Helping the Homeless, By Living With Them
In some ways, California was the birthplace of the sharing revolution. In the sixties it was communes and community gardens. Now, there's a tiny Bay Area nonprofit that is trying to use sharing to help the homeless. It's called Safe Time. Think Air B and B, but the rooms are free. Teryl Burt was one of the first to sign up. She's 65, and she lives alone in a three bedroom townhouse in El Cerrito, near Berkeley. She recently invited a homeless family to live with her. Ariel Plotnick visited to check in on how it's going.
Going to Bumpass Hell? Better Watch Your Step
Our series "A Place Called What?" takes us to California places with bizarre and surprising names. This week, we're headed to Bumpass Hell, in Plumas County. It's not exactly a town. It's a spot in Lassen Volcanic National Park, where Karen Haner is the Chief of Interpretation and education. That means she makes the signs that warn people why it's risky to go off trail.
One Politician, One Reporter, and the Terrible Loss They Both Share
Usually, political reporters and the politicians they watchdog have something of a contentious relationship. Like reporter Allen Young, who's interviewed West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon as part of his beat for years. But they recently discovered they share something unusual, and terrible in common: when they were young, they were both in tragic accidents that killed their mothers. Years later, their moms continue to influence and inspire and them.
Giant Tree Stump Journeys from Sierra Nevada to SF Opera Stage
The Gold Rush era in California. It's a time artists and writers often romanticized. Like Mark Twain or Puccini, in his 1910 opera, The Girl of the Golden West. Now, a new opera about the Gold Rush, Girls of the Golden West, tells a much darker story. Think greed, racism, and environmental destruction. KQED’s Chloe Veltman brings us the story of how the massive stump of a giant sequoia tree made a journey from the Sierra Nevada to the opera stage.