Inside Pocket August 2019 by Inside Publications

AUGUST 2019

POCKET

ANDREW HINDMAN

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS ARDEN

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LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

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BEAUTIFUL AND SPACIOUS ON CUL-DE-SAC 4 bedroom 3 bath home near the Sacramento River. 2 master suites (1 upstairs and 1 downstairs). Great for extended families. Open Àoor plan with vaulted ceilings. Gorgeous built-in pool. Wonderful deck off master overlooking pool. New features: roof, gutters, shower, paint, re¿nished white kitchen cabinets and side gate. AC is 3 years new. $560,000 MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

IN THE ISLANDS OF RIVERLAKE Beautiful 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home is located on a corner lot with entertaining and low maintenance backyard with patio and built-in gas BBQ. Featuring beautiful hickory wood Àoors, built-in cabinetry throughout, a huge bonus room, downstairs bedroom and bathroom, spacious kitchen! $489,000 JULIANNE PARK 916-541-8403 DRE-01999740 MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

pending

HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM RIVRLAKE HOME Access to a beautiful private lake for ¿shing, paddle boating or relaxing. 4-5 bedroom 3 full baths, one master bedroom upstairs. 2nd master downstairs. Amazing professional landscaped yards with tranquil covered court yard and pretty fountain, pebble-tec pool and waterfall, feels like paradise! Gorgeous large kitchen overlooking spacious family room. $780,000 MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

DESIRABLE GREENHAVEN POCKET HOME Absolutely stunning 4 bedroom 2 bath, single story in desirable Greenhaven/Pocket neighborhood. Separate living and family rooms Nice kitchen overlooking the family room. Over $100k in recent kitchen, windows, bathrooms, Àooring, roof, HVAC, Tankless hot water, whole house fan. Close to Seymour Park (greenbelt), downtown. $489,000 PAULA LOPEZ 916-719-9210 DRE-01574668

pending

IN THE HILLS OF SOUTH LAND PARK This ‘One-of-a-Kind’ contemporary multi-level home is a stunner! 2 stories, 3 or 4 bedrooms 3½ baths, 3075 sf. An open and spacious Àoorplan with living room ¿replace, den/study, master bedroom balcony and walls of glass that make this a beautiful place to call home. Private yard, conveniently located! $950,000 CARMAH HATCH 916-765-6210 DRE-007861003

VIEWS OF SACRAMENTO RIVER Contemporary home is ideally located; close to downtown with easy I-5 access and in a great location with gorgeous views of the Sacramento River. Enjoy lots of natural light and fresh air with balconies off of the living room and master bedroom. 3 bedroom 2½ bath, kitchen with shaker cabinets, quartz counter tops. $469,000 BETH SHERMAN 916-800-4343 DRE-01237439

pending

ELK GROVE HOME Great opportunity for ¿rst time home buyers or investors. 4 bedrooms 2 baths 1893sf, open Àoor plan. Light and bright with northern exposure. A diamond in the rough. Use your own creativity to make this beautiful home shine. This is one of the most popular Streng Àoor plans. Close to everything. Easy access to 99. $450,000 PAULA LOPEZ 916-719-9210 DRE-01574668

SUPER ELK GROVE HOME The Urban Gardener will love this property. Oversized wraparound backyard with full landscaping, raised beds and plenty of room to add more. A good sized patio with a cute pergola plus an open sunny patio for outdoor entertaining. Super clean 3 bedroom 2 bath home with cozy living room and large family room. Close to schools, and shopping. $362,500 LOUISE VIDAURRI 916-698-5888 DRE-00915675

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ROUNDTREE Rare 3 bedroom 2 bathroom one story end unit condo in a gated community in Greenhaven neighborhood. Beautiful remodeled kitchen with black granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances/ sink/refrigerator, white cabinets, built-in microwave, recessed lights and faucet. Handy laundry area added in this unit. Washer and dryer included. $249,900 MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

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EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD A BET TER PL ACE. AUGUST 2019

AUGUST 2019

EAST SAC

ARDEN

LAND PARK/GRID

POCKET

KEVIN WILHITE

JOSE DIGREGORIO: WIDE OPEN WALLS

KRISTIN FARR: WIDE OPEN WALLS

ARDEN • ARCADE • SIERRA OAKS • WILHAGGIN • DEL PASO MANOR • CARMICHAEL

EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS

ANDREW HINDMAN

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

CARMICHAEL

EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

ARDEN

POCKET • GREENHAVEN •

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

ARDEN

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ARCADE

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SIERRA OAKS

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WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

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ARCADE

•

SIERRA OAKS

•

WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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CARMICHAEL

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ARCADE

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SIERRA OAKS

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WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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CARMICHAEL

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

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3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

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

COVER ARTIST

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

info@insidepublications.com

ANDREW HINDMAN Andrew Hindman is a Sacramento artist who creates calm and peaceful paintings, yet he strives for his work to also feel alive and command attention. His art has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions in Sacramento and Northern California. He owns HFA Print Gallery in the Arthouse at 1021 R St. Shown: “Bliss,” 36 inches by 36 inches, oil on canvas. Visit ahindman.com and hfagallery.com.

PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings EDITOR Cathryn Rakich editor@insidepublications.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel AD COORDINATION Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster DISTRIBUTION Sue Pane Sue@insidepublications.com ACCOUNTING Daniel Nardinelli, Lauren Stenvick daniel@insidepublications.com

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AUGUST 2019 VOL. 6 • ISSUE 7 6 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 22 24 27 28 30 32 36 37 38 40 43

Publisher's Desk Pocket Life Pocket Beat Giving Back City Politics Homeless Numbers Jump Spirit Matters Building Our Future Meet Your Neighbor Open House Sports Authority Inside Downtown Farm To Fork To Do Garden Jabber City Beat Open Studio Restaurant Insider Snap Decisions

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Wall-To-Wall

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Artist: Shepard Fairy

SACRAMENTO IS TOPS WHEN IT COMES TO MURALS

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

POC AUG n 19

cross the world, the mural movement is bringing artistry and color to cities large and

small. A growing body of research has associated murals with social, cultural and economic benefits. Murals help build a sense of community. They offer accessibility to art and creative expression without the problem of costbased barriers, such as museums and galleries. This month, our own city’s mural status will be multiplied and celebrated. Running Aug. 8–18, Wide Open Walls has become the premiere mural festival on the West Coast, attracting artists from all over the world who contribute to Sacramento’s vibrant street art scene. At the helm is Wide Open Walls founder David Sobon. Now in his third year as event director, Sobon turned his energy toward murals after working with another group of arts leaders in 2016 as part of the Sacramento Mural Festival. Sobon is best described as a “live wire.” He’s full of energy, with a sharp and creative mind. By profession he’s an auctioneer, helping raise funds for local nonprofits through the charity auction circuit. But as he approached midlife, he wanted to do something more. In the three years he’s focused on mural making, Sobon has made his mark, traveling to speak at art and mural conferences. He says the festival changed his life. “I don’t look at buildings or walls the way other people do,” Sobon says. “To me, everything is now a blank canvas. My vacations and my free time are spent looking at other communities and observing how the street art movement has changed them. “It’s also made me realize how important art is in daily life and the difference it can make to a community.” Groups around the world have used murals to promote local talent and engage communities. By turning empty city walls into huge public canvases, their efforts have brought lasting impacts to local neighborhoods. Murals create a tangible sense of place and destination. This results in increased foot traffic while adding color,

vibrancy and character to the urban environment. “I find great joy in being a part of the positive changes that are happening in Sacramento. Art can do so many things that bring a community together: create landmarks and places to reflect and heal, create a sense of pride, and ask questions and spur discussion. They are also a source of entertainment and joy, they beautify neighborhoods and even spur economic development,” Sobon says. I was surprised to learn from Sobon that more than 400 murals existed in Sacramento before Wide Open Walls debuted in 2017. Frankly, they didn’t receive a lot of attention. Through Sobon’s relentless promotion, our city’s murals are no longer overlooked. “And that gives me great joy,” he says. “It raises the city’s profile of art in general, and of some of our local artists in particular.” The 10-day festival is just the start for the Wide Open Walls organization. Working almost year-round, Sobon strives to match murals with locations. “My experiences have taught me how important it is to curate the right projects in the right neighborhood,” he says. “This involves taking the time to listen to the community and how they see themselves.” Wide Open Walls requires significant financial commitments. Murals don’t come cheap. “The support from the

David Sobon

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reverse. They enhance public safety by creating the feeling that a location is cared for and respected. This in turn could make crimes of opportunity, such as vandalism, illegal dumping and robbery, less likely. This theory may be controversial. But there is no doubt that when we create welcoming, engaging and walkable places to gather, our neighborhood streets will be safer.

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community has been encouraging, but the amount of time it takes to develop the long-term relationships with new sponsors is a full-time job,” Sobon says. I love to look at murals. But even more important is how they positively impact our community. The “broken windows” theory states that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder. The theory suggests policing methods should target minor crimes impacting quality of life, thereby preventing more serious crimes. I believe murals are examples of the “broken windows” theory, but in

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Now in its third year, Sacramento’s Wide Open Walls has resulted in: • 80 permanent artworks created during the 2017 and 2018 festivals. • 250 temporary works presented at local events, including Paint the Park with Sac Republic FC, Street Art Mural Jam at The Sacramento Bee garage with SKK and a mural program with the Del Paso Partnership. • Dozens of popup gallery shows, movie premiers, artist meet-andgreets, VIP experiences and neighborhood events. • Street Art Concert in 2018 for a sold-out crowd of more than 4,000. The event took over an entire Downtown block with performances by muralist Shepard Fairey and the Sacramento Philharmonic. n

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Free Informational Dinner Seminar Thursday, August 8 | 5:30pm East Lawn Memorial Park & East Lawn Sacramento Mortuary 4300 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento Lic. #FD-2340 RSVP Line: 916.269.9290 Reservations required. Seating is limited. Complimentary meal provided.

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The Eye Has It AGE IS RELATIVE TO CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER

Francine Moskovitz

CM By Corky Mau Pocket Life

POC AUG n 19

can manipulate digital images. A prime example of her creative photography was the cover of our July issue—a brilliant mélange of balloons in a pool, photographed from underwater. In 1983, Moskovitz co-founded Ten Eyes, a group of women photographers who meet monthly to show and critique new works. With the group’s encouragement, she produces new and original works. She spends several hours daily recreating her earlier works with Photoshop. Her images are unique, multi-layered and complex. I’m a novice photographer with a Nikon digital single-lens reflex camera. Moskovitz offered some advice: “Don’t be afraid to get in close to your subject—it’s amazing what you’ll capture through the lens. And join a camera group. It’s a great way to learn the basics of composition, lighting, focus and other technical skills.” Working well into her 90s, Moskovitz’s journey isn’t ending anytime soon. She’s learning infrared photography. “Photography has helped me to continue an active and engaged life,” she says. “I look forward every day to working on my photographs.”

ART OF WINE

rancine Moskovitz lives in a museum. Or put another way, a museum lives in her Little Pocket home. Each room is filled with the work of local artists and a vast collection of her own photographs spanning more than 40 years. “My journey has been one big adventure,” Moskovitz, 95, says. “Getting involved with photography in my 50s became a major, all-consuming activity. Over the years, I’ve taken

numerous workshops and traveled to many national parks with fellow photographers. I would probably never have known the beautiful glow of the early morning world if photography hadn’t drawn me there.” From her early efforts to shoot ocean life while scuba diving in the Caribbean to doing underwater nudes, Moskovitz has become more creative with time’s passage. She discovered Photoshop almost 20 years ago and loves how she

“I was exposed to art at a very young age,” Vonne Matney says. “My mother, Diana Johnson, was a watercolor artist and taught art. My maternal grandmother, Gayle Bandy, worked at a prop gallery in San Francisco and painted realistic features on mannequins.” Until recently, Matney put much of her art on hiatus. She did occasional pieces for her children’s school, Matsuyama Elementary. She designed T-shirts for Pocket’s Fourth of July parade. Now she is “resident artist” at Trading Post Originals Art Gallery in Clarksburg (the bright turquoise building next to Husick’s Taphouse). I traveled down the Delta to sip delicious wines from Twisted Rivers Wines and watch Matney at work. “This little slice of Clarksburg is wonderfully relaxing. And this month, I’m kicking off fun Paint & Sip classes. Down the road, I may also hold art classes,” she says. Matney will showcase her work Saturday, Aug. 10, at Downtown’s Tsakopoulos Library Galleria. To sign up for Paint & Sip classes, email vonnematney@gmail.com.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library turns 9 on Saturday, Aug. 24. Naturally, a party is being thrown. Help celebrate this community treasure with carnival games, a story walk and refreshments from 10 a.m. to noon.

PAIN RELIEF Suction cups have been used for centuries to reduce pain and inflammation, and to help blood flow. Certified acupuncturist Dr. Allen Duong will lead an informational workshop Thursday, Aug. 8, at 4:30 p.m. in the Asian Community Center. To register, call (916) 393-9026 or email infossca@accsv.org.

For information, contact assistant principal Patrick Bohman at patrickbohman@seshs.org.

DOING IT YOURSELF Natalie Wyatt will teach two doit-yourself craft classes at the Asian Community Center in August. “Bags & Tags,” the art of making homemade gift bags and tags using gel inks, is Wednesday, Aug. 14, 6 to 7 p.m. Next, Wyatt will show how to decorate snack jars for kids or pets on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 6 to 7 p.m. There is a minimal cost for each class, which includes all supplies. To register, call (916) 393-9026 or email infossca@accsv.org.

SOCCER CAMPS SCHOOLED IN SCIENCE Here’s a chance to learn more about the excellent work at the School of Engineering & Sciences. A community barbecue will be held on campus Thursday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m. Staff will offer tours of the new Engineering Building. No doubt teachers will have answers for any tricky science question.

In partnership with Trans-Atlantic Soccer, Greenhaven Soccer Club will hold player camps Aug. 5–9 from 9 a.m. to noon at Garcia Bend Park. Led by experienced European coaches, two camps will be offered: Skills Camp for ages 4–15; and Advanced Players Camp for ages 10–16. The fee is $135 per child. Register at transatlanticsoccer.com. For more information, call (916) 827-

0820 or email programdirector@ transatlanticsoccer.com.

A GARDEN GROWS

Summer vacation! Need books?

After five years of work, the Sojourner Truth Park Community Garden is a reality, thanks to the Pocket-Greenhaven Community Association. For information on reserving a garden plot, check with Will Cannady at willcannady@gmail.com.

LIGHT UP FOR HEALTH Did you know light impacts sleep patterns, mood and health? SMUD representatives will present a workshop on low-cost, energy-efficient lighting to help you feel energized and sleep better. Learn more on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the PocketGreenhaven Library Community Room. 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 the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Last Breath RIVER ACCESS FOES HAVE NO FIGHT LEFT

here’s one excellent reason why the Sacramento River Parkway trail is finally ready to roll past those obscene levee gates in Pocket and Greenhaven. The homeowners who despise public access have run out of gas. For decades, a tiny but influential group of homeowners along the river have frightened City Hall with loud voices and litigation threats. They blocked public access to the river for 46 years, fencing themselves into private backyard compounds along the levee. Their success at self-isolation was a tribute to the effectiveness of political influence and perpetual whining. Now the whines are down to whimpers, reduced to a few meek and tired pleas about privacy and security.

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

POC AUG n 19

When the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously in May to proceed with eminent domain and buy strips of land for a 1.85-mile levee parkway extension between Garcia Bend Park and Arabella Way, only two riverfront property owners bothered to show up and complain at City Hall. A third homeowner sent a lawyer to do the complaining. Don Murphy, who holds a large parcel in Pocket and is the most outspoken land baron along the river, dusted off shopworn concerns about “vandalism and threats” raining down on his patch of heaven. Bizarrely, he told the council no one would use the bike trail from Pocket to Downtown, and suggested putting public access to a public vote. If Murphy’s goal was to present untethered logic, it was a solid performance. Another property owner, Jack Gullans, worried about being held personally liable if someone drowned in the river near Gullans’ home. An attorney in the audience, Jim Houpt, helpfully explained how the parkway indemnifies homeowners against such lawsuits.

Houpt offered his counsel for free, but the same probably can’t be said for Brian Manning, a lawyer who informed the council he represented a riverfront property owner. Manning apparently specializes in property law. He read passages from a parkway Environmental Impact Report and gave his opinion on eminent domain semantics. He won zero hearts and minds. And with that, the foes of public access melted away. With the approval of eminent domain and financial support budgeted for the parkway plan, the City Council politically smashed the locks that blocked river access in Pocket and Greenhaven for five decades. Councilmember Rick Jennings, who turned his political career into a mandate for river access, has taken a well-deserved victory lap this summer. Public access to stretches of the levee in Pocket would not have happened without Jennings. In wrangling support from all eight council colleagues, Jennings found a key ally in Jeff Harris. The representative from River Park has his own coven of residents who hate public access. He has heard many fictions about “vandalism

and threats” and says, “People bring up the same concerns every time.” As for vandals ransacking Pocket neighborhoods via the levee, Harris points to this fact: Public activity on the levee means fewer problems. “More energetic use on the trail discourages homelessness there. We’ve found that to be true,” he says. Just one City Council member tends to oppose public access to the Sacramento River—Steve Hansen, whose district includes Downtown, Land Park and Little Pocket. Hansen’s distaste for river access in Little Pocket is a mystery. He won’t explain it. But if Hansen wants to steer his political future into the rocks, his chance may come. He’s up for reelection next year. Homelessness has exploded on his watch. Opposing public access to our crown jewel—the Sacramento River—could finish him. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Passion for Pups Nereo Rebellato

SSPCA VOLUNTEER GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP SHELTER DOGS

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

POC AUG n 19

ereo Rebellato is one of those kind-hearted souls who not only talks the talk, he walks the

walk. The former Raley’s executive has volunteered for the Sacramento SPCA for the past four years doing a myriad things—one of which is befriending dogs who catch his eye at the shelter, “fixing them up” if they need medical attention

or socialization, and then getting his many friends and colleagues to adopt them. To sweeten the deal, Rebellato offers to watch the dogs for free any time the owners go out of town. The only thing he asks is that they consider donating what they would have paid him for pet sitting directly to SSPCA.

“I’ve probably rehomed between six and 10 dogs at this point,” the Pocket resident says proudly. “My friends joke that they won’t answer my calls anymore in case I have a dog for them.” After working 65-plus-hour weeks at Raley’s for decades (he retired when his position was eliminated) Rebellato decided he wanted to give back by doing something he was truly passionate about: helping animals. Rebellato attended a volunteer orientation at SSPCA four years ago and the rest is history. He’s now one of the organization’s most active volunteers, helping with programs like Love on Loan, in which he takes his own dogs to nursing homes, children’s homes and businesses to lend some puppy love. He works with Camp Kindness (a summer camp for kids ages 8 to 14), appears on ABC10 and Fox40 once a month to feature adoptable pets, and trains new volunteers on how to handle small animals. He also participates in mobile events where he takes shelter dogs to gatherings all over the city to encourage adoptions and donations. “Anywhere we can get some attention,” he says. But Rebellato’s biggest contribution to SSPCA has been his impressive ability to raise money for the Doggy Dash, the group’s largest annual fundraiser. In 2018, he became the first person to raise more than $10,000 in the 26-year history of the event and has consistently been the top individual fundraiser ever since he joined the organization. Rebellato credits this immense success not only to his own perseverance, but also to the generosity of his former coworkers. “I still keep in touch with my Raley’s family and I’d say 65 percent of my donations come from them,” Rebellato says. “I keep a spreadsheet of everyone I’ve ever asked and those who’ve donated in the past and then I wine-and-dine them—mostly as a thank

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Sacramento SPCA volunteer Nereo Rebellato dedicates his time to helping animals.

you for what they’ve done. I canvas the neighborhood—as a person who walks a lot of dogs, I come in contact with a lot of people. I make flyers. I even offer incentives like bottles of wine. Nobody likes asking for money, but if you believe in the cause, you’re going to be persistent. In the end, my name may be attached, but the money I’ve raised is really a credit to all of those people who care.” Ultimately, it’s about helping animals in need. “I truly believe animals are a gift to humans to help us be a little bit better,” Rebellato says.

“At first, I wondered how I was going to stay busy in retirement after working so hard for so many years, but now I much prefer getting paid in sloppy kisses. I couldn’t imagine life without dogs.” To volunteer, donate or adopt, visit sspca.org. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Homeless Solutions

WHY NOT BUILD SAN ANTONIO CENTER HERE?

Editor’s Note: The following article, originally published in October 2017, has been updated with the latest data.

first learned about Haven for Hope, a unique homeless facility in San Antonio, Texas, from a close friend, Jill McDonnell. Jill is a professional photographer. Her passion is capturing extraordinary images of homeless people in Sacramento. Jill is no softheaded bleeding heart. She has a clear-eyed realist’s view of the

CP By Craig Powell City Politics • OPINION •

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complexity of human nature, both its positive and negative elements. She’s closely attuned to the players, policies and politics involved with homeless issues in Sacramento. Because she has an abiding human compassion and innate common sense (an alltoo-rare combination), I sought her perspective when I began studying the city’s stumbling responses to the homelessness problem. She had one piece of advice: Go to San Antonio. What she meant was that I should visit Haven for Hope, a 22-acre comprehensive homeless facility near downtown San Antonio. In 2017, I spent a week in that city while attending a conference. I scheduled an extended tour of Haven for Hope with Laura Calderon, the organization’s insightful and frank director of external relations.

OVERVIEW OF HAVEN FOR HOPE Haven for Hope, built in 2010, is the largest facility of its kind, caring for almost 1,600 people nightly in a sprawling campus. It’s the nation’s most highly acclaimed homeless facility. Officials from more than 300 U.S. cities have visited to learn how the Haven model works and to assess whether its approach would be a good fit for their communities. Haven differs from other facilities in its innovative two-step approach to caring for the homeless, as well as its comprehensive approach to helping homeless individuals transform their lives. Haven for Hope is not in the business of just warehousing people.

HAVEN’S TRANSFORMATIONAL CAMPUS Haven for Hope is clear about its mission: to transform lives, not merely ameliorate the immediate problem of homelessness. Unlike most homeless programs, Haven is focused on aggressively addressing the root causes of homelessness, which are as varied as the colors of the rainbow: drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness, bad luck, medical crises, sudden joblessness, domestic abuse, domestic disintegration, the unique challenges facing disconnected LBGTQ youth, and the rebellious among us who choose a life off the grid. The heavy lifting of helping people work through the root causes of homelessness takes place in the “Transformational Campus,” a series of renovated industrial warehouses

housing 65 affiliated service agencies and nonprofits that implement the highly individualized care plans crafted by case managers for each new participant. Eighty-five referral partners provide services to Haven’s residents. There are typically 1,000 volunteers working on the campus each month.

FIRST STEP: THE COURTYARD The typical entry point is through the outdoor Courtyard. It is a large, open-air covered patio. It’s equipped with heavy-duty fans and misters to keep down ambient temperatures. Indoor facilities are made available to Courtyard occupants during periods of inclement weather. Only basic services are provided in the Courtyard: regular meals, laundry access, sleeping pads, health care triage and mental health care services, as well as lockers for personal belongings. Sobriety is not a requirement at the Courtyard. It is a largely safe resting and sleeping place for those not ready to meet the requirements for entry into the Transformational Campus. Petty theft is a problem. The Courtyard is patrolled by Haven security and off-duty San Antonio police officers. If someone is willing to commit to sobriety and agrees to comply with the Transformational Campus’ rules for participation, they are typically admitted to the Transformational Campus. Once admitted, they are closely monitored in their early days to ensure they remain sober. Haven staffers acknowledge slips are often a part of recovery. They don’t result in summary dismissal. Staffers are committed to each resident’s success. More than 6,000 people have moved from the Courtyard to higher levels of residential care, including sobriety programs, mental health and other forms of supportive or permanent housing, since Haven’s opening in 2010. The contrast between the basic Courtyard and the more supportive Transformational Campus provides a strong incentive for homeless people to transfer to the Campus.

SUCCESS IN ENDING HOMELESSNESS: EMPLOYMENT OF RESIDENTS In the program’s first seven years, 3,682 people exited the

Transformational Campus and moved to permanent housing. The average length of stay was 162 days for single people and 134 days for families. After one year, 90 percent of people who exited with a housing placement did not return to homelessness, an extraordinary track record. More than 2,262 individuals attained employment in Haven’s first seven years. In the January 2019 federally mandated “point-in-time” count, Haven had 853 people in Transformational Campus facilities, and 565 in the open Courtyard.

IMPACT ON RESIDENTS AND SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY How effective has Haven for Hope been in reducing homelessness in San Antonio? After Haven’s first year of operation, the point-in-time count in downtown San Antonio declined from 738 to 254. In the January 2019 count, the number was 252. Because Haven provides comprehensive health care to residents and nonresidents, including mental health programs, detox services and recovery programs, it has become the care facility of choice for San Antonio police dealing with public inebriates. More than 50,000 people have received such potentially life-saving detox services at Haven’s Restoration Center, relieving city and county jails, emergency rooms and courtrooms of an estimated $97 million in taxpayer costs, according to Haven estimates. Haven’s In-House Recovery Program provides housing and support for those with drug and alcohol addictions. Since opening in October 2010, the program has had a success rate of 56 percent, which exceeds the average completion rate of 44 percent for such programs. Through its in-house mental health wellness programs, one for men and another for women, Haven has a combined success rate of 44 percent. Haven has developed joint projects with San Antonio Police, including Haven’s Jail Release Program and the Center for Health Care Services’ Jail Diversion Program, which has resulted in sharp drops in the number of jail bookings. Jail bookings dropped 3,300 in Haven’s first year, with drops of 800 and 1,700 in 2016 and 2017. Haven’s Restoration Center allows police to quickly divert injured prisoners to the center’s on-site minoremergency clinic instead of to hospital ERs, minimizing the time officers

spend in emergency rooms. The city estimates that the value of getting those officers quickly back on the street is approximately $2 million annually. Most health clinics operating at Haven are open to the public free of charge; the public makes more than 40,000 visits to Haven for medical, dental and vision care services annually.

ENGAGED PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDED MOST OF DEVELOPMENT COSTS Haven for Hope was built at a cost of $100.5 million. Here’s a stunning fact: More than 60 percent of its construction cost ($60.1 million) was funded by private sources ($22.5 million by the city of San Antonio, $11 million by Bexar County and $6.1 million by the state of Texas). Its construction served to create 190 permanent new jobs at Haven and another 150 new jobs created by its affiliate nonprofits, as well as 465 construction jobs. Haven for Hope is heavily supported by the private sector: 50 percent of its $18.6 million annual operating budget is funding by private-sector donors, 27 percent by the state, 16 percent by city government, 4 percent by county government and 3 percent by the federal government. Of the privatesector sources of operations funding, the United Way contributes 8 percent, private contributions account for 21 percent, and 21 percent is provided by two private foundations, one of which is largely funded by the extraordinary visionary who created Haven for Hope, William E. Greehey, retired CEO of San Antonio-based Valero Energy.

HAVEN’S SECRET SAUCE: BUSINESS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP In 2005, Greehey was nearing retirement and eager to help his community. According to an interview in the Los Angeles Times, he was inspired by a local television report on homelessness. “What I saw was that all we were doing is recycling the homeless people that would go to jail, come out of jail, get sick, go to the emergency room, get treated, get back to the street. We weren’t doing anything to address the root cause of why these people were homeless,” he said. He spent the next five years developing his ambitious vision for Haven for Hope, a first-of-its-kind

facility in terms of scope of services, size and degree of collaboration required by nonprofit and agency partners. He brought San Antonio’s mayor and city manager on board as early supporters. He corralled support from San Antonio’s business community and leaders, and experts in homeless services. He used his experience in industrial development and executive leadership to move his vision from dream to reality.

A MODEL SACRAMENTO SHOULD CONSIDER In my August 2017 column, I recounted the failure of homelessness policies in almost every major city on the West Coast, while public spending by West Coast cities to “solve” their homeless problem has been skyrocketing. In my September 2017 column, I chronicled the seemingly endless fights and disagreements in Sacramento over how to best deal with homeless issues, with Mayor Darrell Steinberg scrambling to spend money as quickly as possible on largely untested scattershot approaches. Since then, the problem has only become worse. San Antonio’s model, Haven for Hope, is transforming lives, dramatically reducing homelessness, improving health outcomes, moving people into permanent housing, increasing employment and dramatically reducing costs to taxpayers. A Haven for Hope facility in Sacramento would require strong private-sector leadership, free of the political angles that color and contaminate the search for sound solutions. Private-sector capital is essential to bringing such a vision to life in Sacramento. The Sacramento business community has no shortage of visionary, talented business leaders. Here is a perfect opportunity for one of them to make a real difference. Craig Powell is a retired attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@eyeonsacramento.org or (916) 718-3030. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Homeless Numbers Jump BUT MAYOR SEES HOPE IN CITY’S RESPONSE TO CRISIS

BY DARRELL STEINBERG

e recently received some sobering but hopeful news about homelessness in our city and county. The results from the latest count of Sacramento’s homeless population are in, and they show that while the statewide crisis continues, we are making progress in getting the most chronically homeless people off the street and into permanent housing. Conducted over two nights in January with more than 900 volunteers, the 2019 Point in Time Count found 5,570 homeless people in Sacramento County. That figure is up 19 percent from 2017, factoring in the more thorough nature of this year’s count. Any increase is disappointing, but the numbers also contain hopeful signs. The percentage of homeless people living outside who met the definition of being chronically homeless declined by 7 percent. This change shows that our strategy of targeting the most chronically homeless with services and shelter is beginning to work, and we need to take it to scale. As I will detail below, not only is building shelter to scale the right thing to do, it is the only way we can legally clean up homeless encampments. During my term as mayor, we have set a new direction and amassed almost $100 million going forward from state, local, federal and private sources to combat this crisis, which is not unique to Sacramento. Our city-county efforts

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helped get 3,600 homeless people housed in 2018 alone. We are making progress on new shelters. The former Capitol Park Hotel is scheduled to open in August as a temporary homeless shelter with 180 rooms. It will be converted to permanent supportive housing after operating for about 15 months. In about nine months, we expect to open a new shelter on land leased from Caltrans alongside the W/X freeway near Alhambra. We are negotiating with Cal Expo to lease a parking lot near Ethan Way to erect a shelter to house 100 people. And we will soon announce a proposed site where we can erect a shelter quickly in south Sacramento. We need to take what we have started and invest real resources. We can’t wish away this problem. Big societal forces are at work here—mental illness, addiction and sky-high housing prices. It’s going to take a big effort by our society to make things better. Some residents of Land Park have consistently written me and said this isn’t a housing problem; it’s an out-ofcontrol drug problem. I agree the homeless people who plague our neighborhoods with drugrelated behavior need more than just shelter or housing. They need intensive drug treatment. We need more tools to force those who are unwilling to get that treatment to do so. In the state Legislature, I authored the 2013 bill to allow counties to spend state Mental Health Services Act money on forced enrollment in treatment.

I agree our police officers need more enforcement tools at the local and state levels. I will work with my fellow big city mayors to provide those tools. Our most urgent need is to give law enforcement the ability to clean up and remove the tents and camps, which are too prevalent in our city. That urgent need ironically depends on our following through with aggressively increasing our shelter bed capacity. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that cities cannot move homeless people from their chosen encampments unless cities have available shelter space. In that case, the majority of the justices concurred that “the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment bars a city from prosecuting people criminally for sleeping outside on public property when those people have no home or other shelter to go to.” Once we show a court we have sufficient shelter, we can be much more assertive in enforcing our ban on camping outdoors in our city’s parks, on our sidewalks and other public spaces. People will rightfully ask how the Point in Time Count survey could find chronic homelessness going down while the overall homeless numbers are going up. The answer is that we have a housing crisis. Too many people are becoming homeless because of high housing prices. This reality is reflected in the growing number of homeless families.

The 2019 count found 372 homeless families with a total of 688 children under the age of 18. More than half were unsheltered, spending the night outdoors, in a vehicle or motel room obtained with a temporary voucher. Our recent City Council decision to create a $100 million housing trust fund could not be more timely. We must follow through aggressively to put these resources to use and build more affordable housing so we can prevent more families from slipping into homelessness. Contrary to some common misconceptions, homeless people are not migrating to Sacramento in significant numbers. Ninety-three percent of those surveyed in the Point in Time Count said they were originally from Sacramento or were long-term residents. The city of Sacramento didn’t have money to do anything much about homelessness when I took office in 2017. Now we do, thanks to new state resources raised through my participation in the California Big City Mayors group, the passage of Measure U and private donations. I will continue to update you at every opportunity. Please continue to put forward your thoughts and ideas. Darrell Steinberg is mayor of Sacramento. He can be reached at (916) 808-5300 or MayorSteinberg@ cityofsacramento.org. n

To Toot or Not to Toot

DO NO WRONG BY ELECTING A HUMBLE STANCE

everal times during my years in the Air National Guard, folks jokingly asked me how I became an officer without knowing how to play golf. Their questions finally challenged me to rectify my shortcoming with some lessons. With only a few years before retirement, I was on my annual training in San Luis Obispo when I found an opportunity to play my first game with fellow chaplains. Father John Love, Chaplain Mike Beyer and Chaplain Assistant Robert “Web” Webster reserved an after-duty tee time on the Morro Bay Golf Course, a breathtaking public course edged by the Pacific Ocean. I’ll not tell you about my first three shots. But somewhere off the fourth hole, I sent a ball soaring so far and hard that I thought it might sink a passing dingy.

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

Amazingly, it plopped just 30 feet short of the hole. To a new golfer, the shot felt like I’d just won the Masters Tournament. I jumped up and down, screaming like a lunatic. “What happened to the meek inheriting the earth?” asked Web, my ever-helpful chaplain assistant. “Hey,” I said, “What’s wrong with ‘He who tooteth not his own horn, the same shall not be tooted.’” Beyer groaned at the tired old quote from the 20th century journalist Damon Runyon. I was ready to pop the champagne, but Father Love lassoed my big head and pulled me back down to the greens. “Norris,” he advised. “That was fantastic, but in golf when you hit a superb shot you must assume a humble, quiet stance.” “Like this,” he said, bowing his head and joining his hands together below his belt. “Then you wait for it.” “Wait for what?” I asked. “Wait for us to do our job,” he said. “We’re the cheering section. Not you.” I did as I was instructed, dropping my head in silence. On cue, Love and Beyer raised their heads to the sky, raving over the beauty of the trajectory, speed and landing.

Web just folded at the waist, amused to see his chaplain humbled a bit. Aside from teaching me golf etiquette, the guys were highlighting a tricky question we face in life when we reach a pinnacle of accomplishment. Do we toot our own horn or do we wait, head bowed, to be showered with accolades? The Apostle Paul seemed to think we could do no wrong electing the humble stance. Eugene Peterson astutely paraphrased Paul’s words in the dynamic and highly idiomatic translation called “The Message.” “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life … then do me a favor: …. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” It was a lesson I humbly took to New York recently where the National Society of Newspaper Columnists presented me with the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award. Now before you say I’m tooting my own horn, you should know that this award doesn’t praise my writing ability as much as it applauds your reaction to my writing.

In this case, the award recognizes your response to the columns I wrote about the Chispa Project, a humanitarian effort directed by my daughter Sara to start libraries in Honduras. When the Will Rogers Writers Foundation learned that your donations have started dozens of new libraries in Honduras and, moreover, that 10 of you flew to Honduras last year to assemble a library, the foundation thought it was time for a little PDA—Public Display of Appreciation. That means the award is not so much my award—it’s yours! But don’t get a big head. Just bow, please. Let me do my job as I jump up and down and tooteth for you! Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new 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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Gary Delsohn

Here and Now IT’S FINALLY OUR MOMENT, SACRAMENTO

POC AUG n 19

t wasn’t long ago when Sacramento was seen as nothing more than a pleasant but dull government town without much of interest going on. We were close to Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, but if you were looking for an urban experience, you tended to look elsewhere. But Sacramento today is a different city. This is our moment, and it’s been going on for a while now with no slowdown in sight. It’s as if we went to bed one night and woke up to find the place became hip all at once. The acclaimed little film “Lady Bird” went a long way to put us on the map in 2017, but we were already there. Holding onto the Kings when cooler Seattle or Anaheim were poised to steal our team feels like a turning point. Whether you like basketball or not, keeping the Kings and building a new arena Downtown generated more than $1 billion worth of public and private investment in a By Gary Delsohn slice of Downtown that Building Our Future probably would not have

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materialized in my lifetime if the Kings were gone. It’s not all attributable to the arena, of course, but we now have farm-to-fork, an eclectic collection of interesting restaurants, murals popping up on Downtown buildings, housing in Midtown, an increasingly vibrant art and cultural scene, Second Saturday, nightclubs, the expanded Crocker, a new vision for Old Sacramento and the riverfront, R Street coming to life, development in the Downtown railyards, microbrewers spouting everywhere, construction cranes visible far and wide. And let’s not overlook upstart West Sacramento, with the Bridge District around Raley Field and all the housing and other development coming online. Parking garages are being razed to make way for Downtown apartments. We’re getting more hotel rooms. A new courthouse and Natural Resources office tower for the state. We have the new B Street Theatre. The Science Center and maybe a new soccer stadium are on the way. The Convention Center, Memorial Auditorium and Community Center Theater are all being upgraded. The area around Golden 1 Center remains a work in progress, but it’s coming along. And the best thing about

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going to a game or other event is that when it’s over, thousands of people walk outside and instead of searching for their cars in North Natomas, they’re in the city’s core, spending money, meeting friends and doing what people in cities do. Our skyline is being transformed, but as much as we like to look up and see pretty buildings, it’s not about the skyline. Real urbanity takes place on the streets, and that’s where Sacramento has more to look at, interact with, walk around and enjoy than ever before. People on the urban fringe are actually packing up the car or riding light rail and going Downtown to hang out and be entertained. The city’s core, neglected and avoided for so long by most of the regional population, is a destination. Once we do more to weave the city’s two rivers more fully into everyday life, we will really have something special going on. More importantly, we’re feeling better about our city. It’s palpable. In the past year, New York magazine and the New York Times ran features on our town with headlines like, “Explore the New California Cool in Sacramento.” We don’t need outsiders validating us, but a little love on the national scene is a good thing.

With so much happening, I was thrilled when Inside Sacramento asked if I wanted to author this new column on the city’s built environment as I did for more than a decade when I wrote for The Sacramento Bee. California’s capital city has its challenges, but we’re building a city that’s being noticed for its own achievements, where more young residents are electing to stay and build careers in their hometown because there’s opportunity and interesting work going on. The economy is becoming more diverse and we’re no longer a place known for politics, winter fog and hot summers. In the months ahead, I’ll explore some of the people and places driving Sacramento’s emergence. I look forward to hearing from you about all this activity and how the city can best take advantage of the challenges and opportunities before us. As things continue to unfold, enjoy the moment, Sacramento. It’s all ours. Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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A Family Affair HARD WORK AND DEDICATION BRING MICHELIN ACCOLADES TO THIS ALL-STAR TEAM

Randall Selland (left) and Josh Nelson of The Kitchen. Photos by Sheryl Trapani BY CAITLIN MCCULLOCH MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

osh Nelson, co-founder and CEO of The Kitchen, along with stepdad Randall Selland, mom Nancy Zimmer and sister Tamera Baker have recently earned themselves a Michelin star—the first one ever to be awarded in the Sacramento region. There’s something special about this family that sets them apart. Aside from stellar food, a strong local following (Selland’s Family Restaurant Group, anyone?) and an unshakeable bond, keeping customers at the forefront of everything is their recipe to success. I had the pleasure of chatting with Nelson—while he was on a family trip to Hawaii, no less—about their journey, what guests can expect from The Kitchen and everything in between. Has your family always known this is what you were all meant to do? My mother taught my stepfather how to cook—she ignited this passion in him. The Kitchen started as a commercial space for catering and it was previously

POC AUG n 19

a cooking school. A wine merchant in town asked if we would do a winepairing meal. It went really well, so we thought ‘maybe we should try this.’ We began doing that once a month, then every week. We received a nice write-up and it was off and running. We were booked for a year solid! At that time, it sat only 18 people. It was organically conceived; it just kind of happened. I think it has a lot to do with its soul. It has grown into what it is over a long evolution and never over-conceptualized. What’s it like being able to work alongside your family? It’s great. We all get along well and spend time outside of work together; we’re a very tight-knit family. The older I get, the more I recognize the blessing to work with my family. We’ve never been a family to bicker or fight over money, power or interest, and we’ve all been equally invested since day one. When we do bicker, it’s only because we really care. I’d love to hear about the vibe at The Kitchen. Our guests have full access to the whole place. We won’t teach you how

to do it, but we’ll show you how it’s done. We have all the touches and steps and ingredients of a Michelin-caliber restaurant, but we strip away all the pretention. It’s a place to have fun and enjoy yourself. We don’t want you to feel like you’re going to go to your grandma’s house to be on your best behavior—take off your coat and relax! Can you tell me a little bit about the menu structure at The Kitchen? We do roughly a monthly menu and like to think of things as six seasons a year instead of four: early spring, late spring, early summer, late summer, etc. Some seasons are shorter while others are more drawn out. While we do 12 menus a year, they follow more closely to Mother Nature than the calendar. In July, we’ll certainly get porcinis, tomatoes and corn, as well as berries throughout the year. Our menu depends on what Mother Nature gives us. Where do you source your ingredients from? Randall is very much about supporting the local farmers. We’ll

get ingredients from Sunday and Wednesday farmers markets, and farmers will drop products at the restaurant. We spend the bulk of our money locally. However, if someone has a like philosophy and like practices, such as Nantucket Bay Scallops in Maine, we still personally consider that farm-to-fork. It’s not defined by distance. People doing good with food is typically who we like to support. I’ve heard that you will go above and beyond for customers at The Kitchen—you’ll even go out and get them Taco Bell if that’s what they want. Are the rumors true? Yes, that’s correct! Randall’s hospitality is the drive for our front-ofhouse philosophies. We don’t approach The Kitchen from an ‘I’m the chef, this is my meal, this is what you’ll eat’ mindset. We’ve gone to fetch Selland’s mac and cheese, In-N-Out and Taco Bell. Whatever someone requests, we do our very best to accommodate. I think that people want to have fun with it more than a real desire for the food! There also seem to be a lot more dietary restrictions in the world we live in

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today. We build custom meals for people all night long; it’s part of what we do. Congratulations on your recent Michelin star! What does this mean to you? In our industry, Michelin is the final word. It’s great to have that recognition. Michelin hasn’t been in our market so we haven’t strived for any award or accolades—we’ve strived to take care of our guests and put out the best product and service we can. That being said, it’s quite an honor and it’s pretty incredible. It shines fresh light, so it’ll be very impactful for the restaurant. Will it change what we do? Absolutely not. You’re only as good as your last service, and we always strive to do better than the day before. We celebrated for a night, which was fun, and then were back at it. What are your final thoughts that our readers simply have to know? There’s a lot more to it than just our family. We have about 375 staff members total; all of these journeys that we celebrate take a lot of committed people. They work really hard and are caring and dedicated. They’re the best in the business, and we’re proud and

honored to work with them. Looking at the recognition that the Michelin star has brought us (I mean, we’re currently doing an interview about it!), I have to give the nod and hats off to the team.

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Redwood City & Sacramento The Kitchen is located at 2235 Hurley Way. For more information, visit thekitchenrestaurant.com. Caitlin McCulloch can be reached at mcculloch.caitlin@gmail.com. Previous

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profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

The Kitchen in Arden-Arcade earns Sacramento’s ﬁrst Michelin star.

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Off The Grid HIDDEN HOME IS INSPIRED BY ANTIQUE FINDS AND ARTISTS’ CREATIVITY

ucked away near Fair Oaks Boulevard, down a discreet lane of custom homes on lush green lots, is a singular dwelling filled with warmth, originality and old-world charm. Step inside the extraordinary European-inspired residence of

CR By Cathryn Rakich Open House

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landscape architect David Gibson and artist William Ishmael. Thirteen-foot ceilings are accented with exposed beams of California Douglas fir. Walls are cream-colored rough plaster. A striking floor of salvaged French oak is stained in seven shades of hardwood. Stacked limestone, typically seen on exteriors, wraps around a dining room wall. One of the few nods to modernism are the exterior doors—including a sliding-glass front door—which are all glass and steel. “They are exquisite,” Gibson says. The natural light that streams in “is stunning.” Original artwork adorns the home— from impressive wooden sculptures to enormous abstract paintings. Several

well-used art easels, standing near the front entrance, seem like art pieces. “I’m in an art group and we meet here,” Gibson explains. “I’m getting into drawing again after many years. You do it wherever you are. The art takes over your world.” When dinner guests are expected, the easels are stowed and a long wooden dining table is moved into place. “This is a space that moves and grows and changes,” he says. “Which gives life to a house.” Gibson bought the land in 1987. “It was an empty lot with an old abandoned swimming pool. Just some bamboo and oak trees,” he notes. Then single, he built a 1,000-square-foot home, where he expected to live for a good many

years. “But a month after I moved in, I met William. “And there was no way the two of us, one large dog and a miniature schnauzer could all live there.” But Gibson had a plan—a long-range site plan that included a larger main house and time-to-grow landscaping. The couple lived in Midtown until the new home was complete, then moved to the new 3,000-square-foot, threebedroom, four-bath abode in 2009. The original smaller home now serves as a guest quarters and art studio. With 20-plus years to collect antiques and recycled items, such as interior doors salvaged from France and a fireplace mantel made of French limestone, Gibson and Ishmael have a well-fashioned home. “We both love to

William Ishmael and David Gibson with their dog Pete.

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buy salvage,” Gibson says. “You buy it—and sooner or later you get rid of it or you find a spot for it.” For example, Gibson mounted cut-granite curbstones, which he salvaged from demolition sites throughout Sacramento, above several interior doors. “As a landscape architect, I was always using a lot of stone.” Local cabinetmaker and general contractor Dave Puente created two floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets using a set of French oak window shutters Gibson brought back from the south of France. “These are very special because they speak to the craftsmen in town,” Gibson says. The kitchen island is California black granite with a coarse finish. “If you start with rough surfaces that are muddled, they get better with time,” Gibson points out. The countertops are French limestone. Venting above the six-burner gas stove remains exposed, imparting a rustic industrial look that lends itself to playful decor. “It’s fun,” he says. Three of the bathrooms have charcoal black limestone floors. “The pattern and markings hide a multitude of sins,” Gibson says with a laugh. Rusty metal window shutters in the guest bath were scooped up at a 57th Street antique shop.

The stair railing was hand forged by master blacksmith John McLellan in Loomis. A striking antique chandelier, purportedly from The Cannery in San Francisco and designed by Phoenix Day lighting company, hangs from the second-story ceiling. Two mirror-image master bedrooms and baths—with 18-foot peaked ceilings—face each other with a sitting room in between. Balconies off of each bedroom look out over mature oak trees, gravel terraces, a cobblestone creek, lush lawn and small bamboo forest. Ishmael’s art studio is strategically placed for privacy at the top of a second staircase. “I designed this so it could become another master suite,” Gibson notes, with a full bathroom and walk-in closet, currently used to store art supplies. With skylights and a balcony, Ishmael says, “For me, it’s perfect as a studio.” For both Ishmael and Gibson, it’s the perfect home in the perfect secluded place. “You know what’s fun about it?” Gibson says. “It really is hidden in here. Most people who come over say, ‘Oh my god. I had no idea this existed.’ We love that.” To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Cathryn Rakich at crakich@surewest.net. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

“YOU BUY IT—AND SOONER OR LATER YOU GET RID OF IT OR YOU FIND A SPOT FOR IT.”

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Hitting

Back BOXING HER WAY TO BUSINESS SUCCESS

Melissa Ausilio

he thing about getting punched in the face, Melissa Ausilio says, is you either like it or you don’t. Ausilio realized she liked it when she was 21. She was in a boxing ring, wearing boxing gloves and gear, and circling and throwing jabs at her opponent. The experience was thrilling. But a punch in the face was still a punch in the face. “There’s no middle ground with boxing,” she says. “You learn pretty quickly whether it’s the sport for you or not.” Seventeen years have passed since the first time Ausilio’s nose connected with a boxing glove. Since then, much has happened. She has gone from being a high school dropout to earning a Master of Business Administration degree at UC

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

Davis. She has served as a mental health caseworker, gained and lost 70 pounds, and run a life-changing half marathon, which included a jog across the Golden Gate Bridge. Today she owns and operates Revolheart, a Sacramento business that trains women and girls to box. Revolheart also sells boxing gear designed exclusively for women. And to prove she’s no fancy MBA who can just talk a good game, she is training to qualify for the U.S. Olympic boxing team at the 165-pound level. She will take her 5-3 amateur record to the USA Boxing Eastern Elite Qualifier tournament in Columbus, Ohio, this October. The goal is the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. “I’m 38 years old, so this is it,” she says. “I’m strong and healthy, but I know I can’t turn the clock back. Life is about moving forward, so this is a bittersweet time for me.” When Ausilio sits at a Downtown coffee shop and talks about her life, she doesn’t present the image of someone who likes to fight. Her nose is not crumpled. Scar tissue hasn’t formed over her eyebrows. Her

voice is gentle and melodious. Her words are filled with philosophical and inspirational references. She is pragmatic. She knows running a startup business is tough, every bit as difficult as climbing into the ring and throwing punches at somebody who hits back. Challenges are nothing new for Ausilio. As a child, her family was supported by her father’s carpet business. When Dad added the words “and sons” to the store’s name, she knew the future would shine upon her two brothers, not her. But financial setbacks and bad decisions wrecked the family business. By then, Ausilio was gone. She left home at 16. Bored by high school but hungry for education, she enrolled in a Southern California community college and eventually graduated with a degree in women’s gender and sexuality studies from Long Beach State. “It took me 10 years to graduate,” she says. “And of course all I heard was, ‘What job are you going to get with that degree?’” She moved to Reno and began working in mental health assessment,

but realized she would need a master’s degree in social work to advance. She earned an advanced business degree instead. While there were long gaps in her boxing career, she never abandoned her love for the game. With the halfmarathon success, she proved to herself she could get back into shape. In the gym, the extra 70 pounds melted away. She decided boxing was the perfect world, providing personal fulfillment, business opportunities and the chance to help others, especially women and girls. “Boxers are wounded people,” she says. “But there is so much potential in the sport. I know it’s dangerous, but it’s also addictive. When you love something, you can’t just stop.” Learn more about Revolheart boxing at revolheart.com. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Shining Stars MIDTOWN WALK HONORS 4 OF SACRAMENTO’S BEST

Urijah Faber Darrell Corti

Summer Sanders

SC By Scot Crocker Inside Downtown

Dusty Baker

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he Sacramento Walk of Stars returns to the Handle District in Midtown to celebrate four superstars from the Sacramento area who have excelled internationally and brought positive attention to the community. This year’s honorees are Major League Baseball star and manager Dusty Baker, Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, mixed martial arts champion Urijah Faber, and renowned food and wine expert Darrell Corti. The honorees will unveil their sidewalk stars on 18th Street between Capitol Avenue and L Street on Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. With a gala dinner that evening at Memorial Auditorium, the community will honor its stars and learn what Sacramento has meant to their success. The star unveiling is free. Tickets for the dinner are $150 per person or a table of 10 for $1,500. They can be purchased at sacramentowalkofstars.com. “This is our third year and we are so excited by the group of superstars we are honoring in August,” says Patrick Harbison, chair of the Sacramento Walk of Stars. “We are so fortunate as a community to have people from our region go on to national and international acclaim, and reflect a positive image of Sacramento throughout the world.” Current stars can be found on the north and south sidewalks on L Street between 18th and 19th streets. They serve as a permanent attraction for residents and visitors. I co-founded the Sacramento Walk of Stars. A board of directors and steering committee reviews and selects the inductees. Here’s a look at this year’s honorees: Dusty Baker graduated from Del Campo High School. He joined the Atlanta Braves in 1968 and was on deck when Hank Aaron hit his 715 home runs to pass Babe Ruth’s record. Baker later spent eight years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and enjoyed a 20-year managerial career with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. Many believe Baker helped invent the “high five,” which first occurred between Baker and Dodgers teammate Glenn Burke on Oct. 2, 1977, at Dodger Stadium. Summer Sanders graduated from Oakmont High School in Roseville. She is an Olympic swimming champion and media star. After her competitive career, she became a sports commentator, reporter, television show host and actress. In 1991, Sanders enrolled at Stanford, where she won eight NCAA National Championship titles. She won three medals at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Australia. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Sanders won four medals: two gold, plus silver and bronze. Urijah Faber, “the California Kid,” attended Casa Roble and Lincoln high schools. He’s a mixed martial artist, entrepreneur and actor who fought as a bantamweight and featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Faber won the World Extreme Cagefighting Featherweight Championship in 2006.

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He founded Team Alpha Male in 2004 to train professional fighters at Ultimate Fitness gym in East Sacramento. He has been a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sacramento, which helps new businesses and invests in the community. Darrell Corti graduated from Bishop Armstrong High School (now Christian Brothers). He operates the iconic Corti Brothers specialty grocery store in East Sacramento. In the world of food and wine, he’s a global superstar—sought out for learned opinions on everything from truffles to sardines. A shy man who dislikes self-promotion, Corti has advised everyone from Alice Waters of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse to former New York Times food writer and Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl. He helped create the Californiastyle gourmet food and wine movement. All four 2019 Walk of Stars honorees are true Sacramento legends.

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Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@ crockerbranding.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Scot Crocker, Jeff Hallsten, Patrick Harbison

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Fertile Ground

Tashina Brito

CAPRADIO GARDEN ENCOURAGES GROWTH AND LEARNING IN VERDANT ENVIRONMENT

eacefully planted beyond the doors of the Capital Public Radio building at Sacramento State is an inviting space covered with vibrant, leafy green and yellow vegetables, blossoming apple trees and happily humming honeybee colonies. The CapRadio Garden sprouted out of an idea from Craig McMurray, CapRadio director of foundation and corporate development, in 2014 to directly address some major environmental issues, such as water, land use, nutrition, conservation and wildlife. “Everything we experience in this garden is felt across the globe,” says Tashina Brito, Capital Public Radio community relations manager. “This

TMO By Tessa Marguerite Outland Farm-to-Fork

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is an easy, digestible way to experience beauty and recognize its importance.” The entrance to the shady haven is guarded by an antique, grade-school desk as if to inspire growth and a desire to learn. Brito describes the garden as a physical representation of the CapRadio newsroom—directly addressing food sustainability, the environment, policy and the economy. Nestled within the raised plant beds are seasonal fruits and vegetables all watered through drip irrigation. These growing foods include pumpkins, cucumbers, strawberries, squash and other native North American foods. Brito adds that they also have been trying new varieties of seeds. Amidst the garden’s floral scents and fertile grounds is the hushed buzz of honeybees. Wild bees pollinate 35 percent of California crops. However, some beekeepers have reported unusually high losses of hives, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is largely due to “colony collapse disorder,” which occurs when the majority of worker bees disappear and leave behind their colony. To prevent the extinction of

these fascinating and vital insects, environmental changes and regulations are being implemented on local and national levels. Many hands are involved in the care of the garden, which is maintained primarily through a partnership between Capital Public Radio and Sacramento State, with additional assistance from students at the Sacramento County Office of Education’s Leo A. Palmiter Jr/Sr High School as part of a work-study program. The garden also provides the community with experiential learning opportunities through lessons

in nutrition, cooking, agriculture and ecology. When it is time to harvest the garden’s multi-colored gems of sweet fruits and crisp veggies, the produce is donated to the Sac State ASI Food Pantry, pop-up farmers markets and local nonprofits, including River City Food Bank and Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Fresh produce is also stored on campus at Sac State. The CapRadio Garden Council is comprised of experienced individuals— representing Green Acres Nursery & Supply, Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, UC Davis, American River College, UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento

Buzzing With the Bees When District 3 Councilmember Jeff Harris learned of the prospective beehives at the CapRadio Garden, he was buzzing to get involved. Harris’ love of bees began more than 45 years ago when he was a student at UC Davis. Before he got into politics, Harris was a commercial beekeeper and has since remained involved in beekeeping agriculture. Through the CapRadio Garden beehives, Harris saw the potential to raise awareness and educate the community about the importance of honeybees. Each of the four hives is situated on a weight scale and equipped with temperature and humidity thermometers, microphones and cameras. The data is used to assess colony behavior and health. “It’s a pretty novel approach and it’s kind of exciting to be involved in it,” Harris says. Recently, the City Council passed an ordinance banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (connected to colony collapse disorder in beehives) on Sacramento city properties. “There is no insect more efficient at pollination than the honeybee,” Harris says. “I love to show people bees and see the joy on kids’ faces when they see honeybees aren’t there to sting them, but are actually wonderful creatures that keep us alive.” Harris still keeps bees in the backyard of his Sacramento home. n

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Councilmember Jeff Harris

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner

County, Nature’s Source and River City Food Bank—who offer advice and guidance. With CapRadio’s anticipated move to Downtown in 2020, the garden will continue at its current site with an increased maintenance and guardianship role provided by Sac State. This verdant garden, bursting with life and movement, is continuously growing and producing life-sustaining plants and insects. It provides nourishment, encourages conversations on environmental issues, and is a tranquil place to stop and smell the honeybees.

The garden is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is not necessary to schedule a tour, but tour appointments can be made by calling CapRadio at (916) 278-8900. For more information, visit capradio. org/garden. Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail. com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

Kids eat FREE on Tuesdays Kids 12 and under. One adult entree must be purchased per kids meal. Kids meal must be ordered off kids menu.

Lunch: Monday - Friday starting at 11am Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 9am - 2pm Dinner: 7 days a week starting at 4pm Patio seating available

8259 Freeport Blvd. freeportbarandgrill.com | 916.665.1169 POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

Maureen Hood’s “B.O.P.,” mixed-media collage, at Archival Gallery.

From My Garden and More Archival Gallery Aug. 6–31 Second Saturday Reception: Aug. 10, 6 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com This show will feature mixed-media floral works by Maureen Hood. Also on display will be new works by Linda Nunes.

Harvest Day Master Gardeners of Sacramento County Saturday, Aug. 3, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fairs Oaks Blvd. • sacmg.ucanr.edu Enjoy tours of the horticultural center, talks by gardening experts, vendors with plants for sale and demonstrations on composting, growing vegetables and planting a water-efficient landscape. Master Gardeners also will be on hand to answer all your gardening questions.

TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

JL By Jessica Laskey

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Twilight on the Bufferlands Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Tuesday, Aug. 13, 6–8:30 p.m. 8521 Laguna Station Road, Elk Grove • regionalsan.com/bufferlands Sacramento’s wastewater treatment plant is home to 2,150 acres of open space called Bufferlands. Reserve a spot on this tour that will explore some of the best Central Valley wildlife habitats at dusk. Look for beavers, river otters, muskrats, raccoons, owls and more.

Tales & Ales Brewfest Fairytale Town Saturday, Aug. 24, 5–9 p.m. 3901 Land Park Drive • fairytaletown.org Celebrate Fairytale Town’s 60th anniversary at this all-ages fundraiser featuring local craft breweries, food trucks and live music. Kids will enjoy root-beer floats. Advance tickets are $30 for adults; $6 for children 2–12 (Fairytale Town members receive $5 discount; member children are free). Day-of-tickets at $40 for adults; $10 for children (no discounts).

Gold Spike Lecture Series California Railroad Museum Thursday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m. 125 I St. • californiarailroad.museum Award-winning scholar Gordon H. Chang will present “The Recovery and Interpretation of the Experiences of Chinese Railroad Workers in North America,” drawing on unprecedented research to recover the history of Chinese workers who were instrumental in building the Transcontinental Railroad. Tickets are $7 for museum members; $14 for general public.

Third Thursday at 24th & K: Midtown Made Midtown Association Thursday, Aug. 15, 6–10 p.m. K Street between 23rd and 24th streets • exploremidtown.org Presented by the Midtown Central restaurant district, this street event will include food and drink from nearby eateries, local artisans, adult lawn games, photo ops and more.

Third Thursday’s Midtown Made at 24th & K streets.

Milk & Cookies Reading Queer Sacramento Authors Collective Friday, Aug. 30, 7–9 p.m. Lavender Library, 1414 21st St. • qsac.rocks Join QSAC for its quarterly reading featuring eight local authors of queer fiction—and milk and cookies, of course!

The Universe and Man in Reflection Tim Collom Gallery Aug. 6–29 915 20th St. • timcollomgallery.com This solo exhibition will feature Gong Yuebin’s ink and water paintings on nearly transparent silk.

Gong Yuebin’s “2019 Transcend Yin and Yang” series, ink on silk, at Tim Collom Gallery.

Mural Unveiling Capital Athletic Club Thursday, Aug. 15, 6:30–7:30 p.m. 1515 8th St. • capitalac.com Join CAC for the unveiling of a new mural by Stephanie Taylor depicting former Sacramento Ballet co-artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda as part of Sacramento’s Wide Open Walls mural festival. The celebration will feature live dance segments, and free food and drink.

Owl Release & Picnic in the Vineyards Heringer Estates and Wildlife Care Association Saturday, Aug. 24, 4–8:30 p.m. 37375 Netherlands Road, Clarksburg • heringerestates.com Bring a blanket and enjoy this family-friendly event featuring food trucks, estate wines and wildlife demonstrations. The grand finale will be a wild owl release at dusk. A portion of the ticket and wine sales will benefit the Wildlife Care Association of Sacramento. Tickets are $10 for adults; $3 for children under 12. Tales & Ales Brewfest at Fairytale Town.

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“All’s Well That Ends Well” at Theatre in the Heights.

Gather: Movies at the Fort

Free Family Swim Night

Midtown Association and Sutter District Saturday, Aug. 10, 5–11 p.m. Sutter’s Fort, 2701 L St. • exploremidtown.org This free event will feature screenings of “The Fast & the Furious” and “Mean Girls” on the fort walls, food and cocktails for purchase, DJ music, an art market and more. Blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged.

Cordova Recreation & Park District Friday, Aug. 9, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Lincoln Village Community Park, 3480 Routier Road • crpd.com Enjoy hours of free pool time and other park amenities, including picnic tables, tennis courts and a fitness course. Lifeguards will be on duty.

All’s Well That Ends Well

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

Theatre in the Heights Through Aug. 11 8215 Auburn Blvd., Citrus Heights • theatreintheheights.com Shakespeare’s complicated romance set in France and Italy has all your favorite dramatic devices, including identity swapping, a “kidnapping trick” and more. Tickets are $15 (no infants please).

Outdoor movies at Sutter’s Fort.

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Free Family Swim Night at Lincoln Village Community Park.

AT DETAIidLeSopenwalls.com www.w

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More Plants, Less Mulch FORGO WOODCHIPS FOR A TAPESTRY OF FLORA

C Master Gardeners tell the public that mulch works miracles in the garden based on university research that shows a thick layer of woodchips (at least 4 inches deep) will suppress weed-seed germination, retain moisture and improve the soil. I’ve repeated this advice many times, but have had some doubts. You rarely see mulch in French or English gardens, for example. The French believe that roots need air, which a layer of mulch can block. The English plant so densely that there’s little open space for mulch, although they do apply copious amounts of compost. In Sacramento gardens, I’ve observed that the roots of droughttolerant plants, such as lavender, salvia and penstemon, will rot if they are kept constantly moist by a layer of woodchips. I’ve also worried that covering up all bare soil with mulch, which UC Berkeley entomologist Dr. Gordon

AC By Anita Clevenger Garden Jabber

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Frankie calls “mulch madness,” will make it hard for native bees to find places to nest. When should we mulch? And when does mulching create more problems than it solves? At a recent horticultural study weekend sponsored by The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, experts and gardeners debated this point. Kelly Norris, director of horticulture and education at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, suggested that gardeners should “write off” mulch. Instead, he advocated for using grasses and other plants as “green mulch and horticultural spackle” to form a “sustainable, living weft” under larger plants. His vision is for gardens that are managed, not maintained, with a focus on a wide range of closely planted diverse plants that are edited, rather than mulched gaps that are weeded. The weekend featured visits to more than a dozen lush Portland gardens, several planted densely not mulched. One garden featured many familiar drought-tolerant plants thriving in mounds of gravel, which ensured the perfect drainage they demand. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, a horticulture professor at Washington State University, had a different view. This was not surprising coming from a woman dubbed the “Mulch Queen” by her 8-year-old daughter years ago. Chalker-Scott based her recommendations on scientific research, and continued to champion mulch for

most situations. She recommended woodchips, rather than bark or other materials. Bark has a waxy surface that is designed to repel water and discourage it from deterioration. Rather than an inert layer of mulch, the ideal is to have active fungal activity where mulch touches the soil and decomposes. That promotes development of mycorrhizae, which colonize the root system of a host plant, providing increased water and nutrient-absorbing capabilities. Asked about using leaves as mulch, Chalker-Scott responded that research is not yet definitive. Leaves break down through bacterial activity, not fungal, and can become slimy and anaerobic if piled too deep. ChalkerScott shreds her fallen leaves before using them as mulch or putting them into the compost pile. What about ground-burrowing native bees? Chalker-Scott recommended leaving soil bare underneath shrubs so bees can burrow there. This also allows oxygen to be more available for roots, and keeps mulch at least 4 inches away from the base of woody shrubs and trees to reduce the risk of root rot. Chalker-Scott is not a fan of landscape fabric because it blocks that all-important contact between soil and mulch. Fabric eventually gets covered with decomposed organic matter and weeds, and can be so integrated with soil and roots that it is very hard to maintain. She doesn’t recommend pulling fabric out of a planting bed unless it is loose. To avoid damage to

roots, it’s better to cut the fabric into pieces and leave it in place. Most of all, don’t use it in planting beds. To mulch or not to mulch? Most of us think that we should mulch, but few enjoy the hard work it entails. Based on the science, mulching can benefit soil, but it’s not a panacea for all situations. Several speakers envisioned a trend toward landscapes consisting of interwoven tapestries of plants instead of widely spaced planting beds surrounded by a sea of woodchips. More plants, less mulch. Makes sense to me. The Sacramento County UC Master Gardeners’ annual Harvest Day will be Saturday, Aug. 3, from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Fair Oaks Horticultural Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks. Speakers will discuss container gardens, fertilizers and tree care. Mini-workshops and demonstrations will be held on composting, water-efficient landscapes, grape growing and fruit orchards. Guests will also enjoy educational tables, food trucks and plants for sale. For more information, visit sacmg. ucanr.edu/harvest_day. Anita Clevenger is a lifetime Sacramento County Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UC Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338 or mgsacramento@ ucanr.edu, or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Promise Zone

Tyrone Roderick Williams

HOW FEDERAL PROGRAM BUILDS NEIGHBORHOODS

yrone Roderick Williams knows how to get money in Sacramento. He asks for it. So far, Williams has hauled in more than $175 million. His secret? Ask the right people. Williams is director of development for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. As part of his job, he manages Sacramento Promise Zone. The zone is essential to Williams’ fundraising triumphs. Promise Zone is a rare and coveted federal designation that connects Sacramento directly to federal agencies, along with state, corporate and

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

nonprofit partners. Sacramento received the designation in 2015. “There are only four communities in California with the federal Promise Zone designation,” Williams says. “There were many more who tried to get it. As a Promise Zone, we can get right through to the decision-makers at the highest levels of the federal government. I can get people on the phone who wouldn’t even return my calls before.” The local Promise Zone is a physical place—22 square miles that include Downtown, most of South Sacramento between Franklin Boulevard and Stockton Boulevard, and much of North Sacramento. The neighborhoods covered by the zone have some of the lowest incomes and education levels and highest unemployment rates in the region. About 128,000 people live in Sacramento Promise Zone.

Williams, who grew up in a small town near Houston and worked in Atlanta before arriving in Sacramento in 2014, loves his work, especially the collaboration part. He’s eager to explain how Promise Zones work. He focuses on the importance of bringing people together to solve timeless problems of poverty and disenfranchisement. “Having a Promise Zone doesn’t mean we automatically get money,” he says. “It means we get access. We get the right people in the room and we leave our egos at the door.” When development professionals such as Williams get together, the discussion typically involves funding. But a curious perspective must be acknowledged. There is plenty of money floating among federal and state agencies and private and nonprofit funding sources. The trick is to divert the money to the right places. Everyone thinks they have unique needs. That’s where Williams’ collaborative skills become paramount.

Visit InsideSacramento.com for a response from Councilmember Steve Hansen to last month’s Pocket Beat article on the levee gate issue. In Sacramento, the Housing and Redevelopment Agency is primarily concerned with helping disadvantaged people obtain and maintain a roof over their heads. Promise Zones have grander ambitions. The zone program works to create jobs, provide educational opportunities, improve the community’s health, and stimulate neighborhood revitalization and economic activity within its boundaries. “There’s money out there, but a lot of neighborhoods have not seen the funding,” Williams says. “Our challenge is how do you look at the whole universe?” The holistic vision explains how Sacramento has attracted $175 million for its Promise Zone in just four years. The money comes from Williams’ ability to leverage Promise Zone status at decision-making levels. As a result, government, private and nonprofit funds flow to Sacramento, including $32 million allocated in June. Collaboration also explains how Williams has navigated a 2017 federal tax incentive and investment program called Opportunity Zones, which help attract dollars to low-income neighborhoods based on their census tracts. “The programs are different, but we make sure they complement each other,” Williams says. To build on his success, Williams wants to expand his roster of organizations that partner with Promise Zones. The program has established collaborations with local school districts, a nursing college, and city and county governments. But Williams is looking for more alliances—businesses, corporations, philanthropic groups, nonprofits and public agencies. Williams is eager to hear from any organization that touches the Promise Zone and wants to help improve the lives of 128,000 Sacramento residents. That’s his promise. For information, go to www. sacramentopromisezone.org. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Plucking Her Heartstrings

Faythe Vollrath

JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

RENOWNED HARPSICHORDIST SHARES HER LOVE OF THE INSTRUMENT

POC AUG n 19

t might seem strange that an instrument as old as the harpsichord is something musician Faythe Vollrath thinks of as “new in many ways,” but the accomplished harpsichordist, based in Placerville, m maintains that there’s a method to t madness. the “It’s still very much ‘create y your own adventure’ with the h harpsichord,” says Vollrath, who performs as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and abroad (she recently performed a concert of new music in Serbia as part of the Belgrade Harpsichord Festival). “The instrument still doesn’t have a big modern performance history—a lot of the music is still being rediscovered, so you might be playing something from the 17th century that no one’s ever heard. I love that there’s freedom of interpretation.” That freedom is what first drew Vollrath to the instrument after studying piano performance as an undergrad at Sacramento State University. She started playing the harpsichord just for fun, but she discovered that the flexibility and creativity it provided was a perfect fit for her artistic interests. The harpsichord was most likely invented in the Middle Ages, and all but disappeared from the music scene in the 18th century with the piano’s rise in popularity. Vollrath went on to receive her doctoral diploma from Stony Brook University in New York under Arthur Haas and her artist diploma from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign under Charlotte Mattax Moersch in harpsichord performance. She’s since become a beloved local fixture, playing with Capella Antiqua—the choral group based at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on 11th Street—and the Sacramento Baroque Soloists, as well as a celebrated performer across the country at venues such as MusicSources in Berkeley, Gotham Early Music Scene in New York City and Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg. “What I love best about performing is educating people about this amazing instrument,” the 37-yearold says. “I love when people ask me

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about the harpsichord after a concert. It’s really easy to take apart, so I’m happy to show people how it works inside. I’ll even let people play it. The whole point of performing concerts is to share the harpsichord with other people and let them experience it.” Vollrath’s talent on the instrument has earned her a fair share of recognition, including a spot as a semi-finalist in the 2012

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Lambtrust.com Jurow International Harpsichord Competition and the 2009 Bechtel Award presented by the Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society. Her harpsichord duo Zweikampf (which means “two struggling” in German)— formed with fellow Stony Brook graduate Stephen Gamboa—was a finalist in Early Music America’s inaugural Baroque Performance Competition. As a soloist, Vollrath

regularly performs new music written for the historic instrument at the Festival of New American Music hosted at the Crocker Art Museum each year and the Center for New Music in San Francisco. But no matter where you see Vollrath perform, you’ll most likely see her playing Bubba, one of two harpsichords she owns—she’s in the market for a third—that she uses when she travels. Though the beautiful turquoise Bubba is heavy (hence the name), it’s more travel friendly than the larger one Vollrath keeps at home, seeing as how the musician usually has to provide her own instrument when performing out of town. “Sometimes I can borrow one from someone who lives nearby,” Vollrath says. “But more often than not it’s ‘have harpsichord, will travel.’” When Vollrath isn’t touring, she plays organ and leads the choir at

Faith Lutheran Church in Fair Oaks and has served as the program director for the past eight years of Shoshone Mountain Retreat, a Christian summer camp in northern Idaho. “I love outdoor ministry and sending kids out into the wilderness,” Vollrath says. “Their cellphones don’t work up there, so they have to actually interact and talk. That process really appeals to me—getting people out of their comfort zone and giving them a new experience.” Just like with her beloved harpsichord. For more information, visit faythevollrath.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Culinary Curating

FARE AND DÉCOR ARE ON POINT AT BOUNTIFUL MIDTOWN RESTAURANT

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

POC AUG n 19

here’s a term in the online content industry: aggregator. It refers to a website that doesn’t publish anything itself, but rather finds things from around the web and puts them all

in one place for the casual surfer to read or view. There’s another term that refers to a certain type of aggregator, one that doesn’t just collect random things from around the net, but instead collects the

most interesting things. That term is curator. Beast + Bounty, the R Street Corridor restaurant less than a year old, brings the skills of curation to bear on its exceptional fare and stunning

design. The interior décor reflects influences from the last 50 years of American decorating trends. The menu shows flavors, ingredients and cooking styles from a dozen different countries. The plating ranges from rustic to fine art. There are a lot of different influences going on at Beast + Bounty, and it is only excellent curation that makes it all work. There’s no getting around it, Beast + Bounty is a stunning space. The immense care and thoughtfulness that went into every design decision almost screams at you when you walk in the door. Every little piece of cutlery, piece of art, piece of glassware seems as if it was picked up from a specific decade and brought to this place and time to work together in harmony. The plants are from the ‘70s, gold lamps and marble-topped tables from the ‘80s. Stoneware plates are from the late ‘60s and cheeky wall art from the ‘90s. But keep looking. You’ll notice the shade of gold of the modern lamps matches the gold of the cutlery. You’ll see the pale rose leather of the banquettes reflected in the pale rose pull strings on the staff’s aprons.

The thought that went into this place is manifest. Thankfully the same care goes into the food. Per the name, the menu is split into animal-centered dishes (beast) and vegetable-centric plates (bounty). Sitting somewhere in the middle of that is a selection of pizzas. On the beast side of the menu, options are meant to be shared. Although if you can down a two-pound $98 ribeye, then that’s between you and your maker. Most plates are big enough for two or three diners. Each dish has its own collection of influences brought together to create a cohesive whole. Take, for example, the grilled whole branzino, a beautiful fish native to the Mediterranean. Instead of going with the obvious Italian or Greek preparation, the kitchen goes full Thai and tops it with a green curry and throws in a side of sticky peanut rice cakes. Bold flavors and creative textures really make this dish sing. Add a side of pole beans served with a Chineseinspired XO sauce and you have a lovely meal for two. Starters range from the fun and functional to the hearty and intense. Fried falafel, ceviche or a tomato-

heavy and bread-light panzanella salad will put you in a summer mood. But should you want to start the meal with a culinary punch to the kisser, opt for the charred octopus or the roasted bone marrow. The former is a bit pricey at $24 for a single tentacle, but the flavors are intense and Iberian featuring chorizo and aioli. The latter is also pricey at $25, but feels more on point since the dinosaur-sized split bone comes to the plate like a prehistoric achievement. Brunch hits some highs as well and has become one of the most desirable in the city. There’s the obligatory avocado toast, but also a cheeky Dutch baby pancake served in an iron skillet and topped with seasonal fruits and a cardamom whip. The standout, however, might be the Benedict pizza. B+B’s pizza crust sets a pretty high bar, and whether a base for brunch, lunch or dinner, it’s an impressive pie. The Benedict comes well loaded with bacon, onions, eggs,

hollandaise, mozzarella, potatoes and herbs. It’s an easy split for two people, and shows some impressive skill at the wood-fired oven to boot. The bar, which doesn’t lag behind the well chef’d menu, features recipes and ingredients from around the globe. The cocktails, much like the rest of the enterprise, show skill and expertise, but more than that, a sense of restraint. Where some new restaurants try to wow diners with a shock-and-awe approach to ingredients, Beast + Bounty embodies the role of curator and simply makes great restrained decisions in every aspect of its enterprise. Beast + Bounty is at 1701 R St.; eatbeastandbounty.com; (916) 244-4016. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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DOWNTOWN Cafeteria 15L Classic American dishes with millennial ﬂavor 1116 15th Street • 916.492.1960 cafeteria15l.com

Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters Award-winning roasters 3rd and Q Sts. • chocolateﬁshcoffee.com

de Vere’s Irish Pub A lively and authentic Irish family pub 1521 L Street • 916.231.9947 deverespub.com

Mayahuel Mexican cuisine with a wide-ranging tequila menu 1200 K Street • 916.441.7200 experiencemayahuel.com

Old Soul Artisan pastries and roasted coffee 555 Capitol Mall • oldsoulco.com

Preservation & Company Preserving delicious produce from local farms 1717 19th Street #B • 916.706.1044 preservationandco.com

INSIDE’S

Downtown & Vine

Taste and compare the region’s best wines 1200 K Street, #8 • 916.228.4518 downtownandvine.com

Ella Dining Room & Bar New American farm-to-fork cuisine 1131 K Street • 916.443.3772 elladiningroomandbar.com

Esquire Grill Classic dishes in a sleek urban design setting 1213 K Street • 916.448.8900 paragarys.com

Firestone Public House Hip and happy sports bar with great food 1132 16th Street • 916.446.0888 ﬁrestonepublichouse.com

Frank Fat’s Fine Chinese dining in an elegant interior 806 L Street • 916.442.7092 frankfats.com

Grange Restaurant & Bar The city’s quintessential dining destination 926 J St. • 916.492.4450 grangesacramento.com

Hot Italian

Solomon’s Delicatessen Opening summer of 2018 730 K Street • Solomonsdelicatessen.com

South Timeless traditions of Southern cooking 2005 11th Street • 916.382.9722 weheartfriedchicken.com

OLD SAC Fat City Bar & Cafe American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location 1001 Front Street • 916.446.6768 fatsrestaurants.com

The Firehouse Restaurant The premiere dining destination in historic setting 1112 2nd Street • 916.442.4772 ﬁrehouseoldsac.com

Rio City Café California-inspired menu on the riverfront 1110 Front Street • 916.442.8226 riocitycafe.com

Willie’s Burgers A quirky burger joint 110 K Street • 916.444.2006 williesburgers.com

Remarkable pizza in modern Italian setting 1627 16th Street • 916.492.4450 hotitalian.net

THE HANDLE

La Consecha by Mayahuel

Unmatched sweet sophistication 1801 L Street, #60 • 916.706.1738 gingerelizabeth.com

Casual Mexican in a lovely park setting 917 9th Street • 916.970.5354 lacosechasacramento.com

Ma Jong Asian Diner A colorful & casual spot for all food Asian 1431 L Street • 916.442.7555 majongs.com

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan Farm-fresh New American cuisine 1215 19th Street • 916.441.6022 mulvaneysbl.com

Old Soul

The Waterboy

Artisan pastries and roasted coffee 1716 L Street (rear alley) • oldsoulco.com

Classic European with locally sourced ingredients 2000 Capitol Ave. • 916.498.9891 waterboyrestaurant.com

The Rind A cheese-centric food and wine bar 1801 L Street # 40 • 916.441.7463 therindsacramento.com

Zocolo Tastes inspired by the town square of Mexico City 1801 Capitol Avenue • 916.441.0303 zocalosacramento.com

MIDTOWN

Open Summer 2018 • 2940 Freeport Blvd. chocolateﬁshcoffee.com

Award-winning neighborhood bakery 2966 Freeport Blvd. • 916.442.4256 freeportbakery.com

Block Butcher Bar

Iron Grill

Specializing in housemade salumi and cocktails 1050 20th Street • 916.476.6306 blockbutcherbar.com

A mecca to hearty eating 2422 13th Street • 916.737.5115 irongrillsacramento.com

Centro Cocina Mexicana

Riverside Clubhouse

Mexican cuisine in a festive, colorful setting 2730 J Street • 916.442.2552 paragarys.com

Traditional Amercian classic menu 2633 Riverside Blvd. • 916.448.9988 riversideclubhouse.com

Federalist Public House

Selland’s Market-Café

Signature woodﬁred pizzas and local craft beers 2009 Matsui Alley • 916.661.6134 federalistpublichouse.com

Family-friendly neighborhood café 915 Broadway • 916. 732.3390 sellands.com

Lowbrau Bierhalle

Taylor’s Market & Kitchen

Modern-rustic German beer hall 1050 20th Street • 916.452.7594 lowbrausacramento.com

A reputation for service & quality 2900 & 2924 Freeport Blvd • 916.443.5154 taylorsmarket.com

Old Soul at The Weatherstone

Vic’s Ice Cream & Café

Artisan pastries and roasted coffee 812 21st Street • oldsoulco.com

Family owned since 1947 3199 Riverside Blvd. • 916.448.0892 vicsicecream.com

Paragary’s French inspired bistro in chic new environment 1401 28th Street • 916.457.5737 • paragarys.com

The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar A focus on all things local 2718 J Street • 916.706.2275 • theredrabbit.net

Revolution Wines

Willie’s Burgers A quirky burger joint 2415 16th Street • 916.444.2006 williesburgers.com

Woodlake Tavern 1431 Del Paso Blvd • 916.514.0405 woodlaketavern.com n

Urban winery and kitchen 2831 S Street • 916.444.7711 • rev.wine

Sac Natural Foods Co-Op Omnivore, vegan, raw, paleo, organic, glutenfree and carnivore sustenance 2820 R Street • 916.455.2667 • sac.coop

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POC AUG n 19

Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters

Freeport Bakery

Suzie Burger

Outstanding dining in a garden setting 2760 Sutterville Rd. • 916.452.2809 casagardenrestaurant.org

Legendary chef, cookbook author Biba Caggiano 2801 Capitol Avenue • 916.455.2422 biba-restaurant.com

Raw, organic nutrition from local farms 1912 P Street • 916.341.0327 • sunandsoiljuice.com

Hot Tub Cleaning Service

Casa Garden Restaurant

Biba Ristorante Italiano

Sun & Soil Juice Company

Battani

LAND PARK

Over 25 Years Experience!

916-224-5251 heidibattani@gmail.com

IRON GRILL 2422 13th/Broadway Banquet Room available: capacity 90

Burgers, cheesesteaks and other delights 2820 P Street • 916.455.3500 • suzieburger.com

Tapa the World Traditional Spanish & world cuisine 2115 J Street • 916.442.4353 tapatheworld.com

Temple Coffee Roasters 2200 K Street • 2829 S Street 1010 9th Street • templecoffee.com

Contact Sylvia 916-737-5115 irongrillsac.com

Joe Chan

Snap Decisions LOTS OF PRACTICE MAKES JOE CHAN PICTURE PERFECT BY STUART WALTHALL MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

oe Chan brings beauty to social media with photographs that compel viewers to look deeply into the compositions captured by his lens. It’s impossible to ignore a Chan photo. Fascinating, evocative and splashed with colors, the images produced by the Sacramento photographer represent a wayward journey to artistic success. Chan didn’t grow up with a camera. He mastered the challenges of light, shadow and composition after a successful career as a banker and mortgage broker. “I took every conceivable picture in order to learn,” Chan says. “I took college courses but tired of the curriculum. I read every book I could get my hands on. I studied all notable photographers, analyzed and copied their styles.” The quest began in 2004 when Chan purchased a Canon digital single-lens reflex camera. The digital market was just heating up—Canon had begun to shift its high-end gear away from film only about three years earlier—so Chan became an early adopter of something new and exciting. And he wasn’t burdened by technical baggage carried by some old-school film photographers who made the switch to

digital. He leaped into the new format and never looked back. Aside from his books and classes, Chan followed a time-honored path to photographic expertise. He took photographs, lots of them, and learned from his mistakes. His exuberant practice methods would not have been possible in the film era, not without a second mortgage to pay for film and processing. “During my first six or seven years of photography, I took about 80,000 shots a year,” he says. “You can’t get good unless you practice. I needed to find out where I was at and what I liked.” Chan estimates he has taken more than 500,000 photos in 15 years. He soon realized he could share his talent, not just by displaying his photography, but by teaching people the skills he had mastered. He volunteered at the Asian Community Center, where he taught beginning, intermediate and advanced photography, and the tricks of Photoshop software. The lessons continue today. Chan eagerly offers suggestions and advice to any aspiring photographer. Social media postings of his images are often accompanied by specific details such as f-stop, exposure and composition. “I am more than happy to share my knowledge,” he says. Chan, who lives in Land Park, has three children and seven grandchildren. His route to Sacramento was as interesting as his photography.

He was born in Canton, China, in 1947. His father was a U.S. Army veteran who lived in Canton before and after the war and started a family there. His father was also familiar with the Sacramento region. The elder Chan had been born in Courtland and was determined to bring his young family to California. It took years, but the Chan family at last arrived in 1951. They settled on Levee Street in Locke. Young Joe started kindergarten in Walnut Grove while his father bagged groceries at a Delta market and his mother picked and packed orchard crops. When Joe entered first grade, the family moved to Oak Park after his father purchased a home on the G.I. Bill. At Sacramento High School, Chan studied clarinet and percussion. He was placed in accelerated learning classes. But his passion was track and field. He was a sprinter and long jumper. He ran the 100yard dash in 9.8 seconds. “I was the fastest Chinese guy in Sacramento,” he says.

After 35 years as an independent mortgage broker, Chan retired in 2006. By then, he was headed in a new direction, camera in hand. “To grow as an artist you have to stay outside of the box,” he says. “You have to keep moving. Try not to please everybody, but be the best artist you can be.” To view Chan’s photographs, visit his Facebook page at facebook.com/ joe.chanphotos or contact Chan at joechan127@comcast.net. Stuart Walthall can be reached at stuartwalthall@aol.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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