Merle Axelrad says she fell into the medium of fabric collage 27 years ago when she was nine months pregnant, on maternity leave from her job as an architect, and made a baby quilt. Now, most of her works are public art, corporate and private commissions.

John Kabateck of the National Federation of Independent Business speaks to Comstock’s about tax issues affecting business in California and his organization’s position on Assembly Bill 5.

At 11 years old, Yolanda Vega started selling buñuelos and other local foods at street festivals around Michoacán. When she relocated to Sacramento in 1996, she did the same thing, driving around town and growing her clientele.

During summer months, 6-year-old Hazel keeps busy playing in the office of Huston Textile Company. It’s fitting that she should feel at home here — she is, after all, the inspiration for her parents’ textile milling business.

When Simon and Kelly Holland launched the Etsy shop for their business, Sassy Squirrel Ink, in March 2015, they had about a half-dozen sign designs available to print photos on slate. They’ve been expanding their product line ever since.

WellSpace has operated since 1953 and provides a range of health care services across nearly three dozen sites in Sacramento, Placer and Amador counties. Comstock’s spoke with CEO Jonathan Porteus about how his organization works to achieve regional health.

Comstock’s spoke with Laurel Brent-Bumb, CEO of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, about efforts to make this largely rural region a desirable place to do business.

Comstock’s recently spoke with King (who is also a member of our editorial advisory board) about challenges faced by community college students and how Los Rios can help train the workforce of the future.

Jessica Filip’s favorite weaving projects are the large commissions that take several weeks to complete, such as her 6-foot-by-6-foot wall hanging displayed in South, a restaurant in Sacramento, or an 8-foot-by-12-foot piece for a client’s cabin in Montana. Her larger commissions range from $1,600 to $4,000. 

After Bethany Sasaki became certified as a lactation consultant about a decade ago, she took a break from her hospital nursing job to earn some cash consulting while caring for her newborn son. She drove all over the Sacramento region to meet with moms struggling to breastfeed. And her phone kept on ringing.

Brad Squires and Matt Brunner wondered what would happen to the agricultural land that housed Tom Tomich Orchards — the sole remaining commercial fruit operation in Orangevale — when the business shuttered in 2017. Would that really be the end of an era?

Cindy Nichol became director of the Sacramento County Airport System in October 2018, bringing more than 30 years of experience in airport management to the position. Her career includes stints at San Francisco International Airport and the Port of Portland. Comstock’s recently spoke with Nichol about the four-airport system she oversees.

While working in a bike shop in the early 1980s, Steve Rex was introduced to custom small-scale bikes.

Using his bachelor’s degree in economics was going to have to wait — Rex wanted to become a frame builder. 

Past approaches to forest fires have been a misinformed regime of fire suppression: extinguishing all flames quickly. Now California’s forests are overgrown tinderboxes-in-waiting; the approach is changing, but there’s a lot of work to do.

When lightning sparked fires in the 1850s, they were left to burn, naturally clearing out dry fuels. Just a few decades later, officials started shifting toward a strategy of fire suppression.

Jeannie Bruins knows Citrus Heights; she’s lived there for 35 years and has served on its city council for five terms. She also co-chaired the campaign to give Citrus Heights cityhood in 1996. Comstock’s spoke with Bruins about how the community has changed and what’s in store for the future.

Local potter Joe Triglia of Tufarock Design details his process of making hand-crafted planters and other garden vessels that were inspired by a recent trip overseas.

Artist Shane Grammer knew he had to paint the brick chimney the moment he saw a photo of it — the only part of a friend’s house in Paradise still standing after the Camp Fire devastated the town. The fire started tearing through the area on Nov. 8, 2018, becoming the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history.

Amy Seiwert is only the fourth artistic director in the Sacramento Ballet’s 65-year history. Seiwert — who danced with the company from 1991 to 1999 — assumed the role in July 2018. Comstock’s recently spoke with Seiwert about her vision and goals for the ballet.

Jazmine Bonnett, owner of Blossom Bathhouse, works at a brisk pace. If she doesn’t quickly finish her bubble bath bars, the ingredients harden and become unsalvageable. A batch takes 30 minutes to make and yields about 20 individual scoops, which sell for $8.95 each.

Economic Development Manager for the City of Lincoln Shawn Tillman discusses growth, industry and foreign trade. 

Grace Kampmeinert has to fire off a lot of emails before the bell rings, signaling the end of fourth period. The eighth-grader at Natomas Charter School, along with two of her peers, handles quality control for a website of stock media, a seven-month-long legacy project in her technology class.

Much of the concern over the loophole that allows a site-based charter school to locate outside of the geographic area of its authorizing district relates to oversight: How can a district provide adequate oversight if the school isn’t located in its own backyard?

Cru Chocolate’s Karla McNeil-Rueda takes beans to bars from her Roseville home. 

As part of our 2019 salute to women in leadership, we feature seven of the Capital Region’s most relevant and successful women leaders — here’s one of them.

As part of our 2019 salute to women in leadership, we feature seven of the Capital Region’s most relevant and successful women leaders — here’s one of them.

Sacramento Metro Chamber CEO Amanda Blackwood on new strategies for the longstanding organization.

A behind-the-scenes look at how violins get made. 

Hitting the books: Placer County Office of Education’s Gayle Garbolino-Mojica on the county’s public school system.

As aging baby boomers approach their golden years, new senior living projects are springing up to accommodate to increased demand and offering a new take on “aging with grace.”

Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency’s La Shelle Dozier on efforts to increase affordable housing. 

We at Comstock’s don’t do this very often, but in honor of the New Year holiday: We’ve made a top 10 list, to ring in 2019.

Pamela Marrone, CEO and founder of Marrone Bio Innovations, on biotech innovation. 

Isleton has had its share of ups and downs over the years from municipal mismanagement to natural disasters. Now a new city manager and cohort of businessowners hope to see Main Street — and the town itself — thrive again. 

Isleton dates back to 1874 when Josiah Pool established the town in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and constructed a wharf for steamboats that stopped twice daily on routes between San Francisco, Sacramento and Marysville. Meanwhile, Chinese laborers built the levee system that transformed the Delta’s peat soil into fertile farmland.

We asked readers to submit their picks for the Capital Region’s top entrepreneurs —and you answered. Our editorial team vetted almost 100 nominations, looking for innovative business ideas, interesting backstories, unique products and services and that ineffable “it” factor. And here they are…

For advocates looking to curb disposable plastic use and pollution through regulation, California represents the benchmark. But for industry groups, the regulation is overly burdensome, going too far to restrict what businesses can do, which they argue would ultimately increase costs for consumer goods.

Origin Materials is part of a small but growing bioplastics market. Regulation, recycling and changing consumer behavior have proven ineffective in curbing the environment impacts of plastic. With plastic production projected to double over the next 20 years, Origins founders think the key solution lies in the bottles themselves. 

Raised in Oak Park and a Sacramento State graduate, Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn brings a lifetime of local experience to the job. Rich Ehisen sat down with Hahn last January — exactly two months prior to the officer shooting of Stephon Clark — to discuss Hahn’s priorities for our April issue, which went to press just days after details of the shooting began to surface. We have updated the Q&A with a follow-up interview that took place in early April.

Sales tax just isn’t what it used to be in suburban shopping meccas, as nearly half of all American households now have an Amazon Prime membership. Now, Roseville is looking to residents to help prioritize city services and mitigate the lost revenue. 

In a way, not much has changed.

At the Golden 1 Center, Sacramento Kings fans continue to wave cowbells at games, having long since embraced the once-insulting apparatus. The grub still costs a pretty penny. The team remains perpetually in a building year.

Vintage Monkey conducts antique motorcycle repairs like a well-oiled machine.

Raley’s recently nabbed the coveted Retailer of the Year award from Wine Enthusiast, thanks to Director of Alcohol and Beverage Curtis Mann

Comstock’s monthly look at the business news in the Capital Region. Here’s some stuff that happened in October.

For 10 years, Dana Chavez-Rey and her husband, Alex, ran a successful brick-and-mortar pet grooming salon in West Sacramento, handling up to 30 dogs and cats a day. Then, they went mobile.

The historic D.O. Mills Bank building, owned by the Cameron Family since 1922, is in the midst of massive transformation. The bank, slated to open this year, will be a three level 30,000 square-foot culinary destination. 

Comstock’s monthly look at business news in the Capital Region. Want to know what happened in September? Then read on, my friends.

While many supporters of local music may agree that Sacramento needs a homegrown music festival, this type of event isn’t easy to produce, and doesn’t always get the financial backing it needs.

The Sacramento region’s urban farming movement keeps growing and growing, but the two farms that started it all — Soil Born Farms and Yisrael Family Urban Farm — remain the hub of the activity. Both farms focus on education as critical to expanding the movement even more, and giving residents old and young the know-how and tools to grow their own food. 

In 2004, four years after launching their first farm, the founders of Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education Project incorporated their group as a nonprofit to help others see the value of growing food within cities, spreading the philosophy of “healthy food for all.”