Inside Pocket April 2024

1989 – 4th Avenue - $745,000

STYLE AND SOPHISTICATION IN LAND PARK REMODEL

2 bed 2 bath, remodeled kitchen features counter island, granite countertops, double oven. New electrical, plumbing.

JOSEPH OLSON 916-835-2968 DRE-02083344

436 Hopkins Road - $1,550,000

SIERRA OAKS HOME AVAILABLE FOR FIRST TIME IN 45 YEARS.

4 beds 3½ baths. Tudor style with beamed ceilings, spacious primary suite, sitting room, yoga room, secret garden

DAVID KIRRENE 916-531-7495 DRE-01115041

4917 Helen Way - $699,000

AMAZING HOLLYWOOD PARK HOME WITH ADU 2 bed 1 bath. Spacious main house 2/1 with modern kitchen, skylights, recessed lighting, dual pane windows. ADU is permitted with bath NATHAN SHERMAN 916-969-7379 DRE-01875980

1806 O Street - $665,000

BEAUTIFULLY UPDATED IN THE HEART OF MIDTOWN.

3 bed, 2 bath, floor to ceiling stone in kitchen and bath, built-ins throughout. Wrap around patio offers outdoor living TYLER MONK 916-599-4755 DRE-02083079

3336 Cutter Way - $825,000

CHARMING CURTIS PARK BRICK TUDOR. 3 bed 2 bath.

With den and office downstairs. Upstairs primary suite with bed and bath, skylights and balcony. Spacious garage SHEILA VAN NOY 916-505-5395 DRE-00924678

6389 Aspen Ranch Court - $450,000

ADORABLE STOCK RANCH VILLAGE HOME 3 bed 2 bath, meticulously maintained. Open floor plan, living room fireplace, primary suite walk-in, spacious private backyard

MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

630 Morris Way - $859,900

WILHAGGIN HOME BACKS TO AMERICAN RIVER PARKWAY

3 beds 2 baths with added sunroom and office downstairs. Picturesque views from upstairs bedrooms. Balcony JOSEPH MANGANELLO 916-952-4933 DRE-02069277

4731 Baker Avenue - $399,000

REMODELED CHARMER WITH OPEN ROOM CONCEPT

3 bed, 1 bath, kitchen features granite counters. Gazebo with electricity and stock tank dipping pool, relax unwind. HILARY BUCHANAN 916-397-7502 DRE-01359213

Because of you, more people with disabilities can experience the life-changing benefits of meaningful employment.

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LUCILLE VAN OMMERING

Shown: “Wildfire Sunset, Woodland” by Lucille van Ommering is at Viewpoint Photographic Art Center’s juried exhibit Of Time and Place, part of Photography Month Sacramento throughout April. van Ommering is a Sacramento-based photographer and Viewpoint member.

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Photography Month Sacramento, presented by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center and partner organizations, celebrates the photographic arts with exhibits, receptions, workshops, field trips, photoshoots and meetups. Visit photomonthsacramento.org to plan activities and invite a friend!

Second Chance

VOTERS CAN FIX PROPOSITION 47 WITH NEW INITIATIVE

Astatewide signaturegathering effort is underway for a ballot measure to roll back provisions of California’s Proposition 47, which turned drug possession, drug trafficking and theft into misdemeanors.

If adopted by California voters next November, “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act,” or “Fix Prop. 47,” would give prosecutors discretion to charge drug addicts with a “treatment-mandated felony” after two drug convictions.

By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

These are modest, necessary reforms to address drug trafficking, addiction and theft plaguing California.

The problems began with the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014. Looking back, it’s hard to believe authorities allowed the ballot initiative to appear under the misleading title, “The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.”

The results were the opposite. Pharmacies now display merchandise in locked cases. Dishwasher pods, shaving cream, even shampoo bottles are locked up to discourage shoplifting.

Business.org found a 54% increase in shoplifting among 700 small businesses, with 23% saying it happens daily. A National Retail Federation survey found organized crime in 2020 cost an average of more than $700,000 per $1 billion in sales.

With thieves walking in and helping themselves, a store owner or clerk can’t do anything, despite security cameras recording the attacks. Jobs already hard to fill become a scary way to earn a living.

Proposition 47 implemented three broad changes to felony sentencing. First, it reclassified certain theft and drug possession from felonies to misdemeanors.

In practice, most misdemeanor (and often felony) thieves get away with their crimes. National retailers are targeted because expensive and confrontational loss-prevention strategies of the past no longer exist. It’s easier to write off losses. No wonder prices have risen.

Under the proposed new law, offenders charged with a “treatmentmandated felony” would have the option to complete a drug and mental health program or serve time in jail. After a fourth conviction, judges would have the option of sentencing the offender to jail or state prison.

The new act would increase penalties for drug dealers and allow judges to sentence dealers who possess firearms to state prison, rather than county jail. It would categorize non-prescription fentanyl as a hard drug and allow dealers who sell a fatal dose to be prosecuted for second-degree murder.

The new act would allow prosecutors to charge thieves with two prior misdemeanor theft convictions with a felony and possible jail sentence, regardless of value of the stolen property. A thief receiving a fourth conviction may be sent to prison.

Second, it authorized defendants serving sentences for felony offenses that would have qualified as misdemeanors under the proposition to petition for resentencing as a misdemeanor.

Third, it authorized defendants who completed sentences for felony convictions that would have qualified as misdemeanors to possibly reclassify those convictions as misdemeanors.

For a thief arrested for multiple thefts, the value of the stolen property can be added together to exceed Proposition 47’s $950 limit, creating felony charges. The act provides increased penalties for thieves working together and thieves who steal or damage property valued at $50,000 or more.

For all these offenses, judges still have discretion to tailor punishment or treatment to individuals.

Volunteer Karen Korbs with a local drive-up resident Photos by Aniko Kiezel

Local volunteers are collecting signatures of registered voters.

“I refuse to live in a society where crime is happening, and you just look the other way. That’s not how I raise my kids and how I want to live. This petition is the first, best chance to turn things back around,” says Kris Rogers, who gathers signatures in her Land Park neighborhood. “Our society can do better, and our kids deserve that.”

Statewide, 800,000 valid signatures must be submitted by the end of April. Polls show an overwhelming number of voters want the law modified. You can support this modification and still not be happy with high incarceration rates.

We have an opportunity on the November ballot to bring accountability and safety to our communities.

Visit casafecommunities.com for information and to sign the petition.

Readers ask how they can contribute to Inside Sacramento. Here’s how: Consider a paid supporting membership starting at $19.95 a year. Use the QR code and help support our mission to deliver local news. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at insidesacramento.com.

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

Volunteer Kristina Rogers with local resident

My friend Jim Geary and I race to see who gets danced around more by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. Jim has the lead, but I’m catching up.

For the past year, Jim and I separately asked the flood board for documents about levees and fences.

We want to know why flood board executive officer Chris Lief covertly authorized five temporary private fences to block public access on the Sacramento River levee in Pocket.

The authorizations appear to violate state law. California regulations require public hearings and votes by flood board members for any levee fence.

Lief authorized the chain-link barricades in secret. No hearing. No vote.

Jim and I believe flood board documents might explain how these seemingly illegal fences were approved.

RGBy R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

There must be communications between flood board staff and residents near the levee who convinced Lief to break years of practice, ignore a flood board lawyer who opposed fences, reject warnings from experts that levee fences are hazardous, and disregard state regulations.

The law’s on our side.

The California Public Records Act, signed by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1968, says, “Access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state.”

The California Supreme Court says, “In order to verify accountability, individuals must have access to government files.”

Timely production is required. Agencies must respond within 10 days (or 14 days in extreme cases). The law says, “The Public Records Act does not permit an agency to delay or obstruct the inspection or copying of public records.”

Which brings me to the public records request I made last Aug. 20.

I asked for meeting notes, emails and texts involving flood board staff and two Pocket residents, Mark Portuondo and Ryan Bogle, and a local attorney named Brian Manning.

Portuondo and Bogle lead a group of property owners near the river who want to fence off the levee and keep

FLOOD BOARD DRAGS FEET WITH PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

the public away. Manning is a diligent lawyer who works for the property owners.

I want to know what these three private citizens told the flood board’s public servants—and what flood board staff told the property owners.

Soon after my records request, a pleasant state official named Helen Riddle called to confirm my inquiry. I assumed the documents were on their way.

Then I received an email confirming the flood board and Department of Water Resources have the relevant communications but “these records may require a significant amount of time to locate, assemble and review.”

I was told the records would be ready in about three months, around Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving came and went. Before Christmas, I got an email saying the records will arrive by April 5, almost eight months after my request.

In January, some documents showed up in my email inbox. Most were useless—agendas and transcripts from flood board meetings. Irrelevant junk I didn’t request.

Luckily, I received dozens of emails between private attorney Manning and Sarah Backus, staff lawyer for the flood board.

The emails show how Manning hoped the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers would deploy levee construction fences on behalf of private property owners. The Corps said no.

Some emails are obviously missing— referenced but not included in the data dumps.

It’s a start. A first step toward understanding why the flood board strayed from its public service mission, overlooked state law, endangered the levee with fences, and became a private security agency for a few property owners.

As for my friend Jim Geary, he made a request last July 24 for records about Lief’s authorization of those temporary fences. He received documents in December, much of the same stuff I got six weeks later.

The California Public Records Act doesn’t permit delays or obstructions in public document requests. But if Jim and I know anything, it’s that the Central Valley Flood Protection Board invents its own laws.

Manning didn’t respond to interview requests. Lief says temporary levee fences are “minor alterations,” thus legal.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Jim Geary

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Dance Fever

LOCAL HULA SCHOOL FOLLOWS MERRIE MONARCH

When I lived in Hawaii, my favorite event was the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, where the best hula dancers showcase their artistry. It runs March 31 to April 6. Can’t attend in person, but I’ll stream it.

Merrie Monarch started in 1964, to boost tourism. It succeeded. One of the nation’s most popular cultural festivals, Merrie Monarch draws thousands and honors the Hawaiian culture of hula.

Watching Merrie Monarch, I think of Bernadette Kaponookalani Nakamura and her passion to share hula traditions in Pocket.

C M CM

By Corky Mau Pocket Life

Nakamura began her hula journey as a youngster. “I’ve always been into music and dance, especially hula,” she says. Dividing time between Hawaii and the West Coast, she settled in Sacramento about 15 years ago.

The master hula teacher leads the Ohana Dance Group and Kuhui Halau O Kaponookalani Pa Olapa Kahiko. Her climb to hula master status took more than six years. Nakamura completed Hawaiian studies while raising a family and working as a special education program specialist for Sacramento City Unified School District.

“Hula is my escape, bringing me positive energy and restoring my spirit, especially after a long day at work,” she says.

Studies were intense. She learned the Hawaiian language and spiritual connection of musical chants and dance. Training was done in visits to Hawaii and over Zoom when the

pandemic interrupted in-person training.

Nakamura studied under hula expert and songwriter Lehua Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, who often judges hula competitions at Merrie Monarch. Today Nakamura is part of Hewett’s hula family, sharing his choreography with others.

In 2022, Nakamura completed the Hawaiian Music Certification at the University of Hawaii Windward Community College. Once Hewett was satisfied the knowledge would be responsibly used and protected, an ’uniki graduation ceremony was held for Nakamura last October.

“I’m committed to hula for life,” Nakamura says. “I will work to continue the perpetuation of my lineage and give my communities the gifts I have been given.”

To kick off this year’s Big Day of Giving, the Ohana Dance Group welcomes everyone to an open house Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Purchase Hawaiian food and products. Enjoy live music and hula. The school is located at 6235 Belleau Wood Lane.

The group provides hula lessons and instructions on Hawaiian instruments. For information, visit ohanadancegroup.com or call (916) 426-6329.

ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST POPULAR CULTURAL FESTIVALS, MERRIE MONARCH DRAWS THOUSANDS AND HONORS THE HAWAIIAN CULTURE OF HULA.

Bernadette Nakamura (front, center) with her hula students.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

FARMERS MARKET

The community farmers market at Elks Lodge No. 6 offers fresh produce and crafts from small businesses.

Families pull wagons filled with flowers, local honey, home-baked goods and produce. Local musicians perform and food trucks are open. Shop local and support small businesses.

The market operates Saturdays, April through October, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come early. Vendors often sell out.

FOOD TRUCK MANIA

In partnership with SactoMoFo, City Council member Rick Jennings resumes “Food Truck Mania” at Garcia Bend Park this month. Bring family and friends every third Friday for food and fun. The program kicks off Friday, April 19, from 5–8 p.m.

Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Space Calls

GIRL SCOUTS COMMUNICATE WITH NASA ASTRONAUT

On Feb. 22 at 10:26 a.m., a group of Girls Scouts had an out-of-this-world experience. They spoke with NASA astronaut Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli aboard the International Space Station with a ham radio they made.

Each year, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program conducts 60 to 100 amateur radio contacts between students and the space station.

Girl Scouts Troop 1089 was selected as one of 11 organizations in the U.S. for this cycle. To prepare for the chat, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California partnered with River City Amateur Radio Communications Society, led by the society’s club coordinator Jen Garland.

Six educational sessions included building and using radios and telescopes. The sessions were open to all high school Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts in the Sacramento area.

“Making radio contact with an astronaut in space was truly a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity,” Girl Scouts Troop 1089 member Ainsley Fong says. “For the astronaut to be a woman was particularly inspiring to me as a Girl Scout, as it demonstrated that such a career path was truly possible for us.”

BLACK HONORS COLLEGE

Sacramento State will launch the country’s first Black Honors College this fall.

Students in the Black Honors College will have specialized coursework, including seminars, experiential learning opportunities, internships, and dedicated advisers and counselors.

“We are creating an institution within the institution that is specifically designed to serve the academic, co-curricular and psychological needs of Black students,” Sac State President Luke Wood says.

Applications are open to incoming first-year students. For information, email bhc@csus.edu.

PHOTOGRAPHY MONTH

It’s time for Photography Month Sacramento. The program, led by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center on J Street, celebrates the art of photography through events across Sacramento, Placer, Nevada, Yolo and El Dorado counties.

By Jessica Laskey Out & About

For information on Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, visit girlscoutshcc. org.

Sac State enrolls more Black students than any other institution in the 23-school California State University system and all but one of the University of California’s 10 schools.

Museums, galleries, schools, clubs and businesses create exhibits, receptions, lectures, workshops and fieldtrips to celebrate everything photography. Events are posted on the Photo Month website.

For information, visit photomonthsacramento.org.

WINNING DREAMER

The Dreamland Cinema is the winner of Downtown Sacramento

Girl Scouts Troop 1089 learn and practice the protocols for using a ham radio.

Foundation’s 11th Annual Calling All Dreamers business incubator program.

The microcinema operates in a 23-seat theater in Midtown offering indie, international, arthouse and cult films. With a prize package of $20,000 in cash and in-kind services, the cinema plans to expand to a new space in Downtown Sacramento, introduce new programming and concessions, and offer a community space for filmrelated events.

“Winning Calling All Dreamers is a game-changer in helping to jump start the next phase of our business and set us up to thrive for many years to come,” says Lauren Hess, co-owner and general manager of The Dreamland Cinema.

Second-place winner Ecojoyous, a refillery and local artisan goods store, will receive $10,000 in cash. The three other finalists—Capital Tuk-Tuk, Nouvelle Healing and Planted Foods— are eligible to receive $5,000 if they lease a Downtown storefront by March 1, 2025.

For information, visit callingalldreamers.org and thedreamlandcinema.com.

NEW ZOO LION

A new 3-year-old lion is roaring at the Sacramento Zoo.

“The arrival of this lion not only adds to the Sacramento Zoo’s rich history with these majestic animals, it underscores the evolving role of zoos in today’s conservation landscape,” zoo CEO Jason Jacobs says.

The lion is part of the zoo’s longterm planning toward a larger, modern zoological park in Elk Grove.

The zoo’s longtime resident lion, 18-year-old female Cleo, and the young male will rotate in the exhibit habitat. For information, visit saczoo.org.

THEATER APPRENTICE

Capital Stage is accepting apprenticeship applications through April 30 for its 2024–25 season.

HighSchoolCourses

HighSchoolReviewCourses

MiddleSchoolAdvantage

SportsCamps

The professional company known for bold, thought-provoking theater seeks recent theater graduates and young theater artists for hands-on training in theatrical operations, including casting, directing, technical production and design, dramaturgy, marketing and public relations, and administration.

Apprentices take classes with Cap Stage associate artists, participate in producing the annual Apprentice Showcase, get complimentary tickets to productions and receive a $350 weekly stipend.

For information, visit capstage.org/ play-a-part/apprenticeships.

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Registration is open for youth artistic swimming programs at Clunie Pool in McKinley Park.

Formerly known as synchronized swimming, artistic swimming is a combination of dance, ballet and swimming performed to music in solos, duets and teams.

For information on 2024 Spring/ Summer Youth Artistic Swimming Programs, visit sacartisticswimteam. com.

CodingCamp

RoboticsCamps

ScienceCamps

ArtsCamps

AQUATICS JOBS

The city’s Aquatics Division, part of the Department of Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment, is hiring for the summer season.

Positions include lifeguards, senior lifeguards, assistant pool managers, pool managers and cashiers at the city’s 17 aquatics facilities.

Applicants must be at least 15 years old by June 1; cashiers must be 16. Lifeguards must be American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR-AED/First Aid certified. Not certified? Apply for the job and sign up for a lifeguard certification class.

Scholarships are available. To apply, visit governmentjobs.com and search by job title and city.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com.

Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

The Dreamland Cinema wins annual Calling All Dreamers contest. Photo courtesy of Downtown Sacramento.

Money Troubles

MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL CAN’T PLAY DUMB ON DEFICIT

Is the $66 million deficit a surprise to Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council?

Absolutely not.

For years, City Manager Howard Chan and his financial team warned the mayor and council they were sailing toward fiscal disaster.

Economic forecasts in the annual budget told the story.

Despite flashing yellow lights, the city’s elected leaders pressed hard on the gas pedal.

In conversations with neighbors, I’m often asked, “Isn’t this the city manager’s fault? Didn’t he cause this?”

The answer in two words: Absolutely not.

JHBy Jeff Harris City Realist

Every year, Chan and his team propose a balanced budget to the City Council. The proposal includes recommendations on staffing, maintenance and projects.

From there, the mayor and council decide where the money goes. They allocate one-time expenditures, ongoing needs, or new pet projects and initiatives. Chan can’t hire a single new employee without City Council approval.

Once the mayor and council approve the budget, Chan follows directions. He carries out funding orders.

Typically, the finance team presents the City Council with a midyear fiscal health report. Recent years included a carryover—surplus dollars.

Prudent fiscal management treats this money as a cushion against unexpected bills. Every homeowner knows why cushions are important.

In recent years, Chan recommended returning the carryover to the general fund. He wanted to offset projected deficits.

If Steinberg and the council followed Chan’s advice, today’s deficit would not exist.

But the mayor took another approach. He distributed a “budget memo” to councilmembers, listing his ideas about how surplus dollars should be spent. Then Steinberg convinced the council to endorse his memo.

Almost every extra dollar was spent.

Things got so bad Chan suspended the midyear negotiation. He tried to reign in City Council spending sprees. Without Chan’s efforts, the financial crisis would be worse.

Chan displayed courage standing up to Steinberg. That’s how a city manager is supposed to act. Holding firm on principles and serving as a fiscal steward for residents is how Chan earns his big salary.

It’s ironic that the council made Chan the highest-paid city manager in California, then ignored his advice on keeping the city financially sound.

At a recent “priority setting” session, City Council members

gave Chan directions on their concerns and objectives. Most cited homelessness and housing as priorities. Only one councilmember mentioned fiscal sustainability. No wonder the city faces severe budget cuts.

This May, Chan will give Steinberg and the council a budget with cuts needed to achieve fiscal sustainability. It will be painful. The choices are stark. Raise revenues. Cut programs, staff and constituent services. Or all of the above.

Raising revenues means higher service fees. There’s no time to put a tax measure on the ballot. Polls suggest voters would reject a new tax anyway.

Cutting staff is another possibility. Layoffs mean degraded parks and roads, a reduction in homelessness responses and more—or worse.

Residents should pay attention to May’s budget hearings. Please participate and let the mayor and City Council know what you think of their fiscal leadership.

Jeff Harris represented District 3 on the City Council from 2014 to 2022. He can be reached at cadence@mycci.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Your baby, your birth center.

Holding your baby for the first time—it’s a moment you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. And Dignity Health’s Family Birth Centers are here to help make it as special as your new bundle of joy. We have a team of experts ready to guide you throughout your journey—from our 24-hour onsite OB/GYN doctors and specially trained nurses, to our doulas and board-certified lactation specialists. We even have virtual classes to help you prepare for the big day.

Take a virtual tour of our Family Birth Centers at DignityHealth.org/SacramentoBaby.

Shared Sustenance

NONPROFIT HELPS FAMILIES ACCESS DONOR HUMAN MILK

Everyone should be given the option to feed their baby human breast milk,” says Janel Silva, a lactation consultant and co-founder and director of Human Milk Connection, a new nonprofit that helps families access pasteurized donor human milk.

“There’s a knowledge gap that exists. People don’t know about (donor milk) and think the only option is formula,” she continues. “We’re working on getting the word out.”

Silva spent years in the health care industry working with parents and infants, first as a birth doula, then as a lactation consultant.

“My real love is lactation,” says Silva, a San Francisco native who moved to Curtis Park in 2000. “There’s an innate need to care for your offspring—or any child you come into contact with who needs you—and you need to feed them.

“Breastfeeding is the biological norm but not everybody can do it. Sometimes they need help. Women are very vulnerable during this time. They need support, encouragement, knowledge, empowerment, kindness.”

During a UC San Diego externship, Silva met Debbie Albert, a Natomasbased nurse lactation consultant. They realized how much education was lacking around the benefits of donor human milk—breast milk expressed by one person and donated for use by someone else who needs it, mostly through milk banks.

Hospitals use donor human milk often to help supplement premature infants. Once a baby goes home, access to donor human milk becomes tricky and costly. Silva and Albert decided to do something about that.

Human Milk Connection was founded last year as “a fundraising and educational arm of milk banks in the state of California,” Silva says. “If someone qualifies for Medi-Cal, they may be eligible to get a large portion of the cost of donor human milk covered, but not all of it. We’re working to make that access more expansive.”

She explains donor milk costs $3.75 an ounce. The average baby at two weeks consumes 25 ounces a day, or roughly $2,800 a month.

The nonprofit built a relationship with the Mothers’ Milk Bank of San Jose to help get donor human milk to families in need. The goal is to raise enough money to fund as many California milk banks as possible.

“We really want this to be a state where this is accessible to everyone,” Silva says. “Informal milk sharing is done all over the world, but it’s much safer to use pasteurized donor human milk (through a milk bank).”

Women interested in donating breast milk can apply directly to the milk bank. Those who seek donor milk must obtain a prescription and apply to the bank to buy milk or, in some instances, have it donated.

“There are great lactation resources out there, but our organization wants people to know that this option is out there, too,” Silva says. “Many families would be ecstatic to have the choice to use human milk. We want people to know they have that choice.”

For information, visit humanmilkconnection.org.

By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. n

Janel Silva

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

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Fort Knox Fort Knox

It didn’t take long for the Children’s Fund to become a poster child for buyer’s remorse.

The Children’s Fund was a feel-good initiative pitched to voters in 2016, 2020 and 2022 as an easy way to steer young people from temptation with after-school programs and wholesome activities.

Money would come from cannabis sales taxes, about $9 million every year.

In other words, demon weed would save the city’s youth.

Harassed by campaign promoters for six years, voters finally approved the Children’s Fund in 2022. If only to make politicians stop asking.

But Children’s Fund chief salesmen, Mayor Darrell Steinberg and then-City Council member Jay Schenirer, obscured one important fact about those cannabis tax dollars.

The money gets detoured away from the city’s general fund. This creates a $9 million budget hole.

The loss of $9 million may not mean much when the city is fat and

RGBy R.E. Graswich City Beat

happy with state and federal dollars to support pandemic shortfalls. Today’s a different story. Cash pipelines are dry.

The City Council, whose appetite for pay raises and pet projects grew without restraint for four years, faces a $66 million budget deficit. Next year looks worse. The city could use that $9 million.

Here’s an obvious solution: Repeal the Children’s Fund before it causes more damage. Dumping the Children’s Fund happens in three steps.

First, city officials honestly explain the mistake. They admit the Children’s Fund was a nice idea, but financially irresponsible.

Second, the City Council puts a repeal initiative on the next ballot.

Third, voters revoke the Children’s Fund and return $9 million annually to the general fund, where it helps repair the deficit and saves essential city services.

Now is the time to start repeal discussion. The Children’s Fund has not become a factor in the city’s quest to prevent juvenile inertia, sloth and delinquency.

In 15 months since its approval by voters, the Children’s Fund accomplished nothing.

The City Council appointed nine members to the Children’s Fund Planning and Oversight Commission.

Buyer’s Remorse

VOTERS DESERVE A CHANCE TO REPEAL CHILDREN’S FUND

Consultants are supposed to produce a five-year strategic plan by June. That’s it for 2024.

Mayoral candidate Flo Cofer won’t touch the Children’s Fund. She says, “The city has other options to fill a budget deficit, including implementing some of the 39 process and efficiency recommendations they paid Management Partners to give in March 2020.”

Really? Those recommendations suggest Sacramento dump unionized employees and contract out for city services. I’d love to see Cofer do that.

Repaired or repealed, the Children’s Fund demands attention. Since promoters needed three tries to get the fund approved, voters deserve one chance to fix the mistake.

The Children’s Fund is expected to divide its $9 million annual windfall among nonprofit organizations that support young people. Such work is hard to measure.

Think about all those nonprofits that seek to resolve homelessness.

Let’s look at a local nonprofit called Youth Forward. This organization played a major role in promoting the Children’s Fund initiative.

According to tax documents, Youth Forward’s mission is to “support the needs of disadvantaged children, youth and families through education, research and communitybased activities.”

Vague if worthy goals. Difficult to quantify and measure. But thanks to

tax statements, we can measure the pay of Jim Keddy, executive director of Youth Forward.

In 2022, Keddy received $162,432. That’s up from $124,889 in 2020.

As for accomplishments, Youth Forward’s tax forms tickle the imagination.

The nonprofit reports it “promoted youth mental wellness at four local high schools through lunch time and after school activities.” It made “recommendations” to county officials for “a more humane and effective juvenile justice system.”

Finally, Youth Forward “educated” community leaders about ways to finance the Children’s Fund with cannabis taxes. As a political outfit, Youth Forward hit a home run.

Keddy says Youth Forward doesn’t want Children’s Fund dollars. The group is successful without cannabis money. About 73% of Youth Forward’s money comes from gifts and contributions, plus consulting fees.

Which demonstrates the superfluousness of the Children’s Fund. It’s a budget-busting redundancy ripe for repeal.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Shannon Williams represents Downtown, Midtown and East Sacramento on the Children’s Fund Planning and Oversight Commission. She is executive director of Sacramento State’s Institute for Social Research.

Taking Action

CITIZEN LOBBYIST ADVOCATES FOR ENVIRONMENT

If your organization needs public support, you need Edith Thacher.

The Natomas resident has decades of experience bringing people together. She’s been in the Peace Corps, a community development specialist working on women’s issues in Sudan, Niger, Mauritania and Singapore, and a project consultant for public agencies.

Now, Thacher is a citizen lobbyist for the Sacramento-Roseville chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which she co-leads with Lisa Howard.

“Our major focus is climate legislation at the federal level,” Thacher says. “We’re a nonpartisan, grassroots organization with (more than 500) chapters nationwide. I feel very fortunate that since I’ve retired, I’ve had the time to become a citizen advocate working on the micro level in Natomas, where I live, and the macro

with CCL, working on legislation that will curb carbon pollution.”

Thacher joined the Climate Lobby in 2016 after Donald Trump was elected president. She was soon asked to run the chapter, which she’s done ever since—with, she insists, “a lot of help.”

Climate Lobby volunteers advocate for climate action in many ways, including outreach and education, and lobbying at local and federal levels. For 2024 elections, the SacramentoRoseville chapter focuses on getting out the vote.

“It’s going to be incredibly important for people who care about climate change to vote this year,” Thacher says. “The Biden administration has not gotten much credit, but it has passed some terrific pieces of legislation to help reduce our carbon footprint as a nation.

The group is gearing for outreach around the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides money to the states to help households go all-electric with rebates. Once the California Energy Commission develops its program, the Climate Lobby will spread the word and help people navigate the complex rebate process.

Thacher is also educating people about development plans in Natomas. As reported in Inside Sacramento in January, NorthPoint Development and Angelo Tsakopoulos’ AKT Investments seek to build more than 6 million square feet of warehouse and light industrial development on 475 acres of farmland in an unincorporated part of the county beyond which development is not supposed to occur.

exception here, it will also be made over there.”

Thacher encourages her compadres to not be afraid to make their voices heard on tough issues.

“If you don’t go (into your representative’s office), it will only be people who are paid to lobby,” Thacher says. “I recommend going in and presenting a different view and getting involved in local government. If you feel strongly about something, tell your representative, whether they’re in the City Council, Assembly, the House, senators. They listen because you vote.”

“It’s about empowerment,” she says of advocacy leadership. “It’s getting you to do things you never thought you could do.”

By Jessica Laskey

“CCL is partnering with the Environmental Voter Project, a national organization that does ‘get out the vote’ work. We’re postcarding, phone calling and reaching out to environmental voters and encouraging them to vote. We’re not into politics, we’re just calling people who can be identified as interested in the environment but don’t vote.”

Thacher joined a community coalition under the Environmental Council of Sacramento that includes former Mayor Heather Fargo, wildlife advocates, homeowner associations and other stakeholders to stop the development.

“Once you start moving that boundary that maintains a balance of community, residential, agricultural and mitigation land, the dominos start to fall,” Thacher says. “If you make an

For information, visit citizensclimatelobby.org and ecosacramento.net. ECOS hosts its annual Sacramento Earth Day celebration at Southside Park at 700 T St. on Sunday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

Edith Thacher

Photo by Linda Smolek

Bad Breaths

PASTOR’S DENTAL HYGIENE ISN’T AN ACT OF GOD

Preaching to a sparse crowd, pastors often begin by quoting Matthew 18:20. They remove the verse from its context to passively express disappointment in the low turnout.

They say, “This reminds me of what Jesus said. ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’”

During my years as a hospital chaplain, I paraphrased this verse to convey my frustration at yet another staff meeting.

“Wherever there are two or more chaplains gathered in his name, there will be a chaplain staff meeting.”

At least our staff meetings at Sutter Medical Center could be interesting.

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By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

They were led by our spiritual care supervisor, Lisa Nordlander, who supervised one secretary, three chaplains and six chaplain interns.

One day, she sent a message: “All hands on deck for a joint meeting of staff and interns.”

We assembled in a conference room where I’d like to think we looked like Jedi knights waiting for divine wisdom from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

But this day, things took an unusual turn. Lisa tossed white plastic bags on the table and asked her chaplains to each take one. We spilled the contents onto the table. Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, tongue brush, dental floss.

OK. The supervisor’s husband was a dentist. But given her professional demeanor, product endorsement wasn’t her point.

“This is a friendly reminder,” she said among the giggles, “that good dental hygiene is a part of good spiritual hygiene.”

Yes, when it comes to spiritual care, oral cleanliness is next to godliness.

Lisa continued her teachable moment. “We work in close quarters,” she said, struggling to smother her smile.

“Chaplains often whisper to nursing staff and lean close in their patient

visits. These patients may be sensitive to certain odors, so please make sure you are well acquainted with these products.”

We all searched the faces around the table, wondering which chaplain inspired the toothbrushes.

Was it our Catholic priest who drank too much coffee?

Was it me, who loved cafeteria onion rings?

Was it the new intern snacking on tuna crackers?

We had a laugh over Lisa’s artful presentation. But I couldn’t help but think about another gathering, The Last Supper, when Jesus predicted one of his disciples (Judas) would betray him.

Like the disciples who muttered, “Is it I, Lord?” we chaplains blew into our cupped hands, taking a quick whiff and wondering, “Is it me, Lisa?”

There are times in our exchanges with people when we become pretty sure something stinks. On those occasions, what’s our first reaction? Do we lean close to friends and examine their smell? Or do we check our own breath?

We’re not perfect. We won’t always smell perfect. But imperfection gives us two choices.

We can deny it and make others suffer. Or we can celebrate that we are all in the same boat. We’re all human and we all have the potential to, well, stink.

The spirit we breathe may not always be the freshest one.

It’s something to keep in mind as we strive for improvement. Take a hard look at yourself. Check your spirit. Examine your intentions. Question your motives.

Ask yourself, “Am I the one who has caused the problem?” Or “Am I the one who holds the solution?” These must be the first questions we ask when we smell something’s not quite right.

Which leads me to another paraphrase of Matthew 18:20. “Wherever two or more are gathered in his name, there will always be imperfections.”

Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veteran’s groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

PSculptor David Best made permanent modifications to his rusted steel archway in late February that will prevent birds, including pigeons and birds of prey, from entering the structure with no way out.

“This was an accident that birds were trapped in the sculpture and died,” Best says. “This was not intentional.”

The Wildlife Care Association of Sacramento reported the problem last

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By Cathryn Rakich

The Fix Is In

BIRDS NOW SAFE AT LIGHT RAIL STATION

September to Regional Transit when a great horned owl was trapped at the bottom of the 20-foot arch.

As Inside Sacramento reported in January, firefighters cut and bent back the heavy metal scrollwork to release the owl, who was euthanized due to his injuries.

Because the archway is commissioned artwork and publicly funded through Sacramento’s Art in Public Places program, Regional Transit reports it could not modify the structure without working with the artist.

As a temporary fix, SacRT zip tied safety netting across gaps.

Best says he was out of the country, which caused delays in making permanent modifications. He also had to secure a contract with SacRT, get insurance for the project, design panels to fit the structure and wait for metal fabrication at a steel facility in Petaluma, where the artist lives.

A large gap at the top is now sealed and steel mesh lines the archway. “There is no way birds are going to get into the piece,” Best says.

If they do, he installed padlocked “doors” at the bottom of the structure that will rust over time. “Transit authority has the keys,” he adds.

Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

ublic artwork at the Light Rail Station on Franklin Boulevard is no longer a death trap for birds.

Photos by Aniko Kiezel

David Best

STRUNG OUT

CAN NEW-STYLE BOWLING PINS SAVE THE GAME?

Ilove Capitol Bowl. On dark nights, those white neon lights beckon with a nostalgic plea across West Capitol Avenue.

Inside, modern technologies honor and blur connections to 1960s bowling alleys, memories of beery scents, billowing ashtrays and Sure Strike scoring crayons.

Capitol Bowl calls itself a “modern bowling center.” This means glow bowling in disco darkness and automatic digital scorekeepers that erase the need for human calculations. The grill serves bacon cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches and a thoughtful salad thick with tomatoes.

R G RG

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

The bar, an essential bowling accessory, promotes happy hour with a rich pedigree of draft beers. Sad to report the bowling beer of my childhood—Burgermeister—no longer rolls.

Last summer, Capitol Bowl took its “modern bowling center” identity to another level. It became a string pinsetter house.

Management removed the traditional automated pin-setting machines—magical, mysterious, clanking contraptions that swept away fallen pins and somehow reloaded them in perfect sets.

In place of the old equipment, Capitol Bowl installed string pinsetters. The new gear turns bowling pins into puppets that dance on thin, black nylon cords. It’s bowling’s latest trend.

Strings mean pins no longer leap to laws of physics. They don’t truly fly across the lane to wipe out two or six or nine other pins. They almost replicate the old, ferocious pin action. But there’s a string attached.

Why would bowling alleys mess with the explosive soul of bowling? The answer is simple.

String pinsetters deliver a huge financial benefit to the house. String machines are uncomplicated, cheap to run and demand far less maintenance than traditional automatic pinsetters. Bowling alley energy bills drop by about 30% when strings arrive.

As for benefits to the bowler, the short answer is—it depends.

I haven’t heard any experienced bowlers say string pinsetters improve the game. The pins, old or new, are identical in weight and shape. Some bowlers are indifferent to the switch. They consider strings part of the game’s evolution.

Others hate strings and the theft of existential freedom they represent.

There’s another, more fundamental response that hovers above the thrill of the thunderous detonation that erupts when a bowling ball curves into the pocket and scatters 10 pins.

Here’s the fundamental answer. String pinsetters can save a bowling

alley from a slow death. That’s good news for anyone who loves Capitol Bowl and the eight other centers around town.

Bowling’s glory days, when Dick Weber and Earl Anthony were household sporting names, are long gone. It takes skill, patience and practice to become a decent league bowler. The game is too slow and difficult for many young people. Too analog.

In the last decade, more than 600 U.S. bowling alleys closed. New centers are rare, especially in cities where land, zoning and parking requirements make it hard to attract investors.

Traditional pinsetter machines are so complex that bowling alleys hire fulltime mechanics to make things work. Old pinsetters run on conveyor belts, elevators, gears, sprockets, gaskets, levers and chains—moving parts that need oil, wear out and breakdown.

String pinsetters are simple. They move up and down. They use pulleys to align and set pins. Tangled cords are

rare. Employees easily learn to shut off the machine and unknot pins.

The biggest maintenance problem is remembering to rotate the pins every day or two. The No. 1 pin takes a bashing. No mechanical skill is required to make the switch.

String bowling alleys are defensive. When I asked around Capitol Bowl how strings were progressing, an employee didn’t really answer. He responded by telling me about the certification process that validated the string setup for league and tournament play.

Certification means experts find no statistical difference among bowling scores after an alley converts to strings.

I’m no expert, but I think the validators miss something. Watching right-handed string bowlers at Capitol Bowl, I swear they benefit from the No. 10 pin getting toppled by a whipsawed nylon cord.

Or maybe I’m wrong. String theory requires additional study. Another beer, please.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at Inside Sacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Cecily

Best For Last

THEY FOUND DREAM HOME THREE BLOCKS AWAY

For 28 years, Rudy and Janice Calpo enjoyed their Donner Way home in Curtis Park. They vowed it would be their last house.

Then along came a place too good to pass up. It was a Spanish-style beauty on Marshall Way, three blocks away, built in 1928. But it needed remodeling.

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By Cecily Hastings Photography by Aniko Kiezel Open House

The couple brought serious chops to the project. Rudy is a retired architect. Janice is a retired historic preservation official for the state. They met when Rudy taught a community college course in perspective drawing. Janice needed the class for her master’s degree.

“Our previous home was small—just 1,240 square feet—but we had remodeled it to what we considered perfection,” Janice says. “It was a classic Craftsman bungalow and we put our hearts and souls into it and loved it.”

Janice and fellow Curtis Park resident Lori Harder help scout homes for the annual Curtis Park Home & Garden Tour. Both are always on the lookout for interesting houses.

“When Lori called about this home going on the market, Rudy and I went into high alert and lined up a tour,” Janice says. “We decided to make an offer after just walking into the large-scale open living room.”

Rudy and Janice Calpo with their dog Bordeaux.

Rudy says it almost didn’t matter what the rest of the home looked like.

The couple were enchanted with the home’s presence on a prominent corner. They took possession in February 2020.

Rudy quickly made plans to remodel the kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. The home had three bedrooms, three baths, a small kitchen and breakfast room. His new design expanded the kitchen and customized it.

To increase the light, the couple installed vintage windows that were removed from the Fox & Goose restaurant on R Street.

Three full bathrooms became two baths and a half bath. Closets were reconfigured. The front bedroom is now a study with a TV. The middle bedroom is a master. The back bedroom serves as Rudy’s studio and workshop. He’s a photographer and collector of artifacts and wine.

The couple moved in May 2020. The previous owner left furniture that was perfect, notably a wooden dining room set. But the work wasn’t done. They needed to finish the kitchen and laundry room. “And we had no hot water!” Janice says.

The home has a small basement accessible from the kitchen through a staircase topped with a large counter

that lifts to enter. The space below is festive, a cacophony of lights, decorations and Rudy’s wine collection.

Now final touches are being added. There’s new kitchen floor tile in a colorful checkerboard pattern.

The exterior was updated with a coral and vintage green paint scheme, selected for historic authenticity. Exterior renovations included adding a stucco wall on the side yard. It adds privacy to a porch that overlooks the street.

The front yard is all garden beds and a dozen Zinfandel grapevines. The courtyardstyle backyard still needs work but features a beautiful adobe brick fountain and entertainment space.

The kitchen is Rudy’s favorite place. Janice’s favorite is “the huge open living room that opens to the other rooms and features a tall open ceiling,” she says.

The Calpo home is featured in the Curtis Park Home & Garden Tour on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Five homes and gardens showcase the diversity of Curtis Park. Tickets are available at sierra2.org or the Sierra 2 office at 2791 24th St. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on tour day. The tour is presented by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association. The event features food trucks, live music, home and garden vendors, picnic tables and chairs at the north end of Curtis Park, and is open to all.

To recommend a home or garden, contact cecily@insidepublications.com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

95608

2326 VIA CAMINO AVE $320,000

2404 VIA CAMINO AVE $330,000

3994 PARK CIRCLE LN #C $345,000

6114 HILLTOP DR $352,000

5221 GIBBONS DR $356,000

3997 PARK CIRCLE LN #C $360,000

6228 SAMOA WAY $645,000

5514

$1,250,000

5191 COPPERFIELD WAY $1,305,000

1975 CENACLE LN $1,780,000

95815

2729 RIO LINDA BLVD $185,000

ELDRIDGE AVE $290,000 1338 CANNON ST $295,000

2201 EDGEWATER RD $300,000

274 SANTIAGO AVE $310,000

181 ARCADE BLVD $310,000

1181 SONOMA AVE $355,000

278 CHRISTINE DR $356,000

3063 CLAY ST $359,000

745 ARCADE BLVD $360,000

708 CALVADOS AVE $360,000

3313 DEL PASO BLVD $375,000

1928 BOWLING GREEN DR $409,000

2628 DEL PASO BLVD $420,000

2443 BEN ALI WAY $435,000

654 ALAMOS AVE $470,000

95816

2426 Q ST $565,000

1707 SAN TIMOTEO WALK $565,000

2427 N ST $670,000

822 27TH ST $675,000

1620 23RD ST $745,000

2713 DEMOCRACY ALY $749,000

2715 DEMOCRACY ALY $750,000

1114 33RD ST $775,000

95817

3309 35TH ST $310,000

3041 SAN CARLOS WAY $320,000

2964 65TH ST $325,000

2970 65TH ST $325,000

3531 41ST ST $352,000

3509 33RD ST $392,500

3055 5TH AVE $405,000

3226 LA SOLIDAD WAY $595,000

3020 MARSHALL WAY $690,000

95818

208 LOG POND LN $452,000

161 LOG POND LN $480,000

2208 12TH STREET $498,000

512 U ST $530,000

1025 3RD AVE $610,000

2362 MCFLY WALK $639,000

2440 5TH AVE $670,000

2383 CROATIA WALK $680,000

2318 BRONZE STAR WAY $695,000

1248 8TH AVE $805,000

2102 13TH STREET $884,000

1857 4TH AVE $949,000

2283 DONNER WAY $1,079,000

1523 7TH AVE $1,250,000

95819

4125 F ST $655,000

5919 CAMELLIA AVE $699,000

1608 42ND ST $700,000

58 36TH WAY $746,691

941 55TH ST $800,700

4812 I ST $858,000

1400 62ND ST $880,000

5714 SPILMAN AVE $950,000

1373 40TH ST $980,000

3819 MODDISON AVE $995,000

1000 43RD ST $1,160,000

1200 40TH ST $1,175,000

1000 47TH ST $1,700,000

95821

3255 BACK CIR $355,000

3650 W COUNTRY CLUB LN $366,000

2521 DARWIN ST $368,000

2832 BARBARELL WAY $376,000

3000 SAND DOLLAR WAY $420,000

3430 SIERRA VIEW LN $448,000

3419 CHENU AVE $485,000

4201 BOONE LN $529,000

3125 LEATHA WAY $530,000

4229 BONNIE JEAN $540,000

4133 BOONE LN $545,000

4600 GEORGIAN AVE $550,000

3406 HARGER CT $550,000

4220 ELVA WAY $563,000

3069 BERTIS DR $589,000

2616 WRENDALE WAY $592,000

95822

7334 CRANSTON WAY $295,000

114 QUASAR CIR $322,500

5677 JOHNS DR $342,000

7352 SPRINGMAN ST $348,000

5621 BRADD WAY $380,000

7571 29TH ST $380,000

7467 SCHREINER ST $380,000

7551 SWEETFERN WAY $385,000

7459 COSGROVE WAY $385,000

1507 DICKSON ST $387,000

2400 45TH AVE $400,000

7335 21ST ST $400,000

7553 21ST ST $415,000

7572 19TH ST $415,000

7351 21ST ST $435,000

1428 34TH AVE $440,512

5673 LA CAMPANA WAY $445,000

6960 23RD ST $455,000

2136 16TH AVE $465,000

6920 HOGAN DR $555,000

5301 SALVATOR WAY $610,000

1 HIDDEN PARK CT $715,000

95825

965 FULTON AVE #559 $188,500

2458 LARKSPUR LN #337 $200,000

937 FULTON AVE #501 $219,900

2202 WOODSIDE LN #9 $225,000

780 WOODSIDE LANE EAST #4 $227,000

508 WOODSIDE OAKS #8 $240,000

628 WOODSIDE SIERRA #3 $247,000

975 FULTON AVE #486 $253,500

539 WOODSIDE OAKS #1 $285,000

2274 SIERRA BLVD #B $335,000

2400 DARWIN ST $380,000

1718 WRIGHT ST $380,000

2112 BELL ST $385,000

2306 MORSE AVE $400,000

2408 DRAYTON DR $405,000

2117 CORTEZ LN $415,000

2008 ROBERT WAY $430,000

2519 EXETER SQUARE LN $440,000

17 ADELPHI CT $465,000

620 HARTNELL PL $475,000

2009 RICHMOND ST $541,500

2413 BRENTWOOD RD $555,000

2544 VILLA TERRACE LN $600,000

2430 PAVILIONS PLACE LN #706 $670,000

2901 ARMSTRONG DR $689,000

95831

6241 RIVERSIDE BLVD #104 $335,000

21 QUAY CT $380,000

1147 ALDER TREE WAY $400,000

1 LAGUNA SECA CT $465,000

22 LANYARD CT $482,000

7319 PEYTONA WAY $483,500

6838 WESTMORELAND WAY $531,500

543 DE MAR DR $596,000

1129 WESTLYNN WAY $610,000

35 SHADY RIVER CIR $630,000

333 BAY RIVER WAY $668,000

430 WINDWARD WAY $675,000

7572 POCKET RD $735,000

18 MARLTON CT $749,900

7717 DUTRA BEND DR $847,000

6674 RIPTIDE WAY $855,000

6698 SOUTH LAND PARK DR $895,000

95864

3100 SOMERSET RD $421,000

116 CLUNIE DR $925,000

2913 SIENNA LN $993,950

955 SOMERSBY WAY $1,150,000

1336 MARIEMONT AVE $1,360,000

4010 WYCOMBE DR $1,435,000

Labrador Love

NONPROFIT GIVES ABANDONED DOGS A SECOND CHANCE

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By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

Roo was 11 months old with a broken femur. X-rays showed the break was not a first for the yellow Labrador. His owners wanted him euthanized.

Instead, their veterinarian reached out to Central California Labrador Retriever Rescue.

The rescue group secured a foster home for Roo. Following surgery and six weeks of restricted activity and some training, the pup was cleared for neutering and went up for adoption.

“Roo hit the jackpot with an amazing family committed to helping him become the gem of a lab he

had the potential to be,” says Erika Sechrist, Roo’s foster mom. “He’s living the life.”

Based in Sacramento, the nonprofit organization has been rescuing Labrador retrievers (and occasionally other breeds) for 26 years, placing them in homes from Redding to Fresno.

The volunteer group pulls the majority of its dogs from area animal shelters.

“Dogs at the shelter are our No. 1 priority,” says Cathy Chance, a volunteer for more than 20 years. Labs come from shelters in Sacramento, but mostly Merced, Stanislaus, Stockton, Turlock and Elk Grove.

“The Sacramento shelters do not have nearly the number of labs as the valley does,” Chance says. Sacramento is overrun with shepherds, huskies and pit bulls.

The pandemic made everything worse. “It’s unbelievable. We’ve never seen it like this,” Chance says. “During Covid, people wanted an animal to be at home with them. The breeders were breeding—supply and demand—and are still breeding. We are seeing all those dogs dumped.”

For owners seeking to surrender their labs, temperament and foster availability come into play. “The dogs have to be dog friendly,” Chance says. “As long as we can find space for those dogs, we will bring them in.”

The group focuses on Labrador retrievers, “but there are accidents,” says Chance, who recently fostered an 8-week-old puppy from Merced. A shelter volunteer contacted the rescue group about a dog who appeared to be a lab. “She sent photographs of this little white pup and we are all guessing what it is,” Chance says. “We had to get that puppy out of there.”

The cute canine turned out to be an akbash, an uncommon breed that looks similar to a great Pyrenees. “We take our best shot. Especially when they’re tiny,” Chance says. “They have floppy ears and whitish coats.”

In addition to fostering, Chance visits shelters to evaluate and pull dogs for the group’s 25 or so active foster homes. She and another volunteer set up the foster homes with food, beds, dishes, toys and crates. “I always thank our fosters because they are so critical to what we do,” Chance says.

When a foster home is not available, the group turns to Tug Dogs in Elverta and Peaceful Pets in Sacramento for boarding and “a little bit of training while there.”

Late last year, the rescue group took in nine puppies—six from the same litter dumped on property in Lake County and three from area shelters. “That was more puppies than we ever had at one time,” Chance says. “It was quite a feat.”

Cathy Chance with Molly and Hogan

Photo by Linda Smolek

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The rescuers waited until after the holidays to post the puppies for adoption. “We don’t want the Christmas puppy that is going to be a gift and then end up back on our front door,” Chance says.

When interviewing potential adopters, the group asks: Do you have a fenced yard? How many hours a day will the dog be left alone? What type of exercise will you do with the dog? Where will the dog sleep at night? Do you have another dog? “In many cases another dog will help shelter dogs with their confidence,” Chance says.

“We vet people. We meet them. We have all kinds of conversations with them. We go to their homes. Do yard checks. We do the very best we can. I feel very good about the adopters we have for these guys.”

Dogs receive a health check, vaccinations, heartworm and fecal tests, flea and heartworm prevention, and a microchip. All dogs are spayed or neutered. Some require more extensive tests, treatments and surgeries.

With last year’s expenses at $68,000, donations are gladly accepted. Volunteers are needed to help with transport, fundraising and fostering.

“People always ask me ‘How can you foster? I would never be able to let them go,’” Chance says. “But when you know you’re putting them in the best home you can, and there’s another dog at the shelter waiting to get out, it’s easy to send the dog you have on its way.”

Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Help raise funds for Central California Labrador Retriever Rescue by participating in an online auction April 15–30. View auction items, place a bid and get information on adopting, volunteering and donating at cc-labrescue.org.

ACROSS

1 Space Race country, briefly

5 Refuses to proceed

10 Toggle on an alarm clock

14 LA or NYC neighborhood

15 To no ___ (fruitless)

16 Bubkes

17 Stock market debuts: Abbr.

18 Mount ___ Hospital

19 Thick, wheat flour noodle

20 Elisabeth of “Leaving Las Vegas”

21 “That is,” in Latin

22 Clickable text

23 Stir-fry need

24 Long-winded

26 Had a snack

27 Recurring title role for Tyler Perry

29 Screw up

30 Irritate

32 Sixth sense, for short

33 Affirmation on the high seas

34 Like carpaccio and ceviche

35 “___!” “Polo!”

37 “Dapper” fellow

38 Like most salad greens

41 Swiss peak

42 “No ___” (“You can’t go back in” rule)

45 “Despicable Me” protagonist

46 Apple computer since 1998

48 “Star Wars” droid, familiarly

49 Timid

50 Indian city that became Chennai

52 Support beams

54 Kerouac novel ... and where you’d find the first words of 3-, 7- and 11-Down

58 One of five born together, informally

61 Body spray brand

62 Seasons, like popcorn

66 Worth

67 Place to be pampered

68 All-vowel refrain in a kids’ song

69 Boston NBAers, for short

70 Bounce

71 “r u 4 real?”

DOWN

1 Sleep aid brand

2 Dorothy’s mom on “The Golden Girls”

3 Piece of protective football gear

4 Thorny flower

5 Jazz Count

6 Bookworm

7 Women’s apparel company

8 Hyundai Santa Fe alternative

9 Narrow cuts

10 Blue, in Spanish

11 Income that half of workers make more than

12 “ASAP!”

13 Word before “bars” or “business”

24 Gaseous mist

25 Like a 5 a.m. wakeup call

28 Top-left keyboard key

31 Scot’s “no”

35 Really hurt

36 ___ mater

39 Agonize (over)

40 Laughs heartily

43 The right direction?

44 Red, in Spanish

47 Portmanteau pastry

49 Where hang time takes place

51 Puts some chips on the table

53 Desert refuges

55 Chopped-up meat dish

56 Trade show

57 Collect, like crops

58 HSN competitor

59 Home to the Burj Khalifa, for short

60 Feeling hot, or not feeling so hot

63 French article

64 Up to, briefly

65 What tofu is made of

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

3001 P St. Sacramento, CA

Hodgson

Add John Hodgson and Bob Chase to the long list of prominent Sacramentans frustrated with city government’s response to homelessness.

Unlike some critics who hate to see encampments but offer no solutions, these two friends, both in their 70s, pursue creative ways to make a difference.

For the past three years, Hodgson, a land-use attorney and developer, and Chase, an architect with a history of public service, worked with colleagues from the Urban Land Institute and American Association of Architects

G D GD

By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

Central Valley to promote their plans for transitional housing throughout the city.

Their allies—working for free— include urban planners and designers from top architectural and planning firms, including Mogavero Architects, Dreyfuss + Blackford, DLR Group and WHA.

Taking their cue from a successful effort in Los Angeles, Hodgson, Chase and friends put together three site designs that could provide shelter and supportive services for about 6,000 people.

In the group’s presentations, the designs are characterized as “functional, cost-effective, attractive and compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Hodgson and Chase began their crusade in 2021, roughly the same time Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council proposed targeting 21 sites around town for transitional housing. That plan fizzled.

Silent Treatment

CITY HALL IGNORES DUO’S HOMELESS SOLUTIONS

“With all due respect to the city, they don’t know how to find sites and build housing,” Hodgson says. “The private sector knows how to build housing and find sites. We’re pretty good at it.”

When Steinberg heard what Hodgson and Chase were doing, his office met with the pair.

“The mayor looked at our stuff and thought it was good,” Hodgson says. “They liked it so much it became part of his presentation to the City Council about the plan. But there was never any follow up. No one ever got back to us.

“We heard from other cities who were interested in what we were doing, but nothing from the city. With all due respect, the city is not doing anything right now, as a practical matter, to build this kind of housing.”

The plans look good on paper, with open spaces and dignified dwellings. But without specific parcels and money, it’s unclear how the city can turn site designs and concepts into results.

Unwilling to give up, Hodgson and Chase have worked with county

officials. They hope a county request for proposals to develop transitional housing will produce results.

“What is really needed is to have a project go up and the media come see it and say, ‘That’s not bad,’” Chase says. “But we need that model. People need to see that these projects can be done well and responsibly.”

To understand the crisis, Chase spent time on the streets with homeless people. He participated in the latest “point-in-time” count required of cities seeking federal funds for homeless solutions.

“I would love to get more of our citizens to have conversations with these people,” Chase says. “They’d realize they’re just people. They’re not going to try to knife you or steal everything from you. They’re just trying to survive.”

As they developed their plans, the men accompanied city and county officials to Los Angeles to meet Ken Craft, founder of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission. They toured sites built

Homeless housing designs

John

and Bob Chase

Photo by Linda Smolek

in association with public and private sectors in the San Fernando Valley.

That kind of partnership doesn’t seem to exist in Sacramento.

“I always go back to something Ken told us,” Chase recalls. “We need affordable hard housing, but in the meantime the streets and the riverbank can’t be the front yard for people to wait to have that housing get built. We need more transitional housing to get people off the street now.”

Hard to argue. Here’s hoping Sacramento County finds resources and political will to get one of these projects built and serve as a model for more.

Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

TSEASONAL SETBACKS DON’T STOP LOCAL GARDENERS

he Big Blow or, in meteorological parlance, the atmospheric river storm, howled through town in early February. Accompanied by 60 mph winds, it toppled trees, power lines, fences and all things not secured or firmly rooted. The county declared a state of emergency.

Surveying my wounded garden afterward, damage appeared minimal. I found fences and trees still upright. But what a mess. Winds ripped oranges, limes and lemons from my trees.

The yard was littered with citrus. I gathered it up and carried it inside.

Some neighbors weren’t so fortunate. On message boards, a man reported his entire newly planted “citrus grove” was uprooted by wind and deposited into the swimming pool.

D V DV

By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

Friends had floods, large containers and trellises toppled, greenhouses damaged and assorted catastrophes, minor to heartbreaking. Wind lifted a patio chair and dropped it on a table, shattering the glass top.

Those same winds carried dozens of spiky balls from a liquidambar tree two houses away into my yard and swimming pool. Many more touched down on the roof, rolled into the gutters and clogged the downspouts. I made an appointment and had the gutters cleaned.

Gardeners are wired to endure the unexpected along with recurring headaches. We are stubborn and persistent. If it fails, we want to know why and how to fix it. If it dies, we plant another and hope for better results. We gather broken pieces and attempt to make it right.

While gathering citrus and sweeping up debris, early emerging crocosmia and daffodils reminded me how fortunate we are to garden here. There’s so much more to love about our gardens and weather than random setbacks.

We are experiencing a period of weather change. Winter temperatures have been surprisingly mild in recent years. Roses edge toward dormancy, but never quite sleep. Mine bloomed

until pruned in late January. It was the same the previous winter.

Covering citrus trees, succulents and other tender plants and trees to protect from hard frosts did not happen this winter. My frost covers never left the shelf.

Not enough “chill hours” is not a good thing for fruit trees that require a specific amount of cold winter temperatures to properly develop and produce tasty fruit. Mild winter temperatures can adversely affect fruit.

On the reverse side, edibles such as avocados and some tropical fruits are easier to grow when winters are warmer.

Our region’s growing season has been extended. We added a few weeks earlier in the year and another couple of weeks into fall. Summer vegetables once were mostly planted in mid-to-late April. More gardeners now plant in late March to mid-April.

In recent years, local gardeners harvested peppers and tomatoes well into November. Friends plucked backyard tomatoes on Christmas day! One presented a handful of sweet peppers right before Valentine’s Day. Her peppers survived the winter.

Should you roll the dice and hope the weather and these seasonal tweaks continue? Sure, if you also realize hailstorms are not uncommon in March

and April, and the threat of an early frost later in the year can result in disaster.

Gardening is never without hiccups. Mild early season weather means weeds arrive earlier. Annual blue grass is often the first annoyance. Bermudagrass shakes off dormancy earlier and creeps into flower beds and vegetable gardens.

A few uncharacteristic 70-degree days allow mosquitoes to make an early, unwelcome appearance.

Pulling weeds with one hand and swatting mosquitoes with the other is hardly ideal, yet a petty annoyance compared to the rewards of a longer growing season and more plant options. Inhale the fragrance, admire the blooms and thrust fingers into rich Sacramento soil. Our perks dwarf the problems.

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 and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

READERS NEAR & FAR

1. Bill Hambrick and Leigh Rutledge at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.

2. Gina, Colton and Brian Fippin in Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic.

3. Paul Villaluz Weubbe and Roger Paul Villaluz Weubbe in Manila, Philippines.

4. Traci and Jackson McMullen at Cascata La Froda in Sonogno, Switzerland.

5. Yvonne and Eddie Fong on a river cruise to Milan and Venice, Italy.

Hidden Gem

ARTS HUB HIDES IN PLAIN SIGHT IN RANCHO CORDOVA

J L JL

By Jessica Laskey

and economically viable,” says Gleason, an Idaho native. “I wanted to make the MACC a place that would take away the old stereotypes of Rancho Cordova and put it on the cultural map of the area.”

Gleason started big—her third show was an exhibition of David Hockney— but quickly discovered that no matter how cool the offerings were, people didn’t know Mills Station existed. Gleason put on her marketing hat and got to work.

She invited schools for field trips. She identified Friday as the slowest days and started hosting Friday night concerts of “culturally relevant” music. She scheduled poetry nights, local author days, lectures, art workshops on Saturdays, screenings of documentary films and plenty of historical exhibitions.

Mills Station was the only venue in California that rented “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II,” an exhibit from the Smithsonian that toured the country.

Gleason’s talent for educating the public and identifying excellent art was honed over decades. She studied architectural drafting in Arizona— “Mostly to get my mom off my back about going to college,” she says—then moved to San Francisco in 1986 and fell in love with education through community college art and art history classes. (She also fell in love with her wife of 35 years.)

She transferred to UC Davis to earn a bachelor’s degree in fine art and a minor in art history. This is where she came into contact with mediums that have become her signature: oil and cold wax. She works in encaustic (hot wax), acrylic, collage and mixed media “upcycled” work that gives discarded wood new life.

After graduation, Gleason embarked on a career at Nugget Markets, where she worked her way up to director of training and education. That led to a job at Heald College running the learning resource center and a master’s degree in education from Cal State East Bay in online teaching and learning.

The Mills Station Arts & Culture Center is a hidden gem in Rancho Cordova. Cheryl Gleason is determined to change that.

As the center’s art director and curator since 2018, Gleason plans everything that happens at

Mills Station. It’s also her job to make sure people see the exhibits, workshops, history displays, cultural demonstrations and more at the center each month.

“I understand that art is more than something to go in and look at—it’s what makes a community culturally

When the Heald job ended, a connection at Rancho Cordova City Council was the bridge to Gleason’s next move.

She displayed her work at city hall through the nonprofit Cordova Community Council, which partnered with the city of Rancho Cordova, Regional Transit and Sacramento County to create the Mills Station arts center. Upon the center’s completion,

Open Studio

Cheryl Gleason

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

the council turned to Gleason to run the gallery.

“The city gave me this wonderful, beautiful building that’s historically significant as a blank canvas and just said, ‘OK, go!’” she says. “If you don’t give me parameters or a box to stay in, I will exploit the hell out of it.”

When the pandemic hit, Gleason set up a desk at Mills Station as a way to keep herself focused.

(“My studio’s at home and it calls to me like ice cream in the freezer,” she says.) Spending so much time immersed in the space made her creative juices flow. She

expanded the exhibition spaces, educational workshops for artists as entrepreneurs and cultural offerings.

“I’m looking for different ways to bring different types of art to the community,” Gleason says. “After all, it’s their tax dollars that pay for it.”

For information, visit rcmacc.org and gleasongallery.com.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

ART

From Animal Nature to Super Nature

Twisted Track Gallery

April 5–28

First Friday Reception April 5, 6–10 p.m.

Second Saturday Reception April 13, 5–8 p.m. 1730 12th St.; twistedtrackgallery.life

Explore two- and three-dimensional works by artists Paula and Joseph Bellacera.

Unconscious Exploration

ARTHOUSE on R

April 13–May 6

Artist Reception Saturday, April 13, 5–8 p.m. 1021 R St.; arthouseonr.com

Discover mixed media work of Cheryl Gleason, artist/curator at Mills Station Arts & Culture Center. Resident artists open their studios 6–9 p.m.

Catherine Erickson

PBS KVIE Gallery

April 2–May 31

Public Reception Thursday, April 11, 5–7 p.m. 2030 W. El Camino Ave.; kvie.org/gallery Cows, wineries, landscapes, trees, campers and cars are rendered with thick applications of oil paint on more than 20 paintings.

Okada, Baxter and Martinelli

Archival Gallery

April 4–27

Second Saturday Reception April 13, 5–8 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalgallery.com

Corey Okada presents abstract, floral and figurative works in acrylics. Terry Baxter’s abstracts offer meditations on the Yuba River. Erin Martinelli shares her “California Superblooms” collection.

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

By Jessica Laskey Calendar Editor

Off Center

Blue Line Arts

April 6–May 18

Third Saturday Reception April 20, 5–7 p.m. 406 Vernon St., Roseville; bluelinearts.org

Celebrate ceramic art from classic pottery to bold abstracts.

LIVE PERFORMANCE

Jack Gallagher Music & Comedy Show

The Sofia

Saturday, April 20, 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2700 Capitol Ave.; bstreettheatre.org

Tickets: $38.50

Comedian Jack Gallagher returns with his popular show backed by the Dick Bright Band.

Till I Am Filled With Joy

Sacramento Master Singers

Saturday, April 13, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 14, 3 p.m.

McClatchy High School Auditorium (3066 Freeport Blvd.); mastersingers.org

Tickets: $37 adults, $10 students

Join a musical journey featuring soaring Renaissance motets, Medieval and African chants, American spirituals and more.

Handel Beyond Messiah

Capital Chorale & Orchestra

Friday, April 26, 7 p.m.

Pioneer Congregational UCC (2700 L St.); pioneerucc.org

Tickets: $25

Enjoy arias and choruses from Handel’s oratorios, the coronation anthem “Let thy hand be strengthened” and a concerto with organist Ryan Enright.

Spring Concert

Chamber Music Society of Sacramento

Sunday, April 14, 4 p.m.

Capistrano Hall, Sacramento State (6000 J St.); cmssacto.org

Tickets: $30 general, $25 seniors, $12 students

Guest artist Kerstin Allvin performs harp. Program includes music by composers Saint-Saens, Debussy and Brahms.

COMMUNITY

Celebrate City! Community Open House

Sacramento City College

Friday, April 19, 4–7 p.m.

3835 Freeport Blvd.; scc.losrios.edu

This free event features food and entertainment, and showcases school programs, clubs and student talent.

“Bee in the Mist” by Paula Bellacera at Twisted Track Gallery.

Curtis Park Home & Garden Tour

Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association

Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Curtis Park (3349 West Curtis Drive); sierra2. org/event/home-tour

Tickets: $25 in advance ($20 SCNA members), $30 tour day ($25 SCNA members)

Visit homes constructed between 1910 and 2023 with interiors from classic to contemporary.

Doggy Dash

Sacramento SPCA

Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

William Land Park (3800 W. Land Park Drive); sspca.org

Registration: $35 individual walker, $45 create/ join a team, $50 event day

Join Northern California’s largest 2k/5k walk to help the SSPCA care for more than 40,000 animals each year.

Bockbierfest

Sacramento Turn Verein

Saturday, April 13, 3 p.m.–Midnight 3349 J St.; sacramentoturnverein.com

Tickets: $20 general, $5 children up to age 12

Enjoy German dance music, specialty treats and an outdoor biergarten featuring Bockbier from Germany, wine and champagne.

Spring Bonsai Show & Sale

American Bonsai Association, Sacramento April 13 & 14, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Shepard Garden and Arts Center (3330 McKinley Blvd.); abasbonsai.org

Show includes Bonsai tree and Suiseki (Japanese viewing stones) exhibits, daily demonstrations, a beginner’s workshop, raffles and more.

Rise Against Hunger Food Packing Event

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

Saturday April 20, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 2140 Mission Ave., stmichaelscarmichael.org

Join parishioners and community partners to pack family food bags distributed by Rise Against Hunger.

United in Purpose Gala

United Way California Capital Region

Saturday, April 20, 6–9 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St.); uwccr.org/gala

Tickets: $175–$250

The evening includes dinner, a keynote presentation, live and silent auctions, and a raffle. Funds raised help local children excel in school.

Birds & Blooms Walk

Bufferlands

Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m.–Noon

Sacramento Area Sewer District, Elk Grove; sacsewer.com/bufferlands

Biologists and docents guide a walk through grassland, wetland and riparian habitats on 2,000-plus acres of open space surrounding the EchoWater Facility.

Sacramento Earth Day

Environmental Council of Sacramento

Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Southside Park (700 T St.) ecosacramento.net/sacearthday

Participate in this free familyfriendly event focusing on sustainability, climate, water and habitat. Visit 150 exhibitors and vendors while enjoying live music and vegan food.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Classic home on Curtis Park Home & Garden Tour.

“America” by Catherine Erickson at PBS KVIE Gallery.

“Spokane Falls” by Cheryl Gleason at ARTHOUSE on R.

Steamed or Fried?

NEW RESTAURANT IS DUMPLING LOVERS’ DESTINATION

When I heard the Chinese restaurant where I grew up was closing, I was inconsolable.

The Mandarin survived 40 years in Arden-Arcade. It was our family’s go-to restaurant, as much of a culinary tradition as Nana’s Sunday gravy or Auntie Nina’s potato salad.

SGBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

Never again would I savor the General Tsao’s chicken, the snap and pop of sizzling rice soup or the doughy goodness of Mandarin’s pot stickers.

The good news is, due to an outpouring of support, The Mandarin stayed open. But the initial thought of its loss gave me the freedom to explore other Chinese standouts.

My first quest was to find dumplings. I landed at Midtown’s new sensation, Journey to the Dumpling.

Journey opened at 21st and Q streets last November. The lines out the door never stopped. The restaurant is the second for owners Chris and Yvonne Tan, whose Elk Grove location has been a dumpling lover’s destination since 2017.

Every day at the Midtown Journey, the patio is packed with people waiting for a table in the neon-lit dining room.

You’ll hear debates over pan fried vs. steamed, pork vs. veggie.

For many guests, there’s no argument about what sort of dumpling

to order. It’s the xiao long bao every time. Known in English as “soup dumplings,” these delicate pillows

contain a slurp of soup and bite of pork filling in every ethereal dollop.

The debate is how to eat them. First option is to consume the whole dumpling—scalding soup, savory filling and light dough—in one bite.

For a second option, take a small bite and suck the dumpling dry of soup, then chomp away at the remnants.

There’s a third option, my favorite. Place the dumpling in a soup spoon. Pinch the delicate skin with chopsticks. Let the soup drain from the dumpling and fill the spoon, cooling it. Eat the dumpling off the spoon while slurping the soup in one or two bites.

The surprising thing about Journey isn’t the fantastic dumplings. The surprise is the rest of the menu.

The spicy string beans are very spicy and intensely flavored. The salt and pepper tofu is gorgeously fried, with a

crunchy exterior and creamy, luscious interior. Noodle soups, chive pancakes and fried rice are favorites.

If you’re lucky enough to get a dining room seat, you’ll encounter a delightful assault on the senses. Deft marketing is on display with red neon dragons and designs blaring out from the walls. The designs are echoed in the plates and cups, with elegant branding presented everywhere.

Service is fast and happy, noise levels intense, the sense of joy palpable.

I found two other dumplings worth discussing. The pork pot stickers at Dumpling House, 24th and J streets, are among the best I’ve had. The casual, order-at-the-counter restaurant doesn’t look like much, but it contains an exceptionally skilled kitchen crew.

On Freeport Boulevard and Fifth Avenue, Dumpling & Tea House

serves more types of dumplings than I can count. The chicken and corn steamed dumplings stand out. A casual restaurant serving mostly to-go orders, this restaurant satisfies Land Park and Curtis Park residents looking for a quick, easy dinner.

For me, the journey continues as I search for dishes like childhood favorites. If you have a favorite

general’s chicken or sizzling rice soup, let me know.

Journey to the Dumpling is at 1700 21st St.; (916) 822-4473; journeytothedumpling.com.

Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Photos by Linda Smolek