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MID CENTURY FLAIR Wonderful, spacious 4 bedroom, 3 full bath home on a great corner lot! Entryway leads to large bright living room and formal dining room with built-ins. Kitchen ith eating area, island and tons of cabinets. Large upstairs master suite. Roomy basement, 2-car garage. $769,000 CHARLENE SINGLEY 341-0305 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395
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SOUTH LAND PARK ESTATES Spacious entry opens to nicely appointed living room and dining room. 5 bedrooms 3 baths, expansive windows in the kitchen/family room make cooking and entertaining a true joy! A remote bedroom and bath is perfect for guests or in-laws. Private backyard. $685,000 CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715
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SPACIOUS LAND PARK Hard to ¿nd in Land Park … 4 bedroom 2 full bath, 2-car garage home! Crown moldings, wood Àoors, plantation shutters, pretty ¿replace and more! Master bedroom suite with skylighted bath, sliding French doors open to spacious yard and brick patio. Conveniently located! $580,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555
PRIVATE SECLUDED GARDENS Wonderfully unique nearly half acre S Land Park property with lush tranquil gardens and space! Two separate homes, 2 bedroom 2 bath and 2 bedroom 1 bath that share a connecting wall. Bring your imagination! RV access, workshop, carport, detached garage … Peaceful and secluded! $599,000 CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483
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WONDERFUL TUDOR Located on a quiet Land Park street with a great lot and tons of curb appeal! 3 bedroom 1½ baths, lovingly restored and maintained. Hardwood Àoors, newer windows and a garage that you can use! Beautiful living room with ¿replace, formal dining room. $625,000 DAVID KIRRENE 531-7495
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SOUTH LAND PARK Stylish!!! Wait until you see this Kitchen!!!! And so much more!!!! Fantastic 3 bedroom 2 bath home; light, bright and beautifully renovated (big back yard too). Oversized doors and wide hallways. You really need to see this now as tomorrow it will be gone!!! Sunny living - done here! $429,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395
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ADORABLE COTTAGE Conveniently located Hollywood Park area 2 bedroom home. Along with hardwood Àoors, there are new granite kitchen counters, tile Àoor in laundry room, water heater and garage door opener. The covered patio is perfect for entertaining. Don’t miss this cutie! $224,900 KAREN SANDSTROM 803-0530
SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS Delightful home is perfect for outdoor living with the large sparkling pool, personal hot tub and outdoor grill. 3 bedrooms 2½ baths, 1725 sf lovingly maintained. Spacious open Àoor plan. Paradise is a personal thing but this might be yours! $519,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395
for current home listings, please visit:
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INVESTOR SPECIAL Remodeled 2 bedroom, 2 bath halfplex with tenant in place … and this tenant would like to stay! Newer tile in interior. New roof and gutters in 2012. Seller would prefer an investor buyer who will allow tenant to stay in place. $132,500 CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483
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INSIDETHE GRID JUNE 16
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
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COVER ARTIST Jill Estroff Her love of art made her role as marketing director at the Crocker Art Museum from 1986 to 1993 a dream job. Inspired, she took art classes in the early 1990s. A few years ago classes rekindled her love of painting. Visit jillestroffart.com PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings publisher@insidepublications.com 3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only) EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY AD COORDINATOR DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL POLICY
Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Daniel Nardinelli, Cindy Fuller Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster Lauren Hastings Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli, Adrienne Kerins 916-443-5087 Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 65,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©
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Photos by Debby Sprigg
Lost and Found STOLEN PARK TRELLIS TEACHES US MUCH ABOUT OUR SOCIETY
BY CECILY HASTINGS PUBLISHER’S DESK
I
t started with a simple idea to enjoy a few minutes alone in the McKinley Rose Garden on an early Saturday morning to take in the lovely atmosphere and help center me for the busy week ahead. For the past four years, our small nonprofit Friends of East Sacramento has fully restored and now manages the garden’s care and rental events. As I walked the grassy paths, my calmness was shaken when I saw
piles of freshly cut red rose bouquets strewn on the lawn in several locations. In May, the garden provides a colorful backdrop for photographers, especially on prom nights. While this may sound harmless, we have found it is not. On spring evenings, prom couples—many orchestrated by their parents—barge into scheduled events at the garden and routinely step into flower beds, risking damage to the bushes. When our staff gently asks them to be less obtrusive, we often get lectured by the parents about the importance of their beloved child’s big night. After cleaning up the mess and heading out for a day out of town, I noticed out of the corner of my eye what looked like a fallen branch in one of the beds. I texted our staff person Lyn and asked her to check it out when she arrived to train volunteers that morning. When she got there, she was shocked to discover one of the garden’s 16 majestic wrought-iron
trellises had been stolen. What I thought was a fallen branch was instead a 15-foot length of climbing rose cane strewn over other rosebushes. Shocked by this brazen theft, we reported it to the police. Joe Pane, our facility manager at Clunie Community Center, which our nonprofit also manages, is a retired police officer. We posted some photos on our Facebook page and shared them with other groups we are affiliated with. By that night, our post had reached more than 3,000 people. A few days later, a call came in from an anonymous tipster who reported that he had seen the trellis being used at a wedding in a Natomas backyard. He was upset because the family had bragged that it had been stolen from McKinley Park. He led us to the family’s Facebook page, where photos of the smiling couple under the trellis had been posted. After a little cyber-sleuthing, we were able to provide the family’s information,
including the rough location of their home, to the police investigator. Crisis rarely comes at a convenient time. But despite a pretty tightly packed work schedule the following week (design deadline for our upcoming book), I somehow managed to do numerous television interviews in the garden, four before it was found and four after recovery. The last two were on my porch at 9 p.m. when it was pouring rain. We also took our own photos and issued several press releases to the media. My stepson, who lives in San Francisco, called to say he’d heard me interviewed on his local news talk station! Talk about a slow news day. Quite obviously the media loved the story, especially the happy ending brought about by social media. You can imagine how irked we were that when the family was exposed, they all claimed to know nothing about the origin of the huge, distinctive trellis PUBLISHER page 9
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Oh, Baby! HOGS, LEMURS, OWLS AND GIRAFFES ADD TO ZOO'S POPULATION
BY JESSICA LASKEY
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LIFE IN THE CITY
t’s certainly been a busy spring at the Sacramento Zoo—babies have been born galore! Not one, not two, but four pairs of zoo denizens have welcomed offspring in the past couple months, and the place is positively bursting with adorable newbies. Mid-afternoon on April 3, the adult pair of red river hogs welcomed two female hoglets and two male hoglets, each weighing between 2 and 2.5 pounds. The red river hog family was off-exhibit for the first week while the family formed strong bonds, after which the youngsters were free to investigate their exhibit and delight visitors. Zookeepers have named the hoglets Poe, Kylo, Finn and Rey in homage to the ever-popular “Star Wars” franchise—may the force be with them! The birthing action didn’t stop there: on April 21, the mongoose lemurs and burrowing owls welcomed little ones as well. Three burrowing owl chicks hatched inside their exhibit burrow and will start making appearances outside the nest over the next couple of months—stop by their exhibit in the zoo’s Backyard to see if you catch a glimpse of these little fluff balls. The zoo’s pair of endangered
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Rocket, the giraffe calf, is one of new additions to the Sacramento Zoo
mongoose lemurs also welcomed the birth of their fourth offspring that same morning. The mom carries her infant like a fanny pack, so you may see the new baby hanging out around her waist. Wondering if it’s a boy or girl? The sex of the baby will
be known in a few months when the color on its throat tells the tale: It will stay white if it’s a female or change to rust-brown if it’s a male. Perhaps the tallest baby of the bunch, a male Masai Giraffe calf was born on April 10 and is still
growing, learning, gaining weight and developing his playful personality. (In fact, the zookeepers have named him Rocket for his feisty, fun side!) Based on the signs that Rocket, mom Shani and the rest of the herd had been giving, zookeepers anticipated the pair would make their public exhibit debut in mid-May (before this paper went to press), so stop by to see if you can spot them yet. In the meantime, Rocket and Shani will have intermittent access to the giraffe barn’s side-yard, where lucky and quiet guests might catch a glimpse of the leggy baby. These viewing areas will continue to remain quiet zones, creating a peaceful environment for the pair until they venture out into the main exhibit. Why so many offspring last month? Many of the animals at the zoo are part of Species Survival Plans (SSPs) coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. SSPs are cooperative breeding and conservation programs designed to maintain genetically viable populations of animals in captivity and to organize zoo and aquarium-based efforts to preserve the species in nature. All of the births at the zoo this spring were planned through SSP. Lucky for Sacramento, we get to witness the beauty firsthand in our very own backyard. For more information, call 808-5888 or visit saczoo.org. The Sacramento Zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive.
CREATURE FEATURE Speaking of animals galore, hop across the street from the zoo this month and catch “Animal Olympics,”
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Park Mechanical. Real. Smart. 3DUN0HFKDQLFDO FRP a new theater show, that plays on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5, at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Fairytale Town. Magician and ventriloquist Tony Borders presents this funny and factfilled show about a variety of animals and their amazing abilities, like a monkey with five hands, the world’s best long and high jumper, an animal who lifts the most weight just by standing up, an animal who runs like a horse and looks like a horse—but isn’t a horse and more. Tickets are $2 for non-members in addition to park admission and $1 for members. Tickets can be purchased at the main gate or at the entrance to the Children’s Theater 15 minutes prior to show time. You’ve probably cranked up your barbecue for some summer grilling, but what would make that burger taste even better? Enjoying it behind the scenes at Fairytale Town during a Family Campout on Friday, June 17, at 5:30 p.m. through Saturday, June 18, at 7 a.m., perhaps? This exciting overnight adventure includes a theater performance, arts and crafts
activities, a scavenger hunt, bedtime stories and a sing-along before bed, then a light continental breakfast upon waking under the play park’s beautiful canopy of trees. It’ll be the best sleepover ever!
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PUBLISHER FROM page 7
that magically showed up in their yard. The mother of the bride placed the blame on a “crazy� uncle who just happened to be homeless. Yet he managed to coordinate a vehicle to transport a 500-pound iron structure in the middle of the night without being detected. One reporter actually asked me if I felt a little bit sorry for the family. I won’t repeat my response. What struck me was that, for less than $500, the family could have rented the entire garden for three hours and enjoyed a ceremony under any one of the trellises amid 1,200 blooming rosebushes tended lovingly by almost 200 volunteers. It If the warm weather is making also dawned on us that if we didn’t you crave ice cream, don’t fret: Take manage the garden and work it with your parched tongue and indulge it in volunteers almost daily, the theft may all-you-can-eat ice cream at Fairytale have gone unnoticed by the city. I’m Town’s annual Midsummer Night’s told that park theft and vandalism are Dream & Crystal Ice Cream Fantasy rampant. on Saturday, June 25, from 5 to 9 p.m. In the initial report, the police This magical midsummer’s evening asked us to estimate the value of the trellis. For guidance, we turned to LIFE page 10 one of our garden volunteers, Bill
Enroll your tyke in the ultimate daytime funfest, one (or more!) of Fairytale Town’s 16 FunCamps.
REP LAC EM ENT *
Kuyper. He’s an iron sculptor who a few years ago created a beautiful companion gazebo in the center of the garden that we funded with private donations. Bill was willing to make and install a replacement for $6,000, so we reported that value to the police and the press. Then we got a call from the iron artist who originally made the trellises for the city about 18 years ago. He was upset because the city paid him $15,000 apiece, and he thought he should be hired to replace it. By this time, however, it was a moot point because the trellis had already been found. I am grateful for the attention to our beloved garden, but it certainly came at a cost to those of us who volunteer in terms of time, worry and management of the repair. Let’s hope the publicity keeps this from ever happening again. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com n
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LIFE FROM page 9 features multiple Crystal ice cream tasting stations, live entertainment, hands-on activities, an “olde worlde” marketplace, a nightlong performance by Celtic band Stepping Stones, a no-host bar and food and this year’s honorary king and queen, Mix 96’s Dan and Michelle, as the evening’s emcees. Costumes for the whole family are encouraged. Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children ages 2-12. Members receive $2 off per ticket on advance tickets. Day-of tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 2 to 12. No member discount on day-of tickets. Still stuck on how to while away those long summer days? Enroll your tyke in the ultimate daytime funfest, one (or more!) of Fairytale Town’s 16 FunCamps running from now through August. Each weeklong camp is designed for a specific age group and features a unique theme, including visual and theatre arts, literature, puppetry, animals, gardening and more. Morning sessions run from 9 a.m. to 12 noon for children ages 4-6 and 7-9. Afternoon Adventures are offered from 12 to 4 p.m. with a supervised lunch and recess time followed by more curriculum-based, open-ended activities, dramatic play, story time and more for ages 4-9. For tickets and more information for all Fairytale Town activities, call 808-7462 or visit fairytaletown.org. Fairytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Drive.
POCKET FULL OF FUN Celebrate Camellia Waldorf School’s first summer at its new campus in the Pocket with eight weeks of exciting summer camps for kids in preschool through sixth grade. Themed camps run from June 27 to Aug. 19 and include awesome activities like gardening, culinary arts, theater, circus, dance, engineering, science experiments and more, plus a leadership camp for students entering seventh and eighth grades. This summer promises to be the most educational—and entertaining—yet!
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Satisfy your sweet tooth at Dream & Crystal Ice Cream Fantasy
For more info about Camellia Waldorf School’s summer program, email summercamp@ camelliawaldorf.org, call 427-5022 or visit camelliawaldorf.org. The new Camellia Waldorf campus is at 7450 Pocket Road.
SUMMER IN THE STACKS This summer’s gonna be a scorcher, so why not hunker down in the air conditioning while taking part in all the great activities the Sacramento Public Library system has to offer? A few highlights include the Friends of the Library Book Sale at the Robbie Waters PocketGreenhaven Library June 1-4. Find great deals on a variety of gently used books for all ages, DVDs, audiobooks and much more while supporting your local library branch. Then, on Saturday, June 11, at 1:30 p.m., revel in the marvelous magic of Sacramento’s own Trevor Wyatt and—abracadabra!—help kick off the Sacramento Public Library’s “Read for the Win!” Summer Reading Challenge. Interested in finding your African American ancestors? Get a helping hand from genealogy lecturer and blogger Craig Mason on Saturday, June 25, at 11 a.m., where Mason will share his knowledge and the resources and records that help genealogists trace the lives of their African American ancestors. All programs take place at the Robbie
Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library located at 7335 Gloria Drive. Got a sweet tooth? Do good while eating goodies at the Teen Bake Sale on Saturday, June 4, at 1 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. The teens will be on hand with some scrumptious sweets, with proceeds benefitting the programs they participate in. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is located at 7340 24th Street Bypass. Ready to get messy? Roll up your sleeves for Art Lab with Art Beast on Friday, June 3 at 3:30 p.m. at Belle Cooledge Library and dig in for this month’s creative session highlighting an artistic medium or technique. This program is designed for artists of all ages and abilities and is part of the Sacramento Public Library Summer Reading Challenge. Not a kid anymore but still feel like one? Indulge your colorful side at the Grown Up Coloring Club on Saturdays June 4, 11, 18, 25 at 4 p.m. Stop by for an hour of relaxing music, beautiful images to color and refreshments. Try your hand at one of the age-appropriate (adult!) coloring sheets and the provided colored pencils. If you’d rather draw, feel free, but bring your own supplies. House too hot for a blanket fort that’s comfy and not overly cozy? Set up shop at the library on Saturday, June 11 at 11 a.m. for Belle Cooledge’s Family Blanket Fort. Families and kids ages 2-7 are invited
into the comfy confines of a librarywide blanket fort—complete with flashlights!—where children will hear stories and songs, enjoy finger plays and are welcome to stay and play afterward. Is your excitement “bubbling” up just thinking about BubbleMania on Tuesday, June 4, at 4 p.m.? It’s no surprise, considering this program is guaranteed to thrill, with participants of all ages experiencing the fascinating world of bubble science. Explore shimmering waves of soap, rainbow bubbles, big bubbles, small bubbles, square bubbles, triangle bubbles, bubbles within bubbles, bubbles bouncing on bubbles and even the chance be put inside of a bubble! In the mood for even more theatrics? Check out the Puppet Art Theater performance on Friday, June 24, at 4 p.m. Under the direction of Art Grueneberger, Puppet Art Theater blends a sense of humor and a flair for drama through marvelous puppet shows that delight audiences of all ages. Don’t miss out! All Belle Cooledge programs take place at the Belle Cooledge Library at 5600 South Land Park Drive. For more information, visit saclibrary.org.
DIVING IN Things are going swimmingly for the Davis Arden Hills Racing Team, otherwise aptly known as DART. Ten talented local swim athletes trained by DART are scheduled to compete in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials this summer (June 26 through July 3) in Omaha, Nebraska in hopes of representing our country at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A few of the talented swimmers in question are high school students from our very own area: Chenoa Devine from Davis High School, who qualified for the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle and the 400-meter individual medley; Amalie Fackenthal from Sacramento County Day School, who qualified for the 50-meter freestyle; and Halladay Kinsey from Folsom High School, who qualified for the 200-meter breaststroke and the
200-meter and 400-meter individual medley. Open to all swimmers (with athletes placed according to skill level), DART has a year-round USA Swim Team that is recognized by USA Swimming as a Silver Medal team— one that is classified in the top two percent of all teams in the country. DART is based at Arden Hills Club and Spa, which has trained an impressive number of world champion swimmers since it opened in 1954. In fact, athletes that have trained at Arden Hills have collectively set more than 200 world and American records and earned 31 Olympic medals—21 of which are gold, and seven of which were won by legendary swimmer Mark Spitz. For more information about Arden Hills, call 482-6111 or visit ardenhills. net. The Arden Hills Club and Spa is located at 1220 Arden Hills Lane.
WHEELS OF FORTUNE For fans of off-road biking, it’s usually a long, lonely trek to find enough open space to tear up the turf with jumps and spins, and often involves loading your bike into your car for a drive into suburban territory. Not anymore, thanks to the Township 9 Bike Park located between the American River Bike Trail and the Township 9 apartment, office and retail complex in the upand-coming River District. “This is a unique opportunity for bicyclists at all levels of experience to enjoy off-road biking or just develop skills,” says River District executive director Patty Kleinknecht. “This park allows them to experience off-road bicycling in the central area of Sacramento—just a bike ride away.” The six-acre bike park officially opened in October 2015 and was designed to help extreme bike riders hone off-road riding skills on mounds of dirt for jumps, a pump track for fancy spins and a half-mile cross-
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country trail. According to an article that ran in “The Sacramento Bee” upon the park’s opening, the park sits on a parcel of land that will eventually be part of the development but won’t be worked on for another five years. The idea to repurpose the unused parcel came from Terry Cox, owner of College Cyclery in Land Park, who was eager to introduce Sacramento to dirt jumping, a growing field of interest in off-road biking that involves skillful ground maneuvers as well as aerial tricks. “There’s been a huge demand for one of these in Sacramento,” Cox is quoted as saying. “There are a lot of people who live in an urban environment who want to ride offroad. It’s pretty hard for folks to get off work, pack up their gear and get to the foothills. This really gives folks downtown a great place to brush up on their mountain biking skills.” So get pedaling, Sacramento! For more information, visit t9ontheriver. com.
Fans of off-road biking can now ride in town at the Township 9 Bike Park
SPRING CLEANING Thanks to those much-needed spring rainstorms, William Land Park is sprouting fast and furiously, which means the Land Park Volunteer Corps needs all hands on deck to keep it looking spiffy. Join the group, now in its seventh season of serving the neighborhood, on Saturday, June 4 at 9 a.m. Meet at Base Camp behind Fairytale Town and join your fellow neighbors to trim, clean, weed, mulch and otherwise spruce up Land Park. Enjoy coffee courtesy of Espresso Metro and a hearty lunch once work is done for the day as a thank you for your helping hands. For more information, contact lead coordinator Craig Powell at 718-3030 or via email at ckpinsacto@aol.com. Donations are always welcome and can be sent to: Land Park Volunteer Corps, 3053 Freeport Boulevard #231, Sacramento, CA 95818. Base Camp is located behind Fairytale Town at 3901 Land Park Drive. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n
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Taking Command MILITARY MAN TO LEAD PARKS BACK FROM THE BRINK?
BY CRAIG POWELL
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INSIDE CITY HALL
first met the city’s new director of its department of parks and recreation on a rainy Saturday morning in early May. There was retired Marine Corps Col. Christopher Conlin standing in our check-in line for the Land Park Volunteer Corps’ May park workday. We expected our turnout to be abysmal. Who comes out on a Saturday morning to work in the rain? Well, Marines do. So did the 80 other caring volunteers who showed up, undeterred and ready to tackle the seemingly overwhelming maintenance needs of Sacramento’s signature park. Like any other volunteer, Conlin was assigned to work on one of eight project teams. His team captain, LPVC board member Bob Bream, reported that he was an exemplary volunteer who worked hard from the moment of his arrival trimming bushes and moving soil. It certainly helped that Conlin was Marine Corps fit, with ramrod-straight posture and a no-nonsense commitment to his assignment. You might wonder: How well would a 30-year career Marine Corps officer, used to giving orders and seeing them damn well carried out, work alongside a highly diverse group of civilian volunteers? Here’s
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City park director Chris Conlin enjoying the beauty of Land Park’s WPA Garden
what one volunteer, Barbara Schmitz, wrote us after the workday: “I also appreciate having Chris Conlin for a work partner on Saturday. He was really kind, completely committed, and he allowed me to follow him about and basically do whatever he did. Since this was my first time participating in the Volunteer Corps, I am so grateful for him being there. Oh, and he also saved me from the moniker of ‘bad wheelbarrow driver’ by hauling my wheelbarrow loads of sand around.” It’s pretty much impossible not to like and admire this guy. In 2002 and 2003, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he led a 1,000-man Marine infantry task force on a 400-mile campaign across Iraq in high-intensity combat operations. He was tapped in 2004 to serve as military governor of Najaf Province, a region with a population of 1.3 million and a land area equal to New Hampshire. It includes the city of Najaf, the holiest of all Shiite cities. Conlin was responsible for rebuilding the decimated civic government and restarting a moribund local economy from scratch. He received rave reviews for his adroit handling of the delicate politics and diplomacy involved in building trust among tribal leaders.
Following his career as a nomadic Marine, frequently moving his wife and three daughters from post to post, Conlin and his family settled in San Diego. When his former commander, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Tony Jackson, was appointed in 2012 to serve as the director of California Department of Parks and Recreation, Jackson tapped Conlin to serve as deputy director of the department’s Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. A year later, he was given the additional job of heading up the Division of Boating and Waterways.
CITY HALL page 14
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—Maureen Cleary Steffan Brown ł 717-7217 ł SteffanBrown.com CITY HALL FROM page 12 When his weekly commute on Southwest Airlines from San Diego to Sacramento lost its thrill and his family discovered the charms of Sacramento, the Conlin clan relocated to East Sacramento, where his daughters now attend school. I have to be honest. When I first heard that city manager John Shirey had hired someone with limited parks experience to be the new director of city parks, I was a little dubious. Shouldn’t he hire someone who had
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made a career of parks management? But after spending time with Conlin and reviewing his extraordinary command and managerial experience, I’d hire him to lead the city department of his choosing. (Hint: utilities.) You can hire subjectmatter specialists to support an administrator. But it is rare to find someone with the extraordinary combination of leadership and character qualities of a Chris Conlin. If you’re a smart city manager, you snatch him up when you have the chance. I recently met with Conlin at Mulligan’s Cafe for an interview. He had spent the previous hour on an in-depth tour of William Land Park led by longtime LPVC volunteer Rick Stevenson, who identified problem areas in the park that require special attention (storm drainage issues, long-broken water features, traffic problems, proposed pond renovations, LPVC’s tree rescue efforts, long-term reforestation needs, and an LPVC/zoo collaboration to plant park trees, the leaves of which would be suitable food for zoo animals). Conlin’s predecessor as director of city parks, the recently retired Jim Combs, had the unpleasant job of overseeing what was essentially a deconstruction of the department. Budget cuts during the Great Recession led to the layoff of more than half of all city park maintenance workers (including all lesser-paid, junior park workers), the threatened shuttering of city pools, the cancelation of a number of rec programs, reduced hours for community centers and clubhouses, and the outsourcing of
the management of most centers and clubhouses to nonprofit groups. When Measure U was passed by city voters, the hike in the city sales tax (which now brings in about $43 million a year) funded the restoration of some park maintenance positions and the restoration of some rec programs and community center hours. But the restoration of jobs in the parks department has lagged behind the restoration of positions in city police and fire departments, leaving parks staffing and rec programs still depleted from prerecession levels. Prior to the recession, the city employed 17 full-time workers to maintain William Land Park. Today, the city has only two full-time permanent park workers caring for Land Park, not counting temporary park workers the city employs in the summer months. The Land Park Volunteer Corps humps to put the park in the best possible condition by November of each year because we know that the city’s depleted park workforce doesn’t have the capacity to do much to care for the park in the winter months when the Corps takes its three-month annual leave. While several city parks are now being cared for by neighborhoodbased park support groups, most city parks don’t get such attention, particularly the numerous parks in less affluent neighborhoods. And it shows. A well-maintained neighborhood park not only increases property values and helps improve overall public health; it discourages crime, illicit drug use and general neighborhood disorderliness. An appealing, well-cared-for park
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contributes to an abiding sense of neighborhood pride and community cohesion—the archenemies of crime and disorder. A well-caredfor park invites neighbors in while discouraging sketchy folks from hanging out. Conlin, having visited cities around the world in his military career, notes a consistent pattern: The best indicator he found of the overall health and vitality of a city is the condition of its parks. Parks are part of a positive feedback loop: Excellent parks help improve neighborhoods and create a more attractive community, which in turn attracts good neighbors and improves local prosperity, which in turn leads to increased support for local parks. The flip side is also true: Deteriorating parks feed into a negative feedback loop by encouraging disorder and lawlessness, hurting property values and discouraging economic growth. I’m of the opinion that, until our city leaders stop misperceiving city parks as merely an “amenity” and start seeing them for what they are (vital community builders and economic drivers), they will continue to make misguided decisions that slash parks budgets relative to the city’s other spending whenever economic times are tough. The city council really needs to stop treating city parks like the redheaded stepchild of city government. Conlin is a long-term planner by nature and training. While he said that “plans are often rendered obsolete on the first day of battle,” he also knows that there is no better CITY HALL page 16
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Kitchen, Bathroom Renovations and 2nd Story Additions CITY HALL FROM page 14 way to move an organization forward than to shift its focus from immediate day-to-day concerns to long-term outcomes. He’s working with his staff to produce a comprehensive five-year plan that prioritizes the work that needs to be done in each of the city’s 226 parks. The compilation of a citywide inventory of maintenance needs was begun under his predecessor (and was originally inspired by a needs inventory that Steve Hansen commissioned for parks in his council district). But Conlin is the driving force behind the effort to turn the inventory into an actionable five-year plan to tackle our city parks’ most pressing needs. When asked to identify the greatest challenge in his new job, Conlin was quick to answer: “Resources.” One of the greatest challenges his department faces in restoring city parks is the city’s high labor costs. With the layoff of junior park workers during the recession, the city’s park worker labor force is now weighted more heavily toward
older, more highly compensated park workers, who participate in the city’s pricey pension system and who will receive retiree health care benefits which are part of the unfunded city liability of more than $350 million. The city is also facing the looming cost burden of the recently enacted hike in California’s minimum wage, which will rise in steps from the city’s current minimum of $10 to $15 over the next five years. Since most city workers who now earn less than $15 an hour work overwhelmingly in the parks and recreation department (rec workers, pool lifeguards, seasonal park workers, etc.), the new law will hammer the department’s budget more than any other, particularly if the city, in the face of union pressure, responds to the new wage law by raising the pay of more highly compensated employees to relieve “wage compaction” issues. The city has not yet released any analysis of just how hard the new law will hit the parks department’s budget. Five years ago, then-parks director Jim Combs and city finance director Leyne Milstein each estimated that the city could reduce its labor costs by
50 percent by outsourcing basic park care to outside contractors. But efforts to launch a pilot program to test outsourcing failed to win the support of Combs, who felt that the unionfriendly city council would reject such a proposal. Since then, the operation and maintenance of all city golf courses have been outsourced, in steps, to Morton Golf, eliminating a $500,000 recurring annual deficit in the city’s depleted golf fund. Will Conlin and the city council take a lesson from the city’s positive experience with golf course outsourcing? Will the city council finally buck the influence of Operating Engineers Local 39, the union that represents city park workers, and seize upon the opportunity to increase the number of park workers while reducing city costs? Conlin cautiously supports the idea: “I support the concept where it makes sense,” he said. Conlin is also leading a city effort to assess all possible options for funding both park operations and the restoration of deteriorated park facilities. One option would be to
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significantly increase park user fees for event sponsors that generate substantial income from major events they host in city parks. If an event sponsor is able to generate, say, $500,000 in revenue from a single event in a park, as some do, it seems perfectly fair and reasonable that the sponsor should make a meaningful contribution to the costs of maintaining the venue in which its events are held. Other options include a citywide park tax or, more creatively, the creation of benefit assessment districts in selected neighborhoods in closest proximity to city parks, although such an approach would have to be carefully constructed to pass scrutiny under Proposition 218, which requires that each property owner receive a cognizable, special benefit from close proximity to a nearby park. Any city park tax would require a two-thirds public vote, while a park assessment district would require majority approval of impacted property owners. But it would be a heavy lift for the city to win voter or property owner approval of a park tax or assessment if
it failed to first unlock the major cost savings that contracting out basic park care would provide. While Conlin is understandably reluctant to discuss any of the financing options his department is reviewing, he is optimistic that Sacramento’s growing economy will help “lift all boats” and improve the city’s ability to fund park care and recreation programming in the coming years. After my interview with Conlin, I couldn’t help thinking: If this man had the extraordinary leadership abilities needed to help rebuild civic government in war-torn Najaf Province, restoring city parks and rec programs should be—wait for it—a walk in the park. Here’s to wishing Col. Conlin every success. Craig Powell is a local attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He also is the lead coordinator of the Land Park Volunteer Corps. He can be reached at craig@eyeonsacramento.org or 7183030. n
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Tanya Anthony-Curry SHE LOVES FAIRYTALE TOWN AS MUCH AS ANY KID
Wind Youth Services, HomeAid Sacramento and others. “He enjoys serving. It’s been wonderful to be part of the expansion and growth at Fairytale Town—and then to see him and my husband on the Crooked Mile together like two kids. The 59-year-old becomes an 8-year-old!”
BY JESSICA LASKEY VOLUNTEER PROFILE
T
he mission statement of Fairytale Town—“play, learn, grow”—fits board member Tanya Anthony-Curry to a T. In fact, the Jacksonville, Fla., native tries to live her life by that credo. “I love to give back where I play, learn and grow,” says AnthonyCurry, who lives in Land Park with her husband, David, and 9-year-old son and is the number three agent at the Land Park office of Lyon Real Estate. “Having a child opened my eyes. I feel a great sense of responsibility to do more, to be more—really, to grow up. In supporting Fairytale Town as passionately as I do, it’s not just about my child, but also making a difference in the lives of other children and the future generation.”
“It’s important to give back to the industry you love.”
“I love to give back where I play, learn and grow.” When love brought AnthonyCurry to California, she joined the Curry family’s long-standing tradition of charitable giving in the community. The family sets aside part of their budget every year to not only give money to nonprofits, but also to give their time and talent
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Tanya Anthony-Curry with her husband, David Curry
to organizations they hold near and dear. “It’s important that we bring up our son with a heart of gratitude and model that for him,” says AnthonyCurry, who’s served on the Fairytale
Town board since December 2014. She also volunteers at church and works with Lyon Cares, her real estate company’s charitable arm, which works with food bank and food shelters, Wellspring Women’s Shelter,
The Currys contributed to the restoration of the fantasy playground’s iconic barn and also make a point to collect donations through any means possible. Anthony-Curry’s last birthday party, for example, was a no-gifts, donations-only affair that raised money for Fairytale Town. She also mentors up-and-comers in her field, a job that gives her great joy. “After 21 years as real estate agent, it’s amazing to see the grown babies that you helped mentor and train—some of whom are older than I am—being successful in the world,” Anthony-Curry says. “It’s important to give back to the industry you love. And I’ve found that when you live with an open attitude of gratitude and a willingness to serve and give, the abundance comes back to you in ways you can’t even imagine.” For more information about Fairytale Town, visit fairytaletown. org n
You’re Invited! Sacramento Walk of Stars Gala Celebrates First Honorees
DR. ERNIE BODAI
LEVAR BURTON
DEBBIE MEYER
GREGORY KONDOS
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
ARTS
Dr. Ernie Bodai is a world-renowned breast cancer surgeon who advocated for the development of the breast cancer postage stamp, which has raised over $90 million for research.
LeVar Burton is a Sacramento-raised actor, producer and director known for his roles in the miniseries Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation and the children’s series Reading Rainbow.
Debbie Meyer is a threetime Olympic gold medalist and the only woman ever to win three individual freestyle swimming Olympic gold medals.
Gregory Kondos is a Sacramento–raised artist and one of the world’s most prominent and award-winning California landscape artists.
The Sacramento Walk of Stars Gala will be held on August 31, 2016. For table sponsor and individual tickets, please visit SacramentoWalkofStars.com. Join the celebration as we honor notable stars who called Sacramento home and have gone on to make their mark on the world. For sponsorship information, contact Scot Crocker at Scot@CrockerCrocker.com
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Ready for Soccer SACRAMENTO SEEMS ON THE VERGE OF GETTING AN MLS EXPANSION TEAM
BY JORDAN VENEMA BUILDING OUR FUTURE
O
n April 14, Sacramento Republic FC threw a party that attracted more than 1,000 fans and one special guest: Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber. During his visit, Garber met with city and team officials to discuss the future of Sacramento and MLS and to tour the Railyards, the proposed site for a $226 million stadium. Fans who congregated for the party were probably hoping the commissioner’s visit would provide an answer to a question long on Sacramento’s collective mind: Just when will the city become the next expansion team in MLS? “The league has said for a while it’s not if, it’s when,” says Erika Bjork, vice president of marketing and communications for Sacramento Republic FC. In late April, Sports Illustrated published an article online calling Sacramento a shoo-in to join the MLS,
Rendering of Sacramento Republic's new stadium
placing the city first on a shortlist of potential expansion cities that include St. Louis, Detroit, San Antonio and San Diego. Sacramento tops the list for factors that show it’s ready for MLS. Public
Soccer fans enjoy a game. Photo courtesy of Sacramento Republic FC/Douglas Taylor.
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and private funding? Check. A rabid fan base? Double check. Existing plans for a new stadium? Sacramento, you just sealed the deal there. Garber already said that MLS won’t accept future expansions without a ready-made stadium, and since the city council unanimously approved the Railyard stadium late last year, the city could be on track to join MLS by 2019 or 2020. About a week before Garber’s visit in April, Sac Soccer and Entertainment Holdings unveiled updated plans to the 375,000-squarefoot stadium, which will seat about 20,000 fans, nearly doubling Bonney Field’s current capacity. The stadium will also seat an additional 2,000 fans during special events, including an MLS All-Star game, which Garber has guaranteed Sacramento will host within three years of its expansion.
Between games, concerts and other events, the stadium will attract nearly 500,000 people annually. SSEH, a private partnership, will assume the estimated $180 million cost to build the stadium, while city and public agencies will front the remaining infrastructure costs for roads and utilities. Though private and public developers have guaranteed a stateof-the-art stadium, the building would mean nothing without the fans to fill it. Since Republic FC was founded in December 2012, playing its first game in 2104, fans have turned out in record numbers. Of the 29 teams that make up the United Soccer League, Republic FC had the highest average attendance over the past two seasons. “We even have the sellout streak currently in the USL,” says Bjork.
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The USL belongs to a tiered pyramid of professional soccer leagues, with MLS sitting at its top. There exists a partnership between MLS and USL, but Bjork says that affiliation can’t be compared to the farm system in other sports, like the Sacramento River Cats’ relationship to its parent team, the San Francisco Giants. USL teams may be affiliated with MLS teams (for example, Republic FC is affiliated with the MLS team San Jose Quakes), but ultimately those teams are independent of MLS. Farm teams in baseball exist to develop players who will be used at the sport’s highest level, so competition at the farm level comes second. “Soccer is different,” says Bjork. “We’re playing to win. Even if the Quakes send us loan players, there’s an understanding that we’re going to play whoever helps us win.” That winning mentality has been with Republic FC since the team played its first game in 2014. Its debut season turned into a championship year.
“We like to say that the best and the worst thing we did was win a championship that year,” says Bjork. There was nowhere left to go but up. Immediate success always generates expectations, but the FC was unable to repeat as champions its second year. Now in its third season, the FC has regularly attracted about 11,000 fans at home games at Bonney Field. Sacramento’s enthusiasm for Republic FC has spilled over the confines of Bonney Field, catapulting Sacramento to the forefront of the MLS expansion conversation. There’s just something about the atmosphere at Bonney Field, says Bjork, “and there’s no comparison, especially here locally. We don’t play music during our matches, and we don’t have crowd props, but our Tower Bridge Battalion, our supporter group, leads
cheers before the kickoff till the end of the game.” “I’ve worked in professional sports for over 20 years: the NFL, NBA, the WNBA,” Bjork continues. “And I’ve never experienced a sport, especially in the U.S., that is so inclusive and engaging of its fans.” Which is why the plans for the new stadium include one of the steepest rakes in MLS: to get Sacramento fans as close to the pitch as possible. Now
all that’s left is to build the stadium, since those fans have inverted the famous maxim from the baseball film “Field of Dreams”: If you build it, they will come. Well they’re already here, and they’ve been saying it since the FC’s first season: Sacramento is MLS ready. Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com n
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Grow Your Own URBAN AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY GARDENS CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE
BY SCOT CROCKER
T
INSIDE DOWNTOWN
here was once a time when you could peek into almost anyone’s yard and you’d find fruit trees, vegetable gardens and perhaps a mini farm. With great soil and weather, it was common for folks to grow their own. That waned for a time as Sacramento prospered. There were restrictions on ag gardens and farming in the city, and the local grocery store had all the fruits and vegetables you ever wanted at a pretty good price. Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way and personal urban-ag gardens and community-ag gardens are flourishing in the city. For residents and property owners who wanted to grow and sell their goods, the city council got on board last year by passing an urban garden ordinance. Adding to that, the city’s parks and recreation department is opening more and more community gardens, allowing residents to rent a plot and grow their own fruit and vegetables. You could call this a movement. It’s certainly synergy with Sacramento’s promotion as a farm-to-fork leader combined with sustainability, educating people about better nutrition and providing fruits and
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Bill Maynard is the community garden coordinator with the city’s parks and rec department
vegetables in neighborhoods that might not be served by a grocery store or market. Maybe it’s just the fact that there’s nothing better on a BLT than a freshly picked tomato from your own garden and a bagful of sweet peaches your neighbor just dropped off on your porch. As part of the city ordinance, property owners can get tax
incentives when they allow their properties, including vacant lots in residential, commercial, industrial and manufacturing zones, to be turned into mini farms. “This is a movement that’s catching on,” says Jim McDonald, a principal planner with the city who works on urban-ag gardens. “We expect it to grow over time.”
He says there were many advocates pushing this ordinance and they are now monitoring the program to evaluate its success with plans to report back to the city council. So far, he thinks the program is working well with few negative impacts. One proponent for the urban-ag garden movement is Chanowk Yisrael, who advocates for the necessity of teaching communities and youth about what they eat, how food can be the center of community and how to gain life skills. Some call him an ecolutionary or gangster gardener. Others say he is transforming the “’hood to good.” “I see a time when every student has access to an ag garden at home, at school or in the community,” Yisrael says. “They will learn about food, healthy eating, how to cook and other life skills from carpentry to electrical.” Yisrael sees vacant lots in Oak Park and other neighborhoods as learning grounds for youth and community. Lots can be transformed into gardens and opportunities for education, understanding and bonding. The city is allowing residents to grow gardens up to 1 acre in size at their homes. Products grown can be sold at on-site farm stands two days a week as long as operators get a business operations tax certificate and comply with city water restrictions. “There’s a lot of work to develop an ag garden and farm stand,” says McDonald. “We are hoping to see more vacant land turned into gardens because it’s a good use until the land is developed. We just haven’t seen a lot of that yet.”
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Yisrael agrees. “This is going to take some time to catch on, but it will happen,” he says. The hope is that vacant commercial and industrial land that creates an eyesore can be put to good use. “We’ve made a lot of progress and think the city is ahead of the county and other areas in promoting this opportunity,” says McDonald. Urban gardens continue to be a source of education about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, especially for young people and students. These gardens can also provide homegrown produce in neighborhoods that don’t have easy access to a grocery store or market, and could even provide a source of revenue for lower-income residents. “Some see urban ag as an in thing to do or a fad,” says Yisrael. “But it’s really about communities taking responsibility for feeding themselves. I’ve talked with people from around the world and that’s what they do. Just think if Oak Park could grow 50 percent of its own food.”
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In addition to produce, city residents are also allowed to keep bees and up to three chickens.
Community gardens are found throughout the city and the downtown/ Midtown grid. For residents who don’t have the space or desire to grow their own, the city’s parks and recreation department has been installing community gardens since 2004. Many of the parks and rec programs are designed to keep people active and healthy. Community gardens are just another way to engage city residents in a healthy lifestyle. And it’s working. Community gardens are found throughout the city and the
downtown/Midtown grid. There are 15 gardens in operation and two more on the way. One of the latest gardens is at 19th and Q streets, the site of a combination dog park and garden in a growing area of Midtown near the Safeway store. “These gardens are very popular in the city core,” says Bill Maynard, community garden coordinator with the city’s parks and rec department. “It’s kind of a community lifestyle.” The city provides planting beds, water, tools and even the seeds. Residents then rent the plot from the city for $25 to $50 per year. Residents can plant what they want as long as it’s legal, and they must maintain their gardens. If someone doesn’t maintain their garden, it will be given to someone else. There are a lot of takers for popular locations. The new city garden at 19th and Q streets recently opened and had 100 applicants for 28 plots. “It’s an exciting project,” says Maynard. “With more applicants than lots, we had to have a lottery. People were very excited when they heard they got one. It’s also great to see
the joy on people’s faces when they are actually growing food that they can use or give to co-workers and neighbors.” Unlike the urban agriculture program, there’s no selling from city community gardens. People use what they grow, give it away to friends and family or donate it to a community program like a food bank. Plots do change hands at community gardens. People get busy, move away or decide to construct a garden at home and don’t need the city garden anymore. According to Maynard, these city gardens are a result of community and neighborhood collaboration. The city might designate an area for a park. Through community discussions, the city can determine what’s wanted and needed. It can range from a traditional park to a dog park to a community garden. And just like all city parks, the department takes care of and maintains community garden infrastructure for
DOWNTOWN page 25
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History Lesson HOW THE CITY’S STORIED WEST END BECAME OLD SACRAMENTO
BY R.E. GRASWICH CITY BEAT
T
here were homeless people in the West End, lots of them, but they weren’t called homeless. Some were called drifters, vagrants and derelicts. Others were tramps and winos. A few were hobos. But mostly they were called bums. They were the people left behind as the fortunes of Sacramento grew and shifted east, north and south. New suburbs, where people who worked in the rail yards or the canning plants could buy their own homes, began to expand around Land Park and McKinley Park. By the 1950s, the neighborhood where the city’s life began, along Front Street and out to Seventh Street, was left to the bums. Hotels and apartments that once thrived in the West End became flophouses. Cafes and taverns became saloons selling cheap beer, sweet wine and bitter whiskey. Decent people— or at least people who considered themselves decent—wouldn’t venture west of Seventh Street. For the past 50 years, the legacy of the West End has been deliberately scrubbed away by Sacramento business and political leaders. Eager to present an upbeat and attractive image to tourists, the city
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Kristina Swanson is the chief operations officer with Sacramento History Museum
changed the West End’s name to Old Sacramento. The past was purged and the waterfront was rebranded decades before rebranding became fashionable.
The scrubbing worked. Ask most Sacramento residents younger than 50 for directions to the West End and you’ll get a blank stare. But all things come around. And these days the West End is getting
some overdue recognition. The Sacramento History Museum has opened a remarkable exhibit that examines the history of the West End. The vagrants, derelicts, winos and bums aren’t exactly celebrated in Place and Replace: The Making of Old Sacramento, but their sad stories, grizzled faces, scuffed shoes and battered fedoras are pulled from the shadows, embarrassed no more. “The first weekend we opened the exhibit, we were packed with people of all ages,” museum program manager Kristin Ryan says. “They were checking out our interactive materials, opening drawers and studying the maps and pictures. They had no idea what had happened here.” The Sacramento History Museum is the perfect place to tell the West End’s story. The museum resides in a fabled corner of the West End, near the Sacramento River, adjacent to the California State Railroad Museum. Visitors can absorb the neighborhood’s curated past with photos, maps and priceless videos from local television archives, then wander out into the streets that minutes before were under historic consideration. The past literally becomes the present. The most compelling part of the West End narrative is its death. The transformation from skid row to tourist attraction wasn’t dictated by political whim. The policies that created Old Sacramento were surprisingly democratic and collaborative. The community weighed in on key aspects of the retrofit. The TV films, many of which were preserved by legendary Channel 3 cameraman Harry Sweet, show man-
DOWNTOWN FROM page 23
in-the-street interviews with residents debating the West End’s future. The decision by state authorities to run Interstate 5 down Third Street—rather than dropping the freeway in West Sacramento or along Front Street—was intensely discussed by residents. The exhibit affirms that the West End’s fate was sealed by redevelopment opportunities stimulated by the freeway’s placement, not by politicians plotting with business owners in a back room. The exhibit has an engaging biographical feature to highlight notable personalities who helped the transition from West End to Old Sacramento. But one important voice didn’t make it into the exhibit: Niels “Big Pete” Pedersen, a Sacramento cop who worked nights in the West End from 1945 to 1970. Walking the beat from Front Street to Eighth, he broke up fights and kept the West End reasonably honest. Seventeen years ago, I interviewed Big Pete at his home on Larkin
Way. He was in his mid-80s but still formidable and tough. On the job, he was 6 feet 2 inches and 250 pounds. That’s why he was called Big Pete. He still had his badge, No. 175, when we spoke. Here’s what he said: “I got out of the Army and a guy told me the police were hiring. Two days later, I was on the job. Some nights would be like a slaughterhouse. They would cut themselves up in street fights. Knives were the thing. There weren’t too many shootings. I never shot nobody and didn’t like to use the stick. You could hurt them if you did. Mostly I used my fists.” Big Pete told me many cops were friendly with West End saloon owners. Some bars kept a nice bottle on a hidden shelf behind the bar, just for the beat cops. It was OK in those days. Old Sacramento was another place entirely. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n
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the benefit of residents including easy access for the disabled. “Plots can be as small as 10 feet by 10 feet or as large at 20 feet by 20 feet,” says Maynard. “You can grow a lot of food in a plot that size—maybe even $400 to $600 worth depending on what you grow. People can grow all year with winter and summer vegetables and herbs.” Celebrations around the harvest have been going on for centuries. The growing of fruits and vegetables in Sacramento, then selling or giving them away, is a decades-old tradition. It may have been lost in recent memory, but it’s coming back strong. “We’re in the farm-to-fork capital,” says Yisrael, “but we ship 99 percent of our food out of the area and then have to rely on others to bring food here. In Sacramento, I think we can grow our own destiny.” Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@crockercrocker.com n
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Books Galore LIBRARY’S BOOK DEN PROVIDES MONEY AS WELL AS READING MATERIAL
but I’ve always taken responsibility for things. So when they asked me to be the co-manager and then the manager, I said yes.” Marie started off doing everything herself but soon recruited a team of volunteers capable of handling the various Book Den tasks.
BY TERRY KAUFMAN
The work is neverending. Weekly, hundreds of books— library discards and private donations— come in.
LOCAL HEROES
T
his is the digital age. We all get our news, entertainment and reading materials on our
portable mobile devices. Correct? Wrong. We still love books: those things that you hold in your hands, lovingly turning the pages as you tangibly connect with the people and stories within their covers. The Sacramento Public Library system gives everyone within its 28-branch
The work is never-ending. Weekly,
radius the opportunity to explore
hundreds of books—library discards
foreign lands, distant galaxies and
and private donations—come in. A
intriguing ideas for no greater
team of first sorters moves the books
investment than the time it takes to
onto category-labeled shelves. The
fill out a library card application. Tax dollars pay for everything that
Jo Anne Marie of the Book Den
the books: bookstore, warehouse sale,
we find at our libraries, correct? Wrong again. Although public funding supports library operations and infrastructure, a huge portion of what happens at your local library is made possible by the time, effort and financial contributions of individuals who love libraries and want to keep them vibrant and relevant for years to come. Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is a volunteer, communitybased organization that raises funds for programs such as summer reading
and family movie nights, outreach to
employs the talents of more than
online sales, antiquarian book sales or
local schools, improvements to library
100 volunteers to sort, shelve, clean,
donation. “Nothing goes to waste,”
facilities and their collections, and
categorize and sell the books. Every
says Karen Wilson, who manages
advocacy on behalf of the libraries.
person who contributes is a volunteer,
communications for the den. Wilson,
Every branch has its own dedicated
starting with Book Den manager Jo
like Marie, happened upon the den
Friends group, and the systemwide
Anne Marie, a former banker who
and the Friends after retirement and
Friends organization provides much-
returned to Sacramento after a few
never left. “We’re taking in books all
needed support for branches large and
years in Texas and discovered the den
the time, and volunteers are working
small throughout the community.
when she brought boxes of books to
every day except Sunday.”
The Book Den is central to that support. Housed in a large warehouse
ILP JUN n 16
donate. “I became a cashier at the store for
The majority of volunteers are retirees who love spending their time
on Belvedere Avenue at Power Inn
a couple of months,” she says. “I had
among the classics, but the den also
Road, The Book Den holds more than
never heard of the Friends before,
attracts high school students earning
100,000 books at any given time and
26
second sorters determine the fate of
community service hours, Girl Scouts
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law office of brian d.wyatt ,PC working on badges and disabled
bang for the buck comes from online
adults who want to be productive.
sales through Amazon and eBay.
“This is a fun place to work,” says
John Solie, a retired engineer,
Marie. “There’s no drama, and it’s a
is responsible for the online sales.
good crew.”
“We’re doing quite well,” he says. “It
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Diane Sabo is the volunteer
started with us selling three books per
100% Guild Quality Satisfaction Rating
coordinator. Like the others, she
month at the start, and now it’s more
stumbled onto the den, decided it was
than 300 a month.” Most of the online
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a great place and stayed. She oversees
sales are book sets, textbooks and
the sorters and the warehouse sales
technical books, and some can fetch
folks, making sure that everyone is
more than $100. “I didn’t know about
where they need to be. Wednesdays
the book den until I volunteered,”
are the busiest, with 50 to 60 people
says Solie. “It turned out to be great
working shifts. Although they aren’t
for me.”
paid, volunteers are allowed to take
The Book Den is the ultimate book
one book per hour worked, up to three
lover’s bargain. July’s warehouse sale
in any shift.
is a “bag sale” at which a full bag of
The return is substantial. “We give about $50,000 to the library each
books will cost a whopping $6. That’s truly about a penny per thought.
year,” says Marie. Her fondest dream is for donated warehouse space so that rent doesn’t eat into revenues. “We need a free building so that we can give more money to the library.” Many branch Friends groups conduct their own book sales; the den shares proceeds with 16 branches that don’t hold their own sales. Although the turnout for sales is high, the biggest
““The “T The he q quality ual uali ua ali lity o lity off th the he wo w work ork k was ju wa was jjust ust st o over ve er th tthe he to ttop. op. p. Everyt Ever Ev Everything, ythi thi hing ng g, ev e ever every ver ery y li llittle itt tttle le tthing, le hing hi ing g, came ca came me out outt just jus st pe p perfect.” erf rfec fec ect. t.”
The Book Den, at 8250 Belvedere Ave., is open Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Warehouse sales are the first weekend of the month. Learn more at bookden@saclibfriends.org. Terry Kaufman can be reached at terry@1greatstory.com n
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WPA Rock Garden
INSIDE
OUT
Spring is in full bloom at the WPA Rock Garden in Land Park. Visit for a stroll, picnic, or to paint en plein air as this artist is enjoying. CONTRIBUTED BY CECILY HASTINGS
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ILP JUN n 16
Vote Yes for Libraries KEEP CITY LIBRARIES FUNDED WITHOUT NEW TAXES
BY RICK JENNINGS
the operating budget for our library system, the funding that keeps our libraries open. It also buys the books that we read and enables us to meet and learn together. Measure X provides access to the internet and research services that help us all. Our community groups have great places in libraries to meet, share information and work together for the betterment of our community.
O
n June 7, you will be asked to vote to continue to fund our library system without increasing taxes or fees by renewing Measure X. The measure will extend the current parcel tax for an additional 10 years to continue library services within the city of Sacramento. Your yes vote will make sure our libraries continue to be funded without new taxes. This investment in our libraries is crucial and needs your support.
Measure X would continue the funding that provides one-third of the operating budget for our library system.
Since 1879, we have seen our library grow from 6,000 volumes to more than 2 million. We are fortunate in the city to have an outstanding library system. Since 1879, when city residents voted to turn the “subscription association” into a free library, our community has placed great value on our public libraries. Since 1879, we have seen our library grow from 6,000 volumes to more than 2 million. We have seen it grow from one branch to 12 branches, serving every neighborhood in our city. Our city has a long history of supporting our libraries. They need your support again. Please vote to yes to maintain services for children and teens, including after-school homework assistance and reading programs. Also
Our libraries prepare children to start school ready to read and offer a safe place for children to learn and study. Our libraries help job seekers and adult learners and provide information and enrichment to people of all ages. To maintain our hours of operation, online access, quality books and library materials, children’s programs and more, I urge you to join me in voting yes on Measure X. vote yes to protect library operating hours and 24/7 online access to library resources. Vote yes to preserve library services for seniors and families trying to improve their lives. A yes vote also gives people who don’t have computers at home access to the internet. Your vote will continue to make quality library materials,
programs and services available in your neighborhood. More than 250,000 people in the city of Sacramento have a library card, and more than 5 million books and periodicals are checked out each year. Our libraries are well used and very loved. Measure X would continue the funding that provides one-third of
For more information about Measure X, go to excellentlibraries.org Rick Jennings is the city councilmember for District 6, vice mayor and chair of the Sacramento Public Library Authority. n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
29
So Last Century THIS COUPLE EMBRACES ’50S ATOMIC STYLE BY JULIE FOSTER HOME INSIGHT
M
el and Shane O’Brien were married 11 years ago. Ten years ago, they began collecting nostalgic collectables for their home. Two years ago, they moved into a 1959 South Land Park ranch-style house. Today, every room of their 1,700-square-foot home is filled with the bounty of their searches. “If there is an empty spot, we fill it,” Shane says. It took the couple a bit of time to discover their preferred style. They settled upon midcentury kitsch or atomic style. Pieces tend to rotate in
30
ILP JUN n 16
“WHEN YOU COME HOME, IT FEELS LIKE DISNEYLAND.” and out of their home since they are on the lookout for new treasures all the time. “We were collectors and became dealers because we had so much stuff,” Shane explains. “We love to shop, and as we find better pieces for us, we pass along pieces from our collection.”
Initially they frequented local antique stores. Now they find many items on eBay and Etsy. They began collecting modern style pieces, then art deco, then sleek midcentury modern with a Danish feel. In 2011, they fell in love with the kitsch/atomic look.
Though they extensively remodeled their home, they have made numerous changes. Repainting was a necessity. The previous owner’s color palette ran to chartreuse, yellow and orange. The master bedroom was oxblood red. They prefer turquoise and aqua tones. All the kitchen appliances, with the exception of the oven, were replaced with Big Chill retro-style appliances in the Pink Lemonade color. New vinyl composition tile in the kitchen spiffed up the room. The new custom front door has three diamond windows. They found starburst escutcheon plates on
eBay for the door handle. Double-paned windows in the lanai, a space Shane speculates was once a breezeway, help boost the energy efficiency. The exterior was freshened up by replacing fencing and gates and adding a sprinkler/ drip watering system. Mel’s stepdad made the vintage shutters, and they helped install them. A local welder made the cool entryway feature out of a repurposed mental room divider. The driveway and brick planters were redone. The pair loves light fixtures. Their collection includes Moss, Reglor, Continental Art Company and Heifetz Rotaflex lights. Other treasures include HeywoodWakefield, Brown Saltman and Paul Frankl furniture pieces and many Carlo of Hollywood watercolors. The lanai boasts a rare Witco tiki bar. Everything in the house works, including an original NuTone intercom, five vintage televisions, five record players and three jukeboxes. Shane has restored or refurbished 90 percent of the items in their home. When they first started collecting as a young couple, money was tight. When they found midcentury modern pieces that needed work, Shane began restoring them for much less than if they hired the job out. “After a while, I discovered I had a knack for it,” he says. “We gained a real appreciation for these pieces and started seriously collecting.” Wanting to share their passion for wares from the 1950s and ’60s, as well as DIY restoration techniques, led the pair to start a blog, hepcatrestorations.com. “We try to be a resource to inform our readers of the history of our pieces, and we try to be an inspiration for others who decorate in the midcentury style,” Shane explains. “People email with questions all the time about a piece’s value, history or how to restore it,” Shane explains. Mel’s hectic schedule involves traveling for a large corporation, limiting their time for socializing. When
she’s not working, she prefers being at home with Shane and enjoying what she sees around her. “When you come home, it feels like Disneyland,” she says. Their decorating process doesn’t follow a set pattern. It just evolves based on the space and their needs. “We don’t have a vision of the room when we step into it,” Mel says. Everything they own is not designer. Mel prefers to buy new things like couches and rugs. “Who made the piece is not as important to us as how the piece makes us feel when we’re around it,” Shane says. Shane loves the cowboy-centric rancho style, but Mel isn’t keen on the look. A few rancho items did make it into the laundry room. Mel explains she was slow in HOME page 33
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
31
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HOME FROM page 31 appreciating the tiki style in the lanai. “Because I am Filipino, I thought how cliche to have a tiki room,” she says. Now it’s her favorite room. “We do add other things that are not tiki in here. It is pretty eclectic,” Shane says. “I just love being surrounded by all this stuff. It makes me happy.” The O’Briens’ home will be featured on the Sacramento Midcentury Modern Home Tour on Saturday, June 18. For tickets and more information, go to sacmcmhometour. blogspot.com. If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@ yahoo.com n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
33
Champion of Sports HIS JOB IS TO SELL THE CITY TO ATHLETIC GROUPS, BIG AND SMALL
BY R.E. GRASWICH SPORTS AUTHORITY
T
hree names, maybe four, pretty much summarize Sacramento sports history for the past half-century: Solons, Kings, River Cats and maybe Republic FC, though time will tell. By any measure, much less the yardstick of a city always eager to declare itself on the verge of something big, that isn’t much to brag about. But true sports fans know there’s more to the game than major-league affiliations and a season or two of boxoffice success. It’s not membership in the big leagues that determines a city’s sporting credentials, as our friends in Oakland have begun to realize. It’s the appreciation for athletic competition in general, large and small, that identifies a great sports town. These days, it falls to a man named Mike Sophia to translate Sacramento’s long history of sports enthusiasm into a definable asset: a scalable product that builds upon the city’s love of sports and attracts revenue without help from the spillover effect enjoyed by major-league markets. Sophia runs the Sacramento Sports Commission, a branch of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors
34
ILP JUN n 16
Mike Sophia runs the Sacramento Sports Commission
Bureau. He’s been on the job for three years but hasn’t exactly become a household name. It’s likely most sports fans in Sacramento have never heard of him, and that’s partly by intent. Fans don’t need to know
Sophia. But they should know what he’s up to. His job is not to sell himself, but to sell the city—and to a lesser degree the region—to youth, college and amateur sports groups that bring lots
of visitors to town for several days of athletic competition. If these groups stay in Sacramento hotels, eat in Sacramento restaurants and drink in Sacramento bars, tax revenue grows. Sophia has done his job and can sleep soundly at night. He begins by recognizing that despite its slender big-league credentials (back to those three names and that half-century), Sacramento is an excellent community for sports, far more enthusiastic and sophisticated than other towns with grander sports histories. “It’s an amazing city,” Sophia says. “People here really care about sports, are loyal and respond to a product well presented. Look at the support the Kings have maintained over the years. And look at what Republic FC has done. Their story is textbook.” Sophia has several goals each day when he arrives at the convention bureau’s offices on I Street, one block from Memorial Auditorium. For starters, he focuses on economic development, which involves creating and preserving jobs in the hospitality industry. When more people visit Sacramento, more people take care of them. There’s an entrepreneurial aspect to Sophia’s work. He wants to create and operate events that will attract fans and participants to town with money to spend. And there’s the idea Sophia calls the “community piece.” This is where the sports commission serves as a booster for local promoters. Republic FC is a good example. “We advocate for sports in the community,” Sophia says. “We champion sports that are doing cool things.”
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855 57th Street (Between J & H Streets) There are challenges to running the sports commission, and one big challenge involves history. When Sophia arrived in 2013, he inherited an organization that had been shut down by its benefactors. The commission was bankrupt and unable to repay loans of public funds. Sophia oversaw a restructuring, with the commission born again as part of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, rather than as a stand-alone. “There are between 200 and 300 sports commissions in the U.S., and only a handful of them are standalones,� Sophia says. “It’s far more efficient to take the organization out of its silo and operate it under the strength of the CVB.� Sophia has promoted sports for years, but his formative time was the decade he spent at the Miami Sports Commission. On his watch, Miami attracted prestigious events such as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, McDonald’s All American Games and the USA Volleyball Junior National Championship.
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With Golden 1 Center set to open this fall, Sacramento is ready to return to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament lineup next year. Sophia believes the city will become a regular stop for major college tournaments, including volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling and swimming. “When I mention swimming, people wonder where,� Sophia says. “We don’t need an aquatics center, because they build temporary pools now.� Pools may come and go, but the sports commission still cares about permanent facilities. Sophia is trying to convince nearby communities to spend their athletic facility funds strategically, so the region can attract soccer, lacrosse, softball and baseball tournaments. “Sometimes, the city of Sacramento has to compete with neighboring cities for hotel business,� he says. “Sometimes, we lose out. That’s OK. Ultimately, we’re all better off when we work together.� R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n
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35
Drawn to the Capitol CREATING INTRICATE WORKS DEPICTING DOWNTOWN USING PENCIL AND PEN
BY PETER ANDERSON
sketch his vision in such somber, dour
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
shades of grim and stark. And yet there is a definite
S
ometimes it hurts to view the
fascination about his work. The
work of Sacramento artist/
amount of detail is ridiculous, and the
architect/activist Dennis Bylo.
spiderlike attention to interweaving
Staring at his sketches, intricately
constructs is spellbinding, hypnotic,
etched in black ink and pencil only, is
mesmerizing. He calls these works
much like contemplating a Brillo pad
his “architectural art maps” to the
through gauze glasses.
Sacramento grid, and he wagers
Perhaps this is what makes him
that government workers who want
such a unique fixture in the local
to own personal depictions of their
Sacramento art scene—that, along
workplace will shell out the $10 cost
with his unmistakable physical
per map.
presence. A lanky, strapping man on the cusp of 70 and close to six and a half feet tall, he sports floppy hats and wildly unkempt hair as he sits A couple of city sketches by Dennis Bylo
precariously on a tiny tripod of a stool while meticulously penciling downtown buildings on his sketch pad.
In Bylo’s mind, beauty means buildings.
“It’s not always the consultants in suits and urban designers with backing that make a difference.” That’s one way Bylo supports himself. But, as if it weren’t tough
Once an integral part of the
enough for a starving artist to
bureaucratic edifices he draws (he
support himself through his craft,
worked for the State Architect’s office
he further hinders his prosperity
during Jerry Brown’s first go-round as
by being tech-Neanderthal. No
governor in the 1970s), he is devoted
computer, no cell phone, no email, no
to portraying governmental structures
texting—it kind of makes it tough to
around the Capitol in starkly
market yourself in this age of instant
somber shades of cobweb black. His melodramatic panoply of Capitol Mall properties—far from a postcard-perfect pictorial of green grass, flapping flags, shiny domes and bustling people—is a Kremlinesque, almost Gothamlike blast of miniscule, thin black strokes that are either art nouveau or funereal,
36
ILP JUN n 16
branding. The phone he uses at home depending on how long you can bear
from the academic ranks to set up
looks like a Princess model from a
to look.
personal shop in Sacramento in 1976.
“Mary Tyler Moore Show” episode
Maybe it’s the subsequent head-
from 1973, which also happens to be
promising young architect from
banging battles with tortoise-paced
the last time he owned a TV.
UC Berkeley’s much regarded
bureaucracy that inspired Bylo to
A highly heralded and
school of architecture, he broke
“Why be a slave to technology?” he asks from the muddy backyard of his
You've seen us around for years We have the experience your project deserves
modeling sign/build re e d e ic rv e s Full dwelling in the heart of downtown’s
snaps, “Even more manipulation and
art scene, “when there is so much
evasion by our dodging governor.”
beauty surrounding us?” In Bylo’s mind, beauty means
Beyond the political sniping, Bylo boasts a credible and admirable
buildings. He has been particularly
portfolio of civic contribution. He
obsessed with why the capital city of
has been a longtime supporter of
the country’s largest, most vibrant
Loaves & Fishes, a way to pay back
state didn’t have a governor’s
an outfit that once helped him in dark
mansion. He has spent nearly a
times. An early program designer and
decade trying to create his ultimate
ongoing advocate of CADA (Capitol
dream: the California House, which
Area Development Authority), Bylo
would be a permanent residence for
is a strong proponent of inner-city
California’s sitting governors in an
affordable housing, and he fights to
architecturally restored and glorified
help state workers, as an example,
mansion near Leland Stanford
find comfortably priced residences
Mansion at Ninth and N streets.
near their work.
He has disdain for Jerry Brown’s
“It’s not always the consultants
“sneaky” refusal to set up permanent
in suits and urban designers with
residence throughout the nearly
backing that make a difference,” says
16 years of his twin governorships,
Bylo. “Ideas that come to fruition
and he heaps scorn upon Brown for
have many times been brewing and
choosing to live above P.F. Chang’s
hatching for many years in the minds
restaurant at 15th and J streets with
and hearts of unlikely dreamers like
his wife, Anne Gust Brown, and their
me.”
two dogs, Sutter and Colusa.
California history and art play
“What other state in the union
important roles in his ever-changing
would be proud of having its chief
vision of urban renewal – developing
executive living above a Chinese
the O Street Art Walk, continuing the
restaurant?” he barks while
dressing up of the River Promenade,
displaying a sketch of the very Elliott
and a new capitol streetcar circulator
Building that the Browns call home.
system encompassing eight blocks
When reminded that it is simply
of new tracks for a Capitol Park
a matter of the governor’s choice,
loop that would open up lunchtime
Bylo grumbles aloud. When further
Sacramento to time-conscious Capitol
reminded that Brown recently said
workers in wholly new ways.
he’d be moving back into the newly restored Governor’s Mansion at 15th
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All this—and much more—with only a black pen and pencil.
and H streets to fittingly close his final year in office by returning to his adolescent roots, Bylo sneers and
To see Dennis Bylo’s art, go to dennisbylo.net n
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37
He Saw an Opening ROMANIAN NATIVE ROLLS OUT HIS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
BY JESSICA LASKEY
T
here’s a reason that the color scheme of Sac’s Garage Door Repair is red, white and blue, and it’s not just because owner Nick Toporiste uses only American-made parts in his 3-year-old business that installs and services garage doors all over the region. The colors have an even more personal meaning. “I love this country,” Toporiste says from the road, on his way to service clients in Sacramento, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Folsom and Granite Bay. “Not only has it rescued my family, it’s given us a nice start on life.” Toporiste was born in Romania and, in March 1989, fled with his family to Florida before the Communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu came to a bloody end in December of that year. His mother had her teeth knocked out when she refused to turn spy on her church, and the family was given three days to sell their possessions before being put on a train to seek asylum in the United States. “I watched the revolution from Florida on our first color television,” Toporiste recalls. He was only 8 years old. After bouncing back and forth between Florida and California in his ensuing adolescent and teen years, Toporiste and family finally settled in Sacramento in 1995. The city proved a welcome, leafy change from the concrete jungle of their hometown of Bucharest. A job in marketing introduced him to the garage door business peripherally—the firm he worked for counted a few garage door
38
I suddenly thought, I know this business, I know the profit margins. I’m going to do this myself.”
SHOPTALK
ILP JUN n 16
“I geek out on garage doors even when I’m not at work. I love this job.”
Sac’s Garage Door Repair owner Nick Toporiste with his wife Jessica and daughter Hannah
companies among its clients—but the field piqued his interest. “It was this unique niche market,” Toporiste says. “It just stuck in the back of my mind. Eventually I opened
my own marketing company, selling leads to other contractors, and I had a bad break with a garage door guy who didn’t want to pay one of my invoices.
Toporiste learned the trade from other established garage door practitioners before he was comfortable enough to strike out on his own three years ago as an allaround garage door guru. You name it, Sac’s Garage Door Repair does it: garage opener installation and repair, spring replacement, cable and track installation and repair, panel replacements, new door installation and, just for good measure, he brought on a contract locksmith. “A door is a door, whether it’s a garage door or a door for a person,” Toporiste says. “They’re all locking devices, so the transition was pretty easy. It’s something to have in my back pocket, a way to diversify. I’ve got to keep myself busy.” That’s something that Toporiste is very, very good at. He’ll drive anywhere between 100 and 200 miles a day on any given workday. “It’s the nature of the beast,” he says with characteristic calm clarity. “I have to travel. I go where the work is.”
SHOPTALK page 41
Worth the Cost PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO STEP UP TO PREVENT FUTURE FLOOD RISK
BY RANDALL SELLAND
A
s business owners, we work hard to ensure that our customers are happy, our employees productive and our businesses profitable. We worry about threats to our regional economic stability and health, despite knowing that we have little or no control over either. One of the constant threats to our region is flooding. Over the past 30 years, we’ve seen portions of our region flood and know how perilously close we have come to catastrophe. While we cannot control the weather, we can protect ourselves. The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency has managed more than $2 billion of levee improvements since the 1990s, but there is more work to do. With changing federal and state standards, SAFCA also must change. The agency updated its flood control plan to better ensure we are protected from catastrophic flood. What was once deemed safe—a 100year flood standard—has been revised to a more rigorous 200-year standard. These changes better protect our community but come at a cost. Ballots were mailed to property owners last month seeking approval for an assessment district that will support this necessary, more comprehensive flood control plan. By voting yes, property owners can ensure that the consequences of a catastrophic flood are avoided.
While we understand the risk to life and property that flooding presents, the economic disaster is also terrible. A levee breach in Sacramento would cripple our regional economy, seriously affecting 2.4 million people. Even after our region deals with the health and safety impacts, the local economic impacts would be devastating and long lasting. Supply and distribution routes would be broken, manufacturing would largely stop, businesses would close and jobs would be lost. Merely getting from one point to another would be difficult long after a flood, as we struggle to repair and rebuild.
SAFCA’s proposed assessment offers us the best chance to avoid what no one wants to experience. And we aren’t in this alone. For every dollar that Sacramento property owners contribute, state and federal agencies contribute approximately $8. But this is contingent on Sacramento contributing its share. We must do our part. If the proposed assessment fails, state and federal portions will become unavailable. That cannot happen. Property owners would have to pay very expensive flood insurance premiums. Inevitably, the lack of progress on flood safety would lead
to crippling building moratoriums and, ultimately, to the decline of our regional economy. I urge my fellow property owners to make the smart decision for our homes and families, our businesses, our employees and our customers. Return the SAFCA property assessment ballot by June 13 and vote yes. Randall Selland is executive chef and co-owner of the Selland Group, which includes The Kitchen, Selland’s Market-Cafe, Ella Dining Room and Bar and the soon-to-open OBO’ Italian Table & Bar. n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
39
Creature Comforts GARDENING FOR PEOPLE AND ANIMALS ALIKE
BY ANITA CLEVENGER
W
GARDEN JABBER
hen Sally Ly moved into her house near Sacramento High almost five years ago, the backyard was full of weeds. Once she cleared it out and installed a new fence, she felt desperate. Ly didn’t have the budget to hire a landscaper, and she lacked a vision for what to do in the yard. “I kept looking at all the dirt and wondering what are we going to do,” she recalls. “Decorating is easy for me, but first you need the basics. Coming up with a foundation for what to do is hard.” Today, her garden is a certified wildlife habitat. It’s an inviting place for humans, too, filled with art, interesting plants and cozy places to sit. How did it evolve? It’s been a constant process of learning and trial and error. Ly began to read about composting and decided that she first needed to improve her compacted soil. She dug trenches around the edge of her yard and buried organic waste into them. Later, she started a compost pile. “I’ve gotten obsessive about composting,” she says. “It’s amazing what you can put into it—even lint!” As the soil improved, Ly began to rescue plants and put them along the fence. She liked tropical plants and
40
ILP JUN n 16
Sally Ly in her garden
found bamboo and banana plants on Craigslist. Her boss retired and moved to Florida and offered Ly some of her plants. Ly filled her tiny sedan with them and brought them
home. Another retiree abandoned a dracaena in the office. When it was clear that nobody wanted this orphan, Ly adopted it. A friend had a forlorn palm tree growing in a pot.
Ly decided she needed to incorporate it into her yard. A neighbor shared pieces of geraniums with her. Says Ly, “You just need to stick them into the ground and they will grow.” That’s how she propagated most of the succulents growing in pots and throughout the garden, too. The plan for the yard grew along with Ly’s accumulation of plants. She established a seating area for outdoor dining. Next, she added a concrete patio for a place for her dogs to hang out and for entertaining. At last, she had a vision for the rest of the yard. With the extra dirt from the patio construction, she built mounds and made more planting space for succulents. She picked out big rocks at an excavation site to put behind the mounds. “That was expensive,” she says. “They had to take down the fence to get the rocks into the yard. I made sure that they put them in the right place, because they aren’t moving!” She left a pile of large branches near the fence while she pondered her next move. Many of the plants that Ly selected attract bees, butterflies and birds. “I get so much joy from watching animals,” she says. She began to add other items to feed and shelter them. Any edibles in her yard, such as berries, are there for creature, not human, consumption. She crammed a wine barrel into her sedan and brought it home to make a water garden for birds to frequent. She hung bamboo houses for bees and butterflies and built a bug hotel made of sticks, shells and little decorative items. “Bugs need nooks and crannies GARDEN page 43
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SHOPTALK FROM page 38 Ninety percent of that work is service on residential doors and the rest is installations and commercial work, such as firehouse doors. He even has his fair share of celebrity clients, such as Sacramento Kings star center Demarcus Cousins, whose 1,500-pound mahogany garage doors require a fair bit of maintenance to keep his impressive car collection safe. But Toporiste isn’t in it for the celeb sightings: He’s the first to admit he just really loves the industry. “I geek out on garage doors even when I’m not at work,” he says. “I love this job.” Probably almost as much as he loves the red, white and blue of his adopted homeland. Garage doors need some TLC? Locked yourself out of your car? Call Sac’s Garage Door Repair for all that and more at 4GARAGE (442-7243) or 292-8275, or go to sacslocksmithgaragedoorrepair.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n
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41
Captain Carrot LONGTIME BROADCASTER STILL PREACHES THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
BY JEFFREY WEIDEL
L
has swung full circle more than
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
four decades since Captain Carrot originated.
ike many disenfranchised
Still extremely active and vibrant
young people growing up in the
at age 70, Nosler could easily be
turbulent 1960s, Cary Nosler
had no idea where life was going to
mistaken for someone 20 years
take him.
younger, thanks to a daily regimen that incorporates exercise, strength
Living carefree in the midst of the countercultural revolution that was
training, walking, tai chi stretching
evolving throughout the country,
and a meticulous diet. He still practices daily what he
Nosler had few concerns after
preaches: a healthy lifestyle.
graduating with a psychology degree
“I hope I’ve been a good role model.
from Sacramento State.
What I’ve always talked about is
Yet a lingering thought kept resurfacing: What would he do for a
who I really am,” says Nosler. “It’s
living? A radio ad for a broadcasting
tremendous to see the growth of
school provided the answer for
organics and how it’s going nuts.
the man who would eventually be
We have the whole farm-to-fork
identified by his passion for healthy
movement, and there are lots of
living: Captain Carrot.
farmers markets where you can buy healthy foods.”
The celebrity moniker still
After graduating from Sacramento
resonates nationally and with longtime Sacramento residents. They
State University, Nosler lived in
remember the self-taught nutritionist
the famed Haight-Asbury section of
who espoused healthy eating and
San Francisco. He later moved to
living on local and national TV and
Palo Alto, where a light flickered on
radio, and later as a spokesperson for
when he heard a radio commercial
Raley’s.
promoting the Columbia School of Broadcasting.
Nosler’s revolutionary beliefs were
“That sounds like something I
gospel for some. But for mainstream
might want to do,” Nosler recalls.
folks, he preached a quirky way of
He made his professional debut
living that was foreign to the meatand-potato crowd that the Arden
behind the microphone at KJML, an
Arcade resident believed ate poorly
obscure Sacramento underground
and were far too sedentary.
radio station that played Top 40 music of the 1960s. He was lured
“When Cary started doing his Captain Carrot thing, he was a health
Cary Nosler has been on the forefront of the healthy-living movement for decades
$160-a-month salary offer from
guru, a guy who was way out there on the fringe,” says longtime friend Jack Moncrief, who became a personal trainer thanks to Nosler’s influence. “There was no one like Cary, no one even close to where he was coming
42
ILP JUN n 16
away in 1971 by a whopping KZAP, a burgeoning free-form rock
from. He was a nutritionist and saw
While he might have hung out
station where the DJs picked their
where the health business was headed
on the fringe, there’s no arguing
music and were free to create their
a long time ago.”
that Nosler was on the forefront
own on-air identity.
of a healthy-living movement that
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3.0T MRI | Digital X-Ray | 500 University Ave | 922-6747 | umimri.com Nosler left KZAP and worked at
weekly guest on a KCRA TV show
a health food store but returned
called “Weeknight.” The show’s
to the airwaves to do health food
premise was copied by Westinghouse
commentary for the old KCRA radio
Broadcasting and rebranded as
station. Afternoon DJ Lee Kirk would
“PM Magazine.” Nosler joined
toss out a health-related question. “I
“PM Magazine” as a “tipster” and
would just wing it,” says Nosler.
worked out of KPIX Channel 5 in San
When program manager Johnny Hyde suggested naming the segment,
Francisco. Although he’s scaled back the
“I picked the name Captain Carrot,
work, Nosler still provides healthy
mostly as a prank,” Nosler says.
lifestyle tips. He remains a pitchman
Nosler’s tips were so popular that
for Sunrise Natural Foods and can be
he started doing commercial spots
heard on Sirius Radio every Saturday
for a health food store and Captain
morning on “Forever Young Radio
Carrot segments for KCRA TV.
Show.”
“Cary was very unique. He wasn’t
I carved out a place for myself,”
young, enthusiastic, energetic,” says
explains Nosler. “It was a
Tom DuHain, a former KCRA anchor/
combination of things: the hippy
reporter. “People liked Cary and
movement, natural foods, people
respected what he said. His Captain
living in communes. Everything was
Carrot tips were always a great source
so new. I had a chance to fit it. The
of information. He’s had a strong
times were perfect for me.”
influence on me and a lot of people in and living healthier.” Nosler’s stature as a health guru continued to evolve. He became a
GARDEN FROM page 40 to hide in,” she observes. “Friends say that it looks like a shrine.”
“I’m not out here working! I get to play in my backyard. It gives me such a sense of joy and pride.”
“I never planned any of this.
some Jack LaLanne type. He was
regard to maintaining a better diet
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According to the National Wildlife Federation, a backyard wildlife habitat needs food, water, cover, places to raise young and sustainable gardening practices. Ly’s garden provides all of those things. That pile of dead branches? It’s good shelter for the animals and will remain as a feature of the garden. There’s more to do. “When I first learned about native plants, I couldn’t sleep at night thinking about
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the possibilities,” she says. Much as she loves the tropical look, she now knows that local wildlife prefers local vegetation, so she is incorporating natives into her landscape. Tibetan prayer flags flutter overhead. Everywhere you look, there are strings of beads catching the sun, diminutive Buddha statues and other pieces of garden art. The main artistic attraction is a new wall mural by Sacramento artist Raul Mejia that depicts a hummingbird and California poppies. “I have to incorporate art. It’s part of who I am,” she says. “Hummingbirds are a reminder to have more fun and not worry so much.” Ly no longer feels desperate when she looks into her backyard. “I’m not out here working! I get to play in my backyard. It gives me such a sense of joy and pride.” Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call 876-5338 or go to sacmg.ucanr.edu n
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
43
Under Water THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING PLUMBERS
BY KEVIN MIMS
F
WRITING LIFE
or years, the water pressure in our house had been growing weaker and weaker. Finally, in January I decided to do something about it. I called a local handyman who had done some repair work for me before. He came out to the house, inspected our plumbing and suggested we replace the galvanized pipes supplying water to the bathroom and kitchen with copper pipes. He also suggested I install a new set of shower fixtures in the bathroom and replace the old water heater in the basement. He would do the work for $25 an hour. I would pay for all the materials. The project began on Saturday, Jan. 30. The handyman—let’s call him Jason—showed up at 8 a.m. We drove to Home Depot, where I paid for 20 feet of new copper pipe, a water heater and a high-end shower fixture set. Jason and I drove home and began cutting out some of the old galvanized pipe and replacing it with copper pipe. Jason did all the serious work. I was just an extra pair of hands. Jason is to home-repair work what Fred MacMurray’s absent-minded professor was to academia: half genius and half bumbling fool. Several times
44
ILP JUN n 16
during the day, he discovered that he had brought the wrong tool or purchased the wrong copper fitting. A half-dozen times, we had to abandon the repair job and drive around town looking for something Jason had forgotten. We visited Home Depot several times. We visited Hollywood Hardware. We visited Harbor Freight. We visited Red’s Plumbing Supply. By the end of the day, we had installed 20 feet of copper pipe, but there were leaks at all the fittings. What’s more, the old water heater wasn’t working at all any more. Jason said this was because we had knocked loose corroded pieces of the old galvanized pipe that had flowed into the tank of the water heater and clogged it up. He said he’d be back in the morning to fix all the leaks and install the new water heater. In the meantime, we couldn’t use our water. My wife had been working in the yard all day and I had been crawling around under the house all day, but neither of us could take a shower that night. Jason showed up early Sunday morning and repaired all the leaking fittings. He told me he had to deliver some building materials to a jobsite in Vacaville but would return to install the water heater later in the day. That was Jan. 31. I haven’t seen him since. When he drove away that day, he left two boxes filled with tools in my basement. He also left behind an acetylene torch, parts of a shop vacuum, some dirty coveralls and a lot of other equipment. Six months later, all that equipment is still in my basement. I’ve texted and telephoned and left all sorts of messages for him, but I’ve never received any reply from
him. He worked about 10 hours for me but vanished before I could pay him. And his departure left me in a real jam. It meant that, for the second day in a row, my wife and I couldn’t take a shower. On Monday, my wife drove to my stepdaughter’s house for a shower. I drove over to a friend’s house and showered. By now, I was desperate to find a plumber who could get my hot water working again. But it wasn’t until Wednesday, Feb. 3, that I finally managed to get one to my house. Let’s call this plumber Harry. He inspected my entire plumbing system and told me that I didn’t need the new water heater (for which I had paid $388) or the new shower fixture set ($250). He got the old water heater working again and, by making a few minor adjustments to the fixtures in my bathroom and kitchen, got the water pressure flowing better than it had in years. After doing all that, he still encouraged me to replace all of the galvanized pipe in the house with copper. (Jason had replaced only about 20 feet of it). Harry said it would save me trouble down the road. He said the job would cost $1,600. I gave him a $400 cash advance, and he promised to begin the work the next day at 10 a.m. I never saw him again. I waited until 12:30 p.m. the next day and then called Harry. I left a message asking him when he planned to arrive. A short time later, a friend of Harry’s came to my house and told me that Harry was called away by an unspecified emergency. He promised me that Harry would begin the job the following Monday, Feb. 8. Harry didn’t show up on Monday. His friend came by and promised that
Harry would begin the job on Friday, February 12. Harry didn’t show up on Friday. His friend came by and gave me back the $400 cash advance I had given to Harry. Eventually, I returned the water heater and the shower fixtures to Home Depot for a full refund. Jason had installed 20 feet of copper pipe under my house and then disappeared before I could pay him, leaving behind hundreds of dollars in home-repair equipment. Harry increased the water pressure in my house dramatically and got my faulty water heater working again and then disappeared. A week or so later, a friend of his refunded all my money. Our plumbing problems are solved for the time being, and it cost me almost nothing. My wife thinks I am a genius. “How’d you get those guys to do all that work for free?” she asked me. The truth is, I have no idea how I did it. I’m a bit worried about Jason. He’d done work for me before and I liked him. But I don’t have any contact info for him other than his phone number, and he no longer responds to calls or text messages. Lately, I’ve been having some electrical problems in my kitchen. If I run more than two appliances at once, I occasionally short out the entire kitchen. If anyone out there knows of an electrician who is willing to come to my house, fix all the wiring in the kitchen and then disappear before I can pay him for his work, please pass his name along to me. I’m afraid my wife will stop thinking I’m a genius if I actually have to pay for any of this work. Kevin Mims can be reached at kevinmims@sbcglobal.net n
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45
Wild Things LOCAL GROUP WANTS HELP CARING FOR INJURED, ORPHANED ANIMALS
BY TERRY KAUFMAN
I
DOING GOOD
t’s starting to get hot in Sacramento, and that means a few things. First, it means that all creatures great and small will be coming out of hibernation and populating our region with an abundance of colorful wildlife. But it also means that the competitive juices that lay dormant through the long, wet winter are starting to percolate. You what’s happening on the national political front, but did you know that there’s an equally exciting campaign going on in our own community? Read on.
WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE Now is the time for all good animal lovers to come to the aid of the vulnerable wildlife in our region. The nonprofit Wildlife Care Association is asking for volunteers to help injured, orphaned or displaced wildlife recover for release back to nature. At this time of year, the need for feeding and maintenance of wildlife in recovery is particularly urgent as the season brings a surge of babies of all types to WCA’s McClellan Park facility. WCA is kicking off a regular volunteer event on the third Saturday
46
ILP JUN n 16
of every month at the wildlife center. Beginning at 10 a.m., volunteers for Spruce UP Saturday will clean, clip and transform the former USAF radar facility into a real home for wildlife care. Volunteers with construction experience are needed to help build permanent squirrel caging at WCA. Anyone can help with hands-on assistance or make a donation to the nonprofit to help pay for wildlife nesting, food and medicine. WCA puts 88 cents of every dollar directly into wildlife care, with volunteers providing 98 percent of the labor. Call 965-9453 to leave a message about found or injured wildlife or visit wildlifecareassociation.com to make a donation or volunteer your time. Spruce UP Saturday volunteers must register with Laura at wcavolunteers@yahoo.com.
WILD ABOUT VIDEO The Wildlife Care Association is inviting young people to observe and record—but not to disturb—wildlife. Students with a good eye and a creative spirit are encouraged to capture in a 30-second video the birds or critters they see. With the help of their parents, boys and girls can go out into nature, film a summer safari video and send their clips to the WCA’s summer video safari challenge. The top videos will win prizes, but all who participate will learn about the outdoors and the wildlife that lives in our region. Ten entries will be chosen to be shown on Sacramento Access Cable Television. The 10 winners will receive a WCA T-shirt, and one finalist will be chosen at random to receive a year of free
martial arts training from Robinson’s Taekwondo.
Students are encouraged to capture in a 30-second video the birds or critters they see. Participants should send their name, age, phone, email, where the video was taken and what type of wildlife was observed, along with the video entry, to the Wildlife Care Association Facebook page. Click on Message to enter your information and attach the video as a paper clip file. Entries must be 30 seconds or less and taken by the entrant. Videos will be posted on the WCA Facebook page throughout the contest, which ends Aug. 15.
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR The competition is heating up for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man, Woman and Student of the Year titles. While raising funds for LLS blood cancer research, candidates compete in honor of children who are local blood cancer survivors. Every dollar raised counts as a vote for that candidate, and titles are awarded to the man, woman and student team with the most votes at the end of 10 weeks. Top local fundraisers then become eligible to win national titles. The campaign
ends in June, so there is just time to weigh in with your vote. The field boasts strong candidates in each category. Jeffrey Anderson of Coldwell Banker, Josh Palmer of Colliers International, Patrick Harbison of Patrick Harbison Public Relations and Rick Fergerson of Fergerson Financial are competing for Man of the Year. Woman of the Year contenders are Kachet JacksonHenderson of The Lipstick Giraffe, Lauren Kimzey with state and local government affairs at The Internet Association, Lucy Garcia of Keller Williams Realty and Nolana Mymka Daoust of Kaiser Permanente. High school teams competing for LLS Student of the Year include Allston Segale and Brian Bauer from Rio Americano and Jesuit High Schools; Andrew Guillen and Sean Woods from Folsom High; Anya McHugh and Shasta Fields from Davis Senior High; Cheryl Chen and Zahraa Ahmad, Debby He and Kathy Liu, and Bella Vallejo-Wolff and Haley Cogburn, all from C.K. McClatchy High; Jamila Kamara and Vanessa Herrera of Natomas Pacific Pathway Prep; and the teams of Jessica Gianulias and Natalie Woodruff, and Kate Caraska and Kate Haines, both of St. Francis High. The awards will be presented at the Grand Finale Gala on Saturday, June 11, at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. The gala will also be a celebration of the LLS’s 20th anniversary. For more information, contact Kathy Severson at Kathy.Severson@ lls.org or visit mwoy.org/sac. Terry Kaufman can be reached at terry@1greatstory.com n
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47
A Fine Mess PURPOSE LOST LEADS TO PURPOSE FOUND
BY NORRIS BURKES SPIRIT MATTERS
D
oes everything happen for a purpose? Or is God able to give us a purpose in spite of the messes we get ourselves into? These are questions I pondered in 2011 when the Peace Corps sent my daughter’s best friend, Ruth Bennett, to Catacamas, Honduras. Several months after her arrival, escalating violence caused the Peace Corps to transfer Ruth to La Florida in Opatoro, Honduras—a town so small, few of you will find it on a map. Ruth found such purpose in the small-town goodness of La Florida that she extolled its virtues to Sara, saying it had “chispa.” Pronounced cheez-pah, the word is Spanish for “spark.” Ruth was using it to describe a town that had the tenacity and drive to want to improve itself. Sara was so inspired by Ruth’s descriptive zeal that she flew to Honduras to see for herself. However, within days of her Christmas arrival, another Peace Corps worker was shot in a random bus robbery outside of San Pedro Sula. As a result, the Peace Corps ordered 158 volunteers to evacuate Honduras.
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Both Ruth and Sara took an immediate flight home, feeling they’d lost their purpose. However, I was secretly relieved. They’d dodged a bullet and come home without a scratch. But maybe not so much. Sara was working through her own lost purpose. Her four-year marriage was failing. She felt like she needed a break. So the following summer, she returned to La Florida to volunteer as a teacher in the rural, one-room school. As Sara’s dad, I feared for her safety, but I was more concerned with the personal despair that weighed her down and threatened to rob her of purpose. In the weeks that passed, something happened in Sara’s heart. God gave her a taste for helping people. She went with a thirst to make their lives better, even if it meant placing herself in jeopardy in a place abandoned by the Peace Corps.
Sara spent the summer teaching and raising money to buy children’s books, a rare item in the Honduran economy. She also organized efforts to build school classrooms, bathrooms and hand-washing stations for students.
Sara spent the summer teaching and raising money to buy children’s books, a rare item in the Honduran economy. Coinciding with her efforts, Sara’s church, Highlands Church of Denver, reviewed places where they might send their humanitarian dollars. Sara
suggested (her pastor might even say “badgered”) them to consider La Florida, Honduras. The good news came just as the bad news threatened to eclipse it. The church said yes to Honduras even as Sara’s marriage crumbled. Just when it seemed Sara had lost her purpose, she found the spark to start a nonprofit organization called Chispa Project inspired by her friend’s passionate description of La Florida. The project solicits book donations, inspires teacher development and sponsors international volunteer projects to Honduras. On the project website, chispaproject.org, Sara says the project gives direct ownership of the books to local schools and then trains the teachers and the PTA (padres de familia) to jointly manage the books. So far, donations have allowed her to send more than 7,000 books to more than 40 different schools. So what do you think? Was God able to help her find purpose in her mess? I think Sara put it best when she told me, “When we turn our ‘mess’ over to God, he makes the most of our mess.” This week, Sara returns to Honduras after several fundraisers in her home state of Colorado. As I put her on the plane, a Laurel and Hardy paraphrase came to mind: “Well, this is another fine mess God’s gotten you into.” Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author. He can be reached at norris@thechaplain.net n
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Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Sales Closed April 12 - May 9, 2016
95608 CARMICHAEL
6337 RAMPART DR $316,000 6643 OAKCREST AVE $270,000 5339 MONITOR $249,900 6501 MARKLEY WAY $277,000 6227 SILVERTON WAY $310,000 1661 DEL DAYO DR $1,165,000 5717 IVYTOWN LN $148,000 6049 CASA ALEGRE $169,000 3929 PARK CIRCLE LN #B $175,000 5903 VIA CASITAS $178,500 6411 ROLLING WAY $350,000 4420 STOLLWOOD DR $425,000 3827 HILLGROVE WAY $460,000 3940 HENDERSON WAY $360,000 3346-ONE HALF WALNUT AVE $374,000 6910 LISA MARIE WAY $460,000 5506 HASKELL AVE $365,000 2605 GUNN RD $480,000 7112 BORREGO WAY $485,000 2929 EASY WAY $270,000 5633 VALL CT $225,000 6313 MARKLEY WAY $228,000 6109 WOODHAVEN AVE $399,000 7110 STELLA LANE #17 $137,500 5732 WOODLEIGH DR $265,000 5117 ROBANDER ST $317,500 4725 MEYER WAY $345,000 3810 MAUDRAY WAY $399,000 5027 OLIVE OAK WAY $415,000 6200 MAHALA DR $499,000 5435 BRIDGE CREEK LN $655,000 2334 WALNUT AVE $280,000 4811 GIBBONS DR $387,500 5336 ROBERTSON AVE $236,888 5328 KENNETH AVE $287,000 6004 AMIR LN $319,000 4820 CORY CT $330,000 5405 PIXIE CT $297,500 2516 GUNN RD $299,000 6919 LINCOLN AVE $359,000 3961 CONTINENTAL WAY $268,000 4936 BROOKGLEN WAY $299,000 3979 HILLGROVE WAY $310,000 4801 JAN DR $318,000 4706 NELROY WAY $342,500 4679 HIXON CIR $409,000 3634 AVA WAY $625,000 1236 JACOB LN $730,000 6454 PERRIN WAY $325,000 6726 LINCOLN AVE $469,000 2528 LANDWOOD WAY $292,500 4712 MEYER WAY $317,900 6053 NORTHCREST CIR $330,000 5509 WHITFIELD WAY $349,900 5956 KENNETH AVE $355,000 7032 FAIR OAKS BLVD #7 $132,000 6256 TEMPLETON DR $246,000 5018 KENNETH AVE $267,500 6450 DORINDA WAY $302,000 3904 HENDERSON WAY $305,800 6409 RAMPART DR $306,500 5528 MANZANITA AVE $235,000 2536 LILLIAN LN $270,000 3626 MARSHALL AVE $274,000 4901 ENGLE RD $240,000 2670 FOOTHILL DR $266,000 5107 BELLWOOD WAY $330,000
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95811 MIDTOWN 1818 L ST #410 1818 L ST #305 1713 G ST 1818 L ST #407 1705 P ST
$454,000 $539,000 $460,000 $449,000 $560,000
95816 E SAC, MCKINLEY PARK 1137 38TH ST 1541 35TH ST 1433 36TH ST 862 38TH ST 515 22ND ST 2814 G ST 2605 T ST 1341 39TH ST 3141 O ST 1918 28TH ST 1616 SANTA YNEZ WAY 341 32ND ST 3560 P ST 310 36TH WAY 2508 D ST
95817 TAHOE PARK, ELMHURST 4000 2ND AVE 2947 39TH ST 2942 LA SOLIDAD WAY 3224 44TH ST 6269 3RD AVE 3217 32ND ST 2040 36TH ST 3531 40TH ST 2609 51ST ST 3883 7TH AVE 3121 SANTA CRUZ WAY 3501 33RD ST 2914 59TH ST 5000 Y ST 4024 3RD AVE 3052 8TH AVE 3217 SAN CARLOS WAY 2640 SANTA CRUZ WAY 2729 42ND ST 3945 U ST 4337 3RD AVE 2927 35TH ST 3211 32ND ST 3548 43RD ST 3140 X ST
$1,085,000 $570,000 $439,000 $755,000 $489,000 $690,000 $365,000 $1,250,000 $406,000 $409,000 $415,000 $423,500 $422,000 $686,000 $451,000
$259,500 $203,000 $241,000 $149,000 $335,000 $270,000 $365,000 $143,000 $391,000 $193,000 $147,000 $174,900 $309,500 $305,000 $325,000 $368,000 $175,000 $305,000 $340,000 $460,000 $255,000 $372,000 $140,000 $202,000 $260,000
95818 LAND PK, CURTIS PK 650 6TH AVE 605 SWANSTON DR 2708 17TH ST 3640 W CURTIS DR 2216 PORTOLA WAY 2667 21ST ST 2715 FLORENCE PL 3656 24TH ST 2783 LAND PARK DR 2416 27TH ST 520 MERKLEY WAY 2312-2314 4TH AVE 1828 BEVERLY WAY 1100 TENEIGHTH WAY 2755 25TH ST 2770 MUIR WAY 1759 8TH AVE
$452,000 $367,000 $499,000 $512,500 $560,000 $490,000 $396,000 $350,000 $502,000 $310,000 $356,000 $420,000 $410,000 $880,000 $472,000 $420,000 $830,000
2706 U ST 2566 16TH ST 983 VALLEJO WAY 618 4TH AVE 1230 7TH AVE 3169 CROCKER DR 2964 MUIR WAY 1062 PERKINS WAY
$329,900 $347,000 $445,000 $585,000 $735,000 $772,828 $460,000 $541,500
95819 E SAC, RIVER PARK 1864 53RD ST 1524 40TH ST 440 SANDBURG DR 1433 41ST 5911 NEWMAN CT #1 1438 51ST ST 911 42ND ST 1230 40TH ST 5328 ROGER WAY 4800 C ST 540 45TH ST 1473 51ST ST 130 TIVOLI WAY 522 LOVELLA WAY 5412 AILEEN 5526 CARLSON DR 109 51ST ST 4100 FOLSOM BLVD #6A 5809 CALLISTER AVE 63 PRIMROSE WAY 468 PALA WAY 4001 MCKINLEY BLVD 5323 SANDBURG DR 601 46TH ST
95821 ARDEN-ARCADE 2950 MARCONI AVE #109 2912 EDISON AVE 4020 HANCOCK DR 3044 BERTIS DR 2809 IONE 2831 CARSON WAY 2528 ETHAN WAY 3601 EASTERN 2143 RED ROBIN LN 3200 LERWICK RD 4601 EDISON AVE 3429 LEATHA WAY 4198 DENA WAY 4400 WHITNEY AVE 3602 LARCHMONT SQ LN 3001 GREENWOOD 3439 DEL MESA CT 3807 ANNADALE LN 4624 WYMAN DR 3349 EASTERN AVE 2611 BELL ST 3450 BEN LOMOND DR 2225 PYRAMID WAY 3012 FAIRWAYS CT 3940 SCOTTY WAY
$380,000 $813,000 $498,000 $821,500 $120,000 $480,000 $549,500 $795,000 $432,500 $700,001 $855,000 $336,000 $684,868 $404,900 $420,000 $361,000 $675,000 $555,000 $430,000 $515,000 $610,000 $630,000 $477,500 $560,000 $95,000 $220,000 $330,000 $222,000 $302,000 $346,000 $136,000 $295,000 $162,000 $300,000 $345,000 $249,000 $435,000 $319,900 $134,900 $249,000 $400,000 $125,000 $290,000 $275,000 $238,000 $439,000 $302,000 $280,000 $435,000
95822 SOUTH LAND PARK 39 QUASAR CIR 925 BELL AIR DR 4633 SUNSET DR 7425 TROON WAY 1420 SHERWOOD AVE 7338 SPRINGMAN ST 2625 51ST AVE 7311 STRATFORD ST
$101,000 $408,900 $505,000 $199,900 $775,000 $171,200 $199,000 $230,000
2132 56TH AVE 7567 29TH ST 4641 MEAD AVE 2347 IRVIN WAY 1237 43RD AVE 2241 62ND AVE 2354 MURIETA WAY 7031 DEMARET DR 7573 LEMARSH 2008 NEWPORT AVE 2100 BERG AVE 2224 18TH AVE 7339 21ST ST 7561 19TH ST 7490 18TH STREET 6884 23RD ST 1781 68TH AVE 4666 CABANA WAY 1466 KITCHNER 7444 AMHERST ST 51 QUASAR CIR 7090 16TH ST 4920 HELEN WAY 2171 MONTECITO WAY 2429 YREKA AVE 2233 HOLLYWOOD WAY 7561 21ST ST 1984 68TH AVENUE 1240 35TH AVE 7291 15TH ST 1818 WENTWORTH AVE 4510 CAPRI WAY 2716 53RD AVE 1733 65TH AVE 4340 CONSTANCE LN
$250,000 $236,000 $566,000 $278,000 $405,000 $205,000 $222,000 $292,500 $225,000 $247,000 $200,000 $255,000 $180,000 $165,000 $228,000 $235,000 $251,000 $710,000 $180,000 $214,500 $137,000 $300,000 $415,000 $225,000 $250,000 $335,000 $216,000 $245,000 $360,000 $237,000 $510,000 $613,000 $150,000 $291,000 $400,000
95825 ARDEN
840 COMMONS DR $365,000 1019 DORNAJO WAY #168 $96,900 2412 POST OAK LN $119,750 3108 VIA GRANDE $171,500 507 ELMHURST CIR $378,000 740 WOODSIDE LANE EAST #8 $80,000 2278 WOODSIDE LN #1 $265,000 146 HARTNELL PL $205,000 2356 COTTAGE WAY $223,000 1309 BELL ST $230,000 1250 COMMONS DR $695,000 2129 BYRON RD $188,500 887 WOODSIDE LN #4 $82,500 2209 LANDON LN $300,000 633 WOODSIDE SIERRA #3 $195,000 2448 PARKWOOD DR $215,000 511 WOODSIDE OAKS #4 $175,000 2216 WELDON WAY $325,000 106 DUNBARTON CIR $419,000 327 FAIRGATE RD $618,542 606 WOODSIDE SIERRA $100,000 1049 BELL #14 $150,000 407 DUNBARTON CIR $386,000 125 HARTNELL PL $397,000 504 ELMHURST CIR $455,000 2458 LARKSPUR LN #335 $99,900
95831 GREENHAVEN, SOUTH LAND PARK 6328 LEAF AVE 6725 POCKET RD 7677 RIVER VILLAGE DR 6601 S LAND PARK DR
$290,000 $415,000 $423,000 $325,000
2 NADER CT 7584 POCKET RD 7443 MYRTLE VISTA AVE 6713 13TH ST 1000 GLIDE FERRY WAY 2 RIO VIALE CT 18 RIO VIALE CT 7688 EL DOURO DR 7490 WINDBRIDGE DR 5 TASH CT 7301 GLORIA DR 36 RIO VIALE CT 676 CASTLE RIVER WAY 715 CUTTING WAY 7151 WESTMORELAND WAY 1304 BRANWOOD WAY 15 RIVERSTAR CIR 6700 BREAKWATER 6196 N POINT WAY 1052 JOHNFER WAY 1 SAND PEBBLE CT 15 RAMBLEOAK CIR 1167 CEDAR TREE WAY 1308 56TH AVE 19 TRIUMPH CT #LOT 4 7316 WINDBRIDGE DR 1167 SPRUCE TREE CIR 7470 SALTON SEA WAY 865 ROYAL GREEN AVE 310 CRUISE WAY 1125 WESTLYNN WAY 1030 SILVER LAKE DR 6432 HOLSTEIN WAY 14 BASIL CT 743 RIVERLAKE WAY 670 RIVERLAKE WAY 7790 RIVER LANDING 1028 RIO CIDADE WAY
95864 ARDEN
848 PICCADILLY CIR 3132 SOMERSET RD 2609 LATHAM DR 580 KEVINGTON CT 4656 OXBOW DR 4140 ASHTON DR 3711 RANDOM LN 2008 EASTERN AVE 847 ROBIN LN 3584 BODEGA CT 4144 LAGUNITA CT 3841 ESPERANZA DR 3407 WEMBERLEY DR 4256 BIRGIT WAY 2750 LAUREL DR 4021 LAS PASAS WAY 1107 EVELYN LN 3128 BERKSHIRE WAY 3941 LA VERNE WAY 3625 LA HABRA WAY 1465 EL TEJON WAY 771 CORONADO BLVD 3525 EL RICON WAY 3009 HUNTINGTON RD 3004 HUNTINGTON RD 4635 OXBOW DR 1001 LA SIERRA DRIVE 2067 VENUS DR 3701 SAN YSIDRO WAY 930 SAVERIEN DR
$360,000 $285,000 $285,500 $455,000 $456,000 $369,000 $399,000 $625,000 $234,000 $382,500 $240,500 $409,000 $312,000 $315,000 $355,000 $365,000 $460,000 $467,000 $680,000 $238,000 $367,500 $336,000 $300,000 $329,000 $675,900 $270,000 $284,000 $355,000 $405,000 $415,000 $315,000 $378,000 $501,000 $332,000 $400,000 $568,500 $692,000 $710,100
$860,000 $205,500 $555,000 $800,000 $405,000 $689,000 $1,200,000 $281,000 $856,000 $422,000 $515,000 $692,000 $150,000 $337,000 $1,775,000 $482,000 $170,000 $210,000 $220,000 $465,000 $920,000 $1,300,000 $567,000 $660,000 $745,000 $304,080 $531,000 $339,000 $521,000 $725,000
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51
Meet the Maestro HE’S CONDUCTED GENERATIONS OF YOUNG MUSICIANS
BY JESSICA LASKEY
another natural talent: working with children. “Young people resonate very well with me,” Neumann says. “They really keep me going. I feel like I’m making a positive impact.” When a position as assistant conductor of the now-defunct Sacramento Symphony opened up in 1978, Neumann jumped at the chance to return to California. He took over the attached youth music group, Sacramento Youth Symphony, the next year. He has now overseen it for the better part of four decades.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
W
hen you’re a Sacramento Youth Symphony musician playing under the baton of conductor and artistic director Michael Neumann, you’re not just learning to perfect your technique or traveling the world to perform in places like China, England, Scotland, Wales, Russia, Estonia, Finland, Brazil and Costa Rica. You’re also learning life lessons like accountability, responsibility and punctuality that will serve you as a human as well as an artist. “I like to incorporate ‘Neumannisms’ into rehearsals,” says Neumann, who took over the symphony of young musicians in 1979. “For example, I talk to them about their definition of intimacy. I get a few giggles, and then I explain to them: My definition of intimacy is ‘into me you see,’ which means you have to look deeper than the façade of a smile. You have to try to know how someone feels inside. I like to give the kids philosophical food for thought. Many conductors just stick to the music, but part of what I do is give them tidbits to think about.” He has plenty to share with his students, if his own life story is any indication. After emigrating from South Africa to San Francisco with his family at age 13, Neumann entered Lowell High School and almost immediately got involved in the music program, becoming concertmaster of the junior high and high school orchestras and of the San Francisco All City Honor Orchestra. He had been studying violin—the instrument of all concertmasters,
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“Ever since the age of 14, I’d been interested in conducting.”
Michael Neumann
he explains—since he was about 7. After high school, he received a full scholarship to University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music with a focus on violin performance and a master’s in orchestral conducting. “Ever since the age of 14, I’d been interested in conducting,” the Curtis
Park resident explains. “It seemed like the next step after playing an instrument.” After graduation, Neumann worked for five years as assistant conductor with Alabama’s Birmingham Symphony. While there, he took over the Birmingham Youth Symphony as part of his daily duties and discovered
“I instigated the independence of the SYS when I saw the writing on the wall” about the impending demise of the Sacramento Symphony, says Neumann, who also served as the founding music director of Folsom Lake Symphony from 2004 to 2014. “I saw that we could be a very viable, stand-alone organization with our own board of directors, which would allow us to chart our own course and be masters of our own destiny.” Under Neumann’s leadership, the youth symphony has grown from a single orchestra of 60 young musicians to five ensembles and chamber music workshops with 400 participants. The symphony began traveling internationally in 1984 with NEIGHBOR page 55
An Uplifting Career RUSS FULLER HAS LOVED WORKING ON GARAGE DOORS HIS WHOLE LIFE
BY JESSICA LASKEY
R
can see the potential of different styles. The garage door is the second return on investment in your home, second only to the front door. It takes up an average of 30 percent of the front of your house! So by changing the garage door, you can change the look of your house.” Luckily for Fuller’s customers, he’s well-versed in the latest innovations coming down the industry turnpike, like garage doors designed to look like old-fashioned carriage house doors or barn doors that actually roll up with ease. Or the newest faux-finish products on the market that make it look like your cars are protected by stunning wood panels when in fact the door is made from hearty steel that requires little to no maintenance, and will run you an average of $2,000 versus $8,000 for real wood. “It’s exciting to see new things coming out, to see how our industry is making better products,” Fuller says. “Also, because I’m independent, I can buy from any manufacturer I want, which allows me to give the client the best product available for each project." Thanks to Fuller’s decades in the business, clients know that they’re getting the best tools, and wielder of those tools, for the job. “I take great pride in my work,” Fuller says, “and I think it shows.”
SHOPTALK
uss Fuller knows what it takes to be a one-man band. Or, in his case, as the owner and sole operator of Garage Door Center Sacramento, a one-man garage door installation team. He’s more than cut out for the job. “In this industry, you can be one of two things,” Fuller explains. You can be the owner and also wear the tool belt, or you can run a big machine. Because I’m so meticulous, I keep steering the ship myself. After 32 years, I feel like I’ve got it figured out.” Fuller’s more than three decades in the garage door business started when he was a teenager. His mother worked as a scheduler for a garage door company and he started going out to job sites during the summers when he was only 15. By unloading the trucks and hanging out around industry pros, he got to know the products well enough to be an apprentice starting that following summer. By the time he got to college, he was attending classes at night so he could work full time as a garage door technician by day, a gig he’d pretty much prepared for his entire young adulthood. “Everyone older than me in the industry told me not to get into it,” Fuller says with a chuckle. “It’s a tough job and your body takes a beating, but I love it.” Eight years ago, Fuller struck out on his own and he now focuses his expertise on track work, doors for custom builders and, his favorite, unique doors for homeowners.
Ready to increase your house’s curb appeal? Call Fuller at Garage Door Center Sacramento at 452-5802 or visit gdcsac.com.
Russ Fuller is the owner of Garage Door Center Sacramento
“I like homeowners best because I love educating them,” Fuller says. “When I get a call for an estimate, I
go out and take photos of the house and Photoshop multiple kinds of garage doors onto the image so people
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n
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Exercise as Elixir WHY DRIVE WHEN YOU CAN WALK OR BIKE?
BY WALT SEIFERT GETTING THERE
P
ublic health officials plead with people to get more physical activity. They suggest parking farther away from destinations instead of hunting for the closest spot in the lot. They tout taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I guess every little bit helps, but come on. Unless you park a quarter mile away or work in a high-rise office tower, those are literally tiny steps indeed. It shows how far expectations have fallen about people’s ability and willingness to be physically active. Our culture seems to be built on avoiding exertion, not embracing it. A tennis colleague told me he drives the three quarters of a mile from home to work instead of walking or biking. He plays tennis for hours at a time, so avoiding exercise on his commute probably doesn’t hurt his health, but why drive when the alternative is so simple? Far too many people get far too little exercise when healthy physical activity could easily be part of daily life. Active transportation—walking and biking— is an astonishingly convenient way to make exercise routine without setting aside lots of extra time.
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The health and economic consequences of the American lack of physical activity have been catastrophic. Diabetes is epidemic. Heart and vascular diseases are rampant killers. All of us share in the resulting skyrocketing costs of health coverage. Meanwhile, it’s been evident for quite a while that exercise is better than any drug. Not only does it help prevent and treat diseases; its side effects tend to be positive instead of frightening. Weight loss, stress relief and increased longevity all are related results. That’s a lot better than the litany of the scary, and
sometimes horrific, side effects that can accompany popping a pill. Instead of avoiding exercise when getting around, I seek it out—an attitude that makes a difference. I seize the opportunity that short trips provide to be active. A national survey indicates 40 percent of trips are less than 2 miles. I welcome the chance to walk or bike in my beautiful East Sacramento neighborhood. I bike to the gym (2 miles) and arrive in 12 minutes already warmed up. It’s been many years since I drove there.
My wife and I usually bike to the varied fine restaurants in Midtown and downtown, including Biba. It’s satisfying for me to see bike racks (some provided free through a city program) now featured at many restaurants and coffee shops, though Biba hasn’t yet gotten one of the green SacRacks on offer. (Biba told us after lunch, when we mentioned the need for bike parking, “My customers don’t ride bikes.” It was a puzzling response since we were holding our bike helmets, and a guy in a bike jersey was dining at a table nearby.) Still, even without nice-to-have racks, it’s easier to get close and to park a bike than park a car. The difference in total travel time is negligible. It might even be faster to bike. Going home after a dinner out in the spring, summer and fall, it’s a delight to be riding on our dark, cool, quiet, mostly empty neighborhood streets. Short neighborhood trips are an especially convenient way to get exercise. You don’t have to don special athletic gear; just go. A trip to the drugstore, post office or soccer practice shouldn’t take too much out of you, but it does take a car off the road, which is good for everyone. Another tennis colleague lives several blocks from his club. He drove to the club, discovered a special event was going on and there was no close by parking. He wound up driving back home and walking. Why not walk in the first place? Technology offers a new way to get into the habit of exercising. Humorist and author David Sedaris wrote a piece about how a Fitbit
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LoreneWarren.com bracelet incentivized his walking around his home in England. He started doing 10,000 steps a day to get the rewarding Fitbit tingle. If he could do 10,000 steps, why not more? He added steps whenever he could. He walked the 3,895 steps to the local pub and back after dinner instead of cocooning. He wound up at 60,000 steps, walking some nine hours a day while picking up litter, simultaneously satisfying his desire for order. He wrote, “You can tell where my territory ends, and the rest of England begins.” It’s not necessary to go to extremes. There’s a difference between getting some additional activity and engaging in compulsive behavior. Exercise can be a bit addictive, but it’s an addiction that should be liberating, not debilitating. When you’ve got a choice on how to get there, think about choosing a way that includes the elixir of exercise. Walt Seifert is a bicyclist, driver and transportation writer. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net n
NEIGHBOR FROM page 53 a trip to Vienna, Austria, where it took second place in an international competition. (In 1995, it took first place.) “My intention has been to establish high standards and maintain them while we slowly but surely grow in numbers,” says Neumann, who now conducts only the Premier Orchestra so he can oversee the artistic and administrative sides of the organization. “Everyone has to re-audition to get in every year, which keeps them on their toes instead of resting on their laurels. I feel very honored and grateful to work with such high-quality young people who are talented and intelligent in so many ways in addition to music. They’re an inspiration to me.”
Explore and celebrate some of Sacramento’s best mid-century modern architecture, including cool ranch homes!
Saturday, June 18, 2016 9AM to 3PM
Details and tickets: sacmcmhometour.bpt.me
More than 1,000 musicians performed in the largest concert of its kind to date. 201 As the youth symphony celebrates its 60th season this year, Neumann is working on bigger and better things to stretch the organization, like the Symphony of 1000 he orchestrated in 2014. More than 1,000 musicians of all ages performed at Memorial Auditorium in the largest concert of its kind to date. (The Guinness Book of World Records took notice.) Neumann plans to top that this year with the Symphony of 2000, adding 1,000 singers to the mix. “I like to attempt things outside of the traditional box,” he explains. “Classical music speaks the same language no matter where or who you are.” For more information about the Sacramento Youth Symphony’s 60th anniversary season, visit sacramentoyouthsymphony.org. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n
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Cute, Not Crawly SCIENCE UNDERPINS HOBBY FOR LOCAL SNAKE ENTHUSIASTS
BY DR. AMY ROGERS SCIENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
I
knew this was an unusual community science event when the announcer asked the audience, “Does anyone have a reptile on you?” The Northern California Herpetological Society, a group of Sacramentans interested in the conservation, care and breeding of “herps” (reptiles and amphibians), meets the first Friday of every month at Arden Manor Community Center. The meetings are open to the public, and even though I’m not a snake owner, I was intrigued. I’d heard that UC Davis Ph.D. student Donnelly West was slated to discuss the genetics of color and pattern in ball pythons—with live examples. And so I met Peter the Piebald Python and discovered people committed to learning the latest herpetology science for the benefit of their zero-legged friends. According to NCHS president Linda Boyko, “Science is a very big part of NCHS.” At the time of NCHS’s first meeting in 1982, technical information about health and genetics for captive snakes and lizards was hard to come by. Longtime member Sue Solomon says,
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“Herpetoculturists generally caught and kept wild snakes because there were very few captive breeders and sellers. As far as I know, nobody had lizards except for chuckwallas, which were relatively easy to capture in southern California and Mexico, and iguanas in Mexico and Arizona.” (Nowadays, to conserve wild populations, NCHS promotes the acquisition of captive-bred animals.) In those pre-Internet days, NCHS was
formed to help owners learn from one another and from experts. Experts, many of them from UC Davis, give lectures at NCHS every month. Recent topics include the ecology of California’s red-legged frogs and fungal diseases of snakes. The day I attended, I got an excellent overview of dominant and recessive genes and learned that, just as some people breed dogs or horses
for unusual coat colors, some breed snakes. If the thought of breeding snakes for fun freaks you out, NCHS members argue that the best way to overcome a fear of snakes is to learn more about them. Alexandria Fulton, events and programs director for NCHS, says, “Most of the ‘scary’ behavior of a snake is just them trying to protect their lives despite their small size and the rather large size of a human.” Is it true that if you meet a snake in person, you’ll find they aren’t as intimidating as you thought? I confess that I was surprisingly charmed by West’s ball pythons. These mediumsized, mellow reptiles traveled in a big plastic tub, each snake inside its own pillowcase-like bag, where they seemed perfectly content to ball up and keep warm. When lifted out to meet the crowd, each python had its own personality, wrapping around its handler’s arm and raising its head to say hello. (I expect I have failed to convince the skeptics, but believe it or not, they were actually cute.) Reptiles and amphibians besides snakes are also part of the club. At the meeting I attended, a bearded dragon (a type of lizard) clung to its owner’s shoulder. NCHS members also work with the Sacramento Zoo on a nationwide citizen science project called Frog Watch. In this program, people monitor the frog calls from a local water source and record the information in a national database. This helps scientists monitor amphibian populations, which are considered a marker of environmental health.
NCHS is committed to rescue and rehabilitation. Members provide foster care and adoptions of abandoned animals. Boyko says, “We rescue many discarded reptiles that come to us or are found outdoors despite being nonnative species. It’s sad that many think it’s OK to just put your pet out with the trash.” Released pet herps usually perish, but even worse, nonnative animals might establish a breeding population in the wild. The red-eared slider turtle and the common water snake are examples of invasive species that threaten California habitats as a result of people releasing their pets.
“Most of the ‘scary’ behavior of a snake is just them trying to protect their lives despite their small size and the rather large size of a human.” Education is another club priority. NCHS strives to provide quality live-animal education presentations to the public through schools and youth and civic groups. They participate in many public animal outreach events. Members use live animals to teach about care and husbandry procedures for reptiles and amphibians. If you’re intrigued, NCHS invites you to attend a monthly meeting. Visit norcalherp.com or the group’s Facebook page for the latest news. The website also offers suggestions of local herping spots: places in the Sacramento Valley where you can spot reptiles and amphibians in the wild. To bring Donnelly West’s friendly ball pythons to your party or educational event, visit papayapythons.com or Peter Pied Python on Facebook. Do you have a story idea for Science in the Neighborhood? Email Amy@ AmyRogers.com n
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iplomacy gave way to tough questions and blunt answers as the three leading candidates to become Sacramento’s next mayor held the most bruising debate of the campaign before a capacity audience at Clunie Community Center on May 11. The event, sponsored by Inside Publications and KFBK radio, featured Darrell Steinberg, Angelique Ashby and Tony Lopez fielding questions submitted by neighborhood associations. A highlight came when the candidates were given the opportunity to ask questions of each other. Addressing Steinberg directly, Ashby accused the former state senator of amassing a campaign war chest of money from donors outside Sacramento, potentially for a run at lieutenant governor. Steinberg denied he was planning to run for higher office and suggested Ashby was frustrated because her campaign has lagged. He said, “I’ve outworked you and I’ve outraised you.” Earlier, Ashby, a Sacramento city councilmember, accused Steinberg of raiding local budgets while he was leader of the Senate. “We don’t have the luxury of going to local governments and taking away their tax shares to balance the budget,” she said. Lopez, a former world champion boxer who owns a bail bond agency in Sacramento, said neither of his opponents had real strategies to solve the city’s problems, which include insufficient jobs, poor public transportation, homelessness and crime. “I’ll use common sense,” Lopez said. “How are you going to fix these things?” Topics included access to the Sacramento River levee parkway, with all three candidates saying they favored opening the parkway to public use. Currently, private fences block parts of the levee. The two-hour debate was moderated by Inside columnist R.E. Graswich, KFBK news anchor Kitty O’Neal and KFBK host and former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com
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Seeing Into the Future THIS ARTIST SPINS CRAZY IDEAS—AND SOME OF THEM COME TRUE
BY JESSICA LASKEY ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
S
teven M. Johnson’s business card reads “Artist, Whimsicalist, Possibilitist.” It’s an apt description of a man who’s spent the better part of six decades drawing what he describes as “cleverly conceived nonsense”: contraptions like the Chaise Lawn (a lawn mower that doubles as outdoor furniture), the Closet Car (“Every girl wants one of these”) and the Portable Fallout Shelter (dreamed up during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962).
“Drawing is a format that lets me run with my imagination,” Johnson explains. “Artists don’t mind wasting time thinking things up.” “My temperament has always been future-oriented,” Johnson explains over lemonade at Bella Bru near his Carmichael home. “I love the idea that you can think into the future—and to what degree you can predict it.” Johnson’s artwork has proven to be fairly prescient over the years. He predicted the trend of pre-torn clothing in a drawing in 1975, as well as computer screens inside a pair of glasses in 1992—long before
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Google Glass came to be. Johnson even offered up some of his kooky creations—flippers with fish hooks attached, a helmet with a hairstyle, loafers with flashlights in the toes, among others—for a naming contest in 2010 and 2011 as part of his “Museum of Possibilities” feature on Neatorama. com. “Drawing is a format that lets me run with my imagination,” Johnson explains. “Artists don’t mind wasting time thinking things up.” Johnson has hardly been wasting his time. While keeping up a steady side business of inventive illustrations and a witty website called Patent Depending, he’s also worked as an urban planner, a newspaper artist for The Sacramento
Bee and a future trends analyst for Honda. The Bay Area native studied architecture and journalism at UC Berkeley and Yale University. But
it wasn’t until 1973, when Johnson was 35, that he truly tapped into his creative potential.
“Before I began to think of myself as an inventor, I was doing cartoons with an environmental theme for Cry California, The Sierra Club Bulletin and Wilderness,” Johnson recalls. “An editor for Sierra Club asked me to invent future recreation vehicles. One of those drawings got published in Harper’s when I was 37.” That first foray into predicting the unpredictable proved fruitful for Johnson. Since then, his work has been featured in publications like Road & Track, Utne Reader, Whole Earth Review, Esquire, The Futurist, Design Mind, Good and Fast Company, as well as Japanese magazines Box and Brutus. Ten Speed Press published three editions of his book “What the World Needs Now: A Resource Book for Daydreamers, Frustrated Inventors, Cranks, Efficiency Experts, Utopians, Gadgeteers, Tinkerers and Just About
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Steven M. Johnson
Everybody Else” in 1984, 2001 and 2012, and St. Martin’s Press published his book “Public Therapy Buses, Information Specialty Bums, Solar Cook-A-Mats and Other Visions of the 21st Century” in 1991. ohnson self-published an expanded second and third edition of “Public Therapy” and a new book, “Have Fun Inventing,” in 2012, as well as his most recent tome, “Patent Depending: Vehicles,” this year. Johnson travels to comic conventions, expos and fairs to hawk his wares and meet other likeminded creatives. “I started getting into expos in 2009,” says Johnson, who has an uncanny ability to recall dates with calendarlike precision. “I love meeting all these different people and artists I admire. I even shared a booth at the Maker Faire in San Mateo with a UC
Berkeley astronomer. I fell into doing fairs, but it’s becoming a lifestyle.” JAll that travel means lots of long drives, but Johnson is not one to be deterred from working wherever he can. To wit, he invented an automobile drafting board that sits at an angle against the dashboard and is outfitted in black Naugahyde to match the car’s interior. (He points out he’s not aware of any laws prohibiting drawing while driving.) With his sketch pad at hand, his head full of ideas and the open road ahead, the 77-year-old isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. “It’s not like I’ve had this master plan at all,” Johnson admits. But if his artwork is any indication, this artist, whimsicalist and possibilitist has the future pretty much figured out. To see the inner workings of Johnson’s creative cranium, visit patentdepending.com n
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Musical Mantras BAND FROM NEW ORLEANS NEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
BY JESSICA LASKEY RIVER CITY PREVIEWS
T
he E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts (casually known as CLARA to those “in the know”) is already hopping with performances from the Sacramento Ballet, so keep the party going with the Mantra Music Concert featuring Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band at 6 p.m.,on Sunday, June 5. Hailing from New Orleans, Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band (aka Alvin Young and Gwendolyn Colman) are celebrated as some of the leading voices in western kirtan—music meant to both reflect and inspire spiritual devotion in the listener—through their dynamic sound that merges mantras, rock, funk, gospel and world grooves. The band is a favorite headliner at festivals nationwide and was the first kirtan band to ever play the New Orleans Jazz Festival. This concert’s kirtan experience will draw from the group’s newest release, “Unity,” a collection of 10 soul-stirring songs that explore spiritual mantra music through the guts and authenticity of the musicians’ own American roots. For tickets, go to wildlotus2016. brownpapertickets.com. Check out at the band at
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Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band will be performing at The E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts
seanjohnsonandthewildlotusband. com. The E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts is at 2420 N St.
HEART OF GLASS Dale Chihuly aficionados already have been treated to the arrival of the renowned glass sculptor’s stunning “Golden Teal Chandelier” in the entryway of the Crocker Art Museum’s Teel Family Pavilion, but brace yourselves for some even more exciting news: This month kicks off the museum’s Summer of Glass, featuring three exhibitions highlighting glass from the ancient to the present.
First up is “Little Dreams in Glass and Metal: Enameling in America, 1920 to the Present,” which runs June 19 through Sept. 11. As the first nationally traveling exhibition to survey the art of enameling in more than 50 years, the show has been organized by the Los Angelesbased Enamel Arts Foundation and includes 121 works by 90 artists, including the late Sacramentan Fred Uhl Ball, considered a pioneer in the field. Objects range from jewelry and vessels to large enamel-on-steel wall panels. Another cool Crocker exhibition opens this month as well, “Ourselves Through the Lens: Photography From
the Ramer Collection,” on display June 19 through Oct. 23. By training the camera on individual personalities and circumstances, photographers such as James Van Der Zee, Graciela Iturbide and Luis Gonzalez Palma sought to capture the emotional lives of others. This exhibition of 44 images examines our very human impulse to look and the ways photography directs such visual encounters. Photographers included in this exhibition include Arnold Genthe, Leonard Freed, Edward Steichen, Flor Garduno, Raul Canibano, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Shelby Lee Adams,
Sebastião Selgado and Jennifer Karady. Be loud and proud from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, at ArtMix “Pride.” Follow the rainbow to the Crocker for a fabulous celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, featuring live performances, art from socialjustice activist Moe Otanez, dancing, a drag show, mix-and-mingle games and much more. The event is for guests 21 and over and it’s free for museum members and free with general admission for nonmembers. Enjoy food and drink discounts during happy hour from 5 to 6 p.m. and $5 drink specials all night. Ready to party hearty in your very own neighborhood? The Crocker’s new Block by Block program started last month to much excitement, so jump on the next block party bandwagon from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, at Steve Jones Park in South Sacramento. This free community event is a Crocker initiative that focuses on Sacramento City Council districts 2, 5 and 8 to strengthen connections between the museum and its broader community. It will feature food, artists, musicians, community groups, dancers, DJs, urban gardeners, poets, performers, culinary artists and all kinds of creative souls for a party you won’t want to miss. The project is funded by the James Irvine Foundation and is presented in partnership with the Sol Collective and Sojourner Truth Museum. Steve Jones Park is at 2331 Casa Linda Drive. Get back to basics with the Classical Concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, featuring Black Cedar, a performance of guitar, flute and cello to celebrate the final week of the “Andy Warhol: Portraits” exhibition. This unique ensemble will highlight new works by contemporary composers and rarely performed classical works, including the 2015 work “Miscellaneous Music” by Durwynne Hsieh, commissioned by the group itself. Tickets are $6 for museum members, $10 for students, youths and Capital Public Radio members, and $12 for nonmembers.
Craving some jazz? Don’t miss Jazz Night on Thursday, June 16, when the Joe Gilman Quartet and Jamie Davis perform on the Cafe Stage at 5:30 p.m. and on the Main Stage at 6:30 p.m., respectively. The Joe Gilman Quartet, led by acclaimed jazz pianist Joe Gilman, will delight with a performance of “Summertime” from the George Gershwin songbook, and Davis’ rich baritone repertoire will feature music from Cole Porter to Stevie Wonder to Charles Mingus. Online tickets are $7 for museum members, $12 for students, youths and Capital Public Radio members, and $14 for nonmembers (tickets are an additional $3 at the door). Is the heat making you thirsty and ready to test your artistic mettle? Then Summer Crafts and Cocktails from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, is right up your alley. Join the Crocker in the courtyard for an evening of refreshing cocktails and festive crafting. You’ll be provided with a variety of supplies to create summer treasures and 4th of July decorations. Each ticket includes one cocktail or two nonalcoholic refreshers, and a no-host cash bar will be available throughout the evening. Museum admission is included. For tickets and more information for all Crocker events, call 808-1182 or go to crockerartmuseum.org. The Crocker Art Museum is at 216 O St.
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE SON The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree for Dijana and Laurence Harding. See works by the artistic mother and son—the first exhibition for 31-yearold Laurence—at the Red Dot Gallery from June 1 through July 2. The exhibition (organized by Sacramento-based artist/curator Robert-Jean Ray) will feature Dijana’s poetically expressive paintings that guide the viewer through life’s journeys and her son’s figurative, representational and abstract compositions rich with space, contour, line and gesture. Congratulate them in person at the private viewing reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. For more
Laurence Harding's artwork is on display at Red Dot Gallery startig June 1
information, call 267-8100 or go to reddotgalleryonj.com. The Red Dot Gallery is at 2231 J St., Suite 101.
LEND A PAW Helping hands needed! The nonprofit Wildlife Care Association (WCA) is asking people in the Sacramento region to become part of its valued volunteer corps to help injured, orphaned or displaced wildlife recover for release back to nature. The need for community volunteers for the care, feeding and maintenance of wildlife in recovery is urgent, as the spring always brings a surge of youngsters in need of assistance at the WCA’s McClellan Park facility. Last season, the WCA took in 6,000 creatures, everything from hummingbirds to coyotes, for rest and eventual return to the regional environment. As economic development and human impacts are
greater and greater every year, every extra pair of hands helps the group that has aided displaced wildlife since 1975. But people need help, too! The 2-acre former radar dome at McClellan (now home to the WCA) is also in need of ongoing care and maintenance. If you have skills with landscape or facilities maintenance, you can be of great service at the WCA’s monthly volunteer event on the third Saturday of every month, Spruce UP Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. You’ll help clean, clip and transform the former radar facility into a real home for wildlife care. This season’s focus is building permanent squirrel caging. Interested in pitching in? Spruce UP Saturday volunteers must register with Laura at wcavolunteers@yahoo. com. For more information, call 965PREVIEWS page 62
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Don't miss the Michelle Andres exhibit at ARTHOUSE
PREVIEWS FROM page 61
TRUCK MONTH(S)
Are you a truck lover? Then drive yourself down to Old Sacramento to the California Automobile Museum ASAP to revel in its ongoing exhibit “The Pickup Truck: Where Utility Meets the Everyday,” on display now through Sept. 11. HAIL CESAR! With 12 trucks on view dating from 1935 to the present, the exhibit For Francophiles and film lovers aims to demonstrate the evolution alike, the Sacramento French of the iconic pickup truck from an Film Festival is an event not to be everyday work vehicle to its place missed. Help the cinematic sensation celebrate its 15th anniversary on June in today’s culture as a popular recreational vehicle. The collection 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 at both the includes a 1925 Dodge (from the Crest Theatre (the festival’s original home) and a new, one-day-only venue, California Department of Fish and Wildlife), a 1931 Model A (the first the Esquire IMAX Theatre. mass-produced pickup), a 1951 GMC Take in rare classics, fresh and a 1956 Ford F100 (two of the shorts, new releases and the most world’s most famous working trucks), Cesar Award-winning (the French equivalent of the Oscar) films straight a 1957 Chevy Cameo (considered a “game changer” in the industry for its from the land of chic ennui. You can body style reminiscent of a Corvette), catch screenings all day long on all a 1974 Hilux (a small and fuelof the event days, but don’t miss the efficient import) and a Modern Ford 15th anniversary opening reception on June 17 immediately following the F150 (with its modern technology, opening screening, around 9 p.m.; the aluminum body and energy-efficient engine). special IMAX screenings on Sunday, The exhibit also will include June 19, only; or the closing reception storyboards that highlight the origin featuring a champagne fountain (what else would you expect?), dessert of the trucks and societal influencers during various time periods, and and live music. museum guests can participate in For tickets and more interactive elements such as “selfie information, call 476-3356 or go to sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org. The stations” (where you can dress in period attire) and a matching game. Crest Theatre is at 1013 K St., and For more information, call 442the Esquire IMAX Theatre is at 1211 6802 or go to calautomuseum.org. The K St. WILD (965-9453) to leave a message about found or injured wildlife or go to wildlifecareassociation.com. The Wildlife Care Association is at 5211 Patrol Road at McClellan Park.
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Registration is now open for the 2016 Senior Summer Camps at Camp Sacramento
California Auto Museum is at 2200 Front St.
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what if that picture is literally made of them? That’s the case at ARTHOUSE on R’s current exhibition, “See It With Words,” on display from June 10 through July 5.
Registration is now open for the 2016 Senior Summer Camps at Camp Sacramento. This unique exhibit features abstract works by Sacramento artists Michelle Andres and Judy Jacobs, both published authors as well as artists, which might explain their use of poetry, prose and haiku in their abstract and mixed media large format diptychs. Meet both artists and see where they work at the opening reception from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, that will also feature an open studio tour. A closing reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 1, during the R Street Art Walk.
For more information, go to arthouseonr.com, michelleandres.com and judyjacobsart.com. ARTHOUSE on R is at 1021 R St.
RETURN TO SUMMER CAMP Registration is now open for the 2016 Senior Summer Camps at Camp Sacramento, part of the 50+ Wellness Program run by the city of Sacramento’s Older Adult Services. Relive the childhood fun of summer camp with your peers and your very own grandkids in the majestic Sierras during Grand Camp, held Aug. 15-19, or Arts in the Sierras, held Aug. 22-26. Each day will include joint activities for grandparents and kids, as well as structured kid-only activities, all led by camp staff. Grandparents have lots of opportunity to relax on their own or join programs especially designed for adult campers. For rates and more information about Grand Camp or Arts in the Sierras, call 808-1593, email fiftypluswellness@cityofsacramento. org or go to cityofsacramento.org/ seniorsummercamp.
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Talk about a dynamic duo. See paintings by real-life couple (and a couple of fantastic artists) Cherie Hacker and Jeffrey DeVore from June 3 through July 21 at Beatnik Studios
imagine... a beautiful photo of your business seen by almost every neighbor surrounding your location every month. Remember they can only become your customer if they know about you. (And it is a big mistake to assume they do.)
Artwork by Cherie Hacker will be on display at Beatnik Studios
and see what brought them, and keeps them, together. Following a joint exhibition last summer at Ardgillan Castle in Ireland, Hacker and DeVore returned to Sacramento to create another ambitious project, “Bridges,” which is now on display at Beatnik. “Creating art connects us to each other and to our true selves. It’s who we are,” Hacker says. This show represents the bridge that brought the two artists together: love and art. DeVore’s acrylic paintings of figurative landscapes tell stories of the human experience and Hacker’s mixed-media abstractions reveal the experience felt in nature via shape, line, layers and motion. And the collaboration is not in
name only: Each artist began three paintings and passed them on to the other to complete the process, resulting in six stunning examples of what happens when you work well in tandem. Meet the terrific twosome in person at the opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, June 3, or at a second reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 1, featuring the Riverrun Jazz Quartet. For more information, call 400-4281 or go to beatnik-studios. com. Beatnik Studios is at 723 S St.
VISIT insidepublications.com
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Please email items at least six weeks before the event. n
JULY 23 2016 7 - 11 P M
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Art Preview
GALLERY ART SHOWS IN JUNE
In June Artspace1616 will exhibit photography by Richard Gilles, paintings by David Hollowell and sculpture by Tom Bills Shown above: A Bills sculpture and a Hollowell painting. 1616 Del Paso Boulevard
The b. sakata garo gallery will exhibit paintings by Gail Chadell through July 2. Shown above: “Of All Things Lovely,” oil on canvas. 923 20th St.; bsakatagaro.com
Tim Collom Gallery will exhibit a new series of work by Margarita Chaplinska (shown above) through June 28. 915 20th St.; timcollomgallery.com
John Natsoulas Gallery will feature works of Pat Mahony through July 2. Shown above: “Purple Iris” 2015, oil on canvas, 60” x 48.” 521 First St. in Davis; natsoulas.com
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Archival Gallery presents the sculpture of Cindy Wilson during the month of June, along with lush landscapes of Bruce Leavitt (shown above). 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalframe.com
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The Mexican Kitchen CENTERED ON GREAT FLAVORS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS
BY GREG SABIN RESTAURANT INSIDER
I
t’s easy to take for granted a restaurant that’s been around for decades. We’re sometimes overly concerned with what’s new, innovative and hip. Restaurants that go about their business, year after year, decade after decade, frequently filled with diners, can get overshadowed by the newest entrants onto the dining scene. Many of the restaurants in the Paragary restaurant group fail to fall under the heading of “new and exciting.” Yet Esquire Grill and the multiple Cafe Bernardo outlets are every bit as good as many of the newest restaurants in town. Centro Cocina Mexicana, one of the many Paragary restaurants that opened in the 1990s, falls under that umbrella as well. For more than 20 years, Centro has put forth a full-throated celebration of regional Mexican cooking, highlighting flavors and preparations one normally does not find at basic Mexican restaurants throughout town. It’s easy to forget, in a town where Mexican cooking is everywhere from taquerias to white-tablecloth joints, how much of a standout Centro was when it first opened, and how consistently excellent it continues to be. I recently visited Centro with my good friend Patrick, who is not only an excellent chef but also a veteran of Paragary’s kitchens. I thought it’d be good to get an insider’s view of whether Centro is still bringing the good stuff. “I love this place,” Patrick said as soon as we arrived. “They haven’t
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ILP JUN n 16
The dining room at Paragary's Centro Cocina Mexicana
changed some of these recipes in 20 years. And why should they? They’re great.” This is an unusual reaction for Patrick. He normally picks out the small errors and witheringly shames any kitchen that would dare make them. I’ve seem him shake his head in disgust at underdone beets, loudly voice his displeasure at items cooked too long in a too-hot fryolator and predict the demise of a restaurant within 12 months. He is not an easy critic. But he loves Centro. So I went in with eyes open and ready for anything.
He was right. The flavors were bright and the menu’s variety outpaced many Mexican restaurants in town. Simple items were handled well. The guacamole was spot on. “They used to make it tableside,” said Patrick, “but it’s still just as good.” Drinks, mostly margaritas, were made with flair and a variety of combinations. Tequilas infused with fruits and herbs made for a large variety of flavorful drinks. Starters, like the ceviche, were done well but were not showstopping. But simple-sounding items, like the quesadillas and the empanadas, nailed more complex
flavors. The quesadillas married puffy fried masa with roasted chilies and the traditional Mexican herb epazote. The empanadas brought together marinated pork, plantains, almonds and raisins. Neither was standard taqueria fare, not even close. “I told you,” Patrick said. “They’re still doing great stuff here.” We tried a variety of entrees and found several standouts. The shrimp tacos were amazing, mixing crispy shrimp, mango salsa, cabbage slaw and chipotle cream. The chorizo and potato burrito also hit the spot, bringing in roasted chilies, cilantro and crema.
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The fish tacos and chicken in mole were both a little bland and didn’t wow anyone at the table. But one dish really stood out as sophisticated, flavorful and lovely. Called manchamanteles, the dish consisted of slow-cooked pork shoulder in a sauce of ancho chilies, spices, pineapple and plantains, with sweet potato tamales on the side. It’s a dish I would order again and again. Desserts were surprisingly thoughtful as well. The flan (of course they have flan) was pretty textbook but done with skill and fine execution. The platanos flameados con ron, flambéed plantains with a rum sauce (basically a Mexican bananas Foster) stole the show. Topped with toasted
almonds and freshly grated and toasted coconut, and served with ice cream, it was a fantastic end to the meal. “What did I tell you?” Patrick said when we were done. “This place still holds up, right?” He is right. After two decades, Centro Cocina Mexicana still holds up, still puts out quality food and still packs in the crowds. I’ll try not to take it for granted in the future. Centro Cocina Mexicana is at 2730 J St.; 442-2552; paragarys.com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com n
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INSIDE’S
MIDTOWN
Jack’s Urban Eats
1800 L St. 447-9440
L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com
Aioli Bodega Espanola L D $$ Full Bar Patio Andalusian cuisine served in a casual European atmosphere
2115 J St. 442-4388
cuisine served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com
Lucca Restaurant & Bar
Buckhorn Grill
1801 L St. 446-3757
L D $$ Wine/Beer A counter service restaurant with high-quality chicken, char-roasted beef, salmon, and entrée salads
Café Bernardo
2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180 1431 R St. 930-9191
The look, touch, feel, and even the aroma of PRINT offer a sensory experience that digital media cannot replicate. 70% of Americans prefer to read PRINT communications rather than digital screens.* A PRINT page encourages one to be more focused, unlike web pages which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit. A study actually shows that people read substantially slower and absorb less content on digital screens than in PRINT.*
A More Effective Reach That’s Longer Lasting As email marketing campaigns gain popularity and grow in volume people increasingly overlook, delete or mark as spam most promotional emails without even opening them. PRINT stands alone and can be saved and referred to again and again when there is more time to act.
Ability to Deliver to Filtered Markets PRINT also offers increased credibility a.k.a. “the company you keep,” upscale branding, and PRINT is the ONLY way to deliver to “filtered” markets like a neighborhood or demographic.
Versatile The strongest marketing strategy integrates PRINT and digital. Using PRINT to drive your customers or prospects online produces greater results than print or digital alone.* * Forbes Magazine
VISIT insidepublications.com 68
ILP JUN n 16
D Full Bar $$ Middle Eastern cuisine in a Moroccan setting
1615 J St. 669-5300
L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Patio Mediterranean cuisine in a casual, chic atmosphere • Luccarestaurant.com
Moxie
2028 H St. 443-7585
D $$-$$$ Eclectic menu in a boutique neighborhood setting
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Casual California cuisine with counter service
Mulvaney’s Building & Loan
Centro Cocina Mexicana
L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting
2730 J St. 442-2552
Tangible and Engaging
Kasbah Lounge
Biba Ristorante
2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian
PRINT: Reconsider the Value
1230 20th St. 444-0307
1215 19th St. 441-6022
L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com
Old Soul Co.
Chicago Fire
B L D $ No table service at this coffee roaster and bakery, also serving creative artisanal sandwiches
2416 J St. 443-0440
D $$ Full Bar Chicago-style pizza, salads wings served in a family-friendly atmosphere • Chicagofirerestaurant.com
Crepeville
1730 L St. 444-1100
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Outdoor Dining Crepes, omelets, salads, soups and sandwiches served in a casual setting
Ernesto’s Mexican Food 1901 16th St. 441-5850
1716 L St. 443-7685
Paesano’s Pizzeria
1806 Capitol Ave. 447-8646
L D $$ Gourmet pizza, pasta, salads in casual setting • Paesanos.biz
Paragary’s Bar & Oven 1401 28th St. 457-5737
L D $$ Full Bar Outdoor Patio California cuisine with a French touch • Paragarys.com
Suzie Burger
B L D $-$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Fresh Mexican food served in an upscale, yet familyfriendly setting • Ernestosmexicanfood.com
29th and P Sts. 455-3300
58 Degrees & Holding Co.
The Streets of London Pub
L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com
1217 18th St. 442-5858
1804 J St. 498-1388
L D $$$ Wine/Beer California cuisine served in a chic, upscale setting • 58degrees.com
L D $ Wine/Beer English Pub fare in an authentic casual atmosphere, 17 beers on tap
Fox & Goose Public House
Tapa The World
1001 R St. 443-8825
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer English Pub favorites in an historic setting • Foxandgoose.com
Harlow’s Restaurant 2708 J Street 441-4693
L D $$ Full Bar Modern Italian/California cuisine with Asian inspirations • Harlows.com
Italian Importing Company 1827 J Street 442-6678
B L $ Italian food in a casual grocery setting
2115 J St. 442-4353
L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live flamenco music - tapathewworld.com
Thai Basil Café
2431 J St. 442-7690
L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com
The Coconut Midtown
2502 J Street 440-1088 Lunch Delivery M-F and Happy Hour 4-6
L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Food with Thai Food Flair
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
Zocolo
1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com
Selland's Market Cafe 5340 H St. 736-3333
B L D $$ Wine/Beer High quality handcrafted food to eat in or take out, wine bar
The Shack
5201 Folsom Blvd. 457-5997
B L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Dog friendly patio Family friendly neighborhood pub featuring housemade burgers, sandwiches, salads & inhouse smoked meats • www.eastsacshack.com
Star Ginger
3101 Folsom Blvd. 231-8888
Asian Grill and Noodle Bar • starginger.com
Thai Palace Restaurant
EAST SAC 33rd Street Bistro
3301 Folsom Blvd. 455-2233
B L D $$ Full Bar Patio Pacific Northwest cuisine in a casual bistro setting
Burr's Fountain 4920 Folsom Blvd. 452-5516
B L D $ Fountain-style diner serving burgers, sandwiches, soup and ice cream specialties
Cabana Winery & Bistro 5610 Elvas 476-5492
LD $$ Wine tasting and paired entrees. Sunday Brunch 10 - 2. • cabanawine.com
Clubhouse 56
723 56th. Street 454-5656
BLD Full Bar $$ American cuisine. HD sports, kid's menu, beakfast weekends
Evan’s Kitchen 855 57th St. 452-3896
3262 J St. 446-5353
L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Authentic Thai cuisine in a casual setting
DOWNTOWN Foundation
400 L St. 321-9522
L D $$ Full Bar American cooking in an historic atmosphere • foundationsacramento.com
Chops Steak Seafood & Bar 1117 11th St. 447-8900
L D $$$ Full Bar Steakhouse serving dry-aged prime beef and fresh seafood in an upscale club atmosphere • Chopssacramento.com
Claim Jumper
1111 J St. 442-8200
L D $$ Full Bar Upscale American in a clubby atmosphere
Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518
Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, flight or glass • downtownandvine.com
B L D Wine/Beer $$ Eclectic California cuisine served in a family-friendly atmosphere, Kid’s menu, winemaker dinners • Chefevan.com
Ella Dining Room & Bar
Español
L D $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space • Elladiningroomandbar.com
5723 Folsom Blvd. 457-3679
L D Full Bar $-$$ Classic Italian cuisine served in a traditional family-style atmosphere
Formoli's Bistro
3839 J St. 448-5699
B L D Wine/Beer Patio $$ Mediterranean influenced cuisine in a neighborhood setting
La Trattoria Bohemia 3649 J St. 455-7803
L D Wine/Beer $-$$ Italian and Czech specialties in a neighborhood bistro setting
Les Baux
5090 Folsom Blvd. 739-1348
BLD $ Wine/Beer Unique boulangerie, café & bistro serving affordable delicious food/drinks all day long • lesbauxbakery.com
1131 K St. 443-3772
Esquire Grill 1213 K St. 448-8900
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com
Estelle's Patisserie
901 K St. 916-551-1500 L D $$-$$$ French-inspired Bakery serving fresh pastry & desserts, artisan breads and handcrafted sandwiches. EstellesPatisserie.com
Fat City Bar & Cafe 1001 Front St. 446-6768
D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants. com
Opa! Opa!
The Firehouse Restaurant
L D Wine/Beer $ Fresh Greek cuisine in a chic, casual setting, counter service
L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine
5644 J St. 451-4000
Nopalitos
5530 H St. 452-8226
1112 Second St. 442-4772
in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com
Closed for vacation June 24 - July 11
Sacramento’s Oldest Restaurant
Frank Fat’s
806 L St. 442-7092
L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com
Il Fornaio
400 Capitol Mall 446-4100
L D Full Bar $$$ Fine Northern Italian cuisine in a chic, upscale atmosphere • Ilfornaio.com
Grange
926 J Street • 492-4450
B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com
Hock Farm Craft & Provision 1415 L St. 440-8888
L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region's rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com
Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar 1530 J St. 447-2112
L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Japanese cuisine served in an upscale setting • Mikunisushi.com
Morton’s Steakhouse
621 Capitol Mall #100 442-50
D $$$ Full Bar Upscale American steakhouse • Mortons.com
Parlaré Eurolounge 10th & J Sts. 448-8960
D $$ Full Bar Relax with drinks and dinner in this stylish downtown space
ESPAÑOL Since 1923
ITALIAN
RESTAURANT
$10 OFF Total DINNER food order of $40 or more
With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 6/30/16.
$5 OFF
Total LUNCH or DINNER food order of $25 or more With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 6/30/16.
5723 Folsom Boulevard 457-1936 Dine In & Take Out • Cocktail Lounge • Banquet Room Seats 35 Lunch 11-4 pm • Dinner 4-9 pm Sundays • 11:30-9 pm • Closed Mondays
www.espanolitalian.com
B L $ Wine/Beer Southwestern fare in a casual diner setting
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69
This Month at the Market
A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN JUNE
70
CORN
APRICOTS
CHERRIES
There’s nothing that says summer like an ear of fresh corn. It has high concentrations of antioxidant carotenoids and is a good source of fiber—not to mention it’s delicious! To eat: Remove the husk and silks, then char the corn over a hot barbecue grill before dousing with seasoned butter.
This beautiful golden-orange-colored stone fruit is full of betacarotene, fiber and vitamins A and C. To eat: Perfect for making jam, a tart or ice cream.
Cherries have a lower glycemic index than many fruits, making them a great choice for a fruit snack, especially for diabetics. To eat: Remove the pits and toss into the blender for a smoothie.
OKRA
FIGS
EGGPLANTS
This very low-calorie vegetable has lots of vitamin A and antioxidants such as beta-carotene and lutein, and it’s a good source of folates. To eat: Use in a Southern gumbo or Caribbean stew.
Figs supply potassium, which controls blood pressure, and dietary fiber, which can help you lose weight. To eat: Add quartered figs to an arugula salad, or poach in wine for dessert.
Eggplant provides dietary fiber, plenty of vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients such as nasunin and chlorogenic acid. Many of its nutritional benefits come from the vegetable’s skin. To eat: Cut into thick slices, brush with olive oil and grill.
ILP JUN n 16
Rio City Café
Café Vinoteca
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Seasonal menu of favorites in a setting overlooking river • Riocitycafe.com
L D $$ Full Bar Italian bistro in a casual setting • Cafevinoteca.com
1110 Front St. Old Sac 442-8226
3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 487-1331
Ten 22
Chinois City Café
L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting ten22oldsac.com
L D $$ Full Bar Asian-influenced cuisine in a casual setting • Chinoiscitycafe.com
1022 Second St. 441-2211
3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-8690
Ettore’s
LAND PARK Casa Garden Restaurant 2760 Sutterville Road 452-2809
2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. 482-0708
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio European-style gourmet café with salads, soup, spit-roasted chicken, desserts in a bistro setting • Ettores.com
L D $$ • D with minimum diners call to inquire $$ Wine/Beer. Elegantly presented American cuisine. Operated by volunteers to benefit Sacramento Children's Home. Small and large groups. Reservations recommended • casagardenrestaurant.org
2535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 481-5225 L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com
Freeport Bakery
2225 Hurley Way 568-7171
2966 Freeport Blvd. 442-4256
B L $ Award-winning baked goods and cakes for eat in or take out • Freeportbakery.com
Iron Grill 13th Street and Broadway 737-5115
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale neighborhood steakhouse • Ironsteaks.com
Jamie's Bar and Grill
427 Broadway 442-4044
L D $ Full Bar Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Dine in or take out since 1986
Riverside Clubhouse
2633 Riverside Drive 448-9988
L D $$ Full Bar Upscale American cuisine served in a contemporary setting • Riversideclubhouse.com
Taylor's Kitchen
2924 Freeport Boulevard 443-5154
D $$S Wine/Beer Dinner served Wed. through Saturday. Reservations suggested.
Tower Café
1518 Broadway 441-0222
B L D $$ Wine/Beer International cuisine with dessert specialties in a casual setting
Willie's Burgers
2415 16th St.444-2006
L D $ Great burgers and more. Open until 3 am weekends
Jack’s Urban Eats
The Kitchen
D $$$ Wine/Beer Five-course gourmet demonstration dinner by reservation only • Thekitchenrestaurant.com
La Rosa Blanca Taqueria 2813 Fulton Ave. 484-6104
L D Full Bar $$-$$ Fresh Mexican food served in a colorful family-friendly setting
1900 ALHAMBRA BLVD. & S OPEN DAILY TO EVERYONE 7AM -10PM • SACFOOD.COOP
Leatherby’s Family Creamery 2333 Arden Way 920-8382
L D $ House-made ice cream and specialties, soups and sandwiches
100% ORGANIC PRODUCE • SEAFOOD • POULTRY • MEAT • GROCERY • WINE CHEESE • BEER • BULK FOODS • HERBS • BODY CARE • SUPPLEMENTS • DELI
Lemon Grass Restaurant 601 Munroe St. 486-4891
L D $$ Full Bar Patio Vietnamese and Thai cuisine in a casual yet elegant setting
Luna Lounge
5026 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883
B L D $-$$ Full neighborhood bar serving dinner nightly from 5 to 11 pm. Open at 11 am daily. Weekend breakfast from 8:30 am to 2 pm. • bellabrucafe.com
Matteo's Pizza
5132 Fair Oaks Blvd. 779-0727
L D Beer/Wine $$ Neighborhood gathering place for pizza, pasta and grill dishes
Sam's Hof Brau
2500 Watt 482-2175 L D $$ Wine/Beer Fresh quality meats roasted daily • thehofbrau.com
Thai House
Adopt an orphan who will steal your heart.
427 Munroe in Loehmann's 485-3888 L D $$ Wine/Beer Featuring the great taste of Thai traditional specialties • sacthaihouse.com
Willie's Burgers
5050 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-5050L D $ Great burgers and more n
The Mandarin Restaurant 4321 Arden Way 488-47794
D $$-$$$ Full Bar Gourmet Chineses food for 32 years • Dine in and take out
sacpetsearch.com sspca.org happytails.org saccountyshelter.net
Roma's Pizzeria & Pasta
ARDENCARMICHAEL Andaloussia
1537 Howe Ave. 927-1014 L D $-$$ Authentic Moroccan cuisine, lunch & dinner specials, belly dancing weekends • bestmoroccanfood.com
Bella Bru Café
5038 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883
B L D $-$$ Full bar, casual, locally owned European style café with table service from 5 pm and patio dining • bellabrucafe.com
6530 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-9800
L D $$ Traditional Italian pizza & pasta Family Friendly Catering + Team Parties • romas-pizzaand-pasta.com
Roxy
2381 Fair Oaks Blvd. 489-2000
B L D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine with a Western touch in a creative upscale atmosphere
Ristorante Piatti
571 Pavilions Lane 649-8885
L D $$ Full Bar Contemporary Italian cuisine in a casually elegant setting
• Drought Tolerant Landscapes • Consultations • Sprinklers & Drainage
• • • •
Exterior Lighting Pruning Plantings & Sod Full Landscaping
916-648-8455
Cont. Lic. #874165
Neighborhood References • Since 1984
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71
Coldwell Banker
#1 IN CALIFORNIA
COLLEGE GREENS CUTIE! 3 bds, 2 baths, in the heart of College Greens. Easy access to the bike trail. Step down living rm w/cathedral ceilings + wood flr. $329,000 DEBBIE TOWNE 532-2652 CaBRE#: 01305405 REGENCY PARK CHARMER! Charming 4 bed/2 bath featuring open great room, separate living, 2-car garage on corner lot. Close to school, parks. SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635 CHARMING LAND PARK! So much to love in this 1932 hm! 3-4BD/2BA, Living rm w/gas frplc, barrel ceilings & blt-in cabinets, frml DR, roomy kitch. $689,900 PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423
CLOSE TO UCDMC & TAHOE PARK Charming 2-3 bd hm w/ coved ceilings, hrdwds, CH&A, open kitchen area, deck & lovely garden w/many fruit trees. PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423
SOUTH LAND PARK! Coming Soon. Built by Blomberg in 1950, this hm boasts many windows, sunroom & a lrg art studio in back of lot. SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
NORTHPOINT PARK VILLAGE! Delightful single-story! Kitch w/granite cntrs, fam rm w/ gas frplce and Frml or casual dining options. Master ste w/ outside access. Lndspd yrd w/brick patio, BBQ, & hot tub. 2 car gar. $389,900 PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423 LAND PARK CHARMER! Original 3bd w/frml LR w/frplce, frml DR, & spacious 1938 kitchen. CH/A and cute backyard w/mature foliage. $475,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
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HISTORIC ROW SACRAMENTO RIVER DELTA! This 1920's era Tudor beckons a lifestyle of days past w/all of today's conveniences. 2 tiered dock, sparkling pool. $1,780,000 MARK PETERS 600-2039 CaBRE#: 01424396
COLLEGE MANOR! Over 2000sqft of living space on a .21ac lot. 4bds, 2.5ba. Lrg knotty pine fam rm behind garage, w/2nd frplce & bath. $799,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
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FANTASTIC SOCAP LOFTS-END UNIT! 2br/2.5ba, close to ALL that is happening in the city core, from the new arena to the burgeoning arts and entertainment districts, Southside park & the Sunday Farmer's Market. $499,900 MARK PETERS 600-2039 CaBRE#: 01424396 SPECTACULAR SIERRA OAKS VISTA HOME! 3-4bd/3.5ba w/400+/- SF Pool House. A contemporary flr plan, lush grounds, 3 frplcs & a Backyard Oasis complete w/ heated saltwater pool, spa & stone gas frplce. $1,395,000 MAGGIE SEKUL 341-7812 CaBRE#: 01908304
LIVING LARGE IN LAND PARK! 3bd, 1940s ranch on a quiet Land Park cul-de-sac. Close to Dad's Kitchen & Freeport Bakery. Full bsemnt. 2 car gar. STEPH BAKER 775-3447 CaBRE#: 01402254
TERRIFIC DOWNTOWN LOCATION! Cute commercial property. Close to Southside Park and the new Golden One Arena. All brick with 3 rooms: reception, office and conference area. $279,000 MIKE OWNBEY 616-1607 CaBRE#: 01146313
SIERRA OAKS VISTA! Spanish style w/unique architecture. Elegant frml living rm w/stone frplce. 4/5 bd, 1000sqft master ste. Pool & patios. 3 car gar. $1,295,000 KARIN LIBBEE 230-6521 CaBRE#: 00862357
SACRAMENTO METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard #150 • 916.447.5900
CARMEL-RANCH STYLE HOME! Located in Walnut View Estates! Rmdld kitch w/Eco Stone Quartz cntrs, Bosch dishwasher & GE range. 2 frplcs, wd flrs, vaulted ceilings, 2 car garage. Landscaped yard! $459,000 MIKE OWNBEY 616-1607 CaBRE#: 01146313
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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.