The Visalia Unified School District Board of Directors voted unanimously at its December 9 meeting to not only continue the K-8 program at Oak Grove and Willow Glen elementary schools for the 2015-16 school year, but to explore the possibility of transitioning a current K-6 school on the east side of the city.

When the idea of adding 7th and 8th grades to two K-6 schools was suggested two years ago, meetings were held to present the K-8 proposal to parents.

“We realized that there are some parents who had an interest in K-8,” said VUSD Assistant Superintendent Doug Bartsch. “The parents had a lot of questions. ‘Would we be able to prepare kids completely for high school?’

“We knew we wouldn’t be able to replicate all the programs of middle school,” he added. “Green Acres has a pretty amazing musical theater program, and afterschool sports.”

Parents were also concerned about their children’s opportunities to go out for sports, and if they would be able to play music at school. “Other parents then started saying that they understood it was a work in progress,” said Bartsch, “or, ‘We love our school and if there was a 7th grade, we’d like to have our child continue.’ Some weeks later, we did a preliminary registration.”

Registration was opened for two 7th grade classes at Oak Grove and one at Willow Glen. Both schools opened their 7th grade classes at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year.

“Originally, it was to help alleviate the numbers at Green Acres Middle School that were in excess of 1,300,” said Tammy Milligan, principal of Willow Glen School, “but when we started in on the program, we found it had much more benefit.

“Kids have an opportunity to delve into a topic of interest to them,” she said, adding that the six-week sessions Willow Glen offers its 7th and 8th grade students include such topics as Hawaiian culture, Italy, sign language, theater (which includes presenting a play), newspapers, history of rock’n’roll and art history. “We even have a hip-hop dance class this next semester. And ‘Lego Math’ will reinforce some math concepts. We had gardening last semester and they built gardens all over campus.”
Willow Glen also has a sports program that includes football, volleyball and soccer.

Some parents still prefer the middle school system as a way for their children to prepare for the transition to high school, said Milligan. “That’s what some parents think and that’s why it’s an option.”

“This isn’t about eliminating a program that has many successes,” said Bartsch. “It’s about providing an alternative.”

“I’m actually very pleased that we’re offering different options for parents and kids,” said VUSD Superintendent Craig Wheaton. “K-8 offers a different environment than a middle school. I’m happy that parents have the opportunity to weigh the choices.”

A survey of 6th graders at Oak Grove and Willow Glen was conducted to see if they wanted to continue at their respective school or go to Green Acres Middle School. About two-thirds of Oak Grove students and half of Willow Glen students wanted to stay at their schools for 7th grade.

“Unless everyone in our community wants a K-8 school, we will continue to offer middle school because there are advantages to that,” Wheaton added. “I don’t want anyone to be boxed into one or the other.”

The main challenge of the K-8 system for educators is logistics, according to John Davis, principal of Oak Grove School. “A K-8 is much more complicated.” He said that adding sports and leadership programs was necessary to meet the needs of adolescent students. “The campus is an increasingly busy place.

“I’m sold on it as being a fantastic model for kids,” he said. “We watch fantastic things happening to our kids academically and socially. The research really leans toward K-8 being a better model for kids.”

He noted that the school staff has known some of their students for almost nine years, allowing the school to build strong relationship with its students and their families. “Our parents’ feedback has encouraged us to keep up with the program.

“Our whole staff from kindergarten through 8th grade have been behind this change and that’s what made it work,” Davis continued. “When there’s a soccer game, it’s not uncommon for the teachers of the younger grades to bring the children. The K-8 has brought a vibrancy to this campus.”

“It’s going great,” said Cindy Jacobsen, 7th grade teacher at Willow Glen. “This is my 37th year of teaching and this is my favorite thing that I’ve ever done.

“It offers a choice and choices are always good,” said Jacobsen, who was asked about the challenges of creating and running a K-8 school.

“Every time you start something new, it’s a challenge,” she said, “but every challenge we’ve encountered, we’ve been able to meet.

“We have happy kids,” said Jacobsen. “They are motivated. They work hard. They participate. What I see is that everyone gets to participate, Nobody disappears, because we are small.”
And the parents?

“I think they understand we’re creating something,” Jacobsen said. “I think what they really like is that in addition to a full academic program, we added sports.”

When asked if the K-8 system was viable in Visalia, Jacobsen responded, “Absolutely. We know it’s viable because there are other K-8 systems all over the place and it’s backed by research.” She noted the Harvard School Research Study on the K-8 system.

“Our older students are contributing to our school in ways the younger students can’t,” said Davis. “We provide opportunities for our 7th and 8th grade students to volunteer and help in the kindergarten classroom and with the 1st grade students. They are recognized as models. In many cases, the 1st and 2nd grade students are their siblings.”

“She’s been there since kindergarten and our school is amazing,” said Martha Valencia about why she chose the K-8 system at Willow Glen for her 7th grade daughter. “I wanted her to have a small class setting. For me, I think it’s the best for all children.”

Valencia, who also works at Willow Glen, didn’t see any extra challenges for students in that system but did acknowledge that there were less friends and activities there than in a middle school. “They still have sports and they have PE every day,” she added. “I think she’s not missing anything.”

“Some parents really want us to open a K-8 on the east side,” said Wheaton, adding that the board would discuss a possible new K-8 school at a planning session later this month.

“There isn’t a specific site the board has identified yet,” said Bartsch. “We know we have the green light to look for a site.” He added that the site would most likely be on the east side of town. “Whether it’s northeast or southeast, we don’t know yet. What we hope is by the first meeting in February to be presenting to the board our recommendation.”

The next step would be to have meetings for parents and students.

“We’ll only proceed if there are enough students and parents interested,” he added. “If there isn’t, it won’t happen.”

The post Visalia Unified School District May Expand K-8 School System appeared first on Valley Voice.

On December 13, a grand opening ceremony was held at Recreation Park, 345 N. Jacob St. in Visalia, to cut the ribbon on Visalia Parks and Recreation Department’s new pickleball courts.

“I think it’s a good sport for the community,” said Visalia Vice Mayor Warren Gubler, one of the main pickleball proponents. “I’ve been pushing for senior Olympics and I think this is one of the sports that would be part of it.”

He added that he first saw pickleball courts when he visited his parents in St. George, Utah, and “the eight courts there are always packed.”

“It’s a great sport of primary interest to seniors but can be played by anyone,” said Visalia City Manager Mike Olmos. “We see this as a great sports trend and we wanted to respond to it.”

He added that this is “the first facility dedicated to pickleball in the city.”

Up until this grand opening, local pickleball players had to use chalk to mark tennis courts, according to Ken Robison, who introduced himself as the ambassador for pickleball in the Valley.

Pickleball, which has been described as “a combination of table tennis, tennis and badminton,” uses a kind of Wiffle Ball and a paddle that looks like a large table tennis paddle. The rules of pickleball are similar to those of tennis or ping pong.

There are a few differences, however, such as not being allowed close to the net except to return a ball hit there by your opponents.

Three U.S. congressmen, Joel Pritchard, William Bell and Barney McCallum, are credited with inventing the sport in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, as a way to keep their kids occupied that summer. They originally used table tennis paddles and a Wiffle Ball, and lowered the net on their badminton court. Neighbors, friends and others started playing, and as the sport grew in popularity, players were designing paddles more appropriate for the new sport.

Robison said that a lot of pickleball players are former tennis players.

“A lot of us are baby boomers,” he said. “Tennis requires a lot of running, but you don’t have to run in pickleball. There are no volleys in front of the net.”

“It’s a great sport,” said Dan Fox, Visalia’s pickleball coach, who gained that official title because he has been the city parks and recreation department’s tennis coach and ping pong coach. “It’s easy to learn, and somewhat senior-based. Seniors can play it and it’s competitive. In one or two evenings, someone can learn it and be competitive. It was the hit of the (city’s) corporate games two years in a row.”

Gubler, who wore tennis shoes for the ceremony so he would be prepared to play pickleball after, said that he bought his wife pickleball paddles and balls for Christmas, and plans to spend holiday time on the court.

Dan Veyna, principal at Sierra Designs Inc. Landscape Architecture, designed the courts. He was asked what it takes to create a pickleball court.

“You have to first decide what quality of court you want,” he said. “You can’t just paint lines on asphalt. What’s unique about this court is its post-tension slab, with cables every 24 inches. There are no seams. That allows the ball to not hit any joints.

“It won’t crack either,” he continued. “It’s compressed in every direction. It will expand and contract slightly. Under the concrete is a double layer of thick plastic. That causes the court to ‘float’ as it expands and contracts.”

The city is considering using the pickleball courts to teach tennis to 5 to 7-year-olds, according to Fox.
That is, of course, if they can pry the pickleball players off the court that long.

The post City of Visalia Opens New Pickleball Courts appeared first on Valley Voice.

Marymount California University, a Catholic institution offering bachelor’s degrees in business, liberal arts, media studies and psychology, as well as a master’s of science degree in business administration, is considering Visalia as the site of its next campus. The university has locations in Palos Verdes and San Pedro in Los Angeles County, and Lucerne in Lake County in northern California.

“We will be the fourth campus,” said Robert Aguilar, Ed.D., a former Delano school district superintendent and the main proponent of a Visalia campus. “We’re in the beginning stages of forming this university in Visalia.”

Dr. Michael S. Brophy, president of Marymount California University met Aguilar at a Latino Leadership and Policy Summit hosted by the university in the spring. “He invited me to Visalia,” said Brophy, who accepted the invitation and discussed the university with community leaders at a luncheon in Visalia on October 23.

“We’re always excited and supportive to get a university here so people can get a higher education locally,” said Visalia City Manager Mike Olmos, who attended the luncheon. “The city was very supportive of Fresno Pacific, and of Fresno State as they got their satellite university at COS.”

“I was certainly impressed by the passion of civic leaders,” said Brophy, who added that College of the Sequoias does “a super job.”

Brophy said that the process of bringing a university here has “a long way to go, but we are happy to consider Visalia.”

Aguilar is working hard to land Marymount. “We have plans to begin a study to get feedback about what kind of campus is needed here,” he said. “This research study will take six to nine months to complete. We want to make sure we have a case to bring a university to Visalia.

“Our target is the 16-17 schoolyear,” he continued. “We’re serious about it. It definitely will be a full-time, fully accredited college.”

As for the size of the campus, Aguilar believes that “it will be larger than just one building.” He also envisions it having a field for sports teams.

Aguilar made a presentation to the Catholic Professional and Business Club of Tulare-Kings. “It was almost unanimous when we asked if you support a four-year university.”

Three or four classes may be offered this summer, according to Aguilar, “just so the word gets out that we’re a campus. We’re working to get a site.”

“I think it’s too early to say what will happen in Visalia,” said Brophy, who also said that Marymount California University is not currently considering any other locations for new campuses. He noted that the Lake County campus opened “just last summer. We really had no plans for further expansion until Dr. Aguilar contacted me.”

Lake County officials and city leaders, along with the school districts, chambers of commerce and community-minded not-for-profits worked together to bring the Marymount campus to their area.

“Their folks came together and made a compelling case to our board of trustees,” said Brophy. “They were able to present us with a 75,000-square-foot facility.” He added that the university was also offered “a friendly lease of $1 a year.”

That information was presented to community leaders in Tulare County.

“I definitely shared with them the case study of what happened in northern California,” said Brophy. “There was some interest. There was a lot of passion for providing space.”

“They have not asked for any city help,” said Olmos. “They have gotten considerable support from the private sector.”

The post Marymount California University Eyes Visalia appeared first on Valley Voice.

According to the text of the censure, Ulmschneider “met with three or more board members to discuss district business outside of a properly called meeting by calling, emailing or meeting with other board members to lobby for the board’s adoption of German as the district’s preferred new high school foreign language offering.”

The Brown Act states: “A majority of the members of a legislative body shall not, outside an authorized meeting, use a series of communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to discuss, deliberate or take action on any item of business that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.” With seven board members serving on the VUSD Board, any behind-the-scenes discussion of an issue by four or more members violates the Brown Act.

Ulmshneider also distributed packets of information he collected about foreign languages to the other board members in advance of a board vote on the possible addition of a third foreign language to the high school curriculum. Most of the packets were not opened, however.

“When you have nepotism and cronyism, you’re going to have this perverse interpretation of the Brown Act,” said Ulmschneider the next day. “The Brown Act generally is about open meetings and so forth, and not about a board turning on itself, unless it’s political. This is about political bullying. It was obviously political. They made phone calls.”

The board elected Juan Guerrero as its president and Lucia Vazquez as its clerk earlier in the meeting. Both were elected by 6-1 votes, again with Ulmschneider as the lone dissenter in each vote.

“It would be hypocritical of me to vote for somebody that I opposed and defeated substantially,” said Ulmschneider about his opposition to Guerrero. His vote against Vazquez was because she was unopposed when she was elected to the board. “When you run unopposed, are you being elected or are you being rubber-stamped by the public?”

Ulmschneider, who is often the lone dissenter in board votes, was asked if he was treated differently with the censure issue than other board members would have been. “Yes, of course,” he responded.
Jim Qualls, outgoing board president, was asked before the vote if Ulmschneider was being treated differently as a result of previous disagreements with other board members. “I would have done it to any other board member,” he responded. “We work hard to maintain trust and we don’t want to lose it over this issue.”

VUSD Superintendent Craig Wheaton spoke before the board vote and tried to make it clear that the censure was not a punishment, but “just a drafted resolution of the board disapproving of the conduct of a board member.” The board has the right of freedom of speech “and censure is an expression of that right.”

Ulmschneider maintained the next day that his actions that resulted in his censure were only intended to provide information about high school foreign language education. “The analysis I did was pretty involved and I wanted to make sure it was public,” he said, adding that he also wanted to do a presentation about the subject at a board meeting. “I think it’s an insult to the people here to not be allowed to do a PowerPoint presentation for the public good.”

Based on his post-meeting comments, Ulmshneider has not abandoned his belief that he did nothing wrong, and that he did not violate the Brown Act. He was asked if the board’s censure changed anything.

“I think it chills my communications with them,” said Ulmschneider. “That censure puts your collegiality on ice. I tried my best during my first term and my second term, but you can see the cronyism. There’s no way I can give them anything else now. Everything has to go through the superintendent and I have to hope the superintendent – who I didn’t vote for – will give (information I want to present) to the board.”

Before the censure vote, the board considered the possible addition of a third foreign language to the high school curriculum. After hearing from educators and members of the public about the merits of German and other languages, as well as concerns about the impact of a third language on the current Spanish and French programs, the board voted to delay its vote so it could further study the issue.
This time, the vote was 7-0.

The post VUSD Board Censures Board Member Ulmschneider for Violating Brown Act appeared first on Valley Voice.

The United States Department of Transportation selected SeaPort Airlines to provide air service to Visalia Airport. The order, issued on December 11, approves the recommendation submitted by the Visalia City Council following its 3-2 vote on September 12.

The December 11 order states: “By this Order, the Department is selecting SeaPort Airlines, Inc. (SeaPort) to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at Visalia, California, for the two-year period beginning January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2016. SeaPort will provide 12 nonstop round trips per week to Oakland and 12 nonstop round trips per week to Burbank (24 total round trips per week), using 9-seat Cessna Caravan aircraft, at an annual subsidy rate of $1,990,563.”

EAS is the federal program that guarantees a certain level of scheduled air service to communities that would otherwise have lost access to the nation’s air transportation system in a deregulated airline industry.

It should take 45 to 60 days for SeaPort to provide its first flights to and from Visalia, according to Visalia Airport Manager Mario Cifuentez, who explained that the airline is now able to acquire aircraft, hire pilots and schedule flights. “Everything was contingent on the awarding from the Department of Transportation.”

In the next two weeks, Cifuentez expects to have a clearer vision of when SeaPort will provide local service.

Although the order includes a starting date of January 1, the contract will run for two years from the date that SeaPort actually begins service to Visalia, according to Cifuentez.

The post SeaPort Airlines Approved as Visalia Air Service Provider appeared first on Valley Voice.

Lemon Cove Village, which bills itself as a “tiny house community,” is making the argument that smaller is better, at least when it comes to houses. The property, located on a former KOA Campground at 32075 Sierra Drive in Lemon Cove, is scheduled to open to its first residents on January 1.

“We got rid of the dead trees, fixed the building and redid the bathrooms and the showers,” said Dirk Dole, the owner of Lemon Cove Village. “We’re trying to make it a tiny house community – that’s the goal,” he added, explaining why the property is not looking to accommodate recreational vehicles.

Lemon Cove Village, which is licensed for 55 homes, is apparently a groundbreaking venture.

“It’s one of the first tiny house communities in the country, maybe even the first,” said B.A. Norrgard, who runs the website aBedOverMyHead.com where she shares information and her enthusiasm about tiny houses. “There may be five or six houses on a property somewhere, but this could be the first tiny house community.”

There are currently no tiny houses on the property, but Norrgard arrived with her house to show to the small but interested group in attendance on the first evening of a three-day open house.

Norrgard is a consultant for Lemon Cove Village, one of the projects she has undertaken since leaving her legal career. “I loved my legal career,” she explained. “It was great, but the legal world is changing. It was time to walk away from it.”

She likes her new life and enjoys the opportunities and benefits of owning a tiny house. “I don’t have rent; I don’t have mortgages; I don’t have property taxes,” she said, adding that she likes being mobile. “My plan is to travel and teach.”

Norrgard conducts tiny house workshops, which cover the options for a tiny house owner, including deciding on wheels or a foundation, and whether to rely on solar energy. She also promotes the idea of tiny houses wherever she can.

“People are tired of mortgages and keeping up all their possessions,” she said. “Possessions are a lot of work. I think people are looking for a simpler life.”

Tiny house communities need water and some houses need electricity, she said. “A shared laundry facility and an Internet connection would be good,” she added, “and definitely a community garden.” She also believes that a campfire is important. “It gives a sense of community. It’s a gathering place. Good things always happen around a campfire.”

According to Norrgard, the biggest misconception that people have about tiny houses is that they provide low-income housing. “$26,000 doesn’t sound bad until you calculate the cost per square foot.”

Although the idea appeals to a lot of people, Norrgard said that most of those interested in tiny houses are “a lot of empty nesters and a lot of single women. It’s their time.”

A woman named Mary was at the open house on her way to see tiny houses in Vancouver. “This is a tiny house research road trip,” she explained.

Her partner, Tamara, said their plan is to get a tiny house 30’ long by 10’ wide, along with a smaller house. “Then we’ll also have a smaller one to live in,” she said. “If she gets tired of me, she can go in the other one to spend the afternoon.”
Tamara likes the idea of living in a tiny house because it’s less expensive and she believes that a tiny house would provide her some relief from her “multiple chemical sensitivities.”

“It’s kind of fascinating to me,” said Stephen, who was recently widowed. “This is the closest I’ve come to living off the grid. I’m looking for something energy-efficient.”

Annie, who drove up from Orange, may be living in a tiny house in the near future. “I retire in about 157 workdays,” she said with a big smile. “I rent a house. I’m a single parent so I could never buy a home in Orange County.”

Annie runs tinyhouseresource.com, which provides information about the “Tiny House Movement.” She also has a Facebook page with 1,700 followers. She said that sustainability, a small footprint, economic reasons and concern about the environment are making tiny houses attractive to a wide range of people.

“Even the people here (at the open house) are coming for different reasons,” she said. “All of them find this common ground. It resonates with so many people.”

“I downsized my house and my husband,” said Amy, who drove up from the San Fernando Valley. “The kids went to college, although one has creeped back.

“I don’t want a mortgage and there’s no house that I can afford,” she added. “I really like the he idea of being able to pick up and move. I have issues with making decisions so it would be good.”

For more information about Lemon Cove Village, visit lemoncovevillage.com or call 370-4152.

The post Lemon Cove Village, Where Smaller is Better appeared first on Valley Voice.

“Our board president directed me to get together a resolution to publically censure Board Member Ulmschneider for Violating the Brown Act,” said Craig Wheaton, VUSD Superintendant. “I’m going to put it on the agenda because they’re going to need to discuss it. I’m working with legal counsel to make sure that whatever they do stands up.

“This isn’t about someone who disagrees with an issue, because we often disagree,” he added. “This is about how we do business and making sure we do it at a public meeting.

“I’m sure that other board members would agree that German would be a great language to offer,” continued Wheaton. “The concern we have is he’s calling other board members, meeting with other board members and doing it in a systematic way to distribute information to all the board members. They’ve never seen a board member do this. If a board member is struggling with a topic, they may call another board member. That’s legal to do because they’re only two of you, but you have to constantly remind each other that we can’t each take it to another member.”

The Brown Act states: “A majority of the members of a legislative body shall not, outside an authorized meeting, use a series of communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to discuss, deliberate or take action on any item of business that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.” With seven board members, any behind-the-scenes discussion of an issue by four or more members would violate the Brown Act.

“Mr. Ulmschneider is extremely interested in having German be added,” said Wheaton, who added that Ulmschneider delivered packets of information and “talked to some members” about that issue.

“We’re just trying to encourage him to follow the Brown Act,” said VUSD Board President Jim Qualls. “He’s quoted the Brown Act on other occasions. He wanted the school district to be transparent.

“He’s a board member,” he added. “He has to follow certain rules. So far, he’s chosen to ignore us and that puts us in a dilemma. This is all we can do. We don’t intend to violate the Brown Act.” The decision to draft a resolution to censure is “because he won’t take no for an answer. He’s fully chosen to push the situation.

“I’m not here to bully him, it just can’t be tolerated,” Qualls continued. “As a board member, it hurts us when a board member chooses to act this way.”

In response to a question about whether Ulmschneider is being treated differently as a result of previous disagreements with other board members, Qualls said, “I would have done it to any other board member. We work hard to maintain trust and we don’t want to lose it over this issue.”

At the November 18 board meeting, Qualls cited phone calls from Ulmschneider that were received by himself and other board members to discuss the issue of foreign languages. The remaining five members reported receiving an information packet from Ulmschneider, but most of them did not open it. Three reported having meetings with Ulmschneider where the issue was discussed.

“I believe the board members were not aware of Mr. Ulmschneider’s actions by discussing foreign languages and are not at fault of the violation of the Brown Act, since Mr. Ulmschneider did not state that he had spoken to other board members, except me,” said Qualls. “I was aware that he had spoken to Mr. (William) Fulmer and Mr. (John) Crabtree.”

Qualls then directed Wheaton to draft a resolution to censure Ulmschneider.

“My name was pilloried quite a bit here,” said Ulmschneider, when called upon for a response. “That information is public. I gave them a packet tonight. It’s all from the Internet, outside the district but from the California Department of Education, the U.S. Census. Please take that information, and I’m going to give Dr. Wheaton also exactly what I gave to you. The biggest task was to make sure that you all had that same public information that I had, which was putting things in perspective.

“There’s no secret that I’d like to see our next language be a non-romance, which looks to the east, but German, but there are lots of languages on there that I had done an analysis of,” he continued. “Don’t be afraid of information. Information is good. It is public. I want people to see it to know. Just about all of it, except for some comments that I had made with my professional judgment of 40-some-plus years of working with and learning foreign languages, would help us in arriving at our decision. I did not persuade anybody. I simply gave information and that was it.

“I did look at the Brown Act. I do not see where there’s any violation,” Ulmschneider added. “The Brown Act is your law against closed meetings. There’s open meetings. It’s designed to make sure everything is public. Tonight I gave everybody here a packet and I’m willing to discuss it but it takes time because it’s a very complicated subject.

“The intent was not to circumvent anything but to make things transparent, which is what the Brown Act is all about,” said Ulmschneider.

The post VUSD Board to Vote on Censure of Board Member Charles Ulmschneider appeared first on Valley Voice.

“The city council directed that the sign ordinance be updated,” said Josh McDonnell, AICP assistant director and city planner for the City of Visalia. “It has been a topic of discussion for two or three years. The sign ordinance hasn’t been updated since 1978, so the city council felt it was high time to look at regulations that reflect the city’s current vision.”

McDonnell was asked if the proposed changes would make it more difficult to do business in the city. “I think the business community will probably agree with that statement and a portion of the residents of the City of Visalia would disagree,” he said.

To get input from businesses, as well as residents, the Planning Department and Sign Ordinance Committee will hold meetings at City Hall East at 3pm on both December 4 (for downtown retail signage) and December 18 (temporary signage).
The Visalia Chamber of Commerce has been hosting its own meetings to make sure that businesses are aware of the proposed changes. The next meetings are set for December 9 at 7:30am at the chamber office, 220 N. Santa Fe; and December 17 at 4pm at the Buckman-Mitchell office, 500 N. Santa Fe.

“Most businesses don’t like ordinances because people want to run their business free from outside rules,” said Gail Zurek, Visalia Chamber CEO. “‘If I want to cover my windows with my product, it should be my right to do it,’ but most businesses understand there are standards we need to create.

“From my vantage point, I’m not sure that most businesses are aware that changes are being made,” she said. “There are new additions to the sign ordinance that affect businesses – electronic signage, mobile signage, temporary signs – and window signage is also included.”

Zurek said that a business on Main Street that currently has a giant iPod that enables potential homebuyers to search for a house would be in violation of the proposed ordinance changes.

“When the sign ordinance was created, no one considered electronic signs,” she said. “It wasn’t a viable option for most businesses. There’s a thought from those in planning that they want to avoid one-upsmanship and creating a Vegas mentality.”
Under the new ordinance, banners and anyone standing on the sidewalk to advertise a business, such as the six-foot crow often seen on Mooney Boulevard, would be illegal, according to Zurek. “And if you advertise an event, there will be a time period that those signs can be out.”

Wrapping your car with your business information would be legal, but hiring someone to wrap their car with your business information would be illegal. Another type of sign that will be restricted under the proposed ordinance is the “snipe sign,” one which is attached to a tree, post or fence.

“The window signs is the big one,” said Zurek. “That is the one people are concerned about. Seventy-five percent of the window should be transparent. This includes Christmas and holidays. Twenty percent is for window signs on a single window. Temporary signage includes a poster for a charity event.”

Indoor signs within two feet of the window are also included in the 20%. “If you start adding two feet from every window, there’s not a lot of space to display,” commented Zurek, who noted, “Originally, it was going to be 10%. We got them to bring it up to 20%.

Membership logos, including chamber logos, are exempt, as are credit card logos and flags.

A 45-day limit on how many days a year holiday decorations (the total for all holidays) can be on commercial – or private property – is also in the proposal, according to Zurek. “They’re looking at amending that,” she said. “At the last meeting, we were saying, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’”

Political signs aren’t facing restrictions, according to Zurek. “You can’t control political signs because that’s controlled by the Federal Election Committee,” she said. “The ordinance has to be in accordance with what’s written elsewhere.”

“Visalia is probably right in the middle with its sign ordinance,” said McDonnell. Some cities have no problem with the use of billboards. Other cities prohibit a lot of signage. Some are in between.”

The Planning Department and Sign Ordinance Committee is still gathering input and the proposal is being carefully studied. “The technical advisory committee is literally going through the ordinance page-by-page,” said McDonnell. “No stone is being left unturned.

“We hope to have a draft final resolution before the planning commission in January,” he said, adding that the commission will then take the resolution to the Visalia City Council for a vote. “It might take one (planning commission) meeting or it might take five.”

Meanwhile, meetings are still being held and arguments are still being put forth.

“In my opinion, advocating for businesses is far more effective early in the process,” said Zurek. “We will advocate at every level and every turn. Everyone wants to create a good ordinance and for us to do that we have to be engaged early – and we are.”

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At its November 10 meeting, the City of Visalia Planning Commission approved a 25-acre master-planned, multiuse business park development on the southwest corner of North Plaza Drive and West Crowley Avenue, just north of Highway 198 in Business Research Park.

The project, planned by 4Creeks, Inc., will offer 97,200 square feet of office space, 38,200 square feet of retail, a gas station and convenience store, a three-story 65-room hotel with conference room space, 11,250 of restaurant space, 28 executive lofts and 23 townhomes.

The architecture, designed by EBM Design Group, is described as modern English style.

“There will be brick facades, with stone also,” said David Duda, project planner with 4Creeks. “We wanted to grab the elements of downtown (Visalia) with the use of brick.”

The development has “green building” components, with two types of pedestrian paths – a circular path around the park and internal pathways – as well as solar canopies above some of the parking. The development will also provide bicycle facilities; preferential parking for van pools, car pools and low emission vehicles; and an on-site bioswale storm water management system. The project will incorporate selected plant materials and building features to reduce water consumption by 50%.

“That’s one of the pushes on projects at the business park,” said Paul Bernal, City of Visalia senior planner. “They emphasize green in both building construction and site design.”

The townhomes in the project “will provide a buffer for existing residential homes, and provide residential units in close proximity to the highway,” said Bernal, explaining that the motivation for including residences in the project was mainly to accommodate those who take Highway 99 to work in either Fresno or Bakersfield. The opportunity to both live and work at the business park was “part of the thinking too,” he added. “If you want to live close to where you work, they will be happy to sell you a home.”

The project will be developed in several phases. Groundbreaking on the first phase, a gas station and convenience store, could begin as early as the middle of next year.

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In late September, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that initially allows 15 California community colleges to award bachelor’s degrees in fields not currently served by the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC). The legislation directs the California Community Colleges system to establish a pilot baccalaureate degree program by the 2017-18 academic year.

“We’re excited about that and we’re very supportive,” said COS Superintendent/President Stan Carrizosa. “We think that community colleges provide cost-effective educational opportunities for students, so the opportunity to have a four-year degree program means more access to students.

“We would like to be a part of the pilot process,” he continued, but added that COS plans to study the legislation before making a recommendation to the COS Board of Directors on whether to submit an application to become one of the 15 community colleges in the pilot program.

“The bill has some pretty tight restrictions,” Carrizosa explained. “The new four-year degree cannot be the same as those offered in the UC or CSU systems. We were a little disappointed by that because COS has a very strong nursing program and we can’t offer a four-year nursing degree.”

Instead, COS would need to propose a four-year degree program not offered by a public university in the state that “meets a demand in the workplace.”

COS has considered several of its two-year programs as a four-year degree offering. Physical therapy assistant is a possibility, according to Carrizosa. “We have a strong two-year program,” he said noting that, “nearly 100% (of those completing the program) get placed in employment, and we know there’s a demand in that industry.” He added that he doesn’t believe that there is a four-year degree already offered in this program.

Other possibilities are a four-year industrial technician program, or one for industrial maintenance, according to Carrizosa, who is still interested in what the criteria are. “We want to apply, but we want to put forward a strong application,” he said.
The school’s administration, academic senate, along with its faculty-based curriculum committee will collaborate on a decision, before a final proposal is submitted to the COS Board of Trustees. “It’s probably a year-long process in the making,” Carrizosa said.

A program closer to fruition is the $150,000 that COS will receive to provide free job training courses to those who lost their jobs as a result of the drought. COS will offer a 170-hour certified production technician program to serve individuals seeking entry -level production jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector. The program will also serve those who are English language learners by including an 80-hour add-on component of Vocational ESL for those who need it. Those who complete the program will be prepared to become certified production technicians, and also have enhanced math, language, computer and life skills.
Five other Valley community colleges – Fresno City College, Merced College, Modesto Junior College, Reedley College and West Hills College – will offer different courses as part of the drought-displaced program.

“It’s just a choice that each college made based on what programs they currently have,” explained Jorge Zegarra, director of COS Business, Industry and Community Services. “Modesto Junior College will manage the program and coordinate the implementation.”

The program is not a done deal yet, however. “The chancellors have not signed an agreement with Modesto Junior College yet,” said Zegarra. “None of the colleges have an agreement in place with Modesto, and Modesto doesn’t have a contract with the chancellors.” A meeting in Modesto about the program is expected this month.

A financial literacy program to help students make wise choices and prepare for their future has already been launched. California Community Colleges and the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) have partnered to make “CashCourse,” its online financial literacy product, available (and free) to every student in the system.

Students can visit www.cashcourse.org for financial education resources, including articles, videos, a financial dictionary and software to help students understand and build budgets. The site includes topics such as “money 101,” “paying for education,” “making purchases,” “working & earning,” “money & relationships,” and “financial tools.” Community college faculty and staff will also be able to use the website and NEFE’s resources to help build online and classroom financial literacy courses for students, complete with homework assignments and quizzes.

“That’s definitely something that our financial aid department is looking at,” said Brent Calvin, COS vice president of student services. “I think a lot of college campus colleges are using it for their loan recipients, but we don’t have a lot of loan recipients so we haven’t been an early adopter, but the plan is for us to get involved and give that website portal our to our students as a resource. We’ve got a number of pamphlets and handouts that we give to students and this would be a benefit.”

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