As the President and lead negotiator of College of the Sequoias Adjunct (part-time) Faculty Association (COSAFA), that statement is both demonstrably incorrect and deceptive. COSAFA submitted a proposal to COS (“the District”) for health insurance on 5/17/2024. COSAFA’s proposal followed the state program requirements to ensure the District would be eligible for full reimbursement from the state. The District rejected the proposal on 6/24/2024. “The District is hereby rejecting COSAFA’s 5/17/24 proposal to add a new article on “Health Insurance” for part-time faculty employees.”

After the District brought up concerns that state funding might not be sustained, COSAFA submitted a modified proposal for health insurance on 7/2/2024. Our modified proposal added a clause that if the District received less than 100% reimbursement from the state, the District could reopen negotiations on health insurance. The District rejected the modified proposal on 7/15/2024. “The District is hereby rejecting COSAFA’s 7/2/24 proposal to add a new article on “Health Insurance” for part-time faculty employees.”

To this day, COSAFA has yet to receive an offer or proposal from the District regarding health insurance for part-time faculty members at COS.

Earlier this year, an attempt by Trustee Diaz to discuss researching health insurance for part-time faculty at COS was ultimately voted down by the other trustees.

COSAFA members at COS have been puzzled and disheartened that the District decided not to seek available state funds that could have provided full reimbursement for the provision of much-needed health insurance for our part-time faculty. This is one of the reasons why COSAFA has endorsed Susie Nava for Ward 5.

Danielle Alberti

COSAFA President

The post COSAFA Fact Check on Part-time Faculty Health Insurance at College of the Sequoias appeared first on Valley Voice.

COS has 3 unions representing employees, all of which have endorsed the three challengers: Louis Lyons, Kristina Roper and Susie Nava. The voters deserve to hear the perspective of the employees that currently work with our students every day.

A recent letter cites a 95% employee satisfaction rate in arguing for the re-election of the incumbents.  That statistic deserves context.

The figure comes from a COS survey. The total number of employees that year was reported to be 1,032, but only 297 completed the survey.  This is only a 28.7% response rate.  95% of employees did not respond.

The district rejected multiple proposals from the part-time faculty union to participate in the fully state-funded part-time faculty health insurance program.

None of this means COS is unsuccessful.  COS is financially strong, and there are many accomplishments worth celebrating.  Financial success should lead us to another question: Are we using those resources to ensure that students throughout our district have equitable access to an education?

For some students, paying for childcare and/or finding reliable, timely transportation can determine whether they can take classes at all. A financially healthy district should be asking how we can: expand course offerings at Hanford and Tulare, provide reliable transportation between campuses, and offer childcare.

These are the kinds of issues that don’t show up when the health of a college is measured primarily through reserves, buildings and select satisfaction statistics.

The question before our community is not whether COS has accomplished good things, it has. It is whether financial strength and institutional success are translating into opportunity for all of our students and whether the voices of the people currently teaching, supporting and serving those students are being heard.

When all three employee unions reach the conclusion that change is needed on the Board, their perspective deserves to be heard alongside that of long retired administrators.

Tracy Redden
President, College of the Sequoias Teachers Association

The post COS Teacher Association President: Unions have endorsed three challenger COS board candidates appeared first on Valley Voice.

We faced shrinking revenues, rising expenses, construction challenges at the Tulare campus and, most seriously, an accreditation sanction that threatened the institution’s future. When you work shoulder-to-shoulder through something that consequential—protecting an institution that thousands of students and families depend upon—you learn a great deal about a person.

I learned that Ken was steady under pressure. His accounting background showed in his attention to finances, willingness to ask difficult questions, and insistence on transparency and accountability. Through those difficult days, we developed a professional relationship built on trust and a shared commitment to COS.

We were also planning for COS’s future. Many priorities envisioned then have since become reality: modernized career and technical education center, a comprehensive student success center, a new athletics stadium, and expanded university partnerships. Especially meaningful is the partnership bringing a Fresno State Center to the COS campus, expanding access to four-year degrees for students who cannot easily relocate or commute to Fresno.

Since the COVID crisis, the Board, administration and staff have continued to grow enrollment, increase the number of degrees/certificates earned, increased the number of graduates each year, increased the number of successful transfers to four-year colleges/universities. While accomplishing all of this the Board, administration and employee organizations have also worked collaboratively to provide salary and benefits ranking among the highest in the state—helping COS attract and retain the people who serve its students.

None of these accomplishments belong to one person. They reflect years of collaborative work. But it is proven time and again in public governance that sustained progress also benefits from institutional knowledge and continuity in governance.

The Ken Nunes I came to know through good times and bad was attentive, transparent, fiscally responsible and deeply committed to the students and communities COS serves.

Stan A. Carrizosa Sr.

The post Former COS Superintendent Carrizosa: Steady, strong, caring leadership at COS appeared first on Valley Voice.

I, Al Branco, and writing to endorse Bob Aguilar of Visalia, Ken Nunes of Tulare, and John Lehn of Hanford for re-election to the College of the Sequoias Board.

I am a COS alumnus who returned to the College and spent 40 years working in various capacities including coaching football, baseball, and softball, as well as serving as the Athletic Director. I continue to frequent the campuses as a volunteer and fan, and from that perspective, I can attest that the College has never been better. The Board deserves significant credit for that success.

The Board has focused on hiring and retaining top talent by offering some of the highest salaries in the State. They have built or remodeled facilities across all three campuses, and they are bringing Fresno State to our community (something no one else was able to accomplish) to offer four-year degrees locally and make our community more competitive.

They have also overseen significant gains in student achievement, including enrollment, graduation, and transfer. They have accomplished all of this while maintaining COS as one of the most fiscally stable colleges in the California system.

Is it any wonder that COS has a 98% satisfaction rate among students and a 95% satisfaction rate among employees? These accomplishments reflect the leadership of the institution, and this Board deserves credit for its role.

Let’s help COS continue this remarkable run by re-electing these dedicated Board members!

Thank you,

Al Branco

The post Al Branco: Re-elect board members to continue COS’ remarkable run appeared first on Valley Voice.

The turkeys many plan to eat on Thanksgiving, have just been born. Long before families write shopping lists or debate who is bringing the mashed potatoes, millions of turkeys are being raised by an industry designed to turn living animals into holiday products as quickly and efficiently as possible. They are only a few weeks old and they will be slaughtered before they’ve lived even six months.

By Thanksgiving, their story is already over. But ours does not have to follow the same script. Traditions evolve. We can keep everything we love about Thanksgiving—the crowded tables, family recipes, gratitude, football, pie, and second helpings—without requiring any animals to die for it.

So let’s start thinking about Thanksgiving earlier this year. There is plenty of time to plan a feast centered on abundance, connection, and compassion. What better way is there to give thanks than by sparing a life?

Bryan Vicenti

The post Reader: The Turkey countdown has already begun appeared first on Valley Voice.

As an alumnus of COS, I returned to the college as an agriculture instructor, Academic Dean and served as Provost for the opening of the COS Tulare Campus. As a lifelong resident of Tulare County, I served on several bond committees which resulted in the expansion of the Visalia Campus and the building of the Tulare and Hanford facilities. Now, as a retired almond grower I continue to provide support for the college.

Residents of Tulare and Kings Counties will agree, the College has never been run better, especially during the past ten years under the leadership of our incumbent board members. The growth in the three campuses, especially with the building of facilities on the Tulare Campus for CTE programs like automotive, industrial maintenance and construction, is unmatched in the valley.

Under the current leadership of our board, the college is offering opportunities for those of our community to get job skills or higher education without leaving home. Hopefully, they will return to our communities to further promote economic prosperity for us all. COS salaries compete with any college in the state; amazing facilities; and all-time high student achievement numbers are just some of the highlights of the current Board’s efforts.

And don’t forget they have brought Fresno State to our County to offer 4-year degrees here at home! There is a reason that the College has a 98% satisfaction rate among students and 95% among employees and it all starts with this Board.

Let’s keep our community strong by Re-electing these great Board members!

The post COS Tulare College Provost Emeritus: Re-elect great COS board members appeared first on Valley Voice.

As Tulare grows, that responsibility grows with it. The approval of Measure A will determine if your fire department continues to grow or falls short in serving our residents.

New homes, new businesses, and new neighborhoods are something to celebrate. They show that our city is moving forward. But growth also means more people to protect, more roads to cover, more buildings to serve, and more emergencies that may require a fast, capable response. Fire and emergency services must grow alongside the city if we are going to remain safe, prepared, and resilient.

Over the past three years, our department has worked aggressively to bring outside funding into the community. More than $7.5 million in federal, state, and local grant funding has helped us secure critical resources, including lifesaving cardiac monitors, a ladder truck, and a fire engine. We also secured a three-year SAFER grant that currently funds 12 firefighter positions through March 2028.

Those investments have made Tulare stronger. They have improved our ability to respond, increased safety for residents, and provided our firefighters with equipment and staffing needed to do their jobs effectively. But grants, while valuable, are temporary.

The SAFER grant is a good example of the challenge ahead. It pays for 12 firefighter positions today, but when that funding ends in March 2028, the City must decide whether it can absorb the ongoing salary and benefit costs into the General Fund. If Tulare wants to retain those positions and maintain that level of service, a stable funding plan will be essential.

That is why planning ahead matters.

Tulare needs to continue investing in long-term public safety priorities: building Fire Station 64 on the east side of the city, ordering three new fire apparatus, and developing a sustainable staffing plan. These are not luxury projects. They are necessary steps for protecting a community that is expanding.

Fire Station 64 would improve coverage in one of Tulare’s growing areas. The City already owns the property, and the project is ready to enter the design phase once a reliable funding source is identified. The City continually seeks grants and examines reserve funds, but those sources have limits. Reserves must remain available for emergencies, and grant funding is competitive, temporary, and often insufficient for major capital projects.

Meanwhile, the City is facing real financial pressure. Inflation, rising pension obligations, state mandates, and the increasing cost of fire apparatus and medical equipment are putting strain on City finances. Local revenues are not keeping pace with the cost of providing the services our residents depend on. This creates a structural deficit, meaning expenses are rising faster than ongoing revenue.

If approved by voters, Measure A would generate additional General Fund revenue that could be used to support essential City services, including fire and emergency response. Because Measure A is a general tax, those funds would not be dedicated only to the Fire Department. But the revenue could provide the City with greater flexibility to address public safety, infrastructure, and other core needs through the public budget process.

Our 2023 Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Coverage study reinforces what growing cities already understand: reliable emergency response requires the right people, the right equipment, and the right stations in the right places.

Waiting until staffing falls behind, a fire engine fails, or emergency coverage becomes strained is not responsible planning. By then, the cost is higher and the risk is greater. Tulare has an opportunity to prepare now, invest wisely, and protect its future before it reaches a crisis point.

The Tulare Fire Department will continue seeking grants, managing resources responsibly, and working hard for this community. But lasting public safety requires a long-term local commitment. As Tulare grows, we must ensure the people, facilities, equipment, and resources that protect this city grow with it.

The post Op-Ed: Tulare needs to continue investing in long-term public safety priorities appeared first on Valley Voice.

The recent decision to bring whole and 2% milk back to school lunches is a step backward for school nutrition.

Many children—especially students of color—are lactose intolerant, while others simply don’t need dairy to maintain a healthy diet. At a time when nutritious plant-based milks are widely available, expanding dairy options instead of embracing more inclusive choices makes little sense.

School nutrition programs should reflect today’s students, not yesterday’s assumptions. Plant-based options better serve diverse dietary needs while also addressing the ethical concerns associated with modern dairy production. If we’re serious about creating school meals that promote health, inclusion, and compassion, it’s time to stop treating plant-based options as an afterthought.

Larry Johnson, Visalia

The post Letter: Whole milk in schools is a “step backward” appeared first on Valley Voice.

Right now, somewhere in Tulare County, a new mother is sitting in a quiet room, baby finally asleep and she is not sleeping. She is staring at the ceiling, wondering why she doesn’t feel the joy everyone told her she would feel. She is wondering if something is wrong with her. She wants her old life back and she thinks she is failing as a mom.

She is not failing. She is 1 in 5.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and May 6th is World Maternal Mental Health Day, a globally recognized moment to break the silence around one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions affecting families in our community and around the world. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Perinatal Mental Health therapist (PMH-C) practicing right here in Visalia, I am asking our community to pay attention.

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders also known as PMADs are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth. They include Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, Birth Trauma, and Postpartum PTSD among others. 1 in 5 mothers will experience a PMAD. 1 in 10 fathers will develop Postpartum Depression during this period. And when left untreated, these conditions can persist for up to three years, silently affecting not just the mother, but her baby, her relationships, and the entire family.

What makes this an urgent matter in communities like ours? Most moms never ask for help. Not because they don’t need it, but because they don’t recognize what they’re experiencing as a medical condition. They think it’s weakness. They think they should be grateful. They think they should be able to handle it. They think it’s normal.

They are wrong and the more we talk about PMADs the more we can dispel those beliefs.

What Postpartum Depression Actually Looks Like

It does not always look like crying constantly. Often, postpartum depression looks like a mom who smiles at every social gathering and falls apart alone. It looks like rage, numbness, exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix, intrusive scary thoughts she’s too afraid to share, and a deep sense of disconnect from the baby she loves. These are medical symptoms, not character flaws  and they deserve appropriate attention.

Resources That Can Help

If you or someone you love is struggling, please know that support is available right now, today:

Postpartum Support International (PSI): postpartum.net · Helpline: 1-800-944-4773 

PSI offers a national free helpline, peer support groups, and a provider directory to help families find specialized care.

Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-TLC-MAMA) — A free, confidential 24/7 helpline for pregnant and postpartum moms and their families, available in English and Spanish.

Local Support in Tulare County

As a PMH-C therapist based in Visalia with lived experience I am passionate about helping mamas who are struggling. I offer Individual Therapy and a Postpartum Therapy Group for moms navigating depression, anxiety, birth trauma, and the weight of early motherhood, both in-person and virtually for California residents. If you are a new mother in Tulare County who has been quietly suffering, or if you know someone who is, please reach out. You do not have to keep doing this alone.

This May, I am asking our community to say the quiet part out loud: motherhood is beautiful and it is hard, and sometimes it is a medical emergency. The mamas of Tulare County deserve to know that help is here.

With gratitude and hope,

Alicia Zayas, LCSW, PMH-C

Perinatal Mental Health Therapist · Visalia, CA 

@mama.ppd.therapist · www.zayaslcsw.com · 559-372-9751 · zayaslcsw@gmail.com

The post Letter: Resources available for mothers struggling with mental health appeared first on Valley Voice.

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.