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Chief Carden Retiring

Visalia - Visalia Police Chief Bob Carden, a 36-year law enforcement veteran, is retiring effective Aug. 29, he announced Tuesday.

The chief is taking the city up on its offer for early retirement, a move he says he can afford to do and one that will prevent a younger officer from having to be laid off.
“I'm absolutely doing it to help the budget (of the department),” he said Tuesday afternoon. He said his retirement will free up money so “someone else doesn't have to go.”

Last month, the city council approved an early retirement plan for upper management of the police department as one way to contend with a $1.5 million cut in the department's budget due to the poor economic conditions.

He said he had set a timetable of staying a minimum of five years in Visalia, but the economic situation moved up his plans to return to the state of Washington.
He leaves a department in better shape than we he began three years ago and he does not want to see the progress made slowed by layoffs of younger officers.
“Chief Carden has done a terrific job during his years with the city,” said Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon. “He quickly integrated himself into the community and took a strong leadership position on the gang issue. His charisma and vision was instrumental in breaking down walls and will remain his legacy in the department.”
Formerly the police chief in Marysville, Wash., Carden was appointed chief by Salomon with the unanimous support of the city council. He began in Visalia on May 15, 2006.

“When I began my career with the Visalia Police Department in 1981, I had no idea that I would have the privilege to serve as chief some 25 years later,” said Carden. “These last few years have served as the pinnacle of my career, which has spanned a total of 36 years.”

During Carden's tenure, he directed the department through many achievements, including: reorganizing the department structure; establishing the Multi Agency Gang Prevention Task Force; revitalizing the Hispanic Advisory Committee; implementing the Visalia Police Department/Tulare County District Attorney Court Liaison Unit; implementing the Critical Incident Team Program and Gang Injunction Process; reducing gang violence through innovative suppression and intervention strategies; and bringing staffing to allocated levels.

“We've done a lot of good things here,” he said, explaining that this summer has been much improved over last summer in terms of gang crime.

And, he says he is leaving a department that is solid.

“We're in good hands here. If I didn't think this was the best thing for the organization I wouldn't do it.” He added the department is staffed with “wonderful people” from upper management to the dispatch. “This is the best and finest officers and staff I've worked with anywhere,” he stressed.

He is looking forward to returning to Washington where he still has a home, and he is excited about the opportunity to teach police science to young people.

“I'd like to take my 35 years of experience back into the classroom,” he said. He plans on teaching at Columbia University in Washington.

However, he called the decision to retire, which he has considered ever since the council initiated the early retirement program, “bittersweet. It's not something I planned, but it's best to maintain our momentum,” he said.

Carden was raised in Exeter and served on the Visalia Police force from 1981 to 1990, leaving as sergeant of the Patrol Division. His San Joaquin Valley law enforcement experience continued in Lemoore where he served from 1990 to 1997, including three years as chief.

His career in public safety began in the United States Air Force where he was a staff sergeant in the Patrol Division, stationed at Edwards Air Force Base. He served briefly with the Wasco Police Department and the Tulare County Sheriff's Department before transferring to Visalia in 1981.

He received his Masters in Management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, and an Associate Degree in Administration of Justice from College of the Sequoias. He is a graduate of Exeter High School, and has taught corrections courses at Columbia College in Missouri through the Marysville, Wash., Extension Program. He attended both the California and the Washington Police Command colleges and has extensive specialized training from both states' law enforcement certification programs.

He and his wife of 36 years, Debbie, have two sons and a granddaughter.

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Prices Rising in Local Housing Market

Tulare County - Although home prices continue to fall in comparison to a year ago, over the past several months those prices have been rising.

“It's been very brisk,” said Ed Evans, broker/owner of RE/MAX in Visalia, of the local real estate market. He said demand is exceeding supply, inventory is low and home prices are up a little more each month. However, foreclosures continue to remain high and Evans says at there is one more wave of foreclosures to hit.

“I think it will be the last one (wave of foreclosures). Our values have increased. The confidence has increased,” he said.

For the month of June, MDA DataQuick, a housing tracking company, reported 333 homes were sold in Tulare County at a median price of $128,000, down 36 percent from a year ago, but up from $122,000 in May. Evans and others in real estate say prices have bottomed out and while not higher than a year ago, are slowly going up each month. The number of homes sold rose by 22 over May, as well.

“It's not a traditional market. All of the activity is in the lower end,” said Evans, explaining that more expensive rural properties are not moving at all and there is not much movement of property over $250,000, nearly the median price just a couple of years ago.

In June in Visalia, 140 homes were sold at a median price of $144,000. That compares to a median price for the same month last year of $216,500.

However, for properties below that, sellers are getting multiple offers from several buyers, and in some cases, the final offer is higher than what the buyer was seeking.
While the sales of existing and new homes are up, the cloud of foreclosures that has been hanging over the real estate market lingers.

RealtyTrac, another real estate tracking company, reported 427 foreclosure proceedings were begun in Visalia during June, bringing the last three-month total to more than 1,200 – just in Visalia.

For June, there were 941 foreclosure proceedings begun in Tulare County – 257 in Kings County. The city of Tulare saw 172 proceedings began, with 165 started in Porterville and 158 in Hanford.

Evans said not all proceedings begun end in foreclosure. In some cases, the buyers are able to save their homes, in others they are able to sell the homes.

“Some get modified, then a certain percentage goes to short sale (sold by the bank) and lastly is the trustee sale,” said Evans. In most trustee sales today, it is the bank that ends up with the property, he said.

However, most of the homes eventually end up on the market.

“They (experts) anticipate it will be pretty large,” said Evans of the next wave of foreclosure properties to hit the market. However, he is optimistic the stronger market can withstand the wave.

“I'm anticipating pent-up demand will be balanced with inventory of properties,” he said, adding, “I think it is the last one (wave).”

Statewide

An estimated 44,167 new and resale houses and condos were sold statewide last month. That was up 13.1 percent from 39,051 in May, and up 25.5 percent from 35,202 for June 2008, reported DataQuick.

Sales have increased on a year-over-year basis the last 12 months. California sales for the month of June have varied from a low of 35,202 in 2008 to a peak of 76,669 in 2004, the average being 50,698. MDA DataQuick's statistics go back to 1988.

The median price paid for a home last month was $246,000, up 7.0 percent from $230,000 in May, and down 25 percent from $328,000 for June a year ago. The upturn in median the last two months is the result of a relative increase in sales of more expensive homes.

Of the existing homes sold last month, 45.9 percent were properties that had been foreclosed on during the past year. Last month was the first since August last year when it was below 50 percent.

A total of 391,611 California properties received a foreclosure filing in the first half of 2009, the nation's highest total and 2.94 percent of the state's housing units (one in 34) – the nation's fourth highest state foreclosure rate, reported Realty Trac.

California foreclosure activity in the first half of 2009 increased nearly 14 percent from the previous six months and increased nearly 15 percent from the first half of 2008.

New Office

Evans has moved into his new RE/MAX office on West Noble Avenue in Visalia, a sign that the real estate market is alive and well.

While most of the agents will be located in the new, two-story building, Evans said they will keep about 10 agents at the downtown office on Main Street. About 30 agents will move to the new office.

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SCE Line Issue Sparks Loud Outcry

By Miles Shuper

Tulare County - A modified Alternative Route 3 simply makes good sense as the best site for Southern California Edison's controversial high voltage transmission line, the state Public Utilities Commission was loudly told during a public meeting on a draft Environmental Impact Report of the project.

Formation of a grassroots citizens' advisory committee to work with the PUC and its consultants to come up with a route with the least environmental, economic and social impacts was among the suggestions offered at the session attended by about 700 persons.

There was no doubt that those attending were adamant that Alternative Route 3 with modifications allowing the bypass of sensitive vernal pools, was the favored route. That route, through the Stone Corral Ecological Reserve, should be the top choice because it would be easy to mitigate, foes say. Route 3 locally is referred to as the Stokes Mountain route and portions of an existing power line run through the area.

That section is much better than Route 2 which the PUC earlier this year tabbed as the top choice. It runs north of Woodlake and Elderwood and bisects the Valley of the Sun, a historically significant agriculturally productive and cattle raising area. The Valley of the Sun was the scene of a huge festival attended by an estimated 10,000 persons in 1916 and the largest outdoor event west of the Mississippi.

The PUC's decision to put Route 2 at the top of the list was a victory of sorts for those who opposed Edison's favored Route 1, an 18-mile path through Lemon Cove, Exeter and Farmersville and into the Rector Substation in Visalia.

But members of PACE (Protect Agriculture, Communities and the Environment) successfully lobbied hard and strong against Route 1, and now are fighting just as hard to convince the PUC to select their authored modified Route 3. As anticipated, the PUC selection of Route 2 re-energized Elderwood and Woodlake property owners and residents who united when earlier hearings on all the routes were held. Route 2 opponents claim Route 3 could use existing rights of way for current lines which could be upgraded and have less overall impact.

James Gordon of Lemon Cove said, “We can recycle our cans and bottles. Why not recycle transmission lines?”

Several speakers said Edison's current transmission lines along Route 3 will have to be upgraded in the future, so it only makes sense to do it now.

Patricia Stevers, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau, one of more than three dozen speakers at the Visalia Convention Center meeting last week, cited the number of area citizens and property owners at the meeting as an indication of how critical the final SCE selection is. She urged the formation of what she termed as “a community-based advisory” panel to work with the PUC, its staff, consultants and others. “Let us be a part of that decision,” she said.

The draft EIR drew considerable criticism for its alleged shortcomings on the actual financial impact on farm land, water issues including wells, pumps, irrigation systems and ground water impacts, health concerns, safety as well as land values.

According to the draft EIR, only 16.7 acres of farmland and 12 acres of walnuts would be lost in Route 3, while Route 2, the current choice, would mean the loss of 23.9 acres of farmland and 12 acres of walnuts. Edison's first choice, Route 1 – through Lemon Cove, Exeter, Farmersville and with a Highway 198 frontage route – would take 31.1 acres of farmland and 29 acres of walnuts out of production.

When the more than two-hour session ended around 9:30 p.m., it was clear dissatisfaction was the overwhelming consensus.

Bob Hengst, the eldest of three generations of Hengst to speak that night, made it clear that Route 2 should not be the PUC choice. “The devil himself could not have selected a more devastating path” through the family property.

And his explanation of the impact the tower and lines will have on the irrigation and wells was typical of concerns expressed by almost all the speakers. Drilling a productive well is always a gamble and to put wells out of service because they are in the path of power lines is just too big of a mistake.

Hengst outlined how a wagon-wheel well on family property, the source of irrigation for 230 acres in the path of the power line, would have to be abandoned if the lines were built.

Current safety regulations basically prohibit new wagon-wheel wells with a central vertical shaft and horizontal spokes with conduits or lines reaching out to other ground water sources, which greatly increase water production from one major well.

“Such wells,” Hengst explained, are things of the past and to lose a productive one would be devastating.

David Hengst, Bob's son, said Route 2 would essentially wipe out much of the family's productive citrus, plum, pomegranate and other crop acreage which have been farmed for decades. At $200,000 an acre in production and land value, the family would lose $23 million in value and another $27 million in future income and job losses, for an overall total loss of about $50 million, essentially putting an end to the family business.

Bob Blakely, director of industry relations for California Citrus Mutual, called the draft EIR lacking on many fronts but said it is clear that Route 3, with the mitigation of avoiding the vernal pools area, is clearly the best choice.

No date for release of a final EIR report has been set but it is likely at least several months away, according to those close to the issue.

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State Budget Hits Local
Government, Schools

California - Local governmental officials are not breathing a sigh of relief now that the state has a budget. The reason, most don't think the state is done fixing its financial mess.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the massive state budget Tuesday that state leaders say solves the $26 billion deficit, but many feel that deal, like others before it, will fall short of its intended goal.

“I think they'll be back fairly soon,” said Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon. Harry Foster, CEO of Family Healthcare Network agreed.

In the budget deal reached late last week, the state will borrow $2.2 billion from local governments, like the city and county, cut $9.4 billion from schools, $1.6 billion from state government, another $785 million from the Dept. of Corrections and cut welfare spending by $3 billion. In all, the state reduced spending by more than $15 billion, but used borrowing and other gimmicks to make up the other $11 billion needed to balance the budget.

What the cities and counties did avoid for now was the state taking about $2 billion in fuel sales tax revenues, but Salomon feels that could be revisited soon and that some, if not all, that money could still be taken. For Visalia, that would cut $2 million out of the fund to pay for road repairs.

The state did take money from Redevelopment agencies, but that likely will be challenged in court. Visalia would lose $1.7 million in redevelopment funds this year and $350,000 next year if the court upholds the takeaway.

On Tuesday, the governor announced he vetoed another $656 million when he signed the budget.

City of Visalia

“It's very disappointing,” said Salomon of what he believes is the Legislature's inability to finally solve the budget crisis. He said it “became clear they weren't going to be able to do the things they needed to do.”

He said the idea of borrowing from local governments is only a temporary fix. The state cannot borrow any more for up to three years and must pay back the money taken, with interest, within that time frame.

“We still have a deteriorating economy. It seems to me we're not good. I expect them to come back because they don't have a fix.”

All total, the hit to the city will be at least $3.7 million this year.

College of the Sequoias

“In the short term, it was about what we expected,” said Dr. Bill Scroggins, president of College of the Sequoias. “We're starting to get the details and we'll be seeing if the governor vetoed anything.”

Plans had been to cut funding for community colleges in the state by $85 million, but “the cut is slightly less than expected,” he said. “It translates into about 0.8 percent which saves (COS) a few hundred thousand dollars.”

Scroggins said that the state will cut about $6 million in funding to COS, instead of the previously proposed $6.5 million. Also, the state will allow the community colleges to decide how trim their own budgets, instead of mandating cuts such as the state proposal that might have eliminated community college athletics. “They did it the way we had asked them to,” said Scroggins.

Family Healthcare

Harry Foster said his organization will have to adjust to cope with the cuts in funding for Medi-Cal.

“We took a pretty big hit,” said the head of more than 10 rural health clinics in Tulare and Kings counties. “We've done a lot of planning and I think we've found a way around it.”

One thing helping to offset the state cuts are federal stimulus funds FHCN has received, but Foster said the federal money designed to help cover the increase of patients due to the bad economy has been more than offset by what the state is taking away.

He said the clinics saw a 14 percent increase in patients from June of 2008 to this past June.

“We're going to survive, but it makes it tougher and tougher to provide the kind of services we want to provide,” Foster said.

VUSD

After seeing the education cuts in the new state budget, the Visalia Unified School District has “a cautious sense of relief that it was only as bad as we planned for,” said Robert Groeber, VUSD assistant superintendent for administrative services.

“From the district's perspective, we were prepared for pretty much everything they adopted,” he said. “We balanced our budget for 09-10 with $9 million in reductions. We did that with our own reserves as well as federal stimulus money.”

The district is in the process of prioritizing its services for future school years, with the intention of making cuts across the board, according to Groeber. “We'll have the plan presented to the board in December and ready to implement in 10-11,” he said.

Tulare County

The county will take a several million dollar hit and on Tuesday the governor cut more from the state's reimbursement to counties for the Williamson Act. That act taxes land at a lower rate if it is kept in ag and Tulare County is one of the largest users of the act. Before Tuesday, the county knew it was losing $1 million in Williamson Act reimbursements.

Earlier reports had the county facing a total of $8 million in cuts of state funding.

The governor on Tuesday also cut more from CalWORKS, the welfare program, and the Healthy Families program.

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What's New

Visalia Unified School District and the city of Visalia are negotiating the lease of the old Packwood Elementary School site on the southwest corner of the city's wastewater treatment plant. At one time, the school district considered selling the old school that is now vacant, but recently decided to hold on to the property for now, said Randy Groom, VUSD director of administrative services. Assistant City Manager Mike Olmos said the city wants to either utilize the site or sublease it to another user. He said either way helps the city preserve its wastewater treatment plant operation

Is the recession over? We don't see it yet on the job front but some of Visalia's largest employers are signaling it is. At the Visalia Industrial Park, clothing maker VF Corp stock fell to $38 a share back in December but has now climbed to $65. Retailer Jo Ann Stores has doubled its stock price since March, rising from near $23 a share. And the town's largest private employer, Cigna – the insurance giant that fell to a low of $8 per share last November – has now climbed to near $26 per share. More sobering – Cigna's shares were valued at $55 in early 2008. Over in Dinuba – Odwalla's owner Coca Cola has seen its stock increase from $38 in March to near $50 today. Also in Dinuba, Best Buy Electronics, with a large distribution center in town, has risen from $17 back in November to $37 this past week. Even Porterville-based Bank of Sierra that reported a net income drop of 43% in recent days still has investors bidding up its share price from just $6 in March to over $12 today.

Car sales are showing little sign the recession is over. The California New Car Dealers Assn. reports sales in the second quarter of 2009 were down 43% – the same percentage as the quarter before. The forecast for all of 2009 suggests car sales will be a little over half of what they were in the state in 2007 and a 32% drop compared to 2008. But 2010 will be an up year, it predicts. The decline in California exceeds the decline across the rest of the U.S., emphasized by the fact that the Big Three enjoy just 29% of the market here vs. 45% nationwide. Year-to-date, Chevrolet is down 47%, Ford is down 41%, Chrysler is down 71%, with Honda down 39% and Toyota down 50%. Honda Civic was the best-selling model during the first half of the year and European brands are showing increasing popularity.

Kings County's top building and planning official – Bill Zumwalt – will be stepping down from his position in October after 35 years with the county. “My last day in the office is August 7,” says Zumwalt, because of accumulated vacation time. Zumwalt is overseeing his last general plan update this fall after years of guiding the county's planning process. Bill moved to Kings County in1946 where his father ended up as postmaster in Hanford. He went to COS, Fresno State and did a stint in the Marine Corps before returning to Hanford to work for an engineering firm. His first job with the county was as an assistant planner. Bill's brother John is a civil engineer in town and heads up the COS board of trustees. The county has not named an interim but Greg Gatzka is a likely candidate. Zumwalt says he plans some trips and home repairs and after that, “who knows what.” He cautions that whatever part-time work he takes on, “I have had enough public hearings.”

Between the mid-1930s and the 1990s, the density of large diameter trees in Yosemite National Park has declined 24%, says a University of Washington study.

American Legion Sierra Post 785 is trying again to get its Legion Hall built in Visalia, but it may have an uphill battle on its hands. Last week, the post, through Randel Mathias of JCT Development, presented to the city's its initial plans to develop land at Ferguson and Dinuba Boulevard that would include a legion hall, along with commercial spaces, a mini-storage facility and multi-housing, including apartments for veterans. However, city officials said they weren't sure the plans would meet the council's goals of commercial development along North Dinuba Boulevard, but Mathias said he would come back with a better, more detailed plan in the near future. An attempt by the Legion to develop the 5-acre property in 2006 was unsuccessful.

Planning Commission back in Porterville? The Porterville City Council was expected to debate the re-establishing of a city planning commission this week. The city did away with its planning commission in the early 1990s, with the task done by the city council since then. Now, city leaders are considering establishing the planning body that would be appointed by the council.

Kings County's chief health officer, Dr. Michael MacLean, responded to charges that Kettleman City showed an unusually high incidence of birth defects, including cleft pallet, during a 14-month period from September 2007, with five babies suffering defects and three of them dying. “The state has studied this county over time,” said Dr. MacLean and they have just told us – based on recent years – that there is no evidence of excess birth defects.” The Bay Area environmental group Green Action has protested projects it says causes air and water pollution including the Chem Waste landfill near Kettleman and the planned power plant near Avenal. MacLean says if there was any indication of a birth defect cluster, he would say so. “I don't have a horse in this race.” MacLean says he feels for residents who understandably believe “there is a grouping of illnesses that are very real to them.” MacLean said the county health department would soon put out a press release announcing the latest state numbers that should cover 2008. While birth defects can result from environmental toxins, inadequate prenatal care can be a factor along with the mother's nutrition and genetic factors. Kings County stats show nearly 20% of births lack adequate prenatal care, compared to a rate of about 8% statewide. Teen births in Kings County are at near the highest rate in the state. Health officials stress the importance of folic acid intake during pregnancy. Green Action organized a march in Hanford July 18 to call attention to the cluster and demand a halt to the industrial projects they claim are the problem. “We are here to plea for the government agencies to stop the dumping on this community, due to all of the dead kids we have in Kettleman City, all of these kids with birth defects,” says activist Bradley Angel.

COS' student enrollment for the 2008-09 year was an all time high of 10,169 full-time equivalent students (FTES). “By the way, FTES means that we add up all the hours that full- and part-time students take and calculate the equivalent based on a full-time student defined as taking 15 credit hours per week,” reported COS President Bill Scroggins.

Family HealthCare Network presented preliminary plans last week to the city for its two-story addition to its Oak Street site that the health provider is attempting to secure stimulus money. Plans are for a 15,000 s.f. addition. FHCN is purchasing the property from the city.

About 131 million people voted in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, an increase of 5 million from 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The increase included about 2 million more black voters, 2 million more Hispanic voters and about 600,000 more Asian voters, while the number of non-Hispanic white voters remained statistically unchanged. Additionally, voters 18 to 24 were the only age group to show a statistically significant increase in turnout, reaching 49 percent in 2008 compared with 47 percent in 2004.

Visalia Unified School District is planning on building an elementary school – Shannon Ranch Elementary School – at County Center and Glendale, but actual construction is probably two years away, said Randy Groom, VUSD director of administrative services. The district presented its initial plans to the city last week.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation has made a significant discovery of oil and gas reserves in Kern County, with the oil company saying it has found between 150 million and 250 million gross barrels of oil.

More than 50 water agencies across the state are prohibiting water waste or rationing supplies, and many are enforcing their restrictions with temporary drought rates or fines. Another 58 agencies are urging customers to voluntarily conserve water. Many agricultural contractors throughout California are experiencing water shortages as well, as state and federal waters deliveries to most agencies are far below contracted amounts in 2009.

The Great Valley Center has opened an office in Bakersfield. Stacey Shepard, who joined the staff as the South Valley Energy Program Representative in May 2009, will be the first Great Valley Center staff member to be based out of the new office.

A $95,238 grant has been awarded to Kings Community Action Organization in Hanford for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) said the funds, which were provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are being awarded through the Department of Health and Human Services Head Start program.

Kaweah Delta Medical Center's Acequia Wing Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and the Telemetry Unit were given a clean bill of health by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the new units will open Monday.

The Ferguson Avenue Extension opened on Tuesday. The project extended the roadway from just west of Giddings Street to Mooney Boulevard and is the final link on Ferguson Avenue between Shirk and Bridge Street. The work was paid for with Measure R sales tax revenues.

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Fallen Soldier's Cross Will Honor WWII Vets

By Rick Elkins

The large World War II memorial on South Mooney Boulevard will soon be enhanced with a “Fallen Soldier's Cross.”

The new memorial, which will include special plaques remembering Visalia's two Medal of Honor recipients from World War II, will be unveiled and dedicated during a three-pronged dedication on Monday, Dec. 7.

Jerry Guevara of the Visalia Veterans Committee said the statue will be dedicated at the same time as the 68th remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and when Highway 63 will be dedicated as the “Greatest Generation Highway.”

“It's a tribute to all World War II veterans,” said Robert McNabb, committee chairman, of the new statue.
He explained the idea for the statue that will stand about 4-feet tall on top of a pedestal that will be about 3 feet in height came about from the 2006 dedication of the large mural on Mooney. At that ceremony, they had a “Fallen Soldier's Cross” – a rifle stuck in the ground with a soldier's helmet on top and boots on the ground – in front of the mural.

“During the ceremony, different people on the committee noticed that it added to the mural,” he said.
Now, that symbol of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in battle will be a permanent fixture of the memorial.
Heroes Honored

As part of that memorial, two plaques will be attached to the pedestal. One will honor Army Pfc. Alejandro Ruiz and the other, Army Staff Sgt. Kazuo Otani. Those two are Visalia's only Congressional Medal of Honor recipients – the highest honor bestowed on a person.

“I think it's very important” to remember the Medal of Honor recipients, said Guevara. “It is of vital importance” to not forget the past and, “that we don't forget what a lot of people did, the sacrifices they did.”

On the plaque, it will note that Ruiz, who is still surviving and living in the Bay Area, was pinned down by machine gun fire from a camouflaged Japanese pillbox on April 28, 1945. He was still able to advance and under his own initiative he charged the pillbox. On his second attempt, he was able to neutralize it, killing all 12 enemy soldiers inside.
Ruiz was awarded his Medal of Honor on June 26, 1946, by President Harry S. Truman in a ceremony at the White House.

Otani distinguished himself on July 15, 1944 near Pieve Di Santa Luce, Italy where he was mortally wounded by machine gun fire.

According to Wikipedia, after killing one sniper, Otani shouted directions to his platoon and repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire, creating a distraction which allowed some of his men to reach cover. He then crawled to a wounded soldier who was lying in an exposed position and began rendering medical aid, but was killed by enemy fire in the process. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton on June 21, 2000. He is only one of 21 Asian Americans who is so honored.

Doing the statue is local sculpture Sam Pena, who said the statue is special to him because his dad served in World War II. He called the “Fallen Soldier's Cross” poignant.

“This monument happened in the field, especially in WWII and I wanted people to get the feel so I made it life-size.”
Guevara said tentative plans are to place the statue out in front of the mural, out front on the south end. He said it will be placed so people can walk up and read the plaques, including the explanation of what the statue stands for.

“This Fallen Soldier monument is dedicated to all the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during World War II,” the plaque will read.

Guevara said the committee received an $18,000 grant from AMVETS to build the statue, but more money is needed to finish the project, including the signage for the “Greatest Generation Highway” and for the placement of the statue.

Greatest Generation

Assemblywoman Connie Conway (R-Tulare) was able to get passage of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 36, which designates Highway 63 from West Visalia Parkway to Avenue 264 in Visalia, as the “Greatest Generation Memorial Highway.”

The Greatest Generation Memorial Highway, located adjacent to the "Greatest Generation" memorial mural, serves as a tribute to local World War II veterans by recognizing their important involvement in Europe and in the Pacific during the war, noted Conway.

Guevara said while Caltrans has agreed to the designation, it has told the local veterans that it will cost $2,500 to place the road signs along the route telling people of the designation. Some money is also needed for the pedestal and plaques.

“So, we're just beating the bushes to this done,” he added. Those who want to donate can do so by sending a check to: Visalia Veterans Committee, P O. Box 4076, Visalia, 93278, or by calling Guevara at 786-9106.

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