Valley Voice Newspaper

Attorney General Won't Fight Dairy Settlement

Tulare County - About 200 area dairyman gathered at the Tulare County Agriculture Building Wednesday were told that the State Attorney General’s office does not expect to a challenge any individual dairy project under terms of a lawsuit settlement reached earlier this month between environmentalists and the county.

On June 12, Tulare County settled its lawsuit with the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment’s litigation challenging the county Program Environmental Impact. The county agreed to initiate a further General Plan amendment to consider feasibility of additional mitigation measure. As part of the amendment the county will prepare a supplement to the original Program Environmental Impact report which analyses cumulative impacts on air quality and groundwater and also considers air quality mitigation measures.

Supervisors Bill Maze and Connie Conway hailed the news from the Attorney General office saying it allow the county to avoid a protracted legal appeals process allowing the county’s $1 billion dairy industry to move forward.
The letter, read to the dairymen at Wednesday’s meeting was from Richard Frank, chief Assistant Attorney General. In part it states “We have been impressed with the significant progress that the county has made and the leadership role it has assumed in ensuring compliance with the CEQA in the permitting of dairies within its jurisdiction. We are very impressed that the approval of new dairy projects and diary expansions of significant size in Tulare County is no longer routinely being done based on negative declarations and that the county has recently required EIRs for larger operations. We were gratified to hear from your County Counsel that this is now the well established practice of the county and will continue to be so in the future.”

He also states that dairy projects and expansions approve d by the county are, and will continue to be, required to incorporate the mitigation measures contained in the Animal Confinement Element and its program EIR that specifically address environmental problems common to dairies.

“We continue to monitor the dairy approval process in Tulare County and do not expect that our office, acting in its independent capacity, would need to file a challenge to any individual diary project approval that fully complies with the element and relies on the program EIR as a first -tier document.”

SLO Consultants Will Do Visalia Waterways Plan

Visalia - The City of Visalia has approved an $80,000 contract to plan the restoration of Visalia waterways including Mill Creek through Downtown Visalia.

The city has selected a San Luis Obispo architectural firm that helped that town restore its downtown creek area that has become a visitor destination. RRM Design Group has done creekside parks and trails in San Luis Obispo and recently in Santa Rosa, says principle with the company Erik Justensen.

The firm has been doing urban restoration projects similar to what is planned in Visalia since 1983. They are currently under contract to do an expansion of the highly regarded Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo as well.
Justensen says they won’t waste time on what could be a year long study in Visalia and expect to have “listening sessions” and stakeholders meetings as soon as July.

Possibilities include implementing a pilot project along one of the four creeks through town likely a portion of Mill Creek as it passes through the city core area. “In San Luis Obispo we took a piece of nature and put it right in the middle of downtown,” says the landscape architect. At first there was some opposition fed by fears over loss of parking but now “people can’t stop talking about it - they invite their relatives here to come and see.” The creek runs through the city area and is beautifully with walkways and connecting paths and overlooks with bridges that help make it a popular place for a picnic lunch in this coastal town. Downtown businesses use back yard dining areas with views of the river corridor. There are other models of course, including the famous “River walks” in San Antonio, Texas where an entire district has been built from town houses, restaurants and office buildings along the river.

Council members Bob Link and Jim Harbottle sat on the panel to help select the consulting firm. Each have high hopes for what may come out of the study.

Lower Support Price May mean Less Milk Powder In Government Warehouses

Tulare County - The USDA reports that half the milk powder produced by dairymen in 2000 went to the government, paid as price supports. The government offers a floor price for some commodities, essentially a subsidy for the industry that includes cotton, wheat, corn, soybeans and rice. Because of depressed prices and big crops the US has paid out more than $22 billion in what was called emergency payments last year in all crops. This comes even as Congress ordered subsidies phased out in the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act.

California produces nearly half the milk powder made in the US.

But taxpayer support for dairymen is small compared to direct payment to farmers of many other commodities, says Roger Cryan economist with National Milk Producers (NMP). “Farmers get only 2/12 cents of dollar from the government,” says Cryan compared to some farm commodities where farmers may get 50% of their income or more from a government subsidy.

This month the USDA announced a lowering of the support price they would pay for milk powder from $1 per lb. to 90 cents - a move that has been both hailed and criticized within the industry.

The knock against the idea is that farmers including California producers may receive 50 cents a cwt less for their milk powder. That could amount to $168 million loss to California dairymen over the next year, estimates the NMP.
The good news for the taxpayer is that lowering the price may move the milk powder in other private marketplaces instead of government warehouses. Already this year around 330 million lbs. of non fat dry milk have been purchased by the government at the higher $1 cwt rate - more powder than last year. USDA said this past week they can’t use all this milk powder. In fact, some milk powder has been sitting in warehouses for three years and wold only be good as animal feed in the future.

What the dairy industry wants is for milk powder to go to US food processors, says CEO for California Dairies, Gary Korsmeier. Processors instead have been buying imported milk protein concentrates which are priced about 10 cents per pound cheaper.

Non fat dry milk powder is used in the US food industry who have been buying imported milk protein concentrates (casein) in ever increasing amounts. Since the inauguration of the World Trade Organization importation of milk proteins has increased 600% over a six year period a House Agriculture subcommittee was told recently.

These imports have flooded into the US for the past six years since the US joined the World Trade Organization. The MPCs can come into the country because they are not covered by the tariff on importation of milk powder that is in place.

Instead the amount of MPCs coming in roughly is equal to the domestic supply of milk powder going to the government, says Korsmeier.

But Korsmeier and others don’t expect the European, Australian and New Zealand importers of MPCs to stop because the USDA lowers the price. “They will price their product lower to keep selling,” says National Milk Producers Cryan. Indeed, many support a new tariff on MPCs to stop the importation putting domestic supply and demand back in place.

Before you cry too much for California dairymen, the dairy farmers are getting a whopping $3.70 per cwt ($14.80 for June) more for their commodities on the open market than they got last year.

Korsmeier says he expects prices in California will continue to climb providing a cushion for the hit USDA put on them over the powder price cut. Korsmeier says legislation is pending in congress promises to slap a tariff on the foreign MPCs that were not covered by the WTO trade talks because the formula- the product did not exist. “It is essentially a loophole” that congress could close.

Congress probably doesn’t want to go back to the earlier days when the government set high milk support prices encouraging excess production. In the 1980s the government shelled out $260 billion for America’s farmers. In a smaller way the issue has come up again over the New England states’ farm compact subsidy that is set to expire this September. In the compact if the price of 100 lbs. of milk falls below $16.94 the dairyman is paid the difference paid for by the taxpayer.

Critics of all dairy subsidies believe that if the dairy business was a simple free market the consumer would benefit. That argument out of state dairymen make to California because this state demands milk sold in the state to be fortified. But critics say this keeps the price of milk high for the consumer.

Since US milk prices are higher than world prices there is always the pressure to limit imports that compete against our products, something other farmers who grow commodities these days would like to do as well.

KDDH Picks Cypress Site For Expansion

Visalia - Facing the fact that a 30-acre site at Akers and Highway 198 was not likely to be available to them, Kaweah Delta District Hospital board members have chosen to build a $24 million plus project on their Cypress campus in West Visalia.

The proposed expansion, which administration officials describe as being on the “fast track” includes three major projects; Sequoia Regional Cancer Center, a comprehensive ambulatory diagnostic imaging center and a short-stay inpatient surgical hospital.” Construction on the building to house both the cancer center and the state of the art imaging complex could start within 90 days and become reality in as soon as 18 months, according to Lindsay Mann, senior vice president .Estimated construction cost is $13 million with another $11.4 million in state of the art technological equipment, most of it in the comprehensive ambulatory diagnostic imaging center. Exactly where the new building will be located on the Cypress site will not be determined for about two weeks, Mann said.

The current 23-acre Cypress Center on the South side of Highway 198 spans Cypress Avenue to Tulare Avenue and consists of the Lifestyle Center, Cypress Rehabilitation Center, Cypress Surgery Center and Cypress Mental Health Clinic.

In announcing the decision to expand on property the KDDH district owns, Mann said. “After reviewing all of our available options, we found that we could not surpass the attributes of our own Cypress campus. This campus can be expanded to meet our needs. The planned services are uniquely compatible with the services already available on our Cypress campus. It is easily accessible to the residents in this region of the Central Valley.”

Mann said “If determined feasible,” the proposed short-term inpatient surgical hospital, not included in the $24 million cost estimate, “will be developed in collaboration with interested members of the local medical community and will be locally owned. That statement is an indication that the KDDH powers are still hopeful and a co-venture on a similar surgical center proposed by a group led by Dr. James Billys. Just a month ago Dr. Billys’ group announced it is moving forward on the project and denied any interest in a joint venture with KDDH.

This week’s announcement apparently puts to rest the hospital districts strong bid to get the City of Visalia to sell it land at Akers and Highway 198. That land is currently under contract to shopping center developer Westlands Development which has a $100,000 non-refundable deposit. Developer Craig Mangano faced a June 18 deadline to move forward on his retail development at that 30-acre site he has in escrow. But that deadline was moved back by the City because one council member could not attend a scheduled council meeting, according to Assistant City Manager Diane Guzman who said it is a matter which all council members have strong feelings. Two councilmen, Bob Link and Jesus Gamboa have said they would like to see the Akers land put “out to bid” if Mangano didn’t move forward.

Councilman Jim Harbottle was quoted as saying the land wasn’t available--it is under contract,. Yet some KDDH officials have indicated the hospital wanted to be ready in case the retail project on the Akers-Highway 198 fails to materialize.

Mann, said the KDDH board of directors has authorized hospital management to move forward with feasibility studies for the short term surgical hospital. Johnson and Johnson Consulting will conduct development and feasibility studies.

Boulder Associates has been selected as the architectural and engineering firm and Darden Associates will provide expertise in the area of interior design.

Enthusiasts Target Paintball Park Site

By Miles Shuper

Visalia - Plans for a paint ball park on the western edge of Visalia are going ahead and could become reality within several months.

Visalian Phil Cox and a partner are hoping to create the park on a 22-acre site south of Goshen Avenue at Shirk Road behind the old Bostich plant. The land, owned by the Tulare County Housing Authority, has been for sale for some time.

Plans for the paint ball park have received a tentative okay from the city’s site plan review committee contingent on site improvements including graveling a parking area and other considerations.

Cox said he is working on a lease agreement with the property owner which would allow the paint ball park to move within 90 days if the property is sold.

Cox, a avid paint baller who competes just about every weekend throughout California and neighboring states, estimates there are about 500 players in and around Visalia and probably up to a thousand in the county. Cox operates Visalia Paint Ball in addition to Cox Sheet Metal and Cox Window Tinting.

Currently local enthusiasts use course in a pecan grove on Road 168. There are courses in Hanford, Orosi, Orange Cove, Bakersfield and Fresno.

Cox said it is not unusual for parks to attract from 800 to 1500 players on a weekend. Local plans call for a pro shop offering equipment and accessories. According to various websites, the sport attracts participants from all walks of life and all skill levels.

Playing fields vary with some parks offering numerous courses including desert, jungle, trenches, foxholes, swampland and woods. Props can add to the mystic and turn courses into replicas of famous battlegrounds.
In September an estimated 40 teams from as far as Northern California and Arizona are expected to participate in a Visalia area Pan Am Series Tournament, Cox said.

The Visalia team, named Twized, has done well in competition and is ranked high in standings, according to Cox. They compete in both five-man and 10-man events.

The sport is a growing one combining adventure, strong competition and lots of action. Using CO2-powered paint ball markers it is a combination of the childhood games of hide and seek, tag, and capture the flag. The rules are relatively simple with the successful team the one which captures the flag and returns it to its own goal. Paint balls are made of a thin gelatine-like outer shell filled with a non-toxic non-caustic biodegradable liquid inside. The balls come in a variety of brilliant colors.

Five-man team games last eight minutes and involve one flag placed in the middle of the course. The objective is to grab the flag and take it to the opponents goal (a marked area). If a player is hit, he must stop and then holds the flag. He is basically a flag pole and no longer a competitor.

Ten-member team contests last 15 minutes and involve two flags. There are strict rules and several referees in each game. If flags are not captured the team with the most points is the winner.

The guns are equipped with adjustable timing devices. For instance, in an eight minute match the gun will not operate once time has expired.

Protective equipment, especially full-face masks are required in all competition. With paint balls traveling at the rate of 300 feet per seconds, being hit is a serious consideration. Players hit outside their protective gear often end up with bruises. In recreational play shots can not be fired closer than 20 feet. In tournament play there is no distance limit, but players or weapons cannot touch.

A beginner can be outfitted with the basics for about $150 and fees for parks or courses range in the $20 to $25 per day level.. Fees for tournament play usually are lower, according to local enthusiasts.

Cox said team members usually spend about $2,000 per year traveling to tournaments and other events.

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