Shouted Down

Shouted Down

The plan was to gather at Land Park Drive and Broadway. We wanted to show support for law enforcement and express concerns over crime and the degraded quality of life in Land Park.

We wanted to hold city leaders accountable for our safety.

The demonstration began at 10 a.m. on Sept. 10. Land Park neighbors greeted each other and compared homemade signs. They discussed the spread of crime in their neighborhood. Signs said, “No on the increase in crime,” “Safe neighborhoods” and “Support our Sacramento Police Department.”

Take A Hike

Take A Hike

Few painters can make you feel like you’re really there. But stare at one of Tom Sorensen’s landscapes and you can almost feel the Santa Cruz wind ruffling your hair, smell the damp earth after a rain in Montgomery Woods, hear the surf crash against the shore below Pigeon Point.

Sorensen, hiker and outdoorsman, enjoys capturing beautiful places he visits. Oil paint and canvas are how he documents “grand views” from his travels.

“I’ve always been into hiking and enjoy being out in nature—it’s very restorative,” says the retired respiratory therapist. “Any time my mood is not good, if I get out and go for a hike, it makes me feel better.”

From Stage To Page

From Stage To Page

A farmer in overalls and rugged brown boots kneels next to a large, orange pumpkin, its stem neatly crosshatched in vivid green. This is the work of Matthew Patrick Callaghan, son of celebrated oral storyteller Mary Lynne McGrath and illustrator of McGrath’s book, “The Farmer, the Thief and the Pumpkin Patch.”

“People often ask Patrick how he got the ideas for the images to match and support the words,” McGrath says. “He’s very good at figuring out the heart of each page.”

This collaborative project is the result of years of work by both writer and illustrator. McGrath, a local legend who has taught and performed storytelling for children and adults, got the idea for the book while studying for her master’s degree in early childhood education at Sacramento State.

Never Idle

Never Idle

Raymond L. Ledesma has been an athlete, army medic, engineer, bar owner, writer, husband and father. At age 88, he recently learned to play guitar. But in some ways, he’s just getting started.

“My ambitions for the rest of my life are to get a boulevard in Sacramento named after my grandpa, who was a famous saddle maker, and get a book published,” Ledesma says.

Endless ambitions have taken Ledesma around the world. As a kid growing up in Fruitridge and Curtis Park, he attended C.K. McClatchy High School where he played baseball and football. When he got drafted, he attended medic training in San Antonio before spending six months in Korea.

Camped Out

Camped Out

What happens when camping is banned on the American River Parkway? Sacramento County will soon find out.

Homeless advocates predict people will die. Parkway environmentalists say the natural waterways will continue to be harmed if campers remain. Average citizens express fear for their safety unless campers are removed.

Now that the Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved the parkway camping ban, don’t expect anything drastic to occur right away.