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By Chris Neklason
Published Mar 10, 2025

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti delivers testimony on the fiscal year 2025 budget request at the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense hearing in Washington D.C., April 16, 2024.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti delivers testimony on the fiscal year 2025 budget request at the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense hearing in Washington D.C., April 16, 2024.
Image credit: US Navy MCC Michael B. Zingaro   Public Domain

Women's History Month

Chris here, thinking of Admiral Lisa M. Francetti, the former Chief of U.S. Naval Operations and the first woman to serve in that capacity and to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

And frankly, reading her biography on Wikipedia, I'm angry. 

I'm angry that someone so capable, so tested and so proven, who spent her career in the service of this country, was fired from her position as the head of the United States Navy a few weeks ago—on February 21—because in the end that wasn't good enough for the current administration. She was a woman and she had to go.

I could go on, but the national scene is outside of our lane here at California Local, where we (try to) stay focused on our state, our counties and our communities. 

It's Women's History Month, and this issue of The Newsletter salutes the women who shaped California and continue to work tirelessly to make their communities better and the Golden State shine a little brighter.

Sisters, rock on.


Groundbreakers

The history of Women's History Month goes back to 1911 here in the United States with the first celebration of International Women's Day.

By 1969, International Women's Day was almost forgotten and rarely celebrated. A women's rights advocate who called herself Laura X led a march in Berkeley, California, to raise awareness, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or rather, herstory. 

Below, we present three articles celebrating some groundbreaking women.


25 California Women Who Made History


California women have played a significant role in shaping every major industry within the U.S. and the world. Here are a few of them.

Doing Good: The League of Women Voters

A portrait of the first Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters in Chicago in 1920.
The decades of work to win the right to vote for women was only the beginning.

Doing Good: Soroptimist International

Sign for  Baliuag Lodge No. 301 - Soroptimist International (Pan-Philippine Highway, San Rafael, Bulacan)
Making a better world for women and preparing women to make a better world.


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Yolo County's Homepage

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


Recipe of the Week

Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.

See more recipes in their Taste Winter! cookbook.


Make the most of spring berries with this easy dessert

Fresh berry parfaits layered with cream and chopped almonds are easy to make. Frozen berries will work in this, too.
New! Berry-berry parfait with strawberries and blackberries (or blueberries)

Good News in the Animal Kingdom

Because times are weird, we offer a couple of tidbits of good news from the animal kingdom:


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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.

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From Our Media Allies

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The Dirt logo Big Blue Barn Saves Items From the Landfill—and You Can Shop There

We’ve all heard it before: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The phrase feels particularly apt when wandering the aisles of the Big Blue Barn thrift store, located at the Yolo County Central Landfill.

West Sacramento Sun logo $3 Million Available Through Air District Grant Programs

The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is now accepting applications for nearly $3 million in funding to reduce emissions across the region.

West Sacramento News Ledger logo Yolo Community Foundation Announces New Scholarships

The Yolo Community Foundation has announced two new scholarship opportunities for Yolo County students, The Kathleen Barsotti Scholarship for Sustainable Agriculture and the Creative Arts and Science Scholarship.

West Sacramento News Ledger logo Affordable Housing Funding Receipts Approved

The West Sacramento City Council approved a resolution at its Feb. 19 meeting that will provide additional funding for affordable housing efforts in West Sacramento.

Carmichael Times logo California Comment on Latest Small Business Optimism Index

Small business optimism across the nation fell a bit in January but for the third consecutive month, came in higher than its 51-year average, according to the release Feb. 11 of the monthly Small Business Optimism Index by the National …

West Sacramento Sun logo Tickets Now on Sale for the 2025 California Capital Airshow

The 2025 California Capital Airshow, presented by Sacramento County in partnership with the City of Rancho Cordova, returns to Mather Airport on March 22 and 23.

West Sacramento Sun logo Meet Your West Sacramento Supervisors

West Sacramento, a key part of Yolo County, is represented by two supervisors: Supervisor Oscar E. Villegas and Supervisor Mary Vixie Sandy.

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