Episodes

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Streets that last longer, a downtown built for people, and a public safety HQ that anchors confidence in the city center—this week we sit with City Manager Chris Tavarez to map how Hanford turns plans into pavement and services into momentum. From Measure H dollars preserving roads to a full‑depth rebuild of the East Lacey corridor, we trace what gets fixed now, what designs take shape, and why patience today sets up smoother commutes tomor...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Step inside Hanford’s old National Guard Armory and you’ll hear it: jump ropes snapping, gloves popping, bikes rolling, and kids trading high-fives with officers who spot them between rounds. We sat down with Police Chief Stephanie Huddleston and Coach Ruben Valdovinos to unpack how the Hanford Police Activities League turns sport into trust, structure, and real opportunity for local youth. We explore the full slate of PAL programs—boxing ...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A theater can be a building—or a beacon. We sit down with volunteer tech lead and musician Ted Hillman to reveal how Hanford Multicultural Theater Company turned a small downtown space into a living hub for acting, improv, comedy, puppetry, and a fast-growing music scene. From the company’s early nomadic years to its permanent home on North Douty Street, Ted shares how one simple idea—the Jam Lab—helped break the “no scene here” myth by rem...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A live federal update turned into breaking good news: Hanford secured an extra $2 million for the Grangeville Boulevard Grade Separation Project, closing critical gaps in right-of-way and utility work that keep rail safety and traffic flow on track. We walk through what this funding unlocks, why timing matters for infrastructure, and how federal partners like Senator Alex Padilla helped put momentum behind a high-impact local project. From...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A town grows when people show up for each other, and this week we spotlight how Hanford’s energy is fueling real creative work. We kick off with quick hits around the city: a new city manager sworn in, downtown speakers set to bring music to Irwin, Douty, and 7th, and educator honors that remind us how much local champions matter. The community calendar overflows with film at the Fox, exhibits at the Carnegie Museum, and a comic con at Frat...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A bakery that once fed a town now feeds a different kind of hunger: connection, service, and shared memory. We follow Maccagno’s from a 1949 brick landmark with 20‑foot ovens and loading docks to a living hub for local business, events, and civic pride. We start with Hanford’s roots—six bakeries in the 1920s, immigrant craft shaping taste, and bread as a public good—and trace the Maccagno’s expansion from 200 loaves a day to more than 4,50...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! What happens when a growing city meets crowded classrooms and a patchwork of feeder schools? We sit down with HJUHSD Superintendent Victor Rosa and Assistant Superintendent Bobby Peters to talk candidly about enrollment trends, residency verification, and why balance across Hanford High, Hanford West, and Sierra Pacific matters more than ever. We start with the pulse of Hanford: park repairs after Winter Wonderland, a new mixed-use develop...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A 19th-century courthouse is about to get a 21st-century heartbeat. We sit down with builder and BarrelHouse Brewing co-founder Kevin Nickell to unpack the real work of revival: clearing decades of debris, rebuilding plumbing and electrical systems, modernizing accessibility, and protecting the building’s neoclassical Romanesque beauty while preparing it for modern life. Kevin shares how a contractor’s mindset, sharpened by the 2008 downtur...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A new year only counts if the community moves with it. We open the season by catching you up on City Hall’s biggest storyline, celebrating neighbors doing extraordinary work, and inviting you to a Martin Luther King Jr. gathering designed to bring Hanford together in a real, human way. First, Rob breaks down the city manager search—from 46 inquiries across seven states to a focused shortlist and why interim manager Chris Tavarez now stands...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! City decisions rarely feel urgent until they touch your block, your commute, or your kids’ route to school. This week’s wrap brings it all home with quick, plain‑spoken highlights from Hanford’s council meeting—what changed, what’s next, and how you can plug in without scrubbing through hours of video. We start with a simple promise: official, rotating wrap‑ups on the city’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you can get the facts fast. F...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! What if a transit center could change how a city moves, works, and dreams? We head to downtown Hanford for the KART Transit Center ribbon cutting and hear directly from the people who built it—county supervisors, city leaders, state voices, and the team at KCAPTA who turned plans into a place the community can call its own. We explore the full arc: assembling land and replacing blight with a four‑acre hub, blending federal, state, and loca...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Big changes start with quiet choices: better maps, safer streets, clearer rules, and the people who bring them to life. We unpack a full council agenda that connects everyday services to long-term strategy, from a key GIS upgrade to the dollars-and-cents reality of funding the refuse division as equipment ages and state mandates climb. You’ll hear how infrastructure spending and code updates translate into cleaner neighborhoods, smoother co...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! December in Hanford brings more than twinkling lights—it brings movement, memory, and a community that shows up. We open with the latest city news, from the council’s leadership rotation to a tougher stance on illegal fireworks that scales fines by each device and allows drone enforcement, then roll into a packed calendar: Winter Wonderland hours, choir and band concerts in the Presentation Center, Bethel Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Fox, and...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A storefront can hold a city’s memory. We head to the corner of Seventh and Douty to explore how a 19th-century hotel became Hanford Furniture and, ultimately, the canvas for a holiday tradition that still stops families on the sidewalk: the Christmas windows. With guest Rusty Robinson, grandson of Gordon and Pat Blue, we dig into the origin story—why the Blues looked to San Francisco for big-city inspiration, how a 1976 fire reshaped the b...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A blank wall can change a neighborhood when the right story lands on it. We sit down with muralist and educator Jennifer Butts to trace her journey from a seven-year-old with a sketchbook to a globe-trotting teacher in Honduras and China, and finally to the vibrant work now lighting up downtown Hanford. Jennifer opens her toolbox and her process: how a mural starts with listening, turns into sketches on paper or Procreate, navigates city ap...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Big changes are coming to Hanford, and the latest council recap connects every headline to real life: safer streets, smarter spending, and a leadership search you can shape. We walk through the East Lacey Corridor’s next phase, where city engineers pair design work with one-on-one meetings for corridor businesses. With two open houses already completed, we share how community feedback is guiding access, parking, and construction planning to...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! The holidays are officially on in Hanford, and we’re bringing you a front-row seat to everything that makes this season shine. From a redesigned Winter Wonderland with an elevated viewing deck and crackling fire pits to a bigger, safer Christmas Parade with three announcer stands, we break down what’s new, what’s returning, and how to make the most of it. We sit down with organizer Brad Albert for a guided tour of Winter Wonderland’s smart...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Start with city hall, end on the open road. We bring you a fast-moving update on Hanford’s museum agreements, zoning changes, and a grant-funded tree plan, plus a key route change for the Hanford Christmas Parade that adds 2,000 feet of viewing space. The community calendar is packed with Veterans Day events, local theater, and a rescheduled band showcase, while our sports desk breaks down Sierra Pacific’s water polo semifinals and Hanford ...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Big traditions don’t stay magical by accident—they’re planned, stress‑tested, and built with neighbors in mind. We open with a crisp look at City Council’s agenda, from the Kings County Farm Bureau briefing to the east‑west cross‑valley rail link that could sync with the North‑South High Speed Rail station. Then we move through a full community calendar—blood drive logistics, election day reminders, a Monte Carlo night, the Elks Hoop Shoot,...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! The week’s headlines feel different when you hear them from the people building the future they want to live in. We sit down with podcaster and community organizer Rob Esquerdo to trace a clear line from storytelling to action: how a classroom-born show, Rob Live, grew into a platform for resilience and a catalyst for change in Stratford. From interviews that turn grief into policy to partnerships that keep food moving to families, Rob show...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Big projects are finally lining up for Kings County, and the details matter. We sit down with Caltrans District 6’s Alex Aguilera to unpack the planned 198–9th Avenue interchange, how five design alternatives could reconnect north and south Hanford, and why early community input will shape the safest, smartest option. We also trace the ripple effects tied to the East Lacey Corridor and the extension of 9th Avenue to Grangeville, showing how...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! The week bursts with energy—city moves that affect our day-to-day, a stacked fall calendar, a symphony season opener, and a high school football finish that had us on our feet. We also bring a crucial safety story to the front: Fire Chief Daniel Perkins joins us to unpack why residential fire deaths have climbed even as fires have declined, who’s most at risk, and the simple habits that tip the odds. From a free smoke alarm installation day...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Fall festivities take center stage in Hanford as our community gears up for a season packed with beloved traditions and exciting changes. The 46th annual Renaissance of Kings Fair returns to Civic Park on October 4-5, bringing with it a rich tapestry of period entertainment, food, and activities. Parks Director Brad Albert reveals this may be the longest-running Renaissance Fair in California, featuring expanded entertainment this year in...

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Kings Partnership serves as a vital lifeline for Kings County residents, offering an impressive array of free services designed to strengthen families and build community resilience. Program coordinator Jennifer Quinones brings enthusiasm and expertise to her role, detailing how this preventative nonprofit organizes its work into focused "buckets" addressing mental health, trauma-informed care, and substance abuse prevention. The organizat...