SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – For chefs, returning workers and visitors hungry for fresh food, vibrant flowers bouquets and more, Downtown Sacramento’s popular seasonal Certified Farmers’ Market returns to Capitol Mall beginning Wednesday, May 4, 2022.

With more than 25 vendors to start and grow from there, the seasonal Farmers’ Market is available Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6th Street & Capitol Mall. The Downtown Certified Farmers’ Market will continue weekly through September 28, 2022.

Returning to the weekly market is the convenient and popular Chefs’ Priority Pick-Up. Launched last year, this program directly connects farmers to chefs, bringing new farmers to meet the needs of local restaurants and businesses. Chefs have a priority hour from 9 to 10 a.m. and parking will be available between 6th and 7th Street on Capitol Mall going west, in the left-hand lane. In addition, Downtown Sacramento Partnership will provide chefs carts to assist with shopping.

The weekly farmers’ market also provides “Al Fresco” lunch dining with hot lunch options from an array of Sacramento’s most popular food vendors next to local farmers selling locally sourced fruits, vegetables, baked goods, flowers, herbs, and cheeses. Local hot food vendors will include rotating food trucks and downtown favorites.

The Downtown Certified Farmers Market is produced by Downtown Sacramento Partnership in collaboration with Certified Farmers’ Markets of Sacramento County.

For more information, please visit GoDowntownSac.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA TAGS: #DowntownSac, #ComeFindIt, #DowntownTogether

About Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Downtown Sacramento Partnership is a nonprofit, property-based improvement district (PBID) that serves as the collective voice for the 197 property owners and more than 5,000 businesses located within the 66-block urban core of Sacramento. Driven by the mission to build value downtown, Downtown Partnership is the principal advocate, champion, and steward for those who work, live, visit and do business here. For more information, visit DowntownSac.org + GoDowntownSac.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Carmichael honorary Mayor Sal Ramirez and partner Matthew Crooks have combined commercial and humanitarian missions to provide a roof over the heads of potentially homeless men and women.

The community activists last year purchased a one-acre property on the Carmichael/Fair Oaks border. They increased the home’s 3000 square feet by four extra, shared bedrooms. Their seven-bedroom property now houses 15 people, with capacity for seven more. Rent ‒ $925 per month ‒ includes all meals, cable TV, utilities, cleaning, laundry and toiletries. Residents are mostly seniors. Social security or disability checks cover most boarder costs.

“Our residents are some of the most at-risk elders,” explains non-profit professional Sal Ramirez. “We want to supply a safe, supportive home and network for them. In most cases, this facility is all that stands between them and sleeping in the streets. It’s one of very few room and board homes for an area with a big homeless population.”

A year after opening, Fresh Start at Vassar Farm (Vassar is Matthew Crooks’ middle name) seems a success. Mostly seniors, residents are quiet neighbors who adhere to a strict no-alcohol/drug rule. Boarders are referred by social and veteran agencies and, if income falls short of rent costs, the project solicits assistance from charities such as Adopt an Elder Foundation.

If a “farm” moniker seems fanciful, the partners note mature olive and citrus trees, a vegetable garden, clucking hens, two cats (Thelma and Louise) and a visiting bunny on their green acre. “We call this a sanctuary for birds, bees, butterflies and people,” explains career social worker Crooks. “Our residents look after the chickens and their eggs are eaten every day. Connecting with nature and animals is therapeutic. We want this to feel like a forever home for our boarders.”

The facility offers a remote, much-used smoking patio. Though all food is provided, borders can use the communal kitchen to whip up cookies and cakes. A high-ceilinged breezeway (formerly an automotive workshop) supplies social and activity space. Some of the eclectic furnishings were donated; Crooks and Ramirez sourced other pieces in consignment stores. No one complains about sharing bedrooms. “Residents enjoy the companionship; some have formed strong friendships,” explains Matthew Crooks. “Sharing a warm room is a palatial alternative to a tarp in the streets.”

A live-in manager oversees boarder welfare; special needs are met by health visitors. A third project partner, social worker Eliza Stonsby, provides resident case-management and helps with doctor appointments. “Applying for benefits, locating a driving license – even contacting family – some tasks can overwhelm our guests,” says Ramirez. “We help them through this.”

“We provide a clean slate for residents to have a fresh start in life. Birthday parties are celebrated, and we give everyone a nice Christmas. Some say they don’t remember the last time they enjoyed a family setting for the holiday. At Vassar Farm, they’ve become their own family. And they rally to help each other.”

Tucked behind high hedges on a busy street, the facility has raised no neighbor issues. “The place is well-managed; supervised 24 hours a day,” explains Crooks. “We find plenty to keep residents busy. Lots of books and crafts. Growing vegetables is another option. Every room has a TV‒these hardly get turned off.”

Crooks is semi-retired; Ramirez works for non-profit California Council on Science and Technology and dovetails honorary mayoral duties for the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce. As a commercial enterprise, Vassar Farm has yet to turn a profit.

Says partner Crooks: “Our goal is to cover costs without comprising quality of life for our residents. We might never make money. Some things are more important. Sal and I want to be humanitarians first. We’re supporting the most vulnerable members of our community. It’s a scary reality that these could be anyone in our family, including ourselves.”

For information on Vassar Farm Fresh Start Room and Board, call (530) 632-1512 or email eliza.stonsby@gmail.com

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – After beginning the 2022 season 4-3 overall, the Del Campo High School varsity baseball team has won eight games in a row and 17 of their last 18.

The Cougars’ (21-4, 10-2 Capital Athletic League) only loss since March 16 came against Folsom (10-15, 3-9 Sierra Foothill) on April 11 as the Bulldogs narrowly prevailed 6-5. Del Campo has outscored its opponents by a whopping 152 runs at 184-32 in the 18 games played since March 16. Following a three-game sweep of Rio Americano (15-11, 10-5), the Cougars shifted their focus to another three-game Capital Athletic set, this time against El Camino (9-18, 4-11).

The first game of the series was hosted by the Eagles on Monday, April 25. Del Campo scored in every inning except the third and sixth, en route to a 7-0 shutout victory. The Cougars scored once in the first, second, fourth and seventh, respectively. In the fifth inning, Del Campo scored three times.

Junior center fielder Matt Moses continued to rake for the Cougars, going 4-for-5 with three hits (one double), one run scored, one run batted in, one stolen base and one walk. Senior pitcher Hayden Hughes earned the win on the mound for Del Campo, tossing a complete game with seven scoreless innings allowing two hits, one walk and one hit batter while striking out nine Eagles on 95 pitches.

Two days later, the second game of the series was held at Del Campo. For the second consecutive game, the Cougars nearly held El Camino hitless. Del Campo scored twice in the bottom of the third inning, once in the fourth and once in the fifth to ultimately beat the Eagles 4-0.

Senior Austin Hughes led the way for the Cougars at the plate Wednesday. The 6-foot-1 outfielder reached base in 2-of-3 plate appearances. Austin Hughes was hit by a pitch and blasted a solo home run, tallying one run, one hit and one run batted in. Moses earned another win on the bump for Del Campo, with six innings pitched and giving up only one hit and one balk with five Ks on 64 pitches.

RELATED: Del Campo sweeps Rio Americano, eyes Capital Athletic League title

The series finale Friday at El Camino was close for the first two innings… and not so much after that. The Cougars scored once in the top of the first inning and twice more in the second to lead 3-0 after two. Then, Del Campo scored seven runs in both the third and fourth innings, respectively, to take a commanding 17-0 lead. The Eagles scored one run in the bottom of the fifth for pride’s sake, but the game ended after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule as the final score was 17-1.

For all three games, the Cougars’ pitching staff limited El Camino to less than two hits, as the Eagles only had one in the series finale. Hayden Hughes had a strong day at the plate Friday, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances. The senior third baseman had three runs, two hits, two RBI, one walk and one HBP. Junior pitcher Auston Wilhelm got the win on the mound for Del Campo throwing a complete game with five scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one run, one walk and one HBP with five punchouts on 63 pitches.

The Cougars had one final game to finish the month, played on Saturday, April 30 at home in a tough non-league matchup against Metropolitan Conference Champion, McClatchy (21-3, 12-0 Metro). The Lions have one of the best prospects in the country with senior Malcolm Moore. The 6-foot-2 catcher is committed to play collegiately at Stanford, although he may forgo college if selected high enough for his liking in the upcoming 2022 MLB Draft beginning on July 17.

Moore wasn’t the only prospect committed to play college ball in the as his teammate, senior pitcher Mason Ogihara, is committed to Mid-America Christian University and Del Campo senior pitcher Jordan Jacobson is staying locally at Sacramento State. However, there were several scouts on hand for the matchup of 20+ win teams to watch not only the committed prospects, but also the rising stars.

RELATED: Battle of the Bay: River Cats return home to face Aviators

McClatchy came into the game Saturday on a win streak of their own, winners of eight in a row. In a battle of the winning streaks, one had to come to an end, and it was the Lions’ after a narrow 6-5 victory by the Cougars. Not only did Del Campo end McClatchy’s winning streak, but they also handed the Lions their first Sac-Joaquin Section loss of the season.

Until Saturday, McClatchy’s only two losses in 2022 came at a neutral site tournament to teams from Chula Vista, California and Henderson, Nevada in mid-April. The Lions started strong, scoring three times in the top of the first inning. The Cougars responded with one run in the bottom half of the inning.

Both teams scored one run in the second. McClatchy added another run in the top of the third to take a 5-2 lead. Del Campo trimmed its deficit to one with two runs in the home half of the third. The Cougars evened the score in the bottom of the seventh and then looked to Hayden Hughes to be the hero. Hughes came up clutch when his team needed him most, hitting the game-winning double down the line to win the game for Del Campo in the seventh.

Ironically, it was the Cougars’ Moore that led his team to victory. Senior utility player Tyler Moore went 4-for-4 with four hits (one double), two RBI and one run scored. Junior pitcher Evan Johnson earned the win on the bump for Del Campo, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts on 60 pitches.

The Cougars conclude the regular season with a three-game home and away Capital Athletic series against Christian Brothers (8-15, 6-6) beginning on Monday, May 2. Del Campo needs to sweep the series from the Falcons to become the outright Capital Athletic League Champions. Otherwise, the Cougars could share the title with Vista Del Lago (20-5, 10-3) or even concede the crown to the Eagles. First pitch at Del Campo is scheduled for 4:15 P.M.

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – The Rio Americano varsity baseball team bounced back from a series sweep to Del Campo in a big way with a display of domination against Sacramento.

The Raiders (15-11, 10-5 Capital Athletic League) outscored the Dragons (2-19, 0-14) by an absurd margin over three games, totaling 66-0 over nine innings. Each game ended after three innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Sacramento hosted the first game of the series Monday, April 25. Rio Americano scored five runs in each inning, en route to a 15-0 win. Junior shortstop Caden Beloian recorded one fifth of the Raiders’ runs batted in with three on one double with two runs scored in three plate appearances. Sophomore outfielder Reese Christiansen and junior outfielder Kyle Wirtz led Rio Americano in hits with two each.

Christiansen had three runs and one RBI in three at bats. Both of Wirtz’s hits went for extra bases as he had one double and one triple with one run, one RBI and one hit by pitch. Junior pitcher Chase Christenson earned the win on the mound for the Raiders after striking out all six Dragons he faced in two innings on 28 pitches. Freshman pitcher Kyler Benton had identical success, punching out all three Sacramento batters he faced on 10 pitches.

Rio Americano did not allow a hit. Junior pitcher Jah’sun Johnson suffered the loss for the Dragons. The Sacramento co-captain allowed 15 runs (eight earned), 11 hits, four HBP and three walks across three chaotic innings.

RELATED: Del Campo sweeps Rio Americano, eyes Capital Athletic League title

Wednesday’s matchup shifted locations to the home of the Raiders, Jerry Kaeser Field. Rio Americano topped it’s impressive performance two days prior with even more scoring in far less time. The Raiders scored 18 runs in the bottom of the first inning and added one more in each the second and third, respectively, to ultimately win 20-0.

Rio Americano senior infielders Jake Marr and J.T. Wright each reached base in all their plate appearances. Marr had three runs, two HBP, one hit, one RBI and one walk in four plate appearances. Wright had two runs, two RBI, one run, one walk and one sacrifice fly in three plate appearances.

Senior outfielder Jacob Hergert led the Raiders in RBI with four while adding three runs, one hit, one HBP and one sacrifice fly. Junior pitcher Brady Wilson earned the win for Rio Americano by pitching three scoreless innings and allowing one hit and one walk while striking out seven Dragons on 44 pitches.

In a series that did not seem like it could get much worse for Sacramento, it actually did in the series finale played Friday. The Raiders scored 20 runs in the first inning to match their total from two days prior and added on 11 more in the top of the second. The Dragons went down quietly and Rio Americano was victorious 31-0 to complete the sweep.

RELATED: Cougars remain hot with 8 straight wins, 17 of last 18

Five Raiders reached base in all their plate appearances Friday. Marr, Wilson, senior second baseman Davis Grawey, sophomore third baseman Mac Hausman and senior outfielder Jackson Pemberton. Wirtz led the team in RBI with four, followed closely behind by Marr, Wilson and junior catcher Jonny Pierce who each had three.

Beloian earned the win by tossing one scoreless inning without allowing a hit with two strikeouts on 10 pitches. Hausman and junior pitcher Aidan Lieu each pitched one inning as well but unlike Beloian, recorded all their outs by Ks.

Rio Americano concludes the 2022 regular season at Jerry Kaeser Field with a single game against West Campus (9-7, 9-5 Greater Sacramento) on Friday at 4:15 P.M.

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Coming off a six-game series against the Isotopes in Albuquerque, the Sacramento River Cats return home next Tuesday for a six-game homestand against the Las Vegas Aviators.

The River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and the Aviators are the affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, meaning the upcoming series will have some extra juice given the parent clubs’ rivalry. The series arrives with good timing as the Giants and A’s just split a two-game series in San Francisco this week.

Sacramento was the affiliate of the A’s for 15 years until 2015 when the River Cats switched to the Giants. The move led to an initial spike in attendance as the team drew 672,354 fans in 72 games during 2015, leading Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in total attendance. Sacramento also drew the second highest attendance per game in the minors with an average of 9,338 fans per game in 2015.

However, attendance began to gradually decline in 2017 and 2018. In fact, the River Cats drew their lowest attendance since arriving in Sacramento in 2018 with 538,785 fans at 70 home games. Although it was the team’s lowest attendance since arriving in the 916, it was still good enough to rank fifth in the Pacific Coast League (PCL).

From 2000-2007, the franchise’s first eight seasons, Sacramento led MiLB in attendance each year. During 15 years of affiliation with the A's organization, the River Cats won two Triple-A titles, four PCL championships, six conference titles and 11 PCL West division championships. In six complete seasons with the Giants, the team won each title once in 2019 when they stood atop of all of Triple-A as champions.

The River Cats entered their series against the Isotopes, the affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, with a 10-8 overall record. As of Tuesday, April 26, Sacramento is tied for first place in the PCL West with the Reno Aces, the affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Aviators trailed the River Cats and Aces by one game with a 9-9 record entering play Tuesday evening.

The outcome of Sacramento’s series against Albuquerque was unknown as of press time. Visit westsacramentosun.com for more coverage of the River Cats.

RELATED: River Cats poised for bounce back season

Sacramento began the 2022 season with a six-game homestand against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the affiliate of the Houston Astros. The River Cats won their first four games, three by only one run, but lost the last two games of the series.

In the team’s first road series of the year, Sacramento split six games with Reno, winning the fifth game of the set on April 16 by a whopping score of 18-8. The River Cats then returned home for a six-game series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the affiliate of the Giants’ bitter rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sacramento split once again, this time winning three of the last four games to avoid the team’s first series loss of 2022.

The upcoming series between the River Cats and Aviators will likely feature multiple Major Leaguers on both sides who are on rehab assignments recovering from various injuries. For the River Cats, outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (left knee inflammation) just returned from the injured list and made his season debut for Sacramento on April 23. Right-handed pitchers Alex Cobb (abductor strain) and Anthony DeSclafani (ankle inflammation) plus infielder Tommy La Stella (Achilles) and third baseman Evan Longoria (finger) may be joining Wade soon.

For the Aviators, OF Ramon Laureano (suspension) began his assignment on April 23 as well. However, he is returning from an 80-game suspension after testing positive for performance enhancing drug nandrolone last year. Laureano is set to finish his suspension on May 8.

Oakland RHP James Kaprielian (shoulder) has made two rehabs starts so far. The first on April 15 for Low-A Stockton went well. Unfortunately for the A’s, the second start on April 20 did not go well at Triple-A Las Vegas. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Kaprielian is scheduled to make at least one more rehab start before returning to the A’s, so he could be making an appearance in Sacramento next week.

RELATED: What to know about attending a River Cats game in 2022

Promotions for the upcoming homestand include Toyota Family Value Tuesday, Wet Nose Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, Orange Friday presented by SMUD and Mother’s Day on Sunday. Additionally, Sutter Health Park has fireworks every Friday and Saturday home game.

The River Cats and Aviators begin a six-game series on Tuesday, May 3 with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 P.M.

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – The Del Campo varsity baseball team finished off a three-game sweep of the Rio Americano Raiders on Friday afternoon as the Cougars now set their sights on a Capital Athletic League title.

DC (17-4, 7-2 Capital Athletic) and Rio (12-11, 7-5) came into the series that began Monday, April 18 each in contention for the league title with two losses in Capital Athletic play. However, with an impressive three-game sweep that included outscoring the Raiders 31-11, the Cougars are now in a two-team race for the Capital Athletic League with the Vista Del Lago Eagles (16-5, 6-3).

The Cougars and Eagles met head-to-head earlier in the season for a three-game series and Vista Del Lago took the first two before DC salvaged the last game. Each game’s outcome was decided by one run. That series may factor in at the conclusion of the season if tiebreakers are needed.

“From that series we took that you got to play every pitch as hard as you can because we really were two pitches away from sweeping that series and we lost two out of three,” DC coach Kevin Dawidczik said. “So just knowing that we got to take care of the baseball is a really important part of our philosophy.”

Rio hosted the first game of the series against DC on Monday afternoon at Jerry Kaeser Field. The Cougars got the scoring started early, plating one run in the top of the first inning. The Raiders responded well in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs to take the lead.

However, the conclusion of the first inning was the best Rio players and their fans would feel for the rest of the game, as DC scored nine unanswered runs and went on to win 10-3. The Cougars scored one in the second, two in the third, five in the fourth and one in the seventh inning.

DC senior outfielder Jordan Jacobson had a great day at the plate Monday, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances. Jacobson, who is committed to play collegiately at Sacramento State next year, had three hits (including one double), two RBI, one walk and one stolen base.

The Cougars were led to the win on the mound by senior pitchers Hayden Hughes and Thomas Martinez who earned the win and save, respectively. Hughes pitched five innings, allowing eight hits, three earned runs and one walk with eight strikeouts. Martinez tossed two innings as he allowed two hits and punched out two. Junior pitcher Chase Christenson suffered the loss for the Raiders after pitching three and a third innings, giving up eight hits, nine runs (eight earned) and two walks with two strikeouts.

RELATED: Carmichael Little League celebrates 70th anniversary on Opening Day

The second game of the series Wednesday, April 20, was played at DC. The Cougars scored first again, plating three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Rio immediately countered once more, scoring four runs in the top of the third inning to take a one-run lead. Unfortunately for the Raiders, history repeated itself, as DC scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth to retake the lead at 6-4 which ultimately was the final score.

Martinez followed up his save on the mound Monday with a strong performance using the lumber Wednesday, earning a hit in all three of his at-bats with two runs scored and one stolen base. Junior pitcher Matt Moses earned the win for the Cougars after tossing a complete game going seven innings, allowing six hits, four runs (one earned) and two walks with seven strikeouts.

“For me, I threw my change-up really well against them and was able to keep them off balance,” Moses said. “It got a little out of hand in the third inning but other than that we played really good defense. For our staff, we really just attacked their hitters. They have good bats, but we have good defense and defense wins championships.”

Rio junior pitcher Brady Wilson pitched four and two-thirds, giving up eight hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks while striking out five.

The third and final game of the series Friday took place back at Jerry Kaeser Field. DC jumped out to the early lead for the third consecutive game scoring twice in the top of the first inning and once in the top of the second to take a 3-0 lead after two frames. Moses got the game started with a leadoff single followed up by a stolen base to get to second and an error by the Raiders to advance to third base. Moses scored the game’s first run thanks to a sacrifice RBI ground out from junior infielder Anthony Martinez.

The Cougars scored their second run of the first on a solo home run to right field by Jacobson. DC hit another bomb in the second inning, this time a solo blast by senior catcher Logan McCord. Rio responded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three times to even the score.

Senior designated hitter Ryan Christiansen scored two runs with one swing of the bat for the Raiders, launching a two-run homer in the third. Christiansen is set to play college baseball at Sac State next year for his dad, Reggie, who is the team’s coach.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Cougars all but put the game away, scoring five runs to take a commanding lead. DC scored the first run of the inning on a double from junior catcher Robbie Perry to retake the lead. Then, Moses stepped up to the plate and crushed a two-run homer, bouncing off the top of the green storage bin in left field, silencing the home crowd and drawing cheers from the Cougar faithful who made the short 15-minute drive.

DC added on three more runs in the fifth and four in the sixth. Rio scored once in the bottom of the fifth, but it was all for naught. The game ended after six innings due to the 10-run mercy rule and the Cougars won 15-4, completing the three-game sweep to sit atop the Capital Athletic League.

RELATED: What to know about attending a River Cats game in 2022

“Our guys play with a lot of poise and control, we work on it religiously and we had a good approach,” Dawidczik said. “We knew a lot about their team, pitching staff and what they were going to throw at us. Their sequences seemed to be kind of similar and we just had a really good plan to execute and never panicked.

“I think this group is really senior heavy and (with) guys who have been there before and guys who are poised to play hard no matter what the score is. So, answering back has kind of been our motto.”

Moses shined once again for DC, reaching base in four out of five plate appearances. The junior center fielder had three hits, three runs scored, two RBI, two stolen bases and one walk. Two of his three hits went for extra bases as Moses had one double and one home run in the blowout victory.

“I was seeing the fastball really well,” Moses said. “It had gotten to the point where they just never threw me the fastball, so I was able to sit on off-speed (pitches) and see it well and drive it.”

Christiansen went 2-for-3 with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI for the Raiders. The 6-foot-2 senior also had one double and one homer.

Junior pitcher Auston Wilhelm got the start on the bump for the Cougars as he pitched three innings allowing three hits, three earned runs and one walk with two strikeouts. Junior pitcher Evan Johnson earned the win for DC after pitching two innings and giving up two hits and one earned run. Junior pitcher Caden Beloian took the loss for Rio as he pitched three and a third innings allowing seven hits, six earned runs and one walk with one K.

The Cougars have now won 13 of their last 14 games and four in a row. Del Campo plays a three-game series against El Camino this week. The Raiders play a three-game set against Sacramento.