May 4 Newsletter

Major Street Overlay road work begins May 12: Street improvements will be made at various locations around the City beginning May 12 through August. Traffic control will be in place to direct motorists around work area. The anticipated completion date for this project is August. Public impacts are expected to be minimal for concrete installation which occurs from May 12-July 10, and electrical work from May 12-19. Grinding and asphalt overlay will be done from 6 am to 2:30 pm. on the days indicated. The schedule is as follows: Walnut Avenue, from Cottonwood to Linwood streets, and Akers Street, from Cambridge to Wagner avenues, June 19-26; Giddings Street, from Walnut to Tulare avenues, July 1-3; Court Street, from Tulare to Sequoia avenues, July 9-10; Main Street, from Burke Street to Ben Maddox Way, July 15-16; Demaree Street, from Hillsdale to Goshen avenues, July 23-25; and Hurley Avenue, from Atwood to Chinowth streets, July 30-31. Some concrete work (pedestrian ramps, curbs, gutter) will be done along with the removal and replacement of some failed sections of paving in these areas. Access to homes or businesses will be maintained throughout. Directly affected businesses and residents will be notified by the contractor. Work schedule may be subject to change, and updates will be provided as needed.

Council Member Shuklian's Office Hours: City Council member Amy Shuklian will hold her May office hours on Wednesday, May 7, for Visalia residents to discuss issues of concern. Walk-ins are welcome from 5 to 5:45 pm, in the conference room at City Hall, 707 W. Acequia Ave. Appointments from 5:45 to 6:30 pm can be scheduled in advance by contacting Lauri Aguilar at 713-4322. Council member Shuklian can be reached through 713-4400, then enter 8313, or by email at [email protected].

Join the SpecTRACKular fun: The City of Visalia Parks & Recreation Department and Leadership Visalia Class of 2013-2014 are pleased to bring the Visalia SpecTRACKular & Fitness Expo to College of the Sequoias Track on May 17. The first event of its kind geared to reach youth before they break for summer, the Visalia SpecTRACKular & Fitness Expo features the Hershey’s Track & Field Games, a health and wellness fair, music, entertainment and more. Completely free for participants, the Visalia SpecTRACKular invites local youth ages four to 14 years of age to enjoy learning, participation and the enjoyment of physical activity as they participate in the Hershey’s Track & Field Games. Participants can pick from various races like sprints and long distances, as well as competing in the standing long jump and a softball throw. Featuring a corresponding fitness expo, guests of all ages are encouraged to learn from hand-picked vendors about healthy cooking, local summer programs for youth and the fun of staying fit. Full of activities and opportunities, the Visalia SpecTRACKular and Fitness Expo encourages kids, and their families, to be active and healthy all summer long. In addition to the vendors and music, there will be fitness and dance demonstrations, as well as delicious tastings from local sponsors Rosa Brothers Milk Company and Port of Subs. For more information on the Visalia SpecTRACKular, call the Visalia Parks & Recreation Department at 559-713-4365, or visit www.liveandplayvisalia.com and scroll to “Upcoming Events”.

Applications accepted for City committees, commission: The City of Visalia is accepting applications from interested citizens for its City committees and commissions. Citizens Advisory Committee – acts as a liaison between the general public and the City Council concerning community issues. The committee currently has a vacancy for one alternate member. Disability Advocacy Committee – advises the City on the needs of disabled people. The committee promotes physical, social, communication and attitudinal access for every citizen of Visalia. The committee currently has a vacancy for one regular member and two alternates. Environmental Committee – heightens environmental awareness and conservation in Visalia. Issues addressed include air quality, hazardous waste, recycling, water conservation and all other natural resources. The Committee currently has a vacancy for two regular members and one alternate member. Historic Preservation Committee – administers and carries out the standards and specifications of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and promotes historic preservation including encouraging building owners to initiate preservation efforts. The Committee currently has a vacancy for two alternate members. North Visalia Neighborhood Advisory Committee – serves as a liaison between the City and the North Visalia community. It is a forum for citizen complaints, problems and provides recommendations to the City Council. The committee has vacancies for six regular members and four alternates. Parks and Recreation Commission – advises the City Council and staff in matters pertaining to parks, playgrounds and recreation centers. The Commission has a vacancy for one regular member and two alternates. Waterways and Trails Committee – advises on matters related to the Bikeway Master Plan and the Waterway and Trail Master Plan. The Committee has vacancies for two regular members and four alternate members. Tulare Mosquito Abatement District Board – monitors, controls, abates and otherwise controls mosquitos. The Board currently has one vacancy representing the City of Visalia.
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and kept for a period of two years. If you have further questions you may visit the City’s website www.ci.visalia.ca.us, Committees/Commissions” to view the informational handbook and application or you may contact the City Clerk’s Office (559) 713-4512.

General Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report Available for Public Review & Comment: The City of Visalia has prepared a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate impacts associated with the Draft General Plan Update and Draft Climate Action Plan. People can read these documents on the General Plan Update Website at http://www.visaliageneralplanupdate.com. Print copies are also available for reading at the City of Visalia Planning Division, 315 E. Acequia Avenue; at the Visalia City Hall, 707 W. Acequia Avenue; and at the Visalia Branch Library, 200 W. Oak Avenue. Comments may be submitted on the Draft Program EIR to the Planning Division from March 31, 2014 to May 14, 2014. For more information or to submit comments, please contact Brandon Smith at 713-4636 or by email at [email protected].

Hallmark returns: The store in Visalia Mall previously known as Wright's Hallmark and for its selection and personalized customer service will reopen as Amy’s Hallmark by June 30 if not sooner. It will carry the widest selection of Hallmark greeting cards, stationery, gifts and gift wrap, as well as products for decorating and entertaining, personal accessories, baby and kids’ gifts. Check out their website at www.hallmark.com.

Movin' in to the Mall: The former Sbarro Food Court space has been leased to Villa Pizza. Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen specializes in the neapollitan & Sicilian style pizzas, Italian pastas and entrees, salads and Stromboli! Their store opening date is planned for June 30 if not sooner. Check out their website at www.villafreshitaliankitchen.com.

“Fill the Boot” on Friday, May 9^th and Saturday May 10 in downtown Visalia and on Mooney Boulevard: Support the Visalia Fire Department's annual Fill the Boot on Friday, May 9, from 5 to 8 pm at Mooney and Walnut and at Court and Main streets in downtown Visalia, and from 9 am to noon on Saturday, May 10 at Mooney and Walnut.

Three Tulare County arts groups receive grants: Three Tulare County arts groups have received grants from the Fresno Regional Foundation for 2014. The grants are $10,000 to the Visalia Opera Company, $10,000 to the Urbanist Collective, and $8,500 for a street-roving Hide Out mini gallery. The opera company and urbanists are both projects of the Arts Consortium in Tulare County. The Arts Consoritum is the local arts agency for the City of Visalia and Tulare County and is a state-local partner of the California Arts Council. The Fresno Regional Foundation made $214,000 available to organizations seeking to enhance the art and cultural experience in the San Joaquin Valley. Recipients had to support culturally relevant arts forms that reflect and serve the Central Valley's diverse population, in unique venues, especially among underserved communities. The Visalia Opera Company will partner with the UCLA mariachi group to compose and present a mariachi opera to three diverse populations: mental health clients, the Visalia Rescue Mission and the Oval Neighborhood Park. The original opera will be written by Rosalinda Verde, founder of the opera company, and the UCLA mariachi group. The project will use mariachi music to expose low income and non traditional audiences to classical music. The Urbanists Collective uses graffiti art to engage youth in creative activities in appropriate venues to encourage future careers and positive lifestyles. Their grant will identify high risk students and provide them with a way to create non-violent self expression in four rural communities. Many young people feel invisible, and through mural art the Urbanists hope to make a difference in how they view themselves and their forms of expression. Each community will create a large mobile panel. The four panels will be put together and unveiled at the Old Lumberyard in Downtown Visalia during a First Friday art walk. The project will be overseen by Erik Gonzalez, founder of the Urbanists. The Hide Out project was created by Bachrun LoMele, who coordinates The Hatchery in the foothills of Badger, which offers art spaces and art shows. The Hide Out project will be an interactive booth where people are invited to speak their secrets and untold stories. No one will be listening. Software will scramble the information into confused sentences and sounds which will be distributed as a live-feed type stream to artists around the country and also shown on flashing LED signs on the booth. Voices will be distorted and then used by sound artists or composers. The “music” will be broadcast from the exterior of the booth. The booth is a metaphor for an artist’s experience and is a way for the public to participate in the process.

Building permits up 17% for first four months of 2014: A total of 1,260 building permits have been issued this year, a 17% increase over the first four months of 2013. New single family dwellings continue to show increase, with a 19% increase for 130 permits issued so far. Value of these permits was up 30%, the highest increase in value across the board. Total valuation of all permits was down slightly by 2% with $50,961,903.

Nightly lane closures on 99 scheduled through May 9: Caltrans, in cooperation with Papich Construction, Inc. announced nightly lane closures of northbound and southbound State Route 99, between State Route 198 and Betty Drive in Goshen, within Tulare County. These closures are part of the current State Route 99 Tulare to Goshen-North Segment Widening Project and are necessary for new highway construction. Night-time lane closures will be as follows: #1 lane (left lane) of Northbound and Southbound State Route 99 between State Route 198 interchange and Betty Drive in Goshen will be closed through Friday morning, May 9^th, 2014 between 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night for highway construction. California Highway Patrol (CHP) will be on site assisting with traffic control. Closures may continue for longer periods of time if necessary, due to delays caused by uncontrollable events that may occur during construction.

Houston widening project prompts lane closures through May 9: CalTrans, in cooperation with Granite Construction announces scheduled lane closures on Lover’s Lane and McAuliff Street in Visalia in Tulare County as part of the current widening project for State Route 216 (Houston Avenue). Crews will be working to remove and replace curbs and gutters in this area. The following lane closures are scheduled: Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of McAuliff from Sumter Court to State Route 216 (Houston Avenue) will be closed through Friday, May 9^th, 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, May 9^th, 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.