Spanish Tangerines Pulled Fearing Medfly

Tulare County - Tulare County ag authorities joined other county officials in a statewide removal of Spanish grown tangerines - the popular wooden boxed Clementines - from local supermarkets after a number of nationwide inspections found live medflies in the shipments.

Tulare Ag Commissioner Lenord Craft says shipments were pulled from a number of supermarkets in the county - about one half ton in all and 4 dead medfly larvae were found. Local ag inspectors rounded up all the shipments they could find late last week says Ag Commissioner Lenord Craft. The fruit was buried in a landfill.

However, there is indication that some fruit got into the hands of consumers in some California supermarkets.

The finding of a medfly in Tulare County worries local officials who fear the pest found widely in Spain could devastate our orange industry in California. USDA has banned new shipments of Clementines from Spain until they can figure out why the cold treatment on shipments of oranges that typically kill off the pest - didn’t work this time.

Nationwide more than 500,000 cartons of Clementines have been removed from the market in the US. No new shipments will be allowed until USDA approves it. In addition, 300,000 more cases were stopped at the shipping docks.

Craft says area citrus growers had warned USDA that bringing in produce from a highly infested area like Spain could spell trouble sometime in the future. “It’s clear they need to upgrade their handling procedures,” says Craft noting much of the oranges were frozen - generally in poor shape.

Craft says what ag officials worry about is a medfly infestation that could spook foreign markets. “We ship more than 20,000 shipments of fruit every year to the export market fetching local farmers premium prices. If a foreign country can find a reason to stop the shipments our markets would be devastated,” says Craft.

Many of the Clementines are sold in wooden gift boxes aimed at the Christmas market. California growers have been historically critical of USDA policy of allowing the imports here particularly since the Spanish government heavily subsidizes the fruit. Spanish tangerine imports have skyrocketed in the past year to over 200 million lbs. in 2000 from 47 million lbs. in 96 and 88 million lbs. in 98.

Now California growers will get a break from one of the toughest competitors unable to sell in the lucrative Christmas market this year because they failed to kill all of the dangerous little pests. Local growers says their tangerine prices have spiked since the government action in the past week.

In California, the Department of Food and Agriculture has confiscated more than 25,000 cases from retailers.

The adult Medfly is slightly smaller than a common housefly and is very colorful. Under tropical summer weather conditions, the Medfly completes its life cycle in 21 to 30 days. It is distributed throughout the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, the Middle East, western Australia, South and Central America, and Hawaii. In general, it’s found in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world.

The Medfly became established in Hawaii in 1910. Hawaii remains infested with this pest and no eradication program is currently under way. The first US mainland infestation occurred in Florida in 1929. Several infestations have occurred on the mainland since then. However, state and federal eradication programs in California, Florida and Texas have prevented it from becoming established.

In 1993, the US Department of Agriculture estimated that annual losses attributed to the Medfly in the continental United States would be about $1.5 billion annually if this exotic pest was to become established. These losses would come in the form of export sanctions, lost markets, treatment costs, reduced crop yields, deformities and premature fruit drop.

Citrus Mutual Director of Industry Relations Shirley Batchman said, “If we were to find larvae or live flies in citrus-producing areas of the state, that would have the potential for very severe economic consequences for the industry. It’s a deadly pest and it’s imperative that it stays out of our citrus-producing areas.”

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City Must Fund Roadway
To Build New Center

Visalia - Citizens of Visalia will get their first look at developer Don Orosco's South Packwood Creek Specific Plan at a Planning Commission meeting December 10 (7p.m. - council chambers). The plan calls for construction of as much as one million square feet of new retail space south of the current development boundary - Packwood Creek where the city's urban uses stop and farmland begins.

In Orosco's first phase of development on both sides of Mooney, he is planning three potential centers - altogether 650,000 sq. ft. The center will attract new shoppers clearly and hoards of cars.

The proposed project that could begin construction this coming year will be a hot issue in Visalia over the next few months with significant opposition lining up hoping to derail the shopping center. Retailers expected to be part of the center are Lowe's, Best Buy and even a new Target store south of the creek. A big question remains - how will this center impact Mooney and Caldwell traffic - already a huge bottleneck.

An ongoing concern of the EIR is whether the cars will clog Mooney so bad it will build up wait time at Caldwell and Mooney to a threshold level during peak hours before you can get through this intersection. Three large retailers expected for the first phase could generate around 29,000 daily trips, the EIR estimates. The report suggests that without any relief the amount of traffic on this stretch of road between Caldwell and Ave. 272 toward Mooney Grove would be over 47,300 trips pushing this segment of road into level F - the most severe category. If nothing is done to relieve the congestion, wait time through the intersection will reach over 106 seconds, exceeding a CalTrans/city standard.

Here's where the developer's EIR addresses this "impact" suggesting that traffic on Mooney and Caldwell would get relief by putting in a new road connecting Mooney to Court at Cameron - just south of the creek - adjacent the eastside retail complexes expected to be built first. Later the plan calls to extend Cameron to County Center adding a bridge to be developed over Packwood Creek at County Center helping to relieve traffic.

But now comes the controversial part - who will pay to put the street in?

Orosco's argument is to "pay our fair share" of the construction of the street using the traffic impact fee the developer pays to build the road to their eastern property line where the city would pick up the cost to extend the street further to connect to Court.

But critics argue that the streets are needed to make the Orosco center work and therefore Orosco ought to pay for them. "In every other center I know of the developer has to pay for the road - not the taxpayer," says developer Basil Perch a critic of the project. "Why are we changing the rules for this project?"

Supporters will say the matter is negotiable depending on whether the city will make up the cost with tax money from these big retailers coming to town.

"We haven't finalized staff position on how much the city and developer should pay," says city engineer Jim Funk. But as of press time Funk's best estimate is that the city will pay some $400,000 to extend Cameron bact to West where it connects to Court.

On the other side of Mooney the cost is close to $1.8 million to extend Cameron to County Center with most of that cost going to the cost of the bridge to reach County Center.

In any case, without the connecting roads, the project clearly doesn't work - the new EIR makes clear. Critics say if the Caldwell/Mooney intersection is put into level F that the city would be proscribed from issuing new building permits on Mooney hurting the rest of the strip.

The other issue is that some Visalia developers say they are asked to build needed infrastructure like an off site street needed to make a project work and are asked as well to pay their traffic impact fees. The city in this case, seems to be arguing that Orosco need only pay the impact fee and the funds will be used to pay for the street work along his property line.

Assistant city manager Dianne Guzman says the city policy is generally to have the developer do one lane of improvements on or next to his project. If more than that is needed the developer and city "generally share costs." She notes that if the street is a collector it is built somewhere wider and the amount to be paid by each party is a matter of negotiation. She says of the extra cost of the extension of Cameron, that "most of it will be paid by the developer's impact fee."

Regarding the widening of Mooney in front of the Orosco project, Mr. Orosco would be paying and constructing that section of the roadway.

Perch says in this case Orosco's project is "leap frog development" in that the development is getting out ahead of infrastructure that s not yet in place.

Supporters say the arguments don't hold water since the city has for decades figured that the "reserve" area would be developed for regional retail and that the city would grow in this direction requiring streets and infrastructure put in by both developers and the city.

The other issue is does the city have the funds to pay for the street extension? Funk says they believe they do as they collect the new impact fee money using it to extend new streets. But if cuts coming from Sacramento due to a state budget that could be 20% lower next year and fears the state will take away money like the millions the city gets for vehicle in-lieu fees it could severely cut the city's ability to fund capital projects.

Former mayor Wally Gregory remembers a couple of meetings with Orosco over the past three years that the developer has been considering the project. "I met with Orosco along with Jim Harbottle," says Gregory and "we told hem in no uncertain terms that whoever does this project needs to put in the roads - not the taxpayer."

"I'm also concerned about the fact that this south Mooney center will use up most of the sewer capacity in that end of town leaving little for others. I'd like o see an accounting of the capacity out there," says Gregory who says he plans to attend the December 10 meeting.

"I think you'll find lots of former mayors feel the same,"says Gregory. Gregory, Perch and Peter Cary have each suggested they have concerns about the project.

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He’s Back...
Greg Collins Wants Seat On Planning Commission

Visalia - Former mayor Greg Collins has thrown his hat in the ring to be a city planning commissioner - a position appointed by the city council. The position became available upon the election of planning commissioner Phil Cox to the city council in November.

Collins who was mayor of Visalia from 1987 through 1991 served on the city council from 1975 through 91. He was a key figure in recommending Visalia’s “concentric growth” policy made regulation in the 2020 growth plan adopted in 1990.

Collins is not the only candidate of the planning commission seat, however, and it will be up to the city council to select from a field that also includes broker Sam Logan, Visalia Chamber executive Ken Opplinger, former city council candidate Joe Randall, city community member Jim Runyon, Vince Salinas, Linda Ferrero and Noel Zungia.

Visalia’s deputy city manager Randy Groom says he is still receiving some names despite the fact that nominations closed Friday, November 30. “I expect the council to schedule interviews soon,” says Groom and a selection early in January he thinks.

That would mean the new planning commissioner would be on hand for the upcoming key growth decisions that include the Packwood Creek development plan, West 198 plan and the consideration of an auto mall at Plaza/198.

Collins, a professional planner who works for small communities like Exeter, Woodlake and Kerman on a consultant basis, has avoided doing business in Visalia so he would have no potential conflict issues if he decided to get back into city politics - something he has stayed out of the past decade.

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Car Lines Change Hands

by Miles Shuper

Visalia - Last Friday was a big day for Visalia automotive retailer Frank Surroz. It was the day everything was finalized and car lines actually changed hands.

Surroz has been working on the deal with Giant Automotive for three years. Although the agreement between Giant and Surroz was ironed out months ago, it could not be finalized until manufacture’s approval was given. That happened last week.

“Im thrilled. I couldn’t be more happy. It’s been a long time coming,” said Surroz as Jeeps and Chrysler vehicles were being ferried from Giant’s lot to the Surroz dealership on Mooney. Although Giant’s Chrysler and Jeep inventory had declined in anticipation of the finalization of the deal, Surroz had worked with the manufacturer to have vehicles built for them pending the change of franchise. By the end of December Surroz will have 40 to 50 vehicles in stock. By the end of January the total should be 75 to 100, Surroz said.

Surroz now has Dodge, Chrysler (including the PT Cruiser), Jeep and BMW. Giant has Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile. Cadillac, and Pontiac.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Already cramped for space on Mooney, where he rents the property, Surroz now has even more reason to find a new home for his dealership with the focus on the western edge of Visalia near Highway 99.

Earlier this year Surroz and Ford dealer Tim Razarri prepared an application with Tulare County to rezone land near Highway 99 to allow an auto mall. The site, west of 99 and north of 198 previous had been sought by a developer who wanted to build a sports complex and a shopping center. That project was rejected by Supervisors.

The city of Visalia does not want to lose the dealerships and the tax revenue they produce and the city council in their recent retreat discussed an alternative west Visalia location, near Plaza Drive within the city limits.

Surroz told the Voice that he expects something to happen within 12 to 18 months which would allow him and Razarri to move to larger locations like in one of those two alternate locations. Razarri long has been saying he will move from downtown but several proposals have failed to materialize.

Surroz says Visalia is growing large enough to support more automotive lines but right now there is no place to put them in the city. “There is no Lincoln Mercury line, no Lexus, no Mercedes, Jaguar,” he said, adding that Visalia and surrounding area is large enough to support more vehicle lines.

Relocation of the two car lines from downtown Visalia will leave a big gap of empty showrooms and lots owned by Giant Automotive. Just what the Petty family has in mind for the Main St. buildings and lots is not clear. Giant has moved the remainder of its GM lines to Ben Maddox. Jack Petty was not available for comment.

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Is This Cow A Factory?
Dairy Permit Battle Continues

Tulare County - If a cow is a factory, then I'm a monkey's uncle. While some might argue that both assertions are true - it's enough of a stretch to get a good conversation going. Sure - Bessy is productive, but she doesn't have smokestacks after all. Now a court of law will have to decide these weighty matters.

After challenging new dairy projects county by county, the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE) appears to have a new approach in their campaigning. It's another lawsuit. Depending on your point of view, that campaign amounts to either pushing dairies to clean up their act or alternatively a campaign to drive the dairy business out of California.

The big issue remains the air emissions and the regulation of them.

"Unable to find much wrong with how dairies handle their water or other controversial issues the entire attack of the environmentalists effort is now on air issues," says dairyman Tony Oliveira who chairs the Kings County Board of Supervisors.

In Kings, Kern and Tulare counties and some north valley counties, CRPE has stalled new dairy farmers from getting permits for about 3 years, forcing lengthy environmental reviews that are just now getting to the stage of new permitting.

In Tulare County legal wrangling halted nearly 80 dairy permits in the nation's number one milk producing county. CRPE had filed suit against the county for not doing an adequate job assessing the impact that dairies have. In July Tulare County settled with the environmental group promising to do more studies particularly on cumulative impacts that dairies might have.

"Now they've gone around that settlement," says Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley with notice they would sue the Valley Air Board over lack of regulation of dairies. Late last month an offshoot of CRPE - a Delano community group called the Association of Irritated Residents - announced plans to file suit against two Kern dairies and a Madera dairy claiming the dairies require a "New Source Review" a process used by the Air Board to regulate stationary sources of pollution.

"They filed against three dairies but they are really filing against all dairies," says Oliveira.

"Dairies should be treated like any other factory or power plant," said Brent Newell, a lawyer for the environmental group.

There's the new twist say observers. Even though state law exempts dairies and most farms from the Air District permitting requirements, the litigants will argue that since they regulate factories - dairies should be required to apply for an "authority to construct" permit through the Air Board just like new power plants before it is built.

This week in both Kern and Tulare counties, two dairy projects moved forward anyway. In Kern County the two big 28,000 cow Borba projects got approval to proceed from the Board of Supervisors.

"By God, let the Borbas build their dairies," implored Supervisor Pete Parra, addressing a partially full hearing room. "My God, I've never seen such an (environmental review) in my life. I'm sure it's not going to satisfy some folks and we'll be back in court," says an account in the Bakersfield Californian.

On the other side opponents said, "Unfortunately (the Board of Supervisors) have asked the people of Kern County to bear the cost of that pollution," said Brent Newell. "This is yet another example of Kern County putting framing and dairies over public health."

In Tulare County the Lindsay-based Hilardes Dairy got a second hearing at the Tulare County Planning Commission who appears to be for it. The public hearing on the project was closed and now will carry on to the next meeting in January to get final approval. That approval is likely to be appealed to the Board of Supervisors by CRPE then on to court, most expect.

The pending litigation against the Air District worries some observers who worry that the Air Board despite appearing to be on solid legal ground in that the Clean Air Act specifies which emission sources are to be regulated and dairies are not on the list - that the SJVAD will settle with the group with the dairy industry not at the table.

In a related development, the EPA reversed course this past week granting a three year air pollution exemption for farm equipment from regulations saying it wanted more time to see if farms should be regulated. The environmental community reacted with worries about the health of the air in the central valley.

Still there is indication the Air District will attempt to regulate dairy waste in the future. "Dairy waste" is named as a source they will look at when they tackle the new Severe Non Attainment Plan the district must comply with for the EPA. Just what pollutant from dairies they will attempt to measure and regulate is the question. Methane is not listed as a pollutant but volatile compounds and ammonia may be.

While some attempt to fight the regulatory battle - technology and new control measures could reduce the air emission issues in the future. Methane digesters at dairies can take up the waste material and turn it into electricity reducing the air emissions. Scores of valley dairies are working to install such systems.

In addition, promising control measures at a few valley dairies reduce the time dairy waste is allowed to sit before it is gathered up and sent through a series of filters. Just how much this reduces the air emission is something USDA is studying right now. One thing for sure - the bad smell has been cut down by a large degree, say proponents.

Reducing the stink of dairies would obviously give dairymen an easier time making their case that they don't have a sustaining affect on the environment. Dairymen say they like the smell and it reminds them of money.

Environmental groups say dairies ought to be forced to use the best technology to reduce the air emissions. Dairy supporters say that the groups should focus on a much larger problem for valley air - the interstate traffic that is unregulated through the valley. Reducing auto emissions by requiring tougher milage standards for car fleets would go a long way as well some say.

Calling the new large dairies "mega dairies" is wrong headed, say some locals. "My dad made a living with 20 cows," says Steve Worthley. But to make a dairy pencil out "you need a 1000 cow dairy." It's a business and you have to make a profit. Supporters say the opposition toward the dairy projects ignore the economic benefits that dairies bring.

Still there is a number that will be reached at some point that amounts to the carrying capacity of the valley to accept new dairies. Already in Tulare County we produce 5.5% of the nation's milk. Adding 80 plus more dairies will take the total up another 25% once the log jam over the permits is broached.

Kings County has put an upper level on the number of cows when their dairy plan will no longer accept more.

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Sludge Battle To Continue

San Joaquin Valley - Efforts by Orange County to bring Class B sewer sludge to the valley will continue this month despite a judge’s ruling supporting the Kings County’s sludge ordinance.

The suit filed by Kings County’s Shane Magan - a farmer with a reported 3000 acres of land near the Kings/Tulare County line had asked a judge to overrule a Kings ordinance phasing out acceptance sewer sludge in the county. Magan had argued that the county’s ban would make it more expensive to haul the sludge elsewhere, an argument judge Peter Shultz didn’t buy. He ruled that the county ordinance banning the sludge followed CEQA - the California Environmental Quality Act.

But Kings supervisor Tony Oliveira says this issue will come back December 18 at the Board of Supervisors Meeting when Orange County - who Oliveira says now has purchased Magan’s land - will ask the county to extend the spreading of Class B sludge from the southland for another 8 years, something Oliveira opposes. “The Central Valley is ground zero for the large metropolitan areas who have run out of space to put their biowaste.” Class B sewer waste has been treated to a certain degree with Class A sewage even to a higher degree. Magan had a permit to spread Class B sludge on 1800 acres.

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Sparkplug For Arts Leaving Visalia
Main Street Children's Playhouse Could Close

Visalia - Forty-three year old Susan Sluka Gutierrez will leave her native Visalia and the Children's Playhouse she co-founded next month. A sparkplug for the arts in Visalia, Gutierrez worked for the city for many years tirelessly promoting local art activities including the Enchanted Playhouse that she has directed since 1992.

It's likely - Gutierrez fears - that the rented playhouse on Main St. will close its doors next May when its five year lease is up because of finances although the program may carry on elsewhere. Gutierrez says she is leaving Visalia because she can't earn a living doing what she loves - boosting the arts, at least in this town.

"It's been a difficult year and this has been a very difficult decision."

Susan has accepted an offer from the city of Rancho Cucamonga to organize a children's playhouse there - promised financial support and construction of a multi million dollar complex. Sluka-Gutierrez will start her new job in January.

The brave board of the non profit Enchanted Playhouse plans to continue without Susan this spring and beyond, says chairperson Laurel Barton.

Ironically, Gutierrez's last show - now playing - is the same play that launched the playhouse 10 years ago - Rumpelstiltskin (through Dec. 15) a musical with lots of magical fun.

Unable to spin straw into gold to keep the show running in Visalia, Gutierrez hasn't taken a salary since May when it became clear the playhouse could not afford the budget for salaries it had expected.

Boosters had hoped to raise money to support the on-going project when it got a new board a year ago. But despite high hopes, little new investment has come forward. Gutierrez says keeping the doors open at the Main St. playhouse costs $4500 a month just to pay the rent.

Born and raised on the arts, Susan has been active in the Visalia Players, 4th Wall and COS theater. She worked for years with the Creative Center promoting the arts with the disabled. Hired by the city to promote Visalia cultural arts with grant funds, Susan helped organize an arts consortium that carries on with a calendar of arts activities around town.

In 1992 Susan brought together a children's playhouse company filling a void in arts offerings for children in Visalia.

The players rented the old Visalia movie theater at 307 E. Main St. from out of town investors. Mobilizing a small army of volunteers they refurbished the old seats with new chair covering and repaired the stage with the help of a city redevelopment grant. $50,000 of city redevelopment funds were used, but the project cost over $150,000 - and most of the labor was donated. The theater holds 465.

Built in 1945 the size of the theater is good for children's shows who would be lost in a larger complex like the Fox or LJ Williams that seat 1200, says Susan.

The first show at the new theater was October 1997. Susan says they average a house of 150 to 200 bringing in larger audiences when fantasy plays like "Sleeping Beauty" or "The Velveteen Rabbit" are offered.

Still there is frustration in the years of labor to promote the arts in a community that "often doesn't show up" to everything from COS plays or concerts at the Visalia Convention Center.

"You can only cut the pie so thin" in a town like Visalia where there is not strong support of the arts, says Mark Eaton, a board member of Arts Visalia who has a gallery on Oak St. "All the fund raising for the Fox," the Playhouse and Creative Center taps out supporters.

"These things have a way of working themselves out," shrugs Susan who at least will be able to get paid for what she loves to do. "My son Adam is going to Fullerton from COS so he'll be down there."

But make no mistake, Susan would rather stay here. "That was my dream. My parents still work at the playhouse" and all the volunteers and life-long friends she has made here will be hard for her to leave. It will be hard for Visalia too.

Arts activist Donna Orosco says "Susan has brought so much to this community with her Enchanted Playhouse, which was a dream of hers and one she has pulled off almost single handedly for 10 years. As the arts liaison for the city, she was the lone voice for the arts at the city, and the city has decided not to replace her which will be a blow for the arts. She has also helped pull the arts venues togther through the Visalia Arts Consortium. In her new job, she will be the city cultural arts coordinator and will be starting up a city-sponsored children's theater! If only Visalia could have continued to fund such a position!"

"As the founder, the guiding light, inspiration and everything else of the playhouse Susan will be very difficult to replace," says former board president George Pilling. "If we had filled the theater we probably could have more than broken even. As it was we came pretty close," figures Pilling.

"But with only four shows a year you end up having to make $25,000 a show," says Pilling who himself volunteered many hours remodeling the old theater replacing 465 seats with new covers.

More than a sparkplug Pilling says "Susan is the director and producer. She also wrote the lyrics to the songs and her son Adam wrote the music. She made many of the costumes, and has been there daily for three months working on the set. Everything she does is professional, and the (amateur) actors respond with as much professionalism as they can muster. The result is a play that any city in the country would be proud to have."

Even if the Enchanted Playhouse board decides to give up the Main St. theatre "we are absolutely committed to continuing with the plays in more affordable quarters if necessary," says Laurel Barton. "We plan to speed up fund raising and grant writing and attract new board members," she says. One particular need is that there is no attorney on the board right now, she says.

"Susan is a visionary and she helped us set up an absolutely unique children's theatre," says Barton none like it between LA and San Jose. The California Arts Council recently recognized the Visalia theatre for its uniqueness with a small grant.

Barton points out that the theatre has touched the lives of thousands of school children who visit the theatre from 3 local counties.

Even if the lights go out next summer, the playhouse plans a number of Spring shows that will go on including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "The Hobbit" directed by other local talented volunteers. Even after that, plays may continue at other local venues including the Rotary theater as it did before. Likewise, some sort of co-user for this smaller theater to help carry the freight would be perfect. Not as famous as the Fox, Visalia would experience a big hole on Main St. if this cultural venue is lost. Any ideas out there? Call Laurel Barton at 635-2925.

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Land Trust Works On
Porterville Regional Park

Porterville - Land Trust Works On Porterville Regional Park Visalia-based Sierra Los Tulares Land Trust is coordinating the possible sale of a 3400 acre mountain at the edge of the city of Porterville - Rocky Hill - as a possible state owned regional park, says Land Trust executive director Carole Combs. "It's really a big dream but there is a good chance it will happen," she says.

The site of native Indian rock paintings and other artifacts, the hill owned by Porterville rancher Ted Cornell would be preserved as a park for visitor use.

The park has some 2 miles of Lake Success frontage on its eastern side and overlooks the city of Porterville on its western side.

Currently the site is mostly grazed to cattle although the hill does have some citrus that Mr. Cornell may retain. Preserving the big hill as a regional park would clearly call a halt to any developer's dream of building homes on the hill.

Rock art specialists say that this Rocky Hill has two artifact sites. In addition to this Rocky Hill there are two other Tulare County Rocky Hills, each with extensive Indian paintings as well - one near Lindsay and the well known Exeter hill. At the Exeter hill an archeological conservatory owns some 23 acres there, it is maintained for preservation.

Indian rock art in the Sierra foothills is extensive from Orange Cove down to Terra Bella with an estimate of thousands of sites. Some sites like Exeter contains hundreds of paintings in some locations some believed to be 2500 years old.

"While the preservation of these paintings is high on most people's agenda, the historical preservation depends on good will," sources say. Now a few ancient paintings have been shot up by a rancher's shotgun practice. On the other hand it is typically a rancher that preserves these sites. Recently someone vandalized a painting in Sequoia Park at Potwisha.

In addition there is disagreement over whether these sites should be made available for public viewing. However, state ownership of the Porterville Rocky Hill likely means a public exhibit area maintained for visitors use.

Sierra Los Tulares - only one year old - has been busy working on preservation projects in the area aided by a grant from the Packard Foundation and working with the Nature Conservatory. The land trust owns and operates Kaweah Oaks Preserve east of Visalia. They are also busy helping a family set aside 400 acres west of 99 as mitigation bank for valley development (see other story).

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Banking On Downtown -
It's The Place To Be

Visalia - Sure, people come to Downtown Visalia for its assortment of fine restaurants, to attend conventions or visit the Radisson, but day after day the reason you are likely to see so many locals coming to Downtown is to check on their money.

"Our largest depositors like to bank at the Downtown branch," says Visalia Community Bank president Tom Beene. "It's still the financial district where you can find all the banks, insurance companies and stock brokers," says Beene. "It's a mind set that this place is safe, stable, something that will always be there."

Indeed, new banks look to be there too. Kings Rivers State Bank just leased the former Merrill Lynch building at 618 W. Main last used as a stock brokerage joining 11 other banks that call Downtown home now, many of them smaller "community banks" that have grown here in the past 20 years.

Mike Wiley, branch manager of Kings River, said the larger location will provide for an outside ATM and night deposit facility.

Kings River, currently located at 2902 W. Main, will open its new doors Dec. 10. The Reedley-based bank will also move its commercial lending operation, currently employing five people, from Reedley to Visalia.

The state's largest bank - Bank of America - says their Downtown Visalia branch is the busiest in Tulare, Kings and Kern counties. "We have the highest number of transactions in three counties here," says branch manager Gordon Young.

"In our division - an area that spans Bakersfield to Oregon excluding only the Bay Area - the branch is the 4th largest," says Young with some 11,000 customers. There is some $135 million on deposit in the Downtown Bank of America branch.

FDIC figures from last year show total deposits in banks and savings and loans in Visalia are nearly $1 billion and the great majority of that is on deposit Downtown.

"Several key segments help keep Downtown vital," says Young, including the hospital, convention center and hotels. But people coming here to carry on financial business plus the court system activity help fill the stores and restaurants as well, he suggests. No small factor is that besides drawing customers to the city center the financial industry employs or contracts with over a thousand staffers who hold forth here as well.

A new bank coming to Downtown is sort of like another Downtown restaurant, figures Young. "It offers variety and choice" to the customers.

Tom Beene says there is something about the clustering of big buildings in Downtown that helps keep the financial district here. "Even if a bank doesn't own a big building it likes to put its name on the very top," says Beene. Witness the Bank of the Sierra on top of what was built as the Bank of America building on Main St.

There's another thing that the clustering of these institutions does for Downtown. It keeps property values up.

Just when we thought the bank consolidation trend in California would shrink the number of banks a few years ago, along came Bank of Visalia purchasing the old Security Pacific branch - a bank that had merged with Bank of America. When Guarantee Savings was no more, Stockmen's's Bank came to town and refurbished that building on Main a few years ago. Through consolidation the old Mineral King bank building has remained what is now WestAmerica's only Visalia branch after a series of buy-outs.

President and CEO of Bank of Visalia - the town's youngest community bank, Don Gilles says the locally-owned bank picked Downtown primarily because there was a suitable building available. "This place had a vault and drive up windows and was set up as a bank," says Gilles who admits they would have wanted to be Downtown anyway.

Kaweah National Bank selected a building that used to be a bank too (American National). In a few cases banks converted Downtown buildings including Mineral King Bank converting the old Edison building into a bank and Visalia Community Bank converting a title company building into their current branch.

Of course the city's growth policy encouraging development in a concentric circle around Downtown has helped make it convenient to stay Downtown. "Downtown's aren't necessarily where the money is anymore," says Gilles. "Look at Fresno where the people moved north and the banks followed."

It doesn't hurt that the Bank of Visalia is right across from the Post Office where people get their checks but Gilles says today that is less of a factor in people's transactions.

Gilles figures that in the case of Bank of Visalia, about $60 million of the bank's total $80 million in deposits are in Downtown Visalia. The bank has two other county locations.

No small factor is that bank branches here and the staff who work at them every day help keep the Downtown Property Based Improvement District (PBID) funded. The banks like the rest of the property owners help pay for the promotion and security district that keep the place safe, well lit up and with adequate parking - all projects funded through the PBID.

The towns largest insurance agencies are still Downtown as well and most of the stock brokers have Downtown addresses. Some credit unions call Downtown home, too.

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Ruiz Foods Considers New Expansion

Dinuba - Dinuba-based Ruiz Foods is considering expansion again less than a year after it completed its new $4 million, 65,000-square foot distribution center and -10 F freezer areas expansion. Dinuba's Deputy City Manager Dan Meinert says the food company is undergoing some $8 million in improvements in their current plant adding equipment like a new tortilla maker for the line of frozen Mexican food the company makes.

Meinert says the company employs some 1440 currently. The big news will come if Ruiz Foods expands further - a plan they are considering Meinert says that includes a second plant next to the current 300,000 sq. ft. plant at the 43 acre industrial park.

Owner Fred Ruiz speaking through a company spokesman said they could not comment on the plan in the works except to say within a few weeks they might be able to.

Meinert says discussions with the company have suggested that the firm may look to "double capacity" now that sales of the product are going well setting up what would likely be a far more automated plant. Not only is the frozen line of dinners selling well, including a recent agreement with large retailers like Walmart, but Ruiz has expanded private label production for supermarket chains, he says.

"Mexican food continues to be the fastest growing segment in frozen foods," says Meinert.

Ruiz says that it is the largest frozen Mexican food manufacturer in the nation, making over 200 different products.

Ruiz is a privately held corporation that manufactures and sells convenience and microwaveable frozen Mexican food.

Dinuba is already busy with the expansion of Best Buy next door to the Ruiz plant expected to be complete by next August. Also Coca Cola finalized its agreement to buy Dinuba's Odwalla production plant in town this week - a move that will likely mean expansion of the facility under the wing of Coca Cola. Meinert suggests "they don't want to be far away from their raw product" central valley fruit that goes into the popular fruit smoothies.

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