Tulare - Gentleman, start your engines – or rather, your bulldozers!
In what is likely to go down as a historic day for the city of Tulare, developers of the 685-acre Tulare Motor Sports Complex on Tuesday announced that financing for their ambitious project has been secured.
The announcement, which came in a conference room at the new public library, followed a closed-door meeting between backers of the TMSC project and city officials.
“This is an exciting day for our community,” said Tulare Mayor Craig Vejvoda. “The pieces are finally in place to move the project forward. And in these tough economic times, the timing of the news could not be better.”
Vejvoda said the TMSC project will spur the creation of at least 17,000 jobs and could eventually generate more than a billion dollars in annual revenues.
“At least from the developers' perspective, this is the green light,” said Tulare City Manager Darryl Pyle. “After today, funding is no longer an issue. Now it's just a matter of how fast we can all go.”
Pyle said that he anticipates developers will “start submitting plans in the next month for all of the earth work.”
Last month, progress on the project temporarily stalled after a judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club that argued the project's EIR was flawed.
Pyle said Tuesday that city officials are currently working to address mitigation of “ag land, global warming and green house gas emissions” spurred by the Sierra Club lawsuit.
TMSC promoter Bud Long, of Fresno, who attended Tuesday's announcement, said developers expect “to close escrow by the end of November – maybe as early as November 15. We want to break ground by December,” Long added.
Long did acknowledge that some issues still needed to be worked out with officials at Tulare's International Agri-Center, which owns about half of the land upon which developers want to build the motor sports complex.
At Tuesday's announcement, Long downplayed past differences with Agri-Center officials, saying, “They are fine people and we just have some details to work out.”
Agri-Center CEO Jerry Sinift was in “closed-door” farm show-related meetings on Tuesday. Reached late in the afternoon, Sinift said: “I heard about this meeting but was not able to attend. Therefore, I prefer not to comment about anything at this time.”
Tuesday's announcement included a handful of details regarding the developers' financing arrangements to acquire the land and build the complex's infrastructure, which will include a NASCAR track, drag strip and go-kart course as well as several new hotels and some 300 track-side condominiums.
Financing is being arranged through Orange (California)-based S.C. Global Investments and San Diego-based Correspondent Funding.
Roger Reed, president of Correspondent Funding, said TMSC developers have secured more than $400 million. “We will be funding 90 percent of the project and the client will provide the other 10 percent in cash,” said Reed.
Current estimates are that TMSC, which has been in the planning stages for five years, could cost as much as $1 billion to complete.
According to Reed, Tuesday's announcement of secured financing covers $137 million for Phase One of project construction as well as an additional $285 million to complete Phase Two – which, according to Reed, “should begin in about a year.”
Phase One financing terms, Reed said, included a 6 percent, interest-only ten-year loan.
James Bancroft, senior vice president of TMSC's general partners, confirmed that his group “has completed program and schematic design, budgets and schedules for the entire project.”
Mark Mathieson, construction manager for the project, said, “We've put together a top-notch team of the best construction firms in the Valley. We'll be laying down utilities, roads and landscaping on a 10-month, fast-track schedule.”
Mathieson added that “within 12 months” Tulare residents could expect to see construction start on TMSC's speedway, dragstrip, hotels and other facilities.
Racing legend Ken Clapp, a consultant to the TMSC developers and former top-level executive with NASCAR, hailed Tuesday's announcement. “This is the finest thing to happen for auto racing in the western United States in many years.”
By 2012, Clapp said TMSC “fully expects to be hosting regional and national races sponsored by major sanctioning bodies. California's San Joaquin Valley is the birthplace of many American racing legends,” said Clapp. “Now we have a major facility to honor this history.”
Major New Facilities Coming to Visalia, Goshen, Woodlake, Farmersville
By George
Lurie
Visalia - The recently enacted overhaul by Congress of the U.S. healthcare system will spur sweeping changes nationally -- and here in Tulare County. In preparation for 2014, when the majority of the new healthcare provisions kick in, one local organization is already in full expansion mode.
In coming months, Family Health Care Network will break ground on four major new county facilities, including a 22,000-sq.-ft. clinic in Visalia.
To be erected at the corner of Sante Fe and Oak streets on a parcel that is currently used as a parking lot for the Oak Street clinic, the new facility -- likely to be called the 'Santa Fe' clinic, according to FHCN President and CEO Harry Foster -- will include a dental department and adult pediatric and OB/GYN units.
“We hope to have an opportunity to pull together a visiting program of specialists who will also be based there too,” Foster reports.
“Referrals to specialists have always been a challenge for us,” Foster says.
“Specialists tend to shy away from our patients because they aren't sure they'll get paid…At the new [Sante Fe] clinic, we'll pay the specialists for their services – and schedule their patients.”
With nearly 700 full-time employees, FHCN is one of the county's largest employers and serves nearly 150,000 patients a year. Most are Hispanic and more than half are farm workers who live at or below the poverty line. The nonprofit organization denies treatment to no one. For patients without insurance, FHCN offers a sliding payment schedule based on income.
More than 50 percent of FHCN's revenues come from Medi-Cal and Foster reports that although the organization began the year with state contract reductions of more than $2 million, “We actually grew in the number of patients served by slightly more than 13 percent over the previous year.”
FHCN is partnering with BJ Perch Construction on the new downtown Visalia facility. Perch oversees construction of all FHCN projects. Visalia-based architect Fred Scott is designing the Sante Fe building, which will be comparable in size to the Oak Street clinic.
The organization is also working with Perch to expand its two-and-1/2-acre Porterville facility to include a new, 12-operatory dental clinic. “We're using every last square inch of our Porterville property,” Foster says.
Other FHCN projects soon to break ground include:
• A new 5,000-sq. ft. clinic in Farmersville, the organization's first facility in that community;
• A new 10,000-sq. ft. clinic in Woodlake on Lamona Street, to be located about half a mile east of the existing clinic in the city's old hospital building on Palm St.
FHCN also has plans to replace its existing facility in Goshen, one of 11 clinics the organization operates around the Valley.
“We've planned for this [expansion] for quite some time,” says Foster. “It's serendipitous that it comes at a great time to be building. Costs are down and interest rates are at historic lows.”
A long-term capital construction loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding some of the expansion and Foster says FHCN will also issue bonds to help pay for the new Visalia and Porterville facilities.
Foster will oversee FHCN's most-recent round of expansion but admits he does have “a succession plan” for himself. “I see myself working at least another three years,” he says.
Foster, who has helmed FHCN for 25 years and is a living legend in the health care community, will eventually retire to Oregon, where he says he will spend considerably more time with his wife -- and fly fishing rod.
“Health care reform is really going to put a lot of pressure on us to deliver services in a different way than we're doing now and we need to prepare for it,” says Foster, adding that FHCN is going to “be transforming ourselves into a 'health home.' We're going to be assisting people in maintaining their health and are going to be trying to bring services to people rather than just letting them come to us when they're already sick.”
Foster is excited about the government-mandated changes that will transform the way people receive health care in America.
“Health care reform is very much needed,” he says. “Things have to change. We can't continue on the course we're on. Going forward, we're going to be doing a lot more with a lot less,” Foster says. “We've got to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Tulare County - Even with a slate of fiercely contested local, state and federal races — and a highly controversial ballot proposition to legalize marijuana — Tulare County election turnout this Tuesday is likely to be close to or maybe even a little less than the turnout for the June 8th primary, when 32.96 percent of those registered cast their ballots, says Hiley Wallis, Tulare County's chief deputy treasurer, tax collector and registrar of voters.
Wallis, along with Rita Woodard, registrar of voters, and Ann Turner, election division manager, said their forecasts are based on recent election turnouts and trends.
Woodard said in spite of several key races, such as the District 4 Tulare County Supervisors race and a couple of hotly contested city council contests, the lack of major county-wide races or local issues generally results in lower voter numbers.
Tulare County has 149,636 people who have registered to vote in this Tuesday's election, about 3,200 more than for the 2005 general election. And, following the trend in recent years, election officials confirm that more county residents are voting by mail.
More than 63,460 vote-by-mail ballots were issued for the general election, about 2,300 more than the June 8 primary. In the 2008 general election, 60,886 were issued, with more than 49,500 returned.
Wallis reported Monday afternoon that nearly 16,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned.
In the June primary, 32,242 mail-in ballots were returned, more than half the number sent to those registered.
Woodard said the trend of more voters casting ballots by mail is likely to continue and could mean higher turnouts in future elections.
Officials also issued a reminder this week that mail-in ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Nov. 2 when polls close.
Wallis said even if a mail-in ballot is postmarked by Nov. 2, it will be invalid if not received by the 8 p.m. deadline.
Ballots can be deposited at polling precincts, the elections offices at Government Plaza at 5951 E. Mooney Blvd., or drop boxes in the parking lot there and at the Tulare County Courthouse at 221 S. Mooney.
The last pickup is also 8 p.m. and ballots deposited after that time will not be processed, officials said.
Visalia - Officials from Habit Burger Grill were scheduled to meet this week with City of Visalia building officials, along with invited Friends of Mearle's club members and others, to unveil the first public glimpse for the planned resurrection of Visalia's iconic Mearle's Drive-In on South Mooney Boulevard.
The Southern California-based Habit Burger Grill has signed a lease on the half-acre site and indicated it will incorporate at least some aspects of the 70-year-old art-deco-style landmark's design into its new facility.
Preliminary site plan drawings reveal that Habit Burger plans to display a “Mearle's Drive-In photographic gallery” as well as a scale model display of the Visalia landmark in the new restaurant.
Plans also detail that the 2,316-sq.-ft. building will have entrance and exit lanes from Mooney, a drive-thru lane and parking lot at the rear of the site. Entrance to the parking lot will be from Myrtle Avenue.
Among those scheduled to attend the Wednesday session with city building officials were members of the Friends of Mearle's organization and Visalia Heritage Inc.
Annie Silveria, one
of the greatest fans of Mearle's, who worked to obtain historic
preservation status from the Historic Preservation Advisory
Committee (HPAC) to prevent demolition of the building,
said she planned to attend this week's session.
Compliance with or the removal of historical preservation
restrictions is one of the issues to be resolved if the
project is to go forward, say city officials.
Silveria purchased a number of Mearle's items, including booths, menus and milk shake mixer cups and glasses, during an auction following bankruptcy proceedings for former owners.
Silveria continues to maintain that Habits' success in Visalia likely will hinge on just how much of the Mearle's image will be retained. Without significant linkage to Mearle's, she said, the new business would simply be just another fast food outlet.
She and others, including Terry Ommen, Visalia's leading historian, say the role Mearle's Drive-In has played in Visalia's mid-20th century history must not be forgotten. A very large portion of the city's population has close social and lifestyle ties to Mearle's – especially those who grew up here in the fifties, sixties and seventies.
Although he was to be out of town on Wednesday, Mearle Heitzman, the 88-year-old namesake of Mearle's, was thrilled to see plans to resurrect the facility progressing. He told the Voice earlier this week, “It's a great opportunity. They had better grab it while they can.”
Heitzman, who worked at Neilson drive-in for about a dozen years when it was known as Nielsen Drive-In, purchased the restaurant in the early 1960s. He admits the establishment has been an eyesore in recent years and a depressing sight for him and so many of those who were local longtime customers.
Heitzman, an icon in his own right, sold the business in the mid-1990s to a long-time employee, who ran it for more than a decade.
Heitzman said some Visalians might be expecting too much Mearle's in the proposed new restaurant. But, he said, the fact that the building's design will be incorporated in the revamped facility is very important to the community.
Habit Burger Grill operates some 40 restaurants, including one in Fresno's Fig Garden Shopping Center.
Heitzman said some of his family members have been to a Habit Burger Grill and reports, “they make a pretty good burger.”
Tulare County's Community-Owned Newspaper
Founded in 1979 as a one-page, monthly newsletter by the paper's original owner and publisher, John Lindt, the Voice has grown dramatically over the years.
In 2005, Lindt sold the lion’s share of the company to a group of local investors, who, in 2008, converted the paper from bi-weekly to weekly publication and in 2009, took full control of the company, which now operates as a truly community-owned enterprise, circulating 20,000 copies of the Voice throughout the Valley every week.
Today, the paper's board of directors, comprised of the original group of investors as well as several prominent members of the local business community, remains committed to the paper's original mission of serving our community by providing the most accurate coverage of local news, entertainment and features.
In future issues, look for profiles of the paper's local owners, a group of quiet heroes who have poured their own energies and resources into insuring that area residents continue to enjoy the Voice's special scoops and unparalleled coverage of our community.
SECOND FRONT PAGE
What's New
*Bullet train 1: Congressman Jim Costa, flanked by Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, announced at a Fresno press conference this week the award of $715 million in federal funding for Valley high-speed rail. Costa said the money, made available through the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, will fund initial construction on the state's high-speed rail system between Merced and Bakersfield. In what will certainly be a major shot in the arm to the Central Valley's ailing economy, the high-speed rail system is expected to generate as many as 135,000 jobs over the course of its construction. Costa authored the high-speed rail bond that passed in California in November, 2008, a measure that allocated the first $9.95 billion towards the ambitious bullet train project -- expected to cost at least $40 billion to complete.
*Bullet train 2: Also this week, the Fresno County Transportation Authority green lighted allocation of $25 million in Measure C transportation sales-tax money for the state to use in developing a high-speed-rail heavy maintenance facility near Fresno, which is one of eight Central Valley communities competing to get the facility.
*A first-ever joint meeting of the Visalia City Council and boards of the Visalia Unified School District and College of the Sequoias was held Monday night at the convention center. The wide-ranging but non-controversial agenda included a report on student achievement from VUSD Superintendent Craig Wheaton and updates from COS President Bill Scroggins on the college's ongoing budget challenges.
*COS 2: A new report issued this week said seventy percent of students seeking degrees at California's community colleges did not manage to attain them -- or transfer to four-year colleges or universities within six years. The report, which suggests two-year colleges are failing to prepare the state's future workforce, was conducted by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at Cal State Sacramento. According to the report, most community college students who failed to obtain a degree or transfer in six years eventually dropped out. Graduation/transfer rates for students at COS, currently running just above 30 percent, are in line with the overall state numbers, according to Kevin McCusker, COS public information assistant. The disappointing numbers are familiar to COS President Bill Scroggins, who served as a member of the pre-publication team that reviewed the Cal State draft report.
*COS 3: Enrollment at COS has increased 30 percent in the past three years even as the college's funding has remained flat, reports Scroggins, which was behind the recent decision to cancel summer school at COS in 2011. The college currently serves more than 10,000 full-time students and 6,600 other potential students had to be put on a waiting list this year. “We still don't have enough classes to meet demand,” said Scroggins.
*At the request of Verizon Wireless, Visalia City Councilors postponed until Nov. 1 an appeal of the Planning Commission's denial of a conditional use permit for the company to install a new 80-foot telecommunications tower on the north side of East Caldwell between South Stover and South Pinkham streets. A coalition of residents who live in the area have been actively lobbying against approval for the tower.
*VUSD 2: District enrollment continues to rise. “We have 300 more students this year than we did last year at this time,” said VUSD's Doug Bartsch. With total enrollment fast approaching 27,000 students, schools in northwest Visalia are under particular pressure and district officials eventually plan to build a new high school and middle school on a site VUSD already owns at Riggins and Akers streets in Shannon Ranch.
*Sign of the Times 1: Far fewer political
signs are dotting area yards this election season
compared to seasons past. "I don't know if it's because
it's a mid-term election or voters are just apathetic or
fed up w but this has definitely been a down year for campaign
yard signs," says one veteran political observer. With
voting day less than a week away, where are all the "Jerry
Brown for Governor" or "Carly for U.S. Senate"
signs? Although the District 4 supervisors race, which has
generated its share of heat, has included a running controversy
between the two candidates concerning alleged vandalism
to both camps' signs.
*Sign of the Times 2: Bullet holes appear to have partially
shattered two large glass windows at Recreation
Park's Giddings Street entrance.
Visalia - Packaging goodie boxes of fruit and nuts picked from the trees in her very own yard and sending them away to friends every year, or enjoying an occasional caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks – that's what Visalia resident and the city's newest centenarian, Teresa Scalione Burkdoll, is up to these days.
Burkdoll, who just celebrated her 100th birthday with a party at the Visalia Country Club this month, looks back on a life filled with hard work -- and much success.
“I have the Lord to thank for all these years. Without his help I would have never made it,” she said.
Burkdoll, who has been living on her ranch in Visalia since 1949, started life in Healdsburg, where she was born and raised.
Burkdoll's father, Mario Carlo Scalione, who, in 1909, was part owner of the Healdsburg Machine Shop, is one of three who has his name on the U.S. patent record as the inventor of a combination de-stemmer, juice extractor and crusher. Burkdoll's uncle also has his name on the patent record and Burkdoll said she has seen the crusher machines being used in a winery in Paso Robles and in Cutler in recent years.
“I always marveled that he and the two partners were so inventive,” she said.
As the men traveled California selling the machinery, Burkdoll remembers receiving post cards from destinations including Tulare, which featured a photograph of the old IDES Portuguese Hall. Burkdoll's daughter, Marylin Silveira, later married Bill Silveira from Tulare.
Burkdoll went to Santa Rosa Junior College and later enrolled at San Jose State, where she studied teaching. She said she recently revisited San Jose State and was surprised by how much the college has changed.
“I was overwhelmed by all the buildings and traffic,” she added. Burkdoll said when she attended, in 1929; the school was surrounded by acres of trees, something she said she liked about the area.
In 1930, Burkdoll began her student teaching at what is known as the old Potter school in Bodega, which later became the scene of the famous Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds. The building today is a bed and breakfast, she added.
Burkdoll received her teaching certificate at the age of 20 and was one of the youngest fully certificated teachers to enter the profession at the time.
Burkdoll said that she had many “happy” years teaching and was particularly excited by those spent in Cambria, where she was able to go up to the Hearst Castle and be treated like royalty, even seeing places inside that most visitors today can't see.
Since Burkdoll was good friends with the chief electrician of the castle, she was able to visit quite often and after guests had left, the pair was able to go in and enjoy some food and a movie. She even recalls her first time eating pheasant, which was in the dining room of the castle, she said.
Although she never met Mr. Hearst or the guests, she recalls seeing plenty of movie stars. One in particular was Fred MacMurray, a well-known American actor.
“If we saw them, we would just stay out of their way,” she said.
Upon returning to the Central Valley, Burkdoll was not looking forward to starting her life in the Valley heat. But her father reassured her that if so many people already lived in the area as they did, she could too and after she made it through the winter, she said she was finally able to adjust well.
Together with her husband Al, whom she had married in 1939, Burkdoll started a turkey farm, which turned out to be successful. The many years working on the farm side by side with her husband involved hard labor, she said, but also was “very rewarding.” Al Burkdoll passed away in 1983.
Although she says she still would like to see the Great Wall of China and the Panama Canal some day, just knowing that she was able to be successful in her work gives her a feeling of accomplishment.
But Burkdoll, who has two children, four grandchildren and two great grand children, said that seeing her kids and grandkids develop into “wonderful human beings” has been her greatest accomplishment in life.
By David Marsh
Special to the Voice
Tulare County - The musical quality of the children's laughter still echoes from the empty warehouse walls, lingering memories of an unforgettable first season for the CKidz at the Warehouse children's lunch program, an amazing undertaking that brightened this past summer for a group of underprivileged children in one Visalia neighborhood.
For Skylar, 9, the blessings of the inaugural CKidz at the Warehouse program are visible all around him in a world that he is once again able to see through the gift of restored vision. Skylar was clinically blind prior to a visit to CKidz this past June by Visalia optometrist Dr. Steven Serrins. Serrins donated exams and eyeglasses to a number of CKidz participants, including Skylar -- and arranged for Skylar to have surgery, which was performed by local ophthalmologist Barry Smith. The result: restored vision for the ecstatic youngster.
Serrins was only one of many Visalia area professionals, citizens and program volunteers who donated their time and personal resources to enriching the lives of the children served by Washington Elementary School.
At a time when the slashing of state and local budgets has forced sweeping cutbacks in many programs targeted at kids, CKidz, an outreach program of Visalia's Crossroads Community Church, is a model for success. The program is operated entirely on donations, with no outside funding.
"What started out to be a program to feed kids evolved into a program to nourish souls," said Crossroad's Children's Pastor Kristin Pinter.
And come they did as the program quickly grew to serve approximately 40 children daily during the June 7 thru Aug. 6 summer run of the CKidz program.
An arrangement with Foodlink of Tulare County allowed CKidz to provide each child who walked through the door a balanced and nutritious lunch. But for Pinter and CKidz at the Warehouse Director Nicole Scholl, the problem faced was where to find the kids for the program on short notice.
The two quickly solved that problem by walking the neighborhoods served by Washington School, knocking on doors and jumping fences – sometimes while dodging threatening dogs.
The tireless pair talked to parents and children whenever and wherever they found them.
"We went out and rounded up kids and brought 'em in," said Pinter.
Scholl, who assumed leadership of CKidz at
the Warehouse this past April, set out to work the magic
that was to become the hallmark of the CKidz summer program
as blessing after blessing began to pour in for the excited
children.
“God has called me to this,” said Scholl. “It's
all about the kids. It's not about me.”
Proving to be a master at the art of networking, Scholl reached out through Facebook, Craigslist, the telephone and face-to-face contacts in an extraordinary effort to get the word out about the children of CKidz. She posted on Facebook: “If you know anybody with a talent and a heart for children, please contact us!”
The response proved to be overwhelming as the Warehouse was soon visited by the likes of Polynesian dancers, puppeteers, a steer roper, an aerobics instructor, a chef, a dental hygienist and representatives from the police and fire depts. From a snake handler to a rock-climbing wall vendor, a seemingly endless stream of generous and caring professionals from throughout the area joined the parade through the Warehouse doors.
"Everyone wanted to be a part of it," Pinter said. "It wasn't hard to talk people into it. They were very giving."
With transportation provided by Tulare County's Loop bus, the children of CKidz also were able to enjoy a full day of laser tag, a bounce house and free game passes at McDermont Field House in Lindsay, as well as a full week of Bible study and fun at Adventure Park in Visalia.
What, Pinter was asked, can the dedicated staff of the CKidz program possibly do for next year to improve upon this incredible summer for the children?
"There is no planning for next year," she responded. "I let God plan it, and we'll be His hands and feet."
Thanks to generous supporters of the CKidz program, CKidz has found a permanent home. The CKidz Community Center is located at 602 S. Bridge St. and Scholl is now the CKidz Community Center director. instructor, a chef and the police and fire depts. A host of many other generous and caring professionals from throughout the area joined the parade through the Warehouse doors.
"Everyone wanted to be a part of it," Pinter said. "It wasn't hard to talk people into it. They were very giving."
The children of CKidz also were able to enjoy a full day of laser tag, a bounce house and free game passes at McDermot's Field House in Lindsay, as well as a full week of bible study and fun at Adventure Park in Visalia.
What, Pinter was asked; can the dedicated staff of the CKidz program possibly do for next year to improve upon this summer's incredible summer for the children?
"There is no planning for next year," she responded. "I let God plan it, and we'll be his hands and feet.”
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
October 28, 2010
