The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that one in every four women and one in every 31 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Locally, domestic violence occurs every day. It includes elder abuse, child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking. Last year in Sacramento County, there were more than 18,000 domestic violence calls to 911. Our law enforcement agencies respond to more domestic violence-related calls than any other problem. The tragic loss of 26-year-old Sacramento Police Officer Tara O’Sullivan—who in June was fatally shot while responding to a domestic disturbance—is a sad reminder of the danger these situations pose for law enforcement.
Browsing in a gift shop recently, I came across a lovely poster with the headline, “How to Build Community.” Given that building our community has been my mission for almost 30 years, I was naturally attracted to the message. The poster listed dozens of suggestions. Here they are, with some thoughts along the way. And I’d love to hear your ideas—email me and we’ll publish them in an upcoming edition.
Across the world, the mural movement is bringing artistry and color to cities large and small.
A growing body of research has associated murals with social, cultural and economic benefits. Murals help build a sense of community. They offer accessibility to art and creative expression without the problem of cost-based barriers, such as museums and galleries.
This month, our own city’s mural status will be multiplied and celebrated. Running Aug. 8–18, Wide Open Walls has become the premiere mural festival on the West Coast, attracting artists from all over the world who contribute to Sacramento’s vibrant street art scene.
For 23 years, we have been committed to delivering our monthly Inside Sacramento publications free to readers. It has been an innovative business model. Our readers tell us they enjoy the product. The community has been well served. More than a decade ago, most other Sacramento print publications took desperate leaps into the digital world. Sadly, the publications that charged subscriptions saw their subscriber bases and revenues shrink when they rolled out digital formats.
The Historic City Cemetery is home to the 500-bush Historic Rose Garden, as well as two other major gardens. For decades it has been restored and maintained by dedicated volunteers. Now these same volunteers are outraged at being asked to sign a new six-page agreement outlining the details of their service.
During the last 18 months, my McKinley Park neighborhood has experienced a battle over the city’s plan to construct a large underground water vault. The project will go beneath McKinley Park’s eastern side where the baseball field sits.
We’ve had contentious community meetings, with neighbor against neighbor. Most water vault supporters—I am one of them—tended to stay out of the battle and let the city deal with the small but intense group of vault opponents.
