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MAY 2014
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LAND PARK CURTIS PARK SOUTH LAND PARK HOLLYWOOD PARK MIDTOWN DOWNTOWN
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N E I G H B O R H O O D
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SKIP TO VIC’S ICE CREAM! Adorable 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with a gorgeous yard and swimming pool in Land Park, and just steps away from Vics. Great street, large yard, re¿nished hardwood Àoors, new paint and more. Location, location, location! $499,900 JAMIE RICH 612-4000
STORY BOOK LAND PARK This Land Park home is a real charmer. Cozy living room ¿replace with high ceiling and beautiful windows, dining room with built in hutch, 3rd separate room and a remote small of¿ce. Added 1/2 bath, remodeled kitchen, newer roof and English garden with seasonal harvest. Sellers love the walk-ability! $425,000 DAVID KIRRENE 531-7495
CLASSIC LAND PARK This lovingly maintained 4 bedroom 2 bath home is now ready for you to update for a new generation to enjoy! Spacious rooms and huge landing, beautiful living room and dining room with ample space for guests. Large yard is already divided for a pool. Finished basement was used as a 5th bedroom. $539,000 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715
SPACIOUS ELEGANCE Unique 3 or 4 bedroom 3 bath home with a lovely garden and pool; that also includes an additional lot in rear. Downstairs master with sitting area, ¿replace, walk-in closets. Large separate family room marvelous sunroom and remodeled kitchen with great storage. $1,000,000 PAMELA RICHARDS 716-3615
S LAND PARK HILLS AT ITS BEST Amazing renovation features 3 bedrooms 2½ baths with open concept living! Fantastic kitchen and baths boast quartz and custom cabinetry. Kitchen and living and dining combo connects to the yard through a beautiful wall of glass! $488,900 JAMIE RICH 612-4000
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LAND PARK CHARMER Charming 2 bedroom cottage located on a wonderful street in Land Park. Old World touches include crown molding and hardwood Àoors. The large backyard has a wonderful covered trellis perfect for outdoor entertaining. 2 car garage is wonderful extra storage space. $379,000 CHRIS BALESTRERI
pending
4 BEDROOM LAND PARK Super clean, close in, and ready to go! Hard to ¿nd 4 bedroom home with 2½ baths in Land Park! Energy ef¿cient and beautifully maintained. Conveniently located, an easy walk to Land Park, Vic’s Ice Cream and Crocker Riverside Elementary School. $329,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395, ERIN STUMPT 342-1372
CUTE SLP CONDO Lower level 2 bedroom 2 bath cutie; spacious and open. Walk-in closet in the master bedroom, detached 1-car garage with opener. Pool and spa with clubhouse. Lush landscaping. Great value. Private patio. Inside laundry closet. Convenient location close to shopping, restaurants, library. $129,000 LISA McCAULEY 601-5474
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SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS Fabulous brick home in a wonderful SLP Hills location! Quality built 3 bedroom 2½ bath home with spacious living room, curved family room ¿replace, covered patio, inside laundry room and big 2-car garage! $399,500 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395
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New family, new home— big couple of years! Among so many things to be thankful for, we really got lucky finding a realtor like Jamie. She worked at our pace and talked us through every step. Jamie understood things from the homeowner’s point of view.
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COVER ARTIST Timothy Mulligan Timothy Mulligan is an emerging artist who utilizes innovative techniques and different styles to discover the colors, light, and shadows of a subject. He attended Sac City College and received his Fine Arts Degree from CSUS. He studied under notable artists Greg Kondos and Jerry Walberg. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries in the Sacramento region and in the Bay Area.
Visit timothymulliganfineart.com. EAST SACRAMENTO
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PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings publisher@insidepublications.com 3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only) 916-441-7026 (Information Line) EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY AD COORDINATOR ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL POLICY
VOL. 16 • ISSUE 4 7 8 13 14 16 20 24 26 30 32 34 36 38 42 44 45 46 48 50 52 54 58 60
Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller, Daniel Nardinelli Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli 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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PASSION FOR LEARNING SPARKED HERE. Magic happens everyday at Courtyard School. We know it has something to do with our small class Sizes, and a core curriculum that includes language arts, math, science, Spanish and PE. It could also be due to our arts programs and our variety of options for organized sports and student leadership. Truly, there are dozens of reasons why Courtyard School sparks leadership, artistry and scholarship in our students and helps inspire the most magical (and important) thing of all: happy kids.
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Give More MAY 6 IS YOUR CHANCE TO HELP LOCAL NONPROFITS
BY CECILY HASTINGS PUBLISHER’S DESK
L
ongtime readers know that I value and promote the concept of local living. Our logo proclaims that our magazines feature information that is 100 percent local. Underneath the logo are the statements Do More, Know More, Buy More. Here’s one more idea, which is the subject of this month’s column: Give More. On Tuesday, May 6, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation will host a 24-hour giving challenge called the BIG Day of Giving. The goal is to increase the level of individual local giving. The organization hopes to help raise $1 million for local nonprofits from 5,000 donors. It wants 30 percent of those donations to come from new donors. Last year’s Arts Day of Giving, designed to help nonprofit arts organization, was a great success. This year, the concept has been expanded to all qualified nonprofits. Here’s the back story: Three years ago, the foundation commissioned a study called the Sacramento Generosity Project to come up with data on who gives and who does not.
The exhaustive study revealed that Sacramento residents as a whole give to charity at a lower rate than the national average. Those who do donate give less money than the national average. According to the study, 62 percent of Sacramento households give at least $25 per year, compared to 66 percent nationally. Our average donation is $1,990 per year, 11 percent lower than the national figure. Local nonprofits have been challenged as never before with the drastic reduction in charitable giving during the recessionary years. In 2011, a group of community leaders introduced a multiyear campaign called Live Here, Give Here, spearheaded by local ad/PR firm Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn. The goal was to increase the percentage of giving households from 62 percent to 67 percent, and to increase the average household donation from $1,990 to $2,355. This would generate an additional quarter of a billion dollars for nonprofits. It would make a huge difference for our community if we increased our giving to equal the national average. The campaign also aimed to increase the share of giving to local nonprofits. While 91 percent of households surveyed said it’s important to give locally, only 63 percent of donations went to local organizations. In the first 35 years of my life, I donated very little to charity. My middle-class parents gave to our church regularly and supported local causes, so I had an example growing up. But it wasn’t until I felt financially comfortable as an adult
(and paid off my student loans) that I started making charitable donations. My husband and I made giving a priority after we listened to a moving sermon by our church’s pastor explaining the biblical concept of the tithe, a one-tenth voluntary contribution of your income. On the way home, we decided to make charitable giving a regular part of our lives. In the years since, I have found the most joy from being involved in local activities that help those less fortunate and help build stronger neighborhoods and communities. The time I spend researching local organizations is invigorating and fills me with gratitude for my own blessings. The Sacramento Generosity Project’s strategy is simple: Encourage more people to give, inspire those who already give to give more, and persuade everyone to give locally. The 2014 BIG Day of Giving is the vehicle to accomplish this goal. Other communities across the nation have raised millions of dollars through similar events. Starting at midnight on May 6, you have 24 hours to give online (givelocalnow.org). Paying with a credit card, you can give as little as $25 or as much as $10,000. Each gift is tax-deductible, and local nonprofits will receive matching funds. You’ll receive email acknowledgement of your gift within an hour. Deciding which organizations to give to is the fun part. You may already know local nonprofits you want to support. If not, go to givelocalnow.org and look for The
GivingEdge database, which profiles thousands of local nonprofits.
DROUGHT TIPS I recently attended a meeting on drought strategies held by a local gardening group. I wanted to learn how to conserve water at my own home as well as at McKinley Rose Garden, whose care I oversee with the nonprofit Friends of East Sacramento. The expert speaker had lots of tips. I easily and quickly put two in place at my house. You can, too. First, instead of watering your lawn and garden for an hour straight, institute “cycle soaking.” If you have an automated sprinkler system, set the water to come on for 15 minutes, then off for 45 minutes. Repeat this over four hours. The water will soak into the ground more deeply between cycles, resulting in less runoff into gutters and drains. If you do this from midnight to 4 a.m., you will save even more water. (Most automated sprinkler manufacturers now have their manuals online if you have lost yours.) Second, save the water that normally goes down the drain as the shower water heats up. I bought a small white paint bucket at the local hardware store. It catches the water, which I then use to water outdoor container plants. I bought a smaller one for the kitchen sink to use the same way. It’s going to be a long, dry summer. Send me your drought tips and we’ll share your ideas with our readers. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n
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Uncertain Future BEFORE UPGRADING THE COMMUNITY CENTER THEATER, HOMEWORK'S NEEDED
BY CRAIG POWELL INSIDE CITY HALL
O
ne thing my experience with city government in Sacramento has taught me is that city policy is too often driven by an often unhealthy deference to conventional wisdom. The great pitfall of herd mentality governance is that key assumptions go both unquestioned and unexamined. A proposal to renovate the Sacramento Community Center Theater at a cost of as much as $53 million is chockablock with unexamined questions. For example, why is the city council poised to spend tens of millions of dollars renovating a civic asset like the theater when it has received no briefings on the asset’s current financial performance? Is the theater a moneymaker or a money loser? If it’s losing money, how bad are the losses? Since the council hasn’t been briefed on its performance, it hasn’t a clue. Eye on Sacramento (the watchdog group that I head) issued a report in September on the combined financial performance of the three city assets that make up the “convention center fund” assets: the Convention Center, Memorial Auditorium and the theater. EOS reported that the three
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assets have been losing a whopping $12 million annually for years, but EOS did not break out the operating losses of the theater. City staff should. City staff is offering the council three options for renovating the theater. The “basic” option, designed to fix long-neglected Americans With Disabilities Act violations, would cost a reported $11 million, while an “enhanced basic” option, costing $36.5 million, would solve the theater’s ADA problems, as well as expand the size of the current lobby and restrooms and add loading dock capacity. A third “comprehensive” option, at a cost of $52.5 million, would include all of the above improvements, plus replace mechanical/electrical systems and add new acoustical and theatrical equipment. The city manager is recommending that the city council select the “enhanced basic” option. But why is he making this recommendation when he’s been warning of a coming “fiscal cliff” for city finances? According to the staff report, the upgrades are necessary “to position the theater to remain effective and competitive for the next 10 years.” But how do they know that it will do that? Is the theater competitive now? If not, will the changes make it competitive? And why will it help for only 10 years? Despite the confident statement in the staff report, the city really hasn’t a clue. A private business considering a $36.5 million rehab of a major asset would gather hard data on the market in which the asset operates. It would objectively assess the competition and quantify the expected financial
return with financial projections based on reasonable assumptions. But the city hasn’t bothered to conduct a marketing study to assess whether its claim has any basis in fact. Why is the city failing to perform such basic due diligence? Inertia. The city staff report on the proposed renovation outlines 14 years of sputtering start-and-stop efforts to renovate the theater involving a dozen different reports, feasibility studies, conceptual designs and council actions, all of which have led to absolutely nothing (apart from a financial windfall to a handful of consulting and architectural firms). By now, the renovation project has become an embarrassment and the city just wants to see it done. The reasons for doing so seem almost secondary. The theater is tremendously underutilized. One city source informed us that, apart from the popular Broadway Sacramento series of national touring musical productions (150,000 tickets sold annually) and the hugely popular but seasonal performances of “The Nutcracker,” the theater is used as little as once per month. Its current marketing plan has been described by one city wag as “waiting for the telephone to ring.” Unless the city adopts a robust marketing plan, throwing money at the theater for upgrades (apart from ADA upgrades required by law) in order to keep it “competitive” would be a waste of taxpayer money. The city’s current model of managing the theater—using city employees with little incentive to maximize revenues or control costs—should be rethought and
outside management options carefully evaluated before any upgrade beyond ADA fixes is launched. The theater, however, is not entirely about dollars and cents. It is a civic amenity and a source of civic pride for Sacramento since it opened its doors in 1974. Wanting to burnish that pride by improving our theater is a natural instinct. An impressive performing arts theater has long been considered a civic selling point for attracting both new businesses and new residents, particularly highly desirable young professionals, patrons of the arts and creative types who play an increasingly important role in our local economy and social fabric.
The theater is not entirely about dollars and cents. It is a civic amenity and a source of civic pride for Sacramento since it opened its doors in 1974. It is hard, however, to place a dollar value on such a civic asset. Every city expenditure involves setting priorities across a spectrum of pressing city needs: police, fire protection, parks, streets and fiscal stability. I would imagine that most Sacramentans may be willing to support a modest level of taxpayer CITY HALL page 11
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Visit TheGardenTutors.com or Call 606-6029 CITY HALL FROM page 8 subsidy for the theater to keep it both functional and attractive to patrons, provided they were assured that the city was doing its part to operate it responsibly and prudently. But at the same time, Sacramento is facing a serious structural fiscal challenge in the coming years that has little to do with the ups and downs of recessionary cycles. No major new financial commitment should be made by the city council without considering the impact of the fiscal cliff. The fiscal cliff involves a trifecta of bad fiscal news. First, the Measure U one-half-cent sales tax hike, now producing about $28 million annually in revenue for the general fund, expires in six years. Next, CalPERS has advised the city to expect about a 50 percent boost in its already elevated annual pension contribution payment over the next five years. Finally, the proposed sale of bonds to finance construction of a new downtown arena will saddle the general fund with an annual debt payment that will start at around
$14 million per year in a few years and then rise in steps to $24 million annually over the next 35 years. With an annual general fund budget of only about $370 million, the city’s fiscal cliff is serious business. Then there is the bonus feature: The city is accruing $28 million dollars in unfunded retiree health care costs each year. The city is not paying the $28 million expense each year because it still uses an antiquated (and misleading) cash basis of accounting, not an accrual accounting system (as private businesses have been using for more than 100 years). Shifting to a more truthful accounting system would force the city to recognize the expense (and pay for it) in its annual budget. Instead, the annual expense is just piled onto the city’s ever-growing $460 million unfunded liability for retiree health care costs. If the city council selects the $36.5 million “enhanced basic” option for the theater renovation, the city will finance the cost by borrowing about $25 million and then using CITY HALL page 12
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$8 million in remaining balances in closed-out city tax assessment districts. (My question: Why isn’t the surplus money being paid back to the taxpayers who paid the assessments in the first place?) The remaining $3 million cost will be funded by a $3 ticket surcharge imposed on theatergoers. How will payments on the $25 million borrowing be funded? City treasurer Russell Fehr anticipates a 10-year loan term and $3 million annual payments, to be funded by the theater’s ticket surcharge and about $2.2 million annually from the city’s 12 percent hotel tax. Use of the hotel tax as collateral for theater upgrade financing is uncertain at this point since the term sheet for the arena deal calls for all of the city’s hotel tax to be pledged as additional collateral for the anticipated $300 million arena bond. However, the status of the hotel tax may very well change in the final arena financing plan. If, however, the city council decides to limit the upgrades to just those
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required to bring the theater into ADA compliance, the city will be in a position to pay for all of the work from the surplus cash in the closedout tax assessment districts and the accumulated ticket surcharges. No borrowing would be required. Some commentators argue, with some justification, that the city should forget about major upgrades to the theater and should focus instead on building an entirely new theater, one with the architectural impact of, say, UC Davis’ Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Some question the utility of spending $36.5 million (plus interest) on upgrades that will keep the Community Center Theater competitive for only another 10 years. At a certain point, it makes economic sense to eschew upgrades that provide only transitory benefit and to opt instead for a new theater. Rob Turner, co-editor of Sactown Magazine and a consistent booster of big civic projects, is the cheerleaderin-chief for a new theater. He caustically (and rather unfairly) called the existing theater “a high-profile architectural embarrassment for our
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city” and a “decrepit, uninspiring theater” in a recent Bee op-ed. He noted that Folsom now has Harris Center, a cluster of three theaters of various sizes that is winning rave reviews. He claims that Sacramento is now “getting its cultural lunch eaten by both sides of the region.” Turner wants the theater to be moved elsewhere downtown, perhaps near Memorial Auditorium or Music Circus, to provide greater space for the economic growth that he claims a new theater building and location would bring. Turner is not necessarily wrong in his pitch for a new location. Parking is a major constraint at the current location (and will become a larger constraint on Kings game nights as competition for limited parking heats up).
Some commentators argue that the city should forget about major upgrades to the theater and should focus instead on building an entirely new theater. One councilman who doesn’t seem to be a victim of inertia on the theater is Steve Hansen, in whose district the theater is located. He’s pressing the city to study alternative models for managing the theater, including
giving the job to a nonprofit. He’s open to the idea of building a new theater in a new location and is smartly pressing the city to explore a naming rights deal on any new theater. Naming deals in comparable cities have generated $15 million toward the construction costs of new performing arts centers. Total costs of new centers have ranged from $116 million for the Utah Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City to the $265 million Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. The city has engaged a consulting firm to look at the prices and options for constructing a new theater. But unless the great majority of the financing for a new theater is provided by the private sector, such a project is almost certainly a near- and midterm nonstarter for Sacramento. Between the city’s $2.3 billion total debt load, its maxed-out general fund borrowing capacity (thanks to the pending arena financing) and the looming fiscal cliff, another major civic amenity project is not in the cards for Sacramento, particularly given the cost impacts of the state’s prevailing wage laws and union-imposed project labor agreements. Given these likely cost drivers, the cost of a new theater in Sacramento would probably be closer to Philadelphia’s $265 million center than to Salt Lake City’s $116 million center. Craig Powell is a local attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@ eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030. n
Lorene Warren
Pat Hines
799.2121
SHARING HER LOVE FOR THE ZOO Trust 34 Years of Experience. View All Homes on My Website!
BY JESSICA LASKEY GIVING BACK
T
he Sacramento Zoo is so much more than you think it is,” says Pat Hines, and
she should know. Hines is a member of the zoo’s volunteer
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For Hines, the zoo brings back fond family memories. Her father would take her to the zoo in the various cities they lived in. (Hines
The Sacramento Zoo docents in the Zoo Zoom in April. Pat Hines is third from the left.
“We can’t imagine spending our
is a self-described military brat who’s “sort of from everywhere,” though she was born in Rhode Island). When she came to Sacramento to pursue her career as a psychologist—she retired from private practice last year—and gave birth to her son, Hines decided it was time to return to one of her favorite places. “With a small child, you’re always looking for things to do
best years
“I, like a lot of the zoo volunteers, had so many memories linked to the zoo, that when my son came along, we immediately became members.”
outside of the house,” she recalls. “I, like a lot of the zoo volunteers, had so many memories linked to the zoo, that when my son came along, we immediately became members. We would come and buy a soda and look at the animals, even if it was only for half an hour. He did all the Zoo Camps—those are so great. But when he grew up and we stopped going as much, I realized I missed it.”
Since Hines lives only one mile from the zoo, it didn’t take long for her to make it a regular part of her life again. The docent program was a wonderful change from her everyday working life—“It’s really different than what I did for a living,” she says—and a great way for her to stay active and engaged.
“On paper, the docent training program can be pretty daunting,” Hines says. “It’s essentially Zoology 101, with class in the morning and then shadowing the keepers in the afternoon. But it was fascinating. The keepers are so knowledgeable, and I loved learning about how much the zoo is doing with conservation. My first year, I worked 100 hours. It was easy!” On a typical Hines could show biofacts (hair, bones, etc.) to rapt preschoolers or help college students identify which chimpanzees are which in the zoo’s exhibit. So what’s the one thing visitors ask most of Hines? “‘Where’s the bathroom?’” she says, and laughs. For more information on the Sacramento Zoo volunteer docent program, go to saczoo.org. The zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive. n
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Fairytale Fun PUPPET SHOWS, A FARMERS MARKET, SUMMER CAMPS AND MORE
BY JESSICA LASKEY LIFE IN THE CITY
S
pring has sprung all over Sacramento, so why not get out in that sunshine and frolic at Fairytale Town this month? Entertain the little ones with a Puppet Art Theater Company show. The troupe will present “Hansel and Gretel” on every Saturday and Sunday in May at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. See the wicked witch, the gingerbread house and the plucky siblings in puppet form, guaranteed to capture the imagination for all ages. Tickets are $2 for nonmembers, $1 for members. Looking for an adult way to get in on the fun? Don’t miss the Mad Hatter Meets Sherlock Holmes Fundraiser on Thursday, May 8, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sacramento Masonic Temple downtown. If the meeting of the Mad Hatter and everyone’s favorite English detective seems unlikely, leave it to Fairytale Town to intertwine the stories seamlessly in an event that will feature chocolate delicacies, wineand-food pairings, live music and a live auction and raffle. Cocktail or business attire is suggested—as are costumes! Proceeds will benefit
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Don't miss Farms, Friends & Fairytales on Saturday, May 17 at Fairytale Town
Fairytale Town’s programs and park improvements. For tickets, call 8087462. Sacramento Masonic Temple is at 1123 J St. Get tykes in touch with their earthy sides during Farms, Friends & Fairytales on Saturday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Agriculture aficionados will enjoy watching the park’s resident twin Babydoll sheep get sheared and seeing the wool get spun into thread on an old-fashioned spinning wheel. There will also be a mini farmers market, hands-on activities and featuring local farms and farming organizations. The program is free with park admission.
The weather warming up should remind you that summer’s just around the corner. Make sure you plan ahead and sign up soon for Fairytale Town’s Summer FunCamps for Children, which start in June. To register, go to fairytaletown.org. For more information, call 8087462 or go to fairytaletown.org. Fairytale Town is at 3901 Land Park Drive.
40 AND FABULOUS Philanthropy and delicious cuisine never get old. Just ask Casa Garden
Restaurant (formerly Casa de los Ninos), which celebrates 40 years of business this month. Join them for a full week of celebrations May 5 to 9. The volunteer-run restaurant serves lunch and dinner to benefit Sacramento Children’s Home. To date, it’s raised $2.6 million. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is! Check out the daily activity breakdown for the restaurant’s celebratory week at casagardenrestaurant.org. To make a reservation, call 452-2809. Casa Garden Restaurant is at 2760 Sutterville Road.
IN THE SWING OF THINGS Things are getting wild and woolly at the Sacramento Zoo, starting with Where the Wild Kids Are on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the zoo denizens and enjoy a day of kid-centric cultural entertainment, art, live music and dance performances as well as booths featuring local museums, historical societies, genealogy groups and more. The event is included with regular zoo admission. Are you 55 or older with an affinity for animals and hot beverages? Check out Senior Tea & Tours on Mondays, May 5, 12 and 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Your group will be led on an exclusive tour of the zoo by knowledgeable volunteer docents, followed by a tea service with tea (of course), lemonade, coffee, finger sandwiches, breads and cookies. Register early for this popular event so you don’t miss out on the action! Call 808-5888 for more information or register at saczoo.org. And now, for a different kind of tea: Tee up for the zoo’s popular Swingin’ Safari Golf Tournament on Monday, May 12, at noon at El Macero Country Club in Davis. Now in its 13th year, this exciting event promises a good time with golf, food, prizes and a particularly wild putting contest. Tournament proceeds benefit the zoo’s educational programs. Tickets are $250. For tickets or more information, call 808-5166 or go to saczoo.org. For more zoo information, call 808-5888 or visit saczoo.org. The Sacramento Zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive.
THE DUSTY MONTH OF MAY The sun is shining, the weather is still bearable—ideal conditions for a Land Park Volunteer Corps work day! Lend a hand (or a shovel) on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Connect at the corps’ Base Camp behind Fairytale Town and receive your assignment. (Tasks include bush trimming, pond cleaning, tree/
Tee up for the zoo’s popular Swingin’ Safari Golf Tournament on Monday, May 12, at noon at El Macero Country Club in Davis
sucker/weed control and preparing garden beds for new plantings.) Fortify yourself with a complimentary breakfast provided by Espresso Metro, or refuel after you break a sweat with lunch provided by a generous anonymous donor. Need more information? Contact the corps’ lead coordinator, Craig Powell, at 718-3030 or ckpinsacto@ aol.com. Feeling more generous with your finances than your fingers? Donations are always greatly appreciated and can be addressed to Land Park Volunteer Corps, 3053 Freeport Boulevard #231, Sacramento, CA 95818. Base Camp is behind Fairytale Town at 3901 Land Park Drive.
HOME SWEET HOME If you’re a Land Park or Curtis Park resident—or a reader of The Sacramento Bee, for that matter— you’re probably aware of the controversial Curtis Park Village project that is due to break ground any minute in the former railyard between Curtis Park and Sacramento City College. The Bee has kept area residents up to date on the housing happenings for months, and the latest article by Mark Glover, published on March 11, is no exception. Glover reports that construction was due to start last month on the 72-acre property, most likely on a series of single-family homes that have been contracted to Sacramento homebuilder BlackPine
Communities in conjunction with San Diego real estate investment company Presidio Residential Capital. BlackPine’s plan is to erect 86 homes—including cottage-style and East Coast-style brownstone buildings—on 7.6 acres of land. A representative from Presidio says that sales started last month, with a wait list of about 100 interested buyers. But it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for project developer Paul Petrovich. He’s spent millions of dollars on cleanup, but he continues to get embroiled in disagreements over the proposed use of the public spaces planned for Curtis Park Village, including a recent conflict over a park that Petrovich promised that he now says he’ll shrink in favor of building more homes. (The issue has yet to be resolved.) Though local residents are far from pleased with the project and its potential impact, the builders are
committed to making the homes, at least, blend into the beloved neighborhood as much as possible. “This is one of the most soughtafter areas in the city,” says Mike Paris, the president of BlackPine. “Curtis Park has developed into an eclectic area that continually revives itself with new flavor, mix and character. Our project is going to be a revival of the past with presentday materials and skills. We will play off of history and tradition but will continue to evolve and grow our product offerings.” We hope part of that evolution includes plenty of parks to play in. For more information on the Curtis Park Village project, go to petrovichdevelopment.com.
MI CASA ES SU CASA May is National Foster Care Month, a time to shed light on the incredibly important—and often very difficult—process of fostering a child. To ease the transition, trials and tribulations of children in this perilous situation, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is often assigned by a judge to advocate for a child who has been removed from his or her home due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. While not everyone is cut out to be a foster parent or a CASA, you can still do your part to help these amazing advocates. You could attend the Light of Hope 7th Annual CASA Event, for example, on Thursday, May 29, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Beatnik Studios. LAND PARK LIFE page 18
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Ladies Who Lunch THESE HARDWORKING WOMEN STARTED A RESTAURANT TO HELP NEEDY KIDS
BY R.E. GRASWICH CITY BEAT
T
he husbands, naturally, thought the idea was silly. These were lawyers, doctors, accountants and merchants, the cream of Sacramento’s charitable circles. And their wives wanted to open a restaurant. Ladies, you must be joking. It was no joke. The ladies and their husbands were benefactors of Sacramento Children’s Home on Sutterville Road, the orphanage, boarding school, farm and family outreach center that has served the community’s most vulnerable citizens—destitute and abandoned children—since 1867. Now it was the early 1970s. Several women who served on the home’s volunteer board of directors were brainstorming ideas to raise extra dollars for the kids. In the honored tradition of fearless and naive conjecture, one woman suggested a restaurant. Why not? These were ladies who, it can be said within the context of the era, were comfortable around the kitchen. They knew how to interpret recipes and could create masterful dishes—even souffles!
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Sue Scotland has been a Sacramento Children's Home volunteer for decades
The prospective restaurant would be next door to the children’s home. Volunteers would staff the place. All proceeds would benefit the children. “So we told our husbands about the idea for a restaurant and they just laughed,” says Carol Williams, then and now a Sacramento Children’s
Home volunteer. “They said, ‘Do you have any idea how hard it is to run a restaurant?’ They joked about us wanting to spend more time in the kitchen. You can imagine.” Turns out the men were right in their description of the operational challenges of the restaurant trade.
But they underestimated their wives’ determination. Forty years later, Casa Garden continues on its mission, serving up chicken Sonora and roast turkey with polenta and Greek salad and sesame Thai beef salad and English toffee cake and soups and sandwiches. Every nickel (plus tips) is plowed back to the children’s home. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re still here,” Williams says. The story of Casa Garden is remarkable in ways beyond longevity. The founders could not have chosen a more challenging or ephemeral enterprise, given the discouraging mortality rate for restaurants in Sacramento, circa 1974 or 2014. They had no tangible resources to help improve the odds—no marketing budget (or marketing expertise), no famous chef, no hot location. They had an idea, a mission and faith in each other. “The board was so skeptical that the women were required to submit a design that could be turned into a residence for children when the restaurant failed,” says Sue Scotland, a Sacramento Children’s Home volunteer. “The budget was a $50,000 loan to outfit the restaurant. It was paid off in two years. The children never did get to use the restaurant building as a residence.” Which isn’t to suggest there haven’t been problems. Williams smiles gently and directs her gaze toward the patio garden, now ablaze with spring colors, as she begins to recall the bumps in the road that led to Casa Garden’s success. “Well, for starters, we originally called it Casa de Los Ninos, and
people thought it was a Mexican restaurant,” she says. “That was a problem, because we weren’t. We changed the name to Casa Garden in 1994. And then there was 2008. That was a difficult time for everyone.” In 2008, the Great Recession tore through the restaurant industry in Sacramento. It continues to impact eateries, from fine-dining, whitetablecloth establishments to strip mall diners. The decades merge and slip away as Williams speaks. Her recollection is precise and objective, though she prefers to recall the high notes rather than the lower moments. Wisely, the Casa Garden directors have always been adaptable. As the name change demonstrates, they aren’t afraid to shift gears and jettison last year’s bright idea when it proves not so bright. They opened a gift shop to supplement the restaurant. Today, the gift shop is gone, replaced by a meeting and conference center. They realized Casa Garden was perfect for
a certain wedding niche: matrimonial ceremonies neither tiny nor huge but just right, between 80 and 120 people. “We set up the garden for weddings, and it’s beautiful,” Scotland says. “We took the old staff quarters, which date from 1906, and created special dressing rooms for the bride and the groom.” They hired a professional team, which includes two managers, a receptionist, dishwashers and janitors. Everything else is done by volunteers. Everything else means exactly that. For a time, volunteer waitresses made their own uniforms. While handmade uniforms have gone the way of original prices ($3.50 for lunch in 1974), retro kits will be proudly worn when Casa Grande celebrates its 40th birthday this month (May 5-9). Also present for the celebrations will be some husbands, mostly cooking and bartending, no longer laughing at the ladies. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n
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LAND PARK LIFE FROM page 15 The event will include live music, dance performances, an auction and plenty of fine wine and hors d’oeuvres. Proceeds benefit CASA Sacramento, a nonprofit group that recruits, screens, trains and supervises prospective CASA volunteers. To purchase tickets, contact Richelle at richelle@ sacramentocasa.org or call 8753010. For more information, go to sacramentocasa.org. Beatnik Studios is at 723 S St.
CEMETERY SONGS Sure, the residents of the Old City Cemetery are no longer very vocal, but in their time, they were some of the most musical guys and gals you can imagine. Listen up at the free Music in the Boneyard tour on Saturday, May 3, at 10 a.m. Find out which tune-talented folks reside at the cemetery and enjoy the beautiful weather. You might even be inspired to whistle a happy tune. Tours are free, but donations are gratefully accepted, as they go toward
Restore That Historic Charm
For more information or to suggest a Vietnam veteran to be interviewed, contact the project’s coordinator, James Scott, at 264-2795 or jscott@ saclibrary.org.
WAR STORIES
NOT IN OUR BACKYARD
Sacramento Public Library is looking for Vietnam War veterans to talk about their experiences for a storytelling project called “Valley to Vietnam.” The project captures on videotape the experiences, both during and after the war, of Vietnam vets from the Sacramento region. The videos will air on Access Sacramento’s Channel 17 at 8:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. They’re also available on DVD at the library and through the library’s YouTube channel. So far, 10 interviews have been recorded with veterans such as Jerry Chong, a local attorney who was wounded while serving in Vietnam as a Marine Corps squad leader, and Ted Adams, who served three tours of duty in Vietnam.
If you’ve lived in Sacramento for any length of time, you’ve probably become accustomed to hearing the eerie hoot of a train whistle from pretty much anywhere in the city. But what if that whistle were screaming through your backyard? The state of California has proposed to put a maintenance rail line (or permanent rail line) through South Land Park as part of the expansion of the Old Sacramento Excursion Train, which runs from Old Sac to the town of Hood. The proximity of the impending iron horse has raised some residents’ eyebrows. “The state’s proposed plan for expanding the excursion train disregards the negative impact to the South Land Park neighborhoods and its residents,” says Mike Ellison, president of South Land Park Neighborhood Association. “At our March 26th meeting, with over 100 residents attending, SLPNA decided to oppose the recommendation to establish a rail line through South Land Park residential neighborhoods due to concerns including air pollutants, ground vibration, whistle and track noise, safety concerns for children and residents created by passing trains, as well as an adverse impact on property values and rail line proximity to homes (less than 20 feet in some instances).” Ellison’s bottom line? “The state needs to present other routes for consideration to expand the excursion train,” he says. But will this plan prove to be harder to stop than a moving train…? For more information, go to parks. ca.gov.
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preserving the historic cemetery. For more information, call 448-0811 or 264-7839 or visit oldcitycemetery. org. The Old City Cemetery is at 1000 Broadway.
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FIT FOR KINGS It appears that all systems are (nearly) go to start construction on the proposed downtown arena. In April, the city’s Planning and Design Commission made
recommendations to the city council on arena planning and design issues, including plans for the public plaza and up to 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use development in the surrounding area. The council was also given an overview of the schedule, finance plan, terms and agreements to get the arena off the ground. On May 13, after years of planning and negotiation, the council will consider the formal approval of the project, which will include final agreements with the Kings, an environmental impact report, the financing plan, ordinances and planning approvals. If all goes well, breaking ground will be breaking news in a few short months.
“Demolition at Downtown Plaza could begin this summer. The city and the Kings are implementing measures to reduce construction impacts and keep the public informed." “With the city council’s approval of the project, demolition at Downtown Plaza could begin this summer,” says assistant city manager John Dangberg. “The city and the Kings are implementing measures to reduce construction impacts and keep the public informed. Residents, businesses and the traveling public will be kept informed on the project and any disruptions through the project website, the media and other communication channels.” If you’re curious to see just what the city council will be approving, go to cityofsacramento.org/arena. Go, Kings? Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n
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Learning Curve BERGAMO MONTESSORI’S FOUNDER PROUD OF SCHOOL’S CERTIFICATION
wider range of families than she ever thought possible. “The best part of leading a school is partnering with families who are fully invested in their children,” Lynn says. “I am privileged to witness the amazing results when the family and school work together for the benefit of the child. Our mission is to prepare children for life. We celebrate each child’s individuality and help them discover how they can best contribute to our world and culture.” So how exactly do Lynn and her staff do it? “All children are naturally curious and love to learn,” she says. “We support this innate drive by providing environments that meet children’s developmental needs, by creating a staff of loving and well-prepared adults and by building a community of families that actively support our mission.” Sign us up! Does Bergamo sound like the perfect fit for your child? Call 399-1900 or (530) 662-1900 to schedule a tour at one of its three campuses, or go to bergamoschools.com.
BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK
A
school is nothing without great teachers,” Pam Lynn says, “and I am incredibly lucky to work with an amazing staff.” That sensational staff is the one Lynn oversees as the head of the Bergamo Montessori Schools, which includes Woodland Montessori School, Montessori Country Day and Bergamo Montessori School. They’re the only campuses in the region to offer authentic Montessori education (accredited through the Association Montessori Internationale) for nearly 400 children, from toddlers to sixthgraders, and Lynn is the first to tell you what a growth spurt Bergamo has undergone since its inception. “I started the school for my daughter, Wendy, in 1975,” Lynn explains. “I came across Montessori while researching methods of education and child rearing and leased a small space in a local church and attracted 17 students to the program. Thirty-nine years later, it has turned into my life’s work.” It started as the life work of Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator. Montessori developed her unique educational approach in the late 1800s while attending the University of Rome. Over the course of her career, the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated scientist determined the ideal conditions for a child’s psychological, physical and social development, which she described as independence and freedom within limits.
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A GROWING BUSINESS Pam Lynn is the founder and head of Bergamo Montessori School
Montessori programs are characterized by mixed-age classrooms, uninterrupted blocks of work time (around three hours), freedom of movement in the classroom, and the ability for a student to choose what he or she wishes to work on within a prescribed range of options. But not all programs are created equal.
“Did you know that ‘Montessori’ is not trademarked and anyone can use the name?” Lynn says. “As a result, most Montessori schools do not offer authentic programs. Only 250 schools in the country meet the standards for recognition.” Bergamo is one of them, and Lynn is particularly proud to be able to offer Montessori education to a
“Our staff has especially green thumbs,” Ashley Gill says, in perhaps the understatement of the century. Gill and her family own Green Acres Nursery & Supply, a haven for hobby gardeners and professional landscapers alike. With three locations, in Roseville, Sacramento and Folsom, that’s a lot of plant product to look after.
(who oversees operations), and her dad’s brother, Kevin. “Growing up, (Travis) always wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps, so he came to work here, and I saw that there was a really solid job opportunity doing marketing. We all just ran with it.” As Green Acres’ de facto marketing director, Gill has been able to mesh all of her disparate skills and finish up her degree at California State University, Sacramento, Ashley Gill of Green Acres while working nonstop to “We focus on plants 365 days a help her family grow their greenery year,” Gill says. “We buy from the top business. In 2007, they opened their growers across the state and select Sacramento store (in a former garden the items those growers specialize in, center off Jackson Road) and in 2012, so we’re getting what they do best the Folsom outpost followed, with and bringing it to market.” an expanded inventory that includes This focus on picking peak patio furniture and outdoor grills and merchandise is thanks to the nursery accessories. know-how of Gill’s father, Mark, who “We focus on what we do best,” founded the company in 2003 after Gill says. “We don’t do design or working for a large, independent installation, but we sell to designers nursery in his hometown of Las and contractors to complement their Vegas. He identified a need in the businesses. Our core competencies Sacramento area, specifically in the work well with others’. We help each development-heavy (and backyardother out.” abundant) area of Roseville, for topThis neighborly nursery is now quality plants at competitive prices, planning its most exciting expansion so he moved his family to California. yet: a 27,500-square-foot store in Elk Ashley Gill, at the time, was Grove that’s due to open in 2015. attending school at the University “We purchased the land at the end of the Pacific to pursue her interests of last year,” Gill says. “We’ve only in communications, marketing and retrofitted spaces so far, so this will public relations. When her father be our first out-of-the-ground build. founded Green Acres, however, it We’re going to combine the best made the most sense to move home to elements off all three stores to build help launch the business. our dream nursery.” “It really came together With Gill’s marketing savvy, her organically,” Gill says, who also works dad’s leadership and the rest of the with her younger brother, Travis family’s commitment to excellence,
it’s safe to say that Green Acres is the place to be. How does your garden grow? Let Green Acres show you how and call its Roseville store (901 Gallery Blvd.) at 782-2273; its Sacramento store (8501 Jackson Road) at 381-1625; or its Folsom store (205 Serpa Way) at 358-9099. For more information, go to idiggreenacres.com.
POWER RANGERS “At Fitness Rangers, we’re more than ‘just a gym,’ ” says Adam Attia, founder of the popular East Sacramento workout destination. “We’re a family that cares about each and everyone’s success and we celebrate one another’s accomplishments.” Attia credits his focus on a friendly, all-inclusive and active atmosphere to his experiences growing up.
“I come from a fitness family,” he says proudly. “My mom has always been really health-conscious, and my twin older sisters would always drag me to spinning classes when I was 12 and 13 years old. We’d all go to yoga together and instead of watching TV, I always wanted to be outside playing sports. It’s always been our lifestyle.” Attia played basketball in high school and college, but when his height didn’t reach NBA proportions and he came to terms with the fact that his “dreams of being a pro were slim to none,” as he puts it, he decided to transition from athletic adolescent to enthusiastic teacher. He started out at Arden Hills Country Club as a personal trainer while he was still in college at UC Davis, and had just started working on his master’s degree in sports management at the University of San Francisco when Arden Hills made SHOPTALK page 22
Fitness Rangers owner Adam Attia (center) gives trainers Bernard and Blake a push
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SHOPTALK FROM page 21 him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Attia was asked to step into the position of fitness director—at only 21 years old. “I learned by being thrown into the fire,” Attia admits. Attia gained some valuable skills during his tenure in the job, including how to manage clients, finances, schedules and personalities. After 12 years in the position, he was perfectly poised to strike out on his own. Attia started Fitness Rangers as a series of boot camp classes held in local parks in Carmichael, East Sacramento and Folsom at 6 a.m., 6 p.m., you name it—Attia was out there, leading fitness fans through grueling (but fun) outdoor workouts. Though the locales allowed for unique opportunities—Attia was particularly fond of using soccer goalposts for pull-ups and sending his “recruits” on Army crawls through the grass—it wasn’t long before the great outdoors became … less so. “After about four years of fighting the dark and cold early winter mornings, I decided it was time to open up a physical location,” Attia says. Thus, two years ago, the Fitness Rangers gym on 34th Street was born: almost 10,000 square feet of space where Attia and his team offer stateof-the-art gym and training facilities, multiple boot camp classes each day, on-site personal training, Pilates, boxing, kickboxing and child care, all just a three-minute walk from Attia and his wife’s home. “We have the equipment at our disposal, but this isn’t a typical gym full of cable machines,” Attia says. “We’re much more functional. We have kettle bells and medicine balls and we teach you how to use your body weight or light weight for a workout. Working out this way allows for full body movement and decreases the risk of error and injury. If you can’t handle your own body weight, you shouldn’t be using additional
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weights.”
Attia’s philosophy of safety and moderation has made him a favorite with a vast variety of gym-goers, from pro athletes (he trains a few at Fitness Rangers) to new moms. “We’ve created a community where people feel like they’re a part of something,” Attia says. “They feel welcomed—we’re competing against ourselves, not against each other. We help them do much more than get in shape; we provide a family atmosphere that I feel people truly enjoy being a part of.”
Attia’s philosophy of safety and moderation has made him a favorite with a vast variety of gym-goers, from pro athletes to new moms. That includes his siblings. His older sister, Rebecca, a renowned personal trainer in San Francisco, just moved back to Sacramento to add a barre studio (a zero-impact workout that uses techniques from ballet) to the East Sacramento site. And this is just the beginning of the growth Attia sees in Fitness Rangers’ future. “My long-term goals are to open multiple ‘satellite boot camps’ throughout the Greater Sacramento area,” Attia says. “But we have to grow organically. I don’t want to franchise the business, because I think you lose a lot of customer service that way, and our success is based on our service. I want to make sure that everyone we hire understands our vision, and I’m so hands-on, I want to know each person who comes through the door.” Ready to break a sweat? Contact Attia and his team at 739-1100 or go to fitnessrangers.net. Fitness Rangers is at 1717 34th St. n
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More Than Doctors’ Wives LOCAL GROUP GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH GRANTS
BY TERRY KAUFMAN LOCAL HEROES
I
t’s challenging being the spouse of a physician. Long hours of work, weekends on call, continuing education, the stresses associated with being entrusted with people’s lives: All of these things take a significant toll on physicians’ life partners. More than 80 years ago, a local organization was created to provide support to those partners. Today, Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Alliance is an organization of women with ties to the medical community, who not only support each other, but also work to improve their community. It has evolved from a women’s social club to become a powerful engine for improving the larger community. Anybody with a commitment to the group’s mission, whether or not they are involved with the medical community, is welcome to join. “I joined the alliance for the camaraderie of being part of the medical family,” says Celeste Chin, chair of the 2014 grants committee and former SSVMSA president. “We have a bond that is unique. I found a sisterhood that could provide me with feedback and help me go through common struggles, such as raising a
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Members of the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Alliance board. Front row left to right: Margie Koldinger, Jerilyn Marr, Barbara Andras, Cindy Snook, Marilyn Skinner; back row left to right: Ann Parsons, Glenda Morris, Maryam Dolatshahi, Kim Majetich, Paula Cameto, Kathy Greenhalgh, Celeste Chin
family or having a career. I love that now I’m part of a group that gives back to the community.” “We came together 82 years ago to support each other, and then we began to look outside of ourselves to help others as well,” says Kim Majetich, the group’s current president. “It’s very rewarding to be part of a process that has such a big impact on our community.” That process is the annual distribution of grants, which concluded in early April with the award of grants to seven nonprofit organizations. Past recipients have included organizations that educate the public about disabilities, improve outcomes for babies, provide resources for the elderly, and address the medical needs of different cultures. “The applications that we review are amazing,” says Chin. “This
community does such a good job of looking out for people and taking care of them. We’re serving a broad cross section of the community, but it’s all very local and small.” The latest round of grants totaled $37,000. Recipients included Society for the Blind, for low-vision simulator goggles and educational materials; Children’s Receiving Home, for examination tables and medical supplies; Cordova Community Council, for bicycle helmets for children who complete a bike safety class; Oak Park Preschool, for healthy living initiatives; Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, to provide fresh food to underserved communities; Kiwanis Family House, for resources for families with loved ones at UC Davis and Shriners hospitals; and People Reaching Out, for peer mentoring of adolescent girls.
The alliance’s biggest fundraiser is The Art of Medicine, a dinner and auction that occurs every other year and was held April 26 at Del Paso County Club. Money raised at that event, as well as funds raised through the sale of holiday cards, goes towards grants, nursing scholarships and the alliance’s community endowment. A separate fund underwrites an annual scholarship for a local student attending medical school. Because the alliance is run by volunteers, all money raised goes back to the community. “We’re totally grass roots,” says Chin. “We have no paid staff, so there’s no overhead.” In alternate years, the alliance sponsors a community health day that focuses on issues such as coronary health, autism and bullying. The one-day program on bullying inspired Majetich to look at supporting a yearlong program in the schools on the subject. “I realized that we needed a layered approach, that this should be taught in the schools,” she says. “We’re working now with the Sacramento Unified School District, and I’m hoping that we can also work with San Juan to get workbooks and other resources on bullying into the schools.” Additionally, the alliance provides support for Community Resources for Older Adults, a manual published by UC Davis with information about elder services, respite care, advocacy and other area resources. The material is available in print, and it can also be found on the SSVMSA website. To learn more about Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Alliance, go to ssvmsa.org. n
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25
Food, Family, Fun AN ENTERTAINING COUPLE GETS THE REMODEL OF THEIR DREAMS
BY JULIE FOSTER HOME INSIGHT
“I wanted to build what I needed for the next 20 years so when friends and family come over we are comfortable.”
A
small dinner party for Kate and Mike Ingoglia means at least 12 people. Thanksgiving diner equals 25 or more celebrants. On the Saturday before Christmas last year, the couple hosted 90 friends and family at their Land Park home. Theirs
26
ILP MAY n 14
is a family shaped by food: Mike’s family founded Tony’s Fine Foods in West Sacramento. Built in 1934, their house is an outstanding example of Art Moderne architecture, which was highlighted at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. Sometimes referred to as Streamline
Moderne or Nautical Moderne, the style is characterized by asymmetrical and streamlined low horizontal shapes, rounded corners, portholes or other nautical details and steel balustrades. The couple purchased the 4,000-square-foot house in 1996
and quickly instigated an extensive remodel. A second remodel, completed in August 2012, included the kitchen/ dining room and basement. Before remodeling, they contemplated downsizing to a downtown condominium. Instead, says Kate, “we decided to stay and
1.
2.
3. 1. The large kitchen features two islands that can be moved around as needed 2. The dining room can accommodate large groups, a must during large family gatherings
3. Ready for a drink? Stop by the basement!
HOME page 28
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27
“There was incredible attention to detail and collaboration throughout the process.”
The living room offers great views of the park across the street
HOME FROM page 27 make it the home we want to be in for the next 20 years.” Their next-door neighbors had remodeled their house, and though the two houses are very different in style, Kate and Mike appreciated the quality of their neighbors’ work. “They were very generous with their
A porthole view of the kitchen
time and showing us what was done to their home,” Kate says. So they hired their neighbors’ contractor, River City Builders. They also worked
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ILP MAY n 14
with Sage Architecture and designer Cheryl Holben. After hearing Kate comment about how cold the family room was during the winter, the designer suggested installing a rectangular gas fireplace in the room. The stainless steel surround complements the stainless steel accents in the remodeled kitchen. The raised walnut steps of the hearth often serve as an impromptu stage for Kate’s grandnieces. Steeped in a family-friendly food culture, the couple embraces crowds in the kitchen. “Everyone is always in the kitchen, so let’s make it so you can cook effectively,” Kate says. When their children were at home, the kitchen was serviceable, but the couple always felt the space had more potential. Today, three distinct new spheres—a dessert area, a work kitchen and a prep kitchen—meld effortlessly into one efficient and welcoming area. Charming wallpaper in a coffee-cup motif lines the walls of the large walk-in pantry near the dessert area.
The center of the kitchen boasts an 18-year-old Wolf range and a mega-sized Miele refrigerator. Kate explains that because of the way they cook, using mostly fresh vegetables and fruits, and with a huge extended family, they required a large fridge.
Now, there’s something for everyone in the reinvigorated basement. The prep area contains a large stainless steel sink, two wall ovens and a warming oven. There is also storage for pots, roasting pans, bakeware and other utensils. The swinging door dividing the prep kitchen from the laundry is a nod to the original house. While they were unable to salvage the original door, the couple retained the handle. Refinished, the wavy-shaped handle is at home on a new door, complete with
a porthole. “The original idea was to use a barn-style sliding door but we just weren’t feeling it,” Kate says. The basement also received an update. The original basement “was pretty utilitarian,” says Mike. “But it was perfect for a growing family.” Removing the commercial grade carpeting and staining the concrete floor a shiny gray lessened upkeep. Now, there’s something for everyone in the reinvigorated basement, including two 60-inch round poker tables, a foosball table, a shuffleboard table and a video game area complete with two X Rocker chairs. “I wanted to build what I needed for the next 20 years so when friends and family come over we are comfortable,” Mike says. Photos of Mike’s mother’s grandmother and great-grandfather overlook the basement bar, which is trimmed with chrome and leather. Several of the bar cabinets were salvaged from the kitchen and repurposed by Dave Puente of Puente Construction and Cabinet Makers.
(He was also responsible for the kitchen cabinetry.) Other items from the original kitchen, including sinks, faucets, marble countertops and refrigerator, went to a nonprofit organization. The couple received a charitable tax deduction, and less stuff went to the landfill. “We felt good knowing that it was not all just going in the dumpster,” Mike explains. Both Mike and Kate praise the professionals who worked on their project. “I can’t say enough about the teamwork between River City Builders, Sage Architecture and Cheryl Holben,” Kate says. “There was incredible attention to detail and collaboration throughout the process.” If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. n
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29
More Options for the Aging GREENHAVEN TERRACE EXPANDS TO INCLUDE ASSISTED LIVING
BY R.E.GRASWICH MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
T
he paint is fresh, the floors newly covered with wood laminate. Soon it will be time
to open a redesigned wing at Asian Community Center’s Greenhaven Terrace. A bushel of new services are ready for inspection and state certification. Time never stands still at ACC, a nonprofit organization in the Pocket that provides living facilities and services for older adults. The official ACC clock starts at age 62. But these days, 62 is nothing. Which means many clients can anticipate—who knows?—30 years of life beneath the ACC umbrella. “We often hear from adult children who say it’s getting to be time for Mom to make the transition into assisted living,” says Donna Yee, the center’s chief executive. “We tell Donna Yee is the chief executive at the Asian Community Center
them, ‘Well, these transitions can easily take 10 years, and 10 years really isn’t very long.’ They say, ‘Ten
Terrace home, they come and go.
years?’ They seem shocked.”
Others require full-time care from
a key goal for ACC. Each month,
between completely self-sufficient
professional staff at the ACC nursing
ACC volunteers—themselves deep
seniors and those who need skilled
natural than growing older. It
home, about a mile from Greenhaven
into Social Security range—make
nursing—is the brave new world of
happens every day, every minute, to
Terrace. Others are in the middle.
4,000 trips around the Pocket and
elder care. It’s why ACC recently
Greenhaven neighborhoods and
upgraded Greenhaven Terrace and
No human experience is more
everybody. But for many people, no
“There’s no one-size-fits-all
The visible vitality of seniors is
The middle ground—the space
experience is more ominous than the
anymore in elder care,” Yee says.
beyond, taking clients on shopping
shifted some of its 144 apartments
contemplation of time’s advance.
“It used to be elderly people were
or social excursions and to doctor or
from fully independent lifestyles to
invisible in our communities. They
dental appointments.
assisted living.
This is where Asian Community Center comes in. ACC serves an
would be getting along fine, then have
amazingly diverse swath of human
a fall or something, move into skilled
part of the ACC experience that
through as we age,” Yee says. “Maybe
maturity, potentially for one-third of
nursing and never be seen again.
a Volunteer Hall of Fame was
there’s a medical reason why you need
a client’s life span.
Today, they can be vital members of
established. Twenty years of service
someone to check on you and help
the community well into their 80s and
are required to qualify. More than 80
with meals or meds. But you don’t
even 90s.”
volunteers have made the cut. “Maybe
need full-time skilled nursing. That’s
we should make it 40 years,” Yee
the benefit of having an assisted-
jokes.
living option.”
Some residential clients (no, you don’t have to be Asian) have full-time jobs. While they call Greenhaven
30
ILP MAY n 14
Volunteers are such an essential
“It’s a process that we all go
apprehension. Some are motivated
elder care since her undergraduate
by loneliness, some urged into senior
days at San Francisco State, earned
residency by family members who
a Ph.D. in the field. She spent years
don’t want to see Dad alone, rattling
in the disciplines of elder research
around his house. Many simply want
and nursing home compliance but
to live somewhere that’s safe and
was ultimately drawn to direct
friendly.
Community Center.
Which means they come to ACC for all the normal reasons. Normalcy
Today, her past academic and
pervades the sprawling Greenhaven
professional work serves Yee on a
Terrace complex on Corporate Way.
daily basis. So does her training in
There are bingo games and workout
social work. Much of Yee’s time is
equipment and yoga classes and
spent dealing with family members.
a community garden. There are
The relationship can be precious.
arguments about people growing
“We consider the entire family to
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flowers in the community garden.
be our client,” she says. “The family
(Some Terrace residents believe the
can be a big part of the successful
garden should be for vegetables only.
experience for our residents. Adult
They work it out.)
children often have many issues
e sho
care, the hands-on mission of Asian
Meeting All Your Shoe Needs ries
Yee, who has been interested in
Whether you are buying or selling, make Steffan part of your team
To see the common vitalities of
when dealing with an elderly parent.
life at ACC’s Greenhaven Terrace
Sometimes, they will say, ‘What do
is to know this: Getting old is the
you mean, I have to go to class to
ultimate norm, and far better than
learn how to take care of Mom?’ But
the alternative.
Together, we can bring you HOME!
there really is a lot to learn.” Despite enlightened approaches to aging and resources available to seniors, it’s still not easy to grow old. People arrive at ACC full of fear and
For more information about Asian Community Center, go to accsv.org. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n
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Fast and Furious IT’S GOOD FUN WHEN THIS GROUP GETS TOGETHER TO PLAY TABLE TENNIS
“I had never played pingpong before I found this group,” says Lowy. “I was trying to find ways to get some exercise and have fun at the same time when I saw Jose’s poster at the park about a new pingpong club. I came to play once and have been a member ever since. I’ve found that it is a fun way to get some exercise and to sharpen hand-eye coordination. Plus there’s a lot of bending and stretching, so it does help get you moving.”
BY GWEN SCHOEN THE CLUB LIFE
I
f you think you might want to join Swanston Community Center’s pingpong club, here’s a tip (or a warning, depending on how you look at it): Wear running shoes. Even though this group of about 20 regulars is mostly seniors, they are a lively bunch, light on their feet, with lightening reflexes. The club got started in the spring of 2011 when Jose Bonilla was looking for a pingpong club to join. He discovered that the new community center in the park near his home in Arden-Arcade had a couple of pingpong tables, some worn-out paddles and a box of pingpong balls. So he asked if he could organize a club. He was told to go for it, and he did. Three years later the club, called Thumpers, is going strong. “We called the club Thumpers because one fellow would stomp his foot when he leaned in to return a ball. The sound was a loud thump,” said Bonilla. “We all thought that was pretty funny, so that’s how we got the name.” The group is a drop-in club: no dues, no officers, no organization of any sort. Every Monday, Bonilla and Susanna Lowy, another member, arrive around 12:45 p.m. to set up the tables and
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ILP MAY n 14
“I’ve found that it is a fun way to get some exercise and to sharpen hand-eye coordination. Plus there’s a lot of bending and stretching, so it does help get you moving.”
Jose Bonilla (in white baseball cap) and Ton Joe enjoy a game of pingpong at Swanston Community Center on a recent afternoon
other equipment. They begin play at 1 o’clock. Anyone looking for a game is welcome to join in. “We usually have from four to 12 people every week, but overall we have about 20 regulars,” says Lowy. “I played a lot when I was a kid living in Puerto Rico and later when I was in the Army,” Bonilla says. “I really enjoyed it, but after the
military I didn’t have much time for the game. When I retired in ’97, I decided to try it again and discovered that many of the park and recreation centers in Sacramento have pingpong groups. When Swanston Community Center opened a few years ago, I was happy to see they had tables and paddles available for a club.”
Skill level doesn’t matter. All members are happy to get visitors started. A few times, they’ve helped people who are wheelchair-mobile to play a few games. You will find pingpong game rules at pongworld.com, but you really don’t need to know them to play with this group. Most of the time, they just rally for fun and no one keeps score. So that everyone has a chance to play, they set a timer for seven minutes. When the timer plays “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the Rocky movies, everyone rotates partners. If
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only four people show up, they play singles. Otherwise they play doubles. Yes, the more experienced players send spinning balls in return and sometimes smash a few over the net, but it’s all in fun, and there’s a lot of cheering, moaning and good-natured razzing. Occasionally the club challenges other local pingpong groups to a tournament. “You’d be surprised at how many clubs and groups there are around town,” said Bonilla. “We have quite a few tournaments through the year, and that’s a lot of fun. We can get competitive when we need to.” Joining this club is simple: Just show up at Swanston Community Center (2350 Northrop Ave.) at 1 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. Bring your own paddle if you are picky about your weapon and a $2 donation. But first, go back to the top of this column and read the tip in the first paragraph. If you know of an interesting club in the area, contact Gwen Schoen at gwensclubs@aol.com. n
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Adding It Up HOW WELLSPRING HELPS A LOT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
BY GLORIA GLYER DOING GOOD
W
ellspring Women’s Center in Oak Park deserves a major Doing Good award for its many programs designed to help low-income women and their children. On an average day, 211 women and children dine at Wellspring. And an average of 17 youngsters a day attend Wellspring’s children’s program, which introduces young kids to routines and boundaries that are comforting and stimulating. Through its women’s wellness program, Wellspring provides counseling, case management, resource referrals and more. Last
year, the center began an expressive art therapy program, free and open to any woman who would like to participate. In the past year, Wellspring provided 361 workshops, therapy and activity groups, 4,437 health screenings, 38 health education groups and three health fairs. It also gave out 36,432 diapers, 2,071 toiletry bags filled with shampoo, toothpaste, lotion and tissue, 46,305 feminine hygiene pads and more than 7,000 bus passes. Wellspring welcomes donations. For more information, go to wellspringwomen.org or call 4549688.
ROLLING ALONG The United Way will hold its sixth annual toilet paper drive on Thursday, June 12. Contributors can drop off packages of toilet paper at Cal Expo anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. United Way will distribute the toilet paper to nonprofit organizations in Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties.
Each year, groups of people—office workers, neighbors, friends and club members—hold contests to see who can collect the most rolls. It’s competitive but all in good fun. The 2013 drive resulted in 229,485 rolls of TP, the equivalent of nearly $230,000 in savings to local nonprofits. For more information, go to yourlocalunitedway.org/tp-drive.
BIG GRANT Sacramento Life Center received a $15,000 grant from American River Bank to provide free medical services and counseling for pregnant women and teens. The money will help the center launch a licensed mobile medical clinic to provide free services such as pregnancy and STD tests, ultrasounds, counseling and resource referrals. The group expects to help more than 3,000 women and teen girls in 2014. “Community funding is essential to keeping our doors open to the many women and teen girls who are pregnant, scared and have no place to turn,” said executive director Marie Leatherby. For more information, go to saclife.org.
EATING FOR GOOD My Sister’s House recently opened an eatery called My Sister’s Cafe at 455 Capitol Mall. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., it’s staffed by volunteers. Proceeds go to My Sister’s House, which helps survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. For more information, go to my-sisters-house. org or call 475-1864.
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ILP MAY n 14
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Umpqua Bank has named Kellie England its Connect Volunteer of the Year. England, a senior vice president and community bank regional executive with Umpqua, volunteers with Women’s Empowerment, a job readiness program designed to end homelessness, one woman at a time. England has been involved with the nonprofit for more than seven years and is president of its board. As part of the award, England will present a $5,000 donation to Women’s Empowerment. Umpqua’s Connect Volunteer Network is a nationally recognized volunteer program that provides employees with paid time off to serve at youth-focused organizations, schools and community development programs.
TRANSFORMATION St. John’s Shelter Program for Women and Children has a new name, designed to better reflect its mission. The new moniker: Saint John’s Program for Real Change. Part of that change includes a move to a new, larger facility that can serve almost 150 mothers and children each day. The new facility has 31 bedrooms and 120 beds with a private room for each family, plus two playgrounds for the children. There’s also large kitchen to prepare women for employment and for the healthyeating and active-living program. For more information, go to stjohnsprogram.org or call 453-1482.
2nd Saturdays Feature Food Pairing with Wine & Beer in the Edible Tasting Garden!
AMEN
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Women’s Empowerment received the inaugural Women’s Appreciation Award for Organization of the Year at a ceremony at California Museum. The Sacramento nonprofit was honored for its work empowering homeless women to find jobs and
N
EMPOWERING WOMEN
CR
COU
When United Way held its second Women in Philanthropy Day, 50 local foster youth involved in the $en$e-Ability project got a behindthe-scenes tour of the State Capitol, followed by roundtable sessions at California Museum with local government leaders. The goal: to expose foster youth to careers in government and inspire them to reach for goals as they prepare financially for independence. The $en$e-Ability project is designed to help foster youth become financially selfsufficient through financial literacy courses and a matched savings program. For more information, go to yourlocalunitedway.org/wip/
stable housing. “During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the enormous progress women have made throughout our history and the giants of our past who struggled, suffered and prevailed on behalf of women everywhere,” said executive director Lisa Culp. For more information and to donate online, go to womensempowerment.org.
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Gloria Glyer can be reached at gglyer@sbbmail.com or (530) 4775331. n
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The Aging Gardener MAKING YARDWORK EASIER AND SAFER AS YOU GET OLDER
BY ANITA CLEVENGER GARDEN JABBER
T
here aren’t many more avid gardeners than Tahoe Park’s Sharon Patrician. She created and tends a stunning perennial garden in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery’s Hamilton Square. She served as a board member of the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club. She travels the world to study gardens. Her bookshelves are filled with gardening books. When Sharon wants a good time, she visits a nursery or plant sale, selecting the very best and most unusual specimens. So imagine my surprise when I heard that she was simplifying her home garden. “I’m not getting any younger,” she told me matter-of-factly. When I went to Sharon’s 65th birthday party some years back, it was fun to pick my way through her backyard’s paths. Her garden is still fun to visit but easier to walk through. “I needed to reduce hazards and work,” she said. She eliminated steps, putting in wide, gently graded gravel paths that surround the garden, edged with low walls of paving stones to keep wandering plants in place. The slightly raised garden beds make it easier to mulch and weed.
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“Hoses are dangerous,” Sharon observes. Her garden is irrigated with a drip system controlled with an automatic timer, with emitters going to individual plants and pots. She uses a lightweight, easy-to-handle compressible hose when a plant needs additional water. She increased the size of her patio because she likes to entertain outside, and she installed a large fountain that delights bird and human visitors alike. Sharon believes that a garden has to have structure that shows when nothing is blooming, and a focal point. “Otherwise, the eye is restless,” she says. A structured garden is much easier to manage than a chaotic one. Sharon kept many of the same plants but installed a few freestanding trellises into the garden where she grows flowering vines. They add a nice vertical touch and some screening, but she can reach them and all of the other plants in the garden without clambering up a ladder. She relies more and more on flowering shrubs rather than perennials that need dividing and cutting back. If you choose the rightsized shrubs, they don’t require a lot of pruning. Sydney Eddison, author of “Gardening for a Lifetime,” also has come to appreciate flowering shrubs, which “afford more value for less work” and “apply strong structural forms.” Eddison appreciates how evergreen shrubs offer year-round color and the berries that many carry throughout the winter. Sharon and Eddison both are fond of container gardening. Fragrant, colorful potted citrus add a Mediterranean touch to Sharon’s patio. Other pots are massed in her
Sharon Patrician in her Tahoe Park garden
front and back yards or placed in the planting beds. Even empty, they add interest and form. Large clay pots can be too hard to manage, but you can slip a plastic pot inside and remove it when you want to change out the plant or repot it. When I first read Eddison’s book, she overwhelmed me with her intensity, the immensity of her garden and her standard of perfection. Her “simplified” approach
to gardening is over the top compared to Sharon’s and my more relaxed style. However, her message is clear: At some point, you need to scale back and/or get good help. Sharon does most of her own work but recommends “a few tools for arthritic hands and cranky knees,” including “ergonomic hand tools, gel-filled knee pads, kneeling pads and seats which can help you get up GARDEN page 39
ESKATON INDEPENDENT LIVING with SERVICES
Land Park Lively
Come see our brand new fitness center!
People are friendly at Eskaton Monroe Lodge. Maybe it’s the lively environment or the set-your-own-pace lifestyle. Friendships blossom at our picturesque lodge, where you can join in on the recreation and excursions, spend time with friends, and interact with children through Kids Connection. Surrounded by three acres of trees and minutes from downtown Sacramento, Eskaton Monroe Lodge offers independent living in a country-like retreat with all the city advantages. Housekeeping, dining and personal services keep life easy (and fun.) Eskaton Monroe Lodge is the active senior’s answer to living the fullest, most independent life possible. So, call or visit us today. Come to an event! Talk to our residents. Find out why life at Eskaton Monroe Lodge is so inviting. Call 916-264-9001 to respond. Live here ... Live at your own pace.
GUEST LECTURE SERIES: Explore exciting forms of Irish dance that still captivate audiences the world over. Guest lecturer Robert Coleman. Thursday, May 8, 2014 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Enjoy a program and slide show about the roots of American folk music. Discuss why and how Celtic tunes were adapted by immigrant groups. Lively, toe-tapping sing-alongs with Shirley Mercer, Monroe Lodge resident and longtime educator. Thursday, May 22nd 2014
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1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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37
Food For Thought SAC HIGH STUDENTS LEARN LIFE LESSONS THROUGH SCHOOL GARDEN
BY SENA CHRISTIAN BUILDING OUR FUTURE
T
he courtyard on the campus of Sacramento Charter High School in Oak Park was long unused and overgrown with Bermuda grass. The space just wasn’t very hospitable to life. But a few years ago, a fellow with HealthCorps built three garden boxes there. And in September 2012, students expanded on those boxes and planted what has become a garden one-third of an acre in size. The harvest from their first winter crop—lettuce, kale, snap peas, cauliflower, bok choy and fava beans aplenty—has since been incorporated into lunch meals in the cafeteria. “People think you’ve created a garden and the work is done. But for anyone who has ever farmed or gardened before, you understand that creating the space is just the beginning,” says Erika Dimmler, program manager for Edible Sac High, a pilot program that was launched in October 2012 to promote food justice and empower students not normally exposed to healthy foods with the tools and knowhow to govern their own welfare. Of Sac High’s 927 students, 74.5 percent are socioeconomically disadvantaged. That means they qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. But school lunches aren’t always known for incorporating fresh, local and healthful ingredients. Foods that are better for us are also more costly. A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that the healthiest diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and nuts cost $1.50 more per day than the least healthy ones consisting of processed foods, meats and refined grains.
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ILP MAY n 14
Sacramento Charter High students prepare a meal. The Edible Sac High program's bold graphic makes a statement on the campus.
Edible Sac High has three main components: school garden, kitchen classroom and studentrun cafeteria stocked with healthy foods. The local program is modeled after Edible Schoolyard, which was pioneered by good-food guru and legendary chef Alice Waters at a middle school in Berkeley 18 years ago. That original program intentionally targeted younger students considered more impressionable; convincing teenagers to care about eating healthful foods is a little more difficult.
“I’d say one of the most challenging aspects of the program has been understanding that when you’re dealing with teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, it’s really important to have a serious dialogue about healthy food,” Dimmler says. Dimmler, a former CNN news producer, is employed by Greenwise
Joint Venture, a nonprofit formed in February 2012 out of the Greenwise Initiative launched two years prior by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Leaders throughout the greater Sacramento region were convened to establish a shared vision for economic development driven by a sustainable green economy. Over the next eight
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18 months – 8th Grade
916-399-1900 B E RG A M O M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L S Authentic Montessori since 1975
months, more than 275 experts and community leaders discussed clean technology, urban design and green building, waste and recycling, water and nature. The Greenwise Regional Action Plan came out of those conversations, with strategies for turning Sacramento into the “Emerald Valley” and a hub for clean technology. Greenwise Joint Venture manages Edible Sac High. While the nonprofit’s grant writer is leading the effort to secure funding for the program through grants and individual and corporate donations, the rest of the work is largely left to the students. The program also has assistance from a master gardener and a fellow with HealthCorps, a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz to combat childhood obesity. Classes adopt garden rows and assume responsibility for tending those crops. An after-school garden club and cooking club are also involved. In January, students took the lead on planting starts for the spring. Once the first round of spring and summer crops are harvested, the students
will have a better idea of how much bounty their garden will produce. Additional food will be donated to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and sold at a farmers market. The next step in the 2014-15 academic year is to complete the kitchen classroom. While the original Edible Schoolyard curriculum focuses on creating a school garden and offering food-based education in the kitchen, Edible Sac High expands on that concept with the added school cafeteria element. The intention is for this cafeteria to run as a business by and for students. Teens will create the menus and budgets and develop relationships with local farmers and purveyors. “I love changing hearts and minds,” says Dimmler. “I love exposing students to new foods and educating them on the importance of what they put in their bodies, and I love teaching them that real food doesn’t come out of a bag, already frozen.” Senior Aryanna Lewis says she enjoys witnessing the passion of the people involved in Edible Sac High.
www.BergamoSchools.com Call or log on today to schedule a school tour!
“It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come and all that I’ve had the opportunity to learn about food and gardening,” says Lewis. “These lessons have encouraged me to follow all my dreams and never give up on what I believe in. Passion is everything, and change starts with just a little seed. If we plant a garden with all of the little seeds, who knows how much of the world we’ll change?” n GARDEN FROM page 36 from weeding, lightweight wagons to haul stuff around, trays with wheels for large pots and, if all else fails, enough money to hire someone!” At present, she hires help just for big jobs and stands over workers to make sure that they are doing things right. Eddison has more skilled, continuous help but relies on lists to define what needs to be done. I’m younger than Sharon and Eddison, but I’ve already begun simplifying my garden at home and thinking about how to manage it in the future. My pond was the first
thing to go. The raccoons wreaked havoc on it throughout the year. It was hard to keep clean, and it blocked access to the wisteria on the deck cover. My husband and I spend weeks on a ladder every year trying to subdue this wisteria, more than a dozen climbing roses and a cypress arch. Much as I love them, someday these plants will be phased out because ladders are more dangerous than hoses. When it’s time to replace my elevated deck, I’m going to build a patio at ground level. My decomposed granite pathways require constant weeding, so they need to be replaced with something more weed-resistant. No matter what your age, you can be a smarter gardener. Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners at 875-6913, go to ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg or visit Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, where they will hold a garden workshop on Saturday, May 17, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. n
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Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Sales Closed January 1 - February 15, 2014
95608 CARMICHAEL
5416 LOCUST AVE 4607 HIXON CIR 4734 ESPANA CT 3842 WINGATE DR 5007 SUGAR LN 3445 GARFIELD AVE 5235 GIBBONS DR 4931 HEATHERDALE LN 3841 DELL RD 1371 MEREDITH WAY 6800 WESTMORE WAY 4436 WOODVIEW ST 6009 MULDROW RD 4765 HIXON CIR 5111 WALNUT POINTE LN 3943 HENDERSON WAY 4028 EASTWOOD VILLAGE LN 6104 FOUNTAINDALE WAY 6355 MADISON AVE 3032 PARAGON WAY 4959 SILVER RANCH WAY 2244 HOMEWOOD WAY 4506 RUSTIC RD 4933 ROBERTSON AVE 5140 LOVE WAY 2600 GREENFIELD WAY 7138 LINCOLN AVE 4909 DONOVAN DR 5650 VEGA CT 6121 KENNETH AVE 4714 HACKBERRY LN 1160 JACOB LN 2348 MISSION AVE
$340,000 $320,000 $359,500 $265,000 $449,000 $318,000 $125,000 $224,000 $375,000 $511,000 $345,000 $310,000 $385,000 $292,000 $210,000 $280,000 $191,250 $450,000 $200,000 $280,000 $350,000 $246,000 $345,000 $270,000 $295,000 $203,000 $465,000 $185,000 $299,000 $342,000 $410,000 $515,000 $239,500
5961 MARLIN CIR $236,500 3904 OAK VILLA CIR $120,000 5234 LOCUST AVE $265,000 6228 WILDOMAR WAY $209,000 1115 SAND BAR CIR $340,000 6185 ORSI CIR $150,000 5830 WOODLEIGH DR $219,500 3910 DELAWARE AVE $290,000 3910 PARK CIRCLE LN UNIT 3910-1 $120,000 3605 COMSTOCK WAY $209,500 4231 JOSH CT $435,950 4313 RUSTIC RD $380,000 4432 ROLLINGROCK WAY $295,000 5901 TELESCO $272,000 3517 SUE PAM DR $220,000 3237 PETTY LN $191,000 3637 WALNUT AVE $176,000 5248 NORTH AVE $535,000 2610 KNABE CT $275,000 6349 MADISON AVE $270,000 1605 GARY WAY $636,200 6107 BOURBON DR $246,000 5001 CRESTVIEW $285,000 5319 WHITNEY AVE $367,000 5824 SHADOW CREEK DR #2$78,000 3828 HENDERSON WAY $165,000 4171 SCRANTON CIR $335,000 2325 SHOREWOOD DR $572,000 3237 SMATHERS WAY $146,500 4214 GALEWOOD WAY $395,000 6207 HILLTOP DR $265,000 5246 MISSION VIEW CT $340,000 4211 FRIDA MARIA CT $232,000 4238 GOLD FLOWER CT $375,000 2817 GUNN RD $298,000
2809 LA COLINA WAY 5029 ROBERTSON AVE 3939 PARK CIRCLE LN UNIT B
$370,000 $304,000 $141,000
95816 EAST SACRAMENTO, MCKINLEY PARK 3287 B ST 271 39TH ST 2325 E ST 3418 N ST 1321 E SUTTER WALK 1037 35TH ST 1917 40TH ST 2631 S ST 3846 T ST 3272 D ST
$430,000 $935,000 $390,000 $425,000 $435,000 $495,000 $423,000 $382,000 $725,000 $349,900
95817 TAHOE PARK, ELMHURST 3220 SAN JOSE WAY 3040 10TH 4838 U ST 3109 SAN RAFAEL CT 2815 SANTA CRUZ WAY 3071 9TH AVE 2746 57TH ST 3525 6TH AVE 3616 35TH ST 3108 SAN JOSE WAY 6140 1ST AVE 3221 3RD AVE 3801 6TH AVE 3429 TRIO LN 3225 MARTIN LUTHER
$68,500 $210,000 $340,000 $156,000 $132,000 $320,000 $290,000 $128,500 $68,500 $84,500 $289,000 $230,000 $163,000 $222,900
KING JR BLVD 3846 T ST 3840 T ST
$106,000 $725,000 $725,000
95818 LAND PARK, CURTIS PARK
1948 9TH AVE $454,900 1309 1ST AVE $255,000 2712 T ST $210,500 2214 24TH ST $300,000 2809 LAND PARK DR $385,000 2417 18TH ST $250,000 2024 21ST ST $612,500 2022 21 ST $610,450 2620 16TH ST $310,000 2426 7TH AVE $549,500 2574 20TH ST $290,000 581 6TH AVE $359,990 2520 SAN FERNANDO WAY $200,000 2401 MONTGOMERY WAY $557,000 3008 FRANKLIN BLVD $399,000 512 U ST $300,000 2120 10TH ST $385,000 1120 ROBERTSON WAY $525,000 2504 X ST $157,500
95819 EAST SACRAMENTO, RIVER PARK 450 WANDA WAY 5343 K ST 271 39TH ST 4501 MODDISON AVE 4622 FOLSOM BLVD 1040 45TH ST 668 52ND ST
$489,900 $460,000 $935,000 $452,500 $370,500 $1,900,000 $325,000
1058 56TH ST $340,000 5885 CALLISTER AVE $183,500 5050 TEICHERT AVE $359,000 1356 43RD ST $1,075,000 93 45TH ST $442,500 4441 I ST $1,082,000 1132 58TH ST $260,000 1917 40TH ST $423,000 1519 CHRISTOPHER WAY $375,000 1365 54TH ST $385,000 520 SANDBURG DR $420,000 1153 58TH ST $599,500 600 44TH ST $735,000 657 55TH ST $330,000 5611 SHEPARD AVE $390,000 311 SAN ANTONIO WAY $600,000 4201 D ST $330,000 4141 D ST $330,000 615 55TH ST $291,000 60 36TH WAY $400,000 240 SAN ANTONIO WAY $435,000 1352 61ST ST $260,000 5401 H ST $400,000
95821 ARDEN-ARCADE 3813 ROBIE LEE WAY 2705 IONE ST 2747 TIOGA WAY 2221 DUNLAP DR 2541 DANUBE DR 2928 GREENWOOD AVE 2841 CARSON WAY 4261 ALVA CT 3311 SIERRA VIEW LN
$309,900 $179,000 $310,000 $122,000 $161,000 $193,000 $213,000 $145,000 $150,000
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
REDUCED
Midtown Fourplex close to the grid Four One bedroom units Off-street parking for each unit. $425,000 Ann Nash 916-212-2380
4/3 Master double walk-in closets 3 Car garage open floor plan Within walking distance to schools $385,000 Jeff & Kelli Silva 916-416-9611
3 bd, 2 ba, Updated kitchen/baths. Character home. Great neighborhood. Add to your list!! $474,900 Chad Talach 916-715-6455
3 bd,/2 ba, Beautiful remodel Det. garage w/carport, ¼ basement Addt’l storage. Come have a look!! $499,000 Chad Talach 916-715-6455
3BD 2BA Remodel 2yrs ago 1448 sf Granite tops/Dl pn windows, CHVAC Approx. ¼ acre RV poss. Corner lot $275,000 Bruce Reddick (916) 919-7338
Modern 2BD/1.5 BA 1226 sf Dual pn windows/Fresh paint/Carpet Indr. laundry, 2 car garage, CHVAC $345,000 Bruce Reddick (916) 919-7338
PENDING
Feels like home! Solid 50’s Ranch. 2 BR. Quiet st. Deep yd w/covered patio. Move-in ready & affordable. $125,000 Idelle Claypool 916-730-8895
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Spectacular Spanish oozing w/style & charm. Open flr plan. 2br w/remod kitch & bath. 1054 sf. $359,000 Rhonda Holmen/Idelle Claypool 296-8886
ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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Best Seat in the House PETS AND NICE FURNITURE DO MIX
BY SUE OWENS WRIGHT PETS & THEIR PEOPLE
W
hen my husband and I were first married, there was a rule about allowing pets on the furniture, at least for a little while. Having grown up in a home without pets, my hubby made a big concession by just agreeing to have a dog in the first place. Getting a large breed like a basset hound was a bigger one. Our first sofa was covered in orange velvet fabric, not the wisest choice for camouflaging pet hair. Since those days, our couches and chairs have been upholstered in brown leather, perfect material for a long succession of shedding, drooling bassets. Their claw marks have added a pet lover’s patina to the hide. Having a dog sit beside me to stroke whenever I’m reading, watching TV or knitting has been one of life’s greatest pleasures over the years. You’ll often find my husband and me situated on the sofa like bookends, with a dog or two lying between us. Finding a place to sit can sometimes be a challenge in our home. The rule at the Wright
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residence has changed: If you want the best seat in the house, move the dog. Bubba Gump, our previous male basset, did claim the best seat in our house, my husband’s leather easy chair and ottoman, where Bubba slept every night of his long, happy life with us. He’d stretch full length across chair and ottoman on his favorite snuggly blanket. After he left us at age 14, for a long time it was hard seeing his empty chair. I still can’t bring myself to discard it because Bubba slept there.
If your dog has a tendency to be dominant or aggressive, permitting him to lie on your furniture—or worse, your bed— affords him equal status with you, which is not helpful in establishing who’s the leader of the pack. I’m certain that many dog trainers would frown on allowing pets on the furniture, and in some cases it certainly isn’t advisable. If your dog has a tendency to be dominant or aggressive, permitting him to lie on your furniture—or worse, your bed— affords him equal status with you,
which is not helpful in establishing who’s the leader of the pack. We made that unfortunate mistake with Daisy, who was undisputed Couch Queen and ruled us with an iron paw. I have photos of her draped on the couch like an artist’s model, her elbow propped upon the arm. All that was missing was Her Majesty’s royal crown and scepter. Jumping off furniture can put long-backed dogs like dachshunds and basset hounds at risk of disk damage. That’s why we provide steps for them to climb up and down to prevent any chance of spinal injury. I admit we spoil our dogs, but rescued dogs deserve some spoiling. Nowadays, there are options in pet-friendly decor that are stylish and inexpensive and don’t involve wrapping your furniture in plastic. Choose from stain-resistant
fabrics like microfiber, cruelty-free Ultrasuede and pleather, or Crypton, a cutting-edge textile that protects against stains, moisture, bacteria and odors. Machine-washable pillows and throws are a must. Bedding, too, if you share your bed with a pet. Avoid fabrics that are magnets for pet hair, and choose one with a color or pattern that helps camouflage it. For instance, a Newfoundland’s fur won’t blend with a white sofa or a Samoyed’s with a black one, but a black-and-white pattern might work if you have a dalmatian. Our dogs enjoy their playful indoor skirmishes, so we have furniture without sharp edges to prevent injuries. We also don’t keep anything breakable at tail-wagging level. Whenever Bubba’s long tail helicoptered in happy circles, he could clear low shelves of knickknacks with
Neighborhood Real Estate Sales CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
2241 TAMARACK WAY $94,000 3216 STREVEL WAY $185,000 4522 BARON AVE $155,000 2428 WULFF LN $164,000 3545 MIAMI ST $301,000 3629 FRENCH AVENUE AVE $190,000 3972 ROSEMARY CIR $283,000 2827 BARBARELL WAY $270,000 2073 SILVER CT $87,500 3709 HAVEN GLEN PL $280,000 3524 SAINT GEORGE DR $212,500 2824 LA PAZ WAY $199,000 2248 PYRAMID WAY $319,000 2841 SANTA PAULA CT $86,000 2570 BELL ST $175,000 3437 TOLEDO WAY $164,570 2584 BUTANO DR $217,000 4217 ANNETTE ST $200,000 3012 FAIRWAYS CT $227,000 4149 ZEPHYR WAY $275,000 4231 SILVER CREST AVE $245,000 2520 CATALINA DR $219,000 2217 EL CAMINO AVE $182,500 3115 GREENWOOD AVE $290,000 3108 LEATHA WAY $255,000 3716 WILLIAM WAY $295,000 2308 MARCONI AVE $114,500 2811 EDISON AVE $105,209 2840 CARRISA WAY $170,000 2800 RUBICON WAY $230,000 2121 JULIESSE AVE $155,000 2918 TIOGA WAY $357,500 4408 PARK GREEN CT $307,500
95822 SOUTH LAND PARK 7490 CARELLA DR
$165,000
2308 KNIGHT WAY 5979 WYMORE WAY 1512 FRUITRIDGE RD 1416 34TH AVE 7329 BENBOW ST 2433 50TH AVE 7321 BENBOW ST 2353 IRVIN WAY 2029 OREGON DR 2209 22ND AVE 7361 22ND ST 2871 LOCK AVE 1141 WEBER WAY 6860 23RD ST 6113 MCLAREN AVE 2230 50TH AVE 805 BELL AIR DR 1748 67TH AVE 4655 MARION CT 7607 ADDISON WAY 5813 13TH ST 2041 65TH AVE 7532 COSGROVE 4831 KARBET WAY 4332 CONSTANCE LN 2241 15TH AVE 5661 NORMAN WAY 7475 19TH ST 1145 35TH AVE 1601 ARVILLA DR 7031 DEMARET DR 7326 TILDEN WAY 1631 OREGON DR 7448 WINKLEY WAY
95825 ARDEN
2142 KINCAID WAY 734 HARTNELL PL
one revolution. Tile has replaced wallto-wall carpet in our family room, which has helped reduce allergies that can result when pet dander and odors are trapped in carpeting fibers. Over the years, we have come to value our pets far above mere possessions like sofas and chairs. Our dogs have comfortable beds of their own, but we don’t forbid them from lying elsewhere if they want to. Furnishings are easily replaced, but you can never replace the special love of a cherished pet. If, like me, you believe it’s important for your fur
$199,000 $330,000 $210,000 $259,560 $165,000 $105,000 $155,000 $215,000 $250,000 $258,000 $153,500 $230,000 $320,000 $187,000 $85,000 $165,000 $411,900 $185,000 $540,000 $210,000 $305,000 $176,000 $150,000 $186,000 $352,800 $160,000 $152,000 $105,000 $315,000 $21,000 $210,500 $188,000 $220,000 $110,000 $275,000 $380,000
12 COLBY CT 2904 EMERALD CT 1637 WAYLAND AVE 1310 GANNON DR 2454 LARKSPUR LN #330 2116 CORTEZ LN 903 DUNBARTON CIR 2208 WOODSIDE LN #6 957 FULTON AVE #552 2448 LARKSPUR LN #318 2452 LARKSPUR LN #324 2422 LARKSPUR LN #219 810 ELMHURST CIR 1019 DORNAJO WAY #129 2407 PENNLAND DR 2860 ARMSTRONG DR 3278 VIA GRANDE 407 DUNBARTON CIR 2028 ERNEST WAY 2236 WOODSIDE LN #16 657 WOODSIDE SIERRA #3 2000 BELCOT RD 257 MUNROE ST 1917 FLOWERS ST 2349 FIELLEN CT 1920 RICHMOND ST 2466 LARKSPUR LN #351 2217 WOODSIDE LN #3 1005 VANDERBILT WAY 124 HARTNELL PL
$249,000 $227,000 $115,000 $193,500 $110,000 $149,900 $300,000 $124,900 $40,500 $62,500 $77,500 $77,000 $281,000 $64,990 $253,000 $249,000 $164,900 $335,000 $135,000 $70,000 $169,000 $177,500 $281,000 $250,000 $148,000 $275,000 $95,000 $123,000 $415,000 $290,000
95831 GREENHAVEN, S LAND PARK 6 KINGBIRD CT 1050 FOXHALL WAY 7327 POCKET RD 958 BRIARCREST WAY
babies to be part of the family circle, then you need to opt for pet-friendly decor in your home. Perhaps there’s a reason it’s called furniture. Sue Owens Wright is an awardwinning author of fiction and nonfiction about dogs. She writes the Beanie and Cruiser Mysteries for dog lovers. She is also an artist who exhibits her pastel paintings of animals and other subjects in various galleries and venues. For more information, go to sueowenswright. com. n
$352,000 $391,888 $299,500 $348,000
7831 RIVER ESTATES DR 6450 SURFSIDE WAY 456 FLORIN RD 6140 COLGATE CT 6270 LAKE PARK DR 7450 GRIGGS WAY 7071 HAVENSIDE DR 7607 RIVER RANCH WAY 6268 FENNWOOD CT 299 OUTRIGGER WAY 780 SAO JORGE WAY 8004 LINDA ISLE LN 215 ROUNDTREE CT 7273 POCKET RD 6389 FAUSTINO WAY 6715 STEAMBOAT WAY 421 MARINER POINT WAY 7643 BRIDGEVIEW DR 6298 FORDHAM WAY 23 BASIL CT 43 SAGE RIVER CIR 1060 EILEEN WAY 7500 DELTAWIND DR 80 SUNLIT CIR 7130 FLINTWOOD WAY 855 COBBLE COVE LN 7476 GREENHAVEN DR 7721 SLEEPY RIVER WAY 6260 HOLSTEIN WAY 6610 14TH ST 300 RIVER ISLE WAY 779 WESTLITE CIR
95864 ARDEN
1501 LOS MOLINOS WAY 1512 EL NIDO WAY 200 CALLNON CT 3401 AMERICAN RIVER DR
$359,000 $432,500 $138,000 $625,000 $235,000 $569,000 $173,000 $320,000 $260,000 $395,000 $189,000 $439,000 $117,000 $265,000 $449,000 $330,000 $285,000 $310,000 $338,000 $260,000 $369,000 $464,500 $260,000 $310,000 $384,000 $660,000 $317,000 $460,000 $575,000 $340,000 $269,000 $394,950 $705,000 $385,000 $830,000 $830,000
4337 MORPHEUS LN $235,100 1433 SEBASTIAN WAY $215,000 1020 MORSE AVE $160,000 1708 PLUTO WAY $273,250 3125 CHELSEA RD $165,000 2938 MORSE GLEN LN $325,000 4231 DEVON LN $330,000 1200 WATT AVE $184,000 1418 LOS MOLINOS WAY $465,000 1428 LA SIERRA DR $925,000 1405 WYANT WAY $170,000 4225 CORONA WAY $515,000 2824 MAISON WAY $226,500 3116 WINDSOR DR $205,000 2033 NEPTUNE WAY $238,250 495 BRET HARTE RD $800,000 2128 LORENZO LN $218,000 2750 LATHAM DR $482,500 1017 HAMPTON RD $210,000 1136 HAMPTON $181,635 1910 ROCKWOOD DR $2,400,000 1810 CATHAY WAY $869,000 1359 FITCH WAY $475,000 2009 IONE ST $375,000 3209 SOMERSET RD $146,000 301 WYNDGATE RD $475,000 2209 IONE ST $390,000 916 AMBERWOOD RD $150,000 2920 SIERRA MILLS LN $330,000 3128 SOMERSET RD $170,000 754 SANTA RITA WAY $735,000 400 HOPKINS RD $1,450,000 4020 AMERICAN RIVER DR $700,000 4345 RAND LN $699,000
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Family Owned & Operated Since 1948 ILP n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
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A Father’s Grief DAD’S WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE DEMONSTRATES UNFATHOMABLE LOVE
BY NORRIS BURKES SPIRIT MATTERS
I
was reaching the end of my hospital shift one winter day in 2007 when I decided to make one more round of visits to the pediatric ICU. At the sight of people clustered outside the entry door, I gave my forehead a frustrated tap, remembering that the ICU was closed for its 20-minute shift change. Just as I was thinking about returning to my office, I spotted a man resting his head on the ICU door,
like a safecracker listening for lock tumblers to click. With a nod in my direction, he asked, “Doctor, when are we allowed inside?” His words were packaged in a thick Indian accent, but his desperation translated well. “Sorry,” I said. “I’m a chaplain, not a doctor.” He cinched his eyebrows in quizzical confusion. “Religious man, shaman, priest,” I said, looking for a culturally equivalent term for “chaplain.” He must have recognized one of my terms because he slumped with the fear I sometimes see when people interpret “chaplain” as the Grim Reaper. “Will you pray for my daughter?” he asked. “Sure,” I said, “Let’s go inside.” I pulled open the ICU door and motioned him through while raising an arm to restrain the waiting gaggle. We hurried past a busy staff and into the room of the man’s 14-year-old daughter. She had a breathing tube down her throat and a glassy-eyed
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stare that told me she wasn’t really there. We stood for a few silent moments, the man shouldering a bigger load of grief than was natural for his slight frame. Finally, he began to tell me his daughter’s story.
We stood in silence, lamenting the decision that no father should ever have to make. Then he asked, “Can’t the doctors take my brain and give it to her?” Just yesterday, his wife had been preparing dinner, and he was paying the bills on his laptop. Their son was playing video games in the living room, while their daughter was in her room working on what she described as a frustrating homework assignment. Nothing out of the ordinary. When the mother announced dinner, the father came quickly and the son came reluctantly. The daughter failed to answer, so the father dashed upstairs to corral what he thought was a distracted teenager. The room was empty, but the closet door was ajar. Inside he found that his daughter had done an almost complete job of hanging herself.
“Now,” the man said, “the doctors say she’s brain dead, and it’s time to disconnect life support and plan her funeral.” We stood in silence, lamenting the decision that no father should ever have to make. Then he asked, “Can’t the doctors take my brain and give it to her?” The thickness of his accent tempted me to feign misunderstanding, but I understood. He wanted to give his brain to his daughter. I shook my head, holding back my desire to mask my own shock with a technical explanation as to why brain transplants were the stuff of science fiction. “Please pray,” he said, the tears spilling down his cheeks. I asked him about his religion so that I might pray from his tradition, but he insisted that it didn’t matter. “Just pray,” he said. Within a few minutes, the doctors returned, the family gathered and the girl was welcomed into the presence of her heavenly father. At that moment, there was no longer any cultural divide between us. We were just a couple of devoted dads willing to give our lives in exchange for our daughters’. We were loving fathers who sought guidance from a heavenly father: a father-god who knows better than any of us the grief of losing a child. Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author of the book “No Small Miracles.” He can be reached at ask@thechaplain.net. n
Art Preview GALLERY ART SHOWS IN MAY
Archival Gallery will present a show called “A Year on the Coast, New Paintings by Laurie Winthers.” Shown above: “Spring Flowers.” 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalframe.com
Elliott Fouts Gallery will exhibit new paintings by East Sac artist Deborah Bonuccelli May 3 to June 5. Bonuccelli’s latest body of work features Italian landscapes rendered in an impressionistic style, capturing the quiet beauty and charm of simplicity. Shown above: “Overlooking Chianti.” 1831 P St.; efgallery.com
Mary Czechan Coldren’s “Birds, Bones & Other Muses” is a collection of pastels, graphite and silverpoint drawings and paintings on exhibit at Alex Bult Gallery. Shown above: “Great Blue.” 1114 21st St.; alexbultgallery.com
Artistic Edge Gallery will feature works by Severiano Gonzales, Alma Aniel and Kat Luna. Shown: “Let the Light In,”a manipulated photograph by Alma Aniel. 1880 Fulton Ave.; artisticedgeframing.com
“Defining Character: The Art of the Portrait” is at Robert T. Matsui Art Gallery in Sacramento’s city hall through July 31. The exhibition includes paintings, drawings and mixed-media portraits by Laura Caron, Maren Conrad, Debra Hardesty, Fred Dalkey, Troy Dalton, Frank Ordaz, Annie Murphy-Robinson and Jerald Silva. Shown below: “Chalkboard in Five Stanzas” by Jerald Silva. 915 I St.; sacmetroarts.org
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The Gazebo A MONUMENT TO A MONUMENTAL MAN
BY KEVIN MIMS WRITING LIFE
A
few years after Julie and I moved into our Land Park house, we hired a talented local builder/carpenter to erect a gazebo in the backyard. He was known by his first two initials: D.K. I never did find out what those letters stood for. He had been recommended by a neighbor for whom he had done a lot of good work. The gazebo wasn’t the first home-improvement job he undertook for us. Between 2004 and 2006, he did so much work on our property that he was practically a member of the family. He replaced the ruined fence in our backyard. He installed an exhaust fan in our kitchen. He put up shelving in our home office and in our laundry room. He installed new lighting in our dining room. He did an amazing job of restoring our hardwood floors, which required him to match the fine inlay work of the old floors in places where the original flooring was missing. Before coming to Sacramento, D.K. had enjoyed a long career at Tandy Corporation, where he served for years as the company’s chief of construction. For Tandy, he oversaw the construction of office buildings
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and laboratories and retail buildings and shopping complexes all over the United States. He was proud of the work he had done for Tandy. He kept several fat scrapbooks that commemorated every major construction project he had ever overseen. He often brought these scrapbooks to my house and would spend an hour or more describing to me how various jobs were accomplished, the obstacles they presented and how he had managed to overcome them. Because he charged by the job and not by the hour, I didn’t mind that he spent nearly as much time reminiscing as he did renovating. D.K. and his wife had moved all over the country during the course of his career. A single building project might take as long as a year or two, and so he found himself uprooting his household every couple of years in order to take on another major construction job. He was well liked by Charles David Tandy, who was Tandy Corporation’s chairman of the board until his death in 1978. D.K. recalled riding in Charles Tandy’s private jet on occasion while traveling from the site of one construction project to another. At one point in the 1970s, D.K. was in charge of constructing a building in some city in the American South. (I can’t remember exactly where.) He used to show up at the site very early every morning, before any of the members of his crew had arrived. He noticed that a certain black man came running past the site every morning, just after sunrise. The man was usually moving at high speed and was followed by a couple of other men who stayed about 10 yards behind him.
One morning, D.K. walked out to the fence surrounding the construction project and called on the running man to stop for a second. The running man graciously obliged. “Just what are you fellas doin’ running around this construction site every morning?” D.K. asked. Whereupon the man informed D.K. that his name was Muhammad Ali, he was a professional boxer, and he was preparing for an upcoming championship fight by doing a little roadwork every morning along a route that just happened to take him past D.K.’s construction site.
The man informed D.K. that his name was Muhammad Ali, he was a professional boxer, and he was preparing for an upcoming championship fight by doing a little roadwork. Ali then gave D.K. directions to the compound nearby where he and his entourage were living while preparing for the upcoming fight. He suggested that D.K. come by and watch him spar a few rounds with one of his training partners. He asked D.K. for his name and then assured him he’d pass his name on to the security guards at the compound so that no one would deny
D.K. access should he show up at the gate. Sure enough, D.K. took his wife to the compound a few days later, and the security guard found his name on the list of approved visitors. As a result, D.K. soon found himself watching Ali box with a sparring partner. When he was done sparring, Ali came over to invite D.K. and his wife to have lunch with him. After Charles Tandy’s death, D.K. found himself no longer much appreciated at Tandy Corporation. He left the company in the late ’70s or early ’80s and went into business as a freelance contractor. At this point, he found himself working mostly on smaller residential projects, which was fine by him. There was nothing about construction D.K. didn’t know. I found it ironic that D.K. chose to be known by his first two initials, because no septuagenarian I’ve ever met has shown fewer signs of decay than D.K. did back when I first met him. He could push a 150-pound drum sander across a hardwood floor as if it were a dust mop, and he erected our gazebo almost single-handedly during a heat wave that pushed temperatures upward of 110 degrees. (He was “assisted” by a 20-something grandson-in-law who spent most of his time bemoaning the heat and lazing in the shade.) For two years, D.K. was a semiregular fixture in our home, but by 2006 our home-repair budget was pretty much exhausted. As it happened, the gazebo was the last project he ever undertook for us. By 2008, we, along with most of America, were largely out of disposable income. WRITING LIFE page 49
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We’re Not No. 1 SO HOW DOES SACRAMENTO RANK AS A BIKE-FRIENDLY CITY?
BY WALT SEIFERT GETTING THERE
M
ay is Bike Month, so it’s a good time to think about how bike friendly Sacramento is. There are varying ways to measure bike friendliness. You can count the miles of bike lanes and bike paths or the number of bike racks. You can get technical and evaluate the connectivity of roads by examining block lengths and the number of intersections. You can assess elements of bike culture, such as bike shop hipness and whether there are bike clubs and rides. You can simply count the number of bicyclists. True bike friendliness is when people want to and do ride. By almost any measure, Sacramento ranks high among U.S. cities in bike friendliness. It’s a different story if you rank Sacramento against foreign cities (think Amsterdam) or when you consider Sacramento’s enormous potential for bicycling, given our terrain and benign weather. Bike advocates and government bean counters have used differing combinations of factors to rate American communities on their bike friendliness. Portland, Ore., is often at
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the top of the list of bike-friendly big cities. Other highly ranked large cities are Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Denver. Sacramento falls just below this very top tier. Most highly ranked smaller cities are college towns such as our Causeway neighbor, Davis. Others include Palo Alto, Santa Barbara, Chico, Cambridge, Mass., Boulder, Colo., Madison, Wis., and Eugene, Ore. The U.S. government doesn’t really rate communities’ bike friendliness, but the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey provides information on the percentage of riders. Data for 2012 put Sacramento at ninth place among the largest U.S. cities. In Sacramento, 2.6 percent of “journeys to work” are made by bike. That means there are more than 5,000 regular bike commuters in the city. Counting bike trips is good, but the Census Bureau doesn’t count all bike trips. Its survey measures only the most frequent way someone commutes, so it leaves out bike trips for errands, ignores pleasure rides and doesn’t include bike commutes that are made fewer than three times a week. Unlike the 10-year census, the data is based on a survey of a limited sample of residents. The relatively small sample size means results can vary considerably from year to year. The League of American Bicyclists awarded Sacramento a silver ranking in its Bicycle Friendly Community program. (Awards include honorable mention, bronze, silver, gold and platinum.) Cities have to apply to be considered for an award. The only platinum-level cities are Davis, Portland, Boulder and Fort
Collins, Colo. (home of Colorado State University). There are more cities with gold designations, but Sacramento isn’t quite there yet, according to the league.
Everywhere, as more people bike, more people realize they can bike. Bicycling magazine puts Sacramento 25th on its list of bikefriendly large and small cities. That’s really not very high, but until its 2012 ranking, Sacramento did not even appear on the magazine’s list of top 50 cities, an incredible oversight given our rate of cycling. The magazine’s ranking comments paid special note to the American River bike trail and bike parking with the “city seal.”
Not long ago, the Walk Score website added bike scoring to its numerical assessment of the walkability of U.S. cities and neighborhoods. Sacramento’s bike score is 68 out of 100, and Walk Score calls it both “bikeable” and a “great biking city.” Sacramento’s score puts it in sixth place for cities with populations of more than 250,000. (Top-ranked smaller city Cambridge sports a score of 91.5, followed by Davis at 89.4. Big city Minneapolis has a score of 78.5, with Portland at 70.3.) Interestingly, Walk Score gives specific bike scores for more than 100 Sacramento neighborhoods. East Sacramento and Land Park netted impressive scores of 86 apiece, and Midtown has a perfect score of 100. Walk Score describes Midtown as a “biker’s paradise, flat as a pancake.” While Midtown may not quite be paradise, it is very good for cycling. The website Copenhagenize.com highlights bicycling in Copenhagen, Denmark. That city was once clogged
by cars, but now 36 percent of its population goes to work or school by bike. In Copenhagenize’s list of the top 42 cities in the world for bicycling rates, only a single North American city (our own Davis) makes the cutoff. In the top-ranked city, Groningen, Netherlands, more than half of all trips are made by bike. It’s hard to imagine that here. Bike friendliness in the United States is on a different scale than in other parts of the world. Sacramento has seen increasing levels of bicycling over the years as it has added bike lanes and bike racks. Programs and projects are in the works that should add more bike trips by making bicycling more convenient and safer. A shared bike program is coming. More bike lanes and paths are in the pipeline. The new downtown arena is supposed to have valet bike parking. While Sacramento is moving ahead, dozens of other municipalities are seeing far higher growth rates for bicycling through strong political commitment. Everywhere, as more people bike, more people realize they can bike. Cultural norms change and bike friendliness builds on itself as more people realize cycling’s fitness, health, economic and life-enhancing benefits. Walt Seifert is a bicyclist, driver and transportation writer. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net. n
READERS RESPOND TO ‘GETTING THERE’
Y
our article regarding driver behavior at four-way stops (“Stop and Go,” April) described the same behavior I’ve observed. But I don’t think drivers deserve a courtesy label when they waive their right of way at fourway stops to bike riders and other drivers. A more likely reason is that most drivers (and bike riders, too) do not know what the rightof-way rules are at four-way stops for both bike riders and drivers. Thus, they either wave riders and drivers through an intersection where they have the right of way, or they violate riders’ and drivers’
right of way in about the same frequency. This means you need to make eye contact with your counterpart at a four-way stop and not be too quick to force your right of way, especially if you’re a bike rider. I’ve been riding for over 40 years, log in over 10,000 miles per year (errands and recreation), am a three-time national bike racing champion, and have been hit several times by drivers violating my right of way in bike lanes. “Retro” Rick Humphreys
I
just wanted to let you know that I appreciated your article. I am a bicyclist of the same variety as yourself. I slow down at stop signs, and if there is no traffic, I continue without completely stopping. Like you, I also come to a complete stop and yield if a car arrives before me or at the same time to my right. I recently moved from Olympia, Wash., where bicyclists weren’t as cavalier as I’ve witnessed here. I used to be stubborn about yielding right of way according to the rules of the road, and I would have motorists get angry with me for not accepting their generosity. My feeling has always been that I am in such a more vulnerable position as a bicyclist that their generosity was actually putting me at greater risk. I learned very quickly here in Sacramento that a large portion of bicyclists are nuts. It’s happened twice now that I’ve been in a car at an intersection and had a biker fly off the corner diagonally through the intersection without slowing down. I almost hit one of them. I had one turn left and ride into oncoming traffic between me and the car next to me! It makes sense, then, that drivers here don’t believe bicyclists will adhere to the rules of the road. So now, when a driver waves me through the intersection when they have the right of way (easily 75 percent of the time), I just wave a thank-you and go. It would be nice to be able to anticipate what a car is going to do, based on the rules of the road, but as long as so many bikers ride recklessly, we can’t expect drivers to take us seriously. Hopefully,
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your article will help educate and make the roads a little safer. Thank you for writing it. Matt Grayum
I
enjoyed reading your recent article on how bikes and cars react at stop signs. I was glad to see you advocate for bikes following the law. I have commuted via bike and am sympathetic to bike riders. I also live near the bike trail, so I see a lot of bike riders. I cannot say I have ever seen a bike stop at a stop sign. Most are rude (and sometimes violent) towards motorists who follow the law. I suggest you write a similar article about lane changes as well as turn lanes and red lights, where many of the same problems occur. Steve Baker n
WRITING LIFE FROM page 46 I haven’t seen or heard from D.K. in years. Our home has suffered for his absence. These days, it is a monument to deferred maintenance, and a rather shabby monument at that. A few years ago, Julie built a fresh-water pond in the backyard to accommodate a turtle that she had rescued. Penelope the turtle has a good life in our backyard. The only drawback is that she likes to bask in the sun and, thanks to D.K.’s gazebo, the yard is heavily shaded. Penelope spends warm days moving around the perimeter of the yard, following the thin band of sunlight that manages to sneak past D.K.’s masterpiece. Lately, Julie has begun talking about tearing
DRE #00880608
the gazebo down and allowing more light into the yard. It’s an attractive idea, and no doubt the turtle would like it. At a family gathering recently, she went so far as to ask my ex-sonin-law if he’d like to undertake the demolition project. The front and backyard of our property are Julie’s domain. While she is out there pruning trees or cleaning the pond filter, I am usually lying on the sofa with a good book. Ordinarily, I leave all decisions pertaining to the yard up to my wife. But in this instance, I couldn’t keep mum. I feel a special attachment to the gazebo. So I pleaded for a stay of execution. Because I work at home most days, I spent a lot of time with D.K. during the years when he was doing home-improvement work for us. I grew fond of him, and I often wonder, these days, what’s become of him. If he’s still alive, he’s in his mid-80s. It seems unlikely that he is still building things. It’s entirely possible that the humble gazebo in my backyard is the last building ever erected by this man who once oversaw construction projects all over the country for a major U.S. corporation, a man who built high-rises and office parks, who flew on corporate jets with titans of industry and once even dined with the heavyweight champion of the world. D.K. built my gazebo to stand for a hundred years. I’d like to give it a chance to do exactly that. Julie and the turtle are just going to have to learn to live with it. Kevin Mims can be reached at kevinmims@sbcglobal.net. n
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Red Light, Green Light FOR SACRAMENTO TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, TIMING IS EVERYTHING
BY DR. AMY ROGERS SCIENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
U
nder cover of predawn darkness, your platoon moves forward. All you want is to get through. Then it happens: You’re in the Dilemma Zone, and your presence has been detected. The metal container shielding your body triggers eddy currents in a hidden wire, and now the ITS is taking control. A scene from a military sci-fi video game? No. Just the morning commute in Sacramento. Fighting traffic feels like you against the world, but you’re not alone. City and county transportation engineers are using advanced detection and communication systems, as well as old-fashioned mathematics, to help each automobile, bicycle and pedestrian win the battle against congestion. We all know the problem: Too many vehicles compete for space on Sacramento streets. In most cases, adding more lanes isn’t feasible. So traffic engineers operate intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to make the most of the roads we have.
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Traffic signals at intersections are the key to smooth traffic flow. Coordinated traffic signals allow a group of vehicles (called a platoon) to roll through one intersection after another, hitting green lights as often as possible. How? In the simplest case—a one-way street, such as Midtown’s 16th Street—the lights are programmed with a timing plan that calculates, based on distance and speed, how long it should take a platoon to travel from one intersection to the next. Other major commuter corridors such as Howe and Watt avenues are more complex, with two-way traffic plus many cross streets. Vehicles turning left and right, pedestrians and cyclists all compete for time and space in the intersections. County transportation engineer Doug Maas has been balancing the needs of these different travelers for more than 25 years. According to Maas, the way to achieve to optimal traffic flow is to combine timing plans with intelligent sensors and a human touch. For example, during the morning and afternoon rush periods, traffic signals are told to favor cars moving in the dominant direction. During the holiday season, signals on Arden Way “know” to accommodate more vehicles visiting Arden Fair Mall.
But minute to minute, the number and kind of users at an intersection is unpredictable. That’s where detectors come in. Smart intersections sense big metal objects like cars and smaller ones like bicycles. Cameras, radar and microwave detectors may be located over the street, on the mast arm that also holds the signal “head” (the red-yellow-green light). Embedded in the pavement are magnetometers and the most common kind of detector, inductive loops. These are loops of wire that constantly carry an electric
current. When a metal object passes over the buried wire loop, the object’s magnetic field disrupts the current. When a detector “sees” a vehicle, it communicates with the intersection’s brain, which is housed in a signal controller cabinet standing near one corner. The controller takes appropriate action. Usually this means giving the vehicle a green light. At an actuated intersection like this, green lights are never wasted on an empty lane, and when a car approaches, it quickly gets permission to pass. Detectors relay their information via fiber optic or copper cables to nearby intersections to keep the whole corridor running smoothly. Data is also carried to the traffic operations center. At the county’s traffic operations center near Bradshaw and Kiefer, a bank of computers faces an entire wall of bright, high-resolution monitors. The screens are filled with live video of traffic at any of hundreds of connected intersections. Here, Maas and his team of engineers are traffic gods. From this remote location, they can manually operate any signal lights on the network and watch the effects on traffic in real time. This is critical during the weekday morning and evening commutes, when engineers are on
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duty to iron out wrinkles in the traffic flow. With a little ingenuity—adding a few seconds of green light here or red light there—Maas can usually clear unexpected backups in two or three signal cycles.
We all know the problem: Too many vehicles compete for space on Sacramento streets. In most cases, adding more lanes isn’t feasible. Every timing decision demands a trade-off. As Maas says, traffic planners are “fighting for seconds at over-capacity intersections.” If the system gives extra time to left-turn traffic, other users—say,
pedestrians—lose time to keep the whole corridor in sync. But not all users are equal. When emergency vehicles are speeding to the rescue, they need green lights. Thus, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire engines and ambulances are equipped with strobe light emitters that trigger a “high-priority pre-emption” of the signal timing at an intersection. As an emergency vehicle approaches, the signal controller changes the lights to give the responders a clear path. While no signal technology can eliminate the evening jams at Watt and Fair Oaks, watchful engineers shepherd the traffic flow as efficiently as possible. Maas’s department consistently beats national averages on the National Traffic Signal Report Card. The next time a green light stays lit just long enough for you to get through, you can bet it wasn’t random luck. The ITS is on your side. Amy Rogers is a writer, scientist and educator. Learn more at her website ScienceThrillers.com. n
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Passionate About Printmaking ARTIST PLAYS SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SACRAMENTO’S DYNAMIC ART SCENE
BY JODIE BARRINGER MYERS
had innumerable successful solo and group exhibitions throughout California and the West Coast. Her work has been exhibited several times at Sacramento’s Axis Gallery. She currently has permanent collections at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, several Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California, and Sutter Cancer Center.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
I
n the Southside Park area of Sacramento, there is a nondescript, well-kept warehouse. Nothing flashy. Rather plain, actually. But beautiful and interesting things are happening inside, thanks in no small part to Dixie Laws. An artist, printmaker, painter and educator, Laws has a knowledge of all things art that’s almost palpable. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Laws was exposed to the art world at a young age. “I was first attracted to van Gogh when I helped my father collect money for the first big van Gogh show at the de Young Museum in San Francisco in the late ’50s,” she recalls. “I went most every weekend to the show, and I got to see the art many times. That really helped me understand more about artists and art.” She’s been rubbing elbows with artists, both literally and figuratively, ever since. “I recently returned from Europe,” says Laws. “I visited the homes of Dürer and Rembrandt, and I saw the printmaking presses that they actually used. Now that was exciting!” Laws received a bachelor’s degree in art from UC Davis in 1967 under the tutelage of artists Wayne Thiebaud and Robert Arneson. Two years later, she earned her teaching credential from California College of the Arts in Oakland. In 1982, she received her master’s in studio art from Sacramento State. Painter and printmaker Jennifer Bartlett’s earlier work inspired her.
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“My work juxtaposes man and nature. Most of the subject matter of my work deals with elements of nature that have been changed by man. Often my work is in a series, becoming more abstract as the series progresses.”
Dixie Laws in her printmaking studio at Verge Center for the Arts
And, she says, “Matisse has always been an influence,” which is readily, beautifully apparent when viewing her work. A sense of motion and a graceful cadence play a part in many of her compositions.
A circuitous route, via various art teaching jobs in Calaveras County and Ames, Iowa, brought Laws to Sacramento in 1974. After raising her two children, she retired from teaching. Focusing solely on her art, she has since
Laws is a passionate contributor to Sacramento’s burgeoning art world. Involved with Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Art in Public Places program for several years, she has indeed made her mark in the community. In fact, she “knew” the Red Rabbit, now “living” in Terminal B at Sacramento International Airport, when the rabbit was just a twinkle in the eye of its creator. “I got to see where Red Rabbit was fabricated in Napa,” she says.
"In Memory of Marsha" is a hand-colored linocut by Dixie Laws
Myrtle Press Printmaking Studio is her newest endeavor. Located at the Verge Center for the Arts, Myrtle Press was created by Laws and three other printmakers. A community print lab, the only one if its kind in Sacramento, the studio provides artists and students the opportunity to collaborate, learn and teach the art of printmaking. With a nod to the gorgeous crape myrtle trees that dot Sacramento’s landscape, the founders decided to name the studio Myrtle Press. Laws’ expertise and zeal for printmaking are obvious as she demonstrates the mechanics of the large presses housed within the facility. She explains in detail the four types of printing that are accessible at Myrtle Press: relief, intaglio, monotype and solar plate, each of them gorgeous and unique. “I’m
excited, because this is a way to keep printmaking alive in Sacramento,� says Laws. “It is said that printmaking is a ‘happy accident’ and ‘something left to chance,’� she explains, referring to the fact that no two pieces off the press are exactly the same. Thrilled about the prospect of the new arena in Sacramento, Laws says, “All I can think about is the new public art that will accompany the downtown arena, and how that building might inspire more building and more art downtown.� Noting that Verge is located only a few blocks from where the arena will be built, she adds, “That will be great as well!� For more information about Myrtle Press, go to myrtlepress.com. n
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High Society SACRAMENTO CHORAL SOCIETY AND ORCHESTRA PRESENTS ORFF MASTERPIECE
By Jessica Laskey RIVER CITY PREVIEWS
T
reat your senses to the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra’s performance of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 at the Community Center Theater. As you might expect, there are some remarkable and exciting challenges inherent in putting on a piece of this stature and complexity. “Some of the ‘Carmina’ challenges are rhythmical and linguistic in nature,” says James McCormick, president of the SCSO. “The 13th century medieval texts (that ‘Carmina’ is based on) are in Latin, Middle German and old Provencal French. There are lots of tempo and mood changes in the work as well. It also requires a large, vibrant chorus to cut above the large orchestra. Our team will number 320 musicians on stage.” The singers are well-equipped to handle Orff’s orchestral masterpiece. In fact, their premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York City with this very piece earned them three standing ovations and the CD of their acclaimed performance at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center in Davis “was partly responsible for both
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Treat your senses to the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra’s performance of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” on May 17 at the Community Center Theater.
Conductor Donald Kendrick and the SCSO itself to become finalists last year in the national American Prize Competition,” McCormick says. The SCSO has also been part of the musical masterwork’s history. “We performed in 2004 in the very Benedictine Abbey in Germany where the 13th century manuscript was found in 1803,” McCormick says. Sounds positively breath-taking! Orff’s operatic and melodious odes will be joined by Johannes Brahms’ “Schicksalslied” (The Song of Fate) and
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Toward the Unknown Region.” For tickets, call 808-5181 or go to sacramentochoral.com. For more information, call the SCSO office at 536-9065. The Community Center Theater is at 1301 L St.
VERY A-MUSE-ING Mythology has it that Apollo was instructed in the classical arts by three Muses before he ascended to his place in the pantheon on Mt. Olympus. See what three modern Muses—current choreographers Molly Lynch, K.T. Nelson and Melissa Barak—have in store at the Sacramento Ballet when they present “Modern Masters” alongside George Balanchine’s “Apollo” on May 15-17 at Three Stages Harris Center for the Performing Arts. Balanchine’s work was instantly considered a masterpiece for the ages when it debuted in 1928, and the three California choreographers featured in the “Modern Masters” lineup have created their modern
masterpieces to complement Balanchine’s piece for a program that’s at once classical and cuttingedge. For tickets and more information, call 608-6888 or go to sacballet.org. Three Stages Harris Center for the Performing Arts is at 10 College Parkway in Folsom.
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3835 J STREET SACRAMENTO | (916) 456-0400 | SKINLASERS.COM For just 24 hours on May 6, you’ll get to be a part of the national campaign GiveLocalAmerica, an event that aims to raise unrestricted dollars to support the work of nonprofits organizations all across the country. Here, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation is spearheading the campaign to get Sacramento its share of the donated dollars. Last year, the foundation, along with many partners, led a similar giving challenge effort called the Arts Day of Giving, which raised more than $525,000 for 78 local arts organizations. Let’s try and beat last year’s totals! Do your part for Sacramento on May 6 and give what you can at givelocalnow.org. For more information, go to givelocalnow.org/ bigdayofgiving.
GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE… Looking for a little jaunt to take in the spring sunshine and fresh freeway breezes? Take a day trip to Grass
Valley to visit the Grass Valley Old West Antiques Show on May 9 and 10 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Show owner Brian Witherell will look familiar to viewers of “Antiques Roadshow” (he’s one of the appraisers on the popular PBS show), and his keen eye for antiques runs in his family: His father, Brad, started an antique auction and appraisal business in 1969 and helped start the Grass Valley show in 1984. “It’s very exciting to bring it back into the family,” the younger Witherell says. The Grass Valley show attracts thousands of antique dealers and collectors each year, with sales topping $3 million in 2012. Check out the online auction featuring 300 pieces of specially selected merchandise from May 1 through 15 and then stop by the show on May 9 and 10 to peruse pieces in person. This year’s highlights include items from the estate of the late Eppie Johnson, beloved restaurateur and founder of Eppie’s Great Race.
Admission on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, is $7. (Early admission with a dealer on Thursday, May 8, is $100.) Parking is free. For more information, go to witherells.com. The Nevada County Fairgrounds is at 11228 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley.
PENCIL US IN Spring has sprung at the Crocker Art Museum, so take a break from the sensational sunshine in the cool museum corridors for some exciting events. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, bring your drawing pad, pencil and an artistic eye to SketchCrawl, the global initiative started in San Francisco by Enrico Casarosa. Peruse the pieces on the Crocker’s walls while local artists discuss and demonstrate drawing tips and tricks for avid and amateur artists alike. Thirsty? You’ll get to sample beer and wine at each stop—quite the incentive to keep drawing, huh?
Gear up for Bike Month (pun intended) at Art Mix’s “Spoketacular” from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. Cycling fans can spin their wheels while taking in a bicycle fashion show curated by Juniper James, an exhibition of art bikes built by Kevin Greenberg, 10-minute art talks about cycleinspired works, interactive digital wheel art by MonkeyLectric and tips and tricks from Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen. The tunes by local DJs and live bands presented by the Davis Live Music Collective will keep you turning, as will the free bike valet provided by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. Admission is free for museum members, $10 for everyone else, and college students get a $2 discount. Drinks are under $5 all night—just don’t get a BUI (Biking Under the Influence) citation. Ever wondered what water sounds like in musical form? Find out when Trio 180 performs its Classical Concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 11. PREVIEWS page 56
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PREVIEWS FROM page 55 The group will perform works by composers Cindy Cox, Reinaldo Moya and Robert Schumann that evoke seascapes and water scenes to accompany the ongoing “Jules Tavernier: Artist and Adventurer” exhibition. It’s that time of year again: Jazz in the Courtyard is back! Don’t miss the first concert of the season at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 when Peter Petty and his Terpsichoreans perform. Petty’s 11-piece Prohibition Jazz band is sure to have you tapping your toes to some scintillating, syncopated rhythms. For tickets, call 808-1182. Own a little piece of heaven with the return of “Big Names, Small Art” at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. Renowned regional artists will offer small pieces (12-by-12 inches or less) in a silent auction for even smaller price tags (bids start at $25) so everyone can get in on the art collecting action. Tunes and tasty bites are included to whet your artistic (and auction) appetite. For tickets or more information, call 8081184. Looking for something the whole family can do for free? Check out FamilyPalooza: A Free Family Festival, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 25. Attendees of all ages can create one-of-a-kind art and enjoy a plethora of performances on the main stage all day. The Crocker launches its “Workt by Hand: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts” Crocker exhibition on May 25. Spanning two centuries of quiltmaking, the exhibition will examine quilt display techniques, the history of the craft and other fascinating ephemera. For more information about Crocker goings-on, go to crockerartmuseum.org.
DANCING IN THE STREET You’ll be doing exactly what the title says from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 when the Oak Park Business Association hosts its fifth annual 35th Street Fair (at the intersection of Fourth Avenue). The day will be full of familyfriendly festivities, including food,
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Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is at 1017 11th St.
WET YOUR WHISTLE
Oak Park Business Association hosts its fifth annual 35th Street Fair from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 4
vendors, social service booths, a classic car cavalcade, a Kid Zone with face painting and a bounce house, the ever-popular Off-Broadway Beer Garden, and a multitude of multicultural entertainment from the Yee Fow Lion Dancers, Sacramento Taiko Dan, Fenix Drum Group, Cali Danza and more. For more information, call the festival’s sponsor, the Oak Park Business Association, at 452-9222.
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE A free concert? That’s sure to put a spring in your step! Check out the Sacramento Concert Band’s spring concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 12 at Christ Community Church in Carmichael. This performance marks the group’s 45th spring concert, which is no small feat considering the group consists of members ranging in age from 23 to 92. Some of them have been singing with the band since 1963! This year’s program, led by music director Grant Parker, will include a Dave Brubeck medley, “Tahiti Trot” by Dmitri Shostakovich and Claire Grundman’s “A Scottish Rhapsody.” (Parker says that audiences are particularly fond of “the variety of our programming.”) For more information, go to sacramentoconcertband.org. Christ Community Church is at 5025 Manzanita Ave. in Carmichael.
MASTER OF THE HOUSE Johannes Brahms was the master of many musical things, but he’s probably best known for his opulent waltzes. Hear some of these exquisite pieces performed in full by Capella Antiqua at its “Master Brahms” concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 30 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Considered by many to be one of the Romantic era’s greatest choral masterminds, Brahms was prolific and profoundly adored. This performance will feature selected quartets, lieder and a complete performance of his Liebeslieder Waltzes by the artists-inresidence at the stunning cathedral in the heart of downtown. For tickets and more information, go to capella-antiqua.org. The
We’ve got music, my friends, right here in River City! The River City Chorale will present its aptly named spring concert, “Cruising Down the River,” on May 2 in Sacramento and May 4 in Roseville. As you might have guessed from the title, the program will include spiritual and secular songs that are explicitly about rivers, and not just because Sacramento is California’s “River City.” The Chorale is preparing for its 10th international concert tour next month, which will take place aboard a cruise down the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Switzerland, with stops at landmarks such as the Cologne Cathedral and the Heidelberg Castle Gardens. We hope it goes swimmingly. For tickets and more information, call 331-5810 or go to rivercitychorale. org. The concert on May 2 is at 7:30 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church (3135 Pope Ave. in Sacramento) and on May 4 at 4 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Community Church (1730 Pleasant Grove Blvd. in Roseville).
THEY’RE POETS AND THEY KNOW IT Songs are often described as poems put to music, and nowhere else is this more evident than at the Sacramento
The River City Chorale will present its spring concert, “Cruising Down the River,” on May 2 in Sacramento and May 4 in Roseville
SPRING GALA & ART AUCTION ARNHA and the Sacramento Fine Arts Center present
“Painting Where the Wild Things Are”
American River Gold (detail) by David Peterson
Join Artists, Nature Lovers and Philanthropists to Raise Funds for the Nature Center
Children’s Chorus performance “The World is Full of Poetry” at 4 p.m. on May 18 at the Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church. The evening will feature songs set to the words of some of the world’s best-loved poets: Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Dr. Seuss and, the most famous poet of all, Anonymous. Song styles range from blues to gospel to classical in tones both sublime and silly. The program will also include a tribute to the late, great Pete Seeger and the premiere of a newly commissioned work by composer Garrett Shatzer, “The Map of the Clock.” For tickets and more information, call 646-1141 or go to sacramentochildrenschorus.org. The Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church is at 4600 Winding Way.
OH, NOAH! There may have been a flood coming, but that doesn’t mean the animals didn’t pirouette their way onto the boat. Don’t miss the Deane Dance Center and Crockett-Deane
On the beautiful grounds of the Effie Yeaw Nature Center, guests will enjoy a live & silent auction, delicious food, wine and art of the American River Parkway and its wild things. Honorary Gala Chairwoman Auctioneer Art Show Judge David Sobon Elliott Fouts Muriel Johnson Tickets $50 per person. Pre-registration required. Purchase tickets by calling 916-489-4918 or at www.sacnaturecenter.net
May 31, 2014 5pm to 8pm
Ballet Company’s spring production of “The Story of Noah’s Ark” at 7 p.m. on May 17 and at 2 p.m. on May 18 at the Center at Twenty-Three Hundred. The three-act ballet is choreographed by Don Schwennesen to original music by Henrik Jul Hansen and is appropriate for all ages. The fantastical costumes and talented cast are sure to entertain even the youngest aspiring balletomanes. For tickets and more information, call 453-0226 or go to deanedancecenter.com. The Center at Twenty-Three Hundred is at 2300 Sierra Blvd.
Sacramento region. The videos will air on Access Sacramento’s Channel 17 at 8:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. They’re also available on DVD at the library and through the library’s YouTube channel. So far, 10 interviews have been recorded with veterans such as Jerry Chong, a local attorney who was wounded while serving in Vietnam as a Marine Corps squad leader, and Ted Adams, who served three tours of duty in Vietnam.
For more information or to suggest a Vietnam veteran to be interviewed, contact the project’s coordinator, James Scott, at 264-2795 or jscott@ saclibrary.org. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Please email items for consideration by the first of the month, at least one month in advance of the event. n
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GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM Sacramento Public Library is looking for Vietnam War veterans to talk about their experiences for a storytelling project called “Valley to Vietnam.” The project captures on videotape the experiences, both during and after the war, of Vietnam vets from the
SATURDAY, MAY 31
Benefiting the American River Natural History Association and Effie Yeaw Nature Center
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A Yacht, Not a Dinghy WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING TO DINE ON THE RIVER
A long, sunlit bar provides berths for a host of thirsty customers, and a cleverly situated couch offers an equally good view of the meandering river and the latest game on the overhead flat-screen. The style coming out of the kitchen is mostly of the beige, fried variety, but with a few Cajun additions. Don’t go expecting the same world-class execution and brilliant flavors of Tuli Bistro and Restaurant 13. Pechal isn’t in the kitchen here. Yet there are some highlights that show Pechal’s hand in designing the menu.
BY GREG SABIN RESTAURANT INSIDER
I
’m going to Crawdads on the River,” I told my good friend, Brian. “Come join me for lunch.” “Is that the one that almost sank?” he asked. “No, that’s The Virgin Sturgeon,” I said. “Oh, is it the big outdoor hangout with the reggae bands and the fish tacos?” “No, that’s Swabbies. Totally different place.” “Then which place is it?” he asked. At this point, it was obvious to me that Crawdads doesn’t have much of a personality. For the life of me, the only thing I could think to tell my friend was that it was near Chevys Fresh Mex, in fact in the same parking lot. I have a feeling, however, this anonymity might not last for long. Two recognizable names have taken over the nearly-30-year-old restaurant and are quickly giving it a personality. The first is Trevor Shults of Pour House and Barwest, two hoppingly popular Midtown watering holes. The second is Adam Pechal, galley chief at the recently shuttered Tuli Bistro and Restaurant 13. Under their guidance, the sleepy river restaurant now has a fresher, more joyful vibe and a pretty decent kitchen. First, let’s talk expectations. What do you really expect from a bar/restaurant on the river? Fine dining, attentive service, immaculate execution? I have a feeling none of these crosses your mind.
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The interior feels less like a riverside cantina and more like an upscale yacht docked for the summer.
The dining room at Crawdads on the River is open and light
I may be a bit presumptuous here, but I’m guessing you expect fruity drinks, saucy young waitresses, flip-flops and fried food served with dipping sauces. Crawdads hits on all these tropes and a few more, but manages to do it with more style than you’d expect from a boat-dock bar. Much of that style comes from the gorgeous remodel undertaken by Shults and his team. The interior
feels less like a riverside cantina and more like an upscale yacht docked for the summer. Bright whites contrast with pale blues, graying teak and stainless steel to create a clean, serene interior, while the decks outside make the most of the nautical theme with simple outdoor seating surrounded by nylon rope and tented with blue canvas.
The shrimp po’ boy ($15) is a slightly simpler version than Tuli’s old standout, yet it still holds some memories of the best sandwich in town. Depending on who’s working the fryolator, the shrimp can be anywhere from acceptable to extraordinary. Served on a quality French roll with remoulade, this po’ boy is still a nice dish. The Louisiana BBQ shrimp ($14) hits the spot. Its spicy Creole BBQ sauce makes a nice pool in which to swipe anything from bread to fries. The mac and cheese ($8) is incredible: petite orecchiette pasta with a subtle cheesy gloss, flavored with bacon or andouille sausage. It’s
a small but filling taste. The fish and chips ($15) are also top shelf. The bar has a few tricks up its sleeve as well. The bloody mary ($9), made with Sacramento’s Preservation & Co. mix, is a spicy eye-opener, no matter what time of day you ingest it. For an extra $1.50, you can add a crawdad to the drink. (Interestingly enough, this is the only appearance of the titular creature anywhere on the menu.) Another liquid punch to the gut is the Zombie ($11), a mixture of rum and fruit juice served with an umbrella. It’s a potent yet proper
beverage to sip anywhere that water meets land. Service is casual, a little scattered and friendly. The place lends itself to long afternoons docked at a table, slowly sipping a drink and solving the world’s problems while watching parties float by on every skiff and tug. The staff won’t rush you. If there are any expectations you should have, it’s that you’ll be at Crawdads for a few hours if you’re doing it right. Crawdads on the River is at 1375 Garden Highway; 929-2268; saccrawdads.com. n
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INSIDE’S
The Coconut Midtown
Italian Stallion
2502 J Street 440-1088 Lunch Delivery M-F and Happy Hour 4-6
3260B J St. 449-8810
L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Food with Thai Food Flair
L D $-$$ Thin-Crust Pizza, Deserts and Beer in an intimate setting and popular location
The Waterboy
La Trattoria Bohemia
2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891
MIDTOWN
Jack’s Urban Eats
1800 L St. 447-9440
L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com
Aioli Bodega Espanola L D $$ Full Bar Patio Andalusian cuisine served in a casual European atmosphere
Biba Ristorante 2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com
Buckhorn Grill 1801 L St. 446-3757 L D $$ Wine/Beer A counter service restaurant with high-quality chicken, char-roasted beef, salmon, and entrée salads
Café Bernardo 2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180 1431 R St. 930-9191
1230 20th St. 444-0307
B L $ Wine/Beer Southwestern fare in a casual diner setting
Moxie
5340 H St. 473-3333
2028 H St. 443-7585 D $$-$$$ Eclectic menu in a boutique neighborhood setting
1215 19th St. 441-6022
Chicago Fire
1716 L St. 443-7685
Paesano’s Pizzeria 1806 Capitol Ave. 447-8646 L D $$ Gourmet pizza, pasta, salads in casual setting • Paesanos.biz
Paragary’s Bar & Oven 1401 28th St. 457-5737 D $$ Full Bar Outdoor Patio California cuisine with an Italian touch • Paragarys.com
Suzie Burger 29th and P Sts. 455-3300 L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com
58 Degrees & Holding Co.
The Streets of London Pub
1217 18th St. 442-5858
1804 J St. 498-1388
L D $$$ 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
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5530 H St. 452-8226
L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Patio Mediterranean cuisine in a casual, chic atmosphere • Luccarestaurant.com
B L D $ No table service at this coffee roaster and bakery, also serving creative artisanal sandwiches
B L D $-$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Fresh Mexican food served in an upscale, yet familyfriendly setting • Ernestosmexicanfood.com
Opa! Opa! 5644 J St. 451-4000
1615 J St. 669-5300
Old Soul Co.
1901 16th St. 441-5850
BLD $ Wine/Beer Unique boulangerie, café & bistro serving affordable delicious food/drinks all day long • lesbauxbakery.com
Nopalitos
L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com
Ernesto’s Mexican Food
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com
Lucca Restaurant & Bar
2730 J St. 442-2552
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Outdoor Dining Crepes, omelets, salads, soups and sandwiches served in a casual setting
1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303
L D Wine/Beer $ Fresh Greek cuisine in a chic, casual setting, counter service
L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting
1730 L St. 444-1100
5090 Folsom Blvd. 739-1348
Les Baux
D Full Bar $$ Middle Eastern cuisine in a Moroccan setting
Centro Cocina Mexicana
Crepeville
Zocolo
2115 J St. 442-4388
Mulvaney’s Building & Loan
D $$ Full Bar Chicago-style pizza, salads wings served in a family-friendly atmosphere • Chicagofirerestaurant.com
L D Wine/Beer $-$$ Italian and Czech specialties in a neighborhood bistro setting
Kasbah Lounge
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Casual California cuisine with counter service
2416 J St. 443-0440
3649 J St. 455-7803
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com
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
Selland's Market Cafe
EAST SAC 33rd Street Bistro 3301 Folsom Blvd. 455-2233 B L D $$ Full Bar Patio Pacific Northwest cuisine in a casual bistro setting
Burr's Fountain 4920 Folsom Blvd. 452-5516
B L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer High quality handcrafted food to eat in or take out, wine bar
Star Ginger 3101 Folsom Blvd. 231-8888 Asian Grill and Noodle Bar • starginger.com
Thai Palace Restaurant 3262 J St. 446-5353 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Authentic Thai cuisine in a casual setting
B L D $ Fountain-style diner serving burgers, sandwiches, soup and ice cream specialties
Clark's Corner Restaurant 5641 J St. L D Full Bar $$ American cuisine in a casual historic setting
Clubhouse 56 723 56th. Street 454-5656
BLD Full Bar $$ American cuisine. HD sports, kid's menu, beakfast weekends
Evan’s Kitchen
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
855 57th St. 452-3896
Downtown & Vine
B L D Wine/Beer $$ Eclectic California cuisine served in a family-friendly atmosphere, Kid’s
1200 K Street #8 228-4518
menu, winemaker dinners • Chefevan.com
Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, flight or glass • downtownandvine.com
East Sac-Midtown Taqueria
Ella Dining Room & Bar
3754 J St. 452-7551 B L D $ Authentic Mexican specialties in a Southwestern setting
Español 5723 Folsom Blvd. 457-3679 L D Full Bar $-$$ Classic Italian cuisine served in a traditional family-style atmosphere
Formoli's Bistro 3839 J St. 448-5699 B L D Wine/Beer Patio $$ Mediterranean influenced cuisine in a neighborhood setting
1131 K St. 443-3772
L D $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space • Elladiningroomandbar.com
Esquire Grill 1213 K St. 448-8900 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Outdoor Dining Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com
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
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Fat's City Bar & Cafe
Il Fornaio
Casa Garden Restaurant
Kilt Pub
1001 Front St. 446-6768
400 Capitol Mall 446-4100
2760 Sutterville Road 452-2809
4235 Arden Way 487-4979
D $$-$$$ Full Bar Steaks and Asian specialties served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com
L D Full Bar $$$ Fine Northern Italian cuisine in a chic, upscale atmosphere • Ilfornaio.com
The Firehouse Restaurant
926 J Street • 492-4450
1112 Second St. 442-4772 L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com
Grange B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com
Hock Farm Craft & Provision 1415 L St. 440-8888
Frank Fat’s 806 L St. 442-7092
L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com
L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region's rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant 1111 J St. 442-8200
Make Mothers Day Reservations Now
Sacramento’s Oldest Restaurant
ESPAÑOL Since 1923
ITALIAN RESTAURANT
$10 OFF Total DINNER food order of $40 or more
With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 5/31/14.
$5 OFF
Total LUNCH or DINNER food order of $25 or more With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Expires 5/31/14.
L D $$ Full Bar Upscale seafood, burgers in a clubby atmosphere • Mccormickandschmicks.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
Rio City Café
1110 Front St. Old Sac 442-8226 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Seasonal menu of favorites in a setting overlooking river • Riocitycafe.com
Ten 22 1022 Second St. 441-2211 L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting ten22oldsac.com
5723 Folsom Boulevard 457-1936
LAND PARK
Dine In & Take Out • Cocktail Lounge • Banquet Room Seats 35
2966 Freeport Blvd. 442-4256
Lunch 11-4 pm • Dinner 4-9 pm Sundays • 11:30-9 pm • Closed Mondays
Freeport Bakery B L $ Award-winning baked goods and cakes for eat in or take out • Freeportbakery.com
www.espanolitalian.com
A Green Cleaned Home is a SAFE Home
L D $$ • D with minimum diners call to inquire $$ Wine/Beer. Elegantly presented American cuisine. Operated by volunteers to benefit Sacramento Children's Home. Small and large groups. Reservations recommended • casagardenrestaurant.org
Iron Grill steakhouse • Ironsteaks.com
D $$$ Wine/Beer Five-course gourmet demonstration dinner by reservation only • Thekitchenrestaurant.com
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale neighborhood 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 $$ Wine/Beer International cuisine with dessert specialties in a casual setting
Willie's Burgers 2415 16th St.444-2006 L D $ Great burgers and more. Open until 3 am weekends
ARDENCARMICHAEL Andaloussia 1537 Howe Ave. 927-1014 L D $-$$ Authentic Moroccan cuisine, lunch & dinner specials, belly dancing weekends • bestmoroccanfood.com
Bella Bru Café 5038 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-2883 B L D $-$$ Full Bar Espresso, omelettes, salads, table service from 5 -9 p.m. • bellabrucafe.com
L D $$ Full Bar Italian bistro in a casual setting • Cafevinoteca.com
Chinois City Café 3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 485-8690 L D $$ Full Bar Asian-influenced cuisine in a casual setting • Chinoiscitycafe.com
Ettore’s 2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. 482-0708 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio European-style gourmet café with salads, soup, spit-roasted chicken, desserts in a bistro setting • Ettores.com
$20 Off Your 1st Cleaning* *Not valid for past service or existing clients. Expires 5/31/14.
62
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2535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 481-5225 L D $ Full Bar Made-to-order comfort food in a casual setting • Jacksurbaneats.com
The Kitchen
3535 Fair Oaks Blvd. 487-1331
CALL 497.0333
Jack’s Urban Eats
13th Street and Broadway 737-5115
Café Vinoteca
House cleaning services by professional, well-trained staff
L D $ Beer/Wine British Pub Grub, Nightly Dinner Specials, Open 7 Days
2225 Hurley Way 568-7171
La Rosa Blanca Taqueria 3032 Auburn Blvd. 484-0139 2813 Fulton Ave. 484-6104 L D Full Bar $$-$$ Fresh Mexican food served in a colorful family-friendly setting
Leatherby’s Family Creamery 2333 Arden Way 920-8382 L D $ House-made ice cream and specialties, soups and sandwiches
Lemon Grass Restaurant 601 Munroe St. 486-4891 L D $$ Full Bar Patio Vietnamese and Thai cuisine in a casual yet elegant setting
Matteo's Pizza 5132 Fair Oaks. Blvd. 779-0727 L D Beer/Wine $$ Neighborhood gathering place for pizza, pasta and grill dishes
The Mandarin Restaurant 4321 Arden Way 488-47794 D $$-$$$ Full Bar Gourmet Chineses food for 32 years • Dine in and take out
Roma's Pizzeria & Pasta 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
Sam's Hof Brau 2500 Watt 482-2175 L D $$ Wine/Beer Fresh quality meats roasted daily • thehofbrau.com
Thai House 427 Munroe in Loehmann's 485-3888 L D $$ Wine/Beer Featuring the great taste of Thai traditional specialties • sacthaihouse.com
Willie's Burgers 5050 Fair Oaks Blvd. 488-5050 L D $ Great burgers and more n
Graduation Cakes Mother's Day • Father's Day Cakes • Cookies Cupcakes • Pies Cakepops
Brunch JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL
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2966 Freeport Boulevard Freeportbakery.com
442-4256 WE ARE NOW OPEN IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO!
F A T ’S ASIA BISTRO
Mother’s Day, May 11, 2014 Father’s Day, June 15, 2014 Call for reservations and details.
2585 Iron Point Road Folsom 916-983-1133 1500 Eureka Road Roseville 916-787-3287 www.fatsbistro.com
16th Annual May 10th & 11th
Saturday & Sunday 10am-4pm
Mother’s Day Weekend New Client Special: Unlimited Month For $100 barre studio
Downtown Sacramento | 1011 8th Street & J Street | 916.400.3343 Roseville | 1611 Lead Hill Blvd. | 916.783.8367 Folsom | Broadstone Marketplace | 2766 East Bidwell | 916.351.8361 sac@thedaileymethod.com www.thedaileymethod.com
Treat Mom to a tour of seven beautiful EaV st Sac Gardens, shop at the Garden Boutique and enjoy a delicious Luncheon catered by Curtis Catering at the Historic Sutter Lawn Tennis Club.
Tour: $20* Luncheon: $15
*$20 in advance (thru May 9)/$25 day of tour (May 10 & 11)
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63
Coldwell Banker
#1 IN CALIFORNIA
PERFECT STARTER! Adorable 2bd/1ba with vintage charm in Mangan Park. Hardwoods, remodeled kitchen, CH&A, covered patio overlooking lush yard with fruit trees. $185,000 Paloma Begin 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423 FABULOUS 1890 DOWNTOWN INTALIANTE! Gorgeous original features, hdwd flrs, mahogany trim, decorative molding, marble frplc, huge kitch, brick patios, 3 balconies, 3 bds/2 full baths, high ceilings, gated entry to off street prking, great dwntwn location. $539,000 MAGGIE SEKUL 341-7812 CaBRE#: 01296369 CURTIS PARK CUTIE! 3 bedrooms, 2 baths with a sitting room of the master bdrm. Remodeled kitchen and pretty backyard. $565,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
HOLLYWOOD (PARK) BEAUTY! 3bds/2baths w/a park-like, lush backyard. Wood flrs, fresh paint & a high level of refinement that outshines the brightest stars. Single car garage. $289,000 STEPH BAKER 775-3447 CaBRE#: 01402254
LAND PARK SPANISH REVIVAL MANSION Modeled after well-known Hollywood hm, this is one of Land Park's most notable estates. 4bd/4ba+pool/spa. $1,050,000 WHITNEY FONG 616-8557 CaBRE#: 01918373
VINTAGE VICTORIAN! Charming 3bds w/detailed original finishes. Updtd kitch & bathrm. Bay window, hrdwd flrs, lrg frml dining. Beautiful wood thru-out. Low maintenance bckyrd. Convenient Midtown location. $359,000 KARIN LIBBEE 230-6521 CaBRE#: 00862357
CHARMING CURTIS PARK 1920 COTTAGE! This 2bd hm features beautiful leaded glass windows, wd flrs, liv rm frplce w/insert, & frml din rm. Hm is located ½ block to prk. $375,000 CORRINE COOK 952-2027 CaBRE#: 00676498
CURTIS PARK DUPLEX! This unique duplex (2/1 & 1/1) lives lrg w/A BIG living rm w/cozy frplce, wood flrs, lrg dining rm, huge kitch, HVAC & bsemnt too! $369,000 JEANINE ROZA 548-5799 BRE#: 01365413 ADORABLE LAND PARK! 2bdrms/2bath home with master suite, mature backyard with patio & bonus office space! $429,000 THE POLLY SANDERS TEAM 341-7865 CaBRE#: 01158787
SWEET CURTIS PARK HIGH WATER BUNGALOW! Updated 2 bdrm/1bath+office with Corian kitchen, new roof and tons of storage. Close to Coffee Garden & Gunthers! $329,900 STEFFAN BROWN 717-7217 CaBRE#: 01882787
IT’S BASIC HOUSING MATH! Downtown location + original aesthetic + updated amenities + 0 in HOAs= your new convenient & comfortable hm! 2bd/1ba on corner lot features off-street, covered parking, space for evening BBQs & steps to everybody's favorite bars & restaurants. And soon - the arena! $285,000 STEPH BAKER 775-3447 CaBRE#: 01402254
CURTIS PARK BUNGALOW! Roomy 4 bdrm/2 bath home w/hrdwds, beamed ceilings, beautiful kitch & baths, dual panes, deep lots, lrg garage & much more! $529,900 PALOMA BEGIN 628-8561 CaBRE#: 01254423
LARGE LOT! This hm offers 3bdrms/2bath in original condition but is a lovely lot to remodel this home. I N G in Arden Park Vista DLocated on .286 acre lot. $399,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: PEN 00784986
MIDTOWN – TAPESTRI SQUARE! New Semi-Custom hms. 1200 to 2800SqFt. $399,000 to $795,000. Models Open Th-Su 11a-4p at 20th & T St.TapestriSquare.com MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608
STUNNING REMODEL! Located in Woodlake with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, remodel with a gourmet kitchen, dual pane windows and spa like baths. $425,000 WENDI REINL 206-8709 CaBRE#: 01314052 COLONIAL MANOR! 3bdrms, 2bath, 2 car garage, over 1300+/- sqft. Ideal for investors or first time home buyer. For private showing please call. $200,000 PATTI MCNULTY-LANGDON 761-8498 CaBRE#: 01346985
THE L STREET LOFTS! City living w/great views, concierge, quality finishes! 4 unique flr plans from $345,000. Models Open W-M, 10a-5p. LStreetLofts.com MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608
METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard, Sacramento 916.447.5900
STRESS FREE STARTER HOME! Adorable, 2bd/1ba. New roof & insulation, tankless water heater, dual pane windows, whole house fan, solar tubes, updtd kitch w/concrete cntrs & marmoleum flrs. Master walkin closet, bckyrd fruit & veggie garden. $269,900 WHITNEY FONG 616-8557 CaBRE#: 01918373
FANTASTIC LAND PARK LOCATION! 3bd/3ba hm! Spacious liv & din rm w/hrdwd flrs, kitch w/a lrg eat-in area, a patio for entertaining, & a bck yrd w/garden area. $599,000 BOB LYSTRUP 628-5357 CaBRE#:
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