City/County Eye Sales Tax Measures
Visalia - Crime is up but so is support for public safety. Both the City of Visalia and the County of Tulare fear that without a boost to the bottom line, public safety will suffer.
This week the Visalia city council appeared ready to place a one quarter cent sales tax on the ballot “as soon as possible” to bolster police and fire service in the city.
Tulare County, faced with a massive turnover of over 100 deputies in the past year because of low pay and high health care plan costs, is in the same boat.
While Sheriff Bill Wittman can’t stand up at the podium and say so yet, because of labor negotiations going on this holiday season, the potential for a sales tax increase may be the only hope to raise monies to keep qualified deputies here. Wittman has been quietly making the rounds in the business community testing the water for a one quarter to one half cent sales tax increase that would benefit the county.
Sources say while no face to face talks have begun - the obvious question is can the needs of the City of Visalia and County of Tulare be met at the same time? Can Tulare County voters be asked to pay a sales tax that could potentially benefit law enforcement throughout the county?
Already in Visalia a community group is organizing to support a one quarter cent sales tax “not for buildings but for officers,” says one local businessman. Local banker Mary Hill and mortgage banker Tony Salierno have been asked to participate.
There is apparent strong support at least in Visalia for a sales tax hike for public safety.
A public opinion survey of 288 Visalia citizens has indicated a strong 72% support for a possible one quarter cent sales tax increase for police and fire services - a measure being considered by the council this coming year. The analysis of the survey results contained in the annual 2002 public opinion survey carried out by the Citizen Advocacy Committee points out that levels of support is “remarkable” given that in the year 2002 only 49% responded either “absolutely or positively” to the same question and in 2001 the survey found support from 54% to a question worded with either yes or no -the same alternative offered in the 2002 survey.
Earlier this year the city sought and received approval of the state legislature to float a sales tax proposal to its citizens.
Sources say the city could raise perhaps an extra $4 million annually to supplant the budget for police and fire.
The 72% figure discussed at council this week was enough encouragement for council member Phil Cox and member Don Landers who took turns suggesting the effort to pass a tax in town set “into high gear.”
At the work session meeting this week Cox said he was ready to talk about formation of a community wide committee to push the measure “tonight.” City manager Steve Salomon told council he was working on a presentation to council for early January that would lay out the necessary steps in passing such a referendum tax including the likelihood that a citizens oversite committee be formed.
Key to the plan would be to choose whether to put the measure before the voters at the next scheduled election in November 2003 or sooner at a special election. The measure would require a two thirds approval of Visalia voters.
Staff may propose hiring a consultant to further clarify the extent of the support in Visalia. But council member Wendy Rudy says “I’m not sure we need another study” and that across the country there is strong support “for homeland security.”
Landers suggested that other agencies - given the budget crunch around the state - might float a bond election in November and the city might want to put the matter to the voter “before somebody else does.”
The council got word this week that the state budget crunch could impact the city’s current budget by an estimated $1.6 million in a preliminary analysis by city staff.
Supporters of a sales tax measure points out that unlike other funds coming from the state all the money from a special sales tax stays here out of the clutches of Sacramento or Washington. Sales tax increases - they are less burdensome than adding more property tax since everyone, even out of towners, pay sales tax in Visalia.
That’s the rub for the chair of the Board of Supervisors Steve Worthley who lives in Dinuba but does plenty of shopping in Visalia. “I’ll be paying the increased sales tax that benefits Visalia’s police department.” So how about some tax sharing?
“As long as we get our extra $4 million annually I would not be opposed to some sort of agreement to share a large sales tax with the county,” says one Visalia council member but that would probably mean make the increase one half cent plopping down two extra quarters when you buy $100 in taxable goods.
The need appears to be there. Through November 2002 crimes against people and property are up according to the Visalia Police Department, after increasing 12% the year before. There have been 13 homicides to date compared to four all last year. The department has 104 officers while Tulare County with lots more miles to patrol has some 470 officers.
Visalia police are better paid than county deputies with take home “about half what Visalia police officers take home,” says Sheriff Bill Wittman. “It wasn’t that way in the past - only in the past few years.”
Former Visalia Police Chief Bruce McDermott says the county sheriff is in a tough position since the low pay can’t attract them or keep the best candidates to stay in the sheriff’s department. “I fear it’s just killing morale” at the sheriff’s department says McDermott.
“I’m heartsick every day I see former deputies trained by the county who have taken jobs at other city police departments,” says Wittman who says other jurisdictions are cherry picking county officers who also see better opportunity elsewhere.
“I’ve heard a lot of talk in both the city and the county about sales tax revenue,” says businessman Tony Salierno. “In way it’s the only way we can control our destiny.” But he cautions you have to follow the state law on structuring any measure. “Both the city and county are in desperate need of revenue,” says Salierno, “but perhaps the greatest need is in the county.” Salierno says he favors both authorities - city and county looking to the idea of working together. “It could be that the idea won’t work but at least we should give it a try,” suggests Salierno who has friends in both law enforcement agencies.
A measure of the crisis at the county sheriff’s is the high cost of health premiums that have jumped some 20% a year for the past 3 years and will go up again in January 2003. Tom Sigley, president of the Deputy Sheriff Association says “we will lose some more in January when the rates go up.” He says his own rate will go up from $350 per paycheck to $587 per paycheck for his health insurance. The county said it looked for the best health plan and the rate they have is the best they can do. If the county allows the young deputy to pull out of the health plan the cost for the remainder, including the retirees, will go even higher
“Rates are going up and benefits are going down,” says Sigley.
But Bruce McDermott counsels the sheriff department to work on lowering injuries and claims as a way to lower the rate the sheriff’s department is faced with. He cites the Visalia PD’s “Disability Avoidance Program” that cut the city’s health care claims way back when officers were paid to join wellness programs and penalized if they were sick.
A rigorous exercise program - doing 60 sit ups in a minute - and lifestyle changes could take our claims number back down. One source says that workmans comp claims in the sheriff’s department are double the average and last year sheriff employees visited the doctor on average of 11 times a year. “You want to cut rates - cut claims,” one insurance executive told the county.
Some are skeptical that the two jurisdictions can work together to pass a county wide measure despite the fact that both face a lack of manpower and Visalia crime often comes from outside the city limits. Both jurisdictions could work together to cut costs and tighten up their own ships - particularly if they are going to ask voters to ante up more to sleep well at night.
Before January 1, 2003 the City of Visalia council could not put a sales tax measure on the ballot - now they can. The county Board of Supervisors could do the same. Maybe they ought to at least talk to each other about it.
At least some of the old Tulare lakebed is for sale. This historical lake filled in wet years before the arrival of agriculture and once was the largest body of water west of the Mississippi. Since then its been divided up, walled off with levees and farmed at least when the price of cotton made it worthwhile. In recent years the owners of Westlake Farms along Highway 41 east to Kettlemen City have found it unprofitable to farm and have left all but a small portion fallow - square miles of tumbleweed are coming back now instead of rows of cotton.
This year comes a plan to use the lakebed pretty much as the good Lord designed it - as a flood holding basin in wet years and with a little modern engineering it could solve a problem for multiple agencies interested in flood protection and water exchanges.
The prime mover here is the 1.1 million acre Kings River Water Association and its general manager Tim O’Halloran - an agency that has been in serious discussion with Metropolitan Water District on a possible exchange of purer Kings River flood water for financial help for MET to pay for capturing Kings flood water.
“We’ve got an average of 200,000 acre ft. of water lost here annually,” says O’Halloran - water that goes out to sea in big water years. MET is working with both KRWA and Friant Water Users on joint benefit projects that could send high quality Sierra water to the Southland in exchange for what the Valley water districts want - typically financial help to build flood water sinking basins or a higher volume of state water delivered to the eastside of the valley.
In the case of a new Tulare Lake reservoir, O’Halloran has brought in a partner - the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) who has been studying ways to capture and control a potential 100 year flood along the western valley foothills near Coalinga - the Arroyo Pasajero Creek area. You will remember a major flood in 1995 that washed out Highway 5 and resulted in the death of 7 people. The flood water damaged the California Aqueduct as well and caused millions in damage with a huge amount of sediment rolling down the western foothills.
“We’ve been looking at flood control alternatives in the area for 15 years,” says DWR supervising engineer Len Marino. Now they are working with the Kings River group on a plan to build a multi purpose basin near Kettlemen City that could hold flood water in case of a big storm but accomplish what KRWA wants as well.
Marino says the Corp of Engineers is helping to study a plan that would dump the flood water into the California Aqueduct and send it some 12 miles south to the Tulare Lake area converting it into a flood basin that could range in size from 45,000 acre ft. to as larger as 140,000 acre ft. The footprint of the new basin could be as large as 13,000 acres - over 20 square miles.
“This is probably the best alternative and most cost effective solution,” says Marino even though the study is preliminary. “We’ve set a self imposed deadline of June 1" to decide whether to move forward or not. “There have been scores of proposed solutions to this problem in the past that haven’t gone anywhere.”
The idea has some natural advantages as both geography and geology offer favorable conditions. Marino notes that heavy clay soil of the Tulare Lake area will hold water without much percolation making it available for trade when someone wants it.
Brent Graham, general manager of the Tulare Lake Basin Storage District says since as little as 10% of the Westlake Farm properties - historically over 60,000 acres using some for a holding basin makes the timing right. TLBWSD is a player on all sides of this question being a part of the Kings River district and a water contractor with the state DWR who will help pay to protect the California Aqueduct from more damage from floods. They could also benefit from beneficial use of water that could be in the basin for other farmers who may need irrigation water. Graham notes that from the Kings River contractors point of view, this alternative flood control basin is “far less expensive”and far more politically doable than a major new dam on the upper Kings. The plumbing works well too with the proximity of the California Aqueduct means a conveyance canal could be designed for the reservoir to both accept flood water from the Aqueduct and convey water into the Aqueduct for trading purposes.
The DWR’s Marino says a major question is who will own what is being called simply the “Multi Benefit Reservoir” and how would it work to accomplish its multiple tasks?
The players are the Kings River Water Association, Metropolitan Water District, the state contractors represented by DWR, The Corp of Engineers and CalTrans looking to protect the highway system.
Marino says since the basin would be located on current farmland there is less of an endangered species habitat question although they plan to do wetlands restoration - a project that Westlake Farms has undertaken in recent decades.
One player not directly involved but keenly interested is Westland’s Water District who sometimes receives the brunt of this western foothill flood waters. Here too, alkali land full of salts with a high water level is being retired - up to 200,000 acres - more western valley land that is going out of cultivation and back to tumbleweeds.
MET spokesman Tim Quinn told the Voice that the big water district that supplies water to about half of Californians continues to work both with Friant district into a second phase of their potential partnership and with Kings River each on “specific projects” that would involve “conjunctive use.” Working to end suspicion by Valley interests in dealing with Metropolitan, Quinn says no arrangement will be agreed unless it’s mutually beneficial – “we want to be part of the solution.”
Watermaster on the Kings - Tim O’Halloran of Kings River Water Association says MET’s contribution could be financial-helping to pay the cost of building the reservoir in exchange for high quality Kings flood water when it is available. MET seeks higher quality river water to blend with its California Aqueduct water that tends to be higher in salts and impurities.
Trade with other districts have focused on the fact that MET has a contract for a good supply of State Aqueduct water that it might be willing to trade for smaller quantities of higher quality water available to eastside water districts.
MET is working with Friant in their effort to increase water supply and restore fisheries on the San Joaquin River helping the Friant District to reach their top goals. Down in Kern County MET is trying to work out a water trade there but first must overcome objections by the City of Bakersfield.
To the degree these mutual assistance pacts fulfill some of the goals in the California water industry without more funding through Cal Fed it is a plus given the fact that Congress appears to be in no mood to pay the big bucks that Cal Fed is asking for to fix all the water problems we have. Friant water users engineer Dennis Keller says the politics of it are problematic given that Cal Fed is a multi-year, multi billion dollar effort that benefits only one state and that one state is in the hands of Democrats while the Congress is controlled by the Republicans.
Farmers Go Electric, Fuel Cell Next?
San Joaquin Valley - Some central valley farmers are taking advantage of an offer by General Motors fleet program to sell Pathway Neighborhood Electric Vehicles on a one year trial basis with no money down - for a year's worth of use. After that the user can buy it or return it to GM - no strings attached.
The so-called Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) were made by GM in response to mandates by the state Air Resource Board to satisfy a rule that car makers put into service a certain number of zero emission vehicles by the launch of the 2003 model year. While some car makers are selling their version to agencies, GM has instituted an apparent give away program of the golf cart sized vehicles that are street legal at 25 mph.
Tulare County nut farmer Brian Blain took in a shipment of 14 ZEVs on this basis a few weeks ago - a move he expects will be not be just good for the bottom line, but good for the valley's air. "I'll be able to park up to 10 pickup trucks," says Blain with workers using the cars to manage irrigation, spraying and IPM activities the other four cars will be used by workers who formally had to walk increasing the efficiency of his staff. "I'm ready to order more," says Blain.
Reports say GM is looking to put 5000 such ZEVs into service in coming months. Blain says a number of his farm neighbors have ordered the carts and are awaiting delivery. "We expect a year from now when GM asks if we want to keep them, the price will be very reasonable," says Blain. The carts are plugged into the wall at night.
GM wants the carts to be used by those who have a campus, like hospitals, schools, airports, cemeteries and retirement communities. The City of Visalia has recently purchased two electric vehicles as well - a different brand that allows staff to carry out guilt free trips adding to a small fleet of hybrid vehicles the City of Visalia owns.
To discuss ordering the Pathway research vehicles call 408-802-1103 and ask for Michael Boykin.
The issue of air pollution has risen to the top of minds in the central valley with plenty of media play but precious few solutions. But clearly vehicles like the electric car and fuel cell technology now on the near horizon promises to cut emissions by 100% - it's hard to get any better than that.
Daimler Chrysler has their own GEM vehicles that is sold through Costco for $3,995.
This past week John Deere announced the availability of a zero emission fuel cell work vehicle - the Gator using hydrogen base fuel cell technology. Besides fuel cell technology Deere is working on advanced battery technologies, diesel and gas hybrid electric technology to be added to all their vehicles including tractors.
The fuel cell Gator will be tested around the country this spring, says the company. Honda has sold 5 fuel cell cars for testing this year to the City of Los Angeles.
Proponents of hydrogen call it "the forever fuel" since when burned the only byproducts are heat and water. Champions see hydrogen as the basis for new economy not based on fossil fuels. Already the major auto makers have spent $2 billion developing cars that use hydrogen. Cars that have fuel cells could be theoretically parked and plugged in reversing the generation of electricity selling it back into the grid.
Northside Projects Offer Hope
Visalia - Three new projects planned for the northside of Visalia offer hope for new development in a part of town with the highest census of poverty and smallest amount of new investment.
• A master plan for a 7.5 parcel on NE Third to develop a non profit plaza/park with multi story office buildings will be presented to the Visalia City Council next month along with a list of likely participants.
• An agreement between the American Legion Post 785 and Mariachi Heritage Foundation in recent days to build on a 13 acre site on North Dinuba Blvd. to include a new Memorial Building that will handle events up to 1000 people.
• A plan by grocer and developer Joe Gong to build a new shopping center and housing project just north of his existing Fairway Market expected to be announced next month.
Regarding the NE Third project, participants - they include CSET who wants to build a 33,000 sq. ft. office - Proteus, Tulare County Hispanic Commission and others according to Sharon Sheltzer, community development program manager for the city.
"We're very excited about the projects and expect it to make a big impact on the northside." The campus-like office park will include several hundred employees and likely that many visitors daily to the site of the old juvenile hall complex - now demolished. Next door is the new Northside police precinct office - the former Probation building that will be remodeled this coming year. The plaza also includes the Wittman Center where the boxing club is expected to join up soon. It also includes a half acre park that will join the plaza to the Wittman Center.
The American Legion project is getting off the ground some 40 years after the veterans group purchased the land. "The current Veterans Hall on Center is too small," says Amador Garcia, commander of the post. "It can only handle 300 people," compared to parties and parking for 1000 in the new location. The group shares the Center St. building owned by the state with other local veterans groups including American Legion Post 18, AMVET's Post 22 and VFW 1864 who would also be using the new Dinuba Blvd. building. What happens to the Center St. veterans building isn't clear, but selling it is an option, says Garcia.
Garcia says the Mariachi Heritage has agreed to lease space in the building but will seek grants, agrees their spokesperson Lali Moheno. "This would be a cultural center," says Moheno.
Garcia says the new building would be used for meetings and be available for rent for parties and weddings. He says the project "has been the dream for many WW2 vets and the Viet Nam era veterans that followed, like himself. "We've lost five WW2 members in the past six months. Now there is a good chance the rest will see this new hall in their lifetime. It's finally getting off the ground."
Realtor Bill Wittlatch - also a Viet Nam vet - is helping the group and has brought in an architect - Mike Krebs who is donating his time to lay out a master plan for the project. The site plan will be submitted to the city, he says.
Regarding the Gong project, plans have been filed to build a 50,000 sq. ft. market, 30,000 sq. ft. additional retail space and a 160 unit apartment complex. The project includes extension of Ferguson to the west of Dinuba Blvd. City sources expect requests for building permits on both phases of the Gong project to be filed in 2003.
Outlet Mall Files Expansion Plan
Tulare - Horizon Outlet will build its first expansion since it first opened in 1995. The City of Tulare has received plans from the mall’s owner to build a 32,000 sq. ft. addition on the mall’s west side next to a new 40,000 sq. ft. multi screen movie theater. The mall is selling the movie theater pad to Galaxy Theaters and the two projects are expected to be constructed in tandem in 2003.
The store expansion will include a new Nike Outlet - long sought after by the mall to add to the mix of brand name tenants in Tulare.
The city has been seeking Horizon’s full fulfillment of an expansion plan that would compliment the city’s efforts to increase access to the area paying for the construction of Retherford Dr. some years ago. While the mall’s owner suggested for years they were working to add new tenants needed in a certain number to build a 60,000 planned addition, it never happened. Now with the sale of one portion to a movie theater and a smaller addition for stores, the expansion is set.
The city will now go through the design review process on the plans, says city planner Mark Keilty. Galaxy Theaters owner Frank Rimcus has told the Voice they would not make an announcement about their part of the project until escrow has closed, perhaps around the first of the year. But both projects are in the construction drawing phase.
The movie theater project, long sought after by Tulare, is made possible only with an organized local investor group who will finance the building of the new theater since neither Horizon - still weak financially from slower sales in the outlet industry and its own financial troubles - or Galaxy who will lease the building, would finance the construction.
The two new additions will essentially fill up the outlet mall area requiring any new phase of development move to the north on land owned by Bill Martin - the property owners and developer who solicited Horizon to come to Tulare in late 1980s.
Martin says he isn’t surprised the outlet is doing well, noting that each year for the past 7 years they did better than the year before. He also notes that outlet malls do well in recession times when people need to save a buck.
Sow's Ear To A Silk Purse
Visalia - A December 2002 study done by the city and submitted to the Visalia city council this week lays out both the substantial hurdles and potential opportunity to extend Visalia’s downtown area eastward to Ben Maddox turning what was the old Hobo Jungle into what could be a premier address for a crown jewel mixed-use development.
If you remember your Monopoly game board this part of town corresponds to what used to be Baltic Ave. on the board - the cheapest property available in town. Nevertheless what the city thinks it can do here on some 136 acres much of vacant east of Santa Fe is to transform the area to Park Place or Boardwalk - a place that fetches the heftiest rents when you land there.
As it lies today, much of the land east of Downtown has only old or outdated development or none. It is the site of an abandoned Viking Ready Mix plant mostly vacant warehouses and lands that have been dumping grounds for years.
Some 26 acres of that land is owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad - land the city says it is negotiating to buy from the railroad to add to the 13 acres the city purchased in the past year and the location Visalia council recently designated as the new Visalia Civic Center. That vision runs into the substantial hurdles suggests the report that was prepared for a federal economic development agency.
Tops on the hurdle list is soil and water contamination in this area. The study report says the city has hired BSK and Associates to determine the extent of the problem and clean up suggestions that could come to over $1 million.
The report lays out potential arsenic contamination along the railroad tracks that have been sprayed for years with weed killer, substantial hydro carbon contaminants under a number of parcels particularly at the nearby Southern California Gas yard and two underground gas tanks that leak, lead and asbestos in the soil and a creekbed that courses through this old industrial area that until it is cleaned up may contain hazardous material from years of dumping and discharge.
In addition the report notes that roads and infrastructure are in sad need of repair and access to the area is lacking in that few roads connect to the largely vacant area. The report also says the city is looking for right of way to widen Ben Maddox into a fully divided 4-lane road and that widening will mean the need to relocate several businesses.
The report suggests however, that substantial opportunity exists in this area at 136.5 acres with only 53 of those acres fully developed and many of them with old buildings and uses that will be coming down if this new district gets rolling. It includes 21 acres owned by the Farm Bureau including the old stock yards that is just north of Murray from the city and identified for the new civic center.
Within the study area the old CalTrans yard is soon to be vacated for its new regional yard being built out on east Noble. Just east of Santa Fe a number of old warehouse type uses - mostly vacant - will be coming down in the future as the new plan - the city is calling its Central Business District East Plan - gets in gear early this coming year.
It’s clear that the city is laying out the case for funding what is a classic “brown field” development that could attract funds to help in the clean up and removal of older uses.
The city will likely lay out what lands will be identified for public use and those where private development would be encouraged.
Such major urban village designs have developed all over the country including in Valencia California and Portland Oregon on the West Coast. What they have in common is that they feature an outdoor place with a variety of uses typically gathered in the village green. It’s the local government role to convince the community and the investors that this formerly down trodden piece of dirt will become a showcase and gathering spot for the people.
It’s possible the project could be laid out as a major Town Center corridor or “urban village” attracting one developer to build a housing, government and retail mixed use project that could reach 100 to 150 acres if you brought in development along Main and Acequia.
If the eastern down section of Mill Creek looks like a dumping ground today - the report holds great promise for the future since the report indicates and a waterways master plan is likely to propose a permanent green linear park from Downtown that could be the centerpiece of this project.
The report says that “the city is now undergoing negotiations and purchase and sale” of parcels owned by Southern Pacific “including provisions for environmental clean up.”
A master plan development is expected to be feasible despite the fact the cost to clean up and acquisition of the parcels could exceed $5 million, says the report.
What spurred the plan’s timetable is a request by city council to move the civic center project timetable quickly allowing a new city hall to open in as little as 3 to 4 years. City manager Steve Salomon has said while that might be possible the entire development in east Visalia may have many phases and take a decade or 2 to be realized.
Still the development of this new district is already underway as can be seen at Oak St. on former railroad property with the new city transit center and new Family HealthCare Network clinic are going up over this holiday season.
ER Crisis Hits Home In Death Of Tulare Counselor
Tulare County - If your family is in an accident or a friend suffers a sudden illness most of us feel satisfied that a professional medical service will be available and that service for even more complicated illnesses will be nearby.
For the friends and family of Cynthia Lockhart, a 50s something Tulare mental health counselor, those assumptions were dashed last week as Cynthia suddenly found herself sprawling on the floor with a sudden severe pain in the back of her head. "She actually told me she thought she was suffering from an aneurism," says coworker Mike Leoni who helped rush Cynthia to Tulare District Hospital.
The sudden blockage of blood in the brain akin to a stroke, is often fatal if not diagnosed and treated by the skilled hands of a neurosurgeon in a matter of minutes, typically within an hour.
While we don't know if Cynthia could have survived if treated by such a brain surgeon we do know there was no neurosurgeon available - because Tulare County has no brain surgeons ready to do head operations available "on call" at any county hospital.
Since Cynthia was stricken on a foggy day and Tulare District found a Fresno hospital to accept her, it was too foggy to airlift her says Leoni. She ended up some hours later being treated in a Fresno hospital on life support but later passed away.
Dr. Tom Gray says Kaweah Delta Hospital formerly had two neurosurgeons but when one moved away, the other decided to do only back surgeries, perhaps not wanting to be the only neurosurgeon on call in Tulare County.
Kaweah Delta VP for Medical Affairs, Dr. Brian Bigelow, says that Tulare County had two neurosurgeons as recently as 6 months ago. Today recruitment of a new neurosurgeon "is a top priority." "I'm hopeful we will get someone," says Dr. Bigelow who says he is in negotiations with some candidates guaranteed a salary by Kaweah Delta. Sources say to guarantee the salary of a neurosurgeon, the price tag is in the order of $500,000.
Dr. Bigelow says that with one head doctor in place, the existing neurosurgeon here might be persuaded to offer "cross coverage" for patients of the other neurosurgeon who need post op care. Still KDDH has never had neurosurgery coverage on a 24/7 basis, he says relying on Fresno for many trauma cases.
With a specialist nearby patients who are victims of some car crashes, gunshot wounds and other severe traumas will continue to die unless the proper physicians are nearby to treat them.
Friends and family of Cynthia Lockhart, who devoted so much of herself to counseling others at Tulare Youth Services since 1985 when she was clinic director, know now about the ER crisis and the lack of specialists nearby.
Dr. Bigelow says Tulare County doesn't have a real trauma center that cares for critically ill patients to handle severely injured patients but depends on Fresno for that. Trauma centers have to insure specialized coverage at considerable expense, he says. Regional or Research hospitals fall into that category unlike community level hospitals like Kaweah or Tulare.
Our best advice would be - don't hurt your head in Tulare County.
Eagle Mountain Doubles Slot Machines
EIR For 190 Site Out Next Month
Eagle Mountain casino has secured 750 more slot machines and will add 25,000 sq. ft. to the existing casino up Reservation Rd.
"The tribe decided back in September it needed to exercise their option to buy the 750 licenses," says attorney for the tribe Sam Cohen "and had to put up them into service within one year." The slots double the number Eagle Mountain owns.
"This was a necessary to fulfill the long term plan," notes Cohen - to build a new permanent casino on land the tribe owns on Highway 190. "If we are going to have a new casino we needed to increase the number of machines."
Cohen says the tribe continues to plan for the 40 acre Highway 190 site near Success Lake with a master plan of the site expected to be ready by the end of this month and the circulation of an Environmental Impact Report out in January. That EIR will detail the impact of the new casino. Once that EIR comes back to the tribe for certification it will offer the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs for their conference, says Cohen - a major step in actually building the new multi million project.
Purchasing the 750 slots now "was prudent" says Cohen given that there is only a finite number of licenses available. Contracts will add onto the front of the existing casino 12 miles from Highway 190 even as the casino's existing operation goes on during the construction period.
The Tule tribe hopes to build a new Highway 190 casino in coming years to ease traffic concerns up the narrow two lane Reservation Rd. They expect business to increase at the new site given its easy access to the valley population. To boost their chances for approval, the tribe has been meeting with local groups and government bodies seeking their support for the project they say will have a positive impact on the local economy with hundreds of new jobs.
As a result of voter approval of Proposition 5 and a subsequent court test this summer, the state allowed the existing tribal compacts to double the number of machines but only if the time table was followed.
Some have complained that allowing the Tule tribe to build a casino on non reservation land - only purchased by the tribe in recent years - was an expansion that should be scrutinized. Tribal members point that the Middle Fork of the Tule river was Indian country historically and even designated as reservation land before the tribe was summarily relocated up the mountain. Many support the Highway 190 spot because it would be far safer to reach. Just this week the five new turnouts on Reservation Rd. were approved by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors using $419,000 worth of federal and state funds.
Snow Welcome On The Ski Slopes
Sierra Summit - They are celebrating at Sierra Summit this week as the pre-winter snow has finally hit the popular downhill ski slope 68 miles north of Fresno. Opening last weekend for the season, the resort had to make snow until now to provide a base to ski and slide on.
A warm strong storm brought rain to the Sierra in early winter but the temps were so high that no snow fell below 8000 ft. at most central valley Sierra locations. Since then it’s been dry.
Now this week (December 15) “a winter storm pattern has opened the door,” says Porterville meteorologist John Hibler, with a series of colder systems promising that familiar blanket of snow welcome by both teen snow boarders, farmers and air breathers. Perhaps we can thank Santa for this mid December gift.
In fact, the latest El Nino report from the climate prediction released December 12 suggests a strengthening of the El Nino conditions in November that would imply a greater than average precipitation this winter for the south part of the state although less than the 97/98 El Nino.
To the north the ski slopes were hit with 6 feet of snow this past weekend compared to a meager 18 inches of snow in the Tahoe area on the ground prior to the storm. Before this skiers had to head to Colorado to get their fix. Now downhill skiers can head for Sierra Summit (233-3330) at the 8700 ft. elevation or Badger Pass in Yosemite (open Dec. 13) now featuring a tube sliding area along with cross country and downhill runs (209-372-8430).
In Tulare County cross country and snow play resort - the 7000 ft. Montecito Sequoia Lodge is expected to open in the next few days as well (800-227-9900). Above Porterville check in with Ponderosa Lodge on Highway 190 for the latest conditions for snow play on the great Western Divide (542-2579).
Oak Grove To Be Named For Alan George
Visalia - The largest stand of oak trees at Visalia’s Seven Oaks Park (Tulare and Edison) will be named for Visalia’s Mr. Oak Tree himself - Alan George. George, 78, a retired farm advisor with the University of California has dedicated his community service life to both the love of oak trees and wild places - and history - particularly the preservation of Tulare County history.
The City of Visalia is installing a bronze plaque at the Seven Oaks Park in coming months to honor Alan George, says George Pilling who heads up an informal committee to honor George.
The plaque is being made by Visalia sculptor Sam Pena. “We’re honoring Alan because he has dedicated his life to preserving oaks and helped keep the trees that made Visalia as beautiful as it is,” says George Pilling, Visalia Unified School District librarian.
If you don’t know Alan you will recognize his work preserving and planting of the oaks around Visalia - he promoted the Visalia Oak Tree Ordinance - at Kaweah Oaks Preserve where he has been recognized as the “key individual” responsible for establishing the 324 acre Kaweah Oaks Preserve back in 1983 when Alan was president of the Tulare County Historical Society.
A team of volunteers led by Alan George raised more than $115,000 to help promote the effort by the Nature Conservancy that George brought in to help buy the “the old swamp” as historian Joe Doctor called it. This is a small remnant of what used to be thousands of square miles of oak woodland that used to grow here.
A modest Alan George credits former county school official Max Cochran with “planting the seed” that ended with the preservation of the big woodland east of Visalia.
George has worked to improve Mooney Grove Park and its historical village and museum in the park most recently planning a new bronze statue of Hugh Mooney there this coming year. As a member of the Tulare County Historical Society, George has been instrumental in placing site markers through the county highlighting Tulare County history.
Alan is not shy if he needs to politic over a critical issue helping to carry the ball against the Tulare Irrigation District project to line a canal east of Visalia - even to the point of disagreeing with the board of the Kaweah Oaks Preserve who tried to stay out of the controversy at the time. In the end TID did not line the canal and now there is a cooperative program to bank water east of town.
Alan was a UC Farm Advisor from 1951 to 1983 working to improve cotton production in the central valley. He worked on several important projects including research on narrow row planting of cotton - now an industry standard - and more importantly the end of the one-variety rule mandated for years by USDA on cotton here. “I just about lost my job over that,” says Alan who felt the USDA and the seed companies maintained a “terrible monopoly” for over 20 years. That monopoly is now ended.
Alan is a native Visalian born here in 1924 in a home on South Court St. that is still there today. He says his love of oak trees and Visalia may have to do with the fact that his parents moved here in 1917 locating here because they loved the oaks. “Maybe it’s genetic,” Alan says of his fondness for graceful trees.
Quiet cajoling is more characteristic of this easy going Visalian whose contacts, commitments and negotiating skill have led to the formation of a number of community sponsored improvement groups including Friends of the Fox, Visalia Beautification Committee and this new Waterways Task Force set up to preserve Visalia creeks and put down walking trails along its banks.
This summer Alan had a heart operation that has slowed him down only a little, according to wife JoAnn.
If you would like to donate to the plaque, call George Pilling at 625-3662. The check can be made out to the Visalia Parks and Recreation Foundation and the donation is tax deductible.
Like the tee shirt he likes to wear sometimes, Alan is like an old oak tree himself, just “an acorn that has stood its ground.”
Correction on the story on the Hugh Mooney story last issue. The County paid $15,000 for the 100 acre Mooney Grove, not $150.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
December 18, 2002
