Fresno Famous

Once again, we present the Famous Quick List, a bullet-point list of things we're following for the week (with commentary when needed).

* May is Bike Month. So, pull that old Schwinn (or Huffy or whatever) out of the garage, kick off the dust and cobwebs and get riding. For help and/or motivation, go to I Bike Fresno (http://www.ibikefresno.org).

The group held its Revive Your Bike event last weekend. It also kicked off its Million Miles Challenge (this year there are prizes) on Tuesday. It's annual Bike to Work corporate challenge is May 23, so make sure to mark that down.

While getting out on your bicycles might seem like a lot of spring-time fun, this is actually vital stuff. Especially in light of stories like those of Jeff MacDonald, a local pedicab driver who got assulted by a car (well, there was a person driving) last month. The more educated bicyclists we get on the road, the more drivers are forced to interact with riders, the less likely we are to have situations like this (or the more outraged we'll become when it happens). You can show your support for MacDonald (and all Fresno cyclists) at a benefit Sunday at Audie's Olympic Tavern.

* Cedar Lanes is closing. That was the rumor on Saturday night, which I had confirmed by my brother (an avid bowler) and The Fresno Bee, which ran this story Monday morning. While the thing seems pretty much done, there's some who think the Fresno Historic Preservation Commission should (and may) step in to try to keep the building from being demolished. Mark Bourdase, who was quoted in The Bee' story, says he's not 100% convinced the building will be torn down, or that it won't continue to be a bowling alley (under new ownership one would presume). He's not holding his breath, either.

Of course, if you really want, you can still get that old-school bowling experience. Just head south on Golden State to Selma and stop at Freeway Lanes. You'll see the sign. 

* Businesses hate high speed rail. Well, some of them anyway. Mostly the ones that would be affected by the rail line as it cut through the Central Valley. By affected, I mean displaced. The Bee ran a great graphic showing the businesses that might see problems.

You have to feel for these guys, but with something as massive as High Speed Rail there's no way to please everyone. You either do it (and deal with the consequences) or don't (and deal with the consequences). This is not a test-the-waters kind of project.

I'm not 100% convinced that HSR is the right answer for the problem, but I know more freeway and roads aren't gonna cut it. The State seems to be moving forward here, but if it has the will to take real, decisive action on this (or anything else), is yet to be seen.