Throughout the history of our city we have had a wide variety of Fresno mayors from all different backgrounds, including high school teachers, celebrities, businesspeople, and, of course, politicans, serve as our mayor to develop and execute policies alongside our city council. 

While we have had a total of 26 mayors throughout our history, we’d like to shine a spotlight on the 10 most recent individuals that held the title of Mayor of Fresno. 

Jerry Dyer

Jerry Dyer is the current mayor of Fresno and just recently took office in January of 2021. Dyer grew up and spent most of his life in the Fresno area. Before taking office, he spent 40 years in the Fresno Police Department, serving 18 of those as Chief, making him the longest-tenured police chief in the city’s history. 

Lee Brand 

Taking office in 2017, Lee Brand became the oldest person to hold the title of Mayor in Fresno’s history. In addition to serving on the Fresno City Planning Commission and the Fresno Redevelopment Agency, Brand represented District 6 on the Fresno City Council from 2008 until he became mayor in 2016. Brand has been an active member of his community since he left office; upon leaving office he donated his unused campaign funds towards scholarships for local highschool students. 

Ashley Swearengin

Ashley Swearengin held office from 2009-2017 and is only the second woman to hold the title of mayor in Fresno. Swearengin won a runoff election in 2008 and went on to win her re-election in 2012 before running for State Controller in 2014. Before and during her time in office, Swangerin focused on a number of economic development initiatives and now serves as President and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation. 

Alan Autry

Aside from being mayor, Alan Autry may be best known for his role as Captian Bubba Skinner from the TV Series Heat of the Night. In addition to starring in multiple movies and TV shows, Autry also played in the NFL before he was mayor and spent a few years as a radio host after he left office. Autry served as mayor from 2001-2009 and won his re-election with an impressive 72% of votes. 

Jim Patterson

Another two-term mayor, Jim Patterson was Fresno’s mayor from 1993-2001. Patterson also graduated with a Bachelors’s Degree in Political Science from California State University, Fresno, and was a business and broadcast executive before running for mayor. Although Patterson left office at the end of his second term, he currently serves as a member of the California State Assembly from the 23rd District. 

Karen Humphrey

Fresno’s first female mayor, Karen Humphrey, held office from 1989 to 1993. Humphrey began her career as a news reporter but served on the Fresno City Council before running for mayor. To date, Humphrey was the last democratic mayor of the city. After leaving office, she focused mainly on educational policy and getting more women into public office.

Dale Doig

Dale Doig served as mayor from 1985 to 1989 after Dan Whitehurst resigned from his position. Doig completed Whitehurst’s term before running for his own term. Before his time as mayor, Doig spent an impressive four terms on the Fresno City Council while working as a teacher at Roosevelt High School. During the early years of his term, MTM Enterprises approached Doig and the city about a comedy series, Fresno, in which Doig played himself for the show.

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Dan Whitehurst 

Dan Whitehurst became mayor of Fresno in 1977 and served until 1985 when he resigned early to become Resident Fellow of the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School. At the time of his election, Whitehurst was only 28 years old, making him the youngest mayor in Fresno history.

Ted C. Willis

Throughout his 30 year political career, Ted C. Willis, served as mayor from 1969 to 1977. Floyd became acting mayor after President Richard Nixon appointed Willis’ predecessor to his cabinet in 1969. Shortly after, Willis won his own election and re-election before losing the race for his third term by only 117 votes. 

Floyd H. Hyde 

As opposed to many other public offcicials, Floyd H. Hyde began his political career with his run for mayor in 1965. While he was not expected to win, Hyde beat out his competitors and ended up serving as mayor from 1965-1969. One of the most notable acts of Hyde’s mayorship was working to gain recognition for Fresno to receive it’s first All-America City Award. In 1969, President Nixon selected Hyde to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

Conclusion 

Throughout our history, Fresno has benefitted from the hardwork and dedication our public officials have put into our city to make it a great place to live and work. 

If you are looking to begin building your life in Fresno, or just looking to relocate to a different area of the city, FresYes Realty Group is here to help you find your perfect home in Fresno. 

We love to watch them on TV, in movies, listen to them, and read about them. Some of these celebrities and actors have influenced our lives in many ways. Sometimes they inspire us. Sometimes we find them relatable. Sometimes we find them remarkable, or talented. We love to wonder about their lives, and what we have in common with them. Sometimes we wonder how they got their start, and if they were once like us. What about local ties?

These celebrities all have one thing in common—their ties to Fresno! Here are 10 celebrities and athletes with ties to Fresno. 

1. Matt Garza

This former baseball MVP and pitcher was born just south of Fresno in 1983, then went on to play baseball for Fresno State during his college career. In 2005, the Minnesota twins drafted him to their team. He’s most well-known for his famous no-hitter in 2010 while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Detroit Tigers

2. Steven Anthony Lawrence

You might know him for his role playing Bernard “Beans” Aranguren in the Disney Channel show, Even Steven, but he also went on to play numerous other roles, including that of Kieth from the comedy-drama Weeds, Dylan Shenk in the comedy film Cheaper By The Dozen, and Dumb Schweitzer in Dr. Seuss’ Cat in The Hat. 

Steven Anthony Lawrence was born in Fresno and continued to live here while working as a child actor, where he attended private school in Fresno and stayed many nights in a motel in LA with his supportive father. While he mostly stays out of the spotlight these days, it’s clear that Fresno was an important part of his life, even after he was introduced to stardom at only 9 years old. 

3. Kevin Federline

Kevin Federline—sometimes known as K-Fed—is a rapper, DJ, and actor perhaps best known for his marriage with pop-icon, Brittney Spears. He also has strong ties with Fresno. He was born in Fresno, briefly moved away, and moved back at eleven years old. He grew up here before starting his career as a backup dancer.

4. Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald is another big name with solid ties to Fresno. McDonald is probably best known as an acclaimed Broadway actress and singer, but she’s also well known for her roles in television and film, like that of Dr. Naomi Bennet on the drama Private Practice. 

McDonald wasn’t born in Fresno, but West Berlin during the Cold War, while her father was stationed there with the U.S. Army. They eventually moved to Fresno, where McDonald grew up and graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School. 

5. Gary Jules 

Gary Jules is a singer-songwriter, perhaps best known for his iconic version of Mad World, which was featured in the cult-classic psychological thriller, Donnie Darko. While many of us know him for his somber rendition that did stellar in the UK, Gary Jules is actually also from Fresno, where he was born. 

6. Brandon Molale

Brandon Molale has worn a few hats. You might know him from his role as Kevin Ward in Mr. Deeds, or perhaps as his role as the intimidating Blazer in Dodgeball, or maybe from one of his other numerous roles in film and television. He also has strong ties to Fresno, as a former football player with Fresno State! He played offensive guard for the Bulldogs, and still attends games.

7. Cher

Cher might be one of the most influential cultural voices of the late 20th century and into the 21st century. She’s known for her success in numerous areas, notably in rock, pop, and television, and has dominated popular culture for as long as many of us can remember. 

While born in El Centro, Cher is known for dropping out of Fresno High School at the age of just 16 to begin her career, which would go on to span many decades. 

8. Sid Haig

Sid Haig was another talented actor with Fresno ties. Having played numerous roles in film since the 1960’s and across numerous genres as well, Sid Haig is perhaps best known now as an icon of horror cinema, notable from his role as Captain Spaudling in Rob Zombie’s 2003 thriller, House of 1,000 corpses. 

He also starred in subsequent sequels wherein he played the same role. Haig was born and raised in Fresno, where he also first learned dancing and music, before he went on to be a wildly successful actor.

9. Stephen Abas

Another well known athlete with fresno ties is Stephen Abas. With a successful career as a wrestler, mixed martial artist, and even Olympian, Stephen Abas’ life has been nothing short of exciting. 

While he was born in Santa Ana and graduated from Jame Logan High School in Moreno valley, Stephen Abas has strong ties to Fresno, where he wrestled for California State University, Fresno, and won numerous awards before going on to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games. 

10. Devante Adams

Another notable athlete with Fresno ties also attended California State University, Fresno. Devante Adams has had a wildly successful football career, and currently plays wide receiver for the Greenbay Packers. Before then, Adams also played on the Fresno State Bulldogs football team. 

Conclusion

With so much going on in Fresno, it’s not surprising that so many people with roots and ties here have gone on to lead such luminous careers in their respective fields, but it’s interesting to see where they’ve all gone on to! From Broadway to NFL stadiums and even the Olympic games, some of America’s finest entertainers, athletes, and artists, not surprisingly, have ties to Fresno.

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With cool fall weather coming in, it’s a great time to be outdoors in Fresno—especially if you’re cycling. Not to mention all the awesome places to bike! But where are all the bikes?

Cycling in Fresno

There are a ton of great places to cycle in Fresno, but the Old Town Clovis and Sugar Pine Rail trails connecting the Fresno and Clovis communities are great places to start. Whether you want to enjoy the fall weather and stop for lunch in picturesque Old Town Clovis, or take the adjacent Dry Creek Trail and enjoy the Clovis Botanical Garden, there’s always something to see. For mountain-biking, river scenery, and fishing spots, there’s no beating the San Joaquin River Trail.

Where Are All The Bikes?

There are few better ways to enjoy the weather than cycling, and as more and more have taken to this way of thinking lately, cycling has soared in popularity—so much so that there seems to be another bike shortage! If you tried to purchase a new bike last year, you may have noticed that there don’t seem to be enough to go around. 

If you’ve tried to buy one recently, you might have noticed the same thing. Around 2020 the first bike shortage started as suppliers failed to meet new demand, and now the trend continues with a second bike shortage. While supply chain interruptions continue, more folks are also trying to get some fresh air and get their hands on a bicycle. Who can blame them? The weather is great!

Bike Shops in Fresno

Even during national shortages, Fresno has a booming cycling community, and several great stores open for business! The Bike Shop @ Woodward offers a variety of makes from low-end to high to meet current demand. 

Rubber Soul Bicycles is also open for business and has increased their inventory to meet demand. They also have an online catalogue so you can make sure they have what you need.

Herb Bauer Cycling is still open for their normal hours and has a great selection of E-bikes, and Clovis Bicycle Company is doing a robust trade and even carries specialty bikes, like incumbent bikes! 

Conclusion

With cooler pleasant weather coming in, it’s a great time to get out on the trails and start riding, especially if you can get your hands on a bike! Fresno county has amazing trails and a great cycling community that’s rolling strong through the great bicycle shortage and enjoying some cool fall weather at the same time.

It’s wintertime in Fresno’s wine country and that means the vines are undergoing their transition into dormancy. The vines may look like a lifeless woody plant but they are still alive and they are just hanging out until the warmth of spring awakens the vine back into action. During the winter months, we are all guilty of spending too much time indoors and experience cabin fever. Going to a winery is the perfect escape, as you can walk around a cozy cellar, taste fantastic wines, and take in the fresh air of the vineyards. Visiting a winery during the winter months allows you to taste new wines, and replenish vintages that have been depleted during the holidays.

The vine leaves during these colder months will turn from green to yellow to brown before falling in a process called senescence. By now, the vine has discontinued its metabolic process and has stopped producing energy through photosynthesis and the plant will rely exclusively on the stored energy it has gathered throughout the growing season in its roots, trunk, and branches. Water inside the plant’s cell tissue can freeze during the winter, causing the cells to burst and thus damaging the vine; during dormancy, the vine develops a remarkable natural defense to this threat.

Despite their plants taking a winter break, it’s certainly no holiday for the winegrowers, who work year-round and continue selling wine. The winter work includes pruning, which is a tiresome job. Pruning happens anytime between November and the middle of March before buds appear. In addition to pruning, timber needs to be cleared. It’s at this time of year that the racking of the previous year’s harvest takes place.

Some wineries to visit during the winter include 3 Oaks Vineyard and Farmer’s Fury Winery.

Three Oaks Vineyard was started by Steve and Vicki Shoemaker, who both grew up in the Fresno area. When Steve retired in 2005, the family moved to Clovis and were unsure what to do with the land they purchased. After a trip to Napa, Steve and Vicki decided to create a vineyard in 2007. They currently have 23 rows of grapes, with red and white varietals including Viognier, Grenache and the ever-popular, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Three Oaks Vineyard believes good wine comes from the best grapes and they are committed to ensuring their grapes are not affected by toxic chemicals or herbicides. Their wine is handmade, low in sulfites, ecologically nourished and sustainably grown. 

(Credit: 3 Oaks Vineyard)

Farmer’s Fury has been a family-operated farm for many years, but is relatively new to the wine industry, having only begun in 2009. Brothers George and Charles and father Charles Meyer began Farmer’s Fury. In 2006, George bought five gallons of frozen grape must, and followed the instructions that came with the kit. In 2009, the Meyers officially began making wine as Farmer’s Fury Winery. Farmer’s Fury started with four tons of grapes and made 195 cases of Big Bold Cabernet Sauvignon. Their wine is true vintage, bottled cabernets, chardonnays, reserve merlots, zinfandels, and blends. Farmer’s Fury is dedicated to making good wine for the “hardworking men and women” of the Central Valley.

(Credit: Farmer’s Fury)

While the vines are dormant, wineries are not. The wine tastes great year-round and there are some added benefits to visiting this time of year, which includes fewer crowds, beautiful sunsets and drinking by the fire. There is nothing more beautiful than sitting in a warm dining room and looking out at a snow-covered vineyard and winery, as you sip a flavorful wine. The vineyard may look different but experiencing what each winery or vineyard has to offer in each season helps make wine tasting a year-round attraction. The bottom line is that the wineries in Fresno can be enjoyed at any time of year!