KINGSPORT – The City of Kingsport in association with Keep Kingsport Beautiful, Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium, Kingsport Birding Trail, and the Kingsport Stormwater Management Department would like to invite you to the Greenbelt Enterance @ East Stone Commons (Behind PetSmart) on April 20, 2013 from 8am – 2pm for the 2013 Earth Day Celebration. Activities have been planned for all ages, which include: games, face painting, inflatables, bard, prizes, free stuff and more. Learn about the Find Stormy App at the Find Stormy App launch.

Major activities:

8am-9am: Free Greenbelt Guided Bird Walk

9am-11am: Reedy Creek and Greenbelt Cleanup

11am-2pm: Earth Day Celebration Family event featuring the Find Stormy App Launch

TEEN ROBOTICS CAMP June 3-July 8 Space limited to 20 participants ages 13-18 $25 fee cash/check when you register at the library in the youth services department. ‚  Bring parent/guardian to sign paperwork. Must be able to attend five of the six workshops. ‚ Workshops held in the library’s auditorium.‚ All hardware and tools provided. Week 1: June 3 ‚ 1:00-5:00 Introduction to Electricity & Circuits Week 2: ‚ June 10 ‚ 1:00-5:00 Microcontroller Basics Week 3: June 17 ‚ 1:00-5:00 Basics of Robotics Week 4: ‚ June 24 ‚ 1:00-5:00 Soldering Techniques & Robot Assembly Week 5: ‚ July 1 ‚ 1:00-5:00 Introduction to Programming for Robotics Week 6: ‚ July 8 ‚ 1:00-5:00 Advanced Programming Participants will be able to show off their projects at the 2nd Annual FunFest Mini-Maker Faire on Sunday, July 14 ‚  1:00-6:00 in the Kingsport Civic Auditorium. ‚ Mini events include: Navigation Maze, Sumo Match/Tug of War, Line Following and general show and tell arena. Call 229-9366 for more information. Sponsored by Eastman Chemical Company and the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library. Instruction and training provided by Mountain Lab Hackerspace

KINGSPORT ‚¬ After six years in command, Kingsport Police Chief Gale Osborne has announced his intent to retire as Chief effective May 17 to assist in caring for his mother.

Osborne was promoted to Chief of Police in April 2007, after serving as interim Chief since November 2006, and 11 years as Deputy Chief prior to his appointment as Interim Chief. In all Osborne has served more than 33 years in the Department, working his way up through the ranks of where he first began as a Patrol Officer in 1980.

Osborne indicated that he continues to place faith and family first in his life, and will enter a new phase in his life by helping care for his mother.

Regarding my work family, I am so grateful for my brothers and sisters in Public Safety that continue to put their lives on the line every day, Osborne said. They do so with a quiet determination to keep each other and our community safe. I am proud of their efforts and professionalism, and I will rest easy knowing that I continue to be protected by them. I hope that I have honored them as well, in my conduct as their Chief of Police.

City Manager John Campbell, who promoted Osborne shortly after becoming City Manager, thanked Osborne for building a smarter, more flexible and better trained police force ready to respond to any emergency at any time.

Gale Osborne is a person of great moral integrity, Campbell said. He kept the best tenets of faith, family and the City of Kingsport at the center of his heart. He promoted several innovations in his tenure as Chief, including a move to paperless reporting that saves countless man hours and dramatically improves efficiency, implemented CompStat to deploy the use of statistical data to forecast and review crime trends in the community, and certainly, helped lead the effort in partnership with the District Attorney General and state legislators to rid our community of the scourge of synthetic drugs.

Other successful efforts during Osbornes tenure include instilling a strong focus on honor and discipline, while developing a greater understanding of the high standards the Kingsport Police Department is held to by the community.

Gale was instrumental in building the leadership core of the Department, promoting many of the key members of the Department that will lead the Department into the future, Campbell said. I deeply appreciate his leadership and all Gale has done for the Department and the City of Kingsport.

In addition to his duties as Chief, Osborne was a voting member on a number of Public Safety boards, including the 800 MHz Radio Oversight Committee, Kingsport Emergency Communications District (911) Board of Directors, 2^nd Judicial District Drug Task Force Board of Directors and the Kingsport Beverage Board.

Campbell indicated that he will employ a process similar to the one used to select Chief Osborne to select the next Police Chief. This will include selecting a panel of sitting Chiefs of Police from other communities to assist in narrowing the field of applicants.

In the interim, Deputy Police Chief David Quillin, who oversees Police operations, will serve as Interim Police Chief.

KINGSPORT – The Kingsport Police Department has received several calls recently regarding door to door sales in our community.

Door to door sales require a permit within the city and Kingsport currently has no active permits for door to door sales.

Please contact the Kingsport Police Department concerning any suspicious persons or door to door sales conducted without proper identification or permits.

Please call 423-246-9111 and provide Central Dispatch with as much information as possible regarding suspicious persons. (Vehicle, clothing, physical description, tag number ONLY if such information can be obtained safely) If at any time an emergency arises or the need for police is emergent please call 911.

The Kingsport Police Department appreciates the vigilance of our citizens and the assistance is invaluable.

KINGSPORT – Kingsport Senior Center hosts a fun, family event:  PAWSITIVELY ARTISTIC!,  in conjunction with the SBK Animal Center, on Saturday, April 27, 9am-1pm, in the first floor atrium, at 1200 E. Center Street. Questions? Call 392-4577, for information.

The SBK (Sullivan County, Bluff City, Kingsport) Animal Center  invites you and your pet to create a unique, family heirloom and benefit our local animals at the same time!

On Saturday April 27^th, from 9am to 1pm your four legged artist will be finally given the opportunity to express his or her creative side with bright colors and original designs on -canvas. You will cherish their creation for years to come! This event will be held at the Kingsport Senior Center, 1200 East Center St. in Kingsport.

Your $10 entry fee will provide paints, -canvas, and plenty of help cleaning up afterward. Additional family pets on the same piece only $5.You will have the option of taking your pets artwork home with you or of having it displayed and judged in the Pawsitively Artistic Art Contest! Winner will receive free professional mat and frame to preserve your treasure forever!

Samples of Shelter Pets creations will be on display prior to the event at SBK Animal Centers in Kingsport and Blountville.