Volume XXXVII No. 3 • 2 February, 2017
www.ourvalleyvoice.com
Seville, Monson Water Woes Should Soon Be Relieved Nancy Vigran In the late summer of 2014, the rural community of Seville had some of its water needs addressed. Tulare County, working as an interim water agency for the area, was able to secure funding for the drilling of a new well for the community of approximately 500 residents. The 300-foot well boosted the water pressure, supplying much needed water to everyone in the area. But the water was still not potable, with leaks springing up everywhere in the nearly 100-year-old pipe system due to the new, higher pressure. Since then, the continued use of Band-Aid piping has been a temporary solution.
New Funds for Pipeline
Now, the county has secured a $5 million grant from the State Water Resources Control Board for a complete overhaul of piping in the community. California remains under a drought emergency. With that the state board expedited the grant, with the contingency that the county must implement the work as soon as possible. For some time, it has not been known just who the rightful owner of the water system has been – it was long ago abandoned with no one claiming it. As such, the water board asked the coun-
ty to step in. “This actually works out to the advantage of the people there,” Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley said, in a 2014 interview. Privately-owned water systems normally would not qualify for grant funds, he explained. But, with the county working as a trustee for the Seville system, funds were made available, and many allocations made. “The whole goal is to provide reliable drinking water as soon as possible,” said Eric Coyne, spokesman for the Tulare County Resource Management Agency. A few weeks ago, Worthley and Coyne took a drive to Sacramento to give a 15-minute presentation to the water control board. They returned with the promise of the $5 million grant. “Everybody needs water,” Coyne said, “so, it wasn’t so easy to ask.” But water issues have been plaguing the community long before the drought, Coyne said. For more than 20 years, Worthley has been working toward a solution to the problem, as a county supervisor and a former school board member in the area.
Drought a Silver Lining?
“It turns out the drought was a silver lining and beneficial for them,”
SEVILLE continued on 8 »
Protesters marched for women’s rights and against the incoming presidency of Donald Trump in Visalia on Saturday, January 21. A crowd of nearly 1,000 gathered in Blain Park after a social media post went viral. The marchers were part of a nationwide demonstration that included hundreds of thousands at the main event in Washington, D.C. Dave Adalian/Valley Voice
Locals Mirror National March Against Trump, Republicans Tulare County citizens are not prepared to take Donald Trump’s unique and perceived distasteful approach to the presidency lightly. They let him know it loudly and early, taking to the streets in surprisingly large numbers the day after America’s 45th president swore his oath of office. The local protesters joined millions of other marchers demonstrating in cities around the country and the world.
Women’s March
The day of protest centered on the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., a central event intended by organizers to
Dave Adalian voice displeasure over the new president’s policies on abortion and other women’s heath issues, with local events planned in support. Other groups seized on the widespread and growing unease, adding their own voices and concerns. “We’re here today to show our solidarity for the march that’s taking place in Washington,” said Louis Campos, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the most recent election. “This has to do primarily with the new administration and their attacks against agencies like Planned Parenthood and access to
WOMEN continued on 4 »
Tulare City Council Amends General Plan to Bring in Hotel The Tulare Local Healthcare District Board of Directors assembled — with new board members Kevin Northcraft and Mike Jamaica — at their regularly scheduled January meeting. Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice
New TLHCD Board Members Seated as Factions Develop Board votes 3-2 to retroactively approve controversial loan: one member says “bring it to us next time” Tony Maldonado Two things were made clear during Wednesday’s three-hour-long Tulare Local Healthcare District (TLHCD) Board of Directors meeting: there are now two distinct factions of board members — and they’ve got distinctly different ideas on how to end up with a successful hospital. The faction of existing board members — comprised of Dr. Parmod Kumar, Richard Torrez, and Linda Wilbourn– continue to trust Healthcare Conglom-
erate Associates (HCCA) with the management of the hospital’s operations and business decisions, and want to ensure stability and unity around the company’s management operations so that the hospital can qualify for loans that would enable it to finish its tower construction project. In that vein, the board retroactively approved the $500,000 loan to the Southern Inyo Healthcare District, though members Torrez and Wilbourn said they were not aware of the loan ever
TULARE continued on 8 »
Tulare is one step closer to having a new hotel, but some community members aren’t happy about it. At the Jan. 17 Tulare City Council meeting, the council voted 4-0 — with councilman David Macedo absent — to change the city’s general plan concerning a parcel at M Street and the southwest corner of Cartmill Avenue. The change will allow the construction of a large hotel complex across the street from the Presidential Estates subdivision. The General Plan Update changes the zoning from low density residential to community commercial. The city council also voted to approve a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to include a 75foot freeway sign. The decision overturns a Nov. 28 decision by the Tulare Planning Commission, which denied the request to update the general plan after hearing from residents of Presidential Estates and the Oak Mobile Home Park. The residents argued that the region is zoned residential and a commercial development is not compatible with homes, a school, park and
Catherine Doe fire station. Dennis Sunderland of Tulare Bethel Association of God and Monterey Dynasty appealed the planning commission’s decision to the city council. Monterey Dynasty and the church have a joint agreement to build a hotel on the vacant lot and needed the General Plan to be amended in order to move forward with their development. During the city council meeting the hotel in question was said to be a Hilton Garden Inn. The proposed development will be a 24,500 square foot, 136-room, five storey hotel located on a 4.74-acre vacant lot. The project also includes a 4,000 square foot café, 60-seat wedding venue, restaurant/bar, and a 400-seat convention hall for business conferences/meetings and similar events.
Hilton Says No Plans for Hotel in Tulare
During the public hearing, many
HOTEL continued on 5 »
2 • Valley Voice
2 February, 2017 From the Publisher’s desk
Snapshot of Insanity
Prestige Assisted Living at Visalia
After a swirl of executive orders, the Orange Horror concluded the first week of his presidency by “protecting the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States,” preventing entry from seven mostly Muslim countries--Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. I’ve set into quotation marks the name of his latest edict. The Kid walks in while I’m watching live protests at JFK and Dulles Airports. “We’re detaining people at airports?” she asks. “Yes,” I say. “Right off planes?” “Yes.” She takes a bite of the sandwich she’s just made and chews--I’d describe it as thoughtfully--before asking, “Muslims?” “Seems so.” “Didn’t the guy on the TV just say that if you’re a member of a religious minority in those countries you wouldn’t be denied entry?” “Something like that. I think.” “So…” she says, “Muslims.” “Yes.” “He’s not satisfied with a wall? Doesn’t Trump know this will make us a target all over the world?” she asks. “Doesn’t he understand that we need a lot of these people as translators and in other ways in the fight against terror? Doesn’t he know that this is the kind of thing ISIS uses to recruit fighters against us?” “It seems like you know more than the president does.” “Wait a minute,” she says. “When did all this happen?” “Well,” I say, “he did campaign on this kind of crap for--what?--eighteen months. And yesterday he signed the executive order.” “Yesterday?” she asks. I’d describe it as indignantly. “Yes.” “On International Holocaust Remembrance Day?” I had forgotten all about it. “What’s next?” she asks. “Is Trump going to make them sew yellow crescents onto their clothes?” “’Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…’” “Yeah--” the Kid says, “and then what? Stick them in some kind of camp?” “’ Yearning to breathe free.’” The Kid sighs. “I bet he’ll have to walk this back,” she says. “I bet he’ll have to walk back about half of everything he does in office.” “Let’s just hope he’s not in office very long.” “Oh my God,” she says. “I know where you’re going with this.” “Yes,” she says. “Trump will be impeached within two years.” “Hence Pence.” — Joseph Oldenbourg
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2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • 3
Political Fix Donald Trump said during his campaign that his presidency “will be like nothing you have ever seen before.” Truer words were never spoken. There have been massive protests, marches here and abroad, scads of executive orders, new phrases coined, nationwide detentions at airports, and the firing of the acting United States Attorney General. Pres. Trump’s most recent act reminds presidential historians of Richard Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre back in 1973 when he fired his attorney general. “The bells of impeachment are ringing,” said one historian. But there is a huge difference between Pres. Nixon’s firing of his United States Attorney General and Pres. Trump’s: Pres. Nixon was well into his second term as president; Pres. Trump hasn’t even completed his second week. Here are a few thoughts on his recent executive orders.
The Ban on Muslims
When protesters and the media criticize Pres. Trump’s ban on Muslims, a disjointed refrain can be heard from Republicans that Syria was President Obama’s fault. Curiously, the list of countries where the ban takes effect does not include Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, and chock full of terrorists. Of course there are those two luxury resorts being built that will be part of the Trump Hotel collection. But back to Syria. Pres. Obama said in his final press conference that he feels “responsible” for the bloodshed in Syria, and that his administration “went through every option” to try to limit the violence there. But is Syria really Pres. Obama’s fault? Let’s look at some facts. Syria has been ruled by ruthless dictators for nearly 50 years: Bashar al-Assad since July 2000 and his father, Hafez al-Assad, from 1970-2000. The civil war has been traced back to an extreme drought in Syria between 2006 and 2009 and has been linked to climate change. The violent uprising in Syria was also part of the Arab Spring movement that swept through Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, and Libya, many of whose dictators were overthrown. ISIS did not exist and there was no Al Quada in Iraq before the Iraq War. It is almost a guaranteed that if Saddam Hussein were in power ISIS would not have a presence in Iraq. In terms of Syria’s civil war, there are four violent factions that don’t consult Americans before making their next move: the Kurdish forces, ISIS, the six loosely affiliated opposition groups to Assad, and the Assad regime. Except for the Iraq War, against which Pres. Obama voted, none of Syria’s problems are the United States’ fault. Republicans, though, are quick to point out that Pres. Obama’s response to Syria’s civil war was insufficient. But the Arab Spring can be traced back to European Colonialism. Syria is in Europe’s back yard and the war a product of Europe’s past hubris. Why aren’t the Republicans criticizing Europe’s response to the civil war? Picking on Muslims is low hanging fruit to rally Pres. Trump’s base, and I
Catherine Doe
doubt they predicted the backlash. Now Mr. Trump’s defenders are left grasping at straws to deflect the criticism.
As Goes California, Goes The Country
I often find myself reflecting on Republican Governor Pete Wilson’s ill-fated Proposition 187 passed in 1994. The proposition banned undocumented residents, mostly Hispanics, from sending their children to public schools or receiving state subsidized healthcare. The California Supreme Court eventually ruled the proposition unconstitutional, but the damage was done. Hispanics never forgave the callousness of the Republican-sponsored proposition and the state went from being a healthy mix of moderate Democrats and Republicans to almost completely controlled by the Democratic Party. Governor Jerry Brown made an astute observation last week that the same backlash may happen to the country as a whole. Pres. Trump’s executive orders include the construction of a physical wall with Mexico and the stripping of federal grant money to sanctuary cities. He ordered the hiring of 5,000 more Border Patrol agents and reinstated local and state immigration enforcement partnerships. He then banned refugees and residents from seven Muslim nations. Gov. Brown pointed out that what happened in California in the aftermath of proposition 187 should be used as an historical warning for Washington Republicans. According to the Sacramento Bee, Gov. Brown said, “And I would say the extremism of the Republican majority and other interests groups that have temporarily taken hold of Washington are reducing to an absurd level the conservative cause, and there will be a backlash. And that backlash will be similar to the backlash that came in California that essentially swept out the extreme GOP position.”
Border Adjustment Tax vs. Border Tax
One of Pres. Trump’s executive orders has affected a major bill that Congressman Devin Nunes has been working on for years. Pres. Trump’s order to build a wall with Mexico had a lot of predictable consequences, but one very unpredictable negative effect – the corporate tax reform. Rep. Nunes is one of the authors of Congressman Paul Ryan’s tax blueprint called “A Better Way.” The bill supports a revolutionary tax reform, including a “border adjustment tax.” As a member of Pres. Trump’s executive transitional team, Rep. Nunes has been a main player in explaining the bill to the president and his financial team. Pres. Trump’s executive order to build a physical wall with Mexico, and have Mexico pay for it, elicited an immediate response from that country’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto. He said under no circumstances will they pay for the wall. In response, Pres. Trump suggested forcing Mexico to pay for it through a 20% border tax. This sent a shudder through Congress, which knows that a border tax will cause a tariff war. On the other hand, the Adjusted Border Tax is meant to boost
American exports and is similar to the one used by America’s major trading partners. It’s going to be hard enough getting a complicated tax bill passed now that it’s been muddled by the wall of all things. Fortunately, talk of the border tax has been walked back by the administration and hopefully the confusion won’t stick. The proposed tax code containing the adjusted Border Tax would lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%. That’s the easy part to understand. Then terms like “territorial system” and “destination based tax” are thrown around and the tax bill gets too difficult to understand. One of the biggest criticisms of the proposal is the complicated nature of the bill. Still, if the border adjustment tax becomes law, it will be the most radical change to corporate taxes in a 100 years and will raise a lot of money--more than $1 trillion over 10 years. That’s a number hard to envision but easy to understand.
Hilary 2020?
Rumors are swirling that Hilary Clinton is contemplating another presidential run in 2020, which would be her third try at the highest office in the land. I remember when Ronald Reagan ran for president for the third time. He lost the Republican primary in 1968 against Richard Nixon and then again in 1976 against Gerald Ford. When he ran again in 1980 I thought “when is this guy going to give it up?” Then he ended up being the oldest person ever elected president and also beating an incumbent, President Jimmy Carter. That was impressive. According to Newsmax, “Hilary Clinton is convinced that, sooner than later, the voters will come to their senses and realize they made a horrible mistake by putting [Donald] Trump in the White House …. In her view, Trump is a rank amateur in the art of politics, and he’s going to screw up badly and find himself in deep trouble.” Many people already realize that voting for Pres. Trump was a huge mistake. It also may be true that FBI Director James Comey’s reopening his investigation of Sec. Clinton’s emails during the peak early voting times, and the fact that Russia meddled in our election, lead to her defeat. But the shenanigans of the 2016 election is not going to get her elected in 2020. Nevertheless, it seems that Sec. Clinton intends to keep her campaign organization together and possibly run again for president in four years. A more logical step up to the 2020 election would be a run for New York City Mayor. Newsmax in fact reported that Democrats were courting Sec. Clinton to run against fellow Democrat and current New York Mayor, Bill de Blasio. In the presidential election, 79% voted for her over Pres. Trump, making a mayoral victory likely. Given its dislike for Pres. Trump, The New York Times reported several up-sides to Sec. Clinton leading their fiefdom. Health inspectors could show up unexpectedly at Pres. Trump’s restaurants and find the refrigeration not cold enough and the heating plates not sufficiently hot. Building inspectors could show up at his many highrises and find faulty wiring
and missing smoke detectors. Pot holes could linger in front of his buildings and the streets could somehow be the last to be plowed. Even better, there could be mysterious power outages at the Russian Consulate. Then there are all the international heads of state that would be attending the United Nations and dropping by City Hall. Sec. Clinton would possibly be hosting more dignitaries than the president. Some people would see her running for Mayor of New York as a come down but there is strong precedence. After Gov. Brown finished his first two terms as governor of California in 1980, he was the Mayor of Oakland, a post he seemed to thoroughly enjoy. He then was elected attorney general in 2010, a step down from governor, and reveled in that position also. After Pres. Nixon lost to President John F. Kennedy in 1960, he ran for governor of California in 1962. He lost that race also, ironically, to Gov. Brown’s father, Governor Pat Brown. Pres. Nixon’s relationship with the media was as about as cozy as Pres. Trump’s, and as he appeared before 100 reporters at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Pres. Nixon lashed out, proclaiming, “you don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.” Then, in one of the biggest political comebacks in American history, Pres. Nixon won the presidency in 1968. Will we have Sec. Clinton to kick around anymore? Let’s hope so.
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4 • Valley Voice
Women
Continued from p. 1 women’s health care.” Campos, who is also a former president of the Visalia Democratic Club and served on the party’s Central Committee, said advocates for many other concerns were on-hand at the protest in Visalia’s Blain Park. “There’s also a lot of other groups here that are showing their solidarity--LGBTQ, immigrant rights, workers rights--all of these things generally fit into the category of human rights,” he said. “We feel they’re at threat with the current administration.”
Show of Unity
For Abigail Solis, president of the Earlimart School District Board of Trustees, turning out for the protest was a way to network with other women in anticipation of future activism. “I thought this would be a great opportunity to unite with other women in Tulare County who are concerned about the next four years and what’s to come,” Solis said. “The new president has said some things that make most women uncomfortable, and we want to make sure that he knows we will not be silenced. And, we will fight for women’s rights, because women’s rights are human rights.”
Widespread Outrage
Trump has certainly united Americans, gaining disapproval from the majority in a record eight days in office, compared to more than 900 for Barack Obama and more than 1,300 for George
2 February, 2017 W. Bush. That broad lack of appeal was apparent in the crowd marching on Court Street and gathered in the park Saturday. While women were the majority--they came in all colors and ages--and there were plenty of men alongside, including Michael Millsaps, a motorcycle club member from Exeter and a community activist. “Not all bikers are like the meat-wall that’s back in Washington, D.C.,” he said of his reasons for attending the rally. “That’s not my style.” Millsaps, a truck driver, former bouncer, ship’s captain and merchant marine, spoke to the crowd, hoping to drive home the significance of the current wide distaste for the Trump administration and the opportunity that presents for progressive causes. Before he began, he described his intent. “I’m going to get up and explain all the interconnectedness of the groups here that are turning out today in support of women and in protest basically of Trump, and just try to get them excited, try to get them fired up, and let them know now is the time, now when they’re meeting one another, now is the time when we begin to organize,” he said. “This is no longer going to be an ad-hoc situation. From here on out, people get together and this thing gets organized.”
Love Trumps Hate
Many of the signs carried by protesters called for a loving attitude in response to what they see as hatefulness on the part of the Trump administration. Visalian Fawn Pender, who organized the event, said compassion was the force that moved her. “I am a grandmother who cares
Protesters marched for women’s rights and against the incoming presidency of Donald Trump in Visalia on Saturday, January 21. Dave Adalian/Valley Voice
passionately about the world my granddaughters are going to inherit,” she said. “I’m here because love is more powerful than hate, and want them to know that with every ounce of their being.” Pender described shock and pleasure at the large turnout. Her effort to organize started with asking a few from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to join her in protest at a small vigil. News of the event spread quickly on social media, yet on the morning of the event only 100 or so had signed up. The crowd, which grew as the day went on, was estimated at between 500 and 1,000 people. But it almost didn’t happen. “It started out of frustration because there was no march nearby,” Pender said. “I put it out on Facebook to some of my
progressive friends. I made the necessary phone calls to the city, and here we are.” Drivers along Court Street who found themselves surrounded by the protest seemed mostly pleased with what they saw, with many of them honking and waving in support. “It’s been all positive, 100%,” said Pender. Meanwhile, in the days since the protest on January 21, President Trump created another wave of outrage by signing an executive order barring citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. He has also refused to release his tax returns, the first president in modern history to do so. That move has led to the organization of additional protests on Tax Day, April 15.
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2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • 5
Hotel
Continued from p. 1 community and council members were in favor of the general plan change based on the assumption that the hotel in question was a Hilton Garden Inn. Sunderland said that the building and operation of the hotel will be handled by a management company, and the management company was in negotiations with Hilton officials. Sunderland and Monterey Dynasty are still choosing between two management companies, and did not release either of their names. Sunderland also brought brochures to the meeting provided by Hilton officials describing the chain’s energy efficiency. The Voice contacted Hilton Worldwide and Olga Harris, development assistant at the corporate head quarters, said, “I’m not showing anything,” when asked about negotiations with Tulare. For a second opinion Harris referred the Voice to Patrick Speer, Senior Director of Development for California. Speer, who works in the Los Angeles regional office, said Hilton Gardens did not have a franchise profile on Tulare and had not heard of any negotiations. I asked Speer who a developer would contact if they wanted to build a Hilton Gardens in California. He said, “that would be me.” Jan Lazarus, president of the home owner’s board for Presidential Estates, finds it hard to believe that a hotel will ever be built at that location. She said in her 30 years being involved in real estate she has never seen a hotel built behind an interchange with no highway visibility. She has also never seen a hotel built between a fire station and church, and wonders how such a location could qualify for a liquor license. Council Member Greg Nunley said that he didn’t base his vote on the fact that Hilton Gardens might be the hotel under consideration. He felt that the developers fulfilled all the requirements and followed the rules, so the city council didn’t have any justification to deny them the zone change. Nunley also said that it doesn’t matter if the brand is a Hilton Gardens or not. If Sunderland and Monterey Dynasty want to put something other than a four- or five-star hotel on that lot, they would have to apply for a new CUP. Nunley said it’s unlikely a new CUP
e
Th
would be approved, though. Newly-elected Councilman Jose Sigala agreed with Nunley’s sentiment. “When you tell me you are going to do something and you don’t do it, we may be reluctant to approve any of your projects in the future,” Sigala said. Regardless whether a hotel is built or not, the owners of the property potentially received a huge financial windfall with the new zoning designation. The price of the vacant lot, which can vary due to the market, went from approximately $350,000 to $1,422,000 when the city council changed the zoning from residential to commercial retail.
Community is Split on General Plan Update
During the public hearing, six Tulare residents spoke against the development and seven spoke in favor. But some who spoke had ties to the groups seeking to bring the hotel to Tulare. Five of those seven speakers, and possibly a sixth, were affiliated with Tulare Bethel Association of God. In addition, all those who spoke that were affiliated with the church implied that Hotel Garden Inn was a done deal. Pam Malloy works for the Tulare County Office of Education and advises visitors on where to stay when attending TCOE events or conferences. She said that Tulare is “losing out to Visalia” because the city does not have the type of hotel these people are looking for. She said that the Hilton Garden Inn has a reputable name and appeals to business people. Susan Smith said she plans an event every year to accommodate a few hundred people and has to go to Visalia, Porterville and even Exeter because Tulare does not have a big enough facility. Ron Christiansen, a retired realtor and 23-year resident of Tulare, said that a hotel development is the best and highest use of the vacant lot. Right now the land is producing no revenue and a residential neighborhood would not be appropriate right next to a highway interchange. Wayne Gosvenor said that a city either grows or dies, and that a city needs revenue. “A hotel is a constant source of revenue,” Gosvernor said. All of those against the plan update were either residents of Presidential Estates or Oak Mobile Home Park. Their main objection was that they moved to the area specifically because it was a quiet
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residential neighborhood. The hotel complex would be surrounded by a residential community, mobile home park, fire station, church and Blain Park; in addition, Los Tules Middle School is less than a mile southwest of the site. Gene Terry said that the city planners and realtors promised that the neighborhood would stay residential. Another resident said she enjoyed seeing the mountains from her home that she feared they would be obscured by the hotel. “I didn’t buy a home in Presidential Estates to walk out my front door and see a five-story hotel,” Jack Parks, another area resident, said. Other concerns were lack of parking, strain on an already stressed water infrastructure, increase in traffic and noise and the light spilling into their homes from a five story structure. A resident of the mobile home park said that Cartmill and M Street were designed to be the edge of town and was not designed to handle the traffic that a large hotel would bring. The residents pointed out that the hotel would accomplish the same financial goals on the East side of Cartmill without the conflict of a residential community. Parcels zoned for commercial development are for sale east of Cartmill and would have highway visibility.
No Environmental Impact Review Required
Many of the residents’ concerns were addressed in the Mitigated Negative Declaration report. A Mitigated Negative Declaration was required before the city could change the General Plan and zoning. The report is used by developers who believe their development does not significantly impact the environment and want to be exempt from doing a full Environmental Impact Review as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. Rob Hunt, City of Tulare Community Development Director, stated in his report, “I find that although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environment, there will not be a significant effect in this case because revisions in the project have been made by or agreed to by the project proponent. A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared.” In terms of environmental impact, the residents are concerned about the increased traffic of 1,152 additional cars per
day projected by the 2016 traffic study. They also contend that the budgeted 223 parking stalls is not adequate for a 136room hotel, 400-seat capacity convention hall and 4000 square foot cafe. “The proposed hotel will have a shared parking agreement with the [Living Christ] Church to the south,” Hunt states in the report. Officials with the Living Christ Church say that they’re “not in agreement” with any shared parking arrangement. In terms of residents living next to a hotel and their view of the mountains being obstructed, the negative mitigation report states that the hotel’s impact would be “less than significant.” The report states, “the proposed project would be visible to most of the residences and other developments in the immediate vicinity ….. the Sierra Nevada Mountains are the only natural and visual resource in the project area. Views of these distant mountains are afforded only during clear conditions. Due to poor air quality in the valley, this mountain range is not visible on most days.”
City Council Votes
Besides being energy efficient, Sigala requested that the proponents provide a timeline of when the hotel would be open. He wanted to see a commitment by the management company to get something built if the council votes to change the zoning. Sunderland provided a timeline put together by the management company that said the hotel will be done in approximately 18 months. Sigala and Nunley were also concerned about the flow of traffic and amended how clients exited the hotel property by adding a 14th condition to the CUP. Sigala also asked Sunderland to try and use local labor in the construction of the hotel. Sunderland said he had already arranged that with the management company. In the end, the city council agreed that the economic benefit to Tulare outweighed the residents’ concerns. Sigala said the only opposition to the development he heard that night boiled down to, “not in my backyard.” He said that the city put a lot of money into the new Cartmill exchange specifically to attract business and increase the city’s tax base. “It makes sense to build the hotel there and it will create service jobs and hopefully construction jobs.”
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2 February, 2017
Agriculture
World Ag Expo Announces 2017 Top-10 New Product Winners Staff Reports The results are in for World Ag Expo’s Top-10 New Products Competition, sponsored by Bank of America. The winners will be showcased February 14-16, 2017, during the 50th anniversary of World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. A group of judges made up of farmers, ranchers and industry professionals selected the Top-10 New Products.
Afimilk - AfiAct II - Calving Alert Service
This unique service provides Afimilk customers with the ability to receive an alert when any of their cows or heifers have started the process of calving. This is a service provided to Afimilk customers who utilize AfiAct II tags on their dry cows. The service is free of charge, and only requires activation within the software (version AfiFarm 5.1 or higher). Within seven days of activation, calving alerts can be sent automatically to users in the form of SMS (text messages) and/or e-mails. These alerts are sent once the system detects the specified changes in an animal’s pattern of behavior. Additional alerts may also be sent, should calving complications occur. Alerts contain basic but important information about the animal, such as: time of detection, her number, group, days pregnant and lactation. There is also a new Calving Animal Report in the AfiFarm software. Once a calving alert is sent, the animal will show in this report with details indicating dry days, days pregnant, time of detection and more. This service provides dairymen with peace of mind and rest, knowing their animals are being closely monitored at all times. Stop by South Street and “S” Street to check out this winning product.
Automated Ag Systems Melon Wrangler
The Melon Wrangler is a harvest assist machine that helps to maximize the safety and efficiency of the worker, while protecting the fruit and helping to lower harvest costs. The Wrangler can attach to a trailer, truck or bus in less than one minute. Equipped with two side conveyors, we have eliminated the toss method, which can bruise and damage the fruit as well as cause injuries to the crew. The Wrangler is equipped with two 24 horsepower gas engines that use approximately four gallons of gas in an eight hour work period. Due to the SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR
short picking season and the high heat, the Wrangler is equipped with lights allowing for harvesting to be done outside of daylight hours. Growers who use the Melon Wrangler have seen an exponential increase in efficiency during harvest. Be sure to drop by Expo Lane to see the Melon Wrangler at World Ag Expo.
Cool-Calf Covers - Cool-Calf Cover Product Series
These covers use the latest in heat reflective and absorptive technology to improve the health, growth and welfare of newborn calves. Simple to use, they help control for heat and cold stress. Calf hutches can absorb 83% of solar radiation, so heat stress is an unavoidable problem. Cool-Calf Covers™ reflect 84% of the sun’s heat, resulting in a 10-15 degree reduction in temperatures. Warm-Calf Covers™ absorb 94% of solar heat, while insulating the hutch, reflecting body heat back to the calf and improving temperatures by up to 10 degrees. The covers reduce the stress of varying temperature extremes that calves inevitably experience. Calf-Rescue Blankets™ (Patent Pending) use both reflective and heat absorptive technology to help struggling newborns control body heat fluctuations in varying climates, and can also be used to move the calf. Anyone involved in calf birth and development can benefit from these products. Learn more about this product line in the Farm Credit Dairy Center.
J & D Manufacturing, Inc - 72” Torque Drive Mega Storm II Fan
The 72” Torque Drive Mega Storm II Fan is the first exhaust fan of its size with no belts, pulleys or tensioners! This fan is the highest performing exhaust fan-46,225 CFM at .10 SP-and it still meets the 20.3 CFM/Wt. requirement for many energy rebates. Both dealers and farmers will enjoy virtually no maintenance issues and increased efficiencies with this fan. Visit them in the Farm Credit Dairy Center for a closer look.
Logan Clutch Corporation Flexadrive
Flexadrive is a multiple pump drive system that facilitates diesel, diesel-electric and hybrid drives for all sizes of agricultural production equipment. This multiple pump drive system enables you to connect and disconnect hydraulic pumps on demand. Further, it has a power management system that enables you to switch from diesel to hy-
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brid mode much easier than anything else on the market today. Among the list of features, data collection and wifi capability are beneficial for those interested in big data. Flexadrive boasts fuel savings and lower emissions which results in reduced costs and environmental benefits. Be sure to stop by their booth in Building C to learn more about this product.
Protekta Inc. - X-Zelit
X-Zelit is the answer to preventing clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows. It is added to the close-up ration at the rate of 17.6 ounces per cow, per day, for the 14 days prior to calving. When using X-Zelit, no other methods of prevention are necessary (i.e., calcium supplements or acidification of the ration/DCAD balance). X-Zelit binds excess calcium from the close-up ration in the small intestine. Thereafter, the calcium leaves the cow through her feces. At this point, there is no calcium in the close-up ration available for absorption. This activates the cow’s natural process of mobilizing calcium from her bones/body reserves (triggering her parathyroid hormone). Triggering this process allows her to maintain an optimum calcium level at calving and into lactation. To prevent subclinical hypocalcemia, it is crucial to consistently maintain calcium levels at 8.5 mg/dl (2.15 mmol/l) or higher at calving. X-Zelit is the only product on the market today that is capable of achieving this result. Visit them in the Farm Credit Dairy Center during World Ag Expo.
Silostop - SilostopMAX
SilostopMAX has been developed by the creators of the worldwide leading oxygen barrier film. It is an orange on black film that is virtually impermeable to oxygen and, for this reason, prohibits the entry of air into ensiled crops. It is crucial that ensiled crops are stored in an anaerobic environment to prevent energy and dry matter (DM) losses. SilostopMAX is a robust film that complies with CA ARB rule 4750 and is therefore suitable for larger applications. It is easy to handle and apply. It has unique oxygen barrier properties that reduce VOCs and is proven to be over 100 times more effective than conventional silage sheeting. See this new product in the Farm Credit Dairy Center.
Sutton Ag Enterprises Ortomec Cleaner 2
The Ortomec Cleaner 2 is an innovative, in-field crop cleaning system. The self-propelled Cleaner 2 cuts crops at variable heights and vacuums away the cut product and foreign material with its high powered suction system. By running the Cleaner 2 through a post-harvest field, the machine enables an increase in the number of harvests on the same seeding bed and the quality of
the next crop. This is made possible by removing the residuals of the previous cut, harmful insects and any other unwanted material in the field, while cutting the crop to a uniform height. This allows the crop to regrow in a cleaner and healthier environment, which in turn allows for a reduction of the use of chemicals. Traditionally, the field would be plowed and replanted after a harvest, but with the use of the Cleaner 2 multiple harvests are made possible from the initial seeding, increasing turnaround time and profitability. Additionally, the machine can be used prior to harvesting with just the vacuum system, to remove any material that is not the crop. This prevents foreign materials from being harvested and in turn reduces processing time while increasing food safety. Stop by “T” Street and Median Street to learn more.
Veda Farming Solutions, Inc. - Scorpion
The Scorpion is a self-propelled automatic weeder that has a built-in frame and engine which allows it to control weeds by carefully cutting the weed at the root, without hurting nearby plants. The Scorpion removes weeds within 1/2 inch around each plant, with hydraulically operated blades. The weeder can be used on as many rows as needed for each bed, with flexible configurations. One single pass is all you will need to get the job done. See the Scorpion on the corner of “U” Street and Median Street.
Watch Technologies - AutoFlood
AutoFlood completely automates on-farm flood irrigation by retrofitting existing delivery gates with linear actuators that open and close the gates based on sufficiently irrigating fields. AutoFlood completely controls all aspects of flooding, from the time water enters an on-farm canal until flooding is completed. AutoFlood controls delivery gate operations, manages flow in all “checks” or “lands” to nearly eliminate tailwater spill, reduces cost of irrigation labor by 75-90%, reduces water consumption by 5-10%, reduces standing water on crops due to over-flooding, provides real-time data to farmers on progress of irrigation via telemetry and allows a farmer to change system operational parameters remotely. Learn more about this product at World Ag Expo in Pavilion B. The 2017 Top-10 New Products Competition is sponsored by Bank of America. The International Agri-Center is home to World Ag Expo, February 14-16, 2017, in Tulare, California. An estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 70 countries attend World Ag Expo each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo hosts 1,500 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. World Ag Expo will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017.
2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • 7
Agriculture Release or Store? Agencies Manage Reservoir Flows Christine Souza, CFBF Following years of drought and with 2017 shaping up to be what the California Department of Water Resources calls “one of the wettest years ever,” some observers have wondered why water agencies are not storing more water in reservoirs for future use. Because preventing loss of life and reducing property damage from flooding becomes a top priority during strong storms such as those that reached the state in January, agencies say they must release water from reservoirs to make room for anticipated runoff from subsequent storms. At the same time, the agencies say, they work to fill reservoirs, serve municipal and agricultural water customers, create hydroelectric power and help fish. California Farm Bureau Federation Managing Counsel Chris Scheuring said it is important to ensure all California water users are efficient with this valuable resource, from farmers and urban residents to the water managers and officials who make daily decisions about how water should be captured or diverted. “It’s a difficult tradeoff. California’s hydrology is often feast or famine,” Scheuring said. “While flood protection is foremost in everybody’s mind during a huge storm, it is also critically important for us to capture every drop of the water when it comes—if that can be done without endangering life or property. That’s because we know the dry times are coming, and water released is water gone.” How do agencies decide how much water they can store, and how much they must release, during storms? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers handles and monitors flood control for about 33 reservoirs in California. It makes decisions about when and how much water is released, based on flood-control manuals written by the Corps at the time each facility was constructed. Joe Forbis, chief of the Corps Water Management Section, said flood-control manuals are updated periodically. “Water control manuals have information on why the dam was built, what purpose it has, whether it is just for flood control, or if it is for water supply, or water supply and irrigation, or water conservation,” Forbis said. “Each includes the water control plan that describes how to operate the project for flood control, such
as how full it should be and, depending on the time of year, how quickly you should release water, what’s the most that you should release based on downstream constraints.” The Corps considers annually whether a manual should be updated, Forbis said, but the ability to actually carry out an update depends on funding. He said the Corps can deviate from the flood manual, such as in a case where districts submit a request to increase the amount of water stored behind a dam. “Deviations can happen as often as they are requested, but there is an extensive analysis to make sure that if you are reducing flood-control space, that that deviation isn’t significantly increasing the risk of flood damages downstream,” Forbis said. “If an agency is requesting to store more water year after year and it is approved each year, that is one way to initiate a possible update to the flood manual.” Before the big January storms, California State Climatologist Mike Anderson said, a number of reservoirs had storage levels below what officials call “top of conservation,” or the amount of water that can be stored before the Corps becomes involved for flood releases. “The local flood operator can fill that (top of conservation) space as they wish. Once you hit top of conservation, then you enter what they call a flood pool, or space reserved in the wintertime to do exactly what they did: catch the floodwaters,” Anderson said. “Once the threat downstream has passed, the Corps will evacuate that space to get ready for the next storm.” DWR, which manages the State Water Project, relies on water from its key reservoir, Lake Oroville. Anderson pointed out that a big facility such as Oroville has a very large space in its conservation pool—750,000 acre-feet—and “we were able to catch all of that in a week. It is very rare to have that scenario.” That allowed Lake Oroville to mitigate the flood threat at the same time as it recouped storage that dwindled during the drought, he said. “We saw a lot of the reservoirs make that transition from trying to recover from spent storage, into then operating in the flood pool where the Army Corps of Engineers gets involved and manages that space to protect for floods,” Anderson said. The state’s water managers rely on co-
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ter upstream, which causes problems and damages farmland,” Moore said. “We’re also looking at endangered species, delivering water to customers south of the delta and flood effects that we need to manage.” To assure flood protection at this time of year, he said, the bureau must maintain Folsom Lake at about 60 percent of capacity. “We want to capture as much water as possible, but if a storm is forecast to produce significant runoff, then we have to make sure that space is open again,” Moore said. “It’s a lot of considerations—federal, state and local laws, biological opinions, water delivery contract agreements—there are numerous folks that discuss how, when and what volumes that should be. It’s a team effort that folks try and meet demand while making those releases.” Along with new or expanded facilities, Farm Bureau’s Scheuring said, reservoir operating manuals may ultimately need to be revised in a more systematic and integrated way to account for hydrologic change—including the possibility of longer droughts, bigger storms, more rain earlier in the season and less natural recharge. “Part of balancing flood protection with storage needs is ensuring reservoirs are operated with the best possible flow and forecast data,” he said. (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.
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operation and communications with other agencies, and on data and historical information, to guide when and how much water should be released downstream. “It is the same concepts (that are used by each facility), just depending on the size of the facility and the amount of water that can come out of the watershed behind it, will dictate how deep that flood reserve space has to be,” Anderson said. DWR looks to data collected during past storms to determine how aggressively to operate the flood space, he said, and considers information such as satellite data that may not have been available in the past. “We’re trying to be more big picture and getting more eyes and coordination involved, trying to do a better job of managing the system and keeping everybody safe,” Anderson said. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, operator of the Central Valley Project, enters each water year with a carryover, or amount of water from the previous year that is stored in its key reservoirs—Shasta, Folsom and Friant. Louis Moore, a spokesman for the bureau’s Mid-Pacific Region, said moving water “is a collaborative decision that requires us to look at what deliveries we need to make and what impacts are occurring in the ocean that could affect our resources in the delta.” “If you don’t put enough water in the river system, sometimes the ocean, because of storm surge, will put saltwa-
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8 • Valley Voice
Tulare
Continued from p. 1 being made. The new faction, comprised of Kevin Northcraft and Mike Jamaica, were recently elected, and Wednesday marked their first meeting. Their self-described platform was to hire outside legal counsel, ensure fairness in the district’s contracts with HCCA, which runs Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) and make the hospital’s operations more open and transparent. The first goal is, for now, a non-starter. A motion by Northcraft, seconded by Jamaica, to begin the process of hiring outside legal counsel, was voted down by the faction of existing board members. In addition, Visalia lawyer Michael Lampe revealed that TRMC is finacing part of an appeal brought by Kumar and Dr. Benny Benzeevi, the CEO/Chairman of HCCA, against Dr. Abraham Betre–to the tune of $78,603.78.
The $78,000 Lawsuit
Lampe spoke during the public comment section of the meeting, revealing a document–which he had brought on posterboard–that showed a cashier’s check drawn against a TRMC Bank of the Sierra account. “As I think everybody probably in this room knows, Dr. Betre has won that litigation in the trial. Judge David Mathias ruled against Dr. Kumar and Dr. Benzeevi and ruled in favor of Dr. Betre,” Lampe said. “And now, there’s attorney’s fees that have to be paid to Dr. Betre, and that is being appealed.” In an August ruling, Mathias found that Kumar and Benzeevi with the hospital were wrong to seek sanctions against Betre, and in a later ruling Mathias found that the officials were not able to seal certain documents, which are available here. Lampe stated that the payment was to continue an appeal in a private case between Benzeevi and Kumar’s against Betre, which the district had initially put funds towards. Lampe represents plaintiffs in a suit against the district, arguing that the use of taxpayer funds in the Benzeevi/Kumar/Betre lawsuit constituted an improper use of taxpayer money, since the district was not named anywhere in the suit–essentially using public funds to finance a private lawsuit. “It shows as the remittor, it shows Tulare Regional Medical Center,” Lampe said. “This is to bond against the appeal in that private litigation for Dr. Kumar
Seville
Continued from p. 1 Worthley said of Seville residents. “It’s allowing us to put in a new system.” The project is out for bid, in which the entire pipeline will be replaced from the well to each residence or property in the area, currently on the system. It Is unclear at this point just how each individual home will be hooked up, or how that will be paid for. Meters need to go in. But it will be taken care of, Worthley said. “We’ll find a way,” he said. “We’re talking about $100,000.” If finances allow, a new storage tank will also be built alongside the well, Coyne said, which should adjust any pressure problems, and will also allow
2 February, 2017 and Dr. Benzeevi against Dr. Betre.” “If the board didn’t take any action on November 30, and the board didn’t take any action on this case in October either, how did Dr. Benzeevi have authorization to use taxpayer funds to bond against that attorney’s fees award? And I think that needs to be answered.” Hospital officials dispute the idea that the payment directly finances an appeal. “Unlike Mr. Lampe and Mr. Amir, our attorneys do not try cases in the public arena or the media,” a hospital spokesperson said. “And we generally do not comment on pending litigation. Mr. Lampe would better serve his clients by focusing on the lawsuit instead of continually grandstanding in public.” “First, the $78,603 payment which was deposited with the superior court is not “financing the appeal of the [Betre] lawsuit”,” the spokesperson wrote. “That payment represents the cash amount which was posted instead of an appeal bond, and ultimately if the appeal is successful, or any attorney’s fees which may be awarded is paid, then the deposit will be returned to the District.” “The District had legitimate reasons for funding the plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees in the Betre case, and it should be patently obvious that there was no misuse or waste of ‘public funds.’ The District’s position has been set forth in court pleadings, and will be reiterated in the trial of the matter.”
“Bring It To Us Next Time”
The board discussed, for the first time in public session, the recently revealed $500,000 line of credit that HCCA unilaterally extended to the Southern Inyo Healthcare District. Even though the move was made as invoices piled up from a major pharmaceutical supplier, Benzeevi said the arrangement was chiefly created to shoreup profits for the hospital, but he said that HCCA would not engage in such an arrangement again. He said the arrangement allowed the hospital to profit to the tune of $17,958. In addition, HCCA received $3,125 in the form of a fee for guaranteeing the line of credit — that was passed on to TRMC as well. “Bring it to us next time, that’s all I’m asking, prior to doing something like that,” Torrez said. “We’ve expressed individually that we do not want any other kind of connection with [Southern Inyo] financially, and I guess the only problem that I had with it,” Wilbourn said, “is that it would have been nice to know that it was going for water during a power outage. This, hopefully, will be paid for with the current grant funding. The goal is to eventually hook-up the Seville system to the Yettem water system. Thus, one could compensate for the other, if problems should arise. Yettem currently has its own community services district which includes water, which could then also encompass the Seville area. Additional funding will be needed for this connection.
Monson Water Needs Being Address, As Well
Recent grants have also come in for the area of Monson, which until now has been reliant on shallow independent property wells. Many of those wells have run dry during the drought, with
to go ahead.” Kumar argued that partnering with HCCA gave both the power of thinking– and doing–outside the box. “The reason for the HCCA or a management company is that they can do these things–without hurting the district,” Kumar said. “It’s not illegal or whatever it is, it is just a pure business decision.” Jamaica asked whether the agreement should have been brought up to the board, citing Torrez and Wilbourn’s comments. “I don’t know if it was brought to your attention or if you knew about it, but it was brought up in March, when the loan was made out,” Jamaica said. “And it’s gone that long that none of the board members knew anything about it until we all read it in the newspapers.” “HCCA does a lot of things out of the box. They are in charge of the operations. We look at the financials, and we look at the bottom line,” Kumar responded. “The board sitting here, we don’t make micro-management of HCCA. We set policies and procedures, which we have, and they go do their business deals.” Kumar cited, as an example, HCCA’s work with Cerner Corporation, a vendor whose products the hospital has purchased in order to create an Electronic Medical Record system; however, the board has, at various times, voted to approve Cerner contracts and projects. Wilbourn read from a printed motion–that carried 3-2, Kumar/Torrez/ Wilbourn voting yes, Northcraft/Jamaica voting no–that retroactively approved, authorized and ratified the line of credit and its transactions to the Southern Inyo Healthcare District; and, acknowledging its full repayment, cancelling the credit line. Though Benzeevi stated that HCCA would no longer engage the district’s funds in such arrangements, the motion did not have any content that would expressly prohibit such acts. “We don’t need to keep talking about it in the papers, we don’t need to keep talking about it in board meetings,” Wilbourn said. “It’s done, it’s over with.”
Separate Legal Counsel Not Needed?
Northcraft attempted to make the case that TLHCD needed separate legal counsel appointed in case it had any conflicts or questions regarding its contracts with HCCA. HCCA and TLHCD currently share the same legal firm, BakerHostetler– neighbors becoming dependent upon temporary storage tanks, as well as other neighbors allowing them to hook up to their wells. Through these shallow wells, for those that still work, they have had the highest nitrate level in the county, Worthley said. So, when there is, or was, water, it wasn’t consumable. Grants totaling $2.1 million from state and federal sources have been made to provide the much-needed, universal system for Monson residents. A small parcel is being purchased by the county as a location for the well with a 50,000-gallon storage tank, Coyne said. The county plans to award the construction bid within a few weeks and construction of that system should begin in March, he said. Like the future Seville-Yettem con-
and the need for a separate firm was a no-brainer, Northcraft said. Bruce Greene, of Baker-Hostetler, currently represents both TLHCD and HCCA. “Mr. Greene has already indicated he cannot advise us on [some] issues,” Northcraft said. Benzeevi told Northcraft he did not believe separate counsel was needed, describing TLHCD and HCCA as part of the same figurative family and a cooperative relationship. “In a cooperative relationship, those disagreements are discussed and worked through. It is not about seeing who can do what to the other. It’s about working together to try to make things better,” Benzeevi said. Northcraft repeated that he had significant concerns about the contract that would require outside counsel. “When we met with you and your brother Iddo, we made it clear that Iddo would never have a major contract with someone else, and share the attorney,” Northcraft responded. “And he concurred that is just a stupid idea for any agency to do.” “It’s astounding to me that in one month, there’s so much conflict,” Benzeevi said. Northcraft proposed that the district publish a Request for Proposals for outside legal groups to represent the district on matters involving the contracts between TLHCD and HCCA. That motion failed 2-3, with Northcraft and Jamaica voting yes, and Kumar, Torrez and Wilbourn voting no. “We will have to discuss our concerns in a public venue, apparently,” Northcraft said, “because we will have no legal counsel to advise us. That’s very adversarial.” “Mr. Northcraft, you have been discussing in the public opinion about me and my family for a very long time, so that’s nothing new for me. Nothing changes,” Kumar said. Northcraft disputed Kumar’s claim. At the end of the meeting, the board voted to appoint new officers: Wilbourn is now the board president, Kumar its vice-president, Torrez continues as its treasurer, and Jamaica is now the board secretary. The board will hold a special meeting in the coming weeks to discuss financial statements and to schedule the recall of Dr. Parmod Kumar, the board’s longest-serving member. According Emily Oliveira, County of Tulare Deputy Elections Supervisor, the board has until February 3 to order the recall election. nection, the county is hoping to establish a connection between Monson and neighboring Sultana. Like Yettem, Sultana has a community services district and could act as administrator to Monson. And like Seville-Yettem, Monson and Sultana could rely upon each other in a time of need. Again, further funding will need to be found for this. Both Seville and Monson have been on bottled water programs for years. That soon may not be needed. Despite the higher than average rainfall, so far this year, the state remains in drought status. There are continuing water problems around the county, but fixes are being made to provide good, safe water sourcing for many of the Tulare County residents, who have been in such severe need the past few years.
2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • 9
Voices of the Valley
Richard Garoogian Thrives on Music, Family, Fun The Storyteller
Dave Adalian Every Saturday morning you’ll find Richard Garoogian making music with his family. They’re an assorted group, all ages and colors and sizes, and he isn’t related to any of them. Some of them he hardly knows.
My Big Portuguese Sing-Along
His family starts gathering around 9 o’clock in Cafe 210’s big room, where a full grand piano and organ sit in one corner. Some find seats at the tables around the room and settle in with their smartphones or their knitting projects. Others set up their instruments and music stands in front by the keyboards. Around 10 o’clock or so, Garoogian makes his appearance. He works the room, greeting friends and fellow musicians, getting a sense of how everyone is, before he takes a seat at the piano and behind the mic. The whole thing, he says, is an attempt to relive a favorite memory from childhood. “My Portuguese grandparents ... had a big family, and everybody showed up on Sunday, all the aunts and uncles and cousins,” Garoogian said of his days growing up in Hanford. “Everybody was welcome--you got sweetbread--and I just love that feeling, and so at Cafe 210 my idea is to recreate that. Everyone who shows up is part of the family.” It’s not just about being together. It’s also about being comfortable having a good time doing your own thing. “It’s a big family, and you’re all welcome,” Garoogian said. “Whoever you are, you fit right in. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about having fun.”
Family Traditions
Big families are an ethnic tradition on both sides of the Garoogian family: His father was the Brooklyn-born son of Armenian immigrants who settled in California with his wife’s extended family. Garoogian, who teaches music at St. Paul’s School, also got his love for music from his parents. Combining the two seemed natural to him. “My mother was a church organist, so I heard music in the Catholic Church when I was a kid, then classical,” he recalled. His musical tastes matured quickly, and he found his true calling. “When I heard jazz music--my band teacher showed me jazz--I immediately loved jazz right away.” The appeal of that free-flowing musical style, he says, is in its improvisational nature. When he’s in front of the crowd at Cafe 210, he’s in his element, making it up as he goes along, coaxing singers out of the audience to the microphone, joking between songs, and keeping the music going.
When Garoogian’s not playing music during the 210 sessions, he’s probably telling a story to his ever-changing adoptive family. “I’m into stories, tell a lot of stories, so when we do Morning Cup of Jazz at Cafe 210, I like to tell stories,” he said. “I also work with kids at St. Paul’s School, music teacher, and the kids love it when I tell a story.” He has some good ones, especially from his days touring with acts like Billy Preston--keyboard player for acts like Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles--and the self-styled King of the Surf Guitar, Dick Dale. “Over breakfast, he (Dale) told me how he invented surf music. He said that when he was a kid he kept surfing up the Wedge, and then he was surfing one day, and his dad kept telling him, ‘Dick, you gotta quit surfing so much and practice your guitar!’ ‘Cause all he cared about was surfing,” Garoogian said. “And, one day an animal feeling came over his body. He was in the curl. He surfs in, picks up the guitar and goes (describes Dale’s trademark staccato tone) and makes that sound. That’s the birth of surf music.”
Inspired Music
Dale, Garoogian said, was inspired by the music of his ancestors. “What a lot of people don’t realize is he’s Lebanese, so that sound is like from his grandfather playing the oud (a stringed instrument much like a guitar) with a feather,” he said. “He took that influence and put in on a Fender guitar, and that’s surf music.” Armenian music wasn’t as moving for Garoogian. “When I was a kid my dad had a record he played. He said, ‘Here’s some Armenian music.’” he remembers. “It just didn’t hit me. I was excited to hear it, but when I heard it I thought, eh... It didn’t grab me.”
Zzah
What does move him is jazz, and he’s been playing it with his longtime friends in the band Zzah since the 1970s. “We started off in high school as Fat and Sassy. One of (the original members) was Eddie Hill, who has gone on to become a songwriter in Nashville,” Garoogian said. “He was songwriter of the year a couple of years ago. He played organ, I played piano. And, the original drummer, Steve Duncan, went on to play with Roy Orbison and Ricky Nelson and all kinds of stuff like that.” Zzah has made a name for itself at West Coast jazz festivals, and they continue to perform locally at venues such as the Cellar Door. Their music is featured on XM Radio’s Underground Garage and Jam On stations. The band’s website is zzah.org.
Musician, teacher and inventor Richard Garoogian leads the band from behind the keyboard during the Saturday morning Cup of Jazz at Cafe 210 in Visalia. Backing him on guitar is former MLB pitcher Mike LaCoss. Cup of Jazz is a popular open mic and sing-along. The music runs from 10am to noon. Dave Adalian/Valley Voice
The Songwriter
What Garoogian liked most about the earliest incarnation of Zzah was the group’s creativity. “We had a jazzy sound, but lots of vocals,” he said. “We played all original music. I just love original music.” He continues to produce it, working these days with another local talent. “I’ve written recently some songs with Melinda Deathriage,” he said. “She goes by the stage name of Melinda Madison.” Their most recent effort, Sail On, is available on YouTube. Most of Garoogian’s creative work, however, is done live with Zzah, as the group comps live. “We’re open. You don’t always know (where the music is going),” he said. “Sometimes somebody makes a left turn, and you listen and you go with it, and that’s what makes it interesting. Like walking in the mountains, as opposed to walking on a city street. You never totally know what’s around the next corner, and that’s what makes it fun.” Garoogian gives the best sense of what music does for him when he talks about jazz pianists who most influenced his playing. “I saw Ahmad Jamal at the Parisian Room in Los Angeles, and there was a spot where they were playing really intense, and they completely stopped, and it was the longest stop I’ve ever seen in any kind of music, and there was no drum, there was nothing going on, the time was only in their head, and they came back in exactly right on time,” he said. “It was like holding your breath for a minute.” His description of gospel-influenced pianist Gene Harris is a stark contrast. “Gene Harris is just like home cookin’,” Garoogian said.
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‘Pretty Cool’
Between teaching, inventing and playing gigs with Zzah, Garoogian still finds time to make visual art, recently working in photography. But, whatever else is going on in his life, Garoogian always makes time for Saturday mornings with his musical family. The lineup is ever-changing, and there’s always something new among the familiar faces. Everyone’s welcome, and no one can get it wrong. “It’s pretty cool,” he said.
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The Inventor
Strangely, it wasn’t his musical talents alone that landed Garoogian his teaching job. His hobby caught the interviewer’s interest. “She said, ‘What are you doing this summer?’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m working on my inventions.’ She said she liked that,” he said. “I actually teach an invention class. I teach instrument making, and I teach band and piano and that stuff.” Garoogian’s inventions are musical in nature. He designed his own pedal for his electric piano, and he plays a one-of-a-kind instrument called the zharp. “It’s a synthesizer I strap on,” he said. “Stevie Wonder’s engineer helped me make that.” One of his more successful gadgets combines education and music in a visual aid for pianists still learning their chops. “It sits behind the keys and it visually shows you patterns with colors that show you, like, a road map. I call it, like, stones in a river,” Garoogian said. “It helps you to improvise. It just shows you notes within a certain key or within a certain scale visually so you don’t have to look at the music.” He plans to eventually market the device.
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10 • Valley Voice
2 February, 2017
Comments & Letters
Re: TLHCD & Kumar/Benzeevi/Betre Lawsuit
TRMC/HCCA Spokesperson Unlike Mr. Lampe and Mr. Amir, our attorneys do not try cases in the public arena or the media. And we generally do not comment on pending litigation. Mr. Lampe would better serve his clients by focusing on the lawsuit instead of continually grandstanding in public. The State Bar has expressed its reservations about attorneys making public comments about pending litigation. For example, California Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 5-120 provides in part as follows: Rule 5-120 Trial Publicity (A) A member who is participating or has participated in the investigation or litigation of a matter shall not make an extrajudicial statement that a reasonable person would expect to be disseminated by means of public communication if the member knows or reasonably should know that it will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter. And although we will not comment
substantively on the litigation, we would like to point out some inaccuracies which have resulted from Mr. Lampe’s misguided comments which were made at the last board meeting, and the “interpretation” of those comments by a reporter at the Visalia Times Delta: 1. First, the $78,603 payment which was deposited with the superior court is not “financing the appeal of the [Betre] lawsuit”. That payment represents the cash amount which was posted instead of an appeal bond, and ultimately if the appeal is successful, or any attorney’s fees which may be awarded is paid, then the deposit will be returned to the District. 2. The judgment in the Betre case has been appealed. It is therefore premature for Dr. Betre or his attorneys to claim victory in that case. Moreover, there has been no award of attorney’s fees at all in the Betre case, and there will be none until the appeal is resolved. 3. The District had legitimate rea-
sons for funding the plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees in the Betre case, and it should be patently obvious that there was no misuse or waste of “public funds.” The District’s position has been set forth in court pleadings, and will be reiterated in the trial of the matter. That position, in brief, is that the District has an obligation to preserve the integrity of the hospital’s peer review process in order to protect patient safety and that by disclosing what he purported to be confidential peer review information to the press, Dr. Betre not only undermined the integrity of the peer review system, he also undermined the ability of the District to attract new physicians, who obviously rely on the confidentiality of the peer review process. We believe that if anyone is wasting the District’s money, it is Mr. Lampe and his clients, who have initiated multiple lawsuits alleging violations of the Public Records Act. One of the lawsuits, the “Drilling”
case, originally named all of the individual board members, plus Dr. Benzeevi, Dr. Zulim and HCCA as defendants. After being accused of suing his former client, Dr. Kumar, in violation of his ethical obligations, Mr. Lampe dismissed Dr. Kumar from the lawsuit. Then, in response to the demurrer filed by the District, which showed that there was no supportable legal basis to prosecute claims against the individual Board members or HCCA, Mr. Lampe dismissed everyone from the lawsuit other than the District. Mr. Lampe also dismissed HCCA from the other Public Records Act lawsuit and thereby avoided having to respond to the District’s demurrer in that case. Of course, the District incurred significant legal fees in connection with these proceedings. So it is incongruous and indeed ironic that this self-styled “champion” of the public’s rights and the public’s coffers has in effect wasted a good deal of the public’s money by filing demonstratively improper lawsuits.
New Mental Health Facility Too Close to Residences, School Lester “Wayne” Phillips Recently the Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved by unanimous vote to purchase a building at the southwest corner of Tulare Ave. and Lovers Lane. The plan for the county is to use the building for Mental Health Services. While I believe that Mental Health Services are desperately needed, I strongly oppose the location of this facility.
The address for the building is Lovers Lane, but the front door and the main entrance to the parking lot face Arkle St. which is a residential community and not an appropriate location for a Mental Health treatment facility. This building is also in close proximity to Pinkham School whose Principle expressed deep concerns as to the location. My opposition is multi-faceted. First of all, it is not in compliance with
the zoning for the City of Visalia and the County, rather than apply for a variance in the use, invoked “exemption status”. Safety and Security is my main concern for the location of this facility. Foot traffic will be increased in an area where children play and routinely walk to and from school. We are told that the facility will have security guards, but those guards do not protect the neighborhood. Only the facili-
ty. Property values are also a concern. Whenever someone is purchasing a home, they not only look at the home, but the entire neighborhood as well. When I purchased my home in 1986 the strip of land between Lovers Lane and Arkle was zoned for business offices. I wasn’t opposed to this, but when someone sees a mental health facility in the neighborhood it could easily deter them from making the purchase.
Comments from ourvalleyvoice.com
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Quote “Representatives with HCCA say that they’re able to work with any board — they just want to make the hospital the best it can be.” If this is truly HCCA’s outlook then they should support the changes in their TLHCD contract that the overwhelming number of Tulare citizens are demanding. To show good faith they could do so prior to Kumar’s removal. Why wait?
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— Barbara on Kumar Recall Moving Forward; Signatures Certified
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Wow is right!! It is so obvious that HCCA is doing anything they can to go against change and bringing transparency. The two new board members are trying to make the right moves to draw a line and do what is right for the hospital. While the puppet masters(Bennie & Kumar) control the strings!!! All the old board members need to go as they are drinking the daily kool-aid.
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— Writing on the Wall…… on New TLHCD Board Members Seated as Factions Develop
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Maybe next month they will do another retro order to authorize the spending of $78,000 for Kumar’s and Benzeevi’s lawsuit against Dr. Betre, the Chief of Staff, that they booted out. That is a good way to function, cover your butts after the money has been spent with no board authority. Sounds like Wilbourn is cool with functioning like that. Maybe she can just tell them “not to do it again.” I am sure she will be listened to – NOT!
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— Truth16 on New TLHCD Board Members Seated as Factions Develop
My name is Teresa and I spoke at the Board meeting. NOONE tells me what to do or makes me say anything. I’m not “on the clock” like some of you mutter. I come on my own free time. Just so we are clear “justacitizen”. Every employee that works at that hospital has every right to be at those Board meetings like anyone else that is a citizen of this town. I am a taxpayer, citizen of Tulare and a proud employee of TRMC. If I have reacted to negative comments and said things to offend people, I am sorry. I know of the social media attacks, and it’s wrong. I’ve been on the recieving end of it, too. I speak
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So happy to know that they continue to move forward and provide excellent health care. I’m proud to be a part of this great group of people. Thank you for your hard work and perseverance! Continue moving forward. Tulare needs you!
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— Paul Stratman on HCCA Achieves Meaningful Use Stage 2 It is obvious you are very frustrated by the criticism that is being directed toward the hospital. My question to you is, how does one get the Board to listen to what the community is telling them. The community did not support Measure I, they voted Bell and Gadke off the Board and now, Dr. Kumar will face a recall election. The community has spoken, they want their hospital back. The Board should listen to the community rather than listening to Benzeevi who is only interested in our hospital because he is ripping it off to the tune of $9,000,000 per year.
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— Dave on New TLHCD Board Members Seated as Factions Develop
We do have our hospital, so I don’t understand why you think we don’t, Dave. If the people had an issue with Dr Kumar, then why didn’t anyone do anything about it the last 20 years? He’s been elected time and time again. Dr Kumar has done amazing things for this hospital. He serves so many in our community that other Drs wouldn’t . Look into why GI doctors don’t take call on the weekends at KDDH? That’s bad on Kaweah, someone could die, and that isn’t serving the community. Thank God Dr Kumar is available to take call, he is always available. I can’t say that for some other GI Drs. HCCA is helping our community have a hospital. They’ve made our hospital survive during difficult times.
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— Teresa on New TLHCD Board Members Seated as Factions Develop
my mind like everyone else, freedom of speech and opinion are a part of this democracy. I’ve been blocked from Citizens for Accountability because they only want THEIR side. If you don’t agree with their stance, you’re blocked. They’ve condoned viscious comments for months, against our staff, and I’m sick of it. The stories I hear from community members is dispicable about doctors telling them NOT to go to our hospital. That’s ILLEGAL. A patient has a right to go anywhere, but they trust their doctor and listen to them and because of HIPAA, unless a patient tells you that their Dr did this, the community doesn’t know. This has to stop.
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— Teresa, on New TLHCD Board Members Seated as Factions Develop
2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • 11
Comments & Letters 3R Action Group Meets With McCarthy Rep
3R Action Group Thirty members of the Three Rivers Action Group met with Cole Karr, the field representative for Congressman and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on January 25th at the Three Rivers Arts Center in order to voice their concern about Trump’s agenda. The Action Group, formed in the wake of the November election, is a nonpartisan group of 75 local residents concerned about how Trump’s actions will affect our area. This was the first time anyone from McCarthy’s office has visited Three Rivers since the town was redistricted into the 23rd Congressional District. Using the peaceful and focused strategies outlined in the Indivisible Guide, widely circulated online, the 3R Action Group members related their personal stories to an attentive Karr. Each member of the group tackled a different issue, from women’s reproductive
rights to health care to air quality to immigration to defense spending to the federal hiring freeze. A local woman with a chronic health issue described what trying to get insurance was like before the ACA was enacted. An educator described the hardworking undocumented students who now fear deportation. A senior expressed concern over planned cuts to Medicare and social security. A mental health professional spoke out about the effect of the hiring freeze on the military personnel. “Please don’t make it impossible for people to get healthcare,” was a popular sentiment at the meeting, as well as “Please do not deport our friends, neighbors and family members.” Karr, who took notes throughout the meeting, said that he would relay the group’s concerns to McCarthy’s office in Washington. He said that opening a field office in our area is a possibility, given the two-
hour distance from McCarthy’s Bakersfield office. He added that the most effective way to continue to express ideas and concerns about upcoming legislation is to call the Congressman’s Washington office at 202-225-2915. When asked about McCarthy’s stances on Trump’s agenda, Karr said that McCarthy will vote to defund Planned Parenthood. He said that the Congressman is “cautiously supporting” immigration reform and is aware of the effect deportations would have on his own district. He did not have clear details about health insurance. The 3R Action Group does not have formal leadership, instead embracing the collective power of individual passion, as demonstrated in the recent Women’s March. Those interested in joining the group may write to 3RActionGroup@gmail.com
“There aren’t many real journalists left...” Chris Ajluni Mr. Adalian, I have followed your reporting on the issues surrounding TRMC and I’m compelled to express my admiration and gratitude. There aren’t many real journalists left and there certainly aren’t any work-
ing for Gannett. Their fluff pieces about Benzeevi/HCCA were thoroughly embarrassing. If not for you, who would have told this story? And a remarkable story it is. A single citizen and a persistent reporter shine a light on corruption and cronyism when
no one else was paying attention. And as evidenced by the board election results, you got through to the people of Tulare. THANK YOU, for being a journalist. For understanding what that means and refusing to compromise yourself. There are so few left and we desperately need you.
A Time of Great Challenge Ruben Macareno Donald Trump will be a different kind of President and it appears he will have an Inauguration to match. It’s no secret that he has been controversial and divisive on his unprecedented path to the Presidency. Today, he has by far the lowest approval rating than any incoming President in history. Even his transition has been a combative period. His inauguration committee has had its struggles signing up top artists to perform and attracting people to their event. Yet reportedly large numbers are expected to protest in Washington and across the country the legitimacy of Trump’s Presidency. Usually inaugurations are a time of national celebration, smoothe transfer of power. However 2017 is nothing like that or my first inauguration experience. I attended Ronald Reagan’s in 1985. The week was in the middle of a very cold winter and the parade was cancelled as a result. The swearing-in ceremony was held inside the Capitol Rotunda instead of outdoors on the steps of the Capitol. This was about the only drama that was happening back then during that week. The Official Inaugural Committee had sent me various event invitations that year after writing them a letter of interest to attend. Despite leaning towards his challenger Democratic Nominee Walter Mondale’s presidential campaign I liked Reagan’s message and approach throughout his campaign which was inclusive, positive and pushed us to feel great about being Americans. He set the tone for everyone. Reagan carried that sentiment in his Inaugural address as well, “Let us resolve that we the people will build an American opportunity society in which all of us—
white and black, rich and poor, young and old—will go forward together arm in arm. Again, let us remember that though our heritage is one of blood lines from every corner of the Earth, we are all Americans pledged to carry on this last, best hope of man on Earth.” After hearing his speech I felt less of a Democrat and more American which is the goal of Inaugural speeches. He knew how to deliver a simple yet heartfelt speech, which was his “thing.” I was one of a few Democrats other than the Democratic Members of Congress, who received invitations. I attended with my good buddy Rick Cheney of Minnesota, a friend of the Mondale family. Although I didn’t agree with most of Reagan’s policies I did believe that his message of unification, inclusion and being proud to be an American was an important one. I still believe this to be true. That event influenced my personal path towards public and community affairs work and highlighted the importance of political participation. Although Trump and Reagan both had “celebrity” screen-type careers, they are very different men. My recollection was that Reagan was no friend of Russia. He would have been devastated to learn that Russia influenced our Presidential elections. That 37% of Republicans favor Russian President Vladimir Putin and that our new President thinks he’s is an alright guy all the while criticizing our sitting President. My question is, “Where are we headed?” I have to say I don’t think our country has been this divided since the Civil War. This is why I believe a message of unification is important. But because of all that has transpired this new President needs to offer an action, an olive leaf just to get started. Perhaps more Democratic collabora-
tion in selecting his cabinet and Supreme Court picks. Setting policies in a bi-partisan manner that will truly benefit citizens from the bottom to the top of the economic scale and in other national issues. The divide is as wide in Washington as it is here at home. I believe Congressman Devin Nunes and Assemblyman Devon Mathis have a duty to help us through this fragile time instead of allowing us to remain divided by looking the other way. Meanwhile we have our California legislature and statewide leaders preparing for a legislative and legal war with the United States! From my perspective I am proud of our state legislators for their preparation because we see no olive leaf now or in the near future and the policies we see coming are going to hurt millions of Californians. The cattle call of Wall Street types for cabinet positions doesn’t help ease the agitation and has only increased the worry among many. If you voted for Trump, you should hold him accountable for his actions and behavior while being our President. If you voted against him you need to be open and supportive and look out for the olive leaf if ever offered. However, let’s be clear we follow the lead of our President, as Reagan and past Presidents have done. Not the other way around. So our new President needs to grow up a little and put on his Presidential pants. In Reagan’s address he also said, “Our two-party system has served us well over the years, but never better than in those times of great challenge when we came together not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans united in a common cause.” This is one of those times; a time of great challenge. We need to unite in a common cause. Let’s hope that we don’t wait long enough for that cause to be war.
Veteran’s Corner
Burial Benefit Update Scott Holwell A rule recent change at the US Department of Veterans Affairs now allows veterans to apply for burial in national cemeteries before their death, rather than requiring family members to apply on their behalf after it. Veteran burial benefits previously were approved at the “time of need.” For families, that meant waiting until after the veteran died to apply for the benefits via fax or email by sending in a copy of the veteran’s DD-214 or separation documents and then following up by phone. The rule change instead allows veterans to be approved for burial in a VA national cemetery “pre-need,” or before death, through a form submitted by fax, email or mail. The form can be filled out by the veteran or by someone else on his or her behalf. Burial locations are assigned based on availability at the time of need, VA officials said. Although veterans cannot reserve a gravesite, they can indicate on the form a cemetery preference. Doing so allows VA officials to predict need at cemeteries, and may help inform decisions for those choosing a burial site after the veteran’s death, officials said. The predetermination process qualifies veterans for burial in 135 cemeteries and 33 soldiers’ lots operated by the VA nationwide. The process does not include Arlington National Cemetery, which is operated by the U.S. Army and uses a different application system. After receiving the burial benefits application, the VA will provide written notice of its decision regarding eligibility, officials said in a release. The decision and supporting documents will then be stored electronically by the VA to make burial arrangements faster when they are needed, they said. In addition to burial in a national cemetery, the VA provides most veterans who were not dishonorably discharged with a government headstone or marker, a burial flag and a presidential memorial certificate after death. Some veterans’ survivors also qualify for burial allowances, designed to cover some burial and funeral costs. Our office can assist with the application and answer any questions regarding this and many other benefits. 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. Scott Holwell, retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, is the Veterans Service Officer for Kings County. Send your questions to the Veterans Service Office, 1400 W. Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230; call (559)852-2669; or e-mail scott.holwell@ co.kings.ca.us.
12 • Valley Voice
2 February, 2017
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Dr. Parmod Kumar speaks at a Southern Inyo Healthcare District Board of Directors meeting. Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice
Kumar Recall Moving Forward Opponents of Dr. Parmod Kumar have been told that the recall of the longtime Tulare Local Healthcare District (TLHCD) Board of Directors member is one step closer to happening. Citizens for Hospital Accountability gathered 1,414 signatures, out of which 1,180 were valid, and 32 were duplicates, according to a certification document from the Tulare County Elections Office. The group — and the two new board members it supported, Mike Jamaica and Kevin Northcraft — have been critical of various aspects of the district’s agreement with Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) the company which runs Tulare Regional Medical Center. Should the group be successful in recalling Kumar and replacing him with a candidate it supports, a three-member majority would be able to tackle the group’s perceived problems with HCCA. “Over the past few years, we have witnessed the complete breakdown of the fiduciary duty of a Board, which has
Tony Maldonado abrogated its responsibility to a for-profit company that has placed profits ahead of providing quality health care,” a statement from the group’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Burcham, read. The group and the two newly-elected members take issue with various portions of the TLHCD-HCCA contract, including the monthly management fee. To exit the agreement completely would cost upwards of $8.4m and leave the district without a majority of its employees due to provisions prohibiting the district from re-hiring them from HCCA. Representatives with HCCA say that they’re able to work with any board. “HCCA will work with any board that works for the best interests of our community. HCCA will continue the hospital on its path of improved quality, sustainability and profitability which we started on three years ago,” a statement from the hospital read.
Valley Scene
2 February, 2017
Barbara & Frank — “The Concert Tulare County Symphony to That Never Was” at the Visalia Fox Present First All-Jazz Concert Staff Reports Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra never shared the same stage, that is until the hit show “Barbra & Frank, The Concert That Never Was.” The musical hit show starring Sharon Owens as Babs and Sebastian Anzaldo as Ol’ Blue Eyes is coming to the Visalia Fox Theater on Saturday February 25.
Experience what could have been as Sharon and Sebastian take the stage with their perfect renditions of some of the most memorable songs throughout the superstars’ careers, such as “Luck Be A Lady,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’ve Got the World on a String” and “People.” The rapport between the two icons is immediate and electric. What’s On
CONCERT continued on B6 »
Art Reception & Ribbon Cutting at Brandon-Mitchell Gallery Donna Orozco To kick off its new mission as a boutique event center, the Brandon-Mitchell Art Gallery (located in the Center for Spiritual Living Visalia) will host a ribbon cutting during the First Friday art walk on February 3. The art reception featuring digital mandalas by Three Rivers artist Elsah Cort is from 5-8pm. The ribbon cutting by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce will be at 5:30pm. The Brandon-Mitchell Gallery & Event Center has long hosted regular art shows, meditation, Tai Chi, African drumming, yoga, classes and meetings. Located downtown a block from Main Street, it is the perfect venue for weddings, receptions, small events and conferences. “We at the Brandon-Mitchell Gallery recognize the valuable resource we have and want to share it,” said Timothy Rich, spiritual director intern. “Opening it for
events and conferences was the next natural step. We look forward to a beautiful partnership with the community.” The Center has joined the Chamber of Commerce, which is happy to have another space to offer because it often gets calls for meeting and event rooms. Those interested in renting the facility are invited to attend the art reception and ribbon cutting to tour the venue. Cort has been making mandalas for over 30 years. Besides the framed artwork on the walls, she will display a large selection of mandala cards, her mandala calendar, ornaments and small artworks. A mandala is a circular design symbolizing that life is never ending. While long embraced by some Eastern spiritual traditions, it is now also popular in Western cultures, often used as an aid to meditation or contemplation. For information, call 559 625-2441 or go to www.cslvisalia.org.
The Tulare County Symphony will present its first all-jazz concert at 7:30 pm Saturday, February 11 at the Visalia Fox Theatre. Music includes the iconic “Rhapsody in Blue,” Duke Ellington’s “Black, Brown and Beige” and a suite for flute and jazz piano. Guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel will play Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue. Considered one of the great pianists of our time, Biegel has a multi-faceted career as a pianist, recording artist, composer and arranger. He will join with flutist Tracy Harris for Bolling’s “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio.” Harris lives in Tulare County but has performed and given flute clinics all across the country. Also featured in the piece are orchestra musicians Rodney Yokota on string bass and Joey Her- Chelsea Tipton nandez on drums. Ellington wrote “Black, Brown and Beige” for his first concert at Carnegie Hall in 1943, to illustrate the history of African-American music from slavery to swing. The concert will also feature guest conductor Chelsea Tipton on the podium. Tipton was one of the finalists when the Symphony chose a new music director eight years ago and also guest conducted the orchestra back in 2011. Tickets are $30 to $39.50 at the sym-
Donna Orozco phony office, 208 W. Main Street, Suite D, Visalia, downstairs in Montgomery Square. Student prices are $10. Tickets are also available at 732-8600 or go to www. tularecountysymphony.com.
New name proposed
After a year of discussion and getting community input, the Symphony Association Board voted to recommend changing the name of the symphony to Sequoia Symphony Orchestra at is January 11 board meeting. The name change is subject to the approval of the Association members, which is made up of season ticket holders, orchestra members and donors of $275 or more. Members will be notified about a voting date. The new name is proposed because it reflects the regional nature, professionalism and artistic excellence of the orchestra today. The term “county” in the name tends to make the orchestra sound non-professional or like a government agency. Music Director Bruce Kiesling has told the board that a number of guest artists do not list the symphony on their bios because “Tulare County” sounds like an amateur or community orchestra.
International Agri-Center Prepares For 50th Anniversary of Ag Expo Staff Reports The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo boasts more than 1,500 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. A record-setting 106,349 people came from 47 states and 79 countries to attend 2016 World Ag Expo. The World Ag Expo Arena will once again offer daily Equipment Showcases, where exhibitors will perform live demonstrations of their latest products. Seminars will be offered in a variety of categories, including dairy, irrigation, international trade, business and fammanagement, marketing and media, and general agriculture. These seminars are presented by professionals in the industry and provide attendees with valuable information to improve their operations. The Top-10 New Products Competition, sponsored by Bank of America, is back with products offering new technology and increased efficiencies. From dairy nutrition and irrigation technology, to crop cleaning and melon harvesting, the Top-10 New Products
has something to offer every type of famng operation. “World Ag Expo has built a 50-year legacy of bringing agricultural buyers and sellers together,” says Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center’s Chief Executive Officer. “Ag is always evolving in order to feed a growing world. World Ag Expo is here to facilitate the connections between the exhibitors who provide the most advanced technology and equipment and the famrs who continue to evaluate and improve their operations to meet that demand.” The 2017 World Ag Expo will host daily 50th anniversary celebration events, including the Wednesday evening Bud Light After-Hours Party in the Arena, with a free concert by Pamlee and fireworks to commemorate the golden anniversary. The newly expanded Career & Education Center has relocated to South Greenbelt, just north of the World Ag Women Pavilion. This area is larger and will allow more schools and companies serving the career-searching audience to be part of
this space. “We are very passionate about ag education and want to do all we can to encourage the younger generations to pursue a career in agriculture,” said Kerissa Chamn, Ag Education Manager for the International Agri-Center. “We are excited about the opportunity to offer a larger space and further our mission as an education-based non-profit organization.” The Career & Education Center was previous located in the Hilvers Building, which will now become the home of World Ag Expo’s newest addition, Taste of California. Taste of California will provide opportunities for attendees to experience a glimpse of what California Agriculture provides to the world. World Ag Expo attendees can get the latest news, information and updates about the show by downloading the new 2017 mobile app. The free app provides mobile access to the schedule of events, an exhibitor
directory, map of the show grounds and other visitor resources. The app is available for download from the app store by searching “World Ag Expo 2017.” For a full schedule of events, more information about the show or to purchase tickets for 2017 World Ag Expo, visit www.WorldAgExpo.org. World Ag Expo - bringing you the best in Ag since 1968. In addition to producing World Ag Expo, International Agri-Center is also home to the AgVentures! Learning Center and Museum, the California Antique FamEquipment Show, and the Harvest Festival and has a wide range of facility rentals available for any size event.
Event Details At-A-Glance:
• 2017 World Ag Expo, February 14-16 • February 14: 9am - 5pm. • February 15: 9am - 5pm. • February 16: 9am - 4pm. International Agri-Center 4500 S. Laspina St. Tulare, CA 93274 $15 gate amssion $10 online ticket price with a discount code Tickets: www.worldagexpo.org
2 February, 2017
B2 • Valley Voice
Great Conversations What Can’t Be Written Afterwards: O’Connor’s “Guests of the Nation” Joseph R. Teller You’re a young soldier fighting against an occupation. Yo u’v e been detailed to guard a pair of prisoners. They speak the same language as you. They share similar fears and dreams, and they share much of the same culture. After weeks of getting to know them and playing cards to pass the time, you feel attached to them—you even begin calling each other friends. Then the unthinkable happens. You discover your prisoners are hostages, and since the enemy has just executed several of your countrymen, your detail has been ordered to execute your two prisoners in retaliation. If you refuse, you’ll be shot as a traitor. You walk your prisoners—your friends—to a bog where their graves await. They can’t believe it—they refuse to believe it. Your comrades put their pistols to the backs of the prisoners’ heads and shoot them. Afterwards, you bury the still-warm
bodies in the bog. stant “a miserable man.” This is the horrifying scenario of The Irishmen do not tell their hosFrank O’Connor’s short story, “Guests tages what’s going to happen—it would of the Nation,” set during the An- be too cruel—until they are being glo-Irish War of the early twentieth cen- walked out at night to the bog, where tury. The narrator, Bonaparte, is a young the Irish have already dug the pair of Irishman who, with his friend Noble graves. “What do you think I would and his commanding officer Donovan, do if I were in [your] place?” asks Haware guarding two kins; “I’d go with captured English[you] wherever men, Belcher and [you] were going. Hawkins. Belcher I’d share my last is a gentle giant of bob with [you] a man who loves to and stick by [you] play cards; Hawthrough thick and kins is a fireball of a thin.” Donovan Marxist who goads asks Hawkins if he Noble in debates has any messages about Christianito send home, but ty and capitalism. Hawkins insists, After several weeks, “Do you underit’s clear that there’s stand? I’m through no real reason to with it…from this guard the Englishon I’m one of you. Frank O’Connor men—they show Does that prove no desire to escape the rural cottage to you I mean what I say?” Donovan where they’re being held, and everyone shoots him in the back of the head. calls each other “chum.” Then it’s Belcher’s turn. We discovBut then the order comes from an er that Belcher has no one to notify at intelligence officer: four Irish soldiers, home, since his wife left him and took including a boy of 16, have been exe- their child eight years earlier. Donovan, cuted by the English, and Belcher and perhaps talking himself into the deed, Hawkins must die for it. Bonaparte perhaps asking for forgiveness, says, can’t believe it; he becomes in that in- “You understand, it’s not so much our
doing. It’s our duty, so to speak.” In the heart-rending climax, Belcher responds, “I never could make out what duty was myself, but I think you’re all good lads, if that’s what you mean. I’m not complaining.” Donovan shoots him, and the Irishmen bury the prisoners’ bodies in the bog. At the end, the narrator, staring out into the darkness from the cottage, reflects on the immensity of what has happened: it was “as though the patch of bog where [they] lay was a thousand miles away from me…and I was somehow very small and very lonely. And anything that ever happened me after I never felt the same about again.” Despite the fact that the narrator participates in the executions, our discussion group couldn’t condemn him. For the narrative invokes compassion for all the characters, Irish and English, confronted as they are by the reality of war in the flesh rather than in the abstract. In an important way, the story is less about duty, and more about the absurd horrors life can bring, the terrible choices people can make, and the various ways we cope with profound trauma—trauma so often inflicted on us by forces outside our control. Dr. Joseph R. Teller is Professor of English at COS. Email him at josepht@cos.edu.
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2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • B3
Green Acres Little Theater to Present “Grease” Green Acres Little Theater It’s that time of year again! Green Acres Little Theatre is bringing the first production of the Broadway musical “Grease” to the Visalia Rotary Theater. Including more than 80 students, this musical marks Green Acres Little Theatre’s 37th year of theatrical excellence. It is with great excitement that we invite the audience to join Rydell High’s senior class of 1959. Come travel back in time to ducktails, hot-rods, gum-snapping, hip-shaking, bobby sox, and pedal pushers. Experience the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the big romance of their “Summer Nights” as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as “Greased Lightnin’”, “It’s Raining on Prom Night”, “Alone at the DriveIn Movie”, while recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation.
This nationally recognized program is unique in that it gives all students at Green Acres and Ridgeview Middle Schools an opportunity to perform in a Broadway-style musical. If you haven’t seen a Green Acres Little Theatre musical, or it’s been awhile, we especially invite you to a performance. You are in for a treat that will delight you. Each year, our students play to sold-out audiences who walk away amazed at their talent. Our performers from Green Acres and Ridgeview Middle Schools hope you’ll find that “Grease is the Word!”
“The Great Conversation” Resumes at College of the Sequoias Joseph R. Teller College of the Sequoias’ “Great Conversation” discussion group resumed its semimonthly meetings on January 23--and it’s not too late to join. The group reads and discusses some of the great classics of literature and philosophy published by the Great Books Foundation. The readings include excerpts or complete works by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Christina Rossetti, Frank O’Connor, John Rawls, and Max Planck. The group will meet every second and fourth Monday afternoon of the month from 4-5:30pm on the COS main cam-
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133 North J St.
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301 N. Willis St. 2611 S Mooney Blvd. 2124 W. Riggins Ave * Available only for a limited time!
pus. The book costs $24.95 through the Great Books Foundation. Contact Dr. Joseph Teller at josepht@cos.edu or at (559) 730-3924 for more information about the meeting location, the book purchase, and the next reading under discussion. Open to all readers interested in great books, Great Conversation discussion groups are not lecture-based, but instead use a process of “shared inquiry.” While each discussion is led by an experienced seminar leader, discussions begin with open-ended, interpretive questions, and participants put forward their own interpretations, developing their views through the sharing of their ideas with others.
How to attend Tickets may be purchased by going
Feb. 9th – 7:30pm Feb. 10th - 7:30pm Feb. 11th- 1pm and 7:30pm Feb. 12th - 2pm (benefit performance)
online at grease2017.brownpapertickets. com or by dialing 1-800-838-3006
Wine & Beer Tasting At
Redwood Wine Room
Totem Market & Gifts Enjoy our Deli!
(Evening meals coming soon) J&J Cellars - Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards
(559) 561-4463
45186 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers
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.
Community Action Organization at (559) 582-4386.VITA Sites VISALIA CSET Main Office - 312 NW 3rd Avenue, TULARE Family Resource Center - 304 E. Tulare Avenue, CUTLER CSET Office - 12691 Avenue 408, PORTERVILLE Employment Connection 1063 W. Henderson Avenue. Now - Track and Field Club Registration Parks and Leisure Services and Porterville College team up for the tenth year to offer the Jr. Pirates Track & Field Club. The Track & Field Club welcomes all skill levels and develops fundamentals, character and sportsmanship. The Club is designed for boys and girls ages 9-14 and offers training in running events as well as field events such as the long jump, high jump, triple jump, turbo javelin, discus and shot put. Participants will prepare to compete in track & field meets in and around the Porterville area. The cost is only $36 per child which includes a track uniform, practices and admission to the City track meet. Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Porterville College beginning the first week of March. Register online or at the Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange Avenue. Volunteer coaches are needed to help make this league a success. Consider sharing your skills with eager youth in the community. For more information on the league or coaching, call (559) 791-7695 or visit the City of Porterville website.
Now - End of Spring Semester: The Great Conversation at COS 2nd & 4th Mondays, 4-5:30pm The spring semester has just begun and The Great Conversation group reads and discusses some of the great classics of literature and philosophy published by the Great Books Foundation. The readings include excerpts or complete works by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Christina Rossetti, Frank O’Connor, John Rawls, and Max Planck. The book costs $24.95 through the Great Books Foundation. Contact Dr. Joseph Teller at josepht@cos. edu or at (559) 730-3924 for more February 3: Dulce by Nature information about the meeting loca- 6-8pm - Artist Reception for Extion and book purchase. eter native Crystal Galindo. Feb. Now - April 15: CSET Free Tax 4 - 2pm - Artist Talk. Galindo atReturn Service tended COS and completed a dual Saturdays - 9am - 3pm - The Volun- major in Painting and Chicano teer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) studies at Sonoma State. She uses program prepares federal and state her numerous self portraits, body tax returns at no cost to households type exploration and focus on the with less than $54,000 annual in- Chicana experience to create her come. More information regarding own artistic language. Inspired by the VITA program including con- the lack of representation of women tact information, documentation of color in the media and fine art, requirements and helpful links is Galindo’s work spotlights Xicanas in available online by visiting www. a positive, realistic light. Located at cset.org/vita or by calling (559) the Arts Visalia Visual Arts Center, 741-4640. For information on tax 214 E. Oak St. Solo show will be on preparation services offered in Kings display through Feb. 24. County, please contact Kings Unit- February 4: Happy Trails Riding ed Way at (559) 584-1536 or Kings
fEBRUARY
February 2017 Lun
Lunch served 12-1 pm $4 Please call 713-4481. Reservations m Monday
6 Eggplant parme-
Tuesday
7 Salisbury steak
Wednesday 1 Lasagna rollups with spinach, ricotta and Italian sausage in marinara sauce with Caesar salad, garlic bread and fruit
2
8 Pork tenderloin
9
san with pasta mari- with mushroom gra- with mashed sweet nara, salad and fruit vy, mashed potapotatoes, vegetatoes, vegetables and bles, salad and fruit roll
13 Broccoli soup
14 SWEET HEART
with grilled ham and LUNCHEON Chicken breast in a marsala cheese, fruit and wine and mushroom chips
sauce with bowtie pasta, Caesar salad, fruit and garlic bread
20 Pastrami and swiss 21 on marbled rye with Tuscan kale and bean soup
27 Chicken and cheese enchiladas with rice, beans, salad and fruit
15 Spaghetti with
an gr w w
1
meat sauce, salad, be garlic bread and fruit tu sl
Chicken parmi22 Pork chili verde giana – chicken breast with rice, beans, tortiltopped with mozzarella and fruit la and marinara served with Italian style vegetables, fruit 28 Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, fruit and roll
st sa w
23
ro w co Ca
DAILY SA Chicken C available replacem
**Items on Menu are
Academy Volunteer Orientation 8am - Noon - The orientation will take place at Happy Trails Riding Academy’s facility located at 2773 East Oakdale Ave. (Ave. 256) in Tulare. Volunteer roles, demonstrations, safety rules, and the 2017 class schedule will be discussed. All volunteers must be at least 14 years old and physically fit enough to walk for up to two hours, including occasional jogging. Happy Trails Riding Academy is a non-profit program that enriches the lives of children and adults with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities through therapeutic horsemanship, providing a unique opportunity for self-improvement and independence while offering a challenging alternative to traditional therapy. If you are interested in volunteering and making a difference in the lives of the students at Happy Trails, please contact the us at (559)688-
8685 or info@wearehappytrails.com to RSVP for the orientation. February 5: 5th Annual Super Bowl Sprint 7:45am - 2 mile walk; 8am - 5K run/walk - Race to the finish line before you watch your team kick-off on Super Bowl Sunday! Run with the Creative Center Foundation in the Fifth Annual Super Bowl Sprint, a 5K for runners or 2 mile race for walkers. First place overall male and female finishers will each win an amazing prize package. Every runner/walker has a chance to win a flat screen TV in time for the Big Game. Held at Mooney Grove Park, 27000 S Mooney Blvd. Early registration can be completed online at www. thecreativecenterfoundation.org. February 6: Girls Softball Registration Begins Porterville Parks and Leisure Services Girls Softball League - Increase
nch Menu / Visalia Senior Center
4.00 Dine In
or Takeout & under 54 yrs:
$5.00
must be made one business day in advance by 12 PM.
Thursday
Friday
Chicken chili verde tew with rice, beans, alad and tortillas with fruit
3 SUPER BOWL PARTY Not-so-hot wings
9 Hearty navy bean
10 Teriyaki chicken
nd ham soup with a rilled cheese sandwich on Texas Toast with fruit
breast skewers with pineapple and bell pepper over basmati rice with Asian vegetable mix and Hawaiian roll
16 Hearty chili
17 Meat lovers pizza
Weekly Salad Option:
with celery and ranch dip; pulled pork slider, homemade potato chips and fruit
Chicken Taco Salad—in taco bowls with lettuce, chicken, black beans, corn with Mexican cheese and salsa
Chef Salad—with diced cheeses, black olives, ham, tomato and hard boiled eggs with ranch dressing
eans with ground urkey, corn bread, law and fruit
with Italian sausage, salami, black olives, tomatoes, bell pepper and mozzarella with Caesar salad and fruit
Perfect Chicken Garden Salad Chicken,
3 Cannelloni –
24 Fish and chips –
Beef Taco Salad—in ta-
olled pasta filled with spinach and riotta served with aesar salad, garlic
Breaded fish served with oven fried potato wedges, vegetable, roll and fruit
ALAD Option: Caesar Salad e as a meal ment.
e subject to change.
your child’s health and wellness by keeping them physically active. The league welcomes all skill levels and develops fundamentals, character and sportsmanship. The goal is to foster a positive and pressure-free environment with a league where everyone plays. It’s the perfect fit for your child to truly enjoy softball and want to return the following season. The league is designed for girls ages 4-8. Practices begin in April and all games are played at the Porterville Sports Complex beginning May 1. The cost is only $58 per child which includes practices, a game uniform, and a participation certificate. There is a $5 discount for head coaches and additional siblings. Register online or at the Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange Ave. For more information, call (559) 7917695 or visit the City of Porterville website.
walnut, dried cranberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette
co bowls with lettuce, beef, black beans, corn with Mexican cheese and salsa
Cobb Salad With Chicken, tomato, avocado, lettuce and bacon bits with ranch and feta cheese
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 Tulare County Food manufacturers and industry professionals to fulfill the FSMA requirement for PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals). This course, developed by the FSPCA, is the “standardized 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, collection. Our bus will depart from or call 559-688-3130. the Visalia Convention Center at February 8: Green Party Meeting 6:30am and will return to Visalia 6pm - The Green Party Tulare Coun- around 9:00pm. Parking is available ty has changed its regular month- in the city parking garage directly ly meeting site. The next meeting, across the street from the convenopen to the public, is in the Purple tion center. The trip will include room, upstairs at the Visalia Public stops on the way and on the return for breakfast and dinner on your Library. own. The cost is $65 per person February 9: COS CHAP - Under which includes bus fare and musethe Same Moon um entry. For reservations and more 6:30pm - College of the Sequoias’ information: (559)739-0905. Cultural Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) program’s theme for February 11: Visalia Rawhide to 2016-2017 is: “Economic Inequali- Hold Annual Job Fair ty: Problems and Representations.” 9-11am - Positions will be availAll CHAP events are free and open able in a variety of areas, including to the public. Campus parking is free concessions, food preparation, reduring the events. Located in the tail, and ushering. The club expects Visalia campus Ponderosa lecture over 100 Tulare and Kings County hall, filmmaker Ligiah Villalobos residents to earn jobs, which will will screen her film, “Under the provide workers with valuable exSame Moon” or “La Misma Luna.” perience in the customer service The screening will be followed by a industry. For a head start in applyQ&A session about the film and life ing, prospective staff members are in the industry. “La Misma Luna,” encouraged to pre-register at Rawtells the parallel stories of nine-year- hideBaseball.com. To pre-register, old Carlitos and his mother, Rosa- complete the application on the rio. In the hopes of providing a bet- homepage and return to the ticket ter life for her son, Rosario works office on Giddings St. Applicants illegally in the U.S. while Carlitos may also scan and email applicalives with his grandmother in Mex- tions to jerry@rawhidebaseball.com. ico. The film documents the chal- Job seekers are encouraged to come lenges of being apart and the hope to the job fair prepared with a copy of the completed application and rethat they will one day be reunited. sume. February 10: Midnight Star and February 12: Los Yonics y Los the Original Mary Jane Girls 8pm - Eagle Mountain Casino wel- Caminantes comes popular 80’s group Midnight 8pm - Eagle Mountain Casino Star along with their special guests, welcomes Los Yonic’s y Los Camthe Original Mary Jane Girls. inantes. Tickets start at $30 and Formed at Kentucky State Univer- are available through Eagle Mounsity in 1976, MIDNIGHT STAR tain Casino’s web site at www.eabegan as a self-contained party band glemtncasino.com or the gift shop in the P-Funk/ Earth Wind and Fire (800)903-3353. mode. Tickets start at $30 and are February 14-16: World Ag Expo available through Eagle Mountain 9am - 5pm - World Ag Expo is the Casino’s web site at www.eaglemt- world’s largest annual agricultural ncasino.com or the gift shop (800) exposition. More than 1,500 exhib903-3353. itors display the latest in farm equipment, communications and techFebruary 11: Visalia Art League nology on 2.6 million square feet of & Arts Visalia Bus Trip The Getty exhibit space. Free seminars focus Center 6:30am - Visit the Getty Center, on a variety of topics important to renowned for its collection of Eu- dairy producers, farmers, ranchers ropean paintings, drawings, manu- and agribusiness professionals. $15 scripts, sculpture, decorative arts as gate admission. For more informawell as its important photography tion: http://www.worldagexpo.com/ attendees.
Send your calendar items to: editor@ourvalleyvoice.com
2 February, 2017
B6 • Valley Voice
Free Music and Art Classes Available Starting March 2017 Sound N Vision Foundation will be hosting it’s fifth year of free guitar, drums, ukulele, and visual art classes. Students learn their instrument and perform in concert at the end of the classes! Intro and intermediate Guitar: Mondays in March-April (ages 9-15) 4-5pm Intro to Drums: Tuesdays in March-April (ages 9-15) 4:15-5:15pm
Concert
Sebastian’s crooning sounds of Sinatra bring memories to an audience who remember the late great Chairman of the Board himself. He was runner-up in the reality television series competition “The Next Best Thing.” Showbiz Weekly says “Anzaldo resembles and sounds like a young, handsome Frank Sinatra.” “Barbra and Frank, The Concert That Never Was” produced by Diamond Horseshoe Productions brings to life the spirit of two of the most beloved legends ever to grace a stage. The show joins two powerhouses for a musical journey of the best of Streisand and Sinatra. Tickets are now on sale at http:// www.foxvisalia.org. Ticket prices range from $29 to $45. Buy your tickets for Barbra & Frank by Feb 15 and get half off the same price ticket for Bette & Her Divine Divas on April 22. Additional information is available at the box office (559) 625-1FOX (1369). The Fox Theatre is located at 300 W. Main St., Visalia, CA 93291.
Continued from B1 magazine states, “As good as the music is, the banter between the stars is equally memorable.” “Barbra and Frank” have played the famous Rainbow Room in New York City and appeared on ABC Television Network. They have toured Germany, Holland, Great Britain and China and have held long-run headline residencies at the historic Riviera and Westin in Las Vegas. Sharon was crowned the winner of the hit television show on Fox called “Performing As…”. She has been featured on Access Hollywood, Extra, Entertainment Tonight and made an appearance on Family Feud. Jerry Greenburg, Former President of Atlantic Records remarks “When Sharon came onto the stage, I almost fell off my chair. She was a dead ringer.”
Coming to the Hanford Fox Theater Golden Dragon Acrobats Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 7:30 pm - $22 - $34
Irish Rovers Sunday, March 5, 2017 7 pm - $25 - $35
Movies Sixteen Candles Thursday Feb. 9, 7 pm
Casablanca Thurday, Feb. 15, 7pm (559) 584-7823
www.foxhanford.com
Staff Reports Intro and Intermediate Ukulele: Thursdays in March-April (ages 9-15) 6-7pm Intro and intermediate Visual Art Mixed Media: Thursdays in March-April (ages 8-16) 4-5pm For more information — and to sign up — email stephaniemgomes@ gmail.com or dial (559) 331-0009.
Sharon Owens as Barbra Streisand and Sebastian Anzaldo as Frank Sinatra.
Murphy’s Horoscope Aries (March 20-April 18) Ram that you are, it sometimes seems like you don’t know if you’re coming or going. With Pluto and Mercury wrestling for supremacy in your house of travel, you’d best get going. Just make sure they let you back into the country. Taurus (April 19-May 19) Ironically, you tolerate no bull. The current Pluto/Mercury partnership isn’t good for your house of self-esteem. Don’t put up with Pluto or Mercury, either. Gemini (May 20-June 19) Dualism is at your very core, but with Pluto and Mercury joining forces in your house of romance you find an old flame coming increasingly to mind. Either that, or the familiar burning sensation you feel is indigestion. Cancer (June 20-July 21) You’re a crabby one, and likely to remain so. Pluto and Mercury want nothing to do with you. Leo (July 22-August 21) You demand the lion’s share of everything, and here comes Pluto with an unexpectedly heavy work load. Delegate. Virgo (August 22-September 21) The rat you smell is Pluto in your fun house. You’re supposed to be in your own fun house and you can’t because there’s not enough room for the two of you. Why does Pluto get to have all the fun? Libra (September 22-October 21) For Libras life is a balancing act, and with Pluto and Mercury on opposite sides of the scale who knows what will happen? This is a particularly bad time to go on a diet. They never work, anyway. Scorpio (October 22-November 20) Nobody knows better than you the sting in life’s tail, and right now that’s
Pluto and Mercury duking it out in your house of communications. Not that anyone ever knows what you’re talking about to begin with, but this is a bad week to be on any form of social media. In fact, you should stay offline totally. Sagittarius (November 21-December 20) “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” indeed. Be wary of any Mercurial shopping sprees. Stay home. Pluto has cancelled your credit card. And you can thank Pluto later. This is how you’ll stay married. Capricorn (December 21-January 18) Through no fault of your own, you’re the Goat. Don’t sweat it. Pluto and Mercury will blame you no matter what. Aquarius (January 19-February 17) “Whatever floats your boat” does not apply to you this week. Pay your bills. Eat your vegetables. Exercise. Life may be like a river, but for you it’s a drought right now. Pisces (February 18-March 19) As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish, and you feed him for life.” Either way, unfortunately, you’re the fish--and Pluto and Mercury are hungry. Murphy’s Mailbox Q: I’m a Capricorn who can’t decide if I’m in love with a Cancer. Said Cancer has no idea of my feelings, which makes sense because I’m unsure myself. Should I make a move? A: Signs point to yes --but only after Pluto and Mercury have vacated your house of romance. Otherwise, you can expect to be devoured whole. Cancers are notoriously touchy, and as you well know Capricorns are uncommonly sensitive.
2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • B7
First Sheriff’s Pathways Scholarship Recipient Graduates from Police Academy Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Boudreaux started the Pathways Scholarship Program three years ago with funding from the Sence Foundation for college-bound Sheriff’s Explorers. 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.” Since its inception in 2014, five Explorers have been awarded Pathways Scholarships. Jasmine Orozco, 21, of Cutler is the Sheriff’s first Pathways Scholarship recipient to graduate from the po-
lice academy. She graduated from Fresno State University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in criminology. Sheriff Boudreaux hired her as a Deputy Sheriff Trainee in September as she finished her last module of training at the police academy. During her experience as a Deputy Sheriff Trainee in Cutler/Orosi, she received a lot of positive feedback through social media and in person from residents of her hometown community. “When I see someone I’ve met before, they congratulate me,” she said. “They are proud of me.” She began her involvement with the Sheriff’s Office as an Explorer when she was a student at Orosi High School (Class of 2012). She said her desire to go to college
was nurtured by her hard-working parents who are immigrants from Mexico, and her older sister who is a nurse. Becoming a Pathways Scholarship recipient was a big opportunity for her. It helped pay for her college education and for her final module at the police academy, she said. Students, ages 14-21, are eligible to become Sheriff’s Explorers. They receive training in police radio procedures, patrol operations, crime scene investigations, traffic enforcement, arrests, search and seizure, emergency first aid and more. And they volunteer in the community by assisting with parking, informational booths and community events. For more information, contact Dep. Ixchel Franks at (559) 636-4686.
Jasmine Orozco. Courtesy/TCSO
Visalia Rescue Mission to Host 8th Annual Empty Bowls Event Staff Reports Visalia Rescue Mission will host their 8th Annual Empty Bowls event on Tuesday, February 21, and will be offering soups catered by The Vintage Press, appetizers provided by Tazzaria, and desserts provided by Goodies Cookies. Attendees love selecting their handcrafted bowl as their take home gift, interacting with the on-site professional potter as he throws bowls, and best of all, hearing live testimonies from
a graduate and resident of their Life Change Academy — their 12-month residential, recovery program. Tickets are $30 each and must be purchased in advance. Seating is limited. For tickets and information, click over to vrmhope.org/events Email: hope@vrmhope.og Call: Jessica or Ryan @ 740-4178 EMPTY BOWLS is an international project to fight hunger, personalized on a community level.
BringYour Dreams to Life: 24th Annual Visalia Home & Patio Springfest Staff Reports The 24th Annual Visalia Springfest – the South Valley largest Home Show - returns to the Visalia Convention Center, February 10, 11 & 12 with over 350 exhibits featuring great ideas for every room of the house – inside and out – to bring your dreams to life!
OUTDOOR LIVING AND LANDSCAPING
After opening their new Visalia store, The Patio Store returns to this year’s Springfest. If you are tired of replacing cushions and umbrellas every year or two, then check out their long-lasting durable fabrics and their made-in-America furniture frames – with 15 to 20 year warrantees. And when you are at their booth, be sure to get your Treasure Hunt entry form stamped as they are giving away a 42” Round Fire Table! In the Landscape Tent, experts at Evergreen Landscaping & Sprinklers can help you design and construct water features, sprinkler systems, outdoor lighting, concrete, flagstone, rock walls, dividers, gazebos, pavers, fire pits. For landscaping, Melanie Mackenzie at Luis Nursery loves to talk plants and she can show you how to have a gorgeous, color garden using less water but with plant varieties - from blooming perennials, flowering vines, to fruit and shade tree varieties! And, of course, the local Master Gardeners will be on-hand and giving hour long seminars on all three days of the show. But before you leave the tent, stop by and talk with Amy at Ideal Softubs. She can show you how to set-up a new, low-cost spa, in just a few hours.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
This year, Springfest welcomes back the experts at The Home Depot who are always willing to provide some exciting options for home improvement. Inside Exhibit Hall-East, they plan to feature state-of-the-art water and energy efficient appliances, vinyl flooring and bath and shower displays. In addition, each day they will host hour long seminars on topics including how to make simple and basic home repairs, ways to redecorate with paint, and installing flooring, and window treatments. For many homeowners the backyard is a haven. Whether that includes entertaining, gardening, lounging, playing games, grilling, or even working, having a backyard to live your life in is part of what makes owning a home so special. So be sure to check out the latest innovations happening at Tuff Shed. Sure, there’s the storage of household goods, but have you considered all the other ways Tuff Shed can help to make a difference in your daily schedule? With one of their great, durable sheds, you can create a space for a home office, a She Shed, Man Cave or even a place for the kids to hang out. Looking to remodel the kitchen or bath, then save time and money by scheduling a design consultation with Blain Remodeling. Although Bill Blain started building single family homes in the South Valley in 1959, for the past 10 years in order to stay current with the ever changing marketplace, they have perfected their remodeling skills. So with all of these many years of experience, there is no doubt this great group of construction specialists, under the direction of Steve Payton, can turn your dreams to reality
For home décor, this year Hudson River Inlay, a small artist guild, joins the show in Exhibit Hall-East. Their designs are nature-orientated, with themes of wildlife, marine, flower, parks, etc. which they feel gives a person a sense of peace. Stop by and check out these new show products.
VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT MARKETPLACE
Want to be ready for the big day? Then, stop and shop at Springfest’s Gift Marketplace. Inside you will find local merchants like Tami at Funn Bags who carries a wide selection of purses, wallets, jewelry, hats, and clothing – stuff to make any woman’s dream come true. And if you like collectables, see the great selection of hunting knives at Judie’s Odds & Ends. But don’t leave the show without making your annual stop at the DeBrito Chocolate Factory display - the caramel apples alone will amaze you. DeBrito will also feature Valentine’s Gift Boxes ranging in price from $8-$40. At the Springfest Marketplace you’ll find so many other items – just in time for you to get that perfect gift for your special someone.
ROMANTIC DINING COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS
On Saturday and Sunday, local chefs will prepare dishes in the Springfest Cooking Demonstration Area to help you enhance your next romantic dinner. Chef Karl Merten returns to prepare his incredibly delicious grilled salmon. Chef Elaine Dakesian will show you how to make three appetizers that would complement any romantic dinner. And two chefs from the Visalia
Marriott will let you sample dishes from Zhou’s new menu.
KIDS ACTIVITIES
This year the “new” Imagine-U Museum joins the spring home show. You can watch the kids as they create free form robot using smart cubes that connect magnetically; or paint on a glass wall (easily cleaned up) – to see what it looks like from the other side. In addition, outside on the Eucalyptus Courtyard, there will be tile painting at Home Depot’s Kids Clinic. The activities are great fun for children of all ages.
PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS
And have fun finding all of the Treasure Hunt booth locations (with a red star) for a chance to win one of the many merchant prizes being offered this year. The giveaways include a fire pit, an oriental rug, King Frosch imported wine, concert tickets, a Macy’s shopping spree, beautiful metal art, a chocolate-filled gift basket, and even a great weekend getaway at the Dolphin Bay Resort. Simply grab a form as you enter the show and get it stamped at each “enter-to-win” show location. Also be sure to stop to have the kids enter to win a Valentine Bear from Build-A-Bear Workshop at the Visalia Mall booth.
TICKET PRICES:
Show hours are: Friday from 11am to 6pm, Saturday, 10am to 7pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm. General (Adult) Admission is $8 and Senior Admission (65+) is $6. Children under 12 and parking are free. For more information, visit us on Facebook, or at www.VisaliaHomeShows.com or call (559) 713-4000.
2 February, 2017
Valley Voice • B8
Home Orchards: Choosing the Perfect Trees to Fit Your Needs Carlas Hill, UC Master Gardener You have a vision of a beautiful home orchard and the wonderful bounty to be had from it: pies, cobblers and fresh fruit for eating out of your hand. You have the desire and the space -- but where to start? Now is the perfect time to select and plant your trees. Bare root season is upon us, and it’s fairly short. Most fruit trees are shipped by the commercial grower and planted by the home gardener while still dormant and before their buds start swelling. January to early March is typically the ideal time to buy and to plant your bare root stock. A local nursery is the best place to start, and most likely the best source of information about fruit tree varieties for our area. We are fortunate enough to live in the south San Joaquin Valley, which is home to many commercial growers that provide the bare root trees, sold at local nurseries as well as across the nation. Purchasing from a local nursery puts you in touch with individuals who know the best varieties to suggest for our area, and who would most likely carry some lesser-known selections for that same reason. These plants will be more in sync with our seasonal rhythms. Garden centers at national retail stores are improving, but they typically offer a less specific palette of varieties. Some people order their bare root trees online or through mail catalogs, and their plants are shipped to them. However, if you pick them up from the
nursery yourself, you can inspect them to be sure that they have been freshly dug and placed in moist sand to keep the bare roots moist. These plants are young and ready to grow. If you purchase a container fruit tree that was potted up last year, it will most likely be root-bound in the pot; an undesirable condition. Knowing your specific Climate Zone is important, as it is the first consideration necessary when choosing the right fruit trees for a particular area. USDA Climate Zones are determined by average minimum yearly low temperatures. These are only guidelines, though, as your individual location may have a significant influence on your overall zone. Most home gardeners use Sunset’s Western Garden Book’s Climate Zones. For example: our valley floor is in Zone 8; the citrus belt is in Zone 9; and the foothills are in Zone 7. Another reason to buy from local nurseries is that nursery employees know the Climate Zones in which we grow plants, and the average number of chilling hours below 45 degrees in our zones. Deciduous fruit trees require a certain number of “chilling hours” in winter months in order for buds to bloom, set fruit and grow well in the following year. Most varieties require between 200 and 2000 chilling hours in the winter to break dormancy in a normal manner. This is the type of material that is usually found on the tree’s informational tag. The valley floor typically averages between 700 and 800 chilling hours per
year (though we have had less than that some winters). Be sure to check and see whether the trees you purchase are self-fertile or, if they will need a pollinizer variety. Trees that are self-fertile, such as apricot, peach, nectarine and quince trees, will set a good fruit crop when pollinated by flowers on the same tree -- which means that only one tree is needed in the garden. Apples and pears are generally cross-fertile, which means that one variety is pollinated by a different variety of the same fruit. In this case, you will need two or more varieties of apples to get a crop. When choosing varieties for cross-pollination, be sure their bloomtime overlaps. Some varieties of apples, such as Gravenstein, have sterile pollen. This means that they will not pollinate themselves or other apple trees, and they will need pollen from another apple tree in order to produce fruit. These topics are beneficial to discuss with nursery employees when you purchase your trees. They can tell you whether your tree will need a pollinizer variety. If it does, someone from the nursery will most likely be able to recommend a beneficial variety and give you some planting tips. Be aware that fruit tree blossoms will be attractive to bees, and these creatures help spread pollen within a tree and between trees. Bees are the pollinators. To determine spacing requirements when planting, you need to know the ultimate height you want from your fruit tree. The trend in home orchards today
is to keep a shorter tree (by pruning to about 12’ tall), or to plant semi-dwarfs with a height range of 12’ to 16’. With that total growth, 12’ to 16’ apart would be adequate spacing between trees. Other planting methods (look into backyard orchard culture) may allow closer spacing, but require careful tree management. If you summer prune for height control, the trees can be planted closer together. If you want to do some planning before going to the nursery, the University of California offers some excellent resources for the selection and care of fruit trees. The Home Orchard is for sale at the Tulare County Cooperative Extension Office, or online at: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu. Online information from the University can be found at the California Backyard Orchard website, at: http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/ With a little planning, choosing the best fruit trees to meet your needs will become easy. In addition, growing the new trees in your home orchard will be rewarding. Upcoming Master Gardener events: On February 10-12, the Master Gardeners will host a booth at the Visalia Home and Patio Spring FEST at the Visalia Convention Center. Please come by with all your gardening questions as we love to talk about gardening! You can also find us every Saturday from 8 am until noon at the Farmer’s Market in the Visalia Sears parking lot on Mooney.