Sports Park is Just One of
Several New Recreation Areas

By Rick Elkins

Visalia - Unprecedented growth in the city the past five years has lead to unprecedented growth in the city's park system with five parks in the development stage and the second phase of the Riverway Sports Park going to design.
By the end of next year, the five new parks will be open and the second phase of the sports park will be completed, said Vince Elizondo, city Parks and Recreation director.

“For a small department, we have quite a few projects going on,” understated Elizondo. When it is all finished, the five new parks will cover more than 17 acres total, the smallest being the Miki City Park at Mineral King and Stevenson at just two-thirds of an acre. The four other parks are all considered neighborhood parks, each roughly four acres in size.

Of course, the biggest project is the second phase of the Sports Park that opened last August at North Dinuba Blvd. north of Riggin Ave.

Last month, the city council awarded a $382,000 contract to the HLA Group of Sacramento to develop construction and bid documents for the second phase that will include the development of 12 acres. Most of that space will be devoted to a lighted four-field youth baseball complex that can accommodate local, regional and state tournament play.

The first phase was the development of 46 acres that included 10 regulation-sized soccer fields (three are lighted); three large group picnic areas; two restroom/concession facilities; two playgrounds; an interactive water feature; parking improvements; and a host of other general park amenities.

When completed, the park will entail 83-acres of space, including possibly an indoor swimming pool. Phase III will include four softball fields and the final phase would include the pool, a recreation center and another playground. Elizondo said Phase IV is probably 6-7 years away.

“Developing aquatics at the Sports Park would be really cool,” said Robert Mijares, chairman of the city's parks and recreation commission. He said while it is not locked in that a pool will be added to the sports park, it is the most likely spot should the city move forward with the plan.

Phase II will also include additional concession and restroom facilities; the lighting of two more soccer fields (which means a total of five fields will be lighted); the lighting of the BMX facility and additional parking lot improvements.

The projected cost for Phase II is estimated to be $5.8 million dollars. It will be funded by a combination of park impact fees and general fund monies.
While the sports park is major, Elizondo is particularly proud of the neighborhood parks that neighborhood residents helped to design.

For each one, the city held meetings in the neighborhood to get input from the people who will live by and use the parks. Elizondo said the city tries to locate a neighborhood park within every square mile of the city.

“All went very, very well. We had high participation, good participation,” he said of the meetings. He said the park designs are up to the residents. Typically, they include some open space, plenty of shade trees, a small basketball court and picnic areas. Because they are for local use, there is no parking or restrooms included.
“We try to leave open space for people to hold practices, but we don't put in formal playing fields,” he explained.

Especially exciting to both Elizondo and Mijares is the Miki City Park, the two-third acre park that will be very unique.

Miki is the sister city of Visalia and the park will reflect the Japanese culture. “Our sister city had input and Miki is sending an art piece to be placed in the park. It is a sculptured rock piece,” said Elizondo.

The park will be designed with a Japanese theme and will include a water fall, a coy pond and a small bridge. Located at Mineral King and Stevenson, it will be accessible to people who work downtown.

“It's really neat to be part of something that's culturally diverse from out other parks,” added Mijares.

In addition to the new parks and the sports park, three existing parks will see major improvements, including the installation of handicapped accessible playground in Recreation Park at Jacob and Center.

“That's going to be pretty fantastic,” said Elizondo, explaining the city received a state grant for the playground.

Village Park, at Pearl and 4th Street, will get a new irrigation system, landscaping and a playground. In addition, the Wittman Center will get some much needed improvements. Mill Creek Garden Park at Lover's Lane and Mill Creek will see the addition of a playground.

The housing growth of the past five years, as well as some grant money, is what is paying for the all the new parks and improvements. Elizondo said the city receives $3,000 in park impact fees for every new home constructed and that on average the development of a park costs about $200,000 an acre.

“We actually work really well with developers as well. They work in a very cooperative and willing manner,” said Elizondo of the support the city has had in developing parks. And, he said, the city has worked really well with the Visalia Unified School District in locating parks near schools. “It makes sense to combine those elements,” he said.

Also, pointed out City Council Member Don Landers, the 1991 general plan for the city laid the groundwork for the parks, dictating the city have a park within 1 square mile of each other.

“I think it's significant,” he said the parks being developed. “It's a tremendous commitment.”

And there is more. Elizondo said the city already has acquired property for several more parks, including 96.8 acres of land east of the city along Highway 198 and Road 152, and the Central Park being planned as part of the East Downtown Master Plan.

“There are lots of other parks in the 3-5 acre range. We'll build those when residential growth reaches those areas,” he said.

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Rising Gas Prices Impact Local Government, Businesses

By Steve Pastis

Visalia - As local gas prices approach the $4-per-gallon level, the financial effects are being felt in wallets, purses and monthly statements across the county. Higher fuel costs also have significant impacts on local businesses and government entities that are felt in different ways.

“We always feel it because it's been rising for years,” said Monty Cox, Visalia transit manager. “It's a line item on our budget. We never seem to increase it enough. They always outpace us.

“The bottom line is the more we have to pay for fuel, it will be that much longer before we can expand to more routes, add drivers or mechanics, or whatever it takes to operate more busses,” he added.

The city is converting its busses to those that run on compressed natural gas, which is at least $1 cheaper per gallon than gasoline. “By the end of the year, we'll only have seven busses that aren't on natural gas, and by then, we'll have 44 buses,” Cox said.

Mario Cifuentez, II, manager of the City of Visalia Airport, reported a slowdown of local small aircraft flights but said that there was no decline in flights for larger aircraft.

“They just do it,” he said. “I don't know how they justify it. But ultimately, if prices stay high, airlines will make the adjustment.”

Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon said that although the increase in gas prices has a negative impact on the city, it's overshadowed by the multimillion dollar impact of the state budget crisis on the city.

Sgt. Allyn Wightman of the Visalia Police Department said that even with increases in gas prices, “We keep doing business.” The department's vehicles, as well as those of the city fire department, solid waste department, parks, buildings, water treatment and maintenance, are under the direction of Mike Morgantini, city fleet manager.

“We've been switching over for quite awhile to alternative fuels, hybrids and compressed natural gas,” Morgantini said.

He also said that when the economy slows down, there is “a reduction in personnel which results in a reduction of vehicle usage.” He pointed out that if you have less construction in town, less gas is needed for the city to make its inspections.

“It affects us greatly,” said T.J. Fischer, administrative supervisor for American Medical Response, a local ambulance service. “But we are fortunate to be part of a network fuel plan. The more fuel you buy, the better deal you get.”

With locations in 35 states, AMR is able to lower its gas prices significantly. This is important because as Fischer explained, “We do a lot of driving.” Serving Visalia and Porterville and their respective outlying areas, the company has seven vehicles on the road at any given time and faces monthly fuel costs of between $6,000-$7,000, according to Fischer.

“While costs are rising, reimbursements are actually decreasing,” he said. “Federal and state are actually reducing reimbursements. We first try to find a less expensive way to do it, but if that doesn't pan out, we have to increase our cost per trip.”

Pizza delivery drivers are affected more by rising gas prices than the pizza restaurants they work for. Drivers are paid a flat rate per delivery, said Monica Wann, manager of the Round Table Pizza on East Noble in Visalia.

“We bumped it up from 75 cents to $1 the middle of last year,” she said, adding that the drivers are starting to mention that their costs have gone up since then. “They get good tips though – damn near a whole tank of gas in one night.”

Meanwhile, there are those who seem to benefit from higher gas prices.

“I would think that rising gas prices would help Minor League teams because most of their attendance comes from the local community,” said Tom Seidler, president and general manager of the Visalia Oaks. “Families would be more inclined to stay in town.”

Seidler said that rising gas prices “impact our travel budget.” When asked where the money comes from to pay for the increased cost, he responded, “It comes from us selling more tickets. There's no way to directly make it up.”

Attendance has been up by about 3% at Sequoia and Kings National Parks, according to Alexandra Picavet, public affairs specialist for the two parks. The park reported that “over 52,000 more visitors and local people came to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 2007 than the previous year.”

“These parks offer real great vacations or even weekend trips,” Picavet said. “People are choosing to just hop in their vehicles with their families and travel to national parks, as opposed to taking international trips.”

At the same time, international travel to U.S. National Parks is up, she added. These factors are also bringing more visitors to Visalia.

“It's strange but I am actually seeing more people come to town and I'm getting more requests (for information),” said Erin Capuchino, marketing & event services coordinator for the Visalia Convention & Visitors Bureau. She said that increased gas prices are good for local tourism, adding that the message of “stay and play in our own backyard” will be a main theme of the upcoming Sequoia Adventures Expo.

Dennis Stanley is the owner of Stanley's Food Mart and Shell Station in Tulare, the second station in California to offer E85, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gas, at $2.89 a gallon.

“Ethanol sales are good,” he said. “It's really picking up as more and more customers hear about it.”

But how is the station doing overall with such high gas prices?“We make less money,” Stanley said, citing factors such as taxes, insurance, thinner profit margins, competition, fees to credit card companies and price fluctuations.

“Sometimes there will be two or three price increases in a day,” he said. “You can't change the price on the pole that many times without getting your customers angry. Hopefully, we'll do okay on the inside sales and we'll make up the difference there.
He was quick to blame the high prices on the oil companies.

“They're so crooked, it's unbelievable,” he said. “It's pure greed on the oil companies' part. There's more gas in California now than there has been for years. They're recording and showing record billion dollar profits. What does that tell us?”

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City Gets Funds for Visitor Center Development

Visalia- Plans for a visitor center and a permanent home for the Sequoia Shuttle took a giant leap forward last week when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the city will received $1,015,490 for that project.

“I think this will help a lot. If we're successful, we could be moving this project,” said Monty Cox, city transit manager. He added the city is seeking additional funds as well.

“We have two years to spend this money. We'll make progress in the next two years for sure,” he added.

The money will be used to expand the city's transit center and plan for the visitor center. Both projects are geared for the Sequoia Shuttle project.

However, the project is years away from completion. Cox said the city has not yet picked out a location for the visitor center and that the entire project will cost much more than $1 million, but an exact cost has not been determined.

“There are places we would like it to be, but we have not decided where. Ideally, it would be somewhere between the convention center and the transit center. The options are wide open at this point,” said Cox of the visitor center.

“We're trying to work with national parks folks to establish an office for them down here,” said Cox of the plan. “We would like to increase the amount of tourism information that's available. Perhaps, we can use this center for a visitor information center. The idea would be to get people to change their minds about driving up there and take the shuttle. That way we get them to stay down here, eat in our restaurants,” added Cox.

Besides the state funds, the city has budgeted $1 million available from Measure R for the expansion of the city's transit center that could be used for the new Visitor Center.

Assistant City Manager Leslie Caviglia says they want to check with several potential partners to be part of the visitor center that could highlight the Visalia area. “Maybe there is a way we can showcase products made in Visalia,” she says. “We want to take our potential partners to see what other users might want to be in on the planning and operation of the center, including the National Park Service,” she says.

The Visalia Visitor Bureau – an organization spun off from the chamber – may also be a player. The clustering of affiliated users along Santa Fe will include the city transit facility, the Chamber of Commerce and this new visitor center. The users are also near the city rail track, considered a plus for passenger service sometime in the future.

Also, improved access to the area will be helped by the construction of the bridge over Highway 198 at Santa Fe. Construction on the bridge could start later this year.

Besides highlighting Visalia, Caviglia says the center will promote the “entire region” including Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite. “We will promote the idea they can visit all three parks from the home base in Visalia.”

Visalia is not the only community that could benefit from a new visitor center. County Supervisor Allen Ishida told the Voice that TCAG will invest Measure R money to fund construction of a new transit center near the post office in Three Rivers that will be the hub for both the Sequoia Shuttle and a county bus system. That system could help commuters come and go to down the hill. In addition, the hub could help draw other outlets to locate nearby, helping to create a Three Rivers village center some locals hope.

The Sequoia Shuttle, which runs from Visalia to Sequoia National Park, began last year. It resumes May 21 with two more buses than last year.

“We thought it was very successful based on the short time frame we had to put it together,” said Cox, reporting that the buses carried 5,300 passengers to and from the park last year. Also, the city operates under a cooperative agreement with the park service two in-park shuttles that take riders to many of the favorite locations in the park. Those free shuttles carried 137,000 passengers last year.

The cost has gone up this year for the ride from Visalia to the park, going from $10 to $15 for the round-trip. People can also take it one way. That cost is $7.50. Both fees include entry into the park, which is $20 a vehicle.

Each bus carries 15 passengers, including a wheel chair or two. There will be five round trips, seven days a week. The first bus leaves at 7 a.m., then there is one bus that leaves at 8 a.m., then two leave at 9 a.m., and the last bus departs at 1 p.m. The buses return at 2:30, 3:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Each trip takes two hours one way and passengers are dropped off at the Giant Forest Museum where they can catch the in-park shuttle.

The shuttle will run through Labor Day.

“We've been doing more marketing this year. We anticipate we'll carry at least 40 percent more than last year. We're pretty excited about that,” said Cox.
Schwarzenegger announced allocating approximately $394 million in Proposition 1B bond funding for 106 transit projects statewide, a move he said will help to stimulate the state's economy.

In addition to the $1 million for Visalia, the city of Tulare will get $459,641 to replace some transit buses; Porterville will get $434,207 for its corporation yard; Exeter will get $85,304 for a bus cover and shop, and the Tulare County Association of Governments will receive $157,028 for new compressed natural gas buses.

The Kings County Area Public Transit Agency was allocated $355,000 for new 35-foot buses, $465,539 for Dial-A-Ride buses and $600,000 to develop a CNG slow fuel facility.

Schwarzenegger's announcement is the first transit projects to be funded by Prop. 1B, the 2006 voter-approved $19.9 billion transportation bond championed by the governor. This round of funding is the first of two annual funding cycles from the bond's $3.6 billion Public Transportation Modernization, Improvement and Service Enhancement Account. The transit projects build on the more than $1.6 billion already allocated under Prop. 1B.

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Monrovia's Camellias Get Special Attention

By Miles Shuper

Woodlake - Separated by a canal, river and roadway from more than 560 acres of nursery production, a 60-acre camellia nursery near Woodlake gets lots of special attention.

Monrovia Growers, one of the world's largest producers of container-grown plants with at least 2,200 different varieties, operates its Venice Hills camellia nursery as a separate entity using strict growing methods, termed “best practices,” to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens, especially Sudden Oak Death (SOD).

Several years ago, a SOD outbreak plants with at least 2,200 different varieties, operates its Venice Hills camellia nursery as a separate entity using strict growing methods, termed “best practices,” to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens, especially Sudden Oak Death (SOD).

Several years ago, a SOD outbreak devastated Camellias at Monrovia's then main nursery in Azusa. Not only did all Camellias have to be destroyed, but as a precaution, the company decided to pull out thousands of other potential host plants growing nearby.

The Venice Hill Nursery, with 37 acres of camellia production, has developed into the cornerstone of Monrovia's “best practices” for preventing the spread of pathogens. No SOD has been found in the 625 total acres of production on the 1,580-acre Monrovia site, referred to as the Visalia site despite its proximity to Woodlake. The company employs about 500 workers year around and a total of nearly 800 on a seasonal basis, according to Judy Lynes, a company spokesperson.

Most of the Monrovia Nursery is located west of Road 196, with approximately 800 acres containing the 60-acre Venice Hill nursery that is west of Charter Oaks Drive and separated by a canal and the St. John River. The remaining 560 acres of cultivation are east of Charter Oaks.

Company officials say they have no short term plans to increase cultivation for the 625-acres of production which use 25 domestic and irrigation wells in addition to water pumped seasonally from the St. Johns through a state-of-the-art irrigation system in which 85 per cent of the water not used by the plants is recycled.

Ted Styner, technical services coach for the Visalia Monrovia Nursery, said the Venice Hill site has its own nursery license and compliance agreements from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It appears the substantial investment, estimated at more than $2 million, is paying off.

“So far, our Venice Hills operation has been very successful,” said Styner, explaining the “best practices” is an ongoing practice and a major factor in increasing production and development of new varieties. Eventually, production acreage at the Venice Hills site will be expanded.

Camellias are grown on beds of compacted gravel which have a layer of plastic and are topped with groundcover cloth. Plants are grown in smaller section sizes to discourage the spread of any pathogens. Drip irrigation plays a major role in the “best practices” system by reducing the need for overhead spraying. Wet foliage tends to be a factor in potential pathogen spread, according to research.

Equipment used at the Venice Hill site is subjected to extreme sanitizing standards. All trucks, trailers and other vehicles entering and leaving the site must pass through a vehicle wash system where the undercarriages and tires are sprayed with Physan 20, a widely used disinfectant. Tools and other equipment are regularly disinfected on site. Camellias are shipped on their own trucks with no other plants from the Tulare County nursery, said Styner. About one million camellia plants, in nearly 60 varieties, are produced at the Venice Hills site and shipped to about 500 customers in 19 states. The entire Woodlake area site produces about 20 million plants and ships to approximately 3,500 customers in 49 states and Canada. Plants in varies sizes and stages of maturity are shipped according to customer needs.

Although no diseases have been found, the isolation of the Venice Hill Nursery allows other Monrovia operations to continue without disruption if a pathogen outbreak, such as SOD, was discovered. About 30 of the 37 acres of camellias are protected by shade structures. The nursery includes research and propagation areas and a small office.

Monrovia is one of the few growers to offer such a vast range of Camellia varieties, including the popular Ice Angels series of cold hardy Camellias and the Nuccio's Bella Rosa. The Venice Hills site also is significant because it not only allows for increased production under strict sterile conditions but provides for continuing development and research of new or improved varieties, according to Ted Steiner, technical services coach for the Venice Hill operation.

Monrovia was founded in 1926 by Harry E. Rosedale and currently produces more than 22 millions plants each year in its Visalia, Dayton, OR, Springfield, OH, and LaGrange, NC, nurseries. Founded in the Southern California community of Monrovia, the company moved in 1954 to neighboring Azusa, then primarily an agricultural area with numerous commercial nurseries and citrus groves. By the 1990s, Monrovia was the only agricultural entity in the city which had seen tremendous growth.

Surrounded by homes, a college and shipping center, the company moved to the Visalia-Woodlake area for its production headquarters and also expanded its other nurseries.

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Friant Board Could Break Up

San Joaquin Valley - It's showdown time Friday, March 14, as the 23-member Friant Water Users Authority (FWUA) board votes thumbs up or down on a settlement package. That package was forged in recent months and finalizes the details, funding and infrastructure construction over the San Joaquin River lawsuit.

At issue is a water management plan to recover water sent down the river in coming years to nourish a salmon fishery that once lived on the waterway. Opponents of the settlement believe there isn't enough water to bring back the salmon and allow Central Valley farms and cities that need that water too – to survive.

This past week, Friant member Madera Irrigation District put Friant on notice it wanted to withdraw from the agreement – followed by rumbles from other member irrigation districts.

The upshot is there will be a special meeting of the Friant board Friday, says general secretary Ron Jacobsma. “Each district is having their own vote and we'll count them all up Friday.”

“I'd call the vote Friday D-Day for the settlement,” says Friant board member Dan Vink, who favors the agreement.

Depending on the outcome, the vote could be positive for the agreement, sending the issue to Washington for final legislation.

Alternately, it could send the agreement back to the settling parties because of the potential breakup of the Friant Water Users Authority.

Another potential outcome is that all the member districts that use the Friant-Kern canal that flows south from the Friant Dam could approve the settlement while the two districts to the north of Fresno – Chowchilla and Madera – could withdraw. Those two districts use the much shorter Madera canal that also ties into the Friant Dam

The big question – could the withdrawal of some districts send the complex agreement back to court?

Jacobsma says his legal counsel, Steve Kabot, says the board can make decisions based on a majority vote even though the intention of the organization is to work by unanimous consent.

If the settlement process survives and moves forward, some water flows on the river could start next year. Time is clearly running out to salvage the deal.
A positive vote could set in motion the implementing legislation to fund infrastructure improvements to prepare for salmon runs, as well as new water works for water recirculation for the contractors.

The turmoil within Friant leaves the plaintiff in the lawsuit – Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC) – on the spot on whether to continue to pursue the settlement with those water districts that remain at the table regarding the 19-year-old dispute over the river.

Federal funding is expected to help improve facilities that will both increase chances for survival of a salmon fishery and the continued survival of family farming from Madera to Kern County.

The issue is a hot one in the Valley in and out of the Friant board, with flames fanned by Tulare County Congressman Devin Nunes who spoke in Madera recently.
Nunes disagrees with the settlement because farms and towns along the 152-mile canal would lose too much water to the fish recovery plan.

Estimates range around 19% of water delivered to the contractors currently would be diverted to the river for fish, and concepts to recover some of that water have been in the talks about for the past year. Details of the proposed recirculation ideas should be made public after the Friday meeting, says Jacobsma.

Opponent Nunes has been joined by former Friant chairman Kole Upton, who worries that project's huge expense still won't provide enough water for the cities and farms of the Central Valley and doubts the sincerity of NRDC to live up to its side of the bargain.

Tulare county Supervisor Allen Ishida has lent his name to critics of the plan as well as lobbying Washington to provide more certainty to water deliveries. Tulare County districts take about half the water from the big canal that follows the foothills. Ishida and Nunes claim farms will go fallow with the loss of the water.

But Vink says the current agreement “is the best bargain we can make,” noting that the only other option is to let the federal court rule on the long standing dispute – an outcome he considers far worse.

Friant negotiators have worked with their settlement partners – the NRDC and the federal government – to forge the package to be presented this week to the board. The package is said to include financial incentives for contractors to get more certainty on their water contracts converting them to more of a water right in return for contractors paying up front for debt on the system. That helps Congress justify a federal expense.

The package is expected to include a $50 million federal expenditure to help increase the capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal that has lost nearly 15% of the flow capacity through subsidence since it was built in the early 1950s.

“In 2006, we couldn't take all the water we could have during flood season” says Jacobsma. Instead the flood water did damage to Valley properties, and flows that could have been stored went out to sea.

Capturing these wet year flows is key to the water recirculation plans .
The added plumbing capacity is needed in flood years to carry water for groundwater banking along the system that can be pumped out when needed. Sources say other conveyance canals and pumps are part of the plan that will allow the recirculation of water for both fish and farms.

Supporters claim funding improved water management flexibility on the San Joaquin River – south of the Delta – means the region will be less dependent on what happens in the Bay Delta where flows south have been restricted by court order because of their own fish problems.

The Friant-Kern Canal greens more than 1 million acres on the Valley's east side, including water supplies for the cities of Fresno, Orange Cove and Lindsay.

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Bad Blood over 'No Fly Zone' for Bees
Pilot Program in April?

San Joaquin Valley - A proposal to do a pilot program that would mandate beekeepers keep their hives away from Central Valley mandarin groves as soon as next month's blossom season, appears to have little chance of being implemented – at least this year.

The state CDFA has set up a “Coexistence Working Group” that includes representatives from the mandarin industry and area beekeepers, which is chaired by Fresno Ag Commissioner Hector Prieto. “Prieto has had to wear a striped shirt and carry a whistle at all the meetings,” says one observer. Indeed, bad blood between the two sides appears to be par for the course.

Last week, the group met and reviewed a proposal for a pilot program to be implemented this year proposed by the mandarin industry led by Citrus Mutual administrator Joel Nelsen.

“What the mandarin growers are proposing is to let us place one-half hive per acre within a two-mile radius of a grove. That translates into just five hives for a 10-acre grove. What we do now is to put perhaps 120 to 190 hives on that amount of acreage. It's just a huge reduction,” claims Visalia beekeeper Steve Godlin who sits on the Coexistence task force.

Godlin calls the approach of the mandarin growers “an assault on our livelihood.” Further, he claims Nelsen, who has been a prime advocate for the proposed no fly zone for bees, is trying to throw his weight around to get the Secretary of Agriculture to mandate rules after claiming the beekeepers refused to compromise or come to the table.

Indeed, Nelsen says he has been trying to work out some compromise for three years now and the beekeepers never came up with ideas to solve the problem.
The problem is that in the midst of the vast sea of orange groves are clustered blocks of mandarins that fetch the highest price if the fruit is seedless.

Bees can make the fruit seeded and that can cut the market price of the mandarins from $40 a box as a seedless variety to half that. “I had a number of mandarin growers who said last year when the bees came in it ruined their crop,” says Nelsen.
The goal of some mandarin growers like Paramount Citrus is to keep the bees away from their mandarins by keeping the hives well away from the groves.

The pilot program that could bring in the local ag commissioner has succeeded in getting an agreement by the local beekeepers to submit the location of their hives to the commissioner. But what happens next remains up in the air.

The proposal by the mandarin growers is to limit hives to just two per acre outside the two-mile limit and a five-mile radius on open ground.

Mandarin growers say honey bees will fly up to five miles to gather nectar from the flowers, cross-pollinating their crop and reducing the values.

Beekeepers like David Bradshaw of Visalia say the rule essentially prohibits bee hives from most of the citrus growing regions. The situation is an emotional one for the local beekeepers who have been experiencing a 50% die-off in their bees for the past few seasons and say it is even worse this season. The orange crop where bees gather pollen to make honey is the biggest crop for growers.

The pilot program could ask mandarin growers to find alternative locations for the bees and the county ag commissioner to act as arbitrator.

But Godlin says many citrus growers don't agree with Nelsen since they get income from bees. Further, the Farm Bureau has weighed in on the side of the beekeepers since this dispute points out there is a right-to-farm issue. Beekeepers, after all, are contracting with a citrus grower to place hives in their fields and that should be between the grower and the beekeeper – not some third party, they reason. Last year, there was a threat of a lawsuit by at least one large mandarin grower.

Godlin says they are not giving up on some compromise and says CDFA's Jerry Miller will be visiting both sides to try to move the two closer together before April when blossoms are filling the orange belt air.

Another source says the compromise could be reached and details should be available in the next few weeks. “Right now, this is all about personalities that are dug in” and have little chance to work something out.

Nelsen and others point to the difference between the local beekeepers and the out of state beekeepers who don't seem to follow rules and probably would ignore calls to report the location of their hives to the county.

Godlin says that what he would prefer is a neighborly approach to the problem. “That's what we do here in the community of agriculture.” But Godlin fears that CDFA, as a result of the bill passed last year, will force a solution in time for the bloom season next year.

The bad blood between the two sides can be heard from Godlin who suggests Nelsen is still upset over prohibitions that were put on orange growers some years ago prohibiting them from spraying parathion to protect the bees. “Years later, that prohibition has worked out for everybody, but he doesn't like anyone telling the orange growers what they can do or cannot do.”

One observer, weighing the dispute, shrugs the negotiators have just an impossible task in trying to bring the two sides together.

The Coexistence group meets again March 28 in Fresno.

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What's New

A suit by State Attorney General Edmund Brown Jr. against the Tulare County Board of Supervisors to overturn the board's approval last year of two mega-dairies near Allensworth State Park has been settled. The suit became moot when Sam Etchegaray of Visalia, the land owner, agreed to sell land use rights gained by the county's decision to construct the two huge proposed dairies to the State Department of Parks and Recreation which oversees the historic site honoring the pioneering black settlement near Earlimart. The dairies were to be construction near Allensworth. The suit claimed the county violated state environmental regulations by approving the project “without meaningfully evaluating and identifying the impact on the settlement of Allensworth State Park.” Another suit against the county by the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment remains but could also be settled, according to sources familiar with the case.

A huge drop in the acres of farm land sold in Tulare County in 2007 was reported by The Ranch Co., an agricultural real estate company. For the year, 211 parcels totaling 16,476 acres were sold, compared to 261 parcels totally 23,338 acres in 2006. The number of parcels and the amount of acreage were five-year lows for the county. While the total value – $145.9 million, was the second lowest in five years, the value per acre was the highest of the past five years – $8,854 per acre. The busiest year in terms of farmland sales was 2005 when 398 parcels, totaling 41,926 acres, were sold. In 2007, row crop land made up 35 percent of the sales, with citrus second at 18 percent. Farmland being converted for development dropped from 2,066 acres in 2005, to 986 acres in 2006 to 196 acres last year. For the third time in 22 years, the farmland foreclosure sales were at zero last year.

Gottschalks reported a weak economy led to a 9.5 percent drop in same store sales last month, compared to February 2007. Total sales were down 11.5 percent from a year ago. Gottschalks stock has slumped to around $2 in recent months.

County Republicans are in store for a very hotly contested 34th Assembly race with four people vying to replace Assemblyman Bill Maze, who cannot run because of term limits. Lined up to succeed Maze are his wife, Becky Maze, Supervisor Connie Conway, retired San Bernardino Sheriff's Deputy Bob Smith and Jon Zellhoefer, who ran for the position two years ago. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Desmond Farrelly, Green Party candidate John Miller and Libertarian Dakota Smith. All are unopposed on the June 3 ballot. In local supervisors' races, 1st District Supervisors Allen Ishida will be challenged by Guy Christian, a district attorney's office investigator. In District 2, two challengers will vie to replace Conway. They are Pete Vander Poel and Patrick Isherwood. None of the county judges up for re-election are being challenged.

Visalia Planning Commissioners and Councilmembers agreed Monday to continue moving forward the Plaza Business Park project proposed by Westland Development in the Business Research Park in West Visalia. The joint meeting of the city's two bodies also resulted in agreement that language in the BRP Zone needs to be clarified, such as defining “large-scale” offices and other terms in the ordinance. The Plaza project is going through the planning process now and will go for a vote of the planning commission April 14. If approved there, it would go to the council for approval. It includes a new site for Fresno Pacific University, although Councilmember Greg Collins indicated he would like a broader discussion on how that 30-acre project, and the development of the other 90 acres in the BRP, will impact the rest of the city, specifically downtown.

Visalia City Planners Monday rejected by a 5-0 vote a developer's proposal to locate a Social Security Administration field office at South Lovers Lane after residents of the neighborhood objected to the plans.

The Porterville City Council approved that city's general plan amendment, mapping growth for that community for the next three decades.

As expected, the Tule River Tribe in Porterville unveiled its plans to develop a resort and casino at the Porterville Airport. The drawings showed a hotel with 175 rooms and a casino that would cover 18,000 square feet.

The city of Porterville is looking for a campaign to distinguish the city and give it an image as a place to live and visit. The Branding Stewardship Committee gave a report to the city council recently based on a $50,000 study, said Porterville Chamber CEO Donnette Silva Carter. “Branding is not just this brand, logo, it's much more,” said Carter, adding the process will continue to make the city attractive to not only its residents, but for people who visit.

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