Let’s Talk Clovis

LET’S TALK CLOVIS: The story of John and Alta Polson

Peg Bos

Historian/Clovis Museum Contributed

John Polson married Alta Cole on September 1, 1921 at 6:30 a.m. at her parent’s home. The couple would drive his old Model T Ford to San Francisco for their honeymoon. The roads were narrow and they took a ferryboat from Oakland to San Francisco (Bay Bridge constructed 1933).

John was twelve when his family arrived from Pawnee, Oklahoma in 1909. He remembers riding his bicycle down Fulton (Clovis Ave) to the Sunnyside area of Fresno. He would leave his bike and take the streetcar to downtown Fresno. His unguarded bike would be there when he returned.

Adventurous John would ride down the 1893 flume from Shaver Lake to the Clovis Lumber Mill, which was located at the present site of Clark Intermediate School.

The courting couple would ride the train to Big Creek to see the snow in the winter. One date they both remember occurred on November 10, 1918. It was during WWI and John had been drafted and he was shipping out from Fresno with 450 draftees. The armistice was declared thirty minutes prior to their scheduled train departure.

While describing “early” Clovis, John stated: “In those days if you walked down the street and saw some guy you didn’t know, you’d find out who the hell he was. Now, you walk down the street and you don’t know anybody.”

Alta was born in Clovis in 1900. Her grandfather Jacob A. Cole and his brother Stephen Cole arrived in Clovis in 1872. Stephen homesteaded 320 acres in the Red Bank district. His son Clovis Cole became nationally known as the “Wheat King of the United States”. Our town bears his name.

Alta’s father Alvin R. Cole was the son of Jacob Cole. Alvin was a rancher and would also serve as Clovis Marshall. Alta graduated from Clovis High School in 1918. She began training as a nurse at the Fresno Burnett Sanitarium. Her tenure was during the flu epidemic and after eight exhausting months she decided to enroll at the Fresno Normal School and become a teacher. She received her teaching credentials in 1920. She taught in our elementary schools and also served as principal.

John graduated from Clovis High in 1918 and earned 16 athletic letters by excelling in tennis, basketball, baseball and track.

John worked for the Fresno County Agriculture Department for 37 years. He dedicated 54 consecutive years as a judge of agricultural exhibits at the Fresno Fair.

John served as a Clovis School Board member for three terms and on the City of Clovis Planning Board. He was elected to the Clovis City Council and was elected Mayor in 1972.

During his reelection bid in 1970, he received a questionnaire from the Clovis City Employees Association and the Clovis City Fireman requesting specific information that John believed would obligate his decisions to the two groups. He refused to answer the questions and published a newspaper ad stating he represented all the people of Clovis and would make his decisions based on that premise.

Another reelection ad stated that he had accomplished the following: “Two 4-lane State highways in Clovis, 2 miles on Shaw, 1 mile on Clovis Avenue and one 4-lane County highway, Willow Avenue and Dakota to Shaw; looking for tax benefits of new subdivisions.”

In 1984, John was selected grand marshal of the Clovis Rodeo parade. He had attended the first 1914 Clovis Festival founded by the Clovis Woman’s Club that would become the Clovis Rodeo Association.

Both John and Alta remained active community leaders until their deaths. They are a part of our rich heritage.

Courtesy of Clovis Museum

Alta Polson (1900-1998) and John Polson (1897-1996).

Registered Sex Offender Arrested

Courtesy of Clovis PD

John Grimes.

Clovis Roundup Staff

@ClovisRoundup

A call for service of suspicious activity on October 12 led to follow up and the arrest of a registered sex offender.

Officers responded to a parking lot near Shaw/Clovis regarding a suspicious male sitting in his truck, apparently watching females.

Officers located the truck and contacted the driver who was identified as John Grimes, a transient sex offender registered in Fresno.

While it was determined that no crime had occurred, officers got information during their investigation that Grimes had been living in Clovis.

Officers advised Grimes that he was no longer allowed in the business or parking lot where he was contacted which is private property.

Follow up was done the next day at the Clovis residence near Barstow/Minnewawa, and it was determined that Grimes had been living in a vehicle at the residence for 4 years, while registering in Fresno as a transient.

Grimes was arrested for a felony violation of his registration requirements and was booked into the Fresno County Jail.

We would like to thank the initial caller who reported the suspicious activity which sparked this investigation by our patrol officers and Investigations division.

For information on registered sex offenders in the state of California, see the Megan’s Law website here: https://meganslaw.ca.gov/.

POLICE LOG OF SHAME

Wednesday, October 5

Police received five reports of an unknown suspect vandalizing vehicles in the area of Peach Ave and Gettysburg Ave. The suspect was reported as wearing a gray hoodie with lettering on the back and dark pants, and accomplished over $2,300 in damage to vehicle tires.

Thursday, October 6

A man shopping at The Home Depot on Shaw and Willow Aves called police when he came out to his work truck to find his toolboxes and tools they contained stolen. Total value of the missing items reported was $4,000. Be mindful of what items you leave out in the open while away from your vehicle, and try to get those items secured.

Friday, October 7

Police received a report of stolen property in the area of E Shepherd Ave. A family that had been out that morning enjoying a bike ride together left their three beach cruisers and a mountain bike unattended outside their home to return and find all the bikes stolen. With weather improving and gas prices worsening, bicycles are prime targets for theft. Try to always secure yours at home in the backyard or garage to prevent this from happening.

Sunday, October 9

Police received a report of several items stolen from a vehicle parked outside a home in the area of E Shepherd Ave. Items stolen included a moving dolly, an inflatable 16 foot water slide with a blower, and four parachutes. Seems like someone’s planning an elaborate bank heist, a fun one complete with water slide.

Monday, October 10

Police received a report of $60,000 worth of golf items stolen from a Taylor Made Golf company vehicle. The suspect is unknown with morals not up to par, so we will call him the Bogey Bandit.

Tuesday, October 11

Police received a theft report from a local construction company. An unknown suspect drained 22 gallons of gasoline by drilling a hole into one of the gas tanks of the company’s vehicles.

Wednesday, October 12

Police responded to a report in Old Town Clovis at On The Edge Coffee House. If you’re familiar with Old Town Clovis, then you know that the cafe has a piano located in front of their shop for the general public to play music and enjoy. Some poor soul, possibly with musical anhedonia, damaged the piano.

Thursday, October 13

Police received a report about a suspect that stole potting soil from True Value Hardware. Here’s your sign that times are tough, when people resort to stealing dirt.

Friday, October 14

Another report was received by police about stolen gasoline from the construction company that was hit on Tuesday, October 11. An unknown suspect once again drilled a hole into the gas tanks of two of the company’s vehicles and got away with the gas. If you ask me, it’s time to order some donuts and coffee and set up a stake out.

Saturday, October 15

Police received a report of several items stolen from a vehicle parked on the street in the Willow Ave and Gettysburg Ave area. The items stolen included the victim’s wallet and several valuable Apple products, like an iPad, Macbook, Apple watch and Airpods. Please remember not to leave valuables unattended in your vehicle, especially sitting in view of passers-by.

Monday, October 17

Police received a theft report from local business Best Party Rentals. The business had one of their Ion Block Rocker bluetooth speakers stolen by an unknown suspect. Apparently someone wanted to “rock their block” without paying the bill.

Tuesday, October 18

Sometimes, decorating your home for the holidays can quickly turn from something done for personal enjoyment to a nasty competition between neighbors. This may have been the case when police received a report of stolen Halloween decorations, including miscellaneous inflatable lawn decorations and a bat motion projector.