Water table improvement. Steve Johnson, superintendent of production for California Water Service in Visalia, said the latest measurement of the underground water table under Visalia found the water level had risen a foot from a year ago. The company's last measurement of its 85 wells found an average water depth of 114 feet in June. “Last year it was 115, so we've come up a foot,” note Johnson, who added that last June the water table was down eight feet from the year before. “What we'd like to see to start is to stem the decline,” said Phil Mirwald, district manager with Cal Water.

The Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) has received a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation entitled “2011 Tulare-Visalia Communty College Connection Transit Study” to study a plan to provide unlimited bus service to COS students for a $5 per semster fee.

The number of foreclosure proceedings begun in Visalia rose in July. RealtyTrac reported that 376 foreclosure proceedings were begun in Visalia, up from 320 during June. The number of foreclosure proceedings was up in most areas of Tulare County, with the total 866, 97 more than in June. Tulare had 143 foreclosures, Porterville 155 and Dinuba 47. In Kings County, foreclosures were down in July from June. Total for the county was 222 compared to 246 in June. Hanford had 125, Lemoore 57 and Corcoran 25.

The Auto Club reported that motorists in Visalia are paying just 6 cents a gallon more than they were a year ago for regular unleaded. Prices Monday were $3.168 a gallon, up a penny from a week ago and about the same as last month. A year ago the price at the pump was $3.104. “Crude oil prices have plummeted by about 14 percent in the last three weeks from their 2010 high point of nearly $83 a barrel on Aug. 4, but unfortunately, as is often the case, gas prices are dropping much more slowly,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “However, prices are almost identical to where they were this time last year.” Gasoline consumption edged down 0.1 percent in May 2010 when Californians consumed 1.290 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 1.291 billion gallons consumed in May 2009.

---

Visalia - A little bit of the Central Coast is coming to downtown Visalia.

Anthony Mungia and Nathan Micola are planning to open Bailey's Bar & Grill at 215 East Main Street, site of the old McWilliams and Mosley clothing store. The building has already been partially remodeled as someone else began transforming the old clothing store into a restaurant a while back, then abandoned the plan.

The two Tulare residents are hoping to bring some of the flavor and ambiance of the coast to the sea food and steak restaurant.

Mungia has lived in Pismo Beach for the past 12 years, managing different restaurants there including the Pierside Seafood restaurant just off the beach in Pismo.

“I want to bring some of Pismo with me,” said Mungia.

Bailey's will offer sea food, steaks, burgers, pasta, and more at “mid-level” prices, the two friends said. “We're going to try to keep prices under $16,” said Mungia. The menu will also include freshly made clam chowder and several different sea food dishes including fish and chips. “A little bit of everything for everybody,” said Micola.

The restaurant will offer lunch and dinner, seven days a week to start. He said they want to offer affordable dining and a place where families can have a nice time.

Micola, who ran Nate's Café in Tulare, said they hope to blend into Downtown Visalia, partnering with other businesses on promotions. They both feel downtown is a perfect fit for them and that it is alive and vibrant – ingridients needed for a restaurant.

Besides fine food, the two friends said they will also have a full service bar and a small stage to offer entertainment on weekends.

The name Bailey's is a story in itself. Bailey is a bull terrier that belongs to a neighbor. The dog will be incorporated into the restaurant's logo and marketing.

The two have been planning on opening a restaurant together for some time. “We've been talking about it for over a year,” said Micola. Mungia said when the partially remodeled building on Main Street became available, they move up their timetable.

Plans are to open the restaurant in December. They said it will employ about 25 people.

---

Visalia - Visalia residents might notice a little more water pressure now that California Water Service's million gallon tank has been put into service.

The $2.8 million tank at Roeben and Riggin in northwest Visalia was finally completed and tied into the private water company's system this week.

Phil Mirwald, district manager for Cal Water, said the 600-foot deep well and tank is capable of pumping 3,000 gallons of water a minute into the system. That is more than double any other well in the company's Visalia system. The well is also the deepest in the city.

“It will add pressure in northwest corner. But it has a domino effect – meaning less water from other areas of the city will not be needed in that area,” explained Mirwald.

“You're adding several thousand gallons of water that wasn't there before,” added Steve Johnson, superintendent of production.

The biggest difference will be noticed between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. - peak hours for water usage.

“It helps to meet a growing demand,” said Mirwald. “It's always good to have something like that on hand for fire flow,” he added. Having improved fire flow can be a role in lowering the city's fire insurance rating, although Mirwald did not know if the addition of the tank alone will make that much of a difference.

The tank is the company's first ground level tank. Cal Water provides all of the water for the City of Visalia. Right now, the only two storage tanks are the elevated tanks, one near Redwood High School and the other at Roosevelt and Santa Fe. Both of those hold 300,000 gallons.

The well and storage tank site on Riggin is designed to keep all wastewater and storm drain water on site, instead of putting it into the city's storm system, said Johnson. “If we need to drain the tank, will not have to go into the city's system,” he said.

“It was about a two year project,” Johnson said, adding it took them it little longer than expected to get it completed. “We were hoping having it on line by the first quarter of this year,” he said.

He said they did not run into any problems, but being the largest project undertaken by the company in Visalia, it just took longer than they expected.

A second million gallon tank a little further west is being completed. “It is pretty much a carbon copy of this one,” said Mirwald, adding they hope to have it up and running by next summer.

---

SECOND FRONT PAGE