Valley Voice Issue 98 (3 August, 2017)

Volume XXXVII No. 15 • 3 August, 2017

www.ourvalleyvoice.com

Paychecks Bounce at TRMC

Local Cities Looking for New Revenue, Possible Expense Cuts

Dave Adalian

Nancy Vigran Small Tulare County cities are continuing to look at ways to increase revenue and cut costs to try to balance their annual budgets.

Farmersville Seeking Sales Tax Increase & Cannabis Business Tax

In Farmersville, the city council has voted to place two tax measures on the November ballot. One for a ½ cent sales tax increase; and the second for taxation on potential cannabis cultivation and related businesses, not including retail sales of marijuana products. The tax would be $25 per square foot of the business site annually, or 10% of total income earned by a business.

Three different times the council held public hearings on the two potential measures. Generally, there was little comment on the proposed tax measure, and that which was made, understood the necessity. With regard to cannabis businesses, comments were made either in favor of or against allowing a business within city limits. No comments were actually made with regard to taxation for such a business.

These decisions were not easy to make, council members said, but a necessity for the city’s annual budget. The sales

CITIES continued on 10 »

It is hard to visualize the enormity of the McDermont Field House in Lindsay – the fitness center, sports complex and fun zone measures 172,000 square feet and takes up two city blocks on Sweetbriar Ave. alongside the railroad tracks. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

Lindsay’s McDermont Field House: An Asset or Deficit?

Nancy Vigran In 2005, Lindsay City Council was looking for ideas. The city had suffered a freeze and the loss of the Lindsay Olive Plant in the 90’s. The city needed a new identity, a sense of pride.

Council traveled to a conference in New York, to learn about how to develop a walking-city. They visited Chelsea Piers, a renovated area of former pier loading docks, now the focus of fitness, sports and fun, and thought, ‘what if?’

Chelsea Piers is in Manhattan.

Lindsay was a town of 12,000 in the South Valley.

Tulare Hospital’s Newest Show: Whose Quorum Is It Anyway?

Still upon return, then Councilman Esteban Velasquez entered into a discussion with then City Manager Scot Townsend, seeing the abandoned McDermont Fruit Packing House in a new light. “’This could be our Chelsea Piers,’ I exclaimed,” he now says.

Velasquez is again on the city’s council and has retained his faith in the converted packing house.

It was purchased by the city in 2006.

It was to be the River City Boys’ Band of Lindsay – the pride of the city. With a soft opening of its basketball courts

MCDERMONT continued on 4 »

Some paychecks issued by Tulare Regional Medical Center to its employees on July 20 are not being honored.

Employees at the struggling medical center report TLHCD was unable to meet a deposit deadline on July 18 due to a cash shortage. They also report the District is behind on payments to its vendors, and one source tells the Voice the hospital has ordered employees to selectively order blood transfusions because of an unpaid bill from the blood bank. The District is also struggling to make payments to physicians.

“This is serious,” said a current TLHCD employee who wishes to remain anonymous. “It puts the public at risk.”

District Not Meeting Payroll Obligations?

Another employee who reported the dishonored paychecks said not all of the warrants issued by TLHCD have bounced. Those that did, she said, appeared to be for non-medical staff. The District is also late in making payments to employee 401(k) accounts by at least two pay periods, she said. This is the third time TLHCD has fallen behind on its contribution to employee retirement accounts.

Previous arrears have run as long as 10 months behind.

Other oddities and inconsistencies

PAYCHECKS continued on 11 »

Two hospital board meetings took place last week. Members of the board refused to recognize a new member at the first. Administrators say the second meeting isn’t legitimate. Meanwhile, Dr. Parmod Kumar’s challenges, including a recount, have so far fallen flat.

Tony Maldonado Depending on who you ask, the Tulare Local Healthcare District’s Board of Directors may have actually held a meeting last week.

Technically speaking, members of the board scheduled two: a regularly-scheduled meeting on July 26, and a special board meeting called by members Mike Jamaica, Kevin Northcraft and newly-elected member Senovia Gutierrez the day after.

Gutierrez, Linda Wilbourn, and Richard Torrez attended the first. Jamaica, Northcraft, and Gutierrez attended the second. The first meeting lasted minutes, because of doubts over Gutierrez’ legitimacy as a member of the board.

Gutierrez’ supporters might state that both meetings had a quorum, but that Wilbourn and Torrez refused to acknowledge her as a fellow board member

at the first. The hospital’s CEO states that Gutierrez isn’t a legitimate board member, as well.

The second meeting lasted 30 minutes and a slate of actions were passed that would represent the beginning of a new direction for the hospital.

The trio unanimously passed motions appointing a Fresno law firm to replace the Los Angeles firm currently representing the board, rescinding Healthcare Conglomerate Associates’ (HCCA), the hospital management firm, authority to seek and issue two loans, and scheduling another special meeting for August 9, amongst others.

All the while, Dr. Parmod Kumar, the recalled board member, has raised a series of challenges -- first, a recount, which ended with the same result, down to the vote; and, secondly, his attorneys have sent out letters claiming

BOARD continued on 8 »

Devon Mathis spoke to his constituents Thursday, July 27. Catherine Doe/Valley Voice

Devon Mathis Holds a Town Hall on Cap and Trade Assemblyman Devon Mathis faced harsh criticism Thursday July 27 during a town hall meeting at the International Agri-Center in Tulare.

Asked why he was so willing to face his critics in such an open forum he replied, “I’ll be darned if I am going to see my face up on a billboard along the highway,” referring to a billboard next to

Catherine Doe the Ben Maddox on ramp featuring Congressman Devin Nunes.

Mathis organized the town hall to defend his vote on extending the Cap and Trade program through 2030. He invited seven panelists comprised of

MATHIS continued on 12 »

2 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017 FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

Where’s Wardo?

12 • Valley Voice

18 May, 2017

The Valley Voice has been keenly covering the doings at Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) because the hospital is a public--therefore governmental--entity. When board members are sworn in, for instance, they take an oath to preserve and defend both the national and state constitutions.

We reported on the seismic realignment with a new medical executive committee, and all the wrangling--including a trial--that has entailed. We took note of the $800k “line of credit” the hospital board sought from Bank of the Sierra, ostensibly to leverage vendor discounts, but in reality to pay off a long-standing debt to Cardinal Pharmaceutical.

We caught the change in language between the board’s pitching Measure I to the Public and its application to the elections office, and we covered the ensuing $55 million bond campaign in its sordid entirety. We were on hand when the Grand Jury released its “Tower of Shame” report, and we recently reported that some hospital employees’ paychecks were bouncing.

Most recently we were present at Senovia Gutierrez’ swearing-in ceremony after she was overwhelmingly elected to the Tulare Local Health Care District board, TRMC’s governing body. We covered the aborted next regular meeting, where she was denied her rightful seat, somehow--and in the absence of a quorum--by the old majority, and the special board meeting held the next day.

More has happened than I could possibly remember--which is partly why Tony created an “in-depth” feature on our website. Go there if you need a refresh.

Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward has been conspicuous in his absence. He’d probably say no crimes have been committed.

What Chief Deputy District Attorney Daniel Underwood actually said, when the Voice called Ward’s office to ask about the legality of the hospital board’s old majority forestalling a certified election, was, “Law enforcement agencies refer cases to us such as the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department or the Visalia Police Department. Then the DA handles the prosecution. Rarely does a District Attorney do investigations.

Someone else needs to make the accusations. But we have no referral concerning TRMC right now. We are in charge of prosecuting crimes after an investigation. Almost every crime the DA’s office

prosecutes comes to us from a law enforcement agency.”

If this were an article I’d be sure to speak with Ward personally. But it’s not.

This is an opinion--my opinion--and in that estimation Tim Ward has been, and remains, missing in action. Missing by inaction, more like--and therefore found wanting.

If he won’t do his job the Fourth Estate must serve as the firewall between perfidy the public interest. But the problem with this scenario is that, more often than not, the press is reactive in its posture. It reports on events that have already happened.

Headlining an internet article on 28 July, the Visalia Times-Delta published the following:--”DA to TRMC: No Brown Act violation.” I was pleasantly surprised. Until I read the article.

Nowhere did Ward say that, during Senovia Gutierrez’ swearing-in ceremony, the Brown Act was not violated.

According to the article, Ward said, “No action will be taken.” But he knows there was no violation because the Brown Act makes a clear exception for ceremonies.

It should have been easy enough for him to say that. Ask yourself why he didn’t. Ask yourself whose side Tim Ward is on.

That’s another way of saying, “Follow the money.” Take a gander at who contributes the grandest sums to Ward’s campaign war chest.

And speaking of money, those bounced checks--wouldn’t they all, ultimately if not technically, be Public funds?

What I do know is that the District Attorney has police powers. That office also has subpoena powers, and is the lead agency in combating government corruption and voting fraud; moreover, it is charged with a duty to do so.

To that end, the DA in this county has under its auspices approximately 20 peace officer investigators. Its Bureau of Investigations, according to its website, is comprised of three divisions: the North and South County Criminal Investigations Divisions and the Financial Crimes Division. “The Bureau is staffed with some of the most experienced investigators in Tulare County. Members of the Bureau of Investigations are recognized throughout Tulare County for their expertise in a wide array of investigative functions ranging from homicide investigations to complex and intricate white collar criminal activity.”

WARDO continued on 16 »

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

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

Reporters:

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

Sales & Special Sections Editor:

Nancy Vigran (nancy@ourvalleyvoice.com)

Contact us & share your opinion: www.ourvalleyvoice.com PO Box 44064 • Lemon Cove, CA 93244 The first five copies of this newspaper are free. Subsequent copies are 25 cents per copy.

Please contact the Voice for more information.

3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • 3

Political Fix WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A REPUBLICAN?

While all the talk is of the Republican Party, California State Democrats are in a fractious and petty battle for the party’s leadership.

The two contenders for chair of the California Democratic Party are heir apparent Eric Bauman, a union organizer, and Bay Area progressive Kimberly Ellis. Mr. Bauman won the leadership seat by 60 votes but Ms. Ellis is refusing to concede and now both of their lawyers are involved. Pundits have qualified this as the bitterest fight they have seen for years.

Mr. Bauman is the consummate insider and Ms. Ellis a Sanders-esque outsider. For all their bluster the average registered Democrats couldn’t care less-because at the end of the day all Democrats share the same values.

But what values do Republicans share?

This was an easy question to answer growing up, but not so easy now.

Republicans in my parents and grandparents era were, among other things, reliably fiscal conservatives, hawks on the Soviet Union, and standard bearers of traditional family values and the free market.

Through the 1980’s these values were being chipped away but no one in the Party would say it out loud.

In 1964, popular Republican presidential candidate, Nelson Rockefeller, lost the California primary because he was divorced. But 20 years later the first president ever to be divorced was elected, Republican Ronald Reagan.

His second wife, Nancy, was pregnant before they married, he and his first wife, Jane Wyman, sent their first grader off to a boarding school, and Mr. Reagan found himself not on talking terms with two of his four children.

Mr. Reagan’s fairly typical American family did not shock mainstream America. But he campaigned on the fact that Republicans were the “Family Values” party, angering those who knew Republicans did not practice what they preached.

Mr. Reagan blew through another tenet of the Republican Party, fiscal responsibility. During his tenure he increased the deficit by 186%--more than President George W Bush, who started a war, and more than President Barack Obama, who faced down an economic meltdown.

Democrats are no strangers to borrowing to pay for their favorite programs--but they own it. To this day Republicans cling to the mantle that they live within a budget.

The climax to this identity crisis story is the birth of the Tea Party. With its help, Republicans won a majority in both houses in 2010, but they lost their compass.

The Tea Party and its standard bearer, Sarah Palin, were ignorant of the basics in American History or our government. They protested with placards marred by simple spelling errors and exclaiming such protestations as “keep the government’s hands off of my Medicare.”

The disconnect between core Republican values and those who called themselves Republican was getting hard-

Catherine Doe

er to hide. Republicans need the Tea Party in the fold to get their bills passed, but in so doing have made a deal with the devil.

Our local political scene reflects what is going on in Washington. Congressman Devin Nunes and Hanford Council Member Justin Mendes have been lauded for their traditional conservative values while also being labeled as RINOs (Republican In Name Only.)

Tea Party run blogs such as Right On and the Facebook Page Hanford Issues make sport of criticizing Mr. Mendes for voting against onerous zoning restrictions and selling off surplus properties to balance the city’s budget.

Mr. Mendes, who sits on a city council made up of Republicans, has tired of how the dysfunctional council cannot stick to a conservative agenda and the Tea Party attacks. He has decided against defending his seat in 2018.

Mr. Nunes, the quintessential conservative leader in the Valley, has been labeled a RINO by the Congressional Freedom Caucus, which is made up of Tea Partiers. The Freedom Caucus rejoiced in closing down the government for ten days in 2012 and the fiscally conservative Mr. Nunes criticized them for their recklessness.

Instead of listening to the advice of a veteran, Republican member of Congress who is the chair or member of the most prestigious committees, the Freedom Caucus questioned Mr. Nunes’ conservative chops and doubled down and scuttled many Republican sponsored bills.

Who are Republicans since 2010?

Are they for individual freedoms?

Not when it comes to family planning or choosing who you want to marry. Are they for free trade? Not when it comes to North Atlantic Fair Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA.) Are they pro-Democracy? Not when it comes to Russia.

Are they pro-family values? Not when it comes to President Donald Trump.

And therein lies the problem of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and possibly the final chapter to our story--explaining exactly how Mr. Trump is a Republican.

The family values party now has a leader who is a serial philanderer, that has five children by three different women, and is twice divorced.

The hawks on Russia now have a president who is in the middle of a bromance with Vladimir Putin and whose hands had to be tied by Congress so he wouldn’t lift Russian sanctions.

The free trade Republicans might lose NAFTA and already lost the TPPA on November 8, 2016. TPPA was a game changing trade deal pushed by President Barack Obama that was an effective response to China’s emerging world economic dominance.

In Hanford, Republicans cannot decide if they should implement restrictive zoning laws or embrace the free market. They can’t decide on whether or not to spend millions of dollars they do not have renovating crumbling historic buildings or selling them to invest in their downtown.

Republicans themselves cannot agree on what is a Republican. The Tea

Party nationally and locally cheered Mr. Trump’s brand of conservatism, all the while being on shaky conservative ground themselves.

If Republicans can’t articulate what it is to be a conservative, how are they going to pass any legislation? If they cannot define what is a Republican, who are they going to elect to the House and Senate in 2018? And if their Dear Leader fires Special Council Robert Mueller, who is going to tell Mr. Trump, a la Senator Berry Goldwater to Nixon, that it is time he resign before being impeached?

Mr. Trump will go down into history as many things. Will one of them be the end of our two party system? Or the end of the Republican Party?

As Mr. Trump is fond of tweeting, “time will tell.”

ONE LAST STORY BEFORE YOU GO

My second oldest son, Alex loved to hear stories about when he and his older brother, Chuck, were babies. We would spend many dinner conversations reminiscing about the early days of our family, and as time passed, Alex would be the story teller when his younger siblings wanted to know what life was like before they could remember.

Through our stories, Alex learned that his first word was “Chuck.” He knew that when he was a toddler a nearly blind and deaf bull dog slowly lumbered toward him while he sat on the grass in the park. The dog, unable to hear, happily licked and sniffed Alex’ face unde-

terred by his blood-curdling screams.

He learned that he was the only child planned out of the five. I wanted Chuck to have a playmate so it was the first and last time I tried to get pregnant.

But there is one story I never told Alex, how we announced my pregnancy to the family. So I will tell him now.

It was Christmas of 1987, and somehow Joseph and I, with our new baby Chuck, were volunteered to host both sides of the family for the holidays, a total of fourteen people.

Fortunately for me and all of our guests, Joseph did the cooking.

We had to plan two separate celebrations, one for my mom on Christmas Eve and then do it all again for my dad and his girlfriend on Christmas night.

But that actually added to the fun of being able to announce twice the coming of another grandchild.

On Christmas Eve great grandma, mom, my siblings and all of my in-laws were sitting around the table ready to start dinner when Joseph stopped to propose a toast. “To the new baby,” he said. And everyone let out a cheer. My mother-in-law called the two babies Irish twins and couldn’t wait to go out and buy a double stroller.

On Christmas night the same scene played out, except that everyone knew I was pregnant except my dad and his girlfriend. As I sat with Chuck on my lap, Joseph made the same toast, “To the new baby.” My dad repeated “to the new baby” then drank his wine and started to

POLITICAL FIX continued on 14 »

4 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Seville Hemorrhaging Water Leaks, Waiting for New Water System Nancy Vigran The area of Seville received a new well in the middle of the drought, the summer of 2014. In February of this year, the county secured funds to replace the aging pipe system. Today, the 500 residents of the area still do not have enough water pressure to shower, do laundry, or even flush a toilet. The water is still unsuitable to drink.

The new 300-foot well boosted the water pressure, temporarily supplying much needed water to everyone in the area – but the force of the new well and pump also put pressure through the old pipes, pressure they just couldn’t handle.

Leaks have been springing up on a weekly basis ever since, said Eric Coyne, spokesman for the Tulare County Resource Management Agency.

McDermont Continued from 1

in late 2007, the Field House officially opened in June, 2008.

Today, it is a premier sports complex and entertainment center in the Valley, but has not quite reached the notoriety or financial status that was hoped for back in the day.

According to the McDermont Field House website, “The Field House takes its name from the former owner of the packinghouse, Merwyn Arthur McDermont (1918-1988). He purchased the packinghouse in Lindsay in 1955 and established McDermont Fruit Co.”

Water issues are nothing new to the area. They have been plaguing the community long before the drought, Coyne said. For more than 20 years, Supervisor Steve Worthley has been working toward a solution to the problem, as a county supervisor and a former school board member in the area.

With the $5 million grant awarded from the California State Water Resources Control Board, Tulare County is moving forward with the water system in the area in two phases, Coyne said. But, these things take time – time that is taking its toll on the neighborhood.

The first phase and Number 1 priority is to replace the water lines throughout Seville. Phase 2 will connect the water systems between Seville and Yettem.

One could compensate for the other, if problems should arise. Yettem currently

has its own community services district which includes water, which could then also take over the Seville area, which is temporarily being managed by the county. Additional funding will be needed for this part of the project.

The county is currently finishing environmental reports and design for phase one – construction should begin prior to the end of the year.

But, for now, “there’s a tremendous amount of leakage [from the pipes] that may be a century old,” Coyne said.

About two weeks ago, a connection leading to one residence burst – the entire system had to be shut down to cut it off. There are no individual shutoff valves – only one for the total system.

The county continues to put band-aides on the leaks, until the new system can be built, he added.

Meanwhile, “people are using an inordinate amount of water for the area,” Coyne said. And, officials don’t know where it’s going.

There is a no outside watering ordinance in place. Most of the area is brown.

People caught watering a lawn area, first receive a warning - secondly, receive a fine.

There is still a bottled water program in place, now for more than two years.

Porta potties can be found at Stone Corral Elementary School, where the toilets often will not flush.

With an abundance of rainfall and snow pack last season, the state has lifted its drought status. But water conservation is still very much an issue. Most cities and counties in the South Valley continue with outside watering ordinances and ask residents and business owners to conserve where ever possible.

The history ends with, “Merwyn sold off his properties in the 1970s, including the three packinghouses.

“The Lindsay facility was abandoned in the early 1990s. In 2005, the City of Lindsay ‘rediscovered’ the property and purchased it in order to begin the construction of McDermont Field House in 2006.”

The Field House was developed in three segments, said Lindsay Mayor Pam Kimball.

The southern end was redeveloped into a sports complex with volleyball and basketball courts.

The center, where the actually packing of fruit took place, was turned into the main entrance and an arcade.

The third segment to the north, was all new and houses an indoor soccer fields and more.

“It cost us more than anticipated,” Kimball said, “more than council realized at the time.”

And then the recession hit.

“It hit us hard,” she said, “and we realize that perhaps we should have pulled back.

[Before] redevelopment was going to be big for us. We were anticipating a lot of nice homes being built – it never happened. And, worst of all, there were no funds to promote it.”

Still, “it has given the city a source of pride,” Kimball continued. “The youth have something that is really great for them.”

“I’ll claim it,” Velasquez said of the idea of turning the old packing house into a recreational facility and attraction.

“We were looking to bring people to the center of the community and to get more foot-traffic” he said. “You have to have a vision to do stuff.

“It has transformed lives.”

Velasquez tells a story of a woman who lost more than 100 pounds through working out in the Field House, and she has now become a trainer there.

He also told of a 90-something year-old man who is there working out all most every morning when Velasquez goes to do his work out.

Both Kimball and Velasquez find it hard to measure dollars to the health and pride the Field House has brought to the community.

“Of course we want it to pencil out

– we want to make it work,” Velasquez exclaimed. “We have to keep trying.”

Trying they will continue to do.

Until the Field House can actually perceive any actual income, there is still a lot of debt to pay.

It holds an obligation bond through US Bank in the amount of $1, 837,000 to be paid off by 2026.

An obligation that the city must meet, if the Field House cannot make a payment, according to the city Finance Director Bret Harmon.

As a separate budget within the city, the Field House owes the city’s general fund approximately $13 ½ million. The council is currently working on just how this obligation can be paid, including the possibility of deferments until the obligation fund has been paid off. The matter was removed from the agenda at the last council meeting for further discussion in the future.

The Field House does add to the city’s sales tax receipts, which will increase starting in October with the passage of Measure O by local voters. While the Field House is well-utilized by the city, schools and residents of Lindsay, it seems to have failed to draw the anticipated crowds from around the county and the Valley. Council and, no doubt, staff of the Field House, hold out hope that with the outgrowth of the recession, the attraction will further its reach.

The McDermont Field House offers day passes from $5-20. Memberships start at $24.99/month or $19.99/month with a yearly contract. For more information, call (559) 562-3326.

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Caregiver SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR SERIES

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Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 at 3:00

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Caregivers can benefit from specialized training about CHF.

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Thursday, Oct.. 26, 2017 at 3:00 p.m.

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3 August, 2017

Briefly…

KAWEAH DELTA SEEKS COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Applications Accepted For Three Committees Through Thursday, August 31 Kaweah Delta Health Care District is accepting applications for three new advisory committees designed to generate ideas about how to better serve community health needs. Members of the public are invited to apply.

“Community input is essential as Kaweah Delta works to modernize, expand and improve healthcare facilities and services for the region,” said Dena Cochran, Vice President of Development at Kaweah Delta. “As our community grows and as our patients’ needs change, we look forward to working alongside community advisors to plan for the future.”

As a large regional health care organization, it is Kaweah Delta’s mission to serve the broad community. Each Community Advisory Committee will reflect the diverse demographics of the region and be comprised of up to 20 community members, as well as two Kaweah Delta employees. Committees will be formed around three key issues: • Community Relations: This committee will seek to enhance local partnerships and build better community relations.

• Healthcare for Today and Tomorrow: This committee will provide ideas about the future health needs of the community and how to address them.

• The Hospital of the Future: This committee will study growth, buildings and other facilities and work with Kaweah Delta staff on a plan to meet the community’s future healthcare needs.

Individuals over the age of 18 are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be committed to building a partnership with Kaweah Delta to better serve the community at large.

Previous leadership experience is not required. Selected committee members will be required to attend monthly committee meetings.

Individuals interested in being considered can get more information and complete an application form (available in English and Spanish) at www. kaweahdelta.org/committee, by emailing ourhospital@kdhcd.org or by calling (559) 624-2359.

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. PST on August 31, 2017.

Kaweah Delta will review all applications and anticipates announcing committee members in mid-September.

CLUB 50 NOW ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS

Club 50, a program sponsored by Kaweah Delta Health Care District for adults age 50 and older, is now accepting new members.

Located at the Boys and Girls Club of Visalia, the program is dedicated to promoting healthy living through fitness and is tailored to meet the needs of mature adults seeking optimal health and functional fitness.

Valley Voice • 5 Exercise physiologists and trained fitness instructors from The Lifestyle Center supervise Club 50 activities. Activities include flex and tone classes, sit and fit classes, limited fitness testing, cardiovascular equipment and an open weight room featuring weight resistance equipment and free weights.

All members are given a personalized weight room orientation training session before they begin use of the facility. A book club also meets on Wednesdays for interested members Club membership is only $40 annually and entitles members to participate in club activities Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. A limited number of memberships are available. For more information about Club 50 or to enroll, call (559) 735-0749.

TINY TOTS REGISTRATION

Parks and Leisure Services is now registering for Tiny Tots, the specialized pre-school program for ages 3-5 years old. This child enrichment program features academic instruction called “Classroom Magic” with all learning taught through arts and crafts, music, sharing and playing.

Tiny Tots takes place weekdays at the Heritage Center, from 9am – 12pm, starting the week of August 14. Enrollment also takes place at the Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange Avenue, during regular business hours.

Space is limited so early registration is advised.

For more information, contact Porterville Parks and Leisure Services at (559) 791-7695, visit www.ci.porterville.ca.us or follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates.

NETWORKING FOR WOMEN IN SEARCH OF NEW MEMBERS

Networking for Women, the first formal networking organization for women in Tulare County, is in search of new members.

NFW welcomes individuals who are actively pursuing career goals and provides the following membership benefits: • Professional advancement through a strong network of business contacts and education.

• Recognition of the contributions that businesswomen have made and continue to make in Tulare County.

• An avenue through which professional and businesswomen can share companionship, encouragement and support.

NFW hosts a monthly luncheon on the fourth Thursday of each month along with socials throughout the year, a book club, and other networking exercises. Members pay annual dues and monthly luncheon costs. The organization is overseen by a board made up of volunteers from the general membership.

The 2017 board includes: Hollis Elliott Fernandez, Betsy Murphy, Sue McCallister, Beth Bruegman, Karin Bennett, Chelsea Herman, Jennifer Reynolds, Natalie Mata, Jessica Cavale and Laura Florez-McCusker.

Prospective members are invited to attend NFW’s monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 27, at The Vintage Press, 216 N. Willis St., Visalia. Luncheon cost: $30. The meeting, themed “Favorite Things,” is a favorite

meeting of the year for many. It allows each member (guests if there is time) to share her favorite thing with the group.

A list of last year’s favorite things are posted at: http://networkingforwomen. org/NFW_BLOG/4173889

TUCOEMAS FCU REFRESHES BRAND AND OPTIMIZES STAFF

Tucoemas has revamped, refined and refreshed the company vision over the last year.

Under the leadership of Brice A. Yocum CEO, the credit union is moving forward.

The culture remains service focused on local members.

New resources have been committed to this process, and products added for members, staff and the community.

“At Tucoemas, we believe being local means being better. We get to know you and your family, provide solutions for your needs, and keep your money here in our community, doing good things for good people,” says Brice Yocum, CEO. “In 2017, we launched our new look. We believe it’s a true reflection of our valley roots, and exemplifies the bright future we’re working toward for our members and our community. We are working hard to improve our service, tailor solutions and provide the kind of value that can only come from our local team working for our local members,” Yocum says.

Tucoemas encourages growth and leadership opportunities for all staff to optimize employees learning and development. TFCU announces the following staffing changes and promotions:

Lisa Quintana and Evie Garcia have accepted Loan Officer positions at the Whitendale branch office.

Joanna Ruelas, Irma Vasquez, and Ronda Mendes have accepted Loan Clerk positions.

Alicia De Leon accepted the Service Center Specialist Team Lead and Branae Hestily has accepted the MSR Team Lead at the Whitendale Branch. Kathy Miller accepted the Teller Department Team Lead position and Tara Chavira accepted the Service Specialist position at Whitendale branch. Additional new staff has been hired at the Cypress, Whitendale and Tulare branches.

New VP’s

In addition, the TFCU team has welcomed Meredith Ritter as their new VP of Finance.

Meredith has worked in the Credit Union industry for over ten years.

She has held multiple roles in leadership operations, lending and finance.

Meredith has completed her Bachelor degree from Sonoma State University and she is a 2008 Western CUNA Management School graduate. In 2017, Meredith completed her MBA from Fresno State.

Sonia Smalley has accepted the VP of Lending position. Sonia joined the Tucoemas family 29 years ago. In 1991, she became part of the Lending team where she progressively advanced through increasingly responsible positions within the department.

Sonia was promoted to Loan Supervisor in 2006 and Loan Manager in 2012. Sonia graduated from Western CUNA Management School in 2015.

6 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Agriculture

Tomato Harvest Slowly Gains Momentum Kevin Hecteman, CFBF It’s a slow but good start so far for the 2017 processing tomato harvest.

A lot of roadblocks stand between the tomatoes and the marketplace, including spring rains that delayed planting, June and July heat waves whose effects have yet to be determined, and the strong dollar holding down exports.

In its most recent report, issued two months ago, the California Department of Food and Agriculture revised upward the amount of tomatoes under processor contract, from 11.6 million tons to 11.8 million. Acreage remains the same, at

235,000. The California Tomato Growers Association estimates the yield will be 50.2 tons per acre.

“Most people think it’s going to be closer to 11 (million tons) than 12 right now,” said Mike Montna, president and CEO of the CTGA. “It’s still relatively early in the season. The northern area really just got going.”

Most harvest activity is taking place in the southern growing region, where harvest began July 6. Last year’s harvest began nearly two weeks earlier, on June 24, according to CTGA. Harvest in the northern region began less than two weeks ago, Montna said.

Paul Sanguinetti, who grows tomatoes in San Joaquin County, said no one is harvesting in his area yet and he doesn’t expect to start until around Sept. 10.

“All the tomatoes are going to be late,” he said. “Some of the canneries didn’t start till this week.”

Sanguinetti explained that the canneries depend on a daily diet of tomatoes to avoid shutdowns.

“If they get a gap in there where they don’t have any ripe tomatoes, they have to shut down,” he said. “They don’t want that. So they started later, and (they’re) hoping they can just run straight through.”

Tomato plants are developing well so

far, Sanguinetti said, with no major insect or disease pressures to speak of.

“The crops look good, but we don’t know on some of them because they’re just making the tomato crop now,” he said. “It’s hard to tell. (It will) be another month before we tell what kind of a crop we’re going to have.”

Toward the southern end of the valley, Daniel Hartwig was watching the thermometer.

“They can kind of go over the hill on you real quick when it gets real hot,” said Hartwig, procurement manager for Woolf Farming in Huron.

TOMATO continued on 7 »

New Water Bonds Could Go Before Voters in 2018 Christine Souza, CFBF On the assumption that one year of heavy rainfall hasn’t erased Californians’ memories of the severe drought that preceded it, state lawmakers and other proponents have drafted measures that could go before California voters in 2018, seeking investments in various projects dealing with water and the environment.

Four new bond proposals pertaining to water and the environment have been filed with the state or are currently pending in the state Legislature. California Farm Bureau Federation Director of Water Resources Danny Merkley, who is analyzing the proposals, said they contain resources intended to address a variety of California water challenges. These include safe drinking water and water quality, water efficiency and recharging groundwater supplies.

CFBF has not taken a position on the bond proposals, Merkley said, adding that tackling these water challenges remains important for the future sustainability of the state.

“All forecasts are suggesting that California will experience longer and more frequent drought periods, punctuated by heavy snowfall and rain events like we received this year. This means California needs to be more targeted in its approach to storing, moving and using water,” he said.

Bond financing as a means to raise money for projects is a way for the state to invest in its aging water infrastructure, Merkley said.

“Anything that could help us upgrade

the state’s aging and neglected water infrastructure, whether it is storage, conveyance or water quality, is helpful,” Merkley said. “Plus, water-supply conditions have changed today from 40 or 50 years ago and, other than Proposition 1 three years ago, we haven’t made many substantial improvements in the system to accommodate federal and state environmental policy, changing weather patterns or population growth from 17 million to nearly 40 million today.”

The new proposals could build upon investments agreed upon in November 2014, when voters approved the Proposition 1 water bond, which authorized $7.5 billion in general obligation bonds for state water-supply projects. Proposition 1 included $2.7 billion dedicated to new water storage, Merkley said, and provided funding for regional water reliability, water recycling, water conservation and watershed improvements.

The following water and environmental infrastructure proposals could be considered in 2018: A proposal by state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles, known as Senate Bill 5, would allocate $3.5 billion for water infrastructure, safe drinking water, groundwater, floodplain restoration, state and local parks, recreation facilities and wildlife. It could appear on the June 2018 ballot.

Assembly Bill 18 by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, is a park bond that would allocate $3.1 billion for state parks and outdoor recreation-

al sites, and increased access to recreation for disadvantaged communities. It would also include funds for improving water conservation, water quality and use of recycled water. It could appear on the June 2018 ballot.

An $8.37 billion proposal from Gerald Meral, former California Natural Resources Agency deputy secretary, would allocate funds to a variety of projects, including water-supply infrastructure; water storage and conveyance; ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration; and drinking water protection. It could appear on the November 2018 ballot.

A $7.5 billion proposal by environmental advocate Joseph Caves would allocate funds for projects for safe drinking water, water quality, climate resilience, and state and local park improvements. It could appear on the November 2018 ballot.

Justin Fredrickson, CFBF environmental policy analyst, noted that of the four proposals, the Meral bond initiative contains the largest number of directly water-related items, including money for safe drinking water, groundwater management and recharge, forest and water management, water infrastructure and supply, and system improvements to the Madera and Friant-Kern canals, including potential floodwater diversion and groundwater recharge capacity on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley.

He said SB 5 “allocates significant monies for levee and flood-system maintenance, while the Caves initiative commits a significant sum to the Salton Sea.” The AB 18 bond proposal focuses mainly on

parks, open space and land acquisition, without significant attention to water, Fredrickson said.

To appear on the ballot next year, the legislative proposals must pass both houses of the Legislature and be signed by Gov. Brown. The initiative proposals from Meral and Caves must be submitted to the attorney general to prepare a title and summary.

Proponents would have to collect 365,880 verified signatures from voters to qualify the initiative for the ballot.

Merkley noted that gathering signatures and funding a campaign to reach voters can be very costly—and the governor’s active support would be another key factor for success, as it was for the Proposition 1 bond.

In the case of the new water and environmental bond proposals, he said, proponents might ultimately combine projects into a single measure to place before voters.

If the measure grows too large, Merkley said, it could face competition from other bond proposals, such as those promoting higher education, low-income housing or transportation projects.

“With a couple of bonds out there, they could work against each other, so if it is possible to bring the (water-related) bonds together, that would give it a higher likelihood that it could move forward with everyone’s support,” Merkley 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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3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • 7

Agriculture

Commentary: Make Time in Aug. to Reach Out to Elected Officials Chelsea Molina, CFBF One of the best things about Congress closing their doors in our nation’s capital and heading home for the August recess is that representatives are active in their district offices and in the field, meeting with their constituents. Not only does Congress pack their bags and head home for the end of summer, the California Legislature does as well.

These district work periods give you the opportunity to truly engage in the fundamental process of influencing policy that affects you on the farm and ranch. During this time at home, legislators are looking for opportunities to meet with you, their constituents—so there is no better time to connect with them than now.

The state Legislature has been on recess since July 21 and returns to session in just a few weeks, on Aug. 21, but there is still ample time to reach out. The Congressional Summer Recess began on July 31,

Tomato Continued from 6

Hartwig’s employer began harvesting tomatoes in Fresno and Kern counties the week of July 7.

As with many others, Hartwig said the farm has been working to cope with a shortage of available employees.

In his case, his company is making use of mechanical sorters as part of the harvest work, much of which is already mechanized.

and Congress is not scheduled to reconvene until Sept. 5, leaving a good deal of time to contact your representatives while they are in their home districts, either by scheduling a meeting or hosting a farm or ranch tour.

This August recess is especially shaping up to be a busy one, filled with political activities focused around agriculture.

Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and members of the House Agriculture Committee will be in Modesto this coming Saturday, Aug. 5, for a listening session on “The Next Farm Bill.” The following week, on Aug. 10, the Agriculture Committee’s ranking member, Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and other members of the committee will be in the Monterey area for the same purpose.

As producers in the nation’s top agricultural state, California farmers and ranchers will certainly be affected by federal farm policy, as will our neighbors who

benefit from the nutrition programs contained in the farm bill. Opportunities for comment, such as these listening sessions, are rare, so there is no better time than now to engage in the process and let your voices be heard.

In addition to attending these listening sessions, we encourage you to invite congressional representatives, legislators and their staff members to your summer events or board meetings. Farmers, ranchers and people involved in agricultural businesses must continue to tell our elected representatives about what policies are working and which ones are hurting agriculture.

Although this is a busy time for farmers and ranchers in California, it is important to make time for this outreach. As you know, building relations with your elected officials is key to participating in the political process.

The California Farm Bureau Federation Political Affairs Department has sev-

eral resources to help you with your outreach, including tips for contacting your elected officials and for hosting farm tours.

Look for updates from CFBF and your county Farm Bureaus in the coming weeks regarding key bills and other top issues at the state and federal levels. Both the state Legislature and Congress will have a busy few months once they return from recess. You can also stay up to date on these issues and participate in part of our advocacy process through FARM TEAM at www. cfbf.com/farmteam.

If you have any questions or need assistance in reaching out to your elected officials, during the August recess or any time, please contact us at 916-561-4500.

(Chelsea Molina is manager of political affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation. She may be contacted at cmolina@ cfbf.com.)

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

“Used to be, years ago, that you’d have six machine riders, and now we’re down to using a couple,” Hartwig said.

“The automation side has certainly helped us out on the labor front.”

The base price being paid to growers this year stands at $70.50 per ton, down nearly $10 from two years ago, which Montna of the tomato growers association attributed to an oversupply of tomatoes and the strong dollar overseas.

“You’ve seen a reduction in tons over the last few years, and it’s just an effort to balance supply and demand,” Montna

said. “The dollar strengthening three years ago just slowed the export trend down.

We’re just trying to realign in the current marketplace.”

Sanguinetti said the price worries him.

“That’s about a break-even price,” he said. “It’s going to be one of those years we just hope we break even.”

August began with more triple-digit temperatures and promises to bring even more, which concerns Sanguinetti.

“Warm weather is good for tomatoes,” Sanguinetti said. “Hot weather is not.”

The century mark is the breaking point, he added.

“It’s like you on a hot day,” Sanguinetti said. “Don’t you feel like doing nothing on a hot day? Well, the tomato plant does the same thing. It just doesn’t want to do anything.”

(Kevin Hecteman is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at khecteman@cfbf.com.)

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

8 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Board

Continued from 1 Gutierrez’ swearing-in was a violation of the Brown Act. Dr. Benny Benzeevi, HCCA CEO, says that the second meeting wasn’t legal, and Gutierrez isn’t an official board member until the board formally recognizes her -- saying the trio should stop spending their time on “theatrics and meaningless antics.”

He oversees day-to-day operations at the hospital under a contract with the board.

The Meeting That Was - But Might Not Be?

Torrez and Wilbourn, the board’s president, were both absent from the July 27 meeting, though Northcraft stated he had invited both to attend.

That’s could be because Benzeevi stated he had advised “all members of the board” that the meeting would not be a legal meeting.

“People are free to meet at any time.

However, the meeting that was attended tonight is not a legal Tulare Local Healthcare District board meeting and has no legal authority,” Benzeevi said in a statement to the Voice.

After a significant delay from the meeting’s original starting time, the three members proceeded to check off a large slate of items.

The trio voted to: • Rescind resolutions that allowed HCCA to seek and execute loans on behalf of the district, one for approximately $79m, another for $22m, • Rescind a resolution that allowed HCCA to select the district’s legal counsel, • Sever the district’s relationship with the BakerHostetler law firm and attorney Bruce Greene, • Name McCormick Barstow as the district’s interim counsel, • Rescind the approval of minutes of the board’s January 27 meeting, thought to be inaccurately transcribed and shortened, • Terminate HCCA’s authorization to spend district money on private lawsuits, including a suit filed against Dr. Abraham Betre currently on appeal, • Require HCCA to provide orientation to Gutierrez to bring her up to speed on current projects, introducing her to staff, and touring facilities, • Change the timing of meetings to 6:30pm at the Tulare City Council chambers, • Set a special board meeting for 6:30pm, August 9 at the council chambers.

Michael Lampe, a Visalia lawyer representing some members of Citizens for Hospital Accountability in two suits against the district, specifically spoke in support of the board’s agenda item to discuss removing BakerHostetler, calling the firm a “cancer” on the hospital.

“I think that the most important thing that this board can do is get competent, independent legal counsel ASAP,” Lampe said, “and I applaud you for having that on your agenda.”

Dennis Mederos, Gutierrez’ attorney, stated that it was clear Gutierrez was a member of the board.

Kevin Northcraft, Mike Jamaica, and Senovia Gutierrez called a special board meeting for July 27. Hospital officials say that board meeting isn’t legal, and Gutierrez isn’t a board member yet.

Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice

Registrar of Voters Michelle Baldwin.

“The results of the recount confirmed our Certified Statement of Vote with 836 yes votes and 195 no votes. Senovia Gutierrez received 680 votes and Jesse Salcido received 190 votes,” the registrar’s office stated in a press release.

Although word had spread among attendees of Gutierrez’ swearing in ceremony that Kumar had filed for a recount, that didn’t stop the ceremony -- or stop a Tulare County Judge from swearing her in on July 25.

“Once we certify the election, that stands true,” Michelle Baldwin, the Tulare County Registrar of Voters said, “unless we do the recount and it proves we were in error.”

Baldwin also stated that the Registrar of Voters’ office could not step into the dispute over Gutierrez’ place on the board.

“It will be up to the District Board to determine when to declare the results of the election and when to swear-in the successful candidate. Presumably both actions will be taken at their next regularly scheduled meeting,” Baldwin said in a statement dated July 18. “It should be noted that the “old” Board declares the results of the election. The officer sought to be recalled is not officially removed from office until the new Board Member is sworn-in.”

Challenge #2: Brown Act Allegations

Kumar’s lawyer sent a letter addressed to Linda Wilbourn, Mike Jamaica, and Kevin Northcraft, claiming they participated in a violation of the Brown Act.

“If the candidate who received the highest number of votes fails to qualify within 10 days after receiving his or her certificate of election, the office to which he or she was elected shall be vacant, and shall be filled according to law,” Mederos stated, reading CA Elections Code Sec. 11386.

But Benzeevi disagrees -- and stated that the efforts only harmed the hospital.

“All members of the board were advised [the meeting was not legal] by the District’s legal counsel. Unfortunately, we are continuing to see a calculated and deliberate effort to destroy our hospital.

Those individuals, including the newly elected but not yet certified board member, would be much better served by spending their time educating themselves about actual hospital business instead of spending it on theatrics and meaningless

antics,” Benzeevi’s told the Voice .

“It is not an official board meeting. It’s not my opinion,” Benzeevi said.

“It’s the law.”

Challenge #1: A Recount

Though voter turnout was low -roughly 21% of registered voters in the district went to the polls -- those who did turn out in the district’s Zone 3 recall election voted with clear majorities to recall Dr. Parmod Kumar and replace him with Senovia Gutierrez.

Although the final results, certified on July 21 -- 81.09% in favor of recall, 76.40% in favor of Gutierrez -- seemed lopsided, Kumar still filed for a recount.

That recount didn’t end in his favor.

The results were the same down to the vote, according to Tulare County

An August 1 recount didn’t change the results of Tulare’s recall election.

The letter sent by Kumar’s lawyer to board members claims that Gutierrez’ swearing in ceremony was in violation of the Brown Act, the state’s open meetings law. The lawyer sent carbon copies to Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward.

“On 25 July 2017, with a majority of the board’s members in attendance, including [Wilbourn], Director Michael Jamaica, and Director Kevin Northcraft, action by the Board appeared to be taken to allow Senovia Gutierrez to assume a position as a Board Member of Tulare Local Health Care District 3, inter alia by having Honorable Walter Gorelick, Judge Superior Court Tulare County administer the official oath of office to Ms. Gutierrez,” the letter reads.

“The action taken appears to demonstrate by consensus of the Board that Senovia Gutierrez has assumed office as representative for District 3, despite there having been no publication of a Notice of any planned declaration by the Board, and despite the earlier filing of a timely request for recount with the Registrar of Voters of Tulare County,” it continues.

A process server briefly interrupted Joseph Soares to serve Northcraft and Jamaica with individually-addressed copies of the letter during the meeting.

“If I could have just one second, I’m sorry,” a process server stated. “You’re served, you’re served.”

Mederos responded to the letter in his speech at the July 27 meeting.

“I want you to take note at the very top — not at the program, but on the cover, where it indicates the ‘Swearing In Ceremony of Senovia Gutierrez,’” Mederos said.

He stated that he felt Kumar’s arguments fell flat.

“There [are] exceptions to the Brown Act, and I want to read this to you: one of the exceptions is that ‘the attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative body at a purely social or ceremonial occasion, provided that a majority

BOARD continued on 9 »

3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • 9

Gutierrez Sworn In to Tulare Hospital Board July 25 Tony Maldonado Senovia Gutierrez was sworn in July 25 to a new position on the Tulare Local Healthcare District’s Board of Directors.

Gutierrez was sworn in by the Hon. Walter Gorelick, a Tulare County Superior Court judge.

The ceremony, held at the Tulare Chamber of Commerce, attracted a large gathering of Gutierrez’ supporters and family.

“I am very excited for this new stage in my life — because it’s the way that we’re going to bring change to the hospital,” Gutierrez said. “Now, I’m going to work hard with all the board members, to make change possible.”

Fellow board members Linda Wilbourn, Kevin Northcraft, and Mike Jamaica attended the ceremony as well as other local officials, including Jose Sigala, and members of Citizens for Hospital

Accountability.

Some of those attendees spoke at the ceremony before Senovia was sworn in.

“You’ll have to roll those sleeves up, because it is going to be a battle,” Jamaica said.

“She has sharp nails,” someone from the crowd interjected, to laughter from the crowd.

“Exactly,” Gutierrez replied, to even more laughter.

Sigala, a Tulare City Councilman, spoke to both praise her and explain his support for the effort to recall Dr. Parmod Kumar and replace him with Gutierrez.

“When I first met Senovia I was very impressed by her, and very glad to see her vision and what she wanted to accomplish,” Sigala said.

The certified results available at the time showed that 1,031 voters chose to recall Kumar and 680 chose to vote for

Senovia Gutierrez was sworn in by Tulare County Judge Hon. Walter Gorelick.

Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice

Gutierrez as his replacement; a total of 1,037 voted in the election.

Board

Continued from 8 of the members do not discuss among themselves business of a specific nature,’” Mederos stated.

“The fact that you complimented her and congratulated her — there was no specific business, and also the fact that you’re now getting threatening letters, gives every appearance of being nothing more than trying to bully you into not proceeding in the fashion that you should,” he told the board members.

Officials with the Tulare County District Attorney’s office appear to agree with Mederos’ legal opinion: Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos mentioned the same exemption in the Brown Act to the Voice.

The DA’s office was requested to investigate if there had been a violation of the Brown Act. But Alavezos said that’s not their jurisdiction.

“This is not something we would investigate because Brown Act violations are not a crime,” he said.

Alavezos said that the DA’s office was not asked to investigate whether business was conducted or discussed at the ceremony, however.

The Meeting That Wasn’t

Before the board’s July 26 meeting started, hospital officials hadn’t set out a chair for Gutierrez or a name card for her, leaving only four seats at the dais. One person went up and shifted a chair away from the administrative assistant’s spot to add a seat for her; a security guard went back and restored the chair to its original position.

The omission provoked a response from Gutierrez’ supporters and members of Citizens for Hospital Accountability, the group supporting her election.

“They’re not going to seat Senovia, no -- they’re wrong,” Lampe said before the meeting started. “Once it’s certified, she’s in and they can’t stop her. But they’re going to physically stop her.”

Although Northcraft was running late to the meeting, it was decided that both he and Jamaica would strategically abstain from sitting at the meeting -- if Torrez and Wilbourn wanted a quorum, they would need to recognize Gutierrez as a fellow board member.

Linda Wilbourn, Senovia Gutierrez, and Richard Torrez showed up for a July 26 board meeting.

But Wilbourn stated that there were doubts over whether Gutierrez was a legitimate board member -- and the meeting was cancelled for lacking a quorum. Tony Maldonado/Valley Voice

The crowd’s suspicions were confirmed when the meeting started, although Wilbourn did add a chair for Gutierrez at the dais.

First introducing Gutierrez in the future tense, stating that she “will be the elected representative of Zone 3,” Wilbourn stated that there were doubts over her current status on the board.

“Mrs. Senovia Gutierrez is here, and has taken the oath of office, however there are some legal opinions that are not agreeing as to whether the board has to certify in a special recall election,” Wilbourn said. “Because this was a special recall election, not a regular election, there is a question as to whether we have to certify this as a regular board agenda item — where it is on your agenda today is #2, as a chair announcement, it’s not in the body of the agenda.”

Wilbourn called for the legal opinions of both Greene, a lawyer representing both the district and HCCA attending the meeting via telephone, and Mederos, on whether Gutierrez should be considered a seated board member.

Mederos never got to speak, because the meeting was cut short -- while speaking to Greene, members of the crowd noted that there wasn’t a quorum, since Wilbourn and Torrez didn’t recognize Gutierrez as a board member.

Greene stated the meeting should be adjourned, since there was not a quorum. Although Wilbourn agreed, at one point, amid shouts from the crowd, she appeared ready to recognize Gutierrez as

a member of the board.

“So put her on the board, like she deserves it,” one member of the crowd at the meeting shouted.

“Then there’s a quorum,” Wilbourn said. But it was too late.

“The meeting’s over, Linda. You just adjourned the meeting,” Lampe replied.

“And this serves no purpose,” Wilbourn said. “I make my personal apologies to Mrs. Gutierrez. This has turned into a circus, and I am so sorry about that. We at this time will just adjourn the meeting. This served no purpose.”

Mederos stated that Gutierrez had met all the legal requirements to be recognized as a board member: her election results were certified, the certification was delivered to the district, and she was sworn in by Judge Gorelick.

“She’s qualified, she’s the successor, she’s the board member,” he stated. “Now they’re taking the stance that the board has to certify the election. It’s the Registrar of Voters that certifies the election, not the board. The board’s requirement is they announce the election. [Section] 15400 says they are to announce the results of the election. There’s nothing in that code section that says she’s not a board member because they refuse to announce it.”

At the July 27 meeting, he stated that the objections to Gutierrez would have likely caused her to effectively vacate her seat in the eyes of the law.

“Despite the fact that Mrs. Gutierrez had been certified as elected by elected by the elections department, they were

A recount subsequently confirmed those results. going to wait because it wasn’t convenient for them on the agenda until the August meeting. The result of that is that she wouldn’t have qualified by taking her oath, until after the 10 days,” Mederos said. “I imagine at that time, they would then have declared that she didn’t timely qualify, and the seat was vacant.”

“It’s not the district’s choice when she has qualified for the position — it’s her taking the oath,” Mederos said. “It is abundantly clear, no matter what Mr. Greene says, that Mrs. Senovia Gutierrez is a member of this board.”

Benzeevi stated that hospital officials would follow the will of the people, but that the situation didn’t help things.

“This is a board matter. We’re going to talk to the attorneys and see — we’re going to do the right thing by the will of the people. We’re going to do what is necessary — all of this could have been completely avoided by just following the procedure,” Benzeevi said. “Everything could have been fixed right now — but, of course, you know the bullying continues. The antics continue. It doesn’t impress anybody at all — all it does is harm real people, that’s all it does.”

“We’re very disappointed by the continued antics of a small group of people that is hellbent on destroying this community. They’ve done it before, and they’re doing it again. This is not a game — this is really serious business. This is really serious business,” he said. “And the same antics have been used over and over again over the years, and the end result of this is going to be a catastrophe. We have got to get serious as a community. This is a farce. This is a joke. There’s real people that are getting treated in this hospital every single day. This is very disappointing.

Very very disappointing.”

Mederos disagreed.

“They wouldn’t even allow her to sit as a board member until we had [a] discussion out there. And under the circumstances, the current president of the board appears to be doing whatever she’s told to do,” he said. “And while Dr. Benzeevi may call this disgraceful, I view what they did there, in light of 81% of the vote for recall, 75% of the vote for Senovia Gutierrez — I find that appalling and disgraceful that they treated her at her first board meeting in that fashion. That’s horrible.”

10 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Cities

Sales Tax in Tulare & Kings Counties

Continued from 1

9.0

taxation measure was voted unanimously by council; the cannabis cultivation received a 4-1 vote, with Council Member Leonel Benavides voting no.

The city has imposed a wage freeze for city employees and City Manager John Jansons offered a 3% salary and compensation decrease for himself, which the council accepted.

“It’s to signal the seriousness of our situation,” Jansons said.

It is unclear just how long his pay reduction will last.

As for the employee wage freeze – “Employee groups have not agreed to this, so on-going negotiations with the City’s 5 bargaining units might lead to raises which would increase the deficit positon for fiscal year 17-18 and beyond,” Jansons said.

The city has avoided layoffs, at this time. Of main concern for Mayor Paul Boyer, is the city’s fire department.

“If you look at our fire chief and the second highest paid firefighter we have,” he said in an earlier interview, “that’s on a two-year grant that is going to run out in 2018, and I’ve got to say we have seen a dramatic improvement in the fire department since they’ve been here. We’ve had a lot of young people getting a lot of training and the responses, especially for medical emergencies, and that’s good. And, I really want to keep our fire department the way it is. And, that’s still depending on over 20 volunteers.”

8.8

Woodlake Also Looking for Sales and Cannabis Taxation

Some 14 miles northeast in Woodlake, that city council has also voted for November ballot measures – a one-cent sales tax and a cannabis taxation very similar to the one Farmersville council voted for the ballot. Currently, Woodlake does not have a city-implemented sales tax, according to City Manager Ramon Lara.

Like Farmersville, Woodlake council had a 5-0 vote for the sales tax measure, and a 4-1 vote for the cannabis tax measure, with Council Member Greg Gonzalez, Jr. voting against. The only difference between the two cities is that Woodlake is also considering the option of dispensaries.

Woodlake also held public hearings on each of the measures. As in Farmersville, no comments were made on potential taxation of cannabis-related business, but rather on the potential of such busi-

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nesses altogether.

It is noted that in both cities – neither council has reached any decisions as to whether to allow any form of cannabis business. That conversation is ongoing.

There is an urgency to get ballot measures to the County Elections office to meet deadlines for the November ballot – hence, the decision as to what types of tax to place on potential cannabis businesses, should the cities allow it. The $25 per square foot of business, or 10% of total annual income is a cap. Each city would not be required to charge the total amount, should voters elect to allow the taxation.

While revenue in Woodlake has been steady, Lara said, expenses have risen, such as insurance and workman’s compensation. In the past year or so, the city has seen a reduction of staff in city hall, the police department and outside consultants, he added.

Lindsay Has Recently Voted in a 1% Sales Tax

Down in Lindsay, similar increases in expenses are noted, said the city’s Finance Director Bret Harmon. Voters elected for a one-cent sales tax through a special ballot in June. The tax goes into effect the beginning of October with revenue from it first being seen in January, 2018, Harmon said.

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According to a June 15 article in the Voice, “the city has regularly faced yearly deficits in the $500,000 range for most of the last decade. The city’s woes began when housing prices fell and the market collapsed, leaving it struggling to service its debt load. The new revenue will allow it to meet all its current obligations and start spending again to maintain services.”

The sales tax measure, according to Mayor Pam Kimball in the article, indicates “Our calculations, if they’re correct, and staff seems pretty confident about it, would be about $900,000 [annually].”

“They were preparing two budgets, depending,” Kimball said. “They get to junk one. We’re pretty glad because they were going to be pretty drastic cuts. I think it was something like 13% across the board. It probably would have meant some people’s jobs.”

Lindsay has suffered some layoffs in the finance department, police department, Wellness Center and McDermont Field House, Harmon said. No current employees are suffering furloughs, as had happened in the past. McDermont’s has yet to pay for itself, although it is carrying its own weight.

Exeter Looks to Reduce Expenses

For the first time in years, Exeter City Council voted to pass a budget without allotting any funds for the Chamber of Commerce. Traditionally, the city has designated $30,000 for the chamber.

Last year, the city was only able to pay one quarterly payment of $7,500 of the $30,000 designated for the chamber.

“We’ve seen the same disturbing trend for a while,” said City Manager Randy Groom of Exeter’s financial status.

While people have somewhat

bounced back from the recession, a lot of revenue is still not there, he said.

“Sales tax is still kind of flat for us,” he said. And, property tax income had really suffered. And, like other city officials indicated, expenses continue to rise.

Exeter has also held off on capital investments that can no longer wait, Groom said.

For example, the city needs new sludge bed lining at the waste water treatment plant and water lines all around the city that are leaking due to age and need repairs and/or replacement.

The city has also started putting away funds for other possible expenses that will someday arise, such as vehicle replacement including the city’s fire engine.

“I give them [city council] credit – when they have to make tough decisions, they do,” he said. “Telling the chamber, we love you, but we cannot give you any money – that’s tough to do.”

The chamber does not take it personally, said Sandy Blankenship, executive director.

“Mainly it’s dollars and cents,” Blankenship said, “their general funds are in need just like other cities. Our relationship is still good.”

It was not a big surprise on the tails of last year’s lack of financial support, she said.

“It wasn’t a vote to not support [the chamber],” she said, “It was a vote to approve their budget. They help us in other ways including in-kind services that the chamber has not had to pay for.”

The chamber works on a budget of roughly $180,000 per year. It, too, has had to make cuts including the loss of a part-time employee position. It, also, will have to look at alternative ways to increase its revenue.

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3 August, 2017

Paychecks Continued from 1

abound. District employees report the amounts they’re paid have frequently been inaccurate since TLHCD switched payroll services. The District’s direct deposit system has failed for the last two pay periods, and employees have been issued paper checks on short notice twice.

“You will receive your paper check on Thursday 07-20-2017 pay-date just like last pay period,” an email from Tammy Kegler, the hospital’s manager of Human Resources read. “With direct deposit service, TRMC must transfer funds by noon on Tuesday to the paying bank. We are not able to meet the time frame required for this week’s direct deposit.”

More shocking, the District appears to be broke. According to recent accounting, TLHCD has $2m cash on hand, an 81.7% decrease from last year. It is also carrying $20 million in unpaid debt.

Calls to the District’s human resources department regarding unpaid employees were not returned. Dr. Yorai “Benny” Benzeevi, CEO of Health Care Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) which operates Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) also did not respond to a request for an interview on the District’s financial health.

Doctors Not Paid

Dr. Mylene Rucker, contracted by the District to oversee physicians assistants and nurse practitioners at the District-owned Hillman Healthcare Center, said TLHCD has not paid her in three months. The nonpayment, she said, has been a hallmark of her relationship with the District.

“They were supposed to pay me every month,” Rucker said. “It was never fine, always delays, six weeks to eight weeks at a time.”

Rucker, who has now stopped seeing patients at Hillman but continues to oversee mid-level staff there, says she knows of at least two other physicians contracted with TLHCD who have not been paid for their services.

Rucker complained each time payment was tardy, and eventually met with the CFO of HCCA. HCCA is owned in part by Benzeevi, who serves as its CEO. “I had a meeting with [HCCA CFO] Alan Germany,” she said. “He said, ‘Well, we have to bill Medi-Cal for the money.

We don’t know if all this is going to go through.’”

Rucker says she’s probably had enough.

“I haven’t quit yet, but I’m thinking about it,” she said.

ER in Peril, Numbers Declining

One of the physicians Rucker says was unpaid was an anesthesiologist who has not received payment for services rendered more than a year ago.

Now, reports have surfaced that Tulare Anesthesiologist Consultants Inc., which staffs operating rooms at TRMC, will end its relationship with the District.

Dr. Anthony Vierra confirmed the move to ABC30, a local broadcast news station.

Vierra told the station that the number of surgeries at the hospital have dropped — causing the amount of money the group receives to decrease by half.

“For whatever reason, the surgeries like went in half and it stayed that way

Valley Voice • 11 since [last November],” Vierra told the station. “Initially one or two months [is] whatever. But once it had gone on three or four months I said, ‘Uh oh, it’s not going to change.’”

Vierra’s group will end their relationship with the hospital on August 8.

Should the hospital not find a replacement in time, the District will no longer be able to operate its emergency room, provide surgeries or offer maternity care, due to emergency C-sections requiring anesthesia.

Vierra told the station that one of the group’s anesthesiologists will likely stay and form their own group.

Deanne Martin-Soares spoke at the hospital’s finance committee meeting on July 25, asking whether the hospital had a backup plan in place.

Hospital officials at the July 25 meeting did not directly respond.

“Is this anything that will be discussed at the board meeting tomorrow?” Delbert Bryant, the hospital’s long-time controller, asked Germany.

“Certainly,” Germany responded.

That board meeting was later adjourned without any discussion, because the board was unable to reach a quorum.

At the finance meeting, board members Mike Jamaica and Linda Wilbourn were told that the number of patients seen at the hospital has decreased.

“You can see that the volume is down, and we look at this on a regular basis, and a number of reasons for that,” Germany, the hospital’s CFO said, “as we kind of have all discussed, and are all familiar with.”

While the number of admissions at the hospital were roughly on par with last year’s numbers — 710 in the fourth quarter of 2016, and 702 in the fourth quarter of 2017 — the hospital’s average daily census decreased from 40.3 in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 33.8 in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The total number of clinic visits has also decreased — with the same period in 2016 compared to 2017, from 5,345 to 3,672; from 551 surgeries in 4Q 2016 to 379 surgeries in 4Q 2017. The most significant decline in surgeries was in outpatient surgeries.

Emergency department visits also decreased from 7,905 in 4Q 2016 to 6,606 in 4Q 2017, which Germany stated was likely due to many different reasons — including patients choosing other options, such as patients choosing to go to Federally Qualified Health Centers and clinics admitting to emergency departments in other cities.

“If we went back and worked at this for several years, deliveries at one point were quite a bit higher,” Germany said.

“Some of it is the birth rate but quite a bit of it, as we know, is the choice of expectant mothers to go to other facilities to deliver.”

For 4Q 2017, the hospital had 120

deliveries, roughly equivalent to the same period last year “Roughly, as you look at the three months, an average of about forty a month. Even with that low level of volume, we still have to keep a fully staffed obstetric unit,” Germany said. “That’s a safe thing to do, and of course a requirement to do.”

“Certainly can’t operate efficiently and economically as you have those low delivery levels,” Germany told the board.

A former employee, Greg Cotta, who worked 26 years as an RN at TRMC, agreed that the number of surgeries performed there was down to a third of the volume performed when HCCA took over. Cotta was laid off in September along with 29 other long-time employees.

“It’s just gone down like you wouldn’t believe,” Cotta said.

The drop in patients is similar in the obstetrics department, he said, where births have dropped from about 100 a month to about 30.

“Most of the experienced nurses have gone to Kaweah Delta,” Cotta said. “I don’t blame them. It’s scary for the mothers.”

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12 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Mathis

Continued from 1 local businesses and representatives of major industries to help explain the reform bill for Cap and Trade.

California’s AB32 passed in 2006 set in motion a series of policies to return California emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Under Cap and Trade, businesses buy and sell credits in order to pollute, allowing the state to cap overall greenhouse gas emissions while raising money to fight pollution.

The current bill, AB398, voted for

by Mathis, reformed the old Cap and Trade AB32 into a more cost effective way for businesses and farmers to cut emissions while continuing to combat climate change.

But the program has been a flash point for Republicans because they say Cap and Trade puts farmers and other farm related industries out of business.

Without the bill’s passage Cap and Trade would have expired.

Two thirds support in both houses was needed to pass AB398. One Republican in the Senate and seven in the Assembly joined a majority of Democrats in supporting the bill.

Assembly Member Devon Mathis was one of the eight Republicans who voted for the measure creating a barrage of criticism from his conservative base in Tulare County.

Business and Industries Voice Their Support for the Bill

Liberal environmentalists were not in favor of this bill because they felt like the emissions restrictions did not go far

enough. Three Democrats did not vote for the bill.

Mathis, who has never been in favor of Cap and Trade, faced the reality that it was the “law of the land.” According to Mathis, if the Republicans had not been willing to talk, Governor Brown would have had to work with the far left and make emission standards even stricter.

Governor Brown’s final concessions to the Republicans won a wide range of support. Farm organizations such as the Nisei Farmers League, irrigation districts, dairy groups and major manufacturers all threw their weight behind AB398.

During a power point presentation Mathis pointed out that the new Cap and Trade bill protects 200,000 jobs, lowers taxes and fees by $16 billion, rolls back some onerous regulations and opens the door to restricting Cap and Trade money from paying for High -Speed Rail.

The Assembly Republicans also prevented gas taxes from going up by $1.30 to increasing by 71 cents.

Republicans also gained partial control over how the Cap and Trade dollars will be spent. The Valley will now receive funds from Cap and Trade to remove the millions of dead trees in our parks, for research on dairy digesters, and funds for farmers to trade up to more efficient equipment. In addition, the Assembly may in the future have a say about cutting funds off for High-Speed Rail but not until 2024.

Another concession won by the Republicans helps rural areas and concerns the repeal of the fire tax.

Rural residents were assessed a special tax for fire protection in unincorporated areas of the county and their properties were liened if they did not pay. AB398 re-

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peals this tax, saving rural residents $2.5 million annually.

Dorothy Rothrock, President of California Manufacturers and Technology Association, said that Mathis and other Republicans managed to fix Cap and Trade and make it better for industry.

“This is an example of moderates coming together. The far right and far left were not part of this,” she said.

Western States Petroleum, an oil industry association, said that Cap-andTrade’s market-based approach provided industry and businesses with more flexibility to meet the new emissions standards.

“The bipartisan support of AB 398 ensured an improved cap-and-trade program with tax cuts, cost containment measures, and significant bureaucracy reduction that will contain costs for all Californians.”

Western States Petroleum also stated that without the reform bill the emissions restrictions would have been at least four times more expensive for every California family and cost the state four times more jobs.

Anja Raudabaugh from Western United Dairymen said that her organization struggled with the Cap and Trade but made the hard decision to support the bill. She said that the reformed bill keeps down the cost of production for dairies and applauded Mathis for voting yes.

Roger Isom from the California Cotton Ginners said that there wasn’t anyone up on the panel that liked Cap and Trade but that we are stuck with it. “This bill is a hell of a deal though I know that’s hard for everyone to understand.”

The Public Speaks

After the panelists spoke it was time for the public to weigh in. Most of the speakers did not have questions but railed against Mathis for extending Cap and Trade.

“You are supposed to stand up for those who voted for you,” said Josh Fulfer.

He accused Mathis of not standing his ground with other conservative Republicans who are against Cap and Trade.

Mariann Hedstrom, a member of the Tulare County Republican Central Committee, claimed that Mathis was lying about his exact reasons for supporting the bill.

“I don’t know what they promised you but I don’t think it was worth it,” she said.

She lamented the fact that Mathis did not pay attention to the emails and phone calls he received concerning this bill.

“We didn’t send him to the Assembly to disrespect us,” Hedstrom stated.

Hedstrom also pointed out that Mathis’ vote spared three Democrats in Republican targeted districts from having to vote for Cap and Trade.

Allowing them to vote no on liberal legislation gave those Democrats a leg up against their Republican challengers.

Mathis responded by saying he was sick of the nonsense going on in Washington DC. “At some point you have to sit down and talk. If you want to rebuild the Republican Party then you need to be more than the party of ‘no,’” Mathis said. “By being at the table we were able to move it to the right.”

Susan Walsh, a local conservative activist, said she was shocked about Mathis’ vote on Cap and Trade.

“You have solidified the fact that we need new leadership in our Assembly,” she said.

She pointed out that President Trump spoke out against Cap and Trade and if he were here today he would say to Mathis, “You’re fired!”

Between Walsh’s string of vitriolic name calling she told Mathis, “You might as well join the ranks of the Democrats.”

Another frustrated speaker said, “Where are the hard numbers? I haven’t seen it. You got played like a fool brother.”

Mathis said that the easiest political decision would have been to vote no. But he received letters from large employers in the Valley such as Kraft and Foster Farms that the Central Valley will lose 10,000 jobs without his vote.

Some members of the public were there in support of Mathis. Lyle Schlyer from Calgren Renewable Energies said that his company has 50 employees.

“I think Mathis is right. What Mathis voted for is a huge improvement and I am here to thank Mathis.”

A local dairy owner approached the mike to applaud Mathis’ courage on his vote. He said that a lot of jobs would have been lost in the dairy industry. “You have to understand that something worse was going to happen to us. A lot of Republicans won’t stand here and compliment you because the bill was complicated but I want to thank you for saving jobs.”

Another speaker from the food industry said that without the reform bill his company would have had to reduce production to the point of closing. He said that Mathis voted for the alternative and that’s what saved jobs.

“If you want to change the government, don’t go after this man but the next town over to [Assemblyman Joaquin] Arambula who doesn’t give a damn about farmers.

In the spirit of President Trump’s advocating to “let Obamacare implode,” citrus grower Bill Ferry told Mathis that even if the reformed Cap and Trade bill was better for the state he should have voted no and let California crash and burn.

“You should have drawn a line in the sand.”

Mathis replied that he is not only a California representative but a father, and the thought of the state crashing and burning scares him.

“I can’t let that happen without a fight. I said I would put people over politics and I hope people understand how difficult this decision was to make.”

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3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • 13

Education

Porterville College Welcomes New Interim President Nancy Vigran Officially starting in September, Porterville College (PC) will see a change at the top with a new interim president, Bill Henry. Current president, Dr. Rosa Carlson, announced her retirement toward the end of the spring semester. She is only retiring with the assurance of Henry serving as interim president to maintain a manner of continuity for the college.

Henry has worked for PC since 1998, starting as an instructor in law enforcement. The former member of the Bakersfield Police force had also taught part-time at Bakersfield College, and has been associated with the Kern Community College District (KCCD), of which both colleges are a part of, since 1978.

Following teaching at PC for seven-and-a-half years, Henry moved on to administration. He was Carlson’s first administrative appointment when she became president nearly 12 years ago, he said. Now, she is taking the same faith in him, by asking him to step up to the plate, again.

“She’s handed me the keys to the castle, so to speak,” he said. “She’s been great for the college and she’s done an excellent job in positioning us, not only with the district, but within the community.

“We weren’t really as connected back in ‘98 and early 2000 as we are now. [Today] we’re a huge part of the community and the community is a huge part of us and, that’s a direct result of Dr. Carlson’s leadership.”

Carlson has served as president of PC for nearly 12 years – prior to that she served College of the Sequoias (COS) as vice president, and earlier taught at Reedley College. She found her niche in community colleges, she said, because it was such an important part of her own education.

A Part of the Kern Community College District

Being a part of the KCCD, a conversation seems to be ongoing with regard to there being a college in Tulare County belonging to the Kern County district.

“It’s kind of odd,” Henry said, “It can be confusing. We’ve worked really hard [over the years] at finding our spot.

I think that the community now understands that we’re Porterville – we’re

Tulare County – yet we operate as part of a district with three campuses – as a district we are much stronger with three campuses.”

The KCCD is the largest community college district in the nation covering 24,000 square miles, he said, including Porterville College, Bakersfield College and Cerro Coso College in Ridgecrest.

Carlson’s leaving is tough for her and the college.

“She needed to be comfortable in making that separation,” Henry said.

“Again, she’s been a huge part of the campus. She’s got 40 plus year in education – it’s a tough separation.”

Carlson agrees with Henry assessment – it is hard for her to let go.

“I want the faculty to feel comfortable,” she said. “We’ve worked hard on an educational master plan, which is in place and he [Henry] will continue. He will do a good job – he has my 100% support.”

Taking PC Through Spring 2019

“We’re getting ready to go through an accreditation process in the fall of 2018 – which is huge,” Henry said. “She wanted to be comfortable that we have some consistency – some continuity going through that process.

“She approached me about staying – I was getting ready to leave. I was going to retire next year.

“We’ve had an understanding for a very long time; that we both wouldn’t go at the same time. So, she told me her plans – it’s a well-deserved retirement. I agreed to stay through accreditation – I’ve since agreed, in talks with Dr. Carlson and our chancellor that I would stay until after accreditation and until we had a permanent president selected and put in place. So, I will be here until at least the spring of 2019, another two years.

“We’re showing growth – right now we’re up all most eight percent, compared to where we were this time last fall. Our programs are growing. We’ve got new faculty on board. So things are going really well for the school right now – I want to maintain that.”

General Ed & Basic Skills

The college has a strong basic skills and general education program.

“We’re doing some great things with

Porterville College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs Bill Henry takes on the role of interim president with the onset of the fall semester. Nancy Vigran/Valley Voice

acceleration,” Henry said. “So, we’re basically giving students who are not necessarily prepared for college, the opportunity to go beyond that and be college-ready, as far as the courses they’re taking, all within a semester.

“The more we can take students out of that remediation environment, and make them college ready - they are a better prepared, more successful student.

And we’re getting them to their goals quicker, which is what we’re trying to do.”

Porterville College draws students from a large area – from Exeter and Lindsay to Delano. Some COS and Bakersfield College students may also pick up a class in Porterville, Henry said. The college also has a small online program which makes up about 8% of its program. It also has a community education program for lifelong learners, or those who want to enjoy a class without worry-

ing about grades or credits. Such classes include physical education, art and notary public preparation.

The date for Dr. Carlson’s official retirement is in September, although she is currently on vacation and Henry has pretty much assumed the office of president.

Porterville College’s unduplicated, or actual student body, averages between 3,800 – 4,100 students. This year the target is 3,100, Henry said. The duplicated enrollment, or total enrollment of students in all classes averages about 12,000. The fall semester starts Monday, August 21.

“We’re here for you,” Henry said. “If you want to improve a skill, want to improve a skillset for a current occupation, or maybe you want to change occupations – we’re here for you.”

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14 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Viewpoint

Opening Gitmo To The World Robert C. Koehler

To read Witnesses of the Unseen: Seven Years in Guantanamo is to run your mind along the contours of hell.

The next step, if you’re an American, is to embrace it. Claim it. This is who we are: We are the proprietors of a cluster of human cages and a Kafkaesque maze of legal insanity. This torture center is still open. Men (“forever prisoners”) are still being held there, their imprisonment purporting to keep us safe.

The book, by Lakhdar Boumediene and Mustafa Ait Idir — two Algerian men arrested in Bosnia in 2011 and wrongly accused of being terrorists — allows us to imagine ourselves at Guantanamo, this outpost of the Endless War. “‘Take him outside,’ the interrogator told them. They led me up a flight of eight or nine concrete steps to a long gravel drive. It was pitch black out, and completely quiet. There was no one around. One of the soldiers grabbed my left arm, and another took my right.

And then they started running.

“I tried to keep up, but my legs were shackled together. First, my flip-flops fell off, and after a few barefoot strides, my legs fell out from under me. The soldiers didn’t even slow down. They kept a firm grip on my arms while my legs bounced and scraped along the ground, gravel biting into them. When the run

finally ended, the soldiers brought me back to the interrogation room, bloody and bedraggled.”

This is one fragment, one story of the seven years these two innocent men endured: these two fathers who were pulled away from their wives and children, yanked from their lives, stuffed into cages, interrogated endlessly and pointlessly, humiliated, force-fed (in Lakhdar’s case) . . . and finally, finally, ordered by a U.S. judge to be freed, when their case, Boumediene v. Bush, was at long last heard in a real court and the lack of evidence against them became appallingly clear.

The book is the story of the courage it takes to survive.

And it’s a story that can only be told because of the work of the Boston legal firm WilmerHale, which spent more than 17,000 pro bono hours litigating the case, “work that would have cost paying clients more than $35 million.”

Lakhdar and Mustafa were freed in 2008 and began rebuilding their lives.

They eventually decided they wanted to tell their story — to an American audience. Daniel Norland, who was a lawyer at WilmerHale when the case was making its way through the court process (but was not part of the litigation team) and his sister, Kathleen List, who speaks fluent Arabic, conducted more than 100 hours of interviews with the two men,

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which were shaped into Witnesses of the Unseen.

In October 2011, the two men, who were living and working in Sarajevo, were among six Algerians who wound up being arrested by Bosnian authorities and charged with plotting to blow up the American embassy in Sarajevo. They were held for three months, then released. There was no evidence to back up the accusation.

But this turns out to be the beginning of their story, not the end of it. The men were released not back to their own lives but to an authority more powerful than the Bosnian judicial system: They were released to the Americans, who had begun rounding up Muslims . . . uh, terrorists. Evidence, or lack thereof, didn’t matter. These men were shipped to a new military prison, built at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba — an offshore prison, in other words, unencumbered by the U.S. Constitution. The detainees there allegedly had zero rights. That was the whole point.

Much of what Lakhdar and Mustafa describe is the efficiency of the U.S. military in dehumanizing its prisoners. The beatings and physical pain inflicted by guards, interrogators and even medical personnel were only part of it. The men also endured sexual humiliation, endless mocking of their religion — “I heard . . . that a soldier went into someone’s cell and flushed his Qur’an down the toilet” — and the cruel, teasing “misplacement” or censorship of letters from the prisoners’ loved ones.

Several years into his imprisonment, Lakhdar went on a hunger strike, which meant he was subjected to force-feeding, which the U.N. Human Rights Commission has called a form of torture: “The soldier brought out an apparatus with a long yellow tube and started measuring out the length of tube he needed. He stopped when he got to a marking somewhere between 45 and 50 inches. That was the amount of tube he was going to insert through my nostril. . . .

“It’s almost impossible to explain what a feeding tube feels like to someone who hasn’t experienced it. I felt like I was choking, and being strangled, and yet somehow still able to breathe, all at the same time.

“The soldier taped the tube in place.

I could see the Ensure trickling through the tube, one droplet at a time. It felt

cold as it reached my stomach. I later learned that a full feeding normally takes fifteen to twenty minutes, but that first time they went exceptionally slowly.

I sat in the clinic, chained to the chair, a tube protruding down my throat, for the rest of the afternoon and all through the night.”

It took no less than a Supreme Court ruling to start ending this nightmare.

In early 2007, a U.S. Circuit Court judge had refused to hear Boumediene v. Bush on the grounds that Guantanamo prisoners had no Constitutional rights. But the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal, and in June 2008 ruled that Guantanamo counted as part of the U.S. and, as Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, the government couldn’t “switch the Constitution on and off at will.”

Thus the case went back to the Circuit Court and a real hearing got underway, leading to one of the most appalling revelations in the book: “Our lawyers had told us, in the days leading up to our trial, about a recent bizarre development in our case: the government had dropped its allegation that we had plotted to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. Just like in Bosnia seven years before, authorities were eager to toss around bomb-plot allegations right up until a court required them to provide evidence.

“Instead, our lawyers told us, the government now said that the reason it considered us ‘enemy combatants’ was that it had evidence — classified evidence that I wasn’t allowed to see — that we had made a plan to fly to Afghanistan and join Al Qaeda’s fight against American forces there. This was the first time I had ever heard this allegation. No one — no police officer, no Bosnian official, no American interrogator — had ever asked me a single question about it.

“And it was a ludicrous allegation. . . .”

And the judge ruled in their favor and they eventually were set free, to reclaim their lives, to see their children for the first time in seven years — and to give their story to the world.

But as long as Gitmo remains open and the Endless War continues — and no one is held accountable — there is no ending to this story, just an open wound.

Political Fix

playmate for Chuck. My dad would spend the next decade traveling, playing and celebrating holidays and birthdays with Alex and Chuck.

Seven and a half months after our memorable Christmas Alex was born on our bathroom floor in our Lafayette house. My husband and I saw Alex take his very first breath, and then in March we saw him take his very last. Alex would have been 29 years old August 3.

I’m actually glad I never told Alex how I announced his pregnancy to the family because now I have one last story to share with my son.

Happy Birthday Alex.

Continued from 3

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eat. As we all sat in silence staring at my dad dive into his cordon blue he finally noticed no one was talking. You could see the light bulb go off in his head as he realized that Joseph was not toasting to Chuck, but that he was going to be a grandfather again.

We all laughed and my dad lifted up his glass once more, but this time to toast to Alex.

As the years went by my one planned pregnancy didn’t turn out to be just a

Robert Koehler, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a Chicago award-winning journalist and editor.

3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • 15

Comments & Letters Macareno: “A Defining Moment Black Tie for Our Assemblyman?”

As a former opponent of Devon Mathis for the State Assembly I applaud his affirmative vote to extend the state’s landmark climate change policy for another decade. It was difficult for him to vote on a bill that was supported and pushed by the opposing party, “I think cap and trade sucks but it is existing law,” said Mathis to his colleagues prior to the vote.

The bipartisan passage of Assembly Bill 398 was important enough that some in the GOP, like Mathis, had to look at the bigger picture for everyone.

It helps us fight for a clean environment for future generations while helping build a robust economy. Make no mistake that this bill was a compromise and some Democratic activists were not happy to make concessions such as the repeal of a firefighting fee on rural homeowners, a constitutional amendment that could give Republicans more say in 2024 on how to spend cap-and-trade revenues and more.

Political GOP insiders made their statements clear. “I didn’t work hard to elect Republicans so they can decide that a small tax increase might be better than a big tax increase,” said John Fleischman, a leading conservative. The California Business Round Table, which supported the bill, was expecting this kind of backlash that they launched a series of social media ads thanking Mathis and other Republicans who voted for cap and trade.

Political backlash comes from both sides as Democratic Assemblyman Rudy Salas knows quite well when he voted against the Gas Tax legislation and he was stripped from a committee chairmanship.

The governor worked with the Republican leader, Chad Mayes, to get the legislation passed in the Assembly.

Mathis’ vote was partly political and party responsible. Political in the sense that he is following the lead of his party leader and responsible in what it does for constituents.

The question now is can we build on this and set an example nationwide that cooperation in government is possible.

The question for Mathis specifically is, can he truly be a statesman over a politician. There are many other issues important to the district that has yet to be adequately addressed by Mathis.

The district has a large immigrant population that supplies our agricultural labor force and yet no words of support for his sizable constituents affected by the aggressive Donald Trump administration policies. There are also the re-use of once banned pesticides in agricultural fields and rural communities, clean and safe water, lack of jobs and quality healthcare and more. His performance thus far has alienated both Republicans and Democratic constituents who live where he describes, “the poorest in the state.”

Mathis’ problem is that he has yet to define who he is. Can he hold on to his personal convictions and constituent needs over constant political pressures?

For now, the cap and trade vote was a big step forward for Mathis and he should be recognized for it.

When I decided to seek a seat in the Assembly I was moved to run because our representation in Sacramento was based on partisanship and not the constituents. Even Mathis’s previous votes and inaction in some cases failed his constituents despite his claim to “People over Politics.”

In addressing his legislative colleagues Mathis passionately said, “This is the most politicized legislation I have seen yet. Do we do what is right or what is politically right? Out of fear of the political side? Our job is to have the guts.

This is the right thing to do.”

Let’s hold him to it, to do the right thing for all of his constituents.

Ruben Macareno President & Founder Latino Democrats of Central California

USE YOUR VOICE

Comment online at ourvalleyvoice.com Send letters to editor@ourvalleyvoice.com or to PO Box 44064 Lemon Cove, CA 93244

Lost and Found

“

“

Around the Block

Alex Oldenbourg

Home and Dry

Your voice at ourvalleyvoice.com I attended the swearing in ceremony. Linda Wilbourn sat toward the left front of the room. Kevin Northcraft on the second or third row on the right side of the room. Mike Jamaica was standing against the wall on the right side of the room. Senovia Gutierrez was in the front row. I watched for interaction and other than shaking Senovia’s hand there wasn’t any discussions or Brown Act violations occurring.

Kevin left quickly after the meeting and then Linda. That left Mike and Senovia. Senovia was surrounded by well wishers. No business was discussed. A video was done.

Watch it and check for yourselves.

I was at a hospital employee recognition at Kumar’s house in 2013. Shaun Bolouki joked the press would be reporting of a Brown Act violation since at least three hospital board members were present: Kumar, Bell, Avitia and not sure if there was anyone else.

Kumar is like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He didn’t get his way, or in this case the votes, he will do whatever he can to stop Senovia Gutierrez from being a hospital board of director.

Too late as she is certified by the Tulare County Elections office and sworn in under oath. He has been OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED REPLACED as a recalled hospital director. The bigger questions are why all the stall tactics? What is he up to?

”

— Mary Sepeda on Kumar Claims Brown Act Violation Ladies and Gentlemen Who Are Reading This, First and foremost, I am a current hospital employee at TRMC. I, along with my co workers, come to work each day ready to take care of all patients who enter TRMC. We do care about the community we serve. We are not about the politics or other distractions, we are about taking care of patients and supporting families.

The public should be thankful that the employees, including the one’s whose checks bounced, still are coming to work. We are dedicated.

I am asking that the public please don’t attack employees verbally or otherwise. We are doing our best to serve the public.

As employees, we don’t support what HCCA is doing. Quite frankly, we all are very upset. But of course, employees are concerned about retaliation if they speak.

I do not condone any actions that make our situation worse. That includes employees not keeping calm. We as employees must stay the course and battle through to make it right. Employees, be professional and treat everyone with dignity.

To the Board, do the right thing and fix this. You have the authority to suspend the HCCA contract, get a $40 million dollar loan for operating costs, and contact the TC DA Tim Ward and CA ATTY General office. Have HCCA financials, creditors etc reviewed. TLHCD is protected under state law, and, HCCA falls under PC section 424. Mis appropriation of public funds because we are a district. HCCA is entrusted to maintain public funds.

Again to the public, please stop the attacks on employees. We are here to serve and ready to help you. Thank you.

A Defense Department retail board in 2014, gave the go-ahead to a plan to open online exchange shopping to all honorably discharged veterans, with hopes of starting the program on Veterans Day in 2017. It seems that plan is coming to fruition.

The move, originally proposed by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service in 2014, was approved by the Executive Resale Board and is currently undergoing beta-testing.

Opening the Exchange to the about 20 million honorably discharged U.S.

veterans comes with a strong business case, Exchange officials have said. By early July, 90,000 veterans had attempted to register to exchange shop online starting Nov. 11 Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) estimated its annual sales would climb by $185 million to $525 million and earnings would increase by $18 million to $72 million. It could bring as much as $108 million annually in support for Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs, which rely on Exchange dividends for the bulk of their funding across the services.

All veterans are being encouraged to take the first step in this process by

”

— TRMC Employee 91 on Paychecks Bounce at TRMC

Veteran’s Corner: Online Exchange Shopping Open to Vets Scott Holwell

Concatenate

confirming veteran eligibility status at https://www.vetverify.org. It might be a multi-step process, if the Defense Manpower Data Center lacks information to verify a veteran served and received an honorable discharge.

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 • Valley Voice

3 August, 2017

Assemblyman Devon Mathis Has A New Chief of Staff

Cardiologist Joins Visalia Medical Clinic, Seeing Patients in Tulare

ally well.”

Cannon has been working for Mathis Assemblyman Devon since the end of May. Mathis has a new chief of Cannon will be Mathis’ staff, legislative veteran Sam third chief of staff. Former Cannon. Cannon was born in campaign manager Cole AzKern County and was raised are was Mathis’ first chief of in Fresno. staff until April 15, 2015. AfCannon met Mathis ter Azare, Mathis hired lobthree years ago while working byist Sean Doherty, who was for the Committee on Rules fired May 5, 2016. while training new assemIt was previously reportbly members. ed that Doherty was fired by Sam Cannon Cannon has worked for the Assembly Rules Committhe California legislature for 18 years. Af- tee for misconduct, though the allegation ter his stint as Assemblyman Bill Maze’s has not been proven. Cannon stated that chief of staff from 2002 -2006, he worked his hiring was completely independent of for Assemblyman Paul Cook in the neigh- Doherty’s termination. boring district. While working on the rules When asked about Mathis’ future committee, Cannon was also the chief of plans Cannon said he is definitely running staff for Assemblyman Don Wagner, who in 2018 and wants to serve out his time in represented parts of Orange County. the assembly. He is not aware of any chalWagner termed out so Cannon was lengers to Mathis’ seat. available.

Mathis was elected to the California “I heard there was an opening and Assembly District 26 in November, 2014 I had a few interviews. We got along re- and will term out in 2026.

Reza Rafie, MD, has joined Visalia Medical Clinic and is now seeing patients at the Tulare Cardiology Center.

The son of a cardiologist, Dr. Rafie wanted to be a cardiologist because he enjoys the role of reasoning, logic and math in the medical specialty, and the way his father respected his patients made an imReza Rafie pression on him as a child.

He discovered Visalia thanks to fellow VMC cardiologist Ashkan Attaran, MD, whom Dr. Rafie met during his residency at USC. “Dr. Attaran told me how much he is enjoying his life and time here in Visalia,” Dr. Rafie noted. “He is the main reason I chose Visalia.”

Dr. Rafie completed medical school and his residency at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, followed by research at the Institute of Genetic Medicine at USC and his residency at the Department of Internal Medicine at USC.

A fellowship in cardiology at Kaiser Permanente followed, along with several years of research at the Heart Institute of Cedar Sinai Medical Center and at USC’s cardiovascular department.

The Tulare Cardiology Center, an affiliate of the Kaweah Delta Medical Foundation, is located at 938 N. Cherry, Tulare. To make an appointment, or for further information, call 686-3481.

Visalia Medical Clinic offers the expertise of more than 50 providers. VMC also offers a lab, imaging including CT and MRI, extended hours through the QuickCare walk-in clinic, a Sleep Disorders Center, and a Physical Therapy Department, all in one location at 5400 W. Hillsdale, Visalia.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended and weekend hours at QuickCare.

For information, call 739-2000 or visit www.vmchealth.com.

Wardo

White Collar Crime Unit has undertaken numerous cases of embezzlement, conflict of interest, political, and commercial crimes. This unit has the expertise and ability to take a case from filing through sentencing. Experienced and trained prosecutors are assigned to this unit. These cases often take weeks just to read, then the process of determining a course of action begins. The Deputy

District Attorneys and the investigators assigned to these cases are specialized and dedicated to prosecuting white collar crime.”

What in the world was Underwood talking about?

This isn’t a hit piece; as I’ve indicated, it isn’t even an article. This is a call to action.

Joseph Oldenbourg

Catherine Doe

Continued from 2 Gilbert M. Cardenas and Eric Grant respectively head the North and South County Criminal Investigations Divisions. Their identical mandate is to handle “District Attorney initiated criminal investigations in northern [and southern]Tulare County involving alleged

police and public official misconduct, Tulare County Grand Jury investigations, and post filing investigations for pending felony and misdemeanor cases awaiting a trial by jury.”

Furthermore, there is a White Collar Crime arm, established in 1996, dedicated to the “prosecution of economic crime.”

More from the DA’s website: “The

MEDICARE 101 I N F O R M AT I O N A L SEMINAR Sponsored by Key Medical Group and Kaweah Delta Health Care District

Valley Scene

3 August, 2017

Tachi Palace Breaks Ground on Expansion Project Manny Oldenbourg On July 27, the Tachi-Yokut tribe celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony for a new entertainment complex at the Tachi Hotel and Casino in Lemoore.

The complex is slated to open September 2018.

The complex will be an all-encompassing 88,350 square feet of fun featuring an 8-screen movie theater, a 30-lane bowling alley, an arcade equipped with the latest games, a 10-table billiard room, and a concessions/bar for refreshments.

The goal for building this entertainment complex is to be family friendly so everyone will be able to enjoy the Tachi Hotel and Casino.

The ground-breaking ceremony had a turnout of about 300 people ranging from all walks of life. The Kings County Fire department even joined the celebration with a large fire truck, donated by the Tachi-Yokut tribe to the department.

Before the public speeches were made, guests were treated to a buffet ranging from salad, barbecue chicken, beef brisket, and cake. Two expansive canopies shaded the guests in their seating area.

Families from the tribe had the honor of breaking ground with ceremonial golden shovels. Manny Oldenbourg/Valley Voice

To begin the announcements, the spiritual leader of the tribe, Mike Ciscos, gave a prayer in the Yokut tribal language.

Then he said, in English, “Take care of elders, and the young ones.”

Adam Mays, the President of A.R. Mays Construction, also had a few words

to say, expressing his excitement about building the entertainment complex.

Also, the cultural educator and the youth tribal group sang 4 tribal songs for the audience, including traditional songs like the “Tulare Lake Song” and the “Eagle Song” which are passed down from generation to generation.

After the public announcements were done, the official ground breaking commenced.

Families of the Yokut tribe had the honor of performing the ground-breaking with gold shovels.

Moments in Time Art Reception Aug. 4 at Porterville Gallery

Ferdinand (Aaron Nucum) must move “some thousand logs” to prove his devotion to Miranda (Kallysta Tyler). Courtesy/James Kliegl

Shakespeare Comes to the Plaza in Lindsay this Month Staff Reports The 12th Annual Shakespeare in the Plaza summer play is The Tempest, presented by the Lindsay Community Theater. Show dates are August 10, 12, 17, and 19 at the Sweet Brier Plaza stage in Downtown Lindsay. Shows start at Dusk (about 8pm) and admission is free.

The play centers around the magician, Prospero (Chris Shepard), rightful Duke of Milan, and his daughter, Miranda (Kallysta Tyler), who have been stranded for 12 years on an island after Prospero’s envious brother Antonio (Thomas Crow) , aided by Alonso (Connor Neilson), the King of Naples, deposed him and set him adrift with the three-year-old Miranda. Gonzalo (Jim Kliegl), Alonso’s counselor, had secret-

ly supplied their boat with some food, fresh water, and Prospero’s magic books.

On the island, Prospero is served by a spirit, Ariel (Alex Summers), whom Prospero had rescued from a tree in which he had been trapped by the cruel witch, Sycorax. Sycorax’s son, Caliban (Jesse Dugan), a deformed monster and the only non-spiritual inhabitant before the arrival of Prospero, was initially adopted and raised by him, teaching him their language. When Caliban turns his attention to the now grown Miranda, Prospero imprisons him in a cave and only releases him to do menial tasks.

Prospero, having divined that his brother Antonio and King Alonzo are on a passing ship manned by the Master (Steve Boles) and the Boatswain (Aurora

SHAKESPEARE continued on B7 »

A lifelong artist, Jeanette Brewer’s Nancy Vigran work features snapshots of life, as well as multi-piece journeys. Her acrylics are animals and insects.

“My African designs currently being featured tell a story around the room in her one-woman show, – of the underground railMoments in Time, at the road and the Black AmeriPorterville Art Association can cowboy.

Gallery, with an artist’s re“The Underground ception on Friday, August Railroad influence was 4. The exhibit will run inspired by my son Sethrough September 8. an’s graduation from Brewer grew up in Northridge State UniverPorterville and graduated sity. He asked me to paint from Porterville High. She some paintings that had majored in art at Cal State, The Porterville Art Association Gallery will women of the underground Fresno and also took classes host Jeanette Brewer on compared to women of the at Porterville College.

August 4.

Bible. These were displayed “I paint events that have happened, that inspire me to in a show he put together titled, Mother paint,” Brewer said, “including children, ART continued on B7 »

“Namibia” by Jeannette Brewer.

3 August, 2017

B2 • Valley Voice

Tulare County Fair “Read to Ride” Program Opens, Wristbands Available ticketed motorsports events: an ATV and tractor pull on Thursday, Sept. 14; a monster truck show on Friday, Sept.

15; and the Demolition Derby on Saturday, Sept. 16.

In addition, interested groups can pre-sell Tulare County Fair carnival wristbands to raise funds for their activities, while supporting the fair.

The wristbands provide an all-access, one-day pass to the carnival and Kiddie Land. Organizations earn $1.50 per wristband sold. For information, call the Tulare County Fairgrounds, 686-4707, or sign up for the program at the fairgrounds office, located in the Foundation Club, 620 K St. Carnival wristbands sell for $20 each prior to Sept. 12, and $30 during Fair week. A FastPass upgrade is available for $15, allowing wristband-holders to go to the front of the line for all carnival rides.

Fairgoers can compete in the corn dog-eating contest or the pie-eating contest, or apply to perform on one of the community stages during the Fair.

“The wristbands are a great deal for families, and pre-sales allow local non-profit organizations to generate funds that support their programs,” noted Pamela Fyock, CEO. To purchase wristbands and admission tickets and to enter contests, visit www.tcfair.org or call the Tulare County Fairgrounds at 686-4707 for further information.

Staff Reports

The Tulare County Fair’s “Read to Ride” program rewards children with carnival ride tickets for every two books they read.

The Read to Ride contest is open to children kindergarten through eighth grade. Children are required to read two library books and write a brief summary or draw a picture about the book on the official form.

When the form and report are given to the librarian, the child will receive two ride tickets for every two books read. Each child is able to submit one form per day. The program ends on Wednesday, Sept. 13; ride tickets are valid on Thursday, Sept. 14. Offer valid while supplies last.

All public libraries in Tulare County are participating in the contest.

“The Tulare County Fair is pleased to offer this program to entice children to read, along with the many learning opportunities each day of the fair itself,” said Fair CEO Pamela Fyock. “Seeing wild animals for the first time, learning about livestock, science and panning for gold are just a few of the educational opportunities our fair offers.”

Throughout fair week, fairgoers can enjoy a traditional big-top circus, an exotic animal exhibit, a new look at history through the Gypsy Time Travelers, puppet shows, racing pigs and more – all included in the price of admission.

The Fair will also feature a series of

Visalia Medical Clinic Opens New Wellness Center Visalia Medical Clinic now offers The Wellness Center, a program designed just for Medicare patients to help ensure that they receive their free annual preventative care visits.

The Wellness Center is staffed by Jamie Ruddy, a certified physician assistant, and nurse practitioner Juanita Castellano. Together, they offer the annual no-cost wellness visits that include creation of a personalized prevention plan, with the goal of keeping patients healthier and more independent.

“Each patient receives a personalized Health Risk Assessment which will identify risk factors for future health problems,” Castellano said. “We will then develop a screening schedule to monitor the patient’s health going forward, and offer education on health conditions and medications.”

Ruddy noted that Visalia Medical Clinic launched The Wellness Center to ensure “that our Medicare patients can take full advantage of the preventive health services that Medicare provides at no cost.”

To make an appointment, call The Wellness Center at 738-7536.

Visalia Medical Clinic offers the expertise of more than 50 providers.

VMC also offers a lab, imaging including CT and MRI, extended hours through the QuickCare walk-in clinic, a Sleep Disorders Center, and a Physical Therapy Department, all in one location at 5400 W. Hillsdale, Visalia.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended and weekend hours at QuickCare.

For information, call 739-2000 or visit www.vmchealth.com.

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3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • B3

Homeless Work Program Launches in Visalia Staff Reports

The Environmental Cleanup Opportunities (ECO) Project, previously known as the Homeless Work Program, formally began Monday, July 31st, as crews started on their first project.

“We have worked jointly with the WIB and ABLE Industries to create a transitional jobs program for individuals that are homeless,” says Warren Gubler, City of Visalia Mayor. “Our hope is that the momentum of this program leads to long-term jobs and stable housing for those residing here in Visalia.”

The ECO Project is a coordinated effort of the City of Visalia, the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB), ABLE Industries, and community agencies that provide services to the homeless. Individuals will be referred to the ECO Project by community agencies that are already providing services to them. Those referred to the Project need to either be homeless or have experienced homelessness within the past 12 months, be Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Adult Eligible, reside in Visalia and possess right-to-work documents.

“The ECO project is the next step in their path toward attaining employment and housing,” states Adam Peck, Executive Director, Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County. “Visalia has shown that we are a community that wants to provide opportunity, and together we’re providing an avenue for change for individuals who are experiencing homelessness.”

Individuals begin with pre-employment workshops with the Employment Connection and upon completion, meet with their new transitional job employer, ABLE Industries, to begin the ECO Project.

In Level I, participants work for 12 weeks, 20-hours per week, on City of Visalia cleanup projects. After the 12 weeks are completed, ECO crew members will begin an extensive job search for regular employment. In Level II, participants gain additional skills and increased responsibilities as they work full-time for six weeks. Upon successful completion of Level II, participants will be encouraged to apply for job openings in the public and private sector.

“There are many individuals in our community who, for various reasons, find themselves experiencing homelessness,” shares Wende - Leigh Ayers, ABLE Industries Executive Director.

“Through the ECO Project, we can give them an opportunity to learn new skills, attain work and transition into a new chapter of life beyond homelessness.”

ABLE Industries Community Work Crew Supervisor Christy Preheim and Instructional Specialist Richard Hudgins who will be overseeing the project.

“We are excited and hopeful for positive outcomes that benefit both the participants and our city,” adds Preheim. “I think these participants will have a great experience in learning new job skills and gaining confidence in themselves to secure full-time employment.

Entities interested in being a part of the ECO Project can contact Blanca Bonilla, WIB Workforce Analyst at (559) 713-5200 or bebonilla@tularewib.org.

Businesses that are interested in hiring crew members can contact Christy Preheim, ABLE Industries Community Work Crew Supervisor at (559) 6518150 or christy@ableindustires.org.

8 Locations!

ExEtEr Dinuba

nEW!

HanforD 2 Locations

tuLarE VisaLia 3 Locations

The Cary and Van Horn families are proud to support the communities and organizations that have helped us enjoy 50 years of serving great food and creating great memories.

Please join the celebration – tell us your A&W memories on Facebook! First date?

First job? Multiple generations of fans and more!

Tickets Available for 25th Anniversary Summer Jubilee at the Park Summer Jubilee, a fundraiser for Tulare Hospital Foundation is Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Zumwalt Park in the heart of downtown Tulare.

The volunteer planning committee; co-chaired by Trish Hitlin and Marmie Fidler, are creating a one of a kind celebration. The 25th Silver Anniversary of the event is our last party of the summer where all can celebrate with drinks, music, and a whole lot of fun!

An estimated 500 Summer Jubilee attendees will be treated to tastes from featured restaurants, wineries, breweries and distributors from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., casino style gaming and dancing until 10:00 p.m.

Individual tickets are $50 and available for purchase at Evolutions

Staff Reports

Fitness and Wellness Center,1425 East Prosperity, The Auxiliary Gift Shop at Tulare Regional Medical Center, 869 North Cherry, and at the Foundation Office located at 906 N. Cherry St. all located in Tulare, or by phoning the Foundation Office, 559.685.3448.

Summer Jubilee is a Tulare tradition that sells out quickly. Table Sponsor and Vendor opportunities are still available. For more information regarding Summer Jubilee visit www. tularehospitalfoundation.org or call 559.685.3448, and follow the event planning on Facebook; Tulare Hospital Foundation - 2017 Summer Jubilee at the Park.

COS Training Resource Center Offers HACCP Certified Food Safety Classes The College of the Sequoias (COS) Training Resource Center is offering three HACCP Food Safety Certification classes. These classes are accredited by the International HACCP Alliance.

The classes will be held August 2223, September 14-15, and October 1718, 2017 at the COS Tulare College Center and the COS Hanford Center; cost is $299 for the first person and $249 for the second. For companies who wish to send three or more people, funding will be available if certain requirements are met.

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and is

Staff Reports

a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

HACCP is designed for use in all segments of the food industry; growing, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, distributing, merchandising, and preparing food for consumption. For more information on the class, or to register, visit www.cos.edu/trainingcenter.

Calendar JULY Now-Aug. 26: Variety is a Spice of Live! Art Exhibition 5-7pm - Opening reception for Woodlake artist Linda Hengst on July 20. The reception is open to the public and free, as are all exhibits at the Heritage Art Gallery. Located in the Tulare Historical Museum, 444 W. Tulare Ave. August 4: Young at Art Reception 6-8pm - First Friday opening reception of the Young at Art exhibition!

Arts Visalia invites family, friends, and the community to check out art made by our Young at Art summer program students. With seven weeks of unique classes, three age groups, and many talented students and instructors, we will have an incredible array of pieces displayed for this exciting exhibition. It will be a family friendly event you won’t want to miss! Young at Art will be on display through the 25th and gives kids the opportunity to encounter what it’s like to have their own work hung in a gallery, as part of an exhibition.

Arts Visalia Visual Art Center is located at 214 E. Oak Ave. August 4, 5 & 6: Auditions for Noises Off! 6pm - Encore Theatre Company announces auditions for Noises Off!

by Michael Frayn - Special Limited Run. Show dates: January 11-14, 2018 Roles: five men, four women; Age range: 25-65; Location: Encore Theatre Company, 324 South M St. Tulare. For more information, call (559) 366-7011. All audition material will be provided.

August 5 & 6: Flicks in the Foothills - Mrs. Doubtfire 7pm - Free admission! Free popcorn!

Free spaghetti dinner to boot! Join us for another family friendly evening under the stars of Springville!

Parking and concession opens at 7pm, movie will begin just after dusk. Hosted by Springville Rodeo Young Guns - held at the Springville Rodeo Grounds, 34902 Highway 190.

7pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sun- August 8: COS Offers Microsoft day. Free admission.

Office Class at Hanford Campus 8am - 3pm - Basic Microsoft Office August 5 & 6: TICA Southwest class focusing on Excel, Word and Regional Awards Cat Show 10am - 4pm - Cat show - purebred PowerPoint at COS Hanford Cenand household pet categories each ter. Class fee $99. This is a handsday. Vendors, adoptable cats and kit- on classes and participants will be tens from Cat House on the Kings. learning the program on a computMore information and $2 discount er, following the trainer. There will coupon - www.katknappers.com/ be time to practice what participants coupon.html. $7/adults; $5/seniors, are learning with the trainer present, students, military; children 12 and so that questions may be asked. For under free with an adult. $12/family more information or to register, of 3+. At Wyndham Hotel, 9000 W. please visit www.cos.edu/traininggcenter. For questions, please call, Airport Dr., Visalia.

(559) 688-3130.

August 5: Producers Dairy Ice August 10: Kaweah Delta and Cream Zoofari 6-9pm - Guests can beat the heat at Key Medical Group Host Medithis all-you-can-eat ice cream event care 101 seminar as they enjoy unlimited ice cream, 6pm - This seminar, which will take sherbets, frozen yogurt and sundaes. place in Visalia, is intended for new While satisfying their sweet cravings, retirees aging into Medicare, along guests can stroll through the Zoo with baby boomers working beyond and get the latest scoop on their fa- age 65 and family members who are vorite animals and enjoy kid-friend- helping make healthcare decisions. ly entertainment, live music and lo- Attendees will learn: what original cal mascots! Admission prices are as Medicare covers in benefits and prefollows: (Children 1 and under are miums; when to sign up for Medifree.) Fresno Chaffee Zoo members: care Parts A, B, and D; how to avoid Adults $16 (12 years and up), Chil- late enrollment penalties; how to dren $10 (2-11 years) Non-Mem- choose the right Medicare plan. Resbers: Adults $20 (12 years and up), ervations are required to attend this Children $16 (2-11 years) Day of free seminar - call 559-802-1990 Event (if available): Adults $25 (12 and use code 2401 when calling to years and up), Children $18 (2-11 receive a free gift. years). Tickets can be purchased at August 10: COS Offers Basic/Inwww.fresnochaffeezoo.org, by visit- termediate Microsoft Excel Class ing the Zoo’s admission booth, or by at Hanford Campus calling (559) 498-5921 M-F from 8am - 12pm - Basic/Intermedi9am - 5pm. ate Microsoft Excel class at COS Hanford Center. Fee $59. This is a August 6: Kid’s Club ay at Rawhands-on classes and participants hide Park 6-9pm - Join us for our Annual will be learning the program on a Kid’s Club Day presented by Carl’s computer, following the trainer.

Jr. and Professor Toy. The first 100 There will be time to practice what Kid’s Club members to the game participants are learning with the will receive a free Fidget Spinner and trainer present, so that questions a voucher for a free hot dog or Icee may be asked. For more information courtesy of Tucoemas Federal Cred- or to register, please visit www.cos. it Union. There will also be raffle edu/traininggcenter. For questions, prizes including passes to Adventure please call, (559) 688-3130.

Park, free flights at Quantum Leap, August 10, 12, 17, & 19: Shakeand many more to come! speare in the Plaza - The Tempest Dusk - approximately 8pm - preAugust 8: Art in the Heart of sented by the Lindsay Community Hanford 6-8pm - LIVE MUSIC by Daze Theatre. Admission is free, but doAugust 5 & 6: 32nd Annual Baby and Paper Roses plus ART nations are welcome. For more inMountain Festival formation, visit: www.lindsaycomUpper Tule Association presents the by Halden Willard at Fatte Albert’s munitytheater.com. annual Mountain Festival in Camp starts at 7pm. Keisha Sparling will be Nelson Meadow at the Giant Se- the artist at Blue Collar, with Doug August 11: Farm to Table Dinner quoia National Monument. Satur- Clendaniel sharing some tunes. Not 7:30pm - First Annual Farm to Taday from 1-5pm enjoy at Santa Ma- sure how many locations, but their ble Dinner in Kings County will ria style BBQ, kids and adult games Facebook page, https://www.face- be held at the Children’s Storybook Garden & Museum in downtown and arts and crafts. Live music until book.com/HeartOfHanford/

Historic Hanford. Guest Speaker will be John Alkire, former director of the Kings Fair, then director of the Paso Robles Fair and currently the director of the Award Winning Big Fresno Fair. The dinner will begin at 7:30pm with all locally sourced wine, beer and appetizers.

Dinner, again with all ingredients being sourced locally from Kings County will begin at 8:00pm. This Farm to Table Dinner is meant to be a Celebration of all the great Farmers and Dairy folks and wonderful food grown in Kings County! Tickets will be on sale soon. For more information, visit www.childrensstorybookgarden.org/ August 12: “JUSTWALK” With A Doc Program 8-9:15am - The topic for this walk is on improving balance. This free program requires no pre-registration and is held at at Blain Park, 3101 S. Court St., in Visalia. A health topic is presented at each walk and healthy snacks are provided. This program is being offered for the fourth year thanks to The Healthy Visalia Committee working in partnership with Kaweah Delta Health Care District, Family HealthCare Network, Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency and the Visalia Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, call (559) 624-2416.

August 14 & 16: COS Offers Intermediate/Advanced Microsoft Excel Class at Visalia Campus 2:30-4:30pm each day - Intermediate/Advanced Excel class at the COS Visalia Campus. Fee $59. This is a hands-on classes and participants will be learning the program on a computer, following the trainer.

There will be time to practice what participants are learning with the trainer present, so that questions may be asked. For more information or to register, please visit www.cos. edu/traininggcenter. For questions, please call, (559) 688-3130.

August 14: Encore Theatre Youth Program 5:30pm - Informational meeting for students from 2nd grade through high school and a parent. Have you always thought it would be fun to learn to sing, dance and act? Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn what goes on behind the scenes of a theatrical production. The staff of volunteers will teach you these things and much more. Bring a parent, pencil and recording device. Held at the

Encore Theatre, 324 South M St. in 5. Tickets $50 (presold only). Ticket Tulare. For more information, call information, (559) 761-4690.

Susan Burley (559) 289-2994.

August 26: Springville Rodeo Bull August 17: Kaweah Delta and Bash Key Medical Group Host Medi5-11pm - The Springville Rodeo’s care 101 seminar 2017 Bull Bash gates open at 5pm, 6pm - This seminar, which will take bull riding starts at 7pm and dance place in Visalia, is intended for new at 9pm at the Springville Rodeo retirees aging into Medicare, along Ground, hosted by Springville Sierwith baby boomers working beyond ra Rodeo. age 65 and family members who are August 26: Mighty Oak Chorus’ helping make healthcare decisions. 2nd Annual Western Roundup Attendees will learn: what original 5-8pm - Includes a full BBQ tri-tip Medicare covers in benefits and pre- dinner, entertainment by the Chomiums; when to sign up for Medi- rus and Quartets, along with a silent care Parts A, B, and D; how to avoid auction at the Ritchie Barn. Tickets: late enrollment penalties; how to $20. For tickets and more informachoose the right Medicare plan. Res- tion, visit: www.visaliamightyoakervations are required to attend this chorus.org or email bcase@visaliafree seminar - call 559-802-1990 mightyoakchorus.org. and use code 2401 when calling to August 26: Adult Pencil Drawing receive a free gift.

Art Class with Jana Botkin August 18: Hot August Nights 9am - 3pm - The class is $85 - bring BBQ & Auction a lunch. More follow up classes to 6-10pm - Enjoy the Hot August master skills will be offered 6-8 pm, Nights Dinner & Auction with every third Tuesday of the month, the Porterville Chamber. There will through November. For more inforbe over 200 silent and live auction mation and class forms, visit the Arts items. A no host bar and a chance Visalia website, http://www.artsvisato join in the blackjack tournamnet lia.org/education/adult-classes/ at 6pm. A casual event with friends.

Just $40 a ticket; $320 table of eight. August 26: Summer Jubilee at the Held at the Veteran’s Memorial Park Building, 1900 W. Olive. For more 6-10pm - Celebrating 25 years - Tuinformation contact the Porterville lare Hospital Foundation fundraiser at Zumwalt Park. $50/tickets - must Chamber, (559) 784-7502. be 21 years or older to attend. For August 18: Dance Party and more information and reservations, Dance-Off call (559) 685-3438.

9pm - 12am - Hosted by Sound n Vision and Cellar Door. $100 Prize August 27: Be Your Own Hero 5k Money for best dancer! Funk! Soul! Walk/Run & Kids Fun Run Oldies! *Inspired by Mr. Jonathan 8-11am - Held in the Historic Toubin’s Night Train Soul Clap & Downtown Hanford. MGM Fitness Dance-Off; DJs: Ryan Tucker, Nes- started this event in 2014 on behalf to, Wax Ecstatic $7, (21+) at The of Kings Rehabilitation Center. This Cellar Door, 101 W. Main St., Visa- event in 2014 and 2015 raised a net profit of $17,003.79. The money lia. raised from this event has helped August 19: Antique Appraisal Kings Rehabilitation Center continEvent ue to provide the services for mem2:30-4:30pm - Antique expert bers in our community with special Kathy Sobelman from Osterberg needs. This year’s event marks the Mercantile will provide informal ap- “Be Your Own Hero” Walk/Runs praisals of your antiques. Appraisals third year of organizing this event to will be held in the Olympic Room raise funds for members in our comat the Tulare Public Library. Limit of munities. For more information, one item per person. call (559) 301-2424.

August 19: All White Party 6-10pm - Kings County Black History Committee invites you to an All White Party - Live band/ DJ; hors d’oeuvres - Black History September 3: Kansas at the VisaScholarship Fundraiser at the Kings lia Fox Art Center, 605 N. Douty, Hanford. 7:30pm - With a legendary career Dress code: all white. RSVP by Aug. spanning more than four decades,

SEPTEMBER

KANSAS has firmly established itself as one of America’s iconic of classic rock bands. This “garage band” from Topeka released their debut album in 1974 after being discovered by Wally Gold, who worked for Don Kirshner, and have gone on to sell more than 30 million albums worldwide. Tickets $40-$76

September 17: Reptile Ron Animal Presentations 1 & 3pm - Learn About exotic wildlife at Reptile Rons educational and entertaining show. Meet the animals up-close, learn about them and have fun at Hanford Carnegie Museum and Tourist Information Center, 109 E. 8th Street.

September 8: 23rd Annual Lemoore Salute to Agriculture 6pm - Our Salute to Agriculture Banquet is right around corner! We are excited to announce that we are honoring Congressman David Valadao as Agriculturist of the Year and Angie Avila, of Kings Fair, as Ag Supporter of the Year. We hope you can join us on September 8th at the Fiahlo Hangar, 7414 18th Avenue, to honor these amazing individuals!

Tickets $75 in advance; $85 after Aug. 21. For more information and tickets, call the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce, (559) 924-6401.

Reptile Ron takes you on an educational and entertaining trip around the world with his menagerie of animals. His hands on presentations are fun and exciting. Ron explains about each animal, where it lives, what it eats, and talks about some of the myths some animals have about them. His shows include reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, and birds.

Admission: In Advance: $3; Day Of: $5; Museum Members: Free. For more information: (559) 584-1367 or (559) 482-4255.

September 23: Special Olympics Chili Cook-Off 10am - 4pm - The Special Olympics Chili Cook-Off is back! We are currently looking for chili judges, vendor booths, and chili teams.

For more information, contact Dee Fricks at kingscounty@sonc.org or call (559) 696-1941.

September 16: Blues & Roots Festival 5:30-10pm - The 17th Annual Downtown Hanford Blues and Roots Festival will be held under the stars in the beautiful Civic Park.

Make sure you bring your dancing shoes as well as your blankets or September 29: Oktoberfest 2017 lawn chairs for a spectacular evening 5:30-9:30pm - The Visalia Chamber of Blues in downtown Hanford. of Commerce will hold Oktoberfest There will be our traditional beer at Vossler Farms Pumpkin Patch. and wine garden sponsored by Bud- This annual community festival will weiser and lots of great BBQ and feature food tastings, local vendors, other vendors serving up delicious and live music. General admission goodies. We are excited to have Paula tickets are $40 (advance purchase) Harris & Beast of Blues, Deja Blues or $50 the day of the event. Tickand Juke House Dogs performing et admission includes live enteron the Hanford Chrysler Stage! Re- tainment, food and a mug for beer member admission is free, so invite and wine tasting. Cigars, and event your friends to come to downtown t-shirts will be available for purchase Hanford for a fabulous evening of during the event. Businesses interBlues! ested in sponsorship opportunities No pets, bottles, cans or ice chests should contact the Visalia Chamber allowed. For additional informa- of Commerce. Sponsorship packages tion contact Main Street Hanford at include tickets, booth space and recognition during the event. Tickets (559) 582-9457. can be purchased online at https:// September 16: 11th Annual Sierra tinyurl.com/OKTFest17. For more View Foundation Gala - Puttin’ information, call the Visalia Chamon the Ritz ber at (559)734-5876 or go to www.

5:30-11pm - Join the Sierra View visaliachamber.org/oktoberfest.

Foundation for their black-tie fundraising event. All proceeds from the 11th Annual Sierra View FoundaSend us your events: tion Gala benefit the service lines of Sierra View Medical Center. Held at the Porterville Fairgrounds, 2700 editor@ Teapot Dome Ave. RSVP, (559) ourvalleyvoice.com 788-6124 or foundation@sierraview.com.

3 August, 2017

B6 • Valley Voice

WIC to Host Celebrations for Pregnant & Breastfeeding Mothers Staff Reports

Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who are enrolled in Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will enjoy snacks, bingo, games, and more during the WIC breastfeeding receptions during the month of August as WIC honors National Breastfeeding Month and seeks to normalize breastfeeding in the community. WIC is also providing an all-day seminar on the art and science of making milk for Kings and Tulare County WIC staff, providers, physicians, nurses, dietitians, and interested members of the community.

World Breastfeeding week is August 1-7 and the month of August is National Breastfeeding Month. Breastfeeding has an important place in our public health and provides several benefits to mothers and babies such as relationship building and preventative health.

Mothers who breastfeed have a lowered risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers, heart disease, and diabetes type II. Among children, it lowers the risk of several infections, leukemia, obesity, diabetes, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Breastmilk has well over 200 components, many of which artificial baby milks cannot duplicate.

According to the Maternal and Infant Health Assessment Survey by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Tulare County’s exclusive breastfeeding rate upon birth is

51.6%, while the rate decreases to 22% by the time children reach three months of age. Tulare County WIC Clinics reach out to the community and promote breastfeeding awareness and partner with the three Tulare County hospitals to provide quality lactation support for mothers year round.

Receptions are to be held at local WIC offices throughout the month, please call the 1-800-360-8840 for information on times for receptions.

• August 4 – Visalia • August 4 – Lindsay • August 11 - Farmersville • August 18 – Porterville • August 18 – Earlimart • August 25 – Tulare The all-day seminar on the art and science of making milk featuring Lisa Marasco, IBCLC, as speaker is to be held on August 23, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at the Tulare County Office of Education Conference Center.

WIC is designed to help pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy. WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health care and social services and also provides special checks that can be used to buy nutritious foods at many local stores. Online nutrition education is also available. For more information about the HHSA WIC program, visit www.tchhsa.org/wic/.

Coming to the Hanford Fox Theatre Dave Mason Fri., Sept. 22 - 8 pm $35 - $65

The Marshall Tucker Band Thurs. Oct. 17 - 8 pm $25 - $45

Pink Martini Fri., Dec. 1 - 7 pm $42 - $65

Silent Movies Sat. Sept. 16 - 7:30pm $10/adults; $5/military, seniors, students Children 12 & under - free!

$5 Movies

Disney’s Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs Saturday Aug.19 - 2 pm Grease, the Movie - Saturday, Aug. 31 - 7 pm

(559) 584-7823

www.foxhanford.com

Historic Downtown Hanford Unrolls Exciting New App Main Street Hanford has joined the national rollout of a creative new mobile marketing platform and app, called distrx. Designed specifically for Main Street districts to allow businesses to reach today’s mobile consumers, the free distrx app is available on the App Store and Google Play.

As visitors enter the district, they receive a welcome greeting on their mobile device, which lists area businesses by category with photos and links to call, get directions and go to their social media sites. The app you will give users a direct link to downtown’s businesses, events and activities. As visitors enter a participating business, they receive a personalized greeting, which may include special offers, discounts and promotions.

Staff Reports

distrx Co-founder Ron Cook explained how it all works: “We are excited to have Main Street Hanford join our national rollout. We developed distrx as a way for small businesses to use technology to reach mobile consumers who love to shop local.”

Main Street Hanford commented: “Now our local businesses will be able to welcome visitors with their own personalized greetings. Visitors will also be able to keep track of downtown events and receive special offers from over 25 participating businesses.”

Download the distrx app in your app store today!

For more information about the app contact Main Street Hanford.

Visalia Unified Invites Public to “Stuff The Bus” August 5 Visalia Unified School District is inviting the public to help “Stuff the Bus,” collecting school supplies for Visalia’s needy students.

The event will be held from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at the South Mooney Target parking lot (4247 S. Mooney Blvd).

Attendees can donate blood with the California Blood Center and enjoy

Staff Reports

popcorn and snow cones.

Kids can bounce in the bounce houses and face painting.

Of special need for the school year are backpacks, pencils and paper, binders, folders, crayons, antibacterial hand sanitizers, and tissues. For information, call 730-7592.

Visalia Unified School District to Celebrate Two New Schools Visalia Unified School District will cut ceremonial ribbons at an all-new elementary school and a new charter school, both in northeast Visalia.

The Global Learning Charter School ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 1051 W. Robin Dr. The charter school will serve grades kindergarten through sixth in this first year and will expand one grade level each year until the school is kindergarten through eighth grade in 20192020. The new school’s mission is to help students develop 21st century skills through experiential and community-based learning.

The event at Riverway Elementary School, located near the Riverway

Staff Reports

Sports Park complex, will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 1341 W. Glendale Avenue. The campus features architectural design and technology for contemporary teaching styles and solar to reduce energy costs.

Superintendent Todd Oto, Ed.D., will speak at both events, along with the principals of each school, Lucia Vazquez, president of the VUSD Board of Trustees, and key individuals involved in the development of the schools.

The public is invited to attend both events. For information on the new schools or the ribbon-cutting events, contact Visalia Unified School District at 730-7515.

Wine & Beer Tasting At

Redwood Wine Room

Totem Market & Gifts Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

J&J Cellars - Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards

(559) 561-4463 45186 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers

On Facebook at facebook.com/ourvalleyvoice

3 August, 2017

Shakespeare Continued from B1

Summers), orders Ariel to raise a tempest that causes the passengers to believe they are shipwrecked and marooned.

Also on the ship are Alonso’s brother, Sebastian (TJ Hurt) and son, Ferdinand (Aaron Nucum).

Prospero contrives to separate the shipwreck survivors into several groups by his spells, and so Alonso and Ferdinand are separated, each believing the other to be dead.

Three plots then alternate through the play. In one, Caliban falls in with two drunken shipwrecked sailors Stephano (Jim Keeton) and Trinculo (Connor Craven).

Believing Stephano to be a “brave god” who “bears celestial liquor,” Caliban conspires with him to kill Prospero and take over the island.

In another, Prospero works to encourage a romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda; the two fall immediately in love.

In the third, Antonio and Sebastian conspire to kill Alonso and Gonzalo so that Sebastian can become King. Ariel

Valley Voice • B7 thwarts them, at Prospero’s command.

Prospero tests Ferdinand’s devotion, and then betroths a willing Miranda to him. He then asks Ariel to bring some other spirits to entertain the young couple.

These spirits, Iris (Slaone VanCiel), Ceres (Alli Smith), and Juno (Charity Jackson), bless the young couple, followed by dancing spirits (Sarah Summers, Lizzy Summers, and Sophie Craven).

Prospero sets a trap for Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano. They are chased offstage by spirits (Eric Tyler and Jack Craven) in the shape of hounds.

Prospero, all his enemies in his power, discovers that Ariel would pity them if he were “human” and decides to forgive the people who tried to kill him.

In the conclusion, all the main characters are brought together before Prospero, who forgives Alonso, Antonio, Sebastian, Stephano, and Trinculo.

After discharging all his duties, Ariel will finally be free.

Prospero also pardons Caliban, who is again left in possession of the island.

In his epilogue, Prospero invites the audience to set him free from the island by their applause.

“Celebration” by Jeanette Brewer.

Art

Continued from B1 Weep No More.

“The Black American Cowboys are also historical facts. The characters I chose were through a personal friend of my family, and a little known fact about what most thought they knew about the Lone Ranger. Sometimes my mother, who is 103 this month, inspires me by just talking about what she has experienced, and by being my toughest critic.”

Brewer’s single works represent a different moment – sometimes something in the garden. Like the time she looked out the window and saw a hummingbird in a holding pattern.

On closer examination the bird was nose-to-nose with a dragonfly, she said.

There wasn’t time to grab a camera. She took a mental picture, which later she transferred onto canvas.

Now retired, Brewer has more time to paint, she said. She has held shows and had work in exhibits in Los Angeles and all across the San Joaquin Valley.

While some of her original art is available, she tends to hang onto it – however, reproductions can be made of most of her work she said.

Brewer lives in Porterville with her mother and two of her sisters.

The artist’s reception will be held at 5pm at the gallery, 151 N. Main Street in Porterville.

The Porterville Art Association gallery and gift shop are open Wednesday – Saturday. For more information, call (559) 784-4323.

FESTIVAL OF TREES Prospero (Chris Shepard) joins the hands of his daughter Miranda (Kallysta Tyler) and the prince of Naples (Aaron Nucum). Courtesy/James Kliegl

Community Radio Group Hosts Speakers and Plans Podcasts Staff Reports

South Valley Community Media (SVCM) of KPSV-FM, 91.9MHZ has invited Mehmet McMillan of WildPlaces.org, to speak Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the Visalia Public Library, 200 West Oak Avenue, Visalia, CA 93291-4931.

The meeting is the group’s regular “Third Tuesday” of the month meeting.

McMillan, well-known activist and non-profit founder, will highlight critical local concerns centered on environmental and watershed protection vital to the Central Valley.

Public radio can play an active role in disseminating critical environmental facts and issues.

Another exciting topic on the evening’s agenda will be podcast creation and hosting by SVCM. The community will be invited to submit interesting and typical pre-recorded audios in podcasts form which will be made available on the SVCM

website and the SVCM Facebook for listening and downloading.

In this way, SVCM wishes to begin to give local residents a media voice.

Guidelines for podcast format, length, and diversity of content will be discussed.

In the planning stage is a Workshop Opportunity with a professional trainer for volunteers and producers from KPFA Radio, Berkley, CA to be scheduled early this Fall.

Everyone is invited to SVCM meetings to gain knowledge, support our local community, and participate as a stakeholder in the formation of SVCM mission to provide the South Valley with diverse community oriented radio programing. The public, individuals, and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to attend.

Please contact Board of Directors President Don Manro with any questions by email at tulerue@gmail.com or call 559.686.6836.

Is coming to Three Rivers, November 16, 2017.

All Non-Profits, St Anthony Retreat invites you to submit a LIVE AUCTION TREE application.

THE FIRST (20) tree applications will be accepted to the auction.

All nonprofit participants are encouraged to attend an orientation for tree decoration and set up.

Deadline for application is Aug. 15.

For additional information, please contact, Darlene Mayfield darlene@stteresitaycc.org or call

559-561-4595.

Silent Auction items may also be entered by your nonprofit.

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT EACH INDIVIDUAL NONPROFIT THE EVENING OF THE EVENT.

3 August, 2017

Valley Voice • B8

Summer Drought “Warriors” Susan Franciskovich, Master Gardener

Knowing that this summer and its drought conditions were going to be challenging, I decided that my garden and I were going to make the best of it!

First and foremost, I have been careful to see that our water “allotments” are concentrated on our trees, both fruit and landscape.

I have invested lots of time and energy into my trees over many years, and do not want to lose them.

Additionally, I have tried to keep all garden areas weed-free, since savvy gardeners are not about to water a flourishing crop of weeds.

Finally, I have dead-headed and cut back “all things brown and dead” to keep the garden looking healthy, yet waiting long enough to be sure that bees and hummingbirds were done gathering nectar from withering blossoms.

But now to the heart of the matter; along with all the efforts listed above, a few flowering plants in my garden have definitely taken the lead this summer and have been strong and showy “drought warriors:” Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, and Cosmos.

These are all common blooms but are often overlooked. With our current drought conditions, I have gained a deeper appreciation for their performance and “drought warrior” status in my garden.

Coneflowers can be exceptionally showy. These native Echinacea cultivars

Coneflowers are easy to grow in our climate.

are perennials with sensational coneshaped flowers that bloom from summer to fall.

Coneflowers are butterfly and bee magnets and are easy to grow in the central valley climate. They reach a height of 3 to 4 feet. They like full sun and well-drained soil, with moderate, regular watering.

Those in my garden have not “complained” with less water, because their long tap root reaches deep for moisture.

The biggest transformation in coneflowers has been in the range of colors available.

There are now many beautiful colors beyond the traditional pinks and purples, including shades of white, yellow, red and orange. A single coneflower plant makes a showy centerpiece in a mixed garden.

Another cheerful garden stalwart

Rudbekias can reach heights beyond three feet.

is Rudbekias. These traditional and beloved favorites are commonly known as Black Eyed Susans, a bit like an Echinacea (to which they are related), but in a different “dress.”

These warm-hued golden daisies have a dark beehive-like center, produce long-lasting blooms from summer to fall, and typically reach a height of 3 feet, though there are taller varieties.

Birds, butterflies and beneficial insects are attracted to these tough and easy to grow descendants of the rangy and rampant wildflower plants, native to the eastern United States.

Black Eyed Susans love full sun but will tolerate some shade and can handle drought conditions. They make nice cut flowers and cutting also encourages late season re-blooming. There are a number of pretty Rudbekia cultivars and they are an excellent companion to Coneflowers.

The third great garden performer this summer has been the trusty Cosmos.

It’s interesting to note that the word “cosmos” has Greek origins, and roughly means, a “balanced universe.” These quintessential cottage garden flowers are perfectly named.

They mix well with just about everything in the garden and add balance, color and pure joy for birds, bees and butterflies. They are simple and easy to grow, can handle drought and poor soil, and will bloom heavily until frost.

Cosmos can be perennials or annuals; the most common variety in our area is an annual, Cosmos bipinnatus, which will re-seed and grow again in spring.

Be prepared: cosmos can grow up to 8 feet tall and sometimes need staking.

I hope you feel inspired to find some good “drought warriors” for your garden.