Joe Moore

Back in the mid 1980’s writer and urban planner Charles Landry was the first to describe how creativity and specifically those involved in creative professions could transform a city – something he called the Creative Cities movement.

Few journalists have made a bigger imprint on American history than Carl Bernstein. Together with his Washington Post colleague Bob Woodward, Bernstein helped uncover the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.

This week on Valley Edition host Joe Moore interviews acclaimed journalist Carl Bernstein, discusses 10 years of milestones with Creative Fresno, talks about the film festival Fresno Filmworks and learns about the new Central Valley Drought Relief Fund. 

This week on Young Artists Spotlight we bring you the sounds of a trio of talented performers from Fresno Pacific University and hear a trio of flute, violin and cello. The group features Summer Collison flute; Maxton Vieira, violin and Allison Ens, cello. All three are students of FPU professor Dieter Wulforhost. 

Trio No. 2 in G major, op. 19, no. 2    by François Devienne       (1759-1803) 

Allegro,  Rondo. Allegretto

Serenade in D Major, op. 25 (1802)  by  Ludwig van Beethoven  (1770-1827)

Entrata. Allegro

When it was first announced nearly seven years ago, the Bastian Court apartment complex was supposed to be an important part of a revitalized downtown Fresno. The city council liked the vision so much that they approved spending over $3 million in low-income housing funds on the project.

But now the land hat was once slated for a five story mixed-use building near the former Fresno Met Museum sits vacant, and could soon have a new owner - the City of Fresno. 

This week in the program Valley Edition host Joe Moore interviews Fresno Bee science and environment reporter Mark Grossi about drought and a possible wet year, we talk about tiger cubs at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, discuss the Lisa Project, and speak with a cast member from the Fresno production of Wicked.  

Fresno has four new celebrities - Berani, Cinta, Arya and Batari. They're four Malayan tigers, born in January at the zoo. Only 500 of these tigers are known to exist in the wild today, and their birth is an important part of the survival of this species. 

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo's Assistant Curator Lynn Myers joined us on Valley Edition to talk about the breeding program, and how the public can see the cubs at the zoo.We also talked about the death just days ago of the father of the cubs, a 17 year-old male named Paka.

Downtown Fresno's Chukchansi Park could get some new mixed-use neighbors and a makeover, if a new development plan advanced by city officials moves forward.

According to a copy of the proposal obtained by KVPR,  the City of Fresno and the city's redevelopment successor agency are asking developers to submit plans to purchase publicly owned land near the stadium and build housing and retail developments. The project, which would cover over 5 acres, could also include a portion of land within the city-owned Chukchansi Park along Inyo Street. 

This weekend the Fresno Philharmonic brings local audiences a truly unique concert – one that mixes sounds of "East and West," featuring pipa soloist Wu Man. The Chinese native will perform the Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra by Academy Award winning composer Tan Dun, who is best best known in the U.S. for his score for the film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The orchestra will also perform two symphonies by Beethoven.

A new ranking of health outcomes in California counties has grim news for San Joaquin Valley residents. Out of California's 60 counties, all six San Joaquin Valley counties  in the bottom third of the state. Fresno County ranked 46th, Tulare 49th and Kern 54th. 

Counties in the Bay Area led the survey, with Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara occupying three of the top five spots.

Charismatic,  controversial, courageous and complicated. Those are just a few words that could sum up the life of the late civil rights leader and farm labor activist Cesar Chavez. Now over 20 years after his death, a new biography seeks to provide fresh insight into a man who is an inspiration for millions. The book is called “The Crusades of Cesar Chavez” by Miriam Pawel, who joined us on Valley Edition to talk about Chavez the man and Chavez the myth. 

Go to a rural high school in Central California, and one of the most popular extra-curricular programs will be FFA – Future Farmers of America. But now the people who run those programs say their future is threatened in Governor Brown’s new budget.

It’s all part of a big change to the way school districts get their money from Sacramento – the Local Control Funding Formula. In general it’s been good news for schools up and down the valley, as it redirects more money to districts with high populations of low-income families, English learners and foster youth.

This week on Valley Edition we discuss how the rural westside town of Mendota is prepping for the worst when it comes to the drought, talk with the author of the new book The Crusades of Cesar Chavez, explore a 2o year old street naming controversy in Fresno revolving around Cesar Chavez and discuss the Future Farmers of America’s fight to keep funding.

In October of 1993, the Fresno City Council voted to rename three city streets - Kings Canyon, Ventura and California - in honor of the late farm labor activist Cesar Chavez. The move was part of a campaign by local Latino groups who sought to honor the UFW founder, who had died earlier that year. 

With just 10 days left before the Covered California enrollment deadline, farm labor activist Dolores Huerta took her message to students at Fresno State today. As FM89's Joe Moore reports, it's part of a last minute push to boost enrollment figures among Latinos and young people. 

Speaking to a class of students at Fresno State today, UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta invoked memories of the civil rights movement to help spur young Latinos to sign up for health insurance.

  The Fresno City Council has approved a revised version of a controversial plan for express bus service, known as Bus Rapid Transit. The council voted 6-1 Thursday to spend $1.5 million to fund design and engineering work for the $38 million project.

Much like the earlier proposal for Bus Rapid Transit, the new line will feature express bus service on Blackstone and Kings Canyon Avenues.

The House Natural Resources Committee took up the issue of water for San Joaquin Valley farmers today before a packed gallery at Fresno City Hall. 

The Republican-led committee heard testimony from local growers and water managers on both short and long-term responses to California's drought and cuts to agricultural water deliveries south of the Delta. 

Deep beneath the oldest part of Bakersfield lies a hidden world, unknown to most, and forgotten by many. Yet some still have vivid memories of these underground passages or "tunnels" as some people describe them. 

These connected basements, and the activities that took place "underground" - gambling, brothels, blue movies, are not just the stuff of legend, they're still very real in the minds of many older Kern County residents.

This week on Valley Edition we discuss how fish and other wildlife are being impacted by the drought, talk with the director of the new film Cesar Chavez, explore the differences in

Later this month, the story of the late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez hits the silver screen with a biopic by acclaimed director Diego Luna. It’s the first time a major motion picture has been made about the life of the founder of the United Farm Workers Union. It features a cast of Hollywood stars including America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson and John Malkovich, with Michael Pena cast as the late civil rights hero. Tomorrow night President Obama will host a screening of the movie at the White House.