Visalia - Although mum about specifics of its response to the final Environmental Report on the proposed Southern California Edison high voltage transmission line, the 350-member Protecting Agriculture, Communities and Environment (PACE) says it is continuing to cite flaws in the report.
In addition, PACE is still pushing for Route 3A, which would pass near Stokes Mountain, a more northern route than Route 2 which goes through Elderwood and the path the Public Utilities Commission's EIR supports.
At the same time, farmers and other property owners are encouraged by the PUC's requirement that any wells and water systems affected by the route must be replaced before the new lines can be energized. Construction could be done while the wells are relocated. Only wells under the power lines will have to be moved.
Shirley Kirkpatrick, spokesperson for PACE, said the organization will meet today's deadline for response to the final EIR that came out nearly two weeks ago. Results of all responses will be released by the PUC March 23.
Kirkpatrick said PACE didn't want other responders to be able to counter their responses before the deadline.
The Tulare County Farm Bureau is among more than a dozen groups and individuals allowed to respond. Patricia Stever, Farm Bureau executive director, also indicated the bureau's response would be filed at deadline, a maneuver she expects all those responding to follow.
Edison plans to construction a 220-kv transmission line from its main transmission lines along the foothills to its Rector Substation in Visalia. The project, officially called the Cross Valley Loop Transmission Project, is needed to serve growing electricity needs in Tulare County, SCE says.
Edison's preferred Route 1 would run along a section of Highway 198 and through or near Exeter and Farmersville. Route 1 was the cheapest, estimated at about $96 million, but an aggressive campaign by PACE, other property owners, city and county officials has all but killed that selection.
While PACE members and others are boosted by the EIR's rejection of Route 1, they claim the report favoring Route 2 is flawed and inadequately addresses issues such as ruining productive farm land, damaging property value and hurting wildlife habitat, among other issues.
Without tipping PAC's hand to the specific points of the response, Kirkpatrick said their response will address specific reasons in addition to urging reconsideration and selection of Route 3A as the best alternative.
The PUC has the final say, but EIRs most generally are key factors in the decision process.
Kirkpatrick sees the water well and water supply systems mitigation factors contained in the EIR as a victory of sorts. During several Tulare County public hearings a number of farmers and other property owners cited concern over what impact the transmission lines will have on wells, pumps and irrigation systems. Farm Bureau officials agree the water well mitigation requirements along with the Route 1 rejection are big steps forward in the route selection fight.
The EIR states: “Prior to construction, SCE shall coordinate with affected property owners to conduct an inventory of the groundwater wells (including wagon-wheel type wells) that are within the proposed ROW (right of way). To the extent feasible, SCE shall adjust the propped ROW such that centerline of the ROW shall be no closer than 50 linear feet from any existing well.”
Regarding situations where it is not feasible to relocate wagon wheel wells, (wells with lateral shafts emerging from a vertical shaft) SCE “shall adjust the spacing and/or height of adjacent tower or pole structures to provide sufficient vertical clearance such that well maintenance activities may be safely conducted on any wagon wheel well within the ROW.”
Cal OSHA regulations prohibit wagon wheel wells to be developed due to health and safety concerns. But existing wells of that type are allowed.
Stever said the Farm Bureau response will also push for Route 3A. The rejection of Route 1 and the adoption of the well and water mitigation items makes her “cautiously optimistic” the responses could make an impact on a final decision. If route 3A were to be selected, Stever said, that would be “a grand slam.”
Route 2 follows the existing high-voltage power line path from Visalia north, then it will take a new path east from Elderwood to the Big Creek Power line that runs along the foothills. It is that path that will cut through farmland, mostly citrus.
The EIR states that trees no taller than 15-feet might be allowed under the lines, but farmers like Brian Blain believe SCE will push to have the land under the lines vacant of any farming, especially trees.
At some locations in the mountains of Tulare County the snowpack is already two and three times the average found on April 1.
Statewide, the water content in California's mountain snowpack is 107 percent of normal for the date, a vast improvement of the 80 percent of average found at the beginning of March last year, the state Department of Water Resources said.
“Today's readings boost our hope that we will be able to increase the State Water Project allocation by this spring to deliver more water to our cities and farms,” said (DWR Director Mark Cowin last week when the March 1 snowpack figures were announced. “But we must remember that even a wet winter will not fully offset three consecutive dry years or pumping restrictions to protect Delta fish so we must continue to conserve and protect our water resources.”
Statewide, the snowpack is put at an average of 94 inches, or 107 percent of normal and already 72 percent of the April 1 average. Those readings were taken before the storms of last week and this week.
Two weeks ago, the feds announced an initial allocation of just 5 percent of average water deliveries, while the state reported it would deliver just 5 to 15 percent. Both were record low projections and were met with disappointment by water and ag interests who point to what is so far an above average snowpack.
On Friday, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor announced that the feds were sticking with their initial 5 percent allocation, but did say they would announce a revision on March 15. When the feds made their announcement Feb. 26, they said if rainfall and snowfall continued at at least an average pace, then it might increase its allocation to 30 percent.
Westlands Water District and others argued that 5 percent water allocation was too little for farmers to be able to get loans or make planting plans. Westlands, with support of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Jim Costa, urged the feds to adjust the allocation sooner than later.
Sarah Woolf, spokesperson for Westlands, said that most growers must know how much water they will receive by April 1.
“This will be helpful. We'd still like to know right now,” said Woolf of the March 15 deadline.
In a press release, Woolf said Connor stated that the March 15 announcement will increase the declaration of water to be made available, and if average precipitation and runoff continue, the increased allocation is likely to be 30 percent. Moreover, Reclamation and the Department of the Interior will pursue other actions that are likely to yield an additional 8-10 percent of the districts' water supplies.
If the allocation is increased to 30 percent, that amounts to about 9 inches of irrigation water per acre in the Westlands District. Last year farmers there got just 3 inches of water per acre. Westlands relies only on federal water.
“It will put some land back into production, decrease groundwater pumping and help push salts down that have built up in the soil,” said Woolf of the 30 percent delivery.
Last year, hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland were left fallow because of the lack of water.
Tom Birmingham, Westlands' general manager, said he was disappointed in the delay, “but we recognize that this was a difficult decision for the commissioner to make. From numerous discussions with the commissioner over the last week, we know that Reclamation gave our request serious consideration.”
Woolf said that Feinstein has been a big help and she is still working on legislation that would give growers up to 40 percent of the average allocation.
Good Snowpack
In the mountains of Tulare County the snowpack is considerably better than a year ago. At Hockett Meadow at 8,600 foot elevation, surveyors on Feb. 23 found 111 inches of snow with a water content of 38 inches. That is 104 percent of the April 1 average.
At Giant Forest, 6,400 feet, surveyors found 74 inches of snow on Feb. 27, 171 percent of the April 1 average.
More impressive, at Quaking Aspen, at 7,000 feet above Porterville, surveyors found 70.8 inches of snow on March 1, a whopping 350 percent of the April 1 average. The water density there was 61 percent.
“There is a lot of water in the snow and that's good,” said Josh Courter, hydrologist with the Sequoia National Forest Western Divide Ranger District who did the survey. He said on average, they found 7 feet of snow with a water density of 55 percent. That was considerably better than the 5 feet of snow containing only 25 percent water found on the first of February.
At the Old Enterprise Mill Course on Mt. Home State Forest, surveyors found 68.8 inches of snow with 14.3 inches of water – 253 percent of the April 1 average. Last year there was just 47.5 inches of snow there at this time.
Snowfall this year has been excellent. At Farewell Gap above Visalia the snowpack today is approximately 90 inches more than it was at the start of January. As of Monday, there was 120 inches of snow on the ground at Farewell Gap. On Jan. 11, there was just 33 inches.
Since the first of the year, Visalia has received 5.13 inches of rainfall.
Elsewhere in the state, Lake Oroville, the State Water Project's principal storage reservoir, is recovering slowly after three dry years. Despite recent storms, its storage level today is only 55 percent average for this time of year. State officials said if storms continue, the final allocation of state water could be in the range of 35-45 percent of requested amounts.
However, at Mt. Shasta the snowpack is more than 125 inches and that is more than 100 percent of average.
The low allocations are a definite sign of the pumping restrictions that have been so hotly debated the past several months.
“This is just a vivid example of what's occurring by limiting the pumps,” said Woolf, adding that more than 300,000 acre feet of water has gone out to sea since the first of the year – water that could have been sent south to be used to irrigate crops this spring had the feds not shut down the pumps.
The federal Central Valley Project in 2009 delivered just 10 percent of contracted amounts to some agricultural areas in the Valley. The reduced deliveries were due both to dry weather and the pumping restrictions to protect fish species; principally Delta smelt, salmon and longfin smelt.
The average of final State Water Project allocations over the past 10 years has been 68 percent of the amount requested by the 29 public agencies with long-term contracts to purchase SWP water.
Now, four years later as the plan is being updated again, only subtle changes are being made.
One major change is the deletion of improvements to Highway 99 south of Tipton. That project has been a casualty of the economic downturn and is now not scheduled to occur for at least the next 15 to 25 years.
Tulare County Senior Regional Planner Ben Giuliani said the region plan must be updated every four years and mostly it is a fairly routine matter, as it will be this time.
But, four years ago, after the countywide sales tax measure was passed for transportation improvements, there was a major overhaul.
“The difference between 2004 and 2007 was drastic,” said Giuliani, saying that Measure R provided funding for scores of projects, some now completed, some underway and several still in the planning stages.
Current major projects underway in the county include the widening of Highway 198 from Visalia to Hanford and the improvements to Road 80 from Visalia to Dinuba.
Soon to begin are the widening of Demaree from Visalia to Tulare, improvements to Ave. 416 west of Dinuba, rail crossings in Tulare and the widening of Highway 99 from Goshen to Kingsburg.
Long-range projects include the widening of Highway 99 through Tulare, the widening of Highway 65 south of Porterville, improvements to Highway 190 from Porterville to Highway 99 and improving Caldwell to four lanes all the way to Exeter.
Giuliani said he will probably have to add planned improvements for Highway 65 from Highway 137 to Highway 198, although that could be further out than 25 years.
“There's not a
huge amount of adjustments,” said Giuliani of this
year's update.
TCAG has just begun the process of updating the plan, including
a presentation to the Visalia city council. That public
outreach will continue through May, with the update expected
to be adopted by the TCAG board in July.
The plan is not just limited to roadways. It also looks at train travel and the movement of freight – both by trucks and trains – and even air travel. It also addresses transit needs, including trails. However, Giuliani pointed out, there is no light rail system in the plan since that is likely more than 25 years away.
Measure R continues to exceed revenue estimates, said the planner. He explained the county conservatively estimated how much money the sale tax hike would bring in annually, so even in bad economic times it would meet projections.
He said Measure R will provide $1 billion over 30 years.
“The market's pretty small right now,” said Don Groppetti, owner of Groppetti Automotive Group with eight dealerships in Visalia.
However, he said with a tone of optimism, “In relationship to where it was 12 months ago, it's pretty good.”
Lonnie Tiesiera, owner of Will Tiesiera Ford in Tulare and Jason Silva, general manager of Serpa Kia in Visalia, said the market has not improved a lot.
“No rebound at all – nothing,” said Tiesiera, explaining that truck sales are still way off. At one time one out of every four new vehicles he sold was a truck. Today, it's about one of two sold.
“We're still plugging along,” said Silva. He said they are seeing a little more traffic, but not necessarily more sales. “It's still slow.”
Auto makers reported a bounce in sales nationwide in February, with Ford reporting a 43 percent hike in sales. Tiesiera said he did not see that spike.
Even General Motors, builder of Chevrolet, Buick and GMC trucks, reported a slight bounce in sales, but Groppetti said he could sell more GM vehicles if he could get them.
“They have to start building products. I have 50 percent of the inventory that I use to have,” he said of GM cars and trucks.
Groppetti said he did not see a big drop off in the sales of Toyota's in the wake of the recall of eight Toyota models last month. In fact, he said, he saw sales rebound in the last half of February.
“I think the worst of that is behind us. It's still a very good vehicle,” he said.
Tiesiera said the sale of Ford Fusions and Focuses are good, but they don't offset the drop in truck sales. He said construction companies are not busy and as a consequence, they are not replacing vehicles as quickly as they did during the housing boom.
“Ford's got great products. The Fusion is probably our No. 1 seller right now,” he said.
Silva said buyers appear to still be looking at the less expensive models, which is good for him. “People are being cautious,” he said, adding they are looking at less expensive vehicles more than for gas saving vehicles.
Groppetti agreed, saying he has not seen buyers as picky about gas mileage as he saw two years ago when gasoline was near $4 a gallon.
Both Tiesiera and Groppetti said they expect things to turn around toward the end of this year.
“I think we're slowly starting to come back,” said Groppetti. “We're looking for 2011 to be a good year,” added Tiesiera.
According to California Auto Outlook, a 10.3 percent increase in new vehicle registrations is expected this year, a vast improvement over 2009 that saw sales decline 28.3 percent in the state.
Toyota had the market share in California in 2009 with nearly one out of every four vehicles sold being a Toyota. Honda was second at 13.5percent of all vehicles sold, then Ford at 12.4 and GM at 11.7.
Now, a positive sign is some are beginning to return.
Stewart Title, which closed its Visalia office in June of 2008 – when the market was in a nosedive – reopened that same office last week.
“It's time to do it. We needed to be here,” said Cathy Maxwell, area escrow manager for Stewart Title.
The office has reopened at 2439 W. Whitendale, Suite A. Karen Sigda has been brought back as branch manager and Courtney Rosenberger as the business development officer. The office employs two others.
Maxwell says the real estate market is good and getting better.
“Things are good. It's been real positive,” she said, admitting that real estate had slowed considerably by the middle of 2008, but is gaining strength today.
“There's plenty of business. We're excited to come back here.”
While Stewart closed its Visalia office, it kept open offices in Porterville, Hanford and Fresno.
At one time Visalia had at least six escrow offices and that dwindled to three before Stewart reopened. “There's certainly room for us,” she said.
The office even has the same phone number as before – 732-2000.
SECOND FRONT PAGE
What's New
According to the Kaweah commonwealth, Three Rivers is one of 147 nominees in Budget Travel magazine's Coolest Small Towns in America poll. On the magazine's website it is noted: “Three Rivers lies in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near the entrance to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Together, these parks encompass over 1,300 square miles of wooded wilderness and include Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48, and General Sherman, a giant sequoia that is, measuring by volume, the planet's largest living thing. The community has enjoyed a reputation as a flourishing artists' colony for over 60 years.” You can vote online by going to www.budgettravel.com.
The Laws in town. The city of Lemoore has named Jeff Laws as its new police chief. Laws has been with the city PD for 13 years and has been acting chief for the past five months. He began is law enforcement career in Porterville and in Lindsay.
The COS board of trustees will appoint to fill the board vacancy caused by the resignation of Ward 2 trustee Sue Shannon. The board decided Monday night to accept applications for qualified candidates until April 8. The appointment will be made by May 30. Candidates must be 18 years or older, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Ward 2, which covers Tulare and Three Rivers.
The city of Porterville is installing four solar-power speed signs. The $21,000 cost is being covered by a Safe Routes to Schools grant.
A sinkhole at Riggins and North Dinuba Boulevard is causing headaches for Caltrans which has been working at the site for several weeks trying to stop the sinking.
Scott MacIntyre, nephew of Christine Statton with the VUSD and one of the finalists in last year's American Idol show, will perform on the show tonight, reports Statton. “He's pretty excited. He may perform a single from his new album, or possibly a dueling piano duet with Matt Giraud,” shared Statton.
The Visalia Fire Department has received a Homeland Security Grant for $78,808. The money will be used to support the city's hazmat team.
Visalia Mayor Bob Link said the city's trip to Washington D.C. was fruitful, although no one came back with an armful of cash or promises FEMA was going to change its flood maps in the city. However, Link said he, Vice Mayor Amy Shuklian and City Manager Steve Salomon did meet with FEMA and Army Corps of Engineers officials in Washington and “we got some really good information.” He said the city is seeking information as to what measures can be taken to “remove as many people from the flood zone as possible.”
State Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, who represents Tulare County, was arrested by the CHP last week on a charge of driving while intoxicated. According to reports, Ashburn was pulled over at 2:10 a.m. March 3 near the state Capitol in Sacramento. He was booked into the Sacramento County Jail. On Monday, Ashburn admitted to being homosexual.
By Miles Shuper
Ivanhoe - The Boys and Girls Club is getting a new permanent home in Ivanhoe, something which the organization's leaders as well as county officials describe as “great news.”
Tuesday, Tulare County Supervisors authorized the purchase of the two-story building for $117,000, part of $125,000 received from the Workforce Housing Grant to develop a community center in Ivanhoe.
The county has partnered with the Boys and Girls to provide county services in the community.
Supervisor Steve Worthley, who represents the Ivanhoe area and has been working with fellow Supervisor Phil Cox, who has been the driving force in developing the Step Up anti-gang and youth violence programs, said “this is great news.”
“It's great news,” echoed Galen Quenzer, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Tulare County, who said the Ivanhoe club has about 100 members.
Worthley said the remainder of the $125,000 will go toward needed improvements to the building at 15892 Azalea Avenue.
Quenzer estimated it will cost $200,000 to $250,000 to complete the project with a substantial portion expected to come from additional grants, volunteer work, fund-raising and other sources.
Brian Summers, Tulare County Capitol Projects director, said a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture could provide a major portion of funding to recondition the building which he said is structurally sound but needs substantial interior upgrading.
The renovation will start on the bottom floor of the 5,000 sq. ft. building, Quenzer said, adding he hopes a move into the new site can be made in about six months.
The Boys and Girls Club took over the youth program, formerly known as the Ivanhoe Youth Center, in August 2007 and operated in the Presbyterian Church which had been vacated when the congregation disbanded. The church building was sold by the Presbytery to a local congregation in March 2009. That new congregation needed the entire building and the Boys and Girls Club ended it's stay last June. A county bus transported Ivanhoe youth to the Visalia boys and Girls Club last summer until the club started operating temporarily at the Ivanhoe Lions Club facility, Quenzer said.
“The Ivanhoe Lions Club was so very gracious in providing us a home but we simply needed more space,” he said, explaining that equipment had to be moved in and taken down repeatedly and programs and activities were limited due to space.
Referring to the new site, Quenzer said, “Bank of the Sierra had just foreclosed on the owner of the building. We knew the county redevelopment agency had some grant funding for a youth center in Ivanhoe and the county was approached about using the money to purchase the property.” he said.
Tuesday's approval of the purchase by supervisors, he said, “Is just great news.”
Strathmore - Cindy Armstrong, who owns and operates Armstrong Olives near Strathmore along with her husband, Mike, pays several different property tax bills a year.
So, it went unnoticed that she had not paid one since 2004 - the tax bill on the land where their processing plant sits.
That was until early February when a representative of the county's assessor's office showed with a sheriff's deputy with a delinquency notice that also said their property was going to be auctioned off within 30 days.
“I pay 12 to 14 tax bills a year,” explained Cindy Armstrong, adding that for some reason the county somehow changed the address for their main property tax bill - sending that bill to an address in Idaho for the past six years.
Several times the Armstrongs were listed as having delinquent taxes - the most recent time in the Valley Voice last month - but they never noticed. It was until the deputy and person with the assessor's office showed up that they found out that their tax bill had not been paid since 2004.
“She (assessor's office employee) said, 'when did you get back from Idaho,'” recalled Cindy of the meeting in early February, adding they had recently gone on a trip to Idaho and wondered how did the county know they had taken a vacation.
However, after it was explained that is where the county had been sending their property tax bill, she told them they never had a mailing address in Idaho.
The reason the county finally went to the address to contact the Armstrongs was the last notice the county sent was returned. The previous notices had not been returned. When the latest bill was returned, the county decided to deliver the 'notice of sale' in person.
“Because that was returned, they though they need to do a home visit,” explained Cindy. She was glad they did.
It quickly became apparent to the Armstrongs and the county that something was not right and after about three days, the county admitted it had made a mistake and waived about $14,000 in interest and penalties. The Armstrongs have since paid the approximately $20,000 tax bill and the matter is considered resolved.
However, said Cindy, the county cannot change the lien put against their property, only stamp it that the bill had been taken care of. The matter had gone so far that the property was to be auctioned on Feb. 25.
Cindy has no ill feelings towards the county. She said it rectified the situation quickly and the assessor's office was very understanding. “As soon as they realized we were organized, not deadbeats, they were very helpful,” said Cindy.
“We have outstanding credit. We buy hundreds of thousands of dollars of product from Spain every year,” said Cindy of how solid their business and financial credit both are.
Still, it is not something she ever wants to go through again.
Tulare County Treasurer/Tax Collector Rita A. Woodard said the situation is a good example of how everyone should pay attention to their tax bills and the delinquent notices published periodically by the county.
She said it is the property owner's responsibility to ensure their bills are all paid.
Good Business
Armstrong Olives is a processor of gourmet olives. They used both locally produced olives and import olives.
Armstrong Olives can be found in almost any store, both locally, across the United States and in Canada. They also do a lot of private labeling.
“We do some 50 different types of olives, not all stuffed,” she said.
“Business is good,” said Cindy. She said last year was a “horrible” olive crop locally, so they have had to import a few more olives than the past few years. Armstrong Olive has been operating in the county since 1974.
Mike Armstrong, whose farther grew olives in the Lindsay area, began by experimenting in his spare time with cured olives in those two barrels. That was in the early 1970s.
By 1974, Armstrong bought his home, the surrounding land and acreage with olive trees on Road 232. In 1985 the company began to grow.
Now the Armstrongs produce 58 varieties of stuffed and marinated olives that are shipped all over the US and Canada, as well as being sold on the domestic market. Savemart, Raleys, Grommet Shops as well as many fruit stand and farmers markets carry the Armstrong brand.
“The most popular is the garlic stuffed, and the Jalapeno comes in second,” said Cindy Armstrong on the company's website. Other varieties are stuffed or flavored with various combinations of onion, almond and garlic cloves or pimento marinated in vermouth.
By Rick Elkins
Visalia - Kaweah Delta Health Care District has some big shoes to fill.
Director Margaret Foley, who has served on the board 20 years, has resigned her position, citing health issues. Her resignation was effective March 1.
Monday night, the hospital board of directors agreed to appoint a person to fill the Zone II seat and announced it is taking applications. The board hopes to fill the position by May 1.
“It's a personal loss for me as much as a loss for the district. I depended on her for her moral guidance and her concern for the patients,” said Board President Carl Anderson, who served many years with Foley.
Foley served the Kaweah Health Care District for more than 40 years, first as a nurse and the past 20 as a member of the hospital board. Anderson said her knowledge and depth of caring will be missed.
“She was a steadying force,” said Anderson, adding she was a strong advocate for the patients.
Cindy Moccio, executive assistant for the
hospital CEO Lindsay Mann and the board of directors,
said Foley was not only the first woman to serve on the
hospital board, she was also the first woman to serve
as president of the board.
“She's definitely a fixture of Kaweah Delta,”
said Moccio.
She said Foley is still a registered nurse, having just renewed her license. Moccio said she worked as a nurse in the hospital's Family Birth Center. She was first elected to the board in 1990, a year after she retired.
Anderson said Foley will not soon be forgotten and the board is formulating plans to honor her. “We will not let her go silently. She deserves substantial recognition,” he said.
Anderson said beyond the hospital, Foley is a very interesting person. “Did you know she took golf lessons from Sam Snead (the golfing legend)?” he said. She also served in the military and has donated her time and energy to many other causes in Visalia, including the Good News Center.
He added that Foley, now 87, was a major contributor to the growth of the hospital over the past 20 years.
“She's been part of all the major advancements the district has made - the north expansion and she has been really supportive of medical education program. A lot of those things are legacies that will live way beyond Margaret or the existing board,” he said.
Anderson said Foley's resignation made up his mind to seek re-election in November. His seat and Foley's are the two positions up for election this year.
“Margaret's leaving the board solidifies my running so I can bring that history to the board,” he said, adding that Foley's leaving significantly lowered the average tenure on the board.
He said severing as a board director has its challenges. “We spend a million dollars a day. It's a big business. It's a complicated business. It's a business that has challenges,” he said, adding it is also highly regulated and very competitive.
The person appointed by the board will serve the remainder of Foley's term until November, but would have to run then to retain the seat.
To be eligible for appointment, an individual must be a resident of Zone II of the hospital district. Zone II is generally central Visalia bordered by Goshen, Demaree, Conyer and Caldwell.
Those interested can submit a confidential resume to: Kaweah Delta Health Care District, c/o P.O. Box 2685, Visalia, CA 93279 no later than March 31. For questions, call 624-2330.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
March 11, 2010
