Possible Clovis, Ca move (Fresno, Modesto: schools, pros and cons, salary)

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

Nice shots as usual Derek.

I thought you might be interested in some photos taken around the area this last week by the Fresno Bee staff.

This link is a collection of Blossom Trail shots from just last week. You might appreciate the unique look of the 2nd photo, on a blog the photographer says it was a fisheye lens with a 10 second timer to allow him to try to get out of the shot (look close at the photo's 9 o'clock position, he didn't quite make it).
fresnobee.com galleries: Blossom Trail in full bloom (http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/19/2312272/blossom-trail-in-full-bloom.html - broken link)

And this link is photos from an open house last weekend at the McKenzie Preserve, 3000 acres owned by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy outside of Fresno near Friant and Millerton Lake.
fresnobee.com galleries: McKenzie Preserve (http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/14/2309609/mckenzie-preserve.html - broken link)
Preserves

That photographer for the paper takes some really nice shots. Sometimes photojournalists aren't into the artist side as much. But you can tell with him he enjoys this time of the year.

Derek

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by RabbitMage

...

It can look nice this time of year. It looks less nice in summer when it's 100 degrees and the school can't let your kids play outside because the air is too disgusting to breathe. A lot of kids in this area develop asthma, and the hot, smoggy days, burning in the winter, and agricultural pollutants in the air do not help.

Just a heads up.

I've heard similar things about the air. However Summer is the perfect time to head up into the Sierras. But for young children wanting to play outside at the park, go bike riding, etc... I can see that there are air quality issues to be aware of.

Derek

[FresnoFacts]

Although there are air quality issues and people should be informed, it is true that air quality has improved a lot in the past decade. That improvement should also be recognized.

This link has the number of days Clovis exceeded ozone standards.
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In the 1990s the best air quality year (1993) still had 55 bad air days with the worse year (1997) seeing 109 bad days.

But in the 2000s the numbers are roughly half those seen the previous decade. In both 2004 and 2007 (the 2 best years of the decade) Clovis had only 30 bad air days. In the last 7 years the highest year was 51 days.

Still work to do but it reflects tremendous improvement.

As a quick comparison this is the info for Riverside which has been below 40 bad air days only one year in the last 2 decades.
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[Phill009]

Well I just got back from the Clovis area and you know what! Im not gonna live in Clovis but Visalia instead. After looking around the city I talked to some people that live in Visalia and I also stayed in Visalia for a couple days and found out I could get way more for my money and a better quality life for my kids there. It really is of the beat n path and had all amenenities one could want. Clovis is a nice city but Visalia is the best bet.

[shulamith]

I guess you just never know what people like or want. Good luck.

[Iwaswondering]

I too have been looking and looking for a place to move to in No. California where there are good schools, a spiritual feel, and prices that aren't sky high with good growing soil and good people. We've actually been looking all around Clovis without noticing it. I looked in Greatschools,com and their school system is Excellent! The high schools and the middle school seem to offer everything. My kids are into music, band and sports and there's plenty to choose from here. I don't understand why no one ever mentioned this town to me, or did I just miss it? We want to grow and sell so are looking for land with a house and that's there too. It looks like a nice mix of cultures too, we're excited to try it out and are going to make every effort to move as soon as possible to be there in time for the start of school in August, which will probably mean renting or leasing first. Write back if you've already moved and can provide more information.

[Iwaswondering]

How does this compare to Los Angeles? I looked at the chart and didn't really know what and how they were measuring or how to read it. However, I do know L.A. smog even though I've never lived directly in it. I see it as I come down the 14 from the Antelope Valley. I lived in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley and don't remember any air problems. Could you also compare it to those towns, please? This could be the deal breaker for Clovis and I haven't even gotten to see it in person yet! Meanwhile we're stuck here in the desert with some of the worst schools in the state. We're breathing "ag pollution" here too, we're surrounded by Alfalfa, onion and carrot farms and they pour on the chemicals. Is Anywhere safe and clean anymore?

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by Iwaswondering

I too have been looking and looking for a place to move to in No. California where there are good schools, a spiritual feel, and prices that aren't sky high with good growing soil and good people. We've actually been looking all around Clovis without noticing it. I looked in Greatschools,com and their school system is Excellent! The high schools and the middle school seem to offer everything. My kids are into music, band and sports and there's plenty to choose from here. I don't understand why no one ever mentioned this town to me, or did I just miss it? We want to grow and sell so are looking for land with a house and that's there too. It looks like a nice mix of cultures too, we're excited to try it out and are going to make every effort to move as soon as possible to be there in time for the start of school in August, which will probably mean renting or leasing first. Write back if you've already moved and can provide more information.

Clovis is a basically a family oriented suburban area immediately adjacent to Fresno (the city boundaries meet around the Fresno State campus with no separation between the urban development). I moved to the Fresno/Clovis area over 25 years ago from the coast and have never regretted it. I like the people, have found plenty to do, etc.

Clovis Unified is a very good school district (the CUSD district also serves northeast and southeast Fresno and rural areas north and east of the cities). Sports and extracurricular are big at all of the schools. For example, Buchanan High in Clovis was named ESPN's 2011 mythical national baseball champion.
http://rise.espn.go.com/baseball/tea...rsuit=Baseball
and its boys volleyball team finished ranked as #2 in the nation this year.
http://rise.espn.go.com/volleyball/t...uit=Volleyball

Culturally Clovis is right of center politically, but you'll find a spectrum of political views including extremes on both ends of the scale in the Clovis/ Fresno area.

Fresno County has the narrowest gap in voter registration between Republicans and Democrats in the state. Out of 392,000 registered voters in the county there are 359 more registered GOP than Dems. The two big parties are about 82% of registered voters with the rest of the area split between small parties and decline to state.

The area is more conservative than most of the coastal areas, but not as conservative as other areas. Personally I've been able to develop friendships with a variety of people around Fresno/Clovis, we don't always agree on everything but we get along.

There is a wide diversity of cultures in this area, you can attend cultural events put on by people whose ethnic roots range from Greek to Armenian to Mexican to Hmong to Japanese to many other ethnicities in Fresno and Clovis. Although smaller than LA or the Bay Area, the range of cultures is something that I like about this area.

Clovis also has maintained remnants of its ranching past such as its annual rodeo and weekly downtown farmers market.

The area, especially in Clovis, is also still big on traditional things like Fourth of July fireworks, service clubs, parades for different events, etc.

Air quality in Clovis is similiar to where you are now in Lancaster. Both cities see about the same number of days each year over the ozone standard (smog). Better quality than the Inland Empire but not perfect.

[Iwaswondering]

Thank you for this info. I'm not sure where this leaves us though. Clovis sounds so nice but the polution is something that doesn't fit in with healthy living and clean country air I want. I want this to be our last move or at least out last town. Is is really smart to move to a town with known air polution just to have the great schools, small town feel and stimulating conversations? This town sounds as close to right as we have come to finding in all these years. But..the blowing dust, full of farm chemicals up here where I live has always bothered me, but I had always planned on leaving it behind. We need good schools. Now we're 4 weeks and 4 days from school starting again. My only hope now is that somehow someone is going to think of a town that turns out to be just what we are looking for, at least the high points. Where is it in the Central Valley that the air clears up and the schools are great? Any feedback appreciated. We need acres.

[e_cuyler]

I've heard that the areas in the foothills tend to have better air. I don't know how the schools are there, but I doubt they would have as many resources as the larger school systems.