Interesting People
Fresh Start
Rich Desmond is ready to join the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors as the representative from District 3, which stretches from Sacramento State University to beyond Hazel Avenue.
Desmond is excited but knows the challenges. He says his father would have offered this advice: “Always remember who you are and what you represent.”
For the newly elected supervisor, those words mean doing the right thing and helping the less fortunate.
Dancing Through Life
On Sept. 19, 2020, Barbara Crockett celebrated her 100th birthday—a tremendous milestone by any calculation. She also celebrated nearly a century in the dance world as a performer, teacher and founder of arts organizations that continue to offer top-level dance education and performance—in Sacramento and beyond.
“My mother has been one of the important strongholds of classical ballet in the country for over 70 years,” says Allyson Deane, Crockett’s daughter. Crockett, along with her husband Deane Crockett, Allyson Deane and Deane’s husband Don Schwennesen, co-founded the Sacramento Civic Ballet Company and Deane Dance Center—one of Sacramento’s premiere dance schools.
A Magic Collection
When the coronavirus pandemic forced the world to quarantine back in March, Joe Wilson followed the common theme of many Americans—use his extra time to organize and declutter his house. He intended to throw out old items, but ended up adding many new ones.
“Just like everyone else, I wanted to do something I hadn’t had the time to do before the pandemic,” Wilson says.
As he went through boxes of holiday decorations, he discovered a Christopher Radko ornament with a hand-written number on it. The Carmichael resident became intrigued and researched the history and purpose of the handcrafted glass ornament, and soon found out about the “Magic 25.”
Challenge Accepted
Carol Rae Anapolsky loves a good challenge.
During her 91 years, the Midtown resident has been the only woman in a male-dominated job (more than once), owned one of the region’s largest gourmet chocolate shops, become a sought-after jewelry designer in Oregon and, more recently, learned to live independently despite being legally blind.
What’s in a Name?
Bustling, innovative, homey—words you wouldn’t think to describe alleyways. But in Sacramento, this defines these urban corridors.
Nestled among the busy streets of Sacramento’s “grid” are 21 alleys whose names represent many of the city’s characteristics. Not only have the names made for easier directions, but also created opportunities for businesses to uniquely use their spaces.
Nearly a decade ago, Sacramento alleys were unidentified—distinguished only by the streets they sat between. After being approved by the City Council in 2011, they were all given specific names.
A Place To Nest
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.
