Oct 27, 2020
In this grim season of infection and lockdown, the resurgence of the western bluebird in Sacramento recently popped up as a bright thread on the social media site Nextdoor, where the chatter usually features more downbeat concerns like porch theft or the growing number of people living on sidewalks and in parks.
It’s hard not to notice the bluebird, which suddenly seems everywhere in this capital city. The males are vivid flashes of blue and rusty orange as they swoop and dart, chasing insects along golf fairways and expanses of grass. Bluebirds perch on street signs, venture up on porches and hop along the ground.
Oct 27, 2020
Marcia Eymann is very proud of the collection she oversees as the city historian at the Center for Sacramento History—and she wants her fellow Sacramentans to be proud too.
CSH is the official repository and research center for Sacramento city and county historic collections, which includes public documents, manuscripts, objects, millions of feet of film and more than 7 million photographs that reflect the social, political, geographic and cultural history of the Sacramento region.
Oct 27, 2020
During a pandemic, it’s only natural to turn to the most socially distanced place you can go—not just 6 feet apart, but 6 feet under. The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery on Broadway is seeing an uptick in visitors, says park maintenance worker Megan Crose.
At work among the gravestones recently, Crose recounted a colorful story about a man—Franz Louis Asch—buried in the city cemetery’s New Helvetia plot. In 1877, the 22-year-old Asch paid a fateful visit to a Virginia City brothel. “He was making a lot of noise and someone downstairs was yelling up at him to be quiet,” says Crose, who got this oral history from Asch’s descendants. “He was a little drunk and said, ‘Well, who’s going to make me?’ After they went back and forth a couple of times about quieting down, the guy downstairs went upstairs and shot him.”
Oct 27, 2020
As we cope with the unprecedented upheavals brought on by the pandemic, Inside Sacramento wants to recognize the essential workers who provide critical services and much-needed normalcy. How has the pandemic changed their workdays? How can the public make their jobs easier? How do they feel about providing essential services to our communities? Meet the bus driver, counterperson and recycle truck driver. We asked them to share their stories
Oct 27, 2020
By the end of this month, Courtney Bailey-Kanelos is going to be ready for one epic nap. As the Sacramento County registrar of voters, Bailey-Kanelos is in charge of making sure elections go as smoothly as possible—and the preparation for this year’s presidential election Nov. 3 has been a doozy.
“Preparing for an election is like planning a wedding—but for 800,000 people,” says Bailey-Kanelos, who, at 36, is one of the youngest registrars in the state. “I’m so impressed with everyone who works elections. I’ve never met a more dedicated group of individuals. When I was younger and I’d go to my polling place, I took for granted how much work had gone into it. It’s not just an 8-to-5 job. During big elections like this one, it’s not unusual for us to be here until midnight entering registration forms. We spend so much time together, we become like a tightknit family.”
Oct 27, 2020
The next time you’re on the American River bike trail and you see someone ride by in a red Bike Patrol jersey, make sure you wave and say hi. That rider might just be Brandon Cheng, one of the friendly volunteer trail ambassadors for the newly formed American River Bike Patrol.
“If you need anything, let any of us know—we’re always happy to help,” says Cheng, a senior at Del Oro High School in Loomis who started volunteering as a junior patroller after learning about the program from his dad Jim, a veteran of the National Ski Patrol (which oversees the local Bike Patrol). “Whether you’re lost, injured or need a repair, pull us over, chase us down, get our attention. Never be nervous to ask for help. We never say no.”
