Posts Tagged ‘San Joaquin Valley’
Grandma’s House
February 12th, 2010 | 
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Years ago my brother wrote this poem for my father. Our grandmother passed away in 1990, but her hearty and giving spirit still stays with us. Her little house in Fresno has not really changed much since she moved out 24 years ago, but every time I visit Fresno, I have to drive by for a quick visit to the home where as children, we shared so many beautiful memories.
All these buzzwords we currently hear (sustainable, green, eco-, etc.) were not thrown around during her lifetime. But as I read this poem, I realize that we would all be in a better place if we lived as simply, frugally, and generously as she had during her 85 years.
And while we discuss and agonize over all of our problems, issues, and controversies, we often forget that the best solutions were offered by those who came before us.
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Posted in air - land - quality of life, art and culture | 
Tags: Armenian, cooking, Fresno, Ovsanna Kaye, San Joaquin Valley, slow food | 
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Water Wars: The Floodgates Have Opened!
Wow. Two weeks ago I posted a short film I did with Patrick Benson on LA's tenuous relationship with water. And as I often do weekly, I posted the link to most of the LinkedIn groups to which I belong. From a bird's eye view, the results were interesting: I think few actually watched the film, but I sure got a lot of comments based on my title, which was "Is water really the next oil?"
The discussions are still flying on LinkedIn. Most were engaging, and I was so overwhelmed I wasn't able to reply to all of them. (more...)
Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.
That line ended the 1974 film, Chinatown, one of the great psychodramas of all time. Inspired by the catastrophic disputes over land and water that embroiled Southern California politics in controversy during the early 1920s, Chinatown should be on your must-see list if you have yet to watch it.It's funny how that term, Chinatown, is part of our American conscience. Part of it is that when about 1 in 5 of the earth's population has roots in that region, you are bound to run into a Chinatown, or at least a cluster of Chinese restaurants and businesses. You shouldn't miss San Francisco's Chinatown when visiting, though the real joy of this neighborhood is exploring its back alleys like Ross and Waverly. New York's Chinatown is vibrant and full of cheap eats in a city that's notorious for assaulting your wallet. Los Angeles still has a Chinatown, but drive a few miles east to towns like Alhambra or Rosemead if you want truly authentic food and a good foot massage. (more...)
The Real California
I spent MLK weekend in Fresno visiting an old college friend. The drive to Fresno is about four hours, and takes you to a completely different world than to which we are accustomed in Southern California or the Bay Area. We tend to be dismissive of this part of the state, but there is much that the San Joaquin Valley offers the visitor. For better or for worse, that bag of goodies you have snagged at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's most likely had its origins in this region, the true bread basket (or gift basket?) of America. Fresno County is the largest agricultural county in the nation; its neighbor, Tulare County, is number two. (more...)
Posted in air - land - quality of life, art and culture, construction and architecture |
Tags: Armenian, farming, Fresno, San Joaquin Valley, Tower District, travel |
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Grand Central
Los Angeles is often the straw man when you read about California’s environmental problems. The left screams bloody murder at the thought of offshore drilling. Conservative farmers ask why “their” water is going to swimming pools in Southern California. LA = smog, which is the view of many people, including one former college pal who stopped contacting me when I challenged her view that there’s so much more to LA than smog. Oh, and the San Pedro Bay is a Superfund site. I can go on and on and on about the Southland. But there’s another environmental disaster underway in the Golden State. (more...)
Posted in air - land - quality of life, business, water |
Tags: air pollution, central valley, environmentalism, farming, Fresno, Merced, Modesto, pollution, San Joaquin Valley |
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