0000127823 1700 S. Court St. Suite C • Visalia559- 734- 5674 • www. visaliaopenmri. comLIVING HERE May 21, 2009| 69living here COMMUNITIES: THREE RIVERSStaff reportsbout 30 miles eastfrom Visalia isThree Rivers, asmall foothill townof about 2,200 thatencourages a loveof the arts andnature. Its originalinhabitants were the Yokut Indian Tribe, who were soon replaced by farmers inthe 1870s. The North Fork of theKaweah River runs through the town, whose secluded location was the perfectplace for fruit orchards and citrus trees. More of the town's history is on dis- play at the Three Rivers Museum, 42268Sierra Dr. In 1890, the town became the closestsettled area to the newly- foundedSequoia National Park. Visitors fromaround the world pass through ThreeRivers to see the famous Giant Sequoiatrees. On the way, many stop by thevariety of restaurants that line GeneralsHighway, get a taste of candy or icecream at Reimer's Candies & Gifts, orcheck out some of the unique art bou- tiques, antique stores and gift shops. For those who are willing to brave thecold, Three Rivers kicks off every NewYear's Day with its Annual Polar BearDip at the Gateway Restaurant, whenpeople jump into the icy Kaweah River. Later on, residents of the townbecome immersed in jazz, which takesThree Rivers by storm every Aprilwhen hometown group High Sierra JazzBand hosts Jazzaffair. Other jazz bandstravel from all over the United States toplay in the beauty of the mountains foraudiences that also hale from aroundthe country to enjoy Dixieland- stylemusic. Also in April is the Three RiversLions Team Roping, a rodeo event thatlets cowboys and cowgirls compete inroping and barrel riding sports for thou- sands of dollars in prize money. A month later, Three Rivers cele- brates art with its annual Redbud Festi- val, sponsored by the Art Alliance ofThree Rivers. Named after the trees thatbloom all over the foothills that time ofyear, the festival features the work oflocal artists and artisans, along withfood, music and fun. Jim Richard- son per- forms withthe NightBloomingJazzmen atthe ThreeRivers LionsArena duringthe 34thannual Jaz- zaffair inThree Rivers. Ron HolmanThree Rivers Web sitesiThe town: www. threerivers. comiJazzaffair: www. jazzaffair. infoiLions Team Roping: www. threeriver- steamroping. orgiRedbud Festival: www. artsthree- rivers. orgiThree Rivers Historical Museum andHistorical Society: www. 3rmuseum. orgCLIP IT | ESSENTIAL INFOAFoothilltownbig onthe arts

• LocalProduce, Nuts& FagundesCheeses• GourmetFoods• Candy& Chocolate• UniqueGifts& GardenDecor• CustomGiftBasketsMentionthisadfor10% OFF! 8606Avenue280• Visalia, CA93291Ph:( 559) 651- 0994OpenEVERYDAY9am- 5pmCaldwellA( Ave. 28HWY99000012729570| May 21, 2009| LIVING HEREliving here COMMUNITIES: TIPTONStaff reportseople like Paula Maestaz likeliving in a small town like Tip- ton for a simple reason. " Community events in Tiptonare really community events," she says, explaining that when there's anevent, most of the community actuallyshows up. " It's really nice," said Maestaz, a memberof the Tipton Community Council. While the town isn't known for rapidgrowth via strip malls or housing develop- ments, it is known as a supportive place tolive. In April, always the Saturday after EarthDay, community members take part in Com- munity Clean Up Day. This year more than50 volunteers helped collect 15- plus tons ofgarbage to tow away, Maestaz said. In the fall, one Tipton man, woman, busi- ness, youth, senior and organization iscrowned ..." Of The Year" as a reward forcommunity involvement. That's only part of traditional Tipton gooddeeds. The Catholic church offers English class- es; the Methodist church offers computerclasses; the Baptist church runs a foodpantry on the first Friday of the month; theKiwanis Club does all- around good, includ- ing a September car show; Ladies Auxiliaryof Tipton uputs flags on the graves of servicemembers at the Tipton- Pixley Cemetery forMemorial Day. Like other communities in Tulare County, Tipton selects queens and holds a Por- tuguese festa parade, does the traditionalserving of the sopas and includes entertain- ment, more food and an auction. The eventis in June. The city was originally called " TippedEnds" because it is located at the end of theSouthern Pacific Railroad line, according toits community Web site. Tipton Town CouncilMeets 6: 30 p. m. on the first Mondayof the month at Tipton Memorial Hall, 577 E. Spencer Ave., 559- 903- 8586Public SafetyPolice: 559- 757- 3525Fire: 559- 734- 7477UtilitiesWater/ sewer: Tipton Community Ser- vices District, 559- 752- 4182Trash: Tule Trash Co., 559- 757- 1045Gas: The Gas Co., 800- 427- 2200Power: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 800- 655- 4555MiscellaneousPublic transportation: Tulare CountyArea Transit, 800- 431- 9711Schools: Tipton Elementary SchoolDistrict, 559- 752- 4213Library: Tulare County Library, Tiptonbranch, 301 E. Woods Ave., 559- 752- 4236CLIP IT | ESSENTIAL INFORon HolmanStudents connect red links, one for each of more than 600 students, during the " Chain Up Drugs" event at Tipton School. Community involvement makes Tipton specialP