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Now displaying: 2017
Aug 9, 2017

For our grand finale, we decided to do things a little different and give you an inside look at the season from the creators themselves. In this episode, Action Items executive producer and Comstock’s editor in chief Allison Joy, managing editor Sena Christian and Action Items technical producer Johnny Flores join host Tre Borden to discuss what we learned over the season, check in with past guests to see where they are at now and discuss areas for improvement for season two.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

 

Jul 27, 2017

What if things like “butterflies in your stomach” are more than just cutesy cliches? Scientists are discovering that our guts are more complex and influential than we had fathomed. Our stomachs don’t merely send messages to our brain regarding digestion or if we’re hungry. The signals can have a fundamental impact on how we feel throughout our bodies. The gut is now being called the body’s “second brain,” and understanding its secrets can help us boost our mood, sharpen our memory and even live longer. (OK, it can also keep us regular.)  

Written by Jeff Wilser; read by Katie Tortorice

Jul 26, 2017

On this episode of Action Items, Sacramento State President Dr. Robert Nelsen and Dr. Ting Sun, executive director of the Natomas Charter School and member of the California State Board of Education, join host Tre Borden to discuss K-12 public education, and college and workforce preparedness.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

Jul 18, 2017

In the throes of the recession, many trade workers moved on to other industries. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments reported that between 2013 and 2021, the region needs to build about 105,000 housing units to meet demand. Dividing that number by the nine years means almost 12,000 units per year. This year, the greater Sacramento region is on track to hit about 6,000. Also looming over the industry is the idea of a prevailing wage.

 

Written by Russell Nichols and read by Allen Young

Jul 12, 2017

On this episode of Action Items, Dr. Jessica Kriegel, an organizational development consultant at Oracle and author of the book “Unfairly Labeled: How Your Workplace Can Benefit From Ditching Generational Stereotypes,” and Angélica Quirarte, a government innovations strategist for the California Government Operations Agency, and join host Tre Borden to discuss how the State — and private organizations — can address an aging workforce and prepare for a younger generation of workers.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

Jul 11, 2017

Since the first Punjabis emigrated from India to California at the turn of the 20th century, this population has carved out a prominent role in the economy, culture and identity of Yuba City, despite decades of laws that prevented immigration, citizenship and land ownership for Indian Americans. The Yuba-Sutter area boasts one of the largest Sikh populations in the U.S., estimated to be over 15,000. Back in Punjab, Yuba City is a desired destination where Punjabis of all religions know they can find friends and family thousands of miles away from their homeland. This city, rooted in agriculture, is an unassuming place where the American Dream, elusive to so many, is alive and well.



Written and read by Sena Christian

Jul 3, 2017

With a new federal administration has come a promised immigration clampdown. In the Capital Region, the effects of the new policies may be felt most acutely by farmers. But some restaurateurs, builders and labor contractors also say the immigration squeeze will shrink their already-tight labor pool. The departure of long-established but undocumented Mexicans from California is a signal that the flow of unauthorized immigration is shifting direction, perhaps dramatically. And that will have implications for Sacramento businesses. 

 

Written by Steven Yoder; read by Allen Young

Jun 27, 2017

The politics of the small Wilton Rancheria tribe — the only federally-recognized native American tribe in Sacramento County — are inextricably intertwined with the City of Elk Grove’s, thanks in large part to their plans to build a $500 million casino and resort on 36 acres in the southernmost area of the city, at the junction of Grant Line Road and Highway 99. Proponents say the project would catalyze development activity on roughly 900 acres of land surrounding the project. But while the project has support from city officials, some residents and special interest groups continue their attempts to stall it. 

 

Written and read by Robin Epley

Jun 21, 2017

We're revisiting our pilot episode: Justin Knighten, vice president at Lucas Public Affairs and Bernadette Austin, associate director of the Center for Regional Change, join host Tre Borden to discuss the importance of mentorship. We talk about leadership transitions, diversity and inclusion, and hitting up potential mentors at the gym.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

Jun 13, 2017

If you imagine a humming city as a living body, the conventional alleyway might be the large intestine. It’s a lonely grey loading zone, a collection point for garbage, and a covert space for drug use and violence. But as U.S. cities grow denser, urban passageways that were once ignored and crumbling are enjoying a renaissance. Alleyway activation is a designer buzzword for modernizing utilitarian corridors into well-lit public spaces. City planners say Sacramento is home to 350 alleys or 37 total miles of back-street pavement and the City is attempting to encourage downtown development by streamlining the rules around construction, a move that would affect alleyway upgrades.

 

Written and read by Allen Young

Jun 7, 2017

On this episode of Action Items,Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor and cannabis entrepreneur Daniel Conway join host Tre Borden to discuss how cannabis can be incorporated into a vision for a new economy in the Capital Region.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

Jun 6, 2017

In 2016, business and government leaders in Nevada County had an “ah-ha” moment: A report, commissioned in part by the Nevada County Economic Resource Council showed stakeholders that the county’s local workforce needed easy access to tech-based skills. These findings prompted local residents who work in the technology industry to create the Connected Communities Academy — a motivated task force of CEOs, engineering directors, human resource professionals and solopreneurs who work together to bring a one-stop-shop technology skills training center to life in rural Nevada County.

 

Written by Trish Moratto; read by Katie Tortorice

May 30, 2017

California fig farmers, who grow nearly all the figs produced in the U.S., harvested about 30,000 tons of fruit worth $22 million in 2015, according to the latest crop report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. But of all those figs, there were just a handful of genetically distinct varieties — mostly black mission, Kadota, Adriatic and brown Turkey. Meanwhile, almost uncountable heirloom varieties have fallen to the wayside or even disappeared. Harvey Correia, a Rio Vista resident, has one of the most diverse collections of the common fig in the world. 

 

Written by Alastair Bland; read by Robin Epley

May 24, 2017

On this episode of Action Items, Greater Sacramento Economic Council CEO and President Barry Broome and Code for Hood cofounder Alona Jennings join host Tre Borden to discuss the need for Sacramento to disrupt its economy by strengthening career pathways that leverage its diversity.

 

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

May 23, 2017

According to an October 2016 study from the National Association of Realtors, the number of single-women homebuyers has been on the rise, climbing from 11 percent in 1981 to 17 percent today, and is expected to continue to grow. Women also represent 62 percent of all certified realtors in residential real estate and are joining the professional ranks on the homebuilding side, founding companies and occupying seats in the executive suite and on industry boards.

Written by Laurie Lauletta-Boshart; read by Robin Epley

May 15, 2017

The open-source movement has taken on patient health. Liz Salmi, a local woman who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer nearly a decade ago, is at the vanguard of the movement. 

 Written by Sena Christian; read by Allen Young

May 11, 2017

Crest Saechao, director of DECODE and bootcamp curriculum at Hacker Lab, joins Rivkah Sass, executive director of Sacramento Public Library, to discuss the role of third spaces in addressing homelessness.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

May 2, 2017

Women are still underrepresented in educational leadership —  Comstock's speaks to University of the Pacific president Pamela Eibeck, CSU Stanislaus president Ellen Junn and others, about how California's state institutions of higher education are leading the way in gender parity.

 Written by Steven Yoder; read by Allen Young

Apr 26, 2017

Heather Fargo and Michael Rios discuss how public transportation can better serve all residents in the Capital Region.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

Apr 25, 2017

Even with advanced family planning methods more readily available, working moms still struggle to have it all.

Written by Amy Westervelt; read by Katie Tortorice

Apr 18, 2017

For families taking care of a special-needs child or adult, solid financial and legal planning gives a measure of control over an expensive future.

Written by Steven Yoder; read by Katie Tortorice

Apr 12, 2017

Celestine Syphax and Clay Nutting join host Tre Borden to discuss supporting the arts economy, and collaboration between established and grassroots artistic movements. 

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

Apr 11, 2017

Studies show certain foods preserve cognition into the twilight years ... but can brain foods make you smarter today?

Written by Jeff Wilser; read by Allen Young
Apr 4, 2017

After a rough few years, Sacramento Valley rice farmers are supplementing crop profits with environmental stewardship

 

Written by Sena Christian; read by Allen Young

Mar 29, 2017

Communications strategist Cassandra Pye and Josh Wood, CEO of Region Business join host Tre Borden to discuss the fragile mixing of politics with business.

Music: "Thinking Time" by Lunaverse; "Motivation" by Scott Holmes

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