June 17 Newsletter
Baseball brings a homerun economically: Visalia Cal Ripken hosted the 22nd Annual Clyde Soto Memorial Baseball Tournament at the CR Shannon baseball complex at Riverway Sports Park June 2nd through June 8th. This is one of the largest baseball tournaments held each year at the CR Shannon baseball complex. The Tournament is for baseball teams comprised of children ages 7-12 from throughout the Central Valley. A total of 52 teams from Bakersfield to Manteca attended with 38 of the teams coming to Visalia from outside of Tulare County. The tournament provides economic opportunities for Visalia as out of the area teams stay in local hotels, eat at our restaurants, and shop in our stores. Teams visiting Visalia arrived on Monday afternoon and participated in games through Saturday and Sunday. The next Visalia Cal Ripken baseball tournament is the 12 year old 50/70 Western Regional and will feature the best 12 year old baseball teams in the western United States. Teams will be coming from as far away as Hawaii, Guam, Arizona, Utah and California. The tournament is scheduled to start July 21 and run through Saturday July 26th at the CR Shannon baseball complex at Riverway Sport Park! Play ball! A BIG win for Visalia's economy!
Freedom Celebration: The Visalia Parks & Recreation Foundation, in partnership with the City of Visalia, will present the annual Freedom Celebration on Friday, July 4, at Giant Chevrolet Mineral King Bowl. Gates open at 6:30 pm, with a spectacular fireworks presentation at 9 pm. Live entertainment featuring local favorite Run 4 Cover will perform, and concessions will be available. No ice chests or outside food and beverages are allowed. A donation of $3 per person is requested, however admission is free.Speaking of Parks & Recreation: Savor the "freedom" July brings with a host of activities - all FREE - throughout the month. Click here for more information and grab the freebies for summertime family fun all month long.
Resource Fair Set for July 12: The Tulare County Housing Resource Fair will be held on July 12 at the Visalia Convention Center to provide information and assistance to people interested in becoming first-time home buyer and families at risk of home foreclosures. Co-sponsored by the City of Visalia, the resource fair offers free financial, legal and educational resources during the event that will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Representatives from businesses, government agencies and nonprofits involved in housing and home financing will be there, and there will be activities for children, as well as a raffle for adults. Sponsors for the fair include Community Services Employment Training, Central California Legal Services, Tenants Together and the Tulare County District Attorney's Office. To become a sponsor, go online to http://www.cset.org/housingfair.
Sharps Drop Off Days: Home Generated Sharps Drop-Off Days for residents of Tulare County will be held in June and July. The new Home-Generated Sharps Waste Collection Program goes into effect on July 1, and will provide Tulare County residents free drop-off of their used sharps at the local retailer where they originally purchased their sharps. To launch the program, Consolidated Waste Management Authority is hosting four free drop-off events throughout the County to collect sharps from residents. Sharps will only be accepted in approved certified sharps containers. For more information, click here or go to www.cwmarecycles.com.
City receives two Urban Greening Grants: The City of Visalia was awarded a total of $670,044 in Urban Greening grants from the California Strategic Growth Council. The City was awarded a $466,544 grant for the St. Johns River Riparian Corridor Restoration Project to develop new community space with the conversion of commercial use to parkland with bike path connectors to other trail segments within the City. The project will incorporate the planting of native, drought tolerant vegetation and bio swale features. The City was also awarded $203,500 for the Jennings Waterway Landscape and Trail Project to develop community space while preserving a stand of oak trees along Jennings Waterway. About 2 acres of native vegetation will be restored, creating a half-mile meandering trail that connects with the adjacent Mill Creek trail. The Urban Greening Grants establish or enhance community green areas such as urban forests, open spaces, wetlands, and community gardens. "The City has been very aggressive and successful in obtaining funding to enhance our community's landscape due to the tireless efforts of staff and community partner, the Urban Tree Foundation, to bring these dollars to Visalia for the benefit of all citizens," said Mayor Steve Nelsen. The awards, from Proposition 84 funding, were announced Tuesday. The California Strategic Growth Council awarded a total of $40.2 million in Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Urban Greening Grants. Out of 184 concept proposals received for the Urban Greening Grant Program, 40 entities received awards totaling $24 million. In 2006, California voters passed Proposition 84, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act, which authorized the Legislature to appropriate funds to support urban greening projects and sustainable community planning.
Planning Commission approves east side development: At its June 9 meeting, the Commission approved a conditional use permit for the development of a hotel and small shopping center in the City's east side. The Chandi Group, USA, Inc., is looking to build on a grass field southeast of South Lovers Lane and Noble Avenue a 120-room hotel, along with a 15,000-square-foot drug store, a fast-food restaurant, an Arco/AM/PM gas station and market, and a 46,500 square-foot strip mall. Construction on the first phase of the project, which includes the gas station and fast-food restaurant, should begin by the end of the year.
Houston Avenue Widening prompts lane closures: The following lane closures are scheduled for this week: Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of McAuliff from Sumter Court to State Route 216 (Houston Avenue) will be closed through Friday, June 20th, 2014 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. each day. Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of Lover’s Lane from Sweet Avenue to Golden West Avenue will be closed through Friday, June 20th, 2014 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. each day. Signal lights at the intersection of Lover’s Lane and State Route 216 and the intersection of McAuliff Street and State Route 216 are fully operational. Due to the high volume of traffic during school drop-off and pick-up, commuters are reminded to be aware of pedestrians and pay close attention to road construction vehicles and personnel. Drivers are encouraged to avoid this area during project work hours and use alternate routes when possible. Closures may continue for longer periods of time if necessary, due to delays caused by uncontrollable events that may occur during road construction procedures.
