On Wednesday, three city councilmembers — Miguel Arias, Garry Bredefeld, Paul Caprioglio — publicly supported the “Help Us, Help Fresno” proposal. Their idea? Place signs discouraging motorists from giving to panhandlers at busy intersections and instead ask for donations to charities helping the homeless. Arias strongly endorsed the signs at...
Dyer Calms Protester, Invites Him to Panhandling Discussion
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer demonstrated his leadership skills Wednesday at a street corner news conference unveiling a plan to discourage panhandling. While city councilmembers Garry Bredefeld, Miguel Arias, and Paul Caprioglio announced their plan, a truck pulled around the corner of Blackstone and Herndon avenues where the news conference...
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...
Can City Ordinance “STOP” Panhandling?
UPDATE, 3/20/2019: Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Esmeralda Soria and Nelson Esparza formally announced their opposition to the ordinance written about below. They are holding news conference Wednesday (March 20) afternoon. With councilmen Steve Brandau, Paul Caprioglio and Luis Chavez sponsoring the measure, that leaves the seventh council member, Garry Bredefeld as...
Kaiser Permanente Accelerates Efforts to End Fresno Homelessness
Kaiser Permanente says it will provide $3 million over three years to an initiative that will use real-time data to help 15 communities nationwide — including the Fresno-Madera area — better understand the dynamics of local homelessness. The nonprofit health-care giant is partnering with New York-based Community Solutions on the Built...
Feds Create Hole in Marjaree Mason Budget. It's Up to Us to Fill It.
The first rule of government should be one that's in the Hippocratic Oath: "First, do no harm." I say that because the Marjaree Mason Center — one of Fresno's best-known and most-needed nonprofits — is dealing with the fallout of the federal government's effort to help the homeless. Center Lost $224,000...
Wings Advocacy Helps Lift Homeless Families Into a Better Life
For families who have endured the struggle of homelessness, the opportunity to be housed again presents its own set of challenges. Among them: furnishing their living space with necessities like a bedding, lamps, plates, and utensils to name just a few items. That's where Wings Advocacy Fresno comes in. "The...
Habitat for Humanity Puts Affordable Housing Within Reach
Worrying about rats biting you while you sleep in your home is not what anyone would call living the American Dream. Unfortunately, that scenario is something Matthew Grundy finds all too prevalent in the Fresno community. "There's actually 44,000 residents that lack safe and decent housing in the greater Fresno area,"...
Council Tackles Big Issues: Cannabis, Homeless, and Pay Raises
The Fresno City Council is saving its best for last. Major items such as cannabis regulation, homelessness, and farmland mitigation appear on this week's agenda. Technically, Thursday's (Dec. 6) meeting is the second-to-last for this council alignment, which includes two termed-out representatives. Still, the city’s governing body will have its...
Rail Fail? Richards Answers Patterson’s HSR Questions
Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) had his chance on Thursday (Nov. 29) to confront high-speed rail leadership over a state audit, which blames high costs and delays on mismanagement of the project. HSR board vice chair Tom Richards, also from Fresno, defended the decision to begin building tracks in the Central...