Inside land park apr 2015 by Inside Publications

INSIDE

3 1 0 4

S T R E E T

S A C R A M E N T O

C A

9 5 8 1 6

******ECRWSS******

PRSRT STD US Postage PA I D Permit # 1826 Sacramento CA

G E T

P U B L I C A T I O N S . C O M

2015

POSTAL CUSTOMER

I N S I D E

APR

LAND PARK CURTIS PARK SOUTH LAND PARK HOLLYWOOD PARK MIDTOWN DOWNTOWN

I N T O

T H E

N E I G H B O R H O O D

pending

CUTE CURTIS PARK Darling Curtis Park has lots of natural light and plenty of storage in this 3 or 4 bedroom 2 bath home. Formal dining room, hardwood Àoors, updated appliances - a good Àoor plan for entertaining. The garage was recently rebuilt (2013). Don’t miss this one! $550,000 TIM COLLOM 247-8048

FANTASTIC LAND PARK Spacious home in Old Land Park. 4 bedrooms 3 baths, updated for today’s lifestyle. Perfect for entertaining. Parks, Transportation, Shopping and Midtown - All close by! Walk to Vic’s for ice cream, or go to the Zoo or Fairytale Town. A Happy Place! $785,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395

FABULOUS LAND PARK REMODEL A work of art in Land Park! 4 bedrooms (3 upstairs and In-Law quarters downstairs). 3 baths with marble heated Àoors. All new electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning and solid oak hardwood Àoors. Gourmet kitchen, private balcony off master. $1,140,000 CONNIE LANDSBERG 761-0411

pending

LAND PARK CHARMER Quality 3 bedroom, 2 bath home just down the street from Crocker/ Riverside Elementary! Remodeled kitchen featuring quartz counters and stainless appliances. Updated bath, dual pane windows and even a bonus room above the garage! Wow! $399,950 KELLIE SWAYNE 206-1458

SACRAMENTO JEWEL Beautifully renovated from head to toe - The Didion House - Rich wood, ¿ne detailing and spacious rooms. Historical in in both style, heritage and culture. 4 bedrooms 2 full baths and 2 half baths with new kitchen, three Àoors, including media room, and a full basement. $1,395,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395

sold

CUTE AS A BUTTON LAND PARK Sunny home in great location! Two eating areas, hardwood Àoors and newer roof. 2 bedrooms plus playroom or of¿ce plus a converted garage which could be used for guest quarters or a home of¿ce. It has a huge bathroom, kitchenette, cathedral ceilings, and more! $472,500 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395

sold

HOLLYWOOD PARK CUTIE Move-in-ready 2 bedroom home within easy walking distance of James Mangan Park! Updated kitchen and nook, updated bath; central heat and air. Nice sized backyard with small patio, 1-car garage with extra storage closet. $175,000 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715

for current home listings, please visit:

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

ILP APR n 15

ADORABLE HOLLYWOOD PARK Darling 3 bedroom home with hardwood parquet Àoors, living room ¿replace, cute kitchen and formal dining room. Central heat and air, dual pane windows and bonus rooms at the back have been used as family room and 3rd bedroom. Fruit trees and work shop in backyard. $159,000 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715

sold

HANDSOME LAND PARK Spanish style home in the heart of Old Land Park. 3 bedrooms 2 baths, spacious rooms, great Àoor plan, full basement and a backyard made for entertaining... One of a kind detailing and style. Paradise is personal but I think you might just ¿nd it here. $799,500 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395

916.612.4000 | JamieRich.net HOLLYWOOD PARK . MIDTOWN . LAND PARK CURTIS PARK . EAST SACRAMENTO

BRE No. 01870143

We wanted a realtor who understood what a big deal this is to us. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the biggest deal, buying our first home! Jamie was as enthusiastic as we were, and fun to work with. She just understood us and what this home means to us.

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

COVER ARTIST Kathrine Lemke Waste The Land Park artist is inspired by the bounty of nature – whether it’s found in her backyard garden or the local farmers market. She teaches watercolor at the Crocker Museum and has a show of her new work this month at the Elliott Fouts Gallery.

Visit lemkewaste.com • efgallery.com

LOCAL PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings publisher@insidepublications.com 3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only) EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY AD COORDINATOR ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL POLICY

APRIL 2015 VOL. 18 • ISSUE 3 7 8 14 18 20 22 24 26 28 32 34 36 40 42 44 48 50 52 54 56 58 64 66

Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller, Daniel Nardinelli Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli, Adrienne Kerins 916-443-5087 Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 65,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

SUBMISSIONS Submit cover art to publisher@insidepublications.com.

Submit editorial contributions to mbbizjak@aol.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions at $25 per year guarantees 3rd class mailing. Pay online at insidepublications.com or send check with name & address of recipient and specify publication edition.

VISIT INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Publisher's Desk Inside City Hall Life in the City Volunteer Profile Building Our Future City Beat Meet Your Neighbor Local Heroes Home Insight Sports Authority Building Our Future Sun Salutations Garden Jabber A Leader With Seniority Writing Life Spirit Matters Farm to Fork Getting There Science In The Neighborhood Artist Spotlight River City Previews Restaurant Insider Dining Guide

CONTACT OUR ADVERTISING TEAM

Ann Tracy

Duffy Kelly

East Sacramento

Arden - Pocket - Native Advertising

Central City - Land Park

798-2136

224-1604

341-9755

ILP APR n 15

Michael Boyd

Cecily Hastings Publisher - Select Accounts

Ready to capitalize on your current home? Call us for advice on how to get the most for your property, in the shortest time,

Sacramento is

with the least hassle.

SOLD ON SANDERS.

NOW COULD BE THE BEST TIME TO SELL. Call us today.

ThePollySandersTeam.com Ready to buy your dream home? Purchasing the best location you can ﬁnd is the ﬁrst step. We are the local experts.

916.715.0213 POLLY CALBRE LICENSE #01158787 ELISE CALBRE LICENSE #01781942

Let’s get started.

Enriching Summer Activities for Students

3rd Grade Through High School (IGH 3CHOOL #OURSES s (IGH 3CHOOL 2EVIEW #OURSES !RTS #AMPS 'RADES s #HORAL #AMPS 'RADES -IDDLE 3CHOOL !DVANTAGE 'RADES 3CIENCE !DVENTURE #AMPS 'RADES Sports Camps (Grades 4 -9) Theatre Camp (Grades 5 -9) 46 .EWS 0RODUCTION #AMP 'RADES

HOUSE, HOME & COMMUNITY S I N C E 19 51

HARDWARE

GARDEN |

GIFTS

“Proudly partnering with our community.”



Hardware from A-Z | Quality ty products made in the USA | Older homes a specialty D E S I G N E R PA I N T C E N T E R  Free inhome color consultation by appointment S H O P LO C A L

“Bring “B Br us your to do list. We’re W We ’ here to serve you.”

Have a fun, hands-on learning experience. Bring a small piece of furniture you can carry. Space is limited. $25 per person. RSVP 457-7558

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

M–SAT 8–6 SUN 9–6 916.457.7558

FURNITURE PAINTING 101 Amy Howard chalk-based paint Wed April 29 | 6:30–8:30 pm

4 8 0 0 F O L S O M B LV D

The Hardware Lady

keeping

you

in the

game

Don’t let pain put a damper on your lifestyle. Whether it’s a sports injury or wear and tear on your joints, Summit Orthopedic Specialists can help. Our surgeons provide a full range of treatments and the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques to get you back to doing what you love quickly.

Life is short. Don’t spend it on the sidelines. Call (916) 965-4000 or visit mysummitortho.com

Hunter Greene, M.D., provides comprehensive orthopedic care to patients of all ages.

CARMICHAEL: 6403 Coyle Avenue, Suite 170 (916) 965-4000

ILP APR n 15

GRASS VALLEY: 150 Glasson Way Suite, 150B (530) 272-7593

www.mysummitortho.com

Our Newest Muse JEFF KOONS’ “COLORING BOOK #4” SCULPTURE FOR ARENA IGNITES A FIRESTORM

BY CECILY HASTINGS PUBLISHER’S DESK

s I write this column on March 10, I’m listening in the council chambers to more than 50 speakers testify about why the city council should—or should not—approve a contract with world-class artist Jeff Koons for a sculpture that would be placed outside the new downtown sports arena. The piece, part of Koons’ “Coloring Book #4” series, carries an $8 million price tag. The announcement of Koons’ selection in February set off a fierce debate about the colorful metal piece that will sit in the plaza outside the city’s new arena, now under construction. While the artist’s concept was to create a simple, colorful, playful piece based on Piglet from A.A. Milne’s tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, the story behind it is far from simple. Objections from the public were based on the piece’s high cost; the choice of New York-based Koons rather than a local artist; the piece itself; and the process by which it was selected. Sacramento’s public-art selection process is complex and often

misunderstood. SMAC commissioners Little attention is approve all public art, usually paid to it with art spending over except in cases of a $100,000 requiring city controversy. council approval. The fiercest There are three opposition to this ways in which public piece came from art can be selected in members of the local Sacramento: through arts community open competition, who dislike this limited competition and much cash going direct selection. Direct to an artist outside selection is rarely used our region, and and only under very who feel cheated specific circumstances. by the selection Open calls for process. This competition limited to viewpoint is certainly specific geographic areas understandable. are most common. And the most loyal The panel assembled support was from to select the arena plaza Sacramento’s artwork was impressive corporate class, and included a fine group which is no surprise, of nine arts-oriented given the players professionals and the involved in the SMAC chair. At its donation. first meeting, the panel I am honored decided that the plaza that I have been needed a substantial appointed a member iconic sculpture. After of Sacramento this meeting, the Above: The $80,000 sculpture designed by East Sac artist Metropolitan Arts SMAC director was Marc Foster for McKinley Village housing project. Below: The $8 million sculpture by Jeff Koons for downtown arena. Commission (SMAC) given the idea by a for the past three Kings representative to which has partnered with the city on years and chair of the commission’s purchase the Koons for $8 million; $4 the arena. Art in Public Places committee million of the cost would come from To select each public art project, for the past two. The city’s public private donations. She then presented the SMAC director assembles a art program is based upon a 1977 the proposal to the panel, which panel of people from a variety of ordinance that requires 2 percent vetted the idea over the course of two backgrounds, including community of the cost of construction of capital public meetings. members, artists, collectors and improvement projects to be spent on The panel voted to approve SMAC commissioners. They meet public art. In this case, the public the project without considering numerous times and develop a plan dollar portion of the cost is $2.75 other proposals because of unique for the type of art appropriate for million. Additional matching funds circumstances: the status of the the site, given the budget. Then they come from the Kings organization, artist, the quality of the work and select the artist and the art itself. The PUBLISHER page 9

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Expansive Plans THE MAYOR’S BUDGET MESSAGE PROPOSES WIDE-RANGING IDEAS

BY CRAIG POWELL INSIDE CITY HALL

s I wrote last month, the mayor and city council have taken aggressive steps in the past few months to assert much greater front-end control over both the city budget and the city manager (hiring an independent budget analyst, forming a new council budget committee, public outreach on budget matters). But the process changes were just the beginning. On March 10, the mayor took the unprecedented step of releasing a “Mayor’s Message on Budget Priorities” that lays out what is likely the most expansive plan ever proposed for the role of city government in Sacramento. It proposes a cautious approach to city spending and debt management in the near future while proposing more than a dozen new and unprecedented programs and initiatives. Notably, the mayor’s plan was not the product of deliberation and consensus by the council’s new budget and audit committee. Instead, it is the mayor’s own vision and was slated for initial council review late last month.

ILP APR n 15

If it ends up being approved by the council, it will represent marching orders to city manager John Shirey on how to draw up the city budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1. The central premise of Johnson’s plan is that the city must exercise spending caution in the short term as the city nears a fiscal cliff in 2019 (due to escalating pension contributions and expiration of the Measure U half-percent sales tax hike), but that the city must ultimately fix its fiscal problems by taking aggressive steps to grow the local economy, resulting in higher city tax revenues. His ideas for growing the local economic pie are bold: He proposes a slew of new investments, plans and programs that, if approved, would inject the city more assertively into local economic development than ever before. It’s fair to ask: Are the twin strategies of near-term fiscal caution and a bevy of new city investments and programs reconcilable? That’s a very open question. In the short term, he wants to build up the city’s emergency reserves, but only by a smidgen (from 8.9 percent to 10 percent of the general fund, a $4 million increase). He wants to set aside an unspecified amount of Measure U revenues (now bringing in $11 million more per year than expected) for “contingency funding,” “one-time expenses” and “transition” once the tax hike expires in 2019. But until now, the city council, with the mayor’s concurrence, has been on a glide path to spend every last dollar of Measure U revenues before it expires. The talk at city hall is that lots of ideas are being floated for how to spend the $11 million windfall—none

of which include returning the extra revenues back to city taxpayers via a rebate. As the city came out of recession, the council regularly put unanticipated annual budget surpluses into city reserves to rebuild them following a steep draw-down during the recession. But Johnson is proposing that only $5 million of last year’s $17 million surplus be saved and the rest spent on one-time projects like the downtown streetcar project and emergency radio upgrades. (That’s still an improvement over city staff’s recommendation, which was to spend all but $1 million of the surplus.) To provide money for economic development spending, Johnson proposes that property taxes flowing into the city’s coffers as a result of the end of redevelopment (a flow that should grow to $25 million or more annually as the city’s $1 billion redevelopment debt is paid off) be directed into an “innovation and growth fund” (a new name for the current Economic Development Fund) to make direct investments in “targeted … projects and programs with a significant return on investment and impact on the city.” It appears that the mayor is proposing that the innovation fund take over the direct investment role that SHRA used to play before the state legislature pulled the plug on redevelopment three years ago. There are a few problems with such an approach. First, the return of property tax revenues to the city from the end of redevelopment merely restores to the city revenues that

used to flow into the city’s general fund before redevelopment projects diverted such taxes into paying off redevelopment debt. This is the “dividend” that cities, counties, school districts and special districts have been looking forward to collecting from the demise of redevelopment.

Johnson is proposing that only $5 million of last year’s $17 million surplus be saved and the rest spent on onetime projects like the downtown streetcar project and emergency radio upgrades. Secondly, I don’t recall coming across a direct investment by SHRA that made “a significant return on investment.” In fact, most of the projects SHRA funded with direct investments in recent years involved bloated costs and taxpayer waste. (Apartment rehab projects funded by SHRA typically cost more than $300,000 per apartment unit, triple the cost of buying such apartments on the market.) If the mayor contemplates letting SHRA restart its direct investment program with cash from the innovation fund, the city CITY HALL page 10

PUBLISHER FROM page 7 the unprecedented contribution of $4 million to make the purchase. The arts commissioners reviewed the panel’s recommendation and approved the purchase for the same reason. Because the contract to purchase the artwork is worth more than $100,000, the city council needed to review and approve the purchase. That proposal included an extra $1.5 million to purchase art from local artists, including an extremely generous $1 million donation from local philanthropist Marcy Friedman, among other private donation pledges for a total of $4 million. It is a perfectly valid viewpoint that the community would have been better served by an open selection process that allowed for a wider choice of pieces and an informed debate. At the March 10 city council meeting, one eloquent speaker mentioned the selection process for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The selection process involved a wide variety of artists, and the decision makers reviewed the proposals “blind”—that is, the artists’ names were hidden. They chose a design by a 21-year-old college student named Maya Lin over designs by prominent architects and artists. During a visit to D.C. a decade ago, my family and I found the design breathtaking. In my own neighborhood, I was honored to be selected as a member of the panel, overseen by SMAC, to choose the outdoor artwork for developer Phil Angelides’ McKinley Village housing project. The $400,000 for that artwork will come from private, not public, funds. This is the first time SMAC has been hired to perform art selection services in the private sector. We recently completed a monthslong process to pick the $80,000 sculpture that will grace the entrance park. We reviewed the work of dozens of local artists, then sought sitespecific proposals. Five finalists came and made their presentations using models, drawings and videos to pitch their designs. In the end, we selected East Sac artist Marc Foster and his amazingly beautiful 20-foot-tall steel

sculpture called “La Feuille.” I am confident we made the best possible decision. It just goes to show that a local artist can produce an amazing creation on a limited budget. While I find the Koons piece artistically and visually compelling, many have suggested that our city may have been shortchanged by the direct selection of Koons without any other options being considered. Generally speaking, a broader choice usually results in a better outcome. And we may have been able to have had a sculpture that more visually related specifically to Sacramento. A thoughtful idea was floated at the last minute to temporarily set aside the proposal and reconvene the original panel to open up the competitive process to include other qualified artists. Then, the panel could look at the resulting work alongside the Koons proposal before making a final decision. But the council didn’t want to consider this alternative, and on March 10 it voted to accept the project as proposed. The promise of the unprecedented donations—especially the $1 million donation from local arts philanthropist Marcy Friedman— combined with Koons’ status as a world-class artist was too hard to pass up.

Like the arena itself, the choice of Koons’ sculpture is a strategic risk for the city. Not to be discounted is the fact that an extra $1.5 million in projects is still to be awarded to local artists as part of the Koons proposal. Years ago, I sat on a panel to decide on the public art that graces the historic water tower in East Sacramento. It was a nearly halfmillion-dollar project, and I remember that one of the works we reviewed for consideration was an image of a macramé plant hanger! Not exactly what was needed for a complex project located 100 feet up on a water tower.

About this upcoming sculpture, perhaps we should brim with excitement and not be bitter: about the art, the artist, the art panel or especially the arts commission that voted to approve the Koons deal. Like the arena itself, the choice of Koons’ sculpture is a strategic risk for the city. In my 26 years living here, I have witnessed plenty of often long-lasting bitterness over city decisions. Let’s not let the “Coloring Book #4” piece bring about any more.

FERGUSON POLICE OFFICER CLEARED I wrote my last three columns of 2014 about policing in our community, inspired by the tragic shooting last summer by a police officer of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Attorney General Eric Holder announced last month that a monthslong federal investigation completely exonerated Officer Darren Wilson of any wrongdoing. In the months after the shooting, Wilson was blamed, threatened, pilloried as a racist and eventually forced to resign. Last November, after a grand jury—having heard from some 60 witnesses—declined to indict the officer, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, with councilmembers Allen Warren, Rick Jennings and Larry Carr by his side, said, “I’m obviously disappointed by the grand jury’s verdict. We may quibble and debate about the details of what happened in Ferguson on Aug. 9. What there is no controversy about is the fact that an injustice occurred.” Johnson’s comments were actually pretty mild compared to an outraged national commentator who said the decision “openly and shamelessly mocked our criminal justice system and laid bare the inequality of our criminal jurisprudence.” The Sacramento Police Officers Association and its president, Dustin Smith, took issue with Johnson’s comment. Johnson quickly held a meeting with police officers and sheriff’s deputies to clarify his remark.

“What they needed to hear from me is that what happened in Ferguson was not an indictment of police officers everywhere and especially not Sacramento, not the intent and not the case,” Johnson said. But now, many months later, after Wilson’s life was turned upside down and entire communities destroyed by rioting in its aftermath, it turned out that what happened in Ferguson was not even an indictment of what happened that fateful night last August between Officer Wilson and Michael Brown. And the sensationally oriented media is certainly to blame for openly and shamelessly mocking the criminal-justice system and accepting and promoting the myth that Officer Wilson was a trigger-happy cop going after a harmless victim while being protected by a racist justice system. It makes one wonder where Wilson goes to get his career and his reputation back. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com n

FREE DRY WITH WASH! New Equipment SML/MED & Jumbo Washers & Dryers

Drop-Off Laundry $1.25 per pound WiFi/ATM Machines accept credit/debit

2431 K ST lovelaundry.com 916 ™ 469 ™ 9840 HOURS 5 a.m.–MIDNIGHT

lovelaundry.com

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

CITY HALL FROM page 8 will likely experience the same poor results as before. It may be that the mayor sees the innovation fund as a municipal venture capital fund, providing capital to promising tech companies. (Shirey once suggested the creation of such a fund.) But the venture capital business is no place for untrained and inexperienced city staffers. Seasoned pros in the venture capital business typically see only one investment in 10 succeed. Do we really want city government trying to pick economic winners and losers in the tech field with taxpayer money when we have unmet needs like inadequate police staffing and degraded park maintenance? The list of the mayor’s program and project ideas is long and includes creation of a central city master plan, designation of the railyards as an “innovation district,” the streetcar project, a new performing arts center to replace the Community Center Theater, a downtown

housing initiative to build 10,000 new housing units in the next 10 years, a new study on reuse of the Natomas arena, implementation of the mayor’s gang prevention task force strategic plan, the Solutions City initiative (a partnership between the city and Starbucks to foster youth employment) and the creation of a city youth and education department. He also proposes a number of quality-of-life projects, including $500,000 for the Housing Solutions Program for the homeless, an income inequality task force (to study factors impacting poverty and available solutions, “including a possible city minimum wage”), a reinvigorated Green Initiative, and the replacement of streetlights with energy-efficient LED technology. He also reiterates his support for police body cameras, sensitivity training for police, new efforts to recruit a more diverse police force and increasing the number of police officers by 15 per year for 20 years, as well as the adoption of a fire master plan.

In what may be a reversal of his views on public funding for a new soccer stadium, the mayor wants the city to commission a downtown railyards soccer stadium feasibility study to “answer key questions about the facility’s location, design, cost and development timeline.” The mayor has previously stated quite unequivocally that he would not seek taxpayer funding for a new soccer stadium and that such a stadium should be built entirely with private funds. But if private parties will be constructing and paying for a new soccer stadium, why aren’t those private parties commissioning a soccer stadium feasibility study rather than city taxpayers? Why would the mayor want the city to commission such a study? It appears to this political observer as a thinly disguised opening gambit for a campaign to secure taxpayer funding for a new soccer stadium. On the heels of an expensive arena subsidy deal that will have city taxpayers on the hook for $300 million in arena bonds for the next 35 years, Johnson will have some heavy lifting to do to sell the idea of a public subsidy for a new soccer stadium. The mayor also calls for a $1 million contribution toward a trust to cover the city’s towering $452 million liability for retiree health care costs, which would bring the balance of the trust up to $6 million, or 1.3 percent of the city’s liability. You can see the problem. He also wants the city manager to conduct a study of ways the city can address its $2.3 billion in total liabilities. As the mayor states, “Sacramento’s long-term liabilities threaten to overwhelm the budget and limit the services the city provides.” The obvious critique of the mayor’s plan is that he’s trying to do too much all at once. He has an exceedingly optimistic faith in the ability and resources of the city to tackle more than a dozen new policy initiatives and projects simultaneously. History has shown that the city has a difficult enough time managing a single major project, like the downtown arena, which has chewed up a great deal of the city’s managerial bandwidth for three years. City

Lorene Warren 799.2121 Trust 34 Years of Experience. View All Homes on My Website!

• Services Guaranteed • Pre Sale Home Repairs • All aspects of preparing your home for sale • Professional Home Interior Staging

LoreneWarren.com government may do better to focus on its core competencies, identify cost efficiencies, restore basic city services deeply cut during the recession and make Sacramento a greater place to live and a better (and more affordable) place to locate, operate and grow a business. On the budget front, his plan to concurrently reduce city liabilities, increase budget reserves, create new programs and make substantial new investments in a wide array of new projects and programs seems to defy financial gravity. To be sure, Shirey has his work cut out for him devising a budget that meets all of the mayor’s budget priorities.

STUDIOS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ON N STREET The city was poised last month to give its final approval to $5 million in funding for “Studios for the Performing Arts” at the nowshuttered Fremont School on N Street CITY HALL page 12

ILP APR n 15

NOW REGISTERING PRESCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE FOR FALL 2015. CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE A TOUR OF OUR WORLD-CLASS CAMPUS 916.442.1255

BRO OK FIELD S

SINCE 1962

PRESCHOOL — 8TH GRADE

Looking for something fun and smart to do this summer? How about Summer School at Brookfield? BRAND NEW FACILITIES, WITH A COMPLETE PRESCHOOL Q

Convenient new preschool, ages 2-5

High-tech classrooms, computer labs, and science labs

JgXZ`flj gcXp Xi\Xj Xe[ i\^lcXk`fe jfZZ\i Ô\c[

NEW ADDRESS, SAME OUTS TANDING EDUCATION Q

6115 Riverside Blvd (at 43rd Avenue, right off Highway 5) Call today to schedule a tour of our campus.

Questions? We’d love to answer them. 9iffbÔ\c[JZ_ffc%fi^ s 0(-%++)%(),,

Sign up for classes like Elementary Zoology, Computer Art, Game Programming, Junior Journalism and much more! Come have fun with us this summer and learn something new!

Limited financial assistance is available to outstanding applicants. Brookfield School is not religiously affiliated.

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

CITY HALL FROM page 10 in Midtown, a $6.6 million renovation project that will authorize a new nonprofit organization to operate the studios. The Sacramento Ballet and a half-dozen other local performing arts organizations have signed letters of intent to lease space in the studios. The hope is that the facility will be a hive of artistic creativity and collaboration and allow arts groups to conserve resources by sharing studios, offices, rehearsal, performing and classroom space. While the managing nonprofit will be contractually responsible for maintaining the aging facility, the nonprofit and the studios’ proposed tenants aren’t exactly flush with financial assets. Given the long history of financial crises among Sacramento arts groups, it should surprise no one if the city is asked to bail out the studios’ finances in the coming years.

SACRAMENTO JUMPS INTO THE CONTEMPORARY ART MARKET The city council approved a plan last month to purchase for $7.5 million (plus $500,000 in transportation costs) a sculpture to be created by popular contemporary artist Jeff Koons of New York and installed in the plaza adjoining the new downtown arena. The council foray into the overheated contemporary art market came following two contentious council meetings that featured strong objections from local artists who were excluded from consideration for the major commission by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and its nine-member selection committee. With three owners of the Kings (Vivek Ranadive, Kevin Nagle and Phil Oates) chipping in $1 million each for the piece, the city’s share of the cost will be $2.7 million, plus another $3 million or so in interest over the next 35 years. The balance of the cost will be picked up by the Kings. A city ordinance mandates that at least 2 percent of the construction

ILP APR n 15

cost of all new public buildings be spent on public art. Since the arena has a construction cost of $273 million, it has a mandated public art budget of $5.5 million. Local arts philanthropist Marcy Friedman is contributing $1 million towards works by regional artists for placement in or around the arena or along K Street. Koons’ “Coloring Book” sculpture will join Downtown Plaza’s Indo Arch, Terminal B’s Red Rabbit and Terminal A’s “Samson,” the twin pillars of 1,400 pieces of stacked luggage, as focal points for endless debates over the value of major contemporary art pieces around town. (My personal favorite: Red Rabbit. My last favorite: Indo Arch.) Craig Powell is a local attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@ eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030. n

Live Well at Home

The Leading Provider of 24/7 Live-in Services

The preferred choice of 9 out of 10 seniors! Home Care Assistance of Sacramento is the area’s premium provider of in-home assisted living services. Our unique approach to in-home care includes: Our new Cognitive Therapeutics Method program that keeps aging minds engaged through researchbased activities designed to improve mental acuity and slow cognitive decline. Hospital to Home Care is designed to ensure a smooth recovery at home, instead of a facility, after hospitalization.

Call today for a FREE in-home consultation.

916-706-0169

5363 H Street, Suite A Sacramento, CA 95819 HomeCareAssistanceSacramento.com

29:

Number of times you’ve asked your BFF.

Number of times you’ve asked your GYN. You’re a doer. So when it comes to changes in your own body, why is it that you put it off? It’s time to take action and talk to a professional (no offense to your friends). Attend one of our informational events, where you can meet our gynecology experts and learn more about our treatment options.

Register online at dignityhealth.org/women or call 916.851.2444. Thursday, April 23 The Falls Event Center 8280 Elk Grove Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95758 The event is from 6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Healthy appetizers and beverages will be served.

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Welcome Home BEAUTIFUL HOUSES OPEN THEIR DOORS FOR ANNUAL CURTIS PARK TOUR

downtown. The event will feature desserts and chocolate delicacies, wine and food tastings, live music, live and silent auctions and a raffle. Proceeds benefit Fairytale Town’s programs and park improvements. Tickets are $50 per person or $90 per couple. Cocktail or business attire is suggested. Sacramento Masonic Temple is at 1123 J St. Fairytale Town is at 3901 Land Park Drive. For more information, call 808-7462 or visit fairytaletown. org

BY JESSICA LASKEY LIFE IN THE CITY

t’s that wonderful time of the year when the sun is shining, the weather is warming up and the beautiful homes of Curtis Park are opened wide to welcome guests for the annual Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour, hosted by Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association. This year’s tour will be held on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. SCNA’s biggest annual fundraiser, the tour features houses that honor the neighborhood’s prewar-built history, with bungalows, Spanish Revival, Tudor and Storybook-style homes. The Sacramento Capitol A’s, the local chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America, will display historic autos outside tour homes. For tickets, call 452-3005 or go to sierra2.org.

IT’S AN EGGSTRAVAGANZA! Fairytale Town Spring Eggstravaganza will be held Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fun-filled family weekend will include daily egg hunts at noon, 1 and 2 p.m., as well as prizes, spring-

ILP APR n 15

TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Fairytale Town Spring Eggstravaganza will be held Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event includes performanaces by Magical Moonshine Theatre.

themed activities and visits with Peter Cottontail. Duck into the Children’s Theater at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on either day for a performance of Magical Moonshine Theatre’s “Tales of Br’er Rabbit,” complete with large tabletop puppets, a live banjo and singing. (Tickets are $2 for nonmembers, $1 for members.) Spring Eggstravaganza is free with paid park admission. Weekend admission is $5.50 for adults and children ages 2 and older, free for children 1 and younger. If the kids can’t get enough live theater, come back to the play park for the Fairytale Town Troupers’ presentation of “Once Upon A Time 1959” on Saturdays and Sundays, April 18, 19, 25 and 26, at noon and 1:30 p.m.

During the Troupers’ first production of the season, the park’s most famous storybook characters will come to life. The year is 1959 and Robin Hood, Cinderella, Jack and Jill and tons of other colorful characters find themselves lost in a fantastical fog after being spirited away from their storybook homes. They must work together to uncover the mysterious force that united them and find their way home. The show features upbeat, original songs that would be equally at home in the 1950s as they are in this modern-day Fairytale Town tale. Tickets are $2 for nonmembers, $1 for members (in addition to paid park admission). Fairytale Town will hold its third annual Mad Hatter Meets The Great Gatsby Fundraiser on Thursday, April 23, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sacramento Masonic Temple

Vic’s IGA Market at 5820 South Land Park Drive closed its doors last month before filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The store was part of the IGA Market chain overseen by Vic De Stefani, a local grocery mastermind who’d been in the business for 64 years before his retirement in 2011 at the age of 82, according to The Sacramento Bee. The chain was made up of seven stores that stretched from South Sacramento to Folsom before De Stefani sold them off as he neared retirement. Vic’s IGA Market suffered from what many mom-and-pop establishments are fighting at the moment: the inundation of big chain grocery stores that can afford to undersell the local competition.

WHAT ON EARTH? It’s getting wild at the Sacramento Zoo. As the weather heats up, so do the awesome activities. LIFE IN THE CITY page 16

REMODEL WITH AN AWARD-WINNER! Sacramento’s MOST Award-Winning NARI Remodeling Firm Kitchens • Baths • Room Additions • Whole House Remodels

100% Guild Quality Satisfaction Rating “This company is highly professional, hugely communicative, and has earned our complete trust! I recommend Eberle to my friends and associates.” –Jo F., Curtis Park

Visit EberleRemodeling.com for MORE Guild Quality Customer Ratings

Call today to schedule your FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION

369-6518

Lic# 659954

April 25-26, 2015, 9-5 Yolo County Fairgrounds, Woodland • Bagpipers and drummers • Scottish athletes • Traditional and modern Celtic entertainment • Highland dance • Scottish food, crafts and wares • Scottish and Irish animals • Glen of the Clans • Try the haggis!

Discount tickets available online at www.SacramentoScotGames.org

Sacramento Valley

Hanfield Drive 5 Bedrooms | 3 Baths

36th Street

La Cadena Way

3 Bedrooms | 3 Baths

4 Bedrooms | 3 Baths

Scottish Games & Festival The Friendly Games

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Expect MORE from your Realtor Character. Competence. Commitment. Community.

“My home was unique and I thought selling it was going to be difficult. Steffan really knew the neighborhood and helped me price it just right. With his help I was able to get it on the market and sold quickly at my price. And he was fun to work with!”

—Linda Easterwood Steffan Brown ł 717-7217 ł SteffanBrown.com LIFE IN THE CITY FROM page 14 First up is Earth Fest and the Recycle Rummage Sale on Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This “party for the planet” will feature environmental, wildlife and conservation organizations posted throughout the zoo to teach visitors how to protect and preserve the earth, as well EdZOOcation Stations stocked with animal bio-artifacts, roaming outreach animals and informative keeper enrichment talks throughout the afternoon. Looking for a fun souvenir? Instead of buying something new, why not take a peek at the Recycle Rummage Sale and see what treasures you can find? Proceeds from the sale benefit the zoo’s conservation programs around the city and the world. Are you psyching yourself up for the school-free days of summer? Sign the kids up for the zoo’s Summer Camps and keep them busy and entertained for a few months longer! General registration begins on April 7 and classes fill up fast, so visit the Summer Camps & Classes page at saczoo.org. Ready to run with the pack? The zoo’s 35th annual ZooZoom Walk.Run. Fun is back on Sunday, April 19, from 7 a.m. to noon for serious runners and casual strollers alike. The flat course, which winds through scenic William Land Park, can be completed in 5k and 10k increments. There’s also a children’s fun run and an animalthemed runner costume contest. Race fees include admission to the zoo after you’ve finished jogging, and proceeds benefit the nonprofit Sacramento Zoological Society. For more

ILP APR n 15

CaBRE #01882787

information on all zoo events, call 808-5888 or visit saczoo.org

GRIMM KEEPER

The zoo’s 35th annual ZooZoom Walk.Run.Fun is back on Sunday, April 19

information, call Fleet Feet Sports at 441-1751 or visit sacramentozoozoom. com If planning for the future has you hiding your head in the sand, let legal specialist Mark Drobny show you the ropes at his Estate Planning Safari on Wednesday, April 29, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Drobny will navigate the “jungle” of financial topics. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 808-8815. Now that spring has sprung, are you trimming your trees more frequently? Don’t stuff all that plant waste into your green bin just yet: The zoo can use it to feed the animals! Every year around this time, the

zoo asks for donations of “browse,” nontoxic leafy branches from trees and shrubs that go to feed animals like the giraffes, bongos, chimps, lemurs and many species of bird. Not only is browse a supplement to the animals’ diets, but they also enjoy nibbling leaves, stripping bark and chewing on stems, which stimulates their minds through natural behaviors, just like in the wild. To find out if your browse is on the approved list, visit saczoo.org/browse. To make an appointment to donate, call 808-5888 or email browse@ saczoo.com The Sacramento Zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive. For more

Lend an ear to the heavenly music of the All Saints Episcopal Church’s Choral Evensong on Sunday, April 26, at 4 p.m. and be treated to their last concert of the season, a solo organ recital by Patricia Grimm. After an elegant evensong conducted by Scott Nelson, accomplished organist Grimm will take to the keys. Grimm has a bachelor’s degree in sacred music from Duquesne University, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Kent State University and a master’s in collaborative piano from The Hartt School of Music. She’s currently completing a Ph.D. in musicology and music theory from the University of Connecticut. She studied piano at The Juilliard School and has performed at the Edinburgh International Music Festival in Scotland and the Trinity Wall Street Music Series in New York City as a collaborative pianist. She regularly performs throughout the country in duo recitals and as a member of the Cypress Ensemble, a piano quartet based in New York City. She moved to Sacramento in 2013 and now serves as the organist at Fremont Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $10 general admission, free for children 12 and younger. For tickets and more information, call 455-0645 or visit allsaintssacramento. org All Saints Episcopal Church is at 2076 Sutterville Road.

GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LOT

Patricia Grimm

TIME TO HUNT FOR EGGS Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association’s Spring Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 4, at Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community. The day will kick off with a pajama parade at 9:30 a.m., a photo session with the Easter Bunny and kiddie crafts at 10 a.m. and the main event— an egg hunt divided into two age groups (0-3 and 4-12)—at 10:30 a.m. The annual event is free. Photos with the Easter Bunny are $5 (cash only). For more information, visit sierra2.org Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community is at 2791 24th St.

MUNCHIE MANIA One of Land Park’s favorite foodie activities continues this month: Land Park Food Truck Mania, presented by SactoMoFo (Sacramento Mobile Foods) and Land Park Community Association, returns to the park on Sunday, April 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. Find your friends, gorge on some gourmet food from local food trucks, groove to the music and let the little ones run wild with plenty of kidfriendly entertainment. Land Park Food Truck Mania takes place in Land Park at the corner of Freeport Boulevard and Sutterville Road. For more information, visit sactomofo.com

Have you been hoping to get more involved in your community this year? Now’s your chance. Lend a hand at one of Land Park Volunteer Corps’ monthly work days in the park, taking place this month on Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will be provided with all the tools they need to help lead coordinator Craig Powell and fellow Corps members spruce up the park and keep it looking its best throughout the seasons. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. All you have to do is show up at the large picnic grounds behind Fairytale Town (3901 Land Park Drive) ready to get down and dirty. For more information, call Powell at 718-3030.

HOPE FLOATS Surely you’ve heard of the sinking Titanic. But have you heard about Molly Brown, the determined American who not only survived the Titanic but went on to own one of the richest mines in the United States at the turn of the 20th century? Let Molly kick up her heels and sing you her tale when Runaway Stage Productions presents the musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” through April 5 at 24th Street Theatre. From her backwoods beginnings in rural Hannibal, Mo., to the height of the European elite, Brown and her husband, Leadville Johnny Brown, were two real-life rags-to-riches legends who managed to survive the sinking of the Titanic and talk their way into the upper echelons of Colorado society, charming the socks off of those “Beautiful People of Denver.” With a rousing score by Meredith Willson (composer of “The Music Man”) and a determined American heroine, the show is sure to delight. You just can’t keep Molly Brown down.

Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association’s Spring Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 4, at Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through April 5. For tickets and more information, call 207-1226 or visit runawaystage.com 24th Street Theatre is at 2791 24th St.

WINE AND DINE Looking for something fun to do for lunch on Tuesday, April 7? Bring your appetite and pull up a chair for Casa Garden Restaurant’s lunch and wine social at 11:30 a.m. The meal will include your choice of entree (three-cheese lasagna or tortellini and spinach salad), a decadent almond cake framboise for dessert and plenty of red and white wine from Plymouth’s Karmere Vineyards and Winery. Lunch is $24 per person. Proceeds benefit Sacramento Children’s Home. Reserve your spot at the table at 452-2809. For more information,

visit casagardenrestaurant.org Casa Garden Restaurant is at 2760 Sutterville Road.

SUMMER ACADEMIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS This summer, Sacramento State will offer a series of weeklong academies to give high school students hands-on, in-depth career exploration in seven different fields, including forensics, fashion, firefighting, engineering and robotics. The weeklong classes will run June 22 to 26 and July 13 to 17 and will be taught by experts in the fields, including Superior Court Judge Laurie Earl, who will teach civic duty, and Sacramento television reporter George Warren, who will teach multimedia journalism. To register or for more information, go to www.cce. csus.edu/acads Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n

Nothing says Spring like

flowers from Relles DIY Wedding Parties and Classes RellesFlorist.com for details

Relles Florist

2400 J Street • 441-1478 RellesFlorist.com

Voted Best Florist 12 years by readers of Sacramento Magazine

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Paul Menz CAR CRAZED, HE LOVES TO SHARE HIS COLLECTION OF MODEL A’S

BY JESSICA LASKEY VOLUNTEER PROFILE

’ve been a car nut since I was 5 years old,” Paul Menz admits. Several decades later, it looks like not much has changed. Menz is the proud owner of more than a few Model A Fords and a member of the Sacramento Capitol A’s, the local chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America.

They shared a 1939 Ford pickup truck when they were first together, and they have since added three 1930 Roadsters, a 1931 pickup and a 1931 Victoria sedan to their collection. “The Model A is a very interesting automobile,” Menz says. “It might be 85 years old, but it’s got a young heart. The parts to support them are very plentiful, and you can afford to get into the hobby without too much trouble.”

ILP APR n 15

Menz and his equally car-crazy wife Pat have been Model A enthusiasts for years. They shared a 1939 Ford pickup truck when they were first together, and they have since added three 1930 Roadsters, a 1931 pickup and a 1931 Victoria sedan to their collection. They built a new garage behind their Curtis Park home to house their automotive collection, and they love to drive the vehicles for tours and events, like the upcoming Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour. “One of the reasons we do the home tour is that we get a real kick

out of letting people see the cars,” says Menz, who’s organized the Capitol A’s participation in the tour since 2008. “We don’t discourage people from touching them, from getting in them. We’ll even drive people around the block. Our particular chapter is more dedicated to driving the cars and letting people experience them than showing at car shows. It’s really a social event for us. The hobby is really about camaraderie with other people, so we’re happy to participate.”

So if you’re attending the tour this year on April 25 and you spot a cool car and a couple dressed in 1930s clothing (the Menzes often wear period garb), don’t hesitate to stop and chat. You might even get to hitch a ride. For information about the Sacramento Capitol A’s, contact Paul Menz at 396-8344 or pmsqrd@surewest.net or go to sacramentocapitolas.org. For information about the Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour, go to sierra2.org n

WHY DON’T THEY

MAKE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THEY USED TO?

You know the kind of neighborhood with beautifully

adapted for the way we live today? Guess what?

crafted homes, elegant architectural details, picturesque

Someone did. BlackPine Communities. Introducing

streetscapes, big canopy trees, and wonderful parks.

the neighborhoods of Curtis Park Village, one block

:KDW LI VRPHERG\ FRXOG ß JXUH RXW KRZ WR FUHDWH WKDW

west of historic Curtis Park off Sutterville Road

kind of classic neighborhood with signature homes

at Crocker Drive in downtown Sacramento.

Curtis Park Village The Brownstones

The Cottages

The Estates

NEW RELEASE

COMING SOON

3-story, 2,192 to 2,537 sq. ft.

2-story, 1,482 to 2,163 sq. ft.

2-story, 2,535 to 3,085 sq. ft.

3 to 4 bedrooms + flex space

3 to 4 bedrooms, interior courtyards

From the mid $600,000s

From the mid $500,000s

From the low $700,000s

NOW SELLING

SALES STUDIO

OPEN DAILY 10AM-5PM

3297 CROCKER DRIVE

916-970-5073

BLACKPINECOMMUNITIES.COM

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

95818

Plans and prices effective date of publication and subject to change without notice. Square footages are approximate. Photographs, renderings, and images are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be an actual representation of a specific community, neighborhood, or product offering. BlackPine Builders Inc. BRE# 01907099, BlackPine Communities and Curtis Park Village are trademarks used for marketing of new homes. Please see a sales consultant for details.

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Remember the Marshall? PRESERVATIONISTS CRY FOUL OVER PLAN FOR LANDMARK HOTEL

BY JORDAN VENEMA

(formerly known as Sacramento Old City Association). He dismisses the developers’ approach, referring to it as “facadism.” Preservation Sacramento claims the proposal fails to meet two state standards required of a preservation project. If construction goes forward, the group says, it will have a “significant and unacceptable impact” on the Marshall Hotel, a city landmark. But according to Noack, the Marshall has no interior historic elements worth preserving. It would be better, he says, to repurpose the interior for modern use, thereby providing the opportunity to save its exterior, and not let the building continue to fall apart. To create a functional hotel with modern plumbing, says Noack, his development group must gut the interior. (The original hotel rooms don’t have en suite bathrooms.)

BUILDING OUR FUTURE

acramento has been growing since 1850, but the city’s approval of plans to construct a new downtown arena was like a tectonic shift towards revitalization. The arena, set to open in 2016, will be the epicenter of new-look downtown—with a skyline, envisioned by developers, that has many Sacramentans looking toward the future. But amid the rumble of progress, the hundred-year-old Marshall Hotel is turning heads toward the past. In February, the hotel’s owners came before the city’s preservation commission to present their plan to renovate the dilapidated building at 7th and L streets and turn it into a 10-story Hyatt Place hotel. They expect to break ground later this year. Built in 1911 as the Hotel Clayton, the Marshall originally offered affordable rooms without bathrooms to cater to a mobile working class. Jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday performed in the hotel’s basement nightclub, the S.S. Clayton Club. But as downtown Sacramento lost its luster starting in the middle of the 20th century, the Marshall was turned into a single-room-occupancy hotel, renting rooms to low-income tenants and parolees, and the hotel fell into disrepair and decay. Sacramento developer Peter Noack bought the Marshall 10 years ago. The building, he says, “was prime property in a prime location but falling apart.” At that time, most Sacramentans hadn’t even heard of Vivek Ranadive,

ILP APR n 15

Rendering of the Hyatt Place hotel at 7th and L streets

and the thought of a downtown arena hardly seemed possible. Now, however, Noack and his partners, the Fairfield hotel firm Presidio Companies, are sitting pretty. The Marshall is within hailing distance of the new downtown arena—a perfect spot for a modern hotel looking to attract well-heeled visitors. As envisioned by Noack and Presidio Companies, Hyatt Place would have about 130 hotel rooms, along with retail tenants on the

ground floor and 10 to 15 apartments or condominiums on the upper floors. To make way for the project, they closed the Marshall last summer and relocated the SRO tenants. But not everyone in Sacramento is happy about the developers’ plans to tear down most the Marshall Hotel, leaving only two brick and terra cotta facades along 7th and L streets. “They’ve called it a preservation project, but it’s not,” says William Burg, president of the nonprofit group Preservation Sacramento

Hyatt Place not only will help fill the shortage of hotel rooms in the downtown area, but also solve the problem of a crumbling Marshall Hotel building. According to Noack, the developers’ proposal includes sidewalk seating,

SACRAMENTO 1338 Howe Avenue (916) 927-0542

DOWNTOWN 1001 K Street (916) 330-1977

FOLSOM 341 Iron Point Road (916) 353-1982

Bring in this ad and receive a FREE gift. Downtown location only. No purchase required. which will lead to a livelier street presence outside the hotel, and a new incarnation of the Clayton Club—a renewal of spirit if not a preservation of the whole structure. “History goes beyond the physical building,” he points out. Here, the question of preservation enters the realm of Aristotelian philosophy: What’s the essence of a thing? According to Burg, tearing down all but two walls of the building will destroy what makes the Marshall the Marshall. “The property owners decided that only these two walls of the building are historic, but that’s not how historic buildings work,” he says. “It’s either historic or it’s not.” Burg offers an alternative: Revise the plan to meet state preservation standards, begin the process of a supervised preservation project, and use historic-preservation tax credits to offset the costs associated with rehabilitation projects. Burg points out that the original rooms in the Marshall are 175 square feet in size, while the Hyatt developers will create 350-square-foot rooms. “So it seems pretty simple,” says Burg,

Where Sacramento Gets Engaged! “to consolidate two rooms into one room. Obviously, it’s still not easy to add plumbing to all those rooms, but neither is demolishing a building and building a brand new one.” There is one thing upon which all parties agree: Something needs to happen with the Marshall. “I want to see something happen with that building,” says Burg. “I don’t want it to sit vacant. I want it restored, alive, useful to the city. I want the owners to open a hotel.” Leslie Fritzsche, the city’s downtown redevelopment manager, says the project could help revitalize downtown. Hyatt Place not only will help fill the shortage of hotel rooms in the downtown area, she says, but also solve the problem of a crumbling Marshall Hotel building. The city’s planning commission is expected to take final action on the proposal this month. Then, Sacramentans can again look to visions of a new Sacramento skyline. How much of the Marshall will be a part of that skyline has yet to be determined. n

( )L[[LY 4H[[YLZZ

Naturally

Natural Mattress and Flex Slats Sleep System Enables Deeper Sleep

Visit our Folsom showroom today!

• Authentic European style mattress systems • Natural and organic mattresses, bedding and pillows • European components offer incomparable comfort, ergonomic support and longevity • Öeko-Tex European testing and certification ensures you get a clean aand chemically-safe mattress

Chip & Jill

6606 Folsom Auburn Rd. Folsom, CA. 95630 916-999-1760 Personally ﬁt for each individual

www.sleepdesign.com ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Remaking Freeport THE BUSY BOULEVARD IS ABOUT TO GET A MAJOR MAKEOVER

BY R.E. GRASWICH CITY BEAT

he only thing slower than traffic on Freeport Boulevard near C.K. McClatchy High School at 3 p.m. on weekdays is the bureaucratic response to chronically snarled traffic. If cars move at a snail’s pace down Freeport, the city’s remedies can be glacial. Help is in sight—not just around the corner but a few blocks away. By summer 2016, the city plans to solve the chronic problems created by parents retrieving their precious teens, delivery vans, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, cars and blockages from Union Pacific and Regional Transit train crossings. Work will begin this year when new drainage pipes are installed near McClatchy High. Traffic won’t disappear under the city’s new and improved Freeport Boulevard layout, but the boulevard will make more sense. And the street will be safer and more attractive than the current chaotic scene north of Land Park. Presently, if cars aren’t stuck on Freeport, they’re racing down the boulevard. There’s no happy medium. “I’ve tried to ride a bike along that corridor and it’s not a lot of fun,” says

ILP APR n 15

Adam Randolph, the city’s project manager for the Freeport Boulevard improvement project. “It will be a big improvement and should slow down some of the cars.” For years, cars have jockeyed for position within four lanes of traffic on Freeport. They speed. They stop. They dart around other motorists making unprotected left turns. It’s a mess. Brave motorists who park their cars along the east side of the boulevard are inches away from becoming guardrails. Bicyclists and pedestrians are afterthoughts, about as safe as if they were playing on a freeway. The curious question is why the fix has taken so long. Traffic nightmares

on Freeport Boulevard transcend generations. It’s entirely possible author Joan Didion and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy were gridlocked or nearly run down in their McClatchy High days. The current plan for a new and improved Freeport Boulevard has been in the works since at least 2010. The city council was briefed on the proposed makeover in mid-2011. Approval arrived in 2012. Since then, the challenge at city hall has been to cobble together money from various transportation reservoirs, with no incursions into the general fund. The cost was projected at $2.3 million. Construction was targeted for this coming summer, when school let out.

In recent months, the project expanded, necessitating a year’s delay. First came the city’s decision to expand and improve Cervantes Park, a one-block rectangle of grass and trees along Freeport Boulevard between 10th and 11th avenues. Then came the realization that underground utilities needed upgrades around the high school. And for once, various city departments actually communicated with each other. In past years, a new street pressed lovingly into billiard table smoothness by the traffic and maintenance divisions might have been almost immediately torn up by trenching machines under control of the utilities department. Not this time.

“Once we understood that utilities would be trenching around McClatchy High School for new and enlarged drainage and sewer pipes, we decided to wait until they finished before we began construction on the street improvement project,” Randolph says. “I’m afraid we all know of projects where that wasn’t the case, and it was done the other way around.” By fall 2016, Freeport Boulevard should maintain little resemblance to the street we know today. There will be two lanes of vehicle traffic: one north, one south. There will be a turning lane in the middle. Between the sidewalks and bike lanes, trees will grow in a seven-and-a-half-footwide planter area. The eastern side of the street will feature curbside parking. (There will be no parking on the western side, where the high school creates plenty of backups when school begins and ends). Both northbound and southbound Freeport will have welldefined bike lanes, five feet across. “It should be pretty nice for bicyclists,” Randolph says.

The city’s general plan calls for increased miles of bike lanes and better infrastructure for people who prefer to walk or ride and leave their cars in the garage. For years, selfpropulsion advocates had to reconcile themselves to reading wish lists for civic improvement. Rarely did they see actual improvements materialize in concrete and asphalt. If they can hang on until late 2016, they will find salvation on Freeport Boulevard, at least along the messy corridor from Vallejo Way on the north to Sutterville on the south. Some merchants are concerned about the negative impact of orange cones, trenches, fresh asphalt and construction equipment. But the outcome should be worth the pain. The retrofitted Freeport Boulevard promises a vastly more inviting stretch of urban life than the chaotic jumble Sacramento has endured for decades. Let the trenching begin. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n

201

inne

Body & Fender Shop Specializing In All Makes and Models Where Quality is the Patience to Check and Doublecheck

Serving Sacra

mento for Over 60 Years

454.4433

1717 Stockton Blvd • bertoluccis.com Now open Saturdays 9 am – 1 pm

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Good Medicine FOR SICK KIDS, NOTHING HEALS LIKE A VISIT FROM THIS HOSPITAL DOG

BY TERRY KAUFMAN

and their families. “Marty does a lot

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS

of different things,” says Springhorn. “She helps to normalize the hospital environment. She gives the kids

ast year, the folks on the

something to look forward to. Kids

pediatric floor of Sutter

who come back here know her from

Memorial Hospital in East

previous visits. She motivates them to

Sacramento held a “Marty party.”

move forward.”

The occasion was the introduction of Marty, a sweet-tempered black lab/golden retriever mix, to Sutter’s

“When she comes to see me, I’m not thinking, ‘I’m in the hospital.’ I’m thinking, ‘I love this dog.’”

Child Life program. A small, doeeyed female with a wet black nose, Marty moves soundlessly through the sixth-floor halls but radiates waves of good feeling wherever she goes. She was a long time coming. Sutter had been on a waiting list with Canine Companions for Independence for a year and a half. When the call finally came, Child Life specialist

Unlike service dogs that are bred

Paige Springhorn headed to Santa

and trained to focus solely on assisting

Rosa for two weeks of intensive

the disabled (such as guide dogs for

training with a variety of dogs, with

the blind), facility dogs such as Marty

the goal of leaving with her perfect

are bred with a little more “wiggle

match. The first dog she was paired

room.” “They have personality,”

with was Marty.

Springhorn explains. Marty has

“She was my first match and my

perfect bedside manners, but she’s

final match,” says Springhorn. “There

also a snuggler and loves nothing

were nine people in the training from

better than climbing up on the bed, if

all over the area, and we practiced

she’s invited.

with multiple dogs. When you apply, you have to tell them about your workplace and the intended use for

An 11-year-old named Taylor was Marty the dog does her best to make a difficult time more pleasant by providing love and comfort for young Sutter patients

the dog, and they determine what type of temperament will work.” Sutter had already had three dogs from Canine Companions, including 11-year-old Millie, a yellow

commands, and I had to learn how to

where they stay until they turn

work with her, how to correct her,”

1, learning basic commands and

she says.

socialization. Then, they return to

The dogs that graduate from

Santa Rosa for further training and a

lab who is nearing retirement age.

Canine Companions are specially

For Springhorn, who had limited

bred to exhibit specific qualities.

experience with dogs, there was

When they are 8 weeks old, they

matched, Marty was signing herself

a learning curve. “She knows 40

are assigned to a puppy raiser—in

up for a working life: four days a

Marty’s case, a family in Los Altos—

week visiting with pediatric patients

ILP APR n 15

final match. When Springhorn and Marty were

the first patient with whom Marty shared a bed. “I came here the same time as Marty,” Taylor recalls. “She jumped up on my bed and sat on me. Then she licked me.” Through many months of treatment, Marty provided Taylor with unconditional love and many tongue lickings. “This is a family member,” says Taylor. “I tell her secrets, and she talks back.”

92%

of residents and families would recommend Eskaton

At Eskaton, we listen. We want to know how we’re doing, so we ask. According to our 2014 Satisfaction Survey — carried out, calculated and validated by a third party — more than nine out of ten residents and families would recommend Eskaton. The reasons are many. We make the health, happiness and contentment of residents and clients our highest priority. And we support that with Signature Programs like Smart with the Springhorns for many years.

Sensor technology for enhanced peace of mind, Kids

Taylor that she dozed off while lying

The handler’s job includes rigorous

Connection for intergenerational experiences, and

next to her. “Sometimes Taylor walks

grooming—Marty comes into contact

down to our office looking for Marty,”

with very sick children—that includes

powerful life enrichment like Thrill of a Lifetime, music

says Springhorn. Not all kids are

daily brushing, regular baths and

as comfortable. “When the families

frequent nail clippings. “She’s well

come in, the nurses go through the

behaved, but she knows when she’s

admission process and ask about pet

off duty and can let her hair down,”

visitation. We always have a list of

laughs Springhorn.

Marty was so comfortable with

people who request to see her, but

Experience the Eskaton difference. Call 916-264-9001, click or come by today.

“Marty changes your stay,” says

she doesn’t see everyone. If I take her

her buddy Taylor. “When she comes

over to the playroom, I ask before I

to see me, I’m not thinking, ‘I’m in

bring her in.”

the hospital.’ I’m thinking, ‘I love this dog.’” n

Angela Borchert, a communications

and pet therapies.

associate with Sutter, was part of the not-comfortable crowd when Marty arrived. “I’ve never been a dog

Angel Pet Care

person,” she says. “But when I met her, something changed. She is so chill. She’s the only dog with whom I can say the word ‘love’ in the same sentence.”

Eskaton Monroe Lodge

For Marty’s handler, the

Independent Living with Services

involvement doesn’t end when their shift ends. Marty is part of the family, which includes Springhorn’s husband and their two young children. Marty turned 3 in November, so she’ll be

Join us for a lifelong learning lecture. Call for dates.

216-0223 www.angelpetcare.net angelpetcare@comcast.net Serving Sacramento and surrounding areas with quality service and care

3225 Freeport Boulevard | Sacramento, CA 95818

916-264-9001 eskaton.org A premier nonprofit provider of aging services in Northern California for over 45 years

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Mentoring for Mental Health A HEALING CLUBHOUSE FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

BY TERRY KAUFMAN LOCAL HEROES

he TLCS Clubhouse is a single room tucked at the back of a nondescript

building on Marconi Avenue, but it represents a world of possibilities for the people who come through its door. Opened just five months ago, it provides a safe place for people with mental illness struggling with the challenges of daily living, from finding a job to having enough to eat. Most members are clients of TLCS, a private nonprofit that helps provide

The TLCS Clubhouse represents a world of possibilities for the people who come through its door, including art classes

housing, self-care and psychiatric support. At the Clubhouse, they can connect with others, participate in

applying for grants to sustain the

His attempts at self-sufficiency were

activities from art to board games to

Clubhouse on an ongoing basis.”

thwarted by psychiatric issues. He

that he’s formed with fellow mentor

now lives at a residential facility

Billy Teel. “We used to see each

staffed by TLCS.

other at TLCS barbecues and stuff,”

tai chi, and just let their hair down for a little while. “This is a task-oriented place,”

Mentors are the glue that holds the Clubhouse together. Themselves

A bonus for Viegas is the friendship

clients of the mental health system,

“I kept trying to get back on my

recalls Teel. “But here we struck up a

says residential programs coordinator

they provide support to Clubhouse

feet,” he says, “but I had a hard time

friendship and connected on different

Linda Bratcher. “It’s nonclinical.

members and help manage the day-to-

keeping a job. I’ve been clean and

levels. I used to be so closed off, and

They can talk to a mentor about their

day operations of the Clubhouse.

sober for five years now. As a mentor,

this helped me a lot. The Clubhouse

mental health, but this place is really

Frank Viegas has been a mentor

I help guide and serve the members in

makes me feel like I have a purpose.”

about being a normal human being.”

since the Clubhouse opened. A TLCS

the best way that is conducive to their

client for more than four years,

needs. I feel I serve an important

have found a place to live, as well as a

Wells Fargo Foundation and Bank

he joined the Marine Corps after

purpose here. I’m in a leadership role,

mission. “I’ve seen people that when

of America. “This will keep us going

graduating from Hiram Johnson High

and that’s preparing me for a full-

they get here, they’re completely

for a year,” says Bratcher, “so we’re

School but was discharged after being

time job.”

closed off,” he says. “I’ve seen them

The Clubhouse gets funding from

diagnosed with a genetic disorder.

ILP APR n 15

Teel knows how fortunate he is to

open up, become more engaged and

more outgoing. It really helps to be

share their stories with me, I know

part of a community.”

that this is what I’ve been looking

Mentoring helps both members and

for.”

mentors. “I’m one of these people,”

Lindle has already seen a

says Teel. “I have an understanding

connection between her studies

of what they’re going through. The

and her mission. “I’m working with

Clubhouse gives people a place to

TLCS on videos to tell the members’

come and socialize and get out of their

stories,” she explains. “The stories

own heads for a while.”

are important. They’re really eye-

Member Jeremy Sorensen, five

us understand how complex the issues

on becoming a mentor. After almost

are that these people are dealing

losing custody of his son following

with.” Jennifer Buchanan, the sole

around and plans to work in the

female mentor, calls the Clubhouse

mental health field. “This is an

“amazing.” She says, “I find myself

essential part of my recovery. I want

being wanted. It’s been a great

to give back because they saved my

journey since we opened. I consider

life,” he says.

them my friends, and they consider

The Clubhouse has provided

in college. A 2014 graduate of Ithaca College with a degree in documentary film production, she came to Sacramento last August through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a service organization similar to AmeriCorps. She works at the Clubhouse in return for a basic living stipend. “I wanted

Stress Free Property Management Single Family Homes • Duplexes • Condos • Apartments • Commercial

• 24-hour On-Call Maintenance

• Showings 7 Days a Week

• BEST Tenant Screening

• Low Vacancy Rate

me their friend.”

22-year-old Emma Lindle an education unlike anything she learned

We’re your neighbors and we handle it all...

opening, really cathartic. They help

months clean and sober, is working

a DUI arrest, he is turning his life

Relax. We’ve got you covered.

The TLCS Clubhouse, at 3737 Marconi Ave., is open Wednesdays through Fridays. To become a volunteer, visit tlcssac.org and click on “Get Involved.” Donations of food items and bottled water are always needed; monetary donations for the Clubhouse should be specifically designated.

• Electronic Reporting & Banking • Free Rent Survey

429-1205 | HomePointe.com “The place to be” since 1983 Cal BRE Lic No. 01227502

to spend one year focusing on what’s happening in the world,” she says. “Every day, as people open up and

Terry Kaufman can be reached at terry@1greatstory.com n

Rae Ann Whitten, DDS General and Cosmetic Dentistry As a dentist, I have the ability to improve people’s lives by improving the health and beauty of their smile.

A good place to ﬁnd great dentists. • Children & Adults • Cosmetic Dentistry • Dental Implants Always accepting new patients.

44-SMILE or visit us at Jeremy shows off his artwork

www.sutterterracedental.com

3001 P St. Sacramento, CA

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Move-in Ready THIS WOULD-BE FLIP WAS NO FLOP BY JULIE FOSTER HOME INSIGHT

hen Dana and Shawn Bouey purchased their 1925 two-story Curtis Park home in 2013, it was in bad shape. Now, after extensive renovations, the family-friendly Tudor is nice enough to be featured on this year’s 2015 Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour.

ILP APR n 15

“Why live in something that you created for resale value if it’s not a flip?”

Initially, the couple intended to spruce up the 2,400-square-foot house, then turn around and sell it. But as the remodel progressed, they changed their minds. Shawn, who owns Bouey Termite and Construction in Sacramento, was weary of his daily commute from the couple’s home in Roseville. Dana

initially resisted the idea of moving, until Shawn offered a carrot. “He said if we moved, I could do whatever I wanted to the interior of the house,” she says. With a few minor glitches, that is pretty much how the project worked out. Though they stayed true to the vintage feel of the home’s exterior, they gutted the interior. Worn-out carpeting was removed and wood floors were restored where possible. They kept the leaded glass windows in the front of the house and reconfigured six small bedrooms into four spacious ones. They painted the interior in shades of gray and white to create a unified, relaxed feeling throughout the house. “Our last home was all beige and brown,” says Dana. “I got so tired of it. I decided to go in a different direction.”

Because the couple had flipped five houses in as many years, Bouey had a good idea of the fixtures and finishes she wanted, including cabinets, lighting and bathroom fixtures. The couple replaced all the light fixtures except one, which was located in a cozy space off the living room that Dana now uses as an office. After cleaning it up, they installed the fixture in the front entry hall. They noticed that the living room’s brick fireplace hearth did not match the surround. When they removed the mismatched hearth bricks, they found the original matching bricks. In the kitchen, new Carrara marble countertops, contemporary light fixtures and stainless steel appliances make the space sparkle. A walk-in pantry adds additional storage space. The sumptuous master bathroom includes dual sinks, a lighted mirror and marble hexagon floor tiles.

Numerous people tried talking the couple out of putting the master bedroom on the first floor and the children’s rooms on the second, saying the configuration would be bad for resale. “But it works perfectly for us,” says Shawn. “Why live in something that you created for resale value if it’s not a flip?” At the top of the stairs, what was a landing became a daughter’s dream bathroom with a large claw-foot tub. “We let my daughter test out her design skills in the bathroom and her bedroom,” Dana says. The spacious backyard features a comfy seating area clustered around a fire pit and a wood dining table with seating for 12. “We have a large family and the dining room is small, so we opted for a large outdoor table,” she says. Tour goers should pay attention to the beautifully refinished mahogany front door, which makes a grand first

impression. In the charming front hall, note the coved ceiling and the restored light fixture as well as the mosaic floor tiles. In the living room, check out the cityscape painting by local artist Steve Memering, who thoughtfully included the couple’s two dogs, Scout and Cooper, in the piece. The Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour takes place Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the general public, tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on the day of the tour. Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association members get a $5 discount. For more information, go to sierra2.org or call 452-3005. If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com n

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

ILP APR n 15

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Baseball’s Clubhouse THE LIMELIGHT HOLDS TREASURES FROM SACRAMENTO’S BASEBALL HEYDAY

BY R.E. GRASWICH SPORTS AUTHORITY

s saloons go, The Limelight on Alhambra Boulevard is legendary for cold beer and poker tables. Now it’s playing a card from Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Limelight has always been a baseball dive, thanks to owner Pete Mikacich. In the mid-1950s, Mikacich was a baseball player, a right-handed slugger. He spent three years with the Sacramento Solons, after batting .476 at Sacramento City College. The family’s profitable saloon has nursed a baseball connection ever since. Today there’s a new touch at the old bar: historic photos celebrating Sacramento’s baseball heritage, original artifacts plucked from newspaper morgues or team files. The memorabilia is gradually filling the walls at The Limelight, offset by expensive frames and exhaustively researched captions. “This is just the beginning,” The Limelight manager Michael Kreizenbeck says. “Most of these photos haven’t been seen in decades. They tell the story of Sacramento baseball, which is an amazing story.”

ILP APR n 15

Pete Mikacich and Mugsy McNamara

The Limelight promotes the collection as “museum quality,” and that’s no foul ball. The material is rare, personal and inviting, pulling viewers forward like a full count in the bottom of the ninth. The details are delightful—look, Jackie Robinson at third base! They magically inspire and nudge viewers back to a time nearly forgotten. The era under reference is the mid1950s to early 1980s, when baseball ruled Sacramento sports. Any open lot would suffice for the city’s youngsters, from Del Paso Heights to Florin. “It was sandlot baseball,” Kreizenbeck says. “Kids would just mark out a diamond and play. They had a version of the game they called

lemon ball. When they didn’t have a real baseball, they would get one of those old plastic lemons they used to sell at the grocery store and use that as a baseball.” Kreizenbeck wasn’t around for the historic stretch memorialized at the saloon, but he has a direct connection through the Mikacich family, which apparently never threw anything away, and old-time Sacramento baseball stars, who are gently making their way to The Limelight. The Limelight is working with Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame president Joe McNamara, who maintains contact with many of our baseball heroes. Leon Lee, Don Lyle, Greg Orr and Manuel Perry

are among the local luminaries who attended a recent Hall of Fame inductees’ event at The Limelight. Most of the material on display might be the detritus of attic trunks if not for the big-league personalities involved. The McNamara family— John McNamara managed the Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds, among other teams, and was said to be the greatest third-base coach in history—contributed many of the photos, including rare shots of Reggie Jackson and Charles Finley during their freewheeling Oakland days. And there’s more to come. The chore of framing and researching SHOPTALK page 34

for High School Students Monday–Friday, June 22-26 and July 13-17, 2015 Get ready for fun, hands-on career exploration at Sac State! Register at www.cce.csus.edu/acads Health Careers 101

Theater and performing arts

Forensics

CIVIc DUTY Fashion Academy

Fire Academy Biotech: The Biology of Glow

Law Enforcement

Intro to Engineering & Robotics

multimedia JOURNALISM

Intermediate Engineering & Robotics

Who Loves Their Garage Door Guy?

GARAGE

DOOR CENTER Sacramento

Garage Door Center Sacramento is owned and operated by local expert Russ Fuller. Why go to a big box store when you can receive superior service from someone with 31 years experience? Russ will not only walk you through your options, he is also the one that puts on the tool belt to get the job done right. He treats his customers like family.

Our clients do. Try us! You’ll like us!

April Special:

FREE Key Pad with installation of any Garage Door Opener (exp. 4/30/15)

“A

mazing service!!! Russ came to our rescue on a Saturday night to Àx our stuck open garage door. He had it Àxed within 5 minutes (Amazing!) and then did a tune up on all the chains, springs, latches, and motor guide all within an hour. Never had our garage door work so well! He was very nice and explained the whole thing in process. Would deÀnitely recommend and will use again (although hopefully I’m smart enough to not accidently put stuff in the way of the track door next time). Thank you!” - Will S., Sacramento

Call 452-5802 Sales | Service | Install 31 yrs experience Lic #764789

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

You've seen us around for years We have the experience your project deserves

modeling ign/build re s e d e ic rv e Full s

One stop for all of your Kitchen, Bath, or Whole House remodeling needs backed up by 34 years of experience in Sacramento's oldest neighborhoods. Our designer is on staff and available for whatever assistance you may need with material selections and functional design. SHOPTALK FROM page 32 the material is time consuming, Kreizenbeck says. More goods will fill The Limelightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walls in months ahead. One artifact I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find but would love to see in public is a 1985 letter Pete Mikacich wrote to Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, asking for permission to buy and bring a minor league team to Sacramento. Mikacich was worried about his card room and gambling connectionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; justifiably, it turned out. The late Sacramento Bee sports editor Bill Conlin printed Mikacichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeal in a Sunday column. The note opens with a defense of Mikacichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character and captures the spirit of Sacramento baseball entrepreneurship, circa 1985: â&#x20AC;&#x153;References can be obtained from Mr. John McNamara of the Boston Red Sox and Mr. Harry Dunlop of the San Diego Padres,â&#x20AC;? Mikacich wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both have been in my business and both have known me for at least 35 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would appreciate a ruling from your office as to whether I will be able

ILP APR n 15

Call now for a free in home consultation and estimate for your project. NO upfront design fees required to see what your new space will look like and how much your investment will be.

www.djkitchen.com

916-925-2577 to be a part of a group of friends, relatives and investors who, with Michelle Sprague of the Lodi franchise, would like to build a facility at Sacramento City College. The cost would be approximately $800,000, and I would like to own about 20 percent of the stock. Since we would like to operate in 1986, time is of the essence. Lighting and seating materials must be ordered many months in advance.â&#x20AC;? The commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office declared the card-room owner not suitable for proprietorship because, as we all know, nobody ever gambles in baseball. Thus ended Mikacichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pitch to own a baseball team. Later in 1985, the NBA came to Sacramento. Today the big deal is soccer. Nobody plays lemon ball anymore. Parents donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let children hang out in sandlots. And lest we forget that once upon a time all those things did happen here, the photos endure on Alhambra Boulevard. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n

Create Your Dream Garden with a little help from the experts

'HVLJQ

,QVWDOODWLRQ

200

for a 2 Hour Consultation (drawing and notes included)

We solve problems, renew old gardens or create a garden oasis just for you. We are a father daughter team with 40 years experience in the nursery business and garden design. Our experience makes us uniquely qualified to help your garden thrive.

Complete designs by quote. Visit TheGardenTutors.com or Call 606-6029

/LF

0DLQWHQDQFH

7KH 9HU\ %HVW -XVW *RW %HWWHU 8FlSF 1SPVE UP 8FMDPNF UP UIF $PMEXFMM #BOLFS 4BDSBNFOUP .FUSP 0GGJDF

7HDP /XNHQELOO (ORUGX\ 5LRV / N ELOO (O G

.PMMZ -VLFOCJMM &MPSEVZ (BZMB 3JPT .PMMZ o (BZMB .PMMZ &MPSEVZ!DCOPSDBM DPN (BZMB 3JPT!DCOPSDBM DPN $BM#3& o $BM#3&

"MIBNCSB #MWE o 4BDSBNFOUP $" o 'JOE 6T 0OMJOF $B.PWFT DPN o 'BDFCPPL DCOPSDBM

Are You Ready? EExperience Summer

at St. Fr Francis Catholic High School!

Fiona loves the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hobbitâ&#x20AC;? house her Dad built

REGISTRATION OPEN NOW

Whether you are looking for EDUCATIONAL, ENRICHMENT, OR SPORTS programs this summer, St. Francis Catholic High School has it all!

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll love what Neil can do for your home remodels

Creating spaces for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consider Our Impactâ&#x20AC;?

Innovative Designs and Remodels

gatherings & entertaining with beauty and comfort

Decks, Porches, Kitchens & Bathrooms

Call Impact Builders for your FREE estimate today! &MWBT "WFOVF t 4BDSBNFOUP $"

ImpactBuilders.org

916-826-1849

License No. 938975

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Sun Salutations SHE SAYS YOGA IS GOOD FOR YOU, INSIDE AND OUT

myself. I remember my first yoga class

BY JESSICA LASKEY

was in this little portable building

SHOPTALK

and my teacher didn’t say two words

the whole class, just got into a pose

hen I catch up with Erin

and held it. I’d been an athlete my

Ross by phone at 8 a.m.,

whole life, but here I am sweating

she has already been up

and freaking out mentally. He was so

for four hours as part of her newest

still!”

yoga training course. The 32-year-

But the physical challenge had Ross

old, who goes by the name Sangat

hooked, so she dedicated herself to

Preet Kaur in her practice, is the

more frequent practice, which had a

owner of The Yoga Workshop on

profound effect on other aspects of

McKinley Boulevard and, despite

her life.

today’s early wake-up call, is

“We always talk about

decidedly not a morning person.

‘consciousness’ in yoga,” Ross says.

“Yoga is a lot of work,” Ross

“I didn’t realize it at first, but I was

admits. “You see these photos of

developing a consciousness about the

beautiful women meditating, like on

connection between mind, body and

our website, but that’s not it, sister!

spirit. I started making choices in my

It’s a lot of work so we can show up to

subconscious that were better for me,

life more fully, to live with more peace

like becoming vegetarian. The more

and love.”

I kept doing it, the more I started

Though Ross may sound like she

making better choices. I was kind of a

was born a yogi, it was quite a rocky

bad kid when I was younger. I smoked

road to get there. The Tracy native

cigarettes. But I started to really

grew up on a farm before she moved

discover myself and think about who

to Loomis with her aunt to attend

I am, who I was dating, what I was

American River College. When

putting in and on my body.”

she transferred to Sierra College,

While yoga certainly improved her

she decided to live in Truckee and

life, it may have also literally saved it.

commute. Then, when she transferred

“I was having pain in my foot

to California State University,

during my first semester, so I went

Sacramento, she lived in a quiet part

to a podiatrist,” Ross says. “The

of Roseville until the travel became

X-ray didn’t show anything, but he

too much.

also practiced the Bowen technique

“I was really fighting moving to the big city,” Ross says. “I like space

(a kind of holistic healing similar to Erin Ross is the owner of The Yoga Workshop on McKinley Boulevard

and quiet and solitude, which is why Roseville was perfect, but when the

It was while attending Sierra

acupressure) and I felt this intense

thanks to the iPhone and Instagram,

energy in my belly. I went to my

recession hit and gas was $5 a gallon,

College, however, that the self-

and I was really curious about it

general doctor and it turned out I had

commuting just wasn’t working. Now

described country girl discovered the

because I love a challenge.

Stage IV cancer cells in my cervix. I

that I’m downtown. My husband,

activity that would change her life.

“I grew up as a skateboarder and

Joaquin, and I live in the L Street

“I started doing yoga at Sierra

did extreme sports like wakeboarding

Lofts. I love it. I walk and ride my

when I was 18,” Ross recalls. “This

in college because I love a physical

bike everywhere.”

was before yoga really blew up,

game where I’m playing against

ILP APR n 15

had surgery to take them out, and my foot pain went away.”

SHOPTALK page 38

150,000 Animals Spayed

INSIDE

OUT

Tom Cruise, an adorable poodle mix, was destined to make headlines. On Feb. 24 (World Spay Day 2015), Tom became the 150,000th animal to be altered by Sacramento SPCA surgeons since the shelterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-quality, high-volume spay/ neuter clinic opened its doors in 2007. The milestone surgery was cause for celebration not only for SSPCA staff and volunteers but the community as well. The SSPCA clinic alters more than 20,000 animals annually as the organization works to decrease the number of unwanted dogs and cats entering overburdened area shelters. For information on the SSPCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spay/neuter services, visit sspca.org

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Presenting the best in music, dance and speakers

N=<8J6 A==JV

Check Out Our Plaids This Spring From the Scott Barber collection – a “blast from the past” in updated colors. SHOPTALK FROM page 36

lease, but for some reason, people started coming to me and telling me I

With 14 years of experience now

Buddy Guy WED, APR 8 • 8PM Buddy Guy’s list of accomplishments is as profound as his signature guitar sound: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a chief influence to rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound, and a living link to that city’s halcyon days of electric blues.

no desire to take over a yoga studio,

Ross that yoga could have uncovered

but I took a leap of faith, figuring it

such a critical internal issue.

would be good for me to get out of my

“There are so many science and healing techniques to yoga that have been around for thousands of

Max Raabe and Palast Orchester THU, APR 2 • 8PM A Night in Berlin

Berlin’s famed crooner Max Raabe and his 12-piece Palast Orchester present their elegant collection of meticulously recreated German and American standards of the 1920s and ‘30s.

Quixotic SUN, APR 12 • 3PM Inventive electronic dance music meets Cirque.

should do it, even my husband! I had

under her belt, it doesn’t surprise

comfort zone. I couldn’t have done it without Cori’s training.” Ross opened The Yoga Workshop

years that are just now coming to

in the former Asha studio space on

light,” Ross says. “The best part of

April Fool’s Day last year and has

this practice is that there’s always

been making steady gains, despite

something to learn. It’s the power of

the rather steep learning curve. With

perception.”

help from Joaquin, her brother Loren,

While her practice took Ross to

other family members and a dedicated

various yoga studios around town

and talented staf, including studio

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra FRI, APR 17 • 8PM

over the years, she always felt

manager Jaime Meek, Ross is making

Myung-Whun Chung, music director and conductor

particularly drawn to Asha, a “lovely,

The Yoga Workshop into a local

Prokofiev’s suite from Romeo and Juliet and Brahms, Symphony No. 4.

sweet space” run by Cori Martinez,

destination.

Bill Frisell and Joshua Light Show FRI, APR 24 • 8PM Guitar in the Space Age! Frisell mines the catalog of guitar-based music from the 1950s and 1960s that first inspired him to pick up the instrument: Pete Seeger, The Byrds, Junior Wells, Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Astronauts, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and others.

with whom Ross did her first teacher

“It’s been really cool to see it

training course (200 of the nearly 800

evolve,” Ross says. “I keep looking

hours she’s completed). Ross had just

around and going, ‘Wow, this is really

started teaching at the studio when

working.’ ”

Martinez broke the news. decided to shut down the East Sac

! On Sale Now

ILP APR n 15

location,” Ross says. “She was looking

For tickets: mondaviarts.org

Even at 4 a.m.

“Cori had a lot on her plate, so she

for a business person to take over the

Say “ohm” at The Yoga Workshop, 3610 McKinley Blvd. For more information, go to sacyogaworkshop. com n

Remodeling Homes for Life

INSPIRE • Design/Build to your budget • Kitchen / Bath Remodels • Additions • Guest Cottages • Over 25 Years Experience in Sacramento’s most established neighborhoods • Free Consultation • Ask about our Financing Options

ENGAGE

Lic# B548643

| 916-215-9293 | fuginaconstruction.com

Massage - Facials - Nails

916-920-2888 • newhappydayspa.com

INNOVATE

April 30 • 6-7:30 p.m. LOWER, MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL Tell us you’re coming • office@saccds.org • 916-481-8811

Pedicure Only $20*

(Expires 4/30/15)

1 Hour Body Massage Only $36* 1 Hour Microdermabrasion w/ Soothing Classic Facial

Only $45* saccds.org

Arden Way

(Expires 4/30/15)

Academics. The Arts. Athletics. Every Day.

1338 Howe Avenue

(Near Outback Steakhouse) Howe Ave

OPEN HOUSE

1 Hour Foot Massage Only $18*

Hurley Way

*One coupon per customer, cannot be combined. Valid only at Howe Ave Location.

Special discount for package deals • Onsite laundry facility to guarantee all linens are fresh Walk in welcome • Gift card available • Locations in Roseville - Granite Bay - Fair Oaks - Natomas

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

The Perfect Plant OLD ROSES ARE PERFECTLY SUITED FOR MODERN GARDENS

BY ANITA CLEVENGER GARDEN JABBER

hile roses are a favorite flower for many people, they aren’t necessarily a favorite garden plant. They are too much work, people say. They look a bit awkward, bearing their flowers atop stiff, bare, thorny canes. Worst of all, many people believe that roses are thirsty and don’t fit into a drought-threatened landscape. I beg to differ. As the curator in the Historic Rose Garden in Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, I spend much of my time surrounded by roses of the 19th century that are easy-to-grow, water-efficient, beautiful flowering shrubs. Many of our heritage roses are tough survivors that were collected from old cemeteries and other historic sites, where they grew and blossomed for a century or more with little care or summer water. Mike Shoup, owner of The Antique Rose Emporium in Texas, says, “Old roses are the perfect garden plant.” UC Davis Arboretum agrees. Its list of “All-Stars” includes four roses, one of which is the modern, ubiquitous white rose known as ‘Iceberg.’ The others are old roses. ‘Perle d’Or,’ first

ILP APR n 15

A lilac can take up to seven years to mature enough to bloom

introduced in 1883, is a favorite in the cemetery garden, a relatively thornfree shrub that nearly continuously produces sprays of perfect little apricot flowers. ‘Mutabilis,’ from before 1894, is another nearly perpetually blooming rose. Its showy single flowers start out peach colored and age to a deep rose color, looking like multicolored butterflies perched all over the shapely plant. The fourth rose All-Star is ‘Pink Gruss an Aachen,’ a relative newcomer from 1929. This rose has fragrant pink flowers that bloom in clusters throughout the spring, summer and fall. It, too, is relatively thornless.

UC Davis Arboretum features other heritage roses in its gardens. One of my favorites is ‘White Pearl in Red Dragon’s Mouth,’ an ancient Chinese rose poetically named for the red dragon that flew at night to return with pearls of wisdom for the emperor. This rose is usually covered with little bright-red flowers. The arboretum has let its plant grow tall, but we keep it lower in the cemetery and in the Sacramento County Master Gardeners’ Water Efficient Landscape at Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, where it is often the most colorful plant in the landscape. Texas A&M University is also enthusiastic about old roses. Its Earth-Kind program conducted

rigorous tests, which identified 17 roses that demonstrated superior pest tolerance and outstanding landscape performance. Most of the Earth-Kind roses date back a century or more. ‘Perle d’Or’ and ‘Mutabilis’ made the list, along with many other cemetery favorites. During the Earth-Kind tests, roses were mulched with three inches of organic material and watered deeply only when the soil was dry an inch beneath the surface, usually no more often than once a week. This is the best practice for Sacramento, too. You can prune these roses for size and deadhead them to promote repeat flowering, but it’s not necessary. You don’t need to treat them for diseases

BEAT THREE CANCERS BY AGE 13

Francesca inspires us

or worry about other pests. If they get aphids, just spray them off with water and wait for the beneficial birds and insects to eat the rest. Earth-Kind and Arboretum All-Star roses stay relatively evergreen throughout the winter and bloom about eight months out of the year. While these roses may be fragrant, they usually have herbal or spicy scents rather than the beloved, powerful “old rose” perfume. Many other old hybrids do have the “old rose” scent, as do some modern roses. Sniff roses such as ‘Barbara’s Pasture Rose,’ ‘Benny Lopez’ and ‘Grandmother’s Hat,’ and be prepared to swoon. These stunning roses grow in the Historic Rose Garden and will be offered for sale at the cemetery’s open garden on April 18, along with dozens of other varieties. The Historic Rose Garden was founded and is lovingly tended by volunteers. Its mission is to preserve heritage roses that may otherwise be lost forever, to educate the public about them, and to complement the cemetery. In its heyday, our city’s

Victorian garden cemetery was filled with roses, trees and other plants by family members in honor of their loved ones. The cemetery, once in decline, is a showplace again thanks to volunteers who have gardened, raised funds for monument repairs, researched burial records and led entertaining educational tours. The cemetery was recently added to the National Registry of Historic Places, a significant honor. April is the month of peak bloom for our old roses, so come to the cemetery to see and sniff them. You just might discover your favorite garden plants.

MID

ED TTED STE IIST ST LIS J ST JU

CUR

JJUS JU USSTT LIS ISTE STE TTED ED D

TIS

PAR K

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery will hold an open garden on Saturday, April 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday, April 25, costumed docents will lead a Romance & Roses tour at 6:30 p.m. The cemetery is at 1000 Broadway. For more information, go to cemeteryrose.org Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County Lifetime UC Master Gardener. n

SSteph BakerRealtor® (916) 775-3447 (9

CAL BRE #01402254

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

A Leader With Seniority A HEARTFELT DEDICATION TO THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES

give people the services they need at a lower price point.”

BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK

uzanne Olson has one hectic schedule, but you wouldn’t know it to talk to her. She’s bright, chipper and sounds like she really loves her job as the executive director of sales and marketing for Eskaton, the largest nonprofit provider of senior services in the country. “I’ve always had a heart for the nonprofit world,” says Olson, a Sacramento native who made her start as the community development manager at the American Cancer Society before joining Eskaton seven years ago. “I really wanted to make a difference on a grand scale. “Also, my grandfather had a stroke 20 years ago and was in rehab at an Eskaton facility. It was a really tough time for him but he had a great experience—the staff was amazing. Ever since then, Eskaton has had a very positive reputation in my eyes.” Now it’s Olson’s job to make sure that everyone who comes into contact with her employer has a similar impression. She oversees 19 salespeople, all of the strategic marketing campaigns and all of the advertising for Eskaton’s 30-plus residential communities, and still manages to wake up early with her 14-month-old son. “He’s the reason I come to work every day,” Olson says, then laughs and adds, “And yes, I live on Starbucks.” Olson sounds perfectly perky, however, when she’s discussing

ILP APR n 15

“We’re a leader of care, but our nonprofit status is also a big deal.”

Suzanne Olson is the the executive director of sales and marketing for Eskaton

Eskaton’s critical role in caring for America’s aging population. “Everybody, if we’re lucky, is going to experience aging,” Olson says. “It’s something that’s happening to us, all day, every day. Over the next 18 years, baby boomers will be turning 65 at a rate of about 8,000 a day. “Eskaton has offered senior services for over 45 years, but it’s our job now to figure out where we go next, to find out what this next generation wants in terms of care. About 95 percent of people in this region want to age in place, which means they want to remain at home,

so we have to continue to develop services to meet those needs.” The field of senior care has changed a lot in the past four and a half decades, both in terms of what kind of care clients want and what they can pay to secure it. “Cost is a huge factor,” Olson confirms. “People in the Silent Generation went through the Depression, so they have savings accounts and great retirement plans. Future generations are saving less and less. Many don’t have 401(k)s. So we’re trying to figure out how to still

Eskaton offers a variety of care options for its clients all over the Greater Sacramento region, including independent living for those who want an independent lifestyle but with the assurance of support if they need it; assisted living for those who need personalized assistance with daily living tasks in the privacy of their own apartments; memory care for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s; rehabilitation and skilled nursing for those who require 24-hour care; and affordable housing options for older adults with limited incomes. “It’s been really fun to watch the industry grow and transition,” Olson says. “We’re a leader of care, but our nonprofit status is also a big deal. It allows us to really contribute our revenue back into the community. We don’t answer to shareholders, so we can make business decisions that are best for the company and our residents and participants.” Are you or a loved one trying to figure out the next step in the aging process? Contact Eskaton at 334-0810 or visit eskaton.org. The Eskaton Administrative Center is at 5105 Manzanita Ave. in Carmichael. n

Residential - Investment Properties - Commercial

2014 Capitol Avenue Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95811 PENDING SOLD

Premier Land Park Street Storybook 3bd/2ba w/wine cellar & media room. Remodeled kitchen & baths. 2,076sf. Coming soon. Whitney Fong 616-8557

Prestigious East Sacramento Living $995,000 Recently remodeled, this beauty boasts 6 beds, 2 baths, and a gorgeous new kitchen, with floor to ceiling windows that overlook an outside deck and private yard with pool. Helen Tarasco 798-7679

Curtis Park Starter Home $310,000 Lovely Curtis Park Craftsman. 2bd plus office/den. Many updates include central heat/air, bath & kitchen. Newer dual! Meg Heede 803-1628

SOLD

Arden Mid-Century Modern $334,900 $334,900 Take your pickiest buyer, this home is in pristine condition. mid century modern home in the Arden area. Scott Mercer 216-0571

University Park Remodel $319,900 Stylishly remodeled 2 story home in gated University Park. Updated kitchen & baths Master w/2 walk-in closets. Sidney Poritz 500-1522

PENDING

Pocket Beauty $699,000 For the discriminating buyer! A well loved & maintained home in the prestigious Riverlake gated neighborhood of Pocket. Carol Crestelo 203-8998

Land Park Single Story Home Remodeled 3 bd/2 bath w/ new kitchen & baths, master suite with walk-in closet, walking distance to Land Park hotspots. $569,900. Whitney Fong 616-8557

PENDING

Elk Grove 95758 Lovely Home $325,800 Have kids? Cul-de-Sac living in wonderful Elk Grove! 4 bedroom 3 full bath with downstairs bedroom/bath, den, 2 story. Estella Drake 213-2405

East Sac Charmer $399,000 Perfect starter home! Spacious 2bd/1 bath, updated kitchen, 2 car garage and large yard. Melissa Heede 719-1799

Short Sale Expert Short sale, foreclosure and loan modification expert. Specializing in investment and distressed properties. David Muraoka 640-5140 Premier Wedgewood Granite Bay Premier & accessible golf course lot in Wedgewood, the popular & gated Granite Bay community. Fabulous traditional style home has been remodeled inside & out. Oakhills and Ridgeview K-6 top rated schools. 10 Year old Tile Roof. $1,198,500. Sidney Poritz 500-1522

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Before the Deluge WHEN AN EPIC RAINSTORM FAILS TO DELIVER

BY KEVIN MIMS WRITING LIFE

hree years ago, to save money, my wife and I canceled our satellite TV subscription. Since then, our TV viewing has consisted almost exclusively of DVDs rented from Netflix. Our Netflix subscription allows us to have no more than three DVDs at home at a time. Thus, even if we wanted to spend an entire weekend parked in front of the TV, we’d have a difficult time doing so. In the old days, when we had satellite service, it was easy to waste whole Saturdays in front of the TV watching cooking shows, tennis matches, “classic” TV sitcoms and marathons of HGTV’s “House Hunters.” Sadly, I often gave into that temptation. In the three years since we cut the satellite connection, I have taken up running, my wife has completed more oil paintings than during any previous three-year period of her life, and both of us have taken up weekend kayaking. These are all good things. I enjoy watching TV, but I’m glad I’m no longer able to piddle away hours of valuable time mindlessly surfing from channel to channel. In

ILP APR n 15

a recent article for Slate, writer Will Oremus summed up the downside of having cable or satellite TV always at hand: “Watching television shows you don’t particularly care about can turn rather quickly from refreshing to soul-sapping,” he wrote. “When you turn on the TV without a definite objective in mind, there’s no built-in endpoint to your viewing. It becomes tempting to just leave it on in the background rather than turning it off and moving on with your life. Sure … there’s a frisson of excitement each time you change the channel. The show you’re watching now might be crap, but entertainment gold might be lurking just a button-push away. That, of course, is the same sort of frisson that turns people into compulsive smokers and dead-eyed slot machine addicts.” I have no desire to become a dead-eyed TV addict, but I do occasionally find the idea of spending an entire Saturday in front of the tube somewhat alluring, just as I occasionally hanker to forgo a wholesome dinner and devour a hot fudge sundae instead. I think it’s OK to give into these cravings so long as you don’t do it too often. You may remember that a huge rainstorm was forecast to hit Sacramento back on Friday, Feb. 6, and that it was expected to pound the region all through the weekend. The storm was expected to bring not only rain but also wind and thunder and lightning. Julie and I had planned a trip to San Mateo County on Feb. 6 to attend the annual Hillsborough Antique Show. On Thursday night, I was working at the local bookstore where I am a part-time employee.

Customer after customer came through the door talking about the big storm that was expected to pounce upon Sacramento at any minute. Many of these folks were coming in to purchase crossword puzzle books, cozy mystery novels and the latest magazines: provisions to keep their minds active should they be unable to leave their houses over the course of the next three days.

I occasionally hanker to forgo a wholesome dinner and devour a hot fudge sundae instead. This was the first I had heard of the coming storm. (One disadvantage of having no TV reception is that I am often ignorant of the latest developments in local news, sports and weather.) Several people used the term “atmospheric river” to describe the coming rainstorm. I called Julie at home and suggested we cancel our trip to Hillsborough and spend the next few days holed up in the house. Since outdoor activities would be pretty much out of the question, I recommended that we spend the weekend binge-watching TV shows that had been recommended to us by friends but which we had not yet found the time to view. Julie approved of this plan. When she puts her mind to it, she can be every bit as lazy as I am by nature. When my shift at the

bookstore ended, I walked next door to a record-and-video store where I have built up plenty of store credit. I used up some of my credit acquiring the first seasons of “The Good Wife” and “Justified” on DVD. My first inkling that the weekend might not turn out exactly as planned came when I was walking home from the video store. Though it was 9:30 p.m., the temperature was mild and not a breath of wind was blowing. “It’s just the proverbial calm before the storm,” I assured myself. Friday began promisingly enough with a bit of rain, as well as some thunder and lightning. At about 9 a.m., one of those lightning strikes knocked out the power in our neighborhood. Julie and I decided to drive to the nearest grocery store for some snacks. If you’re going to binge-watch junk TV, you really ought to have some junk food on hand. Unfortunately, the nearest grocery store had no power either and couldn’t sell us any food. Undaunted, we drove the next nearest grocery store. It had no power either. We ended up driving to a Nugget Market five miles away just to stock up on chips, dips, hot dogs, buns and other essentials of an unhealthy diet. Just as we returned home, our porch light came on, signaling the return of our electricity—a good sign, I thought. We plopped down on the couch and began bingeing on “The Good Wife.” We took an instant fancy to the program, but our enjoyment of it was slightly diminished by the fact that the thunder and lightning had abated and only a mild drizzle was falling outside. After watching a few episodes of “The Good Wife,”

Single story 3bd, 2bath w/master suite! Big .16 acre lot. Newly refinished Hdwd floors! Sep. fmly room! $579,900 Jim Jeffers 916-730-0494

East Sac beautifully updated. Highend appliances, 4bd/3ba + bonus Room. Detached garage. $1,150,000 Tanya Curry 916-698-9970

Beautiful 5bdm/3ba family home. Spacious kitchen , high ceilings And a backyard for entertaining. $565, 000 Tanya Curry 916-698-9970

All New in College Glen 3 bd, Master, all new Kitchen, baths and more $329,500 Lorene Warren 916-799-2121

Lovely and spacious 5bd/3ba home Cul-de-sac lot in gated community Close to schools, parks & shopping $386,000 Ann Nash 916-212-2380

Stunning Remodel on of Land Parks best streets! 4bd, 2.5 bath & New kitchen! $799,900 Jim Jeffers 916-730-0494

we pressed on with our plan. At one point, I took a break from “The Good Wife” and went running at Land Park. Lots of walkers and runners were out at the park, wearing shorts and T-shirts and enjoying the Junelike weather. When I returned home, I found myself less enthusiastic about spending the day on the couch. “If it will make you feel any better, we could close all the curtains and pretend it’s raining outside,” Julie said. She jokingly suggested setting a small portable lawn sprinkler on the porch in order to simulate the sound of rainwater spraying against our windows. In the old days, when we had 24/7 satellite TV reception, we wouldn’t have felt guilty about spending a beautiful weekend day sitting in front of the TV. We used to waste at least one Saturday or Sunday every month doing just that. But we had gotten out of the habit of being couch potatoes. Who knew that being a sloth actually requires some conditioning? At any rate, we decided to take a break from “The Good Wife” and try a few

episodes of “Justified.” Julie’s phone was still assuring her that the deluge was only an hour or two away. In the end, the Great Sacramento Monsoon of February 2015 turned out to be a bit of a fizzle. The storm, which was expected to drop three inches of rain on downtown Sacramento, delivered only about half that amount. Most of that rain fell on Sunday. Julie and I do most of our binge-watching on days when the weather makes it unpleasant to be outdoors. This month, I’m

hoping that the proverbial April showers bring plenty of bingeable hours. The current drought has had a catastrophic effect on our viewing habits. If California rainfall levels don’t return to normal soon, I may never get a chance to see “The Walking Dead,” or “Homeland,” or “Breaking Bad,” or “Fargo” …

PENDING

Wow! 3/2 + family rm for how much?! Nice neighborhood, nice property! Hurry-this will go fast! Call me! $185,000 Patti Martinez 916-447-1451

we began wondering if we ought to drive to Hillsborough after all, if only to get some exercise. At the antiques show, we would spend a good five or six hours walking. But Julie checked the weather report on her cell phone and confirmed that, by 5 o’clock, rain and wind would be pummeling Sacramento. We opted to remain on the couch, bingeing on Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles, blue-corn tortilla chips and guacamole. By 5 o’clock, the torrential downpour had failed to materialize. Julie checked her phone and assured me that it had merely been delayed by a few hours. And so we decided to pay a few more visits to the fictional law offices of Stern, Lockhart & Gardner. That night, before we went to bed, Julie checked her phone again. Now the onslaught of bad weather was expected to hit on Saturday morning. But Saturday dawned clear and warm. It looked like a perfect day to go kayaking out on the Cosumnes or the Mokelumne River. Nonetheless, having committed ourselves to spending the weekend on the couch,

• Drought Tolerant Landscapes • Consultations • Sprinklers & Drainage

Kevin Mims lives in Land Park. He can be reached at kevinmims@ sbcglobal.net n

• • • •

Exterior Lighting Pruning Plantings & Sod Full Landscaping

916-648-8455 Cont. Lic. #874165

Neighborhood References • Since 1984

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Sales Closed February 11 - March 10, 2015

95608 CARMICHAEL

5133 LINDA LOU $319,000 1078 HARRINGTON WAY $470,000 4850 CAMERON RNCH DR$415,000 6738 LINCOLN $250,000 3447 GRANT PARK DR $320,000 6140 ROSY LN $985,000 6512 SAINT JAMES DR $237,500 4481 STOLLWOOD DR $260,000 5091 TONYA WAY $310,000 6617 SAINT JAMES DR $195,000 5408 HOME CT $434,000 5211 SAGEL CT $390,000 4821 GIBBONS DR $263,799 5112 MARTIN WAY $268,000 5024 NORTH AVE $270,000 4725 NELROY WAY $335,000 5112 VALE DR $348,000 4634 CAMERON RANCH $387,000 5400 VALHALLA DR $485,000 7100 STELLA #2 $106,000 5100 BOYD DR $215,000 4847 SAMIA CT $315,000 4917 CLEAR CIR $334,900 4825 OAKFIELD CIR $340,000 2000 MISSION AVE $344,950 5333 SEDONA CT $360,000 3243 CALIFORNIA AVE $402,000 26 RIVER BLUFF LN $875,000 999 RIFFLE CT $375,000 3537 DENFIELD LN $360,000 2633 WILLOW WAY $495,885 5415 CEDARHURST WAY $183,000 5029 BOWMAN OAKS CT $309,000 4744 BELLUE ST $325,000 1206 GARY WAY $435,000 5712 RAVENSWOOD LN $525,000 3337 MONTEGLEN CT $440,000 3417 LINDI CT $599,000 6032 CHERRELYN WAY $289,500 6228 VAN ALSTINE AVE $980,000

95815 WOODLAKE 2159 CANTALIER ST

$175,000

95816 EAST SACRAMENTO, MCKINLEY PARK 2522 R ST 1505 36TH ST 427 39TH ST 2501 I ST 2515 D ST 2712 T ST 1488 33RD ST

ILP APR n 15

$440,000 $978,750 $450,000 $552,500 $353,750 $450,000 $315,000

95817 TAHOE PARK, ELMHURST 3330 10TH AVE 2724 30TH ST 2642 32ND ST 6358 3RD AVE 2936 43RD ST 2940 43RD ST 5935 2ND AVE 4225 8TH AVE 6100 2ND AVE 2739 35TH ST 2745 35TH ST 2531 36TH ST 2741 35TH ST 3730 1ST AVE 2541 51ST ST 6271 TAHOE WAY 4248 U ST 3786 4TH AVE 3021 PORTOLA WAY 3704 SHERMAN WAY

95818 LAND PARK, CURTIS PARK

2536 27TH ST 2164 WELLER WAY 2792 SAN LUIS CT 2440 4TH AVE 711 FLINT WAY 2107 24TH ST 1325 1ST AVE 2332 CASTRO WAY 1550 10TH AVE 1940 4TH AVE 2601 PORTOLA WAY 2509 6TH AVE 2536 2ND AVE 1207 MARIAN WAY 2808 RIVERSIDE BLVD 2720 CASTRO WAY 2107 22ND ST 1017 FREMONT WAY 2712 18TH STREET 2527 FREEPORT BLVD 1631 12TH AVE

$71,000 $330,000 $175,000 $308,900 $185,000 $200,000 $319,000 $155,000 $238,650 $339,000 $339,000 $329,000 $342,700 $220,000 $360,000 $390,000 $410,000 $150,000 $269,000 $372,000

127 51ST ST 1465 47TH ST 4812 BRAND WAY 904 47TH ST 1216 58TH ST 1732 51ST ST 1472 51ST ST 1120 56TH ST 4600 P ST 5109 L ST 222 TIVOLI WAY 257 36TH WAY 857 51ST ST 1138 JANEY WAY 5541 C ST 1317 52ND ST 5423 CAMELLIA AVE 833 51ST ST 1318 55TH ST 60 FALLON LN 4141 D ST 5401 CALEB AVE

$579,900 $665,000 $450,000 $475,000 $338,000 $315,000 $321,250 $375,000 $480,000 $690,000 $387,000 $450,000 $489,950 $535,000 $395,000 $325,000 $395,000 $716,625 $380,000 $564,000 $765,000 $460,000

95821 ARDEN-ARCADE $200,000 $325,000 $325,000 $685,000 $485,000 $430,000 $410,000 $436,000 $490,000 $360,000 $846,500 $495,000 $379,000 $600,000 $410,000 $431,850 $625,000 $489,000 $479,000 $360,000 $855,000

95819 EAST SACRAMENTO, RIVER PARK

1700 51ST ST $310,000 5031 MODDISON AVE $431,500 147 SAN ANTONIO WAY $464,900 721 53RD ST $386,825 4100 E FOLSOM BLVD #4B$515,000 904 43RD ST $909,000 5237 T ST $451,000

4013 FULLER WAY $260,000 2239 BURNEY WAY $160,000 4600 EDISON AVE $274,000 3540 BECERRA WAY $295,000 3942 IRELAND ST $220,000 2906 TIOGA WAY $380,000 4261 ALVA CT $200,000 3421 BEN LOMOND DR $425,000 2501 FULTON SQUARE LN $57,000 3104 KERRIA WAY $241,000 2256 EL CAMINO $197,000 3816 LASUEN DR $225,000 2311 TAMARACK WAY $95,000 3309 CLUB LN $339,950 4160 SILVER CREST AVE $362,500 2600 ROSLYN WAY $230,000 4104 BOONE LANE $248,000 2526 CAMBON WAY $265,000 3916 LORETO WAY $267,500 2245 TULIP WAY $210,000 3309 CHENU $227,325 3005 LETA LN $253,000 3624 MULHOLLAND WAY $339,900 3700 NORTH EDGE DR $325,000

95822 SOUTH LAND PARK 4840 MONTEREY WAY 2202 63RD AVE 7455 RED WILLOW ST 2031 MANGRUM AVE 4530 CUSTIS AVE 2225 MURIETA WAY 5880 14TH ST

$250,000 $165,000 $116,294 $118,000 $134,000 $297,000 $375,000

84 PULSAR CIRCLE 2176 50TH AVE 5821 GLORIA DR 1236 LUCIO LN 4917 HELEN WAY 6905 CAL VALLEY WAY 7560 LEMARSH 2301 KNIGHT WAY 2361 20TH AVE 2228 ARLISS WAY 4541 HILLVIEW WAY 5649 JAMES WAY 848 SKIPPER CIR 6736 HOGAN DR 7454 SYLVIA WAY 7513 HANDLY WAY 5941 ANNRUD WAY 5864 13TH ST 1711 OPPER AVE 4941 VIRGINIA WAY 2172 KIRK WAY 5843 ANNRUD WAY

95825 ARDEN

$90,000 $129,000 $226,000 $425,000 $354,000 $230,100 $210,000 $220,000 $600,000 $155,000 $439,900 $173,000 $500,000 $104,000 $145,000 $167,000 $390,000 $545,000 $325,000 $328,000 $165,700 $465,000

2292 WOODSIDE LN #16 $70,000 2472 LARKSPUR LN #364 $71,000 2315 NATIVE OAK LN $84,900 12 COLBY CT $292,000 207 ELMHURST CIR $435,000 2113 WINAFRED ST $112,000 707 DUNBARTON CIR $295,000 2236 WOODSIDE LN #10 $80,300 2408 POST OAK LN $105,000 1748 RICHMOND ST $195,000 508 DUNBARTON CIR $355,000 2104 TEVIS RD $160,000 915 FULTON AVE #451 $75,500 1505 HOOD RD #F $85,000 895 WOODSIDE LN E #2 $149,900 606 HARTNELL PL $296,500 461 HARTNELL PL $325,000 2012 ERNEST WAY $145,000 660 WOODSIDE SIERRA #5 $83,250 1326 OAK TERRACE CT #13 $90,000 521 HARTNELL PL $549,000 2280 HURLEY WAY #25 $110,000 2408 LARKSPUR LN #247 $110,247 2000 KINCAID WAY $245,000 2410 POST OAK LN $107,500 2135 COTTAGE WAY $121,000 1403 COMMONS DR $405,000 2430 PAVILIONS PLACE LN #206 $511,000

95831 GREENHAVEN, S LAND PARK

6217 N POINT WAY 607 CUTTING WAY 9 CEDAR GROVE CT 83 CACHE RIVER CIR 38 MOONLIT CIR 1112 RIO CIDADE WAY 7516 DELTAWIND DR 7507 WINDBRIDGE DR 39 BINGHAM CIR 7112 EL SERENO CIR 6525 FORDHAM WAY 7435 CASTANO WAY 6391 NORTH POINT WAY 19 ZEPHYR COVE CIR 6765 RIVERSIDE BLVD 625 BRICKYARD DR 903 ROUNDTREE CT 6616 LAKE PARK DR 6341 HOLSTEIN WAY 15 EVROS RIVER CT 1012 RIO CIDADE WAY 7602 RIVER RANCH WAY 423 BLUE DOLPHIN WAY 788 SAO JORGE WAY 689 CLIPPER WAY 6321 HOLSTEIN WAY 1142 CEDAR TREE WAY

95864 ARDEN

$669,000 $288,000 $319,900 $250,000 $389,900 $445,000 $240,000 $256,000 $300,000 $339,900 $392,500 $415,000 $500,000 $350,000 $310,000 $425,500 $125,500 $428,000 $450,000 $585,000 $789,110 $442,000 $275,000 $329,800 $489,950 $598,000 $360,000

420 ROSS WAY $739,950 3401 WEMBERLEY DR $225,000 2421 CATALINA DR $255,000 3832 ARDEN WAY $277,500 1708 DAPHNE AVE $321,500 710 CASMALIA $459,000 820 CASMALIA WAY $525,000 1157 JONAS AVE $190,000 1304 GLADSTONE DR $207,000 1100 WATT $280,000 1853 VESTA WAY $288,000 2033 NEPTUNE WAY $355,000 9 PARK SIERRA LN $399,000 3528 MAPLEWOOD LN $724,800 4555 BERRENDO DR $740,000 540 RODANTE WAY $1,190,000 4028 CRONDALL DR $750,000 1700 DAPHNE AVE $285,000 2716 BRAYNARD WAY $612,000 3316 WHITE OAK CT $980,000 900 SINGINGWOOD RD $248,600 2150 ROCKWOOD DR $700,000 4213 LOS COCHES WAY $925,000 2029 MEDUSA WAY $412,000 3444 WINDSOR DR $168,000 1418 LOS MOLINOS WAY $880,000

PENDING Outstanding Riverwood home totally remodeled. Pristine newer construction in sought after 3 bedrms, 2.5 bathrms, 2,683 sq. ft., soaring neighborhood! Soaring ceilings, custom interior ceilings and wine cellar/storage room. $649,900 paint and plantation shutters. $419,000

SOLD

The Cutest Little Curtis Park Tudor Ever! Located just one house in from the park with renovated bathroom and kitchen. $429,000

Fantastic Opportunity! Original ﬁxer ranch home in the Shelﬁeld Bluff area on .45 acres, with back yard pool. $350,000

Gorgeous Carmichael ranch home sitting high above the middle of the street backing up to an open ﬁeld of grass. $319,000

PENDING Unique and sophisticated, renovated 4 bedroom/ 3 bathroom ranch home with pool. Perfectly remodeled, beautifully detailed. $589,000

916-448-5119 ō Ted@TedRussert.com

T ED R USSERT G ET

IT LISTED ...G ET IT SOLD ...

CalBRE#01221064

SERVING LAND PARK, SOUTH LAND PARK, CURTIS PARK, MIDTOWN AND THE FINER AREAS OF SACRAMENTO

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Spiritual Heroism IT TAKES COURAGE TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

was the North-Going Zax, who was

and bestowed the grace we needed.

things, I think the tone of Jesus’

not only a stubborn fool but also a big

We were no longer Zaxes. We were

words favors sooner more than later,

liar who was out to get me. He was

fellow sojourners working out our

and He definitely would not approve

paranoid. He was blah, blah, blah—so

salvation in this life.

of waiting 13 years.

went my amended view of history.

BY NORRIS BURKES SPIRIT MATTERS

forgiveness for his enemies, more

to deal with my resentment by talking

than anything else, has taught me

to counselors and praying with

that if you want to avoid the path of

pastors. But I always made excuses

a Zax, you might want to consider

for not doing what I knew I must do:

Jesus’ advice when he said: “If a

find my former colleague and confess

fellow believer hurts you, go and tell

my part in what now seemed a sum

him—work it out between the two

total of banal trivialities.

of you. If he listens, you’ve made

Five years ago, my excuses faded

I’m thinking that forgiveness is the heroic choice. Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author of the upcoming book “Finding Forgiveness in a War Zone.” He can be reached at ask@ TheChaplain.net n

a friend.” While time may heal all

when I accepted a speaking invitation uring my 2009 service as an

in a city near to my old nemesis. I

Air Force chaplain in Iraq,

mustered a small measure of the

I saw countless examples

heroics I’d heard in the soldier’s

of heroism. However, the most

forgiveness prayer and broke my

spiritually heroic act I witnessed

indignant silence. I emailed the

was the prayer of a soldier who

chaplain with a meeting request.

asked God to forgive the insurgents who had killed his battle buddy. It was an act I also found haunting,

he served as pastor. Inside his office, we shook hands and sat talking about the things important to everyone:

for 10 years toward a chaplain

faith, family and purpose. Gradually,

colleague. My stubbornness had

the image I had created of him

become a real-life enactment of a Dr.

shrunk—but in a good way. It shrunk

Seuss poem called “The Zax.”

to the size God made us all. of the details of those years past.

narrow trail through the prairie of

Then he said what I needed to hear:

Prax. Each refuses to step aside to

“Whatever I did, I hope you will

allow the other to pass. The Zaxes

forgive me.” words I never thought I’d say: “I hope

is built around them. The story ends

you will forgive me, too.” And just like

with the Zaxes standing “unbudged in

that, the resentment disintegrated,

their tracks.”

annihilated by grace, never to return. There was no idealistic or dramatic

“unbudged” in my spiritual tracks.

ending. We simply shook hands and

In my revised version, the other guy

said our goodbyes. Yet we both found

ILP APR n 15

1RZ DFFHSWLQJ DSSOLFDWLRQV IRU $XJXVW

Then I heard myself saying the

until eventually a highway overpass

I was the South-Going Zax who was

3DFLÀF 0F*HRUJH RIIHUV WKH 0DVWHU RI 6FLHQFH LQ /DZ 0 6 / WR SURIHVVLRQDOV ZKR VHHN WKH EHQHÀWV RI DGYDQFHG WUDLQLQJ LQ OHJDO UHDVRQLQJ DQG DQDO\VLV EXW ZKR GR QRW UHTXLUH WKH - ' GHJUHH IRU WKHLU FDUHHU SODQV

He told me that he had no memory

a South-Going Zax who meet on a

maintain their stubborn standoff

A Master’s Degree for Professionals Who Need to Understand the Law

welcomed me into the church where

facing the resentment I’d harbored

It involves a North-Going Zax and

Master of Science in Law

Two weeks later, he graciously

because his prayer shamed me into

That young soldier’s prayer for

For years, I made showy attempts

LEARN MORE AT AN INFORMATION SESSION April 22, 6:00 p.m. Pacific McGeorge Campus (3200 Fifth Ave.)

How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child 5IF *OGPSNBUJPO :PV /FFE UP .BLF UIF 3JHIU $IPJDF Choosing the best preschool for your child can be difficult. It’s normal to have a lot of questions. Will your child be safe? Will she be happy? What will she learn? Download your free HVJEF to learn: •

The different types of preschools available in our area – and how to determine which one is right for your child

•

A checklist of questions to ask that help you select the best program

•

3 things to look for when touring a preschool

Download your FREE (VJEF

BergamoSchools.com/(VJEF B E RG A M O M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L S Celebrating 40 Years - 1975 to 2015

Sac / Elk Grove / Davis / Woodland

(916) 865-5380

BergamoSchools.com

it High School Jesu est. 1963

ACADEMICS PLUS BOYS | GRADES 5-8

SUMMER SCHOOL BOYS & GIRLS | GRADES 9-12

ACADEMY CAMPS BOYS & GIRLS | GRADES 5-8

SPORTS CAMPS BOYS & GIRLS | GRADES 1-12

Learn more and register now at jesuithighschool.org/summer ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Late-in-Life Farmer HE LEFT THE CITY TO GROW HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

BY GWEN SCHOEN FARM TO FORK

s a rule, farmers are noncommittal. Ask one if it’s going to be a good year for whatever crop is in the field and the answer will likely begin with “Depends on . . .” Are they afraid that positive thinking is a jinx? Along comes tomato grower Milt Whaley. The fellow is all positive thinking, and it seems to be working for him. We stopped by his Singing Frog Farm in Pleasant Grove a few weeks back to see how the spring planting was going. It was a cold, windy day, but he was out in his greenhouse happily planting tomato seeds into flats. What he calls a greenhouse is more like a lean-to, but that’s just fine with Whaley. He’s a fellow who likes things simple and functional. The shelter over his outdoor planting benches, for example, is made with solar cloth draped across tall poles topped with metal bowls purchased at a restaurant supply shop. The poles look like World War II soldiers standing at attention and wearing steel helmets. “The bowls keep the cloth from tearing as the wind blows it across the tops of the poles,” he explains. “My

ILP APR n 15

Tomato grower Milt Whaley cares for his plants in his greeen house at Singing Frog Farm

farming method is trial and error. Mostly error.” He turns back to his planting chore. “If I have a goal,” he says, his hands busily covering the tiny seeds with soil, “I guess it would be to grow 800 tomato plants, which would be a couple of tons of tomatoes.” When tomatoes are out of season, he grows melons, garlic, leeks, radishes, herbs and a few other things. But tomatoes are his passion. In 2008, Whaley was working as a page designer for The Sacramento Bee in 2008 when opportunity knocked in the form of a buyout offer. “Up until then, I was growing tomatoes in the backyard of my Land Park home,” says Whaley. “I actually had run out of space, so I was growing tomatoes in friends’ yards. I had plants all over the neighborhood. It was crazy. After I took the buyout, I started looking for some farm space and found this property in Pleasant Grove. The house needed some work, but the land was exactly what I had in mind: two acres with some lease space in the back. It was perfect for growing all these tomatoes.” Susie, Whaley’s wife, wasn’t thrilled about leaving their Land Park home. She was a special education teacher, with no plans to retire immediately. “I realized that if I ever wanted to see Milt again, I’d have to move to Pleasant Grove,” she says. They moved to the farm in 2011. Today, she seems perfectly at home as a farmer’s wife. “It’s a bit remote out here,” she says. “But the neighbors all look out for each other. We are really a tight community.”

xperience Paris at the turn of the 20th century—cabarets, cafés-concert, circuses, dancehalls, and brothels. This exhibition celebrates avant-garde artists who offered a new look at modern life in a shifting society. Don’t miss your chance to view world-famous art up close and personal at the Crocker. Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Tournée du Chat Noir (Tour of the Chat Noir), 1896. Color lithograph, 55 7/8 x 39 3/8 in. Stichting Het Kattenkabinet, Amsterdam.

216 O Street • Downtown Sacramento 916.808.7000 • crockerartmuseum.org Meanwhile, Whaley is planning a future filled with bumper crops of tomatoes. “I specialize in what people think of as heirloom,” he says. “The farm is certified organic, which takes a lot of effort, but it’s worth it for the results. My personal favorite is Pink Brandywine, but I also grow Dragon’s Eye, Pork Chop, Black Cherry, Box Car Willie, Brandywine and others. “Last year, I was able to sell a lot of tomatoes to Raley’s and Bel Air and to high-end restaurants like Masullo and Bella Bru Cafe in Natomas,” he says. “I love working with the farm-to-fork chefs who are very creative. They really know how to show off good tomatoes. Selling to local markets and restaurants is really my goal, but eventually I might like to open a farm stand. The problem is finding people to run it.” Plus, the farm is not close to any high-traffic areas, so it might be difficult to entice customers to make the trek. Meanwhile, he’s happy selling to markets and restaurants. Mondays are special at Singing Frog Farm. About a half-dozen

neighbors and friends (Milt’s cheerleaders, really) meet there to check on the crops’ progress, talk about the weather, kick a few dirt clods and watch Whaley work. At noon, the Whaleys gather the group around a big farm table inside their cozy kitchen. Susie prepares dishes using whatever is growing on the farm at the time. Laughter fills the home and everyone talks at once as they pass around pictures of pets and grandkids along with big bowls of salad, steamed vegetables and freshbaked cookies. “I really didn’t want this lifestyle,” says Susie as she waves goodbye to her friends. “But now, I’d never go back.” We have plans to check in with the Whaleys later in the season to see how the tomatoes are coming along. If you’d like to follow their progress, go to Milt Whaley’s blog at whaleyheirloomveggies.blogspot.com Gwen Schoen can be reached at gwen.schoen@aol.com n

Your Gift of Love Leave everything you’ve worked for to the people you love.

Protect your loved ones with a living trust 18 Years Experience Free Initial Trust Consultation

Mark J. Lamb, Attorney at Law Wills • Trusts • Probate & Special Needs Trusts

485-2593 2725 Riverside Blvd., Ste. 800

Lambtrust.com

Education that inspires. Education that transforms. Education for life.

Now Accepting Applications catiions for 2015-2016 Enrollment ment

(916) 427-5022 www.camelliawaldorf.org

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Helmet Wars A LAW REQUIRING CYCLISTS TO WEAR BIKE HELMETS IS A BAD IDEA

BY WALT SEIFERT GETTING THERE

hould cyclists be forced to wear helmets? Supporters and critics of mandatory bike helmet laws have engaged in pitched battles for decades. Maybe the “helmet wars” will last as long as the Hundred Years’ War. Instead of marshaling knights and archers, each side brandishes studies and statistics. Now we have State Sen. Carol Liu leading California into the fray with a bill that would require adult cyclists to wear helmets. Her bill, SB 192, also requires cyclists to wear reflective clothing at night. Who could dislike a law meant to make bicycling safer? But Liu’s proposal is not just a bad idea; it’s a terrible idea. Helmet laws have been ineffective at reducing injury risk. A California law will worsen, not improve, health. It’s a paradoxical situation in which wearing a helmet might be good for an individual, but mandating helmet wear is bad for us collectively. Having more people bike is extremely good for public health. People who bike avoid contracting many diseases and live longer. More cyclists also make roads safer (and

ILP APR n 15

less congested) for everyone else, including motorists and pedestrians.

Across the globe, bikeshare programs have been largely successful and their safety records good. Liu’s proposed law, though, would result in fewer cyclists and therefore degrade public health. It’s simply

not a good way to improve bicycling safety. Efforts to make cycling safer should be focused on preventing crashes, not making cyclists wear a helmet in case there is a crash. Unfortunately, for a long time the medical community’s sole prescription for bicycle safety has been “wear a helmet.” It hasn’t made any effort to make roads less dangerous. Cycling is not an inherently dangerous activity. Mandating helmet use makes it seem more dangerous than it is. It discourages people from getting convenient, regular, healthy exercise. Few cyclists in the Netherlands or Denmark, where bicycling is a part of everyday life,

wear helmets. Yet cyclists there are far safer than in the United States, where helmet use is much more common. They are safer because there is a more complete traffic system that includes protected bikeways, educated (and numerous) cyclists, legal provisions and a high level of respect from motorists, most of whom are cyclists themselves. Australia and New Zealand are the only two countries in the world that have national, all-age compulsory bike-helmet use. In Australia, the number of head injuries did decline after the helmet legislation was implemented. However, the law was not effective in reducing injury rates.

FOR YOUR

Life STYLE

Keep Your Original Wood Windows with Low-E, Double old glass Pane e h t Glas de a r g s Up

SAVE 20% OFF ANY GIFT PURCHASE OF $50.00 OR MORE Through April 2015. Must present coupon.

Our patented Bi-Glass® System will save energy, reduce drafts and rattles while preserving the authenticiy of your home. We have expanded baby!

5601 H Street (@ 56th/Elvas) / Sacramento / 916-448-4100 / www.HausHomeAndGift.com

SAVE 30% ON CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY THRU 5/31 (min purchase required)

Injuries declined because people bicycled less. In Western Australia, cycling decreased by 30 percent. Across the globe, bike-share programs have been largely successful and their safety records good. Because of the helmet mandate, bike-share programs in Brisbane and Melbourne have struggled with some of the world’s worst participation rates. People are less inclined to rent a bike when they have to have a helmet. That’s something for Sacramento officials to consider as they embark on a local bike-share program. If anyone tells you that wearing a helmet prevents 80 or 90 percent of head injuries to cyclists, don’t believe it. Those numbers are based on a frequently cited but widely criticized and thoroughly debunked study. Other studies have reached far different conclusions about the effectiveness of helmets and helmet laws. Why don’t helmet laws work? It’s hard to say. Helmets do offer some marginal protection from head bumps. You certainly hear anecdotes

from cyclists that a helmet “saved my life.” Helmets don’t offer substantial protection from high-speed crashes with cars. Similar to football players armoring themselves with pads and helmet, wearing a helmet might cause cyclists to take risks they wouldn’t normally take. Helmets might even aggravate some injuries. Drivers may treat helmeted riders differently. The inadequate tests that helmets are designed to pass bear little resemblance to real-life crash situations. I wear a helmet because it affords protection in a low-speed collision with a car and in case of a fall. But wearing a helmet offers scant protection from the massive trauma of vehicle crashes. Sen. Liu’s nephew, while riding a bike, was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Her nephew was wearing a helmet. Wouldn’t it be better to decrease drunk, distracted and high-speed driving rather than make bike riders use ineffective safety equipment?

916-967-6900 Ć Visit artisansash.com FREE ESTIMATE EPA Certiﬁed Ca. Lic. 949891 Pedestrians and car occupants have more head injuries than cyclists. If reducing head injuries is the goal, maybe we ought to mandate helmet use for walkers, drivers and car passengers. Would lawmakers and the public go along with that? The British Medical Journal editorialized that “helmets are probably very good at preventing minor injuries but evidence of any significant effect on serious injuries is hard to find.” A poll of BMJ readers (mostly physicians) showed more than two-thirds opposed a mandatory bike-helmet law. England’s Daily Telegraph quoted one respondent to the survey saying, “Since nowhere with a helmet law can show any reduction in risk to cyclists, only a reduction in cyclists, why would anyone want to bring in a law for something that is clearly not effective at reducing risk?” That’s a question Sen. Liu and the California legislature must answer. Walt Seifert is a bicyclist, driver and transportation writer. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net n

Loving, quality pet care in your home. Our pet services include: • Doggie Day Care • Pet Taxi • Watering house plants • Picking up mail & newspapers • Changing drapes & lights Owner Beni Feil, trusted member of the Sacramento community for over 50 years!

Call 451-PETS for a rate sheet or complimentary consultation. Licensed • Bonded • Additional pets and services negotiable

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Achoo! SEASONAL ALLERGIES MAKE LIFE IN A MISERY FOR MANY

BY DR. AMY ROGERS SCIENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

unny nose, red eyes, itchy skin and sneezing? Welcome to spring in Sacramento. Seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever or seasonal allergies, affects tens of millions of Americans. If you’re one of them, it’s no comfort to know that Sacramento ranks only 88 in the top 100 most challenging places to live with spring allergies, according to Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. For Sacramentans with allergies, spring can be a difficult time. The flowers and trees coming to life are lovely to look at but are a visible sign of an invisible menace: pollen. Although it’s weird to think about, plants reproduce sexually. That means there are male and female plants, or parts on the same plant. Those parts produce the botanical equivalent of sperm and eggs that must come together to make a seed. Pollen is plant sperm, a tiny, tough package for the male DNA. In unlucky “atopic” humans, the immune system reacts to pollen by making a particular type of antibody called IgE. Nobody really knows what IgE is good for. It might be useful in fighting parasitic infections. But in

ILP APR n 15

hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions, IgE is like an alarm going off in your body. The antibodies trigger a set of responses that manifest in the nose, lungs, throat, sinuses, ears or skin as the symptoms of allergy. The major trouble sparked by IgE is the release of the chemical histamine from white blood cells called mast cells. Histamine causes itching, sneezing, redness and other nuisances when it binds to cells in affected tissues. Sacramento’s main allergy season is March through June. The major culprits are pollens from oak, willow and walnut trees and a variety of

grasses. (Pollen from weeds, such as ragweed, is more of a problem in the fall.) Although flowers produce pollen that you can sometimes see on the flower, flower pollen isn’t a big contributor to seasonal allergies because of the way it’s dispersed. Flower pollen is sticky. Flowers rely on bees and other insects to transport it on their bodies. Pollen carried by bugs has little chance of entering your nose. On the other hand, plants that we don’t think of as flowering— those trees and grasses—are wind pollinators. They throw vast numbers of pollen grains into the air. Some of

those grains land in the eyes, skin and lungs of people. Allergies and asthma are related. Both involve self-destructive activity from the immune system. But while allergies are temporary and have a specific trigger, asthma is a chronic, long-term inflammation. Asthma is associated with air pollution and air quality, though it can also be worsened by pollen. Allergies mostly affect the eyes, nose and skin. Asthma is a disease of the lungs. If you’re bothered by seasonal allergies, there are things you can do to minimize your discomfort. Pay

Coldwell Banker

#1 IN CALIFORNIA

Fine Old Neighborhoods...Fine Old Homes

4819 South Land Park Dr 5232 U Street

6338 Grangers Dairy Dr

Fantastic South Land Park home! Perfect Elmhurst 2/1 w/ 2000+ sqft, 3 bed, 3 ba, chef’s remodeled kitchen, hardwoods, kitchen & lush, park-like yard.... CH&A, & great landscaping.

Beautiful 4/3 home w/ formal living & dining, family room, & pool. $499,900

SOLD 2746 Marshall Way Totally remodeled 4 bed/ 2ba Curtis Park Bungalow...$539,900

SOLD 2700 13th Street Loads of potential in this 4 bed/ 2 ba traditional Land Park home much charm...$584,900

1641 Arvilla Drive Spacious 2-3 bed, 2 bath home w/ hardwoods, updated kitchen and baths. Great location! $289,900

PALOMA BEGIN

BOB LYSTRUP

628-8561

628-5357

PalomaBegin@gmail.com PalomaBegin.com

blystrup@gmail.com BobLystrup.com

BRE#01254423

BRE#00991041

©2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office Is Owned And Operated by NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.

attention to pollen counts. In many locations, the number of pollen grains per cubic meter of air is measured regularly. You can find these counts, and get forecasts of whether they’re rising or falling, at many weather forecasting sites and at pollen.com. If you know what pollen types you’re allergic to, you can stay indoors on days when those counts are high. Don’t know which pollens activate your IgE? You might want skin testing. Like all antibody-mediated immune reactions, allergies are specific. Individuals are allergic to the pollen of certain plants, not all pollen in general. Skin testing can be used to diagnose which ones. A tiny amount of pollen is pricked into the skin. If you have IgE against that plant pollen, a red bump will form. Pollen counts vary with the time of day and the weather. They tend to be highest early in the morning and on warm, breezy days. On cool, wet days, there’s generally less pollen in the air. Plan your outdoor activities accordingly. If you’ve been outside, wash your hands and face and change

VOLVO OWNERS ONLY

SVS has been Sacramento’s top-rated independent Volvo repair and maintenance service since 1980. Our mechanics are experts in ALL Volvo makes and models, and we maintain an excellent reputation — check out our five-star reviews on Yelp. • Experienced technicians — Volvo specialists since 1980 • Complete repair and maintenance services • Expert diagnosis and consultation • Shuttle service — even to the airport • Plush waiting lounge with wi-fi, coffee and movies • SVS uses OEM parts and can offer other brands when it better serves the customers’ needs How may we help you?

“Sacramento’s Volvo Service” 2009 Fulton Ave. Sacramento (916) 971-1382 svsauto.com

your clothes to prevent pollen getting in your eyes and nose. Your pharmacy can help you feel better. Eye drops and antihistamines are cheap, effective medicines to treat the symptoms of allergies. As the name suggests, antihistamines work by blocking the binding of histamine to its target cells. Diphenhydramine (brand name: Bendryl), a firstgeneration antihistamine, has been around since the 1940s. It’s good at relieving allergy symptoms but has a number of other effects, such as drowsiness. Second-generation antihistamines such as loratidine (brand name: Claritin) are less sedating because, unlike the firstgeneration drugs, they don’t cross into the brain. When Claritin came on the market in 1993, you needed a prescription to get it. Now it’s available over the counter, a real relief for allergy sufferers. Amy Rogers is a novelist, scientist and educator. She can be reached at Amy@AmyRogers.com. Learn more about her book “Reversion” at AmyRogers.com n

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Full Circle A PRACTICING PAINTER INSPIRES NEW ARTISTS THROUGH TEACHING

BY JESSICA LASKEY ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

hen you’re kind of a shy person like I am, communication doesn’t always work verbally,” artist Michaele LeCompte admits. “But I found I could express myself best through my art.” Though LeCompte is in fact a wonderful conversationalist, her artwork speaks for itself. Her current paintings are a combination of geometric shapes, patterns and materials that entertain and engage the eye with their complexities— which is exactly what LeCompte intends. “I’ve come back to abstraction,” says LeCompte. “I love formalism with an expressionistic twist. I love patterns, though to say that you were a ‘pattern painter’ in the ’70s took a little bit of courage because you didn’t want to be lumped in with the trite description they were using for the work of women artists. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten more brave.” Though the Washington native claims to be shy, her artistic tenacity speaks to an impressive inner confidence. “I had friends who couldn’t wait to get to New York,” recalls LeCompte, whose family moved to Sacramento for her father’s bricklaying business in 1958. “But I’m a late bloomer, so that never really suited my personality. I didn’t start my formal art training until college, when I took a watercolor class at City College with Larry Welden. I just loved his style. It was so elegant and laid-back at the same time. It really opened a world to me. My mom had drawn and my dad

ILP APR n 15

Artist Michaele LeCompte

was very handy with his hands, so I had this sense of magic attached to art, but I didn’t realize it was going to be my path. It just sort of happened.” LeCompte went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Sacramento State University and a master’s in painting at Oakland’s Mills College,

which she attended while still living in Sacramento. (“I would sleep over in my studio,” LeCompte says with a guilty giggle.) The crazy commute paid off when she landed her first postgraduate job as a visiting artist at UC Davis. Though LeCompte describes the experience as “learning

by fire,” it sparked a passion for teaching that has taken the artist to college classrooms all over the greater Sacramento region. “I found that I really enjoyed the process of teaching,” says LeCompte, who’s now an adjunct professor at Sacramento City College. “Having the interaction with students is especially nice for a painter, since you work alone most of the time. It provides a wonderful connection to other people.” Teaching has brought LeCompte’s career full circle. “Ending up at City College was my desire from the beginning,” she says. “I’m teaching in the same classroom where I started. I still have the very first abstract painting I made there. That was the moment when the clouds parted and I really felt like I could do this.” Now it’s LeCompte’s turn to nudge the clouds apart for the next generation of artists, just as former professors did for her. “When I was an undergrad at Sac State, Oliver Jackson invited me to be part of a graduate seminar he was teaching,” LeCompte recalls. “He gave me the impression that I had something to say as an artist. It was at that point that I got very, very serious about my work. I try to impart that with my own students now that I see something in their work that they might not recognize. You have to fan that little flame.” LeCompte’s own light continues to burn bright, thanks to relationships with galleries like JAYJAY in East Sacramento and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s Artists Gallery, a unique rental venue where potential buyers can try pieces out

SUMMER SESSION

2015 in their homes before purchasing. If you’d asked LeCompte years ago if she could have predicted such success, she probably would have laughed—or wept. “My husband and I have been together since we were 19—little children,” LeCompte says with a laugh. “One time when we were driving to visit his parents, I told him I wanted to become an artist and I burst into tears. I told him, ‘I’m so sorry. We’re going to be poor forever.’ But he believed in me. He gave me a set of oil paints that year.” LeCompte believed in herself, and she continues to trust her instincts on every new project.

“Painting is like finding a message in a bottle,” she says. “You don’t know where it came from, but somehow you found it and it feels like a really big event. I don’t know where my paintings will take me, but I send them out into the world and hope someone finds them. Everyone’s always looking outside for reassurance, but you already have all the information you need. Put the color down on the paper and see where it takes you.” You can see Michaele LeCompte’s work at JAYJAY gallery at 5520 Elvas Ave. For more information, go to michaelelecompte.com n

Sessions First 6-week session: June 1 – July 12 Second 6-week session: July 13 – August 23 Full 12-week session: June 1 – August 23

WHY TAKE SUMMER SESSION? Finish a class in 6 or 12 weeks Complete GE requirements Take classes that are normally impacted Choose from a wide range of courses Graduate early!

www.csus.edu/summer

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Story of Your Life WANT TO WRITE A BOOK? EXPERTS AT COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE SEMINAR CAN HELP

By Jessica Laskey RIVER CITY PREVIEWS

re you one of those folks who feels you “have a book in you”? Do you aspire to commit some stories of your life to paper but don’t know where to start? Check out “Our Life Stories,” the eighth annual crossgenerational writers conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Cosumnes River College. Keynote speaker Perry Garfinkel— journalist, author, speaker, writing teacher, editor, content provider, media consultant, strategist and author of the 2006 bestseller “Buddha or Bust”—is one of the featured writers who will lead participants through a day of workshops and presentations focusing on bringing your stories to life and capturing your travel experiences on paper. Other presenters will include prose writers Jacqueline Doyle, Kerstin Feindert, Ginny McReynolds, Clive Rosengren and Emmanuel Siguake; poets Albert Garcia and Sacramento Poet Laureate Jeff Knorr; and storytellers Ann Rothschild and Katye Ridgeway. The conference is sponsored by the Ethel MacLeod Hart Senior Center and CRC. Space is limited.

ILP APR n 15

The conference fee, due by April 3, is $35 ($40 after April 3) and covers the workshops, materials and plenty of creative fuel (translation: morning refreshments and lunch). To register or for more information, call the Hart Senior Center at 8085462, go to hartcrcwritersconference. org or email hartcrcwritersconference@ yahoo.com Cosumnes River College is at 8401 Center Parkway.

COMPASSION ON THE BRAIN One of the most interesting and influential people of our time is coming to Sacramento: Dr. Temple Grandin will speak about her groundbreaking work on the autistic brain and the humane treatment of animals from 8 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 3 at Real Life Church. Grandin is an outspoken proponent of “the strengths of brains built differently,” which she relates not only to autism but also to animals. Her life story was the subject of the 2010 Emmy Award-winning film “Temple Grandin,” which examined her ability to visualize how animals perceive dangers and her subsequent consultation on the construction of humane cattle-holding facilities, for which she’s now advised almost 80 percent of the nation’s meatprocessing facilities.

As one of the most successful people in the world with autism, Grandin acts as a role model to change people’s attitudes toward the disorder, focusing on the attributes and unique contributions of

800-489-0727 or go to templegrandin. com Real Life Church is at 1921 Arena Blvd.. Certificates for 1.5 hours of continuing education will be available.

PEACEFUL PIECES Looking for an oasis of artistic calm within your hectic schedule? Take a break at the Robert T. Matsui Gallery at City Hall to gaze at the stunning painting and ceramic works of Chinese artist Shimo at the “Tranquil Pursuit” exhibition, on display through July 6. A recent Sacramento transplant, Shimo was born in Shanghai in 1962 and immigrated to the United States in 2003 to settle in Sacramento. His style blends traditional Chinese techniques with modern aesthetics to achieve purity, tranquility and harmony, characteristics highly fe Li valued in the Chinese the Our d writers at f the feature o ne o is l ce culture. ke r's conferen Perry Garfin Stories write He developed a people technique he calls “multilayer with autism rather than on its social dripping ink” in which he drips, deficits. Grandin will be joined by stains, pours and even mops the ink Alexis Wineman, the first person with directly onto the surface to create autism to win a state contest (in the his signature paintings. His newest Miss America pageant). Wineman artistic exploration, porcelain, melds will also speak about her personal Chinese blue and white porcelain experience with autism. with Western expressionism. Event registration is $30 and seating is limited. To register, call

Take a break at the Robert T. Matsui Gallery at City Hall to gaze at the stunning painting and ceramic works of Chinese artist Shimo at the “Tranquil Pursuit” exhibition, on display through July 6

Shimo’s pieces have been shown all over China, including in Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhenjiang and Beijing, as well as in Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and New York. Now that he has set down roots in California’s capital, he has opened the Shimo Center for the Arts, where he shows his work and that of other accomplished artists. Gallery hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and admission is free. For more information on the Robert T. Matsui Art Gallery, a program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, go to sacmetroarts.org The Robert T. Matsui Gallery is in City Hall at 915 I St.

MARCH IN APRIL Ready to tap your toes and march to the martial music of John Philip Sousa? Don’t miss the Sacramento Symphonic Winds performance on “Oh Mr. Sousa!” at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8 at Sunrise Event Center. This delightful musical biography will cover the life, times and music of “March King” Sousa with the help of the Winds’ rousing 60-piece band and a cast of eight singer/actors performing 37 roles. For tickets and more information, call 489-2576. For more information

on the Sacramento Symphonic Winds, go to sacwinds.org Sunrise Event Center is at 11167 Trade Center Drive in Rancho Cordova.

WALL EYED Looking for some unusual and unique art pieces to spruce up your walls for spring? Check out the new show at Archival Gallery featuring mixed media artist Sean Royal and painter Margaryta Chaplinska, on display April 2 through May 2. Sacramento native Royal’s vibrant, award-winning work featuring Pop-inspired imagery is sure to catch your eye, as are Kiev-born, Roseville-based Chaplinska’s glowing, realistic paintings that are in private collections all over the world. Meet these fascinating artists at the Second Saturday reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on April 11. For more information, call 923-6204 or go to archivalgallery.com Archival Gallery is at 3223 Folsom Blvd.

FIT FOR A KINGSLEY No April fools here: Crocker Art Museum is springing into spring with an event line-up that includes a decadent dinner, youth art shows,

Check out the new show at Archival Gallery featuring mixed media artist Sean Royal and painter Margaryta Chaplinska, on display April 2 through May 2.

beach-inspired activities, silken-voiced sopranos, dynamic dance and more. Hungry? Tuck into a delicious meal at “Dine in Decadence with Toulouse-Lautrec: Talk + Dinner” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 2. Your fascinating tablemates will include the Crocker’s curator, William Breazeale, as well as professors from UC Davis discussing literature, music, dance and art in Paris at the turn of the 20th century over a five-course dinner curated by Matt Woolston and inspired by Toulouse-Lautrec’s decadent dining recipe book “The Art of Cuisine.” The event is co-presented with the Alliance Française de Sacramento, so if you want test your French, allez-y! Space is limited, so make sure you register by March 29. To attend the pre-dinner talk only, tickets are $10 for museum members, $13 for students and youths, and $15 for nonmembers. Tickets for the “Talk + Dinner” are $70 museum members, $83 for students and youths, and $85 for nonmembers. Call 808-1182 to reserve your seat at the table. Next up is “Kingsley Inspirations,” an exhibition from April 9 through May 24 of artwork by regional high school artists inspired by the Crocker Art Museum’s permanent collection and recent exhibitions, sponsored by the Kingsley Art Club. A reception

will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 24. In the same vein, the “High School Self-Portrait Show” (on display from April 9 through May 24) will feature self-portraits of high school artists from all over the region, in collaboration with Chalk It Up! and Christian Brothers High School. A reception will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 24. For Art Mix this month, the great outdoors is calling. Don’t miss Art Mix “Sprung” from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, with live music by Arts & Leisure, a special guest DJ, mix-and-mingle games, beachinspired art-making stations, and plenty of urban gardening tips to keep that green thumb thumpin’. Happy hour is from 4 to 6 p.m. and drink specials are under $5 all night. Art Mix is free for museum members, $10 for nonmembers, and college students receive a $2 discount. Looking for a lush vocal experience that will have you singing Carrie Hennessey’s praises? Snag a ticket to the Classical Concert featuring Hennessey’s stunning soprano voice at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 12. Tickets are $6 for museum and Capital Public Radio members, $10 for students and youths, and $12 for nonmembers.

PREVIEWS page 60

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

PREVIEWS FROM page 59

Space is limited, so call 808-1182 to reserve your spot. Just like all those baby birds you hear chirping in the spring breeze, dance works-in-progress will test their wings at “Hatch,” an informal evening of contemporary dance at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30. Now in its fourth year, “Hatch” is curated by Lorelei Bayne and features new and in-progress works by noted and emerging choreographers, including a special performance inspired by the Crocker exhibition of “The Nature of William S. Rice: Arts and Crafts Painter and Printmaker.” The performance is free for museum members, $8 for students and youths, and $10 for nonmembers. To reserve your tickets, call 808-1182. For information on all Crocker events, call 808-1182 or go to crockerartmuseum.org Crocker Art Museum is at 216 O St.

IT’S A 10! Calling all runners! Strap on your sneakers and rev yourself up for a race on Sunday, April 12 at the fifth annual Credit Union SACTOWN10, a veritable panoply of races to benefit the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Whether you’re a long-distance lover (the SACTOWN10 features both 10- and 5-mile races) or someone who just wants to have fun and do good (at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital Miracle Mile fun run and fitness walk), you can sweat the small stuff while contributing to the big stuff: All of the races benefit the Children’s Miracle Network of Hospitals statewide, which benefits the UC Davis Children’s Hospital here in Sacramento. The flat, fast course will start and finish in front of the picturesque state Capitol and will lead participants on a scenic path featuring the “best of Sacramento” neighborhoods. For all of those competitive runners out there, you can even run two races with one pair of feet: the SACTOWN10 will also serve as

SSPRING PRING 22015 015 DONALD KENDRICK | MUSIC DIRECTOR

the Pacific Association 10-Mile Championship, so you can compete for prize money from both the PA Championship and the SACTOWN10 race itself. So what are you waiting for? Get going! To register, go to sactown10.org The Capitol is at 10th Street between L and N streets.

KIDS ON THE VERGE Are you wondering how to keep the kiddos engaged once school is out for the summer? Get their creative juices flowing at Verge Center for the Arts’ Kids Summer Studio Camp, which offers sessions starting June 15 and 29. Registration is now open. Verge’s two-week art camps will introduce kids ages 10 to 13 to a variety of mediums and art-making processes, ranging from printmaking to textiles and a one-week art-making intensive. Session One will be held June 15-26 and feature an emphasis on clay. Session Two will be held on June 29 through July 10 and feature an emphasis on environmental sculpture. To register for classes or for more information, call 448-2985, go to vergeart.com/learn/classes or email iulia@vergeart.com Verge Center for the Arts is at 625 S St.

play takes on Nietzsche, famed film critic Pauline Kael and the nature of belief in the 21st century. However, the playwright insists, it isn’t about the politics of religion. “It’s easy to reduce the play to being about the closed-mindedness of atheism,” Mensch explains. “But I think it’s more interesting to flip it and consider it a play about faith, in all forms. Faith in other people. Faith in ideas. Faith in God. Faith in family. All four characters are exploring different forms of faith, I think. And a few of those characters go through life-shattering moments where they lose or question their faith, and then somehow have to go on afterwards.” For tickets and more information, call 443-5300 or go to bstreettheatre. org The B Street Theatre is at 2711 B St.

GETTIN’ FISKY Wouldn’t you want to see a musician who has been described as having “bionic hands?” Don’t miss Eliot Fisk in concert for the Sacramento Guitar Society at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 12 at First United Methodist Church in Midtown. Classical guitarist Fisk is worldrenowned for his adventurous and

INTO OBLIVION West Coast Premiere

Requiem For The Living | Dan Forrest Songs of Eternity | James Hopkins Projected supertitles Sea Symphony | Howard Hanson Music and texts rich with emotional directness in a large-scale choral/orchestral tribute to three major American composers Special Guest | Composer James Hopkins present at the performance

Saturday, May 9 at 8:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. – Pre-concert talk by Donald Kendrick Community Center Theater 1301 L Street, Sacramento

SACRAMENTOCHORAL.COM Tickets | CCT Box Office | 916.808.5181 or TICKETS.COM

ILP APR n 15

CONCERT SPONSOR

What do you get when you cross two secular Brooklynites with a strong-willed, Christian teenager? Find out at Carly Mensch’s play “Oblivion,” playing now through April 19 for its West Coast premiere at the B Street Theatre. Über-hip parents Pam and Dixon have always prided themselves on their secular humanist approach to parenting, but when their 17-yearold daughter Julie decides to become a Christian, their openmindedness is tested to the limit. Mensch’s wry

Carrie Hennessey will perform on April 12

virtuosic repertoire, as well as his effortless—nearly “bionic”— technique. Proceeds from the concert go to support future guitar virtuosos through the Sacramento Guitar Society’s community education, support and school outreach programs. For tickets and more information, go to sacramentoguitarsociety.org First United Methodist Church is at 2100 J St.

Dr. Robert Halseth. And don’t let your ears have all the fun: Take a gander around you at the Performing Arts Center that Sac City recently renovated into a state-of-the-art facility. A joy for the eyes and ears! For tickets and more information, call 731-5777 or go to sacramentoyouthsymphony.org The Performing Arts Center at Sacramento City College is at 3835 Freeport Blvd.

ART FROM THE HEART

COLOR WASH

It is well known that art can transform lives, and that’s just what the Woodlake Artists Colony is hoping to do with its special art exhibition at Gallery 2110 this month. The Woodlake neighborhood is home to a talented troupe of artists who have made it their mission to use a portion of the sales from their sculptures, paintings, drawings and photographs to fund a neighborhood environmental beautification project called Woodlake Neighbors Creating Transparency. The focus of this fundraising mission is an undeveloped parcel of land at the entrance to Woodlake; the group intends to turn the barren mound of dirt into an inviting neighborhood green space. Meet the Woodlake artist-colonists at the VIP reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 9 or at the Second Saturday Art Walk from noon to 9 p.m. on April 11. For more information, call 476-5500 or go to gallery2110.com Gallery 2110 is at 1023 Del Paso Blvd.

What do you get when you gather the talented members of the Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons (also known as WASH Inc.) in one room? An exciting exhibition called “Awash With Color,” on display April 1-18 at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael. More than 100 watercolors from local members will share wall space and celebrate the beauty and wow factor of watercolor. Meet the artists at the Second Saturday reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on April 11, nosh on refreshments and cheer them on through an awards presentation judged by Kara Castro. For more information, go to sacfinearts.org The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is locted at 5330B Gibbons Drive in Carmichael.

SPRING STRINGS Don’t miss the final concert of the Sacramento Youth Symphony Premier Orchestra’s 2014-15 season coming up at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 26 at the Performing Arts Center at Sacramento City College. The program will include pieces by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Noël Gallon and Dmitri Shostakovich directed by SYS Artistic Director Michael Neumann, as well as a performance of “Crater Lake,” a piece commissioned by the SYS in 2013 and composed by Garret Shatzer, directed by guest conductor

Get your kids' creative juices flowing at Verge Center for the Arts’ Kids Summer Studio Camp, which offers sessions starting June 15 and 29. Registration is now open.

SCOTTISH GAMES AND FESTIVAL Who isn’t up for a little haggis hurling? Or a caber toss while drum majors pound it out and fiddlers fiddle? If that doesn’t suit you, what about a game of kick-up-your-kilt tugof-war after an afternoon of whiskey tasting? It’s almost time for one of the world’s biggest festivals celebrating Scotland. The 139th Sacramento Valley Scottish Games and Festival is set for April 25-26 at the Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland. Pin up your kilt, darn those socks, pick a pipe and get ready to see some of the world’s most impassioned Scottish

PREVIEWS page 65

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Art Preview GALLERY ART SHOWS IN APRIL

Artistic Edge will feature works by Howard Stover, Reif Erickson and Jim Marxen. Shownn: “River” by Jim Marxen. 1880 Fulton Ave.; artisticedgeframing.com

Helen Jones Gallery presents the work of Spanish master, Jose Royo including original oil paintings and limited edition serigraphs. Shown: “Rosa Y Nacar” by Royo. 588 La Sierra Dr.; helenjonesgallery.com

Elliott Fouts Gallery presents new work of Kathrine Lemke-Waste this month. Shown: “Tulips and Dots,” a watercolor by Lemke-Waste. The show runs through May 1. 1831 P St.; efgallery.com

An exhibit of the work of painter Stephen Giannetti and the mixed-media work of Eleanor Wood will be at Jay Jay Art through May 23. Shown is a collage by Wood. 5520 Elvas Avenue; jayjayart.com A exhibition of new work by Craig N. Smith and Phyllis Hayes runs at SMUD Art Gallery until May 6. Shown: “Calla Lillies” by Hayes. SMUD Gallery is at 6301 S St.

ILP APR n 15

2015 SEASON AT THE WELLS FARGO PAVILION OPTIONS: 5 SHOWS OR 6 WITH HAIR

THEATRE GUIDE RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN

THE WHIPPING MAN

Thru April 12 Capital Stage 2215 J St. Sac 476-3116 CapStage.com After grad school, Catherine and Gwen chose polar paths. One built a career as a rock star academic, while the other built a home with a husband and children. Decades later, unfulfilled in polar opposite ways, each woman covets the other’s life, commencing a dangerous game of musical chairs.

March 28 - May 3 STC - Sacramento Theatre Company 1419 H St. Sac 443-6722 SacTheatre.org Set at the close of the American Civil War, April 2015 marks the sesquicentennial of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox as well as the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Both play strongly and both are commemorated into this story. “It was a gruesome part of our history, but it’s not just a play about slavery,” says director Buddy Butler. “I want audiences to not just look at the situation, but the individual characters. I want to explore those characters, their stories, and the family dynamics.” PREVIEWS begin Wed, March 25th

ONCE April 14 – April 19 Community Center Theater 1301 L St. Sac 557-1999 Once is a truly original Broadway experience, featuring an impressive ensemble of actor and musicians who play their own instruments on stage. It tells of the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights, but their unlikely connection turns to be deeper and more complex romance.

PROOF Thru April 19 Chautauqua Playhouse 5325 Engle Rd. Carmichael 489-7529 Catherine is the daughter of Robert, a brilliant mathematician. Catherine, a budding mathematician herself, must give up her schooling to take care of her father. A former student of her father’s comes to examine his papers, hoping to find valuable material in his notebooks, when a romance blossoms. He also finds a notebook that contains a very important mathematical discovery and the question of whose work is in the notebook is raised.

VAREKAI by Cirque Du Soleil April 9 – April 12 Sleep Train Arena 1 Sports Parkway Sac (800) 745-3000 Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world – a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai. The story begins as Icarus, a solitary young man, falls from the sky and lands in a lush, wondrous world called Varekai. Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest – a kaleidoscopic world imbued with fantastical creatures – Icarus takes flight in an adventure both absurd and extraordinary.

THE CLEARNING

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW! SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 25 AT 10AM MY FAIR LADY · JUNE 9 - 14 Lerner and Loewe transform George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion into this musical theatre classic. When aristocratic professor Henry Higgins takes in Cockney pupil Eliza Doolittle on a bet, he gets far more than he wagered. Featuring “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “The Rain In Spain.”

BIG RIVER · JUNE 23 - 28 Mark Twain’s masterwork The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is brought to toe-tapping musical life by “King of the Road” Roger Miller. Huck and Jim take to the mighty Mississippi on a journey of adventure, hope and self-discovery. First time at Music Circus in 20 years. With “Muddy Water,” “Waitin’ for the Light to Shine.”

BYE BYE BIRDIE · JULY 7 - 12

April 4 – April 26 Ovation Stage at Wilkerson Theatre 1723 25th St. Sac 606-5050 OvationStage.com The Cleaning deals with a 17th century forerunner of “ethnic cleansing”. . . that period in Ireland when Cromwell planted the seeds of the troubles that still afflict the country today. This is a story of romance, passion and treachery.

The Broadway smash that introduced the world to Dick Van Dyke and

33 VARIATIONS

enchanted audiences of all ages for decades. Peter, Tinker Bell

Thru April 11 Big Idea Theatre 1616 Del Paso Blvd. Sac 960-3036 BigIdeaTheatre.com Musicologist Katherine Brandt is fixated to determine the reason for Beethoven’s years-long obsession with writing variations on a pedestrian waltz by music publisher Anton Diabelli. Recently diagnosed with ALS, she is driven to finish her monograph on the then ailing composer. Moving harmoniously between past and present, intellectual and personal, these parallel stories of waning perfectionists explore the search for magnificence in the mundane and the transformative beauty of its discovery.

GATEWAY SERVICE GUARANTEED Thru April 18 Theater One at Ooley Theater 2007 28th St. Sac 524-1032 Five characters collide, fight and shift alliances while waiting for the bus to come. An original work by Lonon Smith.

won 4 Tony Awards. Musical comedy chaos ensues when pop star Conrad Birdie (think Elvis Presley) arrives in Sweet Apple, Ohio, to publicize his Army draft departure by sharing “One Last Kiss” with a small town fan. With “Put On A Happy Face,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do.”

PETER PAN · JULY 21 - 26 This beloved musical about the boy who wouldn’t grow up has and the Darling children take to the skies on a magical journey to Neverland. First time at Music Circus since 1986. Featuring “I’m Flying,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” “Never Never Land.”

WEST SIDE STORY · AUGUST 4 - 9 Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins—among the greatest artists of their day—came together to create this 20th Century Romeo and Juliet and make musical theatre history. Against all odds, Tony and Maria find love in a turbulent world. With “Somewhere,” “Tonight,” “Maria.”

HAIR · AUGUST 18 - 23 The musical that helped define a generation and introduced rock ‘n’ roll to Broadway. Set against a backdrop of the Vietnam era, a group of late 1960s youth join a social revolution and “Let the Sun Shine In.” Also featuring “Aquarius,” “Good Morning Starshine.” OPTION TO THE SEASON!

916.557.1999 SACRAMENTOMUSICCIRCUS.COM W E L L S FA R G O PAV I L I O N B O X O F F I C E : 1419 H S T .

SUBMIT EVENTS TO ANIKO@INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

REQUEST A GROUP OF 12+ CALL 916.557.1198

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Schools of Thought DIFFERING TAKES ON FAST-CASUAL ASIAN CUISINE ON THE GRID

BY GREG SABIN RESTAURANT INSIDER

conomists, business analysts, industry experts and not least of all diners have fallen under

the spell of Chipotle. The quality of its ingredients matched with the speed of its delivery married to the affordability of its product, is the marvel of the food and food service realm. Many have claimed some new chain or another the “new Chipotle,” but none has cut through the edible noise that is the American restaurant scene to really make a splash. If I were forced to predict if any local establishments had the secret sauce to make it big, I’d put my money on Viet Ha Noodles & Grill. The new offshoot of Viet Ha Vietnamese & Chinese restaurant on Florin Road, Viet Ha Noodles &

Stop in Viet Ha Noodles & Grill for a noodle box with chicken!

Grill takes up a small storefront at Broadway and 24th. What looks like a simple graband-go Asian food establishment is actually a revolutionary concept. This isn’t a low-end takeout Chinese joint where greasy trays full of gloppy guck get passed off as traditional Chinese cuisine. This isn’t a teriyaki counter where dried processed chicken pieces get covered with syrupy sauce out of a jug and passed off as Japanese fare. This is fresh, plentiful, flavorful food served with elegant simplicity. Here’s the setup: Step 1, choose beef, pork, chicken or shrimp. Step 2, choose rice, noodles or bread. Step 3, wait three to five minutes. That’s it.

ILP APR n 15

is definitely old school. A 10-chair

You’re presented with a box of

When Viet Ha first opened late

fresh rice or noodles topped with

last year, I dropped by on a rainy

counter and four tables make up the

freshly grilled meats, served alongside

afternoon for lunch. I returned the

dining room. The menu takes up most

a panoply of shatteringly crisp

next night for dinner. I haven’t gone

of the kitchen wall. The recipes sound

veggies. In the box are packaged

a week without visiting since. The

like something your mother would

garnishes—hot sauce, peanuts and

simple setup, the simple menu, the

make if she were a second- or third-

a soy or fish sauce vinaigrette—that

simple ordering all make Viet Ha a

generation Japanese-American.

you can use at your discretion. Each

welcome spot for a diner who’s short

bite is rich with flavor, undeniably

on time but refuses to sacrifice flavor.

Loco moco, chicken katsu, weenie royale and other hearty, saucy, ricey dishes that come from generations

fresh and perfectly addictive. The

Don’t be surprised to if you find a

third choice, bread, will get you a

Viet Ha Noodles & Grill opening soon

of Japanese-American cooking (some

traditional banh mi sandwich with

in a neighborhood near you. Viet Ha Noodles & Grill is at 2417 Braodway; phone; 391-9888; vietha.us

of these recipes, unfortunately, were

protein, veggies and dressing. You can’t go wrong with any of the

II internment camps) fill the menu and fill the nostrils. This is not light

choices, especially since they’re all under $10.

created out of necessity in World War

If Viet Ha is new school (slick, minimal and fresh), June’s Cafe

fare. This is not local-and-seasonal

cooking. This is stick-to-your ribs stuff that matches meats, rice, sauce and spices. We’re not talking filet mingnon here, either. We’re talking teriyaki hot dogs and hamburger steak. We’re talking Spam and bacon. The eponymous June and her husband have owned the small V Street cafe for 24 years. They’ve cut back a bit on the hours in the last few years, opening the café Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you find yourself near 10th and V on a weekday afternoon, do yourself a favor and drop in for a taste of the past. June’s Cafe is at 921 V St.; 4472264 If Viet Ha is new school and June’s Cafe is old school, Wrap N’ Roll Sushi Burrito can be thought of as no school. First, let’s get some misconceptions out of the way. One, this is not a Mexican/Japanese fusion restaurant. Second, the sushi burritos are not

The “Awash With Color” exhibition is on display April 1-18 at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael

served in tortillas. Third, the sushi burritos do not come with salsa. A sushi “burrito” is actually just a modified hand roll shaped to look like a burrito. The burritos served at Wrap N’ Roll are filling, tasty and well priced. Each one—featuring fish, chicken or that old favorite, Spam— comes wrapped in a traditional seaweed wrapper (nori) with plenty of sauce, veg and rice to make a complete meal in your hand. Additional side dishes like Tokyo Fries and Volcano Nachos are good happy-hour foods and also easily affordable. The ambience is less than impressive, featuring bare tables, concrete floors and no serving ware made out of anything more durable than plastic. But Wrap N’ Roll is a perfect option for takeout: quick, casual, affordable and, as long as you’re not expecting high-grade sushi, quite tasty. Wrap N’ Roll Sushi Burrito is at 1801 L St.; 476-6731; wrapnrollsushiburrito.com n

PREVIEWS FROM page 61 culture enthusiasts who travel the

heart-pounding bagpipes and tribal

(an off-campus street fair featuring

globe to be here.

drums.

student and faculty research projects

The annual event draws history

The festival begins at 9 a.m. each

in partnership with Verge Center

lovers, performers and competitors

day at 1125 East St. in Woodland.

for the Arts, Axis Gallery, Beatnik

from around the world for the two-day

Tickets are available online or at the

Studios, Insight Coffee Roasters

festival of games related to Scottish

gate. For more information, go to

and SactoMoFo); performances by

culture. You don’t have to be Scottish

SacramentoScotGames.org

Oakland-based “vertical dance”

to watch the games unfold. Just grab a seat and root for your favorite piper or hurler or drummer as they compete

pioneers BANDALOOP on April 10

THE CREATIVE CLASS

and 12; and Sunday Funday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 12, when

in athletics, highland dance, piping,

Where can you find the cream of

drumming, fiddling, harp and more,

the region’s creative crop all in one

and their families are invited to

said Susan Scott, a longtime Scottish

place? Check out the CSUS Festival

campus for a day of family events to

games lover from the Arden area.

of the Arts, running April 8-12 both

experience the arts and the letters at

on the California State University,

CSUS.

“The games offer the flavor of Scotland right in your backyard,”

Sacramento, campus and around

she said. “You don’t have to travel

town.

thousands of miles to get a taste of Scotland.” Back by popular demand are

For more information, go to csus. edu/festival

The five-day festival is chock-

CSUS is at 6000 J St.

full of creative performances, exhibits, lectures and master classes

The Wicked Tinkers, who have a sing-

showcasing the region’s creative and

along way of getting the crowd up

cultural excellence both inside and

and dancing. The professional touring

outside the classroom.

band plays a Tribal Celtic style with

students, staff, faculty, alumni

Program highlights include

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Please email items for consideration by the first of the month, at least one month in advance of the event. n

U-Create! from 5 to 9 p.m. on April 9

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

INSIDE’S

Midtown

MIDTOWN

Jack’s Urban Eats

1800 L St. 447-9440

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

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

Biba Ristorante 2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com

Buckhorn Grill 1801 L St. 446-3757 L D $$ Wine/Beer A counter service restaurant with high-quality chicken, char-roasted beef, salmon, and entrée salads

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

1230 20th St. 444-0307

Kasbah Lounge 2115 J St. 442-4388 D Full Bar $$ Middle Eastern cuisine in a Moroccan setting

Lucca Restaurant & Bar 1615 J St. 669-5300 L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Patio Mediterranean cuisine in a casual, chic atmosphere • Luccarestaurant.com

Moxie 2028 H St. 443-7585 D $$-$$$ Eclectic menu in a boutique neighborhood setting

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

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan

Centro Cocina Mexicana

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

1215 19th St. 441-6022

2730 J St. 442-2552

Remember Or Honor A Loved One

Adopt-A-Garden

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

Old Soul Co.

Chicago Fire

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

2416 J St. 443-0440

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

Crepeville 1730 L St. 444-1100

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

Ernesto’s Mexican Food 1901 16th St. 441-5850

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

1806 Capitol Ave. 447-8646 L D $$ Gourmet pizza, pasta, salads in casual setting • Paesanos.biz

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

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

Suzie Burger 29th and P Sts. 455-3300 L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com

58 Degrees & Holding Co.

The Streets of London Pub

$195 with 2” x 4” Marker $800 for 5 Years $1,500 for 10 Years

1217 18th St. 442-5858

1804 J St. 498-1388

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

L D $ Wine/Beer English Pub fare in an authentic casual atmosphere, 17 beers on tap

Fox & Goose Public House

Tapa The World

Please mail donations to: Friends of East Sacramento 3104 O Street #222 Sac., CA 95816

Friendsofeastsac@aol.com Visit friendsofeastsac.org

Call 452-8011

1001 R St. 443-8825 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer English Pub favorites in an historic setting • Foxandgoose.com

Harlow’s Restaurant 2708 J Street 441-4693 L D $$ Full Bar Modern Italian/California cuisine with Asian inspirations • Harlows.com

Italian Importing Company 1827 J Street 442-6678 B L $ Italian food in a casual grocery setting

ILP APR n 15

Paesano’s Pizzeria

Annual Donation:

Donations support garden maintenance. No physical work is required.

1716 L St. 443-7685

2115 J St. 442-4353 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live flamenco music - tapathewworld.com

Thai Basil Café 2431 J St. 442-7690 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com

HAVE “INSIDE,” WILL TRAVEL 1. Wendell Alderson and Ken Nather atop Poon Hill in the Himalayas with Annapurna in the background 2. Kim Buchholz and Amy Jackson at the Temple of Zeus in Athens, Greece 3. Jim Guida in Washington, D.C. 4. Earl Silliman and Chris Silliman in Samoa, CA 5. Mary DaSilva setting off for the Caribbean on board the Oasis of the Seas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 6. Mary and Akio Miyamoto at the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Take a picture with Inside Publications and e-mail a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Can’t get enough of Have Inside, Will Travel? Find more photos on Instagram: InsidePublications

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

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

FRIDAYS Doughnut Day &

SUNDAY Croixnut Day (ﬂavor changes every week)

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

Located on the corner of 9th & K in downtown Sacramento Mon-Fri 7-5, Sat-Sun 8-4 | 551-1500 | info@estellspatisserie.com

Brunch JOIN US FOR...

C H A M P A G N E

The Coconut Midtown

Clubhouse 56

2502 J Street 440-1088 Lunch Delivery M-F and Happy Hour 4-6

723 56th. Street 454-5656

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

BLD Full Bar $$ American cuisine. HD sports, kid's menu, beakfast weekends

The Waterboy

Evan’s Kitchen

2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com

Zocolo 1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com

855 57th St. 452-3896 B L D Wine/Beer $$ Eclectic California cuisine served in a family-friendly atmosphere, Kid’s menu, winemaker dinners • Chefevan.com

Español 5723 Folsom Blvd. 457-3679 L D Full Bar $-$$ Classic Italian cuisine served in a traditional family-style atmosphere

Formoli's Bistro

EAST SAC 33rd Street Bistro 3301 Folsom Blvd. 455-2233 B L D $$ Full Bar Patio Pacific Northwest cuisine in a casual bistro setting

CHAMPAGNE BUFFET BRUNCH

F A T ’S ASIA BISTRO

Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015 Mother’s Day, May 10, 2015 Father’s Day, June 21, 2015 CALL FOR INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS.

2585 Iron Point Road Folsom 916-983-1133 1500 Eureka Road Roseville 916-787-3287 www.fatsbistro.com

ILP APR n 15

Burr's Fountain 4920 Folsom Blvd. 452-5516 B L D $ Fountain-style diner serving burgers, sandwiches, soup and ice cream specialties

Cabana Winery & Bistro 5610 Elvas 476-5492 LD $$ Wine tasting and paired entrees. Sunday Brunch 10 - 2. • cabanawine.com

3839 J St. 448-5699 B L D Wine/Beer Patio $$ Mediterranean influenced cuisine in a neighborhood setting

Italian Stallion 3260B J St. 449-8810 L D $-$$ Thin-Crust Pizza, Deserts and Beer in an intimate setting and popular location

La Trattoria Bohemia 3649 J St. 455-7803 L D Wine/Beer $-$$ Italian and Czech specialties in a neighborhood bistro setting

Les Baux 5090 Folsom Blvd. 739-1348 BLD $ Wine/Beer Unique boulangerie, café & bistro serving affordable delicious food/drinks all day long • lesbauxbakery.com

Opa! Opa! 5644 J St. 451-4000 L D Wine/Beer $ Fresh Greek cuisine in a chic, casual setting, counter service

Nopalitos 5530 H St. 452-8226 B L $ Wine/Beer Southwestern fare in a casual diner setting

Selland's Market Cafe 5340 H St. 473-3333 B L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer High quality handcrafted food to eat in or take out, wine bar

Estelle's Patisserie

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

Fat City Bar & Cafe 1001 Front St. 446-6768 D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants. com

The Firehouse Restaurant 1112 Second St. 442-4772 L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com

Frank Fat’s 806 L St. 442-7092

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

Il Fornaio 400 Capitol Mall 446-4100 L D Full Bar $$$ Fine Northern Italian cuisine in a chic, upscale atmosphere • Ilfornaio.com

Grange 926 J Street • 492-4450

Star Ginger 3101 Folsom Blvd. 231-8888 Asian Grill and Noodle Bar • starginger.com

Thai Palace Restaurant 3262 J St. 446-5353 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Authentic Thai cuisine in a casual setting

DOWNTOWN Foundation

400 L St. 321-9522 L D $$ Full Bar American cooking in an historic atmosphere • foundationsacramento.com

Chops Steak Seafood & Bar

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

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

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

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

Morton’s Steakhouse 621 Capitol Mall #100 442-50 D $$$ Full Bar Upscale American steakhouse • Mortons.com

Parlaré Eurolounge 10th & J Sts. 448-8960 D $$ Full Bar Relax with drinks and dinner in this stylish downtown space

Claim Jumper

Rio City Café

Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518

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

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

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

Esquire Grill 1213 K St. 448-8900 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com

APRIL)

LUNCH, DINNER & HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS WWW.ELLA DINING ROOM AND BAR. COM 1131 K STREET, DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO 916.443.3772

1530 J St. 447-2112

L D $$$ Full Bar Steakhouse serving dry-aged prime beef and fresh seafood in an upscale club atmosphere • Chopssacramento.com

L D $$ Full Bar Upscale American in a clubby atmosphere

(ALL

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar

1117 11th St. 447-8900

1111 J St. 442-8200

IN TOWN! Jamie’s Broadway Grille ud is a pro Jamie’s f the Front er o support mal Shelter ni Street A

since 1986

1110 Front St. Old Sac 442-8226

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Seasonal menu of favorites in a setting overlooking river • Riocitycafe.com

Ten 22 1022 Second St. 441-2211 L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting ten22oldsac.com

Adopt A Pet With adoption get $25 Jamie’s Gift Card Valid for first 20 adoptions in April at the 2127 Front Street Shelter with this ad!

As featured on

Jamie’s Bar & Grill • 427 Broadway • 442-4044 ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

LAND PARK Casa Garden Restaurant 2760 Sutterville Road 452-2809 L D $$ • D with minimum diners call to inquire $$ Wine/Beer. Elegantly presented American cuisine. Operated by volunteers to benefit Sacramento Children's Home. Small and large groups. Reservations recommended • casagardenrestaurant.org

Freeport Bakery 2966 Freeport Blvd. 442-4256 B L $ Award-winning baked goods and cakes for eat in or take out • Freeportbakery.com

Iron Grill

Riverside Clubhouse

2633 Riverside Drive 448-9988

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

Taylor's Kitchen 2924 Freeport Boulevard 443-5154 D $$S Wine/Beer Dinner served Wed. through Saturday. Reservations suggested.

Tower Café 1518 Broadway 441-0222 B L D $$ Wine/Beer International cuisine with dessert specialties in a casual setting

Willie's Burgers 2415 16th St.444-2006

555 AL ANNU

MILE

ILP APR n 15

OFF

FOR YOUR DISCOUNT & REMEMBER THAT

KIDS RUN FOR FREE! Children 12 & under can run the Miracle Mile for free if registered before April 11, 2025.

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

Leatherby’s Family Creamery 2333 Arden Way 920-8382

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

Lemon Grass Restaurant 601 Munroe St. 486-4891

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

Matteo's Pizza 5132 Fair Oaks. Blvd. 779-0727 L D Beer/Wine $$ Neighborhood gathering place for pizza, pasta and grill dishes

The Mandarin Restaurant 4321 Arden Way 488-47794 D $$-$$$ Full Bar Gourmet Chineses food for 32 years • Dine in and take out

Roma's Pizzeria & Pasta

Roxy

L D $$ Traditional Italian pizza & pasta Family Friendly Catering + Team Parties • romas-pizzaand-pasta.com

2381 Fair Oaks Blvd. 489-2000 B L D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine with a Western touch in a creative upscale atmosphere

Ristorante Piatti 571 Pavilions Lane 649-8885

dinner specials, belly dancing weekends • bestmoroccanfood.com

L D $$ Full Bar Contemporary Italian cuisine in a casually elegant setting

Bella Bru Café

Sam's Hof Brau 2500 Watt 482-2175

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

L D $$ Wine/Beer Fresh quality meats roasted daily • thehofbrau.com

Café Vinoteca

Thai House

3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 487-1331

INSIDE5

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

ARDENCARMICHAEL

5038 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883

USE CODE:

2225 Hurley Way 568-7171

6530 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-9800

1537 Howe Ave. 927-1014 L D $-$$ Authentic Moroccan cuisine, lunch &

The Kitchen

L D $ Great burgers and more. Open until 3 am weekends

Andaloussia

NEW

2535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 481-5225 L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com

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

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

Jack’s Urban Eats

steakhouse • Ironsteaks.com

427 Broadway 442-4044

APRIL 15

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

La Rosa Blanca Taqueria

Jamie's Bar and Grill

SACTOWN10.ORG

2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. 482-0708

13th Street and Broadway 737-5115

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale neighborhood

TEN-MILE RUN | FIVE-MILE RUN | ONE-MILE RUN/WALK

Ettore’s

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

Chinois City Café 3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-8690 L D $$ Full Bar Asian-influenced cuisine in a casual setting • Chinoiscitycafe.com

427 Munroe in Loehmann's 485-3888 L D $$ Wine/Beer Featuring the great taste of Thai traditional specialties • sacthaihouse.com

Willie's Burgers 5050 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-5050L D $ Great burgers and more n

Gold

ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Coldwell Banker

#1 IN CALIFORNIA

TAHOE PARK MID CENTURY RANCH! In sought after neighborhood this 3bd/1ba is only blocks from the park & Bacon and Butter restaurant. New kitch cabinets, N G hrdwd flrs, new DP quartz counters, SS applncs, refiInished ND E P windows, new HW heater & freshly painted inside/out. $289,900 STEFFAN BROWN 717-7217 CaBRE#: 01882787 SPANISH-STYLE COTTAGE IN CURTIS PARK! Located in great neighborhood! Offers a warming fireplace, formal dining room, brkfst nook, and large garage. STEPH BAKER 775-3447 CaBRE#: 01402254 RENAISSANCE PARK! A New Home Community w/the essence of Sacramento at your fingertips. Visit: www.newfaze. com/neighborhoods/renaissance-park. From the Low $200s CECIL WILLIAMS 718-8865 CaBRE#: 01122760

RIVER OAKS RANCH! Spacious single story ranch with 3 lg bdrs/2 baths, ofﬁce/den, family rm, 3-car garage in Pocket area close to neighborhood park, river, schools and more. SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635

CALL IT HOME IN HOLLYWOOD PARK! Adorable 3bd/1ba w/frplc, granite kitch counters, hdwd ﬂrs, & dual pane windows. SINDY KIRSCH & JEANINE ROZA 730-7705 or 548-5799 CaBRE#: 01483907 & 01365413

GORGEOUS 1890 ITALIANTE! Lovingly cared for & many original features well preserved. 3bd/2ba w/impressive mahogany wood details, crown moldings, high ceilings, & marble frplce. Lrg kitch w/island & new applncs. New oak hrdwd ﬂring, 4 covered balconies, brick patios & wrought iron fencing w/automatic gate! $549,000 MAGGIE SEKUL 341-7812 CaBRE#: 01296369

THE L STREET LOFTS! City living w/doorman 4 unique ﬂoor plans From the mid $400,000’s. Models Open Daily. LStreetLofts.com. MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608

DESIRABLE LOCATION! This spacious 5bd/3ba features newer roof, gutters, split system HVAC, and water heater. 1bdrm/1bath downstairs and relax in gorgeous marble jetted tub. This 2879 sq. ft. home sits on .20 acre. $499,900 SANDI BURDEN-BRADLEY 2076736 CaBRE#: 01004625

LOCATED NEAR SUTTERVILLE ELEMENTARY! Spacious 2-3bd/2ba hm. Amenities include rmdld baths & kitch, hrdwd ﬂrs, newer CH&A, and great location! $289,900 BOB LYSTRUP 628-5357 CaBRE#: 00991041

LAND PARK ESTATES Fabulous 2 story, 4bd/2.5ba custom built hm just around the corner from Park Terrace Swim Club. 3 car garage. $685,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986 GRANGER’S DAIRY! This stately 4bd/3ba brick hm is on a .27 acre lot. Built-in pool, covered patio w/BBQ area & 3 car tandem garage. $769,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986

GREAT CURB APPEAL & LOCATION! LR/DR combo w/brick frplc, master ste plus 2bd/2.5ba. Lrg fam rm exits to lovely yard,& BBQ area. Freshly painted. $549,900 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986

FANTASTIC GRANGERS DAIRY LOCATION! Beautiful 4 bed, 3 bath home w/formal living and dining, family room, breakfast nook and pool. Close to Didion School, shops and river! $499,900 BOB LYSTRUP 628-5357 CaBRE#: 00991041

STUNNING SLP REMODEL! 3bed/3ba, 2000/sqft+, open ﬂoor plan, chef's kitchen, fam rm, 2 car garage, gorgeous yrd, close to the Zoo. PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423

CLOSE & CONVENIENT IN LAGUNE CREEK One-story 4 bdr/2 baths, living/dining, family/kitchen close and convenient to park across street and within walking distance of Elk Grove schools. SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635 MIDTOWN – TAPESTRI SQUARE! FINAL TWO HOMES AVAILABLE! $795,000. Madison/ Semi-Custom. Visit: www.TapestriSquare.com. MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608 TRADITIONAL BUNGALOW IN LAND PARK! Put your stamp on this beloved 1-story, 2/2 w/family rm, handsome back yard. Within Croker/Riverside school boundaries! SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635

METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard, Sacramento 916.447.5900

CURTIS PARK URBAN BUNGALOW! Rare 2bd/1.5ba beauty w/recently updtd bathrms & kitchen. ING Reﬁnished ﬂrs, carport E &N easyDaccess to light rail & dwntwn! P $349,900 STEFFAN BROWN 717-7217 CaBRE#: 01882787

NEW LISTING! 3Bd/2 full Ba w/darling kitch w/granite cntrs. Hrdwd ﬂrs, frplc, access to bckyrd from Master Bdrm & kitch. Detached 1 car gar. SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986

CaliforniaMoves.com

facebook.com/cbnorcal

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