Patrick Isherwood Seeks District 2 Supervisor Seat

Tulare - Patrick Isherwood, a county employee and Tulare Redevelopment Agency board member, has taken out papers to run for the District 2 seat on the Tulare County Board of Supervisor.

Pete Vander Poel III, another Tulare resident who declared his intent to run last fall, also pulled out papers to replace Supervisor Connie Conway, who is seeking the 34th Assembly District seat.

“I have the resume and qualifications to be on the Board of Supervisors,” said the 32-year-old Isherwood, who holds an administrative position in the Tulare County Probation Department.

He plans to return his papers to the County Clerk's Office this week, which would make him an official candidate, and begin the long campaign toward the June primary.

“I plan to precinct walk as soon as I get my papers in,” he said. “I'm going to go out and start earning votes one handshake at a time.”

Experience Stressed

Isherwood made unsuccessful bids for a City Council seat in 2000 and 2004. He met many people during those campaigns and learned a lot that will help him as a supervisor, he said.

Since then, he has learned even more from his involvement in both city and county government. His seven years on the Redevelopment Board, where he is vice chairman, has taught him about economic development, housing, code enforcement, budgets and other matters, he said.

For the past three years, Isherwood also has served as Conway's alternate to the Tulare County Association of Government's (TCAG). Through that experience, he said he has become more familiar with transportation, planning and other county and regional issues.

He was appointed by TCAG to the California Blueprint Learning Network and has attended conferences throughout the state in that capacity.

“It's the best education tool for learning general plan development,” Isherwood said.
He also is a TCAG alternate to the San Joaquin Regional Policy Council, which he said tackles issues affecting the region's eight counties.

Community Service

Isherwood's interest in government and politics extends back to his school years. During college he served as a field intern with state Sen. Phil Wyman and was involved as a campaign intern with former state Assemblyman Mike Briggs, and former House of Representative members George Radanovich and Jim Rogan.
“It was good experience to learn about government, legislators and campaign logistics,” he said.

Within the community, Isherwood is a member of the Tulare Sunrise Rotary, the Tulare Football Association board and the Tulare Chamber of Commerce's Governmental Affairs Committee. He also has served on the Tulare Advance-Register's editorial board and on a Tulare Joint Union High School District advisory committee on school boundaries.

Born and raised in Tulare, Isherwood is a 1993 graduate of Tulare Union High School and attended College of the Sequoias and California State University, Fresno, before earning a bachelor's degree in history. He worked at Albertson's in Tulare for 13 years.

Public Safety

The county's gang problem is one reasons Isherwood said he is running for supervisor.

“We need a candidate who's going to support public safety efforts toward the prevention, intervention and suppression of Tulare County gangs,” he said. He reported he has the backing of the Tulare County Correctional Officers Association.

“We still have some very serious public safety issues,” he said. “We need to work on our 'catch and release' program.” He said he tires of hearing about juvenile gang members who are taken off the streets only to be returned within a couple hours because there are not enough staff members to keep them jailed. He noted Tulare city officials have complained the same thing happens with adult prisoners.

“We need more officers in the streets, but more officers in the institutions,” he said, adding it is the Board of Supervisors' role to make sure the needs of each department are meet.

He supports efforts to mobilize communities in the fight against gangs.
“The gang summit [held in Visalia] is an excellent example of what needs to sweep across our county,” he said. “And when that happens, they will sweep gangs off the streets.”

Isherwood supports growth and maintains environmental regulations will “cripple” agriculture long before development does. “As supervisors, we need to work together to inform the state of California that these heavy environmental regulations will be destructive to our agricultural economy,” he said.

'Everybody's Issue'

Water is another important issue, he said, adding the Board of Supervisors made a good move in forming a water commission.

“Water is everybody's issue,” he said, noting efforts to secure adequate water storage and recharge basins must continue.

Like Conway, Isherwood said he is willing to work hard as a supervisor and make himself available to constituents throughout the district. He reported he is already attending meetings in the unincorporated areas to learn more about the issues and needs of those communities.

“I don't represent one particular faction,” he said. “You need someone who will address issues of housing, health and human services, rural transportation, rural code enforcement and other issues.”

Tulare - Patrick Isherwood, a county employee and Tulare Redevelopment Agency board member, has taken out papers to run for the District 2 seat on the Tulare County Board of Supervisor.

Pete Vander Poel III, another Tulare resident who declared his intent to run last fall, also pulled out papers to replace Supervisor Connie Conway, who is seeking the 34th Assembly District seat.

“I have the resume and qualifications to be on the Board of Supervisors,” said the 32-year-old Isherwood, who holds an administrative position in the Tulare County Probation Department.

He plans to return his papers to the County Clerk's Office this week, which would make him an official candidate, and begin the long campaign toward the June primary.

“I plan to precinct walk as soon as I get my papers in,” he said. “I'm going to go out and start earning votes one handshake at a time.”

Experience Stressed

Isherwood made unsuccessful bids for a City Council seat in 2000 and 2004. He met many people during those campaigns and learned a lot that will help him as a supervisor, he said.

Since then, he has learned even more from his involvement in both city and county government. His seven years on the Redevelopment Board, where he is vice chairman, has taught him about economic development, housing, code enforcement, budgets and other matters, he said.

For the past three years, Isherwood also has served as Conway's alternate to the Tulare County Association of Government's (TCAG). Through that experience, he said he has become more familiar with transportation, planning and other county and regional issues.

He was appointed by TCAG to the California Blueprint Learning Network and has attended conferences throughout the state in that capacity.

“It's the best education tool for learning general plan development,” Isherwood said.
He also is a TCAG alternate to the San Joaquin Regional Policy Council, which he said tackles issues affecting the region's eight counties.

Community Service

Isherwood's interest in government and politics extends back to his school years. During college he served as a field intern with state Sen. Phil Wyman and was involved as a campaign intern with former state Assemblyman Mike Briggs, and former House of Representative members George Radanovich and Jim Rogan.
“It was good experience to learn about government, legislators and campaign logistics,” he said.

Within the community, Isherwood is a member of the Tulare Sunrise Rotary, the Tulare Football Association board and the Tulare Chamber of Commerce's Governmental Affairs Committee. He also has served on the Tulare Advance-Register's editorial board and on a Tulare Joint Union High School District advisory committee on school boundaries.

Born and raised in Tulare, Isherwood is a 1993 graduate of Tulare Union High School and attended College of the Sequoias and California State University, Fresno, before earning a bachelor's degree in history. He worked at Albertson's in Tulare for 13 years.

Public Safety

The county's gang problem is one reasons Isherwood said he is running for supervisor.

“We need a candidate who's going to support public safety efforts toward the prevention, intervention and suppression of Tulare County gangs,” he said. He reported he has the backing of the Tulare County Correctional Officers Association.

“We still have some very serious public safety issues,” he said. “We need to work on our 'catch and release' program.” He said he tires of hearing about juvenile gang members who are taken off the streets only to be returned within a couple hours because there are not enough staff members to keep them jailed. He noted Tulare city officials have complained the same thing happens with adult prisoners.

“We need more officers in the streets, but more officers in the institutions,” he said, adding it is the Board of Supervisors' role to make sure the needs of each department are meet.

He supports efforts to mobilize communities in the fight against gangs.
“The gang summit [held in Visalia] is an excellent example of what needs to sweep across our county,” he said. “And when that happens, they will sweep gangs off the streets.”

Isherwood supports growth and maintains environmental regulations will “cripple” agriculture long before development does. “As supervisors, we need to work together to inform the state of California that these heavy environmental regulations will be destructive to our agricultural economy,” he said.

'Everybody's Issue'

Water is another important issue, he said, adding the Board of Supervisors made a good move in forming a water commission.

“Water is everybody's issue,” he said, noting efforts to secure adequate water storage and recharge basins must continue.

Like Conway, Isherwood said he is willing to work hard as a supervisor and make himself available to constituents throughout the district. He reported he is already attending meetings in the unincorporated areas to learn more about the issues and needs of those communities.

“I don't represent one particular faction,” he said. “You need someone who will address issues of housing, health and human services, rural transportation, rural code enforcement and other issues.”

---

Expansion Opens the Door to New Exhibitors

Tulare - When the gates to the 2008 World Ag Expo swung open Tuesday, a few, lucky, new exhibitors were anxiously waiting the thousands of people they would get to talk with and to show their products or services.

This year's show is the largest ever thanks to the 100,000 square feet of exhibit space added since the 2007 event. Included in that space is the Dairy Technology Center, a 140-foot-by-160-foot indoor canvas-covered pavilion that will house roughly 120 exhibits.

One of those benefiting from the expansion is Bruce Blair, owner of Blair Electric in Porterville.

“Exposure,” was his short answer as to why he waited more than two years for a space to open up at the world's largest farm equipment show. “It means a lot more exposure. Being in Porterville, we're kind of hidden from the dairy world.”

Blair Electric specializes in agricultural, commercial and industrial electrical needs, including feed mills, juice plants, creameries, packing houses and, of course, dairies.

The new expansion also opened the door for Semex, a semen supplier, to display its cows that are offspring of the bulls they have to produce the semen. Semex is located in the southeastern corner of the show. (See story in Valley Voice this week.)

The entire expansion is devoted to the dairy industry, from companies like Blair Electric and Semex, to others like Fresno Valves and Castings, Inc. The Center is also home to the Top Five New Dairy Products, which are products selected from a pool of World Ag Expo exhibitor applications and represent the latest and most innovative technology.

130 New Exhibits

“World Ag Expo is nestled in the heart of the most dynamic dairy producing region in the nation.

Producers from all over the world travel to Tulare to gather industry leading technology and information,” said Jerry Sinift, general manager of the International Agric enter, producer of World Ag Expo. “We look forward to the additions our exhibitors will make with more space and the new information it will bring visitors.”

With more than 500 exhibit spaces already dedicated to dairy production, the expansion added up to 130 new dairy exhibits. The majority of the new exhibit space is in the Dairy Technology Center, presented by Bella Health Systems. The remaining space is devoted to outdoor dairy related exhibits, Snit noted.

The Dairy Technology Center, just south of the Farm Credit Dairy Center, increases the overall Expo exhibit space to 2.6 million square feet. The expansion comes in response to long time demand from exhibitors and attendees for more exhibit space related to dairy production.

“The Dairy Center has long been a high traffic, high demand location with no available space to expand. New and existing exhibitors will now have the opportunity to remodel, expand and modify their exhibits to showcase products and services in the new Dairy Technology Center,” said Shelley Khan, chairman of the 2008 Expo. “This expansion will also provide more breathing room for attendees exploring this popular Expo venue.”

Blair said the exhibit is not a big expense for his company, especially considering the exposure they will get. “Hopefully, this new pavilion will bring in more people,” said Richard Williams, a supervisor with the company.

The company is showcasing its Thermo Graphic Imaging device, which can detect problem areas in electrical systems. Blair said that can prevent unnecessary down time and increase energy efficiency.

---

Tulare Post Office Remodel Under Way

By Rick Elkins

Work has started on the long-awaiting remodeling of Tulare's downtown post office and will dramatically change how the 74-year-old building is used by the community.

“It's going to be nice when it's done. It's going to serve the community well,” Tulare Postmaster Jodie Moore said.

When finished later this year, the main entrance will be at what is now the back of the building and customer parking will be to the north side, where it was previously available only to postal carriers.

The remodel has been made possible because most of the post office operation has move to the new annex on Industrial Way off of South K St. Once the home to 68 employees, the downtown branch now houses just five. And where 53 carriers were once based at the East Tulare Avenue location, none now work out of that address.

The post office opened its annex in October and all mail processing is now being done at the location. That has eliminated carriers from picking up their mail at the downtown location and opened up space in the building, which was constructed in 1934.

The double-wide trailer that was brought in to handle the overflow of mail soon will be gone, opening up the north side of the building to more parking. The trailer, which was supposed to be a temporary fix, has been there more than 10 years, Moore said.

After remodeling, customers will find more space and more postal boxes. People will still be able to enter the building off of Tulare Avenue, but it will be the back, and not the front. “Basically, you'll be able to walk completely through the building,” Moore said.

Post office boxes and the service counter will be at what is now the back. Vending machines will enable customers to get stamps much easier. “It will make lines shorter; it's going to be a win-win for everybody,” Moore said.

The remodel will cost far less than the $1 million originally estimated and work will be done in phases, Moore said, adding workers seem to be ahead of schedule and the job could be completed ahead of the end-of-the-year target date.

“They've been kicking in there,” said Moore, whose office is now at the new annex.

The parking lot will be reserved for postal customers and Moore said it will be a federal fine for those using the parking stalls illegally. Collection boxes in the alley will be moved closer to the building, he said.

Moore said the annex construction and the downtown building remodel have been goals of his since he arrived in Tulare in 1997. The downtown building has been remodeled only once – in 1964 – since it was built, he added.

“We were just growing out of room,” he said, noting the existing building was designed for a community of about 20,000 people and Tulare's population now exceeds 50,000.

The remodel should accommodate the postal service in Tulare for many years to come, said the postmaster, adding there are no plans to construct a new post office anywhere in town.

The post office has two contract offices in town, one at Stanley's at Mooney Boulevard and Prosperity Avenue and the other at the Valero gas station at Cross Avenue and J Street. Customers pay the same amount for stamps and other services at those locations as they would pay at the post office, Moore said.

Something else that has reduced traffic at the main branch is ordering stamps by fax. Moore said Tulare uses the fax method for ordering stamps more than any post office in the region. He explained that if a person can send in their order by 8:30 a.m., the postal carrier can deliver the stamps that day. The carrier must be given a check at the time of delivery.

Something else the completed remodel will bring is Moore closer to retirement. “I delayed my retirement for this. When it's done, I'll reevaluate,” he said.

---

Daley Plans Restaurant Adjacent to Outlet Center

Tulare - Daley Enterprises has plans to build a 6,328-square-foot Uno Chicago Grill between Preferred Outlets at Tulare and Highway 99, just south of where Boot Barn is under construction.

The restaurant, part of a franchise that had its beginnings in Chicago in 1943 as Pizzeria Uno, will be the first major full-service, family-style restaurant to serve the outlet center.

“It's an older franchise,” said Scott Daley, vice president of Daley Enterprises of Tulare. “It's the originator of the Chicago deep-dish pizza.”

The project is expected to go to the Tulare Planning Commission for consideration on Monday, Feb. 25.

“It's going to be a good addition to Tulare,” senior city planner Rob Hunt said, adding the most frequently asked question the Planning Department gets is “When are we going to get a restaurant at the outlet center?”

The restaurant will sit on nearly one-acre that is also adjacent to Highway 99 and will be set back far enough so as not to be affected by any future freeway widening plans, Hunt said. Dr. Jatinder Chopra, who owns the nearly one-acre site, is selling the land but will remain involved with the project, Daley said.

Daley said a friend of his from Stockton will be the managing partner in the business.
The closest Uno restaurants to Tulare are in Modesto and Antioch, Daley said.

Food Court Possible

Pizzeria Uno and its sister-operation, Pizzeria Due, operated solely in Chicago until owner Ike Sewell agreed to franchise the concept in 1979. More than 200 Uno Chicago Grill restaurants now operate in 30 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, according to company literature.

Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation is based in Boston, Mass., and also operates a consumer foods division that supplies airlines, movie theaters, hotel restaurants and supermarkets with both frozen and refrigerated private label foods and branded Uno products, the company reports.

Patty Rocha, manager of Preferred Outlets at Tulare, said the center continues to work to bring more food into the center, but doesn't have any signed leases.

“A food court is a possibility that's still being looked at,” Rocha said.

Traffic at the outlet center is up 24 percent and sales almost 10 percent, she reported. “Few of the nation's centers can say that and those numbers will entice new [restaurant] businesses to look at us for a location.”

---