Storms Put Rainfall Above Normal

San Joaquin Valley - New Years storms gave renewed hope to valley farmers and communities suffering under six years of drought conditions. Predictions of a mild El Niño year appear to be benefitting California as the storm door swung open after Christmas and hasn’t closed well into early January.

Only a few days before Christmas the National Park Service authorities closed the popular Wolverton snowpark play area in Giant Forest for lack of snow after some sledding accidents. The closure of the area December 22 highlighted a relatively dry pattern in the central valley since the early storms of October and November had bolstered hopes for a wet winter.

From December 26 through the first week of the New Year the central valley, like much of the state, was pounded by a series of cold, wet storms both on the valley floor and in the Sierra enabling the same mountain play area to reopen. This week Wolverton has several feet of new snow.

“Our snowpack is ahead of normal,” says Kaweah Watermaster Bruce George. The estimate made January 2 suggests the Kaweah is about 70% of April 1 average.

In a “normal” year, the snowpack water content should be about 50% of the April 1 average by mid January 15.

“The good news is that we are looking at another week’s worth of storms coming,” says George, raising hope for a good wet year. “Last year we started well but it turned into a duster” at end when the Kaweah had just 55% of normal river runoff.

Up at the top of the watershed at Farwell Gap the change was dramatic between Christmas and New Years when snow depth went from about 3 feet to over 8 feet.

If Visalia watches the Kaweah, Hanford and Lemoore also watch the Kings watershed where the news is good too.

“There is no question that the water year is off to a great start,” said Kings River Watermaster Steven Haugen. “How it will turn out is anybody’s guess. We have a long way to go,” said Haugen, who manages the Kings River Water Association.

Having experienced six consecutive below average runoff years, Kings River water agencies and users are buoyed by what has taken place thus far.

Haugen said seven automated snow sensors at remote Kings River watershed locations have an average snowpack water content of 18.8 inches, 60% of the seasonal peak that is presumed to occur on April 1.

Likewise on the Tule River, the storms brought low snow to the Springville area and deposited better than 3 inches December 31 at Quaking Aspen measuring station and more than doubled the snowpack there.

On the valley floor Visalia recorded 4.3 inches through New Years ahead of a 3.6 inch average for the same date. Fresno recorded 6.4 inches. Until late in the month drier than normal conditions and a series of cold, foggy days, reminded everyone of years past until the wet pattern emerged.

Porterville meteorologist John Hibler says the wet pattern we’ve seen should continue into early January with Pacific storms depositing high rainfall totals along the coast and again as the clouds hit the High Sierra piling up 4 to 5 feet of snow.

“For every inch of rain we get in Visalia, there are 4 inches deposited at the higher elevations,” says Hibler - future river runoff stored for next spring when it is needed by farmers for irrigation.

Hibler says the storm pattern off the West Coast is rotating counter-clockwise gathering up more moisture in a series of waves that is hitting in both northern and southern California. The storms are originating in the Gulf of Alaska so they are relatively cold storms - not the tropical warm storms feared for this time of year. A very warm storm could melt high country snow pack like it did in Visalia in 1955 - the impetus to build Terminus dam.

On the Tule, which suffered through just 26% of normal river runoff last year hopes for a more normal year are high.

The southern part of Tulare County is particularly hard hit by drought in the Tule watershed. The farmers are digging deeper wells as are municipalities to obtain enough water in coming years even as the Success dam project begins that will result in reduced water storage above Porterville during a five year construction period. Farmers will need to move quickly to take advantage of extra water available to them if a normal runoff occurs and the dam can store only 30% of its normal amount. That’s because scientists fear the dam could fail if a large enough earthquake would hit at one of several locations in central California.

Some who suggest a catastrophic earthquake is unlikely may be rethinking the possibility that could flood Porterville and a wide swath of land below the dam after seeing Biblical like parting of the seas in SE Asia in recent days after a having an earthquake there.

On the closely watched San Joaquin River - source of the Friant Kern canal that feeds eastside farmers a wet pattern is hopeful as well. At Huntington Lake station rainfall totals nearly doubled the 9 inches record through mid month jumping to some 15 inches of precipitation measured by January 1 - about average for the season and ahead of last year.

Because dams serve to protect against floods they must reduce the volume of water right now particularly on the Tule. But also on Wednesday this week flood releases will be happening from Terminus - but all water put to beneficial uses deposited in sinking basins around the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, says Bruce George.

On the Tule, engineer Dennis Keller says they are working on diverting some Tule flood waters released from the dam to the Friant Kern Canal where it can be moved to another location where it can be banked working an exchange of water in a trade. That would mean at least some of the water could help recharge water levels.

Friant Water District’s general manager Ron Jacobsma says after 6 dry years the sink basins need replenishing. “Water levels have dropped 30 ft. in some places and in the Lower Tule water levels are as low as they’ve been in 50 years,” he says.

Jacobsma says a wet year on the San Joaquin River will mean Class 2 water can be used for recharge purposes wherever there is room to sink water up and down the Friant Kern Canal. Many districts have made a point to build sinking basins for just such a case including Kings River Conservation District to the north.

While the valley is feeling like it has been hit with a series of significant storms, much of California coast feels pounded upon. Already this week Downtown LA has received as much rain as it gets for the whole year - about 15 inches, including 8 inches just last week. Unlike here where there is little concern about flooding, the coastal canyons are turning to mud this week.

If the rainfall drought is over the regulatory drought is in full swing, fear farmers in irrigation districts that depend on the San Joaquin River flow from Friant Dam watching the legal battle over the future of the river. A judge has threatened to curtail a large chunk of the supply to release water down the river to rejuvenate salmon runs that once existed on the upper San Joaquin.

Visalia - The big shopping season has barely passed but already developers in Visalia and Tulare are preparing plans for two large shopping centers in each town hoping to be ready when the jingle season rolls around again.

In Visalia Don Orosco is preparing to file plans for a 53 acre Phase 2 of the Packwood Creek shopping center to the east of Lowes.

“We expect a filing in the next few weeks,” says Visalia Community Development director Mike Olmos.

The project would need to be submitted to the city planning commission because it requires annexation as well as changing the zoning on the land to regional retail from its current reserve status.

Orosco would not comment but reliable sources say the project includes a new 150,000 sf Costco that would take the place of the current Costco that is about one third smaller.

Despite its lack of visibility, the warehouse retailer has such a strong following, its customers will find them wherever they move, believe real estate brokers.

In Tulare, developer Ben Ennis and partner Bill Henry are filing plans for the first phase of a huge shopping center at Cartmill and Highway 99 called Cartmill Crossing, says Ennis.

The plan includes about 233,000 sf of retail space including likely a Home Depot or Lowes, according to reliable sources, on the south side of Cartmill off Retherford on the same side freeway as the outlet mall. The land is already properly zoned and needs a conditional use permit from the planning commission who will take the project up in March, says city planner Mark Kielty.

“We could be moving dirt early this summer,” says Ben Ennis, who says because of a confidentiality agreement, he can’t talk about the tenants. The site plan shows 138,000 sf retailer with a home and garden section on one side - typical for home improvement stores. Ennis says they continue to work out northside of the Cartmill interchange as well, including plans for a Supercenter Walmart and several other big box stores that require an annexation into the city.

Back in Visalia the news that Costco may relocate isn’t a surprise since the company has been working toward a larger store for years here. “This may be the year in Visalia,” says Costco CEO Jeff Brotman, who says he can’t talk about anything specific right now.

The Mooney Costco store that dates from 1990 is too small by Costco standards. Back in 2000 the company told the city they wanted to relocate to Caldwell and Demaree only to have the plan shot down because the shopping center had been zoned for stores no larger than 125,000 sf. The same thing happened to Walmart at the corner a few years later.

Costco owns their own store in their current location but not the surrounding shopping center. That center was recently purchased by Save Mart owner Bob Piccinini and a partner. Sources say efforts to convince Costco to stay and expand to the adjacent House 2 Home site did not bear fruit. The upshot could be another large vacant storefront on Mooney to add to the vacant Target building, House 2 Home and several key empty spaces within Sequoia Mall - the largest being the former Ross Stores space.

Several big shopping centers on Mooney, including the big Packwood Creek project itself and Dave Paynter’s mid Mooney shopping center at Walnut, have satisfied demand for new retail space while other parts of Mooney have languished. Still on the other hand city officials point to the planned redevelopment of the old Young’s market space for a new In Shape Fitness Center as proof that other parts of the Mooney are gaining new investment.

Concern about circulation for the new Packwood center might surface since it looks like Mooney Blvd’s. widening project will be put off several more years. “We were supposed to start the widening project on Mooney in 2005, but I think we will be lucky to see it in 2010" because of lack of state funding. “It’s a good thing we put in those streets” - Cameron and Visalia Parkway - to offer an alternative way to access the Packwood center, says council member Don Landers. Cameron would be the main street for the new Packwood phase 2 center that would be on both sides of Cameron beside the existing Costco center (see map). It could also be accessed off Caldwell at Stonebrook.

At 53 acres there is probably room for two big box users and all the parking they require but not much more. Until the plan is filed we won’t know for sure. The is potentially room for two behemoths - like Costco and a Super Walmart. Adding a Super Walmart sets the project up for a long battle, however - one Orosco would have to be willing to put up with. Walmart projects typically mean a year long battle that Costco - if they were part of the center - might have to put up with. “I don’t think Visalia wants a Super Walmart,” says Landers.

Landers, who originally voted against the Packwood Creek project, says he thinks in the long run it is good for Visalia and compliments the project on its good design. “I just think it was premature.” He says he has some concerns over empty storefronts on Mooney, but thinks most will redevelop over time.

Still the concern is there - how will Costco backfill their current site in a center already struggling to fill space. The center recently lost Pier One to the nearby Packwood center as well.

Costco is important to the city given that they are the town’s largest sales tax generator. It seems likely the store will generate a third more sales tax revenue with a bigger store.

The membership warehouse increased its gross profit by 13% this past year and was dubbed by the magazine Fortune, as “the only company Walmart fears” because of its low cost of operation and popularity in many parts of the country. Sales in the store’s recent fiscal year were $47.5 billion. One thing Costco doesn’t have is the bad publicity that Walmart carries over how they treat their employees. While many Walmart stores are protested, only a few Costco’s face significant community opposition when new locations are announced.

In Tulare the city is looking forward to the sales tax dollars the town’s first major home improvement store would bring. With all the activity in the home building and remodeling market in Tulare, the town can likely support such a big box retailer along with an office supply retailer reportedly eyeing the town as well.

Mayor Richard Ortega told the Voice that the increase in commercial activity in the area is good news, “not just for Tulare but the surrounding area,” he says. Tulare has been remiss in taking advantage of the access at 7 interchanges along Highway 99 in the past and that “this is an example of how we ought to develop our freeway exits.”

Sources say Tulare may even attract both a Lowes and Home Depot in the same area as the two biggest home improvement stores go head to head in more valley communities. That’s the case in far smaller Selma where plans for both stores have been filed. Both stores would be located in the city’s hot northeast part of town from Prosperity to Cartmill where over a million sf of retail already exists.

Back in Visalia, competitive conditions may be taking its toll with particularly Walmart wiping so many other retailers in a large number of categories and word of a combination of Sears and Kmart means there has not been a rush of new retailers looking to come to town despite our rapid population growth. In the meantime, Tulare wants to solidify its retail base looking to approve this mega center at Cartmill and 99 that could directly compete with Visalia’s strong retail position.

Meanwhile the Uhlman center on Noble at Demaree is designing smaller local store space - apparent proof they can’t seem to attract significant national retailers to the center because of the competition from Packwood Creek and the new Kohl’s Center.

Restaurants appear to be the way developers are eager to fill the empty spaces with a planned Food Court at Noble and County Center under construction and plans for two new restaurants at Packwood Creek - Outback and Chili’s and two more in front of the old Target building on Mooney, perhaps a TGIF - still more places to eat in a town overflowing with places to eat.

The demographics of Tulare County continue to be a key reason why we can’t attract a Trader Joe’s or other high end retailers, why we have half a dozen 99 cent-type superstores.

Tulare County - Kings River Conservation District (KRCD) will move forward on its plan to become a public power utility in the next year with a favorable ruling by the California Public Utilities Commission last month.

That ruling set forth so-called exit fees power consumers would have to pay private utilities like PG&E if they left the utility to become part of a so-called Community Choice Aggregation unit. The PUC set a fee of some 2 cents per kilowatt hour, said KRCD general manager Dave Orth - a low enough level to allow the public power group to offer communities within the Kings River service district “at least a 10% cut in their power rates,” says Orth.

“We had done some modeling at 4 cents per Kw hour and it worked then,” says Orth. The group’s next step is to go to all 14 communities within the service district to get them to sign an MOU to apply to the PUC to become an aggregator that includes an investment of some $20,000 per community. Orth says at least 10 of the communities have expressed strong interest in the plan. “We think we could be offering service in 2006,” says Orth.

“We are very pleased” with rule making, says Orth noting that the PUC seems to understand the role community aggregators may play in expanding the power resources in California.

Some 40 cities are exploring the possibility of becoming community aggregators, says Orth - a fact that may be chilling to the state’s big private utilities who may not grow as fast as they have in the past in California. In addition to saving money on power Orth says look for additional supplies with funds going toward adding new generation in the central valley including one large base load power plant that could be operational by 2009 at a site near Riverdale or alternatively near Sanger.

In addition, the public power unit would meet state guidelines to provide at least 20% of its power through renewable sources, he says - perhaps more.

By 2006 communities including Reedley, Dinuba, Lemoore and Hanford could be offering residents and businesses in that home town lower rates for electricity power. Also invited to participate are the counties of Kings and Fresno and perhaps Tulare although the service area overlaps only a little with Tulare County.

Orth says under community aggregation it will be up to the local city councils how to structure the rates to its citizens and industries.

Visalia - Meeting in early January the four remaining Visalia city council members unanimously selected former planning commissioner Walter Deissler to fill the spot vacated by Phil Cox who was seated on the Board of Supervisors this week. Deissler will be the fifth council member for the unexpired term for the next 11 months when elections roll around again.

The 52 year old Deissler was the surprise pick of the council from a list of 19 applicants for the seat - a handful of them with planning commission experience as well - a baseline of experience most council members suggested was important to them.

Council was asked to rank and list 5 choices for the job and Deissler was the only one who showed up on our four council members list, apparently the deciding factor among the members who appeared to want to make a consensus choice in traditional Visalia fashion.

Two others - Danni Franklin and Victor Perez were listed by three council members and Sam Logan and Don Sharp were listed by two council members. All four of the council members listed a different person as their top pick with Link supporting Perez, Gamboa supporting Deissler, Kirkpatrick listing Franklin and Landers supporting former planning commissioner Sam Logan.

Deissler will be sworn into office next Monday. He told reporters he wanted to concentrate on “affordable housing” as a top priority for Visalia. Deissler is an architect by trade. He indicated he will not run for the position in November.

Deissler’s experience includes chairman of the Visalia Public Building Authority and a member of the Visalia Historic Preservation Advisory Board. When on the planning commission, Deissler helped draft the city’s 2020 growth plan.

Deissler said he was “very honored” to be chosen by the council.

Goshen - Opponents to the proposed Western Pacific Meat Packing plant were successful in raising objections to the slaughterhouse in Goshen in the front of the 5th District Court of Appeals last month.

On December 7, 2004, the California Court of Appeals for the Fifth Appellate District in Fresno, California heard oral arguments in the case of Doreen Caetano-Jungk et al. vs. County of Tulare et al. The action was the result of a group of landowners, mostly neighbors, who opposed the County’s issuance of a permit to build a 110,000 square foot state-of-the-art meat processing and packaging plant on 12.85 acres of land in Goshen, California off of Road 68. On December 17, 2004, the Court of Appeals rendered a ruling, which will not be final until issuance of a Remitter in mid January 2005.

The Fresno court ruled that the applicant’s EIR was inadequate on the issue of water, says principal with the company, Rod Bolcao. “We’re waiting for a final order to be sent to us by the court,” says Bolcao, that will force the project to return to the county to take up water issues related to the big plant. Bolcao is frustrated because he has waited a year and a half to begin construction of the state-of-the-art facility expected to employ some 200 workers and have a $6 million payroll. Bolcao says he understands only minor changes to the Environmental Impact Report are needed that could be completed in a matter of a few months under the oversite of the local Superior Court who originally approved the EIR on the project.

Bolcao says he doesn’t understand the objection the neighbors of the project have regards water since the company will be contracting for water from Cal Water and not sinking any wells. All wastewater be going the Visalia sewer system so that shouldn’t impact the neighbors either, he figures. However, the 3 member panel appeared to agree with plaintiffs concern that they were not properly notified about water issues related to the plant.

The Court of Appeals did come to the conclusion that the EIR did not quantify what the perceived environmental impacts would be to water quantity/quality, run-off, and flooding before concluding that the project would mitigate such environmental issues.

Once the project gets final court approval, Bolcao says he’s “ready to go” to begin building the facility that could process up to 800 dairy cows a day in the totally enclosed facility. Investors are backing the effort to build a modern meat plant in the heart of dairy county under stricter USDA guidelines.

Western Pacific Meat Packing has been waiting since 2001 to get its building permit that has been approved by the Board of Supervisors. The project was challenged on environmental grounds by a group of neighbors who claimed the county did not adequately assess some environmental impacts the project would bring.

On July 3, 2003 Judge Paul Vortmann weighed in after a lengthy court hearing process and decided against the neighbors - Catetano-Jung, et al.

At the time Bolcao remarked “It’s been a year and a half of wasted time,” who says he plans to move forward on the $32 million 13-acre project despite the lengthy delay.

Demand for new slaughterhouse facilities remains strong in the US since the federal government is demanding stricter compliance with standards today than just a few years ago. The facility remains viable “since it’s in the middle of the largest concentration of cattle” in the US because of the presence of the dairy industry, says Bolcao.

This will be one of the first meatpacking plants to be built in California in the past 20 years and the first meatpacking plant of its size in Tulare County supplying products for distribution to supermarkets, fast food chains, restaurants, schools, and government and the Armed Forces.

California - Moments after he was sworn in to a second term in Congress, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, introduced a bill that would make Highway 99 a federal interstate, as well as make it a high-priority corridor eligible for special funds in the National Highway System.

"You don't have to travel very far on Highway 99 to realize it is the most neglected Highway in the state," Rep. Nunes said. "It is the most heavily traveled route from Los Angeles to Sacramento and that kind of wear and tear has taken its toll."

The length of the highway covered under the legislation extends south of Bakersfield to Sacramento.

If the bill is passed, the State of California would need to develop a plan for making improvements to the highway prior to Interstate designation. The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the state, would retain the authority to waive unnecessary improvements, potentially reducing considerable cost.

To help pay for necessary improvements, Rep. Nunes wants the stretch of roadway entered into a national high-priority corridor program. This would make Highway 99 immediately eligible for new federal funding.

"Highway 99 is vital to the economic prosperity of the San Joaquin Valley," Rep. Nunes said. "It is our link to important seaports in Los Angeles and Oakland. It is also our commercial link to the rest of the country. Improvements to this highway would help our economy, improve our air quality and ease traffic congestion."

Tulare County - They are selling more pick-ups in town because farmers are feeling like their wallets are a little bit fatter this new year.

Taking a look at Tulare County's top crops, many of them - not all - have done better in the past year including milk, beef, grapes, oranges and nuts.

Look no further than the crowds who will attend next month's World Ag Expo and realize how sales of products on the farm are being plowed back into the local economy.

Dairymen nationwide enjoyed high milk prices in 2004, at an average of $16 per hundredweight compared to $12.50 in 2003. USDA is anticipating an All Milk price of $14.24 for this new year - a level most Tulare County dairymen can make money.

"Nobody's complaining about their milk checks" right now, says Scot Hillman who heads up JD Heiskell feed company. Hillman says look for higher commodity prices for grain that dairymen buy to feed their cows because of petroleum prices including a surcharge for delivery of Midwest grain to continue. "Prices for feed are up 10 to 12%," he says but dairymen can afford the extra freight right now.

Of course the dairy farmers in the number one dairy county in the US supply the local dairy processors including two of the largest cheese plants in the world located here each now expanding to full capacity this year.

Tulare County's number two crop - oranges - is also selling good this season says industry rep Ted Batkin. If Florida is having a tough year in citrus, California is not. High prices of grapefruit and lemons that have been caused by hurricane damage in Florida. California citrus farmers are also enjoying very high orange juice prices because of it. Consumers are enjoying a great eating Navel orange this season.

Cotton farmers had the best yield in memory, says Larry Gallian of the Tulare County Co-op gin even though the higher prices are supported by federal subsidy.

Nut farmers are enjoying good returns particularly those who are exporting right now with decline in the value of the dollar. Almond growers lead the pack with several years of a billion lb. crop.

Beef ranchers are enjoying continued high prices this new year despite a new scare over another mad cow find again in Canada. Beef futures were up 22% this year and hog futures did even better - up 46% as there was a real meat hunger in the US in 2004.

Beef prices were high for all of 2004 bolstered by the low carb diets that emphasized red meat and a ban on cattle being imported from Canada. That rule could change in March 2005 with the announcement the US would open the market to Canadian beef in March. That could change depending on the outcome of the current mad cow incident.

Grape farmers did better in 2004 after thousands of acres of vines were pulled in the central valley over the past few years. Grape industry estimates that raisin varieties of grapes in 2004 averaged $200 on the spot market compared to just $90 in 2003 and $65 in 2002. The spot market for Chardonnay wine grapes went to an average of $200-250 per ton compared to $125 in 2003 and just $40-75 in 2002. Merlot grapes fetched $300 to $400 compared to just $75 in 2002.

On the other side of the coin, in olives where Tulare County is the nation's largest growing county, farmers have had only one good year out of the last five, says Adin Hester who heads up the Oliver Growers Council. This last year Tulare County growers had a light crop with good prices but not enough tonnage to make out. Adding to olive woes is an olive fruit fly infestation in the county that is costing about $100 an acre to control, he says. Hester says growers have responded by pulling several thousand acres of olives out of Tulare County soil in the past year - a trend he expects might continue in 2005. In the past few days notice that the fledgling cooperative California Olive Growers has declared bankruptcy is sad news says Hester. He says while there was management differences with growers, many growers chose not to support the effort that could have meant more selling of speciality olives from California. Once the home of 2 of the state's largest olive canneries, Tulare County now has none.

The county's prune acreage has suffered in recent years and of course the big story of 2004 were the losses in tree fruit by central valley stone fruit growers that could result in substantial numbers of bankruptcies, say industry sources and the expected pulling of trees as we have seen in raisins and prunes in recent years.

Visalia - It's 2005, but some of Visalia's auto dealers are partying like it's still Y2K - uncertain over where their future location will be - East vs West - as it has been for years now.

A few weeks ago it looked like the issue of the Visalia Auto Plaza at Plaza and 198 was settled after the opponents of the project - the Save Our Corridor group - failed to file their appeal. But in the past few days they got a reprieve when the Fresno appeals court allowed them to reinstate the complaint and accepted comments from their attorney, Richard Harriman, on why the auto mall project's city approval should be thrown out. "We're back in business," says corridor leader Greg Collins, of the successful ruling.

Already the project has been in the works for 3 years and approved by the city a year and one half ago. Developer Andy Mangano said he understands how the court works to allow the plaintiff multiple extensions to see the case through. Mangano says despite the news over the success of the corridor group's appeal, they will press on with the development of the 85 acre project.

Nearly ready to break ground is the auto mall's first tenant Surroz Dodge whose construction plans are being reviewed by the city building department. It's likely that Surroz could proceed before the appeals court rules - adding another dose of risk to the venture.

Proceeding with construction even though a court's appeal is pending can indeed be risky. Consider what happened a few weeks ago in Bakersfield when opponents of two Walmart anchored shopping centers won an appeal as a result shopping centers that includes a Kohl's and Lowes stores may have to close and be torn down. One Walmart store is boarded up.

So far only off site improvements have been the focus of construction as opposed any tenant improvements. Mr. Surroz now owns his pad and will decide whether and when to move forward.

Whatever the status of Visalia Auto Plaza, the two major players among Visalia car dealers who have suggested their future plans are up in the air still remain that way.

Car dealer Razzari Ford will soon be renting from Mr. Mangano who is near to purchasing the dealership building from Roy Sumida and has plans to convert the building to office/retail. The dealership has been looking at alternate sites, but there remains no news. Razzari has played his cards very close to the vest regarding any future plans. Likewise, GM dealer Jack Petty (Giant Automotive) has not indicated any plan to move one or more of his car lines to Plaza despite months of discussion with Mangano over the issue.

Meanwhile, eastside dealer Frank Serpa has completed construction of 3 new dealerships south of 198 on Ben Maddox and dealer Don Groppetti will soon break ground on a new Toyota dealership across the street from Giant on Ben Maddox.

Tulare County seated two new members to the Board of Supervisors this week as Visalia area representative Phil Cox and Lindsay area supervisor Allen Ishida each took the oath of office. Budget shortfalls at the County are considered job one including a possible utility users tax countywide. Also honored were retiring supervisor Bill Sanders after 12 years on the board and Lali Moheno who lost a tough election in November to Phil Cox.

Not closing. One of downtown's favorite staples - Midtown News on Church St. is not closing after all as owner Carol Lindsey will hand the duty off to a nephew keeping the popular news and magazine store chugging along.

Kicking the Tires. The vacant Frito Lay plant on Plaza Dr. has at least some interest from the big dairy co-op California Dairies of Artesia. The company has an office in Visalia and a butter and powder plant in Tipton. The company would make cheese at the big food processing plant and reportedly employ more than Frito Lay did - about 160 - when they shut the doors.

Done Deal. The City of Visalia completed several significant sales and purchases last month relating to Downtown Visalia. On December 17 they completed the purchase of the 22.7 acre Union Pacific land near Oak and Burke - the site of the proposed new civic center. Now a master plan of the project will move forward. In addition, a private developer completed purchase of city owned land at Acequia and Stevenson - John Barbis - to erect a 15,000 sf medical building and Troy Korsgarden at Main and Bridge where a new Cajun restaurant will rise. In addition the city completed purchase of the Toomey property at Oak and Santa Fe and will soon demolish the building on the south side of the property.

Testify. LNAS Lemoore supporters will testify at a state BRAC commission hearing next week about the importance of keeping the base in the next round of base closures to be added in the next few months. The state committee is headed by Leon Penetta.

Court date. Friant Water Authority will head back to Judge Karlton's courtroom January 26 to hear what the federal judge says about possible violations of the Endangered Species Act regarding the diversion of the San Joaquin River. Most of the river's water goes to ag users in the central and south valley as well as communities like Lindsay. The judge is threatening to take the water away in order to restore a salmon fishery. The judge announced in November that there could be an ESA violation after he heard from the State Water Resource Board that is trying to figure out what it would take to restore the San Joaquin River which might take several years of studies and several million dollars the board doesn't have.

Gearing up For Ag Jobs Nisei Farm League will bring Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, sponsor of the Ag Jobs Bill, to visit with growers here next week as they seek White House support for the Ag Jobs Bill in Congress. The bill is supported by both labor and farmers in the Valley. Nisei Farm League president Manuel Cunha says Bush should support this immigration bill "since it's the only one that has a chance" of passage. The bill has some 63 co-sponsors in the Senate but faced opposition from conservatives who want to tighten irrigation rules. Some fear Ag Jobs would increase the influx of illegal immigrants into the valley, however. This week Congress moved the other direction introducing a bill that restricts drivers licenses to US citizens.

Del Taco has opened up at Akers and 198 - the first restaurant in Visalia. A second Del Taco planned on Mooney may be on hold.

US Cold Storage has filed plans for a new cold storage facility expanding their existing facility north of Levin in Tulare.