Bigger
Hammer Hanging Over Friant?
Court Studies Endangered Species Issue On San Joaquin
River
San Joaquin Valley - In a shocker ruling on October 25, the judge in the San Joaquin River court case pitting NRDC against the Bureau of Reclamation and Friant Water Authority has halted deliberations over how to restore a fishery to the river while he ponders new allegations that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been violated.
Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled he would postpone the “complex question” of what remedies he would order after his earlier ruling that the Bureau and Friant violated the California Fish and Game Code. In that earlier ruling he said the federal government is liable for maintaining the historic fishery below Friant and would decide next what remedies he would seek to fix it.
Karlton says while the August ruling allowed him some discretion on how to provide the injunctive relief - if there is a violation of the Endangered Species Act the court may not have such discretion. He said he would first rule if there is a violation of the Endangered Species law before proceeding any further on the case.
The ruling has surprised Friant Water Authority. “We don’t know what the judge is thinking,” says general manager Ron Jacobsma. But Friant fears the judge would no longer weigh the release of a certain amount of water flow down the San Joaquin on an annual basis, balancing the water needs of a fishery with the economic impact of such a decision on the central valley’s economy.
If he were to rule there is a violation of the Endangered Species Act - the matter would have “the highest priority” the judge said. There was no suggestion just how long the judge would need to determine if there is a violation of the ESA as maintained in a plaintiffs recent pleading.
Jacobsma fears the judge may be thinking he needs to release the entire run of the river to satisfy the endangered species violation if there is one.
The river averages a flow of 1.8 million acre feet. Friant has been fearful that restoring a salmon run could demand 500,000 acre feet even in dry years when the flows are one-third the average. In the latest period flows were just 61% of average, 1.1 million acre feet. Committing half or more to fish could mean farms and communities go without.
Jacobsma says he doesn’t know which endangered species the judge is talking about. Others assume he is referring to salmon and delta smelt.
“This is definitely a bigger hammer over Friant,” asserts Jacobsma.
NRDC supporters celebrated the judge’s ruling back in August that the Bureau and Friant had illegally dried up the San Joaquin River and that water from Friant dam had to be released to restore a once thriving salmon fishery.
Friant Water Users including many water districts in Tulare County fear that the ruling will mean district cut backs in the amount of water that is shipped from the dam south on the big Friant Kern Canal in the future setting up a fish vs local economy controversy.
The new ruling suggests the possibility that the judge will have to ignore his pronouncement made in the August ruling that along with goals of restoring the river he was mindful of the economy that had built up as a result of construction of the dam almost 60 years ago.
The dam provides water to 1 million acres of farmland in the central valley and is a major source of water supplies for several communities including Fresno, Orange Cove and Lindsay, and a sole water supply for several Tulare County water districts who have no groundwater.
Since then, Friant officials have vowed to make the issue a political one urging passage of legislation in the state that would clarify the Fish and Game Code over water release from dams as they relate to downstream fisheries. The judge’s ruling could apply to dams all over California, some believe. But bringing up the ESA circumvents that political move and could transfer the focus to the national stage where ESA law is made.
Just this past week a congressional panel approved a new amendment of the Endangered Species Act in a bill sponsored by Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA).
On the other hand, former Friant attorney Gary Sawyers says Karlton has surprised both sides in this 16 year old case before - bringing up specific issue on his own and asking the two sides to file arguments before deciding the issue doesn’t need to be addressed after all.
Visalia - Plans are being drawn to retrofit existing homes in both Tulare and Visalia with water meters in a move to conserve the area’s groundwater supplies.
“It’s in the works,” says Visalia California Water general manager Phil Mirwald. “We’ll likely start next year.”
In Tulare, Public Works director Lew Nelson has recommended a plan to the city utility board to install meters on the 7600 homes in that city’s municipal district who get water on a flat rate. Nelson suggests this is an incremental strategy to conserve water without raising rates.
All new homes have been metered by state law since 1992. Governor Schwarzenegger has signed into law AB 2572 just last month mandating water meters on all service connections before 2025.
With the new law Nelson is recommending the city begin a 2 man crew detail to convert about 1000 homes a year to water metering with the entire city to be connected in about 7 years.
“Metered water customers use on average half the water as flat rate consumers based on comparisons between Fresno (flat rate) and Clovis” whose homes are metered, says Nelson who is working with the board on adoption of a new water conservation plan.
Savings through this incremental meter program over a 7 year period will allow delay in the digging of new wells in the community that can cost $500,000 each saving more water than dragging out the process, says Nelson.
In Visalia where 18,000 homes are still on flat rate, private water company provider Cal Water is also working on a conservation plan that calls for retrofitting about 1000 a year, confirms Phil Mirwald.
Rapid growth in Visalia coupled with some 6 dry years in a row has forced leaders to look at conservation methods as part of a strategy to sustain development. Increasingly supplies of surface water that have come into the Kaweah Delta from the Friant-Kern canal face an uncertain future with litigation over the San Joaquin River (see other story).
But Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District engineer Dennis Keller says a private for-profit water company may not be structured to conserve water since they get paid more - the more water they sell. That’s why municipal water districts may be in a better position to save precious groundwater, he suggests. Groundwater is the basic supply for the most towns water systems and that groundwater in both Tulare and Visalia has fallen in the recent series of dry years.
Keller says one problem that comes with expansion of the Cal Water system in Visalia onto former farmland as the City of Visalia has broadened its urban boundaries, is that the farmland got water not just from pumps but delivery of surface water. Now this “conjunctive use” will be replaced by a Cal Water system that only knows only “how to sink wells and deliver product to customers.” There is no continued use of surface water that has made up to 30% of the area supply in the past years.
That is part of the beef between the City of Visalia and Cal Water in the northwest part of town where the city has recently undertaken a feasibility study to possibly begin a municipal water company in this area in hopes of promoting water recharge. The city council last month approved the study even as Cal Water vowed to increase their cooperation in water conservation efforts.
Cal Water’s Mirwald says while conservation “could take some money out of our pocket” the company “is here for the long term.”
“If we don’t conserve water, there won’t be enough for everyone,” he says. Mirwald says the company has participated in water recharge programs with KDWCD and the city and will step up efforts. He says in 2002 the company contributed $24,000 for a recharge basin. He calls conservation “just smart business.”
Keller says water meters won’t save water in the long run unless they are coupled with tiered water pricing to designed to promote conservation. The savings will come when you pay for the water by volume. “You end up fixing the leaky toilet instead of letting it run,” says Keller. A programmed rate structure can help deliver a base amount of water to households for a low rate but penalize higher use with steeper prices.
Tulare’s Lew Nelson says that leads to homeowners looking at using less water intensive landscaping since that is the largest water use by households. Nelson says they plan a programmed water rate to encourage lower use. In addition, Nelson is recommending the city install radio controlled water meters when the retrofit is done saving the municipal system labor on reading meters from now on. The radio accessed meters can be read easily, by one person in a truck passing down the street.
Nelson says another water device that could be installed is a timer controlled instant hot water circulation pump so you don’t have to run the water to get it hot. University tests have shown a water use reduction of tens of thousands of gallons per year per residence. This plan would apply to new construction only.
Other water conservation measures being discussed include:
• As meter installations progress into the older parts of town, offer $100 rebates for replacement of toilets with low-flow models. Current codes require replacement of toilets during major remodels (estimated 500 toilet replacements per year).
• Provide workshops and information encouraging the installation of “xeriscape” landscaping using native and low water using plants. This landscaping technique uses no lawn, or small play areas only.
• Cooperate with Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District and Tulare Irrigation District regarding regional groundwater planning, including recharge opportunities.
Water conservation hasn’t hit here like it has in some places like Las Vegas where homeowners are offered $1 per square foot of grass you remove from your yard in favor of low water use landscaping. But efforts like water metering groundwater recharge and increasing focus on bringing in surface water into the Tulare Lake basin are all part of the same problem.
“We live in a desert,” says Visalia city manager Steve Salomon.
In Kings County, supervisor Tony Oliveira is working on grant applications to buy their portion of northern California Aqueduct water into the county to provide drinking water for the cities of Armona, Lemoore and Hanford where the wells have been going dry at a much faster pace than on the east side of the valley.
Also in parched Kettleman City where the county plans to build a water treatment plant to deliver state water to the community ending its reliance on tainted groundwater - water that if not supplied will choke off any more growth in this I-5 community.
Cox, Ishida Appear Winners
Tulare County - With some 13,000 provisional or absentee ballots yet to be counted countywide, Visalia city council member Phil Cox appears to have nosed out incumbent Supervisor Lali Moheno for the District 3 seat that covers Visalia. At press time Cox has 12,144 votes compared to Moheno with 11,296 - 51.6% compared to 48%.
If the results hold, no estimate is available for how many uncounted votes remain in this district, the Visalia city council may appoint a new member to Cox’ term that runs until November 2005 or call a special election to fill the seat.
Regarding which option to replace Cox, city administrator Leslie Caviglia says council will take it up at a work session November 15. The alternatives could be to appoint a person, call a special election or even leave the seat vacant. With less than a year until the term expires the council might hesitate to call a special election some speculate.
In the District 1 race where Supervisor Bill Sanders is retiring, his protégée Lindsay farmer Allen Ishida received 52
% of the vote compared to 47.6% to Exeter farmer Bud Pinkham - 8758 to 8001. The new supervisors take their seats in January.
In closely watched races around the county, Tulare city council elected three new members in a crowded 12 person field with Phil Vandergraft, Craig Vejvoda and Carlton Jones getting seats in a race where three veteran council members decided against another run for the office.
In Farmersville the sales tax Measure U - Farmersville appears to be winning and the Measure 2 - Farmersville is being narrowly defeated 600 No to 571 Yes with a simple majority required. Farmersville voters voted to recall school board members by a wide margin.
In the Kaweah Delta Health Care District race Jody Graves is the winner.
On the state level the only contested race was the State Assembly race for District 30 pitting Democrat Nicole Parra vs Republican Dean Gardner. The particularly nasty race resulted in a victory for Parra with 55% of the vote compared to 45% for Gardner as Parra built a big lead in Kern County and won narrowly in Kings and Tulare while losing in Fresno County.
On the Congressional level the only contested battle this year was for retiring Cal Dooley’s seat - 20th Congressional District where Democrat Jim Costa received 53.7% of the vote compared to Republican Roy Ashburn who got 46.3%. Ashburn won big in Kings County but Costa won bigger in his native Fresno County. In Kern County’s heavy Democratic region sunk Ashburn as well in his home county.
In the presidential race Tulare County went 66% for Bush. Valley native Bill Jones went down to defeat against Barbara Boxer for US Senate but got Tulare County’s vote 60% to 37%.
County elections clerk Hiley Wallis says a vote update on the count of 5000 provisional ballots and 8000 absentee ballots will come next Friday, November 5, but could take 3 weeks to complete.
Visalia Closes In On Railroad Land
Visalia - The Visalia city council took its final step toward purchase of some 20.5 acres of land at Oak and Burke - the site of the new Civic Center project. The city will be buying the land from the Union Pacific railroad.
The city has already purchased 11 acres to the north of the site and this week announced it was in negotiations to buy two other parcels from Southern California Gas adjacent the site.
City manager Steve Salomon says the railroad purchase “is potentially very significant” providing land that would be developed to extend Downtown to the east - a combination of public and private uses. “We don’t want to be a landlord,” says Salomon who has been looking for partners to develop the east side of Downtown and has had some success.
Just last week the Visalia Chamber of Commerce board voted unanimously to purchase a site for their new offices adjacent the railroad parcels on land being purchased from the Toomey family on Oak St. at Santa Fe. The city has also been negotiating with the National Park Service to site a new visitor center adjacent the Chamber complex. This is expected to be the location of a planned Sequoia shuttle service in the future that would whisk visitors to the Big Trees and back to Visalia where they could stay a night at city hotels and eat at our restaurants.
Salomon cautioned the railroad sale “is not a done deal” but could close escrow in several months.
Significantly the city is not buying all the railroad land clear to Ben Maddox choosing not to purchase land closer to Ben Maddox and Center that has significant contamination problems. The purchase also does not include the old concrete batch plant on Center St.
The remaining land the city is purchasing has a minor contamination problem, says Salomon although the city was awarded a $400,000 grant by the EPA to help clean it up and do environmental studies.
This week the council certified the environmental notice of the purchase of 22.5 acres although Salomon says the purchase will be 2 acres less for now. In closed session the council gave direction to the city manager on the sales price it would agree to, to buy the land. That price has not been released.
The Gas Company land includes a paved lot where Razzari Ford parks cars currently and the current fueling site for the Gas Company - a site expected to be retired with the opening of two new natural gas fueling outlets in town - one owned by the city and the other by the school district out on North Mooney.
The rail land includes two creekbeds - Jennings Ditch and Mill Creek - expected to be restored and upgraded with plantings and a trail system that will connect Downtown to the new Civic Center when it is built in a few years. The city is seeking funds for a “linear park” through the area surrounded by development.
The decision of relocation of the Civic Center to the area started several decades ago promoted by Greg Collins and others.
A look at the area from the air sees a large acreage of undeveloped land east of historic downtown that has never been used for much other than a dusty old rail yard. The city began buying railroad property a few years ago when they purchased the yard at Santa Fe and Garden - now home to the city transit center and a cluster of new private developments.
High Teen Pregnancy Rate Prompts New County
Approach to Prevention
By Aaron Collins
Tulare County - With a high teen pregnancy rate in Tulare County well above the state average, county health officials have their work cut out for them.
The statistics on teen sexually transmitted infections (formerly known as STDs; now STIs) are not much more encouraging.
So to combat the longstanding problem, beginning November 9, the Tulare County Health and Human Services Administration's (HHSA) Teen Smart program is launching a new Drop-In Center. The event will be held every Tuesday at the Visalia Health Care Center on North Dinuba Boulevard. Teens are encouraged to drop by from 3-7pm, ask questions, and receive peer counseling.
The center's logistics will enable teens to address urgent matters discreetly and confidentially -- a less ominous way to get information than waiting until youths are forced to visit a public health clinic to deal with an STI.
According to Alma Torres, Tulare County Health and Human Services Prevention Services Coordinator, “The new center will allow kids to come by, have peer educators talking about issues, all in a teen-friendly waiting place.”
But will skittish teens be comfortable talking about such a sensitive subject?
“They need not be afraid of meeting someone they know, an they can ask for more detailed information in a more private setting, or make an appointment for later to see clinical personnel, or get information on the spot if that's what they prefer,” Torres added.
Given the lethal nature of AIDS, making prevention information more readily available could save lives, according to county officials. To that end, at least one other drop-in center is planned for Tulare youth.
To characterize the area's teen pregnancy problem, California has a statewide teen birthrate-per-thousand of 47.7, while Tulare County's rate is a whopping 78.3 (all figures for most recent three-year average period of 1999-2001; source: California Department of Health Services). The Kings County figure of 77.4 teen births per thousand is only slightly better, but equally alarming.
Despite sobering statistics like these, county officials have some encouraging news. In years past -- and in similarly socially conservative areas like Tulare County, pregnancy prevention, STI and AIDS/HIV programs were met with controversy and resistance. However, area schools are actually seeking out resources and information from Prevention Services.
“We go wherever were called to provide education and information that youth need to help them make smart decisions. And we always talk about abstinence,” Torres says.
But the Teen Smart program not only focuses on education and outreach. It takes on more controversial aspects. The “sticky wickets” include talking to youth about their legal rights in the event they must go to a health clinic to receive free testing for STIs, pregnancy, pap smears, or AIDS/HIV counseling, which are funded by the state's Family Pact program (the program receives no direct County funds).
Torres added, “We've been very fortunate. Most communities are very open to our resources. They contacted us; they want the information. Only once in while we're told we can only talk about this issue or that. Overall, Tulare County communities realize the important of reducing teen pregnancy and controlling STIs.”
In addition to health fairs, youth events, and school functions, other HHSA teen pregnancy prevention efforts include sponsorship of the new Tulare County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaborative, which meets every other month.
According to Torres, “We're very optimistic about the new collaborative which includes the Tulare County Office of Education, Kaweah Delta, and various clinics. We're recruiting new members to not only help get more resources and improve our success in getting grants, but to also devise better strategies for reducing teen pregnancy.”
Blacksmithing Center Opens In Exeter
By Peyton Ellas
Exeter - Valley residents will be able to learn artistic blacksmithing from masters of the craft when Sierra Forge & Fire in downtown Exeter officially begins its Master Class Series with a workshop Saturday, November 6, beginning at 8:30 a.m. American Master Blacksmith Darryl Nelson will demonstrate the art of “Sculpting Animal Heads in Iron" during the one-day lecture that will offer an introduction in artistic blacksmithing for the price of $40.00.
The one-day class kicks off a week-long, 40-hour, Master Class with Nelson for students interested in professional-level instruction in sculpting animal heads from bar stock. The one-day lecture and week-long Master Class is the sort of thing Forge & Fire Director/Owner Christopher Dery plans to make a habit of, as he officially opens what he and Resident Blacksmith Instructor Mark Aspery call their “Fire Art Center” in a circa 1920 warehouse building on Maple in Exeter's historic downtown district.
“This is a unique thing to this area,” says Dery. “We will be both teaching beginners and also bringing in world renowned instructors for Master Classes.” The center will teach students skills needed to create contemporary pieces of both function and art, with an emphasis on creative design.
“It’s not horseshoes,” says Aspery. “The image people have is old-fashioned, but artistic blacksmithing has undergone a huge renaissance. From traditional skills you can go any place.” Students who study at the center will learn how to use traditional forging methods to design and hand-create custom gates, tables, fences, small tools and ornamental items.
In addition to the November class, the center will offer Master Classes with world-renowned blacksmiths such as Richard Bent, Mark Constable, Heather McClarty and Adrian Legge.
“There are only twenty Master Blacksmiths in England,” Aspery says. “And three of them are coming here to teach. This is really a unique opportunity for this area.”
Even before their official opening Saturday, they have hosted students from Chicago, Arizona, and Northern California, and Dery says they expect that the center will become a center of learning for students all over the Western United States.
Hoping to operate largely as a non-profit art center, Aspery and Dery also say they will offer opportunities for the general public and beginning students to explore their interests in the fire arts. They offer school tours and have since their opening in October worked with a local home schooling association. They also plan to offer classes to at-risk youth, and have worked to design a curriculum that suits a variety of interests and financial abilities, including “Saturday Open Forges” that offer hands-on workshop opportunities at a minimal cost. They also plan to open a gallery and store and perhaps even a pub and guest accommodations for visiting students. With such big plans, Dery says they will need the support of the general public and volunteer help is always welcome, which is how apprentice Dean Diaz De Leon became involved.
“I moved here for this,” De Leon says. After discovering the art of blacksmithing while traveling in Prague, De Leon moved from his Orange County home to Springville to begin working with Aspery whom he discovered through the California Association of Blacksmiths.
“I like the fact that you can shape something that looks immovable,” De Leon says, adding that blacksmithing is an art that will support a lifestyle he seeks. ”
I know that once I learn how to blacksmith, I can find a job anywhere in the world,” he says.
Aspery, who came from England in 1991, agrees. An Associate in the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in Great Britain, he came to the United States for climbing, working with the youth-mentoring group Outward Bound before starting his own blacksmithing school in Springville. Full of anecdotes and legends around blacksmithing, Aspery says joining with Dery for the new center is a chance for him to pursue his goal of preserving the art of blacksmithing, although he points out that the school is less about preserving an old tradition than creating modern and contemporary art.
“We are teaching classical skills as applied to contemporary designs, “Aspery says. In addition to blacksmithing, the center plans to offer classes in blade-smithing in March and in glass blowing later in 2005.
“In each of these areas we’ll have skill-building classes,” Dery says. “So anybody with zero experience could learn and progress. At the same time we will continue to invite Master Teachers from all over the world. We will offer a chance to anyone to pursue their interests and their intentions with the art.”
Students interested in the November 6 demonstration, the weeklong Master Class, or any of their programs, may contact Sierra Forge & Fire at (559) 592-2080 or . Sierra Forge & Fire is located at 130 E. Maple, Exeter.
Tulare Awaits Decision This Month On Library Bond Funds
Tulare - The community of Tulare will await a decision set for November 29, 30 by the state whether Tulare will be awarded $6.7 million toward the construction of a new library in town, in the second round of funding through the Library Bond Act.
That would cover 65% of the cost of building the new library with local funds filling the balance including money pledged through the new Tulare Library Foundation that has vowed to raise at least another $1 million.
"It's going to be tough," says librarian Mike Stowell to get the designation this month in a very competitive environment, he says. But Stowell expects Tulare will have its day in the next round with and expected June 2006 statewide bond on the ballot requiring just 50% voter approval.
If any town deserves a new library, Tulare does. Built in 1962 when Tulare had just 15,00 population, the city is now approaching 50,000 but has depressingly low literacy rates.
The new library will be more than double its current size at 26,500 sf - with a huge new emphasis on technology, says Stowell. They expect to have some 60 computers available, compared to just 8 computers available now.
The city took a big step recently moving forward on purchase of the site for the library at Cross and M St. astride the new Santa Fe Trail - easy to reach by foot or bike and right next to the city transit center. The extra space at the library will allow a large children's library, community meeting rooms, computer lab and teen library. Unlike the current library, the new facility will be handicapped friendly.
"We're looking at making this a gathering place," says Stowell, with a little café run by a vendor part of the scene. Planning the library at this location will help bring other development including an expected senior complex, a police sub-station and private investment.
In an ongoing plan to tap local monies - a part of utility user tax has been set aside for helping to fund the local match to the library bond so as not to dig into the city's general fund.
Recently the schools agreed to help support the library's literacy center and the Library Foundation received large donations to the fund including monies from Land O'Lakes, Walmart and Edison.
Besides low literacy levels, Tulare children face poverty with nearly 70% of the students in the local school district from homes that qualify them for free or subsidized lunch.
"The new library is an investment in the future," for the children, says Tony Taylor, president of the Tulare Library Foundation.
Visalia - After sailing through the city planning commission in September, a proposal by Orthopaedic Associates to change a 13.7 acre parcel next to Jostens from its current zoning to PA-office use to allow medical offices is getting a cold shoulder from city manager Steve Salomon.
He has written the city staff a report for the project to be heard by city council November 30 and is recommending city council not approve the project.
The site at the northeast corner of 198 and Plaza needs both a zone change and a general plan amendment that would allow use of the property for surgical center use - medical uses are not allowed in the current Business Research Park zoning. A LLC affiliated with Orthopaedic Associates wants to build about 160,000 sf of medical office space on the site.
Salomon says in his staff report that "this land use decision is one of the most important that has come before the council" suggesting that council follow a general plan directive that says "public and private health care facilities should be directed to the Core Area" - namely greater Downtown.
Salomon says he fears such a land use change on Plaza would be a "growth inducing catalyst" for similar projects nearby and reduce the momentum for development of medical office space downtown. The proposed facility would not enhance either industrial park or airport and "may indeed present conflicts" says the report.
Instead, Salomon argues more medical offices could locate west of the hospital on several blocks between Conyer, Acequia, Johnson and Mineral King.
A half block is available west of city hall now that the Visalia Chamber of Commerce has voted unanimously last week to move its proposed new headquarters to Santa Fe and Oak. The Chamber has heard from a local physician, Dr. Daglish, that the space they had been looking at Stevenson and Mineral King is sought for medical office space that would be beneficial to the hospital.
The staff report says they have offered to meet with proponents of the project led by Dr. James Billys to explore possibilities. While Kaweah Delta hospital's CEO Lindsay Mann has written a letter to Billys that the health care district would not oppose the Plaza site, the staff recommendation will be hard for city council to ignore.
This project is not the surgical hospital that had been proposed by a group led by Dr. Billys. That project remains on hold.
"The Visitation" Film Crews Visit Locally
By Miles Shuper
Woodlake - For a couple of days this week, including Election Day, the First Presbyterian Church in Woodlake served as a Catholic Church. Another portion of the church is destined to become a sheriff's department headquarters in Antioch, Wash.
For the next several weeks, Woodlake, Visalia, Exeter, Rocky Hill, and various other locations will be sites for the filming of "The Visitation," a movie aimed at nationwide release fall.
In addition to the local filming schedule, one of the two production companies, Signal Hill Pictures, includes local brothers, Bobby and Kevin Downes, along with Geoff Ludlow and David White.
Although not a high budget film, "The Visitation" stars include county music signer/actor Randy Travis, Martin Donovan, (Insomnia), Kelly Lynch, Ed Furlong, (Terminator 2) Richard Tyson, (Kindergarten Cop}
Adding even more local interest, Lt. Ron Hughart, of the Woodlake Police Department, has a small role.
The film is based on Frank Peretti's novel which ranked #19) on the N.Y, Times Bestseller List. The drama-thriller, sold 700,000 copies as of January 1.
The story line centers around a self-proclaimed Messiah who arrives in his small hometown, Antioch, Wash. A disillusioned minister is forced to confront his own "demons" an action which eventually leads him to uncover the stranger's real motives and true identity.
With little fanfare, most Woodlake residents were surprised to find film crews in and around The General Food Store and adjacent Woodlake Hardware Store on Valencia, the town's main street.
Bobby Downes, one of the co-producers, said the filming was kept "rather low key" a pattern his company attempts tries to follow. He and his co-producers worked the area several using Visalia and other local sites for their work. Several years ago, they filmed "Mercy Streets," in and around Visalia. Other films include "SIX" and "Time Changer"/
The other production company, Namesake Entertainment, lists "Left Behind" and "Hangman ‘s Curse" among its works. Producers include, Ralph Winter ((X Men" and "Planet of the Apes") Joe Goodman and Bobby Neutz.
Filming sites include a cabin in Hartland, the corn maze on Mooney Boulevard, Kaweah Delta Hospital, a ranch near Strathmore, and some driving scenes along Avenue 320. downtown Lindsay and a Porterville area ranch also are scheduled shooting sites.
The shooting schedule runs through Nov. 25.
What's New
Are Visalia's property owners willing to pony up more money to support parks and recreation projects in the city? That's the question a consultant hired by the city will test in coming months with an opinion survey to 7600 property owners to gauge the level of support. Funds could be used to help build big parks in the city including the 80 acre sports park, a 100 acre community park on Rd. 152, greenbelts and trails including the Mill Creek trail at the new Civic Center site as well as rejuvenation of the town's older parks. Visalia's scenic corridor could be a beneficiary too. One estimate has property owners paying as little as $15-20 per year. The survey will be used to gather data for grant funding as well as test local support. The council recently approved a plan to begin concept drawings for the new east side park at Rd. 152.
Wood windfall the City of Visalia wants to demolish 250 acres of walnuts at Caldwell and 99 and received a bid of $830,000 for the walnut burls after staff estimated the burls would fetch just $200,000. The wood is popular on fancy car dashboards and door handles. The city plans to pay to pull and chip the walnut trees and leave the land for row crops. The location could be the proposed site for a high speed rail station in the future.
Two big decisions coming this week other than the election. On November 3 the High Speed Rail Authority will pick the choice for a central valley route and station stop location. Tulare County is pulling for a Highway 99 route with a station stop near the Visalia airport. Secondly, on November 4 US Trade officials meet in South Korea with their counterpart to finalize the reopening of the South Korean market to Tulare and Fresno County oranges - a big deal for our shippers.
Rural residents in California are suffering from high oil prices too. While farmers don't commute, they run their tractors with diesel - still going up this week even as gasoline falls by a penny in the latest survey. Diesel is running about $2.54 per gallon. And staying warm will cost more - heating homes and barns with propane which has seen a doubling in the futures market since last November when the wholesale price was at 44 cents compared to 90 cents today. On the retail level - the price for delivery of propane is up about 20% higher this fall than last.
Good news in the Sierra as October storms get the new water year off to a good start with overall Sierra snowfall measuring some 48 inches. In our neck of the woods, the snowpack on the upper San Joaquin watershed was good enough to have Sierra Summit announcing that with 4.5 ft of snow the resort will open November 6, 7 for weekend skiing as well as November 13, 14. Cross country skiers are testing the snow in Big Meadows as well. On the upper Kaweah October precipitation reached 6.4 inches in October at Hockett Meadow compared to an average of 1.2 inches. The snowpack on Farwell Gap is nearly 17% of April 1 average. Does this bode a wet winter? NOAA released an updated report October 21 on El Nino and lowered expectation of a wet outlook for central and southern California compared to a report issues earlier this month that predicted a wetter winter. A warm winter is expected.
County-Cigna Deal Dead. Supervisor Lali Moheno says negotiations between Cigna and the county for 50,000 sf at the Cigna building on Akers have ended. The county was exploring relocation of its social service offices on Court St. in Downtown to the office that is surplus to the big insurance company's needs. However, the move was roundly criticized because the county had agreed to work to relocate the 140 workers in the downtown area. Moheno says the county is now looking at splitting up the workforce to make do in a smaller building until they can find a permanent location in the greater Downtown area. The county feels under the gun to move employees because of some environmental hazard. Meanwhile the two county buildings downtown will likely be sold at auction next year, say sources.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
November 3, 2004
