If you didn’t blow away with the wind this week, or get an untimely sunburn from the heat wave the week before, or sneeze your head off at any point in between, consider that a win! At any rate, both Passover this Friday and Easter Sunday look like they’ll be absolutely lovely. Whether you’re celebrating or just enjoying the season, we hope you have a great rest of your week and that the following news and recommendations brighten up your spring.
Here’s the latest Capital Region Rundown:
We go off the beaten path to share the story behind an iconic Roseville roller rink benefiting from an increased interest in roller skating; a UC Davis engineer develops a breathalyzer-like device to detect COVID-19; CalMatters reports on California cities’ resistance to a state housing law advocates hope will bring more affordable housing; the women who have made history as female announcers for the Sacramento Kings reflect on the work they love and its competitive nature; a UC Davis-based startup hopes its medical device will be a breakthrough in making dialysis more successful and reducing health care costs; and the keepers of the state library’s treasures give a behind-the-scenes tour of the institution’s impressive inventory.
Recommendations from our editors:
In this section we editors share what we’re reading, listening to, watching or even eating. Here’s what we’re consuming this week:
Vanessa: I recently binged the Sacramento-based home renovation show, “Mash-Up Our Home.” I love seeing the Colossus MFG team mix a couple’s disparate styles to satisfy both of their wants and needs. Also, not gonna lie, I get such a kick out of the Sacramento b-roll shots and seeing some people I know! Just this past weekend, Saturday Night Live did a little spoof of HGTV shows and I definitely saw some influences from “Mash-Up Our Home!”
Judy: For some reason, I didn’t read many classics growing up. As a writer, I felt like I lost out on experiencing great authors. The past year, I’ve been adding classics to my reading list and have read “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway and “The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler. I’m currently reading the 1943 novel “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. It’s so enriching to explore these different authors and their words.
Jennifer: I caught the last showing of Black Point Theatre’s last production of “The Children” last Sunday. The venue, Wilkerson Theatre in Midtown’s R25 Arts Complex, was tiny, but the performances (inspired by Fukushima’s Skilled Veterans Corps) were expansive and powerful. This is only the second production by the young company, founded by veteran actors Adrienne Sher and Tom Rhatigan in 2019, and I can’t wait for the next.
Odds and ends
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Recommended For You

At the California State Library, the Pleasures and Treasures Are Yours
Six million items are available for viewing
There is much magic to discover at the California State
Library, whether you visit for research or pleasure.
The institution’s keepers take us on a tour of some of
its treasures.

Rolling On
Keeping alive the timeless rhythms of roller skating
Roller skating is trendy on a national and local scale for its nostalgic and therapeutic appeal. Capital Region rinks are capitalizing on the pastime’s increasing popularity.

The Doctor Will See You Now
COVID-19 gave a major boost to telehealth services, but for how long?
During the pandemic, the benefits of patients connecting
virtually have been transformative in many ways.

The Power of the Breath
UC Davis professor develops device for COVID-19 detection
Cristina Davis, a professor of mechanical and aerospace
engineering and associate dean of research for the UC Davis
College of Engineering, is developing a breathalyzer-like
device to detect COVID-19 and its severity in individuals.

Duplex Housing Law Met With Fierce Resistance by California Cities
Cities around the state are trying to circumvent California’s new law allowing duplexes to be built on properties previously zoned as single family. Their methods include everything from removing parking and forbidding vehicle ownership to requiring arbitrary amounts of mature vegetation.

Ghosts of Chain Restaurants Past
What happens when franchises go out of business — but the branches remain?
We explore the lonely outposts formerly part of a family of franchises. Although they have no corporate parent to provide updated decor or menus, these idiosyncratic restaurants are still well loved by many Sacramentans.

Startup of the Month: VasoBio
UC Davis medtech team pumps life into potential kidney dialysis solution
Davis-based VasoBio has created a medical device that could improve the quality of life for people with kidney diseases.

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