Two Gents' Worth
April 26, 2025
Things are different here in the Midwest, and those differences are almost all good. Yes, I’m back once again in the heart of the great American heartland — Ames, Iowa. I’m spending a few weeks hanging out with old friends, eating a ton of that great Midwestern beef at the best barbecue spot anywhere (Hickory…
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How nice it was to see the once-mighty Fresno Bee just confirm what we reported here months ago — and what has been obvious to anyone who cared to walk what’s left of the Fulton Mall — that the project to re-open Fulton Street is, indeed, far behind schedule. There’s no crime in that —…
Read More about Bye, Bye, Fulton Mall!My old friend Bob Farrar and his colleagues on the Fresno Housing and Community Development Commission helped me relearn an important lesson. There’s a big difference between holding our government accountable and holding our government in contempt. The former – good. The latter – bad. (Editor’s Note: This piece first appeared on CVObserver.com. View the…
Read More about Guest Column: From Fresno’s housing struggles to public safety, civility in short supply
Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are here again – and, yes, I stole those words from the great Nat King Cole – but who better to steal from – than from the man who immortalized them back in the ’60s? Some folks don’t like summertime in Fresno. They say it’s too hot. But…
Read More about Summertime, Sweet SummertimeFresno’s Chinatown needs help. City Hall, though, is focusing its development efforts elsewhere. The cold shoulder isn’t just my imagination. “Sadly, Chinatown does not get the same attention that Downtown does, not only from our city but from our investment community, as well,” Council Member Oliver Baines told me last week. Baines’ District 3 includes…
Read More about Guest Column – Don’t forget it, Jake: Fresno’s Chinatown at a crossroads
The mess that is the Fulton Mall’s ongoing deconstruction — converting it back to a vehicle-welcoming Fulton Street — shows no sign of coming to an end. What makes that interesting is that, back in February, the Fresno Bee ran a piece under the headline, “Fresno’s painful remake of Fulton Street should be done in…
Read More about Fresno’s Fulton FoolishnessWell, not my uncle, exactly – everybody’s uncle. Uncle Harry. It’s two weeks since they shut down Uncle Harry’s New York Bagelry in Fig Garden Village. The terse one-page letter posted on a window announcing the abrupt closure has been pulled down and covered over with butcher paper. Big plans are afoot for the…
Read More about My Late Great UncleThese past few days, I’ve been wondering why so many people and institutions have seemingly lost their senses — why they’ve lost their ability to reason, and to avoid saying or doing stupid things. Example: United Airlines. Why in the world would any United employee on board that jet think it was a good idea…
Read More about Losing Our SensesI did something this bright and beautiful Saturday that I bet you didn’t do: I spent time in both downtown Fresno and “up north” — in and around Fig Garden Village. Only about five miles separate downtown from Fig Garden, but they might as well be galaxies apart. When I walked through downtown late Saturday…
Read More about Fresno’s Two Worlds
Something happened to me this morning during one of my long walks, and I think it exemplifies the trouble Fresno city officials will have in trying to bring downtown back to life. It was a cool, sunny day, and I was dressed in a sweatshirt, long pants and tennis shoes as I made my way…
Read More about Downtown’s Doldrums