Salvation Army Can't Give Thanksgiving Aid
Donations Down; Christmas a Priority

Tulare - The Salvation Army, which normally provides food for 1,200 working poor families at Thanksgiving, is unable to do so this year for lack of money.

“We've done it for 17 years but we just don't have the resources for it this year,” said Capt. David Scott of the Tulare Corps. “We'll do Christmas, but I don't know at what level. Donations are already considerably down from last year.”

Scott's partner and wife, Capt. Ruth Scott, has been ill and in the hospital for more than two weeks after suffering a “small stroke” and then “severe head pain,” so the Salvation Army is going to need more bilingual volunteers this year, especially in the office when it conducts interviews to qualify families for Christmas help.
“We won't take applications until Nov. 5,” David Scott said.

If the Salvation Army had decided to do Thanksgiving baskets for the needy this year, Scott said that would have jeopardized its ability to provide food, gifts and new clothing at Christmas.

“We have to be able to help at Christmas because so many more families depend on us then,” he said. “That's why it's so extremely important for people to volunteer on the kettles this year. It's going to be a hard year.”

Kettle contributions were down dramatically in 2007 and have continued to lag significantly, which Scott said is consistent with the first year of a recession. “The second year, the money comes back,” he added.

The Salvation Army is getting as many as 30 phone calls day from families asking when interviews will be conducted for the holiday baskets.

“I have to tell them we can't do Thanksgiving and people understand that because they're having a very hard time,” Scott said. “It doesn't make it any less disappointing, but they understand.”

Because of the lagging economy, the Salvation Army is getting requests for help from working poor families that it has never seen before, Scott said.

The local AMVETS put on a “lovely Thanksgiving dinner and yet their numbers have gone down and down,” Scott said, adding it is his and Capt. Ruth's hope the community will help the AMVETS with this year's event, “talk it up” and refer people to the dinner, which is held at the Tulare Veterans Memorial Building on Thanksgiving day.

As for Capt. Ruth, Scott said Friday she was awaiting transfer to Stanford Medical Center as soon as a bed became available.

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Max Corbett Remembered
More than 1,000 Turn Out for Service

Tulare - The life, and now legend, of Max Corbett was celebrated Saturday.
With more than 1,000 people in attendance, the Tulare ag instructor was remembered Saturday for his passion, dedication and love of teaching young people.

Mr. Corbett, 61, died September 14 when the bull at the Tulare School Farm attacked him.

“Max Corbett was a leader, a mentor and a patriot and above all he was my friend,” said Congressman Devin Nunes, a student of Corbett's in the 1970s.
“He never stopped giving me advice. He touched thousands of lives and for this he will be missed,” he added, voice breaking with emotion.

Mr. Corbett taught ag at the Tulare School Farm for 33 years, which is shared by all three high schools. He served as advisor to the Tulare Western FFA chapter for nearly 20 years and was department chairman for about five years until he turned over those reins to Dave Caetano at the end of last year.

Mr. Corbett was the dairy leader and his connection to the scores of dairy families in the area was evident Saturday afternoon. The Souzas, Fernandeses, Nuneses, Airosos and other longtime dairy families were mentioned numerous times, often in a humorous story involving their beloved leader.

“If you can't run with the big dog, you better stay on the porch,” began Larry Dutto, dean of vocational academic services at College of the Sequoias and a friend of Mr. Corbett's for 40 years. He said Mr. Corbett was a big dog who always fought for his students.

“Max was happy and content. He looked forward to this year. God had a different plan in mind,” he said. “Max was at peace in his life. I will miss you big dog,” he concluded.

Joey Airoso, another former student who becamee one of Mr. Corbett's close friends, said Mr. Corbett put the Tulare FFA program on the map, noting he was a member of Max's national champion dairy judging program when he was a senior in high school.

But, he said it was Mr. Corbett's love of kids that stands out the most. “Anything to do with cows and kids, Max was on board,” he said.

Even later in life when his own kids were students of Max, Airoso said he felt Mr. Corbett was looking out for him. “I always felt he was taking care of my kids and helping me to raise my kids,” said Airoso, adding Mr. Corbett would have probably never retired because he always “saw these future kids coming up.”

“Thank God for bringing Max to Tulare and teaching our children,” he said.
Joey Fernandes, another former student who then had his children taught by Mr. Corbett, gave an emotional, yet sometimes humorous talk about his mentor and friend.

“You had to get to know him before you could love him,” said Fernandes. “He was a passionate, caring person. He truly loved the diary cow.”

Fernandes and others noted that Mr. Corbett served two tours in Vietnam at the height of that conflict. “The fact he went back for a second tour shows his bravery,” said Fernandes.

Fernandes also told how Mr. Corbett and his wife Mary would loan money to students so they could purchase an animal to show.

“Yes, there was only one Max Corbett. I will miss him daily and his impact will be felt forever,” Fernandes said choking back tears.

“Nunes noted that Mr. Corbett was a strong leader. “Corbett (Nunes said that is what he called him) led by example. Although he was a man of few words, he had no trouble sharing his wisdom,” he said.

Mr. Corbett's wardrobe drew several funny comments. Fernandes said in a way Mr. Corbett was a trend setter. “He starting sagging his pants and wearing his shirt out way before it was fashionable,” he joked. Dutto said you could tell the time of year by what Mr. Corbett was wearing – shorts in the summer and sweat pants in the winter. He added this about his shoes – “He always had sneakers with an ample supply of cow manure on them.”

Little Montana Tarkington, who lives with her family on the school farm, told many stories of growing up around Mr. Corbett. “Max was a gentle giant,” said she, adding she was looking forward to taking classes from him next year when she got into high school.

She also noted what others said as well. “Max would probably say, what's all this fuss about,” of the huge crowd at the Dairy Center at the International Agri-Center.
Among that crowd were hundreds of present and past ag students and FFA members. The ag teaching community was also well represented, said Caetano, with teachers from all over the state in attendance.

Caetano noted the support not only shown the Corbett family, but the school farm family as well. “The overwhelming support we have received has been phenomenal. I personally want to thank you for all you've done,” he said.

Wayne Corbett, Mr. Corbett's oldest son, thanked everyone for the support. “I know my dad would just be loving this. He would be deeply, deeply honored,” he said.

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Foes Consider Suit to Block Meat Plant

Tulare - Opponents say they are deciding whether to go to court to block construction of a beef slaughterhouse and processing plant adjacent to Tulare's wastewater treatment plant.

On Sept. 16 the City Council approved the environmental findings for the project and initiated general plan and zoning amendments needed to build the project on a portion of a 90-acre site at the northeast corner of Paige Avenue and Enterprise Street.

Council members also upheld a Planning Commission decision giving Western Pacific Meat Packing LLC a conditional use permit to build the project. Hanford attorney Raymond L. Carlson, who said he was acting on behalf of four property owners, appealed the permit decision on environmental and procedural grounds.
A colleague said Carlson was unable to attend last week's council meeting and requested a delay, which the council denied.

Carlson, who filed legal action against the project several years ago when it was proposed for the Goshen area, has until Oct. 16 to legally challenge the Tulare project.

“At this point we're still making up our minds about that,” he said Friday.

Water Issues

One of the major issues Carlson has raised concerns the loss of water that will result when a well is drilled to a depth of 700 feet and below the Corcoran clay to serve the plant.

Even though the city has a groundwater recharge program, the water the city will bring in will never get to the lower aquifer, Carlson said.

“The only way to reach below is if you put in an injection well,” he said Friday.

“They didn't look at the possibility of doing that to recharge below the clay.”

Lew Nelson, the city's public works director, said the northeast is the preferred area for the city's recharge basins because it is well beyond the eastern boundaries of the Corcoran clay and “the aquifer below the Corcoran clay will absolutely be recharged.”

Tony Brady of Western Pacific called water “a non-issue” because the plant will recycle 80 percent of the water it uses back into its system.

On the procedural front, Carlson has said the city erred in not circulating the formal Statement of Overriding Considerations, which explains why the city believes the project should move ahead despite expected environmental impacts.

City officials did not agree and told the council they had found no reason to overturn the Planning Commission's decision.

Also speaking at the council meeting were representatives of the Milk Producers Council, a trade association, and the alliance of Western Producers, who supported the project.

The council's decisions were unanimous. Councilman David Macedo abstained, announcing a conflict of interest because he is in the cattle business. He is co-owner of the Tulare Sales Yard.

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Tulare District to Offer LAP-BAND Surgery

Tulare - Weight reduction surgery was something Jennifer Bridges never wanted until she heard Dr. Karen MacKenzie speak about the LAP-BAND procedure a few months ago.

Now Bridges is preparing to become Tulare District Hospital's first LAP-BAND surgery patient.

“We're shooting for the second week of October,” said the 29-year-old Bridges, who is clinical lab coordinator at the hospital.

Tulare District officials recently announced that MacKenzie, a Tulare native who has a medical practice in Visalia, and Dr. Satesh Kesava, a Tulare physician, will offer the surgery at Tulare District. Both are surgeons.

Bridges, who is married and the mother of a 7-year-old boy and 19-month-old daughter, said she has tried weight loss programs, drinks and pills without success and did not want to have gastric bypass surgery.

“I know people who have had the gastric bypass done and I didn't want to put my body through that,” she said.

Bridges’ weight, which she does not wish to disclose, has impacted her health.
“I had little episodes of my heart-rate going up,” she said. “My last episode really scared me. I don't want to have these types of problems. I'm 29 years old.”
She especially wants to be healthy, so she can keep up with her children after putting in a 40- to 50-hour workweek at the hospital.

“I want to be around for my kids and I don't want them to have memories of their mom just laying around…heart problems do run in my family and I don't want to make it worse by being overweight.”

In announcing the expansion of MacKenzie's practice to include surgeries at Tulare District, a news release said the LAP-BAND procedure is appropriate for patients considered clinically or morbidly obese and involves placing an inflatable silicone prosthetic device around the top of the stomach. The device can be inflated or deflated in an office visit to adjust to the patient's weight loss goals. The device causes the patient to feel full and stop eating, and it can be removed at any time.

Less Invasive

This is a less invasive, in-patient procedure found to cause fewer problems than the stomach “stapling” or “bypass” procedure, MacKenzie said in the prepared statement.

“I used to do the bypass surgery but there were too many long-term health implications so I stopped doing it,” she explained.

“I wasn't convinced at first about LAP-BAND, but after I watched for a few years, I saw that the weight loss is the same after five years with fewer complications,” she said. “Still, even this procedure is not a cure – it is a tool to achieve weight loss, and then my patients need to make good decisions.”

Her office manager said MacKenzie has done more than 100 LAP-BAND procedures in Florida, where she formerly lived, and at Kaweah Delta Medical Center and Cypress Surgery Center, both in Visalia.

A big plus with LAP-BAND surgery is that it takes only about 45 minutes and is done laproscopically, Bridges said. “They said I can have the surgery on a Thursday and be back to work on a Monday.”

Trauma Surgery

MacKenzie also provides trauma surgery at Kaweah Delta and is continuing her military service with the Air Force Reserves, serving a one-month tour of duty in the Mideast each year, where she performs surgery in the field and in the air while transporting soldiers to military hospitals. She will go to Afghanistan in March.

“It's hard on the practice to be gone, and I have to rebuild it every time I come home. But there is a shortage of surgeons and everybody needs to do what they can to support our guys over there. Our country is at war and sometimes it's just about doing the right thing.”

Born in Tulare, MacKenzie—whose maiden name is Weaver—attended Tulare Union High School before joining the Army's 82nd Airborne Division as a medic.
She later obtained her Bachelor of Science degree – cum laude in two- and-one-half years – from Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, and then received her medical degree at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She completed her residency in General Surgery at Tulane University Medical Center.

After living and working in Florida, she and her husband, Kelly, decided they wanted to return home with their two children to be near family, MacKenzie said.

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Tulare Voice, Chamber Launch
Longevity Recognition Program

Tulare - The Tulare Voice, a relative newcomer on the block, and the Tulare Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize the longevity of businesses, industry and professional offices in Tulare.

Starting in October, the Tulare Voice will begin running a listing of businesses, including the business name, name of the owner, business address and how long they have been doing business in Tulare. The listing will run once a month over the next several months.

“Our goal is to compile a list that will be updated each month until we feel we have listed as many Tulare area businesses as possible,” said Rick Elkins, executive editor of the Tulare Voice.

“The strength of the community is in its local businesses and we want to recognize them for their many years of serving Tulare,” he said.

The program is meant to pay special tribute to businesses that have made a long-term commitment to providing jobs and supporting the economy of Tulare.

“There are many businesses that have been in Tulare for several generations, and it's important to recognize that long-term commitment to our community,” said Chamber President and CEO Jennifer McCoun. “We've seen so many new businesses coming into Tulare in the last few years, which is great, but sometimes we forget to recognize the ones that have been a part of our economic fabric for many years.”

While the emphasis is on long-established businesses, Elkins urged those who have been in operation only a short time to send in a form. “We want the community to know how many businesses serve this community from those that are one-year-old or less to those that are 100-years-old or more,” Elkins said.

The Tulare Voice will attempt to contact as many businesses as possible for the information, but owners can also contact the newspaper. Forms will also be available at the Chamber office, 220 E. Tulare Ave., at the Tulare Voice Office, 125 South M Street in Tulare and at the Valley Voice office, 711 West School Street, Visalia.

The information can be dropped off at any of those locations, faxed to 686-1851, 733-3963 or to the Chamber at 686-4915, or e-mailed to tularevoice@valleyvoicenewspaper.com.

For more information or to provide your information over the phone, contact the Tulare Voice at 686-1462 or 635-3200.

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