Guest Writer - FresYes!

Have you seen these supernatural creatures that haunt the Fresno area?

October 22, 2018 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

by Michael Banti

Given the popularity of the last article I wrote, I thought I’d share some more weird stories from around the Fresno area—just in time for Halloween.

One of my favorite things about Halloween is watching horror movies, and my favorite kind are ones that feature a monster or strange creature of sorts. So that got me thinking on some of the strange creature stories I’ve written about on Weird Fresno over the last several years.

Here are five of my favorite local creature stories.

1. The Wolf Ape of Watts Valley

This was one of the earliest stories I wrote about shortly after I heard it mentioned on KRZR (R.I.P. The Front Row). Two men who were gem hunting near the Watts Valley Road saw something coming out of the bushes that they described as a mangy, grey-haired creature, about six feet long, that had a face similar to a baboon. It made a sort of coughing sound as it opened its mouth.

Terrified (and who wouldn’t be), both men ran from the creature as it began to chase after them. They ran for several miles, hopping fences and dodging bewildered cows, until they finally found themselves in the Watts Valley Cemetery in Tollhouse, CA. They were able to distract the beast until a caretaker pulled up and offered to give the two men a ride back to their car. The three watched as the creature then skulked away silently.

No one knows what the creature is, but its legend has been around for at least a century. Ansel Adams supposedly came across a pack of these creatures on one of his many trips to Yosemite, and another story tells of one terrorizing a school house full of children. One story has the creature being seen at Bass Lake sometime in the 1980s.

Failed genetic experiment, an offspring of Bigfoot, or something else completely, no one really knows what the creature is.

Read more about the Watts Valley Wolf Ape here: http://www.weirdfresno.com/2008/09/watts-valley-wolf-ape.html

2. The Lost Lake Creature

In my previous article for FresYes, I mentioned that Lost Lake is haunted but also that it has a creature story attached to it. Interestingly, the creature sighting was by the same witnesses that saw the ghost.

While fishing late one night at Lost Lake, the two witnesses cast their lines into the water and were talking when they both looked toward the water—something moving had caught their attention. They noticed a large figure swimming towards the shore. There, it beached itself and stayed motionless for several minutes. What happened next terrified both of the witnesses.

Whatever this creature was, it stood up on two legs and began to walk around. It looked as if it was searching for something. The witnesses weren’t able to make out much detail given how dark it was, but they noted that it was bipedal and about five feet tall.

After several minutes of searching, the creature got down on all fours before laying on its belly and slithering back into the water, where it disappeared. Not surprisingly, both witnesses decided they had seen enough, reeled in their lines, and got out of there.

What’s most interesting about this story is that this incident and the reported ghost sighting aren’t the only weird things to happen at Lost Lake. Multiple people have contacted me saying they’ve seen a ghost there or witnessed something else strange. Folks in the Hmong community have told me the creature described is called a dragon in their culture. Needless to say, I’ve been researching Hmong culture and folklore hoping to learn something more.

Original story can be found here: http://www.weirdfresno.com/2010/09/strage-things-going-on-at-lost-lake.html

3. The Porterville Gnome

One of my favorite stories, this one involves two different families living in a small farmhouse on the Tule River near Porterville. The first incident involves a woman named Tammy who moved into the house with her children. Right away they felt as if something was watching them, especially over by an old barn on the property.

Coming back from the store one night, Tammy heard what she described as a “very freaky, very evil-sounding chuckle” and looked to see where it was coming from. The source of the noise was from a small humanoid figure about 50 or so yards from her. The way Tammy described it was that it was about three feet in height and wore baggy black pants, a gold colored shirt, and a red pointed hat. The creature had a long grey beard, a large bulbous nose, and deep-set eyes—like a gnome, as Tammy would say later. But this wasn’t cute little David the Gnome— it had brown, pointed teeth and was grinning from ear to ear.

Tammy quickly ran into the house and locked the door before the creature could get her. She was telling her two daughters what she had seen when she saw movement outside and the tip of the pointed red hat moving outside the kitchen window, as if trying to find a way into the house. After what must have seemed like an eternity, the creature left. This was the only time Tammy saw it, but until the day she moved out she would sometimes hear that same creepy laugh coming from the barn.

In March of 2010, a woman named Charlie moved into the same farmhouse with her husband and family. They were particularly fond of a pond on the property and the husband decorated it with fairy, gnome, and toadstool ornaments, and stocked it with koi fish. Like Tammy before them, they also had an eerie feeling about the old barn on the property and stayed away from it as much as possible.

Late one night both Charlie and her husband were awoken by the oddest of sounds, which they described as a “raspy, gurgling singing.” The couple looked out of their bedroom window and were shocked by what they saw.

Standing by the pond was a humanoid figure about three feet tall wearing maroon pants and a yellow shirt with a brown vest. It had a long, grey beard and small beady eyes, and was wearing a reddish brown hat. The worse part, as Charlie described it, was the creature’s teeth, which were jagged and pointed.

The creature realized it was being watched. It reached into the pond, grabbed a koi, then dropped it into its mouth and swallowed it. Furious, Charlie’s husband opened the window and started yelling at the figure, threatening to call the police. In response, the figure grinned, laughed, and flipped off the couple before running off and disappearing. The police were called and told of an intruder on the property, but the only evidence they found were small footprints by the pond similar to ones that would have been left by a small child.

The creature terrorized the pond so much that Charlie and her husband finally removed all of the decorations and got rid of the fish. It seems this did not have the intended effect as the gnome was royally pissed when it saw this and began running around yelling in some unknown language until finally it went away.

Whether this creature still terrorizes the small farmhouse is unknown. I do know the old barn was torn down and nothing has been reported since.

Original story can be found here: http://www.weirdfresno.com/2014/05/an-evil-gnome-like-creature-terrorizes.html

4. The Orange Cove Creature

This story happened in the small farming community of Orange Cove late one night, around 2 a.m. The witness was leaving a friend’s house, heading south on 10th Street towards Sheridan Elementary School, when they saw strange movement in a driveway.

They saw a figure step into the porch light and then instantly leap onto the roof of the house. Curious, the witness slowed down. The figure itself wasn’t that big; its size was estimated to be between that of a cat and a dog.

Deciding it was nothing, the witness continued to drive down 10th Street. They looked into their rear view mirror and saw to their surprise the creature had jumped back off the roof and was now moving towards them. Concerned, they locked their car doors and began to drive faster.

Glimpsing into the mirror again, they noticed the creature was chasing them. It now appeared to be about four feet in height and had long, spindly legs—like what a toad would look like if it was moving upright on its legs. Whatever it was, it didn’t appear to be human, and it frightened the driver enough to make them increase their speed in the hope of getting away.

The witness reached the end of 10th Street and headed west onto J Street. Curious to see if the creature was still following them, they stopped at the intersection of 9th and J. For a moment they didn’t see anything. Then the creature suddenly came into view, moving south along the elementary school’s grounds, avoiding lights so it wouldn’t be seen. It easily jumped a chain link fence.

Feeling brave with the car doors locked, the witness turned along 9th Street and tried to follow the creature. They were able to follow it for a bit but lost sight of the creature when it turned west onto South Street.

This was the only night this witness encountered the creature, though their friend, the one whose house they had left that night, said they heard something running up and down the street late at night.

Original story can be found here: http://www.weirdfresno.com/2009/09/strange-creature-chases-witness-in.html

5. The Fresno Nightcrawlers

One of the first things I wrote about when I started Weird Fresno was the story of what’s called the Fresno Nightcrawlers. A home owner in south Fresno had neighborhood dogs tearing up his front yard and decided to install surveillance cameras to try to catch them in the act. What he recorded was far from what he expected.

One night, he recorded what appears to be two small bipedal figures moving across his lawn. In relation to a nearby tree, which is about 5 feet in height, the figures are maybe 12 inches tall. Both figures move slowly across the lawn, either unaware or unconcerned that they are being filmed. The video was uploaded to YouTube and can be seen below. The footage of the figures starts around at around the 2-minute mark.

To this day, I still have no idea what these things are. I’ve heard theories ranging from birds to aliens to even faerie folk. All I know is there are some weird things wandering around Fresno.

Original story can be found here: http://www.weirdfresno.com/2008/09/strange-images-captured-on-surveillance.html

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If you see something strange in and around the Fresno area, make sure to contact Weird Fresno on Facebook. This story originally published in 2017.

Here are the 10 most haunted locations in the Fresno area

October 9, 2018 by Guest Writer 1 Comment

By Michael Banti

I’m Michael, and I’ve been investigating the weird and strange in the San Joaquin Valley for over twenty years — and writing about it for almost ten. I’ve seen some weird things over the years, and I’d have to say, in my experience, I’ve found the following sites to be the top 10 most haunted sites in the Fresno area. To learn more about these and other local hauntings, visit my site, Weird Fresno.

Some visitors to Fresno’s Chandler Airport don’t seem to want to leave.

1) Chandler Airport

Location: 510 W. Kearney Blvd., Fresno, CA 93706

Built in 1936, Chandler Airport has had countless visitors come through its doors over the years. And it seems some may not have left. From reports of shadowy figures seen walking in the main lobby, and a lone, elderly gentleman watching the air field from the old control tower, to disembodied voices heard in the diner area, Chandler Airport has its number of ghosts.

2) Kearney Mansion

Location: 7160 W. Kearney Blvd., Fresno, CA 93706

This Fresno landmark, built in 1903, is said to be haunted by M. Theo Kearney himself. Dismayed that his dream of an agricultural “Garden of Eden” was never completed, he wanders around the property. The ghost of a maid is said to also walk the darkened halls at night making sure everything is kept in order. And one of the stranger stories is that of a spirit called the White Witch who haunts the nearby railroad tracks. Legend has it that if you look into her eyes, you will die.

3) Channel Road

Location: Sanger, CA

Channel Road (nicknamed Snake Road due to the windy nature of the road) is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman searching for her two daughters. It seems one night she was driving down the road at a dangerous speed and took a turn too fast, driving off the road and into the adjacent canal. She was unable to get out of the car and drowned at the spot. Her two daughters were able to get out, but drowned downstream. Now, at night, she wanders the road searching for her daughters.

Kearney Mansion in Fresno is said to be haunted by M. Theo Kearney himself.

4) Sierra Sky Ranch

Location: 50552 Road 632, Oakhurst, CA 93644

Sierra Sky Ranch has been in existence in one form or another since the late 1800s. It originally started as a cattle ranch, but was sold off in the 1920s and became a tuberculosis hospital. In the 1940s, it was turned into a rehabilitation facility for soldiers and today, it functions as a restaurant/hotel. There are at least six documented spirits: A former ranch hand who haunts the back of the property, a nurse and two children that were under her care, and two former cooks in the kitchen who have a severe dislike for each other.

5) Zalud House

Location: 393 N. Hockett St., Porterville, CA 93257

Built in 1891 in Porterville by John Zalud, the Zalud House is today a museum that still contains all of the original furnishings. Several spirits haunt the house. One is said to be that of John’s wife, Mary Jane, who haunts the upstairs front bedroom where she died. Another is that of a “cursed chair” in which the Zaluds’ son-in-law, William Brooks, was sitting at a nearby inn when he was shot by a local woman whom he was harassing. The chair is now in the Zalud House and you can see bullet holes in it. It’s said anyone who sits in this chair has pains in their chest in the same location where Brooks was shot.

6) Fresno Central Library

Location: 2420 Mariposa St., Fresno, CA 93721

Weird things seem to happen at the downtown Fresno library. In the children’s section on the first floor, a presence has been felt and books have been seen flying off the shelves. Also, the second floor seems to be haunted by a former librarian. His presence has been felt by several employees who think he was happy there, and that’s why he is still around.

The Fresno Central Library is so great, a former librarian may have made it his permanent home.

7) Friant Road

It seems the ghost of a former police officer still patrols Friant Road, even after his passing. Legend says that the officer pulls over motorists and warns them about speeding on the road, and what could happen. The officer then writes what some are calling a warning ticket and lets the motorist go.

Confused, the motorist would go to a police station to inquire about the warning only to be told that that type of ticket is no longer being used. Checking the badge number on it, they find out the officer died on that stretch of road several years ago from a motor vehicle accident. It seems even in death, he is trying to prevent the same fate that happened to him from happening to others.

8) Wawona Hotel

Location: 8308 Wawona Rd., Yosemite Valley, CA 95389

In the 1920s, there was a small plane crash outside the Wawona Hotel. The pilot was taken to one of the outlying cottages but succumbed to his wounds there. Ever since, employees have seen a ghostly figure, clad fully in flight gear, leaving the cottage and walking down the steps then disappearing. Another strange thing that has happened at the hotel include when a group of people saw a throw rug levitate three inches above the ground and float towards them. Also, fire alarms have sounded even though there is no one nearby that could have pulled the alarm.

9) Lost Lake

One night, two witnesses who were fishing along the river bank at night saw a figure moving in the bushes. They shined their flashlight on it and saw a young child wearing nothing but swim trunks. They then heard a noise and shined the light in that direction, only to find nothing. Shining their light back where the child was at, there was no one there. Many people, including children, have drowned at Lost Lake, so it seems plausible that one or more could haunt the area. Strange creatures have also been seen in the area, but that is a story for another day.

10) Roosevelt High Auditorium

Location: 4250 E Tulare Ave., Fresno, CA 93702

The Roosevelt High school auditorium is said to be haunted by Leslie Chambers who died on stage on October 10, 1960 during a school assembly. Leslie will make his presence known in different ways from objects missing and then reappearing later, to playing pranks on unsuspecting students. It seems that Leslie hasn’t been forgotten, as it seems that every production includes his name in the list of cast and crew.

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What we can take away from Suicide Prevention Month

September 26, 2018 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

By Nicole Partnoff

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and for those of us in the behavioral health arena, that means boosting outreach and awareness in the communities we inhabit, love, and serve. We often observe that as a community we are highly attuned to issues when they are at the forefront—when there are events to attend, or something arises in the media, or there is an awareness month to remind us the issue is present. As suicide prevention month ends, I want to challenge you to remember the scope of suicide in our community and our country on a daily basis.

Suicide is pervasive and shows up in places we do not expect—it shows up in our own lives. It shows up in the friend we notice is isolating. It shows up in the wake of someone’s unimaginable pain. It shows up in the struggle of the woman unable to make ends meet. It shows up in the man who fakes a smile and shatters behind closed doors.

Anyone can be at risk of suicide because the feelings behind it—loneliness, helplessness, disconnectedness, loss—are inextricably woven into our shared human narrative. These emotions can become real adversaries for any of us if they go unchecked and unexplored.

With so many affected by suicide, with so many experiencing incomparable loss and grief, we would expect an outpouring of love and support from the community. People have caring hearts, so in many ways we see this, yet it is hard to know how to weave our desire to help in with our daily routines.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 and our responders work hard to provide life-saving and life-supporting care for people in crisis and emotional distress. We operate in a space, however, where we provide intervention services, as we are only able to truly interact with individuals who reach out to us in their time of need. We are grateful for everyone who has felt safe and strong enough to call and trust us with their most challenging situations and emotions.

When we look deeper into prevention, however, we find it goes beyond services provided. Prevention begins in our own lives, begins with awareness of ourselves, awareness of those who matter most to us. Prevention starts with you and your willingness to open up to exploring your own attitudes. If you pivot and see past your own perspective, what do you see? Can you identify how others might be struggling? How can you help?

We each have a direct line into the lives of the people we love. Our hotline is here to support you as individuals and the community as a whole, but you are the ones on the front lines with people at risk of suicide every day. Teachers, parents, coworkers, friends—your words and actions have power. You are given the ability each day to comfort people who are hurting, to notice changes in their behavior, to connect them with others who can help.

Treating mental health like physical health

I wonder what would happen if we viewed suicide prevention in our daily lives through a lens of “mental health maintenance.” In the same way we tend to our physical health and encourage others to do the same, perhaps we should explore what it might look like to treat self-care activities, connectedness, and openness with the same care. There is an acceptance surrounding physical health issues, arguably due to their tangible nature. Mental health issues, however pervasive, often go unseen. Does this make it harder for us to accept their validity? Does the invisibility make it less real?

Maintenance for our physical health takes very simple forms: implementing healthy habits such as healthy diet, regular exercise, etc. This kind of prevention works because it operates on the understanding these actions can help protect a person from developing an accepted disease or disorder. If we can view our mental health in the same way, would we be able to offer more acceptance and grace to ourselves and each other when we struggle? Would we be more willing to believe these feelings are not indicative of a person having a problem, but rather of a person being human and needing support and care?

As Suicide Prevention Month comes to a close, I challenge you today to shift your perspective and open your eyes to the suffering of those around you. Is there a friend you haven’t heard from in a while? Is there a coworker who sits alone every day at work who might need someone to talk to? Is there a family member you know has been struggling? Is there someone you should check in on even if they seem “ok”? I challenge you to see these things in your own life and start a conversation. You may find someone desperately needs that space to open up and they are scared or unsure of how to approach it. Human connection is a strong, unalienable bond; your kindness and willingness to be present can save a life.

It takes bravery to evaluate our emotions, to open our hearts and look inward with honesty and care. Ownership of our own vulnerability and openness with each other can be our greatest strength. The people in your life and in your community need this show of courage from you.

Suicide prevention resources

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” –Edward Everett Hale.

If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

To learn more about how to identify signs of suicidal ideation, visit suicideispreventable.org.

If you are interested in learning more about training and education regarding suicide prevention and intervention, or would like to become part of suicide prevention efforts in your community, please contact the Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline at npartnoff@kingsview.org.

Nicole Partnoff is a Data Analyst/Volunteer Coordinator with the Central Valley Crisis and Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Work hard and play harder with Vocation Plus Connections, Inc.

August 17, 2017 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

by Shelly Schmidt

There are not many businesses where you can walk in the doors and hear Bruno Mars and see a crowd of people dancing through the office. What is even more rare is personnel leading the flash mob with a Bluetooth fanny pack speaker.

Check out the bluetooth fanny pack

Quality of life

Vocation Plus Connections, Inc. lives by the “work hard and play harder” mentality, and management instills this in each person that is employed or served by the organization.

VPCI is a community-based vocational rehabilitation program that serves adults living with developmental disabilities. The goal of the program is to enhance the lives of individuals living with disabilities by creating opportunities for them.

Cultural Fair

For each person, this means something different. It could be helping someone find or maintain a job that is meaningful to them. For someone else, it could be providing them a space to learn how to advocate for themselves or gain the confidence to show off their dance moves amongst their peers.

Out and about around town

Community partners

VPCI utilizes the help of multiple community partners to make this happen. They partner with over 20 local companies who work with individuals living with disabilities. Employers have the option to hire individuals directly or work with a team of individuals through supported employment. With the support of VPCI staff, these employees grow their professional skills and excel in the workplace.

VPCI also operates Snacks To You, a food delivery service that sells fresh food to businesses throughout the city. All menu items are made from scratch and delivered right to your desk—how can you beat that?

Snacks to You Cranberry Salad

Snacks to You Teriyaki Bowl

Snacks to You Famous Enchiladas

Businesses who work with VPCI are provided with skilled, efficient, and capable employees. Business owners report that employees enjoy the opportunity to work alongside this population and that the overall morale of the staff dramatically increases.

Most importantly, the lives of the individuals are forever changed. VPCI provides for people who may have been overlooked or conditioned to think they can’t be independent, and creates a productive life for them.

Veterans Day Parade

Finding a balance

VPCI teaches and emphasizes the importance of a healthy work/life balance. Classes are held during the week to encourage people to engage with others, even when they aren’t working. Individuals participate in arts and crafts activities and self-advocacy workshops, attend the gym, and much more.

VPCI is also actively involved in facilitating community awareness for both individuals living with disabilities and the community at large. Most recently, VPCI volunteered at a Fresno Fire Department training to assist responders in search-and-rescue drills. Later this year, VPCI will be hosting town hall meetings designed to create a space for first responders to become familiar with individuals living with disabilities.

Check out Vocation Plus Connections, Inc. to learn more about this great organization.

Non Stop Bhangra is an experience worth the trip to San Francisco

July 28, 2017 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

by Mr. E

Here’s something I discovered last weekend: Indian music is amazing.

Here are some other things I learned: the Dhol is a two-sided drum, DJs who can fuse house, hip hop, and funk into a set are super talented, and Bhangra is a dance which meshes all of this goodness into one!

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I like to keep on the move and find things that may not be on other people’s radars. My idea of a good time is finding out that my feet work and my hips don’t lie (thank you, Shakira).

I recently found out about a group based in San Francisco by the name of Non Stop Bhangra (it’s pronounced “bong-ra”). They’ve been hosting monthly events in the city for over 12 years. Their mission is to provide a healthy environment for people of all cultures to come together for an evening of music, dance, and other artistry. The part that caught me by surprise is that one of the organizers is right here from Fresno. Vicki Virk is a transplant who moved away and has created a niche unlike any other within San Francisco.

DJ Jimmy Love at Public Works SF

Non Stop Bhangra installments consist of a Bhangra dance lesson followed by performances and then dancing to a DJ. It’s more than just a night at the club, I promise you.

The next NSB night will be Friday, Aug. 4. Bhangra producer Panjabi MC, who mixes traditional Punjabi music with hip hop, R&B, & dance, will be the guest DJ. Here is how the event is described on the website:

Non Stop Bhangra crew will be in the house to share the usual colorful and vibrant energy with the dance lesson and beautiful dance performances by Dholrhythms Dance Company, DJ sets with NSB’s own DJ Jimmy Love, Rav-E, and DJ Nix alongside emcee Seti-X on that lyrical vibe with live dhol drumming all night. Beyond sound and dance, Non Stop Bhangra caters to your eyes all night with visuals by DJ Amar and live painting by Marcus Murray, while NSB photographer Odell Hussey captures the magic.

It really is a unique experience. The venue, Public Works SF, pulls you in from the moment your Uber driver drops you off and you start walking up to the building.

It could have been the energy, it could have been the cool breeze, it could have even been the fact I was nervous doing something out of the norm; whatever it was, there was a reason I found it, liked it, and decided that you have to give it a try, too.

Next time you’re in San Francisco and want to experience something unique, you have to check out Non Stop Bhangra. C’mon Fresnans—I promise you’ll have a great time. Oh, and tell them Mr. E sent you!

Taco Truck Throwdown 7: The ultimate FAQ for this weekend’s 2-day event

July 25, 2017 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Fresno, you’re just a few days away from Taco Heaven. I mean, Taco Truck Throwdown 7. Sorry, I’ve begun a bad habit of muttering “Taco Heaven” again and again whenever I start talking about this weekend’s #TTT7.

I’m Mike Oz, one of the founders and organizers of Fresno’s annual Taco Truck Throwdown. This year, we’ve been working hard to bring to life a vision for Taco Truck Throwdown that’s been banging around in our heads for the last couple years.

It’s a two-day event! Two days of tacos! Plus a new festival setup on the second day that is giving you an entirely different Taco Truck Throwdown experience.

With change, inevitably, comes questions. So I’m here to run down some of the most commonly asked questions we get and help you make the most of your trip to Taco Truck Throwdown.

But first, if you need tickets, I’ll make this really easy. Day 1 tickets can be purchased here. Day 2 tickets can be purchased here. Or you can find links at TacosBaseball.com.

Wait, so Taco Truck Throwdown is two days this year?

That’s right. Taco Truck Throwdown, the biggest taco festival this city has ever seen, is now even bigger. It’s spread across two days—Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29—at Chukchansi Park in downtown Fresno.

What’s happening Friday?

Friday is the same Taco Truck Throwdown you know and love. It takes place during the Fresno Grizzlies game against the New Orleans Baby Cakes, with 30 taco trucks spread around the concourse level of the stadium. Basically, we slid our previous Thursday night event over to Friday. There are still $2 beers, and now the added bonus of Friday night fireworks. This is the night our panel of judges pick the best taco. Doors open at 5 p.m. and tacos are sold until the end of the Grizzlies game.

What’s happening Saturday?

Saturday is our all-day taco festival, which I’ve now dubbed Taco Heaven. There’s no baseball game Saturday, but we have plenty of other stuff going on. It’s a great day of entertainment built around our fantastic taco trucks. It starts with folkloric dancers at 2 p.m. then live music until 11:15 p.m. There’s a wide variety of music, from ska and alt-rock to covers and traditional Mexican music. There’s a break in the middle for the World Taco-Eating Championship and we have a comedy show from Chingo Bling, who is coming from Houston to perform for us. He does parody songs and comedy. He’s like Weird Al for people who go to taco trucks. Doors open Saturday at 2 p.m.

Got a schedule for all that?

Of course.

And the taco trucks are there for both days?

Yes. On Saturday, they’ll even be on the baseball field, which is something new and cool. Honestly, we’ve wanted to get them on the field for years. This year we have the chance.

What’s the ticket situation?

Very good question. You need a ticket for each day. On Friday, you need a baseball ticket. As you know, those range in price depending on where you want to sit. On Saturday, we’re selling general admission tickets. They cost $10 in advance. Small price to see Joey Chestnut destroy dozens of tacos in the World Taco-Eating Championship and see Chingo Bling do his thing.

How about my kids?

Another very good question. One of the reasons we wanted to expand to two days was because we wanted to give more families the chance to come out. Thursday night isn’t the best time to haul your kids to a taco truck party, especially when you have to work the next day. We get that. So Saturday is a great chance to bring out the fam. Kids 10 and under get free admission Saturday. On Friday, it’s the usual Grizzlies policy—kids under 3 are free. If they don’t like tacos, that’s cool. Some of the regular stadium concessions will be open, too.

I’ve heard I have to use taco vouchers to buy tacos. How do those work?

Taco vouchers are the currency of Taco Truck Throwdown (instead of paying cash at the trucks, you use vouchers). They cost $2.50 and each voucher is good for one taco at any taco truck you want. Here’s a good tip: You can buy your taco vouchers in advance at the Fresno Grizzlies box office. One less line, right?

On Saturday, in our festival setup, you’ll also be able to buy different items from each truck—burritos, quesadillas, carne asada fries, etc. You’ll just need to use taco vouchers, so items would cost two or three vouchers. Each truck sets its own menu.

So about this taco-eating contest …

Yes! It’s going to be fantastic. We have the same people you see on the famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest coming to Fresno. That includes Joey Chestnut, the most famous competitive eater in the world. Matt Stonie, who is a YouTube star and the No. 2 eater in the world, is coming too. In all, we have seven of Major League Eating’s Top 20 competitors. We’ll also have one local eater going against the pros. Whoever wins our amateur competition on Friday night will advance to the finals on Saturday. On Friday, the first person to eat 20 tacos wins.

What’s the best time to come if I just want to eat as many tacos as possible?

This is my favorite question because I think Taco Truck Throwdown requires a good strategy. It’s like going to Disneyland. You need to go in with a gameplan. If your goal is to sample as many tacos as possible, be there when the doors open each day—5 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

I’ve heard the lines are long, is that true?

They have been in the past, yes. We’re not going to lie about that. Any event with thousands of people is going to have lines. Like Disneyland, right? But last year, the lines moved at a better pace than years past. And we think spreading it over two days will help. That’s not to say you won’t have to wait, you will, but we’re hoping we’ve found the right ratio of trucks to people that will help move things along.

What taco trucks do I HAVE to try?

That’s like asking me my favorite kid. There are so many good ones. Please don’t make me pick. I love them all.

OK, I will say that El Premio Mayor is our two-time defending champion, so they should probably be on your list if you’re a Taco Truck Throwdown newbie. Tacos Mazatlan is a former winner that you’ll be able to find this year. El Mexicano has been in every year and is always a favorite. Ortega’s from Reedley is one of the crowd favorites, as is Taqueria Jaliscience. La Jacka and Gonzalez Taqueria were both new last year and did well. And ever since, they’ve become pretty popular in town.

This year we have about 10 new trucks in the Throwdown, including Guadalajara, one of the long-running Mexican restaurants in town. Other new ones: Casa De Tamales, La Imperial Taqueria, Jalapeno Face, Latin Urban Bistro and La Luna.

See, just try them all. It’s Taco Heaven.

For all the latest updates on Taco Truck Throwdown, follow @tacotruckthrowdown on Instagram, like us on Facebook or join our event page on Facebook.

These Foot Care Tips Will Keep Your Feet Baby Soft All Summer Long

July 21, 2017 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

[Kelli Glazebrook is back with another informative post on how to care for our skin during the long, scorching summer months. For more helpful tips, read her post “There’s a Reason You Hate Sunscreen, But Here’s How to Fix That.”]

Summer is in full swing. During this time, many of us bare our feet in sandals, exposing our heels and toes to the elements. And let’s face it: it’s not pretty out there. It doesn’t take long for those adorable new sandals to rub our feet the wrong way or for our heels to become cracked and our toes dry on the tenth straight day of 100-degree weather.

It’s time to get serious about foot care. There are three major areas to think about when dealing with feet: exfoliation, moisturization, and protection.

Exfoliation

Exfoliation is often misunderstood. Some people use manual methods to remove dead skin and cracks in the heel. Online videos will show you people slicing away skin with razor blades and even using sharp files to grate their skin like cheese. These methods can be dangerous; it’s easy to injure yourself and you might introduce infection into the foot. Leave the cutting to the experts and see a physician instead.

There are ways to exfoliate your skin that are safer than slicing and dicing. If your feet need only a little intervention, use a good salt or sugar scrub. Make a scrub at home if you want to save money, or splurge a bit and buy one. Some of my favorite scrubs are:

DIY sugar or salt scrub made with ½ cup sugar or coarse salt, ½ cup of olive oil or coconut oil, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Tree Hut has a line of affordable, yet very effective scrubs. I like the coconut lime, which you can order online or get at a nearby Ulta.
The Body Shop always has great scrubs on offer, and usually a sale too. Right now, this Piñita Colada scrub is rocking my world.
Lush’s Ocean Salt scrub is a cult classic. It has two different kinds of salt for maximum effectiveness. And the lime scent doesn’t hurt. Do you notice a theme in my lime recommendations?

Tip: It is a good idea to use a scrub a few times a week or so to keep feet in good shape. It’s very easy to just extend the scrub down your leg, especially useful when you are exfoliating before shaving. (You are exfoliating before shaving, right?)

If you need something a bit heftier than a scrub, use a heel cream. These products have an exfoliating agent paired with a heavy, emollient (moisturizing) cream. You apply the cream overnight to gently break down dead skin and repair cracked heels. Some of my favorites are:

Soap & Glory Heel Genius sinks well into the skin and has a minty-citrus smell. Bonus: you can now buy this line at Target.
Gehwol Med Callus Cream is much less scented and available at drugstores.

Tip: Wearing socks at night over the heel cream helps keep the product off your sheets and close to your foot, where it can do the most good.

Now, if have a lot of dry skin, cracked heels, or even problems like corns and bunions, foot peels are for you. Like facial peels, they literally peel away dead skin using fruit extracts as well as known skin exfoliators like glycolic acid.

Wait a moment! Before you go running for the hills, be aware that this process is entirely painless. You start with clean feet that you’ve soaked and dried. Then, you wear little plastic booties filled with the liquid peel and you keep them on for quite some time, at least over an hour. This is a great time to get caught up on an episode or two of Game of Thrones. Then you remove and rinse your feet. They will look exactly the same.

Now the magic has begun. Sometime after the third or fourth day, your feet will begin to peel. Sheets of old, dead skin will peel off for a few days. If you want to be entertained and grossed out, just scroll to the bottom of the post where I’ve embedded some great foot peeling videos. You’re welcome.

At the end of this process, you will have the smoothest and most pampered feet. They will feel amazing. Some of my favorite foot peels are:

The Holika Holika Baby Silky Foot One Shot Peel works great and doesn’t dry out my feet too much.
The Etude House BeBe Foot Mask is perhaps a tad gentler than the Holika, but will still cause shedding.

Tip: You need to pre-plan this exfoliation. Obviously you don’t want your feet looking like shedding snakes when you are on your vacation in Hawaii. Start the peeling process a couple of weeks before you need your best feet.

Moisturization

Once you’ve exfoliated your feet, moisturize the baby skin you’ve uncovered. You’ll want to keep this new skin in good shape. Use your personal preference to choose from the many options, including coconut oil, thick foot creams, and even cuticle cream for extremely dry heels.

The important thing is to cover your feet in a layer of hydration. During the day, a lighter cream is more advisable, but at night you can really goop them up with a thick layer of cream, pop on some socks, and let the cream work its magic while you sleep.

Some of my favorite foot moisturizers are:

An organic, unrefined coconut oil does great things for dry, cracked feet. I buy mine on Amazon, but you can find coconut oil almost anywhere now.
Palmer’s Foot Magic is cheap and deeply moisturizing. And you can buy it at Target, a favorite place of mine.
Eucerin Intensive Repair Foot Crème Fragrance Free is especially good for those sensitive to smells.

Tip: Moisturizing your feet is a great time to give them a little massage. While working the cream into your feet, glide your thumbs on the tops and sides of your feet. Gently glide your fingers in between your toes and rub them. Form a ball with your fist and rub the arch of your foot and end at the heel. Alternatively, have a friend or significant other do this step for you. Either way, you might be surprised how relaxed this makes you and is a calming ritual right before bed.

Protection

So now you have baby-soft feet. How can you keep them this way as long as possible?

Keep a pumice stone or foot file in the shower. When your feet are warm from the water, give them a once over with the stone or file—you can use a bit of shower gel to help get the file to glide over the foot.
Soak your feet in the tub or a basin of warm water with some essential oils. The warm water softens the skin on your feet and keeps it from turning hard and calloused. The essential oil is calming and something like peppermint oil can help keep your feet smelling great. You can multi-task and put on a face mask while soaking your feet and even watch another episode of Game of Thrones.
Be kind to your feet. Give them a break from the high heels and uncomfortable sandals. It’s difficult to maintain your feet if you are constantly putting them through the ringer. Choosing comfortable shoes and rotating out heels and ill-fitting footwear can go a long way towards smoother feet.

Here are some of my favorite products for keeping my feet in top shape:

A lava rock pumice stone is one the best I’ve used. It lasts forever too.
Essential oils can work wonders for your mood. Try a couple of drops in your basin while soaking your feet, or even a drop or two in your shower. It is like having a mini-spa experience for cheap. There are many blends to choose from, but I like this one.

Tip: If your feet tend to sweat a lot, a bit of anti-perspirant spray can help keep them fresh all day long.

Now your feet are ready to brave the worst of the Fresno heat, my sweet summer child.

And as promised, a link to the foot peeling video. Fair warning: If you don’t like feet or peeling skin, this is not the video for you.

Disney’s Fresno Connections Part 2: The Mouseorail, Scoopy, and Frank

July 17, 2017 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

by Jim Denney

Disneyland celebrates its 62nd birthday on Monday, July 17, 2017. Jim Denney, the author of Walt’s Disneyland: It’s Still There if You Know Where to Look, concludes his two-part examination of some fascinating Disney-Fresno connections.

To read part 1, click here.

Disneyland’s 62nd birthday won’t get as big of a celebration as the 60th, but it’s still noteworthy (photo: Heather McLane)

FresYes columnist Craig Scharton has been a Fresno city council member, a restaurateur, an urban farmer, a teacher of urban entrepreneurship at Fresno State, and more. While representing District One on the City Council, he had the opportunity to serve as Mayor Pro Tem the day Mickey Mouse came to town.

Mickey arrived at Manchester Center in his red Mouseorail—the forty-foot-long lead car of the classic Mark III Disneyland Monorail, the last of the bubble-top Monorails. Disney Imagineers had converted the Monorail car into a road vehicle with a V8 engine and automatic transmission. The Mouseorail was touring the country to celebrate Disneyland’s 35th anniversary, and would return to Disneyland on the Park’s birthday, July 17, 1990.

Standing on the east side of Manchester Center with his son Cole in his arms, Craig greeted Mickey, then shouted to the crowd, “Who loves Disneyland!”

The people of Fresno roared back, “We do!”

Craig shouted, “Who loves Mickey Mouse!”

The crowd responded, “We do!”

Craig shouted, “Who loves nap time!”

All the moms in the crowd chorused, “We do!”

Fresno truly loves Walt and his most famous creations, Mickey Mouse and Disneyland. In the second part of “Disney’s Fresno Connections,” we’ll see some more surprising intersections between Walt Disney and our hometown.

Craig Scharton with son Cole greets Mickey and friends in front of the Mouseorail, 1990.

Craig got to keep a “mini” Mouseorail to commemorate giving the key to the city to Mickey Mouse.

Scoopy the Bee

When James McClatchy founded the The Sacramento Bee in 1857, he wrote an editorial saying, “The name of The Bee has been adopted as being emblematic of the industry which is to prevail in its every department.” Translation: McClatchy expected his employees to be as busy as bees in delivering the news.

In 1936, James McClatchy’s granddaughter Eleanor took over as publisher of the McClatchy papers, a position she would hold for more than four decades. In 1943, she decided to give the McClatchy newspapers and radio stations an appealing new visual identity—and she wanted it to have that Disney touch.

Eleanor McClatchy had seen the Disney Studio turn out cartoon mascots for various branches of the service since the start of the war. Disney characters ranging from the cantankerous Donald Duck to Bambi’s cuddly pal Thumper had appeared as airplane nose art and squadron patches. These cartoon mascots were a morale booster for servicemen who had grown up on Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons.

So Ms. McClatchy personally approached Walt Disney with an offer: If his studio would create a Disney bee character for the McClatchy company, the newspaper would donate $1,500 to the Army Relief Fund—a significant donation in 1943 dollars.

Walt agreed, and he assigned artist Hank Porter to the project. Porter was already handling most of the Disney military insignia. His forte was drawing theatrical posters, lobby cards, merchandise boxes, and newspaper comic strips (he drew both the Snow White and Pinocchio Sunday strips).

Hank Porter created two “busy bees”—Scoopy, with newspaper in hand, and Gaby (pronounced “gabby”), with a radio microphone slung over his shoulder. Scoopy was the mascot for The Sacramento Bee, The Modesto Bee, and The Fresno Bee. Gaby represented the McClatchy radio stations, including Fresno’s KMJ 580. Porter signed Walt’s distinctive signature on the artwork.

All three newspapers carried the same front-page headline on their September 4, 1943 editions: “Two Busy Bees, Straight from the Pen of Walt Disney!” That same night, McClatchy radio stations KFBK-Sacramento and KMJ-Fresno broadcast a fifteen-minute interview with Walt, who talked about the two bees, Scoopy and Gaby, who were flying from his Burbank studio to their new home in Sacramento, by way of Fresno and Modesto.

Years later, the Disney Studio produced two more characters as emblems for McClatchy’s FM radio stations (a bee named Flutey), and Fresno TV station KMJ Channel 24 (a bee named Teevy, who bid the audience “good night” in a cartoon at the end of every broadcast day; KMJ is now KSEE-24). Some later drawings of the McClatchy bees were produced by Bee staff artist John Lopes.

Many people see a resemblance between Scoopy and Mickey Mouse. Both have large, intelligent eyes, a round black nose, and a broad friendly smile. The resemblances aren’t surprising. After all, both Mickey Mouse and Scoopy were born in the same inkwell.

Frank Thomas, one of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men

Frank Thomas, Artist of Motion and Emotion

Another key Disney-Fresno connection is the late animator Frank Thomas. Not only was Thomas a member of Walt’s inner circle of animators known as Disney’s Nine Old Men, he was one of the most influential animation pioneers who ever lived. Longtime Warner Bros. artist Chuck Jones called him “the Laurence Olivier of animators.”

Franklin Rosborough Thomas was born in Santa Monica, California, on September 5, 1912, and his family moved to Fresno a few years later. His father, Frank W. Thomas, was a college professor and administrator who served as president of Fresno State College (now California State University, Fresno) from 1927 to 1948. Like Walt Disney himself, Frank Thomas began drawing as a boy, and took up filmmaking in his teenage years.

Thomas spent his freshman and sophomore years at Fresno State, and was elected president of the sophomore class. As a school project, he directed a comedy film about college life. Thomas’s student film was so well-received, Fresno theaters exhibited the film commercially, and the profits were donated to a school fund. Fresno’s enthusiastic support of his student film convinced Frank Thomas that he should pursue a career in the film industry.

He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Stanford and drew cartoons for the school’s humor magazine, The Stanford Chaparral. While at Stanford, he met Ollie Johnston, a fellow art major who also went on to become a famous Disney animator and one of Disney’s Nine Old Men. The Frank-and-Ollie friendship spanned seven decades, and they were profiled in a Disney documentary, Frank and Ollie (1995). After Stanford, Thomas studied art at Chouinard Art Institute, and went on to join the Disney Studio in September 1934.

At Disney, Frank Thomas drew some of the most famous sequences in the history of animation, including the dwarfs mourning the death of the princess in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Bambi and Thumper sliding on ice in Bambi (1942), the “Bella Notte” spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp (1955), and the penguins dancing with Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins (1964). Thomas once expressed his philosophy of animation, saying, “I wanted believable characters that the audience would care about.”

Animation historian John Canemaker said that Frank Thomas was famed for his special ability “to animate emotionally sensitive material.” Canemaker added, “The saddest scenes, the most romantic, most deeply felt sequences, the sincerest heart-tuggers usually found their way to his drawing board.”

Thomas also played piano for The Firehouse Five Plus Two, a Dixieland jazz band led by fellow animator Ward Kimball. In collaboration with Ollie Johnston, Thomas authored four books on the art of animation. In 1989, he received the highest honor in the Disney universe, being inducted as a Disney Legend. He died in La Cañada Flintridge, California, on September 8, 2004.

Just as Walt Disney drew inspiration from his early years on a farm near Marceline, Missouri, and just as William Saroyan drew inspiration from his early years in Fresno, Frank Thomas reached back for inspiration to his early years in Fresno. The positive, creative way Frank Thomas lived his life and pursued his art are an inspiration to us all. Frank Thomas was one of Walt’s favorite animators, and he was a living symbol of the spirit of FresYes.

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Jim Denney was born in Fresno and lived most of his life here. He now lives in Southern California. Jim is the author of Walt’s Disneyland: It’s Still There if You Know Where to Look, a guide to Walt Disney’s theme park legacy. He blogs at WaltsDisneyland.Wordpress.com.