Kidney, Liver Transplants
Friends Plan 'Brooklyn's Ball’
Tulare - Brooklyn Espinoza, a 10-year-old Kohn School student in desperate need of a $1 million kidney and liver transplant, is an amazing child by all accounts.
Born with Alagille Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that occurs in only one in 100 million children and affects the heart, liver and kidneys, Brooklyn underwent open heart surgery at UCLA when she was one years old and received a liver transplant at age two.
While the surgeries saved her life, the powerful steroids she has had to take over the past eight years have severely damaged her kidneys and liver.
Her medical problems began to escalate about two months ago and during the past week her liver failed and she remains hospitalized at UCLA awaiting a transplant, said Kevin Blain, who has brought together a group of people who know and care about Brooklyn to organize Brooklyn's Ball, a Nov. 15 dinner and auction to help her family pay for expenses not covered by health insurance. Brooklyn's father, Joe, works for the Kevin Blain Real Estate Team at Keller Williams Realty.
“The community's been wonderful — really, really good, but we still need to sell more tickets,” Blain said.
In spite of her medical ordeals, Brooklyn has developed a captivating personality that endears her to those who know her.
“I had her for 180 days in my classroom and that was the most memorable school year,” said Kathy Jarvis, who was Brooklyn's first-grade teacher at Kohn School and a member of the fundraising group.
'Pure Delight'
“She is the most positive, good-natured child,” Jarvis said. “She's just indescribable. She's funny, has a cute sense of humor, laughs and gets jokes. She just was a pure delight to have in class.”
Tulare City Councilman Carlton Jones, a close family friend, said “Brooklyn is beautiful and has the best personality in the whole world. She's brave and she's an awesome sister. She'll just make you laugh—and then you get sad because she's so sick.”
Jarvis and Jones give Brooklyn's parents, Joe and Desiree Espinoza, the credit for the little girl's amazing outlook.
“Brooklyn is like the perfect little combination of both of them,” Jones said. “They both have big hearts. When I couldn't afford a suit for my interview to be a firefighter, Joe is the person who bought my suit. And Des has just got the most magnetic personality.” Desiree Espinoza works for Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
Jarvis said the Espinozas “are just a great family and were just a huge inspiration to me and I love them to pieces. They are giving people.”
As sick as their daughter is, when they learned the father of another Kohn student was seriously ill and hospitalized at UCLA, they sought him out at the hospital to comfort him and his family.
The Kohn School community has had “a lot of heartache” over the past few years and in this case, as with the rest, the staff has pulled together to do what they can to help, Jarvis said. “The other teachers are supporting me and we've rounded up three tables for this event — no problem.”
Brooklyn's Bridge is an entity the fundraising group has established to receive donations and proceeds from Brooklyn's Ball.
Care and Share, a non-profit organization a local real estate agency has set up, also has offered to receive money from individuals and companies that want to make a tax-deductible contribution, Blain said.
The dinner dance will feature food by Costa's Catering, live and silent auctions, music by The Executive Rockers and a 50-50 raffle.
'One Patient at a Time'
Tulare - Doctors for Emergeant Medical Associates (EMA) said their company is confident it will increase public confidence in the Tulare District Hospital's emergency room and two doctors who sit on the hospital's board of directors say that already is starting to happen.
“In the six weeks you've been here, I've not heard a single complaint about your care,” Dr. Prem Kamboj told Drs. Val Warhaft and Marco Hernandez of the newly formed Tulare District Emergency Medical Associates, an affiliate of EMA.
Kamboj and fellow board member Dr. Lonnie Smith were highly critical of ER services when they ran for the board in 2006, saying they believed the reason more of their patients were asking to be sent to other hospitals for inpatient care was because of the bad experiences their family members, friends and acquaintances had reported in the ER.
Like Kamboj, hospital board Chairman Dr. Parmod Kumar said the new group is a welcome addition to the hospital and lived up to its excellent reputation when one of his patients went to the ER and was quickly diagnosed with massive blood clots in his lungs and sent to the intensive care unit in less than 30 minutes.
'One Patient at a Time’
During the board's regularly scheduled meeting, Walhaft told the board EMA is committed to gaining public confidence. “We'll win that one patient at a time.” He is the chief medical officer for EMA.
While the ER has averaged 75 to 80 patients a day, he projected that within six months the number will increase to 100 patients per day as Tulare District becomes the ER of choice for district residents.
EMA has a track record of proven success, he said. “We've grown by request, not by design.”
Tulare District ended its previous contract with Team Health West in September after its new Chief Executive Officer Shawn Bolouki expressed concerns about patient safety and quality of care in the emergency room. Team Health officials strongly disagreed with his assessment.
EMA has a goal at each hospital it serves to have no more
than a two-hour lapse from the time the patient arrives and to the point
a decision is made about his or her care, Walhaft said, adding the national
average is between 350 to 400 minutes.
Two programs have been initiated in the TDH emergency room to improve efficiency
and reduce wait time, according to comments Walhaft made at the board meeting
and in a hospital press release about the change.
'Fast Track Gone'
The first eliminates “fast track” beds, which were introduced a few years ago to try to lessen waiting times for patients with less serious problems, in favor of putting patients in any available bed in the ER.
“Fast track” would sit idle 12 hours a day, while patients waited in the lobby to be seen, he said. Now patients are put in any available bed and “all of the space in the ER has all the necessary resources to treat patients.”
The second program sets up a treatment area where medical personnel can “evaluate, treat and discharge those who have come to the emergency room with less demanding emergencies such as ear infections, fevers, minor cuts and sprains,” Walhaft said.
EMA also is creating profiles for each physician in the community, so ER doctors know how they prefer their patients be treated.
Steps also have been taken to increase communication between
doctors and nurses, Walhaft said. “The nursing staff needs to have
a firm and clear voice in what we do.”
Chief Nursing Officer Pat Mathewson said “it's been very healthful
for our nurses to work in an environment in which physicians treat nurses
as colleagues.” She added steps are under way to provide more education
for critical care nurses.
Hernandez, associate director of medical services, said Tulare District has given EMA “one of the warmest receptions we've had.”
By Rick Elkins
Tulare - Fugazzis California Bistro is refocusing its efforts in light of lean economic times, but has no plans to leave Tulare, says owner Mike Fligor.
The popular restaurant is scaling back from five sites to three and is refocusing efforts on strengthening its Tulare restaurant.
“We're strong as a company,” Fligor said. “What we're going to do is focus on Tulare, stay small and do the best we can do.”
Fugazzis has been around for more than a decade and last year the Fligors expanded, opening a Tulare restaurant in Evolutions Plaza at 1425 East Prosperity Ave. in August and another one in Fresno. Those were added to the flagship eatery in downtown Visalia, the restaurant on Cypress in Visalia and a third in Clovis.
Today, Fligor has closed both the Clovis and Fresno businesses as he positions his company to weather tough economic times.
“In light of the economy, we are downsizing and refocusing our efforts on existing stores,” he said.
The company has also incorporated, a move that led some in Tulare to speculate he might be closing the Tulare restaurant because he had to post a new application for a liquor license.
Fligor stressed he has no plans to close in Tulare and, instead, has brought in a new manager and is working on a new menu with lower prices. He is also planning to introduce a full-service bar.
“We're investing more money in it [the restaurant],” he said.
Tulare Changes
“We brought Fugazzis to a small town, but we didn't
bring the whole Fugazzis,” Fligor said. “Bottom line is we listened
to our customers and we're making changes.”
He noted the bar and lounge will be similar to the one in his downtown Visalia
restaurant. “Fugazzis will always be a restaurant first,” he
added, explaining the bar will complement that focus.
Other changes include the hiring of Bianca Alvarez as the restaurant's manager. She has been with the company for more than three years and Fligor said she is one of his best managers.
As for the menu, he said he wants to offer more variety — including southwestern dishes — and is considering lowering prices as well.
“We'll lighten up the menu, make it more user friendly,”
Fligor said. “We'll keep the best of Fugazzis and then add to it to
appeal to a broader audience.”
Along with the changes will come a new name. Instead of Fugazzis Bistro,
it will be called Fugazzis Grill in the near future.
Some minor remodeling will be done to the restaurant area as well, including the addition of carpeting in some areas. The bar and lounge will be on the west side of the restaurant.
“I'm excited about it. It will give Tulare something it doesn't have,” said the owner. “We're trying to be the best restaurant in Tulare.”
Plans are to have all the changes in place by Christmas.
Fugazzis is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Fugazzis also does catering at all three locations.
Tulare - Tulare could end up with two Fresh &
Easy Neighborhood Markets.
Evergreen-Devco, which already has city-approved plans to build a Fresh
& Easy market on the southeast corner of Tulare Avenue and Laspina Street,
will return to the Planning Commission Monday to get approve for a second
store.
The company wants to build on the southwest corner of East
San Joaquin Avenue and North J Street on property Orosco and Associates
has said it wants to buy from the Tulare Redevelopment Agency and develop
into a shopping center.
The Oroscos want to build the center on the west side of J Street between
Cross and San Joaquin avenues, but a portion of the property near Cross
is contaminated and undergoing clean-up.
The Redevelopment Agency and the Oroscos will have to create a separate parcel and possibly a separate development and disposition agreement so Evergreen-Devco doesn't have to wait to move forward with its plans, said Bob Nance, the city's economic and redevelopment director.
“They [the Oroscos] are excited about getting this in,” Nance told the redevelopment board last week.
Board member Art Cabello said he had no doubt that was the case.
“Once they get this in, it will be so easy to develop the rest of the block,” Cabello said.
Senior Planner Rob Hunt said Evergreen-Devco has decided to seek certification for the J Street store under the Green Building Certification Institute's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
Fresh & Easy stores are typically smaller than the average supermarkets and carry prepared meals as well as everyday staples and gourmet food items.
at Tipton Banquet
Tulare - The annual Tipton Community Recognition Banquet not only acknowledged residents, businesses and organizations hard at work in the town but included a moving tribute honoring Army Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, a 27-year-old Pixley soldier killed in Iraq in March.
“All present were brought to tears,” said Leanne Simoes Sandlin, a Tipton Community Council member who was honored as Tipton's Woman of the Year at the Oct. 18 event.
At the conclusion of the Power Point presentation prepared by John Fitzpatrick, Man of the Year, Connie Conway, chairwoman of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, and Supervisor-Elect Pete Vanderpoel led the audience in a standing ovation for Sgt. Martin's parents, Tony and Lucy Martin, Sandlin said.
The community then presented the Martins with several gifts: a five-night stay in Pismo Beach, donated by the Beach Comber Inn; more than $200 in meals donated McLintock's, Splash Cafe, Zorro's Cafe and Cantina, Brad's Restaurant, Quarterdeck, Penny's All American and Marie Callendar's, all Pismo restaurants; and $350 donated by Corbin Souza and JC Lansdowne, Co., Inc.
For the first time in the events six-year history, award winners were chosen in a communitywide vote, instead of solely by prior year recipients. The recipients were as follows:
John Fitzpatrick,
Man of the Year
Born and raised in Tipton, Fitzpatrick graduated from Tipton Elementary School and Tulare Union High School. He works in Los Angeles and commutes home on the weekend. He created and maintains the official website for the Tipton Community Council (TCC), acts as a parliamentarian advisor to the council and constructed this year's Tulare County Fair Float.
Leanne Simoes Sandlin,
Woman of the Year
Sandlin was born and raised in Tipton and educated at Tipton Elementary and Tulare Union. She has served on the TCC since 2003 and is now the acting chairwoman. She co-chaired the past three recognition banquets and has been involved in the fair and Christmas parades since 2003, as well as the annual Christmas tree lighting events in Tipton. She recently was nominated for a seat on the Tulare Chamber of Commerce board. She's been involved in a long list of fundraising activities at Tipton School, Tulare Union and St. John's Catholic Church. She also has served on Tipton's school site council and is a past treasurer and secretary for the school's Parent's Club
Lynda K Fitzpatrick,
Volunteer of the Year
A transplant from Los Angeles, Lynda has been living in Tipton since 2004 and is an avid community activist. She has volunteered her services for Tipton Elementary School, TCC's annual Christmas Tree Lighting, C-SET's “No Homeowner Left Behind” program, Tipton's annual clean-up day; the Methodist Church's Vacation Bible School and at Tipton First Baptist Church. She was chairwoman for the TCC Fair Float Committee, co-chair of the 2007 recognition banquet, and has made FoodLink deliveries to the elderly and shut-ins.
Deltha Teeters,
Senior of the Year
Teeters has lived in Tipton since 1945 and raised her eight children there. Throughout the years, she was heavily involved in fundraising for Tipton Elementary School and with Tipton First Southern Baptist Church, where she made gift boxes for the military and Christmas shoe boxes for under privileged children in other countries. Her favorite past time is cooking and she is known as "Mom" to many in Tipton.
Heather Hunt,
Youth of the Year
Described by her mother as a "ray of sunshine," Heather has been heavily involved in several sports teams, tap dancing and the drill team while attending Tipton School, as well as Friday Night Live's "Lip Sync" program. She is also involved in AYSO soccer with Tipton's First Baptist Church, where her father Steve Hunt is pastor. At the church, she is involved with Hallelujah Night, an alternative to Halloween, and with making food baskets during the holidays and assisting with the monthly good give-away programs through FoodLink. She will be attending College of the Sequoias at age 16.
Farmers Burgers,
Business of the Year
New to Tipton this year, Farmers Burgers has given to the community by feeding kids who participated in the annual town clean-up effort and donating to the recognition banquet. Restaurant owner Abdullah Alhetar, originally from the Yemen Republic, says, "the people of Tipton are so friendly, it reminds me of home.”
First Southern Baptist Church,
Organization of the Year
Pastor Steve Hunt said he takes great pride in housing Tipton's FoodLink program at this church and providing commodities to many people in the community. He also said his church has served as a place for not only weddings and funerals, but many other events. The church celebrated its 70th year in Tipton this year. Annually, members also prepare and deliver food baskets during the holidays.
Tulare - When they go to the polls Tuesday, Tulare-area voters will decide a hotly contested hospital board race, choose two new Tulare Joint Union High School District board members and decide whether to pass Measure J, a bond that will help build a College of the Sequoias campus in Tulare.
In addition, city residents will decide whether to retain all three City Council incumbents or elect a fourth candidate who has expressed strong doubts about the Tulare Motor Sports Complex planned for 700 acres adjacent to the International Agri-Center and who has called for a vote of the people on the matter.
Tulare residents have twice overwhelmingly approved a bond to build a COS campus here, but both measures failed because their neighbors in Visalia did not support them. This time, the COS board has carved out a voting area that includes only Tulare, the South County, Lindsay and Corcoran in hopes of passing a $60 million bond.
The measure is expected to cost property owners $24.71 per $100,000 of assessed valuation which, supporters say, will amount to $31.53 a year for the average property owner.
Hospital Board
The Tulare Local HealthCare District race finds five candidates, including two incumbents, running for three board seats. Incumbent Deanne Martin-Soares decided not to seek re-election.
The candidates in that race are, in alphabetical order:
• Skip Barwick, a 57-year-old real estate broker and owner of a soils amendment business;
• Sherrie Bell, a 48-year-old part-time realtor and fulltime mother;
• Incumbent Dr. Parmod Kumar, a gastroenterologist who has served 14 years on the board;
• Incumbent Roger McPhetridge, a 51-year-old nurse with the California Department of Corrections. He is seeking a second term;
• Richard Torrez, 42, a history and science teacher in the alternative education program in the Tulare Joint Union High School District.
High School Board
Incumbents Joe Cardoza and Karen Hill are leaving the Tulare Joint Union High School District board, which means voters will elect two new trustees from a field of five candidates.
Running in that race, again in alphabetical order, are:
• Samantha Cushing, 37, a trading assistant with J.D. Heiskell and Company.
• Frank Fernandes, 37, a dairy farmer.
• Cathy Mederos, 54, a parent/homemaker.
• Elva Jean Strawn, 60, retired Community Health Technician.
• Derek Thomas, 43, an employee with the California Department of Corrections.
City Council
Council candidates have fielded a lot of questions about the proposed motor sports complex, a project that could go to the City Council for a decision in late December or early January.
Incumbents Craig Vejvoda, Phil Vandegrift and Carlton Jones have said they will wait until the final environmental impact report is done and public hearings have been held before making their decisions.
They also have reported a majority of their constituents appear to support the project.
Challenger Wayne Ross, on the other hand, reports hearing
a lot of concerns about the proposal and has said the City Council should
let the voters decide the matter.
The candidates in this City Council race are, in alphabetical order:
• Incumbent Carlton Jones, 35, a Fresno city firefighter, who was first elected in 2004.
• Wayne Ross, 43, owner of Ross Wealth Management, a financial and insurance advising company.
• Vice Mayor Phil Vandegrift, 59, owner of Target Realty.
• Mayor Craig Vejvoda, 51, owner of Vejvoda Financial Services.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
October 30, 2008
