Sacramento Voices correspondent Eugene Willis decided to take a deeper look at something that hides in plain sight — the small businesses that keep our communities vibrant and economically strong, especially in Oak Park. While major retailers and Fortune 500 companies get the attention, Sacramento is truly a city of small businesses. We couldn’t live […]
Lessons from strong mayor’s failure
My conclusion after covering the fight over Measure L, Sacramento’s strong mayor initiative, is the “No on L” side ran a great campaign but had a horrible election night party. A few blocks away, “Yes on L” ran a bad campaign but had a great party. It was the voters who had the final say […]
South Sacramento tells its story
“The Voices reflect those communities. They reflect the history and future of South Sacramento. And with ages spanning five decades and cultural backgrounds as diverse as the mosaics that comprise the neighborhoods in which they live, the Voices reflect a powerful opportunity to record Sacramento from a unique perspective.”
Tales from the front: those dogs and their jazz
“I’ve got my own jazz, and I improvised my way down the street, all these dogs barking staccato barks to the syncopation of my steps, chain-linked dogs behind chain-link fences, and they have a story to tell or a song to sing and no one listens anyway.”
Sick and tired
“I’ve been prescribed many different drugs. They have never helped me. Drugs that were prescribed and legal affected me in so many negative ways that I drove deeper and deeper into depression and exile.”
The wings of Phoenix Park
Meet Jackie Rose, whose work at Phoenix Park has helped transform a once-blighted community into a proud, successful and vibrant neighborhood. A Sacramento Voices special video profile.
Getting dumped on
“I know increasing police presence isn’t always what the community wants, but in the case of illegal dumping, it’s the most effective deterrent,” Police Sgt. Don Crye says. “We have employed many efforts to stop illegal dumping in this community, but we just have to catch people in the act.”
I am Sacramento
“I am gang violence, I am state capitol lobbying, I am tears for our loved ones, incarcerations and deportations.”
Not home, but almost
“I don’t know how to read or write,” Cheng Saechao says. “They always help me fill out forms and read bills. There is no other place for me to go to get that help.”
Wood trail gets walkers into shape
In South Sacramento, the pathway to better health can be as simple putting one foot in front of the other. It’s called walking, and it’s one of the best, easiest and oldest exercises known to humankind. And for many residents around Lemon Hill, walking has never been more convenient and sociable, thanks to the new […]