FROM THE PUBLISHER: In a moment of either exasperation or truth seeking, Dr. Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychiatry, asked, “What does a woman want?” Today, that question needn’t be gender related. It might be more appropriate to ask, “What does the new generation — the youngest segment of the workforce — want?”

My younger employees are fixated on switching to a four-day workweek. They send me articles about Scandinavian companies and work-life balance. We cannot be competitive and switch to a four-day model. And the older employees are fine with the standard 40-hour workweek. What do I say to get them to stop asking?

Nexa Labs took home first prize at the 2025 UC Davis Big Bang! Competition for a solution designed to give farmers real-time health data on livestock so they can catch diseases early.

Nichole Baxter, 36, is director of business development at California American Water, a role that lets her express her lifelong gift for clear communication. 

On average, more than 13,000 animals come into Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento each year. During our Comstock’s photo shoot, we were told 72 animals came in on one day alone!

Chris Cormier, 40, knew from day one at the Rocklin-based construction firm Tricorp that he wanted to own the place — and now, as president and co-owner, he does.

Jack Davis, 32, has a unique background as a lawyer but has found that researching, writing and arguing cases as associate attorney at Kershaw Talley Barlow is the perfect melding of his many skills and passions.

Blake Johnson, 37, once told himself he wouldn’t follow his mother’s career path. She’d been an educator — both a teacher and a principal— and while he respected her work, he wouldn’t pursue the same trajectory. He eventually changed his mind, setting off on a course that ultimately led him to his current role as chief strategy officer at Child Action.

Brandon Kennedy, 32, is a program manager for Improve Your Tomorrow, a nationwide nonprofit that helps young people transfer to four-year universities. Over the course of a few years, Kennedy has helped 25 boys do this.

Freddie Silveria, 35, has charisma. Asked about his craft as owner of FSA Auctions, he erupts into the exuberant cadence and gesticulations of an auctioneer, unfazed by the surrounding cafe patrons. But he also knows the art of silence, and he’s not afraid to sit in it. 

Charanjeet “Charlie” Kaur Tiwana-Purewal was studying for the LSAT when her older sister pointedly asked her, “Why do you want to be a lawyer?” When she couldn’t come up with a good answer, Tiwana-Purewal decided against law school.

If someone has a good hobby recommendation for Christine Wolfe, she would love to hear it. Until then, daily life for this director of government affairs for WM for California, Nevada and Hawaii is primarily about work.

It’s been a busy year for Camille Zapata, 29. In June, the political strategist marked her first anniversary as the digital director for Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a year marked by the devastating LA fires and the return of the Trump administration.

Ashley Zavala, the Capitol correspondent for KCRA-TV, is well known around the corridors of the state Capitol. You can even say she’s feared. The Capital Weekly dubbed her the “Oh, s**t” reporter because that’s what some lawmakers say when they see her coming. 

Comstock’s was humbled by the high number of nominations we received for our 2025 Young Professionals issue. In fact, we got the most nominations ever. There are so many impressive rising stars in our region, we thought we’d ask some of the nominees their thoughts on leadership, how they spend their workday and what advice they have for others who are just starting out.

Originally theorized by Ray Oldenburg, a third place is meant to be a social anchor between home and work. Typically these communal places are bookstores, salons, coffeeshops, pubs and restaurants. But across Sacramento, art spaces like Demo, Panama Pottery and Forma are filling the social gap left by shuttered cafes and bars.

Once upon a time — 1959, to be precise — Fairytale Town opened at 3901 Land Park Drive in Sacramento, just four years after Disneyland debuted in Southern California. Almost immediately it was acknowledged, year after year, as one of the region’s top five family amenities — and still is. 

The interior retains many of its original “Eichler” features, including pristine globe light fixtures and mahogany-paneled walls. 

Life has a flair for the dramatic. It loves to throw us unexpected turns — a relationship hiccup that feels seismic, a health scare that rattles your foundation, a sudden financial shift that throws your budget into chaos. And while our initial reaction might be shock, confusion or even anger, the real strength emerges in how we navigate the aftermath.

Earlier this spring, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order mandating that most of California’s 224,000 full-time state workers should return to working in the office four days per week starting July 1. The executive order has stirred passionate debate, with local businesses in favor of the change and organizations representing state employees adamantly opposed.

California’s capital was one of the wettest cities in the state during dry Prohibition, home to a rebellious generation who escaped into hidden drinking dens. A century later, there are still plenty of speakeasies in Sacramento if you know where to look. 

For our new Out of Office column, reporter and photographer Brad Branan takes us on a journey to some of his favorite hikes around Lake Tahoe. 

Like my father before me, I taught my son to build a campfire the old-fashioned way: with balled-up paper under kindling, under twigs, under larger sticks, all fastidiously layered beneath three logs wigwammed in the center. It was a thing of beauty. We stood back in proud appreciation of our handiwork before striking a match in a solemn generational ceremony.