Exhibition Inspired by Edgar Payne’s Sierra Masterpiece Explores Modern Connections to Landscape Painting

Lindsay Arts is proud to announce the opening of Light, Land, Legacy, a new exhibition exploring the enduring impact of landscape painting in California, inspired by a historic Sierra Nevada painting by celebrated plein air artist Edgar Payne.

The Lindsay Museum and Gallery is located at 165 N Gale Hill, Lindsay, CA 93247, the exhibition invites visitors to experience the natural beauty of California through the eyes of contemporary artists who share Payne’s commitment to observing and interpreting the landscape with reverence and passion.

The public is warmly invited to a special Opening Reception on Saturday , September 13, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Guests will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, meet featured artists, and enjoy refreshments while celebrating the power of landscape painting across generations.

At the heart of the exhibition is a striking Payne painting from the museum’s permanent collection—an evocative view of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This work serves as a focal point and conceptual starting place for the show, which features new and recent works by four artists who explore the landscape through modern lenses:

• Adam Longatti (Fresno, CA) paints the Central Valley with subtle tonal shifts and meditative calm. His quiet, atmospheric works reflect a deep connection to place, echoing Payne’s ability to capture both the grandeur and stillness of nature.
• Austin McKinzie (Springville, CA) brings energetic plein air techniques to remote wilderness locations. His expressive brushwork and immersive color palettes reflect the physicality and immediacy of working directly in nature, in the tradition of early California impressionists like Payne himself.
• John Scane (Los Angeles, CA) builds layered interpretations of nature from photographic reference. His paintings blur the line between realism and abstraction, turning familiar terrain into poetic, emotive space.
• Todd Carpenter (Los Angeles, CA) works entirely in grayscale to highlight the structure of light and shadow in the landscape. With photographic precision and minimalist clarity, Carpenter’s paintings offer a contemplative take on natural form and perception.

Light, Land, Legacy draws a visual and conceptual line from 19th-century plein air painters—who were liberated by the invention of photography to paint light and emotion—to contemporary artists who continue to innovate, reinterpret, and honor the land. Together, these five artists form a dialogue across time, medium, and perspective.

“This exhibition is ultimately about how artists help us see—how they slow us down and reconnect us with the land around us,” says Shane Guffogg. “From Payne’s sweeping Sierras to Carpenter’s meditative monochromes, each work invites us to reflect on the beauty, complexity, and fragility of the California landscape.”

Also on display are photographs and memorabilia celebrating the remarkable achievements of Lindsay High School alumni whose paths have led from our small community to the world stage. From rock and roll stardom to life-saving medical careers, Olympic gold, and award-winning artistry, these inspiring individuals all share one thing in common — their roots began right here at Lindsay High School.

Their dreams took flight in Lindsay, and now we invite you to honor the lives they’ve shaped, the legacies they’ve built, and the pride they bring to our community.

A special exhibition at the Lindsay History Museum will spotlight the stories, journeys, and enduring contributions of these alumni.

The post Lindsay Arts Presents: Light, Land, Legacy — Contemporary Visions of the California Landscape appeared first on Valley Voice.

Former Lindsay Police Chief Richard Carrillo and former Lindsay Finance Director Salvador Guzman have separately sued the City of Lindsay. Both claim they were fired wrongly in retaliation for whistleblowing on alleged financial malfeasance by city staff.

In his lawsuit, Carrillo says he reported what he found to the Tulare County District Attorney’s office, and that he and Guzman were interviewed by the DA’s Public Corruption Division. While the DA’s office would not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation, a spokesman confirmed that Lindsay City Hall was served with a search warrant in early March 2024.

A note in the city’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 audit states that the warrants were part of an investigation “into individuals serving as former management to the city,” and that some worked for the city through December 2023.

Carrillo filed suit in February, and Guzman filed suit in March. They are represented by separate attorneys, but both share some common allegations, including that former Lindsay City Manager Joe Tanner engaged in double-dipping related to vacation benefits.

Tanner was hired in 2020. He was placed under investigation and administrative leave in December 2023, and fired on March 5, 2024. After Tanner was placed on leave, Lindsay’s Director of Recreation Services, Armando da Silva, took on the title of acting city manager.

Carrillo was placed on administrative leave in January of this year, and fired in February amidst heavy public outcry against the decision, as previously reported by the Porterville Recorder and the Sun-Gazette. Guzman, who was hired in August 2023, was also fired in January 2024.

Lindsay city attorney Megan Crouch declined to comment for this article and declined to provide further detail on the investigation into Tanner, citing employee confidentiality and ongoing litigation.

An analysis of council agenda packets shows that the city paid approximately $3,979 to the law firm of Herr, Pedersen & Berglund – a separate firm from the one the city normally uses – for “MATTER: CM INVESTIGATION,” with CM presumably standing for “city manager.”

Guzman and Carrillo further claim Armando da Silva – Tanner’s temporary replacement as city manager – attempted to receive a premature raise in violation of city policy. The two one-time key employees allege it was openly expressing their concerns about the issue that led to their firings while da Silva was the acting city manager.

Da Silva is still employed with the City of Lindsay in his original role as the Director of Recreation Services.

Shelly Bryant, an attorney for Carrillo, told the Valley Voice that they expect to win their case, pointing to a recent victory for the former police chief of Parlier.

“The city should be very concerned about this case. The former police chief of Parlier recently won a jury trial,” Bryant told the Voice. “See the article at: Former Parlier police chief wins $1M lawsuit over firing by city – ABC30 Fresno. We expect the same result in Chief Carrillo’s case.”

Tanner and attorneys for Salvador Guzman declined to provide comment for this story.

In legal filings, the City of Lindsay has denied the allegations raised by Carrillo and Guzman.

$37,000 in alleged vacation time double-dipping

Guzman’s lawsuit claims that the domino effect at Lindsay City Hall started when Tanner asked to cash out his vacation hours.

Guzman says he was asked in September 2023 to cash out 80 hours, and was asked in November to cash out more. Guzman said that when he looked at the November request, Tanner had approximately 190 vacation hours over two years of employment, which “seemed excessive.”

“Guzman discovered that Tanner had been taking vacations without reporting them and then cashing out the funds. Guzman discovered that Tanner had cashed out about $37,000 in total,” the document reads.

Guzman approached Carrillo after discovering the double-dipping, which Carrillo corroborates in his suit.

“[…] Tanner admitted he had been paid cash for vacation credits that he used to get paid during his vacation absence. He offered to reimburse the city and provided a $25,000 personal check. Tanner implied that Guzman should keep things quiet,” Carrillo’s lawsuit reads. “Finance director Guzman declined to hide city manager Tanner’s unlawful conduct.”

Carrillo’s suit claims he reported the information to Lindsay City Council member Rosaena Sanchez. A special meeting was called on December 6, 2023, and Tanner was placed on administrative leave.

Da Silva’s raise – or lack thereof?

The next day, da Silva allegedly emailed other city officials attempting to receive increased pay and benefits, according to Carrillo’s lawsuit. Carrillio’s suit states he and Guzman believed receiving a raise was against city policy unless da Silva occupied the position for one month or more.

Both claim that discussing da Silva’s compensation would lead to their firings.

An online version of Lindsay’s Rules and Regulations states that an employee “who temporarily assumes the duties of a superior position for an extended period of usually one (1) month or more, may upon approval of the city manager receive premium pay commensurate with the duties assumed.”

Carrillo walked into Guzman’s “work area” when he and Mari Carrillo, Lindsay’s human resources manager, were discussing da Silva’s salary request, his lawsuit claims.

He interpreted the conversation to mean that da Silva would be in the acting role for a longer period of time, and says that he “told a few command staff members of the Police Department” that da Silva would be sticking around due to the conversation he overheard.

Gossip allegedly led to shouting match

The gossip fired da Silva up, both lawsuits allege.

Guzman claims that da Silva called a meeting with him the same day and “started yelling at [him],” alleging that he was leaking information and “telling Chief Carrillo about his payroll.”

Guzman’s lawsuit claims that da Silva’s “harassing conduct” caused Mari Carrillo to begin crying, and made Guzman “completely distraught” and feel “hopeless” after the meeting.

Mari Carrillo is still listed as the human resources manager for the City of Lindsay, but the city has had two acting human resources managers since February 5, 2024: Vanessa Duran until July 14, 2024, and Lance Rowell since that date.

Crouch, the Lindsay city attorney, declined to comment on the status of Carrillo’s employment or why Carrillo is not currently in her role.

Richard Carrillo’s suit says da Silva also came to the police department to confront him, saying da Silva was “angry” and “heard [Richard] Carrillo was telling people that da Silva was asking for a pay raise.”

Da Silva claims PD officer complained about Chief Carrillo

During the conversation, Richard Carrillo claims that da Silva said he received a complaint call about the chief from an anonymous officer. He believed da Silva was lying, and asked da Silva who the officer was – which da Silva declined to answer.

Da Silva discussed the subject with Carrillo later on the same day, the suit claims. He says he asked da Silva if it could have been “any Joe” calling him, and that da Silva replied it could have been.

Carrillo replied by stating if someone was impersonating a police officer, Carrillo could potentially obtain a warrant to identify the person who called da Silva, as impersonating an officer is a crime. The conversation ended there.

The city retroactively approved a pay raise for da Silva on December 12, 2023, according to Carrillo’s lawsuit. Video from the December 12 meeting shows that while an evaluation was scheduled in closed session for da Silva, the acting city manager, no action was reported to the public.

Richard Carrillo suspended, fired

Richard Carrillo says he was fired in January, though a press release issued by the city of Lindsay states his employment was terminated on February 8.

Carrillo claims that da Silva effectively engineered his firing during his tenure as acting city manager as retaliation for raising questions around his raise, and that da Silva “falsely stated, orally and in [a letter],” that Carrillo was “discourteous” for mentioning the pay raise request to other employees, “insubordinate,” “dishonest,” “engaged in discrimination, harassment, and retaliation,” “engaged in conduct that impaired, disrupted or caused discredit to the city” and “threatened da Silva.”

Carrillo says an investigation into the allegations was headed up by da Silva, whom he saw as a biased party that didn’t provide due process.

Carrillo took those claims public in a January 18 Sun-Gazette article, in which he is quoted recounting the story of the pay raise, the conversations he had and the alleged anonymous officer complaint. The article also includes multiple quotes from a letter which Carrillo was given on January 11.

“Da Silva drafted a lengthy letter outright alleging Carrillo of violating confidentiality, intimidation and harassment and lying. Absent though was any evidence. In fact, the letter Carrillo was served on Jan. 11 states that the city intended on firing him before any disciplinary process would have even taken place,” the Sun-Gazette article reads.

Carrillo also says he complained to da Silva about multiple biased disciplinary hearing administrators, and complained to at least one administrator directly about allegations of retaliation by da Silva.

Bryant, Carrillo’s attorney, told the Voice that Carrillo was sent multiple notices of intent to terminate his employment, and that the final letter of intent was the January 11 letter. A pre-disciplinary hearing was scheduled for February 5, but Carrillo did not attend that hearing as he did not have confidence in the process.

Guzman fired while on sick leave

In Guzman’s suit, he claims he was brought into a meeting with da Silva and “yelled at and berated” on December 28.

Guzman claims he had emailed the Lindsay City Council, Lindsay human resources director Mari Carillo and the city’s attorneys on December 26 to report that da Silva was taking vacations without reporting the hours to the city.

“Guzman discovered that da Silva had also been taking vacations without reporting them. Da Silva had about $4,000 of vacation hours on the books,” the document reads.

Word had gotten back to da Silva by the time of the meeting.

“Da Silva blamed Guzman for all the problems at the city and asked why he was questioning [da Silva’s] vacation,” the document reads, “proving that he knew about Guzman’s email to the city council. Da Silva said he is going to report Guzman, which Guzman believed he meant to terminate him.”

Guzman said that he called in sick for a few days afterward, “feeling completely distraught and emotional,” before he was called in to da Silva’s office on January 4 and terminated.

Alleged misuse of city credit cards, fuel funds

In his lawsuit, Guzman made unique allegations of credit card misuse against da Silva and Neyba Amezcua, Lindsay’s former city services director. Guzman also alleges Amezcua was given “numerous raises” over a short period of time, with no documentation to support them

Records from Transparent California, which collects the pay for public officials in the state, show that Amezcua received a “total pay” of $111,339 in 2022 as director of city services. In 2021 and before, she is listed as a city services assistant director. Amezcua was paid $91,345 in 2021, $75,014 in 2020, $67,384.66 in 2019 and $69,640 in 2018.

Amezcua declined to comment due to ongoing litigation and confidential personnel matters, stating that she looked forward to addressing claims “in the appropriate forum when the time comes.”

Guzman said that while he was attempting to find cost savings in the city’s spending in August 2023, he found that the city services department — headed by Amezcua — was spending more on fuel than the Lindsay Police Department.

“Guzman reasonably believed the cost to be excessive because the City of Lindsay is a small city and city services has only about six cars for eight-hour shifts while the police department has more cars for 24-hour shifts,” his lawsuit reads.

Reports of misspending allegedly ignored, dismissed

Guzman says he brought his concerns to former city manager Tanner in September 2023, but that they were dismissed.

Lindsay’s 2024-2025 budget states that actual Public Safety budget spending for “Vehicle Fuel and Oil” in Fiscal Year 2023 – which runs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 – was $83,138.

Budgets for departments overseen by City Services – “maintenance, streets, parks, building, code enforcement, planning, engineering, water, wastewater, storm drain utilities, refuse services, land application site, and special districts” – showed a total of $54,487 in “Vehicle Fuel and Oil” spending, a significant amount but less than the Public Safety spend:

• $2,520 in the City Services budget
• $14,195 in the Parks budget
• $3,165 in the Streets budget
• $4,119 in the “Gas Tax-Maintenance” budget
• $10,766 in the Water budget
• $17,863 in the Sewer budget
• $1,859 in the Refuse budget

Guzman also claimed in his lawsuit that he had discovered in September 2023 that Amezcua and da Silva had allegedly put personal charges on their city credit cards, with spending that he said seemed unusual – approximately $2,000 per month.

He said that Tanner authorized him to write a letter to Amezcua and da Silva reminding them that only work-related charges should be put on the cards, and that documentation for each purchase was required.

What’s next for the lawsuits?

A settlement conference is scheduled in Guzman’s case for May 15, 2025. If no settlement is found, Guzman’s case will see a jury trial on June 9.

Carrillo’s settlement conference is scheduled for May 30, 2025. If no settlement is reached, a jury trial will begin on July 7.

Know more

Read the full lawsuits below, or click here to view the full docket as of publication time for VCU306195, Richard Carrillo vs. City of Lindsay, or click here to view the full docket as of publication time for VCU307086, Salvador Guzman vs. City of Lindsay.

The post Former key officials sue City of Lindsay, claiming corruption appeared first on Valley Voice.

The smash Broadway hit, Mary Poppins, is the spring musical for the Lindsay Community Theater. Show dates for Mary Poppins are April 19, 20, 26, & 27 at 7:30 PM and April 21 & 28 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are adults $15 ($10 online in advance) and students $5. Get tickets at lindsaycommunitytheater.com. Mary Poppins is directed by Jim Kliegl, and the Choreographers are Chelsea Cusack, Linda Jarrett, and Haley Brummet.

Mary Poppins centers around the lives of the Banks family: Father George (George Galloway), Mother Winifred (Alli Smith), Son Michael (Elizabeth Clements), and daughter Jane (Evy June Elizondo). Michael and Jane are mean to their nanny (Stacey Johnson) who abruptly quits. When the kids describe the “perfect” nanny, Mary Poppins (Chelsea Cusack) magically appears and takes on the job. The other servants, Miss Brill (Darby Madison) and Robertson Ay (Jack Craven) are glad that someone else is taking care of the “little monsters.”

Mary Poppins displays some magical abilities and takes the kids on a magical journey to the park, where they meet a talking statue, Neleus (Riley Keeton), a chimney sweep, Bert (Jonathon Passmore), the Bird Woman (Carlene Ruiz), the Park Keeper (Gabe Hernandez), and the Talking Shop owner Mrs Corry (Jennifer Keeton) along with her two daughters Annie (Taryn Edwards) and Frannie (Phoebe Mora). Also in the park are Policeman (Sofia Craven), Admiral Bloom (Laura Grabowski), Miss Lark (Haley Brummet), and Queen Victoria (Liz Waterman).

Later in the nursery Jane and Michael fight over the toy doll Valentine and rip off her arm. Mary Poppins places the doll in the toy chest to “heal.” Then the life-sized Valentine (Edelyn Zimmer) emerges from the toy chest and complains about how she is treated. Soon all the other toys (Brooke Farnsworth, Jacob Waterman, Michelle Huckaby, Robin Hernandez, Libby Elerick, Saffron Galloway, Phoebe Mora, and Haley Brummet) join Valentine, and they all leave in protest. Mary Poppins also leaves to let the kids learn on their own.

George Banks meets with the bank president (Audrey Obannon) and two clients, Von Hussler (Aurora Hernandez) and Northbrook (Stiffany Steele) about bank loans. When one of the deals appears to go badly, George is suspended from his job. Winnifred meanwhile hires a new nanny, Miss Andrew (Amy Zedda), George’s nanny from his childhood. When George sees her, he yells, “The Holy Terror,” and runs from the house. After the kids are treated horribly by Miss Andrew, they run away from home as well.

When Mary Poppins returns to the park, she finds the kids, returns them home, and ousts Miss Andrew. George learns that his bad business decision was actually a very good one, and he is reinstated at the bank with a promotion. After his ordeal, George realizes that family is more important than work, and the family is finally whole and not broken. Mary Poppins, her work here done, flies away over the rooftops of London to another family that needs her “magical” help.

Caption for 131: Winifred (Alli Smith) and Mary Poppins (Chelsea Cusack) discuss what to do with Robertson Ay (Jack Craven) who has passed out.

Caption for 113: Michael (Elizabeth Clements), Jane (Evy June Elizondo), and Mary Poppins (Chelsea Cusack) have fun in the park in front of the statue Neleus (Riley Keeton).

Caption for 116: Parkstroller (Stacey Johnson) takes her baby for a walk in the Park.

The post Lindsay Community Theater presents Mary Poppins! appeared first on Valley Voice.

Krizlynn Balboa allegedly engaged in a relationship with the minor – a student at Lindsay High – over a four month period, according to a probable cause document filed with the court by the Lindsay Police Department. She has pled not guilty to all charges.

Separately, the student’s parents filed a civil lawsuit this month against the Lindsay Unified School District and school officials. The suit alleges Lindsay Unified officials were negligent in allowing Balboa to interact with students, and failed to report the relationship to authorities when they reasonably should have known one had been established.

The suit also claims the district did not notify the student body or community once criminal charges were filed. The Valley Voice discovered the criminal case and lawsuit after a regular search of court dockets.

“The student’s parents, in our case, thought it was important the lawsuit be filed for a number of reasons; one of those reasons is so the public becomes aware of these allegations,” the parents’ attorney, Daniel Rodriguez of Bakersfield’s Rodriguez & Associates firm, told the Voice.

Rodriguez drew parallels between this case and the 2019 case of Orlando Benitez, a Lindsay High teacher sentenced to four years in prison for stalking three female students at the school. The first public coverage of his case came after he was sentenced.

“This is not the first time in the recent past that a Lindsay High School employee, a coach or a teacher, has had these allegations made,” Rodriguez said, “because our research shows that there was a man by the name of Orlando Benitez, who was sentenced in August 2019 to state prison for stalking female students.”

Lindsay Unified Superintendent Tom Rooney declined to comment due to pending litigation, beyond confirming to the Voice that Balboa was never an employee of the district.

Criminal charges

According to the Lindsay Police Department’s probable cause statement, the student told police that she had “intimate contact” with Balboa on multiple occasions during the four month period. She also told police that the acts took place on school property “approximately five times.”

“Information was gathered through the victim’s Snapchat, which confirmed their relationship status and the sexual acts conducted,” the police document reads. “Based on the information […] Balboa was taken into custody.”

Balboa is currently represented in her criminal proceedings by Kiley Clevenger of Fresno’s Sawl Law Group. The criminal case is pending, and Balboa is waiting for a preliminary hearing, where a judge will decide whether or not there is enough evidence for the case to proceed.

A conference to set a hearing date is scheduled for November 16, 2023.

“Ms. Balboa’s case is still pending. She never worked for the school district in any official capacity. She very simply volunteered at the school, helping out with the basketball program for approximately three months. During that time, my client and the alleged victim developed a friendship that later turned into a consensual romantic relationship. My client was 19 years old and the alleged victim was 16,” Clevenger told the Voice.

“My client was the one that decided to end the relationship after contemplating the fact that the alleged victim was under the age of 18, even though my client was still a teenager herself and somewhat newly of age. Ms. Balboa ended the relationship prior to the allegations being made. Although Ms. Balboa acknowledges that there was a consensual relationship between herself and the alleged victim, she denies the current allegations leveled at her by the District Attorney’s Office,” she added.

Victim, parents launch civil suit

Attorneys for the student’s parents have sued Lindsay Unified, Lindsay High Principal Cindy Alonzo, and Balboa herself. Balboa’s father George Balboa – listed as a Lindsay High basketball coach on the Maxpreps high school sports website – was also named in the suit.

The lawsuit does not make any misconduct allegations against Balboa’s father; however, the parents’ attorneys claim that both “reasonably should have known” about the activity and allege that George Balboa was aware of conversations in which Krizlynn Balboa asked students about their sexual experiences, preferences, and their virginity.

“Despite being aware of these conversations, Defendant George Balboa did not report or document these conversations and did not stop these conversations from occurring,” the lawsuit reads.

“The defendant was an assistant coach, and our information is her father was the head coach,” Rodriguez told the Voice.

In the lawsuit, the student claims that she “has suffered and incurred, and will suffer and incur in the future, significant educational detriment, humiliation, physical pain, fear, anxiety, sadness, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of quality of life, emotional distress, and mental distress.”

The parents’ attorneys are also seeking damages for medical expenses, loss of earning capacity, and general damages.

The lawsuit alleges that Krizlynn Balboa “had a history of sexually inappropriate behavior towards minor females, including inappropriate communication and physical contact,” and that Lindsay Unified officials “continued to enable her predatory opportunism” after they had “knowledge, actual notice, or constructive notice” of such activities.

According to Linday Unified’s website, volunteers are required to disclose any prior criminal convictions as well as undergo a background check at the applicant’s expense. Volunteers are also required to report information “if [they] hear about or observe evidence of child abuse.”

The lawsuit alleges Balboa “groomed, then sexually harassed, annoyed, molested, and abused [the student] on or about December 2022 through May 2023, inclusive, beginning when [the student] was only fifteen years old,” and that Lindsay Unified “fostered a culture in which sexual harassment and/or abuse was condoned and ratified.”

The student was unable to easily terminate the relationship with Balboa because she was “supervised by [her], and therefore was forced to be in close proximity to, tolerate and/or endure the relationship with [her],” the filing states.

After Balboa’s arrest, no notification was made to the community by district officials. The parents’ lawsuit alleges that this is a pattern for Lindsay Unified.

“When Defendants Lindsay Unified School District and Cindy Alonzo learned of the allegations of sexual misconduct with a Lindsay High School Student, they continued to hide this information from Lindsay High School students and their parents,” the filing states. “When Krizlynn Balboa was arrested and charged with felony counts for these actions, Lindsay High School intentionally withheld that information from its student body and the parents of their students.”

“This is not the first time that allegations have arisen of a Lindsay High School employee and/or agent assaulting a student. Orlando Benitez was sentenced in August 2019 to 4 years and 4 months in state prison for stalking female students while employed as a teacher and coach at Lindsay High School,” the filing continues. “When those allegations were made known to Lindsay High School, the Defendant District also chose not to release that information to its student body.”

Lindsay Unified has not yet responded to the civil lawsuit; a Case Management Conference is currently scheduled for February 6, 2024.

The post Lindsay High basketball volunteer charged with sex offenses against student, parents sue district appeared first on Valley Voice.

Lindsay Art Association

Even though these artists made their work over a century apart, they share a common inspiration, the horse and the American landscape.

Brent Hudspeth, “Remington painted and sculpted the horse as an element of the west. The horse was a part of the organic machinery of frontier life, but his art focused on the human experience. The horse was a part of the fabric in the presentation of their depiction of the American West. The intent of my work is not to show the horse as an element, fixture, or part of a whole statement. I am associating more with the implied personal state of mind of the horse as it relates to what we as humans may feel – triumph, jealousy, fear, lost love – right down to our core.”

Brent Hudspeth’s paintings are beautiful and haunting, familiar like a dream of watching a western on TV from childhood. There is a tranquil stillness that occupies these paintings.

Remington captured the spirit of a forgotten time, becoming famous in the late 1800s for his paintings, illustrations and sculptures of his romantic depictions of the American West.  Both artists capture fleeting moments, distilled through bronze and paint portraying ideas of a bygone era. There is an implied narrative in Brent’s work that speaks to another time, Remington’s time. Hudspeth’s paintings show how the San Joaquin Valley looked in the age before this era of strip malls and parking lots. Remington and Hudspeth’s works are visual poems that by their mere presence, are meant to slow us down to a time that was measured by the sun.

You are invited to join us for the opening reception, June 10^th,  5 to 8 p.m. at the Lindsay Museum and Gallery located at 165 N. Gale Hill, Lindsay, CA. Refreshments will be served.

For more information please contact Trish Gutierrez at lindsayartassociation@gmail.com or call (559)359-6393

The post Lindsay Museum and Gallery presents West of the Known appeared first on Valley Voice.

For many years, the City of Lindsay’s public safety model was to hire only police officers and train them for fire response. Lindsay was one of only three departments in the State of California that used this model.

At the time, the proper training could be obtained in-house at a reasonable cost. However, due to changes in training standards and budget restraints, this model was no longer feasible, and it became more and more difficult to maintain. Thankfully, the City can now implement a more traditional fire/police public safety model.

The City of Lindsay is 100% committed to providing the highest level of service to the community and this action is definitively a step in the right direction.

The post City of Lindsay offering increased fire services appeared first on Valley Voice.

Zigler Retires

With the city finally standing on firmer financial ground, City Manager Bill Zigler decided it was time to hang up his spurs. Zigler, a 21-year veteran of the US Navy, started as a self-described “gray-haired intern” in the city’s Planning and Economic Development Department in 2000, earning just $9 an hour.

“I was kind of the quiet guy over there,” he said. “I had been around the block more than a few times.”

Rising through the ranks as he did in the Navy, Zigler eventually found himself directing the department where he began. Then, when former City Manager Rick Wilkinson resigned in 2015 after a falling out with the city council, Zigler moved into the top spot.

At the time, Lindsay was facing severe budget shortfalls. By August of this year, with a rosier budget situation for the town and all things at Lindsay City Hall seeming fairly stable, Zigler decided to call it a career. Taking over the reins as interim city manager is Bret Harmon.

“I’m proud of what our team has achieved,” Zigler said of his time in the top spot. “Now, it’s time to pass the torch to new leadership, and I do so with total confidence in Bret and what will now become his team.”

So far, the transition has been smooth, Harmon said.

“Staff is adjusting to Bill’s retirement,” he said. “We all miss him, and we’re growing in a lot of different ways.”

Picking a Replacement

The staff may face another transition early in 2020, as the city council settled on a schedule for finding and hiring Zigler’s replacement. If all goes as planned, the new city manager will take over the job by next Valentine’s Day. The date is firm, as regulations limit the time Harmon can function as interim city manager.

“CalPERS (the California Public Employees Retirement System), they govern a lot of our rules for public agency employees,” said Mari Carillo, Lindsay’s director of human resources. “Most importantly, the current interim city manager that you’ve appointed cannot exceed 960 hours per fiscal year. So, your deadline for him to be in that position is February 14, 2020.”

At its September 10 meeting, the council decided to conduct the search for Zigler’s replacement using in-house resources. Carillo described the cost of hiring an outside recruiting firm to lead the search as “pretty substantial.” Mayor Pamela Kimball went further, saying the use of outside recruiters is not only expensive, but also ineffectual.

“From what I’ve seen from surrounding cities, it hasn’t benefited them to spend all that money on a recruiter,” she said. “I don’t see any point in spending $20,000 or $30,000 personally.”

Job Notice Posted

After deciding on the specifics of the search and selection criteria at the September 10 meeting, the council gave the go-ahead to begin advertising the position at its meeting last week. A flyer describing the job requirements, including salary and benefits, has been posted on the city’s website–lindsay.ca.gov. It will also be shared with college and university city administration programs.

Those seeking to become Lindsay’s new city manager may apply via the city’s website. The salary range is $109,000 to $148,800 a year, plus benefits. Applications are due by November 3.

Applicants will face a trio of panel interviews, Carillo said.

“The first one will be community-based, where we’d like to have someone from the community who would be someone from the community the city manager would interact with,” she said. “The second panel would be a city manager or retired city manager who would help us.”

The first round of interviews is scheduled for December 4. The top three candidates will then face a final interview with the city council on December 10.

“They’ll present to (the council) on a topic,” Carillo said. “That’ll be in a closed session.”

The Right Fit

The city has already conducted a “personality analysis” to determine what qualities are most likely to make interaction between the council and the city manager as smooth as possible.

“This helps us find the candidate (the council) wants, the ideal candidate,” Carillo said.

And the city will also be calling on the expertise of former and current administrators from surrounding municipalities to fill the second interview panel.

“For potential panelists, we’d reach out to some community members and professionals from the surrounding cities, (as well as) community members from within the city,” Carillo said.

Carillo said it is common practice for cities to call on one another when making high-level hires.

“We have a network where we contact each other,” she said. “When we ask for assistance from other agencies for our panel, we do send them something that lets them know what guidelines we’d like them to follow.”

Survey Says…

The only thing lacking is the process was a wider polling of community members regarding what they’d like to see in the city’s new lead administrator. To fill that gap, the council has decided to post a questionnaire online via its social media accounts.

Vice-Mayor Laura Cortes, however, would have preferred a face-to-face meeting with constituents to gain their insights.

“I really want the community involved, as well as employees. I wanted an open forum to take suggestions of what the city, the community, wanted to see in their city manager,” she said. “Fresno has done that, and Hanford is doing that right now because they’re recruiting for a city manager. They’re having like a town meeting.”

The post City of Lindsay seeking out new City Manager appeared first on Valley Voice.

Citing the need to tighten its financial belt during the city’s ongoing economic crisis, the Lindsay City Council approved a pair of moves designed to eliminate what have been money-losing propositions. Staff will seek to sever its 20-year agreement with the Lindsay Unified School District (LUSD)for management of the town’s stadium, while at the same time redirecting $330,000 in grant money toward turning the city-owned, 9-hole public golf course into a five-field soccer and sports complex.

Subsidized Duffers

The city currently pays $21,600 annually for management of its golf course, along with $22,200 per year in labor to maintain the links.

On average, 268 rounds of golf are played on those greens each year.

“So, you’re paying the golfers $153 to go out there and golf,” City Manager Bill Zigler told the City Council at its February 27 meeting. “Considering the city’s current financial status, this is not sustainable.”

Zigler said his staff surveyed 25 9-hole golf courses maintained by other cities in California. None of them are profitable enterprises, he said. The survey includes the city-owned course in Porterville, which will lose more than $128,000 in the current budget cycle.

‘Not for Driving’

In a compromise action, a portion of the course–a chipping and putting green near the No. 1 hole–will be preserved.

“If people wanted to bring their own balls and shag their own balls, that’s kind of good, because that’s what our course is for, chipping and putting,” said Mayor Pro Tem Danny Salinas. “It’s not for driving, for the most part.”

Councilman Esteban Valasquez cast the lone no vote on the conversion, citing concerns about diversity. Golf, he said, is a sport enjoyed by all ages. Councilman Brian Watson countered, saying the course hosts “more squirrels than there are golfers.”

There is no lack of eager soccer players in Lindsay, however. The Lindsay Youth Soccer League, which began in 2013 with 260 players, now has more than 450 competing on 37 teams.

City Can’t Afford Stadium

In 2008, the city agreed, after installing artificial turf at the LUSD stadium, to share partial responsibility for its upkeep in exchange for use of the fields. However, in the decade since then, the city has fallen on hard economic times, and it can no longer keep up its end of the bargain.

“In many cases, we’re not doing a good job out there,” Zigler said of the city’s efforts to hold up its end of the bargain.

The problem is City Hall has too much to do and too little to do it with.

“We have a very detailed agreement that puts a lot of responsibility on the city that, frankly, I can’t do, I don’t have the staff to do, we don’t have the financial to do,” Zigler said. “So, it’s time to time to take a hard look at this.”

Opting Out

With a clear picture of a failing agreement before them, the Council agreed to ask the school district for a reevaluation of the contract.

Zigler says the move will be no shock to Superintendent Thomas Rooney or the the LUSD Governing Board.

“Mr. Rooney is keenly aware of this,” Zigler said. “I’ve had this conversation with him many times.”

The city hopes to end its responsibility for installing and then maintaining turf and landscaping at Lindsay High School Stadium. It would allow staff to continue to lock and unlock the stadium for use during non-LUSD event, but not for free. City Hall plans to charge for the service.

Zigler will report back to the Council with any counter offer from the school district, he said.

The post Lindsay cutting costs, adding soccer fields appeared first on Valley Voice.

At its final meeting of last year, Lindsay’s governing body voted 4-1 to pen a letter supporting the city of Arcadia’s fight against the California Voter Participation Rights Act (CVPRA). The new law, which went into effect at the start of the year, requires local governing bodies to synchronize their elections with statewide elections in June and November. Opponents say the CVPRA will slow down elections and make them more costly, and it impinges on the right to self-govern at the local level.

Maintaining Autonomy

Lindsay–like most cities in Kings and Tulare counties–has a charter defining how city business may be conducted, including setting dates for elections. While Lindsay already holds its city council elections in concurrence with general elections, a handful of charter cities do not, and they’ve decided to make what could be a costly stand against what they say is an erosion of rights.

“It’s not necessarily a big issue for us, the city of Lindsay,” said Mayor Pam Kimball. “It’s a request to support other charter cities in the efforts to maintain local control and to have your charter mean something, and the state can’t tell you what you have to change in the charter.”

Lindsay City Manager Bill Zigler says the new hoops the CVPRA asks local authorities to jump through is part of a larger effort by the state to strip away at regional self-control.

“If the Senate bill is approved, you will have some of your charter city rights eroded,” Zigler said. “That’s what it boils down to is you have control right now, you have a lot of local control as a charter city. We’ve seen a move afoot in Sacramento. They have been eroding rights of charter cities.”

Forced Changes and Support

While Zigler referred to the CVPRA as pending, it was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in September of 2015, and its provisions went into effect at the start of 2018. Charter cities that are not already compliant have until November of 2022 to change their election cycle to match that of the state. Most have chosen to comply rather than fight a costly legal battle, but at least three, Arcadia in Northern California, and Redondo Beach and Signal Hill in the Los Angeles area are going to challenge the new requirements.

Mayor Kimball says the fight is a matter of principle.

“Also, the sentiment (is) that if there’s an issue with something like elections that could be brought before the city, the city council, that locally they could decide whether this is something that should be changed or not,” she said, “rather than having it go to the courts, having that expense of things going to the courts, and an outside judge deciding how things should be done in our cities.”

The letter from the Lindsay City Council merely supports Arcadia’s effort, and does not put Lindsay directly into the fight.

“We’re not heading this thing up,” Kimball said. “We just had a request from Arcadia, who has their regular elections as part of their charter on off-cycle years. So, it’s a big deal for them, and they’re just requesting other charter cities send a letter of support on it.”

‘Great Arguments on Both Sides’

Almost everyone supports the idea behind the CVPRA, which is intended to increase turnout for elections on local issues. Historically, more voters turn out when a big issue or office, such as a presidential election, are also on the ticket. CVPRA aims to capitalize on that trend, but some think it goes too far.

“I think for our standpoint, the only dog that we have in the fight is we are proposing that we retain local control. We’re not arguing the concept,” Zigler said. “We want to have as many people come out and vote as is possible, but where do you draw the line in the sand relating to local control when you’re a charter city?”

Lindsay will not have to change the way it does business, as the city already holds its regular elections in sync with the state.

“There are other charter cities that do not, and the concern from the state is that you have an under-representation coming out for these special elections, because you’re not electing the president or a senator or something,” Zigler said. “So, there are great arguments on both sides.”

Problems for Cities

Lindsay City Attorney Mario Zamora says the new law remains untested and will until a city holds a regular election off-cycle and the outcome is contested in court. That creates a pitfall for local governments, who may find themselves defending the outcome of an otherwise legal vote at great cost to taxpayers.

“It creates a problem for cities, because the only way for you to test this is to do it, for (an issue) to pass, and then for somebody to challenge it later and say the first election that you had had decreased turnout, so you should not have had the second election,” Zamora said. “It’s not defined what significantly reduced turnout is, so we’re left guessing. “

The text of the law states: “Voter turnout for a regularly scheduled election in a political subdivision is at least 25% less than the average voter turnout within that political subdivision for the previous four statewide general elections.”

“Ultimately, the problem is with it being poorly worded,” Zamora said.

‘Not a Big Deal’

The issue of syncing local elections to statewide ones to increase turnout isn’t a hotly contested issue in itself, but the infringement on local rights is, and that’s what concerns Lindsay City Hall.

“You look at it on face value and you say, ‘Well, what’s wrong with this? It’s not a big deal,’” Zigler said. “It’s not a big deal. It’s really about local control, and whether or not it’s something you want to fight for in this case.”

Councilman Brian Watson says the CVRPA has a laudable goal, but is fundamentally flawed. The issue, he says, will ultimately have to be decided in a courtroom, and that was the intention of those who wrote the law.

“The idea of the continued erosion of the ability of us to manage our cities the way that we see fit is alarming,” Watson said. “That this is more than likely going to be tested in court is more than problematic, and you have unelected individuals doing the job of elected officials in the courtroom setting, and that’s just in my estimation not the way this is all set up and designed to be.”

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If it weren’t for Clint Ashcraft, Daici Avilla and Alfredo Velasco, Lindsay’s McDermont Field House might well have closed at the beginning of the year. Renovated from an old packing house starting in 2006, the facility opened during the recession – and has yet to see a profit.

Avilla and Velasco have been employed by the city to work at McDermont since its opening in 2008. Ashcraft began his employment with the city in 2006, during the planning and development stages of the facility. With a vision for what could work, and what has not, the trio formed McDermont Venture last November, and took on a five-year lease of the facility.

If they had not stepped forward, “we would have had to have some serious discussions regarding closing it down,” said Lindsay Mayor Pam Kimball. “That was something we didn’t want to have to do.”

The city remains dedicated to the McDermont vision, but could no longer warrant the expense of keeping it open.

The three had largely been the management team prior to the formation of their company and their subsequent lease agreement. The hope is that through management by an outside company, somethings can be handled differently than while being run through the regulations of the city itself.

Last year, the city put out feelers looking for potential buyers or leasers for the fitness center, sports complex and fun zone.

“The way this facility has gone, in terms of numbers, it is very unlikely that someone would want to come in and take it over,” Ashcraft said. “It looks like just a big money pit and it has been for the city.

“It prompted a discussion, that we, as a fallback solution if nobody else comes in and wants this . . . that we would create something together and make it happen. And that is pretty much what’s happened – we have the qualifications to run it, so we’re pooling our resources to put it altogether.”

From city to independent management

It’s a big shift for a fairly young management team, ranging in age from late 20s to late 30s.

For one thing, there is no longer a guarantee of their salaries. In fact, they are now responsible for the rest of the staff, as well as liability insurance and more. The rent is based upon how well the facility does, a percentage of the profits, and is not due until the end of each year. If McDermont Venture does not make money, it will not pay rent.

Nerve-wracking to be sure.

“We have our days,” Ashcraft said. “We take turns having our days. Daici is probably the most consistent – she’s like, ‘we’re going to do this.’

“We’re pretty committed. We have invested a lot into getting ourselves set up correctly.

“There are lots of things that we want to do. But, it Is all going to be driven by how we do with trying to turn revenues around. The first thing we are going to do is just come through and clean things up – give everything a nice coat of paint – just get back to the way things used to be and try to build it up that way.”

As far as management, all three will make decisions together, but each is filling their own niche.

Avilla has been the financial manager for the facility, and will remain in that position as secretary and treasurer. McDermont Venture has hired a payroll company, which also provides legal support services.

They have also have hired their own accountant and attorney.

“It’s really about surrounding yourselves with the right people,” Ashcraft said. “We know how to run McDermont – we know what does and doesn’t work, and we’re excited about eliminating some of the political pressures that come in from running it through the city, and, some of the restrictions.”

Ashcraft has been serving as director, but his focus is shifting a bit into being the one responsible for bringing people into the facility. He also is filling in for a gap on the maintenance staff. Velasquez is most responsible for the day-to-day operations.

All for one, one for all

“One thing we are really excited about is making this an employee-owned company – that’s what we are, we are employees, we work here,” Ashcraft said. “But, we want every employee tied to how we do things. If we are successful, we want every employee to be successful with us.”

For example, when the facility was managed under the city, employees could not receive tips – it is a natural environment for tipping, Ashcraft said, and now employees may accept them. The facility is also looking at commission-based sales for all employees.

The overall goal, Ashcraft said, is to get the income up to where the group can start purchasing the business – the facility and equipment.

Some entities included in membership remain part of the city, such as the swimming pool and the golf course. As such, McDermont now pays the city for each membership usage of those facilities.

Outside fitness consultants and trainers remain partnered with the facility, as in the past.

The management staff has been able to make some changes in the past few months, prior to actually taking over with the lease. Some layoffs were necessary and inevitable, Ashcraft said. But due to the those decisions, the facility is way better off during the first half of its fiscal year, then it has ever been before, he said.

“The pricing structure has changed somewhat– memberships have been changing and evolving, but mostly we have learned how to save money,” he said.

The three commend the entire McDermont staff for stepping up and going beyond their normal work parameters.

They also say there is no way they could be in the position they are in without the aid of their families.

For the city, while it may or may not receive rent, it no longer is out any finances in support of McDermont.

It still receives tax benefits because the facility is still bringing in people from outside the area and helping booster other local businesses as well.

Rental of areas within McDermont are still available, for sporting events, parties, concerts and more. Another benefit of independent management is that decisions can be made much more quickly. Before, the city had to sign off for many events, usage and pricing. Now it is up to McDermont Venture. There is now a lot more flexibility.

And, the goal is to fill the place up – every day, Ashcraft said – school field trips, corporate team-building, birthday parties, chamber events, and, of course, everyday membership.

“McDermont is awesome, but it can be better. There are lots of places where we can add things and revitalize things. There’s a bowling alley that we haven’t used in a long time, and the light-space floor. We have our interactive Squeeze, a talking orange, that we hope to get active again.

“I’m really hoping we get our zip line back. That was a huge attraction, but it’s going to require some alterations. Now, OSHA inspects it, so it’s going to take a little bit of time, but we’re really hoping to get that back and operating.”

Rebranding – it’s a family affair

“One of the other things we are trying to do, is rebrand ourselves,” Velasquez said. “We still want to keep McDermont as who we are, because it has been such a part of the history. But, we want to change it a little bit – we want to send a different message – so we are becoming McDermont X.

“We feel that McDermont Field House didn’t really reflect who we were, the “X” stands for extreme family fun. We want to make sure that people know this is a family place where people are going to come, be active and just have a good time.”

Avilla said that she sees McDermont as where she is supposed to be. “This is kind of where I belong.” She started as a cashier and worked her way up. She cannot imagine working in a different position.

The key is to draw not only local Tulare County residents, but visitors as well, the management team said. They want McDermont to become a worldwide attraction – a “must stop” on the way to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

“We want to support them as much as possible,” Mayor Kimball said. “We’re very optimistic that the new management can do things that we, as a city, could not.”

“We want to work hard and give it our all,” Velasquez said.

The McDermont Fitness Center is open Monday-Friday from 5am-10pm; Saturdays from 6am-9pm and Sundays, Noon-8pm. Some of the sporting activities are available after school weekdays. And, the fun zone attractions are open Fridays from 4-9pm and Saturdays, Noon-8pm.

For more information, call (559) 562-3326.

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