Insight With Vicki Gonzalez CapRadio

Verge Center for the Arts sparks debate about inclusivity in Sacramento’s creative scene. Also, it’s peak time for baby deer - the dos and don’ts during fawn season. Finally, Aggie Square in Oak Park is putting a callout for local muralists.

Controversy at Verge Center for the Arts
Two artists of color were evicted from Verge Center for the Arts in March, sparking a public debate about the inclusivity of the region’s art scene. Many artists say it's symptomatic of broader trends outside of Verge. Earlier this year, SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) was publicly embroiled in a dispute over keffiyehs. And Wide Open Walls received backlash for overlooking Asian artists in their Lunar New Year and T?t mural. CapRadio Reporter Srishti Prabha shares conversations with leadership at Verge, as well as with local artists of color who argue these issues highlight the need for more inclusive practices in the Sacramento arts scene.

Wildlife Dos and Don'ts for Fawn Season
Spring is the season of new beginnings and that includes a variety of wildlife - like baby deer. Fawns are making their way into the world, and most of the time it is best to honor the “wild” in wildlife, and just leave them alone. But some humans can’t seem to help themselves, and they interfere with Mother Nature. Dave Cook (also known as Deer Dave) is a fawn rehabber at Sierra Wildlife Rescue and joins us as he gears up for another busy season.

Aggie Square’s Callout for Muralists
A major project in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood is putting a call out for local artists. The UC Davis Aggie Square innovation district wants to create two mural projects and is collecting artist applications until May 20 - with an information session on May 1. Donald Gensler is the Arts in Public Places Manager for the city of Sacramento and shares more details on how artists can apply for the projects, as well as the steps being taken to ensure that the selection process is open - and equitable - to artists from all communities and backgrounds.

The annual Capitol-to-Capitol program in D.C. to promote business development in the Sacramento region. Also, how Tuolumne County is adapting its wildfire resiliency. Finally, the Sacramento Regional Youth Career Fest at Cosumnes River College.

2024 ‘Cap-to-Cap’ Recap
Every year, Sacramento area businesses, as well as community and non-profit organizations, band together for a common cause. They team up and attend the annual Capitol-to-Capitol (“Cap-to-Cap”) program in Washington, DC to promote business development in the Sacramento region. This year marked the program’s 52nd year and Robert Heidt, President & CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, joins us to report on how this year’s advocacy trip went and some of the key issues facing our area.

 

Tuolumne County’s Environmental Resilience

Jaron Brandon represents Columbia and Jamestown and Caitlin Henry is the Administrative Analyst of the county’s Master Stewardship Agreement. They join Insight to explain how this rural community is approaching recovery and resiliency by adapting to the needs of today - from forest health, to the unforgiving fire insurance landscape, as well as working to streamline affordable housing. Here is a look at their Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape (SERAL) project

 

Inaugural ‘Sacramento Regional Youth Career Fest’
A new career fair aims to provide hundreds of local high school students the opportunity to explore job opportunities in a variety of high-need sectors. The inaugural Sacramento Regional Youth Career Fest will take place on Friday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cosumnes River College. Mitchell Leach II, President and Founder of Interns 2 Pros, discusses how the event was organized, as well as how it seeks to close career awareness and access gaps for students from historically underserved backgrounds.

California’s newest state park is named Dos Rios in Stanislaus County. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a pivotal case about homelessness. Finally, an exhibit about the unique history of women and tattoos in Old Sacramento.

New State Park ‘Dos Rios’ in Stanislaus County
California's newest state park Dos Rios will open on June 12 in Stanislaus County.  Located along the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers about eight miles west of Modesto in the Central Valley, it's the first state park acquired since 2014. California State Parks Director Armando Quintero joins Insight with more about what the public can expect to see, what is still being developed, the input from tribal communities, as well as how this floodplain restoration project will restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife.

Supreme Court Hears Landmark Homelessness Case
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments Monday on what some are calling the most important case about homelessness in decades: Johnson v. Grants Pass. The case comes from a 2018 lawsuit challenging an ordinance approved by the small city in Southern Oregon that made it illegal for unhoused residents to camp on public property in the city. A ruling is not expected until June, but the case could have wide-ranging implications. Leslie Gielow Jacobs is an Anthony Kennedy Professor at McGeorge School of Law and joins us with a breakdown of Monday’s oral arguments.  Marisa Kendall is a Homelessness Reporter for CalMatters and explains the arguments on both sides. Marisa also provides a breakdown of a recent state audit which found that California fails to track its homelessness spending or results.

Women Tattoo Exhibit at Sac History Museum
An ongoing exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum called Tattooed & Tenacious chronicles the stories of tattooed women throughout California’s history. The museum’s Executive Director Delta Pick Mello and Experience Manager Alexandra Kowalski talk about the exhibit - which continues until July 28 - as well as how it coincides with Photography Month Sacramento.

Sac State offers guaranteed admission to graduating seniors at Elk Grove Unified. Also, the UC Davis Veterinary school has an animal blood bank for pets and livestock. Finally, U.S. Poet Laureate Emeritus Juan Felipe Herrera at Sac City College.

Sac State Guaranteed Admission Program for EGUSD
Sacramento State University is reaching out to over 2,000 eligible students in the Elk Grove Unified School District to let them know that they can attend Sac State next year, they just need to apply.  The university has launched a guaranteed admission pilot program to encourage EGUSD graduating seniors to go to Sac State. Brian Henley, Director of Admissions and Outreach for Sacramento State, and Lori Gerber, Communications Manager for Elk Grove Unified School District, join us to discuss this new initiative.

UC Davis Pet Blood Bank
The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is meeting the growing need for animal blood donations, providing hundreds of transfusions every year through its Transfusion Medicine Service. It also gives dog owners a chance to give back through its Canine Community Blood Donor Program. UC Davis professor Dr. Kate Farrell is the Assistant Director of the Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine Service, and explains how both programs operate - as well as how interested canine donors can get involved.

Sac City College Poetry Event
The Sacramento Poetry Center has been celebrating National Poetry Month. This weekend, Sacramento City College will feature U.S. Poet Laureate Emeritus Juan Felipe Herrera for an event titled Power of the Word - An Intergenerational Conversation. Event organizer Juan Manuel Carrillo and Patrick Grizzell, the President of the Sacramento Poetry Center, join Insight to preview the free event on Sunday April 28 at the Performing Arts Center at Sac City College from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

“Forever chemicals” in California’s drinking water are raising concerns. Also, the CapRadio Endowment Board discusses its dispute with the public radio station and Sac State. Finally, helping the planet with “Climate Country Radio.”

Forever Chemicals 
“Forever chemicals" in California’s drinking water have raised critical questions about the implications for our communities. CalMatters’ Water Policy reporter, Rachel Becker, sheds light on the complex challenges faced by water agencies and the potential impacts on consumers following the EPA’s new limits on these chemicals in drinking water.  We’ll learn more about the urgency of addressing contamination issues, regulatory standards, and financial burdens.

CapRadio Endowment
CapRadio and an independent financial backer of the NPR member station are at odds over the recent donation of one of its broadcasting towers. The Capital Public Radio Endowment Board - which shares the station’s name but is a separate philanthropic organization - donated the tower to PBS affiliate KVIE earlier this month, without CapRadio or Sacramento State’s knowledge. Sac State holds the station’s news and music licenses. At Wednesday’s public board meeting, CapRadio management said it can definitively show the public radio station owns the tower. The tower is a symptom of a larger back and forth that has played out publicly over the past month with the endowment board. Dan Brunner is the chair and Buzz Wiesenfeld is the treasurer of the Capital Public Radio Endowment Board and join us with their perspective. CapRadio and Sacramento State were invited to discuss this issue, but canceled a planned interview. KVIE declined to be on the show. 

Disclosure: This story was produced by Vicki Gonzalez and edited by Digital Editor Claire Morgan and Chris Hagan. Following NPR’s protocol for reporting on itself, no CapRadio corporate official or news executive reviewed this conversation beforehand.

You can keep up to date with CapRadio’s finances, here.

Climate Country Radio
Climate change and how it can impact our daily lives is the theme behind new public service announcements by the California Council of the Arts. The state agency provided a grant to come up with a creative way to get the word out about the environment, public health and disaster preparedness by teaming up with Davis songwriter and performer Rita Hosking. She joins us to talk about the vision behind the so-called “public service songs” called Climate Country Radio and how she hopes to make a difference.

The Sacramento Kings defeat the Golden State Warriors to advance to the postseason. Also, never-before shared artifacts from Japanese American survivors of mass incarceration during WWII. Finally, artist Jermaine Tilson at The Gallery.

Sacramento Kings Regular Season Recap
Light the Beam! The Sacramento Kings survived their first postseason game against the Golden State Warriors, handily beating their rivals by the score of 118-94. Kings’ television color analyst Kayte Christensen joins us today to talk about how big of a win last night’s game was in team history, and what lies ahead for the team Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Plus, Digital Editor Claire Morgan with CapRadio’s SacramenKnow newsletter shares her account of what it was like inside Golden 1 Center last night as fans and the city enjoyed a huge win.

Stories of Japanese-American Mass Incarceration

is the latest iteration of the Japanese American experience exhibit at the California Museum in Sacramento.  Several new features have been added to upgrade the understanding of what more than 120,000 Japanese Americans experienced after being interned following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. California Museum docent Steve Sasaki shares his family’s personal stories of survival, and how the experiences of Japanese Americans are intertwined with the fight to preserve civil rights. Steve will offer a Q&A at the museum on April 18, May 4 and May 16.

 

Artist Jermaine Tilson
The Black Artist Foundry was created in 2020 to address inequality in arts funding. Executive Director Faith McKinnie joins us with how the nonprofit has grown to offer funding, exhibit space and community for Black artists. We are also joined by artist Jermaine “Jcrux” Tilson about his solo exhibition Convergence that will debut at The Gallery in Old North Sacramento on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.