The stage is set, and the City of Visalia Parks & Recreation Department is ready once again to see the best home grown teen talent that Visalia has to offer. Audition packets for the 13th Annual Visalia Teen Idol Contest can be picked up now at the Visalia Parks & Recreation Business Office, located inside the Anthony Community Center, at 345 N. Jacob St.

The Visalia Teen Idol Contest is a talent search for the best teen singer in Visalia. Youth ages 13 to 19, who live within the Visalia Unified School District Boundaries, are eligible to pick up an audition packet and tryout. Tryouts will be held tomorrow, Friday, June 24th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 25th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Anthony Community Center. There is no charge to try-out or to be in the Visalia Teen Idol contest, but packets must be completed and turned in at the time of tryout.

Once auditions wrap, the top 10 contestants will begin prepping for their big day in the spotlight. Mark your calendars, as the 2016 Visalia Teen Idol competition will be held on Saturday, September 24th. Please note, this event is not associated with Fox Broadcasting, 19 Entertainment or Fremantle Media.

Join the conversation online with the hashtag #visaliateenidol. For more information on Visalia Teen Idol, call (559) 713-IDOL or email [email protected].

A closure is currently in place on Riggin Avenue and another is scheduled along Riggin Avenue between Conyer Street and Divisadero Street as part of the Fairview Sewer Project.

The road along Riggin Avenue from Divisadero Street to Giddings Street is currently closed. Recently placed pavement does not meet specifications and will be replaced, bringing a complete, 24-hour a day closure through Monday, June 27th. Traffic will be detoured to Ferguson Avenue via Mooney Boulevard and Giddings Street.

Delayed until school was on summer break, and scheduled to not conflict with other work taking place in the area, residents living along Riggin Avenue will have access throughout the closure.

The road closure along Riggin Avenue between Giddings Street and Conyer Street will immediately follow, beginning Monday, June 27th and running for approximately eight weeks. During this 24-hour road closure, the City will be reconstructing the roadway and installing a new sewer main in Riggin Avenue from Giddings Street to Conyer Street. Traffic will be detoured to Shannon Parkway via Giddings Street and Dinuba Boulevard.

For additional information, contact Steven Weatherly, P.E., City of Visalia Civil Engineering Supervisor at (559) 713-4164 or [email protected]. 

This & That

• Visalia will soon be home to new amenities as CenCal Movement, which focuses on functional movement with a “Ninja Warrior” like course and giant 15 x 15 ft airbag,  is bringing a location to the Industrial Park at 6841 W. Pershing Ave. For those looking to put some new sparkle in their step, a new Valliani Jewelers location is coming to the Visalia Mall.

• Tulare Avenue construction is on the docket, as the Community Development Department works on scheduling construction. Slated to occur fiscal year 2016/17, crews will be working either late summer 2016 or early spring 2017 to avoid cold weather. Once the road work is completed, Tulare Avenue will punch through to McAuliff, easing traffic congestion and providing another access route to Lovers Lane.

• “Giddy up, oom poppa, omm poppa, mow mow…” Country music superstars The Oak Ridge Boys are bringing their world famous sound to the Visalia Convention Center Monday, June 27th at 8 p.m. Tickets are going fast, grab yours at www.visaliatix.com before they’re gone.

• Congratulations to the graduates of the Visalia Police Department’s 32nd Citizens Academy. Commonly known as VIPS, the volunteers completed their 10-week academy before being sworn in by Captain Rick Haskill at a ceremony in front of family and friends. If you are interested in the Citizens Academy, contact Lieutenant Amy Watkins at [email protected].