![(Shutterstock illustration)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0624_dept_letter_shutterstock.png?1717192083)
Some Important Bedfellows: Financial Literacy, Art, Reading and Writing
Comstock’s President and Publisher Winnie Comstock-Carlson examines the shortcomings of California’s public school system.
![Julian Watt is the studio director of LPA Design Studios in Sacramento. (Photo courtesy of LPA Design Studios)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0524_opinion_housing_lpa.png?1717171774)
Sacramento’s Affordable Housing Crisis: Time for Real Solutions, Not Soundbites
OPINION: A sustainable designer weighs in on the true cost of housing in Sacramento
As the mayoral race steps into its next phase, candidates are quick to highlight the city’s urgent need for affordable housing. Yet the rhetoric rarely addresses the real issues.
![The Terra Madre Americas conference in Sacramento featured both free and ticketed wine tasting events. (Photo by Lisa Nottingham Photography, Visit Sacramento)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/terramadrelead.jpg?1717104706)
Vino Madre
Juicy scenes from the wine tasting room at the first Terra Madre Americas
For three days in May, the floor of the Memorial Auditorium was transformed into a global foodways classroom where one could sample coffee from Honduras, eat a cookie made from Bolivian quinoa and spin an oversized wheel that directed you to pithy sayings by food journalist Michael Pollan.
![The first Terra Madre Americas conference was held at Sacramento’s Memorial Auditorium over three days in mid-May, with museum-style exhibitions, cooking demos, coffee and wine tastings and more. (Photo by Lisa Nottingham Photography, courtesy of Visit Sacramento)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/slowfoodcoffee.jpg?1717104338)
Sacramento Goes Global With New Food Conference
Terra Madre has potential to shine a ‘huge culinary spotlight’ on the city
Sacramento will serve as the site of a prestigious international food conference that could eventually bring thousands of tourists and millions of dollars into the region.
![A project of the Amador County’s Homeless Task Force outreach subcommittee, the Homeless Resource Fair offers Amador County’s unhoused population to access resources, enjoy free meals and engage in the community. (Photos by Marie-Elena Schembri)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/copy_of_hrf-1_0.jpg?1717000208)
A Stand Down in Jackson
Resource fair connects Amador County’s homeless residents to services, community
It’s based on a military term, which refers to a reprieve where troops return to base camp to regroup and receive food, services and clothing before returning to combat.
![From left to right: Garett Hawe performs as Tommy Djilas, Julia Udine as Marian Paroo and James Snyder as Harold Hill in the 2023 Broadway At Music Circus production of “The Music Man” at the UC Davis Health Pavilion. (Photo by Charr Crail, courtesy of Music Circus)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/musicman.png?1716572763)
What’s On Tap at Music Circus?
A season of Broadway favorites comes to Sacramento’s beloved musical theater-in-the-round
The question “What’s on tap at Music Circus?” could not be more appropriate than it is this year. The 2024 season of the beloved musical theater-in-the-round, a more than 70-year-old Sacramento tradition, kicks off June 11 with “42nd Street,” a vintage favorite and a veritable vehicle for tap dancing.
![Chris Johnson got national attention when his Rapid Ramen Cooker appeared on “Shark Tank.” He now runs The Johnson Group, which uses AI to identify and connect job candidates with employers. (Photos by Gabriel Teague)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/gtp_8368.png?1716570318)
Dare to Dream
Entrepreneurship runs on resiliency
For many entrepreneurs, the past few years have served as something of a litmus test. From lockdowns and layoffs to a tumultuous economy, business owners have had to take a hard look at themselves and ask: How badly do I want to do this?
![Originally built in 1938, The Tower Theatre is the oldest active movie theater in Sacramento. (Photos by Jacob Peterson)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/img_1148.png?1716227819)
Film Festivals Take Center Stage in Sacramento
These festivals bring both culture and economic benefits
The general image that comes to mind for most people when describing a film festival are grand events like the Sundance festival in Utah or the Cannes in France, but Sacramento has more than a handful of its own staple events.
![Lindsey Herrema, co-owner and founder of The Can Van, adds lids to cans on the line. (Photo courtesy of The Can Van)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/lindsey-adding-lids.png?1715890106)
The Canned Craze
Canned cocktails and wines are light and easy to tote, perfect for a backyard barbecue, summer concert, picnic or anytime
The canned alcohol trend isn’t hard to spot. Just stroll through your local grocery store and you’ll see those colorfully packaged cans of prosecco and prickly pear margaritas all dressed up and ready to go, perfect for a picnic or poolside party.
![Ripe cabernet sauvignon grapes grow in Napa. It’s standard practice to graft cabernet sauvignon and other European grape varieties to North American rootstock. (Shutterstock photo by Karen Wibbs)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_465686666_1.png?1715809614)
Putting North American Grapes on the (Genetic) Map
UC Davis research on native grapes may help winegrowers adapt to climate change
UC Davis researchers have created the first ever comprehensive pangenome for North American grapes, a blueprint that will allow breeders to select rootstock by its genetic propensity for specific desired traits — say, drought tolerance or heat resistance.