Nunes: ‘California's Economy Going to Get Worse’
Tulare's Rising Political Star Hopeful of Dairy Rebound

By George Lurie

Tulare - You can take the boy out of Tulare but Devin Nunes is proof that you can't take Tulare out of the boy.

Even as the charismatic, popular 37-year-old Tulare congressman is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, he said he's always happiest when he returns home to Tulare, where he, his wife and their two young daughters live.

While he frequently appears on national television and will be one of the Republican House leaders in Congress in 2012, Nunes clearly prizes his rural roots, as these excerpts from his exclusive interview with the Voice demonstrate.

On his hometown: “I love Tulare. It's still a very tightly knit community. Everyone pretty much knows each other and a lot of families go back a long way, many back to the Azores…We've got real people and real culture in Tulare. Where else in America are you going to go to a bull fight? With the mix of races that are here, we're as culturally diverse a place as anywhere in America. You can eat all of this fresh, locally grown stuff. And you have the best Mexican food in the country. I wouldn't trade the Valley for Manhattan…”

On the dairy industry's tough times: “There's an oversupply and a sluggish economy. It makes it hard to work through the supply. Hopefully with this free trade agreement with S. Korea, that's going to be a big market for California dairy. But it's been a rough time. And it's hard because my whole family is involved in that industry. People have lost a lot of money.”

On the ethanol industry's impact on the dairy industry: “It's part of the problem. Probably around a quarter of the U.S. corn crop goes into ethanol. There are a lot of other factors at play: the cheap dollar, exports have been up and you have people all over the world eating more [corn]. So it's a tough situation because corn is the number one ingredient in cow's diets.”

On the Tulare Motorsports project: “I have a very strict rule that I stay out of local land-use issues. I never try to influence any type of local issue. Even if I have an opinion, I never like to weigh in. I don't tell the county folks what to do. I don't tell the city folks what to do. I don't tell town councils what to do. I always make it a policy to be open to everyone and be their last link to the federal government. If I were to weigh into these land-use issues, right or wrong, it would impact the projects. People will take things out of context.”

On California's current economic troubles: “In general, I think the economy in California is going to get a lot worse before it starts getting better…We need jobs. Most of the job destruction that's happened in the San Joaquin Valley is related to environmental extremism…People need to wake up and demand a complete overhaul of the state's regulatory and tax structure...California's problems are two-fold: You have a tax problem where you have taxes so high that basically all the job creators that can leave have left. Most farmers would leave if they could but they can't take their land with them. And then you have the regulatory environment, which is almost impossible to get through. When you have the air board come out and say that one cow produces more pollution than one car, perhaps we have a problem. I mean, people have lost their minds…The whole timber industry has been annihilated. That's tens of thousands of jobs. And they've slowly been cutting our water back. You take that along with the overall tax regime, where retirees are starting to leave the state. People take their small nest eggs and can move to Idaho or Texas and save considerable amounts of money by not having to pay more taxes…This economy around here cannot grow fast enough to create jobs to get ahead of the masters of government who want to control people's lives and have this socialist utopian idea of how things should work. It doesn't work very well if you're whacking jobs in the timber industry, in the dairy industry, in ag. I mean, we've idled land in California in the last few years the size of Rhode Island, some of the most productive farm land in the world. And we've thrown all of these farm workers out of jobs and now they're standing in food lines…It's really sinister and it's what my book is about.”

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Fudge Purchases Benefit Valley Soldiers

Tulare - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Tulare is hoping to sell 300 pounds of fudge by Christmas, but the “bottom line” that franchise owners Danny and Teri Honsowetz are focused on is not their own.

Instead the “bottom line” the Honsowetzes are thinking about involves thousands of other people.

“There's going to be 150,000 people who are not going to make it home for Christmas,” Danny Honsowetz said. “They are protecting our Christmas.”

He is talking about the men and women in the military who are serving in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.

So where does the Rocky Mountain fudge come into this picture?

For every pound of fudge the Preferred Outlets at Tulare store sells, an equal amount will be given to the Central Valley Blue Star Moms who will send it to soldiers for Christmas and/or Valentine's Day.

About 66 pounds of fudge already has been sent to soldiers and the mother of one even called to thank the Honsowetzes for their donation, they said.

“I just think we're going to continue this forever,” Honsowetz said.

The Central Valley Blue Star Moms is described on its website as a non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-discriminatory military service support group that was formed to:

• Support Blue Star members, their sons and daughters, who are serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

• Share educational information to benefit the members and their families.

• Support our military personnel through various service activities and events.

• Promote causes that will benefit military personnel through military advocacy programs.

Charlotte Novak-Brown, public information officer for Blue Star Moms, said many other businesses, mostly in Fresno, are also collecting items for the troops.

Blockbuster Video, for example, has collected a “truck full” of movie candy for distribution and Cigars Limited, a high-end cigar store in Fig Garden Village, has gathered “boxes and boxes of cigars” – some valued at $200 a box – that were purchased by generous customers who want to say thanks to the troops, Novak Brown said.

For more information: Go to www.cvbluestarmoms.org.

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Happy Trails Wants to 'Raise the Roof'
With Community Support, Riding Academy Hopes to Operate Year Round

By Barry Klein

Tulare - Andre Gaston recalls one autistic child's experience with a horse at Happy Trails Riding Academy in Tulare.

“At first this boy would not put on a helmet, let alone consider mounting the horse,” said Gaston, Happy Trails' board president.

But after a bit of persuasion and persistence on the part of the Happy Trails staff, the child finally got on the horse and in just a short time began to relax and enjoy the experience.

“After several sessions of riding, the child began to make eye contact with the instructor and volunteers. Also, when on the horse, his attention span increased dramatically,” Gaston said.

Happy Trails, located between Visalia and Tulare on Avenue 256, one-quarter mile east of Mooney Boulevard, is a nonprofit organization that uses “equine-assisted activities and therapy” – interacting with and riding horses – to help build confidence and empower adults and children with physical, cognitive and psychological disabilities.

The program's goal is to create an environment where those with disabilities can gain more independence and live fuller lives.

“Sometimes it is the tiny steps that are the most important,” program director Lisa Cotta-Meek said.

Bill Kitchen's daughter Jori, who is 29 and has cerebral palsy, has been a regular visitor to Happy Trails for more than 10 years. Kitchen has witnessed first-hand the impact the academy has had on his daughter's health and state of mind.

"[Happy Trails] brings equilibrium into Jori's life, a sense of belonging,” Kitchen said. “[The therapy really] helps with her physical balance.”

Kitchen called Happy Trails “a place of nurturing. And Jori loves horses!" he added.

Equine-assisted activities and therapy utilizes the movement of the horse to work with both the rider's mental and physical reactions. As the horse moves, the rider is assisted by volunteers, who walk alongside.

“Interaction with animals can be very healing to the human spirit,” Gaston said.

Happy Trails has a dedicated staff of trained riding instructors and committed volunteers and is funded mostly by private and corporate donations, although a small percentage of funding comes from riding fees, which are $25 per lesson and only about 10-15 percent of the actual operating cost, according to Gaston.

Tulare County Mental Health and Tulare Youth Services also use the facility for challenged youth, who take part in equine-assisted psychotherapy.

The program runs from February thru November. Currently, there are 114 people enrolled and the number of riders is expected to keep growing.

But the arena where the therapy takes place is not covered, which in the midst of summer's blazing heat or in the rainy months can be difficult for both rider and trainer. For some the heat is intolerable and for a few it can cause seizures, so when it rains or is too hot, classes must be cancelled.

Gaston said having a roof over the arena would solve this problem and increase the therapeutic impact of the sessions. It would also allow for year-round operations at the facility.

While Happy Trails holds two fundraisers every year -- “Night at the Races” in late spring and “Denim and Diamonds” in autumn – the organization is soliciting donations for its “Raise a Roof” campaign that organizers hope will result in a permanent covering over the riding arena. The cost of the roof is estimated at about $275,000.

Happy Trails recently received donations towards this project from the Sence Foundation for $100,000 and the Fansler Foundation for $50,000 and there is a challenge grant that is being put out to the public.

The grant offering is for $50,000 by Kim Oviatt and the Sence Foundation for 2010. The purpose of this grant is to hire an executive director to oversee day-to day operations, which board members are currently handling.

Having a dedicated director will help keep the academy on a healthy footing and provide vision for the future, Gaston said.

Once the public matches this grant, then the Sence Foundation will donate another $100,000 towards the building of an arena roof.

“Kim is a local rancher who has donated two of his horses, as he appreciates the wonderful bond that is formed between a horse and child or adult with a disability,” said Gaston. Kim Oviatt and the Sence Foundation have been supporting Happy Trails since 1995.

“For every dollar donated by the public, Happy Trails will receive three dollars from the Sence Foundation,” said Gaston. “You don't get an opportunity like this very often.”

The deadline to meet the challenge grant is Dec. 31.

Those interested in volunteering their time or making a tax-deductible donation can contact Happy Trails Riding Academy at 688-8685.

Those interested in touring the facility are encouraged to call and set up a visit.

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