Walk #21 from Walgreens at the corner of Ashlan and 1st to Dakota and Cedar. Sunday, Oct 26, 7:30 am. This walk was such a wonderful surprise of experiences. The first walker started the reflections by saying she thought this would just be predictable neighborhoods and an uneventful walk. We talked about how fun it is to be open to new things and to the circumstances of people’s lives throughout Fresno.
The neighborhoods have different generations of houses, and is spotted with newly remodeled versions. There is an unexpected and wonderful wide greenbelt hidden in the neighborhood behind Walgreens at Ashlan and First. The cross streets are TollHouse and Bellaire. Cool! Somehow this neighborhood is on top of the Gould Canal (see Google maps). Not sure of the history of this, but if anyone knows, please share.
This walk had international flaire! We met a congregation of Coptic Christians gathering after their services which begin at 4 a.m. They are Ethiopian. They meet in the chapel of St. James Episcopal church. We introduced ourselves to them. They offered us big chunks of homemade bread, which was delicious. We counted it as communion. We talked to the lovely greeter at St. James. We looked into the chapel where the Coptic congregation had met and smelled the Frankincense. They were setting up for the next service in Spanish with extra seats set up outside for overflow.
Walkers noticed there were very few political signs on this walk, but we did see a few elephants of Yes on Z.
We saw the burned duplex at Cedar and Dakota a week after the fire. Shiny metal chained link fences locked all the way around. There were people still living next door, and the smell of the fire still lingered. We saw Tameca and her three little boys in a van on the way to Bethlehem Church in West Fresno. They had stopped to pick up one more peson. A few of the FMWalkers know them from the Boys & Girls club in El Dorado Park, and her sweet darling boys hopped out and gave us hugs.
We walked through Vallarta Supermarket at Cedar and Dakota – WOW! This is a beautiful store with fabulous deli, bakery, meats. Spanish is the first language here, with music, announcements, and signs in Spanish. We walked around oooing and ahhing. FMWalkers were definitely the tourists in this store. We all agreed to come back and shop here ASAP. Salvador, in his apron and with broom, was happy to talk to us and invite us back. Many people walk to this store with their children, and they need a ride back with all of their grocies. He told us that the store has two vans, and for customers who spend over $50, they get a complementary ride home.
We found a Bible and church materials up against the canal fence. Looking through the Bible, we realized this was someone’s cherished item. It mentioned Bethesda Apostolic Church. So we carried the bible with us. Then walking back on Dakota, we see Bethesda Church, and met David and Angela, and returned the Bible to them. The church was full, and even from the lobby, we could hear the passionate preacher giving his message. The signs at the church announced services in Spanish and Hmong.
Young people were playing basket ball at Einstein Park. Two kids walking on the sidewalk saw us cross the street, and commented toward us,”are you scared?” When I walked back by them to take a picture of the park, I walked close to them and greeted them. They greeted me back. No, we were not scared of them.
Inside the neighborhoods are single family homes, and around the edges on the main busy streets are apartments and duplexes. A FMWalker made the observation that many houses have trucks indicating there is a trade or skilled employee living there. Many houses had 3 or 4 cars in the driveway — multi-generations living together?
Like on previous walks, the FMWalkers talked about the privilege we have of walking comfortably and unaccosted through any of these neighborhoods, even snapping pictures and talking to people. What if we were a group
