Business Update AWARD-WINNING MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE VISALIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Inspiring Visalia s imagination

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1 OCTOBER 2015 VOLUME 35 NUMBER Business Update AWARD-WINNING MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE VISALIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 1, 2015 Oktoberfest 2015 Vosser Farms S. Mooney Bvd. 5:30-9:30 pm $35 in advance, $40 day of OCTOBER 2, 2015 Open House Artist Reception for Deanna Sadana Visaia Chamber Office 6-8 pm OCTOBER 7, 2015 Ca Water Sma Business Workshop Sue Sa s Cub House, 609 W. Center 7:30-8:30 am events/caendar/ OCTOBER 15, 2015 Wage & Hours Seminar Presented by: Sutton & Hague Wyndham Hote 8:30 am - 1:30 pm $35 Incudes unch OCTOBER 21, 2015 Stop Harassment Seminar for Supervisors Presented by: Pacific Empoyers Lamp Liter Inn 7:30-10 am events/caendar/ OCTOBER 27, 2015 Business After Hours Mixer Hosted by: Visaia Country Cub 625 Ranch St. 5:30-7:30 pm OCTOBER 28, 2015 Access to Capita Seminar Presented by: Fresno CDFI 9-10 am, Free events/caendar/ OCTOBER 28, 2015 Sideshow Presentation: South Dakota The Back His & Badands Chamber Office, 222 N. Garden # noon Presented by Coette Vacations We Invite you to Expore in 2016! Natura Wonders of Costa Rica February 17-25, 2016 Champagne Burgundy & Paris March 14-21, 2016 Romance of the Rhine & Mose River Cruise March 31 - Apri 15, 2016 South Dakota: The Back His & Badands June 21-27, 2016 Spectacuar South Africa September 22 - October 5, 2016 Coors of New Engand October 11-18, 2016 Coette Vacations CST# Chamber Exporations CST# Grand Circe Trave CST# Jet Vacations For more information, go to Visaia Chamber of Commerce 222 N. Garden St., Suite 300 Visaia, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Inspiring Visaia s imagination By Nicoa Wisser Imagination is more important than knowedge. Knowedge is imited. Imagination encirces the word. Abert Einstein On October 12th access to imagination inspiring activities wi drasticay increase in the Centra Vaey thanks to the new ImagineU Chidren s Museum. The new much arger museum wi serve as a regiona earning center for Tuare County and the entire Centra Vaey. Providing quaity interactive exhibits and activities that wi educate, enrich and expand chidren s imaginations, ImagineU Chidren s Museum s new faciity is a gem for our chidren and region. For more than a decade the ImagineU Chidren s Museum has worked to provide educationa resources to chidren, famiies and schoos in Tuare County. The museum was founded in 2002 by Angea Huerta, and focused on free pay, aowing chidren to run from one activity to the next with some structured programing incuding; story time, science exporers and art camps. With more than 14,000 members and guests visiting the Museum annuay, the origina 2,800 sq. ft. buiding was not abe to accommodate new technoogy and exhibits. For the ast five years, the Board of Directors of See ImagineU / 5 PRESIDENT S CORNER Can you te me again what the Chamber does? I recenty ceebrated my 1st year anniversary with the Chamber and by in arge this question is the one I get most often. For an organization of our size, age and reach (we re the odest and argest business advocacy organization in our county), this question surprised me, at first. The reaity is we haven t aways been good at teing peope what we do and how we can hep them. At a recent meeting with a business owner this question popped up again. I began to tak about our four areas of focus; promoting businesses, networking and buiding business reationship, advocacy and entrepreneurship and eadership programs. Thirty seconds in, her eyes gazed over and I reaized we needed a new tactic. I piped up, we re a business consutant on retainer. You ca us if you have questions or a probem. We ca you if we see something you need to pay attention to. That brief description got an entirey different response. The ight bub went off in the business owner s head and we began taking about how the Chamber coud hep her business get to the next eve. She ended the conversation by saying that for a business New The Visaia Chamber of Commerce woud ike to wecome our newest members. We encourage individuas and businesses to support Chamber Member businesses. ACCOUNTANTS, CPAs & BOOKKEEPERS JBAC Tax & Accounting AUTOMOBILE DEALERS Ed Dena s Auto Center CHURCHES RiverCross Church HOME HEALTH CARE & HOSPICE, NON-PROFIT ORGANICATIONS Adventist Hospice LOANS & DEPOSITS Springeaf Financia Services MEDICAL SERVICES Herndon Recovery Center NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Act for Women & Girs Gai Zurek President & CEO Visaia Chamber of Commerce Community Loya Members A thriving community starts PRINTING, ADVERTISING SERVICES & GRAPHIC DESIGN, SIGNS & BANNERS USA Printing & Graphics RESTAURANTS Denny s WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS Z Wireess Renewing The Visaia Chamber of Commerce thanks the foowing companies for renewing their commitment to the community of Visaia. ABLE Industries American Ambuance of Visaia/Vaey Response Magazine* Brandman University Buter Manufacturing Company Centra Caifornia Connections Academy Centra Vaey Community Bank* Coette Vacations* Comcast Business Services ConAgra Foods* Four Creeks Viage Fresno Pacific University Visaia Center Goden State Famiy Services, Inc Housing Authority of Tuare County* ImagineU Interactive Chidren s Museum* Integrity Credit consutant, our membership dues were beyond reasonabe. Describing the Chamber as business consutant on retainer has ed to important and interesting conversations. There is no shortage of questions and concerns businesses face. From ways to grow their business, to questions about zoning, or the impact of a potentia new aw, we ve heped our members connect and find answers to questions. The outcome has been exciting. For exampe, a number of conversations have occurred around Visaia s Food Truck codes. From confusion to misinformation, many didn t understand how or even if food trucks coud exist in our community despite businesses having an interest in this arena. The Visaia Chamber hosted a workshop to expore this topic. We had a fantastic response. In the end, the Chamber has gathered business owners and begun the process of updating our code to be more refective of current industry trends. Utimatey this means that the Chamber wi once again hep our businesses grow stronger! Now that s worth the price of membership! Kaweah Deta Heath Care District* Koetsier Dairy* Lane Engineers, Inc. Las Pamas Restaurant* Law Offices of James P. Hurbutt Lawrence Tractor Company Lucky Day Laundry Manpower, Inc. Medicine Shoppe #917 Michae s Custom Jewery Mier Memoria Chape Mitche Insurance Services* Morgan Staney Weath Management* Order Sons of Itay In America Patrick L. Saazar State Farm Insurance Agency Peggy Furnas Prestige Assisted Living* Proteus, Inc. Empoyment & Training Pro-Youth/HEART After-Schoo Program Quaity Paint & Body, Inc Rabobank-Mooney Bvd* Red Lobster Visaia Caifornia* Screw Conveyor Corporation Socia Vocationa Services Suncrest Bank Sutton Hague Law Corporation* Tuare County Escrow* Tuare-Kings Denta Society Vaey Oaks Gof Course Votage Mutipiers, Inc. Workforce Investment Board of Tuare County *Indicates membership in the Visaia Chamber 110% Cub. VISALIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MISSION ICONS BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Business-Government Business Reations Promoting Community Strong Loca Economy

2 2 OCTOBER GROUNDBREAKING GRAND OPENING RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES October 2015 THURS., OCT. 15, 2015 Caifornia Wage & Hour Law Seminar $35, unch is incuded 8:30 am - 1:30 pm Visaia Wyndham Hote (Visaia Hoiday Inn) Presented by: Sutton & Hague Law Corporation Learn about the atest deveopments and cases affecting wage and hour aws. Sutton & Hague wi provide comprehensive fact scenarios, exampes and sampe forms. Reservations are required. WED., OCT 28, 2015 Access to Capita Free 9-10 am Hosted by: CTIC 608 E. Center St. Presented by: Fresno CDFI Looking for capita to start or expand your business? Learn about: SBA Loans, Entrepreneurship opportunities, preparing for a oan appication and more. org/events/detais/access-tocapita-presented-by-fresnocdfi-3387 Ca the Chamber today to reserve your spot, or go onine to: events/caendar/ Reservations are requested. Arts Visaia 214 E. Oak Ave. Visaia Grand Re-Opening Denny s 2332 S. Mooney Bvd. Visaia Grand Re-Opening Houston Neighborhood Park Corner of Houston Ave. & Turner St. AT&T 3206 Dinuba Bvd. Visaia Ed Dena s Auto Center 1214 E. Main St. Visaia Z Wireess 3318 N. Dinuba Bvd. Visaia Suncrest Bank hires former Citibank manager Lupe Garcia, a 38 year veteran of the oca banking industry in Visaia has joined Suncrest Bank as Manger of its Visaia Branch. Garcia previousy served Citibank in a simiar capacity for 22 years, running both Citibank Visaia Branches in her time with that company. Her banking career aso incudes 16 years with Caifornia Federa. I am extremey excited to join such a rapidy growing oca bank as Suncrest. They have deep roots in this community and a commitment to exempary service, that mirrors my own, said Garcia. Garcia is activey invoved in the oca economy serving on various committees, and as a member of the Tuare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Visaia Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Visaia Emergency Aid for 25 years. Lupe s appointment refects not ony the increasing business we are winning in the Visaia market but aso our goa of becoming this market s number one community bank, said President and Chief Executive Officer, Ciaran McMuan. I m ooking forward to working with her to grow our business in Visaia, he added. Goa Line Media JBAC Tax & Accounting 2929 W. Main St. Suite G Visaia Happy Trais Riding Academy VTown Derby Dames 520 S. Linwood Visaia Quaity Paint & Body earns officia and top automaker recognition BP-Quaity Paint & Body Inc has been officiay certified by Assured Performance, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization for maintaining the right toos, equipment, training, and faciity necessary to repair the participating Automaker brand vehices according to the manufacturer s specifications In achieving their certification, BP-Quaity Paint & Body Inc is now an integra part of the most advanced repair capabe and efficient auto body repair network in the word. Adding to the their credentias, BP-Quaity Paint & Body Inc is See Quaity / 6 About this pubication Business Update is the officia monthy pubication of the Visaia Chamber of Commerce, 222 N. Garden St., Ste. 300, Visaia, CA 93291, (559) Periodicas, Postage Paid at Visaia, CA 93277; Pubication No. USPS Annua Subscription rate $15. Postmaster: Send address changes to Visaia Chamber of Commerce, 222 N. Garden St., Ste. 300, Visaia, CA Advertising information, ca the Visaia Times-Deta at Editor: Nicoa Wisser. Layout: Times-Deta Media Group. Copyright A rights reserved. Reproduction by any means of the entire contents or any portion of this pubication without written permission is prohibited. The appearance of any advertisements in the pubication does not constitute support or endorsement for any product, person, cause, business or organization named therein, uness specificay noted otherwise in the advertisement.

3 OCTOBER ands in the Community + CBVF staff Good News from our Members Hands in the community + CVBF staff = 1 happy edery ady!!! Hands in the community is a oca non profit that heps out others that can t hep themseves. This 71-year-od ady s yard was just too much for her to do hersef. It was a great experience and a nice thing to do for someone ese. Number 15 is here! Today Famiy HeathCare Network is proud to ceebrate the opening of our 15th medica site with opening of our new Tuare Heath Center. Famiy HeathCare Network Kaweah Deta Hospita woud ike to thank Josephine Abue for her exceent service for the month of August! Suncrest Bank has hired Lupe Garcia as the new Manager of its Visaia Branch. Abue Congratuations to the Tuare County Office of Education for hosting a great Coege Night event and providing a great educationa resource to students from a over Tuare County. Food Link - Thank you to Vaey Business Bank!! We are so excited to have your support for our Heathy Schoo Farmer s market at Highand Eementary. These funds wi ensure that we are abe to provide fresh produce & nutrition education for the entire schoo year. Yesterday the kids had a chance to sampe fresh pear juice with a fresh spinach, pear & cranberry saad. Happy Trais Riding Academy recenty sent Kristine McCadden, one of our Equine Services for Heroes, participants, and instructor Amber Preheim to take part in an Extreme Mountain Trai workshop. The workshop was hosted by Rainier Therapeutic Riding and Mark Boender of Boender Horse Park, in Siver Creek, WA. Through an appication process, Kristine was seected as one of 10 Wounded Warrior Program aumni who are currenty engaged in therapeutic riding. Riders from a over the country took part in this four day intensive workshop. Visaia Poice Department - We woud ike to take a moment and give a big thank you to our very own Visaia Fire Department who have personne fighting the Rough Fire in Fresno County. VFD has had firefighters assigned to this arge fire since it s beginning in ate Juy. Be safe up there and come home soon! The VPD Famiy woud ike to thank Officer Ger Vang for his years of service. Officer Vang accepted a position with the Fresno Poice Department. Officer Vang began his empoyment with VPD in During his years of service, Officer Vang s assignments incuded Patro and the Gang Suppression Unit. Thank you again for your service, Officer Vang! We wish you and Vang your famiy the very best! Visaia Rescue Mission woud ike to thank Jessica Cavae for a of her hard work the ast seven years. We appreciate everything you have done and wish you uck in the future. VISALIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Schoo district water use down by 41% If you are ike me, your awn is somewhere near the brown stage as we strive to reduce water usage by over 30 percent. I bet you wonder why some of our fieds are sti ooking push and green! The good news is that Visaia Unified Schoo District reduced water use by 41 percent between January and May far exceeding the state s mandated 32 percent reduction. We anticipated the mandated reduction and began conserving eary with the hep of David Pascencia of Cenergistic, the district s water conservation consutant. The reductions have been accompished primariy by reducing the number of watering days. Craig Wheaton, Ed.D. Superintendent, Visaia Unified Schoo District We are very excited to continue to keep our schoos ooking good, keep essentia paying fieds safe, and to save water. Typicay, schoos water seven days a week during the hot summer months because communities ike to see their schoos we maintained and that incudes green awns, David expained. That mindset is changing, though, with this drought. A key consideration in our watering schedue is the need to keep athetic fieds safe--which means sufficient water to maintain a payabe surface for students. To achieve this and sti conserve water, we have reduced water use on esser-used areas of schoo campuses. Our number one concern is student safety. We want to provide activities for our students in a safe environment and be good water stewards. The next step in the district s conservation pan is to work cosey with Caifornia Water Service Company (Ca Water) to utiize a avaiabe rebate programs. One chaenge is the fact that the district must expend funds for new sprinker heads or controers and await reimbursement. We are being proactive in working with Ca Water to deveop a pan that wi aow us to further reduce water, whie maintaining our campuses as points of pride in our neighborhoods. Ca Water has become a key partner with us, incuding their support of the drought-toerant garden at Hurey Eementary Schoo. This schoo is a iving exampe of what anyone can do to hep reduce water use, whie sti having very attractive andscaping. We are very excited to continue to keep our schoos ooking good, keep essentia paying fieds safe, and to save water! So next time you see students paying on a green fied, rest assured that the schoo district is making the necessary reductions in water consumption. In fact, we are far beow the goa of a 32 percent reduction! Saving water is important to a of us, and we are committed to continue to find ways to conserve. Ceebrations panned for Nationa Staffing Empoyee Week Personne Soutions Unimited, Inc. based in Visaia, CA is joining staffing firms from across the nation in ceebrating Nationa Staffing Empoyee Week, Sept. 28 Oct. 4. Estabished by the American Staffing Association, this commemorative week honors the miions of temporary and contract empoyees Bruegman working for U.S. staffing firms each week. In Caifornia aone, 342,966 temporary and contract empoyees work in the staffing industry every week. These positions are across a industry sectors and professions, and the majority are fu-time. These jobs aso can ead to permanent work, according to ASA research. In fact, permanent empoyment is a top motivation for choosing this ine of work, and one in five cite scheduing fexibiity as a key reason for choosing staffing, according to the ASA Staffing Empoyee Survey. Personne Soutions Unimited is proud to be a member of the American Staffing Association and have access to the resources that hep us maintain our status as one of the premier staffing agencies in Tuare and Kings Counties. Nationa Staffing Empoyee Week sautes the temporary and contract empoyees who contribute to the economy of Caifornia and that of our entire nation, said Beth Bruegman, Business Deveopment Manager with PSU. Personne Soutions Unimited is proud to be part of an industry that provides so many benefits to empoyees, to businesses, and to the economy. Personne Soutions is ceebrating Nationa Staffing Week by acknowedging both our candidates and our cients with a persona note of gratitude for their service and for pacing their trust in PSU To earn more about Personne Soutions Unimited, Inc. visit Invites their cients and the community to their Open House Party October 29, pm 3000 W. Main St. RSVP kim@thiesendueker.com or Putting market decines in perspective U.S. MARKET INSIGHT When stock prices begin faing dramaticay, it can appear that your ony option is to se in order to imit osses. We disagree. If you are a ong-term investor, the difference between success and faiure may be determined by your actions during a Decines in the Dow Jones Industria Average Dip (5% or more) Correction (10% or more) Bear (20% or more) Number RES-7382C-A EXP 29 FEB EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Number per year 3.4 About 1 About 1 every 3.5 years Source: Ned Davis Research, 1/2/1900 to 12/31/2014 Past performance is not a guarantee of future resuts. The Dow Jones Industria Average is an unmanaged index and cannot be invested into directy. Further distribution prohibited without prior permission. Copyright 2015 Ned Davis Research, Inc. A rights reserved. stock market decine. In fact, ong-term investors wi ikey experience numerous market decines through the years. Consider the tabe to the right. The next time the market has a hiccup, take a deep breath and remember this advice: n Market decines are norma, frequent and not a reason to se quaity investments. n Market decines begin and end without warning. n Market decines provide an opportunity to buy quaity investments at a ower price.* n Market decines return investments to their rightfu owners those who understand why they own what they own. Market decines can test the nerves of even the most patient investors. If you own a diversified mix of quaity investments, resist the temptation to se or make changes based on short-term events. *Investing in stocks invoves risk. You may receive more or ess than your origina investment when you Judy Fusse Fusse BOARD SPOTLIGHT Judy Fusse is President - Life, Heath & Financia Services Division at Buckman- Mitche Inc. She has served on the Chamber Board of Directors for five years. Why is it important to be a Chamber member? The Chamber is an advocate for business and heps us stay connected with the community. They are on top of current issues that may impact businesses and works towards addressing the concerns and providing a viabe soution, if possibe, to fit our needs. By being a Chamber member we are connected with other businesses that provide exposure for our company. The Chamber is a resource to us for many things. What brought you to Visaia? My husband and I reocated to Visaia in 1978 after his graduation from Fresno State. We setted in Visaia and he commuted to Portervie unti 2004 when he became empoyed by the City of Visaia. We have never regretted the move and have no pans to move (retire) to another area. We are happy to ca Visaia home. What is your favorite thing about your job/company? My job is a chaenging one. As an insurance professiona, the market is constanty changing and difficut at times to keep up. I ove working with my cients who have become friends over the ength of my career. I get satisfaction in heping educate them to make good informed decisions to fit their needs. What is your best advice for young professionas? Ony you can make you happy. If you strive to achieve your own goas, you shoud far exceed those expected from others. Set goas high and keep on the path to reach them. What did you want to be when you were in eementary schoo? My career path was to become a teacher. When I graduated from high schoo, I enroed in Coege courses and dropped out after the first semester. Instead I enroed in Business Coege to become a secretary. I never aspired to become an insurance agent and through circumstances given to me by my partners at Buckman-Mitche I have achieved a goa higher than I woud have set for mysef. I am fortunate that my taents were recognized and encouraged. Brandy Wiiams Brandy Wiiams is the Onsite Saes Representative for the Visaia Convention Center. She has been a part of the Visaia Convention center and a member of the Wiiams AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT Chamber Ambassadors for eight months. The Visaia Convention Center offers more than 114,000 square feet of beautifu convention space. From conventions and conferences to dinner dances to specia meetings and retreats, the Visaia Convention Center is ready to meet your event needs. We provide in-house trade show decorating and audio visua as we as wireess internet. The Visaia Convention Center offers the best of a words for event panners, convenient ocation with diverse activities, affordabe rates and extraordinary persona service. What are some of the ways you d recommend getting invoved/ working with/partnering with the Chamber? I recommend attending as many ribbon cuttings, mixers or grand openings as possibe. I think it s important to show oca businesses that they are appreciated, by attending their event, it ets the company know they made the right decision opening their doors in this community. What has Chamber Membership meant for your company? The Visaia Convention Center receives eads from our exposure with the Chamber. Amost every event I have attended, someone has approached mysef or my coeague and requested more information on having a meeting, wedding or business functions at the Convention Center. We aso see our current cients at these events. It s nice to have a chance to get to know them better and have the opportunity to create a more asting connection. The best part of Visaia is..? The best part of Visaia is the sma town fee. I ove knowing so many peope in my community. What is your favorite oca charity/non-profit? My favorite non-profit is the SPCA. Both my pets were adopted and I have so much respect for the work that the SPCA does.

4 4 OCTOBER HEALTHCARE NOTE Meeting the chaenge to provide quaity care Labor Law Compiance Series Stop Harassment Seminar Lamp Liter Inn Wednesday, Oct. 21, :30-10 am Breakfast Incuded Pre-Registration: $35 for Members; $50 for Non Members At the door: $45 for Members; $55 for Non-Members REGISTRATION REQUIRED For Registration: Ca Recruiting new physicians to our region has aways been a chaenge. The abiity to more effectivey recruit providers is a key reason that VMC has chosen to affiiate with the Kaweah Deta Medica Foundation, now in the fina stages of formation. Foundations such as this are new to our area, but are certainy not a new concept across the nation. Physicians today want the stabiity of a arge practice, and they want to be connected with a foundation, such as the new Kaweah Deta Medica Foundation. Meanwhie, the physician-owners of VMC are excited to announce that severa providers have recenty joined our famiy. n Aberto Ruvacaba, MD, is a native of Cuter who has been in practice since He competed his residency and internship in famiy medicine at Community Regiona Medica Center, Fresno, and Sema Hospita. n Kirk Coverston, MD, has been in practice in Tuare County since He is Board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He competed his residency at MERC Michigan State DeVos Chidren s Hospita. Rick Strid CEO Visaia Medica Cinic n Chares Oberer, MD, has joined VMC foowing competion of his gastroenteroogy feowship at UCSF Fresno. He is Board certified in interna medicine. n Jason Mihacin, DO, competed his miitary service, most recenty serving at Twentynine Pams. He is Board certified in orthopedic surgery. He competed his residency at Memoria Hospita in York, PA. n Candice Loveace, DO, competed her doctor of osteopathic medicine at the Phiadephia Coege of Osteopathic Medicine and was a resident physician in interna medicine and chief resident, interna medicine, at the Medica Coege of Georgia. VMC is aso peased to announce that physica therapist Jim Schroder has joined the Physica Therapy and Rehabiitation team. Physician assistant Jeffry Rubio has joined VMC s orthopedic surgery department and physician assistant Tate Gordon wi provide care through QuickCare, VMC s wak-in cinic. The providers and staff of VMC put patients first through our mission to hep them Be We and the new foundation wi aow us to further that mission. We are peased to wecome new providers to our community and excited about what the future hods. Vita community events unite under one symbo: #OCTOBERVISALIA Have you noticed #OCTOBERVISA- LIA appearing on posters and on buses? Created by Downtown Visaians and the Visaia Chamber of Commerce, the hashtag symboizes and mods the marketing efforts of four arge community events a happening in October: Octoberfest, Taste of Downtown Visaia, Taste of the Arts and TasteMakers. What do a of these events have in common? The answer is simpe, community vitaity! Without events ike these taking pace in our community, there woud not be neary as much going on, nor as many visitors in Visaia. We re thankfu to the organizations and individuas who give their time and taent to ensure these events take pace in our community! Attend one or a of these events and et the organizers know how much you enjoy your time there. With just one cick, #OCTOBER- VISALIA, find information on a four events. Downoad the app today! Art reception features the work of oca artist Deanna Sadana Join Deanna Sadana at the Visaia Chamber of Commerce, 222 N. Garden Street, Ste. 300, on October, , a part of the First Friday event schedued for 5:30 p.m. Enjoy refreshments Sadana and appetizers whie checking out Sadana s new art work. Passion changes over time. You start out wanting a fast sports car, then when you have chidren your passion becomes safety for your chidren, so you opt for the Cadiac of mini-vans. My passion has changed over time, as we. My penci portraits wi aways be the back-bone of what I do as an artist, but the desire to create never changes, just what you want to create. I aways iked contemporary, abstract art, but I never ventured into creating some. The past two years I have worked with iquid acryics and acoho inks, to see what I coud create. The art exhibit at the Visaia Chamber of Commerce wi feature contemporary artwork that I have created over the past two years. Join me and see what comes from eaving the easy, understood techniques behind and et coor and chemistry take over, said Sadana. This First Friday Artist Reception is part of the Main Gaery art exhibits. Sadana is a member of the Arts Consortium. Champagne & Burgundy & Paris The Visaia Chamber of Commerce wi host a sideshow presentation on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at noon at 222 N. Garden Street, Suite 300 for the tour Champagne & Burgundy & Paris. This trip is eight days, and incudes internationa airfare from Fresno, eight meas, a professiona tour director, motorcoach transportation and comprehensive sightseeing. The tour wi depart on March 14, 2016 and return on March 21, The cost of the tour is $3,045 per person (doube occupancy). This tour begins in the heart of Champagne country where you wi discover the history and secrets of the King of Wines. You wi enjoy a waking tour of the gothic Reims Cathedra and spend a day at G.H. Mumm where you wi earn the history of the 200 year od house and see one of the most comprehensive champagne making museums. You wi then trave to Epernay and Champagne Ave and visit the word famous Mercier Champagne House. From Epernay you wi spend the day in Troyes and Langres a town buit on a imestone promontory originay occupied by the Gaus. On day five you wi experience a guided tour of Beaune, famous for the brightycoored tied roof of the Hote Deiu, then tour Patriache the argest wine cear of Burgundy. The next destination wi be Chateau de THE LAW AT WORK The end of arbitration agreements in Caifornia? Empoyers usuay prefer arbitration over itigation to resove empoyment disputes. Arbitration is usuay quicker and cheaper, and often a more confidentia process than a pubic awsuit. As such, many empoyers require empoyees to sign agreements where the empoyee agrees to forego fiing a civi awsuit foowing empoyment disputes, and instead proceed with arbitration. Brett T. Abbott Guber & Abbott LLP Highights: n First cass hote accommodations n Deuxe air-conditioned motor coach n Professiona tour escourt n Reims city and cathedra tours n G.H. Mumm & Mercier Champagne House n Troyes n Hospices of Beaune n Chateau de Cos Vougeot n Patriarche n Chateau de Fontainebeau n Fu day tour of Paris March 14-21, 2016 $3,045 per person (doube occupancy) Fontainebeau with over 1500 rooms and 130 acres and has been continuousy inhabited for seven centuries. The tour wi end with a ½ day tour of Paris incuding the Eiffe Tower, Champs Eysees, Arc de Triomphe and a unch cruise aboard a gass bottom boat on the Seine River. Ten new medica students join Famiy HeathCare Network for community heath center-based training Famiy HeathCare Network (FHCN) recenty wecomed 10 new medica schoo students to its A.T. Sti University medica schoo campus in Visaia, CA. Now in their second year, the 10 students join FHCN for their second, third, and fourth years of medica schoo as part of their Community Heath Center-based training program. Based at FHCN, students have the opportunity to observe patient care firsthand and wi continue their academic education ed by FHCN facuty who are practicing physicians, as we as through various distance education technoogies. The new group of students marks the organization s eighth cass of medica schoo students to join this unique medica schoo program. Since 2008, FHCN has served as one of 11 community campuses in the nation, and the ony one in Caifornia for A.T. Sti University s Schoo of Osteopathic Medicine based out of Mesa, AZ. As part of its Hometown Program, FHCN focuses on connecting oca students with medica schoo opportunities. Severa of the student s in this year s program have roots in the Centra Vaey, coming from the communities of Visaia, Portervie, and Fresno. We are extremey proud to wecome and support this new group of medica students, and we encourage them join us in our efforts to create heathier oca communities, expained FHCN President & CEO Kerry Hydash. The primary care provider shortage hits areas ike the Centra Vaey particuary hard and this program pays an important roe in our efforts to address this shortage. Those days may be over. Just a few weeks ago, the Caifornia Legisature passed AB 465, a bi that woud make mandatory agreements to arbitrate empoyment disputes iega. Governor Brown has not signed the bi yet he has unti October 11, If he does sign the bi, the new aw woud affect arbitration agreements entered into, revised, or extended on or after January 1, Under the new aw, empoyees woud sti be aowed to knowingy and vountariy agree to arbitrate empoyment disputes, but an empoyer coud not require an agreement to arbitrate as a condition of empoyment. And if the empoyee does knowingy and vountariy agree to arbitrate disputes, the burden is on the empoyer to prove that the agreement was in fact vountary. The net resut is that the aw wi make it much more difficut for empoyers to avai themseves of the benefits of arbitration. Empoyers wi aso ose a potentia shied against frivoous caims and costy cass action awsuits. If given the choice, virtuay a empoyees woud choose to itigate disputes in front of a jury, as opposed to a neutra arbitrator, and if the bi becomes aw, empoyees wi have a much easier time reaizing that goa. If the aw does go into effect, and an empoyer wants to continue to incorporate arbitration agreements, empoyers must be sure that there is anguage in the agreement indicating that the agreement is not mandatory and that signing the agreement is not a condition of empoyment for the empoyee. The unfortunate reaity however, is that most empoyees wi simpy refuse to sign them. October 11 coud be a tough day for empoyers (and arbitrators!) and a great day for empoyee-rights attorneys. This artice is for education and information purposes ony; it shoud not be construed as ega advice. If you have an empoyment aw question for incusion in a future artice, contact Brett T. Abbott at Guber & Abbott LLP (bta@thecaiforniaawyers.com). For specific empoyment aw advice or other ega assistance, contact Guber & Abbott LLP, (559) , 1110 N. Chinowith St., Visaia, CA (

5 OCTOBER ImagineU (continued from page 1) YEA! graduate shares her success story By Nicoa Wisser YEA! Program Manager Joanna Zegarra is the current Owner of Three Leaves Eatery in Visaia. Joanna was a member of the 2015 YEA! graduating cass who has taken the sma business she aunched in the YEA! cass and continues to expand and grow her business. Why did you join the YEA! cass? Have you aways been interested in owning your own business? I joined the YEA! cass because I had never been apart of, or earned anything business reated and I thought it woud be a beneficia, new experience. I was never reay interested in owning my own business, but since the cass I have been taking a the steps needed. Now I am on the ast steps needed to finaize my business. What is your business? My business is The Three Leaves Eatery, we wi have a farmer s market stand and aso participate in oca events. We serve saads made from ocay and organicay sourced produce. We pan to attend The Visaia Farmer s Market every Saturday and aso participate in oca events where food stands are present, such as fairs and festivas. What was your favorite part of the YEA! program? My favorite part of the YEA! program was a the guest speakers who came to speak about different aspects of business, it fet ike we were abe to reay earn usefu information for each of our businesses. It reay makes it fee ike you have the resources needed to be an entrepreneur. Since the cass ended, how has your business done? Have you grown, expanded, met or exceeded the goas you set up during the cass? Since the cass has ended the goa of expanding the business has been reached. We have reached our goa of having a the technicaities of our business out of the way, such acquiring food hander s icenses, heath permits and county approva to se, as we as acceptance as a member of the Visaia Farmers Market. What is the next step for you and your business? The next step is to compete the fina touches such as getting printed seas for the containers and a banner for the stand. Then from there I begin Leadership Visaia working with the oca growers to get ingredients and begin seing our saads at the Farmers Market on September 26th. What have you earned about yoursef or your business since the cass ended? Since the cass has ended, I have earned that entrepreneurship can be a difficut, sometimes tedious process with major risks but is utimatey rewarding. I have reaized that food vendorship is amongst the most difficut industries as far paperwork and certification goes. I have aso discovered that I have a knack for marketing and pubic speaking and am currenty ooking into careers in those fieds at Coege of the Sequoias. What woud you te someone who was thinking about joining the YEA! cass this year? To anybody considering joining YEA! here is my advice. You won t have a good time in the program uness you are serious and motivated to start your business. Do not fa behind or procrastinate on deadines as it can become very stressfu. There wi be a ot to do, but as ong as you do it and stay on track with the course, you wi find that the journey toward starting your business wi be a quick and organized one. Do not be afraid to ask the guest speakers questions, they have been through what you re going through now and wi know what to do. Do this and you wi reap the satisfaction of being an entrepreneur. Leadership Visaia begins year The Leadership Visaia program is the premier eadership deveopment program in Visaia. Long recognized for heping to deveop great community and business eaders, the Leadership Visaia cass of began their journey during a cass orientation and Aumni reception. This year the Leadership Visaia cass is excited to wecome the new cass faciitator Barbara Hood, Senior Business Deveopment Officer for Suncrest Bank. Barbara is a Leadership Visaia Aumni, and has served on the Leadership Visaia Steering Committee for more than decade. Her roe as a faciitator wi give Barbara the chance to connect the current cass of students to resources within the community of Visaia. I am very excited to faciitate Leadership Visaia and work with this year s amazing cass. As an aumni of the 2001 cass I have served on the steering committee in severa capacities. To be abe to work with the students for the day sessions and the evening sessions is a honor. stated Barbara. As a Visaia native I thought I knew a about our county before this cass. That was not the case. The history of our city, educationa opportunities, inner workings of our oca government, heathcare and eadership skis are a a part of the core curricuum. I earned a ot about mysef and how to work better with others. It has given me the opportunity to be activey invoved in our community. The resources avaiabe and the abity to hep others is a gift worth sharing. On August 20th the Leadership Visaia students participated in an orientation program. They earned about the history of Leadership Visaia from the Steering Committee Chair, Matt Seas, Seas/ Biehe Construction. Gai Zurek, President & CEO, Visaia Chamber of Commerce addressed the cass and taked about why the Chamber SMOG CHECK Visaia Smog TWO LOCATIONS 1902 E. Main St. (Next to BSE RENTS) (559) (Ask for Jimmy) Se Haba Españo 1950 W. Wanut Ave. (Wanut & Mooney next to FLYERS GAS) (Star Station) (559) (Ask for Jose) WE DO DIESEL SMOG CHECK ALSO *Restrictions Appy* MOST COMPETITORS COUPONS ACCEPTED Ezra Monroy and Joanna Zegarra share Three Leaves Eatery with the pubic. Leadership Visaia Aumni Reception: Brian Thoburn, Wiie Gaegos, Barbara Hood, and Matt Seas. continues to invest in this eadership program and in future eaders. After the cass orientation and obigatory headshot/group photo session with Roy Dresse Photography, the cass enjoyed a great reception at the Lamp Liter Inn where they were introduced to the Leadership Visaia Aumni. This year s cass incudes 20 individuas representing business industries from across the board. This is a diverse group of individuas, and we are excited to see what they wi be abe to accompish this year. From panning and eading the 9 day sessions to deveoping and impementing the cuminating cass project, these students wi have the opportunity to earn from each other, improve their eadership skis and become more famiiar with the issues that directy affect our community. stated Gai Zurek, CEO & President, Visaia Chamber of Commerce. $ 25 oo OFF +CERT. MOST CARS VS Getting startedisoften the hardest partofany project THE RIGHT T OOL S wi hep Signature Home Improvement Loan $12,000 to $25,000 No Home EquityNeeded No Appraisa No Fees (559) FederayinsuredbyNCUA the Chidren s Museum has worked tireessy to raise funds, through State grants, capita campaigns and oca fundraisers to make the new 15,000+ sq. ft. faciity a reaity. Chery Christman, Executive Directory of the Museum noted, This has been a abor of ove, it has not been an easy process, but the new Museum is worth a of the effort. We want to thank the community and oca businesses who have supported the efforts we have made to make the new Museum amazing. The new ImagineU Chidren s Museum is a state of the art faciity. No other simiar faciity exists within a three hour radius, making it a trave destination for famiies up and down the Vaey. Entering the museum you can t hep but be in awe. The new exhibits are not ony educationa, but aso beautifuy designed to engage chidren and parents on many different eves. For exampe approaching the Oak Tree exhibit a chid meets a docent who wi provide an age appropriate overview of the natura habitat of the tree and where they can find rea oak trees ocay. Then chidren cimb the patforms up to the tree house where they can use binocuars to find hidden items in the branches. Within the tree house they wi aso find games and activities incuding scavenger hunts that are reguary updated. This muti ayered earning experience wi aow chidren at a educationa eves to use their imagination throughout the earning process. Museum Director Peter Sodhy noted, If I can wak into the Museum and see a parent sitting on the foor with their chid, or working on an art project I wi consider our goa accompished. We want to create famiy engagement, earning is not as effective when parents sit on the sideines. We want parents and chidren teaching each other and using their imaginations together. The museum exhibits are intended for chidren todder age through seventh grade, but there wi be after schoo programs and specia events for chidren through high schoo. The Museum wi aso invove high schoo students through vounteer opportunities. They can receive training to become a docent, hep with specia events and more, which wi hep students to fufi vounteer hour requirements. Imagination and innovation, is not just important for chidren. One of the proudest accompishments of the new faciity is that it has been God LEED Certified. The team has worked with many different experts to make sure that the buiding is GREEN and as efficient as possibe. Many aspects of what makes the buiding LEED Certified are not easiy seen, but Chery pointed out that the strategic pacement of the buiding on the ot aong with the anges of the windows were a deiberate decisions to compy with LEED Certification standards. In addition to innovation in the design of the new faciity the Museum team has been innovative in buiding coaborative partnerships with oca businesses and non-profit through designed exhibits and programs for the new faciity. For exampe, the Museum has worked with Ca Water to make the water cyce exhibit come to ife. There wi be a arge water feature outside the Museum in which chidren wi be abe to manipuate a dam controing the water fow down the river to the vaey beow. The Museum is working with other organizations such as the Arts Consortium, FoodLink, Visaia Music Schoo and the Sequoia Riverands Trust to create programs, exhibits and extended educationa programs for those who visits the museum. These partnerships are great exampes of how organizations and businesses are working together to support each other and make a stronger more interconnected community. The Visaia Chamber is eager to support the work of ImagineU Chidren s Museum, and ooks forward to continuing the diaogue within the community to create partnerships that wi inspire the imaginations of chidren and oca business eaders. i i ii i o VS

6 6 OCTOBER THANK YOU TO OUR PREMIER INVESTORS CHAIRMANS SPONSOR: PRESIDENT SPONSORS: visaiatimesdeta.com CLIP & SAVE CALENDAR - OCTOBER 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Visaia City 4 5 Counci Meeting pm work session; 7 pm reguar session Counci Chambers Government Visaia City Counci Meeting pm work session; 7 pm reguar session Counci Chambers Affairs Meeting Buckman-Mitche office 7:15 am Ambassador Breakfast Visaia First Assemby Church 8 am South Dakota Sideshow Presentation Chamber Office 12 noon Oktoberfest Live at The Patch Vosser Farms 5:30-9:30 pm EXECUTIVE SPONSORS: DIRECTOR SPONSORS: INVESTOR SPONSORS: BEN-E-LECT Southern Caifornia Edison Lamp Liter Inn Quaity (continued from page 2) officiay recognized by Assured Performance, GM, FCA, Nissan, and Hyundai. To become Certified and officiay recognized by the various Automakers, BP-Quaity Paint & Body Inc passed the rigorous certification process essentia to hep ensure a proper and safe repair of the new generation of advanced vehices. Less than 5 percent of body shops across the nation are abe to meet the stringent requirements to become officiay certified and recognized. The certified network is made up excusivey of best-in-cass coision repair businesses that have met or exceeded the stringent requirements of the Certification program. The Certification criteria is based upon auto manufacturer requirements. These are critica to ensure the vehice fit, finish, durabiity, vaue and safety foowing an accident. Consumers need the confidence and peace of mind to know their vehice is repaired by a shop that has what it takes to ensure the vehice safety. BP-Quaity Paint & Body Inc is officiay a Coision Care Provider, said Scott Biggs, CEO of Assured Performance Coision Care. They represent the standard by which a other body shops are measured. COLLEGE OF SEQUOIAS Tuare/Kings counties: Far more educated than you think You may have read the recent artice that cited the Waet- Hub study and ow educationa eves in the Tuare County region. This study uses data from the US Census and is raw demographic data identifying residents by gender, ethnicity, age and education eve. There is no other context to this data. From this snapshot the study generaizes concusions about our eves of education. The important facts beow hep untange this generaization and give a more thorough anaysis. n Our vaey is an agricuture-based region and our roe in agricuture is essentia to the state, nation and word. With this responsibiity we have egisation preserving and usage for agricuture. n As an agricutura region we continuay draw newcomer workers from other countries and this infux incudes a substantia popuation of residents 25+ years od with no HS dipoma/higher education. Trend data shows infuxes at east every three years. n Tuare/Kings County residents being raised and educated here have a regiona HS graduation rate higher than the state average at 82% with seect districts performing even higher such as Visaia Unified at 92%. n Job trend data and projected empoyment opportunities over the next 10 years, show the majority of job growth in our area wi be in agricuture, government and heath-care. Most jobs in these categories incude ower-skied, ower-wage empoyment that wi Stan A. Carrizosa Superintendent/President Coege of the Sequoias The Waet Hub study grabs US Census data and makes generaizations without anayzing the fu context of our region. not require post-high schoo education. The heath-care and government sectors wi incude some jobs that require twoyear certificates and degrees and a sma percentage of jobs requiring four-year coege degrees. n Community coeges and schoo districts have proven programs in pace that meet the demand for certified empoyees in these three sectors and are now engaged in regiona efforts for workforce deveopment targeting an infux of industry that incudes ight, medium and advanced manufacturing sectors. These industries provide higher wage jobs/empoyment opportunities and a pathway for ow-skied aborers to get specific training/education and be quaified to transition to differing eves of skied manufacturing. Our centra vaey is haied as perhaps the most productive agricutura region in the word. One of the most important subsets to our food production is the human workforce required to compete the process. The Waet Hub study grabs US Census data and makes generaizations without anayzing the fu context of our region unfortunatey the media takes the bait with no further anaysis of their own and reprints the same fawed assumptions. Our region wi aways have a high percentage of residents 25+ years od with no high schoo education. These newcomers are an important component to the success of our agricuture production and they are a highy trainabe abor market but this data without context is simpy pretext and casts an inaccurate refection on our region. CaChamber-backed bis got to Governor A number of bis supported by the Caifornia Chamber of Commerce have passed the Legisature in recent weeks and wi be considered next by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. The CaChamber is asking the Governor to sign the foowing bis: n Gender Equity Pay: SB 358 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara) seeks to eiminate gender pay disparity by specifying that empoyees who are simiary situated and performing substantiay simiar duties shoud be paid the same wage rate. CaChamber Poicy Advocate Jennifer Barrera has noted that that SB 358 provides a great baance between making sure there is no gender inequity in pay, but aso eaving fexibiity for an empoyer to reward empoyees for education, ski, training experience with regard to compensation as we. n Oversight of Transfer Degree Program: AB 1016 (Santiago; D-Los Angees) wi aow for continued oversight and improvements to the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act through The bi aows the Legisature to better evauate the effectiveness of the state s transfer degree program by asking the chanceors of the Caifornia Community Coege system and the Caifornia State University (CSU) to report on the extent to which transfer degree students are being admitted to the CSU campuses of their choice to programs reated to their transfer degrees, the number of units with which those students enter the CSU, and their graduation rates after two and three years attending a CSU. n Automated Externa Defibriators: SB 658 (Hi; D-San Mateo) encourages businesses and individuas to assist in an emergency with an automated externa defibriator (AED) by imiting the risk of civi iabiity. It aso simpifies the maintenance of an AED for the owner of the premises. n Protects Victims of the Underground Economy: SB 623 (Lara; D-Be Gardens) ensures that a injured workers receive benefits by carifying that workers cannot be denied their benefits due to their immigration status. The bi carifies current aw so that no injured worker is refused benefits based on immigration status from a fund that provides workers compensation benefits to workers who have been injured on the job and work for an iegay uninsured empoyer; and a fund that is a source of additiona compensation for insured workers who aready had a disabiity or impairment at the time of injury. n Empoyer Disaster Reief: SB 35 (Wok; D-Davis) assists businesses that have suffered osses as a resut of a natura disaster by permitting tax deductions for those osses. The bi wi appy to 2014 and subsequent taxabe years, with a January 1, 2024, sunset date. Therefore, taxpayers in Napa, Soano and Sonoma counties, who suffered osses as a resut of the August 2014 Napa earthquake, woud be afforded the specia tax reief. n Performance Standards: AB 1312 (O Donne; D-Long Beach) enabes ships to enter state waters whie technoogy is deveoped that wi meet Caifornia s stringent standards for baast water management. The bi deays impementation of interim and fina performance standards for baast water management. The State Lands Commission recenty made the assessment that there is no current technoogy avaiabe to meet the state s baast water management standards.