District 1: Supervisor Larry Micari

The Tulare County Fair and community events were the big focus of September. The Fair started with the parade, followed by the Quilts of Honor ceremony on Wednesday, September 13. I was up early to help cook breakfast for auction buyers on the last day of the Fair with the Sheriff’s Posse.

On Monday, September 11, I spoke at the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony hosted by the Fire and Sheriff’s Departments. I joined Chief Norman later that day at Station 11 in Exeter to commemorate our fallen heroes. Mexican Independence is celebrated in September every year and District 1 went all out. I was in Woodlake, Visalia, and Poplar for events with folklorico dancers, music, a cabalgata, and food. We also saw important infrastructure be recognized this month: the TCSO Porterville substation opened, and Poplar started building their third well to stabilize their clean water system for the entire community.

District 2: Supervisor Pete Vander Poel

September is fair season in Tulare County, and we get to see the projects our 4-H and FFA students have been working on all year long. This year, more than $1.7 million was raised during the Junior Livestock Auction. These dedicated students and their families work all year to prepare their goats, sheep, cattle, chickens, and hogs to be the best in show. Other ag students complete welding projects, woodworking, and more to show at the fair. Their craftmanship is always impressive.

Quilts of Honor is another event hosted at the Fair and I was proud to emcee this year. We recognized 29 Tulare County veterans who served between the 1940s and 2023 with patriotic quilts on opening day. The Fair brings our community together and showcases the best we have to offer. Please mark your calendars for the middle of September next year and make sure to visit the Tulare County Fair!

District 3: Supervisor Amy Shuklian

September took me on the road quite a bit. On September 7, my role as chair of the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) took me to San Francisco to meet with Standard & Poor for an interview regarding our bond rating. We will be issuing bonds to secure funding for two major projects in District 3, the Caldwell/99 interchange and the widening of Caldwell between Santa Fe and Lovers Lane.

I also attended the Rural Counties Representatives of California (RCRC) conference in Monterey and the San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of California Counties (SJVRACC) annual meeting at Bass Lake. These meetings cover educational and legislative topics including water, opioids, rural hospitals, political trends, and more.

And thank you to everyone who bailed me out of “jail” to raise funds for Visalia Emergency Aid!

District 4: Supervisor Eddie Valero

September has been busy with several parades, meetings, conferences, and Nothern Tulare County events. Building strong relationships with all members of the community is a high priority for me and events help develop these bonds. The past few weeks have assured us that everyone’s voices are heard at the governing table. I took an active role in raising the underserved voices at a meeting that included the California State Water Board; Tulare County BOS, Resource Management Agency and LAFCO; East Orosi residents; Orosi PUD; Self-Help Enterprises; and other local partners to address the problem of East Orosi’s water issues. Timelines were set and priorities were identified in hopes of moving this project forward for the betterment of all East Orosi residents. 

I also participated in the Tulare County Fair Parade and the Dinuba Raisin Day Parade and Festival. These events provide an opportunity for local residents to come together, celebrate their shared heritage, and strengthen community. 

District 5: Supervisor Dennis Townsend

While Tulare County was commemorating September 11, I was starting my advocacy work in Washington DC with SJVRPC on the “Valley Voice” trip. The top Valley issues to be addressed were water storage, water conveyance, transportation, air quality regulations, and commerce. The team met with Senator Padilla’s staff, Senator Feinstein’s staff, the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of the Interior – Bureau of Reclamation, legislative staff from Speaker McCarthy’s office, and Congressmen Costa, Valadao, Duarte, and Harder. The trip was productive, and our issues are getting noticed in DC.

The last two weeks of September take me to Monterey for the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Conference and Bass Lake for the San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of California Counties (SJVRACC) Conference. Both events provide education and networking with other counties and experts. I’m looking forward to October and a full slate of local events and meetings!