When Brandon Vang’s future Fresno City Council colleagues delayed naming a new sports park in March, they wanted the yet-to-be-elected District 5 councilmember to decide.

Vang won the March 18 special election, and on Thursday revealed the name of the new southeast Fresno sports complex — the Southeast Fresno Sports Complex.

Vang called the uninspired — yet technically accurate — name “bold.”

“The name says exactly what this place will be: bold, active and inclusive. It reflects the vision. That this is not just a park, but we want southeast Fresno to look like,” Vang said.

During a groundbreaking for the 49-acre park in February, Mayor Jerry Dyer proposed several names based on an online survey. Vang said he received 700 suggestions when asked about the name choice. He repeated options revealed in February— Peach Park, Grove Park or Peach and Vine Park. He chose none of those options.

“The vision is we want to be inclusive. We want to have a name that is representative of what the design is,” Vang said.

Vang said facilities within the park could be named for local leaders.

“It would be a disservice to not recognize leaders who have contributed,” Vang said.

The generic name will be formally voted on by the city council on Aug. 14.

First Phase to Open Next Year

Vang and Dyer continually described the park as “inclusive,” with plans for baseball, cricket, soccer, basketball, pickleball and more.

“All of those will serve this very, very diverse community and the unique interests that so many people have. And when you ask someone what you want to see in a park, you may get a hundred different answers. And that’s what we wanted,” Dyer said.

The land on Peach Avenue, north of Church Avenue, was once the site of a federal government agricultural research facility that studied table grapes, and peach breeding. The feds gifted the land in 2006, as long as it was used for the public good.

The first phase of the park is expected to be completed by August 2026, Dyer said. Two other phases could be completed within five years.

Vang also set aside money in the recently passed budget to study the possibility of building a gym at the park.

Dyer said while there is a demand for a gym, funding could be a “challenge.”

“I think we’re getting ahead of the game in terms of talking about the gym. It simply hasn’t even started the study process,” Dyer said.

Rare Fresno Council School Committee Meets

A rarely convened Fresno City Council committee — the School Liaison Subcommittee — met Monday.

The board includes three councilmembers — chair Nelson Esparza, Vang and Nick Richardson — and members of several other local school districts.

Despite the names of the districts, 48% of Clovis Unified students live in the city of Fresno; and 40% of Sanger Unified students live within city limits.

Trustees talked about helping homeless students through afterschool programs, and support services on campus. The city councilmembers questioned what data could be shared to best provide services for those in need.

Also discussed: the safety impacts of homelessness on campus. Fresno Unified Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas praised Fresno police for quick reaction times.

Other items discussed included safe route to schools, the role of code enforcement, traffic safety, e-bike registration, textbooks, and pools.

Only four of the eight school board members on the committee attended — Clint Olivier and Wilma Hashimoto of Clovis Unified; Jonasson Rosas; and Sanger Unified Trustee Tang Yang.

The last meeting was January 2023, and before that 2019.

Clovis Passes Catalytic Converter Protection Law

The Clovis City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance Monday that would make it illegal to possess a detached catalytic converter without proof of ownership.

The city said there have been 44 catalytic converter thefts in the last two years, with 11 since June. Replacing the stolen part could cost up to $3,000.

Councilmember Diane Pearce said she supported the ordinance as a deterrent.

Fresno County passed a similar ordinance in May, inspiring Clovis to do the same.

Penalties for a conviction include six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.