Steve Martarano was a reporter at the Sacramento Union for 10 years during the 1980s and worked as a sportswriter, on the daytime crime beat, and reviewing concerts. He retired after working in government public affairs for almost 30 years for several state and federal agencies, most recently for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bay-Delta office. Steve has lived in Sacramento’s Curtis Park neighborhood with wife Sharon for more than 30 years. Read more at www.stevemartarano.com. On Twitter @MartArchives.
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How a 60-Year-Old Whitewater Rafting Company Stays Afloat
All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting thrives through a network of family and friends — and has resulted in 35 marriages between employees.

Head Underground to See the Hidden World of Gold Rush Sacramento
Many visitors to Old Sacramento may not be aware that remnants of
an 1850s gold rush city still exist below the buildings and
cobbled roads.

Young Climate Activists March 266 Miles in Support of Green Jobs Legislation
Eight marchers crossed the Tower Bridge June 4 to join a rally in
support of a bill aimed at creating 1.5 million jobs in areas
such as clean energy, climate resilience and environmental
remediation.

Two Gold Rush Era Hotels Return to Glitz and Glamour
The 169-year-old Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley and the 165-year-old National Exchange Hotel in Nevada City are fully restored and experiencing a rebirth.

Rocks of Ages
Vacaville shop has been a gem for customers for decades
Two large boulders greet visitors entering Vacaville’s Consolidated Rock & Mineral Shop — known informally as the Rock Shop — a hint of the goodies inside.

Off the Beaten Track: Staying on Track
The Western Depot nears five decades serving model train enthusiasts
The Western Depot in Yuba City has carved out a niche in the model railroad industry for 44 years with its impressive inventory, knowledgeable staff and timeless train decor.

Photos: Not Just a Hobby
Amid a surge in card collecting, a few shops still survive in the Capital Region
Card shops have been declining in number the past 20 years, but
there’s a gold rush in the industry today.

Off the Beaten Track: A Return to Roots
Award-winning Suisun Valley winemaker continues her family's legacy
The Tolenas Winery label produces a variety of wines, but what sets it apart is the white pinot noir Eclipse that took a gold medal at the 2019 International Women’s Wine Competition.

Status Check: Still Moving Ahead at The Railyards
Work is continuing on multiple projects, despite the lead investor in the MLS bid pulling out
A new Kaiser Permanente hospital and a Sacramento County courthouse continue at The Railyards, the largest urban infill development project west of the Mississippi River.

Photos: Hitting the Slopes
Visitors head to Tahoe’s ski resorts with new COVID restrictions in place
California’s Sierra Nevada ski resorts were officially open in
February 2021 after shutting down in March 2020 due to COVID-19
restrictions.

Off the Beaten Track: Strumming Along
Teaching the craft of guitar making in the heart of Winters
In the heart of historic downtown Winters, Al Calderone
builds guitars, teaches the craft of guitar and ukulele making,
and gives lessons.

Silver Linings
The pandemic has crushed most of the tourism industry, but some businesses have defied the odds
While many small and not-so-small businesses were roiled, some
have seen a windfall with people desperate to hop in their cars
and do something, anything, besides cook another dinner at home
and watch more Netflix.

Off the Beaten Track: Making New Look Old
Water Street Antiques & Interiors also specializes in building furniture
Water Street Antiques & Interiors, founded in 1972 by Terry
and Christine O’Neill, isn’t just an antique store.

Photos: Sights to See
Sacramento Valley overflows with opportunities to view winter wildlife
The Sacramento Valley provides some of the top wintering sites
for waterfowl in the world.

Still Fabulous After 50
Local radio DJ legend Joey Mitchell celebrates a half-century in ‘cutthroat’ business
Sacramento’s K-Hits 101.5 recently celebrated Mitchell’s 50-year milestone in radio with a four-day studio party that honored his long and colorful career.

Photos: Collecting Craze
Local custom vehicle enthusiasts take advantage of pandemic downtime
Shelter-in-place orders this year have given the Capital Region’s custom collectible cars community more time to buy, sell and restore their vehicles.

Photos: Drive-In Events Fill the Void
Capital Region businesses and nonprofits shift movie screenings, concerts and other happenings outdoors during the pandemic
Pop-up drive-ins appeared during the coronavirus summer of 2020, prompting many families in the Capital Region to turn their vehicles into personal entertainment bubbles.

Photos: Making Its Goal
During an unsettling season, Sacramento Republic FC heads to the playoffs once again
Sacramento Republic FC’s 2020 season and scheduled entry into
Major League Soccer have been stymied by the pandemic, but
the team plays on.

Back to the Future
Almost a half-century later, a lost album helps Stockton’s 9th Creation ride the music charts again
9th Creation, Stockton’s legendary funk-disco-boogie band, is back together and recording again.

Photos: A Gallery in the Grandstand
Boards for Change art gallery helps fill empty Papa Murphy’s Park as Sacramento Republic FC season resumes
Sacramento Republic FC’s coronavirus-suspended 2020 season has resumed with no fans allowed, but that doesn’t mean the usually packed Papa Murphy’s Park is empty.

Photos: Organized Baseball Returns to the Capital Region
The Lincoln Potters play in historic McBean Stadium in downtown Lincoln, and the wood-bat California Collegiate League team averaged almost 1,000 fans per game during the 2019 season. This year, the Potters are just happy to be playing, even if fans aren’t allowed.

Photos: Volunteers Respond to Calls to Clean Up Sacramento Businesses
Volunteers help clean up around several businesses in downtown Sacramento that had been damaged during national protests over the weekend in response to the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis.

Health Officials Gear Up to Trace the Path of Coronavirus Contacts
Contact tracing has been used for decades to track the spread of infectious disease, but it was a process few in the general public understood until the highly-contagious coronavirus entered America’s consciousness in early 2020.

These Empty Streets
A month into the coronavirus shelter-in-place order, people are staying off the streets
As people stay home to do their collective part to flatten the curve, Sacramento’s once-busy streets, parks and freeways stand empty. These photos capture the eerie, temporary quiet.

Sign of the Times
Sacramento band streams benefit show instead of playing before live audience
The alt-country band JonEmery & the Unconventionals performed a set on Facebook to benefit the 10 employees of the Torch Club, where the band had been scheduled to play on March 25.

Local Businesses Struggle as Coronavirus Changes Our Daily Lives
On a bleary Monday morning in Sacramento with the Dow Jones industrial average tanking, on its way to a 2,997 point drop and its worst day since 1987, Greater Sacramento Economic Council President and CEO Barry Broome offered advice for local business owners that he knows won’t be popular.
Sponsored

Recreation Creation
More than just a place for leisure, parks and facilities are being used for greater economic development and giving residents a higher quality of life in Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville
Dangling over a 60-foot-deep granite pit, children and adults zoom across a zip line cable and scale and rappel down sheer stone walls. The historical quarry, known as the Big Gun Quarry, is 160 years old, and has been repurposed to be Quarry Park Adventures, a family-friendly, privately owned adventure park in Rocklin.

A Rare Breed
Veterinarians who travel let pets stay comfortably at home
For many dogs, cats, birds and fish, a veterinarian visit is best taken at home. There are several veterinarians in the Capital Region that offer this service for families willing to pay extra for the convenience and comfort of seeing a vet who comes to them.
Sponsored

Still Competitive
Seniors in the Capital Region don’t let age and injury keep them away from sports
It took a protruding tree branch this summer to finally sideline Potato Richardson, the legendary 76-year-old endurance horse rider.

Time for a Swim
Chinook salmon — crucial to California’s fishing industry — return to Rancho Cordova’s Nimbus Fish Hatchery
During the first week of November every year, like clockwork, the gates to the fish ladder open at Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River, and the Chinook salmon — crucial to California’s commercial and recreational fishing industry — climb 22 steps to complete their final journey home.

No Time for a Break
Jaime Coffee’s side work as a PA announcer is breaking barriers
Real vacations are rare for Sacramento Republic FC public address announcer Jaime Coffee.
Juggling a full-time state job with side gigs in and outside Sacramento, the barrier-breaking Coffee works as a female announcer in a field dominated by men. Coffee’s crazy schedule comes at a cost: Vacations are usually of the working variety.

Sacramento River Cats Clinch Title, Headed to the Playoffs
And Raley Field gets a new name for 2020
After Thursday night’s 10-2 victory over Reno, Sacramento clinched the team’s first Pacific Coast League’s Pacific Northern Division title since 2012.

Photos: Rockin’ the Suburbs
There’s a nice payoff for music fans willing to explore outside the city of Sacramento — and it doesn’t have to be a long trek. Photojournalist Steve Martarano takes us inside suburban entertainment gems in the Capital Region.

The Last Picture Show
Sacramento’s remaining drive-in theater motors into its 46th summer
It’s a summer ritual for the nation’s car culture since the 1930s: catching a flick at the drive-in movie theater. Opening in 1973 just off Bradshaw Road and Highway 50, West Wind, a family-owned business operated by Syufy Enterprises, just finished major parking lot and building renovations as its 46th summer kicks off.

Business and Nonprofits Offer Free Programs to Help California Inmates
Nonprofit groups and businesses have launched programs to help inmates better prepare for life and a career outside the walls of a prison with the goal of nurturing productive citizens and reducing recidivism rates.

Photos: Rancho Cordova Becomes an Amgen Tour Host City
Rancho Cordova was always a natural location for a multi-city California bike race. This year, the city of 75,000 was finally tapped to host a stage of the race.

Learning the Right Notes
Blues in the Schools gives budding Sacramento musicians real-world experience
Seeking a much-needed youth infusion, the Sacramento Blues Society looks to local schools for inspiration. The group’s 15-year-old Blues in the Schools program helps keep an aging local blues scene alive with a youthful and passionate presence, assisting young artists while they gain a foothold in the industry.

Recent Developments Heighten Optimism for Sacramento Major League Soccer Bid
It has been a head-spinning past two weeks for Sacramento and its five-year bid to become the next Major League Soccer expansion team.

Photos: To Make Way For Elk Grove’s First Hospital, Small Businesses Face Wrecking Ball
It’s a busy Friday afternoon at Razor Sharp Kutz in Elk Grove’s Stonelake Landing shopping center, and owner Steav Jordan finishes up with a customer at his business that, in all likelihood, he will soon be losing.

Curtis Park’s Crocker Village Retail Development Takes Shape
Anchor tenant Safeway set to open in early March
Five years after the first homes were built in the 72-acre Crocker Village infill development in the Curtis Park neighborhood, the long-anticipated retail portion will soon open to customers.

Stockton’s Growing Minor League Scene Aids in Waterfront Revitalization
When the Sacramento Kings swapped their development league affiliate from Reno to Stockton earlier this year, it meant Stockton claimed its third minor league team, adding a key tenant to the city’s revitalizing downtown waterfront.

Sacramento’s Raiders Fans Will be Left Behind With Team’s Move to Las Vegas
The Amtrak Capitol Corridor train originates in Auburn and goes as far as San Jose. It has been a long-time popular way to the games, especially beginning in 2001 when service increased and Amtrak began offering a 25 percent discount to riders destined for Raiders games.

Gather ’Round
Local music lovers open up their homes for intimate concerts
Bill Wagman greets 25 guests at the front door of his Davis house, then sits quietly at a dining room table while his featured musician of the mid-September evening, Florida’s Grant Peeples, entertains in the living room with folk songs and reciting his offbeat poetry.

Shooting Again for Glory
As USL playoffs near, Republic FC hopes to recreate 2014 glory
Sacramento Republic FC has been in a celebratory mood all season honoring its five years as a United Soccer League franchise, and Klimenta has been part of the team since the start. He began this year with Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy before being released in June and returning to Sacramento.

River Cats 2018 Season Brings New Raley Field Low
For the first time, the team drew less than an average of 8,000 fans per game
Sacramento has struggled to compile wins since switching from the Oakland A’s to the Giants’ affiliate.

Drone Speed Racers Turn Golden 1 Center into Virtual Reality Showcase
Sacramento’s Aaron Jilg is one of the lucky attendees at the biggest drone speed race in California history, featuring competitors from around the globe. He’s still buzzing after the winners are crowned inside the Golden 1 Center, overlooking the futuristic course.

One Club at a Time
Inside 11 of Sacramento’s small music venues
This gallery started with a peek into the Torch Club’s “green” room, located down a few stairs back behind the stage and hidden from public view. Between sets at a Ray Copeland Band show, I caught singer Marilyn Woods on a piano bench looking at some video and I snapped a couple of photos before going back out to the bar area.

Meet Sac Republic’s Director of Pitch
Randy Brink has been a staple at Sacramento professional sporting events for nearly four decades
Follow Randy Brink around Papa Murphy’s Park before a Sacramento Republic FC match and you’ll start counting how many different ways fans can say hi.

Sacramento Group Bikes to the City’s Coolest Projects
As a Midtown renaissance has morphed into a downtown building boom around the Golden 1 Center, Cool Projects Bike Tour riders have enjoyed a front row bicycle seat to it three to four times a year.

Giants-River Cats Meet at Raley Field and Head into a New Season
The smell of spring and anticipation of a new season is palpable on a Saturday afternoon at Raley Field in West Sacramento, as fans file in for the River Cats-Giants exhibition on March 24.