Valley Voice Issue 85 (19 January, 2017)

Volume XXXVII No. 2 • 19 January, 2017

www.ourvalleyvoice.com

FUSD Hires New Crossing Guard in Light of Recent Accidents Nancy Vigran In a series of unfortunate events, Farmersville suffered three accidents involving pedestrians hit by vehicles last December.

Two involved school children on their way to school in the same crosswalk, on North Farmersville Blvd. at Citrus Dr., within the same week. The other, which resulted in a fatality, occurred on Visalia Road.

The incidents involving the Freedom School children resulted in minor physical injuries – one had an injured leg, the other an injured arm. Both students were in the crosswalk, with the lights flashing – but each was running. In one case, the car had come to a full stop – the driver did not see anyone and pulled forward. The other driver was slowly moving through the crosswalk as that driver did not see anyone either, according to Farmersville Police Chief Mario Krystic.

The fatality occurred when a driver swerved to avoid a pedestrian crossing in the middle of Visalia Road without a crosswalk. The driver lost control of the car, ran up the sidewalk and struck another individual, who was killed.

Farmersville generally has a low injury-involved accident rate. In 2013, there were 16 injury accidents. In 2014, there were 18 and in 2015, there were 17, Krystic said. Of those, in 2013, three

involved a pedestrian. In 2014, two accidents involved pedestrians and, in 2015, there were three accidents involving pedestrians.

However, “any injury accident is a tragedy,” Krystic said.

The city and Farmersville Unified School District have been in discussions regarding the recent incidents. City engineers have been evaluating the area of Farmersville Blvd. and Citrus Dr. “It’s a challenging intersection,” Krystic said.

“Citrus does not align perfectly,” he explained, making a four-way stop impossible, as residents would not be able to leave their driveways.

In the meantime, the school district has added a crossing guard at that crosswalk, school day mornings and afternoons, said Superintendent Randy DeGraw. The guard was already employed as a noon-aide at the school. There had already been and continues to be a crossing guard in front of Snowden School on South Farmersville Blvd.

There has been no formal discussion regarding other potential guards anywhere else in the city, but the district will continue to work with the district on keeping the streets safe, DeGraw said.

Krystic warns those behind the wheel to always be on the lookout for pedestrians. The schools will continue to teach safety issues to their students.

Pete Vander Poel, Kuyler Crocker, and Amy Shuklian are sworn in. Catherine Doe/Valley Voice

Tulare County Supervisors Say Goodbye and Hello Catherine Doe December and January was a time to say goodbye to and welcome new board members. Phil Cox said goodbye at the December 20 Tulare County Board of Supervisors (TCBOS) meeting and Allen Ishida said his goodbyes at the January 10 meeting. Cox was recently elected to the Visalia City Council and Ishida plans on kicking off his campaign for governor next month.

Amy Shuklian beat Cox for District 3 in June, and Kuyler Crocker won a long-fought battle for District 1, Ishida’s former seat, in November. Pete Vander Poel ran unopposed for District 2. All

three were sworn in before the January 10 meeting officially started.

The first order of business was to elect a new Chair and Vice Chair. Shuklian nominated Vander Poel as Chair and Steve Worthley as Vice Chair. In Vander Poel’s usual jovial manner, he seconded the motion to the applause and laughs from the audience. This will be Vander Poel’s second stint as Chair. He added that he will be inheriting a severely dented gavel as his predecessor, Supervisor Mike Ennis, liked to bang the gavel.

Vander Poel said that he’d like to say that Ennis shepherded the county through tough times but that it’s always great in

SUPERVISORS continued on 7 »

Southern Inyo Hospital. Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice

Tulare Hospital,While in Arrears,Acted As Lender

Without board approval, hospital district extended $500,000 line of credit to Southern Inyo Hospital

In early 2016, the Tulare Local Tony Maldonado Healthcare District (TLHCD) took on an unexpected role as a financial lend- hospital was facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in past due er for a hospital in Lone Pine, invoices from a major vendor.

Calif., extending it a $500,000 The district later took out a line of credit. $800,000 line of credit to reBoth the Lone Pine hospay that particular vendor. pital and Tulare Regional Medical Center are managed

by Healthcare Conglomerate Lending Out Associates (HCCA), a Tuof One Hand lare-based company, that has Documents provided to taken over day-to-day opera- Dr. Benny Benzeevi the Voice show that on March tions and management at both Courtesy/HCCA 25, 2016, a $200,000 line of hospitals. credit was established with HCCA appears to have extended the Tulare Local Healthcare District, the line of credit to the Southern Inyo the public legal entity that Hospital without the approvruns Tulare Regional Medial of the TLHCD Board of cal Center, acting as a lender Directors. The company disto the Southern Inyo Healthputes claims the line of credit care District. Its due date was was ever kept secret from the marked as June 30, 2016. public, though no documents That line of credit was on the hospital’s website from upgraded from $200,000 to the time period the loan was $500,000, in a document datapproved appear to show the ed July 8, 2016. The July agreeexistence of the line of credit. Alan Germany. ment also extended the due As HCCA loaned Tulare’s Courtesy/HCCA date to September 30, 2016. money to the Southern Inyo Both documents were Hospital, it also profited by charging signed by three officials: Richard Fedthe Southern Inyo Hospital $3,125 to chenko, president of the SIHD Board; guarantee the loan, a fee to assume the Alan Germany, acting as Chief Restrucfinancial risk should the Southern Inyo turing Officer for SIHD; and Benny Healthcare District -- currently going Benzeevi, CEO/chairman of HCCA. through Chapter 9 municipal bankGermany also holds the titles of the ruptcy -- default on the loan. Accord- Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating to HCCA, a Southern Inyo default ing Officer for HCCA, and is also the would have simply been offset by “sub- CFO for TLHCD. stantial sums” owed by the Tulare disThere was no apparent financial risk trict to HCCA. to the Tulare district, as the loan was A signature from the Southern Inyo guaranteed by HCCA, which would Healthcare District’s (SIHD) Board take the brunt of any default by the president was present on multiple doc- Southern Inyo district. In a response to uments, but signatures from any TLH- the Voice, HCCA states the same.

CD board member were absent. HCCA “[...] there was no risk to the Tulare stated that it did not need to bring this District because the loan was fully guaritem to the board as it was not of a ma- anteed by HCCA (and the Tulare Disterial nature, nor was board approval ex- trict owed substantial sums to HCCA pressly required. against which any unpaid guaranteed Additionally, as HCCA officials amounts could be offset,” a statement inked the line of credit with SIHD -- from HCCA read. “The loan has been which has since been repaid, with interest, according to HCCA -- the Tulare TRMC continued on 8 »

2 • Valley Voice

19 January, 2017 From the Publisher’s desk

How Many Alligators, America?

Because his behavior has mostly been asinine and petulant, I’m going to couch the ascendancy of Donald Trump in terms of childhood games. So, choose your analogy: The current lamentable state of affairs can be described either as a game of two-hand touch football or of hide and seek.

Is Trump counting to 100, biding his time while we all hide before he comes after his targets individually, or is he more like the quarterback in a pick-up game of two-hand touch, watching for his receiver before the rush is allowed behind the line of scrimmage?

A long time ago--when Christ and I were kids together--we used to play twohand touch football in the cul de sac that was our street. The beauty of this was that it only required, at a minimum, four of us. And there were plenty of kids who lived on our street in those far-off days.

I say a minimum of four because a team need only consist of a quarterback and someone to throw the ball to. Times two. The quarterback could act as his own center.

We’d huddle, all of us, in the center of the street to set the rules. A parked car, say, might mark one goal line while a street light would represent the other. A hedge or driveway might be the line to make for a first down.

And we’d decide how many alligators anyone defending the quarterback would have to count aloud before actually applying the rush.

I’ve heard that other kids would count Mississippis. Both alligator and Mississippi are comprised of four syllables--requiring roughly a second to pronounce--so the idea was that, after an agreed amount of verifiable time had elapsed, the quarterback could then be chased.

The question we’re faced with now is how many alligators to count during Trump’s honeymoon. Do we place ourselves on a reactive footing, remaining vigilant, or do we run and hide?

I don’t think we have the luxury of either, all things considered, and must instead pursue the president immediately.

The hide and seek analogy, I admit, is unsound.

This reminds me of a game my siblings and I would play with--and invented by, I think--our father. Whenever he need a calm few minutes he would have us lie on the floor in any position of our choosing. The idea was the winner would be the one who held the position, silently, the longest. The game was called “starfish.”

Yes--my father is a genius.

My variation on this, with my own kids, was to revert to standard hide and seek.

“Hide,” I’d tell them.

Would I then seek?

Of course not!

But nobody is going to hide when Trump is inaugurated. Not Muslims. Not people of Color. Not women. Not journalists. We’re going to fight and we’re not counting any lousy alligators. I am heartened by the Million Women March, schedFormer congressional uled for the 21st. I am heartened by the Indivisible Guide, an instructionstaffers manual for reveal best practices for resisting what is referred to as the Trump “agenda.”making And I willCongress stand withlisten those who will feel marginalized by such a jejune president.

My own opinion doesn’t matter at all. The tipping point will come--within two years, I’ve predicted--when Trump turns the stomachs of those who now support him. He lost the popular vote by upwards of three million and, when even the Right cannot justify his behavior, it’ll be lights-out for Trump.

Want to get into the fray? Start here: — Joseph Oldenbourg

INDIVISIBLE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE

for

RESISTING THE TRUMP AGENDA

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

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

Reporters:

Catherine Doe (catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com) Dave Adalian (dave@ourvalleyvoice.com) Stefan Barros — sports (stefan@ourvalleyvoice.com) Production/Website: Tony Maldonado (tony@ourvalleyvoice.com)

Sales:

Updated on January 5, 2017

Nancy Vigran (nancy@ourvalleyvoice.com)

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19 January, 2017

Valley Voice • 3

Political Fix What are you doing the morning of January 20th?

Over one million people will be attending the presidential inauguration--and a few very excited Republicans from Kings and Tulare County will be among the attendees.

Congress plays host to the inauguration and each member of the House received 197 tickets to give to their constituents. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) also gave tickets to the Senate and Donald Trump, totaling nearly 250,000. So our local Trump supporters aren’t expecting a private box. Its standing room only.

The inauguration takes place on the west side of the Capitol Building and ticket holders have a view of the platform where President-Elect Trump will take the oath of office. Anyone can watch the inauguration from the National Mall but just to get within a half mile of the action you need a ticket.

Vern Costa and Trent Soares of Kings County were two lucky recipients of tickets from Congressman David Valadao. Republican Central Committee Member Vicki Riddle received her ticket from Congressman Devin Nunes, the last one he had.

Vern Costa didn’t wait to see who won the election before he started preparing.

He was so hyped up after attending the Republican Convention he started making plans to attend the inauguration in July. Ironically, when he called mid-sum-

Catherine Doe

mer the closest hotel available was in Virginia. But then, after all the Clinton supporters canceled their hotel reservations right after the election, he got a room for himself, brother and daughter at the Hyatt down the street from the Capitol.

I asked which inaugural ball he planned on attending. “The inaugural balls aren’t my cup of tea. I think we will do a pub crawl,” said Mr. Costa.

Mr. Soares is college friends with Mr. Valadao and Congressman Nunes’ staff.

His dad and uncle are staying at the Watergate Hotel but he is crashing at Mr. Valadao’s chief of staff’s place. He is going to go with the flow and only knows that everyone will be attending the Great Gatsby Ball at the National Portrait Museum after the inauguration.

Ms. Riddle was a lead organizer for Mr. Trump’s successful fundraiser in Tulare last August. She was part of the motorcade that brought Mr. Trump’s entourage from the Fresno Airport to the private residence where the event took place. She said before Mr. Trump got back on his plane he put his hands on her shoulders and asked “What do you think is going to happen?” She never told me what she said, but did say she was impressed with how humble Mr. Trump was during one on one encounters and how interested he was in each person that he met.

When Ms. Riddle flies into Washington DC Thursday morning she will go straight to Mr. Nunes’ office to pick up her packet. Mr. Costa said that going by the representative’s Washington DC office

was the only way to get your ticket as they weren’t handed out locally. The packet also contained suggested events which to attend but Ms. Riddle is going to play it by ear and see which balls might have room given there are always last minute cancelations. She got her reservation just a few days ago on Hotel.com and went for the most expensive place. To her surprise there were three rooms left at the Marriott at 20% off right on the parade route.

Mr. Costa explained that the inauguration tickets are color coated to designate the seven viewing areas. Each member of congress got a variety of colors to make it fair because some regions have better viewing than others. But Mr. Costa was in Washington a few weeks ago checking it out and said all the ticked areas are good spots.

So will Donald and Melania make an appearance at the Great Gatsby Ball where it seems most of the Central Valley folks will be in attendance? It is very unlikely. Mr. Trump’s Inaugural Committee chairman, Tom Barrack, told ABC News, “We’ll have basically three balls. Two in the [Washington] Convention Center, one called the Commander in Chief Ball, which is a traditional military ball. And then we’ll have a series of private dinners.”

What Mr. Costa is most looking forward to is the presidential address. “It’s a celebration of our country’s unity and a celebration of our Democracy. We sometimes take the peaceful transfer of power for granted.”

“I’m excited,” he said.

Behind the Interview

In the January 5 issue of the Valley Voice I wrote an article about Congressman Devin Nunes and his relationship with President-Elect Donald Trump. Mr. Nunes was asked to join, not only the transition team, but the executive transition team where he is part of a small group of people who advises the president.

I was impressed. Mr. Nunes was typically modest.

He was honored of course to be appointed to the transition team. But he was just as humble as ever, looking as if he could hop on a tractor or sit down with the president at any moment and advise him on the United States’ tax code.

During our several interviews over the years, it would be an understatement to say he talks over my head. It’s not like Mr. Nunes uses a string of nine dollar words or tosses around complicated sentences. He speaks in layman’s terms and repeats the concept until I understand.

Then I’ll ask a stupid question and he will repeat the whole thing again without even batting an eyelash.

I not only asked stupid questions, I put my foot in my mouth several times.

I said, “Well it’s not like you are on the Ways and Means Committee.” Well, yes he is, and the number-two member.

Then when Mr. Nunes spoke about entering Trump Towers through a back door I said, “Well it’s not like you are known nationally so no one would recognize

POLITICAL FIX continued on 5 »

4 • Valley Voice

19 January, 2017

City of Visalia to Study Its Poverty Problem Dave Adalian Visalia has a long and notorious history with poverty.

In 1938, at the height of the Great Depression, a young John Steinbeck came to the city as a reporter. Rain had been falling steadily for three weeks, and Steinbeck found thousands of families starving as flood waters rose.

“The water is a foot deep in the tents and the children are up on the beds and there is no food and no fire” he wrote of that March flood 89 years ago, “and the county has taken off all the nurses because ‘the problem is so great that we can’t do anything about it.’ So they do nothing.”

The Grapes of Wrath

The article he was to write for Life Magazine never materialized. His shock at the conditions was too great.

The work he produced instead was The Grapes of Wrath, widely considered one of the greatest works of American literature, a crystallization of the frustration at lingering poverty in the richest nation on Earth.

“When I wrote The Grapes of Wrath, I was filled with... certain angers... at people doing injustices to other people,” he later said.

Nearly a century later, those living in Tulare County still get that sense of that disquiet as they witness the degradation of humanity that surrounds us, a problem not of our making but one we must live with shoulder-to-shoulder every day.

“They’re living all over town, on

culverts, on the St. John’s River, on the sides of office buildings,” said Visalia City Council member Greg Collins.

“Anywhere you find a dark, out-of-theway place, you’ll find homeless people living there.”

Doing Something

Injustices aside, and despite the “greatness” of the problem, today’s leaders are not sitting idle. Collins won’t let them.

When the Council was hammering out the annual budget last June, Collins asked for money to pay for a coordinator who would oversee the city’s response to the growing problem. He also wanted the city to pay for portable toilets in areas where homeless residents gather. He didn’t get either, casting the lone no vote, but he did start the conversation.

The official discussion will continue at 8:30am On Friday, January 27 at the Visalia Convention Center, as the Council meets for a day-long work session open to the public. Topics to be addressed include goal setting for the city, a reworking of Visalia’s mission statement and values, the vision for Visalia during the next decade, employee retirement planning, and the problem of homelessness.

‘A Concrete Level’

“I think we’ll have a free-flowing discussion of a problem that’s getting worse by the day,” Collins said. “Everyone’s expressing a lot of frustration, including myself. I’d like to do something on a more concrete level.”

While the city’s leaders are gather-

ing to talk, Project Homeless Connect volunteers will be providing free services to homeless people and families at the Comision Honorifica Mexicana Americana, 466 Putnam Avenue in Porterville.

The same services will be offered on Thursday, January 26 in Visalia, Hanford and Tulare.

The homeless or those at risk can receive medical, vision and dental care, bike repairs, clothing and shoes, pet services, hot meals and snacks, haircuts, social and veteran services, and employment counseling.

The Porterville event is 8am to 1pm.

Services on January 26 at the other locations will be available from 8:30am to 1:30pm. The Visalia event will be held at the Visalia Rescue Mission, 741 N. Santa Fe Street; in Hanford, the services will be available at the Pentecostal Church of God, 323 East 11th Street; and the Tulare event will be held at the National Guard Armory, 649 E. Cross Avenue.

Information is available at kthomelessalliance.org.

More than One Day

While these annual events help, a longer-term solution is needed, and that’s what Collins hopes he and his fellow council members can start at the January 27 work session.

“It’s a multifaceted approach to put a dent in the homeless problem, but certainly not solve it,” he said.

What he’d like to see is an outreach program for intervention before the point of crisis, work programs and “other strategies that haven’t come forth yet.”

“I think the other council members

agree, but we have a different approach on going forward,” Collins said.

What Collins proposed back in June and would still like to see is a city-sponsored location where the homeless can have a more stable living situation. That plan has met with resistance from others on the Council, but Collins still thinks it’s workable.

“We’d like to have a secure place those kinds of folks can go with some limited services,” he said. “At this point, it would just be a place to establish your tent, with some porta-potties and running water.”

Imperfect Solution

Letting the homeless settle into their own space is a proposal that carries some obvious negative consequences, and Collins is quick to admit that. They can be overcome, he says.

“In my mind, you’d have to have strict regulation,” he said. “As soon as you say, ‘You can go here,’ it quickly gets out of hand.”

Other communities have taken this approach with greater or lesser success, and much depends on who is allowed to participate and how well the rules are enforced.

“There are models all over, Fresno, Seattle, Sacramento,” Collins said.

“It would be very limited in number, because you don’t want it to get out of control. There needs to be some kind of policing, maybe a walk-through once a day.”

He suggests a residency requirement, as well as consistent oversight. And, the

POVERTY continued on 7 »

19 January, 2017

Political Fix Continued from p. 3

you.” He said that, yes in fact, he was known nationally and that was why he went in the back entrance, “to avoid the circus.”

Ooooops.

In my defense, most members of congress are not known outside their district.

But even though we live in an ignored little corner of California, Mr. Nunes is a big fish in Washington DC. He just doesn’t “strut his stuff” and make a big deal about it. Unless Mr. Nunes sees the need to promote policy on the national media, he stays out of the spotlight.

Also in my defense, Mr. Nunes has been working on some of his bills for a decade and they are complicated. He is involved in some pretty hard-hitting stuff like the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, corporate tax reform and California water policy. Not your typical dinner conversation.

Towards the end of the interview Mr. Nunes pointed out something I never thought of. Because of the way Congressional District 22 is configured, if he ever leaves office, Tulare County will never have its own congressional representative. 65% of the voter base lives in Fresno County and only 35% lives in Tulare County. That means any future representative will be from Fresno. So we kind of take it for granted that our representative lives around the corner.

But Mr. Nunes doesn’t plan on leaving his congressional seat any time soon.

He respectfully took his name out of consideration for a position in Mr. Trump’s administration because he didn’t want to give up his seat, and didn’t want to move his family to Washington DC. The irony of ironies is that Mr. Nunes could never win a statewide office in California, such as senator or governor, but because he is respected nationally, could conceivably be our vice president or even president.

Why? What other Republican would have a better chance of winning the Republican primary in California?

My Son had a Dog Named Roo

When I was 27 years old I had two babies in diapers, worked full time, and wallowed in the marital bliss of no money, lack of sleep, and dirty dishes. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was about to get pregnant again, contract pneumonia, and lose my job.

My emotional reserves were so low that even my cat got on my nerves. I didn’t want one more thing demanding my attention and I never let myself get emotionally attached to an animal again.

That is until last year.

In the spring of 2016, my adult son, Alex, started feeding a stray dog and named him Roo. He always wanted a dog and was pretty stoked that such a big sweet animal would come into his life. I was amazed how they both were so good natured, and for the fact that out of all the stray dogs in Tulare County, one so similar to Alex would show up at our door.

I ignored the dog. I had other things to take care of. I had a Junior in high school and was attending a lengthy trial during the day and writing for the paper at night. I was fending off legal attacks from my dad and step mom and coping with a co-worker who was threatening to

Valley Voice • 5 quit for the third time in two months.

But Roo had no clue I was trying to ignore him. He sat at my feet whenever I sat on the couch and I would move aside and go on about my business. I then noticed he was at my feet while I wrote or while I ate dinner, with one eye looking up at me just in case I looked back.

When a cat catches your eye it’s usually a look of contempt or an expression of “what have you done for me lately.” So cats are pretty easy to ignore.

But Roo was persistent. With his eyebrows arched and his ears perked up he stared at me waiting for my validation.

When I finally gave in and returned his gaze, he furiously wagged his tail. He thought, “she loves me” and, reluctantly, I did.

I realized then that I hadn’t let an animal touch my heart since the cat I had in college. So I quit trying to resist. I was stronger and more mature than the young woman I was 30 years ago, and if Roo wanted to love me, then I had some left over to give him.

From then on, Roo became both my and my son’s dog.

Roo started his day by jumping on our bed and rolling on his back expecting his belly rubbed. He then nudged me until I gave him a long hug. If I had food he would smack his lips as if he were eating along with me. Whenever Alex or I were in the room he wagged his tail standing up, sitting down, and even laying on the bed or couch, making big thwaps.

If I had been out of town for a few days, Roo would lay across my body putting his front legs around my neck until he was sure I would not leave again. Even if strangers came in the house, he stood up on his hind legs and put his front paws around their neck. I probably should have told Roo to get down but it seemed everyone loved Roo as much as Alex and I did.

Alex was getting weaker and sleeping more as the holidays approached but we didn’t comprehend at the time how sick he was. I argued with Alex about taking Roo out for walks, but I didn’t want to make the situation worse. So instead of arguing I took on most of the responsibility of walking Roo. Almost every day we went to an orange grove in Exeter where he could run free, chase the coyotes, and roll around in the puddles. I mapped out a course on dirt roads away from cars, and a paved road that only had three occupied homes.

It was raining on December 31st and Roo had been cooped up in the house for two days. I put on my coat knowing he would probably enjoy a romp in the rain and decided to take him to Exeter. About 3pm in a light drizzle, a man who knew Roo well and called him the “big goofy dog” got into his truck, sped down the country road, and ran him over.

The man knew we were there as Roo had stopped by his gate to say hi and I had on a neon green rain coat. He also knew that Roo chased trucks. This time was no different, as Roo hit the passenger door then slipped under his back tires.

The man then drove away.

Roo cried out and spun in circles not understanding what happened to him.

The first five minutes after the accident he was able to walk and we met in the middle of the road. He then coughed up blood.

I wish I had just sat on the wet asphalt those first five minutes and taken his face in my hands and told him I loved him. It was the last time Roo would be conscious enough to know who I was, and the last time he could return my gaze

with his piercing brown eyes. But I was too preoccupied yelling for help from a neighbor to give us a ride back to my car.

At the animal emergency clinic on Mineral King the x-ray showed Roo had heavy bleeding in his chest cavity. He went from being able to sit upright to lying on his side gasping for air in the space of an hour. When I stroked his neck and talked to him I could see his labored breathing eased just a bit, but I knew he only had a short time. When he strained for his last breath his eyes stayed open but the arches were gone from his brows and his ears were no longer perched to hear my voice.

Ten days after Roo died Alex would be lying in a hospital bed at Kaweah Delta. I wished again I could take Alex’s face in my hands and pray his illness away. But I couldn’t stop Roo from chasing trucks and I can’t pray away Alex’ disease, as much as I wish I could.

This wasn’t the best of years for Alex.

Last summer he lost everything he owned in a house fire including the shirt off his back. He lost the only dog he ever owned on New Year’s Eve, and now he lied curled up on a hospital bed in the Intensive Care Unit.

When I gave birth to Alex, my labor progressed so quickly that I ended up delivering him myself on our bathroom floor. When I brought him up to my chest I could see his little cheeks were slightly bruised from his brusque entrance into this world. He clasped his hands and looked up at me with worried eyes and I told him everything would be alright.

I never said those words to Roo because I was pretty sure he was dying. But when Alex looked over at me from the hospital bed with his hazel eyes, I knew he was going to live. I stroked his hair like I did when he was a child and said everything was going to be all right.

Sylvia Brown, a famous late psychic, said that animals are angels that only grace this Earth once, while human souls incarnate many times. She believes that our pets wait for us to join them on the other side. While I know Roo is anxiously waiting for me and Alex when our time comes, I also know it’s not going to be right now. Alex and Roo crossed paths in this life but now they have gone their separate ways.

And Roo is just going to have to wait, tail wagging and all.

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6 • Valley Voice

19 January, 2017

Agriculture January Storms Boost Snowpack, Swell Reservoirs Christine Souza, CFBF Strong early January storms brought a wealth of increased precipitation and snow, especially in Northern California, which caused a leap in snowpack totals and reservoir storage, and helped to replenish groundwater aquifers. For water managers and farmers alike, the storms raised questions about whether they set the pattern for a wet winter to come—and whether that would ultimately lead to improved water supplies in the coming year.

In a week’s time, the Sierra Nevada snowpack swelled from about two-thirds of average levels to more than 60 percent above average. Reservoir managers were forced to release water in order to accommodate runoff from the January storms, but many key reservoirs remained near or above average storage levels for the date.

While encouraged by the sudden improvement in the water outlook, state Department of Water Resources officials cautioned that California’s peak rainfall season still has two and a half months ahead. In addition, many parts of Southern California remain mired in drought.

California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger noted that even a return of average or above-average precipitation would not guarantee restored water supplies for many farmers, due to constraints required to benefit protected fish and wildlife.

“The recent rain and snow have given us a natural reprieve from the 2012-15 drought. It will be up to the regulators of our water resources to see if that translates into a reprieve from the regulatory drought the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California have been forced to

endure,” Wenger said.

Some of the most severe restrictions during the drought have come in the western San Joaquin Valley, where agricultural customers of the federal Central Valley Project have seen their water allocations reduced to zero for two years, and 5 percent last year. At the Westlands Water District, which supplies CVP water to farmers, Gayle Holman called any amount of rainfall or snowpack extremely welcome.

“We have an abundance of rainfall and blizzard conditions in the Sierra, so for us, any type of snowpack adds to water supply,” Holman said. “Our growers can only look upward.”

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is expected to issue its initial 2017 water supply outlook for the CVP this week, during its annual Mid-Pacific Region Water Users’ Conference in Reno, Nev. Elsewhere in the Central Valley, farmer Jeff Marchini of Merced, who serves as a director of the Merced Irrigation District, said inflow into Lake McClure from the Merced River has been “tremendous” since Jan. 1, and that the lake had risen to 65 percent of capacity.

“We are in a very good position compared to where we were last year, when we were sitting around 8 to 10 percent of capacity,” Marchini said.

The recent “atmospheric river” storms pummeled parts of the state, starting in early January, bringing rain, heavy winds and flooding. A second round of storms arrived last week, which added to the collected moisture, causing creeks and rivers to exceed flood stage, but also bringing several feet of snow in the Sierra.

Doug Carlson, a spokesman for DWR, said improved snowpack figures

are consistent in the northern, central and southern parts of the Sierra Nevada range, adding, “It’s looking pretty good as far as the snow water equivalent is concerned.”

What snow surveyors record between now and April 1 will guide state officials in managing water supply, Carlson said, cautioning that “it’s much too soon to start projecting the end of the drought.”

Regarding the storm’s impact on reservoirs, Carlson said total reservoir storage stood at about 112 percent of average by the end of last week.

“Precipitation is also looking pretty good,” he said, noting that the pace of precipitation was exceeding that of California’s wettest year on record, which occurred during 1982-83. At this time in 1983, the average amount of rainfall was about 32 inches, compared to 42 inches as of last week, Carlson said.

In the western San Joaquin Valley, Holman said the region has had “some wonderful rainfall.”

“The word I’m getting from farmers is, ‘Yeah, there’s some flooding right now in our fields, but it is welcomed,’ and is allowing growers to use that natural rainfall to irrigate their crops,” she said. “They are able to allow Mother Nature to irrigate the fields, which hasn’t occurred since 2011.”

Holman added that during times of excessive rainfall, “we need to be able to capture that water and we need a place to store it. Given the fact that so many of our river systems are in flood conditions, if we had a place to divert that water into storage, that would help benefit not just agriculture, but people and communities, fisheries, everyone.” (See related Comment.)

Regarding groundwater, DWR spokeswoman Lauren Hersh said the agen-

cy has monitoring stations that measure groundwater, but “it takes so long for the groundwater to actually seep down into the aquifer, that we’re not going to feel an impact yet. There’s so much surface water and precipitation that we’ve been capturing in the reservoirs that it will probably ease up on groundwater pumping, which is always a positive.”

Starting with a better water supply for the year, coupled with the addition of the new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act regulations, Marchini said he expects most growers to be focused on recharging groundwater aquifers.

“This is going to help with recharge of what has already been pumped. I think people are going to be idling their deep wells so that we can get some recovery in the basins,” Marchini said. “All of that is good for the future.”

At Terranova Ranch in Helm, Don Cameron has been constructing a project on his farmland that would divert excess surface water to recharge the groundwater basin.

While still finalizing agreements and permits for the project, he said if the improvements were in place today, “we would be able to relieve the Kings River and lower drainage from flooding. If we could take 500 cfs (cubic feet per second) off of the Kings River, that helps everybody downstream, plus we’ll be ponding it up on the farmland and recharging groundwater, so there’s a dual benefit.”

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

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

Commentary: January Storms Underline Need for New Storage Chris Scheuring Driving to work each morning this past week across the Yolo Causeway, which has been intentionally flooded to take excess flows from the Sacramento River system, I have been reminded of how quickly water can appear in California—and how quickly it can disappear.

After six years of drought, our state’s hydrology has turned on a dime—as we knew it could—and the various structures of the California flood control system are shunting something like 150,000 cubic feet per second of water out to sea as I write this.

Some of that water is heading to the ocean because there’s just no other place to put it, and flood-control protocols require water managers to make room in reservoirs for expected, later flows.

That brings to mind a couple of things we have been saying for a while here at the Farm Bureau about the capture of our water resources.

By the time you read this, the water in the bypass will probably be down again, and SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

certainly we can’t know when the rains will return again—except that they will. And we are told that California’s already-inconsistent precipitation patterns will become even “flashier” in the coming decades, which is to say that the experts at places such as the Department of Water Resources predict a long-term trend toward more prolonged drought periods and more severe—if sporadic—flood events.

For the future of our farms, cities and environment, California is going to have to get a lot more sophisticated and strategic about grabbing and holding the water when it comes.

That challenge—a call for a new way of thinking—is really underscored by a new landscape of regulation for water resources in California. Ag Alert® has kept its readers well-informed about the various elements of that regulation, including the landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014, which, although locally implemented, will pose a collective, statewide rollback on the use of groundwater. On the surface-water side, readers already know

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that system-level “flow criteria” are in the process of being adopted for major river systems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed, which would require levels of unimpaired flow in those rivers as high as 50 percent—a huge threat to water rights and the human use of water.

Farm Bureau has said consistently that the solutions to California’s ongoing water crisis fall into the “all of the above” category, which means not just new storage and conservation and efficiency and desalination and recycling, but also “nonflow” measures for the protection of fisheries and wildlife—including habitat/food restoration and control of exotic predators.

In fact, one of the things you will be hearing us talk about more in the context of the debate about “flow criteria” on major river systems is whether we instead ought to be talking about “functional flows,” which is to say timing the movement and use of water for fisheries purposes in a manner that does not conflict with the human use of water.

That’s what I meant by “sophisticated and strategic,” above.

The same thought about “functional flows,” it seems to me, also applies to how we might look at opportunities to use surplus water that crosses our landscape on the way to the ocean, before it disappears. It’s abundantly clear to me that at least during brief periods of time here in California—such as we’ve seen since the beginning of January— we are far more occupied with getting rid of water than we should be, if we had a better ability to hold onto it for use in those later

periods in which we find ourselves worrying about drought. It’s true: High water is high opportunity in a semi-arid state, if we can only see it that way.

The voters certainly saw it that way with the passage of the Proposition 1 water bond in 2014. We hope the process established by the bond and currently underway in front of the California Water Commission will put the funds promised in that initiative to work quickly in building new storage facilities to capture more water during periods such as this. We were heartened to see Congress pass the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act last month, which could speed that effort on the federal end.

During our punishing multi-year drought, as Farm Bureau and others have renewed the call for additional storage, some advocates have scoffed at the idea, saying, “Even if you could build new reservoirs, you could never fill them.” It seems to me that surging Northern California rivers and streams show that’s not so. There will be times when California will find itself awash in water—and we must have the reservoirs in place to take advantage of those opportunities.

Whether you’re talking about new surface facilities or increased efforts at groundwater recharge and underground storage, it’s all smart thinking if you can set aside a piece of those high flows before our floodways send them to the ocean.

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

19 January, 2017

Valley Voice • 7

Tule River Tribe Looking to Move Eagle Mountain Facility Nancy Vigran The Tule River Indian Tribe has discussed moving its Eagle Mountain Casino gaming center for years – in fact, for many of its 20 years of existence. But this time they are more organized and serious about the move.

According to a recent press release, “the Tule River Indian Tribe submitted an application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to relocate its casino to aboriginal land owned by the Tribe within the City of Porterville. The BIA issued its Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement as part of the fee-to trust process which, if approved, will allow the casino to relocate.”

But, that is only one of several hurdles.

The tribe is working closely with Porterville, Tulare County and the State of California.

“It’s been a conversation for almost 15 years,” Porterville City Manager John Lollis said. “This is probably the most energy put in to it.”

The 40 acres of land for the proposed new casino, hotel and convention center is located next to the Porterville Airport.

And while not located on reservation land, it is owned by the tribe where a dispatch center and some warehouses have

Poverty

Continued from p. 4 risk could be worth the reward.

“At least they’d be centralized,” he said. “Those folks doing outreach would have place to locate them.”

Beyond Homelessness

A city-sponsored camp will not

Supervisors Continued from p. 1

Tulare County.

Crocker and Shuklian were the first to speak during the Supervisor Matters part of the meeting by thanking their families. Crocker added that the election was a grueling process and wanted to thank his family for all their hard work.

“Water, jobs, and public safety is what I campaigned on and if all this rain didn’t prove that we need more storage – well that’s what I’m fighting for.”

Shuklian joked that she missed the memo that “everyone was supposed to wear ties this morning.” She then thanked her long time partner, Mary, for being there during her nine years on the Visalia City Council and supporting her being on the TCBOS. Several members of the Visalia City staff with whom Shuklian worked as a council member were also at the supervisor’s meeting to support Shuklian in her new job.

She added that she already started working last week, getting to know the county department heads and setting up her office. She said she feels blessed to be representing the same district where her father was born and where her brother still farms.

Vander Poel said of his last eight years on the board that he has lost hair but gained a wife and two kids. Worthley kidded that Vander Poel would no longer going be able to use the joke, “I wasn’t

been developed, Lollis said. There are two examples where other tribe-owned casinos have been built on off-reservation land, within California.

For the city, concerns are mostly with infrastructure including water, sewer and storm drains, he said.

“The approach the city has taken is as any other big business would be treated,” he said.

Porterville would ask for a hotel tax, like any other potential hotel would pay, as well as sales tax when applicable.

The potential site is next to the city’s sports complex, which currently utilizes potable water for watering the fields.

However, the city is looking into the potential that the potable water could be instead hooked up for casino, hotel and restaurant use, and the fields could be watered with recycled water as is done with farming acreage the city owns, Lollis said.

The tribe would also maintain firefighting resources in the area, to help protect its investment, and that is something that could be shared, along with other aspects of public safety among the tribe, city and county.

These are concerns that the county shares, said Tulare County Supervisor Mike Ennis, including public safety.

The county is also interested in seeing a complete traffic study and the potential

affects the location would have on the roads, he said.

This is the first time the county has been brought to the table about the potential casino move, and Ennis is pleased, he said.

“They’re trying to include everyone, this time,” he said.

Ennis is also excited about the possibility of a convention center and new hotel.

“It’s fine – we could use that,” he said. “I think they are going about it the right way, this time.”

“The main reasoning for the considered move now, is a lack of water on the reservation from the drought, and safety is always an issue,” said Tribal Council Chairman Neil Peyron.

The drive up the mountain has long been a cause for concern, where accidents are not an uncommon occurrence.

But the tribe has recently seen a moratorium on building because of the drought and a lack of water for new homes. There has been a growth of membership within the tribe and an interest of members to live in the area.

“We want room for our members to come home,” he said. “I think we’re growing and we’re looking to prepare for the future. Before, other things took precedence. It’s a higher priority now, at least

speaking for myself. Other council members may have other reasons.”

The proposal is in the study phase, which could take eight months or longer, Peyron said, but he is hopeful about the outcome.

“I see it as a pretty good outlook,” he said. “It’s falling into place.”

The building project alone could bring potentially hundreds of temporary jobs to the area, according to an independent market research firm. And, in the new facility, the job demand could nearly double the current employment of Eagle Mountain Casino.

The proposed casino would include a 250-room hotel, 29,000-square-feet of convention space, banquet hall and meeting spaces along with a sports bar, restaurant, buffet and food court. There would be a 1,700-seat entertainment center and an entertainment lounge as well.

Should the casino relocation be approved and built, it is the intent for the old facility to be repurposed for educational, health care and tribal governance.

It could also provide food and restaurant options for tribal members.

A public scoping meeting will be held at 6pm on Monday, January 23 in the Porterville Veterans Memorial Building, 1900 West Olive. Anyone interested is invited to attend.

rid the city of its poverty problem, and neither can any single approach, so city leaders hope they’ll get more ideas from citizens on how to move ahead at the January 27 work session.

“I think we can do things on many fronts,” Collins said. “No one strategy is going to solve the problem.”

The city could play a still greater role if Collins gets his way, providing limited employment for a few homeless individuals looking for a way back into a more

normal life.

“The other potential strategy I had, we have a lot of manual labor that needs work. I think the litter along the freeway, cleanup along the parks, in our ditches and creeks,” he said. “We could maybe employ some of these homeless folks to climb out of their employment situation.”

He also realizes a homeless camp is a temporary solution to what should be a temporary problem.

The final part of the city’s role could address finding more permanent solutions.

“The third leg would be to look for some more permanent housing in the community other than a culvert or a tent,” Collin said. “Staff will be bringing us some ideas.”

For more information on the work session and how to attend, visit the city’s website at ci.visalia.ca.us, or call 713-4512.

even born yet” because he is no longer the youngest on the board. Ennis said, to a look of consternation from Crocker, that the current youngest member of the board is known as “Baby Croc” on the radio station K-Tip. Ishida was the last to speak during Supervisor Matters part of the meeting.

He started out by saying that “nothing is forever and that everyone is replaceable.” He said that when he was elected he didn’t look at himself as a public servant, because he dislikes that term, but rather that he was “elected to do a job and do it well.”

Ishida expressed his amazement about how much the board accomplished over the 12 years that he was a member. “I have worked for the Federal Government and they move much slower, I mean decades.” Ishida then listed off an impressive list of accomplishments, including the Tulare County Water Commission that has brought millions to the community to improve infrastructure and the county’s creating its own Information Technology Department instead of contracting it out.

Ishida said that Tulare County has no long term debt except for its retirement program.

“I can count on one hand how many counties are in the same position,” Ishida said.

He ended his comments by saying how everyone recognized how important the county employees are and to thank the entire board for working together.

Pete Vander Poel celebrates being sworn in with his family. Catherine Doe/Valley Voice

“This is the only job I’ve ever had next to farming. This old person isn’t going out to pasture but to the orange grove.”

That is until the start of his governor’s campaign.

Phil Cox Says Goodbye at the Dec. 20 Meeting

During the Dec. 20 supervisor meeting Cox echoed many of the same sentiments as Ishida in his farewell speech.

He is most proud of the Step Up Program and Measure R, both of which he was instrumental in making happen. He said that he met Ishida 13 years ago on the campaign trail and they were both disenchanted with the level of customer service given when dealing with the county.

Cox said the he and Ishida made it a priority to make the county more customer-friendly and that once the super-

visors got the ball rolling the Resource Management Agency lead the way. He said that people love to do business with the county now whereas before no one wanted to go through the process of getting a building permit. He also added that since Measure R passed that it has seeded the money for a billion dollars worth of projects in the county.

Cox ended by saying that he has tried to live by the motto that we can build miles of roads, and construct buildings, but unless you build better communities for the people and the next generation then you have done nothing.

Worthley said that when Ishida and Cox came on the board they were fully prepared in mind and soul and moved the county forward. “They came in as strangers but are leaving as friends and I will miss their friendship.”

8 • Valley Voice

19 January, 2017

TRMC

Borrowing In the Other

Continued from p. 1 now fully repaid to the Tulare District with interest.”

While Fedchenko, the SIHD Board president, signed off on the loan, no signatures from any Tulare Local Healthcare District board members are present on either document.

The terms of the Management Services Agreement, which governs the relationship between the district and HCCA, would appear to disallow such actions. “[HCCA] shall not engage in any financial lending, financing, or banking actions that result in liens, mortgages, lines of credit, security interest or financial obligations in the name of the District, without the prior written consent of the Governing Body,” one paragraph reads.

“The District shall assure that its funds are used to support the Hospital and the Clinics and Other Facilities and to provide charitable care therein and are not diverted to other uses,” another reads.

However, HCCA states that no approval was required from the Tulare board, stating that TLHCD had previously entered into similar agreements with other healthcare districts.

“The loan did not require Board approval. We only bring to the Board matters that are of a material nature or for which Board approval is expressly required. Neither situation applied here,” officials with HCCA wrote.

While still acting as a lender to Southern Inyo, the Tulare Local Healthcare District needed to obtain its own line of credit.

Invoices with Cardinal Health, a major pharmaceutical vendor, were stacking up as early as November 2015.

In March, when HCCA inked the agreement to loan Tulare’s money to SIHD, the Tulare district was in arrears to Cardinal to the tune of $494,865.94.

The TLHCD Board of Directors approved a line of credit on September 1, 2016, with Bank of the Sierra, for $800,000. Members of the board told the public at that meeting that any expenditures from that line of credit would be made public and voted on before being executed.

“If we do spend this money, we will bring that item to the board, to be voted [on] by the board, to be spent on a particular item,” Dr. Parmod Kumar, vice president of the TLHCD Board, said.

Controversy erupted when it was revealed that multiple officials with TRMC and HCCA knew, before the meeting, that the money would immediately be used to repay past due debts to Cardinal Health, a major pharmaceutical vendor.

According to documents received by the Voice, TRMC accumulated $827,922.34 in past due invoices to Cardinal, which were to be repaid with the $800,000 line of credit. Documents were even drafted up -- dated before the vote -- that showed the purpose of the line of credit was to immediately repay Cardinal.

Hospital officials, when the documents were revealed, stated that the

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The line of credit to Southern Inyo made its first media appearance in the Visalia Times-Delta, which dubbed it “TRMC’s secret loan.”

HCCA disputes the idea that the loan was secret, and states that there are more important issues to address. “[...] why are we discussing this instead of the critical issues that have faced and continue to face the Tulare hospital for years,” the HCCA statement read, “critical issues that instead of being addressed and reconciled, are constantly avoided by a constant stream of manufactured “crises”?”

While HCCA disputes the ‘secret’ characterization, the newly-elected board members, Mike Jamaica and Kevin Northcraft, say they have been left completely in the dark.

“When I read it, I sent Dr. Benzeevi an email asking if he could give Kevin and I some information to that, as to the loan, but I never heard anything back from him, and neither has Kevin,” Jamaica said. “No one has said anything to us at all about anything.”

“It’s something that we had put on our agenda. We wanted to have a meeting in December, but we never heard anything from them on that, also,” Jamaica said. “We want to know if they can give us information on the loan to Inyo on the next board meeting that we’re having.”

Northcraft concurred, and said that he was not aware of any responses to their requests for information.

He also said that not only have they not been given information about the loan, but they have only been given one ‘orientation session’ in preparation of their work on the board.

“We don’t know when the next one will be,” he said.

HCCA, for its part, says that they’re going to do more to inform the public. “[...] the community has spoken.

And we hear them loud and clear. They want the ugly of the past two decades laid bare before them before we can move forward with a future for our hospital,” a statement from the company read. “But they have been misguided as to why the problems of the past arose and who was in fact responsible.”

“So, we will soon be releasing to the public extensive documented details of the on-goings here over the past two decades,” the statement continued. “We will soon see who are the true guardians of Tulare’s public hospital.”

Board member Linda Wilbourn declined to comment for this article.

Board member Parmod Kumar did not return a request for an interview.

The documents provided to the Voice are available at ourvalleyvoice.com.

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$800,000 line of credit was taken out to maximize cash flow, and stated that the revelations were meant to “viciously and falsely discredit” the turnaround at Tulare Regional Medical Center.

“Anybody who’s anybody knows that cash flow and profit are two different things. Any smart business will do what it can to maximize cash flow. The profits of the hospital for the last three years are indisputable. Two audits have already confirmed this and a third one is on the way. Four total credit rating agency upgrades (FITCH Ratings and Moody’s) specifically mention HCCA as being the cause of the dramatic turnaround and further confirmed it,” a hospital representative wrote.

Officials with TRMC and HCCA also pled penury to Novia Solutions, a healthcare consulting company that the hospital owed $44,500 for services performed from June 2015 to February 2016.

They were able to negotiate the balance down to $35,000.

In an email from Novia’s corporate counsel, Daniel Stein, to both Germany and Delbert Bryant, TRMC controller, the company stated that the hospital’s words and actions appeared to be divergent: “…it appears that TRMC repeatedly executed agreements with payment terms that TRMC’s officers, employees and/or agents apparently had no intention or present ability to perform,” Stein writes to Bryant and Germany.

“Despite assertions in Mr. Bryant’s email concerning TRMC’s ability to pay Novia, TRMC’s website currently touts the hospital’s financial turn-around, including returning TRMC to profitability, significantly increasing TRMC’s days of cash on hand, and providing significant raises to TRMC workers.”

HCCA states that its results speak for themselves. “[...] why has a company that saved the hospital from bankruptcy, is keeping it fully and completely in public hands, turning a loss of over $1M per month into now 33 continuous monthly profits, and having saved over 500 local jobs, being castigated?” the statement read.

“Is the community so filled with hatred that it wants to destroy any good that comes its way?”

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19 January, 2017

Valley Voice • 9

Voices of the Valley

The Heart of Lindsay Theater: Jim Kliegl Nancy Vigran

In some respects, Jim Kliegl’s life turned out just about how he expected – after all, he was a teacher for nearly 40 years. In other ways, his life took unexpected turns, but is seems it all turned out for the best.

Born in Ames, Iowa while his dad was attending Iowa State, the family later moved to Fresno, where his father accepted a teaching position with San Joaquin Memorial High School. Kliegl grew up there and attended Fresno State, earning his teaching credential.

“When I went into college, I was told that they need teachers, they need teachers bad, ‘so go be a teacher,’” Kliegl said. “But, I didn’t start out to be a teacher – I started out to be a chiropractor. Then, I found out I really hated biology, so it wasn’t much fun.

But, I loved writing, I loved English and I loved math. But, my dad was a math teacher, and I didn’t want to be just like my dad. So, I thought, ‘OK, I’ll be an English teacher – I like writing and I like reading.’ So, I became an English teacher.

“My first job was at Lindsay High School and that ended up being my only job. I stayed there for 39 years, from 1970 to 2009. I retired, and then I went to work – with the theatre and ‘honey-do’s,’” he said. “My wife had quite a few projects she wanted done around the house – building things and putting in walkways and stuff like that – which was kind of fun.”

Kliegl also started to play golf. He had played a bit in the past, but, in general, he enjoyed more active sports such as racquetball and tennis.

“I actually won a few tournaments.

But, then I blew out my knees and that was it – couldn’t play racquetball anymore, or tennis,” he said.

Kliegl has had orthoscopic surgery on each knee and had his right knee replaced. He also has had a hip replacement on his left hip.

“I am becoming bionic,” he said.

“My days of playing racquet sports were over, and now I try and go out and play golf two or three times a week, if I can, just to stay in shape a little bit.

That wasn’t my first choice, I’d rather play tennis and racquetball.”

Kliegl met his first wife in high school. They were married and had three children – Karen, James and Katherine, who were all born in Lindsay.

But, the couple split and Kliegl kept the kids. He was set up on a blind date, which lead to his second marriage to Janet after dating for three months.

She had one son, Roy, who it turned out was the same age as James.

“And that was 35 1/2 years ago,” he said.

Janet was a speech pathologist, and she became a Special Ed teacher.

She was able to pick up a position in Lindsay.

She later became district office administrator, and then superintendent for the Lindsay Unified School Dis-

trict, from which she has since retired, and has gone into a private consulting business.

“When I retired, I didn’t get another job that paid. But, I am a fulltime, unpaid employee at the Lindsay Community Theatre,” Kliegl said. “I am the theater manager. I kind of inherited that title from Hal Munter, who was here forever until he passed away. And, so, I kind of stepped into his shoes and tried to keep the theater running.”

Kliegl’s interest in theater began with adding drama to his teaching curriculum.

“I moved here in 1970, started teaching and found out that the theater program was defunct at the high school,” he said. “They had no theater program, because the man who was doing theater got mad. When they built the new high school, they didn’t build a theater and they tore down a perfectly good theater at the old high school [which is now the junior high].

He just said, ‘forget it – there’s no place to do theater.’

“In 1973, a couple of years after I started here, I asked a group of students in my Advanced Writing class how come there was no theater here, and they told me the story. And so, I asked, ‘Do you guys want to put on a play? We’ll just do it as a class project.’

And they said, ‘OK, that’s a good idea.’

“So, we did it in the cafeteria. We did, A Christmas Carol.”

And that was Kliegl’s foray into theater.

“Sporadically, over the next few years, I did plays in various locations – outdoors, in the cafeteria, on the stage at the end of the junior high cafeteria – wherever I could find a place,” he said.

“I started a high school drama club – it got to be fairly active and we enjoyed doing that.”

In 1983, the Lindsay Community Theatre Company bought its theater. The school district partnered with them, Kliegl said, and rents use of the theater on a yearly basis for school events such as bachelorettes, promotion ceremonies and, of course, theater productions.

“I started using the theater in kind of a dual role – because I was also working with the Town Players, while working at the high school,” he said. “And, in many of the plays the Town Players did, high school kids were involved in.

And, in many of the high school plays, some of the adults were involved.

“The high school drama club was fairly affluent. We made money by selling See’s Candy throughout the year, and we would make enough money that we could buy gifts and things for the theater – the spotlights, the light board, the soundboard, the portable, wireless microphones, and a piano – all bought by the high school. And, we would make money on our shows, too.”

Kliegl sited Cats as being the most profitable show ever.

“In 2006, it was released for amateur production, and we spent a lot of

money putting that show on because of costumes and stage props we had to rent, and the royalties. That’s when we bought all of the wireless microphones – so it was about $20,000 we spent on that show. And, we only charged $8 per ticket. But, we ended up making $13,000 and that was one of the two only sellouts we ever had. The closing nights of Cats we had to turn 50 people away, which was unheard of because we never had had that happen before. It was a really good show.

“The next year, we did another production that was really good. We thought, this is great, we’re making money, and we’re doing fun things.

So the following year, we decided to do Beauty and the Beast and we spent about $6,000 renting costumes. They had to be shipped from New York and they were fantastic – they were Broadway quality costumes! We thought, man, we’ve hit the jackpot!

“Two weeks before our show, Goldman Sachs went broke, everybody else in the world went broke – instead of having 200 people at opening night, we had 35. And we pretty much lost all of that money. We had a little bit of money left in a drama club account after that, but not much. And, that was my last show [with the high school].

That was in 2008, and then I retired the next spring.”

Unfortunately, the high school drama program has not been the same since.

The turnovers of teachers has been high, and the drama department has suffered.

“My wife was still superintendent and asked me, ‘you want to teach one class?’ and I said, ‘I don’t think you understand the concept of retirement,’” Kliegl declined.

OK, so he still keeps extremely busy, but he doesn’t have to be at a classroom every morning at a specific

time, he said. However, this year there is a teacher who has a play scheduled at the theater in March. Kliegl said he is not sure what they might be doing, but he hopes it comes through to fruition.

Prior to teaching in Lindsay, Kliegl had little experience in theatrical arts.

He did a bit of drama in high school, but the school wasn’t very active in theater.

“I got involved in theater again, when I got involved with that first play that I did [as a teacher],” he said.

“I think at last count, I’ve directed 96 plays. And, I’ve been involved in a lot of other plays that other people directed.”

Kliegl has performed, too. He portrayed Bumble in Oliver and Max Bialystock in The Producers.

“I’ve had to do both (direct and act) a lot of times, when people quit.

Like, I had to be Billy Crocker in Anything Goes,” he said, “ because the guy who was supposed to do it, quit three weeks before the show, and I was the only guy who knew all the music because I was the director.

“Then we had a stage play called Noises Off, which I was assistant director for, and on Saturday we had a rehearsal, and we were opening the following Thursday. The guy [the actor] is supposed to fall down the stairs at the end – well, he fell down the stairs and he got a double hernia. He had to go to the hospital. I had five days to learn his part, which was the lead part. It was really a challenge, but I managed to do it.

I’m pretty good at memorizing lines. I worked on that for like 18 hours a day – it’s a good thing I was retired.”

Kliegl said that his love for the theater keeps him involved at the age of 69. It is, for him, an acquired taste.

“The very first play, that I directed, was just magical – when I saw it actually happen, I thought, that’s magic,” he said.

KLIEGL continued on 12 »

10 • Valley Voice

19 January, 2017

Comments & Letters

What Kaweah Delta is Doing to Ease Impacted Emergency Services

Lindsay Mann During the past couple of months the Kaweah Delta Medical Center and its Emergency Department (ED) have been operating at full capacity. Our physicians and staff have responded very effectively and continue to focus on delivering excellent care to every patient. As it stands, the ED is one of the busiest in the state seeing 90,000 patients each year, but the demand for our medical services has increased to the point that we have taken the following steps to best care for each person seeking medical care.

1. We have set up a temporary reception tent immediately adjacent to the ED to receive, evaluate, and register patients in that setting during periods of peak demand. This will allow us to utilize, if necessary, part of the current ED waiting area for the treatment of patients with minor conditions. These efforts are designed to help us see patients more quickly.

2. One of the challenges for patients arriving at the ED is that

they are often not aware of the number of trauma and emergency patients that have arrived by ambulance or helicopter and who are being treated for life-threatening conditions.

Providing life-saving care is our first priority, and may cause delays for those with less acute conditions 3. In addition to our ED operating at full capacity, the Medical Center is operating at the limits of its bed capacity. This creates very real problems when patients require admission to the hospital. Our staff monitors and manages our bed capacity on an hour-by-hour basis and we have taken a number of steps to use our licensed beds and other treatment areas in the hospital to best accommodate patients requiring admission to the Medical Center.

4. We have increased our physician, nurse, and staff complements to ensure that patients in both the ED and Medical Cen-

ter are receiving the attention required to meet their medical and personal needs.

The four points outlined above are a brief summary of the steps we are now taking. For the longer term, our Board of Directors has already authorized and funded a significant expansion of our ED and development of 24 additional medical surgical beds and 23 new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) beds on the fifth and sixth floors of the Acequia Wing respectively. The Board has also authorized a new urgent care center in the Northwest area of Visalia on Demaree Street. Our objective is to ease pressures on our ED and to provide the best care possible to patients with urgent medical conditions. This new urgent care center will join our existing Urgent Care Center on Court Street, along with our two Sequoia Prompt Care centers in East and West Visalia in providing three levels of episodic care for our community: 1) trauma/emergency, 2) urgent care and, 3) prompt care.

You might ask “How can I help in addressing the situation outlined above?”

The most important thing that you can

do, particularly during flu season, which is just beginning, is to take excellent care of your health by getting adequate rest, by eating properly, and by frequent hand washing.

Should you become ill, the best thing you can do for yourself and to assist us during this busy season is to seek medical care, when needed, from your personal physician. When that may not be possible or the condition is urgent, please visit one of our urgent or prompt care centers. The Visalia Medical Clinic also has a Quick Care Center that can very capably assess and treat urgent medical conditions.

As the flu season is just beginning, I encourage each of you to take the precautions outlined above to remain healthy. Should you experience a medical condition that requires immediate care, please consider whether that care can be obtained in a setting other than that of Kaweah Delta’s ED. However, should you have a medical need that requires our ED, know that we are doing everything possible to ensure that you get the best care.

“The electoral college worked as designed.”

Jeff Alexander Hello, Mr. Oldenbourg, My sympathies for the loss of your beloved pet! A factoid for you to consider - according to my sources, Hillary won California by 4.8 million and the country by 2.8 million - meaning if you leave California out, Trump won the rest of the country by 2 million! So the electoral college worked as designed.

It’s interesting that blue states are asserting their state rights/10th amendment prerogative. It’s been my experience that liberal/progressives turn their

noses up at state’s rights preferring an all powerful, all knowing federal government ordering the country with beneficence & wisdom. State’s rights are seen as the refuse of reactionaries.

While I oppose marijuana legalization, I see it as a matter reserved to states to regulate. Same with choosing whether or not to co-operate with federal immigration enforcement, unless it’s done in defiance of a constitutional Federal law.

Here my knowledge of the law fails me and I would prefer state and local co-operation - but even so, if it’s not violating

a constitutional federal law - I support non-cooperation as a matter of local and state independence and limits on federal power.

As regards our local drought being man-made or at least being exacerbated by laws and regulations - I have my doubts about restoring a salmon run on a river that hasn’t had one since the 40’s, at least. Spending millions & millions to increase the wild caught salmon supply for the upper crust seems a poor investment - also spending all that money for the aesthetic & emotional belief system

needs of environmentalists.

Sounds like spending money to please elitist sensibilities.

I see no environmental disaster looming over us because of a long missing salmon run. Would that water be better used on farming? Could those millions be used for something else or maybe not spent at all - especially if a big piece of it is coming from our deficit ridden federal government?

Thanks for reading my old school, snail mail, missive!

Happy new year.

and other large welfare states on the taxpayers dollar? I for one do not want to support any illegal alien, period! The one good thing about the election is the Communist Democrats are dying on the vine and strict enforcement of our “Migra” laws will get rid of the illegal voters. What a concept, enforcement of

our Federal Laws.

Once we get rid of the illegals I might consider popular vote wins! You White Folk are forgetting, demographics are making you disappear world-wide! No breeding, goodbye White Race. Look at the idiots in Europe! Que pendejos and they don’t even realize it!

Re: Electoral College John Sanchez Well, well, well, the White Man wants the Electoral College abolished.

I’ll agree to that if VOTER PICTURE ID is a mandatory requirement and eye retina verification at the polling station. We do not want any illegal voters

voting!!!!!

Do White folks know that you cannot vote in Mexico, or any other 3rd World countries with a PICTURE I.D.!!!! Aren’t they “progressive” trying to protect their voting system! I wonder how many illegals voted for crooked Hillery in California, Nueva York,

Comments from ourvalleyvoice.com

“

So the plan for HCCA to lay it all out there for the public to see? Sounds desperate and a deliberate attempt to muddy the waters. Please let’s get it out there. BUT, let’s make sure it’s ALL out there and not just what you pick worthy of sharing. Don’t forget the 2012 audit, the attorney fees, pending malpractice suits, the payments to the doctor who sits on the board and all the documents that your lawyers say don’t exist. I will gladly take the good, bad and ugly, but it better be transparent and complete.

”

— Truthbtold on HCCA/TRMC: “This is just more of the same crazy talk.”

“

As a past board member I would love to see released documents. Since there is only one person still directing the place for the last 20 years this will be interesting. This same board member has sat on building and finance for numerous years. Eventually the problem with deceit it is hard to keep up with the story.

Wasn’t it in 2013 that the financials for previous years were changed and supposedly the story was no cash reserves ever existed? This was completely untrue. Why did Laura Gadke state this past year that an $18 million check was put into the bank account in 2008 and spent? How does she know that and if so why didn’t she question it years earlier? That

“

“Clinical excellence”. My father was just there in March of 2016 and thanks to this “clinical excellence”, he is now PARALYZED from the neck down. Had he simply been given an antibiotic instead of being sent home with pain meds and a muscle relaxer, he wouldn’t be in his current state. What is more concerning to me is you know this to be true Dr. Benzeevi. Your statement couldn’t possibly be any further from the truth and you know this.

”

— Concerned for my community on HCCA/TRMC: “This is just more of the same crazy talk.” means that a lot of money has been spent with no completed tower to show for it.

If HCCA is paid monthly and it appears they have been why does the District owe them a “substantial sum”.

Do you realize how many Chiefs of Staff from the MEC have been attacked and/or taken out since 2001? How many Director of Nurses turned over. These issues aren’t from past board members, they reside with current members of the board.

Tulare regional will never be successful until this has been resolved and resolution begins with Dr. Kumar leaving the board.

”

— Deanne Martin-Soares, on HCCA/TRMC: “This is just more of the same crazy talk.”

19 January, 2017

Valley Voice • 11

Comments & Letters

HCCA/TRMC: “This is just more of the same crazy talk.”

HCCA/TRMC There was absolutely no secret loan.

This is just more of the same crazy talk.

In fact, the terms of the loan were announced in an open public meeting. It is not unusual for one district hospital to assist another public healthcare district.

In fact, long before HCCA ever came on the scene, Tulare had entered into similar transactions with other public healthcare districts (although with nowhere near the same positive results.)

The loan did not require Board approval. We only bring to the Board matters that are of a material nature or for which Board approval is expressly required. Neither situation applied here.

In addition to helping the Southern Inyo District, this transaction benefitted the Tulare District. It allowed the Tulare District to earn substantially more than it could by simply depositing the money with a bank or financial institution.

Moreover, there was no risk to the Tulare District because the loan was fully guaranteed by HCCA (and the Tulare District owed substantial sums to HCCA against which any unpaid guaranteed amounts could be offset). The loan has been now fully repaid to the Tulare District with interest.

The more important question that we would raise to you is, why are we discussing this instead of the critical issues that have faced and continue to face the Tulare hospital for years – critical issues that instead of being addressed and rec-

onciled, are constantly avoided by a constant stream of manufactured “crises”?

The issues that we as a community need to be discussing include: Why is any praise being heaped upon former TRMC physicians who were members of a rogue Medical Executive Committee (MEC), who openly boycotted the hospital and who openly stated their goal of seeing the hospital close. Why is this small group of physicians who controlled the old MEC and remained in power effectively by terrorizing the other physicians so anxious to come back to TRMC when they don’t even refer their patients to TRMC, have not done so in about 5 years now, and then abandoned the hospital when they were removed from control by the hardworking doctors of Tulare’s hospital?

What has been paid or promised to these old MEC physicians by Kaweah hospital, where they have been sending their patients for these nearly 5 years?

By contrast, why has a company that saved the hospital from bankruptcy, is keeping it fully and completely in public hands, turning a loss of over $1M per month into now 33 continuous monthly profits, and having saved over 500 local jobs, being castigated? Is the community so filled with hatred that it wants to destroy any good that comes its way? The risks of managing our public hospital – decrepit and in financial ruins – were enormous, and ultimately the amount paid to the management company pales

by comparison to how much money the hospital made and saved. Not to mention that we still have a hospital. Could it be that the same people who were responsible for the financial catastrophes of the past now want to reap for themselves the benefits of what the new management company has created for the public, which, if history repeats itself, will result in the hospital going down the same road to financial ruin as before?

And in speaking of history repeating itself, why do we as a community allow constant manufactured turmoil (over decades) driven by elements with their own selfish economic interests to continue to unfairly harm our community by repeated misinformation and outright lies?

Sadly, the same tactic of feeding misinformation to the media continues as it has for the past 15 years. But now, the community has spoken. And we hear them loud and clear. They want the ugly of the past two decades laid bare before them before we can move forward with a future for our hospital. But they have been misguided as to why the problems of the past arose and who was in fact responsible. The good guys have been turned into the bad guys. We look to this journal to see through this latest ruse and assist the public to learn the truth. So, we will soon be releasing to the public extensive documented details of the on-goings here over the past two decades. We will soon see who are the true guardians of Tulare’s public hospital.

Re: “Devin Nunes Puts Tulare County on the Map” Norma Nevarez The diverse people of Tulare County put Tulare County on the map way before Devin Nunes was born!

Not to be excluded is the natural beauty of our county including but not limited to Sequoia/Kings National Parks.

Being cozy with the Electoral College elect president doesn’t make Mr. Nunes by association, the most famous western congressman in Tulare county, actions do.

Actions that benefit all the people not just those who live in a golden Towers. A man made drought? Mr. Nunes have you looked at the weather data.

It doesn’t lie, global warming is REAL.

There is a limited supply of water that must be shared among all entities/life not just businesses.

To “let business do their thing”, as you mentioned in the House GOP Tax Reform Bill, will that also protect the rights of those who are employed by these businesses and the natural resources they both depend on?

Next time you fly back east to the golden Towers, remember who’s paying the tab.

It’s not just businesses (they have the benefit of loop holes) but the backbone of the Tulare County’s laborers who put the food in the basket, they pay taxes too and are part of your constituents. Also remember there needs to be a balance.

We are known as the food basket of the world yet, we have one of the highest poverty and homelessness rates in the nation.

We need balance here Mr. Nunes, help us get there.

No need to feel sorry for Hollywood or San Francisco, they support diversity in food, culture, religion, gender, etc., all because they recognize and support the diverse population that encompasses them.

They are truly enriched & cognizant, not deprived!

Why do you think people from all over the world come to visit our state of CA? It is because of its diversification that makes it truly GOLDEN.

Comments from ourvalleyvoice.com

“

We at HCCA/TRMC are very proud of the exceptional care that our hard working nurses, staff, and physicians provide patients every day. I challenge any local hospital to surpass the clinical excellence that is practiced at our hospital and the caring, compassionate, and attentive, care that is provided. All the negative ratings that are unfairly thrown at our public hospital have substantial errors in methodology that are well documented. Even beyond that, they reflect data from a period BEFORE our hospital was saved. We will soon see where the next ratings stand. I urge each and every one of you to give your local hospital a chance and then see for yourself what kind of care you get here

”

— Benny Benzeevi, on HCCA/TRMC: “This is just more of the same crazy talk.”

“ “

It’s wonderful that Devin has so much “expertise on intelligence, defense, and tax policy”, perhaps he could do something for the people of CD-22. It takes real leadership to stand up for the people of his District, instead of the Trump leadership team’s political plans.

Catherine: please tell the readers of the V.V. what Devin has accomplished for DC-22 during his time in Congress – specifically.

”

— John Mahoney, on Congressman Devin Nunes Puts Tulare County on the Map

I don’t think anyone questions the dedication and hard work and exceptional care the employees perform each and everyday. But let’s not avoid the issue of the failed leadership and support given them by a greedy and corrupt leadership that puts profits (i.e.management fees, etc.) before quality of care. And let’s not forget that this same leadership, or lack thereof, that has not run the hospital since 2014, so I am not sure how much longer you can place blame on the past management. YOU own this now.

”

— truthbtold, on HCCA/TRMC: “This is just more of the same crazy talk.”

Veteran’s Corner

Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) & Quick Claim Scott Holwell The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers two programs for separating military personnel, which assists them in receiving VA disability benefits much faster than usual. The programs are the “Benefits Delivery at Discharge” and “Quick Claim”.

The BDD program allows a Servicemember to file a VA disability claim while still on active duty and without the completed DD-214 (Record of Separation) paperwork. The Servicemember may file a claim not more than 180 days and not less than 60 days from their date of discharge.

The VA in turn will process the claim and will be prepared to provide a decision on the claim within 30 to 45 days after separation and receipt of the DD-214. Currently in California, claims for disability once filed, will normally take anywhere from 3 to 5 months to process and to adjudicate a decision. This program allows for a much faster response time.

The Quick Start program allows a Servicemember to submit a claim for disability compensation 1 to 59 days prior to separation, retirement, or release from active duty or demobilization. Submitting your disability compensation claim before discharge makes it possible to receive VA disability benefits as soon as possible after separation, retirement, or demobilization.

Servicemembers with 1-59 days remaining on active duty or full time Reserve or National Guard (Title 10 or Title 32) service, or Servicemembers who do not meet the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) criteria requiring availability for all examinations prior to discharge, may apply through Quick Start. The program is available nationwide and open to all Servicemembers on full time active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves.

The Kings County Veterans Service Office (KCVSO) can file your claim for you.

You will need to bring the original Service Medical Record or a copy, and dependents supporting documentation (i.e. marriage certificates, divorce decrees, children’s birth certificates and all family social security numbers) to the appointment. If you would like to participate in this new program, or if you have additional questions, contact the Kings County Veterans Service Office today.

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

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

12 • Valley Voice

Kliegl

Continued from p. 9 “You can rehearse, but when you get an audience out there, and they [the actors] get on the stage and they do their thing – there’s something that happens to them – the students, or the actors. It’s something that doesn’t happen in rehearsal. Sometimes they have a little trouble with it at first, because they’re a little shy or whatever, but it just changes them somehow.

“And, I’ve had lots of kids that have said, ‘I can’t do it, I can’t be in a play,’ and I’ve said, ‘oh, come on, it will just be a small part, take a small part.’

“One kid, Patrick Escobar, was a student who came with his friend when we were going to start rehearsals for Cats. Cats was the show that we had the longest rehearsal time of any – it was like six months. We had tryouts in May, and if they wanted to be in the show, they had to go to a sixweek dance class in the summer – three hours every afternoon, 1-4, five days a week – dance! That was intense! And, they really became good dancers.

This one kid [Escobar], he was kind of reluctant, he said, ‘oh, I can’t see very well’ – ‘you don’t have to see, just dance! You can’t just stand around here – you’re going to go out there and

19 January, 2017 do it, or go home.’ So, he said, OK – he was a freshman at the time. And, he did a really good job, and he fell in love with theater. He did like 17 plays, back-to-back. And, now, his life goal is to be a director. He’s down in Hollywood. He really didn’t have a lot that he wanted to do – so, every once in a while something like that happens and you go, WOW!” Kliegl continued.

“Being a director, it’s a little bit like an artist. An artist has a medium, a canvas and paints, or a piece of rock that they’re sculpting, or a mosaic, or whatever they’re doing. A director, he’s got all those things. He’s got the visual parts, he’s got the sets, the costumes, he has to find the right actor for the right part – casting is so important. And, then he’s got the music to think about and he’s got to get them to be able to sing the parts. So, that’s his medium.

It’s a creative process – that’s what I really like. I love the creative process.”

Kliegl sees himself working with theater, for as long as he can. But, there are other things he’d like to do, too. For one, he’d like to travel more, he said.

“I like doing things and going places with my wife, he said. “I try to get her to travel – but, she’s still committed to her career. She’s a lot younger than me. She’s only 65, I’m 69. She’s working pretty much full time and she’s sup-

On Facebook at facebook.com/ourvalleyvoice

posed to be a part-time consultant.”

The Kliegls did spend a month in Ono, Japan last fall, which is Lindsay’s sister city.

“I was asked by the mayor to stay there for a month and teach English in school,” he said. “It kind of morphed into something a little bit different.

We became, sort of like, United States ambassadors. He wanted the citizens in Ono to be exposed to, and be friends with, people in the US. So, we visited a lot of schools, and a lot of retirement homes. Ono is a remarkable city with about 50,000 people. They have like six different boroughs, because the town is sort of a conglomerate of a lot of different villages, banded together and became Ono City. But, each of them retains their own personality. We were their guests for a month – it was a month’s vacation and they paid us.”

Kliegl said he’d like to go back, but there’s more, too, such as England and South America.

All in all, his life has fallen into a good place, he said.

“I almost can’t imagine not having been a teacher,” he said. “My daughter is in the financial world, she’s a banker. My son’s a computer programmer.

My other daughter is a teacher and is working on getting her credential to teach Special Ed. My other son is an architect.”

“I enjoy my kids and my eight grandkids,” he said, all of whom currently live in California.

“I guess I’m lucky – my dad was a teacher and we didn’t grow up with a lot of money, but we did OK,” Kliegl reflected. “The love of teaching, I guess, was born in me. I grew into the love of drama, as I became a teacher and started to do more and more in dramatic arts. I was a coach, too.

“There are a lot of advantages to being in a small town. My kids had a lot of advantages going to school here.”

“I was raising the kids and then, when I met Janet, she had one son and I had three, and we kind of put a Brady Bunch together. Janet has been great for me. She’s really my saving grace.

I am very disorganized and she’s extremely well organized. When people come over to our house, she closes the door – let’s put it that way.”

Kliegl started teaching more than four decades ago, and while he is retired from his day job, he continues to teach in various other ways, including through theater.

“I’m happy with the way things have turned out. Life has been a challenge at times, but not overwhelming.

I’ve had some bad times and good times, and we’re still rolling along,” he said.

Print replica edition at issuu.com/ourvalleyvoice

Valley Scene

19 January, 2017

Tempest Heading to Lindsay Community Theater Jan. 21 Jim Kliegl Tempest, the Celtic Rock Group from San Francisco, is returning to the Central Valley to kick off their 2017 concert season.

They will be playing for the fifth time at the Lindsay Community Theater for one night only on Saturday, January 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20.

The Lindsay Community Theater is located at 190 N Elmwood, in the heart of downtown Lindsay. For tickets visit lindsaycommunitytheater.com, or tickets will also be available at the door. For more information call 284 2223.

Tempest (tempestmusic.com) plays folk rock with a decidedly Celtic flavor.

Since forming in 1988, Tempest has delivered a globally-renowned hybrid of high-energy Folk Rock fusing Irish reels, Scottish ballads, Norwegian influences

and other world music elements. The last 28 years have seen the San Francisco Bay Area based act release 15 critically acclaimed CDs and play more than 2,000 gigs. It’s also enjoyed an evolving line-up that’s enabled musicianship and creativity to rise with each new member.

Their latest CD, “Another Dawn,” showcases inventive original and traditional material.

“Tempest has one of the most unique sounds around, a sound that bridges two continents, one ocean and about a millennium of music history – a sound that has earned Tempest a loyal following that packs houses coast to coast.” –Good Times, Santa Cruz.

“At the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Tempest brought down the house with its mad, high-energy mix of Scottish, Irish, and Scandinavian traditions filtered through driving rock and roll.” –

Tempest. Courtesy/Lindsay Community Theater

Philadelphia Enquirer “Tempest rocks all right, but its forte is folk rock with a decidedly Celtic

accent, drawing on traditions stretching back hundreds of years.” –Chicago Tribune

Porterville Art Association to Showcase “Bad Art” on Jan. 28

Co-organizer Frances Pyles hangs one of a few masks entered in the Bad Art Show. A lot of the art entered is not necessarily hanging art, but table art, as well.

Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

It’s not a typical art show, and perhaps, that is part of the draw. Porterville’s First Ever Bad Art Show has received more than 70 entries by local artists.

The opening reception for the show is Saturday, January 28, although the show is already open to the public. And, if you want to get some bad art, you’d better hurry!

The show was the concept of Porterville Art Association members Bill Warner and Frances Pyles. They wanted to hold a show in which the artists wouldn’t take things so seriously.

“It wasn’t that there needed to be a hole plugged,” Pyles said.

So, it wasn’t that there needed to be another show, but rather that some members just wanted to have one.

“Art should be fun,” Warner said.

“This was real liberating,” Pyles said.

Nancy Vigran “You could blow it for a serious show.

There were no worries doing this.”

But, not all artists who entered agree with her.

“Doing bad art was not easy at all,” said local artist George Tanimoto.

“There is so much variety in art – you don’t know what’s good or bad.”

There are three categories of bad art, according to the show: • Rejected Work - honest artwork that was rejected either by a gallery, show or by the artist themselves.

• Tongue in Cheek - intentionally badly-designed art, done for a laugh.

• Commercial Junk - ugly junk

BAD ART continued on B2 »

Holocaust Education & Resource Center Hosting Remembrance Day Event honor the memory of Holocaust victims, encourages the development of educaInternational Holocaust Remem- tional programs about Holocaust history brance Day, January 27th, is an inter- to help prevent future acts of genocide. It national memorial day commemorating also rejects any denial of the Holocaust as the victims of the Holocaust. It coman event and condemns all memorates the genocide manifestations of religious that resulted in the death intolerance, incitement, of 6 million Jewish people, harassment or violence 2 million Romani people, against persons or commu250,000 mentally and nities based on ethnic oriphysically disabled peogin or religious belief. ple, Jehovah’s Witness adThe California Hoherents, Poles, Clergy that locaust Educaton & Reopposed the Nazi’s, and source Center (CHERC) 9,000 homosexual men located at 115 E. Paseo Avby the Nazi regime and Gabriella Karin. Courtesy/ enue in Visalia, is hosting CHERC its collaborators. 11 miltwo Holocaust survivors in lion in all.

Visalia on Friday, January This day was established by the Unit- 20th @ 7pm. Gabriella Karin and Robert ed Nations General Assembly bill 60/7 Geminder both are regular speakers for on November 1, 2005. Resolution 60/7 the Museum of Tolerance and the Museurges every member nation of the U.N. to um of the Holocaust in Los Angeles. This Cynthia Fischer

will be their 2nd speaking engagement at nic community in order to teach and live the California Holocaust Education & the standards of social justice, equality, Resource Center. equity, inclusion while rejecting prejuThere is no charge to hear them. dice, violence, and hate. We reject bulDessert & coffee will be provided. Your lying and racism. Please give us your donation to the cause of Holocaust loose buttons! memory and education Any size, color, preventing genocide is shape. . . just like humost welcome. manity: we come in all CHERC’s ongoing shapes, sizes, and colors. social action project: A button is a button. A We are building a Holoperson is a person. caust Memorial in VisaThe CHERC free film series lia. Goal is six million continues on buttons; we currently March 24th at 7pm with have 3-4 million (and Robert Geminder. Courtesy/ counting).

“PURPLE TRICHERC We have been colANGLES” - The Nazi lecting, counting, educating, and asking persecution of the Jehovah Witness Adfor 4 1/2 years. We will reach this goal. herants. In September of 2016, CHERC Join us in teaching about the inhumani- showed “Paragraph 175” partnering with ty of supremacist ideology and genocide! The Source, the LGBTQ community in We need to work together as a multi-eth-

REMEMBRANCE continued on B3 »

19 January, 2017

B2 • Valley Voice

Bad Art

newspapers and magazines, as well as “go to” guides for Massachusetts.

Pyles said she is surprised by the Continued from B1 number of entries – in part, because this done in bad taste. is the first time for the show, and in part, COS psycholobecause she saw the gy student Dravon reaction from othVega entered six er artists, who, she pieces in the show said, did not seem – some work he had too excited about entered in another the show. They show, that did not thought art should sell, and three pieconly be taken series he painted specifously, she said. ically for the show.

“Most of the “My work is board was realkind of odd and ly excited about it abstract,” he said, though,” Warner indicating it makes said. “Art [good or it a good fit for One of a few masks entered in the show bad] should have an the show. emotional impact.” includes this “Evil Abe” mask. Nancy Vigran/ Vega is a rela- Valley Voice Pyles and Wartively new painter, ner said they are having started about a year ago, when he very pleased with the amount of entries wanted an outlet in which to relax. and interest in the show.

Several high school and college stuThe show will be judged, for fun dents have entered the show. Entry to that is, prior to the artists’ reception, the show was free for students, with a which takes place between 5-7pm on the limit of three entries per person in each 28th. Many of the pieces are for sale. category. A nominal fee was charged for The Porterville Art Association is non-student entries. looking to generate more interest in art Displaying bad art is not particularly within the community. It has regular art new. The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) classes and has introduced new subject in Massachusetts boasts it is “the world’s matter such as quilling and Zen doodle, only museum dedicated to the collec- as well as figure drawing. tion, preservation, exhibition and celeThe Porterville Art Association is bration of bad art in all its forms.” The open Wednesdays through Saturdays museum, which opened in 1994, is pri- from 10am – 4pm. The Bad Art Show vately owned and maintains a collection runs through February 16. The Associof more than 500 works of “bad art,” of ation Gallery and Gift Shop are located which 25 to 35 are on display at any giv- at 151 N. Main St. For more informaen time. MOBA is quite popular and has tion regarding the show, call 782-9265, been written about in numerous major or 539-3243.

Celebrating 90 years in business!

COS student Dravon Vega hangs a piece of his previously “rejected work” for Porterville’s First Ever Bad Art Show. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

Show planner Bill Warner is pleased by the amount of entries in the Bad Art Show including this “Rubber Ducky,” painted by a Granite High School student.

Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

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Valley Voice • B3

19 January, 2017

Get Involved with Local Artists Celebrating 22nd “Sofa Art” Staff Reports The Creative Center is honored this year by hosting Sofa Art in the Jon Ginsberg Gallery.

Sofa Art has been an inspirational art show that displays art of all mediums and from all skill levels.

This “silly” and fun show has motivated artists and non-artists to get involved with our arts community and off of their ‘sofa’ for decades.

Come relish in the nearly mythical “Sofa Art” with new digital/ musical installations that await your viewing and listening pleasure.

Deadline for entries are on January 28 by 3pm and must contain an image of a sofa, chair, bench, pew or of the like.

The opening reception will be held: Friday, February 3, from 6 to 8pm.

Rules: $5 entry fee per piece. Open to all media. Each artist may submit two entries. All entries must contain a sofa or the like.

Entry Deadline: Entries are due by Saturday, January 28. A dedicated Delivery day for hand delivered artworks will be held on Saturday January 28 from noon to 3pm. Each artist is welcome to submit up to two entries. All entries must

contain a sofa or something to sit on such as a pew and/ or a seat of some sort.

Framing and Display Guidelines: All two dimensional entries must be properly framed and wired ready to hang. To assure a secure hanging, frames will not be accepted with saw tooth hangers or screw eye hangers. All work on paper must be under glass or acrylic. Three dimensional works must be on a secure base and ready for display.

Installation ideas will be considered.

Sales: All works on display and stated by the artist to be “for sale” may be sold by the Creative Center to the public. This represents a transaction between The Creative Center and the purchaser.

The Creative Center will receive payment for the sales, including the State of California Sales tax. Please understand that the Creative Center will not take a commission for the sales of your art-

work and that a 10-20% donation is suggested. The Creative Center will be responsible to pay sales tax. The Creative Center will issue the Artist a payment in full within 30 days of the close of the exhibition.

Return of Artwork: All entries must

be picked up on Saturday, Feb. 25 2017 between 9am-noon. Artist is responsible for return shipping costs.

The Creative Center will not be held responsible for any entries left over 30 days.

Seratones and Communist Daughter to Play Cellar Door Jan. 27 Staff Reports Two groups will grace the Cellar Door at 101 W. Main St in Visalia on January 27: Seratones and Communist Daughter.

The 21-and-over show will start at 9:30 for an $8 ticket charge -- tickets are available at ticketweb.com.

If you’re searching for something to really shake up your 2017 playlists, look no further than rock n’ roll group Seratones. Formed out of Shreveport, Louisiana in 2013, the four-piece band has a sound that’s reminiscent of Alabama Shakes but with their own, singular infusions of punk, blues and funk mixed in.

The lead singer, AJ Hynes, has a deeply powerful and wide-ranging voice that is almost too good to believe, while Connor Davis (guitar), Adam Davis (bass), and Jesse Gabriel (drums) are each instrumental masters in their own right.

The group signed with Fat Possum Records in 2015 and released their debut album, “Get Gone”, last May. Recorded at Dial Back Sound stu-

Remembrance Continued from B1

Visalia. This film taught about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals. In December, CHERC showed “Hidden Sorrows”.

That film taught about the Nazi persecution of the Romani/Gypsy population. On March 24, 2017, CHERC will show, “Purple Triangles”. This film teaches about the persecution of the Jehovah Witness population. At each film showing we have books and prints for sale that are relevant to each population group the Nazi’s targeted as “degenerate” and unfit to live.

CHERC - the California Holocaust Education & Resource Center provides schools and teachers with FREE educational trunks for grades 5-12th grade.

These trunks contain books, DVD”s, maps, artifacts, posters, and exhibits as

Seratones. Courtesy/Seratones

dios in Mississippi, “Get Gone” is all live takes, a portrait of the Seratones in their element. Add the soul and swagger of a juke joint with the electricity coursing through a basement DIY show, and you’d begin to approach the experience of seeing this foursome live.

The well-paced, multi-faceted set showcases a band dedicated to sonic exploration. “Don’t Need It,” which opens with a muscular swing and tight guitar lines, builds into a monster finish with a nasty corkscrew of a guitar line. “Sun,” a well as a Teacher’s Curriculum Notebook containing lesson plans, activities, and ideas for expanding and broadening the teaching of WWII history. Call to schedule a presentation.

CHERC also brings education and cultural awareness and sensitivity to the Central Valley of California through art exhibits, theater performances, Holocaust Survivor Speakers, and the Free Film Series. We are happy to visit your school, church, or organization and to provide speakers, films, special programming and/or trunks to be utilized in addition to your regular educational programming.

Cynthia Fischer, Executive Director of CHERC will provide introductory remarks relating to the 11 million innocent people who perished in the Nazi Holocaust.

To attend, please RSVP by dialing 559-308-1333.

Communist Daughter. Courtesy/Communist Daughter

brawny thrasher, courses with huge, raw voltage riffs. “Chandelier,” a mid-tempo burner and vocal workout by Haynes, goes from croon to a crescendo that would shake any crystals hanging from the rafters.

Shared history in the city’s music scene brought the Seratones together a few years ago. All four had played together with one or another in various local punk bands, bonding through all-ages basement shows, gigs at skate parks and BBQ joints, and late nights

More than 40 years in Downtown Visalia

listening to jazz and blues records. In a city of multiple genres, no fixed musical identity and a flood of cover bands, these adventurous musicians carved out their own path, personifying the do-ityourself ethos. The group was quickly recognized after forming, winning the Louisiana Music Prize in 2013.

“Shreveport is always shifting its identity,” says Haynes. “You can do a lot of different things when it seems like every band is its own genre.”

CELLAR DOOR continued on B5 »

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Calendar Now - March 11: 9th Annual “MINIATURES” Exhibition/Raffle Fundraiser Thursdays - Saturdays from 10am 4pm - Twenty-three local area artists have donated 55 original miniature works of art, created solely for the Tulare Historical Museum show.

During the run of the exhibition, raffle tickets will be on sale in the THM Gift Shop, for a chance to win your favorite pieces. Tickets are $5 each, or 3 for $10. The drawing will be held March 15, and winners will be notified March 16-31.

Proceeds from the raffle will help THM’s mission to preserve Tulare’s history. Admission to Heritage Art Gallery exhibitions are free.

Now - February 16: Porterville’s First Ever Bad Art Show Wednesdays - Saturdays from 10am - 4pm - On display at the Porterville Art Association Gallery, 151 N. Main St. Categories: Reject Work, Tongue in Cheek, Commercial Junk. For more information, call Bill (559) 782-9265; or Frances (559) 539-3243.

January 19: Visalia Partners in Education Luncheon 12:30pm - Visalia Partners in Education and the Visalia Unified School District are hosting the second VPIE Partner Recognition Luncheon. This event provides an opportunity for VUSD and VPIE to recognize outstanding partners from across the community who have given of themselves and/or their business to support education. It is our opportunity to say “Thank You” and recognize their amazing work.

Luncheon will be held at the Visalia Marriott. RSVP by January 16 by calling (559) 734-5876.

January 20: Tulare Chamber of Commerce 133rd Annual Banquet 6-9pm - Honoring the Man & Woman of the Year, Small & Large Business of the Year. Held at the Heritage Complex, International Agri-Center. Tickets are $60. For tickets and more information, visit www.tularechamber.org, or call (559) 686-1547.

January 20: Lemoore Chamber of Commerce 59th Annual Banquet 6pm - Honoring Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year and Organization of the Year. Held at Tachi Palace Blue Oak Conference Center.

Tickets are $65; $55 prior to Janu-

ary 9. For tickets and more information, call (559) 924-6401, or email events@lemoorechamber.org.

January 20 - February 17: ACL Prevention Course for High School Athletes 3-4pm or 4-5pm - Therapy Specialists, a division of Kaweah Delta Health Care District, is offering a free course to high school athletes about how to prevent ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries. ACL injuries account for 50 percent of all knee injuries and can end a student’s athletic season. The course will educate students on training techniques to prevent this devastating knee injury. The course takes place at Therapy Specialists, 820 S. Akers St., Suite 200, Visalia. Space is limited; RSVP required to 559-624-3800.

January 21: “Tempest” Hits Lindsay 7:30pm - Tempest, the Celtic Rock Group from San Francisco, is returning to the Central Valley to kick off their 2017 concert season. They will be playing for the fifth time at the Lindsay Community Theater for one night only on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Tickets are $20. The Lindsay Community Theater is located at 190 N Elmwood, in the heart of downtown Lindsay. For tickets visit lindsaycommunitytheater.com, or tickets will also be available at the door. For more information, call (559) 284 2223.

Please call 713-4481. Reservations

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

3 Turkey and provolone on soft loaf with lettuce and tomato, tomato bisque soup, fresh fruit

9 Lemon pepper chicken with rice pilaf, vegetables, fruit and roll

Monday

16

with split pea soup af, vegetables, fruit and fruit and roll

4 Lasagna roll ups with 5 Chi spinach, ricotta and Italian sausage in marinara sauce with Caesar salad, garlic bread and

bean las w

January 2017 Lun

10 Pork tenderloin

11 Salisbury steak

12 A

with mashed sweet with mushroom, gra- with potatoes, Please vegetables, vy, mashed potatoes, serve call 713-4481 . Reservations salad and fruit vegetables, salad and ench Tuesday rollWednesday verdT 317Turkey and provoloParmesan en-

ne on soft loaf with crusted chicken lettuce and tomato, breast macaroni tomato with bisque soup, fresh fruit and cheese, salad and

fruit

9 Lemon pepper 23 Pastrami on rye chicken with rice pil-

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10 Pork tenderloin 24 Chicken and spinwith mashed sweet

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4 Lasagna ups with with 5 18 Broccoliroll soup 19ChiS spinach, ricotta grilled ham andand Italian in maricheesesausage with fruit and nara sauce with Caesar chips salad, garlic bread and

bean mea las w

garli

11 Salisbury steak 12 A 26 C 25 Meatloaf with with mushroom, gra- with mashed potatoes and vy, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable, vegetables, salad fruit and and rolls roll

Mexi serve pork ench rice, verd with

17Oven Parmesan en18 Broccoli soup with 19 S 31 baked BBQ DAILY SALAD Option: ranch meatballs sandwich, mari- chicken crustedwith chicken grilled Caesar ham and Chicken Salad avail- mea style beans and macanara and melted mozzabreast with macaroni able cheese with fruitreplaceand garli as a meal roni salad with fruit rella on a sub roll with and cheese, salad and ment. chips salad and fruit

16 30 Minestrone with

fruit

Jr. Citizen of the Year-Karli Toone, sale now $30-$35. Tickets and more 23 Pastramiofonthe ryeYear-Corcoran Organization information www.foxhanford.

26 C 24 Chicken and spin25visit Meatloaf with with split pea Lions Club.

For soup more information, com, or call (559) 584-7423. ach lasagna with layers mashed potatoes and Mexi and contact fruit please Lisa Shawofatmarinara (559) sauce and 28: January 5th vegetable, Annual Tea & pork gravy, fruit 992-4514. rice, mozzarella served with Show - Love to Wear Red Fashion and rolls

January 26: Third Annual Central 11:30am - 2pm - Soroptimist with of Valley Career and Resource ExpobakedTulare Care of Your Heart,” 31 Oven BBQ - “Take 30 Minestrone with DAILY SALAD Option: 9ammeatballs - 1pmsandwich, - Senator Andy Vidak guest speaker Duane Iwamura, dimari- chicken with ranch Chicken Caesar Salad availstyle beans maca- of Medical Imaging, Interandnara USandCongressman Va- and rector melted mozza- David able as a meal replaceroni salad with fruit rellateam on a sub withTachi Palace to ventional Radiology and Cardiac ladao uproll with ment. salad and fruit bring together jobs and potential Cath Lab at Tulare Regional Mediemployees together at this third an- cal Center. Held at the Tulare Comnual event. What makes this Expo munity Church, 1820 N. Gem St. different is that all booth partici- Donations $20/person. Tickets and pants have current job openings. more information, (559) 731-5693.

Serious job applicants come to January 28: Nelson Illusions at the Expo because they know their the Visalia Fox Theatre chances of landing a job at this 7pm - Nelson Illusions is a one-ofevent are much higher than many a-kind theatrical spectacle that comjob fairs. Last year’s Expo featured bines rare & original illusions from over 80 employers, and over 300 job around the world with award winapplicants attended. Held in the Ta- ning, jaw-dropping magic. Tickets chi Palace Bingo Hall, 17225 Jersey $11-44. For more information, visit Ave. For more information, contact www.foxvisalia.org.

Claudia Salinas in Vidak’s Hanford district office at 559-585-7161 or Claudia.Salinas@sen.ca.gov.

January 24: Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Visalia Fox Theatre 7:30pm - Celebrating over fifty years of joyous traditional spiritual acappella music led by their founder, Joseph Shabalala. Multiple Grammy awards including Best World Music & Best Traditional Album. Became famous collaborating with Paul Simon on his 1986 album, Graceland.

Accompanied Nelson Mandela to Norway to receive 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. Concert held at the Visalia Fox Theatre. Tickets on sale now - $29-$55. For more informaJanuary 27: Robert Earl Keen at tion, visit www.foxvisalia.org. the Hanford Fox Theatre January 25: Corcoran Chamber 8pm - The Houston native with the of Commerce Annual Banquet effortless voice, raspy twang and 5:30pm - A time to honor those who prolific pen has inspired and influhave done so much for the commu- enced an entire generation of Lone nity this past year, please join us at Star poets, including popular Texas the Annual Banquet, Wednesday, favorites like Cory Morrow, Cody January 25th. This year’s honorees Canada, Wade Bowen and Randy are: Man of the Year-Steve Brown, Rogers, in the 30-plus years that he Woman of the Year-Diane Gomez, has been releasing music. Tickets on

fEBRUARY

February 7-9: COS Offers Preventive Controls for Human Foods Certification Training College of Sequoias Training Resource Center is offering 2 certification training classes on Preventive Controls for Human Foods. The first is on February 7-9, 2017 at the College of the Sequoias Tulare College Center. This training will enable

s must be made one business day in advance by 12 PM.

Friday

Thursday

ili verde with rice, ns, salad and tortilwith fruit

Weekly Salad Option:

6 All meat pizza with

Cobb Salad With Chicken, tomato, avocado, lettuce and bacon bits with ranch and feta cheese

olives, bell pepper and mushrooms with salad and fruit

nch Menu / Visalia Senior Center 13 Cheeseburger with

Taco Salad—in taco bowls with h Beef meatballs lettuce, tomato, condi- lettuce, ground beef, black beans, ments and pickle corn with Mexican cheese and salwith be cheese sedmust made one business dayand in advance by 12 PM. served with chips sa hiladas in salsa fruit Friday Weekly Salad Option: Thursday de

Albondigas soup

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ic bread and fruit

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Chili Colorado –

h Beef meatballs ican style braised ed with cheese in red sauce with hiladas in salsa beans and tortillas defruit

620AllChili meatbeans pizza with with

Cobb Salad Chef Salad—with diced cheeses,

olives, bell pepper and With olives, Chicken, tomato, corn bread, potato sal- black ham, tomato avocaand mushrooms with salad ad and fruit do, lettuce bits with hard boiledand eggsbacon with ranch dressand fruit

ranch ing and feta cheese

13 Cheeseburger with 27 Chicken parmesan lettuce, tomato, condiwith mashed potatoes, ments and pickle vegetables, salad served with chipsand and fruit

fruit

Taco Salad—in taco bowls with Perfect Garden Salad lettuce, Chicken ground beef, black beans, Chicken, walnut, dried cranberry corn with Mexican cheese and salsalad with balsamic vinaigrette sa

20 Chili beans with

Chef Salad—with diced taco cheeses, Chicken Taco Salad—in bowls corn bread, potato sal- black olives, ham, tomato and with lettuce, chicken, black beans, at sauce, salad, ad and fruit hard boiled eggs with ranchand dresscorn with Mexican cheese salic bread and fruit ing sa

Spaghetti with

Tulare County Food manufacturers and industry fulfill Chili Colorado – professionals 27 Chickento parmesan the FSMA requirement for PCQI ican style braised with mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad and Controls Qualified Inin(Preventive red sauce with fruit dividuals).

This course, developed beans and tortillas by the FSPCA, is the “standardized fruit curriculum” recognized by FDA and fulfills the FSMA requirement for a PCQI. The cost of the training is $649 for the first person and $599 for the second person and includes textbooks, certificate fee, and refreshments. Registetration: http:// www.cos.edu/TrainingCenter/foodsafety/Pages/PCHF-Open.aspx. For more information go to the website, or call 559-688-3130.

February 10: Midnight Star and the Original Mary Jane Girls 8pm - Eagle Mountain Casino welcomes popular 80’s group Midnight Star along with their special guests, the Original Mary Jane Girls.

Formed at Kentucky State University in 1976, MIDNIGHT STAR began as a self-contained party band in the P-Funk/ Earth Wind and Fire mode. Tickets start at $30 and are available through Eagle Mountain Casino’s web site at www.eaglemtncasino.com or the gift shop (800) 903-3353.

February 11: Visalia Art League & Arts Visalia Bus Trip The Getty Center 6:30am - Visit the Getty Center, renowned for its collection of European paintings, drawings, manu-

scripts, sculpture, decorative arts as Perfect Gardenphotography Salad well as itsChicken important Chicken, walnut, collection.

Our busdried will cranberry depart from salad with balsamic vinaigrette the Visalia Convention Center at 6:30am and will return to Visalia around 9:00pm. Parking is available in the city parking garage directly Chicken Salad—in tacoconvenbowls across theTaco street from the withcenter. lettuce,The chicken, tion trip black will beans, include corn with Mexican cheese and salstops on the way and on the return forsabreakfast and dinner on your own. The cost is $65 per person which includes bus fare and museum entry. For reservations and more information: (559)739-0905.

February 11: Visalia Rawhide to Hold Annual Job Fair 9-11am - Positions will be available in a variety of areas, including concessions, food preparation, retail, and ushering. The club expects over 100 Tulare and Kings County residents to earn jobs, which will provide workers with valuable experience in the customer service industry. For a head start in applying, prospective staff members are encouraged to pre-register at RawhideBaseball. com. To pre-register, complete the application on the homepage and return to the ticket office on Giddings St. Applicants may also scan and email applications to jerry@ rawhidebaseball.com, or fax it back to (559) 739-7732, ATTENTION: JOB FAIR. Job seekers are encouraged to come to the job fair prepared with a copy of the completed application and resume.

February 12: Los Yonics y Los Caminantes 8pm - Eagle Mountain Casino welcomes Los Yonic’s y Los Caminantes. Tickets start at $30 and are available through Eagle Mountain Casino’s web site at www.eaglemtncasino.com or the gift shop (800)903-3353.

February 14-16: World Ag Expo 9am - 5pm - World Ag Expo is the world’s largest annual agricultural exposition. More than 1,500 exhibitors display the latest in farm equipment, communications and technology on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. Free seminars focus on a variety of topics important to dairy producers, farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals. $15 gate admission. For more information: http://www.worldagexpo.com/ attendees.

ductions.

March 18: Kellie Pickler at the Visalia Fox Theatre 8pm - Presented by Hands in the Community. Kellie Pickler grew up immersed in country music in the small town of Albemarle, North Carolina with the words of Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton shaping her musical footing. At the age of 19, she first gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of “American Idol.”

Tickets on sale now - $40-$83. For more information, visit www.foxvisalia.org.

March 29: Vince Gill with Lyle Lovett at the Visalia Fox Theatre 7:30pm - After teaming up for a series of concerts in 2015 and 2016, Gill and Lovett saw that the shows were so successful that they decided to extend the tour. A portion of the proceeds benefit Tulare & Kings February 23: The British are County Suicide Prevention Task Coming. . . to Visalia 9pm - Beatles vs. Stones - A Musi- Force. Tickets on sale now - $44cal Showdown at the Cellar Door. $106. Brought to the Visalia Fox by The two greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands Rainmaker Productions. of all time face off as The Cellar Door hosts tributes to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Taking the side of the Fab Four is Abbey Road, Sundays: Barmageddon Tulareous one of the country’s top Beatles trib- Open Mic, 9pm-12:30am ute bands. They engage in a musi- Our weekly open mic has a great secal “showdown” of the hits against lection of local comedians and mupremier Stones tribute band Satis- sicians. faction - The International Rolling Stones Show. Tickets $15 in ad- Comedians will have approximately vance; $18 at the door. The Cellar 10 mins of stage time and musicians Door is located at 101 W. Main St. get three songs. Sign ups start at 9 in Visalia. For more information, PM, Show starts at 9:30 PM, Ends around 12:30 AM. No Cover. visit www.cellardoor101.com.

Mondays: Bridge Club, 9:30amFebruary 25: Porterville College 2pm Foundation 7th Annual Hall of 210 W Center Street Visalia, CA Fame Reception 6pm - at the Student Center hon- 93291. Admission is free. For addioring former athletes and distin- tional information call: Joan Dinguished alumni. Tickets $25. For widdie @ 732-0855 more information, call (559) 791- Mondays: Knitters, 10am2319 or email, pcfoundation@por- 12:30pm tervillecollege.edu.

210 W Center Street Visalia, CA 93291. Everyone is welcome.

CONTINUOUS

MARCH

Mondays: Monday Karaoke at Barmageddon, 9pm-1am March 9: Foreigner at the Visalia Get on stage and sing your favorite Fox Theatre tunes on our one of a kind sound 7:30pm - 40th Anniversary Tour system. performing songs such as Cold as New Image has a vast selection of Ice and I Want to Know What Love songs to choose, ranging from 70’s Is. A portion of the proceeds benefits classic rock to modern pop. Karaoke The Creative Center in Visalia. This Jockey Miss Sammi will be hosting show was sold out in 2008! Tickets from 9 PM - 1 AM. No Cover. on sale now - $50-$125. Brought to the Visalia Fox by Rainmaker Pro-

19 January, 2017

B5 • Valley Voice

Tulare Chamber Announces Man, Woman, Businesses of Year The evening begins at 6pm with a social hour, followed by dinner at 7pm and Each year the Tulare Chamber of then the program.

Commerce presents In addition to an award to a man, honoring the award woman, small busirecipients, the Tuness, and large busilare Chamber of ness who exemplify Commerce will inoutstanding comstall the incoming munity spirit and Board of Directors, service. The Board celebrate its accomof Directors of the plishments for the Chamber is pleased Past recipients of the Man of the Year year, and provide to announce the Award surprise the 2016 Man of the Year information on the Craig Vejvoda. Courtesy/Tulare Chamber 2016 award recipiorganization’s vients to be honored sion and program of at the 133rd Anwork for 2017. nual Banquet on Chamber CEO January 20.

Donnette Silva Those being Carter commented, recognized for their “We are excited to countless contribuprovide the occations to the comsion to celebrate the munity and local Rafael Figueroa and family. Courtesy/Tu- businesses and indieconomy are: Man lare Chamber viduals who make of the Year, Craig Tulare a great place Vejvoda; Woman of the Year, Marmie to live, work and play. They contribute Fidler; Small Business of the Year, Figa- to the well-being of the community and ro’s Southwestern Grill; and, Large Busi- to its economic health. We invite all of ness of the Year, Garton Tractor, Inc. Tulare to join us in this evening of netThe 133rd Annual Banquet will be working and celebration. This truly is an on Friday, January 20, at the Interna- event to commend those who choose to tional Agri-Center, Heritage Complex. be part of the fabric of Tulare.”

Staff Reports

Advance reservations for the Ban- Chamber of Commerce and its predequet are required and are $60 per per- cessor, the Tulare Board of Trade, have played a vital role son.

Marketing in the community’s opportunities are ability to survive available for loadversity and decal businesses and velop into the dynon-profits who namic city that we wish to promote know today. their organizations The Tulare by serving as table Chamber’s memdecorators and/ Past recipients of the Woman of the or event sponsors. Year Award surprise the 2016 Woman of bership base includes business and Please call 686- the Year Marmie Filder. Courtesy/Tulare civic leaders who 1547 or visit www. Chamber are engaged at the t u l a r e c h a m b e r. org for more information on the Tulare forefront of their industries, playing a Chamber Annual Awards & Installa- vital role in decision-making at the local, state and federtion Banquet. al levels.

Visit www.tuAbout the larechamber.org to Tulare find out how ChamChamber ber membership The mission of can help new and the Tulare Chamber existing businesses of Commerce is to thrive by providing serve its members Past recipients of the Large Business of the Year Award surprise the 2016 Large business to busiand citizens by ad- Business of the Year Garton Tractor, Inc. ness connections, vocating for, and Courtesy/Tulare Chamber advocating for busiengaging in, efforts ness friendly policy, to encourage economic opportunity and building a strong and healthy economy, business prosperity. and serving and attracting visitors.

For more than 100 years, The Tulare

Rawhide Host Family Program One of Best in Nation Staff Reports Fans that attend a Rawhide game witness on-field action by some of the most talented baseball players in the world. Ask folks who have been around long enough and they will tell stories of watching Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett work his way through Visalia on his ascension to the big leagues. In more recent years, and paired with a strong relationship with the Arizona Diamondbacks, now well-established big leaguers such as Paul Goldschmidt, Adam Eaton, David Peralta, and Jake Lamb have spent at least parts of a summer or two in our community. While their on-field performance is what brings Recreation Ballpark crowds to their feet, most people aren’t aware of what happens when the game is done and it’s time to go home.

Where, exactly, is home for these boys?

Home is within the care of Rawhide host families. In recent years, the host family program has grown from around five families to around 20 or so. Most of

Cellar Door Continued from B3

Seratones’s music, created with collaborative songwriting and spontaneous creativity, is certainly their own, due perhaps in part to Shreveport’s unique sonic geography. The city sits at a nexus roughly equidistant from Memphis soul, Mississippi Delta Blues, and New Orleans jazz, with Texas swing located just over the nearby state border. The band’s sound draws from those touch points and more, ranging from Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” to “Kind of Blue.” They’ll happily connect the dots between Ornette Coleman and Jello Biafra.

Minnesota-based indie band Communist Daughter (named after a Neutral Milk Hotel song) will be kicking off the evening with their lush harmonies and

these families host more than one player or coach at a time, and what do they ask in return for opening their home to these professional baseball players? “A simple thank you usually does the trick,” says Host Family Program coordinator and Rawhide Assistant GM Charlie Saponara.

“These families are nothing short of amazing,” Saponara continues. “On top of a clean and comfortable living area, most of our host families are happy to provide food, or even a ride to the ballpark if needed. Their generosity and kindness is extraordinary.”

For the past few seasons, 100-percent of Rawhide players, coaches, and training staff, have been hosted by local families. That number exemplifies the giving spirit of the community here in Visalia.

Hosting ballplayers is not a thankless task. Some players develop truly caring relationships with their host families, and those relationships endure into the

big leagues. “ W e have kept in touch with the majority of the players and have gained friendships with wives, and Sandy and Tony Valenzuela, host family since 2010, with 2016 host playparents of ers Victor Reyes, Michael Perez, and Gabriel Moya. Courtesy/Rawhide the players host parent Tony Cavanaugh says, “I feel as well,” says host family Sandy and like I am growing my family -- I consider Tony Valenzuela, who create a home them to be part of my family -- the ‘Big away from home for many of the Span- League’ way; providing a comfortable ish-speaking players. “Even after they home environment for these young men move on from Visalia, we spend time to pursue their big league dreams.” with them in spring training and have In just a few months, a group of had the pleasure of celebrating the birth about 30 professional baseball players, of their children, attending their wed- coaches, and training staff, will once dings, and visiting with them and their again make their way to Visalia. And, families in their respective countries.” once again, they will have a happy home When asked why he enjoys hosting, waiting for them when they get here.

full orchestration.

A few years ago Johnny Solomon, the founder of Communist Daughter, was a fixture in the tight knit Twin Cities music scene, forming the angular indie pop band Friends Like These and touring extensively, he received critical praise from far flung sources that looked like the beginning of a promising career. The rising success masked his struggle with addiction and mental health problems, and quickly eclipsed his career, landing him in jail and treatment facilities across the country. By the end of that whirlwind he had retreated to a small town across the border in Wisconsin where he assumed his music days were over.

But when he moved out of the city his demons followed him and he spent his nights writing and recording what he thought would be his eulogy, songs

about lost love and lost chances. He recruited some friends to come out and put it all to tape. Calling his new band Communist Daughter, they released their debut album “Soundtrack to the End” in 2010. As they gained national attention Johnny put all of it on hold and checked himself in to rehab one more time.

In 2012 Communist Daughter returned with a clear eyed John, including his now wife Molly Solomon, bassist Adam Switlick, Steven Yasgar on Drums, Al Weiers on guitar and Dillon Marchus on keys. They put out an EP “Lions & Lambs” and began touring the country again and gaining national attention.

By 2014 they had entered the studio to spend the next two years crafting their sophomore release. Working with Producer Kevin Bowe (Replacements, Meat Puppets) they recorded in and out

of studios trying to capture the deeply personal songs in a much more deliberate style.

Going from studio to bedroom to studio again they created an album with 11 songs running the gamut from high peaks to dark lows. They took the finished tracks to Nashville where Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Benjamin Booker) put the final mix together, and then had Heba Kadry (Future Islands, And You Will Know Us…) master the final product in NYC. 2016 will see the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album “The Cracks That Built The Wall.’ And look for a clear eyed Communist Daughter to return to the road for tour dates all over the country.

See both acts at the Cellar Door and prepare to have your mind blown!

Valley Voice • B6

19 January, 2017

Education Two Porterville College Graduates Celebrate Success Staff Reports Muhammad Khalique graduated from Porterville College with Associate in Science and transferred to UCLA in 2013. At UCLA, Muhammad persued his passion in research and worked as an undergraduate researcher at Dr. Thomas Carmichael’s lab.

During his research, he worked on a project which focused on the “Molecular Biology of Stem Cell Transplantation and Neural Repair in the White Matter Stroke”.

Along with his research work, Muhammad participated in The Healthcare Improvement for iNnovation in Quality (THINQ) fellowship at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

During his undergraduate fellowship, he participated in projects which are dedicated to reshape the future of healthcare system. Currently, Muhammad is working at the California Hospital Medical Center as a Health Scholar.

Muhammad is thankful to the Porterville College faculty and staff for providing an excellent educational experience which is helping him to make progress towards his dream to make a difference.

Umara Khalique, his sister, gradu-

ated from Porterville College in 2013 and also transferred to UCLA, where she continued to pursue her interest in biomedical sciences. During her studies at UCLA, she conducted research, as an undergraduate research fellow, in Dr. Karen Lyons’ lab in the Orthopedic Hospital Research Center.

Her project focused on studying the role of connective tissue growth factor in haemophilic arthropathy and arthrofibrosis. After graduating from UCLA in 2016, Umara currently is a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Fellow in Dr. Evelyn Ralston’s lab at the National Institutes of Health, where her project focuses on the implications of tubb6, a minor beta-tubulin isotype, in muscle defects of the mdx mouse, a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Umara is committed on pursuing a career in medicine and serving medically underserved communities to improve access to quality healthcare.

Umara is grateful to her professors, counselors, and administrative staff at Porterville College for providing a platform with resources and guidance that helped her to succeed in educational career.

COS Offers Preventive Controls for Foods Training in Tulare and Fresno

Kaweah Delta to Offer Free ACL Injury Prevention Courses Staff Reports Therapy Specialists, a division of Kaweah Delta Health Care District, is offering a free course to high school athletes about how to prevent ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries.

The course takes place on Fridays, 3-4 pm or 4-5pm from Jan.uary 20-February 17, at Therapy Specialists, 820 S. Akers St., Suite 200, Visalia. Space is limited; RSVP required to 559-624-3800.

ACL injuries account for 50 percent of all knee injuries and can end a student’s athletic season. The course will educate students on training techniques to prevent this devastating knee injury.

Therapy Specialists offers physical therapy for orthopedics, hand, and sports med-

Muhammad and Umara Khalique. Courtesy/Porterville College

icine for spine, shoulders, arms, hips and knees. Therapy Specialists locations include: • Therapy Specialists, 1337 S. Lovers Lane, Suite C, Visalia • Therapy Specialists, 820 S. Akers St., Suite 200, Visalia • Hand Therapy Specialists, 2342 W. Sunnyside Ave., Visalia • Dinuba Therapy Specialists, 355 Monte Vista, Suite C, Dinuba • Exeter Therapy Specialists, 1131 W. Visalia Road, Exeter Established in 1963, Kaweah Delta Health Care District is a 581-bed district hospital. Kaweah Delta Medical Center, the only trauma center between Fresno and Bakersfield, was recently awarded four out of five stars in overall hospital quality from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

College of Sequoias Training Resource Center is offering two certification training classes on Preventive Controls for Human Foods.

The first is on February 7-9, 2017 at the College of the Sequoias Tulare College Center.

The second is on February 13-15, 2017 at the Fresno City Community College Herndon Campus.

This training will enable Tulare County Food manufacturers and industry professionals to fulfill the FSMA requirement for PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals).

The Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation is intended to ensure safe manufacturing / processing, packing and holding of food products for human consumption in the United States.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law on January 2011. It was created to better protect public health by strengthening the food safety system.

It enables FDA to focus more on preventing food safety problems rath-

Staff Reports er than relying primarily on reacting to problems after they occur. Compliance dates for some businesses begin in September 2016.

This course, developed by the FSPCA, is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by FDA and fulfills the FSMA requirement for a PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual).

Join us for one of these 20 hour trainings that are certified and approved by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and the FDA. The class will be taught by a FSPCA Lead Instructor.

The cost of the training is $649 for the first person and $599 for the second person and includes textbooks, certificate fee, and refreshments.

Register through COS Training Resource Center Website at URL: http:// www.cos.edu/TrainingCenter/foodsafety/Pages/PCHF-Open.aspx For more information go to our website and/or call 559-688-3130

Business Mentors Step Up for Young Entrepreneurs Staff Reports The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) an innovative program that guides students through the process of starting their own, real business, announces local business mentors and sponsors for this year’s YEA! Class.

Once the students identify their business idea, YEA! pairs each student business with an appropriate mentor.

This industry expert helps the students to fine tune their concept, write a business plan and identify their target

audience. This year’s mentors include: • Jonathan Graves, Jonathan Graves Management • Samantha Rummage-Mathias, Wyndham • Shauna Guerrero, Rabobank • Lupe Garcia, Suncrest Bank • Cesear Gutierrez, Suncrest Bank • Steve Batty, Diamond V • Vincent Salinas, Small Business Development Center As a non-profit organization, YEA! relies on the generosity of the community and of sponsors; people who identify

with entrepreneurship and want to help pave the way for future entrepreneurs.

Some help the student businesses get off the ground while others provide in-kind support or volunteer their time and services.

During the course of the 30-week program, more than 40 local businesses become involved with YEA! at various levels.

From helping teach the basics of business to inviting students to tour their companies, volunteers participate in a variety of capacities.

Students work in close cooperation with local business leaders, community leaders and educators who use their personal experiences to demonstrate how to develop ideas and objectives, pitch potential investors, obtain funding, register with governmental agencies, establish e-commerce and a web presence, and more.

By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which they can carry on after their graduation from the program.

19 January, 2017

Valley Voice • B7

Tulare County Sheriff Hires Second Pathways Scholarship Participant Teresa Douglass, TCSO Sheriff Mike Boudreaux swore-in his second Pathways Scholarship recipient Monday as a Deputy Sheriff Trainee along with four Deputies, five Correctional Deputies and one Senior Accounting Clerk.

The new Deputy Sheriff Trainee, Hector Negrete, became acquainted with the Sheriff’s Office when he was a boy in the Sheriff’s PAL Program. From there, he became an Explorer.

Sheriff Boudreaux started the Pathways Scholarship program three years ago as a way to encourage Explorers to go to college and become Deputies. The goal is to put local youth back in their hometown communities as Sheriff’s Deputies after graduation from college and training in the police academy.

“I’m very proud of the program,” Sheriff Boudreaux said. “It creates stake holders in the community and in the department.”

Funding for the scholarship program is through the Sence Foundation.

Standing next to the Sheriff during the swearing-in ceremony Monday was Sence Foundation President Kim Oviatt.

He recalled Negrete’s oral exam for the Pathways Scholarship. “[Hector] was a great interview,” he said. “Congratulations, Hector, and good luck.”

Negrete, 20, of Earlimart, was born in Delano and raised in Earlimart. He’s the oldest son in a family of five children which grew to nine children when his parents took in his four younger cousins.

His father is an Ag mechanic and his mother is a homemaker.

As a youngster, Negrete followed his older sister’s footsteps and became an Explorer. He achieved the rank of Captain.

“I’ve always wanted to help people,” Negrete said. “As an Explorer, I could start giving back to my community.”

He’s a familiar face around the southern part of the county because, as a Sheriff’s Explorer, he volunteered in the communities of Pixley, Tipton and Earlimart.

“People say hi to me by name,” he said. “It feels good to have people treat me with respect because I treat them with respect.”

Negrete graduated from Delano High Hector Negrete is congratulated after being sworn in as a Pathways Scholarship recipient. Courtesy/TCSO training at the College of the Sequoias the Pixley Substation. He said it’s nice to School in 2014. see Explorers who have invested in the He will be the first person in his Police Academy in February.

After graduation from the police community come back to work for the family to get a college degree. He said that he decided to go to college because academy, he’ll be assigned to the Pixley Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

“He’s a real sharp man with a bright Sheriff Boudreaux motivated him to ap- Substation.

Negrete said it’s a dream come true future,” he said. ply for a Pathways Scholarship. to be hired at the Sheriff’s Office.

In September, the first Pathways “I wanted to become a deputy,” he “I would like to thank all of my Scholarship recipient, Jasmine Orozco, said. “I would’ve done almost anything mentors at the Sheriff’s Office and my was sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff Trainto get hired.” parents who raised us to be good, hum- ee. After she graduates from the police Negrete finishes his requirements for academy later this month, she’ll be proan associate’s degree in Business Admin- ble and honest people,” he said.

One of those mentors, Lt. Harold moted to Deputy I and assigned to the istration later this month at San Joaquin Liles, Jr., is the station commander at Cutler/Orosi Substation.

Valley College in Visalia. He begins his