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Valley Public Radio Staff

Kristina Herrick
Kristina Herrick
Classical Music Host
Juanita Stevenson
Juanita Stevenson
Valley Edition host
George Mason
George Mason
On-air host, Clearly Classical
Rebecca Plevin
Rebecca Plevin
Reporter
Jason Scott
Jason Scott
Host, Clearly Classical and All Things Considered
Vince DiCiccio
Vince DiCiccio
Host, The Oasis; The Intersection
Ezra Romero
Ezra Romero
Reporter and Producer
Marv Allen
Marv Allen
Host, Morning Edition

Business & Economy

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Development Watch Blog
7:44 pm
Thu May 16, 2013

Fresno To Get High-End, High-Rise Downtown Restaurant?

Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
The top two floors of the 16-story Pacific Southwest Building could soon be home to a new restaurant and lounge, according to city officials.
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UPDATED: 5/17/13 (see below)

Could Fresno foodies soon be enjoying a gourmet meal at the top of the tallest privately-owned building in Central California?

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin suggested as much  with this interesting nugget of information during her State of the City address today:

"Plans were just submitted in this particular city's downtown for a high-end restaurant and lounge on the 15th and 16th floors of the tallest building in Central California."

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Innovation
11:34 am
Tue April 23, 2013

''Mini Maker Faire' Highlights Fresno's Quirky Creativity, Innovation

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Credit Ezra Romero / Valley Public Radio
Chris McCoy, with the depart of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley, tinkered with a 3D printer at the event.
Credit Ezra Romero / Valley Public Radio
Valley high school robotics teams gathered at the Mini Makers Fair to show off their newest robots.
Credit Ezra Romero / Valley Public Radio
Steve Doroski saws all kinds of objects, but his expertise is in pirate ships.
Credit Ezra Romero / Valley Public Radio
Chandler Warren, a 17-year-old junior at Buchanan High School, helped build a robot that launches Frisbees.
Credit Ezra Romero / Valley Public Radio
Artists were also out at the event. Creative Fresno had a work in progress piece of art on display at the faire.
Credit Ezra Romero / Valley Public Radio
John Rupe has a goal to build a full scale model of a portion of Downtown Fresno based on the year 1900.
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In a region of the country known for its agriculture exploits and groundbreaking farming techniques a new sort of innovation is developing.  The Fresno Grizzlies along with Fresno Idea Works held the first ever Mini Maker Faire in Fresno on Sunday. Valley Public Radio’s Ezra Romero has this report.  
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It was a regular day at the ballpark. The crack of the bat, the crowd cheering as a player hits a ball out of the stadium and Parker -- the Fresno Grizzlies mascot – making the audience smile between innings.

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Agriculture
5:55 pm
Wed April 17, 2013

USDA to Give Hispanic and Female Farmers More Time to File Discrimination Claims

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Decades of discriminatory practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture against women and Hispanic farmers are playing out in a $1.3 billion claims process. FM89’s Rebecca Plevin reports on a new deadline for those who allege discrimination.

For around 20 years, critics say the USDA’s farm loan program denied applicants because of their gender or race, and gave white male farmers preferential treatment in their dealings with the agency.

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Business & Economy
11:34 am
Tue April 16, 2013

Bill Would Phase Out Plastic Bags in California

Credit Office of Alex Padilla
Democratic Senator Alex Padilla has introduced legislation that would ban single-use plastic bags at all grocery, convenience, liquor stores, and at pharmacies.
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By Amy Quinton

Plastic bags may not be an option much longer at California grocery stores. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban the bags. Despite previous attempts, supporters believe this time the bill will pass. Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento.

California retailers hand out more than 14 billion single use plastic bags every year. The state’s own figures show only 5 percent are recycled. Mark Murray is with Californians Against Waste.

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Agriculture
9:55 am
Tue April 2, 2013

Reedley Farmer Goes 'Farm to School' With Strawberries

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Credit Rebecca Plevin / Valley Public Radio
Pao Saephan is the first small farmer to sell his produce directly to Fresno Unified School District.
Credit Rebecca Plevin / Valley Public Radio
Pao Saephan grows three acres of strawberries on his 20-acre plot of land in Reedley.
Credit Rebecca Plevin / Valley Public Radio
Fresno Unified students will taste Pao Saephan's strawberries in May.
Credit Rebecca Plevin / Valley Public Radio
Pao Saephan's roadside strawberry stand should open this weekend. It's located at Manning Avenue and I Street in Reedley.
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Pao Saephan crouches down in his sun-drenched field. He cups a red jewel in his hand.

In a few more days, his strawberries will be fully ripe. He’ll pick them once they are garnet-colored from stem to tip.

“We want all the strawberries, to be full ripe, full flavor, with 100 percent sugar in them,” says Saephan.

In the past, he would sell the fresh berries at his roadside stand - called Sam’s Strawberry Patch. It’s located at the intersection of Manning Avenue and I Street in Reedley.

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