Feature Archives

Students at D-Q University in Davis, California's only tribal university, are facing eviction from campus by the Board of Trustees. The students, who have been the sole residents at D-Q since the college lost its accreditation in January 2005, are demanding the right to stay on campus and a voice in determining the school's future. On June 30, the Board will vote to refuse current students housing on campus.

The Fresno Center for Nonviolence 15th anniversary celebration was held on Saturday, June 23, 2007. Each year the center presents the “Way of Peace” awards to community activists, brings a top notch speaker to the event, and provides dinner. The speaker this year was Antonia Juhasz and Sunday Food Not Bombs provided a vegetarian dinner. Way of Peace awards were given to Sue Kern, Dr. Marc Lasher, Fran Saunders, Berry Nishkian, and Frances Sivak (posthumously). Way of Peace Youth Awards were given to Rosanna Spicer and Nick Clark. A Way of Peace organizational Award was given to Teatro Immigrante.

On June 12th, a the city of Fresno evicted a large group of homeless people from Caltrans land. Fresno's mayor reneged on a promise to provide homeless people with a safe place to sleep and city council members didn't want to rock the boat.

A Rancho Cordova fundraising event for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was delayed three hours on Thursday, May 31 while the Sacramento County bomb squad investigated a coffin brought to the area by antiwar protester Stephen Pearcy. About 20 protesters showed up and organizer Pearcy brought along his usual displays, including his mock coffin with a U.S. flag draped over it.

The 17th annual Fresno and Central Valley Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Parade & Festival was held on Saturday, June 2, 2007.

An Iraq veteran was greeted early on the morning of May 28th by nearly one hundred fellow veterans, parents of US troops in Iraq supporters — including the father of Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq — and other as he began a round-the-clock effort to march around the State Capitol for all U.S. troopers killed in Iraq. He has promised he will not quit until exhaustion forces him to quit.

The Central California Criminal Justice Committee is working to establish an Independent Police Auditor in Fresno. Momentum is building as the Tuesday, June 5 Fresno City Council meeting approaches where this issue will be discussed. Funding for an IPA is in the mayor’s proposed budget, but a majority of city council members have indicated they are opposed to greater transparency in the police department.