By Rick Elkins
Three Rivers - Come Aug. 17 the residents of Three Rivers will no longer be served by their volunteer Three Rivers Ambulance Service that has been there for more than half a century. But, those residents may actually benefit from the change.
The Three Rivers Ambulance Service announced last month that it was ending service after 56 years.
The gap will be filled by other ambulance companies in the county and officials say the service will be improved, even though they are sad to see a volunteer effort go away.
“Their decision to get out of the business is very sad. They've been a very dedicated group of people,” said Dan Lynch, EMS director with Central California Emergency Medical Services Agency which oversees ambulance service in the Central Valley.
“I don't think there's going to be any type of decrease to the level of care in that area. You're probably going to see an increase,” he added.
Lynch said an agreement with other ambulance companies requires them to pick up the slack. A plan is being formulated that will go into effect Aug. 17.
Three Rivers Ambulance simply was running out of volunteers and a change in what level of training the state requires on ambulances was the last straw, said Mary Staberg, president of the board of the Three Rivers Ambulance Service.
The Three Rivers ambulance has been manned by EMT IIs, but the state is now requiring all ambulances have paramedics, she said.
Three Rivers had a problem getting younger people to volunteer, noted Supervisor Allen Ishida who represents that area. He said they did have three new volunteers training to be EMT IIs, but then the “State of California all of sudden reversed itself and ruled that EMT IIs are no longer needed. So we had three people in training in Three Rivers and they said your training is out the door.”
Lynch said one plan being looked it is to station an ambulance closer to Three Rivers, possibly in the Lemon Cove area. Right now, the closest ambulance is in Exeter.
However, he pointed out that due to the uncertainty over the availability of volunteers in Three Rivers, for the past several months, when that ambulance was dispatched, so was the Exeter ambulance as a backup.
“It was a 50-50 deal whether Three Rivers was able to staff the ambulance because they had limited personnel. Often, Exeter got there at the same time,” he said.
Now, an ambulance will be stationed closer and it will be staffed by paramedics.
“I believe it's probably going to be better than what they had.”
Staberg agrees, although she said she and other members of the volunteer service will watch the situation closely.
We are absolutely committed to watching this and make sure they follow the contract and that the eastern side of the county gets the same coverage as the rest of the county.”
She said it has not been determined what they will do with the 10-year-old ambulance or equipment.
Three Rivers was manned 100 percent by volunteers and except for some small financial help from the county, paid for expenses from its billing. It has had numerous volunteers over the years, including Staberg who has been a volunteer for 25 years.
By Rick Elkins
Visalia - Kaweah Delta Regional Medical Center really stepped into the 21st century last week with the delivery of the da Vinci Surgical System, the first robotic surgical system in Tulare and Kings counties and one of only a handful in the entire state.
“It's very exciting technology,” said Lindsay Mann, CEO of the hospital district. He said the robotic system provides for better outcomes, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times for patients.
The delivery of the da Vinci SI surgical system comes on the heels of the hospital's unveiling of the new robotic imaging system installed in the hospital's endovascular surgical suite in March. The two make the hospital one of the most modern in the state in terms of technology.
“It is the pinnacle of robotic surgery,” said Mann of the da Vinci system.
The $2 million piece of equipment was delivered June 29 and a surgical team is already undergoing training. The first surgery using the four-armed robot will be at the end of this month or early in August.
Plans are to use the surgery in urology or gynecology cases only at first, but Mann pointed out it will eventually be used for other surgeries. Dr. Mary Prah and Dr. Tui Hong will be the first to use the new tool. Both have been doing robotic surgeries at St. Agnes Hospital in Fresno, one of two hospitals in Fresno that have the robotic system.
“It has potential applications in the future for cardiac valve and general surgeries. It is very versatile,” he said.
According to the manufacturer's website - Intuitive Surgical – “the system is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The da Vinci System consists of an ergonomic surgeon's console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance 3D HD vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® instruments.”
The company, which is headquartered in Sunnyvale, said the da Vinci System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon's hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments.
“It takes out unwanted movement,” explained Louis Triana, the factor trainer who was working with the five-member surgical team last week.
It is a laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery system that means the minimally invasive surgery is performed through dime-sized (1-2 cm) incisions — also called operating ports. That is in contrast to the much larger incisions used in traditional, open surgery, which are often as large as 6-12 inches long. As few as three holes are all that is needed and one of those is for the camera.
Also, pointed out Triana, the camera image is magnified 10 times and is three dimensional, giving the surgeon a very clear view of where they are working.
“The magnification is a huge issue. It sees better than the human eye,” stressed Triana. He also said the system does a “million safety checks” a second.
Wendy Heatherly, RN and head of the surgical team, is also excited to see the latest in surgical techniques come to Kaweah Delta.
“It allows our patient population to stay local. That's one of the things we're most excited about,” she said as the team took a break from training.
Triana said the use of the robotic system does not add cost to the patient. He said it is charged the same as any other laparoscopic surgery. Actually, there is a savings.
A hospital stay from a non-laparoscopic surgery is three to five days. With the da Vinci, it is just two days.
In surgery, the surgeon sits at a console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves his or her hands.
The surgical team assists by changing the laparoscopes, with suction and other functions, much the same they do with other surgeries.
“The robot does not take any jobs,” said Bryce Egger, another member of the team. While five staff members are being trained now, Heatherly said more will be trained in the future. Also, the hospital is sending the team to Ohio State University, where the first de Vinci system was installed, for some intense one-on-one training.
Noel Ahedo, another RN, said the team is up to the challenge. “We have a great team. We're very capable of doing it,” he said of the new surgery.
Mann and Heatherly both praised the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation, hospital employees and the community for raising the $2 million to purchase the da Vinci system.
“It's pretty remarkable in this economy that the community responded so well,” said Mann. “It's important to me that employees have been pledging money. We should all be celebrating,” said Heatherly.
The da Vinci System is called "da Vinci" in part because Leonardo da Vinci invented the first robot. da Vinci also used unparalleled anatomical accuracy and three-dimensional details to bring his masterpieces to life, according to the company's website.
By Miles Shuper
Tulare County - Facing an estimated $6 million shortfall, Tulare County officials expect all county departments, except public safety and probation, to slice 8 percent from their budgets for fiscal 2010-11.
The public safety departments will cut their budgets by 4 percent, said Tulare County Chief Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau.
Rousseau said an additional estimated $4 million to $5 million shortfall will be made up by using about $2 million in general fund reserves and the lowering of workmen's compensation fees charged to departments. Funds to cover the overall workmen's compensation costs will come from reserves in that fund, Rousseau said.
A hiring freeze and employee furloughs for the majority of county workers will continue and the potential for additional county layoffs remains, Rousseau said. The 40-hour per year furlough is expected to be maintained, he said.
Adoption of the county's budget is expected sometime in September, officials say.
Rousseau said reduced revenues and efforts by the state to usurp funds from local governments makes it extremely difficult for the county to know where it will stand until the state budget is adopted, a process which again is expected to be drawn out for several more weeks at least.
Martin Meier, deputy county administrator-budget, said preliminary indications are that the county's general fund revenues, used to fund departments such as the sheriff's, fire and parks department, will drop about $10 million.
For 2009-10 Tulare County's General Fund approved budget was $597.2 million, a drop of about 2.7 percent from fiscal 2008-09.
As has been the pattern in the last several years, Tulare County financial schedule will be dependent on what happens with California's budget picture, a picture which continues to be out of focus as lawmakers and the governor battle toward a solution.
Visalia - Qualified migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents will now be able to receive assistance to improved their working lives after Visalia based Proteus Incorporation received a $3.9 million grant as part of a federal job-training program for farmworkers.
Proteus is one of five California organizations that received funding through the National Farmworker Jobs Program and received the fourth highest amount of the 53 grants given.
“We are lucky to be a recipient in this area,” Chief Executive Officer for Proteus Michael E. McCann said.
The National Farmworker Jobs Program provides funding to community based organizations and public agencies that assist farmworkers and their families in attaining greater economic stability.
Of the 50 states, 48 each have one grantee; however California has five designated regions for service to farmworkers. Since California is the heart of agriculture, it has been awarded the money, McCann said.
Nationwide, $78 million will be spent to help farmworkers learn new job skills in occupations that offer higher wages and provide more stable employment, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
McCann said that migrant workers are those who can't return to their residence after their work days and seasonal workers normally work only the season. It's very unusual they work year round.
“This program will help increase their ability to extend their work year,” he said.
Other services will help them gain a long term career. Educational services such as, obtaining a high school diploma and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes will also be available.
Proteus officials said workers can receive job training in several industries including, solar, truck driving and retail. Services provided to farmworkers include skills assessments, job search assistance and basic education remediation and case management.
“Farmworkers do so much for families and for the nation's economy as a whole. These hard working members of our community deserve our support,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in announcing the grant. “Today's grants are an opportunity to help these workers as they upgrade their skills to improve their chances of advancement in their current employment or seek opportunities in other industries.”
Workers may also access occupational skills and training, including on-the-job training. In addition, the program provides services such as child care, health care and transportation that help workers keep their current jobs.
Farmworkers must meet certain qualifications before entering the program. Eligibility is based on income, proven citizenship, verification that they worked 25 days or more in agriculture and that they earned over $800 in the last two year period.
Proteus serves three main counties. Tulare County, Kings County and Fresno County will all be assisted through this program.
“We are just pleased to serve this population,” McCann said.
More Money
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the Governor's Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy Director Paul Seave to announce more than $7.5 million in grants that have been awarded throughout the state to help at-risk youth expand their education, job training and employment opportunities as part of the Governor's California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative. Proteus Inc. in Tulare County received $233,472.
The grants awarded will fund projects for job training, supportive services, education and placement for youth ages 14 to 24 that are either at risk of gang involvement or a current gang member.
“The long-term answer to gang violence requires investing in job training and education,” said Seave in a report. “These grants have the refreshingly high but reasonable expectation that gang-involved youth have what it takes to complete high school and college and embark on a teaching or social service career, if there is effective support.”
Research shows that
education and training that leads to employment are some
of the most effective ways to help at-risk youth lead productive
and violence-free lives.
As part of the statewide CalGRIP initiative, a total of
$7,566,000 aimed at intervention strategies will fund projects
in Job Training Expansion and Career Pathway Partnerships.
The projects receiving awards fall into two categories.
Category one, The Job Training Expansion project, is ten projects that will focus on implementing job training, supportive services, education and placement for at-risk youth. These skill development programs will provide a gateway to career education in such areas as public works, environmental restoration, residential and commercial repairs and maintenance, health care, information technology and green construction. Tulare County falls under The Job Training Expansion. The Job Training Expansion received a total of $4,624,725 between seven different counties.
The other category, Career Pathway Partnerships will provide post-secondary education or training leading to employment as a credentialed teacher or in community service. California state universities, community colleges, school districts and other learning institutions will partner with the workforce development sector and community-based organizations to offer case management and academic programs designed to yield licensed social workers, youth counselors, and teaching professionals. The partnership will also include part-time employment in afterschool programs in an effort to keep youth out of gangs.
By Miles
Shuper
Woodlake - The 2009-10 Tulare County grand jury report urging the re-examination of an accidental wounding of an Exeter resident by a stray bullet fired from a shooting range by a Woodlake police officer is being blasted by Woodlake's city administrator and police chief as biased and politically motivated.
The jury report, released July 1, under the headline “Lack of common Sense or Negligence” calls for the Tulare County District Attorney's Office to re-open and re-examine the shooting incident. It also makes recommendations for safety improvements and procedural changes at the range.
The grand jury stated a “citizen's complaint relative to some of the issue published by the Times-Delta and other serious matters warranted an investigation.”
In their responses, issued the same day the jury's report was released, City Administrator Bill Lewis and Police Chief John Zapalac slammed the panel's report and findings in brash terms.
Zapalac's response states “This entire incident was nothing less than an ambush by the Sheriff's Office to be used for political gain.” He further states “you have embarrassed yourselves, you serve no legitimate purpose other than to go after political opponents and you have no credibility, shame on all of you.”
Both Lewis and Zapalac, who are required to respond to the report, placed newspaper ads containing the full texts of their statements at their own expense.
Each of the 15 issues included in the report, including some recommendations on range safety and modifications of the range site, are responded to by Lewis and Zapalac.
Both men said the investigation of the shooting range incident by the Tulare County Sheriff's Department was lacking in objectivity and was prejudiced against Zapalac who was running against incumbent Sheriff Bill Wittman. Last month Wittman defeated Zapalac for the second time in four years.
The Tulare County District Attorney's office found no criminal wrongdoing and the City of Woodlake accepted responsibility for the accident and has settled with the victim, Leland Perryman.
However, the grand jury attempted to subpoena Woodlake police officers and personnel records. The City of Woodlake filed suit against the grand jury in April 2010. The Perrymans then filed a motion to intervene against Woodlake, compelling Woodlake officials to honor the subpoenas. Superior Court Judge Lloyd Hicks dismissed the Perryman action and a week later quashed the subpoena issued on Woodlake officers and requests for records, citing a federal protective order. The court said the grand jury could re-subpoena the officers for verbal testimony only.
That has not happened, Zapalac said, supporting what he terms “the agenda going on here.”
“This Tulare County Grand Jury is alleging criminal wrongdoing on the part of the Woodlake Police and me as Police Chief of Woodlake, based on a May 8, 2009 Visalia Times-Delta article, titled, 'Officials, Zapalac Impeded Probe.'”
Zapalac said he could not talk with the reporter “because of pending litigation.
Please note, officers have Peace Officers Bill of Rights that gives them the same rights as any criminal suspect and I, even as their Chief, cannot compel them to talk in a criminal investigation.”
The chief also notes that the grand jury is comprised of three sheriff's office volunteers and Perryman has a daughter working at the sheriff's office as a correctional officer.
“This grand jury is poisoned by hearsay coming from newspaper articles, grand jury members who are tainted with one-sided information coming from the investigating agency and clearly is clueless as to what their roles are as grand juror members or the criminal investigative process used by law enforcements agencies, “ Zapalac's response says.
The chief continues his response, stating, “The grand jury in its haste to put out trash did not even re-subpoena officers to question them and get a complete and accurate picture of what took place.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the grand jury, and the presiding judge, is this 'due process?' in standard fashion, the biased conduct of this grand jury is clear and evidences by its own actions.”
Lewis, in his response, was no less critical of the jury's report and conduct in issuing its findings.
“I find it quite humorous that the grand jury would cite a newspaper article in the background section of your report. Usually grand jury reports involve investigations, interviewing witnesses, doing site visits and determining fact from fiction. Referring to a newspaper article full of hearsay, as part of your report, has to be a new low, even for the grand jury. The grand jury also, for whatever reason, chose not to interview anybody from the City of Woodlake.”
SECOND FRONT PAGE
What's New
Directors of the Kaweah Delta Healthcare District approved a $430 million budget last week that includes $1.1 million to move ahead with the design of the fifth and sixth floors of the Acequia Wing to add more beds to the hospital. The budget also shows the hospital netting $7.8 million from operations and gives employees a 2 percent raise, said hospital CEO Lindsay Mann. “The short is, we're a large and growing enterprise,” said Mann, noting the hospital district employs more than 3,000 people at its four campuses.
A new Burger King restaurant is planned for 1923 North Dinuba Boulevard, just south of Panda Express near the Food4Less Shopping Center. Strategic Restaurants, the application, submitted plans to the city Site Plan Review committee this month.
Tulare County Economic Development CEO Paul Saldana said his office is currently working on 15 prospects, six referral prospects and two expansion projects representing the potential for 2,000 jobs. “If we landed all 2,000 jobs, we would replace 50% of the jobs lost during the last 18 months,” reported Saldana last week. “We are even more excited that our prospect activity is growing daily and we see some announcements in the near future,” he added. He further reported that interest is in space for a distribution center and solar facility.
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) introduced the Federal Lands Counterdrug Strategy and Enforcement Enhancement Act (H.R. 5645), legislation designed to combat drug trafficking on public lands, including national forest. The bill would require the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop a strategy to combat drug trafficking on public lands. It will also increase the penalties available for cultivating or manufacturing drugs on public land.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to postpone the $11.14 billion water bond until the November 2012 ballot, citing a need to focus on budget issues this year. A bill to delay the bond would require a two-thirds vote in the Legislature.
Good Return. The city of Visalia recently accepted a check for nearly $10,000 from the Office Depot rebate program in which the city gets a 6 percent rebate on office supply purchases. Office Depot paid rebates to several cities, school districts and the county last month.
Foreclosures rose slightly in the region during May, according to RealtyTrac. In Tulare County, there were 865 foreclosure proceedings begun in May, 361 of those in Visalia. In April, those numbers were 774 and 322, respectively. In Kings County, the number of foreclosure proceedings fell from 334 in April to just 252 in May, although there were 26 more foreclosures in the city of Hanford.
CLEAR(R) 4G, a super fast mobile Internet service for businesses and consumers, is now available in Visalia, the company announced last week. With CLEAR, anyone can now use the Internet at speeds four times faster than 3G within the CLEAR coverage area. CLEAR covers more than 550 square miles and more than 288,000 people with service extending from the northwestern community of Goshen along Hwy 99 to Tipton in the southwest. The northeast border is Ivanhoe, and the southern border extends through East Porterville. The CLEAR coverage footprint encompasses the cities of Exeter, Farmersville, Woodlake, Lindsay and Visalia.
Building activity in Visalia slowed down last month, the city reported. Permits for new homes fell to 29 from 44 in May and overall valuation was just $12.9 million, down from $16.2 million in May.
Pacific Ethanol, Inc. announced that Pacific Ethanol Holding Co. and PEH's four wholly-owned ethanol production facility subsidiaries emerged from bankruptcy June 29. The Plant Subsidiaries, which are now owned by a newly formed holding company (“New PEHC”), will continue to be staffed, managed and operated by the company under a fee and profit-sharing arrangement negotiated with the owners of New PEHC. In addition, the company, through its marketing subsidiary Kinergy Marketing, will continue to market ethanol for the Plant Subsidiaries. The Company has eliminated approximately $290 million in debt.
Lamoure's Cleaners, which has a store on Mooney Boulevard, closed all 16 of its stores Thursday, the Business Journal reported.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order to formalize the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Specifically, the EO increases and expands the number and variety of members on the Board and staggers the terms of appointees to ensure continued expertise.
By Marina Gaytan
Tulare County - The California Restaurant Association Central Valley Chapter's 2nd annual Food Fight Against Hunger has already helped thousands of people in the Central Valley.
The effort, which will culminate at the Holiday Inn in Visalia July 18, aims to bring people together to feed the hungry in local communities.
David Vartanian, chapter president, said that after an excellent response last year from restaurants, suppliers and the public, the chapter decided to make the fundraiser an annual event. To kick off the campaign, the chapter organized a large food donation to FoodLink last week. The food pantry received 12,362 pounds of food from donors such as Sysco, Land O'Lakes and Give Back 2 God.
Last year, the chapter worked with suppliers to deliver 10,000 pounds of food which helped the 45,000 people the food pantry serves each month.
“The Restaurant Association has been a wonderful partner in donating food,” said Sandy Beals, executive director for Food Link.
The all day event July 18 will feature live cooking competitions, hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants, wine and beer tasting, prizes and more.
The proceeds from the event will help with scholarships for schools in Kings and Tulare Counties. Some of the proceeds will also go towards continuing in helping Food Link where Beals will turn the money into food.
“It's a huge conglomerate of donations all coming together,” Beals said.
Development Coordinator, Chris Burrows oversees the all day event where food donors drop off food to the food bank.
Food Link is the Hub of where the food is donated. After the food is separated the food bank distributes it Burrows said.
Sysco's District Sales Manager Jim McLeod who belongs to the Chapter Committee attends the event to provide support.
“We wanted to do something to reach out and also tie in the community,” McLeod said about the event.
Donating its second year in a row, Sysco provided 1,000 pounds of a variety of food including; french fries, hot dogs and chicken patties, which was valued by Food Link at around $2,000.
Also participating for a second year, Land O'Lakes donated four pallets of butter and cheese.
Give Back 2 God which was their first year donating gave nine pallets of Almonds which Beals hopes to save for her Backpack for Kids Program. This program gives backpacks full of healthy choice foods to children from two Visalia schools.
FoodLink has been in business for 32 years and serves over 80 different agencies in Tulare County like, the Visalia Rescue Mission, Visalia Emergency Aid and the Good News Center. The food bank spends around $116,000 a year in food to help support hungry families. Food Link Focuses on providing healthy Nutritious food to promote healthy eating.
Nutrition on the Go is another program the food bank does to help the community. They usually distribute 25-30 pounds of food to rural areas.
“It's very rewarding to see the families come to a comfortable setting, not feeling stressed and receive food to help their families,” Burrows said.
The Food Fight Against Hunger Fundraising Event is from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Visalia. Tickets for the fundraiser are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Participants must be 21 and over to attend. For more information call 372-4709.
By Marina Gaytan
Visalia - Denise Mancini's voice trembled with emotion and tears filled her eyes as she thanked Visalia Police Officer Richard Cressall last Thursday during an honoring of the officer's courageous efforts to save her and her family's lives during an early morning house fire.
“It was an unexplained miracle that you were there at just the right time to save us,” Mancini said as she broke down in tears in presenting Cressall with an honorable plaque.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 23, Officer Cressall was northbound on Court Street to turn in his paper work for the end of the night, when he noticed smoke coming from a Visalia residence in the 2300 block of South Court. Officer Cressall noticed no one around and pulled over. Cressall attempted to knock and when no one came to the door he went in to find six people sleeping as the smoke was spreading from the garage. Denise Mancini of Visalia, her three kids, and two other friends were evacuated from the home.
“Luckily, everyone got out safely,” Cressall said.
All that Mancini remembers that morning was awaking to someone standing in her front room identifying themselves as the Visalia Police Department telling her that her house was on fire, she said.
Cressall has been known by family members and fellow police officers as a humble man. He didn't tell anyone that he was responsible for alerting the family, not even the sergeant on scene.
Chief of Police Colleen Mestas, who heard about the incident much after the fact, said Officer Cressall is such a humble man, “Thank God he is a part of the Visalia Police Department.”
Mancini's mother, Susan Mcgill of Bakersfield, said, “He will forever be our hero,” and couldn't imagine what it would be like had he not been there.
Richard Brooks Cressall, the Officer's father, said the same thing happened to him four years ago. He too was awakened from a fire that happened to be electrical. He's just repaying the debt, said Richard Brooks Cressall of his son.
“I am grateful for the outpouring
support from the community,” Cressall said, and
is just thankful everyone is alive.
Chief Mestas said everyone, including the command staff,
is very proud of Cressall.
“Your officers work hard for you and this is just another example of the great things we do,” she said to the community.
By Marina Gaytan
Visalia - The Visalia Fox Theatre is not only getting a new paint job on its exterior, but it's remodeling the inside to increase the size of the upstairs women's and men's bathrooms. The project, which started on June 14, is expected to last through August but is hoped to be finished by the time the Doobie Brothers are set to perform on September 2.
Over a two-year period the Theatre received donations from The Lyles-Porter family in order to help the Fox, said Paul Fry, the theatre's general manager. Board members from Visalia Friends of the Fox prioritized the 20-30 things that needed to be done at the theatre.
“The board identified that the highest priority was to do the bathrooms first,” he said.
The newly remodeled women's bathroom will have eight new stalls, one handicap accessible stall and four new sinks. The men's bathroom will also have four sinks two stalls and four urinals.
The lounges that used to serve as designated smoking areas within the theatre's bathroom have been completely removed.
“It was the only way we could expand,” Fry said.
Seating that is believed to be an original couch of the Fox theatre will still be placed outside the bathroom.
The project, which is estimated to costs around $200,000, plans on finishing the women's bathroom before the men's. The old sewer system had to be completely replaced with new, he said.
Currently, the theatre has two handicapped accessible bathrooms downstairs.
Church services are still going on Sundays, while a few performances are still set to go on during the summer. Portable toilets will be available to the public if the construction is not finished in time for the first big show in September.
“Summer is always a difficult time, either electricity-wise or event-wise,” he said.
The last time the theatre was painted was around 10-15 years ago. The City contributed $30,000 of Federal money to help cover the cost of the painting. The balance will then come from the Fox theatre.
“Please bear with us,” Fry said about the construction.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
July 8, 2010
