“Wondering Why We Like Fresno?”
by James Fallows
Some people are smug about the coolness of New York or San Francisco. Those places are nice, Jim Fallows agrees. But he much prefers “the kick-ass spirit” of Fresno, captured in this new video from Bitwise, “a tech incubator, training school, entrepreneur center, and overall social force in one of California’s least-fashionable cities.” (See the video here; read the brief post here.)
Another Honor for Maine Maritime Academy, at an Important Time
by James Fallows
This is an update, with news, about Maine Maritime Academy, an institution that perfectly illustrates an important theme we’ve developed in the American Futures project about education in this country. Fallows tells us about the continuing, well-deserved recognition MMA is receiving for the incredible “added value” of its degree programs. Poignantly, Fallows also offers an appreciation for the five MMA alumni who lost their lives when the cargo ship El Faro sank on October 1 during Hurricane Joaquin. (Read it here.)
A Library Writes Its Own Story
by Deborah Fallows
A California library becomes a living legend. (Read it here.)
A Library of Good Ideas
by Deborah Fallows
Formula for success in Central Oregon: know the users, spot the opportunities, act with vigor. (Read it here.)
An Innovative Library in Oregon, and Other Reports from the Road
by James Fallows
Kicking off reports from the inland northwest, plus Happy Birthday to James Baldwin (Read it here.)
The Good Ol’ Days of the Motor Hotel Are Back
by Deborah Fallows
The metamorphosis of a Bend, Oregon, motel—from its classic origins, to crack house, to upscale rustic elegance. (Read it here.)
When High School Means a Build-It-Yourself Education
by Deborah Fallows
A charter school in Oregon encourages students to shape their own learning. (Read it here.)
A Community College at the Center of an Oregon Recovery Story
by James Fallows
When the lumber industry left, the region bet its future on technology—even though it lacked a research university. (Read it here.)
How to Tell Oregon Apart From New Jersey
by James Fallows
If Chris Christie had thought of this for his state’s gas stations, maybe he’d be doing better in the 2016 race now (Read it here.)
Building for the Future, in California’s Famously Failed City
by James Fallows
The Los Angeles Times has a big, new demonstration of how bad things have gotten in the city of San Bernardino. Here’s a look at people doing their best, despite those odds. (Read it here.)
American Futures 