By Paul Main

Grilling and barbecue is part of our food culture in the Valley. It provides the setting for good times with friends and family, the scent of summertime, and the flavor of the outdoors. It’s not a no-brainer, but when you’ve got the skills to master the grill, there’s an endless feast in your grasp.

Herein lie the secrets to good barbecue or grilling: Grill what you can afford. Grill what feeds the family or friends. Grill safely. And if you still have problems, grill what you can hide with a good barbecue sauce. If all else fails, serve some great side dishes, keep trying, and make it fun.

Great grilling and barbecue is what YOU decide to make. You’re in control. If you always burn the tri-tip, chicken, or ribs, then adjust the heat lower or cook away from the direct flame or heat. If your food is dry, try to shorten the cook time a little until your food reaches the desired level of doneness.

Remember that everyone has varying tastes. You may desire well done, but others may want the meat to “moo” when it’s sliced. Some may prefer grilled fruits or veggies, like asparagus.

Whatever your preference, take time to learn how to start the fire, light the grill, or start the ‘cue. There are many cooking devices and methods of preparation, so learn which methods work best for you, and review the safety tips that follow, because the men and women in public safety don’t want to see you get injured in the process.

This month I got grilling feedback from five members of our local fire and EMS services. They shared their thoughts on good barbecue and suggested some ideas for your family grill night. Based on their recipes, here is a shortened and simplified baby back rib recipe, a “baked” bean recipe, and Visalia Firefighter Alan Wilkinson’s grilled asparagus recipe. All should help you to enjoy a family-friendly summer barbecue for the station, home, or picnic.

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By Jim Blanks

Most of us feel that we are protected inside our own homes; that we are not at risk of home invasion because we are careful; that we are taking all the necessary steps. We lock our doors when we leave the house, we use discretion when opening the door to strangers, we are wary of suspicious activity. If we do all of these things, we should be safe, right?

A crucial part of preventing crime is looking out for people around you, according to Angie de Alba, Crime Prevention Coordinator with the Visalia Police Department. When you know your neighbors, you give yourself a much greater chance of recognizing suspicious activity. So ask yourself: How well do I know my neighbors?

Know Thy Neighbors

I know the names of my next-door neighbors. I know that the man across the street from me owns a blue van. I exchange half-waves with people further down the block. But do I really know who they are? When a dark figure crosses the street at night, is that a neighbor out for a late-night walk, or is it a prowler?

These questions point to why it is vital to get to know your neighbors, de Alba says. And the best way to get to know your neighbors, and prevent crime: A Neighborhood Watch program.

Neighborhood Watch is a national program that connects law enforcement agencies and local organizations with citizens in an effort to reduce residential crime. Since its creation, Neighborhood Watch has grown to include thousands of programs in communities across the country.

“Neighborhood Watch creates a sense of community,” de Alba says. “It promotes concern for the safety and well-being of not only your home and family but for the community.”

And when there is a greater sense of community, neighbors are more willing to report suspicious activity to the police. They are more informed about who belongs in the neighborhood and who doesn’t.

Any community member can create a Neighborhood Watch Program. De Alba suggests forming a small planning committee in your neighborhood and contacting your local law enforcement agency. A crime prevention officer will attend your meeting and will assess the neighborhood’s problems and needs. The officer will also instruct you on ways to secure your home more effectively.

“Neighborhood Watch unites people, while familiarizing them with who lives where,” de Alba says. “It is difficult to report unusual or suspicious activities until you first know what the norm for your neighborhood is.”

Organizing a Neighborhood Watch program is not too difficult, de Alba says. All it takes is some assertiveness: Call neighbors or stop by their house and learn their names; set up a convenient time for neighbors to meet and form a Neighborhood Watch group; communicate with local law enforcement for important strategies and information; and set up Neighborhood Watch signs and decals on your block.

“We recommend a Neighborhood Watch group plan to meet every two to three months, more frequent if necessary,” de Alba says. “Subsequent meetings are for the purpose of staying connected and not losing interest in the program.” De Alba suggests inviting crime prevention officers to the meetings to provide updates and news of upcoming activities.

Some groups take further steps, setting up activities with their Neighborhood Watch program. This gives neighbors a chance to take interest and pride in their community, and it gives people the chance to meet and socialize. Activities include cleaning the neighborhood, barbecues, potlucks, block yard sales, and block parties.

Once you have set up a Neighborhood Watch program, maintaining it is the easy part. De Alba says community members just have to follow the Neighborhood Watch motto:

“We look out for each other.”

If you see people looking in car or house windows, if you hear screaming or shouting for help, if cars troll the neighborhood without their lights on or if strangers run through private yards or alleyways, report it immediately.

Studies have shown that just the act of maintaining a Neighborhood Watch program is enough to deter crime, de Alba says.

“Stats taken before and after a Neighborhood Watch program is implemented demonstrate an increased concern and willingness to call in suspicious and unusual situations, thus preventing crime before it happens,” de Alba said.

National Night Out

If you are unsure about starting your own Neighborhood Watch program or are unsure about how it might work, consider participating in this year’s National Night Out, an annual event that de Alba says “strengthens neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.”

National Night Out is another way for community members to get to know each other and their local law enforcement officers. In its 26^th year, National Night Out is a national event that in 2008 involved 37 million people in every state. In past years the event has included activities such as block parties, cookouts, and front porch vigils. Although plans for this year’s event in Visalia have not yet been finalized, de Alba looks forward to a strong turnout.

“Last year, we had thirty-three participating block parties,” she says. These are thirty-three neighborhoods that are getting to know each other, learning to keep their block safe, and are doing their part to prevent residential crime.

National Night Out improves upon the work done by Neighborhood Watch programs. The event heightens crime and drug prevention awareness and generates support for local anti-crime efforts.

Most importantly, de Alba says, National Night Out “sends a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back.”

When you think about it, setting up a Neighborhood Watch program or participating in National Night Out is a simple task with great rewards. I considered my own situation; what has stopped me from seeking out my neighbors, from introducing myself to those around me? Is it time? Is it lack of motivation?

Is preventing crime a strong enough motivating factor? It is for me. These are our neighborhoods; these people around me should not be strangers. I’ve lived here for years and all I can say is the man across the street owns a blue van. It’s time to change that. It’s time to take pride in our communities and really protect ourselves. It’s time to look out for each other.

Infobox:

National Night Out 2009 is Tuesday, August 4.

Sidebar:

Wide Open in the Dark

Visalia Police Department Crime Prevention Coordinator Angie de Alba says the two most overlooked parts of home safety are “leaving garage doors open and unattended and having insufficient lighting around the house.”

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Much Appreciated Volunteers
On April 24, Sheriff Bill Wittman and the staff of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department held a BBQ celebration at Mooney Grove to honor its volunteer groups. “These men, women, and teenagers provide an invaluable service to this department and the communities of Tulare County. We want them to know how much we appreciate what they do for us,” said Sheriff Wittman. The TCSD currently has over 544 volunteers working in the Aero Squadron, Detention Chaplains, Patrol Chaplains, Explorers, Inmate Programs, Mounted Patrol, Police Activity League, Reserves, Valley Search and Rescue, Sequoia Mountain Rescue, Posse, and Volunteers in Patrol. For more information about these volunteer programs, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.tularesheriff.info”www.tularesheriff.info. We would like to also thank all of the hard working volunteers that help make our community a little safer, so: Thanks for your dedication!

A Place to Remember
“We come together today to pay our respects to the Tulare County law enforcement officers, and all the law enforcement officers who have been lost in the line of duty. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t remember those officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We admire them and are grateful for their service and the service of all who wear the badge. God bless them and the families and friends they left behind.”
— Program from the Tulare County Peace Officer Memorial
Family members, friends, and coworkers gathered on May 6 at the Tulare County Peace Officers Memorial for a ceremony to honor and remember fallen officers of the county. The ceremony started with an opening statement from Undersheriff Dahl A. Cleek, followed by the presentation of floral wreath by the sons of fallen sheriff’s officers Detective Joe Landin and Detective Monty Conley, whose End of Watch was August 5, 1985. Soon after, the TCSD Aero Squadron did a flyover to pay their respects. Bagpipes began to play, thanks to Retired Officer Kevin Bain with the California Department of Fish and Game, while the Honor Guard raised the flag to half-staff. Sheriff Bill Wittman helped welcome all the friends and family that came to the ceremony, as well as Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Phil Cox. Then the End of Watch roll call was read aloud by Captain Jim Hinesly. While the names were read, beautiful doves were released as a symbol of their lives of dedication. They are gone but not forgotten and their memory will live on, due to the monument that reminds us all of their love and dedication. For a list of Tulare County’s fallen officers, visit http://www.co.tulare.ca.us/government/sheriff/peace_officer_memorial/honorees.asp

New Tower Now Open at Kaweah Delta

Many gathered on May 1st to be a part of the grand opening of Kaweah Delta Medical Center’s new Acequia wing on the north side of the hospital. The crowds enjoyed refreshments, tours, and music by the Redwood High School Jazz Band, and heard U.S. Rep Devin Nunes, R-Visalia; California Assemblywomen Connie Conway; Tulare County Supervisor Phil Cox; and Visalia Vice Mayor Bob Link speak. The wing expands three critical hospital services: The Emergency Department, with six new trauma bays, advanced technology, four critical care beds, and eight new treatment rooms, bringing the total to forty treatment areas. Also there is a new emergency covered vehicle entrance that will protect the EMD/Paramedic crews and patients from the elements while providing better access to the ED. There is a new maternity unit called the Rose Ruiz Mother-Baby Unit, which offers thirty-eight rooms and forty-two beds that opened on May 27th. And later this year the hospital will have a new cardiac unit with the latest technology, along with a new intensive care unit and a medical telemetry unit. The cardiovascular intensive-care unit, telemetry unit, sterile processing and pre- and post-op procedure services will open on July 31. Then on August 21st the cardiac operating rooms and catheter labs will open followed by the Endovascular surgery suite in October 19th. Altogether the new wing will add 135 beds, with eighty-three beds added this year to the hospital. This new wing is a great addition to an already vital institution in our community and will provide excellent service and help to all who come in.

Visalia’s New Fire Station

Fire Station 55, at Shirk Avenue and Ferguson Street in northwest Visalia, opened its doors at an open house on May 9. Neighbors got tours of the 7,800 square-foot station, as well as the state-of-the-art 6,832 square-foot training facility behind the station. This concrete and cinderblock training facility will provide a place to simulate smoke, fire, and other hazards. The features of the building include: propane device capable of shooting fire along the ceiling to simulate a flashover fire, a mock stove and metal bed ready to be set ablaze, rooms built to be filled with smoke so firefighters can practice navigating through furniture and other obstacles that may stand in their way, and a room with an off kilter door and window structure that simulates a fragile building following an earthquake. Outside of the building they have a Dumpster that can be set on fire, and poles that will eventually be strung with what looks like electrical lines to help the firefighters practice dealing with downed power lines and to work the ladder trucks around these obstacles. It is also equipped with a classroom for up to forty people to train their brains. There are nine firefighters assigned there who have already been moved in. This new station is expected to cut response time in that area from eight minutes down to six.

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For this issue’s cover shot, our goal was to demonstrate the severity of heat-related emergencies, particularly among athletes who are often exposed to the day’s most dangerous heat during mid-afternoon practices and games. We experience very intense heat in our valley, which makes it all the more important to stay hydrated and be aware of when our bodies are telling us we’re overheating and need to take it easy. It’s critical that we do not push ourselves, as heat-related emergencies can be more serious than we may think.

For the main image and layout for the cover story, we met photographer David Swann and his wife, Susan, at Groppetti Stadium at Golden West High School. We were fortunate to recruit two former Golden West High School football players (because they were seniors, about to graduate, they were not required to be at football practice with next year’s team), as well as a team of emergency providers from American Medical Response and the Visalia Fire Department.

Talent: On the Cover (at top, left to right): Wendy Kasdorf, EMT; Jim Smith, Engineer; Jordan Renteria; Dave Rodgers, EMT; Todd Stalker, Captain; Trevor Robinson; Chris Fischer, Firefighter/Paramedic

Special Thanks: Tom Buckley, Golden West Athletic Director. Thank you for your help and support in coordinating the cover for this issue. It would not have come together so swimmingly without you!

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