Good morning! It’s Wednesday, April 15. This is Rob.
‘Sun-shiny day’ Mostly clear skies with highs in the 70s again today. NOAA
No. 2? Why the San Joaquin River landed on the ‘most-endangered’ list. YourCentralValley
Just don’t get sick: New enrollments in Covered California are down by nearly a third over the past year across the San Joaquin Valley. Business Journal
Reopening: Yosemite’s Arch Rock entrance is open again after a pair of recent rockslides, but travelers can expect 10-minute delays until the slide is completely cleared. YourCentralValley
Topa! The 48th annual Fresno Basque Festival begins at 9 a.m. on May 2. The free public event includes a parade, Basque music, dancing, and food. More info
What rhythms with ‘poetry’? The Fresno County Public Library is accepting submissions for its 27th Annual Poetry Contest, inviting residents of all ages to share their writing and be recognized as part of a long-standing community tradition. Facebook
1. ‘This measure is a must’
In the race to replace Fresno County’s expiring transportation tax, one side appeared to open up a significant lead on Tuesday, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reports.
Fresno County Residents for Better Roads and Safe Streets collected more than 32,000 signed petitions from county residents, well over the roughly 22,000 needed to qualify for the ballot. The signatures were submitted Tuesday to the Fresno County Clerk’s Office.
Meanwhile, an opposition group working to get their own replacement tax on the November ballot did not provide an update on their signature-gathering process but said they’re continuing to work on it.
The coalition backing the plan, which is composed of a diverse set of community-based groups and Fresno County mayors, pried open a U-Haul trailer parked outside the Fresno County Clerk’s Office downtown on Tuesday morning to deliver boxes of signatures to the county official for verification.
“This measure is a must,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer told reporters on Tuesday before he helped hand over a box. “It is not a luxury. It is an absolute must.”
“And let me just say this: There is no ‘plan B.’”
2. Fresno launches Mobile Home Replacement Program
The Mobile Home Replacement Program offers Fresno mobile home residents interest-free loans to make badly needed repairs to their homes.
“The city says it was created specifically for mobile homes in such a state of disrepair that it cannot be restored through conventional methods,” ABC30 writes.
Qualifying residents can receive up to $100,000 for repairs and upgrades at 0% interest. ABC30 says there are no monthly payments and the loan is fully forgivable after 15 years.
For more information, visit this link.
3. Boosting dual-language classes in the Valley
In the central San Joaquin Valley, just 13% of schools offer dual-language immersion classes but a new bill crawling through the state legislature seeks to beef up bilingual education, the Merced Focus reports.
Dual language immersion teaches students to read, speak and write in two or more languages.
Assembly Bill 2332, introduced by Assemblymember Mark González, D-Los Angeles, calls for the California Department of Education to facilitate more resources into dual immersion programs.
“Recent polls show that parents of English learners in the Valley overwhelmingly want dual immersion programs in classrooms,” the Focus reports. “A report from the Century Foundation last year found that one of the largest barriers for parents was the lack of access to nearby dual language programs.”
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad.
