Inside East Sacramento February 2021

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EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS Our Other Editions Serve: Land Park/Grid • Arden/Carmichael • Pocket

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE: NSIDE ACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

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3731 Random Lane, Arden Oaks • $2,750,000 Carmel style home with pool and garden. 4 Bed / 3 Bath Fruit producing orchard provides a true farm to fork life. CHERYL NIGHTINGALE 916-849-1220 DRE #01071396

SOLD

629 54th Street, East Sacramento • $749,000 Custom remodel completed in 2009. 3 Bed / 2 Bath Bright home, hardwood floors, high ceilings. CARMAH HATCH 916-765-6210 DRE #00761003

1615 13th Avenue, Land Park • $1,825,000 Across the street from William Land Park. Unfinished interior allows for endless possibilities! 3 Bed / 4 Bath PATTY BAETA 916-806-7761 DRE #00714357

SOLD

2910 Muir Way, Land Park • $629,000 Fabulous new kitchen, open concept. 3 Bed / 1 Bath Charming original wide–plank hardwood floors. Beautiful home! JAMIE RICH 916-612-4000 DRE #01870143

PENDING

200 Meister Way, East Sacramento • $549,900 Spacious home, needs your finishing touches. 3 Bed / 2 Bath Living room, dining room, lots of storage. Near Compton’s Market. DAVID KIRRENE 916-531-7495 DRE #01115041

SOLD

120 East Ranch Road, East Ranch • $445,000 Single level, updated end unit. 2 Bed/ 2 Bath Spacious and bright with attached 2 car garage. CONNIE PEEL 916-718-9470 DRE #00970815

891 Commons Drive, Campus Commons • $480,000 Modern and elegant end unit. Desirable single story. 2 Bed / 2 Bath. Located near CSUS, American River Parkway, restaurants and shopping. STEPH BAKER 916-775-3447 DRE #01402254

PENDING

5528 21st Avenue, Tallac Village • $379,000 Spacious home with 1702 sq. ft. 4 Bed + office / 2 Bath Original owners. Plenty of storage. PATRICK VOGELI 916-207-4515 DRE #01229115

Experience the Dunnigan Difference at DunniganRealtors.com Sierra Oaks (916) 484-2030 DRE #01103090 • Land Park (916) 454-5753 DRE#00707598

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Matt S.

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House Real Estate owner. Artist. Lake Tahoe explorer. 90’s Nintendo gamer.

This was our 5th and 6th transaction with Tim. His team has gotten bigger and more efficient each time! Tim got us top dollar for our house and managed to keep the deal together through a difficult escrow like a pro! After that Kim helped us buy our dream house and fought hard to get us the best possible deal...Also, can’t forget Aspen who’s handled escrow each time I’ve bought or sold with Tim. She’s the best in the business — if not slightly overworked, lol.

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“Timothy really wants to help people with their hair. He is extremely good at what he does. As soon as I started talking with Timothy my stress started melting away, he is a consummate professional, he is just really good at his craft, he took my concerns to heart and created exactly what I wanted. Thank you Timothy!� $VVDG 0 6DFUDPHQWR

“Tim is a master when it comes to hair! He suggested a fabulous cut and meticulously colored my hair mixed with a beautiful highlight and shade. Truly an artist. I feel so fortunate that he has moved his San Francisco salon to Sacramento. His salon is beautiful and COVID safe!� :HQG\ % 6DFUDPHQWR

TIMOTHY SCOTT HAIRSTYLIST

Timothy Scott (Tim) has created a concept FOR that’s new and quite appealing. It will be a bit different than what you’re used to but after a few minutes you’ll settle right in. The typical, minimalist salon look is gone! He has combined furniture with rich textiles, color, and the perfect genre of music to create a luxurious, warm, modern interior that is a direct extension of his creativity and attention to detail. There are no other stylists or clients. It’s just you and Tim. This is a private place for men as well as for women. You can ask questions and talk freely about whatever you want without anyone else listening to your conversation or having to listen to theirs. He does not run his salon as an assembly line. From the first shampoo to the blowout you won’t get tossed off to an assistant or to another stylist that’s trying to gain experience. His consultations are a fun, in depth discussion of what you want to achieve addressing all

concerns and possibilities he sees. He possesses well over 30 impressive years of experience in hair cutting and coloring for both men and women. He will never claim to be perfect but what a person will experience from him today is a culmination of his triumphs and, more importantly, his failures. His precision haircuts, ingenious formulations of his hair color line and genuine Kerastase products are custom and will make your hair sublime, enabling you to feel more confident in your professional life as well as in your private life. There’s obvious quality and value here that surrounds you and embraces you. With his help you can truly look and feel better than just your best and you would be thrilled to have him as your forever stylist. For all information including scheduling your own appointment online please go to the website provided.

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EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD A BET TER PL ACE. 25 S

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RICHARD FEESE

BARBARA LEGACY

EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS

ARDEN • ARCADE • SIERRA OAKS • WILHAGGIN • DEL PASO MANOR • CARMICHAEL

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

Our Other Editions Serve: Land Park/Grid • Arden/Carmichael • Pocket

Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Land Park/Grid • Pocket VISIT OUR WEBSITE: INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Arden/Carmichael • Pocket

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Land Park/Grid • Arden/Carmichael

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE: INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: NSIDE ACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

25 YEARS CELEBRATING SACRAMENTO!

25 YEARS CELEBRATING SACRAMENTO!

25 YEARS CELEBRATING SACRAMENTO!

25 YEARS CELEBRATING SACRAMENTO!

THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES, NEWS & OPINION IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES, NEWS & OPINION IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES, NEWS & OPINION IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES, NEWS & OPINION IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

COVER ARTIST

3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only)

LAURELIN GILMORE Laurelin Gilmore is a Sacramento artist whose paintings show a reverence for nature. She recognizes environmental issues are also social issues. Shown: “In the Garden of Gemini,” oil on canvas, 24 inches by 30 inches. This piece is for sale at $2,100. The Sparrow Gallery featured the artist’s work last December. Visit sparrowgallery.com and laurelingilmore.com.

info@insidepublications.com PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings EDITOR Cathryn Rakich editor@insidepublications.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel @anikophotos AD COORDINATION Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster DISTRIBUTION Sue Pane Sue@insidepublications.com ACCOUNTING Daniel Nardinelli, COO, daniel@insidepublications.com

Lauren Stenvick accounts@insidepublications.com 916.443.5087 ACCOUNT Sally Giancanelli 916.335.6503 SG@insidepublications.com SERVICE TEAM Lauren Stenvick 916.524.0336 LS@insidepublications.com Victoria Viebrock 916.662.2631 V V@insidepublications.com

FEBRUARY 2021 VOL. 26 • ISSUE 1

EDITORIAL POLICY 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 80,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. Inside Publications welcomes readers’ comments. Letters to the Editor should be submitted via email to editor@insidepublications.com. Please include name, address and phone number. Letters may be published as space permits and edited for brevity. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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VISIT I NSIDE S ACRAMENTO.COM Ad deadline is the 10th of the month previous. NEW ACCOUNTS: CALL 916.443.5087

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Publisher's Desk Out & About Meet Your Neighbor City Beat Inside The County Unwanted Test Curtis Park Reboot Building Our Future Giving Back Open House Animals & Their Allies Spirit Matters Share The Pain Garden Jabber Sports Authority Love Blossoms Open Studio Farm To Fork Restaurant Insider


Love where you live! .com

WeLiveEastSac.com

Current Listing…

921 42nd St Large Updated East Sac 2 bedroom home ZLWK ERQXV ¿QLVKHG EDVHPHQW VSDFH 2 car garage on a tree lined street in the Fab Forties Adjacent

1346 55th Street 2 bedroom 1 bath Charming East Sac Bungalow with tons of natural light on a deep lot and newer pool.

942 El Dorado Way 3bedroom 1 bath Home for the holidays on one of East Sac’s best streets close to Sellands.

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MEREDITH GONSALVES TOM'S BOSS

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TOM GONSALVES CEO/BROKER

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REALTOR PARTNERS

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Write your own story We believe in the power of love and goodness

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Serving Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, & Solano counties. The only hospice in Sacramento accepted into the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation.

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FAREWELL,

Sheree Johnston Photo by Aniko Kiezel

EAST SAC HARDWARE HELD COMMUNITY TOGETHER

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grew up in a small Michigan town with a lovely Main Street. Local merchants owned the shops and cafes. My mom and dad were friendly with many of these small business owners. We knew their children and they knew us. A large part of what attracted my husband and me to East Sacramento was the small-town attitude that supported local merchants. When we bought our vintage 1925 home in 1989, one of the first neighborhood shops we discovered was East Sac Hardware at 48th Street and Folsom Boulevard. I’m sad to report the store will close at the end of February. The closure is based on several reasons. I’ve been honored to call owner Sheree Johnston a close friend for many years, and I’d like to share the story. For starters, Sheree is turning 65 and wants to retire from running a

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

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retail operation. “Retail is always tough because of the need to deal with the public,” she says. “But COVID just made everything even more difficult. We had to deal with masks and sanitizing, stock levels running low from vendor supply chain problems, and, worst of all, an ever-increasing number of rude and cranky customers.” Sheree also blames social media for making the life very difficult for small retailers. “We've been theatened repeatedly with negative Yelp and Nextdoor reviews for just enforcing our very reasonable store return policies,” she says. “Online bullying is a big issue for small businesses.” Her two adult children—Rick and Jo—worked alongside their mother for many years with an eye to taking over the store. But they both have decided to pursue other interests. In recent years, Sheree looked for a buyer. With local retail in decline, she knew the odds were slim. She found no takers. The good news for her family is they own the property that houses the hardware store and adjoining OneSpeed restaurant. Sheree says, “In February, 1984, we closed escrow on the original hardware store and building. Later as the adjoining property sections became

available, we bought down the entire corner block.” Over the years, tenants have come and gone. They included Muffins, Etc., Café Milazzo, Pet Set and Heart Strings. Sheree ran a stationery and gift shop called Austin Chase. OneSpeed has been a tenant for the past decade. East Sac Hardware has faced many challenges over the years. Sheree says, “2008 was a make or break time for us with the recession and a huge downturn in construction. Our business decreased 30 percent overnight. If we were going to survive, we needed a whole new approach to managing the store.” To keep her employees and local trades people working, she decided to revamp the store. Sheree spent the next two years putting a new face—both interior and exterior—on East Sac Hardware. During this time, they never missed an hour of operation. Before the 2008 recession, the opening of Home Depot on Power Inn Road in 2000 was the biggest threat. But personalized service, expert advice, a focus on American-made merchandise and time-tested products worked to make the local hardware store profitable.

“I ran an advertising campaign called ‘We’re Home, No Depot,’” Sheree says. “We also invested in improvements to the outside of the building and the streetscape.” She commissioned a mural painted on the side of the building, emphasizing it’s a family-run establishment. Under Sheree’s management, the store grew in many directions. “We brought in the Benjamin Moore premium paint line and added a garden center in our back outside space,” she says. “Our gift department took time to develop, but ended up a very successful part of the shop.” The addition of a toy and children’s book department became ESH’s biggest growth area. To stay current with the industry, Sheree attended national hardware and gift trade shows each year. “I love Christmas decorations and we grew that department over the years, working as a sponsor for the Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour.” More recently the threat has been from Amazon, along with the homeless trying to live on the sidewalks surrounding her store. All is not lost for our community. Sheree plans to redevelop the property with the possibility of a mixed-use


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SACRAMENTO COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL Rated #1 Private High School and Best High School for STEM in Sacramento

HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW WEBINAR WED., FEBRUARY 10, 2021 SACCDS.ORG/HS-PREVIEW

CELEBRATING 65 YEARS OF FAMILY

ST. MARY SC HOOL AUCTION

1955 Virtual Auction Saturday, March 6, 2021

Silent auction, great items up for bid, food to go and much more!

For more information please visit

www.saintmaryschool.com

916-452-1100 ext 103

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Country Day High School challenges students to innovate and H[SORUH LQ D KLJKO\ SHUVRQDO Ĺ´H[LEOH SURJUDP WKDW PHUJHV WKH DUWV OLWHUDWXUH VFLHQFH WHFKQRORJ\ HQJLQHHULQJ DQG PDWK 5HJLVWHU IRU RXU +LJK 6FKRRO 3UHYLHZ :HELQDU WR OHDUQ PRUH DERXW RXU H[FHSWLRQDO DFDGHPLF DQG FR FXUULFXODU SURJUDP DQG ZK\ ZHĹ?UH UDWHG WKH EHVW LQ WKH 6DFUDPHQWR UHJLRQ project to include a smaller hardware store. She will soon dedicate herself to plans, approvals and getting it built. She adds, “This building is 91 years old and is in many ways worn out. It needs to be updated for future uses, energy efficiency and to meet current codes.â€? A few of her employees will retire as closing day approaches. She found jobs for the others. Sheree’s career has been diverse. She finds success in whatever she does. She has a business and management background, but earned a master’s degree in education and taught at Kit Carson Middle School for a decade. The Sacramento Business Journal honored her in 2018 as a “Woman Who Means Business.â€? She has received awards from the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. She’s donated her time and money to Pops in the Park, Friends of East Sacramento for the McKinley Rose Garden and Clunie Community Center, Sacred Heart

Parish School and St. Francis Catholic High School. “I’m looking forward to my next chapter of my life,� Sheree says. “My true interest lies in education and having an impact on young people. I miss working with young people.� She’ll continue working with St. Francis High School’s “Troubies Who Mean Business� club—a concept she developed to advance business and financial literacy among young women. Later in February, items in the store will be discounted. Stop by, find a deal and say farewell to this hardworking and dedicated local store owner, her children and her staff. They have given so much service to our neighborhood over the decades and deserve our gratitude. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublictions.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

STOP BY, FIND A DEAL AND SAY FAREWELL TO THIS HARDWORKING AND DEDICATED LOCAL STORE OWNER, HER CHILDREN AND HER STAFF.


Here for you, no matter what the future holds. In these uncertain times, Sacramento real estate remains strong. There are excellent opportunities for sellers and buyers in East Sac, Land Park and Midtown. If you are considering a move, let’s talk.

Dave Kirrene Realtor

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CROCKER

EXPANSION

Rendering of Crocker Art Museum’s future community park.

PARKING GARAGE ON HOLD; COMMUNITY PARK WILL PROCEED

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he Crocker Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project has hit a bit of a snag due to the pandemic. City project manager Richard Rich and Crocker Art Museum CEO Lial Jones recently announced the project’s 500-space parking garage is on hold indefinitely. The parking garage was part of the expansion project, which includes an art-focused park in the 3-acre open space across from the museum. The original plan was for the Crocker Art Museum Association, which runs the museum, to fund and build the community park and gallery, and for the city to fund and build the parking garage with bond financing backed by city parking revenue. Since the pandemic has caused a huge reduction in parking revenue, bond financing has been put on hold.

JL By Jessica Laskey Out & About

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The association will go ahead with its part of the project—funded by more than $40 million raised from private individuals—which essentially decouples the two projects. “We do know that parking demand will return in the future,” Jones says. “We also know that right now, more than ever, good useable outdoor space is extremely valuable for community programming, and we want to be able to move forward and make Crocker Park a really useable community asset in the future.”

NEW COUNCILMEMBERS Three new City Council members have officially been sworn in. Say hello to your new representatives. Sean Loloee has taken over from Allen Warren to represent District 2 (Del Paso Heights, Hagginwood, Woodlake and Robla). The owner of Viva Supermarkets says he wants to “set Sacramento as an example of what a compassionate and giving city is supposed to be.” Katie Valenzuela has replaced Steve Hansen in District 4 (Downtown, Midtown, River Oaks, Land Park, South Land Park and Little Pocket). The environmental justice consultant says, “To all of the activists and organizers and troublemakers—good trouble—that

are out there still doing the work today, my victory is a big thanks to you and the work that you’ve done.” Mai Vang, executive director of the Buck Scholars Association, is taking over for Larry Carr in District 8 (Meadowview, Parkway, North Laguna Creek and Jacinto Creek). As the child of Hmong refugees and the oldest of 16 children, Vang says she’s “always reminded that I am truly an embodiment of my ancestors’ wildest dreams.” For more information, visit cityofsacramento.org/mayor-council.

GREAT PLATES ART At the end of December, more than 1,000 seniors who were enrolled in the city’s Great Plates Delivered program received a piece of food-themed artwork in addition to their three daily restaurant-cooked meals. One of seven different pieces of art, created by local artists as part of the new initiative called “Art for the Heart,” was given to each Great Plates recipient. The initiative grew out of a project that Kelly Lindner, art galleries and collections curator at Sacramento State, launched last summer. Julius Austin, coordinator of Sacramento’s

Promise Zone, approached Lindner about delivering artwork through Great Plates, and, with the help of the Crocker Art Museum and city staff, “Art for the Heart” was born. The collaborative project provided artists, college students and teens the opportunity to build relationships and honor elders. “We know that seniors are experiencing isolation more than others,” Austin says. “Having the contact of an artist who is thinking of them is going to decrease that isolation.” The artwork was tucked into each meal bag along with a biography of the artist and postcard inviting the recipient to respond. The pieces were created by artists Luis Campos Garcia, Peter Foucault and Aida Lizalde, as well as four printmaking students from Sac State, with creative input from local teens via virtual workshops hosted by the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum and Sol Collective.

STAAR STUDY The UC Davis MIND Institute Autism Center of Excellence is seeking participants for an ongoing study to discover effective treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder.


Selling Real Estate Is Our Passion. Making Our Clients Happy is Our Promise. Great Plates Delivered participants receive local artwork, such as “Sustenance” by Laura Hansen. Dr. Marjorie Solomon and her team are recruiting children with ASD between the ages of 8 and 14 displaying anxiety and fears. The Specifying and Treating Anxiety in Autism Research, or STAAR, study is conducted almost entirely online and includes telehealth assessments, MRI imaging, anxiety treatment and clinical evaluation at no cost to patients. “It’s pretty widely known from research that one of the major struggles faced by children, adolescents and adults with autism is anxiety and anxiety disorders,” says Solomon, the Oates Family Endowed Chair in Life Span Development in Autism. “Research has suggested that the same kind of interventions we use with children without autism work,” such as cognitive behavioral therapy. The UC Davis MIND Institute Autism Center of Excellence—one of five centers in the country awarded by the National Institutes of Health in 2017—has been conducting this study for two years, but the pandemic forced the research team to figure out a way to

continue without bringing people to the center. “We realized we could do a lot online that we’d never believed possible,” Solomon says. The trial is now virtually all online except for regular blood tests, which can be done at any Quest Diagnostics lab, and MRI scans. Treatment, medical visits and assessments are all conducted over Zoom, which means that “as long as you have internet access, even if you live far away from us, you can get treatment,” Solomon says. Imaging for the study takes place at the Imaging Research Center at 4701 X St. For more information or to enroll in the study, contact the recruitment coordinator at (916) 703-0119 or hsstaarstudy@ucdavis.edu.

WATER FORUM MURAL Check out one of Sacramento’s newest murals. “The Lower American River” is a stunning three-story mural by artist Stephanie Taylor, now on display at the Sacramento County Administration Building at 700 H St.

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live stream programing, photography, coloring books and murals. “COVID-19 has impacted the Latinx community disproportionately, so it is imperative that we use every resource to help educate each other on staying safe,” says Marie Acosta, artistic director of the Latino Center of Art and Culture. “Not since the WPA (Works Progress Administration) during the Great Depression have the arts been placed in service of community during a national crisis.” New live streams can be viewed nearly every day at facebook.com/ sacartistcorps.

MR. & MRS. ART Archival Gallery presents MR AND MRS, an exhibition featuring works by husband and wife Richard Feese and Jadelle Andrews from Feb. 4–27. Feese’s mixed-media and assemblage sculptures are paired with Andrews’ pastel landscapes and still life inspired by the California wilderness. Visitors are welcome during normal business hours and must wear masks at all times. Archival Gallery is at 3223 Folsom Blvd. For more information, visit archivalgallery.com.

“The Lower American River” by artist Stephanie Taylor can be found at 700 H St. The piece was commissioned by the Water Forum to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The forum is a diverse group of local governments, environmentalists, water managers, business and agricultural leaders, and citizen groups working to provide a reliable and safe water supply, as well as preserve the fishery, wildlife, and recreational and aesthetic values of the lower American River. Taylor’s work depicts the river as a unique and cherished civic amenity— the only nationally designated wild and scenic river running through a major metropolitan area. For more information, visit waterforum.org/20thanniversary-artwork.

MENTOR SACRAMENTO The city of Sacramento and international nonprofit MicroMentor recently launched Mentor Sacramento, a free online business mentoring platform that connects diverse small business owners to volunteer mentors. Available in multiple languages, the platform links thousands of members in the world’s largest virtual community of entrepreneurs and mentors.

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“Especially as we emerge from the pandemic, we need to provide resources to make sure that these small businesses, often owned by women or people of color, have access to strong mentoring to make sure they are on a solid financial path to growth,” says Mayor Darrell Steinberg. Local businesses and business owners can sign up at mentor-sacramento. micromentor.org.

ARTIE AND ZAC ADVENTURES Wilhaggin dad, writer and illustrator Judeh Simon celebrates the power of the imagination in his new book, “The Adventures of Artie and Zac,” for kids ages 7–9 When his dad promises a summer adventure full of magic, young protagonist Zac finds his own intelligence is just as powerful as any magic spell when it comes to saving his new friend, a mysterious talking cat. “I’ve always wanted to write an upturned fantasy book where the main characters in the story are typical everyday people,” says Simon, a former industrial engineer and video game artist who now writes and illustrates

(and homeschools his sixth grader) fulltime. “We traditionally expect the main character in a magic book to eventually develop magical powers, but instead I wanted to highlight our own intelligence, cunning and our ability to do research as our uniquely human magical gifts.” The book is full of beautiful illustrations—Simon grew up drawing his own comic books—that contain tons of little details “to provide fuel for the imagination.” “The Adventures of Artie and Zac” is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retailers. Follow Simon on Instagram @JudehSimon for “doodles, sketches and half-cooked ideas.”

ARTIST CORPS The Latino Center of Art and Culture, in partnership with Teatro Nagual and Teatro Espejo, has founded Sacramento Artist Corps, a collaborative effort putting artists to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The corps is funded by the city of Sacramento’s Office of Art and Culture and includes more than 40 artists and 60 works of art, poetry, songs, theater,

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT GIFT Women’s Empowerment recently received $75,000 from Wells Fargo—one of the organization’s longest and largest funders—to support programming for women who are currently homeless or have recently experienced homelessness. Women’s Empowerment combines employment readiness, self-esteem courses, health services and education, counseling, housing assistance, job placement and paid job training to help women and their families overcome homelessness. To date, the organization has graduated 1,691 women and their 3,792 children. Last year, 70 percent of graduates found homes and 79 percent secured jobs or enrolled in school or training. For more information, visit womens-empowerment.org.

UNITED WAY DONATION MacKenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is continuing her philanthropic blitz— giving away the majority of her wealth—by donating $10 million to United Way California Capital Region.


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“The Adventures of Artie and Zac” is a new book by Judeh Simon. Scott chose the local United Way chapter because of its work to meet basic needs while addressing long-term systemic inequities that have increased due to the pandemic. “Our team has been working tirelessly to stretch our resources as far as possible to help families in our community through this difficult year,” says Stephanie Bray, president/CEO of United Way California Capital Region. “We cannot thank our staff, donors and volunteers enough for their investment in our work that is now being recognized on a national stage. This gift has brought us to the next level, and we are grateful to have our community of supporters by our side as we expand our Square One Project to create stronger, healthier and more compassionate communities across the greater Sacramento region.”

For more information, visit yourlocalunitedway.org.

METRO CHAMBER HONOREES The Sacramento Metro Chamber will hold its 126th Annual Business Awards virtually on Friday, Feb. 5, from 4–5:30 p.m. to celebrate regional leaders. Honorees include Sacramento County’s former District 3 Supervisor Susan Peters as Sacramentan of the Year; Cate Dyer of StemExpress as Businesswoman of the Year; Randy Sater of StoneBridge Properties as Businessman of the Year; and Savory Café as Small Business of the Year. A special Lifetime Achievement Award will honor the memory of PRIDE Industries CEO Michael Ziegler.

“These awardees exemplify what it means to live a life of service and to use the precious time we are given to leave this world better than we found it,” Sacramento Metro Chamber President/ CEO Amanda Blackwood says. For more information, visit metrochamber.org/events/annualdinner.

COOKBOOK HUMOR Arden-Arcade author Joseph Frizzi has published a humorous cookbook, “Cooking: For Those Who Can’t Boil Water, or Think They Can’t,” inspired by his own journey in the kitchen and funny family stories. “The premise of this book is, ‘If I can do it, you can do it,’” says Frizzi, whose book also includes artwork and some

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Susan Peters is Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Sacramentan of the Year.

Cate Dyer is Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Businesswoman of the Year.

Michael Ziegler is honored posthumously with Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

of his favorite recipes. “It’s for people who can’t cook because either they have never had the interest in trying, or are intimidated by their lack of cooking skills.” The book is available on Amazon.

art kits to students at 26 area schools as part of the city’s new CARES-funded program, Sacramento HeART and Mind. The art kits contain basic art supplies—paper, colored pencils, Sharpie markers, glue sticks, scissors, rulers and more—to give students tools for self-expression. “I am so glad the city was able to provide these art kits to help students explore creativity outside of school and hopefully bring some brightness to their day during these difficult times,” Melissa Cirone, city arts program coordinator, says. Sacramento HeART and Mind brings together artists, community mentors and mental health experts to assist students most affected by the pandemic and school closures. For more information, visit sacramentocityexpress.com.

the final installation at the end of 2020. For a list of connected parks, visit cityofsacramento.org/wifi.

ART KITS FOR KIDS The Sacramento County Office of Education and city of Sacramento recently distributed more than 10,000

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FREE WIFI The city of Sacramento recently completed its Wi-Fi in the Parks program, bringing free high-speed internet access to 27 city parks through a public/private partnership with Verizon. The goal of the wi-fi program is to support digital equity and economic development by providing wireless access that some citizens may not have. To access wi-fi during park hours of operation (from sunrise to sunset daily), select “CITY-PARK-FREE-WIFI” as the network on your mobile device. Fremont Park was the first park to have wi-fi installed in October 2019. A section of William Land Park marked

SLOW & ACTIVE STREETS The City Council recently approved a pilot project, Slow & Active Streets, which prioritizes walking and biking by limiting traffic on residential streets. The new $225,000 project is part of the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for reducing Sacramento’s contribution to climate change. Through April, the Public Works department will close up to 6 miles of roads to through traffic to promote walking, cycling and other forms of physical activity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tools, such as temporary signs and cones, will be used to divert traffic and slow drivers. A section of roadway was closed in Land Park earlier this year between Freeport Boulevard and Land Park Drive as an initial test. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland and Berkeley have implemented similar projects as a way to help people get outdoors during the pandemic. Applications to participate in Slow & Active Streets must be supported by a sponsoring organization, such as a business or neighborhood association, nonprofit or faith-based group. Preference will be given to environmental justice areas, multifamily housing with limited yards, and areas with limited access to parks. Residents, delivery drivers and emergency responders will still be able to drive in and out. For more information, visit cityofsacramento.org/ public-works/transportation/planningprojects/slow-active-streets.

Randy Sater is Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Businessman of the Year.

REMEMBERING PAULETTE BRUCE Last month, Sacramento lost one of its most beloved culinary luminaries, Paulette Bruce. The popular cooking instructor and Land Park resident had moved her renowned Good Eats cooking classes online to make sure home cooks had access to her encouraging instruction during the pandemic. She also was one of the founding members of the Dining Divas, a group of women food experts gathered by late journalist Gloria Glyer who met and ate at local restaurants and dished about the dishes in Sacramento Magazine. Bruce's warm personality and endless culinary know-how made her one of the Sacramento region's best-loved personalities. She will be sorely missed. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Helping People Live Better TEN ACRES PHARMACY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR COMMUNITY

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Sonya Frausto Photo by Aniko Kiezel

JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

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OVID test?” Sonya Frausto and I have been talking by phone for only a few minutes before she pauses to greet a customer who’s come into her store for a COVID test. She points the customer in the right direction, continues our interview and then bids him farewell a few minutes later. Frausto is the owner of Ten Acres Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy on Freeport Boulevard that opened last August in the midst of the pandemic. The store offers free COVID tests every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (registration required), which keeps Frausto busier than ever on top of her normal duties running what she calls a “functional health pharmacy.” “We’re about helping people live better, not just treating symptoms,” says Frausto, a self-described military brat who spent her childhood living all over the world, including in Germany for six years during the fall of the Berlin Wall. “It’s important that someone can come in and feel comfortable enough to ask me a question so I can guide them through decisions about their health. Being healthy is about self-care, having a good diet, exercising, eating well, sleep, hygiene—not just prescriptions.” Frausto first discovered her affinity for pharmacy work as a middle schooler living in Hawaii. While volunteering for church, she worked in a pharmacy for her first mentor, who impressed Frausto with his ability to have personal interactions with his patients. “He knew their name, their family’s names, their medications and something special about each person,” the West Sacramento resident recalls. “I thought, I want to be like that—to have the knowledge to help guide patients, but also be part of their lives. From that point on, I knew I was going to be a pharmacist.” When her family left Hawaii to settle in Sacramento for her dad’s new job at Mather Air Force Base, Frausto threw herself into school work. She did her undergraduate studies at Southwestern


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Oklahoma State and Sacramento State, then went to pharmacy school at USC. While earning her master’s degree in gerontology and Doctor of Pharmacy degree, Frausto was exposed to the local pharmacy association and set her sights on becoming an independent owner upon graduation. But school was not cheap, so the new grad saved up while working for two regional chains, Rite Aid and Raley’s. Though Frausto was grateful for the experience, she knew the “rat race” of metrics, deadlines and quotas didn’t suit her. She wanted to shift her focus back to the patient. Eventually, Frausto and her husband saved up enough money to buy a franchise opportunity through Health Mart and built out their own store on Freeport Boulevard. During the construction process, they made the acquaintance of physician Thomas Anker, an osteopath who shares their well-rounded approach to health. A partnership burgeoned and now Anker sees patients and operates his practice, Omic Wellness, out of Ten Acres. The pharmacy also offers a host of other services, including an on-call respiratory therapist and dietician, contraception, immunizations, pet medications, the ProLon dietary

program (which Frausto personally tested before bringing it to the store), telehealth and even genetic testing. To further support the health of her community, Frausto has made sure her over-the-counter products are primarily sourced from local small and womenor minority-owned businesses. She carries first-aid kits made by a veteran organization, greeting cards made by high school and college students to support their tuition, and locally made masks and candles. She also features a rotating exhibit of local art, where 90 percent of the profits go back to the artists. “At the end of the day, success is about having a positive attitude and a good support system,” Frausto says. “The only way we’re going to be successful is if we support our community.” For more information, visit tenacrespharmacy.com. Ten Acres Pharmacy is located at 2930 Freeport Blvd. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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DYNAMIC DUO HAHN AND CHAN WORK TO REFORM POLICE

Daniel Hahn and Howard Chan Photo by Aniko Kiezel

A

unique alliance between the police chief and his boss is changing how Sacramento Police operate. For Chief Daniel Hahn and City Manager Howard Chan, the partnership is essential to systemic, progressive improvements in the city’s law enforcement. Chan and Hahn say police reforms, which include reimagining the way officers are recruited and trained and respond to everything from gun violence to traffic stops, are made possible by the relationship. Reforms won’t succeed without it. The connection blossomed in 2017, when Chan hired Hahn to lead the police department. Both men were skeptical when the interview process

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

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began. At the time, Hahn was chief of Roseville Police after rising to the rank of captain at SPD. “My concern in coming back to Sac PD was that Howard would flip-flop when things got tough politically,” Hahn says. “I told him, ‘You’ll just end up firing me.’ But he has stayed so true. I’ve caused him a lot of problems politically, but he never mentions it. There’s nothing shady about Howard. If Howard left tomorrow, I would leave tomorrow.” Chan was concerned about unflattering gossip that trailed Hahn from his early years at SPD. “Some cops gave me a little dirt on him,” Chan says. In six hours of interviews, Hahn came clean. He admitted making mistakes as a young officer. “He said, ‘I was young and arrogant. I learned about what I needed to know and what I didn’t know,’” Chan says. Then it was Hahn’s turn to ask questions. He wondered if Chan would stand up to political pressure from the mayor and City Council. “I gave him my word I will never hang

him out to dry and I will never do anything I don’t believe in because I’m being pressured. I will leave the city first,” Chan says. The relationship endured severe tests: the killing of Stephon Clark by SPD and nationwide protests over police brutality, when peaceful marches devolved into looting at hundreds of local businesses. Since then, violent standoffs over presidential politics forced SPD to act as peacekeeper. Rather than retreat, Hahn and Chan pressed forward to remodel the way SPD does business. They worked with a University of San Diego team to study the relationship between SPD and community members. The results exposed an embarrassing lack of trust on both sides, but the city published the data anyway. They engaged with Stanford University to dissect thousands of hours of police body-worn camera footage from traffic stops to discern implicit racial bias. The conclusions will be made public. They partnered with

community groups to help train cadets and recruit young people from diverse backgrounds. More than 600 teenagers participated in SPD career informational programs. “They are very open to improving,” says Stanford psychology professor Jennifer Eberhardt, who leads the research team studying SPD bodycam footage. “They realize that with this research, they can improve the way the police department interacts with the public and builds trust.” The Stanford project is a complex, computer-assisted analysis of thousands of hours that detail the most common interaction police have with residents: traffic stops. A much smaller survey in Oakland produced data with voice tones that showed even highly professional officers tend to be more deferential and patient with white motorists. When the SPD research is completed this year, it can help the department build training protocols to combat unconscious biases.


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“They won’t have control over the results, and it might make them look bad,” Eberhardt says. “You need a bold leader to accept it. You want them to be open to the work and interested in making their department learn more about themselves and making themselves better.” SPD is already working on building trust with the next generation. Paris Dye, who runs a local youth advisory organization called Student Voices, invited Hahn to a meeting, never expecting he would show. He not only showed, but organized the VIP Academy, a program that introduces young people to police careers. “One of our young people said, ‘We don’t know what it’s like to be a police officer,’” Dye says. “The chief said, ‘Why don’t you come down to my headquarters and I’ll show you.’ He’s honored his commitment to young people. They latch onto his vision.” Safiya Munif, a 17-year-old Horizon Charter School student, says, “People have a negative perspective of law enforcement. Chief Hahn is changing

that through his kindness and his accessibility.” Hahn loses money every day he comes to work. Already eligible for retirement with more than 30 years in law enforcement, his CalPERS pension will pay more than his current salary. He lost lifetime health benefits when he left Roseville—a perk Sacramento will not replace. “I won’t be here in five more years,” he says. “I know we can’t get to where I want to go, a place where everyone feels valued. These problems go back 400 years. But at some point, we will get there. That’s why we’re pushing so hard for change now.” Says Chan, “The work that we’re doing now is so intense. But we need to lay out these reforms so everyone can see them. Otherwise, you just give people a reason to say you’re covering stuff up.” R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Under the Microscope TROUBLES PUT COUNTY IN SPOTLIGHT

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he low profile historically maintained by Sacramento County government has been upended and thrown into the spotlight with accusations of sexism, racism and mismanagement by top leaders.

HS By Howard Schmidt Inside The County

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The county’s chief executive, Nav Gill, was placed on paid administrative leave during a personnel investigation. He became a punching bag for critics who say the county mishandled federal pandemic relief funds. Accusations involving racist and sexist behavior were raised about his performance as the county’s financial watchdog. The Board of Supervisors appointed Ann Edwards as interim county executive. She formerly headed the Department of Human Assistance. The county suffered another setback in December, when chief health official Dr. Peter Beilenson quit

while COVID-19 surged across our communities. Beilenson claimed “family emergencies” prompted his resignation. But the health chief was under criticism for having used a racial slur about Asian people—he called them “yellow folks”—at a county Board of Supervisors meeting. Community members criticized Beilenson for mismanagement of federal stimulus funds. Retired county health services director Jim Hunt was named acting health director. Hopefully, the leadership mashup will be steadied as Sacramento County prepares its 2021-2022 budget.

Unlike past years, the supervisors have scheduled four evening budget workshops in April, ideally to entice more residents to participate. Insiders expect the workshops to be a rehash of the “guns or butter” argument from last year. The debate centers on funding priorities—whether an abundance of general fund dollars should go to the sheriff’s department or social services and underserved communities of color. Testimony pits suburbanites eager to prioritize money for sheriff’s deputies against activists who advocate for social justice and law enforcement reforms.


The pandemic is a budgetary wildcard. If the virus continues to surge, advocates are likely to demand more money for public health. A counterargument may develop to lessen the stranglehold public health officials maintain on businesses and everyday life. Suburban interests may rise up over the backlog in street maintenance and paving. The $789 million maintenance program primarily impacts unincorporated neighborhoods. It’s being rolled out on an incremental basis that leaves many residents frustrated—especially after the approval of additional gas taxes in recent years. Sacramento County delayed some street repairs last year, claiming a lack of funds. More recently, state authorities told local governments revenue estimates from the gas tax are down due to people driving less in the pandemic. City residents don’t look to the county for answers. They call City Hall for matters affecting quality of life, such as land use, transportation, potholes and getting garbage picked up. Folks in the unincorporated neighborhoods rely on the County Administration Center for most of their municipal services. At last estimate, the unincorporated county population was 593,801—bigger than the city of Sacramento at 510,931. If unincorporated Sacramento County were a separate city, it would be the fifth largest in California. County operations impact all 1.6 million residents of Sacramento County. The county runs numerous programs passed down from Washington and the state, including “social safety net” programs such as child protective services, elder and disabled conservatorships, and welfare payments.

Five elected, nonpartisan supervisors govern Sacramento County. Their workload varies, depending on whether their geographic districts include cities. About 95 percent of Supervisor Rich Desmond’s Third District covers unincorporated neighborhoods. Most of his constituents have no city government to call upon. County authorities fill almost every role. In contrast, Supervisor Phil Serna has only about 3.5 percent unincorporated area. His First District sits almost entirely within the city of Sacramento. District 2 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy has about 37.5 percent of unincorporated communities, with the rest in Sacramento. The unincorporated population represented by Supervisor Don Nottoli of District 5 consists of 17.9 percent. The remainder is split between the cities of Elk Grove, Galt, Isleton and Rancho Cordova. Supervisor Sue Frost’s District 4 includes the cities of Citrus Heights and Folsom. She has 45.7 percent of unincorporated neighborhoods. County governance is further complicated by the presence of three additional elected officials—Assessor Christina Wynn, District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and Sheriff Scott Jones. The Board of Supervisors approves their budgets, but these officeholders have discretion to prioritize spending and manage their allocated resources. They are accountable to voters. In the months ahead, this column will monitor Sacramento County developments, including controversies involving the chief executive and health department leadership, budget debates and street improvements.

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Dani Wiesenthal Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Unwanted Test

STUDENTS MOVE AHEAD DESPITE VIRUS

BY NATALIE MICHAELS

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or Sacramento students applying to college this fall, the future is shrouded in uncertainty. Hailey Kopp, a senior at St. Francis Catholic High School, says, “Things aren’t going as planned, so it has been difficult to adapt.” Local high school seniors have received countless lessons in adaptability as they tackle the complex process of deciding where and when to begin their college careers amid COVID-19. In normal times, the college admission experience involves months of preparation, deadlines and decisions. There are standardized tests, complex applications and invasive questions about financial aid. There are personal essays and campus visits. And there is the wait for acceptance or rejection. Each step heightens anxieties in students and parents. Kopp describes her college search as “a lot of webinars.” She says collegesponsored Zoom calls have taken the place of traditional college visits. For Kopp, the digitization of college resources has positives and negatives. On the positive side, the pandemic opened new doors. Kopp had more

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time to research universities beyond California. Her parents had extra time to help her navigate the application process. But lockdowns changed her expectations for the fall. “My image of college is definitely different than before,” she says. Chinh Chinh Nguyen, Kopp’s classmate at St. Francis, has different fears. She focuses on how the pandemic changed the application review process at some colleges, especially for California State University and University of California. The cancellation of SAT and ACT standardized tests and the suspension of score requirements at many schools put some of her friends—who have studied for the tests since their freshman year— at a disadvantage, Nguyen believes. For others, test waivers have been an important aid. Debbie Austin, a college adviser at St. Francis, believes the decreased emphasis on standardized tests has been the “silver lining of the pandemic.” In the absence of test scores, college essays are becoming more important, Austin says. She hopes an increased emphasis on essays will lead to more holistic evaluations. The pandemic disrupted the high school experience for all local students. With campuses closed, teaching shifted

to distance learning. It was a negative transition for many. Ezra Hammel decided to move ahead with his life, graduating early from McClatchy High School. “I spent the spring semester online and I hated it,” Hammel says. “I didn’t want to go through another year of that.” Hammel planned to visit the South Pacific as part of a gap-year program, but those plans were upset by virus travel restrictions. Instead, he’s completing gap program classes online. Local college students—whose traditional collegiate experience was upended by the pandemic—must reckon with a new reality. Dani Wiesenthal, a McClatchy graduate and sophomore at San Diego State, says the pandemic changed her priorities. After moving back home, she was uncertain about returning to her campus. “I feel like if I go back to San Diego, I’m going to be starting over,” she says, noting her freshman year presented challenges and the return home provided relief. Reese Farrell, a Mira Loma graduate and sophomore at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, was able to stay on the Portland campus. Farrell describes herself as “lucky” and notes things “could be worse.”

She says, “I feel like everyone has expectations of what college should be, and I feel like the biggest change is not being as social as we’d like.” In comparison to other friends from Sacramento, Farrell feels grateful to be one of the few who has remained on campus. The pandemic magnified traditional anxieties, adding confusion and new rules. Melissa McClellan, director of college counseling at Christian Brothers High School, says college admissions are “experiencing a state of flux.” Individual experiences during the pandemic are varied and nuanced. Uncertainty is the operative word as the college admission process evolves, student priorities shift and expectations change. Spring brings decision time, when universities send out admission (and rejection) letters and financial aid offers. In 2021, it’s a season when high school seniors weigh their options in an atmosphere of anticipation and uncertainty. Natalie Michaels is graduating this year from Heritage Peak Charter School. She can be reached at nataliermichaels@gmail.com. n


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Curtis Park Reboot FRANKLIN BOULEVARD BUILDING GETS REFRESHED UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

Margaret Levandoski Photo by Linda Smolek

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hen you drive by Franklin Boulevard and 11th Avenue—one of the most highly trafficked corners of Curtis Park, just off Highway 99—you might notice things look a bit different. The formerly nondescript building one block down from Sutterville Road

JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

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now features an arresting mural by local artist Natalie Sanchez of a Medusa-like figure with flowing locks and piercing eyes that glow at night. Overgrown bushes have been pruned or replaced with bright blooms. The building has been painted, and sleek new exterior lighting illuminates a chic sign for The London Beauty Bar. Everything in the three-tenant shopping center looks brighter and lighter—all thanks to new owner Margaret Levandoski. “After years of being overlooked and unkept, the building just needed a little bit of love and care,” says Levandoski, a Land Park resident who bought the nearly 60-year-old building four years ago with funds from the sale of her automotive and consumer finance data

company Direct Performance Data. “I wanted to do something to help revitalize the area.” The Placerville native grew up in Sacramento before moving to Newport Beach for her work in automotive advertising. She stayed down south for 20 years before moving back to Sacramento to start DPD and fell in love with Curtis Park and the surrounding area. When DPD sold, Levandoski searched for a way to invest in her community—and the Franklin Boulevard building was just what she was looking for. Levandoski spruced up the exterior and rehabbed the building’s existing beauty salon, renaming it The London Beauty Bar after her 12-year-old daughter London (who she hopes will inherit the business one day). The salon concept is just one part of Levandoski’s multifaceted The London Firm, which she founded in 2015 as an umbrella company for her myriad projects in interior design, construction remodeling, branding and new business development consultation. The salon joins existing tenants Curtis Park Spa and VIP Experience Salon & Barber Shop. Now that salons can be back in business, per county COVID health guidelines, “I’ve been interviewing people and sending out postcards to every beauty school in the area,” says Levandoski, who credits her Aries astrological sign with her tendency to jump into things with both feet. “No

matter what I do with it, I wanted to make it look the nicest it can.” The London Beauty Bar will feature salon services, of course, but also a rotating inventory of unique gifts and jewelry. Levandoski, a “hardcore” flea market lover, also plans to host monthly flea markets called Franklin Flea in the parking lot when the pandemic allows, as well as regular food vendors—like a cart, featuring bacon-wrapped hot dogs, she’s procuring as a loving homage to the Los Angeles Garment District. Levandoski hopes to make this corner of Curtis Park just as much of a destination as the iconic Southern California discount shopping district. “This is such a great area—we’re in a great location and we know all our neighbors,” Levandoski says. “My daughter and I will often have mommydaughter time in Land Park where we walk and get our nails done, shop a little, then get ice cream at Vic’s and walk home. That’s what I want our building to be for Curtis Park. “I envision the flea market, hot dogs, donuts (from across-the-street neighbor Yum Yum Donuts), good weather and being the place that people in the neighborhood want to walk to.” For more information, visit thelondonbeautybar.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n


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Change, For Sure VIRUS LEAVES NOTHING CERTAIN FOR CITY

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ven for people who refuse to wear masks or treat the coronavirus as the grave public health threat it is, one thing is certain: life will not be the same anytime soon. No one can say when COVID-19 will stop flooding our hospitals, but we know cities such as Sacramento are changing even as we struggle through the pandemic. Disasters like earthquakes, fires and floods tend to cause reconsideration. Some close friends of mine in Sonoma County are moving to Washington state after losing their Santa Rosa home in the 2017 wildfires and being evacuated several times since from their new place a few miles north. On a more macro level, such disasters can change development patterns in

GD By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

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subtle and not-so-subtle ways. So, too, will this pandemic. Reforms enacted following the 1871 Chicago fire and 1906 San Francisco earthquake made cities taller and more durable. Steel began replacing wood as the primary building material. Parks and open space became more precious and necessary. In Sacramento, after a series of disastrous floods culminating in 1862, the city hauled in tons of dirt and raised the streets. We can see the original street level throughout Old Sacramento. A plaque near the California Railroad Museum tells some of the story: “Imagine how easily flood waters overcame Sacramento when it existed at the courtyard’s elevation,” it says. “Is it any wonder Sacramentans fought back by hoisting streets and buildings on average 10 feet above their original elevations?” More recently, after the Camp Fire destroyed Paradise in Butte County in 2018, a decision was made to put most of the city’s electric distribution lines underground. It’s hard to know exactly how the pandemic will reshape our cities, but

we can already see some impacts just by looking around. The only question is how long they last. With an estimated four in 10 Americans working remotely, countless office buildings are still mostly deserted. Before the holiday surge and cold weather arrived, outdoor dining flourished as the city relaxed its restrictions. Outdoor dining will likely expand post-pandemic. But countless businesses failed. Others remain boarded up following a summer of protests over racial injustice and political divisions, some of which became violent. It’s anyone’s guess how many businesses will come back or what, if anything, takes their place. Just as the city’s Downtown railyards were finally starting to develop, we are now left to wonder about the demand for Class A office space. Will plans for the Old Sacramento waterfront move forward? Sacramento’s nightlife and entertainment scene expanded in 2019. But how will that momentum resume when people are still supposed to wear masks and avoid social mixing?

We will soon have a refurbished convention and community center Downtown. When will they be busy again? When will theater, live music and other pleasures of urban life return? Being able to work from home has been a blessing for people whose jobs enable it, but what cost are we paying for greater social isolation and separation? We are focusing additional attention on the gaps in education and digital connectivity—as we must. California’s “Broadband for All” movement has new currency and urgency. Light has been shed on glaring economic, social and racial disparities in health care, which will continue to be a dominant political issue for all levels of government. Even before the pandemic, some high-profile businesses were leaving California rather than deal with high costs and regulation. In the past few months, Oracle and Tesla announced plans to relocate to Texas. Twitter, Facebook and Google plan to allow employees to work remotely well into the future, changing housing and office markets in Northern California in ways we are already seeing in Sacramento.


And what about Amazon, which appears to be taking over the world and driving more brick-and-mortar businesses into oblivion? Malls trying to compete may need to reinvent themselves. William Fulton, one of California’s leading experts on cities, wrote recently what he expects to see on our streets: “More multifamily housing on old retail sites, more bars and restaurants, more coffee shops, more ground-floor personal care businesses (hair and nail salons, gyms, yoga studios)—and much more carefully managed curbside parking,

to accommodate the vast increase in delivery trucks.” Additional affordable housing is desperately needed, but much remains fluid and unknown. The pandemic will end. Cities rise and fall. But change is here, one way or another, with more on the way. Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n . ed . re fo ca y t h i t al wi Qu ted f a Cr s cu

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Mask Makers VOLUNTEER GROUP MAKES, DISTRIBUTES THOUSANDS OF PPE

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ven in the midst of a global pandemic, Karla Burgess has gotten a “glimpse of the best in people” thanks to her work as logistics coordinator for Folsom Mask Makers, an all-volunteer group of local seamstresses formed in mid-March to address the community’s chronic lack of pandemic personal protective equipment. To date, the group has produced nearly 65,000 masks, 2,650 scrub caps, 1,310 visual masks, hundreds of 3D-printed face shields, and thousands of crocheted and 3D-printed ear savers. They’ve donated to more than 350 hospitals, medical and dental groups, care homes, schools, nonprofit and community organizations, and emergency service agencies in Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties. “I often stop and wonder how we’re pulling this off,” says Burgess, who manages volunteers and supplies, serves as a community liaison and oversees special teams for customized projects. “These numbers are incredible

Karla Burgess

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

Eulonda Lea Photo by Linda Smolek

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in normal times, but now people are doing so many other things and are still willing to give of themselves and their hearts. It’s incredibly humbling to work with these volunteers.” Burgess joined FMM after seeing group co-founder Janet Cottrill’s post on Facebook in early March asking for help making PPE that were in very short supply. Burgess immediately contacted FMM’s other co-founder, Cottrill’s neighbor KC Endeman, to see how she could help. Endeman told Burgess the group desperately needed more volunteers to sew masks, as well as contacts in the medical field to coordinate drop-offs. The request was a perfect fit for Burgess, a former ICU RN off work due to health issues, who was tired of sitting on the sidelines. “I’m a fixer,” she says. “In the ICU, you walk in and it’s full of problems, so you ask, ‘What can I do?’” What she could do for FMM “was help get people masks that allow them to follow protocols and stay safe.” Burgess and fellow administrators Karen Hamer and Cathy Hamman helped FMM develop a network of 200 active sewers—many of whom are experienced seamstresses and quilters donating their own material to the cause—and other non-sewing (but no less crucial) volunteers who are divided into teams for pick-up and drop-off driving, cutting, sewing, kit-making, 3D printing, washing, ironing and more.


“What’s kept me involved is Karla’s and Karen’s steadfast dedication … while being tremendously organized,” says Carmichael resident Kathie Vaughn, an avid quilter and two-time breast cancer survivor who has made 1,500 masks since she joined the group in March. “They make it really easy to be involved and make everyone feel like they’re contributing.” Burgess fields requests through the FMM Facebook page and assigns tasks to a membership that now tops 3,000 people in three counties. The group also accepts custom orders, such as scrub caps in small sizes for pediatric oncology patients, and specialized masks with clear vinyl inserts to facilitate lip reading and soft cording for autistic patients. Other masks allow the use of hearing aids and oxygen tubing, and fit over medical-grade N95 masks to keep them cleaner for longer. “There’s a task for everybody,” Burgess says. “If you can sew, let

us know and we’ll provide you with everything you need (except a sewing machine). If you can’t, you can donate through GoFundMe, Venmo or our Amazon Wishlist so we can buy supplies. “Find what you like to do and we’ll put you on that team. It’s amazing to be able to put all the tension and stress from the pandemic into something tangible. “What started as cotton sitting on a shelf is, in the end, something that will make your fellow community member safer—full of all the love that went into making it.” For more information, find Folsom Mask Makers on Facebook. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Lasting Legacy HOMEOWNER AND DESIGNER FORGE FRIENDSHIP, CREATE ONE-OF-A-KIND HOME

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ulticolored lights against an all-white bathroom. A painting of tiger’s eyes glaring down as you enter the study. An I-beam spanning the entryway ceiling. These were just a few of the eclectic elements you would find in Kristan Otto’s Campus Commons home. The daughter of John Otto, Kristan and her family were well known in the community as the folks behind Otto Construction. When Kristan Otto passed away last spring, she left an unforgettable legacy—part of which was displayed throughout her home. Every feature was unique and custom created, not found in any other house.

KK By Katie Kishi Photos by Fred Donham of PhotographerLink OPEN HOUSE

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When she wanted to remodel her home 15 years ago, she went to Nar Bustamante, president and founder of Nar Design Group in East Sacramento. Throughout their years working together on many redesigns, they developed a great friendship. Bustamante reflects on her personality and the memories they shared. “You had to have thick skin to work with her,” he says. “As the project manager of Otto Construction, she was used to being in charge. But we trusted each other more and more with each project.” Otto’s home was ever changing. She always wanted something new and unique. One time, Otto reached out to Bustamante with a somewhat angry email. “She basically told me off,” he laughs. “She said, ‘You’re gonna take all my money again because I want to do another project with you.’ “I don’t think I’ve ever done the same house so many times. I was redoing my own remodels.”

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Otto and Bustamante built a trusting relationship. After several remodels, Otto gave Bustamante the freedom to do what he wanted. “It was totally adventuresome, very eclectic. I found myself branching out into a whole new thought process,” Bustamante says. “She didn’t care about the money. It just needed to be cool and inspiring for her.” Some features stood out as Bustamante recollected the rooms he designed. One of his first projects with Otto was a hammered zinc wall in her kitchen that won national awards, including Best Architectural Feature from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. An office painted a deep, dark charcoal contrasted with a painting of tiger’s eyes to make for a moody workspace. The whole room earned a Crystal Design Award by Crystal Cabinet Works in 2019.

In her living room, rather than installing a typical entertainment center, Bustamante suspended the television from an I-beam, giving it the illusion of floating. Notwithstanding the colorful details throughout the home, the duo decided to create an all-white bathroom. But it was far from simple. Multicolored LED lights made for a dramatic contrast, showing off Otto’s fun personality. Original art was also important to Otto, who was heavily involved in the art scene and always supported local artists. She devoted a significant amount of attention to the pieces she acquired and wanted them to stand out in her home. For example, Bustamante

built a whole wall as a backdrop for one specific piece of art. Otto’s playful, out-ofthe-ordinary home became something on which she could build a friendship. Her headstrong, straightforward personality made things tricky for Bustamante in the beginning, but they soon learned to trust each other. “It was a fun, dynamic process that we both enjoyed,” Bustamante says. “Oftentimes in my career, you do something once and that’s it for that client. The unforeseen thing is that you don’t realize you’re becoming friends with somebody. It’s not only about the projects anymore, it’s about building trust with your clients,” he adds. “It ended up being an amazing relationship over the years because we’d always look for the next project and knew it would be an adventure.” To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Inside Sacramento at editor@insidepublications.com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n


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A severely burned duck is treated at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Search & Rescue

UC DAVIS VETERINARY TEAM RESPONDS TO WILDFIRES

T

housands of wildfires raged across California last year, burning millions of acres, destroying buildings and taking lives—the majority being wild and farm animals with no means of escape. In mid-August, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine deployed its Veterinary Emergency Response Team to the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Solano and Sonoma counties, and the North Complex and Bear fires in Butte County. The team’s mission was to care for injured animals in evacuation centers and animal shelters—and to rescue those still trapped on scorched ranches, farms and in backyards.

CR By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

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In the 48 days of deployment, the field team evaluated, triaged and treated more than 2,200 animals, including horses, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens, emus, sheep, alpacas, llamas, donkeys, dogs, cats, geese, ducks, guinea fowl and fish. More than 100 animals with serious injuries—primarily severe burns and smoke inhalation—were transferred to UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for critical care. “It was striking to see the destruction,” says VERT coordinator Dr. Lais Costa, who joined the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine in 2016 and began working with the disaster team in 2018. “The first few days there was smoke in the air and just the destruction. Then you saw the animals that were burnt. It was really bad.” Only a handful of cases were euthanized in the field, Costa says. “Those were put to sleep because of the hopeless severity of their condition. Any animal that we

thought had even a slim chance of survival, we brought to the hospital.” Working with animal control officers, the UCD team went behind the fire lines before property owners were allowed back in. Sometimes it took days to find animals hunkered down out of fear, stress or pain. The team put out food and water and returned the next day. “If they ate and drank, we knew somebody was there,” Costa says. So the team kept going back until the animal was found. “That’s what kept us going—the satisfaction when we found somebody.” One rescue story stands out. “It was a smoky first day at the Bear Fire deployment,” Costa recalls. “We drove to yet another property that had been completely destroyed by the fire. All structures were burned to the ground and the land had been badly scorched. We started to look for signs of life. In our search we found this bird enclosure. Seventeen dead birds. “After searching the property thoroughly, we finally found two

live ducks. Their feet were badly burned and their feathers were badly singed. We will never know how they survived the fire.” The ducks were dehydrated, hungry and in pain. They had lost the webbing in their feet. The birds were taken to the Livestock Emergency Shelter in Oroville, where Dr. Michelle Hawkins, who led UCD’s Avian Strike Team, evaluated the ducks, bandaged their feet, and gave them antibiotics and pain medication. The next day, the ducks were still in distress and transferred to the UCD veterinary hospital where they remained for two weeks. “Soon,” Costa says, “they got back their noisy and rambunctious personalities. The ducks made an amazing recovery from their injuries.” Despite the devastation and enormous death toll, the team focused on the animals they could save. “We put so much energy and hope into the ones we did find,” Costa says. “We just had a drive that got us to surpass the draining feeling of finding all the dead animals.” Costa commends the contributions of UCD’s new Wildlife Disaster Network. Partnering with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the network cared for many of the wild animals, such as a mountain lion with burn injuries, affected by the fires. “The compassion and hard work that the disaster service workers shared was heartwarming,” Costa says. “Working with all the organizations to a common goal of caring for the animals and supporting the community, bringing them hope by saving their animals, was the best reward anyone could wish for.” To donate to the Veterinary Emergency Response Team, visit vetmed.ucdavis.edu/2020-inu-fireupdates. To donate to the Wildlife Disaster Network, visit vetmed. ucdavis.edu/news/wildlife-disasternetwork. Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n


Remembering

Brotherman Milton Burkes

DOES MY BROTHER’S DEATH COUNT? or me, 2020 ended with the worst news. My brother Milton, the one I call “Brotherman,” died from COVID. The year brought us a pandemic, election confusion and economy shutdown, but most especially death. Johns Hopkins reported 300,000 U.S. deaths the week my brother died. Of course, you may dismiss the Hopkins number as inaccurate because it includes people with comorbidities or “preexisting conditions.” If so, you’re also saying my brother’s death didn’t count because he had high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

F

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

That means you may share his most deadly comorbidity—gullibility. He believed all the social media garbage. He followed the anti-masker, anti-vaxxer, anti-science, flat-earth folks who posted, reposted and emailed crap to anyone who dared click a link. As a result, he became “noncompliant,” a medical term meaning he often refused to take his insulin, blood pressure pills or psychiatric medication. In early 2019, I noticed the detrimental impact, so I had him placed in the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home. With its state-of-the art, roundthe-clock attention, I expected him to live another 10 to 15 years. But like many care facilities, it couldn’t keep COVID completely at bay—most especially for my brother because Milton refused to wear a mask. Given his viewpoint, the staff confined him to the safety of his room. Nevertheless, the virus came calling.

When he answered that call, he phoned me. “I’m having trouble breathing,” he said. “This is an emergency! Press your staff call button.” “I can’t find it,” he said. I hung up and called the front desk. That evening, Brotherman was hospitalized, and our phone calls continued. “They’re gonna say I have COVID only because they get more money by padding the COVID numbers,” he said, echoing much of the social media nonsense. “Don’t let them stick a breathing tube down my throat,” he added, referencing the procedure called intubation. I’d helped him complete an advance directive several times, so I knew he didn’t want to be placed on a respirator. “OK, I will do all I can,” I said.

But I failed him there. Not one word from his chaplain brother such as, “I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. It’s ok to be scared.” Or maybe, “I’m 500 miles away, but I’m with you.” Hours later, Milton reversed his longsworn position. That’s because if you ask a person who can’t breathe, “Can we put you on a respirator?” he’s going to say, “Hell, yes!” Milton said, “yes,” and that’s the last I heard him speak. The week before Christmas, the palliative-care nurse called to talk about letting him go. She said my brother could only survive with the permanent presence of a respirator, feeding tube and dialysis machine. I knew from his advance directive that wasn’t what Brotherman wanted, so I gave permission to remove him from life support. He died two hours later. So I ask, does his death count? After all, for years he was a “noncompliant” obese diabetic who wouldn’t take his blood-pressure meds. Perhaps the anti-science community is right. Brotherman didn’t die of COVID. He died of his comorbidities. But those comorbidities weren’t physical. They were spiritual. They are known by many names—denial, gullibility, ignorance and hate. Milton’s real cause of death was the fabrications spread by the anti-science people, anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers and 5G coronavirus conspirators. He may not have swallowed their bleach, but he sure drank the Kool-Aid. Milton bought their “health supplements” and subscribed to their YouTube channels, Facebook pages and email newsletters. These people also have names, but I prefer to call them egomaniacal evil charlatans who prey on the weak minded and weak willed. You may Google those conspirators if you must, but I won’t allow them space in the same print as Brotherman. Their lies killed my brother—not COVID. As long as I remain on this earth, I will demand that my brother Milton’s death be counted—and his life always remembered. Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

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Share the Pain MAYOR’S PLAN MOVES HOMELESS TO EVERY COMMUNITY

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arrell Steinberg is a smart, sophisticated guy. He has a law degree from UC Davis and decades of legislative experience. Sacramento voters figured they were getting a pro when they elected him mayor in 2016. He won a second term without serious opposition last year. So it’s a mystery why Steinberg has been unable to muster nothing beyond the most elementary, simplistic response to the deepest challenge of his mayoral tenure—the homeless crisis. Rather than examine difficult, uncomfortable questions such as why Sacramento attracts so many homeless people in the first place and the contributory roles played by drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness, Steinberg’s playbook comes down to a fantasy. He believes if the city gives unsheltered people homes, the problem will disappear. It’s the sort of thing a child might say. The latest evidence of the mayor’s magical thinking is found in a document called “2021 City Council Schedule and Work Program to Create a Master Siting, Operations, Programmatic and Financing Plan to Address Homelessness.”

RG By R.E. Graswich

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The leaden title makes the document look like a master’s thesis in social work. In fact, the 19-page report was prepared by Steinberg’s staff and presented to the City Council as a culminating masterwork. It’s a blueprint to realize the solutions Steinberg has plotted since he first decided to run for mayor. There’s no need for anyone to read the thing. It boils down to this: Every City Council district (there are eight) should identify locations to house homeless people. The city should borrow, oh, let’s say $100 million to build apartments, sheds, tents or whatever to provide shelter for people living on the street. And this should happen between now and June. Anyone whose neighborhood has been traumatized by homeless people will quickly find objections with the Steinberg master plan. The first problem: What will we do when we exhaust the $100 million and realize there are still hundreds of homeless people living on our streets? The explosion of homelessness on Steinberg’s watch is a slippery subject. Yes, Steinberg built his 2016 campaign around his statehouse connections and his ability to manage the homeless crisis. Yes, the number of unsheltered people jumped from 4,692 to 5,570 between 2017 and 2019—a 19 percent leap— despite Steinberg’s endless vows to fix the problem. Yes, other California cities endure growing homeless populations. And yes, the pandemic makes everything worse. But as Steinberg begins his second term, it’s clear he doesn’t have a serious plan to resolve homelessness. He never did. The best that can be said about the mayor is he used his statehouse connections to acquire tax dollars which

he could load into a leaf blower and spray at the problem. The mayor’s master plan contains this revelatory passage: “Nearly $60 million has been allocated to address homelessness and prevention. Still, the numbers are increasing and therefore the response by the city must also accelerate.” There’s his strategy—reload the leaf blower with $100 million in borrowed cash. It should be clear by this point that blasting money at homelessness delivers little long-term value beyond creating jobs for social service providers. To truly attack and manage homelessness, a community must be willing to address the question of why people become homeless in the first place. Do unsheltered people play a role in their predicament or are they victims of societal turbulence? Do they have any responsibility to assist in their

recovery? The mayor’s master plan sidesteps those fundamental land mines. The City Council eagerly embraced the master plan, which means residents across Sacramento can expect to identify where they’d like to host homeless people. Your neighborhood site might be filled with tents or shedlike “tiny houses.” It might be an empty lot where people can live in their cars. The mayor is open-minded. At the same time, accountants will try to figure out whether the city can afford to borrow $100 million at a juncture when a pandemic has hammered sales taxes and other municipal revenue sources. The Steinberg leaf blower awaits. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n


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PETS OR PESTS? HOW TO GARDEN ANIMAL-WISE

S

haring gardens with our precious pets means coming to terms with diggers, chewers and poopers. Pets can be weapons of mass destruction. A dog chasing a squirrel has no regard for tulips. Cats don’t ask permission to use the vegetable garden as a restroom. Ideally, you can mitigate destruction and keep furballs healthy and safe while the garden stays gorgeous and productive. Acceptance and forgiveness make a righteous path. But where you draw the line is a personal choice. George lounged in the shadows, watching me pot up containers of flowering annuals. His next move was a catnap atop the newly planted flowers. Most of the plants survived the abuse. A cat needs his naps, right? Roxie, as a puppy, chewed all the wiring off the irrigation valves, gnawed

DV By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

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rose canes to the ground, and repeatedly dug up flowerbeds and containers. She also chewed the edges off redwood planters. Lovely. Dogs tend to roam wherever they wish. Exclusion is a worthy strategy. Erect wire fencing around edible gardens. Pound in a few steel T-poles and attach the wire fencing with zip ties. It’s simple and effective. If you own a nervous pacer, allow an 18-inch or so path along fences. He can pace the fence line all day and not trample plants. Purchase mature plants in larger nursery containers. It’s more expensive, but the root system will be more developed and apt to withstand and survive trampling. A digging dog may be bored or making holes for a cool spot to rest. Regular walks or more time indoors may reduce the digging. Large rocks burrowed into soil or wire barriers along the fence can discourage digging or train dogs to excavate a designated spot. Concentrated nitrogen in dog urine causes dead, brown spots in lawns. Other than immediately and constantly flushing the areas with water, or training exercises, your brown spots are going to remain part of the landscape.

Cat feces can contain parasites and all sorts of awful diseases. They have no place around edible gardens. Placing thorny stems and pinecones or burying plastic forks and bamboo skewers around plants to discourage cats may injure the animal (or small child). Cats need space to scratch and turn to cover up deposits. Arrange stones, garden art or even gallon milk cartons in open spaces to deny needed space. Once plants mature, the open spaces vanish. Pieces of chicken wire cut to size and secured with landscaping staples is a deterrent. This prevents cats from digging and can be covered with mulch. Cats prefer loose soil and are not fond of mulches with larger, rougher pieces. Secured chicken wire or concretereinforcing wire will do the job over a raised vegetable bed.

Low-voltage fencing and motionactivated sprinklers are options, but I don’t recommend either. Cats are nocturnal. And spraying water at night can invite fungal diseases. Electricity around pets does not sound humane. Perhaps you were unaware these plants are poisonous to dogs and cats: azaleas, chrysanthemums, English ivy, some lily varieties, tulip and daffodil bulbs, oleander and morning glory. There are many others with varying degrees of toxicity. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has toxic and non-toxic pet plant lists at aspca.org. Cocoa bean mulch contains theobromine and can cause unpleasant reactions in dogs and cats. Newer products claim to be safer, but it’s best to avoid it if you have outdoor pets. Also avoid colored wood mulches—not because of the dye, but because recycled wood is used to better absorb the dye. Older recycled wood may have been pressure treated. Some colored mulches have been found to be contaminated with chromate-copper arsenate and creosote. Plants, pets and people can be one happy and healthy family with a dollop of planning and patience.

FARMER FRED Fred Hoffman, subject of our January column and Sacramento’s highestprofile gardener, has announced he’s leaving radio and will focus his media efforts on podcasts and social media. We’ll follow Fred’s progress and wish him the best. Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County and former Home & Garden writer for The Sacramento Bee. He can be reached at masterg29@gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 8765338, email mgsacramento@ucanr. edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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47


Kings-Size Woes

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

SETBACKS DON’T EXCUSE HURTING CITY

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n Inside reader named Ken Poppers serves as today’s example of someone with a good memory. I’ll play the role of the old sportswriter who needs a reminder. Poppers emailed me recently and noted my disdain for the Kings and their avoidance of certain fiscal responsibilities in the pandemic. When COVID-19 hit, the Kings cut staff. They also stopped paying all the rent they owe the city for Golden 1 Center. From a strictly business standpoint, the Kings’ retrenchment is understandable. Home games and concerts were canceled, the arena shuttered by health authorities. Plenty of businesses have trouble paying rent these days. Aside from cash flow denied the Kings by the absence of fans and activity in the arena, the NBA’s TV

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

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revenue-sharing model imploded. Shared TV dollars are oxygen for the Kings. The NBA normally receives about $2.6 billion a year for broadcast rights from ESPN and Turner Sports. The money is spread among 30 teams. Some of that lifeline was salvaged when the NBA completed an abbreviated 2020 season in Florida. But financial analysts figured the league lost about $1.5 billion to COVID-19 in 2020. The Kings returned to action just before Christmas, but the bottom line hasn’t exactly rebounded. The 2021 season was shortened by 10 games. Fans still aren’t filling Golden 1 Center. Tickets, beer and hamburgers go unsold. Cash registers are quiet. In a world of COVID-19, these problems would be relatively insignificant if not for a discomforting reality. The Kings are a collection of wealthy owners and rich, pampered athletes. They should have the financial depth to sustain themselves. But they must not forget they have a workingclass partner—the taxpayers of Sacramento. When the Kings flail financially, the turbulence shakes the city’s budget. As owner of Golden 1 Center, the city is responsible for paying down the bonds

that produced the money to build the arena. When the Kings skip on rent, bankers and bondholders shrug. They know the city is on the hook for about $18 million a year in debt service. The Kings failed to pay about $1.6 million in rent last season. That number might double this year. In addition to rent, the city uses garage and street parking revenue to pay the bonds, plus money from parking citations. With hardly anyone parking Downtown, Sacramento lost about $3.2 million in fees during the early months of pandemic lockdowns. The shortfalls continue. Luckily, City Treasurer John Colville and predecessor Russ Fehr had a fallback plan. When the arena bonds were issued in 2015, the city built a reserve in case parking revenues came up short. Colville tapped $4.5 million from those reserves to cover the bond payments. I’d like to talk to Colville about his plans for this year, but he hasn’t responded. Which brings me back to Ken Poppers. In his email, Poppers mentions a November column where I discussed the Kings not paying rent. And Poppers reminds me that in 2014, I participated in a series of public policy

debates over the arena. Back then I said the city had no choice but to help the Kings pay for Golden 1 Center. “You debate on the side of committing the city to financing the arena because there couldn’t be any downside. Yeah. Okay,” he writes. He’s mostly accurate. I said the city must help build Golden 1 Center. Without rejuvenation provided by the arena, lower K Street and Downtown Plaza would soon be blighted blocks of boarded-up shops. As for downsides, I said they existed but were worth the risk—the alternative was worse. I still believe that. In upcoming years, the Kings’ rent payments grow significantly. Golden 1 Center bond obligations run until 2050. The partnership must endure. Sports fans know it’s not easy to have faith in the Kings. But now is a great time for the community to remind the Kings that even NBA owners must pay their debts. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n


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5920 VIA CASITAS 5905 VIA CASITAS 3903 OAK VILLA CIR 4007 OAK VILLA CIR 3944 OAK VILLA CIR 4034 OAK VILLA CIR 2334 VIA CAMINO AVE 5127 GIBBONS DR 5205 GIBBONS DR 4004 ALEX LN 5908 OAK AVE 5601 MILLBURN ST 6128 TEMPLETON DR 5461 EARNELL ST 5434 WOODLEIGH DR 6024 ELLERSLEE DR 6519 MARKLEY WAY 5049 KAHN ST 5042 KAHN ST 5723 IVYTOWN LN 5416 EARNELL ST 6334 APPIAN WAY 3745 CHAMBERLAIN WAY 4004 COBBLESTONE LN 6426 TEAL WAY 2310 FALLWATER LN 3601 SARECO CT 2414 FALLWATER LN 4618 PEDERSEN WAY 3627 AFFIRMED WAY 5043 KAHN ST 6308 MEADOWVISTA DR 3117 ROOT AVE 2704 COMPTON PARC LN 4759 BELLUE ST 5312 SONORA WAY 6229 GRANT AVE 4309 JAN DR 5636 MARCONI AVE 2000 LINDEN GROVE WAY 3957 LINUS WAY 6231 SUTTER AVE 4751 RUSTIC OAK WAY 3919 MAUDRAY WAY 4512 JAN DR 5429 NORTH AVE 4730 TALUS WAY 6325 RAMPART DR 5250 ROBERTSON AVE 5108 ADELINA WAY 4736 HIXON CIR 4506 RUSTIC RD 3632 DUCA LN 2756 LEOLETA WAY 2024 WALNUT AVE 4949 THOR WAY 6205 DAWNRIDGE WAY 4945 SAN MARQUE CIR 4123 PUEBLO ST 4730 CAMERON RANCH DR 5119 ADELINA WAY 4124 JOY LN 5805 TOPP CT 6311 EASTMONT CT 3442 CALIFORNIA AVE 4710 HARDCASTLE LN 2544 GABRIEL CT 2611 GUNN RD 5705 FAIR OAKS BLVD 5230 MCKINNEY WAY 5252 BELLWOOD WAY 1310 MEREDITH WAY 5704 CLASSIC PL 3035 PANAMA AVE 1045 HARRINGTON WAY 2213 HOMEWOOD WAY 3124 GARFIELD AVE 5315 JAMIEWOOD CT 4224 TYRONE WAY 4825 MARLBOROUGH WAY 4232 CALLANAN CT 6431 ORANGE HILL LN 51 COVERED BRIDGE RD

$220,000 $235,000 $250,000 $265,000 $270,000 $274,000 $280,000 $290,000 $290,000 $310,000 $330,000 $335,100 $337,000 $337,000 $342,000 $350,000 $352,500 $355,000 $360,000 $375,000 $380,000 $385,000 $390,000 $408,000 $410,000 $410,000 $410,000 $415,500 $416,258 $419,000 $420,000 $420,000 $430,000 $430,000 $435,000 $435,000 $435,000 $436,500 $438,000 $448,000 $450,000 $450,000 $452,500 $453,200 $456,000 $460,000 $464,000 $465,000 $465,000 $465,000 $487,500 $503,000 $505,000 $510,400 $515,000 $515,000 $525,000 $525,000 $525,000 $530,000 $537,500 $539,000 $540,000 $575,000 $575,000 $585,000 $591,145 $599,000 $600,000 $600,000 $610,000 $630,000 $636,000 $650,000 $660,000 $665,000 $679,000 $686,500 $695,000 $695,000 $715,000 $744,000 $899,000

4310 PROSPECT DR 1561 ELSDON CIR 2538 WILLOW WAY

95815

$965,000 $1,065,000 $2,420,000

2596 GROVE AVE 2737 DEL PASO BLVD 2209 EDGEWATER RD 654 SANTIAGO AVE 2473 KNOLL ST 2296 EDGEWATER RD 1220 BROWNING DR 1013 OLIVERA WAY 663 ARDEN WAY 131 ARCADE BLVD 2243 FERNLEY AVE 410 LINDLEY DR 2929 DEL PASO BLVD 2350 BEAUMONT ST 410 LAMPASAS AVE 2133 SURREY RD 2937 ALBATROSS WAY 516 EL CAMINO AVE 2217 SURREY RD

$173,000 $240,000 $245,000 $249,000 $255,000 $262,000 $262,000 $265,000 $273,500 $275,000 $285,000 $290,000 $295,000 $305,000 $305,000 $315,000 $315,000 $320,000 $364,900

3212 SERRA WAY 2805 E ST 3340 S ST 2514 R ST 1311 - 32ND ST 2325 E ST 3246 DEFOREST WAY 1616 - 37TH ST 1415 SANTA YNEZ WAY 1417 SANTA YNEZ WAY 1513 - 39TH ST

$422,500 $500,000 $524,900 $574,000 $665,000 $675,000 $875,000 $975,000 $1,000,000 $1,498,000 $1,600,000

95816

95817

3424 SANTA CRUZ WAY $275,000 3451 - 37 ST $305,000 3225 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD $309,000 3982 - 8TH AVE $353,982 2232 - 33RD ST $395,900 2973 - 32ND ST $415,000 3973 SHERMAN WAY $425,000 3945 - 12TH AVE $425,000 2356 - 42ND ST $430,000 6131 - 4TH AVE $453,000 5348 - 2ND AVE $480,000 3101 - 2ND AVE $495,000 3019 - 5TH AVE $505,000 2742 - 57TH ST $510,000 3260 V ST $550,000 2 DECLAN CT $550,000 1 DECLAN CT $550,000 6131 - 3RD AVE $550,000 2464 - 41ST ST $575,000 3988 - 2ND AVE $600,000 2011 - 56TH ST $658,550

95818

484 TAILOFF LN 471 TAILOFF LN 2617 CLEAT LN 478 TAILOFF LN 2640 - 17TH ST 357 CRATE AVE 487 MCCLATCHY WAY 736 - 7TH AVE 1716 X ST 2522 V ST 2138 BIDWELL WAY 2706 U ST 2551 FREEPORT BLVD 2673 FREEPORT BLVD 2898 MARSHALL WAY 2617 HARKNESS ST 1917 - 3RD AVE 2212 - 18TH ST 2180 MARSHALL WAY 1800 - 2ND AVE 644 JONES WAY 2724 HARKNESS ST 2910 MUIR WAY 2659 PORTOLA WAY

$378,000 $385,000 $390,000 $399,950 $411,000 $425,000 $460,000 $475,000 $492,500 $494,000 $495,000 $500,000 $521,000 $549,900 $555,000 $570,000 $574,950 $579,000 $581,000 $604,000 $620,000 $620,000 $642,000 $699,000

2782 MUIR WAY 3220 - 24TH ST 2516 - 11TH AVE 2782 HARKNESS ST 1964 - 3RD AVE 1429 WELLER WAY 2932 HIGHLAND AVE 2439 DONNER WAY 2762 - 10TH AVE 1861 - 10TH AVE 1832 - 3RD AVE 2761 - 13TH ST 1891 - 11TH AVE 3651 EAST LINCOLN AVE

$705,000 $710,000 $712,000 $735,000 $751,000 $800,000 $810,000 $865,000 $875,000 $1,020,000 $1,085,000 $1,250,000 $1,305,000 $1,325,000

3420 EASTERN AVE 3816 KINGS WAY 3013 BERTIS DR 3618 HILLCREST LN 3910 HILLCREST LN 2249 TAMARACK WAY 4320 RIO VISTA AVE 2612 CATALINA DR 4524 BELCREST WAY 4621 RAVENWOOD AVE 3133 BECERRA WAY 3906 STONESIFER CT 4140 EDISON AVE 3901 HANCOCK DR

$450,000 $450,000 $450,000 $450,000 $482,000 $495,000 $500,000 $540,000 $574,900 $635,000 $669,000 $686,000 $764,000 $790,000

4500 BREUNER AVE 549 SAN ANTONIO WAY 5032 T ST 1346 - 55TH ST 856 - 55TH ST 5900 CALLISTER AVE 3991 MCKINLEY BLVD 942 EL DORADO WAY 4451 MODDISON AVE 1641 BERKELEY WAY 4215 G ST 925 SONOMA WAY 1361 LOUIS WAY 288 TIVOLI WAY 629 - 54TH ST 962 - 41ST ST 5824 N ST 425 SAN ANTONIO WAY 1000 - 41ST ST 763 EL DORADO WAY 1000 - 43RD ST 5418 SPILMAN AVE 5154 E ST 1633 - 42ND ST 5133 DOVER AVE 5261 F ST 801 - 43RD ST 816 - 47TH ST 1028 - 40TH ST 1125 - 43RD ST 1375 - 44TH ST 5249 SUTTER PARK WAY

$475,000 $529,000 $540,000 $590,000 $615,000 $625,000 $635,000 $655,000 $665,000 $701,000 $709,000 $715,000 $715,978 $750,000 $750,000 $765,000 $772,000 $817,500 $817,500 $853,000 $875,000 $899,000 $912,366 $940,000 $952,000 $1,057,820 $1,095,500 $1,175,000 $1,215,000 $1,300,000 $1,650,000 $1,950,000

7372 AMHERST ST 2524 - 47TH AVE 7542 - 29TH ST 1560 ZELDA WAY 5875 GLORIA DR 2758 WOOD VIOLET WAY 2444 ENCINAL AVE 2176 - 68TH AVE 7466 - 19TH ST 6473 ROMACK CIR 5331 - 24TH ST 2024 FLORIN RD 7517 SCHREINER ST 1467 - 64TH AVE 7356 - 21ST ST 2024 - 63RD AVE 2122 - 60TH AVE 1871 NIANTIC WAY 2450 - 27TH AVE 2270 - 24TH AVE 12 CANYON TREE CT 1612 AKRON WAY 2275 MURIETA WAY 5416 SALVATOR WAY 2221 - 22ND AVE 1278 - 43RD AVE 4507 MARION CT 4785 REX CT 4901 JOAQUIN WAY 2309 ANITA AVE 1121 - 35TH AVE 4304 ULRICH WAY 1176 BROWNWYK DR 4040 WARREN AVE 4278 WARREN AVE 3912 BARTLEY DR

$250,000 $254,000 $255,000 $267,000 $270,000 $289,000 $290,000 $293,000 $310,000 $320,000 $328,000 $330,000 $335,000 $345,000 $345,000 $350,000 $355,000 $360,000 $390,000 $400,000 $415,000 $420,000 $440,000 $458,000 $469,000 $484,000 $500,000 $563,000 $568,000 $570,000 $580,000 $610,000 $616,000 $619,000 $760,000 $1,350,000

95819

95821

2551 FULTON SQUARE LN #46 2621 ETHAN WAY 3815 ANNADALE LN 2248 EL CAMINO AVE 3321 BLUEGRASS RD 2851 HERBERT WAY 2931 BRYCE ST 3608 FRENCH AVE 2652 BALL WAY 2824 KERRIA WAY 2911 BELL ST 3209 BACK CIR 3536 DOMICH WAY 3700 WEST WAY 3020 TAMALPAIS WAY 3346 SAINT MATHEWS DR 2570 VERNA WAY 2500 CASTLEWOOD DR 3000 YELLOWSTONE LN 2825 CLOVER LN 2581 BUTANO DR 3741 HUFF WAY 4007 NORRIS AVE 3524 POPE AVE 3204 MONTCLAIRE ST 3112 CREST HAVEN DR 3208 EASTWOOD RD 3708 MERRILY WAY 3805 SUNNYVALE AVE 3228 LIBBY WAY 3821 WEST WAY 3624 ARDMORE RD 3626 NAIFY ST 4242 RIO TINTO AVE 4130 WHEAT ST

$225,000 $240,000 $280,000 $280,000 $300,000 $310,000 $322,931 $330,000 $335,000 $335,000 $335,000 $340,000 $343,500 $345,000 $350,000 $350,000 $355,000 $360,000 $365,000 $367,000 $375,000 $390,000 $400,000 $400,000 $404,000 $405,000 $410,000 $410,000 $417,000 $420,000 $420,000 $423,000 $425,000 $426,000 $440,000

95822

95825

973 FULTON AVE #484 788 WOODSIDE LN EAST #5 786 WOODSIDE LN #12 886 WOODSIDE LN #1 1019 DORNAJO WAY #230 2432 LARKSPUR LN #285 546 WOODSIDE OAKS #8 521 WOODSIDE OAKS #6 3209 CASITAS BONITO 1365 HOOD RD 841 E WOODSIDE LN #15 2391 ALTA GARDEN LN 3122 VIA GRANDE 2341 ESTRELLITA WAY 2317 ESTRELLITA WAY 713 E WOODSIDE LN #1 2274 SIERRA BLVD #F 1422 COMMONS DR 2247 MONTE CASSINO LN 1604 WAYLAND AVE 1535 BELL ST 1039 COMMONS DR 29 ADELPHI CT 2242 MONTE CASSINO LN 710 RANCH RD 2312 HIGHRIDGE DR 2238 MONTE CASSINO LN 2770 MONTE CASSINO LN 2076 UNIVERSITY PARK DR 311 RANCH RD 342 RIO DEL ORO LN

$150,000 $170,000 $171,950 $175,000 $175,000 $188,000 $189,000 $205,000 $207,100 $220,000 $225,000 $230,000 $280,000 $306,000 $315,000 $329,900 $330,000 $340,000 $348,950 $355,000 $365,288 $370,000 $370,000 $371,000 $375,000 $375,000 $385,000 $386,950 $399,000 $410,000 $419,000

819 COMMONS DR 120 RANCH RD 1055 VANDERBILT WAY 2316 CORTEZ LN 503 RANCH RD 1137 VANDERBILT WAY 2263 SWARTHMORE DR 3125 ELLINGTON CIR 1402 COMMONS DR 2324 LOMA VISTA DR 806 DUNBARTON CIR 191 HARTNELL PL 2319 AMERICAN RIVER DR 210 RANCH RD

95831

$420,000 $425,000 $427,000 $435,000 $439,000 $454,000 $454,000 $455,000 $462,000 $470,500 $505,000 $517,000 $580,000 $590,000

507 ROUNDTREE CT 6241 RIVERSIDE BLVD 543 LEEWARD WAY 6015 RIVERSIDE BLVD 7518 SALTON SEA WAY 42 STARLIT CIR 7324 WILLOW LAKE WAY 6975 RIVERSIDE BLVD 101 STARLIT CIR 80 CAVALCADE CIR 874 ROYAL GREEN AVE 724 BRIDGESIDE DR 6679 SURFSIDE WAY 24 SOUTHLITE CIR 1237 MONTE VISTA WAY 360 HATTERAS WAY 7081 FLINTWOOD WAY 210 PORTINAO CIR 1405 PALOMAR CIR 6120 - 13TH ST 7701 SILVA RANCH WAY 6645 FORDHAM WAY 619 LELANDHAVEN WAY 7625 MARINA COVE DR 7790 OAK BAY CIR 6 STILL SHORE CT

$250,088 $254,000 $286,000 $311,000 $432,000 $435,000 $460,000 $480,000 $486,000 $498,000 $519,000 $525,000 $555,000 $562,000 $570,000 $570,000 $570,900 $585,000 $592,500 $625,000 $685,000 $710,000 $778,000 $925,000 $1,095,873 $1,238,888

3416 TEMBROOK DR 3309 MAYFAIR DR 1501 GREENHILLS RD 1300 SEBASTIAN WAY 3124 WINDSOR DR 1325 SHADOWGLEN RD 929 PATRICIA WAY 3128 BERKSHIRE WAY 1225 RUSHDEN DR 2801 HILLDALE RD 2020 CERES WAY 2418 CATALINA DR 2929 HOLT WAY 2422 CATALINA DR 1406 GLADSTONE DR 1713 ORION WAY 2125 MARYAL DR 2335 MARYAL DR 1 PARK SIERRA LN 4441 ALDERWOOD WAY 801 WATT AVE 751 EL ENCINO WAY 3000 JOSEPH AVE 640 CASMALIA WAY 2823 ROXBURGH LN 3915 EL RICON WAY 1512 STEWART RD 1005 ENTRADA RD 1228 LANTERN CT 2610 KADEMA DR 3755 ESPERANZA DR 2711 LATHAM DR 729 COLUMBIA DR 530 THORNLEY WAY 4620 ASHTON DR 706 MORSE AVE 3317 SIERRA OAKS DR 1711 LADINO RD 1465 EL TEJON WAY 3121 MORELAND CT 1130 LYNNDALE DR

$270,000 $305,000 $310,030 $325,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $341,000 $350,000 $357,000 $365,000 $365,000 $369,500 $370,000 $421,000 $440,000 $445,000 $475,000 $491,277 $509,900 $522,500 $525,000 $553,000 $580,000 $619,000 $650,000 $660,000 $665,000 $700,000 $700,000 $730,000 $745,000 $750,000 $825,000 $975,000 $1,225,000 $1,275,000 $1,325,000 $1,415,000 $1,500,000 $1,995,000

95864

VISIT INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM FOR COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD REAL ESTATE GUIDES WITH 6 MONTH HISTORICAL SALES DATA * BASED UPON INFORMATION FROM METROLIST SERVICES, INC, FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1, 2020 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020. DUNNIGAN, REALTORS DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THESE SALES

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Love Blossoms Judy and Jack Foote

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER FOR THESE COUPLES

V

alentine’s Day brings out friendship and love in many of us. This month’s Pocket Life shares two love stories from local residents as we look to Feb. 14. What’s it like for seniors to fall in love again? One answer came from Mas Hatano, who Inside readers may remember celebrated his 92nd birthday with a bicycle “ride-by” to avoid problems with COVID-19. Hatano has been busy in other ways. He won the heart of a fellow resident at

CM By Corky Mau Meet Your Neighbor

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ACC Greenhaven Terrace Apartments. His friendship with Yvonne Jung grew out of a mutual fondness for daily walks around the complex. At some point, they realized their friendship was something more—they had fallen in love. It was a yearlong courtship that resulted in an August 2020 marriage. “What I love about him is that he’s so easy to talk to and a real gentleman,” says the bride, who changed her name to Jung-Hatano. “Our first date was lunch at Shari’s restaurant. We walked there and I was impressed that he was so fit at his age.” Hatano smiles at the story. He adds, “I love her sense of humor. We laugh a lot. I’m lucky to have found someone who can make me laugh every day!” Jung-Hatano, 82, didn’t fall easily. Her new husband tried three marriage proposals. The first came in March with a note written in Spanish, which Jung was studying at the time. She declined.

Mas Hatano and Yvonne Jung Photos by Aniko Kiezel

She had been married and widowed twice. Why get married again? Hatano didn’t quit. He asked a second time, but was turned down. To discourage her suitor, she told him, “I don’t cook, I don’t clean house and I’m high maintenance!” Hatano responded, “It’s OK, we can eat out and I’ll clean house.” For a couple of months, Jung lived with her daughter. Every night at 8 o’clock, she spoke on the phone with Hatano. During one call, she finally agreed to marry—with one condition. Hatano had to promise he would live to be at least 100. “I said sure. Third time’s the charm,” Hatano says. Readers might ask, Why get married now? Simple, the newlyweds say, it’s no fun to grow old alone. Both enjoy having a companion and hope to take a honeymoon cruise to Alaska later this year.

Brittany Yamada, life enrichment manager at Greenhaven Terrace, says, “Most residents move here and hope to make new friends. For Mas and Yvonne, the unexpected happened. They fell in love.”

LOVE MAKES THEIR WORLD GO ROUND Two of my friends, Jack and Judy Foote, spent the past 57 years together devoting much time to music and travel. They met at the University of Oklahoma, where they were members of the “Pride of Oklahoma” marching band. Jack led the saxophone section. Judy played the clarinet. Her father was band director. “It wasn’t love at first sight,” Jack says. “But after one of our band concerts, we danced all night together on a newly built freeway to music from


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a car radio.� After that, they were inseparable. They married 54 years ago, right after graduation. Both pursued careers in education, teaching in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and California. Some readers may have been lucky enough to sit in classrooms with one or both Footes. Judy taught at Genevieve Didion Elementary School for 13 years, then became principal at Alice Birney Elementary. Jack spent more than 40 years at the collegiate level, primarily at Sacramento State, where the professor taught band, saxophone and music education. What’s their secret? Judy says opposites attract. “I’m a talker and Jack is a listener. But we do have common interests. Travel has been a large part of our lives. We love to experience new cultures and meet people.� Jack adds they both have strong commitments to their relationship and family life. They raised two sons in the Pocket. Beyond love, they admire each other. Says Jack, “Judy is my best friend and has qualities that attract everyone to her. She’s outgoing, friendly and highly involved in our community.� Judy says, “Jack is very organized and plans all of our trips. He’s calm in case of an emergency and he has great musical

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abilities. He likes to teach saxophone and arrange music for student ensembles. I’m very lucky.� Their advice: Remember what’s really important, look for the positives in your lives and enjoy your time together! Corky Mau can be reached at corky.sue50@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Capturing the

Chimera ARTIST UNITES NATURAL AND HUMAN WORLDS

Laurelin Gilmore Photo by Linda Smolek

JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

F

or artist Laurelin Gilmore, “being publicly yourself is revolutionary.” Whether that means embracing your physical appearance, your personality or your place in the world, being as “you” as possible takes an act of bravery.

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Lucky for us, Gilmore is one of those brave people—and she hopes her art helps others feel that way too. “Anybody who’s a little bit different feels like a little bit of an alien,” explains the artist, who was diagnosed with vitiligo (a condition in which skin

loses pigment in patches) at age 9. “Looking to the natural world to see that you’re not abnormal—that you’re not outside of the natural—helped me see the beauty of (being different).” Gilmore explored her experience living with vitiligo in a 2015 solo show

at Gallery 2110 in Sacramento called “SPOTLIGHT: A Show About Light Spots.” In the show, she depicted dappling found in nature—light in water or through a window, the scales of a koi fish, a horse’s coat, a bird’s wing—to reflect the dappling of her own skin. This is not the first time Gilmore has used nature to explore humanity. In fact, much of her art is dedicated to depicting the chimera, a hybrid creature that is a favorite of Greek mythology. Gilmore’s chimeras often take the form of a human being beautifully merged with another animal or natural form. “I was raised to have a deep respect for the natural world and its living systems,” says Gilmore, who was born in San Francisco and lived in Hawaii and Santa Rosa before she moved to Sacramento in 1998. “I like to explore where we humans fit into that. We’re not separate from other life forms. I feel like there’s a lot we can learn if we reconnect with our natural environment.” To that end, Gilmore began to explore how human traits we describe with animal language—being in a “crabby” mood or acting “sheepish”— could be depicted visually. She’s also fascinated by the zodiac, “a built-in mythology a lot of us are familiar with” that helps us describe and define ourselves. The result of this exploration is a collection of stunning oil portraits of women (often modeled after Gilmore’s friends and daughter) with ram’s horns, webbed fingers, a serpent’s tongue, fish scales, damselfly and butterfly wings, the bell-shaped body of a jellyfish, antlers and crowns of flora. With clever titles that are as much a part of the artwork as the imagery, each painting asks the viewer to look—and self-reflect. The animal-human hybrid imagery is also a creative expression of Gilmore’s own self-examination as a woman of “mixed race or blended ethnicity—split down the middle in a lot of ways,” as well as a woman of many talents. As a student at Sacramento City College, Gilmore earned associate’s degrees in both art and library science, uniting her lifelong love of art and books. After working in the Governor’s Office


of Planning and Research for 10 years—a job she loved, but one that left little time to devote to her art— she and her husband agreed in 2010 she would pursue art full time. That leap of faith paid off. Gilmore has now enjoyed a decade of solo shows, group exhibitions, awards and participation in special projects, such as the Ali Youssefi Project Artist in Residency. She had studio space first at the now-defunct Sacramento Art Complex on K Street and now at Verge Center for the Arts. She is also represented at Artize Gallery in Palm Springs and works part time at Richard

L. Press Fine Books in Midtown, a repository of rare art books. “Art is a universal language because everyone can interpret something from it,” says Gilmore, who’s also inspired by the work being done by Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts and Black Artists Fund.

“Art begins a conversation the viewer can finish. If a piece comes from a place of purity and inquiry, the person standing in front of it will feel compelled to examine themselves and answer the question in front of them.”

For more information, visit laurelingilmore.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Poultry Palooza

Quail eggs Photos by Linda Smolek

HELP HERITAGE HENS BY HATCHING AT HOME

L

inda Easton-Waller has become something of a mother hen. As the founder of GullyRumpus Farm in Rio Linda, Easton-Waller provides eggs from pasture-raised chickens at Oak Park Farmers Market and other locations. Now she has launched a program for families to incubate and hatch their own fertile chicken eggs at home. In addition to offering people the chance to participate in hatching newborn chicks, Hatch@ Home contributes to the preservation of heritage breed chickens.

TMO By Tessa Marguerite Outland Farm-to-Fork

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When she was a teacher, EastonWaller created a program called Hatch a Batch for her students to learn about raising chickens. In 2015, before she had her own farm, Easton-Waller started Rent-A-Chicken Sacramento, a program where local families rented chickens and coops. Even after her own children were grown and she sold everything to live on a houseboat, the chickens still followed. Hatch@Home is Easton-Waller’s current poultry palooza. Each hatching kit contains six or seven fertile chicken eggs, an incubator, brooder box, chick heater, organic feed, a guide and reading material, and an egg candler, a device used to check the chick’s development inside the egg. People can choose eggs from Delaware chickens (a heritage breed), quails or their own preferred type from local breeders. After the eggs hatch, the families will keep the newborns for one week and then have the option to return

them to GullyRumpus Farm or raise the chicks in their own backyards. The fertile eggs come from Dawnridge Farm, located in Grass Valley and a member of The Livestock Conservancy, American Pastured Poultry Producers Association and American Poultry Association. The farm is also certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan, a voluntary federal and state cooperative that uses diseasecontrol and prevention strategies to improve poultry. Heritage breed chickens include Persian Rumpless, Yokohama, Rhode Island White and Delaware. One reason Easton-Waller chose Delaware is because it is on “watch” status, according to The Livestock Conservancy, which could be due to the increased demand for fast-growing poultry after Colonel Sanders came on the scene in 1952. For example, the genetically altered Cornish Cross is a hybrid bird that grows to full weight in a swift 6- to

8-week period. It can take up to 14 weeks for a heritage breed to grow to full weight—twice as long as the Cornish Cross—which means double the amount of feed before the heritage breed will begin making a profit for the factory or farm. “It’s hard to see them grow up because they’re genetically engineered to grow fast and big,” Easton-Waller says. Heritage birds also don’t lay as frequently as chickens like Cornish Cross, but they are healthier and provide about three happy years of egg-laying. In 2020, GullyRumpus Farm rescued 300 chickens from a facility that was promoted as “cage-free” and organic, but the chickens were kept indoors. “We were shocked when we got those chickens,” Easton-Waller says. “The birds were 1 year old and their faces were totally white and their feet were white. They had been fed organic food but only soy and corn and no supplements.”


Linda Easton-Waller

She presumed the lights in the coop stayed on 24/7 so the chickens always thought it was daytime, and therefore produced more eggs faster. “We got them healthy and settled and had a good season with them,” Easton-Waller says. When the chicks from Hatch@Home are fully grown, they will be moved to a pasture to live in large mobile coops at GullyRumpus Farm. The chickens will live in small groups of about 12 hens and one rooster, and relocated every few days to have fresh grass to forage and all-day access to bugs, insects and worms. Roosters protect the hens from hawks, and alert them when they find especially juicy bugs in the dirt. These lucky birds also receive non-GMO feed that is free of corn and soy, and freshly milled within 30 days. When the chickens are old enough to produce eggs, the eggs will be sold to farmers and the community at GullyRumpus Farm. Hatch@Home costs $175 for a four-week experience. Education pods,

homeschooling groups, families and neighbors are encouraged to sign up for the program together. Families with children under the age of 5 are not eligible for a hatching kit due to the possibility of E. coli and salmonella contamination. While these bacteria are mitigated with handwashing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports people most at risk for severe illness are the elderly and children under 5. GullyRumpus Farm began distribution of Hatch@Home kits in early January. Kits are still available this month as space on the reservation list allows. For more information, visit gullyrumpus.com/hatch-home. Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

EACH HATCHING KIT CONTAINS SIX OR SEVEN FERTILE CHICKEN EGGS, AN INCUBATOR, BROODER BOX, CHICK HEATER, ORGANIC FEED, A GUIDE AND READING MATERIAL, AND AN EGG CANDLER, A DEVICE USED TO CHECK THE CHICK’S DEVELOPMENT INSIDE THE EGG. IES n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

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The Humble Burger Spicy chili patch burger and fries at Burger Patch Photos by Linda Smolek

OLD SCHOOL STANDS ARE A PANDEMIC STAPLE, EVEN FOR VEGANS

S

acramento has an impressive lineup of burger options during normal times. Willie’s Burgers, Flaming Grill Cafe, Burgers and Brew, Squeeze Inn and Pangaea Bier Cafe all boast some notable burgers. Each one, and many more that I haven’t named, brings its own unique take on the humble burger, and serves it up with an admirable lineup of beers and sides to boot. Locals can count ourselves lucky that the selection is still broad—and the quality is still high. Even after we’ve seen several burger-slinging favorites like Jim Denny’s, Nationwide Freezer Meats and Tiny’s close during the last

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

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few decades, many old joints remain, while new purveyors have hit the scene. A good burger joint is a treat. Sitting at a plastic table while juice runs down your forearm is a joy. But we will be living in takeout land for the next few months—and the overlooked genius of a hamburger stand shines bright. When I think about these old war horses, I think of Cookie’s Drive-In on H Street in East Sacramento and Scott’s Burger Shack on Franklin Boulevard. One place I hadn’t come across in my travels was Village Drive-In, a small burger stand nonchalantly tucked away in Tahoe Park. Village Drive-In seems like a throwback because it is. Despite an updated outdoor dining area and fresh coat of paint, if you look a little deeper you’ll find its midcentury roots. The menu is pretty straight ahead. Burgers, chili, fries and shakes, with a few twists such as fish and chips and teriyaki. But we’re talking burgers— and the “deluxe burger” is as iconic as it comes. A thick tomato slice, iceberg, red onion and American cheese top a larger-than-expected quality patty

cooked to “hamburger stand doneness” (i.e., medium-well). Village Drive-In is only blocks from Tahoe Park with open space and picnic tables. Take advantage of it on a sunny day. Village Drive-In is at 3810 60th St., (916) 457-3196. On the other end of the spectrum is Burger Patch, a newish vegan hamburger spot in Midtown. Normally, it’s a bit more of a restaurant. But during COVID, Burger Patch has been converted to a hamburger stand—one

order window, one pickup window, zero chairs. When my nephew, Joey, told me about a vegan burger stand in Sacramento, I thought I misheard him. But, in his resonant bass voice (he’s an excellent singer), Joey clearly said “vegan burger.” As a vegan himself, he would know (he’s a very healthy eater). Joey led me through the Burger Patch experience, letting me know the burgers are made with a Beyond Meat patty (a tasty, if not 100-percent convincing, stand-in for a beef patty), and topped with cashew cheese (a very

A GOOD BURGER JOINT IS A TREAT. SITTING AT A PLASTIC TABLE WHILE JUICE RUNS DOWN YOUR FOREARM IS A JOY.


Chili patch spuds from Burger Patch

Valentine's Day

Heart-Shaped Fresh Strawberry Tart

Sweetheart Cake Cake

Salted Caramel Sal Cheescake

Cookies

Cupcakes Handpies

Mini-Cheesecakes

916-442-4256 • 2966 Freeport Blvd. close stand-in for American) and all the fixings one might find on, say, an In-NOut burger. For this meat eater, the vegan burger at Burger Patch hits the spot. The whole thing is well seasoned with bold flavors and, dare I say it, real burger texture. If you blindfolded me, I probably would guess it wasn’t a beef patty, but the rest, from the cheese to the sauce, are fantastic analogs for the standard burger accompaniments. The real standout though are the shakes. Yeah, you heard me, vegan shakes. Joey told me to order one and he did not steer me wrong (he’s very trustworthy). The wide-ranging flavors, including seasonal specials, are indistinguishable or even better than the soft-serve-style shakes at most

burger joints. Sure, it’s not made with real ice cream, but neither is a softserve shake that is typically made from milk powder. Unlike the old school joints like Village Drive-In, Burger Patch has a slick online ordering system on its slick website that allows for contactless pick up and a whole “secret menu” to explore. You’ll also find plenty about the restaurant’s ownership, ethics and merchandise. Burger Patch has another location in Davis and a new spot opening soon near Sacramento State.

Order Online: freeportbakery.com

Burger Patch is at 2301 K St., (916) 750-4200, theburgerpatch.com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. n

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Steve Smith (left), owner of Chili Smith Family Foods, and sales manager German Moran.

Kathy Herrfeldt (left), owner of Home Care Assistance, with staff members Debi Brown and Krystal Avara.

LOCAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN KEEPS GROWING

Bill Crawford, owner of Riverside Clubhouse.

Rosie and Jeff Buck, owners of Buck Family Automotive.

Tyler Humphries, owner of Land Bark Pet Supplies.

Photos Courtesy of Cecily Hastings, Lauren Stenvick, Sally Giancanelli and Tori Viebrock

We are happy to report that the TAKE THE 100% LOCAL PLEDGE campaign continues to grow and pick up new supporters. We invite other businesses and groups to join the effort as well. You can participate as simply as posting our signs at your business or by donating to fund signs and other resources. Visit insidesacramento.com/100local/. For more information, contact cecily@insidepublications.com.

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SABRA SANCHEZ 916.508.5313 BRE# 01820635

MIKE O’CONNOR 916.801.8182 CalRE #01972804

KARIN LIBBEE 916.230.6521 CalRE #00862357

MATT JONES 310.903.7724 CalRE #01891116

SUE SMITH 916.690.6908 CalRE #01849596

SHARON SPRECHER 916.768.9785 CalRE #01367253

GEOFF WILLIAMS 530.574.0517 CalRE #01460174

COURTNEY WAY 916.804.7389 CalRE #01311904

CORRINE COOK 916.952.2027 CalRE #00676498

JONATHAN EPSTEIN 916.524.7735 BRE# 01978041

ALEX SEIBERT 916.505.5718 CalRE #01992842a

Sacramento Metro Office | 730 Alhambra Boulevard #150 | 916.447.5900 | ColdwellBankerHomes.com *Coldwell Banker Realty f/k/a Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Based on closed sales volume information for real estate brands from MetroList Services, Inc. for El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties in all price ranges as reported on Feb. 13, 2020 for the period of Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2019, calculated by multiplying the number of buyer and/or seller sides by sales price. Source data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. 21ARNT_SAC_1/21 The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.


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