Opinion

Shannon Grove, CA Senate Republican Leader, welcomes first GOP Latina senator to caucus

Posted on by Valley Voice Contributor

Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) proudly welcomed Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), the first Republican Latina elected to the California Senate Republican Caucus. Senator Ochoa Bogh represents California 23rd Senate District which covers portions of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties. Senator Ochoa Bogh joined Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) and Senator Scott Wilk […]

Three O’clock in the Morning

Posted on by Joseph Oldenbourg

Scott Fitzgerald once famously opined in The Crack-up that “In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning, day after day.” I think he was addressing his alcoholism, his despair, and the resulting tailspin of his literary output. Three in the morning must be a fairly desperate time–if […]

A Little Holiday Cheer

Posted on by Taylor Brott

St. Aloysius School’s Virtual Christmas Program Spreads Joy to Military Family The Ramos family has four children, three of which attend St. Aloysius School in Tulare, Calif. Their father, Sergeant Alejandro Ramos, was deployed to Afghanistan for a year-long tour of duty right around the time COVID-19 started rearing its ugly head in March. While […]

Jehovah’s Witnesses initiate global campaign

Posted on by Jeff Gregory

Throughout November 2020, Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide will distribute the issue of the Watchtower magazine entitled “What Is God’s Kingdom?” The answer to that question has captivated the attention of people from many different faiths for centuries. In Fresno, Visalia, Tulare, and surrounding valley cities, over 10,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses will be making phone calls and writing […]

The Great American Smokeout, a Day to Quit Smoking and get Involved in Central Valley Tobacco Prevention Effort

Posted on by Valley Voice Contributor

November 19th is the American Cancer Society’s 45th Annual Great American Smokeout, a day for people who use tobacco to create a plan to quit. No matter what age or how long they have smoked, quitting can help them live longer and be healthier. It’s hard to stop smoking but tobacco users are not alone […]

The Universe of Lost Socks

Posted on by Joseph Oldenbourg

Where is the country now, more than two weeks after President-elect Joe Biden’s decisive victory? That place where the lost sock has decamped to, leaving its mate forlorn and forever unselected in the drawer. I could say the country resembles the abandoned sock, ever unworn, except for two things. First, unlike the locus of the […]

Tribute to Mayor Link

Posted on by Jerrold Jensen

Visalia’s retiring Mayor, Bob Link, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of a lifetime of service to our city. He has been a member of the City Council for the last 21 years – including 3 terms as Mayor. Over the last 60 years he has donated countless hours to non-profit organizations, service clubs, religious organizations […]

The View from Westlands: Voluntary Agreements

Posted on by Westlands Water District

Voluntary Agreements (VAs) have been proposed as a collaborative, modern and holistic alternative to the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) staff proposed update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP). From August 2018 until early 2020, state and federal agencies, public water agencies, and non-governmental organizations were engaged in robust discussions to identify the best path forward regarding the WQCP update. Westlands and […]

Snapshot of Catastrophe

Posted on by Joseph Oldenbourg

At press time, what most disappoints me about the 2020 Presidential Election is, actually, the electorate. Sure, Joe Biden has so far garnered north of 73 million votes–an all-time record–but more than 69 million have voted, inconceivably, after everything, for the incumbent. An incumbent who, at press time, is dishonoring the process with lies, lawsuits […]