Apr 28, 2022
Ann Huntsman made a bold, life-changing decision in 2017. Turning 80, she decided to uproot from Cupertino and move to Sacramento to be near her only grandchild.
“I had lived for decades in a two-story, six-bedroom Spanish-style home where we raised our family,” Huntsman says. “It was very traditional, a job to maintain, and I had accumulated years of possessions. But it was time for me to start again in a whole new style of living.”
Huntsman is a retired nurse and investor in health care technology. Her daughter and family live a mile away. She could not be happier.
Mar 28, 2022
The Woodside condominium complex in Arden is a hidden gem. It’s a gated community on Howe Avenue between Sierra Boulevard and Northrup Avenue, and features a park setting with mature trees and gardens. The 725-unit planned apartment complex was developed in the 1960s and converted to condominiums around 1980.
Homeowner Lyn Efken has been a resident since 1982, when she purchased a Woodside townhouse. After she retired as a speech pathologist and program administrator, she managed other Woodside properties for homeowners who rented their units.
Mar 28, 2022
In May 2019, I wrote my first article on the tragedy of homeless people living on our streets. The column was titled “Is Sacramento Dying?” It was based on the documentary film “Seattle Is Dying.”
The film was produced by Seattle TV station KOMO in 2018. It begins with a bold thesis: This is about an idea. For a city that has run out of them. What if Seattle is dying? Can it ever recover?
The column was the most widely shared article on our website—shared thousands of times. Many readers feared our city was following Seattle’s course, driven by a lack of civic leadership.
The response helped me recognize the inadequacy of Sacramento media coverage. Homeless problems were not being seriously discussed in 2019. At Inside, we vowed to publish news, viewpoints, ideas and solutions in every issue moving forward.
Feb 27, 2022
Allyson and Rich Carlson are good at making and executing plans. When the empty nesters decided to downsize a couple years ago, they made a mutually beneficial plan with their daughter and son-in-law, then house hunting for their own family.
“When we decided to move from our large traditional bungalow in East Sac, we worked with them to find a home that could accommodate a newly built ADU in the backyard,” Allyson says.
In 2020, the young couple found a sprawling 1970s Arden ranch with a huge yard and pool. “It was perfect for what we wanted to do,” Allyson says. Her accessory dwelling unit plan was set in motion.
Feb 27, 2022
Mia Siino is a 17-year-old sophomore at St. Francis High School. She is the third of four children in her family. It doesn’t take long after meeting Mia to discover she is a fun, outgoing and determined young woman. Mia also happens to have Down syndrome.
Mia tells me she loves working with little kids, dancing, hanging out at Starbucks, her friends and school. I find her enthusiasm contagious. “Her favorite day of the year is her birthday, and she loves to celebrate it for as long as possible,” says Mia’s mother, Karen Siino.
School counselor Nora Anderson says Mia is always first to jump in and help with whatever is needed. Mia’s mom says her daughter strives for more independence and plans to go to college, get married, work and live on her own one day.
