August 1, 2025

A Message from the President

Dear Members, Friends, and Supporters,

Remember when summer was coming to a close and the mixed dread and joy of returning to school was drawing near? For many of us, that was not until after Labor Day, which well and truly marked the end of vacation. Now, most children return to the classroom in the blasting heat of August. Which means this month!

I want to share a little bit of a personal side to these past two months. My Army Captain son and his wonderful Okinawan wife took most of their leave to stay with me. Knowing it is difficult to manage the household alone while working more than fulltime, together they agreed to come and basically clear away over 30 years of things that I really just don’t need anymore. The truth is, they have worked incredibly hard throughout the heat of the day to bring my home back to life. Being that he has been in the military, at West Point for college and then stationed overseas for years (where he met my adorable daughter-in-law), I have not had the lengthy pleasure of his company since 2012. Proud mama moment to see my “out to get the world” 18-year-old turn into a brave, strong, thoughtful 31-year-old man with a family of his own. And I am sure the best is yet to come. I really can’t thank them enough. While this may be completely cliché, I have to say, cherish each stage because before you know it, they will be coming back, fully grown, to help you, if you are as lucky as I am.

So, naturally being a part of the Laval family, this deep dive into my closets and drawers uncovered an astonishing number of photos, particularly of children. Because my lad’s wife’s family basically lost all their memorabilia during WWII – as you know, the island paradise of Okinawa lived through massive tragedies on all sides, with the natives caught in the middle – the cornucopia of pictures that kept appearing led to virtual astonishment, and sometimes amusement, when we viewed my son’s baby albums, on her part. One of the most exciting finds was something few families are able to claim: we located a book full of Pop Laval’s mother’s images, clear as could be. She was my great-great-grandmother, Josephine, from France. Imagine, my kids saw their great, great, great grandmother’s photos and their children will be able to know of their 4^th great grandmother! Such a treasure.

Pictured: Pop Laval with his sisters and Mother Josephine at the center.

Back to the children, some of whom have been enjoying such freedom for the past eight weeks. Although, in this Valley we call home, for many youths, time off from school did not offer much autonomy at all, as picking fruit on the family farm meant several months of sweaty, hard work. Still, a reprieve from lessons was pretty well universally celebrated, I trust. However, I do not believe it is only the youngsters facing trepidation for the next nine months of classroom time. Suffering through or loving school, whichever it is, Pop Laval, as always, had his own words of wisdom for the occasion.

“Pop Says…”

                                                               “HERE WE GO AGAIN”

“Again the time of the year has rolled around when that good old song, ‘SCHOOL DAYS, SCHOOL DAYS, 

GOOD OLD GOLDEN RULE DAYS,' will be the popular tune of the day.

“There’s going to be a lot written about the opening of all these schools and classes, but how often do we find anything written about those wonderful people who make up the administration and staff, the thousands of patient teachers, both men and women, on whose shoulders rests the responsibility for the education of our children, the people we the parents count on to enlighten their minds from the first day in kindergarten. 

“All the way through to their graduation from high school, the responsibility is theirs. Truly they are a wonderful group of men and women who give so much and receive so little in the way of remuneration for their labors. Once could almost classify it as a LABOR OF LOVE when one stops to think of how many of their younger years, they gave up to prepare themselves for their qualifications as teachers. Even during vacation time, they devote a portion of it to further enlighten their minds so they can do a still better job for our children.

"I think it’s high time a tribute should be paid to these grand people that they should receive the recognition due them. Yes, all you young folks, HERE WE GO AGAIN, so start singing that old song.

"‘SCHOOL DAYS, SCHOOL DAYS, GOOD OLD GOLDEN RULE DAYS, READIN’ AND WRITIN’ AND 

‘RITHMETIC,’ but no longer do we add ‘TAUGHT TO THE TUNE OF A HICKORY STICK,’ for today children are taught by people who have infinite patience, who are kind and encouraging, who work with the children. I don’t doubt there are moments when the teacher would like to go back to the early days and really use a hickory stick, but in these modern days that just isn’t done. These wonderful men and women have been trained to cope with situations that arise, where the hickory stick used to be the order of the day, by being patient and understanding.

“So HERE WE GO AGAIN, placing our children in the hands of all these wonderful people, the administration, the staff, the principal, and the thousands upon thousands of teachers, looking to them, depending on them to help make our children, the men and women of tomorrow, educated to a degree that they may carry on the problems of this great country of ours. So, I say, let us never forget the gratitude we owe them, let’s never pass up an opportunity for singing their praise. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.”

"Bye now, I’ll be seein’ you.”

Pop Laval  

Warm Regards,

Elizabeth Laval                                    

President                                                 

Fresno City & County Historical Society 

Twilight Tours at the Kearney Mansion

Thursday Evenings through September

by Debbie Unger, Tour Manager

This Summer, Step Into the Shadows of History Picture this...the golden sun dips below the horizon as history stirs to life at the Kearney Mansion Museum & Gallery. Join the Fresno City & County Historical Society for Shadows of the Past: Twilight Tours—a rare opportunity to explore this iconic estate after hours, wrapped in the rich ambiance of twilight.

As you wander the storied halls of M. Theo Kearney’s historic home—once the domain of California’s famed “Raisin King”— you will discover a world where the walls whisper secrets from over a century ago. As dusk deepens, the Mansion and its Servants’ Quarters take on an entirely new atmosphere, with evocative stories that illuminate the lives of those who shaped this extraordinary place.

This 80-minute guided tour invites you to linger in the quiet beauty of Kearney Park’s renowned landscape, explore the Museum’s fascinating exhibits, and browse unique finds at our charming Kearney Ranch Market.

With small group sizes, these tours promise a personal, immersive experience—rich with history, reflection, and a touch of twilight magic.

Twilight Tour Dates:

Twilight Tours will run each Thursday evening through September 25th, beginning at 7:00PM.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on our website.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a local history buff, Twilight Tours offer a rare and unforgettable glimpse into Fresno’s past.

TIME TRAVELERS LIVING HISTORY: WHERE THE PAST COMES TO LIFE  

By Debbie Unger, Tour Manager 

We’re kicking off the 2025–2026 school year with something truly special. Our Time Travelers’ Living History field trip program at the Kearney Mansion Museum & Gallery is back and better than ever! This dynamic, firsthand experience invites students to journey through the agricultural innovation and pioneer grit that shaped California. 

Step into the past and ignite young imaginations with our unforgettable Time Travelers’ Living History events - where timelines turn into touchable, teachable moments. Whether students are learning about forging iron at the blacksmith station, penning letters with quill and ink, crafting rag dolls by hand, exploring the rugged world of Mountain Men, discovering the rich tapestry of Armenian culture, or being wowed by the energy of a thrilling Chinese Lion Dance performance, each encounter offers a hands-on journey through time. As one of our most popular programs, these immersive year-round events often fill up months in advance. To guarantee your class a spot this year, we highly recommend registering early!

Upcoming Time Travelers’ Dates:

• October 1, 2025
• November 5, 2025
• January 14, 2026
• February 11, 2026
• April 1, 2026
• May 6, 2026

Teachers, Don’t Miss Out—Reserve Your Time Travelers’ Spot Today! 

These dates disappear fast so you’ll want to make your reservation now by contacting Debbie Unger at Dunger@valleyhistory.org to lock in your preferred date.

We can’t wait to welcome your students on a journey through time at the Kearney Mansion Museum & Gallery!

SAVE THE DATE

MOONLIGHT MAHJONG

October 3, 2025 5:00PM to 8:00PM

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for Moonlight Mahjong, a special cultural experience in support of our From China to Fresno exhibit!

This unique event offers the chance to learn and play Hong Kong-style Mahjong while exploring the game’s deep cultural significance.

To genuinely appreciate Mahjong’s history, philosophy, and artistry, there is no better way than to play it yourself. At Moonlight Mahjong, you will have the chance to learn the game, test your skills, and connect with others through this timeless tradition.

Stay tuned for ticket information. Don't miss your chance to discover the beauty, complexity, and cultural richness of Mahjong. See you at the table on October 3rd at The Archive On Kern for Moonlight Mahjong!

ARCHIVAL SPOTLIGHT

Where History Sits: Carved Lions and Living Memories

By Donald Spencer MSc., Archivist.

Hello Friends of the Archives,

A few months ago, it was my pleasure to receive an astonishing set of furniture from a local family. Now, with great enthusiasm, I get to share the remarkable story of this new addition to the FCCHS Archives. These items are a beautiful set of ornate Gothic Revival furniture with ties to Civil War history and Pennsylvania’s coal mining heritage. The set includes a two-seater bench, a rocking chair, and three side chairs. The rocker, one of the three chairs, and the bench are adorned with intricately carved lion heads on the armrests, while the feet of each piece are sculpted into lion paws. Crafted from dark brown wood and upholstered in deep verdigris cushions, the furniture’s rich Gothic Revival style reflects both the skill of 19th-century Pennsylvania carpenters and the family traditions it supported for over a century. 

This set, generously donated by David Herb of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania and now a Fresno resident, originally belonged to the family of John Fetterman of Schuylkill County. Fetterman, a skilled carpenter and veteran of the 55th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, served in pivotal Civil War campaigns, including Sherman’s March to Atlanta, Appomattox, the siege of Petersburg, and Cold Harbor. Following the war, he returned home to Girardville, Pennsylvania, where he built a three-story house and furnished it with this very set to welcome family and guests.

Multiple generations of the Fetterman family used the furniture throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the set was one particular chair, fondly remembered by David, his “Grandmother’s chair,” a seat that held pride of place in the room and in family memory. The carved lion heads, a favorite detail among visiting grandchildren, reflect the craftsmanship of a family steeped in Pennsylvania’s coal mining and woodworking traditions. In the 1970s, the set was carefully shipped to California, where it has been preserved ever since.

We are honored to steward this extraordinary donation, which not only represents a family’s legacy but also connects our collection to the lived experiences of Civil War soldiers and working-class artisans. These pieces remind us that we all have furniture, objects, or miscellaneous items that sit in our homes that may seem mundane to most. However, our ancestors’ lives and stories are woven into these everyday objects, and by preserving them we safeguard not only the physical pieces, but also the memories and echoes of the lives once lived around them.

FRESNO CITY & COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S

NEXT FIELDS OF FRESNO AG TOUR

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2025



Learn About All The Bounty That Grows In Our Own Backyard

and the Role Farmers Play in Feeding Our Nation and The World!

SECURE YOUR SEAT FOR A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE! 

Saturday, August 30th 8:30AM-1:30PM

Fields of Fresno Ag Tours provide engaging, educational, and fun excursions to farms and agribusiness locations in and around Fresno County. The goal of this ongoing project is to help residents and visitors come to understand what farming entails in this region and, in some cases, simply how certain crops grow.

Hop aboard our luxury motorcoach and journey into the heart of the Central Valley’s rich agricultural landscape with the Fresno City & County Historical Society!

This month’s adventure takes you to Los Gatos Tomato Productions, part of Woolf Farming, founded in 1974. Experience the magic of the harvest from above with Chris Woolf as your guide—watch tomatoes being gathered, rinsed, and sorted in a stunning outdoor operation. Then head inside for a savory surprise—the processing plant smells just like hot tomato soup, and it’s an experience your senses won’t soon forget!

Savor the tour with a delicious lunch and wine tasting at the historic A. Nonini Winery after which you will return to the beautiful Kearney Mansion & Museum to explore an optional guided tour that begins at 1:30pm.

Every tour supports educational programs for local students—so you're not just having fun, you're making a difference. Reserve your seat now!

SHARING OUR HERITAGE PROJECT UPDATE:

Armenian Stories

By Cami Cipolla, Director of Educational Services and Community Engagement

Pictured: George Seropian

I was recently researching the rich Armenian heritage of our Valley for one of our oral history interviews and was fascinated with the connections to Fresno County’s agricultural and literary history, so I wanted to share some of what I learned with you!

Fresno County’s agricultural legacy has roots that stretch back to the 1870s, when two Swedish brothers, Francis T. Eisen and Dr. Gustav Eisen, took a chance on grapevines. In 1873, F.T. Eisen began planting grapes, while his brother Gustav spent the next decade experimenting with wine, raisin, and table grape production. Their efforts were soon bolstered by the formation of the Central California Colony in 1875, which promoted the sale of twenty-acre plots of fertile land ideal for vineyards. New settlers planted grapes, and soon vineyards flourished across the Central Valley.

M. Theo Kearney’s Fruit Vale Estate in West Fresno became one of the region’s most prominent grape producers, but smaller growers thrived as well thanks to good stock, skilled cultivation, and the power of irrigation.

Here’s a fun fact: Fresno County’s iconic raisin industry began by mistake. During the blazing hot summer of 1875, the intense heat dried some of the Muscat grapes still hanging on the vines in the Eisen Vineyard. Rather than waste them, F.T. Eisen stemmed the dried grapes and sent them to San Francisco grocers, marketing them as exotic “Peruvian Importations.” A man named Hickson recognized the grapes and began spreading the word: the best raisins came from Fresno County. And just like that, a cornerstone of the Valley’s agricultural economy was born.

Thousands of miles from Armenia, Fresno County became a second homeland for generations of Armenian Americans.

It all began in 1881 with Hagop Seropian and his half-brothers George and John, who moved west from Massachusetts to escape the bitter winters. They found Fresno’s climate familiar and promising and quickly encouraged other Armenians to join them by sending glowing letters back to communities in New England and Armenia.

The Seropians started out as grocers but soon built a fruit-packing business that would become the first to ship oranges and figs to the East Coast. Their success laid the groundwork for a powerful Armenian presence in the raisin, grape, and tree fruit industries.

As more Armenian settlers arrived, especially following the horrific genocide of 1915, they built farms, businesses, and tight-knit communities, despite facing discrimination for their language, customs, and Middle Eastern appearance. By 1930, Armenians owned 40% of Fresno County’s raisin acreage and made up 25% of its growers. They were also leading packers and shippers of dried and green fruit.

In the city of Fresno, many Armenian families settled in the southeast, on the west side of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks in what became known as “Armenian Town.” The community expanded eastward in the 1920s and northward in the 1930s, remaining culturally distinct for decades.

In response to being socially isolated, Armenians established their own benevolent and fraternal organizations, published newspapers in Armenian, and fostered strong networks to preserve their heritage and support one another. Out of this close-knit community came a celebrated figure.

Born in Fresno in 1908, William Saroyan became one of the most original literary voices of the 20th century. Raised in poverty by a widowed mother and a formidable grandmother, Saroyan’s early life was shaped by hardship, hustle, and the unique culture of the Armenian American experience in the Valley.

He discovered literature at age twelve after stumbling across a Guy de Maupassant story and taught himself to type at Fresno’s Technical School. Saroyan scraped by selling vegetables and gambling, all while committing himself to the writer’s path—even when it meant refusing to conform to commercial tastes.

His big break came in 1933 with The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, a short story about a starving writer that caught the attention of the literary world. From there, his rise was swift. His 1939 play The Time of Your Life won both the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award (though Saroyan famously declined the former, uncomfortable with the idea of art being rewarded by commerce).

During World War II, he served in the Army despite being a pacifist. Afterward, he struggled with failed marriage, drinking, and gambling but continued writing, producing stories, novels, and autobiographical works that captured his fierce independence and poetic, sometimes melancholy, view of life.

Saroyan often said he wrote simply to stay alive “in an interesting way.” He created characters with warmth, avoided sentimentality, and embraced the accidental elements of life and literature alike. His stories were deeply personal, yet universal in their celebration of the human spirit.

Even in his final years, splitting time between Fresno and Paris, Saroyan remained prolific. His last major works, like Obituaries, were raw and honest reflections on mortality and memory. When he passed away in Fresno in 1981, he left behind a literary legacy that remains deeply entwined with the spirit of the Central Valley.

In honor of his contributions, a portion Fresno’s Convention Center bears his name: The William Saroyan Theatre, a reminder that even in the dusty heat of a raisin-growing town, greatness can flourish.

ROOTS OF THE VALLEY

Fresno's First Power Crisis

Reprinted from the FCCHS’s Past & Present; Material by Schyler Rehart

With power rates always in the news, particularly for those astonishing bills for electricity many of us are receiving each month during the summer, we thought a little bit of perspective was in order…

"No More Lights; Darkness Will Reign During Summer; City Trustees Decide to 'Douse the Glim"'  Fresno Morning Republican, May 4, 1898

Pictured: Joe Spinney

The "glim" of streetlights had been a part of Fresno for a mere two years, and now it was to be doused.

On January 1, 1896, Fresnans had been startled to read a Fresno Morning Republican headline: "Vast Electric Power for Fresno-Harnessing the Forces of Nature, Plant Nearly Ready." Now, barely two years later, they read that the city trustees had voted to turn off the city's streetlights.

This was not a voluntary “rolling blackout" in answer to a developing crisis. It was just plain and simple politics, played in the style Fresno's quixotic Joe Spinney-"Boss Joe Spin" loved. Spinney was the trustee from the fifth ward, which included West Fresno and its many 24-hour-a­ day saloons, brothels and gambling dens. Was Spinney catering to the owners of these "tough resorts," as reformers called them, or only to his own narrow-sighted penny-pinching view? No one is sure. But his demand that the city do without those fancy new electric lights downtown, whatever his motivation, pointed up one of the city's most serious problems: its weak, ineffectual and sometimes corrupt government.

In the final decade of the 19th century, Joe Spinney decided what was right for the city. What he decided was what a majority of the trustees approved. He was not the city's mayor-he was its political boss. He ruled because of his influence with Fresno's dark side and because he had at least two trustees blindly bound to their partisanship, as well as in his debt. As elected representative of Fresno's "tenderloin district across the tracks," where most of the town's vice interests were located, he yielded much political power, even to the extent of ordering the city's lights turned off.

In Fresno's highly partisan two-party system, Spinney had chosen to run as an "Independent Republican." Whether the other two Republican trustees or the local party liked him personally did not matter. He had their support because he was the one who represented the saloon keepers, brothel madams and gamblers, as well as the railroad political man­ agers. These were the major money contributors, and they provided a powerful bloc of voters easily bought with a free drink.

Spinney's influence gave him virtual control over patronage, especially hiring of policemen and fire fighters and their chiefs. The new electric company, unfortunately, did not enjoy such a political base locally, although some of the capitalists behind it were Fresno's most prominent and wealthy citizens.

Despite all the glowing publicity and obvious city pride about the new hydroelectric system, touted as second to none in the nation, there were those who, like Spinney, saw the new power source as little more than an expensive novelty.

Spinney and others in his camp argued that a better use could be made of the money being spent to light streets.

The new power company, Spinney said, was charging too much for too little, like the earlier ones. It seemed to him that money should be made available for a new city hall, for one thing. It likely would be made of brick, and Spinney was a brick contractor.

He favored improved streets, too, and new firehouses and equipment, especially in the area he represented. Those were projects he could understand, control, and even benefit from. But electric lights did not impress him at all.

No one rose to challenge Spinney at the May 3rd meeting, but later Chester Rowell, editor of the Fresno Morning Republican, did. Rowell was getting a crusade underway to "clean up the town" and rid it of those "tough resorts," as his newspaper described them. He made no bones about putting Joe "Spin" out of city government.

It was not long before the reform movement forced the city to turn the lights back on, but in mid-July a relentless drought brought more problems for Fresno. In spite of the city's great underground water supply, the energy to run the municipal pumps was unavailable because of the severe statewide drought. Dealing with sewage, garbage, and dry, dusty streets presented a real challenge, and to add to the problems, equipment for fighting fires was hopelessly inadequate and outdated.

Streams and rivers without enough water to maintain the new hydroelectric power system, along with city politicians still caught up in gaslight-era mentality, left Fresno's streets dark that summer of 1898.

How Fresno Became 'The Electric City' in 1896

In 1897 the just-completed San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad, now running through Fresno in competition with the Southern Pacific Railroad, proudly proclaimed in its brochure, "Fresno-the Electric City." The brochure told of the remarkable new hydroelectric system completed just a year earlier 35 miles east of Fresno, in the mountains. This great project had made Fresno one of the first cities with electric power.

The railroad's publicity and an article in the January 1, 1896, issue of the Fresno Morning Republican both neglected to mention that a crucial part of the giant project had not been completed in time to take advantage of winter rain and snow: The great backup reservoir that could run the power plant at full capacity for two months was not completed until late spring of 1898.

The brilliant men who created the San Joaquin Electric Company were sure they could build an electric producing system in the mountains that could be expanded almost indefinitely to meet the needs of the San Joaquin Valley communities. They succeeded where for more than 15 years a number of smaller electric companies had stumbled and failed.

The success of the new power company came from the use of raw waterpower rather than steam plants that used fuels such as coal, wood, and gas. The radically new and much larger operation, with $800,000 in capital stock, promised to do the job by harnessing hydroelectric resources from the great rivers and streams that ran out of the mountains.

The Big Creek-San Joaquin Hydroelectric Project, as it was originally known, was largely the brainchild of John J. Eastwood, who had spent months trekking through the High Sierra to determine just how and where to locate the plant. He had started in 1886, literally mapping out the entire project first in his mind and then on paper. Working quietly, without publicity, with others who were convinced his ideas would work, Eastwood came up with a complex but efficient system of damming tons of melted snow from the high mountains into reservoirs where it would be stored before being channeled into huge pipes that ran down to the powerhouses and turned great turbines to generate electricity.

The details of this incredible feat are told by David H. Redinger in The Story of Big Creek (Eureka Press, Los Angeles, 1949). But the Fresno Morning Republican told it first. The January 1, 1896, article stated: "The electric plant [the original plant on the north fork of the San Joaquin River] which will furnish unlimited power for Fresno is now nearing completion within a month or at most two the wheels of this city will be driven by the waterpower of the San Joaquin River-35 miles away."

The article told how the masterminds of the project, "... with no flourishing of trumpets... " had made it all possible. Hundreds of men, after much study, planning and raising capital, had already completed much of the difficult work. It started with a reservoir connected to a canal that brought water from the north fork of the San Joaquin River to the "wheels of the turbines," described as "one of the greatest electric engineering feats in the world."



And it was. It had water flowing across a high steel bridge with heavy steel pipes that dropped the water 1,440 feet to drive the waterwheel and 6,000-pound dynamo. The current that left the dynamo was 700 volts but was transformed up to 11,000 volts before it was transferred to Fresno.

The unnamed writer seemed to relish every statistic and detail. He told of "water in abundance to keep the wheels, dynamo, transformers and switchboards going in a granite stone and steel fireproof substation.

It did work very well, as history reveals, especially after 1898 when the reservoir was filled. Even during that terrible summer, the new power company kept power available by reverting to the use of gas and steam for a while. What saved the day, the press reported, was a power company deal to use a 180-horsepower engine from the Sperry Mill plant. It was taken to the Fresno substation where it was hooked up to the dynamo. That old gas-powered engine made it possible to keep a minimum but critical amount of power flowing.

Fresno's ice plant, which supplied many homes and businesses, continued to operate, although it had to get by on just 25 of its normal 150-horsepower requirement during the night.

The newspaper article, mentioning again Fresno's wonderful underground water resource, consoled Fresno's 11,000 citizens that things were much worse in other parts of the state. The Sacramento electric company, which generated power at Folsom Lake, had shut down beginning in July. San Luis Obispo and Porterville were completely dry, de­ pending on water being hauled in.

By the end of the 19th century, Fresno finally, and with real justification, could be called the "Electric City." Al­though the switch from gaslight to electric lighting that had begun in the 1880s was still far from complete, it was clear that electric power was here to stay. It is interesting to note evidence of the caution late 19th-century residents had about electric power. Many homes and businesses built in the last years of the century had both gas and electric arrangements. Dr. Thomas Meux built his beautiful Victorian home in 1889 with facilities for both. But most Fresnans did not have the luxury of a choice in a time when many homes did not have even rudimentary plumbing. Most, in fact, continued using the traditional lighting and heating of gas well into the new century.



In retrospect, it is remarkable that Fresno's first electric company came into existence only eight years after Thomas A. Edison produced the first practical incandescent bulb and only five years after the first successful electric power plant was completed for the city of New York.

MAKING HISTORY EVERY DAY:

How do Fresno County residents want Measure C

transportation funding spent? Here’s a first look

By: Julianna Morano reprinted from Fresnoland July 30, 2025

Fresno County’s regional transportation planning board will get a first glimpse at how residents want Measure C tax dollars to be spent this week — and some of the recommendations look a lot different than a couple of years ago.

Staff with the Fresno Council of Governments, which is helping facilitate efforts toward renewing Fresno County’s transportation sales tax, will present initial results from surveys of over 1,300 respondents at Thursday’s COG policy board meeting.

Those preliminary results show that county residents want the plurality of Measure C funding, or 46%, to go toward local street and road maintenance. The second highest requested allocation is 19% for bike and pedestrian networks, as well as “Safe Routes to Schools.”

These results are hardly set in stone, however, Fresno COG Executive Director Robert Phipps said in an interview. On the one hand, COG is still collecting survey responses through Aug. 5. On the other, the data isn’t a statistically valid sample, he said, but rather an “attempt to reach people who, historically, are not necessarily part of these kinds of processes.”

“This amounts to a data point for the steering committee and the board to consider in its deliberations about the measure,” Phipps added, “and the allocations that will be forthcoming. But it’s not the end of the conversation. It’s really just the beginning. There’s still a lot of information to come.”

Disagreement over spending priorities — particularly over how much should go toward local roads versus other categories like public transit — helped tank another Measure C renewal attempt in 2022. Some sparring over the ratios has again led to controversy this time around. 

In the latest chapter of that familiar story, Fresno paving company CEO Brooke Ashjian briefly got booted from the Measure C steering committee over some of his comments to the media, accusing local activists of trying to get half of Measure C funds slated for public transit. 

COG policy board chair Alma Beltran cited those comments as part of the basis for his brief removal, though he was quickly reinstated after backlash from Fresno officials. The coalition of transportation advocates Ashjian alluded to, called Transportation for All, also disputed Ashjian’s accusations.

The prioritization of bike and pedestrian investments in Thursday’s aggregate results also represents a dramatic departure from the Measure C spending plan that failed to gather sufficient support from Fresno County voters in the November 2022 election. That plan allocated just 1% for bike and pedestrian investments.



These latest Measure C renewal efforts are the region’s last chance to put the measure back on the ballot during a general election before it expires in 2027.

Thursday’s presentation represents results collected from April 10 through July 24, and the COG policy board will discuss them in greater detail at Thursday’s board meeting.

So will the Measure C steering committee at its meeting Wednesday, Phipps said.

Ashjian didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

What else do the preliminary survey results say?

Thursday’s survey results show transit as the third-highest ranked priority behind local roads as well as bike and pedestrian investments, with respondents hoping to see 18% set aside for it.

On top of that, survey respondents said they want 14% of Measure C funding for “regional projects.”

This is the equivalent of the “Major Roads and Highways” category in the 2022 version of the spending plan, Phipps confirmed. 

The remaining 3% is recommended for “Other/Local Programs,” survey results show.

The failed 2022 Measure C spending plan, by comparison, allocated a majority, or 51%, of funding for local road repairs. That was followed by a category called “Local Control,” sitting at 18%. That referred to discretionary funds for local cities covered by the plan to allocate themselves in their own budget processes.

That “Local Control” category doesn’t have a counterpart in the current COG survey. 

“The basis for that was to try and simplify the measure for people to understand,” Phipps said, and to keep the allocations at this stage to four broad categories.

The remaining categories under the 2022 spending plan included urban and rural public transit at 12%, “Environmental Sustainability” at 2%, safe bikes and pedestrians at 1% and administrative costs at 1%.

The Measure C steering committee meets Wednesday evening starting at 5:30 p.m. The meeting isn’t open to the public or media to attend in person, but anyone can tune in via Zoom.



The Fresno COG policy board meeting — which is open to the public — starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and is located in the COG Sequoia Conference Room at 2035 Tulare St., Suite 201, on the second floor.