Interesting People
Culture Keeper
Bill Cerruti just returned from his annual trip to Italy. It was work and play.
Cerruti and his wife, a native of Lucca, lead tours as part of their work running the Italian Cultural Society, which they founded in 1981.
As a young man, a proud Italian American and East Sacramento native, Cerruti searched for a cultural organization to meet other young Italians and stay in touch with his roots. When the Italian American club system didn’t click with him, he started his own group.
Green Light
Kimberly Cargile is sold on cannabis. As CEO of an East Sacramento dispensary called A Therapeutic Alternative, Cargile spends her days advocating for the long-maligned plant.
“There’s overwhelming positive research (about the benefits of cannabis),” Cargile says. “It’s sad that anybody would let the stigma stop them from advancing science.”
Cargile was a pre-med college student but found herself drawn toward natural medicine. Studies in herbalism, cannabis, yoga, reiki hands-on healing and pharmacology followed.
Self-Made
When Vivian Kerr discovered a memory book from 12th grade at her childhood home in Arden, her answer to the question “what do you want to be?” surprised her.
“It said, ‘I want to be a writer, actor, director and producer,’” Kerr says. “Those are the four things I’m doing now. That’s nuts. I feel very lucky. I’m connected to everything I ever wanted to do.”
Kerr recently released her first feature film, “SCRAP,” which she wrote, produced, directed and starred in. The project culminated years of building confidence in a notoriously unforgiving industry.
New Direction
John Moran is the first male to lead St. Francisc High School in its 85-year history, but his goals transcend gender.
“Of course I want us to be the best all-girls Catholic school, but I also want to extrapolate that to be the best school of any type, period,” he says.
The Brooklyn native plans to achieve excellence by strengthening current offerings at St. Francis while adding new programs that attract students with different backgrounds and interests.
“I want to have something for everyone, and I want each student to have a variety of choices of opportunity to become well-rounded people,” Moran says.
Blossoms & Bees
Four years ago, I wrote about an undeveloped Pocket property for sale. The 4-acre parcel stretched from Pocket Road to the Sacramento River. Descendants of Albert Mendes Rodgers, a Portuguese rancher, hoped new owners would restore the property to its former glory.
The parcel was sold in 2023 to Dawn McGuire and Aaron Burt. The buyers are siblings who envision an urban farm to honor the land’s history.
Magic Art
Lois Buchter—Miss Lois to her students—has a lifelong affair with drawing. She loves sharing that passion with kids ages 5 to 10.
Buchter ran the nation’s largest Monart School of Art franchise in Texas from 2008 to 2013. Now she brings her expertise to Sacramento with a new children’s educational television program.
“I want to give that gift of creativity,” Buchter says. “I know how the beast roars. You think you’ll feed it and it’ll be quiet, but no, it wants more. It’s such a rewarding, self-fulfilling elevation. I want to give that to kids on a national basis.”
