Quote of the Week
“I was really lucky to be a part of the Fresno heyday of poetry, really. It was a magical, really memorable time. But those days are kind of gone now and … you know, hopefully poetry will carry on, and new poets will carry on.”
— Dixie Salazar in a Fresnoland interview on the ‘heyday’ of Fresno poetry and the latest efforts to breathe new life into the local literary arts scene
This Week in Fresnoland
A radical rival
A printing press tied to Fresno’s radical literary movement dating back more than five decades is getting a second life.
Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano spoke with professors, writers and the widow of the man who started it all more than 50 years ago as they work to revive the once-thriving local literary scene by resurrecting Scrub Jay Press, founded by Professor Eugene Zumwalt.
Zumwalt was targeted by Fresno State leaders as a “radical” for working to boost Latino enrollment and helping form what became the first faculty union. Tension came to a head in 1970 when armed officers literally barred Zumwalt from his office by bolting the door to its own frame with a two-by-four.
Zumwalt never left Fresno State, but in the remote hills above the city, he and other literary radicals helped shape a loose-knit community of artists and teachers and writers, many of whom had their work printed or reprinted by Zumwalt’s Scrub Jay Press.
The press went dark in the late 2000s and gathered dust for the rest of Zumult’s life. Not long after his death in 2023, a new generation of Fresno State professors and local writers and artists are reviving the historic press and hoping to breathe new life into the region’s diverse and underrated literary scene.
Fresno’s caffeinated ‘heart’ ministries
Throughout Fresno and Clovis, faith-based coffee houses are becoming more than handy commuter stops for cheap lattes and morning bagels — they’re also community hubs for fellowship, connection and a helping hand.
On any given morning, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina notes, the spiritual coffee shops are packed with a mix of paying customers, biblical study groups, prayer meetings and mentorship programs.
While most coffee shops work to maximize profits, many faithful coffee houses focus more on service and outreach while simply trying to break even.
Gisselle spoke with workers and store managers dedicated almost universally to the idea of providing something like a “clean, well-lit place” for anyone who needs to find a quiet moment over a hot beverage. Maybe you need some extra groceries that week. Or help kicking a hard addiction.
“It goes back to the community, for people who are trying to get sober, people who need meals. If somebody comes in and they only have part of what it costs, we’ll take care of it,” said EZ-47 Coffee Shop’s Steve Martinez. “We’re a heart ministry, we do the best we can to provide something for them.”
Fresno County’s new ballot is a 2XL
Fresno County voters will see a major change in how ballots look and function in June, as officials prepare for potential confusion and navigate broader uncertainty around national voting policies, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reports.
The shift is driven largely by the length of the ballot, particularly a crowded gubernatorial race with 61 candidates. Combined with dozens more candidates running for statewide offices, the county can no longer fit all contests onto a single sheet.
When someone votes, two cards will be given and properly labeled. Each card contains different races or measures. Both cards must be completed and returned for their vote to count. The vote is only complete if both cards are returned.
Fresno County officials are preparing for possible voter confusion as the June election approaches, while also navigating broader uncertainty over federal voting rules, including proposals like the SAVE America Act and a recent executive order on mail-in ballots.
“Fresno County has not had a two-card ballot to the best of my own knowledge, ever,” Fresno County Clerk James Kus. “It’s been my belief, and fairly well supported by the voters of Fresno County, that having a single card front and back, however full or busy it was, was convenient. So there’s going to be a lot of voter education we have to get out there and it can be a bit scary to see.”
Fresno and the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
Food and health care benefits remain in limbo for millions in Fresno County as the fallout takes shape from President Donald Trump’s signature ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’.
Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela spoke with local food banks and other groups who aren’t sure how much pain could be felt locally, but Fresno County is looking at a roughly $300 million deficit and CalFresh — the state’s low-income food assistance program — expects to take at least a $7 million hit.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” followed through on a longtime effort to slash federal spending through cuts and program changes shifting financial burdens to the local levels.
The new work requirements could impact over a million residents across the state, according to a report shared by the Public Policy Institute of California last year.
Over a quarter of a million Fresno County residents were enrolled for CalFresh in 2025, according to a report released last year by the California Association of Food Banks.
Fresno just says no to kings
For the third time in Fresno since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, thousands of peaceful protestors lined the streets over the weekend, chanting “No kings, no clowns”; “Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE”; and “Feed the people, not the war,” among other things.
Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina spoke with Fresno protesters who joined millions marching nationwide in “No Kings” over the weekend. Saturday’s crowds appeared to be the largest yet.
Many “No Kings” protestors cited the ongoing wave of aggressive mass deportations carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that have captured a much higher percentage of nonviolent undocumented people than the so-called “worst of the worst.”
In Fresno, artists are turning fear and anger into anti-ICE art and small businesses are opening their doors to provide a safe space.
Outside the Lines
Fresnoland is hiring: That’s right, we’re hiring for our first-ever Senior Revenue Officer to help lead and execute our fundraising strategy with local donors and sponsors. Share with your fundraising friends! Fresnoland
Thousands of Fresno city workers remain in limbo for a second month now over health benefits and access to Community Health systems. YourCentralValley
Candidates vying to be California’s next leader stopped in Fresno on Wednesday to make a pitch directly to Central Valley voters. ABC30
Fresno-based dairy producer Raw Farm issued a voluntary recall Thursday after FDA scrutiny over possible E. coli contamination. YourCentralValley
KVPR sits down with Manny Fernandez, a Fresno native and co-author of the bombshell New York Times report that finally exposed Chavez as a rapist and sexual abuser of underage girls after decades of secrecy and silence. Central Valley Daily
With only a handful of public meetings left on the table, the City of Clovis is moving closer to hiking city water rates for the first time in more than 15 years. ABC30
Sunshine’s Farm in Fresno urges locals to come out and pick strawberries before the storms. KMPH
Block Beat
Downtown: A new class action lawsuit accuses Fresno Unified administrators of failing to adequately include thousands of retirees in the 2023 decision-making process that switched coverage from traditional Medicare-plus benefits to an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan. The Fresno Bee
West Fresno: Work on the Shaw Avenue overpass of the California high-speed rail project ramps up this week as crews begin assembling some three-dozen massive concrete girders that will lay the foundation for a future roadway. KMPH
Tower District: Sour Milk’s next group art show — a tribute to filmmaker and artist John Waters — is set for 5 to 9 p.m. May 7 at Sour Milk, 1474 N. Van Ness Ave., in the Tower District. More info
Northeast Fresno: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus are coming back to Fresno this summer for the first time in a decade. KMPH
Downtown: Kick off the Grizzlies season at the Beer Garden at 5:30 p.m. April 7, with live music from The Stereo Hopeful. Grab a beer and a game voucher for $15, at the Beer Garden, and stick around for fireworks after the game. Tioga Beer Garden
Downtown: Want to create your own sweded film for Swede Fest, but don’t know where to start? CMAC has you covered! Free workshops are available at 6 p.m. April 7 & 14. CMAC
Tarpey Village: Central Valley Fuego FC plans to open a new stadium next month at Blackbeard’s Family Entertainment Center. Business Journal.
