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.
Jan 28, 2022
Tyler and Jessica Wichmann love midcentury design and have become preservationists of the design era. They restored and remodeled a 2,100-square-foot home, a gem built in 1976 in the Wildflower subdivision of Carmichael. The home features three bedrooms and two baths.
Wildflower has 43 homes designed by architect Carter Sparks and built by the Streng Brothers. “It’s really special that a few of the original owners are still here,” Tyler says. “One couple has been here since 1975 and they customized their design. He was a plumber for Streng Brothers, so they got to make it really special.”
“This is the atrium model of this subdivision featuring a flat roof. We were instantly attracted to it as my wife and I are big plant people, and we’ve collected many cacti, succulents and houseplants over the years,” he says.
Jan 28, 2022
I’m convinced most folks have no idea how much work happens behind the scenes with local government and leaders trying to resolve our homeless crisis.
Frustrated friends and neighbors tell me the city or county “does nothing” when an encampment gathers and grows. I decided to take a close look at two camps near my home and report on what’s really being done.
Commerce Circle is a commercial zone with offices and warehouses west of the Cal Expo Boulevard Costco. For two years, businesses on Commerce Circle endured some of the most extreme impacts of homelessness.
Dec 28, 2021
I recently joined the Community Advisory Board of the local Del Oro division of The Salvation Army. My financial donations started with my father, who gave my sisters and me dollars to stuff into Red Kettle campaigns at Christmas.
My parents loved how the mission helped communities in inner city Detroit, where we grew up. I’ve made donations for more than 60 years.
Recognized throughout the world for its humanitarian work, thrift shops and donation kettles, The Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian church. It has one agenda: to meet the human need in the name of God without discrimination. Because they work on the frontlines where people are in need or suffering, Army workers refer to themselves as soldiers.
