Today, the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held its annual Latina Women's Conference.  It was a terrific event!  Along with about two dozen police officers, deputy sheriffs, and local business leaders, I participated in the luncheon fashion show.  I have to confess that walking down the runway and back in front of a packed house was a bit intimidating, but we had a great time and supported a very worthy cause.

I took a break from my usual campaign activities today to participate in a special board meeting of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.  The focus of the board meeting was on K-12 education.  California Secretary of Education David Long attended the meeting and provided insight on how the San Joaquin Valley can improve its educational outcomes.  The challenges in K-12 education in the San Joaquin Valley are staggering.  However, thanks to the leadership of people like Fresno County Superintendent Larry Powell, Merced County Superintendent Lee Andersen, and Drs. Walt Buster and Marcy Masumoto, the Valley is coming together around some key initiatives to improve our educational attainment.  For more information on the Partnership and its many initiatives, please see www.SJVPartnership.org.

Today, I had the pleasure of spending time with one of Fresno's most remarkable trail blazers, the Rev. Sharon Stanley.  Sharon moved to Fresno to complete what she thought was a three month assignment for her seminary training.  The three months turned into 18 years, and her academic assignment turned into the Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (see www.firminc.org).  Sharon and her team have been used in a powerful way to help literally thousands of people in some of Fresno's most challenging neighborhoods.  Their programs are models for the rest of the state and nation.  I look forward to getting to know and working with Sharon and FIRM.

The much anticipated day has arrived...the 'Ashley for Mayor' yard signs are here!  We had a "sign party" at my house today to give people an opportunity to stop by and pick up their signs.  Thank you to the many volunteers and supporters who stopped by for their signs.  If you didn't get one and want one, don't worry!  We have lots and lots to distribute.  Send me an e-mail, and we will get signs delivered to you.

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I met today with the organizers and leaders of the Fresno County Healthy Marriage Coalition and got an update on their efforts to strengthen relationships in Fresno County.  Headed by Ron McClain and Don Anderson, the Coalition is making great progress.  Their mission is to help stabilize family units in Fresno County in order to cut down on the expense and distress related to divorce.  I was encouraged by their work - stabilizing families will certainly have positive impacts across the city.  The Fresno County Healthy Marriage Coalition will hold a special summit on April 15th at Fresno Pacific University.  I'm looking foward to it!

I was walking precincts today in and around the downtown neighborhoods - the Webster and Winchell Elementary neighborhoods.  I met some terrific people who have owned their homes in these neighborhoods, in some cases, for up to 60 years.   Of course, this area has seen more than its fair share of decline in the last 20 years.  However, there are still elements of vibrancy - homeownership, beautiful trees, people populating their front yards and talking with neighbors, and great access to downtown.  I believe these older neighborhoods have an excellent chance of being revitalized and are worthy of investment of time, energy and resources.  As the next mayor, I look forward to working with neighborhood and other local leaders to develop actionable plans for transforming our older neighborhoods.

I spent several hours touring the Air National Guard base today.  I was impressed with the professionalism of all those I met, as well as the sophistication of the operations.  I have driven by the base on many occasions but didn't fully appreciate their mission and their significance.  I learned on my tour today that there are about 250 jobs that the Air National Guard is working to fill right now.  These are really good paying jobs with excellent benefits.  You need not have related work experience to qualify for these positions.  The Guard provides extensive training, and most people complete their associates degree within a 3 year period while on the job.  You can also earn money for college, and there are a host of other benefits that come with the positions.  I was concerned that anyone I might refer to these jobs would face deployment, but I learned that the work of the Air National Guard is specifically focused on protecting the air space over the U.S.  So, deployments are highly unlikely.  If you know someone that is looking for a job with career opportunities, encourage them to check out the 144th Wing of the Air National Guard.