What are Fresno’s bigwigs getting for Christmas? Santa Marek is back on the job
Santa Marek went down the chimney and left these gifts under the tree.
● For Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer …
… a microgrid (i.e. a self-contained electrical network) large enough to power the entire city.
● For Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford …
… one more season with offensive coordinator Kirby Moore. Who is primed for a bigger job.
● For Farid Assemi and the rest of the Community Medical Centers Board of Trustees …
… a pound of shame for plundering downtown Fresno.
● For newly sworn-in state Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria …
… Sacramento Kings tickets.
● For Annalisa Perea, Soria’s successor on the Fresno City Council, District 1 …
… a set of eyes in the back of her head.
● For local TV news stalwart Corin Hoggard, bound for Minneapolis …
… a plush ushanka hat. (Think Russian, fur, ear flaps.)
● For May Moua, the Kastner Intermediate High principal who stopped seventh- and eighth-graders from seeing the musical “Oliver!” …
… a Cliffs notes version of “Oliver Twist.”
● For the leaders of Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Fresno Building Healthy Communities and League of Women Voters who led the charge against Measure C …
… a seat at the table during the next renewal effort.
● For Fresno City Council members Nelson Esparza and Miguel Arias …
… voice-activated digital audio recorders. Simply to prove — or disprove — the unlawful things they’re accused of saying.
● For Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld …
… a complete set of RuPaul books and DVDs.
● For Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi …
… a friend at City Hall. (It sometimes seems like he needs one.)
● For former Fresno Unified School District trustee Terry Slatic …
… a two-pack of New York strip steaks from ALDI and a bottle of Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Total cost: $19.
● For the San Joaquin River Conservancy Board …
… actual shovels in the ground, in 2023, at the long-delayed River West project. Which I’ve been writing about since 2009.
● For soon-to-be-retired Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims …
… slippers and a rocking chair.
● For new Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz …
… a disguise. To help stay above the political fray and out of the headlines.
● For the Clovis City Council …
… an ounce of political courage needed to build affordable housing.
● For Kevin McCarthy, my new congressman …
… the House speaker job he has coveted for so long. (Not that it’ll do his constituents any good.)
● For state Assemblyman Jim Patterson (and staff) …
… new sets of all-weather Michelins to cover their greatly enlarged district.
● For Jake Haener, who has to rank among the top five Bulldog quarterbacks of all time …
… NFL coaches who believe in him and will get the best out of his talents.
● For Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and Athletic Director Terry Tumey …
… a plan to capitalize on the football team’s success. For once.
● For New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge …
… a bug in his ear that reminds him not to forget his alma mater after signing that $360 million contract.
● For Lee Ann Eager, president/CEO of the Fresno Fresno County Economic Development Corp. …
… 1,000 new market wage jobs that create zero air pollution.
● For Chinatown businesses and residents …
… a blessed end to the road closures.
● For central San Joaquin Valley health-care workers …
… a never-ending supply of overtime pay and energy drinks. Can’t believe we’re doing this again.
● For everyone else …
… Merry Christmas, happy holidays and my sincere thanks for reading till the end.
