Link
Changes Mind,
Will Support Measure R
City Council to Make U-Turn on Road Tax at Next Meeting
Visalia - Visalia city councilman Bob Link has changed his mind and will throw his support to Measure R, the proposed half-cent, county-wide sales tax expected to generate some $652 million over 30 years to repair and improve county roads.
“As a result of some recent work that's been done between the TCAG staff and the city staff,” Link told the Voice this week, “I'm going to change my vote. I would hope that the other council members (who voted against it) will consider changing their votes too.”
Measure R, already backed by nearly all city governments in the county as well as the Board of Supervisors, will go before county voters on November 7 and needs two-thirds majority voter approval to pass.
The Visalia City Council, till now, has been conspicuous in its lack of formal support for the measure.
During a standing-room-only city council meeting earlier this summer, and after a full-blown, personal push by four of the five members of the Board of Supervisors, councilmen Don Landers and Greg Collins voted to support Measure R.
At the same meeting, Mayor Jesus Gamboa, Vice-mayor Greg Kirkpatrick and Councilman Link, while voicing their support, in principal, of a county-wide road tax, voted 'no' on endorsing Measure R as it was then structured.
The proposed road tax was drafted by the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) and if approved by voters, would make Tulare a “self-help” county and eligible for future state and federal matching funds.
The county bears the primary responsibility of maintaining some 3,850 miles of county roads and Tulare County officials have already estimated the cost of repair and improvements at $1.5 billion.
“There's a tremendous amount of money that's going to come to this community as a result of this measure,” Link added. “We (the Visalia city council) need to be a part of the project simply because it's important for the community.”
Link said another council vote on whether or not to support Measure R will be on the agenda for the Sept. 18 meeting.
At press time, Gamboa and Kirkpatrick could not be reached for a comment on whether or not they planned to also throw their support to Measure R.
Non Hispanic Population Shrinking
Latino Boom Here
By John Lindt
Tulare County - The US Census has just completed publication of its American Community Survey - an annual estimate of the demographic characteristic of towns and counties around the nation. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the survey shows a continuing gap between rich and poor in Tulare County and a growing Hispanic population here.
The survey has been done each year since 2000, so we can compare how we have grown over the past five years. The county’s population has grown to an estimated 405,000 - up from 395,000 last year and 368,000 in 2000. That’s about a 10 percent growth in the past five years.
The growth of almost 10,000 people in one year (2004-05) is an eye opener when you look more closely at the survey breakdown. It shows 9,000 of that 10,000 population increase were Hispanics.
Survey says in 2005 Tulare County’s Hispanic population grew to 55 percent of the total at about 225,000 out of the 405,000 people here. The Census 2004 survey put the Hispanic population at an estimated 216,000, meaning the Hispanic population grew about 9000 over the year - what amounts to some 90 percent of the growth of the county’s population in just one year.
Even more dramatic is what appears to have happened here in the past five years. Census 2000 puts Tulare County’s Hispanic population at about 187,000. Also in 2000 the survey says the non Hispanic population was about 181,000. Five years later the Hispanic population is listed on the survey at 225,000 - an increase of 38,000. Subtracting 225,000 (Hispanics) from the total 2005 population here (405,000) leaves 180,000 non Hispanics living in Tulare County. The non Hispanic population of Tulare County has apparently shrunk by about 1000 in the past five years while the Hispanics have grown by almost 40,000 if the estimates are to be believed.
Non Citizens
The growing percentage of Hispanic families here is increasing the average family size to about 3.8 in Tulare County and has spawned new businesses that cater to the Hispanic trade, not just in the traditional barrio but right on Mooney Blvd. for example. Walk into Kmart in Visalia and you will hear the announcer offer their famous blue light specials exclusively in Spanish.
The Census estimates that the county’s foreign population swelled between 1990 and 2000 adding almost 32,000 people. In 2000 of the 83,000 foreign born residents 61,600 were not citizens according to the census. The same figure for 2005 shows foreign born population - about 90 percent from Mexico or Latin America at 90,000 and 65,500 were non citizens, over 16 percent of the local population. That means the county saw an influx of at least 5000 new undocumented people in the past five years.
The Census survey shows in the year 2000 the language spoke at home for 147,000 people in Tulare County was “other than English”. In 2005 the number is 171,000 - a growth of 28,000. Significantly, the number of people who said they did not speak English “well” rose from 75,000 to 77,000 in 2005 meaning our educators have their work cut out for them in order for immigrants to work their way into a job that requires English.
The growth in the Hispanic population come from births, says the state Department of Finance who estimates there are about 5000 Hispanic births yearly in Tulare County. That would translate to about 25,000 in the past five years. But if that’s the case, why are there still 77,000 people who don’t speak English well?
One bill before Congress would mandate immigrants to take English classes to become citizens. If the bill passes there could be lots of folks taking English classes here.
A rising tide of poor immigrants here has kept the county’s median family income from rising meaningfully in the past five years. In 2000 that number was $36,297. In 2005 after five years of inflation is figured there was virtually no improvement at $41,192. The US average is nearly $56,000.
In a related matter, the Census Bureau this week released a survey focusing on immigrants across America by county showing this population tends to earn less than the population as a whole. How much less? In the US it is 87 cents on the dollar, in California it’s 80 cents and in Tulare County it’s down to 60 cents on the dollar. Individual median income in Tulare County is listed at $18,631 - fourth lowest in California. Kings came in even worse at $17,852. This area of low income population - that we see is growing - puts an extra burden on the effort to stimulate economic development, build a higher middle class, educate and care for the health and resources of the central valley.
Third World Numbers
One hopeful sign is the number of people with high school diplomas in Tulare County has increased from 61.7 percent in 2000 to 65.5 percent in 2005. The percentage of residents with at least a BA has jumped to 12.5 percent from 11.5% in 2000. Still the number is half the percentage of many metro areas.
Growth in the large low income population has kept the percentage in poverty here at 24 percent in 2000 and 23.4 percent in 2005. More than 32 percent of the children in 2005 are below poverty guidelines.
The 2004 to 2005 survey shows a shocking fact that is that the number of households in the county that got food stamp benefits in the past year jumped from about 12,000 in 2004 to nearly 16,000 in 2005. The survey shows a jump of about 1000 more households in Tulare County between 2004 and 2005 that earn under $10,000 a year. That’s third world numbers.
Where is everybody working? The 2005 figure shows ag remains the largest employer at nearly 27,000 down about 1000 from 2004. As a farmer will tell you that 1000 people went into the construction industry which indeed grew from 8,900 in 2004 to 10,600 in 2005. In 2000 ag employed 21,000 and construction was 7,100. In 2000 154,000 people were considered to be in the county’s labor force. By 2005 that number has grown to 173,000. Considering our population is over 404,000 however, that means 231,000 of us are not in the labor force - not working or looking for a job - too young or too old or what have you.
Unemployment appears to be a bright spot based on the numbers with 19,600 listed in this category in 2000 and 17,740 in 2005.
How about the well-to-do? They’re doing OK. There were just under 8,500 households making over $100,000 a year in 2000 and 13,607 households in 2005 making that figure in what the Census calls inflation adjusted dollars.
The large Hispanic majority demographics has hit home with folks at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks who seek to attract the local population to the parks. The parks new superintendent says they plan more multi language displays in the park and campgrounds that can accommodate larger groups along with Spanish language marketing. From the parks point of view - the need is simple. If the local population doesn’t use or care about the resources that is at their doorstep - that resource may not survive.
Controversial Assembly Bill Approved by Legislature
by George Lurie
Tulare County - The California Legislature passed a controversial bill on its last day in session that may put a big hurt on area hospitals. The bill gives additional enforcement powers to state regulators, allowing them to fine hospitals up to $100,000 for “serious lapses” in patient care.
The legislation, Senate Bill 1312, was approved Aug. 31 by the full Senate just hours before the Assembly adjourned for the session.
The bill's author, Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara), sits on the Senate's powerful Health Care Committee.
Her legislation gives California's Department of Health Services the authority to impose stiff fines for serious hospital violations related to both single instances or ongoing problems.
The legislation brings California's hospitals in line with nursing homes and health plans, both of which already face stiff fines under state law for lapses in patient care.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger now has 30 days to sign or veto the legislation. If the bill remains unsigned by Sept. 30, it automatically becomes law and would take effect on Jan. 1, 2007.
The legislation gives Department of Health Services regulators the power to impose fines in two stages: The first stage would allow penalties of up to $25,000 every time a hospital is cited for putting patients in “immediate jeopardy” of harm or death. That specific phrase, immediate jeopardy, is the same one used by federal regulators to threaten a hospital's Medicare funding.
In the worst stage two violations, state regulators ultimately would be allowed to impose fines of up to $100,000.
Kaweah Delta Health Care District CEO Lindsay Mann was disappointed to hear that the bill had been approved by state legislators.
“We work very diligently to comply with all of the state regulations,” said Mann. “The only thing that I would observe (about the bill's passage) is that the levying of a fine does not do anything more than extract resources that are very much needed by the community. It does not help us solve any problems.”
“Communities in the Central Valley need every dollar to provide the health care, not to fund the department of Health Services' unspecified plans for use of these administrative fines,” Mann added.
Mann's counterpart in Tulare echoed those sentiments.
“We think it's an ill-conceived piece of legislation,” said Tulare District Hospital CEO Bob Montion. “Fining a hospital $100,000 is excessive and the equivalent of the salary and benefits for a nurse for an entire year. For hospitals that operate on little or no profit, that can be the difference between hiring a nurse or not.”
Montion added that the threat of taking money away from already cash-strapped hospitals “isn't necessarily going to make patient care better.”
But other health officials have a different opinion of the bill.
Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer recently told the Los Angeles Times he thinks the bill will “usher in a new era.” Kizer, who unsuccessfully sought similar legislation during his tenure as state health director from 1985 to 1991, added: "Hospitals are going to have to, in many cases, start paying more attention.”
A spokesperson for the state Health and Human Services Agency said Gov. Schwarzenegger supports the proposal “in principal” but has yet to study the specifics of the legislation.
“The governor's office is very pleased with the language of the bill,” said an aide to Alquist. “The tone from the (Schwarzenegger) administration is very positive and supportive.”
The bill is part of a broader legislative effort to improve oversight of state health facilities and give additional leverage to state regulators. In this year's budget, the Health and Human Services department received funding to hire 141 additional inspectors for hospitals, nursing homes and other health centers.
Alquist said that SB 1312 was spurred, in part, by the negative backlash from scandals at several Southern California-area hospitals as well as adverse publicity that forced the closure of three organ transplant programs in the state within the last year.
The bill had strong union support. The Service Employees International Union and the California Nurses Association, which represents many hospital workers in the state and often publicizes hospital lapses during contract talks, was a vocal proponent of the proposal. The California Medical Association also supported the legislation.
The bill was opposed by the California Hospital Association, the industry trade group for hospitals around California.
Alquist believes fines will both financially penalize hospitals where lapses occurred and also draw adverse public attention to problem facilities. When the state health department fines a nursing home for a serious violation, she said, the agency also issues a news release which draws attention to an incident or ongoing situation.
“The bottom line is that one ought to go to a hospital to be healed, not to be injured,” said Alquist, the bill's author. “Hospitals need to be a safer place.”
Corridor Focus Of Plans
Visalia - What’s the future of the Visalia Scenic Corridor - the western entrance of Visalia from Highway 99 along Highway 198? In recent weeks several moves by stakeholders, mostly behind the scenes, are worthy of note.
On the public agenda the Visalia City Council turned down a rezoning and annexation application brought by land owner Margaret Elliott and homebuilder Centex to build 232 homes on land currently zoned for agriculture on Shirk. Council member Greg Collins pointed out the city already has 8000 home lots ready to build around town. Collins was joined by all the sitting council members in a 4 to 0 vote rejecting the building plan with Don Landers out of town.
The vote makes it unlikely other developers will bring housing projects to the council on this stretch of land so soon again, much of which is in the county and zoned for farming.
But that hasn’t kept some property owners from organizing an end run. Property owner Rick Telegan of Fresno who owns just under 70 acres, 2 parcels on both sides of 198 has approached the county on a possible filing of a general plan amendment to the county. Telegan told the Voice that the city would not allow him to develop so he is “exploring our options.” Telegan, who served on a city task force on west 198, says he believes if the city wants to have his property as open space “they ought to pay for it.” He says he was surprised at the 4 to 0 vote by council against the Centex project. Of the ag enterprise idea he says “it doesn’t make sense to have an ag zone encompassed by urban development.”
Train Wreck?
If the county ignores the fact the land is within the city’s sphere of influence and allows development, “there would be a big train wreck” says council member Greg Kirkpatrick who along with Collins sees the future of the corridor as an ag enterprise zone. The details of how such a zone would be structured aren’t clear yet but Collins says the city council is about ready to hire a consultant in the next few weeks to begin preparing the plan.
One guy who isn’t waiting to see what the city does is farmer Tokkie Elliott who recently bulldozed some under-performing plum trees at the southwest corner of Shirk and 198 and says he will apply to the county to build an upscale fruit stand there. Elliott says the project is in the works and would likely be two story with an office above, a fruit stand and sandwich shop below, ironically just what an ag enterprise zone might envision if it is surrounded by farmland.
But Elliott says he believes the city shouldn’t have any say on how the project develops since the city ignored an application he filed for annexation until he finally withdrew it. As for the rest of some 400 acres he owns in the corridor area “I’m in no hurry to develop it.” He says regarding the rejection by council of his sister’s annexation request, it “was simply a way to end a buy-sell agreement” and that “It’s not a big deal.”
CVC Talks
Another property owner looking to expand for years now is the Central Valley Christian school and residential community who want to expand its campus toward 198 to the west of the family fun center. The school has patiently waited for the city to come up with a plan that would allow the development. Greg Collins has championed an idea that would keep the acreage closest to198 in open space or ag use while allowing the school to develop south of Pershing Ditch. Currently there is discussion of a land swap that could relocate a small ponding basin next to the high school campus to an area west of the fun park on some 14 acres currently owned by Betsy Billys. This land known as “the kiwis” has been part of the school’s master planned expansion that has been submitted to the city for approval.
Under discussion right now is a plan to vacate the small ponding basin near the school - land that could be used by the school for a play area. A new landscaped ponding basin for the area could be located along the freeway where the kiwis are instead.
This would keep the land along west 198 west of the fun park in open space allowing the expansion of the CVC and the decommission of the current ponding basin.
While the idea may seem nice, council member Don Landers says he wonders why the city will have to pay an extra $1 million or more to bring this plan off because of the cost to relocate the basin. The idea showed up on the city’s closed door negotiations agenda in recent weeks with Billys represented on the possible sale of the 14 acres to the city by Craig Mangano.
Just how some sort of ag enterprise zone moves forward could be shaped by a new city policy to mandate that Williamson Act contract cancellation fees be paid locally to the city instead of the state. The fee is collected on ag land that will be annexed into the city to mitigate the loss of ag land and is expected to be used to buy up and preserve key ag land parcels or easements that prohibit development on these parcels. Typically a jurisdiction that wants to make urban development less likely in an area will try to protect it with a development prohibition. In this case the city wants to make it attractive to keep farming in an area while allowing some more ag enterprises like an ag office complex to increase its viability. The plan has its critics however.
The theory is that these fees from ag land cancellations could build up in a city fund that could be used to buy up land along the corridor in the future to help build an ag enterprise zone. It could be structured between a “willing buyer and willing seller” goes the idea.
Bob Dowds of Mangano Homes has been working with the city on one of these so called 1240 Exchange programs that would allow money paid by property owners who want to cancel their Williamson Act contract early to the city instead of the State Department of Conservation.
Dowds is working with the city right now on plans to develop Lowery Ranch on the city’s northern edge. Mangano Homes by law must pay an early cancellation fee and the city could see $3 to 7 million go into a local fund that could be used to buy ag easements. The issue will be coming to the city council September 18th. Dowds says this is the first time the state has allowed such a program and credits the new Schwarzenegger administration and conservation minded administrators including Mike Chrisman with pushing to make it happen.
In recent weeks the city decided to move forward on a plan to take the cancellation fee to the Lowery Ranch and apply it to a purchase of land at the city’s sewer treatment plant zoned ag. According to Dowds the State Department of Conservation said they would allow such a transfer if the city then purchased ag easements elsewhere furthering the goal of ag land conservation.
“I think this move could be part of the answer to saving the scenic corridor,” suggests Dowds.
Also, Dowds says Mr. Mangano now owns about 16 acres next to Tiffany Ranch along west 198 and he would like to work with the city on it knowing the goal is to keep it mostly open space or ag enterprise. The land has been zoned conservation, and is in the city limits to the east of the Shirk interchange.
Critic of the ag enterprise idea Brian Blain, a nut farmer here who worked on a committee several years ago to try to put together an ag enterprise zone on 198 says property owners need fair compensation to make it happen.
Council member Greg Kirkpatrick says he hopes to take the elements of an ag easement exchange on I-80 near Davis he worked on and apply it to Visalia. He works statewide on such farmland conservation projects. He addressed the council a few weeks ago on the idea.
Farm Bureau?
One idea kicking around is that the Farm Bureau who has its office on Ben Maddox but has been courted by major developers because their 20 acres of land is located right next to the new Civic Center, could wrangle a deal with the city to relocate their office along the corridor and the stockyards to other city property likely near the sewer treatment property. “All that could happen in a heartbeat,” says Council member Greg Collins.
Some believe there is a way to put together a patchwork of funds to preserve the corridor area and still allow fair compensation for property owners. It seems with all this negotiating going on, we are likely to see something happening on the ground over the next year.
'Physics Day' Comes to the Tulare County Fair
By Roni Miller
Tulare - Studying physics will be a scream thanks to the Tulare County Fair.
Next week, On Sept. 14 the fairgrounds will welcome Tulare county middle school students who will conduct physics experiments on the carnival rides before the fair opens to the public that evening.
On Thursday, as the fair is in full swing, as many as 150 eighth grade students, from as near as Tulare and as far away as Terra Bella, will converge on the fairgrounds, don pocketed vests and look like they are all going fishing.
Garbed in the high-tech vests and climbing aboard the midway carnival rides, the students, in fact, will be fishing -- for data. The vests are equipped with sensors that are programmed to take readings of acceleration and altitude. The student simply pushes start at the beginning of the ride and enjoys the fun. Later the sensors are connected to a computer and the data will be downloaded to a special program for analysis.
The Tulare City School District purchased the vests with grant money from the Enhancing Education Through Technology program.
The two educators responsible for putting the event together are Mike Milanesi, Tulare City's elementary science coordinator, and Jonathan Janzen, instructional consultant at Tulare County Office of Education (TCOE). Janzen said, “I am very excited and jazzed up about students studying physical concepts in a real life situation.”
Milanesi thought that Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara had a great idea with their 'Physics Day.' Two years ago he took a group of Tulare County science teachers there to experience 'Teacher's Day.' Last year they took a group of eighth graders.
“The problem is it's at the end of the school year,” said Milanesi. With the Tulare County Fair allowing the students to come in September, at the beginning of the school year, the students can collect the data now and have more opportunities to use the data throughout the year. Milanesi said, “The fair has been very generous to open up to us. It's really nice of them to do this.”
Susie Godfrey, Interim General Manager of the Tulare County Fair, said, “It's a great way to interact with kids from an educational standpoint if you can sneak some education in while their having fun.”
Godfrey should know, until her recent appointment as the fair's interim general manager, she was in charge of Tulare County Agricultural Educational tours. She arranged pre-school tours and fair time tours of the fairgrounds.
“This year there will be kids at both ends of the fairgrounds being educated on completely different subjects. We found a new rock to turn over for a fresh new look,” said Godfrey.
Godfrey is quick to credit Helms and Sons Carnival, the company that provides the rides for the fair. The owners are coming out personally to run the rides and talk to the students. Because the carnival and fair staff are donating their time, there is no cost to the students or the school district.
Response from schools has been overwhelmingly positive and in order to accommodate more students, Larry Owens, instructor of engineering and physics at College of the Sequoias (COS), was asked to run some additional demonstrations. Owens will be bringing several of his physics students to help with the activities.
“I try to show my students that physics isn't just something you do in the classroom, it's all around you,” Owens said. “I can show them physics walking down the sidewalk, but to show them on a roller coaster is much more fun.”
Students from Divisadero Middle School will be participating. Wyett Crockett, an eighth grader there, summed it up best when he said, “It sounds pretty good to me!”
Mathias's Gold-Medal Feats Put Tulare on World Sport's Map
By Julie Fernandez
Tulare - Bob Mathias' Olympian accomplishments resulted in heady times for his hometown of not yet 12,000 people, who followed closely his feats in London and Helsinki and welcomed him home with parades and other honors.
Dr. Tom Drilling, a former mayor, and Don Hillman, a former Tulare County supervisor, recall how people gathered downtown at the Tulare Advance-Register, which was then on North K Street, and the Hotel Tulare on the corner of K and Tulare Avenue, to get results which editor Tom Hennion would relay as he received them.
“People filled the inside and outside of the Hotel Tulare,” Drilling said. “They filled up the whole lobby and they were standing out in the street. It was wild.”
Hillman recalled a period of uncertainty when it wasn't clear whether Mathias had won the gold in London.
“It took 15or 20 minutes for it to really sink in and then we could take a deep breath and say, 'Wow! He did it!'”
Patricia Hillman, whose family was close to Dr. Charlie and Lillian Mathias' family, recalls going to the Visalia airport with hundreds of other Tulare residents when Mathias returned home.
“I just remember how tremendously exciting it was,” she said.
Throughout it all, Mathias remained the same unassuming, modest young man they had known as a youngster, Don Hillman said.
He and his wife, Laverne, offered to let the teenage Olympian ride in their convertible in the parade following his London victory. “We almost had to force it on him,” Hillman said. “He was an 'Oh, you don't want to do that' type of person.”
Mathias, who later went on to represent Tulare and neighboring communities for four terms in the House of Representatives, never showed an inkling of arrogance, those who knew him said.
“He was genuinely a dear person,” said Ellen Gorelick, curator and director of the Tulare Historic Museum, which houses the original collection of Mathias' medals and other memorabilia. “I never heard him say an unkind word. He could have been snooty and everything, but he wasn't. He was just someone who still loved Tulare.”
To watch him with youngsters was touching, she said. “He would talk to them just like he was a regular guy, like he was just an uncle. He didn't mind signing autographs. 'Oh, sure,' he would say 'and who should I write this to. ' I miss him already.”
Mathias' feats have had a lasting impact on his hometown.
“I think it gave everybody in Tulare a psychological lift,” Patricia Hillman said. “[They knew] it didn't make a difference if you were from a little town any more, you could still do something great.”
Many Highlights in Bob Mathias's Illustrious Life
Tulare - Born November 17, 1930 in Tulare, Robert Bruce Mathias graduated, at age 17, from Tulare Union High, where he was a stand-out, three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track and field.
Shortly after graduating from high school, still age 17, encouraged by his coach and long-time mentor, Virgil Jackson, Mathias entered and won the U.S. National Decathlon Championship. Months later, he won the gold medal in the decathlon in the 1948 Olympics Games in London, a feat he repeated in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
A versatile athlete who competed for the first time in the grueling, ten-event decathlon just prior to the U.S. championships in 1948, Mathias never lost a decathlon event and many said he could have won gold at the 1956 and 1960 Games too. But after Mathias played himself in Hollywood's 1954 bio-pic “The Bob Mathias Story”, then Olympic head Avery Brundage ruled he was ineligible to compete in future Olympic Games.
In 1952, as a 6-foot-3, 204-pound halfback at Stanford, Mathias's 96-yard kickoff return against a USC team led by Frank Gifford helped propel the Cardinal to an appearance that year in the Rose Bowl.
After college, Mathias served in the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant beginning in 1954 and as President Eisenhower's “Good Will Ambassador to the World,” visited some 40 countries.
In 1966, he ran for and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Central California congressional district that included his hometown of Tulare.
After serving four terms in the House, Mathias lost a reelection bid and returned to his sports roots. In 1977, he was named the first director of the new U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
That same year, he married Gwen Haven Alexander.
In the mid-eighties, he left the USOC Training Center to become executive director of the National Fitness Foundation, based in Indianapolis.
Then in 1988, he returned to live full-time in the Central Valley, building a home in rural Fresno County and officially retiring in 1992.
Among Mathias's many other athletic and professional accolades
and awards:
· Winner of the Sullivan Award, in 1948, as the nation's top amateur
athlete;
· Inductee into the U.S. track & field and Olympic halls of fame;
· Director of his own youth camp, The Bob Mathias Sierra Boys and Girls
Camps, which he sold in 1978;
· Major roles in television and movies during the 1950s and 1960s;
· An appearance on the cover of July 21, 1952 Time magazine under the
headline “One-man Track Team.”
Mathias is survived by his wife of 29 years, Gwen; brothers Dr. Eugene Mathias of Tulare and Jim Mathias of Three Rivers; sister Patricia Guerrero of Tulare; daughters Romel of Twain Harte, Calif.; Megan of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Marissa of Folsom; and Alyse Alexander of Medford, Ore.; as well as son Reiner of Sandy, Utah; and 10 grandchildren.
What's New
Mesa Air was the semi-surprise winner in the contest to replace Scenic Airlines at Visalia Municipal airport. The Visalia City Council had thrown its support behind a bid by Great Lakes Airlines to take over for Scenic but Department of Transportation officials announced last week that the Phoenix, Ariz.-based carrier had been chosen to provide the federally subsidized airline service.
Airport manager Mario Cifuentez said Mesa could begin winging in and out of Visalia by November. Airport officials will have to secure the facility and reinstall security equipment formerly used by United Express since Mesa will be flying into McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. But that effort (and expense), Cifuentez said, will be the responsibility of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Mesa, which flies as Air Midwest and will operate out of Visalia under the America West Express/US Airways Express brands, was picked from among three airlines bidding to fly between Visalia and Las Vegas.
Las Vegas-based Scenic, which operates out of unsecured North Las Vegas airport, located about 20 minutes from McCarran and the Strip, announced its intention this past May to pull out of its subsidized, three-year federal contract in Visalia.
Scenic began flying between Visalia and the North Las Vegas airport last year and is pulling out of the commercial airline business to concentrate on its Grand Canyon charters.
Mesa, which will also being replacing Scenic in Merced and Ely, Nev., plans to offer 23 round trips each week, four flights daily on average, between Visalia, Merced and Las Vegas, flying 19-passenger turboprop airplanes.
Good news to the business travelers hoping to make connections in Vegas: Cifuentez said that Mesa’s first week day flights to Las Vegas will take off sometime around 7:00 or 7:30 a.m.
Housing market is tough on builders and home sellers and now banks too are seeing dramatically fewer loan applications. “We used to make 20 to 25 loans a month and now we are down to 1 or 2,” says Visalia Community Bank board chair Tokkie Elliott. Other banks cited in the national press are down 50 percent year to year. The bright spot is that interest rates have plunged more than half a point in recent weeks enabling buyers to qualify for more homes.
Realtors and homeowners are blaming the home builders for building too many new homes. Mr. Elliott points out most builders are affiliated with banks who if they can’t make money on the construction of new homes make money on the financing. Inventory of existing homes in the Visalia MLS is approaching 2000 - about four times what it was a year ago. “Our inventory here and in Fresno MLS is the highest it has ever been,” says Brad Maaske, a local realtor. Maaske suggests competition with the builders by offering incentives.
Visalia city council is expected to approve a recommendation to hire San Francisco based urban planners EDAW to oversee the master planning of the East Visalia plan including the new Civic Center. The international company has over 1000 employees and specializes in landscape architecture for clients that often seek to bolster their waterways as part of an urban renewal project. Mill Creek is expected to be the centerpiece of the East Visalia project expected to break ground in as little as two years east to Tipton St. EDAW will bring in some local expertise on their team.
Speaking of Mill Creek, the City of Visalia is considering a plan to halt discharging any wastewater into Mill Creek because of tighter Regional Water Quality board rules.
A new office building at Mission Oaks owned by Bill Clark is being built for the regional office Reyen and Bardis - the home builders. The 7500 square foot office is under construction.
The nation’s top builder D.R. Horton is starting a new project in Tulare - 110 units of condos on the corner of Mooney and Prosperity in Tulare. Building condos for sale will enable the company to offer an entry level product that is less expensive than the typical single family home.
Christian’s Unfinished Furniture will close its Mooney store in the next few months according to owner Ron Gonzales. Gonzales says the market for unfinished furniture has changed with more importation of furniture sold by the container load making it harder for smaller furniture dealers to compete.
Rita Woodard’s election to the newly consolidated auditor-controller/treasurer-tax collector post continues to be challenged by her opponent in the June race, Ron Medlock. Together with h
Christian’s Unfinished Furniture will close its Mooney store in the next few months according to owner Ron Gonzales. Gonzales says the market for unfinished furniture has changed with more importation of furniture sold by the container load making it harder for smaller furniture dealers to compete.
Rita Woodard’s election to the newly consolidated auditor-controller/treasurer-tax collector post continues to be challenged by her opponent in the June race, Ron Medlock. Together with his campaign supporter and fellow accountant Robert Fatica, Medlock argued last week before Tulare County Superior Court Judge Lloyd Hicks that Woodard did not meet the necessary qualifications to run for the auditor-controller portion of the job.
During the 30-minute trial, Hicks told Medlock and Fatica, who appeared without an attorney, that they needed more legal foundation before they could introduce a letter as evidence that Fatica said showed Woodard’s accounting degree came from the unaccredited and now defunct University of Beverly Hills.
Hicks granted the challengers an additional week to put together their case and this Friday at 9 a.m. when the trial reconvenes, Medlock and Fatica will be joined at the plaintiff’s table by prominent Visalia attorney Phil Bourdette of Bourdette & Partners, who’s agreed to volunteer his services to the two accountants in their ongoing legal challenge of Woodard’s nearly two-to-one election victory.
Woodard’s attorney, Hanford-based Jann Kahn declined to comment after last week’s court appearance but was clearly frustrated by the delay.
Woodard has not spoken publicly about the controversy since her election to the county’s top financial post, which comes with an annual salary of $110,869.
Master Pools by Paul Haney, Inc. has been named as one of the top fifty builders in the country again this year. Pool & Spa News is the swimming pool industry publication that prints a list of the top 50 builders. This is an annual ranking of the nation’s most successful pool companies. Master Pools is ranked 39th this year, moving up several places from last year. Master Pools is the only company in the Central Valley named on the list. Master Pools by Paul Haney, Inc. is celebrating their 60th anniversary in business this year. They have over 100 national and international awards to their credit and have built over 10,000 pools here in the Valley.
Property Owner: ‘Bulldoze Mearle’s’
Visalia - Property owner Ralph Kazarian says he “might bulldoze Mearle’s” because of the age of the building. “It’s obsolete,” says Mr. Kazarian who lives in Fresno and was down this week watching as the current tenant Melissa Ward and family took their supplies, cookware and the old jukebox out of the landmark building a few weeks after they were evicted by court order.
Ward has reportedly owed Kazarian back rent.
Since the news came out that Mearle’s would apparently shut down, Visalians have been wondering about the Visalia icon’s future. This week that future is very much in doubt.
Asked if he had been approached by people wanting to lease the property to continue the business, Mr. Kazarian told the Voice there was some interest but that he had not decided what to do.
A group of Visalians have been meeting city council member Greg Collins to see what could be done to save the place.
Ms. Ward owns the right to the Mearle’s name and theoretically could sell it to a new operator if Mr. Kazarian would agree. “She would like to do this,” says a family member.
One person who says “I’d like to help out any way I could including financially,” is A and W owner Bob Carey who has told Melissa Ward’s attorney Bud Stanton of his interest. Other potential operators have approached Ms. Ward, say sources.
Council member Collins has suggested the city of Visalia might be willing to help keep this historical landmark alive with some help from the city redevelopment agency. Others have urged the city to try to stop Kazarian if he tries to get a permit to demolish the building that has been part of the Visalia scenery for nearly 60 years.
No doubt the building is old and one builder suggested it could take a lot of money to fix it up again. But there are plenty of Visalians who don’t want Mearle’s to just blow away.
Porterville
College Enrollment Rise Fueled by
New Industrial Arts Program
Porterville - For the first time in four years, enrollment has increased at Porterville College, spurred in part, by the creation of a popular new Industrial Maintenance Technology Program.
College spokesman Monte Moore confirms that as of the first week of classes, PC enrollment is up 4.6 percent, putting total enrollment solidly at 3,450 students.
“There were 189 more students here on opening day (Aug. 28) than last year at this time,” Moore said. “It's a good sign and we are very excited.”
Moore cited the college's new industrial arts training program, which kicked off last month, as one of the catalysts for increased enrollment.
The program, which prepares students for industrial maintenance work, offers 198 hours of instruction over a 14-week period and has slots for 28 students.
“The class filled up in almost no time,” said Moore.
“And we've already had a call from a company in Bakersfield wanting
to hire the program's first two graduates.” The Industrial Maintenance
curriculum includes instruction in:
· Electrical control systems
· Residential and commercial wiring
· Electrical motor control
· Hydraulics, pneumatics, piping systems
· Basic welding
Moore said that another factor in PC's recent enrollment spurt is attributable to the efforts of college president Dr. Rosa Carlson.
“Dr. Carlson is a big advocate of vocational programs and training,” said Moore. “She is concerned because we have had to cancel so many of our vocational programs over the years because of budgetary cutbacks.”
PC has also started construction on a new 24,000-sq.-ft. library and a number of departments and faculty members are now operating out of temporary quarters while the year-long project is underway.
Students Promise No Dirty Dancing
Visalia - Before students could “get their freak on,” Visalia Unified School District set some ground rules for the recent Aug. 25 Icebreaker dance, the first district-wide high school dance of the 2006-07 school year.
The new rules reportedly were brought about by the bumping and grinding dance floor moves known as 'freak dancing' that were exhibited at last year's school dances.
In past years, VUSD administrators had deemed 'freak dancing' moves as sexually explicit, and attempted to control the practice by dismissing offending students from the dance or sending them to a time-out room.
In response, a student-led group crafted ground rules against “groping, inappropriate touching, bending over, or hurting others” at school dances.
According to the rules, groping or inappropriate touching includes touching someone below the waist. But, according to a one-page agreement all VUSD high school parents and students were required to sign last month in order for students to gain admission to the Icebreaker dance, “touching the waist is okay.”
Students with a signed dance agreement slip have been given a sticker to put on their student ID cards that allows admission to school dances for the remainder of the school year.
The new rules also stipulate that students must remain “standing, with both feet on the ground, with no lying on the floor and no moving around on all fours.”
The dance agreement, while not specifically mentioning freak dancing, prohibits mosh pits, but does allow break dancing.
John Loyd, a freshman at Redwood, is not sure the new dance agreement will work. “It will probably only make kids want to do it more because they're not supposed to,” he said.
Guillaume Urtecho, a freshman at Mt. Whitney, said, “I'm sure not many kids will mind signing the dance agreement because the majority would not dance like that anyway.”
Noel Frost, a senior at Golden West, said, “I think the agreement is good. At prom last year there was some dancing I didn't really like; I just avoided looking at it. I think part of the problem is the music they play. During the time I was at the prom they only played one slow dance. The rest of the music was popular music with the same beat.”
Katie Carson, a junior at El Diamante, said, “I think it's so ridiculous that it's gotten so bad that it had to come to that. Kids should have been mature enough to stop that kind of stuff on their own.”
Lyndsi Henderson, a junior at El Diamante, said, “I think it's good. Our age is becoming rather obscene. I think it's good that they have the agreement, but I went to the dance last Friday it was still pretty raunchy.”
“What I'm most pleased about is that this agreement was an idea that originated with our students,” said VUSD Superintendent Stan Carrizosa. “The kids themselves realized that there are appropriate and inappropriate areas as far as behavior at school dances.”
Carrizosa said the new school dance agreement provides a “very consistent model for both students and administrators. The students,” Carrizosa added, “wanted a way to govern themselves.”
This latest attempt to more clearly define dance practices at school-sanctioned dances seems to be a trend in the South Central Valley. Similar measures were taken recently in terms of student dances in Lemoore.
In Lemoore, James Bennett, principal of Lemoore Union High School (LUHS), banned high school dances until students could come up with a workable plan that included two conditions: no freak dancing and school administrators are not to police the dance floor to enforce the freak dancing prohibition.
“When I asked the students in 2005 to solve this problem themselves before I would allow dances to resume, they did. This was a student problem, and students found the solution. I am very pleased with how our kids rose to the occasion,” said Bennett.
Bennett had previously warned students against freak dancing on numerous occasions. At the 2004 winter dance the students received three warnings over the public address system to stop the suggestive dancing, eventually resulting in the threat of the cancellation of prom for LUHS students.
Ultimately, Lemoore students ended up getting their prom, with the caveat that any freak dancing at the event would result in the immediate termination of the dance.
“It is too bad that a school, whose many requirements do not include having to sponsor dances, has to draw the line on what is acceptable, a line that is very far removed from what our kids see as acceptable on television, internet, and music videos. It is just too bad,” said Bennett.
In Visalia, both students and administrators said any comparisons to the movie “Footloose” are unwarranted.
“This has been a good learning experience for students about how to bring about positive change,” said Carrizosa.
Visalia - In a 3-1 vote, the Visalia City Council recently authorized Visalia City Manager, Steve Salomon, to execute a ten-year lease agreement between the City of Visalia and Top of the Third, Inc., owners of Oaks Baseball, for the lease of the stadium at Recreation Park.
The sole “no” vote came from council member Greg Collins, who said he had concerns over the part of the agreement involving a ticket surcharge.
“Doubling the surcharge figure was more appropriate and would accelerate the repayment to the city,” said Collins.
According to Salomon, the currently agreed to ticket surcharge rate is to increase over time and has the potential to bring in $1.5 to $2.5 million in revenue to the city.
“I thought that was a little light,” said Collins.
The ball club resisted the idea of increasing the surcharge fearing it would affect game attendance, said Collins.
In recent years, annual attendance at Recreation Park Stadium has seen between 55,000 and 64,000 Oaks fans. Top of the Third anticipates that planned upgrades to the park will boost yearly attendance to around 90,000.
The city's lease agreement with the Oaks also includes $5 million in renovations to the park. The deal means minor league baseball will continue in Visalia through 2016, with a 5-year team option through the year 2021.
“The city decided to make the big commitment because the ball club made such a big commitment,” said Mayor Jesus Gamboa.
Construction will begin immediately after the 2005 baseball season. The phase-one right field renovation is scheduled to be completed by opening day of 2007, while the phase-two grandstand area renovation should be completed by opening day of 2008.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
September 6, 2006
