Jan 28, 2023
One lesson Christie Martinez’s mom instilled at an early age was “there’s always a way.”
That idea stuck with Martinez as she embarked on a new career path as a digital artist who specializes in pet portraits to raise money for animal rescue organizations.
“It all starts with the thought process of giving,” says Martinez, a Sacramento native who lives in Fair Oaks with her husband and 12-year-old son. “You see all these animals in the shelters. I feel so bad for them, I wish I could take them all home. I thought, if I’m doing pet portraits, how cool would it be to partner with these organizations and donate? It’s a win-win everywhere.”
Jan 28, 2023
Blake and Christine Dugger were married in 2000 and now have three children, Ashby, 11, Penelope, 8, and Crosby, 4½. The kids attend Sacred Heart Parish School. When the school’s fundraiser Holiday Home Tour returned this past December (after a two-year hiatus), the family was ready to showcase its newly remodeled house.
“Four years ago, we moved into this vintage home,” Christine says. “We lived previously at 45th and D streets in a small, two-bedroom home. We made plans to remodel and expand to accommodate our growing family. We were not even looking for another place.
“My youngest was just a baby, and on a stroller walk I spotted the open house for this home. After a quick tour I called Blake and said we needed to buy this house. It had charm, space and everything we had ever hoped for.”
Jan 28, 2023
Since 1975, when the city announced plans for the Sacramento River Parkway and bike trail, various people said they would sue to stop it. For 48 years, there were no lawsuits. There was also no parkway.
As the levee parkway and bike path finally head toward completion in the next two years, it’s fair to wonder whether litigation can slow or derail a project that’s already a half-century behind schedule.
Anyone can threaten to sue. As a young reporter at The Bee, I thought I had a scoop when a soccer team owner told me he was going to sue the government for messing with his players’ visas.
Jan 28, 2023
To be honest, I hate to hear someone begin a sentence with, “To be honest.”
The phrase seems to say, “Get ready, I’m really going to let you have it.”
Nevertheless, to be honest, I really hate coffee.
I know hate is a strong word coming from a spiritual columnist. But I think it’s best to be straightforward.
