FRESNO – Local officials, business owners and community leaders of Fowler were dressed to the nines to celebrate a year of progress and citizen achievements.
On Sept. 19, attendees packed The Painted Table in Fresno for Fowler’s State of the City and Citizen Recognition Gala. Guests enjoyed dinner and drinks, heard updates on city operations and education, then closed out the night by honoring some standout businesses and residents.
“We have a growing community, and with that, growing opportunity,” said Mayor Juan Mejia in his address. “There is a lot of work taking place as you have seen, and a lot of work that still lies ahead of us. I continue to be excited about the direction that we are heading in.”
Before getting into the State of the City addresses, the First Lady of Fowler Stephanie Mejia took a moment to honor the Fowler Mother’s Club, who played a role in organizing and hosting the gala. Through the fundraising efforts leading up to the event, the community of Fowler presented the nonprofit with a $15,000 check to further its mission of supporting local schools.
In her comments after accepting the donation, Fowler Mother’s Club President Marcie Kazanjian shared that some of the club’s contributions have helped provide Fowler students with swim parkas, Chromebooks, field trips, scholarships and more.
New educational facilities
After the recognition of sponsors, Fowler Unified School District Superintendent Lindsay Sanders shared updates on ongoing and recently-completed facilities projects, most notably the Fowler Unified Performing Arts Center. The district broke ground on the project in August 2025, and according to Sanders, it is still on track for completion by February 2027.
Sanders said that she and some board of trustees members recently walked the construction site, and that all were impressed by the project’s scale.
“I had chills, and we had a board member crying when we walked it the other day,” said Sanders to attendees. “I’m excited for this community. It is something special, and it gives our students a platform to be able to stand on.”
Sanders also mentioned the district’s early learning center, which had its grand opening in 2023 and has since been filled to capacity. Sanders also reported continued benefits from the district’s agriculture center and new maintenance building, which also opened sometime around 2023.
Looking to the future, Sanders was excited to share that the district is “aggressively seeking state matching funds” to help further projects like a new two-story, 16-classroom building for high school students which is set to move forward in late spring. Also planned to start next year is revitalization of the Fremont Elementary School building, which will be done in two phases.
“It will be a completely new school when we’re finished,” Sanders said.
Finally, Sanders said the district also hopes to secure state matching funds to modernize Marshall Elementary School.
At the end of her address, Sanders shared that she will be retiring after a search for a new superintendent has been completed. She described the feeling as bittersweet, but expressed confidence that she will be leaving the district in capable hands.
“People are asking why now, and for me, I want to leave when things are in a good place,” Sanders said. “‘Why now’ for me is that we have a wonderful board, I have a wonderful leadership team, we have amazing teachers and staff, and I want to be able to retire when things are good and someone can come into a smooth environment.”
City aims to deliver
In his State of the City Address, Mayor Mejia updated attendees on public safety, city finances, local infrastructure and other developments.
Speaking on public safety, Mejia reminded the public that the police department will soon be moving out of its shared space at City Hall to its new station at the corner of Merced and Third streets, with a ribbon cutting date to be announced sometime in mid-October. He also stated that all officers are now equipped with backup secondary weapons and mobile data terminals, and in the last year, the department has begun implementing its first police drone program with one fully-certified pilot.
“Next Fourth of July, when that temptation to fire off those illegal fireworks hits you … just remember, the drones will be in the sky,” Mejia said to attendees.
Mejia then talked about the city’s fire station, which began 24/7 service on July 25. According to Mejia’s presentation, Cal Fire staff responded to 80 calls in 52 days with an average response time of three minutes and one second. On Nov. 14, the station will also be welcoming a new fire engine.
Moving onto infrastructure, Mejia first spoke to Well No. 9, which has been a priority for the city as it has worked toward improving its water pressure and contaminant levels. Mejia said that although city officials “promised, but have not yet delivered” on Well No. 9, he shared that drilling for the project is complete, and buildout of the site is underway.
He then celebrated a water win with the city’s new TCP treatment facility, which represented a landmark step toward safer drinking water.
Looking to future infrastructure projects, Mejia said the city will be using up the last of its Measure C dollars on projects like improving Fifth Street between Main and Vine streets. He also announced the upcoming Sidewalk Gap Fill Project, which will be funded by Safe Routes to School and aims to fill missing sidewalk sections along roads like Adams Avenue.
Mejia said both of these projects are expected to begin in the coming months, and have 2027 completion dates.
Touching on local parks, Mejia shared that Harris Avenue Park will soon be energized pending final coordination with PG&E. Mejia said that getting the park fully operational and open to the public has been on the city’s to-do list for nearly 10 years, but is now finally nearing completion.
“I really wanted to come up here and say it is done. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but we are closer than ever before,” Mejia said.
A win for parks came through Donny Wright Park, which in the last year saw an investment of $132,000 from the California Parks and Recreation Department to implement a new shade structure following resident feedback.
Mejia then spoke to the city’s finances, focusing on the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget. He commended both Mayor Pro Tem Amarjeet Gill and Finance Director Nancy Banda for working to cut the city’s originally projected deficit of around $500,000 nearly in half.
“They found savings opportunities, and they shaved $250,000 off the deficit. In the end, we passed a balanced budget without affecting any of our services or programs,” Mejia said.
He then took time to spotlight new businesses that have opened up since the last gala, including: Fowler Farmers Market, O’Reily’s Auto Parts, RebalanceMED, Fowler Pharmacy, the upcoming Gym Culture and more.
Mejia also introduced the public to their new chamber of commerce board, which represented a full-circle moment as the chamber’s return was first announced at last year’s gala.
Pillars of the community
Serving as the night’s final round of recognition, the community celebrated a handful of standout business and residents.
In a heartfelt gesture, Mejia called the Hammer family up to accept a key to the city on behalf of the late Councilmember Leonard Hammer, whose recent passing has left its mark on the city over the past few weeks.
Mejia then presented the Golden Legacy Award to Dick and Mary Nikssarian, who have recently celebrated 75 years of marriage. Dick Nikssarian was also honored with the Centennial Legacy Recognition after celebrating his 100th birthday.
Community member Eric Hadden then took to the mic to introduce the nominees for: Student of the Year, Non-Profit of the Year, Business of the Year, Industry of the Year and Citizen of the Year.
Charlotte Sigala was named Student of the Year, recognized for her work in the Junior Ambassador Program, Link Crew, Future Farmers of America, school bands, sports and more.
The Fowler Pharaohs Car Club was named Non-Profit of the Year, honored for their organization of the city’s annual car show, scholarships for local automotive students and Memorial Day ceremonies, as well as for their participation in the Fowler Fall Festival.
Business of the Year was awarded to Midtown Barber Shop. In his reading of the award, Hadden said that Carlos Vasquez of Midtown Barber Shop supports adults with special needs by creating hands-on work opportunities that build skills and confidence. Hadden said Vasquez also assists families in need and supports local events.
Industry of the Year was awarded to Waste Management, who supports the city of Fowler with cleanup days, free dump vouchers for residents, sponsorships of local events and organizations, public outreach and more.
As the night’s final award, Roy Alatorre was named Citizen of the Year. Alatorre is known in the community for his longtime service on the Fowler Recreation Commission, hosting local car shows, volunteering with local churches and helping to organize the city’s Veteran’s Memorial Ceremony.
After a hearty round of applause for each winner and nominee, the 2026 State of the City and Citizen Recognition Gala came to a close. While some made their way to the car and prepared for the drive home, others took to the dance floor and busted some moves with neighbors and friends.
