Mar 28, 2020
The Pocket-Greenhaven community has two citizen-warriors who work hard to keep bureaucrats honest. They are the two Jims—Jim Geary and Jim Houpt. Both lawyers, they love to deploy their expertise to dissect documents, ask tough questions and insist authorities deliver services as promised.
The two Jims give special attention to the river and levees that make Pocket and Greenhaven unique. They are serious about parks and recreation. They believe the city must deliver on its 1975 promise to complete the Sacramento River Parkway atop the levee from Freeport to Downtown.
Mar 28, 2020
Nothing bonds sports fans better than a friendly wager. Maybe $20. Or $100. No matter the dollar amount, betting on sports quickens the pulse, heightens the intensity and pulls the fan into the action. When you’ve got money riding on the game, the final score really matters.
Unfortunately, California sports fans transform themselves into criminals when they make a sports bet. Sports wagering is illegal in the state, whether online or between two neighbors. The only way to stay within the boundaries of California law is to make your wager in Nevada.
Jan 28, 2020
Being a Kings fan is one of the toughest jobs in sports. The team is awful. And it’s hard to find relevant, intelligent media. Lots of web platforms carry information on the Kings. But when it comes to deeper insights, the sports media landscape quickly turns barren.
Three decades ago, I was The Sacramento Bee reporter assigned full time to cover the Kings. My job was to cultivate insight. Unlike today, when player availability to the media is tightly controlled, access wasn’t a problem. I would attend practice each morning and go to shoot-around sessions on game days.
Jan 28, 2020
A prominent supporter of Measure G, the Sacramento Children’s Fund Act on the March 3 ballot, will pay state authorities $400,000 to settle a lawsuit for allegedly taking public money from migrant housing and spending it on restaurants, hotels, taxes and other personal expenses while overcharging farmworkers for rent.
Derrell and Tina Roberts, married co-founders of the Roberts Family Development Center of North Sacramento, quietly settled a lawsuit in August filed by State Attorney General Xavier Becerra. The settlement allows the Roberts to avoid a trial.
Jan 28, 2020
Katie Valenzuela saw people struggling to pay rent and buy groceries. She saw taxes going up. She heard promises from City Hall. But the promises were empty. And the problems got worse.
For solutions, she looked to her City Council member, Steve Hansen. She heard only excuses.
