Calaveras Streeet Crusader
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When I made it out to the Calaveras Street block party early Saturday afternoon, the Fresno High jazz band was kicking out sweet sounds and scores of children were having fun at the Sciencemobile.
Organizer Rob Defrees had hoped to attract at least 1,000 people to his "road" and make it the biggest single-street block party in Fresno history. The crowd didn't reach four figures, but he declared the six-hour event -- a celebration of the street's efforts to oust drug-dealers and build community pride -- a success nonetheless.
"All the smiling faces and the people trying to make people feel brilliant made it worth it," said Defrees, manager of the El Capri apartment complex, just north of Divisadero.
"The U.S. Marines stayed to the bitter end even though they didn't get any customers that day. My surprise violinist was a 7-year-old boy. He brought tears to people's eyes with his performance."
The event was billed as "Evening of Music -- Hands Across Fresno." At 7 p.m., with one hour left in the party, Defrees asked the crowd to hold hands in a link of unity against drug dealers, graffiti and poverty.
"It wasn't a huge circle, but folks of all different colors and ages held hands," Defrees said. "What more can you ask for?"
Tuesday, he announced that there would be a march against drug dealers and their customers on May 27 in the alley behind 433 N. Calaveras. Wrote Defrees in an e-mail:
"This alley is important as it is being used by drug dealers selling 'poison' and is also being used by punters seeking 'poison.' The coppers are doing all they can to get them but they come back.
"Drug dealers hate the bright light of television cameras and the noise of angry neighbors. Doing a very public march will draw attention to them. More important, it will let their punters know that they are being watched. If the drug dealers have no punters for the 'poison' they close up shop."
Click here to visit the Calaveras Street Web site. Click here to read my May 7 column on Defrees and Calaveras Street.
Comments:
Leave it to a chap who favours cowboy boots to describe the Fresno High School Jazz Band as "kicking out sweet sounds". While I am not a fan of Jazz, I found them to be bloody brilliant. They did have the crowd in a right festive mood.
You are 'au fait' with the saying: "some see a glass as half empty, and others see the glass as half full", am the sort who sees the glass as half full. Right, so it was not the massive turnout to lay claim to 'biggest' but it sure was a grand time on the road and feel sorry for all who missed.
Being one who shoots for the Moon, the March in the alley is another important piece of the puzzle that needs to be fitted into place. Hmmmmmm, wonder if Bill knows where this old geezer can find 'police whistles' at a good price.
Oi!!! I am reading Bill's book and it is a right good read. It is helping MOI get a better feel for the folks in Fresno and it is a real page turner.
I read on another site about a 'blog war', something about the loser shaving his head on Calaveras. Wonder who ther were talking about. Bill has more hair than MOI and it were a contest between us, I could not lose, as there is not much there to lose. Or was it a contest between Bill and Famous Whitewater? I can be thick as a brick at times, will someone fill MOI in on the missing links?
Posted by: RobDeFrees at May 13, 2008 7:57 PM
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