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FEBRUARY 17
S A C R A M E N T O ' S P R E M I E R F R E E C I T Y M O N T H LY
THE GRID
By Andrew Patterson-Tutschka
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COVER ARTIST Maija Peeples-Bright Peeples-Bright paints a fantastic world populated with charming animals she calls "beasties." Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Crocker Art Museum and the La Jolla Museum. Her work will be shown in February at the B. Sakato Garo Gallery. Visit bsakatogaro.com. Visit maijapeeples-bright.com.
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info@insidepublications.com EDITOR Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel AD COORDINATOR Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster DISTRIBUTION Lauren Hastings lauren@insidepublications.com ACCOUNTING Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli, Adrienne Kerins
916-443-5087 EDITORIAL POLICY Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 75,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©
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FEBRUARY 17 VOL. 20 • ISSUE 1 7 8 12 16 18 20 24 26 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 46 48 50 52 56 58
Publisher's Desk Life In Land Park Inside City Hall Building Our Future Inside Downtown City Beat Giving Back Home Insight Sports Authority The Attic Architect Garden Jabber Trees' Best Friend Writing Life Farm To Fork Spirit Matters Science In The Neighborhood Getting There Beyond Charity To Do Artist Spotlight Restaurant Insider
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3406 American River Drive Suite B Sacramento, CA 95864 273-9040
Creative Energy ART STREET AIMS TO REPLICATE SUCCESS OF LAST YEAR’S ART HOTEL
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ast February, art lovers were treated to an extraordinary experience with the success of Sacramento’s Art Hotel. The former Jade apartment building—less than a block from Golden 1 Center, which was still under construction at the time—was the temporary exhibit space for many of our region’s most talented painters, sculptors, muralists, historians and sound makers. The exhibit, in which 130 artists participated, took place before the aged building was scheduled for demolition to make way for a new Hyatt hotel. Art Hotel emerged after up-andcoming Sacramento muralist Shaun Burner was approached about doing something to the exterior of the Jade apartment building. M5 Arts, the event’s nonprofit organizer, was overwhelmed by the community’s response. The building faced occupancy limits and block-long lines, so the organizers put strict time limits on viewing and created a timed ticket system, although the tours were free. Because of this, 13,000 tours were taken in the 10-day exhibit run. As much as I think I am on top of things happening in the arts community, I only heard about the exhibit during the first few days it was open. I acted fast and stood in line for several hours to get tickets
CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk
Seumas Coutts and Shaun Burner are shown working in the industrial space that opens as Art Street this month for my husband and stepdaughter to attend with me later that day—the last day of the exhibit! It was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience for all of us. So I was excited when I heard that the team behind Art Hotel was planning another short-term exhibit this year, called Art Street. Art Street will take place Feb. 3-25 on 3rd Avenue, just south of Broadway, in a much larger 65,000 square feet of interior and exterior space. This much larger space will allow viewers to move at a pedestrian’s pace, organizers said. “You will never hear, ‘You have 10 minutes,’” said Seumas Coutts, a lead
curator of Art Hotel and Art Street. “We want people to hang out and experience.” Even with Art Street having more space and a longer run, the organizers still promise a gritty, multidimensional, noninstitutional art experience. The new project will add food and alcohol to the mix to create a European plaza atmosphere. Coutts, who spent much of his career in art in Germany, said the “street” theme will explore transportation, connectivity, pathway and community in all the selected artworks, “even if it is not immediately obvious,” he said.
The organizers had a goal of raising $100,000 in donations to cover the costs of the project, including stipends to all artists. My husband and I attended a fundraising event last fall and became project sponsors because of the sense of artistic community it develops, which is a major mission of our publishing business. As we went to press, they look to have reached their goal. Besides private donations, both Visit Sacramento and the new Mayor’s Creative Economy Pilot Project made grants to the project.
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Like a Good Neighbor VOLUNTEER EFFORT BEARS FRUIT FOR A GOOD CAUSE
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end your fellow Land Park residents a hand and help feed the hungry while you’re at it during Harvest Sacramento’s Hollywood Park/Land Park Citrus Harvest from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. Harvest Sacramento is the Edible City initiative of Soil Born Farms, which arranges volunteers throughout the year to help harvest excess citrus fruit around town for donation to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and other food access partners. Volunteers for this special oneday event will be placed into groups of five to 10 people with a trained harvest group leader. Each group will receive a list of three to five tree sites to harvest in the Hollywood Park and Land Park vicinity and will be provided with all necessary harvesting materials, including gloves, pickerpoles, ladders, clippers and boxes. Have a burgeoning volunteer in your family? Young children ages 3 to 10 are welcome to join, but will be asked to focus their energy on sorting, packing and transporting the fruit. Children under the age of 15 are required to have supervision from a parent or guardian, while youths ages 15-17 can attend without adult supervision but must have a volunteer waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
JL By Jessica Laskey Life in Land Park
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Dungeness crab (naturally) as well as beer, wine and soft drinks available for purchase, all followed by a dessert auction that will have your sweet tooth singing. Tickets are $50 for an individual, unassigned seat and $450 for a reserved table for eight. For more information, call 452-3005 or go to sierra2.org. The Sierra 2 Center is at 2791 24th St.
WORTH EVERY PENNY
The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and Sierra 2 Center’s annual Crab Feed takes place on Feb. 2. Interested volunteers from the area should meet at Centennial United Methodist Church (5401 Freeport Blvd.) with their signed Soil Born Farms volunteer waiver (download one at soilborn.org), closed-toe shoes and appropriate clothing for the expected weather conditions of the day. (It’s also recommended to bring sunglasses, gloves, a water bottle and a bag or box to take home some fruit—you worked for it, you should enjoy the fruits of your labor!) For more information, contact Dominic Allamano, Edible City coordinator, at dallamano@ soilborn.org or 572-6646. For more
information on Harvest Sacramento, go to soilborn.org.
DIG IN! Get your bib ready: It’s time for the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and Sierra 2 Center’s third annual Crab Feed from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. The meal raises funds for the Sac Prep Music Academy (which will also perform at the dinner) and Sierra 2 Center for the Arts. Bring your appetite, as you’ll want to have plenty of room for each offering: fluffy beer bread, fresh green salad, pasta,
If you’re an avid zoo attendee, you might notice that admission prices at the Sacramento Zoo are a bit higher than they used to be. Due to increases in the cost of providing its more than 500 animals with the very best care, the zoo increased admission and membership prices effective Jan. 2. “As a private, nonprofit organization, the Sacramento Zoological Society depends on revenue from admissions and memberships to provide expert, compassionate daily care and world-class veterinary care for the animals, pay staff reasonable wages and benefits and maintain and improve the zoo’s 90-year-old campus,” explains Jeff Raimundo, president of the Sacramento Zoo Board of Trustees (which approved the increase). Zoo director and CEO Kyle Burks concurs. “Despite the increasing cost of operation, the zoo has not instituted an annual price increase in recent years,” Burks says. “We have and will continue to strive to keep our membership and admission prices
LIFE page 10
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Scenes from the 2016 Art Hotel project. PUBLISHER FROM page 7 In early January, the city council approved $500,000 in grants for various local art projects with this pilot project. The exact makeup of the creative projects it intends to fund has not been yet determined. But the program’s aim is to build new economic ecosystems around art, food and technology. The money comes from the existing Innovation and Growth Fund, created by former Mayor Kevin Johnson. For several years, our city and regional leaders have been looking for ways to create the cool image that attracts millennials to stay and relocate here. At the January council meeting, Mayor Darrell Steinberg said that part of his forward-looking agenda is “talk and act around making Sacramento a destination city that is for and about youth.” He went on to add that “the creative economy involves arts, food and
technology—things that are tangible, but not necessarily a fixed structure.” “The creative economy is the confluence of arts, culture, business and technology. It is a diverse collection of artists, chefs, small business owners, galleries and creative places—everything that makes Sacramento cool,” said Clay Nutting, a restaurateur and one of the organizers of Art Street, in his testimony at the council meeting. “The creative economy is a driver of significant economic impact. It helps attract business and talent to our community and gives us a competitive edge.” Projects like Art Street are a perfect example of an organically grown experience that goes a long way toward shedding the bureaucratic, governmentdriven image of our city’s past. This new pilot project fund is about investing in our own homegrown talent. While the government often has a terrible PUBLISHER page 11
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LIFE FROM page 8 low and they remain a great value whether you visit once or become a zoo member. “However, when our costs go up each year, and we keep our prices the same, we can’t have a stable and successful zoo. We are preparing to make improvements necessary to provide our animals and our community with the worldclass institution that Sacramento deserves.” In addition to providing daily care for more than 500 animals and employing a staff of more than 100, the zoo is also making regular necessary capital improvements to its nine-decade-old facility. In 2016 alone, improvements included expanding the off-exhibit living space for the lions; making the red panda exhibit accessible to a young, active pair; new fencing around the lake to facilitate better care for the birds; expanding off-exhibit living space for the Sifaka lemurs; improvements to
visitor restrooms (a separate mothers’ nursing room will be complete soon); and emergency funds were mobilized to stabilize the zoo’s Discovery Room building used to educate schoolchildren. Prices increased an average of a few dollars across the board (general admission went from $11.75 to $14.95, for example), and membership package prices are still quite low, considering the numerous benefits they offer. Zoo members receive free admission all year, as well as discounted admission to zoo events and more than 150 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The zoo also maintains its commitment to visitor accessibility by offering a variety of options for free and reduced-cost admission and programs throughout the year. What’s a couple of dollars more to support such a proud Sacramento tradition? For more information, call
Flamingos at the Sacramento Zoo.
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808-5888 or go to saczoo.org. The Sacramento Zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive.
GET INVOLVED If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to get more involved in your community, the Land Park Community Association offers ample opportunities to do so. So why not join in, meet your fellow Land Parklovers and make a difference in the neighborhood you share? The next Land Use Committee Meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 1. The Land Use Committee is responsible for the topical areas of land use, commercial revitalization and transportation, including use permits and zoning changes within the LPCA boundaries. It’s also responsible for making recommendations to the board on initiatives to improve the health and vitality of the commercial corridors, and it’s responsible for addressing all traffic and transportation issues, including monitoring traffic, bike and pedestrian safety and coordinating with the city’s Department of Transportation, Regional Transit and related public entities and private advocates. The Land Use Committee usually meets on the first Wednesday of the month and is open to current LPCA members. LPCA members may join the Land Use Committee by contacting the chairperson at landuse@landpark.org. More interested in keeping everyone safe? The next Public Safety Committee meeting is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 8. The Public Safety Committee is responsible for monitoring and promoting the safety of the Land Park community, informing the membership of the existence of threats and advising them of opportunities to improve public safety, as well as coordinating with local law enforcement, administering electronic public safety communications (including the LPCA’s Public Safety Listserv), fostering the formation of neighborhood watch groups and
raising public awareness of public safety issues. The Public Safety Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month and is open to current LPCA members. LPCA members may join the Public Safety Committee by contacting the chairperson at info@ landpark.org. If you’re interested in getting a lay of the land before jumping on board, attend the next LPCA general monthly meeting at Eskaton Monroe Lodge (3225 Freeport Blvd.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 15. For more information about the LPCA, go to landpark.org.
DAY AT THE MUSEUM Sacramento Museum Day is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, so don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy half-price or free admission at almost 25 local museums and institutions throughout Sacramento, including everyone’s favorite play park, Fairytale Town. Fairytale Town will be offering half-price admission on Museum Day, which means admission is only $2.88 per person! (Children ages 1 and younger are always free.) A Sacramento cultural tradition, Sacramento Museum Day is designed to encourage all members of the community to experience the region’s incredible wealth of art, history, science and wildlife at little cost. This hugely popular community event is presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums. Looking for something to do on Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 20? Why not take advantage of Fairytale Town’s holiday admission prices ($5.75 per person) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and enjoy the fresh air and endlessly fun play structures? For more information, call 8087462 or go to fairytaletown.org.
JOGGING IN YOUR LONG-JOHNS Pull up your panties (and a few extra layers, please) and make strides for the Colon Cancer Alliance at the 2017 Sacramento Undy Run/Walk
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insidesacbook.com from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at William Land Park. Whether you’re in it for the 5K run or the 1-mile fun run—or the hilarity of dressing in pajamas, longjohns and other undergarments in public—your fitness will help fund the Colon Cancer Alliance, which aims to knock colon cancer out of the top three cancer killers by championing prevention, funding cutting-edge research and providing the highestquality patient support services. Race packet pick-up and on-site registration starts at 7:30 a.m., the 5K starts at 9 a.m., 10 minutes later the 1-mile fun run will get underway, and at 10:05 a.m. cool down while you take in the survivor and patient recognition and awards ceremony. Maybe they’ll even call your name! For more information, go to undyrunwalk.org. William Land Park is at 4000 S. Land Park Drive.
COMING SOON TO BROADWAY You’ve probably heard plenty of people say over the years that they want to make Sacramento a “worldclass city,” but we might finally be moving in the right direction. According to a December article by Tony Bizjak in “The Sacramento Bee,” the long-neglected Broadway corridor might soon be getting some much-needed love. The Sacramento Council of Governments recently approved a $2.8 million “complete Streets” grant to give the area a facelift and increase safety for drivers and pedestrians alike. Improvement plans include narrowing the roadway to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane (no more left-turn-during-rush-hour nightmare snags!), new bike lanes and sidewalks and improved pedestrian crosswalks. If all goes well, in the coming months we could see a safer, wider, more accessible Broadway corridor that just might lead to that eagerly anticipated “world-class” boom after
all. I mean, we already have a new sports arena …
NEW PRESCHOOL AT CAMELLIA WALDORF Camellia Waldorf School will begin accepting applications this month for a new preschool program based on the European “forest school” model. The school will begin in fall 2017. Taught by Jennifer Mason, Wildflower Forest Preschool will focus on child-led learning in an outdooronly environment. Classes will be conducted on the grounds of Camellia Waldorf, in the riparian woodlands behind the school and in Garcia Bend Park. At European forest schools, children learn social-emotional and motor skill development while exploring forests and woodlands. The school is at 7450 Pocket Road. For more information, call 427-5022 or go to caemlliawaldorf.org.
PUBLISHER FROM page 9 track record of picking winners and losers, I am eager to see this play out. The experience of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission definitely needs to be tapped for this effort to be successful. In creating our book, “Inside Sacramento: The Most Interesting Neighborhood Places in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital,” I was exposed to the breadth and depth of the creative places in our city neighborhoods. I surprised even myself while selecting and documenting all our city has to offer. Please make sure to visit Art Street this month. My description can only go so far. You need to experience it firsthand to understand what is at work here. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n
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The Regionalist UNDER STEINBERG, WILL CONSOLIDATIONS BE IN OUR FUTURE?
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n Darrell Steinberg, Sacramento has an aggressive and politically progressive mayor who is a selfacknowledged change agent. His background as president pro tem of the Senate and former city council member certainly gives him the political juice and local government knowledge to potentially be a highperformance mayor. Exhibiting the energy and confidence of a man who has been preparing for his new role his entire life, Steinberg has moved quickly to seize the agenda of the city of Sacramento, helped along by the fact that almost the entire city council endorsed his election. Even before he was sworn in as mayor, he persuaded the council to defer selection of a permanent city manager until he could weigh in. A final decision on the proposed expansion of Sacramento Convention Center was similarly deferred at his behest. And he will almost certainly play a major role in the selection of a new police chief, even though the selection is, theoretically, interim city manager Howard Chan’s to make. Steinberg has made no secret of his intent to serve as a regional leader. He sees many of the most difficult challenges we face as regional in scope: widespread homelessness,
CP By Craig Powell Inside City Hall
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growing traffic congestion, economic development, a looming pension crisis, youth underemployment, land-use and environmental policies (i.e., suburban sprawl), poverty, poor educational outcomes, etc. And Steinberg is a major adherent of New Regionalism, which consistently calls for a regional approach to solving tough municipal problems. After all, Steinberg is the author of the groundbreaking (some would say local-economy-sapping) Senate Bill 375, which mandates that regional planners take affirmative steps to reduce the climate-changing impacts of local decisions on housing, transportation and land use. He’s tried to facilitate sales-tax-sharing
agreements between cities and counties to reduce local government competition for major retail developments (like auto malls), which gush the sales-tax revenues that are so coveted by local governments. Steinberg wasted no time in tapping his three political allies on the five-member Sacramento County board of supervisors (Phil Serna, Patrick Kennedy and Don Nottoli, each of whom supported Steinberg’s election) to schedule three joint meetings of the city council and the county board of supervisors early this year. The first such meeting, on Jan. 31, will be on the subject of homelessness. The agendas of two additional joint meetings, set for
Feb. 22 and March 22, have yet to be determined. Given Steinberg’s strong support for regionalism and the early signals he’s being issuing, we shouldn’t be surprised if he emerges as the leader of a renewed push to consolidate Sacramento city and county governments.
THE HISTORY OF CITY/COUNTY CONSOLIDATION EFFORTS City/county government consolidation has a long and storied history in Sacramento. As early as 1945, the Sacramento Chamber of
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government (with the mayor sharing power with a chief administrative officer), an expanded legislative council and a division of the county into five “boroughs.” Each borough government would have the trappings of a mini-city, but with authority that was never well defined. The commission's proposal was put before city and county voters in 1974. The campaigns for and against the 1974 consolidation proposal showed that the measure lacked broad geographical support. County officials and small-city officials (in those days, the county’s small cities were just Folsom, Isleton and Galt, commonly known as the FIG cities) lined up against the plan, while the Sacramento city council backed the measure. Public employee groups lined up against the plan, while the Chamber of Commerce failed to provide much help to the “Yes” side. Lacking a recognized campaign leader, the “Yes” campaign struggled along with B-list spokesmen, while the “No” campaign was led by the voluble, energetic and popular Jack Kipp, a longtime mayor of Folsom (and a cousin of mine). Kipp effectively castigated the measure as a power grab by downtown interests, foreshadowing, perhaps, a central theme of the opponents of Measure L, the strong-mayor proposal that was soundly defeated 40 years later. The campaigns were decidedly low-budget affairs, with each side spending about $14,000, at a time when a typical Assembly campaign was spending about $40,000. The 1974 consolidation measure lost big, losing by better than 3 to 1. It carried just seven city precincts
and was slaughtered by county voters, who opposed it by more than 80 percent. The proponents of the measure were never able to articulate a good reason for a wholesale change in local government. There was no governmental crisis that precipitated the vote, no demonstrated inability of government to deal with problems and no consensus among the city’s and county’s elite on the need for major changes.
THE 1990 CONSOLIDATION ELECTION The Chamber of Commerce led a renewed consolidation push in the late ’80s, focusing, nominally, on unlocking cost savings that consolidation promised through the elimination of overlapping and duplicative government functions, as well as realizing economies of scale. The promised savings to taxpayers: $27 million annually, which may strike modern readers as pretty modest. But, then again, we live in an era when the city of Sacramento’s annual budget is expected to blow past the $1 billion mark for the first time next year. It was also claimed that consolidation would make it easier to deal with air quality, transportation and other regional problems. Current federal judge Kim Mueller, then a Sacramento council member representing Tahoe Park, said that the opportunity to have regional planning was the primary reason she supported consolidation. “We don’t want this to become another Los
CaBRE #01882787
Angeles,” Mueller told a Los Angeles Times reporter. But the real reason county government pushed consolidation was to shut down the incorporation of new cities, which were poised to drain the county of tax revenues already constrained by the 1978 passage of Proposition 13. The communities of Citrus Heights and Elk Grove were making moves toward incorporating, potentially imperiling the county’s ability to fund health, welfare and other services. Following the 1990 defeat of consolidation, both Citrus Heights and Elk Grove did, in fact, incorporate and were joined not long after by the new city of Rancho Cordova. All three cities signed longterm reimbursement agreements with the county (typically 30 years), providing the county with a stream of cash designed to make up for the diversion of tax revenues to the new cities. But those streams will start expiring in the next 10 years. The legendary and always quotable Wendell Phillips, longtime president of the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, backed consolidation for that very reason: “These new cities draw their boundaries and their tax districts and say to hell with everybody else.” But law enforcement was not united in favor of the proposal. Jim Jorgensen, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, strongly opposed it: “You’re going to create a megagovernment that’s going to make this entire county into one humongous city… it’s going to be a financial CITY HALL page 14
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nightmare.” Other opponents argued that consolidation “would cost more money not less, lead to poorer public services within the city of Sacramento and would create a metropolitan government that would be less responsive to local neighborhood needs,” according to a 1990 LA Times story. The 1990 proposal, dubbed Measure S, called for a semi-strong mayor and an 11-member council of supervisors. It called for a two-tiered structure that would divide the city into 20 local community councils, each with five elected members. The local councils would make local zoning decisions and create community plans that would have to conform to a general plan. Measure S would also have consolidated 13 independent fire districts into a single district, governed by an independently elected board. In the years following the defeat of Measure S, most of these same fire districts agreed to merge and formed the Sacramento
Metropolitan Fire District, led today by an independently elected board (although one under the considerable influence of the firefighters union). Measure S lost 56.3 percent to 43.7 percent, less of a shellacking than the 1974 defeat of consolidation, but still a walloping. In 2010, when Sacramento city and county governments were hemorrhaging money, then-interim city manager Gus Vina and the county executive announced an effort to identify opportunities for “functional” as distinct from “political” consolidations. The idea was for one government or the other to take full responsibility for functions they were particularly adept at providing efficiently and effectively. But the moment passed with few results. The traditional cold-shoulder relationship between city and county governments and leadership turnovers made such efforts challenging, to say the least. With Steinberg’s close political relationship with three county supervisors, the old frosty relationship may be warming up and opportunities for functional consolidations may have a renewed chance for success. Functions that were once considered candidates include building inspections, code enforcement, vehicle abatements, animal services, parking, SWAT teams and helicopter operations.
FULL CONSOLIDATION: THE DISCOURAGING EXPERIENCE OF OTHER CITIES It might seem from Sacramento’s two tries at consolidation that city/ county consolidations are a popular move elsewhere. In fact, consolidation is exceedingly rare. San Francisco is California’s only consolidated city and county, and Sacramento is the only one of California’s other 57 counties to even try to consolidate. New Orleans and New Orleans Parish were the first city and county in the country to consolidate in 1805. But in the ensuing 212 years, only 26 counties out of more than 3,000 counties in the nation have
chosen to consolidate with their major cities. Since 1970, 110 counties have attempted to consolidate with their largest cities, but only 19 have succeeded. Despite the long odds, the attraction of consolidation continues unabated as a kind of evergreen issue for local governments. And those few governments that have chosen to consolidate have had mixed results. Academic studies show that few of the promised cost savings from consolidation have been borne out. Instead of economies of scale, as is commonly seen in private-sector mergers, consolidations of local governments all too often lead to “diseconomies,” with the aggregate costs of the combined governments higher than before consolidation. Why? Merged governments tend to adopt the salary/benefit schedule of the government that was paying the higher salaries and providing the more generous benefits. Also, the larger a bureaucracy becomes, the more prone it becomes to bloat. Large units of government also tend to lose their focus on, and connection to, the public they serve, leading to greater inefficiency and diminished public satisfaction. (Helpful research aid: VA hospitals.) Politically, it’s very hard to convince skeptical voters that a consolidation of governments will make them more efficient, even when proponents vastly outspend opponents. Those few consolidation campaigns that have been successful have focused, instead, on how it will improve local economic development efforts rather than saving taxpayer money. But that may not be an argument for consolidation that Darrell Steinberg can credibly make given his background as the author of SB 375, which placed considerable restraints on local economic development. Craig Powell is a retired 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
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Moving Forward NEW PLANNING DIRECTOR SPEAKS OUT
N
Center, and these will be catalysts to help propel our city. What attracted me here as opposed to other cities is that we have a vision and values that are pretty comprehensively shared by city staff and council members. It’s rare to see a council that works so well and is in such close step with staff.
ew year, new you, or at least that’s how the saying goes. Sacramento seemed to take it to heart, anyway, capping 2016 with a new arena and a new mayor. Sacramento’s 2016 was characterized by new growth and development, including the hire of new planning director Kate Gillespie, who looks to keep that trend going well into and beyond 2017. Inside Publications sat down with Gillespie earlier this year to get her impression of her new hometown and to ask her to share some of her plans for the city moving forward. You’re new to town, but you’re no stranger to planning and development. Where has your career taken you before you landed here in Sacramento? After grad school, I was recruited by the city of Boston and the city of New York and became the long-range planning manager for the Manhattan office of the Department of City Planning. Then I lived in the Bay Area for about 20 years at a planning firm focusing on redevelopment. In 2012, I became the planning director for a firm with a national practice based out of New Orleans. The day that I started working there, Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast. We were eventually selected by the National Parks Service to restore two parks in New York.
JV By Jordan Venema Building Our Future
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ILP FEB n 17
Speaking of city staff, we’ve got a new mayor. Do you have any impressions of his stance on planning and development, and how do you plan to respond? Our new mayor has a level of urgency to his agenda, and so he’s challenging us already to compress schedules and do work faster and get on with opportunities to grow our city. We know that we have an obligation to build housing downtown. We’re also intrigued by the riverfront, especially along the Sacramento River. We have a path that needs enhancing, and we also have a lot of vacant land, particularly south of the Tower Bridge. So the mayor has recognized this and challenged us to come up with projects that could be quickly implemented that will help draw people to the waterfront.
Kate Gillespie is the new planning director.
Sacramento must seem like something of a hamlet after New York and Boston. Well, we’re the right-size town, and I have the skills to help us be a bigger town.
There’s an energy here that’s really exciting. It’s an open community, and with that comes the ability to change and grow. The city has made smart investments lately, from transportation enhancements to entertainment venues like Golden1
Specifically speaking, how do you view your role as the city’s planning director, and more generally for the department? I sit on the dais with the planning commission and interact with the commissioners a lot. We talk informally on a one-on-one basis. I’m planning a training session for our commissioners in February, but I don’t have a vote within the commission.
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How do you plan to engage with members of the community who aren’t usually involved in the planning process? Yeah, it’s not something that’s high on most people’s agendas unless they have a strong opinion already. So we’re trying to create an environment where people can participate in a variety of ways. We’re looking at the equivalent of a digital bulletin board where people can put their ideas online, and we’re doing a series of meetings with neighborhood organizations and business improvement districts and developers. We also welcome applicants, property owners and developers to come and
talk to us informally about their project before they start designing. We’ll also be introducing a lot of tools on our website that will help the community engage and to query any applications that we are currently working on anywhere in the city. Drawings and documents submitted by the applicant also will be available to the public, and it will give them an opportunity to contact the planner so that anyone can participate in the process in ways they haven’t before. Does the planning department have any projects in the works that Sacramentans can expect in coming years? My agenda, and I’ve talked to the mayor about this, is to use water taxis to get people from Pocket to downtown. Technology is changing in water transportation, and we have a dock available next to Tower Bridge that is very underutilized. So staff is looking at opportunity to develop nodes that will be focuses of activity. Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com. n
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Going to the Dogs NEW ‘BARK PARK’ WILL BRING DOG LOVERS TO MIDTOWN
I
t’s interesting about development.
Hansen, who asked to see a concept
People talk. They take action.
and plan.
They position themselves for all
Kolokotronis, developer John
possibilities. But economic headwinds
Hodgson and Wendy Saunders,
can slow you down, or tailwinds send
executive director of Capitol Area
you sailing. This is happening in areas
Development Authority, recruited
of Midtown, downtown, Oak Park and
Quadriga, a landscape planning and
even Del Paso. More specifically, the
architectural firm, for some pro bono
southern edge of Midtown is being
design work.
reshaped from the ground up with an explosion of development. It was a neglected area around R, S
“This is going to be the coolest park in Sacramento,” said Hodgson. “Not just the coolest dog park but the coolest park.”
and P streets between 16th and 21st streets. A cornerstone of the area was The Sacramento Bee headquarters, a corporate powerhouse and major employer that has seen better days. The area has been home to vacant lots, old auto repair facilities and abandoned buildings. But developers like Sotiris Kolokotronis, Mike Heller and Mark Friedman are fast-tracking new housing, retail and offices that will
“We needed Councilmember
ignite the community with activity, excitement, people … and a few dogs.
Hansen’s help to modify the city’s
Development started in the area
master plan,” said Saunders. “He
The groundbreaking at Truitt Bark Park recently took place. Photos courtesy of Chantel Elder of Eleakis & Elder Photography.
before the Great Recession, but it hit a wall and nothing much happened. The Safeway still served a local clientele. The Zebra Club still opened at 6 a.m. for those needing a stiff one after the graveyard shift or before the day began. Some business ventures
SC By Scot Crocker Inside Downtown
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ILP FEB n 17
held their own, while others faded away. Heller and Friedman are
Then there’s the empty field surrounded by a chain-link fence about a block from the Safeway
building The ICE Blocks, a mixed-
at 19th and S. It was supposed to
use development of residential,
become a city park, but money got
commercial and retail space. A little
tight after funds were needed to clean
to the north and east, Kolokotronis
up the site.
has plans to construct the Q19
Community leaders held a public
apartments at Q and 19th streets,
meeting. The few people who
the 20th/PQR townhomes a half
attended advocated for a dog park
block away and Press Building on
and community garden versus a
the corner of Q and 21st, where The
traditional neighborhood park. They
Sacramento Bee parking structure
approached Councilmember Steve
stands today.
helped us secure about $800,000 for the park. CADA is investing another $100,000 and managing the construction. There are a lot of new tenants and residents coming to that area, and this will be very nice for them.” While it’s officially a dog park, those behind the park are more inclined to call it a “people park” with amenities for dogs. One thing is for sure: It will attract a lot of activity, because people moving to Midtown have dogs, love dogs and love to be around others who love dogs.
A rendering of the new Truitt Bark Park in Midtown.
“This is going to be the coolest
The park is scheduled to open in
park in Sacramento,” said Hodgson.
June. While the park will be filled
“Not just the coolest dog park but the
with trees, it’s going to take some
coolest park.”
time for them to mature. “Eventually,
Truitt Bark Park (named for a
we will have a park full of shade,
community advocate Brooks Truitt)
but it will take a couple years for
will feature two fenced-in runs: one
the foliage and trees to grow,” said
for big dogs and one for small dogs.
Saunders. “People will just have to be
The very contemporary design will
patient.”
include lighting, trees and public art. It will have a public plaza feel with enough space for residents to congregate, whether they have a dog or not. Brooks Truitt was often referred to affectionately as a curmudgeon. He showed up at meetings and advocated to keep R Street’s industrial flavor
The very contemporary design will include lighting, trees and public art.
intact rather than building large state office buildings. He was 25 years ahead of his time. “This park is going to get a lot of use,” Hodgson predicted. “The park isn’t a large dog park. It’s the type of park you’d find in urban areas, but that’s a good thing because it promotes socialization for dog and people.”
A centerpiece of the park will be a large concrete statue with letters spelling out BARK. It’s part of the city’s Art in Public Places Project. Saunders said they will raise money from the public to fund the project.
But the sense of neighborhood will
Empty nesters and millennials want
not be accomplished by a dog park
an urban lifestyle, but we have to do
alone.
more about getting jobs downtown.
“We have the potential for a very pedestrian-friendly area,” explained
If not, many people will have to leave the urban core for work.”
Kolokotronis. “Something special is happening in the core. There’s pentup demand for multifamily housing.
Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@crockercrocker.com. n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
19
Living Large CREATING A MURAL FOR GOLDEN 1 CENTER
E
steban Villa is the most accessible artist in Sacramento. He can be found most every night at Simon’s bar on 16th Street, seated in the far corner, facing the door, his back to the hallway that leads to the patio. A pint of beer typically stands within reach, but beer isn’t the point. Notice the rainbow array of pens and pencils neatly laid out along alongside the beer glass, and the compact notebooks that contain Villa’s latest drawings. Don’t touch. The ink’s still wet.
In some ways, Villa is Sacramento’s contemporary version of Toulouse-Lautrec. Look closely at the newest drawing and recognize the woman seated across the horseshoe bar. She’s talking to a friend. And she’s only vaguely aware that her flattering image has been interpreted and preserved by a renowned artist and muralist whose work is monumental in scope, size, irreverence and longevity.
RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat
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ILP FEB n 17
Artist Esteban Villa In some ways, Villa is Sacramento’s contemporary version of ToulouseLautrec. Our cafe artist celebrates the bohemian spirit and captures the swirl of nightlife as everyday citizens enjoy themselves. Of course, Simon’s is not the Moulin Rouge, circa 1890. Midtown is not Montmartre. And still going strong at age 86, Villa has seen 50 more birthdays (and counting) than the self-destructive French postimpressionist master, who died at 36. Still, the comparison fits. To witness a respected artist working nightly in a saloon, where he finds
inspiration in the festive environment disdained by other artists, that’s something special. “People ask me if I’m slowing down now that I’m 86,” Villa says. “I tell them no, I’m just getting started.” He means that literally. Despite the satisfaction Villa gets from creating postcard-sized art at his bar-top studio, he has bigger things in mind. Not long ago, Villa received a six-figure commission to participate in a high-profile project: the Royal Chicano Air Force legacy mural at Golden 1 Center. RCAF artists Juanishi Orosco and Stan Padilla are also at work on the piece.
The soaring K Street wall in the new arena is a perfect canvas for Villa, who loves to work large. He has enlivened numerous buildings around California. He helped create the sprawling artworks in the K Street tunnel that runs beneath Interstate 5. His portfolio includes the state’s East End campus, two blocks from Simon’s, and Southside Park. Villa’s vivid folkloric inspirations are all around us. “When I think about the great experiences I’ve had, and the work I’ve been able to do, I stop and think, CITY page 22
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CITY FROM page 20 that’s not bad for a dirt-poor kid from Bakersfield,” he says. There are many reference points in Villa’s long life and success, but his biggest impressions involve two institutions: Sacramento State University and the Royal Chicano Air Force. Villa taught art classes for three decades at Sac State. He helped inspire the pioneering crew of professors who established the school’s creative direction and cultural legacy. Two decades into retirement, he maintains the title of professor emeritus. As for the RCAF, an artists collective that exquisitely expanded into the political realm to promote social justice though creativity, imagination and mysticism, Villa was a co-founder. He and the late Jose Montoya started the RCAF in 1970.
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Villa sings about love and money troubles and nights with too many drinks. The RCAF became one of the most enduring instruments of Chicano Power during the political upheavals of the 1970s. Today, UC Santa Barbara’s Donald C. Davidson Library maintains many pieces from the group’s work in an internationally recognized collection.
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Lambtrust.com RCAF artists—sadly, few have survived with Villa’s mortal staying power—were a hard-living bunch, politically sophisticated and subversive while comedic, generous and inclusive. Humor sustained their outrage. RCAF agitators reveled in making art spiked with hidden messages, a talent inevitably on display in Villa’s work. Years from now, people will study the Golden 1 piece and learn some old RCAF tricks. Villa is studiously vague and cagey when describing his work. Always the teacher, he invites interpretation and encourages his audience to see beyond the obvious. When I ask him about the themes for the Golden 1 mural, he smiles and deflects the question. He says, “It’s been done for years. We’ve just been waiting for the right place to install it.” His artistry extends beyond murals and cafe sketches. Villa is a singer, guitarist and songwriter, leading a loosely affiliated band of seven or eight musicians. His compositions are generally inspired by his rural childhood around Bakersfield, where he enjoyed traveling bands that played for farm workers. Villa sings about love and money troubles and nights with too many drinks. He carries batches of his latest CD, “Habanero Honey,” in a satchel with his art supplies. He gives copies to anyone who shows an interest. The music is like Villa’s art, a compendium of humanity, trouble, despair, love, hope and inspiration, captured on a postcard, a wall or the side of a building. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n
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Patricia Sturdevant FINDING A USE FOR A SURPLUS OF CITRUS
I
f you’ve ever taken a stroll through Land Park (or if you’re one of the lucky ducks who live there), you’ve no doubt noticed the beautiful array of foliage from the hundreds of mature trees that line every street and avenue. You may have also noticed that at certain times of year, citrus fruit hangs heavy on the branches of these gorgeous trees and either litters the sidewalk with squelchy, slippery bits of fruit flesh or is voraciously attacked by squirrels and other creatures. Patricia Sturdevant noticed this seasonal fruit phenomenon and decided to do something about it. The Land Park resident is a retired consumer protection and health care lawyer who didn’t mean to land here but fell in love with the area after growing up in far northern California and living in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., before moving to Sacramento for work. Since Sturdevant loves to take walks in her neighborhood, she started noticing that the citrus fruit was not only hazardous but could also be the solution to an endemic problem that she’d spent her career—and countless volunteer hours—fighting. “There are 245,000 hungry people in Sacramento,” says Sturdevant. She knows that figure because of her work spearheading Food From the
JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back
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the trees were clean and I was making a difference—and the donation was tax deductible!” At Sturdevant’s behest, LPCA decided to partner with Harvest Sacramento, a program of Soil Born Farms that harvests extra citrus fruit around town and donates it to local food assistance agencies. Though volunteers can lend a hand harvesting any time during the year, LPCA will partner with Hollywood Park Neighborhood Association on Feb. 18 to host an all-day picking extravaganza complete with a free lunch put together by Biba Restaurant’s chef, Brenda Ruiz.
She’s most looking forward to the connection that volunteering brings.
Patricia Sturdevant Sac Bar, a program of the Sacramento County Bar Association that benefits Sacramento Food Bank. “I noticed that so much of the fruit from the area’s mature trees goes to waste, so it seemed like a great combination of supply and demand to link hungry families with Land Park citrus owners.”
Sturdevant brought her observations to Land Park Community Association. When her own trees gave her an overabundance of fruit two years ago, Sturdevant had called upon Senior Gleaners (which merged with the food bank in 2015). She recalls that “all ages had a great time picking and I felt good because
“It’s going to be a major logistical effort,” Sturdevant says. “Dominic Allamano (who coordinates Edible City for Soil Born Farms) is going to help us put everything together, and students from McClatchy High School and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School as well as members of Matt Guzaitis’s Boy Scout troop will help us spread the word. It will be perfect timing, too—the early crops will still be on the trees and the oranges will just be ripening. It’s prime picking time.” Sturdevant is not just excited about the quality fruit the volunteers will be
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www.PalomaBegin.com gathering for hungry Sacramentans. She’s most looking forward to the connection that volunteering brings, whether it’s for the Harvest Sacramento event or her other extensive charitable work as the president of the board of Consumer Action (a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy group), a member of the advisory board of Donate Life (which promotes organ donation), a member of the board of the National Council of Jewish Women and an active participant in various women lawyer organizations. “I was a public-interest lawyer, so doing things in the public interest is really important for me,” she says. “I do it not only because I have altruistic goals of helping the community, but also because it makes me feel really good and I get to meet really interesting people. Instead of being linked by work, we’re linked by our neighborhood.” For more information on Soil Born Farms’ Harvest Sacramento program, call 572-6646 or visit soilborn.org. n
Flowers can’t say everything, but they are a very good start!
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Designing Woman
SHE NAMED HER FURNITURE LINE AFTER A STREET IN EAST SAC 26
ILP FEB n 17
K
errie Kelly understands collaboration. An award-winning interior designer, author and multimedia consultant, she founded Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in 1995. Her new business venture, 42nd Street, came about through plenty of teamwork. Last year, Kelly and her husband, Vinny Catalano, met with a custom cabinetry and millwork manufacturing team in New York. They couple wanted to integrate the features of luxury kitchen cabinetry, such as self-closing drawers, dovetail joinery, and custom hardware, stains and finishes, into a line of wood furniture. The more ideas Kelly and her husband put on the table, the more the New York team agreed. “They never said no to anything we suggested,” she says. “In those couple of hours, the conversation evolved from needs
JF By Julie Foster Home Insight
Kerrie Kelly (in front wearing green) and her design team.
we had for cabinetry to sketches and walking through ideas about furniture pieces,” she says. “We knew we were on the right track. Then we wondered what we were going to call the company.” Kelly’s husband suggested the name 42nd Street, after the street where they live in Sacramento and the notorious New York thoroughfare. The tagline they developed for the business is “Make Your Statement.” “We typically say that our designs are by designers for designers,” Kelly explains. So far, 42nd Street has produced 40 pieces, including the Taylor Console, the Katelyn Bookcase, the Bernard Desk, the Vincent Secretary and the Ramona Buffet. (All are named after family members.) The furniture is made by Amish craftsman. The company’s signature piece is the Mary
Lou Jewelry and Lingerie Chest, named after Kelly’s grandmother. The piece embodies her grandmother’s personality. “She was a woman whose every action spoke to quality,” Kelly explains. The piece is similar to a bedroom dresser. But it is topped with a piece of glass, so you can see your jewelry at a glance and pick out pieces to coordinate with your outfit. “For me, it is out of sight, out of mind,” Kelly says. “I go shopping in my Mary Lou every day.” Every six months, a designer will be selected as a Tastemaker to create one piece under the 42nd Street brand. “Pieces are licensed and carry the individual’s name. When the piece is sold, they get a piece of the action,” says Kelly. “It allows us promote our
pals in the business and make it not all about us.” 42nd Street will be exhibited this spring at the largest furniture design show in the country: High Point Market in North Carolina. “Our brand partner, Wesley Hall, which does all of our private-label upholstery for the Design Lab and 42nd Street Design, has asked us to feature the line in a boutiquelike portion of their two-story showroom in High Point,” Kelly says. “It is also where we launch/announce our Tastemakers each market.” Kerrie Kelly Design Lab remains the hub of activity for Kelly. The East Sacramento location offers interior design and consultation services, indoor and outdoor furnishings, upholstery, casegoods, floor, wall and window coverings, and antiques and artwork.
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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“Our team will always design pieces for Sacramento, and while 42nd Street is being feathered in, we are the foundation,” she says. Kerrie Kelly Design Lab is at 5704 Elvas Ave. For more information about Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, go to kerriekelly.com. To see Kelly’s 42nd Street line of furnishings, lighting, artwork and rugs, go to 42ndstreetdesign.com. If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. Correction: The homeowners in the story 'Nod to the Past' were incorrectly identified as Chris and Amy Cookson, rather than Chris and Amy Wood. (Home Insight, January 2017) n
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INSIDE
OUT
January 14 marked the unveiling of the first monument to Martin Luther King Jr. in the Capital City. Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, the educational center was dedicated by the namesake’s daughter, Dr. Bernice Albertine King in 2015. The visionary opening was attended by special guests and over 500 local residents that all helped to serve the center’s “No Youth Left Behind” mission statement
CONTRIBUTED BY ANIKO KIEZEL
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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Ticket to the MLS SACRAMENTO AIMS TO PROVE ITS WORTHINESS TO SOCCER LEAGUE
L
ike a bright and eager high school senior sending her application package to Stanford or the University of California, Sacramento Republic Football Club is facing a moment of truth. The soccer team began the new year by delivering its formal bid for membership in Major League Soccer. The MLS doesn’t care about inspirational essays, grade point averages and standardized test scores. The league wants to know about money. How will you finance your new stadium? How many founding corporate sponsorships and suites can you sell? What’s your premium season ticket benchmark? How much are your naming rights worth? Those are the real questions. The Republic insists it has the right answers. Assuming the team is correct, Sacramento should be guaranteed one of two 2017 expansion slots in the booming MLS. Acceptance letters are due this summer. “For over two years, Sacramento has methodically built our case as an MLS-caliber city,” says Kevin Nagle, Republic managing partner. Once membership is approved (and after the Republic pays the MLS a $150 million entry fee), work can begin on a 20,000-seat soccer pitch in the northeast corner of the downtown railyards, just off Richards Boulevard. The $226 million stadium will be finished in time for the 2020 MLS
RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority
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Future location of Sacramento Republic's new field. season, which runs March to October and places the Republic directly in competition with the River Cats baseball club. The Republic has done the heavy lifting, building a textbook marketing program, engaging fans and setting attendance records while dwelling in the minor leagues of U.S. professional soccer. The team produced a compelling argument for MLS entry. But the real heroes are Sacramento sports fans. When a team applies for league membership, it’s the community that’s put on trial. Sacramento soccer fans may take the community’s worthiness as a pro sports market for granted, but the
MLS makes no such assumptions. When a pro league looks at Sacramento, it sees lots to like, but also potential problems. Two major categories for concern were identified early by the Republic. In a 2015 market analysis, the Republic listed “premium seating” and “corporate base” as “potential challenges” that could harm Sacramento’s chances for financial success in the MLS. Those two troublesome areas have long been questioned by sports promoters interested in Sacramento. In 2010, Major League Baseball sent a reconnaissance mission to explore the feasibility of a baseball stadium
in the railyards. No specific team was highlighted, but the candidate was the Oakland A’s, which is still looking for a new home in Oakland. At the time, the A’s hoped to jump to San Jose—territory that A’s ownership had years earlier given to the San Francisco Giants. Major League Baseball wanted an alternative site near the Bay Area. MLB crossed Sacramento off the list when the scouting party decided the capital market lacked the corporate heft to support premium seat sales and founding partnerships. And there was zero evidence Sacramento taxpayers would help pay for a $1 billion ballpark.
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Around that time, the NBA was in a panic over the financial viability of the Kings. The Maloof family still owned the team. The Maloofs had done their best to drive away even the most loyal corporate partners— not merely by throwing an awful product on the basketball court, but by laying off staff and eliminating little perks enjoyed and expected by corporate partners. Essentially, the Kings insulted and ignored their best customers. NBA headquarters sent a rescue squad of sales and marketing experts to salvage the wreckage, led by current Kings president Chris Granger. Ultimately, an ownership change saved the day, but it was a close call. The MLS may not know the dirty details of Sacramento’s flirtations and romances with big-league baseball and basketball, but the soccer executives are highly experienced at judging midlevel markets. That’s why the Republic addressed the questions of corporate base and premium seating. The team outlined
strategies to secure long-term commitments to suites, premium seats, naming rights, sponsorships and partnerships. “We’ve proven the strength of our market,” Nagle says. The Republic has demonstrated an ability to pack Hughes Stadium and the temporary bleachers at Bonney Field. But the MLS won’t care about the sheer number of warm bodies at the pitch, especially if fans walked in with discount tickets. Premium season tickets, sponsorships and suite sales are the name of the game. That’s where the Sacramento market must prove itself. Nagle and his crew understand what the MLS wants to see in gilded economic terms. If the Republic demonstrates long-term, top-dollar commitments from the region’s corporate leaders, Sacramento will tower above the pack of discountdriven cities seeking a ticket into the MLS. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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The Attic Architect SHE GIVES NEW LIFE TO OLD CITY HOUSES
A
rchitect Laura Macaulay
What Macaulay is now passionate
has never done things the
about is repurposing unproductive
easy way. She grew up in the
attic space in older homes, primarily
heart of East Sacramento, on 46th
in East Sacramento, to create
Street, comfortably ensconced in a
additional bedrooms or other living
well-established Sacramento dynasty.
space. For years, she had creatively
Her father was a city councilmember
reimagined these attics, having grown
and the owner of the local Mayflower
up in a house blessed with just such
moving and storage franchise at 20th
a space. “Most of these houses were
and J streets (Carmichael’s Macaulay
built in the mid ’20s to ’30s,” she
Circle is named in his honor), and her
says. “They have high peaks, they’re
home had been in the family for more
neo-Tudor, and they have a nice
than a generation.
presence.”
The street on which she lived was
The challenge is superimposing
wide and tree-lined (“The trolley
current building codes onto these
cars went down our street, out
historic structures. “Every bedroom
to Oak Park,” she says), and the
requires two means of egress. That’s
neighborhood was a bastion of history
usually a door and a window. The
and community. Macaulay’s parents
code requires a certain size and height
went to high school in an era when
for the windows,” says Macaulay.
Sacramento had just one (her dad)
“You’re looking at at least 1,000
or two (her mom) high schools. She
square feet of storage space up there,
herself attended high school at St.
but some houses don’t even have
Francis.
access to that space.”
Nevertheless, when she graduated
Once she can get up there,
from UC Davis, having studied
Macaulay has to look at the specific
planning, landscaping, interior
features of the attic. The minimum
design and architectural history, she
wall height can be no less than 5 feet,
couldn’t wait to leave. She applied to,
and at least half the room must have
and was accepted into, the graduate
a height of 7. Additionally, the floor
architecture program at Miami
must be brought up to code so that
University of Ohio. “I never wanted
it can support the added weight of
to come back,” she confesses. “I grew
walls and residents. It’s a complicated
Architect Laura Macaulay
up in my mom’s childhood home. They moved into it in 1932, and it was
process. “The owner, the contractor, the
built in 1927. My mom loved to go for
demanding. She was also committed
her bread and butter. Her company,
building department: They all want
walks, but we couldn’t go for half a
to living in a different time zone and
Macaulay + Architects, housed on
different information,” she grouses.
block without stopping to chat with
seeing the world. To her surprise and
19th Street in Midtown, has done
“I need to appease all three of them.”
someone. It would take an hour to
bemusement, she ultimately found
work for St. Francis, as well as the
At the same time that a structural
walk two blocks.”
herself back in Sacramento, this time
remodel for her brother’s alma mater,
engineer is analyzing stress tolerance,
as a trailblazer.
Jesuit High School, and it designed
Macaulay is measuring everything
the senior cohousing development in
in the space from every conceivable
Davis.
angle. “You have to have a strategy
Macaulay was determined to break the mold. She chose to enter a
She cut her teeth doing
male-dominated profession that was
conventional projects, both large
both personally and professionally
and small, and these continue to be
32
ILP FEB n 17
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completed project in Curtis Park,
she says. “You really get to see how
Macaulay was able to add 966 square
everything comes together.” For more information about Laura Macaulay’s projects, go to mac-arch. com. Terry Kaufman can be reached at terry@1greatstory.com. n
1,477 square feet of original attic space. “You need to ask yourself, do you like where you’re living? What about the value of your house?”
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Growing Online THE WEB IS FULL OF INFORMATION ON GARDENING
N
othing is more hands-on than gardening. You can’t grow a watermelon on the World Wide Web or prune a rose with a cellphone. But you can, in fact, learn a lot about how to garden. I rarely refer to the many gardening books on my shelf. When I want to learn about a plant or a pest, it’s easier to go online. Things were different when I trained to be a UC Master Gardener 15 years ago. We were armed with excellent University of California information that the public couldn’t readily access. My most treasured possession was a binder holding a complete set of Pest Notes, which told how to control weeds, bugs, vertebrate pests and plant diseases. I put it next to my desk, along with my classroom handouts and notes and university publications, including the California Master Gardener Handbook. If somebody asked me a question or I needed information for an article, I thumbed through the pages for the answer. UC has put much of that information online, along with many other tools to help you identify weeds, calculate water needs or select plants. A few years back, I recycled my Pest Notes and training materials. People are still encouraged to call the Master Gardener office for advice, but when I answer the phone, I make sure that
AC By Anita Clevenger Garden Jabber
34
ILP FEB n 17
they know about the Integrated Pest Management website (ipm.ucanr. edu) and our local Master Gardener site (sacmg.ucanr.edu) before helping them sort through and interpret the information. One thing hasn’t changed. During my training, we were warned to be very cautious about providing information from nonuniversity sources. Master Gardeners are part of the Cooperative Extension system, designed to help people use researchbased knowledge. Just as there is fake news on the internet, there is a lot of bogus gardening information. UC sites are trustworthy, but others
may be unreliable, outdated or just trying to sell you a product or service. It’s also possible that the information simply does not apply to our soil types or climate. Not many places in the world have our many months of seasonal drought, mild winters and intense summer heat. All gardening is local. Farmer Fred Hoffman has compiled a wealth of Sacramento-area information on his website (farmerfred.com). Sunset magazine emphasizes regions, dividing the west into many zones based on temperature and coastal influence. The magazine first produced its “Sunset Western
Garden Book” in 1954 and continues to update new editions every few years. I still refer to the book, although climate zone maps and other information are on their website (sunset.com). Sunset has produced a Plant Finder app for the iPhone, although there doesn’t seem to be an Android equivalent. There are many garden apps, but I haven’t run across any that seem particularly useful. However, the cellphone is a great tool for looking up information and taking photos in the garden or at nurseries. You can look up plants, products or tools online and find where they are offered
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for sale. If something interests me in a nursery or garden, I take a photo of it for future reference. There are a few apps that use recognition programs to identify plants. I usually send photos of leaves, flowers or bugs to my gardening friends via text or Facebook and ask for their help, or go to websites to try to find the information myself. One good site is “What’s That Bug?” (whatsthatbug. com), which offers many photos and online descriptions as well as personalized responses to your inquiries. Pinterest allows its users to collect garden photos and ideas from the internet. You can build your own boards or look at what other people have pinned already. YouTube offers demonstrations of gardening techniques and videos of many gardens throughout the world. It’s especially helpful if you learn better visually. I’ve joined some gardening groups on Facebook and have “liked” a number of gardening pages to follow their postings. I’m a member of other
3001 P St. Sacramento, CA
gardening chat groups, too. These sites have given me a chance to communicate with gardening friends around the world. Closer to home, Nextdoor has been a good place to exchange gardening information and to buy, swap or give away plants and produce. There is a variety of online sources to help you design your landscape and choose appropriate plants. Sacramento County Water Agency lists many design resources with sample landscapes, design templates and plant lists on its Cash for Grass page. At some point, we need to tear ourselves away from our devices, pick up our tools and get to work. Ideally, we can do it better with all of the electronic information that we’ve gleaned. Gardening hasn’t changed. The way that we learn about it has. Anita Clevenger is a lifetime Sacramento County UCCE Master Gardener. If you can’t find your answers online, call the Master Gardener office at 876-5338. n
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35
Trees’ Best Friend THE CITY’S CHIEF ARBORIST GRIEVES WHEN EVEN ONE IS LOST
S
acramentans have long boasted about living in “the city of trees.” “Not that long!” says Kevin Hocker, the city’s chief arborist. “The Gold Rush, remember, was only a little more than 150 years ago—a long time for humans but not for trees. That’s when trees first started sprouting around this famous goldmining town.”
“I have discovered that the best way to treat trees is to let them flourish and be themselves.” Sacramento, he explains, was known around the nation as “the city of plains” because of the long, rolling, dreary, seemingly endless horizon of flatness as viewed from what is now known as El Dorado Hills near Placerville. But after the cry of “Gold in them thar hills!” resounded around the world, miners and settlers started planting trees here with a vengeance that literally saved their lives.
PA By Peter Anderson
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ILP FEB n 17
Kevin Hocker is the city’s chief arborist. We’ve all imagined what life would be like in 107-degree heat without air conditioning. Throw a complete lack of trees into an outdoor work environment and you can understand why lifetimes were so brief. Hocker, 39, is an articulate, fiercely dedicated protector of trees both public and private. He and most of his 40 or so fellow associates are certified arborists who work for Urban Forestry, a division of Sacramento’s Public Works Department. They plant, prune, maintain and remove public trees, an endless process. He and his staff review predevelopment and landscape plans
that will affect public or heritage trees. And they partner with nonprofit organizations like Sacramento Tree Foundation to expand the urban forest and to inform and assist private citizens in the placement, care and nurturing of trees in public places. Dealing with trees in an urban environment is a science. Hocker, a Sonoma County native, earned his arborist certificate at UC Davis, then moved with his wife and daughter to Sacramento. In 2014, he took the job as Urban Forestry’s arborist. A selfdescribed shy person, he is not timid at all in his relationship with trees.
He has an almost mystical, spiritual reverence and respect for his leafy clients and friends. “After all my training and studies,” he says, “I have discovered that the best way to treat trees is to let them flourish and be themselves. They are far more complicated and self-sufficient than we realize, which is why a hands-off policy usually benefits them best. And there is a real mystery about their survival techniques, as well. At Davis, we had two tree scholars lecture us on consecutive days. One of them had studied for 30 years on how air
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CCT Box Office | 916.808.5181 pulls water out of trees and into the atmosphere—a process called evapotranspiration—and he told us he still can’t grasp the mechanics. The other professor talked about the opposing force: how a chemical pump in the roots draws water upward to bring a tree to its fullest height. He studied this phenomenon for 30 years, as well. Neither scholar had any idea about what happens in the middle of these two opposing forces and in the middle of the trees. They both called it a mystery of nature. “That’s how I approach my work. If I lose that sense of wonder and mystery, then I lose what trees are all about. And sometimes we have to make gut-wrenching decisions about removing trees. The death that ensues we take very personally. It is a loss, and we go through a grieving process until we come to acceptance, just like the seven stages of grief when a human dies. It may be briefer, but it is just as real.” Hocker loves his job. “The beauty of my job comes from the people I meet,” he says. “We are, after all, in
the business of providing beauty to the citizenry. I’ve had people come up to me in stores and hug me, just because I may have saved one of their favorite trees a year earlier. And, in another case, one of our arborists working on P Street in Midtown became the subject of a woman’s poetry. She had been watching his regular and very attentive nurturing of a young tree outside her window for weeks and decided to thank him personally. During the conversation, she was so moved by his happiness and joy on the job that she composed a poem.” The mention of poetry immediately conjures in the interviewer’s mind a reference to Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees.” As if reading my mind, Hocker says, “By the way, all trees are lovely. No such thing as an ugly tree. If one appears gnarly or heavily knotted, one should never assume the tree is deformed or diseased. In many cases, those knots have proven to be hidden sources of powerful and effective medicines. Like with many people, the full benefit of trees has yet to be revealed.” n
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37
The Sweet Spot LIFE IN THE ECONOMIC TWILIGHT ZONE
I
n a 1913 essay, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that the greatest challenge facing Americans in the 21st century would be finding something to do with all of their leisure time. Keynes predicted that, thanks to automation and increased productivity, the average American would spend only about 15 hours a week at work. The rest of his (or her) time would be spent trying to find meaningful activities with which to fill the other 97 waking hours of the week. The problem was expected to be especially acute for wealthy Americans. Keynes assumed that the wealthy would earn enough money to retire at a relatively young age—40 or 50—and would then leave the workforce and devote all their time to their hobbies. Needless to say, this hasn’t exactly come to pass for most Americans. In fact, just the opposite seems to be happening. Last September, The Atlantic published an essay called “The Free-Time Paradox,” which noted that wealthy Americans are now working more hours than ever, while 20-something men with no college educations are working fewer and fewer hours. This would seem to be a tragedy for those young men but, according to The Atlantic, it is not. Most of them are living at home and spend much of their time playing
K
m
By Kevin Mims Writing Life
38
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don’t find it difficult to fill all those leisure hours with pleasant activity. While Julie and I have gained happiness and satisfaction from our greatly reduced working hours, we have apparently lost something else: status. In a recent essay for Salon magazine called “Work Stress Is the Saddest American Status Symbol,” writer Erin Coulehan explains the phenomenon like this:
video games. What’s more, according to sociologists who have studied the phenomenon, these unemployed young men report higher levels of happiness than the 20-something men of previous generations, young men who were far more likely to be employed. Having plenty of leisure time does indeed seem to increase a person’s happiness, but these days it is the young and unemployed who are enjoying their leisure. The rich are still working themselves into nervous breakdowns. I am not a 20-something man. I am, in fact, a 50-something man. Prior to the great economic meltdown of 2008, I frequently worked 30 or 40 hours a week, primarily as a notary
public whose responsibility it was to get real-estate documents signed and delivered to various escrow offices. Today I no longer do notary work. About five years ago, I took a parttime job at a local bookstore. Since then, I’ve worked on average about 15 hours a week. I am one of the few 21st-century Americans who is actually living up to John Maynard Keynes’ prediction. I have about 97 waking hours of leisure time each week. My wife’s work schedule is slightly less Keynesian. She works about 30 hours per week. That still leaves her 82 hours of leisure time each week. In spite of the fact that neither of us plays video games, we
Researchers from Harvard University, Georgetown University and Columbia Business School presented research participants with two fictional scenarios. The first scenario presented a hypothetical man called Jeff who “works long hours and his calendar is always full.” The second scenario presented another version of Jeff, this time he “does not work and has a leisurely lifestyle.” The first scenario seems realistic, whereas the second seems like a lovely daydream. According to the report published in Harvard Business Review, the busy person was perceived by participants to have higher status than the one with free time. The research team presented other scenarios and found people are more impressed by someone who shops online for groceries compared to people who did their shopping at Trader Joe’s, in terms of elevated social class. Additionally, a person wearing a Bluetooth headset on the street was deemed more impressive than someone wearing headphones. Americans seem to be obsessed with overworking ourselves in an effort to gain social esteem. When
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the study was conducted on Italian participants, the opposite was found: Italians perceived the person with a life of leisure as high-status.
As it is, we may each have to go on working 15 to 30 hours per week for the rest of our lives. We will definitely not be spending our senior years in an upscale retirement community Fortunately for Julie and me, in Costa Rica. We live in a sort of we never had much status to lose. twilight zone somewhere between the Neither of us has ever run a Fortune two poles of unemployment and full 500 company or worked at NASA’s employment. But it’s not a bad place Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Even in to be. We’ve taken up a lot of low-cost comparison with our parents, we rank leisure activities over the course of pretty low on the status ladder. Julie’s the past five years or so. Julie is now father ran his own tractor dealership; an avid knitter. We are now both avid mine was a partner in a CPA firm. kayakers. We read more books than But this is just fine by us. Neither of ever before. We visit more antiques us has any desire for status. Neither fairs and rare-book shows than ever of us owns a Bluetooth and neither before but spend far less money at of us minds purchasing groceries at a them than we used to. grocery store. I know several retired people Had the nation’s economy not who seem to have no idea how to cratered in 2008, Julie might still fill their leisure hours. They mostly be working 50 hours a week as an spend their time watching TV. I also escrow officer and I might still be know plenty of people who seem to darting all over the Sacramento spend every waking hour focusing on region to handle document signings. their jobs—even when they are not We would no doubt be a lot wealthier actually at work. Neither group of than we are now and would probably people seems all that satisfied with be looking forward to a comfortable their lives. Fortunately, there is a retirement in another decade or so. happy medium. If you value your
time more than your social status, and if you don’t need a lot of money to keep yourself entertained, you might want to consider inhabiting the same twilight zone that Julie and I currently dwell in.
I know several retired people who seem to have no idea how to fill their leisure hours. Cultural commentators tend to be extremely critical of the 20-something slacker who lives in his parents’ basement and plays video games all day long. But I kind of admire the unemployed millennial. If the sociologists are correct, he is pretty satisfied with his lot in life. I wouldn’t necessarily encourage him to go to college and get a degree in some discipline that will keep him
lucratively employed for the next 40 to 50 years. But I might encourage him to find a part-time job, something that will take him away from his parents’ basement for at least 15 or 20 hours a week. Even in the utopian fantasy that John Maynard Keynes dreamed up 104 years ago, salaried work still played a small but important role in American life. “Don’t fret about status and luxury,” I would tell my 20-something friend. “The simple pleasures (a good book, an engrossing video game) are often the best. But a little folding money in your pocket, earned by the sweat of your own brow, can also bring you pleasure. You may not get rich if you inhabit the economic twilight zone between full-time leisure and fulltime employment, but you’ll be able to sample of few of the rewards of both those worlds. And if you’re like me, that just might be enough.” Kevin Mims lives in Land Park. He can be reached at kevinmims@ sbcglobal.net. n
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Happy
Cows
AT THIS FAMILY FARM, THE ANIMALS LIVE GOOD LIVES
S
ay hello to Denise, Esther, Falla, Hedda and Marigold. Check out Kameo, Khan, Kona and Kettle Bell. They are the cutest cattle I’ve ever seen.
AK By Angela Knight Farm-to-Fork
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These are heritage-breed cattle— Scottish Highland, Dutch Belted and Irish Dexter primarily. You can reach through the fence and touch their shaggy winter coats. Marvel at their massive horns and gentle faces. Listen to them talk to one another in drawnout moos and throaty bellows. Long Dream Farm is a 90-acre farm and creamery located on beautiful but hilly terrain in the Sierra Nevada foothills outside of Lincoln. There’s another 280 acres used for grazing on the Bear River. Andrew and Krista
Abrahams established the farm in 2012. Humans and heritage-breed cattle aren’t the only creatures that live here. There are approximately 1,500 chickens, making a cacophony of chicken noises, nine prehistoriclooking emus, fiercely protective alpacas, equally protective and massive Pyrenean mastiffs, including one named Truck, donkeys, various regular-sized dogs, an Icelandic horse and others. All the animals have names. The female calves born this year will be
given names starting with the letter C, and the males will have names that start with an L. That way, the Abrahamses can keep track of when their animal charges were born. Long Dream Farm is one of only two dairies that show up in search results when I Google “dairies in Placer County.” According to Krista, the county once had a number of thriving dairies, but by the 1970s most had closed. Long Dream Farm stands out for another reason. The Abrahamses focus on the welfare and happiness of
the animals under their care, which is why the farm is Animal Welfare Approved. That label on a product indicates that it “come[s] from farm animals raised to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards,” according to AWA. “They’re meant to thrive outside,” Andrew explains. “It is possible to do [this] in a way where the animals have good lives.” By facilitating a low-stress, natural environment and maintaining family and social bonds, among other practices, the couple helps ensure that their animals are, well, happy. Most people believe that all dairy cows live in a green pasture, Andrew says. There usually aren’t any calves in that scenario, and there’s not a lot of verdant pasture, either. It is part of “greenwashing,” the type of information some companies use to present an environmentally responsible image. It is marketing spin that helps us feel good about the food we buy and consume. Andrew believes that people should care about animals and how they are treated, and
they should expect to pay more for Long Dream Farm’s products because they cost more to produce. The Long Dream Farm dream started back when the family was living in New York. The Abrahamses were concerned about the food they were eating and how it was produced. About six years ago, they left the East Coast and settled out west on the farm. Andrew has a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Illinois. He co-founded Aviso, a software company, in 2012. His degree and impressive career seem slightly out of place in this rural environment, but he’s adapted to his surroundings. He manages the farm’s Instagram account and often posts cameos of the photogenic Denise and her bovine friends and family. With a couple of part-time employees, the Abrahamses and their children handle the never-ending list of chores, including early-morning milking, egg gathering and making fresh Greek yogurt, several cheeses and ice cream in the creamery. Add
to that guiding farm tours, training milk cows (yes, cows), selling their products at local farmers markets, educational outreach and farm stays—overnight stays in the farm’s guesthouse. The 12-year-old is a natural at marketing, her 8-yearold brother likes to work with the chickens, and the 3-year-old enjoys giving tours. There’s also a heritage cattlebreeding program. Heritage cattle aren’t usually found in commercialsized dairies. According to The Livestock Conservancy’s website, “These are the breeds of a bygone era, before industrial agriculture became a mainstream practice. These breeds were carefully selected and bred over time to develop traits that made them well adapted to the local environment and they thrived under farming practices and cultural conditions that are very different from those found in modern agriculture.” Some, like the Dutch Belted and Dexter, were in danger of extinction and remain on the organization’s Conservation Priority List. Yet they might be
models for “survival and selfsufficiency” in the modern dairy. The Abrahamses do things differently. Cows are only milked once in the morning. They can even take days off. Calves stay with their mothers and continue to nurse until they are weaned naturally, which strengthens family bonds. The cattle live outdoors and graze on grass. The chickens hang out with the cattle, which helps cut down the fly population. But these aren’t new ways of doing things, as Krista is quick to point out. They are a return to old ways, with some new twists. This family-run farm in Placer County might be a long shot and a dream, but it is a model for better treatment of the creatures that provide us with so much. Go see it for yourself. For more information about Long Dream Farm, visit longdreamfarm. com or call 543-0758. Angela Knight can be reached at knight@mcn.org. n
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Striving Toward Thriving WHERE THE WINDS WILL TAKE ME IN 2017
W
hen I was a young whip of a preacher, my 80-year-old seminary professor gave me two pieces of advice I’ve never forgotten. First, he said, “Stop trying to sound like Billy Graham. God has one syllable, not two.” OK, that’s important. Second, “Forget retiring in a big house. Use your money to travel.” In 2015, I took his advice by shedding our 2,800-square-foot McMansion. Since then, many readers have asked about my future plans. How long will I continue my little “downsizing experiment” in our dilapidated mobile home rental?
I’m trying to live the best life I can live, no matter where that is. If you’ll allow me a personal indulgence, I’d like to share our tentative plans for 2017. Soon I will start classes at the Art Institute of California, where I hope to earn a culinary arts degree and prove I-told-you-so to my wife, Becky.
NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters
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In the meantime, she’s driving across town to begin her second semester of French at Alliance Francaise de Sacramento. We are doing this to prepare for the second piece of my professor’s advice: travel. By July 1, we’ll retire from our jobs, shed the mobile home, sell our RV and put our household goods in storage. Our first stop this summer will be Belgium, where Becky’s French lessons should prove handy and my cooking skills shamefully inadequate. But we have made connections with a Brussels church where I promised to “preach for food.” After Thanksgiving, we will join our daughter in Honduras, where she runs a charity called Chispa, helping
to bring children’s libraries to local schools (chispaproject.org). Then, in early 2018, we will turn our attention to Central or South America. Probably Ecuador. I say Ecuador because we went there in 2015 to see the Galapagos Islands and explore the idea of overseas retirement. We drove 8,200 feet into the cool Andes to find beautiful Cuenca and its population of 700,000. It was there we found an English community of 5,000 expats who’d sold their belongings to rent furnished homes for half the cost of an American home. We also started an ongoing conversation with a church about how we might help when we returned.
By the end of this decade, we will likely end our gypsy life and return to the States for a more permanent home—preferably a small house with a picket fence in a town with a little snow, but rarely a scorching day. And yes, to answer your last question, I will keep writing my column as long as my editors keep taking my copy. I’m a lot like Dr. Seuss’s Sam-I-Am who conquered his aversion to green eggs and ham. That means I will write in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse. I will write here and there ... I will write anywhere. As I share all of this, I am trying to keep in mind the most important lesson I’ve learned as a chaplain:
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sleepdesign.com Don’t count on the future. I say that because I’ve seen many folks breathe their last breath before cashing their first retirement check.
As I share all of this, I am trying to keep in mind the most important lesson I’ve learned as a chaplain: Don’t count on the future. I’m praying I won’t become like the greedy farmer in Jesus’ parable who told himself, “Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy, and have the time of your life!” If you know that story, you’ll know that God took the old fool’s soul on the following morning.
I’m doing everything I can to not become that old—and quite dead— fool. I’m trying to live the best life I can live, no matter where that is. With that caveat, email me at comment@thechaplain.net to tell me how you will spend 2017. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to start my cooking lessons.
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Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author. He can be reached at norris@thechaplain.net. n
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Lic# 659954
43
Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Sales Closed October 19 - November 17, 2016 95608
5258 ACORN WAY 4549 FOSTER WAY 4747 WILMER 4501 CHARLESTON DR 4840 THOR WAY 4337 GLEN VISTA ST 4040 ALEX LN 5525 WYNDHAM HILL CT 5429 NORTH AVE 5837 SHARPS CIR 2901 EASY WAY 5020 SUDBURY WAY 4841 LOCH LOMOND DR 4028 KNOLL TOP CT 5307 WHITNEY AVE 3516 CALIFORNIA AVE 4805 CYPRESS AVE 6461 MILES LN 4929 CLEAR CIR 4242 MARSHALL AVE 2709 GARFIELD AVE 4844 SAMIA CT 6459 SAINT JAMES DR 5978 MARLIN CIR 6111 RUTLAND DR 3889 MAUDRAY WAY 5057 OLIVE OAK WAY 4537 BARRETT RD 6124 ORSI CIR 2376 VIA CAMINO AVE 2540 GABRIEL CT 2551 LILLIAN LN 4937 WESTERBERG WAY 2163 GLANCY CT 5308 LOCUST AVE 6222 GLADEMONT CT 3652 HOLLISTER AVE 5225 MARIONE DR 6321 EASTMONT CT 5533 KIVA DR 1610 MCCLAREN DR 2819 PANAY CT 3221 MAX CT 4038 GROVER CT 4412 BARRETT RD 6342 MARKLEY WAY 3126 BIRCH ST 5107 BELLWOOD WAY 5400 ALDER GLEN CT 5049 BOWMAN OAKS WAY 2821 SCANDIA WAY 4525 ONYX WAY 6625 MORAGA DR 5099 PATTI JO DR 3110 JOELLEN CT 4931 SILVER RANCH WAY 3831 OLIVE LN 3329 WALNUT AVE 5708 RAVENSWOOD LN 2432 WALNUT 4946 THOR WAY
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616 SANTA YNEZ WAY 2106 E ST 3126 SERRA WAY 1216 33RD ST 1520 28TH 1215 24TH ST
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$442,000 $213,500 $315,000 $350,000 $483,000 $500,000 $345,000 $599,000 $205,000 $235,000 $315,000 $619,000 $635,000 $166,000 $345,000 $349,800 $625,000 $235,000 $300,000 $446,000 $310,000 $330,000 $251,500 $271,888 $292,000 $330,000 $490,000 $315,000 $250,000 $215,000 $297,000 $306,000 $310,580 $735,000 $375,000 $397,000 $420,000 $467,000 $505,000 $415,000 $1,500,000 $355,000 $619,000 $141,000 $380,000 $265,000 $304,000 $460,000 $768,000 $309,000 $339,500 $341,000 $350,000 $372,500 $415,000 $430,000 $370,000 $428,000 $458,000 $241,500 $370,000 $590,000
$810,000 $1,240,000 $580,000 $369,000 $465,000 $506,750 $605,000
949 33RD ST 14 METRO LN 641 33RD ST 400 33RD ST 250 33RD ST 1224 33RD ST 2720 D ST 2314 C ST 632 39TH ST 1633 39TH ST 1546 34TH ST 2515 Q ST 3622 FOLSOM BLVD 1562 35TH ST 50 METRO LN
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2831 32ND ST 3020 10TH AVE 2255 36TH ST 3432 42ND ST 3338 SAN JOSE WAY 3521 37TH ST 4004 COLONIAL WAY 3043 6TH AVE 2965 KROY WAY 3319 SAN JOSE WAY 3205 9TH AVE 3915 4TH AVE 3334 42ND ST 3340 42ND ST 2409 42ND. ST 4014 COLONIAL WAY 3345 37TH ST 2489 SAN JOSE WAY
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2704 16TH ST 3613 CROCKER DR 1716 X ST 1141 SWANSTON DR 2138 BIDWELL WAY 2957 23RD ST 2562 LAND PARK DR 901 10TH AVE 2716 22ND ST 2034 20TH ST 644 5TH AVE 2542 PORTOLA 2100 22ND ST 581 SWANSTON DR 3441 13TH ST 572 SWANSTON DR 1861 CARAMAY WAY 2119 BIDWELL WAY 2785 17TH ST 1025 FREMONT WAY 2740 COLEMAN 529 FREMONT WAY 519 DUDLEY WAY 1630 12TH AVE 2939 27TH ST 1765 BIDWELL WAY 1313 SWANSTON DR
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4457 C ST 3794 BREUNER AVE 1633 BERKELEY WAY 4233 J ST 861 55TH ST 5328 L ST 5611 MODDISON AVE 433 42ND ST 129 43RD ST 211 MEISTER WAY 628 DITTMAR WAY
$384,000 $539,500 $860,000 $485,000 $399,950 $422,000 $605,000 $445,000 $480,000 $1,350,000 $414,000 $510,000 $550,000 $450,000 $537,500 $218,875 $465,000 $359,900 $165,000 $212,000 $250,500 $370,000 $302,500 $300,000 $215,000 $157,000 $330,000 $177,425 $210,000 $352,000 $350,000 $242,500 $345,000 $546,000 $735,000 $395,000 $787,500 $325,000 $521,000 $530,000 $325,000 $429,300 $462,900 $408,000 $840,000 $950,625 $430,000 $562,000 $575,000 $600,000 $354,000 $525,000 $418,500 $625,000 $402,000 $549,950 $705,000 $735,000 $735,000 $620,000 $486,000 $505,000 $634,000 $850,000 $400,000 $375,000 $480,000 $998,000 $512,000 $650,000 $400,000
256 SAN ANTONIO WAY 512 MEISTER WAY 4830 B ST 1116 58TH ST 1107 56TH ST 56 TAYLOR WAY 4803 A ST 5305 SHEPARD AVE 1369 61ST ST 4107 MCKINLEY BLVD 1122 42ND ST
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3526 LARCHMONT SQUARE LN 3631 MIAMI ST 4120 LEVENDI LN 3612 LARCHMONT SQUARE LN 2912 EDISON AVE 3756 N. EDGE DR. 2584 BUTANO DR 4405 HAZELWOOD 2825 KERRIA WAY 3507 WOODFORD WAY 3724 GRATIA AVE 4454 WOODSON AVE 3828 DURAN CIR 3239 LIBBY WAY 2800 HERBERT WAY 2730 BELL ST 3635 SEAN DR 3613 WHITNEY AVE 2913 KERRIA WAY 4524 EDISON AVE 3220 EASTWOOD RD 2871 HERON WAY 2830 KERRIA WAY 2636 BALL WAY 2228 BURNEY WAY 4012 HANCOCK DR 2620 CARSON WAY 3550 E COUNTRY CLUB LN 2710 ECHO WAY 2501 DARWIN ST 3604 ROBERTSON AVE 3009 SAND DOLLAR WAY 4504 WYMAN DR 3438 MONTCLAIRE ST 2848 LIENO LN 3309 HUNNICUTT LN
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5831 MCLAREN AVE 7362 LOMA VERDE WAY 2161 48TH AVE 1412 HOPKINS ST 1764 FLORIN RD 2237 FRUITRIDGE RD 2154 SARAZEN AVE 7547 24TH ST 1548 69TH AVE 7383 CRANSTON WAY 4304 GRIFFITH DR 1424 KITCHNER RD 7067 TAMOSHANTER WAY 7469 24TH ST 7461 AMHERST ST 1920 QUINCY AVE 2441 37TH AVE 5612 DELCLIFF CIR 1479 MCALLISTER AVE 7305 STOCKDALE ST 7323 TAMOSHANTER WAY 2360 51ST AVE 5644 JAMES WAY 2152 SHIELAH WAY 2040 MONIFIETH WAY 7544 29TH ST
$748,388 $580,000 $515,000 $375,000 $341,000 $403,868 $545,000 $420,000 $390,000 $505,000 $1,130,000 $143,000 $382,000 $500,000 $144,000 $285,000 $326,000 $369,000 $499,000 $297,500 $350,000 $220,000 $424,000 $285,000 $455,000 $195,000 $223,850 $228,500 $241,150 $270,000 $300,000 $350,000 $230,000 $290,000 $192,000 $275,000 $339,000 $260,000 $410,000 $535,000 $192,000 $262,000 $350,000 $291,875 $389,000 $595,000 $349,900 $210,000 $210,000 $219,000 $235,000 $230,000 $385,000 $254,000 $150,000 $230,000 $279,000 $395,000 $235,000 $235,000 $169,000 $210,000 $215,000 $263,000 $529,900 $159,500 $199,500 $214,000 $216,000 $255,000 $310,000 $205,872 $225,000
$238,000 $422,500 $600,000 $190,000 $262,000 $391,000 $237,000 $411,000 $525,000 $625,000 $265,000 $186,000 $200,000 $239,000 $268,000 $518,000 $319,000 $224,900 $235,000 $151,000 $161,500 $170,000 $210,000 $300,000 $612,000 $207,500 $230,000 $249,000 $350,000 $542,000 $578,500 $755,000 $176,000 $185,000 $207,520 $225,000 $263,000 $220,000 $250,000 $300,000
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2038 UNIVERSITY PARK DR $549,000 2498 LARKSPUR LN #214 $130,000 2101 CARLOTTA DR $245,000 3163 VIA GRANDE $190,000 2144 TEVIS RD $216,000 2404 POST OAK LN $150,000 708 ELMHURST CIR $472,000 737 WOODSIDE LANE EAST LN #9 $105,000 892 WOODSIDE LN #11 $116,000 1305 VANDERBILT WAY $334,000 2 ADELPHI CT $380,000 213 PALISADES SIERRA OAKS LN $710,444 2100 JUANITA LN $305,000 1262 COMMONS DR $554,000 3277 VIA GRANDE $192,000 2212 MEADOWBROOK RD $384,700 2424 LARKSPUR LN #215 $100,000 24 ADELPHI CT $319,500 2500 SIERRA BLVD $720,000 1608-A HOOD $181,500 2424 DARWIN ST $199,999 2516 EXETER SQUARE LN $260,000 2277 SWARTHMORE DR $340,000 503 E RANCH RD $399,000 2332 BARCELONA WAY $178,000 2282 SIERRA BLVD #E $255,000 604 E RANCH RD $467,500 414 RIO DEL ORO LN $379,000 205 ELMHURST CIR $424,500 2402 LARKSPUR LN #261 $132,500 2200 WOODSIDE LN #9 $119,341 1539 GANNON DR $250,000
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5617 23RD ST 2420 ARNOLD CT 1220 RIDGEWAY DR 7409 29TH ST 7019 REMO WAY 1714 POTRERO WAY 7336 PUTNAM 2113 IRVIN WAY 4971 ALTA DR 4501 CAPRI WAY 7398 21ST ST 2260 51ST AVE 2192 KIRK WAY 2514 FERNANDEZ DR 2339 24TH AVE 1188 CAVANAUGH WAY 2104 SHIELAH WAY 7233 MILFORD ST 6940 23RD ST 10 PULSAR CIR 1624 68TH AVE 1454 KITCHNER RD 1430 KITCHNER RD 5821 KAHARA CT 1201 NEVIS CT 7553 EDDYLEE WAY 7225 MILFORD ST 5620 BRADD WAY 5608 HELEN WAY 4239 WARREN AVE 1450 WENTWORTH AVE 1290 NOONAN DR 2608 50TH AVE 1452 ATHERTON ST 5616 25TH ST 2120 AARON WAY 2835 HING AVE 1455 66TH AVE 7356 WILLOWWICK WAY 2319 25TH AVE
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432 BLUE DOLPHIN WAY 6800 S LAND PARK DR 665 CORIANDER WAY 7589 POCKET 6621 LONGRIDGE WAY 76 NORTHLITE CIR 709 BELL RUSSELL WAY 386 RIVERTREE WAY 1308 SAN AUGUSTINE WAY 17 LOS GATOS CIR 2 RIDGEMARK CT 34 PRINCEVILLE CIR 599 DE MAR DR 1006 FOXHALL WAY 7485 MAPLE TREE WAY 677 CUTTING WAY 7405 CASTANO WAY 7403 FARM DALE WAY 7415 RIO MONDEGO DR 7677 BLACKWATER WAY 7706 WINDBRIDGE DR 1000 GLOW CT 63 SUNLIT CIR 991 SHELLWOOD WAY 7480 RIO MONDEGO DR 1190 56TH AVE 1128 ROSE TREE WAY 809 PARKLIN AVE 6640 RIVERSIDE BLVD 1316 SAN AUGUSTINE WAY 355 RIVERTREE WAY 1369 LAS LOMITAS CIR 1030 SILVER LAKE DR 68 MOONLIT CIR 6870 CLAIBORNE WAY 856 SENIOR WAY 6379 NORTH POINT WAY 1168 SPRUCE TREE CIRCLE 7334 CAMINO DEL REY ST 53 HERITAGE WOOD CIR
4324 BAYWOOD WAY 1820 NEPTUNE WAY 651 CASMALIA WAY 1245 STEWART RD 1513 SEBASTIAN WAY 3216 CHELSEA RD 2401 VERNA WAY 2413 ANDRADE WAY 496 HOPKINS RD 3404 WEMBERLEY DR 1281 LOS MOLINOS 1413 LA SIERRA DR 3762 EL RICON WAY 1161 HAMPTON RD 1516 GLADSTONE DR 4204 STUPPI WAY 1430 WATT AVE 2105 EASTERN AVE 813 LAKE OAK CT 1009 AMBERWOOD RD 1304 TOPAZ WAY 3530 SAN YSIDRO WAY 2404 AVALON DR 1341 CARTER RD 1411 MARIEMONT AVE 4320 BERRENDO DR 4254 AVILA LN 3712 DUBAC WAY 3021 MAISON WAY 1412 LOS MOLINOS WAY 2658 LARKSPUR LN 353 CLAYDON WAY 2214 MORLEY WAY
$371,500 $419,000 $320,000 $417,000 $465,000 $549,000 $590,000 $315,000 $495,000 $332,000 $361,000 $530,000 $266,000 $420,000 $285,000 $301,500 $445,000 $370,000 $390,000 $260,000 $275,000 $380,000 $330,000 $361,900 $432,500 $438,000 $270,000 $387,000 $415,000 $537,000 $580,000 $335,000 $389,900 $444,000 $516,000 $468,000 $517,000 $265,000 $300,000 $380,000
$350,000 $401,300 $425,000 $780,000 $300,000 $241,500 $320,000 $457,650 $1,525,000 $261,000 $871,000 $450,000 $440,000 $238,000 $265,000 $432,000 $369,000 $259,700 $2,900,000 $240,000 $299,000 $507,500 $332,000 $1,250,000 $725,000 $620,000 $258,750 $335,000 $248,150 $519,000 $188,910 $650,000 $785,000
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Ted@TedRussert.com ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
45
Save a Tree CITIZEN SCIENTISTS KEEP AN EYE ON THREATENED ELMS
S
acramento became a “city of
mature into adults, and adult beetles
trees” thanks to 19th-century
exit the tree. If the tree is infected
residents who, desperate for
with Dutch elm disease, spores
shade, planted elms—graceful, fast-
from the fungus stick to the beetles,
growing, long-lived trees ideal for
which then carry the disease to
city life. Tens of thousands of elms
healthy elms. Trees infected in this
able to grow more than 100 feet tall
manner will show wilting, curling or
kept the city cooler in the summer
browning of the leaves on the infected
and provided a beautiful canopy
branch. The leaves will often drop
that still defines Sacramento’s older
prematurely. The disease will steadily
neighborhoods.
progress through the entire tree, one branch after another. The elm
Today, the magnificent elms of our urban forest are at risk. According to
can survive for several years before
Pamela Sanchez, a certified arborist
perishing.
with Sacramento Tree Foundation, Sacramento may have had 25,000 elm trees in the past. Now we’re down
Dutch elm disease is incurable, so the goal of management is to prevent transmission.
to about 2,000. Many elms have died of old age and were replaced with a different type of tree, or not replaced at all. Others were casualties of major storms in the mid-20th century. But starting in 1990, Sacramento’s stately elm trees faced a deadly new threat: Dutch elm disease. Dutch elm disease is caused by a
The fungus can also spread via
fungus that probably originated in
the roots. Elm trees planted in a
Asia. Both European and American
row along a city street, for example,
elm species are susceptible. The
have roots that cross each other in
disease came to North America from
the soil. Eventually the roots grow
Europe via infected logs around 1930.
together, or “graft.” This means the
(The modifier “Dutch” refers to a
trees now share a vascular system,
group of scientists who studied the
and if the Dutch elm disease fungus
fungus, not where it came from.) The
is in one tree, it can flow into other
disease marched across the continent,
AR By Dr. Amy Rogers Science in the Neighborhood
46
ILP FEB n 17
trees in the row, too. Elms infected via root grafts will die rapidly (weeks slaying tens of millions of trees,
the tree’s “pipes.” Water can’t reach
to months rather than years), causing
and reached Sacramento in 1990.
the crown, and the tree dies.
neighborhoods to lose entire stretches
The fungus infects the tree’s water-
Elms catch Dutch elm disease
of big old trees at once. This has been
conducting (vascular) system. The
in two ways: bark beetles and root
a lesson to urban foresters. Sanchez
tree tries to protect itself by blocking
grafts. Bark beetles tunnel into elm
says, “There used to be less variety
off the affected tissue, but this clogs
wood under the bark and lay their
in the urban forest. Now we try to
eggs. The eggs hatch, the larvae
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manage away from monoculture
we walk people through how to
[planting only one kind of tree] on a
identify English and American
single street.”
elms. We teach them how to identify
Dutch elm disease is incurable, so
symptoms of Dutch elm disease, and
the goal of management is to prevent
generally help people get used to
transmission. Once a tree is infected,
looking at trees.” Citizen scientists
its root grafts to neighboring trees
record their observations in an app
must be severed and the tree must
called Greenprint Maps, which has
be cut down as soon as possible,
records of all the city’s public elms.
before the bark beetles emerge. In
They use binoculars to examine the
the 1990s, when many elms were
tree’s crown, and if they see anything
dying, Sacramento launched an early
amiss, they take a photo and alert the
detection program. The program
foundation. The foundation passes
itself died of budget cuts but was
the information to the city’s Urban
resurrected in 2016 by Sacramento
Forestry Department for follow-up.
Tree Foundation and the city of
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water it deeply in the summer. Avoid
“It’s worth it to them to try to protect their trees.”
Sacramento. The new Save the Elms
between drought, DED and squirrel
unnecessary pruning of elms in the
Program relies on citizen-scientist
damage,” Van Donsel admits, “but
spring or summer, because at that
volunteers to monitor public elm
Sanchez argues that saving
people get better as they do it.” The
time of year the “wounds” may attract
Sacramento’s elms is worth a
trees. These trained volunteers
more eyes on the elms, the better. “If
bark beetles. Chemical fungicides can
lot. “Their significance can’t be
visually inspect their assigned trees
you live in Midtown or downtown and
suppress Dutch elm disease spread
overstated.” She says. “They
at least three times each summer,
have an elm on your street, look at
by bark beetles. But the treatments
looking for signs of ill health.
your tree every few weeks, especially
are expensive, unreliable and can
in the summertime when DED shows
shorten the tree's lifespan, so the city
provide many benefits: shade, beauty, cleaning the air. They’re not replaceable.”
of Sacramento Tree Foundation,
itself,” he says. “Take a walk, save a
does not use them on the general elm
in this first year they trained 50
tree.”
population. “Some private residents
According to Matthew Van Donsel
volunteers who monitored a total of 750 elms. “At the training session,
The most important thing you can do to keep your elm tree healthy is
of Curtis Park have elected to pay for fungicides themselves,” Sanchez says.
Training sessions for new citizen scientists begin in April. Learn more at sactree.com/STEP. n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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Slice of Paradise DEL RIO TRAIL WOULD BRING MANY BENEFITS
S
outh Land Park residents have embraced, with open arms and open minds, the idea of a Del Rio Trail. The abandoned right of way of the old Sacramento Southern Railroad Walnut Grove Branch line would be reanimated and repurposed. The trail would stretch a full four and a half miles from Sutterville Road to Meadowview/Pocket Road. In a South Land Park Neighborhood Association survey, 83 percent of the respondents supported having the trail.
Trails typically bring benefits, not problems. More “eyes on the street” actually decreases crime and other bad behavior. No doubt some of that trail support is related to strong opposition to a defunct California State Parks plan. Parks wanted to have steam locomotives chugging through the corridor, belching billows of black smoke.
The proposed Del Rio Trail would stretch for a full four and a half miles.
WS By Walt SeLfert Getting There
48
ILP FEB n 17
The city will start trail planning in earnest this year, funded with a $2 million grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. There are no funds yet for land purchase or construction but, optimistically speaking, shovel work could begin
in 2019. The corridor is owned by Sacramento Regional Transit, which bought it for its light rail South Line, then picked a different route. Usually when a bike trail or multiuse path is proposed for an already-developed area, opponents
emerge, raising the specter of horrible consequences. They fear crime, vandalism and homeless camping. While the fears may be real, the dire consequences are not. Trails typically bring benefits, not problems. More “eyes on the street” actually decreases crime and other bad behavior. Homeowners who live nearby are happy to learn that trails not only improve their quality of life; they substantially increase property values as well. Trails provide pleasant places to walk, jog and bike. Trails are a favorite place for cyclists, offering a peaceful, natural setting away from vehicle traffic. Trails make getting places by foot or bike easier and safer. They allow people to relax, to interact with nature and with each other. Trails aren’t just about recreation and transportation. Trails bring business opportunities and economic benefits. Some people already use the Del Rio corridor for recreation. Ron and Joanne Dick were walking their Dalmatian, Sparky, on a sunny December Sunday when I asked them if they had heard about trail plans. They had. Joanne expressed “mixed feelings.” They love the site as it is and cherish its hidden, natural beauty and community feeling. Ron described how a corridor neighbor had installed a bench for trail users and set out water for Sparky. While a bit wistful, they understand it would be good to have more people enjoying a formal trail. The Del Rio corridor, despite its rusting rails and rotting ties, is bursting with potential for more widespread enjoyment. After 40
Best friends forever.
HAVE INSIDE, L WILL TRAVEth n will return next mo
sacpetsearch.com sspca.org happytails.org saccountyshelter.net To appear in our publications or on our Instagram feed, 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. years of abandonment, the sterile rail right of way has naturalized. It’s surrounded by backyard trees and ornamental plantings. In the winter, it’s lushly green and quite attractive. A trail is not the only possible corridor use. By folding adjacent land (a former federal site and offered private property) into plans, there would be room for community gardens, sports courts, dog parks and more. The city will consider creative ideas during planning. In a novel approach, the neighborhood association suggested a UC Davis landscape architecture class propose corridor uses. Associate instructor Prashant Hedao said students mapped schools, churches, parks, shopping, a fitness center and other destinations that could be reached via the trail. He noted many existing land uses “turned their backs� to the old rail corridor, and students saw possibilities in reversing that orientation. Why not have a seating area for La Bou next to the trail, open a direct connection to California
Family Fitness, or create new access points from cul-de-sacs. UC students suggested, in presentations to city staff and neighborhood association members, a basketball court, benches, drinking fountains and bike rentals. They recommended planting deciduous trees to provide shade in the summer while allowing winter sunlight to stream through.
Trails provide pleasant places to walk, jog and bike. Chances to create greenways and build trails in already-developed areas are scarce. Especially rare are greenway possibilities that stretch for miles and are already blessed with mature vegetation. Also rare, and very desirable, is the possibility to
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INSIDE PUBLICATIONS have a continuous trail that does not require stopping or worrying about numerous street crossings. South Land Park Neighborhood Association president Brian Ebbert said Del Rio Trail would be “a great addition to the neighborhood.� It would be wonderful if all Sacramento residents lived near a greenway and trail—if we had great additions to more neighborhoods. While we can’t duplicate the sublime American River Parkway, we need more greenways. Ideally, greenway trails would connect in an off-street network. The Del Rio Trail could connect to the Sacramento River Trail. The Sacramento River Trail could be expanded through the Pocket area. Trails could be added to the south bank of the American River, to Deer Creek, Arcade Creek and other locations throughout the county. With willingness and open minds, more people could enjoy more open space. Walt Seifert is a bicyclist, driver and transportation writer. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net. n
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ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
49
Beyond Charity USING ART TO ENRICH LIVES
I
think the process of being involved in creation is the best of the human spirit,” says Laura Ann Walton. “It’s the best thing we do as human beings.” Walton speaks about the human spirit from the perspective of not only being an artist herself—she’s a poet who self-published a book last year entitled “God Is a Lion”—but also as the founder of Women’s Wisdom ART, a creative organization that offers art classes for women in need, and as a former nun. After graduating from Catholic high school in 1963, the Sacramento native joined the Sisters of Mercy religious order and later taught high school English while working on her master’s degree in creative writing at Sacramento State. Her experience working at Loaves & Fishes set her on her current course. “I was reading so much about providing for the poor, I thought it was much more important than what I was doing, so I gave up my poetry,” Walton says. Walton had a vision to expand Loaves & Fishes and founded the Maryhouse daytime hospitality shelter for women and children in 1986. Walton served as Maryhouse’s first director, overseeing the daily buffet breakfast and social services that linked women—many of them mentally ill—to services like shelter and rehab. Getting to know the
jL By Jessica Laskey
50
ILP FEB n 17
“We discovered that it gave these women a chance to participate in something not as needy people. It gave them a chance to create,” Walton says. “In that process, they developed self-confidence and could see themselves as something other than a reject from society.”
“They were now people in the community instead of victims.”
Laura Ann Walton is the founder of Women’s Wisdom ART. women she served had a profound impact on her. “Most of the women who came in were seen as people who needed help—objects of charity,” Walton explains. “It was difficult to see beyond the need to the person. As I got to know them, I learned that there was a whole lot more to these women besides needing charity.”
In 1991, Walton founded The Wisdom Project, an empowerment program that included art classes and other resource-related workshops that met at the Loaves & Fishes dining room each week. Walton soon dropped the social services aspect altogether because she found that the women were most interested in the classes in painting, jewelry making and creative writing.
The group was funded at first by Loaves & Fishes and the Sisters of Mercy. But when Walton got wind of a grant offered by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission for an art show, she applied for and won the grant. “Having an art show in a larger space meant that the people who came to look at and buy the art were able to meet the women as artists instead of as homeless, helpless people,” Walton says. “They were now people in the community instead of victims.” The group—by now called Women’s Wisdom ART—had grown enough that it needed more space to operate, which it found at Sutter Galleria, then at a location in Curtis Park, then at Sacramento Food Bank, where it stayed for 13 years. During this time, Walton decided to leave the sisterhood and took a job with Turning Point Community Programs as a children’s mental health quality assurance manager.
In 2012, Walton learned that the Food Bank was going to close the Women’s Wisdom program. So she stepped back in. Today, Women’s Wisdom ART is based at the Sacramento Poetry Center. Last year marked a huge milestone: For its 25th anniversary, the group received official nonprofit status, proving that faith and friendship can take you far. “These women have developed a very strong support community,” Walton says proudly. “Because it’s strength based (we’re not here to fix anybody), a woman can be a member of the community as long as she wants to be. Some have moved on, done better for themselves, gotten jobs. Some of our mentally ill participants have achieved new levels of stability and connection. In the end, it’s all about the women. They’ve made the program work. The courage of these women to try art and transform themselves in the process calls forth the best, most courageous part of the human being.” For more information, go to womenswisdomart. org. n
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Sacramento Ballet is presenting "Beer & Ballet" this month at CLARA in Midtown.
TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
jL By Jessica Laskey
52
ILP FEB n 17
Pints En Pointe “Beer & Ballet” presented by the Sacramento Ballet Feb. 3-19 Fry-Paoletti Stage at CLARA Midtown (E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts), 2420 N St. sacballet.org Get a glimpse inside the minds of the Sacramento Ballet dancers as they unleash their creative power with bold new works of choreographic imagination. Discover the next generation of visionary dance makers and enjoy a variety of brews while you do so. It’s a win-win!
Exhibitionism at the Crocker “JapanAmerica: Points of Contact, 1876-1970,” on view Feb. 12 through May 21 “Two Views: Photographs by Ansel Adams and Leonard Frank,” on view Feb. 19 through May 14 Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. crockerart.org Check out two exciting new exhibitions opening at the Crocker this month. “JapanAmerica: Points of Contact, 1876–1970”, a major exhibition organized by the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, surveys the role that international exhibitions and world’s fairs have played in artistic exchanges between Japan and the United States. Focusing on Japan’s place in major international exhibitions held on the American continent from 1876 onward, finishing with a look at the first World’s Fair held in Osaka in 1970, this beautiful and diverse assembly of more than 100 works examines the influence of Japanese aesthetics on painting and printmaking, ceramics and metalwork, graphic design, advertising, bookbinding and illustration. “Two Views: Photographs by Ansel Adams and Leonard Frank” opens Feb. 19, 75 years to the day after former President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 during World War II, authorizing the Secretary of War to designate certain areas as military zones and clearing the way for some 120,000 Japanese Americans to be incarcerated in camps throughout the American West. This compelling collection of photographs—40 by Ansel Adams and 26 by Leonard Frank—presents two views of internment and incarceration in the early 1940s, providing an opportunity to reflect on the nature of reactionary politics, racism, forced separation and the resulting effects on victims.
Stormy Weather “The Tempest,” presented by the Sacramento Theatre Company Feb. 22 through March 19 Sacramento Theatre Company, 1419 H St. sactheatre.org Teeming with shipwrecks, fairies and magic, “The Tempest” is considered by many to be William Shakespeare’s finest romance. The deposed Duke Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, have been stranded for 12 years on a small island where nothing is quite as it seems. But as they separate fantasy from authenticity, they eventually triumph in a new world of love, harmony and redemption.
The Sound of Love “Love Songs in Feb.: From Nat King Cole to Diana Krall—And A Whole Lot of Lovin’ In Between,” a concert featuring the Valerie V Quintet Saturday, Feb. 25 from 6:30-9 p.m. Nepenthe Clubhouse, 1131 Commons Drive 205-4001, valsvocals.com. To reprise the mood from V Day, crooner Valerie V and her talented quintet will perform sultry standards sure to delight the ear and inspire some amorous admiration. A percentage of profits from the concert will go to Community Resident Services Broadway Senior Center, Sacramento.
"Sex With Strangers" is playing at William J. Geery Theater.
Strange Bedfellows “Sex With Strangers,” a play by Laura Eason presented by EMH Productions Feb. 2-18 William J. Geery Theater, 2130 L St. emhpros.weebly.com When star sex blogger and memoirist Ethan Kane, aka Ethan Strange (played by magnetic local actor Tory Scroggins), tracks down his idol, the gifted but obscure novelist Olivia (played by Elise Hodge, founder of EMH Productions), he finds they each crave what the other possesses: her brilliance as a serious writer and his notoriety as a hit on The New York Times best-sellers list for five years in row. As they inch closer to getting what they want, both must confront the dark side of ambition and the near impossibility of reinventing oneself when the past is only a click away. “Sex with Strangers” had its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago and its New York premiere at Second Stage Theatre in June 2014 under the direction of David Schwimmer (yes, of “Friends” fame).
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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Rutherford Chang is exhibiting at the Verge Center for the Arts through March 19.
My Funny Valentine
Meaningful Music
“Guys! Make a Valentine” Feb. 9 from 6-8 p.m. “Rutherford Chang: We Buy White Albums” (exhibition continues through March 19)
Crocker Classical Concert featuring Jacqueline Hairston, Henrietta Davis and Laurel Zucker Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m.
Verge Center for the Arts, 625 S St. vergeart.com Back by popular demand, this craft workshop will help guys who want to impress their significant other this Valentine’s Day with something other than chocolate and roses (though you might want to include some of those, too). Valentine expert Gioia Fonda, a Verge Studio artist, will lead participants of all skill levels through the steps of making a valentine that “doesn’t suck.” And to get the creative juices flowing, Verge is offering a free beer for workshop participants who are age 21 and over. While you’re there, enjoy the ongoing exhibition “Rutherford Chang: We Buy White Albums,” which continues through March 19. For the duration of the exhibition, the gallery will function as a record store stocking only numbered copies of The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled double-LP, popularly referred to as the White Album. But rather than selling albums, the anti-store will solicit additional albums for Chang’s collection of more than 1,600 copies. For the past decade, Chang has been collecting numbered copies of the White Album. The original pressing featured serial numbers stamped on the covers, alluding to a limited edition—though ironically, that initial release was in excess of 3 million copies! Chang’s interest in collecting the White Album lies in how every copy has aged uniquely. Like a blank canvas, the nearly half-century-old albums have accumulated doodles and graffiti from previous owners (along with discoloration and mold), turning each album into a one-of-a-kind object. The discs themselves have become warped and scratched over time, creating slight variations in playback. Over time, these albums have become uniform yet unique artifacts. Visitors are invited to browse the albums, listen to the vinyl and, of course, contribute their copies of the White Album to the collection.
54
ILP FEB n 17
Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. crockerart.org In honor of Black History Month, renowned composer/arranger and pianist Jacqueline Butler Hairston presents a program of works by female African American composers. Interpretive soprano Henrietta Davis and recording flutist Laurel Zucker join Hairston to offer compelling renditions of works that include Hairston’s own song trilogy “On Consciousness Streams.” The influence of African American jazz and spirituals, as well as European classical music, will be explored in this gorgeous concert, which will also include lyrical renditions of poetry by Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple.”
Flutist Laurel Zucker will perform at Crocker Art Museum.
Roll Over, Beethoven Two-Week Beethoven Festival presented by the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera Saturday, Feb. 25 (and Saturday, March 4)
Crocker Art Museum will host the Mexico City Woodwind Quintet.
Woodwinds in the River City Crocker Art Museum hosts the Mexico City Woodwind Quintet Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. crockerart.org The Crocker Art Museum is honored to host the Mexico City Woodwind Quintet during its brief stint in Sacramento. Considered one of the most important chamber music groups in Mexico today, the quintet is dedicated to performing music that reflects contemporary Latin America. Performances with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Mexico State Symphony Orchestra gained the group widespread international acclaim, and its members draw on diverse musical backgrounds to infuse their instrumentalism with astounding artistry. Space is limited and advance registration is recommended.
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine Ron Campbell, legendary animator/director, at Beatnik Studios Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. sacphilopera.org Lend an ear to some of your favorite Ludwig van Beethoven pieces (including his beloved Symphony No. 7) as well as other classics such as Toru Takemitsu’s “Quotation of Dream” and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Double Keyboard Concerto featuring Peter Serkin and Julia Hsu on piano. Guest conductor Andrew Grams has led orchestras throughout the United States, including the Philadelphia, National and Baltimore symphony orchestras and the Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Dallas and Houston symphonies. He has also worked with orchestras abroad, including the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver symphony orchestras, the Orchestre National de France, BBC Symphony Orchestra London, Sydney Symphony, Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecillia, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and Oslo Philharmonic. Talk about world-class conducting!
Forney Play “Darrell Forney: Playing Around,” presented by Beatnik Studios Feb. 3 through March 23 Opening reception on Friday, Feb. 3 from 6-9 p.m. Beatnik Studios, 723 S St. 400-4281, beatnik-studios.com In this exhibition, Beatnik Studios celebrates the work of late multimedia artist Darrell Forney, who made a significant imprint on the Sacramento community for decades through his paintings, films, photography, writing and music. His artwork ranged from large abstract oils to collage to acrylics to archival sketches and block prints. (He was perhaps best known for his paintings featuring crows, his sewing pattern paintings, his collages and abstractions and his paintings of large lettered postcards.) Beatnik will be showing a range of his work, much of it on loan from Sacramento City College, where Forney joined the faculty in 1966. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n
Beatnik Studios, 723 S St. 400-4281, beatnik-studios.com Ron Campbell, animation director of the Beatles’ 1960s Saturday morning cartoon series and animator of their 1968 film “Yellow Submarine,” will be making a rare personal appearance at Beatnik Studios to offer original cartoon paintings for sale from his 50-year career in animation, including work from “Scooby Doo,” “The Smurfs,” “Rugrats,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “George of the Jungle,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and more. During the show, Campbell will also be creating new pop art paintings, including a special piece entitled “All You Need Is Love,” which can be personalized for that special someone for Valentine’s Day. The exhibit is free and all works will be available for purchase.
Animator Ron Campbell is stopping by Beatnik Studios.
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Driven to Succeed REAL ESTATE AGENT BY DAY, PAINTER BY NIGHT
F
or Tim Collom, it’s all or nothing—whether in his job as one of the top real estate agents in town or as an in-demand painter. “If I love something, it becomes an obsession,” the 39 year-old says. “Real estate is my job—and I love it—but painting is my passion. It’s not a hobby, but it’s also not just a talent. It takes practicing over and over again. I don’t need to be the best, but I am driven to get better.”
“Why do I paint?” he says. “I want people to smile.” “Driven” doesn’t even begin to describe Collom, who was something of a wunderkind in real estate when he passed the licensing exam when he was only 21 at the behest of one of his strength and conditioning clients. At the time, Collom was training the Sacramento State tennis team after growing up around trainers who worked with greats like Jerry Rice. (Collom is a Bay Area native.) His interest in art was sparked early on by his computer programmer father, who would sketch and paint in the
JL By Jessica Laskey Artist Spotlight
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Realtor and painter Tim Collom. evenings to relax after a long day at companies like Oracle and Apple. But Collom didn’t give his artistic tendencies free rein until about 10 years ago. “I showed interest in art in high school, but I was more interested in being a teenager,” Collom says. “It was also seen as somewhat unnatural
to be interested in art as a male, so I pursued sports training instead.” After following a roommate from Long Beach State to Sac State to finish his degree, Collom found himself face-to-face with local art luminaries like Wayne Thiebaud (whose late son Paul was a close friend) and Gregory Kondos.
“I couldn’t help but be influenced by them because I was around them a lot,” Collom recalls. “I would watch and see what they did. I even played tennis with Wayne a few times.” But Collom’s rekindled creative instincts took a back seat to a real estate career that started to skyrocket fairly soon after he received his license. The clever businessman knocked on doors and introduced himself to neighbors to get his name out there at the start of his career—a move he credits for his success as a real estate agent and as an artist. “I knocked on 8,000 doors a year as an agent, so I did the same thing with galleries as an artist,” Collom says. “I’m not afraid of rejection. In fact, it drives me more.” His perseverance clearly paid off, considering he routinely sells his colorful paintings depicting vibrant California landscapes and other relatable scenes for $2,000 and beyond here in Sacramento and in Carmel. Tim Collom Gallery, the industrial gallery space he runs on 20th Street, was originally intended as a place to exhibit his own art when he bought it four years ago. But when his pieces
flew off the walls (he sold 28 of 30 paintings at his most recent show), he decided to offer the space to fellow artists to help them find success as well. “I always wanted a gallery of my own, but I’m certainly not following traditional gallery rules,” says Collom, who paints after work until 2 a.m. and gets back up at 9 a.m. to sell houses. “My job as a gallery director is to market [other artists] and market myself. I fully believe that success is not just about earning money from your art. Money is the
easy part. Creating is the difficult, more important part.” Collom uses social media to market his real estate and his art. “The internet is both your best and worst friend,” he says. “You can post a picture of a piece and sell it immediately, which is great until you run out of pieces, since there’s more demand than supply right now. But you’re also letting people in on the process. They can see your evolution.” Collom has evolved a great deal over his past 17 years in real estate, decade of painting and four years as
a gallery director. But you can chalk it all up to his enviable drive and, ultimately, his desire to make the world a little bit brighter.
“Why do I paint?” he says. “I want people to smile.” Tim Collom Gallery is at 915 20th St. For more information, go to timcollomgallery.com. n
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Romance Is in the Air THESE SPOTS ARE A SUREFIRE WAY INTO THE HEART OF YOUR VALENTINE
W
hen the calendar turns to February, one can’t help thinking of Valentine’s Day. It’s a spot of warmth in an otherwise short and often dreary month. It’s an especially bright spot for those in the restaurant trade. Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest dining-out nights in the country. For some, it’s a highpressure date night; for others, it’s a cozy renewal of years of partnership. Wherever couples are in their romantic arc, Valentine’s is a night when many go out on the town and toast to their love.
Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest diningout nights in the country. We offer a few ideas for romantic dining. Whether on V-Day itself or any old weekday night, these spots should help kindle the flame. Ella Dining Room and Bar Maybe it’s the profusion of gauzy curtains, the soft lights swinging from the wood-paneled ceiling, or
GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider
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Ella Dining Room and Bar is the for a romantic dinner. the gorgeous dishes coming from the kitchen, but Ella has a bit of a transportive quality to it. A night spent surrounded by the indulgent luxury and leisurely service at Ella can move a diner away from the everyday and into a dreamy, languid space. It’s hard to imagine that Ella, a jewel in the Selland restaurant group, has been open nearly a decade. It was one of the first businesses to take a chance on a revitalized K Street and, despite nearby openings of eminently romantic restaurants like Mayahuel
and Brasserie Capitale, it still ranks as the street’s premier dining destination. The elegant duck, a simple but gorgeous plate, is a feast for the senses. The old-fashioned seafood tower is a charming way for a party of two to get their hands dirty cracking crab and slurping oysters. The cocktails are expertly crafted, and the happy hour is still one of the best in town. Ella is at 1131 K St.; 443-3772; elladiningroomandbar.com.
The Firehouse Restaurant For half a century, The Firehouse Restaurant has put out exquisite food while surrounding diners with Victorian luxury. Still the grand poobah of Old Sacramento dining, The Firehouse has hosted every California governor since its opening in 1960. During the spring and summer, the ridiculously charming courtyard is a place to dine among twinkle lights under a canopy of lazy shade trees. But in the cold month of
February, the velvety dining room, with its heavy lacquered woods and sumptuous colors, is a space whose warmth doesn’t come from the boiler in the cellar. Every plate that comes from the award-winning kitchen is a piece of art. It’s hard not to be romantic during an evening at The Firehouse. The Firehouse Restaurant is at 1112 2nd St.; 442-4772; firehouseoldsac.com. Taylor’s Kitchen It’s easy to overlook this little neighborhood dining room attached to Taylor’s Market, but the low lights, rich menu and bustling open kitchen make it a romantic getaway any night of the week. It’s a small, intimate room, and the limited but attentive staff makes every diner feel like friends of the house. It’s impossible not to bond with nearby tables of fellow diners and shout out “bravos” to the kitchen staff. Depending on the night, the room can be wryly rowdy or soothingly relaxed. Either way, it’s imbued with
a convivial romanticism that no diner can escape. Taylor’s Kitchen is at 2924 Freeport Blvd.; 443-5154; taylorskitchen.com.
and charismatic and definitely helps make the evening special. Aioli Bodega Espanola is at 1800 L St.; 447-9440; aiolibodega.com.
Aioli Bodega Espanola The large-windowed space on the corner of L and 18th streets makes Aioli’s medium-size dining room seem huge. During the spring and summer, the small, charming patio is a treasure. But in the winter, the warmth of the dining room, with its windows on the world, beckons.
Moxie
Je r r y Sc h a r o s c h
romantic dining without Moxie making its way into the conversation.
719-5122
The narrow, old-fashioned dining
jscharosch@
room on H Street is still as invisible
CaBRE# 0033
from the street as it was when it
cbnorcal.com
0532
opened nearly two decades ago. The menu is still a mere list being the star of the show. The mere presentation of the laundry list of specials is always a rabbit-from-thehat trick by the owner. The dim lights and closer-thanfamily service are unmatched for creating a romantic dining experience. There is literally nowhere you can eat in Sacramento and feel as special and
The menu, filled with expertly made Spanish tapas, allows a couple a chance to share and chat and stretch out the night with a plate of this and a bowl of that. The service is cheeky
Select a Scharosch!
One simply does not discuss
suggestion, with the rotating specials
Attentive staff makes every diner feel like friends of the house.
For your Real Estate Needs...
adored as you do at Moxie. Moxie is at 2028 H St.; 443-7585; moxierestaurant.com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. n
C athy
Scharosch 801-9613
cbnorcal.com cscharosch@aBRE # 00586371 C
REALTORS® over 30 years Expect Outstanding Service ©2017 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 by a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are Independent Contractor Sales Associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.
VOLVO OWNERS ONLY
Sacramento’s top-rated independent Volvo service and repair since 1980. Experts in ALL Volvo makes and models. • Experienced technicians • Complete repair & maintenance • Expert diagnosis & consultation • Shuttle service (just ask!) • Plush waiting lounge with wi-fi, coffee and movies • The power of product knowledge How may we help you?
“Sacramento’s Volvo Service” 2009 Fulton Ave. Sacramento, CA 95825 A salad from Taylor's Kitchen.
(916) 971-1382 svsauto.com ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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INSIDE’S
DOWNTOWN
Rio City Cafe
116 15th Street 551-1559
L D Wine/Beer $$ Bistro favorites with a distinctively Sacramento feeling in a riverfront setting • riocitycafe.com
Cafeteria 15L
L D $$ Classic American lunch counter with a millennial vibe • cafeteria15l.com
DeVere’s Pub
1112 Second St. 442-4772
L D Full Bar $$ Family-run authentic Irish pub with a classic menu to match • deverespub.com
L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com
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 $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space Elladiningroomandbar.com
Esquire Grill 1213 K St. 448-8900 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com
Firestone Public House
Heart-Shaped
Fresh Strawberry Tart
1132 16th Street L D $$ Full Bar Sports bar with a classical american menu• firestonepublichouse.com
Frank Fat’s 806 L St. 442-7092 L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com
Ma Jong’s 1431 L Street L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Cuisine from Japan, Thailand, China ad Vietnam. • majongs.com
Jewel wel B Box Cake
Grange 926 J Street • 492-4450
Our Mini-Cake...Perfect for 2
B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com
Hock Farm Craft & Provision • Cupcakes • CakePops • Cookies • French Macarons ns • Cheesecake
1415 L St. 440-8888
Two of Hearts T Cake for Two
442-4256 2966 Freeport Boulevard Visit freeportbakery.com
L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region’s rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com
South 2005 11th Street 382-9722 L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Timeless traditional Southern cuisine, counter service • weheartfriedchicken.com
OLD SAC
Fat City Bar & Cafe 1001 Front St. 446-6768 D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com
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The Firehouse Restaurant
1521 L Street
Downtown & Vine
Valentine s Day
1110 Front Street 442-8226
Ten 22 1022 Second St. 441-2211 L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting • ten22oldsac.com
Willie’s Burgers 110 K Street L D $ Great burgers and more. • williesburgers.com
R STREET Café Bernardo
1431 R St. 930-9191 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service
Fish Face Poke Bar 1104 R Street Suite 100 L D $$ Humble Hawaiian poke breaks free • fishfacepokebar.com
Iron Horse Tavern 1116 15th Street L D $-$$ Full Bar Gastro-pub cuisine in a stylish industrial setting • ironhorsetavern.net
Old Soul & Pullman Bar 12th & R Streets B L D $ Full-service cafe with artisan coffee roasts, bakery goods and sandwiches • oldsoulco.com
Magpie Cafe 1601 16th Street L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer Seasonal menu using the best local ingredients • magpiecafe.com
Nido Bakery
1409 R Street Suite 102 L D $ Bakery treats and seasonal specialities • hellonido.com
Shoki Ramen House 1201 R Street L D $$ Japanese fine dining using the best local ingredients • sshokiramenhouse.com
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GROUNDWORK Beautiful Gardens Begin Now Design | Installation | Maintenance
Lic #998295
“We solve problems, renew gardens or create a garden oasis just for you.”
LUNCH, DINNER AND HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS 1131 K STREET DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO 916.443.3772
Call 606-6029 or visit TheGardenTutors.com
THE HANDLE The Rind 1801 L Street #40 441-7463 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Cheese-centric menu paired with select wine and beer • therindsacramento.com
Zocolo 1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com
Hot Italian
Tapa The World
1627 16th Street 444-3000
2115 J St. 442-4353
L D Full Bar $$ Authentic hand-crafted pizzas with inventive ingredients, Gelato• hotitalian.net
L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live flamenco music - tapathewworld.com
Mulvaney’s Building & Loan 1215 19th St. 441-6022 L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting
L D $$ Full Bar All things local contribute to a sophisticated urban menu • theredrabbit.net
Biba Ristorante 2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine
Paragary’s Bar & Oven
served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com
L D $$ Full Bar Fabulous Outdoor Patio, California cuisine with a French touch • Paragarys.com
Café Bernardo
1401 28th St. 457-5737
2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180
Revolution Wines
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service
2831 S Street
Centro Cocina Mexicana 2730 J St. 442-2552 L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com
L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Urban winery and tasting room with a creative menu using local sources • rwwinery. com
Skool 2315 K Street D $$ Inventive Japansese-inspired seafood dishes • skoolonkstreet.com
Federalist Public House 2009 N Street L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Wood-fired pizzas in an inventive urban alley setting • federalistpublichouse.com
Thai Basil Café 2431 J St. 442-7690 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com
Red Rabbit 2718 J Street
MIDTOWN
WWW.ELLA DINING ROOM AND BAR.COM
Suzie Burger 29th and P. Sts. 455-3300 L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com
The Waterboy 2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com
EAST SAC 33rd Street Bistro
Loving, quality pet care in your home. Our pet services include: • Doggie Day Care • Pet Taxi • Watering house plants • Picking up mail & newspapers • Changing drapes & lights Owner
3301 Folsom Blvd. 455-2233 B L D $$ Full Bar Patio Pacific Northwest cuisine in a casual bistro setting • 33rdstreetbistro.com
Burr’s Fountain
Beni Feil, trusted member of the Sacramento community for over 50 years!
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 $$ Wine tasting and paired entrees. Sunday Brunch 10 - 2. • cabanawine.com
Call 451-PETS for a rate sheet or complimentary consultation. Licensed • Bonded • Additional pets and services negotiable
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Art Preview GALLERY ART SHOWS IN FEBRUARY
JAYJAY presents “What JAYJAY Loves” Feb. 14 to March 25. Valentine’s Day reception 5 to 7 p.m. Shown above: “Before We Count Up What This Will Cost,” mixed media on paper by S.R. Jones. 5520 Elvas Ave.; jayjayart.com
Tim Collom Gallery shows works by painter Miles Hermann in February. Shown above: “City Rain,” oil by Hermann. 915 20th St.; timcollomgallery.com
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The KVIE Gallery features the work of Bob Miller through March 17 in a show called “Bob Miller: Local Impressions.” Shown above: “Golden Fields,” oil by Miller. The KVIE Gallery; 2030 West El Camino Ave.; kvie.org
Sparrow Gallery presents “Heat 2017” through Feb. 27. This regional show features works done in encaustic (hot wax layers with pigments burned in). Shown above: “Field of Vision,” encaustic by Barbara Nilsson. 2418 K St.; sparrowgallerysacramento.com
Clubhouse 56
Oak Park Brewing Company
723 56th. St. 454-5656
3514 Broadway
BLD Full Bar $$ American. HD sports, kid's menu, breakfast weekends, Late night dining
L D $$ Full Bar Award-winning beers and a creative pub-style menu in an historic setting • opbrewco.com
OBO Italian
Vibe Health Bar
3145 Folsom Blvd.
3515 Broadway
L D Full Bar $$ The rustic, seasonal, and nourishing flavors of Italy. Counter service and patio • oboitalian. com
B L D $-$$ Clean, lean & healthy snacks. Acai bowls are speciality. Kombucha on tap • vibehealthbar.com
Español
LAND PARK
5723 Folsom Blvd. 457-3679 L D Full Bar $-$$ Classic Italian cuisine served in a traditional family-style atmosphere
Casa Garden Restaurant 2760 Sutterville Road 452-2809
855 57th St. 452-3896
L D $$ • D with minimum diners call to inquire Wine/Beer. Operated by volunteers to benefit Sacramento Children’s Home. • casagardenrestaurant.org
B L D Wine/Beer $$ Eclectic California cuisine served in a family-friendly atmosphere, community table for single diners • Chefevan.com
Freeport Bakery
Evan’s Kitchen
2966 Freeport Blvd. 442-4256
Formoli’s Bistro 3839 J St. 448-5699 B L D Wine/Beer $$-$$$ Mediterranean influenced cuisine in a stylish neighborhood setting • formolisbistro.com
Hawks Public House
B L $ Award-winning baked goods and cakes for eat in or take out • Freeportbakery.com
LUNCH+DINNER
Iron Grill
HAPPY HOUR+SUNDAY BRUNCH
13th Street and Broadway 737-5115 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale neighborhood steakhouse • Ironsteaks.com
Hawks Provisions Specialty Coffee + Confections + Lunch - TO GO!
1525 Alhambra Blvd. 558-4440 L D $$-$$$ Familiar classics combined with specialty ingredients by chefs Molly Hawks and Mike Fagnoni • hawkspublichouse.com
Kru
Jamie’s Bar and Grill 427 Broadway 442-4044
Complimentary parking in Sutter Medical Plaza; entrance on Stockton Blvd
L D $ Full Bar Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Dine in or take out since 1986
1 5 2 5 A L H A M B R A B LV D . S A C R A M E N T O , C A 9 5 8 1 6 W W W. H A W K S P U B L I C H O U S E . C O M • 9 1 6 . 5 8 8 . 4 4 4 0
3145 Folsom Blvd. 551-1559 L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Raw and refined, traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi • krurestaurant.com
Riverside Clubhouse
La Trattoria Bohemia
L D $$ Full Bar Upscale American cuisine served in a contemporary setting • Riversideclubhouse.com
2633 Riverside Drive 448-9988
The Kitchen
Make Reservations for Valentine’s Day
2225 Hurley Way 568-7171
3649 J St. 455-7803 L D Wine/Beer $-$$ Italian and Czech specialties in a neighborhood bistro setting
Taylor’s Kitchen 2924 Freeport Boulevard 443-5154
D $$$ Wine/Beer Five-course gourmet demonstration dinner by reservation only • Thekitchenrestaurant.com
Opa! Opa!
D $$$ Wine/Beer Dinner served Wed. through Saturday. Reservations suggested but walk-ins welcome.
La Rosa Blanca Taqueria
5644 J St. 451-4000 L D Wine/Beer $ Fresh Greek cuisine in a chic, casual setting, counter service
2415 16th St. 444-2006
Nopalitos 5530 H St. 452-8226 B L $ Wine/Beer Southwestern fare in a casual diner setting
L D $ Great burgers and more. Open until 3 on Friday and Saturday • williesburgers.com
ARDEN AREA Bella Bru Café
3340 C St. 443-5402
5038 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883
B L D $ Deli sandwiches, salads & BBQ made fresh. Large selection of craft Beer • roxiedeli.com
Selland’s Market Cafe 5340 H St. 736-3333 B L D $$ Wine/Beer High quality handcrafted food to eat in or take out, bakery, wine bar • sellands.com
B L D $-$$ Full bar, casual, locally owned European style café with table service from 5 pm and patio dining • bellabrucafe.com
Cafe Bernardo Pavilions Shopping Center B L D $$ Full Bar Outdoor Patio Seasonal, European-influenced comfort food • Paragarys.com
OAK PARK
Café Vinoteca
La Venadita
L D $$ Full Bar Italian bistro in a casual setting • Cafevinoteca.com
3501 Thurd Ave. 4000-4676 L D $$ Full Bar Authentic Mexican cuisine with simple tasty menu in a colorful historic setting • lavenaditasac.com
L D Full Bar $$-$$ Fresh Mexican food served in a colorful family-friendly setting
Luna Lounge 5026 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883
Roxie Deli & Barbeque
3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 487-1331
Ettore’s 2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. 482-0708 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer European-style gourmet café with salads, soup, and desserts in a bistro setting • Ettores.com
ESPAÑOL Since 1923
2813 Fulton Ave. 484-6104
Willie’s Burgers
Sacramento’s Oldest Restaurant
B L D $-$$ Full neighborhood bar serving dinner nightly. Open at 11am daily. Weekend breakfast. • bellabrucafe.com
The Mandarin Restaurant 4321 Arden Way 488-47794 D $$-$$$ Full Bar Gourmet Chineses food for 32 years • Dine in and take out
Roxy 2381 Fair Oaks Blvd. 489-2000 B L D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine with a Western touch in a creative upscale atmosphere •
Sam’s Hof Brau 2500 Watt 482-2175
ITALIAN RESTAURANT
$10 OFF Total DINNER food order of $50 or more
With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 2/28/17. Not valid on Valentine’s Day.
$5 OFF
Total LUNCH or DINNER food order of $25 or more With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 2/28/17. Not valid on Valentine’s Day.
L D $$ Wine/Beer Fresh quality meats roasted daily • thehofbrau.com
5723 Folsom Boulevard 457-1936
Willie’s Burgers
Dine In & Take Out • Cocktail Lounge • Banquet Room Seats 35
5050 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-5050 L D $ Great burgers and more • williesburgers.com n
Lunch 11-4 pm • Dinner 4-9 pm Sundays • 11:30-9 pm • Closed Mondays
www.Espanol-Italian.com
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Coldwell Banker
#1 IN CALIFORNIA
LOVELY LAND PARK! Charming 2BD w/ bonus room. Orig. kitchen, CH&A, dual pane windows, wood flrs, frplc in living rm. $429,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
SOLD
STUNNING SOUTH LAND PARK! Renovated 3bds, 2 full & 2 half baths, Master Suite, open flr plan, hrdwd floors, & custom built kitch. Huge pool. $749,500 TOM LEONARD 834-1681 CaBRE#: 01714895
LITTLE POCKET! Cozy & clean home on 1/3 acre lot. 3bd, dual pane windows, hardwood floors and extra lrg garge. Easy commute to Dwntwn. $430,000 CATHY SCHAROSCH 801-9613 CaBRE#: 00586371
SPECTACULAR SIERRA OAKS! Great location with 4BD/4 full baths & 2 half baths, 3051sqft, Gbonus room. Minutes caluted ceiling, multiple living areas D I Nand EN to Downtown, UCDP Med Center & American River Parkway. $599,000 TOM LEONARD 834-1681 CaBRE#: 01714895
COLONIAL HEIGHTS REMODEL! 3 bed, 2 ba, open floor plan, granite counters, updated plumbing, electrical, & more. Walk to Public House Theater! PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423
PRIME LOCATION! Open flr plan, 4bds, spacious family, living & dining rms. Tons of strge & lrg indoor lndry. Bkyrd offers a nice wrap around covered patio, 9ft deep pool & grass area to play. $625,000 TOM LEONARD 834-1681 CaBRE#: 01714895
SOLD
L STREET LOFTS PENTHOUSE CORNER PENTHOUSE, most prestigious in city, 3600sf, 3+bds/3ba, sauna, deck. Doorman. 4 car prking. $3,000,000 MICHAEL ONSTEAD 916-601-5699 CABRE#: 01222608 HANDSOMELY UPDATED! Dutra Bend hm designed for easy living & entertainment. 4-5 bds, 3 full baths, loft & game rm plus “designer” garage, pool/spa. SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635
L STREET LOFTS West Penthouse: City skyline view, 18’ ceilings, Gourmet kitchen, fireplace, loft bdrm, 2BA, soaking tub & deck. Fantastic! $994,000 MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608
BAJA CURTIS PARK! Remodeled 2 bed cottage w/wood flrs, dual pane, quartz counters, tiled bath, big yard & 2 car garage. PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423
ICONIC L STREET LOFTS! Last loft unit. Majestic flrpln offers a small balcony, high ceilings, and gourmet granite & stainless kitch. $529,000 MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608 ADORABLE ELMHURST COTTAGE! Located off the T Street parkway near UCD Med Center. This 2BD/2BA home features an open flrpln w/newer laminate wd flrs, private master ste, low maint. Bckyrd w/patio & 1 car garage. $379,000 WENDY KAY 717-1013 CaBRE#: 01335180 CHARMING & PRIVATE LAND PARK! What a show place! Rebuilt in 2007. Top of the line decorator touches. Open flrpln & tons of windows w/views of Land Park. SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
SPANISH STYLE ELMHURST HOME! 3bd/2.5ba, open interior layout w/hrdwd flrs, upstrs rm w/ views to tranquil bckyrd. Enjoy the low maintenance, beautifully established front and backyard all year round. $549,900 KAY WATSON 271-3309 CaBRE#: 01402596
SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS! Located on a great street this lovely home sits on .25 of ac lot w/3bds/2ba, 1638sqft, CH&A & 2 car garage. CHIP O’NEILL 341-7834 CaBRE#: 01265774
WONDERFUL HOME! On a huge lot. 4BD/2.5BA, master ste w/balcony, gorgeous bckyrd built to play & entertain. Big ticket items have been upgraded: roof, d/p windows, HVAC, garage door opener, etc. $339,000 TOM LEONARD 834-1681 CaBRE#: 01714895
BEAUTIFUL EAST SAC TUDOR! 3bed, 2bath, updated kitchen and baths, hardwood floors and 2 car garage. MIKE OWNBEY 616-1607 CaBRE#: 01146313
SACRAMENTO METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard #150 • 916.447.5900
COZY 2 STORY SINGLE FAMILY HOME 3 bedrooms, 2 bath in popular Greenhaven/Pocket neighborhood just steps from the river access and Garcia Bend Park. $317,000 SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635
ColdwellBankerHomes.com
WONDERFUL SIERRA OAKS HOME! Close to Sacramento’s finest schools, shopping, dining & American River Parkway. 3-4BD/2.5BA, open flrpln w/pool & spa. $599,000 TOM LEONARD 834-1681 CaBRE#: 01714895
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©2015 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 by a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.