Inside east sacramento dec 2013 by Inside Publications

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EAST SACRAMENTO McKINLEY PARK RIVER PARK ELMHURST TAHOE PARK CAMPUS COMMONS

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STUNNING NEW HOME 4 or 5 bedrooms 3½ baths in the Fabulous 40’s! Great for entertaining with formal living room and ¿replace, dining room, large chef’s kitchen with island and prep sink, breakfast bar and open great room with built-in’s and wine fridge. 9’ ceilings, 8’ doors, lots of arches, open and bright; spacious yard! $1,275,000 NATHAN SHERMAN 969-7379

REMODELED FABULOUS 40s Lovely remodeled 4 bedroom and three bath home features high quality appliances and ¿nishes in the gourmet kitchen; connected family room has French doors that open up to the backyard with Sago and Queen Anne palms. Plus a back gate into the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club. $1,149,900 BETH HARNEY 995-4120

NEW HOME ON SANTA YNEZ Newly completed home by Dyer Trolio Homes right in the heart of East Sacramento. This craftsman bungalow exudes east coast charm, architectural detail throughout, and a simple, spacious, open Àoor plan. The details: 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2190sf, and a 1-car detached garage. $699,000 CHRIS BALESTERI 996-2244

MEDITERRANEAN MASTERPIECE One of East Sacramento’s ¿nest homes! Wake up to the tree tops ¿ltering the morning sun or entertain in rooms that invite the outdoors in. Unique features, a spacious artist’s studio, guest wing complete with kitchen and an apartment over the 3 car garage. $1,299,000 CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483

MIKE PARIS BUILT HOME Fabulous new home being built in the heart of East Sacramento!!! This 3 bedroom 2½ bath will have all the classic signatures of a Mike Paris home... high ceilings, large rooms, open Àoor plan, indoor/outdoor living, gourmet kitchen, and an old world style and charm! $765,000 TIM COLLOM 247-8048

1920’S BUNGALOW 3 bedroom 2 bath charmer with modern amenities! Large family room and spacious master suite with walk-in closet, remodeled the kitchen and bath, re¿nished hardwood Àoors, many dual pane windows and rebuilt the garage. Spa and gazebo. $525,000 DAVID KIRRENE 531-7495 JERRY KIRRENE 455-1001

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CHARMING BUNGALOW 2 bedroom home located on a quiet tree-lined street has been meticulously maintained! Spacious Àoor plan perfect for entertaining includes hardwood Àoors, central heat and air, a large dining room, and two good sized bedrooms. Walking distance to coffee shops and neighborhood restaurants. $339,000 TIM COLLOM 247-8048

BOULEVARD PARK High water bungalow, 2 bedrooms 2 baths in historical preservation area! Two master bedrooms, front parlor has bay window and glass pocket doors opening to living room with ¿replace. Spacious kitchen has gas cooktop range, built-in microwave, inside laundry area and full basement. $355,000 CONNIE LANDSBERG 761-0411

for current home listings, please visit:

DUNNIGANREALTORS.COM 916.484.2030 916.454.5753 Dunnigan is a different kind of Realtor.

DEC n 13

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SPACIOUS HOME & YARD Beautiful 4 bedroom 3 bath home has gorgeous kitchen, spacious living area and a large yard; all great for comfortable living and entertaining. Downstairs bedroom and full bathroom. HVAC system replaced recently. Lots of extra details, including crown moldings. $589,000 ALLISON BELL 248-1060, ALEXIS JONES 715-0237

Thanks a

Million. That’s the value of our 2013 transactions, a fantastic year by any measure. The dollar figure is less important than what it says—about the market, about our neighborhood, and about the success we’ve achieved for our clients. I am grateful for an amazing network of people who have supported me— including friends, family and referrals. We have worked hard to make this happen, and we’re proud of it. If you’re ready to make a move, let’s have a conversation.

Happy New Year, and let’s do it again in 2014!

Sales total above is the cumulative value of 2013 transactions sold or in escrow as of October 28, based on Sacramento County records, including sales completed by associated agent Aulani Carter.

916.247.8048 | TimCollom.com

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I PEND SPRAWLING ARDEN RANCHER! Located at the quiet end of Arden Way and within 2 blocks of the American River Parkway, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home presents familial charm and privacy. This 1667 square foot home hosts a formal Living rooms, a Family Room with ﬁreplace and outside access, and a large Kitchen with a spacious eat-in area. Ideal for entertaining, the backyard plays host to a large covered patio, glistening pool, and mature foliage. Other amenities include hardwood ﬂoors, two-car garage with additional RV parking, and newer HVAC (2004). ). $439,900

Happy Holidays!

ENDEARING EAST SAC BUNGALOW! Resting within walking distance to McKinley Park and East Sac restaurants, coffee houses, and shops, this 2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow offers the charm of Home Sweet Home. This home presents a formal Living room, a spacious Kitchen with an eatin area, and an updated bathroom. Ideal for entertaining, the intimate backyard has been recently updated to include a natural gas ﬁreplace, new landscaping, and a new fence. Other amenities include hardwood ﬂoors, indoor laundry, and an inviting front porch. $349,950

DELIGHTFUL EAST SAC COTTAGE! This 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath East Sac cottage offers cozy charm! Boasting a formal Living room with ﬁreplace, formal Dining room, and Kitchen adjacent to an indoor laundry room, this home will surely spark your interest! The spacious backyard offers incredible potential while presenting a covered patio and lawn area surrounded by mature foliage. Other amenities include new hardwood ﬂoors, fresh paint, two-car garage, and partial dual pane windows. wind dow $329,950

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COVER ARTIST Patt Illouli Patt Illouli is a full-time water color artist. After working many years as a graphic artist in Los Angeles, Patt moved to Asia and spent seven years teaching, traveling, and painting. In 2001 Patt returned to the states and settled in Sacramento where she started her successful house portrait business. EAST SACRAMENTO

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DEC 13

VOLUME 18 • ISSUE 11

Publisher's Desk.............................................................. ....9 East Sac Life .................................................................... 12 Volunteer Profile ............................................................... 17 Inside City Hall................................................................. 22 Meet Your Neighbors........................................................ 30 Shoptalk .......................................................................... 32 Inside Our Schools ........................................................... 36

PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings publisher@insidepublications.com 3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only) 916-441-7026

Doing Good .................................................................... 38 Building Our Future .......................................................... 40 Local Heroes .................................................................... 44 Have Inside Will Travel ..................................................... 50 Inside Out........................................................................ 54

EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY AD COORDINATOR ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL POLICY

Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller, Daniel Nardinelli, Lyssa Skeahan Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli 916-443-5087 Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 50,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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Spirit Matters ................................................................... 56 Home Insight.................................................................... 58 The Club Life .................................................................... 62 The i List .......................................................................... 64 Getting There ................................................................... 66 Garden Jabber ................................................................ 68 Real Estate Guide ............................................................. 71 Conversation Piece ........................................................... 72 Pets & Their People ........................................................... 74 Artist Spotlight ................................................................. 76 River City Previews ........................................................... 78 Restaurant Insider ............................................................. 84 Dining Guide .................................................................. 86

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DEC n 13

Park Renewal Takes Hold THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, A COMMUNITY GEM THRIVES

BY CECILY HASTINGS PUBLISHER’S DESK

ust over two years ago, my friend Lisa Schmidt and I embarked on a journey to save East Sacramento’s historic Clunie Community Center from closing and to ensure that McKinley Rose Garden would become a world-class public garden. It has taken far more time and energy than we ever expected, but the results are far more than we anticipated. As they say, no pain, no gain. Since assuming a five-year lease from the city for Clunie in October 2012, we have made remarkable progress, most of which I credit directly to Lisa. For the past year, she has worked more than full time—on a volunteer basis—to transition the center’s operations to nonprofit management. She does it all: manages the finances and books, shows the facilities to prospects, attends events to make sure all goes as planned, manages the weekly schedule and works with our facility manager, Joe Pane, to manage our four part-time employees. She also handles more mundane chores like cleaning stains out of the carpet and dealing with

plugged toilets—things definitely not on her bucket list! By establishing a new website and promoting the center’s rental facilities through our publications and other methods, we increased rental revenues by 150 percent. This increase leaves the facility essentially self-sustaining, something we had anticipated would take far longer than a year. When we inherited the building, it was a mess, the victim of deferred maintenance for many years. The last time the city improved the building was 17 years earlier. We determined that a major facelift was needed to make the facility attractive to renters. Rental fees are the sole source of support for the center’s operation. So in 2012, a number of generous small and large donors came forward, and we raised $120,000. We then completely restored the lobby, Grand Hall and stage, East Sac History Room and Alhambra Room and converted a former city office space into the Reagan Board Room. The project included new paint, carpeting, lighting, furnishings and wood refinishing. Work was completed in January of this year. We are excited to be in negotiations with a local coffee roaster to place a coffee cart on the patio in front of Clunie to serve library, park and event users. This is the final part of our plan to make Clunie a true center of the community. While Clunie Community Center is Lisa’s baby, McKinley Rose Garden is mine. I live across the street from the garden and can see it from my second-floor home office window. We took over the garden lease in May 2012. The city had just completed

infrastructure work on the garden, including new ADA-compliant concrete walkways, irrigation system and turf. But the garden plantings were in shambles. We took on the responsibility of raising $135,000 to replace more than half of the garden’s 600 rosebushes, install hundreds of new boxwood edging plants and plant the eight empty perennial flower beds in a botanical garden theme. We also refurbished 26 park benches with new Trex slats and had the iron bases cleaned and recoated. Earlier, in 2011, we built a new brick monument sign with funds we raised from home tours.

Countless times this past year, Lisa and I looked at each other, laughed and repeated, “No good deed goes unpunished.” We also created an Adopt-A-Garden program, which allows donors to dedicate a small plaque in memory or honor of a loved one. The money raised through the program helps support the garden. It has been very successful and accounts for about 20 percent of the annual cost to maintain the garden. While rental revenues from weddings and other special events cover a good portion of the cost of a private weekly lawn and garden service, volunteers take full responsibility for the care

of the rosebushes. Led by Ellie Longanecker—a rosarian and president of Sacramento Rose Society—volunteers fertilize, deadhead and prune the 1,200 bushes. I lead a group of a dozen volunteers who show up weekly to deadhead the roses. Sacramento Sheriff’s work release teams are also important to the garden’s maintenance, coming in groups of 40 or more to work several hours once a month. We provide the training, tools and supervision. This past summer, the Watkins family provided funds to construct a beautiful new wrought-iron shade gazebo in the center of the garden. It was built by local iron artist Bill Kuyper and fashioned after the existing iron arches installed more than a decade ago to support the climbing roses. While Clunie has been made selfsustaining, the rose garden presents a different situation, given it is still a public garden open to all to enjoy. Even though we have raised rental revenues by more than 150 percent, we still need approximately $10,000 in donated funds each year to keep the garden looking its best. Some of that money will go to hire a college horticulture student as a summer intern to oversee the garden, a job I have been performing. With our growing business, I cannot continue to devote the extensive volunteer time again next year. But I do plan to manage the intern. Keep in mind that, just five years ago, the city had two full-time park employees caring for the garden. Most public gardens of this size are run by much larger and better-staffed PUBLISHER page 10

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FROM page 9 organizations. The summer intern will be our “boots on the ground” in the garden, overseeing maintenance and volunteer efforts and developing a manual on the garden’s care. If our nonprofit ever needs to turn the garden back to the city, city staffers will better understand what it takes to keep it going. Along with our rose garden volunteerism, we also organized more than 5,000 volunteer hours of general park maintenance with our McKinley Park Volunteer Corps. The arson that destroyed a portion of the McKinley Park playground was an added burden. At the request of City Councilmember Steve Cohn, we agreed to do a commemorative brick fundraising project. Led by Cathy Diepenbrock, the project raised $40,000 for the new community-built playground this past summer. We were grateful to receive Councilmember Cohn’s District 3 Volunteer of the Year Award in June. While I shared the award with Lisa, I believe she is far more deserving than me.

DEC n 13

Our arrangement is considered a public-private partnership and has worked relatively well as we have developed relationships with the top city park managers. This past year, the city repainted the small building in the rose garden and the exterior trim at Clunie at our request. City staff has been receptive of our efforts, and we are grateful. After numerous air-conditioning failures last summer, we are asking the city to replace the air-conditioning system this coming year. The biggest hassles we have faced came from a few members of the public who misunderstand situations. Early on, a preservation group accused us of endangering seniors and children by not opening Clunie’s restrooms to the public as the city had done previously. Our insurance carrier required the restrooms to have access limited via a key code to renters, event attendees and library patrons only. The security of visitors to the building had to be our first priority, and we were not in a position to accept the considerable risks. Plus, we pay to have the restrooms cleaned

six days a week for our renters, a task the city had performed just three times a week. When we removed old, diseased roses along the front entrance walk to Clunie and replaced them with lovely white rose trees, a woman complained to the city that we had removed some of the finest rosebushes in the city! Another time last spring, when we were unable to turn down the surging heat inside the building—the controls are located downtown in a city facility—the city got complaints that we were leaving the doors open and wasting energy. Countless times this past year, Lisa and I looked at each other, laughed and repeated, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Moving forward, we have established a fundraising campaign called the McKinley Park Renewal Fund, which we are kicking off this month. Donations will be used to preserve and renew McKinley Park. Our goals and projects for the next year include funding ongoing McKinley Rose Garden maintenance needs, a summer horticultural student internship, and tree and shrub

fertilization and replacement. We also are working on designing creative “parklets” within the park and increasing ADA accessibility parkwide. One of our goals for the rose garden and Clunie has been that this public-private partnership needs to be sustainable without Lisa or me. Last month, we hired a part-time reservation coordinator, Katie Talbot. We think that our rental revenue next year will bring in enough funds so that we can give Katie more hours, cutting back on the time Lisa spends with renters. We appreciate gifts of every size and work to make sure every last dollar is well spent. You can be a Friend for a $75 annual donation. Colorful McKinley Park banners will acknowledge donors who give $5,000 or more. Visit mckinleyparkcenter. org to donate online via Paypal. You can also send a check to Friends of East Sacramento, 3104 O St. #222, Sacramento 95816. Consider it a gift to your neighborhood this holiday season! Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n

33rd Street Bistro 57th Street Antique Row A & P Heating & Cooling Action Boot Camp/Train Hard or Go Home Aharona Catering Alexis Genung Studios Alhambra Mail & Parcel Alves & Martinez Andis Wines Archival Framing & Gallery Article Consignment Boutique Ballroom of Sacramento Barb Andres Bookkeeping BareKnuckle Brews Bertolucci’s Body and Fender Shop Bill Kuyper Designs in Metal Blue Sky Day Spa Blue Tangerine Spa Brown House on H Street Burr’s Fountain Caliber Collision Centers California State University, Sacramento Carroll O. Dudley, Edward Jones Investments Caverna 57 Cha Cha’s Doggie Day Care Chambers and Chambers Wine Merchants Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters Clark’s Corner Clubhouse 56 Colibri Blue Gifts Compliance Payroll Councilmember Steve Cohn Couture Medical Fitness Creative Impressions D & J Kitchens and Baths David Allen & Associates Attorneys David Levy, CMT Demetre Landscape designTECH Interior Design Services, Inc. Details Salon Dickey’s Barbeque Pit Dos Coyotes Border Café Dragon Fire Martial Arts East Lawn Florist East Lawn Memorial Park East Sac Auto Service East Sac Bike Shop East Sac Natural Cleaners East Sac Self Storage East Sacramento Dental East Sacramento Hardware East Sacramento Mercantile East Sacramento/McKinley Park Rentals

El Dorado Savings Bank Español Restaurant Estate Wine Evan’s Kitchen & Catering Event Architects Exotic Plants Fancy Feet Fine Art Knitting with Cheryl Lobenberg F O R

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Krazy Mary’s Boutique KZUB Productions La Bombe Ice Cream & More La Fem Sophistique La Trattoria Bohemia Larry Gunst Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Northern California Law Office of Elizabeth N. Niemi

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Fiske Financial Strategies Garage Door Center Sacramento Garden Wishes Wedding Flowers George Gudie Heating & Air Conditioning Golden Arch Enterprises/ McDonalds Golden Pacific Bank Guitar Workshop Hall’s Window Center Haus Haven Lending HeavenLy’s Yogurt Hilltop Tavern Holloway Land Company, Inc. Hoppy Brewing Company Hot City Pizza Hyatt Regency Sacramento ideas by design Inside Publications International Student Support & Educational Services JAYJAY Juno’s Kitchen & Delicatessen K.J. Paws Katia’s Collections Kevin D. Guinn Insurance and Financial Services KMG Real Estate Finance Koufasimis Properties Koukla Kids

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Law Offices of Patrick L. Hinrichsen Les Baux LifePath Law Lighten Up Limelight Bar & Café Lincoln Law School Little Real Estate Services Mamma Susanna’s Ristorante Italiano Mariellen‘s Mosaics Mercy General Hospital Mercy McMahon Terrace Mercy Pharmacy Murphy-Campbell-Guthrie-Alliston Nathan Sherman Realtor Natural Results Medical Aesthetics New Belgium Brewing Company Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger Nopalitos Opa! Opa! Panattoni Interiors Pasty Shack Perry Georgallis Realtor Phyllis Hayashi Realtor Pinky’s Salon Pioneer House Retirement Community Railbridge Cellars Relles Florists Restoration Life Church

Revolution Wines Rita Gibson Insurance & Investment Services Rotary Club of East Sacramento Roxie Deli & Grocery S. Benson & Company Clothiers Sacramento Animal Hospital Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Sacramento Turn Verein SAFE Credit Union Salon Cuvee and Day Spa Sanctuary Covenant Church Schiff Estate Services Sean Minor Wines Selland’s Market Cafe Separovich/Domich Real Estate Development SGC Financial Services Sig-1 Skinner Vineyards Smith, McDowell & Powell - A Law Firm SMUD Socal’s Tavern Sparkle Bridal Couture State Farm Agency/Pete Schiro Steve Swindel & Associates Stoll Painting StoneWood Design, Inc. Styrsky Insurance Agency Sue Olson Realtor Supervisor Phil Serna Sutter Terrace Dental Swirl Wines Talini’s Nursery Taste for the Senses TEAMride The Chateau on Capitol Avenue The Cultured & The Cured The Exotic Body The Fresh Market The Pink House Tim Leake Builder Timothy Mickiewicz, DDS Todd B. Andrews, DDS Trader Joe’s TV Log Twelve Rounds Brewing Twiggs Union Vacations Up North Interests US Bank Valley Community Newspapers Western Feed What’s the Scoop? Ice Cream & More William Hubbard Realtor Wolfe Design Marketing Yorba Wines Z-Chef Personal Chef Service & Catering

eastsacchamber.org H East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce H 452-8011 INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Ho Ho Ho SACRED HEART PLANS A VERY JOLLY HOLIDAY HOME TOUR

The tour is expected to attract more than 5,000 attendees. Proceeds go to offset tuition and provide financial support to families that otherwise might not be able to afford a Catholic education. Tour hours are Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on the days of the tour. Tickets are available online and at more than a dozen retailers including Haus Home and Gifts, The Pink House, Talini’s Garden Center and East Sac Hardware. During the tour weekend, tickets will be sold at the school library and at 1325 45th St. There will be a cafe and gift shop at the school, located at 856 39th St. For more information and a full listing of retailer locations, call 5565050 or visit sacredhearthometour. com.

BY LISA SCHMIDT EAST SACRAMENTO LIFE

acred Heart Parish School will hold its annual Holiday Home Tour on Friday, Dec. 6, Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8. For the tour, five houses in East Sacramento’s Fabulous Forties neighborhood will be decorated for the holidays by local interior designers and florists. “We are very excited about the homes on the tour this year,” says Leslie Wilson-Lopez, a Sacred Heart parent and one of the home tour co-chairs. “This year is the 40th anniversary of the tour. The home that was on the very first tour is on the tour this year.” For a house on 42nd Street, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in East Sacramento will enhance its understated aesthetic by providing a sophisticated, thoughtful holiday motif. According to Kelly, “The home is beautifully neutral to start. Reclaimed wood, sisal rugs, poufs covered in hide leathers and aged metal light fixtures provide a mix of finishes and textures to bring a timeless look to the home.” Kelly and her team will add personalized burlap stockings,

DEC n 13

CITY RELEASES REPORT ON MCKINLEY VILLAGE PROJECT

Interior designer Kerrie Kelly is one of five designers decorating a home for the 40th Sacred Heart Home Tour

kraft paper gifts and handmade large-format artwork to provide approachable, creative ways for homeowners to add a seasonal look to their own spaces. In a Holiday Home Tour tradition begun by Kelly a few

years ago, instructions for three do-ityourself projects will be on display. Other designers participating in the tour include Haus Home and Gift, Beyond the Garden Gate, JIL Design and Steve Reynolds Design.

The city has released a draft environmental impact report on the proposal by developer Phil Angelides to build 328 new homes on the Centrage site. Riverview Capital Investments, headed by Angelides, hopes to build its McKinley Village project on the 48-acre site just north of East Sacramento between the railroad tracks and Capital City Freeway. The plan includes homes, urban parks, a recreation center and pool. The report, which is required by state law for projects of this size, evaluates potential environmental

effects of the proposed project in areas like air and water quality, public safety and transportation. The 1,000-plus-page report identified a number of adverse impacts and recommended mitigation measures. If the mitigation measures are implemented, the report concluded, the project will result in less than significant environmental impacts. But Rob Finley of Neighbors United for Smart Growth says his group is still concerned about the development’s potential negative consequences. NUSG, a coalition of Midtown and East Sacramento residents, says its foremost concern is the project’s effect on traffic and the schools. According to the report’s traffic analysis, McKinley Village will cause significant impacts to three East Sac intersections: Alhambra Boulevard and H Street; Alhambra Boulevard and E Street; and McKinley Boulevard and 33rd Street. While the developer would be required to contribute its fair share to improvements at those intersections, Finley says that fair share might

not be enough to fund the necessary improvements due to city overall finances.The report also analyzed McKinley Village’s impact on local schools. Currently, the property is in the Twin Rivers School District with the closest district elementary school almost five miles away and across the Business 80 freeway. Sacramento City Unified School District’s Theodore Judah Elementary School on McKinley Boulevard is one-half mile from the project site, and school district staffers have said the project is within walking distance of Sutter Middle School, too. SCUSD has already initiated the process to transfer the land to the city school district. At a November meeting with parents from Theodore Judah, school district board member Jeff Cuneo said the possible impact of an influx of children on the popular school was a major issue of discussion. The school currently is home to 586 students. SCUSD says the school can accommodate up to 859 students. Parents fear that an increase could cause the loss of many arts,

science and technology enrichment programs at the school due to space limitations on the campus. Already, Theodore Judah’s successful parent participation preschool had to close after 50 students transferred to the East Sac location from the now-closed Washington Elementary School of Midtown. The McKinley Village project could bring as many as 95 new students to the campus, but the start dates for these new students would be spread out over a number of years as McKinley Village is built out. Under state law, the project’s developer will be required to pay school impact fees if the project proceeds. According to Angelides and Cuneo, that figure would be more than $2 million. Angelides says he understands the worries of the Theodore Judah parents. “I’m concerned about still preserving the quality of the programs offered at the school,” Angelides says, adding that “the development funds should stay with the schools that are impacted by the project.”

Cuneo agrees but says “while developer impact fees should follow the school being affected, I have not seen that policy followed during the three years I have served on the school board.” For more information on Neighbors United for Smart Growth, go to nusg.org. For more information on McKinley Village, go to mckinleyvillage.com. Comments on the draft environmental must be received by the planning department by Friday, Dec. 27, at 4 p.m.

CHRISTMAS WITH A CAUSE A holiday music show benefiting Mustard Seed School will be held Friday, Dec. 6, in the Grand Hall at Clunie Community Center at 7 p.m. More than a dozen local musicians including Autumn Sky, Hans Eberbach, Ricky Berger and Justin Farren will provide a mix of original songs and Christmastime favorites.

EAST SAC LIFE page 14

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FROM page 13 The event is sponsored by the Sanctuary Covenant Church and is being coordinated by Josh Krage and Emily Delk. According to Pastor David Beck of the church, “We are calling the event A Musical Benefit for Sacramento’s Most Invisible Children. All the effort is going toward raising funds for Mustard Seed School, a school at Loaves and Fishes for homeless children. There is no one more invisible than a child of parents who have suddenly found themselves on the streets.” There will be a suggested donation of $10 to attend the concert. The event is open to all ages. The event is co-sponsored by Loaves and Fishes and Friends of East Sacramento. For more information or to volunteer at the event, go to sanctuary-church.org or call 5488791.

NEW RESTROOMS FOR THE PLAYGROUND The city is planning to build new restrooms in McKinley Park near the newly rebuilt children’s playground and picnic area.

At a meeting in October, the city council approved a budget of $220,500 to construct women’s and men’s restrooms. There will be a single stall in each. According to Councilmember Steve Cohn, the actual cost could be as low as $140,000, depending upon the location and placement of the sewer line. The new restrooms will have automatic locks that will lock at dusk and open at dawn. They will also meet the Americans With Disabilities Act standards. The current park restrooms were built in the early 1900s. They will be closed and converted to storage. Gary Hyden, the city’s supervising landscape architect, anticipates construction will be completed in mid-June.

SHE MAKES MUSIC East Sac resident Kristen Miranda had her first professional singing gig when she was 14. For the next 15 years, the jazz vocalist sang here in her hometown of Sacramento and traveled all over the United States and to Europe and Asia to perform. But after the birth of her son, Sam, who is now in high school, Miranda left performing to focus on her family and her career as an executive in the

Atlas and Arrows is one of the bands that will perform at the Dec. 6 Christmas With A Cause concert

health care industry. A few years ago, some musician friends coaxed her out of retirement for a few appearances. Those few appearances became more frequent. Now, SBK Records (a division of Universal Music Group) has released a CD, “Double Time,” of Miranda’s music. The recording is available at Amazon and on iTunes. For more information, go to kristenmiranda.com.

A NEW LIBRARIAN FOR MCKINLEY

East Sac resident Kristen Miranda's new album is titled Double Time. Photo courtesy of Irene Young.

DEC n 13

Bridget Laws took over last month as supervisor of McKinley Library. Laws, who has worked for Sacramento Public Library for more than 15 years, grew up in the Woodlake neighborhood. Laws is the fourth supervisor for the East Sac library in 17 months. For more than 17 years, McKinley Library was under the care of East Sac resident Shari Nichelini, who left in July 2102 to take a position at the downtown library. Laws, who jumped right into the many children’s programs the library

sponsors, says she hopes to be at McKinley Library for many years. She served in her former position for six years. When not busy supervising a branch library, Laws likes to hike. Recently, she backpacked on the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain where she walked 500 miles in 36 days.

COMMUNITY LEADERS LINING UP BEHIND ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES Earlier this year, city councilmembers Steve Cohn and Kevin McCarty announced plans to run for the California State Assembly in 2014. Both plan to seek the District 7 seat currently held by Roger Dickinson. Now, local community leaders are lining up behind the candidates. Cohn, who represents East Sacramento on the council, received the early endorsement of Cathy Taylor, who was the fundraising chair of the Rebuild McKinley Playground EAST SAC LIFE page 16

Connected to the Community

What Community Leaders Are Saying About McKinley Village “... is consistent with the MTP/SCS [Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy].” – Sacramento Area Council of Governments

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To see the designs of our homes, recreation center, parks and public spaces, visit: McKinley Village.com

– Gregg Lukenbill, community leader and local businessman

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FROM page 14 Steering Committee. According to Taylor, “After the fire destroyed the playground, Steve worked tirelessly with me and many community members to secure the resources to rebuild it. He has a knack for bringing people together from every segment of the community to get things done.” While none of East Sac’s neighborhood groups has endorsed a candidate, Paul Noble, chair of East Sacramento Improvement Association, personally endorsed Cohn. Noble says, “I feel that Steve has been a highly effective councilmember for District Three over the past years, and I expect him to exhibit the same kind of competence and concern for his constituents if he is elected to the Assembly.” McCarty, whose council district includes Elmhurst and Tahoe Park, has support from local neighborhood association leaders. Isaac Gonzales, president of Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, cites McCarty’s leadership in recent council discussions on funding for a new arena as one of his reasons he supports McCarty. “I admire his stance on what will be the largest public subsidy for an amenity in Sacramento's history: the proposed arena project,” Gonzalez says. “He has asked the difficult questions and has been reluctant to commit the city to decades of debt service until independent studies provide reassurances that such a liability would not overburden our general fund.” McCarty has also received the endorsement of Midtown community leader George Raya. Raya who has known both of the candidates for some time and feels they are both good people, says, “It’s time to give the next generation a go at running things.” Some community leaders are playing it safe in this election. Sacramento City Unified School District board members Patrick Kennedy and Jeff Cuneo and East Sac City Council candidate Cyril Shah have endorsed both Cohn and McCarty.

DEC n 13

CELEBRATE AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY Friends of McKinley Library will host its annual holiday celebration at the library on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. A holiday version of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” will be performed by Puppet Art. Holiday treats will be served and Santa is expected to make an appearance. “This holiday program is a way to say thank-you for the community’s support of our neighborhood library,” says Barbara Byrne, president of the library’s support group. The library is at 601 Alhambra Blvd. For more information, call 2642770.

BUY SEE’S CANDIES, SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE For the seventh year, Soroptimist International of Sacramento will raise money by selling See’s Candy to fund its service programs. The club will operate a satellite store in The Conservatory at 552 Fulton Ave., just west of Loehmann’s Plaza. The candy will be sold at regular See’s retail prices. All profits will fund Soroptimist programs to assist at-risk women and children. This year’s proceeds will support Tubman House, which provides housing and support to young homeless parents and their children.

According to East Sac resident Nancy Wolford-Landers, chair of the candy store fundraising program, more than $60,000 has been raised in the past six years through the holiday store. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24. It will be staffed by Soroptimist member volunteers. Patitucci Investment Co. donated the retai space. To learn more about Soroptimist International of Sacramento, go to soroptimistsacramento.org.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY Theodore Judah School PTA will hold a holiday boutique on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gifts from local businesses will be available for purchase. There will be performances by Velocity Dance Company, a visit from Santa and a petting farm. A Gingerbread workshop for children and families will also be held. The cost per house will be $10. Community sponsors include Home Care Assistance of Sacramento and real estate agents Rich Cazneaux and Kurt Campbell. Funds raised will go toward the school’s art, music, science, technology and drama programs. Theodore Judah Elementary School is at 3919 McKinley Blvd. For more information, contact Paige Schulte at paige@kidzartca.com

Construction is in full swing on a new facility for Sacramento Animal Hospital

A HOLIDAY BAZAAR The Ben Ali Shrine Ladies Holiday Bazaar will be on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will feature more than 100 booths selling homemade treats, crafts and holiday decorations. Santa Claus will be available for photos. Admission is free. All proceeds benefit the transportation fund of Sacramento Shriners Hospital. The bazaar will be at Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 6151 H St. For more information, go to ben-ali-shriners.org.

GERMAN SHEPHERDS NEED HOMES Greater California German Shepherd Rescue will hold an adoption day on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pet Food Express in Loehmann’s Plaza, 2531 Fair Oaks Blvd. Dogs available for adoption can be viewed online in the days immediately preceding the event at gcgsr.org. All the dogs are spayed or neutered before being adopted. For more information, call 4879999.

A HOSPITAL FOR YOUR PET Earlier this fall, construction began on a new facility for Sacramento Animal Hospital. The new veterinary care center is being built next door to the current offices at 5701 H St. The existing animal hospital was built in the 1940s. When the new state-of-the-art facility opens, the site of the current hospital will be demolished and become a parking lot for the hospital. The hospital is open during construction. To mitigate the parking challenges, the hospital is offering complimentary valet services. Sacramento Animal Hospital is owned by Doctors Diana Cortez, Karen Mulvihill and Erin True. For more information, go to mysacvet.com or call 451-7213.

EAST SAC LIFE page 18

Sacred Heart Home Tour GIVING BACK TO EAST SAC

efore 1973, Sacred Heart School’s Mothers Club raised money through bake sales and small fundraisers. But that year, the support group was looking for a way to generate more money for the school with one major event. When someone suggested a house tour, Marilyn Park, a mother of four, offered to organize and chair it. That first year, there was just one home on the tour: a 45th Street house that had been built in the 1920s by the Dean & Dean architectural firm. The firm had designed many of Sacramento’s most prominent homes and public buildings, Kris Quigley, Leslie Wilson-Lopez and Marilyn Park

includ including Theodore Judah Eleme Elementary School and Westm Westminster Presbyterian Chur downtown. Church “T home even had “The a an all-electric dishwasher 1 in 1925,” says Park, not noting that the home’s ori original owner, Royal Mi Miller, had served on th SMUD board for the m many years. For that first tour, e each of the rooms was decorated by a different interior designer. There was a gift boutique in the master bedroom tour e m o h t an refreshments in the and rs the very fi ram from backyard. The home The prog was open for 10 days in September.

Park was pleased with the success of that first tour, which made a profit for the school and started an annual tradition that 40 years later is still going strong. This year, more than 5,000 people are expected to attend. Over the years, the Sacred Heart Holiday Home tour has evolved. It now runs for just one weekend in December and includes five homes decorated for the holidays. But, Park says, “it still has that same charm and feel that the first tour had.” Leslie Wilson-Lopez, who has served as a co-chair for four Holiday Home Tours, credits Park and all the volunteers over the years. “It’s a longstanding 40-year tradition started by creative mothers of Sacred Heart students. The torch continues to be carried by creative and innovative mothers,” she says.

According to Kris Quigley, who serves on the tour’s executive committee along with WilsonLopez, “The true beauty lies with the homeowners who open their homes to the public for three days. And we must not forget the designers who work long and tireless hours to work their holiday design magic. It is so much work for the homeowners and designers. I’m grateful for all those who have stepped up for the last 40 years.” A boutique and cafe contribute to the event’s success. Local businesses sponsor the tour and run ads in the program. According to Park, Relles Florist supported the tour in 1970 and every year since. Wilson-Lopez and Quigley both have two children at Sacred Heart. “This is a tremendous opportunity to help the school raise needed funds for scholarships and to keep our tuition affordable,” says WilsonLopez. This year, Quigley will tour the homes with her mother and kids. “We will also take time for dinner, walking the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights, and make a stop for hot chocolate along the way,” she says. “I think it is good for them to see their own parents giving to their school and parish community. It sets an example as they continue to grow and learn.” That 45th Street home on the original tour: It’s one of the houses featured on this year’s tour, though the 1925 dishwasher has been replaced. For Holiday Home Tour tickets, go to sacredhearthometour.com or call 556-5050. n

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ANNIVERSARY YEAR Two local family-owned and run businesses celebrated milestones in 2013. Español Restaurant celebrated 90 years. An East Sac favorite, particularly among families, the restaurant specializes in Italian food. It originally was located downtown but moved to its current site at 5723 Folsom Blvd. in 1965. Either Perry Luigi or his sister Paula is at the restaurant every day. Stephanie and Moon Kim’s East Sac Natural Cleaners celebrated five years in business. The dry cleaning business was recognized by the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce for best new business the year it opened. The Kims opened the store to offer a “green” approach to dry cleaning. The store is at 5600 H St.

A LETTER FROM SANTA This holiday season your favorite child (or teen or adult) can receive a

DEC n 13

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personalized letter from Santa, Mrs. Claus or Rudolph. For a $5 donation, elves from Soroptimist International of Greater Sacramento will craft an individual message that could include the name of the recipient’s dog, teacher or best friend. Funds raised go to support local charities that better the lives of woman and children. To order a letter from Santa, go to sacramentosoroptimists.org and click on “Santa Letters” at the top of the home page.

LEARN TO MAKE A HOLIDAY GIFT McKinley librarian Sabrina Ryall will teach a series of free classes on making holiday gifts, including ornaments made with CDs and modeling dough. The classes will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17, at 5 p.m. in the library. All materials will be provided. McKinley Library is at 601 Alhambra Blvd.

Perry Luigi, owner of Español Restaurant, which celebrated 90 years this year

For more information, go to saclibrary.org or call 264-2920.

THE GLORIOUS SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS Fremont Presbyterian Church Choir and Orchestra will present its annual Christmas concert on Friday, Dec. 13, Saturday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 15. All performances will begin at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary. The 95-voice choir will sing songs from baroque to contemporary. Selections will include “Magnificat” by Giovanni Pergolesi and traditional Christmas carols. The Fremont Choir is led by Cheryl Eshoff, the church’s minister of music and worship arts. Eshoff’s three

daughters and her mother, Vivian Meyer, are all members of the choir. Admission is free but advance ticket reservations are required. The church is at 5770 Carlson Dr. For more information or to request tickets, go to fremontpres.org or call 452-7132.

STUDENTS RAN FOR THE ARTS In October, 670 Phoebe Hearst Elementary School students and teachers participated in a jog-a-thon that raised $28,700 for arts programs at the school. Sponsors for the event included City Bicycle Works, Koukla Kids, Grateful Dog, Rich Cazneaux, Fancy EAST SAC LIFE page 20

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ON TO BOSTON More than 12,000 participants are expected to race through East Sacramento on Sunday, Dec. 8, during the 31st annual California International Marathon. The 26.2-mile race begins at 7 a.m. in Folsom, winds its way west through East Sacramento and concludes at the State Capitol. The course traces an historic route used by the gold miners during the 1849 Gold Rush. Participants will include worldclass runners from the United States and around the world.

The CIM, founded by Sacramnto Running Association, ranks among the top five U.S. marathons in sending runners to the Boston Marathon. The course is slightly downhill, and weather conditions are normally cool enough to help produce fast times. J Street and Alhambra Boulevard will be closed to traffic from approximately 8:03 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Organizers note that these streets will offer local residents a great opportunity to see some world-class runners. For more information, go to runcim.org.

RUN, WALK AND EAT PANCAKES The sixth annual Caleb Greenwood School FlapJack 5K and Short Stack

Kids’ Run will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14. The children’s quarter-mile and half-mile run begins at 8:30 a.m. The 5K event, which begins at 9 a.m., is open to runners and walkers. The course goes through the River Park neighborhood and is paved and relatively flat. The start and finish will be on the Camellia Avenue side of the school. Fees for the races vary and include an event T-shirt and race bib. A pancake breakfast will be held in the school cafeteria from 8 to 11 a.m. The breakfast will be open to all. Tickets for the breakfast are $5. To register or for more information, go to flapjack5k.com. Proceeds benefit the Girls on the Run of Greater Sacramento program. Caleb Greenwood School is at 5457 Carlson Drive.

CALEB GREENWOOD SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN TOURS In December, Caleb Greenwood School will hold tours for families of prospective kindergarten students. Earlier this year, the school began a new International Baccalaureate program for primary grades. The tours will be held on Friday, Dec. 6, Wednesday, Dec. 11, Tuesday, Dec. 17, and Thursday, Jan. 16. All tours will be from 9 to 11 a.m. An evening kindergarten open house and information night will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 6 to 7 p.m. Phoebe Hearst Elementary School students and teachers participated in a jog-a-thon that raised $28,700 for arts programs at the school

DEC n 13

Families interested in possible openings in other grades may attend these events or schedule an individual appointment with the principal by emailing amy-whitten@scusd.edu. The school is at 5457 Carlson Dr. in River Park. For more information on the school, go to calebgreenwood.scusd. edu.

LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES POPPING UP While they might look like doll or bird houses, East Sacramentans are beginning to know them as Little Free Libraries. The most recent Little Free Library to open up is on Santa Barbara Court in front of Mynga and Paul Geisert’s home. In October, the Geiserts, their neighbors and members of the Sacramento Brights Action Meetup Group held a grand opening for the little library. The group donated and constructed the library.

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Each Little Free Library is a book exchange that encourages neighbors to donate, borrow or take books. The program’s slogan is “Take a book, return a book.” In River Park, Julian Elias and Autumn Nguyen have raised more than $600 to build two Little Free Libraries, one in front of Caleb Greenwood School, the other at the corner of Spilman Avenue and Ada Way. To help with the construction of these libraries, email tginguyen@ gmail.com. For more information on Little Free Library, go to littlefreelibrary. org.

STUFF YOUR BELLY, NOT YOUR PIPES! The city’s Stuff Your Belly, Not Your Pipes program aims to prevent clogged kitchen drains and sewer pipe overflows often caused by improper food waste disposal. “Holiday meal leftovers are notorious for causing drain

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blockages,” said Jessica Hess with the department of utilities. “Families hosting or attending a holiday dinner can prevent kitchen disasters by properly disposing of meal leftover scraps.” Leftover food put down kitchen sinks and garbage disposals contributes to increased sewer clogs and backups, which increase by up to 50 percent during the holidays. When poured down the sink, fats, oils and grease accumulate in sewer pipes, restrict flow and ultimately cause blockages and backups in homes and neighborhoods. Visit SacramentoFatFreeDrains. com for more tips and other helpful information about proper disposal of fats, oils and grease. Lisa Schmidt can be reached at eastsaclife@aol.com. The deadline for inclusion of items in this column is the fifth of the month preceding the month of publication. n

Santa Barbara Way neighbors recently built a Little Free Library. Photo courtesy of Julian Elias.

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Red Ink PROPOSED ARENA BOND WOULD ADD TO CITY'S RISING DEBT

BY CRAIG POWELL INSIDE CITY HALL

n January, city treasurer Russ Fehr issued a stunning report on the city’s expanding debt obligations: The city was approaching $2 billion in debt, half in outstanding borrowings, the other half in rapidly rising liabilities for employee pensions and retiree health care costs. The city’s ratio of total debt to general fund revenue ($372 million) ranks among the highest in the country, which puts the city at greater risk of insolvency, particularly during economic downturns (like the one we’re slowing exiting). Many Sacramentans have been facing similar challenges: rising debt and falling incomes. Most have responded by halting their borrowing and paying down their debt. That’s what rational people do. That’s not what our city has been doing. Instead, it has launched the biggest borrowing binge in city history with little to no regard for the future risks to basic services or taxpayers. City leaders seem to have one overriding preoccupation: how to find new ways to borrow more money—much, much more money.

The latest city borrowing plan, as revealed by documents prepared by the city’s investment banker, Goldman Sachs, and obtained by city watchdog Eye on Sacramento, is to borrow as much as $304 million to finance a $212 million cash subsidy for the proposed new arena—in addition to noncash arena subsidies that include 3,700 free parking garage spaces (almost half the city’s total garage spaces), six electronic billboard sites and seven parcels of valuable real estate with a collective value of more than $138 million, according to an EOS analysis. Fehr said he expects the final amount of the arena bond to be a bit less than $304 million, perhaps in the range of $280 million. But he also recently released a snapshot summary of the proposed arena bond that still reflects the city’s originally projected $304 million bond offering. The city claims the noncash subsidies have a value of just $46 million and that the total subsidy is only $258 million, the subsidy figure frequently used by The Sacramento Bee. Part of the city’s claim: that the 3,700 garage spaces it intends to give away to the Kings owners have no value, despite a parking study that the city commissioned last year that found that an average city garage space has a value of more than $15,000, which would put the value of the garage-spaces giveaway at about $58 million. The city hasn’t bothered to obtain appraisals of the seven properties it plans to give away, even though two prominent Sacramento developers have privately been warning that

one of the city properties, 60 acres adjoining Business 80 near Haggin Oaks Golf Course, has a market value four to five times higher than the value assigned to it by the city. Another parcel is being used by Crocker Art Museum as a parking lot. The city claims it’s worth just $490,000 even though the Crocker has been netting $200,000 annually using it as a parking lot. Why is the city resisting calls for appraisals? Because they don’t want the public to know that the properties are being grossly undervalued and the actual subsidies are much higher than advertised. A citizens lawsuit is pending that asserts that the city is defrauding the public by intentionally understating the amount of the arena subsidy. After EOS representatives reviewed the Goldman Sachs projections and conferred with Fehr, the arena financing plan started to come into focus. The city is projecting that the $304 million bond would be issued at an interest rate of 5.75 percent and would require total payments of $770 million, of which $466 million would be interest. Put another way, in order to obtain $212 million cash to subsidize the arena, the city will be paying back $3.20 for every $1 cash subsidy, $2.20 of which would be interest cost, making it almost certainly the most expensive and inefficient borrowing ever issued by the city. Why is it so expensive? First, instead of deploying a traditional 25-year bond with fully amortizing principal and interest payments, the city plans to issue a long-term 35CITY HALL page 24

DEC n 13

year bond with interest-only “teaser” payments for the first seven years. In its eighth year, it would shift to partially amortizing payments for 13 years and wouldn’t become fully amortizing until the bond’s 21st year. Annual payments would start at $17.5 million, rise to $19.9 million and reach $23.9 million for the bond’s final 16 years. Why borrow $304 million when the city needs $212 million to fund the cash portion of its arena subsidy, a CITY HALL page 24

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startling $94 million difference? First, the city is borrowing more in order to have the cash to make interest-only bond payments in the early years, comparable to an individual taking out cash advances on a credit card to make the minimum payments on that same credit card. Second, the city is borrowing almost $30 million to fund a third of the annual $9 million “backfill” to the general fund to replace the hit to the general fund caused by diverting city parking profits to arena bond payments in the early years—a general fund subsidy grossly mislabeled by city staff as “city parking revenue” in its key March 26 report to the council, perhaps to hide from the public the actual source of the funds. The rest of the borrowing is to create reserves, fund future parking garage repairs and cover bond issuance costs of $6 million. EOS estimates that because the city is not using a traditional 25-year term bond with fully amortizing annual payments, but instead plans to issue an exotic 35-year bond that doesn’t start to fully amortize for 21 years, the city will incur $196 million in higher, unnecessary interest costs over its term, a stunning 73 percent hike in public costs. EOS further estimates that the average Sacramento family’s share of arena bond costs will amount to $5,200. If a traditional 25-year bond were used, the average Sacramento family’s cost share would be $3,900. An NBA arena typically becomes functionally obsolete just 18 to 20 years after it’s built. As a result, annual payments will likely be payable on the bond for 15 to 17 years after the new arena has reached functional obsolescence, putting the city in the likely position of having to finance a second arena (to keep the team) while still making jumbo payments on the first one (if it even still exists). By that time, of course, every current councilmember and senior city manager will have almost certainly moved on. But city taxpayers will still be here, scrambling to handle the arena deal’s heavy legacy costs.

There is also a major risk that bond costs will be much higher than projected. When Fehr floated the broad outlines of the arena financing plan in March, he estimated that the bond would be sold at an interest rate of 5.5 to 5.75 percent. Since then, the municipal bond market has been hammered, with long-term interest rates rising 2 percent over the summer before easing back somewhat in the past few months. (Market rates remain 1 percent higher than what they were when Fehr made his interest prediction.) Muni bond mutual funds have experienced 22 consecutive weeks of net cash outflows, reducing the demand for such bonds and driving up rates. With fears of the Federal Reserve easing back on its ultra-easy monetary policy, the recent Detroit bankruptcy and increasing concerns over the burden of retiree costs on struggling California cities (including Sacramento), the muni market is in a period of major volatility entailing a very real risk of further rate hikes. Instead of modifying his interest projection to reflect higher current market rates, Fehr is sticking by his 5.75 percent interest rate prediction for the bond, claiming he anticipated the rise in rates over the past six months. If the arena bond were to be issued at a rate 1.5 percent higher than Fehr’s March prediction, the higher rate will drive up taxpayer costs by $121.5 million, according to EOS findings. Total interest costs would soar to $587 million and total payments would hit $892 million. Taxpayers would be on the hook for paying back $4.20 for every $1 of arena cash subsidy, $3.20 of which would be interest costs. Bond payments will be reliant primarily upon parking profits. If parking profits aren’t sufficient, the city’s hotel tax would be tapped. (The city’s general fund currently nets $4 million per year from the hotel tax.) Finally, if both of those sources aren’t enough, the general fund will be on the hook. Goldman Sachs optimistically assumes that parking revenues will rise 50 percent in the first three years of CITY HALL page 27

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JEFF HARRIS: A Proven Leader for City Council Vote June 2014

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FROM page 24 the bond. City officials say they have plans to aggressively raise parking revenues by raising hourly meter rates by 40 percent in the first two years, significantly expanding the number and location of parking meters, extending the hours of meter operation and expanding the number of neighborhoods subject to permit-only parking, not because such permits raise city revenue (they’re free), but because the city captures major fine revenue from hapless folks who park in permit-only areas without the requisite permit. The city has not discussed, or perhaps even considered, the potential impact of major hikes in meter rates and a broad expansion of meters on Sacramento businesses and residents. Midtown businesses (and city revenues) will be hurt if cost-conscious shoppers elect to dodge higher parking costs by shopping in meter-free areas outside of town. While an updated parking report is expected this month, we don’t know whether it will include an analysis of

the negative impact of such aggressive new meter policies on businesses and patrons. The city’s plan to issue $304 million in arena bonds is not the only major borrowing the city has done this year or is planning. Earlier this year, the city issued $250 million in new utility revenue bonds (pushing total city debt well past $2 billion), the first bond sale in a plan to issue $2 billion in utilities bonds over the next 15 years to install water meters, replace water and sewer pipes and rehab the city’s water plant. Critics of the plan, including Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber, urged the city to use far less debt and finance most of the improvements using less expensive pay-as-you-go water and sewer rate hikes. Last week, Fehr outlined to the city council a plan to issue $45 million of new debt to finance a rehab of the Community Center Theater, which would impose a new $3 million annual burden on the general fund. Next door, the Sacramento Convention CITY HALL page 29

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FROM page 27 and Visitors Bureau has promised to bring to the council a plan for a major expansion of the Convention Center, despite the fact that the center is currently losing $16 million annually, according to a September EOS report. (Maybe the city should hand the Convention Center over to Kings owners instead of other city properties.) Cost estimates for the proposed center expansion have been as high as $220 million, according to media reports. Meanwhile, CalPERS has issued advisories to California cities to expect to pay much higher annual pension contributions in future years. Sacramento is facing a pension cost hike in the neighborhood of $30 million annually, and city budget director Leyne Milstein has stated that the city’s existing revenue sources will not be enough to fund the added expense. City manager John Shirey has advised that the city’s retiree health care cost liability is increasing by $30 million each year. Adding to the city’s future financial stress is the expiration of the Measure U sales tax hike in six years, which will punch a further $27 million annual hole in the general fund. In short, the city, while barely emerging from the recession, is rapidly building a tower of debt: pension debt, retiree health care debt, utilities debt, parking meter debt, theater debt and, unless voters intervene, very expensive arena debt. Meanwhile, the general fund, the lifeblood of core city services, is facing mounting burdens with no identifiable means of meeting them. This is how cities go bankrupt.

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Holiday Show of Hands GRANDMOTHER CONTINUES SCHOOL CRAFTS FAIR TRADITION

BY DUFFY KELLY MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

t’s one thing to be a steadfast church volunteer who year after year meticulously minds the church gift shop. It’s one thing to be a mother of seven and a grandmother of 12 whose matriarchal mission is to foster kinship by hosting all manner of family reunions, from the Easter egg hunt to the regular Sunday brunch. It’s one thing to babysit those grandkids several days a week, year in, year out, and have your house continually filled with squealing, bustling children of all ages. And it’s one thing to don your best seasonal hat for church and sit in the same front right pew with your brood, a brood that five decades in the making has grown to take up about four pews at that very same church. But it’s quite another thing altogetherw to be that kind of woman on the home front while also being that same type of irreplaceable powerhouse in the community. Meet Carmichael’s Pat Holbus. And meet her just in time for this month’s 35th year of a signature holiday season opener craft fair, Holiday Show of Hands, the granddaddy of all crafts fairs, held annually at St. John the Evangelist School the first weekend in December. Thirty-five years ago, when her seven children were students at St. John, Holbus started the fair as a way to help the school keep tuition down for all families.

DEC n 13

St. John the Evangelist school secretary Carole Czimskey and longtime volunteer Pat Holbus have been organizing the parish school’s annual Holiday Show of Hands weekend craft fair for 35 years. The fair runs Dec. 6 to 8 at 5701 Locust Ave. in Carmichael and features 150 crafters.

“We still have one of the lowest tuitions in the diocese,” she said. Every year since, then she’s been the go-to, gad-about gal with a spicy walk and even spicier way of organizing hundreds of people, events, deals and details. What began with about 20 crafters and raised $1,000 has turned into an extravaganza of holiday shopping

with more than 150 crafters. Wares are now spread over the entire campus, and profits for the school last year totaled about $100,000. “People from all over Sacramento and Northern California, even some from Washington, and Oregon and along the West Coast, come to shop,” she says. “They plan their holiday shopping around it. For some, it’s

become a mother-daughter reunion. Busloads of friends come as part of a tradition to shop together. It’s a weekend that says, ‘It’s Christmastime.’ ” School secretary Carole Czimskey was initially a crafter at the fair but has been Holbus’ right arm as the behind-the-scenes organizer for most of the past 35 years. The pair,

along with Holbusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; husband, Martin Holbus, the Holbus kids as well as oodles of volunteers, work together each year to make the weekend bigger and better. In the off-season, Pat and her husband scour the region for vendors, taking trips to craft fairs in other cities, looking for something new. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become so popular among crafters who want in on the action that Holbus now juries potential crafters in early spring, auditioning them so no two vendorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goods are alike. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have 25 potters and 25 jewelers,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We want a good variety and we want new vendors to keep the show fresh. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always something new to see and buy. We strive to carry all handcrafted, specialty items, not store-bought things.â&#x20AC;? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something for everyone, including refinished antique furniture, garden gadgets, homemade soaps and lotions, local honey buns, sweaters, cards, hats, jewels and ornaments, she says. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. While thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now an ATM machine on the grounds, shoppers can still count on a busy kitchen dishing up the same sumptuous recipes for homemade tamales, gourmet pizzas, lasagna, sweet treats and steaming cups of cocoa and coffee. The super-festive shopper can sip the traditional Irish coffee or spiked â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sleigh Ride,â&#x20AC;? made all these years from oh-so-secret recipes. Following in Holbusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; footsteps are her three daughters, Christine Bagley,

Amy Swanson and Erin Holbus, all of whom have their own children now at St. John. Christine and Amy co-chair the fairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auction while Erin is just jumping into the fray with toddlers in tow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My kids say to me, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mom, you are starting to sound like Grandma Patsy,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? says Christine. I could never really take her place, though. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only one Patsy Holbus.â&#x20AC;? One huge family, one parish school all these years. And one very elegant reason: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really feel as my children flourished at St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. It was an extension of what we do at home,â&#x20AC;? Holbus says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My adult children have all turned out to be good, successful people. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just a reflection of what we have done as a family, but also what the school has done for them. I see it as a feather in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cap that my children wanted to put their own children at St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is why I continue to work for the school on a volunteer basis: because I really believe in what happens here. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than reading, writing and arithmetic. It has a lot to do with values. They got a lot of that at St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.â&#x20AC;? If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the chance to go to the Dec. 6-8 crafts fair, you might pop in on a Sunday mass at St. John. Look for Holbus and her family on the right side. The fair will be held at St. John the Evangelist, 5701 Locust Ave. in Carmichael, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6; from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7; and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. n

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Tread on Me MANSOUR YAGHOUBIAN SHARES HIS PASSION FOR ORIENTAL RUGS

BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK

hen Mansour Yaghoubian is telling you about rugs, you’d better listen up. The Iranian native has owned his rug shop, Mansour’s Oriental Rug Gallery, since 1979, but his carpet education started long before that. “Every summer in high school, I would go to my uncle’s rug shop and learn,” Yaghoubian says. “I learned about production, how to repair rugs, how to wash rugs, how to select colors. In this business, knowing colors is very important.” You could say that Yaghoubian’s eye runs in the family. In addition to his uncle, all of his mother’s side of the family is in the rug business, and his father’s side works with fabric. Quite an auspicious start for a kid who originally planned on being an engineer. Yaghoubian left Iran in 1974 and landed in Utah on his birthday, Dec. 22, to attend Utah State University. He decided to transfer to Sacramento State University to pursue engineering and came here in 1976. It didn’t take long after earning his degree, however, for Yaghoubian to discover that his passion truly lay in rugs. “I worked in a relative’s rug shop in Chapel Hill, N.C., for six months after graduating,” Yaghoubian recalls. “He offered to make me a partner in his shop, but I wanted to go back to Sacramento. It’s the place I know.” Once he got re-ensconced, Yaghoubian wasted no time opening up his own shop in Old Sacramento, where he stayed for nine years. In

DEC n 13

Mansour Yaghoubian has had his rug shop, Mansour’s Oriental Rug Gallery, since 1979

1988, he decided to make the move uptown to his current location on Fair Oaks Boulevard. And in 2003, he opened a second outpost at Roseville Galleria. Through it all, Yaghoubian has maintained the same basic principles that make his gallery the go-to place for ravishing rugs.

“My goal is to educate people before they purchase,” he says proudly. “People come in with some idea of what they want, but they don’t know about the quality or the workmanship. I believe in service and the quality and uniqueness of my

rugs, so I teach them what they need to know.” All 4,000 of Mansour’s offerings have been knotted by hand by an individual weaver. He employs workers in India and Pakistan who weave exclusively for his shop, a practice that’s as time-consuming as it sounds. Oriental rugs can be made with a variety of materials, but Yaghoubian prides himself on using only the highest-quality, most-durable material—live wool, which retains some of the original animal oils to maintain its softness, shine and durability—and natural dyes, which ensure not only health safety but also a depth of color that’s impossible to achieve with any other method. “Color is so important in rug design,” Yaghoubian says. “I offer house calls to my clients because you need to see the rug in its environment. The colors can change. It will either look fabulous or ugly. You have to see it in the space.” With Yaghoubian at your door, you can bet that the rug you choose will look good underfoot for years to come. Are your floors feeling lackluster? Call Yaghoubian at 486-1221 (Sacramento) or 780-1080 (Roseville), or check out his offerings online at mansoursruggallery.com. Mansour’s Oriental Rug Gallery is at 2550 Fair Oaks Blvd. and 1113 Galleria Blvd. in Roseville.

SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS Esther Son is the first person to admit that she has more than just a hankering for sweet things; it’s almost an obsession.

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Esther Son is the proprietor of Estelle’s Patisserie on K Street

“I have a severe, almost addictive passion for sweetness,” she admits. But lest you think she’s confessing at some sort of Sugar Addicts Anonymous meeting, know this: There’s no one else you’d rather have at the head of a bakery than someone like Son. She’s the proprietor of Estelle’s Patisserie on K Street and Estelle’s Cupcakes (formerly on J Street, now enjoying a new outpost at Roseville Galleria). “My ultimate goal has always been to open a French bakery,” Son says. (Hence the business name Estelle’s, a French version of her first name, Esther.) “Ever since high school, I’ve had an enormous amount of interest in baking and pastries and dessert. But I wanted to start off with something less overwhelming (than a full French bakery), and I have a fascination for cupcakes. So I started with Estelle’s Cupcakes to practice.” Being the creative dessert diva she is, however, Son’s cupcakes are not your traditional run-of-the-mill mounds of sugary frosting atop a tasteless cake bottom. Unlike a “regular” cupcake, Son’s morsels are modeled after Italian cakes with meringue instead of buttercream. Her cupcakes were an instant hit, which gave her confidence and capital to make her dream of running a patisserie a reality.

“As soon as I opened Estelle’s Cupcakes in 2008, I started researching” for the bakery, Son says. “Everything was planned; nothing fell into my lap. I wanted to have an in-depth knowledge of the basics and traditions of French baking. I didn’t go to culinary school, but I studied everything I could: recipes, color, design, the economics of running a business. I knew what kind of people to hire and who to work with, and I knew what type of food and pastries we were going to have.” Now open for two years, Estelle’s Patisserie is a huge hit, drawing hungry crowds from all over downtown who drop in for a sandwich, made on bread Son bakes in-house and even sells wholesale to area restaurants, or a decadent dessert. “When I first signed the lease almost three years ago, everyone thought I was taking a really big risk,” Son recalls. “At the time, K Street didn’t seem promising. Downtown was a ghost town. But I sensed potential. The Capitol is right there, which means there’s a lot of walking traffic from state workers. With all of those people working there, I thought, ‘As long as I do a good job, they’ll come.’ If people took some time to taste it and feel it, I knew I could capture their hearts.”

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FROM page 33 delicacies you can imagine, and then some: croissants, danish, muffins, cookies, macarons, tarts, éclairs, brioche, mousse, cakes, pain (that’s French for bread) and a concoction Son calls “croixnuts”—donuts made of brioche dough. (They’re as amazing as they sound. There’s a line out the door every Sunday morning, and, as Son says, “When they’re gone, they’re gone.”) With such sweet success, Son is all but resting on her laurels. In fact, now that Estelle’s has seemed to hit its stride, she’s hoping to stretch even further. “We’re still growing, maturing and improving,” Son says. “We’re always working on our customer service, our menu items, expanding our catering and wholesale business. We’re still a baby for a bakery. We’ll probably do some serious growing until we’re about 5 years old.” But what about growing pains? “I’m so excited to wake up and do work. There’s so much to do!” Son says. “It’s really rewarding to get stuff done and grow an inch more.

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That’s the good thing about a new business: You’re never at a plateau.” The sugar high probably helps, too. Is your stomach growling yet? Sample some sweets at Estelle’s Patisserie at 901 K St., ogle online at estellespatisserie.com, or call 5511500.

SPARE SOME CHANGE? Change is in the air—leaves are turning, the temperature’s dropping, socks and boots have come out of storage—in more than just the atmosphere. Mark Snyder and Amy Guthrie, co-owners of C & C Merchants, Inc. and the children of Bill Snyder, co-founder of the beloved bygone store William Glen, announced this May that their company will now be called William Glen Inc. in commemoration of what would have been William Glen’s 50th anniversary. “We are proud of our family’s five decades of welcoming Sacramentans into our retail stores,” says Guthrie. “With the new name, we feel like we’ve come home.”

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Mark Snyder and Amy Guthrie are co-owners of C & C Merchants, Inc.

Guthrie and her brother’s popular retail outposts, Christmas & Company and Chef’s Mercantile, are still flourishing in Old Sacramento. They will retain their storefront names in the transition, but will operate under the umbrella of William Glen Boutiques. Joining the ranks just for the holidays will be the siblings’ annual pop-up shop, housed this year in two locations: at the Palladio at Broadstone in Folsom and Loehmann’s Plaza on Fair Oaks Boulevard. The seasonal stores boast boatloads of holiday-related merchandise—ornaments, candles, cards, linens and more. The Palladio pop-up will also serve as a test for how well William Glen fits in Folsom. (Guthrie hopes to expand there.) So what does this mean for savvy Sacramento shoppers? It means that should you need access to beautiful candles, fine china, crystal, housewares, unique gifts, cool kitchen gadgets or the widest array of Christmas goods in the county,

you still know just where to go: the William Glen Boutiques. Hoping to snag some special gift and gadgets? Visit the William Glen Boutiques (Christmas & Company and Chef’s Mercantile) at 116 K Street or the temporary shops at the Palladio at Broadstone (off Highway 50 at East Bidwell Street and Iron Point Road) and Loehmann ’s Plaza (2555 Fair Oaks Boulevard). Questions? Call 737-5636 or visit shopwilliamglen. com. n

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Head, Heart, Hands PUBLIC WALDORF SCHOOL OFFERS CHARMING LOW-TECH EDUCATION

BY JAN FERRIS HEENAN INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS

t’s easy to whiz by the driveway leading into Sacramento’s Camellia Waldorf School, hidden behind a dated Freeport Boulevard strip mall between Fruitridge Road and Sacramento Executive Airport. Once you’re on the grounds, however, charm and unconventionality abound, from the student-tended gardens and flock of chickens to the handwritten, illustrated booklets students assemble instead of using standard textbooks. The private school, which runs from preschool to eighth grade, operates on educational principles laid out by Austrian Rudolf Steiner. The philosopher and educator believed that instruction should align with children’s developmental stages and involve their “head, hearts and hands.” Step into Camellia Waldorf’s kindergarten classroom to see how that approach plays out. There are no individual desks, just one long, curvy wooden table, play areas (all toys made of cloth, wood and other natural materials) and a cozy loft. The walls are painted soothing colors, and the smell of almonds (to make fresh milk) fills the air.

DEC n 13

Camellia Waldorf School parent volunteer Tamis Reed answers questions and offers help to third-graders as they knit

Camellia fifth-graders play violin under the direction of strings teacher Tim Stanley

“Children at this age, they work out of play. They don’t want to be stuck at a desk,” says Camellia Waldorf administrator Shana Murray. Instead of traditional kindergarten instruction like memorization and ABCs, the Waldorf approach emphasizes rhythm, whether in storytelling (free form as opposed to from books), song or the predictable pacing of each day. By first grade, students are more ready to “sit and be present,” says Murray, whose own daughters are in fourth and sixth grade at Camellia Waldorf. “As you move forward in the grades, the academics start to even out.” First-graders are assigned a teacher who remains with the class until graduation from eighth grade. That enables the teacher to really know each student, as well as his or her family dynamic, she says. And homework assignments don’t begin until third grade. “Developmentally, they’re in a place where they want that extra responsibility,” says Sarah Rucker, who runs the front office at Camellia Waldorf and has a son in third grade. “You would not believe how excited these kids are to have homework. They come home enthusiastic and they want to dive into it.” Rucker wasn’t familiar with the Waldorf model until she began researching preschools for her son Lucas. The first two they visited were not a match for him, she says. When they walked onto the Camellia campus, with its small but

SCHOOLS page 39

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Don't Be a Scrooge DECEMBER IS THE TIME TO GIVE TO OTHERS LESS FORTUNATE

BY GLORIA GLYER DOING GOOD

ecember: 31 days designed for family fun and good cheer. It’s also the month for everyone to dig deep and give, give, give. You don’t have to give a lot. How about a plate of cookies for a shut-in, neighbor, relative you rarely see or even the person sitting right next to you at work? Or consider replicating Operation Christmas Child, an international project that sends gifts to needy children overseas. It’s too late to participate in the project this year, but you could create a gift box for a needy organization here in Sacramento. Find a local nonprofit that helps kids or seniors. The prospects are endless.

BIRTHDAY GIRL Grace Mahan is a kindergartner at Madrone Montessori School in El Dorado Hills. Just before her fifth birthday party, her mother asked Grace if she wanted to keep her birthday presents or donate them to children at Sacramento Crisis Nursery. At first, Grace said she wanted gifts “just like everyone else.”

DEC n 13

Her mom reminded her daughter that she did not have to be like everyone else. Grace thought about it for a few days and decided to give her presents to the crisis nursery. At her party, more than 40 classmates, friends and cousins showered her with usable gifts such as diapers, pasta, cereal, crackers, juice, clothing and gift cards. The greatest gift for Grace? Delivering the products to the nursery. For thinking of others, Grace will be honored at the Teddy Bear Tea presented by Friends of the Crisis Nursery on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Del Paso Country Club. For tickets, call 290-8203 or go to kidshome.org.

BIKE TREK Breathe California’s 27th annual Emigrant Trails Bike Trek, held in September, raised more than $160,000 for the organization. More than 250 cyclists and 80 volunteers participated in the trek. The top fundraising individuals were Bob Roehrs, Sue Schooley and Barney Gerber. Top fundraising teams were Kaiser Permanente, Regional Transit and Bodacious Biking Babes. The Electric Bike Shop Superdogs fielded a small team with the highest fundraising average, and Team Pedal Club was the largest new team. Breathe California is a nonprofit organization devoted to preventing lung and other air-pollution-related diseases. For more information, go to sacbreathe.org.

CASA GETS A MAKEOVER Casa Garden Restaurant, which raises funds for Sacramento Children’s Home, won uLink Network’s $50,000 marketing makeover contest. The makeover will include the services of a team of marketing professionals for a year. Casa Garden rallied its customers to garner 46 percent of the 11,275 votes cast. For more information about Casa Garden Restaurant, call 4522809 or go to casagardenrestaurant. org.

FEST TIME DesCor Builders recently hosted its third annual Oktoberfest to benefit Sierra Forever Families, which helps place foster children into permanent homes. The average cost to place a child into a permanent home is $5,000. Each year for the past three years, DesCor has helped place two children into permanent homes. For more information about Sierra Forever Families, go to sierraff.org.

PLANT IT Sunburst Projects provides support services for families affected by HIV/ AIDS. Local plant expert Robert Hamm holds plant sales throughout the year to raise money for the group. This year, he has raised more than $8,000. For more information about Sunburst Projects, call 440-8889 or go to sunburstprojects.org.

SHELTER EXPANSION HomeAid Sacramento has taken on a new project: helping St. John’s Shelter expand from 14 to 31 bedrooms. The expansion will also allow the shelter to triple its childcare and classroom space and will create separate infant and toddler areas and an expansive fenced-in outdoor play area. Construction-industry participants in the project include Eskaton, K. Hovnanian, Capital City Drywall, Timberworks Construction, Heckman Construction, Citadel Premium Design and JMS Site Services. For more information, call 751-2746 or go to homeaidsac.org.

WEAVE HONOR WEAVE presented Bob Slobe with its Golden Hook award for his longtime support of programs for victims of domestic violence. Over the past three decades, contributions by Slobe and his North Sacramento Land Company have allowed WEAVE to expand dramatically and enhance its residential services for families. A recent donation of additional land will add a playground and park to WEAVE’s Safehouse campus. “We are incredibly grateful for all that Bob has done for WEAVE,” says Beth Hassett, WEAVE’s executive director. “Bob is a great guy who cares a lot about his community and its future. Thanks to his commitment to victims of domestic violence, we have been able to create a safe and welcoming home for thousands of victims in our region.” The Golden Hook award was established in memory of the late B.T.

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BIG HAUL In October, Women’s Empowerment held a gala attended by more than 650 community members, including 100 women who were once homeless. The event raised more than $160,000. Women’s Empowerment offers job readiness programs for homeless women and their children. For more information, go to womens-empowerment.org. Gloria Glyer can be reached at gglyer@sbbmail.com. n

FROM page 36 comely courtyard and its warren of ruralized play areas, mother and son felt immediately at home. “It was very cozy and loving. There were sheepskin rugs in the corner, pastel colors on the walls, cozy creatures for cuddling,” says Rucker. “The teacher was making oatmeal and singing a song, and it just felt so right. My son just didn’t want to leave.” Handiwork plays a big role in Waldorf education. Third-graders at Camellia, for instance, undertake a construction project each year. When Graham McLaren-Finelli, Cameron Riles and Mariam Alafranji were in third grade, they built a threestory fort with their classmates, the students (now in eighth grade) recall. “It was like a little house. It had walls and everything. You could even sit on the roof,” Riles said. Last year’s thirdgraders built an elevated walkway. This year, students made their own beds for their own vegetable garden.

Students also learn to knit from early on, move on to crocheting and needlepoint and, eventually, turn to sewing machines. Outdoors, all sorts of movement is encouraged, from climbing trees and swinging on ropes to riding unicycles and learning other circus arts (a specialty in the fifth grade). Inside the classroom, students are encouraged to engage at all levels. There are no high-tech gadgets or other electronics, just traditional black chalkboards. Teachers make the most of them, with colorful drawings and other forms of instruction. “They don’t have laptops. It may seem so backward,” Rucker says, “but these kids still live in the world. They are not socially inept or outcasts or anything like that because they don’t have tablets in their classroom. I feel the way they’re taught allows for just more creativity and sense of self.” Classes are small at Camellia Waldorf. The enrollment of 133 counts everyone from preschoolers to eighth-graders. There are only seven students in the eighth grade. Alafranji has attended the school since preschool and is used to the low numbers. “It’s good because everybody really knows you really well, and we get along really well,” she says. “At the same time, there are no secrets.” Classmate McLaren-Finelli has been at the school since kindergarten. He has enjoyed the diverse types of things they’ve learned over the years, and the freedom of expression. The slower pace of instruction may seem odd to outsiders, he says, but it has worked well for him. “I know that a

lot of public schools learn everything sooner than we do. It’s better here. You can understand it more when you’re older. You can understand it and absorb the information.” Camellia Waldorf offers monthly tours of its preschool and kindergarten programs. Visit camelliawaldorf.org for more information. n

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Designs on Del Paso LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS WANT TO MAKE OVER THE SHABBY BOULEVARD

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here’s a bland warehouse on Del Paso Boulevard that sits empty and quiet most days of the month. If you’ve happened to pass by, you’ve likely never even noticed the building. But one day each month, that same space comes alive.

Efforts to revitalize the boulevard began in 1994 when the city council established a special planning district. The warehouse transforms into an open-air marketplace called GOOD: street food + design market, where artisans sell handmade products and vintage goods and shoppers can check out a DIY station or devour a stroopwafel drizzled with caramel syrup. Now in its second year, GOOD attracts a couple thousand shoppers and nearly 50 vendors to each event. The monthly market, held the first Sunday of each month from May through December, is organized by Unseen Heroes, a Sacramento-based events marketing firm. “GOOD was the first project launched to create a consistent event to draw people here on a regular

DEC n 13

Andrea Lepore is part of the effort to clean up Del Paso Boulevard. She guides branding and retail development for Del Paso Boulevard Partnership, a nonprofit marketing and promotional group.

basis—not just anyone, but creative entrepreneurs and people attracted to quality design,” says Andrea Lepore, who guides branding and retail development for Del Paso Boulevard Partnership, a nonprofit marketing and promotional group. Lepore, who owns the Hot Italian pizzeria in Midtown, has a personal motto: Tutto è possibile, Italian for “anything is possible.” This

philosophy manifests itself in her belief that Del Paso Boulevard—a shabby North Sac corridor with a reputation for crime—can remake itself as a hub for the city’s creative class. Lepore believes the corridor can be dense, diverse and walkable, with economic activity hinged on the neighborhood’s unique character. Its numerous warehouses and large

spaces make it ideal for design-related showrooms and offices that could be leased by firms specializing in, say, architecture or web design. “This is one of our historic districts,” says Lepore. “I’m a big believer in urbanist development. It’s frustrating when I see development happening in the suburbs, because then we will always be dependent on cars and not having walkable places to live and work.” Del Paso Boulevard already boasts theaters, a boutique hotel, an artistin-residence program, public art, notable restaurants and independent businesses, many of them operating out of art deco buildings from the 1920s through the 1940s. The neighborhood originally encompassed a stretch of Highway 40 and flourished after World War II, until a freeway bypassed the boulevard and the growth of nearby suburbs spelled the end of the area’s heyday. But the corridor’s good bones remain. “Del Paso Boulevard has so many incredible buildings,” says Maritza Davis, who co-founded the GOOD market. “We knew that we needed a big space that had both an indoor and an outdoor area. We also wanted a location that was centrally located. Del Paso Boulevard offered both.” Efforts to revitalize the boulevard began in 1994 when the city council established a special planning district. In 1997, M-1 zoning standards were adopted to allow residential, lightindustrial and commercial uses in the neighborhood. The goal: to retain existing businesses and attract new development. The zoning ordinance FUTURE page 43

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Three light rail stops give people from outside the neighborhood a way to get to the boulevard. Several evenings each month, ticket holders wait with anticipation in a small courtyard alit with holiday lights to see the latest show at The Alternative Arts Collective’s Blue Box Theatre on the boulevard. Recently, the theater presented an original reimagining of a William Shakespeare comedy, “Midsummer Nightmare 5.” Some patrons arrive early to have dinner across the patio at Mama Kim Eats, a Creole-American fusion restaurant that opened in 2012. Or they check out the latest exhibit at the nearby Sacramento Temporary Contemporary art gallery, which opened four years ago. GOOD market. The Alternative Arts Collective plays. These are only two of the many attractions livening up the boulevard. Poets, graphic designers and muralists recently collaborated to create murals on some of the boulevard’s buildings for the Del Paso Words on Walls Project. Then, of course, there are the numerous brick-and-mortar businesses offering more reasons to visit—and stay awhile. n

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A Gift of a Day HELPING HOMELESS IS AS EASY AS WRITING A CHECK

BY TERRY KAUFMAN LOCAL HEROES

ow much does the average Sacramentan spend each day on housing? Most of us write a monthly rent or mortgage check but don’t think about what that breaks down to on a daily basis. The Give One Day campaign, which began Sept. 1 and runs until Dec. 31, asks each of us to do just that. As you make your payment, you are asked to write another check for one-30th of that amount and donate it toward finding a permanent solution to homelessness in our community. “On any given night, there are as many as 2,600 homeless people in Sacramento. On the national level, homelessness is up 7.6 percent since 2011, and family homelessness has risen 47.5 percent since 2009,” says Keith Hart, director of development and communications for Sacramento Steps Forward, a nonprofit agency that is coordinating the regional response to the homeless problem. “It’s important for individuals, everyday citizens, to be aware of the homeless.” The imperative is strong: “Homelessness results in blight, environmental hazards, and a drain on social services,” says

DEC n 13

Sacramento Steps Forward is a nonprofit organization, which coordinates area programs dealing with homelessness in the region. A recent Homeless Connect event provided services for homeless people, including shoes to prepare for cooler temperatures.

Hart. “Focusing resources on the problem save taxpayers money.” The problem is so critical that Mayor Kevin Johnson spurred a county-city initiative to bring the public and private sectors together and keep important programs running. Sacramento Steps Forward is the result of that initiative, tasked with overseeing the response to homelessness across all of the region’s agencies. Under its auspices, a collaborative application from all local organizations generates HUD funds of about $15 million each year, as well as grants from private foundations and corporate and individual donations.

The goal of Give One Day is to raise $250,000 to move homeless families and individuals into safe housing before winter begins. An individual

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Join us for these unique in-studio events intended to enhance and broaden your experience of the Sacramento Ballet and its dancers. Wunderland, the Delicate Balance Jan 19: 5 – 6pm Ma Cong, Center Stage Jan 3:1 6 – 7 pm Where the Hands Go, The Invisible Strength of Male Partnering Mar 14: 6 – 7 pm Target Creativity Apr 11 6 – 7 pm Crafting the Vision Apr 18 6 – 7 pm Revealing the Music May 2 6 – 7 pm Sacramento Ballet Studios Tickets: $20 Get ready for Valentine’s Day by enjoying an evening program of excerpts from Wild Sweet Love, Wunderland, and a premiere by Ma Cong. Be immersed in the drama of how choreographers shape movement to create a physical language deﬁning relationships simple and complex. Chocolates, desserts and wine complete a fascinating evening where “love conquers all.” Feb. 8: 7 pm Sacramento Ballet Studios All inclusive Tickets: $25

Jan 11, February, March & April 2nd Saturdays, too! The Sacramento Ballet is pleased to announce the launch of its newest innovation, 2nd Saturdays at the Ballet, in January, February, March, and April. During these months, the Ballet will be offering a series of FREE Open Rehearsals in two sittings at 4 & 4:30 pm at the Free Open Rehearsal series is sponsored by District 4 of the Sacramento City Council

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FROM page 44 payment is $4,000 would be asked to contribute $133. Those donations add up: $17,500 can keep five families off the streets and move them into housing. The long-term goals are to provide permanent housing for as many individuals and families as possible, to offer training and job placement services that will enable them to maintain housing, and to transition the city’s winter shelter into a year-round emergency shelter. “We’d like to mobilize as many people as possible to get them engaged in this fundraising campaign,” says Hart. The campaign has made big pushes at the beginning and end of each month, when people are paying bills and making budgets. As the coordinating agency for social service programs in the region, Sacramento Steps Forward offers economic stability so that local organizations can focus on delivering direct services to the homeless. “Our mission is to provide a continuum of care so that providers on the front line can do what they need to do,” says Hart. His office works with such groups as Sacramento Housing Alliance, local women’s shelters and churches, whose volunteers help fill in the gaps. Although the ultimate objective is to get the homeless into permanent housing, there are more immediate needs, he acknowledges, such as providing shelter and sustenance and finding employment. A 2012 regional summit on employment for the homeless was transformed into a program that actually prepares homeless individuals for employment.

On Oct. 25, Sacramento’s Southside Park was the site of Homeless Connect, which featured a range of providers including medical and dental professionals as well as personal care and hygiene purveyors. The Central Library hosted Employment Connect, which matched homeless job candidates with hiring employers. The candidates had been prescreened and undergone training on interviewing and other job-related skills. Of the 100 who attended the event, 83 received job offers. Job placement continues to be a huge focus for Sacramento Steps Forward. “Matching candidates with jobs is a high-level priority,” says Hart, who hopes that his organization will be able to hold such events more frequently than once a year. Give One Day provides everyone the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution toward ending homelessness, but it should also cause us to reflect on the relative nature of our blessings. What many people spend daily for coffee or bottled water could significantly ease the burden for a family living on the streets. The campaign will end with the calendar year, but the needs will continue. To donate to the Give One Day campaign, go to sacramentostepsforward.org or contact Keith Hart at 993-7706 or khart@sacstepsforward.org. Terry Kaufman can be reached at terry@1greatstory.com. n

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HAVE “INSIDE” WILL TRAVEL 1. The Waltermeyers and Werners at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany 2. John and Jane Rosso, Paula De Masi, Enzo Villella, and Luciana Rosso at Lago d’Orta, Italy 3. Michael, Adrienne & Madeline Kerins on Nantucket Island, MA 4. Oliver and Amy Black in Paris in front of Notre Dame Cathedral 5. John Bair and Alan Sears at Wurstelprater, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, in Vienna, Austria 6. The Vyvodas at the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States, located on Oahu, Hawaii

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SACRAMENTO SPCA BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

Last month the Sacramento SPCA hosted five local Franciscans at its shelter to provide blessings to both shelter and public animals. The event is unique because animals currently residing in the shelter were blessed at the ceremony. People of all faiths brought their pets to the public event.

CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE HARRIMAN

LARGE OR SMALL, THE FRANCISCANS BLESSED THEM ALL

DEC n 13

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No Laughing Matter NOT EVERYONE WILL ACCEPT A CARING TOUCH

BY NORRIS BURKES SPIRIT MATTERS

n the fall of 1990, I went from being a parish pastor to working as a hospital chaplain, all by way of an internship at UC Davis Medical Center. My one-year training involved multiple calls from the emergency room where, between the usual gunshot wounds and motor vehicle accidents, I learned to recognize the symptoms of ritualistic child abuse, the smell of maggots in infected wounds and the risks of using animals for erotic gratification. I learned that people do some tragically stupid things. While most patients learned not to repeat their risk-related behaviors, slow learners often made numerous returns. We called such patients “frequent flyers.” One of our frequent flyers arrived one hot summer afternoon strapped to a gurney and screaming complaints. Absent the profanity, she was saying something like, “It hurts! Oh, God, it hurts! You got to give me something for the pain.” Orderlies wheeled the woman into a treatment room, where a nurse

peppered her with triage questions. Just outside the room, a few staff members erupted with giggles of recognition, breaking loose into fullblown guffaws and horselaughs. “Hey,” I called to a particularly tall, balding nurse, “why are you guys laughing at that lady? That isn’t cool. I think she heard you.” The nurse laughed some more, taking my upbraiding in better stride than I expected. “Were you here last week?” he asked.

While most patients learned not to repeat their risk-related behaviors, slow learners often made numerous returns. “No. I was on vacation.” “Then you don’t understand,” he said. He was right about that. “This lady was here last week with such convincing pain that we put her on an intravenous morphine drip,” he said. “And you find her pain funny?” He patiently shook his head at his uniformed chaplain and described how the woman failed to return after excusing herself for a brief smoke. “Campus police found her hitchhiking in her hospital gown on

the boulevard out front. She had an IV needle in one arm while holding the morphine bag with the other,” he said. “Why would she …?” My puzzled voice rose, barely audible from inside my naive cocoon. “She wanted to sell our morphine, Chaplain,” he said, reversing the upbraid. I studied the dirty floor between his feet as I felt the currents of emotions swirling about us. I had to admit that I could see the tragic humor in the case, but laughing at the woman’s condition felt like a sellout to the cynicism emergency room workers often use to insulate themselves from the pain that surrounds them. Jesus once encountered a woman like this. She had an incurable blood disorder that drained her of energy, money and dignity. Her search for a physician’s cure only made her situation worse. By the time she came seeking Jesus, she was looking only for a human touch, a caring touch.

DEC n 13

Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author of the book “No Small Miracles.” He can be reached at ask@thechaplain.net. n

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I learned a lot that year. This event, more than most, taught me that not every patient would find healing, but every patient deserved a caring touch. I approached her gurney and said a prayer while doing my best to offer her the touch she deserved. A few minutes later, a caring doctor offered our patient quality psychiatric care in a rehab facility. Unfortunately, not everyone will accept a caring touch. This time, she laughed at us. A few moments later, she left our ER against medical advice, without drugs or a hospital gown—only a prayerful touch from her hospital chaplain.

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Home for the Holidays DURING CHRISTMAS TOUR, LIGHTS AND SPARKLE WILL ABOUND BY JULIE FOSTER HOME INSIGHT

East Sacramento resident Mary Gonsalves Kinney understands a bit about remodeling: Her father is a general contractor. So when Kinney and her husband Jason walked through their 3,200-square-foot French Tudor home for the first time six and half years ago, she grasped its potential. HOME page 61

DEC n 13

3. 1. The dining room is in the center of the home with views of both front and back 2. A large island is the focal point of the kitchen and offers lots of room for cooking

3. Ready for the tour! The Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour takes place Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8.

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“I felt the house was very dark and wanted to let in as much natural light as possible,” Kinney says. A spacious dining room with lots of room of family and friends

FROM page 58

he house had once been a duplex. The previous owners, who lived there for 20 years, had lovingly converted the twostory structure to a single-family home. But, though the house was in good shape, it needed a bit of reconfiguring and updating. “We had been looking for a new home for a while, and when we bought something, I knew we would do some work on it ourselves,” Kinney explains. People attending the 40th annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour this year will delight at this remodeled 1930s home decked out for the holidays by the design team from Haus, led by designer Taige Clark. The Kinneys retained many features of the original home, including the leaded-glass windows in the living room, two cast-iron tubs, wooden pillars in the living/ dining room and front entry, and several windows on the second story. Refinished wood floors and

DEC n 13

new interior painting in a palette of neutral colors enhanced the home’s existing charm. Landscaping created a more family-friendly backyard. By removing several walls on the ground floor and adding new ones down the center of the house, they created a new hallway out of the dark interior. With four sets of French doors along its length, the passageway allows the abundant Sacramento sunlight to penetrate the inner reaches of the home. “I felt the house was very dark and wanted to let in as much natural light as possible,” Kinney says. The couple had the kitchen gutted. The biggest change was removing a wall for additional space, then “flipping” the appliances over to the opposite side of the room. They also removed a staircase to make room for a breakfast nook, which receives plenty of daily use from the three Kinney children. Upstairs, they added a laundry room and walk-in closet off the master bedroom suite. The master bath received a complete facelift, including a water closet, a built-in vanity, a

new claw-foot tub and an ample-sized shower for Jason, who is 6 foot 3. Though the home is spacious, it lacked adequate storage space for a 21st-century family of five. “After being here for a while, we recognized our need for extra storage,” Kinney say. “We were putting guests’ coats over the backs of chairs all the time.” Kinney commissioned several custom built-in pieces, including a front-entry armoire for all those coats, a dining room hutch, a family room television unit, cabinets in the living room and a linen closet in the master bath. During the tour, the guest room will be decorated like Santa’s workshop. Mingled among the Kinney children’s toys will be a set of elflike figures made in Denmark and available at Haus. Two Christmas trees will adorn the home. The living room tree will be decorated in gold and silver, inspired by the recent movie remake of “The Great Gatsby.” Haus owner Jonathan Marquardt explained via email that the tree will be loaded with

shine and sparkle. In the back of the house, a second, more whimsical tree will embody a kid-friendly theme of nutcrackers, the 12 days of Christmas and sugarplums. As they leave the house, tour guests will see a decorated playhouse in the backyard and illuminated grapevines lighting their way. Garlands and wreaths will add a touch of glamour to the front entry while simple white lights will accentuate the home’s unique architectural lines. The Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour takes place Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 after Dec. 5. Organizers predict a sellout and suggest advance purchase. For ticket retailer locations or to buy tickets online, go to sacredhearthometour. com. For more information, call the information line at 556-5050. If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. n

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Funny Fairies MEMBERS RAISE MONEY FOR ART BY ENTERTAINING CROWDS

BY GWEN SCHOEN THE CLUB LIFE

“I

t’s never too late to have a happy childhood,” said Fran Haynes, founder of The Sugar Plump Fairies, explaining why she and the rest of her troupe dress in fairy costumes and show up unannounced at various events in the Auburn area. So, how did you come up with the idea for Sugar Plump Fairies, I asked. (Appropriately, we were meeting in a bakery.) “Well, it’s sort of my twist on how society thinks of beauty,” said Haynes, a marriage and family therapist by profession, fairy for fun. Back in 1997, Haynes was in Detroit soon after a major storm. A women’s store there was having a storm sale on plus-size bridesmaid dresses for $5 apiece. Never one to pass up a good deal, she bought a dozen and shipped them home. “At the time, I had no plan other than I loved the dresses because they looked absolutely ridiculous on largesize women,” said Haynes. “I had also attended Camp Winnarainbow, a circus and performing arts camp for children and adults in Mendocino County. One day, while thinking

DEC n 13

The Sugar Plump Fairies

about what I learned at the camp and all those silly dresses, the idea blossomed. I could dress up like a fairy and just show up in various places to entertain people. Like a street performer. Then I recruited friends who fit the dresses. The name Sugar Plump Fairies just seemed to stick.” Their first public appearance was the 1997 Festival of Lights Parade in Auburn. Twelve fairies wearing bridesmaid dresses marched in the parade, entertaining the crowd.

“When Fran first told me her idea about dressing up and being in the parade, I asked her if we’d been invited,” said Beth Leydon, a sidekick fairy. “She said no. She just wanted to show up and see what happened. Well, it was a lot of fun and people really enjoyed seeing us. From then on, our group just kept growing and soon people started remembering us.” “At first we just kept showing up places unannounced,” said Haynes. “Then other groups began inviting us to attend events and do things like sell raffle tickets. We ring bells for

Salvation Army. We participate in the Mountain Mandarin Festival. We are greeters for the Auburn Symphony KinderKonzert.” Most recently, they appeared in a mock beauty pageant at the Placer County Mandarin Festival. Each fairy wore a sash with names such as Miss Aligned, Miss Managed and Miss Understood. The winner was presented with a canned ham. Explaining why grown-up women want to dress up and act silly in public, Haynes said, “Dressing up gives you the chance to be whatever you want. It’s just fun.”

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Grand Opening: December 9 Call now for your appointments! Classic Facial - One Hour: Reg. $45 Eventually the group realized that they needed to focus on philanthropic goals. “So we created our ARTrageous grant program,” said Leydon. “Our funds go to support all forms of art for the youth of the greater Auburn area.” The group has awarded nearly $20,000 to local schools for art materials, new band instruments and theater trips. In 2006, the group became an official nonprofit. There are 30 duespaying fairies. Most of them are 55 to 70 years old. There are even a few men in the ranks, mostly husbands who help with logistics. In the beginning, Haynes supplied costumes for all the fairies. But that got to be too much work. Now, each supplies his or her own finery, mostly found at vintage clothing stores. “I started with a few dresses. Now I have a closet full, an attic full and a rack in the garage,” said Leydon. “I have at least 100 pairs of shoes. It’s an addiction.”

What’s next on the fairy agenda? “I’m thinking about challenging the Red Hat Society ladies to a bowla-thon. I think the fairies could take them,” said Haynes. For more information about The Sugar Plump Fairies, go to sugarplumpfairies.org. If you know of an interesting club in the area, contact Gwen Schoen at gwesclubs@aol.com. n

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A Taxi for the 21st Century SOCIAL NETWORKING TRANSFORMS FINDING A RIDE

BY WALT SIEFERT GETTING THERE

ber, UberX, Lyft and Sidecar are the odd names for new services that fill an old and common need: getting someplace. They are unusual not just for their names but for the way they work. They are like taxis, but with a twist and a tweak or two. They all work through smartphone apps.

High-tech devices combined with cars and low-tech bikes can give people more transportation choices, add convenience and save money. You can request a ride with a push of a button, see a photo of your driver and watch your ride approach on a map. Drivers, though vetted by the companies, are not employees. Payments are made via a charge to

DEC n 13

the credit card on your account, so no gauche and unsanitary cash need pass hands. Driver and passengers rate each other. Uber, the oldest service, has been around only since 2010 and in Sacramento since this past January. It started as a strictly upscale, stylish transportation service, using black town cars and SUVs. Rates are higher than taxis. Uber says its higher fares are based on its greater comfort and reliability. UberX, in Sacramento for only a few months, is a lower-cost spinoff. Lyft started its Sacramento operations in November. Like UberX, its drivers use their own cars. It’s a more casual service than Uber, with a chatty, social slant: Clients sit in the front seat and are greeted with a fist

bump from the driver. Lyft cars sport a wildly distinctive large pink, fuzzy mustache on the car’s bumper. Sidecar, like both Uber and Lyft, is a San Francisco-based company, but it hasn’t yet made it to the Sacramento market. Its operations are similar to Lyft, but the vehicles are a bit more understated: namely, no giant pink, fuzzy mustache. With considerable Silicon Valley startup financing, all three services have been rapidly expanding in major cities across the United States. Uber is in some foreign countries as well. Change is often difficult. California’s Public Utilities Commission now regulates the firms. The PUC had to create a new category for them: transportation network companies. Taxi companies haven’t

been happy about the app-based firms. Taxi officials and cabbies view Uber and its ilk as unfair competition: gypsy or pirate cabs taking customers out of their taxis and fares out of their pockets. Taxis are often highly regulated at the local level. Uber, Lyft and Sidecar have been adroitly avoiding regulation as much as possible. Though the California PUC has established standards for vehicles, insurance and drivers, taxi operators don’t believe the standards are adequate. Getting a ride through a smartphone app isn’t the only relatively new transportation option in town. If you are willing to drive yourself and aren’t too far away, car sharing is another possibility. Zipcar, in Sacramento since 2011, recently

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2200 Sutterville Rd. (across from Sacramento City College) 916-45-MUSIC (916-456-8742) • klinemusic.com increased the number of its car-share locations and added new car models to its fleet. The new locations are at H and 20th streets, N and 5th streets and Q and 5th streets. Zipcar already had cars at other midtown sites and on the Sac State and UC Davis campuses. Zipcar isn’t the only car-share model. Though not in Sacramento, Car2Go, a Daimler subsidiary, rents cars by the minute. The cars are all micro two-passenger Smart Cars. Unlike Zipcar, Car2Go allows you to drop off cars anywhere in a city. Hertz and Enterprise are also in the car-share business. Beginning in 2015, bike sharing could be another option for short trips around Sacramento, West Sacramento and Davis. The city council recently supported plans for a bike-share program. Funding could be approved soon by the regional transportation authority. With bike share, one can pay for and unlock a bike via an electronic kiosk and ride it from one bike station to another. Plans are for the Sacramento system to have 560

bikes at 80 stations. Bike sharing can work in conjunction with public transit, Amtrak and, perhaps, even car sharing. These new ways of getting around have commonalities and reflect some megatrends. They wouldn’t be possible without the latest technology, including smartphones, the Internet and GPS. They indicate a desire, especially among younger people, to be less dependent on cars and to drive less. They show that renting or sharing a car or bike can be superior to ownership. On the average, cars are driven by their owners only one hour a day. With shared cars or ride services, vehicles can be in use for longer periods instead of sitting idle and depreciating. Hightech devices combined with cars and low-tech bikes can give people more transportation choices, add convenience and save money. Walt Seifert is a bicyclist, driver and transportation writer. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net. n

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A Legacy of Trees PRESERVING OUR URBAN CANOPY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

BY ANITA CLEVENGER GARDEN JABBER

e who live in older Sacramento neighborhoods are fortunate to be sheltered by mature trees that were planted by generations before us. We tend to take them for granted until we hear the sound of a chainsaw buzzing and realize that another beloved tree is biting the dust. If a tree is felled in our urban forest, we all feel its loss.

There’s no way to put a price on how good trees make us feel as we live under their shelter. Sometimes people wish to take out a tree because it’s a nuisance. It drops too much litter, cracks the sidewalk, is in the way or casts too much shade. More often, the decision to remove a tree is a last resort, done because the tree is unhealthy or maybe even hazardous. Like all living creatures, trees have a natural lifespan, but they often decline prematurely because they haven’t received basic

DEC n 13

care throughout their life. It’s traumatic for the homeowner who has to say goodbye to an old friend, pay for its removal and adjust to the unaccustomed glare and exposure. It’s even more upsetting if there was something that could have been done to extend the tree’s life. What kinds of trees are growing on your property? What is their condition? Are you giving them the care that they need? If you are like me, you may have no clue. We lived in our house for 20 years before I took my Master Gardener training. Only then did I learn that the trees in our front yard are a Japanese elm variety, Zelkova serrata, that comes from a temperate climate

that receives regular precipitation. We were taught that you should inspect your trees on a regular basis for dead, weakened, diseased or dangerous branches. When I did that, I discovered that the branches of one of the Zelkovas were dying at the tips. If you find problems, it’s wise to consult with a certified arborist. I’ve now talked with several of them. They told me that the primary problem with trees is how we water them, either too much or too little. Many people still lavishly water their lawns, and oxygen-starved tree roots develop disease. Frequent shallow watering can cause trees to develop invasive surface roots. Other people water so little that their trees don’t get water

where the roots need it, a foot below the surface. That’s what happened to my Zelkova. The Sacramento Tree Foundation has advice about mature tree care on their website, sactree.com. They identify the watering needs for mature trees. Even drought-adapted trees benefit from an occasional watering, and moisture-adapted trees like elms, magnolias, plums, maples and redwoods do much better with regular deep watering when it’s not raining. I had a tree service remove the dead limbs and began deep-watering my trees once or twice a month by letting a soaker hose, spread around the drip line (outer edge of the

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canopy), run overnight. My Zelkova still shows signs of damage, but it’s doing better. There could have been other problems with my trees. At least we had diligently removed mistletoe. They have never been topped or tipped to reduce their height, a destructive practice that invites disease and insect pests and stimulates weak growth. We hadn’t piled mulch or soil right up to their trunks, either, or built a planter around them. You should be able to see the flare of the trunk, the “crown” where the roots meet the trunk at soil level. Even a little frill of flowers planted around a tree’s base can cause too much moisture to accumulate and hasten its demise. The Sacramento Tree Foundation’s website gives other good advice about mature tree care, including how to inspect, water, prune, mulch and choose a reliable tree care company. Many people protect their valuable trees by scheduling regular visits from an arborist, who can spot and correct problems before it’s too late.

Sacramento, which prides itself on being the City of Trees, was recently recognized as one of the 10 best cities for urban forests by American Forests, a nonprofit organization. We got that designation based on how we manage our trees and plant new ones, not because we have so many trees in comparison to other cities on the list. Sacramento’s urban forest covers 17 percent of the city, compared to 21.5 percent of New York City, commonly considered an asphalt jungle. Austin and Portland are both around 30 percent. With such a relatively sparse canopy, we need to treasure each tree that we have and plant new ones as a legacy for our grandchildren. Trees have a significant economic value in terms of cooling effects, cleaning the air and water, and increased property values. There’s no way to put a price on how good they make us feel as we live under their shelter. Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, including how to identify and care for your trees, call them at 875-6913. n

*Select units. Limited availability. First time renters. OAC. Must move by 12-31-13

Quality House Cleaning

By Maria Call 416-1244 Excellent Reference By Inside Publications

The whole gang is waiting for you.

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Tallac Village home with wood Áoors. Fireplace. Detached garage. Great street! $185,000 Andy Thielen 916-454-3778

Elegant and ready for entertaining! 3 bd/2 ba, spacious lot. Only minutes to downtown $489,000 Penni Elmore 916-835-6000

Charming Vintage Land Park home! With 3/4 Bedrooms & 1.5 baths. Make this house home $475,000 Jennifer Hayes 916-798-1786

One of the best praire-style Craftsmen in town with in-law unit & garage on back of lg lot $590,000 Liz Edmonds 838-1208/Dave Philipp 212-1322

4/2 2490sf (per seller) w/BI pool and spa. Updated kitchen Separate family room, large master suite. $599,000 Dan & Terri Wakabayashi 916-835-5702

4bd 3ba bungalow, hdwd Áoors, liv rm, formal dining rm, 1st Áoor bd, renovated kit, more! $725,000 Elizabeth Weintraub 916-233-6759

PENDING

Fall in love w/ this 2086 SF (per seller) ranch style hm. One of the biggest in the neighborhood! $259,900 Nancy Bergman 916-400-1355

3bd/2ba near E. Portal Park.Vaulted family room off kitchen. Oversized 2 car garage. $529,000 Kurt Campbell 916-956-5878

This immaculate house is a delight. Desirable East Sac home. Close to downtown shopping, CSUS, and McKinley Park $349,900 Annette Black / Kathy Pardun 916-826-6902

4 bedroom 2 bath room in Boulevard Park. Well maintained Craftsman bungalow. Call today! $488,000 David Philipp 916-212-1322

DEC n 13

Elegant 4 bd, 2334 SF (per seller) Tudor-style Home. Gorgeous kit remodel, enchanting yd / patio $779,500 Karen Berkovitz 916-607-7600

Fabulous location. Quiet. Pool, patio, 2 bedrooms / 1 ½ bathrooms $180,000 Jim Anderson 916-806-4061

Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Sales Closed August 2013

95608 CARMICHAEL 5313 MANZANITA AVE #3 2748 LEOLETA WAY 5543 WYNDHAM HILL CT 3929 PARK CIRCLE LN #A 6111 RUTLAND DR 3905 DELL RD 6207 VIA CASITAS 5624 VALHALLA DR 5938 VIA CASITAS 6442 RAMPART DR 5913 ASHWORTH WAY 7140 MURDOCK WAY 2634 NAPOLI CT 5489 WILDFLOWER CIR 5961 CAMRAY CIR 26 RIVER BLUFF LN 4606 SHAFTESBURY CT 6221 DAWNRIDGE WAY 6184 ORSI CIR 6140 RAMPART DR 2844 LA COLINA WAY 3700 CLAIRE DR 3329 WALNUT AVE 2433 GARFIELD AVE 5002 KEANE DR 4829 ANDREW CIR 1243 GARY WAY 5242 FAIR OAKS BLVD 5441 EARNELL ST 4818 OAK VISTA DR 6220 SAMOA WAY 6013 ELLERSLEE DR 5846 TOPP CT 4764 DEL HABRA WAY 6800 LANDIS AVE 5513 WILSEY WAY 3701 ORANGRIE WAY 4707 JAN DR 6352 EDGERTON WAY 4864 AMERICAN RIVER DR 4603 FOSTER WAY 2222 MARIE WAY 5521 LOCUST AVE 5144 KOVANDA AVE 5725 RIVER OAK WAY 6421 MORAGA DR 4909 PUMA WAY 2001 WINGFIELD WAY 2316 MARIE WAY 2017 SANTA LUCIA WAY 5229 WYNDHAM OAK LN 5633 ROBERTSON 6715 DUNCAN LN 6068 VIA CASITAS 4952 HEATHERDALE LN 4413 NORTHAMPTON DR 6391 PERRIN WAY 2417 GUNN RD 4545 GARFIELD AVE 5419 KIRKLAND WAY 5648 EL CAMINO AVE 4155 SCANTON CIR 3821 HORTON LN 6431 BELGROVE WAY 4916 PATRIC WAY 6331 SAMOA WAY 6418 LINCOLN AVE 3516 CALIFORNIA AVE 4740 LAKE DR 3529 CONDOR CT 6109 SLATE WAY

$82,000 $285,000 $440,000 $120,300 $239,000 $325,000 $71,500 $305,000 $78,400 $292,000 $229,900 $369,000 $465,000 $376,000 $303,000 $755,000 $375,000 $295,000 $105,000 $351,000 $449,000 $550,000 $250,000 $277,500 $737,500 $380,000 $418,000 $400,000 $215,000 $714,000 $360,000 $224,000 $269,900 $340,000 $346,000 $225,000 $335,000 $231,000 $130,410 $410,000 $178,000 $280,000 $749,000 $205,000 $490,000 $337,000 $350,000 $425,000 $275,000 $425,000 $325,000 $174,000 $225,000 $90,000 $275,000 $440,000 $285,000 $138,000 $305,000 $225,000 $410,000 $240,200 $200,000 $300,000 $415,000 $262,500 $368,000 $200,000 $340,000 $399,300 $250,000

95816 EAST SACRAMENTO, MCKINLEY PARK 2215 O ST 3627 T ST 2215 E ST 1049 SANTA BARBARA CT 1460 37TH ST 365 SANTA YNEZ WAY 3921 N ST 3111 T ST 330 36TH WAY 3249 B ST 1617 28TH 1326 W SUTTER WALK 1140 40TH ST 1335 38TH ST

$373,100 $134,000 $271,195 $385,000 $750,000 $1,050,000 $440,000 $345,000 $806,000 $190,000 $190,000 $428,000 $620,000 $1,405,000

701 35TH ST 440 39TH ST 1514 24TH ST

95817 TAHOE PARK, ELMHURST 4215 12TH AVE 3627 T ST 6214 1ST AVE 3402 TRIO LN 2197 57TH ST 3123 33RD ST 2716 64TH ST 4908 T ST 3349 SANTA CRUZ WAY 3801 9TH AVE 4932 T 3827 V ST 3153 2ND AVE 3208 11TH AVE 2847 58TH ST 3445 TRUCKEE WAY 2003 59TH ST 3125 44TH ST 2609 SANTA CRUZ WAY 3109 SAN RAFAEL CT 2100 36TH ST 3889 7TH AVE 2156 GERBER AVE 3336 6TH AVE 3415 41ST ST

95818 LAND PARK, CURTIS PARK 773 4TH AVE 1325 1ST AVE 2301 PORTOLA WAY 2557 5TH AVE 1811 9TH AVE 2200 CASTRO WAY 1841 VALLEJO WAY 2717 FREEPORT BLVD 1841 8TH AVE 1922 5TH AVE 3715 COLLEGE AVE 1935 2ND AVE 1233 LARKIN WAY 1218 7TH AVE 2765 12TH ST 2120 10TH ST 1910 3RD AVE 2660 28TH ST 1610 12TH AVE 419 U ST 2232 9TH AVE 2832 MARSHALL WAY 1017 FREMONT WAY 2629 12TH ST

$1,260,000 $611,000 $379,000

$173,500 $134,000 $222,000 $254,586 $110,000 $162,999 $235,000 $351,000 $75,000 $84,000 $415,000 $429,000 $26,000 $196,000 $325,000 $222,000 $323,000 $150,500 $234,500 $70,000 $213,000 $67,500 $247,500 $81,500 $54,000

$450,000 $235,000 $356,000 $596,000 $680,000 $405,000 $420,000 $315,000 $601,000 $375,000 $1,150,000 $265,000 $375,000 $600,000 $595,000 $220,000 $425,000 $287,000 $615,000 $221,000 $415,000 $315,000 $260,000 $290,000

95819 EAST SACRAMENTO, RIVER PARK 801 48TH ST 5155 TEICHERT AVE 1744 42ND ST 1038 46TH ST 4008 D ST 878 EL DORADO WAY 1111 43RD ST 741 47TH ST 504 MEISTER WAY 5337 STATE AVE 1235 42ND ST 3921 N ST 4908 T ST 1333 51ST ST 5250 N ST 656 40TH 4932 T 500 SAN ANTONIO WAY 5623 MONALEE AVE 1366 47TH ST 5298 H ST 900 56TH ST 1001 43RD ST 5521 AILEEN WAY 88 PRIMROSE WAY 849 55TH ST 5326 SANDBURG DR

$372,500 $405,000 $359,000 $1,225,000 $226,818 $410,000 $885,000 $330,000 $430,000 $505,000 $1,300,000 $440,000 $351,000 $366,000 $330,000 $395,000 $415,000 $357,500 $710,000 $1,185,000 $281,000 $419,000 $955,000 $158,000 $378,000 $356,500 $432,200

1140 40TH ST 4807 I ST 5903 SHEPARD AVE 4847 Q ST 4651 BREUNER AVE 1360 51ST ST 4633 P ST 5611 MCADOO AVE

$620,000 $519,950 $330,000 $325,000 $400,000 $405,000 $405,000 $305,000

95821 ARDEN-ARCADE 2600 DANUBE DR 3340 BLUEGRASS RD 3632 EASTERN AVE 2385 TYROLEAN WAY 2848 ALAMITOS WAY 2101 MARCONI AVE 3020 SAND DOLLAR WAY 4038 HILLCREST WAY 3804 WILLIAM WAY 4841 HOPE LN 2418 TOWN CIR 2712 EDISON AVE 3504 SAINT GEORGE DR 3830 PAYTON ST 3716 HUFF WAY 3320 CLUB LN 4116 BIG LIVE OAK LN 3813 PASADENA AVE #4 2824 LA PAZ WAY 2400 MICHELLE DR 3025 POPE AVE 3612 RONK WAY 4421 HAZELWOOD AVE 4528 MCDONALD DR 2720 AVALON DR 4000 LAS NINAS CT 4001 ADELHEID WAY 2706 WRENDALE WAY 3101 YELLOWSTONE LN 3604 POPE AVE 3201 LASSEN WAY 2800 CALLE VISTA WAY 4601 GEORGIAN AVE 2630 BELL ST 2849 IONE ST 4728 WINDING WAY 4623 EMDEE CT 3309 BROOKWOOD RD 2585 DANUBE DR 3241 CLAIRIDGE WAY 3740 KINGS WAY 3621 E COUNTRY CLUB LN 3948 BRULE CT 3221 ARTHUR WAY 2562 CHARLOTTE LN 3675 MONTCLAIRE 4718 WINDING WAY 4526 BARON AVE 3117 LEATHA WAY 4624 MULFORD AVE 2560 BUTANO DR 3670 E COUNTRY CLUB LN #L 2701 ECHO WAY

$220,000 $195,000 $252,000 $230,000 $165,900 $110,000 $295,000 $281,384 $282,500 $283,000 $200,000 $100,000 $155,000 $365,000 $255,000 $309,000 $440,000 $180,000 $120,000 $190,000 $345,000 $269,400 $375,000 $215,000 $258,000 $336,000 $230,000 $335,000 $189,000 $198,000 $279,000 $549,950 $276,000 $215,000 $165,000 $898,000 $283,000 $255,000 $158,000 $445,000 $265,000 $165,000 $205,000 $167,500 $142,000 $180,000 $315,000 $155,000 $180,000 $250,000 $212,500 $185,000 $382,000

95822 SOUTH LAND PARK 2172 KIRK WAY 2269 67TH AVE 34 LUNDY CT 7330 22ND ST 5681 NORMAN WAY 2831 HING AVE 1201 14TH AVE 5120 EUCLID AVE 4651 DEL RIO RD 7353 BENBOW ST 2157 ONEIL WAY 6018 BELLEAU WOOD LN 1416 34TH AVE 4291 CUSTIS AVE 2500 37TH AVE 5120 GILGUNN WAY 1917 63RD AVE 7031 TAMOSHANTER WAY 7481 32ND ST 5867 LONSDALE DR 5980 WYMORE WAY 7232 TAMOSHANTER WAY 1440 MATHEWS WAY 1500 POTRERO WAY 2149 47TH AVE

$110,000 $129,000 $245,000 $177,500 $199,900 $157,000 $117,500 $267,000 $659,000 $157,500 $118,000 $127,000 $175,000 $107,000 $140,000 $220,000 $148,000 $162,000 $157,000 $225,000 $310,000 $126,000 $143,000 $845,000 $135,000

5644 DANA WAY 1161 DERICK WAY 4904 HARTE WAY 6655 24TH ST 6651 24TH ST 5937 MCLAREN AVE 2192 SHIELAH WAY 1421 ATHERTON ST 2217 62 AVE 5424 HELEN WAY 4125 CANBY WAY 5321 VIRGINIA WAY 7534 ADDISON WAY 7582 SAN FELICE CIR 1408 ATHERTON ST 2147 20TH AVE 2512 48TH AVE 2661 CASA LINDA DR 6223 24TH ST 6470 GOLF VIEW DR 6897 DEMARET DR 7517 LOMA VERDE WAY 7517 WAINSCOTT WAY 1456 32ND AVE 4510 ATTAWA AVE 7476 POIRIER WAY

$63,000 $345,000 $270,000 $80,000 $76,000 $120,000 $272,500 $98,000 $158,000 $255,000 $276,000 $225,000 $154,000 $125,000 $154,000 $175,000 $130,000 $103,000 $167,000 $155,000 $135,000 $164,000 $203,000 $269,000 $235,000 $115,327

95825 ARDEN

2741 HILLDALE RD 307 DUNBARTON CIR 2436 PARKWOOD DR 1204 COMMONS DR 2430 LARKSPUR LN #280 2131 EDWIN WAY 2020 UNIVERSITY PARK DR 102 ELMHURST CIR 2430 PAVILIONS PL LN #304 2274 SIERRA BLVD 2421 ETHAN WAY 2116 CORTEZ LN 1433 COMMONS DR 2216 WELDON WAY 606 WOODSIDE SIERRA #3 2516 EXETER SQUARE LN 2408 LARKSPUR LN #249 1525 CLINTON RD 323 HARTNELL PL 2201 CORTEZ LN 628 COMMONS DR 1003 DUNBARTON CIR 1019 DORNAJO WAY #259 1113 DUNBARTON CIR 1103 COMMONS DR 2500 EXETER SQUARE LN 879 E WOODSIDE LN #3 879 WOODSIDE LN E UNIT E3 2040 ROBERT WAY 2280 HURLEY WAY #45 2225 MEADOWBROOK RD 2317 BRUNTON 1629 WAYLAND AVE 924 COMMONS DR 2494 AMERICAN RIVER DR 3125 PENNLAND DR 2349 SKUBE (RIO DEL ORO) LN 2145 COTTAGE WAY 2539 EXETER SQUARE LN 2128 LANDON LN 1916 TERRACE DR 740 WOODSIDE LN E #1

95831 GREENHAVEN, S LAND PARK 6948 S LAND PARK DR 6400 HAVENSIDE DR 1256 47 AVE 1184 ROSE TREE WAY 6 RIVERPORT CIR 18 IRON RIVER CT 359 RIVERTREE WAY 380 DEER RIVER WAY 71 CAVALCADE CIR 7413 POCKET RD 6430 OAKRIDGE WAY 610 LELANDHAVEN WAY 76 CACHE RIVER CIR 1157 MONTE VISTA WAY 15 MARJORAM CT 6760 STEAMBOAT WAY

$169,000 $269,000 $130,000 $475,000 $86,000 $120,000 $349,000 $240,000 $510,000 $199,000 $151,000 $148,000 $249,900 $195,000 $84,500 $206,000 $75,000 $180,000 $207,500 $155,000 $285,000 $420,000 $109,900 $316,900 $285,000 $450,000 $72,000 $72,000 $110,000 $120,000 $139,700 $165,000 $160,000 $360,000 $279,000 $172,000 $307,500 $118,000 $224,999 $260,000 $275,000 $60,403

$160,000 $445,000 $450,000 $252,500 $169,000 $375,000 $328,000 $330,000 $380,000 $320,000 $440,000 $344,500 $199,900 $290,000 $224,900 $215,000

6910 ARABELLA WAY 5 RASHA CT 1380 CORNELL WAY 10 SEASIDE CT 6762 STARBOARD WAY 274 RIVERTREE WAY 553 VALIM WAY 958 BRIARCREST 6 REYES CT 446 FLORIN RD 19 EASTWIND 7507 MAPLE TREE WAY 7305 CAMINO DEL REY ST 813 CRESTWATER LN 283 RIVERTREE WAY 7336 IDLE WILD WAY 92 STARLIT CIR 11 FLORENCE CT 801 SAO JORGE WAY 7317 FLOWERWOOD WAY 6409 S LAND PARK DR 7249 RUSH RIVER DR 474 DE MAR DR 1309 LYNETTE WAY 635 CASTLE RIVER WAY 7591 SAILFISH WAY 6616 LAKE PARK DR 7448 SPICEWOOD DR 6240 FENNWOOD CT 6793 ORLEANS WAY 47 RIVERSTAR CIR 891 GULFWIND WAY 7323 PEYTONA WAY 357 RIVERGATE WAY 792 SAO JORGE WAY 7035 WAVECREST WAY 7111 RIVERSIDE BLVD

95864 ARDEN

288 MUNROE ST 4008 CAYENTE WAY 1530 ARROYO GRANDE DR 1831 WAYSIDE LN 1132 HAMPTON 2870 JOSEPH AVE 2700 LATHAM DR 2231 ROCKWOOD DR 4000 GREYWELL 2916 HUNTINGTON RD 1012 HAMPTON RD 4225 CORONA WAY 4548 OXBOW DR 1005 SINGINGWOOD RD 4059 RAMEL WAY 2661 FOLEY CT 1548 LOS MOLINOS WAY 2000 ADONIS WAY 3755 LAS PASAS WAY 741 EL ENCINO WAY 136 RIVER CHASE CIR 3421 WELLINGTON DR 3217 CHELSEA RD 123 RIVER CHASE CIR 810 EL ENCINO WAY 2340 GILA WAY 1911 EASTERN AVE 3595 LAS PASAS WAY 3304 MAYFAIR DR 913 AMBERWOOD RD 3712 DUBAC WAY 4245 LUSK DR 1050 LOS MOLINOS WAY 3038 MAISON WAY 1822 EASTERN AVE 1440 SEBASTIAN WAY 3404 WEMBERLEY DR 3201 MAYFAIR DR 760 SANTA RITA WAY 1521 CASTEC DR 2450 CATALINA DR 1800 CERES 4429 VALMONTE DR 4425 ULYSSES DR 4200 LOS COCHES WAY 908 SIERRA PARK LN 790 CASMALIA WAY 4388 DORKING CT 3231 SIERRA OAKS DR 3209 CHELSEA RD

$282,500 $352,000 $300,000 $175,000 $285,000 $309,000 $381,500 $266,310 $999,000 $150,000 $369,000 $220,000 $327,000 $155,000 $435,000 $227,500 $284,000 $260,000 $185,000 $359,000 $420,000 $337,500 $249,000 $335,000 $292,500 $270,000 $204,000 $284,500 $305,000 $349,000 $370,000 $280,000 $240,000 $324,000 $295,000 $297,000 $262,000 $419,000 $534,000 $419,500 $595,000 $160,000 $565,000 $725,000 $350,000 $580,000 $612,500 $155,000 $410,500 $300,000 $135,000 $888,000 $975,000 $400,000 $347,000 $395,000 $337,000 $397,000 $163,000 $195,000 $360,000 $332,510 $345,000 $372,500 $382,500 $212,000 $168,000 $269,500 $255,000 $270,000 $152,000 $235,000 $150,000 $182,000 $125,049 $1,150,000 $515,000 $385,000 $265,000 $481,000 $320,000 $575,000 $745,000 $318,000 $630,000 $1,000,500 $122,000

INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Michael Ault THE TIME IS NOW FOR DOWNTOWN

downtown, but that doesn’t mean you need to leave. Stay downtown, go to a show, the theater, a restaurant, a gallery, and extend that experience. What are the plans for the stretch of K Street from 7th to 13th known as The Kay? There is obviously a lot of excitement around the arena. But while the Kings play 41 games a year, they’re talking about 200-plus events at the arena, so you have two thirds of the year when that facility will be active. The estimates are 3 million people a year will come to the arena. We want this to be a complete experience. You may be coming to a concert or an event at the arena at 8 o’clock, but we want you to come at 5, walk the district, go to dinner, grab a drink. When the event’s over, rather than just getting in your car, stay downtown. It becomes a destination. It extends the experience.

BY KELLIE RANDLE CONVERSATION PIECE

ig changes are coming to downtown Sacramento. As executive director of Sacramento Downtown Partnership, Michael Ault has been working toward this moment for 17 years. He wants to make downtown not just an employment center but a cultural and entertainment center for the region. What is Downtown Sacramento Partnership? It’s a property-based improvement district of 66 square blocks downtown. In 1995, Mayor Joe Serna and a group of leaders decided we needed a strong leadership voice for the central city. We were the first business improvement district in the state of California. There are now over 200 of them, with the goal of marketing, special events, clean and safe programs, retail recruitment, advocacy, lobbying and public policy. Our singular charge is to make the central city a stronger economic development destination. How did you come to lead the partnership? I was part of the organization in its early formative years. I left and did

DEC n 13

How does the development of K Street fit in with the proposed new arena?

Michael Ault is the executive director of Sacramento Downtown Partnership

some consulting, then came back as executive director in 1997. I’ve been in this job for 17 years. It was a much smaller organization that focused on maintenance and security programs at that point. Tell me about the new branding efforts for downtown districts such as the theater district and the railyards.

Successful downtowns have a sense of identity within their neighborhoods. If you’re in Old Sacramento or you’re standing at 13th and K, they feel like much different locations. We know that there are distinctly different areas within the downtown core that have their own sense of identity. Our goal through the branding campaign is to champion that. You might work

What are the biggest challenges DSP faces in revitalizing downtown? Historically, the biggest challenges have been fighting some of the perception issues. We need to be effective in selling the vision of where downtown is going. The economy’s coming back. It’s making developers and investors more willing to spend resources and money. Our biggest challenge is making sure people understand the opportunities moving forward. Is there a city you are using as a model as you redevelop downtown? Look at Denver with the Pepsi Center and Coors Field, and how it’s been able to activate the lower downtown. Look at Seattle with Safeco Field. And look right out our backdoor at AT&T Park in San Francisco. That was an area that was forgotten about. You couldn’t give away the land. Now, it’s absolutely transformed that area. What is the timeline for new developments? The arena is scheduled to open in 2016. So over the next few years, you’re going to see a lot of properties in play. The 700 block of K Street will be first. We have 14 leases signed with great retailers and businesses. Properties within blocks of that are in discussions.

Describe the downtown Sacramento you see in five years. The level of interest and momentum are something we’ve waited 15-plus years for. I think we’ve got an opportunity to remake how people look at downtown. This is our time and we know it. We need to take advantage of this market. We need to do everything we can for the next five years. We can’t wait till this building gets built. We can’t wait till the market fully comes back. We need to be getting projects in the pipeline, projects through entitlements, working with owners and aggressively recruiting and making sure retailers, developers and brokers understand the momentum of where we’re going and get these projects under way. We have focused leadership with elected officials who understand this city’s perception. We need to be clear with the city that the time is absolutely right now. Kellie Randle can be reached at KellieR@me.com. n

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The arena is great but it’s not the only answer to what we’re trying to do downtown. While it brings excitement and momentum, the economy itself is bringing some new momentum. We want to create an active urban district. When you step out of the new arena at 7th and K in the wintertime, look down K Street and you’ll have the outdoor ice rink, shops on 7th Street, heater lamps with outside dining, the trolley running, music up and down the mall, tree lights up and down K Street. It’s going to be a managed district where people are going to say, “Wow!” We don’t want the arena to be the only shiny thing downtown. We want the area around it to be fun and exciting.

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A New Tradition REMEMBERING PETS WITH A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TREE

BY SUE OWENS WRIGHT PETS & THEIR PEOPLE

confess I can get a bit Grinchy at this time of year. We’d barely finished carving our jack-o’lanterns before it began to look a lot like Christmas. Even before we gobbled up the Thanksgiving turkey, all the Christmas classics had already been shown on TV. When I heard carols playing on the radio Nov. 1 and knew I’d have to listen to those sappy songs nonstop for two more months, that old Grinch started to take hold. Is it any wonder? When I was younger, I loved celebrating Christmas. But with the expense, expectations and exhaustion that accompany the holidays nowadays, I would sometimes rather forget the whole thing. Of all the seasonal rituals of my youth, I most enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree, but even that has become a chore. That’s why I have started a new holiday tradition of decorating a smaller tree for my pets. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few animal ornaments. Each one kindles a happy memory of a pet. As I unwrap a decoration and hang it on

DEC n 13

a branch of the tree, it’s like having that special dog or cat here with me again at the holidays. Butterscotch’s ornament adorns the topmost branch of the tree. Butter, as we called her for short, was our first in a long line of beloved basset hounds, and the only one we raised from a pup. She was a wonderful dog and the most well bred of them all, with a distinguished pedigree from the finest kennels. Although I’m not an avid promoter of breeders, I admit she had the best temperament and conformation of any of our dogs. Butter had a heart of gold. She reveled in every holiday celebration,

from greeting all the little goblins at our door on Halloween to keeping me good company while I decorated the Christmas tree. In photos of Christmases past, some of my dogs appear rather puzzled by the fact that a seven-foot-tall fir tree has suddenly sprouted in the living room. None ever took a notion to mark the tree as they would when outdoors, though some drained the tree water. Next to Butter’s Christmas ornament hangs the one for Tabitha, a stray black-and-white kitty who adopted us. Like most cats, she was fascinated by the shiny baubles suspended from the tree and loved to

bat at them playfully with a snowwhite paw. Tabby miraculously transformed Butter from a confirmed cat hater to a cat lover. I recall one stormy winter night when Butter deigned to share her doghouse with Tabby. The next morning, I was astonished to find them curled up together inside. From then on, they were best buddies. Dolly shared only five Christmases with us, but those years are remembered as the happiest of any I had with my bassets. A lively little hound the color of cinnamon spice, Dolly was the essence of joie de vivre. It was as if she understood that her

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time here would be brief and she had to fill every day with as much life as she could. She brought me such happiness in that short time. During the Dolly years, I hosted a basset hound picnic every summer, commemorated by an ornament of a little basset popping up out of a picnic basket. Daisyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delicate china ornament looks like the pretty tricolored basset she was, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t capture her impish nature. Thinking of Daisy at Christmastime evokes the memory of her devouring an entire box of my neighborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homemade fudge that had been carelessly placed with other gifts under the tree. No one made fudge as good as Berniceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Daisy obviously agreed. When the coveted holiday delicacy went missing, I found that naughty dog lying in her bed looking as innocent as the tree angel. But her fudgy bedding and muzzle were irrefutable evidence of who had committed this Christmas candysnatching crime. Fortunately, she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffer any ill effects from her infamous caper, but I always thought

her chocolate-brown eyes were a little browner after that. When I decorate my petsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; special tree this year, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll brew myself a nice cup of hot cocoa, sample some fudge in honor of Daisy and unwrap my treasured collection of ornaments for Butter, Patience, Dolly, Bramble, Daisy, Bubba Gump and Tabby, too. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ceremoniously place each one on a branch of the fir, including the newer ones Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve collected for my current dogs, Peaches and Beau. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll remind me of the unconditional love all my animal companions have blessed me with over the years. My pets were the most treasured gifts ever to be found beneath our Christmas tree. Once again, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be with me in spirit, making the holidays bright. Sue Owens Wright is an awardwinning author of books and articles about dogs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Braced for Murderâ&#x20AC;? is her latest book in the Beanie and Cruiser Mystery Series from Five Star Publishing. She can be reached at beanieandcruiser@aol.com. n

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Arts Intersection MUSIC TEACHER BRINGS EDUCATION INTO THE MIX AT PERFORMANCE CENTER

BY DEB BELT ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

en McClara stands in the lobby of Grange Performing Arts Center, a modest building in Oak Park just off Stockton Boulevard, where he runs the Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy. “We seem to be in the invisible building here,” he says with a laugh. “When I describe the location, people ask: ‘There’s a performing arts center there?’”

Understated and amiable, McClara started playing music in the fourth grade, beginning with the violin. In spite of the seemingly phantom locale, McClara describes a rich schedule of performance, theater and music education happening at the center. Productions of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Cabaret” and “Spring Awakening” have been performed there over the past two years, along with classical, baroque and bluegrass concerts. And the music academy offers lessons in piano, woodwind and string instruments, basic percussion and musicianship. “We have amazing theater and music going on here, just under the

DEC n 13

Ben McClara runs the Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy

radar,” he says. “We are having the time of our lives.” McClara shares the center with Christopher Cook of Green Valley Theatre Company, two other music teachers and three visual artists. They all chip in for the rent. McClara and Cook converted the building from a decrepit office space into a funky, intimate performance venue and school, complete with a 47-seat theater, dressing rooms and music studios. Students at the academy range in age from 5 to 62, and McClara grants scholarships to about 30 percent of his students, meaning they get free music lessons. “When I see something like a grandma paying for her grandson’s lessons with her Social Security check, I offer a scholarship,” he says.

The academy also has a free string ensemble that students can join. The school benefits from donated instruments that are passed on to students. “You know you’re doing something right when someone calls out of the blue and says: ‘I have a keyboard to donate,’ which happened recently,” McClara says. The center has been running for two years at the intersection of Stockton and V Street. A community group called California State Grange helps make it happen. Bob McFarland, president of the agricultural organization, wanted the building to be a performing arts theater. When McClara heard of the idea, he told McFarland he needed a space to teach music.

“Bob offers affordable rent to artists, and I am grateful for that,” McClara says. “Chris Cook and I put in the blood, sweat and tears to transform the building, hauling out the old cubicles, putting down new flooring and painting every square inch of the theater black.” The theater seats came from Sacramento City College’s old venue. Tickets to performances at the theater range in price from $10 to $20 and generate money for upkeep of the center. A recent performance called “When the Bass Hits the Fan” featured Thomas Derthick, principle bassist of the Sacramento Philharmonic, who performed Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 at pitch on a double bass, an extremely difficult feat, according to McClara. “He received the longest standing

Lyon Village is one stop shopping. Peet’s Coffee and Tea Puddles Children’s Boutique Mona Mia Customized Gifts Beyond Napa Wine Market Yo Yo Yogurt Le Grand Confectionary Hair Formations Edward Jones Lyon Real Estate Miyagi Sushi and Bar Purely Pilaties Grebitus and Son’s Jewelers Wells Fargo Bank ovation I have ever seen,” McClara recalls. “We go out of the way to bring special music here and that benefits students, the neighborhood and the public.” Understated and amiable, McClara started playing music in the fourth grade, beginning with the violin. He went on to play trumpet, baritone, tuba and electric bass before settling on stand-up bass. He recalls playing at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee in the seventh grade and says he’s attended about “every college

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in town,” completing the music program at American River College, where he studied with Joe Gilman. At Sacramento State, he received a bachelor’s of music in classical performance, and he’s now working through a master’s program in music theory and bass performance at Sac State. “I am the product of wonderful Sacramento teachers,” he says. Growing up in the neighborhood near the center where he now teaches, McClara recalls going to the Coca-Cola Company on Stockton Boulevard to watch the green glass bottles roll by on the conveyors. He says he’s proud to be working in his old stomping grounds of Oak Park. “It’s important to me to teach in this neighborhood and help prepare students to compete at the collegiate level,” he says. “I’m keeping it local, and I believe in that.” For more information about Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy, call 382-2779 or go to sacprepmusic.com. n

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Go Nuts for the Holidays SACRAMENTO BALLET’S SEASON INCLUDES LIVE MUSIC

By Jessica Laskey RIVER CITY PREVIEWS

t’s that magical time of year when visions of sugarplums dance in your head—only at the Sacramento Ballet, it’s the Sugar Plum Fairy who’s pirouetting through your thoughts. Ron Cunningham’s beloved holiday classic “The Nutcracker” returns to the Community Center Theater from Dec. 7 through Dec. 23, with live music for select performances. More than 500 children from all over the region will perform Cunningham’s choreographic delight with the ballet’s beautiful corps. Bring your kids in full fairytale finery and introduce them to the wonder of live, professional dance. Want to hear the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra in the pit? Get tickets for performances on Dec. 7, 8, 15, 20 or 23. To add to the magic, give the best gift ever and take your tykes to the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 in the Grand Hall of the Capitol Plaza Ballroom (1025 Ninth St., Suite 201). Guests will meet the cast of “The Nutcracker,” enjoy delicious desserts and kid-friendly drinks, have their photo snapped with the Sugar Plum

DEC n 13

Don't miss Sacramento Ballet's performances of The Nutcracker from Dec. 7 to 23

Fairy herself and receive a special memory book with a collectible ornament. It’s an afternoon they’ll never forget. For tickets and more information, call 808-5181 or go to sacballet.org. The Community Center Theater is at 1301 L St.

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS What better way to ring in the festive season than with beautiful singing ringing in your ears? Don’t miss Sacramento Choral Society’s Home for the Holidays concert, presented by Wells Fargo at 8 p.m.

on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Memorial Auditorium. A candlelit procession will set the musical mood for a program that includes an audience sing-along, new and familiar orchestral holiday songs and special guest performances by tenor Tevye Ditter and the Sacramento Children’s Chorus, directed by Lynn Stevens. To purchase tickets online, go to tickets.com. For more information, call 536-9065 or go to sacramentochoral.com. Memorial Auditorium is at 1515 J St.

MASTERS OF THE HOUSE They’re called the Master Singers for a reason. Listen to their “masterful” renditions of carols from around the world at their seasonopening concert, The World for Christmas, on Dec. 8, 14, 15, 19 and 22. After a candlelit processional to start the festivities, sit back and enjoy the premiere of Philip Lawson’s piece “Evermore,” followed by carols from Armenia, Canada, France, Spain, England, Argentina, Africa and more, as well as new arrangements of classic carols you probably already know: “We Three Kings,” “Ave Maria” and more.

For tickets and more information, go to mastersingers.org or harriscenter.net. Performances on Dec. 8, 14, 15 and 19 will take place at St. Francis Church, 1066 26th St. The performance on Dec. 22 will take place at the Harris Center (formerly Three Stages at Folsom Lake College) at 10 College Parkway in Folsom.

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE Abigail VanCannon sure has an eye for art. SouthWestArt Magazine even named her one of the 21 artists under 31 years old to watch in 2012. Check out her luscious landscapes for yourself at her solo show at Galley 2110 this month. The Iowa native is no stranger to vast vistas, and here she turns her loving eye on Sacramento’s great outdoors, as well as other sweeping California scenes. The work shows well on the walls of Gallery 2110, which also houses several artists’ studios (VanCannon’s among them) as part of the Sacramento Art Complex. For more information, visit gallery2110.com. Meet VanCannon at the Second Saturday artist’s reception on Dec. 14 or ogle her art online at vancannonart.com. Gallery 2110 is at (you guessed it!) 2110 K St. in midtown.

HALLELUJAH! Good things come in threes. Case in point: At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, three powerhouse musical groups— Camellia Symphony Orchestra, Music Society at Cathedral Square and Valley Choral Society—join forces for a performance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah like you’ve never heard before in the stunning Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Part one of the composer’s beloved Christmas chorale will be jointly directed by Dr. Robert Johnson, artistic director of Music Society at Cathedral Square, and Dr. Paul Allen, artistic director of Valley Choral Society. The maestros will be leading a total of 90 voices from three different choirs—Choir of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament,

Sacramento Choral Society’s Home for the Holidays concert, presented by Wells Fargo at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Memorial Auditorium. This photo is from their Italian tour.

Capella Antiqua and Valley Choral Society—in a concert that will surely make you see angels. For tickets and more information, call the CSO office at 929-6655 or go to camelliasymphony.org. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is at 1017 11th St.

AH CAPELLA Lest you think December will end without your getting the chance to again hear the virtuosic vocals of Capella Antiqua, the artists-inresidence at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, fret not. Lend an ear at their Victorian Christmas concert with Vox Musica at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20 at the cathedral.

The concert will include a mélange of all things Victorian: period choral music and Christmas carol responses, readings from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and more festive festivities. For tickets and more information, go to capella-antiqua.org or voxmusica.net. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is at 1017 11th St.

ON POINTE Are you nutty for “The Nutcracker”? Don’t miss the familyand budget-friendly performance of the Crockett-Deane Ballet Company and Deane Dance Center’s performance of a one-act version of “The Nutcracker” in tandem with

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“Christmas Angels” on Dec. 14 and 15 at the Center at Twenty-Three Hundred. For only $10, kids can enjoy the magic of the “Nutcracker” and enjoy a retelling of the story of Christmas complete with popular carols during Christmas Angels. Both ballets are directed by Allyson Deane (daughter of Barbara Crockett, the founder of the Sacramento Ballet) and Don Schwennesen, a husband-and-wife team that keeps the corps on their toes—literally. For tickets and more information, call 453-0226 or go to deanedancecenter.com. The Center at Twenty-Three Hundred is at 2300 Sierra Blvd.

CRACK UP AT THE CROCKER Crocker Art Museum wants in on the festivities this season, but it’s ringing in the holidays with refreshingly un-Christmas-y options. First up is the Classical Concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, featuring the RSVP Choir, which believes in making music to build a better world.

PREVIEWS page 80

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FROM page 79 Enjoy holiday classics with a tuneful twist at this energy-filled concert. Are you a “Seinfeld” fan? If so, run, don’t walk, to the Art Mix Festivus festivities from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12. Guests will get in on the comedic, un-Christmas fun with a Festivus pole-making table, a “Seinfeld” episode marathon, the “Airing of Grievances” onstage and “Feats of Strength” featuring the rough, tough gals of the Sac City

Rollers roller derby team, live music by Gentleman Surfer and a re-gift (you read that right) exchange. Drink specials are $5 all night … and yada, yada, yada. For all of those “Sound of Music” softies out there (I’m proud to be one of them), sing your own rendition of “Do Re Mi” and all of your favorite things at the “Sound of Music” SingAlong at 2 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26. Come dressed as your favorite character to compete in the costume contest, enter for the chance

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to win door prizes and goodie bags and yodel to your heart’s content. You might even win something for your efforts! Tickets sell out early, so buy now to make sure you won’t be a “Lonely Goatherd.” For tickets and more information to all Crocker events, call 808-1182 or go to crockerartmuseum.org. Crocker Art Museum is at 216 O St.

Stand up to homelessness when you attend Stand Up Sacramento, a stand-up comedy concert benefitting Transitional Living & Community Support at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Crest Theatre. TLCS is a social rehab agency that has helped psychiatrically disabled adults who are homeless or close to it transform their lives and get back on their feet for more than 31 years. Help TLCS laugh its way to the bank with the talents of six local comics, who are all donating their time, for a showcase that is sure to be sidesplitting. Want to give more than just enough for a seat? Buy a VIP ticket and get access to a special pre-performance reception complete with a silent auction at 5:30 p.m. For tickets, call Erin Johansen at 441-0123, ext. 115, email her at ejohansen@tlcssac.org, or buy online at tickets.com. The Crest Theatre is at 1013 K St.

RISING STARS You can say you knew them when: Emma Bradford and Lucas Dudley, both students at Christian Brothers High School, recently won first place in the first All-American High School Film Festival in New York City for their music video “Paper Plates.” Bradford and Dudley, who participate in the CB video production program and the student-run television station KBFT, were selected as two of 84 finalists from more than 1,000 entries from all over the world, including South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Canada and 40 U.S. states. The competition, created by filmmaker and MTV regular Andrew Jenks, is designed to give

young directors an outlet to show off their work. What better place to show it off than in the Big Apple? Their video was viewed by a judging panel that included actors Edward Burns and Kristen Stewart, documentarian Morgan Spurlock, screenwriter Diablo Cody and “Lost” executive producer Carlton Cuse. The dynamic duo emerged victorious in the music video category, earning first place—and, assumedly, supreme Sacramento bragging rights. Congratulations, Emma and Lucas!

FELIZ NAVIDAD(ES) Celebrate exciting Christmas customs from Mexico—ballet folkorico, street theater and a Mexican mercado—at the two-part Navidades! Christmas on K Street event on Sunday, Dec. 15 presented by Calidanza Dance Company, La Raza Galería Posada and El Teatro Espejo. Part one, “La Pastorela de Sacramento,” starts at 1:30 p.m. outdoors at the Convention Center Plaza at 13th and K streets. The performance, adapted by Tomas Benitez, Manuel Pickett and Marie Acosta, will include a 45-minute modern reenactment of Mexico’s traditional Christmas pageant. Audience participation is highly encouraged. Meander with the mobile pageant as it makes it way to the Crest Theatre at 3 p.m. for a stunning presentation of “Navidades y Tradiciones,” Calidanza Dance Company’s latest creation under the direction of Steven Valencia. Twentytwo dancers will be accompanied by Vinic-Kay folkloric musicians as they present various Mexican traditions: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Dia de Candelaria (Candle Mass Day), Afro-Jarocho (celebrating African heritage in Mexico) and Carnaval in Sinaloa. The dancing will give way to live music honoring Las Posadas and a mariachi Christmas complete with a piñata. You can also buy unique gifts at the Mexican mercado in the Crest lobby before and after the show. For tickets and more information, go to tickets.com, thecrest.com or La

Raza Galería Posada’s website at lrgp. org. The Crest Theatre is at 1013 K St.

PAST PRESENT If all things holiday are starting to grate on your nerves, check out something decidedly secular, but no less fun: Big Idea Theatre’s season finale production of “Outrage,” running through Dec. 14. As an end cap to a season that has explored themes of revolution, oppression and the power of the human spirit to struggle against tyranny, Itamar Moses’s play has a little bit of all of these. The timebending narrative takes audiences on a roller-coaster ride through Ancient Greece, the Inquisition, Nazi Germany and modern-day academia, all while examining the price people pay for staying true to their principles. Heavy stuff, but nothing Big Idea can’t handle. The play is deftly directed by Benjamin T. Ismail and features a large, local cast full of talent. For tickets and more information, call 960-3036 or go to bigideatheatre. com. Big Idea Theatre is at 1616 Del Paso Blvd.

IN THE MOOD To get you back in the holiday mood, don’t miss the Sacramento Symphonic Winds concert, Holiday Moods, at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast. The 60-piece symphonic band will take on “Festive Overture” by Dmitri Shostakovich, the beloved “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Guaraldi/Mendelson, “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” by Leon Jessel, “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson and more magical, musical masterpieces. Tickets are sold at the door. For more information, go to sacwinds.org. Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast is at 5321 Date Ave.

ICE, ICE, BABY If you feel like you’ve been skating on thin ice lately, why not

The Sacramento Children’s Chorus performs A Merry Little Christmas on Dec. 13

get some firmer, but just as icy, ground under your feet and check out the Sacramento Downtown Plaza Ice Rink, open for its 23rd season through Jan. 20? Established in 1991 by the city of Sacramento, the rink has come to symbolize the celebration of the coming of winter—a snow-less affair in Sacramento, but chilly nonetheless. Don your woolens and strap on some skates for Tuesday Family Skate nights, theme nights every Thursday and My 58 Fridays. Notice something special about the ice? Its purple hue is in honor of the rink’s event partnership with the Sacramento Kings. So what are you waiting for? Go try some triple axels! The rink is open daily. For more information, go to downtownsac. org. Planning an ice skating party or group of 10 or more? Call 442-8575. The Sacramento Downtown Plaza Ice Rink is at 701 K St.

KIDDING AROUND The Sacramento Children’s Chorus wants you to have yourself A Merry Little Christmas, which is why it is presenting a concert by that very name on Dec. 13 and 15 at Westminster Presbyterian Church and Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church, respectively. “With a slight twist from our traditional choral performance, we will incorporate popular pieces such

as ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ along with classical repertoire,” says Lynn Stevens, SCC founder and artistic director. Stevens and her colleague Julie Adams will be directing all five choirs, singing these selections as well as a modern version of “Angels We Have Heard on High,”

created by the Emmy Award-winning composer Gary Fry. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Westminster Presbyterian Church (1300 N St.) and at 4 p.m. on Dec. 15 at Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church (4600 Winding PREVIEWS page 82

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PREVIEWS page 81 Way). If you’re wondering why the performances skip Dec. 14, that’s because the SCC will be performing at Sacramento Choral Society’s Home for the Holidays concert at 8 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St.).

Why not see both and get a double dose of SCC? For tickets and more information, call 646-1141 or go to sacramentchildrenschorus.org.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at goldman.jr@gmail.com. Please e-mail items for consideration by the first of the month, at least one month in advance of the event. n

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One Block, Two Winners A NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT AND CHEESE STORE OPEN SIDE BY SIDE

BY GREG SABIN RESTAURANT INSIDER

here are a few cursed locations in Sacramento, buildings that can’t seem to keep a tenant more than a year or so. The old Fish Emporium spot on Fair Oaks Boulevard comes to mind, as does the revolving lunch enterprise, most recently Big Joe’s, on 10th and I streets. On J Street at 37th, a solid brick building bears the undeniable scars of having once been a Kentucky Fried Chicken establishment. In recent years, it’s been home to PGR Thai Noodle, then California Burrito. Over the past decade, it definitely took on the curse of the revolving storefront. But the curse may have been lifted. Chef Ramiro Alarcon, most recently of Tequila Museo Mayahuel, has rolled the dice in the hope that the old KFC can be reborn as a home to what he calls “Mexican gastronomy.” His new enterprise, Cielito Lindo Mexican Gastronomy, is a quiet, lowkey restaurant where the food is the star. Blending modern execution with quality ingredients and traditional, regional Mexican recipes, Alarcon is betting that the surrounding neighborhood will support a more elegant Mexican dining experience than that of California Burrito and its ilk. Most of his offerings are beautiful and stimulating. Croquettes of crab and chorizo are especially indulgent, rich and satisfying. Ceviche hits the mark as a light and tasty appetizer. A “tricolor” flank steak with green cactus, white cheese and red tomatoes

Empanaditas de Salpicon con Papas

comes off much more elegantly than it sounds. Served with a petite enchilada, this hefty plate is a simple yet satisfying mix of savory flavors.

The real standouts, however, are the two moles on the menu. Let’s take a brief moment to discuss mole. This amazingly layered Mexican sauce comes from the labor-intensive

roasting and grinding of seeds, nuts, chilies, spices and herbs. The most popular version is mole poblano, dark brown and often highlighted with subtle hints of chocolate, nuts and chilies. A green or pipian mole is a completely different sauce, made with tomatillos and squash seeds among dozens of other ingredients. The hallmark of a mole is the almost ridiculous number of ingredients and the loving, painstaking effort it takes to roast and grind each one. Each region of Mexico has its own particularly favored recipe. Think of American regional styles of barbecue sauce and you start to get the idea. Cielito Lindo’s version of mole poblano with slow-cooked chicken is a classic preparation executed well. The real star, however, is the green mole topped with roasted squash seeds. The slow-cooked chicken underneath the smothering of sauce is as tender as piece of chicken as you’ll ever have, while the vibrant color of the expertly made sauce is a treat for the senses. The service is graciously attentive and polite. You are in no fear of having your water glass go empty during a meal. The one drawback is the décor and atmosphere, which still feels, despite a thorough scrubbing and some lively paint hues, like a casual quickbite restaurant. With a little more attention to the finer details—fresh flowers instead of fake, real cream rather than packaged creamer for coffee, and subtler lighting instead of the 300-watt overhead deluge from the drop ceiling—the diner would feel more comfortable with the price tag. (Most entrees are $17 to $23.) RESTAURANT page 88

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Kindergarten Tours CALEB GREENWOOD KINDERGARTEN 2014-15 registration begins in January! Families of prospective kindergarten students are invited to learn more about the incredible new International Baccalaureate program at one of the following tours:

AMERICAN SCRAPE HARDWOOD RICHLY TEXTURED FLOORS INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

HARDWOOD FLOORING

• December 6th - Come early and join us for morning sing at 8:15! • December 11th • December 17th • January 16th

Limited Time Offer:

Natural Wood Engineered Regular price $6.97

NOW $3.99/SF

Tours will be held from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. An evening kindergarten open house and information night will also be held on: January 14th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Families interested in possible openings in other grades may attend these events or schedule an individual appointment with the principal by emailing amy-whitten@scusd.edu.

calebgreenwood.scusd.edu

CARPET

6800 Folsom Blvd. • 451-6300

INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

INSIDE’S

GET TO KNOW US, BEFORE YOU NEED US

Midtown

MIDTOWN

Aioli Bodega Espanola

916-453-9942

1800 L St. 447-9440

L D $$ Full Bar Patio Andalusian cuisine served in a casual European atmosphere

Biba Ristorante

2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian

cuisine served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com

LISA WIBLE WRIGHT ATTORNEY AND MEDIATOR FAMILY LAW

Buckhorn Grill

1801 L St. 446-3757

L D $$ Wine/Beer A counter service restaurant with high-quality chicken, char-roasted beef, salmon, and entrée salads

Café Bernardo

2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180 1431 R St. 930-9191

B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service

900 UNIVERSITY AVE., SUITE 101 SACRAMENTO, CA 95825

564-6262

Centro Cocina Mexicana

1730 L St. 444-1100

B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Outdoor Dining Crepes, omelets, salads, soups and sandwiches served in a casual setting

L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Patio Mediterranean cuisine in a casual, chic atmosphere • Luccarestaurant.com

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan 1215 19th St. 441-6022

L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting

Negril

2502 J Street 440-1088

L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Food with Carribean Flair

1716 L St. 443-7685

1806 Capitol Ave. 447-8646

L D $$ Gourmet pizza, pasta, salads in casual setting • Paesanos.biz

Paragary’s Bar & Oven 1401 28th St. 457-5737

D $$ Full Bar Outdoor Patio California cuisine with an Italian touch • Paragarys.com

Suzie Burger

B L D $-$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Fresh Mexican food served in an upscale, yet family-friendly setting • Ernestosmexicanfood.com

29th and P Sts. 455-3300

58 Degrees & Holding Co.

Tapa The World

1001 R St. 443-8825

B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer English Pub favorites in an historic setting • Foxandgoose.com

DEC n 13

1615 J St. 669-5300

Paesano’s Pizzeria

Fox & Goose Public House

Lucca Restaurant & Bar

D $$ Full Bar Chicago-style pizza, salads wings served in a family-friendly atmosphere • Chicagofirerestaurant.com

L D $$$ Wine/Beer California cuisine served in a chic, upscale setting • 58degrees.com

www.mansoursruggallery.com

D Full Bar $$ Middle Eastern cuisine in a Moroccan setting

B L D $ No table service at this coffee roaster and bakery, also serving creative artisanal sandwiches

1217 18th St. 442-5858

SACRAMENTO 2550 Fair Oaks Boulevard (916) 486-1221 (800) 540-4707 ROSEVILLE 1113 Galleria Boulevard (916) 780-1080 (888) 277-1113

2115 J St. 442-4388

Chicago Fire

1901 16th St. 441-5850

Professional Cleaning, Repairing & Appraisals Free Consultation in Your Home

Kasbah Lounge

Old Soul Co.

Ernesto’s Mexican Food

In a Beautiful World.

L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com

L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com

Crepeville

For a Beautiful Home.

1230 20th St. 444-0307

2730 J St. 442-2552

2416 J St. 443-0440

Mansour Yaghoubian

Jack’s Urban Eats

Harlow’s Restaurant 2708 J Street 441-4693

L D $$ Full Bar Modern Italian/California cuisine with Asian inspirations • Harlows.com

Italian Importing Company 1827 J Street 442-6678

B L $ Italian food in a casual grocery setting

L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com

2115 J St. 442-4353

L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live flamenco music - tapathewworld.com

Thai Basil Café

2431 J St. 442-7690

L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com

The Waterboy

2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com

THE PERFECT GIFT

PIES Christmas

TINY

Tart Trays

Gift Cards Are Redeemable At Any Selland Family Restaurant

CAKES Buche De Noel COOKIE TRAYS

916.568.7171

916.443. 3772

Call to purchase your Gift Cards or stop in at any of our restaurant locations

Gingerbread Houses

Visit

Mono Mia

BREADS • ROLLS Peppermint Cookies n' Cream Pie

Sacramento 916.736.3333 El Dorado Hills 916.932.5025

Happy Holidays

at our new location Lyons Village

2580 Fair Oaks Blvd

See Full Menu at Freeportbakery.com

Jingle Box Mini-Cake Gift Certificates • Ts • Hoodies • Aprons

PLEASE ORDER BY FRI. DEC. 20

Give the Gift of Health

Personalized and unique gifts for the discerning gift giver

Ask about our Holiday Special

Blvdd 2966 FFreeportt Bl

452-6024

442.4256

5281 Folsom Blvd www.EPYCenter.net

Ring 979-9354

GYROTONIC® is a registered trademarks of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and is used with their permission.

Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

FROM from page 84 Directly next door, a brandnew establishment has nailed the modern dining vibe and promises to be a fixture in this emerging East Sac culinary block. The Cultured & The Cured is a small cheese and charcuterie shop occupying a space that most recently was home to an electric bike retailer. Little did we know that this odd transportation store would one day be a hip, friendly meat and cheese shop. The atmosphere is wonderfully calm and casual, and there are some beautiful design touches, including reclaimed wood paneling and a stunningly well-executed chalkboard menu. As of this writing, C&C had been open only a few days, so many of its menu items—mac and cheese, grilled sandwiches and anything else that requires heat—were still in the works while the kitchen takes form. But if you’re in the mood for wellcured and curated meats, great breads and world-class cheeses, this is your place.

IRON

Camarones a la Diabla

With these two new additions to the block, and the ever-popular Juno’s Kitchen & Delicatessen across the street, the 3600 block of J Street is quickly becoming a culinary destination for more than just East Sac residents. Which brings me to

this: Watch where you park. Almost every side street in the neighborhood has different parking rules. Read the signs carefully unless you want to add a parking ticket to your dinner check.

Cielito Lindo Mexican Gastronomy is at 3672 J St.; 736-2506; cielitolindomexicangastronomy.com. The Cultured & The Cured is at 3644 J St.; 732-3600; culturedancured.com. n

tis’ the Season for Comfort

G R I L L

HOLIDAY CONCERTS

A Merry Little Christmas

Iron Commitments Organic, Natural & Sustainable Farm to Fork Freshness Seasonal Vegetables Stability and Innovation

FEATURING FIVE CHOIRS CONDUCTORS Lynn Stevens and Julie Adams

Vegetarian Friendly

December 13, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento

Patio Dining Special

1/2 OFF Any Entree served on the Patio

Dine with Us Before Your New-Years Celebrations! Come Back for New-Years Day Brunch!

December 15, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church, Sacramento

Keith Swiryn Executive Chef and General Manager

13th & Broadway | 737-5115 | grill.ironsteaks.com

DEC n 13

TICKETS $30 Preferred, $17 General, $12 Students

(916) 646-1141 www.sacramentochildrenschorus.org

4920 Folsom Blvd. 10am–9pm 452-5516 Zocolo

La Bombe Ice Cream & More

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com

L D $ European and American Frozen Confections, sandwiches, soups and espresso

1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303

EAST SAC 33rd Street Bistro

3301 Folsom Blvd. 455-2233

B L D $$ Full Bar Patio Pacific Northwest cuisine in a casual bistro setting • 33rdstreetbistro.com

Burr's Fountain 4920 Folsom Blvd. 452-5516

B L D $ Fountain-style diner serving burgers, sandwiches, soup and ice cream specialties

Clark's Corner Restaurant 5641 J St.

B L D Full Bar $$ American cuisine in a casual historic setting. Breakfast on weekends.

Clubhouse 56

723 56th. Street 454-5656

BLD Full Bar $$ American. HD sports, kid's menu, breakfast weekends, Late night dining

Evan’s Kitchen 855 57th St. 452-3896

B L D Wine/Beer $$ Eclectic California cuisine served in a family-friendly atmosphere, Kid’s menu, winemaker dinners, daily lunch specials, community table for single diners • Chefevan.com

Español 5723 Folsom Blvd. 457-3679

L D Full Bar $-$$ Classic Italian cuisine served in a traditional family-style atmosphere

Formoli's Bistro 3839 J St. 448-5699

B L D Wine/Beer Patio $$ Mediterranean influenced cuisine in a neighborhood setting •

Hot City Pizza

5642 J St. 731-8888

L D $ Pizza for Dine In or Take Out or Delivery 100 Beers on tap • eastsacpizza.com

Istanbul Bistro

3260B J St. 449-8810

L D $ Beer Turkish and mediterranean cuisine in an intimate setting

French-inspired pastries, cakes and breads handcrafted on-site every morning by artisan bakers and chefs!

3020 H Street 448-2334

La Trattoria Bohemia

FRIDAYS

Doughnut Day

3649 J St. 455-7803

L D Wine/Beer $-$$ Italian and Czech specialties in a neighborhood bistro setting

Les Baux

5090 Folsom Blvd. 739-1348

BLD $ Wine/Beer Unique boulangerie, café & bistro serving affordable delicious food/drinks all day long • lesbauxbakery.com

Opa! Opa!

5644 J St. 451-4000

L D Wine/Beer $ Fresh Greek cuisine in a chic, casual setting, counter service

Nopalitos

5530 H St. 452-8226

B L $ Wine/Beer Southwestern fare in a casual diner setting

SUNDAY Croixnut Day

(ﬂavor changes every week)

FRENCH TEA SERVICE

$25/PERSON Set menu includes: tea sandwiches, assorted pastries, macaroon, tarts and choice of organic tea (reservation required)

Located on the corner of 9th & K in downtown Sacramento M-F 7-6, Sat 8-6, Sun 8-4 | 551-1500 | info@estellspatisserie.com

Ella Dining Room & Bar 1131 K St. 443-3772

L D $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space • Elladiningroomandbar.com

Esquire Grill

Fat's City Bar & Cafe 1001 Front St. 446-6768

D $$-$$$ Full Bar Steaks and Asian specialties served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com

The Firehouse Restaurant

1213 K St. 448-8900

1112 Second St. 442-4772

B L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer High quality handcrafted food to eat in or take out, wine bar

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com

L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com

Star Ginger

Estelle's Patisserie

Frank Fat’s

Selland's Market Cafe 5340 H St. 473-3333

3101 Folsom Blvd. 231-8888

L D $$ Asian Grill and Noodle Bar

Subway

901 K St. 916-551-1500 L D $$-$$$ French-inspired Bakery serving fresh pastry & desserts, artisan breads and handcrafted sandwiches. EstellesPatisserie.com

806 L St. 442-7092

L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com

5539 H Street 451-6500

LD $ Another healthy and fresh choice for the neighborhood.

DOWNTOWN Foundation

400 L St. 321-9522

L D $$ Full Bar American cooking in an historic atmosphere • foundationsacramento.com

Chops Steak Seafood & Bar

WEEKEND BREAKFAST Saturday 11am–2pm & Sunday 10am–2pm : dnesday Wine We ottle b featured nd of wine a ing ir a p r e appetiz

1117 11th St. 447-8900

L D $$$ Full Bar Steakhouse serving dry-aged prime beef in an upscale club atmosphere Chop

Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518

Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, flight or glass • downtownandvine.com

our: Happy H Mon-Fri 3-6pm

57th & J St

Sunday Footba ll Food and Bee r Specials! Dog Friendly Patio

Book Your Holiday Party!

457-5600 INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Serving Sacramento for 90 Years! 29 Years in Business Design-Build ¿rm specializing in: • KITCHENS • BATHS • ROOM ADDITIONS • WHOLE HOUSE REMODELS

Closed Christmas Day Make Holiday Reservations Now!

Sacramento’s Oldest Restaurant

ESPAÑOL Since 1923

ITALIAN

RESTAURANT

CALL 369-6518 OR VISIT EBERLEREMODELING.COM

$10 OFF

Free Initial Consultation

NARI of Sacramento’s most award-winning remodeling company!

Total DINNER food order of $40 or more With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 12/31/13.

$5 OFF

Total LUNCH or DINNER food order of $20 or more With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 12/31/13.

5723 Folsom Boulevard 457-1936 Dine In & Take Out • Cocktail Lounge • Banquet Room Seats 35 Lunch 11-4 pm • Dinner 4-9 pm Sundays • 11:30-9 pm • Closed Mondays

www.espanolitalian.com

ch the swirl! t a C

Il Fornaio

Riverside Clubhouse

The Kitchen

L D Full Bar $$$ Fine Northern Italian cuisine in a chic, upscale atmosphere • Ilfornaio.com

L D $$ Full Bar Upscale American cuisine served in a contemporary setting • Riversideclubhouse.com

D $$$ Wine/Beer Five-course gourmet demonstration dinner by reservation only • Thekitchenrestaurant.com

400 Capitol Mall 446-4100

Grange

926 J Street • 492-4450

B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com

Hock Farm Craft & Provision 1415 L St. 440-8888

L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region's rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar 1530 J St. 447-2112

L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Japanese cuisine served in an upscale setting • Mikunisushi.com

2633 Riverside Drive 448-9988

1022 Second St. 441-2211

La Rosa Blanca Taqueria

D $$$ Wine/Beer Dinner served Wed. through Saturday. Reservations suggested but walk-ins welcome.

L D Full Bar $$-$$ Fresh Mexican food served in a colorful family-friendly setting

2924 Freeport Boulevard 443-5154

Tower Café

Buy 8 oz. yogurt or more, GET 8 OZ. YOGURT FREE! Limit one free 8oz. yogurt per coupon

Every Friday from 4pm to 8 pm:

Casa Garden Restaurant 2760 Sutterville Road 452-2809

L D $$ • D with minimum diners call to inquire $$ Wine/Beer. Elegantly presented American cuisine. Operated by volunteers to benefit Sacramento Children's Home. Small and large groups. casagardenrestaurant.org

Freeport Bakery

2966 Freeport Blvd. 442-4256

B L $ Award-winning baked goods and cakes for eat in or take out • Freeportbakery.com

FREE 4 OZ. CUP OF YOGURT for kids 12 years old or younger. No reﬁll.

Iron Grill

We Offer Double Stamps every Wednesday!

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale neighborhood steakhouse • Ironsteaks.com

13th Street and Broadway 737-5115

Jamie's Bar and Grill

427 Broadway 442-4044

HeavenLy’s Yogurt HeavenLy’s Yogurt 5535 H Street 5535 H Street

455-6000 455-6000 Open 11am 10:30pm daily Open 11amto to 10:30pm daily

DEC n 13

L D $ Full Bar Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Dine in or take out since 1986

3032 Auburn Blvd. 484-0139 2813 Fulton Ave. 484-6104

Leatherby’s Family Creamery

1518 Broadway 441-0222

2333 Arden Way 920-8382

B L D $$ Wine/Beer International cuisine with dessert specialties in a casual setting

L D $ House-made ice cream and specialties, soups and sandwiches

Willie's Burgers

Lemon Grass Restaurant

L D $ Great burgers and more. Open until 3 on Friday and Saturday • williesburgers.com

L D $$ Full Bar Patio Vietnamese and Thai cuisine in a casual yet elegant setting

2415 16th St. 444-2006

ARDENCARMICHAEL Bella Bru Café

LAND PARK

2225 Hurley Way 568-7171

Taylor's Kitchen

Ten 22

L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting • ten22oldsac.com

We honor all competitorÊs coupons!

Kent Eberle Master CertiÀed Remodeler President, Eberle Remodeling

5038 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883

B L D $-$$ Full Bar Espresso, omelettes, salads, table service from 5 -9 p.m. • bellabrucafe.com

Café Vinoteca

3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 487-1331

L D $$ Full Bar Italian bistro in a casual setting • Cafevinoteca.com

Esther's Cupcakes

2600 Fair Oaks Blvd. 481-4800

Traditional and unusual flavor combinations • estherscupcakes.com

Ettore’s

2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. 482-0708

B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio European-style gourmet café with salads, soup, spit-roasted chicken, and desserts in a bistro setting • Ettores.com

Jackson Dining

1120 Fulton Ave. 483-7300

601 Munroe St. 486-4891

Matteo's Pizza

5132 Fair Oaks. Blvd. 779-0727

L D Beer/Wine $$ Neighborhood gathering place for pizza, pasta and grill dishes

The Mandarin Restaurant 4321 Arden Way 488-47794

D $$-$$$ Full Bar Gourmet Chineses food for 32 years • Dine in and take out

Roxy

2381 Fair Oaks Blvd. 489-2000

B L D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine with a Western touch in a creative upscale atmosphere • roxyrestaurantandbar.com

Ristorante Piatti

571 Pavilions Lane 649-8885

L D $$ Full Bar Contemporary Italian cuisine in a casually elegant setting • piatti.com

Sam's Hof Brau

2500 Watt 482-2175 L D $$ Wine/Beer Fresh quality meats roasted daily • thehofbrau.com

Thai House

427 Munroe in Loehmann's 485-3888

L D $$ Wine/Beer Creative cuisine in a casual setting • Jacksoncateringevents.com

L D $$ Wine/Beer Featuring the great taste of Thai traditional specialties • sacthaihouse.com

Jack’s Urban Eats

Willie's Burgers

2535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 481-5225

L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com

5050 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-5050

L D $ Great burgers and more • williesburgers. com n

Celebrate the Holidays at Fat’s Open Christmas Eve

Closed Christmas Day. 806 L Street, Sacramento 916-442-7092 LoveMyFats.com

Frank Fat’s

Where everyda everyday ay is Sundae!

Old Fashioned Creamery Accomodating Large Groups & Parties Chosen Best Ice Cream 30 Years Running Burgers, Sandwiches, Soups and Salads 1900 ALHAMBRA BLVD. Ř $0 30 ::: 6$&)22'&223 &20

Generous Portions of Homemade e Ice Cream & Sauces

1/2 OFF Rachel’s Large Sundae Buy one Rachel’s Large Sunday, get one half off. Valid at Arden, Elk Grove & Citrus Heights Parlors.

Leatherby’s Family Creamery With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or promotions. Exp. 12/31/13

2333 Arden Way leatherbys.net 920-8382 INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Coldwell Banker

#1 IN CALIFORNIA

MAGNIFICENT HOME ON A QUIET CUL-DE-SAC! 5 bds, 4.5 bath on lrg lot w/6 car garage. This hm offers 2 mstr suites, In-Law Qrtrs, fresh paint in/out, newer carpet, roof & windows. Windmill & Flag Pool stay too. $389,950 PATTI MCNULTY-LANGDON 761-8498 BRE#: 01346985 LIVING LARGE IN EAST SAC! This 1556 SF home with 3 bedrooms & 1.5 baths has fabulous ﬂoor plan, large kitchen, gorgeous wood ﬂoors, dual pane windows, and 2 car garage! $449,000 JEANINE ROZA 548-5799 BRE#: 01365413 SERENITY IN TAHOE PARK! 3bd, 2ba hm w/over 1250sqft offers Italian tile, dual pane and HVAC. Unique bckyrd w/water feature & pond, gazebo/bridge! $299,000 PAT VOGELI 207-4515 BRE#: 01229115

CHARMING HOME WITH POOL! Spacious 3bd, 2ba home on corner lot. New roof & whole house fan only adds to this charming home that comes w/a pool. The lrg 3 car garage comes w/the 3rd full bath. $289,950 PATTI MCNULTY-LANGDON 761-8498 BRE#: 01346985

WHAT A FEELING! The wd ﬂrs, many windows, original Deco hardware & rmdld kitch & bath, circa 1939, makes this house a hm. 2bds, 1bath & lrg lndscpd yrd $355,000 JANET GATEJEN 420-8418 BRE#: 00895397

HOME SWEET HOME! This Elmhurst Cottage offers 3bds, 2 full baths, a frml LR w/ frplce, frml dining area, nook w/blt-in desk, fam rm, tankless water heater, D/P windows, cute bckyrd, & driveway w/gate for privacy. $399,000 WENDY KAY 717-1013 BRE#: 01335180

LIGHT,LIVING SPACE & LOCATION! LR w/charming frplce, dining area, updtd kitch & bath. Fam rm off kitch. Lndscped yrd. Unit for guests, ofﬁce & kids playroom. $365,000 JANET GATEJEN 420-8418 BRE#: 00895397

PENDING

WALK TO UCDMC! Attractive and freshly painted 2bdrm/1bath home. Bonus Studio with kitchen & bath. Spacious yard features large redwood tree. $299,000 STEPH BAKER & BOB LYSTRUP 775-3447 OR 628-5357 BRE#: 01402254 & 00991041 THE L STREET LOFTS! City living w/great views, concierge, quality ﬁnishes! Four unique loft ﬂoor plans from $329,000. Midtown Models Open W-M, 10a-5p. MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 BRE#: 01222608

CLOSE TO MCKINLEY PARK! 2bd, 1ba bungalow offers a formal LR, Kitch w/eat-in area, & updtd bath. Hrdwd ﬂrs, indoor lndry, & entertaining bckyrd. $349,950 RICH CAZNEAUX 454-0323 BRE#: 01447558

PENDING

MIDTOWN – TAPESTRI SQUARE! New Semi-Custom homes. 1200 to 2800SqFt. $399,000 to $795,000. Models Open Th-Su 11a-4p at 20th & T St.TapestriSquare.com MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 BRE#: 01222608

COZY EAST SAC COTTAGE! This 3bd/1.5ba hm boast a frml LR w/frplce, frml DR, & Kitch adjacent to an indoor lndry rm. Spacious bckyrd w/covered patio. $329,950 RICH CAZNEAUX 454-0323 BRE#: 01447558

RANDY PARKS HOME READY FOR YOU NOW! Gleaming hardwood floors set the stage for this superclean, charming, and updated 3 bedroom and 1.5 bath floor plan, close to great shopping at Town and Country village. $239,000. POLLY SANDERS 341-7865 BRE#: 01158787 FANTASTIC DOWNTOWN LOCATION! 3 story loft. Close to: Old Sac, Raley Field, Future Arena, Farmers Markets & Midtown. Upgrdes includes: granite cnters stnless steel applnces, maple cabinets, pendant lights, hrdwd flrs, 2 car garage & so much more. $415,000 MARK PETERS 600-2039 BRE#: 01424396

EXPANDED & RMDLD EAST SAC BUNGALOW! 1800+SF 3bd/2ba hm. Kitch w/Carrera Marble & Walnut counters with Arabesque tile backsplash. 2 frplcs in both the LR & FR. $589,000 POLLY SANDERS 341-7865 BRE#: 01158787

ENTERTAINERS DELIGHT! 3BD, 2BA hm offers a true mstr ste complete w/a walk-in closet & fam rm w/wet bar! 1800sqft plus(per county recs.), frml LR & DR and updtd kitch. Rear yd w/outdoor kitch, patio & dog run. $459,950 THE WOOLFORDS 834-6900 BRE#: 00679593 STUNNING EAST SAC HOME! 2 bds/2ba, LR w/frplce, frml DR & spacious kitch. D/P windows, CH&A, wd ﬂrs, spa like master bath & 1 car garage. Bonus Rm next to garage. $429,000 WENDI REINL 206-8709 BRE#: 01314052

METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard, Sacramento 916.447.5900

MID-CENTURY ERA AND CUSTOM BUILT! 5bd+extra rm off lndry, 4 bath. LR w/frplce w/mantle, frml DR, kitch/fam rm combo looks out to backyard. 2 car garage. $899,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 BRE#: 00784986

WONDERFUL EAST SAC DUPLEX! 2bd/1ba each side w/indoor lndry, attached garages, newer roof, CH&A, dual pane, back yards, and plenty of charm. Well maintained. $525,000 MARK PETERS 600-2039 BRE#: 01424396

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©2013 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office Is Owned And Operated by NRT LLC. DRE License #01908304.