DEAR INTERESTED CITIZEN:

As we celebrate our tenth year in existence, we look forward to a very exciting next decade. Our vigilance and persistence has resulted in many improvements for our community, but the future will require us to re-double our efforts as we strive to improve the quality of life in our Valley. Your continuing support is very necessary to our cause.

REPORT FROM THE DOWNTOWN FRESNO COALITION --Ray McKnight One of the prime goals of the Downtown Fresno Coalition (DFC) is to make the Fulton Mall more widely appreciated as an asset to our community. To help achieve that goal we have organized free walking tours of the Mall and have issued invitations to schools throughout Fresno County to schedule a Mall tour as a field trip for students. The October 28 issue of The Fresno Bee reported on a tour of the Mall conducted for third-grade students from Eaton Elementary School. Although the DFC unfortunately was not mentioned, the article by Paula Lloyd in the Bee’s “Neighbors CityView” section gave an entertaining account of DFC members Joyce Aiken and Linda Zachritz opening the eyes of students and parents to the impressive array of art found on the Mall. Schools or organizations interested in tours of Fulton Mall should leave a message for the DFC at 291-2261. The DFC is also taking an increasing interest in the role of Fresno’s Redevelopment Agency (RDA) in the effort to revitalize downtown Fresno. Early in the fall the DFC sent a letter to City Council members raising questions about the RDA’s practices and financial status that should be investigated in the upcoming performance review or annual audit of the Agency. A recent Grand Jury report included criticisms of the RDA. Elsewhere in this newsletter is an article by Matt Maroot that suggests some of the questionable aspects of the RDA’s approach to development. The Fresno Bee’s December 2 article on the proposed Armenian Town development also illustrates why more public awareness of the RDA’s practices is needed. After spending $4.6 million to acquire the land for the Armenian Town development, the RDA will charge developers Richard Gunner and George Andros $636,000 for the land. More citizens need to be asking why the RDA, which had its origins in a national initiative to provide our society with more affordable housing, has become deeply involved in the business of enriching a few developers at the taxpayers’ expense.   PROTECTING OUR HISTORY --Matt Maroot On October 19, 2004, after a yearlong effort to have the former Benham Ice Cream Company/Dale Bros. Coffee plant listed on the Local Register of Historic Resources, the Fresno City Council voted to grant the property historic status. Despite numerous delays, postponements and overall frustration along the way, the City Council had the vision to see through city staff's objections and the plans of a developer for this area to support the preservation of this unique historic property.   The application process is underway for inclusion on the California Register of Historic Places Construction began on the Benham Ice Cream Company plant at 1420-1432 "H" St. in 1912.   As the company grew to become the largest ice cream factory in the state and one of the largest and most modernized factories in the country, expansion resulted in a 30,000 square foot addition to the factory.   J. Arthur Benham, the company's founder, partnered with L.W. Wilson to construct and expand a truly remarkable example of major industry in the heart of Downtown Fresno.   As early as 1913, cold air from the ice cream factory's freezers was piped underground two blocks away to refrigerate the Wilson Theatre.   Quite an innovation for the time! In 1937, the property was sold to the Dale Bros. Coffee Company which began roasting Fresno's own special brand of coffee on site.  Shortly thereafter, the famous rooftop coffee can sign was constructed and served as a beacon to travelers along Highway 99.   The can remains visible today from points throughout Downtown Fresno and can even be spotted from Freeway 41. In 1981, my family purchased the property to relocate our catering business, Jon Jon's Grand Central Station. We have always been thrilled to own this part of Fresno's history and look forward to maintaining it's place on the Downtown Fresno skyline.    Thanks in large part to support from members of 1000 Friends of Fresno, The Downtown Fresno Coalition and Heritage Fresno, we were successful in our efforts to see this property officially designated as an historic resource.   By joining together, our desire to ensure the preservation of this property was heard loud and clear by the City Council to provide yet another example of what citizen involvement can do.

Thomas Jefferson’s Ten Rules Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself. Never spend your money before you have earned it. Never buy what you don’t want because it is cheap. Pride costs more than hunger, thirst, and cold. We seldom repent of having eaten too little. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. How much pain the evils have cost us that never happened. Take things always by the smooth handle. When angry, count ten before you speak, if very angry, count a hundred. -Thomas Jefferson   WHEN YOU NEED A NEW PARKS DIRECTOR, WHO ARE YOU GONNA CALL? --Ray McKnight On November 11 The Fresno Bee reported on a press conference at which Mayor Autry introduced Randall Cooper as the new director of Fresno’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services. Some City Council members expressed shock, even outrage, at the news. While the job announcement for the Parks Director position specified that applicants needed five years of experience in the management of parks and recreation programs, Mr. Cooper’s experience has been that of a police officer; he will retire from his present position as San Jose’s deputy police chief in order to take his new position. And while the job announcement specified the need for a bachelor’s degree, Mr. Cooper has yet to complete his degree from the University of Phoenix. His salary of $115,000 is $5,000 above the highest figure in the salary range stated in the job announcement. Council Member Brian Calhoun stated that a former Los Angeles County parks director was among the applicants for the position. As the Bee article pointed out, two years ago the City Council opposed the Mayor’s proposal to put the Parks Department under the control of the Police Department. The Council’s reaction to the new appointment may be because they see it as an end-run around their opposition to this proposal. Fresno citizens may want to let their elected officials as well as City Manager Dan Hobbs know what they think about this matter.     COMMENTS FROM OUR MEMBERS   Thanks for the Animal Welfare page on 1000 Friends web site. (www.1000friendsoffresno.org) “East” Fresno is ignored! In my area street plants in parking strips have died, but the area is still being irrigated; a waste of water and unsightly. Keep up the good work 1000 Friends of Fresno!   STEERING COMMITTEE Rick Case Business Owner Food Processing Equipment Tou Long Lo Hmong Community Leader Robert Dwyer Certified Public Accountant Charles Royse Retired Insurance Consultant Robert Dyer, AIA Retired Principal Planner, City of Fresno Ray McKnight Retired Educator   Richard Erganian Developer Dorman Turnipseed Retired Educator Jeanne Larson Retired Botanical Consultant Dianna Stansell Administrator Beki Moody Website Coordinator