Valley Voice Issue 94 (1 June, 2017)

Volume XXXVII No. 11 • 1 June, 2017

www.ourvalleyvoice.com

Visalia Settles Wrongful Death Suit in 2012 VPD Shootings Dave Adalian The city of Visalia will pay an undisclosed amount to the survivors of two men killed by police in October of 2012 to settle a federal wrongful death suit.

Late on the night of October 26, 2012, 19-yearold Eduardo MadEdwardo Maduena. uena and 22-yearold Ruben Molina, both Earlimart residents, were shot to death in a dirt field in Goshen by Visalia Police Department officers after a chase that began in downtown Visalia.

While attorneys for the officers involved were prepared to argue one of the Ruben Molina. pair fired first, the evidence as it appears in filings does not seem to support that conclusion.

Maduena, who was fleeing the scene

on foot, was shot once in the back of the head, according to documents filed in the case. Molina was shot repeatedly as he crawled from the wreckage of the overturned car he was driving, court documents filed by the plaintiffs say.

Similar settlements in Fresno and Tulare counties in the recent past have yielded payouts ranging into the millions of dollars. Terms of the settlement include keeping the payout amount confidential, as well as restricting parties to the case from discussing it. However, many of the documents filed in the case remain available online from various sources.

SETTLEMENT continued on 9 »

Hanford City Councilmembers Sue Sorensen and Francisco Ramirez now face recall efforts.

Referendum Against Hanford’s New Zoning Ordinance Filed A vocal group of Hanford advocates for Hidden Valley Park are keeping their promise. During the April 24 Hanford City Council meeting the council passed a new zoning ordinance that changed the designation of the undeveloped 18 acres of the park from public facilities to low-density residential.

Because of the zoning change the group promised a referendum and/or a recall.

A referendum on the zoning ordinance was filed mid-May and a recall ef-

Mooney Grove Park/Personal Injury Case Against County Dismissed Catherine Doe A civil suit filed by Mary Bryant, founder of The Real Mooney Grove Project, against the County of Tulare was dismissed during a hearing May 25. Tulare County Superior Court Judge David Mathias dismissed all causes of actions but left the door open for her to re-file.

Bryant’s suit accused the county of mismanagement in running county parks, personal injury and wrongful death.

Her accusations of mismanagement include: killing of federally protected wildlife, engaging in unfair bidding practices, violating the clean water act of 1977, and the mismanagement of Mooney’s oak preserve leading to the loss of several dozen mature oak trees.

The county countered that Bryant’s “complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.”

The Defendant’s (County) notice to demurrer states, “The Complaint basically alleges that Tulare County engages in unlawful behavior causing harm to county parks.

Plaintiff (Bryant) must allege a minimum factual and legal basis for each claim that is sufficient to give the defendant fair notice of what plaintiff’s claims are and the grounds upon which they rest. Plaintiff’s Complaint is not only uncertain, i.e. ambiguous and unintelligible, but no facts are included. Plaintiff fails to state any facts or provide any information whatso-

ever to support these causes of action.”

Bryant disagrees and she plans on pursuing her suit.

Her case includes seven causes of actions, the first two concern Tulare County Parks and Recreation Director Neil Pilegard’s violation of the California Fish and Game Commission. In her case Bryant alleges, “On one or more occasion, Tulare County park employees were seen driving their trucks over the migratory geese and waterfowl residing in Mooney Grove Park with clear intent to maim or destroy the targeted animal. Neil Pilegard was seen using a crossbow to kill or maim migratory geese. Josh Franklin brought a dog to Mooney Grove Park, allowed the dog to run loose around children and other adults attempting to enjoy the park. To the horror of the people within view of the employee’s loose dog, they watched as the dog viciously attacked the waterfowl residing in the park. For those birds who were not quick enough to escape the attack, they were torn to shreds in full view of onlookers, which included the child, the child’s parents, one former employee and his girlfriend.”

Clyde Slusser, who worked under Pilegard when he was the Senior Parks and Grounds Worker, said that Pilegard told him he had permission from the Fish and Game Commission to hunt ducks with a bow and arrow.

MOONEY GROVE continued on 10 »

Catherine Doe fort against Sue Sorenson, whose district includes the park, is being organized.

The decision to follow through on the recall is still up in the air.

The city officially filed the new zoning ordinance on May 2, giving the Hidden Valley Park advocacy group until June 1st to hand in 3,300 signatures.

Mark Pratter, a familiar face at city council meetings, said that the group plans on

REFERENDUM continued on 11 »

Dr. Parmod Kumar speaks at a Southern Inyo Healthcare District Board of Directors meeting.

Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice

Tulare Hospital Lawsuit Continues in Second Week Attorneys for Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) are back in court as the trial between the hospital and its former medical executive committee (MEC) continues in its second week - after nearly a month’s break.

Lawyers for the former MEC and medical staff claim that the move to replace them was unlawful and retaliatory, while lawyers for the hospital contend it was not only appropriate but necessary to keep the hospital’s doors open.

Dr. Parmod Kumar took the stand Wednesday, testifying for the hospital’s defense in the suit. Kumar, a long-time hospital board member currently facing a recall election, has emerged in testimony throughout the suit as a pivotal figure in creating the new medical staff.

Tony Maldonado

Meeting At A Friend’s

After providing testimony on cross-examination, the judge in the case, Hon. David Mathias, asked Kumar about a point that had came up -- drafting bylaws and rules for the new medical staff.

Kumar told Mathias that the bylaws were created before the Jan. 26 board meeting in which board members, with Kumar abstaining, voted to install a new medical staff/executive committee.

The core group of the medical executive committee, Kumar told the court, had met to decide a path forward after what hospital administrators considered a disastrous verbal report from Dr. Everett Davis, an inspector with the

TRIAL continued on 12 »

2 • Valley Voice

1 June, 2017 FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

How the Chief Is Revealed As A Genius

One thing the Chief and I have learned over the last few years is this legal gem: If you are the Defendant in a civil lawsuit the Plaintiff can play merry hell with your life.

If you’re not overly concerned with the trial’s outcome--because, let’s face it: as the Plaintiff you can drop the proceedings at any time--the process itself is enough to properly torpedo your opponent.

Perhaps I should have written “victim” instead of opponent.

That’s as far as I’m willing to write from the Plaintiff’s perspective. Now I’m going to have a shower and wash it off.

As the Defendant in a civil lawsuit you must respond to the Plaintiff’s filings, usually within a small number of days--so you can expect to be served at exactly the most inconvenient time. On the eve of a holiday, say, or at eight o’clock on a Friday evening.

All of this scheduling is out of your hands, as the Defendant, and you can be sanctioned by the court for not stepping lively enough to the Plaintiff’s tune.

Thus far I’m only referring to those Defendants who exhibit good faith.

It’s fair that the Plaintiff should have remedies to tame a recalcitrant opponent.

But is it equally fair, if you’re a co-operating Defendant, to have no similar remedy and by necessity rely on the whims of the Plaintiff?

That’s the question the Chief posed to me the other day.

Of course it’s not fair.

Imagine the worst case scenario here. You’re the Defendant in civil litigation; simultaneously--perhaps even suddenly--you have a very sick or dying child.

Now imagine that the Plaintiff does not care.

You don’t even want to get started on their attorney. He’s not about to forsake an ongoing paycheck--and if you lose, you’ll be paying his fees.

I know from personal experience it is impossible both to defend yourself and tend to that child.

And there’s no choice, really--when not bedside, you’re tearing your hair out with worry and grief.

The Plaintiff’s tune is not something you hear anymore.

But what if there was some remedy, some legal mechanism by which, in petitioning the bench, you--a co-operating Defendant--could have the case tabled for some reasonable period of time? Until such time as you could, in fairness, defend yourself?

The Chief is going to call it Alex’ Law. The Chief is a genius.

Even so, why should it require a grieving mother for us to arrive at this juncture? How, this far out from Hammurabi, can civil litigation--at least in California--be considered fair when the fulcrum is slid so close to the Defendant?

I’m confident the Chief can shift it.

Ideally, it’ll be part of Alex’ legacy, along with a memorial scholarship we’re trying to establish.

But more on that later.

Joseph Oldenbourg

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

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

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1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • 3

Voices of the Valley Dr. Tom Drilling Dave Adalian By all accounts, Dr. Tom Drilling-an icon in Tulare for the better part of a century who died last month at the age of 96--lived a life that made a difference.

Whether he was in his home or his dental office, in his church or at large in the world, his family and friends remember him as a man of morals, humor, duty and action. Following his passing, some of them gathered at the Tulare home of his daughter, Dr. Patty Drilling-Phelps, to reminisce about his life and times.

Monsignor Rick Urizalqui, pastor at St. Aloysius Church where Tom Drilling was a longtime member, called his 30-year friend “someone whose word was heard and understood and accepted.” Drilling, he said, “lived his decisions.” Though he often found himself at the center of community business, he didn’t seek notoriety.

“Tom didn’t like the spotlight. He just wanted to enjoy his family,” Urizalqui said. “Tom was just not someone who wanted to be out in front of anything. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do and do it well.”

Strong Civic Leader

Tom Drilling often found himself involved in keeping Tulare honest. He’d been a key player in cleaning up Tulare politics after WWII and again in the last decade, and most recently he’d been carrying on the a fight against perceived corruption at the Tulare Local Health Care District.

“He’s been my lead plaintiff on a voluntary basis in a couple of major cases,” said attorney and longtime friend Michael Lampe. “He was the only one who, quite frankly, don’t be offended, had the

balls to do it.”

It wasn’t just courage Drilling brought to the fight for honesty in government. He also carried respectability with him says attorney Dennis Mederos, who has known Drilling since he was a childhood patient.

“It lent credibility to the whole action that was being taken,” he said. “To have a lead plaintiff who had the credibility of Tom Drilling gave importance to the whole action in and of itself.”

Early Service

Drilling, the oldest of five siblings, came to Tulare in 1936 with his family.

He graduated from Tulare High in 1938 in a class that included Dan and Don Hillman, as well as future Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. He would follow Zumwalt into military service during WWII, but not until after attending CSUF and taking his dentistry training at USC. He served on the medical staff of Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz during his first tour starting in 1944 and was recalled for duty again to treat returning Marines during the Korean War. In between, he managed to start his dentistry practice in Tulare in 1946, lead the Tulare Red Devils fast-pitch softball team to a state championship in 1948 as a player-manager, and got himself elected to the city council in 1951, serving as mayor at just 30 years old.

The association between the Lampe and Drilling families now spans generations, and after Drilling’s death, Lampe discovered a letter home his father wrote during his own service during the Korean War. “Was surprised to hear Tom Drilling is the new mayor,” the letter from John

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Cleaning House

Drilling was looking to curb organized prostitution and gambling, along with the corruption in city politics that allowed it to go on when he ran for office. Before he returned to active duty, he got the job done and persuaded the city’s corrupt police chief and justice Dr. Tom Drilling’s official portrait from the Tulare Historical Mucourt judge to resign in seum. Courtesy/Tulare Historical Museum the process. the time the dust had returned to Earth Drilling had to go at the job again and the cases settled, things were on the during the last decade, signing up to front up-and-up at City Hall, and Tulare’s vice a series of lawsuits against City Hall and mayor had resigned. members of the city council in an effort to force openness in Tulare’s governance. By DRILLING continued on 5 »

Ed. Note: Political Fix will return next issue.

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4 • Valley Voice

1 June, 2017

Visalia Transit Working Closely With Cities of Farmersville and Exeter on Public Transportation Updates Nancy Vigran Visalia, Farmersville and Exeter staff continue to work together in order to create the best possible public transportation options for their citizens. Visalia Transit has some changes coming to bus lines beginning in July. The public comment period has been extended through August 18 – leaving some changes to not be implemented until the first of next year.

Christine Chavez, Visalia Transit regional planner, gave a presentation at the last Farmersville City Council meeting to lend further understanding to the Council and Farmersville residents. The goal is to make the routes more efficient and to streamline them, she said.

In a nutshell, Route 12 that travels within Visalia city limits and on to Farmersville and Exeter, along Caldwell-Visalia Rd., will no longer maintain travel between cities. Route 12, with one bus operating daily, will continue within Visalia, better addressing some of that city’s transportation issues.

Route 9, which travels from the Visalia Transit Center to Farmersville, and further to Exeter, along Walnut, will continue – maintaining two buses along that route.

The two routes, were “essentially a duplication” of each other, Chavez said.

There had been some discussion about adding a third bus to that route, but Exeter does not want to pay for it, she said, citing that city’s budget problems with transportation.

All three cities – Visalia, Farmersville and Exeter – have seen a decline in the use of public transportation. Visalia’s decline has been about 10% per year, Chavez said. As such, Visalia is looking at cutting back on some routes within its city limits.

Through various grants, Farmersville continues its roadwork, which includes a bus stop, and bus turnaround on South Farmersville Blvd., approximately one mile south of Visalia Rd. The stop and turnaround were designed with Route 12 in mind. Now that part of the discussion is aimed around Route 9 traveling south along Farmersville Blvd. on an on-demand basis. However, that probability would not occur until the first of next year.

Visalia Transit offers other on-demand service. Within Visalia, Goshen and Farmersville it offers Dial-A-Ride services. It will also be picking up Exeter’s service on July 1. Riders must call ahead, up to two weeks in advance, to arrange for transport. However, one may call the day of the service need, and will be scheduled in, as soon as possible. Dial-A-Ride services are offered from 6am – 9:30pm weekdays, and 8am – 6:30pm on weekends. They are closed on some holidays.

Farmersville Councilman Greg Gomez brought up the need for transportation within the city, as well as the importance of marketing public transportation, suggesting the possibility of having locations within the city that could sell bus passes. Currently various passes are avail-

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Further discussion ensued about having a circulating van or trolley that would drive around various common destinations within town and out to the Highway 198-Farmersvile Blvd. area. It was suggested that perhaps this could also connect between Farmersville and Exeter.

Chavez said she would be happy to explore the idea with the city, but financially it would be Farmersville’s responsibility, with the possibility of partnering with Exeter.

“I would be a big proponent of it,” Gomez said. “It’s a great way to travel.”

All Visalia Transit routes, information and proposed changes may be found on its website, www.visaliatransit.com.

Documents are also available at the Transit Center, 425 E. Oak Ave. Ste. 301.

1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • 5

Drilling Continued from 3

At the time of his death, Drilling had become a plaintiff in a case filed by citizens against the directors and managers at the Tulare Local Health Care District as part of a wider thrust to clean house there.

Efforts so far have led to the replacement of two of the board’s members, with a recall of a third in the works.

An Inspiring Wager

The resignation of the vice mayor in 2010 was the center of a bet Drilling lost to Lampe, and the payoff--a framed dollar bill that hangs in Lampe’s office--gives Lampe lasting inspiration.

“I said, ‘Tom, I’ll bet you at this upcoming mediation that we get (the vice mayor) to resign,’” Lampe recalled. “And he said, ‘That’ll never happen.’ I said, ‘I’ll bet you a dollar.’”

Drilling lost, and Lampe displayed his trophy proudly as he retold the story.

“This has been in my office since the day he gave it to me,” he said. “It’s gonna sit in my office until I retire.”

Mederos says the inspiration Drilling engendered spread beyond his immediate circle and though the community he loved when he took the lead on these contentious issues.

“It became a lawsuit from somebody who had a long history of caring about Tulare and it had credibility he brought to the litigation,” Mederos said. “So people looked at that and said to themselves, ‘This is being brought by someone of stature in our community. We better start listening.’ And, that was the difference.”

Being a leader, however, is not without risks. Yet Drilling was able to bear them and the consequences.

“Tom knew by injecting himself into that dispute there were going to be a lot of people in this community who really liked him who were going to get really, really mad,” Lampe said. “He knew that, but he did it. He had the courage to step up to the plate, and he did the same thing in the (ongoing dispute with Tulare Regional Medical Center’s directors and management).”

Sailing True

It may or may not have been his former service in the Navy that gave Drilling such an even keel. Whatever the source, the high standards he set for his community he also kept at home, his wife and children remember.

He also inspired his family by example, and Drilling-Phelps says he specifically taught her how to be decisive. This, she said, is what he taught her: “You can look at the problem you have, but you can’t just wallow in it to the point where you don’t make a decision and become paralyzed. But when you make that decision, you also have to accept the consequences.”

Patricia Drilling, 96, Tom’s wife of

72 years, remembered her husband’s stance on impeccability.

“You said it, and that’s your oath,” she remembered.

Tom Drilling was often a source for calmness during crisis.

“That’s what Tom did: He wasn’t afraid to be the voice of reason,” Mederos said. “At a young age and at an old age, he was willing to stand up for what he perceived as right and not be afraid to let this community know that that was the position that he was taking.”

It was a habit he carried on to his final days, and it was a habit her father hoped would inspire others to follow in his footsteps, Drilling-Phelps said. Dr. Patty Drilling-Phelps, Sister Kathy Drilling and Patricia Drilling share a moment’s laughter while showing off a portrait of the late Dr. Tom Drilling. Drilling, who was Tulare’s 2014 Man of the Year, died last “Yet he knew he was old- month at 96. Dave Adalian/Valley Voice er and he’d say to me, ‘God, I tion when she got home. It was a part of Mom salutes,” Sister Kathy said. “Chris wish somebody else would stand up, befatherhood he liked, his wife said. and I look at each other, and then they cause I’m getting tired of doing this. Isn’t “I’m here to say he enjoyed every said, ‘We’re going to have a baby.’ And there someone else?’” she said. “But, then time they thought he knew something,” I thought, ‘What am I going to tell my he’d come around to it and say, ‘Well, Patricia Drilling said. friends?’” you know, I guess I gotta do something And nobody in the Drilling houseabout this.’” hold got anything they didn’t deserve, she Man of the Year remembers.

Drilling’s humor and good sense also No Guts, No Glory “He was fair whatever came up. That served him well while making his accepSeventeen years separate Drill- I remember. He was even fair with me,” tance speech when he was selected as Tuing-Phelps and her oldest sister, Sister she joked. “He had big dreams. He saw lare’s Man of the Year in 2014. But, he Kathleen Drilling, and she remembers a things that needed to be right.” almost never got the chance. Despite all different time in her parents’ lives when Sister Kathy thinks what her father he’d done for his community, he’d always she and their now-deceased sister Chris- really wanted was the best for everyone. been passed over for some reason. tine Drilling Glogow were small children.

“You also had the sense he loved this “Somehow he just missed out as it “Chris and I grew up in a time when town, he loved the people in this town,” went on,” said Mederos, who sat on the Mom and Dad were young and vibrant. she said. “He wanted us to have a town committee that selected Drilling for the Growing up, I heard stories of that time,” that we could run around in and be safe. award. “I know when the name came up, Sister Kathy said. “I only found out later It was a wonderful childhood.” we saw Patty’s nomination that had been that there were threats they were going to set aside for a couple years--” kidnap Chris and I. They ran him (her faThe Funny Stuff “More than a few years!” Drillther) off the road on the way home from The life of Dr. Tom Drilling wasn’t all ing-Phelps said with a laugh. “I just forPorterville and threatened to say that he serious business. How could it be when got about it.” had hit someone or hit somebody and he was a dentist with a name like that? In Drilling was a shoe-in once the overtook off, a hit-and-run type thing.” fact, the funny coincidence between his sight had been realized.

Even as a child, Sister Kathy was imname and his job gained him a tiny bit of “The committee immediately said pressed with her father’s fortitude, and still national recognition. that’s the man we want,” Mederos said. carries the sentiment he passed on today.

“Somebody put him in Ripley’s BeOn the night of the awards ceremo“As a little kid when you hear this lieve it or Not,” Sister Kathy said. ny, Drilling was the last speaker, and he stuff about your dad, you think, ‘Wow, He had a very serious side--“People read the crowd perfectly, his youngest my dad--’ You (Lampe) said he’s pretty believed whatever he said, that it was true daughter recalls. courageous,” she said. “I’ll put it that way, and you didn’t need to question it,” his “He looked around and said, ‘Evbecause I don’t want to be quoted in the wife said--but it was underscored with eryone here is bored to death and they’re paper as the nun who said he had balls, humor that worked to a purpose. falling asleep, and I’m the last one, and but he did.”

“He also had a lot of comedy within I’m not going to give that same speech that,” Drilling-Phelps said. “He kind of everyone else gave,’” Drilling-Phelps said.

Famous Father Problems said he was serious, but he wasn’t really A Mass was held in Drilling’s honor There is a downside to having a father serious. He would use humor to get the on May 22 at St. Aloysius Church. Monwho is both very moral and very popular, point across.” signor Urizalqui delivered the homily at Sister Kathy found out.

When Sister Kathy was young, there the celebration.

“I grew up knowing my dad was had been a serious family meeting when “This Mass is our time of celebrating somebody in the community. Now, there her father announced he had been recalled Tom’s life and faith, his service, his huis a good part of that and a part that can to active duty during the Korean War. mor, his love and straightforwardness,” he be called a handicap,” she said. “I couldn’t When she was a senior in high school, her said. “It is a time of recalling a life well do anything without someone calling my father called a very similar meeting. lived. We thank God for the gift of Tom mom or my dad.”

“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh! My dad’s Drilling and the gifts we received through She found out how true that was going to Vietnam!’ So, I asked, ‘Are you him and we express our faith that even when she decided to ride down Tulare going to Vietnam?’ and he said, ‘No, now he is with the God he served so Avenue on the hood of a car. Tom Drill- but your mother has been recalled into well. May the light of heaven shine on ing was waiting for her and her explana- the service. And, I look at Mom, and him forever.”

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6 • Valley Voice

1 June, 2017

Agriculture Farm Bureau Leaders Advocate in Capital Christine Souza, CFBF

While media attention in Washington focused on Russia and the FBI, grassroots advocacy continued—including by a delegation of leaders representing the California Farm Bureau Federation.

County Farm Bureau leaders and the 2017 Leadership Farm Bureau class met with members of Congress and agency officials in the nation’s capital last week, advocating for immigration reform, fair trade, long-term water storage and other priorities.

CFBF President Paul Wenger said during his time as a CFBF officer he has made many visits to Washington to discuss issues important to California agriculture, but noted, “This is a different year because of the new administration.

There’s a lot in flux. But we are here to talk about our core issues. Our representatives are elected to come back here and do a job.”

During the trip, Wenger and other Farm Bureau leaders talked with elected officials about the challenges farmers and ranchers face in hiring enough people for on-farm work.

“We are dependent upon an immigrant labor force,” Wenger said. “Where normally it wasn’t a problem, getting people to come work—and we pay good wages—they just aren’t coming.

The population is now aging out of agriculture and the concern is the future flow of workers.”

In meetings with representatives, Farm Bureau leaders advocated for a legislative solution that would address undocumented employees who need legal status and a program that would encourage a future flow of employees.

“I am having a hard time staffing my nursery, and it’s not just my nursery, it’s up and down California, Oregon, Washington—the whole United States,” said San Joaquin County nursery operator Kelton Fleming, owner of Duck Creek Nursery in Lodi, who is also a member of the LFB class. “There are a lot of plants and trees that we would like to provide our customers, but we just don’t have enough people to do the work.”

During the time the Farm Bureau group spent in Washington, President

Trump sought officially to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement among the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Many in agriculture remain concerned about how a renegotiated deal could affect agricultural trade.

Katie Veenstra of Escalon, director of marketing at GloriAnn Farms, a sweet corn grower-processor in Tracy, said trade is especially important for her company, which works with contract growers in Mexico and also ships corn to Canada, Mexico and other countries.

“We do utilize those international relationships. If (NAFTA) were to be renegotiated, hopefully the tariff part would be left alone. I think there’s opportunity in making sure that the phytosanitary regulations between the U.S. and Mexico match up,” said Veenstra, also part of the LFB class. “We certainly hold our growers in Mexico to a certain standard, but if it could be enforced from a government perspective, it might create just more of a free flow of the product across the border.”

During a meeting at the Mexican Embassy, Farm Bureau leaders heard from Kenneth Smith Ramos, head of the Trade and NAFTA Office of the Ministry of the Economy of Mexico, who noted that trilateral trade among the U.S., Mexico and Canada has nearly tripled, reaching nearly $1 trillion in 2016. In emphasizing the economic value of NAFTA, Ramos noted that Mexico is the third-largest destination for U.S. agricultural products and the second-largest source of inputs for the U.S., adding, “For many sectors, we are by far the No. 1 market for the United States.”

In meetings with elected officials, Farm Bureau leaders called for increased water storage and improved delivery policies, advocating for building upon the successes of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act that contributed to increased water delivery to the Central Valley. The group encouraged support for H.R. 23, known as the GROW Act, by Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, which provides additional water operation flexibility and efficiency to maximize available water supplies.

Tulare County grower Zack Stuller

As part of an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., last week, California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger, left, meets with Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, to discuss issues important to California agriculture, including immigration reform, fair trade, long-term water storage and other priorities. Courtesy/Christine Souza/CFBF

emphasized the need for water reliability, now and for the future.

“I want to make sure our needs are known from back in the valley,” said Stuller, who also works for Sun Pacific.

“Just because we got a lot of rain and snow this year doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to get the water that we are entitled to or need. A lot of farmers that I work with are just not comfortable.

Infrastructure is needed, but infrastructure is a long-term solution. We need reliability. We would be more comfortable if the systems that are in place now could be used like they were designed to be used.”

The CFBF delegation also met with U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, during which Dennis Webb of Big Creek Lumber in Santa Cruz County emphasized the need to manage federal lands.

“I think (Tidwell) was very receptive to the concerns that we have,” Webb said. “I think as bark beetle infestation becomes an ever bigger issue, the Forest Service is hopefully preparing to do more to help recover California’s forests, not only for our forests, but because we understand that healthy forests yield more water.”

Farm Bureau leaders also stressed the need for regulatory reform, and discussed shaping the upcoming federal farm bill with Acting Administrator Bruce Summers and staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural

Marketing Service.

As the advocacy trip came to a close, CFBF First Vice President Jamie Johannson told participants such visits form part of a long-term relationship-building process.

“You are part of that process,” Johansson said. “You have a role in building that relationship. D.C. is built on relationships.”

CFBF Federal Policy Manager Josh Rolph said the trip produced “a number of successes, including strong interest from congressional members to schedule visits so they can see firsthand the impact federal rules and regulations have on the farm. These kinds of opportunities don’t happen without our members taking the time to go to Washington.”

LFB class member Veenstra said she found the officials she met with to be receptive.

“Coming from California and being such a big group, taking the time to share our stories and tell them why it is so important to us, they appreciate that and it makes us want to continue that fight, that our message is being received,” she 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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Valley Voice • 7

Agriculture California Lemon Industry Files Suit Against Argentine Import Rule Staff Reports The Plant Protection Act makes unmistakably clear which “factors” Congress intended APHIS to consider: The agency must “reduce to the extent practicable.... the risk of dissemination of plant pests and noxious weeds” and it must “base” decisions affecting imports ...on sound science.

The House Agricultural Committee upon passing the Plant Protection Act explained: “The past cannot be altogether remedied, but the future can be safeguarded, and this Act will go a long way toward accomplishing this end.”

“For the reasons cited above the U.S. Citrus Science Council (USCSC), representing approximately 750 family farmers and the overwhelming majority of fresh lemon production in the United States has today filed a suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for implementing a rule allowing Argentine lemons into the United States from areas where numerous pests and diseases are found,” states Richard Pidduck, a Santa Paula area lemon grower and plaintiff.

“It is obvious that political considerations outweighed the basic administrative process and science for the past 12

months,” he continues. “President Obama traveled to Argentina in March of 2016 and upon his return, USDA immediately announced the Argentine proposal has been resurrected.”

This was the same proposal placed on hiatus because of issues regarding the efficacy of its scientific evaluations and the proposed systems approach for protecting the domestic citrus industry. “Then President Trump met with the Argentine President in April of 2017 after which access was soon announced. “ Politics aside, members of the California citrus industry are challenging the rule because the development violated provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that establishes how federal agencies can issue rules.

According to California Citrus Mutual (CCM) President Joel Nelsen, “The rule is claimed to be grounded on information gained from an Argentine site visit said to have taken place in 2015. Despite repeated requests and the filing of a Freedom of Information Act request, we have never been allowed to review a trip report for that visit. The rule itself provides no information on this foundational visit. That is just one reason why the rule is fatally flawed. Fi-

nally, the industry argued vehemently that invasive pests historically infest urban areas prior to transiting to commercial farming locations. USDA did not respond to that argument, which is also a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.” In September 2016, USDA dispatched a team of experts to review farming, harvesting, packing and government adherence to the proposed systems approach. “The visit was simply a paper exercise inasmuch the Argentine industry was in a dormant stage at the time of the trip,” states San Joaquin Valley citrus producer Curt Holmes. “As a grower of lemons and other citrus varieties, I know when pests are prevalent and when the optimum time for evaluating pressures exists. Flush, bloom and petal fall is the major time frame for that to occur. For USDA to assume they can make a determination before any of that occurs is absurd.”

Robert Grether, a Ventura area lemon grower and Board member for the USCSC adds, “As Ventura County citrus growers, my brother and I know first-hand the pressures of invasive pests. Our family has been farming here for five generations and we hope to continue the tradition of our family farm that each generation has

worked so hard to sustain.

“But our farming costs have soared since the Asian Citrus Psyllid moved into Ventura County from the Los Angeles metropolitan area, so it is confounding to us that USDA didn’t address the extraordinary risk of a new disease spreading from an urban area to a rural area in this rule.

We are trying to protect our region from an incurable disease already destroying citrus throughout the western hemisphere, and now the administration has chosen to compound our vulnerability.”

The USCSC is striving to understand why this rule is being put into effect when the Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Agriculture & Rural Prosperity in America (4/15/17) clearly enunciated policies to preserve family farms to promote American agriculture and protect the rural communities where food, fiber, timber and many of our renewable fuels are cultivated.

The lawsuit argues that incomplete science and political considerations led to a flawed rulemaking process.

The end result is to make California lemon industry a pawn to achieve other goals. The lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court in Fresno, California.

Market and Water Trends Increase Cotton Acreage Ching Lee, CFBF Farmers and market analysts say more cotton will be planted in California this year, due to market forces and improved water availability.

For the second year in a row, California cotton acreage has been trending upward, thanks in large part to improved water availability.

Growers say a brighter market outlook for cotton and lower prices of other crops such as processing tomatoes also made cotton a more-attractive choice for them to grow this year.

“It certainly had to do with having enough water. That’s why we’re growing the cotton that we’re growing,” said Rick Worth, who grows cotton in Fresno and Kings counties.

He hadn’t planted cotton in four years due to water cutbacks during the drought.

Because processing-tomato prices were more favorable then, he decided to sacrifice his cotton acreage to stretch his water supply for other crops, which also include almonds, pistachios, onions and garlic.

But with tomato prices down this year and canneries reducing contracted acreage, Worth said farmers have excess ground and more water to work with. Even without the increased water, he said he may have planted cotton anyway because tomato prices are so low.

“Cotton prices have moved up a little, so I think that’s why you’re seeing a lot of acres,” he added.

California farmers are expected to grow 275,000 acres of cotton this year, with 190,000 acres of pima cotton and 85,000 acres of upland cotton, according to a prospective-plantings report released in March by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The state’s farmers planted a total of 221,000 acres of cotton last year, up from 164,000 acres in 2015.

A preliminary planting-intentions survey conducted in March by the California

Cotton Ginners and Growers Association shows an estimate of 256,000 acres for the 2017 cotton crop, with 186,000 acres of pima and 70,000 acres of upland. This represents a 22 percent increase in state pima acreage and a 6 percent increase in upland acreage compared to 2016.

California cotton acreage during the past decade peaked in 2011, when farmers planted 456,000 acres.

Kings County farmer Ted Sheely said he’s growing 20 percent more cotton this year and would have planted more if full Central Valley Project water allocations for farmers had been announced 60 days earlier. Because he had not planned on a full allotment, he did not work his ground, in order to save fuel and money. By the time the announcement came in March, the weather had turned cool and rainy, and his fields became too soggy to get in.

“I didn’t want to work wet ground and not get a good seedbed—and then not get a good stand, and then not make a good crop,” he said. “It’s not one thing; it’s a domino effect that we’re afraid of.”

Sheely had maintained some cotton acreage during the drought, even though “it’s been not very profitable with the price of water,” he said. The lack of water forced him to fallow about 35 percent of his land during the last three years. This year, those fields are being planted to cotton and onions.

He also grows pistachios, winegrapes and processing tomatoes, which he’s cut back due to lower prices.

About 60 percent of his cotton crop is in pima. The rest is in upland, grown on contract for seed because seed crops earn a higher price.

After two years of depressed cotton prices and farmers around the world turning to other, more-profitable crops, the cotton market is now seeing a “modest recovery,” with textile mills drawing down supplies and cotton prices rising, said Mark Bagby, a spokesman for Calcot, a Bakersfield-based cotton marketing cooperative that represents

growers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Upland prices have improved from a year ago, and for those who are growing it for fiber, he said “it would be wise” for growers to lock in the price for some of their crop.

“My sense is the prices for the (upland) crop this fall are historically pretty good,” Bagby said. “The world is going to produce more cotton in 2017. That usually means the market will get softer.”

Increased acreage in California won’t have much impact on the global cotton market for upland, because the state grows so little of it, but it could affect the pima market, he added, noting that pima, unlike upland, is not sold on the futures market but rather on a cash basis.

“The pima market is kind of touchy in that it’s not a huge market around the globe, so it’s really easy to oversupply that market and bring prices back down,” he said.

But even if that happens, Bagby said he thinks pima prices will still be 20 to 25 cents per pound ahead of upland. Right now, pima is about $1 per pound more than upland.

With production costs for pima and upland similar but slightly higher yields on upland, he said many growers would choose to plant pima if they could.

With early-spring weather being so cool and rainy this year, California farmers struggled to plant their crops. Fresno County farmer Mark McKean described the cotton-planting season as having “a rough and SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

rocky start,” though he noted most fields appear to be “getting reasonable stands, but they’re just not growing rapidly.”

With more water this year, McKean increased his cotton acreage about 18 to 20 percent. He typically grows both pima and upland, but he’s growing only pima this year because prices are more stable and have stayed up, whereas upland prices tend to fluctuate. Upland, he noted, also faces more competition from synthetics.

With a wetter year and a later start to planting, Bagby said growers may face greater insect pressure that could reduce yields.

Typically, growers prefer to have their fields planted by Easter. Farmers McKean, Sheely and Worth all said they finished planting the last week of April.

“You get planted later, you lose some precious development time on the front end,” Bagby said. “The plants really need to get started well to outgrow diseases and insects that affect them early.”

As with similar wet years when cotton was planted late, Bagby said farmers may end up spending more money on inputs and hands-on management to protect their crop, which could erode profits.

“History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, but oftentimes, it echoes,” he said.

(Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@ cfbf.com.)

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

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1 June, 2017

Tulare Hospital’s First Medical Staff Election Underway

Director, and the Medical Director Tulare Regional Medical Center’s at Southern Inyo first full medical staff election is under- Hospital, another way, the Tulare Local Healthcare District hospital managed Board of Directors were told Wednesday. by Healthcare ConDr. Ronald Ostrom, the chief of staff glomerate Associfor TRMC’s current medical executive ates. Ostrom also committee, hailed the election as the first works as the Mediin which all members of the medical staff cal Director at Hall were able to vote during his presentation Ambulance, a Bato the board. kersfield ambulance “We’ve got about fifty to sixty — over company, among half of the ballots have been returned,” other positions.

Ostrom said. “The election — all of the Walter recently physicians across the board are allowed to made headlines for Dr. Ronald Ostrom presents a monthly medical staff report to the Tulare Local Healthcare District Board of Directors. participate.” an incident in San Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice joked, pointing to his name on the screen. member, lamented the state of the ongoThe election is the first one being Luis Obispo — an ing construction and maintenance of the held by the new medical staff, installed article in the Visalia Times-Delta detailed current building. by the Tulare Local Healthcare District a March 2016 arrest for suspicion of drivTower Construction Updates “Competent administration knows Board of Directors in a January 2016 ing under the influence.

Alan Germany, CFO for HCCA/ meeting; immediately following that Walter may also face disciplinary ac- TRMC, provided an update to the board those things are going to happen,” meeting, only the seven doctors that tion from the Medical Board of Califor- and the public on the hospital’s belea- Northcraft said. “They anticipate those expenditures and have money funded for formed the hospital’s current medical ex- nia, according to the report. guered tower project. ecutive committee had the ability to vote Miyakawa was previously part of a Work continues at a slow pace, Ger- them so they can deal with them at the in medical staff elections. competing slate in 2012 — before two of many said, but hospital officials are still time. We are not doing that currently, “We felt we needed time to imple- the ten signatories on the petition with- waiting for financing to finalize before and we need to pick up the pace to recognize that.” ment all of the changes that were re- drew their support. construction can resume at full speed.

“I realize we don’t have anyone on quired for the sake of certification,” Dr. Sherrie Bell, then the Chairman of “There’s not a lot going on in the board who has prior hospital administraAnthony Trujillo, one of the seven, said the TLHCD Board, claimed that the tower,” Germany said. regarding the revocation of voting priv- signatures were withdrawn after intimiGermany then highlighted one use of tor experience, we’re kind of in training ileges. “[To] maintain the MEC and not dation by members of the MEC. the prior bond funds — a $5.5m expen- on that, but we need to pick up the pace have it replaced a month later.”

The winner of that election, Dr. diture to Siemens Medical Imaging for a and do what competent administrators In court testimony earlier this week, Anil Patel, was later told by Bell that she 3T MRI Machine, one which Germany do,” Northcraft said.

Shortly after, Benzeevi presented Ostrom stated that each member of the considered the issue one that needed to highlighted as excessive for even large to the board a November presentation medical staff could vote individually for a be resolved — and that she could not hospitals, let alone one of Tulare’s size. which highlighted what HCCA touts as chief of staff, vice-chief of staff, and secretary/treasurer. Others could be nomiCompetent administration knows [maintenance issues] are the hospital’s “dramatic turnaround.”

“No experience sure beats being nated for those offices as well — Ostrom going to happen. They anticipate those expenditures and fired from every job,” Benzeevi retorted called the election the first of its kind at have money funded for them so they can deal with them at later in the meeting. “While everybody’s the hospital. the time. We are not doing that currently... talking trash, we’re putting in the cash.”

Under the ousted medical executive The presentation, Benzeevi said, was committee/medical staff’s election sysTulare Hospital District Board Member Kevin Northcraft shown to governmental agencies that the tem, a nominating committee created a “slate” of officeholders — a set consisting acknowledge him as chief of staff unThe check was given to Siemens to company is courting to provide loans to of a chief, vice-chief and secretary/trea- til it was. essentially hold a machine while tower continue tower construction.

“Six CEOs in seven years — lots of surer — and a petition with ten signatures “This is the first time in the hospi- construction proceeded — Siemens nevexperience there,” Benzeevi said, referring was required to run an opposing slate. tal’s history where every single doctor er delivered the equipment to Tulare.

“Over half the ballots have been re- on the medical staff can vote regardless “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he to the hospital’s leadership before HCCA. “We’ve talked about what’s hapturned — we’re seeing good participa- of status,” Dr. Benny Benzeevi, CEO of said. “You would never do such a thing.” tion,” Ostrom said.

HCCA, which runs TRMC, said. “It’s a One of HCCA’s first actions, Ger- pened in the hospital and in the last three According to Ostrom’s presentation, completely free and open election.” many said, was to negotiate the return years,” he continued, “and the reason I bring this up, is because this is what’s the nominees currently are: them to give us the opportu• Dr. Ronald Ostrom, No experience sure beats being fired from every job. While convinced nity to get a loan.”

Chief of Staff everybody’s talking trash, we’re putting in the cash.

Benzeevi told the board that the • Dr. Gary Walter, Vice hospital is still in the evaluation process Chief of Staff Dr. Benny Benzeevi, CEO of TRMC/HCCA, to Kevin Northcraft — that it has not secured a loan at the • Dr. Jon Miyakawa, Secretary/Treasurer “We’re hoping — if anybody else of the $5.5m. The efforts ended up in current time.

In addition to serving as the Chief would like to nominate anybody else, $4,632,661.89 returned — Siemens kept of Staff for TRMC’s Medical Staff, Os- we’re taking nominations,” Ostrom $713,612 as “profit” and $153,726 for School Officials Celebrate trom is also Tulare’s Emergency Room two ultrasound machines.

Physical Partnership “This is the kind of thing we’re cleanSamantha Phillips-Bland, Vice-Presing up,” he said. ident of Ambulatory Care Services at e Dr. Parmod Kumar defended the HCCA, presented checks to three Tuh T prior board’s decision — and Kamboj’s lare high schools: Mission Oak, Tulare — to spend the $5m on the machine.

Union, and Tulare Western.

“To put Kamboj on the spot is not The checks came from a partnerfair,” he said. “[Shawn] Bolouki sold the ship in which HCCA provided sports board: if you put $5m down, we will get physicals to students from the three high the latest — and we will save hundreds schools for $10, Phillips-Bland said. of thousands of dollars. It sounded like a The proceeds were then returned to great deal.” the high schools so that they could use Germany then noted the ongoing them for safety and medical equipment costs of maintaining the hospital’s cur- for their student-athletes. rent building.

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Settlement Continued from 1

‘Latino-Looking’

Allegations listed in the plaintiffs’ case--filed in December of 2013, just two months after the killings--say officers Adam Collins and Dirk Alfano began following five “Latino-looking” people in a white Hyundai Sonata beginning around 11:30pm on October 26, 2012. The three survivors of the encounter later said they were returning to their homes after a visit to a Jack in the Box restaurant when the pursuit began.

Officers Collins and Alfano reported that Molina, who was driving the Hyundai at the time, failed to stop completely for a stop sign at an intersection on Locust Street just off the Lincoln Oval.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys, however, intended to dispute the cause for the traffic stop in their arguments. Documents filed on behalf of the deceased’s survivors suggest officers stopped the vehicle because they believed those inside were gang members, information the city’s attorneys attempted to enter into evidence. The officers, fearing reprisals for recent gang-related attacks, decided to make the stop because Molina and his passengers had tattoos and because of their style of dress, plaintiffs’ filings indicate.

“I don’t believe that’s correct,” said Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar of the allegation Molina and his passengers were targeted because of they were “Latino-looking.” Profiling based on race is prohibited by VPD regulations, he added. “It’s a standard to have a policy (against profiling) as such, recognizing in some instances (at other departments) that may have occurred.”

High-Speed Chase

Molina, who had prior criminal convictions, though the officers did not know it at the time, fled, leading police through Visalia and eventually onto westbound Highway 198, then north on Highway 99, at speeds exceeding 100 mph. While leaving Highway 99 at Avenue 304, Molina lost control of the car and crashed into an open field on Drive 69, where it rolled to a stop on its roof.

Three of the five passengers--city attorneys were prepared to argue there may have been a sixth passenger, though the three surviving witnesses deny it-then crawled from the wreckage and were shot by Collins and Alfano, and a third officer, Daniel Roberts, who had joined the chase in progress. Police claim Maduena, who was shot in the back of head as he ran, turned toward police and reached for his belt. Police shot Molina repeatedly as he crawled out the driver-side front window, according to court filings, and Nicholas Chavez, then 18, was shot in the leg and abdomen after leaving the overturned vehicle.

Molina died at the scene, and Maduena died later at an area hospital.

Chavez survived. He also received a settlement from the city for his injuries.

The payout in the Chavez case is also confidential.

“He wants to put this as far away as possible,” said his attorney Jack Denove, who also represents Maduena’s survivors and surviving passenger Robert Ruiz, 25, of Tipton. Terms of the settlement

Valley Voice • 9 with the city prohibit Denove from discussing its particulars.

Weapons Found

Two handguns were discovered in the wreckage during the aftermath of the chase and subsequent shootings, and attorneys for the city would have argued those traveling in the Hyundai fired at officers had the case gone to trial. An investigation by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), however, found neither of the weapons had been fired.

Postmortem examinations of Molina and Maduena found no powder residue on their hands. The three survivors, including the fifth passenger, Shanele Alvarado, 21, of Visalia, were also tested for residue by the TCSO, however, the kits were never processed.

TCSO investigators only found shell casings from the officers’ Sig Sauer semiautomatic handguns at the scene.

Ownership of the weapons discovered by police, one of which was found several yards from the car near Maduena’s body and the other inside the wreckage, is also disputed by the plaintiffs. Attorneys for the city attempted to introduce the dead men’s criminal history and gang membership to bolster arguments justifying the shootings, but were rebuked by the court. As there was no way the officers could have known the criminal past of those they were chasing, the court said, that history had no bearing on whether the officers used excessive force to subdue them.

Reporting at the time of the shootings by the Fresno Bee included a statement from a TCSO spokesperson revealing Maduena was a wanted felon at the time he was killed. Maduena, the Bee reported, served six months jail time for burglary and auto theft in 2011. He also served one month after pleading no contest to a charge of domestic violence. Molina served six months for assault with a deadly weapon in 2009 after pleading no contest.

The TCSO also told the Bee Chavez, Ruiz and Alvarado would face murder charges in the deaths of Molina and Maduena.

Shots Fired?

There was also disagreement among the officers about whether shots were fired from the Hyundai, the plaintiffs’ counselors said.

“I think one of the officers testified he did see a muzzle flash,” said attorney Peter Bersin, who represented Raynalda Molina, mother Ruben Molina. “One did, two didn’t.”

The city’s attorneys attempted to introduce a recording made on the night of the incident they said includes the sound of two gunshots not fired by officers’ weapons, along with testimony from a purported expert. Plaintiffs’ counsel had the recording suppressed due to the witness’s lack of expertise, records show.

“They (the city’s attorneys) claim they (VPD officers) heard shots coming from the car, but did not see anyone with a gun in hand at or about the time they fired their weapons,” Bersin said.

“Of course, it was dark. Visibility was pretty lousy.”

Sixth Passenger

The city’s assertion a weapon other than their officers’ was fired during the incident contradicts the TCSO inves-

tigation, which said the two weapons found at the scene had not been fired.

However, the city’s attorneys were prepared to argue a sixth person, who fled the scene, fired a weapon at officers without being seen before making his escape.

Molina’s three surviving passengers deny a sixth person was in the vehicle.

“I thought that was kind of farfetched, that maybe somebody took off first,” said Denove. “It could have been.

Everyone else in the car said there was no one else there.”

While Molina and Maduena occupied the front of the Hyundai Sonata--a mid-size four-door sedan with bucket seats in the front--Alvarado sat between Chavez on her left and Ruiz on her right, leaving little room for a hypothetical sixth passenger.

Leonard Herr, who represented Visalia in the case, did not respond to a request for an interview.

Dangerous Chase

The plaintiffs’ attorneys were also building a case officers Collins, Alfano and Roberts’ pursuit endangered the lives of others on the road that night, and that the three had no plan for how to end the chase. Among the undisputed facts listed in case filings are lack of discussion and planning among the officers while in pursuit and when approaching the overturned car.

Amanda Hughes, a civilian who was performing a ride-along in Roberts’ vehicle during the pursuit, was also on scene when the shooting broke out. After the Hyundai crashed, the occupants could no longer see out the front window of the car before exiting, plaintiffs maintain. They also allege officers exposed themselves to further unnecessary danger by leaving cover to approach the overturned vehicle without waiting for backup to arrive.

The suit also alleges that Collins and Alfonso issued no commands to the occupants of the car before opening fire on the passengers. Roberts, documents say, yelled, “Hands or I’ll release my dog!” before opening fire.

Collins and Roberts fired 13 rounds each during the incident. Alfano fired his weapon seven times.

Decision to Settle Out of City’s Hands

Mayor Warren Gubler, who is also an attorney, said the decision to settle the suit came not from the city council or its attorneys, but from their insurance underwriter.

“That doesn’t mean the city or the Council were happy about it, but that was the insurance company decision,” he said. “The settlement in the case wasn’t totally under the city’s control.”

The confidential settlement amount will be paid out by the insurance provider, he said, meaning it will not directly impact the city’s coffers.

“The insurance carrier is the one who ultimately made the call to settle,” Gubler said. “They came up with the monies, so that’s kind of how it happened.”

Attorney Bersin agrees there are many causes for ending a civil action.

“Cases get settled for all kinds of reasons, so it doesn’t necessarily mean there was culpability,” he said. “There’s always the possibility you could lose a case and have to pay X. In these cases, if you lose, you’re responsible for the at-

torneys fees, so that’s a concern.”

Officer Safety

The VPD has the Council’s backing, the Mayor said.

“Generally speaking, the mayor and the city council are fully supportive of our police department,” Gubler said.

“They do a terrific job under terrible circumstances.”

The council does, however, maintain a watchful eye.

“Our primary concern is for the safety of the officers who are out there,” Gubler said. “If there is a time when they’ve overstepped their bounds, we’ll address that.”

VPD officers are required to receive 24 hours of ongoing training every two years to update “perishable” skills, including the use of deadly force. They also receive training quarterly on the use of force, Chief Salazar said.

He’d also like to see his officers wearing body cameras, the use of which has reduced both incidents of excessive force and the number of citizen complaints against police.

“I’m completely supportive of body cameras,” Salazar said. “We have an application (to fund body cameras) pending with the feds. We’re kind of waiting for that.”

“As you see more and more use of video, what you see is a discussion of use of force and what that means and why it’s a necessity at times,” he said. “And, it’s not always pretty. There needs to be a dialog about use of force and what our policies are.”

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10 • Valley Voice

Mooney Grove Continued from 1

Slusser was also told by Kenny Withnell, a current Parks and Recreation employee, that he was instructed by Pilegard to “ply into a duck if you see them” when driving the maintenance truck or gator, the park’s four-wheel drive vehicle.

Pilegard confided in a former Tulare County Museum employee that he and his friends hunted geese and ducks with bows and arrows on the weekends in Mooney Grove after everyone had left.

The former employee tried to dissuade Pilegard from shooting the wildlife with arrows after one of the geese was injured and took days to die.

Bryant’s third cause of action states that Tulare County has been in violation of the Fair Trade Commission Act by engaging in unfair business practices. Her case states that, “Tulare County Supervisors voted to bypass fair bidding practice laws to call the well diggers of their choice, by declaring the well conditions an emergency in 2016.”

John Rogers, a Visalia farmer, confirmed that Mooney Grove wells have been failing since 2008. He said Mooney Grove sits on top of one of the strongest aquifers in the Valley and the lack of water was not an emergency but a case of incompetence. According to a 2008 invoice from CJ Hammer Machinery Company it noted that one well had completely gone dry and another was nearly dry.

Slusser said that Pilegard rarely hired anyone to do the maintenance on the wells and that’s why they stopped working.

“Neil, Ken (Withnell) and Josh (Franklin) would work on the water system but they didn’t know what they were doing. They don’t know anything about fixing a water system.”

Bryant’s case also alleges that Pilegard, “allowed one of his friends to design and build a competitive disc golf course in Mooney Grove Park, without permissions from the county leadership, an environmental impact study, proper budgeting for the project, or safety hazard studies. Basically, everything required for a fair bid for a county job was completely and totally bypassed.”

Slusser said that when he worked at Mooney Grove he witnessed that the man in charge of renting the park for disc golf tournaments paid Pilegard directly and was related to Pilegard by marriage.

Slusser did not directly accuse Pilegard of keeping the money but thought it strange payments would go through him and not the county.

In Bryant’s fourth cause of action she accuses the county of not upholding the original request of Mr. Mooney to maintain the oak preserve in perpetuity. She claims that multiple oak trees have been cut down and the wood sold at a private auction instead of publicly. She also says that there has been no accounting of the money made from the wood sales.

Bryant’s fifth cause of action claims that the county violates the Clean Water Act. Through witness statements it has been reported that the water may contain rat poison, asbestos, E. Coli and propane accelerant. Water samples have to be sent to Denver for analysis and the results have not yet returned.

“It All Boils Down to Lack of Management”

Clyde Slusser, a former Senior Parks

1 June, 2017 and Grounds Worker for 11 years, says that the problems with Mooney Grove and Balch Park “all boil down to ego and lack of management. There is no organization, no procedures and it is an unsafe work environment.”

Slusser alleges that Supervisor Josh Franklin was promoted even though he had no management experience whose only degree was a GED. Franklin was Slusser’s direct supervisor.

“Neil is a control freak and puts people underneath him that he can control,” said Slusser.

Bryant claims oak trees have been chopped down and sold at private auction. Courtesy/Amy Dickinson Slusser claims they worked at the lake they only saw ered that her front door had been kicked that Franklin takes the county truck Pilegard three times. in and her house burglarized. Missing home whenever he wants and took the They said that the boats were poorly items included family antiques, laptops, county’s bobcat to his home to level his maintained and barely ran. It was a run- and Real Mooney Grove Project files for yard. Withnell and Franklin are the first ning joke, they said, that Pilegard was the case against Tulare County. to get overtime and they take work days receiving kick backs because the patrol She also discovered that news of her off whenever Withnell has a private tree boats went to the same repair place, Hans’ arrest for elder abuse spread to approxtrimming job. Slusser said there is a lot Boat Shop, year after year but they would imately 30 papers all over the county of favoritism going on because there is no come back in the same shape as before. and the United States. Sergeant Damon accountability.

“Hans and Neil were friends. The boats Maurice, Visalia Police Department InWithnell has a private tree trimming were never in good condition. They just formation Officer, said that their departservice he owns with his father. used bailing wire to keep them running.” ment never sent out a press release about Other mismanagement claimed by Bryant’s arrest.

Slusser is the lack of emergency equipJust a Coincidence ment in the county trucks as required by Bryant’s sixth and seventh causes Second Coincidence CalOsha, no procedural manuals, and no of action to her case concern her cousBryant’s current suit is similar to a training or protective gear for high risk in, Robert Turner. Bryant charges that federal case she filed in California Fedjobs such as cutting wood or using the Pilegard and former County Council eral Court Eastern Division in Fresno in wood chipper.

Kathleen Bales-Lang “engaged in gross November of last year. In her federal case, “I asked Pilegard for a procedural negligence, dereliction of duty and crim- The Real Mooney Grove Project filed an manual and he said he would look into it. inal activity” relating to the tampering emergency restraining order against the That was nine years ago.” and retaliation of a witness, victim or County of Tulare, former Tulare County Slusser was fired from Tulare County informant.”

Supervisor Phil Cox, and Tulare CounParks and Recreation earlier this year for It states that on the evening of Sat- ty Parks and Director Neil Pilegard to insubordination and incompetence. urday, July 18 2015, “police forced their stop all unlawful activities at Mooney

History of Mismanagement by the Parks and Recreation Department

Tulare County Parks and Recreation, with Parks Director Pilegard as supervisor, used to be in charge of patrolling Lake Kaweah and Lake Success. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department took over lake patrol in May of 2016. County Lake Patrol employees had complaints similar to Slusser ‘s regarding mismanagement.

Two former lake patrol employees claimed that the VHF radio equipment on the boats worked sporadically and there was no training on how to use them. The employees received no training on how to drive a boat and there was no procedural manual on how to handle a drunk driver, tow boats or the procedure of impounding boats, handle assaults, or any other work-related responsibilities or emergencies. The lake patrol employees had no search and rescue training or CPR training. The boats lacked vessel emergency equipment such as a equipment to handle a trauma or floating back brace.

“We did have a first aid kit,” said the lake patrol employee.

“I just think Neil is incompetent,” said one former employee who declined to give his name out of fear of retaliation.

The two former lake patrol employees reported that in the final two years

way into the Plaintiff’s (Bryant) residence citing a call for suspected ‘Elder Abuse’ however no warrant was obtained or issued.”

The Visalia Times-Delta said that the Visalia Police Department was acting on an anonymous tip.

Bryant was released Tuesday evening just short of the 72 hour maximum that someone can be held without charges.

No charges were filed.

Coincidently a custody case for Robert Turner, the alleged victim of the elder abuse, had been scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, at 8:30am--which Bryant missed because she was in jail. In her absence, custody of Turner was handed over to Tulare County, which then sent him to an undisclosed Orange County facility where he died several months later.

Robert Turner was the former head grounds keeper for Mooney Grove for 15 years and allegedly was an informant in a case against the County.

Bryant’s Cause of Actions continues, “Later, a witness came forward and stated that he overheard Neil Pilegard bragging that he got someone arrested for ‘elder abuse.’ Pilegard had been named as the perpetrator to many violations against Mooney Grove Park by both Robert Turner and the Plaintiff.”

When Bryant returned home from her three-day incarceration she discov-

Grove Park.

Bryant then amended her case on January 3, 2017 to include former County Council Kathleen Bales-Lange.

Coincidently, on January 18, Bryant was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon when an intruder broke into her garage.

Though Bryant alleges she sustained a knife wound to her forehead and other injuries, she was arrested and the intruder was let go.

Bryant was detained for 13 days without charges and missed crucial court deadlines. Her federal case was ultimately dismissed.

Sergeant Brent Miller was the arresting officer for both the 2015 and 2017 incidents.

After 13 days in custody no charges were filed against Bryant.

What’s Next?

Amy Dickinson, a member of The Real Mooney Grove Project, said that she and Bryant will be filing a motion to reconsider the demurrer May 31. If the judge will not reconsider the demurrer Bryant will discontinue the current case and re-file a new case with all the proper paperwork.

‘This will go to trial,” said Dickinson. “The County is not going to get out of this.”

1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • 11

Colony’s Lease Extended, Deal Dead in Tulare Dave Adalian Tulare’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will give Colony Energy a third break on the rent for its 20-year lease of city land but wont reopen negotiations to sell the company gas collected at the city’s waste treatment facility.

Representatives of Colony have called the gas purchase essential to getting their larger project--a $25 million plan to convert 200 tons a day of organic waste into fuel--off the ground quickly. They also say the lease may have to be broken because the BPU is refusing to talk further. Their plans, they now say, were contingent on receiving the gas sales contract, which the BPU appears ready to award to rival company Fuel Cell Energy.

Overly Optimistic

In 2015, Colony and City Hall were in discussions regarding Colony’s plan to build a waste conversion plant on land adjacent to the waste treatment plant. It was then Colony put forth the idea of trapping waste gas currently being burned at the plant for conversion into fuel. City Hall was welcoming to the idea, and the official request for proposals (RFP) was published inviting interested companies to submit their ideas. Three companies’ proposals were considered, but acceptance of Colony’s seemed like a sure thing, company reps told the BPU at its May 18 meeting.

“That’s when we decided to sign the lease,” said Matt Schmidt, Colony’s vice president of development. “We were feeling pretty optimistic about getting the project done.”

The lease was a 20-year contract that included a year of reduced rent that would give Colony time to bring its plant online. Terms include payments of $5,250 a month to Tulare, but only after a 1-year entitlement period ended in May of 2016. During the entitlement period, Colony would pay a reduced rent

Referendum Continued from 1

handing in the signatures on May 31.

According to Pratter, the referendum gives the city the choice of repealing the zoning ordinance or putting the zoning ordinance up for a public vote.

The ultimate goal is to change the zoning of Hidden Valley Park back to its Public Facilities designation.

The referendum states: “We the registered voters of the City of Hanford Ca hereby present this petition to the City Council of Hanford, California, and ask the council to repeal or submit to the registered voters of the City for their approval or rejection that legislative act adopted by the city council on May 2, 2017 of which the following is a full and correct copy.

Ordinance 17-04 approving Municipal Code Amendment 17-01 amending title 17 of the Municipal Code, as Update to the City of Hanford Zoning Ordinance.”

Mike Quinn, another park advocate, said that during the April 24 city council meeting the council members changed the Downtown zoning fairly

of just $883 a month until its business was running.

In May 2016, Colony was back in front of the BPU looking for another year of entitlement--at a cost of $52,404 to the city--which the BPU granted. Some time in the summer of 2016, however, negotiations broke down and the gas sale deal seemed to be off the table, and Colony came back last month looking for another year-long extension on its entitlement.

The BPU gave them one month.

Withdrawal Symptoms

BPU directors seemed to think Colony had already had enough time, but they eventually agreed to grant a 10-month extension on Colony’s rent break to give the company a chance to start construction.

“I think you’ve had a lot of time since then (2015) to get this thing going,” said BPU President James Pennington.

Pennington expressed at length his frustration with attempts to negotiate with Colony during his six months on the Board. Conflict surrounds how City Hall and Colony stopped talking. Colony’s reps maintain the proposal they floated was contingent on being able to use certain equipment, and that the proposal simply expired when the city didn’t respond in a timely manner.

The city’s staff says it didn’t happen that way. Negotiations were suspended while an evaluation of needed equipment was performed, City Hall says, and Colony ended talks before results of the evaluation were in.

“It was (in) your letter that you basically withdrew from things. When someone says they want to remove themselves from the process, that’s pretty clear, unless they’re speaking a different language,” Pennington said. “You were also clear that you might want to continue on and separate completely and just do your own thing out there, and you wished the city well, which was nice of you, but at the same time it was a complete removal from easily and could have done the same for Hidden Valley Park.

“It’s not like Hidden Valley Park was a lynchpin of the entire General Plan.

They could have easily changed the zoning back to parkland and still voted to pass the General Plan,” he said, Pratter added that the referendum will need to be a special election. “The group cannot wait until the November 2018 election because the city might sell the park from underneath them.”

Former Hanford Mayor Dan Chin said, “The city of Hanford has had a standing offer from a developer to buy that land for 20 years. I bet not one developer in Hanford hasn’t considered buying it.”

Another longtime Hanford resident participating in the Thursday night Farmers Market said, “I know of a developer ready to buy it tomorrow.”

Vice-Mayor Sue Sorenson Under Consideration For Recall

Hanford Vice-Mayor Sue Sorenson, whose district includes Hidden Valley Park, has been under consideration for a recall by the park advocates.

“Sorenson doesn’t want the park ex-

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everything on the RFP.” “That is one interpretation,” Schmidt responded, later adding: “We never intended to withdraw.”

Down to Business

The 10-month entitlement extension is intended to give Colony enough time to start construction of its larger project.

The lease was worded to allow the company to start its revenue stream before rent hikes went into effect, Colony’s reps said.

If they have to pay the full amount, it may mean they’ll have to terminate the lease, which they are allowed to do if their plans prove unprofitable.

The extension should provide enough time to increase the amount of waste the company collects, allowing it to start conversion. Colony reps say 200 tons a day are needed. Currently, they are collecting just one-third of that but are in talks to increase their numbers.

“I think within six months, we could be at a threshold where we can go to our partners and investors and say, ‘We’re ready to break ground, we’ve got the volume, we’ve got the economics, regardless of processing the city’s gas,’” Schmidt said.

If Colony’s leadership is still being too optimistic, they have a plan for that as well: breaking the lease.

“We would probably terminate the lease and let it expire, and then work towards building that excess capacity,” said Colony’s managing partner, Kent Hawkins. “And once we had, to be happy to come back and negotiate a (new) lease with you.”

Deal or No Deal?

After granting the entitlement extension, the Board was left to decide if it would reopen negotiations on selling its waste gas to Colony, a topic that has sparked heated exchanges at past meetings of the BPU and the City Council.

The only issue is who ended talks

panded and has said that Hanford does not need a 40-acre park. She opposed it before when she was on the council,” said Pratter.

Sorenson was a city council member from 2008-2012.

Nate Odom, a park advocate who has been pounding the pavement getting signatures for the referendum, said he got very suspicious when Sorenson said she would not vote to designate the 18 acres of undeveloped land as surplus, but then turned around and did so at the March 7 city council meeting. Designating the land as surplus is the first step in selling it.

Park advocates are frustrated that Sorenson often argues both sides of an issue, making her support extremely unreliable. She has flip-flopped on decisions regarding the Bastille, a hotel occupancy tax, and Purple Heart Patient Center, a medical marijuana facility.

Another issue the group has with Sorenson is that she has too many conflicts of interest. Because she has part ownership in the Laundry Building, a downtown office building at 425 W. Seventh Street, she recused herself from voting on Hanford’s new zoning ordinance and the General Plan.

regarding the sales contract, with staff members and the BPU board presenting strong arguments Colony stepped out first. BPU member Gregory Blevins read part of Colony’s letter from August 2016 into the record. “‘We will now independently implement our digester and bio-gas project. We wish you every success in your project,’ meaning the city’s project, and so that’s pretty clear language,” he said.

Schmidt maintains the letter is being taken out of context. Blevins disagreed.

“If we look at the context, I think there were some emails that went back and forth on August 16th also that could be interpreted as being consistent with completely pulling out of the project or the RFP process,” he said.

Schmidt says Colony had no desire to leave the talks.

“Our intention was never to do that,” he said. “If you read the withdrawal letter that we’re talking about, it says right on it: In response to the suspension of the RFP process.”

No Deal

After retiring to closed session to discuss the matter with its attorney, the Board then voted 5-0 not to negotiate with Colony further.

“If you have a disagreement on something, that’s what you negotiate,” Pennington said. “That’s why you do this stuff. You sit down and you have discussions.”

Colony’s reps say they still hope to get their project running. That, they said, will take about another year, provided they can secure enough raw materials.

“We don’t want to make the lease a big issue here,” Schmidt said.

Only time will tell if the lease will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Unless Colony and the BPU renegotiate the lease in the meantime, or the lease is broken, the full payments will become due in May of 2018.

Quinn said, I live in her district and I want to be represented. But she can’t vote on major issues.”

Sorenson commented during a city council meeting that she was unaware she would not be able to vote on the general plan before she got elected. A former public official said, “I have a hard time believing that statement after her 20 years of public service.”

Besides serving on the city council, Sorenson served on the school board for 16 years.

When rumors of a possible recall started circulating on a Hanford facebook page, several longtime residents said that Sorenson would rather resign than go through another recall. Sorenson was on the school board when a fellow trustee went through a nasty recall over the firing of a beloved school superintendent. She allegedly said she never wanted to go through that experience again.

Councilmember Francisco Ramirez is currently facing a possible recall. Recall advocates have until mid August to collect 800 valid signatures from District D. His term is up in November of 2018.

Sorenson represents District B. Her term is up in 2020.

Print replica edition at issuu.com/ourvalleyvoice

12 • Valley Voice

Trial

Continued from 1 California Department of Public Health.

Davis was acting as an inspector for the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and met with Kumar and hospital administrators during the first week of January 2016 to deliver the results of a CMS inspection.

Terri Keville, a healthcare attorney with specializations in medical staff and peer review work, testified as an expert witness for the hospital on Wednesday, May 24. She stated that she felt the hospital board’s Terri Keville.

Courtesy/Davis actions were justiWright Tremaine fied, given the perceived urgency.

A February 2, 2016 letter to the hospital stated that CMS required not only a course of action but clear evidence that the hospital had corrected the various issues found by Davis survey -- inclusive of, but not limited to, medical staff issues -- by February 13, 2016, or it would face the loss of its Medicare accreditation

by May 2016.

“While it’s true that it’s unusual for a hospital to be decertified by Medicare, it’s not unheard of,” Keville told the court.

“It was my impression that the board felt here with the existing medical staff leaders that there was absolutely no way they could timely remedy the problems that were outlined [in the report], and that had been expressed, summarized by the surveyor in the exit conference.”

Another expert witness, Dr. Allan Pont, testified for the hospital during May 25’s afternoon session, John Harwell, an attorney for the former MEC, asked Pont to summarize his opinion of the hospital’s reaction at the conclusion of the CMS survey exit interview. Pont served in various hospital administra- Allan Pont tive positions, most Courtesy/Sutter Health/California Parecently as Chief cific Medical Center Medical Officer at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

Pont said that it was his opinion that “the CEO [Dr. Benny Benzeevi] and MSO [Evelyn Vallarta] had a panic attack,” likely due to the gravity of Davis’ findings combined with a lack of experience. He stated that the letter’s strict tone and requests, believed to be an imminent and immediate threat, were standard, boilerplate language.

John Harwell.

“Very few hosCourtesy/Cohen & pitals close so quickLord ly,” Pont said.

Before the board even had the letter in its hands, Kumar said he felt he had to act to save the hospital from closure.

Kumar and the rest of the group met at former Tulare City Councilmember Skip Barwick’s home, he told the court, and it was there that Kumar decided to

1 June, 2017 move forward with the creation of the medical staff’s structure and bylaws.

“The decision was made at that meeting at Mr. Barwick’s house, we’re going to go forward with the medical staff,” Kumar said.

Dr. Anthony Trujillo had previously described the meeting as having happened at a home belonging to a friend of Kumar’s, but did not name whose home it was.

Bylaws by BakerHostetler

Kumar said that he reached out to Bob Wolin, a Houston-based attorney and partner at the BakerHostetler law firm, to draw up the new medical staff’s bylaws and regulations.

BakerHostetler is a national firm, headquartered in Cleveland with 13 other offices, that both the Tulare Local Healthcare District (TLHCD) the entity which owns TRMC, and Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) the firm which runs TRMC, use for various legal services.

Wolin currently works with the hos-

“

former MEC, later asked who Kumar thought would have paid for the legal fees.

“The payment is customarily made either by the medical staff funds for the lawyers’ bills,” Kumar said, “or the administration.”

“Very Unusual”

Both sides agree that the former MEC’s Chief of Staff did not appear at some -- or all -- TLHCD board meetings between January 2013 and December 2014.

During the times when the Chief of Staff did not appear, a printed report was provided in lieu of providing anyone to speak to the board in person.

Kumar said that he felt “very uncomfortable” in approving those reports, stating that he would have preferred to dialogue with a representative of the MEC to gain a greater understanding of the issues brought forth by the medical staff.

He stated that there were two efforts made by the board to meet with the medical staff to resolve any issues be-

So prior to the new medical staff being approved, prior to the board of directors even knowing that this was going to come before them, you had initiated BakerHostetler to draft 280 pages of documents in preparation for something you didn’t even know was going to happen at the time?

”

Hon. Judge David Mathias, to Dr. Parmod Kumar pital, and has worked with the hospital in responding to surveys from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the California Department of Public Health. A separate BakerHostetler attorney, Bruce Greene, attends the hospital’s board meetings and previously handled Public Records Act requests.

The idea to utilize Wolin came after seeing his work with the hospital in dealing with the CMS survey that would later serve as the catalyst for the removal of the former medical staff, Kumar told the judge.

“I had one discussion with him and then it is always prepared by a lawyer in the past,” Kumar said. “So I made that call to him.”

Kumar said he made the call in his capacity as a member of the medical staff.

“Can any member of the medical staff call BakerHostetler,” Mathias asked, “and incur expense, such as drafting bylaws?”

Kumar stated that the medical staff was allowed to call their lawyers at any time they wished -- but Mathias noted that, at the time he had called on Wolin, the new medical staff did not yet exist.

“So prior to the new medical staff being approved, prior to the board of directors even knowing that this was going to come before them, you had initiated BakerHostetler to draft 280 pages of documents in preparation for something you didn’t even know was going to happen at the time,” Mathias said.

Kumar replied that he did so as a process of “getting ready” if the ouster of the former staff were to happen, since Davis took is- Michael Amir.

Courtesy/Doll Amir sue with the lack of Eley updates to the medical staff bylaws.

Michael Amir, an attorney for the

tween them.

One, which Kumar believes happened in the first half of 2015, was a meeting between Dr. Abraham Betre and Dr. Robert Orth of the former MEC, Kumar and Sherrie Bell of the Board of Directors, and Dr. Benny Benzeevi.

Sherie Bell is no longer a board member, and at the time Benzeevi was only the chairman of HCCA; Benzeevi is now the CEO and Chairman of HCCA. Orth and Betre walked out, Kumar said, because Benzeevi was in the room.

“They didn’t want Dr. Benzeevi,” Kumar said, before he was admonished for stepping beyond the scope of the question asked.

Orth testified to the same in his April 5 testimony -- but he stated that the reason he and Betre left was that Benzeevi was not the CEO at the time. He said they hadn’t agreed to Benzeevi’s being at the meeting -- only Paul Walker, the acting CEO during that time period.

“We tried to discuss issues, since Mr. Paul Walker set up the meeting, because he was the acting CEO, and Sherrie Bell stated that it was her birthday. So she really wanted to talk to us because she was missing her birthday dinner for this,” Orth said. “We said, ‘We really want to talk to you.’”

“There was discussions on who was the actual CEO at the time, and it was Paul Walker, as far as we knew and as far as the board members knew. [Benzeevi] said he was the new CEO, which was news to us, and we left,” Orth said.

The relationship with the prior MEC was “not good,” but there is now “excellent collegiality” between the MEC and the board, Kumar told the court.

Pending Disciplinary Action

Lawyers for the former Medical Executive Committee have claimed throughout the case that part of the reason the new MEC was formed was that Kumar was facing potential disciplinary action

from the former MEC on January 27.

Members of the MEC state that he would have faced suspension of his privileges on that date, but the hospital’s attorneys dispute that.

During Kumar’s direct testimony, he stated that he had never previously been subject to disciplinary action during his work as a military doctor or at prior hospitals.

Kumar was facing discipline from the former MEC over two allegations: inaccurate record keeping and using foul language in front of his colleagues; members of the former MEC had recommended he take recordkeeping courses and anger management counseling.

In early 2014, Rachel Sandhu in the hospital’s medical records office sent Kumar an email to his personal email account.

“I have found two more charts with H&Ps over 30 days, total of five charts for the month of January,” Sandhu wrote to Kumar. “We cannot legally code a chart with H&P over 30 days over. TRMC will not receive any monies for these services.”

The term “H&P” refers to “history and physical,” defined as “the initial clinical evaluation and examination of [a] patient” by MedicineNet.com; Sandhu’s email would likely refer to the forms generated by such an examination.

Later in the year, Sandhu sent Kumar another email about the same types of forms.

“I have three charts on my desk that were missing H&P chart analysis. Charts now contained short H&Ps with fraudulent dates. The issue will be forwarded to utilization review committee,” she wrote.

Kumar told Amir that he did not recall seeing either email, but that he thought the accusations were unfair and disagreed with them.

“The issue here is that whenever there is a patient who comes for a procedure to the hospital and I have to dictate a note from my office, which is the history and physical, but with the new regulatory insurance coverages, you have to apply for an authorization for the procedure to the insurance company,” Kumar said.

“So sometimes that takes more than 30 days because a lot of issues, the insurance companies don’t buy into.”

Kumar said that the prior MEC should have given him the benefit of the doubt.

“So I have to have an authorization for the procedure to be done on a particular time. I can’t otherwise schedule a patient until the procedure has been authorized by the insurance carrier. That takes more than 30 days sometimes. So when I show up to do the case, I have the old history and physical, which I’m not aware of, and 30 days have gone by,” Kumar continued. “So this is really not some sort of a pattern that I have. I’m just a victim of the circumstances.”

In a declaration made in a separate case that Kumar pursued against Dr. Abraham Betre, Kumar had stated that “the ‘backdating’ accusation was made after I had inadvertently listed the dates of my dictation as the dates of three patients’ physical examinations, at a time when I had performed approximately 150 procedures per 18 month.”

Kumar said that he disagreed with the recommendations but eventually took the classes in April; he said he had previously planned to take them before the January 27 deadline, but that the

TRIAL continued on 13 »

1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • 13

Fuller: “Misplaced legislative priorities cost taxpayers billions” Jean Fuller State Senators and Assembly members from Bakersfield recently voted against one of the largest tax increases in California history that will ensure it becomes more expensive to live, work and raise a family in California.

For example, a driver with a car value of $25,000, driving 15,000 miles per year averaging 20 miles per gallon, will pay an additional $190 annually beginning on Nov. 1 and $246 beginning on July 1, 2019.

Additionally, the gas tax will increase automatically beginning in the year 2020.

These calculations don’t include the high cost of mandated reformulated California fuel, the addition of illegal cap and trade taxes which could result in nearly a $1 per gallon increase when implemented.

Recently, our community was visited by the author of the gas tax, a legislator from the San Francisco Bay Area, who promised millions of dollars for our community despite no local legislative support for his pro-

Trial

Continued from 12 organizers of the recordkeeping classes at UC San Diego had a computer mishap that meant he would not be able to attend.

Kumar also agreed that the prior MEC had also accused him of requiring anger management classes. A letter from the group stated that “it [had] been reported that, one, you used loud and foul language in the nurses’ station that was

posal. As part of his road show, he told an audience of contractors that he was thinking about jobs in Bakersfield when he wrote this law, despite the fact that the vast majority of money from this tax will not be spent in the Central Valley. Some people will say anything to be popular.

Well, I am from Bakersfield, not from the Silicon Valley. We build, grow, produce and deliver products throughout the state.

We generate the energy necessary to fuel the Silicon Valley and their ability to work from home as transportation costs rise.

Bakersfield’s economy is dominated by industries that require workers to be present.

Crops require farmers and farmworkers, oil rigs require oil workers, haulers require drivers, and energy production requires mechanical and electrical engineers.

For too long, coastal elites from Los Angeles and San Francisco have dominated the legislature. Utilizing their dominance in Sacramento, they have become increasingly effective in forcing their point of view on Central Valley residents that do not have

the same priorities, challenges or lifestyles as coastal residents.

From their point of view it was a good idea to move billions of dollars away from transportation projects and maintenance.

For decades they systematically took transportation resources and spent them on non-transportation programs including passing laws designed to force people to live in crowded city centers to reduce the use of cars and trucks.

These ill-concieved actions have created this unavoidable and predictable crisis.

They have ignored repeated Republicans attempts to use road taxes to actually provide good roads and safe bridges. What-s worse is they have ignored California-s voters who have voted for gas taxes for transportation projects, twice!

Now, the Democrats are traveling the state claiming they had no other choice but to raise taxes on Californians.

We do have a choice but the Democrats are unwilling to consider it. Republicans, led by Assemblyman Vince Fong,

R-Bakersfield, introduced a solution to fix our roads that does not raise taxes, ensures transportation dollars are used for transportation projects, and provides more opportunities to get more done with every dollar.

This plan is a common sense way to ensure our roads and highways are safe and funded, without making California less affordable.

It is time for the coastal elites who control Sacramento to take a broader look at the world and understand that their actions have an impact on real people who pay taxes, commute to work, and raise their families. We will not be bullied or bought off in order to support bad policy. We want a California that is more affordable. We want policies that value the labors of all people by taxing them as little as possible and spending those taxes efficiently and effectively.

Enough is enough — nearly $60 billion in new taxes is not a solution to our transportation issues; it is another sign that the legislature’s priorities are out of touch and not in the best interests of the average Californian.

heard by at least six employees.”

He said those charges were unfair, too.

“That’s not me,” Kumar said. “The MEC never showed me anything on their behalf to build a case against me. I never saw any document. I never [knew] the names.”

During direct examination, Kumar stated that he saw a psychiatrist in November 2015 to satisfy the requirements of the old MEC. However, Kumar’s declaration in the Betre case appears to refer to Kumar seek-

ing anger management classes after the new MEC was formed; it was not made clear in that declaration clear whether he sought additional, separate classes, or simply turned over existing proof of completion to the new group.

“I insisted that I take the anger management class, the recordkeeping class, and see a psychiatrist, so to avoid any I claim of bias or impropriety by Dr. Betre or the former MEC in the future. The new MEC agreed, and I presented proof of compliance to the new MEC, which then formally closed the ‘investigation,’”

Kumar wrote.

Separately, Dr. Ronald Ostrom, Chief of Staff of the new MEC, stated the same. “...Dr. Kumar voluntarily took an anger management class and saw a psychiatrist anyway. After Dr. Kumar presented documentation that he had done so, the current MEC formally closed the peer review matter against him,” Ostrom wrote.

Joseph Oldenbourg contributed to this report.

14 • Valley Voice

1 June, 2017

Comments & Letters Donald Trump and Andrew Jackson Newell G. Bringhurst President Donald Trump in a recent newspaper interview expressed strong admiration for Andrew Jackson— his predecessor in the White House, who served from 1829 to 1837. Trump extolled Jackson’s leadership qualities declaring, “If Jackson had been president a little later, you wouldn’t have had the Civil War” asserting that he, “was really angry” at what he saw “happening with regard to the Civil War.” Actually, Jackson died in 1845 and the Civil War did not commence until 1861.

As a professional historian, I find Trump’s grasp of American history shaky, to say the least. Clear and concise, however, is Trump’s deep admiration for Jackson whom he enthusiastically embraces as an role model. Among Trump’s first acts upon entering the Oval Office was ordering a giant portrait of Andrew Jackson placed on the wall next to his desk.

At first glance, Trump’s choice appears incongruous given the stark differences between the two men. Jackson, unlike Trump was born into poverty, orphaned at a young age, and a Westerner.

Whereas, Trump—a native New Yorker, came of age well born and privileged.

Jackson achieved fame as a war hero leading American armed forces to victory in the Battle of New Orleans, thus ending the War of 1812. Whereas Trump avoided military service altogether, the ongoing Vietnam War, notwithstanding.

Jackson held an array of public offices prior to the presidency. Trump by contrast, is a political novice, the presidency being his first elective office. Jackson facilitated the formation of the Democratic Party—diametrically opposed to Trump’s own Republican Party.

This being said, the similarities between the two men far outweigh their differences. Jackson was combative, quick-tempered, and thin-skinned. To

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his friends, he was generous, considerate, and above all loyal; to his enemies, mean-spirited and spiteful. He resorted to petty and vindictive acts in response to slights, both real and perceived. Jackson, when provoked, spontaneously exploded into anger—strategically utilizing such tirades to intimidate his opponents and/or to get his way. Jackson frequently peppered his speeches with hash, often violence-laced language. Such personality trails are akin to those of the unpredictable, often bombastic, and frequently vindictive Donald Trump.

Jackson in carrying out his duties as president acted as a polarizing figure, presenting himself as a populist—representing lower class whites in opposition to the “political elites” who dominated American life, culture, and politics. He identified with the so-called “common man” despite being a well-to-do frontier aristocrat with a large plantation and numerous slaves.

President Trump prides himself as an equally polarizing, presenting himself as a modern-day populist, despite his enormous wealth as a multi-billionaire.

As a latter-day populist he has effectively articulated the grievances of working class whites, particularly those living in depressed regions of Middle America. At the same time, Trump has systematically assailed and array of “establishment elites,” specifically, Washington political insiders, liberals of all stripes, and the mainstream media.

Upon assuming office, Jackson rewarded his supporters with government jobs, through a rapid turnover in personnel—this drawing accusations of abuse from the opposition. Jackson justified his actions with the maxim: “To the victor belong the spoils.”

Likewise, Trump, after becoming president mandated an equally abrupt change of government personal, purg-

I normally enjoy reading the Valley Voice But after I read you opinion page from the May 18th paper I may never pick one up again. I have just one question for you Why do you live in Tulare county? The majority of the voting citizens voted for Donald J Trump. You might more comfortable is San Francisco or Los Angeles, with all the other liberals.

Just saying!!!

”

— Margie Sadler replying via email to The Resistance Begins At Home

ing executive departments of individuals whose loyalty he questioned and whose ideology and policies he opposed. In their place, he installed his own loyal, conservative, often wealthy, supporters.

Also highly controversial was Jackson’s harsh treatment of the nation’s most prominent ethnic minority at the time— the American Indian. As a frontiersman and seasoned Indian fighter, he harbored an innate distain for the Native American whom he condemned as an impediment to white westward expansion. Accordingly, he forced the removal Native Americans from their ancestral lands to distant, desolate territories in the far west through the 1830 Indian Removal Act. Among those most adversely affected was the Cherokee nation ousted from their Georgia homeland. During their forced march along the so-called Trail of Tears one out of every four perished.

President Trump has acted in a remarkably similar fashion toward two non-white minorities, Muslims and Hispanics—both of whom migrated to this country in significant numbers. The new President moved quickly to fulfill his 2016 campaign pledge to ban Muslims from migrating to the United States. He commenced this process through an Executive Order imposing a travel ban on immigrants from several predominantly Muslim nations. Similarly, Trump has vigorously pursued the systematic roundup and deportation of undocumented Hispanic immigrants. He has justified such action through his claim that such “worst of the worst” illegal aliens take jobs from American citizens and threaten society with their drugs and criminal behavior.

Jackson presented himself as an advocate of a smaller federal government as has Trump. Accordingly, each sought to eliminate a major government institution. Jackson assailed the Second Bank

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of the United States, condemning it as an elitist institution monopolizing the banking industry and favoring eastern manufacturing interests at the expense of common working people. According Jackson vetoed a re-chartering of the bank, characterizing it a “monster” that deserved to be “killed.” Death of the Second Bank led to the abandonment of all federal regulation of national monetary policy, setting the stage for the Panic of 1837 and a resulting national depression.

Similarly, Trump has vigorously promoted legislation to rid the nation of Obama Care which he characterized as an “unmitigated disaster.” Trump, moreover seeks to slash and or eliminate funding for a wide array of government programs he condemns as both unnecessary and wasteful, as targeted in his recently proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

Throughout his eight years in office, Jackson enlarged the power of the American presidency. As president, he vetoed more bills than all his six predecessors, combined. At the same time he maintained widespread popularity, overwhelmingly reelected to a second term in 1832.

Likewise, Trump, despite having been in office a mere four months has sought to enhance his presidential powers through a continuous stream of Executive Orders. Although Trump maintains an amazing degree of popularity among his fellow Republicans—some 87% of whom enthusiastically approve of his actions and related behavior, it remains to be seen if he can maintain such support over the next four years and thus assure him a second term in 2020.

Given all such similarities between the two men, it is not surprising that Donald Trump has chosen to embrace Andrew Jackson as the predecessor he vigorously seeks to emulate.

Hello Valley Voice, Thank you for this insightful article that I hope will help Tulare County residents who are not news junkies to understand what is going on with our Congressperson.Your reporting on local political events and politicians is very appreciated. By his actions and inaction,Nunes is not qualified to represent us. He has voted to deprive thousands of our residents of Medi-Cal,supports eliminating Environmental Protecions, goes along with dismantling our National Monuments, and served as an errand boy for a corrupt White House. We need a strong, informed Congressperson to represent us and the welfare of the nation.

”

— Susanne Gundy on Nunes Mum on Town Halls, Russia, Flynn, Trump

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1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • 15

Comments & Letters Libertarian Party of Kings County: Recall Ramirez Libertarian Party of Kings County The Libertarian Party of Kings County supports the recall of Francisco Ramirez from the Hanford City Council District D seat.

We feel that Ramirez has a history of misleading his constituents. A grand jury found that in his campaign literature he mislead the public by claiming to have education which he can not substantiate.

He claimed to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Columbia Pacific University. This is an unaccredited school in California. No transcripts were available as proof that he attained these degrees.

Ramirez has also mislead the public in making statements that the City of Hanford is losing $200 million in revenue due to “leakage” from not having large corporate businesses opening stores in the city.

This is at best hyper-optimistic speculation and at worst a naive misinterpretation of economic data.

We also feel that Ramirez has done a poor job representing his district. District D encompasses all of Downtown

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Hanford. However, he has not supported Downtown Hanford in his votes on the City Council.

Downtown Hanford has been struggling. It has vacant buildings which are deteriorating and its historic buildings sit in the possession of the City of Hanford and remain neglected without needed maintenance and repairs.

Yet, he supports increased restrictions on conducting business downtown.

On Facebook he spoke in support of charging license fees for temporary business vendors at the Thursday Night Market Place, which is an enormous draw for Downtown.

Ramirez, along with the majority of City Council, will not stand up to the City Manager or Community Development Director, who despite being unelected wield an undue amount of power and influence over the Council.

They make recommendations which hurt Downtown Hanford in favor of offering special deals (corporate welfare) to large corporate businesses placed in areas which discourage infill.

The City Council allows the City Manager and Community Development

Director essentially free reign to make their decisions for them. On Facebook, Ramirez states that “the City Manager was doing a great job.” The Libertarian Party of Kings County disagrees.

To top it off in July, 2016, Ramirez supported giving the City Manager a substantial raise, bringing his annual pay to $211,560, which is $2,856 more than the Visalia City Manager annually, despite Visalia being a comparatively larger city.

This comes after a pay increase of $7,680 in 2014 for the Hanford City Manager. Both the City Manager and the Community Development Director live out of town.

Ramirez’s focus has been on building a city-owned indoor recreational facility, which would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and would likely be a boondoggle as the City has shown incompetence in land management.

Private recreational facilities would provide excellent recreational opportunities due to increased competition.

We also feel that Ramirez has engaged in blatant self-promotion to a degree which has reached obnoxious

proportions.

He created his own trading cards for himself and signs them when he gives them to people as if he is a celebrity. He drives a vehicle with “Real Ramirez” in bold letters on the rear of the car and on the driver and passenger-side doors.

We were unaware that there were “fake” Ramirez’s running around Hanford, but apparently it is important for him to ensure everyone knows he is the real deal.

While Ramirez would likely say that his Facebook posts are made to bring attention to important causes, the way they are presented with the overall picture seems to us to be more about self-promotion than promotion of the cause.

Therefore, the Libertarian Party of Kings County officially supports the recall effort on Francisco Ramirez.

We ask that his constituents support this effort and demand better representation on their City Council.

In Liberty, Kalish Morrow Treasurer, Libertarian Kings County

Party

of

Comments from ourvalleyvoice.com This is really so unfair that the community of Tulare has Dr. Kumar as our example of the leadership of care. His authoritarian leadership has gotten Tulare to where it is today. Severely underserved with physicians, a hospital with an abhorrent census that can’t support a tower due to lack of community support and continued dysfunctional medical staff.

He has controlled recruitment, particularly in certain specialities. He is not collegial to his peers unless you tow the road he wants you to be on. Over the years the limited recruits that were achieved leave the hospital for surrounding communities when they see how dysfunctional the medical staff is.

Now look what we have, essentially no Medical Executive Committee to speak of and this was all created by Dr. Kumar to protect himself.

What people fail to see is just how responsible Dr. Kumar is in this. These problems aren’t new. I have witnessed his violent outbursts, his name calling and his cussing. This was well thought out and planned just like all the other secretive decisions that Inpatient families have witnessed it – it has gone on for years. It continues to go happen. There have been numerous things over the years. When all these plans for unchecked because Dr. Kumar is in charge. the last 20 years fall apart Dr. Kumar just changes the narrative of what happened in that piece of history.

For years his files never see the light of day and he has been instrumental in cov- I hope the citizens of Tulare recognize these issues, recall Dr. Kumar and elect er-ups, especially when it serves him well. Why he had an issue with taking inpa- Senovia Gutierrez. Or we can just continue on the path of the board’s business tient records out of the hospital. being conducted in Skip Barkwick’s home. That is where the settlement discussion happened with Harris Construction and it is probably where the plotting to bring He has been involved in who stays and goes for years at the hospital. Why such a back the failed CEO occurred in November of 2012. Another costly mistake spearturnover of Director’s of Nursing during his 20 years. headed by Dr. Kumar.

”

— Deanne Martin-Soares on Tulare Hospital Lawsuit Continues in Second Week

Use your voice

Comment online at ourvalleyvoice.com Send letters to editor@ourvalleyvoice.com Veteran’s Corner: Depleted Uranium Scott Holwell Depleted Uranium (DU) is what is left over after Uranium is processed.

DU has most of its radioactivity taken out during processing. DU is 40% less radioactive than natural uranium.

Because of its density and low cost, DU is used by the U.S. military to make armor on tanks. DU is the best metal to use in armor to protect service men and women.

It is also used to harden projectiles because DU munitions penetrate targets better. The first time DU was used by the

US on a large scale was during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990’s.

DU cannot cause harm as long as it stays out of the body. Just being in the area of intact tanks or supplies made with DU will not result in exposure.

In order to pose a risk to your health, “exposure” to a substance means that there must be a source and that it gets into the body.

Even when DU munitions are fired close by, DU in the air is not a health threat as long as the metal stays out of the body.

Exposure to DU only occurs if it gets into the body via metal fragments or dust-like particles that are inhaled into the lungs, are swallowed, or become embedded under the skin (shrapnel).

Exposure to DU is the highest for

service members who served in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom, near fires or explosions involving DU munitions or armor.

If DU shrapnel enters the body, it could remain in the body. DU particles can also be inhaled and taken into the body through smoke from burning DU-armored vehicles or exploded DU munitions.

If you believe you may have been exposed to DU, contact your VA primary care provider or this office.

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.

16 12• •Valley ValleyVoice Voice

18 1 June, May, 2017 2017

Valley Scene

1 June, 2017

Lindsay Historical Landmark Will Once Again Show Light Nancy Vigran The marquee lights on the Lindsay Community Theatre may just be switched back on, soon.

It’s been more than a year since the marquee succumbed to age, weather and vandalism – and while the theatre inside remained busy, the landmark marquee was dark.

While originally repairs only had been in mind, the idea of “going green” and increasing energy efficiency came to the forefront just recently.

Jim Kliegl, theatre manager, had been looking for someone to properly repair the marquee for almost as long as it has been inoperable. No one, at least close by, seemed up to the task, he said.

A Fresno company, whose representatives he had spoken with several times, decided it didn’t want to work on something that old – they wanted to stick with new installation. Kliegl finally located a company to do the work, but it was located in North Hollywood – mileage alone seemed almost prohibitive. But, then he found a company in Bakersfield.

It was the CEO of Bakersfield Neon who suggested renovating in LED (light-emitting diode).

“It’s going to look the same,” said Lance Hill, company CEO, “but it will be changing from high to low voltage. It’s changing from 250,000 volts to 120 volts.”

It is the equivalent to running a television or refrigerator, he said.

“It reduces the carbon foot print and is consid-

ered going green,” he added.

The project, which started early last week, was estimated to take about 10 days, but they are still working out some kinks. Not unusual when working on an old building, Kliegl said, who added that he is use to the inconvenience.

The cost of the switch to LED is around $6,500, he said. That’s not much more than repairing and retaining the old fixture – but it will cost 90% less in operations.

And, “LEDs are almost indestructible,” Kliegl said. “You can practically jump on them and they won’t break.”

The repair and upgrade expense will come out of the theatre’s general fund and had been a discussion point with the theatre board since the lights went out. Repairs are a never-ending process, Kliegl said. As work begun on the marquee, the curtain malfunctioned and the theatre group had to resort to blackouts for the changing of scenes until new cables could be located through a company that could install them.

Luckily, the theatre made a little money last year, he added.

While the theatre has wrapped up its 2016-17 season, ending with “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” last weekend, the theatre will be mostly quiet now until the fall. However, the marquee may just be turned on as a major Lindsay landmark, during some evenings throughout the summer – afterall, it won’t cost much, and the theatre is proud of its historical marquee.

The Lindsay Community Theatre marquee starts to undergo a change to LED lighting. Once completed the marquee will have a remarkable energy savings, but should look the same. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

“Buddy–TheBuddyHollyStory”to Open June 9 at Ice House Theatre

The Tulare County Symphony is now the Sequoia Symphony Orchestra. Courtesy/Sequoia Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Changes its Name to Sequoia Symphony Orchestra Donna Orozco It’s official. The Tulare County Symphony will now be called the Sequoia Symphony Orchestra.

After a year of getting comments from the musicians, audience and community, the Tulare County Symphony Association voted to change its name at its annual meeting May 24 at the home of the symphony, the Visalia Fox Theatre.

The orchestra was begun as a small, all-volunteer community orchestra in 1960 by the Tulare Union High School band teacher, Robert Cole (who eventually became director of the prestigious UC Berkeley Cal Performances, one of the most admired performing arts cen-

ters in the world.)

Fifty-seven years later, the orchestra has grown into a highly professional orchestra. Music Director Bruce Kiesling said the name should reflect the quality of the music.

Kiesling gave two main reasons for recommending the name change at the annual meeting. First, the new name reflects the heightened level of artistic excellence. Today’s orchestra is a professional, paid organization that draws musicians from outside Tulare County.

Second, the words “Tulare County” make the orchestra sound like a government entity. When the orchestra applies for much-needed grants, the new name

SYMPHONY continued on B6 »

“Buddy – The Buddy Holly StoNancy Holley ry,”which opens at the Ice House Theatre in Visalia on June 9, is a rousing trib- career are highlighted in the production, ute to the remarkable talent of a Rock including his wife, Maria Elena (Leiana and Roll legend of the 1950s. At a time Petlewski) to whom he proposed after when Rock and Roll was in its infancy, just five hours, his initial DJ supporter, Hipockets Duncan (Mason Garcia), Buddy Holly wrote and his manager, his own material Norm Petty (Kenny and influenced othMunyon). ers to experiment Other legends with the newly of the era are feaemerging genre. tured: Ritchie ValThe musical ens (Marco RodriAlan Janes authored guez) and J. P. “The to honor Holly’s Big Bopper” Richextraordinary sigardson (Art Simon, nificance to the era Jr.). Members of spans the last three the band touring years of his life with Holly just befrom age 19 to 22. fore the tragic plane The importance of crash that claimed his vocal and guihis life were Tomtar playing styles my Allsup (Ray to a young indusDeitz) and two of try are historically the original Crickmeasurable.

Sean Hopper plays Buddy Holly in “Buddy ets: Jerry Allison Sean Hopper, - The Buddy Holly Story.” Courtesy/Nancy (Paul Reese) and who stars as Bud- Holley Joe Mauldin (Chris dy, is no stranger to the Ice House having had major roles Haberman).

Ronnette Torrence (Marlena Madiin “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The son) and Ron Buckman (Tyrone Jones) Rocky Horror Show.”

Hopper noted, “I want to be as are excited to be part of the show. Tormuch like him as possible. Sound as rence said, “I love working with different live musicians and I love the oldies.” much like him as possible.”

His remarkable physical likeness to Buckman is not a singer, but rather a comedian who wants to improve his acting Holly supports his portrayal.

People influential in Holly’s life and

BUDDY continued on B6 »

1 June, 2017

B2 • Valley Voice

COS Offers Sewing and Knitting Classes for All Ages Staff Reports The College of the Sequoias Training Resource Center will be offering Sewing and Knitting classes for children and adults in June and July, 2017 as well as a Sewing Camp for children in June, 2017. The classes will all be held on the Visalia COS Campus at 915 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277.

This is your opportunity for you or your child to learn the enjoyable fundamentals of sewing and knitting. A children’s camp option or classes are a lively and fun place to instill valuable lessons of building self-confidence, self-esteem, focus, creativity, physical awareness and a great appreciation for the arts and crafts. In the sewing classes, you will learn all the basics to get you started with any sewing project. You will begin with the proper use of the sewing machine, threading, safety, proper posture, stitch drills and how to make three different

seams. You will start with simple projects, and then move into more complicated ones.

In the knitting classes, you will learn the enjoyable fundamentals of knitting.

We will begin with the proper terminology of knitting and quickly go into finger-knitting and creating scarves.

The COS Training Resource Center has partnered with Eric W. Styles to offer these classes. Eric was formerly the master tailor/fitter and supervisor for Brioni, Giorgio Armani, Polo-Ralph Lauren, Bigsby & Kruthers as well as assistant head tailor/fitter for Marshall Fields, Brittany Ltd., Whitehouse & Hardy, Turner Brothers, Robert Vance Ltd. and others. His expert online classes were offered through more colleges and in more locations than any other online instructor in the United States or Canada. He has also taught live face to face sewing/ tailoring, and pattern-making classes in 10 elite Illinois colleges. Now he is

Free Hospitality Industry Seminar The Sequoia Tourism Council, a collaborative of Tulare County chambers, cities, convention bureaus, national parks and the forest, is offering a seminar for local businesses involved in the hospitality and retail industries.

The seminar, coined Concierge College, happens on Thursday, June 15th at the International Agri-Center in the AgVentures Learning Center from 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Attendees will participate in sessions focused on the value of visitor traffic to Tulare County, National Parks and National Forest, and Delivering Outstanding Customer Service.

Upon conclusion of the presentations,

individuals will be able to visit community booths and gather information on the amenities available to visitors. They will also have the opportunity to sample some of the products produced in the local area, and tour the AgVentures Learning Center.

The Concierge College is free to employees/supervisors working in hotels, restaurants, retailers, and other points of interest locations who receive visitor traffic. All attendees must register online through the link at www.tularechamber. org. For more information, please contact the Tulare Chamber of Commerce at 686-1547.

making his way to other colleges in the nation, hiring local instructors to teach the classes and spread his passion for sewing and knitting.

The cost and schedule for all classes vary. They start on June 14 and go until July 27 Eric W. Styles, a former master tailor/fitter for various major brands, with various dura- has partnered with College of the Sequoias to offer sewing classes.

Courtesy/College of the Sequoias tions for each class.

Costs range from $35-$90 for the class- 2 hours each day. For more information es. The Children/Teens Summer Sewing about the classes, or to register, please camp is $150 for 6 days of instructions, visit www.cos.edu/communityed and look under “Current Classes”.

Lawn Mower Rebates Offered The Valley Air District’s Clean Green Yard Machines program is offering Valley residents a rebate of up to $250 off the purchase price of a new electric, zero-emission lawn mower. This lawn mower replacement program is encouraging Valley residents to turn in their older, polluting, gas or diesel-powered lawn mower, and providing incentives so that residents can purchase a new electric lawn mower.

Gas-powered mowers that are in use for one hour can produce emissions equivalent to driving 12 late-model cars during the same period of time. Interested residents should purchase one of the many eligible, electric lawn mower models; take their older gas-powered lawn mower to an authorized dismantler; and then submit the required application and paperwork to the District within 30 days from receipt of purchase to receive

their rebate.

Program participants must be residents of the eight-county Valley air basin.

Rebates are granted on a sliding scale up to $250, depending on the price of the new mower, not including taxes, fees, accessories or delivery charges. Additional requirements include: Applicants must replace a functional, existing gas or diesel-powered lawn mower with a new, zero-emissions electric mower, by surrendering the old mower to an authorized program dismantler.

Electric mowers must be new and not previously used or owned.

Rebates are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

For complete program guidelines, the list of eligible mower manufacturers and authorized dismantlers, please visit www.valleyair.org/lawnmowers.

Coming to the Hanford Fox Theatre Metalachi Friday, June 9 8 pm - $20 - $25

Silent Comedies Sat., June 10 - 7:30 pm $10 adults; $5 students

Dave Mason Friday, Sept. 22 8 pm - $35 - $65

$5 Movies Predator - Thursday, June 15 - 7 pm Pulp Fiction - Saturday, June 24 - 7 pm (559) 584-7823

www.foxhanford.com

1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • B3

Sign Up Now for Chevron Fun Physical Science Camp at WHCC Staff Reports West Hills College Coalinga is now accepting applications for its annual Chevron Fun Physical Science Camp.

The free camp, which will be held in four sessions from June 12 to July 7, is geared toward elementary school students.

It will focus on hands-on physical science with the goal of encouraging the students to explore STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.

The first session of camp begins June 12. Seats are limited so parents are urged to sign students up now. Students will be selected by drawing.

Applications are available in the West Hills College Coalinga administration building at 300 Cherry Lane and are due before June 2 at noon.

“The camps encourage children to develop an interest in the STEM disciplines by offering activities that are age appropriate as well as fun,” said Frances Squire, Executive Director of the West Hills Community College Foundation.

“Chevron and others who support programs like the science camps recognize that the engineers and scientist of the future have their interests peaked as children. We are thrilled to be able to offer this program because of their support.

Four sessions, each a week long, will

be offered in June and early July. Each day of the camp will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Camp #1 will be for 7th grade students and will run from June 12 to June 16.

Camp #2 will be for 6th grade students and will run from June 19 to June 23.

Camp #3 will be for 4th and 5th grade students and will run from June 26 to June 30.

Camp # 4 will be for 2nd and 3rd grade students and run from July 3 to July 7.

Camp sponsors include Chevron, whose donation made the free camp

possible, West Hills College Coalinga and the West Hills Community College Foundation.

For the first time this year, a Chevron Fun Physical Science Camp will also be offered to the children of Mendota, thanks to the generosity of Chevron and in partnership with Mendota Unified School District. The dates of this camp are still to be determined.

For more information about the Coalinga Chevron Fun Physical Science Camp, contact Angela Eldridge at 559-934-2221 or angelaeldridge@ whccd.edu.

ImagineU Museum Adds Field Trips to Summer Camp Plans Staff Reports ImagineU, the nonprofit children’s museum near downtown Visalia, will offer seven weeks of interactive learning plus field trips and special guests this summer.

Half-day and full-day camps run Monday through Friday, beginning June 5, with activities designed for children ages 5 and up and lunch for all campers.

In addition to weekly themes, the program will offer field trips to McKellar Farms, Rosa Brothers Dairy and Terminus Dam, among others. Special guests include astronaut Don Thomas, a demonstration by the Sheriff’s K-9 team, Captain Carl’s aquatic adventure and Wild Child Adventures.

Each camp includes projects to take home and a theme for the curriculum: • June 5: “Big world, tiny spaces” is a life sciences theme, with children learning

about the five senses, a plant’s life and nature gone wild.

• June 12: “The secret life of animals” lets children explore rainforest and ocean animals, farm and desert animals, with a field trip to a local dairy.

• June 19: “Scrap shop” allows children to explore the creation of craft quilts, patterns and patchwork. The campers’ creations will be donated to critically ill children through Valley Children’s Hospital.

• June 26: “On with the show” is all about performance art, with theater games, do-it-yourself musical instruments, artsy poems, interpretive dance and painting.

• July 10: “Gadgets and science” features robotics, Lego engineering kits, cubelets, mad science and space exploration.

• July 17: “Big paws, big feet” tackles large animals, such as sea animals and

dinosaurs.

• July 24: “Liquid fun” explores the water cycle, clouds, filters and aquifers and salt water.

Full-day sessions run from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; half-day sessions run from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Costs vary depending upon schedule selected, and museum members receive a 10 percent discount.

“Our mission is to inspire children through interactive and fun educational experiences and summer camp gives us the opportunity to meet that mission, in a very profound way,” noted museum director Peter Sodhy. “Children can choose

Mark Your Calendar!

the themes that intrigue them and spend a week immersing themselves in it. We are very excited about our curriculum for this summer.”

ImagineU is located at 210 N. Tipton St., Visalia. WFor information, call 7335975 or visit imagineumuseum.org.

TICA International

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Rare Breeds – Bengal, LaPerm, Lykoi, PixieBob, Savannah, Toyger + all Standard breeds

catch the fun JUNE 2 - CASH GIVEAWAY + POSTGAME FIREWORKS! Come to the ballpark and win money Be in your seat in select innings & Rawhide will give cash to loudest fans

JUNE 3 - DAIRY DAY! Win the Gallon Challenge and win free tickets for the rest of the season!

Pregame Cow Milking Contest between Rawhide players Rawhide to wear Cow Print uniforms

JUNE 9 - POSTGAME FIREWORKS! JUNE 11 - BACON & BEER CLASSIC!

Special Bacon & Beer Event in the Suncrest Bank Saloon Garlic Fries special available in Right Field Concessions Bring your dog to the park courtesy of Visalia Animal Services

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Calendar JUNE June 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25: Murder Me, Murder Me Not 7:30pm Fridays & Saturdays; 2pm Sunday matinee. Kings Players at the Temple Theater, 514 E. Visalia St., Hanford. Randolph Gaston has been murdered, and everybody is after the insurance money (including the deceased). The characters we meet are the grieving widow, the girl next door, the family maid, the minister, the French inspector, and the confused boyfriend -- BUT everyone isn’t necessarily who they seem to be. A series of double (and double-double) crosses, mistaken identities, fake accents, hidden bodies, and phony mustaches all add up to a completely intriguing comedy.

Tickets online $12; at the door $14. http://kingsplayers.net/shows/upcoming-shows/ June 3: Annual Dinuba Cars in the Park Show Held at Rose Ann Vuich Park, 855 E El Monte Way. Car Show registration: 7-10am; Car Show: 10am 2pm, Lions Club Pancake Breakfast served 7-10am; awards 6:30pm, free concert begins at 8pm.

June 3: BOSTYX featuring David Victor formerly of BOSTON 7:30pm - BOSTYX is the world’s only tribute to two of the greatest pop/rock acts of the 1970s: BOSTON and STYX, featuring David Victor, former vocalist/guitarist for multi-platinum superstars BOSTON. David’s resume as a member of BOSTON includes two North American tours, and a #1 hit single in 2014 as lead vocalist on the song “Heaven On Earth.” At the Visalia Fox Theatre. Tickets $15-$45. For more information, visit www.foxvisalia.org

nual Tulare County Dairy Princess Coronation. The evening will start at 6 pm with a social hour, followed by dinner at 7 pm. The new dairy princess will serve as a dairy ambassador for next year. Included in the program, the Tulare County Dairywomen and the Tulare Chamber of Commerce will also be presenting scholarship awards to local high school students, as well as presenting the 2017-18 Dairy Family of the Year. Tickets are available for $35 through the Tulare Chamber, (559) 686-1547.

June 9: Metalachi at the Hanford Fox 8pm - The World’s First And Only Heavy Metal Mariachi Band with Masters Of Rock LIVE! Tickets: Pre-sale: $20 Day Of: $25. Box office open Monday-Saturday, 10am6pm, 326 N. Irwin St. For more information, call (559) 584-7423.

June 10: Veteran’s Resource Workshop 9-11am - Hosted by Rep. David Valadao and held at the Kings County Library located at 401 N. Douty Street in Hanford. At the event, Congressman Valadao will deliver an update on important legislation impacting veterans and provide information about how his office can help when dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, local experts will be on site to provide information about available services. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the event or to RSVP, please email RSVP.Valadao@mail.house. gov or call (559) 582-5526.

June 10: Summer Reading Kickoff at Tulare Library 10am - 2pm - The Tulare Public Library will be having the annual Summer Reading Kick-off. There will be four showings of E&M Reptile Family, Carnival Games and June 6: Tuesday Nunes Watch 11:30am - Meet up with other Con- Face Painting. The Summer Readgressional District 22 residents to ing Program will run from June 10 voice concerns regarding the Con- - July 15. gressman’s voting on issues pertain- June 10: Silent Comedies at the ing to Healthcare, Immigration, Tax Hanford Fox Reform, Russia Investigation, etc. 8pm - Featuring late great comedic For one hour, walk a two block cir- geniuses from the silent film era , cle along Main St., at Congressman accompanied by Dean Mora on the Nunes Office, 113 N. Church St. Mighty Wurlizer theatre pipe or(corner of Church and Main). gan! $10 for adults and online ticket June 9: Salute the Dairy Industry purchases or $5 for students, senior 6-9pm - The Tulare Country Dairy- citizens and military. Children 12 women and the Tulare Chamber of and under are free! Box office open Commerce will host the 33rd An- Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm, 326

City of of Visalia City Visalia Senior SeniorCenter Center—

June2017 2017 June Monday Monday

Office Hours: Hours: Monday—Friday Office Monday—Friday10:00 10:00a.m. a.m.toto4:00 4:0 Office Phone: (559) 713-4381 Office Phone: (559) 713-4381 Lunch Reservation Reservation Line: Lunch Line: (559) (559)713-4481 713-4481 Wednesday Thursday Wednesday Thursday Tuesday Tuesday 11 ChessClub Club Chess Darts Darts PennyBingo Bingo Penny

5 5 hole Corn 11 am Corn hole am Pinochle 1 11 - 3pm Pinochle - 3pm Table Tennis 1 1- 3pm Table Tennis 1:15 - 3:15pm 1 - 3pm Boot Scootin’

6 6 Darts 11am Darts Bingo 1- 4pm 11am Penny

7 7 Poker 12 -:30pm Poker Bridge121-:30pm Contract - 3pm

12 Corn 11am 12 hole Pinochle 1 - 3pm Corn hole 11am Table Tennis 1 1- 3pm Pinochle - 3pm Boot Scootin’ Table Tennis1:15 - 3:15pm 1 - 3pm

13 HICAP 10am - 2pm 13 Darts HICAP 10am 11am - 2pm Penny Darts Bingo 1- 4pm 11am Abuse Later1-Life Pennyand Bingo 4pm Office Hours 1:30-4pm

14 Poker 12 - 3:30pm 14 Contract - 3pm Poker Bridge 12 - 13:30pm

19 Corn hole 19 Pinochle CornTennis hole Table Pinochle Boot Scootin’

11am 1 - 3pm 11am 1 - 3pm 1 - 3pm 1:15 - 3:15pm

20 Darts 11am 20 Bingo 1- 4pm Penny

21 Poker 12 - 3:30pm 21 Contract Bridge 1 - 3pm

Corn hole Pinochle 26 Table CornTennis hole Boot Scootin’ Pinochle

11 am 1 - 3pm 1 11 - 3pm am 1:15 - 3:15pm 1 - 3pm

Boot Scootin’

Table Tennis Boot Scootin’

Contract Bridge 1 - 3pm

1:15 - 3:15pm

Boot Scootin’ 1:15 - 3:15pm

Table Tennis 26 Boot Scootin’

Penny Bingo 1- 4pm

Abuse and Later Life Office Hours 1:30-4pm

Darts 11am Penny Bingo 1- 4pm

1 - 3pm 1:15 - 3:15pm 27

1 - 3pm 1:15 - 3:15pm

Darts 11am Penny 27 Bingo 1- 4pm

Darts 11am Penny Bingo 1- 4pm

Contract Bridge 1 - 3pm

Poker 12 - 3:30pm Contract Bridge 1 - 3pm

28 Poker 12 - 3:30pm Contract Bridge 1 - 3pm 28

Poker 12 - 3:30pm Contract Bridge 1 - 3pm

2 2 10am FunFun Fi 10am Fitne 11am Friday Friday 11am Mo - 4pm Table Table 1 -14pm Ten NEW NEW ScraS

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9

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8Chess Club 10am 9 Friday Chess 10am Mo Darts Club 11am Friday Table Darts TenS Penny Bingo 111am - 4pm Table NEW Penny - 4pm NEW Scra AbuseBingo and Later Life1 Office Abuse Hoursand Later Life Office 1:30-4pm Hours 1:30-4pm

10am 16 Fun Fi 15Chess Club Darts Club 11am FunFriday Chess 10am Fitne Penny Bingo 111am - 4pm Friday Table Darts Mo AbuseBingo and Later Life1 Office NEW! Penny - 4pm Table Ten Hours 1:30-4pm Abuse and Later Life Office NEW! Scr Hours 1:30-4pm 22 Chess Club 22Darts Chess PennyClub Bingo

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23 10am Friday 11am 23 Table Mo 110am - 4pm Friday NEW!

11am 1 - 4pm

29 Chess Club 10am 11am 29Darts PennyClub Bingo 110am - 4pm Chess Managing Chronic Disease Darts 11am Penny Bingo 1 -3pm 4pm

Managing Chronic Disease 3pm

Table Ten NEW! Scr

30 Friday 30 Table NEWMoS Friday

Table Ten NEW Scra

N. Irwin St. For more information, ing to be planted in a pot or a garden to make a home more beautiful. call (559) 584-7423.

The Visalia exhibition runs through June 10: Corcoran Lions Club Aug. 5.

Social 8pm - 1:30am - The Social will June 13-15: Beginners Youth Volfeature a DJ, drinks and no cover leyball Camp charge. The DJ will be on site from 9am - Noon - Ages 7-14 - Designed 9-12. For more information, con- for players with little or no experience playing volleyball. Players will tact 362-5871. learn basic court skills and techJune 11: “For The Love of Color” niques. $55/members; $75/guests.

Artist Reception at Cafe 225 Held at the Lifestyle Center in Visa2-4pm - Opening reception for the lia. For more information, call (559) artist Betty Berk whose paintings are 624-3416. Space is limited! filled with a cacophony of brilliantly painted flowers. Berk uses plants for June 15: Free Hospitality Industhe garden bought at a local nursery try Seminar because they are living plants, wait- 8-11:30am - The Sequoia Tourism

Tulare Senior Center at 201 North F Street to reserve your space. The p.m. cost for the day of fun is $20. Upon 00 p.m.

310310 N. N. Locust Locust arrival, every passenger will receive Visalia, CACA 93291 Visalia, 93291 a credit for $10 Free Play and a $5 Friday Saturday Friday Saturday Sunday SundayFood Credit. Adults, 21 and over, MUST HAVE a VALID PHOTO 4 4 3 3 Contract itness Gadabouts Contract ess 12:2012:20 Gadabouts ID, For more information call (559) yovie Movie Senior 1 pm1 pm Senior PridePride BridgeBridge 1-4 pm Tennis 1 pm Bingo 1-4 pm nnis 1 pm 685-2330.

Scrabble Club 1 pm Bingo

r——Activity ActivitySchedule Schedule

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abble Club

itness yess Movie Tennis ovie Scrabble Club nnis

rabble Club

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1 pm

- 4:15pm 12 - 12 4:15pm

June 15-18: Kings County Fair Pigs & Pinatas 11 10 1 pm 10 Senior Pride 11 Contract 5pm-Midnight - Each day. AdContract 1 pm1 pm Senior Pride Bridge Bingo Bridge 1 pm1 pm Bingo 1-4 pmmission $8/adults, $6/seniors, $5/ 12 - 4:15pm 1-4 pm 1 pm 12 - 4:15pm children - Opening Day $1/adults; seniors & children/free. Carnival 18 17 10:15 17 Senior Pride 18 Contract wristbands $25/in advance; $25/day Bridge Contract 10:151 pm Senior Bingo Pride 1-4 pmof; $1/rides on Opening Day. Bridge 1 pm1 pm Bingo 12 - 4:15pm 1 pm1 pm 1 pm

12 - 4:15pm

1-4 pm

June 16: Public Safety Appreciation Banquet, Wyndam Hotel 25 24 Contract Located at 9000 W. Airport Drive, 1 pm Senior Pride 25 Bridge 1 pm 24 Bingo Contract 1-4 pm 1 pm1 pm Senior Pride Visalia. Includes a Silent Auction 12 - 4:15pm Bridge 1 pm Bingo 1-4 pm and Gun Raffle. Dinner Tickets are 1 pm 12 - 4:15pm $45.

1 pm 1 pm

1 pm1 pm 1 pm 1 pm

The event will acknowledge and pay tribute to the men and women who work in police, fire and rescue jobs community.

Profits from the event will support scholarships for the COS Police Academy and Fire/ EMT Program.

Mensans, the local high IQ society, will be held at the Arts Consortium, 300 E. Oak Ave., Visalia. For more information, call (559) 280-9774 or email tularekingsmensans@yahoo. com.

June 23: Comedian Jo Koy Coming to Eagle Mountain Casino 8pm - Jo Koy, a popular comedian who has been on several televised shows and has his own weekly podcast, will perform live at Eagle Mountain Casinos Event Center.

Tickets are on-sale now and start at only $35 for general admission.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.eaglemtncasino.com or in the Mountain Memories gift shop.

June 23-25: TAA Grease! The Musical Sensation Friday, Saturday @ 7pm; Sunday @ 2pm - Live production of GREASE with local talent and live band - Directed by Lim Forgey; Music Direction Chavaleh Forgey; Choreography Michael Flores; Produced by Kym and Michael Hampton. Tickets - $12.50 - $20. Performance at Rotary Theater, 330 S. Dollner St. Visalia.

June 24: 20th Anniversary Comedy Jam 8pm - Perico Productions is celebrating their 20th Anniversary Comedy Jam ....Starring : Roberto June 16: Father’s Day Luncheon – Rodriguez, Jesus Sepulveda, Quinn Dahle, Shayla Rivera and Motown Casino Day 11am - A game of Roulette will & more. At the Visalia Fox Theatre. be offered and delicious Mocktails For more information, visit www. served. You must be over 21. All fa- foxvisalia.org thers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins June 26-30; July 24-28: Kids and friends are invited to the Tulare Camp Senior Center. MUST Reserve by 12:30-5:30pm - Kids ages 5-12 Thursday, June 15, Noon. Cost $3 years old will enjoy a full week of Donation, 60 & over; $5 for guest fun games, outdoor water play, under 60.

Rockwall climbing (child must be June 20-22: Advanced Youth Vol- at least 30 pounds), swimming and more. Snacks will be provided. Lifeleyball Camp 9am - Noon - Ages 7-14 - Designed styles Center, Visalia. $80/members; for players with experience school or $95/guests - per camp. Space limitleague play. Must have basic knowl- ed to 25 participants - registration edge of fundamental skills and un- is underway. For more information, derstand the rules of the game. $55/ call (559) 624-3416. members; $75/guests. Held at the Lifestyle Center in Visalia. For more information, call (559) 624-3416.

Space is limited!

July 15: Blood, Sweat & Tears w/ Bo Bice June 21: “Think Tanks” 7pm - “Think Tanks” will be the 8pm - at the Visalia Fox Theatre subject of a presentation by Roger presented by Hands in the CommuM. Story, who assembled the Story nity. Tickets $40-80. Proceeds benThink Tank in Fresno to focus on the efit Hands in the Community. For challenges facing the Central Valley. tickets visit www.foxvisalia.org or The talk, sponsored by Tulare-Kings call, (559) 625-1369.

To purchase tickets or a sponsorship, please contact Ron Shanoian at 559-731-1877 or ron.shanoian@ comcast.net

Council, a collaborative of Tulare County chambers, cities, convention bureaus, national parks and the forest, is offering a seminar for local businesses involved in the hospitality and retail industries. The Concierge College is free to employees/supervisors working in hotels, restaurants, retailers, and other points of interest locations who receive visitor traffic.

All attendees must register online through the link at www.tularechamber.org.

June 15: Chukchansi Day Trip The seats will fill up quickly so come in and register for a fun, popular trip to Chukchansi Casino. Registrations are now being taken. Stop by the

JULY

July 15: 2nd Annual CHS Cross Country Alumni and Friends Race 7am - registration; 8am - race start at RAC Soccer Fields, Price: $25 per runner, Online registration is available at runsignup.com - search Corcoran. Register before the July 1 and get a free shirt - a limited amount of shirts will also be available for purchase the day of the event.

July 29: Cars and Coffee 8-11am – Car show offered by Buckman-Mitchell Financial and Insurance Services, 500 N. Santa Fe, Visalia. No entry fee. Bring an unwrapped toy or Toys for Tots and be entered into a raffle. For more information, call (559) 635-3520.

CONTINUOUS Mondays: Bridge Club, 9:30am2pm 210 W Center Street Visalia, CA 93291. Admission is free. For additional information call: Joan Dinwiddie @ 732-0855 Mondays: Knitters, 10am12:30pm 210 W Center Street Visalia, CA 93291. Everyone is welcome.

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

Tuesdays: Barmageddon Trivia Thunderdome, 9pm-1am Challenge your friends to the ultimate trivia throwdown.

Earn some bragging rights in categories ranging from Saturday morning cartoons, classic video games, and pop culture films. Free sign ups at 9:30pm.

2nd Tuesday, Monthly: Yappy Hour, 5-9pm Well-mannered, leashed pets are welcome on the patio at the Planing Mill Artisan Pizzeria, 514 East Main Street, Suite A, in Visalia.

A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Valley Oak SPCA. For more information, call 651-1111.

Wednesdays: Barmageddon Game Night Come blow off some steam at our game night. Happy hour from 6-8pm.

1 June, 2017

B6 • Valley Voice

West Hills College Coalinga Falcons Basketball Players Sign Letters of Intent Staff Reports At West Hills College Coalinga, four Falcons basketball players have signed their letters of intent.

The players signed to a variety of teams across the country, with all intending to begin playing in the fall.

“I am very proud of these four young men who have been great ambassadors for our program on campus and in the community,” said Head Basketball Coach Mark Arce. “They also represent back to back winning seasons.

Their success on and off the court will

Buddy

Continued from B1 skills. “My character the MC gets everyone riled up and that suits me fine.”

The talented cast is completed by Marguerite Koster Crownover, also the music director, Clark Hawley, Roslyn Souza, Kristina Helsabeck, Michael Pena, and Ethan Souza.

be missed.”

The sophomore players who signed included Anthony Zataray, who signed to Greenville University in Greenville, Illinois; Romario Saunders, who signed to Bellview University in Bellview, Nebraska; Troy Arce, who signed to Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon; and Steven Coulanges, who signed to Texas A&M International University based in Laredo, Texas.

This year, the basketball team finished their regular season an overall win loss record of 15-11.

Director Leeni Mitchell has once again brought a musical of renown to the Ice House stage. Regular theatre goers will recognize her as the director of the very popular Patsy Cline and Respect among others. When asked why she chose this show, Mitchell replied, “I love doing crowd pleasers, and his influence in the music world was phenomenal. It was so sad to lose his talent.”

Wine & Beer Tasting

Symphony Continued from B1

reflects a more professional image of regional importance.

Five or six California orchestras have changed their name, getting rid of the word “county.”

Kiesling has also said that many soloists choose not to list the Tulare County Symphony on their resume because it sounds like an amateur orchestra.

“We did a lot of research with the Symphony League and founders of the orchestra to make sure we would not offend. There was overwhelming support,” Kiesling said.

Prince Igor. When we added “The Planets,” named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, we thought why not call it ‘Gods and Heroes’.”

Program Changes

There have been a few repertoire changes since the season brochure was printed. The major change is that the final concert has been moved to L.J. Williams Theatre on a Sunday afternoon.

This is because there will be a 100-voice choir singing Beethoven’s 9th, and L.J. has more space on stage and dressing rooms behind the scenes.

Other changes include pianist Jeffrey Biegel playing Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A miSeason Tickets nor” in October Season tickets and violinist Adam for the 2017-18 Bruce Kiesling is the director of the Sequoia Millstein playing Symphony Orchestra. Courtesy/Bruce season are now on Kiesling Tchaikovsky’s “Sersale. Patrons who enade melancolique renew their tickets by June 1 can choose and Valse-scherzo” in November. to keep or change their seats and also reThe season brochure and order form ceive a “bring a friend” coupon. is on the website www.tularecountyEntitled “Gods and Heroes,” the symphony.com. Season tickets must be season features orchestra works about ordered over the phone or in the office, some of the great characters in history.

559 732-8600, 208 W. Main St., Suite “We wanted a program of works D, Visalia (downstairs in Montgomthat would attract everyone’s attention” ery Square). said Kiesling. We started with a lot of heroes - Romeo and Juliet, Don Juan,

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1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • B7

Sports COS Men’s Track and Field Team Wins State Championship Adrian Luevano The College of the Sequoias men’s track and field team won its first ever CCCAA State Championship in program history on Saturday, May 20, at American River College in Sacramento.

The Sequoias women’s team also had a great showing as well, placing second in the state.

Both squads got off to a quick start with victories on Friday.

Jordyn Zorn captured the state title in the Women’s 10,000 meter race at a personal best 36:33, with teammate Jewel Jasso finishing 6th.

In the men’s competition, Bryce Huggins captured first place in the long jump, with teammate Isahia Hutchins placing third.

On Saturday, Meleni Rodney defended her 2015 women’s state title in the 400 meter dash, beating teammate

Tarika Moses.

Rodney’s time of 53.26 breaks the school record previously held by 2016 Olympian Deajah Stevens.

Quincy Hall led the Giants on Saturday night, pulling off a double in the flat 400 meter dash (46.72) and the 400 meter hurdles (50.57).

Hall also ran on the winning 4 x 400 meter relay team in the meet’s concluding event.

COS raced around the track in 3:09.56.

Hall ended the night being named male track athlete of the meet post-race.

The Sequoias men’s team totaled 127 points to finish well ahead of runner-up Mt. San Antonio at 94 points.

The Giants’ previous best finish was second pace in 2015, coming up one point short behind Mt. San Antonio.

This is the 10th state title won by a Giants’ athletic program overall, and the

College of the Sequoias athlete Quincy Hall, #5, middle, was named “male track athlete of the meet” after the race was finished. Courtesy/COS Athletics

first since the 1994 softball team.

“It was unbelievable how all those kids performed,” COS head coach Curtis Allen said. “We’ve been knocking on the door for awhile, but just hadn’t

kicked it in. Somehow, our kids did what they had to do. They went out and worked hard and performed. You’ve got to give them praise because that’s what they deserve.”

California League Announces 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees the father of current Rawhide manager, Shelley Duncan.

The California League of ProfessionDoug Harvey was a Major League al Baseball and the Visaumpire for 30 years and lia Rawhide announced umpired in 5 World Setoday the members of the ries, 6 All-Star games, 2017 California League and 9 National League Hall of Fame class, the Championship Series. second in league history.

He was nicknamed The inductees will in“God” by the players clude MLB Hall of Fame because of his strict players Kirby Puckett focus on the rules of and Mike Piazza, MLB the game. Harvey was Hall of Fame Manager ranked as the second Tony La Russa, former greatest umpire in hisAll-Star catcher and tory, according to the Pitching Coach Dave Society for American Duncan, and MLB Hall Baseball Research. He of Fame Umpire Dog began his professional Mike Piazza. Courtesy/Visalia “God” Harvey. umpiring career in the Rawhide The annual CaliCal League in 1958 and fornia League Hall of Fame Induction umpired in the League for the 1959 and Ceremony will take place prior to the 1960 seasons before moving up to Tri2017 California League All-Star Game ple-A. The Cal League is the only League at Rawhide Ballpark in in MiLB to honor its Visalia, California, on umpires. The Doug June 20th.

Harvey Award is an an“The League is exnual award going to the tremely proud to anLeague’s best umpire. nounce the selection of World Series winthese five individuals ning Manager Tony La to the Hall of Fame,” Russa played for the said Cal League Pres1966 Modesto Reds, ident, Charlie Blaney. when he hit .291 with “From former Rookies 20 doubles and 18 stoof the Year to perennial len bases. He is one All-Stars to world class of the most successmanagers, coaches, and ful managers in Major umpires, this class repLeague History and resents the diversity of won a World Series tilegends that have made Dave Duncan. Courtesy/Visalia tle in Oakland and two Rawhide this league so great over more championships in the years.”

St. Louis. He has the third most wins in Dave Duncan played for the MLB history as a manager (2,728) and Modesto Reds in 1966 and hit .271 with was inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame an amazing 46 HRs and 112 RBIs. He in Cooperstown in 2014. played 11 seasons in the Major Leagues Mike Piazza came up through the before moving on to a stellar coaching Los Angeles Dodgers system as a player career. As a pitching coach, he devel- for the 1991 Bakersfield Dodgers. After oped 4 CY Young Award Winners (La- his MLB Rookie year in 1992, in which Marr Hoyt, Bob Welch, Dennis Eck- he was named the National League ersley, and Chris Carpenter). He also Rookie of the Year, Piazza went on to be won World Series Titles in 1972 (play- named an All-Star twelve different times. er), 1989, 2006, and 2011. He is also He also holds the record for highest batStaff Reports

ting average by a catcher (.362). During ball both in the California League and his time in Bakersfield, Piazza hit .277 across all levels.” with 29 HRs, and 80 RBIs. He was The Visalia Rawhide will host the inducted to the Hall California League Allof Fame in CooperStar Game and Fan Fest stown in 2016. for the first time in 28 Kirby Puckett was years on June 19 and inducted in MLB’s 20 at Rawhide BallHall of Fame in 2001. park. June 19’s All-Star The 12-year veteran Fan Fest, presented by outfielder for the MinGroppetti Automotive, nesota Twins played will serve as a day-long for Visalia in 1983. A event that will both lifetime .318 hitter, allow fans the ability Mr. Puckett made the to meet the 2017 AllAll-Star team 10 times Stars and to watch a vaand was a 6 time Gold riety of on-field events Glove recipient. While throughout the day. playing for the then On-field events will Visalia Oaks, Puckett include the Cal League Tony LaRussa.

Courtesy/Visalia hit .314 with 97 RBIs. Home Run Derby and Rawhide He also won 2 World All-Star Skills ChalSeries Titles as a memlenge, which will feaber of the Minnesota Twins. ture contests like precision lasso roping “We’re honored to be able to host and the traditional Visalia Cow Milking the induction ceremony for this class of Contest, the In-N-Out Burger High exceptional California League alumni,” School Hitting Challenge, where local said Rawhide General Manager Jennifer high school baseball and softball play(Pendergraft) Reyners will compete for olds. “All of these inscholarship money, dividuals have great and the Lions Club ties to the California International Charity League and to the Beep Baseball Game Visalia Rawhide franto benefit the Tulare chise. Whether it be County Blind Babies Kirby Puckett, who Foundation. is one of the most The Califorprominent players nia League All-Star to have played for Game, presented by Visalia, Tony La RusBusch, will feature an sa, who is the Chief on-field ceremony to Baseball Analyst for induct the 2017 Calthe Rawhide’s parent ifornia League Hall club, the Arizona Diof Fame Class prior amondbacks, or Dave to the game (most Duncan, who was of whom, will be in La Russa’s longtime Kirby Puckett. Courtesy/Visalia Rawhide attendance) and, folpitching coach and is lowing the final out, the father of Rawhide Manager Shelley the Rawhide will present a postgame Duncan, who will be managing in the fireworks show.

All-Star Game for the California League Only those not currently active North All-Stars, this Hall of Fame Class players were eligible to be selected to the is unique in both its ties to Visalia and Cal League Hall of Fame. their contributions to the game of base-

1 June, 2017

Valley Voice • B8

Lantanas Thrive in Summer Heat Michelle Le Strange Lantanas thrive in the full sun and heat of our summers in the valley. Their roots prefer warm soils and light watering, which is uncharacteristic of so many plants. When planting lantanas for the first time in the garden, it is best to wait until late spring. They will grow rapidly all summer and fall, and then usually die back to woody stems with the first frost in winter. But don’t despair, most will survive even a sudden frost and resume their growth in spring.

Members of the Verbena family, many lantanas are native to tropical areas in North, Central, and South America. They have dark green simple leaves often with toothed edges and born in opposite pairs along a stem. The crushed foliage has a pungent odor that some people find objectionable, but it is also easy to grow accustomed to. If grown in dense shade the foliage can get mildew, but this is rarely a problem here. Lantana flowers are attractive to butterflies, moths, and birds. However, blackberry-like fruit are toxic.

Another reason why we like lantanas is the profusion of color they provide throughout the entire growing season.

They produce tiny flowers in tight clusters that look like miniature nosegays.

Both “old fashioned” and newer hybrid lantanas come in vibrant multi-colors, which are perfect for summer pizazz in the landscape. Several varieties are avail-

able as one solid color. Most nurseries carry several different cultivars.

The first big decision you need to make is which growth habit best fits your garden design or patio planter. Lantanas grow in four forms: large, loose and informal shrub; round mound and more formal shrub habit; low, spreading, groundcover; and a dwarf compact habit. Shrubby kinds are used as low hedges or foundation plants. Spreading kinds are excellent groundcovers that are effective spilling over raised beds, planter boxes or hanging baskets.

After you determine which growth habit best suits the location where you want to plant, all you need to do is select which color best fits your landscape decorating theme. The multi-color, “confetti” like colors instantly create a festive mood in your garden or patio decor.

Lantana montevidensis is known as the trailing lantana. Lantana camara is the taller shrub. In today’s market we buy hybrids or selections of the two species. Here are a few that are commonly seen.

Groundcovers: • ‘Confetti’ blossoms are a mix of yellow, pink and purple.

• ‘Cream Carpet’ blossoms are cream with a bright yellow throat.

• ‘Gold Rush’ blossom are a rich golden yellow.

• ‘Spreading Sunset’ blossoms are

Lantanas, as seen here, provide excellent color throughout the entire growing season. Wikimedia/Cab02

vivid yellow-orange red.

Shrubs: • ‘American Red’ blossoms are bright red with yellow; 4-6 feet tall and wide.

• ‘Radiation’ blossoms are rich orange-red; 3-5 feet tall and wide.

• ‘Irene’ blossoms are magenta and lemon yellow; compact 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

• ‘Dwarf yellow’ blossoms are yellow; 2-4 feet tall and wide • The “Patriot” Series offers a variety of lantanas in heights (tallest to shortest) that they market as pillars, classics, ponies, petites, and weepers.

After planting, watch the butterflies

come to visit the flowers. Only an occasional snip here and there is needed to keep plants in check all season long!

Where can the UCCE Master Gardeners be found this month?

• Visit us at the Visalia Farmers Market at the Sear’s Parking lot on Mooney on each Saturday.

On the 2nd Saturday of the month, we will be presenting ongoing talks.

• June 6, 13, 20, & 27, 8:3011:30 am: Porterville Farmer’s Market at Sierra View Hospital We love to talk plants. Come ask us your gardening questions!