Dignified Ending

Dignified Ending

Early last year, I needed hospice care for the end of my husband’s long life. I asked Jim’s doctor for YoloCares hospice. He said it was a good choice. He heard good reviews about YoloCares, especially in grief support services.

My decision was personal. It was a tribute to how Jim and I built our business for 27 years. Yolo was our largest advertiser. I learned about their services from ads. Jim always wanted to support businesses that supported us.

Jim’s hospice care was less than five days. He was 93 and suffered four years of worsening dementia after a car accident that caused a brain injury. His wishes were clear. He was ready to go.

Comeback Story

Comeback Story

With March primary elections in full force, Sacramento needs a plan to repair the damage from recent years. Problems include homelessness, crime and the effects of destructive COVID-19 lockdown policies. We need solutions.

Before the pandemic, the city was on its way to becoming a sought-after location. Between 2016 and 2018, I published two editions of our Inside Sacramento book highlighting the most interesting restaurants and shops in America’s farm-to-fork capital. The books were a hit. I was optimistic.

Today that optimism is gone. City life is worse, not better. A national survey of major cities ranks Sacramento as No. 2 in growth of homeless populations. From 2020 to 2023 Sacramento’s unhoused numbers exploded by 68%.

Obvious Choice

Obvious Choice

Next month we celebrate 27 years of publishing Inside Sacramento, now the largest print circulation periodical in the region. Covering local politics has been part of our mission since we started.

In recent years, as our beloved city has descended into chaos, we stepped up our coverage. I like to think we’ve led the way with analysis and reports on the toughest city issues. We’ve done our best to hold local elected officials accountable.

On March 5, four of the eight City Council positions are up for reelection. For many Inside readers, the most important race involves District 4, which includes East Sacramento, Midtown and Downtown.

Hero’s Death

Hero’s Death

This post has been sponsored by: Hero’s Death A grandson dies while saving lives in Israel By Cecily Hastings December 2023 Something seemed amiss as I greeted my neighbor Brenda Wolfson. She and her husband Jon had been out of the country for two weeks. I didn’t know...
Kind Of Easy

Kind Of Easy

Agood life is achieved with habits that bring happiness and well-being. Eat healthy. Move your body. Sleep well. Develop meaningful relationships. To those time-tested strategies I’ll add another. Cultivate kindness.

Three years of pandemic and lockdowns didn’t help a society well on its way to being far less connected and more self-absorbed.

One way out of this mess is for each of us to reconnect with the idea of shared kindness. It’s all about being aware of your impact on the world.

The Real Cost

The Real Cost

Strategies and services offered to homeless people are varied, depending on the situation. In Sacramento, the city and county provide services. So do numerous nonprofits and faith organizations.

Sacramento Steps Forward created a coordinated entry system. It starts with access from three sources: street outreach, partner agencies and 211—the primary entry point for homeless services. The pathway starts with assessments and prioritization.

But every program requires homeless people to accept intervention. It’s important to understand a huge proportion of homeless individuals prefer life on the streets over help.