Back in June, at that town hall event at Fresno State, John McCain was asked about Palin, and this was his response (it's at the beginning of the clip):
Though not a huge player in the Fresno area, the experience of Woodside Homes is indicative of what is going on in this brutal housing slump.
The company, which has three tracts in Fresno and Clovis, says it will file a voluntary reorganization petition after five insurance companies holding bonds tried to force them into court.
Woodside said sluggish sales and tight credit is squeezing the company and seeks reorganization. Meanwhile, the subdivisions that it is building remain active and selling. Here is a story from a trade publication.
The menu is on the Web site, but not on the menu board in the restaurant, apparently. It includes things like the protein-style burger, wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, and a grilled-cheese sandwich made from a hamburger bun.
Says Rodriguez:
"They say it's not really a secret, even though they call it a secret. But if it's not a secret, why don't they add it to the menu? They even got catchy names for some of these variations on their plain menu."
It appears there's a few more secret things not on the printed secret menu. A Flying Dutchman and a Lemon-Up anyone?
So why aren't these items on the menu? One would think it would be a good way to attract Atkins dieters or vegetarians. Unless this is some kind of marketing strategy to give loyal customers "inside knowledge" or some such thing.
Andy Snider, Fresno Chaffee Zoo's director of animal care and conservation, is in Armenia to tag and track Armenian vipers. Snider is a nationally known expert on reptiles and amphibians. Snider is in Armenia until Sept. 10 and is sharing his experiences with readers of The Bee.
Andy's Armenia Adventure
Part 3, 28 August 2008
Well, we never went to the City Center last night, because our hosts didn't have any gasoline to spare. Most (or maybe all?) of the gasoline ("petrol") in Armenia comes through Georgia, and the conflict there with Russia has kept any gasoline from making it to the country for a while now. Most stations are closed, and the few that have gasoline aren't selling it for money, but rather for "checks," which I'm assuming is something like a gasoline rationing card. You can only purchase a small amount with these cards at one time. We have enough to get us to our study site (so far), but not for anything else.
They tell us that perhaps next week they'll be more back to normal, and we might then plan our trip to the southern Meghri region to find the unusual Armenian viper color morphs that are found there. I'll keep my fingers crossed...
In the meantime, we went to the study site today to locate the transmittered snakes. We found all of them in record time (~3 hours), using the car more than in the past to get closer to each specimen so we didn't have to walk miles in between. The snakes were very cooperative! We've lost the signal entirely to the one specimen that was located a few days ago down in a rock quarry which we couldn't get into. So that specimen may be gone forever.
Most of the snakes appear to be moving back toward the areas where they hibernate for the winter -- their "dens." Most of the snakes should be denning up by the end of September, so it's interesting to be here later in the season than in past years to see the animals returning from wherever they were during their busy season.
It's about 8:25 pm here in Armenia, exactly 12 hours later than in Fresno. I have no idea what we're doing for dinner tonight so I think I'll sign off for the evening. Then there's always CNN on TV, and yet more of the Democratic National Convention... :-)
The Daily Buzz: Autry's New Gig, College Drinking, Pelosi's Abortion Two-Step
Thanks for coming aboard. If you've got something to talk about, post it here.
And if you have photos to illustrate your point, e-mail them in jpeg to bmcewen@fresnobee.com.
If you wondering where Mayor Alan Autry will surface next, a good guess might be the host of a show on KYNO 1300 AM, which switches to a talk/news format on Tuesday.
Station owner John Ostlund declined comment Friday on whether Autry would host a show, but he previously promised to bring a big-name "surprise" to the KYNO lineup.
If Autry does land on KYNO, I guess we can bid goodbye to those lovey-dovey Autry/Ray Appleton schmooze-fests on KMJ. Or should I say, snooze-fests?
BTW: Jim Boren and I begin our weekday KYNO commentaries on Tuesday. We'll provide lots of fodder for the mayor's show.
In Thursday's column, I shot down the idea of lowering the drinking age to 18 in the United States, and made fun of a college president's statement that alcohol education and enforcement of the age 21 requirement was driving up the cost of obtaining a college degree.
Here is a response from William Durden, president of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.:
"I enjoyed reading your column about the issues of underage and abusive drinking on college campuses today. I'm delighted that you are keeping the issue out there as it has been a most challenging one in America -- especially on residential campuses since the 18th century -- and never handled well or conclusively.
"You quote my reference to the cost of education and enforcement for underage drinking on American campuses. Unfortunately, the statement is a bit distorted in the absence of the larger framework of the argument. Many critics claim that we do nothing in higher ed to control underage drinking and that this call for discussion by the Amethyst Initiative is but a way for us further to shirk responsibility (even you imply that we are doing nothing as you state we are descending from the Ivory Tower to talk about the issue). The fact is that we do quite a bit--day after day -- night after night -- and we put a good amount of money into it -- as we must protect to the highest degree possible our students and those with whom they come in contact. At the same time we are in higher ed are loudly accused of doing nothing to enforce underage drinking and shirking responsibility (even avoiding liability), we are attacked for not controlling the price of a higher education (tuition) by overspending on inefficiencies, etc.
"Current education and enforcement measures, from our point of view, are not really effective to control underage drinking (they are not protecting our students sufficiently-- although many colleges -- including Dickinson -- have done quite well in on-campus enforcement in recent years only to have the students go off campus and out of our jurisdictions) and that leads us to believe there must be better, more cost-effective and consequential ways to protect students from themselves and others who abuse alcohol.
"You might also note that our call is for a substantive discussion of the issue and an independent assessment of the research all sides use to justify their positions. Much of that research has not been reviewed recently for the changing context of on-campus and off-campus developments (to include the fact that most of the challenges with abusive drinking we deal with today are non-vehicular and much of the research has focused on drinking and driving). Such a discussion might well result in lowering (20?, 19? 18?) the age limit, raising it (look at the devastation wrought by folks 22-35) or keeping it the same but having as a result of the conversation better and more cost-efficient measures (given the clear public call for reducing the cost of higher ed) to accomplish our goals and those of society."
On the Net: I watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi squirm last weekend on "Meet the Press" when the abortion issue was raised. Pelosi, a practicing Catholic, did a political two-step and claimed the Catholic church has never determined when life begins. She might want to take a refresher course in church theology. Read what the church really says here.
Some people living up north aren't convinced that California is in the midst of a drought, or that people living in the West should regard every drop of water as previous. So, Folsom is imposing mandatory conservation rules on its residents. The rules, by the way, are basically what we practice here -- regardless of rainfall. Read more here.
Laugh of the Day: "When they told me I was coming here to Vegas, I got excited, 'cause I like to gamble. So, on the way out, on the plane, I got warmed up a bit. I started throwing my money in the toilet and pulling the handle." -- Comedian Rocky LaPorte
Quote of the Day: "No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means." -- George Bernard Shaw
California Gov. Dianne Feinstein. It has a ring to it, for some Democrats; including, perhaps, Feinstein herself. This week, Feinstein told San Francisco Chronicle reporter Zachary Coile that she was considering a run in the 2010 election.
"The job I do now I think is important, and what I really want to do is make a difference," Feinstein told Coile. "The question is, how can I best do that? Is it using the seniority I have in the Senate, or is it in getting out there and running for governor?"
I'm skeptical, though certainly not about her political and legislative strengths. The former San Francisco mayor appears to be an executive at heart, and ran for governor before. She has handily won statewide election three times. But will Feinstein really want to take on a competitive race at the age of 77, for a governor's seat that often seems to leave the incumbent tarnished? My bet is she considers it for a good long while and then opts to retain her sure thing as the state's senior senator.
The Chamber of Commerce sells the mountain hamlet of Crestline like this: "closer to Southern California's major cities than any other mountain community....yet worlds away!"
Turns out, it's not really worlds away this year in terms of air pollution. This sleepy place, nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains, has violated the federal ozone standard more days this year than any other place in the country.
A city of 11,000 people at 4,613 feet in elevation has worse air quality than downtown L.A., Fresno, Bakersfield -- or pick any city you want. New York, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia.
There is no big city anywhere in the United States that's even close this year. Crestline -- a city that is largely devoid of rush-hour traffic -- has 89 violations this summer.
Little Crestline is downwind of the L.A. metro mess. Just like Sequoia National Park is downwind of the San Joaquin Valley's pollution.
In fact, whenever talk turns to the worst ozone traps over the last decade, Crestline must be mentioned right alongside Arvin in Kern County. Both are victims of pollution that they did not create.
Read more details in this coming Monday's Word on the Street in the Bee's business section.
The company has long sold its denim line in department stores and began opening its own stores in recent years. If you've got some reading time, check out this story about how the company was tanking several years ago but rebounded by shifting to high-end denim.
This just in. The Sky Room at the Holiday Inn Fresno Downtown reopens to banquets on Wednesday. The Fresno Advertising Federation will be the first group in that 9th-floor ballroom in six years.
The room went vacant when the hotel, before it was sold and renovated as a Holiday Inn, went through a bad patch. "We understand the historic significance of the Sky Room," said general manager Robert Van Orden. "The reopening is an exciting accomplishment."
The sky Room is only allowing banquets until a minor problem with the dance floor is fixed. A section of the floor is raised slightly and needs to be fixed before the general public is allowed in, Van Orden said.
The advertising federation will hold its monthly luncheon in the Sky Room.
The Daily Buzz: Lots of Love for KYNO; Leno, Marley
Thanks for checking in. Keep the conversation flowing.
A lot of Baby Boomers loved the old KYNO, which won the ratings war over KMAK -- pronounced K-MAKE -- in the early 1960s, and then morphed into "Boss Radio," as I chronicled in this column.
Thanks to the power of the Internet and fresnobee.com, here are memories from readers near and far.
Dick Carr, former Fresno disc jockey and television newsman:
"How long ago did I land at KYNO? My first day was May 11, 1960. I do need to rattle John Wallace's cage. He seems to have forgotten that he was rescued from 20-20 when Gary Bentley at Channel 47 wanted to get off the late-night news and we brought John over and paired him up with Dick Drilling on sports for the late-night show. Later was [John's] call from KFSN. How quickly we forget, we radio and TV gypsies.
[I am] living in Pismo Beach and playing golf three or four times a week. I read your column online and remind myself of when you were a regular on KFRE with the one and only Jerry Lee and yours truly."
Brian Decker, whose father, Wayne, was KYNO's general manager for more than 25 years:
"Thank you very much for your column regarding KYNO. It brought back a lot of great memories for me. In the early 60's, as a boy of 8 or 9, I can remember playing basketball with [programming director] Bill Drake in our front yard on Thanksgiving Day, helping Sam Schwann with the records on Saturday mornings when my Dad took me to work with him, and being in the front row at the Dave Clarke Five concert at the Memorial Auditorium that KYNO promoted. It was an exciting place and environment to grow up around.
"You captured perfectly the ground-breaking format of Boss Radio that was first developed in Fresno, then syndicated by Drake and Gene Chenault to stations such as KHJ in Los Angeles and KFRC in San Francisco, along with many others across the country. Later, when FM began to take off, that continued when KYNO-FM went on the air. In the mid-70's, those radio wars continued with the great 96FM/Y94 radio/ratings wars that I was involved in as sales manager for KYNO/KYNO-FM.
"I shared your column with my teenage daughters to give them an idea as to what their 'Papa' had a hand in creating and participating in. Radio is so different now, with very few local owners and the Clear Channels of the world being the norm. I have always appreciated what [new KYNO owner] John Ostlund has and continues to do in local broadcasting."
C.L. Cake, Thunder Press Magazine, and bikernet.com.:
"Bill, Thanks for the reminder of the 'good old days.' When I was a teenager, I worked for QRK Electronics, manufacturer of professional radio-station turntables. It was owned by Burt Williamson, who also owned controlling interest in KYNO, and was housed in the same building, at 2125 N. Barton. I worked there part time from '66 to '68 while in high school. There was always some skullduggery afoot at the station, and looking back, it was a great part of my life.
"One incident involved Sam Schwan's glass eye. While eating lunch in the station's break room, I heard Noreen, the KYNO secretary, let out a blood-curdling scream, and the sound of breaking glass. When I ran into the reception area, there was Noreen's coffee cup shattered against the wall, and Sam's glass eye among the dripping shards. He'd brought her a cup of Joe with the freshly scrubbed eye at the bottom. As she took the last swallow, she found herself the object of scrutiny by a 'detached' retina!
"I also remember a run-in 'Red Dog' Walker had with Wanda, the KYNO kangaroo, that left him feeling like he'd just boxed 10 rounds Cassius Clay. (Yes, a real live kangaroo. More bounce to the ounce, you Kyno-roos!)
"I remember Ed Mitchell and Dick Carr hobbling around for a week after their endurance record in the KYNO Kart-a-Thon, where the DJs raced go-karts non-stop for several days.
"At that time, I drove an old hot rod '51 Chevy coupe, and one time, I got to clean out all the 'promo' records from the warehouse. I went home with literally thousands of '45s stuffed in every corner of the car, to the point of hampered visibility. Jay and the Americans; The Doors; Moody Blues... Sure wish I had some of them now."
"It's been a while since I've thought about those days. I believe the request line was 229-2635. Either that, or Mike's Pizzeria -- I used them both a lot."
Abe Espinosa, former KJEO-47 cameraman and production ace:
"This brought back some old memories. I was a camera man at KJEO during that time and behind the 47 studio was a metal building that had been constructed for Big Time Wrestling. KMAK had a show that followed American Band Stand called KMAK Cabret. I remember Tom Maule was one of the hosts -- they had a different DJ for every day of the week. The battle between KYNO & KMAK got so bad on the air that KJEO managment had to tell them to cool it. KMAK had a good thing going until the dance party started getting a little rowdy and finally had to drop the program. Thanks for a great article.
Flora Castro, sister of Dick Carr:
"In 1961, at the age of 15, I moved to Fresno to live with my older brother following our mother's death. I was shy and had a noticeable southern drawl, and was scared to death about my new life and how I'd fit in a place so different from home of Tulsa, OK.
"I can't tell you how easy it was to fit in when all my new friends found out my big brother was Dick Carr. My southern drawl, which was initially made fun of, became charming when the kids at school found out I could supply a DJ who was very popular at the time.
"I recall some of the stunts that Chenault and Drake dreamed up to stoke the ratings. They ranged from having the DJ's parachute into parking lots to open a shopping mall, participating in demolition derbys at Kearney Bowl and running ostrich-pulled chariot races at the Fresno Fair.
"That last one became a part of national insurance commercial, when they covered the injuries my brother incurred when he was run over by a chariot driven by another DJ, Bob Elliott. As I recall the commercial started out by asking "Would your insurance cover you if you were run over by an ostrich?"
"Back then, all of the DJ's were an extended family. I just remember how nothing was too outrageous of a stunt if it could attract ratings.
Shane Davis, a "young" oldies radio buff:
"Thanks for the great article you wrote on KYNO. I'm awaiting the chance to hear (if only for a day), what great radio used to sound like in Fresno. For what its worth, I think its a shame they are only doing this for one day, before we are treated to yet another news/talk station. Fresno really no longer has a 1950s-60s oldies station -- there's one that's beamed from Merced, and a couple other 'old school hip-hop' stations.
"Incidentally, this email isn't coming from an old-timer remembering his youth.. I'm 29 years old, and an avid record collector/ record store owner. I'm barely old enough to remember KYNO in its waning days as a rock station in the 1980s. There are lots of younger people out there who enjoy great oldies, and who can appreciate a piece of history.
"P.S. Your article mentions those Top 30 lists that KYNO used to give out. Several years ago, I found a bag of those pamphlets at a junk store, and sold them on ebay for over $400. There's quite a collector's market for those nowadays!"
Ms. Chris Perez, a faithful KYNO listener:
"I graduated in 1972. My girlfriend and I used to go over to the station when we were in junior high and high school. One of the DJs would give us 45s. I think his name was Nick Anthony. A couple of times, he even said our names on the air. That was the biggest thrill of my young life (except for seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan).
"I remember the little jingles you mentioned. Whenever they would play a song which had a pause, I would hear 'KYNO Fresno' in that dead air. I thought that was SO cool! Do you remember the KYNO Millionaire? He cruised around town in a limo, and would get out at different places and just walk up to people and give them money. One day that limo pulled onto the block where I lived. He got out, went up to a door down the street and handed money to the lady who lived there. It was thrilling to see, even though he didn't come to my house! I remember when that key was buried and clues were given on the air; it was found in a field just past Janofsky's Nightclub, which was the last building on Blackstone (where River Park is now).
"Now that I think of it, that could have been the KMAK key, I'm not sure. I do remember my Mom took us by there when the clues zeroed in on that area. There were lots of people out there digging!"
Paul Christy, better known around here as "Harry Miller" while a KYNO DJ:
"Bill, can you help me get in touch with the right folks at KYNO to possibly be a part of the stunt day? I was afternoon drive there during part of the glory days, using the name Harry Miller. I was also the Program Director who hired Sean Conrad, Ted Jordan and others.
"Sure would be fun to be a part of it, if only via a couple of MP3 breaks! I remember the ratings service in use when I was there, from 1969-1972, was Pulse, and we had an astounding 40 share. Amazing days! My office was an added-on room behind that little house on Barton, where many wild radio promotions were brainstormed.
"I left KYNO to do afternoons at another Drake station, KGB in San Diego, then on to KFRC, San Francisco, and finally KIQQ, Los Angeles, the Drake-Chenault owned station, where I was sandwiched between Robert W. Morgan and The Real Don Steele -- what a trip! I had been renamed Eric Chase along the way by Drake and Bill Watson.
"If you could pass this note on, perhaps I can send something -- make some contribution to the day. Sure would love an aircheck of the event, at least!"
Gary Hatcher, McLane High School class of 1968:
"Man how I remember the days of KYNO and KMAK. What a blast. In fact, in those days, I lived just a few blocks from KYNO. It was part of our neighborhood."
D. Cathleen Grant, fan of the Big 13 playlists:
"I just discovered last week, while going through old things, that I have several of KYNO's Top 40 circulars from the early 1970's. I used to pick them up at Kmart when I'd ride my bike there to buy 45s for 79 cents! What a great memory. Thanks for lightening up my day for a minute."
Kathy Long-Pence, who won $10 from the KYNO Millionaire:
"Brought back many memories. I grew up in the 1960s in Fresno and distinctly remember getting my transistor radio and tuning it to KYNO until usurped by KFIG and the stronger FM signal. I seem to remember a promotion called the KYNO Millionaire and traipsing through a vacant lot looking for $$$ that was scattered there. My friends and I were not the first on site and only found about $10, but it was fun to listen to the radio until the location was revealed and then finding a parent to drive us there as quickly as possible."
Brent Auernheimer, who listened to KYNO during the day before it powered down:
"A few weeks ago I bought a copy of a CD of 75 minutes of KYNO from March 1968:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4713495175
"I thought it was funny that one of the first things on the CD was a 'news report' from Reedley High School. I'm surprised RHS had a KYNO spot -- we couldn't hear KYNO after sunset here in Reedley. Anyway, 1968 was before my time, but it's interesting to listen to.
Dennis Hall, now of Billings, MT., a KMAK employee during "The Battle of Fresno:"
"Having worked at K/MAKe 134 from the early days when Ron Jacobs was the morning guy until late '64. I know that you got the basic story right.
"One of K/MAKe's stunts when they first went on the air was to dog-nap the Fresno State bulldog -- Moose (I think) -- and then make a big deal about Jacobs or one of the guys being from the school FSC was playing in football that weekend and maybe kidnapping the dog. The mascot was returned in a pre-game ceremony. The dog wasn't actually kidnapped but was safely stowed away in a kennel. I had encouraged fellow student and dog handler Dirk Van Gelder to go along with the stunt, for which he took a lot of flack.
"The original KYNO millionaire was Dr. Philip Walker, a speech professor at Fresno State. He had a strong resemblance to Vladimir Lenin."
Note: Walker, who died earlier this year, is pictured on the right.
Ed Bergthold, another KYNO playlist devotee:
"Nice article in the Bee this morning. It made me think about the one and only weekly top 40 sheets that KYNO used to give out. Sorry, I only have Aug 11, 1962 and have attached a copy. I was living in Reedley at the time and after 6pm they had to turn their power down. KYNO sent by mail the weekly sheets (at no cost to me). I'll be listening on Labor Day. "
And now a plug for Jim deYong, a seller of Top 40 radio memorabilia:
"Bill, I just read your article about the KYNO Labor Day event. I own a Website called RadioLogoLand.com that sells T-shirts and coffee mugs and other cool stuff featuring logos from Top 40 radio stations from the 1950s, '60s and '70s. KYNO is consistently one of our top sellers."
Still with me?
Great! Here are your regular Daily Buzz features:
On the Net: First Afghan medalist Nikpai returns to hero's welcome. Read it about here.
Laugh of the Day: "And as you know, Barack Obama has chosen Delaware Senator Joseph Biden as his running mate. Well, Biden has 35 years of experience in Washington. So between the two of them, that's almost 36 years of experience." --Jay Leno
Quote of the Day: "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." -- Bob Marley
Remember: Tune into the new KYNO 1300 talk/news format beginning next Tuesday to hear weekday commentaries from Bee Editorial Page editor Jim Boren and me. It won't be hard to tell us apart. I'm the smart one.
In today's story I quoted experts who say the airline industry is headed for a fallout later this year.
Air travel is going to drop significantly, they say, as passengers get frustrated with rising ticket prices, fewer flights, and charges for everything from seat assignments to pillows and drinks. Passengers yesterday reported paying $1 for coffee, $2.50 for sodas and $7 for a sandwich.
The experts were talking about the future, but I wonder how travelers' frustrations from years past will effect their decisions. It seems everyone has a story to share.
Mine happened a few years ago, when I spent 24 hours and four flights trying to get home to Fresno from a family visit in Indianapolis. I spent the night on the floor of the Las Vegas airport. (And by the way, the slot machines were inside the security gate. I couldn't even gamble.) Of course, once I made it to Fresno I found out they lost my luggage.
But then, several passengers I interviewed Wednesday reported a positive experience.
Andy Snider, Fresno Chaffee Zoo's director of animal care and conservation, is in Armenia to tag and track Armenian vipers. Snider is a nationally known expert on reptiles and amphibians. Snider is in Armenia until Sept. 10 and is sharing his experiences with readers of The Bee.
Andy's Armenia Adventure
Part 2, 27 August 2008
A total relaxation day. Since I had fresh clothes to change into (from my newly arrived luggage), it felt luxurious to take a nice hot shower and not have to put on the same ratty clothes from the last several days. Ah, the simple pleasures! We read and watched TV most of the day, alternating between CNN (the only English-speaking channel available) and one of the two music video channels. Watching the same footage over and over again from the Democratic National Convention became rather ho-hum, but watching Britney Spears and Tina Turner videos while in Armenia is almost surreal.
I should probably explain a little bit about the Armenian viper project, so you'll understand why we're doing what we're doing. The Armenian viper is classified as a threatened species, and it is a candidate species for the more comprehensive world Red Data List. As such, it is undergoing reassessment at the moment. It is only found in Armenia and the extreme eastern side of Turkey on Mount Ararat.
In this country, it is found in scattered localities and can be somewhat abundant in the proper rocky, mountainous habitat. In past years, we've taken blood samples from specimens in various parts of its range to determine how closely related different populations are to one another. In fact, it isn't even totally known that all of the populations are really the same subspecies at all!
The animals found in the extreme south part of the range near Meghri are very different beasts, being very dark in color and being somewhat different in behavior and habitat as well. We also do radiotelemetry on these animals.
A tiny radiotransmitter is surgically implanted inside the body cavity of the snake, and each individual specimen has its own unique transmission signal to find with a receiver and antenna. Each specimen is located every couple-to-few days and coordinates are taken to later enter into a computer program. In this way, each snake can be tracked throughout the year, and a "home range" can be determined for each specimen. In past years, we've even taken blood samples from a tiny species of viper (Darevsky's viper) in the very north part of the country, near the Georgia border, to help our colleague Levon with his research.
I think we're headed to Yerevan's "City Center" tonight, to see the city lights at night and perhaps have some dinner. Every day I'm here, for the 4 years I've come here, I'm thankful to have the privilege to be in such a beautiful place!
The Daily Buzz: Brooms, Blowers, Merlo Video, Hillary Clinton
Thanks for checking in. Post comments below.
Matt Teixeira has a statement and a question for Fresno City Hall: "Since we all live in one of the worst air districts in the country, why can't the City trade in the leaf blowers for a broom?"
Teixeira was driving home from church Sunday when he saw a City of Fresno crew blowing, in his words, "the byproduct of their hard work everywhere." He then snapped the photos above at the northeast corner of Cedar and Teague avenues.
Says Teixeira: "I had to stop and ask two simple questions of the two young men: 1. Do you have a broom on your city truck and trailer? The answer was no. 2. Did your supervisor direct you to blow this material out of the gutters? The answer was yes. I thanked them for working in the hot sun and drove away."
Continues Teixeira: "This is nuts! his just tells me the city only knows one way to do this work, and it doesn't involve a broom. It's time for a change, isn't it?"
Teixeira has hit on one of the big obstacles to improving San Joaquin Valley air quality: few people are willing to voluntarily change how they work and live.
Now, for the question: Should the city or Fresno County ban leaf blowers?
On the net:You can find "Rick Merlo's Water Polo History" here on YouTube. Watch the former Buchanan High standout go from first splash to a berth on the United States' silver-medal-winning team in the Beijing Olympics. Length: 2 minutes, 58 seconds.
Here you can see a Florida judge chew out a 70-year-old drug-buying granny. Warning: You'll have to view a commercial first.
Laugh of the Day: "Earlier tonight, Hillary Clinton gave a big speech at the Democratic Convention in support of Barack Obama. Experts say it was the longest speech ever delivered entirely through clenched teeth." -- Conan O'Brien
Quote of the Day: "I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week sometimes to make it up." -- Mark Twain
People have one more chance to comment on the tightening of fireplace restrictions, which probably will result in more wood-burning bans on the worst winter days.
The deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District.
Just so you know, there have been 33 days of winter burning bans for Fresno County since 2003. The district estimates the county would have up to 48 burn bans per year -- yes, that's each year -- under the revisions being proposed.
There have been nine public workshops on this rule change. For the most part, the meetings did not draw a lot of interest from the public.
Any tweaks to the rule amendment will be made by Sept. 5, then you can review the new document and make more comments until Oct. 6, officials said.
Then you can still go to the governing board meeting on Oct. 16 when the rule amendments might be approved.
Senior air quality specialist Jessica Hafer said it is possible this rule could take effect this winter, depending on what the board decides to do.
The latest data from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which tracks housing values, offers good news to those who want to buy a house or bought years ago, and not-so-good news to others.
First the good news: Prices in Fresno have fallen more than 17% over the past year. That means more opportunity for first-time home buyers. In addition, the median price is still up 47.5% from five years ago.
Now the bad news: Prices have fallen more than 17% - not good for families trying to sell or who bought in 2005 or 2006 and owe more than the house is worth. Here's my story.
Andy Snider, Fresno Chaffee Zoo's director of animal care and conservation, travels to Armenia each year to assist on a project to tag and track Armenian vipers. Snider is a nationally known expert on reptiles and amphibians. He is trying to learn how much land is needed to sustain snake populations. Snider is in Armenia until Sept. 10 and is sharing his experiences with readers of The Bee.
Part 1, August 23-26
This, my fourth trip to Armenia, began with a few difficulties. After missing my connecting flight in London, then going through Germany to arrive in Yerevan Armenia 4 hours later than expected, my two pieces of checked luggage were missing (which, by the way is totally my luck!).
My Armenian colleagues had no way of knowing when my "new" flight would arrive, so no one was at the airport waiting for me, so I tried to use the two phone numbers I had. I realized after a fashion that one of them was an office number, which certainly wasn't going to work at 4:30 am on a Saturday morning. The other, a cell number, didn't have the correct number of digits, so that didn't work either.
I tried to call my St. Louis colleague's "emergency" phone but just got a recording. So, I went to the internet cafe at the airport and left e-mails for two Armenian colleagues and my St. Louis colleague, just in case someone would check e-mails eventually. After waiting 5 hours, I found a wonderful lady at a cell phone company at the airport that tried "adding" an extra digit to the cell phone number I had, and finally we reached the right person! Getting picked up at the airport was wonderful, after having traveled for over 27 hours and waiting an additional 5.
Later in the day, we (my St. Louis colleagues Jeff and Matt, and me) were invited to the home of our Armenian colleagues and friend, Aram Aghasyan and family, for a wonderful dinner of cucumber/tomato salad, lavash, bread, kebabs, and pork, along with beer and the ever-present vodka. Aram, along with his son Levon, are a very large part of this project - Aram works for the Armenian Ministry of Nature, and both he and his son do much of the project's work with the snakes while we're not in the country. We discussed what we hoped to accomplish during this trip, and called it an early night since I had not yet slept after the trip.
The next morning, Sunday, we went to the study site in Abovian, to radiotrack the snakes that had been implanted with radiotransmitters during the spring by Jeff and a veterinarian from St. Louis. With two teams of 3 people each, we found 9 of the snakes (Armenian vipers, Montivipera raddei, for those science-oriented folks!), including one that had traveled over 2 miles since the last time it had been found. Pretty impressive for such a small snake!
I should mention that this project has been ongoing for 5 years now, having been originally conceived during a trip to Russia that Jeff and I had taken in 2002. Now, this project is Jeff's Ph.D. thesis, and I'm one of his assistants. Abovian is a wonderful site, only about 1/2 hour outside of Yerevan, yet with quite a large number of snakes. A wonderful rocky hillside is the snakes' habitat, making the hiking rather laborious but wonderful nonetheless. You certainly get your exercise, that's for sure!
Monday - a day of rest. We ate fruits, vegetables and meat that we bought from the street vendors and small shops near our "flat," and got along just fine. A visit from the Curator of Reptiles at the Yerevan Zoo was a nice surprise, as Jeff had purchased some equipment for him to use - equipment very difficult to acquire in Armenia but very easy in America.
Tuesday - We went back to the field site, and managed to find yet another specimen that we had been unable to locate before. Luckily, two of the members of our team (not including me!) took off down the mountainside to find the missing animal, then walked a further few miles back to the original site, where we were waiting anxiously for them. But the main thing is that they were successful! On the way back to the flat, Levon announced that my luggage had been found and was at the airport, so after a short rest we headed to the airport. Interestingly enough, the baggage counter folks wanted to hear all about our research, and then proceeded to tell me that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's grandmother was Armenian! All the people here are wonderful, helpful, and a real pleasure to deal with. Friendlier people you'll never meet.
The Daily Buzz: KYNO memories, election projections, Biden's gaffe
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Post your comments below. If you have pictures to share, send them in jpeg to bmcewen@fresnobee.com.
A couple years ago, Fresno Famous asked readers to submit their Top 10 lists of things that had disappeared from the city.
Tuesday's column in The Bee will be about the AM radio station that dominated the ratings from the late 1950s through the mid-1970s: KYNO 1300. What's more, KYNO had a huge influence nationally on radio and rock 'n' roll because it helped formulate the monster format known as "Boss Radio."
On Sept. 2, when KYNO changes to talk/news, Jim Boren and I will provide two-minute commentaries daily.
On the net: Check out this Web site for state by state electoral college projections on the McCain/Obama race, as well as the Senate and House races. You'll also find interesting stuff on campaign contributions and things like John McCain's real-estate holdings.
Laugh of the Day:"A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States -- Barack America!" -- Joe Biden, at his first campaign rally with Barack Obama. View the video here.
Quote of the Day: "Every day sees humanity more victorious in the struggle with space and time. " -- Guglielmo Marconi, Italian scientist who helped develop
wireless telegraphy.
Kirt King, pictured here, teaches art and multimedia at Willow International Center, a mini-community college campus in northeast Fresno where classes have started. I wrote a story today on the campus breaking enrollment projections and moving toward becoming a full-fledged community college.
Officials say students like Willow International because of its faculty, and King was a welcoming presence on the first day of a photography course. As he called roll, he paused after each name and said "welcome" to each student. He also told students: "I love my job. I love what I do. I do it for you guys."
King, 36, said one of the missions of a community college is to help students who aren't sure what to do with their lives. By creating a positive classroom atmosphere, he believes he can help students find confidence to sort out their choices. King told students that he welcomes class discussions, and he challenged them to think: "I always love informed opinions."
The Omnia Group, a management and personnel consulting firm based in Tampa, Fla., surveyed business owners and executives asking how their employees were handling the tough economic times.
The response? Nearly a third said their employees' reaction was exceptional. They must be doing something right. The rest fared as follows:
-- Better than expected: 26%
-- Not too bad: 37%
-- Less than positive: 8%
The key, Omnia officials said, is how employers handle the downturn. Do it correctly, and employees react positively. Make a mistake, and morale suffers. "It is important that we understand what companies are doing to manage the recession and if it is working with their employees," said Omnia CEO John Caswell in a statement. "The majority of employees, when partnered with a company, will respond to tough times with resolve and determination."
As a retail reporter, I've written about several new retailers coming to Fresno for the first time: J. Crew, Sephora, White House/Black Market.
The other day I thought news that racy lingerie retailer Frederick's of Hollywood would open in Fashion Fair mall was a first. You can read the story here.
But it's not. I was surprised to learn that the chain had a store on Fulton Mall that opened in 1960.
One of my co-workers remembers walking past it as a kid and the store being "the type of place you were supposed to avert your eyes from."
Despite searching for days, I was unable to find out when or why it closed.
Does anyone know? Anyone out there remember the retailer on Fulton Mall? What do you remember about it?
Hubbard Family in Oval Office Bill-Signing Ceremony
Iraq War veteran Jason Hubbard and other members of the Hubbard family will be flying from Fresno to Washington, D.C. later week to participate in an Oval Office ceremony. On Friday morning, President Bush will sign the Hubbard Act, which honors the family's sacrifice and corrects a military wrong.
The legislation extends traditional pay and benefits to sole survivors who have been granted early discharge from the military. Hubbard received an early honorable discharge after his two brothers Nathan and Jared died in Iraq. Under Pentagon policy at the time, Jason Hubbard's early discharge cost him some pay and benefits.
Parents Peggy and Jeff Hubbard will be joining Jason at the White House event, as will his wife, sister and other family members.
This story says the Atlanta-based chain is changing is name to "reposition the fried-chicken specialist as more of a Louisiana generalist." I'm not entirely sure what that means, but sounds like Popeye's -- whose sales are sagging -- is trying to set itself apart from other fast food restaurants, reminding customers that its chicken is marinated for 12 hours.
I wonder how long it will take people to start using the new name.
Remember when Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC? Apparently KFC is letting some of its franchisees change the name once again. They may rename the restaurants Kentucky Fried & Grilled Chicken as the company tests new non-fried items.
Home prices in California fell a record 40.3% between July 2007 and last month, but sales surged 43.4% - proving that people are taking advantage of bargain prices, the California Association of Realtors noted.
Even more interesting is how areas with the deepest price drops have the biggest boost in sales. Take Riverside/San Bernardino: Sales soared 176.5%. Of course, the median price in that area fell by more than a third over the last 12 months to $265,750.
Two areas, Merced and Stockton, have seen prices fall like a hammer. The median price in July in Stockton was $160,000, a 50% drop from a year prior. In Merced, it was $154,500, a decrease of 43.8%, according to DataQuick Information Systems..
Be advised: those prices are a snapshot in time, and are subject to fluctuation based on size of house sold and volume of sales.
The Daily Buzz: Kennedys, Woodward Park Fiasco, Madonna
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Saturday's appearance by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Fresno triggered a flood of emotions in Michael Levine.
Levine took both photos with this post: the younger Kennedy outside Barack Obama's local headquarters on Shaw Avenue and his father before he was assassinated in 1968.
Writes Levine: "Shaking Kennedy's hand 40 years after seeing his father at the Ambassador Hotel [in Los Angeles] five minutes before he was shot was an inspiring and hopeful note for a healthy future.
"[Bobby] was going down the back elevator and I was about to follow when I realized I had no more film. My backup film was in the car right below the room we were in. I went out a back door down an outside staircase to my car picked up my film and went to the room he
was going to next where he would speak to a group of supporters.
"Needless to say when I got there something was wrong. The time span was at most 15 minutes from the time I left the room went to my car and then to the next meeting room.
"At this point, like everyone else, my emotions were so shaken that I couldn't take anymore pictures and was there to the early hours of the morning when the police allowed us to leave. The best way to describe my emotions and those around me was a river of tears and deep sadness at our loss and the country's loss."
Thanks, Michael, for the pictures and for sharing your memories.
Craig Scharton, left in the above photo, says the city's decision to allow a Mixed Martial Arts "cage match" promotion in Woodward Park was a travesty.
Here is Scharton's on-the-mark commentary about the latest silliness from the final days -- thank goodness! -- of Mayor Alan Autry's failed administration:
"It started out kind of funny. The juxtaposition of Shakespeare in the park with the mixed martial arts rumble in the park. It kind of felt like that Fresno Sitcom that many of us feel like we're caught in. But the humor wore off quickly.
"The disrespect starts when a man named Woodward leaves money for a park, a park that is to be a non-commercial and a bird sanctuary. There are many gray areas about the definition of non-commercial. But Rumble in the Park was definitely out of bounds. For those of you who believe in things like honoring people's wills, tonight was a travesty. The powers that be who approved this event should hope that bad karma is just a concept, not a reality.
"The people who put on Shakespeare in the Park seem to be a good-natured group, a group who obviously receives little support from anyone with the keys to the treasury to bring entertainment to our community. Tonight's play was their 100th. It should have been a celebration. Instead it was bombarded by AC/DC, Ozzie Osbourne and System of a Down. All good bands, but not in a bird sanctuary and not on a night when the local Shakespeare company was putting their collective hearts into a performance.
"Don't get me wrong about this...I'm not against MMA, cage fighting, boxing or any other form of violent entertainment. I've been to heavyweight boxing matches and even trained in a boxing gym. I've hunted and done any number of activities that would make my liberal friends cringe. That is not the point. Cage fights in a casino or Selland Arena or Save Mart Center would be fine. Knock yourselves out (as they say).
"The police helicopter repeatedly circling, the Harleys endlessly revving and the "f**k you Hamlet" from the departing MMA crowd were disgusting. They show a lack of respect for people who are performing for our community and the people who came out to enjoy a play.
"Our parks director [Randall Cooper] should hand the net proceeds from tonight's event to the Woodward Park Shakespeare Festival out of shame and ask for their forgiveness. He might also want to read or see the play Hamlet, to get a glimpse of the chaos a ghost can cause, before he desecrates O.J. Woodward's gift to our city any further.
Right on, Craig!
On the net: John McCain's campaign hit back at Madonna after the pop diva kicked off her world tour with a concert that bracketed the Republican presidential candidate with Adolf Hitler.
Laugh of the Day: "Upon hearing Russia invaded Georgia, Obama supporters became concerned about the security of Alabama." -- posted on MSNBC
message board.
Quote of the Day: "There's a good police presence here. I think it's deterring any activity that might have occurred." -- Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, who sat ringside with Mayor Alan Autry and Pastor H. Spees at the MMA show at Woodward Park.
One of the benefits of incumbency is the ability to announce the distribution of dollars. Members of Congress, for instance, typically are given a heads-up by federal agencies several days before a grant is formally announced. This gives the lawmaker a chance to issue a press release and secure some credit-by-association.
But Spencer Pedersen, press secretary for Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, noted Monday that notification can pose its own problems. Some agencies, he said, "still haven't graduated to e-mail yet" and so still rely on faxes. That can make its own kind of sense, though, because Capitol Hill staff moves around so much e-mail addresses can quickly become archaic.
On Aug. 20, for instance, the Education Department faxed to Radanovich's office notice that California State University, Fresno was about to receive a $199,000 grant. The faxed letter advised Radanovich's office that Fresno State would itself be formally notified "in the next few days." The grant will help the school's Deaf Education Personnel Preparation Project, which is training 20 teachers for the deaf and hard of hearing.
This week's Word column: windows, groceries and real estate
Check out this week's Word on the Street column. You'll find nuggets on new windows going into an old building, An expanded Save Mart store and a real estate firm that is growing despite a shrinking of the industry.
Take a look at that picture. Isn't that a beautiful sight? That's the average price of gas for Fresno today. It finally fell below the $4 mark.
It looks like prices will fall even further, according to this story.
The only downer is when you put it in perspective and look at what prices were this time last year. They've still got to drop a $1.14 to catch up with where we were last year.
Local Obama office opens; McCain people say they've always been here
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who will likely be named the Democratic presidential nominee at his party's national convention next week in Denver, has yet to visit Fresno, but his campaign team is ready to reopen its local headquarters, which closed after the Feb. 5 primary.
The Obama team has invited environmental advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- who is also son and namesake of the 1968 presidential hopeful -- to cut the ribbon at the Obama `08 office, 421 W. Shaw Avenue, at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Kennedy added his support to Obama recently after backing Sen. Hillary Clinton during the primaries.
As for Obama's main competition, staffers for likely Republican nominee John McCain say the Arizona senator has had a local headquarters up and running for quite a while now. It's the Fresno County Republican Party headquarters at 83 E. Shaw Ave., Suite 204.
The rivalry is legendary and has raged on this year as Parra, D-Hanford, has repeatedly praised Fran Florez's Republican opponent, Danny Gilmore, in the race to fill Parra's Assembly seat after she terms out this year.
But wait.
Now Fran Florez, mother off state Sen. Dean Florez, is praising Parra for her "independence" in taking on Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. Bass booted Parra from her office on Monday for refusing to vote for a state budget until lawmakers agree to put a water bond on the ballot.
In the radio ad, Florez links Parra's rebellion to when her son Dean years ago took on his own party by investigating the mishandling of a $100 million state software contract by the administration of then-Gov. Gray Davis.
The ad, which began airing Friday in Fresno and Bakersfield, ends this way:
"Politicians from other parts of California don't understand how we think in the Valley ... I'm just as independent as Dean and Nicole. I'm Fran Florez and I'm Valley tough."
The ad comes just days after Dean Florez, D-Shafter, criticized Parra's ultimatum as nothing more than petty "vote-trading."
Is he now siding with his mother and taking Parra's side?
Nope.
"Do you and your mom always agree?" he said in an e-mail. "Me and mine don't."
And Parra's reaction?
"I was so disgusted" with the ad, she said. And "my family's disgusted"
If the news coverage of Parra's rebellion weren't so great, she said, Fran Florez "wouldn't have come near me with a 10-foot pole."
Real estate agents often talk about the wide gap that can separate the expectations of buyers and sellers. This study by Coldwell Banker, which I found on Housing Wire, contends that first-time home buyers often are the most unrealistic.
The Daily Buzz: Reader Protests, Scorecards, Petraeus, Rudner
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Readers are still thinking up how they can emulate Mayor Alan Autry's no-suit, no-tie protest of Sacramento's failure to put a water-bond package on the November ballot.
Says NerdMom: If we women were really going to give something up, it would be shaving our legs."
Meanwhile, an anonymous Fresno City Hall worker suggests that all municipal employees should be able to work from home -- or Starbucks -- as the mayor does.
"Before the current mayor leaves we would like to give him a tribute," the employee writes. "Declare one day 'Bubba's Day,' have EVERY City employee report to a neighborhood Starbucks and call in any critical work.
"Of course, we would have to leave ourselves voice mails or emails because NOBODY WOULD BE THERE. Sewer, Water PD, FD, FAX, City Hall, Corp Yard, Parks.... all shut down because we are working to the mayor's standards for Bubba's Day."
Capitol Weekly has issued it annual ranking of California's legislators, with a 100 score indicating someone is a "perfect" liberal and a 0 score indicating a "perfect" conservative.
These are the rankings for our local Assembly Members: Juan Arambula, 64; Bill Maze, 0; Nicole Parra, 52; Mike Villines, pictured above, 0.
The local Senate rankings are: Roy Ashburn, 12; Dave Cogdill, 0; Dean Florez, 72.
On the net: Gen. David Petraeus explains why vigilance is still needed in Iraq, and why Afghanistan in some ways is a bigger worry. Read Newsweek's Q&A with the general here.
Laugh of the Day: "I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." -- Rita Rudner
Quote of the Day: "You can't stay the same. If you're a musician and a singer, you have to change, that's the way it works." -- Van Morrison
Veterans in Visalia are already getting things together for their ninth annual commemoration of Veterans Day at the Fox Theatre.
Organizers Dan Kelley, Bob McNabb and others are intent on reminding the public that Veterans Day -- the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month -- is more than just an occasion for a three-day weekend. This year's observance marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the tragically mis-nicknamed "war to end all wars."
The "Uncle Sam" recruiting poster at right is one of the enduring icons of the war.
This year's Veterans Day event -- which begins as the war ended, at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 -- will especially salute military personnel who have served in what organizers call the "Desert Wars" -- the Persian Gulf War to liberate Kuwait in 1991 and the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Families with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from these battles are being asked to provide one or two photos by Oct. 25 to compile a presentation to be shown during the Veterans Day program. Contributors should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so their photos can be returned.
Photos can be sent to the Visalia Veterans Day Committee, in care of Theresa Broadnax, P.O. Box 4076, Visalia, CA 93278.
The patriotic program will also include talks discussing the South Valley's contributions and sacrifices for the war effort and musical numbers, including a medley of each military branch's anthems in which veterans are invited to stand when they hear their song.
Some of the past celebrations organized by the Visalia Veterans Day Committee have included dedicating murals honoring vets from the Vietnam and Korean wars and, most recently, World War II.
My father, who passed away earlier this year, was a World War II veteran who served in the Navy in the Pacific. I enjoyed, and sorely miss, hearing him recall his experiences. If you're a veteran, I'd like to invite you to comment below and share your own experiences with our readers.
While the real race heats up with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama ready to announce his running mate, the initial race has been determined. Hope this doesn't bug too many of you out there ...
There is another way to look at this. LA has higher concentrations of ozone. But the Valley has a longer ozone season, sometimes getting violations in October or even November.
The story so far this year: LA, 96 violations; Valley, 84.
The number of building permits issued for new homes plunged in July as builders struggled to find buyers. The industry is poised to have the lowest number of starts since record-keeping began in 1954, according to the California Building Industry Association.
Developers have cut prices and offered incentives to entice buyers off the sidelines and away from bank-owned properties. That said, builders who survive could enjoy a strong rebound after foreclosures wash through the marketplace, the association president said.
"When the dust settles...there could be a shortage of new homes to buy. We are building less than a third of the new housing units needed to keep up with California's growth and that will ultimately drive up prices," said Robert Rivinius, the president.
Only 139 single-family home permits were issued in Fresno County in July, a whopping 62.8% decline from a year previously and down 71.3% from June. In Tulare County, starts were off 31.2% July 2007 and 34% from the previous month.
The story was the same almost everywhere in California. Statewide, permits were off almost 50% from July 2007.
I hesitate to write this because lawmakers tend to treat deadlines like college students do -- they ignore them or ask for an extension.
But here it goes ...
Sunday is the real deadline for enacting AB 3034, a bill aimed at improving the $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond on the Nov. 4 ballot. This is according to a memo sent this week from the High Speed Rail Authority staff to board members and rail supporters.
The last "deadline" set by the Secretary of State was Aug. 16, though lawmakers suspected there was wiggle room. Now, there is apparently no more flexibility.
The Secretary of State's office "told us that August 24th (Sunday) is the true deadline for enacting AB 3034," rail consultant Steve Schnaidt writes in the memo. "County election officials are finalizing the ballot layouts, translations, etc., that will be printed in their respective jurisdictions ... They need to know what will be on the ballot and in the ballot pamphlets."
If that's true, then Sunday would also appear to be the official deadline for other ballot measures that might be a central part of any budget deal -- beefing up a budget "rainy day fund" and revamping the state's lottery.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has vowed veto all bills sent his way until lawmakers strike a budget deal.
The Senate and Assembly have passed the rail bill, but the bill's author, Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, has said she won't send it to the governor until there's "a signal" he'll sign it.
Unless something drastically changes with the budget -- lawmakers are still far from reaching a deal -- Gov. Schwarzengger will have to break his vow, or the bill will die. In that case, voters would take up the original rail measure, Proposition 1.
So far, Gov. Schwarzenegger has given no indication that he will back off his pledge.
AB 3034 replaces Prop.1 with Prop. 1a, which includes more spending oversight. Prop. 1a also includes language making it easier to spend bond money on segments that are not part of the main San Francisco-to-Los Angeles route through the San Joaquin Valley.
These two changes could make the measure more appealing to voters.
Thanks for checking in. Post your comments and Olympic nominations below.
Over at the Fresno Famous site, Famous Whitewater posed this question to visitors: "Who is Fresno's (you can make it the Central Valley) greatest Olympian?"
Famous Whitewater then served up his top five, led by Winter Games snowboarder Andy Finch.
Here is my definitive Baker's Dozen of Summer Olympians (complete with pictures, video and context):
1. Rafer Johnson, Kingsburg, decathlon gold (1960) and silver (1956) winner, was chosen by the U.S. Olympic Committee to light the flame during Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
In the 1960s, Johnson was one of the best well-known athletes in the world. He graced the cover of Time magazine after winning the decathlon in Rome and went on to a career in entertainment and politics. He was the natural pick to light the flame 24 years later at the Los Angeles Games, and I'll never forget him, torch in hand, running into the Coliseum. I covered the Olympics that year for The Bee, and Johnson provided a local angle to highlight my Opening Ceremonies story.
You can view video of Johnson lighting the torch here.
2. Bob Mathias, Tulare, won the decathlon as a 17-year-old in the 1948 Games in London, the first Olympics following World War II. Then he repeated as gold medalist four years later. Mathias had a brief career in Hollywood, starring in a movie about his life, and then went to Congress. Like Johnson, he is among the greatest track and field athletes of all time. Mathias died in 2006.
3. Randy Williams, Fresno, at age 19, became the youngest Olympic long jump champion, winning the Munich Games in 1972. Williams followed up four years later with a silver medal in Montreal and, amazingly, qualified for his third Olympics in 1980, but was denied a chance for another medal because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games.
4. Sammy Lee, Fresno native and Occidental College graduate, was the first American-born athlete of Korean descent to strike Olympic gold, winning platform diving in 1948 and 1952. Lee won his first medal at age 28 after the Games were suspended in 1940 and 1944 because of World War II. Four years later, he became the oldest diver to win a gold medal. He also introduced "the Sammy," a small absorbent towel used by divers in practice and at meets. Later, he coached Olympic great Greg Louganis.
5. Tommie Smith, Lemoore, set the world record in the 200 meters and won the gold at Mexico City in 1968. His black-power salute on the victory stand alongside bronze medalist John Carlos, divided the nation and still sparks debate today.
6. Sim Iness, Tulare, dominated the discus at the 1952 Games in Helsinki, eclipsing the Olympic record on all six of his throws. It was a remarkable victory for the second of five children of an Oklahoma sharecropper. When he won the gold, the 6-foot-6 Iness was married with a baby daughter and attending USC. Before returning to school Iness had worked two jobs -- at a rubber factory and for Western Union -- to support his family.
7. Laura Berg, Fresno, has won three golds (1996, 2000, 2004) and one silver (2008) as an outfielder on the U.S. Olympic softball team. The Fresno State graduate, center in the photo above, is the only four-time softball Olympian.
8. Richard Schroeder, Lindsay, twice grabbed gold as a member of the U.S. 400-meter medley relay team (1984, 1988). He also was fourth in the 200 breaststroke in '84 and sixth in the 100 breaststroke in '88. Schroeder is second from right in the photo above.
9. Maxie Parks, Fresno, ran the anchor leg of the victorious 1,600 relay team at Montreal. The relay team -- which also Herman Frazier, Benny Brown and Fred Newhouse -- won in 2 minutes, 58.65 seconds -- second-fastest in history at the time.
10. Tommy Goodwin, Fresno, started in center field for the U.S. baseball team that defeated Japan 5-3 for the 1988 gold in Seoul and reclaimed international supremacy in the sport for the USA at the time.
11. Gordon Dunn, Fresno, was second in the discus at the Berlin Games in 1936. He is better known as "Slinger" Dunn and "No-Fun" Dunn, who campaigned on cleaning up graft and prostitution in Fresno and served two terms as mayor (1949-57).
12. Stephen Abas, a former Fresno State wrestling standout, brought home a silver medal in the 55-kilo freestyle division from Athens in 2004.
13. Barbara McAlister, the Fresno native attended Roosevelt High School, then moved to Southern California to train. The platform diving specialist didn't medal in her two Olympic appearances -- finishing 8th in 1964 and 10th in 1968 -- but she made the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1962.
The legend of Nicole Parra keeps growing -- in Republican circles, that is.
The latest to jump on the Parra train is Assembly Member Greg Aghazarian. The Stockton Republican is running for the state Senate in a Democratic-leaning district. In a new radio ad running in the Sacramento market, he praises Parra for refusing "to put party politics ahead of the interest of the people she was elected to represent."
Parra, D-Hanford, was booted from her office on Monday by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass for refusing to vote for a state budget until lawmakers agree to put a water bond on the ballot.
Democrats have criticized her stand as nothing more than petty "vote trading," but water-thirsty Central Valley farmers have made Parra into a bit of a hero.
Now Aghazarian is pumping her up even more in the ad:
"Her name is Nicole Parra and her district includes the farms, homes and business of the lower Central Valley where water issues are paramount. She understood what a lot of us here in the Central Valley have come to understand and that is that partisanship can become a weapon that has little to do with philosophy and everything to do with the raw political power of big urban majorities."
Aghazarian, by the way, was the only other lawmaker present Sunday who abstained on the budget, which failed along party lines. But he likely had a different motive than Parra. Running in a moderate district he can't afford to align himself too closely with conservative Republicans, who voted no on the budget because it includes tax increases.
As for Parra, she continues to work out of a one-room office across the street from the Capitol. The Sacramento Bee has pictures here.
On Thursday, she was spotted kibitzing with Republicans in the office of Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines. She quickly denied rumors that she was switching parties, a move she threatened in June.
Parra not only lost her office, but she says Democrats have refused to move her bills forward. But Parra said she's transferring them -- two bills and one resolution -- to other authors.
"Other people are moving them, so they won't die," she said.
The supposition that families who lose their homes to foreclosure would seek refuge in apartments isn't panning out, according to a study by the National Multi Housing Council.
The study found that only 2% to 6% of all apartment applicants are evicted homeowners. "Much has been made about the flood of former house owners into apartments, but we are not seeing that," said Doug Bibby, council president.
Locally, landlords say many of those families are turning to rental homes or are doubling up with family members.
A new survey by BIGresearch tells us that shoppers at Macy's and Target say they'll vote for Barack Obama if the election was held today. Shoppers who frequent Wal-mart, JCPenney and Kohl's voiced support for John McCain.
I'm not sure why this matters, and neither is the Macy's spokesman in this story, but hey, it's entertaining.
Said the president of BIGresearch: "Perhaps McCain should consider a bus tour through Wal-Mart parking lots and Obama could use Target."
A Valley air activist group today announced it will file suit aimed at forcing the state to honor diesel pollution reduction promises.
The Association of Irritated Residents said the California Air Resources Board is not fulfilling a commitment to reduce tons of diesel pollution by 2010. The board's landmark rule for diesel reductions will not produce results quickly enough, the group said.
The letter sent to the state says the suit would be filed about Oct. 22 in federal court. Another social justice organization, Communities for a Better Environment, also would be a plaintiff. The group is based both in Northern and Southern California.
Ross Stores reported today that its earnings went up 40% in the second quarter, compared to the same time last year. Let me repeat that: 40%! That is outrageously high for a retailer in these tough times.
It follows my recent story about people who are strapped for cash are looking for bargains.
It also illustrates the effort people will make to get a discount. I always think of shopping at places like Ross, Marshalls or T.J. Maxx as a hunt. You know, digging through racks of dresses packed so tightly your arm muscles get a work out. Then there's dodging women in the shoe department who are hopping wildly on one foot in skinny aisles because there's so few places to sit (especially since Marshalls recently tripled the size of its shoe departments).
It may not be for everyone, but judging from Ross' sales, plenty of people are willing to brave it.
The Daily Buzz: Schwarzenegger, Radanovich, Parra, Leno
Thanks for checking in. Post your opinions below.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing a great job. Just ask him.
In a radio interview this week he said,"I made great decisions. I have no regrets at all. It's just the regret I have is that not everyone is seeing it exactly as I see it."
A partisan group that did polling in the spring on the Fresno mayoral race also asked north-end respondents how they viewed Congressman George Radanovich.
The results can be interpreted two different ways: Radanovich is much more popular than Congress in general, or he could be vulnerable to a challenge from a well-financed Republican in the 2010 primary.
Here are the numbers from City Council District 2: very favorable 25%, somewhat favorable 32%, somewhat unfavorable 4%, very unfavorable 10%, no opinion 21%, never heard of 11%.
And for City Council District 6 residents: 33% very favorable, 25% somewhat favorable, 9% somewhat unfavorable, 10% very unfavorable, 18% no opinion, 5% never heard of.
Two possible challengers to Radanovich being chatted up among influential Republicans are California Assembly Minority leader Mike Villines of Clovis and state Sentate Minority leader Dave Cogdill of Modesto.
Update: Her Democratic party bosses have furthered punished Hanford Assembly Member Nicole Parra by killing her legislation for her final term in office. You can read the story here.
Democratic Assembly Member Nicole Parra of Hanford is going to the mat in defense of San Joaquin Valley agriculture by refusing to vote on the state budget until lawmakers put a water bond on the November ballot.
Though the bond proposal is flawed, I applaud Parra's decision to stand up to her party bosses, who booted Parra and her staff out of their office. Of course, her stand is made easier by the fact she terms out at the end of the year will become a lobbyist.
Parra undoubtedly will get considerable business from agricultural interests when she sets up shop.
Laugh of the Day: "Paris Hilton's mother is very upset because John McCain has put Paris in his campaign video. You know about this? He put Paris in his campaign video, and she's furious. Isn't that amazing? Of all the videos Paris Hilton has been in, this is the one mom's upset about?" -- Jay Leno
Quote of the Day: "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." -- Edmund Burke, 18th century Irish-born statesman
Madera County's Planning Commission has given its unanimous blessing to a major new development planned for the Rio Mesa area, proposed future site of 28,000 homes and 100,000 residents.
The project currently under review is proposed by Fresno developer John Kesterson. It would cover more than 2,200 acres of rolling hills on the Madera County side of Millerton Lake, east of Road 206. Almost 3,000 homes and apartments are planned, along with 1.5 million square feet of stores, offices and related uses.
But Kesterson's plans are drawing opposition for possible effects on the endangered California tiger salamander and other rare species, and for their potential to increase use of the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area and the San Joaquin River Parkway.
Dave Koehler, the parkway trust's executive director, said that the salamander had been found on adjacent trust-controlled land, but that no survey had been done on the Kesterson land. He also said that the project needed to provide money to make up for its effects on the lake and parkway.
In response, Kesterson representative Jad Dennis told the commission that the project would be required to comply with endangered species laws unless it could prove that no affected species were present. And he said the developer had asked several agencies and groups for details about the lake and parkway issues, along with suggested fees, but had not been given that information.
The commission's vote Tuesday night will be sent to the county Board of Supervisors as a recommendation for its subsequent vote. No date has been set for the board's vote, county planning staff members said.
At least two other major projects in the Rio Mesa area are now working their way through the planning process. In addition, plans for one project west of Highway 41 were approved last year, and a second project there is now being processed.
Life has been good this summer at 1593 E. Hazelton Ave. in Stockton -- good for the breathing public.
That address is where Stockton's ozone monitor resides. The last time there was an ozone violation here, it was July 9.
Which raises an interesting counterpoint to San Joaquin Valley residents who argue the Bay Area's bad air is contaminating this region.
Stockon would be the first in line for windblown pollution from the Bay Area. So why does it have the healthiest air in the Valley?
Wouldn't it suffer the same fate as San Bernardino County, which is downwind of the Los Angeles metro area? Crestline in San Bernardino has 83 federal violations this year, by far the most in the country.
Stockton has only four this year. Meanwhile, Arvin -- the monitor farthest from the Bay Area in the Valley -- has 67 violations.
OK, Apple's iPod Nanos aren't exploding, but they are catching fire. Watch a report on how this man's iPod caught fire in his pants pocket here. To see a gallery of toasted iPods, click here.
In rare cases the lithium-ion batteries in first-generation Nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006 can overheat. Sounds kinda like the flaming Dell laptops, remember those?
Apparently poor old Danny Williams and his burnt pants didn't get much attention from Apple, but after the Japanese government reported that two iPods overheated there, the company acknowledged the problem.
The Consumerist Web site is suggesting the following marketing strategy: "Return Exploded iPod, Get 1 Free!"
A day after she was booted from her Capitol office, Assembly Member Nicole Parra showed no signs of backing off her demand that lawmakers approve a water bond before she votes on the state budget, now 50 days late.
During a 30-minute appearance on Fresno conservative talk station KMJ-AM 580, Parra accused Assembly Speaker Karen Bass of getting "wrong advice" on her decision to send Parra packing to an office across the street.
"This was a really bad move, whoever gave her advice, because she is a good person," Parra, D-Hanford, told host Ray Appleton. "I don't who that was, but I would have fired them."
Democrats say Bass made the decision alone.
Parra said that if Bass calls her back to the Capitol, she won't come.
"I'm not going to come crawling back. I'm not going to make a deal to crawl back. I'm there and I'm going to make the best of it."
The showdown has made Parra a bit of a hero in her district, where farmers have long pushed for state money dams. On KMJ, caller after caller praised her.
"We just can't thank you enough for standing up and doing what we all need," said "Larry" from Tulare.
Then there was this from Fresno County Supervisor Bob Waterston: "Nicole, you're a rock star. I love you. And just keep it up."
When Appleton asked if Parra would "pull a Joe Lieberman and re-register as an Independent" she did not rule it out. She also hinted at a run for Congress some day, though her immediate plans are to become a lobbyist when she terms out at the end of the year.
It was on the Appleton show months ago that Parra's troubles with her own party started.
In an appearance last February, she heaped praise on Danny Gilmore, the Republican candidate to fill her seat. Gilmore is running against Democrat Fran Florez, mother of state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, a longtime Parra rival.
On Tuesday, Parra hinted at officially endorsing Gilmore: "We'll see what the future holds there, he's a great guy."
As for Dean Florez, he said Parra's water stand is little more than "vote trading."
"It may be fun politics for her, and she may get a personal boost from it, but it doesn't move the issue, it just turns people off," he said in an email. "If she can hold up the budget over this issue, what stops others from holding up the budget for an issue that could damage the Valley in the future? That's always the concern."
And where are the water talks right now?
Assembly Democrats are preparing a counter-proposal to the $9.3 billion bond measure floated by Gov. Schwarzenegger. But time is running out to get something on the Nov. 4 ballot and Republicans are skeptical that the Democratic plan will guarantee the GOP's top priority -- money for dams.
The Daily Buzz: Readers, Phelps, Olbermann, Stewart
Thanks for checking in. Don't be shy. Post all takes below.
Mark Grant of Fresno responds with a couple of his own protests to my skewering of Alan Autry's decision to forgo a suit and tie until lawmakers put Gov. Schwarzenegger's water bond on the ballot.
Here's Grant's "the list is endless!" e-mail: "I'm not reading your column anymore until Pat Hill gets the 'Dogs into a BCS bowl . . . I'm not paying my city taxes anymore until the Genesis house across the street from me is sold to an honest non-profit organization."
Thanks, Mark, but I bet you keeping reading my column. Giving it up is harder than mothballing a brown suit.
Update: Gary Sellers chimes in with his protest.
"Add me to your list of local protests. We are staffed at 38 to 1 here at Roosevelt HS and regularly have 40+ in classrooms sooooooooooooooooooo -- I REFUSE TO GRADE ANY MORE PAPERS UNTIL FUSD REDUCES CLASS SIZES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL. Whew! That's better. If you need me I'm playing 18 holes at the local muni. Go Bubba!
Brian Baker, professor and librarian at San Joaquin College of Law, was in Portland recently and wrote this must-read opinion piece. Like me, Baker is an avid cyclist.
"I'm writing this from Portland, Ore., where I'm attending the American Association of Law Libraries annual convention. I've never done more in Portland than drive through on my way somewhere else. For years I've heard wonderful things about the city, but I never made it a priority to visit.
"I'm certainly glad I did this time.
"I see a lot of Fresno in Portland. More accurately, I see a lot of what Fresno could become in Portland -- assuming mistakes can be corrected, and future mistakes avoided. The single biggest thing that Portland does exceedingly well, and that Fresno does miserably, is public transit.
"Portland's interlocking systems of light rail, streetcars, and buses, should be a model for the future of the Fresno and Clovis communities. In a large swath of the downtown area this public transportation is free as well.
"With the cost of gasoline skyrocketing and pinching the wallets of most, the Fresno and Clovis areas must start looking to providing better public transportation options. Such options would reduce the economic strain on many citizens, and provide an infrastructure appealing to future business growth in the area.
"What I envision is light rail from Old Town Clovis to downtown Fresno, via the airport, train stations and Convention Center. In addition, I would suggest streetcar lines on many of the major north/south arteries, and well-coordinated bus routes on the east/west arteries. This type of grid would put most local citizens within easy reach of the service.
I"f you then add in areas of free public transportation -- Fresno's downtown and Tower District as examples -- and the whole light rail line from the major transportation/entertainment areas to the two downtowns, and you have an innovative project that would go a long way to reducing the impact of the economy on many people in the local area, as well as impacting, for the good, the region's air quality issues. It would also be a strong enticement to businesses for potential relocation to the area.
"Portland's downtown is thriving. Much of that seems to be because of the ease of access and the free public transportation options in their downtown. This type of system could do the same for Fresno's downtown, too.
"Many people might think that this type of system is more appropriate for Portland because they think Portland is a bigger city. It's not.
"According to Wikipedia.com, Portland's population is estimated at 568,380. The combined estimated population of Fresno and Clovis is 578,385.
"Now is the time for the Fresno and Clovis politicians to come together, with the help of regional, state, and federal planners and dollars, to develop a plan like this and implement it immediately.
"The citizenry needs the help now. The costs will only rise. To not act now would be imprudent, at best.
On the net: The tabloid New York Post has the scoop on how Michael Phelps will really strike gold.
It's nearly 11 minutes long, but you have to check out Keith Olbermann's rant on John McCain's campaign. It ends with Olbermann imploring McCain to "grow up."
Laugh of the Day: "John Edwards, presidential aspirant and author of the famed claim that there are two Americas, was apparently only faithful to his wife in one of them. Apparently he didn't realize that the National Enquirer had reporters stationed in the other America, where he was, in fact, banging his videographer." -- Jon Stewart, "The Daily Show"
Quote of the Day: "Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence."
-- George Washington
Want to know how to keep your job in a down economy?
How about being an ecofriendly homeowner? Maybe learn the secrets of keeping your kids at least partially video-game free?
These are just a few of the questions pondered by authors, experts and magazine editors on featured videos on Howdini.com. Presented like mini seminars, the videos are slickly produced and cover a wide range of interests -- not limited to business.
Other videos that looked interesting included multi-tasking effectively, finding a job in a down economy and how to start a business.
I don't know why it bothers me so much when I read bad economic news involving things like chocolate and cookies. Maybe it's because I consider them wonderful escapist treats from the troubles of the day, so when they have problems of their own, it makes me sad.
Anyway, Mrs. Fields plans to file for bankruptcy soon. It's Chapter 11 -- reorganization -- so hopefully the store in Fashion Fair mall will stay open. Turns out declining mall traffic means fewer shoppers around to buy cookies.
And then I read that Hershey is raising prices 10%, blaming the higher cost of ingredients like cocoa, corn sweetener, sugar and peanuts. So those Reese's peanut butter cups you use to console yourself after paying that sky high mortgage/grocery/gasoline bill (pick one) might cost more too.
White House officials are now arranging for President Bush to sign the Hubbard Act into law. It's likely to be a poignant and memorable moment for the Hubbard family of Clovis, for whom the veterans legislation is named.
The bill honors brothers Jason, Jared and Nathan Hubbard. Jared and Nathan died in Iraq, where Jason -- currently a Fresno County deputy sheriff -- also served. The bill ensures sole survivor veterans retain pay and benefits even if they leave the service early.
The bill's chief House author, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, said Tuesday morning that he has been working with the White House to arrange for Hubbard family members to attend the bill signing. That's one reason the bill hasn't been completed, although Congress cleared it for White House action on Aug. 1; it is one of several unfinished bills for which special signing ceremonies are in the works.
"I thought it would be nice for the family, which lost a lot," Nunes said, adding that final details haven't yet been worked out.
Just a few days ago, you couldn't hide from corrosive air.
Ozone monitors were showing violations almost everywhere and almost anytime there was sunlight. But Monday the air was healthy in the San Joaquin Valley -- first time since the Fourth of July.
As I'm writing this, it is 65 degrees at Fresno Air Terminal. The state shows an ozone level that would seem more normal in early April.
These kinds of August reprieves are not unusual. Last year, Aug. 6 and 7 were in the 80s. And we all breathed easier.
Is there any doubt that weather plays a major role?
Farmers and Facebook? The information sharing site offers a platform for farmers to trade information, advice and whatever crosses their minds.
The concept comes from Jim Eadie, co-founder of Farmershowcase.com, who saw it as a strategic marketing initiative.
"We can target and get direct feedback from farmers in specific sectors," he said in a statement. "I strongly feel like we are just scratching the surface with the ability to reach farmers direct via the internet."
Farmershowcase.com is an agricultural product showcasing Web site and created the Facebook group to connect "young and progressive farming leaders throughout
the world," officials said.
I am so sorry that you felt it necessary to do that front page article and picture FALL FROM GRACE on Wednesday August 13, 2008. And then with such a big picture and on the FRONT PAGE; come on; are you that hard up for business? With all the wonderful stores about the participants, why you would choose to give us such lousy and degrading information? Don't you think we all saw the slips and blunders happen on TV and our hearts went out to each participant in all events that did not match up to expectations. Don't you think all the competitors that did not do well are filled with their own guilt and remorse? Normally I am used to the paper giving us only negative information and slanted to be more negative as well but this is the WORST YET. If my husband did not absolutely require the Fresno Bee I would cancel on the spot and may still do so if I can convince him, it is not worth reading. Basically it has not been worth reading for a long time.
Olympic Supporter
Marilyn Sniffin
I can understand why the front page that day may have been upsetting to some. It may have appeared that The Bee was going out of its way to celebrate the U.S. women's gymnastics team's defeat by featuring the event with a large photograph and headline.
I can assure you that this isn't the case. We don't like bad news any more than you do -- nor does it help sell newspapers, as many readers imagine. For example, take a look at the four other front-page stories we've had so far about Americans competing in Beijing -- all were about winners.
Still, you are right to question the way we displayed this story. It was out of proportion to the importance of the event.
Sometimes an athletic contest is so widely anticipated that even a loss is a front-page story. We would not be doing our job if we didn't prominently report a big setback to a team that readers care strongly about. But this event didn't rise to that level. We should have scaled it back to a more modest front-page story.
Partly this occurred as a result of a miscalculation on our part. The event occurred late in our production cycle, so we planned for the story to occupy the same space on the page regardless of the result in order to minimize the disruption that would result from re-making the page on deadline. This was my decision, and it was a mistake.
Labor Day is coming up after all. Career counselor Ford Myers, president of Haverford, Pa.-based Career Potential LLC, used the date as a cue to send The Bee some tips "to rev up your career."
"There really couldn't be a better time than September to launch a professional job search," he said in a statement."Hiring managers are back in their offices making employment decisions for the fall and early 2009."
1. Create and Control Your Internet Image. Whether it's LinkedIn, You Tube, Face Book, or VisualCV, every professional should have an online presence. Many employers research job candidates on the Internet before making hiring decisions. Therefore, it is vitally important that you take control of your online identity and carefully monitor the "personal brand" you're building on the Internet.
2. Invest in Career Coaching. It might seem that career coaching would be a luxury in this difficult economic climate. Actually, this might be the best time to get some short-term, high-impact coaching in a program like Career QuickStart™. A qualified Career Coach can help you get totally clear on your objective, differentiate yourself from the competition, market yourself effectively, get the offer, and negotiate the best compensation.
3. Tune into the Network. September is one of the best times of the year to make new connections and find new opportunities. With everyone returning from vacation and re-focusing on work, there are many fall networking events, planning meetings, and social group happenings.
4. Perform an Internal Career Audit. Fall is a perfect time to take an honest look at your career - where you've been, where you are today, and where you'd like to go. Identify new goals based on your own definition of career success, and then take action.
5. Update Your Career "Tool Kit." Most job seekers use only their résumé as the cornerstone of their search because their other "tools" are weak or nonexistent. But there are many other documents you should have in your "Career Tool Kit," including your accomplishment stories, positioning statement, target company list, contact list, professional references, and letters of recommendation. These items are important not just to land the next job, but to maximize long-term career success.
A survey by Melville, N.Y.-based Adecco USA Workplace says 81% of American workers are worried about something job related.
Gas prices rank No. 1, beating out a stagnant paycheck and work-life balance which took second and third place, respectively. Both were tied for the top spot in Adecco's 2007 Labor Day survey, officials of the staffing company said in a statement.
The survey also found that only 25% claim to currently be saving for unemployment, and 58% have no intention to start putting money aside for potential job loss.
"It's clear that our current economic uncertainty has spread similar feelings of uncertainty to American workers," said Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer for Adecco USA.
Read on for tips to minimize worries.
Always be saving: Regardless of the economic environment, it's always a smart strategy to put some money aside should your employment status change or you need emergency funds. This will allow you to be prepared and less panicked should you need these additional resources.
Keep exceeding expectations: The best companies always keep retaining and recruiting top talent as a top priority. If you continue to deliver strong results and exceed expectations, your chances of job security and on the job rewards will be greater.
Be flexible: Just as your worries and concerns have shifted, so have your employer's. Be mindful of these organizational shifts in strategy or priorities and be flexible to aligning your work goals with the company's.
Republicans this week are retaining their grip on the House floor. On Monday, Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, joined the festivities as he led lawmakers and constituents in prayer to kick off another round of bash-the-Pelosi.
Radanovich and his fellow GOP lawmakers want the House of Representatives to vote on an oil-and-gas drilling proposal that, so far, has been bottled up by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Feeling the heat, and perhaps reading the polls, Democratic leaders in recent days have suggested some votes may be permitted on an expanded energy bill when Congress returns in September.
More than 112 House Republicans have ventured to the House floor in the past two weeks to discuss the energy issue, but not a single Democrat has shown up.
Real estate agents, home builders and lenders have for months been touting the government-backed FHA loan. And for good reason. It is helping keep the floundering housing market from sinking entirely.
Today, the Mortgage Bankers Association released a report that said the number of government-insured loans has tripled over the last year, In July, 29.1% were for government-insured loans (consisting of mostly FHA loans) compared to 8.4% in July 2007.
The MBA attributed the increase to higher FHA loan limits, a shift from conventional products and the lower down payment requirements. In the Central Valley, that means we're shifting back to the pre-boom days, when more than 50% of all the loans issued were FHA.
Housing act could help...then again, maybe not much
In today's Bee, reporter Jeff St. John takes a look at the national housing relief bill passed last month and finds that it isn't as helpful as many hoped for.
In some ways, it could even hurt some segments of the real estate industry. That's because the bill bans seller-funded down payment assistance programs, such as the one through Sacramento's Nehemiah Corp. of America - which is popular with home builders.
Here's a link to the story. . And here's a link to the blog of Jim Wasserman, a Sacramento Bee reporter who has been reporting on the Nehemiah angle.
The Daily Buzz: Fresno Unified, Letters, Britney, McCain
Thanks for checking in. Post comments below.
Item: Fresno Citizens for Good Government and another group that is trying to improve Fresno Unified School District have teamed up on a Web site -- Save Fresno Unified. Prominent members of Fresno Citizens for Good Government include James and Coke Hallowell, Pete Weber and Nancy Richardson.
Analysis: The Web site serves at least two purposes: publicizing successful programs and changes at Fresno Unified and goading the district into elevating student performance.
In the past, Fresno Citizens for Good Government has been a big fan of district superintendent Michael Hanson. Weber, in fact, spoke at length in support of Hanson's huge pay raise approved by the district board in January.
By the way, you can access the Fresno Teachers Association Web site here.
Here's a sampling of more response on my column about the Valley's agriculture-based economy. First, a word from one of my critics:
"You attempt to tackle two very complex issues.
"Farm labor: The biggest problem is government involvement and a litigious society. Most farmers care about their employees, but the government often condemns housing as being sub-standard. It may not be perfect, but it's livable. (I know what I speak of as I see it firsthand daily).
"Medical care: Farmers and their wives used to help their farm laborers families until the ACLU and other private organizations and government agencies began suing the farmers and land owners for practicing medicine without a license. Once again the government intervention makes the problem worse. (a workers program could be set-up and provide medical care. However, the free loading illegal aliens are using up our resources).
"Water: Your column is correct about Westlands being down the line in priorities. HOWEVER, report the rest of the story. Because a judge (choosing a nice word for [Oliver] Wanger) cut the pumps off at Tracy to save some fish the San Luis reservoir could not be filled with water purchased from northern California. Quit listening to the liberal whiners and report the facts. Currently we have both a judicial and natural drought. THE FIX IS A PERIPHERAL CANAL. Period!!!!!"
Now, some fan mail:
"Your column today struck a chord. When the 160-acre limit was mishandled and no lawyer was monitoring the purchases 160 acres were allotted not only to immediate family but to distant cousins, family pets, almost anything that had breath.
"Then this lake-bottom land had to be treated, and amended to get rid of the alkali and then cotton was planted, and subsidized! It still is subsidized! Cotton is a greedy user of the water we need to grow food. Remember the COTTON trailers with huge banners saying 'Food grows where water flows? What a joke.
"I've heard of plans to reinstate Tulare Lake as a water storage area. Instead of building more dams let some of this water be insurance against our dry years and still provide a fishing and recreation area for our growing population."
On the net: On the net: How about Britney Spears and John McCain teaming up on the GOP presidential ticket? View the video at Slate (It's about two-thirds down the page).
Laugh of the Day: "A Republican politician from Idaho has endorsed Barack Obama. The last time a Republican switched sides was in an airport men's room." -- Craig Ferguson, "The Late Late Show."
Quote of the Day: "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." -- Jack London, author of "The Call of the Wild"
Can Dave Hawk, right, the Lemoore man accused of murdering his missing ex-wife, receive a fair trial in Kings County?
That's the question Hawk's defense attorney, Mark Coleman, will be asking in coming weeks after a Kings County Superior Court judge today ordered Hawk be held for trial on the charge that he murdered Debbie Hawk for financial gain.
Coleman said he believes people in Kings County have already made up their minds about the case because of intense media coverage since Debbie Hawk, left, disappeared in June 2006. He said he wants the trial moved to another part of California where people haven't heard about the Hawk case.
Kings County Deputy District Attorney Larry Crouch said he hopes a jury can be seated and the case tried locally.
From evidence presented this week in a preliminary hearing, the case against Dave Hawk is circumstantial, leaning heavily on financial records that prosecutors say show Hawk was having severe money trouble and had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from trust funds set up for his children by their grandfather. What is lacking is physical evidence -- DNA, fingerprints, eyewitnesses -- that connect Hawk to the crime scene.
Because the crime was allegedly committed for financial gain, the case could be pursued as a capitol offense, but prosecutors have not decided whether or not to seek the death penalty against Hawk.
Let's hear what you think: Could you listen to potentially weeks of testimony and fairly decide Hawk's fate, putting aside what you've read, heard and watched over the past two years? Offer up a comment below and share your thoughts.
Fashion Week, that orgy of celebrities, skinny models and sometimes weird fashion that happens in New York every fall has a new participant this year: Sears.
OK, stop picturing Kenmore washers rolling down the runway on wheels or models in overalls carrying Craftsman wrenches. It's not like that. It's more of an exhibit designed to play up Sears' hipness.
It will feature a new clothing line by rapper LL Cool J, which according to this site isn't exactly the pinnacle of chic.
Statewide, sales of new single-family houses fell 54.4% for the 12-month period and slumped 12.7% from May. In Fresno County, the 166 sales were a 43.7% decline from June 2007, but, in a tiny bit of good news, a 23% boost from June.
So, where is the glimmer of hope? The median price of $258,900 was unchanged from May (although it was down 12.5% from a year earlier). In another report, an economist for PMI Mortgage Insurance talks about the weak economy continuing through 2009 at least, but also notes deep down that the prices of existing homes aren't falling as steeply as they were.
That's a hopeful sign, the report states, and could be an indication that the worst of the housing recession is behind us, though clearly not over.
That said, a new-home analyst, Jonathan Dienhart of Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, didn't have much positive to say in statements released with the figures from the California Building Industry Association: Competition from foreclosures is too stiff, he said, and builders will have to bide their time until they wash through the system.
Plenty of people argue that the increase in California asthma rates has nothing to do with air quality. Air has actually gotten cleaner, they say. There are many causes for asthma, including poor indoor air quality.
Medical experts argued the other side Thursday. They analyzed hospitalization rates and found that polluted places, such as the Los Angeles basin, are the hardest on people with sensitive lungs.
The risk of getting asthma while living in a polluted air basin is getting worse, they said.
These bits of information are not new, but the experts repeated them for a Senate Select Committee on Public Health and the Environment in Sacramento:
-- California's childhood astha rates are the highest in the San Joaquin Valley.
-- There is a higher incidence of asthma in people who live near freeways.
-- Children who play sports and live in a bad-air basin are three times morel likely to get asthma than children who live in clean-air basins.
People are driving less and eating out less to save money in these tough economic times. But are they postponing elective surgery, getting dental crowns -- even opting to skip the annual physical exam?
If your health-care budget is on the chopping block, we'd like to know. Drop us an email at banderson@fresnobee.com.
Nice to have you on board. Post your comments below.
Robert H. Boyle, staff writer for Sports Illustrated for 34 years and author of many books, including "The Hudson River, A Natural and Unnatural History" likes my column on our agricultural-based economy spawns poverty and environmental destruction.
Writes Boyle: "Great column on not only how agribiz has played [Fresno Mayor Alan] Autry for a sucker, but on how the real 'battle here is building an economy that doesn't sputter to a halt when the rain doesn't fall.' Bravo!"
People interested in learning what politicians and corporate farmers rarely reveal about California's water wars should check out water expert Lloyd Carter's Web site Chronicles of the Hydraulic Brotherhood.
Here's a tidbit from Carter's research of San Joaquin River irrigation allotments from Millerton Lake: about 50% of the water goes to Kern County, 25% to Tulare County, 17% to Madera County and 8% to Fresno County. Considering that the river originates in Fresno and Madera counties, you have to question why Fresno's elected officials and farmers fight so hard to preserve the status quo.
On the net: There are many reasons why Olympic records are falling by the bushel, especially in swimming. Slate's Human Nature blog explains in detail.
Maybe you missed it, but Fresno State's athletic program was ranked 18th in the nation for the 2007-08 season by SI.com. The Bulldogs' national championship in baseball helped put them in the Top 25 directly ahead of Brigham Young and three Pac-10 schools -- Cal, Oregon and Arizona.
Quote of the Day: "Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?"
-- Jim Bouton, "Ball Four" author
Donald Trump, the billionaire developer who once was interested in rescuing a faltering country club project in Fresno, has come to the aid of financially troubled pitchman Ed McMahon..
The Donald tells the Los Angeles Times that he is buying McMahon's mansion, which was on the verge of going back to the bank, and will let the talk show icon lease it back.
That's good news for McMahon, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if the deal in Fresno had come through. Today, the Running Horse property is vacant.
No honey, you can't have that pink T-shirt with the cute puppy printed on it from Limited Too. The store doesn't exist anymore.
Limited Too stores across the country will be converted to the parent company's other line of stores, Justice. The chain sells similar clothing at about 20% to 25% cheaper. A company spokeswoman confirmed the Fashion Fair and River Park stores will change by early next year.
More bad news may be ahead for kids hoping their parents will buy them pricey threads: they're taking you to T.J. Maxx instead.
Falling land prices in the central San Joaquin Valley are causing some investment groups to stand up and take notice. Case in point: PICO Holdings, which describes itself in regulatory filings as a diversified holding company based in La Jolla.
PICO formed Union Community Partners to capitalize on opportunities in California. Its first deals were in Fresno, where it said it picked up 57 finished lots (ready to build on) and 1,033 potential lots in various stages of development in the first half of this year.
In July, it bought 180 finished lots and 106 with tentative maps approved. In addition, PICO has six prospective deals pending that would add 700 lots to the total if they all come to fruition, the company reported.
The company didn't say where the parcels were or identify the sellers, but RZR Enterprises, which built homes in Sanger and had land in southeast Fresno, was one of them, according to the county recorder's office.
Smaller deals have occurred, but certainly not to land rush proportions, even though property that sold in some places for $100,000 an acre at the height of the real estate boom is now worth only a quarter of that amount.
It seems the owners have too much invested to sell at fire-sale prices.
Meanwhile, some investors want to buy the land, hold it until the market recovers and then sell to developers. In some cases, they buy the land directly from the builders and hold it until the developers are ready to get back to business.
Others, however, don't want to hold it for a lengthy period. "What seems like a great bargain isn't a great bargain until the housing market improves," said Dick Ellsworth of Grubb&Ellis/Pearson Realty.
By some accounts, about 2,500 lots are in foreclosure or heading into foreclosure, which means lenders will have to start dealing.
The next six to eight months will be really interesting," Ellsworth said. "I don't see the housing market turning around until late 2009, and a lot of builders out there are getting really nervous."
The Loma Vista community in Clovis is taking shape on paper - and it is looks like a place I want to call home.
The latest draft, available for review on the city's web site, shows an exciting mix of trails, a "village green" surrounded by businesses or homes and a wide range of neighborhoods, including my favorite: a "downtown" main street of offices or homes stacked on top of or adjacent to stores and restaurants.
That type of urban-style planning is the subject of much discussion in my house on the eastern edge of Clovis. We're happy there, but will we still be after our daughter graduates from high school in two years and heads off to college? Living in a "downtown" with walking trails, stores and much activity could be just the ticket.
If that isn't your style, Loma Vista - bounded by Locan Avenue to the west, McCall Avenue to the east and portions of Bullard and Shaw avenues to the north and the Gould Canal to the south - likely will have something that appeals.
If the current plan holds up, Some neighborhoods will be compact with houses fronting onto parks and trails; others will have garages in the rear. There would be traditional single-family houses, townhomes, small clusters of residences, units designed for work and living, and places for senior citizens.
There would be "paired-Z" houses, where the lot line staggers like a "z" through the centerline of two properties, allowing for a recessed garage in one unit, a more varied exterior appearance and a more usable private yard for each residence.
There could be clusters of four or eight houses grouped around a shared motor court or alley, and a variety of architectural styles, such as tudor and Craftsman. Look for varying roof heights, lots of open space, wrap-around porches, balconies, patios and easy access to trails.
And all of them will be with easy reach of shops, restaurants, businesses and offices. A tunnel would connect neighborhoods north and south of Shaw Avenue.
City Planner Dwight Kroll said the draft is being distributed to other agencies for review, and that he will meet with landowners in early September. Planning consultant Danielian Associates would make the final tweaks and, if adopted, it would become the blueprint for development in that part of Clovis.
Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson did his best today to fire up a group of Valley farmworkers who came to the Capitol to urge lawmakers to approve a water bond that could include money for dams.
"Si sa puente!" he yelled at the top of his lungs several times.
Larson, of course, meant "si se puede" -- the popular "yes we can" rallying cry.
Either that or Larson might be on to the next infrastructure project.
"Puente" translates to "bridge."
Gov. Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, played it safe and stuck to English as he gave the crowd a quick update on water talks.
"Our water negotiations are bogged down with the budget stalemate and the clock is ticking to get both our budget reform and our water plan on the November ballot," he said.
It was the second time in three weeks that Valley leaders bused up farmworkers to try and put pressure on lawmakers. Speakers included Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, who vowed not to wear a suit and tie again until there's a water deal.
"Every meeting until this water deal is done you'll see old Bubba in jeans and a work shirt with you," he said.
Autry had earlier vowed to stop paying income taxes until the state and federal governments send more water to the Valley. Asked if he plans to keep that pledge he said "it may take a different form."
Schwarzenegger wants a $9.3 billion bond for water supply and conservation projects. He's been trying to get a deal done for two years but has run into resistance from environmentalists and Democratic leaders who say the state should first spend money from already approved bonds.
The deadline to get a bond on the ballot is Saturday, though that date could be pushed back. Water talks are ongoing but there's no sign of a major breakthrough.
"I think it's possible for us to sit down and work out the remaining issues," said Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno. Arambula, a moderate Democrat who supports dams, has been meeting with other Assembly Democrats to try and hammer out a deal.
Budget impasse day 44: Villines takes center stage
The most important player in the ongoing state budget debate could very well be Clovis' Mike Villines, who leads Republicans in the Assembly.
Here's why:
In recent days talks have heated up between Democrats and Gov. Schwarzenegger on a possible deal to end the budget standoff, which enters its 44th day today. Republicans don't seem to be on board. But in the Senate, it only takes two GOP votes, and there's speculation that the governor could easily find such support.
The budget would then go to the Assembly. And here's where it would get interesting.
The budget takes six GOP votes in the lower house. Villines appears to have decent control of his caucus so it would be tough for the governor or Dems to pry loose these votes without Villines' blessing. But the pressure would certainly mount the longer the impasse lasts.
Villines is on record saying he opposes a temporary sales tax increase, which could be part of the budget deal. But he has also said he is willing to compromise in return for budget reform, such as limits on future spending.
As the Sacramento Bee's Dan Walters notes in his column today, "Republicans remain fearful that he'll [the governor] promise a tough budget reform package, but then cave in to Democrats as he has in the past, leaving only the new taxes in place."
By the way, there's speculation that one of those two Republican votes in the Senate could be the Valley's Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfeild. Where's the speculation coming from? Mostly from the conservative blog the Flash Report, which on Monday noted Ashburn's comments to Valley conservative radio talk show host Inga Barks.
Here's what Ashburn said, according to the Flash Report:
"We're going to have to see what the total package is, Inga. What the Governor proposed I am not sure can be characterized as a tax increase."
That was enough to send the Flash Report into a tizzy. Blog moderator Jon Fleischman urged his readers (in all caps) to call and email Ashburn to urge him "TO KEEP HIS PLEDGE, AND TO COMMIT TO VOTING NO ON ANY BUDGET THAT INCLUDES ANY TAX INCREASES."
CapitolAlert has a scouting report on Ashburn here.
An excerpt from the Web site's analysis:
Last Saturday, Schwarzenegger reached out to Ashburn over the airwaves, appearing on the Bakersfield Republican's weekly radio show for the first time. In a chummy chat, Schwarzenegger touted Ashburn as one of the "warriors there by my side."
Internal Capitol dynamics are also at play. When Senate GOP leader Dave Cogdill took over the caucus, he stripped Ashburn of his post as vice-chair of the Senate Rules Committee, a key leadership spot.
Here's how it is pitched: About a third of the 6,300 species of amphibians -- you know, frogs and salamanders -- are threatened with extinction. One reason among many is air quality.
Amphibians respire through their skin. In the Sierra Nevada, mountain yellow-legged frogs have been devastated by predator fish, disease, pesticides blown into the range from the Valley and poor air quality.
So these scientists point out that amphibians survived four of the five previous extinctions -- 360 million years ago, 250 million years ago, 200 million years ago and the most recent one that wiped out the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.
Now, with the amphibians dying off in droves, something big seems to be happening, according to these researchers.
Representatives of the California Public Utilities Commission stopped by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors Tuesday to explain how the commission will make its decision on the proposed high-power transmission lines from Lemon Cove to Visalia.
The commission will rule yes or no on the route next year.
Before taking it up, though, an administrative law judge will listen to what people have to say and recommend if a permit should be granted.
Meanwhile, environmental impacts will be studied. Scoping sessions will probably be in September. The draft environmental report will come out in January, followed by 45 days of written public comment. The final environmental report comes out in April.
The CPUC will take it all in and decide in May 2009. Dates could change.
So far, opponents, public officials and Edison are being cordial to each other.
"We are not opposed to the project," said Supervisor Allen Ishida of Lindsay. "We are opposed to the route proposed by SCE."
The Daily Buzz: Tioga Middle School, Urban Dare, Ariostotle
Thanks for checking in. Post your comments below.
Item: My Sunday column was about efforts to start up the MicroSociety magnet program at Tioga Middle School near Fresno's Fashion Fair.
The school needed teachers' approval for a seven-period day so that the MicroSociety -- an entrepreneurial business program -- could be taught five days a week. Even though Tioga's teachers OK'd the extra period, it was turned down by the executive board of the teachers' union on Monday.
Unless the school district steps up and adds extra teachers, MicroSociety will be a twice-a-week program. Here's what what disappointed Tioga teacher Maryanne Britten said in an e-mail about the executive board hearing:
"Thanks Bill for the article. I was actually planning to have my students write persuasive letters indicating their preference during the first week of class. Your idea of a student vote is an excellent one.
"Although [Fresno Teachers Association President Greg Gadams] had invited me to attend . . he would not allow me to speak. During the very confusing discussions by the new board, they talked about our proposed waiver schedule and an alternate schedule to be used in the event the waiver was not approved. They ended the discussion focusing on the schedule which had nothing to do with our waiver.
"It was clear to me that the new board members based their decision on inaccurate information which could easily have been clarified.
"Thanks again for your coverage. Perhaps one day we'll live in a society where more people take a stand."
In addition, Fresno's Ahwahnee Middle School also won't fully capitalize on a federal grant for a magnet school in environmental science. Teachers there voted down an extra period, thus limiting that program to two days a week instead of five.
Not to incite a riot, but students and parents from both Tioga and Ahwanhee should voice their opinions on the magnet programs to the district board when school starts.
There is precedent for students getting what they need and deserve. This spring, McLane High School Junior ROTC students saved their program by protesting its planned elimination to district trustees.
On the net: If you want a taste of the Urban Dare adventure race that is coming to Fresno on Oct. 4, check out this blog by a participant in the San Antonio event. She calls herself "Slow Texas Girl."
If you're interested in participating in the Fresno race, information is available here.
Quote of the Day:" The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." -- Aristotle
Not A News Flash: A lot of poor people live in West Fresno. But now a Washington-based think tank has come out with somewhat of a fresh perspective on the problem. The Brookings Institution, which is sometimes characterized as a center-left organization, has sponsored a new study on how poverty is concentrated in certain areas.
Frankly, the study entitled "Reversal of Fortune: A New Look at Concentrated Poverty in the 2000s" lacks a certain, how do you say, readability. It's dense and technical. But within the arcana, there are some interesting points about where the working poor live. By one measure, at least, West Fresno stands out as the nation's most concentrated working-poor neighborhooda. If terms like "earned income tax credit" ring your chimes, you might want to check it out:
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/working_families.aspx
Zillow came out with some stats today and, as much as some real estate experts complain about its data, I feel compelled to share this. It indicates just how bad things are out there.
Consider this: Last quarter, 54.6% of all the homes that were sold in Fresno County did so at a loss, and 43.2% of the transactions were foreclosures. Five years ago, it was 7.8% and 6.2% respectively.
Meanwhile, prices have fallen to 2004 levels, and nearly 80% of all the homeowners who bought a house in 2006 with the median down payment (around 5%) are under water. For homes purchased in 2007, it's 70%.
It could be worse. We could live in Merced or Stockton, where more than 90% of the homeowners who bought in 2005, 2006 and 2007 owe more than their homes are worth. Houses in Stockton have fallen to 2002 price levels.
The good news, if there is any, is that people who bought their houses in 2008 are faring better. Tighter lending standards required a 10% down and about a quarter of those buyers are under water - at least right now.
In a side note, it seems that many homeowners are in a state of denial, which goes along with what real estate agents say. Many of them complain that their clients fight their efforts to price property in line with the market.
Zillow said a survey last week found that 62% of 2,000 people sampled across the country think their home value increased or stayed the same in the past year, and that 75% expect it to increase or stay the same over the next six months.
The term smog has been kicked around pretty thoroughly as the media covers the Olympics in Beijing, and I'm not sure everybody knows what the word means.
I'm not sure I really know either, because smog has evolved. Decades ago, it was a combination of fog and smoke -- remember the great London smog of 1952 when more than 10,000 people died?
I think that's what the media means when it talks about smog in Beijing.
In the United States, smog has come to be a general term for pollution. In California, people use it to talk about summertime pollution, namely ozone.
So here in the Valley, smog is 90% ozone, the corrosive gas that forms from combining vehicle exhaust and other fumes in sunlight. But in Beijing, they're referring to particle pollution -- dust, soot and various chemicals -- hanging in the mist.
The Daily Buzz: Genesis, Judge Vogt, Edwards' scandal
Good morning. Thanks for checking in.
Item: Outraged readers flood The Bee with phone calls, e-mails and letters protesting the slap on the wrist given Genesis co-founder Elaine Bernard, pictured on the right, who pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement and tax evasion.
So, inquiring minds what to know, when will the judge who handed down the light sentence of probation and work furlough for Bernard be up for re-election?
Answer: Fresno County Superior Court Judge John Vogt, pictured on the left, begins his second six-year term in January 2009 and won't stand for re-election until 2014. By then, voters likely will have forgotten the Genesis case. His seat went uncontested this year.
It's highly unusual for a sitting judge to be challenged -- unless the judge is involved in scandal. For example, Judge Vincent McGraw lost his re-election bid in 2002 to lawyer Jon Kapetan. During the campaign Kapetan criticized McGraw for not answering allegations that he viewed pornographic Web sites while on county time.
The following year, McGraw was censured and barred from assignments, appointments or references of work from California's state courts by the state Commission on Judicial Performance.
Vogt, a deputy district attorney at the time, captured 66% of the vote in 2002 in his race against Peter Kapetan, who ran a high-profile campaign attacking Vogt. Peter Kapetan challenged Vogt's integrity based on a 1989 action by the state Supreme Court in which Vogt was suspended for 12 months.
Vogt's penalty later was reduced to 30 days' suspension and one year of probation for basically deserting his clients' interests in a civil lawsuit in the early 1980s.
Vogt told a Bee reporter during the campaign: "I mishandled a case for clients that I had a long-term relationship with. I tried to correct it after I realized my mistake. I've grown from that experience."
The 2002 campaign was noteworthy because it featured three Kapetans -- all brothers and partners in a private law firm. Marc Kapetan was defeated by James Oppliger, Fresno County's chief deputy district attorney and longtime head of the homicide unit.
The Kapetans all ran on a platforms of overhauling Fresno County courts.
On the net: It doesn't appear that we'll soon learn if former presidential candidate John Edwards fathered the 5-month old girl born to his former mistress. Read the Washington Post's story here.
Quotes of the Day: "Justice is open to everyone in the same way as the Ritz Hotel." -- Judge Sturgess
"We don't give our criminals much punishment, but we sure give 'em plenty of publicity." -- Will Rogers
Listen to the latest Jim Boren/Bill McEwen political podcast here.
It's a pretty upscale steak house, and has been receiving lots of buzz. Check out Joan Obra's food column this coming Wednesday for more info, or watch some early morning shrimp cooking here.
Ruth's Chris is competing with Fleming's, Sizzler and a multitude of other steak restaurants around town. What do you think -- will Ruth's Chris hurt business at other steak houses, particularly since people are eating out less these days?
Readers of this coming Monday's Word on the Street in the business section will find a piece about Victoria's Secret opening its second store in Fresno in The Shops at River Park later this month.
It's store No. 3 if you count the one in Clovis in Sierra Vista Mall.
It's an odd yardstick, but the opening of this Victoria's Secret says something about Fresno. Large retailers are a finicky bunch and they don't open anywhere unless they're sure they're going to be successful (which is why many corporations are reluctant to open downtown, as much as we would love it).
Many retailers are happy with one store per market, (which is probably why there's no large Borders or Barnes & Noble in Clovis) even if that means customers have to drive forever to get it.
Girly retailer Wet Seal is also scheduled to open its second Fresno store in River Park today. I couldn't get a clear answer from the Victoria's Secret folks as to why they're opening a second store, but the CEO of Wet Seal said via e-mail that the demographics (teen girls and parents with enough money to spend on them) are right for another store.
He added: "Fresno is a desirable city given the amount of growth it has seen in recent years."
Victoria's Secret was probably swayed by the same growing population and incomes, though their customers may be a bit older.
If things must get worse before they get better, things are definitely worse right now when it comes to the state budget stalemate.
Tensions boiled over on the Assembly floor yesterday, as Republicans and Democrats blamed each other for the impasse. Today, there's word from our friends at Capital Alert that even the annual bipartisan softball game has been cancelled.
The game, which had been scheduled for Monday evening, would have been the eighth year of bipartisan ball between the rival lawmakers, according to CapAlert.
With no serious talks, the name of the game now appears to be who can get the upper hand in the public relations battle to define who is holding up progress. Republicans are pressuring Democrats to put their budget proposal up for a vote. Democrats say even if they put it up for a vote, Republicans won't vote for it, so why bother.
Look for more housing opportunities in southwest Fresno. Officials at the Housing Authorities said they are getting ready to start building 36 apartments near California and Delno avenues as part of the $20 million HOPE VI revitalization project.
Those 36 units are in addition to 33 apartments that are being renovated - and all are to be rented to families with incomes at least 60% of the median, said Victoria Johnson, director of planning and community development at the Housing Authorities.
The existing 33 apartments are next to a new community enrichment center, and the additional 36 units will wrap around those.
Also on tap are 53 new single-family houses, of which 44 will be sold to families earning less than 80% of the area's median income. The three and four-bedroom houses, in a tract dubbed Sierra Pointe, will be 1,400 square feet to 1,600 square feet in size.
We're planning a story on the new mortgage relief bill and would like to talk to people who think it can, or cannot, help them. We also are eager to get the thoughts of mortgage brokers and credit counselors.
The bill has drawn mixed reviews. Some say it's a big help; others say it won't help as many people as originally hoped. Either way, the bill is here, and we're planning a story. Please comment or contact us with your thoughts.
In the meantime, my colleague at The Sacramento Bee, Jim Wasserman (a former reporter at The Fresno Bee) put some of the most notable provisions in his blog - thus saving me time and effort. Thanks Jim.
The concrete angel taken from the front yard of Orval and Darlene Arebalos' burned-out Mariposa County home has not been found or returned, but their story in today's Bee evoked the sympathy of at least one good-hearted soul.
"Someone left a tiny angel on the stump of one of the trees that was cut down" on their lot, Darlene Arebalo said this afternoon. "There wasn't any name, but there was a note saying they knew it wouldn't replace our angel, but they hoped we would find some peace from it."
The Arebalos' foot-high angel was a memorial to their only daughter, Kimmy, 15, who died in a 1978 traffic accident. It was all that survived the Telegraph fire that destroyed their home in late July, but was taken from their property after the fire.
Don't hold your breath, but discussions continue apace on multi-million dollar plans for fixing the San Joaquin Valley's drainage problems.
To call these talks politically and technically complicated would not do them justice. On Friday, the various farm, environmental and governmental groups known collectively as the "stakeholders" -- a term that should henceforth be banished -- convened in Sacramento and by telephone to discuss the current state of play.
Topics on Friday included the Bureau of Reclamation's latest defense of a proposal to let the Westlands Water District take over the responsibility. In June, the U.S. Geological Survey raised pointed questions about the water district's plan, which includes land retirement, evaporation and more. The USGS termed the complex plan "unprecedented and untested."
While politely thanking their federal brethren for "valued" assistance, the Bureau of Reclamation in its newly public July 8 response insisted that the plan will "rely upon the proven performance" of similar technologies already in use.
The San Joaquin Valley legislation is still being drafted, but Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has not set a date for another meeting.
A group of Valley residents this month will make their sixth annual Sacramento trip to tell lawmakers how important air quality is to them.
And they say it would be wise for lawmakers to listen.
They say their efforts, which have grown in public support from 75 people in 2003 to 150 last year, have helped pass landmark air quality law. The trip, called "Action Day," is scheduled Aug. 20.
The organizing group, called the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition, says the support was one reason for the passage of Sen. Dean Florez's Senate Bill 700 series, which elimintated a farm exemption to some air rules as well as phasing out ag burning.
The Central Valley Air Quality Coalition consists of more than 70 community, medical, public health, environmental and environmental justice organizations representing thousands of Valley residents. Those interested in the Aug. 20 trip should call (559) 486-3279, extension 2.
The California Association of Mortgage Brokers held a telephone conference with reporters to outline its recommendations for helping relieve the pressure facing homeowners facing possible foreclosure or who are saddled with loans set to recast.
Association President Fred Arnold recommended the following:
Creation of sensiblealternative loans that enable more people to get loans. Arnold said self-employed individuals and older buyers in particular are having a tough time varifying income to the satisfaction of lenders. Flexible payment modification plans for borrowers who are current on their loans. Restore more realistic lending standards. "We're experiencing significant challenges qualifying good borrowers for loans," he said, describing an instance where lenders rejected a newly married couple rejected, even though the bride had saved more than $100,000, because the woman had been living with her parents and couldn't verify rent income. Encourage the FHA, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to find a way to allow borrowers to refinance existing loans into fixed-rate mortgages without having to appraise their properties.
Maybe, but there are huge hurdles. Check howstuffworks.com. Here's a video of a guy from Japan who claims to have made it work in a car.
I first saw this as a forward from my friends from Alaska. We all grew up believing in the great god oil, and at one point I was considering specializing in petroleum engineering. None of us ever imagined the concept of a life without internal combustion and gasoline.
That was in 1970s. (By the way, there were no gas shortages in the Last Frontier.)
Now, we're all looking at alternative fuels. Ethanol is a little problematic, hybrids offer some help but generally look goofy and electric cars are at least a couple years off.
A question I've heard recently: How do you figure out which pollution sources are biggest?
The California Air Resources Board has a list for each air basin, including the San Joaquin Valley.
I would need about 10 of these blog items to explain this thing. So, let's just look at "mobile sources" -- cars, trucks, boats, trains, planes.
Look at the bottom of the fourth column -- NOx or oxides of nitrogen. You see mobile sources produce 528 tons of this ozone-making gas daily. Yes, daily.
The grand total from all sources is 654 tons per day. So you don't need to be a math genius to see that the Valley's biggest problem with NOx is mobile sources.
Today's story about PC Club closing and leaving customers' computers locked inside was a little spicier than I expected.
While interviewing Melinda Posthumus, whose computer was stuck inside the store, she mentioned that the 1-800 number customers are directed to call on a sign on the door was a phone sex hot line.
I did notice a sticky note tacked onto that sign by someone saying the number actually began with a 1-888 prefix.
As a reporter, I can't just print that. I have to verify it. So with some trepidation I dialed the number on the sign (I won't print it here. If you really want it, you can drive by PC Club and get it).
A recorded message says something vague about "exciting conversation" and directs the caller to another 1-800 number. A message at that number says "Hey there sexy guy!" Click. I got what I needed, I don't need to hear any more.
It's not the first time such a public mistake has happened. Check out this one where the newspaper's horoscope number takes callers someplace else. Verizon directed its customers to a different kind of service here. And even our president messed up a number here, which thankfully only went to a busy signal.
Habitat for Humanity's final groundbreaking at the Crossroads subdivision in south Fresno on Wednesday marks a beginning of sorts for the builder of affordable housing.
The 3-bedroom, 2-bath house to be constructed in the tract near Jensen and Fruit avenues will be the Fresno chapter's first universal design, which will make it more accessible to people with handicaps.
Tony Miranda, executive director of the Fresno chapter, said universal design features will be included in all of their new houses going forward. Habitat is almost done at the Crossroads, but has plans for houses in other parts of Fresno and Clovis.
The homes will feature such things as entries without steps, wider doorways and hallways, more accessible counter tops, reinforced walls in bathrooms to accommodate grab bars and easy-to-reach utility switches.
Miranda said the modifications add about $17 per month to the cost of a house, but Habitat expects that to be offset by energy-efficiency features such as solar panels. Those will reduce the homeowner's utility bills.
Miranda said Fresno is one of a few Habitat chapters incorporating universal design features. "There is a movement among affiliates," he said. "But it is not required and not a lot are doing it."
In another attempt to cajole legislators into agreeing on a state budget -- now 37 days late -- Gov. Schwarzenegger today said he will veto any bills that reach his desk before a budget deal is done.
This apparently won't do much to sway Valley state Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Atwater. In a two-sentence response, he said:
"Great! Many of the bills the Legislature passes do California more harm than good."
By this time of year, most of the bills left are usually sponsored by Democrats, who control the Legislature.
More reaction...
from Assembly GOP Leader Mike Villines of Clovis:
"Republicans agree with the Governor that solving the budget crisis should be the top priority in the Legislature. That's why we have called on the Assembly Democrats to put their budget plan up for a vote. We need to get all the roadblocks out of the way so we can move forward and craft the balanced, responsible budget without taxes that Californians deserve."
...and from Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles:
"Like the Governor, we want to reach agreement on a budget that's responsible and balanced, and 110 percent of our focus is on that. The Governor's action today is yet another distraction that won't have much impact other than the possible veto of public policy that moves our state forward."
Consumers saved a pizza, can they save a Starbucks?
When a movement to save a northwest Fresno Starbucks sprung up, it brought up the question: Has an outcry from customers ever saved a store?
We wracked our brains and called multiple sources looking for examples of this, but had no luck. Can you think of any?
Bill Rice, a marketing professor at Fresno State, noted that customer reaction has saved products, though he couldn't think of any stores.
Remember New Coke? Outraged customers left 1,500 calls a day on Coca-Cola's consumer hot line before the company brought back the original.
Reaction has led to the production of additional batches of discontinued Black Jack gum, too.
And most recently, California Pizza Kitchen's pear and gorgonzola pizza returned the menu. The pizza was removed from the menu almost two years ago, much to the chagrin of some local vegetarians and others around the country. (I know it sounds like an odd combo, but trust me, it's fantastic and comes with a pile of greens atop the pizza.) According to the company, the pizza is back because of demand from customers.
It's not quite the same as a whole store deciding to remain open, but it is nice to know that occasionally large corporations listen to their customers.
Thanks for checking in on my blog. You'll find something new here most weekday mornings by 10 a.m.
Post comments and questions below.
Recommended: Want to sample Yosemite's waterfalls, streams, open meadows, wildflowers, lodgepole pines and granite peaks in one lightly traveled 27-mile loop?
Then check out this trip, which is detailed in the June/July issue of National Geographic's Adventure magazine. The article gives you all you need to know for the loop, which begins near Hetch Hetchy.
On the net: The whole world is talking about Paris Hilton's witty response to John McCain's Barack Obama-is-a-celebrity-not-a-leader-ad. You can see the Hilton video by clicking here.
On the net, II: Anybody wanting an accounting of Obama's and McCain's serial flip-flopping can check this out.
Quote of the Day: "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings."
-- John Muir (1838-1914), American naturalist, engineer and wanderer
Listen to the latest political podcast from Jim Boren & Bill McEwen here.
The state budget is 37 days late, forcing about 10,000 temporary and part-time state workers to be laid off. Still, the "Big Four" legislative haven't met in two weeks, Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill, of Modesto, said in a statement yesterday.
He blames Democrats: "The majority party controls the agenda," he said. "We are here ready to work anytime, for as long as it takes."
Senate Democratic leader Don Perata blames Republicans: "They (Republicans) are very narrow about what they want to discuss and even more narrow on the things they're willing to agree to. So, we are now at loggerheads," he told reporters yesterday. "This is an impasse. There are no four-way discussions going on any longer because there are no solutions here."
Meantime, a scan of today's Capitol events shows rank-and-file lawmakers talking about anything but the budget.
Assembly Member Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, has an event to discuss the need to allow local governments to enact stronger pesticide regulations. Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, is holding a rally to promote a bill that would allow students to pledge to finish high school in return for a fee waiver at community colleges. Assembly Member Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, holds an event to discuss a bill allowing farmers to sell produce to restaurant chefs at farmers markets.
And there's word that Assembly Democrats could be talking about a proposed water bond at a private meeting today. Moderate Democrats are pushing Assembly Speaker Karen Bass to hold a vote on a water bond -- but that would probably be a politically challenging thing to do if there's still no state budget.
In Sequoia, where the main traffic is squirrels and mule deer, there have been 50 violations of the federal ozone standard. In downtown LA -- in an air basin where 16 million people live -- there have been three.
Why? Downtown LA gets ocean breezes. Sequoia gets a dose of ozone-making chemicals from the San Joaquin Valley.
Reps. Jim Costa, D-Fresno and Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, got in touch with their Portuguese roots recently with a joint trip to the Azores. Congressional aides say the two lawmakers, both members of the Congressional Portuguese Caucus, traveled on their own dime to the islands for the start of the congressional August break.
They are visiting family members, which is why congressional aides say the lawmakers are paying for the trip themselves. But Costa and Nunes will also be doing some representing, as they will attend a 50th anniversary commemoration marking the eruption of a volcano on the island of Faial. The eruption incited thousands of island residents to emigrate to the United States, many of them ending up in the San Joaquin Valley.
Surveys of mortgage servicers statewide show the number of loan workouts is increasing, which is good news for those with loan defaults. Statewide, the number of loan modifications climbed to 10,261 in June from 8,686 in May, the Department of Corporations reported.
That was an 18% increase from May. The state agency said the number of foreclosures during that same period stayed static, and that loan modifications represented 47.3% of all the workouts. Loan modifications, officials say, are the most beneficial type of workout homeowners can get.
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A survey conducted by Myfirstpaycheck.com says teenagers prefer to spend their money at a business that hires people their age.
Myfirstpaycheck.com, a Web site that offers employment help and jobs for teens, said 75.7% of teenagers who responded to its online survey said they are more likely to spend money at a store or a restaurant that hires their peers. Some 73% said so are their families .
"With retailers and restaurants facing declining revenues and rising costs, these are important numbers to consider when hiring," said Austin Lavin, CEO and co-founder, in a statement. "Teenagers are great employees because they are affordable and enthusiastic."
But while teens also often have a bundle of discretionary spending, this has been one of the hardest summers nationally for teenagers to find employment, Myfirstpaycheck.com says. The trend also holds true in Valley.
Bee staff writer Robert Rodriguez noted the trend in May. Here is an exerpt of his story:
"The job market is bad for everyone, especially teens who lack experience," said Bernice Kao, head of Job Service Outreach for the Fresno County Library. "They are going to have to pound the pavement even harder."
Nationwide, the 2008 summer job outlook for teens looks grim, with the projected employment rate expected to drop to 34.2%. That figure is down from the previous year's rate of 34.5%, the lowest since World War II, according to a study by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
Myfirstpaycheck.com said teens aren't giving up and that audience trends show that they are starting to look online now for after-school jobs.
In the survey, teens said that seeing their peers working in a store or restaurant makes them think that the company cares about them and their needs. Teenagers also said that they often end up spending money when they visit friends in the workplace.
Myfirstpaycheck.com was created by 17-year-old Celeste Lavin and her 24-year-old brother, Austin. The company is based in Philadelphia.
Boy, people love their Starbucks. A mystery coffee crusader is mounting a campaign to save the Starbucks at the corner of Marks and Herndon avenues. It is slated for closure, along with three others in our area. And Starbucks fans are responding: More than 180 comment cards with passionate pleas to save the shop are posted near the store. Check out the pictures at the end of this post.
Apparently fans of Starbucks all over the nation are jumping on the Save Our Starbucks site, doing what they can to make sure they get their grande triple skinny lattes.
Such efforts might not mean much to Starbucks execs looking at their bottom line, but is an impressive expression of love for the coffee maker.
Thanks for checking in on my blog. You'll find something new here most weekday mornings by 10 a.m.
Post comments and questions below.
Item: A 12-year lawsuit between two Bakersfield area water districts ended last year with a judge ruling that one of the districts had surrendered its right to Kern River water. Now several water agencies want the suddenly freed-up water while conservationists argue to restore the Kern.
Analysis: Kern River restoration makes the most sense because it would recharge the area's aquifer, improve the quality of tap water and provide dry, dusty Bakersfield with a big psychic boost. Florn Core, the city of Bakersfield's water resources director, recognizes the many advantages of a healthy Kern River and is leading the charge for restoration. Good for Core!
Sadly, if the drawn-out battles over San Joaquin River water and restoration are any indication, it will be years before water flows down the Kern's parched riverbed through Bakersfield other than a couple of months a year.
Remember: Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.
You can read Bakersfield Californian columnist Lois Henry's take on Kern River restoration here.
On the net: Every segment of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has a happily-ever-after ending. But the Harper family of Lake City, Ga. -- which received a new four-bedroom home from the show -- is in danger of losing its dream home, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, because of a failed business venture. You can get details here.
Quote of the Day: "All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was. "
-- Toni Morrison, Nobel-prize winning American author
Listen to the latest political podcast from Jim Boren & Bill McEwen by clicking here.
I keep an eye on weather trends, since meteorology plays a big role in air quality. Here's what I noticed in an analysis from a weather expert I know.
July was warmer than usual in Fresno, says Jan Null, a private weather consultant. He says it was about 2.4 degrees warmer than average.
Null says most everywhere else in the state was cooler than average, except for Eureka and Redding, which were near normal. The other cities included in his analysis were San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego.
I'll let you know what NOAA's National Climatic Data Center says about July in the United States and the rest of the world. The report is due out in the next few days.
Thanks for checking in on my blog. You'll find something new here most weekday mornings by 10 a.m.
Post comments and questions below.
Item: A small group of District 3 residents is trying to recall Fresno City Council Member Cynthia Sterling.
Analysis: The time to boot out the ineffective Sterling was 2006. Instead, the handful of District 3 residents who bothered to vote returned her to office for a second term with nearly 65% support.
Qualifying the recall effort for the ballot would require organizers to collect more than 4,200 certified signatures from district residents over a 4-month period. That will be next to impossible in an apathetic district, where only 3,796 voters cast City Council ballots in 2006.
As a District 3 resident, I sympathize with recall organizers. Sterling's votes sometimes contradict comments she has made moments earlier on the council dais, and she filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this summer. The district deserves better representation, but Sterling will complete her last two years in office -- and then term out.
On the net: My Sunday column focused on Fresno mayoral candidate Ashley Swearengin's plans for mass transit. In the column, I mentioned Personal Rapid Transit, an on-demand rider system. You can learn more about PRT here.
Quote of the Day: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-- Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), inventor and author of "2001: A Space Odyssey"
Listen to the latest political podcast from Jim Boren & Bill McEwen by clicking here.
The Clean Air Act was designed for Los Angeles, otherwise known as the South Coast Air Basin. The law focuses on how high the ozone readings are, and not on how many bad days you're having.
Nobody hits high ozone readings like the 16 million people who live in South Coast and drive 390 million miles a day.
The San Joaquin Valley's readings are not as high, but this area has as many bad days. So because nobody at EPA is counting up bad-air days, LA's problem stands out just a little more than the Valley's.
The result: LA and those 16 million people are first in line when officials pass out money to fix the problem.
Carnival tickets and wristbands went on sale today for the 2008 Tulare County Fair Sept. 10-14 in Tulare.
The advance tickets are being sold for $15 at the fair's office at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. The tickets can be exchanged for a wristband good for unlimited carnival rides on any one day of the 2008 fair.
The advance price is a discount from prices that will be charged for wristbands during the fair -- $20 on Wednesday and Thursday, $25 Friday through Sunday.
This year is also the first time the fair is selling wristbands online at its web site, tularefair.org. People ordering online will need to bring a printout of their order confirmation to pick up the wristbands during the fair.
Fair officials said community groups such as cheer squads, bands, churches and others can sign up to sell wristband tickets as a fund-raising project.
Details: (559) 686-4707, www.tularefair.org or visit the fair office at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Tulare.
Crocs -- those brightly colored plastic shoes with the holes in them -- have been making news lately. The company revised its projected earnings recently, lowering them by a minimum of $29 million.
An NPR story today questioned whether the shoes are a trend that's coming to an end, noting falling stock value and sales. (Actually, they questioned if they were losing a "foothold" among consumers.)
The shoes have passionate fans and zealous haters. In one corner, there's the Croc lovers who sell "I love Crocs" bibs for babies and make music videos of footless Crocs dancing. In the other corner there's the "I hate Crocs" blog, YouTube videos of people setting them on fire and repeated reports of the shoes getting stuck in escalators.
I present these two offerings as food for thought. Both are from Housing Wire, which compiles information on housing-related issues, and both are pretty negative. One sounds upbeat from the headline, but isn't really. The other one, from former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, is even more downbeat.
Locally, sales of existing houses have climbed each month for most of this year. We'll see if that continues through the next batch of reports. Clearly, things aren't good. Foreclosures represent a big chunk of the market, and prices continue to decline. This correction is ugly.
Mayors and other officials who make up the Council of Fresno County Governments gave their Sacramento lobbyist, a firm headed by former Assembly Member Steve Samuelian, a 20% raise last week at their monthly meeting. California Consulting LLC will be paid $3,000 per month plus expenses under its new contract, compared with $2,500 previously.
Samuelian, who has represented the council since 2005, had asked for a $700 increase to $3,200. Citing tight budgets, the council's staff recommended only $87.50, a 3.5% increase in line with the rest of the council's staff. An advisory board made up mainly of city managers proposed no raise at all.
But at the council's policy board meeting Thursday, Orange Cove Mayor Victor Lopez suggested a raise to $3,500, even more than Samuelian had asked for. That brought a strong protest from Clovis Mayor Bob Whalen, whose cash-strapped city will be on the hook for about 10 cents of each dollar the lobbyist receives.
"I think we need to reduce the amount of $2,500 per month by the same amount, percentage-wise, that we are requesting our police officers and firefighters to reduce their salaries by," Whalen said.
Lopez cut his proposal to $3,000 and the raise was approved with only two dissenting votes -- Whalen and Reedley Council Member Scott Brockett.
Look what my colleague, reporter Mark Grossi found in his mailbox recently: It's a flier and a comment card with the heading "Save Our Starbucks" on it.
Apparently someone is quite upset that the Marks and Herndon Avenue Starbucks in Fresno is among the four in the area that will close. (We heard some differing opinions here.)
The flier encourages neighbors to write their opinions on a card and drop it off at the Starbucks. The card also has a familiar green and white logo. It's not the Starbucks mermaid though. It says "SOS" in the middle: Save our Starbucks.
So who is this mysterious person or group handing these out? There's no name or contact info on either sheet. Are you out there? If you are, I'd like to hear from you. E-mail me here.
In fact, even if you're not this mystery crusader and you're mourning the future closing of any Starbucks -- or not mourning it -- drop me line. I'm curious to see how many of you there are out there.
The waiting list for L.C. Hotchkiss Terrace senior apartment complex in Clovis totals 90 people. Thus, it shouldn't be too surprising to learn the developer plans to build a similar project adjacent to it.
Southern California Presbyterian Homes, which opened L.C. Hotchkiss Terrace in 2006, has received final approval for the $9 million, 60-unit Garden View Terrace. The affordable housing complex will be constructed on the site of a Baptist church near Barstow and Minnewawa avenues, adjacent to the first project.
"Need is the driver for this kind of housing," said Sally Little, vice president of affordable housing at Glendale-based Southern California Presbyterian Homes. "We're finding a lot of modest-income seniors in Fresno and Clovis."
City officials have approved Garden View Terrace, and the developers have applied for a Housing and Urban Development grant to help finance it. If the money is approved in October, construction could be under way next summer, said architect Michael Matalon.
Newly filed campaign finance reports for Fresno's mayor race show that Ashley Swearengin has raised more than five times as much cash since the primary than her November runoff opponent, Henry T. Perea.
The reports cover the period from May 18 through June 30. Overall, Swearengin, longtime director of the Regional Jobs Initiative, reported raising $72,227.80 and Perea, a current City Council member, reported $23,582. Since the June 3 election, the gap was wider -- $48,800 for Swearengin and $9,100 for Perea, who finished ahead by 216 votes out of 56,776 cast in a field of 11 candidates.
Heading into the fall campaign season, Swearengin had $75,787.66 in her treasury as of June 30, compared to $31,087 for Perea.
Contributions received before May 18 can be searched at fresnobee.com/datacenter, under "Politics." The newest reports will be posted at the same address later this month.
Once a vocal critic of the leadership of the Fresno Unified School District, Mayor Alan Autry is now "more than a supporter."
On Wednesday, Autry and the Fresno City Council held a joint meeting with the Fresno Unified School Board and Superintendent Michael Hanson.
No decisions were made at the meeting, which one staff member called a "dog and pony show," but it did give the two groups of elected leaders a chance to chat about joint priorities for the future.
There was also a lot of mutual admiration expressed. It started when Council Member Jerry Duncan told Hanson that he was a "big fan" of the work the superintendent had done in Fresno.
Autry took the compliment one step further, saying he might be Hanson's biggest fan.
"I want to move him in to my house," Autry said.
Hanson immediately leaned forward to his microphone and stole the show by saying "invitation accepted."
Thanks for checking in on my blog. You'll find something here most weekday mornings by 10 a.m.
Post comments and questions below.
Item: City Hall plans to more than double downtown Fresno parking fees over the next decade. The increase started on July 1 when the rate for the first hour of daily parking went from $1 to $3 and the maximum rate jumped to $9 from $7. In addition monthly parking fees increased $25 today -- $60 for uncovered lots and $75 for covered lots.
Analysis: Rates still are lower than any other big city in California, but that's of little solace to downtown merchants and visitors because Fresno has the worst downtown of any big city in the state.
The only businesses that can thrive downtown are those catering to daytime employees. The hikes -- combined with the scores of parking tickets written downtown -- will continue to drive away downtown businesses and discourage citizens from venturing downtown. City Hall was forced to raise fees because downtown parking revenue is needed to pay for Chukchansi Park and downtown parking facilities.
Revenue hasn't been meeting the debt obligations, with the opening of the Save Mart Center luring attractions away from Selland Arena. Maybe now that the Fresno Falcons are returning to Selland, things will rebound downtown.
Know how politicians love to talk about win-win solutions?
This rate hike "solution," though inevitable, is lose-lose.
On the net: How much booze will $8,204 buy?
Would you believe 155 pitchers of beer, 37 bottles of beer, 208 mixed drinks, 111 shots, 43 margaritas and 11 open bottles of liquor? That's what 100 employees of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent -- and drank -- celebrating their annual softball tournament in Washington, D.C. Details are here from my friends at Politico.
Quote of the Day: "It's not going to hurt Selland Arena. [Fresno] "will be a stronger city for it."
-- Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, May 8, 2001, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Save Mart Center.
It's not the Mayor's job to attend Fresno City Council meetings. He doesn't have a seat on the dais and his interests are represented there by City Manager Andy Souza.
An Autry sighting at a council meeting is so rare in fact that even when he's expected he still can surprise members of his own staff.
On Tuesday, Autry came in the back door and sat down next to Souza so quietly that the city manager didn't notice until he turned to make a comment to Bruce Rudd, who had been in the chair moments earlier.
Souza's double-take at seeing the mayor drew a few laughs from members of the public in the audience, and from the mayor himself.
Autry was in the chamber to cast a vote as part of the Joint Powers Authority. His appearance was interesting enough to distract even former mayoral candidate Barbara Hunt, who had been speaking on every issue.
Instead of commenting on the JPA vote to issue $27 million in bonds for convention center improvements, Hunt told Autry that he needed to back off of comments he made recently about protesting the lack of state and federal support for the Valley on water issues.
"Don't go to jail over water," Hunt said. "We need you here. You need to go out in style."
Yesterday, the California Air Resources Board showed the Valley had 45 bad ozone days for the federal standard. Today, it's 69.
There were only 65 for all of last year. So what happened?
The state is now keeping track of the new, lower threshold that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set in March. The old standard was 0.08 parts per million; the new is 0.075.
The state used the new standard to adjust totals from previous years. Now, the Web site shows a total of 111 federal violations for the Valley in 2007.
South Coast, by the way, has 77 violations this year. The region had 108 last year, according to the new standard.
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