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April is Photography Month Sacramento, presented by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center and partners, offering exhibits, workshops, field trips, free lectures, photoshoots and meetups celebrating all things photographic. Visit photomonthsacramento.org/ events to plan activities. Shown: "In Velvet" by Cecilia Clark at Viewpoint Photographic Art Center. The exhibit, Essential Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire & Water, runs April 5 to May 6. Second Saturday Reception is April 8 from 4–7 p.m. Visit vacation-traveladventure.com.
APRIL 2023
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VOL. 10 • ISSUE 3 6 Publisher's Desk 10 Pocket Life 12 Pocket Beat 14 Out & About 19 Giving Back 20 Inside The County 21 City Skeptic 22 City Beat 24 Care Commitment 25 Spirit Matters 26 Open House 30 Sports Authority 32 Animals & Their Allies 34 Farm To Fork 36 Building Our Future 38 Garden Jabber 40 Meet Your Neighbor 42 Open Studio 44 Restaurant Insider 46 To Do
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5 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM Research shows that people living with chronic illness who receive palliative care generally live longer and report a higher quality of life and a better sense of well-being than those who do not. Palliative care can help you manage your symptoms, connect you to essential resources, and coordinate your care so that you can savor the moments that mean the most to you. Don’t miss out on the little moments. www.yolocares.org 530-758-5566
Gaslighting The Public
CITY GOES TO WAR AGAINST GAS STOVES, FIREPLACES, HEATERS
My favorite cooking tool is my gas stove cooktop. I’ve cooked on gas exclusively for four decades. The rhythm and timing of a sauté over an open flame is steeped in my muscle memory. I’m lucky to have a sensitively calibrated stovetop that makes cooking joyful. Plus, there is something primal about the fire under a metal pan. No wonder kids love nothing more than roasting marshmallows over an open flame.
I use natural gas to fuel my barbecue, fireplace and underfloor hydronic heating system.
But this practice will soon be history. Last year, the City Council voted to become the state’s 46th municipality to ban natural gas infrastructure in new construction. There was zero public outreach.
In a 7-2 City Council vote last June, the ordinance disallowed natural gas infrastructure in new buildings of three stories or fewer after Jan. 1, 2023. Natural gas is banned from high-rise construction—four stories or more—in the city after Jan. 1, 2026.
The ordinance applies only to new builds. “Businesses in existing buildings, including restaurants, will be allowed to purchase new gas equipment such as stoves and ovens for replacement and expansion purposes,” Jennifer Venema, Sacramento’s climate action lead, said last June.
By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk
Apparently, the council didn’t want a revolt by local restaurant owners and chefs in America’s farm-to-fork capital. But the city is working on a strategy to transition away from gas in existing buildings.
“We are doing this because it’s the top thing we can implement as a city
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Venema said. “Energy use in the built environment is a key sector that we directly regulate.”
According to the ordinance, pathways for including gas infrastructure in new buildings are available through limited exemptions for technical or cost difficulties through 2025.
The exemptions may be extended if the technology is such that full electrification is not feasible by July 1, 2025, Venema said.
Several councilmembers expressed a desire to avoid unintended consequences despite the exemptions and waivers.
“What a chef deems feasible versus what our building inspector deems feasible for cooking are two totally different things,” former Councilmember Angelique Ashby said. “They’re not industry experts. We’re not industry experts.” Ashby offered a substitute motion that would have required more research and a vote postponement. Her motion failed.
Chefs throughout the state, particularly those who prepare Asian cuisine, insist gas flames are essential. In 2019, the Sacramento-based California Restaurant Association filed suit against Berkeley over the first local ban. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.
Opponents to the ban argued part of Sacramento’s electric power still comes from fossil fuel generation resources and suggested the measure was pointless until SMUD can provide 100-percent clean energy. SMUD’s board of directors voted last year to acquire 100 percent of the utility’s power generation from carbon-free resources by 2030.
Nationally, the gas stove debate has—no surprise—turned partisan.
A member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission appointed by President Biden threatened to ban gas stoves based on dubious evidence of public-health harm. “This is a hidden hazard,” Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”
6 POC APR n 23
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Find your way back to the little things that matter.
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After withering public criticism, the commission chairman denied any plan to ban gas stoves. The White House said President Biden doesn’t want a ban. But climate-driven, progressive cities— including Sacramento—are doing it anyway.
Proponents of the ban argue that gas stoves are a major source of air pollution, and that they are a major contributor to climate change. Gas stoves emit carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other pollutants into the air. Ban proponents say gas stoves are inefficient and waste energy and money.
But pollution comes from cooking with poor ventilation, not from natural gas. Electric range-tops carry the “hidden hazard” of potential burns.
Opponents of the ban argue gas stoves are a necessary part of life, an important part of the state’s culture and economy. Gas stoves are used in many restaurants and homes and are a major source of employment. Also, gas stoves are a relatively inexpensive and convenient way to cook.
The debate over banning gas fuel in California continues. The state has taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint, such as implementing a capand-trade system and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. However,
it’s unclear whether banning gas fuel would be an effective way to reduce air pollution and climate change.
Ultimately, it should be up to the people of California to decide whether they want to ban gas residential service. Sadly, the citizens of Sacramento had little voice in the ban that their city imposed on them without meaningful community input.
Ironically, last summer, I was warned by SMUD not to recharge my electric car or turn on my air conditioner during peak hours. The state’s electrical grid was overloaded. No one seems interested in talking about the failure of our electrical grid, or our city becoming overdependent on electricity as a sole source of fuel.
Readers ask how they can contribute to Inside Sacramento. Here’s how. Visit insidesacramento.com and sign up for our weekly newsletter. Also consider a paid membership starting at $19.95 a year. Every little bit helps us serve our community.
Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
Dear Readers: I’m working on a short documentary film about the personal costs of the pandemic lockdowns on Sacramento residents. Please share with me your experience by answering the question: Which aspect of the response to COVID affected you most on a personal level?
Please limit your response to 75 words and email to publisher@insidepublications. com. Your privacy will be honored.
Thank you. Cecily Hastings
8 POC APR n 23 Christian Brothers High School is back this summer with enriching activities for students 2nd grade through high school! June 20 through July 29 Sign up today at www.cbhs-sacramento.org or scan the QR code. CB is the place to be! th Summer School Summe r Fun! High School Courses HS Review Courses Sports Camps Coding Camp Middle School Advantage Robotics Camps Science Camps Arts Camps TV, News & Production Camp Adopt an orphan who will steal your heart. sacpetsearch.com sspca.org happytails.org saccountyshelter.net Relles Florist & Gifts rellesflorist.com 2400 J Street 916-441-1478
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Life Transformed
POCKET WOMAN IS CHINA’S TRANSGENDER PIONEER
In the 1980s, there were no laws in China approving sex reassignment. Surgery requests were routinely denied. But with help from Ruan and Zhang’s uncle, the procedure was finally approved, with conditions. The “research” surgery was performed in confidence. Everyone signed nondisclosures. Ruan could only document the surgery in medical journals.
Zhang entered the hospital at Beijing Medical University in January 1983.
The couple held a book signing at the Elks Lodge to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Sasha’s surgery. Mayor Darrell Steinberg was there and said, “Imagine what she went through in China, having the courage to face all the harassment and discrimination. Here we are today, gathering to celebrate the very essence of who she is.”
Sasha Eastley’s journey to Sacramento from China wasn’t easy. There were roadblocks and detours, but she met them head on. She moved to Pocket in 2005, shortly after marrying Bruce Eastley.
They met through a match-making service. But Sasha kept a big secret from her husband, a secret she didn’t reveal until June 2022, when she told Bruce she had sex reassignment surgery in 1983.
Her future depended on her husband’s reaction. Bruce says, “I don’t recall being shocked, just mildly surprised. I couldn’t see any masculine features. Reflecting on my 17 years with Sasha, I don’t feel like my life has been upended. I now have a better understanding of a subject I knew very little about.”
With his wife’s consent, Bruce wrote a book, “The Life and Times of Zhang Kesha: China’s First Transgender.” The book chronicles Sasha’s life.
“I’m lucky I had support from my family, friends and now my husband,” Sasha says. “I want more people to understand the inner world of transgender people. Our society needs to show more tolerance and compassion.”
Sasha was born in May 1962, in Dalian, China, and named Zhang Kesha. Dad was a general in the Red Army. Zhang was the youngest of seven children. For large families, it wasn’t unusual for siblings to wear hand-medowns. Zhang liked to wear a sister’s clothes.
From age 3, the future was clear. Zhang wanted to live as a girl: “I had a girl’s soul, trapped in a boy’s shell.” Most playmates were girls. But troubles arose in middle school. Dressing as a female, Zhang was bullied and considered a “fake girl.”
Zhang enlisted in the army in 1979, hoping to become more male. After three years in the military, the desire to live as a woman remained powerful.
By Corky Mau Pocket Life
Then Zhang learned about sex reassignment. In 1982, surgery became viable after a consultation with Dr. Ruan Fang-Fu, an expert on human sexuality.
Dr. Wang Da Mei, a plastic surgeon trained in the United States, performed the surgery. It was long but successful. Sasha, then 20, could finally live as a woman. “My family was happy that I survived the operation,” she says.
In 1995, Jin Xing, a Chinese dancer, was the first celebrity to openly undergo transition surgery. The first Chinese clinic for transgender health care opened two years ago in Shanghai.
After surgery, Sasha lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong. She married but was widowed by age 40. She wanted a new life. Bruce Eastley entered the picture in 2004.
Now Sasha enjoys peace and tranquility. She’s active in the Sacramento Camellia Lions Club, an all-female civic organization she started in 2017. She told her story to mahjong friends in 2019. Being good friends, they protected the secret until Sasha built the courage to tell her husband.
The book’s availability is limited. “The Life and Times of Zhang Kesha” video is on YouTube.
Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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Sasha Eastley in 1979 and today
Bruce and Sasha Eastley
Photo by Aniko Kiezel
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Opportunity Lost
JOHN NOLEN’S PARKWAY WOULD HAVE TRANSFORMED CITY
moved into Land Park, Little Pocket, Greenhaven and Pocket.
Nolen knew future generations would benefit from parks. He knew real estate speculators would lock up land for subdivisions.
He advised the city to buy riverfront property and set it aside while it was cheap. Land along Nolen’s Sacramento River Parkway was basically worthless.
City leaders buried Nolen’s dream of a park meandering from Downtown to Pocket. They resurrected it 1975, when the proposal was formalized as a promise in the Sacramento River Parkway Master Plan.
Then the city forgot the parkway for another four decades.
Here we are today. The city is finally serious about building the levee parkway and bike path. But missed opportunities linger. Old mistakes are hard to erase.
In 1928, another famous urban planner, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., proposed an immense parkway along the Sacramento River. Olmsted’s open space ran along both banks from Antioch to Colusa, more than 80 miles. Olmsted took Nolen’s vision and expanded it.
“Few Californians realize what a tremendous scenic and recreational asset it is capable of being made by an expenditure quite trifling,” Olmsted wrote to state park officials. “The need here, as in other parallel cases of less magnitude, is not so much for money as for painstaking co-operative effort; for vision to see where and how scenic by-products can be salvaged.”
Ihave two healthy habits. One is a long walk every morning after breakfast. The other is looking for ways Sacramento political leaders blow opportunities to create a wonderful city.
After a walk the other day, I dug through some Sacramento Library archives. I wanted to learn how various neighborhoods came to be, how industrial operations were shoved north of B Street, how R Street was filled with warehouses, how businesses districts were dislodged from residential streets.
One guy was responsible, a city planner named John Nolen. I knew nothing about Nolen, but he was a big deal a century ago, one of the most innovative urban planners in the U.S. He was based in Boston and planned dozens of cities, San Diego to St. Petersburg, Florida.
He didn’t work cheap. His presence in Sacramento from 1914 to 1916 meant local leaders were serious about planning.
But not serious enough. They ignored his best idea. They blew it.
City Hall followed Nolen’s advice about where to locate factories, warehouses and businesses. Unfortunately, authorities dismissed his most visionary plan: a parkway along the Sacramento River from Y Street (now Broadway) down to where today’s Meadowview Road meets Pocket Road.
By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat
Back then, there was no city beyond Y Street, just dirt roads and farms. Nolen saw the future.
He loved trees and parks. He believed people thrived when they escaped urban surroundings and engaged with nature. Sacramento had 15 parks and plazas when Nolen stepped off the train in 1914. He soon drew up plans for 127 open spaces.
The city didn’t completely ignore Nolen. His vision created the American River Parkway, Del Paso Regional Park and Haggin Oaks Golf Course. He made plans for Land Park and Curtis Park.
But to visualize a city stretching to Pocket required deep imagination. Sizing up the city’s limitations, Nolen said, “There are only 10 roads that lead anywhere going out of Sacramento. Many more outlets are needed.”
Then as now, visionaries made City Hall nervous. Big ideas cost money. They require risk.
Over the next century, the city grew from about 45,000 residents to more than 500,000. About 14 percent
Like Nolen, Olmsted was ignored. In the 1960s, suburban land exploitation steamrolled rapidly south from Broadway. The state Legislature passed the Subdivision Map Act to ensure public access to waterways.
The city’s response was to approve more housing along the levee. Those homeowners illegally blocked levee access.
Out of remorse, civic authorities ordered a report to explore the parkway grandeur envisioned by Nolen and Olmsted.
“Unfortunately, due to other pressing demands and shortage of staff, the city was unable to complete the total study,” the 1975 Master Plan says. Decades pass. Excuses last forever.
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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John Nolen’s 1915 plan shows a parkway (in black) running along both rivers.
Imagine a world where people of all abilities have equal access to employment.
This Big Day of Giving, you can help create that world.
A job means so much more than a paycheck; it also has the power to bring connection, community, and purpose. Today, thousands of people with disabilities in the Sacramento region are unemployed. Your donations make it possible for people of all abilities to experience the dignity of a paycheck and the pride that comes with meaningful work.
Building inclusivity, one job at a time.
Show your support and donate now!
BigDayofGiving.org/PRIDEIndustries
13 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
Century Of Fellowship Centur y Of Fellowship
CARMICHAEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY
Carmichael Presbyterian Church celebrates its centennial this year—100 years of service in the local community.
What started as a Sunday school planted in Carmichael Colony by three determined mothers in 1918, was officially organized as Carmichael Community Church in 1923 under Rev. J.W. Babcock. (Rev. Samuel Holsinger became the first “called pastor” in 1925, the same year the organization began its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church.)
The church used Carmichael Elementary School on Sutter Avenue as its first home. Eventually outgrowing that location, the church found a new home along Marconi Avenue on land donated by H.A. Hobbs in 1927. The new sanctuary, still in use today, was completed in 1951. The church changed its name to Carmichael Presbyterian Church in 1964.
Over the decades, the church has “played an integral role in the growth and development of the community,” says Karen Orlando, a member of the
J L JL
By Jessica Laskey Out & About
Centennial Committee that’s organizing celebratory events throughout the year.
The church has offered a summer Vacation Bible School since 1925 (this year’s will be July 10–14) and a Food Closet since 1973. It also hosts monthly Saturday suppers, weekly Wednesday dinners, facilities for the homeless, choirs for adults and children, language classes and various support groups.
Events to celebrate the centennial include guest preachers, concerts, potlucks and workshops. “Stories of Faith: Carmichael Presbyterian Church at 100” will be published in December. For information, visit carmichaelpres. org.
IMPACT100 GRANT
Impact100 Greater Sacramento will award up to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations operating in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties. Applications are accepted through the end of April in five areas: Arts & Culture; Education; Environment, Preservation & Recreation; Family; and Health & Wellness.
“We want to help nonprofits realize their goals,” Sacramento chapter President Evelyn Jensen says. “Collectively, Impact100 chapters have provided $123 million in grants in their regions. Now it's our turn.”
Impact100 Greater Sacramento is the newest chapter of an international organization that empowers women as philanthropists working to benefit their
local communities. For information, visit impact100greatersacramento.org.
PHOTO MONTH
It’s finally here! Photography Month Sacramento is happening across the city led by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in collaboration with the city of Sacramento and Sacramento365. The monthlong event features special exhibits, receptions, photo
shoot meetups, workshops, lectures and more. For up-to-date event information, visit sacramento365.com and photomonthsacramento.org.
MAYOR OFFICE ART
Mayor Darrell Steinberg is once again highlighting local artists by hanging their work in his office. The artwork will be updated each month in the alcove located in the
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Carmichael Presbyterian Church celebrates 100 years of service—then and now.
“15 minutes before Sunset” by Aniko Kiezel is on display at the Mayor’s Office at City Hall.
public reception area between the mayor’s conference room and his office.
April’s featured artist/photographer is Inside Sacramento’s own Aniko Kiezel. Her photo, “15 minutes before Sunset,” captures a Lotus in William Land Park.
PSYCHOLOGY CLINIC
California Northstate University College of Psychology has opened Community Counseling and Psychological Services in Rancho Cordova to provide low-cost mental health services.
“Our students have given over 20,000 hours of free mental health service to this community,” says Dr. Bret McLaughlin, dean of the College of Psychology. “CCAPS is the next step in fulfilling our mission to provide skillful and affordable mental health care to this region.”
Individual and group therapy is provided by doctoral psychology students supervised by licensed psychologists, many of whom are faculty at the school. CCAPS is open to everyone 18 and older. Each therapy session is $20 and the clinic is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
IRS-certified volunteers help families file their taxes through United Way California Capital Region’s Free Tax Prep program.
Camp Cavalier 2023
An engaging mixof academic and enrichment classes inthe morning with weekly themes, and anexciting recreational program in the afternoon.
registration opens April
*Early bird and after-care are available foran additional fee.
Clinic services include general psychotherapy for mild to moderate depression/mood-related symptoms, anxiety, family conflict/relationship difficulties, phase-of-life adjustments, gender and identity concerns, and trauma. For information, visit psychology.cnsu.edu/ccaps.
JUNK PICKUP
Spring cleaning is upon us and the city of Sacramento’s Solid Waste and Recycling department reminds residential customers you can make two appointments per year to pick up junk too large to fit in curbside containers, including extra yard waste.
To make an appointment, call City Customer Service at 311—or (916) 264-5011 outside city limits. You can also use the free Sac311 app or make an online request at sac311.org. Appointments are available through October.
Materials should not be placed in the street more than 24 hours prior to pick up. Piles must be no larger than 4 feet by 4 feet by 9 feet and should be placed 6 feet from vehicles. Place tree and yard waste (branches, stumps, leaves) in a separate pile away from junk. Keep piles away from storm drains and bike lanes.
Appliances, e-waste and hazardous waste should not be included. For information, visit cityofsacramento.org.
INNOVATION CHALLENGE
Applications are open for the Creative Business Innovation Challenge
supporting underserved and minorityowned businesses in food, fashion, design, festival and cultural experiences, game design, film, media, music and entertainment.
The six-week program is managed by Unseen Heroes and Creative Start Ups, and is funded through the city’s Office of Arts and Culture.
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Kinder–5th Grade 9am–4pm* 6th–8th Grade 9am–12pm www.saccds.org/country-day-summer 2636 Latham Drive Sacramento, CA 95864 916.481.8811 Session A: June 20–July 7 CLOSED JUNE 19 & JULY 4 Session B: July 10–28 SAVE THE DATE
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Leadership Sacramento class of 2022 celebrates the outdoor renovation at Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center’s Senior Center. Photo courtesy of Tia Gemmell.
“Sacramento has a history of creative talent but it has not always been actively supported and recognized,” says Unseen Heroes CEO Roshaun Davis. “Through partnerships like this, new opportunities are being created to support and celebrate the city’s creative ecosystem, specifically for BIPOC entrepreneurs.”
Business experts mentor participants on developing business plans and pitches; marketing, finance and operations; networking and collaboration; and accessing funding and investment opportunities.
The deadline to apply is April 16. The application fee is $95. Find information at sacramentocityexpress.com.
CREATIVE CORPS
If you’re a nonprofit organization, arts collective or artist, now’s your chance to join the city’s Capital Region Creative Corps. The California Arts Council recently awarded $4.75 million to the city to implement the new program in our region.
The Creative Corps provides grants to create public awareness campaigns related to water and energy, conservation, climate mitigation, COVID-19, civic engagement and social justice. For information, visit arts. cityofsacramento.org/creativecorps.
FREE TAX PREP
Eligible residents can file their taxes online for free through United Way California Capital Region’s Free Tax Prep program through April 18.
Households that earned up to $66,000 in 2022 can file for free and receive up to $8,000 cash back from state and federal credits, including the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits.
The program provides tax help virtually and in person in multiple
languages and locations. For information, visit yourfreetaxprep.org or call 211.
ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
The City Council has approved a suite of programs to prevent people from being displaced along the Stockton Boulevard corridor as a result of UC Davis’ $1.1 billion Aggie Square mixed-use innovation district. The antidisplacement effort is funded by the city of Sacramento and UC Davis as part of the project’s Community Benefits Partnership Agreement.
Four community programs will receive funding to repair homes; help residents with one-time financial assistance for rent, utilities and other needs; and assist first-time home buyers in the ZIP codes surrounding Aggie Square.
The four programs are Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento Home Preservation and Electrification Program; Salvation Army Homeless Prevention Program; Step Up Homeless Prevention, Housing Coordination, Stability and Retention Program; and Unseen Heroes/CLTRE First-time Homebuyer Loan Program.
The Community Benefits Partnership Agreement includes pledges for local hiring and a commitment by the city to invest in affordable housing along the Stockton Boulevard corridor.
BETTERMENT PROJECT
The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Sacramento class of 2022 has completed its community betterment project—the renovation of the outdoor space at Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center’s Senior Center.
The outdoor area now offers social spaces for seniors of varying mobility
and their families, as well as space for exercise and fitness, gardening and quiet time.
“Our senior population is often an underserved community and the pandemic has been especially isolating for them,” says class member Patrick Ibarra. “While there were so many great applications from deserving nonprofits in the area looking for help, we were most moved by Stanford Settlement’s application as we remembered members of our own families struggle during these trying times.”
Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center is at 450 West El Camino Ave. To learn about the project, visit leadershipsac22.org.
WATER REBATES
With a range of rebates, the Sacramento Suburban Water District encourages county residents to use water more efficiently.
Earn $150 for installing a WaterSense-labeled high-efficiency toilet, which can help the average family save 13,000 gallons of water per year. Earn $75 for a clothes washer on the Energy Star’s Most Efficient list.
Earn $500 for upgrading your sprinkler system with high-efficiency rotator sprinklers and drip irrigation; $150 for a weather-based sprinkler timer, which uses local weather data to time when and how long sprinklers run; and $500 for repairing leaks. Earn $100 for a new pool cover.
For information, visit sswd.org/ rebates.
ENERGY EFFICIENT
Hoping to reduce your energy bill and your home’s carbon footprint?
SMUD and the city of Sacramento have partnered with XeroHome to launch a website where residents can find retrofits to make their homes more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
XeroHome is free and available to all who live in single-family or duplex dwellings. The site helps users estimate their energy use based on a series of short questions and then provides suggestions for upgrades, such as electric heat pump water heaters, ceiling insulation and DIY options like LED lighting. For information, visit xerohome.com.
CITY MANAGER
The California City Management Foundation has named Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan as City Manager of the Year.
CCMF gives the City Manager of the Year award to city managers who provide exemplary leadership while delivering on important community initiatives.
Chan was appointed city manager in 2017, becoming the first AsianAmerican person in Sacramento history to hold the office. He has worked for the city of Sacramento for more than 20 years, including three years as an assistant city manager and more than a decade as parking services manager.
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Students from Leataata Floyd Elementary School feed sheep at the Food Literacy Center.
City Manager Howard Chan is named City Manager of the Year.
Classical Concerts
Enrich your Sunday afternoons with classical music from the region’s finest musicians and singers, inspired by art on view. SECOND
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FOOD LITERACY NEWS
The Food Literacy Center has some new residents—three sheep and three goats—at its student farm at Leataata Floyd Elementary School.
The animal residents are on loan from AG Livestock for a few months to help reduce weeds, educate staff on how
to care for animals and give students in gardening classes a chance to interact with them. Interaction with animals— petting, feeding and touching—can have positive benefits, helping us stay calm and become more social.
In more good news, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty and his team provided
Dr. Dawnté Early, president/CEO of United Way California Capital Region, announces 100th anniversary goal at Yolo Kids Read event in West Sacramento.
$247,500 in grant funds to help build infrastructure on the farm, deliver a 10-week garden curriculum for 250 students and conduct outreach to surrounding communities to encourage participation with this new community amenity. For information, visit foodliteracycenter.org.
MCCLATCHY LIBRARY
After two years of serving solely as a pick-up location, the Ella K. McClatchy Library is open again for public browsing.
The beautiful historic building in the Newton Booth neighborhood of Midtown was closed first due to the pandemic and then to address ventilation and other issues. The city has made the needed repairs and the library is welcoming visitors back to this beloved landmark.
CAP-TO-CAP
Slots for the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s 51st Annual Capitol-toCapitol federal advocacy program are filling up. Cap-to-Cap returns to Washington, D.C., April 22–26.
The largest and longest-standing chamber delegation of its kind, Cap-to-
Cap includes a local contingent of up to 400 regional business leaders and changemakers—including more than 80 electeds—who travel to D.C. to meet with federal officials.
Advocacy issues include infrastructure investment and reimagined workforce development, forest health and wildfire mitigation, housing needs and solutions to help combat homelessness.
For information or to reserve a spot, visit metrochamber.org/cap23.
NEIGHBORHOOD GRANTS
Bank of America has named the Los Rios Colleges Foundation and North State Building Industry Foundation as two of its Neighborhood Builders awardees for greater Sacramento. Each organization will receive a $200,000 grant over two years, as well as comprehensive leadership training on topics from increasing financial sustainability to human capital management and strategic storytelling. The North State Building Industry Foundation trains at-risk teens and young adults for residential construction careers. The grant will
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The Los Rios Colleges Foundation (which includes American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College) helps previously incarcerated people transition back into school and the community through the Prison and Reentry Education Program.
PROM DRIVE
It’s prom season, but not everyone can afford a new set of dancing duds.
Bring your gently used (clean and in good condition) dresses, suits, shoes and other accessories to your local Sacramento Library during open hours and the library will redistribute them to high school students in need.
All sizes are needed. Suits and button-up shirts are especially in demand.
UNITED WAY GOAL
United Way California Capital Region has announced a new goal to raise $3 million to help 10,000 kids excel in school by 2025.
“This is such an important year as we celebrate 100 years working together
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with this community to end poverty for local families,” says Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO. “We have learned so much over the past 100 years and now we are ready to enter our next century with a bold new goal. We know education is a proven ladder out of poverty and we know school is square one for reaching families in need.”
Through its Square One programming, United Way offers an array of services to ensure children and their families have the resources, from tutoring to income programs, to succeed in school and adulthood.
United Way’s milestone year will culminate April 29 with its 100th Anniversary Gala fundraiser at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. To purchase tickets or make a donation, visit yourlocalunitedway.org.
SUMMER JOBS
Know a teen who needs a summer job? Recruitment is underway for more than 150 seasonal positions in the city of Sacramento’s Aquatics Division across 17 area aquatics facilities.
The Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment Department is looking to fill positions for lifeguards, senior lifeguards, assistant pool managers,
pool managers, aquatics specialists and cashiers for the 2023 summer season. Applicants must be at least 15 years old by June 1 (cashiers must be 16). All lifeguards must be American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR-AED/First Aid certified. To apply, visit governmentjobs.com and type the desired position into the toolbar.
NEW PARKWAY SIGNS
The next time you’re walking along the American River Parkway, take notice of new welcome signs.
The Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks Maintenance Division posted new “Welcome to the American River Parkway” and “Do Not Enter, Sensitive Habitat Area” signs at five sites. The signs include universal symbols to show allowed uses and regulations.
New signage was placed at Bannon Island, Two Rivers Trail, Steelhead Creek and SAFCA Loop, and Camp Pollock. These areas have been prioritized based on their locations in flood zones, public safety concerns like unstable soil or the potential for falling trees, impacts due to trash, levee compromise (digging), degradation from
vegetation fires, criminal activities and community complaints.
ALL THAT JAZZ
Sutter Middle School won big at this year’s Teagarden Jazz Festival (formerly the Traditional Jazz Youth Band Festival) at Sacramento State. The festival is open to small ensembles of four to nine musicians from elementary school to college.
The Sutter Miner Minors enjoyed a festival debut and many students received awards, including Janelle Wells (Outstanding MS Clarinet), Owen Naqica (Outstanding MS Banjo), Luke Lyda (Outstanding MS Saxophone), Gloria Haskin (Outstanding MS Vocals) and Sidney Manricks (Outstanding MS Piano).
Naqica also won a half scholarship to the Teagarden Jazz Camp and trombone player Max Schwitalla won a $500 Music Lesson Award Scholarship.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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LOVING EARTH PROJECT FIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE WITH CREATIVITY
In April, a selection of panels will be displayed around Sacramento in the lead-up to Earth Day, April 22. Fowler and her fellow team members have planned exhibitions from April 1–30 at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity, Atrium 916 and Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento. On April 15–16, the panels visit Effie Yeaw Nature Center and St. Anthony Parish. On April 23, they arrive at Southside Park.
“It’s wonderful to think that panels will also be on display in France, Belgium and Slovenia at the same time as ours,” says Fowler, a Pocket resident. “Ours just arrived and it was like Christmas opening the box. We received 110 panels and we’re selecting the ones that are the best match for each venue.”
When Fowler isn’t busy planning the Loving Earth Project tour, she volunteers for Sacramento Friends Meeting committees. She joined the Quaker group in 2001 after moving to Sacramento from Washington, D.C., to be closer to grandchildren in Davis.
More than two decades on and retired as a founding partner at Graves Fowler Associates, a marketing design firm for educational and nonprofit clients, Fowler has time to devote to advocacy and special projects such as Loving Earth.
“Any time we can convert an overwhelming, depressing issue into something we can be creative in thinking about, there is hope for change,” Cindy Fowler says.
She could be talking about any number of issues as facilitator of the Sacramento advocacy team for the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobbying organization on Capitol Hill.
But today she’s referring to the Loving Earth Project, a traveling community textile project that encourages people to think creatively about climate change.
By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile
“What I love about the project is how it pulls out different kinds of creativity,” Fowler says. “Hours have gone into creating each 12-by-12-inch panel. Some are painted, some have felt pieces cut by children, some are intricately woven or
stitched. It’s such a diverse spectrum of creativity.”
The Loving Earth Project was started in 2019 by the Quaker Arts Network at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham, England, to engage people in a dialogue about climate change.
Participants are asked to reflect on a series of questions—What do you love? How is that person, place or thing threatened by climate change? What are you willing to do about it?—and express those reflections on a fabric panel. More than 400 panels have been contributed from around the world and will be accepted through the end of the year.
“It’s a contemplative thing to be able to sit and think about something we really love and put into words what we’re willing to do to take care of it,” Fowler says. “It’s so inspiring to see what people make. It’s about using your creative energy to step up and do something about climate change.”
For project information, visit lovingearth-project.uk. For information about local events, visit quakercloud. org/cloud/sacramento-friends-quakermeeting, visitmosac.org, atrium916.com, uuss.org, sacnaturecenter.net, stasac.org and ecosacramento.net.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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Cindy Fowler
Photo by Linda Smolek
Smoother Landings
COUNTY FINDS $1.3 BILLION TO FIX AIRPORT’S PROBLEMS
Traveling via Sacramento International Airport has its frustrations.
There’s the wait for the people-mover train to reach your gate at Concourse B. When it arrives, you crowd into compartments with other passengers and risk exposure to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Then there’s the lack of parking near both terminals. And the need to ride a shuttle bus to rental car agencies.
Now Sacramento County’s Department of Airports is doing
something to remedy the situation with a $1.3 billion expansion. Besides improving infrastructure, the goal is to enhance the airport experience and accommodate projected passenger growth.
A $140 million pedestrian walkway connecting Terminal B to Concourse B is slated to start next year. Once completed, the walkway will give passengers a choice between the train or walking to the concourse.
Gates will be added to both terminals to allow more flights. Last month, Southwest Airlines began direct flights to Nashville, Tennessee.
HSA new Terminal B parking garage will be built, along with a consolidated ground transportation center to centralize taxi, ride-share and shuttles into a single area, walkable from both terminals.
By Howard Schmidt Inside The County
By late 2027, a new $400 million rental car facility should be completed to let passengers access rental car agencies without a shuttle.
“I am thrilled to see the launch of SMForward, the largest construction program in Sacramento County’s history,” says Supervisor Rich Desmond, using the project slogan. “This ambitious project not only signifies growth and progress for our region but also serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing worldclass facilities and infrastructure for the people of Sacramento County and its visitors.
“SMForward will not only enhance the travel experience but also create jobs and economic opportunities for local businesses.”
The work represents implementation of the airport master plan, which the Board of Supervisors approved last year. The plan anticipated the need for additional facilities to meet the growing demand for air travel.
Current usage exceeds peer airports in the region after unprecedented impacts from the pandemic. In 2022, SMF nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels. Forecasts show steady passenger
growth averaging 4.3 percent annually through 2041.
“The airport experience is the first impression many people see when they arrive in Northern California, and the last as they leave,” says Cindy Nichol, Director of Sacramento County Department of Airports. She acknowledges the airport’s parking, concourses and roadways have several choke points and says SMForward will address these problems.
The project is financed through a combination of federal and state grants, municipal bonds issued by the airport and user fees. This means the burden of payment will not fall on local taxpayers.
Howard Schmidt worked on federal, state and local levels of government, including 16 years for Sacramento County. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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Conduct Unbecoming
When I joined the City Council in 2015, our public meetings were relatively benign. There was some tension over subsidizing Golden 1 Center. The city’s contribution to the Jeff Koons art piece “Piglet” caused a stir. Relatively easy stuff to work through.
Then in 2018, with the Sacramento Police shooting death of Stephon Clark and the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, things got serious. Protests led to real anger at City Hall. Obscenities became common at our meetings. Several
sessions ended early because they could not be calmed.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s life was threatened at the dais. Councilmembers were called racists, murderers and executioners. At one point City Hall was vandalized. Councilmembers left the building for safety reasons.
The hot button issues became homelessness, social justice, police actions and calls for defunding public safety. A group of “progressive activists” evolved. They attended City Council meetings and regularly disrupted proceedings with belligerent, defiant behavior. By my count, they number about 50 ideologues.
They branded the Rook as a tank and Maple as a traitor.
The reward for Maple’s good and unbiased work as a representative? Death threats. And a sloppy, uninformed attack from Bee reporter Robin Epley, who wrote, “Maple didn’t only deceive her constituents, she deceived her colleagues, too.”
Maple deceived no one. She made her decision after hearing testimony and examining all sides of the issue. Her constituents and colleagues should expect nothing less.
Council rules and procedures state no person shall engage in conduct that disturbs the orderly conduct of meetings. Rules give the presiding officer (usually the mayor) the ability to warn people about their conduct or have them removed by the sergeant at arms.
There have been many warnings, but few removals by Steinberg. Over time, his permissive approach has encouraged activists to destroy decorum at City Hall.
By Jeff Harris City Skeptic
JHThe most recent disruption occurred when Councilmember Caity Maple (a presumed progressive) voted to accept a grant for the purchase of a tractor called the Rook, a front-loading machine police use to protect officers and citizens in lifethreatening situations.
The activists did not anticipate Maple could analyze a staff report and make an informed decision.
Councilmember Katie Valenzuela insinuated Maple and other new members did not think critically about their vote for the Rook. Vice Mayor Eric Guerra adjourned the next meeting because people revisited the issue, hurled expletives and approached the dais without permission.
Is protected speech such as profanity allowable in a public forum like a council meeting? The city attorney has opined it is. Disrupting proceedings is not. The catch is, profanity escalates tempers, which often leads to disruption.
Granted, running a contentious meeting requires quick judgment. You can allow some small outbursts and let tempers cool and diffuse the moment. But over the last five years, these behaviors have increased to the point where it has become sporting for activists to shut down meetings.
It happens because they are allowed to get away with it.
City Council meetings must be a place where anyone can express views, however radical, without being intimidated or bullied by others who don’t share their views.
TO PAGE 23
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MAYOR, COUNCIL MUST REGAIN CONTROL OVER MEETINGS
HERO TO ZERO
THERE’S NO COMPARISON BETWEEN LAST TWO MAYORS
Kevin believed he was the only political leader with the vision, connections and competitive heart to save the day. Crisis conditions fueled his narcissism. But even Johnson’s critics admitted he was the right guy at the right time.
History validated our work. While Kevin never reconciled the personal demons that wrecked his political career, Sacramento was indisputably better after Johnson’s eight years in office.
Which brings us to Darrell Steinberg. Nobody can say the town has improved under his guidance. With his quest for a judgeship seemingly snuffed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Steinberg is prepared to run for an unprecedented third term.
Meanwhile, the decline under Mayor Steinberg is palpable and tragically ironic.
Money powers communities. From a financial perspective, Steinberg is loaded. Torrents of taxpayer dollars poured into City Hall the past five years, gushing from many portals. There were voter-approved hikes in local sales taxes. There were federal and state programs to soften the pandemic’s impact. Sacramento has never been so rich.
Steinberg helped engineer these chunks of fortune, notably tax hikes. But he has almost nothing to show for it, nothing residents can celebrate.
Struggling to find accomplishments, the mayor’s office points to Aggie Square, a UC Davis research facility under construction on Stockton Boulevard. Aggie Square is nice, but it was foreshadowed by the 2004 decision to move UCD’s medical school from Davis to the Med Center campus. That was the game-changer.
Adozen years ago, when I worked for the mayor’s office, we needed a slogan to describe the leadership goals of Kevin Johnson. We came up with “Think Big,”
two words distilled by Chris Lehane, a political consultant who advised our little group. Chris was always good for snappy taglines.
At first I didn’t like “Think Big.” The slogan was simplistic, childish. But as the mayor’s office worked to fulfill Kevin’s ambitions for a new arena Downtown, I realized Chris was right. To get anything done, we had to think big.
By R.E. Graswich City Beat
Times were rough. Recession shut hundreds of local businesses. State workers were furloughed. The city budget was in shambles. Cops laid off, fire stations closed, parks neglected. Our NBA team was headed for Seattle.
A walk down Broadway or K Street or J Street or Alhambra Boulevard reveals a city in worse condition than in 2016, when Steinberg became mayor. He ran on the promise to resolve homelessness. The opposite happened, a nightmare that brings national shame and ridicule.
The number of rough sleepers was about 2,700 when Steinberg replaced Johnson. Today the homeless population is around 10,000. An honorable mayor would resign.
Mayoral failures can be mitigated with an experienced and wise City Council. But that’s not what Sacramento has, at least not today.
22 POC APR n 23
Photo by Aniko Kiezel
RG
A council majority of six new members arrived since 2020, with three rookies seated in December. It’s too soon to measure the council’s independence and ability to isolate Steinberg and steer the city around his inadequacies. Early days are not encouraging.
Mai Vang, who represents part of Meadowview and Delta Shores, launched the new council into a dismal orbit when she publicly gathered five women members and said, “Mayor, all the progressive things you’ve wanted to do, this is your council, right here.”
With that surrender, Vang insultingly characterized her colleagues as Darrell’s hippie handmaidens.
By law, the new council must let Steinberg run meetings, even when he’s unable to control the audience. But councilmembers aren’t the mayor’s toys. They don’t need him. He’s just one vote.
His presence as a forgotten state Senate leader can still intimidate political novices. But none of today’s councilmembers won by promising to let Steinberg do “all the progressive
things” he wanted to do, whatever that means.
Steinberg’s grand failure doesn’t involve leadership, progressive or otherwise. The mayor’s failure is his dependence on empty gestures. He’s a salesman, not a leader.
Hollow performances with no accountability or consequence powered his political career for three decades. He dances on air and leaves no footprints. For tangible solutions in economic development, public safety and homelessness, councilmembers must leave this mayor behind. Here’s a slogan for them: Think Big.
Correction: Last month’s City Beat column said the old Shanley’s bar on Broadway was now a pot shop. Not true, the pot shop is a block from Jamie’s, which replaced Shanley’s 37 years ago. I should know better than to mess up alcohol and pot.
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
COUNTY FROM PAGE 21
Many of my neighbors have said they won’t participate in City Council meetings due to the vitriol and intimidation. On Zoom, some people use pseudonyms to avoid backlash or verbal abuse.
The ability to “agree to disagree” no longer exists at City Council meetings.
It won’t be easy to change direction now that the die has been cast, but it is necessary. Similar mayhem has reached County Board of Supervisors meetings, but Chair Rich Desmond is determined to change the culture and regain control of the sessions.
It will take political resolve and zero tolerance. Our mayor needs to use tools at his disposal and immediately eject people who disrupt council proceedings to regain control of the chambers and require a reasonable tone at meetings. It just takes leadership.
Jeff Harris represented District 3 on the City Council from 2014 to 2022. He can be reached at cadence@mycci. net. n
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Care Commitment
HOMELESS SERVICES FINALLY SEE COORDINATION
BY ERIN JOHANSEN AND LISA BATES
For the first time in years, stakeholders in Sacramento are committed to a single plan to end homelessness. While the situation is bleak on the streets, this commitment is new and can be a game-changer.
The key to success is the shared vow of all partners to move forward with action, services and resources. This means we work together.
We have already seen changes. Thanks to adoption of the city and county partnership, expanded homeless services are available. New housing and safe-stay shelter sites are planned, along with expanded behavioral health services in 11 community locations.
Last year, 9,278 homeless individuals were counted in Sacramento County. The number represented a 67%
increase since the last count in 2019. Employment, social and health care problems contributed to the increase.
Approximately six in 10 unsheltered adults indicate they have disabling health conditions that prevent them from working or maintaining stable housing.
Such complexity necessitates collaboration. The Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care is a 30-member regional planning body to improve coordination of housing and services for people who experience homelessness as they move to stable housing and self-sufficiency.
The planning group includes local government, homeless service providers and people with experience, plus businesses, advocates and faith groups. Sacramento Steps Forward is the lead agency and facilitates the connections.
Sac Steps Forward coordinates our
homeless response, manages funding and grants, and collects data to improve the system’s performance and connect clients to housing and services.
We believe collaboration and action will produce the changes we need.
The city, county and continuum of care recently adopted the Sacramento Local Homeless Action Plan to line up resources for homeless people. The plan includes six strategies:
• Build and scale a coordinated access system where people know where and how to connect to resources.
• Ensure emergency shelters and temporary housing locations focus on clients leaving for permanent housing.
• Increase permanent housing opportunities.
• Prevent at-risk households from falling into homelessness.
• Attract and retain a robust and diverse workforce to deliver homeless services.
• Ensure people with behavioral health care needs can access services and supports.
The plan will serve as a blueprint for how we finally reduce and eliminate homelessness.
As we make progress, the public can measure our improvements by getting involved. If you would like to help end homelessness or learn more about Sacramento Steps Forward, visit sacramentostepsforward.org.
Erin Johansen is CEO of Hope Cooperative and Continuum of Care chair for 2021-23. Lisa Bates is CEO of Sacramento Steps Forward. They can be reached at info@hopecoop.org or info@ sacstepsforward.org. n
24 POC APR n 23
Quiz Master
Perhaps you remember the VegO-Matic commercial from the mid-1960s, where marketing guru and inventor Ron Popeil promoted a kitchen appliance by saying, “It slices, it dices and so much more!”
Veg-O-Matic ads inspired a “Saturday Night Live” spoof about a fish blender called the Super Bass-O-Matic, first performed by Dan Aykroyd in 1976. Nearly 50 years later, let me introduce you to the Belief-O-Matic. Like the Veg-O-Matic, once you use it, you'll wonder how you ever did without it.
I’m not kidding. The Belief-O-Matic is real.
But it’s not a countertop appliance. Rather, it’s an online survey at
SHOULD AN ONLINE TEST PICK YOUR RELIGION?
Beliefnet.com that asks, “Are you sure your faith is the best choice for you? Take our religion quiz to find out!”
The religious personality test promises that “…if you’ll answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, abortion, homosexuality, divorce and so on, the Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion or spiritual path (if any) best suits your beliefs.”
If you take the time to seriously answer the questions, the site will rank your answers and match you with a world religion. Think of it as a dating app for God. Kind of like, swipe left if you’re liberal. Right if you’re fundamentalist.
In a world full of “isms,” you could potentially be matched with conservative Protestantism. Or maybe you’ll identify as a blend of, say, 75 percent Eastern Orthodox and 25 percent Seventh Day Adventism.
NBYour answers may spin you into unexplored places. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to learn about a new religion.
By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters
This Baptist took the Belief-OMatic test and found myself kin to the Religious Society of Friends, better known as Quakers.
The label Quakers took hold when early observers witnessed society
members’ “spiritual energy” and mocked them for “quaking.”
The Society of Friends website promotes two major beliefs: “All people are capable of directly experiencing the divine nature of the universe.” And, “God’s revelations have never stopped. God might reach out to any one of us at any time.”
To paraphrase, God isn’t locked into Bible stories. God lives in our personal stories and is still at work in today’s world.
I wouldn’t call my test results foolproof, but I’ll admit they do seem to fit a certain chaplain (me) who recently returned to pastoring a Baptist church after years of hospice work.
While editors of the Belief-O-Matic website say they hope to inspire people to examine their relationship with God, they admit the test has some shortcomings. It’s not intended as a religious litmus test.
Too bad. A working litmus test could help resolve the differences of religious factions.
But wait, there’s more!
Maybe a litmus test does exist. Dare I suggest it is multi-faith?
Jesus said the real test was for us to “love the Lord your God with all your
heart… (and) love your neighbor as yourself.”
His analysis suggests it’s not how much Bible, Buddha, Brahma or Bhagavad-Gita you can recite. What matters is how you live your faith.
More precisely, what matters is how your faith lives in you. Galatians 5:22 says it best:
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” When you see these behaviors acted out, you know faith has passed the test.
In the meantime, I encourage you to take the Belief-O-Matic test and let me know how you placed. For those with a serious religious interest, check out the Religious Typology Quiz by the Pew Research Center.
I’ve posted both tests on my website at www.thechaplain.net.
Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n
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Parkside Views
CURTIS PARK HOME TOUR FEATURES LIGHT-FILLED REMODEL
Peter Colussy and Willie Recht found a home in Curtis Park, in more ways than one.
Recht is CEO of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region and Colussy is director for a public affairs firm. They have two French bulldogs, Daisy and Winnie.
In 2015, the couple purchased a home at Franklin Boulevard and Marshall Way. With each passing year, their appreciation for the neighborhood’s community spirit grew.
In 2019, on their daily dog walk through the tree-lined streets, they spotted a “for sale” sign at an attractive Spanish revival home on Curtis Way with views overlooking the park.
Once inside, they decided to make the move. “We loved our other home, but the bones of this home and the location were too much to pass up,” Recht says.
The new place wasn’t perfect. The couple found the interior somewhat tired and made plans to upgrade. Then the pandemic hit. Their plans needed modification because of supply chain issues.
“We did the remodel in two phases, which made it easier to manage and live through,” Colussy says. “We still had significant delays.”
The 2,200-square-foot home has four bedrooms, one used as a home office for Colussy, and two bathrooms. The couple love color and have made dramatic uses throughout.
By Cecily Hastings
The living room has views of the park through numerous windows in various shapes. The furnishings are stylish and eclectic. The art is either from their favorite local artists or purchased on international travels.
Off the living room is a study opened up from a former bedroom that features dark gray walls and a huge black and white
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Photography by Aniko Kiezel Open House
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Peter Colussy and Willie Recht
Neighborhood Real Estate Sales
Closed February 1 - 28*
VISIT INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM FOR COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD REAL ESTATE GUIDES WITH 6 MONTH HISTORICAL SALES DATA
* BASED UPON INFORMATION FROM METROLIST SERVICES, INC, FOR THE PERIOD FEBRUARY 1, 2023 THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, 2023. DUNNIGAN, REALTORS DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THESE SALES.
27 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM 95608 7131 STELLA LN #29 $290,000 5923 CASA ALEGRE $292,500 5008 MELVIN DR $345,000 6225 WILDOMAR WAY $365,000 6042 REMINGTON AVE $370,000 5119 OLEANDER DR $379,000 5841 SHARPS CIR $380,000 5418 ENGLE RD $419,000 5160 OAK LEAF AVE $425,000 5924 ASHWORTH WAY $435,000 5305 HESPER WAY $439,900 3425 SHAWHAN LN $450,000 5633 LIGGETT WAY $454,000 6348 ASLIN WAY $455,000 5842 KIMBERLY HILL CT $470,000 3349 VIENNA AVE $475,000 5219 ARDEN WAY $475,000 2608 GREENFIELD WAY $480,000 1733 MISSION AVE $480,000 6301 GRANT AVE $483,000 4400 GARFIELD AVE $525,000 6145 LANDIS AVE $530,000 72 RIVERKNOLL PL $545,000 6109 MAUER AVE $549,000 6417 PERRIN WAY $595,000 6420 SCENIC OAK CT $600,000 3032 VALASSTRADA CT $660,000 50 COVERED BRIDGE RD $670,000 5117 WALNUT GARDEN CT $690,000 3136 CALIFORNIA AVE $710,000 7249 WILLOWBANK WAY $741,060 4968 SAN MARQUE CIR. $784,000 4515 CHARLESTON DR $805,000 2108 HAMLET PL $830,000 1674 DEL DAYO DR $875,000 95815 1160 HELENA AVE $227,000 2887 MARYSVILLE BLVD $228,000 2528 DALE AVE $262,000 1690 ARCADE BLVD $310,000 519 ARCADE BLVD $360,000 2809 JANETTE WAY $365,000 2000 WATERFORD RD $392,500 1817 BOWLING GREEN DR $400,000 998 LOCHBRAE RD $449,000 2742 NORWOOD AVE $525,000 696 WOODLAKE DR $700,000 95816 209 ALHAMBRA BLVD $325,000 3406 C ST $498,500 3177 O ST $550,000 1918 28TH ST $597,500 514 28TH ST $600,000 1010 DOLORES WAY $705,000 2115 G ST $1,485,000 95817 4031 12TH AVE $355,000 6212 2ND AVE $404,575 2727 37TH ST $418,000 3101 44TH ST $418,500 4434 U ST $495,000 95818 300 1ST AVE $384,000 2427 W ST $469,000 1033 3RD AVE $521,500 812 FREMONT WAY $555,000 925 VALLEJO WAY $565,000 1268 8TH AVE $621,000 2314 V ST $640,000 780 SWANSTON DR $710,000 2816 MARTY WAY $710,000 727 SWANSTON DR $740,000 2525 10TH AVE $745,000 925 9TH AVE $940,000 1870 10TH AVE $1,029,000 95819 5866 SHEPARD AVE $500,000 5343 H ST $599,900 1362 55TH ST $630,000 4132 B ST $648,000 85 COLOMA WAY $665,000 180 SAN ANTONIO WAY $700,000 5539 MODDISON AVE $722,000 663 40TH ST $725,000 1637 47TH ST $785,000 1402 51ST ST $800,000 95821 2513 ANNA WAY $185,000 3436 SAINT MATHEWS DR $270,000 3564 LARCHMONT SQUARE LN $310,000 3717 GRATIA AVE $389,000 2395 TYROLEAN WAY $410,000 3705 DURAN CIR $420,000 4617 ROBERTSON AVE $435,000 4532 EL CAMINO AVE $449,000 4208 LYLE ST $460,000 4451 WOODSON AVE $515,000 4671 PASADENA AVE $670,000 2824 LIENO LN $730,000 95822 6133 24TH ST $210,000 1942 68TH AVE $246,000 115 QUASAR CIR $290,000 7136 INDIAN LN $330,000 7456 AMHERST ST $346,000 7348 AMHERST ST $370,000 1932 WAKEFIELD WAY $370,000 1925 63RD AVE $389,500 2627 TOY AVE $390,000 1416 LOMAS WAY $391,000 7462 CANDLEWOOD WAY $400,000 2718 MEADOWVALE AVE $405,000 2441 39TH AVENUE $415,000 2167 56TH AVE $419,000 5660 JACKS LN $420,000 2330 25TH AVE $442,000 7552 SAN FELICE $445,000 5955 GLORIA DR $455,000 1457 OREGON DR $539,900 1138 27TH AVE $550,000 1181 25TH AVE $589,000 1011 PIEDMONT DR #OR $705,000 4729 CRESTWOOD WAY $725,000 4287 WARREN AVE $740,000 4259 WARREN AVE $765,000 5961 HOLSTEIN WAY $769,999 4301 EUCLID AVE $997,500 95825 2424 LARKSPUR LN #218 $225,000 841 WOODSIDE LN #15 $254,900 943 FULTON AVE #516 $267,000 512 WOODSIDE OAKS #4 $295,000 2224 WOODSIDE LN #3 $330,000 2011 EDWIN WAY $350,000 2100 CARLOTTA DR $410,000 2353 FIELLEN CT $449,000 2324 PENNLAND DR $450,000 736 COMMONS DR $457,500 1045 VANDERBILT WAY $479,900 308 DUNBARTON CIR $510,000 2314 SWARTHMORE DR $512,000 351 RIO DEL ORO LN $515,000 207 ELMHURST CIR $610,000 1950 UNIVERSITY PARK DR $650,000 95831 1055 JOHNFER WAY $365,000 7524 MAPLE TREE WAY $420,000 2 RAPID RIVER CT $439,000 493 COOL WIND WAY $449,000 387 RIVERTREE WAY $490,000 7704 RIO BARCO WAY $497,888 7085 RIVERCOVE WAY $499,000 7160 HAVENSIDE DR $527,000 25 STARLIT CIR $529,000 6762 LANGRELL WAY $560,000 18 RIO VIALE CT $565,000 6199 FENNWOOD CT $565,000 6901 FLINTWOOD WAY $570,000 1117 SILVER LAKE DR $579,900 33 PORTO SANTO CT $579,900 6400 CHETWOOD WAY $585,000 329 BELLO RIO WAY $599,900 7213 LONG RIVER DR $600,000 708 CLIPPER WAY $615,000 360 HATTERAS WAY $620,000 7267 S LAND PARK DR $625,000 7261 GLORIA DR $632,800 959 PARK RANCH WAY $639,000 6871 TRUDY WAY $650,000 44 LAKESHORE CIRCLE $686,000 675 RIVERLAKE WAY $700,000 19 VISTAWOOD CT $700,000 316 OUTRIGGER WAY $715,000 80 CAVALCADE CIR $750,000 6651 SPURLOCK WAY $795,000 18 TRIUMPH CT $870,000 95864 2332 GILA WAY $510,000 4440 SURITA ST $875,000 3040 AMERICAN RIVER DR $885,500 1336 MARIEMONT AVE $1,200,000 941 CORONADO BLVD $1,225,000
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painting of the state bear, a California grizzly. A cozy sectional sofa invites relaxation.
The formal dining room is dramatic with leafy green wall paint, a sleek contemporary dining set, and glass and brass light fixture. The room opens off the living room through a pointed archway. A generous window and carved wood door direct the space toward the side patio.
The kitchen uses soft yellow cabinets and natural wood with taupe accents. Counters have a mix of gray soapstone with maple butcher block on the island. A white faux bamboo dining set adds a crisp touch.
Upstairs the master bedroom and bath are warmed by taupe walls and textured carpet. A contemporary four-
poster bed adds a graphic linear touch and creates a cozy “room in a room” feeling. The couple expertly planned a generous closet system using nooks and crannies of the roof dormers.
The bathroom and master closet have sleek, naturalfinish walnut cabinets with a mini-shaker edge detail. The bathroom is accented with graphic wallpaper of black and white trees, a nod to the park across the street. A red Oriental rug adds a colorful accent. Transitional-style cabinet hardware is used throughout but in different finishes in different areas.
The small balcony and side yard facing the park get lots of attention. But there’s also a beautiful backyard
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barbecue, and patio and dining area dotted with greenery and cobalt blue potted plants.
During lockdowns, the couple invited neighbors over to maintain social ties. The dining room always stays busy as the affable couple offer one of the best dinner invitations in town.
As we sat in the living room, I asked what they liked best about their home. Recht and Colussy agreed: “Just sitting in this light-filled room with our dogs, and with the views of the park and neighborhood beyond. It just doesn’t get any better.”
The home will be featured in the 2023 Curtis Park Home Tour, returning this year after a three-year hiatus. Five homes and gardens will show the diversity of styles in Curtis Park on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at sierra2. org/event/home-tour or the Sierra 2 office at 2791 24th St. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on tour day. The
tour is presented by Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association. The event will include food trucks, live music, home and garden vendors, picnic tables and chairs at the north end of Curtis Park.
Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. To recommend a home or garden, contact editor@insidepublications. com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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Good, Not Great
DON’T GET CARRIED AWAY BY A LITTLE SUCCESS
That was the easy part, the transition from awful to good. Next step is the tough one, good to great.
Kings fans are thrilled with this season’s progress, a hungry audience given a meal of rump steak, starchy potatoes and organic lettuce. Now let’s talk about dessert and remember reaching the NBA playoffs is not a major accomplishment.
Everyone does it. Or almost everyone, other than the Kings for the past 16 years.
Here’s the difference. Great teams know the regular season is a long, slow warmup. They take a strategic approach to those soggy winter games. Some nights they sleepwalk. Other times
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By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority
they cruise. They try to avoid injury. Inevitably, they reach the playoffs. Coaches get fired for anything less.
Mike Brown knows this cruel world. The Kings’ coach was fired from three excellent jobs, twice by the Cleveland Cavaliers, once by the Los Angeles Lakers. His teams were filled with remarkable talent, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. His bosses concluded he wasn’t the right guy to blaze a path to the championship.
Couldn’t win the big ones. Too tough on players. Good, not great. Into the sunset he went.
Like many of us, Brown mellowed with age and earned another chance. His years assisting Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr produced four championships and proof that great teams don’t need a coach who screams and torments like a drill sergeant.
With great teams, mellow wins the race. Brown will never be as laid back as Kerr. He’s not wired that way. But Brown learned the wisdom of letting certain things go.
The Kings succeeded this season with the right mix of youth and speed. They finally had players who accepted the system and worked together. They won and had fun and weren’t ashamed to work for the Kings.
Brown, who long ago embraced the potency of three-point baskets based on a wonderfully archaic and simple pick and roll, inspired his men and let them play.
The Kings endured many challenges over the last 16 years, including a threatened move to Seattle and a forced sale to new management. The arrival of new owners a decade ago should have created stability. But some owners can’t keep their hands off the toys.
Such was the fate of the Kings. Until Brown was hired, managing partner Vivek Ranadive made bad situations worse by trying to run the Kings like a Silicon Valley startup. He thought constant disruption was somehow good.
He was wrong. The Kings aren’t a startup. They have been around in one form or another since 1945. They evolved in pitiful environments where they lacked money and support. After their first few years in Rochester, New York, they never aspired to greatness. Good was good enough.
The low hurdle created a franchise that lost respect among players, coaches, agents, fans, even referees. After a couple of games this season, youthful Kings moaned they didn’t get beneficial calls from refs thanks to their Sacramento uniforms. Nothing new
there. It’s been that way since the Kings came to town in 1985.
Now hungry Kings fans deserve credit for helping the team become good. Fans began to abandon the product last season, leaving rows of unsold, empty seats at Golden 1 Center. It worked. Nothing tells owners to fix things better than empty seats. Ranadive hired Brown and promised the coach could run things without interference.
Great teams have stability. Peripheral players come and go, but core performers and coaches stick around. The Kings have been a masterclass in instability for many of the last 38 years, with predictable results. No matter what happens this season, the goal must be stability.
There’s one big downside to success. All those unsold, empty seats are suddenly valuable. It’s a seller’s market for the first time in decades. The price of beer, hot dogs and tickets will rise as the Kings stick it to their loyal fans. Somebody has to pay for all that goodness.
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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The way they were: The Kings and Reggie Theus never had much luck in the late 1980s.
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The y weree: The Kin
INSIDE OUT
Community Events
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PHOTOS BY SUSAN MAXWELL SKINNER
1. Carmichael Presbyterian Church commemorates its centenary year. Supporters with memorabilia are (from left) Karen Orlando, Pastor Ivan Herman, Pastor Keith DeVries and Allison Cagley.
2. Edward Stach (center) completes an Eagle Scout merit project. His new benches provide seating at the Koobs Nature Center in Carmichael.
3. Home Care Assistance President Ryan Waddell (center) and friends celebrate the senior care agency reopening in the Bel Air Shopping Center in Carmichael.
4. Twin Lotus Thai restaurant holds a one-year party. Guest entertainers include (from left) Rick Lotter, Buca Necak and Del Gomes.
5. At Carmichael Chamber’s 75th birthday celebration, Supervisor Rich Desmond staffer Vanessa McCarthy-Olmstead presents a proclamation to chamber President Izzy DeLancey, Rosie Buck and Julie DePrada-Schott.
6. Carmichael Chamber of Commerce former and current leaders reunite for the chamber’s 75th birthday.
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On Deaf Ears
TIME FOR CITY OFFICIALS TO HELP ‘FIX FRONT STREET’
Tahoe Park resident Lynn Bishop joined dozens of other dog lovers last year answering a call from the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter. Foster a dog for the holidays.
Approximately 60 cars lined up for drive-through fostering. “It was like an assembly line,” says Bishop, who took home Roscoe, a 6-year-old unneutered chihuahua mix brought to the shelter as a stray.
On any given day, as many as 345 dogs are fostered through Front Street. Many are not spayed or neutered.
“It’s a lot of animals in foster care,” says Front Street Manager Phillip Zimmerman. “Unfortunately, when you have that many animals in foster care, there’s a lot of work that goes along with it.”
Tracking those dogs falls on one full-time employee. A part-time intern and off-site volunteer assist.
The job should include ensuring the dog is the right fit for the home. Is he the correct size, breed, age and energy level for the foster family? Is the home clean and safe, fenced and gated? Does the foster parent understand the time commitment for potty training, socializing, exercising and veterinary visits? What about providing personality information for website listings and social media, and taking the dog to adoption events?
If the foster dog is not spayed or neutered, are other dogs in the home altered?
Zimmerman sees these questions as “barriers” to fostering and adopting. “In our field, we want to reduce barriers,” he says. Placing a dog waiting for spay/neuter surgery in a home with an unaltered pet is considered on a “case-by-case basis.”
Zimmerman says there are a “plethora of reasons” why as few as 24 dogs—out of 345 in foster care— are listed for adoption on the Front Street website. One reason is that more than 200 dogs are “foster-toadopt.” Foster families have elected to keep the canines.
Street’s “foster-to-adopt” dogs are in limbo. “The biggest backlog is spay/ neuter surgeries,” Zimmerman says.
“Do we honestly think that he has adequate systems in place to prevent the breeding of those fostered animals in the community?” Bagley Franzoia says. “Hell, he has no systems to stop breeding in the city kennels.”
Last month, Front Street volunteers reported unaltered male and female dogs housed in the same kennels—some caught in the act.
By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies
“Shelters have found a way around the spay and neuter mandate upon adoption,” says attorney Hilary Bagley Franzoia, who headed up the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Unit and Animal Cruelty Task Force. “Now
they foster-to-adopt, providing the release without spay and neuter.
“That is a cheat they find necessary to save lives,” she says. “But that program is only as good as their diligence after the fact.”
For example, 19 days after Lynn Bishop took Roscoe home, she hadn’t heard from Front Street. She called the number provided by the shelter and left a message. Roscoe needed a neuter and dental before he could be adopted. No call back. She waited 10 more days, then texted. A return text the next day reported that Roscoe’s surgery was finally scheduled.
In the end, Roscoe became a “foster-to-adopt.” When Bishop and her husband considered keeping him, Front Street gave them 15 days to decide. That date came and went with no follow up from Front Street. A week later, Bishop had to notify the shelter they were adopting Roscoe.
Because shelter pets cannot be adopted until they are altered, Front
“It would seem in all the brilliance that is leadership at Front Street, it is acceptable to place unaltered males and females inside the kennels together,” says Elyse Mize, a local animal advocate. Mize helped launch Fix Front Street, a Facebook page bringing attention to what they call the city shelter’s mismanagement.
Zimmerman confirms he houses unaltered animals together. “In the perfect world, we would be within our capacity for care,” he says. “We would not have to double house dogs. Unfortunately, we are not seeing animals move as fast as we would like and the intake has increased. So we have to make choices on the best fit.”
Assistant City Manager Michael Jasso adds, “It’s being done for what we perceive is a greater good, which is being able to accommodate the animals versus having an increased euthanasia rate.”
If this is an acceptable practice, in 63 days—the gestation period for a dog—won’t there be more dogs to shelter and potentially kill?
“Front Street has had a longstanding practice under director Zimmerman to allow owners to reclaim their animals for free, with no spay or neuter requirements,” Mize says. “It is entirely feasible that
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pregnant dogs are being sent home to their oblivious families. In many cases, they will end up just like their parents, unfixed and back in the shelter at the expense of the city of Sacramento, i.e., taxpayers.”
Zimmerman blames the backlog of spay/neuter surgeries on a nationwide veterinarian shortage. Front Street has one staff veterinarian and fills in with contract vets.
“Though many claim there is no solution to the spay/neuter crisis because of a veterinary shortage, we disagree,” says Julie Virga, a former city shelter volunteer who helped launch Fix Front Street. “Solutions can always be found with effort, sincere concern and resources. We have made the effort, Front Street has the resources, but we need city leaders to provide sincere concern and support for this effort.”
In a recent email to Zimmerman and city officials, Virga reported that Fix Front Street secured the services of a local veterinarian and her team willing to provide low-cost surgeries on a contract basis.
Elisabeth de Gaust, DDS General and Cosmetic Dentistry
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“We propose they work two to three days a week until the backlog of spay/ neuter of shelter animals is addressed and then two days a week to provide these services to Sacramento citizens and the animals of the unhoused that are literally breeding out of control in our neighborhoods.”
Virga says her proposal went unanswered by Zimmerman.
“No shelter is perfect,” Zimmerman says. “A small group of people who are extremely loud have chosen to just pick on Front Street. We are not going to communicate with those people anymore.”
Fix Front Street has brought concerns, mostly ignored, to Zimmerman and city officials for the past three years, Virga says. “If city leaders do not act to help animals, nothing will change at Front Street.”
Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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No Sloppy Joes
FIERY GINGER BRINGS FARM-FRESH QUALITY TO KIDS’ MEALS
When I stumbled onto Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, I thought I must be in the wrong place.
Just off a main drive choked with cars, behind a motorcycle shop, an agricultural oasis beckoned.
The confluence of urban and rural, the contrast of cement and steel with compost and budding broccoli, struck me as an oddly poetic but fitting combination as I considered the food many of our kids eat.
With rows of organic salad greens, rooting pigs, digging ducks, greeting goats, and a field of cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli, I was in homesteader heaven just blocks from Downtown.
Imagine our kids’ school lunch trays packed with fresh, organic salad greens, pastured pork, braised
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By Gabrielle Myers
Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork
turnips, broccoli heads kissed with Meyer lemon zest, and strawberries with green crowns still attached. Replace the “as cheap as you can get it” pizza slices, fries, squashed hamburgers, nitrate-filled hot dogs, and out-of-season apples and bananas from faraway lands with local, organic, vibrant food to nourish young bodies and minds.
On my visit to Fiery Ginger Farm’s lush plot, cofounder Shayne Zurilgen makes the connection clear: “Our kids should have the same produce as we have when we go to Mulvaney’s. The more kids eat healthy food when they are younger, the more they will eat it as adults. We need to show them how to eat healthy, locally grown and nutrient-dense food. If the veggies are of better quality, they will eat them.”
Fiery Ginger began in 2015 with the goal to transform food access for students in kindergarten through high school. The farm shows kids how to grow, harvest and use farm ingredients. Fiery Ginger also works to deliver food picked and harvested at peak ripeness.
Zurilgen and co-founder Hope Sippola met via the Center for Land-Based Learning’s California Farm Academy. Zurilgen, a former middle school science teacher, and Sippola, a former garden coordinator at Davis Farm to School, each have a passion to get the best food possible into our schools.
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Shayne Zurilgen and Hope Sippola
Fiery Ginger serves as a training site for Davis Farm to School garden coordinators. The farm wants to help more school districts learn how to be leaders in the farm-to-school connection.
The drive to ensure quality food and meaningful connections to the earth enabled the pair to develop a revolutionary organization, Spork Food Hub, which pulls produce and products from about 30 local sustainable farms and ranches.
Spork Food Hub acts as a direct link between these farms and ranches and local schools. The hub allows cafeterias to work with the best produce, eggs and meats around, the same products high-end restaurants enjoy.
The hub serves 12 school districts from Placerville to Vacaville and
Yuba to Stockton. With food equity and access as its mission, the venture wants to help prisons, universities and hospitals gain access to quality, sustainably raised food at reasonable costs.
Now the hub wants to find a facility to process fruits and vegetables, and make good food easier to handle at understaffed and poorly equipped schools and institutional kitchens.
Fiery Ginger has two garden plots, one in West Sacramento and another in Davis. The farm hosts school field trips where students learn how plants grow, what plants need to develop to full potential, how soil productivity works, and how to harvest and preserve the bounty. With 40–50 field trips each spring and 25 or more each fall, the farm makes life-changing impacts on many kids.
The mind-body connection, the most important aspect of our ability to learn, gets addressed when we look critically at the food our kids eat. We can give them access to nourishing food and show them how to grow, prepare and love that nurturing of the physical and mental self. You can find Fiery Ginger produce and transplants at the Davis Farmers Market, Talini’s Nursery, Davis Farmer’s Kitchen and in many school lunches.
Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest book of poetry, “Too Many Seeds,” can be ordered from fishinglinepress.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento n
35 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
Building Young Minds Minds
NEW SCHOOL OPENS DOORS FOR TRADE SKILLS, COLLEGE
It’s been a long time since I’ve cheered for a development with this much enthusiasm. But wait until you see what Kevin Dobson is doing at the long-shuttered Limn Furniture warehouse on Arden Way. Frustrated from watching so many directionless kids fail to graduate when he was principal at Natomas Charter School, Dobson quit his job to chase a dream. He created a free career academy where motivated high school students can get hands-on experience, internships and college credits at the same time.
Now, with support from the local business community, an agreement with American River College and a $14 million tax-exempt bond to purchase the Limn property for $2.6 million
G D GD
By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future
and build the school, Dobson’s Capital College & Career Academy is on track to open in August.
Dobson expects an initial class of about 80 ninth graders, with plans to add grades 10, 11 and 12 over the next several years.
Targeting students who are first in their family to attend college, the academy focuses on careers in the construction trades, where the need for young workers is acute.
“It’s kind of surreal, but I feel so fortunate to be in this position,” Dobson says. “We had a lot to get through to reach this point, but getting the bond closed was a huge lift. Now I’m excited to be doing the real work of
serving kids and families, especially in a neighborhood like this that can really use a boost.”
Dobson has been at this for a few years, so it’s easy to understand his sense of relief. To start a charter high school, he had to hire instructors, attract students and raise more than $1 million to help cover upfront costs. Then came negotiations to get the County Board of Education to sanction his new charter, all while dealing with the politics of public education.
He was originally turned down after resistance from the California Teachers Association, which opposes new charter schools. But Dobson has enthusiastic community and business
support, especially from the trade unions worried where they will find the next generation of carpenters, electricians, masons and plumbers, along with other construction employees needed in accounting, human resources, marketing, management or whatever else a general contractor requires.
With help from a consulting firm that advises fledgling charter schools, Dobson addressed the county’s concerns and won approval for his charter. When the school opens this summer, it will be the only site-based high school in the Sacramento region to allow students to simultaneously take college classes at Sacramento
36 POC APR n 23
Kevin Dobson
Photo by Aniko Kiezel
LIKE
State and American River College with the opportunity to earn up to three years of college credit by high school graduation.
At the groundbreaking ceremony in February, Mayor Darrell Steinberg was one of several speakers excited about Dobson’s vision.
“This charter school is going to combine academic rigor and also preparing young people for high wage jobs in the trades,” Steinberg said, “and it’s the exact kind of model we have to replicate not just in Sacramento but throughout the state and the country.”
Also appearing at the groundbreaking was Ken Wenham, president and CEO of Roebbelen Contracting Inc. He’s on the school’s board of directors, along with contractors and officials from SMUD, California Department of Transportation, Teichert, McCarthy Building Companies, Turner Construction, building trades and other local companies.
According to a news release, Roebbelen donated more than $150,000 for naming rights to the academy, one of a number of local firms making sizable donations.
“Once I met Kevin and understood his vision, I knew our name had to be on the building,” Wenham said. “We are grateful to participate in making this vision a reality and look forward to supporting the learning effort at the Roebbelen campus.”
The groundbreaking event attracted 14-year-old Coral May and her mother, Amy. Coral is interested in attending the new school.
“My mom found out about it and I was kind of on the fence because you hear about charter schools opening and then closing in two years because they run out of money or something,” Coral said. “But this seems really cool and (Dobson) seems to have a lot of great ideas for education.”
As her mom pointed out, “The school has so much community support that it feels worth the risk, especially when you factor in how much you can save on college costs by getting a lot of college credit at the same time you’re in the academy. I think it’s really exciting.”
Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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. Add cream for a lovely, light sauce.
Monthly Market
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.
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.
37 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
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MORELS
AT W FARMERS MARKETS
APRIL MUSTARD
FAVA GREENS LOOK
IN
GREENS
GONE TO POT
LET COLORFUL BLOOMS CHEER AWAY THE BLUES
D V DV
By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber
Rising utility bills and grocery prices can be a gut-punch, especially when tethered to other daily challenges. No wonder studies reveal sufferings from anxiety and depression have tripled in recent years.
Beat back the blues with flowers! Containers of cheery, happy blooms fill the heart with joy.
Trek to the neighborhood nursery and buy armfuls of ostentatious annuals. Select big, bold containers and sacks of quality potting soil. These are baby steps to designing and erecting an adult happy place. Spectacular containers add decorative focal points and supercharge an emotional boost and sense of accomplishment.
You can design flower art from a blank canvas. Arrange pots where they can be viewed from inside the home. An eyeful of beauty should be enjoyed multiple times a day, inside and outside.
A dandy benefit of flower pots is they can be hung or wall mounted. Containers, like people, are a variety of shapes and sizes.
“So many different choices,” says Greg Howes, sales specialist at The Plant Foundry Nursery & Store. “Really depends on where your container is going to be located and the design aesthetic you are after. For general purposes, you can’t go wrong with terra cotta (fired clay).”
Howes designs the nursery’s display flower containers. He prefers a 24-inch-wide pot because it lends itself to several design choices. A half wine barrel is ideal for larger plantings. Pots made from fiberglass, resin, wood, concrete, metal and ceramic are options.
Before purchasing plants, consider where to place centerpiece containers. Most summer annuals love full to mostly sun. Others, like coleus and coral bells, prefer partial shade. Search the label for sunlight requirements. Choose with form in mind.
“For mixed plantings, I often adhere to the thriller-filler-spiller formula,” Howes says. “Thrillers are taller, like grasses, perhaps. Fillers would be a low-growing plant that spreads, like verbena or thymes. For spillers, I love things like Million Bells and potato vines.”
Million Bells may be labeled Super Bells. Blooming non-stop throughout the summer and deep into fall, the tiny petunia-like flowers are a waterfall of striking color.
Choosing bloom colors can be simplified using the standard color wheel that determines
38 POC APR n 23
Greg Howes
Photo by Linda Smolek
Commonly found in Asian dishes, these greens are mildly sweet and buttery. Early in the season, they are tender enough to eat raw.
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complimentary, harmonious color combinations. For instance, purple goes with yellow, blue marries orange and red loves green. Howes says his go-to color combination is purple with orange or yellow.
“Color wheels are great, especially for those who might be unsure and are trying to match or complement house color or something else,” he says. “In the end, it is your container and should please you first and foremost.”
How many plants are too many for the pot? Depends on the container and how large your choices will become at maturity.
“Ah, this is where things can get confusing and tricky,” Howes says. “Folks generally are looking for containers to match what they see at upscale shopping centers and on pages of publications like Sunset. They are almost always over-planted to produce that overflowing, lush and abundant look that is pleasing to the eye. In a 24-inch-wide pot, I would say plant as few as five and perhaps up to eight to 10, depending on the choice of plants.”
Mix a quality fertilizer into the potting soil during planting and feed with an all-purpose fertilizer during the season. Howes hand waters his containers so he can “check in” with
plants daily. I prefer drip irrigation on a timer.
Arranging flower pots to maximize impact is best achieved in the traditional design grouping of odd numbers, three or five pots. Varying heights is another impact design principle.
“Groupings of three are always correct to the eye,” Howes says. “If I am arranging multiple containers, using odd numbers always looks best. There are places where a single or standalone container would work best and have great impact. I tell folks to experiment and try different placements. Think of your outdoor spaces as you do rooms in your home when decorating. It’s all art!”
Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@ gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
To eat: Use to wr
To eat: Use to wrap fish or seafood before cooking.
ENGLISH PEAS
The pods are not edible, so you must shuck the sweet, tender peas before eating them either raw
sweet, tender or cooked.
To eat: Steam deli
To eat: Steam, boil, blanch or sauté them. They are delicious in pasta with a light, lemony mascarpone sauce.
Market
STRAWBERRIES
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.
39 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
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A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN APRIL LEEKS
‘L iv ing In A Di fferent Body ’ ‘Living In A Di erent Body’
Maia Evrigenis could not have known her battle with adolescent cancer would be universal, but that’s what happened when her fictional memoir “Neon Jane” was published by Koehler Books last May.
“As a cancer survivor, I felt like I was living in a different body,” says the Arden Arcade resident, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at age 13. “Other people didn’t have bodies that made cancer cells. I felt weird and alone about being different, and that’s the part of the book people tell me they relate to the most. It’s given me the sense that my extremely
personal experience is actually very universal.”
Evrigenis spent seventh and eighth grade at Sutter Middle School in treatment and recovery for AML, a rare blood cell cancer that requires intense chemotherapy, which Evrigenis received at Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
Since Evrigenis hails from a wellknown local family—her father, orthodontist Greg Evrigenis, has put braces on many kids in town—she became known as “Greg’s sick kid.” She tried to escape this identity by attending New York University, thinking she’d start over in a new city.
pursue a master’s of fine arts degree at California Institute of the Arts and capture her feelings in a book. She always wanted to be a writer, but many people encouraged her to pursue medicine and find a cure for cancer. It took four years at NYU to realize she was meant to be a writer.
“By senior year, I could not ignore that I had this book ready to be written,” says Evrigenis, who graduated with her MFA in 2019. “Getting my MFA was the right choice. I got to really focus there and this book just came out.”
Although Evrigenis is working on her next project (a short story collection), she’s taking a moment to revel in a job well done.
“Though as a writer you’re naturally always thinking about what’s next, I’m trying to enjoy the fact that this book is completed,” Evrigenis says. “I see it sitting on my parents’ coffee table and I think, oh my gosh, I actually did it! Now I’m just trying to focus on my baby girl Jean and feeling much more present. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel pressure to write this story.”
By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor
“Little did I know that the cancer survivor identity made me me. It wasn’t something I wanted to forget,” she says. “People didn’t know I had that heavy history. I missed being somewhere where people respected me, where I felt more understood. Now that I’m back in Sacramento, I feel vulnerable but also the most seen. I’m validated being around people who knew me then.”
Coming to terms with her identity as a cancer survivor led Evrigenis to
While “Neon Jane” is loosely based on Evrigenis’ experience, it’s a work of fiction. Jane is a spunky, pinkwigged ghost who haunts 24-year-old protagonist Maia, pressuring her to be a more successful person in the name of childhood cancer. (Evrigenis wore a pink wig after losing her hair during chemo, but that’s where the similarities end.)
“It’s been really well received because people say it feels so real,” the writer says.
“Neon Jane” is available at Capital Books and Beers Books, and online at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart, IndieBound and Bookshop. For information, visit koehlerbooks.com/ book/neon-jane.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
40 POC APR n 23
Maia Evrigenis
Photo by Aniko Kiezel
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WRITER EXPLORES CHILDHOOD CANCER JOURNEY THROUGH FICTION
41 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM If you enjoy our print magazine, you’ll love what else Inside Sacramento has in store... Social Media Restaurant Guide Story Archives E-Newsletters InsideSacramento.com Always 100% Local. More Options to Read & Share. Readers Near & Far For more information: Become a Member! InsideSacramento.com/membership Support local business.
Art & Craft
MIXED MEDIA ARTIST COMBINES STYLES TO EXPLORE IDENTITY
Davy Fiveash is never not creating. When I catch up with him by phone, I hear telltale scratchings of a paintbrush on canvas while we chat.
“I picked up crayons like every kid does and then I didn’t put them down,” Fiveash says of his lifelong love of art and craft. “I always knew I wanted to be an artist.”
On this day, Fiveash is in his East Sacramento studio working on his newest piece, a large-scale, mixed-media painting based on his childhood titled “The Evangelicals.”
JLBy Jessica Laskey
42 POC APR n 23
Davy Fiveash
Photo by Linda Smolek
Open Studio
As a kid growing up in Valdosta, Georgia, Fiveash was exposed to art through his mom, an avid crafter. He recalls staying up late watching old movies while she crafted and he drew. Today, Fiveash considers his artwork a mashup of craft or folk art. He uses fabric and other “less specific” materials and methods, and traditional media such as oil paint.
“Those early influences really matter,” says Fiveash, who left Valdosta to make art in Atlanta. He moved to Boston to earn a diploma at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and eventually an MFA at San Francisco Art Institute.
“Craft was what I saw, so that’s what I thought art was. I started rediscovering my appreciation for craft in art school. I wanted to learn to be a really good painter, but craft kept coming back. It bonds me to home,” he says.
Religion bonds Fiveash to Valdosta and heavily influences his art. As the son of a fundamentalist preacher, Fiveash spent at least three days a week in church drawing while listening to his dad preach.
“As a little queer boy being taught how to be righteous, I learned that being gay was the opposite of that. There was a lot of turmoil in my head,” Fiveash says. “There’s a real
combination of religion and inner turmoil in my art, especially in my latest series, ‘Sunday School.’”
Rabbits, lambs, deer and flowers play into his compositions, both as allegory and reflections of the natural beauty he started to appreciate after being hit by a car in San Francisco in 2010.
“It took a lot of recovery and I started to re-evaluate what was important to me, which came out in my art,” Fiveash says. “Flowers are gorgeous but difficult to paint. They don’t do anything but grow up, give us beauty, then die.”
The breadth of Fiveash’s work has earned him fans in the Bay Area and Sacramento. He’s had work accepted into several exhibitions, including back-to-back juried staff shows at the deYoung Museum, Crocker Art Auction, PBS KVIE Art Auction and Crocker-Kingsley at Blueline Arts.
It was through the PBS KVIE auction that he met D. Oldham Neath, KVIE’s then-art curator, who liked Fiveash’s work. She asked him to bring some pieces to Archival Gallery, a gallery and frame shop she runs in East Sac. She has represented him ever since. He painted a mural of oversized blooms, titled “Providence,” on one of the gallery’s exterior walls as part of Sacramento Mural Alley.
The scratching of paintbrush on canvas catches my attention again.
“I’m painting a rooster for ‘The Evangelicals,’” Fiveash explains. “This is the biggest work I’ve ever made. It’s taller than me! Fundamentalist ideals I struggled with as a kid are starting to re-emerge in politics, so I’m incorporating that into my work. Those experiences have
turned into something I can make art about for a really long time.”
For information, visit fiveashart. com.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
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Cultures United
MENU BLAZES TRAIL BETWEEN AFGHAN, AMERICAN FOODS
Madar Afghan Food and Bakery is tucked into a strip mall on the corner of Marconi and Fulton avenues. The little restaurant brings Afghan flavors and American expectations together in a smart and delicious package.
How smart? So smart I was convinced Madar was part of a chain. It’s not, but you’d be forgiven for thinking so. From the slick logo font, focused menu and navigable website, this place doesn’t feel like a small, independent restaurant. It’s a machine. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a dozen Madars in Northern California over the next few years.
Madar opened in April 2020. That was a tough time, one month into COVID-19 restrictions. But the crew at Madar persevered.
Ordering happens at the counter. The dining room delivers subtle hints of Afghan culture while being utilitarian and unfussy. A small platform in one corner, strewn with cushions and tucked away under a hanging lamp, feels like a place where travelers can park themselves and sip tea.
Chalkboards abound with frequently changed drawings of animals, flora and sage wisdoms. On a recent visit, a drawing of a blooming plant took up one wall with the words, “Wherever you stand, be the soul of that place.”
SThe humble and comfortable environs are not why most diners visit Madar. They come for the food. Flavors are explosive, preparations expert, the vibe undeniable. Let me add a few details and hope you catch my drift.
GBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider
The menu leans toward the mixand-match model, with a few different preparations, sandwich, pita or rice
bowl. Fries topped with meat and sauce, Indian samosas and desserts, including baklava and cookies, round out the menu.
Whether you opt for a crispy sandwich or a “naanwich” (served in Indian naan bread), the chicken is out of sight. A heavily spiced and breaded cutlet, studded with black sesame seeds and crispier than a potato chip,
is topped with your choice of sauces. Some are spicy, some sweet, all mouthpleasing. Any restaurant claiming it has the best fried chicken sandwich in town might need to take a step back.
Or you could have the chapli burger. Chapli is a type of kebab made of ground meat, herbs and spices. Madar chapli is made with tri-tip. The chapli burger is served on a brioche bun and
44 POC APR n 23
Photos by Linda Smolek
topped with tomato, coleslaw and yogurt mint chutney. Phenomenal.
The most indulgent American-style treat is the ’Merican fries. It’s a bed of waffle fries topped with crispy chicken, house sauce and seasonings. Here’s the Afghan answer to carne asada fries.
Over the last 20 years, more than 15,000 Afghans have arrived in Sacramento, predominantly in Arden Arcade. These immigrants and refugees bring food cultures, flavors and customs not seen before in the region.
Madar pulls together these imported preparations and ingredients, and melds them with American ideas of casual dining and fast-casual cooking. Much as Afghanistan itself has been a
crossroads, fusing cultures from Central Asia and the Middle East and absorbing ideas from travelers, restaurants such as Madar fuse Afghan and American cuisine to create something special. I encourage you to reach out and discover what our Afghan community has to offer.
Madar Afghan Food and Bakery is at 2654 Marconi Ave.; (916) 827-0009; madar.myncrsilver.com.
Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
45 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
FLAVORS ARE EXPLOSIVE, PREPARATIONS EXPERT, THE VIBE UNDENIABLE. 1110 Front Street | 916.442.8226 | riocitycafe.com Pull up a chair! Life is deliciousendlessly ! Open 7 days starting April 17 WINTER HOURS: Mon: 11-8 | Tue/Wed: Closed | Thu/Fri: 11-8 Sat: 10-9 | Sun: 10-8 Look no further for banquet space. Book your party today!
A Madar staff member prepares traditonal bread known as naan-e-Afghani for the oven.
TO DO
THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Doggy Dash
Sacramento SPCA
Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
William Land Park, 3800 W. Land Park Drive • sspca.org
Go for the 2k/5k dog walk and stay for the “Bark in the Park” Pet Festival with food, drinks, games, demos, prizes, adoptable dogs and more. Funds raised provide medical care to sick or injured animals, lowcost vaccinations, spay/neuter services, behavior training and humane education.
Literary Death Match
Stories on Stage Sacramento & Chills at Will Saturday, April 15, 7 p.m.
The Auditorium at CLARA, 1425 24th St. • storiesonstagesacramento.org
This competitive humor-centric reading series features a mix of four famous and emerging authors who perform their most electric writing in seven minutes or less before a lively audience and a panel of three all-star judges.
Bonsai & Suiseki Show
American Bonsai Association, Sacramento
April 8 & 9, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd. • abasbonsai.org
Enjoy a large exhibit of stunning bonsai trees developed by ABAS practitioners, along with Suiseki (Japanese viewing stones), workshops, raffles and sale. A demonstration takes place at 1:30 p.m. each day.
VOICES
Howe Avenue Theater
April 14–16 & 21–23
2201 Cottage Way
• square.link/u/snhifz6n
Award-winning playwright Victoria Goldblatt presents six short plays of self-discovery featuring six different actors (including Goldblatt herself). Tickets are $20 and proceeds benefit designated charities.
Mira Loma High Art Show
Sacramento Fine Arts Center
April 18–29
5330B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael • sacfinearts.org
Check out the work of talented local high school students at this special exhibition.
Kim Abeles: Smog Collectors, 1987–2020
Sac State Library Gallery
Through May 20
Artist Talk: Tuesday, April 11, noon
6000 J St. • csus.edu/university-galleries/library-galleries
Kim Abeles makes art about pollution from pollution. The exhibition features more than 30 years of artistic investigations related to the environmental impact of airborne particulates.
Leonard Slatkin Conducts!
Sacramento Philharmonic & Orchestra
Saturday, April 29, 8 p.m.
SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St. • sacphilopera.org
By Jessica Laskey
Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin leads a night of classical music, including the only complete symphonic work of Cesar Franck, his Symphony in D minor.
46 POC APR n 23
JL
SSPCA Doggy Dash at William Land Park.
Breaking the Rules: Paul Wonner and Theophilus Brown
Crocker Art Museum
April 30–Aug. 27
216 O St. • crockerart.org
Browse the comprehensive exhibition of Bay Area Figuration pioneers and artist couple Paul Wonner and Theophilus Brown, with 75 paintings, watercolors and drawings.
Hard Rock Live
Chris Tucker, April 1, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.
Seven Lions, April 6, 8 p.m.
EPIK HIGH, April 9, 8 p.m.
Sting, April 12 & 13, 8 p.m.
Sabrina Carpenter, April 16, 8 p.m.
Bamboo and KZ Tandingan, April 23, 7 p.m.
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, April 29, 8 p.m.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, 3317 Forty Mile Road, Wheatland hardrockhotelsacramento.com/entertainment
Check out the April lineup at the region’s newest entertainment venue. Tickets are $33–$396.
Bufferlands Birds & Blooms Walk
RegionalSan
Saturday, April 8, 9 a.m.–noon
8521 Laguna Station Road, Elk Grove • regionalsan.com/bufferlands
Join biologists and docents for a guided walk through the 2,000plus acre preserve surrounding the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. To register, contact conardc@sacsewer.com.
Overcoming Brutality: What to Send Up When It Goes Down
Celebration Arts
April 7–30
2727 B St. • celebrationarts.net
This play-pageant-ritual-homegoing celebration is in response to the physical and spiritual deaths of Black people as a result of racialized violence. It disrupts the pervasiveness of anti-blackness and acknowledges the resilience of Black people throughout history through conversation, parody, song and movement. Admission is $23; seniors and students are $21.
Music Series
The Sofia
Ron Sexsmith, April 13, 7 p.m.
Shannon Curtis, April 21, 7 p.m.
Royal Wood, April 30, 8 p.m.
2700 Capitol Ave. • bstreettheatre.org
Check out the April lineup of musical acts presented at The Sofia, Home of the B Street Theatre. Tickets are $20–$38.50.
Broke-ology
The Sofia
April 26–June 4
2700 Capitol Ave. • bstreettheatre.org
The King family is at a crossroads. As widower William deals with the challenges of getting older, his boys must face the prospect of taking care of their father while also pursuing their own best lives.
Exploring the Figure: Ceramics Classes
clayARTstudios814
Beginning April 4
814 Alhambra Blvd. • clayARTstudio814.com
Explore clay sculpture with instructor Marsha Schindler who demonstrates hand-building and surface/glazing techniques. Choose evening or morning sessions. All levels welcome. Adults only. Clay, glazes, tools and firing are included. Cost is $350.
47 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
CapRadio host Vicki Gonzalez in Literary Death Match at The Auditorium at CLARA.
Bonsai & Suiseki Show at Shepard Garden & Arts Center.
Demolish Brick Wall
Genealogical Association of Sacramento
Wednesday, April 19, 11:30 a.m.
Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive • gensac.org
Speakers Victoria Fisch and Jeremy Frankel discuss acquiring knowledge from data gleaned from civil documents.
Best Buddies Friendship Walk
Best Buddies International
Saturday, April 29, 8:30 a.m.
North Natomas Regional Park, 4989 Natomas Blvd. • bestbuddies.org
Join other walkers to support Best Buddies programs that are creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Taste of East Sacramento
East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce
Saturday, April 29, 5–9 p.m.
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 616 Alhambra Blvd. • tasteofeastsac.com
This annual event attracts more than 600 participants and vendors, and features more than 40 neighborhood restaurants, cafes, breweries, wineries and specialty grocers. General admission is $75; VIP tickets are $125.
Ode to the Earth & Sky:
Secular Music for Organ & Choir
Vox Musica
Friday, April 21, 7 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1701 L St.
Sunday, April 23, 5 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church, 2620 Capitol Ave. • voxmusica.net
This concert includes new and innovative works that speak to the powerful relationship between our planet, sky, sun and moon.
Featured artist is Vox alum Molly Pease, a vocalist and composer. Tickets are $40. Recording available online April 23–30 for $20.
Old Sacramento Spring Festival
Sacramento History Museum
Sunday, April 30, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
101 I St. • sachistorymuseum.org
Join in hourly dances around a 15-foot maypole—complete with a crown and ribbons—as well as traditional country dances, arts and crafts, hobby-horse races, gold panning, lawn games and more.
Art of Andres Alvarez
PBS KVIE Gallery
April 4–June 2
2030 West El Camino Ave. • kvie.org
On display are more than 20 paintings by painter and photographer Andres Alvarez, who has won numerous awards, including the 2018 Crocker-Kingsley Art Merit Award.
Spring Cleaning
ARTHOUSE Gallery and Studios
Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
1021 R. St. • arthouseonr.com
Items available for purchase include art supplies, proof prints, experimental and older work, slightly damaged pieces, art books, magazines and frames. Come early for the best selection!
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Conductor Leonard Slatkin at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center.
“Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (After Manet)” by Paul Wonner at Crocker Art Museum.
Gone Fishin’
Archival Gallery
April 6–29
Second Saturday Reception, April 8, 5–8 p.m.
3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com
This group show, in memory of Ron Wagner, features work by Richard Feese, Fred Gordon, DL Thomas, Ken Waterstreet, Maria Winkler and Wagner. A portion of the proceeds benefits Parkinson Association of Northern California.
Inspiration Education & Art
Elk Grove Fine Arts Center
April 1–27
First Saturday Reception, April 1, 4–7 p.m.
9683 Elk Grove Florin Road • elkgrovefineartscenter.org
This exhibition features work in all mediums by Elk Grove Unified School District educators. In the Foyer Gallery, abstract artist Amy Vidra presents “Lines, Lineage, Ravel: Good Luck Kid” with paintings, assemblage and sculpture.
49 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM
Chris Tucker at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento.
“Bird on Fence” by Ron Wagner at Archival Gallery.
“Untitled” by Andres Alvarez at PBS KVIE Gallery.
Shannon Curtis at The Sofia’s Music Series.
Elk Grove Festival of the Arts
Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Old Town Plaza, 9645 Railroad St. • elkgrovefineartscenter.org
This annual festival includes fine art booths, live performances, food and wine, a youth arts show, kids’ zone and more. Free admission.
Celebrate City! Open House
Sacramento City College
Friday, April 14, 4–7 p.m. 3835 Freeport Blvd. • scc.losrios.edu
Celebrate Sacramento City College at this free community open house featuring food, music and entertainment showcasing the school’s classes, programs, clubs, student talent and more.
Bockbierfest
Sacramento Turn Verein
Saturday, April 15, 3 p.m.–midnight 3349 J St. • sacramentoturnverein.com
Celebrate the 53rd annual Bockbierfest with authentic food, beer, music and dancing. Tickets are $20 for adults; $5 for children 12 and younger.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n
THEATRE GUIDE
MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON, APT 2B
Thru April 16
Mainstage at The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts
2700 Capitol Ave, Sac 916 443-5300
Bstreettheatre.org
Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson brings Joan Watson into modern day London where she teams up with the erratic but brilliant Ms. Sherlock Holmes on her most intriguing and dangerous case. Come see this hilarious update on the classic Arthur Conan Doyle tales, with a gender-bending twist.
HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING
Thru April 16
Capital Stage Company
2215 J St, Sac
Capstage.org
Days after the white-supremacist riot in Charlottesville, four old friends gather for a reunion at their conservative Catholic alma mater in Wyoming. As the party stretches late into the night, they grapple with their beliefs and their place in the world. The reunion becomes less a celebration than a vicious fight that spirals into clashing politics and spiritual chaos. On a chilly night in the middle of America, Will Arbery’s haunting play offers grace and disarming clarity, speaking to the heart of a country at war with itself.
WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN
April 7 – April 30
Celebration Arts Theatre
2727 B St, Sac 916 455-2787
Celebrationarts.net
Characterized as a play-pageant-ritualhomegoing celebration in response to the physical and spiritual deaths of Black people as a result of racialized violence, What to Send Up When It Goes
Down is meant to disrupt the pervasiveness of anti-blackness and acknowledge the resilience of Black people throughout history. This theatrical work uses facilitated conversation, parody, song, and movement in a series of vignettes to create a space for catharsis, reflection, cleansing, and healing. Boundaries between performers and audiences blur as the audiences are asked to observe the performance and participate in the ritual.
ANTIGONE
April 14 – April 30
Presented by Falcon’s Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College at Harris Center for the Arts
10 College Pkwy, Folsom 916 608-6888
Falconseyetheatre.com
At the climax of a bloody civil war that pits brother against brother, both are killed while struggling for control of the nation. With both men dead, their uncle takes control striving to steer the country back to civility. He bestows public honors upon the heroic brother and orders public disgrace for the traitorous brother’s lifeless body. The story follows their sister, Antigone, as she goes against the commands of her uncle and attempts to bury the body of her brother, placing her brother above human laws.
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SUBMIT EVENTS TO ANIKO@INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM
Inspiration Education & Art mixed media by Leah Newton at Elk Grove Fine Arts Center.
3 Puts in
4 Shoulder muscle, briefly
5 Palindromic helicopter part
6 “Dragon Ball,” e.g.
7 Classic Pontiac
8 “Yeah ... I don’t think so”
9 Overwhelmingly
10 “Well, well, well ...”
11 Pod veggie in caruru
12 Many a B-Mitzvah attendee
13 Cool, in ’90s slang
14 Suspensions of activity
20 Full of fight
24 This cluef has one
25 Dined on humble pie
26 Insignificant
27 Refreshing coffee order
29 Word after “performing” or “fine”
30 Utters
31 School orgs.
32 Strong desire
33 HS class in which students might read “Dos Palabras”
34 First word of “Jabberwocky”
35 “Finishing the ___” (Sondheim memoir)
36 Stallion’s mate
43 Specs
44 Apple tablets
45 Like a fixer-upper, maybe
46 A razor has one
47 Permit
48 Capital of Norway
49 Infamous fiddler
50 Cookies and cream brand?
51 “Pick a ___!”
53 Fake ones might have plastic needles
54 Working hard
57 Cleverness
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
51 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM Get A New INSIDE CROSSWORD Delivered to Your Inbox Each Week! Sign Up For Our Weekly 100% LOCAL Newsletter InsideSacramento.com ACROSS 1 N’Djamena is its capital 5 Spaghetti sauce brand 9 Mark in a Rorschach test 13 June, in the LGBTQ+ community 15 Harness for oxen 16 It’s rubbed into palms 17 “Heads up!” on a golf course 18 Microscopic unit of length 19 Fan of the Orix Buffaloes, maybe 21 Shirt named for its shape 22 Word that sounds like its second letter 23 Good ___ (what a sad person might need) 24 Pic from a parlor 26 First modular space station 28 Possesses 31 Treat a lens like an audience, say 37 Event where burping is a selling point? 38 Nonprofit agency with a stylebook 39 Major motor oil brand 40 Dorm overseers: Abbr. 41 It’s used to cure lutefisk 42 Hubbub 44 Journalist ___ B. Wells 46 Steamed bun 49 “I’ve got nothing to share” 52 Hidden dangers 55 Great Lake that has the most shipwrecks 56 “Everything shall be mine!” 58 Take it easy 59 Instrument native to Australia 60 ___ and aahs 61 Online crafts shop 62 Birria, e.g. DOWN 1 Origami bird 2 Dating app that’s “designed to be deleted”
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Universal Freestyle 49 by Garrett Chalfin
Rare opportunity to purchase an immaculate, ThinkingofListing? Let’sTalk!
Nick LaPlaca
Masters
DRE #00842218
“It’s DOABLE,” you said to us. We thought you were crazy to say that, when the seller agreed to our counter-offer with the condition of 7-day inspections, and a 20-day close. You even remembered the three-day weekend! Well, we made it - 7-day inspections, and ended up a 15-day close. Bernadette, thank you for your professionalism and diligence in helping us find a near-perfect property, negotiating successfully, handling the inspections, and getting through the hiccups during the 15-day escrow. We wish you prosperity and good health!” Ray & Judy C.
SOLD! Quasar Cir, Sacramento 95822
8417HeritageHillDr-ElkGrove! Let’s
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Local Experienced Real Estate Professionals Local Real Estate Professionals We’re Your Neighbor We’re Your • Located on Lake Greenhaven on An independently owned and operated member of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® If your home is currently listed with a Broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Equal Housing Opportunity. DRYSDALE PROPERTIES Bernadette Chiang REALTOR/ DRE #01923176 (916) 261-2888 cell (916) 381-2888 landline Also,Fluent in Cantonese (916) 718-4753 Cell LizGRealtor@gmail.com www.ElizabethKearns.com DRE #01455250 / RED# BS.146134 Elizabeth González Kearns REALTOR SRES MaryJewLee Broker Associate (916) 425-3749 Cell Mary@mjlee.com DRE #00866853 UCLA, UCD, CSUS -Degrees in Business Administration, Accounting&Psychology.Celebrating20YearsinRealEstate! Wondering what to do to prepare your home for the best results? For a FREE Consultation call or text (916) 616-6600 DRE #01263611 Martha Macias REALTOR Masters Club, Life Member (916) 616-6600 Cell
SOLD!
In the Pocket Area!
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Club Presidential Member (916) 764-7500Cell
SOLD! 6241 Riverside Blvd. #107 - Lake Access!
Kim Haywood REALTORSince 2005 (916) 217-2524 Cell Kim.Realtor1@yahoo.com
#01512036
DRE
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“I have found Mary to be hard working & trustworthy. She has been my agent for many years on both purchases & sales of my properties. She knows the real estate market and how to apply that knowledge for her clients. On purchases I’ve made, she explains the good & bad, and allows the client to make the their decision. She is not pushy. As a seller, she pointed out the positive & negative of all offers to me, making it easier to choose the best offer. I will continue to work with her and give her my trust.” Pete P. – Repeat Client SOLD!
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