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APRIL 17

2017 S A C R A M E N T O ' S P R E M I E R F R E E C I T Y M O N T H LY

THE GRID

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THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES & CULTURE IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

COVER ARTIST Patricia Pendergast Although most of my work is done in the studio, I enjoy painting out in nature to hone my ability to see the light and the colors. Everything is more vivid – the beauty of light and shadow in the trees, the subtlety of the color of clouds, the sparkle and reﬂections in water. Visit pprendergast.faso.com

3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only)

info@insidepublications.com EDITOR Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel AD COORDINATOR Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster DISTRIBUTION Lauren Hastings lauren@insidepublications.com ACCOUNTING Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli, Adrienne Kerins

916-443-5087 EDITORIAL POLICY Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 75,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings

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@insidesacbook

APRIL 17 VOL. 4 • ISSUE 3 7 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 30 34 36 40 46

Publisher's Desk Pocket Beat Inside City Hall Pocket Life Giving Back Life In Land Park Building Our Future Getting There Garden Jabber Home Insight Food For All Spirit Matters To Do Artful Reuse Restaurant Insider

Construction Coming Soon The City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities and its construction contractors will soon begin construction on water meters, water mains, and water service lines in the area. Visit www.MetersMatter.org to learn more about the project and to ﬁnd out what may be happening in and around your neighborhood. This work may result in: • Traﬃc delays • Sidewalk closures • Construction-related dust and noise This work addresses the State’s mandate for water meters to be installed on all water services.

Thank you for your cooperation on this very important project.

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Identity Crisis SACRAMENTO HAS TO KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER

big motivation behind the book we released last year, “Inside Sacramento: The Most Interesting Neighborhood Places in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital,” was helping the efforts to better market our city through our yearround growing, ranching and culinary heritage, combined with our vibrant neighborhood experiences. When the city adopted the farmto-fork moniker a few years ago, it wasn’t the result of a carefully developed marketing and branding

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

campaign. It grew organically from local chefs and growers, spearheaded by my friend, Josh Nelson, CEO of Selland Family Restaurants. At the time, Nelson told me that the mayor and the city’s visitors bureau weren’t especially easy to convince. Experts say that the best slogans are usually grown from within the community, rather than forced from the top down as the result of careful study. One of my favorite cities is Austin, Texas, whose homegrown slogan is “Keep Austin Weird,” a theme that encompasses the vast collection of unique, small, locally owned retail shops and restaurants. Thankfully, there has been little resistance to the farm-to-fork theme, especially as its reach has grown and events during the month of September have become more plentiful, accessible and diverse.

But last month, when the visitors bureau had the words “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital” painted on the huge I-5 water tower, protests began. The logo replaced the City of Trees sign that had been there since 2005. I think those protesting the change are misguided. First of all, “City of Trees” is used by dozens of other U.S. cities. And while I have no problem with the sentiment, it is not a destination driver for tourists or those considering moving here. While much of our tree canopy disappears five months of the year, our farmto-fork culture is alive, growing and accessible year-round. The first protest was lodged on social media by Ray Tretheway, leader of the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Then, sadly, came a barrage of anger at the change. Some even claimed the

farm-to-fork slogan was being “forced down our throats.” Geez! On a side note, our urban forest has been seriously degraded with the recent multiple-year drought. Up to 1,000 trees have been lost in city parks alone. I wrote about this crisis a couple of years ago, asking citizens to step up and help with deep watering. The response from the community was silence. City parks’ management at the time was unable to figure out a watering plan using volunteers. Ultimately, park watering increased, which helped somewhat. But the damage was done and hundreds of park trees had to be removed. And there is still no plan or funding for tree replacement on the horizon. The Friends of East Sacramento nonprofit (founded by my friend Lisa PUBLISHER page 8

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PUBLISHER FROM page 7 Schmidt and me in 2011) planted more than a dozen trees in McKinley Park in 2015, after the city said that existing sprinklers were adequate to get their roots started. That turned out to not be true, and we had to organize volunteers to deep-water them through the following two summers. As for citizens who claim to love our trees above all else, we found few were interested in helping. I recently went for a week to a fitness resort where there were folks from all over the country. I learned a lot about the perception of our city after people asked where I was from. Those from the East Coast or Midwest who hadn’t ever visited asked what Sacramento is all about, other than being the state capital. I explained our farm-to-fork development and the bountiful collection of farms, ranches and rivers within a 100-mile radius. This was always received with fascination and interest. People from California who had visited our city many years ago recalled it as being “kind of bland.” They, too, showed interest in visiting when I told them about our culinary and neighborhood virtues. I also met a lovely cookbook author and chef who lives in LA. She drives through our city to visit her mom and dad in Lake County every couple of months. She has even catered events in Sacramento. She told me she loves the city, specifically our new Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. (I agree!) She learned about our city from her culinary-community pals who live here. Her folks now travel here specifically for the dining and exploring. She was thrilled when I sent them our book, and she told me she had totally underestimated our city before reading it! Thinking back on this experience, if I had made the civic conversation about being a “City of Trees,” I don’t think I would have been able to engage any interest. About a year ago, when I was working with a Vancouver company on printing color photo proofs for our book, the owner called to say he’d had no idea Sacramento was such a compelling destination. He

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said he and his family travel to the States every year and were moving Sacramento to the top of their list of places to visit. Last year when we created Inside the Grid, an all-new magazine for the central city, it took us no time to decide to sub-headline every cover with “The Most Interesting People, Places and Culture in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital.” I’m now a member of the Civic Amenities Committee at the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce. We’re looking at inventorying the amenities our region has to offer and trying to formulate a path forward to enhance our region’s image in some manner. At a recent meeting, I suggested we focus our efforts on creating a simple, overarching regional theme that would help describe what we already have. Others had their own ideas—and we are still in the formative stage—but I am excited about the possibilities. There is also Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s initiative to establish Sacramento as a hub for art, food and tech. I recently met Mora Rowe, director of Placer County Visitors Bureau, which also focuses on its terrific farm-to-fork amenities as a draw. Recently, longtime civic leader Sandy Smoley has been leading the efforts to upgrade the golden-hued Tower Bridge lighting with energyefficient colored LEDs using private funds. Lighting color changes would be reserved for special occasions. I love Sacramento. We are blessed with many great civic-minded folks who call it home. When it comes to change, there are always a few, but loud, naysayers. Social media amplifies their voices and local media eagerly picks up the negativity. The Bee recently opined that city slogans are meaningless. I totally disagree. Cities all over the country—and the world—are moving forward with change and improvement. When I revisit a major city, I am often struck with how much more it has to offer than on my last visit. We must keep making our city better. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n

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A Matter of Opinion WHAT DOES THE AG THINK ABOUT LEVEE ACCESS RIGHTS?

he Central Valley Flood Protection Board holds marathon meetings, epic monthly sessions scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sacramento City Hall. When the board took an extra 30 minutes for lunch at its February meeting, nobody complained. But the flood board wasn’t just eating tuna sandwiches when it broke for lunch. It hunkered down in a conference room and conducted a private executive session. Secret meetings by public agencies are allowed under California law, as long as the agency limits its discussion to four topics: personnel, real estate transactions, labor negotiations and lawsuits. At the February meeting, the flood board apparently stretched the rules to include imaginary lawsuits. The members were trying to decide whether to publicly release a document providing the state attorney general’s opinion on who owns access rights along the Sacramento River in Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket: the state or a few dozen property owners? The question is important because the city of Sacramento is poised to spend millions of taxpayer dollars buying so-called “recreational” easements from homeowners who live along the levee. The Sacramento County Grand Jury looked into the matter and decided the state owns the

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

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Robert Graswich and his furry companion take a break during a walk. property. The grand jury warned the city not to throw away money. Which brings us to the attorney general’s opinion. About a year ago, Councilmember Rick Jennings was being challenged by Inside Pocket and numerous community members about the rationality of buying easements already owned by the state. The city attorney said the payments were legal, but the city attorney was defending policy established by the city council. So Jennings and his councilmates decided to get an independent legal opinion from the attorney general. I wrote about this request. Apparently, people at the flood board

saw the column and decided they too should seek the attorney general’s opinion. The flood board made its own inquiry to the attorney general— which pre-empted the city’s request. When I heard the attorney general’s office had delivered its opinion to the flood board, I asked for a copy. “Sorry,” I was told by Department of Water Resources lawyer John Dunnigan, “it’s privileged under attorney-client rules. The public can’t see the opinion unless the flood board agrees to release it.” That’s what the flood board was discussing in private over lunch. I don’t know who said what, but the

members decided to keep the AG’s opinion secret. When board president Bill Edgar came out after lunch and resumed the public meeting he announced, “There’s no report from closed session, so we’ll move on.” But that’s apparently not the end of it. Jennings has continued to push for an opinion from the attorney general. And it appears like he’s made progress. “While it’s true that the flood board will not be releasing its letter from the attorney general, we understand we are going to receive a version of the opinion directly from the AG,” says Dennis Rogers, chief of staff for Jennings. “Rick has been pushing

“A colossal triumph of the imagination.” —The Huffington Post

ODC/Dance SAT, APR 29 • 8PM hard. He’s not the kind of guy who likes to hear the word ‘no.’” With help from Assemblymember Jim Cooper and State Senator Richard Pan, it looks like the city will get its AG opinion after all. Here’s what we know: The flood board has supported the city, keeping silent as Sacramento offers checks ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 to homeowners for easements controlled by the state. The flood board has at least two good reasons to support the city. First, it’s not state money being handed out. Second, flood board president Edgar is a former Sacramento city manager. He knows how cities feel when state agencies mess with city policies. We know the flood board has plans to pull down nine private cross-levee fences that block public access along the river in Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket. The fences will be removed when major levee improvement work begins later this year.

Tearing out fences won’t answer the easement question, but it will allow public access to the levees. We know there’s a mountain of evidence that supports state ownership of the levees. A century ago, the state bought easements from farmers and gained total control over the levees. Ever since, the state has acted like a landlord with full ownership rights. Finally, we know recreational activity along the levees is timeless— it predates easements and the levees themselves. Fishermen, boaters and hikers have always used the river and waterfront. Ultimately, the attorney general’s opinion doesn’t mean much. It’s just an educated guess. But it will be nice to see it, if only to help understand why access for many has been blocked by the greed of a few. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n

Boulders and Bones is a landmark work by one of San Francisco’s finest dance companies—and is inspired by the creations of visual artist Andy Goldsworthy.

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Arlo Guthrie Running Down the Road SAT, APR 15 • 8PM The beloved 1960s counterculture singer-songwriter and social commentator revisits his classic album.

L.A. Theatre Works Judgment at Nuremberg by Abby Mann TUE, APR 18 • 8PM A unique live radio theater-style performance of the WWII classic with a first-rate cast and Foley artist.

Release The Hounds: An Evening with Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge | Aoife O’Donovan SUN, APR 23 • 7PM night of intrepid songcraft and acoustic >Ainnovation NOVthat 11 1 pushes the envelope of Americana, folk, bluegrass and jazz.

mondaviarts.org POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

A Talk With the Mayor ON TRANSPORTATION, TAXES, HOUSING AND MORE

had a chance recently to sit down with Mayor Darrell Steinberg for a wide-ranging discussion on his approach to city issues. This month’s column covers part one of our discussion; look for part two next month. In the interview, the mayor’s body language was telling. When discussing launching and funding new programs, he was highly engaged, dynamic, even animated. He’s deeply steeped in the minute details of his proposed programs. However, whenever the conversation turned to fiscal constraints, eliminating inefficiencies and the like, he became reticent, reluctant to delve into specifics. This is a politician who clearly relishes launching new programs more than he does reining in spending or economizing. How well this attitude serves Sacramento in the years to come is a very big question. He comes to the job with unprecedented political support from his mayoral colleagues, most having endorsed his candidacy. Even his erstwhile election opponent, North Natomas Councilmember Angelique Ashby, is doing her best to work collaboratively with him while politely disagreeing with him on issues from time to time. Steinberg also seems to have an almost preternatural ability to tap

CP By Craig Powell Inside City Hall

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Mayor Darrell Steinberg is featured in this portrait by Marcy Friedman titled “Considering All the Options,” oil on canvas, 40” x 30.” The painting is part of New Figurative Work by Marcy Friedman through April 15 at the John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis.

state government funding for city projects, drawing on contacts and calling in favors built up over his long tenure in the Legislature. But his de facto declaration of war against the new Trump administration over immigration issues and

Sacramento’s status as a “sanctuary city” threatens to imperil major federal funding for Sacramento on a number of fronts: transportation funding, housing vouchers, public safety, community block grants, etc. While publicly declaring his willingness

to “lead the fight” against Trump on immigration and his defiant (if legally shaky) stance that “civil rights are more important than money,” Steinberg is at the same time making lobbying trips to D.C. seeking financial favors for the city from Trump administration officials. The phrase “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” comes immediately to mind. Is stalwartly standing up for Sacramento’s status as a sanctuary city—a largely symbolic stance since real immigration law enforcement seeks the cooperation of local jails, which are a county, not a city, responsibility—and repeatedly poking a finger in the eye of the notoriously sensitive Donald Trump worth the very real risk of losing potentially hundreds of millions of federal funding for Sacramento that it might otherwise receive? City voters might have a very different opinion on this issue from the mayor. To this observer, he appears to be burnishing his political brand with California’s anti-Trump voters while possibly putting the city at risk. Sacramento is facing huge fiscal challenges in the future. Labor costs, and particularly pension costs, continue to escalate, with the city’s annual pension bill projected to increase by $29.4 million by 2022, according to city finance director Leyne Milstein. Rising city revenues from the economic recovery are being quickly spent, with only modest additions to the city’s emergency reserves, which are a third of the level they were when the last recession struck. Even with rapidly rising annual payments to CalPERS, the city continues to accrue large unfunded costs for both pension and retiree health care benefits, bills that will

slam the city in the not-too-distant future. One-time general fund budget surpluses are now being spent to kick-start new programs, such as the mayor’s homeless initiative, instead of being socked away in emergency reserves or used to fund long-term investments as they once were. The city’s total debt was nearly $2.5 billion as of June 30, 2016. Total city debt has more than doubled in the past five years, increasing by more than $1.3 billion. The increase is due to bond sales to fund a variety projects, including Golden 1 Center, water meter installations and other utilities infrastructure, as well as ballooning retiree obligations, which are now nearly $1 billion. Meanwhile, the city is facing the challenge of dealing with its increasing homeless population, a knotty problem that was widely studied but not aggressively dealt with during Kevin Johnson’s eight-year mayoralty. High youth unemployment, stagnant family incomes and a fairly weak local job market are perhaps our city’s biggest challenges, exacerbated by a less-thanstellar performance by city schools, gangs and unsafe neighborhoods. Rising housing costs are making it harder for folks to buy or rent and play a role both in increasing homelessness and in driving the poor and working families out of California. Transportation issues are also a big concern, with local traffic congestion and a beleaguered, high-cost transit system, Regional Transit, trying to regain its mojo under the direction of its new general manager, Henry Li. We started our conversation talking about ways to improve local governance. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Craig Powell: County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy recently told me that he concurrently serves on 31 different boards and commissions. City councilmembers serve on a dozen to 20 such boards, making it virtually impossible for even the most diligent officeholder to provide responsible oversight over them all. Would you be supportive of an effort to rein

back the number of boards councilmembers serve on and replacing them with qualified private citizens experienced in overseeing large, complex organizations? Mayor Steinberg: I’d actually think we should move to a combination of both elected officials and private citizens. Regional Transit is a good example. Up until 1992, RT board was populated by private-citizen stakeholders and it did pretty well. Now, we’ve swung 180 degrees the other way. We need to move the pendulum back to the middle. RT could benefit from people with business acumen, representatives of the disabled and the like. It’s unfair to both elected officials and the public to have officeholders serve on so many boards that they don’t have the time to provide good oversight. I look forward to diversifying my appointments to these various boards in the future to include private citizens. We also need a greater and more effective means of communication between such boards and their “bodies of origin,” which are local cities and county government. Last November, voters in Sacramento County narrowly defeated Measure B, a proposal to double the county’s transportation sales tax. There is some discussion of putting it on the ballot again in 2018 or 2020. Is it smart to launch a major infrastructure push in transportation right now, when we’re in the middle of major technological transformations like the advent of autonomous, self-driving cars and the widespread adoption of ridesharing services? There are many transportation infrastructure needs currently, both on the road and the transit side. The key is to draft a measure that anticipates rapid technological change. It should contemplate autonomous vehicles and other innovative changes in transportation. I’d love to see Sacramento become the center of research and development in autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and alternative fuels technology. There is no reason why the next ballot

measure can’t have some funding set aside for supporting the local growth in such industries. According to the U.S. Census, real family incomes fell 12 percent in Sacramento County between 2000 and 2014. While local incomes have picked up some since, they are still below what they were in 2000. Is it fair to impose the burden of a regressive transportation sales tax hike on people who are still suffering from a significant loss of income in recent years? It’s always a balance. Raising taxes isn’t a positive in itself. While the sales tax has its faults, local governments don’t have a lot of flexibility in the types of taxes they can levy or can even ask voters to consider. The question for voters is: Will they benefit from the tax? Will they have safer roadways, reduced car maintenance, easier access to quality public transportation? That’s how you make your case. Then you let the voters decide.

There’s been some discussion of breaking a transportation tax measure into two separate proposals: one for the city, which would be more focused on transit funding, and one for the county, more focused on road maintenance and freeway improvements. City voters seem to be more supportive of transit funding, while county voters seem to be more supportive of roadway funding. Would you support such a bifurcated proposal? I start with the presumption that it’s better to approach things regionally because our challenges know no artificial boundaries. I’m trying to start a new era of city/county cooperation. A recent article in The Bee reported on the large number of poor people and working families who have left California for other states. Are we doing something to stop it? Or are we doing things that make it more likely that they CITY page 15

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Soccer Signups GREENHAVEN SOCCER CLUB ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

nline registration for Greenhaven Soccer Club begins on April 1. The club offers a fun-filled program for kids between the ages of 4 and 18. No prior experience is necessary. Late charges commence on May 16 and registration closes on May 25. For more information, go to greenhavensoccer.com.

LEARN TO HULA Sacramento has a traditional hula school, run by local resident Kumu Juni Kalahikiola Lovel.

Students learn the culture and history of Hawaii. The school, called Halau Ka Waikahe Lani Malie, is open to children and adults. Students learn the culture and history of Hawaii, the chants of old Hawaii, and the meanings and significance of each song and dance.

Optometrist Cameron Yee

The school organizes several annual events, including the

SS By Shane Singh Pocket Life

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Sacramento Aloha Festival, which celebrates Polynesian culture, and Holiday Hula. Students perform every year in a large production, usually at Harris Center in Folsom. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice site is at 3413 Arden Way. For more information, go to kawaikahe.com or call 486-6399.

HIS EYES ARE ON YOU Optometrist Cameron Yee has operated his eye clinic at 6407 Riverside Blvd. for 32 years. Dr. Yee went to Sutterville Elementary, Sam Brannan Junior High School and McClatchy High School. He graduated from UC Berkeley and obtained his

professional training at Southern California College of Optometry. He lives in the Pocket-Greenhaven area. His interests include running, tennis, softball and bowling. He loves to watch Cal basketball and football, the River Cats and the Kings. He also is a fan of local theater such as the Broadway Series, B Street Theatre and Music Circus.

CITY FROM page 13

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school credit, a paid stipend and daily breakfast/lunch. Students take a classroom-based course in the morning and work for a city department in the afternoon. Valuable work experience is provided. For more information, contact

SUMMER AT CITY HALL

Maria Vides-Medal at 808-6162 or mvmedal@cityofsacramento.org.

Local high school sophomores and juniors have until April 28th to apply for the Summer at City Hall

flee? Are we driving the poor out of California? It’s a multifaceted question. I want to focus on one crisis that plays a disproportionate role in this problem, and that’s the affordable housing crisis. I am not a rent-control proponent because I think that it inhibits the potential to produce more housing. I do think that incentivizing production is a big part of it, but it’s not the only part of it. There are really three ways to reduce housing costs: reduce the tax and fee burden, reduce the burden of land-use restrictions and provide subsidies for development of affordable housing. We need to pursue all three. I do think making it easier to build is part of the answer, but I also think that subsidies are part of the answer. Affordable housing projects often need a subsidy to make the numbers work.

Shane Singh can be reached at shane@shanesingh.com. n

program administered by the Parks & Recreation Department. The six-week program provides five units of high

The Halau Ka Waikahe Lani Malie hula school is open to children and adults.

You know Gov. Brown came to the conclusion that subsidies really weren’t the solution because of the extremely high cost of building a typical subsidized affordable housing unit and available funds would produce such a small number of units that they would be a drop in the bucket in terms of the overall housing market. I don’t completely agree. Look at Nikky Mohanna’s project at 19th and J streets. She’s creating, at last report, $950-per-month apartments by building smaller units. But that’s a project that’s being privately built. SHRA’s average cost of renovating an apartment unit is about $300,000 per apartment, which is an astonishingly high cost. So the question is: Do subsidy deals, since they do involve the government as an intermediary in developing these deals, produce an overpriced product that doesn’t generate the number of units we all want in the way of affordable housing? Isn’t it better to simply lower private-sector costs and let the private sector, which is more cost conscious than

government, do the job? Isn’t that a better, more effective use of a finite amount of money? I’m all for unleashing the private sector. But sometimes, it’s the private sector asking for help. But they always ask for help. Everybody wants free money from the government. That’s not surprising. In researching an article I wrote last year on housing costs, I was astonished to find out that California is an outlier in terms of charging very substantial impact fees on housing construction, a practice which is almost unheard of east of Rockies. But other states don’t have Prop. 13, which limits the ways local governments can raise money. That’s true. Mello-Roos taxes are another way to raise money for infrastructure. I want to point out that we did pass a major ordinance several weeks ago that allows development fees to be paid at the end of the development process instead of at the beginning, which sends a positive signal to the business community. Secondly, we’ve asked city planners to expedite the delivery of the Downtown Specific Plan. Under legislation I drafted in the State Senate, cities that approve specific plans can “tier” off development based on that plan, allowing developers to build projects consistent with the plan without having to conduct any further environmental reviews. We hope that developers take full advantage of this new opportunity, sooner rather than later. Next month, the mayor and I discuss his aggressive strategy for dealing with homelessness, city budget issues, possible reforms in the Fire Department and his evolving plans for what to do with the convention center. Craig Powell is a retired attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030. n

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Volunteer Wildlife Caring KATE VANDERSLICE

ate Vanderslice is the recently-appointed volunteer coordinator for Wildlife Care Association, a nonprofit, volunteerbased association that rescues and rehabilitates wild animals. Here, Vanderslice describes her daily duties.

Volunteers are responsible for intake and the everyday cleaning and upkeep of our facility. We couldn’t do it without them.

Volunteers provide 98 percent of our wildlife care, support and maintenance.

What drew you to working with Wildlife Care Association? My parents are very active people, so I went hiking and camping as much as we could get away with when I was a kid. But I didn’t fall in love with being outside until doing field work after earning my bachelor’s degree in biology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I did field work with plants, rattlesnake research, worked a little bit with birds and collected data on the behavior of small mammals. Having background knowledge about what’s going on in the environment around you brings out the wonder and joy of it all. It sounds like the WCA is the perfect place for you. It is! I had just moved back to Sacramento after completing a job in Indiana and started volunteering for the WCA and sort of got lucky. I had an email bounce back from the volunteer coordinator address because the position was open, so I applied and started the job in late October last year.

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back

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Kate Vanderslice with one of the Wildlife Care Association animal ambassadors.

What do volunteers do at the WCA? Volunteers provide 98 percent of our wildlife care, support and

maintenance. Last season, we took in more than 5,000 critters from more than 140 species to be cared for and released back into the environment.

When an animal is brought to the WCA, how does it make it back into the wild? If you notice that a wild animal is sick or injured, you can call our hotline and get information about how to safely catch it and bring it in— but only if it’s actually a wild animal and not someone’s pet that wandered or flew away. (If someone brings us a domestic animal, we encourage the rescuer to take it to the local SPCA.) After intake, the animal is taken to triage to get a moment of peace and calm down after being manhandled. The triage staff then examines them. Depending on how old animal is and what it needs, the staff will determine next steps and develop a long-term care plan. We provide the animal food, water and medical treatment to the best of our ability and give it enrichment once it’s well enough to keep its mind and body active. But the best part is when we get to release the animal back into the wild, which is our main goal. To put so much love and care into an animal and then

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sleepdesign.com see it fly away and be healthy is a wonderful experience. How can someone get involved with the WCA? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a form on our website (under the â&#x20AC;&#x153;You Can Helpâ&#x20AC;? tab) that you can fill out. We take volunteers of all ages, from 16-year-olds all the way up to seniors. We appreciate all the help and support that volunteers give us. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thanks to them that we can do what we do. I love that part of my job is to train new volunteers, because

theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always so excited to be here and to learn, and I get to help them achieve something theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted to do. For more information about volunteering with Wildlife Care Association, go to wildlifecareassociation.com. If you find an injured animal, call 9659453 or bring it to the Wildlife Care Association at 5211 Patrol Road in McClellan Park. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

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Egg-Cellent Fun SIERRA CURTIS ANNUAL EASTER-INSPIRED EVENT IS APRIL 15

othing says that spring has sprung quite like the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association’s annual Spring Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15. This fun, free event for the whole family will start at William Curtis Park with the Pajama Parade beginning at 9:30 a.m., then participants can hop over to Curtis Hall in the Sierra 2 Center where children can enjoy face painting and a variety of crafts. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for a photo for $5, and the Egg Hunt will follow on the Sierra 2 Green at 10:30 a.m. The hunt will be divided into three age groups (0-2, 3-4 and 5+ years old) and will be held simultaneously. For more information, call 4523005, email faith@sierra2.org or go to sierra2.org. William Curtis Park is at 3349 W. Curtis Drive. The Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community is at 2791 24th St.

HOMES SWEET HOMES The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association festivities continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, at the highly anticipated 31st annual SCNA Home and Garden Tour.

JL By Jessica Laskey Life in Land Park

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The annual Curtis Park home tour is this month.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of several spectacular homes and gardens in the Curtis Park neighborhood. Meander the tree-lined trees to soak in the stunning 1920s architecture and interiors modeled after Spanish Revival, Tudor and Storybook designs. After you’ve ogled, groove to live music, go hog wild at the food trucks and check out the information booths at William Curtis Park. Advanced tickets are $20 for SCNA members and $25 for non-members. On-site sales will be $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

For more information, go to sierra2.org. William Curtis Park is at 3349 W. Curtis Drive.

PUPPETS, PLAYGROUNDS AND PLAYS—OH, MY! As the weather heats up, so, too, will the activity at Fairytale Town. Check out the plethora of kid-friendly performances and special events all month long. First up is the newest offering from the Puppet Art Theater Company, “Tale of the Dragon’s Tail,” at 12:30,

1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 1 and 2. Princess Penny is happy to be home from her world travels—until she discovers there are problems in the kingdom. A dragon has been spotted in the hills above the castle and her father has been giving the kingdom’s gold to a wizard who claims he can keep the dragon away. But can he? Will Penny get to the bottom of the mystery? Is there really a dragon? Find out in the Children’s Theater! Tickets are $2 for non-members in addition to park admission and $1 for members. Are the little ones craving some creative outdoor time? Then don’t miss Community Day at the Sacramento Adventure Playground from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. All ages are invited for a day of play, where participants can create their own play structures and spaces by repurposing everyday items such as cardboard boxes, household wares, natural elements and unexpected items. The playground is a fun and safe environment where kids can use their imagination and creativity to direct their own play. Plus, it’s open rain or shine and admission is free. It’s a win-win for all! The Sacramento Adventure Playground is at the Maple Neighborhood Center (3301 37th Ave.). For more information, call 2223831 or go to sacadventureplay.org. Eager for Easter? Check out the Spring Eggstravaganza from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16.

Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association’s annual Spring Egg Hunt is on Saturday, April 15.

This fun-filled family weekend features egg hunts, prizes, springthemed hands-on activities, and visits with Peter Cottontail. Daily egg hunts are held promptly at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. and are separated by age group (0-3, 4-6 and 7-12 years old). Puppet Art Theater Company will perform “Bunny Bootcamp” in the Children’s Theater at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Theater tickets are $2 for non-members and $1 for members. Spring Eggstravaganza tickets are $7 per person. Children ages 1 and under and Fairytale Town members are free. The play’s the thing when the Fairytale Town Troupers present “Snow White and Rose Red” at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, April 22, 23, 29 and 30. In celebration of their 10th anniversary season, the Troupers will present the first original play they produced way back in 2007. This classic story from the Brothers Grimm tells the tale of two little sisters in the woods, the magical bond they share with a friendly bear, and their annoying misadventures with a grumpy old dwarf. Magic, mischief and more await all ages in this new staging of one of our favorite oldfashioned fairytales.

Tickets are $2 for non-members in addition to paid park admission and $1 for members. It may seem early to be thinking about summer, but Fairytale Town is already gearing up for months of fun with its Summer FunCamps. Starting in June, Fairytale Town will offer 16 exciting and educational weeklong camps for children ages 4-9 in either morning sessions from 9 a.m. to noon, or Afternoon Adventures sessions from noon to 4 p.m. Each camp is designed for a specific age group and features a unique theme, including visual and theater arts, literature, puppetry, animals, gardening and more. Registration has already begun, so don’t wait to get your child enrolled for some awesome summer activities! For more information on all Fairytale Town events, call 808-7462 or go to fairytaletown.org. Fairytale Town is at 3901 Land Park Drive.

PARTY FOR THE PLANET The Sacramento Zoo is getting fun and festive this month, so don’t miss these exciting events. First, it’s a Party for the Planet during Earth Fest from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 22.

Learn about the environment and conservation both locally and globally and how you can have an impact on the world around you right from home. Enjoy face painting, crafts, handson activities and games all focused on the planet we call home. Get the scoop on some of the zoo’s animals and how to make the world a better place for them through Keeper Chats and Stage Shows, and be sure to visit the zoo’s backyard to learn about native plants and explore the garden. Is your teddy bear feeling under the weather? Rush him or her to the zoo’s Stuffed Animal Clinic during Earth Fest. A Stuffed Animal Veterinarian will assess the overall health of your fluffy friend and make a diagnosis based on the symptoms. Donations are gladly accepted and proceeds benefit the zoo’s Conservation Fund. Visit a galaxy far, far away without leaving Sacramento from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, when the zoo celebrates “Star Wars Day: May the Force Be With You.” Bring your camera and pose for free photos with

your favorite costumed characters from noon to 2 p.m. (Costumed characters are members of the 501st Legion, Central California Garrison, a group of “Star Wars” fans who contribute to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work.) Visitors will also learn how animal adaptations and behaviors in our galaxy relate to the creatures from the “Star Wars” universe through stage shows, crafts and other activities. The animals will join in on the fun as they enjoy special “Star Wars”-themed enrichment items throughout the day. If you have a future zookeeper or veterinarian on your hands, be sure to attend Nature Explorers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last Saturday of every month (Saturday, April 29, this time around). Thanks to a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Sacramento Zoo and the Sacramento Library are excited to offer a new way for young nature explorers and their grownups to investigate the wilderness in their LIFE IN THE CITY page 21

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A New Front Door REMODELED DOWNTOWN DEPOT IS ANOTHER NOTCH IN CITY’S BELT

he 90-year-old train station at 4th and I streets has gotten a much-needed face-lift, and, finally, an official name. Informally known as “the depot” or the Southern Pacific depot, it had no formal name when the city bought the building in 2006. While doing research, the city’s senior architect, Greg Taylor, discovered that Southern Pacific had once referred to it as Sacramento Valley Station. The city liked the name enough to put it on the building’s façade. The station’s renovation and remodel is the second phase of a three-phase plan that included a firstphase, $70 million project, to relocate the tracks. In the third phase, the city will develop a master plan to assess the station’s future over the next 20 years. “We’re starting that process now in terms of alternatives that will help tease out the function of what the station will be,” says Taylor, who is overseeing the project. The city will consider a bus component and the possibility of building another station for its current tenant, Amtrak, that would be nearer to the tracks. The completion of the $30 million second phase, marked by the station’s rededication on Feb. 23, couldn’t have come at a better time. The remodel not only falls within the

JV By Jordan Venema Building Our Future

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Greg Taylor is Sacramento city's senior architect.

building’s 90th year but also precedes renovation of the neighboring Railyards and follows construction of Golden 1 Center. A station once on the periphery of the Grid now finds itself in the middle of new development and traffic. Taylor calls the station Sacramento’s civic front door.

“When you look on the map and you encompass the Railyards, the River District, the Broadway Triangle and Downtown, we’re right in the center,” he says. Years of grit and grime had taken their toll inside and outside the station. “Decades of black soot from the engines had to be cleaned,”

says Taylor. “I joke that my biggest regret was not thinking about doing a promotion for the American Lung Association. Everything was cleaned with distilled water.” After the cleaning, all the swabs, he says, were black. “We peeled away the paint that was probably done in the ’70s or ’80s, an eggshell white with an eggplant purple trim, and found the original color,” says Taylor, who also referred to historic photos to duplicate the original color and tone of the interior’s stone. The renovation retained the building’s historic features, from ornate wall sconces to original benches, whose unique radiator vents doubled as the station’s original heat source. Now, however, the building’s temperature is maintained by radiant floor heating. The 53-foot ceiling’s medallions were recast, and the chandeliers were shipped to Ukiah, where they were cleaned and rewired for LED bulbs. A mural by artist John MacQuarrie, depicting the groundbreaking for the first transcontinental railroad, was cleaned, retouched and reinforced where the painting was breaking away from the wall. The most practical renovation was moving Amtrak from the western to eastern wing of the building and remodeling the eastern wing into three floors of retail and office space, with about 12,000 square feet each available on the first and second floors and 1,500 on the third. Taylor says the retail space will be similar to WAL Public Market and BUILDING page 23

Sacramento Zoo is hosting a stuffed animal clinic this month.

LIFE IN THE CITY FROM page 19 own backyard by reading stories, playing and exploring the wonders of the natural world with a new topic each month. Activities are free with paid zoo admission. For more information, call 808-5888 or go to saczoo.org. The Sacramento Zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive.

DON’T BE A FOOL No, it’s not a prank: The next Land Park Volunteer Corps work day falls on April Fools’ Day (Saturday, April 1) at 9 a.m. No kidding! Roll up your sleeves and help the corps keep Land Park looking its best by weeding, mulching, sweeping and more after a hearty breakfast provided by Espresso Metro. Check-in will be at 9 a.m. at the corps’ Base Camp, located in the picnic grounds directly behind Fairytale Town. For more information, check out the corps’ Facebook page at facebook. com/LandParkVolunteerCorps, or call Lead Coordinator Craig Powell at 718-3030. Fairytale Town is at 3901 Land Park Drive.

BOOK IT TO THE LIBRARY Whether you’re a basketball fan, a railroad junkie or an avid artist, the Sacramento Public Libraries have lots

of entertaining events this month to keep all you busy bees buzzing. The Ella K. McClatchy Library will be hosting the event “The Kings ‘Golden’ Age’ with author Barry Martin” from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. Local author Martin offers an entertaining and positive look at the Kings history in his book, “Bob Davies: A Basketball Legend.” The book documents the life of Davies, one of the most influential players in the first century of college basketball and one of the 10 best players in the first quarter-century of the NBA, as well as the history of the Kings basketball franchise. (Did you know that they started as the Rochester Royals, a team that not only won the NBA championship but also signed an African American player, Dolley King, before Jackie Robinson played major league baseball?) The Ella K. McClatchy Library is at 2112 22nd St. Belle Cooledge is sure to get your engine running with its “Model Railroad Party” from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. Experience the history of America through the magic of model trains with the help of the American River Model Railroad Society. You may even meet Thomas and Friends!

The Spring Eggstravaganza at Fairytale Town is April 15 and 16. Photo courtesy of Greg Flagg.

Next at Belle Cooledge is a meeting of its “Grown Up Coloring Club” from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays, April 15 and 29. Join your fellow coloring enthusiasts for an hour of relaxing music and light refreshments. Coloring pages and pencils will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. The monthly meeting of the Genealogical Association of Sacramento is from 12:30 to 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, so don’t miss this opportunity to hear guest speaker Katheryn Marshall’s insights about “Changing Boundaries and Lost Ancestors.”

The GAS works to encourage the research, publication and preservation of genealogical and historical material. It offers many educational opportunities to attend seminars and classes in genealogy-related subjects for everyone from the beginner to the more experienced genealogist. Check it out; you just might learn something! Belle Cooledge Library is at 5600 S. Land Park Drive. For more information on all Sacramento Public Library events, go to saclibrary.org. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

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Happy Anniversary TWENTY YEARS AFTER TRAFFIC CALMING, MIDTOWN IS A BETTER PLACE

t’s been 20 years since construction started on the Neighborhood Preservation Traffic Plan in Midtown. At the time, the plan was called the largest trafficcalming project in the United States. Traffic calming aims to reduce the volume and speed of vehicular traffic. The plan was in the works nearly another two decades prior to its approval by the city council and start of construction. It was hugely controversial, pitting at various times city residents against city officials, neighbor against neighbor, and neighborhood against neighborhood. In his memoir, former Councilmember Steve Cohn wrote, “A novel could be written about the Midtown Traffic Plan.” He said that during his 20-year tenure on the council, “More than any other issue I ever worked on, this one engendered passion on both sides.” Many Midtown residents were fed up with traffic. They viewed the one-way G and H streets as freeway on- and off-ramps, with themselves caught in the middle. The streets were busy, noisy and unsafe. Fast, cut-through traffic bedeviled other streets, though some parallel streets had very little traffic. Cohn described Midtown as “what was once a very walkable neighborhood … sacrificed

S W By Walt SeLfert Getting There

POC APR n 17

to automobile traffic and economic opportunism.” The centerpiece of the plan was conversion of G and H streets from three-lane, one-way streets to twolane, two-way streets with bike lanes. But the plan also included traffic circles to slow traffic and pedestrian islands and curb extensions to ease crossings. Among all the features, the most vilified were half-street closures that prevented through traffic. Opposition to the plan came from East Sacramento and River Park residents and freeway commuters who complained about the “maze” and inconvenience created by the halfstreet closures. Some vowed never to drive into Midtown again. Other

opponents were Midtown residents who worried about the impacts of changing traffic patterns. They didn’t want to get more traffic than they already had. After two decades of experience and with a bit more perspective, what’s been the outcome? Steve Brown was the city’s director of transportation planning at the time. He’s now a senior principal with Fehr & Peers, a transportation engineering firm in Orange County, and co-author of a book on traffic calming. He believes the plan did what it was supposed to: preserve the character and values of Midtown. He still visits Sacramento and notes that the new “liveliness and energy

along J, K and L streets has happened without adversely affecting the neighborhood to the north.” Margaret Buss, a Midtown activist intensely involved in the plan, believes the plan has been a success overall—that it was worth the years of effort and lingering emotional toll it took on people. Before the plan, “crossing G and H streets meant taking your life into your hands,” she said. “The plan was meant to redistribute and slow traffic.” It did that. Now, families with small children can make homes in a more livable Midtown. She also believes that plan served as a model. Addressing neighborhood traffic

concerns â&#x20AC;&#x153;became the norm for the city.â&#x20AC;? Besides opinions, there are objective data. There are online measures for walkability and bikeability. Walk and Bike Scores range from zero to 100 points. Midtown scores are 91 for walking and 100 for biking, making them â&#x20AC;&#x153;paradiseâ&#x20AC;? for walkers and bikers. Walk Scores are â&#x20AC;&#x153;based on the distance to nearby places and pedestrian friendliness,â&#x20AC;? not on sidewalk quality, ease of street crossing or general safety. So it may be an imperfect measure. Bike Scores are â&#x20AC;&#x153;based on bike lanes and trails, hills, road connectivity and destinations.â&#x20AC;? (In comparison, Walk and Bike Scores for the city as a whole are 46 (â&#x20AC;&#x153;car dependentâ&#x20AC;?) and 69 (â&#x20AC;&#x153;bikeableâ&#x20AC;?).

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s any question that Midtown experienced a renaissance after the traffic plan was implemented. Data from the city of Sacramento show that traffic counts were about 5,000 vehicles per day on G Street and nearly 8,000 on H Street before the plan. Ten years later, counts were dramatically down to 3,000 on G and 1,400 on H. Collisions at seven traffic circle locations dropped from a total of 16 in the three years before the plan to a total of 10 over a 9.5-year period after the plan. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a decrease of 80 percent on an annual basis. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s any question that Midtown experienced a renaissance after the traffic plan was implemented. What some once considered a less desirable area has become an â&#x20AC;&#x153;inâ&#x20AC;? place to live. Midtown is far different today than when one of its chief claims to fame was providing a hideout for Patty Hearst.

The original traffic plan, and a subsequent south Midtown plan, werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only factors in Midtownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transformation, but I think the traffic changes were fundamental to the success of other efforts. Second Saturdays, hip new developments, a firm commitment to the R Street Corridor Plan, and the farm-tofork movement with high-quality new restaurants have all played a role. But the Midtown traffic plans changed the feel of Midtown. It made neighborhoods more walkable, bikeable and, ultimately, more livable and desirable. Current property values and rents reflect that. Steve Cohn, neighborhood activists and business owners deserve a lot of credit and praise for the changes. Since the Midtown plan, other streets in the city have undergone traffic calming or gone on â&#x20AC;&#x153;road dietsâ&#x20AC;? (lane reductions). In addition to south Midtown efforts, there have been road diets on J Street and Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, 19th and 21st streets in Midtown, and 21st Street and Freeport Boulevard south of Broadway. Broadway itself is on the cusp of major changes. The city also instituted a neighborhood trafficcalming program. There will probably always be quibbles, if not outrage, about aspects of the Midtown plan, as with almost any change that affects daily lives. Buss feels some of the compromises made during the formulation of the plan and then later, when more tweaks were made, hurt the overall effect. Others still rail against the difficulty of navigating the area and being surprised by half-street closures. Some millennial D Street residents I know believe the halfstreet closures on that street are stupid, frustrating their desire for convenient access. Cohn felt early on, and still feels, that the half-street closures were â&#x20AC;&#x153;a step too far,â&#x20AC;? but that it might be better to accede to activistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desires and perhaps to do too much rather than too little. Happy Anniversary, Midtown. Walt Seifert is a bicyclist, driver and transportation writer. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net. n

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BUILDING FROM page 20 the MARRS building. It will include patio seating and smaller vendors on the first floor and office space on the second. The northern exterior of the building will be retrofitted with 100 bike racksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;40 outside and 30 enclosed double-height racks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re improving the bikes at the station because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big demand in the Capitol Corridor for people to bike to work from the train,â&#x20AC;? says Taylor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 30 double-height racks will be on the other side of a glass wall for security to allow for a vendortype bike station.â&#x20AC;? Adjacent to the bike station is an open, industrial glass-paned space that Taylor believes would be great â&#x20AC;&#x153;for a bikes-and-brew-type restaurant. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also exploring creating a market area,â&#x20AC;? he adds, pointing to the historic canopies that line the tracks outside the stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s northern entrance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to activate the space to get more events out here, more people.â&#x20AC;?

On the second floor, historic features have been preserved, right down to the flooring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the original type of linoleum, true linoleum,â&#x20AC;? Taylor explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;made of linseed oil from flax. We had some of the original flooring and matched it, then had it made in the Netherlands. I was determined to get it.â&#x20AC;? The third floor, which includes a 1,300-square-foot patio deck, is connected via elevator to a retail space on the first floor. The hope, says Taylor, would be for a restaurant to rent both spaces, creating a single unit with dining on the first floor and a rooftop bar on the third. From that patio deck, guests could take in views of the Sacramento skyline, highlighting both where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been and where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going, from the warehouses of the Railyards to the geometric angles of Golden1 Center. Taylor expects the retail and office spaces will be leased soon and that tenants will begin moving into Sacramento Valley Station this summer. Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com. n

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Squeeze in GIVE YOUR PLANTS ROOM TO GROW

f you love to garden, it’s tempting to cram too many plants into too little room. Maybe you only need two eggplants, but the price of a sixpack is only slightly higher and seems like such a bargain. It’s hard to resist trying new tomato varieties, attracted by their array of colors and even more colorful names and descriptions. Seed packets usually have far more seeds than you need. It’s hard to sow just the right amount of seeds, and harder yet to thin them out when they’ve sprouted. If you love ornamental plants, any open spot is an invitation to tuck in yet another plant, no matter how big it may grow. When you’re installing new landscaping, properly spaced plants look mighty lonely. In the interest of curb appeal, you plant more. When I was learning about plants many years ago, we were taught that they need air, water, light and nutrients. Today’s schoolchildren learn that they also need space to grow. Plants compete with one another for precious resources. Overcrowded plants may be stunted and develop diseases from lack of air circulation. Information about how big plants will get and how far apart to plant them is often marked on their containers or seed packets. You can learn more from books or online, but make sure that advice applies to our

AC By Anita Clevenger Garden Jabber

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region. Plants often get considerably larger in Sacramento with our mild winters and sunny summer days. I take a yardstick along into the garden to make sure that I am planting my veggies at least the minimum recommended space apart. I also consider the direction of the sun and how high plants will get. Taller plants may shade out shorter ones. If you are growing vegetables from seeds, the instructions will usually tell you to plant more closely together and then to thin out seedlings. That always seems like an unnecessary extra step to me. Why not just plant at the desired mature spacing? Planting more densely ensures that enough seeds germinate and allows you to select the more vigorous seedlings. I’ve had problems dislodging the roots of plants that I want to keep during the thinning

process. Alternatively, you can just cut unwanted seedlings to the ground after their first one or two sets of leaves emerge. That seems much easier than painstakingly plucking them out. Baby greens are delicious in salads, so the plants that you are thinning out don’t need to go to waste. If you decide to put excess plants into containers, make sure that the pots are sufficiently wide and deep. Some vegetables have shallow roots and will do just fine in smaller containers or a half wine barrel. Tomato roots penetrate deeply. I find that 15-gallon nursery pots are a good shape and size, although they get very hot in the sun. I put mulch on the surface of the soil, check the soil moisture every day and water deeply when needed, and wrap them in shade cloth to keep them cooler. It is

possible to paint them white to reflect the light, too. Plant hybridizers have developed smaller plants to accommodate containers and little gardens. It’s possible to get patio-sized tomatoes and dwarf ornamentals such as pomegranates, grasses, butterfly bushes and an almost baffling array of miniature, mini-flora and patio roses. Often, so-called dwarf plants grow bigger than expected. Many gardeners scoff at planting small. They love to wield their loppers and show a plant who’s the boss. To me, that wastes time and energy, produces unneeded green waste and can make a plant weaker or misshapen. It’s far better to plant the right-sized plant in the right-sized space. While waiting for plants in your landscape to grow to their mature size, you can add annuals or perennials for the first few seasons. At some point, you will need to reevaluate spacing no matter how well you’ve planned and planted. Plants can spread over time and overwhelm less aggressive plants. You may need to remove nearby plants or rescue plants that are lost in the crowd. Tempting as it is to squeeze yet another plant into your garden, your motto should be, “All the plants that fit, we plant.” And no more! Anita Clevenger is a Lifetime Sacramento County UC D Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners office at 876-5338, visit their website at sacmg.ucanr.edu or come to their next open garden at Fair Oaks Horticulture Center on Wednesday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. The center is at 11579 Fair Oaks Blvd. n

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POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Second Chance

ONE COUPLE GETS TO BUY AND FIX THE HOUSE OF THEIR DREAMS

JF By Julie Foster Home Insight

POC APR n 17

hen Krystin and Jeff Leonhardt decided to move out of Midtown, they began exploring Sacramento’s other neighborhoods. After hearing good things about Curtis Park, they discovered a charming two-bedroom, one-bath brick-and-stucco house across the street from the park. Built in 1926, the 1,450-square-foot Craftsman instantly made an impression. Even

with a Sale Pending sign posted, the couple indulged their curiosity. “We looked through the front door and the windows,” Krystin says. “We knew this was our house.” They loved the numerous built-ins, the breakfast nook and the leaded glass doors. Six months later, during their first day with a real estate agent and after looking at four houses that didn’t suit them, they drove by the Curtis Park Craftsman and noticed it

was still for sale. They made an offer on the spot. In 2000, when the couple moved in, they had plenty of room. By 2015, with two children, they needed more space. “Basically all of 2015 was devoted to planning and construction,” says Krystin. “It was all we thought about. We didn’t remodel with resale in mind. It was for our family.”

“

WE LOOKED THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND

THE WINDOWS,” KRYSTIN SAYS. “WE KNEW THIS WAS OUR HOUSE.

” POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Jeff, a commercial architect, drafted numerous plans. After contemplating construction costs and the equity they had in the house, the couple decided adding a second story was their best bet. “From the first pen to paper, our final construction took just over 10 months,” he explains. This included design work, planning submittal, construction documentation, permit review and construction. “In hindsight, many small miracles took place, one after the other, to

POC APR n 17

make it happen,” he says. “Tenacity and cunningness are great, but a little luck never hurts, either.” They took the house down to the studs. About the only thing unchanged was the cozy breakfast nook off what was a very small galley kitchen. They moved the laundry room to the second floor for more kitchen space. Removing a large builtin breakfront, which neither liked too much, created a line of sight from the back of the house to the front door. Installing brass V-shaped gaskets on

the original windows made them more airtight. “It helps a little bit. and we wanted to keep the original windows for the character of the house,” Jeff explains. It was possible to keep the coved ceiling in the dining room, but the addition of the stairway for the new second floor necessitated eliminating the coved ceiling in the living room. The brick fireplace in the living room was painted white. Sandblasting off the paint revealed both smooth and rusticated bricks in a stylish

pattern. The wood floors, once a honey color, were refinished in a darker tone. They rebuilt the cabinets adjacent to the fireplace and added leaded glass doors. Adding a second story to an older home is complex. The process involved reinforcing the first-floor exterior walls and adding a new roof even over the first-floor areas that did not change. “There was almost no portion of the existing house that didn’t get touched or impacted in one way

“

”

THERE WAS ALMOST NO PORTION OF THE EXISTING HOUSE THAT DIDN’T GET TOUCHED OR IMPACTED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

or another,” Jeff explains. “It was almost like the entire house had to be rebuilt to add a second floor.” Upstairs, the stylish new master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and a balcony facing the park. Natural light from a window filters into the large walk-in closet. The master bath has a supersized Roman shower. The heated floor is a welcome cold-weather treat. Jeff particularly loves the shower. “It is the first time in years I did not have to take a shower in the tub,” he

says. “Now, I can get myself under the shower, outstretch my arms, do a full circle and not touch anything.” The couple wanted to honor the original character of the house by matching the new roof slopes to the existing ones. The second-story windows, though not wood, resemble the original windows. “We didn’t want it to look like a McMansion,” says Jeff. “We didn’t want to put a 2015 house in a 1926 neighborhood. “

Outside, the new picket fence adds another level of detail while creating a safe space for the couple’s son and the dogs. “The fence was a game changer,” Jeff says. Living across the street from the park is awesome, according to Jeff. He appreciates how the green space creates the opportunity for random interactions. “You start to see people, get to know them and then become friends,” he says. “It really enriches your life.

The Leonhardt home will be featured on the 31st annual Curtis Park Home & Garden Tour, which takes place Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information about tickets, go to sierra2.org or call 452-3005. If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. n

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Slow Food Down LOCAL ORGANIZATION SHINES A LIGHT ON GOOD, FAIR FOOD

ary Rousseve likes her food slow. When she was a kid, Rousseve’s mom made sure she understood the importance of healthy eating. Today, Rousseve carries on those lessons in her day job in public health and her volunteer role as the new president of Slow Food Sacramento. Rousseve has a recipe to bring slower food to her community. Rousseve grew up in Sacramento as one of eight siblings. Her dad was a land appraiser who helped set aside acreage for conservation, while her mom lived by the code of Adelle Davis, author of “Let’s Cook It Right” and “Let’s Eat Right To Keep Fit.” In the 1970s, Davis was a leader in recognizing the connection between diet and chronic disease. “It was practical,” Rousseve recalls of her mother’s commitment to healthy eating. While Rousseve wasn’t allowed to eat junk food at home, she never felt deprived. She recalls sleepovers at friends’ houses where eating Pop-Tarts felt like a real treat, but she equally enjoyed the foods her mom prepared with love at home. “That whole-wheat bread lasted all week,” she says. “She made it fun.” When Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op first opened, Rousseve’s mom was a loyal shopper. It was this slowfood ethic that stuck with Rousseve long after she finished college with

S A By Amber Stott Food for All

POC APR n 17

Rousseve keeps her day job separate from her volunteer work, yet she loves the intersection the two have on creating a healthier community. Seven years ago, she met Slow Food Sacramento board member Charity Kenyon, and she’s served on the organization’s board ever since. Slow Food Sacramento is one of the international group’s largest chapters due to the community’s interest in the farm-to-fork movement. This year, Rousseve and her board hope to tap into that passion for sustainable eating though several key programs.

Slow Food Sacramento is one of the international group’s largest chapters due to the community’s interest in the farm-to-fork movement.

Mary Rousseve, president of Slow Food Sacramento

a degree in English and started her career in marketing. She got a job working with the state of California to launch its five-a-day campaign, which encouraged the consumption of five fruits and vegetables per

day. This eventually led to her current role as communications lead with the Department of Public Health, working on chronic disease prevention.

The Sacramento chapter leads the national movement through its Snail of Approval program, which it designed and helped other chapters across the country to replicate. The program celebrates local food-based businesses for fulfilling the Slow Food mission: to create good, clean and fair food for all. Sacramento recipients of the Snail of Approval include restaurants

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HomeCareAssistanceSacramento.com I like Ella, Centro Cocina Mexicana, Grange, Hot Italian and Magpie Cafe. In the “producer” category, awardees have included Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms, Elegant Beans and Beyond and Insight Coffee Roasters. Other honored businesses include Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Corti Brothers and Edible Pedal. (The nonprofit where I work, Food Literacy Center, also holds a Snail of Approval Award.) This year, Rousseve says, the chapter wants to better highlight the businesses that hold these awards. One example already in the works: inviting awardees to use Slow Food Ark of Taste foods on their menus. (Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and part of a distinct ecoregion.”) Magpie and Metro Juice are two honorees already practicing this. One such endangered food was brought to the attention of Slow Food by food and wine expert Darrell Corti, owner of Corti Brothers grocery

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store. Chenin Blanc is a white-wine grape indigenous to France’s Loire Valley. It is being preserved in our region as Clarksburg Chenin Blanc wine, grown in the Clarksburg American Viticultural Area. Slow Food Sacramento wants to see Ark of Taste products like this being promoted by other Snail of Approval food businesses. Other new programs on deck for Slow Food Sacramento include a youth food systems training, which will be led by chapter board member Chanowk Yisrael of Yisrael Family Farms, and a Chefs Alliance, to encourage more Slow Food items on local restaurant menus. The chapter will also host quarterly meetings with member presenters on topics such as chronic disease prevention, sustainable salmon and local food history. Amber K. Stott is founder of the nonprofit Food Literacy Center. She can be reached at amber.stott@gmail. com. n

The Master of Science in Law (MSL) is a degree for professionals who seek advanced legal knowledge and skills without becoming a lawyer. The program offers a ﬂexible evening schedule and a curriculum customized to your career goals. Learn more at our Information Session at the California State Capitol on April 14 at 5:15 p.m.

McGeorge.edu/MSL POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Art Preview

GALLERY ART SHOWS IN APRIL

Through April, Tim Collom Gallery will show works by several landscape painters, including Sue Chapman. Shown above: Chapman’s “Sierra Vineyards.” 915 20th St.; timcollomgallery.com

At SMUD Art Gallery, an exhibition featuring works by 19 SMUD employees, retirees and their family members runs through May 10. Shown above: a work by Philip Roina. 6301 S St.; smud.org

Recent ﬁgurative work by Patricia Altschul will be on display at Archival Gallery in April. Shown above: a painting by Altschul. 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalframe.com

Viewpoint Photographic Art Center presents “Italia Bella,” featuring the work of Donald Satterlee and Michael Dunlavey, through May 6. Shown: “Symbols” by Dunlavey. 2015 J St.; viewpointgallery.org .

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This month, ARTHOUSE on R partners with Habitat for Humanity for The Habitat Door Project, for which local artists created art on recycled doors to bring attention to the need for affordable housing. Shown above: a work by Kerri Warner. 1021 R St.; arthouseonr.com

INSIDE

OUT Capitol Park 10th and L streets

CONTRIBUTED BY LINDA SMOLEK

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The Will to Live THE FINAL ANSWER AND THE ONE AFTER THAT

once had a conversation with a hospital patient that reminded me of that moment on the TV game show “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” when the host asks the guest, “Is that your final answer?” The man was nearly 60 years old with a fixable heart problem. He hadn’t made many friends in life; no one was visiting him. He’d worked odd jobs, but said he’d derived little purpose from work. The man’s only surviving brother had invited him to live in another state with him, but the patient didn’t believe the invitation was sincere. Eventually, I broached the subject of an advance health care directive. Commonly known as a living will, the document tells the doctors what you want done if you become incapacitated. Without the directive, doctors are obligated to do everything possible to save your life, even if those life-saving measures only delay your death. “No,” he said, “but I guess I should get one. I don’t want to live on a machine.” With this assurance that he had given his “final answer,” I prayerfully concluded our visit and requested that a social worker bring him a directive. Twenty minutes later, I was visiting another patient when I heard it.

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

POC APR n 17

respiratory therapist shouted, “We have a rhythm!” With that, the man rejoined the living. The incident gave me pause. Had our staff given him back a life he didn’t want? In hopes of getting some answers, I returned the next day and discovered the incident had given him a new perspective. It was a perspective few of us get.

“Code Blue, 4 East! Code Blue, 4 East!” The code means someone’s heart has stopped. What were the odds it was him? I asked myself. Surely not. He wasn’t anywhere near death. It had to be a coincidence. Nevertheless, I quickly finished my visit and rushed to his wing. I found the nursing supervisor standing in the same 60 year old patient’s doorway. She and I stood watching staff perform CPR, a procedure that often involves a respiratory therapist straddling the patient with palms flat on the patient’s chest, compressing the chest cavity until a rhythmic pulse shows up. Ribs can crack. The body often expels waste. From the doorway, I heard questions that hinted at ending CPR. “How long?” a doctor asked. “We’ve been at it 20 minutes,” came the reply.

“Does he have a directive?” called another. “No,” said the nursing supervisor. As they slowed their fervent pace, I told the nursing supervisor of my earlier conversation with the man. “I don’t think he wanted all of this,” I said, voicing my final answer. The supervisor shot back to the staff, “The chaplain says the man wouldn’t want this.” I shuddered at the sound of my assessment being repeated with such finality. I didn’t know the patient very well—I’d only had one conversation with him. Yet I was the person in the room with the best information. There definitely was something wrong with this picture. The attending staff gave a few understanding nods, and the doctor seemed ready to end CPR when a

He’d decided that he was the best one to make his future life (and death) decisions, not the chaplain or the hospital staff. He had peered over the edge of life and decided he didn’t like the alternative. More importantly, perhaps, he’d decided that he was the best one to make his future life (and death) decisions, not the chaplain or the hospital staff. Three days later, he went home with a pacemaker and medication. I don’t know if he found a new will to live, but I know he left with a living will that truly gave his final answers. Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and book author. He can be reached at norris@thechaplain.net. n

INSIDE’S

THE HANDLE The Rind 1801 L Street #40 441-7463 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Cheese-centric menu paired with select wine and beer • therindsacramento.com

Zocolo 1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303

DOWNTOWN Cafeteria 15L 116 15th Street 551-1559 L D $$ Classic American lunch counter with a millennial vibe • cafeteria15l.com

DeVere’s Pub 1521 L Street L D Full Bar $$ Family-run authentic Irish pub with a classic menu to match • deverespub.com

Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518 Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, ﬂight or glass • downtownandvine.com

Ella Dining Room & Bar

Rio City Cafe 1110 Front Street 442-8226 L D Wine/Beer $$ Bistro favorites with a distinctively Sacramento feeling in a riverfront setting • riocitycafe.com

1112 Second St. 442-4772

2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine

L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com

Café Bernardo

The Firehouse Restaurant

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

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

L D $ Great burgers and more. • williesburgers.com

R STREET Café Bernardo

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com

1431 R St. 930-9191 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service

Firestone Public House

Frank Fat’s 806 L St. 442-7092 L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com

Ma Jong’s

Grange

Fish Face Poke Bar 1104 R Street Suite 100 L D $$ Humble Hawaiian poke breaks free • ﬁshfacepokebar.com

Hock Farm Craft & Provision

1116 15th Street L D $-$$ Full Bar Gastro-pub cuisine in a stylish industrial setting • ironhorsetavern.net

12th & R Streets B L D $ Full-service cafe with artisan coffee roasts, bakery goods and sandwiches • oldsoulco.com

Magpie Cafe

L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Wood-ﬁred pizzas in an inventive urban alley setting • federalistpublichouse.com

“Sacramento’s Volvo Service” 2009 Fulton Ave. Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 971-1382 svsauto.com

Hot Italian L D Full Bar $$ Authentic hand-crafted pizzas with inventive ingredients, Gelato• hotitalian.net

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting

Tapa The World 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

Red Rabbit L D $$ Full Bar All things local contribute to a sophisticated urban menu • theredrabbit.net

1401 28th St. 457-5737

2005 11th Street 382-9722

Shoki Ramen House 1201 R Street L D $$ Japanese ﬁne dining using the best local ingredients • sshokiramenhouse.com

2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891

OAK PARK La Venadita

2831 S Street 1409 R Street Suite 102

The Waterboy L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com

Paragary’s Bar & Oven

Revolution Wines

L D $ Bakery treats and seasonal specialities • hellonido.com

D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com

2009 N Street

L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer Seasonal menu using the best local ingredients • magpiecafe.com

South

1001 Front St. 446-6768

Federalist Public House

1601 16th Street

Nido Bakery

Fat City Bar & Cafe

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

L D $$ Full Bar Fabulous Outdoor Patio, California cuisine with a French touch • Paragarys.com

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

OLD SAC

2730 J St. 442-2552

2718 J Street

Old Soul & Pullman Bar

1415 L St. 440-8888

L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Timeless traditional Southern cuisine, counter service • weheartfriedchicken.com

Centro Cocina Mexicana

1215 19th St. 441-6022

Iron Horse Tavern

926 J Street • 492-4450 B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com

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

1627 16th Street 444-3000

1431 L Street L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Cuisine from Japan, Thailand, China ad Vietnam. • majongs.com

Sacramento’s top-rated independent Volvo service and repair since 1980. Experts in ALL Volvo makes and models. • Experienced technicians • Complete repair & maintenance • Expert diagnosis & consultation • Shuttle service (just ask!) • Plush waiting lounge with wi-ﬁ, coffee and movies • The power of product knowledge How may we help you?

110 K Street

1213 K St. 448-8900

L D $$ Full Bar Sports bar with a classical american menu• ﬁrestonepublichouse.com

served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com

OWNERS ONLY

2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180

Willie’s Burgers

1132 16th Street

MIDTOWN Biba Ristorante

1131 K St. 443-3772

Esquire Grill

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com

VOLVO

L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Urban winery and tasting room with a creative menu using local sources • rwwinery. com

Skool

3501 Thurd Ave. 4000-4676 L D $$ Full Bar Authentic Mexican cuisine with simple tasty menu in a colorful historic setting • lavenaditasac.com

Oak Park Brewing Company

2315 K Street D $$ Inventive Japansese-inspired seafood dishes • skoolonkstreet.com

3514 Broadway

Suzie Burger

Vibe Health Bar

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

L D $$ Full Bar Award-winning beers and a creative pub-style menu in an historic setting • opbrewco.com

3515 Broadway B L D $-$$ Clean, lean & healthy snacks. Acai bowls are speciality. Kombucha on tap • vibehealthbar.com n

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Sacramento Ballet is presenting Snap Shots II in April. Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter.

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Snap Shots

jL By Jessica Laskey

POC APR n 17

“Snap Shots II” presented by the Sacramento Ballet April 28 through May 14 Fry-Paoletti Stage at CLARA (E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts), 2420 N St. sacballet.org Last season’s production of “Snap Shots” stunned audiences with powerful passages from Sacramento Ballet co-artistic director Ron Cunningham’s storehouse of masterful choreography. “Snap Shots II” delves even deeper into the archives of his works and choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie returns to create another selection of mesmerizing, intimate dance portraits of the troupe’s all-star dancers.

Food and Film Sacramento Food Film Festival April 1-8 Various locations foodliteracycenter.org The Sacramento Food Film Festival is back, offering a unique series of events for food and film lovers! Created in 2012 by the Food Literacy Center, the Sacramento Food Film Festival was born from the desire to educate the public about our food system and work collaboratively to create positive change. The eight-day festival will showcase award-winning short films and documentaries, food by the area’s best chefs from Nixtaco, Lucca, Localis, and more, drinks by the area’s best bartenders (beer and bourbon and wine, oh, my!), “VIPea” experiences, and more.

Bonsai Bonanza! Bonsai Sekiyu Kai 40th Annual Bonsai Show and Demonstration April 1 and 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Buddhist Church of Sacramento, 2401 Riverside Blvd. bonsaisekiyukai@gmail.com If you’re a budding fan of bonsai or you’re already an avid tree trimmer, this event is sure to delight. Enjoy demonstrations at 2 p.m. each day by Yuzo Maruyama as well as a benefit raffle, grub from food vendor Haole Pig BBQ, and plenty of trees and bonsai materials for sale. Admission and parking are free.

Shaun Burner is on display at Beatnik Studios.

Courage and Valor “Courage and Valor” Concert Saluting Law Enforcement and Fireﬁghters presented by the Sacramento Youth Symphony Premier Orchestra and Community Chorus Sunday, April 2, at 3 p.m.

Bonzai fans won't want to miss the Bonsai Sekiyu Kai Bonsai Show and Demonstration.

Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St. 808-5181, sacramentoyouthsymphony.org The Premier Orchestra of the Sacramento Youth Symphony performs this highly anticipated concert saluting the work of men and women in law enforcement and firefighting under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Neumann. The program will feature guest performers Liz Tubbs of the Sacramento Pipe Band and tenor Jaeho Lee. Guest conductors Ralph Hughes and Daniel Paulson will conduct patriotic favorites by John Philip Souza, Giuseppe Verdi, Leonard Bernstein, John Williams, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Kitty O’Neal from KFBK will emcee the event and Mayor Darrell Steinberg will address the crowd. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for law enforcement and fire department personnel.

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In Good Faythe Crocker Classical Concert featuring Faythe Vollrath on harpsichord Sunday, April 9, at 3 p.m. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. 808-1182, crockerart.org In celebration of the Crocker Art Museum exhibitions “JapanAmerica: Points of Contact, 1876-1970” and “Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection,” harpsichordist Faythe Vollrath has created a program of contemporary compositions by Japanese and Japanese American composers that honors and challenges the distinctive sounds of the harpsichord, a traditionally Baroque instrument. Included in the program will be works by Japanese American composer Asako Hirabayashi, who brings a blend of East and West tonalities to her music. Space is limited and advance registration is recommended.

Tomato, To-Mah-To National tour of comedy “You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!” Through April 9

Crockett-Deane Ballet is presenting “The Magic Flute.”

Veronica’s Room “Veronica’s Room,” a play presented by Errant Phoenix Productions April 6-15

24th Street Theater at the Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St. 855-HIT-SHOW, tomatoplay.com After 15 years of marriage, writers, actors and real-life married couple Annabelle Gurwitch and Emmy Award-winner Jeff Kahn have adapted their hilarious and often moving memoir “You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!” for the stage. Another real-life married couple, Michael and Mara Greer, star in the Sacramento production. The play takes a hilarious look at a relationship that seems challenged from the start by two powerful, opposing personalities. After trials and tribulations, Jeff and Annabelle learn to navigate the conflicts that come with romance, money, and children by embracing each other’s differences.

William J. Geery Theater, 2130 L St. facebook.com/errantphoenix, errantphoenix-veronicasroom.bpt.me (tickets) Errant Phoenix Productions (formerly The Alternative Arts Collective) presents this psychological thriller written by Ira Levin, author of “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Deathtrap” and “The Stepford Wives.” A middle-aged Irish couple, John and Maureen Mackey, approach young couple Susan and Larry at a local restaurant due to Susan’s uncanny resemblance to a dead woman, Veronica. The Mackeys explain that Veronica's elderly, senile sister, Cissie, is now in their charge, and convince Susan to come to their suburban Boston home and to dress up as Veronica in an effort to bring Cissie a sense of closure. But once dressed in Veronica’s clothes, Susan finds herself in trouble.

The Magic Flute Don Schwennesen’s “The Magic Flute” presented by Crockett-Deane Ballet Saturday, April 8, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 9, at 2 p.m. The Center at Twenty-Three Hundred, 2300 Sierra Blvd. 453-0226, deanedancecenter.com This new ballet, loosely based on the plot of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beloved opera “The Magic Flute,” will receive its world premiere thanks to Crockett-Deane Ballet. That is quite fitting, considering it was created by the company’s director, Don Schwennesen! The ballet tells the tale of a young prince who encounters a magical land and falls in love with a beautiful princess held captive in a mysterious temple. Can the prince obtain the virtue to free her and wed her? Perhaps he’ll succeed with the help of the Magic Flute. This production features dancers Gabriela Smith as the Princess and Quinn Francis as the Queen of the Night.

POC APR n 17

Michelle Champoux plays the Woman in "Veronica's Room."

“Courage and Valor,” a concert saluting law enforcement and ﬁreﬁghters, takes place on April 2. Harpsichordist Faythe Vollrath will perform at Crocker Art Museum on Sunday, April 9.

Forms in Flux

Voices of Hope

“Forms in Flux,” artwork by Shaun Burner April 4-27 (opening reception on Friday, April 7 from 6-9 p.m.)

“Voices of Hope: A Choral Collaboration” Sunday, April 23 at 5 p.m.

Beatnik Studios, 723 S St. 400-4281, beatnik-studios.com Beatnik Studios presents new works from Sacramento-based artist Shaun Burner, whose passion lies in all forms of art, including music, carpentry and murals. A master of various media and styles, Burner’s work can be described as abstract realism that exudes esoteric connection. Also at Beatnik continuing through April 20 is “Repose,” Marc Foster and Micah Crandall-Bear’s collaborative installation exploring “abstract simplicity.”

Beatnik Studios, 723 S St. voxmusica.net Local all-women’s choral group Vox Musica, under Music Director Daniel Paulson, will be collaborating with the acclaimed San Jose-based choral ensemble The Choral Project in this not-to-be-missed collaboration. The project will bring these two talented choral ensembles together in a rare concert performance of literature that seeks to find light in the dark and hope in times of despair. The centerpiece of the program will be a world premiere by The Choral Project conductor Daniel Hughes.

The Donner Party “The Donner Party: A New American Musical” presented by the Sacramento Theatre Company April 19 through May 14 Sacramento Theatre Company, 1419 H St. 443-6722, sactheatre.org Specially commissioned and developed by the Sacramento Theatre Company, this dramatic new musical chronicles the true story of the harrowing travels of pioneers who faced unspeakable trials when trapped in the high Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846. Written by Eric Rockwell and Margaret Rose (California natives and authors of STC’s 2013 production of “A Little Princess”), this world premiere is sure to delight musical theater fans and history buffs alike.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n National tour of comedy “You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!” will play through April 9.

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Architect Daniel Tran uses irrigation tubing to create art.

Artful Reuse HE TAKES PLASTIC TUBING AND MAKES IT BEAUTIFUL

s a student in architecture school, Daniel Tran was told to think of himself not as an artist, but as a problem solver. If Tran’s career is any indication, he’s found a way to reconcile these two sides of himself. Tran is an architect and geographic information systems specialist for MidPen, one of the country’s leading nonprofit developers of high-quality affordable housing. He’s also the brain behind Growetry, a line of geometric artwork he creates with

jL By Jessica Laskey

POC APR n 17

plastic tubing used in greywater irrigation systems. “What I really like about art is the same reason I’m really reluctant to call myself an artist,” the Midtown resident says. “There are great traditions of art being an important part of social change. I’m able to do things in my artwork that don’t work in architecture or engineering or public policy. Art allows me to have a different kind of conversation.” The conversation Tran is most interested in having these days is about protecting our valuable natural resources and reconnecting to the land. Growing up in San Diego, Tran was the son of Vietnamese orchardists who came to the United States during the postwar diaspora and started one of the first Asian grocery stores in San Diego.

“Produce is a huge part of the grocery business,” Tran explains. “You also learn the importance of space and efficiency, circulation, placement and how to make the most of space and materials. You have to be very parsimonious, which is part of what sparked my interest in architecture. When you’re building a community, food is a big part of it. It’s the main attraction to bring different cultures together.” Inspired by his upbringing and spurred by a high school interest in AutoCAD (computer-aided design and drafting software), Tran studied at Pratt Institute in New York and at USC, where he earned his bachelor’s in architecture. Studying abroad in Toussaint, France, opened his eyes to the many facets of his future career. “I was attending a landscape architecture school in this small

Roman town,” Tran recalls, “and the one thing tying the school to the town was the allotment (or community) garden. There’s a tremendous pride in the soil of your hometown in French culture, and we had to learn how to address urban and rural design issues at the same time. You have to celebrate and respect the soil while introducing new buildings to a city with so much history.” This mindset informs Tran’s current work on affordable housing. “When you look at disadvantaged communities, access to fresh food always comes up,” Tran says. “I know from my childhood how a really good grocery store can be a major community building block. That’s why MidPen focuses on addressing the housing shortage by providing both housing and ancillary services

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like community gardens, cooking classes and community kitchens.”

He found a beauty within the materials that he couldn’t ignore. His awareness of the literal roots of a community also made Tran take a long, hard look at water policy, especially after studying at UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and landing an internship in the governor’s office in Sacramento. Tran started designing greywater irrigation systems, which recycle gently used water from bathroom sinks, showers, tubs and washing machines to irrigate gardens, greenhouses, yards and more. He found a beauty within the materials that he couldn’t ignore.

“I had so much scrap irrigation tubing, I thought, ‘How can I repurpose it to decrease my ecological footprint?’” Tran says. Tran’s Growetry pieces are stunningly simple geometric designs that he makes with a philosophy a friend dubbed “create and release”: Tran hangs finished models from street lamps and trees to delight passers-by or sell them at local makers markets. “I use the models to highlight a beautiful tree, or cast a moving pattern under a floodlight, or to activate a neighborhood that needs a bit more love,” Tran says. “In my day job, change may be moving slowly, but making one 30-by-30-inch piece takes a lot less time and can get people excited and aware. It’s like a bridge— something I can do in the meantime that has immediate results while I’m working on solving bigger issues.” To see Daniel Tran’s work, go to m5arts.com/product/growetry. His work is also on display and for sale in the lobby of Clunie Community Center in McKinley Park. n

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When John takes a break from his boyfriend, he accidentally meets the girl of his dreams. Filled with guilt and indecision, he decides there is only one way to straighten this outâ&#x20AC;ŚMike Bartlettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s punchy new story takes a playful, candid look at one manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexuality and the difficulties that arise when you realize you have a choice. This cheekily titled play about an unconventional love triangle earned rave reviews in London and New York, picking up an Olivier Award in the process. It premieres in Sacramento filled with young talent and produced by an award-winning production team founded in New York City.

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In 1648 India, two Imperial Guards watch from their post as the sun rises for the first time on the newly completed Taj Mahal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an event that shakes their respective worlds. When they are ordered to perform an unthinkable task, the aftermath forces them to question the concepts of friendship, beauty, and duty, and changes them forever.

YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY SHUT UP!

24TH Street Theatre, Sierra 2 Center Thru April 9 2791 24th St, Sac 672-8717 Playhouseinfo.com A real life love story - zany, hectic and uproariously funny! Whether you have been married forever, thinking about marriage, or still looking for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;perfectâ&#x20AC;? relationship, you will laugh at the hilarious, romantic rollercoaster ride towards Happily Ever After, which proves there is Hope & Happiness for even the most incompatible of Lovers, Husbands & Wives.

Intreped Theater Lab April 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 6 2837 36th St, Sac Intrepedtheatrelab.org

ANTIGONE BY SOPHOCLES

Big Idea April 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 6 1616 Del Paso Blvd, Sac 960-3036 BigIdeaTheatre.org In the aftermath of a civil war over the throne of Thebes, two belligerent brothers are dead, and the newly anointed ruler, Creon, has decreed one of them a traitor whose body shall remain unburied. Antigone, sister to the slain brothers, openly defies Creonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s orders, setting the stage for a battle of wills that pits national allegiance against family loyalty. In this adaptation of the Sophocles play, classic authoritarian and civilly disobedient figures take on modern sociopolitical resonance, as pride and ideological obstinacy preclude compromise and beget a cycle of destruction.

THE DONNER PARTY

Sacramento Theatre Company April 19 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 14 1419 H St, Sac 443-6722 SacTheatre.org Specially commissioned and developed by Sacramento Theatre Company (STC), this dramatic new musical chronicles the true story of the harrowing travels of pioneers who faced unspeakable trials when trapped in the high Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846 to 1847. Written by Eric Rockwell and Margaret Rose, California natives and authors of STCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2013 production of A Little Princess, this world premiere musical continues STCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to produce new, locally-relevant works each season.

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Food Destination NEW MILAGRO CENTRE ATTRACTS STANDOUT FOOD

y parents live near a stretch of Fair Oaks Boulevard that has been bereft of glitz and glamour for quite a while. For as long as I can remember, the area south of Marconi Avenue was taken up by a retail center that at different times housed thrift stores, karate studios, discount shoe stores, a particularly notorious drink-and-dance spot, and a storefront with blacked-out windows that almost certainly was a front for something nefarious. To have called this stretch a blight would have been generous. But several years ago, some bold thinkers saw past the area’s mundane suburban trappings and imagined

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POC APR n 17

it as a regional food-centered destination. Inspired by nearby successes like San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Oxbow Market in Napa, they wanted to turn this sluggish area of Carmichael into a food center befitting our region’s farm-to-table-tofork-to-mouth reputation. The new Milagro Centre is an ambitious project that combines restaurants, markets, coffee counters, outdoor dining, indoor dining, whiskey, beer, produce, and everything in between. It is definitely a work in progress. The two largest tenants, River City Brewing Company and Mesa Mercado, have been open since late last summer. Several smaller outlets, like Insight Coffee Roasters and Ghiotto Artisan Gelato, recently opened. This is the fifth location of the popular Insight Coffee, and the first outlet for Ghiotto. Also newly opened is Fish Face Poke Bar, the second outlet of the successful R Street poke shop coowned by Kru’s Billy Ngo. This new

Fish Face features a full bar, hot dishes like loco moco and a sliced-toorder fish counter. Set to open in the next few months is a restaurant called Patriot, which I’m told will feature steaks and whiskey.

Service is quick and friendly. Mesa Mercado is the second local restaurant of Ernesto Delgado, the owner of Tequila Museo Mayahuel on K Street. To this new establishment, Delgado brings a more casual approach and more familiar dishes while serving up bold, unrestrained flavors and Oaxacan-inspired cooking. Though casual, Mesa is a step above a neighborhood taqueria. The food is carefully prepared and beautifully presented. Small touches let you know that things are just a

little special at Mesa Mercado. Instead of chips and salsa at your table, you get a small dish of salted mango chunks. The traditional soups and stews are handled with care. Pozole rojo, the classic neon-red chile broth laden with pork and hominy, is treated with reverence. Garnishes are served with a flourish; the flavors are on point. A trio of enchiladas, each one sporting a different richly colored sauce, hits the spot. The rich, brown mole steals the show, its complex, earthy flavors outshining the more common green and red enchilada toppings we’ve come to know so well. The bar menu includes a host of mescal-spiked drinks, as well as more traditional margaritas and tequila drinks. Unlike Museo on K Street, the selection is reserved and not quite so gaudy. Everyone from the tequila connoisseur to the novice, though, can find something to their liking. Service is quick and friendly, and the open floor plan means that noise levels are a little on the high side.

location, and I can’t wait to sample the fare as it starts to flow from the tap. River City offers a decent pub menu with burgers, fries, pizzas, sandwiches, and other staples you’d expect to find at an old-school brewpub. The food isn’t the main reason you go, but it hits the spot when you’re throwing back a few. Whether you’re looking for fresh produce or fresh fish, expertly crafted Mexican fare, or a bowl of Hawaiian poke, Milagro Centre might be the place for you.

Milagro Centre is at 6241 Fair Oaks Blvd.; 692-0642; milagrocentre. com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregorysabin@yahoo.com. n

VISIT

Currently, Mesa Mercado serves lunch and dinner, but there are plans to have a separate taco bar and Mexican market attached to the restaurant running throughout the day. River City Brewing Company is an old favorite of mine. Open since 1993 in Downtown Plaza and forced to relocate with the building of Golden 1 Center, River City was brewing beer before brewing beer was cool. Its flagship brew, Woodenhead Ale, is one of the best beers this town ever produced. River City recently started brewing again at its new Carmichael

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HAVE INSIDE, WILL TRAVEL 1. Leigh Rutledge and Bill Hambrick in Cat Cat Village near Sapa, VietNam 2. Gloria Terk with her nieces, Cristy Bacani and Diane Maristela Bacani, taking a break from dune bashing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates 3. Evelyn Lovato & Mark Naves salmon ďŹ shing in Sitka, Alaska 4. Skiers Frank Poelman, Bob Tilly, Carol Poelman, Ann and Jim Peck descend into Banff, Alberta, Canada 5. Cecily Hastings at Rancho La Puerta in Baja California 6. Michael Sestak and Dennis Mangers on Tavenui Island, Fiji, at the international dateline

Take a picture with Inside Publications and e-mail a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get enough? Find more photos on Instagram: InsidePublications

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Your Turn MORE ON THE PARKWAY

any thanks for R.E. Graswich’s piece on the lower American River Parkway (“The Pity of the Parkway,” March). The overwhelming presence of homeless camps indeed makes this part of our “crown jewel” a no-go zone for law-abiding folks, but portraying the situation as athletes versus bums which can be solved by more law enforcement is a bit too simple. Would-be runners and nature lovers are not even the biggest losers in this saga; that distinction belongs to the environment. But no amount of law enforcement presence alone can change this

situation, certainly not with the current rules of engagement, which require rangers to post a 48-hour notice before removing a camp. (If the campers move 100 feet down the trail, the clock starts again.) Regional programs to provide housing would probably cost less, be more effective and be more humane. Thankfully, the county and the city are now working together on this. But even that will not be enough. Clearing unwanted people out of the parkway without adding sanctioned users has failed for 35 years. We need new groups of law-abiding folks who are willing venture in.

For 15 years, off-road cycling groups have been trying to implement a mountain bike program in this area. Every year we inch closer, but we have been impeded every step of the way by entrenched stakeholder groups who obsess about every fat tire track. We have been working with the county to implement an off-road bicycle pilot program allowed in the 2009 Parkway Plan. Unfortunately, the Parkway Plan was commandeered by the same entrenched groups and is loaded with so many poison pills that the bike program is nearly unworkable,

which was exactly what they intended. The downtown zone cannot be managed as if it were a remote wildlife sanctuary. If cycling groups were allowed to build the types of trails that people want to ride, we can slowly make this area a little less scary. Once that happens, we can actually start rebuilding the shattered environment. Similar programs have worked in places like Boston, Minneapolis and even Manhattan. Bob Horowitz

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This Month @ the Market

A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN APRIL

STRAWBERRIES

ENGLISH PEAS

MUSTARD GREENS

This popular fruit, with its fresh aroma, bright red color and sweetness, is a sure sign that spring has arrived in Sacramento. To eat: Eat right out of the basket, or serve with whipped cream or ice cream for dessert.

The pods are not edible, so you must shuck the sweet, tender peas before eating them either raw or cooked. To eat: Steam, boil, blanch or sauté them. They are delicious in pasta with a light, lemony mascarpone sauce.

The leaves of the mustard plant are highly nutritious and have a peppery flavor. To eat: Add a small amount of raw greens to a salad.

MORELS

FAVA GREENS

LEEKS

This mushroom has a strong, nutty, earthy flavor. Its harvest season is short, but you can find dried morels year-round. To eat: Saute gently in butter with chopped shallots, then add cream for a lovely, light sauce.

This vegetable, which is related to onions and garlic, is sweet and delicately flavored. Trim the tough green leaves and use the white stalk. To eat: Use to add flavor to stocks, soups or stews.

Commonly found in Asian dishes, these greens are mildly sweet and buttery. Early in the season, they are tender enough to eat raw. To eat: Use to wrap fish or seafood before cooking.

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