May 28, 2022
Everyone in California knows water is a hot topic. Water rights, drought, agriculture, climate change—California’s past and future are inextricably linked to H2O.
Retired water attorney Craig Wilson tapped into the state’s water drama for his debut novel “Kesterson: An Environmental Thriller,” based on the real-life case he handled in the 1980s involving Merced County’s Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge.
In the 1970s, Central Valley farmers were having trouble draining excess water from their land. Experts thought migratory birds in the nearby wildlife refuge could benefit from more water, so farms were allowed to divert drainage into the area.
May 28, 2022
Looking for an antique armoire? Maybe a beautiful vintage dress? Or perhaps a tabletop accessory, cute pillow or fun kitchen sign? You don’t need to drive all over town. Just head to Midtown Bliss Home & Gifts, a one-stop shop for unique vintage and antique items, home décor, furniture and gifts from more than 120 vendors.
Co-owners Sydnei Kelly and her mom, Stacy Tomlinson, opened their first Bliss outpost in Rancho Cordova in 2016. Tomlinson had run her own antique and vintage shop in Folsom for years before it became too hard to make ends meet, due in part to the 2008 recession. When Kelly returned to Sacramento after a stint in Texas for her husband’s job, the mother-daughter duo went into business together.
Apr 28, 2022
Lynn and Virgil Nelson have had 17 different people live in their home over the past several years. They don’t run a boarding house. They are home sharers, people who offer unused space to those who need a place to stay.
“It’s not a weird idea, it’s a proven model,” Lynn says, citing 47 home-share organizations across the U.S. “We’ve had the personal experience of how enriching it can be.”
The Nelsons have always been ready to help others. Virgil is a retired American Baptist pastor and the couple traveled the world as missionaries. When they settled in Roseville seven years ago to be closer to grandchildren, they saw the need for affordable housing and realized they could make a difference.
Apr 28, 2022
Walk through the county’s animal shelter on Bradshaw Road. The high-ceiling entryway opens to a spacious roundabout surrounded with glass-walled condos, each holding one or two large dogs, many pit bulls and German shepherds, and their mixed counterparts.
Stroll through the back door to an open-air corridor. Large windows allow visitors to view groups of small dogs housed together. Chihuahua and chihuahua mixes run back and forth, yelping with excitement. Further down are hallways lined with kennels housing medium and large dogs. Again, pit bulls and German shepherds dominate.
Mar 28, 2022
For the first time in a long while, Lili Bach feels like she’s in the right place.
After spending 14 years on the East Coast as a union organizer, the Napa native is back on her home turf as United Way California Capital Region’s new labor liaison director.
“Activism runs in my blood,” says Bach, a Downtown resident. “I love doing work with labor and changing lives on the frontlines.”
Mar 28, 2022
When people see a bonsai plant, they’re amazed and want to touch it to see if it’s real,” Lucy Sakaishi-Judd says. “They’re flabbergasted by how small it is. The viewing of it is to see the beauty.”
Sakaishi-Judd is president of the Sacramento and Sierra bonsai clubs and a member of the American Bonsai Association, Sacramento. She is also a member of Bonsai Sekiyukai and Satsuki Aikokai, which specialize in Japanese Azaleas. She oversees one of the most impressive bonsai collections in California. Her Rocklin property is a labyrinth of greenery, with hundreds of bonsai plants crowded on workbenches, shelves and swiveling displays.
