Interesting People
All In The Family
“There’s a restaurant in every family tree,” writer Nancy Econome says. “I wanted to bring out those stories.”
Econome has done just that with her debut novel, “The Classic Grill: A Tale of Greek Gods and Immigrant Heroes,” which chronicles the family struggles of a successful Greek-owned restaurant in Vallejo in 1942. The book is loosely based on Econome’s grandparents’ restaurant of the same name.
The Real Deal
Jennifer Sattler is the first person to admit that “fashion is fluffy—but it also makes a big difference.”
Now striking out on her own after 20 years as a personal stylist at Nordstrom, Sattler is all about how clothing makes you feel—and it doesn’t need to be designer to make you feel your best.
“It’s not just about the brand, it’s about your aesthetic, your lifestyle, what resonates with you,” she says. “Whether it’s Target or Chanel, you have to know what works for you.”
Here Comes The Sun
Sunburst Projects’ new executive director Jacob Bradley-Rowe likes to say that he’s proud of his organization—a nonprofit that empowers children, women and families living with HIV—for always taking the extra step. The same could be said of Bradley-Rowe himself.
Bradley-Rowe has dedicated nearly two decades of his life to nonprofit work, both as a staffer and volunteer. The interest in giving back to his community was instilled in him from an early age—as the sixth generation of his family to raise cattle and sheep in Grass Valley, Bradley-Rowe spent his childhood deeply involved with 4H and FFA.
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.”
