Hector Amezcua is a freelance photographer for Comstock’s. An award-winning bilingual photojournalist based in Sacramento, he worked for the McClatchy Company for 27 years and received an FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems license in 2017.
Most recently, he covered California’s largest wildfires, the Tubbs, Carr and Camp fires. In 2019, he was a finalist for the Northern California Emmy Awards for the video “When Paradise Became Hell: The Story of The Camp Fire.”
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Weathering the Wild West
Family business close-up
The Rosser family has provided 60 years of roping and riding for
rodeo professionals and enthusiasts in Marysville.
Cruising Through Change
Family business close-up
Started by Louis Niello in San Francisco as a shop specializing
in repairs and maintenance of Packard automobiles in 1921, The
Niello Company is celebrating four generations of family
ownership.
Following the Grapevine
Family business close-up
From the corporate world to a rolling piece of land, a
husband-wife team runs Bella Grace Vineyards in Amador
County.
Fueling Demand
Family business close-up
Auburn-based Flyers Energy is expanding on its history of
supplying fuel to trucking fleets.
Filling a Niche
Family business close-up
A father-and-son team have kept Newcastle-based Selby’s Soil
Erosion Control business operating since the 1960s.
The Burbs Are Booming in the Capital Region
Cities such as Roseville, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove have become self-contained places where people barely have to leave city limits for housing, work, shopping and entertainment.
Capital Region Golf Courses Are Teed Up for Success
Capital Region golf courses saw a boom last year as the game emerged as the perfect socially distanced activity. Will new players stick around?
Patient Pleasers
Family business close-up: Pucci’s Pharmacy is a full-service drugstore that focuses on personalized care
Clint Hopkins and his husband Joel Hockman are the current owners
of Pucci’s Pharmacy in Sacramento, a 90-year-old business with a
long history of inclusion.
Family Farmers
Family business close-up: Otow Orchard extends its family farm in Granite Bay to the community
The Granite Bay farm was established in 1911 by a Japanese
immigrant and is still run by his descendants, including his
104-year-old daughter.
Pellet Pitchers
Family business close-up: Knotty Wood Barbecue Company invents a new use for old almond trees
Tens of thousands of acres of almond orchards are pulled up each
year in California. Knotty Wood is out to put those trees to
better use.
Care Givers
Family business close-up: All-Cal Insurance Agency in Roseville thrives by providing coverage for nonprofits
Nonprofits make up 97 percent of All-Cal’s clientele, which has
been run by the Esparza family in Roseville for more than 30
years.
The Bright Side: Harvesting Community
A buyback program is helping microfarmers from the Southeast
Asian community feed families and recoup their losses from a drop
in sales.
Back to Paradise
One year after the Camp Fire, some business owners have gambled on making a go of it again — but others see no reason to return
The biggest problem facing business owners is a lack of customers. No one knows what to do first: Build the customer base and create a demand for business, or rebuild the businesses and see if the customers follow?
Taste Makers
Yolanda Vega is the driving force behind the family’s expanding food brand
At 11 years old, Yolanda Vega started selling buñuelos and other local foods at street festivals around Michoacán. When she relocated to Sacramento in 1996, she did the same thing, driving around town and growing her clientele.
Brand Builders
Cousins Katherine Bardis-Miry and Rachel Bardis continue the family legacy of building homes with their own approach
A latex unicorn mask hangs on the back wall near the window of Katherine Bardis-Miry and Rachel Bardis’ shared office.
“We’re kind of weird,” Katherine laughs.
Dream Weavers
The husband-and-wife team of Ryan and Kat Huston has Huston Textile Company humming along
During summer months, 6-year-old Hazel keeps busy playing in the office of Huston Textile Company. It’s fitting that she should feel at home here — she is, after all, the inspiration for her parents’ textile milling business.
Designated Hitters
Led by Susan and Jeff Savage, the River Cats are celebrating their 20th season
When Art Savage and his partners purchased a Minor-League Baseball team and moved it to a new stadium in West Sacramento in 2000, his wife, Susan Savage, never imagined that one day she would own and operate the Sacramento River Cats.
Ron Burkle: The Man Backing the MLS Bid
Five things to know about Ron Burkle, who joined Sacramento Republic FC as lead investor in its bid to join Major League Soccer.
At The Railyards, it’s Full Steam Ahead
Backed by the expected arrival of a Major League Soccer team, development is stirring at the long-dormant Railyards in downtown Sacramento
There’s a word that comes to mind for Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg regarding the largest infill project in his city, The Railyards. “The one word I would use to describe the state of where we’re at is ‘breakthrough,’” Steinberg says.