Property Owners Attempt to Block New SPCA Site

By Rick Elkins

Visalia - Elliott Farms, Ltd. has filed a claim against the city of Visalia to block the construction of a new SPCA facility at Aviation Drive and Walnut Avenue.

Attorney Justin Campagne of the law firm of Campagne, Campagne and Lerner in Fresno, filed the tort claim last week against the city and Valley Oak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Campagne explained the tort claim is required should his clients file a lawsuit to block the new facility, or seek damages for the harm the siting of the SPCA facility at the location may do to surrounding property values.

Campagne said the Elliott family owns more than 70 acres of land to the north of the site the city has identified for a new animal shelter, but Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon said the city has not locked in that site and that there is much work to be done before any final selection is made. The attorney said some members of the Elliott family do live close to the proposed site.

“We're looking at a certain piece of property at the airport, but no decision has been made. I would say it's several years away and the claim is an example of the things that need to be considered before we proceed,” said Salomon. The site is south of the airport and the Valley Oaks Golf Course.

Campagne said the Elliott family feels the site is not a good spot for the animal shelter that would handle more than 11,000 dogs a year. He said that area is more suited to residential and commercial development and that the animal shelter would only hurt that. Right now the area is farm land and a couple of residences.

“Obviously, I'm not happy with it,” said Tokkie Elliott, who said his sister and his son both live in the area. “It would devalue the property. No one else would want to live there. The property is surrounded by city limits and at some point, it will be developed,” he said as to the reason for the family's claim. “They can reconsider (selection) or send me a check.”

Elliott said the best solution would be to keep the shelter at its present location on the west side of the airport along Highway 99. “It doesn't bother anybody there,” he said.

The city council decided in June of 2007 to build a new facility after determining that bringing the existing facility up to date would be too costly. The city has earmarked $3.5 million for the project and at the same meeting that designated the funds, identified the city property at Aviation Dr. and Walnut as the preferred site.

Both the city and Campagne said there is room to negotiate.

“We'll work with them to find another piece of property,” said Campagne, adding the Elliotts want to work with the city. “They want to be good neighbors.”

Salomon said the goal is to construct the new facility on city-owned property, but there is other property that could be used.

In the claim filed with the city, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, the claimants state they are seeking a permanent injunction stopping the construction. No damages were listed.

“Plaintiff is informed and believes that by housing such large numbers of animals in such a small area, the defendants' proposed shelter will create substantial disruption, noise, offensive orders, traffic, dust and litter, and other ill effects, that will negatively affect the use and enjoyment of surrounding properties and the Plaintiff's property in particular,” states a draft of the lawsuit.

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Sunkist To Convert Leftovers To Ethanol

Tipton - Sunkist is negotiating with a company that plans to make biofuel from waste citrus peel – a byproduct of the Tipton orange and lemon juicing plant in Tulare County.

“We're pretty far along,” with the plan, says Ted Leaman, vice president of Sunkist's Juice and Oil business. “We've tested the waste peel and it looks like it will work” in the undisclosed process that will turn a waste product into one of several biofuels being used as a transportation fuel.

“We are particularly happy about the plan to make the ethanol from a waste product,” says Sunkist President Tim Lindgren, “instead of a food crop that competes with our growers” – a product like corn that is used to make most of the nation's ethanol.

Leaman says it could be about another month or so before the company would be named, but that it has a track record that looks good, he says. The company would be using new technology not used in the Florida process that converts orange peel to ethanol. “Another reason we are so excited,” about the project, he says.

Leaman says the company would set up a cogeneration plant on site that could make electricity as well as convert the waste peels to biofuel. The company would likely make more electricity than could be used on site.

Sunkist has 296 acres along Highway 99 and the existing juice plant, built in 1981, sits on just 17 acres.

A new Sunkist lemon juicing plant will add to the volume of peel produced at the existing orange juice plant in Tipton said to be the most advanced on the West Coast. The lemon operation is expected to begin processing next month with the closure of the Ontario plant and relocation of most of the equipment to the southern Tulare County plant site.

Most new equipment is being installed inside the large building on site although several new evaporators have been erected and 30 new employees are being trained to work at the lemon operation. In Ontario, the lemon peels were a disposal and transportation problem that actually cost the company money “to get rid of because the livestock industry that formerly consumed the waste has long left the area.” Now the tons of sugar-laden waste will be conveyed from the juice plant next door to the energy plant helping to boost Sunkist's bottom line as a source of energy, notes Lindgren.

If the refinery is built, it would be the county's fourth ethanol plant either built or in the works - all on Highway 99. Like the proposed Visalia plant – the Tipton facility would not use corn which has skyrocketed in price, instead utilizing waste products and non- food plants as a feedstock considered to be the wave of the future in biofuels.

Research on squeezing ethanol from citrus peel has been going on for more than a decade through USDA and private firms concentrating on enzymes that could bring down the cost of production. The work has been concentrated in Florida where most of the citrus crop goes to juice.

Corporate Office

Sunkist holds its annual meeting in Visalia Feb. 20 and Lindgren plans to update growers on the past year that turned out brighter than once expected after the freeze a year ago.

Asked if Sunkist had made any decision on the sale of its corporate office, Lindgren says they are still talking to several potential buyers but that no decision has been made. Lindgren has told the Voice that the company could chose to move its corporate office to the Valley if it sells off its Sherman Oaks facility to relocate in Bakersfield, Visalia or even Tipton.

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Local Officials Bend Fed Ears During D.C. Trip

By Miles Shuper

Tulare County - The need to upgrade Highway 99 and requests for funds to save an agricultural crime prevention program, expand community anti-gang efforts and water issues were among the major issues Tulare County and local city officials took to federal lawmakers and bureaucrats last week in Washington DC.

Nearly two dozen officials, including four county supervisors, County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau and representatives of the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) spent several days meeting with House and Senate sub-committee members and staff, along with Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.

A variety of topics were discussed in meetings with legislative staffs and lobbyists representing local jurisdictions. In the last couple of years, Tulare County, along with its cities, has increased its efforts to amplify its voice in Washington, especially on agricultural and water issues, along with the need to battle drug and gang problems.

Supervisor Phil Cox, one of those making the trip, said the group repeatedly was told federal funds would be tight generally due to the war effort but there were pledges of concentrated efforts to push for what used to be called “earmarked” funds but now are referred to simply as “project funds.”

A major focus for county officials making the trip was an effort to save the ACTION program, a rural agricultural crime prevention program which has seen dramatic fund cuts and is, according to county officials, in “shut down” mode. The program had been cut to $199,000 from $1.2 million four years ago, with its most recent allocation at $352,000. County officials call ACTION a unique nationwide model program which statistically tracks agricultural crime, providing specialized training to law enforcement and industry linked to agricultural crime in the Valley.

Currently, Tulare County and seven others, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus, and five central coastal counties, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Benito and Santa Cruz, are sharing information via an integrated crime data base developed by the ACTION program.

Supervisor Allen Ishida said the thrust of the plea to save the ACTION program was the major impact that California agricultural in general – and Tulare County and the rest of the Valley in particular – has on the national economy.

California's agricultural products are valued in excess of $32 billion and generate more than $125 billion in related economic activity. Nine of the top ten agricultural producing counties in the nation are in California.

Supervisor Cox said ACTION is one of the federally funded programs which has produced major financial returns, such as recovered stolen farm equipment branded with identification numbers.

Officials also made a strong push to get $500,000 in federal funding to establish youth centers throughout the county in its growing effort to reduced gang activities and neighborhood violence. The funds would cover the start-up costs for centers which would be independently sustained.

A staff report states there are approximately 15,000 people, including nearly 4,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students, but no youth center in the Cutler-Orosi and East Orosi areas where in 2007 there were almost 900 crimes. Tipton, Pixley and Woodville include about 7,000 persons including about 2,000 students. There were more than 660 crimes reported during 2007 in those communities.

In recent months, Cutler-Orosi has been the focus of gang task force sweeps and new community-based efforts which officials say must be expanded throughout the county if an impact is to be made in the battle against gangs and gang violence.

Several water issues were among the funding the local contingent stressed as they split into smaller groups to meet with lobbyists, lawmakers and subcommittee members and staffs.

They asked for $300,000 in federal fiscal 2009 for the Corps of Engineers to complete feasibility studies on the Frazier Creek and Strathmore Creek projects and $300,000 for the White River-Deer Creek feasibility studies.

Backing also was urged for the $25 million in fiscal 2009 to allow construction of the Success Dam project to move forward. Those funds are needed to complete design and acquire land and other pre-construction activities for the proposed new Lake Success Dam estimated to cost $200 million.

Tulare County also made a push for $330,000 in reimbursement for marijuana eradication activities on federal lands. In 2007, Tulare County spent nearly $332,000 for eradication services on public and federal lands. Officials point out that marijuana production in Tulare County is a major problem and public safety concern. In 2005, more than 150,000 plants were removed with an estimated street value of $1.9 billion.

Transportation was another lobbying target by the local officials. The county is seeking $6 million to rehabilitate and improve a 12-mile stretch of Road 192 between Avenue 56 and Avenue 152 in the Poplar-Cotton Center area in southeastern Tulare County.

The total estimated cost is $7.5 million with about 20 percent of the total cost coming from non-federal monies, officials say.

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Right Field Bids Put Oaks Ballpark Over Budget

By Steve Pastis

Visalia - It now seems unlikely that the renovations for Recreation Park, the home of the Visalia Oaks, will be completed for $11.6 million, the amount that the Visalia City Council approved last year. The lower of the two bids received for the first of the two phases of the project is $7.74 million – about $2.5 million higher than the $5.2 million that was allocated to that phase.

The bid from Seals-Biehle General Contractors (Visalia) was $7.74 million and the one from Oral E. Micham, Inc. (Woodlake) was $8 million.

The bids are for the improvements along the right field side, which include a new grand entrance, 400 permanent stadium seats, a grass berm (which would also provide seating), a corporate hospitality lounge, new Oaks administrative and ticket offices, new concessions and a merchandise store, and a state-of-the-art line scoreboard. The improvements would bring the park into full compliance with Professional Baseball Standards. The hospitality lounge, the concessions and store, and the scoreboard, with its advertising opportunities, are all expected to generate income.

“The bids have not been awarded,” said Nancy Loliva, community relations manager for the City of Visalia. “At present, the council, subcommittee and staff are evaluating cost options and they will be presented to the city council, tentatively scheduled for the meeting of Feb. 19.”

Tom Seidler, president and general manager of the Visalia Oaks, was asked how the previous cost estimates could have increased by nearly 50 percent. He responded that some things were added, including a second team bullpen (at the Arizona Diamondbacks' request), the replacement of the outfield wall (which needed to be done in the next three years) and a second elevator.

“And I think some of the numbers were just off,” he added, explaining that the earlier contractor estimates were based on “50 percent design development drawings” which don't provide full details of what needs to be done. He also said that construction costs for ballparks rise by 6 percent annually.

“Maybe the numbers a year ago should have been scrutinized more, but if they were, it wouldn't have made any difference,” Seidler said. “We still can't build with brick and mortar and grass for any less.

Seidler believes that “building half of a new facility” for $7.7 million is not a bad investment. He points out that most modern minor league ballparks cost about $32 million to build.

“I have concerns about the price,” said Visalia City Council Member Amy Shuklian. “I said that from the beginning. To say whether I support this or not, I can't say. I haven't seen the staff reports.”

Shuklian acknowledges that the cost estimates were made almost a year ago and “sure they're going to be changes in prices.” She hopes that the city council can make a decision soon in response to the two companies that placed bids.

“We need to get it moving,” she said. “If it's going to happen, let's get it going. If not, then let's let them know.”

Seidler anticipates some changes to the plans, but hopes that things don't change too much.

“It's a good design,” he said. “It gets us needed administrative, concessions, restrooms, merchandise, some air-conditioned space for fans and sponsors, and an area for a kids' zone.” He also said that the proposed new entrance is critical to opening up parking on the south side of the ballpark.

Seidler pointed out that the ballclub is paying for some of the improvements. The kids' zone is entirely the ballclub's investment, as are the furnishing, fixtures and equipment. In addition, the Oaks will pay for a unique way to house its groundskeeping equipment.

“We thought instead of building an ugly shed out here, let's build one that looks like a barn,” Seidler said. “It will symbolize the agricultural heritage of the area. It's one of the ways that we can say that we're not just Visalia's team, but we're the Valley's team. And now 'hit the broad side of a barn' is a hitter's term.”

There are minor league ballparks that have been operating since the 1940s, and Fenway Park, the home of the World Champion Boston Red Sox, will mark its 100th anniversary in a few years.

“I think if they build this, it's a 40-year ballpark,” Seidler said. “It's brick, concrete and steel. That stuff doesn't fade away. I think the face of the neighborhood will change within three-to-five years, maybe less.”

He said that if a ballpark is smartly planned and built in an area that needs a shot in the arm, it will have an impact on that area. “Minor league and major league ballparks have a great track record of improving their neighborhoods,” he said.

Seidler points out that six years ago, Recreation Park was considered the worst ballpark in professional baseball. Improvements made in recent years have changed that designation, as well as dramatically improved attendance. Improved attendance translates into more money for the city through turnstile counts, flat or variable leases, a ticket tax and a percentage of revenues, he explained.

Even with these revenue sources, professional baseball has been and will remain an expense for the City of Visalia. The almost 180 other U.S. cities that have professional baseball teams don't invest in baseball to make a direct profit from the game.

“Part of the reason cities do it is to provide affordable family entertainment, part of it is the economic impact, because you get players and baseball fans and scouts and people who otherwise would not come to Visalia in town,” Seidler said. “Part of it is neighborhood revitalization. So there's kind of a multi-prong payback for their investment.”

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Hospital Seeks Level III Trauma Center Status

Visalia - Kaweah Delta Healthcare District is filing an application to be recognized as a Level III Trauma Center in the next few months. The application is being submitted to the Central Valley Emergency Medical Services Agency that may approve the designation by this summer, says Kaweah CEO Lindsay Mann.

If designated, Kaweah Delta would qualify as the only trauma center in Tulare and Kings counties and one of approximately 200 nationwide with such a designation out of 5,600 U.S. hospitals.

The designation is two steps down from a Level I trauma center that handles the most difficult trauma cases. University Medical Center in Fresno is the Valley's only Level I trauma center.

But the Level III certification for the Visalia hospital will be a prestigious honor, ensuring that the hospital will be a referral source for emergency medical cases brought on by severe physical force, like car wrecks or shootings.

The heliport is planned in the east parking lot to be ready to receive patients by fall 2009 says Mann. The project will wait until the buildings at Willow and Flora are demolished to make room for a new 55-car parking lot after the completion of the North Expansion. That expansion should open about this time next year. Once pressure on parking eases, the hospital will designate a large area away from the buildings on the east lot for the new landing pad.

To meet the designation, the hospital is looking at adding a heliport, says Mann, as well as hiring several hospital-employed trauma physicians that will ensure cases that arrive on a 24-hour basis get adequate specialty care. “We working with our orthopedic doctors to make sure we can meet the orthopedic need as well.”

Mann says adding another 139 beds in the Northern Expansion underway right now will ensure there are plenty of beds earmarked for trauma injuries in the future, including a total of 41 emergency room beds and four operating rooms.

Certifying the hospital as a Level III Center will help the Visalia hospital attract talented staff needed as well as receive the increasingly complex medical cases that ERs are being asked to care for every day.

A coordinated ambulance response center through the 911 system will steer cases to Kaweah Delta when approved with the new designation. The emergency medical system recently upgraded its ambulance service to include paramedics in Tulare County.

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Board Extends Moratorium on Pot Dispensaries

By Miles Shuper

Tulare County - Ruling that Tulare County already has an adequate number of medical marijuana dispensaries, supervisors Tuesday extended a moratorium on any more for 10-½ months.

After declaring an immediate and current threat to the public health, safety and welfare of county residents, the board voted 5-0 to extend the 45-day moratorium which it had adopted as an urgency measure Jan. 8.

County officials say seven known dispensaries have opened and are currently operating since the county adopted zoning regulations eight months ago. At least three of those are in violation of the zoning ordinance. Currently, dispensaries may be located in any of the designated zones and areas without a permit or notice to the county. Officials claim the proliferation of dispensaries has produced harmful secondary effects such as security concerns, traffic and parking congestion, loitering, noise and other worries.

A staff report says there are 21 valid medical marijuana identification cards in fiscal 2007 and there is concern of an excessive concentration of dispensaries in the county.

The board vote came after an hour of discussion in which nearly a dozen persons spoke, some favoring the extended moratorium, others urging that existing dispensaries be shut down and several citing the need for medicinal pot. The board was told there are about 1,500 persons using marijuana for medical purposes. The identification cards, which one speaker said cost about $350, are not required to purchase the drug.

Others questioned why it is taking so long for the county to formulate and approve dispensary rules and even licensing.

Rick Morris of Visalia, who has previously met with county staff and supervisors, spoke in favor of clarifying the regulations and ordinance, saying say any code enforcements should be overseen by health officials, not law enforcement. “It is a public health issue,” he said, not a law enforcement matter.

A new dispensary in Pixley drew considerable attention, especially from Louise Rambo, representing the Pixley Town Council. She said a dispensary recently opened on the town's main street next to a facility where children are cared for and close to a school.

She said such a business has no place in Pixley, noting Tulare County appears to be drawing clients from Fresno, Kings and other counties that have no dispensaries.

Lupe Arzola, who owns the Pixley dispensary, said he will continue to run his business claiming it is a legal operation. Another Pixley resident said, “It is totally inappropriate to have that business in downtown Pixley, especially when the Board of Supervisors last year closed county health clinics serving area residents.”

Porterville resident Jose Tapia opposed the moratorium, saying he hopes to open one in Porterville where he said there is a need. He said it is a hardship for area residents to have to travel to Woodlake, Pixley and other locations to get their medication.

County Counsel Kathleen Bales Lange reminded those in attendance that permits or business licenses are not required and only zoning regulations must be followed. Permits and possibly business licenses for dispensaries are among the issues county staff is working on.

In other action, supervisors:

-- Reversed a planning commission decision and voted 4-1 to allow the Visalia Moose Lodge to seek a General Plan amendment necessary to go ahead with a zone change request for a 5.1 acre parcel near Lovers Lane and Avenue 272.

Supervisor Allen Ishida voted no. He had previous opposed a similar zoning change when a church had proposed a large project in the same general location. Although the Moose Lodge property is zoned for agricultural use, it has not been farmed for many years and the City of Visalia is unlikely to shift development into that area any time soon, other board members said.

The Moose Lodge is about to move into its new lodge facility adjacent to Visalia Bowling Center. It has owned the Lovers Lane site for several years but decided on the Visalia site when it was unable to get the other land zoned.

-- Gave tentative approval of a zoning change for a development along Globe Drive in Springville one mile south of Highway 190. The board set April 1 for consideration of final approval. Several neighboring property owners opposed the zone change, citing a need for a more comprehensive Environmental Impact Report dealing with potential water and health issues.

– Approved the registration of the newly formed Tulare County Professional Firefighters and the Government Lawyers Association of Workers as employee organizations.

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What's New

California Dairies Inc., based in Visalia, will move forward on the phase 2 expansion of its new Visalia plant over the next two years, taking the production capacity to 10 million pounds of milk a day – double what it can do today. The dairy cooperative is doing a test run this week at its butter powder plant on Plaza Dr. in the Visalia industrial park. It will gear up to full production in the next few months. The next phase will be a duplicate of the current phase. CDI bought the plant from FritoLay in 2005 and poured in more than $100 million to retool it as a milk processing plant. CDI owns Dairy America, Inc. that sells some two-thirds of the milk powder produced in the U.S.

Exeter citrus expert Lance Walheim stayed at home earlier this week to watch brother Rex Walheim walk in space live as part of the International Space Station flight. “It was just awesome to watch him up there,” Lance says. Rex always wanted to fly just like their father, Lawrence, who also lives in Exeter and was an air force pilot like son Rex. The NASA astronaut team is expected to return to earth Feb. 18 or 19. This is Rex's second space flight.

Tulare's Welcome Center Caboose's run is coming to an end. Monday night the Tulare City Historical Society's board of directors voted to sell the caboose to a local dairy farmer who plans on moving it from the Preferred Outlets at Tulare to a site in Rio Vista. The last day of the Welcome Center will be March 14, announced the Tulare Chamber of Commerce. The 1974 caboose was part of the last train to travel through Tulare on the Santa Fe line and was converted into the Welcome Center in the mid-1990s.

Fresno's Thomason Development is holding off seeking City of Visalia approval to abandon a proposed street that would run in the middle of the planned 150,000-square-foot shopping center at the northwest corner of Lovers Lane and Walnut. The developer proposes to tie the center to the neighborhood with a pedestrian entrance. Thomason has reportedly been negotiating with Kroger, likely for a new FoodsCo warehouse grocery store as well as a new drug store for the shopping center – the first such center in the southeast part of the city. Asking the city to abandon the street signals the project – in the works for several years – must be getting closer. Several residents of the adjacent neighborhood spoke before the city council Monday expressing concerns about the project.

Flu and other respiratory illnesses are hitting Kaweah Delta Hospital hard this month with all beds filled, says CEO Lindsay Mann. “It's times like this that we are particularly glad we moved forward on our North Expansion that will add more bed capacity.” Mann says the hospital has been “extremely busy” for the past month and a half.

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Candidates Line Up for 34th State Assembly District

By Rick Elkins

Tulare County - Now that it is official that Bill Maze will not be able to seek another term in the Assembly, the race to pick his successor is lining up.

Already, Tulare Supervisor Connie Conway, Maze's wife, Becky, retired CHP officer Bob Smith of Yermo and Jim Payne, former Kern Unified School District trustee, have indicated they will seek the Republication nomination for the 34th Assembly seat now held by Maze. The primary will be held June 3.

Maze had hoped to be able to run for a fourth term, but last week's defeat of Prop. 93 ended that hope. Prop. 93 would have changed the term limits law to allow state elected officials to serve up to 12 years in one house, instead of six in the Assembly and eight in the Senate. Because voters soundly rejected that measure, Maze's six years are up at the end of 2008.

The measure had little support in Tulare County where 56 percent voted against it.

“It was a better scenario than what we have currently,” Maze said of the bill, but he said it was obvious several weeks ago the measure had little chance of passing.

So, instead of being a candidate, Maze will campaign for his wife this year and then gear up to run for the State Senate seat currently held by Roy Ashburn, (R-Bakersfield). Ashburn will be termed out of his 18th Senate seat in 2010. The entire 34th District is within the 18th Senate District.

Maze said he supported Prop. 93 not only because it would have extended his term, but it would have given lawmakers more time to acquaint themselves with the system and the people who have influence over the state Legislature.

“It takes you literally all year long to get acquainted with all the industry lobbyists,” said Maze, adding it can take years to get a bill passed. “Last year, I reintroduced bills that I had introduced in my first year,” he said.

He also said it takes a few years to get acquainted with the 34th district, a district that covers nearly all of Tulare County and portions of Inyo, Kern and San Bernardino counties, extending east over the mountains.

Maze was elected in November of 2002. The former Tulare County supervisor has served on the Assembly Budget Committee and the Health Committee and he presently serves as vice chair of the Water, Parks and Waterlife Committee, Assembly Budget Committee, Assembly Budget Sub-Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Business and Professions Committee. He also serves on numerous Select Committees.

His wife plans to file her candidacy papers as soon as possible. “It's (campaign) already begun. I wanted to see Bill run again; he's the best qualified,” she said of waiting until now to file.

Conway has already taken out papers and will return them soon. “I will definitely be filing,” she said, adding she intended to run no matter what the outcome of Prop. 93. She called that measure poorly written and didn't like the fact the proponents backed off a redistricting overhaul with the measure as was promised. “They wrote it very deceptively. The voters aren't stupid,” said Conway.

The supervisor chairperson said she wants to serve the area in Sacramento because so many decisions made in the state Capitol affect what happens here. “When you serve in a local capacity you learn in a short time that a lot of mandated funding is controlled in Sacramento.”

She said instead of complaining about what state lawmakers do, she wants to work to find equitable solutions. “Instead of being a whiner, I want to step back and make a meaningful contribution,” she said.

Becky Maze says she has learned from her husband and that her decision to run for his seat was not “something she entered into lightly,” calling it a life-altering decision.

“I just feel like it's something I wanted to do,” she said.

Bill Maze says his wife is qualified and that she has already been supported by leaders in both the Assembly and Senate.

Smith said he did not finalize his decision to run until he saw the results of Prop. 93. He said if voters of the district favored Prop. 93 and extending Maze's term, he might not have run. “Clearly, throughout the 34th District, (Prop.) 93 was voted down. They (voters) want change, they want somebody that's not a career politician,” he said.

Smith said there is nothing about serving in the legislature that can be more demanding or challenging that what he faced as a CHP officer.

Filing for state offices will run through March 7, March 12 if the incumbent does not run. However, if the incumbent is term-limited, the deadline is not extended.

Another race that will be interesting is for the 30th Assembly District. Incumbent Nicole Parra is termed out so that seat is open. And, she surprised everyone by announcing she would not run for another office.

“The time has come for me to pursue a new path in my professional life. I have been a public servant for almost my entire adult life,” Parra said in a released statement.

Already, Fran Florez, mother of 16th state Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter), has expressed interest in Parra's seat. Danny Gilmore, who lost a close race to Parra, has also indicated he will seek the Assembly seat.

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Tulare County - Proposed federal Medicare cuts in President George W. Bush's budget, as well as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to cut Medi-Cal funding by 10% and reduce eligibility, have a potential to do “unprecedented harm” to Tulare County's largest health care provider. So says Kaweah Delta Healthcare District CEO Lindsay Mann who notes that the one-two punch would have the effect of forcing more patients onto the charity rolls.

“It's not like we aren't going to care for those patients anyway,” he said. “It's just a matter of whether we get properly paid for the care.”

Mann says Medicare accounts for about 45% of the patient care funding at the hospital, while Medi-Cal, funded by federal and state monies to care for low income people, accounts for another 22%. That means two-thirds of the funds coming into the hospital comes from those two government sources.

“If we look at the proposed cuts from Medicare, it amounts to a $6.5 million hit on revenues,” says Mann. Taken over time, the cuts would mean a loss of $71.4 million between 2009 and 2013.

Cuts proposed under state Medi-Cal funding will mean a loss off $7.2 million annually, says Mann. Further, Schwarzenegger's plan to tighten eligibility rules to get Medi-Cal will put more families in the uninsured category that show up every day at KD's emergency room.

Kaweah Delta already has to eat about $8 million a year in charity cases.

Mann points out the emergency room is already overburdened with the closure of nearby Kingsburg hospital's ER in recent weeks.

The government's proposed plan for the next fiscal year would amount to some $1.1 billion in cuts to help the state's $14.5 billion budget shortfall. Cuts in the planning stage include an end to dental benefits for adults and would force Medi-Cal patients to prove they are eligible every three months. In addition, the plan would eliminate some benefits for optometry, podiatry, psychological service, speech therapy, acupuncture and incontinence creams.

With less funding for physicians and clinics, the fear is that the impact will come home to roost at the place no patient can be turned away from – the hospital ERs.

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By Miles Shuper

Visalia - Hadley Funeral Chapel, with roots dating back nearly 115 years in Visalia, is out of business.

The closure comes less than two years after the business moved its long-established chapel from an office at 410 W. Center Street to 917 W. Center. Its chapel and mortuary services were conducted in the company's Farmersville Chapel, which also has been closed.

Meanwhile, a former Hadley Chapel employee, Roger Wagner, has signed a short-term lease for the 917 W. Center office and is finalizing plans to lease the Farmerville chapel and mortuary site to establish Wagner Family Funeral Chapel. Wagner said he plans to open a full-service mortuary on Walnut Ave., east of Mooney Blvd., in several months. And, he said, Wagner Family Funeral Service will honor any pre-need funeral services purchased through Hadley's Chapel at the pre-paid purchase price. He said pre-paid funeral service funds are secured by state regulations.

“It is sad,” Wagner said, “to see a business which has served the Visalia community for so many years and which families have relied on, cease to exist.”

Hadley's demise came with little notice and Melanie Marines, owner and general manager, has not answered repeated calls. Calls to the Hadley Chapel had been answered for several weeks by an answering service and in the past two weeks, a voice message states the phone number is no longer in operation. Equipment and furnishings at the Farmersville Chapel at 332 E. Visalia Road have been removed.

Marines purchased Hadley's from Weifels and Sons of Palm Springs, a company which owns eight funeral homes in Southern California. Marines had managed the two Hadley Chapels prior to buying them. At that time, she said she had opted not to renew a lease with the long-time Hadley location owned by developer Bill Miller of Miller-Matejcek. Marines said she planned on using the 917 W. Center St. office as headquarters until she could find another suitable Visalia site for a new chapel and morturary.

The 410 W. Center St. site is being remodeled and will be the main branch of the soon to be opened Suncrest Bank, which also will have a branch in Porterville.

Wagner, who has about 15 years of mortuary experience in Northern and Central California, worked for the Hadley Chapel before and after the move to 917 W. Center St. He had planned to purchase the business but decided not to buy the company, opting instead to start his own business.

Several persons familiar with the local funeral industry said it was apparent that the move from 410 W. Center was a factor in hard times for Hadley- Martinsen Funeral Chapel generally because it had moved from its long-established location.

At least two persons said there had been indications for several months that Hadley Chapel was in financial straits and that there was some outstanding debts.

The business was established in 1892 by L.C. Lacey, who was joined in 1920 by Josh Hadley. It subsequently was taken over by R. Dudley (Dud) and Maxine Hadley in 1948 and became a local landmark at the intersection of Center and West. The Hadleys sold the business in 1980. Dud Hadley died in 1984 and Maxine in 1999.

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Porterville - Work on piping the Poplar Ditch from Porterville to west of Poplar should be completed in the next 45 days, paving the way for widening Highway 99 from Road 184 to Road 236.

By far, the biggest portion of the project is the piping of the ditch that carries irrigation water for the Lower Tule Irrigation District. That $4 million project, being supervised by Lower Tule but paid for by Caltrans, began in the fall of 2006.

“It has everything to do with the widening,” said Dan Vink, general manager for the Lower Tule.

He said Caltrans and the irrigation district had been negotiating the work for more than six years, with Caltrans first expecting the ditch company to pay for the relocation and piping of the large dirt ditch.

“Who was there first,” Vink said became the point of discussion. He said once it was determined the ditch was there way before the highway, it was decided that Caltrans would pay for the work. “The ditch dates back to 1800,” said Vink.

Once that was settled, the two parties agreed the best approach was to set back the ditch, rather than relocate the entire 6.5 miles of it. Half of that, about three miles, has been moved back, but the rest is being piped, shrinking the right-of-way from 60 to 15 feet, allowing for the widening work to proceed.

Caltrans plans to repave the roadway, widen shoulders and widen intersections. The highway is one of the main links between the city of Porterville and Highway 99 and is used often by trucks going and coming from the Wal-Mart distribution center in Porterville – hundreds of trucks a day. Widening will be done to avoid impacts to homes. In addition, sidewalks will be constructed along the highway in Poplar.

Vink said by far the biggest improvement is in Poplar. “That ditch was a mess. It will now be less of a health hazard and a safety issue in Poplar,” said Vink.

From Westwood Street in Porterville to the Friant-Kern Canal the ditch has actually being moved over about 60 feet. “That's to get it outside the footprint Caltrans needed for the widening,” said Vink. From the canal to west of Poplar, the ditch is being undergrounded in large cement pipes.

Vink explained the ditch carries more water up to the point of the Friant-Kern Canal, but at that point much of the water is diverted into other waterways. He said only a small amount of water is carried further west to where the ditch ends and water is diverted into other canals.

Vink said other than cleaning up the area through Poplar, the project does not have any value to the ditch company. He said they will gain some water from less evaporation, but lose underground water recharge when water is in the ditch.
Caltrans is expected to begin work on the highway in the next few months. It is slated for completion in October of 2009. Total cost of the project is $6.4 million.