A Bridge to Honor COMMUNITY REMEMBERS FALLEN POLICE OFFICER TARA O’SULLIVAN
Pastor Anthony Sadler from Shiloh Baptist Church referenced lyrics from the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which he said was “about providing comfort for those in need.” “Tara was a bridge,” Sadler told the audience. “She was created by God to help people cross safely through the dangerous crossings in life.” After thanking the O’Sullivan family for their sacrifice, and their strength and grace in the face of tragedy, Police Chief Kathy Lester called the dedication “bittersweet,” with the bridge serving as a way for O’Sullivan’s life, legacy and memory to live on and inspire. “When I see this bridge, I don’t think of bad things. I think of all the things the O’Sullivan family has done for our department,” Lester said. “No one has given more to this city than Tara and the O’Sullivan family,” said retired Police Chief Daniel Hahn. “It’s a debt that can never be repaid.” O’Sullivan was a graduate of Sacramento State University and its Law Enforcement Candidate Scholars’ program. She grew up in the East Bay and joined SPD in 2018. O’Sullivan was fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence call.
Attending the Tara O’Sullivan Memorial Bridge dedication are (from left) former SPD officer Joe Pane, Councilmember Jeff Haris, and Kelly and Dennis O’Sullivan, parents of Tara O’Sullivan.
‘FERTILE GROUND’
JL By Jessica Laskey Out & About
16
IES MAR
n
22
T
he H Street Bridge near Sacramento State University has been renamed in honor of Tara O’Sullivan, the Sacramento police officer killed in the line of duty in 2019. City Councilmembers Jeff Harris and Eric Guerra, members of the Sacramento Police Department, city of
Sacramento, Sacramento State and the O’Sullivan family attended a February dedication for the Tara O’Sullivan Memorial Bridge. “We are here to celebrate someone who we lost, someone who we loved very much,” said Harris, who helped facilitate the bridge naming after hearing from community members.
Sacramento has been chosen as the host city for “Fertile Ground,” the 2022 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference running March 16–19 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and other locations throughout the region. The 56th annual conference will feature opportunities for learning, teaching, connecting and collaborating around all things clay. The hybrid event will incorporate in-person and remote participation, including lectures, demonstrations, networking opportunities and engagement with vendors, nonprofits, schools and galleries.
