Local Issues
Eat, Drink and Enjoy Midtown
Hidden gems and tasty treats await BY ANNE STOKES For anyone who has lobbed the age-old question, “I don’t know, where do you want to eat?” back and forth, SacTown Bites Food Tour Adventures has […]
Community
Local Issues
Restoring the Past For the Present
Art conservator Karen Alkons rescues art and history from oblivion BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Karen Alkons is in the rarefied business of professional patience, but that’s just part of it. Her acute eye for color and […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Let your circle be unbroken
While we are all extraordinary, it takes a circle to bring out the extraordinary within us. […]
Local Issues
What’s Old is New Again
The Northside Bar + Cafe is the latest go-to for eats and drinks BY ALLEN PIERLEONI For owner Jasmine Peterhans, opening the new Northside Bar + Cafe has been a step-by-step project played out over […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Secure retirement needs more than dreams
Women particularly face challenges in golden years Are you dreaming of a happy retirement? For women, prospects for their golden years can appear pretty bleak as we are more likely to be poor in retirement […]
Local Issues
Woodlake Tavern is on the move
Comfort food with class, yes, but check out the new events atrium BY ALLEN PIERLEONI First it was the high-end Enotria Restaurant and Wine Bar, then it became the whiskey-wine-BBQ-centric Cask & Barrel. For the […]
Local Issues
The business of small businesses
California Capital is looking to back underserved entrepreneurs. Are you ready for the ride? BY ALLEN PIERLEONI “Almost every day, we hear from small-business owners, ‘I wish I had known you were here when I […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Celebrate women and power of change
Unions make a big difference in working women’s lives Imagine your job is to clean up somebody else’s mess. You work long hours, often late at night by yourself. You are isolated, vulnerable and on […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Let your heart and mind soar
Poets provide inspiration in both words and actions “a poem is pure energy horizontally contained between the mind of the poet and the ear of the reader if it does not sing discard the ear” […]
Local Issues
It’s a wrap (and a delivery)
Box Brothers thrives on Del Paso Boulevard BY ALLEN PIERLEONI “Exciting, interesting things come through the door every day,” said Jay Roth, co-owner with his wife, Lisa, of the Box Brothers packaging-shipping store. “Interesting” like […]
Labor
SEIU Local 1000: Yvonne R. Walker: Fight for the right to count every vote
From registration to election day, suppression gets creative Why do we celebrate Black history in February? Thank Frederick Douglass and Carter Woodson. Douglass, America’s most famous abolitionist, was born a slave sometime in February 1818. […]
Local Issues
Local Issues
A Toast to the Past
Burly Beverages is hand-crafting old-fashioned elixirs to quench the thirst of new generations BY ALLEN PIERLEONI It’s fitting that Gabriel Aiello chose a building from the 1930s as the site for his Burly Beverages, and […]
Local Issues
Youth Campaign for More Funding
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Four years ago, Dexter Niskala, then a junior at Luther Burbank High, campaigned for Measure Y, which would have created a new tax to fund children’s programs in Sacramento. “I asked hundreds […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Celebrating hard-earned rights
Still fighting for the right to vote Our voting rights did not come easy. I’m reminded of that often during Black History Month and this centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment that enabled American women […]
Local Issues
Yvonne R. Walker: Leaders who made a difference
Their grassroots efforts led to real change in their communities How do you create change? You can organize at the grassroots level, inspiring others and nurturing ideas. And you can vote, electing leaders who will […]
Local Issues
Healthy Treats and a Good Cause
Pamper your pup in style BY ANNE STOKES Not only is a dog’s love unconditional, it also can be a lifesaver — literally! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dog ownership can […]
Local Issues
His opportunity to fly and dream
Well-known artist and designer Gerry Otis Simpson showcases his work in gallery-boutique BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Amid the art gallery’s organized chaos of color-saturated paintings, denim “artwear,” stark black-and-white photos and assorted curios is one particular […]
Local Issues
‘A lot of love’ in every sandwich
Shift Coffee House honored for ‘Best Grilled Cheese’ in California BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Shift Coffee House co-owner Carol Mundy sat at a table in her restaurant, near the Grilled Cheese Bar, and recalled how the […]
Local Issues
Keeping People Out of Jail
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ An activist group that stopped an $89 million expansion of Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in Elk Grove says its fight for criminal justice reform is not over. Construction bids for the RCCC […]
Local Issues
Exotic evening on J Street
Kasbah delivers Middle Eastern fine dining and romantic ambiance BY ANNE STOCKS With its arches and columns, cushioned banquette seats and warm copper tabletops lit by candlelight, Kasbah offers an evening that’s like a romantic […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Where is Sacramento in fight against poverty?
Many neighborhoods are getting worse, not better What are you doing to lift children out of poverty in Sacramento? That’s a question we should be asking anyone running for office. During this election year, politicians […]
Local Issues
Custom Treasures
Little Relics offers sustainably-sourced, hand-made wearable art BY ANNE STOKES When you walk through the door, it’s immediately clear Little Relics isn’t like other big-name jewelry shops: There are no high-pressure salespeople or cases of […]
Local Issues
Retro chic oasis offers more than room
The Greens Hotel makes Del Paso the place to stay BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Unless you happen to look up and spot the sign on Del Paso Boulevard that reads “The Greens,” across the street from […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Why I march with Rev. Barber
Poor People’s Campaign continues King’s legacy This past weekend at a commemoration in Fontana for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I joined another reverend, Dr. William Barber, who continues Dr. King’s legacy as co-chair of […]
Local Issues
One Woman of Color is Making History in Sacramento’s Growing Cannabis Industry
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Betty Mitchell’s uncle was a pioneer in developing medical cannabis in Arkansas. Now, Mitchell herself is being called a pioneer in Sacramento’s emerging $4-billion-a-year legal marijuana industry. Her uncle, Dr. Ulysses Hunter, […]
Local Issues
A gathering place to create (and read)
Carol’s Books so much more than a bookstore BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Carol’s Books, which has had a presence on Del Paso Boulevard for 15 years, is more of an artists’ salon than an independent bookstore, […]
Local Issues
It’s Easy Being Green
Propagate can help bring a little bit of nature inside BY ANNE STOKES If you look around your home and feel something’s missing, chances are you need a little greenery. “If you’re working on a […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Poor People’s Campaign marches on
Dr. King’s legacy behind a new call for a moral revival Monday, our nation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On this special day of remembrance, people will recall his […]
Local Issues
These cleaners are a blast
Company specializes in industrial-size pressure washers and other high-powered cleaning tools BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Howard Ditkof was standing inside Steam Cleaners, Inc., his Old North Sacramento business housed in his refurbished 9,500-square-foot warehouse filled with […]
Local Issues
Gilded Age treasures come to Midtown
Collection available for preview before luxury auction BY DEBBIE ARRINGTON Oh, if these furnishings could talk! Once, they graced the greatest houses in the Bay Area. Later, they decorated the sets of motion pictures. Now, […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Stay focused on your North Star
Set your compass for a better tomorrow Every leader needs a North Star, something that guides them through the darkness to where they want to be. With their compass, ancient mariners used the North Star […]
Local Issues
Colo’s spices up neighborhood
Former Oak Park restaurateurs bring popular soul food north BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Things have been somewhat hectic since Kevin and Tamar McCree’s soft opening of Colo’s Soul Food & Seafood on Nov. 1. “We’ve been […]
Local Issues
Working Together
Find your new look at Together Midtown BY ANNE STOKES In the cutthroat world of capitalism, “business is business.” But that’s not what you’ll find at Together Midtown where co-owners Rachel Minyard, Stella Manukyan and […]
Local Issues
Greater Sacramento Urban League Program Welcomes People of Color into Booming Cannabis Industry
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Thirteen people of color made history recently by mastering the skills to enter Sacramento’s legal cannabis industry—with the city’s blessing. The eight men and five women became the first to graduate from […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: A shared vision for 2020
Make these New Year’s resolutions stick Every single day, we have the opportunity to change people’s lives. In fact, we not only have the opportunity, but the responsibility, to make sure that in the fifth […]
Local Issues
Make New Year’s Fitness Resolutions with Confidence
Keep going with the right gear and support from Fleet Feet BY ANNE STOKES New Year resolutions start out with the best of intentions: Exercise, eat healthy, live better! At Fleet Feet, you can find […]
Local Issues
Thrill of discovery fills this building
Schiff Estate Services offers help as well as finds BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Stepping inside the Schiff’s Estate Sale Building is a retro trip into a garage sale multiplied by 1,000; a random yet indicative glimpse […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Time for reflection and connection
Take a few moments during this busy season to look at yourself You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise. […]
Education
WALKSacramento Strives to Ensure the Safety of Sacramento Students
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Five days a week, thousands of boys and girls throughout Sacramento walk to school and back—putting themselves in peril. At many corners, the children face motorists who might run red lights and […]
Families
Here to help with what families need
North Sacramento Family Resource Center serves as community hub for people with kids BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Rosemary Schapira has been on the job only since October, but there’s no doubt about her mastery of the […]
Local Issues
Check parking off your list
City offers free street parking in Midtown after 4:30 p.m. and all day weekends through Christmas BY DEBBIE ARRINGTON When you’re dashing to find the right last-minute gift or make it on time to a […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Striving to do MORE
This tale of two organizers shows the power of people united This time of year, people reflect on what they’ve accomplished and what they aspire to do in the year ahead. As they celebrate the […]
Local Issues
Fashion for here or to-go!
Wild Poppy & Co. Boutique opens shop in Midtown BY ANNE STOKES Good news for fans of Wild Poppy & Co. mobile boutique: Your favorite shop is open in Midtown! While you can still find […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Be a leader, find the light
Ending poverty in California starts with shared vision The purpose of SEIU Local 1000 is to have the power necessary to give our members — and all Californians — the opportunity to have a good […]
Local Issues
Boys & Men of Color Summit Fosters Brotherhood
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Thirty diverse young men—most of whom had never met—sat in a circle recently in a room at Sacramento State University, during the 8th annual Boys & Men of Color Summit. The circle […]
Local Issues
Everybody’s crazy about a sharp dressed man
Head to Midtown for stylish menswear classics BY ANNE STOKES A good pair of pants can be hard to find. Rather than silently suffering in ill-fitting slacks, Shawn Williams made his own. Now as the […]
Local Issues
Glasses with a difference; making a difference, too
Optician combines fashionable eyewear with outreach to underserved BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Walk through the door of That Guy Eyewear and you might think you’re in the wrong place. That’s because the store’s striking decor and […]
Education
Yvonne R. Walker: How to fix Prop. 13
Large corporations need to pay their fair share Proposition 13 was passed because the legislature at the time couldn’t agree how to help families stay in their homes and keep their property taxes from rising […]
Local Issues
Sammy’s keeps diners happy
Celebrating 75 years, restaurant reflects jovial owner BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Khalid “Kal” Farhoud was telling a joke. “When you get old, three things happen to you,” he said. “You start forgetting things, and then … […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Giving thanks for many people
Being part of a union tops this list What am I thankful for this holiday? I’m thankful for unions, and my union in particular. Up to 45% of all U.S. workers are legally excluded from […]
Local Issues
Iceland rises from the ashes
Beloved skating rink rebounds from arson fire BY ALLEN PIERLEONI Terrie Kerth walked a visitor out the back door of Iceland Ice Skating Rink and pointed to a white, two-story wood house. It was built […]
Local Issues
Decarcerate Sacramento Celebrates Victory Over Stalled Jail Expansion
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Criminal justice reform activists won a huge victory this month, when Sacramento County Supervisors walked away from an $89 million plan to expand Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (RCCC) in Elk Grove. Opposition […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Nurturing new leaders can bring change
How one Fresno worker helped his community for the better Where will we find tomorrow’s leaders? Look around; you may already know a leader in the making. Leadership is a skill that takes support and […]
Local Issues
Del Paso Boulevard’s History
For 85 years, this fabled street has been important to the region North Sacramento was originally part of a 44,000-acre land grant made by the Spanish government to Eliab Grimes in 1844. Called Rancho Del […]
Local Issues
Associated Sound makes events worth hearing
Family legacy continues at Del Paso business BY ALLEN PIERLEONI One of Sacramento’s oldest thoroughfares is also one of its most dynamic. Each week, join us on a stroll along Del Paso Boulevard, where you’ll […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Union apprenticeships offer leg up
Groundbreaking program creates path to a better career Imagine how difficult it is with kids, working, saving for their education, while also trying to dream of a different professional life for yourself. When do you […]
Local Issues
Decarcerate Sacramento Opposes Costly Prison Expansion Proposal
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is getting cold feet about proceeding with an $89 million expansion of Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (RCCC) in Elk Grove. Most of the five-member board came […]
Local Issues
Del Paso Boulevard’s Southpaw Sushi
A well-known local chef is back with a new destination restaurant in a vibrant part of town BY ALLEN PIERLEONI One of Sacramento’s oldest thoroughfares is also one of its most dynamic. Each week, join […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Honoring our veterans
Veterans served our country; now many serve our state Everybody is familiar with the Marine Corps motto, “Semper Fi”; it means “always faithful.” In the Marines, that faith is in God, Country, Corps. The Marines […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Facing fears with a pen
These bills target real-life horror stories Ghosts, vampires, zombies; Halloween is packed with scary things. While trick-or-treating as children, we learned to laugh at our fears. (These monsters lived in our imagination, not under our […]
Education
916 Ink Provides Young Writers Publishing Opportunities
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Three months ago, Molly Seely began a new chapter in her life by attending Amplify — a week-long summer camp for girls and boys in South Sacramento. Like traditional camps that involve […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Worried about your retirement? You are not alone
High earners should pitch in fair share to Social Security How do you feel about your retirement prospects? Are you optimistic that you’ll be able to afford to stop working some day? If you’re anxious […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Retirement security for all
Big difference between a pension and a 401(k) Thinking about retirement? For many Californians, that day will never come. They work hard their whole lives, but never have the means to finally stop worrying, put […]
Local Issues
The Issue of Rent Control
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ As recently as 2017, some Sacramento City Council members ducked the volatile issue of rent control, according to pro-tenant community activists. Amid skyrocketing rents, some of these elected officials privately requested that […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Making changes, one bill at a time
These new laws will help workers This week, Jews around the world are celebrating the end of their New Year period with a day of fasting on Yom Kippur, October 9th. For some, it is […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Taking a stand against high drug prices
Members’ personal stories at the heart of campaign California has the most poverty in the country. We don’t have a resource problem; we have a distribution problem. And one way we are kept from thinking […]
Local Issues
Hmong Activists Set Their Sights on 2020 Census and Elections
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ With 2020 fast approaching, community organizer Cha Vang is preoccupied with the golden opportunities the new year will bring for Sacramento communities to advance politically and economically. But, according to Vang, those […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Affordable housing key to ending poverty
Renters’ rights important part of this fight Sacramento used to be a bargain. People moved here from all over because our city was considered an affordable place to live and work. We were known as […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Health care shouldn’t be a headache
Open enrollment an annual reminder of rising costs BY YVONNE R. WALKER It’s that time of year again when families pull out their calculators, crunch the numbers and keep their fingers crossed. (For this headache, […]
Local Issues
The Fight for Rent Control in Sacramento Rages On
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Jovana Fajardo, a pro-tenant community organizer, agree: Crafting citywide rent control is not easy. “If it were easy, it would have happened a long time ago,” Steinberg […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Keeping our heads above water
Tentative contract helps lift up bottom, close inequality gap Arising tide lifts all boats – but only if there’s enough water to go around. To create a California for All, that rising tide also needs […]
Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Economic Justice
What can you do to end poverty for all? That can be a difficult question to ponder when you may be a paycheck away from poverty yourself. According to the Federal Reserve, one out of […]
Local Issues
Sacramento County Activists Protest Funding Increases for Jail Expansions
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Just this month, in a stunning move, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to scrap a $1.7 billion jail project. Officially, the project was meant to replace the Men’s […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Finding strength in a united voice
Labor leads way to California for all This weekend, we celebrate Labor Day, a federal holiday for 125 years. It’s not the end of summer; it’s a historic milestone. A salute to the enduring contributions […]