Strolling The Town

Jun 2014 7

What If Fresno Were Not Fragmented? A Stroll Through the Core of the City

2014 Articles, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

Recently, local religious congregations were treated to the following announcement from a local group of religious communities called “Faith in Community:”
"Do you believe that every life in our beloved city of Fresno matters? As people of faith, we know that all people are created in the image of God and that every life has inherent worth and dignity. We are facing some immense challenges - we have the nation's highest concentration of poverty, second-highest metropolitan poverty level overall in the country, a 20 year difference in the life expectancy between Southwest and Northeast Fresno, and 8 of California’s 10 riskiest, most toxic neighborhoods."

Apr 2014 5

Strolling The Town: Sunday on the Fulton Mall

2014 Articles, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

There’s a dirty little sixteen letter word floating around the streets. Sixteen divided by four makes four 4-letter words. It is “re-gentrification.”
Lots of people bristle at the word and the concept and there are class struggles that grow up around it. Those struggles may or may not be necessary or valid and there are well intentioned people with mixed motives on both sides, but I am not a sociologist in this particular hat. I am a stroller out for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon on the Fulton Mall in Fresno. City Council has done its business and now I am doing mine – strolling.

Mar 2014 8

A Book Barn – Literacy and Community

2014 Articles, Books & Tales, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

In Old Towne Clovis there is a barn filled with books, ideas, energy, and community. Dan and Peggy Dunklee have been in the book business for 12-15 years. The numbers are a little fuzzy and they could find the exact dates if they wanted to and if I insisted, but that is not the point. They’ve been book people for a long, long time.

Feb 2014 1

California Arts Academy – The Pulse of Performing Arts in Fresno

2014 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Strolling The Town, Theatre, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

Are the performing arts alive and well in Fresno?
They are alive and thriving and the next generation is catching the fire and setting the world ablaze with brilliance.
From the age of five and upwards, young people and families can learn to dance in any style from ballet to tap, jazz, ballroom, Irish, or hip hop and more. They can explore the possibilities of visual art, gymnastics, or cheering. They can take vocal and instrumental music lessons, study acting, or combine any of these skill sets in the context of the performing arts at California Arts Academy.

Jan 2014 4

Strolling The Town: Hope for the Holidays

2014 Articles, Helping Hands, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

When I stroll, I am aware that the things I see along the way are only a small part of the picture of the neighborhoods through which I walk. On the surface, I see the faces of people passing by, the facades of buildings, traffic in the streets and whatever landscape is presented. Everything seems to be working in one way or another.

Dec 2013 7

Strolling The Town: The Taste of Joy in a Cup–Kuppa Joy in Clovis

2013 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

There are several things you notice when you walk through the door of Kuppa Joy on Clovis Avenue in Old Town Clovis. One is that there are people present, working, conversing, and sipping coffees and teas in a welcoming atmosphere that is rustic and contemporary. You notice that there is community gathering in the room creating community.

Nov 2013 2

Strolling The Town: No Pet Peeves for this Downtown Public House

2013 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Food Fun, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

Craig Scharton has no pet peeves except one. It is the furry kind, the kind that kicks and barks and wags his tail with delight. His pet dog, Peeve has something to howl about these days.

Oct 2013 5

Strolling The Town: Best Home Cookin’ This Side of Heaven

2013 Articles, Food Fun, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

My most resent stroll around Fresno was while doing something else, but then that is the business of strolling! It is also what one does downtown. I wanted to do Peeve’s Public House and Local Market next … and I will. In the meantime, they are getting a lot of fresh press. So I will come back to th

Sep 2013 7

Strolling On the Ground with Eyes in the Sky – ClovisFest

2013 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

I vividly remember the first time I saw them. They filled the firmament over my head. My wife had called for me in the unmistakable and unambiguous voice that demanded I come. It was her positive and excited voice, but it was clear and urgent: “Come quick!”

Aug 2013 10

Making Media Accessible: Plunging Into CMAC

2013 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Strolling The Town, Tom Sims

by Tom Sims

By now, CMAC (Community Media Access Collaborative) is not fresh news to the people who live and work in downtown Fresno and pass by the old Met Museum building daily. They know something is going on and they know it is big.