Roller Derby in Sacramento
Back when I lived in Long Beach, a friend invited me to join her at a LA Derby Dolls bout. Several other friends were attending and thanks to our friend Beau, who volunteered with the Dolls, we had purchased VIP seating. Drew Barrymore had just finished work on her roller derby movie Whip It, so she was there with cast and crew members for a post-production celebration. These factors, combined with an intense match between the Sirens and the Tough Cookies, added up to a fun evening that sold me on roller derby.
When I moved to Sacramento, I sought out a local league and found two: Sac City Rollers and Sacred City Derby Girls. I attended a bout of the Sacred City Derby Girls and though it was flat track derby as opposed to the banked track used by LA Derby Dolls, I had a fabulous time and fell in love with derby all over again. Last year I took my dad to a bout and he enjoyed it, even though he struggled to figure out the rules for scoring and how penalties worked. (I’m still struggling with that myself.)
Late in 2011, Sacred City announced the addition of three home teams: Roseville Trainwreckers, The Donna Party, and Midtown Maulies. At that point I knew it was time to pitch my editor a story on the sport. These girls have passion and commitment to derby, and their sisterhood and athleticism is inspiring.
Many thanks to Annette Chow at Sacramento Magazine for a fabulous layout and to Donalee Eiri for sharing her fantastic photos that capture the high energy and spirit of flat track roller derby.
As a fun postscript, the coverage so pleased the Sacred City Derby Girls that they made me an honorary member of new home team Midtown Maulies. Seeing as I don’t know how to roller skate and I have this fear of falling down, this is the closest I’ll come to being a derby girl. (For the record, my derby name would be Eartha Quake.)
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The Downtown Dilemma
When I was tasked with writing a feature about “how to fix downtown Sacramento”, my initial approach barely touched on the major issues surrounding the Sacred City. Fortunately my editor gave me some time and leeway to write a second draft that gives a comprehensive look at what’s going on in the downtown area.
During the process of researching and writing the article, I found myself becoming more invested in my new town and its attempts at reinvention and revitalization. I grew up going to baseball games at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, hanging out at the nearby Harborplace food/shopping area, and visiting the National Aquarium. A Saturday afternoon and evening in Baltimore was a treat for me and my family. Looking at the development history of the Inner Harbor, I’m amazed at how the issues Baltimore faced are very similar just 2,732 miles away in Sacramento. Suffice it to say I’m an advocate for building an entertainment & sports complex in downtown Sacramento and developing the railyard.
Two weeks ago I attended the Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s State of Downtown event, where SF Giants CEO Larry Baer spoke about the team’s battle to get a new stadium built. At the beginning of his talk, Baer said, “You have to be patient and you have to persevere.” I think that’s exactly what we need here in Sacramento. The need for patience is why I proposed in my article a few things that can be done to amp up the downtown district while we wait for the arena to be built, including free WiFi and bringing in a grocery store such as Fresh & Easy or Whole Foods.
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to speak with me for this article, both in its first iteration and its second one. Even if their contributions weren’t included in the final version, they sparked ideas that helped me grasp some of the bigger issues.
- Greg Bitter, City of Sacramento
- Jared Ficker, California Strategies LLC
- Joan Burke, Loaves and Fishes
- Lisa Martinez and Dion Dwyer, Downtown Sacramento Partnership
- Laura Peck, Sacramento Police Department
- Pam Whitehead, Sage Architecture
- David Watts Barton
- James Murphy, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
Special thanks to Sean Thompson, who willingly shared his experiences being homeless in Sacramento. It gave me a much clearer perspective on what the homeless community needs.
Thanks to Debbie Hurst at Sacramento Magazine for her layout, and to Gabriel Teague for a great opening image of the railyard.
The New Normal?
My first feature for Sacramento Magazine focuses on how people in the region have bounced back from the worst of the recession. While researching and interviewing folks for this article, I heard some fascinating stories about what people are willing to do - or not do - in order to live their best life.
Back when I worked on the editorial side at consumer & B2B magazines, I learned an article is only as good as its layout and artwork. Many thanks to Rudy Meyers for his amazing photography and to Miles Harley for the excellent design.
Thanks also go out to the following people who were willing to speak to me on the record about their experiences:
- Rebecca Lu-Way
- Margaret Andrews
- Sam Ponedal
- Carmella Lopez
- Jen Kennedy
And thanks to my experts, Jeffrey Michael at UoP, John O’Neill at UC Davis Extension, and Cindy Thygeson at Sutter Center for Psychiatry, for their insights and great quotes.
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Highway 50 East meets West
BusinessWeek’s list of most fun, affordable cities to live in featured Sacramento at #6 and Ocean City, Maryland at #1. Being familiar with both areas, I saw an opportunity to compare and contrast these cities - which sit on either end of Highway 50, a mere 3,073 miles apart. I had a lot of fun chatting with Ocean City business owners - it made me a little homesick for my home state’s beach town. A East Coast beach vacation is in my future.
Many thanks to the following people in OC for taking the time to answer my questions:
- Donna Abbott
- Mayor Richard Meehan
- Les Morris, Thrasher’s Fries
- Maddy Carder, BJ’s on the Water
And on this end of Highway 50, thanks to:
- Mayor Kevin Johnson
- Lucy Steffens
The Best of Sacramento
Back in August I wrote several short pieces for the Best of Sacramento section in the November issue of Sacramento Magazine. Talking to all the people and businesses who were selected for the honor was lots of fun, but it was even more fun to do the “big reveal” once the issue came out at the end of October.
Two highlights from this experience:
- Touring the in-progress Terminal B at the Sacramento International Airport and seeing all the amenities being put in place for travelers. The artwork selected by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission was absolutely gorgeous.
- Touring Helwig Winery in Amador County with owners David and Nancy Helwig, and being the first to see the just-completed wine cellar. Designed by Sage Architecture, the winery is a gorgeous space with great vistas of the Central Valley. And the wines are fantastic!
Many, many thanks to everyone who took the time to speak with me.
CPopp Workshop
Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento and Movies on a Big Screen
Vanessa Diffenbaugh and Analeigh Tipton
K Street, EV charging stations, State Worker Blog, and Sacramento Public Library e-readers program
Park volunteer corps
Helwig Winery
Terminal B, Sacramento International Airport
Two Accordions
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Being Thankful for Writing Opportunities
Last week I was quoted in a piece on Working Writers and Bloggers about thankfulness. I am very grateful and thankful for the opportunity to write for a well-respected magazine in Sacramento, and I’m excited to see what comes next, writing-wise.
Bike Safety in Sacramento
When my editor at Sacramento Magazine first asked me to write about bike safety, I was hesitant as I get very annoyed and impatient with bicyclists regardless of the city I happen to be in. It’s one of those areas in which a few people who don’t follow the rules - those who drive against traffic, don’t use lights at night, weave in and out, buzz by pedestrians - can ruin it for everyone else.
Speaking with Tricia Hedahl at Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates was eye-opening for me. I still get frustrated by cyclists who don’t follow the rules, but I’m much more patient with those who ride on the sidewalks in downtown Sacramento (which is legal), and I’m more aware of how my driving affects cyclists in sharrows or in traffic lanes.
As of this writing, the ghost bike is still up at Carlson and J Streets, just outside Sac State.
Many thanks to Tricia for an informative interview, and to the following people who contributed their experiences to the article:
Janna Marlies Santoro
Jeannine Mengel
Marsh Wildman
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Urban Fish Farming in Sacramento
Back in August, Jeremy Maron, co-owner of ThinkHouse Collective, introduced me to his friend Brad Fourby. “He’s into aquaponics,” Jeremy said, going on to explain that Brad was raising tilapia and growing a vegetable garden as part of a sustainable, small-scale farm. That was cool in and of itself, but to find out that Brad was doing all of this in midtown Sacramento had me very intrigued. I had a fun time writing up this short piece for the November issue of Sacramento Magazine, and I admit I still chuckle over the last line. It’s corny, but as I always say, if the twisted idiom fits…
If you’re curious at all about aquaponics, be sure to check out Brad’s website at innovativefarm.org.
Many thanks to Brad for showing me his fish farm and patiently answering all my follow-up questions. And thanks to Roy Wilcox for his accompanying photo.
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Adult Recess article in October issue of Sacramento Magazine
Nick Berruezo, owner of Xoso Sport & Social League, was one of the first people I met through SacTweetup events. I was so impressed by what he’s doing to get young Sacramentans socially - and physically - active that pitching an article on Xoso and its adult recess offering to Sacramento Magazine was a no-brainer.
Many thanks to Nick and to the Xoso players who spoke with me about their experiences:
Jessica Duvall
Scott Fong
TammyLynn Fraser
Jerry Legrande
And special thanks to Carl Costas who took some great photos to accompany the article.
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Why I May Get Kicked Out of ThinkHouse
I wrote this fun little guest post for ThinkHouse Collective, a coworking space at 11th & R Streets in Sacramento. If you’re ever in the neighborhood and in need of a place to work, stop by!