Let's count Visalia's blessings on Valentine's Day

Paul Hurley
·4 min read

Among the more intriguing features of life in the San Joaquin Valley are the periodic publication of surveys that rank our area among other cities in quality of life.

And if there is one thing that can be counted on, it's that Visalia/Tulare County will be ranked near the bottom of whatever factor is being studied.

We were both amazed and amused to discover a few weeks back that, statistically speaking, Visalia turns out to be the worst city in the United States in which to live.

Come on. The worst?

Granted, it is evident that these surveys are click-bait darlings of a mass media obsessed with kooky lists and page views. They're often an unreliable amalgam of untrustworthy data crunched with dubious metrics.

It also must be acknowledged that the San Joaquin Valley doth not exactly overflow with sophistication and grace.

If the measurements are of environmental quality, poverty, health care, the standard of living, or educational attainment, the Valley has a weak claim to bragging rights.

But dead last? This aggression shall not stand, man.

In reviewing this regrettable trend, the planning team for Tulare County@ 210 decided to return fire. It's time we stood up for the Valley and celebrated the good things that make this a great place to live and work, a place that can attract workers and businesses, and a place to raise families and build dreams.

Our February forum this Tuesday happens to fall on Valentine's Day. What better way to observe the holiday than this forum: "Counting Our Blessings: What We Love about Visalia (and Tulare County)."

Our forum will explore the things that make this community worth living in —economic, educational, cultural, social, artistic ...

This free forum will convene from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 210 210 W. Center AveVisalia. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

To help us examine the elements of our community that are blessings worth counting, we have invited folks from a cross-section of local institutions that are contributing to its quality of life:

  • Brent Calvin, COS president

  • Donna Orozco, Arts Consortium

  • Adam Peck, Workforce Investment Board

  • John Greening, Tulare County Treasures

The folks we most want to have in attendance are you. Bring your questions for these folks about what they think is special about this community. Feel free to ask them about how they make things better.

But remember, the idea of this forum is to accentuate the positive. No negative vibes, man.

Especially bring your observations about our community and what you like about it.

Everybody has a favorite spot or a favorite thing to do that they think they have discovered. Well, maybe they have. Come to the forum and bring your favorites.

Tulare County Voices @210 is a monthly forum at 210, Visalia's living room, that examines issues of interest to the community. It explores all viewpoints and welcomes all perspectives. Audience members are encouraged to offer opinions and share experiences.

In this case, we will want to take a big-picture view of what makes our communities work.

How does the region attract business/industry?

How do employers in health care and education attract specialized employees?

What do you want people to know about the place you live in that makes it the place you want to live in?

Some of the things we will ask panel members – and the kinds of questions the audience ought to bring to the forum are:

  • "What is coming in the next 35 years?"

  • "What does your organization add to Visalia?"

  • "What are this community's best-kept secrets?"

  • "What does Visalia need?"

Already some exciting things are developing for our communities that will improve things. We'll examine at least one of them intimately with the College of the Sequoias' initiative to expand its partnership with Fresno State and offer even more four-year degrees in Visalia. New businesses and developed businesses will be another topic for discussion.

Whatever you think would be a drawing card for others to live in this area, bring it on.

Just remember, No negative vibes.

Aren't we all tired of living on the bottom?

Paul Hurley is a former Opinion Page editor of the Visalia Times-Delta and a planning team member of Tulare County Voices @ 210.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Let's count Visalia's blessings on Valentine's Day