Quote of the Week

“We have so many projects going on all the time. Nobody has the ability, funding, or resources to sue us every time we do a project like that.”

– Jeanie Ward-Waller, a top Caltrans executive who remains on leave for blowing the whistle on the agency’s actions on highway expansions in northern California.

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This Week in Fresnoland

Fresnoland investigation raises questions about Caltrans highway expansion in Fresno County

Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver writes that the state agency didn’t correctly quantify how the $140 million interstate expansions would impact new cases of asthma, stroke and premature death in the area, nor did they disclose the massive industrial park, which would have drastically altered the conclusions of their environmental review.

That review found that there would be minimal environmental impact, but residents of south central Fresno filed a lawsuit in April.

Nearby, a juvenile detention center with 1400 beds would potentially suffer significant pollution from the project. For their part, the agency says that a public health analysis wasn’t necessary because people didn’t live on the highway property. Like, literally inside where the construction would take place.

Now I don’t know what you know about air, but according to Ed Avol, a USC professor and air quality expert, said that their work was sloppy and that their conclusions ignored “everything we know about air pollution.” Mike Kleeman, a UC Davis professor and prominent author of air quality studies in the San Joaquin valley, said that it’s pretty well known that air pollution moves beyond the boundaries of the worksite.

Fresno City College professor on leave after EdSource report 

Tom Boroujeni, the president of Fresno City College’s Academic Senate was placed on paid administrative leave, Thomas Peele and Lasherica Thornon (EdSource) report. The move came just one day after the EdSource reporters detailed an “allegation of sexual violence” from Boroujeni’s time as a graduate student at Fresno State.

The alleged victim told investigators the incident happened at her apartment in 2015. The woman now teaches part-time at Fresno City College, where Boroujeni taught until being placed on administrative leave.

Boroujeni says the incident was consensual and, further, that he had been lured into an unwanted romantic relationship – advances he only gave into because he feared professional consequences. The alleged victim reported to a Fresno State investigator that she had not consented, and that Boroujeni had “pinned down (her) upper region” and that she then “zoned out,” per a 2021 university report.

Fresno State could not discipline Boroujeni for the incident because it took place during his time as a graduate student, rather than during his employment at Fresno State. However, he began teaching as a teaching assistant and part-time instructor in January 2015, six months before the alleged incident. He resigned in 2022 and agreed never to apply for or accept employment in any of the 23 California State Universities again, EdSource reported.

Can AI robots help Fresno farmworkers – without replacing them?

Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano attended the F3 coalition’s year-one showcase this week at Fresno State to catch a glimpse of the possible future of California agriculture. With AI technology and advanced robots on display, leaders of the $65 million efforts touted the possible future workforce benefits.

“We’re tired of importing things from other parts of the world,” said Ashley Swearengin, former mayor of Fresno and president of one of F3’s key partners, the Central Valley Community Foundation. “We can invent here.”

The cutting-edge tech is still supposed to be in service of human beings, leaders emphasized – whether that’s a small farmer who’s struggled to compete with ag giants in the region or one of many Fresno families experiencing food insecurity.

The project’s goals include employing 10,000 people, including 7,000 people of color, in the region, boost these workers’ wages by an average of 60%, and reducing historically above-average unemployment in the region by 1.2% over a four-year period.

But worker advocates say the devil will be in the details.

“A really naive outlook on the development of technology and its impact on the workforce would assume that the development of any technology advances the interests of workers,” said Edward Flores of UC Merced’s Community and Labor Center in an interview Thursday.

Myth-busting in downtown Fresno

There are a lot of concerns about downtown Fresno – all the usual suspects like crime and parking, but also questions about attracting businesses – so you’ll be happy to know that this Fresno Bee story by Joshua Tehee is addressing some of them.

First of all, crime is down 8% across categories – that includes a 50% drop in homicides and a 46% drop in burglaries. Only 3.36% occurred downtown, and even though sex crimes are up (33%), it’s only because of three more cases than last year, The Bee reported.

People are always worried about homelessness encampments: after all, five of Fresno County’s biggest shelters are downtown. Yet it should be noted that shelter capacity has doubled citywide with plans to expand further.

Parking wise, all downtown parking meters accept debit and credit card payments now and $82 million has been set aside for parking structures in the future. While Fresno has failed to seduce large chains like Ikea to open up downtown, we are getting our own Laugh Factory.

In general, these anxieties stem from skepticism. People have heard the song and dance about Fresno finally happening many times, and even a $300 million investment from the state isn’t smoothing over these doubts. Yet, Tehee’s story outlines the previous attempts to revitalize downtown. While many plans (like a proposed downtown lake) never came to fruition, many initiatives (like opening Chukchansi Park) have. Perhaps revitalization is not a destination, but rather a commitment, a philosophy, an ongoing push upward and upward and upward.

The California Supreme Court refused Westland water district’s permanent contract

This most recent legal blow to the water district’s efforts to secure a permanent contract for the water it draws from the Central Valley Project is a huge win for conservationists, scientists and the Hoopa Valley Tribe,  per this report from Politico’s E&E News. The tribe said that any new contract needs to meet trust responsibilities for their fishery and involve owed and future restoration payments.  

Westland is the nation’s largest agricultural district. They were granted a permanent contract during the Trump era, but it remains unenforceable until a lower court validates it. Lower California courts declined and now the California Supreme Court has declined in turn. For now, Westland must rely on temporary two-year water delivery agreements. 

Outside the lines

Looking for work? Consider these California state jobs. 

This Fresno Bee story has a list of different California state jobs – which famously offer competitive benefits – that are offering salaries as high as $16,000 a month. The list has things like investigator or medical consultant with the Consumer Affairs Department, Licensing program manager with Social Services, district sales representative with the California State Lottery, and more.

Block Beat

ROEDING ELEMENTARY: Fresno City Councilmember Vice President Annalisa Perea partnered with Casa De Tamales to give 2,000 tamales to 200 Roeding Elementary School families. The Business Journal

FRESNO: Per the office of City Attorney Andrew Janz, the Code Enforcement Division, Fresno PD and California state officials raided four smoke shops – three of them owned by the same person – on suspicion of selling illegal substances. $30,000 in cannabis and flavored tobacco were seized and an illegal gambling operation was discovered. 

HANDFORD: Downtown Hanford has a new Acai bar called … Acai Bar, located at 318 N. Irwin St. Hanford Sentinel

SOUTHEAST FRESNO: Fowler Avenue will be closed to traffic between Olive and Clinton Avenues until March 1, 2024, per a new release from the office of Mayor Jerry Dyer. 

Department of New Construction

FRESNO HIGH: A conditional use permit application is under review for a business in the 2200 block of North Blackstone Avenue to add interior wall framing, interior finishes, painting, and kitchen equipment. Minor demolition of non-load-bearing walls is expected, along with new water, waste, grease, and vent plumbing, among other planned improvements.

DEL MAR: A development permit is under review to convert the defunct Smuggler’s Restaurant at 3787 N. Blackstone Ave. into affordable housing. The application was filed by UPHoldings, which plans to build on the 1.83-acre plot a four-story structure with 114 multi-family units “for affordable housing and veterans.”

Around Town

The annual Jackson neighborhood Christmas Parade and Pozole Celebration will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 p.m. X (Twitter)

Described as the world’s best Cumbia Dance Party, Cumbiatron is back at the Mezcal Lounge downtown at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8. Downtown Fresno

Also, the Saroyan Theatre has a production of the Nutcracker on Dec 9 – 10. Downtown Fresno

Next Week in Public Meetings

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Tommy is the author of Toplines, the Fresnoland newsletter curating the top stories in the Central Valley. He thinks he's very funny.