https://www.tulare.ca.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/15369/232?toggle=next7days&selcat=1

The city’s website states the amenities were closed to the public but after a group of concerned citizens met with the Parks and Recreation director the park now is accessible after school and the bathrooms, which had been closed, will be open on a regular schedule.

Years ago the Cesar Chavez Park was approved by the City Council and the site was selected because that area was “underserved” in regard to park amenities.

The recent “covering of the Cesar Chavez monument” I feel was too quickly directed and majority of the “people” especially neighborhood it serves!

We are requesting all citizens throughout Tulare County give public comment during the city council meeting regarding the park.

After setting up an advisory committee and gathering input from the public, the final authority for naming a park rests with the city council.

But, a City Council appointed Advisory Committee does not provide “confidence” that what happens to the park will be representative of the public will or allows sufficient outreach that would make commenting more available.

Tulare Municipal Code 12.06.020 Parks and Recreation provides that the city must give “significant” public notice and allow for public input before recommendations are made for the park.

But this request for public input should be made at a Special Meeting of the City Council at a time the public can attend. The 5:30 pm meeting time of the city council meetings creates a BARRIER for attendance!

Our efforts to provide “public input” as provided by the Brown Act is being ASSAULTED!

A Special Meeting should be at 7:00pm to ensure all the public can comment not just those community members who do not work or have the luxury of adjusting their schedule. A 7:00pm start time is more reasonable for our hard working community.

Having the meeting at 5:30 does not take into consideration shift work in medical or manufacturing jobs.  It is also when most workers are traveling back home at the end of their work day.

The 5:30 pm meeting time of the Tulare City Council is a BARRIER to public input and in personal attendance. Also, statistics show a significant drop in viewers after time change from 7:00 pm to 5:30.

Yes, the opportunity for public comment is provided for but it is not guaranteed your concerns will be heard or taken into consideration by the City Council.

If it’s possible we urge everyone to attend City Council Meeting at 5:30 on April 7th and complete the “request for public comment” card and address the City Council. Even if you do not complete the card anyone can still make a public comment.

If you cannot attend the meeting please try to attend virtually on April 7th to make your views a Public Record.

CESAR CHAVEZ is a COMMUNITY Park and PUBLIC INPUT is not limited to residents within the City of Tulare!

SAVE and HONOR of the integrity and suffering of the farmer workers during their time!

Emails can be sent before meeting begins at 5:30 pm “City clerk@tulare.ca.gov  or leave voicemail 559 366 1849 at 5:00.

DONT let elected officials decide WHAT is BEST for the overall community!

DONT let elected officials decide “what is horrible news”

BE SOMEBODY, make your opinion known as a PUBLIC RECORD!!!

“People of the State DO NOT yield their SOVEREIGNTY to the agencies that SERVE them.”

The post Cesar Chavez Park on Tulare City Council Agenda – Make Your Voice Heard! appeared first on Valley Voice.

Classified employees of Visalia Unified School District are calling on fellow employees and community members to attend the upcoming Visalia Unified Board meeting on Tuesday, March 10, at 5:30 as concerns grow over continued layoffs impacting classified staff across the district.

VUSD meetings are at 5000W Cypress Ave in Visalia. We ask that supporters show up wearing blue.

Classified employees — including instructional aides, office staff, transportation workers, custodians, and other essential support staff — play a critical role in the daily operation of schools and the support of students throughout the district. Employees say that year after year, reductions to classified positions continue to strain school sites and reduce the services students rely on.

“These decisions don’t just affect employees,” say representatives of CSEA. “They directly impact students, classrooms, and school communities. When classified positions are cut, students lose support, campuses lose stability, and the remaining staff are asked to do more with less.”

Employees say the pattern of layoffs comes as schools continue to face increasing student needs. Classified staff often provide direct support to students, maintain safe and clean campuses, assist teachers in classrooms, and ensure that schools function effectively each day.

As the district approaches future negotiations, classified employees say they want district leadership to understand the essential role they play in the success of Visalia Unified schools.

“Classified employees are not expendable,” representatives said. “Our work is essential to the functioning of every school in this district.”

Classified employees are encouraging colleagues and supporters to attend the Visalia Unified School District Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 10 to show solidarity and raise awareness about the impact of these layoffs.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 4:00 PM to gather and organize prior to the meeting. The board meeting will begin at 5:30 PM.

Employees and supporters who wish to speak during public comment are encouraged to prepare a brief statement about how classified staff support students and schools.

Organizers say a strong turnout will send a clear message to district leadership about the importance of protecting the staff who keep schools running every day.

The post Classified Employees Urge Community to Attend Visalia Unified Board Meeting Amid Ongoing Layoffs appeared first on Valley Voice.

Cities far more constrained than ours manage to attract investment because they plan well. Porterville sits at the gateway to the Sierra Nevada foothills, near Sequoia National Park, surrounded by agricultural heritage and small-town character. That should be an advantage. Instead, we’ve failed to capitalize on it through thoughtful planning and a cohesive vision for what kind of place we want to be.

Now, rather than fixing that failure, the Council proposes to make it worse. They want to down-size or eliminate zoning and planning processes and concentrate decision-making in the hands of an inexperienced city manager. They are also dismantling ordinances originally designed to improve aesthetics and community character—all in the name of “deconstructing the administrative state.”

But here’s the hard truth: businesses and tourists don’t invest in chaos.

Entrepreneurs look for predictability. They want to know what can be built next door, what standards apply, and whether the city has a long-term plan that protects their investment. Visitors are drawn to places with a sense of place—coherent streetscapes, inviting public spaces, and a visible pride in community design. Strip away planning and basic design standards, and what you get isn’t freedom or growth; it’s a hodgepodge.

A city without clear rules becomes a gamble. A city without aesthetics becomes forgettable. And a city that rejects planning signals that it’s uninterested in its own future.

If Porterville truly wants economic development, we need more planning, not less. We need regulations that are smart, fair, and consistently applied—not governance by impulse or ideology. Growth follows vision. Investment follows stability. Tourism follows beauty and identity.

Dismantling the tools that help cities succeed won’t bring prosperity. It will only ensure that Porterville remains overlooked—by businesses, by visitors, and eventually by its own residents.

We can do better, but only if we choose intention over ideology and stewardship over slogans.

The post Letter: Business in Porterville is hampered by chaos, not regulation appeared first on Valley Voice.

The opportunity came about during a busy day on campus. Soon-to-be Redwood Ranger 8th graders were touring the campus while we prepared for our traditional photo. Originally, our shirts were supposed to be organized into the sentence “ALWAYS LEGIT CLASS OF 2026”. Unfortunately, during such a memorable bonding event, a group of nine fellow seniors on the school’s ASB team reckoned it would be humorous to gather next to one another and configure a homophobic slur. While some speculate the slur was a targeted reaction to two 8th graders holding hands, the ghastly reality is that these ASB leaders looked at a slogan meant to bring together their peers and saw only an opportunity to coordinate a display of disgust.

The irony is as sharp as it is painful. These were not simply students; they are leaders expected to support their peers and represent our entire community. This situation has created such an infamous outrage that it has already climbed the ranks to national news, and many past and current students have plenty to say about it. One user on TikTok says, “I’m ashamed to be in that school,” showing utter disgust at the actions taken at Redwood. At no point should we ever have to be ashamed of where we receive our education. Another user, Spencer Hunt, noted: “this is what happens when hate becomes casual. It becomes tradition, it becomes a joke. It becomes this f*** a** photo.”

This problem is bigger than Redwood; it is about how specific groups are treated in America, a place meant for all. Not only has this caused public outrage, but internally, students are increasingly frustrated with the administration. Principal Brandon Gridiron sent emails titled “Upholding the Standard of Excellence at Redwood High School,” promising that hate speech would never be supported.

All would be well if it weren’t for the fact that students put these emails through numerous AI text checkers. To everyone’s shock, these emails came back as allegedly—and in some cases, 100%—AI-written. While AI checkers are not absolute, if these are the same tools educators use to catch students “cheating,” imagine the betrayal students felt realizing the administration may have used those same tools to sweep a hazardous situation behind the curtain.

These events don’t just make LGBTQ+ students feel targeted; they make them feel silenced. Many have said they felt unsafe in that moment and remain uncomfortable with the overcompensation Redwood is using to salvage its reputation. For those few ASB members to corrupt a memorable moment into a national sensation, and for the principal to allegedly utilize AI to generate an apology instead of taking a few moments to include his own emotions, is not only negligent—it is a betrayal. To call this “concerning” would be putting it lightly; it is an insult to every student who expects honesty from their leaders.

A Redwood Senior

The post Redwood student writes: One Nation under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All? appeared first on Valley Voice.

As a child born in the 60’s I can remember when I was young and my mother owned a short-wave radio. One thing I liked about it was that I was able to tune in to the local police department. When I was a little older she bought a real police scanner from Radio Shack. One with the orange flashing lights across the front. One summer night there was a pursuit. I could hear the police sirens out the window as I could hear the officers talking on the radio. There was a crash, there were shots fired. I could hear the shots outside as I heard the officers telling the dispatcher that they were ok. When I turned 14 mom bought me a handheld scanner, that was it, I was hooked.  These radio transmissions shaped my life. I decided to go into Law Enforcement and ended up with a career of well over 30 years. A career that I loved, a career that was started because I could hear what my local law enforcement agency was doing.

When Visalia PD went encrypted, I told people “Sheriff Boudreaux would never do that, he would never alienate the citizens of Tulare County that way” I guess I was wrong. A Sheriff who has been so progressive, one who has been so open with his actions, always in the media, always sharing, now locking his citizens out of their ability to hear what their Sheriff’s Department is doing.

You may know that in 2023 Senator Becker introduced a law to stop Law Enforcement from encrypting their radio traffic. While this amendment did not pass it does show that there are lawmakers who feel encryption infringes on the public’s right to know.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB719

The public’s right to know the very basis for the California Privacy Rights Act, unfortunately is too old to have included radio transmissions, but as you know it makes many documents and informational sources available to the public, because the public has a right to know. This even includes dispatch information.

There is no legal requirement to encrypt police radio channels, only the only mandate is to “safeguard personal data”  which you have been doing for many years. You have had the ability to encrypt since the early 80’s. Your SWAT and Narcotics channels have been encrypted for well over 30 years. You have had computers in the patrol cars for well over 20 years, computers that can and do receive information that the public should not know.

Even the largest Law Enforcement agencies in California are not encrypted. CHP, LAPD, LA County Sheriff, the list goes on. Our neighbors, Kings, Kern and Fresno counties are also not encrypted. There are many, many more non-encrypted agencies than encrypted ones.

In closing, I ask a citizen of Tulare County, I respectfully ask, do not encrypt your two primary dispatch channels. Go ahead and encrypt your alternate channels. But leave primary dispatch channels to your voting public, to the citizens of Tulare County, so that we can continue to hear the amazing job that our local law enforcement is doing. Do not break the trust between your agency and the Citizens of Tulare County.

Frank Scanlan – Porterville.

The post Letter: Sheriff Boudreaux, do not encrypt radio channels appeared first on Valley Voice.

Over the past year, countless community members have shown up to council meetings, written emails, spoken at the podium, and participated in civic conversations with one simple request: listen to us. Whether the topic has been library funding, public safety, youth protections, or symbolic political gestures, residents have repeatedly asked the council’s leadership to prioritize transparency, fairness, and community engagement. Instead, we have often seen decisions pushed through with little genuine consideration for public input.

Listening is not a ceremonial act. It is not something elected officials do only when convenient or politically advantageous. It is the foundation of ethical governance. When the mayor and vice mayor dismiss public concerns or treat differing viewpoints as obstacles rather than opportunities, they undermine the trust that makes a city function.

What’s especially troubling is that many residents who take the time to speak at meetings describe feeling talked down to, ignored, or even chastised. That is not leadership. That is not representation. And it certainly is not what Porterville voters expect from those elected to guide our city forward.

Most concerning is the pattern of the mayor and vice mayor advancing predetermined agendas, even when the majority of public commenters—and sometimes a majority of the council—express clear disagreement. Effective leaders welcome debate; they do not stifle it. They collaborate; they do not coerce. They listen; they do not declare themselves the final word.

The good news is that Porterville is full of engaged, thoughtful residents who care deeply about our future. We deserve leaders who respect that commitment. It is not too much to ask that our mayor and vice mayor honor the voices of the community they pledged to serve.

Porterville is stronger when every voice is heard—not just the voices in power.

Barbara McQuain

The post Letter: Porterville deserves leaders who listen appeared first on Valley Voice.

That changed this school year — without warning, without notice, and without a single conversation with the families affected.

In a recent communication from VUSD Transportation Director Luis Dominguez, the reason for the change was made clear:

“The recent change to move the stop to the outside of Oak Ranch development was a necessary decision made to prevent potential damage to personal property.”

Let that sink in. After 50 years of safe, incident-free bus service, the district is now saying it had to eliminate three internal stops — not because they were unsafe or unworkable — but because buses might potentially damage a mailbox or parked vehicle.

In other words, hypothetical dings to property are now being prioritized over the actual, daily safety of our children.

Let’s talk about what this new stop looks like. Students are now dropped off at the intersection of Avenue 313 and Road 148 — a busy rural crossroad with no sidewalks, no signage, and cars routinely going 40 miles per hour or more. I personally recorded a vehicle running the bus’s flashing red lights. Thankfully, no child was crossing at that moment.

Worse still, the new stop location is in a dirt lot next to active farmland. When the bus pulls in, it kicks up a cloud of dust — dust that a former Tulare County pesticide inspector recently warned may contain harmful chemical residue from nearby treated crops.

There are no crosswalks. No designated waiting area. No shade. No adult supervision. Just kids waiting in the dirt, breathing in dust, standing feet from speeding traffic.

Meanwhile, the streets inside Oak Ranch haven’t changed. They are still wide enough for large vehicles, still well-maintained, and still safer than forcing children to walk down rural roads to wait in a farm field. The buses managed these streets just fine for half a century. Why not now?

Let’s also not forget: the nearest school is three miles away — much too far for any elementary or middle school child to walk, especially without sidewalks.

To suggest this change was made in the name of “safety” is both disingenuous and offensive. What’s really happened is that VUSD has shifted the risk — from potential liability over mailbox damage onto the backs of families whose children now face real, visible, and daily danger.

And let’s be honest — if a student is injured or made ill because of this decision, the district will face far more than a scratched bumper. It will face serious legal and public accountability.

This isn’t about property damage. This is about policy choices and misplaced priorities.

VUSD has a chance to correct course — to listen to its constituents, to prioritize student safety over vehicle paint jobs, and to restore the three Oak Ranch bus stops that have served our community so well for so long.

Our children’s safety should never be treated as an acceptable risk. We expect better — and we will not stop speaking up until the bus stops are reinstated.

The post Letter: “When ‘Potential Property Damage’ Outweighs Student Safety” appeared first on Valley Voice.

In 2008, we, the voters of California, approved Proposition 11. Prop 11 created the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission and tasked five Republicans, five Democrats, and four independents from across the State to draw State Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization electoral districts. In 2010, voters expanded the Commission’s role to include the drawing of Congressional electoral districts. In doing so, we took power away from politicians in Sacramento and placed it where it belongs, with us. We decided to let voters choose their representatives instead of politicians choosing their voters. We chose transparency, independence, and fairness.

To be clear, this system is far from perfect. In the last redistricting cycle, the Commission created a set of maps that protected Democrat incumbents and split Central Valley Counties every way imaginable. As a result, our community lost an effective representative in Congressman Nunes.

Governor Newsom and his allies in the Legislature claim that this effort to circumvent the Commission is a one-time exception to counter similar efforts in Republican States. They further claim that they will surrender this power back to the people after this “crisis” ends.

In 2024, we overwhelmingly passed Prop. 36, expecting the State to begin cracking down on crime in our communities. But, in his revised budget for the State, Governor Newsom refused to fund enforcement efforts. The Governor is refusing to acknowledge the results of the 2008 election, the 2010 election, and now, the 2024 election. He has shown no reason to trust him to return the power to the people.

On November 4, 2025, Prop. 50 will appear on the ballot and we will be asked to defend our State’s non-partisan Citizen’s Redistricting Commission or support Governor Newsom’s political ambitions. We must vote NO on Prop. 50.

Over the next two months, my focus will be on defeating Proposition 50 to prevent the gamesmanship of our political elections and protect the will of the voters from political power-grabs.

By Nathan Magsig

Fresno County Supervisor – Candidate for State Senate District 12

The post Letter: Biggest power grab yet. appeared first on Valley Voice.

After years of dealing with insurance hassles, preauthorization requirements, and being stopped in our tracks at every turn, we turned in exhaustion towards Stanford Spine Center.  We saw spine specialists from the University of San Francisco Medical Center to the University of Los Angeles Medical Center during this period of time, facing delays and many diagnostic tests and retests.  When we finally landed at Stanford Spine Center we were exhausted beyond believe and running low on funds as well.

We were facing a cervical spine surgery that could allow my husband to walk again but would require us to stay in the Stanford Hospital area for a week. Staying for a whole week in a hotel in the Silicon Valley was way too expensive for our family.

JW House provided us with a place to rest, to eat a home cooked meal, and to sleep in a peaceful home like atmosphere for a fee that was more than affordable. It even included meals, snacks, a laundry room, a large backyard that features a meditation garden and an ADA approved play area for kids, and a private day room with shower -all at no extra charge. My family highly recommends JW House as a resource for families here in the Central Valley who are facing medical issues that require specialized treatment from hospitals in the Silicon Valley.   For more information on JW House find them on their web page at www.jwhouse.org. Or call them at (408)246-2224.

The post JW House Provides Relief for Families Using Stanford Hospital appeared first on Valley Voice.

Dear Chairman Vander Poel III:

I am writing on behalf of the Backcountry Horsemen of California – High Sierra Unit. The Backcountry Horsemen of California is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping public lands open and accessible to pack and saddle stock use. The High Sierra Unit is based in Visalia, California and our members live, work and recreate on the public lands primarily in Tulare County.

It has been brought to our attention that the Balch Park Pack Station, located in the Mountain Home Demonstration Forest in Tulare Country, is in jeopardy of continuing their operations based on recent contractual changes being imposed by Cal Fire. Balch Park Pack Station has been providing backcountry access into the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Tulare County for over 50 years. The current owners, Tim and Dianne Shew have operated the pack station since 1982. In addition to providing backcountry equestrian access, the Shew’s have also spent countless hours maintaining access trails to the benefit of all users and assisting with emergency rescues. They serve visitors from across the United States, as well as international visitors from around the world who come to see the Giant Sequoias.

The Shews have been operating under a lease agreement with Cal Fire that has traditionally had a five-year renewal term. The current lease went into effect on July 1st, and it contains a provision that removes their access to the residence that has been part of the lease agreement for all the years the Shews have operated the pack station. It requires them to vacate the cabin by August 31st, and it is not available for their use for the remainder of the contract. Itis virtually impossible to operate a pack station in a remote setting, such as Balch Park, without access to an onsite residence. Health and Safety regulations that pertain to food storage and meal preparation must be met by the Shews, and the enclosed structure with safe storage, sinks, potable water and other sanitation items is critical for them to be in compliance. Our fear is that by removing access to the residence, Cal Fire will cause a de facto failure of the pack station, and with-it critical backcountry access.

The May 28, 2020, Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest (MHDSF) Management Plan states “Recreation is the primary land use on MHDSF, while timber production is subordinate to recreation.” It further states, “Recreation is the legally mandated primary land use at Mountain Home DSF.” And again reinforces the importance of recreation stating, “Provide for recreational opportunities as the primary use of the State Forest.” The document goes further to discuss the improvements associated with the pack station. “The Pack Station located near Shake Camp Campground is operated under a lease agreement with a local packer. This facility consists of a residence, tack room, generator shed, loading dock, feeders, water troughs, one public toilet, two public trash cans, and three corrals.” Again, in the Plan, it is stated that “The State maintains a pack station facility in the Shake Camp area that includes living quarters, a tack room, a public toilet, and corrals. The Pack Station is leased to a private conssionaire to provide a packing service to the public. Horses and pack stock can be rented for hour-long rides or more extended trips into the backcountry.” The Plan is very clear Recreation is the priority use, and the Pack Station includes the use of a residence / living quarters. By removing the residence from the lease agreement Cal Fire appears to be in non-conformance with their Management Plan without the benefit of public input or involvement.

There are numerous state-owned facilities in the nearby area that can accommodate crews for seasonal housing needs. These include bunk houses, cabins, and small houses. They have electricity, running water, showers, restrooms, and kitchen facilities. The cabin at the Pack Station does not have electricity. To rectify this situation, we propose the following steps be taken: 1. Rescind the current lease agreement and replace it with one that reinstates the use of the residence along with the removal of the 30-day cancellation clause. If Cal Fire desires removal of the residence from the lease agreement, then the MHDSF Management Plan needs to be amended through a public process. 2. Resolve this issue prior to the current residence use expiration date of 31 August 25.

If Cal Fire is successful in removing the residence from the Pack Station use, we fear that an important recreation opportunity will be placed in jeopardy of continued operation. The loss of this resource would be in direct contradiction with the purpose of Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest, that of providing recreation opportunities in Tulare County. Thank you for consideration.

Any help you can provide to persuade Cal Fire to change their position would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, Bob Herrick

Co-Chairman, Public Lands Committee High Sierra Unit,

Backcountry Horsemen of California

The post Letter: Supervisor Vander Poel, help save Balch Park Pack Station appeared first on Valley Voice.