Gov. Palin will return to the San Joaquin Valley May 1

"We are getting really good response to Palin. She's a rock star."
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Sarah Palin is scheduled to speak in California May 1 at a fundraiser for West Hills College on its Lemoore campus, spokeswoman Frances Squire tells The Fresno Bee's John Ellis:

Tickets are scheduled to on sale sometime next week and will start at $25.

Palin was just in the Valley last October, when she spoke at the Bakersfield Business Conference. There, she shared the stage with potential competition for the Republican presidential nomination, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

This time, she will be the featured speaker -- the second in the college's speaker's series. The first was Karl Rove, longtime confidant of former President George W. Bush and his former White House adviser.

College officials have not been actively publicizing the event -- yet -- but word has still leaked out to some in the community. And so far, Squire said, "we are getting really good response to Palin. She's a rock star."

There will also be a post-speech dinner with Gov. Palin, with ticket prices of $5000 per table.

- JP