Quote of the Week
“We just want to make sure that everybody has a safe place, a voice, and can be who God created them to be, not what some sect or religious whatever wants them to be according to their interpretation of Scripture.”
— Pastor Bill Knezovich of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church on his congregation’s participation in Fresno Rainbow Pride
This Week in Fresnoland
What’s still up for debate in Fresno’s multibillion-dollar budget proposal?
The City of Fresno wrapped up public hearings over its multibillion-dollar budget, and Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad camped out in council chambers all week to bring you the latest.
One hot button issue is Mayor Jerry Dyer’s proposed “pave now, pay later” approach to fixing Fresno’s damaged roads that have $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance, which take the form of a $100 million bond.
Others include a debate over whether council offices (or just District 6) should hold vacancies, just like the rest of city departments have to under Dyer’s proposed budget.
The budget could be reconciled and approved by the council as soon as June 17. Dyer expects to meet with individual councilmembers next week to reconcile specific proposals in the budget, a process the city adopted after t a 2023 Fresnoland investigation scrutinized the city’s old budget committee process.
‘As much rainbow stuff as we can’
With Pride Month underway, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reports on how Fresno Rainbow Pride — the third-largest Pride parade and festival in the state behind San Francisco and Los Angeles — has created space for a growing number of religious communities to take part in the celebration through the years.
In its early days, Fresno Pride held its parade honoring the LGBTQ+ community on the first Sunday of June.
But that changed when local faith leaders approached the organizer about making sure they could attend without conflicting with church services.
Fresno Pride’s now-traditional Saturday festivities take place this year on Saturday, June 7 in the Tower District. This year marks Fresno Pride’s 35th anniversary, in which 15 local congregations will take place.
Red vs. Blue plays out in court over Fresno County’s Measure A
A yearslong political battle between California Democrats and Fresno-area Republicans over when elections for the district attorney and sheriff should take place might be over, thanks to a judge’s ruling this week, Fresnoland’s Rob Parsons reported.
A Fresno County Superior Court judge sided with California and threw out Fresno County’s recent voter-approved changes to the election cycles for the county’s two top cops, saying state law “preempted” Fresno County’s Measure A.
Through the successful 2024 ballot measure, the county attempted to circumvent a new state law setting most sheriff and DA races for the presidential election cycle, when turnout tends to be higher — and, hence the pushback in Fresno County.
You can also listen to Rob summarize his reporting on a recent episode of KVPR’s Central Valley Daily.
ArtHop comes back to the streets of downtown Fresno
It’s really hard to find street parking on first Thursdays in Fresno’s downtown Brewery District again.
Or, at least it was this past Thursday, June 5 — the first night back after the city gave its blessing for street vendors to return to Fresno’s longstanding tradition of ArtHop.
Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano spoke with organizers, vendors and attendees the night of to hear their reactions to the return.
Many were still upset with how the past 10 months of mostly street-vendor-free ArtHops had gone, and some worried the June turnout wasn’t what it used to be.
Still, many also said the streets showed new signs of life, and that they’d likely come to the next ArtHop in July.
Read more about that from Julianna — and about one artist’s memorable performance featuring a punching bag full of paint at one venue Thursday from Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina.
Derailed?
After months of telegraphing their intention to pull federal funding from California’s beleaguered high-speed rail project, the Trump Administration on Wednesday released findings of a project compliance review, concluding there was “no viable path” forward to complete the always-struggling project, The Los Angeles Times reported this week.
The report cited the project’s massive cost overruns, misleading ridership projections and missed deadlines as possible reasons to freeze the federal grants — about $4 billion in all — fueling construction in the central San Joaquin Valley.
The announcement, the Business Journal reported, drew mixed reactions from local leaders, but few people were surprised.
In response to the Trump Administration’s long-stated preference for killing the rail project, Fresnoland brought together key leaders from Fresno and the state’s High-Speed Rail Authority. During April’s “Fresnoland Futures” event, the authority’s CEO Ian Choudri said he didn’t believe the federal government would, ultimately, pull its funding, but also said the project would continue regardless. Check out the full story here.
Outside the Lines
The City of Fresno presented the first official mobile food vendor identification cards to Luz Barron and Luis Coria of “La Kumbre” as part of a new citywide effort. Fresnoland
A judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against the City of Fresno from the California Smoke Shops Association over recent rule changes in the city that would force dozens of smoke shops to close by 2026. KSEE
“The City of Fresno launched its Expanded Lawn to Garden Rebate program to give homeowners and businesses more money back when they replace their front lawns with water-efficient landscaping. The program is open to residents and businesses who receive water service through the City’s Department of Public Utilities.” Learn more
“Fresno’s largest healthcare system discreetly slashed hundreds of nursing supervisor positions in recent weeks as part of a staffing shakeup.” The Fresno Bee
“Saint Agnes Medical Center and Poverello House announced Wednesday that they are joining forces to open Naomi’s House at Holy Cross, a 30-bed transitional housing facility in Downtown Fresno, providing shelter along with pathways to healing, stability and opportunities for underserved women in the Valley.” The Business Journal
Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver recently sat down with KVPR’s Central Valley Daily podcast to discuss the latest developments in the city’s now-years-long effort to bring a 45,000-home megadevelopment to southeast Fresno. Check out the full interview here.
“Clovis plans to allocate $10.4 million of its new Measure Y sales tax funds to its police and fire departments, adding five new police officer positions and nine fire positions.” The Fresno Bee
Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano stopped by the KVPR studio to break down the city’s project labor agreement and why the city isn’t hiring as many local residents on construction projects as it and local labor unions want. KVPR
Block Beat
TOWER DISTRICT: LAByrinth Art Collective presents “We Are the Resistance,” a night of spoken word and storytelling celebrating disabled and neurodivergent brilliance, Saturday, June 7 at Dulce Upfront (2026 N Van Ness Blvd.) at 7:30 p.m. LAByrinth Art Collective
KERMAN: Solace Lavender Farm’s “Community U-Pick Days” return starting this Sunday, June 7 and run each Sunday through the end of June. You can visit the farm, located in Kerman at 14545 W. North Ave., for free and pick bundles of lavender for $10 each. No reservation required. Solace Lavender Farm
WOODWARD PARK: The Fresno County Library invites the public to learn the basics of folk dancing, led by members of the Fresno Scandinavian & Nordic Folk Dancers and the Fresno International Folk Dancers. Classes are set for 6 p.m. on June 9 and 23 and again July 14 and 28 at the Woodward Park Regional Library, 944 E. Perrin Ave. Fresno County Public Library
DOWNTOWN: The San Joaquin Valley Housing Collaborative is hosting a community screening of “Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness” on Monday, June 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the South Stadium building downtown (700 Van Ness Ave.). A panel with local experts and community leaders will follow. SJVHC
ALLENSWORTH: Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park and the Friends of Allensworth are proud to present a Juneteenth celebration at the historic town of Allensworth founded by African American pioneers in California’s Great Central Valley. Transportation to the park is available with the purchase of a ticket through Amtrak San Joaquins. All ages are welcome. Allensworth
PEACH AVENUE: Southeast Fresno residents are encouraged to nominate names for a new park on Peach Avenue. City leaders broke ground on the park in February and are asking residents to submit nominations by June 15. Fresno City Council District 5
TOWER DISTRICT: “A small business in Fresno’s Tower District will become the first recipient of a grant from the city in collaboration with PG&E to make energy improvements and save money on electricity.” KSEE
HANFORD: “The City of Hanford will celebrate a milestone of its most cherished landmark this weekend, commemorating the 100th year of its Civic Auditorium with a ‘Century of Memories’ celebration aimed at recognizing the landmark’s role in shaping the city’s identity.” The Business Journal
AIRPORT: Fresno Yosemite International Airport is calling for artists to submit proposals for murals at the city’s airport. Artists may submit proposals for more than one mural. Each proposal will require a separate submission. More information
