Linda Smolek is an Inside Sacramento photographer and photo coordinator whose work appears here each month. She is a Sac State graduate and lives in East Sac with her family. Shown: “Clarksburg Truck.”
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EDITORIAL
Every April, Photography Month Sacramento celebrates collaboration and creativity in photographic arts through a series of events and hands-on activities taking place throughout the region. For a list of events, visit photomonthsacramento.org.
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Scot Crocker, 1958-2025
Scot Crocker, who died in February at 66, called himself a communications strategist and branding expert. Those labels were true, but they don’t explain the passions that drove his strategic and branding success.
Crocker loved Sacramento. Every project, every campaign, every initiative, sprang from his attachment to his hometown. Jobs that had no obvious connection to the city were infused with joy he felt walking through Midtown, Old Sac or Land Park.
He brought the spirit of Sacramento—the pace, sensibilities and optimism imperceptible to outsiders—to his work, from corporate pitches and storyboards to rollouts. To separate Scot Crocker from Sacramento is unthinkable.
His legacy endures in the Walk of Stars, testimonials embedded in sidewalks around the Handle District. Other cities have walks of fame, but nobody thought Sacramento needed one until Crocker got involved and started strategizing. He saw the opportunities.
LeVar Burton described the significance of the blue, gold and black plaques when he received his star in 2017. Burton channeled Crocker’s strategy. The actor said, “I have always claimed Sacramento as my hometown, and today I genuinely feel that Sacramento has, in turn, claimed me.”
During a four-decade advertising career, Crocker directed three public relations companies and helped hundreds of clients. He contributed columns to Inside and published a novel, “Gabriel’s Breeze.”
His greatest achievement was intangible. He showed Sacramento how to claim itself.
—R.E. Graswich
I played in a mixed doubles tennis group with Scot Crocker for nearly 20 years. Seeing someone every week while having fun is a great way to experience friendship. It’s difficult to hide who you are on the tennis court.
Slowly and surely, I learned about Scot’s gregarious nature, incredible life and wonderous achievements.
Before our tennis partnership, Scot was a leader in Boy Scout Troop 1, where both our sons became Eagle Scouts. Scot achieved the Eagle Scout rank as a teen.
Scot was running his public relations agency then, and his team placed ads in Inside for a local retailer. One day, the ads arrived with text too small to read. When we pointed out the problem, the agency said run the ads anyway. That’s what the client wanted.
Almost a year later, my husband Jim told me Scot’s agency had a significant unpaid ad invoice. Jim was reluctant to collect because Scot was a legend in Troop 1. (Jim was the most sensitive of bill collectors!)
I met Scot for coffee—our first in-person meeting. He was gracious and apologetic. He explained he recently sold his company and had no idea the bills were unpaid. He pulled out his personal checkbook and paid the invoice.
Most money disputes don’t resolve that easily. Over coffee, Scot’s integrity and character were sealed.
A few years later, we started playing tennis. When Scot founded Walk of Stars, I signed up to sponsor and promote this lovely civic project. In turn, Scot supported me when I came up with the idea for a book on Sacramento’s most interesting places. He wrote the forward when we published in 2016.
Scot was a philanthropist. His generosity often came through in little things, such as auctioning a fabulous dinner at his home. He planned and created the meal, served as talented cook and lively entertainer.
Scot Crocker was 100% the real deal. We miss him dearly.
Scot is survived by his children Colin and Lauren, and his loving partner Carolyn Coleman.
—Cecily Hastings n
Scot Crocker
Photo by Tia Gemmell
Welcoming baby. With the warmest
‘‘hello’’ of all.
From the time you find out you’re expecting, you dream of the first moment holding your baby. And Dignity Health’s Family Birth Centers are here to help make that first “hello” as special as your new bundle of joy. We have a team of experts ready to guide you throughout your journey—from OB/GYN doctors and specially trained nurses, to doulas and board-certified lactation specialists. We even have virtual classes to help you prepare for the big day. Discover how we can support your birth experience. Take a virtual tour of our Family Birth Centers at DignityHealth.org/SacramentoBaby
There is no band of brothers when it comes to bridge building. In the world of concrete and rebar, it’s every man for himself.
That’s my takeaway from discussions with Caltrans about the city’s doomed bicycle bridge over Interstate 5 and Riverside Boulevard. The state transportation agency’s attitude is, whatever happens with that bridge is the city’s problem.
“The City of Sacramento is responsible for the day-to-day
Rough Road
CALTRANS WANTS NO CREDIT FOR FLAWED BIKE BRIDGE
And they backed the city when questions were raised about details within those rules.
“As the oversight agency for this project, Caltrans’ role is to verify that the city is performing these responsibilities,” the Caltrans spokesman says.
There’s the problem. The city performed its duties, checked the boxes and knew early on the concrete was questionable.
But as far as I can tell, neither the city nor Caltrans were able or willing to stop construction until the bridge was more or less finished.
I want to know why work continued before the city finally pulled the plug. How this fiasco got past first base.
The bridge contractor seemed to believe fly ash and pozzolan are interchangeable in bridge concrete. Caltrans specifications say hold on, not so fast.
Fly ash is a coal byproduct. Pozzolan is volcanic ash. Neither is suitable when baking a cake, but both can strengthen concrete. Just add water and a few other things and mix.
“We know we purchased Class N pozzolan and whatever was delivered was definitely weighed up by our scales, recorded on our weight tags, and mixed in our trucks,” the concrete supplier tells the city in an email.
By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat
administration of the construction contract of the bridge,” a Caltrans spokesman tells me.
I don’t blame Caltrans for wanting to steer clear. The $12 million bridge connecting the Del Rio Trail and Sacramento River Parkway bike paths is an embarrassment.
The city—not Caltrans—ordered the bridge’s design and construction. After the discovery of substandard concrete and rebar, the city—not Caltrans—told contractors to tear the mess down and start over.
But it’s too simple to suggest Caltrans was out of town when mistakes were made. Caltrans’ fingerprints are everywhere.
State transportation engineers issued the construction permits. They created specifications for the concrete and rebar. They wrote rules about concrete core samples and strength and durability tests.
Inspired to dig, I reviewed nearly 2,000 pages of documents obtained under a public records request. The documents are helpful but sanitized, hollowed out by missing emails and absent attachments.
The records show the city raised early concerns about concrete mixtures. But they don’t explain what happened next—why trucks were scheduled to deliver 127 yards of concrete that didn’t pass inspection for a bridge across I-5.
Before I read the documents, I was already good at digging holes for fence posts and filling them with water and a bag of ready mix.
Fence posts and freeway bridges are cousins. Both need ready mix. Caltrans aims to make bridge construction routine by publishing technical specifications. Follow them and you’re fine.
Here’s where the I-5 bike bridge ran into trouble. The documents chronicle a dispute about whether natural pozzolan can be added to bridge concrete in place of fly ash.
The concrete guys hired a consultant—a former Caltrans engineer, imagine that—who said natural pozzolan in place of fly ash satisfies state specifications.
A Caltrans engineer responds, “I disagree that the Caltrans specifications allow the use of natural pozzolan and fly ash to be used interchangeably.”
The city stood firm. An email to the bridge contractors in July 2023 says, “We cannot authorize the use of the mix.”
Thirteen months later, the city came to a conclusion: “We have been working with our bridge designer and have determined that the Land Park Underpass Bridge cannot be accepted.”
Caltrans apparently supported the city’s decision. But it didn’t matter. By the time the bridge was rejected, it was too late. The concrete was already poured, curing in the afternoon sun.
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Marvin Lipofsky (American, 1938–2016), Chico Spring Series 1988 #10,
Glass, mold blown, cut, sandblasted,
etched,
Museum,
34 Greenway Circle - Recently Pending
6815 Coachlite Way - Recently Pending
FHawaiian Eye
LOCAL AUTHOR LEADS READERS INTO ISLAND MYSTERY
verbiage. The last line in the book is probably the only sentence that never changed.”
“Ghosts of Waikiki” received enthusiastic reviews from several writer associations, including Sisters in Crime, a national group. A second Maya Wong book is underway, and Morita hopes to the turn the character into a series. When not writing or traveling, she finds balance with Hot Hula and Zumba.
Pocket Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Celtic Charms Band and guitarist Gary Allen provide entertainment.
Alongside the market, the Spring Fling arts and crafts fair operates 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Browse the works of local artists after grabbing that fresh produce.
TRUCKS ’N SUCH
ew things are more relaxing than a good book backed by the rhythmic sounds of the ocean.
Jennifer K. Morita’s debut novel “Ghosts of Waikiki” is the perfect beach read if you like cozy mysteries.
The main character is Maya Wong, a journalist who returns to her childhood home in Hawaii to ghostwrite the biography of a land developer. When he’s found dead, she gets caught up in the investigation.
Having raised my family in Honolulu, Morita’s book was a trip
down memory lane. The author lives in Pocket with her family and grew up in the islands.
“It wasn’t difficult to weave bits and pieces of my childhood and favorite Hawaiian eats into the storyline,” she says.
Morita interned for local newspapers while attending UCLA. Her Asian studies degree led to writing for papers in the Central Valley and eventually the Bee. These days she works at Sacramento State.
Morita was hooked on mysteries from her first Nancy Drew book. Mystery authors such as Naomi Hirahara and Sujata Massey inspired her to write a novel about an Asian American reporter.
By Corky Mau Pocket Life
She finally found time during the pandemic, when plot and character outlines came together. “It seemed like a crazy thing to do,” she says. “Only my husband and kids knew I was writing. I spent several years tweaking the
Find “Ghosts of Waikiki” at Amazon or independent bookstores. You can meet Morita at the Sacramento Book Festival, Saturday, May 31, at Shepard Garden & Arts Center in McKinley Park. Her website is jenniferkmorita. com.
EASTER EVENTS
Two free family events are coming up. The Garcia Bend Park Easter egg hunt is Saturday, April 5, at 10 a.m. The Easter Bunny is available for photos.
A helicopter egg drop is set for Saturday, April 12, at River’s Edge Church on Riverside Boulevard, 10 a.m. to noon. For information, contact the pastor at heather@recsac.org.
SPRING FLING
Elks Lodge will bustle Sunday, April 6, with opening day of the Greenhaven
The popular “don’t cook tonight” food truck series starts Friday, April 18, at Garcia Bend. Enjoy fresh, tasty eats from SactoMoFo truck partners from 5–8 p.m. every third Friday through September.
YOUTH SOCCER
Registration is open for youth soccer. Register your child by Tuesday, April 8, to play in the spring session No. 2 from April 22 to May 23. For details, visit greenhavensoccer.com or contact Jason Drury at jdrury@greenhavensoccer. com.
Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Jennifer Morita
Photo by Aniko Kiezel
Civic Dashboard of City and County Projects
Local Government Accountability & Monitoring by Inside Sacramento
FRONT STREET ANIMAL SHELTER
Increased euthanasia rates, animals released without spaying/neutering, healthy cats turned away, 1,000plus service calls awaiting a response.
EMPTY OLD SAC WATERFRONT SITE
Rio City Cafe closed after landlord—the city—failed to maintain outdoor dining deck. City loses $250,000 annual rent from mothballed restaurant. Eighty jobs lost.
SOUTHSIDE POOL CLOSURE
Public pool serves low income and minority residents. Closed by city for repairs in 2022. As Assembly member, Mayor Kevin McCarty secured $500,000 to offset repairs. Still closed.
PEDESTRIAN DEATHS
More than 250 people killed by vehicles since 2017, when city adopted “Vision Zero” to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on city streets by 2027.
AMERICAN RIVER LEVEE
Up to 700 trees and miles of habitat face destruction on American River Army Corps project, threatening wildlife and recreation. Residents want less disruptive approach to flood control
TINY HOMES FOR UNSHELTERED
City, county and state officials acquired 100 tiny houses for homeless people in 2022, but the dwellings sit empty due to red tape and location disputes.
BICYCLE BRIDGE OVER I-5
City ordered $12 million bike bridge at I-5 and Riverside demolished because of substandard concrete and rebar. City won’t explain why quality control procedures didn’t work.
SAC RIVER LEVEE PUBLIC ACCESS
Levee parkway and bike trail promised to PocketGreenhaven community in 1975, still not completed. City fearful of lawsuits by handful of anti-river access residents.
Use this QR Code to link to our webpage tracking the history, documents and updates to these projects each month. For more information contact publisher@insidepublications.com
GET READY TO SELL
MARKET & COMMUNITY
Saturday, May 17 | 9 am to 2 pm
IN MCKINLEY PARK M INLEY
Do you have useful and/or interesting items to sell? Makers and vendors - bring your artistry, crafts, and designer items. that no longer serve you and reserve your table today. Join us at our 4th annual event. We are expanding to include a Makers Market this year. Join us at our 4th annual event. We are expanding to include a Makers Market this year. To reserve your table(s) at the early bird price $35, please contact: sgaccommunitysale@gmail.com or 916-457-2721 Sponsored by Ikebana International, Sacramento Chapter #26 and Friends of East Sacramento
Rio Americano High School’s AM Jazz Ensemble competes on national stage.
All That Jazz
RIO AMERICANO BAND EXCELS IN NATIONAL COMPETITIONS
Rio Americano High School’s AM Jazz Ensemble competes in the Essentially Ellington Festival this May at Lincoln Center in New York—a competition where the band has been a finalist 12 times.
That’s not all. For the past eight consecutive years and 15 years overall, DownBeat magazine selected the Rio jazz band as one of the top high school bands in the country.
The band was honored this year at the annual Charles Mingus Festival in New York. James Sidebotham, Aaron Holst, Salome Ospina, Joel Cooper, Ezra Erickson, Henry Dall-Parker and Sofia Bo Ix-Siu won in the combo category. Bassist Ezra Erickson earned the Mingus Spirit Award. Ospina, a pianist, and Bo Ix-Siu, a vocalist, received fouryear $30,000 annual scholarships to The New School’s Mannes School of Music.
“Our students and their families come to us knowing that this will be the place where young musicians can find a second home for their high school years and achieve whatever their dedication, creativity and talent allow,” says Josh Murray, director of the AM Jazz Ensemble for 18 years.
By Jessica Laskey Out & About
RIVER CLEANUP
The American River Parkway Foundation’s annual Spring Clean-Up is Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Winston Churchill Middle School sixth-graders Simone Barnes and Abigail Lee are spreading the word about the cleanup as part of a school project to protect area waterways.
“Our class is working to preserve our natural watersheds and help our environment,” Barnes says. “Our goal for the end of this project is to bring awareness about our watersheds and what our communities can do to help.”
Spring Clean-Up locations are Ancil Hoffman Park, Discovery Park, Guy West Bridge, Howe Avenue river access, Paradise Beach, River Bend Park, Sunrise Recreation Area and Watt Avenue river access. To register, visit arpf.org/events/springcleanup.
FREE TAX HELP
Residents can file taxes online or in person through United Way California Capital Region’s Free Tax Preparation program.
Households that earned less than $67,000 in 2024 can file for free and get help from trained tax volunteers to maximize cash back from state and federal credits.
United Way helps thousands of families each year collectively receive nearly $10 million in tax credits. For information, visit yourfreetaxprep.org.
PHOTO MONTH
Photography Month Sacramento is back, featuring work by local professional and amateur photographers.
Led by the nonprofit Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, the April event includes special exhibits, receptions, photoshoot meetups, workshops, lectures, field trips and more at area galleries, museums, educational institutions, libraries and stores.
helps residents through United Way
Capital Region’s Free Tax Preparation program.
For information and a list of events, visit photomonthsacramento.org.
BIKE SWAP
North Natomas Jibe’s third annual Bike Swap is April 25-26 at the North Natomas Aquatic Center.
Bikes are sold Sunday, April 27, to raise money for Inderkum High School’s Bike Tech program and Joey’s Food Locker. Last year’s event raised $4,300.
For information, visit jibe.org/bike/ jibe-bike-swap.
MERCY CENTENNIAL
Dignity Health Mercy General Hospital turns 100 this year.
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1925, Mercy General has grown into a multi-state nonprofit network of
10,000 physicians, more than 60,000 employees, 41 acute-care hospitals and more than 400 care centers in California, Arizona and Nevada.
The health system leads the way in medical advancements, including pioneering cardiovascular programs and community health initiatives.
For information, visit dignityhealth. org.
POETRY MONTH
The Sacramento Poetry Center plans a bevy of events around town for National Poetry Month, including hosting award-winning African American poet, painter and novelist Clarence Major on Saturday, April 5.
The center hosts weekly readings, offers workshops and publishes a monthly newsletter, quarterly
periodical and annual review of new and established poets.
“We have worked quietly but relentlessly to foster recognition of Sacramento’s writers of all genres,” board member and former Sacramento Poet Laureate Julia Connor says.
For information, visit sacpoetrycenter.org.
STUDENT AWARDS
Students from schools across the region won big at iTheatrics’ Junior Theater Festival West at SAFE Credit Union Convention Center.
Honored as All-Stars were California Middle School’s Isabel Baldwin and Paige Winn; NorCal School of the Arts’ Trek Campbell and Jacob Watson; Musical Mayhem Productions’ Alina Guintu and Jace Fisher; Katherine L. Albiani Middle School’s Orion Harmon and Henry Pullen; and others from Redding Performing Arts Center, Woodland Opera House and Elk Grove Musical Theatre Company.
The festival highlights young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater with participants from 16 states, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and China. For information, visit juniortheaterfestival.com.
BALLET HONOR
Sacramento Ballet was honored by state Sen. Angelique Ashby for the company’s 70th anniversary.
The ballet was presented with a California State Senate Resolution for extraordinary contributions to the arts, including fostering artistic innovation and diverse talent, welcoming renowned dancers and choreographers, and ensuring accessibility to dance for all communities.
“This resolution is a testament to the hard work, dedication and artistic excellence that Sacramento Ballet has upheld for 70 years,” Artistic and Executive Director Anthony Krutzkamp says.
For information, visit sacballet.org.
CHANNEL 24
Sacramento’s newest live entertainment venue is open for business. Channel 24 presents a variety of musical acts, starting with Tucker Wetmore on Thursday, April 24.
The 2024 Sacramento Music Census revealed a market gap for mid-sized live music venues. As a result, Another Planet Entertainment created the 2,150-capacity complex at 1800 24th St., filling the need between small clubs and grand-scale auditoriums.
“We have so many artists touring through Northern California that have to skip Sacramento because there is not an appropriately sized venue for them to play,” says Allen Scott, Another Planet Entertainment’s president of concerts and festivals. “Channel 24, right in the heart of the city, fills that need, and we hope that the venue quickly becomes an integral part of Sacramento’s vibrant live music scene.”
For upcoming shows, visit channel24sac.com.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Students from Musical Mayhem Productions take honors at Junior Theater Festival West.
Shay Smith
California
Double Crossed
CITY WON’T PROSPER WITHOUT 2 NEW BRIDGES
Sacramento is defined by its rivers. For the city to function, it needs bridges over those rivers. Bridges stimulate economic development.
Look at Portland, another city with two great rivers. Twelve bridges cross the Willamette, with two more over the Columbia. Many are multimodal, with room for cars, trains, cyclists and pedestrians. Their connectivity brings growth and prosperity.
By comparison, Sacramento has only six bridges, including the Tower and I Street spans. The I Street crossing was
JH
By Jeff Harris City Realist
built in 1911, when communication was by telegraph. By all accounts it needs replacement.
A third of Sacramentans live north of the American River. Options to get from city center to Natomas or North Sacramento are limited to Interstate 5, Highway 160 or Business 80.
None of those bridges are bike or pedestrian friendly. This is a connectivity problem separating people from commerce and health care unless they have a car and can brave a freeway with frequent slowdowns.
The City Council recently voted on the design of a proposed bridge to connect the River District to South Natomas at Truxel Boulevard. One of the first things I did as a councilmember 10 years ago was hold community meetings to determine a route for light rail to the airport.
Every great city has rail to its airport, right?
The solution was the Truxel bridge. It needs to get built. Ten years later, the council is still reviewing its design. Sadly, it will take another six years to get environmental clearances and
two more to square away permits. This project might break ground in a decade. By contrast, the proposed new I Street bridge is moving quickly. I sat on the committee to select the architect and final design with U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, former Councilmember Steve Hansen and others six years ago.
We moved through the design phase and city staff kept the ball rolling.
It will be a beautiful, iconic structure, connecting West Sac to the Downtown Railyards, a great opportunity for economic development for both cities. Tourists will visit the bridge, like the Sundial in Redding. Permits and environmental clearances should be secured this year. Funding remains a challenge. The bridge needs enhanced finances from Caltrans and support from the Sacramento Transit Authority. Being a replacement bridge makes it eligible for dollars new structures lack.
Matsui supports the project. Both city councils want the bridge built. Costs have risen since the pandemic, with Caltrans requiring a massive and expensive foundation upgrade. The
Army Corps of Engineers has costly requirements for levee integrity. The budget stands at $300 million. If all goes well, work starts in 2026.
Why is it so hard to get these projects done?
Civic life got more complicated. Environmental rules from the 1970s presented choke points, inviting lawsuits to slow or stop construction projects.
A few years before passage of the California Environmental Quality Act in 1970, the interstate freeway system was nearly finished. The national highway network took about 10 years— bridges included.
Five decades later, we still need to cross rivers. I can’t wait to see the new I Street bridge completed.
Jeff Harris represented District 3 on City Council from 2014 to 2022. He can be reached at cadence@mycci. net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Photo by Linda Smolek
Healthy Option
N
E W C O M M U N I T Y TO F O C U S O N A G I N G, E D U C AT I O N NEW COMMUNITY TO FOCUS ON AGING, EDUCATION
The last time Dr. Lou Vismara had an idea this big it turned into the UC Davis Mind Institute, a renowned research center for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
Vismara, 81 and retired from his cardiology practice, is at it again. He teamed with developer Angelo Tsakopoulos to plan a 2,800-acre project on Tsakopoulos’ property that spans parts of Folsom and two counties, Sacramento and El Dorado.
The development includes what Vismara and Tsakopoulos call a “Community for Health and
G D GD
By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future
Independence” that can be replicated elsewhere.
Designed for elder residents and people with disabilities, the plan counts the UC Davis Health Center and Sacramento State University as partners. Although it must survive governmental reviews before anything gets built, the new community is generating excitement and consternation.
In a front-page editorial, the Bee called the idea a “risky growth plan” for proposing hundreds of apartments and homes on a large stretch of land outside prescribed growth areas.
Of Tsakopoulos, 88, who made a fortune forecasting where Sacramento would expand and developing property in those directions, the Bee said he “would have no sales pitch” on this idea without UC Davis.
That may be, but Tsakopoulos wins far more land-use battles than he loses. His friend Vismara also has a record of overcoming skeptics.
Case in point is the Mind Institute, which opened 23 years ago after Vismara and several prominent
families with autistic children proposed a new center to study the disorder.
Tsakopoulos was in the middle of that struggle, too. He gave $8 million to help establish the Mind Institute.
In 2020, Tsakopoulos gave UC Davis another $2 million to “advance health aging in a digital world.” His latest proposal is an offshoot of that philanthropy.
“I’ve known Angelo for 45 years and he really sees this as part of his legacy and continuing commitment to his philanthropy and the impact he has had on this region,” Vismara says. “He really is one of the most caring people I know. It’s in his DNA.”
Vismara got the idea for the new Folsom area community after talking to a frustrated older couple. He realized they faced many similar obstacles to a comfortable life as his autistic son.
When I ask Tsakopoulos why he’s pushing another big project at this point in his life, he paraphrases and adds to an Abraham Lincoln quote.
“Education is the key to a successful life, and for me to be involved with two great universities is a tremendous honor,” he says. “And what I want more than anything is for my friends and contemporaries to believe I am a good person. That I have done good things for my community.”
Among other things, the Community for Health and Independence would include market-rate and subsidized housing designed for easy mobility and quick access to medical care and technology. The goal is for people to stay in their homes longer.
“We know the key to healthy aging for people starts in their homes,” David Lubarsky, former CEO of UC Davis
Real estate between Folsom and El Dorado Hills holds potential for development.
Lou Vismara
Session A: June 16-July 3 Session B: July 7-25
www.saccds.org/summer Registration for K-8th grade campers begins April 2 @countrydaysummer
Health, said in 2023. “We believe a reimagined community that leverages technology for human-made spaces where people live, recreate and work will promote better management of chronic disease and increase independence for valuable members of this population.”
UC Davis would occupy a 200-acre site donated by Tsakopoulos to develop a teaching, research and health complex devoted to healthy living. Vismara says Tsakopoulos pledged “a significant portion of the proceeds” to UC Davis, adding, “This is the Mind Institute 2.0.”
For its part, Sac State “fully supports this visionary community development project, the first of its kind, a masterplan that combines lifelong learning and workforce development with lifelong healthcare and housing,” Mark Wheeler, chief
strategist and senior advisor to the university’s president, tells me.
Sac State is exploring an allied health sciences campus as part of the new community. The site would offer programs in nursing, public health, physical therapy, kinesiology, among others.
“We think the idea is groundbreaking and sort of world changing,” Wheeler says. “Something that could set the paradigm for any number of similar developments across the nation and across the globe, because no one does this kind of thing as well as we should.”
Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
VISMARA GOT THE IDEA FOR THE NEW FOLSOM AREA COMMUNITY AFTER TALKING TO A FRUSTRATED OLDER COUPLE.
Choices & Quality in Leather
Fly High
FISHING CLUB PROMOTES FRIENDSHIP, CONSERVATION
TJ L JL
By Jessica Laskey
hose people with fishing gear outside the Conzelmann Community Center at Howe Park aren’t lost.
They’re most likely members of California Fly Fishers Unlimited practicing casting before their monthly meeting.
“Our audience wants to learn—can they do it, can they get help? That’s an area we excel in,” says Paul Wisheropp, a member since 2011. “We focus on conservation, education and outreach.”
Since 1962, Fly Fishers Unlimited has promoted fly fishing and encouraged conservation of the state’s fisheries, aquatic resources and watersheds. The group offers classes, outings, socials and meetings to serve amateurs and aficionados.
“It’s a very welcoming club,” says Laurie Banks, a member since 2008 and past president. “When I joined and was talking to the old-timers, they were
such a wealth of information and so willing to help me get started. When I retired and had some time, then I got really active. It’s a great support group.”
Fishers. There were only a dozen women then, but now the club has about 80 female members.
Banks recently became the first woman to compete in the Western Native Trout Challenge, a competition to catch native fish species across 12 Western states.
Laurie Wisheropp, Paul’s wife, appreciates how the club gives her husband people to fish with, “which provides a level of safety and has kept his interest when he retired.”
“Fly fishing has been on so many people’s bucket list, so the club gets a lot of newly retired or empty nesters because they didn’t have time before,” she says. “The value is really in the community connection and making new friends.”
Connection is part of the mission, as demonstrated by the club’s educational and community programs.
For school-age kids, Fly Fishers partners with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide salmon and steelhead eggs to area classrooms for students to raise and release into the rivers.
“The teachers make wonderful lessons that incorporate math, reading, writing and the environment,” Banks says. “It’s so fun to bring them eggs. The kids are so thrilled. I think they’re even more excited than if we brought them puppies.”
For older youth, Fly Fishers sponsors the annual Bob Bittner Memorial Scholarship for a UC Davis student in fisheries biology or ecology.
The group offers classes for veterans suffering from PTSD and families at Camp Sacramento and other outdoor adventure camps.
Members volunteer for community service at river cleanups, the annual Fish Derby for mentally and physically challenged people, and Sportsman’s Exposition at Cal Expo.
“There are always four or five things going on each week and members volunteer for different programs based on their interests,” Banks says. “We even have a few members who used to be children in our youth programs.”
The club welcomes anyone interested in learning the art and enjoyment of fly fishing. Banks says being out on the water “can be almost spiritual.” Paul Wisheropp appreciates the educational aspect.
Banks joined after her husband Ken, an aquatic entomologist, tried to teach her to fish. Each session ended in tears or anger, so he suggested she join Fly
“By getting people aware of (conservation), if maybe there’s a proposition on the ballot, people will understand it,” he says.
“Because we live in such a great area with two major rivers and the Delta and lakes nearby, people may see fishermen out there when the salmon are spawning and wonder, ‘What are those guys doing? Can I be a part of that?’” Laurie Wisheropp says.
For information, visit cffu.org.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@ gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Giving Back: Volunteer Profile
Paul Wisheropp
Photos by Linda Smolek
Backward Thinking
ALL ARE INVITED TO STAND WITH FRIENDS
Sorry if you missed National Backward Day. It was in January.
When my wife was teaching, her elementary schools always observed National Backward Day, a brief respite that encourages people to do things in reverse or unconventional ways.
You don’t have to be a kid to celebrate it. All ages are welcome to break routine and engage in activities with a unique twist.
Participants wear clothes backward, eat meals in reverse order or do everyday tasks in unconventional ways.
This year, President Donald Trump honored Backward Day by pardoning Jan. 6 criminals. He then began a
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By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters
process to fire law enforcement officials who imprisoned those hoodlums.
Well-played, sir. That’s pretty backward.
Now you might think I’ve careened out of my lane. How can I talk politics in a religion column?
I think it falls under the category of standing up for my friends.
I have several friends in the FBI. Those friendships began with two official visits.
The first came when a preschool director told the FBI that my newly adopted daughter resembled a missing child on a milk carton photo. The milk carton thing was a 1990s public service to raise awareness for missing kids.
The report triggered a visit to our Stockton home from an FBI agent seeking proof that we adopted our 3-year-old daughter Brittney. We gave him files of proof. No problem.
But my new friend didn’t close the investigation until he interviewed social workers and neighbors.
Overboard? Maybe. But the agent was looking out for my family and the missing child’s family. When someone does that, they become my friend.
On the second occasion, 20 years later, Agent Steve Dupre knocked on my door. He needed our Elk Grove house to surveil a neighbor who used robbery money to buy the house.
Steve became my friend.
In 2015, Steve invited me to make more FBI friends by joining the FBI Citizens Academy.
For six weeks, we spent three hours every Wednesday at the Sacramento FBI office, hearing agents lecture about famous crimes, surveillance techniques, bomb making and home terror organizations.
We learned about skinheads and militia movements. Scary class, but I made lots of new friends.
One week, Steve announced our class would visit a gun range. I told Steve no thanks.
“Why is that?” he asked.
I described the gun trauma I experienced in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a Stockton school.
Steve promised me it was OK either way. “If you go, you don’t have to shoot.” he said. “But if you shoot, I’ll stand with you and talk you through it.”
I went and shot. It was hard, but Steve stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me.
We finished the class with an optional field trip to the FBI academy in Virginia, where we were welcomed by then-FBI director James Comey.
Comey, a man of faith, used the FBI motto as an outline for his talk.
“Fidelity, bravery, integrity.”
During these backward days, there are forces seeking to locate and identify agents who deployed these principles in their Jan. 6 investigations.
I pray the search is unsuccessful.
Meantime, I’ll tell you where this chaplain is located. He stands with his friends.
Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n
Natural High
MIDTOWN DISTILLERY COOKS UP CREATIVE SPIRITS
Midtown Spirits thrives on local ingredients. Almonds come from Blue Diamond, citrus from Food Co-op, Valley marshmallow, teas and spices from Allspicery in East Sacramento. Dill pickle vodka is unfused with pickles from Stockton. Cold brew coffee liquor is made with San Francisco Bay Coffee, based in Lincoln.
Midtown is the city’s first distillery since prohibition. Founders Dave Abrahamsen and Jason Poole sell craft distilled vodkas, gins, rums, coffee liquor and barrel-aged negroni. Midtown includes a bar and restaurant.
A huge copper still behind glass invites customers to appreciate the distilling craft while they sip cocktails and slushes. The still uses glycol to cool instead of water, saving our most precious natural asset.
Seasonal gins arrive in small batches four times a year. They showcase the creativity of distiller Jonathan Piner and the diversity of our seasons.
The distillery used local Jasmine rice as the spirit base, but it became unsustainable given the time and effort to unclog the equipment. Midtown switched to neutral corn spirits, distilled before arrival.
This is the place for exciting vodka varieties— cucumber, strawberry, pineapple chili, very berry and ginger lime. All are distilled in house.
Barrel-aged negroni, called a “bottled cocktail,” combines Midtown gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. It’s aged 11 months in oak barrels. Three rum varieties cure in former whiskey barrels for around two years.
Piner was born and raised in Sacramento. He joined Midtown in 2021 and worked his way from barback to head distiller.
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By Gabrielle Myers
Piner loves collaboration among distillers and says he’s “excited to see how the industry will transform into more holistic approaches with reductions in waste and using local fruit and other local ingredients.”
Abrahamsen and Poole encourage Piner’s imaginative concoctions. He calls distilling “a combination of art and science, especially when we get to be creative, like with our seasonal gins.”
Jason Poole
Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork
The bar and restaurant have cocktails on tap, alcoholinfused slushes (think a cool drink with vodka, gin, cucumber, mint and lemon, or something with Tajin rum, chamoy, mango nectar, lime juice, salt and vodka). There are hot cocktails, too. Midtown offers educational components with several clubs for customers.
Distillery Club members participate in distilling, bottling parties and cocktail classes. The Barrel Club lets customers work with Piner to create custom spirits. The Bottle Club offers discounts with purchases of specific numbers of bottles each quarter.
Up next is whiskey, with plans for distilling and aging. In November, Midtown hopes to open a bar, tasting area and restaurant at Sacramento International Airport.
Midtown Spirits is at 1717 19th St.; (916) 243-6991; midtown-spirits.com.
Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail. com. Her latest book of poetry, “Break Self: Feed,” is available for $20.99 from fishinglinepress.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Job Corp Center
Kiezel
TBait And Switch
DID CITY BUY 102 ACRES FOR HOMELESS OR SOCCER?
he California Highway Patrol was trying something new. Something that needed plenty of open space, “including a range to train patrolmen to fire from moving cars and motorcycles,” CHP brass said.
They settled on 240 farm acres near M.F. Silva’s dairy. Dormitories, classrooms, a cafeteria and gym rose over the bean fields, plus an asphalt track and gun range.
The address was 2812 Meadowview Farm Road. It was 1952. The CHP was building its first permanent cadet academy, an elite school for traffic cops.
Cadets studied, sped, skidded and shot in Meadowview until 1977, when the CHP opened a new academy across the river.
But pavement from that mid-century training ground still exists. The old CHP academy is back in play.
The former campus is the stage for a City Hall drama about broken promises, fluid priorities and backroom deals.
RGBy R.E. Graswich City Beat
In 2022, the City Council bought a 102-acre parcel behind the old academy buildings—land where cadets learned to drive fast and shoot straight. The goal was to create a homeless services center.
Politicians and local media celebrated the purchase as serious progress in the mission to remove encampments from city streets.
“We have a unique opportunity to build affordable housing, civic amenities and bring resources that will benefit our unhoused neighbors and families,” said Mai Vang, City Council member for Meadowview.
She added, “I’m proud to have led the work” to buy the old CHP land.
It was Vang’s big moment. Since her election in 2020, she had been invisible on City Council. She was a faithful vote for Mayor Darrell Steinberg without her own identity.
Vang’s job was to sing chorus on shoveling city dollars into youth services. Steinberg was the maestro. Vang, a former city school board trustee, served as cheerleader for kids.
The old CHP real estate represented higher ground. In leading the $12.3 million purchase of the former cadet site, Vang represented the entire city, not just her special interests. She was part of the unsheltered solution.
Steinberg knew the significance of the Meadowview land. He said, “This acquisition is the first of several breakthroughs we expect to announce soon in our ongoing effort to create more safe spaces, bed and roofs for people experiencing homelessness.”
Then a curious thing happened.
Steinberg and Vang vaporized their plans to “benefit our unhoused neighbors and families.” The old academy purchase was not “the first of several breakthroughs” on homelessness. It wasn’t even a burp.
Six months after buying the 102 acres, Steinberg made a speech promoting a $50 million sports complex in Meadowview. The plan included a soccer stadium with 2,000 seats, plus 24 fields for youth and adult soccer games.
“We won’t just be building fields, we will be building up kids,” Steinberg said.
Vang mirrored the mayor. She said, “Our youth’s vision for communitycentered amenities, services and programming inspired me.”
When I heard about the soccer park, I thought Steinberg and Vang must have stumbled across an empty strip mall.
They couldn’t mean the old CHP academy—the city’s “breakthrough” site for unsheltered people.
But I was wrong. They did mean the old academy—those 102 acres behind the Job Corps Center, which took over the CHP buildings in 1978.
Fast-forward three years since Steinberg and Vang’s switcheroo. Kevin McCarty is mayor. The old CHP track and shooting range are vacant. No soccer stadium. No homeless facility. No explanation. Just confusion about “what the community wants.”
Most communities prefer soccer fields to homeless centers. But the City Council bought the 102 acres to help unsheltered people. Without a centralized homeless facility, encampments grow.
Now the city has a $62 million deficit. Not $50 million for soccer. Or for unsheltered people.
But there’s hope. Before moving out, the CHP harvested lead from the Meadowview shooting range, almost 7 tons of bullets. The metal was worth $2,275 in 1977.
CHP brass said plenty of lead remained. They just scratched the surface.
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Photo by Aniko
INSIDE OUT
East Portal Bocce Club
Bocce ball enthusiasts gather year-round for games and companionship at covered courts in East Portal Park. Try your hand at Open Bocce Day on Sunday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring food, friends and fun!
For information, visit www.epbcsac.com.
PHOTOS BY LINDA SMOLEK
Photo by Linda Smolek
Blind Ambitions
KINGS OWNER NEEDS TO LEAVE THE GAME TO EXPERTS
Every few years, the Kings produce a season that explains why they will never be much good for any length of time. This season is a perfect example.
Building a great NBA franchise is tough. But like many hard tasks, the formula for NBA success is well defined.
Start with two current All-Star players (three is better but two can work). Add maturity and leadership on the floor and in the locker room. Mix in an experienced coaching staff and supportive front office.
Top it off with an ownership that flatters platinum-level sponsors, treats
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By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority
fans and media like valued customers, and absolutely never interferes with basketball.
The Kings fail that last rule. They ignore best practices set by winning teams. They reject lessons that brought success to the Lakers and Celtics, Bulls and Warriors, Spurs and Heat.
The Kings think they know better.
Start with All-Star players. The Kings rarely field All-Stars because few—let’s be honest, none—want to play in Sacramento. The town isn’t the problem. It’s the team.
If you were an All-Star, how thrilled would you be to sign with a loser that hasn’t won a championship since 1951?
When the Kings manage to land an All-Star, they overcompensate. They see a promising talent and imagine he’s the next Steph Curry.
That’s what they did with De’Aaron Fox, a good player whose speed catapulted him into All-Star range. But Fox lacks leadership qualities and defensive skills to carry a team
The timing of Fox’s defensive meltdown and Brown’s negative remarks added up to a thin-skinned player ordering management to fire his coach or else.
Fox wasn’t sorry to lose Brown. But he didn’t fire the coach.
If anything, the clumsy, cruel dismissal of Brown convinced Fox that the Kings were too insane for any hope of success.
Fox forced the Kings to trade him. He moved to San Antonio for a barrel of draft picks, plus Zach Levine, a 30-year-old guard the Kings tried to sign in 2018.
The Kings recovered and won some games after interim coach Doug Christie replaced Brown. But a few sweet wins at midseason won’t matter when the Kings get bounced from the playoffs.
Then it’s rebuilding time.
Which brings me to Vivek Ranadive, managing owner. Ranadive isn’t the first Kings boss to think he knows more about basketball than anyone on his payroll.
He’s no neophyte. He coached his daughter’s rec league team. He suggested the Kings keep one player on offense throughout the game, never playing defense.
Ranadive is a dilettante. Leading the Kings’ ownership for 12 years, he’s proven himself unstable, even reckless. He fired seven coaches, Christie not included. Yet.
deep into the playoffs. Much less the championships.
Early this season, the Kings hoped to sign Fox to a lifetime contract. They pegged him as the foundation. They were so desperate to hold onto him they fired coach Mike Brown after Brown publicly criticized Fox for a defensive blunder.
The Kings didn’t just fire Brown. They humiliated him. They phoned him when he was headed to the airport for a road game. They told him to stay home.
That’s how you fire someone who cooked the books or threw a punch at the CFO. Not a 27-year veteran who was the NBA’s unanimous Coach of the Year in 2023.
Then a funny thing happened. Fox realized he was getting blamed for Brown’s dismissal.
What I can’t figure out is why Ranadive acts this way. Anyone can see he’s hopeless when it comes to basketball.
For some reason, Ranadive can’t enjoy himself at courtside and leave the details to the pros.
Despite his interference, the Kings have succeeded from a business perspective. Ownership equities in the team and Golden 1 Center grew from about $750 million to an estimated $3.7 billion since 2013.
Imagine what those numbers will look like if Ranadive stops messing around in the kitchen.
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
CAN’T ENJOY HIMSELF AT COURTSIDE AND LEAVE THE DETAILS TO THE PROS.
73 “Told you so!” DOWN 1 Studies at the last second 2 Livestream’s sound portion 3 Pound pickups 4 UV-blocking concealer abbr. 5 “Ben-___” 6 Regions 7 “Our House Is on Fire” activist Thunberg
Cecily Hastings Publisher
External Beauty
PERFECT LOCATION, BUT THE INTERIOR NEEDED WORK
Alison and Ryan De Anda purchased their Curtis Park home in January 2020, just before the pandemic.
“We are super glad we did it then because the housing market heated up in the coming months and we likely would have been priced out completely,” Ryan says.
The couple moved from San Francisco where they worked for Macy’s. Ryan grew up in West Sacramento, Alison in Oregon.
“We were priced out of the market in the Bay Area and wanted to be closer to Ryan’s large family,” Alison says. “Sacramento was the perfect place for us.”
Ryan works for the state as an IT project manager. Alison is a vision care retail buyer. She also buys and sells vintage items.
With its inventory of century-old homes, Curtis Park filled the couple’s wish list. “It had the charm of the older San Francisco neighborhoods we enjoyed. And we loved the eclectic architecture of the homes,” Ryan says.
While the 11th Avenue home was perfect for its potential, its interior condition was another story. “It needed a lot of work,” Ryan says. “It had sat on the market awhile.”
“Our plan was to preserve the best of the charming features and renovate what didn’t work for us,” Alison says.
The only previous addition to the 1,415-square-foot home in eight decades was an extension to the master bedroom and bathroom.
By Cecily Hastings Open House
Photography by Aniko Kiezel
“It added a second bathroom, which was a real bonus for us in the price range we were limited by,” Ryan says.
The couple started with the kitchen. They widened the space between the dining room, breakfast area and kitchen, opening the interior. They created a
7563 RED WILLOW ST $400,000 1518 LONDON ST $406,000
5665 JOHNS DR $410,000
2154 62ND AVE $420,000
6221 25TH ST $425,000
7407 LOMA VERDE $450,000
2064 67TH AVE $461,000
1950 67TH AVE $470,000
7037 WILSHIRE CIR $505,000
2200 22ND AVE $510,000
6236 25TH STREET $560,000 832 SKIPPER CIR $567,000
4919 23RD ST $583,000 2173 23RD AVE $595,000 4933 ESMA JANE LN $629,000 4940 HELEN WAY $645,000
95819
95825
959 FULTON AVE #545 $184,000 739
95864
galley kitchen with bright white cabinets, marble-like counters, marble subway tile backsplash and limestone floors.
A gas stove and traditional style hood added classic charm. They exposed one side of the cabinetry into a peninsula that flows to the dining room.
The breakfast nook includes a storage bench with an upholstered cushion that Ryan designed and built.
The color scheme is soft white and gray with dark blue accents. Vintage and modern light fixtures add interest.
One bedroom was repurposed as a workout area and guest bedroom with a custom Murphy bed. The original bathroom features dark blue and white hydrangea print wallpaper Ryan installed, along with painted wainscotting.
The master bedroom overlooks a small backyard and deck. The master bath copies the kitchen design theme with white cabinets, subway tile and marble flooring.
The backyard became a vegetable garden with raised beds. The couple credits local Instagram star Kyle Hagerty of The Urban Farmstead for inspiration. Ryan is overhauling the deck with a new finish and railing.
The couple will consider adding a second floor when their family grows. Their neighbor has a similar home with the second-floor addition.
“My favorite thing is the feel of our home, the character, something that I never really appreciated as much before meeting Ali,” Ryan says.
Alison adds, “And this home is everything I dreamed about for our first home. I love that Ryan took on so many projects and made them all features.”
The De Anda home is featured in this year’s Curtis Park Home Tour showcasing five homes and gardens Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets—$25 in advance and $30 the day of tour—are available at sierra2.org or the Sierra 2 office at 2791 24th St. The event is presented by Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and features food trucks, live music, and home and garden vendors.
To recommend a home or garden, contact cecily@ insidepublications.com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Little To Show Little To
HOMELESS CRISIS ENDURES WITH FUNDS UNACCOUNTED
BY JOHN FRIAS MORALES
Sacramento is at a breaking point with 2,000 homeless fires and 55,000 nuisance complaints. The city’s unsheltered crisis is out of control, despite millions of taxpayer dollars poured into so-called “navigation” solutions.
After years of mismanagement, the city faces a perpetual struggle against illegal encampments. We have a budget deficit and lack of trust in local government. It’s time for accountability.
Under the leadership of former Mayor Darrell Steinberg, the city mismanaged $88 million in homeless funds. Only 13% went toward permanent housing. Residents are left with the consequences.
Where did the money go?
Recent reports say 70% of local homeless dollars were absorbed by administrative overhead, coordinated entry systems and assessments—not housing solutions.
Planning managers, attorneys and infrastructure repairs drained
$16 million that should have gone to moving people off the streets and into permanent housing. Another $17 million went to security, outreach and cleanups.
Meanwhile, thanks to the city’s flawed 2024 unsheltered count under Steinberg, allocations from the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program were slashed by 40%, from $27 million to $16 million.
Steinberg was desperate to show he reduced homelessness, presumably for political reasons. Even a cursory analysis shows the 2024 unsheltered numbers were bogus. Now the reality of losing $11 million in state funds makes the consequences of the count downright dangerous.
And there’s no clear account of how all that money gets spent. No detailed reports. No transparency. Just a growing problem without tangible results.
Consequences of this mismanagement are devastating. At least 1,100 people died on local streets in recent years, the county coroner reports.
Data suggests the city’s “navigation” experience may be toxic. Prior to receiving services, 67% of recipients were unsheltered, while 43% had some form of housing (renting, couch surfing or living with family).
Alarmingly, after exiting local navigation programs, 72% ended up homeless. How can navigation designed to help people escape homelessness create more instability?
This isn’t just a political issue. It’s a matter of life and death. Every dollar wasted on ineffective programs puts lives at risk.
The city’s failure to comply with California homeless housing guidelines could have dire financial impacts. The state threatens to reclaim millions in funds unless the city demonstrates real progress in creating permanent housing and closing encampments. Residents deserve a full account of where their tax dollars go. We’ve seen no full breakdown of how federal funds, continuum of care money and county homeless dollars are used. With other citizens, I urge Mayor Kevin McCarty to take bold, immediate action. Sacramento can’t
afford another year of inaction, excuses and failure. Here’s an action plan for our mayor:
1. Hold public sessions to provide a full accounting of homeless spending. Prove compliance with state guidelines and demonstrate real outcomes.
2. Release a comprehensive breakdown of all homeless funding sources, including federal, state and county allocations.
3. Overhaul the city’s homeless programs to ensure the vast majority of funds go toward permanent housing solutions and encampment closures, not administrative waste.
4. Establish strict performance benchmarks to ensure every dollar spent makes a measurable impact.
Sacramento residents are fed up with excuses. We deserve leadership that prioritizes solutions over politics, and action over empty promises. McCarty needs to be the leader who brings real accountability and change. We can’t let failures of the past continue into tomorrow.
John Frias Morales is a Sacramento neighborhood activist. He can be reached at johnfmorales@gmail.com. n
No Excuse
CITY TURNS AWAY FREE SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES
The city’s Front Street Animal Shelter has a problem. Unwanted pets keep coming.
In three years, stray dogs and cats entering Front Street increased by 2,148—from 6,309 in 2022 to 8,457 in 2024.
More animals mean more killing. In 2022, Front Street euthanized 747. In 2024, the shelter killed 1,462—nearly double.
To address the statewide animal overpopulation crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom included $50 million in the 2020-21 state budget to help California animal shelters stop killing adoptable dogs and cats.
Four years later the killing continues. Why? UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program was charged with dispensing the $50 million. Much of the money was spent promoting concepts like “community sheltering,” “finder fostering” and “managed intake.”
Koret wanted to stop the killing by diverting dogs and cats away from shelters through reduced intake and surrender-prevention programs— instead of prioritizing spaying/neutering.
Front Street’s animal care services manager, Phillip Zimmerman, embraced Koret’s models. The shelter’s “managed intake” policy turns away healthy,
friendly cats and kittens on the premise they are not lost—regardless of whether they are spayed and neutered.
For stray canines, the shelter website instructs the public “to hold onto the dog for at least a few days and look for the owner.”
Without an emphasis on spaying/ neutering, Sacramento’s animal population exploded.
With more animals coming in than Front Street can safely house, the shelter pushed them out under “foster to adopt.” Because state law requires shelter animals to be spayed/neutered before adoption, Front Street released hundreds of unaltered pets to the public as “fosters.”
With a backlog of spay/neuter appointments, these unaltered dogs and cats have waited months for surgery.
To alleviate the backlog, Front Street halted adoptions—even under “foster to adopt”—for unaltered pets. Instead, the animals were transferred to other shelters and rescue organizations, or euthanized.
“The majority of animals transferred in January were sent to out-of-state shelters,” says local animal advocate Julie Virga with Fix Our Shelters, a nonprofit watchdog group. “This strategy relieves Front Street of its tax-payerfunded duties and puts the onus of that burden on other communities.”
Fed up with Front Street’s failings, Fix Our Shelters took action.
By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies
“With long wait times for local spay/ neuter services, we were determined to find a solution,” Virga says. “We immediately began making calls,” which led to SNIP (Spay Neuter Imperative
Project), a nonprofit low-cost mobile spay/neuter clinic.
SNIP, established in 2016, has spayed/neutered more than 90,000 animals throughout California, including partnerships with numerous public agencies.
SNIP founder Melanie Scherer and Virga toured Front Street with Zimmerman. They agreed on a clinic date and location for the SNIP surgical bus. The goal was “to encourage adoptions over Valentine’s weekend with pets ready to go home immediately after being spayed or neutered,” Virga says.
SNIP and Fix Our Shelters met with city leaders to discuss a long-term partnership. Mayor Kevin McCarty and Councilmembers Roger Dickinson and Phil Pluckebaum, whose district includes Front Street, were on board, Virga reports.
Fix Our Shelters sponsored the clinic—$15,000 paid to SNIP—at no cost to the city. “We thought there was no way director Zimmerman could sabotage free spay/neuter services,” Virga says. “We were wrong.”
Three days later, Zimmerman, with the support of Assistant City Manager Michael Jasso, told Virga and Scherer the clinic was off, citing SNIP’s delinquent status with the California Attorney General’s Office, lack of workers’ compensation insurance and liability risks.
“The City of Sacramento absolutely contracts with nonprofits ‘not in good standing’ with the Attorney General’s Office,” Virga says. Fix Our Shelters pulled records and found the city contracted with 16 delinquent nonprofits in 2024 and 2025. Unlike SNIP, these
nonprofits received millions in city funding.
Scherer reports SNIP is undergoing an audit due to donations exceeding $2 million. “I am 75% through my audit,” she says. “But what does that have to do with 20-plus contracts I already have in the state?”
SNIP contracts with shelters in Kern, Monterey and Fresno counties, among others. SNIP is licensed to provide services by the California Veterinary Board and California Department of Drug Enforcement. SNIP provided the city with a certificate of insurance and veterinary premise permit.
“I take everything with SNIP beyond serious,” Scherer says. “It’s veterinary medicine. It’s the license I’m responsible for—for my vets and my (vet technicians). And to keep these pets safe.”
To address the hundreds of unaltered pets in “foster to adopt,” Front Street now contracts with another nonprofit mobile spay/neuter clinic, Animal Balance, whose contract has no requirement for workers’ compensation insurance.
“Workers’ comp?” Scherer says. “That was just an excuse.”
With Fix Our Shelter’s support, SNIP came back to Sacramento for a mobile clinic in March and another planned for April to spay/neuter dozens of animals— without Front Street.
Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Melanie Scherer with the SNIP mobile spay clinic.
3.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. Nancy Bothwell cycling along the Danube in Krems, Austria.
2. Charles, Sophia, John and Abegail Quiroz at the Louvre in Paris, France.
Davida and Richard Leong on safari near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
4. Leia and Alex Rodriguez bungee jumping from Kawarau bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand.
5. David and Dee Bradshaw visiting a rune stone on the island of Orust, Sweden.
6. Sam, Sunny, Van and Eric Schranz in the town of Theth in the Albanian Alps.
7. Karen Burley visiting Mt. Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest in Tucson, Arizona.
TO DO
THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
By Jessica Laskey Calendar Editor
LIVE PERFORMANCE
James Garner’s Tribute to Johnny Cash
GD Theatres
Sunday, April 13, 3–5 p.m.
Crest Theatre (1013 K St.); crestsacramento.com
Tickets: $31–$59
Enjoy the music of legendary Johnny Cash with a full band.
Barefoot in the Park
Celebration Arts
April 11–27
2727 B St.; celebrationarts.net
Tickets: $25 general, $20 seniors, $15 students
Laugh along with Neil Simon’s classic comedy about two newlyweds navigating married life.
American Visionaries: From Copland to Still Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
Saturday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center (1301 L St.); sacphilopera.org
Tickets: $35–$115
Be transported to the heart of a bygone era with enchanting melodies.
Capital Chorale and Orchestra Concert
Pioneer Congregational UCC
Friday, April 4, 7 p.m.
2700 L St.; pioneerucc.org
Tickets: $25
Listen to the Lord Nelson Mass by Haydn and “Miserere” by Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.
Everything Beautiful Happens at Night
Capital Stage
Through April 20
2215 J St.; capstage.org
Tickets: $41–$56
Set in 1980s Manhattan, this play delves into the legacy of an artist, the meaning of intimacy and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
ART
Visual Stimulation: Aniko Kiezel
Twisted Track Gallery
April 4–27
First Friday Reception April 4, 6–9 p.m.
Second Saturday Reception April 12, 5–9 p.m. 1730 12th St.: (916) 639-0436 or (916) 769-2700
Explore the artist’s passionate photography, including color metal prints, florals, and black and white.
Studio Spring Cleaning Sale ARTHOUSE on R
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 1021 R St.; arthouseonr.com
Shop for art supplies, proof prints, experimental work, slightly damaged pieces, art books, magazines and frames.
Crossroads & Intersections: Jack McTiernan ARTHOUSE on R
April 11–May 5
Opening Reception Saturday, April 12, 5–8 p.m. 1021 R St.; arthouseonr.com
The artist’s work examines shapes created by what mankind has manufactured to fill the landscape.
The Language of Color
University Library Gallery
Through April 12
Sacramento State (6000 J St.); csus.edu/university-galleries
Explore how artists use color through work from Sacramento State’s art and special collections.
Steve Memering
PBS KVIE Gallery
April 1–May 31
Artist Reception Thursday, April 10, 5–7 p.m.
2030 W. El Camino Ave.; kvie.org/gallery
Enjoy iconic Sacramento cityscapes, seascapes and beloved California scenes.
James Garner’s Tribute to Johnny Cash at Crest Theatre.
Will Peterson, Debra Kreck-Harnish and Corey Okada
Archival Gallery
April 3–26
Second Saturday Reception April 12, 5–8 p.m.
3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalgallery.com
Peterson presents new domeshaped wall sculptures. KreckHarnish includes her Spice Girls assemblage. Okada’s “Recollection” is a then-and-now retrospective.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
World Doll Day Show & Sale
United Federation of Doll Clubs
Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
The Officer's Club (3410 Westover St., McClellan); ufdc.org/calendar
Tickets: $10
Browse a collection of dolls presented by Mary Senko, and vendors selling antique, vintage and modern dolls, bears and toys.
Sip & Support
SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity
Saturday, April 26, 5–8:30 p.m.
400 Jibboom St.; visitmosac.org
Tickets: $95 general, $145 VIP
Explore the museum and exhibits while wine tasting to support MOSAC.
Bockbierfest
Sacramento Turn Verein
Saturday, April 26, 3 p.m.–midnight 3349 J St.; sacramentoturnverein.com
Enjoy bier, wine, German food and dancers, plus live music on three stages.
Taste of East Sacramento
East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce
Saturday, April 26, 6–9 p.m.
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (600 Alhambra Blvd.); tasteofeastsac.com
Tickets: $85–$120
Savor food, wine and beverages from more than 50 vendors while supporting the community.
Special Garden Spaces Garden Tour
River Park Garden Club
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Pick up tickets on tour day at 5457 Carlson Drive or in advance by calling (916) 451-4658 (no calls after 8 p.m.)
Tickets: $5
Explore gardens in River Park to benefit one of Sacramento’s oldest garden clubs.
Celebrate City!
Sacramento City College
Thursday, April 17, 4–6:30 p.m.
3835 Freeport Blvd.; scc.losrios.edu
Experience what it means to be a Panther at this free community open house.
United in Purpose Gala
Saturday, April 5, 5 p.m.
United Way California Capital Region
Tickets: $200
Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St.); uwccr.org/gala
Help meet United Way’s 100th anniversary goal of $3 million with cocktails, dinner, a live auction and more.
Bonsai Show & Sale
American Bonsai Association, Sacramento April 12 & 13, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Shepard Garden & Arts Center (3330 McKinley Blvd.); abasbonsai.org
Visit Bonsai and Suiseki exhibits, vendors, a consignment sale and daily demonstration at 1:30 p.m.
Stock up on reading material for adults and children while supporting the library.
June 21 | 3pm + 7pm Sunday, June 22 | 3pm
Doggy Dash
Sacramento SSPCA
Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
William Land Park Village Green (3800 W. Land Park Drive); sspca.org
Tickets: $35–$50
Join Northern California’s largest 2K/5K walk to support local animals in need.
Birds & Blooms Walk
Bufferlands
Saturday, April 19, 9 a.m.–Noon Sacramento Area Sewer District, Elk Grove; sacsewer.com/bufferlands
Take a guided walk through grassland, wetland and riparian habitats to view plants in bloom and numerous bird species. To register, email Chris Conard at conardc@sacsewer.com.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
“White Flower” by Aniko Kiezel at Twisted Track Gallery.
Growing Pains
HERE’S HOW TO AVOID SETBACKS IN YOUR GARDEN
Sur
fing Oahu’s Banzai Pipeline or scaling Annapurna’s summit in Nepal are risky. In Sacramento, gardeners chase another perilous pursuit. They attempt to grow plants that confound and defeat even the greatest gardeners.
Like a quart of milk, we purchase these perplexing plants, and, within a short time, they reach their expiration date. Our response is a tortured moan and mounting frustration.
The truth is that some plants are not suited to local growing conditions or are finicky and high maintenance.
Other plants can only be grown at specific times of the year in our unique climate. Timing is crucial and gardens present various microclimates, which means one sliver of your garden possesses slightly different temperatures or sunlight than another.
This might explain why the neighbor harvests dozens of avocadoes, while you enjoy two or three or none.
Avocados were once a no-no here. Milder winters opened the door a crack. Still, for every local gardener who boasts a bumper crop of avocados, there are five who are disillusioned or steamrolled by defeat.
For loads of guacamole and avocado toast, there are basic requirements: patience, the right varieties and welldraining soil.
If you buy a grafted nursery tree or trees (pollination is better with two trees), expect to wait three to five years before harvesting that first avocado. Mexican varieties, such as Bacon, Fuerte and Mexicola, fare better, although backyard Hass growers swear by its yields.
Avocados will not tolerate “wet feet,” so avoid heavy clay soil or expect root rot. Young trees are less tolerant of freezing temperatures. Mature avocado trees prefer mild winters.
As we near summer, I hear questions concerning lettuce and cilantro plant failures. Both prefer cooler temperatures. Our extreme heat prompts these plants to bolt or flower and seed. Once it flowers, the flavor is greatly affected, and the plants are in decline.
By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber
When cilantro bolts, not all is lost. Its seeds are the spice coriander. The tragedy is that cilantro leaves are a prime ingredient in fresh summer
salsas, yet they go bad before the tomato harvest.
One strategy to stretch cilantro into summer is to seed a new crop every two or three weeks and harvest each cycle before it bolts.
Lettuce is much more difficult to grow when temperatures are in the 100s, and best planted in fall and spring. Mid-January and September are the best times to plant leaf lettuces.
“Lettuce seeds tend to go dormant if the soil temperatures are too warm, so trying to grow lettuce from seed in the summer is pretty futile,” says Gail Pothour, who teaches the vegetable session to UC Master Gardener training classes. “This requires a lot of work and thoughts of a summer vacation are out of the question.”
If you must attempt summer lettuce, choose heat-tolerant and bolt-resistant varieties, provide shade, plenty of water and keep fingers crossed.
Rhubarb is especially difficult to grow, bad news for lovers of rhubarb pie. Pothour says our dry summer heat is not conducive to rhubarb.
“It grows best in cool microclimates where the average summer temperature is less than 75 degrees,” she says. “Definitely not Sacramento.”
Celery is also fussy. Pothour says timing of planting is critical. Lengthy periods of extreme temperatures or
fluctuating watering cycles can doom the crop.
Jacaranda and hazelnut trees are difficult to grow here, says Fred Hoffman of the “Garden Basics with Farmer Fred” podcasts. He also says witch hazel, a deciduous shrub or small tree, is more suited to soils and growing conditions elsewhere.
“Basically, let the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest enjoy this plant. In our dry, alkaline soils, it will just sulk.” Hoffman reports kiwi are high maintenance. Pothour suggests loose, friable soil and proper thinning when attempting carrots. Carrots are poor performers in heavy clay or rocky soil.
Let me know if you conquer problematic plants and how you do it. As Sacramento gardeners, sharing is our secret weapon.
Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Homecoming
CROCKER MUSEUM WELCOMES NEW EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Javier Plasencia is the new director of education at the Crocker Art Museum. He oversees eight programmers and educators in the planning and execution of more than 300 programs to serve about 35,000 people each year.
The job is a homecoming for Plasencia, who grew up in PocketGreenhaven. His experience includes work with the arts and design team at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York and Museum of Modern Art.
Most recently, he was program manager for the Museum Studies Master of Arts program at University of San Francisco. He recruited, advised and taught graduate students.
Plasencia received his master’s degree in visual arts administration from New York University and his bachelor’s from Columbia.
CBy Cecily Hastings Meet Your Neighbor
He arrived in October, giving him time to work with Lial Jones, the Crocker’s Mort and Marcy Friedman director and CEO who retired at the end of 2024.
“Javi’s professional background and familiarity with the Sacramento region lend themselves beautifully to developing strong community partnerships programs,” Jones says.
“I’m very excited to have had some time to overlap with Lial and to get to know her and to experience her leadership and learn from her,” Plasencia says.
Plasencia lives near Southside Park and walks to work. Unlike many new employees, he doesn’t need a map.
“I was born and raised here, went to parochial schools here in Sacramento, but I’m super happy to be returning to this position,” Plasencia says. “I come from a very large, Mexican American family, and I have strong ties to Sacramento. So, in the back of my mind as I progressed through my career, I always had the idea of coming back someday if this type of position ever became open.”
The Crocker’s education programming ranks with the top museums nationwide.
“What make us unique is that we offer programs differentiated by different audience groups, from toddlers to seniors and every level in between,” Plasencia says. “We have teen studio programs, adult classes, and we have a creative aging program that we’ve just partnered with Eskaton to develop.
“Our team is always working to build a suite of programming that is continually learning what each community wants, and then engages them in meaningful ways. My job is to oversee the cycle of our seasonal programs.”
Museums were hard hit by pandemic lockdowns that shut their doors for far too long, canceling exhibits and classes.
“We are still rebounding and rebuilding, as are most museums,” Plasencia says. “But we’re doing really well in terms of both the number of people and the diversity of people who are coming in.”
Along with diverse audiences, Plasencia loves to see people who don’t regularly attend exhibitions.
“During my interview for this job I was asked who my favorite audience was,” he says. “I said that it is people who’ve never been to a museum before.
“The museum serves thousands of schoolchildren. Most of these kids have never been to the museum. So they can hardly contain their excitement when they walk in. This is how we start to build lifelong museum patrons.
“We’re a place where everyone is welcome. But keeping this gorgeous modern building from being intimidating to some is a big part of my job. We work to break down those barriers.”
Most of Plasencia’s education budget is supplied by the Crocker Art Museum. Grant funding is another strategy for growth.
“The Crocker is such a storied institution, and we bring a lot of energy and power to the arts community,” he says. “But along with that comes a lot of great responsibility to strengthen these relationships and partnerships with the business community.
“In many ways our goal is simple: Get people in the door more than once a year.”
Cecily Hastings can be reached at cecily@insidepublications.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Javier Plasencia
Photo by Crocker Art Museum
Experience Counts
MULTIMEDIA ARTIST DRAWS ON LIFELONG INSPIRATION
Aclose-up of musician Nina Simone is captured in blue, black, gray and white acrylic paint. Her face is surrounded by a large black letter “N.” Etched into the glass frame is “WORD.”
Artist Michael Stevenson created this piece for his 2015 exhibition “Civil Rights Civil Wrongs” at University of
JBy Jessica Laskey Open Studio
Texas. Personal experiences were the inspiration.
“My nephews were throwing the N word around very casually,” says Stevenson, a graphic designer raised in Nashville. “It’s a hip thing to do, but once you’re starting to have kids, you think about the history of the word and how hurtful and demeaning it is. So, I took on the N word. Nina Simone fought so hard to eliminate this word. Now my N word is Nina.”
Stevenson had early exposure to Black artists, thanks to a childhood at Fisk University, an historically Black college where his father worked. He was inspired by Harlem Renaissance icon Aaron Douglas and the crosshatching style of Charles White.
Majoring in art, Stevenson realized he needed a “broader idea of what I wanted to do after college.” This led to a bachelor’s degree in design from UC Davis.
After working in retail with dreams of fashion design, Stevenson grew tired of industry politics. He shifted to graphic design. As a production artist at Sacramento Savings and Loan, he met photographer Aniko Kiezel. When she left to work in Los Angeles, Stevenson tried his luck in New York.
“I didn’t want to wake up at 35 and say I should have gone to New York when I was 25,” he says. “If you want to go to New York, you’ve got to go with a strong appetite.”
From 1982 to 1987, Stevenson lived in Harlem and Brooklyn, and pursued
a master’s degree in graphic design at Pratt Institute. He got married but missed California. The couple moved to Palo Alto, where Stevenson worked in advertising and opened a design firm.
Back in Sacramento, Stevenson and his photographer friend Kiezel reunited, sharing a studio at Two Rivers Cider. Kiezel shoots for Inside Sacramento.
Throughout his 30-year design career, Stevenson has exhibited artwork at Sacramento State, Pence Gallery in Davis and University of Texas. Though his work maintains a through-line of drawing, he experiments with different mediums— even trash.
“We use toilet paper from this company called Give a Crap that has
Michael Stevenson
Photo by Aniko Kiezel
really graphic wrappers,” Stevenson says. “I was taking the trash out and thought, I can do something with this. So I saved the wrappers and started experimenting with collage based on Romare Bearden.”
The pieces were featured in the Black AF Art Auction curated by Faith J. McKinnie in May at the Black Artist Foundry. One piece, “Olivia,” is a riff on Édouard Manet’s “Olympia,” one of the earlier paintings to feature a Black person.
“I’m fortunate that because I’m African American, there’s a rich history there,” Stevenson says. “A lot of times it doesn’t get out there, and if it does, it’s slanted. If it’s going to be slanted, I want to slant it toward the way I think.”
Stevenson’s artistic intentions aren’t exclusively about race.
“I’m not just trying to teach people who don’t have my background, but also who aren’t my age,” he says. “There are lots of things I’ve seen and done because of my age. I wish that young people, rather than waiting to get to my age, see something I’ve done and think, maybe I can look at it a different way.”
For information, find Stevenson on Instagram @mstevenson3.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
THROUGHOUT HIS 30-YEAR DESIGN CAREER, STEVENSON HAS EXHIBITED ARTWORK AT SACRAMENTO STATE, PENCE GALLERY IN DAVIS AND UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
Tiny Delight
EAST SAC SANDWICH SHOP KEEPS LUNCH SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS
Kale Caesar salad
Photos by Linda Smolek
Juno’s Kitchen, the standout sandwich shop in East Sacramento, is a puzzle. Nearly invisible from the street, the postage-stamp sized spot thrives after almost 14 years in business.
Through pandemic shutdowns and economic cycles, this little eatery proves that a commitment to excellence and ingredients pays off.
I looked back on my coverage of Juno’s in 2011, when Mark Helms and Susan Vasques opened their kitchen. I was blown away by the bold flavors and craftsmanship at such an unimposing lunchroom.
I cringe now at the writing. I overused “outstanding“ and “amazing.” But my feelings haven’t changed. Helms and Vasques still produce exceptionally crafted food that goes far beyond grab-n-go.
Not much changes at Juno’s. Barely noticeable in the 3600 block of J Street, Juno’s is a blip a few doors down from convivial pub Bonn Lair. The dining area is a table or two on the sidewalk and handful to two-tops inside.
Fourteen years ago, there was talk of beer and wine and perhaps dinner service. Since then, Juno’s stuck with lunch and made the most of it.
The menu is tight and approachable. Sandwiches span the globe. A take on a Vietnamese banh mi with pork loin, pickled veggies and jalapeno pops with bright flavors. A pastrami sandwich with gruyere, braised cabbage, pickles and mustard is a masterpiece.
Robust vegetarian sandwiches are a delight. My favorite is membrillo. The sandwich features quince paste, Manchego cheese, arugula and olive oil. The fillings are on point and the sandwich acts as a star vehicle for Helms’ sourdough bread. The crusty, comforting loaf is baked daily inhouse—a main ingredient behind Juno’s success.
A few entrees are available daily. Most take an Iberian approach. The pappardelle pasta, heavy with rock shrimp and garlic, is a tribute to Basque cooking.
Shrimp are chunky and tender, homemade pasta light but chewy. Broth, redolent with garlic, lemon and
S GBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider
IT’S MORE THAN AN EASY PLACE TO PICK UP LUNCH. IT’S AN EXCEPTIONAL INSTITUTION OF CULINARY DELIGHTS, ONE OF THE QUIETEST IN TOWN.
anchovy, is one of the finer things to dip bread into on this side of the Atlantic.
Juno’s fills a unique slot. It’s a neighborhood favorite and lunchtime destination. Much of the lunch rush comes from Mercy Hospital and nearby medical offices. Folks in scrubs wait in line next to locals in walking shorts.
When I think of the best sandwiches in town—Corti Brothers, Roxie Deli & Barbeque, Jaime’s Broadway Grille, Lefty’s Taproom—I think how lucky we are to have so many. It says something about the city’s taste and palate that Juno’s thrives through the decades.
My friend Ty had Juno’s cater his wedding. That’s the love and dedication people attach to this tiny sandwich shop. It’s more than an easy place to pick up lunch. It’s an exceptional institution of culinary delights, one of the quietest in town.
Juno’s is a place for simple things. Sandwiches, salads and the Spanishbased entrées Helms and his wife Vasques produce from their tiny kitchen are exceptional. I’m happy to revisit them 14 years later.
Juno’s Kitchen is at 3675 J St.; (916) 456-4522; junoskitchen.com.
Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Yellowfin tuna sandwich
Gingersnap cookies
Sourdough bread
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