Inside Sacramento - Land Park Grid - Mar 2023

2330 – 25th Avenue - $439,000

TURNKEY HOLLYWOOD PARK CHARMER 2 bed 1 bath with dual pane windows, whole house fan, gleaming hardwood floors and covered patio, garden and playspace.

STEPH BAKER 916-775-3447 DRE-01402254

409 – 41st Street – $950,000

EAST SACRAMENTO CHARMER IDEAL LAYOUT. 4 bed 3 bath with two bedrooms and bath down and two bedrooms and two baths upstairs. Built- backyard oasis.

NATHAN SHERMAN 916-969-7379 DRE-01875980

7724 River Grove - $625,000

SINGLE STORY GREENHAVEN POCKET HOME

2 or 3 bed 2 bath with river access. Owned solar panels and EV charging station. Open floor plan, amazing natural light

JULIANNE PARK 916-541-8403 DRE-01999740

1918 – 28th Street - $597,500

MIDTOWN HIGHWATER BUNGALOW 2 bed 1 bath over 1500 square feet of living space. Charming coved ceilings, built-in hutch, updated in the right places, kitchen and bath.

STEPHANIE FERRIS 915-402-9213 DRE#02016586

1045 Vanderbilt Way - $479,900

BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS COMMONS END UNIT 2 or 3 bed, 2½ bath in a private location. Recessed lighting, plantation shutters, updated baths and pretty kitchen overlooks patio

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982 South Beach Drive - $580,000

PARKER-BUILT CUSTOM RIVERLAKE HOME. 3 bed 2½ bath in gated community close to Garcia Bend Park, restaurants and shopping. Walk or bike to Sacramento River MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

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WONDERFUL SPANISH STYLE HOME. 4 or 5 bed, 3 bath. Elegant two-story with many upgrades, bamboo flooring, sophisticated lighting. Backyard oasis with pool

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CLOSE TO GENNEVIEVE DIDION SCHOOL. 3 bed 2 bath Gorgeous remodeled single story home with pool and backyard for entertaining. Breathtaking kitchen MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD A BETTER PLACE.

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JILL

ESTROFF

Jill Estroff, who lives in Curtis Park, worked as marketing director for the Crocker Art Museum from 1986 to 1993, and is now the art curator for KVIE. She strives to capture the essence of a scene in a loose, abstract style, and admires the vivid color and bold brushwork of expressionist painters. Shown: “Saturday Midtown Market,” mixed media, 16 inches by 20 inches. This piece is available at $875. Visit jillestroff.com.

MARCH 2023

VOL.

EDITORIAL POLICY

Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Sacramento. Inside Sacramento is delivered for free to more than 80,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. Inside Sacramento 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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Neighborhood Legend

JIM HASTINGS SHOWED HOW COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKS

Jim Hastings didn’t need to start a magazine. He was almost 70 with a lifetime of accomplishments. But in 1996, having lost a longshot campaign for mayor, Hastings and his wife Cecily embarked on a new career as publishers.

They had no experience in journalism, communications or publishing. Technology was poised to crush the cozy universe of printed news. The Hastings looked ahead and saw only blue skies.

The rapid transition from mayoral candidate to novice publisher proved Jim Hastings wasn’t intimidated by shifting terrain.

arrived in Sacramento and settled near McKinley Park.

By R.E. Graswich

Jim, who died in January at age 94, days after falling on an East Sacramento sidewalk, spent two decades helping Inside Sacramento defy economic gravity. The magazine thrived. It became a local institution, arriving at 83,000 homes each month, free to everyone, delivered by U.S mail, supported by community advertisers. It’s the magazine you’re reading now.

As a teenager, he spent nights in Florida ballrooms working as a professional dancer. He brought adolescent companionship to women whose husbands and boyfriends were busy fighting World War II. He eventually left the dance floor and found his own battlefields in Korea as a soldier in the U.S. Marine Corps.

For decades, he moved often and never had time to sink roots. This explains why Jim believed his greatest achievements came after 1989, when he

The East Sac community, its trees, parks, narrow streets, provincial shops, pleasant neighbors and visitors, formed the hometown he always imagined and never experienced.

Jim embraced his new community. He launched himself into the minutiae of neighborhood drama. He led campaigns to slow traffic on G and H streets. He organized residents to stop an oversized office building from replacing a church on Alhambra Boulevard. With Cecily, he founded a neighborhood association for McKinley Park and started the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce.

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“When the city was ready to tear down the Greek Annunciation Church and approve a six-story office building, Jim created a campaign called ‘No More Sunsets Over McKinley Park,’” Cecily says. “To make his point visually to the City Council, he projected the huge building on a street photograph of the church. The council withdrew the zoning approval for the building. A picture worth a thousand words.”

James Joseph Hastings was born Oct. 18, 1928, in Indianapolis. His mother was young and unmarried. Family members considered her unprepared to raise a child. Young Jim was placed with his elderly grandfather.

Jim was an adventurous child with an unadorned, effervescent personality that would reward and characterize him for most of the next century. He displayed independence at age 16 when he left his grandfather’s home and moved to Florida to finish high school. He was on his own.

Like other men born slightly too late to serve in World War II, Jim grew up amid tire and sugar rations and war bonds and victory gardens. He was imbued with a wartime patriotic spirit. When he was old enough, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, in time for the Korean War.

In one sense, the Marines provided the home Jim never left. After active duty, he remained in the reserves corps for 10 years and reached the rank of captain. Two days before his death, Jim was delighted when a family friend brought an accordion to the old soldier’s bedside and played the Marine Corps anthem.

Beyond patriotism and a sense of service and sacrifice, the Marine Corps gave Jim a tangible gift, the GI Bill. He enrolled at University of Miami, tuition paid by the government, and studied accounting.

There were complications. Jim fell in love, married and became a young father in college. He was accustomed to difficulties and fending for himself, but now he had a family to support.

Providing support meant work. Blessed with charm and enthusiasm, Jim discovered he could make a living in sales. He was friendly, earnest and persuasive. People liked him. He rang doorbells and peddled premium pots and pans door to door and delivered daily newspapers.

After college, poised for a career in accounting, Jim took an employment test presented by one of the country’s most prestigious corporations, IBM. The test was prescient. It indicated

he should forget accountancy and concentrate on sales.

Jim was hired by IBM and instructed to sell a remarkable machine, the IBM Selectric typewriter, to hotel managers in Miami Beach. Soon secretaries in many Miami Beach hotels were tapping out invoices and letters on IBM Selectric typewriters.

IBM was a gigantic company with global reach, but corporate executives in those days didn’t fail to notice some unusual success in the Miami Beach hotel sector. Jim was rewarded with a series of promotions that would continue for 30 years. He retired as IBM’s vice president of sales for the Far East. He was 55, financially secure, looking for something new, ready for a second act.

His IBM career carried him to many cities, always on the move, but rendered Jim a nomad. He was comfortable anywhere, yet he belonged nowhere. He settled in San Francisco, where a former IBM colleague sold high-end office furniture and needed help. Jim pitched in as vice president.

Around this time, he met Cecily, a Michigan woman transplanted in California, also selling office furniture. She was significantly younger, but sometimes love overlooks age. With his new wife, Jim left the furniture company and joined a firm that distributed fax and copier equipment. The work brought the Hastings to Sacramento. The town suited them. They were here to stay.

A corporate ownership change prompted Jim to declare his second retirement. A year later, he was a father for the sixth time, no longer young at 62 but committed to the joys and duties of parenthood.

This was when Jim’s third and final act blossomed in East Sac. He had a talent for fixing things, any gizmo that required nuts and bolts and flywheels and motor oil and wrenches and screwdrivers and hammers. He worked as a handyman and restricted his practice almost exclusively to elderly neighbors.

He loved to solve problems conjured in old houses by old people. His fees were modest and frequently forgotten. Handyman work evolved into fixing larger community problems. He spoke to people who felt helpless and ignored when they complained to city officials about speeding cars on H street. Jim was many things, but never helpless and ignored.

With Cecily’s help, he was soon organizing neighbors, striding into City Hall and dropping problems into the

laps of City Council members. They learned to listen to the former Marine.

Suddenly a community activist, Jim ran for mayor against Joe Serna, an incumbent richly entrenched in local politics. The upstart campaign was a suicide mission for Jim, but he savored every moment. He received 25% of the vote, a defeat he boasted about with pride. Jim loved to exceed expectations.

When Inside Sacramento started, the magazine was a neighborhood newsletter. People enjoyed the monthly mix of strictly local stories. The publication grew rapidly.

Cecily handled editorial matters, sales and community relations. Jim ran the business operations, responsible for contracts and billing, collections, printing and delivery. A commitment to neighborhood readers and small advertisers allowed the magazine to bloom while legacy print publications around it collapsed.

Five years ago, as he approached his 90th year, Jim began to relinquish duties to a young man under his tutelage, Daniel Nardinelli. In 2019, Jim was in a car accident and suffered a concussion. The injury produced dementia. His memory began to fade. He remembered faces but not names, and names without faces.

His façade remained undiminished, good old Jim, all laughter and happy greetings. After a recent community meeting, he told Cecily, “I sure talked to a lot of people. They all seemed to know me, but I can’t tell you who any of them are.”

Privately, the slow decline tormented a man who lived on wit and charm. Shortly after Christmas, Jim told Cecily he was nearing the end of his life. They visited a doctor who explained options for catastrophic and hospice care. Jim wasn’t interested in anything special. He was ready for whatever came next.

Even at the end, he was sturdy and robust. This was still a man who cycled 72 miles around Lake Tahoe at age 82. He was walking by himself a mile to a Pilates class Jan. 12 when he stumbled on the sidewalk, fell and broke his hip.

Jim Hastings thanked several people who witnessed his accident and rushed to his aid. He said two women who helped him were particularly attractive. He didn’t catch their names. As promised, he refused medical treatment. He died five days later at home with his family.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. n

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Bringing Up Baby

SACRAMENTO ZOO WELCOMES

NEWBORN MASAI GIRAFFE

J L JL

By Jessica Laskey Out & About

The Sacramento Zoo has a new resident! Shani the Masai giraffe gave birth to a healthy female calf Jan. 22.

The zoo is now home to six giraffes and one of 34 institutions managing 131 Masai giraffes in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums population. This is the 21st calf born at the zoo since 1954, when giraffes were first housed in Sacramento.

The Masai giraffe is the largest giraffe subspecies and found in southern Kenya and Tanzania. Gestation is 14 to 15 months. When a calf is born, it can be as tall as 6 feet and weigh as much as 150 pounds. Within minutes, the calf is able to stand on its own.

Wild giraffes are experiencing a silent extinction due to poaching and habitat loss. Their numbers have fallen by more than 40% over the last 30 years, leading to their move from “Least Concern” to “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The Masai giraffe is listed as “Endangered.”

‘TAKING DOWN’

Sacramento-based criminal prosecutor and human rights lawyer Maggy Krell has released a book about her prosecution of sextrafficking website Backpage.com.

“Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker” chronicles Krell’s legal fight against the commercial sex website. The book serves as a road map for other agencies fighting trafficking networks.

“At the heart of our work should be the survivors whom I have had the privilege to work with both in prosecuting Backpage and telling this story,” Krell writes. “It has been the honor of my life to stand with them as they speak up for justice.”

Krell was recently honored at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s HOPE Gala in New York City for her work. For information, visit maggykrell.com.

PHOTO MONTH

Wondering how to get involved in April's highly anticipated Photography Month Sacramento. The annual monthlong event, led by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center,

is open to professional and amateur photographers.

If you're an individual, plan an exhibit at a local coffeeshop or restaurant, host a meetup or photo shoot, or hold a workshop or lecture.

If you're a business, museum or other organization, consider incorporating a photo exhibit or hosting a special activation or reception.

Once you've confirmed your plans, post details on the community calendar connected to and supported by Sacramento365. com. For information, visit photomonthsacramento.org.

AL FRESCO GRANTS

Sacramento’s Al Fresco Dining Program has returned. The city offers up to $20,000 in reimbursable grants funded through the American Rescue Plan.

The program, which started in 2020 when indoor dining was shut down due to the pandemic, was made permanent in 2021. Grants support the cost of building or expanding a permanent outdoor dining patio or sidewalk café within a public right-of-way or private parking lot. Included are pre-approved engineered layouts, customizable design options and streamlined permitting process.

To be eligible for Al Fresco grants, restaurants must be independently owned and operate in the city of Sacramento. Grantees can incur reimbursable expenses between Jan. 11, 2023, and June 1, 2024. Projects must be completed and expenses submitted by June 30, 2024. For information, visit sacpark.org.

BOOK OF POETRY

Gayiel B. von Geldern has published her first book of poetry at 92 years young.

The Sacramento native has written in a journal every day since the 1970s, using it as a way to record memories, reflect on her journey recovering from alcoholism and get to know herself better. She started writing poetry in 1978 and dove in headfirst, taking classes, attending poetry readings and building a community of fellow poets.

When good friend Christie Braziel suggested she collect her work into a book and publish it through Amazon, von Geldern jumped at the chance to realize a lifelong dream. The pair

Masai giraffe is born at Sacramento Zoo.

completed “Please, Let It Be” earlier this year.

“I am so grateful to Christie for volunteering her help, skills and enthusiasm to compile my work and get it to the finished product,” von Geldern says. “Seeing it listed on Amazon confirms it’s a reality beyond my wildest dreams.”

ECONOMIC GARDENING

The city of Sacramento has selected 10 companies to participate in the third installment of Economic Gardening 2.0.

The program pairs local companies with funding, as well as experts and data to help them grow. To be selected, companies must be well-established, and have five to 99 employees and $1 million to $50 million in revenues. The program has served 16 businesses over the past two years.

This year’s companies work in technology, publishing, food and beverage, consulting and marketing. They are Sacramento Observer, e-Mission Control, Fast Break Tech, Garage Champs, Midtown Spirits, Unseen Heroes, Land IQ, Symsoft Solutions, Build Momentum and Signs Now.

“The Sacramento Economic Gardening program has really enlightened us on the tremendous business opportunities that we have overlooked,” says current program participant Kenneth Johnston, CEO of KJ2 Productions. “The research has yielded invaluable data that should assist us in growing our business.”

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INSPIRE GIVING GRANT

United Way California Capital Region’s STARS program is the recipient of the Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation’s 12th annual Inspire Giving grant.

The nonprofit will receive $10,000, as well as in-kind services to create a fourweek STEAM-focused summer school in South Sacramento for STARS students. STARS pairs tutors and students from underrepresented communities to improve literacy skills.

“The ability to read at or above grade level is a basic building block to achieve educational excellence and we need to do everything possible to boost literary performance, especially in underrepresented communities,” says Kyla Bryant, executive director of the Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation.

For information, visit yourlocalunitedway.org or metrochamber.org/foundation.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

City Council member Katie Valenzuela has instituted a new community service award named after Travis Silcox, a Sacramento resident and community leader who passed away in January.

Valenzuela describes Silcox as an educator, active neighborhood leader and advocate who never shied away from speaking her mind or offering her time and energy to help find solutions.

The Travis Silcox Community Service Award will be given to District 4

residents who embody Silcox’s spirit of social justice and community service.

To nominate someone, visit cityofsacramento.org/mayor-council/ districts/district4. Submissions are open through May 5.

HMONG EXHIBIT

More than 50 fifth- and sixth-grade students from Susan B. Anthony Elementary School have partnered with the Center for Sacramento History to collect meaningful objects celebrating their Hmong heritage. “Kids Collect” is on display at the Robert T. Matsui Gallery inside Sacramento City Hall through April 5.

April is Photography Month Sacramento. Photo courtesy of Casa de Espanol: Pachamama Coffee Growers Collective Exhibit/Maria Harrington

Maggy Krell, author of “Taking Down Backpage,” is honored at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s HOPE Gala in New York City.

The exhibit includes jewelry, clothing and other personal family treasures accompanied by labels written by the students.

Center historian Marcia Eymann says putting together the exhibit allowed students to work on writing skills and explore their family stories. She reports that Sacramento has the third largest Hmong population in the United States.

“To see Hmong traditional clothing and culturally significant artifacts be celebrated in Sacramento City Hall brings me such joy and pride for our community and our city,” says Mai Vang, the city’s first HmongAmerican City Council member. “I am especially proud of our Susan B. Anthony Elementary School students who put together such a powerful and inspirational exhibit.”

ADU RESOURCE

If you're curious about building an Accessory Dwelling Unit—also known as a granny flat or in-law unit—the city of Sacramento has made the process easier.

Free permit-ready building plans for detached ADUs are now available through the city’s ADU Resource Center. The plans meet all 2022 Residential Building Code requirements and offer all-electric studio, one- or twobedroom layout options.

“The permit-ready plans are a helpful addition to streamline the process for customers and to produce more housing options in Sacramento,” says Garrett Norman, senior planner with the city.

The ADU Resource Center is part of the city’s eight-year housing strategy to produce more than 45,000 housing units of all types by 2029. For information, visit adu.cityofsacramento.org.

JUVENILE JUSTICE

The Sacramento County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council Subcommittee is looking for two community members to make a positive impact on youth residing in Sacramento County’s Youth Detention Facility.

JJCC Subcommittee members help educate the public about Senate Bill 823 (also known as Juvenile Justice Realignment), which gradually transfers the responsibility for managing youth housed at the California Division of Juvenile Justice from the state to local county jurisdictions.

Members work directly with the chief probation officer and representatives from Behavioral Health Services, Child Protective Services, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Sacramento County Office of Education and Superior Court to develop and provide program updates for the county’s local Juvenile Justice Realignment plan.

“Kids Collect” Hmong exhibit is on display at Sacramento City Hall.

Gayiel B. von Geldern, 92, publishes her first book of poetry.

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“I am very proud to serve as the voice of business for the greater Sacramento region and promote the importance of our work on a national stage,” says Blackwood, the first female president and CEO to serve full time in the 128year history of the Metro Chamber. For information, visit metrochamber.org.

YOUNG SINGERS

The Sacramento Master Singers Scholarship for Young Choral Singers is now accepting applications.

Applicants must be 14 to 22 years old; from Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Placer, San Joaquin or Amador counties; current or recent (within the last two years) members of their school choir, church choir or community choir; and show commitment to and leadership in the choral arts.

Applications are due March 8. For information, visit saccoprobation. saccounty.gov.

40 UNDER 40

Sacramento Metro Chamber President/CEO Amanda Blackwood has received a national 2023 Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award. The

biennial awards recognize rising stars under 40 years old in the economic development industry.

The selection committee, made up of six economic development leaders and site selection consultants, evaluated nominations based on strong leadership, commitment and innovation in the workplace.

SAFE SCHOLARSHIPS

SAFE Credit Union is offering $2,000 scholarships for 10 high school seniors continuing their education after graduation.

The scholarships are based on financial need, grade point average, a personal statement and letter of recommendation. To be eligible, applicants must attend schools in Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter, Yolo or Yuba counties and be members of SAFE (or their parents or guardians are members of SAFE).

Scholarship recipients can use the funds at any university, college, community college or trade school.

Applications are due March 18. Top applicants in each age category will be invited to an interview and feedback session April 8. One or more winners will be showcased at YouthSINGS! on April 20 at the McClatchy High School Auditorium. To apply, visit mastersingers.org, under “Get Involved.”

SAFE has awarded approximately $200,000 to students living in the 13 Northern California counties over the last 20 years. Applications are due March 15. To apply, visit safecu. org/2023scholarship.

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

Sacramento Metro Chamber President/CEO Amanda Blackwood (left) receives Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award from Julie Curtin with DCI

Photo courtesy of DCI

Water Everywhere

CITY’S FLOOD ESCAPE MAPS AREN’T REASSURING

Istill have nightmares about a guy who came to City Hall and talked about floods. He worked for the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and spoke words that terrified me.

Growing up in Sacramento, I knew about floods and the dangers they presented. Thankfully, those dangers were always theoretical or viewed from safe distance.

When big floods came they inundated Peach Tree Mall in Yuba County. Or they swamped roadways and overflowed canals in rural areas such as Wilton or Arcade or Dry Creek. That’s what I knew.

Floods didn’t happen in Sacramento, at least not anymore. A system of dams, weirs and levees guarded the city. The last time rowboats floated on Downtown streets was 1862, when a levee broke near today’s River Park and flooded the town.

Authorities didn’t mess around back then. They took the American River and moved it. They jacked up city streets by 14 feet. No more floods in the grid.

The flood control guy at City Hall changed my outlook. I worked for the city in those days. My sense of flood protection was based on levee integrity and drainage systems. As long as the levees held, no problem.

Not true, the flood man said. There was another worry that haunted pros who guide water around California.

The fear involves three elements: a massive snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, unseasonably warm weather in March, and a week of relentless springtime rain.

These three events can trigger a devastating chain reaction. As we saw in January, water management teams work hard to manipulate releases into the American and Sacramento rivers. But if there’s too much water, options evaporate.

Water is simple. It goes downhill. With too much water, at some point management becomes impossible. Rivers rise. Levees overflow. Even if levees hold, there’s a limit to their capacity.

Now I worry about snowpacks and warm spring rains.

Fortunately, the city recognizes this and publishes maps to project what happens if Sacramento floods. The maps are designed to prepare residents for a catastrophic flood emergency. Maybe you looked at the maps in January. If not, you should.

The maps show potential water depths in different parts of town. They show roads that serve as evacuation routes. They show how many days or hours will pass before those roads fill with water.

The maps don’t offer any comfort to residents in Pocket, Greenhaven, Little Pocket, Land Park and Downtown. The numbers are based on fiction, a hypothetical levee break at Broadway and Second Street. They imagine a horror story that could instantly move from fiction to reality.

maps is purple, which indicates water depths of 16 feet or more after seven days. About 80 percent of Pocket and Greenhaven are purple.

Ironically, the safest spots are nearest the levee, where ground is higher. Pocket is a sink without a drain in the middle.

Evacuating a sink is a nightmare. City maps show Pocket exit routes where you would expect, along Florin Road, Pocket Road and Meadowview Road. But the city warns those streets will be impassable within two days of the mythical Broadway levee break. Florin Road, running down the middle of the sink, will be too deep to cross within 24 hours.

By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

The flood guy explained why Folsom Dam required expansion: to hold more water upstream during a spring runoff.

Within two hours, Interstate 5 will be impassable from Downtown to Sutterville Road. Same with Riverside Boulevard and parts of Land Park Drive. The only open path out of town is Highway 99, but getting there isn’t easy. After seven days, Land Park is way underwater, anywhere from 8 to 16 feet. Or deeper.

The outlook is no better for Pocket residents. The worst color on the

As noted, the Broadway levee break is hypothetical. It could happen anywhere. Or the levees could overflow. Either way, my advice is pay attention to the Sierra snowpack. Remember what happened in January. Pray for a cool spring with little rain.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.con. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

OFF BROADWAY

BOULEVARD’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL DIDN’T START YESTERDAY

Joe Marty, who hit a home run for the Chicago Cubs in the 1938 World Series, returned to Sacramento and opened a saloon next to The Tower Theatre on Broadway. Marty was a foul-mouthed racist, but he had a poetic side. He never referred to his street as Broadway. He called it the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

Marty died in 1984. His saloon burned in 2005. Today a bar and cafe operate as proxies. Only the neon sign out front, with Marty’s name autographed across a baseball, survives.

Not long ago, I spent hours walking Broadway from Fifth Street to 25th Street. I walked slow, took notes, snapped photos.

My trek was inspired by complaints from residents in Land Park and Midtown worn out by today’s Broadway: a periphery of homeless camps, drug dealers and crazy people.

I’ve walked Broadway for almost 50 years. I wanted to see if the Boulevard of Broken Dreams is worse today than it was in 1980.

I love Broadway. It’s the most interesting street in town, a low-rise mix of grit, grime and hope. Broadway is where Thai and Indian and Chinese restaurants bump into tattoo parlors, where Tower Records spawned an empire and died, where guys used to line up at C&B Liquor for afternoon deliveries of tomorrow’s Daily Racing Form.

By R.E. Graswich City Beat

My old route included burgers and beer. The beer came from Shanley’s at Fifth Street, a dark little dump popular with Channel 10 employees. Then I’d move 19 blocks east to Bib’s Burgers.

People would say going from Shanley’s to Bib’s was crazy. Shanley’s was cherished for its Broadway Burger. But Bib’s BeltBuster was better.

Today Shanley’s is a cannabis store. Bib’s is McDonald’s parking lot. Unless pot and Big Macs signal progress, the Boulevard of Broken Dreams has tumbled from its 1980 glory.

Police crime maps show a cluster of 18 burglaries, petty thefts and vandalism around Fifth and Broadway over the past two years. Life is worse at 24th Street, with 21 robberies, assaults and burglaries since late 2020.

Cops didn’t publish online crime maps in 1980. Reporters walked into police stations and flipped through log books. Comparisons with today bring false conclusions.

Crimes that now produce an anemic police response and little risk of punishment—let’s say, stealing $500 in goods from Target—had far more serious consequences 43 years ago.

Today the street presents an acceptance of lawlessness that 1980 residents wouldn’t tolerate. Unless the inevitability of crime is considered progress, the Boulevard of Broken Dreams is worse today.

Speaking of Target, the store at Riverside and Broadway, called Gemco in 1980, sells vital merchandise. It’s a crime magnet, suffering about 300 robberies, assaults, petty thefts, shopliftings, grand thefts, car burglaries, drug and gun violations in two years.

By far the most popular crimes at Target are shoplifting and petty theft, which means someone stole items worth less than $950. The difference between petty theft and shoplifting involves whether the thief arrived ready to steal or was overcome by larceny while wandering the aisles. Either way, it’s just a misdemeanor.

Many people who cause problems on Broadway are homeless. Tent camps were built on 14th street and along the freeway on X Street. Tents were forbidden in 1980. They would have been removed. The Boulevard

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Where to Start?

of Broken Dream is a sadder, more desperate place today.

Broadway has always known bums. In 1980, the Volunteers of America Public Inebriate Center was a metal building at the foot of Miller Park. Cops hauled winos there. When they dried out, derelicts wandered down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

Decades before 1980, Broadway was called Y Street. It was the city limits. In 1910, Ed Kripp built a gambling hall and baseball stadium at 11th and Y—Riverside and Broadway. Buffalo Park, eventually named Edmonds Field, rose atop the city’s first garbage dump.

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams was never Easy Street. Nobody can tell me it’s aged well.

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

Over the years, I spent lots of time in two buildings that have generated countless colorful stories— the state Capitol and county courthouse. Both spawned captivating tales of intrigue and chicanery, but it was no contest when it came to which was the more inspiring structure. The original neoclassical Capitol is 149 years old and one of the most graceful statehouses in the nation.

The Gordon D. Schaber courthouse, named after the late, longtime dean of Sacramento’s McGeorge School of Law, is as far from graceful as you can get.

Opened in 1965, the boxy building and its cold, uninviting plaza personify bleak. Its architectural style is known

G D GD

By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

Judicial Beaut y Beauty

NEW COUNTY COURTHOUSE GETS WINNING VERDICT

as Brutalist for a reason. The tomb-like structure can get so overcrowded that it’s unsafe and inefficient. Judges refer to the courthouse, one of the busiest in the state, as a logistical nightmare that should have been replaced years ago.

For a long time, that was the plan. In 2008, the Judicial Council of California listed it as in “immediate and critical need” of an upgrade. Retired Judge Lloyd Connelly, known for his sound judgment and integrity, spent years calling out the building’s many shortcomings.

“We don’t have fire sprinklers above the first floor,” he said more than a decade ago. “It’s at the highest earthquake risk level that there is. It violates all the (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards. We don’t have secure hallways, so we’re escorting (defendants) down the hallways, frequently in belly chains, where jurors, witnesses, other people can see them.

Our holding cells are so far below the code that we have prisoners frequently forced to stand up. They cannot sit down during the time that they have to wait there.”

It is not just defendants who have no place to sit. When there are multiple

trials in the building’s 44 courtrooms (I witnessed several as a reporter), jurors would sometimes sit in the stairwells during breaks. There was no place else to accommodate them. Jurors, the public and everyone who works in the building deserve better.

For more than a decade, it seemed every time the state was ready to fund a new Sacramento courthouse, some other California city got the green light first. Our new courthouse was stalled by more than one state funding crunch. Construction on a 2.4-acre site in the Downtown railyards between H and G streets didn’t begin until late 2020.

Now the $514 million courthouse adjacent to the Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building on I Street is shaping up nicely. It will be 18 stories, have more than 538,000 square feet and 53 appropriately sized courtrooms, with enhanced security and circulation systems.

Scheduled to open in May 2024, it will include the court’s civil and criminal operations, a large jury assembly room, food services and a civil settlement counter. The new building allows for consolidation of court operations at five nearby satellite locations.

When the building opens, the old courthouse will be fenced off and eventually sold. Money for the new courthouse comes from lease revenue bonds retired over time by the state’s general fund.

Designed by NBBJ, a global architectural firm that planned successful public buildings around the world, the new Sacramento County Superior Courthouse will provide an attractive addition to the skyline.

It will feature a glass curtain wall on the north side that allows natural light in public hallways and views of

the American River, two aesthetic considerations clearly not on the minds of the 1965 courthouse architects. The new building will feature precast concrete panels on the east and west facades that match the Capitol, which can be seen from the site.

“At their most basic level, courthouses provide space for judicial proceedings to take place,” NBBJ’s website explains. “However, these buildings must also project an outward appearance that upholds the community’s faith in, and respect for, the justice system. The Sacramento County Superior Courthouse replaces an antiquated Downtown courthouse with a state-of-the-art facility that brings renewed prosperity to the region while meeting the judicial needs of its growing community.”

Sacramento is capital of the fifth largest economy in the world. It deserves a courthouse that not only works effectively but reflects the city’s growing stature. I look forward to the colorful stories the new building will generate in years to come.

Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

SACRAMENTO IS CAPITAL OF THE FIFTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. IT DESERVES A COURTHOUSE THAT NOT ONLY WORKS EFFECTIVELY BUT REFLECTS THE CITY’S GROWING STATURE.

100 Years Years of Solicitude of

CENTENARIAN MAKES HER LIFE ALL ABOUT HELPING OTHERS

“I intuitively felt they needed help,” says Fort, a longtime Arden Park resident. “I tried to develop protocols that would give them a better chance to move up the ladder.”

As described by the Institute of Education Services, MESA/MEP “recruits Black, Hispanic and Native American students and provides assistance, encouragement and enrichment programs to help them succeed in the fields of mathematics, engineering, science, and computer science.”

Fort served as ARC’s MESA and transfer center director and articulation officer and counselor, a liaison among the three regional public college systems, Los Rios, Cal State and UC.

“I really loved working with students,” she says. “Educators are kind of a strange breed. We help people to the next step.” She loved the work so much she continued part time at ARC until she was 87.

When not on campus, Fort volunteered for various organizations, including the executive board of Business Volunteers for the Arts, UC Davis Leadership Council and UC Davis Medical Center.

The medical center has a special place in her heart. It saved her husband’s life. After her now-deceased husband, Robert, was in a serious car accident, he spent three months in the hospital’s intensive-care unit. He was given a 10% chance to live. He not only survived but, Fort says, “he came back fast.” They spent that Christmas in the Caribbean.

Fort was so impressed with the faculty, nursing staff and doctors’ embrace of her husband and the care he received that she volunteered for the hospital board. Robert used his talents as a charitable gifts and trusts attorney to help fundraise for the medical center.

The hospital introduced Fort to Joan Stephens Hadley, a med center employee who became a close friend. “She is one of a handful of strong, trailblazing, compassionate and indefatigably determined women leaders with whom I’ve been lucky to know and call my friend,” Hadley says of Fort.

It might seem hard to imagine working until you’re age 87, but when you meet Mary Ellen Fort, who celebrated her 100th birthday in December, it’s easier to picture.

By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

Though Fort loved her job at American River College, what she enjoyed most was that the work allowed her to help people. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and counseling at Sacramento State, Fort taught psychology at ARC. Then she went into counseling and eventually helped develop the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement and Minority Engineering Program, which became a national standard for helping minority students get into science, math and tech studies.

Sacramento is lucky to have Fort, who sings the praises of the city she’s called home for 100 years.

“The people here are very warm and embracing,” she says. “They’re not afraid to try new things. We have good theater, art, music. It’s hard to put a finger on it. Sacramento has a message all its own.”

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

Mary Ellen Fort

Photo by Linda Smolek

CITY FUMBLES EFFORTS TO SOLVE HOMELESSNESS

Progress on the homeless crisis needs five components: monetary resources, political will, a model for housing and services, a place to implement

the program and adequate service providers.

With collaborative effort, the city and county can make real progress.

But first, elected officials must admit homelessness is a crisis. We often hear the words “crisis” from the City Council. But the actions enable people to camp in squalor on our streets.

That’s not compassion. And it’s no way to solve a crisis.

An example is “Camp Resolution,” where staff was told to move people illegally squatting on land deemed unfit for humans by state water authorities.

This was a tremendous waste of money. Staff was demoralized. An opportunity lost.

Not enough resources have been allocated to programs that create real change. With state and federal pandemic funds, we had opportunities. But much of that money was spent on other projects. Homelessness was not effectively addressed.

asking for cleanup and enforcement efforts, then reverses the directives.

Many models have been built to address the housing and behavioral health needs of homeless people. Permanent housing and supportive housing are a piece of the puzzle, but extremely expensive.

By Jeff Harris City Skeptic

City staff did outreach at the camp. But on the night before cleanup, Councilmember Katie Valenzuela brought so-called homeless advocates to a City Council meeting. The work was canceled.

The city can’t bear the financial burden alone. Private philanthropy needs to engage. City Council needs to stop tossing out one-off projects and create a cohesive plan to shelter and treat as many homeless people as possible.

A lot of money is squandered on knee-jerk reactions to storm events for underused respite centers. As the “Camp Resolution” story shows, City Council gives staff the runaround,

The city has supported a lot of affordable housing. But to deal with the sheer numbers of unhoused people, the best option is interim housing. Our congregate shelters are only marginally successful and difficult to manage.

For interim housing, I’m talking about small structures such as pallet shelters, modular stackable shelters or tiny home communities where behavioral health needs can be addressed. In a declared emergency, building code restrictions are relaxed, which brings down costs.

One of San Francisco’s nest

TIMOTHY SCOTT

HAIRSTYLIST FOR MEN AND WOMEN

The city currently spends up to $550,000 per unit for permanent supportive housing. Interim housing can be erected for about $50,000. Dignity Moves, a Bay Area nonprofit, has built three interim housing communities and demonstrated encouraging results getting individuals stabilized and ready for a future in permanent housing.

The campus-to-courtyard model used by San Antonio’s Haven for Hope is very effective, but requires many millions of dollars to build. Haven is supported by 60% private investment.

WellSpace has developed the Crisis Receiving and Behavioral Health center. It’s an effective intervention for substance abusers. We need to replicate this effort and build a wellness campus, a front door for homeless services.

The needs are clear: Cities and counties must supply places to build housing. They must support programs and service providers.

Sacramento purchased 102 acres in the south area to tackle the homeless

conundrum. But all we’ve heard from City Council is a desire to build a soccer complex there. It’s an ideal place for interim housing.

In contrast, the county has purchased a large warehouse to create a campus-style model. The county also set in motion two tiny home communities. I cheer these efforts, and wish the city would show similar enterprise.

As far as providers go, we have many. Most are excellent. Volunteers of America, Hope Cooperative, WellSpace, Shelter Inc., Women’s Empowerment and many others do tremendous work. This is not our problem area.

If we want to resolve this crisis, we need coordination of providers, more private resources, and cohesive political direction and leadership. Without these elements, the situation will only get worse.

Jeff Harris represented District 3 on the City Council from 2014 to 2022. He can be reached at cadence@mycci. net. n

NEWLY REMODELED HOME WITH BEST VIEW ON THE LAKE

6541 Chesbro Circle, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683

This property is a little slice of heaven. Overlooks water and hundreds of acres of ranch and conservancy land with snowy Sierras in background. Step onto your lake deck and experience abundant wildlife with swans, wild turtles, otters and Canadian geese. Watch bald eagles dive for fish. Secluded 2706 sf single story home was completely remodeled in 2021-2022. Primary suite has enormous walk-in closet and two separate vanities, seated shower and Jacuzzi tub. New junior suite has extra-large shower with pebble stone floor reminiscent of nearby Cosumnes River. Additional guestroom with bath. Open floor plan has floorto-ceiling windows for lake views and all new Hunter Douglas shades. Expansive great room opens to large deck overlooking Lake Chesbro. Remodel includes stunning new whole-house hand-scraped random plank designer hardwood flooring, tall baseboards, all fresh paint and new decorator LED lighting and fixtures. New kitchen with slab quartz counters has extensive counter space, glass tile backsplash, farmhouse sink, solid-panel cabinetry and entertaining bar. Oversized three-car-garage has new Alpine cabinets, new epoxy floor, new garage doors and a back fenced courtyard for a garden or dog run. New Bel Air Market, Napa-style restaurants, golf club, miles of hiking trails, biking, fishing, tennis and pickleball make this a unique 24 hour guard gated community. $1,298,000

For more information and a private showing

“I adore Tim!

Boxed In

OLIVE FARMER BUILDS SHIPSHAPE DREAM HOUSE

About five years ago, Sebastian Bariani moved from his Land Park home to be closer to the Bariani family’s olive groves in Zamora, north of Woodland. He became intrigued with the idea of constructing his new farm home with steel shipping containers.

“My family’s connection to containers is strong. We are an olive oil company, we import our bottles and equipment from Italy, and we export our oils to places like Japan,” Bariani says. “It just seemed to make sense, especially as I wanted a modern home.”

Shipping containers had other advantages. “We are out in the countryside, not the city. We’re exposed to the harsh weather, including sun, wind and rain, so we needed something strong that would withstand all these elements,” he says.

His four-year building project started before the pandemic and suffered delays with

shipping during the supply-chain crisis. He moved in about a year ago.

The home is 2,460 square feet on two levels with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Expansive rooftop decking with gorgeous views over the family’s 180acre olive ranch extends the living space.

The home is built with eight 45-foot containers and two 20-foot containers. All are 9 feet wide and 9½ feet tall.

“The containers provide the exterior walls, and some of the interior walls. Steel is very conductive, so we heavily insulated the 8-inch walls,” Bariani says. “Instead of a standard ducted HVAC system we used mini units in each room, which is very energy efficient and comfortable.”

“My home was designed to create a living space for my 8-year-old daughter, who lives with me part-time. She, in effect, was my client,” he says.

The great room, which is one of the largest containers, combines living and dining spaces. The open kitchen has sleek European walnut cabinetry, with black solid surface counters and chiseled-edge details.

By Cecily Hastings

Photography by Aniko Kiezel Open House

“There are no upper cabinets. Instead I added a large live-edge shelf built from a cedar tree we had to remove in our Land Park home,” he says. Cedar shelves show up throughout the house. The lower level includes a generous pantry, laundry room, half bath, and master bedroom and bath.

Sebastian Bariani with his cat Sushi

Dear Doctor, thank you.

Thank you for taking calls at all hours from people caring for a sick family member. Thank you for cutting vacations short, sacrificing sleep, and going above and beyond for your patients. And most of all, thank you for treating each of us with care, warmth, and what we all need: humankindness.

On Doctor’s Day—March 30—and every day, we thank you.

The two floors are connected by a temporary steel circular staircase. Bariani plans to install a glass elevator and move the staircase to connect to the rooftop deck from the exterior.

Upstairs space is devoted to his daughter and her many activities and interests. Bariani spared no detail with fun and custom touches.

A second rooftop deck features a wood-framed hammock and stand with generous shade canopy.

The interior has minimalist white walls, dark tile floors in several patterns, and modern fixtures and lighting. In the bathrooms he used faux silk flowers in wall panels to provide a cheeky contrast to the sleek design.

“I hung bath fixtures from the wall to make cleaning easier,” Bariani says. “We are in the middle of farmland after all.”

Italian crystal light fixtures add a sparkle and warmth to the living room.

The interior isn’t quite finished. “All of the steel columns are going to be clad in wood to simulate the look of trees,” Bariani says. “I do all of this type

of work myself by hand so I’m looking forward to some downtime from our business.”

The exterior is sleek and striking. Bariani sourced fiber cement cladding from Japan. The material was installed in both a rectangular cement color tile and in simulated redwood planking. “The wood finish helps warm up the exterior color scheme,” Bariani says. “And connects it to the farm.”

The location is adjacent to steel warehouses used by the farm. Bariani shares a driveway with the farm, and

created a generous gravel courtyard to separate the home from farm buildings.

“I planted a long row of tall blue junipers that will grow and provide shade and create more separation,” he says. His other exterior plans include solar panels on shade pergolas and furnishing his rooftop decks for outdoor living.

Bariani says building with shipping containers used to be more costeffective than standard construction.

“But the cost of containers has skyrocketed, and it is no longer an affordable option.”

Country life seems to suit Bariani and his daughter. He enjoys the independence that comes with life outside the city. His long commute is over and there’s more time to work and for family.

“My daughter has loved the farm life since she was just a toddler running in the fields. At night it’s so dark and quiet out here compared to the city. The stars are beautiful, and we hear coyotes, raccoons and owls,” he says. “It is our piece of heaven.”

Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. To recommend a home or garden, contact editor@insidepublications. com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Just One Look

RESCUE BULLDOG INSPIRES CHILDREN’S BOOK

By Cathryn Rakich Meet Your Neighbor

Piggie’s pink tongue dangles permanently out the left side of his mouth. His ears, mangled from a home crop job, are frequently infected. Arthritic joints struggle to maintain his 50-pound rotund body. His breathing is labored.

When Andrea Haverland and her partner Marc Morgan chose Piggie as their foster, the bulldog’s nails were curling into his paw pads. “But the biggest, most shocking thing was his nose,” Haverland says. A compromised immune system left his nose raw and

Andrea Haverland with Piggie

Photos by Linda Smolek

scabby, in regular need of topical medication.

Haverland and Morgan, who live in Midtown, had already successfully fostered three dogs for the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter. When the pandemic hit and shelters moved out as many animals as possible, “We thought it was great time to grab another foster,” she says. “It was a no-brainer when I saw his photo.”

The English bulldog/Staffordshire bull terrier mix, named Piggie for his endearing grunt-like noises, was found wandering North Highlands. “There were so many physiological signs that indicated he was used for breeding for many years,” Haverland’s vet told her. Layers of calluses and scar tissue on his paws are an “indicator that he had been standing on metal caging for a significant amount of time.”

Haverland says he was a “disaster that could hardly walk.”

As part of Piggie’s daily routine, he gets a head-to-toe “spa” treatment that can include paw soaks, dental wipes, ear flushes, face cleaning, eye drops, and coconut oil and balm for his nose. “It’s bulldog maintenance on top of his specific needs from his years of neglect.”

Despite his medical maladies, Piggie made his way into his foster parents’ hearts. In June 2020, the couple adopted the canine. By July, they were spending thousands of dollars on emergency vet care. “He was having all these breathing issues,” Haverland says. “He kept trying to die.”

One last blood test showed Piggie was positive for heartworm disease. “On the chest X-ray, you could see the worm load in his heart,” Haverland says. A heartworm test at the shelter prior to fostering would have diagnosed the

disease earlier and reduced the severity of his treatment, she adds.

Piggie underwent three painful injections into his hip muscles to kill the adult heartworms. “He didn’t lay down, drink water, or eat for 16 hours after each shot. He wouldn’t go to sleep. He was just miserable,” Haverland says.

The experience of fostering, adopting and caring for Piggie inspired Haverland to write a children’s book. “He is such a special guy, such a special lesson. He can be so positive and loving.”

In addition to telling Piggie’s story— and how Haverland imagined his past life—“Piggie Finds a Family” includes information on heartworm disease and the inexpensive medication to prevent it.

Haverland, who works in the marketing department at the Sacramento Zoo, has ideas for other books. “Rescue Pets Are Super” will be about animals with “different limitations, different abilities and special needs that make them super,” she says. “They’re all incredible with shining personalities.”

The special-needs animals “require more of your time and energy, but they will reward you tenfold with the most unbelievable, unconditional love,” she adds. “What you get from them, and what you learn from them, and what you can share with them in your daily life is so worth it.

“Every day we spend with him is a gift. He’s so easy to love.”

Follow Piggie on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok @piggiebully. “Piggie Finds a Family” is available at piggiebully.com and Leash and Collar at 1901 Q St.

The book is “dedicated to rescue bullies, pitties, and those dogs whose ears were cropped against their will. To the dogs deemed too shy, too old, too high maintenance, too dirty, or too unloveable. To the rescues and shelters and animal control centers who care for them and give them love they never knew. To the specially-abled dogs. The

dogs who just needed someone to give them a chance.”

Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

HEARTWORM DISEASE

Heartworm disease is caused by footlong worms that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of pets, causing severe damage to organs.

Pets contract the parasite through an infected mosquito bite. Dogs have been known to harbor several hundred worms at a time.

“Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease of dogs, and once a dog is infected, it is very expensive to treat,” says Dr. Laurie Siperstein-Cook, chief of shelter medicine at the Sacramento SPCA.

“However, it is relatively simple to prevent a dog from becoming infected with monthly pills prescribed by your veterinarian.”

The earlier heartworm is detected, the better the chances the pet will recover. The American Heartworm Society recommends testing pets annually and keeping them on heartworm prevention 12 months a year. For information, visit heartwormsociety.org.

GARDEN OF DECEIT

BE WARNED, MANY MYTHS SURROUND OUR PLANTS

Gardening myths are rooted in folklore and legend. Deceptive and misleading, gardening myths swing from harmful to amusing. Either way, science and research are ignored for a fanciful tale or preposterous concoction.

For instance, an ant swarm is necessary for peonies to bloom. Not

D V DV

By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

true. Ants are attracted by the bud’s sweet secretions and have no blooming superpowers.

Planting a bare butt on soil to test for the perfect temperature is a classic farmer’s tale. If the soil feels “comfortable” and neighbors have not called the police, time to plant! If you must test with a bare behind, get a second opinion from a more reliable soil thermometer.

The late Jerry Baker, a PBS regular during Sacramento KVIE pledge drives, insisted beer, mouthwash and baby shampoo solved garden problems. His homemade tonics, like Buzz Buster Lemonade for pesky mosquitoes, were hailed as genius or quackery. Personally, I can think of better uses for beer than an active ingredient in homebrewed pesticides.

Baker authored several books, including “Talk to Your Plants.” I know

serious gardeners who believe talking to plants can perform miracles. Not saying it works. Am saying a few bizarre practices may have a shred of truth—or dumb luck. An overwhelming majority are bogus.

Winter storms toppled too many drought-stressed trees in Sacramento. When replacing trees in our neighborhoods this spring, avoid the myths. Don’t add soil amendments to the planting hole. That’s a myth. Backfill with the native soil you removed to dig the hole.

Adding amendments, like peat moss and compost, may sound beneficial, but scientific studies show it can cause drainage and nutrient problems. Incorporating amendments in a heavy clay soil tree-planting hole can cause what is sometimes called the “bathtub effect.” The amended hole holds water and triggers root rot.

Once the new tree is planted in native soil, spread an organic mulch on the soil surface. It will decompose and improve the surrounding soil.

When shopping for replacements, look for trees in smaller containers, like 5- or 10-gallon. The myth is the larger the tree, the faster and healthier it will grow. That’s a big nope. Larger trees, which cost more, are often out of balance with more top growth than the root ball can handle. Smaller trees will likely grow faster and suffer less from stress.

It’s a common belief that root systems penetrate deep into the soil. Wrong. Scientific research has proven 90% of tree roots are no deeper than 18 inches. Roots can extend outward as much as twice the height of the tree! So be careful digging around trees and ensure irrigation reaches to the end of the canopy and beyond.

Misting most indoor plants does little to nothing for the hoped-for humidity benefit. Like a steamy shower, the humidity is there when you step out, but gone soon after. Orchids and air plants are the exception. Both collect water from the air. A bit of mist is a drink.

Mixing up homemade insecticidal soap using a squeeze of dish soap may put plants in harm’s way. In fact, blasting plants with a dish soap and water mixture could kill some plants and beneficial insects.

Dish soap is chemically formulated to cut grease and clean plates and flatware, not eliminate aphid, whitefly and mealybugs. It may contain fragrances and bleach, which can harm plants.

Insecticidal soaps from the nursery are formulated to target plant pests. Think twice about reaching for Palmolive. Choose a product on the nursery shelf instead.

Don’t trust online solutions for gardeners in New Jersey or other regions vastly different from Sacramento. Add “cooperative extension” to online searches or ask a certified nursery professional, certified arborist, or master or consulting rosarian.

Choose science and knowledge over myths and misinformation. Happy plants, happy gardener.

Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@ gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, 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

Design+Build Over 30 Years

Shifting

“After three complete remodel projects, we have recommended Fugina Construction to many friends and family, knowing that they will be well served. As a contractor, Kevin Fugina is an innovative problem solver with a keen eye for design. We never worried about the quality of his work. He is a perfectionist in every sense who takes no shortcuts as he stays within budget. We have been 100% satified three times over!”

June

June 26–30

July

July 17– 21

July 24– 28

Browsethecourse

-Alan & Debbie

Sky’s The Limit

VERTICAL DANCE COMPANY DEFIES

GRAVITY AND EXPECTATIONS

Awoman dangles from the ceiling, her skirt a giant parachute. Waves of fabric undulate through the room.

Two figures in snorkeling masks dance in tandem, suspended as though swimming in mid-air.

This is not an oceanic fever dream. It’s the work of Tony Nguyen and his company TwoPoint4 Dance Theater. The company is an innovative arts group that specializes in “vertical dance,” a medium that combines modern dance with rock climbing gear to create a unique experience.

The visuals described here are from “Fragmented Memories,” an immersive performance piece Nguyen and his company members created and performed in November 2019. They updated the work and performed it again in May 2022.

The production was staged at the Auditorium at CLARA (E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts) in Midtown, TwoPoint4’s artistic home. The group was founded 10 years ago in a 24 Hour Fitness workout room, hence the play on “24” in the name. Nguyen would love to have his own permanent

JLBy Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

Tony Nguyen

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

space, but until then, CLARA is a perfect base.

This month, however, TwoPoint4 leaves CLARA for its most ambitious production yet. “Reimagined” premieres at the Hiram Johnson High School Theater in Tahoe Park on March 11. The performance features a revamped version of January’s 1980s-themed “Brick by Brick,” a new commission from choreographer Laja Field, and the 2015 audience favorite “Cracked.” The company returns to CLARA afterward for its 10th anniversary show.

“Most of our shows have been more intimate, but Hiram Johnson has 1,200 seats,” Nguyen says. “We plan to repel off the front of the building and dance in the skies as people enter, if it doesn’t rain. Inside, we’ll have a truss system built onstage that dancers will repel off of into the space. It’s very visceral. The dancers will be inches away from peoples’ faces.”

Nguyen founded TwoPoint4 in 2013. He participated in dance classes in elementary school but didn’t focus on the art form until college, when he studied every dance genre he could at American River College. He earned

his bachelor’s degree in dance from Sacramento State.

“I’ve always been a creative person,” says Nguyen, who grew up in a “very poor family” in North Sacramento and now lives in East Sac with his family, including 1-year-old daughter Margot. “At the daycare facility I went to, they had art programs where we built things, destroyed things, created things. That had a huge impact on who I am as an adult. I want to make art whenever I can.”

That includes making art through a camera lens. Nguyen has been a full-time photographer since 2015, after working as an accountant. He mainly photographs dance, weddings and senior graduations, plus a handful of corporate clients.

Once Nguyen discovered vertical dance, he was hooked. He commuted to classes in the Bay Area and joined Oakland-based BANDALOOP, one of the genre’s innovators, on a world tour. He traveled for two years before bringing what he learned back to Sacramento.

“BANDALOOP is built on safety protocols and processes, so dancers

are more inclined to take risks and do fearful things,” Nguyen says. “TwoPoint4 was originally groundbased and we did a lot of partnering work, but after coming back from BANDALOOP five years ago, I added vertical dance as an element. It’s like a drug.”

Nguyen brings his creativity to the classroom. Three TwoPoint4 instructors teach modern dance to every fifth grader in the Twin Rivers School District, culminating in a spring performance at Johnson High.

“We’ll have reached 2,200 students over the course of five months,” Nguyen says. “We teach dance, but our lessons are also about vulnerability, compassion, safety, empathy, values that are necessary for humanity.”

For tickets and more information, visit twopoint4dance.org.

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

Drink Up

LOCAL CIDER DELIVERS NUTRITION, TASTE AND HISTORY

From an acidic kick to the warm taste of pears and apples, each sip of cider reveals the history and bounty of local agriculture.

Hemly Cider offers organic, unfiltered, flash-pasteurized nourishment in every can. No concentrates or additives. Sarah Hemly, founder and president, adds fresh juices of cherry, kiwi, Meyer lemon and mandarin orange after pasteurization. When she finishes, flavors of each fruit step forward.

Pear trees take up to eight years to produce. Hemly uses fruit from Courtland pear and apple trees dating from 1860. The land was bought by a relative of Sarah’s husband Michael Hemly for $600 in 1850. The cider company began in 2015. The family has farmed and nurtured this delta land for six generations.

Bosc and Bartlett pear and Pink Lady and Granny Smith apple trees twist their trunks out of land 5 feet above the water table on wintry days. Proximity to water and access to fertile soil deliver luscious and distinctive fruit.

On my visit to the orchard, Sarah Hemly tells me her approach to cider making: “Let the quality of the fruit speak for itself. Don’t mess with it. Don’t lie to people. Put good things in the bottle. It’s the right path to take for the customer and the product. Make it as simple as you can.”

Hemly uses as much local fruit as possible to provide a wide range of cider varieties. When local farmers have excess fruit, Hemly creates new cider combinations by adding fresh juice.

One beautiful aspect of cider is you can use imperfect fruit that many grocery store or farmers market customers might reject. These fruit seconds have the flavor and health benefits of perfect fruit. Using them in cider helps local farmers maintain their operations and turn deliciousness into a beverage we can all enjoy.

By Gabrielle Myers

Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork

Hemly has been the largest organic apple grower in California for decades. The farm partnered with UC Davis to create organic orchards maintained with integrated pest management. Cow manure fertilizes

Sarah Hemly

the soil. Sheep herds are being considered for weed control.

Sarah Hemly says, “We live here. We don’t want sprays on our orchards.” For her, farming and cider making are about “respecting the fruit, the people and the process.”

Hemly is a cider industry leader. She studied cider making and various techniques from Tasmania to the Basque region of Spain and Somerset, England. She speaks with awareness of the complexities and tensions that manifest in each bottle.

When I ask how we can support cider makers and fruit farmers, she mentions the pressures on farmers to bring quality products to market at reasonable prices. The cost of

farmworkers and the desire to pay them living wages while delivering products at prices customers accept is a challenge.

Cider is classified as a wine, sparkling and otherwise, in California. It’s taxed accordingly. This creates a financial challenge as retail cider sells far below the price of sparkling wine.

If cider had its own category for taxes, fees and labor, companies such as Hemly could continue to thrive and treat employees to improved wages without struggling to stay in business.

Hemly’s plans include helping other local farms. She wants to “see a resurgence in apple growers

in California, and to support other organic apple growers to increase their volume.”

Many apple growers left California due to financial pressures. Hemly holds as firm as the farm’s tree roots in delta peat.

Find Hemly Cider at Sacramento and Davis food co-ops, Raley’s, Nugget Markets, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, BevMo and Total Wine & More.

Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest book of poetry, “Too Many Seeds,” can be ordered from fishinglinepress.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Bad Sports

SOME GAMES DON’T ADD UP TO REAL COMPETITION

My kid got mad at me the other day when I said esports were video games masquerading as athletic competition. He said I didn’t know what I was talking about. He said esports require tremendous coordination, concentration and stamina, and involve lots of money.

Those qualities define modern competitive sports, he said.

My kid’s in graduate school, which means he’s smarter than me. But I was a professional sportswriter for 20

R G RG

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

years, and still know a few things. For instance, I know a great way to get sports fans arguing is to suggest their favorite game isn’t really a sport.

One notorious activity I’ll introduce now is auto racing.

Motor sports were immensely popular in Sacramento in the middle of the last century. Open-wheel and motorcycle races drew thousands to the State Fairgrounds, Hughes Stadium and West Capital Raceway. Some residents still enjoy watching vehicles go in circles.

In my sportswriting days, to suggest race car drivers weren’t real athletes was blasphemy. Arguments took a predictable course:

“You can’t call someone an athlete if they play sitting down.”

“That’s crazy. It takes strength, endurance, brains and guts to push a race car around a track with 20 other drivers trying to shove you into a wall at (insert high speed).”

“It’s one step above driving at rush hour.”

“I’d like to see you try it.”

Today there’s no debate about race car drivers being athletes. Indy,

NASCAR, Formula 1 are sports spectacles. Same with other games whose connection to athletic legitimacy brought laughter three or four decades ago.

Take golf. Before Tiger Woods demonstrated the benefits of weight lifting and diet, rare was the pro golfer who touched a barbell or skipped the 19th hole. If modern touring pros guzzle beer and don’t stay in top shape, they miss the cut.

These days, fishermen, chess masters, bridge and poker players are considered athletes in competitive sports. The Paris Olympics next year will indulge us with wall climbing, skateboarding, mountain biking and break dancing.

I can only guess what Jim Thorpe and Jesse Owens would have thought about wall climbing and break dancing.

But guesswork is relative. The 1912 Stockholm Olympics, where Thorpe won gold medals in decathlon and pentathlon, made tug of war a sport. Police teams competed for medals before crowds of thousands. Sweden

won the gold, pulling eight British coppers to exhaustion.

In the modern age, one way to tell if a sport is really a sport is to measure the depths to which competitors sink when they cheat to win.

Fishing tournaments are scandalized by anglers stuffing their catches with lead weights and bait. Cheating sweeps across the highest ranks of chess, spreading from internet games to in-person championships. My laptop can beat a grand master. Cheaters plot moves with laptops.

Even games that honor personal integrity—I’m thinking about bridge and poker—have seen top players stand up and accuse opponents of cheating. No world champ has kicked over a table and pulled a gun, but it’s only a matter of time.

One of my favorite sports is billiards. I like it for many reasons. It’s played indoors, requires physical stamina and deductive prowess, and obeys no clock. Time is irrelevant.

Pool ignores technology and savors tradition. Legendary players had

Pool enthusiast Jeff Townsend plays at Jointed Cue.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

wonderful names, Meanie Beanie, Boston Shorty, Tugboat Whaley, Wimpy Lassiter, Minnesota Fats. Gambling runs with pool and makes things interesting.

Cheating at pool is impossible. Cheaters need subterfuge and misdirection, difficult under artificial lights that illuminate green felt, cushions and pockets. Sacramento has the greatest action room in California, Jointed Cue on Fruitridge Road.

One time I asked Terry Stonier, who owned Jointed Cue, whether gambling might inspire pool players to try to cheat. “People are always going to gamble,” he said. “But here, they’re people who know how to gamble, who know how to win and know how to lose.”

Terry Stonier died in 2001, age 65. I wish my kids could have met him. We could argue about what makes a sport a sport, and why billiards beats esports all day long.

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

Board Games

MEETINGS ARE HARD WORK OR HARDLY WORKING

Serving on the Board of Supervisors requires more than attending meetings.

Each supervisor is assigned additional duties to represent the county on a number of regional boards and commissions that deal with issues such as transportation, air quality and criminal justice. There are assignments that involve internal committees within the county bureaucracy.

The board typically convenes to divvy up meeting assignments. This year was no exception.

The board clerk lists approximately 48 appointments that supervisors must fill from their ranks. The selection process involves going over the assignment list and seeking consensus on who is going to serve on what.

Those appointments involve attending many meetings separate from county board meetings. Or do they?

When the subject of serving on the County Leadership Advisory Committee surfaced this year, County Executive Ann Edwards acknowledged there hadn’t been any meetings of that group since she took charge. Newly elected Supervisor Pat Hume quipped, “Happy to take that one.” His colleagues agreed, but he still has more demanding assignments.

Regional boards, including the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, require the participation of each supervisor. Same with boards overseeing the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Agency, Sacramento Area Sewer District, Sacramento County Water Agency, Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Commission, Sacramento Transportation Agency, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, Area 4 Agency on Aging, Sacramento County Water Financing Agency and Sacramento Public Library Authority.

By Howard Schmidt Inside The County

Some of these boards allow supervisors to appoint alternates to attend those meetings. But not all have an escape mechanism.

Typically, supervisors find others to fill in for them on the cable commission.

They also can exit meetings of the flood agency. Most delegate their staff to attend. The transportation agency and library say substitutions must be other elected officials.

Hume, who represents rural parts of south county, sits on the Capital Southeast Connector Authority Board of Directors, Delta Protection Commission and Freeport Regional Water Authority.

Because Supervisors Patrick Kennedy and Phil Serna represent most of Sacramento’s central urban core, they serve on the Sacramento Regional Transit District.

Supervisors Sue Frost and Rich Desmond, who represent most of the urbanized unincorporated area, are assigned to the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission, which reviews various municipal services. In 2010, LAFCo processed the proposed incorporation of Arden Arcade. It was soundly rejected by voters.

And there are bodies such as the County Law Library Board of Trustees. No supervisor wanted that, so they assigned County Counsel Lisa Travis.

The Northern California World Trade Center requires two supervisors, usually the chair of the Board of Supervisors and the vice chair as alternate.

Desmond is this year’s board chair so he got the assignment. Kennedy humorously warned the job is a “huge suck of time,” joking for eight years there has never been a meeting.

Howard Schmidt worked on federal, state and local levels of government, including 16 years for Sacramento County. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

EACH SUPERVISOR IS ASSIGNED ADDITIONAL DUTIES TO REPRESENT THE COUNTY ON A NUMBER OF REGIONAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT DEAL WITH ISSUES SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION, AIR QUALITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

READERS NEAR & FAR

1. Conti Kolokotronis, Andrew Mills, Paul Bauer and Sotiris Kolokotronis in London, England.

2. Matt Dyas and Kim Smith in Seattle, Washington.

3. Yvonne and Eddie Fong in New York City.

4. Emily Sheffield and Shane Romick at the Xunantunich Mayan ruins in Belize.

5. Rosie and Zoan Ho at Gunung Ledang, the highest peak in Johor, Malaysia.

6. Doni and Reverend Robert Blumenstock in Casablanca, Morocco.

CALL FOR RESCUE MIGHT HAVE SAVED THIS DOG’S LIFE

Tell It To Waffles

Waffles was a stray when he arrived at the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter last September. The friendly 3-year-old shepherd/bull terrier mix became a shelter favorite. Volunteers called him a “belly-rub addict.”

The brown and black brindled canine was adopted Oct. 6 and returned Oct. 18; adopted again Dec. 11 and returned Dec. 15.

One day later, Waffles was euthanized.

“Waffles has a long history of being in and out of the shelter,” says Front Street Manager Phillip Zimmerman.

Waffles’ first return was due to fighting with the adopter’s other dog. “We felt he should be the only dog in the house,” Zimmerman says. “The Dec. 15 return of Waffles was because he tried to attack a toddler. She wasn’t injured, but we felt he should not be placed with children.”

No other dogs, no children. Common requirements for many dogs up for adoption. One problem: Waffles was never included on the list of dogs available for “rescue” by non-municipal animal welfare organizations.

At the time, Zimmerman says Front Street was “beyond capacity.” He says the management team had to make a decision. The decision was to kill Waffles.

“We have a dog that we know is dog aggressive in a home. We have information that this dog is potentially children aggressive,” he says.

Zimmerman poses a theoretical situation if Waffles was adopted a third time: “The perfect home. Mistakes happen. Dogs get out. Children walk down the street.”

On the theory that Waffles might escape, might come across a child, might bite that child, the shelter killed the dog.

17. No dogs were placed on the rescue list for multiple days. In the past, Front Street’s rescue list included “a multitude of dogs labeled with some sort of ‘aggressive’ tendencies, including dogs they say had bit someone,” Mize says.

Waffles had no bites on his record. Yet he wasn’t given a chance for rescue. Why?

“Are they perfect for the community?” Zimmerman asks about dogs like Waffles. Looking around at his staff, he adds, “The majority of us in this room all have children or grandchildren. But we should go above and beyond to try to find this dog a home when we have this information, when the entire shelter is at capacity?”

Waffles would say yes.

“Every other week, Oregon Humane would come with the big bus and pull dogs, and sometimes cats, from our shelter,” says Gina Knepp, former Front Street manager. “We also routinely sent animals to Idaho Humane.”

Knepp, who is now with Michelson Found Animals, networked with other area shelters. “I remember calling Bradshaw and saying I’ve got a plane to fill. I’ve got to put 25 on it, minimum. 50 ideally. Can I take some of your dogs?”

That no longer happens at Front Street.

By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

“I don’t know what their excuse will be about why they killed Waffles, or why they didn’t bother to include him on the rescue list,” says Elyse Mize with Fix Front Street, a group of animal advocates bringing attention to what they call the city shelter’s mismanagement.

Mize notes there were seven dogs, including Waffles, killed on Dec. 16 or

“If we had plenty of room and plenty of time, we would have probably put him on a rescue list,” says Lizz Thompson, Front Street’s shelter operations manager. “It’s easy to say put everything on the rescue list. But there are only so many resources and time that you have.”

Front Street reports approximately 80 dog and cat rescue groups on its list. The county’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter has more than 500 dog and cat rescue partners, including 19 out of state. The Sacramento SPCA has 505.

“Believe me, a dog is lucky if it gets on the rescue list because they’re killing plenty of dogs that never make it to the rescue list that are adoptable,” says Julie Virga with Fix Front Street. “They just need a little help. They just need a little TLC. They need to get out of the shelter.”

In addition to transferring more animals to rescue groups and other shelters, animal advocates say Front Street should hold more off-site adoption events and work harder to market pets in foster care. In midFebruary, Front Street reported 356 dogs in foster homes. Only 24 were listed as available for adoption on the website.

Waffles

Front Street also falls short promoting animals via social media.

Rick and Morty are two Belgian Malinois who found rescue, but no thanks to the city shelter, Virga says. When Front Street tried to leash them up, they “alligator rolled” on the floor. “They weren’t biting, they weren’t aggressive. They were just scared.”

Fix Front Street shared the dogs’ story, including their euthanasia date, on its adoption/foster/rescue Facebook page. “A Malinois rescue sent one of their people out to evaluate the dogs and they said these dogs were misrepresented. They’re fine,” Virga says.

“Long story short, we found a rescue and they’re out of the shelter. And they were going to kill them. These are exactly the kind of dogs who can be helped by social media shares.”

Thompson says the dogs were fearful on intake, but their behavior improved. “Could we have done more for Morty and Rick? Yes, if we had more resources. We did the best we could with the resources we had. Is it fun? Nope. Does it suck? Yep.”

The job of foster and rescue coordinator falls on one staff member at a shelter that took in more than 7,600 dogs and cats last year. In December, when Waffles was killed, 80 dogs and cats were euthanized.

“We got ourselves into this pickle where the dogs were coming in faster than we could get them out,” Thompson says. “Putting them on the rescue list, or getting them seen by a vet, or getting them out to foster, or making sure they have enough enrichment to make sure they are healthy and happy here, that all takes time.”

As for the rescue list, “we are not adding them as fast as we would like them to be added,” Thompson says. “But we are doing our best with the caseload we have and the resources that are available.”

Tell that to Waffles.

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

See No Evil

Not long ago I treated my daughter Brittney to lunch at Falafel & Shawarma Planet, a Mediterranean restaurant on Florin Road.

From behind the counter, the owner took our order and went back to prepare our food. The dining room was empty. We dawdled a moment to ogle the baklava display case.

The front door opened and a man walked up behind us.

“Don’t move,” the stranger told Brittney. “And don’t panic,” he whispered.

How could I not panic? I thought. We were alone with a “whispering mugger.”

LET GO OF THOSE COLORBLIND ASSUMPTIONS

I cautiously turned my head so I could describe him for police: light complexion African American male, 5-foot-6, average build, wearing athletic sweatpants and a jogging jacket.

Then I asked myself if I assumed him to be robber just because he was Black? No, I decided. I don’t see color. I’m not prejudiced. That’s not me. I follow Martin Luther King Jr., who said people should “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Dana Brownlee, senior contributor at Forbes, highlights a problem with quoting the “I Have a Dream” speech to prove you “don’t see color.” She says, “It’s like right-handed people saying they don’t notice the trouble that lefthanded people have with can openers, zippers and car cup holders.”

NBBrownlee says people of color hear three things when whites say, “I don’t see color.”

“Thank goodness I don’t have to think about race.”

By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

“Please give me credit for not being racist.”

“I plan to do absolutely nothing to combat racism because I don’t see it.”

Suddenly, I was seeing color. With a local crime rate 167% above the national average, I was taking notes about color. I felt sure we’d be the next people who become crime victims in South Sacramento.

Expecting the man to demand my money or my life, I began to imagine how a newspaper might headline the story.

“Brave Columnist Wounded Saving Daughter From Bandit.”

The man interrupted my racially motivated thoughts to say, “It’s OK, I’ve got this. Just don’t move.”

Finally I heard what I’d missed. His command didn’t threaten. It calmly reassured.

“Ma’am,” he told Brittney. “There’s a wasp settled into your coat hood and I’m going to try to remove it.”

With that, he took a piece of cardboard and somehow coaxed the little creature onto it.

With the threat removed, my daughter and I gushed with gratitude.

Yet our hero wasn’t done amazing us.

He slow-walked the little stinger toward the door, but the flightless wasp fell off short of the exit, likely

approaching the end of his 22-day average on earth.

If I had been the rescuer—and I assure you, I would not be—I’d neutralize the threat by stepping on it.

But not this man.

With uncommon gentleness toward a living thing, he scooped it back and set it safely outside the door.

Now a better headline would be, “Stranger Removes Threat While Cowardly Chaplain Cowers.”

I’ll close by reporting how much I paid for the gentleman’s take-away order for him and his wife, plus our own lunch.

Four meals, tip and tax came to $85.52, proving yet again how a dumb assumption can really cost us.

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

Neighborhood Real Estate Sales

Closed January 1 - 31*

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 JANUARY 1, 2023 THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2023.

DUNNIGAN, REALTORS DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THESE SALES.

LEEKS

This sweet, delicately flavored vegetable is from the onion family and is related to garlic, chives and scallions. Clean them well before using to remove grit between the leaves.

before usin

To eat: Braise them whole or slice and sauté for a soup or stew.

To eat: Bra

FAVA GREENS

The leaves of the fava bean plant are mildly sweet and buttery. Early in the season, they are tender and can be eaten raw. Later in the season, it’s best to sauté or wilt them.

To eat: Mix them into a salad or add to pasta or risotto.

CARNIVAL CAULIFLOWER

These multicolored cauliflowers come in vivid orange, green or purple. They are a great source of vitamins C and B6 and are high in folate and potassium.

These multicolored caulifl a great source vitamins

To eat: Boil the whole head briefly in salted water, then drizzle with olive oil and roast at high temp.

To eat: Boil the whole hea roast at temp

Monthly Market

A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN MARCH

BROCCOLI

California grows 80 percent of the nation’s crop. Broccoli is packed with vitamin C and dietary fiber.

To eat: Boil, sauté, steam or stir-fry.

ASPARAGUS

Asparagus plants are perennial; the edible spears are the new shoots that appear in spring.

To eat: Steam, grill or roast them and serve with hollandaise or lemon vinaigrette.

NANTES CARROTS

This French heirloom variety has an almost perfectly cylindrical shape, smooth skin, crisp texture and sweet taste.

To eat: Use in stocks, soups, braises and salads.

Lyon Real Estate

LOCAL LEADERS WITH GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

Spectacular Carmichael property! Gated 1.1 ac. w/ access to Ancil Hoffman Park. 3BD Suites, Library, 4 frplcs, pool, spa. 3 car garage. $1,795,000

DEBBIE DAVIS 916.213.2323 #01237920

Fabulous Wilhaggin home! 4BD/3BA, Spacious 3908SF home on a large .38 ac lot with a pool, sport court, & large 2 car garage. $1,125,000. SUZIE SMITS 916.837.5302 #01848670

Gorgeous Crocker Village Home. Spacious 3BD, 2BA,1869SF on a quiet corner lot. Primary Suite, Professional landscaping. $875,000 RACHEL SIEMERING 916.838.7594 #01049891

Arden Park Vista home on spectacular park-like .48 ac lot. Charming 4BD/2BA with an Ensuite. 3 living spaces, 2 replaces. Wood oors. $835,000

DEBBIE DAVIS 916.213.2323 #01237920

mahogany ooring, $598,000 JIM ANDERSON 916.806.4061 #01268030

Darling Land Park 3/2 on .16 ac corner lot. Sunny, remodeled kitchen & family rm. Owned solar, dual pane wndws, tankless w/h. Possible RV. $710,000 RHONDA HOLMEN 916.296.8886 #01189785

Peaceful Pocket retreat. Updated 2BD/2BA,1650SF. Great layout near river & park. Private, low maintenance yard w/spa. 2 car garage. $539,000 RHONDA HOLMEN 916.296.8886 #01189785

Meticulous 2 story townhome! 3BD, 3BA 1829SF. Many upgrades. Gourmet kitchen, vaulted ceilings, replace, 2 private balconies! $515,000 SUZIE SMITS 916.837.5302 #01848670

Beautiful 3 Story Townhome! 4BD/3.5BA, 1920SF Bright & open, cook's kitchen, balcony, loft/ family room, 2 car garage. HOA offers a pool! $495,000 BROOKE ROTHCHILD 916.220.0894 #02041946

Lovely Dixon home on a .20 acre corner lot! 4BD/ 2BA. Spacious living room, open kitchen & dining area, replace, garden, shed & fruit trees! $485,000 BROOKE ROTHCHILD 916.220.0894 #02041946

Land

Beautiful home in Gated Aviana! Popular 1,425SF plan! 2-3BD/2BA. Community Pool & Playground. Fireplace, Open & Airy Floorplan! $465,000 JIM JEFFERS 916.730.0494 #00768740

Tahoe Park Cutie on ALMOST 1/3 ACRE! So many possibilities! 2BD/1BA, intimate backyard with remaining land accessible via wide gate. $404,575 MOLLIE HAGAR 949.510.6440 #02062951

Charming updated East Sac home. High end HVAC w/ transferable warranty, new attic insulation, oating

Media Mixologist

EAST SAC ARTIST USES FOUND OBJECTS TO CREATE NEW WORLDS

When you visit mixed media artist Linda Paris’ website or East Sacramento home studio, you’ll find a treasure trove of work, from collages and paintings to dioramas of found objects. What you won’t find is the artist’s biography.

“My philosophy is I like people to interact with the work. I don’t want a provenance or bio to interfere with that,” Paris says. “It’s the piece that we’re selling, not me.”

JLBy Jessica Laskey Open Studio

Linda Paris

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Interacting with Paris’ work is like jumping down the rabbit hole into another world.

In her collage “The House of 39th,” a skeleton sits in a school chair in front of a white house while a pair of binoculars stare out from an upstairs window. An airplane flies alongside a hot air balloon while a tall woman in ornate garb stands sentinel on the lawn with a bird on her head. Another woman—dressed decidedly more modern—stares at her.

In “Anomalies and Curiosities of Nature,” a series of miniature dioramas, Paris positions objects such as driftwood, shells, rocks and animal bones she finds on hikes to create scenes of creatures, including the Dwarfus Hippopotamus.

Text on the box tells us these are “usually no larger than a small cat, weighing up to 20 lbs.”

“I’m very much a nature person,” says Paris, who has lived, worked and shown her work in Seattle and Portland. “It brings me joy and peace and curiosity watching animals and birds. I don’t know anything about their world. I’m not in their mind, I’m not instinctual like they are, so I get to make up the story. It becomes delightful and interesting, whereas with humans, I can pretty much predict what they’re thinking.”

The storytelling nature of art has always appealed to Paris. She remembers making up stories to go along with her drawings as a child. The narrative thread continues in her work. “Because I’m not an abstract painter, my pull is different. It’s about creating a visual narrative, and

those are endless. The piece has to speak to you,” she says.

Paris loved art from an early age— she bought her first art piece at age 10—but didn’t think it could be her profession. She started college studies in music and English but realized she couldn’t make money, so she turned to teaching, one of the “three or four professions” Paris says were encouraged for women at the time.

She always kept art in her “back pocket.” After starting a family, she began drawing and painting again, teaching piano to pay for art supplies and classes. She earned a master’s degree in painting at Sacramento State. When her employers at Tower Books asked her to become their inhouse artist, something clicked.

“At that point I said, that’s it, I’m going after this. This is what I want to do,” Paris says.

Since then, Paris has turned out an impressive oeuvre that has sold all over the country. Working in series, she pushes an idea until she runs out of materials or “the story ends itself,” which has resulted in a fascinating amalgam of work.

Projects include Books as Objects, “a cross between a painting and a thing” that includes original text and imagery. Another is Bird Circles, which depicts real and imagined worlds inhabited by feathered creatures. She works on dioramas, collages incorporating encaustic wax, paper, paint, gold leaf and cloth, and paintings.

“I love the mystery and exploration. It’s like being on an adventure,” Paris says of her process.

“There are always rocks in the path and streams to cross, but at the end of the piece or series when you can breathe and your critical eye says ‘enough,’ that’s the joy. There’s always something else around the corner.”

For information, visit parisartwork. 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

Odds are you’ve driven by Adamo’s Kitchen without knowing it. The tiny Italian restaurant at P and 21st streets in Midtown doesn’t stick out, and that’s how owners Chiara and John Adamo want it. Theirs is a neighborhood joint with just enough seats for those in the know.

Opened in the summer of 2014—“I only remember because we doodled our names and date in the soft concrete when we were renovating” Chiara tells me—Adamo’s was not a restaurant that aimed for a big splash.

All In The Family

HIDDEN GEM SERVES UP HOMEMADE ITALIAN FARE

Yet, through nine years of hard work and considerable skill, the Adamo family curated passionate patrons who come from near and far for handmade pastas, all-day sauces, and the Mama and Nona recipes that fill the menu.

John and Chiara Adamo, father and daughter, never owned or ran a restaurant before, but it was something they always wanted to do. When brother and son Polo returned in 2016 from cooking at Gary Danko, one of San Francisco’s most prestigious restaurants, the family operation was complete.

Now, all three play a vital role in keeping this enterprise at the top of its game.

Polo dials in the recipes as head chef. He’s chief pasta-maker now. He has free reign to experiment with classics, coming up with favorites such as salmon picatta and a cheeky french fry dish marrying Kennebec fries with white cheddar, piquillo peppers, caramelized onions and bacon.

Chiara runs the restaurant. “We like keeping things simple,” she says. “We

want a neighborhood place that has a Cheers-like feeling, where everybody knows your name.”

As a lover of our town’s food scene, I was disappointed when folks at Adamo didn’t know my name. That’s my fault for not having ventured past the plainlooking doors on P Street before. But on my first visit, I felt like family.

GBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

SJohn, a native Californian born of Italian immigrant parents, started nine years ago making every strand of pasta by hand. Now he focuses on teaching pasta classes (check Adamo’s website for availability) and importing wines from the Adamo family vineyards in Italy.

Photos by Linda Smolek

Don’t be surprised to find every table taken at dinner time. The brickwalled shotgun space doesn’t seat more than 40, and those seats fill up fast. Regulars know the joy of Adamo’s pasta Bolognese or the delight of ravioli made just hours before, kissed with housemade pesto and liberally topped with pine nuts.

The service makes everyone feel welcome. It’s rare that an order goes in without a little chat and some catching up. Frequent check-ins are the norm. Glasses never stay empty for long.

The wine list is brief but unique. The Adamos import their own family wines, along with several Italian vineyards that lack another U.S. importer. John hosts wine tastings nearly every month.

The menu skews seasonal. Winter recipes include butternut squash risotto and creamy white wine and cauliflower pasta. Polo focuses on local ingredients. “We switch out plenty on the menu with the seasons,” Chiara says. “But if we

took the meatballs or the Bolognese off the menu, heads would roll. They’re on there to stay!”

A favorite touch, one that reminds me of family Italian restaurants throughout the land, is every pasta dish comes with salad and bread. Little things like pungent garlic bread and a crisp green salad transform a nice evening into an emotional event.

If you haven’t taken time to open the door on P Street, it’s time you did. “We love seeing our regulars,” Chiara says. “But we love meeting new customers just as much.”

Adamo’s Kitchen is at 2107 P St.; (916) 440-9611; adamoskitchen.com.

Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Reimagined

TwoPoint4 Dance Theater

Saturday, March 11, 8 p.m.

TO DO JL

By Jessica Laskey

Hiram Johnson High School Theater, 6879 14th Ave. • twopoint4dance.org

Enjoy a breathtaking vertical dance performance featuring an ‘80s-themed “Brick by Brick,” newly commissioned work from renowned choreographer Laja Field, “Thoughts and Prayers,” and playful “Cracked.” Tickets are $18–$25.

Reimagined by TwoPoint4 Dance Theater at Hiram Johnson High School Theater.

Awash with Color

Sacramento Fine Arts Center

March 28–April 15

Second Saturday Reception April 8, 5:30 p.m.

5330B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael • sacfinearts.org

Check out the Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons’ 45th annual member exhibition juried by Kathrine Lemke Waste.

Spring Concert

Sacramento Symphonic Winds

Wednesday, March 1, 2:30 p.m.

El Camino High School Center for the Arts, 2340 Eastern Ave. • sacwinds.org

Enjoy a lively concert by the symphonic wind ensemble under the direction of Dr. Matthew Morse. Tickets are $15 general admission; $10 for students and seniors; free for children 8th grade and younger.

Visions

Sacramento Ballet

March 31–April 2

The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Ave. • sacballet.org

This production showcases Penny Saunders’ innovative “Ghost Light,” a world premiere by Jermaine Spivey, and “Extremely Close” by Alejandro Cerrudo featuring fast-moving vertical walls and dramatically lit white feathers. Tickets are $45–$70.

European Masterworks

Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra

Saturday, March 4, 8 p.m.

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St. • sacramentochoral.org

Listen to works by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford and Felix Mendelssohn conducted by Donald Kendrick featuring sopranos Marina Boudart Harris and Jennifer Mitchell, mezzo-soprano Kelly Clarke, tenor Chadwick

Somers and baritone Craig Verm. The concert is in memory of SCSO principal trumpet Michael Meeks. Tickets are $44–$64.

Signs of Spring

RegionalSan

Saturday, March 11, 9 a.m.–noon regionalsan.com/bufferlands

Gear up for a 2-mile guided hike of Bufferlands, a beautiful 2,150-acre wildlife area bounded by Laguna and Franklin boulevards. RSVP to conardc@sacsewer.com to receive directions and details.

Songs in the Key of Life

Sacramento Master Singers

Saturday, March 18, 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 19, 3 p.m.

The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Ave. • mastersingers.org

Celebrate life’s ups and downs with Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game,” Eric Whitacre’s “Fly to Paradise” and the regional premiere of Robert Cohen’s moving “Alzheimer’s Stories.”

Tickets are $44 for adults; $15 for students with ID.

Hard Rock Live

Brian Regan, March 4, 8 p.m.

Dancing with the Stars Live! March 8, 8 p.m.

HARDY, March 11, 7:45 p.m.

Underoath, March 23, 7 p.m.

Theory of a Deadman & Skillet, March 25, 7 p.m.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, 3317 Forty Mile Road, Wheatland hardrockhotelsacramento.com/entertainment

Check out the March lineup at the region’s newest entertainment venue. Tickets are $34–$750.

Chasing Rainbows: A Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Purpose

California Stage

Saturday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.

R25 Arts Complex, 1725 25th St. • give.classy.org/chasingrainbowssac

Follow playwright and performer Bob Powers’ and his husband Donald’s love story from hilarious hijinks in Italy to Donald’s dissent into and ultimate death from frontotemporal degeneration, the most common type of dementia in people younger than 60. All proceeds go to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. Tickets are $50 for general seating; $100 for preferred seating; $250 for VIP admission.

Spring Sale at Shepard Garden & Arts Center.

Dancers Mesa Burdick and Eugene Obille in Visions at The Sofia.

Photo courtesy of Tony Nguyen

Spring Sale

Shepard Garden & Arts Center

Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Sunday, March 12, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

3330 McKinley Blvd. • sgaac.org

Peruse plants, handmade crafts, jewelry, art, floral arrangements and more from more than 30 clubs and vendors. Free admission and parking.

The Sofia Music Series

Jim & Susie, March 2, 7 p.m.

John Craigie, March 3, 8 p.m.

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, March 11, 7 p.m.

Mariachi Bonitas album release concert, March 12, 6 p.m.

Adrian Bellue, March 17, 7 p.m.

The Trials of Cato, March 25, 7 p.m.

The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Ave. • bstreettheatre.org

Check out the March lineup of musical acts presented at The Sofia, Home of the B Street Theatre. Tickets are $18–$38.

Navigating the NUCMC

Genealogical Association of Sacramento

Wednesday, March 15, 11:30 a.m.

Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive • gensac.org

Join speaker Pam Dallas to learn how to navigate the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, a gold mine for genealogists.

Cloth as Community: Threading the Needle of Past, Present, and Future

Sacramento State Library Gallery

Through May 19

University Library Gallery and Donald & Beverly Gerth Special Collections & University Archives, 6000 J St. • csus.edu/university-galleries/library-galleries

Explore the tradition, stories and fashion of the Hmong people with displays of traditional outfits borrowed from private citizens, as well as large story cloths, garments and other textiles from Sac State’s collection that depict events and narratives from Hmong culture.

Yaron Michael Hakim: Psittaciformes

Sacramento State Library Gallery

March 9–April 22

Artist Talk: Thursday, March 9, noon–1:30 p.m.

Exhibition Reception Thursday, March 9, 5–8 p.m.

6000 J St. • csus.edu/university-galleries/library-galleries

Hakim examines his South American heritage and living between cultures (adopted by Jewish parents, grew up in Israel and migrated to the U.S. as a young adult) through sculpture and rich paintings that depict hybrid creatures set in lush jungle environments. Kim Abeles’ “Smog Collectors, 1987-2020” is also on view through May 20.

Requiem, Opus 9

Capital Chorale and Orchestra

Friday, March 31, 7 p.m.

Pioneer Congregational UCC, 2700 L St. • pioneerucc.org

Be delighted by the sounds of Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem, Opus 9” under the direction of Dr. Elliot Jones. Tickets are $25 at the door or in advance by calling (916) 443-3727.

Galerie d’artistes femmes

(The Women’s Gallery)

Archival Gallery

March 2–31

Second Saturday Reception March 11, 5–8 p.m.

3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com

View work by Maureen Hood, Debra Kreck-Harnish, Mariellen Layne, Erin Martinelli, Linda Nunes and more—an all-female artist collection of paintings, mixed-media collage and sculpture—in celebration of Women’s History Month.

All Creatures Great & Small

Elk Grove Fine Arts Center

March 4–23

First Saturday Reception & Awards Presentation March 4, 4–7 p.m.

9683 Elk Grove Florin Road • elkgrovefineartscenter.org

The popular animal-themed art competition returns featuring work that captures the essence of animals in creative and expressive ways in all mediums.

“Quechua 2 plus 3” by Maureen Hood at Archival Gallery.

The Trials of Cato at The Sofia.

A Graphic Art

Crocker Art Museum

Through May 7

216 O St. • crockerart.org

German expressionist prints from the McNay Art Museum and Bronston Collection show a world of artistic ferment and unrelenting change that resonates in art today, with prints by 15 artists, as well as watercolors, paintings and sculpture.

Spring Open Studios

clayARTStudio814

Friday, March 10, 5–9 p.m.

Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

814 Alhambra Blvd. • clayartstudio814.com

Explore exciting work by ceramic artists at this East Sac studio.

Magnum Opus

Sacramento Fine Arts Center

Through March 25

Second Saturday Reception March 11, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

5330B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael • sacfinearts.org

The center’s premier annual exhibit features outstanding art achievements by area artists.

Art, Poetry & Jazz Night

Sacramento Fine Arts Center

Friday, March 24, 6–8:30 p.m.

5330B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael • sacfinearts.org

Poems and music come together for a stellar night as poets write words inspired by the Magnum Opus exhibit, while jazz musicians base their music on the written words. Tickets are $25.

Elder Abuse Awareness Roadshow

McGeorge School of Law

Tuesday, March 28, 3 p.m.

ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive • saccounty.gov/news/latest-news

McGeorge's Elder & Health Law Clinic partners with Capital Stage to create a free interactive theater event featuring skits explaining the warning signs of financial abuse to seniors. Actors play out different scenarios, such as a son asking his dad to sign over power of attorney, and later the dad realizes the son took out his entire savings. Following the performance, performers ask the audience for feedback. Another show is set for May 12, 10 a.m., at Sac State.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. n

Cloth as Community at Sacramento State Library Gallery. Photo courtesy of Sacramento State/Bibiana Ortiz

"Shoe Poo Pee Doo" by Zack Myers at clayARTStudio814.

“Hold Me” Grammy winner K.T.

10 Open, as an oyster

22 Chemical used in making pretzels

23 “___ the fields we go”

24 Large amount of cash

25 One spelling for a Great Plains home

26 PAC

beneficiary

29 Computer blinker

30 Speck in the ocean

33 “Crazy Rich Asians”

director

Jon M.

35 “As if!”

38 Together

39 Precede

40 Behavioral quirk

41 Short dog, for short

42 Steered the plane

45 Pitcher stat

46 Chess pieces

47 Survived a game of musical chairs

50 Sudden increases

53 Name on combine harvesters

54 Pained reaction

56 Barely get, with “out”

58 Start of many addresses

59 Group that combats age discrimination

60 First 30-day mo.

62 “Bingo!”

63 Backstabber

64 Sonneteer’s contraction

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2022 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com

THEATRE GUIDE

HAIRSPRAY

March 15 – March 19

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center

1301 L Street

916 808-5181

BroadwaySacramento.com

You Can’t Stop the Beat! HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon is back on tour! Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960’s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world

Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the 60’s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

DIRECT FROM DEATH ROW: THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS

Thru March 4th

Celebration Arts/GUILD Theatre

2828 35th St (35th St & Broadway)

916 455-2787

Presented in collaboration with Celebration Arts and St. Hope, the Scottsboro Boys will come from eternity to the Guild Theater to reenact as “vaudeville” scenes the story of their convictions for gang rape, despite prima facie evidence of their innocence. The historic event was, in many ways, something of a vaudeville. But also, as revealed early on, the first four of the nine to get released (after seven years) appeared within a matter of weeks in a New York vaudeville show. The case highlighted several elements of American culture – the exploitation of racism by the two women who falsely accused these young Black men; and the Communist Party’s exploitation of racism in its efforts to recruit African Americans.

THE LOWER ROOM

March 3 – March 12

Presented by Free Fall Stage at EPIC Bible College

4330 Auburn Blvd.

916 207-4420

A fascinating retelling of the story of Jesus’ passion through the eyes of those who were the last of the followers at the cross, and the first at the tomb: women. Invaluable for several reasons, the play (some may say at last) brings new light to the women in the Bible. It answers: What were women doing, feeling, thinking while the men were gathered with Jesus in the Upper Room? Who knows… perhaps they were gathered in the Lower Room.

THE TAMING

by Lauren Gunderson

March 3 – March 24

Presented by Resurrection Theatre at Wilkerson Theatre

1723 25th Street

916 223-9568

Tweetering, pandashrews, and undying giddiness for James Madison—what else could you expect to find at a Miss America pageant? In this hilarious, raucous, all-female “power-play” inspired by Shakespeare’s Shrew, contestant Katherine has political aspirations to match her beauty pageant ambitions. All she needs to revolutionize the American government is the help of one ultra-conservative senator’s aide on the cusp of a career breakthrough, and one bleeding-heart liberal blogger who will do anything for her cause. Well, that and a semihistorically-accurate ether trip. Here’s lookin’ at you, America.

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