State May Use New Feed Test To Fight Mad Cow

Tulare - A UC Davis research team headed by Tulare UC Veterinary Center’s Dr. Jim Cullor has developed a rapid test to find out if feed given to livestock contains any animal material - material that has been found to cause mad cow disease. The highly selective test can spot contamination by prions - those abnormal class proteins that can trigger the brain wasting disease.

The test uses DNA analysis to identify protein from ruminants - cows, sheep, goats and deer - in feed products intended to be eaten by other ruminants.

Now the new test announced earlier in 2004 has caught the interest of the California Division of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and others looking for ways to test feed given to cattle to reduce the risk that California could have its own mad cow problem.

Dr. Cullor made a presentation in December at a statewide conference on the use of the “Real Time - PCR” test, a conference sponsored by the CDFA’s Center for Analytical Chemistry and as a result the agency’s director, Dr. Mark Lee, is studying the test in the state lab, says Dr. Cullor.

Dr. Lee told the Voice this week that “we’re just getting started to evaluate the new test,” and says Dr. Cullor’s DNA test as presented at a conference last month “seems like it performs well and has clear advantages.”

“We hope to use it - hopefully sooner than later. We’d like it to be faster.” He gave no timetable when the independent evaluation might be complete.

The issue is critical as the world watches more cases of mad cow disease surfacing in Canada this January even as the US says it will open the market to Canadian beef.

The importance of testing feed is made clear by a recent revelation of a secret test in Canada finding that 70 feed samples labeled as vegetable only, tested by a Canadian agency in 2004, found that 41 of them - 59% contained “undeclared animal material.”

The agency notes the tests could mean either accidental or deliberate contamination in violation of a 1997 ban on feeding ruminants, like sheep and cattle, to other ruminants. The practice was outlawed in the US the same year. Scientists had warned that animals that have the disease could contaminate the meat supply causing a similar disease in humans. In England more than 100 died from the disease linked to the use of such cannibalistic feed.

The Canadian tests also confirm animal material in some imported feed. In assessing the risk regulators point out that only some parts of animals - brain, spinal cord, for example - pose a problem in feed designed for ruminant animals - not all animal protein.

With compliance considered key, the new DNA test offers a far more quicker and sensitive test alternative than the current “gold standard” test, says Dr. Cullor who heads up the UC Davis school in Tulare. The current testing procedure is cumbersome, says Cullor and one person can do only 2 to 3 samples in one day.

“This test provides feed processors and regulators with a powerful tool for protecting livestock and consumers from mad cow disease,” said Cullor. “It combines speed, accuracy and molecular biology attributes that are not available in any of the existing analytical tests for livestock feed.”

According to Cullor the test can spot as little as one pound of animal material within a ton of feed with no false negatives involved. This new test is 100 times more sensitive than alternative antibody tests used now to detect if feed is contaminated.

Research has shown that as little as one milligram of infected material from an animal infected with BSE can cause the development of the disease in another animal who has eaten the feed.

Up until now, federal regulators have used either microscopic analysis or more rapid antibody-based tests to monitor feeds for contamination. Both types of tests have their drawbacks. The microscopic analysis, which looks for bones, hair and muscle tissue, is a tedious process that can take days to perform. The antibody tests are much quicker, but may fail to detect contamination if it occurs at levels lower than 1 percent.

To overcome both the time and accuracy problems, the UC Davis researchers used a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which makes it possible to replicate selected stretches of DNA and accurately identify them. This is a technique that has been commonly used for more than a decade in a broad spectrum of studies.

In this project, the researchers spiked seven different cattle feeds with predetermined amounts of meat and bone meal from cows, as well as meal rendered from fish, sheep, and poultry, and dried blood from pigs and cattle. DNA was then extracted from each of the spiked feed samples and replicated via PCR.

Further developments are allowing the test to detect ruminant DNA contamination well below 0.5 percent by weight.

Both Canada and the US allow feed companies to continue to use ruminant animal materials to be used as feed to hogs and poultry setting up the possibility that contaminated feed could be offered to the wrong animal through accidental mixing of the materials at the feed mill. A farmer could get turkey feed for his calves - feed that is also cheaper to buy, for example. Because of the potential problem some are calling for a ban on all animal part feed, says Consumer Union. The most recent cow found to be infected with mad cow was born after the 1997 ban on ruminant protein.

Because of the concern over Canadian feed, several “import alerts” have been noticed on suspected contaminated feed imported from Canada.

The reports over the new finds has concerned California producers, some who now are lobbying to maintain the US ban on Canadian cattle from coming across the border in March proposed by the Bush administration.

Senator Dick Durbin has penned a bill that requires all cattle over age 30 months to be tested for BSE. Durbin notes that just one cow within the US has tested positive for mad cow but that one animal “potentially contaminated 2.8 million lbs. of meat, animal feed, cosmetics and other materials.”

Ironically, the issue of mad cow hasn’t hurt consumer confidence in the US where demand for red meat remains high and prices are at record levels. Some US producers support the ban on imports of Canadian meat in part because it helps their bottom line. But not all in the beef industry are happy including packers who say they are losing money and big companies like Tyson who say beef shortage has forced them to lay off workers.

US producers want the biggest market for beef - Japan - to reopen its border and the Bush administration made it a top goal to do that. But the news from Canada is also hurting their effort. One executive, John Simmons of the Swift and Company, believes Japan’s ban on US beef will stay in place through 2005 as consumers get their beef from Australia and switched to other meats. He says beef consumption has dropped from 11 lbs. before the US confirmed a BSE problem to just 7 lbs. today per capita.

Cullor hopes interest by both the CDFA and their Canadian counterpart could mean a jump in interest worldwide. UC Davis has several patents pending on the test.

FDA has “looked at the test” but not taken an active interest, notes Dr. Cullor - something that could change if CDFA begins to use the test that could be commercially available soon. “On January 28th our patent group will begin discussing plans to implement the technology transfer process, says Dr. Cullor, taking the test out of the lab to America’s dinner table. The bottom line - this test could bolster confidence in the beef industry.

Tulare & Kings County - The jobless rates for Tulare and Kings were down in December compared to the year before. In Kings the rate fell more than two points to 12% in December 2004 compared to 14.1% in December 2003. In Tulare County the rate fell from 16.1% in December 2003 to 14.8% in December 2004 suggesting maybe the boom in construction and retail activity here may be making a dent in persistently high jobless rates.

Some were quick to point out that business growth has been strong - Visalia has had a record building permit year for example.

But a closer look at the numbers show both counties unemployment rates went down largely due to more people working down on the farm - the area’s traditional source of work.

Total number of jobs in December increased 2000 on year to year basis in Tulare County. In that category they break down the jobs by farm and non farm jobs were up 2500 from December 2003 to December 2004. Meanwhile, non farm jobs fell from 104,600 to 104,100 this December.

The sobering truth is that non farm jobs actually decreased in Tulare County year to year by 500. The gain other than farming appears to come from people including self employed that are included in the total civilian work force numbers that EDD records.

In Kings County the big increase was also in farm jobs, up 14% from a year ago while non farm jobs gained just 1.4%. About 1000 more farm jobs were reported in Kings County year to year.

Labor analyst Vic Coelho told the Voice that some non farm job categories increased in Tulare County despite the overall trend. Increases we’ve seen in some categories while others lost jobs. The biggest losses were in manufacturing - down by 500. But construction jobs were up 200, for example. Still the trend appears to be strong in both counties. “We’re not sure why, but we see farm jobs growing in both Kings and Tulare counties,” says Coelho who had made a presentation recently to the Workforce Investment Board in Kings County remarking on the strength of farm jobs.

Manufacturing jobs decreased in both Tulare and Kings counties and food manufacturing declined in both counties. In Kings County construction jobs were up 12%, but resulted in a relatively small number of jobs.

It was a big year for farm employment in both counties even if the non farm economy produced few new jobs. In Tulare County the labor force swelled to 182,100 this June during peak harvest time - by far the highest number in any year. Farm employment remains strong even in December with active citrus harvest - this year with a larger crop than usual and good demand. In Kings County farm employment reached 8260 compared to 7230 in December of 2003 as farmers are having a good field crop year.

Despite some concern over loss of manufacturing jobs, Tulare County EDC CEO Paul Saldana sounded upbeat noting the unemployment rate at 14.8% is the lowest December rate in 14 years.

He said the EDC is working with the most prospects for new industries in any time he has worked with EDC. At the Visalia Industrial Park the City of Visalia city manager tells a similar story - the same high level of interest “the busiest its been since I’ve been city manager” says Steve Salomon. Visalia lost its Frito Lay plant a few months ago and efforts are begin made to market the property to food companies.

However, Saldana says most interest right now comes from companies who are either manufacturers (58% of the new companies he is working with) or interested in distribution sites (25%) but not many new food processors.

While much has been made of the boom in new home building and the coming of new retail complexes to the area cities along with new restaurants and hotels the numbers from both Tulare and Kings counties in the past year show these categories of employment showed only modest gains. In Tulare County retail trade added 600 jobs countywide, but most of that was in grocery stores while general merchandise added only 100. Construction added 200 jobs in the county with a labor force of 175,000. Retail trade jobs increased in Kings County last year by 80 jobs.

In the past few decades both Tulare and Kings counties have lost some or all of whole industries including printing, canneries, apparel and yarn companies and heavy manufacturers like Pirelli Tire. The area’s large blue jean makers are long gone to Mexico and offshore.

Visalia - The city of Visalia has been busy gaining key allies as it approaches a January 26 vote by the statewide High Speed Rail Authority. At issue - will the future bullet train that connects the state bypass Tulare County and not even stop between Bakersfield and Fresno?

That was the agency’s staff and consultant position presented to the 8 member board in November. But the board, while approving all the alignments up and down the state - decided to allow the Visalia representation a month to present its case why it should be considered for a station stop after all.

A Visalia contingent including mayor Bob Link traveled to L.A. in December to make its case to the board only to find the board was one member short of a quorum. Visalia presented their case anyway and the matter was put off now until January 26.

Now an even bigger “congregation” will be making its way to Sacramento, says city economic development specialist Traci Myers, ready to preach to the Authority on why this area deserves a rail station. The Visalia position has morphed into a request to have the board not designate a specific alignment - either the BNSF route through Corcoran/Hanford or the Union Pacific route down Highway 99 but a general corridor to be narrowed down later somewhere between the two but with the provision that there must be a rail stop in either Kings or Tulare County.

Myers says Kings County officials, including for the first time the city of Hanford are on board with this position as well also with several other smaller Fresno County cities who were opposed originally to a Highway 99 rail route. Hanford city manager, Jan Reynolds, tells Visalia he will make the trip to Sacramento to support the Visalia position.

This week it appears Authority staff may be on board as well with Deputy Director Carrie Pourvahidi telling the Voice that the Authority’s attorney and the city of Visalia attorney “are working together to draft language to present to the board supporting the Visalia position.”

That’s important since staff support may help convince some on the board who may have been on the fence.

Members Stay On

More good news comes from the fact that the chair of the Authority, Joseph Petrillo who has been a Visalia supporter, will continue to preside this meeting despite the fact his term has expired, says Pourvahidi along with Shafter’s Fran Florez - another supporter - whose term is also up. The governor has made no indication he wants to appoint new members right now.

But to sustain Visalia’s position it will take 5 votes.

Why is the city of Visalia “so passionate” about this high speed rail decision that it made a decade before anything happens if then? The key is the rail stop.

Mayor Bob Link in testimony to the board said, “Frankly, we believe that the Authority’s decision on the alignment and stop locations in our area will have immense long term socio-economic implications. We believe that the High Speed Rail system will be a significant link to the California economy of the future. It is critical for our region and its communities to be directly connected to the greater California economy as we work to address our socio-economic challenges.

The South Valley has not experienced the economic and social benefits that have occurred in the Bay Area, Southern California, the Coastal Areas, and other areas of the state. The South Valley is plagued by high unemployment (Visalia is currently at 10% unemployment; nearby cities and communities commonly experience unemployment rates exceeding 20%). We have a high percentage of low income families. Our citizens generally have low educational attainment levels and many, many families struggle to make ends meet. These conditions have fueled social problems, including high crime rates, growing gang activity, high teen pregnancy rates, and high levels of drug activity. The current housing boom in the San Joaquin Valley, fueled by families moving to our area from other parts of the state in search of affordable housing, has increased population growth levels, adversely affected our jobs/housing balance, strained resources and infrastructure, and caused significant increases in housing costs (single family home prices in the Visalia/Tulare/Porterville Metropolitan Area increased approximately 28% over the past year).

The air quality benefits of the High Speed Rail are critical to the Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which covers the 8 Counties in the South Valley, is in a federally designated Extreme Air Quality Non-Attainment Area. High Speed Rail connections to population centers, including the Tulare/Kings Counties area, are necessary to help improve air quality in the South Valley.

Having an HSR station in the Tulare/Kings Counties region will not by itself overcome the challenges our communities are facing. However, it will link our region to the rest of California via the most important transportation system that will exist in the coming decades. This link will have immeasurable benefits in the attraction of (and connection to) business, educational, and cultural opportunities and in environmental quality. Our ability to improve economic conditions, quality of life, social and environmental conditions will increase correspondingly,” concludes Link.

If the board approves the plan a firm decision on just where the alignment will be put off likely for at later time when final the EIR is done on the project.

The wording suggests the corridor be somewhere between the two alignments - a proposal that would have to meet the interests of the farm community to insure it would not pave over prime ag land. It would also have to meet the needs of many towns that don’t want the 200 mph train barreling through their city centers.

But at least some of the trains would stop for local passengers helping us “remain connected” to the state economy, says city planning director Mike Olmos.

Visalia - Developer Don Orosco is filing a new shopping center site plan with the City of Visalia this week, says the city's chief planner Mike Olmos. The plan shows several big box stores that Olmos says are not named. The centers - that face each other on both sides of Cameron - to the east of Lowes total 430,000 sf - about as big as Visalia Mall. The center is phase 2 of the Packwood Creek project and will require annexation of land into the city and hearings by the city.

Sources say one of the big box stores is likely Costco, looking at a new 150,000 sf store, a third larger than they have now.

California - The California Citrus Research Board will hold its annual Bio-Technology Conference in Oakland in April to lay out plans to bring gene manipulated citrus to the marketplace in the next 8 to 10 years, says president Ted Batkin. “We have the technology already,” small seedlings in a lab in a Davis greenhouse and now want to address the regulatory process and experiment in a lab setting before the trees are planted in the ground.

Batkin says a “breakthrough” in gene insertion has been achieved in the past year allowing scientists to manipulate the genes of citrus trees and its fruit to get the most desirable characteristics.

Tops on the list is seedlessness - a trait many consumers seem to want in their citrus fruit “particularly mandarins,” says Batkin, that can be loaded with seeds. In addition, genes can be changed that will allow a citrus tree to grow more fruit in a shorter time, perhaps up to 2 years less than currently planted trees, decreasing the time it takes for trees to yield harvestable fruit to as little as 3 years, he expects.

Batkin says his estimate of 8 to 10 years before biotech orange trees are planted is based on a 2 year regulatory approval estimate. “With gene manipulation citrus researchers can broaden their tool box for all types of citrus,” claims Batkin, suggesting fears that gene manipulation could scare some consumers away will be a matter of consumer education.

“People used to be afraid of irradiated fruit as well,” he notes. “It’s more fear of the unknown. People figure that you are messing around with Mother Nature and in a way they are right,” says Batkin. But the genetic transformation process is incredibly specific,” he says. Batkin says experimentation on gene manipulation of citrus in California is limited to a UC Davis lab while other tests are underway in Texas. He says the Davis fruit could be ready to eat in the next year and a half. “I’m looking forward to it.” The scientists believe they have a handle on genes that can offer the best tasting piece of fruit.

Seedless mandarins are the industry hot product and Batkin says a non genetically altered mandarin seedless orange has been developed in the past year and budwood for the new variety will be planted in March with trees available in about 1 and ½ years.

California’s farmers appear to be increasingly drawn to GMO technology they hope will cut costs and offer a leg up on international competition that enjoys typically lower production costs than their US counterparts. But there are plenty of doubters in the consuming public and even farmers who eschew the whole idea.

In Texas the biotechnology effort is aimed at diseases and a deadly virus that threatens that state’s citrus industry - the brown citrus aphid that spreads a virulent for of tristeza. The effort there is develop trees resistant to citrus tristeza virus - a problem we have to a lesser degree here in the central valley.

The Citrus Research Program - officially, the California Citrus Improvement Program - is the grower-funded and grower-directed program established in 1968 under the California Marketing Act as the mechanism enabling the state’s citrus producers to sponsor and support needed research. The program is administered by the Citrus Research Board based in Visalia.

A GMO battle could happen with the marketing of Round Up Ready alfalfa that may be planted soon in California as feed for dairy cows. A controversy similar to the BST controversy is likely since milk’s pure product reputation with its largest target consumer being children makes the issue sensitive. Round Up Ready alfalfa may be an advantage to the feed producers but how will it help sell more milk? Some countries have already said they don’t want biotech alfalfa shipped to their country. But consumers should realize they are already eating plenty of Round Up Ready soybeans in their cooking oil as well as Round Up Ready cotton seed oil.

Also, another anti GMO initiative has surfaced in Sonoma County this year and voters will have to choose.

Farm Bureau has taken an active lead in opposing these initiatives.

Tulare County - The Tule Indian Reservation can move forward on a long awaited plan to build a new water reservoir in its high country now that an agreement with water users downstream on the Tule has been worked out. Representing the Tule River interests below the reservation civil engineer Dick Schafer says that after some five years of discussions with the tribe a water rights claim has been settled that sets out how much water the tribe is entitled to. “Our attorney is working out the final language right now,” says tribal representative Alec Garfield.

Garfield says the agreement will go to the tribal council to see if they want to proceed with a long range plan to build a water reservoir on the upper lands of the reservation as has been studied.

Water issues on the reservation are long standing. “I began work on this plan in 1971,” says Garfield, with low water pressure particularly in the summer months being the biggest problem.

The tribe has looked at five locations for a new reservoir above Eagle Mountain and the settlement nearby for reservoirs that could range in size from as small as 480 ft. to as large as 15,000 acre ft.

A location near Cedar Creek is a likelihood for a project.

Garfield says an increased water supply could help the reservation grow its development projects and even produce irrigation water for farming besides being used for drinking water and fire fighting. With sufficient elevation the water would flow by gravity to most parts of the reservation. The tribe hired an engineering company to do some preliminary plans a few years ago.

At issue in the discussions has been who has priority use of water based on the year it was established. The reservation was established in 1873 and some down the river had claimed to have a right that predates that. The tribe had been relocated however, and has argued its rights date back to 1850. Whatever the case, the two sides have decided to cooperate rather than end up in court over the issue.

Three Rivers - Bullene’s Winery and its 32 acres have been sold to a Three Rivers glass manufacturer that sells structural glass products all over the nation. Innovative Structural Glass owned by Manuel and Cynthia Marinos closed escrow in early January on the property that had been for sale for a few years.

“We know this was their dream - to open a winery in Three Rivers and it was sad for the Bullenes” to see it close, says Manuel Marinos. “We offered full price” $870,000 for the property that includes some 6000 wine grape vines.

Manuel explains his company had been leasing three buildings in Three Rivers and recently lost a lease on one of them and had been searching for property that was zoned for manufacturing (M-1) for several years. “This was the only property within 30 miles” that the company could find nearby zoned M-1. The couple have lived in the town for 6 years.

Manuel is a former Kawneer executive who decided to start their own company making structural glass products that are used on large glass surfaces in up-scale commercial projects all over the nation. The company employs 9 people in the office right now - the former tasting room of the winery. He says he will convert the former wine pressing facility into manufacturing space and expects to employ a total of 20 to 50 people in the complete operation.

Plans for the hillside vineyard include pruning the vines - something that had not been done for awhile, he says. “Dan Bullene told me that growing grapes for wine in Three Rivers had not worked out.” The grapes had not been harvested for two years. “We’ll try to bring them back,” says the new owner.

Marinos says he makes structural glass that is highly decorative but strong. “You could build a whole house with it,” he says. But more often the project includes a large wall of glass that must withstand both tough weather and winds and be eye catching like the new glass window installed at the Mayo Clinic that features small pieces of glass that viewed from afar has a rainbow effect. The company also recently built glass awnings for the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

Dan and Sharon Bullene were not available for comment. The former Visalia restauranteurs moved to Three Rivers in 1992 where they still live building the tasting room on a hillside overlooking the Middle Fork in 1996. The couple had catered parties and held special events in Three Rivers. But recent tough years in the central valley wine business took their toll. Now they plan to run a small B and B.

Supervisor for the area, Allen Ishida, says he has heard from others about the lack of M-1 zoned property and plans to insure we “add more not just in the small towns of the county but in the county itself. We need the jobs and we need the revenue.” He plans to try to do this even before the new General Plan is adopted possibly in the next 2 years.

Two Tulare police officers shot this week by assailants were listed in serious condition in the hospital. City manager Kevin Northcraft announced that messages and signs supporting the officers and their peers are encouraged. Cards of encouragement can be dropped off at the Police Department, 260 South "M" St., or a large community card is available for public signing for both officers at City Hall, 411 E. Kern Ave., and the Tulare City Library, 113 North "F" St. Those wishing to make donations to assist the officers in their personal responsibilities can do so by contributing to: The Tulare Police Officers Association, c/o Cpl. Trishun Jackson & Officer Jeremy Jones, Account #4600668892, Union Bank of California, 801 E. Prosperity Ave., Tulare, CA 93274. The suspects in the case were caught.

Will Bush emphasize immigration reform in his Inaugural speech this week? Supporters of Ag Jobs Bill hope he can support the bill that could mean the administration will back the bill that would give work permits to Mexican nationals who have jobs here already and would allow farmers to bring in guest workers from across the border if they need them. A wing of the Republican Party in the House strongly opposes easing border restrictions. The Border Patrol caught 1.5 million people at the Mexico-US border in 2004 - up from 931,000 in 2003.

Pastors from Visalia are traveling this week (January 20) to hard hit Thailand to work to build up an orphanage there. The group is backed by Calvary Chapel and has received donations from Visalians for the trip. The group includes Floyd Westbrook, Bob Grenier and Mike Buford. Thousands of kids were made homeless as a result of the recent tsunami.

California Hispanic women are having fewer children, their fertility dropped form 3.4 in 1990 to 2.6 in 2003, about the same as the US rate for Hispanic women. US-born Latinas have a lower fertility rate (2.2) than immigrant Latinas (3.1) in California, so any slowing of immigration will slow the state's population growth.

Million Dollar Baby Visalia car dealer Don Groppetti says he was more than a little surprised to see what it cost him to build his new Nissan dealership on south Ben Maddox in the way of city "transportation impact fees" a cool $1 million if you add his second parcel when it is developed. "If I would of known earlier along on this project it would have been a deal killer," says Groppetti, noting he is simply relocating his Nissan dealership from a block away. The city recently approved an increase in the fee but Groppetti expects to negotiate the fee to something he won't choke on. "I may have to do a traffic study to prove we won't generate that much traffic." Car dealer Frank Surroz faces a similar jump in fees on his new dealership that were increased by the city January 1 for all new development.

The Visalia city council and planning commission heard a presentation by consultants this week on how to expand Visalia's Downtown to the east including adding as many as 1000 dwelling units, retail and government office buildings and new parks. The city wants to utilize Mill Creek as the centerpiece of the project. This week the city applied for $500,000 to relocate the creek between Burke and Tipton on land they recently purchased. To attract developers to the area the city is being encouraged to offer development fee relief and do more street parking. One fund they can't tap - redevelopment which "has no capacity for new projects," notes the city report.

The city is awaiting a letter of interest from 3 to 5 airlines that could take over where Sky West left off, offering daily flights out of Visalia. Sky West announced January 5 they were going to leave Visalia. The Department of Transportation is overseeing the effort but the local chamber is actively recruiting an airline as well hoping to provide service to just about anywhere other than Visalia to Fresno where Sky West planes fly. "We need to connect to a major hub at times that are convenient for business travelers," says city council member Don Landers. The city has $451,000 from the FAA to market the airport. Airport manager Mario Cifuentez notes that Visalia has a proven track record of passenger usage when the service meets customer needs. "In 2001, when Sky West was providing 3 flights a day directly to Los Angeles, people used the service. We had as many as 10,000 passengers a year. That's a reasonable usage that should interest a carrier in serving Visalia."

On January 10 the Visalia planning commission approved a conditional use permit for Joe Gong's Food 4 Less grocery store on Dinuba Blvd. as well as the remainder of a new shopping center there. The 57,000 sf store would be located just north of the current Fairway Market that would be closed and released to another retailers when Food 4 Less opens. Total square footage of the shopping center is 163,000 sf.

Tulare - Tulare's airport master plan is near completion, says city airport manager Bill Wagenhalls. "We've been working on it for more than a year," says Wagenhalls and "we're putting the final pieces together now." He says a consultant will give a report next Monday to the city Aviation Committee.

The plan could be finalized next month.

The final plan will then be shipped off to various agencies, says Wagenhalls, including the FAA, CalTrans, the Tulare city council, and County Airport Land Use Commission.

From there the city will be ready to apply to the FAA for funding for an expanded runway and other capital improvement, says Wagenhalls.

The plan is to extend the runway from 3900 to 5000 feet "that would enable small corporate jets to land here," he says.

The future of the airport was in doubt last year when city manager Kevin Northcraft suggested not much was happening at the airport and perhaps the land could be put to better use in the future. He proposed a possible study to consolidate (close) the airport. But supporter of the airport rallied to the defense and issues between the development community and airport supporters appeared to be ironed out in a series of meetings last fall.

"I think we are all on the same page," says mayor Richard Ortega, noting that the city has been assured that planned development projects along Highway 99 and to the south of the airport - plans for a new light industrial park - are each "compatible with expansion of the airport," says Wagenhalls.

The city plans to earmark the new industrial area in town including a 150 acre area south of the airport runway beyond Elk Bayou.

Tulare Aviation Committee chair Ray Dias says "the whole community has gotten behind the airport" after years of inattention. Davis says Tulare "like any airport, including Visalia or Hanford, will have to expand to accept bigger ships - or you just won't be around." Dian believes the importance of the airport to the Agri-Center will pay for Tulare. He says "already the airport has a positive cash flow" and thanks the group - the Tulare Airport Support Group - for their efforts to make it happen.

Also the city is negotiating with a potential user of some 30 acres of surplus airport property as a long term lease. The user is thought to be a Fresno RV dealer.

Tulare - Home Depot is said to be considering a new store location on the northwest corner of Prosperity and Laspina on a commercially zoned corner of the Del Lago project. "We are working with them but there is no signed contract," says principal with Del Lago, Fred Lagomarsino. The company is interested in purchasing the site for a new 130,000 sf store and the seller is expected to file both a site plan and request for a parcel map to sell the land to the big home improvement store chain.

"We are expecting a filing in that area at the end of January," confirms city planner Mark Keilty. Already a site plan with Home Depot on it has been circulating City Hall.

Lagomarsino and Porterville developer Ben Ennis have been trying to lure a big home improvement store tenants to their projects for the past few months. But the Del Lago project is completely approved and can move forward while the Ennis development Cartmill Crossroads is waiting a city conditional use permit.

Home Depot has been active in the valley looking to beat out rival Lowes for new store openings in several communities including Hanford and Selma before Lowes can open stores. Lowes is reportedly interested in Tulare as well. Home Depot representatives did not return phone calls.

The nation's largest home improvement store chain said it will add 175 stores in fiscal 2005 and projected sales growth of 9 percent to 12 percent for the year.

In other Tulare news, Longs Drug store has committed to a site on the southeast corner of Hillman and Prosperity. The center is being developed by Orange County developer Paul Quong.

Demolition work on part of the old Early California Foods cannery on Tulare Ave. are underway in preparation of its transformation to the Pinnacles Sports Arena. The 307,000 sf play arena is the brainchild of Visalia developer Johnnie George and partner Ed Plant. It would be the largest indoor sports center around and feature dozens of venues from rock climbing to soccer, laser tag to paintball. George says he is seeking final approval from the City of Visalia and some phases of Pinnacles could open sometime in 2006. George says they plan to add a new 12,000 sf face on the Tulare side of the building that housed an olive plant for decades. First they must get rid of half a million empty tin cans that were left behind that cost him about as much to get rid of as they are worth to recycle.

Look for another senior tower in Downtown Visalia with plans moving forward this week for city commitment of $2.5 million for at least 60 more units of senior housing to be constructed. The project is expected to include the same partners - Visalia Senior Housing and Christian Church Homes. The project would likely be similar to the two projects already in Downtown on Locust. Sources say the project could be as large as 100 units and perhaps be paired with other city or private projects planned in East Visalia.

The City of Visalia has offered to help COS pass a new bond issue. The Visalia campus will reach a maximum capacity in an estimated 5 years without adding space. In the last round COS proposed a $55.7 million bond expenditure of the main Visalia campus - an amount that would have been matched by $22 million in state and federal funds. The remaining amount - $22.8 million would go to Tulare and $15.3 million to Hanford. But the bond failed. Now the city wants to help by helping to fund an opinion survey (both entities would kick in $13,000 each) to find out what amount voters might approve. The city is suggesting the same company that helped them pass the Measure T sales tax measure last year.

Visalia educators like their counterparts across the state are upset with Governor Schwarzenegger's budget proposal that would violate the agreement last year resulting in about $2 billion less than they think they are owed. The news comes even as a new RAND study shows state student achievement on standardized tests near the bottom on 50 states. How this will affect VUSD again will have to sort itself out. But Visalia is facing a health care premium crisis says superintendent Stan Carrizosa, with annual premiums risen 56% for certified staff for the past 6 years. Carrizosa says for 2005-06 those insurance premiums are set to rise by double digits yet again. The high cost of health insurance is the biggest problem facing the district as it tries to negotiate with teachers.

Visalia Convention Center manager Jim Thompson has taken an extended leave to get advanced treatment for a lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Jim has had to carry oxygen to work with him in recent months to function.

The national park foundation Sequoia Fund continues to operate this month despite the loss of its staff in recent weeks, secretary of the foundation Bette Bardeen says. The nonprofit organization plans to bring in a new executive director and that the organization will continue to have its office at the Visalia Chamber. The organization plans a major fund raiser around Earth Day this year at Wuksachi to raise money for the parks.

Tulare area people will start to hear more about a possible bond measure for Tulare District Hospital in coming months. The director wants to float a general obligation bond sometime this year to help meet seismic standards and perhaps expand the hospital to include a three story tower. A public opinion survey is expected first to see what level the community feels they could support. Look for the second half of 2005 for a special election.

Check road conditions on I-5 before heading to L.A. over the next week. That's how long they think it will take to open just 3 lanes in each direction near Castaic where long waits have been the norm since the big storm hit earlier this month. CalTrans traffic hotline is 800-427-7623.

Visalia - Visalia developer Andy Mangano responded to the most recent article in the Valley Voice (January 5) in regards to the Auto Plaza. One paragraph in the article Mr. Mangano thought was unfair. In that paragraph the article suggested a recent decision by an appeals court over two Bakersfield shopping centers in which the court said the developers might have to tear down stores already built because the city had not followed the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was not comparable to the situation with the Auto Plaza in Visalia - a 72 acre project approved by the city but still awaiting a decision from the District Court of Appeals. The article in the Voice suggested it might be risky for the development to proceed while an appeal was pending. Car dealer Frank Surroz is nearing city approval to get his building permit on the project and may have to decide while the current appeal is pending whether to proceed. Mangano as the developer is nearing completion of the offsite improvements on the project at Plaza and 198.

But Mr. Mangano says it is not a proper assessment to compare the Bakersfield situation with the Visalia lawsuit since "there is no CEQA issue" in the Visalia lawsuit. The Save Our Corridor group claims the city improperly amended the city's General Plan allowing the project to move forward. "The court tends to be stricter on environmental issues," says Mangano.

Mangano also says the Voice didn't point out in the paragraph that despite any risk in moving forward on the project, the Visalia city attorney has said the likelihood that the plaintiffs will prevail in the end is small. Already Judge Paul Vortmann last year ruled in favor of the city on the General Plan issue. Most recently the appeal court allowed the corridor group to make an appeal after requesting several postponements. Last month the judge allowed the corridor group's attorney to file briefs on the matter with the cautionary note that no extension would be allowed.