Pricey election. The final numbers are in and the nine candidates for Visalia City Council spent a collective $116,600 in the November election. The three winners – Mike Lane, Warren Gubler and Steve Nelsen – all spent more than $20,000. Jesus Gamboa spent the most, according to the filings, at $33,581, followed by Lane at $27,130, Gubler at $24,449 and Nelsen at $22,259. Greg Collins reported spending less than $8,500.

Ruiz Foods in NASCAR. Ruiz Foods, founded in Tulare with is headquarters and main plant in Dinuba, is in NASCAR – at least on a NASCAR race car. In Sunday's race in Las Vegas, Ryan Newman's No. 39 Chevrolet had Tornados written across the back quarter panel of the car as it made its way around the mile and half track at speeds around 200 mph. Ruiz has signed on to be one of Newman's sponsors this year. Tornados adorned the No. 39 Chevrolet at Las Vegas for the first time as a primary sponsor for SHR and in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Tornados, a bold-tasting treat featuring meat, cheese and sauce rolled into a crispy crust, will sponsor Newman's No. 39 for nine races in 2010.

Kristin Hollabaugh, currently director of the COS Foundation, will be recommended to the COS Board of Trustees to serve as Provost for the Hanford College Center, college President Dr. Bill Scroggins announced.

Sales are Up. Target Corporation had net earnings of $936 million for the quarter ending Jan. 30, compared with $609 million in the same quarter last year. Sales increased 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter to $19.7 billion in 2009 from $19.0 billion in 2008, due to the contribution from new stores and a 0.6 percent increase in comparable-store sales. At Macy's, improved fourth quarter results exceeded expectations and represented a strong ending to the fiscal year. Sales in the fourth quarter of 2009 totaled $7.849 billion, a decrease of 1.1 percent, compared with sales of $7.934 billion in the same period last year.

New home permits up. The city of Visalia issued 43 permits for new homes in February, an increase of seven over January. There were also four permits for new commercial buildings and three permits for three triplexes. Total building valuation for the month was $12,095,275, approximately 50 percent better than January.

Two-way now one-way. Monday night the Visalia City Council approved converting Main Street from two-way traffic to one-way traffic eastbound from between Garden and Santa Fe. At the same time, the council OK'd switching Garden Street to one-way traffic as well – southbound, and extended the one-way designation for Center Street from Bridge to Santa Fe.

Assemblyman Danny D. Gilmore, R-Hanford, has received the 2009 Outstanding Legislator Award from the California Sheriffs' Association.

State Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) wants a soda tax. Florez (D-Shafter) introduced legislation last month to tax sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages to fund childhood obesity programs. His bill would levy a penny for every teaspoon of added sugar in commercial beverages sold. Initial projections estimate that the excise tax on beverage distributors would raise $1.5 billion a year, with funds going directly to California cities and schools to pay for childhood obesity prevention programs throughout the state.

Speaking of Florez, he also wants to tax dog food so the state can create a registry of animal abusers—akin to what exists for sex offenders—with the names and photographs of felons posted on the Internet by 2012. To pay for the measure, consumers buying pet food would be charged an “unspecified charge” per pound of pet food purchased.

The California State Department of Real Estate (DRE) revoked a record number of real estate licenses for cause in 2009. The DRE also accepted another record number of license surrenders from licensees facing disciplinary action. All told, over 775 licensees had their license revoked or simply surrendered their licenses while facing accusations. Over the past two fiscal years, the DRE averaged 446 license revocations and 59 license surrenders. In 2009, license revocations jumped over 50%, to 672, while license surrenders jumped nearly 80% to 105. The 122 cases that resulted in license suspensions in 2009 remained relatively unchanged from the 125 license suspensions averaged in the past two fiscal years.

Water bond has opposition. The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water has come out against the $11.4 billion Water Bond that will be on the statewide November ballot. The group claims that little of the bond money would be used to improve water systems in small communities such as Tonyville in Tulare County.

A Visalia couple, Charlie and Katy Chase, who own Roger Dunn Golf Shops in Fresno and Stockton, are reopening the Visalia Roger Dunn store in Visalia at 1813 W. Caldwell Ave. Chase said the target date for the re-opening is March 19 and will have a new staff and expanded line of golf equipment and accessories.

Pipkin to the rescue. Following a rash of burglaries at South Fresno businesses, agents from the Pipkin Detective Agency and Fresno County Sheriff's deputies were able to thwart several burglaries in progress and arrest one of the suspects, reported Rocky Pipkin.

---

Visalia - After a year layoff because of the construction of Phase 2 of the Riverway Sports Park in Visalia, BMX racing has returned to Visalia.

Riders of all ages have been coming to the track at the northwest end of the sports park the past few weeks, with races already held.

“On average, we have about 25 kids. We'd like to have more,” said Ron Jones who runs the track in Visalia and also the one at the Tulare County Fairgrounds in Tulare. The Tulare track gets more than 80 riders out each night.

“We've been struggling the last few years with the economy,” added Jones, but said now that the track is back open he is hoping for greater use.

BMX is for boys and girls ages three on up. Jones said they have a few adults who compete, but most are children.

One of the top riders at the track is also one of the smallest riders. Brodie Spott, 8-years-old, was the 7-year-old national BMX champion from Visalia.

He won the national title in November at the nationals in Tulsa, Okla. “He bettered about 175 other riders,” said his mother, Julie Spott.

While her son is a little bit bigger than the average 8-year-old, his mother said he just loves the sport and hopes someday to compete in the Olympics. BMX racing is an Olympic sport.

“It's all about skill and knowing the track,” she said. To win, you are timed in a one-lap race with seven other riders.

Young Spott qualified for the nationals by competing in several regional races in California and Arizona. He was sponsored by Clayborne Racing.

His mother is sold on the sport of BMX.

“This is the only sport my son does. It's an individual sport. It's all up to you. He's solely dedicated to this sport,” she said, adding he practices three or four times a week.

Jones said practices are held at the Visalia track every Monday and Thursday night from 5:30 to 7:30, then races are held beginning with registration at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. In Tulare, practices are 5:30-7:30 p.m. every Tuesday with races beginning with registration at 6 p.m. on Fridays. There is a $5 fee for practices and $10 to race. Trophies are given to first through third place finishers in the races.

Both tracks are sanctioned by the American Bicycle Association (ABA).

“As a parent, I just love it. These kids are playing with each other, then go out and race, then play again after they race. There is so much camaraderie. It's kind of what we call our BMX family. It's so awesome,” said Julie Spott.

Jones said they have bikes and helmets they can loan those who want to try out the sport before investing in the special bikes and safety gear. For more information call 627-1795 or go to tularebmx.com.

---

By Miles Shuper

Tulare County - Marlene Cardoza, described as one of the mainstays of the Human Services branch of the Tulare County Health and Services Agency, has retired after more than 41 years of county service.

David Crawford, assistant directory of the Tulare County Heath and Human Services Agency, said Cardoza has been instrumental in the development of several major projects including establishment of the Social Services records warehouse in 1992 and most recently the new TulareWorks (welfare) office on North Dinuba Boulevard when the agency moved from downtown Visalia.

Crawford said. “It's hard to capsulize everything that she has accomplished during the time she has been with us, but let me just say that Marlene has always done her best in whatever role she has. She has always had a positive approach to performing her duties and she will take with her a wealth of historical knowledge that can never be replaced.”

The Tulare resident began her career with the county in 1968 as extra-help in the auditor's office and became a permanent employee in 1969 as an account clerk in the Social Services department. She has served in a number of capacities including supervising clerk, principal clerk, administrative assistant, warehouse supervisor and self sufficient support supervisor. Cardoza has been recognized several times for her outstanding dedication to the county, Crawford said.

Crawford and supervisors cited her consistent positive attitude and friendly approach in addition to her skills in any task she was asked to handle.

Crawford also pointed out the changes she has seen over the years including the use of 3-by-5 index card systems for clients, mimeograph machines to copiers, Dictaphones and typewriters to personal computers.

After the presentation, Cardoza expressed her anticipation enjoying retirement and cited a whirlwind of activity on her final day of work on Monday when she was “kidnapped” from a supposed department meeting by family members who arrived in town sooner than expected and, along with friends, took her to lunch and celebration.

---

By Miles Shuper

Visalia - A restoration project to stabilize the banks of Cameron Creek inside Mooney Grove Park is expected to start in several weeks.

It is one of two water-related projects in the park.

The restoration work will also provide flood control by preventing surrounding sediment from filling up the creek bed and will prevent future erosion.

The $400,000 project will be done by crews from the Sequoia Community Corps, also known as the Community Services Employment Training (CSET). Funds come from Proposition 84, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006.

Tuesday, Tulare County supervisors officially accepted the donation from CSET. County park staff will have oversight of the project, according to Neil Pilegard, the county's parks and recreation department manager.

The project will also include construction of a concrete walking and bicycle path adjacent to Cameron Creek that will minimize the impact of future erosion from increased use of the walking path.

The project will start at the southwest corner of the park and continue to the new History of Farm Labor and Agriculture Museum and the 1911 bridge which was recently reconstructed. The bridge links the new museum with the Tulare County Museum.

The other project is the development of a five-acre ponding basin being constructed through the combined efforts of the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, Tulare County, the Tulare Irrigation District and the City of Tulare.

The pond, located in the central section of Mooney Grove, will be 16-feet deep at its lowest point and will allow recharging of the ground water in and around the park.

Aaron Fukuda, engineer for TID, said the recharge basin will have a capacity of between 35 and 40 acre feet.

The existing park lagoon at the southern portion of the park is supplied with water pumped from the TID canal which is fed in part by Cameron Creek. It also serves as a recharge basin.

---

SECOND FRONT PAGE