Regular readers of this newsletter may have observed California Local’s tendency to either wonk out on policy issues or hone in on existential threats to California in particular, or humankind in general. This week we’re taking a break for some less weighty fare. You’ll find that we’re fully focused on the people and places that make the Golden State shine a little brighter.
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By Sharan Street
Published Sep 11, 2023
The Sacramento region may be the center of state politics, but it’s also a world-class destination for serious athletes. Find out more in our guide to running in the Capital region.
Image credit: James Pintar
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The Lighter Side of … California Local
On Your Marks…
Yesterday, Sac Running Week got off the starting block. This weeklong event culminates on 9/16 with a celebration of the 916 running community at Bike Dog Brewing in West Sacramento. But no worries if you don’t have time to unleash your inner sprinter right away. California Local’s Tamara Warta has a rundown of events, clubs, trails and specialty stores of interest to runners in the Capital region, stretching from the Yolo Bypass to Lake Tahoe.
To further inspire feats of athletic prowess, check out Graham Womack’s list of ten top California athletes. Because even if you don’t include legends like Willie Mays or Magic Johnson, who were born elsewhere but became stars here, many of the greats grew up in our state.
Running Around California’s Capital Region
From marathoners to casual joggers, enthusiasts can take advantage of the Sacramento region’s diverse trails, terrain, and competitive events.
Make ’Em Laugh
California breeds superstars in many fields of human endeavor, including, of course, show business. Writer Libby Molyneaux takes a closer look at one specific corner of the entertainment industry and finds that California isn’t just the state that launched a thousand quips. We also nurture our own home-grown comedians, from San Francisco’s Margaret Cho to San Diego’s Gabriel Iglesias.
Plenty of East Coast comedians make California the butt of their jokes. Here are some locals who’ve earned the right to make fun of this place.
Anatomy of an Arts Enclave
In addition to writing about our state’s cultural strengths, we also celebrate the accomplishments of local communities. In a recent piece, writer Richard von Busack compiled a short but wide-ranging list of arts institutions in Monterey County. It’s a history that goes back decades, nurtured by natural beauty. “The visual drama of this peninsula, on the brink of the vast blue depths of the bay, has attracted the artist and the artsy alike,” he writes.
Performing arts centers, galleries, theater troupes, music festivals—here are 20 reasons why the Monterey Bay is a haven for arts lovers.
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Big Brother Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong, enduring, professionally supported mentorship. The chapter serves Sacramento and Yolo counties, as well as southern Placer County.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Creativity in the Capital |
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Arts leaders Anthony Krutzkamp and Romi Sunga talk about the importance of connecting with audiences, the artistic economy and what it means to be “made in Sac.” |
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Folsom Moves Ahead With Sewer Project; Light Rail Is Held Up |
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Folsom city officials decided to go ahead with the $4.9 million Folsom Boulevard. sewer upgrade without waiting for a light rail project along the same stretch. |
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UC Davis Health Breaks Ground at Folsom Ranch |
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Construction is underway at the first of three projects on the UC Davis Health medical campus. The three-story outpatient clinic will be completed in 2025. |
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Hope Cooperative CEO Talks About Partnerships and Collaborations |
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Erin Johansen, whose nonprofit group has served Sacramento’s unhoused for over 40 years, discusses the most promising solutions to the housing crisis. |
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Collaborative Art Raises Climate Consciousness in Davis |
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A trail of murals in rural Davis illustrates sustainable agricultural practices to raise awareness on climate change. |
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Recent Local News |
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• Ribbon Cut on Westside Park Improvements
The Rio Linda Elverta Recreation and Parks District unveiled the latest improvements to Westside Park, which include a sun shelter structure, a new restroom structure, new planting and walkways, and a cornhole court.
(09/09/2023) → Rio Linda Messenger• New ‘Oil Watchdog’ Will Investigate Potential Gas Price Gouging
Governor Gavin Newsom has previously said price gouging by the oil industry could be partially to blame for spiking costs. Senate Bill X1-2 targets the issue, creating a new position, director of the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight, a position recently filled by Tai Milder.
(09/07/2023) → CapPublicRadio• Rocklin School Board Approves Controversial Gender Identity, Name Notification Policy
More than 100 people spoke for and against the measure during the six-hour meeting of the Rocklin Unified School Board, which voted to approve a policy requiring teachers to tell parents if their child asks to be identified as a gender other than their assigned sex at birth.
(09/07/2023) → CapPublicRadio• Del Paso Heights Nonprofit Seeks to Reverse Area's Growing Fentanyl Crisis
Now community workers with the Neighborhood Wellness Foundation are testing out new approaches to lower drug-related deaths in the area.
(09/06/2023) → CapPublicRadio• Elk Grove Homeless Shelter Operator to be Selected by City Council
The planned relocation of the Elk Grove Library to another Old Town-Historic Downtown Elk Grove location has been halted. Instead, the City Council will select an independent nonprofit to operate the facility as a winter homeless shelter.
(09/06/2023) → Read the full ElkGroveNews.Net report• GOP Insiders Fixate on Gavin Newsom Run for President in 2024
Gov. Gavin Newsom for president in ’24? A lot of influential conservatives are convinced that it’s going to happen.
(09/05/2023) → Read the full The Sacramento Bee report|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• No Classes? No Lectures? Still Get Your Degree? Yes, Under an Experimental New System at California Community Colleges
Eight community colleges in California are testing out a new education model, one that defines success by the skills a student learns, not the time they spend in a classroom. But changing the traditional education system isn’t easy.
(09/11/2023) → CalMatters• New Bill Comes to Rescue When California Public Records Requests Are Denied
A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.
(09/11/2023) → CalMatters• Sign? Or Veto? What Will Gov. Newsom do With These Controversial Bills?
The Legislature is approving lots of significant bills in the final days of the session. But the final call is up to the governor, and he isn’t shy about using his veto pen.
(09/10/2023) → CalMatters• Why Aren’t Kids Going to School? After Pandemic, Chronic Absenteeism Hitting Crisis Levels
Nearly a third of K-12 students statewide were chronically absent in 2020-21, more than three times the pre-pandemic rate. Some school officials fear that pattern is becoming the new normal.
(09/06/2023) → CalMatters• California’s Wildfire Smoke and Climate Change: 4 Things You Need to Know
California wildfires every year emit as much carbon as almost 2 million cars, posing a threat to efforts to battle climate change.
(09/04/2023) → CalMatters