulnerable children may be at risk if parents refuse or delay getting their children vaccinated, allowing community immunization rates to fall below the rates necessary to protect the whole community. To protect your own child, as well as the other children in your community, make the decision to vaccinate your child.

Last week, the University of California announced that it would be requiring all incoming students to show documentation for four additional vaccines: measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); meningococcus; varicella (chicken pox); and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). The requirement will be phased in, with the first phase focusing on awareness and education about the new rules.

California doctors praise the direction the University is taking in increasing the public health of not just individual students, but the communities where campuses are located. This is a huge step in the right direction of ensuring that preventable diseases and outbreaks, like the recent incident at Disneyland, are avoided in the future.

While modern medicine does not yet have answers to control all communicable diseases, it does afford us the ability, through vaccines, to help prevent a great many of them. It is up to us to make the effort to have our children vaccinated against those diseases for which we do have an answer.

For more information about vaccinations, visit the following: 1. American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org; 2. How to Protect Your Children During a Measles Outbreak: www.

HealthyChildren.org (Dr. Kingsford has been a pediatrician with Visalia Medical Clinic for 20 years. He is Board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Open Ports: A Public Necessity Devin Nunes The labor dispute between the longshoremen’s union and ship owners at dozens of West Coast seaports has become a critical problem, with some ships being forced to wait weeks before entering terminals. The economic costs in the Central Valley are increasingly severe – as ships get stuck at the ports, commerce is being slowly strangled.

Customers for our products and commodities are canceling contracts and seeking out new suppliers, causing local businesses to warn of imminent layoffs. As is typically the case in these situations, farms and small businesses are particularly hard hit.

The livelihood of Central Valley families cannot be held hostage to a labor dispute. It’s intolerable that the food they work so hard to produce is simply rotting away on the docks.

The Obama administration has appointed a mediator to the dispute, but more needs to be done. The situation is urgent

and could become even worse if the conflict escalates into a full shutdown at the ports.

President Obama needs to announce forcefully that the federal government expects a fast resolution to this dispute. He must also clarify that if a full shutdown occurs, he will not hesitate to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to reopen the ports, much as President Bush did in 2002 amid a similar labor dispute at the same locations.

When President Obama visited the Central Valley a year ago, he made a few brief remarks about the water crisis and then treated us to a lecture about global warming. Now that Central Valley families are suffering from a water crisis as well as a labor crisis, I urge the President to set aside his usual rhetoric, become fully engaged in the Valley’s struggles, and use the full authority of his office to help restore commerce in our communities.

Are the U.S. and Russian Governments Once Again on the Nuclear Warpath?

A quarter century after the end of the Cold War and decades after the signing of landmark nuclear arms control and disarmament agreements, are the U.S. and Russian governments once more engaged in a potentially disastrous nuclear arms race with one another? It certainly looks like it.

With approximately 15,000 nuclear weapons between them, the United States and Russia already possess about 93 percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal, making them the world’s nuclear hegemons. But, apparently, like great powers throughout history, they do not consider their vast military might sufficient, especially in the context of their growing international rivalry.

Although, in early 2009, President Barack Obama announced his “commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” the U.S. government today has moved well along toward implementing an administration plan for U.S. nuclear “modernization.”

This entails spending $355 billion over a 10-year period for a massive renovation of U.S. nuclear weapons plants and laboratories. Moreover, the cost is scheduled to soar after this renovation, when an array of new nuclear weapons will be produced.

“That’s where all the big money is,” noted Ashton Carter, recently nominated as U.S. Secretary of Defense. “By comparison, everything that we’re doing now is cheap.”

The Obama administration has asked the Pentagon to plan for 12 new nuclear missile-firing submarines, up to 100 new nuclear bombers, and 400 land-based nuclear missiles. According to outside experts and a bipartisan, independent panel commissioned by Congress and the Defense Department, that will bring the total price tag for the U.S. nuclear weapons buildup to approximately $1 trillion.

For its part, the Russian government seems determined to match — or surpass — that record. With President Vladimir Putin eager to use nuclear weapons as a symbol of Russian influence, Moscow is building, at great expense, new generations of giant ballistic missile submarines, as well as nuclear attack submarines that are reportedly equal or superior to their U.S. counterparts in performance and stealth.

Armed with nuclear-capable cruise missiles, they periodically make forays across the Atlantic, heading for the U.S. coast.

Deeply concerned about the potential of these missiles to level a surprise attack, the U.S. military has already launched the first of two experimental “blimps” over Washington, DC, designed to help detect them. The Obama administration also charges that Russian testing of a new medium-range cruise missile is a violation of the 1987 INF treaty. Although the Russian government denies the existence of the offending missile, its rhetoric has been less than diplomatic. As the Ukraine crisis developed, Putin told a public audience that “Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers,” and foreign nations “should understand it’s best not to mess with us.”

Pravda was even more inflammatory. In an article published in November titled “Russia prepares a nuclear surprise for NATO,” it bragged about Russia’s alleged superiority over the United States in nuclear weaponry.

Not surprisingly, the one nuclear disarmament agreement signed between the

Lawrence S. Wittner U.S. and Russian governments since 2003 — the New START treaty of 2011 — is being implemented remarkably slowly.

New START, designed to reduce the number of deployed strategic nuclear weapons (the most powerful ones) in each country by 30 percent by 2018, has not led to substantial reductions in either nation’s deployed nuclear arsenal. Indeed, between March and October 2014, the two nations each increased their deployed nuclear forces. Also, they maintain large arsenals of nuclear weapons targeting one another, with about 1,800 of them on high alert — ready to be launched within minutes against the populations of both nations.

The souring of relations between the U.S. and Russian governments has been going on for years, but it has reached a very dangerous level during the current confrontation over Ukraine. In their dealings with this conflict-torn nation, there’s plenty of fault on both sides. U.S. officials should have recognized that any Russian government would have been angered by NATO’s steady recruitment of East European countries — especially Ukraine, which had been united with Russia in the same nation until recently, was sharing a common border with Russia, and was housing one of Russia’s most important naval bases (in Crimea). For their part, Russian officials had no legal basis for seizing and annexing Crimea or aiding heavily-armed separatists in the eastern portion of Ukraine.

But however reckless the two nuclear behemoths have been, this does not mean that they have to continue this behavior. Plenty of compromise formulas exist — for example, leaving Ukraine out of NATO, altering that country’s structure to allow for a high degree of self-government in the war-torn east, and organizing a UN-sponsored referendum in Crimea.

And possibilities for compromise also exist in other areas of U.S.-Russian relations.

Failing to agree to a diplomatic settlement of these and other issues will do more than continue violent turmoil in Ukraine. Indeed, the disastrous, downhill slide of both the United States and Russia into a vastly expensive nuclear arms race will bankrupt them and, also, by providing an example of dependence on nuclear might, encourage the proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional nations. After all, how can they succeed in getting other countries to forswear developing nuclear weapons when — 47 years after the U.S. and Soviet governments signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in which they pledged their own nuclear disarmament — their successors are engaged in yet another nuclear arms race? Finally, of course, this new arms race, unless checked, seems likely to lead, sooner or later, to a nuclear catastrophe of immense proportions.

Can the U.S. and Russian governments calm down, settle their quarrels peacefully, and return to a policy of nuclear disarmament? Let’s hope so.

Lawrence Wittner (http://lawrenceswittner.com), syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor of History emeritus at SUNY/Albany. His latest book is “What’s Going On at UAardvark?” (Solidarity Press), a satirical novel about campus life.

19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 15

Columns & Letters Re: House Resoultion 14. (H.Res. 14) Dear Sir, This letter is a request that your editorial board review this House Resolution and consider supporting it.

Here is the resolution: H.Res. 14 Urging the president to release information regarding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRSENTATIVES January 6, 2015 Mr. JONES (for himself, Mr. LYNCH, and Mr. MASSIE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select) RESOLUTION Urging the president to release information regarding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States.

Whereas President George W. Bush classified 28 pages of the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001; Whereas the contents of the redacted pages are necessary for a full public understanding of the events and circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001, attacks upon the United States; Whereas the executive branch’s decision to maintain the classified status of these pages prevents the people of the United States from having access to

information about the involvement of certain foreign governments in the terrorist attacks of September 2001; and Whereas the people of the United States and the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks deserve full and public disclosure of the results of the Joint Inquiry: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that– (1) the President should declassify the 28-page section of the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001; and (2) the families of the victims and the people of the United States deserve answers about the events and circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001, attacks upon the United States.

Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry urged President Bush to release the 28 pages in the letter below: https://28pagesdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/2003-senate-letter-re-28-pgs_signed2.pdf You can see the 28 missing pages on page 395 of the following link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/ C R P T- 1 0 7 h r p t 7 9 2 / p d f / C R P T107hrpt792.pdf My request is for your editorial board to support the passage of this resolution.

Thank you.

ROY J. KENDALL

Online Comments Comment at ourvalleyvoice.com or fb.me/ourvalleyvoice

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Go Clyde Go!

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— Quando, on Two Cases Still Pending Against Animal Control They need to get rid of the ass that is in charge.of 5he park I will not go there for that reason! We have alto of cats in my neighborhood because of people not take care.and leaving there cats and dogs to die and the city just wants to kill them to! I feel Tulare is the worst they want 50 dollars for cats. to take and put down it doesn’t matter.if there yours or not and they threaten you with fines and don’t want to help solve the problem!! I wish we could get behind the T and R program in every city!

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— kristine willard, on Mooney’s Grove’s Feral Cats

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There is a third case currently before Tulare County Superior Court – William Fabricius v. TCAC. Mr. Fabricius is asserting similar claims of lawlessness on the part of TCAC, TCSD, County Counsel and their agents provocateur. However, after a foul trick by County Counsel to get an accelerated hearing over on Mr. Fabricius without notice so he couldn’t show up, the matter was subsequently taken off calendar — and never rescheduled for hearing. The typical limbo that Tulare County Superior Court casts cases into when they are being rigged for county interests. Mr. Fabricius has been blocked from his dogs and rights using typical backdoor county lawyer tactics supported by court corruption. Mrs. Jones should be careful she doesn’t get targeted by county court operatives for challenging Tulare County’s animal trafficking… Fabricius has been repeatedly badly targeted. As have several others already registered as whistleblowers against the cronyism and case rigging pervading Tulare County governance.

— kristine willard, on Mooney’s Grove’s Feral Cats

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Black Tie Alex Oldenbourg

Madeline didn’t get her daughter vaccinated, but her lips are always done up perfectly.

Veteran’s Corner

Minimum Active Duty Service Requirement In order to be eligible for benefits from the VA, a veteran must meet minimum active duty service requirements.

For most veterans this means 24 months of continuous active duty. Non-duty periods that are considered excludable are not considered as a break in service for continuity purposes but are to be subtracted from total time served. Minimum active duty service also includes the full period for which a person was called or ordered to active duty. Except as noted below, a person who does not complete a minimum period of active duty is not eligible for any benefit under any law administered by the VA, based on that period of active service.

There are circumstances where the above rule does not apply. One circumstance is when a person who is discharged or released under an early out program or a hardship discharge. Another would be to a person who is discharged or released from active duty for a disability adjudged service-connected without presumptive provisions of law, or who at time of discharge had such a service-connected disability, shown by official service records, which in medical judgment would have justified a discharge for disability. A person with a compensable service-connected disability is also ex-

Joe Wright cluded. Other circumstances may apply.

When a person does not meet minimum active duty service requirements, and is therefore not eligible for VA benefits, the person’s dependents or survivors are also not eligible to receive benefits based on the same period of active duty. As always, please contact our office if you have questions.

The Kings County Veterans Service Office issues Veteran ID cards to honorably discharged veterans. Contact Joe Wright if you would like to receive periodic veteran’s information by email.

There are many state and federal benefits and programs available to veterans and their dependents. To find out 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.

Joe Wright, 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 8522669; or e-mail joe.wright@co.kings.ca.us.

Send us your Letters to the Editor By mail: 208 W. Main, Ste. E, Visalia, CA 93291 By email: editor@ourvalleyvoice.com

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Editor’s note: Now that the Valley Voice is receiving many more letters than previously, we’d like to state the obvious by saying that it is not our policy to edit your editorials. Bear this in mind, therefore, when writing us--so please be lucid.

16 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

San Joaquin Valley Homes Breaks Ground on $30m Community Offering 95 Homes in Visalia Staff Reports Local homebuilder San Joaquin Valley Homes has started construction on a $30 million 26-acre single-family residential project called San Marino that will offer 95 detached homes in northwest Visalia.

A grand opening is tentatively scheduled for April 2015.

“We’re anticipating a very high demand due to a lack of inventory of larger new homes with high-end amenities,” said Lissa Walker, director of marketing for San Joaquin Valley Homes, which is based in Visalia. “We’re already receiving three to four inquiries a week, and we haven’t opened a sales office yet. “ San Marino, located on a vacant piece of land at Riggin Avenue and South Shirk Road, will offer four floor plans and three elevations (Italian, Tuscan and French Country) ranging from 2,219 to 3,250 square feet with three to six bedrooms.The homes will have tile roofs, courtyards, granite countertops and tile flooring.

The floor plans offer features hard to find in the Visalia market, such as spacious kitchens with a center island and lots of cabinet space.

Small touches include tech centers, spacious laundry rooms and large covered patios on most plans for outdoor entertaining. There is an option for a casita with its own entrance and bathroom, which can be built as an open area for a game/media room.

“This is the perfect neighborhood for any family,” Walker said. ”The range of choices and the flexibility of

the floor plans allow our homebuyers to create living spaces that fit their lifestyle.”

Close to major employers, including Kaweah Delta Hospital, Visalia Medical Clinic, College of the Sequoias and Cigna Healthcare, San Marino offers easy access to shopping. Five minutes from Highway 99, the community is a 10-minute drive from the Visalia Airport and less than one hour to Fresno International Airport.

“Visalia has a small town feel yet you don’t have to go far to find what you need,” Walker said. “In a few hours you can be at the beach, skiing in the mountains or walking beneath towering giant redwoods at Sequoia National Park.”

San Marino is close to high-ranking schools in the Visalia Unified School District.On a scale of one to 10, Hurley Elementary School is rated nine, while Green Acres Middle School and Redwood High School – which is planning a 16-class complex expansion in 2015 – are highly rated as well. A new middle school five minutes away from San Marino is expected to be

completed for the 2016 school year.

Presidio Residential Capital, a real estate investment company headquartered in San Diego, is the equity partner.

According to the National Association of Home Builders’ formula to determine the local impact of single-family housing in typical metro areas, adding 100 single-family homes will generate $22.1 million in local income, $2.2 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments and 324 local jobs

About San Joaquin Valley Homes

Deeply rooted in residential construction, the founders of Visalia, Cal-

ifornia-based San Joaquin Valley Homes have built thousands of quality homes and attractive neighborhoods for San Joaquin Valley residents.

Founders Joe Leal, Jim Robinson and Randy Merrill share a vision of delivering excellence through every level of building, delivering wonderful homes in great neighborhoods.

In 2013, SJV Homes combined forces with Presidio Residential Capital and now controls approximately 1,500 lots in the San Joaquin Valley. SJV Homes has committed $68.5 million to build five new communities with a total of 751 new homes in this underserved area of Central California. www.sjvhomes.com

Valley Scene Kings Symphony Features Beatrice Choi Staff Reports Directed by Tom Fritz, the 2015 Kings Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert featuring Young artists will be held on Sunday, March 1 at 4pm at Hanford High School. This year’s concert will feature Beatrice Choi, winner of the 2015 Young Artist Competition, playing “Zigeunerweisen” (“Gypsy Airs”) by Pablo de Sarasate.

The concert will include young players from the Lemoore Middle College High School Orchestra (Dennis Mack, instructor). In addition, works by the winners of the Bradley School Composition Contest will be played, including

“Forest Sunrise” (Keli Janzen, age 12) and “England’s Royal March” (Jessica Cordero, age 11). Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony rounds out this wonderful program.

Beatrice Choi, Violinist Seung Hye (Beatrice) Choi is currently a junior at University High School in Fresno. Piano was her first instrument, but she found that her passion was for the violin, which she has been playing for five years.

Currently, Beatrice studies with Thi Nguyen. Beatrice is the concert mistress of the University High School Orchestra, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra,

Fresno and Madera County Music Teachers Association Orchestra and second violin, principle of the CBDA AllState Orchestra.

She also has extensive experience as a soloist; she was the winner of the ASTA Regional Solo competition, has performed with the University High School Orchestra, and received command performances at both the regional and state CMEA solo festivals.

Beatrice hopes to continue to play violin throughout her life.

Creative Center: Going to the Birds

From left to right - Cymone Sandoval, Rachel Sievers-Herrera, and Marisela Gomez.

Ice House Stages Baby with the Bathwater Nancy Holley Baby with the Bathwater is Christopher Durang at his best. His witty satirical dialogue will have you laughing and gasping at the same time. Director Elicia Russell loves the play.

“Christopher Durang can take normal things, even horrific things,” she said, “and make them funny.”

Baby with the Bathwater run begins February 27 at the Ice House Theatre.

The play is a very clever parody of parenting and the foibles that can become truths through repetition. Henry Gonzales (Daisy) fell in love with the play in high school “There is so much truth in its absurdity. It is the truth about parenting.

I’ve seen these characteristics in parents through the years. No matter how crazy they are, it is the truth and reality for them,” he said.

“When people see situations in their lives blown up to extremes, it becomes funny because they have been there,” notes Corey Ralston (John).

Ralston’s character is non-remarkable on the surface, but contains multiple layers to be explored.

“I’m having a fun time playing a character who is bi-polar. It’s great to be able to change emotions on a dime. I’m still working on what makes John tick.

I want to figure out the layers and show them,” he said.

Helen, John’s wife, is described by Rachel Sievers-Herrera as “as a non sequitur. I don’t fully get Helen yet, which is really exciting because I’m having to dig and dig and dig to figure her out.

Herrera does not see Helen as having a give-and-take relationship with

either her husband or her baby. “She seems to need someone to hate, to keep her going.”

Cymone Sandoval, Marisela Gomez, Lindsay Tweed, Robin Hoffman, and Sergio Garza portray the remaining array of characters. Sandoval, Gomez, and Tweed have multiple roles to challenge their acting talents.

All involved agree that the play is hysterical and great fun.

Gomez loves the play for its humor, “It is just so funny. Everyone is so paranoid these days. Even if you make a mistake, children are resilient, they will be okay.”

Herrera noted, “The play is not afraid of making fun of all sorts of people – no holes barred. We have a high-caliber cast which is going to keep it clipping along from start to finish. It is really smart and the ending catches you off guard.”

On Sunday March 8 the matinee, “Back Stage at the Ice House” will be hosted by Sharon DeCoux, a veteran Visalia Player. Audience members will have an opportunity for a behind-thescenes look at the show and a chance to ask questions and interact with cast and crew.

Baby with the Bathwater runs for three weekends at the Ice House Theater at Race and Santa Fe in Visalia. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. on February 27 and 28, and March 6, 7, 13, and 14. Matinees are at 2:00 p.m. on March 1, 8 and 15. The play includes adult language. To purchase tickets go to the Visalia Players’ website at www. visaliaplayers.org, their Facebook page “Visalia Community Players”, or call 734-3900.

Guest artists from all over are flockStaff Reports ing to the Jon Ginsburg Gallery at The Creative Center, offering their best work listing of participating venues. There will also be Visalia Trolley featuring birds.

This rides to and from each is an invitational show venue hosting artists. with participating artists “Going to the Birds” donating 25 percent of runs March 2 through their sales to The Creative April 17. Gallery hours Center. are Monday-Friday, 10 Visitors are encouram to 3 pm. Visitors aged to buy their favorite much check in at the piece of art and help supbusiness office, 606 N. port The Creative Center.

Bridge Street. For more The Center is featuring information call (559) the work from Creative 733-9329.

Center artists as well and The Creative Center will be asking visitors to is a non-profit commuvote for their favorite nity arts center for adults piece, so we the Cen“Catching Some Sun” - LaVone with developmental dister may award a People’s Sterling abilities with the mission Choice award. of fostering self-expression, The Opening Flight Reception is self-worth and personal growth through schedule for Friday, March 6 from 6-8 pm at the Jon Ginsburg Gallery, 410 E. the arts, community integration, providRace Ave, Visalia and coordinates with ing cultural resources to the community, the Visalia First Fridays Art Walk. The and recognizing the individual’s value and Visalia Fox Theater offers a complete contribution.

P. Kay Woods photos at Brandon-Mitchell Gallery P. Kay Woods will exhibit some of her own images of “edges” as seen through her camera lens in the Brandon-Mitchell Gallery at the Spiritual Awareness Center in March and April.

Artist receptions will be held on First Fridays, March 6 and April 3, from 5:30-8pm.

Woods, who has lived and traveled all around the world, mostly uses her cell phone to take her pictures—simply because it is always with her. In the display of her work in the Member Show in November and December, one of her works was a beautiful picture of feathers, that she admits is of road kill. She went to pull a dead vulture out of the road, saw how beautiful the feathers were, and took a picture!

She calls this exhibit “Edge” because she is “intrigued by the distinctions that

Donna Orozco edges enable and how our personal views are uniquely shaped by edges that we see or even feel. Sometimes we allude to them as well! Consider the idea that one’s gender or race may, or may not, give you an edge in your ed-

ucation or career.”

Some of the “edges” are of shadows.

“It seems a shadow is defined by its edges, given food for one’s mind’s eye to help calculate the shadow’s source, location and identity. A very important sort of edge, don’t you agree?” she asks.

Although Woods has visited Mexico, India, Nepal, Wales, England, Italy, the Olympic area of the Pacific Coast and the Outer Banks of the Atlantic Coast,

P. KAY WOODS continued on 21 »

18 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Symphony Presents Old and New Concert Donna Orozco The Tulare County Symphony performs Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony #3 in its Saturday, March 7 concert at the Visalia Fox Theatre but adds two short pieces by contemporary composers, one which uses a main theme from “Eroica” and one inspired by a helicopter trip over the Arizona desert.

The “YouTube” Symphony is a four-minute piece commissioned by Google/YouTube and written by renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra.

The orchestra was made up of musicians who auditioned by submitting a video of themselves playing. The best performers were invited to play at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on April 15, 2009, with all expenses paid by YouTube. Winners were decided by the most number of votes cast by YouTube users.

The piece includes a main theme from Beethoven’s “Eroica” and uses big, brassy sounds and interesting percussion (including tire rims).

The other modern piece is Mason Bates’ “Desert Transport” that was commissioned for the Arizona MusicFest in 2011. The first movement depicts helicopter rotors as the composer takes off to fly over the red rock formations of Sedona. The piece ends with the inspiration of the Indian cliff dwellings of Montezuma’s Castle.

Bates, who has written for the San Francisco and Chicago symphonies, has just been named the Kennedy Center’s first composer in residence for 20152018.

The concert concludes with Beethoven’s “Eroica” masterpiece. Leonard Bernstein called the first and second movements of this piece as perhaps the greatest two movements in all symphonic music.

Composed in 1803, “Eroica” has great emotional depth and marks the beginning of the Romantic Period in classical music. Beethoven’s change to a more daring style is attributed to the turmoil he felt over his loss of hearing. Beethoven began consulting doctors about his hearing loss in 1799. A few years later a new doctor advised the composer to go easy on his hearing. He wrote out a will in which he said he had considered suicide, but that his art had prevented him from doing so. But the writing in the will is filled with pain and despondency.

The second movement is often played at funerals, including those of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. The music has also been used in films. In the Alfred Hitchcock film “Psycho,” Lila Crane finds a phonograph record of the “Eroica” on the record player in Norman Bates’ bedroom. In the film “Ocean’s Twelve,” the piece is played during the attempted Amsterdam robbery.

Tickets are $30 to $39.50 at the symphony office, 208 W. Main Street, Suite D, Visalia, downstairs in Montgomery Square. Student prices are $10.

Tickets are also available at 732-8600 or go to www.tularecountysymphony.com.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., but the audience is invited to attend the pre-concert preview by music director Bruce Kiesling at 5:45 p.m.

Introduction to Phenology Workshop After about a one-hour presentation, participants of this workshop will The Alta Peak Chapter of the Cali- move outdoors to get hands on experifornia Native Plant Society presents its ence with Nature’s Notebook, a free onWinter Program on Saturday, February line resource produced by the National 28, from 2 to 4:30pm at the Three Riv- Phenology Network. When participaters Arts Center on North Fork Drive in ing in Nature’s Notebook, observations Three Rivers. Ann Huber, a biologist are added to a national database that with the Sequoia Rivscientists and land erlands Trust, will lead managers can access an introductory workfor research and make shop about phenology, better informed dethe study of the various cisions about natuseasonal developmental ral resources in their stages that plants and care.

Introduction animals undergo, such will be made to the as leafing and flowering, free resources availmigration of birds, and able for observing emergence of insects. native plants in our This program is for area via the California those who like to observe Phenology Project’s plants and are interested website. While it can in how an observation, serve a greater pursuch as the first day that a Observing a California Buckeye pose, it’s also a lot of lilac blooms, or how the tree in the foothills. Photo courtesy fun to observe nature! first opening of a flow- Lynn Firpo.

Alta Peak Chaper on a California buckeye tree, might ter programs are open to everyone. Bring help us understand how native plants a hat, pencil, notepaper and clipboard. respond to changes in climate. Noting Call 559-561-4562 for more informaa sycamore tree’s leaves changing color tion. and dropping, was making a phenologDirections to Three Rivers Arts ical observation.

Center: Go east on Highway 198 to Paying attention to phenological Three Rivers. Turn left on North Fork changes is not a new phenomenon for Drive. Cross bridge over Kaweah River. people, but linking these observations in The Arts Center is the first building on native plants to the current changes in the left. climate that we are observing is a relaFor more information locate the tively new field. Scientists are looking for National Phenology Project website, help from all corners of the globe with www.usanpn.org, the Alta Peak Chapter people observing plants. Much more is website, www.altapeakcnps.org and the known about agricultural plants than California Native Plant Society website, native California species. www.cnps.org Staff Reports

Ruiz 4 Kids Seeks Scholarship Applications In the past five years, Ruiz 4 Kids has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to hundreds of high school seniors committed to furthering their education. Last year, the charitable organization awarded a record-setting $334,000 to 245 students, and is poised to do more of the same in 2015. This year, in addition to accepting applications from high school seniors planning to attend a four-year college or university, Ruiz 4 Kids is also accepting scholarship applications from high school seniors who plan to attend a two-year college or vocational institution.

“One of the greatest thrills is learning how a scholarship recipient’s life has been impacted by the award,” explained Ron Woods, Ruiz 4 Kids President. Ruiz 4 Kids serves as the nonprofit branch of Ruiz Foods, where Woods is the Transportation Manager. “Whether they’ve graduated from a university and became a doctor, or attended a trade school and opened their own business, we understand the importance education has in improving not only the quality of life of individuals, but also the quality of life within our communities.”

According to Woods, Ruiz 4 Kids receives more than 600 scholarship applications each year, and review teams comprised of a couple of dozen Ruiz Foods team members volunteer to make group selections. Applicants must be located within a 50-mile radius of where Ruiz Foods has a presence — Dinuba, California, and Denison, Texas. Beginning this year, with the addition of a plant in Florence, South Carolina, applications will be accepted from high school seniors within Florence city limits as well.

“It has become evident to those of us involved in the review and selection

Staff Reports process, that sometimes it isn’t about the actual monetary award,” adds Woods.

“For many of these students, it is the knowledge that those involved in Ruiz 4 Kids and Ruiz Foods believe in them and their ability to accomplish great achievements.”

In addition to the financial and emotional boost the award brings, Woods quipped that the recipients also receive more than $100 in coupons for free products from Ruiz Foods, which includes their El Monterey brand burritos, taquitos and tamales.

“Some recipients get just as excited about the food as they do the award,” he added. “Ruiz 4 Kids’ mission is to provide opportunities to inspire hope and change in children’s lives. We truly believe our scholarship program does just that.”

Applicants must have a 2.5 GPA or above to apply if they plan on attending a two-year college or vocational institution. Those who will be attending a four-year college or university must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. To learn more about the Ruiz 4 Kids Scholarship Program and access the guidelines and application, visit: http://www.ruiz4kids.org/programs-scholarships.aspx.

The deadline for submission is March 6, 2015.

Ruiz 4 Kids raises the monies for the Scholarship Program via an annual golf tournament —the Ruiz Invitational.

Scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at the Valley Oaks Golf Course in Visalia, the event attracts a wide variety of vendors and suppliers to Ruiz Foods, drawing more than 240 of their representative golfers from across the country.

Exeter Optimist Club Presents 8th Annual Chocolate Romance “A Food Lover’s Affair” Do you desire a place to sample delectable food dished out by the best chefs in Tulare County? A place offering off-menu dishes all with a twist of your favorite flavor--chocolate? Then you’ll love Chocolate Romance.

Sponsored by the Optimist Club of Exeter, the 8th annual Chocolate Romance brings some of the best chefs under one roof to compete for your vote and the title of Restauranteur and Chocolatier of the Year. Attendees will be treated to a gourmet grazing of entrees and desserts from six different styles of restaurants and caterers.

In addition to creating completely unique items not found on any menu, chefs are challenged to make both entrees and desserts with an element of chocolate or chocolate as the main ingredient.

A small panel of local celebrity judges will decide the Restauranteur and Chocolatier of the Year awards, given for the best judged entrée and best judged dessert, respectively. Everyone who buys a ticket to the event will receive a red and white ticket and have the opportunity to cast their vote for the People’s Choice Awards for both best entrée (red) and best dessert (white).

Proceeds from the event benefit scholarships for continuation high school students at Deep Creek Academy in Farmersville and Kaweah High School in Exeter.

The scholarships are unique because they can be used at a variety of post-secondary education including community college courses, certification programs, beauty/barber schools, truck driving programs, tools for apprenticeships, etc.

The Optimist Club of Exeter was the first organization to offer scholarships to graduating seniors who had attended continuation high school or alternative education classes in high schools in Exeter and Farmersville. The motto of the Optimist Club is “Bringing out the best in kids.” The club operates with the understanding there are no bad kids, only kids in bad situations.

Many students attend continuation high school because they have fallen behind on units due to absence or illness; some struggle with unstable family situations, and some are even considered homeless.

Make a sweet gesture by supporting these kids and your foodie addictions all at the same time.

Chocolate Romance is held on the fourth Saturday of each March from 5-8pm at the Exeter Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Ave. in Exeter. This year’s event will be on Saturday, March 28. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased from any Optimist Club of Exeter member. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 559-909-2996 or 559-592-5578.

19 February, 2015

Valley Voice • 19

Tarot Card Reading Can Give Clarity and Entertain Catherine Doe It was December 31, and my 15-year old daughter, Mercedes, and I arrived at 12-noon sharp for her tarot card reading at the Cosmic Corral in Hanford.

Far from being in a spiritual crisis, Mercedes wanted to get a reading because she thought it would be cool. She also had a burning question and hoped that Crystal Ravenwolf, in her capacity as a medium, could give her the answer.

Ravenwolf hails from eight generations of tarot card readers and has always been in touch with the spirit world. Her mother was a witch who read cigar ashes and her father is Native American. In addition to doing tarot card readings at the Cosmic Corral, she does guided meditations, psychic readings and teaches belly dancing every Tuesday.

Most clients get readings not just to be entertained, but because they have come to a crossroads in their lives. It can help give clarity to clients who have hit a wall or who can’t seem to get on the right track. It can also help people heal from old wounds.

Despite urban legend, tarot card readings can’t predict the future, because the future is subjective and can change moment by moment due to free will. But it can shed light on the path you need to take and help you understand who you are.

“Everyone can use a little guidance and that is what a reading can give you,” said Ravenwolf. But she also added, “It is very important to remember that a reading is not the ultimate fix all. You are still responsible for your own choices.”

Ravenwolf removed a well-used, but not terribly old, set of tarot cards from her purse. Experienced readers own several sets of cards, but each reader has their favorite. Ravenwolf has been given decks of tarot cards passed down through her family for generations, but her favorite to her came while she was attending a Renaissance Faire 20 years ago. It is her favorite deck because the cards “speak” to her. She keeps them wrapped in a cloth she acquired at the faire.

Before giving the deck to Mercedes to shuffle, Ravenwolf removed about 10 cards that would not be appropriate because of her age. She then placed the deck on the table.

“As you shuffle think about what you want the cards to tell you. Don’t ask me, ask the cards. The cards will tell you everything you need to know.”

Mercedes awkwardly shuffled the cards and handed them back. Ravenwolf warned her that the cards will tell her everything so if there was something she did not want to talk about (i.e. in front of Mom) she better let her know now.

As far as Mercedes was concerned, everything was on the table.

Ravenwolf said that the cards will tell a story, so as to not interrupt the flow Mercedes should save any questions for after the reading. She then placed about

13 cards in an open box layout with one in the middle and another to the left side. The number of cards and layout can vary according to the kind of reading she is doing.

Overall, she said this was a strong reading and that Mercedes has the strength to pursue in life what she wants.

She then put her focus on the left row of cards, picking up each one and describing what it meant. The left row is the feminine side and is what pushes the reading. The row of cards on the feminine side showed that, even though Mercedes was a shy person, she had a voice and wasn’t afraid to use it. She said that activism will be a really big thing for her.

“You see a lot of injustices in the world and they touch you. As you grow older you will want to stand up and do something about it.”

Further down the left row she could see that “you are very close to your mom and sister and you look to them for guidance. You have strong women in your family so this is a good thing. They have a strong voice and they use their voice.”

She said that the Prince of Swords card was really pushing the reading and that family was very important to Mercedes. Although her family is her foundation one of the cards said that she will not always be with her mother. Ravenwolf said that could just mean that she will be leaving home for college. When Mercedes does leave home she told her that “every experience is a building block, bringing one more feather to create your wings and then you will fly away.”

The King of the Sacred Circles card showed that one of Mercedes’ greatest fears is being left alone. Ravenwolf said that she should enjoy her own company and become her own best friend. “Then you won’t be afraid of being alone,” she said, adding that Mercedes will never be alone because she has a strong family that will always be with her.

Ravenwolf told Mercedes never to let anyone tell her to keep both feet on the ground. “It’s definitely OK to fly.

Just keep on flying and following your dreams, express yourself, dream big.”

She said that Mercedes had a very strong creative aura about her. She should never fear expressing her creativity and feel that she won’t be accepted.

“Do it all, write, draw, paint, sing, dance, act. You will be good at a lot of them and will know when you find your niche. There is absolutely nothing in this world that you cannot do.”

The Nine of Cups on the far left indicated that, “expectations are going to be a hard one for you.” Ravenwolf explained to Mercedes that expectations are not real. They are what we set up in our head. Then, when we don’t reach our expectations we view our lives as a failure. It’s the journey that counts, and part of that journey is to write down your dreams and expectations. Then your expectations become goals. And when you put the work behind your goals they be-

come real.

“You can’t just have expectations, you have to put in the work. “ But to realize these dreams takes a lot of work. “Dreams do not come for free,” she said.

Mercedes’ eyes grew wide and she slumped in her chair as Ravenwolf told her that she practiced belly dancing five hours a day. At first, Mercedes thought Ravenwolf was paid to dance five hours a day and was shocked to hear that was Crystal Ravenwolf sits down with Mercedes Oldenbourg for a reading. the amount of work she had one who walks in shame “bad attention to put into staying in shape to get the paid performances. “I’m a 47-year is better than no attention” and a family old competing with 20-year olds for the member close to her had knowingly used same jobs. I have to work twice as hard.” this aunt’s unfortunate situation to their She encouraged Mercedes to enjoy own advantage.

There was a time in her own life whatever work she chooses because she when Ravenwolf had secrets and walked will be doing it for the rest of her life. in shame.

“But,” she said, “once you “If you enjoy the work, then you know share your feelings and your secrets they that you are following your dream. If you don’t enjoy the work, you are following hold no power over you.” Now she is someone else’s, or have chosen the wrong an open book and her world “sparkles all the time.” “Anyone who comes into dream.”

In fact, Ravenwolf was squeezing my space that doesn’t add sparkle to my in three gigs on New Year’s Eve, and ex- world,” she explained, “they don’t get to pressed her profound gratitude for hav- come in.”

We ended our session with a dising so much work. She said that gratitude and working hard is the key. “I get cussion about spirit guides and guardto do this forever, it’s not that I have to.” ian angels, a common theme on which Toward the end of the reading, Rav- Ravenwolf lectures at the Cosmic Corral. enwolf lifted up the Temperance card She said that Mercedes has had a gentlesitting on the bottom row. “One of your man with her since she was born. He is in biggest life lessons is going to be learn- his 40’s and is her spirit guide. She may ing patience.” Mercedes’ lesson will be to have more guides but he is the only one who presented himself that day. He was learn how to handle this characteristic.

The reading took about 40 min- present during the reading to make sure utes, and Ravenwolf wanted to know if that Ravenwolf told Mercedes everything Mercedes had any questions--and be- she needed to know. We talked about cause Ravenwolf is also a psychic medi- the way in which she “saw” spirit guides um, Mercedes had questions that went and the differences between guides and beyond the tarot cards. She had been guardian angles.

Ravenwolf began seeing spirits when bothered by the fact that an aunt had not treated her well and didn’t seem to love she was 16-years old, and has spent her her. Ravenwolf said that the aunt was entire life honing her skills and working carrying around a lot of secrets from her- to achieve peace for both the living and dead. She is known internationally for self and from those around her.

“When you carry around secrets they her psychic abilities and has been workhold a lot of power over you and it leaves ing with Raksalot Entertainment on a the person walking in shame.” Ravenwolf DVD series that will be released in 2015. said, that the aunt was walking in shame This will consist of a series of lectures and cannot recognize the sparkle Mer- about Soul Retrieval, animal totems, cedes brings into her life. As a result she spirit guides and tarot, among other toppushes Mercedes away and sabotages all ics. To find out when her DVDs will be of her good relationships. “She feels that released check her website www.crystalshe doesn’t deserve you. She loves you. ravenwolf.com.

As for Mercedes, her questions were She just doesn’t love herself.” answered and she was ready to start a Ravenwolf added that the aunt’s nuclear family had profited from this new year. individual’s low self esteem. For some-

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20 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Education Changing School Boundaries Craig Wheaton, VUSD Superintendent Visalia is a growing community. It doesn’t take long during a drive around town to see the evidence, as new homes are once again a common site. Many of the empty, half-developed subdivisions have quietly and steadily filled in with new homes.

This is all good news for our local economy and challenging, but, good news for the school district. One of the more daunting challenges is the task of dividing our current four middle school attendance boundaries into five. As many of you know, we are in construction of our fifth middle school. Before long, you will see the buildings emerge from the ground on Akers Avenue, just north of Riggin Avenue. This is an exciting time and a wonderful addition to serve the growing number of students in the district.

The challenge is how to draw the attendance boundaries. You might think it is a simple task of dividing the over-

crowded Green Acres Middle School, but it isn’t that simple. We need to make some adjustments to the other middle schools to make the boundaries work for years to come. In addition to the new middle school boundary, we need to look at how the five middle schools feed into our existing four high schools.

So, how do we decide on new boundaries? My answer to that is, “slowly, carefully, and with a lot of parent input.” As a parent, I know how hard it can be to change the school feeder system that you have relied on for many years.

Home purchases may have been based on an assumption about schools your children would attend. Changing those basic assumptions can cause a great deal of anxiety.

In order to make such an important decision, we have contracted with a professional demographer to develop a variety of possible maps. The school board established some guiding principles to assist in the work. These principles are goals to consider--things like balancing

enrollment, ethnic make-up, and poverty rates as well as considering distances from home to school and maintaining neighborhoods. One goal is to establish boundaries that will work for several years so that we don’t have to change them again in the near term. These are guidelines, and we cannot achieve all of them since some actually work against others. But they do help guide our work and decision making.

After possible maps were developed, we presented them to the public in a series of meetings throughout the district.

All of the reaction and input from these meetings is being compiled and given to our school board members.

In the end, a decision must be made.

The members of the Board of Trustees have the enormous responsibility to make the final decisions. I applaud their service to the community knowing this task is not an easy one. If you would like more information or would like to provide input, check our website www. vusd.org or email me your comments at cwheaton@vusd.org.

Online Students Roller Skate for School Choice in Visalia Staff Reports Students from California Connections Academy @ Central, a tuition-free online public school, rallied at Roller Towne last month to kick off National School Choice Week.

Celebrated every year in January, the week is a nonpartisan and nonpolitical event that shines a positive spotlight on all types of effective education options for children, including online public schools, traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, and homeschooling.

California Connections Academy students from across the Central Valley joined in on the roller skating fun, and Connections Academy teachers added an educational layer by guiding them through taking their heart rates and graphing them.

California Connections Academy @ Central serves more than 350 students from Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Inyo and Kern counties. Students receive a high-quality, personalized, public education outside the traditional classroom.

California-credentialed teachers deliver innovative curriculum through LiveLesson® sessions—live instruction conducted online—and work with students oneon-one to provide additional instruction, answer questions and offer any other support the student needs to succeed. The highly accountable online program engages a student’s parent or another adult as their Learning Coach, who works to monitor academic progress in the home.

Throughout the school year, California Connections Academy @ Central hosts several field trips across the Central Valley to museums, historical landmarks, archeological sites, among many other

exciting destinations to give online classmates a chance for hands-on learning and socializing with their peers.

Student families and staff from California Connection Academy @ Central T h e gathered at Roller Towne in Visalia to celebrate National School Choice school has Week. From left to right: Lelia Andreade, Mia Sigler, Miles Sigler, Dustin r e c e n t l y Sigler, Logan Lowe, Jennifer Madden, McKenna Madden, Gavin Madden, Mathila Chavez, Charlie Trigos, Diana Trigos, Juan Trigos, Stephanie f i n i s h e d Gil-Tellez, Brian Leal, Tiffany Lopez, Caitlyn Siegmund, Karina Trullio, e n r o l l - Kristen Hager, and Hugo Jaimes. Photo courtesy California Connections ment for Academy. the secschool year will open in March 1. For ond semester of the 2014-2015 school more information, visit the school’s webyear, and enrollment for the 2015-2016 site.

Annual H.S. Mexican Folklorico Show

Cesar Chavez Art Poster Contest

Dancers from 11 Valley high schools will present a dance performance that spans 10 regions of Mexican folklorico dance traditions on Saturday, February 21. The schools have developed dance classes as part of their curriculum, with some for over 17 years. The annual tradition, called the “High School ShowOffs,” will take place at the historic Warnors Theatre in Fresno’s Cultural Arts District.

This year’s performers include three Porterville groups representing Monache, Granite and Porterville High Schools. Several Fresno school groups will participate including McLane High School, Fresno High School Folklórico, Sunnyside High School Danzantes, Los Danzantes de Roosevelt High School, and Central High Danzantes Tláloc.

They will be joined by Clovis High Ballet Folklórico Nahualli and Los Paisanos del Selma High School.

The Annual High School Show Offs is a project of the wider group, Danzantes del Valle, a partnership with 20 valley-wide dance groups and Arte Américas, the Latino-based cultural center

March 31 will mark the birth of Cesar E. Chavez (1927-1993), a man who committed his life to helping and improving the lives of others.

To pay tribute to his legacy of service and conviction, the Cesar E. Chavez Celebrating the Legacy Committee is organizing an art poster contest.

Students are encouraged to research Chavez’ life and values to develop an art piece. Youth in grades K-12 are encouraged to submit original artwork reflecting Chavez’ work, philosophies and values.

Entries cannot be smaller than 8 ½ x 11 inches and larger than 8 ½ x 14 inches. Prizes will be awarded to first, sec-

which helped initiate the program over 17 years ago. Together they are co-sponsors of other folklórico shows throughout the year, from community groups and including elementary students to adult professional groups.

The goals of the High School Show Offs include the opportunity to present stage performances in a community-wide setting and to give a chance for the groups to see others perform. Although not a competition, each group prepares to do their best work and “show off.” Many of these young adult dancers go on to join the valley’s adult folklórico groups.

Warnors Theatre has been the selected venue for the past two years because of its beautiful, historic setting. The venue is located on the corner of Fulton and Tuolumne streets in Downtown Fresno.

General admission tickets are $10 from members of the participating dance groups, or at the Downtown Latino cultural center Arte Américas (during gallery hours: Wednesday through Sunday.)

Tickets will cost $12 at the door on the day of the performance.

ond and third place winners of different grade categories. The deadline to submit artwork is Friday, March 13.

Contest winners will be publically recognized on Saturday, March 28, during the Cesar E. Chavez Celebrating the Legacy event, which will take place from 12 to 3pm at Visalia Community Campus, located at 224 NW 3rd Street.

Activities will include a youth mariachi group, informational booths, games for the kids and a special guest speaker from the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation.

For more information contact Margie Perez mperez@proteusinc.org or Randi Ross rross@proteusinc.org; phone number 559-733-5423.

Valley Voice • 21

19 February, 2015

Teacher Job Fair in Hanford Staff Reports More students, more teachers reaching retirement age and fewer newly issued credentials for any type of teaching: It all adds up to the California teaching shortage that has been predicted since 2007.

This year, it even merited a mention from Gov. Jerry Brown in his inauguration/state of the state address. As a teacher shortage looms, Brandman University Hanford will team up with area school districts to host an education career fair on Thursday, March 5, from noon to 4pm.

“The tasks ahead are daunting: making sure that the new system of local control works; recruiting and training thousands of teachers; mastering the Common Core Curriculum and fostering the creativity needed to inspire students,” Governor Brown said.

The most immediate need is for substitute teachers. School districts from throughout Kings County will have those and other positions available at the job fair, located at 325 Mall Drive, Hanford. In addition to substitute teachers, the greatest need is for special education and single-subject teachers in math, English and sciences.

“This is our fourth annual teacher job fair. Due to the severe teacher shortage the districts are facing, it is our goal to help them in every way possible,” said Shelsy Hutchison, Manager, Community and Corporate Relations at Brandman’s Hanford Campus.

Those participating in the event include Reef-Sunset, Hanford Elementary, Central Union, Hanford Joint Union High School, Island Union Elementary, Lemoore Elementary School District, Lemoore Union High School districts and Kings County Office of Education.

“We are thrilled to partner with our local school districts yet again to help them find highly qualified educators to fill their vacant positions,” said Dr. Christine Zeppos, dean of the School of Education. “Unique this year is a need to fill the significant substitute teaching vacancies in partner districts, so we hope this education fair attracts future teachers, so that we are able to help them enter the field and fill this soon-to-be pervasive need.”

Participants should come prepared for same-day interviews and bring resumes and CBEST scores or out-of-state teaching credentials. Those interested in substitute teaching need to meet the qualifications for applying for a 30-day

Sequoia Natural History Association Offers Adventures to National Parks The Sequoia Natural History Association has been introducing the world to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks since 1940. Now SNHA is offering the opportunity to introduce our members and friends to other national parks by offering excursions and adventures that are exclusive to us and you can’t book these trips anywhere else!

It is our goal to create a connection with all of our national parks and to facilitate experiences that will leave a lasting impression. Our national park adventures are open to everyone, with a special discount for SNHA members.

SNHA is offering a Yellowstone Wildlife Safari Family Adventure (June 22-26, 2015) This tour is on the spectacular wildlife of the area and the amazing geological features that can be found within our nation’s first national park, Yellowstone. Jump into one of Eco Tour’s 4-wheel drive vehicles with and explore off-the-beaten-path to truly understand Yellowstone National Park. Visitors will see firsthand the geological wonders, including Old Faithful, and the multitude

of wildlife that Yellowstone National Park has to offer. Plan on uninterrupted wildlife observation as well as viewing some of the 10,000 thermal features in the park with a naturalist guide, who will take you to the wildlife hot spots to observe and photograph the abundant wildlife.

The cost of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure is $1,473($1,423 for SNHA members), and includes hotel accommodations for four nights (double occupancy), a three-day wildlife safari adventure with a naturalist guide, and all meals during the wildlife safari adventure.

SNHA is offering a motorcoach tour: Exploring the Canyons of the Southwest (Sept 23 – Oct. 1, 2015) A journey through Canyon Country brings you into the colorful world of stunning southwestern vistas and the unique topography of four national parks: Death Valley, Zion, Bryce, Arches, and Grand Canyon. On this nine-day tour you will enter the majestic world of rock spires, sandstone cliffs, mile-deep chasms, and brilliant colors that make up these famous canyons.

P. Kay Woods

Montana; and now Three Rivers. She has worked in intensive care coronary care, moved with her spouse in the military and forest service, and raised two children.

She used to work year round in the Giant Forest book shop in the visitor center. She says she no longer hikes but takes pictures on her walks.

The Brandon-Mitchell Gallery is located at the Spiritual Awareness Center, 117 S. Locust Street, Visalia and is open the first Friday of each month, 5:30-8 p.m, and by calling the center at 6252441.

Continued from p. 17

and has hiked in the Yosemite and Sequoia regions of the Sierra Nevada, she says most of the photos in this exhibit are western United States and mostly local. They include diverse plants, animals, soap and horizons. She likes textures. A few of the pictures are digitally altered.

She likes to play with colors.

Woods has lived west of Fresno among the fig orchards; went to nursing school in San Antonio, Texas; and also lived in Ithaca, New York; Bozeman,

RECYCLE THIS PAPER

substitute permit.

Those and other criteria can be found at http://www.ctc. ca.gov/credentials Information will also be available for those interested in earning a teacher credential through Brandman’s Department of Education.

EDUCATION is

BACK

FOURTH ANNUAL TEACHER JOB FAIR If you hold a BA degree and want to teach, this is the event for you.

Bring your resumes and Dress for Success!

Event Details When: Thursday, March 5, 2015

Brandman University Time: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm Where: Brandman

Hanford Campus is a private, nonprofit

325 Mall Dr. Hanford, CA 93230 institution accredited Event is open to applicants seeking a teaching by the WASC Senior position in Kings County.

Contact Us College and UniverAt 559-587-3446 or shutchis@brandman.edu sity Commission. As or visit us at brandman.edu/hanford part of the Chapman University System, Brandman blends a legacy of academic excellence with innovative curriculum and strong support services serves 12,000 students annually with prodesigned for students with busy schedules. grams available online and at 26 campuses The university offers 50+ undergraduate, throughout California and Washington. The graduate, credential and certificate programs university’s online programs consistently rank across its schools of arts and sciences, business, among the top in the nation by U.S. News & education, nursing and health. Brandman World Report. www.Brandman.edu Brandman University, a part of the Chapman University System, is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) that offers academic programs both online and at over 25 campuses throughout California and Washington.

The cost for this amazing adventure is $2,710.00 ($2,660 for SNHA members) and includes hotel accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily, deluxe coach bus, naturalist tour guide, specialty walking tours, all national park entry fees and all gratuities.

Full itineraries can be viewed on our website at http://www.sequoiahistory.org/ default.asp?contentID=789 Space is limited for both trips! Contact the Sequoia Natural History Association today at 559-565-4222 or email eliza-

beth_lamar@sequoiahistory.org.

The Sequoia Natural History Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting education, interpretation, research and the natural and historic preservation of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Devils Postpile National Monument and Lake Kaweah. SNHA is committed to enriching the experiences of visitors and promoting public awareness of the significance of public lands through educational programs, publications and financial support.

PC Treasure Café Now Open to the Public Porterville College is pleased to announce that its Treasure Café is now open for breakfast and lunch, from 7:30am to 2pm, Monday through Thursday. The Treasure Café features freshly made soup, salads, wraps and an array of grill items.

The café is located inside the Student Center.

The Treasure Café is under the direction of Chef Pat Coyle, who is a Certified Culinary Educator who retired from Bakersfield College (BC) in July, 2014. For over 30 years, he was the Instructor and Division chair of BC’s Culinary Arts Program & Renegade Dining Room. Addi-

tionally, as BC’s Food Service Director, he oversaw the preparation of meals for more than 20,000 students, 300 staff, and the Child Development Center.

Parking Permits are required to visit the Treasure Cafe. Failure to use a parking permit will result in ticketing. Please contact the front desk in the Academic Center building for a temporary parking permit.

The Treasure Café/Student Center is available for rental, along with catering options. If you have any questions or to schedule catering services, please contact the Chef Pat Coyle at (559) 791-2343 or email pcoyle@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

1719-1209-2014

TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN

Calendar Through February 21: Winnie the Pooh The Enchanted Playhouse presents “Winnie and Assorted Friends.” The play will be held on Friday and Saturday at 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm at Main Street Theatre, 307 E. Main, Visalia. For information, visit enchantedplayhouse.org.

Through February 21: Grease Mt. Whitney High School will perform the classic musical. For information, visit www.vusd.org Through February 23: Morning Yoga, 7-8am A yoga class will be offered at Whitendale Community Center in Visalia on Mondays. The cost is $35. Another class will also be offered on Thursdays. To register, visit liveandplayvisalia.org.

Through February 23: R.I.P.P.E.D., 9:30-10:30am A high-intensity workout that combines Resistance, Interval, Power, Plyometrics, Endurance and Diet will be offered Mondays and Wednesdays at Anthony Community Center in Visalia. The cost is $35 and is open to all fitness levels. For information, visit liveandplayvisalia.com.

Through February 27: Water Conservation Contest California Water invites teachers of grades 4-6 to create and implement a class project related to water for a chance to in an allexpense-paid trip to Channel Islands and other prizes. Teachers will have access to technical, expert and monetary support.

For details, visit calwater.com/challenge.

Through February 27: Bold & Beautiful--The Art of Brenda Allison, 9am3pm Jon Ginsburg Gallery welcomes guest artist for January through February. The exhibit features oils, acrylics and watercolors. For information, call 733-9329.

Through February 28: Tulare County: Varied Impressions Tulare City Historical Society will hold its annual Tulare County: Varied Impressions art exhibit in the Heritage Art Gallery, 444 W. Tulare Ave. A reception for the artists will be held from 5 to 7 pm Jan. 8. It is free. For information, call 686-2074.

Through March 14: 7th Annual Miniatures Works of Art The Tulare City Historical Society will host this exhibition at the Tulare Historical Museum, 444 W. Tulare Ave., Tulare. The museum is open 10-4pm Thursday through Saturday.

Through March 15: Cabrillo Civic Club Scholarship Applications Cabrillo Civic Clubs of California are now accepting scholarship applications from high school seniors who meet the following criteria: Portuguese descent, US citizenship or permanent residency, a GPA of 3.5 or higher. For more information contact Dulcie Nunes at 559-688-8070. Applications may also be submitted online by visiting www.cabrillocivicclubs.org/scholarship.

Through March 24: Teen Fiction Writers’ Workshop, 4-5:30pm Local author Janet Nichols Lynch will conduct a Tulare County Office of Education Workshop on Tuesdays at 7000 Doe Ave.,

Suite A, Visalia. Students, grades 7-12, may apply by submitting a short story or novel except, 500 to 3,000 words, to janetl@ersconnect.org. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 16.

Through March: The Photography of Deborah Nolan Photography 20”x30” by Deborah Nolan is on display at Sue Sa’s Club House Deli located at 699 West Center Avenue, Visalia.

Through June: Visalia Branch Library Teen Homework Center, 3-6:30pm The Visalia Branch Library offers a place for teens to do their homework Tuesdays through Fridays. The library is located at 200 W. Oak St. Through June: Tulare Public Library Homework Help Homework help for children in grades K-12 will be available in the Tulare Public Library Learning Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 1-4pm.

February 19: Ribbon Cutting, 4-5pm Ribbon Cutting for the SPCA New Spray and Neuter Clinic at 9405 W. Goshen in Visalia. February is National Spray and Neuter your pet month.

February 19: Meet the Docs, 5-7pm Meet the cardiac surgeons of Golden State Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery Group who perform cardiac surgery at Kaweah Delta Medical Center. 202 W. Willow (4th floor) in Visalia.

February 19: Orientation for Prospective Foster Parents, 6:30pm Tulare County Foster Care Licensing will hold an orientation for prospective foster parents at 6:30pm on Thursday, Feb. 19, at its 26500 S. Mooney Blvd. office. People who are interested in becoming foster parents will need to attend an orientation meeting, and meet requirements such as being at least 18 years old, being financially able to support their own family, having no criminal record and a clear health screening and being certified in CPR and first aid. To schedule a personal orientation, or for other information, call (559) 623-0581.

February 20: Free Drive-Thru Shredding Day A free shredding service for seniors will be held at Quail Park Retirement Village, 4520 W. Cypress Ave., Visalia. Confidential documents and electronic waste (TVs, computers and printers) will be accepted.

For information, call 624-3503.

February 20: Palette Club Meeting, 7pm Tulare Historical Museum Heritage Art Gallery hosts the Palette Club at 444 W. Tulare Ave. For information, visit tularehistoricalmuseum.org.

February 21: Lemon Cove Village Open (Tiny) House, 10am-5pm The Lemon Cove Village is having its second Open House. We are inviting all Tiny House enthusiasts to come check out our community. Come see the newly renovated Village. We are excited to show you the progress we have made. We now have our first residents on site. We look forward to sharing our Village with you.

February 21: 92nd Annual Exeter Chamber of Commerce Banquet, 6pm Exeter’s Man and Woman of the Year, Heritage, Beautification and Business of the Year will be honored at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce 92nd Annual Banquet at the Exeter Veterans Memorial Building.

Tickets are $40.00 each and are available at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce.

February 21: High School Show-Offs Folklórico dance show, 6:30pm Dancers from eleven Valley high schools will present a dance performance that spans ten regions of Mexican folklorico dance traditions on Saturday, February 21.

The schools have developed dance classes as part of their curriculum, with some for over seventeen years. The annual tradition, called the “High School Show-Offs” takes place at the historic Warnors Theatre in Fresno’s Cultural Arts District. TICKETS: $10 in advance from participants or at Arte Américas, 1630 Van Ness, Fresno, 93721, or $12 at the door on the day of show.

February 21: A Night of Wine Cheese & Chocolate, 6:30pm The Tulare Historical Museum will host an elegant, romantic evening set against the backdrop of Museum treasures. Tickets, $30, are available at tularehistoricalmuseum.org.

February 21: Great Movies/Great Music, 7:30pm Tulare County Symphony Orchestra’s film series continues with music from spy films from James Bond to Mission Impossible.

The concert will be held at the Visalia Fox Theatre. For information, visit tularecountysymphony.com.

February 21: JJ Brown and Friends, 8pm JJ Brown’s 2015 Spring Wine and Music Tour stops at Visalia’s Cellar Door, 101 W. Main St., for an early--8pm--21+ show.

Tickets are $5.

February 22: Mariachi Gala, 5-10:30pm The Hanford Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the Mariachi Gala on February 22 at the Hanford Civic Center Auditorium. Tickets are priced at $100 per person. Ticket price includes show and SitDown Dinner catered by Que Pasa Mexican Restaurant. There will be Complementary Wine from 5-6p.m. as well as a Tequila Bar & No Host Bar to purchase from. This event will be Featuring Mariachi Aquila, Mariachi Maxicanisimo, Mariachi De La Tierra, Mariachi Yolanda Yolanda, Trio Los Romances and Ballet Folklorico Dancers.

Tickets will be available to purchase on January 19th at the Hanford Chamber of Commerce. For more information or to sponsor this event please contact 559-5820483 or email hanfordchamber@comcast. net.

February 23: Great Conversations--“Of Friendship” and “Of Solitude”, 4-5:30pm A discussion of these Great Works by Montaigne will take place on the COS main campus in Hospital Rock 133.

February 24: 6th Annual Empty Bowls, 5:30-7:30pm Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, personalized on a community

level. Choose a handcrafted bowl for your soup, catered by The Vintage Press, and take it home as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. Walk through the Visalia Rescue Mission’s kitchen line to experience what hundreds in our community do on a daily basis. Peruse silent auction items and enjoy live music during dinner.

February 24: Exeter Library Book Drive, 11am-5pm Friends of the Library - Exeter is having their first Book Drive on Tuesday, February 24, 2015. All donations can be dropped off at the Exeter Library between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

We’re focusing on children’s books this first time, because we can’t keep enough on our shelf for all the kids who visit the library.

All other book formats and genres are also welcome.

February 24: Business After Hours, 5:30-7:30pm Hosted by Kaweah Delta Healthcare District at 820 S. Akers in Visalia, this will be a joint mixer with the Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber.

February 25: World Series Trophy Tour, 4-6pm The 2010, 2012 and 2014 Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s Trophies, crafted by Tiffany & Co., will be on display at Porterville College, 100 East College Avenue, Porterville, to help celebrate the World Series Champions with devoted Giants fans in Junior Giants communities throughout northern and central California, Oregon and Nevada, and help raise funds and awareness for the Junior Giants program.

February 27: Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting, 9am Jaime’s Boutique is opening at 105 East 8th Street in Hanford.

February 27: “Bold & Beautiful” 10am3pm The Creative Center’s Jon Ginsburg Gallery is showing “Bold & Beautiful,” art by Brenda Allison of Fresno, in January and February. Brenda’s work is recognized for her exceptional use of color and depth with unique layering of materials. The show is open Monday-Friday, 10-3, at 606 N. Bridge, Visalia. 559 733-9329.

February 28: Varied Impressions, 10am4pm “Tulare County Varied Impressions” features many local artists’ paintings, drawings and photos at the Tulare Historical Museum, 444 W. Tulare in Tulare. Open Thursday-Saturday 10-4. 559 686-2074 or www.tularehistoricalmuseum.org February 28: 12th Annual Chinese New Year Celebration, 1:30-5pm Wear something red for more fun to the celebration at the 210, at Locust and Center Streets in Visalia. Activities include a Lion Dance, Dragon Parade, Tricky Tray Auction, a fashion show, treasure hunt and much more. Tickets are $20 per person.

For more information, call (559) 6254246.

MARCH

March 5: 4th Annual Teacher Job Fair, Noon--4pm Due to the severe shortage of teachers we have in the valley, Brandman University is putting on the fair at the Hanford Campus of Brandman University, 325 Mall Drive Hanford. For more information please contact Shelsy Hutchison at 559-5873446 or shutchis@brandman.edu March 5: Student Art Show Opens, 4-6pm Tulare Historical Museum will open its annual Student Art Show with a reception for the students and their families at the Heritage Art Gallery, 444 W. Tulare Ave. The show will run through April 4. For information, visit tularehistoricalmuseum.org.

March 6-7: 10th Annual Father Daughter Dance, 6-9pm Visalia Parks and Recreation have named the theme for this year’s Father Daughter Dance as “The Rockin’ 50s” and it is a sock hop for girls ages 4-16. Live music, finger foods and complimentary photograph.

Cost is $50 per couple, $25 per additional guest. The event will be held at the Visalia Convention Center. For information, visit liveandplayvisalia.com.

March 7 & 8: Tulare Sci-Fi Con A pop-culture convention that welcomes all genres will be held at the International Agri-Center to benefit the Tulare Library Children’s Section. Vendors, artists fan groups and others can download exhibitor applications at tularescificon.org. For information, visit facebook.com/tularescificon.

March 7: Selma Swap Meet, 6am-3pm The 9th annual Selma Swap, known as a “big boy toy” swap meet, will be held at the Selma Flea Market at Highway 99 and Mountain View Avenue. The event features cars, boats, go-carts, new and antique car parts, motorcycle parts and more, along with food booths and a variety of collectibles. Parking is free; admission is $5 per person. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. For directions and details, visit selmaswap.com or call 896-3243 March 7: Porterville College Athletic Hall of Fame, 5:30pm Dr. Horace Mitchell, president of CSU Bakersfield, will be the featured speaker at the Porterville College Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner. Tickets are $50, $275 for a table of six or $350 for a table of eight. For information, call 791-2319.

March 7: Dinner, Dance & Silent Auction, 5:30-11pm Sponsored by the Central Valley Vietnam Veterans, dine and dance the night away at the Visalia Veteran’s Memorial Building. No-host cocktails can be enjoyed from 5:50-6:30, followed by dinner at 7:00.

Between 8 and 11, dance to the sounds of Soul Patrol. Tickets are $35/person or $280/table. For more information or tickets, call 559-684-0552.6:00 pm - 10:00 pm March 7: Dreambuilders’ Masquerade Bash, 6-10pm

Come out and support ImagineU at the 3rd annual Dreambuilders’ Bash at the Moulin Rouge. This event will be held at the Visalia Country Club. Join the Masquerade Party, enjoy interactive entertainment and don’t forget to try your luck at the roulette wheel for exciting prizes.

Cocktails from 6 - 7, Dinner at 7:00.

Silent and Live auction. For more information call 559-733-5972.

March 7: Visalia Elks Lodge #1298 Annual Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting, 6-9pm Join the Elks for their 11th annual fundraiser. 100% of the proceeds are split between CASA of Tulare County and the Elks Purple Pig charity, which provides no-cost physical and speech therapy for children (one does not need to be an Elks member to benefit from this service). Tickets are $30 per person. For more information call Laurel Flores 559.284.0044 or laurelb@ lightspeed.net.

March 7: Eroica, 7:30pm Old and new meet in this Tulare County Symphony Orchestra concert with Beethoven’s “Eroica” combined with today’s hottest living composers like Tan Dan’s “You Tube Symphony.” The concert will be held at the Visalia Fox Theatre. For information, visit tularecountysymphony. com.

March 9: Great Conversations--TBA, 4-5:30pm A discussion TBA will take place on the COS main campus in Hospital Rock 133.

March 12: Tulare Kings Mensa Meeting, 5:30pm The South Valley’s high IQ society, will meet at Panera Bread (near Target), 4103 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, on Thursday, March 12, at 5:30pm, for coffee, bagels, sandwiches and conversation. Prospective members encouraged to attend. For more info, call (559) 280-9774.

March 13 & 14: World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series and USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be held at Thunderbowl Raceway at Tulare Fairgrounds. For information, visit www. thunderbowlraceway.com.

March 13-15, 19-22: The Addams Family, 7:30pm except 15 & 22 (2pm matinee) COS Music Theatre presents The Addams Family. General admission $24; Students and Seniors, $20. Visit costheatre.org or call 559-730-3907.

March 14: Mensa Testing Session, 10am-noon American Mensa Chair Dan Burg will conduct the Mensa Test in the Purple Room of the Tulare Public Library in Visalia on Saturday, March 14, from 10am to noon.

The fee for the proctored IQ testing session --an opportunity to find out how smart you really are --is $40 and reservations are required. For more info, call (559) 2809774.

March 14: Noche de Cultura, 6-10pm The Professional Latin American Associa-

tion presents a night of culture featuring the “Mexican Muralism Movement” at the Civic Auditorium in Hanford. There will be dinner, awards, a cultural fashion show and a silent auction. All proceeds beneft Kings CASA. Tickets--which include dinner--are $50 each. For tickets or more information call (559) 582-7515.

Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main St., Visalia. For information, visit foxvisalia.org.

March 14: Dave Stamey, 7pm Mavericks Coffee House will celebrate its 12th anniversary with a concert featuring Dave Stamey. Tickets are $30. For information, visit maverickscoffeehouse.com.

March 24: Children’s Book Drive, 11am-5pm At the Exeter library children’s books will be the focus of a book drive, but other donations-- paperbacks, hardcovers, magazines & the like--would also be appreciated.

March 15: “Reliance” 6pm The First Baptist Church of Dinuba is pleased to be hosting a Southern Gospel music concert on Sunday March 15, 2015 at 6:00pm featuring “Reliance”. This trio sings both conventional Southern Gospel and includes more modern “gospel” songs they have written themselves! Last but not least one of the trio plays an awesome piano. Their music ministry brings praise and worship of our Lord. Free admission! A free-will offering will be taken for the ministry of Reliance. For more information, please call Dennis at (559) 643-0676.

March 16: An Irish Hooley, 6:30pm Seven musicians of Slugger O’Toole and step dances from the Kerry Dance Troupe will perform at the Visalia Fox Theater.

Tickets, $19-$35, are available at foxvisalia.org.

March 17: American Legion Post 100 Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, 5-pm At 411 W. D Street in Lemoore. Tickets--$10 per person--available until March 10. Call 639-3934 or 707-4840.

March 20: 7th Annual Visalia Chamber Leadership Golf Tournament, 10:30am Registration begins at 10:30am at the Valley Oaks Golf Course, with a 12:01pm Shotgun Start of 4-person scrambles. Practice balls, cart & green fees included, and lunch is provided. 20% off at Pro Shop on golf day only. Raffle tickets $1 each or 6 for $5.00; Mulligan $5 each--limit 2; Bumpup $5 each--per player, entire team must participate.1st Place, $500; 2nd Place, $200; 3rd Place, $100.

March 20: 26th Annual Friday Night Live Lip Sync Contest, 6-9pm The Tulare County Office of Education sponsors a lip sync contest broken down into four categories: lip sync, dance, showcase and novelty. For more information visit Gene at genem@tcoe.org March 21 & 22: Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show, 10am The 7th Annual Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show will be held at Trinity Hall, 470 Champion St., Lemoore. Food, beverages, door prizes, kids activities and gems and minerals from around the world are featured. For information, call 309-3433.

March 21: Spring Kids Fest, 12-3:30pm Kids can enjoy rides, special performances and games at Hidden Valley Park. Admission is $3 prior to and $5 on the day of the event. For more info and performance schedules visit www.cityofhanfordca.com March 21: The Count Basie Orchestra, 7:30pm The 19-piece orchestra will perform at the

March 23: Great Conversations-- excerpts from Pensées, 4-5:30pm A discussion of this Great Work by Pascal will take place on the COS main campus in Hospital Rock 133.

March 27 to May 22: Personal Finance, 3-5pm The Visalia Branch Library will offer classes on “Stretching the Food Dollar” every other Friday in the Blue Room. Registration is not required.

March 28: 2nd Annual Library For London 5K/Kids’ 1K & Festival, 8:30am Join us for our 2nd Annual Library for London 5K/Kid’s 1K and Festival on Saturday March 28th, 2015 at 8:30 AM in our beautiful community of London, CA. March 28: Hanford Carnegie Museum League “Homes of Distinction” Tour, 4:30-8pm From 4:30-6pm there will be a reception at the museum, after which--between 6 & 8pm--there will be a home tour throughout Hanford. Tickets are $40 single and $75 for couples, available at the museum, 109 E. 8th Street, Hanford, or at 5841367. Check and credit card accepted. The event is a benefit for the museum.

APRIL April 13: Great Conversations--“Self Reliance”, 4-5:30pm A discussion of this Great Work by Emerson will take place on the COS main campus in Hospital Rock 133.

April 15 to April 18: Anything Goes Golden West High School will present the classical musical about the age-old tale of boy meets girl. More than 115 students will participate. For information, visit www.vusd.org April 17 to 26: The Fantastic Mr. Fox The Enchanted Playhouse presents “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” The play will be presented on Friday and Saturday at 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm at Main Street Theatre, 307 E. Main, Visalia. For information, visit enchantedplayhouse.org.

April 17: 2nd Annual Hands In the Community Golf Tournament, 12-5pm Hands in the Community will hold its second annual golf tournament at Valley Oaks Golf Course. Lunch provided. Raffle Tickets, Mulligan, Putting contest extra. $400.00 per Golf Team 1 Hole Sponsor $150.00 2 Hole Sponsor $250.00. For more information contact Lester Moon 559-625-3822.

24 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Sports Continuing to Overcome Stefan Barros Tulare Western soccer player, Anyssa Dominguez, had to go through a good deal of adversity to get to where she is now--officially, a St. Mary’s College Gael. Dominguez recently signed her Letter of Intent.

But, the adversity that she faced could have jeopardized her opportunity to play soccer at the college level.

In April 2014, during a game, Dominguez tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in her knee. At that moment, she thought her future playing soccer was in doubt.

“Right when it happened I cried,” she said, “I didn’t know if St. Mary’s would stick with me, I was just waiting for a phone call with them telling me they wanted to spend their money on a player that would be healthy.”

While rehabilitation has tested her patience, Dominguez understands that it’s something she has to do.

“The process has been slow and grueling. I can’t play until April, so I have to be mentally strong. Once I get on the field again I want to make sure I don’t get hurt again. I don’t want to wrong move when I’m on the field,” she said.

Dominguez expanded about her knee injury, speaking specifically of whether or not she initially felt that she would be able to play again.

“I knew I could come back,” she said, “but it was matter of if I was willing to come back. I didn’t know if I wanted to go through all the rehab, but my parents stood by me the entire time.”

Even though Dominguez just signed her letter of intent to play Division 1 college soccer, the game hasn’t always come easy to her. She began to build on her successes after scoring her first goal.

“I wasn’t very good at all when I Anyssa Dominguez started playing after quitting ballet, but then I scored a goal, then another goal, then another goal, and I started to gain confidence in what I could do,” she said.

It was while playing club soccer at around 10-years-old, Dominguez realized that she was a little better than her competition out on the pitch.

“Once I hit club soccer, and was playing against better competition and was doing well, I realized that I was pretty good,” she said.

When the recruiting process began, Dominguez, admitted, it was a little

stressful.

“In the beginning it was a little stressful because my teammates were receiving interest and I was just waiting for emails from coaches, and I was playing in college showcases for my club team in Danville, so there were a lot of college coaches attending these games,” she said. “After a while though, coaches became interested in my game.”

Through the recruiting process, Dominguez always saw St. Mary’s as the frontrunner, but she also received interest from such schools as the University of Hawaii and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The University of Santa Clara became interested toward the end of recruitment.

Once Dominguez talked with the head coach at St. Mary’s and visited the campus in Moraga, California, she knew it was the place for her, “When I visited I fell in love with the area and the people there. It’s a small school and it’s secluded, so they have a real family atmosphere, a lot like the atmosphere here at Western.”

When Dominguez steps on the St.

Mary’s campus in the fall, she will have some big goals she would like to accomplish—not just goals on the soccer field, but important classroom objectives.

“When I’m there, I want to eventually work my way into Med school so that I can become an anesthesiologist,” she said. “If I get an opportunity to play soccer after college on an international team, I’ll take it, but I want to make sure that I have a career.”

But Dominguez is also more than willing to work hard on the field.

“I want to prove myself, and try to break some freshman records at St. Mary’s,” she said.

To this end, Dominguez will rely on her strengths, which, she says, involve outworking her opponents and encouraging teammates.

“I just don’t give up out there. I just keep trying harder and I always pick my team up,” she added.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dominguez discussed some of her weaknesses or aspects of her game she would like to work on.

“I could have better awareness on the field. Have a better feel of where to be at the right time,” she said.

But Dominguez maintains a positive attitude.

“Through this rehab I just have to stay patient and be mentally strong.”

Kasey Nichols Named 2015 Porterville College Hall of Fame Recipient The Porterville College Foundation would like to congratulate Kasey Nichols for being chosen as the 2015 PC Athletic Alumni Hall of Fame recipient. She will be honored along with her fellow inductees at the Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on March 7 at the River Island Country Club in Porterville.

Nichols, a Springville native, played two seasons of softball (2008 and 2010) while attending PC. Both years she was selected as First Team All-Conference.

Nichols also received the designation of All-No Cal Athlete; also in 2010, and she was selected as the MVP and was picked as the Female Sophomore Athlete

of the Year.

After PC, Nichols transferred to Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Adult Fitness and Exercise Science, with a Minor in Biology.

She now serves as a preschool sports coach, as well as a Health and Wellness Coach in Denver.

The Alumni Hall of Fame award recognizes former Porterville College students who have made outstanding contributions to both their professions and their communities; these alumni embody the highest standards of excellence. The 2015 Distinguished Alumni is

Dr. Robert Aguilar. The event’s featured speaker will be California State University Bakersfield President, Dr. Horace Mitchell. Induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame is the highest honor given to alumni by the Porterville College Foundation. Congratulations to all inductees and their families.

Social hour is at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 each, $275 for a table of six, and $350 for a table of eight. Seating is limited and will sell out fast. Get your tickets today by calling the Foundation Office at 791-2319, from any PC Foundation Board member, or by calling 784-5300.

Racing Returns to Thunderbowl in March Gary Thomas It’s become an annual tradition to open the season at Tulare’s Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series(WOO) invading the one-third mile clay oval. This year’s version of the weekend, however, adds even more excitement as the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series (KWS) will co-sanction each night with the “Greatest Show on Dirt” on Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14.

This coming season is the 12th overall year that Thunderbowl Raceway will host the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. The inaugural event occurred in September of 2003, when 20-time series champion Steve Kinser of Bloomington, Indiana scored the victory over Aliquippa, Pennsylvania’s Tim Shaffer and local favorite Jason Meyers from Clovis, CA. In five of the past six years there has been at least one California native who has

tasted victory in the World of Outlaws in Tulare.

The double-header last season saw Rutherford, CA’s Rico Abreu race to his first career World of Outlaws victory during the final night. The always hardcharging driver also claimed a wins at the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in Chico, the Wine Country Classic at Calistoga Speedway and the Gold Country Shootout in Placerville.

The WOO win was Abreu’s fourth career victory at the Thunderbowl, which is also the track he earned his first KWS triumph at in 2012. The now 23-year-old will be in action both nights in Tulare.

One of the more accomplished WOO drivers at Thunderbowl Raceway happens to be Brownsburg, Indiana’s Joey Saldana, who will return to the track aboard his Motter Motorsports No. 71m Sprint Car. The veteran competitor

has claimed four WOO features at the Tulare-based facility, which ranks as the most of any driver. Saldana last season raced to seven WOO wins and ended the campaign fifth in the final standings.

The KWS hosted four events last season at Thunderbowl Raceway, with wins picked off by Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Chico’s Kyle Hirst & Jonathan Allard, as well as Australian James McFadden. In addition to March 13 and 14, KWS will be in action three more times at the one-third mile clay oval this season. Those events include the Chris and Brian Faria Memorial on May 16, the Peter Murphy Classic on July 25 and the KRC Safety Fall Shootout on October 10. The March weekend awards KWS drivers & teams show up points, with the first full-point event taking place in Placerville on April 4.

The upcoming season marks the 30th anniversary since the Golden State/ KWS came into existence. It will also be

the second full season contested with the direction and leadership of John Prentice and Brent Kaeding, who assumed management of the series at the end of 2013. Along with the Tulare weekend, the KWS will also be co-sanctioning the WOO double header at the Calistoga Speedway on Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12.

“It’s going to be a big year for the King of the West Series, and co-sanctioning the races at Tulare and Calistoga with the World of Outlaws certainly increases the growing competition between the King of the West racers and the Outlaws,” said John Prentice of KWS & Prentice Motorsports Group.

“Our drivers and teams in California have performed great the last handful of years when the World of Outlaws have come to town, so partnering up is a big deal. We hope all the fans that come to Tulare in March will see just how much

THUNDERBOWL continued on 25 »

Valley Voice • 25

19 February, 2015

Great Conversations

At the February 3 Supervisors’ meeting, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted to lease a piece of property in London to establish their new library.

“The Library for London project is a community organization whose vision is to bring a public library to the community of London,” according to Mary Lindsay, Tulare County assistant administrative officer. It has worked in cooperation with the Citizens for a Better London, the Tulare County Library Foundation and the County of Tulare and has successfully pursued donations for the project. In addition, the Library for London organization has accepted a 24 x 40-foot modular building, donated by the Dinuba School District, to be used as a future public library. Today’s lease agreement provides for the use of the ideally located parcel measuring 15,594 square feet.”

“Capital Projects will be overseeing the installation of the modular building and infrastructure improvements to get the library site in a condition to open and operate,” Lindsay said. “There is a substandard residential structure on the property that will be removed by the Resource Management Agency within the next 30 days. In conjunction with the removal and clearing of the project site, Capital Projects will schedule a scoping meeting with the new Librarian to finalize improvements to the property.

“We expect the project to include moving the donated building to a concrete pad, doing the necessary utility connections, parking, permanent bathrooms, landscaping, lighting and fencing. We expect to begin construction on this project no later than July of this year with the project being completed in September, 2015.”

The agreement is with Cary Joslin, for a five-year lease at $350 per month with an annual 3% increase. It includes the option of two additional five-year terms.

The Library for London Project was spearheaded by former resident Robert Isquierdo, Jr., currently a teacher in Santa Clarita who wanted to give back to his home community.

According to the Kingsburg Recorder, Isquierdo said, “I want to bring a fully functional library to London. I’ve always wanted to give back to London and just didn’t know how. But because I’m an

English teacher and in education, I understand the importance of literacy and libraries.”

He hopes that the library will be a beacon in a town with a dark reputation of poverty and crime, he said.

London, a community of 2134, is situated about eight miles southeast of Kingsburg inside the boundaries of Tulare County. There is no public bus system or school, and children attend Kings River Elementary and Dinuba High School.

Because there are no community services in London, the children have no place to go for after school activities, study or use a computer. The library will service the community and the approximately 500 outlying residents with a place for students to access a computer or study. The library will also offer a 24hour kiosk where anyone can check out a book.

S u pervisor S t e v e Wo r t h ley credited former Tulare County head librarian Jeff Scott as recognizing the importance of incorporating the little library into the county’s system. Because the London Library was taken on as a branch of the Tulare County library system, the county is buying the community a new inventory of books.

Accept donated, used books will be offered for resale. All books that Isquierdo received as donations, were donated to several needy public schools throughout the Valley. It is projected that the library will be open just a few days a week to begin with, but will be a huge asset to a very small community.

While the library is projected to open this summer, Isquierdo has been organizing “large scale, positive events” in London to draw local Valley residents to the community. The 2nd Annual Library for London 5K Run and Festival is scheduled for Saturday March 28. This year’s event will also include a kids’ 1K Fun Run as well as music, food and live entertainment.

To register online go to https://www. signmeup.com/site/online-eventregistration/106129. To register in person go to Sole 2 Soul running stores in Visalia or Fresno. For additional information visit www.libraryforlondon.com, or contact Rob Isquierdo at 818 482-8140.

RaceSaver Sprint Car Series will com- March weekend to open the season pete in Tulare seven times throughout at Thunderbowl Raceway,” said prothe season. moter Steve Faria.

Tickets for the “Adding the King March 13 and 14 of the West Series double header are with the World of available by contactOutlaws should ing the box office at guarantee one of 559-688-0909. All the best fields of seating is reserved Winged 410 Sprint for the weekend Cars we’ve ever seen with Bleacher tickhere. Having the Sprint cars in action at the Thunderbowl. ets being $40 and USAC West Coast Grandstands being Photo courtesy Thunderbowl Raceway.

Wingless 360’s both $45. More info and nights will be great a seating chart can be found online at as well. Fans will truly have the best of www.thunderbowlraceway.com both worlds each night, so I can’t think “We’re really excited about the of a better way to kick-off the year. The

number of quality teams we’ll have in the pit area is going to be pretty special and we can’t wait to see it.”

Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare, California. From the junction of SR 99 and SR 137, go west on SR 137. At South K go south one-half mile to the Fairgrounds.

Camping is also available at the fairgrounds located off turns three and four.

Information on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series can be found online at www.woosprint.com and info on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at www.kwssprints. com.

Prometheus Bound: A Question of Justice Joseph R. Teller The Greek tragedy Prometheus Bound was likely written by Aeschylus, one of the founders of western drama.

Aeschylus lived during the golden age of Greece, and fought in the Persian wars (c. 490-80 BC). Written late in Aeschylus’s life and likely the first work of an unfinished trilogy, Prometheus Bound explores themes familiar to anyone who has read Greek philosophy: the questions of justice, of free will and of the nature of the gods.

As the play opens, Prometheus is chained to a rocky crag in the Caucasus, a punishment inflicted upon him by the new supreme god, Zeus, who has recently led a successful uprising against old Kronos, Zeus’ own father. Prometheus has committed a terrible crime against the gods: he has stolen fire from Hephaestus, the gods’ blacksmith, and has given it to humanity out of pity and love. This compassionate act has thwarted Zeus’s plan to destroy the human race and create a new one.

But by giving humanity fire, Prometheus has also given them civilization and hope; he has, as Zeus’s henchman, Might, describes it, “plunder[ed] the gods’ privileges and give[n] them to creatures of a day.” Thus, at Zeus’ decree, Prometheus will be chained until he bends to Zeus’ power.

Prometheus spends the rest of the play debating the Chorus and various other characters who visit him. Eventually, we learn that Prometheus (whose name means “foresight”) foresees Zeus’ own future downfall, knowledge which he hopes to use to force Zeus to release him. But once Prometheus refuses to give Zeus’ messenger, Hermes, the infor-

Thunderbowl Continued from p. 24

talent we have on the local level and will return to the track when we are there during the rest of the season.”

Also competing both nights at the Thunderbowl in March will be the Wingless Sprints of the USAC West Coast 360 Series. The action last season at Thunderbowl Raceway was dominated by Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, who captured multiple main events. Bernal is expected to pull double duty in March, competing with both classes. The Saturday finale will also see the new Western RaceSaver Sprints make their debut. The

London Library Becomes a Reality

mation, Hermes decrees that Zeus will intensify and prolong Prometheus’ tortures.

Prometheus ultimately refuses to acquiesce to Zeus’ will, and in the last lines of the play, as Prometheus is being consumed by fire, he cries out in words that serve as the crux of the play, “O sky that circling brings the light to all, / you see me, how I suffer, how unjustly.”

We began our discussion with these haunting lines, since they beg us to ask the question, “Does Prometheus deserve what he gets?” This is a profound question for all of us, for it makes us ponder the nature of justice: is justice something that transcends the commands of a god?

Is justice merely a function of political power? Or is it something beyond politics? And if it is indeed something that transcends politics, then what is its foundation? The play similarly explores free will: if, as Prometheus tells us, even Zeus “cannot escape what is fated,” then what does it mean to reward or punish anyone for his or her actions?

Our group seemed most fascinated with the political dimensions of the play, seeing Aeschylus’ own experiences with tyrannical governments at the heart of the text: is Zeus merely a tyrant? Is he in fact unworthy of any divine title?

Does he rule by justice, or does he rule, as the Chorus says, “by a tyrant’s private laws?”

And finally, what does it mean to be free? Does freedom lie in doing whatever one fancies, like Zeus, perhaps? Or is freedom something internal, something found, for instance, in one’s ability to resist coercion even while suffering imprisonment and torture? In the end, is it Zeus, a supreme god whose time is limited, who is free?

Or is it rather Prometheus, who, despite his shackles, steadfastly resists his tormentor until the end?

If you are interested in joining the Great Conversations discussion group at COS, please email Dr. Joseph Teller at josepht@cos.edu

Catherine Doe

26 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Health FHCN Welcomes New Dentist to Woodlake Health Kaweah Delta Hospice Recognized as We Honor Center Veterans Partner ley. Dr. Tam has several years of volunteer and work experience offering dental Family HealthCare Network is services in the health center setting. pleased to announce StelDr. Tam is accepting new la Tam, DMD as the newest patients at FHCN’s Woodlake addition to its provider team Health Center, located at 201 in Woodlake. Dr. Tam will E. Lakeview Ave. To schedpractice out of the Woodlake ule an appointment with Health Center, offering denFamily HealthCare Network, tal care for both children and please call 1-877-960-3426 adults.

(FHCN) or visit www.fhcn.

Dr. Tam completed her org for more information. The Doctor of Dental Medicine at health center is open Monday Western University of Health Stella Tam, DMD through Friday, 7:00 AM to Sciences College of Dental 9:00 PM and Saturdays, from Medicine and also holds her 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berk-

Staff Reports

Family HealthCare Network Welcomes Newest Providers in Visalia Muniz completed his Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the University Family HealthCare Network of California, Davis, and has more than (FHCN) is pleased to an10 years of experience in the nounce Sara E. Taylor, WHNP, family practice and outpaand Gerardo Muniz, PA-C, tient clinical setting. Muniz is as the newest additions to its also bilingual, speaking fluent provider team in Visalia. As a Spanish.

Women’s Health Nurse PractiTaylor and Muniz are tioner, Taylor will offer womaccepting new patients at en’s health services for patients FHCN’s downtown Visalia of FHCN’s Visalia School AvSchool Avenue and Visaenue Health Center. Muniz, a lia Oak Health Centers. To Physician Assistant, will offer Sara E. Taylor, schedule an appointment family medicine services for WHNP with Family HealthCare Netpatients of FHCN’s Visalia work, please contact 1-877Oak Health Center.

960-3426 (FHCN) or visit Taylor completed her www.fhcn.org for more inforMaster of Science in Nursmation. ing with special emphasis The Visalia School Avein Women’s Health at Case nue Health Center is located Western Reserve University at 401 E. School Avenue; the in Cleveland, OH. Taylor also Visalia Oak Health Center holds her Bachelor of Science is located at 400 E. Oak Avin Nursing, and is a member enue. The health centers are of the National Association of open Monday through FriNurse Practitioners in Women’s Health day, 7am to 9pm and Saturdays, from Fresno Medical Inc. (NPWH), as well asNephrology the American Col7am to Group, 5pm. lege of Nurse Midwives.

Staff Reports

STEVE SU, M.D.

STEVEN B. LEVY, M.D.

JOSEPH C. DUFLOT, M.D.

ANURADHA SURI, M.D.

HARPREET DHINDSA, M.D.

YANGMING CAO, M.D.

Fresno Nephrology Medical Group, Inc.

MEI HWANG, M.D.

SUKHVIR S. ATWAL, M.D.

HEMANT DHINGRA, M.D. GREGORY MARTINEZ, M.D.

STEVE SU, M.D.

STEVEN B. LEVY, M.D.

JASJIT JOSEPH SINGH, M.D. C. DUFLOT, M.D.

ANURADHA SURI, M.D.

HARPREET DHINDSA, M.D.

YANGMING CAO, M.D.

MEI HWANG, M.D.

HEMANT DHINGRA, M.D.

SUKHVIR S. ATWAL, M.D. JASJIT SINGH, M.D.

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Irony report: deadline on the health page February 26, 2015

It may surprise many people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are veterans. To help provide care and support that reflects the important contributions made by these men and women, Kaweah Delta Hospice has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans.

We Honor Veterans is a campaign developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. As a We Honor Veterans Partner, Kaweah Delta Hospice is: • Educating its staff to help identify veterans and determine if there are benefits to which the veteran and surviving dependents may be entitled.

• Providing resources to its staff and volunteers about resources to promote veteran-centric educational activities, increase organizational capacity to serve veterans and increase access to veterans.

“By recognizing the unique needs of our nation’s veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, we’ll be better able to guide veterans and their families toward a more peaceful ending,” said Susan Buscaglia, MSN, RN, director of Kaweah Delta Hospice. “In cases where there are specific needs related to the veteran’s military service, we’ll have tools to

Staff Reports help support and care for them.”

The We Honor Veterans campaign provides tiered recognition to organizations that demonstrate a systematic commitment to improving care for veterans.

“Partners” can assess their ability to serve veterans and, using resources provided as part of the campaign, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans into their organization.

Kaweah Delta Hospice is a not-forprofit healthcare organization dedicated to helping patients with end-of-life comfort care wherever they live in Tulare County--at home, in a residential care facility, or at a skilled nursing facility. Families consistently rate the care provided

by Kaweah Delta Hospice as excellent, according to the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care Survey. The organization works to relieve pain and other symptoms, as well as provide emotional support and spiritual counseling. Patients and their families are offered a variety of services designed to cover every aspect of their lives including a physician, a nurse, a home health aide, a chaplain, a social worker and bereavement follow up.

For more information, visit www. kaweahdelta.org or follow Kaweah Delta on Twitter and Facebook.

4th Annual Downtown Visalia Wine & Cheese Walk Come down and enjoy one of the best Downtown Visalia events! The 4th Annual Wine & Cheese Walk, sponsored by Avedian Properties and Central Valley Community Bank, will take place on Thursday, April 2nd from 6:00 to 9:00pm.

This is a wonderful opportunity to gather friends, enjoy the fantastic hospitality from downtown merchants and discover a new favorite winery.

Ticket purchase includes: * A commemorative 2015 wine glass. * Ticket to taste wines in 25 participating downtown merchant locations DHINGRA, M.D. duringHEMANT the course of the evening. * Flavorful California and Artisan cheeses will be paired with the wines and other creative appetizers will be served.

HEMANT DHINGRA, M.D. * Listen to live music while enjoying a stroll around downtown.

Staff Reports Tickets may be reserved with a Visa, Master Card, American Express or PayPal online at www.downtownvisalia.com, or by calling 559.732.7737. The Downtown Visalians office is located at 119 S. Church Street, between Main and Acequia. Tickets are $35 before March 20th and $40 after March 20th. You must be 21 to participate in tastings. I.D.’s will be checked and wristbands issued to those 21 and older only. Wine glasses, wristbands and tickets will be available the day of the event near the Visalia Fox Theatre on Encina and at the Marriott Hotel.

For more information, visit www.

DowntownVisalia.com or contact Christi Metzner, events manager, 559732-7737.

Family HealthCare Network Welcomes Hanford’s Newest Physician Assistant Family HealthCare Network is Staff Reports pleased to announce Nora Melissa Marand is also certified by the tin, PA-C as the newest adDepartment of Transpordition to its provider team tation National Registry of in Hanford. As a physician Certified Medical Examiners. assistant, Martin will offer Martin is accepting new family medicine services for patients at FHCN’s Hanford patients of FHCN’s Hanford Health Center, located at 329 Health Center.

West 8th Street, Suite 101.

Martin completed her To schedule an appointMaster of Physician Assistant ment with Family HealthStudies at the University of Care Network, please conKentucky College of Health tact 1-877-960-3426 or visit Sciences and also holds her Nora Melissa Martin, www.fhcn.org for more inBachelor of Science in BiolPA-C formation. The health cenogy from Eastern Kentucky ter is open Monday through University. Martin is board certified by the National Commission Friday, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Saturon Certification of Physician Assistants days, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Valley Voice • 27

19 February, 2015

Agriculture Lasting Drought A Hot Topic at World Ag Expo Dave Adalian The stunning blue skies spreading over the 2015 World Ag Expo may have charmed visitors from around the world at the International Agri-Center in Tulare last week, but it was an ironically cheerful reminder California remains caught in a devastating drought.

“That’s what people want to talk to us about,” said Derek Couch, sales representative for Canadian ag equipment manufacturer Bron. Couch and the company’s product design leader, Mike Ross, manned the company’s booth in one of the huge, chaotic exposition buildings, showing Bron’s Subsurface Water Retention Technology. The system, developed at Michigan State University, promises a 50 percent reduction in water use while doubling crop yields using a buried plastic sheet, Ross said.

The system, SWRT, uses specialized equipment now in prototype to place a poly-film membrane 1 to 2 feet below the surface of fields or orchards. Water is trapped at what Ross said is an ideal location for root systems, and the installation is permanent.

“It’s there for life,” he said. “If you’re holding the water at 1 to 2 feet, that’s ideal for the plants.”

Because crops planted using SWRT use less of their energy to build a root system, Couch said, they see an increase in production. The company is currently working on three test grows with the

University of Arizona, including farms in Yuma, Arizona, and in the Coachella Valley. Ross said he is traveling this week to the Middle East to pitch Bron’s water-saving products in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

In another of the crowed exhibit halls, Tim Anson, owner of Bakersfield-based AgriGator, was demonstrating his company’s chief product, a soil additive he said changes the chemistry of the ground to produce “a 50 percent savings in water retention,” as well as producing a healthier crop.

“It attaches to negative charges in the clay,” he said, adding that the product allows the ground to expand and contract without breaking down. “You can keep soil open and arable. The moisture stays available.”

Anson used a model of the topsoil to prove his point. The display he activated with a sudden, heavy spray of water demonstrated his product’s effectiveness, as in a side-by-side comparison more liquid mixed with organic materials leeched away from the untreated soil sample.

The product, “a linear molecule, a polymer,” has been available since 1995.

Locally, Paramount Citrus uses the company’s product, Anson said, and as the drought worsens, interest is increasing.

“We have (seen more sales) in some areas,” he said. “It used to be if you had water, you weren’t interested in saving it.”

That seems to have changed, if the

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topics covered by seminars at this year’s Expo are an indication. Expert talks and panel discussion offered tips on maximizing groundwater pump efficiency as the water table drops, returning old wells to service using new extraction technology and ranged deeply into general sustainable agricultural practices. They even touched on the use of aerial drones and similar new technology in attempts to save and manage what little water the Western United States is receiving.

All this comes against the background news that the Southwest is poised to experience droughts worse than the mega-droughts of the 12th and 13th centuries, according to computer models released this month by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Conditions could be the worst in 1,000 years and should begin during the later half of this century, the report said.

“Water scarcity is going to hurt corn at any time,” said Mark Lundy, area

agronomy advisor for the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, during a seminar on growing silage during dry conditions.

A sparse, but attentive audience, listened as Lundy and others gave farmers the results of their studies into maximizing yield while minimizing water use.

Lundy discussed how the variety of silage planted, when it is sown and how long it takes to reach maturity affects the amount of water required.

“It’s kind of interactive,” he said.

“Long” varieties, those which take the most time to reach harvest, make better use of the water in terms of yield, while planting later in the growing season, because of the shorter grow-period, uses less water overall. Planting “short” varieties late in the season produced the best results, he said.

“That’s your best bet for saving water,” Lundy told those in attendance.

Market Disruption in Agriculture When one looks for what is commonly referred to as a “Market Disruptor” in neighboring Silicon Valley, most would not look to agriculture.

Yet agriculture is poised for massive market disruption and World Ag Expo 2015 was the stage to see it.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (e.g. “drones”), satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies for water, moisture, soil, nutrient, and pest information were

Scott Heller just the beginning. The “big data” generated from all of these developments soon will drive the need for data management solutions and next generation analytics, where, based on this information, agribusiness professionals (and/or artificial intelligence) will be able to manage operations through such tools as precision

DISRUPTION continued on 28 »

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28 • Valley Voice

19 February, 2015

Disruption

National Cattle Inventory Rises Staff Reports As of January 1, there were 89.8 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms, according to the Cattle report published on January 30 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This is the first increase in U.S. herd inventory since 2007.

Other key findings in the report were: • There are 29.7 million beef cows in the United States as of January 1, 2015, up 2% from 2014.

• The number of milk cows in the United States increased to 9.3 million.

• U.S. calf crop was estimated at 33.9 million

head, up 1% from 2013.

• Of the 89.8 million cattle and calves, 39.0 million were all cows and heifers that have calved.

• All cattle on feed increased to 13.1 million, up 1% from 2014.

To obtain an accurate measurement of the current state of the U.S. cattle industry, NASS surveyed more than 38,200 operators across the nation during the first half of January. NASS interviewers collected the data by mail, telephone, internet, and through faceto-face personal interviews. NASS asked all participating producers to report their cattle inventories as of January 1, 2015.

The semiannual Cattle report and all other NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

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Market disruption, however, does not happen in a vacuum. Large corporations are generally too large and bureaucratic Continued from p. 27 irrigation, precision fertilizer application, to internally generate disruptive technolGPS guided crop spraying and robotics. ogy. Instead, market disruption tends to Along with this technology comes a host arise from small, smart and fast-paced of other related issues, such as data priva- start-ups, even in the San Joaquin Valley.

Start-ups require key essential playcy, data ownership and network security, ers such as Silicon Valley venture capiespecially in light of network hackers. talists and intellectual property lawyers.

In addition to the market disruption caused by developments in information Indeed, Silicon Valley venture capital technology is the market disruption has already infiltrated the San Joaquin caused by developments in the life scienc- Valley, as evidenced by venture capitalist powerhouses es. Microbial Kleiner Persolutions for kins Caufield pest and soil & Byers and management Draper Fishare gaining er Jurvetson traction. The funding Visadramatically lia based alreduced cost ternative fuel of sequencing d e v e l o p e r, a human geEdeniq, Inc. nome equally One key applies to the player in the dramatically The intersection of intellectual property and Silicon Valreduced cost agriculture. ley start-up of sequencing crop and animal genomes. environment that was present at World Thinking ahead, even more fasciAg Expo 2015 was the Menlo Park law nating is the intersection of agriculturally driven bioinformatics and human firm of Carr & Ferrell, LLP. A full serdriven bioinformatics. For example, a vice firm, Carr & Ferrell, LLP has properson may currently have access to his vided intellectual property support to or her genomic data, blood-based data such start-ups as Facebook. According and daily metrics that are automatical- to Carr & Ferrell, LLP Senior Counsel ly uploaded to the Internet by way of Brian Bathurst, “We are excited to be human sensors, such as exercise watches an exhibitor at World Ag Expo 2015. and networked bathroom scales. Human There is a wealth of innovation on disnutrient deficiencies and issues such as play, some of which we have already increased susceptibility to a particular undertaken to protect, such as that of disease may be readily identified and Tillage Management, Inc. for their litremedied by a personalized diet based on eral ground-breaking product, the OPspecifically identified crop and animal TIMIZER. We have been meeting some products. Moreover, such data may mo- of the technology driven companies at tivate the biological modification of crop World Ag Expo 2015 and discussing and animal products to make them more how we may protect their investment in beneficial for human consumption. developing their intellectual property.”