2004 Annual Report Executive Summary
Westside Tule Enterprise Community
In 2004, the Westside Tule Enterprise Community experienced a banner year. John Nash, the Board President, has been associated with USDA’s EZ/EC program since before the communities of Orange Cove, Huron, Parlier (developable site) and Tule River Reservation (developable site) were awarded Enterprise Community status as the Central California Enterprise Community in 1999, and he was encouraged by the grand efforts that were accomplished this year and we are finally beginning to show promise for the work that the Enterprise Community program was intended to stimulate. With the departure of Orange Cove and Parlier in 2000, the remaining communities of Huron and Tule River were at a loss as to how to proceed in accomplishing the goals of community involvement as set forward by USDA’s Office of Community Development. After numerous meetings with individuals from both communities as well as the patient facilitation by USDA California State EZ/EC Coordinator, Chris Sundstrom (now retired); we worked through the problems, misconceptions, and roadblocks to reestablish the Enterprise Community as it currently exists: the Westside Tule Enterprise Community or WTEC. In 2002, Paul Venosdel, the USDA California State Director of Rural Development, assisted the Huron and Tule River communities by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to reestablish the Enterprise Community. Once this agreement was confirmed the communities began to organize itself, linking the communities’ goals and preserving the empowerment of individuals to build their communities. Through the persistence of individuals such as Ms. Sundstrom, Mr. Venosdel, Joe Arpad, and Susan Arpad we were able to forge ahead with the concept of a viable Enterprise Community. In Spring 2002, the surrounding areas of Coalinga and Five Points were added to the group and we began to establish an organizational approach that recognized the need for balanced representation from each community, while recognizing the difficulties of gathering as a cohesive Board due to the large distances separating the communities. We have worked with the Board and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to ensure that everyday citizens of the respective communities are involved in developing projects for their areas.