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TULARE,CA

2012 Officers

Art ClarkChair of the Board

Kohler & Clark ScrewProducts, Inc

Philip SmithChair Elect

Citizens Business Bank

Crystal CotaVice Chair of Finance

M. Green & Co.

Marie PintoImmediate Past Chair

Tulare Adult School

Linda NoguesVice Chair of Membership

Bacome Insurance

Deanne Martin-SoaresVice Chair of

Governmental Affairs

2012 Board

Terry BrazilTulare Historical Museum

KerissaPostma-ChapmanInternational Agri-Center

Crystal CotaM. Green & Co.

Simone FrazierLand OLakes

Melissa FreitasValley Business Bank

Geoff HindsTulare County Fair

Viktoria MeyersTulare Regional Medical

Center

John ThomasBank of Sierra

Sue Ann HillmanTulare City Schools

Linda NoguesBacome Insurance

Lonnie TiesieraWill Tiesiera

Ford-Mercury, Inc.

Jerry BreckinridgeTulare Police Department

Dennis MederosLegal Counsel

Horswill, Mederos, & Soares

Traci MyersEx-Officio

City of Tulare

Professional StaffNina Akin

President / CEO

Sherry CarsonOffice Manager

Vickie KuntzInformatio n Specialist

Andi CabreraDirector of Mem bership

and Sales

Linda HowarthInformatio n Coordinator

the updateis the official monthly

publication of theTulare Chamber of Commerce

220 E. Tulare Ave.P.O. Box 1435

Tulare, CA 93275-1435

686-1547

email: info@tularechamber.org

web: www.tularechamber.org

For advertising information call:Colleen Ferreira (559) 735-3227

the update is published in partnershipwith the Tulare Advance-Register

www.TulareChamber.org thetheUpdate

UpdateMay 2012

Saturday, May 5thBingo, Womans Clubhouse

Saturday, May 12thMother Daughter Fashion Expo and Lun-cheon 972-4124 for tickets

Wednesday, May 16thZumwalt Summer Band Concert begins

Monday, May 21stCommunity Game Night Bingo

Thursday, May 24thState of the City Luncheon

Thursday May 31stMixer at Salles Caf, 2082 North J St.

Save the Date:

Like us on Facebook and FoLLow us on TwiTTer aT TuLareTweeTs

Published date: March 31, 2012

Regulation verses LegislationIn my ongoing desire to understand

the increase in fees and fines we have all

endured, along with determination tounderstand regulation verses legislation Ihave attended the last two Tulare CountyAssociation of Government (TCAG) meet-ings. Trying to learn all of the govern-ment acronyms has been a challenge. Butsome good things have come out of it,one of which was receiving the legislativeupdate on Cap and Trade. I thought Iwould share some of its content.

Our California legislature passedin 2006 AB 32 the Global WarmingSolutions Act. In 2010 the California AirResources Board (CARB) adopted thisCap and Trade regulation and this yearthe fees and fines come into play. Wehave probably have not seen the likes ofsomething this vast, with such a potentialof a detrimental impact on business inquite some time, if ever.

The intent is to reduce greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions to 1990 levels. Limitswill be placed on the amount of GHGyour business can emit. You will have

allowances, obviously with a price andif you need more you can bid at an auc-

tion in August and November. The firstgroup to be impacted in 2013 is all majorindustrial sources and electrical utilities.This is approximately 360 businesses in600 facilities. In 2015 the second phasewill bring in distributors of transporta-tion fuels, natural gas and other fuels. Itis probably a fair assumption to say thisincrease will be passed on to the con-sumer.

The Legislative Analyst Office (LAO)expects that the first years revenue (wait!can we stop calling it revenue this is afee or a fine) is expected to be $650 mil-lion to $3 billion. The Governors Januarybudget is requesting $1 billion. Recentestimates are indicating that $700 millionis probably more likely, with businessesleaving the state I wouldnt count on thatmuch.

The budget is proposing that $500million go to the general fund, it is beingsuggested that it should be used to paythe bond debt service on transit and

transportation bonds,which will include

Proposition 1A (HighSpeed Rail). The other$500 million is directedto projects that furtherthe goals of AB 32. 100%of this money will go toMetropolitan PlanningOrganizations (MPOs).Surprisingly our area, withthe most recent census, became a MPOafter the City of Tulare was designated anurban area of Visalia.

One of the things that I have learnedin this process of attending public meet-ings is that grants seem to dictate thedirection of what local governments need

to do to get the money. These require-ments utilize manpower hours and cre-ate new opportunities for fees. I urgeeveryone to get educated on what isoccurring in our local government thatwill impact you as a business owner and/or consumer. The Chamber governmentaaffairs meeting at noon on May 14, 2012at Apple Annies is a good place to start.

Deanne Martin-Soares

Next Wednesday I will be at a luncheonwith most of the other chamber CEOs fromBakersfield to Stockton. We are called theCentral California Chamber Alliance. Weare trying to make your presence known infront of our elected officials in Sacramentoand at home. There are so many bills andregulations to address; its like trying to finda needle in the haystack to pick just one.But, in the words of a wise man (my father

Jim Akin), A journey will never begin with-out taking that first step.

We are inviting Assembly WomanShannon Grove to be our guest speaker.Her website is www.citizenlegislaturenow.com. You can review her efforts online.

I know most of you will agree thatthe pendulum has swung too far to oneside. We are trying to create a strongGovernmental Affairs Committee. We meetthe second Monday of every month at

Apple Annies for lunch. We have roundtable discussions; last month we had rep-resentation from all of our elected officials.

This is a perfect opportunity to be heardand to utilize your Chamber representa-tives as a resource to address the issues thatneed to be brought to the light of day. Wegot to where we are today because of apa-thy; all it takes is for one person to believethat he/she can make a difference.

There are so many of us who are frus-trated with the current state of affairs ingovernment that now is the time to speakup; election time. If one person can makea difference, imagine what could happen

when thousands decide to f inally stand upand demand to be heard. We need to starthere; we need to start now, unless you feeltheres still room for more rules, regula-tions and taxes. There are so many layers ofpork in our government, at all levels thatcareer politicians have become completelyineffective at serving the people they repre-sent and they have become effective at serv-ing only themselves. Stay quiet and see ifthings get better? I dont care what you doas long as it doesnt bother me or my fam-

ily. Sound familiar? Yousee how its been working?Get involved, together wecan make a difference.Strength in numbers,Chamber of Commerce. Alegislative or deliberativeassembly of social inter-course. Want to changethings? Join us.

Thank you for comingout to Cars on K; it was the best Cars on K

ever!!May 1st will be the launch of TULARE

TUESDAYS. This will sta rt our FarmersMarket once again in Tower Square. Then,Its TULARE TASTES AND TUNES. Weborrowed the idea from Murphys Streetin Sunnyvale and I know you will love it.Come and see what a great night it is; sitand relax, listen to music, have a glass of

wine and order food, delivered right to yourtable. Its from 5 8 pm. Thats where I amhaving dinner, see you there.

Nina Akin-President/CEO

There is power in numbers

Lets Talk BUSINESS!with Valley Air Crafts

Hey, do you know where to find anew Air Tractor or Thrush in the state ofCalifornia? What? Are you telling me thatthere is only one place in the entire statewhere you can purchase either of theseagricultural aircraft new? Disclosureavail-ability may be limitedthese planes reallyfly off the tarmac!

Sure enough, Mefford Field Airport in thecity of Tulare, California is the only placewhere you can purchase newly manufac-tured and equipped models of Air Tractor orThrush crop dusters. Valley Air Crafts repre-sents the Air Tractor brand in California forsales, service, parts and supplies. Proprietor

Michael Schoenau sat down with me a fewweeks back to d iscuss some of the uniquecharacteristics of his industry and business.

Philip: Mike, your business requiresquality control standards to be set at anexceptional level. In most industries, peoplearent injured or killed as a result of employ-ee error; that is not the case for you. Whatsteps do you take to ensure that your team

performs to the necessary standard? Howdo you identify and retain the talent neededto be successful?

Michael: Finding the right people canbe a challenge. We make sure that allthe necessary due diligence is completedon a potential hire, and then we watchthem closely for quite a while. Even if theemployee has all the necessary skills it doesnot mean theyre going to be a good fit forour team. There is limited margin for errorand you need someone that has a personaldesire to do everything right the first time.

Weve made good hires out of the U.S. armed forces in the past, but even that

approach doesnt work as well as it usedto because of the level of specialized train-ing that our men and women in service arecurrently receiving. Im sure specializationworks very well on an aircraft carrier, butId rather have a good generalist with abroader knowledge of aircraft maintenance.Generally we try to hire the right peopleand then do a lot of on-the-job training

and evaluation.

Philip: What do youview as the biggest chal -lenge currently facing yourindustry? Is there anythingin particular that makesit difficult to do businessright now?

Michael:The regu la-tory burden is enormouslychallenging and just seemsto keep growing. Between the FAA, EPA,SJVAPCD, CVRWQCB, OSHA, CAL-OSHAand other federal, state and local agen-cies I seem to spend more time working to

respond to regulators then I do working formy clients. It would be nice if we could doaway with overlapping regulation so I donthave two inspectors giving different direc-tion with regard to the same issue. It wouldbe even nicer if enforcement personnel werevested with the authority to acknowledgethat a particular

See Lets Talk Business/4

Philip SmithVice President,

CitizensBusiness Bank

Top 10 Things Employers Do to Get SuedCalChamber highlights top mistakes that cause employment lawsuits

There is no question that California hassome of the most stringent and complexlabor laws in the nation. The CaliforniaChamber of Commerce white paper, TheTop 10 Things Employers Do to Get Sued,details some of the mistakes that couldlead to employment lawsuits.

CalChamber knows that one of thetoughest tasks for an HR manager or busi-ness owner is managing risk to preventlawsuits. Employers may unintentionallyviolate employment laws and never real-ize the risk they create for the company.Trying to provide some flexibility for anemployee, saving money for the company,or just being nice are all ways that an act

of kindness can become a business liabil-ity.

Although this list does not apply toall employers (regulations and collective

bargaining agreements may override thesegeneral rules), these 10 HR examples canhelp employers better manage their risk:.

1. Classify all employees as exempt,whether they are or not.

2. Be nice to employees let themwork through lunch so they can takeoff early.

3. Make everyone an independent con-tractor because having employees istoo much trouble.

4. Dont bother providing trainingabout harassment and discriminationto managers and supervisors. Theywont need the information.

5. Let employees decide which hoursand how many they want to workeach day.

6. Terminate any employee who takes

a leave of absence, whatever the rea-son. It is too much trouble to admin-ister leaves of absence, and whoknows if the employee will return.

7. Dont gi ve employees their f inalcheck if they fail to return companyproperty.

8. Provide l oans to employees anddeduct the money from their pay-check each pay period.

9. Use non-compete agreements to pro-tect confidential information suchas business secrets, customer listsand pricing information and preventemployees from working for thecompetition.

10. Implement a use it or lose it vaca-tion policy and avoid paying out allthe money at termination.

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page 2 May 2012 tulare chamber the update

March 31, 2012 Tulare Advance-RegisterPROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Last week, at a reception on CapitolHill, the U.S. Chamber recognized selectmembers of Congress with its prestigiousSpirit of Enterprise award (see pressrelease below). The recipients voted withbusiness at least 70% of the time last year

on the highest priority issues, includingvotes on repeal ing the Affordable Care

Act, the 1099 reporting requirement, andthe 3% withholding on government con-tractors; passing the Budget Control Actand the free trade agreements with Koreaand Colombia; votes on the Keystone XLpipeline project and restarting energy

exploration in the Gulf of Mexico; andmuch more.

These Californians received the award:

Rep. Wally Herger (CA-2)

Rep. Daniel E. Lungren (CA-3)

Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-4)

Rep. Jeffrey John Denham (CA-19)

Rep. Jim Costa (CA-20)

Rep. Devin Nunes (CA-21)

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA-22)

Rep. Elton Gallegly (CA-24)

Rep. Howard P. McKeon (CA-25)

Rep. David Dreier (CA-26)

Rep. Ed Royce (CA-40)

Rep. Jerry Lewis (CA-41)

Rep. Gary G. Miller (CA-42)

Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-44)

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (CA-45)

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46)

Rep. John Campbell (CA-48)

Rep. Darrell E. Issa (CA-49)

Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (CA-50)

Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (CA-52)

If your member of Congress isnt on thelist, want to know why? Want to knowexactly what votes were included in our

ratings? Want the actual numbers? Hereare the actual scores for all members ofCongress, along with details on the votesthat we counted:

Senate: http://www.uschamber.com/issues/legislators/how-they-voted-2011-senate

House: http://www.uschamber.com/issues/legislators/how-they-voted-2011-

houseWhile these members of Congress have

already been recognized for their pro-business voting records in Washington,it is much better to recognize them backhome, so that their constituents know thatthey stood up for growth and economicopportunity when it really mattered.

If youd like to hold a Spirit oEnterprise Award presentation for yourMember of Congress, please let me know.They are easier to arrange than ever thisyear, with House members working out otheir districts one week each month. Thepresentation itself takes only 1-2 minutesand of course its very positive and non-political, because its focused on actu-al voting records. Then your Senator orCongressman speaks to your members onbusiness issues.

Many of you have hosted these presen-tations before, and know how easy andpopular they are. If you already have anevent scheduled with one of the Membersof Congress on the list, your work isdone. Well simply come and make thepresentation. Its a win-win-win for theMember of Congress, for your chamber,and for ours.

We look forward to working with youon this as we have on so many other

things.

Best always,

Dick

Members of Congress Recognized

(April 10, 2012) The CaliforniaChamber of Commerce today released its

annual list of

job killerbills callingattention tothe negativeimpact that23 proposedmeasureswouldhave onCaliforniascompeti-

tiveness and job climate if they wereto become law. CalChamber alsounveiled a new, one-of-a-kind website CAJobKillers.com which will highlightCalifornias job killing proposals, policies,regulations, and legislators.

This years job killer list includes23 bills that threaten to create furtherhardships and costs for private sectorjob creators in a time of unprecedentedunemployment, said Allan Zaremberg,President and CEO of the CaliforniaChamber of Commerce. Businesses areclamoring for commonsense proposalsand a return to reason in California. Ina state where we need to do everythingpossible to improve the economy, it isimperative that legislators stop intro-ducing and passing bills that cost jobsand erode the quality of life for allCalifornians.

CalChambers new website, www.CAJobKillers.com, will serve as a clear-inghouse for all information related tothose bills, regulations and policy mak-ers deemed to be a threat to Californiasability to retain and create jobs. Visitorsto the site will have ready access to billinformation, CalChamber position letters,articles, and CalChamber News video seg-ments.

Legislation included on the job killerlist released today will change throughoutthe year as bills are amended or new lan-guage is introduced.

The 2012 job killer list follows:

Barriers to Economic Recovery

AB 1543 (Alejo; D-Salinas)Unconstitutional Limit on InternationalTrade Increases the cost of statecontracts and reinstates a requirementalready struck down by California courtsby prohibiting state and local govern-ments from contracting with many busi-nesses that use component parts andmaterials from other countries in con-struction projects and to manufacturegoods.

AB 1897 (Campos; D-San Jose)Impedes Development Increases thecost of development and creates projectdelays by requiring that general plansincorporate concepts related to healthy

food access and urban agriculture.AB 1963 (Huber; D-El Dorado Hills)

Targeted Tax on Services Imposes anew sales-and-use-tax base on numerous

services, disadvantaging California busi-nesses that will not benefit by the pro-posed reduction in other tax rates.

AB 2517 (Eng; D-Monterey Park)Inappropriate Wage Liens Will basi-cally destroy the real estate market inCalifornia by allowing employees to fileliens on an employers real property orany other persons real property wherework was performed for unproven wageclaims, that take precedent over almostany other lien on the property, includingmortgages.

AB 2540 (Gatto; D-Los Angeles)Targeted Tax on Services Imposes anew sales-and-use-tax base on numerousservices, disadvantaging small businessesthat may not necessarily benefit fromthe proposed tax exemption for the first

$10,000 in business income.SB 950 (Alquist; D-Santa Clara)

Unreasonable and Duplicative TaxPenalties for Employers Forces tax-payers to overpay their taxes in order toavoid severe penalties.

SB 1470 (Leno; D-San Francisco)Impedes Economic Recovery Delaysthe recovery of Californias housing mar-ket by allowing all borrowers, includ-ing strategic defaulters and investors, toabuse the loan modification process toforestall legitimate foreclosures.

Costly Workplace MandatesAB 1313 (Allen; D-Santa Rosa)

Increased Cost on AgriculturalEmployers Drives up the cost of com-modities to consumers by removing theexisting overtime exemption allowed foragricultural employers.

AB 1439 (Alejo; D-Salinas)Automatic Minimum Wage Increase Increases the cost of doing business onCalifornia employers by annually indexingthe minimum wage rate upwards accord-ing to the percentage of inflation evenduring an economic downturn.

AB 1450 (Allen; D-Santa Rosa)Expansion of Discrimination Litigation Subjects employers to charges of dis-crimination for legitimately inquiring into

an applicants employment history.AB 1808 (Williams; D-Santa Barbara)

Improper Characterization of PrivateEmployees to Allow Potential CardCheck Unionization Significantlyexpands the definition of public employ-ee to include employees of any privateemployer where a public agency sharesin the employment decisions of thoseprivate employees, thereby subjecting pri-vate employers to petitions of recognitionfrom public employee unions.

AB 1999 (Brownley; D-SantaMonica) Expansion of DiscriminationLitigation Makes it virtually impos-sible for employers to manage their

employees and exposes them to a higherrisk of litigation by expanding the FairEmployment and Housing Act to includea protected classification for any personwho is, who will be, or who is perceived

as a family caregiver.

AB 2039 (Swanson; D-Alameda)Expansion of Protected Leave

Requirements for California Employers Creates a burdensome, Californiaonly mandated benefit that significantlyexpands the category of individuals withserious health conditions for whom anemployee can take a leave of absencebeyond what is currently included underthe federal Family Medical Leave Act.

AB 2217 (Pan; D-Sacramento)Targeted Burden on Companies withCall Centers Discourages businessesfrom even locating a call center inCalifornia by requiring the business toadhere to overreaching mandates.

Expensive, Unnecessary

Regulatory BurdensAB 2424 (Portantino; D-Pasadena)New State Goals for ForestryIncreases costs of timber production bychanging the states forestry goals togive equal consideration to each publicneed when reviewing forestry operations,including Timber Harvest Plans.

SB 568 (A. Lowenthal; D-LongBeach) Polystyrene Food ContainerBan Threatens thousands of manufac-turing jobs within the state by inappropri-ately banning all food vendors from usingpolystyrene foam food service containers,ignoring the numerous environmentalbenefits associated with polystyrene prod-

ucts.Fuel Price Increases

AB 1532 (John A. Prez; D-LosAngeles)/ AB 2404 (Fuentes; D-LosAngeles)/ SB 535 (De Len; D-LosAngeles)/ SB 1572(Pavley; D-AgouraHills) Illegal Tax Increase Increasesenergy costs, including fuel prices, onconsumers and businesses by allocatingfunds from an illegal tax to various pro-grams that are not necessary to cost-effec-tively implement the market-based tradingmechanism under AB 32.

Inflated Liability CostsAB 1208 (C. Calderon; D-Montebello)

Court Inefficiency Creates uncertain-ty, inefficiency and unpredictability forlitigants, further aggravating Californiasreputation as a bad place to do business,by decentralizing control of trial courtfunds.

AB 2149 (Butler; D-Los Angeles)Discourages Settlement Agreements Inappropriately interferes in the contrac-tual relationship between two parties byallowing the sharing of certain informa-tion contained in settlement agreements.

SB 1528 (Steinberg; D-Sacramento)Inflates Litigation and Insurance Costs Artificially inflates medical damageawards in personal injury cases by allow-

ing an injured party to recover expensesnever actually incurred, ultimately increas-ing not only legal costs, but also rates forauto, health, workers compensation andgeneral liability insurance.

CalChamber Releases 2012 Job Killer Bill ListUnveils new CAJobKillers.com website

Members Renew ChamberInvestment

Thank you to the following businesses andindividuals who renewed their membership

during the month of March.

Salles Caf Mixer in May!Fugazzis California Bistro

Golden Valley Wholesale & VendingKumar, Parmod M.D.

Office DepotWestern Executive

SubwayAAA ConstructionAuto Oil Changers

Blain Property Management

Craig Smith & Associates, Inc.R.L.Crawford Construction Co., Inc.Farmer Boys Tulare

Gordons Electric Inc.Steven J.Lessley, O.D.

M.Green and Company LLP, CPAsDon & Jeanette MacMillan

Costin Marinescu, DDSDiane Mathis

Millers Tulare Funeral HomeTucoemas

Whitten Machine Inc.Ribeiro, Manuel & DianeTop Hat Carpet CleaningTulare Host Lions Clun

Forcum/Mackey Construction, Inc.Matthew Mattos

NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.Tulare City School District

Tulare Golf CourseHooper, Spuhler & Sturgeon Insurance Services

Able IndustriesCentral California Implement

Dan Freitas Electric Inc.JD Heiskell & CompanyKentucky Fried Chicken

Bob & Bobbi MooreKenneth Nunes

Phillips Law FirmSturgeon & Beck, Inc.

Tulare Industrial CenterDerrels Mini Storage, Inc.

Double D TowingGeorge Pappas

Tulare Outlet CenterCentury 21 Jordan Link & Co.

College of the SequoiasHanford Fox TheatreHealth Coach Lisa

Humerickhouse, David DDSMcCormick, Kabot, Jenner & Lew

The Salvation Army Tulare SilvercrestSierra Minit MartSmith Sign & Decal, Inc.

Tulare Joint Union High SchoolTulare Nursing & Rehabilitation Hospital

United States Cold StorageVisual 6 Graphics

Will Tiesiera Ford-Mercury, Inc.Quality Inn

Barnes MemorialsInternational Agri Center, Inc.Lange Plumbing Supply Inc.

Apple Annies RestaurantB&E Ranches

Craftsman ConstructionKettle Queen

Que Pasa Mexican CafSaputo Cheese USA, Inc.Valley Oak Credit Union

Adair & Evans, An Accountancy CorporationBruce Potter OD

Valley Business Bank

Welcome Aboard New MemberCongratulations and thank you to thefollowing new members that investedin the Chamber during the months of

February and March.

Goodwill IndustriesNon-Profit Organization

1832 East Tulare Avenue 366-1030Tulare Baseball Association

Non Profit Organization686-4700

Fairfield Inn & SuitesMotels/Hotels

1225 Hillman St. 686-4700

Go Wireless, IncCellular Telephone Service

1204 East Prosperity Ave CA 685-8568

R&S FenceFences

685-1094

Tulare Avon TrainingRetail-Specialty

1981 E Tulare Ave 684-0505

VS-0000199533

LENDING SERVICES

ELECTRONIC SERVICES

DEPOSIT SERVICES

and many other benefits...

Not a member? Join Today!

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5011 Visalia, CA 93278-5011

www.tucoemas.orgFederally insured by NCUA

TULARE1233 E. Prosperity Ave.

(559) 685-8892

VISALIA2300 W. Whitendale Ave.

5222 W. Cypress Ave.

(559) 732-8892

PORTERVILLE1389 W. Henderson Ave.

(559) 784-8892

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tulare chamber the update May 2012 page 3

Tulare Advance-Register March 31, 2012MEMBER NEWS

ember NewsCongratulations to Century 21 Jordan Link &

Co Tulare Office.

Top Agents For the Month of March

Top Listing Volume = Tammy JohnstonTop Listing Units = B ruce Swanson

Top Sales Volume = Mitch Choboian

Top Sales Units = Jane l Young

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Thank God Its Friday There is such a thingas a free lunch!! Its happening Friday, May 25th.Come learn about Bounce and Life Shotz! AgCenter in Tulare 11:30-1:30 (Buffet lunch, comewhen you can) Executive Dining Room (Followsigns and balloons). Learn before you come: www.lifeshotz.com/bounce and www.bounceusa.org.RSVP: (800) 779-1562. Bounce, Inc. providing edu-cational and enlightening trips for all ages.

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A Memorial Pancake Breakfast. Welcome HomeVietnam veterans. Pancake Breakfast presentedMonday May 28th 7AM-12PM but the Central ValleyVietnam Veterans at the Tulare Veterans MemorialBuilding. General Public $7 Veterans $5.

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Buckman-Mitchell, Inc., one of the largest inde-pendent insurance agencies in the West, has addedan account executive to its life and health insur-ance department.

Russell Takeuchi joined theBMI staff in March, bringingmore than 20 years of insuranceexpertise to the staff.

With State CompensationInsurance Fund, Takeuchispecialized in workers com-pensation, and came to knowthe staff and leadership ofBuckman-Mitchell.

As a marketing represen-tative, I called on BMI for many years, Takeuchinoted. I became well acquainted with the com-pany and am pleased to now be a member of theBMI team. They share my philosophy of strongclient relationships and a focus on providing theright coverage and the service to which clients areentitled.

Takeuchi is a graduate of California S tateUniversity, Fresno, with a degree in business mar-keting. He is married with two sons and a daughterand lives in Fresno.

For information, contact Russell Takeuchi at559-635-3575 or for information on Buckman-Mitchell, Inc., visit bminc.com.

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Medical Tower Construction Update - TheMedical Tower expansion at Tulare RegionalMedical Center is approximately 115,000 square

feet, 82 6 in height from ground level. The designincludes a basement, four stories and roof tophelipad.

Our inpatient pharmacy, centralized steriliza-tion, mechanical, electrical, telephone and datainformation will all be located in the new base-ment. The basement is the nucleus for the develop-ment of the other floors most construction activityis taking place in the basement.

Underground plumbing for the centralizedsterilization area is now complete and has passedinspection. All other areas in the basement are pro-gressing well with the installation of electrical andplumbing and the contractor completing framing,installing drywall, and insulation.

On the first floor, framing is progressing rapid-ly for the new Emergency Department, Radiology/Imaging and Chapel. Plumbers are currently install-ing the infrastructure for the 53 sinks located onthe first floor. The Emergency Department (ED)will be 400% larger in bed capacity and 650% largerin space than the current ED; 24 private examrooms, a specially designed decontamination roomand isolated triage area for obstetric patients.

Pre-op, recovery, surgery and endoscopy willbe on the second floor. The hybrid operating suiteis located on the west side of the second floor.he operating suite will have extensive surgical

capabilities and will also be home to our roboticsurgery system.

The third floor will be home to our birth-ing center, 16 Labor, Delivery, Recovery and PostPartum (LDRP) rooms and 2 Nurseries. The thirdfloors will also have 2 designated C-Section operat-ing suites.

The fourth floor will include 27 private patientrooms. The best view in Tulare will be from the

east side of the fourth floor.By the end of April, the emergency generator

pads will be poured near the Southwest corner ofthe Tower. Each unit is capable of generating 1.5

mega watts. One generator has the capability ofproviding full power to 70 homes, said ShawnBolouki, CEO. Emergency power must be capableof automatic ignition within 6 seconds of primarypower loss.

Log on to TulareRegional.org to learn moreabout the Medical Tower Construction project, see

construction progress photos, and schedule a con-struction site tour.

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Encore Theatre Presents; Cookin with Gus,A comedy by Jim Brochu. Show dates May 4th,5th,6th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of2012. For tickets call 686-1300. Play located at 324South N Street.

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FoodLink for Tulare County is hav-ing a Kentucky Derby Party. Sponsored byLagomarsino Group Saturday May 5th, 1-5PM at

Visalia Country Club 625 North Ranch Road. $35per person includes $1000 derby dollars, horseraces on the big screen, auctions, music, fancyhat contest, complimentary sparkling beverage,ample appetizers, no host bar and more! Fortickets call 651-3663

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What is Congestive Heart Failure? Join us forAn Informational Class by Dr. Miyakawa. TulareNursing and Rehabilitation Center along with Dr.Miyakawa is offering a comprehensive look atheart failure for family members or profession-als caring for those affected by Congestive HeartFailure. Class will be held Wednesday, May 2ndat 6PM at 680 E Merritt Ave at Cherry. For moreinformation call 686-8581, refreshments will beserved.

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NASCAR DREAM COMES TRUE - A residentwith a dream to attend a NASCAR race wassurprised with a full day of excitement. Theday began early with a trip to the Auto ClubSpeedway in Fontana, California to attend theRoyal Purple 300 race.

Irene Ellis, age 84, and a resident inTwin Oaks Assisted Living Center has been aNASCAR fan most of her life and watches theraces on television every chance she gets. WhenIrene was younger she attended NASCAR racesfrequently with her husband in Riverside, butthat was some 45 to 50 years ago.

I cant remember a time when I didnt love

NASCAR, said Irene Ellis. I have always hopedto go to another race some day, but never reallythought I would have the opportunity. This is aDream Come True, and a special day I will cher-ish forever. Ellis added.

Irene shared her love for NASCAR racingwith staff members on many occasions, saidKenny Moyle, Magnolia Health CorporationsCEO. With a NASCAR race only a few hoursaway, we knew this was our chance to turnIrenes dream into a reality. It always feels veryrewarding when you are able to make someonereally happy! Moyle added.

We are very thankful for the help of theAuto Club Speedway, in Fontana. They gaveus the opportunity to make Irenes DreamCome True, said Teresa Menezes, CommunityRelations Coordinator. Irene was surrounded

by all of the action and was able to get up closeto some of the drivers, Menezes added.

Magnolia Health Corporations uniqueDreams Come True program helps their seniorresidents turn their dreams into realties.

To learn more about Magnolia HealthCorporations Dreams Come True Program visit

www.dreamscometrue.us.

[

As vacation season fast approaches, UnitedWay wants to remind us all that hungerdoesnt take a vacation. On Friday, May 11th,United Way of Tulare County Food 4 Less, Ruan

Trucking and Foodlink of Tulare County havejoined forces to drive away hunger. Drop by theFood 4 Less shopping center from 11 am to 7pm on Dinuba Blvd. and see what all the excite-ment is about. Raffle prizes and drawings will be

held throughout the day. For more informationvisit our web site at www.unitedwaytc.org orlike us on face book.

[

Tulare READ will be having a special eventat the Library on Saturday, May 12th, from noonto 5:00 p.m.--Tulare READ Rocks. Come andenjoy live music, family activities, shopping at

vendor booths and some delicious food fromSissys BBQ and More!! This event will supportthe Tulare READ literacy program.

Throughout our eleven years, Tulare READhas helped hundreds of adults improve theirreading skills and achieve such goals as gaincitizenship, pass the GED, help children withhomework, get a job or a promotion and muchmore. We are pleased to help strengthen ourcommunity in this way.

[

Tulare Regional Medical Center is pleased toannounce the introduction of workstations on

wheels (WOW).

Tulare Regional Medical Center Board ofDirectors were introduced to new wirelessmobile technology improving patient carein the Hospital. Ezequiel Gonzalez, RN andImplementation Team Leader for the Workstationon Wheels (WOW) presented the featuresand benefits of the WOW during the Board of

Directors Meeting.

Nursing staff, at Tulare Regional MedicalCenter, completed and intensive 8 hour train-ing course on how the WOW allows cliniciansto spend more time with patients, improve dataaccuracy and patient safety. Patient assessmentinterviews and medication administration docu-

mentation will be performed at the patientsbedside rather than the nurses station.

The WOW units support our patient safetygoals and will improve efficiency and consisten-cy for our clinical staff, said Gonzalez. We areexcited to be integrating this new technologyinto our hospital added Gonzalez.

Our goal is to enhance the nurses time atthe patients bedside and the documentationprocess. The WOW units allow for safer medica-tion administration through the use of scannersand barcoding by validating the right medicationreaches the right patient at the right time, said

Tulare Regional Medical Centers Chief NursingOfficer, Patricia Mathewson, RN.

In December, the Tulare Hospital FoundationBoard of Trustees committed to purchasing all33 wireless units, a $264,000.00 investment.

Contact Veronica at 559.787.2551 or

Veronica@wondervalley.com

YOU DID

WHATAT YOUR

COMPANY

RETREAT

?

VS-0000199527

Russell Takeuchi

Each year in early spring the highschool district considers enrollmentrequests to comply with IntradistrictOpen Enrollment Board Policy 5116.1.

The Board of Trustees desires to pro-vide enrollment options that meet thediverse needs and interest of district stu-dents and parent/guardians, while alsobalancing enrollment in order to maxi-mize the efficient use of district facilities.(BP 5116.1)

The application timeline for submit-ting a request to transfer from one schoolwithin the district to another within thedistrict took place from February 1stto March 1st 2012. Space availability isbased on current and projected enroll-ment numbers at each site. The approxi-mate projected enrollment numbers are

as follows: Tulare Union 1900; TulareWestern 1700; Mission Oak 1500.With these projections, Tulare Unionand Mission Oak will be at capacity withulare Western still having room for

approximately 250 more students.

Th e Bo ar d of Trus tee s re ce nt lyreviewed and considered all requests that

were submitted during this open enroll-ment period. Parents/guardians will benotified by mail as to the disposition oftheir request. If the request is granted,it is restricted to that student only anddoes not guarantee that younger siblingsin the family will also be granted a trans-fer request as they enter high school.Students who receive an intradistricttransfer will not be allowed to return totheir school of residence without apply-ing again under the intradistrict guide-lines. Additionally, these students will beineligible for all varsity level sports com-petitions for one calendar year from thedate of his/her first day of attendance attheir approved school site.

Intradistrict transfer requests that aresubmitted after the March 1st deadline

are not eligible for consideration underthe intradistrict open enrollment poli-cy. However, per Board Policy 5116.1,the district can grant enrollment prioritybased upon the following reasons.

1. The c urrent school of residencereceives Title I funds and has beenidentified for Program Improvement

(PI) (20 USC 6316). Currently all threecomprehensive sites are identified as

Program Improvement.

2. The current school of residence is des-ignated by the California Departmentof Education as persistently danger-ous (20 USC 7912, 5 CCR 11992). No

schools within Tulare Joint Union HighSchool District are currently designatedas persistently dangerous.

3. Any student who is a victim of a vio-lent crime while on school grounds.(20 USC 7912).

4. Upon fi nding that special circum-stances exist that might be harmful ordangerous to the student, which mayinclude, but not limited to, threats ofbodily harm or threats to the emotionalstability of the students. Any such stu-

dent may transfer to a district schoolthat is at capacity and otherwise closedto transfers. To grant priority underthese circumstances the district musthave received either: (Education Code35160.5)

a. A written statement from a represen-tative of an appropriate state or local

agency, such as a law enforcementofficial, social worker, or a properlylicensed or registered professional,such as a psychiatrist, psychologist,or marriage and family therapist.

b. A court order, including a temporaryrestraining order and injunction.

5. Any sibling of a student already inattendance in that school.

6. Any student whose parent/guardian isassigned to that school as his/her pri-mary place of employment.

The district desires to provide a qualityeducation for all students and to provideoptions that best meet their needs whilebalancing enrollment numbers at eachof the districts schools. If you wouldlike additional information regarding the

student transfer process, please contactTulare Joint Union District Office at (559)688-2021 or go to the districts website atwww.tulare.k12.ca.us ; under the Parentsand Students link, click on StudentTransfers.

Tulare Joint Union High School District

Quality Schools Preparing Exceptional Students

ulare Joint Union High School DistrictStudent Transfer Process By Superintendent Sarah Koligian

8/2/2019 Chamber Tulare April 2012_3

4/4

page 4 May 2012 tulare chamber the update

March 31, 2012 Tulare Advance-RegisterNETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Lose Weight

Feel Better

Get FitTulare 299 So. L Street (559) 688-4312

NOOnly $35 per mo.

Ladies Only Area

We sell dietary supplements

Contracts or Initiation Fees

Iron GripFitness for Men & Women

Get Healthy& Strong!

MayCalendarMayCalendar

Thursday, May 3rd6:30AM Heritage Complex, TularePrayer Breakfast with keynote speakerDr.Victor Davis Hanson. Contact 688-2900

for tickets.Friday, May 4th6PM Twin Oaks Village 999 North M St.Live Mariachi Music (bring your ownlawn chair)

Saturday, May 5th1-5PM Foodlink for Tulare CountyKentucky Derby Party. For more infor-mation contact 651-3663

Saturday, May 5thBingo Womans Clubhouse 88 West TulareAvenue Buy-In is 1 pack for $10 or 3packs for $15. Early Bird games are $1.00each open at 12:00 Early Bird games beginat 1:00 P.M.

Thursday, May 10th5:30 Session 1 Communication Class atthe Chamber RSVP for a seat 686-1547

Friday, May 11th11AM-7PM Food Drive in the TulareFood For Less Parking Lot on DinubaBlvd. Raffle Prizes and giveways

Saturday, May 12th12-5PM Tulare READ 475 N M St. LiveMusic, activities, shopping, food & more.To benefit Tulare Literacy program

Saturday, May 12th11:30AM-1:30PM Mother DaughterFashion Expo and Luncheon 972-4124 fortickets

Wednesday, May 16thZumwalt Summer Band Concert begins

Wednesday, May 16th7PM Alzheimers and Dementia SupportGroup 604 E Merritt

Wednesday, May 16th9:30-3:30 Federal/State Basic PayrollTax Seminar call 866-873-6086 for moreinformation

Thursday, May 17thDrug Court Graduation

Monday, May 21st6PM Community Game Night Bingo Re-freshments and prizes 999 North M St

Thursday, May 24thState of the City Luncheon

Thursday, May 24th5:30-6:30PM Session 2 CommunicationClass at the Chamber RSVP

Monday, May 28th7AM-12PM Veterans Pancake Breakfast

Thursday May 31stMixer at Salles Caf, 2082 North J St.5:30 7:30PM

Please send your event dates to

lhowarth@tularechamber.org.

Free Three Week Seminar onKeys to Effective Communication

Presented by Terry A. Sayre, CFLCDoes the communication process ever cause you stress?

Is your communication based on expectations? Does yourcommunication include excuses or complaints? If you find

yourself answering yes to any of these questions this semi-nar is for you! You will be given the keys to become a more

effective communicator in any role. Session 1 May 10th 5:30-6:30PM, Session 2 May 24th same time, Session 3 June 7thsame time. Please contact the Chamber to reserve your seat.

The Tulare Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize these members who have gone above andbeyond membership investment in 2011. Their support is instrumental in the growth of the Chamber.

Presidents CircleJ.D. Heiskell & Company

Lagomarsino Group

Res-Com Pest Control

Saputo Cheese USA, Inc

Southern California Gas Company

Tulare Advance Register

Tulare Outlet Center

Tulare Regional Medical Center

Directors CircleInternational Agri Center

Land O Lakes

Ambassadors CircleAcclaim Auto & Truck Accessories

Adair & Evans, An AccountancyCorporation

Bank of the SierraCitizens Business BankCollege of the Sequoias

Horswill, Mederos & SoaresRuan Transportation Corporation

Sturgeon & Beck, Inc.Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino

TF Tire & ServiceValley Business Bank

Will Tiesiera Ford-Mercury, Inc.

Circles ofExcellenceA program of the Tulare Chamber of Commerce

Discover Tuscany

Coming in 2013 a trip toBali

Your tour begins inRome. Upon arrival, youmay wish to sign upfor an optional tour ofClassical Rome or enjoyfree time to explore onyour own. This evening,get acquainted with yourfellow travelers duringa festive welcome din-

ner at a local restaurant whereregional foods, fun Italian melodies and fine Italian

wines kick of your Tuscan adventure! That is just one day ofthis 10 day trip. It is time to cross this one off your bucketlist. This trip is on our calendars for November 6th throughthe 15th. Book prior to May 6th and save $100 per person.This trip will take you to Rome, Assisi, Basilica of St.Francis,Montecatini Terme, Siena, San Gimignano, Wintery Tour,Florence, and a Tuscan Feast. Contact the Chamber at 686-1547 or Jill Worley at 686-8085 for more information.

Tour departs March 18th 2013 and tripincludes7 nights

accommodation, dailybreakfast, airport trans-fers, sightseeing tours,special dinner on thebeach, English speakingtour guide, and plenty ofleisure time to enjoy thebeauty of Bali on yourow, and plenty of leisuretime to enjoy the beauty ofBali on your own!

Lets Talk Business(continued from page 1)requirement might not applicable in a given situation. If thatwere the case you might get a response l ike youre right,it doesnt make sense; Ill see if we can get this evaluatedor waived. Instead, you get something like youre right, itdoesnt make sense, but youll need to do it anyway so I cancomplete my inspection.

Philip: Flying or the prospect of working on, or around,aircraft has inspired many youthful dreams. What is the best

thing about owning a business at Mefford Field? What ben-efits do you feel this airport brings to our community? Oh,another question, can you even land a jet a t our airport?

Michael:To begin with the answer to your fina l questionis yes, we frequently have corporate jets utilize the airport.Although were obviously not a large consumer air trave l des-tination, you would be surprised at the number of agriculturaland commercial flights that move through this location.

In my opinion, the best part about working at MeffordField is the tremendous growth oppor tunities it provides forlocal business. Blue Sky Aviation, a local helicopter pilottraining school, wants to expand their classes and bring morestudents to Tulare (Philip side note - sothat explainsall that helicopter traffic when Im driving down SouthLaspinaI thought the CHP was trying to catch me speed-ing again). We have six businesses operating at the airport

(one government agency and five private enterprises) andthey all seem to be doing very well. Im per-sonally looking for an opportunity to increasethe amount of space I lease from the City ofTulare.

As a community benefit, our local a irportprovides support for many commercial andagricultural concerns. An employee of a rela-tively new business in town reported to methat one of the reasons they chose to build inTulare was easy airpor t access. Their teamflies in quarterly to inspect the facilities oftheir local operation. Theyre in and out oftown in a matter of hours. Hopefully if weever get a hotel on this end of town theyllconsider staying the night and spending some

more time, and money, here in Tulare.

A Dairy DayOn a lovely Tuesday afternoon CEO

Nina Akin and myself (Andi) headed overto Jeff Wilburs Rio Blanco Dairy to seea cow. Reminiscent of Charlottes web allI can say is Thats Some Cow! Shownin photo below is Ms. #561 or as I liketo think of her Udderella, this majesticcreature produces 24 gallons of milkdaily which is quite a feat and rare inthe industry. Jeff Wilbur, our tour guide,of the Mayflower Companies will be

master of ceremonies at Salute to DairyJune 21st. Unfortunately Udderella is notset to attend, but we quite enjoyed theexperience of being at the dairy wherewe learned about the acres upon acresof crop, the recycling nature of the dairy(manure from cows fertilizes crops, cropsfeed cows, cows produce), and of coursesaw newborn calves take some of theirfirst wobbly steps. Nothing goes to wastein this world which we saw firsthand aswe toured the dairy. Now to many Tulareresidents this is probably common knowl-edge but it was my first ever trip to adairy and it couldve been the Smithsonianfor as valuable as the experience was to

me. So I would like to publicly thank JeffWilbur and his delightful staff. Thank you!

The Tulare Joint Union High SchoolDistrict hired Taylor Teter Partnership todevelop a comprehensive facilities masterplan. The master plan will serve as guidefor future expenditures on site improve-ments, remodels and new construction.The district is hosting community meetingsto allow all stakeholders the opportunityto provide feedback and interact directlywith the Master Plan team. All members ofthe community are welcome to attend andparticipate in the planning process. Meet-ings are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 3rdTulare Western High School - cafeteria

Tuesday, May 8thMission Oah High School & AgricultureProgram - library

Thursday, May 17thAlternative Education & Adult School -District Office Board Room