Quote of the Week
“We have to do everything we can in our power to right the wrong. It’s about acknowledging the harm and making it right.”
— State Sen. Anna Caballero, on reparations for Black Californians
This Week in Fresnoland
So, Taco Wednesdays?
After splitting Fresno’s popular ArtHop tradition into separate events, city leaders shared details this week on what the new outdoor half of the event will look like, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
Rebranded as “Why Not Wednesdays,” the monthly street fair will debut Sept. 18.
Unlike the previous incarnation of ArtHop, it will cost all vendors and food trucks a fixed fee to set up shop – a reversal of city leaders’ earlier announcement that ArtHop would remain free for vendors.
Fresno is on the hook for policing, restrooms, and trash services during Why Not Wednesdays and the Downtown Fresno Partnership is stepping up to collect vendor applications and fees.
Money isn’t the problem — this time
Arts programs have long struggled with funding and support in public schools.
Proposition 28, passed in the fall of 2022, aims to supplement current funding for arts programs in California public schools. The proposition has led to nearly $1 billion being dispersed across the state, and Fresno Unified receiving $12.8 million in funding, Fresnoland’s Charlotte Burks reported.
Increasingly, though, funding isn’t the problem at Fresno Unified schools. “Obviously, we’re competing with Central and Clovis and Fowler and Selma and Madera, and we’re all competing for the same teachers,” one teacher told Fresnoland.
Despite the lack of space, Fresno Unified hired 23 new teachers this year, including eight elementary dance teachers and eight elementary arts integration teachers.
‘Paj ntaub,’ tradition revived by Hmong students in Fresno
Dozens of Fresno Unified students will start the new academic year with fresh skills in an ancient, nearly forgotten Hmong art, Fresnoland’s Ntsa Iab Vang reported.
During their final week of the district’s 2024 Summer Enrichment Program, students gathered at the Rivendell Community Center to display their works of Paj Ntaub (pronounced pahn-dao), meaning “flower cloth.”
The art of paj ntaub is more than a textile craft. It long was an essential form of communicating historical knowledge because the Hmong people, until recently, did not have a written form of their language. Prior to the 1950s, when a written language was developed, cloth and threads were used to record events and stories and prevent the culture from fading.
As many Hmongs migrated to the United States, paj ntaub largely was forgotten as the migrants and their families prioritized adapting to American life.
Public encampments are now illegal in Fresno
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors finalized the passage of their anti-encampment ordinance this week, ushering a new era of public camp removals and, local leaders hope, homeless population clearings out of the county, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
The county unanimously passed the ordinance days after the city finalized the passage of their own anti-camp ordinance. The city and county are expected to begin enforcement in the next 30 days, around mid-September.
The new laws come in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass ruling, which made it legal to pursue such legislation as a means of addressing their local homeless issues.
The ordinance is seen as a victory for local businesses and residents who felt the encampments usurped their right to enjoy public spaces unbothered. However, questions linger over how the enforcement will play out in practical terms.
‘Secret Harvests’ author speaks with Fresnoland
For years, David “Mas” Masumoto regularly drove past the former Golden Cross nursing home on A Street in Fresno. Little did he know his long-lost aunt, who his family believed was dead after having been separated from her for over 70 years, was very much alive inside.
Masumoto, the author of 12 books and longtime Fresno area farmer, discussed this and other stories of Fresno’s World War II-era legacy prison camps for Japanese-Americans in a conversation about his latest book, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
“Secret Harvests” is the first selection for the Fresnolandia podcast’s monthly book club. You can listen to the full interview with Masumoto on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Outside the Lines
The State of Black California, a series of events presented by the California Legislative Black Caucus and the California Black Freedom Fund, stopped in Fresno recently to promote dialogue regarding reparations for Black Californians, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reported.
Founded in 1955, the independent Calwa Park is operated by the Calwa Recreation and Park District with the mission to provide recreational facilities and programs for the surrounding community. Graffiti artists are encouraged to pick up spray cans and cover walls, attracting hundreds of visitors yearly to the tiny park in unincorporated Calwa, The Fresno Bee reported.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with Western Valley Meat Co., an affiliate of Central Valley Meat, over the planned purchase of Cargill, Inc., the Fresno Business Journal reported.
For the first time in more than two months, Fresno’s temperatures remained below 90 on Friday. Temperatures are expected to peak around 81 on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service in Hanford, it was the coolest day in Fresno since June 17, when temperatures topped out at 85. The Fresno Bee reports that Yosemite National Park could even see snow this weekend. It would mark the first time in “at least” 20 years that snow has fallen in August in Yosemite. But it won’t last long. Meteorologist Andy Bollenbacher said triple-digit heat should return by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Block Beat
Hoover: The Leo Politi Branch Library will relocate into an old Rite Aid building with substantially more space than its current location, following approval from county officials this week. Fresnoland
Jackson: The City of Fresno is seeking public input on plans to redesign the community part on Tulare Avenue, between 10th and 11th streets. “Proposed amenities include a new play area, lighting, communal lawn, gathering spaces with tables and benches, and a walking loop.” A public meeting is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Jackson Elementary, 3750 E. Platt Ave, Fresno. For more, visit Fresno PARCS.
Clovis: Fresno Street Eats is hosting Tacos & Taps Trail in Clovis on Saturday, Aug. 24. Hop on this free trolley to hit up different breweries around Clovis, including Crow and Wolf Brewing Company, The Mad Duck, Incinerati Brewing, Summer Fox Clovis, Burning Sun Brewing Company, 559 Beer, and The Backyard Social Club.
Around Town
CMAC Youth Voices, a program where participants 18 and under learn the art of documentary filmmaking, will host a screening of 12 documentary films from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 at Maya Cinema. Get your free tickets for this event at this link.
The Big Fresno Fair and the Central California Blood Center are collaborating to host the 14th annual “Pint for a Pass” Blood Drive from Aug, 27 to Oct. 14. Donate at any Central California Blood Center location or mobile drive to earn a “buy-one-get-one-free” voucher for tickets to the Big Fresno Fair, and be entered in a chance to win tickets for concerts and horse races!
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust will be working together to celebrate Coexist with Wildlife Day on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pick which activities you attend at this fun-filled event– options include a class on San Joaquin River flora and fauna, a habitat restoration project, and food trucks, ice cream, and conservation group information at the River Center.
