MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Fresno, CA

As a retail establishment, Haven Dispensary is designed to pass the grandma test.

As Johnnie Hernandez, the company’s president of retail, puts it:

”If my 83-year-old grandma wanted to, would she ever walk into one of my shops alone?”

He’s opened 11 shops across California since weed went recreational in 2016, mostly in the southern part of the state, but also in Porterville (opened in 2022) and now in Fresno.

Haven’s 2,400-square-foot storefront opened Wednesday, inside an abandoned Chinese restaurant on Belmont and Blackstone avenues that those of Hernandez’ grandma’s age will remember as once being a Bob’s Big Boy.

A large sign out front reads: “Haven. Your Neighborhood Dispensary.”

Inside, staff members greet guests as they enter.

“Welcome in.”

Fresno’s cannabis scene isn’t exploding exactly, but it is filling itself out.

Haven is the third dispensary to open this month alone. It’s the sixth to open this year and the 10th in Fresno since the city began approving retail cannabis licenses in 2021.

That number represents about half of the 21 licenses allowed by the city.

There is now at least one dispensary open in each of the Fresno’s seven council districts, though they remain largely grouped in the central part of the city. The Blackstone Corridor has become a sort of cannabis row, with three dispensaries situated within the half-mile between Gettysburg to Shaw avenues.

There is just one dispensary serving south Fresno and none on Fresno’s west side.

For those who haven’t been following along, The Artist Tree and Embarc both opened on the same day in July 2022. One went into the Park Place Shopping Center on Palm Avenue in north Fresno. The other opened on the Blackstone corridor at Gettysburg Avenue.

They operated without competition until the Station opened on Shaw Avenue across from Fashion Fair Mall late last year.

Since then, two more dispensaries opened on Blackstone Avenue: Cookies at Blackstone and Shaw and Higher Level at Blackstone and Santa Ana.

Culture Cannabis Club opened a pair of shops in January: one on Bullard Avenue at Highway 41 and the other Maple and Jensen.

The Tower District got its long-awaited dispensary when Dr. Greenthumb’s opened earlier this month. Cypress Hill rapper B-Real was there for the ribbon-cutting.

The following week, Sweet Flower opened in a strip mall at Shields and Maroa just south of Fig Garden, becoming neighbors with El Premio Mayor taqueria.

And at least two more dispensaries could be open with in the next month.

Banyan Tree Fresno has yet to open its location on Sierra Avenue just off Blackstone near the DMV, but it did host a pre-launch party earlier this month, according to its social media.

Embarc will launch its second Fresno location on May 1 in a converted 7-Eleven building at Shaw and West. A grand-opening celebration will happen May 4 and coincide with the opening of the dispensary’s Madera location (on Yosemite Avenue).

“We are thrilled to be opening these shops and are grateful for the opportunity to double down on our commitment within the City of Fresno and in the region,” says Embarc CEO Lauren Carpenter.

One might expect a dip in sales as the competition for legal weed expands, but Embarc hasn’t seen that so far.

Folks do tend to check out new stores, for the promise of deals and discounts, “but ultimately (and thankfully), our team has done a fantastic job of developing relationships with residents from across the city and the region,” she says.

The store has also developed a collaborative working relationship with The Artist Tree, “to ensure we are collectively putting our best foot forward in the community,” Carpenter says.

“My hope is that as these additional stores are finally coming online, Fresnans continue to see that cannabis retail can operate responsibly and seamlessly within the community.”

More dispensaries could mean a decline in each individual store’s customer count, says The Arist Tree cofounder Lauren Fontein. But competition can also be beneficial.

“We know that customers like to have options and will likely shop at several different dispensaries in the city, depending on what they’re looking for and what part of town they’re in on any given day,” she says.

“Just like with non-cannabis retail locations.”

Having a variety of cannabis retail destinations helps normalize cannabis culture.

“We’re excited to see the cannabis industry continue to grow in Fresno and each new operator’s unique spin on cannabis sales,” Fontein says.

For Haven, there’s a focus on building loyalty among customers. The store has an incentive program where purchases earn points that can be redeemed for all kind of goodies, from rolling papers or a lighter, to entertainment packages, or even a trip to Mexico.

But that’s all once customers have come into the store.

Inside, the Haven showroom is bright, open and welcoming.

The store offers baskets at the door and has all of its items (even those that must be kept locked in glass cases) unboxed and visible to customers. Product can be seen behind glass counters; the vapes, pre-rolls and flower buds laid out by price point and available in bulk. One wall is dedicated to edibles and broken down by food type (gummies, chocolates and baked goods).

This is a safe place, where customers are encouraged to ask questions, says Jenny Venegas, Haven’s district sales manager.

Fresno is still a relatively new retail market, she says. And while many customers are comfortable buying legal weed through delivery services, they are still not used to what it’s like to shop in a cannabis store, she says.

“They’re still learning.”

From the sun in the fields, to the bright lights on the stage. On Friday, Erick Aragon, better known as Latin singer "Codiciado," made a special stop in Reedley.

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- From the sun in the fields, to the bright lights on the stage.

Friday, Erick Aragon, better known as Latin singer "Codiciado," made a special stop in Reedley.

"I want to help because I know how hard it is to work right here, its hot, so I come to give some food and some tickets for my show," said Codiciado.

He teamed up with the La Campensina radio station, a part of the Cesar Chavez foundation, to provide burritos to local farmworkers, something Maria Bravo appreciates and says it gives her hope for the future.

"If he can do it, others can do it and I am so proud of him for working in the fields and now having his own music. He's showing the rest of us that we can also make it," said Bravo.

As he goes back to his roots, he recalls his time in the fields.

"I want to cry, when I am singing because my songs are about families and working hard for goods, so I see the people around me and I'm here so I remember when I'm here, so I want to cry," said Codiciado.

Now he's taking his passion to the big stage with his tour "Ando Enfocado."

"I'm really excited, I'm gonna start next week," said Codiciado.

Its his first solo tour, after he used to be the lead singer of the popular Mexican band, "Grupo Codiciado," now continuing the goal of updating traditional Mexican corridos.

He now has songs with artists such as Peso Pluma, Grupo Firme, and Santa Fe Clan.

He recently did a surprise performance in a video on his YouTube page of two unreleased corridos.

Farm foreman Victor Alvarez says his team has been looking forward to Codiciado's visit for more than just the lunch break.

"The workers win tickets for the show, they are very happy," said Alvarez.

His music and success reminds others that anything is possible.

His tour officially kicks off next Friday.

His Fresno show kicks off at 8 pm Saturday, May 4th at the Save Mart Center.

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The 50^th anniversary of Fresno State Universities Vintage Days has taken over the college campus for a weekend filled with family-friendly activities.

Fresno State Vintage Days are back

Whether attendees are trying to cool down with Hawaiian ice or heat up with some hot chicken, the 50th Vintage Days has something for everyone.

“This is actually our first time coming this year. I had heard about it in previous years but I never got the chance to come out, but this time it worked out for me, and I’m really looking forward to the food,” Fresno State University student Catherine Martinez said.

The food is not the only draw. A petting zoo, bounce houses and an assortment of local vendors are just some of the offerings.

“I was already looking forward to Dutch, I did buy this cute pot. I think that’s probably the most interesting thing I bought for my mom,” Fresno State University student Maria Zavala said.

“I volunteered with my fraternity for Vintage Days last year. The difference between this year and last year, I feel like it’s a lot more alive, a lot more people are here so I’m really excited for the turnout and it’s going to be a great weekend,” Fresno State University student Eddie Maldonado said.

New this year is a drone light show that is scheduled to dazzle the sky on the night of April 20. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer even took to the performance stage for a proclamation to the student committee.

“We declared today Fresno State Vintage Days in the City of Fresno. I remember my first Vintage Days, 1977. I think it was the third Vintage Days that they have had at Fresno State, so it was somewhat smaller, but it was starting to grow,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said.

For the students, Vintage Days is more than just an annual showcase of their crafts.

“We’re just trying to raise money to be able to do more networking events, to be able to do more workshops so students can benefit from it,” Fresno State University student Alicia Minasian said.

“Not only is it important for us for fundraising but it’s important to our community just to be able to get together and just have a stronger bond,” Maldonado said.

Vintage Days will continue into the weekend and will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.

It took nearly two decades, but Fresno State finally scratched the Vance Walberg itch.

The innovative Clovis West High basketball coach and former NBA assistant, as well as the creator of the dribble-drive motion offense that spread from northeast Fresno to gyms and arenas throughout the world, has long coveted the Fresno State job.

Likewise, Walberg has long been a favorite of influential Bulldogs boosters and a segment of the fanbase.

In 2005, Walberg was fresh off a state championship at Fresno City College when the Fresno State job came open. He applied and felt great about the interviews, but the position ultimately went to Steve Cleveland.

Opinion

“The night before the hire I got a phone call from somebody pretty close who said, ‘You got the job,’ ” Walberg told me in December 2016, shortly after his return to Clovis West. “The next morning – bam – it was Cleveland. It was tough. I’m not going to deny it.”

In 2011, when Rodney Terry replaced Cleveland, Walberg’s name was not on the list of finalists presented to then-president John Welty. However, according to a source involved with that search, word came down from “the fourth floor of the library” (where the president and other administrators have offices) that Walberg had to be interviewed.

Walberg wasn’t interviewed in 2018 when Justin Hutson succeeded Terry in 2018. But he wanted to be.

This context is necessary to understanding why Fresno State handed its desolate men’s basketball program to a 67-year-old who hasn’t coached at the college level in 13 years and whose only prior Division I head coaching experience (14-35 at Pepperdine from 2007-08) was a disaster.

Walberg got the job because he convinced university president Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval that he wanted it more than anyone else. And because people in positions of power and influence over this hire badly wanted him to have it.

Both of those factors help explain why Walberg was formally introduced Friday as the 20th men’s basketball coach in Fresno State history – even though he was not among three candidates forwarded to Jiménez-Sandoval by a campus search committee, as reported by The Bee’s Robert Kuwada.

No shock there.

Walberg, according to multiple sources, was the favored candidate of Debbie Adishian-Astone, the university’s vice president for administration and chief financial officer, as well as several prominent donors. Adishian-Astone also chairs the Fresno State Athletic Corporation, the nonprofit that operates Bulldogs athletics.

Following Walberg’s introduction, I asked Jiménez-Sandoval about his decision to set aside the search committee’s recommendations.

“The committee we put together had a lot of great energy and ideas,” Jiménez-Sandoval said. “But ultimately, committees recommend. Their job is to recommend to the hiring manager, which in this case is myself, of what direction they think we should go.

“I have to evaluate everything, and what I saw with Walberg was this incredible drive, this deep-seated passion and hunger. Like real hunger for reaching that next level of excellence … while being focused on the Valley. The Valley, specifically, is what drives him. And for him, Fresno State is the center of that universe. His entire ethos for the past 30 years has been Fresno State. When I saw that, I saw the potential for what the next level of basketball can be.”

The Bulldogs have a lot of ground to make up to reach that next level. In 2024, college basketball success hinges on name, image and likeness money necessary to attract the top talent. That’s true no matter who draws up the plays.

The top seven Mountain West Conference men’s basketball programs reportedly have NIL pools in excess of $400,000. New Mexico is believed to have $1.5 million with each starter receiving $250,000.

Fresno State, by contrast, had an NIL total of roughly $150,000, according to multiple sources.

Want to know why the Bulldogs have fallen so far behind the competition? There’s your answer.

Based on their comments Friday, Walberg and Jiménez-Sandoval seem to understand that reality. Meaning, the same influential donors that backed Walberg during the search must reach into their wallets so that the new coach doesn’t begin his tenure with an empty cupboard.

When I asked Walberg if the Bulldogs had enough NIL money for him to offer recruits or whether more was needed, he quipped, “How much do you have on you?”

If Fresno State announces several signings over the next few weeks, or players currently in the transfer portal opt to stay, you’ll know those donors came through.

If not, the Bulldogs will remain in the bottom half of the MW and Save Mart Center will remain empty and listless. Regardless of any innovative offense the new coach installs, or how hard the team plays.

In my experience covering college sports, donor-driven hires generally don’t go well. But to look at Walberg simply from that prism, or view him as just a high school coach, would be too simple a read.

No ordinary high school coach would have been able to attract someone with John Welch’s qualifications to be their lead assistant. Or would’ve convinced Jiménez-Sandoval to disregard the search committee.

Walberg and Fresno State have circled each other for nearly 20 years. I’m intrigued to see whether this works.

“When you live in the Valley, Fresno State is everything,” Walberg said. “We don’t have pro sports – this is everybody’s main focus. I was hoping one day to be able to get that (chance), and after the last time I didn’t think it was going to happen.

“So for this dream to come true has been amazing … and I know the people here are dying for good basketball and excitement.”

The Sierra Chieftains will be playing at home against the Fresno Christian Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with four losses in a row, Sierra finally turned things around against Yosemite on Friday. Sierra had just enough and edged Yosemite out 9-8.

Adriana Carillo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and seven unearned) runs on seven hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in 18 consecutive pitching appearances.

At the plate, Sierra got a big performance out of Khloie Benson, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Lexi Valle, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Fresno Christian, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over Riverdale on Thursday.

Fresno Christian also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Jordyn DeGroot gave up three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Rachel Martin, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Faith DeGroot was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.

Sierra's win bumped their record up to 9-11. As for Fresno Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 8-6.

Sierra took their win against Fresno Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 20-6. Will Sierra repeat their success, or does Fresno Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps