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By Eric Johnson
Published Oct 09, 2023

Our New Book & Goodbye, Columbus

Before I make an important announcement, I want to briefly celebrate the fact that here in California and in 16 other states, today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. When he became the first president to recognize the holiday, Joe Biden said this: “The story of America’s Indigenous peoples is a story of their resilience and survival; of their persistent commitment to their right to self-governance; and of their determination to preserve cultures, identities, and ways of life.”

The book that you’re about to hear about shows proper respect in its telling of the story of our state.

What Californians Need to Know

Our friend and colleague Jon Vankin has spent the past couple of years working on a series of stories that add up to one big story. It has unfurled on California Local week after week, in a series of Explainers that run under headlines like “From Chaos to Confusion to Compromise: Why California Government is Set up This Way,” or “Joint Powers Authorities: Building Airports and Highways in the Dark,” or “Welcome to the Justice System.”

I am pleased to announce that we’ve gathered the best of this work, 47 chapters in all, and compiled them into the book How California Works: True Stories from the Golden State. The book will be available next month.

Jon explains why you might love this book in a short blogpost below, which is followed by a sample chapter with a fresh perspective on our state.

‘How California Works’—a Synopsis of California Local’s First Book

California is one of the most complex political entities in the world. California Local’s upcoming book explains it all in 46 fascinating chapters.
California Local enters the world of book publishing with its upcoming book, ‘How California Works,’ explaining the inner workings of this ‘most American state.’

California: The Most American State

How the American story begins in California, and continues to play out here.
California is the most American of all states, both setting the direction for the rest of the country, and acting as a mirror of what the U.S. is today. Here’s why, and how it got that way.

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Direct your browser to https://sacramento.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Sacramento County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community!

Some Real California Heroes

In this installment of the California Canon, we present some people (and one horse) who deserve a statue—probably more than Christopher Columbus does. 

10 Californians Deserving of Statues

A statue of Ishi, the last of the Yahi, would serve to honor an Indigenous man who survived the brutalities of the pioneer era.
Many statues can be found in California of its pioneers, but other historical figures are also deserving. Here are 10 who made the Golden State shine.

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Get to Know a Group

Big Brothers Big Sisters logo Big Brothers Big Sisters

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.

→ Learn more

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Recent Local News

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• South Sacramento Project With 1,100 Homes Up for Council Vote

The Sacramento City Council will hold a public hearing on plans to build 1,106 new homes near a South Sacramento light rail station.

 (10/09/2023) → CapPublicRadio

• Six Run in Natomas Special Election Race

Ballots are scheduled to arrive in the mail for the Natomas Unified School District school board special election on Nov. 7. Six candidates are running for the school district’s Trustee Area 4 seat.

 (10/08/2023) → The Natomas Buzz

• Sacramento County Opens Mental Health Center Required by City Homeless Agreement

Ten months after the city and county of Sacramento approved a homeless services partnership agreement, officials said they fulfilled one of its commitments: opening a new behavioral health center in the central city.

 (10/05/2023) → CapPublicRadio

• Latest Effort to Secede From California Is Happening in Sacramento’s Backyard

El Dorado County is part of California’s long history of secessionist sentiment. There have been more than 200 efforts to exit, and more than 200 times the movements have come to naught. But some locals are trying again.

 (10/03/2023) → Read the full The Sacramento Bee report

• Vibes Rolls Out Cannabis Conviction Awareness Campaign

Vibes, the rolling paper brand created by rapper Berner, teamed up with the Last Prisoner Project to launch Release Papers, a campaign to advocate for individuals imprisoned for marijuana-related convictions.

 (10/02/2023) → The Sacramento Observer
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Recent Statewide News

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• California Becomes First State to Ban More Than 2 Dozen Chemicals Used in Popular Cosmetics

A new California law will ban over two dozen chemicals from fragrances and cosmetics. It’s another first-in-the-nation law—and another instance of California following European Union regulators.

 (10/09/2023) → CalMatters

• Climate Change Took Them to ‘Dark Places.’ Now These Californians are Doing Something About it

The facts of climate change can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair. Some California activists are creating communities for people to talk about those feelings.

 (10/09/2023) → CalMatters

• To Make Water Conservation a ‘California Way of Life,’ the Price Tag is $13 Billion

Water providers say rebates for residential areas are costly and residents may refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year.

 (10/04/2023) → CalMatters

• Cal Poly Humboldt Tree Research Will Help PG&E Reduce Outages, Wildfires

In an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire, Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and students have embarked on a three-year study to investigate tree health.

 (10/03/2023) → YubaNet

• Cal State Student Workers to Vote on Joining Union

Student workers at the 23-campus system say their pay is low, their hours are restricted and they get no sick pay. They are hoping to join the employees union to fix that.

 (10/03/2023) → CalMatters

• California May Ban Additives in Some Candies—But Not Skittles

The European Union has banned certain additives that are used in American candies and baked goods. California is on the cusp of prohibiting their sale by 2027.

 (10/02/2023) → CalMatters
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Government Announcements

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Image of City of Citrus Heights seal. City of Citrus Heights   (10/06/2023)

Drop Off Your 2023 Special General Election Ballot
Beginning Monday, October 9, registered Sacramento County voters can drop off ballots at City Hall.
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/06/2023)

New CORE mental health center offers hope on Sacramento’s Broadway Corridor
People struggling with mental health issues in Sacramento’s Central City will have a new place to get help with meeting basic needs, reconnecting to community, getting a job and finding housing with the opening of a county CORE mental health center at X and 14th streets. The new center, which opens Oct. 6, is airy [...] The post New CORE …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/06/2023)

Here’s the latest on construction for the Del Rio Trail
Nearly 10 months after construction began, progress on the Del Rio Trail has reached major milestones. Instead of dirt, residents near the project can see newly paved asphalt and intersection improvements along a majority of the trail. City Express checked in with Adam Randolph, senior engineer with the City’s Department of Public Works, to get [...] The post Here’s the …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/06/2023)

Underdogs benefit from Front Street Animal Shelter’s hospice adoption program
While puppies at Front Street Animal Shelter are typically adopted the day they become available, some animals struggle to get adopted for weeks or even months. Laurence, a large black lab mix, was one of those dogs. He is 11 years old with significant osteoarthritis and a fatty mass the size of a grapefruit called [...] The post Underdogs benefit …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/06/2023)

City Council approves over $2 million in grants to support Sacramento start-up businesses and entrepreneurs
Sacramento City Council recently approved over $2 million in grant funding to support 28 local organizations that will help start-up businesses and entrepreneurs in Sacramento. The City received 153 applications for the two distinct grant programs to receive funding for events and programming that develop local entrepreneurs and businesses. Applications opened last June. “This grant [...] The post City Council …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/03/2023)

Oct. 4 is Clean Air Day. Here’s what that means
Each year, organizations recognize “Clean Air Day,” a statewide day of action to address community health concerns related to air quality.  This Wednesday, Oct. 4, learn about things you can do and ways the City is making it easier to clean the air and protect public health in our community.  In the summer, most of [...] The post Oct. 4 …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/03/2023)

Grants available for Sacramento nonprofit theaters, museums, galleries and other arts organizations
The City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with Sacramento County, are offering grants to nonprofit organizations located in Sacramento County that are focused on the arts, collections and exhibits. The “Arts and Cultural Nonprofit Recovery Program,” launched in 2022, aims to support arts and cultural nonprofits in the region. “We know that [...] The post Grants …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/02/2023)

Maintenance scheduled on City’s flood control system. Here’s where
The Department of Utilities will soon begin maintenance work along critical infrastructure in the City’s flood control system. This maintenance will be similar to the critical infrastructure work the City has performed in past years and is expected to take several weeks to complete. Work will soon be performed at Magpie and Union House creeks, [...] The post Maintenance scheduled …
Image of City of Sacramento seal. City of Sacramento   (10/02/2023)

Center for Sacramento History opens vault to public for free Archives Crawl Oct. 7
The Center for Sacramento History will open its collections vault to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7 as part of the 13th Annual Sacramento Archives Crawl. This free event features four locations, including the Center for Sacramento History at 551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd. This year’s theme is “Myth, Folklore & Legend.” [...] The post Center for …