Quote of the Week
“I’m not a political scientist … but, I mean, I do know that when the top of the ticket contests are not exciting, that hurts turnout. The presidential contests, a lot of people feel, are decided. That could have hurt turnout.”
— Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus on low voter turnout
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This Week in Fresnoland
Few surprises in Fresno’s March primary – and even fewer voters
Analysts expected older voters to outnumber the younger generation during this week’s presidential primary election, but younger voters – including in Fresno County – might have avoided the polls like they were on fire.
While exact turnout figures are still coming in, of all the ballots counted in Fresno County as of Friday, only about 3% were from voters between 18 and 24, according to Political Data Inc.
But the 20 to maybe 30% of voters that punched a March 5 ballot settled some pretty big issues in Fresno County.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer coasted to re-election, picking up more than 80% as a vote of confidence. The Measure E Fresno State tax faced defeat for a second time and at least two high-profile November runoffs are set in races for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, as well as another runoff to represent northeast Fresno on the City Council.
Check out all the latest election updates from Fresnoland.
Will this Clovis badass be the first woman on the moon?
Clovis native Jessica Wittner joined the newest generation of NASA Artemis astronauts during a ceremony this week at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Class of 2001 Buchanan High grad was one of just 10 graduates selected from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants, NASA said in a news release.
Launched in 2017, NASA’s Artemis program plans to “land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon” before embarking on a human mission to Mars.
In interviews with NASA’s PR team, Wittner talked about growing up in Clovis and said she was inspired, at least in part, by the Apollo astronauts that tracked the first footprints across the moon.
“That era of space flight really got me hooked.”
Costco relocation vote delayed over traffic
Mike Karbassi, the Fresno City Council vice president, says city staffers need to come up with more “traffic calming measures” before he’ll sign off on plans to relocate the West Shaw Costco a few miles north.
City documents suggested that, if the city council wants to grant the mega warehouse retailer’s request, they would also have to “accept certain environmental impacts because to eliminate them would unduly compromise some other important economic, fiscal, environmental, land use or other goal.”
Costco sells bulk items to paying members, “making walking, biking, or transit trips to the warehouse impractical,” city records note, an issue voiced by at least two Fresno residents during Thursday’s hearing. Fresnoland
New study shows link between corporate takeover of farmland and deeper groundwater wells
Companies that own wells in the San Joaquin Valley, on average, drill about 77 to 81 feet deeper into the ground than private farmers. That’s according to a new UC Berkeley study examining farmland transactions and groundwater between 2003 and 2017, the most current data available.
“It’s really essential to understand who accesses groundwater and how,” said Jenny Rempel, lead author of the study and doctoral candidate of energy and resources at UC Berkeley. “And although groundwater access is often determined by farmland ownership, the impacts of land acquisitions on groundwater access are poorly understood.”
The makeup of who, or what, is buying farmland is the study’s most significant finding, SJV Water’s Jesse Vad reported this week. SJV Water
Fresno’s Rogue Festival closes tonight
Fresno’s Rogue Festival closes this weekend in the Tower District.
Earlier this week, Fresnoland’s Ntsa Iab Vang profiled Jasmine Vang, the Fresno artist behind the one-woman show The Latehomcomer, a stage adaptation of the award-winning memoir by Hmong-American author Kao Kalia Yang.
“I want to be able to make work that showcases the joys that we have, the life that we live and the perseverance that lives in all of us. That’s something I want to produce,” Vang told Fresnoland.
Read the full Fresnoland story here. And check out Rogue Festival schedules and venues here.
Outside the Lines
Fresno leaders expect to collect an additional $1 million in tax revenue after approving a deal this week with online renter broker Airbnb, Fresnoland reported this week.
Fresno Unified leaders are contemplating 7% budget cuts – which could specifically impact non-teaching staff, such as office workers or custodians, and certain programs. ABC30
The city council approved $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission’s LGBTQ+ Resource Center.
Want to write about your neighborhood? Fresnoland is partnering with Fresno City College and the Journalism + Design program at the New School on a Community Journalism Fellowship this summer. Apply here by March 31.
Block Beat
FRESNO STATE: A Central Valley investment group inked the largest multifamily transaction in Fresno County in nearly two years, securing the sale of The Victor, a 232-unit multifamily community, for nearly $30 million. The Business Journal
RIVERPARK: Sneakerheads rejoice! The moment has arrived for sneakerheads, athletes and weekend warriors who have long awaited a Fresno Nike store. The Business Journal
ROEDING PARK: The Fresno City Council greenlit a project to convert the old Parkside Inn Motel from a shelter for unhoused residents to permanent affordable housing. Fresnoland
AIRPORT: The council unanimously approved a $3.3 million construction management contract with Hill International, Inc., to oversee a terminal expansion project at the Yosemite International Airport.
WOODWARD PARK: You are invited to Woodward Park’s BMX Race Track on March 17 for a St. Patrick’s Day bike race. All are welcome, park officials say, “from fearless rider to little strider.” Same-day registration opens at 9 a.m. March 17 and the race starts at 10 a.m. at the park, 7775 N. Friant Road. Registration is $10 for racers and $5 for striders. Questions? Call 559-621-PLAY. BMX Race
EAST TOWER: The Senior Crochet Club meets each Tuesday in March from 10 a.m. to noon at the Blackstone Senior Center, 1525 N. Blackstone Ave. in Fresno. Ages 55 and older. No registration required. Questions? Call 559-621-PLAY. FRESNO PARCS
Department of New Construction
WEST CENTRAL: Permits have been filed to develop McDonald’s and Dutch Bros “quick serve” restaurants at the corner of West Ashlan and North Polk Avenues.
Around Town
Masumoto Farms invites you to “immerse yourself in a deeper relationship with plants through the sensory experience of walking through our farm.” The popular farm’s famous “Blossom Bathing” experience returns beginning Saturday, March 9. There are “drop in” times available that don’t require a reservation as well as group-reservation experiences. MASUMOTO FARMS
The second annual Great Easter Egg Hunt is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at Einstein Park, 3566 E. Dakota Ave. in Fresno. Kids will hunt over 3,000 Easter eggs and get a picture with the Easter Bunny—family games and free lunch available (while supplies last). For more information, contact Councilmember Tyler Maxwell’s District 4 office at 559-621-8000 or email District4@fresno.gov. CITY HALL
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer will be the keynote speaker during the annual State of Downtown event, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 19 at Warnors Theatre, 1400 Fulton St. Downtown Fresno
Superhero acting legend Lou Ferrigno will visit Legends Comics and Games, 1752 Clovis Ave., in Clovis from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10. The actor and retired bodybuilder is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 1970s television show The Incredible Hulk. LEGENDS COMICS
Next Week in Public Meetings
- Monday, Mar 11, 2024 at 6 p.m | Clovis City Council
- Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 at 6 p.m. | Fresno Mobilehome Park Rent Review Commission
- Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. | Fresno Council District 6 Project Review Committee
- Thursday Mar 14, 2024 at 6 p.m. | Fresno Council District 1 Project Review Committee
