Porterville, California
Porterville, California is in Tulare County near man-made Lake Success. Porterville is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. While the U.S. Census of 2000 shows the population as 39,615, the unofficial 2008 total posted at the town limits is 51,467 persons. A large percentage of that growth is due to the annexation of surrounding areas in the last half decade, which brought the total land area of the city up to 14 square miles. Original settlements began as early as 1826 in the Porterville area, but it wasn't until 1902 that the town was incorporated.
The California court system has two basic types of courts, Trial and Appellate. Trial Courts, more commonly known as Superior Court, are based in each of CA's 58 counties. Superior Courts hear both civil and criminal cases in addition to all family, probate, and juvenile cases. For the city of Porterville, Superior Court is hosted by Tulare County. The local facility for Porterville residents is at the Porterville Superior Court Building, 87 East Morton Avenue, Porterville. This is where most civil lawsuits involving personal injury will be heard. A separate Juvenile Justice Facility is maintained at 11200 Avenue 368, Visalia, CA and the Family Law Facilitator is housed at 3400 West Mineral King, also in Visalia. Tulare County does have alternate Superior Court locations in the county as well as a stand-alone Pre-Trial administration building.
The Appellate Court is divided into two branches: the Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Courts of Appeal are California's intermediate courts of review for the county-based Superior Courts. There are six Courts of Appeal serving the State of California. The City of Porterville is served by the Fifth District Court of Appeals located in Fresno, CA. The highest authority in CA's judicial system is the California Supreme Court, headquartered in San Francisco.
The Judicial Council of California provides a helpful glossary of legal terms in multiple languages to assist citizens in understanding the judicial process.
Porterville, CA is served by two distinct school districts. The main and prominent district which runs the city high schools is the Porterville Unified School District, with a total of eighteen school facilities. In the Western portion of Porterville, the Burton School District runs three elementary schools, one middle school, and three academy facilities, of which two are charter schools. Porterville College is an asset to the community, concentrating on student education and their Fast Track program designed to prepare high school graduates quickly and well for their major at a four-year college.
Approximately five miles southwest of the city is the Porterville Municipal Airport, built in 1942 for use by the United States Army Air Force as a training facility and then a quick-deployment refueling base during World War II. In 1948, the facility was turned over to the City of Porterville with surrounding acreage given to the county housing authority. Currently the airport and its mile-long plus runway is home to over 150 residential aircraft and averages more than 125 flights in/out per day. It is a popular spot for flying lessons and sees more than average numbers of ultra-light and experimental aircraft. Porterville Municipal Airport has a social life of its own that draws tourists as well as aviation buffs. The Eagle Mountain Airshow Review is hosted here annually in June. Porterville Airport is also called home by the CalFire/US Forest Service Air Attack Base, who are known as "Guardians of the Southern Giant Sequoias Protectors of the Southern Sierra mountains."
Porterville's charm starts with its beautiful downtown lined with quaint shops, boutique-style retail stores, and numerous restaurants with a wide variety of food styles and ethnic favorites. Mountains, lakes, big cities and small towns, all within a short distance of the city make it a versatile place to live, work and visit. Porterville's amenities include art, cultural, and historical sites. The Porterville Museum on "D" Street is an historical site itself, housed in the old Southern Pacific Depot (constructed 1913). The Zalud House is a nostalgic visit into the past. The house stands as it was built in 1891, one of the few houses from that era that has had no remodeling or restoration, just TLC maintenance.
For outdoor recreation, Porterville keeps busy year-round with seven parks within the city limits. There are some great trails for hiking and biking adventures, including the famous Sequoia National Forest Trails. Wilderness roots are emphasized during the Golden Trout Wilderness Pack Train; head for the wilderness on horseback (pack), and forage and fish like the original Porterville settlers. If a civilized round of golf is your idea of outdoor recreation, check out one of the many area golf courses. A luxurious 18-hole championship course can be found at River Island Golf Course and Country Club, or a quick 9 holes on Porterville's own Municipal Golf Course. This easily walkable course is one of the oldest and best maintained in the Central Valley, and at only $12 to play through, it's economical, too!
