Quote of the Week
“Truthfully, a lot of us, what it’s going to make us feel is the need to hide from you guys.”
— Alma Gonzalez, a street vendor who urged the Fresno City Council to reconsider proposed restrictions on mobile food vendors at Thursday’s meeting.
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This Week in Fresnoland
Who’s up, who’s down?
If you follow the news very closely, then you probably heard we had an election this week and everybody is extremely happy that gasoline and food prices are about to sink faster than the Democratic Party.
But many Fresno-area races have been less decisive, with several key contests still too close to call on this Veteran’s Day weekend.
The city’s most dramatic race this week unfolded in northeastern Fresno, where two political newcomers found themselves in a surprisingly tight contest for the final open seat to represent northeast Fresno on the city council.
Big changes could be in store on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors with both incumbents on Tuesday’s ballot facing exceedingly narrow paths to victory.
Meanwhile, in three races on the Fresno Unified School Board, two incumbents cruised to re-election, but a third was struggling in a tight race to represent the city’s Hoover High area.
Check out the latest election updates from Fresnoland here.
‘Significant educational and financial risk’
An effort to expand Clovis Unified territory in the Sierra foothills ended this week with a sharp scolding from an education committee that said the petition — which failed to meet nearly all requirements — was a waste of everybody’s time.
The Fresno County Committee on School District Organization took its first and final vote on a petition from residents of Granville Homes gated community Ventana Hills, requesting the neighborhood and an additional 400-plus undeveloped acres get moved into Clovis Unified, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
The committee noted the petition failed to meet seven of the nine requirements, but also concluded that removing the neighborhood to the more affluent Clovis district “would also pose significant educational and financial risk to Sierra Unified School District.”
‘Pushed into a corner?’
Street vendors fought back tears Thursday as they urged the Fresno City Council to reject new vending restrictions. The proposed ordinance, which has undergone several major revisions since its surprise roll-out in September, would create new limits on where vendors can operate, including keeping them 50 feet from restaurants and 100 feet from residences, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano and Gregory Weaver reported.
“Truthfully, a lot of us, what it’s going to make us feel is the need to hide from you guys,” said Alma Gonzalez, a street vendor who argued that vending work allows more family time than restaurant or field work. “We’re being pushed into a corner.”
After pushback in recent weeks from vendors, the latest version now exempts fruit, corn and snow cone vendors from some residential restrictions and allows vendors to use shade structures for themselves, though not for customers. The city also cut the number of departments authorized to enforce the rules and has repeatedly scaled back penalties.
South Tower District land use plan heads for review
The Fresno City Council initiated the environmental review of the South Tower District land use plan, affecting approximately 100,000 residents and attempting to address decades-old tensions between homes and industry, Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver reported. At issue are roughly two dozen homes near Palm and Belmont that predate the city’s first zoning codes but were later zoned for industrial use.
“There’s 23 existing homes that are zoned industrial,” said Kiel Lopez-Schmidt, executive director of the South Tower Community Land Trust, which has purchased one property for affordable housing and is in escrow on another near Highway 180. “A lot of the data is clear that there are significant health disparities focused on the south part of [Tower District].”
Under current rules, these homes could be required to convert to industrial or office space if left vacant for as little as 90 days, according to Jennifer Clark, the city’s planning director. Industrial operators, through the Economic Development Corporation, have fought to preserve their ability to convert residential properties to industrial use, arguing they need room to expand.
Fresno immigration groups announce preparations
In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory this week and his promises to take a harsh stance on immigration, multiple community and immigrant rights organizations held a news conference Friday, reinforcing their commitment to supporting immigrants in the Central Valley, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reported.
Representatives from the seven organizations in attendance reaffirmed to immigrant communities in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley that they will continue to support them and stand against anti-immigration legislation.
In 2023, Trump said he would end birthright citizenship if elected, a direct challenge to Section 1 of the 14th Amendment that virtually guarantees legal challenges to his promise.
Outside the Lines
Local MediCal enrollment wait times cause challenges: “Some of the longest recorded wait times in the San Joaquin Valley were in Fresno, according to a report by The Children’ Partnership. Fresno had the highest Medi-Cal enrollment in the San Joaquin Valley, and therefore provided the most accurate look at the region’s call-wait times, the group said.” The Merced Focus
Avian Flu outbreak comes to California: “An outbreak of the avian flu on California’s poultry ranches continues to climb with more than 1.5 million chickens and turkeys being depopulated as part of the state’s eradication effort.” The Fresno Bee
Measure C debate stirs war of words: With Measure C — Fresno County’s major transportation tax — scheduled to expire in 2027, Fresnans will likely get one last chance to try to decide whether or not to keep the transportation tax — in the November 2026 midterm elections. Fresnoland
Catch up on Fresno’s labor history in a conversation with Dillon Savory, head of the Central Labor Council, and Keith Brower Brown, with Labor Notes, on the Fresnolandia podcast. Spotify | YouTube | Apple
Block Beat
DOWNTOWN: Tickets are on sale for the 13th Taco Truck Throwdown set for Saturday, Nov. 9 at Chukchansi Park. Some of the Central Valley’s very best tacos will be joined with live performances from Larry June, Coyote, Los Del Puerto, and others. Taco Truck Throwdown 13
TOWER DISTRICT: The Fresno Garden Collective and Slowest Local Bicycle Collective are hosting a family-friendly bike ride to tour five community gardens across the Tower District this Sunday, Nov. 10. The tour will leave from Goldsteins’ on Wishon at 3:00 p.m. Instagram
DOWNTOWN: The Pie Mamas host grand-opening celebrations from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 at 966 Fulton St., Fresno, between Tulare and Kern. The first 100 guests through the door win a free mini pie! Instagram
FASHION FAIR: Barnes & Noble announced a grand opening of a bookstore at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Fresno Fashion Fair, 639 E. Shaw Ave. The new mall bookstore sets up shop in the space formerly occupied by GUESS, near Macy’s.
SOUTHWEST: Fresno leaders announced the completion this week of the Southwest Fresno Solar Farm, a 10-megawatt facility spanning 76 acres of land at the Fresno Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, with energy cost savings expected for about 2,700 income-eligible families in the neighborhood. Instagram
DOWNTOWN: “Chanticleer Shakespeare Co., Fresno’s premier professional Shakespeare company, has announced a partnership with Warnors Center for the Performing Arts. This collaboration will see the legendary Warnors Theatre become the official home of Chanticleer Shakespeare Co., marking a new era for classical theatre in the heart of Fresno’s thriving arts community.” The Fresno Business Journal
Around Town
“As part of our partnership with the Council of Great City Schools, the Fresno Unified Board of Trustees are hosting a series of Community Listening Sessions. Your ideas and feedback will be utilized to develop our District’s goals and guardrails.” X
