On Saturday, Nov. 25, I invite you to take the opportunity to attend a talk and book signing event with Michael Kunz, author of the new book, Muir's Temples. Michael is a professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Fresno Pacific University, and he put 10 years into researching, writing, and photographing Muir's Temples. The book’s title is a reference to … [Read more...]
Take a visit to Turlock’s excellent Dust Bowl Brewing Co.
Recently, my family gathered for my sister’s birthday at the massive Dust Bowl Brewing Co. Taproom in Turlock. It was a good central location for the folks in Fresno, Sacramento, and the Bay Area to gather at. I had previously been to the Dust Bowl’s other location, the Downtown Taproom, a couple of years ago before a concert and had a good time. The Downtown Taproom is a nice-sized … [Read more...]
Draggin’ the Main cars and pop-up businesses wanted for Fulton party
Do you have a hot rod, classic or exotic car? When we officially re-open Fulton Street, we’re going to start the celebration with a car cruise, Draggin' the Main. The first group of cars through will be 1964 and older. Why? Because that’s when the pedestrian mall (Fulton Mall) went in and the biggest cruise in the Central Valley was dispersed. We’ll start with the feel from those good old days … [Read more...]
Downtown Revitalization part 3: Get Involved
(Read "Downtown Revitalization part 1: Damn You, Dan Whitehurst!" here and "Downtown Revitalization part 2: Revitalization Begins October 21" here) As downtown begins its revitalization with the re-opening of Fulton Street, our region’s main street, it’s the best possible time to get involved. How often does a city transform before your eyes? If you’ve lived in other places … [Read more...]
Downtown Revitalization Part 2: Revitalization Begins October 21
(Read "Downtown Revitalization Part 1: Damn You, Dan Whitehurst!" here.) I know, I know. We’ve been talking about downtown revitalization for decades. But now it’s about to actually start. It couldn’t happen without our main street being a main street, no matter how many other things we tried. So I’m going to climb out onto a limb and say that downtown revitalization will begin on the day that … [Read more...]
Downtown Fresno Revitalization Part 1: Damn You, Dan Whitehurst!
I told my friend Dan Whitehurst that "Damn You, Dan Whitehurst!" would be the title of a chapter in my memoir (or is it autobiography—I get them mixed up). Since I haven’t written that book, I’ve made it a FresYes blog post instead. Two days after being elected to the Fresno City Council 31 years ago, I met with my mentor Dan Whitehurst. Dan had previously been the youngest person ever elected … [Read more...]
My Favorite Day Hike: Redwood Canyon/Hart Loop Trail
I love to take people to see their first giant sequoia tree. You can kind of see them thinking, Yeah, yeah, yeah, we have big trees back home. But then they see their first sequoia and their minds are blown. It’s hard to blame their skepticism; the giants are so out of scale with any other tree. Even the Ponderosa pine doesn’t look so ponderous by comparison. Visit Redwood Canyon and you will … [Read more...]
What I Hate About Summer in Fresno
Let me start by saying, my mother instructed us to never use the word 'hate'. But I just don’t think "My Least Favorite Thing About Summer in Fresno" has the same punch, so sorry, Mom. You raised me better. What do I hate about summer in Fresno? I hate it when people complain about the heat. Back to my mom, we never complained about the heat to her. We were instructed that it is summer and … [Read more...]