Neighborhood News and Events - Inside Sacramento

Snake Safety

There are two reasons I don’t walk my dogs along the American River Parkway this time of year: foxtails and rattlesnakes.

Foxtail grass has a bushy seed head. As it matures and dries under Sacramento’s hot summer sun, the spiked “tail” becomes rigid and barbed. It can lodge in fur, skin, eyes, ears and nose. The result is painful for the pet and expensive for the owner.

Then there are rattlesnakes. Fear them or endear them, this native reptile lives among us.

Active spring through fall, Sacramento’s late winter heatwave “caused the snakes to jumpstart their seasonal activity,” Michael Starkey, founder of the local nonprofit Save The Snakes, says. “If it’s warmer, you’ll have more activity. If it’s colder, you’ll have less activity.”

Pocket Life June 2026

Pocket Life By Corky Mau June 2026...

Drink Up

I wanted to live in Land Park but couldn’t afford it. That’s how I ended up moving to Pocket in 1990.

The first house I fell in love with was on Marty Way two blocks south of Broadway. What I loved most was that I could walk from the front door—or shuffle with age—to Tower Theatre or Joe Marty’s saloon in under four minutes.

But the Marty Way house was out of my league. I couldn’t put down enough money or qualify for the mortgage.

New Tenant on Old Sac Waterfront

New Tenant on Old Sac Waterfront A...

Water Works

For the first time in more than 15 years, the historic fountain at the east end of Capitol Mall is alive again. Water arcs into the air where a dry basin once sat, restoring movement, sound and drama to one of the city’s most symbolic public spaces.

The fountain’s return is more than a technical achievement—it’s the outcome of years of advocacy, public pressure and persistence led in part by Preservation Sacramento.

Constructed in the early 20th century as part of the formal approach to the Capitol, the fountain was designed as a visual anchor and gathering point. For generations, it welcomed visitors, framed photographs and softened the monumental scale of Capitol Mall.

Conflict Resolution

Eleven years ago, a cardiologist told me to walk. He said this while I was in bed at Mercy General Hospital counting staples in my chest that closed a surgical incision from a four-way heart bypass.

The doctor told me not to drive for three months. If I got into a crash and the airbag went off, about $250,000 worth of medical artistry would be wasted. Every day since, I’ve walked.

A favorite place to walk is the Sacramento River levee in Pocket and Greenhaven. I climb the levee at Garcia Bend Park or Zacharias Park. The river is beautiful.