Page 1 - Dinuba Sentinel 3-1-18 E-edition

Dinuba Sentinel Serving the communities of Dinuba, Cutler-Orosi and Monson-Sultana
History Day winners Local students advance to state at History Day competition News, Page A2
Established 1909, Dinuba, California Thursday, March 1, 2018 50 Cents
City vs Thusu attorney fees ruling af rmed
usu appealed attorney fees
awarded to city in case over
Vocational Center.
By Jackson Moore News@thedinubasentinel.com
The judgement of about $100,000 in attorney fees to be paid by city of Dinuba Vice Mayor Kuldip Thusu to the city of Dinuba was affirmed in the appellate court on Feb. 20.
Thusu, and his company Universal Biopharma Research Institute, attempted to appeal the prior decision on attorney fees made in a trial court.
The city and Thusu went to court in 2015 regarding a dispute over the Vocational Center in
Dinuba. Thusu and the city signed a 10-year lease for the Vocational Center in Sept. 2011. Thusu said he was promised that the building would be sold to him and that he was misled about the lease agreement on multiple occasions.
Thusu reportedly asked for deferrals of lease of payments twice, then asked for a termination of the lease in July 2013. Thusu was later elected to council in November 2014.
The city sued Thusu and Biopharma seeking unpaid funds and “future damages” involved in the case, totaling for $1.3 million. However, a jury found that Thusu owed only $47,900.
The city was later awarded an additional $100,152 in attorney fees. Thusu appealed that decision in 2015.
Thusu’s company, Biopharma, also appealed
a declined request for attorney fees to be paid for by the city, which was reportedly estimated at $200,000. That decision was also upheld by the appeals court on Feb. 20.
When it comes to the decision on attorney fees for Biopharma, the appellate court’s decision was not unanimous, however.
In a public dissertation, California 5th District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Kathleen A. Meehan wrote, “The trial court found that Biopharma was the clear prevailing party. As such, Biopharma was entitled to attorney fees as a matter of right.”
“I should have gotten reasonable fees because I was the prevailing party," Thusu told the Sentinel. “My main objective of defending myself was to prove that I was cheated and the lease was not
enforceable ... For me it’s a matter of principle, not a matter of money."
Much of the argument revolves around contracted phrasing that was interpreted to give the trial judge additional discretion regarding attorney fees, in relation to California Civil Code Section 1717.
While the city hoped that the judgement would bring closure on the item, Thusu does have the option to take the appeal to the supreme court if he chooses.
A closed session item for conference with legal counsel regarding the case was agendized for the Feb. 27 city of Dinuba council meeting. The item was expected to be only informational to the city council and staff, city of Dinuba Assistant City Manager Daniel James said.
Valley Champions
The Orosi High School girls soccer team defeated the Sierra Pacific Golden Bears 1-0 to win the D-V Valley Championship on Friday. The victory capped an undefeated 28-0-2 record for the team.
Orosi girls' soccer wins rst Section Championship by any girls team at Orosi High School
GSA invoices coming to groundwater users
First bills will be sent out this month
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
By Jackson Moore News@thedinubasentinel.com
The Kings River East Groundwater Sustainability Agency approved its fees through a public hearing last month. Now they will be sending out their first invoices sometime in March.
The approved fees were set at $1.45 per acre foot, which go to fund the KREGSA’s efforts to create a groundwater sustainability plan by 2020. The fee will also repay Alta Irrigation, which has been fronting the KREGSA costs since 2016.
Alta Irrigation General Manager Chad Wegley explained, “The actions that are being undertaken by the GSA are in response to a bill the governor signed in Sept. 2014, It’s something we have to do. These bills are coming from the KREGSA - they aren’t coming from Atla.”
The alternative to the KREGSA - having the subbasin go to state oversight - could result in fees such as $100 per well and $40 per acre foot, compared to the single $1.45 per acre foot fee through the KREGSA.
Said Wegley, “What we’re trying to do is we are trying to demonstrate to the state that we have a sound financial plan to fund the GSA so that we reduced the likelihood of them getting involved in our business ... I don’t feel costs getting smaller as the state gets involved in your business.”
Sustaining groundwater is defined by the bills as maintaining groundwater without: chronic lowering of groundwater levels, and without significant and unreasonable: reduction of groundwater storage, seawater intrusion, degradation of water quality and land subsidence, as well as surface water depletions that have adverse impacts on surface water users.
The invoices will be sent this month, in January of 2019 and January of
2020. However, groundwater users can pay all three years at once, as the fees will not change from year to year. After Jan. 31, 2020, the KREGSA will move toward implementing and funding their groundwater sustainability plan.
The $1.45 per acre foot fee is based on aerial imagery from 2014 and 2016.
As an example, a land owner within Alta Irrigation who has 40 acres of farmland, no surface water and uses three acre feet an acre would pay $174 on each of their three invoices.
Small domestic users may also be exempt if they do not use a significant amount of groundwater.
The 2018-2020 KREGSA budget calls for about $350,000 to be recovered per year over three years. Most of the budget is dedicated to the groundwater sustainability plan, consisting of a contracted hydrogeologist, sub- basin coordination, projects and management actions, sustainable management criteria, legal assistance and more.
The large majority, $253,904, will be paid by Alta Irrigation District groundwater users. Those in areas unincorporated by water districts are also projected to foot 10 percent of the budget, $28,290. Residents within Dinuba city limits will be covered by the city’s nominal payment of $7,254 for 5,000 acre feet of groundwater pumping.
The KREGSA will also have help from grant funding. The GSA is receiving a portion of the of Tulare County’s express grant which totals $58,000. An additional grant split between the Kings Basin GSAs would land KREGSA an additional $215,000 if awarded.
For more information, visit kingsrivereast.org or follow @ KREGSA1 on Twitter.
Sentinel staff report
The Orosi High School girls’ soccer Valley Championship victory on Friday was more than just a feat achieved by an extraordinary team. The section championship was not only the first for the girls’ soccer program, it was the first for any Orosi girls sports team – ever.
The Lady Cardinals defeated Sierra Pacific 1-0 to take the title.
The team’s success has brought a lot of excitement, joy and school spirit to OHS, explained Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District Superintendent Yolanda Valdez.
Valdez said, “We’re thrilled with
our soccer girls winning this Valley Championship for themselves and for the Cardinals, Orosi High, but we also want to recognize our coach Sara [Vega] who worked so hard with them. I think the win is also a testament of the community with AYSO [American Youth Soccer Organization] - our program here is very, very strong and is led by Javier Quevedo.”
AYSO is a youth soccer organization run by volunteer coaches. The Orosi team has competed at a national level, traveling as far as Florida.
“It really is a community-wide effort,” Valdez said. “Community coaches contributed and our high school coach really put the icing on
the cake and we were able to win this Valley Championship.”
Valdez also credited the work of OHS Athletic Director Ken Sawatzky for a recent upturn in success for the school’s teams. In recent years, the OHS girls’ basketball team finished as section runner-ups twice.
Valdez said, “I believe that throughout all our sports we’ve put a greater emphasis. I think all the programs at Orosi High School have been improving over the past few years.
“This is the first win for the Lady Cardinals and we are super excited.”
To read how it happened, see the game recap on page B1.
CSET looks to aid future workforce, groom local leaders
By Jackson Moore News@thedinubasentinel.com
Community Services Employment Training, or CSET, helps young people develop the tools necessary to enter the workforce - A recruitment event on March 8 could be the starting point for future area employees and perhaps community leaders.
CSET’s Youth at Work program, one of their many various services for the community, focuses on individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and are not working. Those in the program are taught skills on how to find employment and how to interview for a job, as well as assistance with work attire.
On March 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, a recruitment event will be held at Employment Connection at 400 Tulare Street in Dinuba. CSET’s services have been a mainstay in Cutler- Orosi, but the organization is now branching out into Dinuba.
Lydia Elizondo, of CSET, said, “The whole purpose of the recruitment is to get young people in the Dinuba area and help them find employment or help them with college if they need assistance registering for college or for FAFSA [Free
Application for Federal Student Aid]. A lot of kids don’t know that we are in the area and how much we can help them. A lot of them don’t have the skills to find employment.”
The program helps set the foundation for young people in the community to begin their career, whether it be as a cashier, office assistant, city employee, technological services or many other fields.
One such success story is city of Dinuba Events Coordinator Michele Tapia.
Tapia explained, “When you get out of high school you’re scared because you don’t have experience. They take your traits, what you’re good at, what your hobbies are and work with that ... Thankfully with CSET they put me here and in the field of working with kids.
Tapia got her first work experience with the city of Dinuba’s Parks and Recreation Department. The program aims to get enrollees experience through work experience contracts, often between 125 to 200 hours at minimum wage to be used at the employer’s discretion.
“I can’t be any more thankful for the opportunity for CSET because that’s what got my feet in the door," Tapia said.
See CSET, Page A3
Jackson Moore | The Sentinel
thedinubasentinel.com Inside | Lights and SirensA2 | ObituariesA3 | OpinionA4 | SportsB1 | Classi edsB3
Section Champs
Get the full recap and reaction from Orosi's big victory Sports, Page B1
Michele Tapia, a product of CSET's Youth at Work program, now works as an events coordinator for the city of Dinuba. Tapia is pictured talking with members of her parks and recreation team in a staff meeting.