As promised, the following is a brief report on our Visalia delegation's recent visit to Miki Japan, celebrating the 50th anniversary of our sister city relationship.
Miki is located next to Kobe, Japan. Unlike Kobe, which is a major city, Miki has a population of about 81,000 people. There is much farmland surrounding it, and the population is not densely packed in, giving it the impression of a country town. Miki is well known in Japan for carpentry and hardware production, and for a special brand of rice which is used to make sake. The name "Miki" means "three trees." They are also known for their beautiful giant chrysanthemum flowers on individual stalks. While we were there, the weather was pleasant and in the 60's.
On Thursday evening, November 3, our delegation of eleven arrived and were greeted at Osaka International Airport, then bussed to Miki where we met our host families. Other than a couple of nights' stay in hotels, we spent the nights with our host families and were fed by them. We ate rice with every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, another name for breakfast in Japanese is "asa gohan" which translates as "morning rice." Other than rice, their foods were colorful, varied and delicious.
Friday morning, we were met at city hall by their city staff and employees, who lined up and applauded as we walked in. We felt like celebrities. We had a Welcome Ceremony where their Mayor Yabumoto and I as vice-mayor of Visalia addressed the group. Miki has a mayor, two deputy mayors, and sixteen city council members. All of their jobs are full time and they are paid commensurately.
At the Welcome Ceremony, we presented a large clock as a gift to the city of Miki from our city, and we also presented their council members with gift bags including locally grown pistachios, honey and olive oil along with brochures about Visalia. That afternoon we toured a local junior high where the students demonstrated judo, and showed various types of artwork and activities they were involved with. We then toured the Okada Manufacturing plant, whose specialty is the manufacture of all types of saw blades. They are completely mechanized and make over 6 million blades per year.
Saturday was a free day. Most of us went with our host families to tour nearby Himeji Castle, a 400 year old castle. This magnificent seven-story edifice is also known as the White Castle, and compares favorably with any of the castles of Europe. This castle was spared in World War II, and is surrounded by high rock walls and an elaborate moat.
Sunday was their hardware festival (Kanamono Matsuri). Their festival is on par with the World Ag Expo locally. We were given "hopi" coats (happy coats) to wear and our entire delegation was on stage. After a band played several numbers, their mayor and I addressed the attendees, then the confetti and streamers flew. We had the afternoon to visit the many booths. That evening we had a gala golden anniversary party. Our delegation was dressed in kimonos which were provided. After a drum show and more speeches, we visited and ate various Japanese appetizers and delicacies.
Monday morning our group was put on the Shinkansen (bullet train), then toured the peace memorial at Hiroshima as well as the temples and shrines on Miyajima Island. On Wednesday morning farewell speeches were given, goodbyes were said, and the flight home.
In summary, the wonderful people of Miki, Japan treated us like royalty. Really, the main cost to our delegation was the flight over and back, which the delegation members paid for on their own.
The city of Visalia is currently constructing Miki city park on Mineral King Avenue near city hall. The city has had grant money for a number of years to build this park but it was put on hold during the recent recession. We look forward to a visit by a delegation from Miki in April 2017 when we will dedicate our new sister city park. That will be a fitting start to the next 50 years of our sister city relationship.
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
MIKI SPEECH
By the time you read this article, my wife and I
along with a delegation of nine others from Visalia will be in Miki Japan
celebrating the 50th anniversary of our sister city
relationship. I have been asked to speak
at their Hardware Festival, which attracts 160,000 people annually. I thought for my article this month that I
would provide you with a copy of the speech which I've written. I will actually be delivering my remarks in
Japanese, as I lived for two years in Japan and have a little fluency in the
language. I suspect that since Visalia’s
founding in 1852, I am the first city council member who speaks Japanese, which
is convenient since our sister city is in Japan. I’ve included a translation of the first
paragraph of my speech in two different versions of Japanese – Kanji and
Romaji, so that you can see what it looks like.
Enjoy!
I am happy to be here at your Hardware
Festival with 10 others from Visalia, California, in America. As the
vice-mayor of Visalia, I bring you the greetings of our mayor and city council.
アメリカ、カリフォルニア州バイセリア市の副市長として、市長並びに市議会を代表しご挨拶させていただきます。三木市の金物祭りに、他の１０名の訪問者と共に参加できますことを嬉しく思っております。
America, Kariforuniashu,
Vaiseriashino fukushichou toshite, shichou narabini sigikaio daihyousi,
goaisatsu saseteitadakimasu. Mikishi no kanamono-matsurini, hokano jyuumei no
houmonsyato tomoni sankadekimasukoto o ureshikuomotte orimasu.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of
the sister city relationship between our two great cities. We have come to help celebrate that
friendship.
Although I lived in Japan 40
years ago as a young Mormon missionary, this is my first visit to the Garden
City Miki. Even though I have only been
here a short time, I can already see that you are a community with a great deal
of pride and beauty. And you manufacture
high quality tools and hardware, some of which my wife and I plan to buy and take
home with us!
Our sister city relationship began
when a student from your city, Seiro Takehara was a student at our College of
the Sequoias. He dreamed of seeing Miki
and Visalia form a sister city relationship.
Since 1966, many delegations of
students and citizens from each city have visited the other. The last time that Visalia sent a delegation
here was in 2008.
I have fond memories of a group
from Miki which came to visit Visalia in 2011.
My family hosted Ami Maruki for a week.
She was a high school student at the time. She later returned to America as a college
student to visit our family.
In some parts of the world today
there are wars, danger and destruction.
But through exchanges of ideas, and visits between our people, we are
doing our small part to promote friendship, peace and understanding.
I want to thank you for the warm
welcome which we have received from your city.
We look forward to your visit to Visalia
next spring when we will dedicate the Miki Japan Park which we are
currently building. That will mark the
beginning of our next 50 years of friendship.
While our cultures may be different, we share the desire to build a
world based on peace and understanding.
We can learn much from each other.
We look forward to your visit and reciprocating your hospitality.
Again, on this 50th
anniversary, we thank you for hosting us and helping us to learn more about
your great city.
If you have questions or topics
regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles,
please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city.
For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
LATEST NEWS
Micro-World
The city council recently voted to create an overlay district which will allow micro brewery/wine businesses to open in the east downtown area. This will encompass approximately 220 acres bounded by Murray Avenue on the north, Ben Maddox Way on the east, Mineral King on the south, and Santa Fe to the west. While some sought to expand the area covered by this new overlay, the council declined in order to see if these new types of businesses will be the impetus needed for the development of east downtown. The new zoning amendment will remove existing requirements for a micro brewery/winery to include a restaurant component and allows retail sale for offsite consumption. However, these establishments must be at least 200 feet distant from any existing sensitive uses, including elementary schools, children's museums, parks or places of worship.
District Elections
We're only one month away from Visalia's first district elections. The City Council amended the city code a couple of years ago to change from citywide to district elections, and to hold council elections in even-numbered years. Districts 1 and 2 are now up for grabs. Amy Shuklian will not be running in District 1, since she recently was elected to the county Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Bob Link is running again in his District 2. As an amateur political scientist, I am interested to see how district elections will change the way local campaigns are run. For instance, it should be a lot less expensive for a candidate to campaign in just one area of the city as opposed to citywide, fewer signs will be needed, and it will be much easier to walk precincts and meet the voters in a more limited area. District elections were also supposed to serve as encouragement for more minority candidates to run for local office, but none did this go-around. Maybe next time? We have some excellent candidates running in both races and we wish them all the well.
Pickleball
At our August 15th council meeting, the city council approved converting two of the tennis courts at Plaza Park into eight pickleball courts. The increasing popularity of this sport in Visalia and elsewhere has been amazing. At our meeting, we had a vigorous discussion by members of the public, both pro and con on this issue. Everyone agreed that we need more pickleball and tennis courts. The two separately fenced courts on the south side of the tennis complex at Plaza Park will be resurfaced, and will have permanent posts and nets installed with new striping and fencing. We hope to have these courts ready for our 2017 Senior Games and to host future tournaments. To host a tournament, a city must have at least eight pickleball courts. People who play pickleball usually stay and spend, populating our local hotels, restaurants and shopping areas.
Miki Japan Trip
We're down to one month until our delegation of 11 Visalians depart for a seven-day visit to Miki Japan, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of our sister city relationship. I'll write more later to give you the details of that visit and about the experiences of our hardy adventurers/ambassadors!
What a wonderful surprise!
The city recently received the following "thank you" note from Michelle Pimentel of the Stonebridge neighborhood: "I took my dog on our morning walk, and lo and behold! I found five new crepe myrtles planted along the creek bank, replacing the poor dead roses that were recently removed. What a wonderful surprise! And they'll do well as they have dedicated water used at one time for the roses. The crepe myrtles will really perk up our section of the Packwood Creek trail. I don't know who to specifically thank so I've addressed this thank you to all of you who have been working on this area (I'm sure it's purely coincidental that you chose my favorite crepe myrtle color!!)." Thank you Michelle for noticing and for your nice comments.
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Warren Gubler
Vice-Mayor
The city council recently voted to create an overlay district which will allow micro brewery/wine businesses to open in the east downtown area. This will encompass approximately 220 acres bounded by Murray Avenue on the north, Ben Maddox Way on the east, Mineral King on the south, and Santa Fe to the west. While some sought to expand the area covered by this new overlay, the council declined in order to see if these new types of businesses will be the impetus needed for the development of east downtown. The new zoning amendment will remove existing requirements for a micro brewery/winery to include a restaurant component and allows retail sale for offsite consumption. However, these establishments must be at least 200 feet distant from any existing sensitive uses, including elementary schools, children's museums, parks or places of worship.
District Elections
We're only one month away from Visalia's first district elections. The City Council amended the city code a couple of years ago to change from citywide to district elections, and to hold council elections in even-numbered years. Districts 1 and 2 are now up for grabs. Amy Shuklian will not be running in District 1, since she recently was elected to the county Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Bob Link is running again in his District 2. As an amateur political scientist, I am interested to see how district elections will change the way local campaigns are run. For instance, it should be a lot less expensive for a candidate to campaign in just one area of the city as opposed to citywide, fewer signs will be needed, and it will be much easier to walk precincts and meet the voters in a more limited area. District elections were also supposed to serve as encouragement for more minority candidates to run for local office, but none did this go-around. Maybe next time? We have some excellent candidates running in both races and we wish them all the well.
Pickleball
At our August 15th council meeting, the city council approved converting two of the tennis courts at Plaza Park into eight pickleball courts. The increasing popularity of this sport in Visalia and elsewhere has been amazing. At our meeting, we had a vigorous discussion by members of the public, both pro and con on this issue. Everyone agreed that we need more pickleball and tennis courts. The two separately fenced courts on the south side of the tennis complex at Plaza Park will be resurfaced, and will have permanent posts and nets installed with new striping and fencing. We hope to have these courts ready for our 2017 Senior Games and to host future tournaments. To host a tournament, a city must have at least eight pickleball courts. People who play pickleball usually stay and spend, populating our local hotels, restaurants and shopping areas.
Miki Japan Trip
We're down to one month until our delegation of 11 Visalians depart for a seven-day visit to Miki Japan, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of our sister city relationship. I'll write more later to give you the details of that visit and about the experiences of our hardy adventurers/ambassadors!
What a wonderful surprise!
The city recently received the following "thank you" note from Michelle Pimentel of the Stonebridge neighborhood: "I took my dog on our morning walk, and lo and behold! I found five new crepe myrtles planted along the creek bank, replacing the poor dead roses that were recently removed. What a wonderful surprise! And they'll do well as they have dedicated water used at one time for the roses. The crepe myrtles will really perk up our section of the Packwood Creek trail. I don't know who to specifically thank so I've addressed this thank you to all of you who have been working on this area (I'm sure it's purely coincidental that you chose my favorite crepe myrtle color!!)." Thank you Michelle for noticing and for your nice comments.
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Warren Gubler
Vice-Mayor
Thursday, September 1, 2016
SOCIAL HOST LAW
The Visalia city council recently passed a new ordinance recommended by our police department relating to underage parties where alcohol is served. According to Police Chief Jason Salazar, since 2013, the Visalia P.D. has had 5,800 calls to respond to such parties. Taking an average time for the responding officer of 39 minutes per event, the police department lost approximately 3,700 hours of time which they could have better spent on combating other criminal activity. Most of these parties occur on weekends, or around graduation time. The purpose of this new law is to hold parents or property owners responsible for such conduct if it occurs on their premises.
Underage drinking is a major threat to the health and safety of our youth, and not only for highly publicized drinking and driving concerns. The new ordinance establishes penalties of $100.00 for the first violation, $200.00 for the second violation, and $500.00 for further violations within a twelve- month period. The parent or adult who is hosting such a party, or upon whose property the party occurs, will be subject to the fine. The police department hopes that these potential fines will cause adults to think twice about the consequences of allowing underage parties, and get them to better monitor the activities of their teenagers. This also gives officers another tool to help control underage drinking.
Pervious Concrete Parking Lots
Fred Lampe, the city's senior civil engineer, announced that Visalia has received a grant from the State Water Resources Control Board for re-constructing seven public parking lots downtown using pervious (permeable) concrete pavement. Such pavement captures storm water and allows it to percolate back into the ground. The benefits include reduced storm water flows into Mill Creek, filtering and treating storm water as it percolates into the ground, and recharging our groundwater, particularly during this drought. Currently, Visalia has just one public parking lot with a pervious concrete surface, located on Murray Avenue just east of Bridge Street. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and all lots should be completed by November. Each lot will take approximately five weeks to complete, and two parking lots will be closed at a time to meet the grant schedule. While there may be some temporary inconvenience for those wanting to park downtown, the long term benefits should outweigh that.
Sequoia National Park Holiday Update
According to Woody Smeck, Superintendent of our local national parks, every parking space in Sequoia National Park was filled over the July 4th holiday weekend, including the very remote overflow parking lots behind Wuksachi Lodge. 750 cars per hour were welcomed at the park entrance station (a big challenge on a narrow mountain road). Woody indicated that Visalia's Sequoia shuttle was instrumental in moving people from remote lots to various attractions, and it probably set a single day record for ridership.
Illegal Fireworks.
Per Fire Chief Doug McBee, our fire department was kept busy over the same July 4th weekend. They had two-person teams on fireworks patrol issuing citations in all quadrants of the city, with the greatest action on the east side. Somewhere between 50 and 60 citations were issued for the possession of illegal fireworks. Over that weekend, there were five fires attributed to fireworks, and all fires required multiple engines, multiple chiefs and fire personnel. At one point, Cal Fire provided mutual aid to our city fire department on an apartment building fire. The Visalia Fire Department reminds residents that illegal fireworks are dangerous and those in possession will be issued a $1,000.00 citation. Is it time for Visalia to re-institute the city fireworks display on Independence Day?
Multi-Family Units
Visalia is on track for construction of the most multi-family units in Visalia since 2007, with 110 units permitted through July 2016. Of particular note is a 236-unit apartment complex which recently went through site plan review and which will be constructed just east of Costco on Visalia Parkway.
Visalia Senior Games
The kickoff organizational meeting for the 2017 Visalia Senior Games was held in July at our Senior Center. Tentative dates for this second time event are Thursday through Sunday, March 16-19, and Friday through Sunday, March 24-26, 2017. We are looking to expand the format to include new events such as track and field, swimming, women's volleyball and soccer. If you'd like to get involved and volunteer, contact Parks and Recreation at 713-4365 and join us as we plan the 2017 Senior Games!
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Underage drinking is a major threat to the health and safety of our youth, and not only for highly publicized drinking and driving concerns. The new ordinance establishes penalties of $100.00 for the first violation, $200.00 for the second violation, and $500.00 for further violations within a twelve- month period. The parent or adult who is hosting such a party, or upon whose property the party occurs, will be subject to the fine. The police department hopes that these potential fines will cause adults to think twice about the consequences of allowing underage parties, and get them to better monitor the activities of their teenagers. This also gives officers another tool to help control underage drinking.
Pervious Concrete Parking Lots
Fred Lampe, the city's senior civil engineer, announced that Visalia has received a grant from the State Water Resources Control Board for re-constructing seven public parking lots downtown using pervious (permeable) concrete pavement. Such pavement captures storm water and allows it to percolate back into the ground. The benefits include reduced storm water flows into Mill Creek, filtering and treating storm water as it percolates into the ground, and recharging our groundwater, particularly during this drought. Currently, Visalia has just one public parking lot with a pervious concrete surface, located on Murray Avenue just east of Bridge Street. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and all lots should be completed by November. Each lot will take approximately five weeks to complete, and two parking lots will be closed at a time to meet the grant schedule. While there may be some temporary inconvenience for those wanting to park downtown, the long term benefits should outweigh that.
Sequoia National Park Holiday Update
According to Woody Smeck, Superintendent of our local national parks, every parking space in Sequoia National Park was filled over the July 4th holiday weekend, including the very remote overflow parking lots behind Wuksachi Lodge. 750 cars per hour were welcomed at the park entrance station (a big challenge on a narrow mountain road). Woody indicated that Visalia's Sequoia shuttle was instrumental in moving people from remote lots to various attractions, and it probably set a single day record for ridership.
Illegal Fireworks.
Per Fire Chief Doug McBee, our fire department was kept busy over the same July 4th weekend. They had two-person teams on fireworks patrol issuing citations in all quadrants of the city, with the greatest action on the east side. Somewhere between 50 and 60 citations were issued for the possession of illegal fireworks. Over that weekend, there were five fires attributed to fireworks, and all fires required multiple engines, multiple chiefs and fire personnel. At one point, Cal Fire provided mutual aid to our city fire department on an apartment building fire. The Visalia Fire Department reminds residents that illegal fireworks are dangerous and those in possession will be issued a $1,000.00 citation. Is it time for Visalia to re-institute the city fireworks display on Independence Day?
Multi-Family Units
Visalia is on track for construction of the most multi-family units in Visalia since 2007, with 110 units permitted through July 2016. Of particular note is a 236-unit apartment complex which recently went through site plan review and which will be constructed just east of Costco on Visalia Parkway.
Visalia Senior Games
The kickoff organizational meeting for the 2017 Visalia Senior Games was held in July at our Senior Center. Tentative dates for this second time event are Thursday through Sunday, March 16-19, and Friday through Sunday, March 24-26, 2017. We are looking to expand the format to include new events such as track and field, swimming, women's volleyball and soccer. If you'd like to get involved and volunteer, contact Parks and Recreation at 713-4365 and join us as we plan the 2017 Senior Games!
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Monday, August 1, 2016
50th ANNIVERSARY OF SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP
Visalia has had a sister city relationship with Miki, Japan since 1965. This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of that relationship. It has been at least 10 years since Visalia last sent a delegation to Miki. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, my wife Alisa and I will be hosting a delegation of citizens and city officials traveling to Miki, Japan, November 3 through 9, 2016. The planning for this event has been underway for quite some time, such that we can now start promoting this event.
Miki officials asked us to visit during this time frame because it coincides with their annual Hardware Festival. According to an article I googled, Miki is famous throughout Japan as one of their country's largest producers of hardware, from kitchen knives to hedge trimmers, almost every kind of hand tool is manufactured in Miki. This festival is said to attract 160,000 visitors annually. You can expect to see people pounding mochi (rice cakes), dance and drum performances, people in traditional costume, and stalls selling delicious festival food. Beneath the rows of brightly colored tents are tools of every kind. One can browse through metal rakes and hoes, saws, axes, nata (Japanese hatchets), scissors, thread cutters, Ikebana (flower arrangement) shears, shovels, saws and a plethora of knives. Produce from local farmers can be picked up for cheap. There is also an eclectic mix of other local handicrafts, baked goods and various products, and the nearby cultural center has flowers, bonsai and local art on display.
We plan to fly into Osaka International Airport on Thursday evening, November 3, where we will be greeted by a Miki sister city delegation, and transported by bus to Miki City Hall. From there, we will fan out to our host families' homes or to hotels. Accommodations may be either Japanese style, i.e., the use of futons on Tatami mats, or American style, with tables, chairs and beds.
On Friday we will visit schools and public places such as Shinto/Buddhist temples or factories. Saturday will be free time with the host families. Sunday will include visits to Miki City Hall, the hardware festival, and Horseland Park. On Monday, the group will be hosted on a visit to Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park, and on Tuesday to Miyajimi, a scenic island which is the site of one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines, a Torii in the ocean, pictures of which you may have seen. The group will be bused back to Osaka Airport on Wednesday for the return flight home.
The cost for this trip will be the responsibility of each of the attendees. Likewise, my wife and I will be traveling on our own dime, with no cost to the city of Visalia. However, much of the price for this fabulous trip will be defrayed by Miki and the host families, who will assist with travel arrangements, food and overnight accommodations.
Visalia received a grant a number of years ago to build a Japanese sister city park, which park is now under construction on Mineral King Avenue, near City Hall just east of Redwood High School. We look forward to a reciprocal visit from a delegation of Miki city officials and citizens in Spring, 2017, as they come to attend the dedication of our new park. At that time, we will be looking for host families to help with their transportation and accommodation needs here.
If you are interested in being part of Visalia's delegation for this visit to our sister city in Japan, or being part of next Spring's celebration here in Visalia, please contact Gladys Ruiz at the City, 713-4314, gladys.ruiz@visalia.city.
Additional Kudos to Fire Department
During the public comment portion of our June 6 city council meeting, local citizen Larry Pruitt thanked the fire department for saving his house that afternoon! Apparently, there were problems with sparks caused by the transformer on his property line, which set his fence and trees in his backyard on fire. Three fire engines and a fire truck with a total of 13 personnel responded, and while the fence and trees were lost, no damage was done to his adjacent home. The fire was contained in 15 minutes and there were no injuries. Mr. Pruitt indicated that he shook the hand of every firefighter and thanked them for saving his home. He said he still smelled like smoke, the fire was so recent. During a break in our meeting, I spoke to Larry personally and told him that I was impressed that he had come to city council meeting the same day as the incident to thank the fire department. Larry replied that coincidentally he was planning on being at our meeting anyway for another agenda item, but wanted to voice his thanks to our fire department for a job well done.
Visalia has had a sister city relationship with Miki, Japan since 1965. This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of that relationship. It has been at least 10 years since Visalia last sent a delegation to Miki. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, my wife Alisa and I will be hosting a delegation of citizens and city officials traveling to Miki, Japan, November 3 through 9, 2016. The planning for this event has been underway for quite some time, such that we can now start promoting this event.
Miki officials asked us to visit during this time frame because it coincides with their annual Hardware Festival. According to an article I googled, Miki is famous throughout Japan as one of their country's largest producers of hardware, from kitchen knives to hedge trimmers, almost every kind of hand tool is manufactured in Miki. This festival is said to attract 160,000 visitors annually. You can expect to see people pounding mochi (rice cakes), dance and drum performances, people in traditional costume, and stalls selling delicious festival food. Beneath the rows of brightly colored tents are tools of every kind. One can browse through metal rakes and hoes, saws, axes, nata (Japanese hatchets), scissors, thread cutters, Ikebana (flower arrangement) shears, shovels, saws and a plethora of knives. Produce from local farmers can be picked up for cheap. There is also an eclectic mix of other local handicrafts, baked goods and various products, and the nearby cultural center has flowers, bonsai and local art on display.
We plan to fly into Osaka International Airport on Thursday evening, November 3, where we will be greeted by a Miki sister city delegation, and transported by bus to Miki City Hall. From there, we will fan out to our host families' homes or to hotels. Accommodations may be either Japanese style, i.e., the use of futons on Tatami mats, or American style, with tables, chairs and beds.
On Friday we will visit schools and public places such as Shinto/Buddhist temples or factories. Saturday will be free time with the host families. Sunday will include visits to Miki City Hall, the hardware festival, and Horseland Park. On Monday, the group will be hosted on a visit to Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park, and on Tuesday to Miyajimi, a scenic island which is the site of one of Japan's most famous Shinto shrines, a Torii in the ocean, pictures of which you may have seen. The group will be bused back to Osaka Airport on Wednesday for the return flight home.
The cost for this trip will be the responsibility of each of the attendees. Likewise, my wife and I will be traveling on our own dime, with no cost to the city of Visalia. However, much of the price for this fabulous trip will be defrayed by Miki and the host families, who will assist with travel arrangements, food and overnight accommodations.
Visalia received a grant a number of years ago to build a Japanese sister city park, which park is now under construction on Mineral King Avenue, near City Hall just east of Redwood High School. We look forward to a reciprocal visit from a delegation of Miki city officials and citizens in Spring, 2017, as they come to attend the dedication of our new park. At that time, we will be looking for host families to help with their transportation and accommodation needs here.
If you are interested in being part of Visalia's delegation for this visit to our sister city in Japan, or being part of next Spring's celebration here in Visalia, please contact Gladys Ruiz at the City, 713-4314, gladys.ruiz@visalia.city.
Additional Kudos to Fire Department
During the public comment portion of our June 6 city council meeting, local citizen Larry Pruitt thanked the fire department for saving his house that afternoon! Apparently, there were problems with sparks caused by the transformer on his property line, which set his fence and trees in his backyard on fire. Three fire engines and a fire truck with a total of 13 personnel responded, and while the fence and trees were lost, no damage was done to his adjacent home. The fire was contained in 15 minutes and there were no injuries. Mr. Pruitt indicated that he shook the hand of every firefighter and thanked them for saving his home. He said he still smelled like smoke, the fire was so recent. During a break in our meeting, I spoke to Larry personally and told him that I was impressed that he had come to city council meeting the same day as the incident to thank the fire department. Larry replied that coincidentally he was planning on being at our meeting anyway for another agenda item, but wanted to voice his thanks to our fire department for a job well done.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
50th ANNIVERSARY OF SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP
Visalia has had a sister city
relationship with Miki, Japan since 1965. This year celebrates the 50th
anniversary of that relationship. It has been at least 10 years since
Visalia last sent a delegation to Miki. To celebrate the 50th
anniversary, my wife Alisa and I will be hosting a delegation of citizens and
city officials traveling to Miki, Japan, November 3 through 9, 2016. The
planning for this event has been underway for quite some time, such that we can
now start promoting this event.
Miki officials asked us to
visit during this time frame because it coincides with their annual Hardware
Festival. According to an article I googled, Miki is famous throughout
Japan as one of their country's largest producers of hardware, from kitchen
knives to hedge trimmers, almost every kind of hand tool is manufactured in
Miki. This festival is said to attract 160,000 visitors annually.
You can expect to see people pounding mochi (rice cakes), dance and drum
performances, people in traditional costume, and stalls selling delicious
festival food. Beneath the rows of brightly colored tents are tools of
every kind. One can browse through metal rakes and hoes, saws, axes, nata
(Japanese hatchets), scissors, thread cutters, Ikebana (flower arrangement)
shears, shovels, saws and a plethora of knives. Produce from local
farmers can be picked up for cheap. There is also an eclectic mix of
other local handicrafts, baked goods and various products, and the nearby
cultural center has flowers, bonsai and local art on display.
We plan to fly into Osaka
International Airport on Thursday evening, November 3, where we will be greeted
by a Miki sister city delegation, and transported by bus to Miki City
Hall. From there, we will fan out to our host families' homes or to
hotels. Accommodations may be either Japanese style, i.e., the use of
futons on Tatami mats, or American style, with tables, chairs and beds.
On Friday we will visit
schools and public places such as Shinto/Buddhist temples or factories.
Saturday will be free time with the host families. Sunday will include
visits to Miki City Hall, the hardware festival, and Horseland Park. On
Monday, the group will be hosted on a visit to Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial
Park, and on Tuesday to Miyajimi, a scenic island which is the site of one of
Japan's most famous Shinto shrines, a Torii in the ocean, pictures of which you
may have seen. The group will be bused back to Osaka Airport on Wednesday
for the return flight home.
The cost for this trip will
be the responsibility of each of the attendees. Likewise, my wife and I
will be traveling on our own dime, at no cost to the city of Visalia.
However, much of the price for this fabulous trip will be defrayed by Miki and
the host families, who will assist with travel arrangements, food and overnight
accommodations.
Visalia received a grant a
number of years ago, to build a Japanese sister city park, which park is now
under construction on Mineral King Avenue, near City Hall just east of Redwood
High School. We look forward to a reciprocal visit from a delegation of
Miki city officials and citizens in Spring, 2017, as they come to attend the
dedication of our new park. At that time, we will be looking for host
families to help with their transportation and accommodation needs here.
If you are interested in
being part of Visalia's delegation for this visit to our sister city in Japan,
or being part of next Spring's celebration here in Visalia, please contact
Gladys Ruiz at the City, 713-4314, gladys.ruiz@visalia.city
by July 22, 2016. Additionally, we will hold an informational meeting for
all interested on Tuesday, July 19 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
I invite you to join the
celebration of the 50th anniversary of our sister city relationship
with Miki, Japan.
Visalia Times Delta Commentary, July 9, 2016
Friday, July 1, 2016
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
In late May 2016, City Manager Mike Olmos, Economic Development Manager Devon Jones and I attended the ICSC Recon Convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Recon is the world's largest retail real estate exhibition and conference and is a must attend event for shopping center industry executives, retailers, financial companies, and product and service suppliers. Estimated attendance was 36,000.
Every commercial retailer and franchise company you can imagine were in attendance. We made some cold calls on those that we thought might be nice additions to Visalia. We handed out city pamphlets and brochures, and extolled the virtues of doing business in Visalia.
While visiting these retailers was interesting and fun, I would suggest that our most effective work was done while meeting with various developers and getting updates on their local projects. We met with Colliers, commercial real estate agents who have listed some property on South Mooney Blvd., the Orosco Group which developed Packwood Creek, Dave Paynter and his associates, which I will discuss hereafter, General Growth Properties which owns the Visalia Mall, Foothill Partners which is seeking to develop some property on South Mooney, and Donahue Schriber, developers of Orchard Walk, east and west projects in north Visalia. They each gave us updates on their development projects, and we assured them that the city will do whatever is possible to assist and support them in building our retail base here.
As to Mr. Paynter, you may remember that he was the developer of the successful Kohl's shopping center (formerly Sin City). He currently owns properties on three corners of Caldwell and Mooney Blvd., including the Walmart Center, the Dick's Sporting Goods Center and the Sequoia Mall. As to the Walmart Center, the last large puzzle piece going in will be JoAnn's in the old Circuit City location (with a second Smart & Final stepping into JoAnn's current location). For me personally, the most interesting discussion had to do with the rehabilitation and redevelopment of Sequoia Mall. While at this time I am not at liberty to share specifics, I will say that I predict that this mixed-use project will have an appearance and feel like River Park in Fresno when completed. Look for some major announcements and the beginning of construction, hopefully in the next 12 months.
After two days of meetings, it was good to leave the big city and return home to Visalia.
Sequoia Shuttle Tenth Anniversary
The Sequoia Shuttle began in 2007 through a partnership between the City of Visalia and the National Parks Service. It has provided 2,770,533 passenger trips inside Sequoia National Park and 71,252 passenger trips to and from Sequoia National Park. The Sequoia Shuttle provides a convenient, comfortable and car free way of traveling to and within Sequoia National Park. It kicked off its tenth year on May 26 and will run this year through September 11. It runs 7 days a week and all shuttles are equipped with bicycle racks and wheelchair seating.
On May 16, 2016, the city council recognized the Sequoia Shuttle program for its success and presented it with a resolution of commendation. I have personally used the shuttle system with my family and highly recommend it to everyone, particularly during the dogs days of summer when you want to escape the valley heat.
Kudos to the Fire Department
To wrap up this article, I'll add a Facebook post that the city recently received from Shelley Brewer-Martell: "Just wanted to give a special thanks to Engine E-54. A little boy at Baskin Robbins waved out the window to a passing fireman. The fireman took the time to walk in to see the little boy and give him a sticker. I was just watching this little guy's face light up, it was a wonderful moment. Just wanted you to know what wonderful people you have on staff."
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Every commercial retailer and franchise company you can imagine were in attendance. We made some cold calls on those that we thought might be nice additions to Visalia. We handed out city pamphlets and brochures, and extolled the virtues of doing business in Visalia.
While visiting these retailers was interesting and fun, I would suggest that our most effective work was done while meeting with various developers and getting updates on their local projects. We met with Colliers, commercial real estate agents who have listed some property on South Mooney Blvd., the Orosco Group which developed Packwood Creek, Dave Paynter and his associates, which I will discuss hereafter, General Growth Properties which owns the Visalia Mall, Foothill Partners which is seeking to develop some property on South Mooney, and Donahue Schriber, developers of Orchard Walk, east and west projects in north Visalia. They each gave us updates on their development projects, and we assured them that the city will do whatever is possible to assist and support them in building our retail base here.
As to Mr. Paynter, you may remember that he was the developer of the successful Kohl's shopping center (formerly Sin City). He currently owns properties on three corners of Caldwell and Mooney Blvd., including the Walmart Center, the Dick's Sporting Goods Center and the Sequoia Mall. As to the Walmart Center, the last large puzzle piece going in will be JoAnn's in the old Circuit City location (with a second Smart & Final stepping into JoAnn's current location). For me personally, the most interesting discussion had to do with the rehabilitation and redevelopment of Sequoia Mall. While at this time I am not at liberty to share specifics, I will say that I predict that this mixed-use project will have an appearance and feel like River Park in Fresno when completed. Look for some major announcements and the beginning of construction, hopefully in the next 12 months.
After two days of meetings, it was good to leave the big city and return home to Visalia.
Sequoia Shuttle Tenth Anniversary
The Sequoia Shuttle began in 2007 through a partnership between the City of Visalia and the National Parks Service. It has provided 2,770,533 passenger trips inside Sequoia National Park and 71,252 passenger trips to and from Sequoia National Park. The Sequoia Shuttle provides a convenient, comfortable and car free way of traveling to and within Sequoia National Park. It kicked off its tenth year on May 26 and will run this year through September 11. It runs 7 days a week and all shuttles are equipped with bicycle racks and wheelchair seating.
On May 16, 2016, the city council recognized the Sequoia Shuttle program for its success and presented it with a resolution of commendation. I have personally used the shuttle system with my family and highly recommend it to everyone, particularly during the dogs days of summer when you want to escape the valley heat.
Kudos to the Fire Department
To wrap up this article, I'll add a Facebook post that the city recently received from Shelley Brewer-Martell: "Just wanted to give a special thanks to Engine E-54. A little boy at Baskin Robbins waved out the window to a passing fireman. The fireman took the time to walk in to see the little boy and give him a sticker. I was just watching this little guy's face light up, it was a wonderful moment. Just wanted you to know what wonderful people you have on staff."
If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
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