Three Valley cities honored with statewide award

The League of California Cities has chosen Reedley, Clovis and Sanger as winners of the 2015 Helen Putnam Award.

The 2015 award winners were honored during the opening general session of the League’s annual conference at the San José Convention Center held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.

Sanger won the category of League Partners Award for Excellence in City-Business Relations for the Sanger Job Training Initiative. The program enables training in high-skills vocations to fill an unmet need for qualified applicants, and by researching obstacles to local businesses.

Clovis won the Planning and Environmental Quality award for the Dry Creek Trailhead, transforming a vacant three-acre lot into a hub for trail goers and an educational facility featuring drought-tolerant plants.

Reedley was one of two winners in the category of Public Safety for its Reedley Peace Building Initiative, a restorative justice program introduced in 2009. The program addresses lower level offenses such as vandalism, graffiti, theft, curfew violations, and minor physical altercations by helping to keep juvenile offenders in school.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Three Valley cities honored with statewide award."