Since 1911, the I Street Bridge has faithfully carried trains and cars and people and bicycles on its slender, double-deck span 400 feet across the muddy Sacramento River.
The bridge is an old-timey mechanical marvel. Giant gears pivot the decks sideways, like a sword on a spindle, when tall boats approach. Mark Twain would have loved it, but he died in 1910 and missed the grand opening by a year.
Along North 12th Street, X Street or Alhambra Boulevard, the ubiquitous presence of unsheltered people and their tents, shopping carts, plastic bags, bicycles and detritus suggests Sacramento has no clue how to handle homelessness.
But that impression is wrong. The city does have a clue—recorded in a secret little publication called “Homeless Services Division Playbook.”
Sacramento received some good news recently. You might have missed it. There was no announcement, no media briefings. There were a few brief and whispered acknowledgements around City Hall, the kind where someone smiles tightly and says, “I just want you to know.”
Here’s the good news: There will not be another strong mayor campaign in Sacramento, at least not in the bankable future, and not conducted by Darrell Steinberg. After 11 years of plotting and dreaming that extended across two uniquely ambitious mayoral administrations, reality has been accepted at the center office on the fifth floor at City Hall.
The name evokes innocence and generosity. Sacramento Children’s Fund Act of 2020. But the details quickly congeal into something more prosaic: money, about $12.5 million a year in city taxpayer dollars, destined for parts unknown.
In March, Sacramento voters may be asked to amend the City Charter and dedicate 2.5 percent of the general fund to a private revenue pool for youth-oriented nonprofit organizations.
Here’s one cheap and easy way for sports fans to improve their chances of living longer and healthier lives: Park on 15th Street and walk to an event at Golden 1 Center. The secret to longevity can be found in each step.
October may be the perfect month for walking in Sacramento. The blazing summer heat has eased. The dreary skies and soaking winter rains have not arrived. Pollen counts are reasonable. And the benefits of a hearty walk improve each time a new medical research study is published.
