City, County and Neighborhood News
Local News
Pocket Life March 2022
Find out what is going on in Pocket during the month of March!
Under Contract
For years, people in Pocket, Little Pocket and Land Park asked me when the Big Fix—the massive repair job on the Sacramento River levees—would start. Now many of us can’t wait for the work to hurry up and finish.
Sorry, but it’s going to be awhile. This year will see major progress when Army Corps of Engineers contractors move forward with something called “Contract 3” levee repairs.
Levee upgrades under “Contract 3” will cost $40.9 million and ensnare much of Pocket and Greenhaven. Residents are getting accustomed to significant disruptions. Zacharias Park is closed for another year. Parts of Garcia Bend Park are fenced off again.
Smoked Out
Snuff out those menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. As of July, selling them is banned in Sacramento County.
The prohibition means flavored smokes are banned locally no matter what California voters decide in November, when a referendum could repeal a similar statewide ban. Flavored tobacco is often marketed to new and youthful customers as a less-harsh version of the original.
Out And About March 2022
Find out what is going on in Sacramento in the month of March!
Safety Bombs Away
The most incredible thing about people who live along the Sacramento River is not that they think they can stop public access to the new levee parkway. Of course they think they can stop access. They blocked the parkway for almost 50 years.
The incredible part is how they plan to prevent future access. Desperate and isolated, having lost the political support they exploited for five decades, they are down to their final play. It’s a Hail Mary.
Out & About February 2022
Find out what is happening in Sacramento during the month of February!
Pocket Life January 2022
Find out what is going on in Pocket during the month of January!
Let’s Get Moving
Some people get frustrated when local government tells them something obvious. Not me. I find it satisfying, even comforting, to see a municipal report that validates precisely what I’ve been saying all along.
The Pocket Greenhaven Transportation Plan is one such document. The plan is a big deal, sponsored by the city to establish priorities and expenditures in traffic safety and connectivity for decades to come. The work started before the pandemic. Now it’s nearing the finish line.
Bureaucratic delays, combined with a reluctance to bring large groups together in town halls under COVID-19, slowed the project. Opportunities for public discourse were limited. But final opinions are now being solicited, leaving local City Councilmember Rick Jennings with a clear picture of community traffic priorities.
Out & About January 2022
Find out what is happening in Sacramento during the month of January!