Fresno honored seven women last week whose contributions range from political activism to delivering the news to thousands each night. The city council held its fourth Women of the Year ceremony. Each council member selected a woman for the honor, presented during a special ceremony last Thursday (March 21). Here...
How Chief Dyer Torpedoed Panhandling Ordinance
Police Chief Jerry Dyer sank a city council proposal Thursday that supporters said was focused on public safety, but opponents criticized as a mean-spirited attack on the poor. After three and a half hours of public comments, council debate, catcalls, and requests for potty breaks, the Safe Transfer of Objects...
How Valley Elected Leaders Reacted to New Zealand Tragedy
Elected representatives of the Central Valley offered their comments on the shooting deaths of 50 Muslim worshippers last Friday in New Zealand: “We all mourn the loss of life in New Zealand. Islamophobia and hate of any kind have no place in society and should not be tolerated. My thoughts...
Will This West Fresno Church Block Major Homebuilder?
UPDATE, 3/13/2019 During a presentation to city council on Thursday (March 14), city planner Israel Trejo said a meeting between the city, council members Steve Brandau and Esmeralda Soria, and God's Family Church produced an agreement. The church balked at having its parsonage (home used by church staff) annexed into...
Valley House Delegation Joins in Omar-less Anti-Hate Vote
The Central Valley congressional delegation all supported a House resolution Thursday (March 7) condemning hate — anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and just about all other forms. That put the likes of House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and TJ Cox (D-Fresno) in step with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota). Approval came strongly on...
Next! Candidates Line Up for NW Fresno Council Seat
With Steve Brandau holding a commanding lead in the special election for Fresno County supervisor, attention now turns to his Fresno City Council seat. At least five candidates are planning to run in the subsequent special election to fulfill the remainder of Brandau’s term. Brandau has a 5,731-vote lead over...
Johnson's 'Small' Donors? They Include Big Labor.
At Monday’s (Feb. 11) Board of Supervisors forum, candidate Nasreen Johnson criticized Steve Brandau for taking developer contributions. “My campaign comes from folks like you, writing small contributions. That’s how I’m running my campaign. I’m not tied to any developers, and I truly have the voice of the people and...
A Brief History of Fresno's Spiral Garage
When city leaders approved the spiral garage 51 years ago, they hoped it would strengthen the Fulton Mall, which had been closed to auto traffic just a few years prior. The city initially approved building the garage in February 1968. The minutes of the meeting estimated the minimum cost to...
Supervisor Mendes Compares Fresno Council to 'Seinfeld'
Leave it to Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes (District 4) to liven up a mundane conversation with a zinger. As the supervisors on Tuesday (Feb. 12) discussed when to hold a potential joint meeting with the city of Fresno, Mendes name-dropped one of the biggest shows in television history. “I...
Immigrant Committee Coming to Fresno. Legal Defense Fund Next?
In the first major social policy proposal of the year, the Fresno council will vote on creating an “Immigrant Affairs Committee” at Thursday’s (Feb. 14) meeting. The idea comes from council members Luis Chavez (District 5) and Esmeralda Soria (District 1). All signs point to its passage. Chavez said he...