Inside Pocket Dec2024

JILL ESTROFF

63 Lakeshore Circle - $675,000

CLASSIC COMFORTABLE GREENHAVEN HOME 3 beds, 2½ baths near Seymore Park. Light and bright with many view of lush yard with pool. Rich dark wood floors, plantation shutters PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715 DRE-0188158

2140 Murieta Way - $589,000

SWEET REMODELED HOLLYWOOD PARK HOME

3 beds 1 bath. Original hardwood floors, striking fireplace, custom finishes remodeled kitchen and bath. Garage worshop

STEPHANIE GALLAGHER 916-342-2288 DRE-01705253

5201 Laguna Oaks Drive #174 - $334,000

CONVENIENT COMFORT ELK GROVE CONDO

7609 Fey Way - $859,000

STUNNING ZGRAGGEN RANCH SINGLE STORY 5 beds, 4 baths, only a couple of blocks from Oasis Park. Includes a rare Casitas with kitchenette. Big living room dining room area. Much more SARAH MOON 916-743-4157 DRE-02086696

7024 Wilshire Circle - $370,000

GOLF COURSE TERRACE MID-CENTURY MODERN. 3 bed, 1 bath. Quality updated home with RV access, newer wood laminate floors and refreshing deep built-in pool MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-1270375

1 bed, 1 bath in a great location close to transportation and shopping. Fresh paint, new carpet and sunny balcony CONNIE LANDSBERG 916-761-0411 DRE-00850625 SOLD

1170 Cedar Tree Way - $525,000

PARK PLACE SOUTH HALFPLEX 2 or 3 beds, 2 baths, den with wetbar, built in desk, can be office or 3rd bedroom. Open living space with vaulted ceilings, fireplace. Covered patio MARY LEE 916-425-3749 DRE-00866853

6242 Fordham Way - $1,100,000

STUNNING SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS HOME 5 bed, 2½ bath with backyard paradise and pool. White oak hardwood floors, Wolf range, beverage fridge, quartz counters, more MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-1270375

7000 Prazzo Way - $650,000

WELCOME TO ELK GROVE COMFORT & CONVENIENCE

4 bed, 3 bath with formal living and dining rooms, high ceilings and plenty of light. Enclosed sunroom and fruit trees JOSEPH MAGANELLO 916-952-4933 DRE-02069277

Real Time Video Monitoring Smart Phone Control

Lifetime motor and belt warranty on 87504-267

Integrated

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ESTROFF

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This painting celebrates the blossoms that once graced the pond at Land Park. Jill Estroff’s artwork will be shown at Archival Gallery Feb. 27 to March 29, 2025. She also joins other artists for two evenings in the ShareArt Holiday Show Dec. 6–7 from 4–7 p.m. at Jane Gallery in the Limelight on Alhambra Boulevard. Estroff curates the PBS KVIE Art Auction and PBS KVIE Gallery when she’s not painting. Shown: “White Lotus,” acrylic on canvas, framed, 20 inches by 16 inches. This painting is for sale at $650. Visit jillestroff.com or @estroffjill on Instagram.

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FTime Out

ARMY CORPS DELAYS EROSION-CONTROL WORK ON AMERICAN RIVER

or more than a year, American River Parkway supporters have called for a redesign of erosioncontrol plans by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Army Corps intends to bulldoze through fragile river parkway landscape, destroy riparian habitat, replace shoreline with rock and rubble, and threaten countless wildlife to protect the city from floods. The project, called Contract 3B, runs from the Howe Avenue bridge to east of Watt Avenue.

But when a draft environmental impact report generated negative comments from the public and

C R CR

By Cathryn Rakich

agencies—as many as 1,900 letters—the Army Corps postponed its work until 2026.

Is this a procedural dodge or a serious re-evaluation of the Army Corps’ plans?

“Hopefully they will see there is plenty of room for major improvements and make significant design changes,” says Pete Spaulding with American River Trees, a local citizen’s group.

“We’ll use this additional time to push for a true pause, not just a delay.”

American River Trees wants the Army Corps to develop a lessdestructive plan, citing the work will create “massive damage” to the parkway.

The lower American River is among 200 free-flowing rivers and streams throughout the nation protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Protected waterways are identified for their scenic, recreational, geologic,

wildlife, historic and cultural values.

The wild and scenic designation is the nation’s strongest protection for rivers.

County Supervisor Rich Desmond, in a recent report to constituents, says he is “confident that the work is necessary.” He believes the erosionprotection measures along the river are “commensurate with standards set by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.”

Liz Bellas disagrees. She is director of the county’s Department of Regional Parks, responsible for ensuring the work is consistent with wild and scenic management requirements.

In her 51-page comment letter to the Army Corps, Bellas says, “Our conclusion is that the project within the American River Parkway, as proposed, does not meet this standard.”

Bellas says the draft environmental impact report is “replete with errors and inconsistencies” with “no

meaningful alternative” for bank protection or mitigation.

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act promotes public participation when addressing river protection. Desmond says, “there has been and continues to be extensive outreach and education about the project.”

Bellas says the process for involving the public and responsible agencies was “inadequate for meaningful involvement in the planning process.”

American River Trees also disagrees with Desmond. “There was little to no outreach to the public,” the group tells the supervisor. “There were no advance neighborhood mailings, no public meetings.”

While the Army Corps made several public presentations, “they rarely answer questions or engage in any two-way, live conversation,” American River Trees says.

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Representatives with American River Trees requested meetings with Cols. Chad Caldwell and James Handura of the Army Corps’ Sacramento District. They were denied.

Desmond reports the Lower American River Bank Protection Working Group includes federal, state and county agencies and nonprofit groups working together to evaluate the erosion-protection work.

American River Trees notes, “Participation does not equal approval or support.” The group says federal, state and county agencies, and parkway advocates, such as Save the American River Association, identified “serious shortcomings in the project and draft environmental reports.”

Desmond tells constituents vegetation removal is required for erosion protection. The Army Corps plans to remove shrubs, brush and up to 700 trees, including heritage oaks.

American River Trees says trees and vegetation will take years to regrow, making the community less safe. The group cites “Best Practices for Vegetation Management on Levees,” prepared by the Corps and FEMA, and released this year. Per the document, “the right mix of well-established native vegetation can help reduce

soil erodibility …. Dense, interwoven root systems can physically stabilize riverbanks and slopes.”

In Regional Parks’ comment letter, Bellas says, “the impacts of bank protection to existing oak woodland and riparian habitat and recreation … are either mischaracterized or ignored.”

Construction at rivers designated as wild and scenic must preserve their free-flowing condition. Demolition must protect water quality. The immediate environment must be safeguarded.

Designated as wild and scenic in 1981, the American River extends from its confluence with the Sacramento River to Nimbus Dam. “This short stretch of river, flowing through the city of Sacramento, is the most heavily used recreation river in California,” the National Wild and Scenic River System says.

“We firmly believe we can get erosion control, flood protection, and a wild and scenic American River,” says Spaulding of American River Trees. “Let’s do it right.”

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

TNowhere Bridge

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

he community is digesting the negligence and coverups that allowed a $12 million unsafe bicycle bridge to rise over Interstate 5 and Riverside Boulevard.

Meantime, Inside Sacramento discovered archival documents that show how the city set the stage for the bridge fiasco by delaying the Sacramento River Parkway bike trail for nearly 50 years.

After announcing a river levee bike trail in 1975, the city let a small group of property owners in Pocket and Little Pocket block the parkway’s completion. Today, neighborhoods across Sacramento pay the price.

The latest setback involves the improperly built bike bridge over the freeway at Riverside. Almost 47 years after discussing the bike span, City Hall finally moved to construct the overpass in 2022.

This August, with the new bridge finished and ready for bikes and pedestrians, authorities realized the

RG

By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

structure featured “nonconforming” materials. They ordered it torn down.

In a letter to builder Mountain Methods of Tuolumne, city engineer Adam Randolph writes, “The City finds that the lightweight concrete and rebar placed at the Land Park Underpass Widening is nonconforming to the Contract requirements and is rejected.”

Randolph’s letter tells Mountain Methods to replace the bike bridge, erected alongside a 1970s concrete railroad overpass.

The bike span never officially opened. Tracks for Old Sac excursion trains prevent cyclists from using the adjacent railroad bridge.

The city has not explained how its engineering consultants and inspectors missed “nonconforming” concrete and rebar during bridge construction.

The doomed span was supposed to connect two bike trails: the Del Rio route through Land Park along Southern Pacific’s abandoned Walnut Grove Branch Line, and the river path on the levee.

Both bike trails start at the troubled bridge and stop at Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex on Freeport Boulevard.

Del Rio trail opened this year. The levee path has been delayed by five decades, thanks to a few property owners who don’t want bikes and pedestrians near their backyards.

Those property owners influenced City Council members and threatened lawsuits over the levee pathway.

In recent years, the city finally funded levee trail sections in Pocket. Authorities engineered the route and undertook environmental work. Construction is expected in 2025.

The link between the new “nonconforming” bike bridge and longdelayed levee trail becomes clear in 1980 city documents.

In 1980, the City Council considered buying the Southern Pacific Walnut Grove route—including the freeway overpass. Southern Pacific abandoned the line in 1977.

“In order to justify public purchase of the line there must be a valid public use,” says a Dec. 19, 1980, City Council report. “The most immediate public use of the line is for a bikeway. The Bikeway Master Plan includes an offstreet bikeway on most of this line.”

The report describes both the Del Rio and river levee bike paths. It concludes, “Work is currently underway to implement the Sacramento River portion of the bikeway and the City owns title to this portion of the right of way.”

The City Council wanted to buy the rail line but worried it lacked funds—$1.8 million for 23 miles, spare

change today. The city hoped the state would pay for the route.

City Council members were told state parks planned an excursion train from Old Sac to Hood. The council also identified a potential “urban mass transit rail line.” Neither happened.

Instead, state parks acquired the tracks from Old Sac to South Land Park for an excursion train. Regional Transit gained rights from the Riverside bridge to Freeport but gave the property to the city after building the Meadowview light rail line near Highway 99.

In 1980, the city feared it could lose access to Southern Pacific’s abandoned line and I-5 rail bridge.

But the council got lucky. In 1984, Southern Pacific handed the city the rail bridge over I-5 and Riverside. Today the concrete rail overpass stands proud alongside the doomed structure.

With leadership and courage, the city could have built the levee trail from the Riverside bridge to South Pocket in 1984.

Instead, the city folded. Frightened by a few NIMBY property owners.

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

FIASCO SHOWS HOW CITY BLEW CHANCE TO BUILD BIKE TRAIL

Imagine hopping a train to the North Pole while enjoying hot chocolate and Christmas carols.

Once you arrive, Santa comes aboard and hands out sleigh bells.

Welcome to the magic of The Polar Express.

The Polar Express is an Old Sacramento holiday tradition since 2007, helping support programs for the California State Railroad Museum. The route along the Sacramento River runs through Dec. 22.

Pocket resident Alexa Mark is events coordinator for the California State Railroad Museum Foundation. “Polar Express will run four times daily for 28 days,” she says. “Each train has a capacity of 372 guests. We’ll probably sell out, entertaining almost 42,000 guests this year.”

About 125 volunteers help spread the fun. They greet guests, serve cocoa and treats, and perform for passengers.

“Riding in decorated century-old train cars takes you back to a bygone era. For a couple of hours, you can forget about world issues,” Pocket resident Bob Boughton says. He loves working The Polar Express “It’s priceless watching the kids ring their sleigh bells on the trip home.”

To volunteer, email polarvol@ csrmf.org. For train information, visit californiarailroad.museum.

PROJECT WARM WISHES

Spread holiday cheer for homebound seniors. Donate winter items or money to Meals on Wheels Project Warm Wishes. The annual campaign provides blankets, scarves, socks and other items to 1,500 seniors.

Drop donations at the Meals on Wheels office at 7375 Park City Drive. Or order items on Amazon via the

All Aboard

By Corky Mau Pocket Life

Pocket resident Alexa Mark is the events coordinator for the California State Railroad Museum Foundation.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Meals on Wheels website at mowsac. org. For information, call Michelle Bustamante at (916) 444-9533.

LIBRARY BOOK SALE

The Robbie Waters Library bookstore conducts another “Everything is Half Off” sale through December. Proceeds fund library programs such as Saturday Storytimes Hour. The bookstore is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

LIGHT UP THE CANAL

Grab your neighbors and help hang holiday lights along the Pocket Canal Saturday, Dec. 7, 9:30–11:30 a.m. Sign up at tinyurl.com/canal-lights or contact Will Cannady at willcannady@ gmail.com.

CAKE DECORATING

Learn to decorate holiday baked goods like a pro. Shanna Spinola, owner of Through the Looking Glass Cakes, offers special classes. Cookie decorating classes are Friday, Dec. 6 and 20. Cupcake decorating classes run Friday, Dec. 13, and

Sunday, Dec. 15. Cost is $75 with materials provided. Plus, you take home the baked goods. For information, call Spinola at (510) 677-6990.

PET PORTRAITS

Artist Carrie Posey teaches how to paint pet portraits. Class is Sunday, Dec. 8, 2–5 p.m., at Device Brewing Company on Rush River Drive. Sign up on eventbrite.com (Carrie Posey). Send a pet photo to Posey by Dec. 5, and she will pre-sketch your pet on canvas.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

Dance the year away Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Elks Lodge No. 6. Tickets at $75 per person include a prime rib dinner and dancing to The Midnight Players. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. For tickets call (916) 422-6666. Note that this annual event usually sells out.

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

Climbable Critters

NEW ZOO INSTALLATION COMBINES FUN WITH EDUCATION

Next time you visit the Sacramento Zoo, don’t be alarmed if you see a giant red panda or humungous frog. In fact, go ahead and climb on them!

J L JL

By Jessica Laskey Out & About

These larger-than-life climbable animal statues from around the world are part of Critters Near and Far, a new limited-time installation created by Little Ray’s Exhibitions.

Each statue is paired with educational information so kids can learn while they play. The installation is free with zoo admission and available through Feb. 3. For information, visit saczoo.org.

AGENTS OF DISCOVERY

If you love Pokémon GO, check out Sacramento County’s new augmented reality game Agents of Discovery at Gibson Ranch Regional Park and River Bend Park.

BURNETT AWARDS

Sacramento History Alliance presented its annual Burnett Awards to four local businesses that contribute to the community.

This year’s honorees are Bogle Family Vineyards, Bertolucci’s Body and Fender Shop, W.F. Gormley & Sons Funeral Chapel and Otto Construction. Awards are named for the late Burnett Miller, a native Sacramentan, former mayor, philanthropist, business leader and history enthusiast. The awards ceremony raises money for the Sacramento History Museum.

For information and to nominate a business next year, visit burnettawards.org.

UNITED WAY

United Way California Capital Region needs volunteers to help with literacy tutoring and tax-preparing programs.

“Our literacy volunteers work with children to help them excel in school so they can succeed in college and career,” says Dawnté Early, president/CEO of United Way California Capital Region. “Our Free Tax Prep volunteers work with families to ensure they receive every dollar possible in tax credits so they can increase the amount of money in their bank accounts and support their families and their children’s education.”

Literacy volunteers work virtually or in person at local elementary schools for a couple hours each week. Free Tax Prep volunteers contribute four to eight hours each week for five to six months, with 40 hours of tax training through January. Tax season is January through May.

For information, visit yourlocalunitedway.org, under “Our Work.”

The free app encourages visitors to explore the park and find challenges that “will provide valuable insights about our local parks and open spaces, showcasing the many benefits of parks and recreation for people of all ages,” Regional Parks Director Liz Bellas says.

The app combines visuals and audio with the user’s environment in realtime. When visitors enter the park, they receive tips to help them find and complete challenges.

The game is best played on Wi-Fi, but a mission can be downloaded prior to visiting. Get the app on Apple App and Google Play stores.

PUBLIC PARK ART

A public art installation is up at the Hanami Line at Robert T. Matsui Waterfront Park.

“Hanami” was created by local artists Jennifer Madden and Jeffrey Reed of Reed + Madden Design. The piece draws inspiration from the Japanese tradition of hanami, which emphasizes the fleeting beauty and fragility of cherry blossoms.

The Hanami Line project features cherry blossom trees, public art and space for community gatherings.

Kids have fun on climbable animal statues at the Sacramento Zoo.

RECEIVING HOME

Children’s Receiving Home celebrates 80 years of support for neglected, abused and traumatized youth.

The organization provides services for children and youth in crisis including on-site preschool, outpatient mental health care and residential treatment. For information, visit crhkids.org.

GARDEN GUIDE

UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County’s “2025 Gardening Guide and Calendar” is on sale.

The guide includes tips for gardeners of all levels, as well as plant and flower photos to get your own garden going. Calendar sales support Master Gardener community projects.

Order online at sacmg.ucanr.edu or purchase at Emigh Ace Hardware on El Camino Avenue, Green Acres Nursery & Supply, The Plant Foundry, Talini’s Nursery or Wild Birds and Gardens.

Seventh and K streets.

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OFF THE GRID

Capital Stage takes theater patrons “Off The Grid” to see Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s West Coast premiere of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”

The adventure on Sunday, Dec. 8, includes parking at CLARA on N Street, a meet and greet with mimosas and snacks, roundtrip transportation to Berkeley Rep, a private taco lunch and a ticket to the performance.

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” takes guests to a Harlem hotspot where West African immigrant braiders work their magic on locals’ locks amidst uncertainty and challenges.

The package is $295, which includes a $100 donation to Capital Stage. For information, visit capstage.org/off-thegrid-trips.

DOWNTOWN ICE RINK

Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink is open at Ali Youssefi Square at Seventh and K streets.

Visit the rink 2–9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays (weather permitting). Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for children 6 and younger. Skate rental is included.

Skating is free for active military and veterans and Sacramento Kings Kids Club All-Star members. Dignity Health and Western Health Advantage members get a $5 discount. Same-day SacRT pass or ticket holders get $2 off.

For information, visit downtownsac. org/icerink.

LEAF COLLECTION

The claw is back! City residents can pile yard waste in the street for collection by the claw through Feb. 3. Fill curbside containers first before making a pile, which should be no

larger than 4 by 4 by 9 feet. Keep piles 6 feet from obstructions, out of bike lanes and away from storm drains.

For information, visit sacleafsmart. org.

SOCCER ALLIANCE

A record 10 players from Sacramento Soccer Alliance have been accepted for the Cal North Olympic Development Program.

“The selection process is quite rigorous and these are the top players in the entire Northern California area from all the major clubs,” alliance Vice President and Coach Jonathan Lum says.

“This is a historic accomplishment,” alliance Director of Coaching Jack Gurr says. “Huge congratulations to these talented players, our dedicated coaches and the entire SSA community for this remarkable milestone.”

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

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

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Use the QR code and help support our mission to deliver local news. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at insidesacramento.com.

Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink is open at

Photo courtesy of Downtown Sacramento,

Ten Sacramento Soccer Alliance players accepted to Cal North Olympic Development Program.

Fresh Star t Fresh Start

NEW MAYOR INHERITS A MESS, BUT HERE’S SOME HELP

Two questions linger from the mayoral election. What challenges face the apparent winner, Kevin McCarty? What improvements do residents want?

For answers, let’s start with the legacy of departing Mayor Darrell Steinberg. He was elected in 2016 on the promise to resolve homelessness. He leaves behind a broken promise.

Soon after arriving, Steinberg alienated the County Board of Supervisors by condemning their response to homelessness and mental health problems.

His soft stance on homelessness turned the city into a magnet for unhoused people. Tent populations exploded. Anti-camping ordinance enforcement ceased.

Collaboration between city and county finally resumed when City Manager Howard Chan and County

Executive Ann Edwards took initiative and bridged the divide. Working with the city, county officials funded a substantial shelter and housing program.

But collaboration came too late to salvage Steinberg’s image. His homeless “Master Siting Plan” was a failure. His initiatives for youth workforce development yielded meager results.

At City Council meetings, Steinberg refused to enforce rules of decorum. Council sessions were disrupted or shut down. The mayor created a culture of belligerence at City Hall.

His symbolic Gaza resolution deepened divisions. The demonstration that resulted cost $40,000 in police overtime.

After George Floyd’s murder and the unprecedented destruction of business corridors, the mayor did nothing to restore shops and save merchants. Downtown still struggles.

Steinberg tried to enact “use of force” language in city code that would have caused many good police officers to leave. Thankfully, his efforts failed. Police and city staff never felt supported by Steinberg.

By Jeff Harris City Realist

Mayoral spending sprees led to record deficits despite all-time high revenues. Steinberg leaves the City Council in a tough financial

predicament. Along with the budget, roads and parks deteriorated over the last eight years.

In a final gesture of failed leadership, Steinberg punted a decision to extend Chan’s contract, leaving the city manager’s future to the new mayor and council. This is political cowardice. Without a quick resolution, it creates a leadership vacuum.

In short, Steinberg leaves his city in far worse condition than when he arrived.

While new mayors bring fresh priorities and ideologies, they must understand basic functions and fundamentals of city governance. McCarty does—he served 10 years on City Council.

All City Council members should read Sacramento Community Surveys from the last five years. These documents hold many answers.

There’s good news in the surveys. Most residents love their city and plan to stay here over the next five years.

But there’s bad news, too. Confidence in municipal government—safety, the local economy and the city’s direction— dropped steadily over the past five years to the low 30% range.

Community surveys light a pathway for the new council.

First, the mayor must gain control over council meetings. Second, most

people feel the mayor and council do not address their concerns and priorities. Political leaders must listen to constituents.

From there, the mayor must demonstrate fiscal restraint and lead the council to realistic decisions about spending taxpayer dollars. And Downtown must be revitalized.

Finally, the mayor must regain the confidence of city staff and make them feel supported.

It’s simple. Residents want a clean, safe city with well-maintained roads and parks. They want thriving businesses. They want more housing at all income levels, and neighborhoods with equal access to services and resources.

They want homelessness resolved with compassion and laws enforced.

I’ve lived in Sacramento for nearly 40 years. It’s still a great city. With realistic leadership it can again become a destination city—a place to be proud of.

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

Pipe Dreams?

SAC STATE STADIUM PLAN OVERFLOWS WITH QUESTIONS

One of the most inspired quotes about cities comes from planner and architect Daniel Burnham, whose vision for the Chicago lakefront sparked an aesthetic renaissance still paying dividends generations after his death in 1912.

“Make no little plans,” Burnham said. “They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever growing insistency.”

That seems to be the mindset at Sacramento State, where President Luke Wood and Athletic Director Mark

G D GD

By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

Orr have ambitious but vague plans for a new multi-purpose stadium to propel the school into a major athletic conference, such as the Mountain West or Pac-12.

“The stadium is a commitment to our belief that Sacramento has a spirit and passion to turn this city into a college football town,” Wood says. “It will be a stadium worthy of Sacramento State’s academic and athletic prowess, and it will also honor our position as one of the top media markets in the country.

We are excited about what the future will bring and can’t wait to open our new stadium.”

Given Sac State’s resurgence in football the past few seasons and local enthusiasm for sports, a new stadium with at least 25,000 seats sounds nice. It could accommodate college rugby and soccer, the Republic pro soccer team, plus concerts and more.

But from the breathless media coverage, you would think the stadium is a done deal.

“A move to big-time college sports would mean Sacramento State has finally arrived,” read a headline in the Bee.

On KHTK radio’s “Stiles and Watkins” sports talk show, the coverage gushed. Although co-host Allen Stiles raised questions about funding, he concluded: “The bottom line is they’re not coming out saying something like this if it’s not etched in stone.”

Should we save a date for the Notre Dame game?

Not quite. When Sac State announced its plans and released renderings from Populous, a global designer of concert venues, arenas

and stadiums, several questions went unanswered. Such as:

How much will it cost?

What’s the financing plan?

If funding comes from student fees or university bonds, do students, faculty and Cal State trustees need to sign off?

Will a major conference accept Sac State before the stadium is built?

Can you tear down the existing stadium, build a new one on the same site and be ready for the 2028 season?

Officials say Sac State will continue to play at old Hornet Stadium. They

Renderings courtesy of Sacramento State University and Populous

didn’t explain how football will work around demolition and construction.

And on and on. Stadiums are complicated. They require approvals. They take time to fund, plan and build. They demand real market due diligence.

For perspective, I turned to Joe Davidson, a stalwart of Sacramento sports journalism. For more than three decades at the Bee, Davidson has written about local sports with enthusiasm while never losing sight of reality.

“I’ve seen moments of optimism before,” Davidson tells me. “We could certainly all appreciate the ambition and excitement of potentials, but there’s a reality blast here of how much is the new stadium going to cost, who’s paying for it, how much has been raised, how much more has to be raised?

“Because Sac State athletics can’t be taken seriously for conference

realignment or promotion until there are facilities in place. Not a framework of paperwork that there will be a new stadium, but an actual stadium. And I think the Pac-12 and Mountain West will continue to look elsewhere until that happens.”

Like Davidson, I would like a new stadium at Sac State. College football generates revenue and civic pride. But it’s hard to get too jazzed until we have detailed answers.

“I hope it all works,” Davidson says. “It would be a lot of fun. I think it would be great for the city, but the big reality is: how soon can these facilities get built, and where is the money?”

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

CAN YOU TEAR DOWN THE EXISTING STADIUM, BUILD A NEW ONE ON THE SAME SITE AND BE READY FOR THE 2028 SEASON?

thekitchenrestaurant.com

Coming Home

NEW NONPROFIT GIVES FOSTER YOUTH A PLACE TO BELONG

By Jessica Laskey

What happens when a child in foster care reaches 18 and “ages out” of the system?

“Far too often, kids lose where they live when they age out,” Suzanne Guinn says. “My good friend spent his whole childhood in foster care, got bounced around a lot, and on his 18th birthday became homeless. He didn’t understand that was coming. Sometimes it’s a surprise to the children.”

Guinn says 25% of foster care kids experience homelessness after aging out.

“It’s hard enough to be 18,” she says. “The decisions you have to make and things you have to do to become adult are challenging enough, but especially if don’t have parents to support you. It’s overwhelming. AcademySTAY does all of that.”

Guinn is a media expert donating time to get the word out about AcademySTAY, a new nonprofit that helps aged-out foster youth 18 to 24 transition to independence. The young people pursue college, trade school, apprenticeships or employment with furnished apartments, lifeskills classes and peer support.

Most important, the program offers foster youth a place to belong.

In October, the organization celebrated the grand opening of its first facility in Noralto (north of Del Paso Boulevard) that will house 58 young people. The site has an outdoor courtyard, community garden and student center for education, training and mental health support.

Guinn says the apartments are “cool and decorated really well” after renovations on the preexisting apartment building. The site was purchased last summer with help from donors who include academy Board Chair Jason France.

“I thought it would take years to raise the funds, but Jason immediately responded, ‘Let’s make it happen,’” AcademySTAY founder Jenny Davidson says. “He has been my co-founder and my greatest supporter in turning this dream into reality.”

Davidson’s inspiration is her son, Jordan, who died in 2005 as a newborn due to a genetic condition.

“It was a turning point in my life,” Davidson says. “A friend said to me, ‘Everyone will see that Jordan changed your life, but it’s up to you what that change is.’ That moment sparked a profound shift in me. The very next day, I enrolled in my first college class with the goal of creating a better world for children who get to stay.

“For nearly two decades since my son’s passing, I worked with families impacted by crime, but as 2023 approached—the year my son would have turned 18—I felt called to serve young people in his age group. This desire to return to my roots in child advocacy (with child protective services) led me to foster youth.”

Guinn, who was adopted and has “a lot of empathy” for foster youth, was attracted to the mission. She told Davidson when the academy was ready to launch, she would help spread the word to potential donors, agencies and school administrators.

Volunteers handled much of the work in getting AcademySTAY running. Key areas still need help, including life-skills facilitators, garden support, mentors, drivers to transport students, event support and ambassadors to spread the word.

“Our volunteers are the heart of AcademySTAY and we’re always excited to welcome new faces into our community,” Davidson says. For information, visit academystay.org.

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

Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

Jenny Davidson and Suzanne Guinn

Photo by Linda Smolek

Complaint Desk

WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS, SO WHY NOT PRAY?

Sometimes, I feel like the man who had enough with life’s difficulties and went to live in a monastery.

Once in the monastery, the man was instructed to speak only two words per year.

After his first year, he met with his abbot. His two words, “Bed hard.”

After his second year, he told his abbot, “Food bad.”

Finally, on his third year, he came to the abbot’s office and said, “I quit.”

“I’m not surprised,” the abbot responded. “You’ve done nothing but complain since you arrived.”

My complaints are more mundane. I fret over lost keys.

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By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

When she hears me muttering about problems, my wife asks, “Have you prayed about it?”

I say, “Honestly, my prayers would sound more like complaining.”

“What’s wrong with that?” she asks. Her question inspired me to think about a guy who did a fair bit of complaining: Moses.

You know about Moses. He bugged the Egyptian pharaoh to free the Jewish people from slavery. Once the people were liberated, Moses ran his egress route through the relentless heat of the Sinai Desert.

His people quickly forgot their freedom and started whining about the lack of good takeout food. (Read the Biblical version in Numbers 11.)

Moses resented the situation. He asked God, “Why are you treating me this way? What did I do to deserve this? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people?”

He continued. “If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I’ve had enough.”

Instead, God threw down a challenge and told Moses, “Gather together 70

men from among the leaders of Israel, men whom you know to be respected and responsible, and you won’t have to carry the whole thing alone.”

In the end, Moses wasn’t struck dead for his audacious request. Quite the opposite. God answered the prayer by providing help from Moses’ friends.

I don’t pretend to know how prayer works. But I think Moses’ prayer was effective for two reasons.

First, the prayer was simple and direct.

It wasn’t flowery and packed with analogies, metaphors or obtuse tangents. God likes direct words.

When I encounter someone complaining about their raw deal, I tell them: Stop gossiping about God. Talk to God directly, not behind his back. Go right up to God (wherever you talk to God) and say, “Hey, God! My life stinks!”

Then turn it into prayers Anne Lamott describes in her book, “Traveling Mercies.”

“Here are the two best prayers I know: ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’”

Second, Moses’ prayer worked because God knew it was honest.

It’s a prayer with various wordings, but the gist is, “I’m powerless to do anything by myself. I need help.”

It was the same kind of prayer my wife challenged me to pray.

A little later, she asked, “Find your keys yet?”

“No, but I think God’s given me a plan to find them,” I said.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “How do you feel about having 70 readers come over and help me look for my keys?”

“Do you have 70 readers?”

Luckily, I didn’t need to answer. Like a miracle, I noticed the keys sitting on the kitchen counter.

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

Chicken Run

LOCAL POULTRY HIDES IN PLAIN SIGHT IN NEWCASTLE

Despite its deep farm-tofork roots, Sacramento is not an easy place to find locally raised and processed poultry.

When scanning the meat section at area stores, local poultry seems almost invisible.

There are large California operators—Mary’s Chicken and Diestel Ranch—but few local producers. Searching for local birds, I found Sinclair Family Farm in Newcastle.

Situated in the Sierra foothills, Sinclair boasts a range of humanly treated meat products. Karin Sinclair told me her farm provides much more than poultry. She raises and sells meat

from cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits, ducks and goats, plus chickens and turkeys.

The ranch was once a pear orchard. Our tour found cattle resting under a grove of oak trees. I noticed Sinclair’s love and respect for her animals as we walked through grass fields and sidestepped blackberry bushes.

The caring attitude became clear when Sinclair told me her oldest cow was 16.

Sinclair works two plots with her Sinclair Family Farm and Carson Valley Meats companies. She raises animals on the 130-acre Newcastle property and another 60 acres in Gardnerville, Nevada. Rotating animals through both pastures produces well-fed, healthy animals year-round.

She kept the Newcastle farm’s 20 varieties of oak trees to drop acorns that animals devour to produce marbled fat.

By Gabrielle Myers

Kiezel

At Gardnerville, Sinclair cultivates two hay pastures for cattle. The animals eat grasses grown in Gardnerville or Newcastle, supplemented by local alfalfa and hay.

Photography by Aniko

Farm To Fork

Raised in Placerville, Sinclair became interested in agriculture as a youngster. She passed those passions onto her children. Her daughter received a sheep for her ninth birthday. Her son got a cow when he turned 9.

Sinclair Family Farm began in 1998. Karin assumed control after her divorce. Now her son, mother and “significant other” Mike Holcomb live on the ranch and handle operations.

Sinclair’s involvement in local ranching and the farm-to-fork mission is impressive. She’s a 4-H club leader and founding member of Placer Grown farmers market.

She wants to win approval for a local slaughtering facility. Resistance from neighbors and complex regulatory hurdles slow the progress.

When it comes to local meat, she says, “Most people have lost connection to the who, what, when, where and why.”

Sinclair notes while people want local and humanly raised meat, they prefer to not see or contact the realities of meat processing.

Other challenges involve water.

Sinclair Family Farm is converting irrigation into leak-free underground pipes. Unused water is recycled to a pond where bass, perch and bluegill swim.

Sinclair’s meats and local honey, jams, jellies, pickled and preserved vegetables, breads, locally roasted coffee and beer can be ordered from the Carson Valley Meats website and picked up at the farm in Newcastle or locations around Sacramento.

Novice or more adventurous chefs can enjoy a diverse range of cuts, including

beef head, tongue, liver and heart, along with traditional cuts.

We roasted a Sinclair whole chicken with fresh rosemary and sage, sea salt, pepper and olive oil. Each bite reflected the legacy of grass fields, soil filled with healthy microbes and the clean air of the foothills.

For information, visit sinclairfamilyfarm.net or carsonvalleymeats.com.

Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest book of poetry, “Break Self: Feed,” is available for $20.99 from fishinglinepress.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Pat Stoddard Aragon and Karin Sinclair with their dogs

Officer Involved

50 YEARS AFTER POLICE KILLING, WOULD AFTERMATH CHANGE?

Fifty years ago, at 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, 1974, a Sacramento Police homicide lieutenant named Robbie Waters left the bar at Neptune’s Table restaurant on South Land Park Drive and killed Terry Lee Miranda with a bullet between the eyes.

There were mitigating circumstances. Moments before Waters pulled the trigger on his service revolver, Miranda pointed a shotgun at the detective and said, “We want your money.”

Miranda and his crime partner, Christopher Thomas Garland, were young criminals, Miranda 22, Garland 21. Neither expected to meet a plain-

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By R.E. Graswich City Beat

clothes policeman in the suburban mall parking lot.

They realized their mistake when Waters said, “I’m a cop. Drop the shotgun.”

A silent moment passed. Then Garland yelled, “He’s a cop. Kill him.”

Waters shot first. Miranda, mortally wounded and stumbling back, discharged one shotgun round into the winter night.

A final burst of gunpowder ended the violence. Garland, in a getaway car, punched the gas and sped toward South Land Park.

Waters aimed at the vehicle. He blasted out the back window and hit Garland as he gripped the steering wheel. Garland was arrested six hours later after he visited a hospital to treat his severed thumb.

Waters eventually left the police to become a politician. He ran for county sheriff and won, opened a hardware store and picture frame shop in Pocket, and served four terms on City Council, where he packed a derringer. He died in 2020 from coronavirus, age 84.

The Dec. 31, 1974, shootings were front-page news in the Bee.

Robbie Waters was my friend. We discussed the Neptune’s Table incident many times, often at Giovanni’s Old World New York Pizzeria, a few hundred feet from the robbery site.

Waters described how time froze when he squared off with Miranda. “It was no more than a second or two, but it seemed like an eternity.”

We discussed how disturbed he was by the aftermath. The robbers had connections to a prison gang. Authorities believed the gang sought vengeance. Waters had police protection to keep his family safe.

Today I’m intrigued by something else. I wonder how the shooting would

land now—same facts, but a new era of policies, politics and accountability. Would Waters’ exit from a bar at 12:30 a.m. influence the investigation? Would an off-duty cop face consequences for shooting into a moving vehicle after an armed robbery attempt?

Robbie told me his colleagues handled the case with professionalism. He admitted drinking that night— maybe six or seven vodka tonics. But then and now, alcohol consumption doesn’t disqualify someone from defending themselves against armed robbers. Waters legally carried his concealed weapon.

Neptune’s Table site today is an empty lot on South Land Park Drive.

At his sentencing, Garland claimed Waters was “obviously drunk” when he shot Miranda as Miranda backed away. Waters gave no blood samples. Four civilian witnesses and six police officers testified he showed no signs of drunkenness.

Police colleagues investigated their lieutenant’s actions, but not without oversight. The district attorney sent investigators. Waters told me the California Highway Patrol was involved. He admitted modern rules would discourage shooting into an escaping vehicle.

Fifty years ago, Waters was a hero. Chief Deputy District Attorney Geoffrey Burroughs wrote the detective showed “an example of police professionalism at its best.”

I ASKED SACRAMENTO POLICE HOW THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE SHOOTING TODAY. THE DEPARTMENT DIDN’T OFFER AN OPINION.

Burroughs noted, “Had Lt. Waters made a mistake or lost control of the situation, it is fair to assume he would have lost his life.”

Of that, Robbie had no doubt. “They were going to kill me,” he told me.

I asked Sacramento Police how they would investigate the shooting today. The department didn’t offer an opinion.

I turned to veteran city police officers. They were babies or not born in December 1974, but they knew about the shooting.

They told me the investigation would require deeper involvement by outside agencies and inquiries into Waters’ blood-alcohol level. Shooting at the car was problematic. But the conclusion was the same. A shotgun cancels your options.

After the shooting, Neptune’s Table blundered onward. It became a disco, Scottish pub and sushi joint. The building was demolished about a decade ago.

Robbie Waters avoided that end of the mall. He liked Giovanni’s.

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

Four Cups by Rebecca Goldstein

Off Track

AS RACING DIES, THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR HOPE

Iworry about losing these experiences as horse racing dies in California.

First comes the freedom to move around. Horse racing is the only sporting event where fans—real fans, not tourists planted at reserved tables in the grandstand high above the finish line—are always in motion.

With 30 minutes between each race, horse players have ground to cover. Find a quiet place to review the program or Racing Form for the upcoming race. Then get moving. No time to waste.

My first destination is the paddock, the equivalent of a theater’s backstage. From there, look for a betting kiosk, a miniature slot machine that takes your cash, provides a receipt and pays back when your hunch finishes in the money. Finally, find a spot near the rail to watch the horses thunder down the homestretch.

The paddock is my favorite place, a sanctuary where you can stand 10 feet from an athlete—a racehorse—and look into his eyes and study the muscles in his flanks and gauge his disposition and admire his teeth. Try that at a basketball game.

Grooms and trainers saddle their racehorses in the paddock. They whisper advice to jockeys or drivers. Ten minutes before post time, they lead the animal toward the track.

Baseball’s ritual batting practice is the only sports warmup that approaches the sublime anticipation of the paddock. Sadly, few baseball fans watch or appreciate batting practice. In the paddock, race fans become supernumeraries in the opera’s background.

The most graceful first act in sports takes place outside the paddock, the moment when a jockey lofts into the saddle or a harness driver slides into the racing bike.

Harness drivers at Cal Expo are less poetic but equally fluid when they ease into the bike. The horse is often moving. The seat is tiny. There are wheels and shafts to consider.

While all this happens, the driver dips backward, sits and swings both legs over in a smooth maneuver. Never bet on a clumsy driver.

These are experiences I worry about losing as horse racing dies in California. The bleak prognosis is no exaggeration.

Golden Gate Fields folded this year, leaving Northern California without a fulltime track. The State Fair added a weekend of racing. Pleasanton’s fairgrounds ran a fall thoroughbred meet. Neither replaced Golden Gate Fields.

investigators, licensing personnel and headquarters on Hurley Way—are mostly funded by Del Mar and Santa Anita. Those Southern California tracks consider the burden unfair.

To cover expenses, the racing board slightly lowered the tariffs on the two big SoCal tracks and raised fees for everyone else. Thankfully, the board spared NorCal from devastation.

The moves preserved Cal Expo’s winter harness meet, a half-century tradition Friday and Sunday nights, December to May.

The Cal Expo paddock is a dump compared to the gilded paddocks at Del Mar and Santa Anita. At big tracks, paddocks ringed with flowers and statuary worthy of a celebrity wedding evoke racing’s past glory.

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

Jockeys can’t mount a horse alone. They grab the reins and clutch a handful of mane, bend their left knee and hop. An associate grabs the bent leg and propels the jockey skyward. I’ve seen it a thousand times. Always inspiring, a graceful ballet pas de cheval.

In Southern California, Santa Anita threatens to close. California tracks lack authorization to offer gambling alternatives—slot machines and sports betting—that support racing in other states.

Pathetically, the California Horse Racing Board struggled to close an $18 million budget gap to fund itself this year.

Money from racetracks keeps the racing board in business. Each track covers its own stewards, veterinarians and drug tests. Ancillary duties—

Cal Expo’s paddock is a forlorn patch at the grandstand’s south end. A fabric tent keeps rain away.

Even without grandeur, the Cal Expo paddock is cozy on drizzly Friday nights. Love to see you there before it’s all gone.

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

Cal Expo’s paddock stays busy during harness season.

READERS NEAR & FAR

4.

1. Teresa Long at Ueno Park in Tokyo during cherry blossom season.

2. Ron and Kelly Brown in Tangier, Morocco.

3. Keith Syda at the historic Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba, Spain.

Lisa and Howard Schmidt at Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

5. Stacey Medinas and son Jack Medinas at the Colosseum in Rome.

6. Pat Orner and Corky Mau at Nelson Mandela's home in Johannesburg.

Team Effort

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR FEATURES FAMILY’S THIRD REMODEL

Ryan and Heather Filippini go way back. They met as youngsters at St. Anne’s Catholic School in Lodi, followed separate paths to college, got reacquainted in Sacramento and married in 2010.

Now they work mostly from home. Ryan works in real estate. Heather works for a tech support company. East Sac is their base.

“Our first East Sac home was a two-bedroom, one-bath near Bertha Henschel Park,” Ryan says. “We then upgraded to a larger house across the street. We loved our neighbors and our tightknit neighborhood, especially during COVID lockdowns.”

In March 2023, the couple found a Cape Cod-style residence on 41st Street. “With two children, age 9 and 11, this home was ideal for us,” Heather says. “We jumped right in and made it happen.”

But the house needed upgrades and improvements. It would be the family’s third renovation project—one more test of their ability to work as a team.

By Cecily Hastings Open House

Aniko Kiezel

Repairs on the 2,175-square-foot, threebedroom, three-bath vintage layout took months. The Filippinis rented back their previous home and stayed in hotels.

“The floors gratefully had always been covered with carpet and never refinished,”

Photography by

Heather, Eve, Ryan, and Emilia Filippini with Sunny, their dog.

Neighborhood Real Estate Sales

95816

95819

95817

95821

95818

DR

BELCREST WAY

POPE AVE

95822

2210 MANGRUM AVE $357,000

ATTAWA AVE

MANGRUM AVE

VIRGINIA

$639,000 5030 ASHLAND WAY $640,000 6306 PARK VILLAGE ST $722,000

CASILADA WAY $910,000

BARTLEY DR $925,000 1224 41ST AVE $1,150,000

95825

963 FULTON AVE #555 $172,000 989 FULTON AVE #480 $181,500 1326 OAK TERRACE CT #6 $205,000 2100 KEITH WAY $215,000 871 WOODSIDE LN #3 $218,000 637 WOODSIDE SIERRA #2 $250,000 2416 LARKSPUR LN #231 $260,000 1523 HOOD RD #J $264,000 2202 WOODSIDE LN #1 $267,000 1604 HOOD RD #D $295,000 3229 CASITAS BONITO $315,000 2431 PENNLAND DR $360,000 2470 NORTHROP AVE #10 $362,000 2324 BARCELONA WAY $376,100 2020 DELMA WAY $425,000 1526 GANNON DR $450,000

BARCELONA WAY $460,000

CIR $475,000

MUNROE ST $505,000

E RANCH RD $525,150

VANDERBILT WAY $558,000

Heather says. “But Ryan is a skilled carpenter, and we could both visualize how even just resurfacing, retexturing and repainting could go a long way.”

The couple handled much of the demolition themselves. Now the living room is open to the entry hall and dining space. French doors between the backyard and living room are painted black to add depth.

White kitchen cabinetry stayed, but the family replaced tiles and appliances. New hardwood floors in the kitchen tie everything together.

A back porch became a new sunroom. It has a long leather sectional sofa and black and white checkerboard marble floor. Black and white accents extend to other rooms.

The center stairway is highlighted with dozens of small, square, black framed photos—a family gallery. Upstairs bedrooms are light and bright with multiple windows.

The windows are decorated with natural woods and white and cream shades with colorful accents. The bathrooms have white and gray marble

counters and mosaic floors with subway tile walls.

The backyard is a green paradise highlighted by a rock waterfall built by the former owner. “Years ago, the yard was on a garden tour and folks really like seeing that waterfall,” Heather says.

I’m always curious how couples adapt and persevere through months of hard, heavy remodels.

“We have a similar vision for our home design,” Ryan says. “But sometimes we face decision-making fatigue, so the other of us has to step in to resolve.”

This pair found the challenges empowering.

“We realized that we have a lot of skills together as a couple,” Heather says. “Combined with the knowledge we have amassed along the way on three projects.”

Ryan agrees. “It feels great to know we can so positively transform

an old house into a new home tailored for our family.”

The Filippini family home is on this year’s Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour, Dec 6, 7 and 8. Tickets are $35 to $45, available online or at Sacred Heart School at 856 39th St. on event days. Visit sacredhearthometour.com.

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

Left Behind

CITY ANIMAL SHELTER LEAVES HUNDREDS OF CALLS PENDING

The dog stood in front of a used tire shop in an industrial section of town. His gait was slow and weary over dirt and gravel. A cardboard box on a cement pad by the front door was his makeshift doghouse.

Filth gripped his ratty black and white fur. Twisted mats hung from his torso.

A passerby called 311 to report a loose dog in poor condition. A city animal control officer went out. He spoke to the dog’s owner and left— without the dog.

“We did go out and while it’s not the best setup for him, he does have access to the back area of the shop,” says Phillip Zimmerman, manager at the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter.

Scattered auto parts, stacks of used tires, grease and grime make up the “back area of the shop.” A cement floor is the dog’s bed. He lives there.

When animal control refused to act, private citizens stepped in. With the owner’s cooperation, they took the dog to a local clinic. Staff found thick mats on his underside soaked in urine, nails with years of growth, tangled fur infested with fleas.

City ordinances ban dogs from roaming loose. The law says pets must be restrained by leashes, tethers or enclosures.

Yet, Front Street’s animal control officer walked away.

The dog was four years behind on vaccinations, including rabies, and not licensed. Yet, Front Street’s animal control officer walked away.

Front Street Animal Shelter has more than 1,500 pending calls for animal control services. “We have calls that are pending all the way back to April of 2023,” Zimmerman says.

An inconceivable number—1,500.

status. They both average 65 to 70 calls a day.

Urgent calls include active dog attacks and sick or injured animals. Non-urgent calls are barking complaints and requests to pick up dead animals.

Zimmerman reports Front Street has no active pending urgent calls. Officers respond to urgent calls “as quickly as we can,” he says.

But “there are hundreds of other urgent calls pending, they just aren’t active.” For example, a neighbor’s dog attacks another neighbor’s dog, but the attacking dog is now confined.

Delayed response—or no response— is common.

City Councilmember-elect Phil Pluckebaum, whose district includes Front Street, calls this “unacceptable.” He adds, “Do we need more resources? Do we need to make policy changes? We need to have that discussion so folks can get the level of service they expect.” Reports of cruelty and neglect fall somewhere between urgent and nonurgent.

“People have differing opinions of what a bad condition is,” Zimmerman says. “Animals are considered property, and we cannot just take animals without probable cause.”

Matted fur pulling at his skin. Trapped urine causing a rash on his underside. Uncut nails crippling his paws. Fleas crawling over every inch of his body.

If that’s not probable cause, what is?

Zimmerman adds, “Helping owners and animals is a better option, especially when they are willing to accept help, as was the case in this situation, keeping the pets and their people together.”

Yet it was concerned citizens, not the city’s animal control, who took action.

By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

California Penal Code states, “… whoever, having the charge or custody of an animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects an animal to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, … is, for each offense, guilty of a crime.”

Yet, Front Street’s animal control officer walked away.

The county’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter has around 100 pending calls at any given time.

Front Street covers 98 square miles within the city limits. Bradshaw covers 776 square miles in the county.

Despite these differences, the two shelters each have 12 to 15 animal control officers, depending on hiring

The dog is back with his owners. But sometimes “keeping pets and their people together” is not the best option for the animal.

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

Risk Averse

SELF-DEFENSE IS MORE THAN THROWING PUNCHES

One recent afternoon, I stood in a Midtown workout studio called Her Elevated, dressed for movement with other women. We were learning to defend ourselves.

I was ready to throw some punches. But when instructor Lisa Thew, owner of selfdefense training company Diamond Defense, started the class, I was handed a binder and asked to sit on a couch.

For the next hour, Thew took the group through lessons in risk assessment and awareness that form the basis of Rape Aggression Defense.

It’s a system of self-defense that uses unique strengths of the female body. The system works for women of all ages and physical abilities.

No punches were thrown until the next hour. Then we learned techniques from the Korean martial art form hapkido to resist and escape an attack. The main point was not to stage our own superhero action sequence.

“The RAD approach is holistic—you don’t just throw punches,” says Thew, who was introduced to the defensive system 20 years ago. “We talk a lot about how to prevent ourselves from ever having to deal with that in the first place, how can we not be targets.”

“It’s like wearing a seat belt,” she continues. “You never want to be in a car accident, but when we get in a car, you put it on. I think about self-defense like that. You never want to have to use this, but you want that seat belt on just in case.”

After her introduction to the defense technique, Thew was hooked. She felt joy “watching my fellow co-workers learn and become empowered throughout the three-day course.”

She took so many defense classes that an instructor suggested Thew get certified. Five years later, she founded Diamond Defense.

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By Jessica Laskey

Meet Your Neighbor

Thew taught classes on and off between jobs. When she and her wife, Kelley Ogden, moved to Sacramento in 2005, Thew did sales and marketing for Outword Magazine. Then she moved into box office management at Sacramento Theatre Company.

She worked as executive assistant for the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce and did box office duty for Capital Stage and B Street Theatre. She eventually landed at UC Davis School of Medicine, managing the standardized patient program.

Throughout her career, Thew wanted to devote more time to training women and girls to defend themselves. When a neck injury sidelined her for months and forced her to leave her job, Thew decided, “I need to be doing (Diamond Defense). This is the time.”

She planned a class schedule and built relationships with women fitness studio owners to host classes. Thew teaches at KSMY Martial Arts on Riverside Boulevard and Her Elevated on S Street.

“If you’re a human female, you have options to defend yourself,” Thew says. “It’s important to learn what those options are, and they’re not the same for everyone. We figure out what yours are and teach you how to use them. We all have options. Learn yours.”

As I strode outside after class, I felt more capable in my own abilities, less afraid and more aware walking down the street. Self-defense is a girl’s best friend.

For information, visit diamonddefense. com and @diamonddefense1 on Instagram.

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

Lisa Thew

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

As a kid, I spent many hours at the Crocker Art Museum. Between school trips and weekend jaunts with my artist parents, I wandered the halls finding favorite paintings and artifacts.

One constant was the presence of Lial Jones, the Crocker’s Mort and Marcy Friedman director and CEO. Deeply kind despite an imposing presence, Jones would greet us with a smile. I was star-struck, knowing she ran the place.

Now Jones is retiring. In January, she leaves a 25-year Crocker legacy that could fill volumes.

J LBy Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

Under Jones, the collection grew by 23,000 objects, attendance and membership doubled, and programming expanded. She oversaw the tripling of the Crocker’s physical footprint with the addition of the Teel Family Pavilion.

“That was just a building,” Jones says. “Museums are about the mission and the Crocker’s mission is to create greater awareness and appreciation of visual art. Buildings are simply tools to achieve the mission. What you do with it is what’s important.”

She continues, “From the very first day I started here, I said what will matter is whether the Crocker matters to Sacramentans. The way we bring them in so they can have their lives changed, find works of art that bring them meaning, see something they’ve never seen before and use that to make their experience of life richer.”

Jones grew up fascinated with decorative arts and objects thanks to her grandfather and mother, who sold

END

ERA Of An

CROCKER MUSEUM CEO LEAVES ENDURING LEGACY

antiques while working as a fashion merchandiser.

Early exposure to antiques, auctions and collecting led Jones to volunteer at a historic house museum in high school and land her first paid museum job at 18. She’s been in the field for 50 years.

She absorbed museum studies and American history in New York and Delaware, and worked for the Delaware Art Museum for 20 years before moving to the Crocker.

“I already understood that if you’re talking about furniture, most folks have a pretty good idea about it—they deal with it on a daily basis—but art is a little more obtuse to many,” Jones says. “I found it really fulfilling to help people understand and appreciate fine art, more than discussing the merits of a chair.”

Jones was interested in connoisseurship, or understanding a piece of art and what makes it good, which includes knowing “its history, the milieu in which it was created, information about the artist—it all goes into it.”

She tried to pass those interests along to anyone who visited the galleries.

“A museum helps people approach works of art and how they make meaning,” she says. “I always tell

people my job is to help people understand how art makes meaning versus what a specific painting means. It’s a subtle distinction. If you learn how an artist makes meaning, you can translate that to other works of art. You’ve got to look to see. Most of us just look.”

Jones plans to take time off, focus on personal projects and figure out her next chapter.

“I’m most excited about somebody else coming in and taking the museum to next level,” the East Sac resident says. “I envy the next person. It’s very exciting to have the potential to do fabulous things here and I’m sad I’m not going to do them, but I’m tired!”

Whatever the future holds, Jones’ love of museums will endure.

“I love the power of museums,” she says. “I see them as institutions that have the ability to make the community better, individual lives better, for people to be transformed if they allow themselves to be.”

For information, visit crockerart.org.

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

Lial Jones

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

INSIDE OUT

Happy Holidays from Inside Sacramento!

PHOTOS BY LINDA SMOLEK

Beyond aphid and powdery mildew, great challenges hide in weeds. Gardeners inevitably encounter these tests of body and will.

This year was frustrating for Sacramento gardeners. Extreme summer heat lingered into “Hottober,” dealing damage and triggering exasperation. Weather, a perennial challenge, elevated its threats to botanical happiness.

At the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, I listen to disheartened gardeners. This year we discussed perished fruit trees, baked perennials, uncooperative vegetables. For some people, it was too hot to venture outdoors.

Reliable practices from past gardens may not be suitable for extreme weather. Once heat extracts moisture from the soil and bakes the surface,

plants become stressed. Stressed plants decline and invite damaging pests that seek out the weakest prey.

Adequate irrigation, mulch and protection from sun give plants their best chance for health and survival.

Drip irrigation with a controller/timer ensures plants won’t miss essential watering cycles in scorching weather.

Sacramento’s tree canopy is a blessing, especially if it provides lateafternoon garden shade. If not, shade cloth will reduce the damage and is essential during periods of extreme heat. Any late afternoon shade you can provide is helpful.

Mulches—wood chips, bark and straw for veggies—help retain soil moisture and reduce soil-borne diseases and weeds. I’m too often reminded by gardeners that they didn’t mulch around plants. My thoughts: “If you had only spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around that tomato plant…”

Some gardening challenges are inevitable. As we age or deal with disabilities, simple tasks become burdensome. Our bodies remind us when it’s wise to slow down or change course.

By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

What once was a single day of wielding a shovel to turn garden soil may require two or three days. Same

Dig Deeper

AS GARDENERS FACE HURDLES, PERSEVERANCE IS KEY

with weeding a flower bed or pruning overgrown shrubs.

As strength and dexterity ebb, getting down becomes easier than getting up.

Vegetable and flower gardeners, young and old, can ease the difficulty by planting in raised beds, 12 to 24 inches high. Newer elevated bed kits that raise planting surfaces 30 to 36 inches above the ground are even better for aching joints. Galvanized livestock watering troughs are another option.

Tools, off the shelf or makeshift, can ease the pain and workload. An old broom handle is long enough to poke planting holes for seeds while standing. Long auger drill bits work well for bulbs and plants if the soil isn’t heavy clay or littered with rocks.

Rolling chairs allow for a more comfortable seated position while planting and weeding. In recent years, choices and styles have greatly improved.

Another bonus: These helpful tools and products make thoughtful holiday gifts.

I encounter many younger gardeners. They are enthusiastic, eager to learn, but confront endless obligations that compete with their gardening time. For younger gardeners, time can be a burden.

A weekend soccer tournament might mean nobody watered the plants and weeds grew another 6 inches. Family commitments turn good intentions into a whitefly infestation. Gardens require regular attention, but so do work, children and family matters.

When time is scant, consider downsizing. Plant only a few containers of flowers or three or four vegetables, rather than a dozen. Houseplants can be a gateway to gardening when career, kids and family are the focus.

Start small, meet nature halfway and avoid getting overwhelmed. Each season teaches new skills, what to avoid and how to manage time.

Persistence is the bane of all challenges. Most gardeners carry the persistence gene. It’s a dominant trait.

Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

CHICORY

This plant has a single long, thick root, plus leaves and flowers that can be used in food. In the South, the root is roasted, cut up and steeped to make a coffee substitute.

Eat it: The root can be boiled and eaten as a vegetable.

COLLARD GREENS

A Southern staple, these loose-leafed greens are related to cabbage, broccoli, kale and spring greens. Collards are a good source of vitamin C and soluble fiber.

Eat it: Braise with bacon, onion and crushed red pepper.

MANDARIN ORANGE

This small citrus fruit has few seeds and a loose, puffy orange skin that is easy to peel, making it a popular addition to children’s lunchboxes.

Eat it: Peel and enjoy.

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

POMEGRANATE Monthly Market

Originally from Persia, this fruit is nutrient dense and rich in antioxidants. A glass of pomegranate juice has more antioxidants than red wine, green tea, blueberries or cranberries.

MUSTARD GREENS

This cruciferous vegetable is super healthy, with antioxidant, antiinflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties.

Eat it: Saute and serve with walnuts.

DINO KALE

Also known as Tuscan kale and Lacinato kale, it has dark blue-green leaves and a bumpy, embossed texture. It’s called dinosaur kale because it’s said to resemble dinosaur skin.

Eat it: Add the jewel-like seeds to salads.

Eat it: It’s great in soups and pastas

Fully Engaged

ARTIST AND CURATOR BRIDGES COMMUNITIES THROUGH ART

Jessica Wimbley is “busy in the best of ways—the way you dream you could be as an artist.”

As an interdisciplinary

artist and curator, Wimbley works on multiple projects, from billboards and video installations to collages and portraits.

JL JL

By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

“I don’t see an artist as solely fixed to working in a specific medium and producing fine art objects,” says Wimbley, who lives in Midtown and holds degrees in painting, visual arts and arts management.

“Being a contemporary artist, I’m constantly learning and finding ways art can bridge different discussions, communities, people and ways of thinking,” she says.

Wimbley was exposed to art early. Her parents owned one of the nation’s top-10 Black-owned ad agencies. She

credits conversations around the dinner table in Illinois as a big influence on her artistic development. Plus, she had “access to art education consistently throughout childhood.”

Her first job after graduate school landed her in Southern California working for a commercial gallery. The experience opened her eyes to the less savory realities of the art world.

She decided to study arts management, saying, “I wanted to know, why are things functioning this way? Is it systemic? What interventions can be made to make spaces more equitable and a place where people feel they can belong?”

She worked at Pomona College Museum of Art in community outreach and program development. The job was enjoyable, but Wimbley saw room for improvement.

“I was the first Black person to work (at the museum),” she says. “People don’t realize we’re still dealing with firsts. These institutions are still very entrenched in the apartheid model. They have a super diverse student population and a homogeneous, allwhite faculty. It’s a real problem in California in many institutions that we need to address.”

She encountered inequities as an adjunct teacher at community colleges and decided to leave academia and find

Jessica Wimbley

Photos by Aubrey Johnsson

collaboration and belonging elsewhere. She moved to Sacramento in 2018.

When the pandemic hit, Wimbley created a video titled “Masking” that she projected on her neighbor’s house as public art.

The video was shared on social media and caught the attention of the Social Justice Billboard Project. The group commissioned her to create a billboard in collaboration with the NE (Northeast) Sculpture Gallery Factory in Minneapolis at the site of George Floyd’s murder.

Next came Sacramento’s “Your Actions Save Lives,” a COVID-19 awareness art campaign. Wimbley’s large-scale video “Masking 2021” was displayed at Arden Fair Mall, on an Oak Park billboard and in media around California.

Since then, Wimbley has been busy. She’s working on several video series and an ongoing curatorial project series with her husband, Chris Christion,

called “Biomythography,” a term borrowed from poet Audre Lorde to describe the exploration of identity, history and representation.

Wimbley was one of five local artists selected last November to do community engagement through the city’s Capital Creative Corps program. She teaches writing to seniors at Hart Senior Center and helps the Sacramento Public Library archive the work.

As a separate gig, she works on arts engagement with Twin Rivers Unified School District seventh graders, many of whom have never visited an art museum.

“Working with Twin Rivers and the city has been so complementary,” she says. “I’m proud of our city and the people who work here. I love being fully engaged in all the ways you can work in the arts. I enjoy being able to move between different spaces. There

are so many opportunities here for arts integration.”

For information, visit jessicawimbley.com.

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

ART

Sandy Delehanty

PBS KVIE Gallery

Dec. 17–Jan. 31, 2025

“Meet the Artist” Thursday Dec. 19, 1-4 p.m.

2030 W. El Camino Ave.; kvie.org/gallery

Peruse watercolor images of Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.

Chris Daubert Memorial Exhibition

Twisted Track Gallery

Dec. 6–29

First Friday Reception Dec. 6, 6–9 p.m.

Second Saturday Reception Dec. 14, 5–9 p.m.

Closing Reception Dec. 29, 1–4 p.m.

1730 12th St.; (916) 639-0436 or (916) 7692700

Honor the memory and work of artist, educator and curator Chris Daubert who passed away in 2023.

Time and Place: Deb Hall

ARTHOUSE Gallery

Dec. 12–Jan. 6, 2025

Opening Reception Saturday Dec. 14, 5–8 p.m.

1021 R St.; arthouseonr.com

Feast your eyes on colorful abstract artworks conveying stories rich in detail and metaphor.

Home for the Holidays

Archival Gallery

Dec. 5–28

Second Saturday Reception Dec. 14, 5–8 p.m.

3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalgallery.com

See what “home for the holidays” means to Archival artists in this group show. Don’t miss the annual light-up window display.

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

By Jessica Laskey Calendar Editor

Cornucopia

Axis Gallery

Dec. 6–15

Second Saturday Reception Dec. 14, 5–7 p.m. 625 S St.; axisgallery.org

Join the gallery community in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere for this openthemed, all-members exhibition.

LIVE PERFORMANCE

Nutcracker

Sacramento Ballet

Dec 13–22

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center (1303 L St.); sacballet.org

Celebrate the season with this beloved classic accompanied by the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

A Master Singers Christmas

Sacramento Master Singers

Dec. 14 & 15, 3 p.m., First United Methodist (2100 J St.)

Dec. 22, 3 p.m., Fremont Presbyterian (5770 Carlson Drive)

Dec. 23, 7 p.m., Harris Center for the Arts (10 College Pkwy., Folsom) mastersingers.org

Tickets: $37 adults, $15 students

Revel in the beauty of the holiday season with familiar Christmas tunes and carols.

Jingle All the Way!

Sacramento Master Singers

Saturday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m.

First United Methodist (2100 J St.); mastersingers.org

Tickets: $7 adults, $3 children

Have fun at this 45-minute familyfriendly concert where children can sing along.

Home for the Holidays

Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra

Saturday, Dec. 14, 3 p.m.

Sacramento Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St.); sacramentochoral.org

Tickets: $53–$77, 50% discount for students

Ring in the most wonderful time of the year with festive holiday music, a puppet show and more.

A Service of Lessons & Carols

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

Sunday, Dec. 15, 5 p.m.

2140 Mission Ave.; stmichaelscarmichael.org

Delight in the sights and sounds of this free annual service presented by the St. Michael’s Chancel Choir.

“South Fork of the Yuba River” by Sandy Delehanty at PBS KVIE Gallery.

Collected

Tinker the Toy Maker

Celebration Arts

Dec. 6–22

2727 B St.; celebrationarts.net

Tickets: $25 general, $20 seniors, $15 students

Take in an original holiday story about a talented craftswoman whose work is stolen by a nefarious toymaker.

Amahl and the Night Visitors with Four Lost Santas

Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento

Saturday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m. & 6 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 22, 2 p.m.

Sierra 2 Theater (2791 24th St.); lightoperasacramento.org

Tickets: $15–$30

Experience these two charming Christmas works staged with a live orchestra.

A Christmas Fantasy

Sacramento Symphonic Winds

Sunday, Dec. 8, 2:30 p.m.

Sacramento State (6000 J St.); sacwinds.org

Tickets: $15 general, $10 student, free for 8th graders and younger

Enjoy “Armenian Dances” by Alfred Reed, the overture from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano and more.

Sing & Rejoice!

Sacramento Valley Concert Choir

Thursday, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Society (2425 Sierra Blvd.); svcchoir.org

Hear a little of everything— secular, spiritual, traditional and contemporary.

A Festival of Lessons & Carols

Capital Chorale and Orchestra

Friday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m.

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

Tickets: $25

Listen to music by Bach, Haydn and Rutter, and lessons read by Capital Public Radio’s Donna Apidone, and join in an audience singalong.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour

Sacred Heart Parish School

Dec. 6 & 7, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Dec. 8, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. sacredhearthometour.com

Tickets: $40 presale, $45 day of tour, $35 seniors Tour beautifully decorated East Sac homes showcasing festive holiday décor.

Political Memorabilia & Pop Culture

Show & Sale

American Political Items Collectors

Saturday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Sierra 2 Center (2791 24th St.); apic.us/apic-regional-shows

Admission: $5, free for kids and students

Buy new and vintage political collectibles, buttons, posters and pop-culture memorabilia. Receive free appraisals of political trinkets.

Jingle Bell Pup Crawl

Sacramento SPCA

Saturday, Dec. 14, Noon–4 p.m.

Various Midtown businesses; sspca.org/pup-crawl

Tickets: $35 advance, $45 day of Give back to the animals while sipping, savoring and shopping at

Midtown businesses. Check in at Truitt Bark Park for a map. Tickets include a T-shirt, jingle bells for the pup, discounts, specials and giveaways.

Klamath Undammed

California Museum

Saturday, Dec. 7, Noon–4 p.m. 1020 O St.; californiamuseum.org

Learn about Klamath River dam removals from Tribal members who led the decades-long campaign. This free event includes panel discussions, film screenings, basket-weaving demonstrations and a book signing.

Winter Wonderland

Fairytale Town

Dec. 7 & 8, 14 & 15, 1–7 p.m.

3901 Land Park Drive; fairytaletown.org

Tickets: $12 members, $15 nonmembers; $18 after Dec. 6

Get in the holiday spirit with Santa Claus, nightly snowfall, holiday carolers, photos on Santa’s sleigh and more.

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

Political Memorabilia & Pop Culture Show & Sale at Sierra 2 Center.

“The

Letters of Tony May 2” by Chris Daubert at Twisted Track Gallery.

“New Woman” by Jon Lowe at Archival Gallery.

That’s Italian

EAST SAC HOT SPOT BUILDS ITS LEGACY ON OLD FAVORITE

Eight years ago, the Selland Family Restaurants debuted their newest concept, OBO’ Italian Table & Bar. The Folsom Boulevard space once housed Andiamo, a beloved East Sacramento institution. OBO’ kept the Italian fire

G

SBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

burning and became a neighborhood favorite.

Similar to Selland’s Market-Cafe, OBO’ combines hot case and cold case foods—beet salad, Caesar salad, chicken breast, mac and cheese. The similarities stop there.

OBO’s menu runs deep into Italian recipes and preparations. Pasta dishes and Italian sandwiches fill the menu and leave room for pizza.

First let’s talk about the building.

The low-slung, handsome brick edifice seems from another age, industrial and weathered. Step inside and the brightness of a sunny day fills the space at lunch. High ceilings and modern lights soften the room at dinner.

Photos courtesy of OBO’ Italian Table & Bar

Large wooden tables, some for communal dining and others for parties, spread across the room. Window walls lend an ethereal air.

A marble-topped bar fills one corner. A towering shelf of Italian liqueurs and American favorites rise to the ceiling. The bar feels like a departure from Selland’s other fast casual eateries.

Unlike those grab-and-go spots, OBO’ feels like a place where you can sit, have a drink, eat a plate of pasta and catch up with a friend.

At lunch, employees from the adjacent Sutter Heath campus arrive, alongside neighborhood regulars enjoying a languorous meal. The buzz is constant with to-go orders.

At dinner, afterwork parties spend time at the bar while their pizzas bake. Or Sutter workers take something home for the family. The room gets loud and boisterous for those who come for a night out.

The menu has plenty to choose from, but the pasta plates are serious. This is no Italian deli that serves tortellini

as an afterthought. These are crafted dishes with undeniable intentions.

The short rib lasagna is intense and decadent, a dense rectangle of short rib ragu, pancetta, tomato, parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs.

The rigatoni with bolognese hits all the marks. A seasonal plate of gnocchi with sage, sausage and butternut squash was well executed.

The sandwiches hold their own. A Chicago-meets-California Italian beef comes together with shaved short rib, fontina, giardiniera and spicy lemon mayo on a toasted hoagie. The meatball sub is foundational with classic meatballs covered in marinara and mozzarella, all on a ciabatta roll.

The pizzas are in line with Selland’s other pies at the market-cafes. The crust is just past tender, bordering on crackery. Toppings are generous, combinations creative. A seasonal pie with pear and prosciutto hits the top rank, edging out the sausage and alfredo, with a generous helping of kale, potato and parmesan.

The only IB Middle and High School in East Sac!

Ranked #2 HIGH SCHOOL in the

Sacramento area by US News & World Reports

An International Baccalaureate World School

TOURS EVERY

TUESDAY 9:00 – 11:00

Call to schedule yours today!

OBO’ Italian Table & Bar has everything you want from an East Sac (or Midtown or Downtown) restaurant: quick and hearty lunches, easy takeaway dinners, fresh and seasonal entrees, and a happening bar.

Thanks to OBO’s enviable location near health care facilities and East Sac homes, it survived the pandemic. It’s fair to say OBO’ fills the gap Andiamo left and will fill it for decades.

OBO’ Italian Table & Bar is at 3145 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 822-8720; oboitalian.com.

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

Meatballs in tomato sauce

Caesar salad

and

in 2025!