Visalia Facing Another
Challenging Year

By Rick Elkins

Visalia - A year ago, Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon said the city was facing unprecedented economic times. Little has changed in the past 12 months.

“We're still there, I'm afraid,” Salomon said Friday as he assessed the next 12 months.

“Maybe we've hit bottom, but the bottom is going to last a while,” he added.
Last year, at the height of the recession, Salomon said the city was facing tough times. Sales tax and property tax revenues were way off and the uncertainty over the state's budget mess led to fears more money would be taken from local governments.

Fast-forward 12 months to today and the same is true. Property tax and sales tax revenues, while not expected to fall any further, are also not expected to rebound. The state is still facing a huge deficit that may persist for four more years. And, there are expected problems on the horizon with commercial real estate and another wave of home foreclosures.

The city adjusted the past 18 months. Employees were not replaced if they left, five top officers in the police department, including Chief Bob Carden, took early retirement. Two top officers in the fire department did the same. Furloughs were initiated in all departments. Savings were found wherever they could be found. The city dipped into its reserves to make ends meet.

“I think we've been able to adjust as well as anybody,” said Salomon. “To some extent, the public has not noticed,” he added, but that may change in 2010.

Mayor Bob Link agrees. “I think we're in fairly good condition,” he said, adding there are still many challenges ahead, including contract negotiations with all five employee bargaining groups and uncertainty what the state might do. Last year, the city escaped major cutbacks in state funding.

Salomon, the city's top administrator for the past 13 years, said the drop-off in park maintenance will begin to show this spring. And, police staff is down through attrition and some officers have been pulled off of school campuses and more will be pulled this summer.

However, the projected city deficit this year is $1.5 million, compared to about $5 million in 2009. Salomon said the city is trying to maintain the same number of people, while at the same time looking for ways to further save money.

He said he is hopeful there could be some savings realized in the employee contract negotiations.

Link said the city needs to be fiscally cautious. “We are going with bare bones,” he said. He added there is still some reserve money left, but added, “At some time you've got to stop doing that (taking from reserves).”

And, while the city may be in the midst of its largest capital projects program ever, the number and extent of those projects may be slowing down in the near future.
Mooney Boulevard, Santa Fe overpass, Ben Maddox interchange, Houston Avenue, Sports Park Phase II and even Recreation Park were all huge projects. However, all were funded a long time ago and had been in the works for years, some even decades.

“What you are going to see is the capital improvement program slow,” said Salomon as revenue for such projects slows. Measure R, the countywide sales tax hike for transportation projects, is based on sales tax. Many other projects are based on development fees. As sales and development slow, so does the revenue.

There are still a couple of large projects ahead. One is the Plaza Drive interchange and widening from Highway 198 to Goshen. That $22 million project should go to bid late this year and is being done in conjunction with Caltrans. Another Caltans project will be the improvements to the eastbound downtown off ramp off of Highway 198. That project also could begin this year. While the Houston and Santa Fe projects are nearly complete, work will be ongoing all year on the Ben Maddox interchange.

After those, the only large project on the immediate horizon is an estimated $100 million expansion of the city's wastewater treatment plant. The city has already approved the design of that project that has a large water conservation and groundwater recharge component.

“Over the next five years, we may have a shot at reversing our groundwater overdraft problem here,” said Salomon.

Some Positives

Not all is gloom and doom, pointed out the city manager.

He said the city is moving on plans to remove more people from the flood plain, a contentious issue in 2009 that probably led to Steve Nelsen getting elected to the city council.

Salomon said the city is studying ways to mitigate the threat of flooding to the city, possibly with a small reservoir or retention basin to capture flood water in wet years.
However, he cautioned that process could take years, noting the federal government does not move quickly on such issues.

Also, there are some prospects for the city's industrial park, including landowner Russell Doe seeking annexation of approximately 160 acres for future development.
City Director of Housing and Economic Development Ricardo Noguera said he is trying to land a large industrial user – maybe an industry that would utilize more than 50,000 square feet of space.

“If the economy turns around, the city should be in a position to deal with growth,” said Salomon of ongoing efforts.He said the city will also begin a study of South Mooney Boulevard. “I think the council will try to figure out what to do with zoning to help property owners, primarily north of Walnut Avenue,” he said.

He is also hopeful someone will take over the old Costco and Home Deport site on South Mooney Boulevard this year, improving an area that has been vacant for more than three years.

“There is cause for optimism,” he stressed, noting that downtown has survived the economic downturn intact and that the Mangano development on East Main street is very significant.

“It may be the largest downtown project since the Hotel Johnson was built that doesn't have any city or any other government involvement,” he said of the Mangano project that will rebuild an entire city block across from the theater.

Also, he does not anticipate any further layoffs, although he stopped short of saying there would be an end to furloughs. He said the city will continue to look for federal dollars whenever possible. Stimulus funds are paying for the expansion of the transit center and most of the Ben Maddox project.

Despite the tough times, Salomon says he feels the city is making progress and is in much better shape than most. Because of that, he said as long as he feels he is helping the city, he will continue to lead the city.

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County, RailAmerica Resume Negotiations

By Miles Shuper

Tulare County - In the continuing effort to keep a key section of railroad as a viable freight line, Tulare County officials were scheduled to meet this week in Florida with representatives of RailAmerica, the parent company of San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR).

The protracted battle to save the tracks from being scrapped, a move which county officials and others say would cripple rail transportation not only in Tulare County but most of the San Joaquin Valley, is continuing on an ever-twisting route. Resumption of talks signal at least a forward step by the major rail company. That has county officials optimistic a deal could be reached.

County Supervisor Allen Ishida, Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) Executive Director Ted Smalley and county Rail Commissioner Tom Sparks were to discuss a plan in which SJVR would sell the tracks and equipment such as signals and crossing guards and signs to TCAG and continue to operate the 30-plus-mile section of tracks, from Strathmore to Jovista, already approved for abandonment. Officials say the talks could lead to an eventual solution to not only reviving service, but expansion of freight service in Tulare County. Such a move, they say, would be a win-win situation by shifting commodity and other freight to rail instead of trucking. The move would improve air quality, save fuel and provide increased access to major West Coast ports, especially to the Port of Oakland.

TCAG has been working to find a financial, as well as a logistical way to keep the tracks from being ripped up for scrap, which would essentially end hopes of keeping and potentially expanding rail freight service for a large portion of the county.
If an agreement can be reached with RailAmerica, Ishida explained, TCAG would serve as a pass-through agency enabling formation of the Tulare County Rail Authority. The authority could then negotiate with SJVR to provide service along the 30-mile section as well as other portions of the company's lines. The potential for obtaining federal financial grants would be much greater, county officials point out.

On a 3-1 vote, with Supervisor Pete Vander Poel voting no, supervisors approved amendments to the expenditure allowing $3 million already set aside for rail right-of-way acquisition to be used to purchase the rails, ballast, signals and other items along the 30-plus-mile SJVR segment approved for abandonment.

Vander Poel said he supports the idea of saving the rail line but is opposed to using Measure R funds for non-transportation projects. Vander Poel said he favored the other items listed on the amended Measure R expenditure list.

Supervisor Phil Cox said although he has always been against the county's direct ownership of a railroad, using the money to buy the rails and other items, instead of the right-of-way, is the better way to will ensure that the track is kept intact. Cox said he is convinced TCAG and especially Supervisors Ishida and Mike Ennis whose districts have much at stake, will find investors to fund the purchase. Cox said buying the rails and other items at a cost less than buying the right-of-way is the best way to go. Earlier, Ishida had told the board that shifting from right-of-way purchase to the rails themselves amounts to about a two-thirds total savings.

County officials also have been negotiating with Union Pacific for the right-of-way, a move which could hinge of the outcome of the outcome of the Florida talks.
Except for the city of Visalia, other county cities have supported the county's financial dealing to save the rail system. The SJVR line runs through Visalia to Goshen and its connections to main line carriers isn't affected by the approved abandonment. The resumed talks also are being supported by area shippers who are pledging to increase rail shipping if service can be increased. Ishida said he and others have talked with several other companies who would use more rail service.

Dealings between RailAmerica and the county have been complex and frustrating, generating claims and counterclaims by both sides. A county offer to purchase the rail segments, based on a price established by an independent appraisal, was rejected. That was followed by reported talks between RailAmerica and another firm, to which it has connections. It also failed to materialize. Later, a move by an independent short-line company, Patriot Rail, fell by the wayside. Tulare County and Patriot officials had several talks about the company's expanding to the San Joaquin Valley. Several months ago, Patriot officials told Tulare County they were finished talking with RailAmerica.

If the county is able to forge a deal with RailAmerica, local sources say, Patriot might re-enter the picture but only if an agreement for track use rights from Kern to Fresno counties is obtained.

Before departing for Florida, Ishida and Sparks expressed mild optimism that freight rail service for the southern portion of the county could still become reality. Ishida said there is strong support by other companies pledging financial support and increased rail shipping.

Rail America last year made a public stock offering to raise funds to pay off mounting debt but stock prices currently are below expectations, according to financial reports.

Sparks and Ishida said funds for further upgrading of the rails allowing faster and more efficient service could come from federal sources and increased shipping revenues.

Officials said they are not looking at tapping further into Measure R, the voter-approved sales tax fund for transportation projects, for the rail purchase.

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Committee Preserves Visalia's
Architectural History

By Steve Pastis

Visalia - One of the charms of Visalia is its numerous historic and architecturally quaint buildings and much of that charm can be attributed to the city's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.

“The purpose of the committee is to review structural proposals to preserve – to the extent possible – the historic nature of the buildings,” said Paul Scheibel, the city's principal planner, who represents the city on the committee.

Developers planning commercial or residential projects in certain areas of Visalia where historic or old buildings are more common, must have their plans to the committee for its OK or input. The committee also reviews plans homeowners in those areas have that could alter the exterior of their home, including changes to roofs, windows, steps or doors.

The committee also reviews plans that affect other older buildings outside of those areas that are on the city's historic register.

The committee was created in the 1970s after “a whole series of teardowns on Noble around the Court, Bridge and Locust areas,” said Scheibel. “Some historical houses were torn down and replaced with triplexes that were lucrative at the time. That was the motivation and impetus behind the ordinance.”

Chapter 17.56 of the Visalia Municipal Code established the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee “to review all proposed zoning actions (zone changes, conditional use permits, special zoning exceptions, planned unit developments and variances) within the historic district.”

In reviewing proposed actions, the committee must consider the building's architectural significance and style, as well as its historic significance. “We want to preserve historic structures in accordance with the ordinance and at the same time be practical,” Scheibel said.

Visalia has three historic areas. The largest covers most of the blocks north of Oak, east of Stevenson, west of Garden and south of Grove. One is basically the area surrounded by Conyer, Main, Giddings and School. The third is between Court, Tulare, Garden and Noble, extending west along Noble to Willis.

Lewis Architecture is wrapping up the renovation of a 3,038-square-foot 1920s-era home at 505 N. West St. into an attorney's office.

“When you're on a busy street like Murray or Center, really the only way you can save these houses is to convert them to offices,” said architect Larry Lewis. “This is a good way of preserving them. You see this in Fresno and Pasadena.” He supports this strategy on busy thoroughfares, but not in residential neighborhoods.

“This house had been messed with,” Lewis said. “Some things were damaged. We're bringing it back to the way it was. We replaced the internal hardwood siding and exposed hardwood floors. We patched walls. When someone walks in, they will think that this is the way it was.”

Lewis Architecture also built a parking lot and redid the outside of the building, replacing the windows, after presenting plans to the committee.

“If the windows had grids in either the top or bottom, we had to replace them with grids,” Lewis said, adding that the committee was only concerned with the outside of the building. “They're only allowed to affect the outside. We could totally gut the inside if we wanted to – which I would never do.”

Lewis had good things to say about the members of the committee and neither he nor Scheibel see the relationship between developers and the committee as adversarial. “It can be mutually beneficial,” said Scheibel.

Steve Peck, vice president with the Mangano Company, agreed. “My job is to understand the city's code and regulations and try to meet those,” he said. “It's not my strong will versus their strong will.”

“I think the members of the committee are passionate, dedicated people who are very informed,” said Susan Moore Sevier, about her fellow committee members. “I like the way they follow the process. It's very fair. If you don't agree, you can go to the city council and have it overturned.”

'A Certain Status'

“If your building, whether it's commercial or residential, is on the local register, there's a certain status associated with that,” said local historian Terry Ommen. “It means someone's taken the time to research its history.”

Ommen, who owns a house in a historic district, acknowledged that there is no financial benefit in having a house that is registered as historical. “It restricts what you can do to the visual exterior,” he said, but added that he is “kind of proud” to own a historic home.

“David Logan lived in my house,” he said. “He was one of the 'Four Horsemen' who flew for the Royal air Force in England during World War II. To me that elevates the status of the house.”

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Site Plan Review – Where Projects Begin

Visalia - Packwood Creek Shopping Center went through the process. So did Orchard Walk Shopping Center. A new McDonald's restaurant and even a new subdivision also must pass through the process.

All building projects at some point must go through the city's Site Plan Review Committee and while local developers admit it is not always the most perfect process, for the most part the committee is helpful and can save time and money.
Site Plan Review is where developers with plans start to get input from the many different city departments as to what they might need to do to get their plans approved. It is a process designed to help those considering a project before the project is actually submitted for approval.

“It's a dynamic thing that goes on in site plan,” said the city's top building official and chairman of the committee, Dennis Lehman. He said that by identifying problems or changes that need to be made to plans then, instead of much later in the process, it saves everyone time and money.

“The cheapest thing is to make changes on a piece of paper,” he noted, adding the committee can help chart a path for a developer.

“It's a helpful tool,” said local developer Harvey May. “It's one of the things about Visalia that can make it easier to do business,” he added.

Steve Peck, vice president with the Mangano Company, agreed, although he said it can also slow the process and be less than perfect.

Lehman said he is aware of some problems and they continue to try to work those out.

“Our job is to look at how it fits. I don't find it being an impediment,” he said.

Process

Plans submitted by Thursday can be on the site plan committee's agenda the next Wednesday. The committee is usually made up of Lehman who represents police, fire and site plan, a building and planning official and a city engineer. Occasionally, there are more, but most of the time there are just three or four city staffers.
Before the item is placed on the agenda, it is reviewed by someone from each department. Solid waste looks at it for where the trash bins will be located, the fire department looks for many items, including hydrant locations, the building department to see that the proposals meet zoning laws and building codes, engineering that looks at sewer and water hookups and egress and ingress to the property from streets.

During the meeting, the applicant is able to get the feedback they need, find out what might be needed to make the project more acceptable to the city and to learn what adjustments need to be made.

If the proposal has no issues, it is given a “proceed” stamp. If some minor adjustments are needed, it is a “proceed with revisions.” However, if there are some larger issues that need to be resolved, then it is stamped “re-submittal” meaning it will have to come back before the committee. It is “re-submittal” that some have issue with.

May said the downside to such a short turnaround is “that sometimes you don't get comprehensive comments.” Because of that, sometimes they have to resubmit.
Peck agreed that is too short of a turnaround because if they have to resubmit, then in order to get on the next agenda, they need to resubmit the next day. Often, said Peck and May, 24 hours is not enough time to get revisions made and they lose a week.

“It maybe delays the process a week, but it can be longer if more work on plans is needed,” admitted Lehman, who said they are trying to speed up the process “because we know time is money.”

All three admit the process is most beneficial to those with less experience in developing property.

“It is a real good place for novices to come to,” said Lehman. Recently a developer came with a proposal to develop a Burger King restaurant on East Noble on an odd piece of property. The committee shared their advice and the developer left with a clearer understanding of what could be done.

Lehman said everything from a food cart to Packwood Creek goes through site plan. Some require only a quick review, some may have to be resubmitted and come back several times.

“As soon as they meet the standards, they move right into building permit,” said Lehman, adding that can be one meeting. If not, several stops at Site Plan Review may be needed before a project moves forward.

There are few tire kickers. “About 65 percent of everything that comes through site plan becomes a reality,” said Lehman. “Sometimes it comes back as an entirely different project,” he added.

Drawbacks

“I've heard complaints that sometimes they go outside the boundaries, don't follow code,” Peck said of another drawback to the process. “They (committee) have been known to develop or set policy.”

May said one of the downsides with the process that has become more prevalent in recent years is “unadpoted policies find their way down to the committee.”
Still, both he and Peck said for the most part the committee, and city staff in general, are helpful.

“I think the value of Site Plan Review definitely outweighs the occasional downsides,” said May. “As an application process, they are invaluable,” added Peck.

Lehman feels the process is helpful, especially in giving developers a heads up of what fees will cost, like the $14,000 fee per nozzle for gas stations.

“They can scale back to what they can afford,” he said.

He noted that with the weak economy the number of projects coming before Site Plan Review has dropped.

“We were on track to do about 300 site plans a year, but we'll do about 160 this year,” he said.

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Local Districts Skeptical
of ‘Race to the Top’

By Steve Pastis

California - Local school districts have applied for their shares of “Race to the Top,” a federal program that could bring as much as $700 million for California schools, even though they are not fully committed to the program.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bi-partisan legislation last week to reform the state's education system and increase the state's competitiveness in the national $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” education reform and funding competition.

“California now has a bold action plan to empower parents, embrace accountability, transform under-performing schools and help give every child equal access to education and to success,” Schwarzenegger said. “For years, we've imagined a day when parents have the right to move their child out of a failing school and the right to make major changes in chronically underperforming schools – in California that day has arrived.”

“All we've done is just sent in our letter of intent,” said Doindreia Bradley, Ed.D., superintendent of Woodville Union Elementary School District, which is one of the 11 smaller districts in Tulare County which formed a consortium to submit an application. “We have not truly signed on. The way we understand it is that there's a timeline when you have to express interest. We don't have all the facts yet. We're still waiting for them.”

The consortium, headed by Dr. Pansy Ceballos, assistant superintendent for instructional services for the Tulare County Office of Education, submitted its application last week.

“The purpose of the consortium is to put in an application for districts that want to go in as a group,” Ceballos said. “We will do the work together and (TCOE) will take the lead. If California does receive a Race to the Top grant, we will have to write the plan.”

Ceballos explained why not all local school districts have signed on. “The money is one-time, but the implementation would have to be sustained beyond the Race to the Top funds,” she said. “Some changes with Race to the Top are major changes. The other thing is losing local control.

“There were a lot of unanswered questions,” she continued. “Some took it to their boards and they said no.

“What we understand is it's not going to be that much money,” Ceballos said, adding that she has not heard what criteria will be used to decide which schools are failing. “All we know is they're going to come up with criteria of how they will determine failing schools, then it will go to the state board and then we'll be informed.”

The Visalia Unified School District also submitted an application but the district hasn't yet given the program its full support, according to Superintendent Stan Carrizosa. Both federal and state lawmakers are revising the language of the legislation, so the final wording has not been decided.

“The federal government has put out their criteria and asked states to add their criteria,” Carrizosa said. “It's fairly tangled now. It's fairly complicated.” He added that state budget negotiations may even change things further. “It may become unraveled in the budget process.”

Carrizosa said that “the fine print” in the bill allows school districts to withdraw their support “if we are not comfortable with the final conditions and any strings.”
“All it means is an application that can be withdrawn at any time has been submitted,” said Karl Kildow, president of Visalia Unified Teachers Association, who was critical of the program that could cost teachers in failing schools to lose their jobs.

“Instead of offering real money or resources to help those schools, some of the things that could happen would actually cost money,” Kildow said. If the parents opt out of the low-performing schools, those schools might actually lose funds in the process, he added.

VUSD could actually gain students as a result of Race to the Top. If enough parents decide to transfer their children to Visalia schools, the district may need to accelerate its plans to construct news schools.

Enrolment and developer fees usually “go hand-in-hand” to determine the need for new schools, according to Randy Groom, VUSD director of administrative services. The recent decline in developers' fees to pay for new schools could create problems for the district.

“You can't accelerate unnaturally without both,” Groom said.

The reforms contained in SBX5 1 and SBX5 4 include:
· Implementing turnaround strategies in the bottom 5 percent of persistently low-performing schools.
· Allowing California parents to transfer their children from the lowest-performing schools.
· Enacting new authority for parents to petition and require school boards to fix failing schools.
· Affirming California's student and teacher data systems may be used by local districts to evaluate teachers and principals, subject to collective bargaining.

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SECOND FRONT PAGE

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What's New

Pot shop saga continues. While the city of Visalia has not obtained a temporary injunction again Central Cali Caregivers, a medical marijuana cooperative in Visalia, City Attorney Alex Peltzer said because the owner, Brian Ruiz, reportedly continues to operate off and on, the city is going to seek a contempt charge. Visalia has imposed a moratorium on such businesses until the law regulating them becomes clearer.

Purchase of the old Brown Lumber yard property in the 300 block of East Oak is officially on the back burner. City Manager Steve Salomon said following Monday night's city council meeting that the council decided to not pursue the purchase of the property that was once the site of Fort Visalia in the 1850s. City officials did say they would continue to assess the sale of the property. The full city block is up for sale at approximately $1.5 million.

The Visitor Center at Lake Kaweah is getting a facelift. Work began in the summer. The center has gotten new display cases, new paint and some new flooring. The work is expected to be completed soon.

Joaquin Gonzales, member of the Hanford City Council since 2003, resigned following last week's meeting. According to the Hanford Sentinel, Gonzales resigned because he is moving out of his district.

The Wagon Wheel Steak House property on North Willis Street is on the market again, about two months after it was purchased by Visalia electrical contractor Don Celillo who bought it from a group of local investors. Celillo had plans to convert the building into offices but his plans simply weren't economically feasible considering the economic conditions, he said this week. The business has been closed for nearly two years. Celillo said the property could be used for a variety of purposes and is a great location.

With budget negotiations looming with all five of the city of Visalia employee bargaining groups, the city is hiring a consulting firm to assist in those negotiations that officials say are critical in light of tight revenues. The firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore was awarded the contract for an amount not to exceed $60,000.

Visalia City Council's annual retreat will be Feb. 5-6 at the convention center. The two-day meeting is to look at progress made in the past year and to identify priorities for the next 12 months. The sessions are open to the public.

California's two-year recession ended in the fourth quarter of 2009 – lagging several months behind the U.S. – according to the Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific. Southern California will lead the early stages of a sluggish recovery as many areas of Northern California will not emerge from recession until the spring or summer of 2010.

Saying there is not an urgent need for a city fire station in the southwest portion Visalia, the city council agreed to extend its lease of space at the Cal Fire facility on South Lovers Lane through November 2018.

Exeter City Treasurer Rochelle Giovani is retiring to spend more time with her family, according to acting City Administrator Felix Ortiz. He planned to recommend to the city council that Sheri Emerson, city finance director, be appointed to the position, either to finish the four-year term which will run to 2013, or until a special election can be held.

Most of the 19 classrooms that were closed at Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia in October opened up with the start of classes on Monday, according to Randy Groom, VUSD administrative services director. “The science wing was our top priority and that is open, along with the classroom wing next to it,” Groom said. The classrooms were damaged by the mid-October storms, which brought nearly two inches of rain to Visalia, and were closed down over mold concerns.

Target Corporation reported that its net retail sales for the five weeks ending Jan. 2 were $9.741 billion, an increase of 5 percent from $9.280 billion for the same five weeks a year ago. Macy's reported total sales of $4.426 billion for the same period, an increase of 0.7 percent compared with total sales of $4.397 billion a year ago. On a same-store basis, Macy's, Inc. sales were up 1 percent in December.

Citizens Business Bank plans on constructing a 1,000-square-foot room at its 500 W. Main St. site in Visalia to house the bank's main disaster recovery center. Plans were reviewed by the city Site Plan Review committee calling for the room to be the computer backup center for the entire bank that is headquartered in Ontario.

There are 244 renewable energy projects proposed in California, two in Kings County, according to the Governor's office. The projects could produce up to almost 70,000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy annually. The two Kings projects are a 20 megawatt solar project call Sun City Project Phase 1 and the other another 20 megawatt solar project called Synapse Solar 2.

The city of Farmersville is planning events for its 50th anniversary this year. “It will culminate in a parade or a big barbecue, something similar to what the city used to do,” said City Manager Rene Miller. The Farmersville Chamber of Commerce is looking to schedule the main anniversary event in the fall.

College of the Sequoias' online classes are attracting students from far beyond Tulare County. Eighty of the students who take COS courses through their computers live in Canada, according to Dr. Bill Scroggins, COS president. Twenty COS online students live in Iran.

By 2025, there will be one million fewer college graduates than are needed in the workforce in California, according to “Crafting a Student-Centered Transfer Process in California: Lessons Learned from Other States.” The report also states that in 2008, over half of the bachelor's degrees issued by CSU were awarded to students who had transferred from a community college, and 30% of the bachelor's degrees issued by UC were awarded to community college transfers.

Giant Tech Prep Expo 2010, a series of career-oriented competitions expected to attract more than 800 students from Tulare and Kings counties, has been scheduled for March 25 on the College of the Sequoias campus in Visalia.

College of the Sequoias is planning to apply to be part of a federally funded project that would bring 25 Latin American students to COS to study for two years. The school is looking for families to host these students in their homes in the fall.

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Visalia Fire Ladder Truck is State of the Art

Visalia - While the new Visalia Fire Department 105-foot ladder truck has just about everything imaginable, it is missing one thing that almost everyone would guess it has first – hoses.

The new red truck that went into service this fall enables the city to respond to almost any emergency, especially rescue and eradication emergencies, and while it can put water on a fire, the new truck does not have water storage or a pump. In order to spray water from the large nozzle mounted on the ladder, the truck has to be hooked up to a pumper or a fire hydrant.

“It has everything, but hoses,” admitted Battalion Chief Charlie Norman. “It's a weird feeling,” he added of the absence of fire hoses.

However, when hooked up to water, the truck can deliver 1,500 gallons a minute and reach areas few other Visalia fire department engines can reach.

The new engine, which is first in the department to be painted red, cost just under $1 million – that's right, $1 million.
It replaces the 1993 105-foot ladder truck that had become less reliable. It took more than two years for the new truck to be delivered to Visalia. Norman said it will be used by the department for more than 15 years. It is the first engine purchased by VFD since 2006.

“With our maintenance program, we obviously do a good job of maintaining it,” he said.

Norman explained the truck is now the department's primary rescue vehicle. It has tons of storage for equipment used in just about every rescue situation imaginable, including collapsed trenches, elevators, tall buildings and most common, rescuing people trapped in vehicles after a collision.

“It's considered a big tool box for us,” he said of the massive areas for storage on the large truck.
It has had its share of use already, responding to several structure fires, including the difficult Gina's Restaurant fire last year.

On the truck are more than 200 feet of additional ladders, ventilation systems, chain saws, support lumber, Jaws of Life, fans and more. It is also equipped as an emergency medical services vehicle.

The new cab, which comes with GPS, can seat six comfortably, but three personnel are assigned to the engine – Truck 51.

The Pierce Quantum truck is powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine and it sits on eight wheels.