Aug 28, 2025
John Moran is the first male to lead St. Francisc High School in its 85-year history, but his goals transcend gender.
“Of course I want us to be the best all-girls Catholic school, but I also want to extrapolate that to be the best school of any type, period,” he says.
The Brooklyn native plans to achieve excellence by strengthening current offerings at St. Francis while adding new programs that attract students with different backgrounds and interests.
“I want to have something for everyone, and I want each student to have a variety of choices of opportunity to become well-rounded people,” Moran says.
Aug 28, 2025
Here’s what happens when 100 or more women each donate $1,000 and pool the money.
They define “power in numbers.” And they make a difference with transformational grants.
The dollars, gathered by a group called Impact100 Greater Sacramento, support nonprofits in five focus areas: arts and culture, environment, health and wellness, education, and family.
“One thousand dollars helps, but when we collectively pool our resources together, we’re able to do even greater things,” chapter President Sarina Paulson says. “It’s really good to know as a member that yes, I donated $1,000, but 391 other women also donated $1,000, so collectively my $1,000 has morphed into $452,000 (with a matching campaign). I went to six site visits this year and I can tell you firsthand the good that is going to do.”
Jul 28, 2025
The historic Nisei War Memorial Community Center is returning to life, thanks to dozens of local volunteers.
The restoration of the Downtown center—known as Nisei Hall—is led by Debbie Eto and Dr. Michael Luszczak.
Eto is vice president of the Japanese American Citizens League, which bought the building with VFW Nisei Post 8985, a Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter created for Japanese American veterans after World War II.
Jul 26, 2025
Find out what is happening in Sacramento during the month of August!
Jul 26, 2025
Lois Buchter—Miss Lois to her students—has a lifelong affair with drawing. She loves sharing that passion with kids ages 5 to 10.
Buchter ran the nation’s largest Monart School of Art franchise in Texas from 2008 to 2013. Now she brings her expertise to Sacramento with a new children’s educational television program.
“I want to give that gift of creativity,” Buchter says. “I know how the beast roars. You think you’ll feed it and it’ll be quiet, but no, it wants more. It’s such a rewarding, self-fulfilling elevation. I want to give that to kids on a national basis.”
Jun 28, 2025
When Daniel Fong says Mandarins of Sacramento—now called Mandarins Performing Arts—is “kind of my whole life,” it’s no exaggeration.
Fong has been part of the drum and bugle corps for decades. His interest began in third grade when his older brother joined Mandarins. Fong played in the corps from 12 to 21, the age limit.
He stayed on as brass instructor and music arranger while studying zoology at UC Davis and optometry at UC Berkeley. He joined the Mandarins board in 2017 and became CEO in 2021.
“People form lifelong relationships in the Mandarins,” Fong says. “My best friends now are the ones I marched with back in the 1970s.”
