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August 17, 2016 @6pm in the Council Chambers
Congressional Workshop
 
On Saturday, August 13, Congressman David Valadao will be hosting a free small business workshop at the Kingsburg Senior Center.  Representative Valadao will be introducing the two
keynote speakers of the workshop
: the director of the Fresno office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Carlos Mendoza, and the senior staff attorney of the National Federation of Independent Businesses' Legal Center, Luke Wake.  In addition, the City of Kingsburg will be participating in the event to provide information to those who currently operating or may be thinking about operating a business in the City.   
   
The goal of this workshop is to inform local small businesses how they can be more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) while also helping them grow their businesses, bring in more capital, as well as discuss other relevant issues.  If you are interested in attending you have to RSVP prior to the event.
Rafer Lewis Johnson

In honor of the Summer Olympics taking place, we're honoring one of Kingsburg's greatest athletes - Rafer Johnson.  Johnson, born August 18, 1935, won Gold in the Decathlon during the 1960 Summer Games in Rome.  He also lit the Olympic Flame during the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. 

At just five years old, his family moved to Kingsburg from Texas.  He attended and played sports at Kingsburg High School as well as being elected class President.  He attended UCLA where he competed on the track team, and then qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in both decathlon and the long jump.  He won Silver in the decathlon while not competing in the long jump due to injury.  He was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1958, and was the first person of color to win the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in 1960.

Johnson went on to act in motion pictures, and tv, as well as working as a sportscaster.  He also is very involved in the Special Olympics, becoming one of the original members of the Board of Directors.  He continues to be a part of the Kingsburg community, and often returns to help promote the 8th graders from his namesake school into high school.    
Chamber Seeking
 
The Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce is seeking a new Executive Director! The position is available effective immediately. This is a full time position and the salary will be commensurate with experience. The Deadline to apply is Wednesday, August 24, at 5:00 pm.  All applicants are required to submit a resume to the Chamber of Commerce office at 1475 Draper St or email one to the Chamber
Truck Routing

Motorists will notice that 18th Avenue has been designated a No Truck Route as of June 3, 2015. There are several reasons behind this:
          • The maintenance costs to 18th Ave from truck traffic (1 semi trip =3,000 car trips)
          • Traffic congestion and conflict with pedestrian and cyclist traffic
          • Turn radius issues at the 18th/Sierra St. intersection
          • Pedestrian interaction at Lincoln Elementary School and Kingsburg High School crosswalks
          • Maintenance and safety issues related to road cleanup from citrus and grape season harvest runoff
In addition to signage, KPD has continued to enforce this measure and have issued 73 citations since the new provision was enacted.

Students are going back to school on Thursday, August 18 for elementary and middle school, high school will resume on Monday, August 22. Please continue to exercise caution while traveling through school zones.

Please follow these tips to keep our children safe:
  • Don't double park or stop in crosswalks to load or unload children
  • Never pass another vehicle while in a school zone
  • Obey the speed limit and follow traffic signs and markings
  • If you aren't dropping off a child, use alternate routes and avoid the traffic of school zones altogether
Stay safe, and welcome back to school to all the kids!
This Week in History

On August 11, 1934, a group of federal prisoners classified as "most dangerous" arrives at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop situated 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay. The convicts-the first civilian prisoners to be housed in the new high-security penitentiary-joined a few dozen military prisoners left over from the island's days as a U.S. military prison.  Later that month, more shiploads arrived, featuring, among other convicts, infamous mobster Al Capone. In September, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, another luminary of organized crime, landed on Alcatraz.  In 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered Alcatraz closed, citing the high expense of its maintenance.  In 1972, Alcatraz was opened to the public as part of the newly created Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is maintained by the National Park Service. More than one million tourists visit Alcatraz Island and the former prison annually. 
Video of the Week
1960 Olympics - Rafer Johnson Decathalon
1960 Olympics - Rafer Johnson Decathlon
 
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I Wanna Rock!
The last Movie in the Park is set for Saturday, August 13, and we will be playing School of Rock. The movie starts at 8:30 pm so come early to get a good seat!
We're Hiring
The Community Service Department is now looking for two driven individuals for the  Recreation Leader position.  All applications are due on Friday, August 26, at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall.  
Water Works   
Kingsburg residents cut their water usage 24% in July compared to the same month in 2013.  Remember, we're still in a prolonged drought, make sure you're following conservation guidelines.