Buttercup lives on a 3-foot tether in a homeless camp near Downtown. The tan, mixed-breed dog is 3 years old. She’s had three litters—24 puppies.
Buttercup is one of three dozen dogs who have lived and died in a lineup of tattered tents off Highway 160 over the last three years.
In that time, 155 puppies were born. Forty-nine died, 65 were sold or traded, 25 are gone.
“Gone means the puppies just disappeared,” Debbie Tillotson says.
Homelessness continues to escalate with 187,000 people living on California streets or in shelters in January 2024, a 55% surge since 2016.
Despite $24 billion spent from 2019 to 2023, the state accounts for 24% of U.S. homeless and 45% of unsheltered individuals, far exceeding its 11.6% population share.
Within this crisis sits Sacramento. Dangerous encampments, junk-filled streets, violence and public drug use are daily experiences for people living in desperation.
The handful of residents at Joshua’s House in North Sacramento, believed to be the first hospice on the West Coast to serve the homeless population, can finally experience the comfort, dignity and respect elusive for people living on the streets.
The new facility on Larchwood Drive began caring for its terminally ill residents this summer. The site is owned and operated by YoloCares, a nonprofit hospice provider.
As Inside columnist Jeff Harris detailed last month, Joshua’s House founder Marlene von Friederichs-Fitzwater worked years to line up political support, find the best location and secure $3.5 million needed for the facility. Controversies followed from concept to reality.
Chef Brad Cecchi and his team at Canon have six mentions in Michelin guides. It’s easy to see why. Canon is an elegantly casual dining room that highlights every ingredient in the enterprise, whether those ingredients are on the plate, in the glass or part of the exceptional service.
Opened in 2017, Canon began as a strange room in a strange place. Almost invisible near Stockton Boulevard, the vibe was different. Experiments with dim sum-style delivery and adventures in fermentation came and went. Now Canon is among the city’s best restaurants.
The feel of Canon’s dining room is modern—a big departure from the surroundings. The stark, industrial nature of 34th Street camouflages what lies within.
On the water, rowers can’t think about much else. Rhythm and teamwork take concentration. Or as Shari Lowen puts it, when you’re in the boat, you’re in the boat.
This works for Lowen and her fellow ROWsist members. Lowen founded ROWsist rowing group within the River City Rowing Club in 2023 for cancer survivors like herself.
She wanted to “give people who’ve been through cancer an opportunity to use their bodies and minds” along with “the community and emotional aspect of doing something together.”
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.
