Cultural arts groups in Sacramento and the venues that host them often live on the financial edge. They know how to persevere. In recent years, many have thrived.
Now they are shuttered by contagion. Ticket sales are zero. Philanthropy has slowed. The only good news involves the Downtown convention center and theater. They didn’t lose any business because they were already dark.
When we are confronted with the unexpected or the unimaginable, it can feel impossible to look past the here and now. As the COVID-19 health crisis continues to spread, the world has changed dramatically. Yet, through it all, there have been beautiful examples of our community pulling together and picking up the pieces.
Sacramento is America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. We built this designation with the hard work, creativity, and ingenuity of our many restaurants and businesses. Innovation has been the key to building and sustaining our economy during “normal” times and now, more than ever, we must to use our imagination and determination to find a new path forward.
Sacramento has a gift for growing smart, experienced local political leaders. Mayor Darrell Steinberg served at the highest levels of California governance. County Board of Supervisors Chair Phil Serna was raised in a home led by two educators, one of whom was mayor.
But somehow, local leaders are struck dumb by homelessness.
A broken, unwanted levee fence cost Steve Hansen his political career.
One year ago, Hansen decided to stop people from walking onto the Sacramento River levee in Little Pocket. He told city park officials to build a black iron fence and gate on Riverside Boulevard near 35th Avenue.
Let’s erase the McClatchy name from Sacramento. Rebrand the high school. Call the park something relevant. As for the little street in Land Park, change it. The name McClatchy means a family best forgotten.
Media turned weepy in February when the McClatchy Company declared bankruptcy and ended the family’s 163-year run as the ultimate Sacramento newspaper dynasty. The tears were not deserved.
