What could $24 million do in Fresno? Here’s a slew of ideas

Driving home recently from an early morning doctor’s appointment I was listening to KVPR, the local national public radio outlet. Not unexpectedly, they were talking about President Trump’s wall demands. According to the newscaster each mile would cost $24 million. What could $24 million do in Fresno? Enthusiastic community leaders in Fresno answered my query with many different dreams. Here, in alphabetical order to avoid prioritizing, are their responses:

▪ Dr. Kay Bertken, chair, education committee of the League of Women Voters of Fresno: Remodel empty spaces as day-care centers and hire and train unemployed moms to provide high quality day care for infants to preschool-age children.

▪ Robert Boro, landscape architect: Fund a consortium to get the homeless off the streets and provide medical and mental health care, vocational training and jobs, housing and education for independent living so they could re-enter the community and contribute again.

▪ Joseph Castro, president, Fresno State University: This amount, as an endowment, would provide full academic scholarships to about 150 talented Fresno State students each year.

▪ Lilia Chavez, executive director, Fresno Arts Council: Create an endowment for the arts and use earnings for grants to support existing arts organizations and develop new and exciting art programs for children and families; support public art opportunities throughout Fresno County.

▪ Andrea DeZubiria, Citizens’ Climate Lobby: Higher teacher pay, nonpolluting and more convenient public transportation, improved trails and parks, job training and development, housing and social services for the homeless, funding for the arts council.

▪ Carolyn Evans, chair, Fresno County Behavioral Health Board: I would create a truly supportive housing project for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. This would include full-time staff to assist with and teach life skills, and serve one nutritious meal daily.

Sudarshan Kapoor, professor emeritus of Social Work Education, Fresno State University: Use the money for scholarships for students from low-income families, including DACA students, to help them pursue their studies at Fresno State.

▪ Marianne Kast, president, League of Women Voters of Fresno: Expand services available to Fresno Unified families such as before-school homework help and after-school enrichment programs so that kids from families with overwhelmed parents could have a greater degree of normalcy in their lives.

▪ Dr. Thomas Loewenheim, cellist, conductor of the University Orchestra at Fresno State and conductor of the Youth Orchestras of Fresno: Build a concert hall on the Fresno State campus to serve the Fresno Philharmonic, Fresno State Symphony Orchestra and lectures and other events to serve as a cultural hub in our region.

▪ Deborah Nankivell, CEO, Fresno Business Council: Serving our severely mentally ill population is a priority. Also develop a professional development certificate to update service professions about the latest in neuroscience that demonstrates we can heal the brain and the body from trauma and end up stronger, deeper and better people.

▪ Ruthie Quinto, deputy superintendent and CFO, Fresno Unified School District: As an endowment, the annual earnings from this amount would provide medically-supervised, cost-free summer camp experiences for hundreds of children and their families affected by cancer at Camp Mak-A-Dream, a working ranch in Montana.

▪ Dr. Jackie Ryle, consultant and retired Fresno city clerk: A high quality, sustainable art museum in an existing structure with a large enough endowment and financial structure to sustain the building, grounds, exhibits and staffing in perpetuity. Part of the built-in legacy would be inclusion of programs for children.

Mary Savala, Fresno Community Activist: I would give half to the Salvation Army and half to the San Joaquin Parkway Endowment Fund

▪ Howard Watkins, photographer: Teach high school and college students why conception to age 2 is the most critical and cost-effective time to help insure a child has a positive, constructive, and healthy future. Such an investment will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by dramatically reducing crime, child and spousal abuse, drug addiction, medical costs, and more.

And what would I do with $24 million? I’ll give my money to someone else because my long-term dream is about to come true: Gov. Gavin Newsom is promising free universal preschool, a program I’ve been advocating in Fresno since 2005.