The central Fresno house that famed Armenian-American author William Saroyan lived in for the last 17 years of his life is in foreclosure and headed to auction in May. The simple stucco tract home at 2729 W. Griffith Way, just west of Cooper Middle School, has had three different owners since Saroyan's death in 1981 and has fallen into foreclosure twice, according to Fresno County public property records. Neighbor Ernie Baca said the house has been used as a rental for years and attracted squatters. Today, the home, which bears a plaque honoring the Oscar and Pulitzer Prize winning author, is empty with some windows boarded up and foreclosure notices hanging on the screen door. Documents show Saroyan's home was purchased by the current owners in 2006. Baca says since then the place has slowly deteriorated. He says a new tenant moved in every year and now squatters are taking over. For a place on the city of Fresno's historic registry, there was hope better care would be taken. The small, 114 square meters house was built in 1964. It has three bedrooms and one bathroom. When Saroyan owned it and the house just west of it, fruit trees and weeds grew around the property. Saroyan would pay Baca US$ 30 to water the trees and the weeds when he was away, Baca said with a chuckle. The house was rough like Saroyan who was scruffy with a long mustache, he said. The Saroyan house is on the local register of historic resources. The plaque, which lists 10 pieces of Saroyan's work written while living in the house, was installed in 1989. NBS Default Services, LLC, of Long Beach is handling the foreclosure. The house is scheduled to be auctioned off at 10 a.m. May 5 at the Fresno County Courthouse.

Hundreds of people packed a small outdoor ceremony at Fresno State to mark the start of construction of the Armenian Genocide Monument, which will be completed in time to mark next year's 100th anniversary of the genocide. Leaders of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee, Fresno joined local politicians, Fresno State leaders and throngs of community members at the event. The university set out 40 chairs, but a couple hundred spectators crammed around the site where the monument will be built. The primary message of the event was the importance of spreading awareness of the Armenian Genocide, which Fresno State Armenian Studies Coordinator Barlow Der Mugrdechian said killed as many as 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923. Der Mugrdechian said that on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began arresting and executing hundreds of Armenian religious, academic and political leaders. The stone-and-concrete monument will be dedicated on April 24, the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the genocide. It was designed by local architect Paul Halajian and will consist of nine pillars representing the six provinces of historic Armenia, Cilicia, the Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia. An incomplete halo will rest on top of the pillars, which is meant to symbolize both the damage left by the genocide and the unity of the Armenian people. It will be the first such monument marking the genocide on a U.S. college campus. It will be located on the Maple Mall walkway just south of the Satellite Student Union on Fresno State's campus. Fresno State Vice President for Administration Cynthia Teniente-Matson said this prime location will allow every single Fresno State student to see and learn from the monument.