As of October 2008, there were 182 crimes reported for the year.  These statistics are for the transit system, which also includes bus travel. Crimes include everything from assault, robbery, auto theft and vandalism to petty theft and trespassing. In an average month, there is far less crime reported for someone riding the light rail than reported crime in Downtown Sacramento. The Sacramento PD offers a crime mapping tool where you can obtain a detailed report of all crimes during a specified period for either a particular neighborhood or intersection. In the month of October, 2008, 100 incidents were reported in the downtown area. With 17,000 residents in the downtown area, this make

In researching light rail station crimes, it's been difficult to find a conclusive study regarding overall safety. There appear to be several isolated incidents that could easily cause uneasiness about riding the light rail. It should be noted that the majority of these incidents took place at the light rail stations rather than on the trains themselves. Toward the end of November, a woman was robbed at gunpoint  at a light rail station between Folsom Blvd and 65th Street. A little over a month ago, 28-year-old Ricky Bufford was shot while sitting in his car at the Watt Avenue light-rail station, Sgt. Tim Curran reports to the Sacramento Bee. An entry on Sacramento Bee's Crime Blog dat

I live in Rancho Cordova in an area where I question the safety of stopping to pump gas after dark. The light rail station in my neighborhood, which is near Mather Field and Folsom Blvd., is not the most friendly-looking location. I've never ventured to give the light rail a try. But this system has many perks.  It's convenient, you can catch a train either every 15 minutes or every half hour. There are 47 stations throughout the Sacramento area, 25 of these stations are connected with the bus system and 18 are park-and-ride stations where you can leave a vehicle. The price can't be beat, with standard fare only $2.00 for a single trip and $5.00 per day. Discounts are available when you

The first article in this series discussed the mixed reactions from community members regarding the decision to turn Sacramento High School into a charter school. You can read this story by clicking here or by clicking on the green storyline tab to the right. For those of you who don't know, Sacramento High School became a charter school in 2003. This surprised me, because I had always thought, "Once a charter, always a charter.” But, in learning more about the current Sacramento High School, there is a unique story.  The current school is a collaborative project put together by Kevin Johnson and St. Hope. Concerned with low academic performance, Johnson returned to his former Oak Park

Did you know that Sacramento has a program that can help adults with basic reading and writing skills? Since its foundation in 1984, the Literacy Service of the Sacramento Public Library has offered one-on-one tutoring with English-speaking adults, helping them to improve the skills necessary to function in today's society. Let's face it—adults who have trouble with reading and writing face a daily struggle. Imagine the frustration involved with trying to do basic things like read street signs, order a meal at a restaurant or send someone a birthday card. Even more frustrating is that many of these adults may have children who are attending school. For these parents, reading a book to th