College of the Sequoias presents “Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead,” a tragi-comedy about two minor characters in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” runs Oct. 8-17 in the COS Theatre, 915 S. Mooney, Visalia. Facebook: College of the Sequoias Performing Arts

Art shows

Arts Visalia exhibits Arturo Martinez’s Mexican Culture work, touchable ceramics by Tim Clark and abstract inspirations from Biblical texts by Jamie Meadows in October. Open Wednesdays-Saturdays, 12-5:30 p.m. 214 E. Oak, 559 739-0905 or www.artsvisalia.org

Arts Consortium displays “De Cambros” by internationally acclaimed Fernando Campos. This touring show by the Mexican Consulate features oils, acrylics and watercolors inspired by Campos’ traditions from his home in Jalisco, Mexico. 340 E. Oak, Visalia. Open Wednesdays-Saturdays 12-5 p.m. www.artsconsortium.org  

College of the Sequoias Art Gallery is exhibiting an Alumni Exhibition in honor of COS’ 100^th anniversary from Oct. 6-Nov. 27. Open Tuesdays 10-2, Wednesdays 11-2 and Thursdays 11-4. 915 S. Mooney, Room 214 (downstairs in the Kaweah Building at the corner of Meadow Lane and Mooney.) Free 20-minute parking in the circle drive. Facebook: College of the Sequoias Art Gallery

Brandon-Mitchell Gallery is showing “Where Stories Grow,” art by local illustrator Merry Miller-Gass in her just-published children’s books, during September and October. Open during the First Friday Art Walks in Downtown Visalia, after service at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays and by appointment. 117 S. Locust, Visalia. 559 625-2441 or www.brandonmitchellgallery.com

The Oval Gallery is featuring art by Janel Claybon and Priscila Bustos exploring themes of identity, reflection, and growth as women of color through print media and sculptures. Open Thursdays and Fridays from 5-9 p.m. and by appointment if requested through Instagram, www.instagram.com/theovalgallery

Tulare City Historical Museum has on display “Transform Art” by watercolorist Valerie Estes from Sept. 17-Oct. 10. Open Thursdays-Saturdays 10-4. 444 W. Tulare in Tulare. 559 686-2074 or www.tularehistoricalmuseum.org

CACHE (Center for Art, Culture & History Exeter) shows landscapes by Justin McKinzie from Oct. 3 to Dec. 27. Wednesdays-Fridays 10-4 (closed 12-12:30) and Fridays and Saturdays 12-4. 125 South B. 559 592-5900 or www.cach-exeter.org

Lindsay Arts presents “Guilt and Forgiveness” by Julio Oseguera, who explores identity, memory and the emotional complexities of the human experience in figurative oil paintings. Open Fridays 12-4 p.m. Sept. 19-Nov. 7. 165 N. Gale Hill. www.lindsayarts.com

The Pierpoint Bar & Grill & Gallery is showing “Heaven in the Sierras” by local photographer Trish Logan. Open 10-6 daily. 801 Highway 190, Springville. 559 483-9110 or liz.pierpointgallery@gmail.com

Ongoing events

Vossler Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze open daily Sept. 26-Nov. 1, weekdays 10-9, Saturdays and Sundays 10-10. On weekends, includes food vendors, train and pony rides. 26773 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia. www.visitvisalia.com/calendar

Vossler Farms adds Field of Screams from Oct. 16-31 with a haunted after-dark walk through the corn maze.

Hannegan’s Harvest Pumpkin Patch open daily from Oct.2-25. Train rides, giant slide, obstacle course. 2227 E. Noble, Visalia. www.visitvisalia.com/calendar

Events by date

Friday, Oct. 2

• The Doo Wop Project features classic doo wop sounds plus more contemporary songs given a doo wop vibe. Featuring stars from Broadway shows like “Jersey Boys,” “Motown,” “Beautiful” and “Hairspray.” Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 559 625-1369 or foxvisalia.org
• Downtown Visalia First Friday Art Walk from 5-8 p.m. Pick up a map at the Arts Consortium, 340 E. Oak, Arts Visalia, 214 E. Oak, or the Brandon-Mitchell Gallery, 117 S. Locust, and visit venues with art, music and snacks. artsconsortium.org

Saturday, Oct. 3

• Living History Day will bring well-known historical figures in Tulare and Kings counties to life from 12-3 p.m. at the Tulare County Museum in Mooney Grove, 27000 Mooney Blvd., Visalia. Talk to actors portraying Walt Disney, Amelia Earhart, Wilma McDaniel, Ben Maddox and others to learn their local history. tularecountymuseum.org
• 3^rd Annual Moon Festival Tribute from 12-5 p.m. at the Carnegie Museum of Kings County, 109 E. Eight St., Hanford. Gumyo Taiko performances, lion dance, origami demos, tea and Mooncakes, food vendors. chinaalley.com/news
• Cat Haven Twilight Tour and fund raiser at 5 p.m. Walk the trail to see tigers, lions and jaguars when the cats are the most active. Buffet dinner and auction. 16+ only. 38257 E. Kings Canyon Rod, Dunlap. cathaven.com
• 1^st Saturday in Three Rivers features open studios, food and art shows from 11-5. Pick up a map and schedule at Kaweah Arts, 41841 Sierra Dr. (Highway 198) or the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Dr. 559 799-1473 or 1stsaturdaytr.com
• Los Yonics, Los Caminautes, Los Freddy’s y Amigos, a night of Spanish-language musical classics, at 7 p.m. at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 59 625-1369 or foxvisalia.org
• Zalud House Pioneer Day and Rib Cook-Off from 11-3 on Main Street, Porterville, which will be turned into an old west street complete with shoot-out, displays and re-enactments. visitvisalia.com/calendar

Monday, Oct. 5

• Miss Exeter Coronation dinner at 6 p.m. at the Exeter Veterans’ Memorial building, 324 N. Kaweah. With fashion show. business.visaliachamber.org/events

Friday, Oct. 9

• “How to Train your Dragon” (2010) will be shown at dusk as part of the free Movies in the Park series hosted by the City of Visalia at Lions Park, 345 N. Jacob. Bring a picnic, blankets and lawn chairs. Food vendors on site. visitvisalia.org/calendar

Saturday, Oct. 10

• The annual Marjorie Brandon Award ceremony will present its award at 7 p.m. to Ignacio Diaz, local painter and sculpturer, who learned collage from Brandon herself. Entertainment by Andrew and Sarai, guitar and violin. Center for Spiritual Living, 117 S. Locust, Visalia. Tickets: 559 625-2441 or cslvisalia.org/events
• Tea Tasting Gala to celebrate the Autumn Moon Festival by the Center for Integrated Medicine. Chinese hors d’oeuvres and moon cakes. Learn Chinese tea etiquette and the meaning of the tea ceremony. Information and tickets: 559 625-4246
• Just Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness from 11-3 at the Visalia Mall, 2031 S. Mooney, Visalia. Pink banners, info booths and giveaways. visitvisalia.com/calendar
• Exeter Fall Festival starts at 10 a.m. with a parade on Pine Street and continues 10-4 at Exeter City Park, 314 W. Firebaugh, with vendors, live entertainment, food and family activities. visitvisalia.com/calendar
• Good Riddance: A 90s Murder Mystery at 7:30 p.m. features dinner, drinks, questionable fashion choices and murder. Follow the clues, question the suspects. Visalia Rawhide Stadium, 300 N. Giddings. visitvisalia.com/calendar
• Dino-mite Boo Bash from 10-2 with family friendly live dinosaur encounters, vendors, treat or treat, music, activities. 2950 E. Douglas. facebook.com/events

Sunday, Oct. 11

• Matt Stone as Elvis, recognized by Graceland, performs at 7 p.m. at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 59 625-1369 or foxvisalia.org
• Neighborhood Market in the Arbor from 10-3:30 at the International Agri Center, 4500 S. Laspina, Tulare. Dress up, get treats and visit 70 vendors. visitvisalia.com/calendar

Tuesday, Oct. 13

• Annual Taste of Visalia invites people to walk downtown from 5-8 p.m. and enjoy bites, sips and specialties at participating stores. Tickets: downtownvisalia.com/event

Wednesday, Oct. 14

• KJUG annual Girls & Guitars at 7 p.m. will celebrate Dolly Pardon featuring Karen Hester as Dolly. Wear your rhinestones and boots. Benefits Kaweah Health Breast Center. Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 559 625-1369 or foxvisalia.org

Friday, Oct. 16

• Elias Medina, a Mexican singer/songwriter whose songs have been recorded by many of Mexico’s biggest artists, performs at 8 p.m. at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 559 625-1369 or foxvisalia.org

Saturday, Oct. 17

• Annual Taste the Arts Festival takes over four blocks of downtown Visalia Garden Street from 10-5 with artists, music, interactive activities and food. artsconsortium.org
• Pride Visalia celebrates its 10^th anniversary from 11:30-5 featuring entertainment, food, vendors and drag artists at Rawhide Stadium, 300 N. Giddings
• Boos & Booze Halloween Fest from 4-11:30 p.m. at Adventist Health Amphitheater, 455 E. Tulare in Tulare. A night with haunted attractions, professional scare actors, EDM dance music and food vendors. 18+ only. visitvisalia.com/calendar
• Vintage Fall Market from 10-3 at Salty Walrus Brewing, 2415 E. Valley Oaks Dr., Visalia. Shop vintage goods, seasonal decor, woodworking, vinyl and macramé from local vendors while enjoying pizza from You Be’s, craft beer and live music from Biscuits & Gravy. visitvisalia.com/calendar
• “Practical Magic 1” (1998) starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as witch sisters will be shown free at 7 p.m. at the Visalia Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main. 559 625-1369 or foxvisalia.org

The post Donna’s Calendar of Events!!! appeared first on Valley Voice.

On Nov. 3, voters in Hanford will decide who represents them on the five-member College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees. The election arrives as College of the Sequoias marks its 100th year with a $50 million University Center under construction.

Lehn is running on what he says is a decade of record-high student success, robust finances, and new construction. He says he wants to continue to contribute to the progress the college has made over the last decade.

Nava says she entered the race because she believes the board is “out of touch” with the employees and students it serves. She claims Dr. Brent Calvin, College of the Sequoias’ Superintendent/President, said during a meeting that the board had moved away from fully funding employee health insurance so employees would “feel the pain” of rising premiums — one example she cites as a reason to run.

Ward 5 voters will choose between an eight-year trustee who says the college has never been stronger and a challenger who says students still can’t find child care or a bus to class.

Meet the COS Ward 5 Candidates

John Lehn is seeking a third term representing Ward 5 on the College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees. During that time he has served three years as board president and the remaining years as vice president, his current role.

Lehn spent about 42 years with Kings County’s job training office, most of them as its director, and for 25 of those years also served as president of the Kings County Economic Development Corporation, working to bring new businesses to the county and support existing ones. He is a former Hanford City Council member and mayor, and coached youth baseball and soccer for about 20 years.

“Fundamentally, I think experience matters,” he said.

Susie Nava is a first-time candidate and a COS alumna. Born into a military family, she moved to Hanford at two weeks old when her father was stationed at the Naval Air Station Lemoore. She settled in Kings County in 1997, raised her three children in Corcoran, and moved to Hanford in 2021.

She has worked in manufacturing, at a local school district, for First 5 programs in Corcoran and Kettleman City, and as a Kings County case manager. Since 2024 she has worked as a quality assurance specialist for Kings County Behavioral Health overseeing contract and regulatory compliance. She also sits on the board of the California League of City Employees Associations (CLOCEA), which represents Kings County employees.

Nava started at COS as a single mother and earned an associate degree, which she said is the foundation of her career. As a Latina, she said she hopes to show students from similar backgrounds what is possible.

“We need more people like us so our community members can look at us and say if they can do it, I can do it,” she said.

Why Are They Running?

Lehn is running on the college’s record during his tenure, citing what he called “all-time high” student success, stronger finances and a wave of new construction, including a $50 million University Center, a $40 million student union, a $70 million science building in design for the Hanford campus, a $10 million stadium, solar efficiency projects and classroom improvements.

“I am a candidate for re-election because I want to continue contributing to the College’s 100-year tradition of excellence and build upon the progress of the past decade,” Lehn wrote in response to questions from the Valley Voice.

Nava, on the other hand, is framing her candidacy around her own experience as a COS student, emphasizing her understanding of students’ backgrounds, barriers and needs.

“I am running to represent Hanford on the COS Board because I care deeply about ensuring that same opportunity exists for current and future students. Having sat in these same classrooms and faced many of the same challenges our students experience today, I bring not just insight, but empathy and gratitude for what COS provides,” Nava wrote.

Student Success and Gaps in Progress

Asked about potential gaps in student success at COS and how to measure progress, Lehn did not identify specific shortcomings, focusing instead on how progress should be tracked.

“The important measure is not simply whether a gap exists, but whether it is narrowing over time,” he wrote. “I would continue to measure progress through course completion, persistence…and other established student-success measures, with the results disaggregated so that improvements – or continuing gaps – are visible.”

His opponent Nava named transportation and child care as the main barriers to student success.

“On paper, COS is doing amazing…” Nava wrote. “However, I work in the community I am looking to represent, and I have spoken to students, community members, and professors who all have stories about students having to drop classes due to transportation and or childcare issues. It is unfortunate that the same struggles I faced when attending COS in the 1990s are the same barriers that exist today.”

Child care is a deeply personal issue for Nava, who was a single mother while attending COS in the 1990s. She said college leadership has recently discussed and dismissed the need for childcare.

“At the last board meeting, a remark was made by leadership that students don’t need COS to provide child care. That they have family and relatives that can help with that,” she recalled. “To me, as someone who works in the community, who lives in the community, that statement is so out of touch with our residents and the needs of the community.”

Lehn said COS already supports student parents through child care stipends funded by financial aid, county human services programs and state and federal grants, which he said can exceed the cost of care. He mentioned the college operated its own child care center at one point, but students who actually utilized the center were such a small population compared to enrolled students, that the funds were redirected to serve students in other ways.

With that being said, Lehn stated the district is now considering whether to bring a center back.

“We’re in the process of gathering information to evaluate whether or not it makes sense to reinstitute a child care center,” he said.

Competing for Hanford Students

COS isn’t the only community college option for Hanford residents. West Hills College Lemoore sits about 10 miles away, and the candidates were asked why some local students choose it over COS Hanford.

Lehn challenged the premise of the question. He said COS has been over its state-funded enrollment cap for years and remains significantly over it, meaning the college serves more students than the state pays for and keeps adding classes to meet demand.

“We’re serving way more students than the state is providing resources to serve,” Lehn said.

Rather than competing, he said, the two colleges give students more choices, particularly when classes at one college fill up.

“Kings County is blessed to have two community colleges and have options,” he said.

Nava on the other hand, said the Hanford center has been underdeveloped, offering only a limited number of programs on site.

“They have nine classrooms and three programs,” she said, adding that students outside of those programs must travel to other campuses to continue past their general education courses.

Transportation compounds the problem, she said. Nava described meeting a student on the first day of classes who was deciding whether to drop a course because she had borrowed a car to get to campus and wasn’t sure she could do it all semester. She said some students take Uber to early-morning classes because public transit doesn’t run that early, and that some classes end at 9 p.m., after transit stops running.

“People don’t choose Hanford COS because we don’t have the infrastructure to help them access the services, the classes there at their campus,” Nava said. “It doesn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t be this way.”

Nava said that when she worked as a county case manager, most of her clients chose West Hills for its online classes, support services, and on-campus child care, though she noted that was in 2023 and things may have changed. She called for COS to offer full degrees online.

Health Care for Part-Time Faculty and Union Endorsements

One of the sharpest disagreements between the Ward 5 candidates came on health insurance for part-time faculty at COS. The state of California reimburses community college districts for up to the full cost of health insurance for qualifying part-time faculty, but COS does not participate in the program.

Nava said she supports joining the program and that, if elected, one of her first moves would be to call for a study session on the issue. She said the current board hasn’t looked at the issue and that leadership should be listening to all employees at COS, not just full-time faculty.

“If you have a whole classification of staff saying, ‘Hey, can you look into this?’ and then just closing it down, that’s not working with union leadership. That’s not working with your staff. And that’s not listening to them,” she said.

Lehn said district and union leaders have not reached an agreement on part-time faculty health insurance, but that the district is gathering more information so the board can take up the issue as a discussion item.

“The college made an offer to support the health care for part-time faculty under certain circumstances and the unions didn’t agree to it,” Lehn said.

He said health insurance for part-time workers is uncommon, noting that most industries offer such benefits only to full-time employees. He also warned that the cost could be substantial if the state ends the program and leaves COS to cover it.

“We’re not convinced that the state will, based upon their past record, continue to support that. It’s a significant cost that the district would have to absorb on its own,” Lehn said.

While Lehn cited uncertain state funding, Nava pointed to a different explanation.

During the interview, Nava read aloud the remark she attributed to Calvin, which she said was shared with her during her union endorsement interview.

“[The COS Board of Trustees] want the employee to feel the increase and ensure that they feel the pain of that increase, so they don’t take advantage of having insurance,” she claims Calvin said.

According to Nava, the remark followed negotiations over the district’s most recent insurance increase. In the past, she said, COS fully covered the most basic plan for classified employees.

Nava stated the remark is further evidence that current leadership is out of touch with the constituents it is supposed to serve.

“I’m very well aware when my insurance goes up,” Nava said. “If you pay for insurance, you’re aware. Nobody’s taking advantage of the insurance out here.”

The issue points to a broader question in the race: how each candidate would approach negotiations with the college’s unions.

Nava said she has been a strong union supporter since 2003, when she worked for a Corcoran manufacturer and saw the difference in pay and benefits between its union and non-union plants. She now sits on a union board of directors in Kings County and has been endorsed by six groups and unions, including all three at COS.

“What most unions ask for is to be heard,” she said. “They want a fair wage. They want to feel like they are valued and that they are an integral part of whatever organization that they are working in.”

During the interview, Lehn questioned whether some of the Valley Voice‘s questions came from the unions or his opponent’s supporters.

“It seemed to me the questions that you and I just went over were most likely generated by the union or those that are in support of my opponent,” he said.

The Valley Voice developed its questions internally and from community input, and asked both candidates parallel questions.

Overseeing the President

The board’s most direct power is over its only employee: the superintendent/president, Brent Calvin. Trustees hire, evaluate and can dismiss the president.

Lehn said the board evaluates Calvin on the college’s progress toward the goals in its strategic plan and master plan.

Asked to name a time the board pushed back on or overruled the president, Lehn did not cite one. He said most issues reach the board only after going through the college’s participatory governance process, and that reasonable people working from the same facts usually reach the same conclusions.

“That means that you are aligned, the president understands what the desires of the board are and brings items that are reasonable and consistent with the direction of the board,” Lehn said.

Nava, who has not worked with Calvin, said she has followed him through livestreamed board meetings and described him as likable, knowledgeable and vision-driven. If elected, she said she would start by reviewing the board’s evaluation forms to see what he is being measured on.

But she said comments from college leadership have at times seemed “so out of touch with our community,” and that she would push Calvin to spend more time with vulnerable communities and on campuses that haven’t seen him.

What About the Money?

On the college’s budget, the candidates largely agreed. Both said cuts should not be made for the sake of change and that leadership must remain careful stewards of public funds.

Lehn said employee compensation at COS ranks among the top five community college districts in California and that reserves are strong enough to weather economic downturns without layoffs.

“I support the current allocation of resources. As student needs, enrollment, state funding or economic conditions change, I will support adjustments based on demonstrated need and the priorities established through the college’s integrated planning process,” he wrote.

The post Candidates for COS Board of Trustees Ward 5 talk issues appeared first on Valley Voice.

Commercial air travel could return to the Visalia Municipal Airport after a long 10 years without passenger service. A final decision is still pending, however, and it lies in the hands of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).

Passenger Flights or Cash?

After the relationship with the last company to carry passengers to Visalia, SeaPort Airlines, ended poorly, the city opted out of subsidized passenger flights at the Visalia Municipal Airport.

Instead, it decided to take a chunk of federal funding to improve and upgrade the airport’s infrastructure.

It has this option thanks to the USDOT’s Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes airlines to serve rural or isolated communities. It does this by paying for subsidized air travel or grants for capital improvements. But not both.

“In exchange for $3.7 million, which was a portion of the funding for the subsidy for the EAS program, we signed away 10 years of service,” said Visalia Municipal Airport manager Jody Miller. “We used those funds on airport development, the hangars and stuff. Hangar development, plus kind of general improvements throughout the airfield.”

The decade the city signed away ends on May 1, 2027.

“That 10 years went fast,” Miller said.

With a bigger population of Visalians and a well-maintained airport, the city is considering bringing commercial airlines back. But the USDOT has the final say. It will issue a request for proposals (RFP) late this month or in early November to seek interested passenger carriers, Miller said.

If the city decides to bring air service back, and the candidates who respond to the RFP are worth working with, then the city will send its recommendation to the USDOT; the feds will ultimately pick Visalia’s newest airline.

Miller emphasized that the city won’t have the final say, but its opinion will be taken into serious consideration.

“Ultimately, it is their decision,” he said. “They’ll take our thoughts and everything into account, but at the end of the day, the US Department of Transportation will select the provider, should we as a community decide to go that route.”

Five Airlines Want to Serve Visalia

The city decided to end passenger service at the airport following a less-than-satisfying experience with prior carriers that served the city.

The city and its last airline, SeaPort Airlines, parted ways in 2016; the company ended operations later that year.

The airline before it, Great Lakes Airlines, left Visalia in 2014 after city and federal officials picked SeaPort. City officials cited Great Lakes’ poor service and reliability. Great Lakes later ended operations in 2018.

A shaky business model was only part of the problem, said assistant city manager John Lollis, who wasn’t working at City Hall when the company and city parted ways.

“Great Lakes had terrible service, (and) had asked to be released from its contract. The city asked the DOT to do that,” he said. “The ‘easy button’ came with this new program, which was saying, ‘We’re going to allow up to 10 airports to take an option to go into this grant program.’”

Only 182 airports across the United States are eligible for EAS subsidies, with a significant concentration in Alaska. In California, four airports are eligible: Visalia, Merced, Imperial/El Centro, and Crescent City.

Visalia became the first EAS community nationwide to give up passenger service under the USDOT’s Community Flexibility Pilot Program. Giving up passenger service seemed like the best option in 2016, Lollis said.

“There was frustration and uncertainty with another new provider who hadn’t been here before,” he said. “And then you had the grant opportunity waiting. It was the best decision at the time given that there was just so much uncertainty.”

If it picked another unreliable airline, the city also faced losing its EAS benefits permanently. Federal regulations at the time required an effective airline subsidy of $200 per person or less. City officials were unsure that any airline could generate the passenger traffic required to do that.

Now, the EAS rules have changed, and the maximum subsidy an airline can be paid per passenger in Visalia is $850 in 2027, coming down from $1,000 currently. The USDOT can issue waivers from this policy if required, but there are new restrictions on participation: airports can receive no more than two consecutive waivers in a row, and no more than 10 waivers every 25 years.

In 2026 there’s a lot of renewed interest to service Visalia’s air travel needs.

So far, five airlines have expressed interest in coming to Visalia, according to Miller’s presentation.

All the candidate companies are small carriers hoping to expand: Surf Air, Advanced Air, Boutique Air, Contour Airlines and Flight Level Aviation, which is Fresno-based. Miller said the airlines all understand what the city and the feds expect.

“These are the ones that we have already spoken to,” Miller said. “They reached out to us. Aviation’s a small community. They know what’s going on. They said they’d throw their hat in the ring.”

Any carrier picked to serve Visalia through the EAS program will have to provide a minimum of at least a dozen flights to and from the city. The number of flights could be higher depending on demand.

Miller described the airplanes owned by the five candidate carriers as luxurious.

“I’ve flown for work all sorts of times, and I’ve never seen regional commuter airlines that are this nice,” he said. “You’re getting the charter experience at a commuter airline price.”

Surf Air, Advanced Air, Boutique Air, and Flight Level Aviation would operate nine-seat turboprop aircraft seating nine passengers. Contour Airlines operates 30-seat jet aircraft.

The proposed fares range from $100 to $250 for one-way service. And at least one of the carriers, Boutique Air, has suggested it might build a maintenance center in Visalia as it reestablishes itself on the West Coast.

“With any of the companies, that’s going to be a potential option,” Miller said. “They would establish a presence on the field, create jobs.”

There’s another benefit to the city, one possibly worth millions of dollars in saving on future federally-funded aviation projects. If Visalia Municipal Airport returns to providing passenger service and maintains good standing during the first full year of the program in 2028, then the available USDOT funding would go from 90% to 95%. Currently, Visalia and state funding contribute 5% each in matching funds to receive this federal money. Visalia’s fund-matching requirement would drop to 2.5% after 2028.

Adding passenger service also won’t deter large cargo carriers – like Amazon and FedEx – from building a large presence at Visalia’s airport.

“If anything, it would improve our chances with that,” Miller said. “As the industrial park, as the other things expand, these companies want to have an easy way to get in and out of Visalia. Once that’s there, they’re (cargo carriers) more likely to expand their operations.”

City Will Have 30 Days to Decide

The USDOT RFP should go out within the next 30 days. The list of qualified proposals it receives will then be presented to the city council for its consideration.

“At that point we could present it to (the city) council, we could have open houses at the airport,” Miller said. “We can do different things and get those presentations out there to the community. Where they (citizens) want to go is ultimately going to let us decide who the best partner is for the program.”

Following the period of community input, and with input by an ad hoc airport committee, the council would then present the USDOT with a letter stating local preference. The ad hoc airport committee will include two members of the city council, as well as other city leaders.

Any airline seeking USDOT approval for the EAS program must have a history of reliability of service, agreements with large air carriers (known as interline agreements), city and community preference, a good community marketing plan and a reasonable total proposed compensation.

The USDOT list of qualified respondents could be available as early as December. The city’s outreach should begin shortly after the list is published.

“I’m excited for it to come back,” said council member Brian Poochigian. “Sometimes it is hard to get to connecting airports. I think this will make it a lot more convenient for our residents.”

The post Passenger flights landing soon at Visalia Municipal Airport? appeared first on Valley Voice.

The ballot in November 2026 is no exception. In addition to the full slate of candidates for statewide office from Governor and Legislature, to U.S. Senate and Congress, as well as local officials, the Nov. 3 ballot has 14 statewide propositions.

Those statewide ballot measures include five different taxation propositions as well as several administrative changes to state and local government, including a measure requiring voter identification.

For voters seeking to make sense of this confusing array, relief is on the way.

The League of Women Voters of Tulare County will conduct an information presentation, “The Nov 3 Ballot Propositions – Pros and Cons,” at 6:30 p.m. on October 6 at the Tulare County Office of Education building, 6200 South Mooney Boulevard in Visalia.

“Come find out about what the propositions are, what their fiscal impact might be, and what supporters and detractors are saying about each,” said the League of Women Voters of Tulare County.

Presenters will be from the League of Women Voters, who will use the information from their non-partisan voter guide, 411, and Ballotpedia, to present their information.

Among the propositions:

• A measure that would authorize $11.4 billion in bonds for affordable housing for veterans, younger buyers and low-income buyers.
• A measure that would repeal the prohibition against public funding of election campaigns.
• A proposition that would create a loan program for middle income buyers of new homes.
• A measure that would authorize $8 and funding for research into immunotherapy.m
• The so-called “Billionaires tax,” a one-time 5 percent tax on those whose net worth is more than $1 billion.
• Two other measures that would eliminate the billionaires tax.
• A proposed constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds majority for local governments to raise taxes.
• A measure that would require community health clinics to spend at least 90% of their revenue on services for patients.

One of the most controversial ballot measures would require voters to present government-issued identification when casting ballots and require election officials to use government data to confirm voter citizenship and report verification rates.

As usual, this list of propositions contains some tricky provisions. For instance, Proposition 40 would enact the one-time 5 percent tax on billionaires. Propositions 41 and 42 would cancel proposition 40 with their own provisions.

The presenters at “The ballot propositions, pros and cons” will explain those provisions to help voters understand how they can cast a vote that does what they intend. They will also explain two other local provisions that are on the November 3 ballot.

Voters will have received their sample ballots by October 6. They can bring those ballots with them to this program and mark how they intend to vote that evening.

Be sure to attend this informative evening to be fully prepared to cast your ballot on November 3.

The forum will be live streamed by the Valley Voice on their Facebook page.

The post Nov 3 Ballot Propositions forum to be held this Tuesday, October 6 appeared first on Valley Voice.

Forums for both races will take place back-to-back at the Tulare County Office of Education, 6200 S. Mooney Blvd., beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The forum for Visalia Unified School District Board of Trustees will start at 5:30 p.m. and include candidates in Areas 1 and 4.

Area 1 incumbent, Walta Gamoian, is being challenged by Stacy Boyce.

Area 4 incumbent, Todd Oto, is being challenged by Efrain Becerra.

The forum for Visalia City Council will start at 7 p.m.  Incumbent for District 5, Steve Nelsen, is being challenged by Jose Sosa Wences, Justin Stie, and Esther Perez. Perez serves on the Visalia Cemetery Board and regretfully cannot attend the forum because she will be at a cemetery conference in San Francisco that evening.

Candidates will be responding to questions from the forum’s sponsors and from the audience. The forum will be live streamed on Valley Voice’s Facebook and viewers can message their questions on the Valley Voice’s livestream.

Sponsors are:

• League of Women Voters of Tulare County
• American Association of University Women
• Valley Voice online newspaper.
• Tulare County League of Mexican American Women
• Sun-Gazette newspaper

This will be an educational and fun evening so join us October 8 and don’t forget your questions!

The post Candidates for Visalia City Council, Visalia Unified School District to answer questions on Thursday, October 8 appeared first on Valley Voice.

The upcoming session features guest speaker Professor Hollie Marquess from Fort Hays State University. Professor Marquess serves as the Dr. Leo Oliva Distinguished Professor of History at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where she also earned her B.A. and M.A. Currently a doctoral student in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Gratz College, her research focuses
on women, gender, sexuality, and the Holocaust, with previous publications exploring gender and sexuality in the American Midwest.

Professor Marquess’s presentation, titled “Sex Work in Frontier America,” will examine the vital yet often overlooked roles of women who engaged in sex work as early arrivals to western frontier towns. While the Wild West era is widely remembered for lawlessness, sex work operated both within and outside formal legal structures. This presentation delves into the historical realities, lives, and livelihoods of these frontier sex workers and their integration into frontier life.

The presentation is open to campus members and the wider community. For more information about this event or the CHAP program at Porterville College, visit the CHAP website at https://www.portervillecollege.edu/about-pc/chap/index.html or contact CHAP Coordinator Leslie Keele at leslie.keele@portervillecollege.edu.

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What happens when Belle becomes the Beast, the fairy-tale characters aren’t quite what you remember, and Gaston has a very unexpected new identity? Redwood High School Theatre is finding out this October with its production of Beauty Is the Beast by Don Zolidis.

Unlike the classic story audiences may know, this comedy turns the traditional fairy-tale world upside down. Belle is transformed into the Beast, sending Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White and Ariel on a mission to find the witch who caused it all.

Along the way, audiences will meet a Fairy Godfather, a Fairy Athletic Trainer, an Unpleasant Dwarf and a Gaston who takes on a very unexpected persona.

The production is the second time Beauty Is the Beast has been performed and marks the first production of the show in California.

For Redwood Theatre students, rehearsals have been filled with laughter, learning and plenty of unexpected moments as they bring the unusual fairy tale to life. The cast and crew have been working together since September to prepare the production for the stage.

The Redwood Theatre production of Beauty Is the Beast will be presented October 7, October 8 and October 10 at 7 p.m. at Rotary Theater in Visalia.

Tickets are available to purchase now. You can purchase online at redwoodrangersdrama.ludus.com or on the Redwood Theatre Instragram page. Tickets will also be available to purchase on show dates at the door. For more information, contact Redwood High School Theatre or follow Redwood Theatre on social media.

The post Redwood Theatre to present a hilarious twist on familiar fairy tale 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 19th Annual Happy Hearts Golf Tournament will take place Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club, with all proceeds benefiting Valley Children’s Hospital in loving memory of Heather Nugent.

Just two days shy of her 18th birthday, Heather lost her life following a tragic car accident. In her final moments, she was cared for by the compassionate medical team at Valley Children’s Hospital — something her father, Skip Nugent, has never forgotten. Out of that heartbreak, Happy Hearts was born.

For the past 19 years, Skip, along with family, friends, sponsors and community supporters, has transformed the memory of his daughter into an annual tradition that gives back to the hospital that cared for her.

This year carries special significance as Happy Hearts hopes to reach an extraordinary milestone: $2 million raised for Valley Children’s Hospital.

“Heather would have been so proud of what Happy Hearts has become. When we started this, I never could have imagined that 19 years later we would be closing in on $2 million for Valley Children’s. I still miss my daughter every single day, but knowing that her memory is helping children and families when they need it most means more to me than I can put into words. My hope is that this is the year we reach that $2 million mark. What an incredible way that would be to honor Heather and the beautiful heart she had.”
— Skip Nugent, Founder of Happy Hearts

The tournament brings together golfers, businesses and community members for a fun day on the course while supporting the lifesaving work of Valley Children’s Hospital.

Registration is $165 per player and includes green fees, range balls, golf cart and lunch.

EVENT DETAILS

19th Annual Happy Hearts Golf Tournament
Thursday, October 8, 2026 – 9am check in. 11am start time.
Ridge Creek Dinuba Golf Club

For 19 years, Happy Hearts has ensured that Heather Nugent’s memory continues to make a difference. Every golfer, sponsor and donor who participates becomes part of a legacy that began with one father’s gratitude and has grown into nearly $2 million in support for Valley Children’s Hospital.

All proceeds benefit Valley Children’s Hospital in loving memory of Heather Nugent.

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