Inside Pocket February 2024 by Inside Publications

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SUSAN GRAEF POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Land Park/Grid • Arden/Carmichael

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22 Lanyard Court - $490,000 GORGEOUS UPDATED POCKET GREENHAVEN HOME 2 bed 2 bath with new kitchen counter tops, luxury vinyl ﬂoors, carpet and lights. Garcia Bend Park is close by MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

SOLD

780 Parkhaven Way - $575,000 UPDATED GREENHAVEN SINGLE STORY HOME. 3 bed 2 bath with many renovations this year. Beautiful kitchen has white shaker cabinets, quartz counters, marble backsplash. MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

6966 Bobolink Way - $475,000 SPECTACULAR GREENHAVEN POCKET HALFPLEX 2 bed 2½ bath. Each bedroom has its own bath. Updated kitchen with newer cabinets and quartz counters. Spa. CONNIE LANDSBERG 916-761-0411 DRE-00850625

SOLD

1413 – 11th Avenue - $1,575,000 ICONIC LAND PARK HOME ELEGANCE QUALITY. 4 bed 3 bath. Open entry, hardwood ﬂoors upstairs and down, spacious living room with marble ﬁreplace. Backyard pool and much more! PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715 DRE-01188158

SOLD

1162 Lancaster Way - $725,000 AMAZING SOUTH LAND PARK TERRACE DUPLEX. Two 2 bed 1 bath units with HVAC, covered patio and parking for each. Close to William Land Park and Sacramento River. MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

6243 Fordham Way - $685,000 STATELY RANCH STYLE HOME IN SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS 3 bed, 2 bath. Open floor plan with mixed plank wood floors, double sided fireplace, built-ins. Covered patio, private yard STEPH BAKER 916-775-3447 DRE-01402254

SOLD

3215 Sher - $470,000 NEARLY NEW BUILT HOME IN TAHOE PARK. 2 bed, 2½ bath, 2 story home built in 2019. Convenient ﬂoorplan with living and dining spaces and modern kitchen downstairs KELLIE SWAYNE 916-206-1458 DRE-01727664

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4800 Brompton Court - $875,000 DEL DAYO ESTATES CUL-DE-SAC 4 bed, 2½ bath with new wood ﬂoors and new roof. Large family room with pretty brick ﬁreplace. Newly painted kitchen and breakfast nook PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715 DRE-01188158

Land Park (916) 454-5753 DRE#00707598

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EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD A BET TER PL ACE. 28 S

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FEBRUARY 2024

EAST SAC

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ARDEN

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LAND PARK/GRID

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PA PATR PAT PATRIC PATRICIA P ATRICIA A ATR AT ATRIC TTR R RIC ICIA IC CIA C IIA A PRE P PRENDERGAST PR R RE EN NDER NDERGA NDERGAS NDERGAST DERGAS DERG DERGA D ERGA ER S ERGAS ERG STT SHIRLEY HAZLETT

KATHRINE LEMKE WASTE

PATRIS

SUSAN GRAEF

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

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

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

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

Our Other Editions Serve: Land Park/Grid • Arden/Carmichael • Pocket

Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Land Park/Grid • Pocket

INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Arden/Carmichael • Pocket

INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Land Park/Grid • Arden/Carmichael

INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

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SUSAN GRAEF This work is part of “Planes, Trains, Automobiles and High Desert Hi-Jinks,” an exhibition featuring the work of artists Jerry Cagle, Sue Graef and Michael Schaffer on display Feb. 2–24 at Twisted Track Gallery at 1730 12th St. First Friday Reception is Feb. 2 from 6–10 p.m. Second Saturday Reception is Feb. 10 from 5–8 p.m. Shown: “Bayonne Bridge,” acrylic, 20 inches by 24 inches. Visit twistedtrackgallery.life.

PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings EDITOR Cathryn Rakich editor@insidepublications.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel @anikophotos AD COORDINATION Michele Mazzera DISTRIBUTION Info@insidepublications.com or visit insidesacramento.com ACCOUNTING Daniel Nardinelli, COO, daniel@insidepublications.com

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FEBRUARY 2024 VOL. 11 • ISSUE 1

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Publisher's Desk Pocket Beat Pocket Life Out & About Let's Get Personal City Realist City Beat Giving Back Spirit Matters Sports Authority End The Confusion Farm To Fork Building Our Future Garden Jabber Open Studio To Do Restaurant Insider

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Comeback Story

LET’S MAKE A MARSHALL PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN’S RECOVERY

By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

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ith March primary elections in full force, Sacramento needs a plan to repair the damage from recent years. Problems include homelessness, crime and the effects of destructive COVID-19 lockdown policies. We need solutions. Before the pandemic, the city was on its way to becoming a sought-after location. Between 2016 and 2018, I published two editions of our Inside Sacramento book highlighting the most interesting restaurants and shops in America’s farm-to-fork capital. The books were a hit. I was optimistic.

Today that optimism is gone. City life is worse, not better. A national survey of major cities ranks Sacramento as No. 2 in growth of homeless populations. From 2020 to 2023 Sacramento’s unhoused numbers exploded by 68%. Only Long Beach outranks our city with a 69% increase. Los Angeles is up 12%, Oakland and Seattle both up 20%. San Francisco decreased its homeless population by 7%. You can guess where they went. Our commercial real estate market struggles. Crime rates are rising. Enforcement of existing laws is piecemeal. Small businesses fight to

stay afloat. Blight consumes many Downtown streets. Some of this is attributable to draconian pandemic lockdown policies in California. States and cities that reopened sooner enjoyed faster recoveries. When I interviewed the four main mayoral candidates, I asked whether they would support a mayoral commission to promote a Downtown renaissance. History buffs recall the Marshall Plan after World War II. The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe in 1948. The U.S. transferred $13.3 billion ($173 billion in 2023) in economic recovery programs. The goals were to rebuild wartorn regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, improve prosperity and prevent the spread of communism. The plan worked. Here’s why: The best and brightest people were brought together to solve an international crisis. The program’s leader, Gen. George Marshall, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. I’m proposing we find a Gen. Marshall figure to lead our city in a renaissance. The plan might be best built around a civic committee with more autonomy. A less attractive option is a city-led commission. Members must include Downtown interests—commercial property owners and developers, and state workplace policymakers from the Department of General Services. Small business interests and people who live Downtown need to be at the table. Also included should be business improvement districts. And the District Attorney’s office and Visit Sacramento. As state assemblymember and mayoral candidate Kevin McCarty tells me, “City governments can’t do everything. We can’t control interest

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rates, can’t control labor costs, and don’t control the cost of food and materials, steel and wood. But we can control whether to incentivize outside dining, the music scene, tourism. We can celebrate our Downtown and look for ways to evolve. I absolutely support the idea.” Another mayoral candidate, former City Council member Steve Hansen, says, “The central city isn’t just a playground for people to come and go from. It’s the greatest producer of revenue for our city. If we allow it to fall apart, if we don’t have a plan for the next economy, then the city will likely go bankrupt. Investors across the country will make a decision on this region based on the central city’s look, feel and quality of life. It determines our city’s financial health, our psychological health and our morale.” Former state senator and mayoral hopeful Richard Pan notes, “With 40,000 state employees being permanently furloughed, that created a vacuum. How do you get them back? They need to feel safe coming back. I would strongly encourage them to come back, including city employees.” Mayoral candidate Flojaune Cofer agrees with the idea of a commission, but adds the city also needs an LGBTQ

commission. She completely misses the point. Please keep the idea of a Downtown renaissance leadership group in mind when you vote for mayor in the March primary. The new mayor should play a leadership role in appointing the best people and creating the best structure for recovery. The job requires wisdom to keep the committee small, focused and on track. For everyone’s sake, can local media, academic, civic and business leaders please discuss this idea? Goals are rarely met without a plan on how to get there. Readers ask how they can contribute to Inside Sacramento. Here’s how. Consider a paid supporting membership starting at $19.95 a year. Use the QR code and help support our mission to deliver local news. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at insidesacramento. com. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Sacramento River levee fences still rely on conditions in 1968, a different place and time.

BLAST FROM PAST NEW LEVEE FENCES RELY ON APPROVALS FROM 1968

he future of dangerous fences across the Sacramento River levee may depend on letters written during the Vietnam

War. The letters contain fence authorizations granted by the Army Corps of Engineers. They date from 1968. It’s unclear whether the letters really exist. Authorities can’t or won’t produce the paperwork for public examination by Inside Sacramento. But the Central Valley Flood Protection Board believes the letters exist, along with ancient permits from state flood agencies to build private

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

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fences blocking public access to the levee. The Army Corps doesn’t deny writing the letters. Last year, several property owners near the river in Pocket requested permission from the flood board to build new fences across the levee. Previous fences were torn down by Army Corps contractors for levee repairs. At first, the property owners just wanted temporary fences. Flood board executive officer Chris Lief swiftly authorized five temporary gates. Doing so, he apparently violated state law. The California Code of Regulations says Lief should have asked his board for approval. Instead, he signed the authorizations in private without public notice or hearing. But that wasn’t good enough for the property owners. They want permanent fences, which require a significant review process. Lief seems eager to recommend approval. He tells me via email, “The property owners requesting authorization (for permanent fences) have a pre-existing

Board permit and Letter of Permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (for the fences).” Really? The Army Corps is vague about the letters. Assuming they exist, an Army Corps spokesman confirmed they carry no expiration date. Like a social disease, they last forever. “If the description of the work in the letter and the permit file is consistent with the conditions on the ground, the letters would still be applicable,” Luke Burns, local Corps spokesman, tells me via email. Obviously, conditions on the ground have changed in five decades. Conditions can’t be consistent with work described in letters written when Lyndon Johnson was president. A half century ago, Pocket was farmland. Few houses stood in Greenhaven or Pocket. Subdivisions were a decade or more away. No suburban homes sat where property owners want to build fences today.

But these facts may not matter. The Corps entrusted the controversy to the agency least qualified to make a decision about fences—the Central Valley flood board, seven political appointees. “If any conditions or requests have changed, it’s up to the state (flood board) to determine if they need to get authorization from us,” Burns says. Building private fences across the levee is tricky, dangerous business. Holes are dug into the levee. Concrete is poured. Erosion follows. Then comes dangers created by fences themselves—chain link barriers that often illegally run past high-water lines. Debris accumulates. More erosion follows. Logic suggests these realities would encourage flood authorities to reject applications to build fences. But logic seems to have abandoned the flood board. Flood agency officials spent months last year processing at least three and possibly five applications for permanent fences in Pocket. The applications could reach flood board members for approval any time now. There’s another problem with fences. They wreck the city’s plan to build an equity bike trail along the levee, linking Meadowview and Pocket with Downtown in 2026. Two government agencies have power to stop the flood board from rubber-stamping levee fences. Neither appears inclined to interfere. One agency is the California Department of Water Resources. Maintenance crews from DWR keep the levee free of debris and erosion. But a spokesman confirmed to me the local DWR maintenance office endorsed three permanent fence applications last year. No public notice. No hearing. The endorsements happened in secret. Zero transparency. The other agency responsible for levee safety is the Army Corps. Contractors hired by the Corps are finishing a $1.8 billion levee repair job. That should be enough to make the Corps reluctant to let people dig holes in the levee. And enough to make the Corps and other agencies admit conditions have changed since 1968. 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

Healing the heart. With heart. Your heart might be something you’ve always taken for granted. But it’s the whole reason we’re here. Dignity Health Heart and Vascular Institute of Greater Sacramento brings not only clinical expertise, but a passion to heal, caring for more hearts than any other health system in the region. We are renowned for our advanced diagnostic and treatment options, comprehensive rehabilitation services and world-class research. From routine checkups to lifesaving procedures, our team has the expertise and the dedication to care for your heart—and the person around it. Learn more about our innovative services at DignityHealth.org/HeartandVascular.

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iyo Sato turns 101 years old this year and says she’s “blessed with a good root system.” Those roots began with her Issei Japanese parents, Shinji and Tomomi Sato, who instructed their American-born children to be good citizens and treat everyone with respect. As Sato commemorates Day of Remembrance this month, the former Pocket resident recalls her parents’ message. She knows 82 years ago, in spite of being good citizens, Japanese Americans were treated with very little respect. Feb. 19, 1942, was when President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing the forcible relocation of civilians to concentration camps. More than 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast were incarcerated. Delivered by a midwife on May 8, 1923, Sato was raised on a strawberry farm near Mather Field. She and eight siblings attended Edward Kelley School, a one-room schoolhouse. Sato was valedictorian at her eighth-grade graduation. In May 1942, the Sato family left their farm for Poston Internment Camp in Arizona. Sato was finishing her freshman year at Sacramento City College. “I became prisoner #25217-C,” she says. She was released early to attend college in Michigan. Over the next four years, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. Sato enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps in 1951, with assignments in the Philippines and Japan during the Korean War. Discharged in 1952, she joined Nisei VFW Post 8985 on Fourth Street. Sato chaired the local Nisei VFW speaker’s bureau and shared camp experiences with thousands of students

Kiyo Sato Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Deep Roots 101 YEARS LATER, SHE STILL THANKS HER PARENTS

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CM By Corky Mau Pocket Life

and civic groups. “My goal is to help others better understand how fear and ignorance can lead to injustice,” she says. “I don’t want this to happen again to any group of people.” She worked for Sacramento County as a public health and school nurse. An award-winning author and speaker, she was awarded the 2017 Woman of the Year Award by the California Assembly. She finds balance with hobbies that include tai chi, hula dance and writing. Her 2007 award-winning memoir, “Kiyo’s Story,” is an account of life before and after internment. Today Sato lives in Rancho Cordova near her daughter and works on another book, dedicated to her family. The new book recounts personal milestones and emphasizes the importance of good citizenship and respect. “I’m puzzled,” she says, “but I’m sure there’s a reason I’ve lived this long.”

WINTER BLAST It’s cold outside but you’ll warm up dancing to the Motown tunes of the FBI Band. This dinner and dance will be held Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Elks Lodge. Menu includes beef bourguignon and great music. Early bird tickets at $45 are on sale through Feb. 3. After that, it’s $50. Contact the Elks at (916) 422-6666.

SCHOLARSHIPS The Pocket Greenhaven Community Association is accepting scholarship applications from high school seniors for the 2024-25 college year. Two $500 scholarships will be awarded to students in the association’s residential boundaries. “The PGCA is excited to offer scholarships to local students in our community,” association President Katie Butler says. Applications are due March 15. Visit pocketgreenhaven.org for information. 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

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The Art Of Food

NEW COOKBOOK CELEBRATES LOCAL ARTWORK AND RECIPES

“Savoring Sacramento: An Artists’ Cookbook” features cover art “Forks and Spoons” by Anthony Rogone.

he Sacramento Fine Arts Center has released “Savoring Sacramento: An Artists’ Cookbook,” a 300-page compendium of food and art. The cookbook contains recipes from dozens of individuals alongside foodand dining-related artwork by artists celebrating local culinary and visual arts sectors. “We are dedicating this beautiful art cookbook to our Sacramento area community with its incredible diversity of languages and cultures,” says Angelia Gordon, the center’s executive director. “Many of the recipes reflect

JL By Jessica Laskey Out & About

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the richness of the Sacramento area, as well as its history in its art and recipes.” Cookbooks are available in the gallery store for $45. Sacramento Fine Arts Center is at 5330 Gibbons Drive in Carmichael. For information, visit sacfinearts.org.

PARKS APP There’s a new way to explore Sacramento County regional parks—a free mobile app. Visitors can use the app to plan a visit, navigate within a park, discover new places, and locate parking, restrooms, picnic areas and other amenities. They can access information about ecological, geological and historical points of interest, share experiences and photos, and more. “From the Dry Creek Parkway to the American River Parkway and down into the Delta, this app is a new and innovative way for us to help park visitors explore and connect with our parks and other park visitors,” says Director of Regional Parks Liz Bellas.

For information, visit regionalparks. saccounty.gov.

SINGING VALENTINE If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift, consider a singing valentine from two local singing groups—Voices of California and Stay Tuned. The groups offer a choice of two love songs sung by a quartet and delivered in person to your special someone in the greater Sacramento area. Cost is $55 standard delivery, $25 for phone delivery or $250 for corporate delivery. For information, call (530) 621-1904.

SEEKING SINGERS The Capital Chorale seeks singers of all voice types to join rehearsals for the spring concert, “Handel Beyond Messiah.” The concert features a full orchestra and takes place Friday, April 26. Rehearsals begin Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Pioneer Congregational United Church at 2700 L St.

To be included in the roster of singers, email Music Director Elliot Jones at musicdirector@pioneerucc.org.

SUTTER MURAL A new mural at Sutter Medical Center on Capitol Avenue celebrates the hospital’s century of service. Sutter Hospital opened kitty-corner to Sutter’s Fort in December 1923 and was touted as “the most modern hospital to be found in the state.” One hundred years later, Sutter Health has grown into a 24-hospital health system serving more than 3 million Californians. Rebecca Denna, a neonatal intensive-care registered nurse who has worked at Sutter for 40 years, proposed the idea of a mural. Local artist (and former Sutter employee) Uli Smith created the artwork. Find the mural, “Sutter on the Scene,” on the second floor by the check-in station and chapel, near the skywalk across 29th Street.

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Sutter Medical Center celebrates 100 years of service with new mural “Sutter on the Scene” by Uli Smith.

HABITAT HOMES Nine families have received keys to their new homes at Cornerstone, a first-of-its-kind collaborative affordable housing community by Habitat for Humanity and Mutual Housing of California. Cornerstone is 18 single-family homeownership opportunities, plus wrap-around services in education, job skills, workforce development training, financial stability and more. Each family put in 500 hours of sweat equity alongside hundreds of volunteers to build their homes. Through Habitat for Humanity’s affordable mortgage solutions, they purchased their homes with a 30-year, 0% interest equivalent mortgage. “As a mother with the responsibility of raising my girls on my own, I want to experience a forever home with them,” says Jessica, a single mother who grew

up in foster homes and now has the “family home” she dreamed of.

DREAMER FINALISTS Five business concepts have been named finalists in Downtown Sacramento Foundation’s 2023-24 Calling All Dreamers competition. Capital Tuk-Tuk, Ecojoyous, Nouvelle Healing, Planted Foods and The Dreamland Cinema are eligible for a cash prize of up to $5,000 each if they open a storefront Downtown. One finalist will win $20,000 and a startup package valued at $100,000 with in-kind services. Second place receives $10,000. Finalists work with Capital Corridor SCORE mentors to refine their business plans and prepare for a final pitch to the selection committee. Winners will be announced around Feb. 20. For information, visit downtownsac.org.

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ALHAMBRA PLAN An extensive landscaping revitalization and beautification project along Alhambra Boulevard has wrapped up. Midtown Association’s $87,000 effort began in 2018 to enhance the Alhambra corridor with murals, landscape improvements and mobility infrastructure. The area is home to nearly 20 restaurants, a historic retail center, grocery store and The Cannery. The project’s final flowers were planted in front of the Limelight Bar & Café. “The Alhambra corridor connects East Sacramento with Midtown and serves as a key entrance to the central city,” says John Mikacich, Limelight owner and chair of the Alhambra Committee. “We are excited to invite the community to rediscover the Alhambra corridor.”

SCHOLARSHIPS Applications are open for more than two dozen scholarships of $500 to $1,000 through the Sacramento Region Community Foundation for students pursuing higher education. Criteria for each scholarship is unique, but most aim to support

students with specific financial need or career goals. Many are open exclusively to students with ties to the region. The foundation has awarded more than $225 million in scholarships and grants to the community since its inception in 1983. For information, visit sacregcf.org/students.

NORCAL CHAMPIONS East Sacramento Youth Soccer Club’s under-13 boys team won the Norcal State Cup for the first time in club history. In the final game against Madera United in Modesto, the team won 4-1 in what coach James Boyle calls “a brilliant performance. The boys have transformed themselves this season and have been rewarded with the biggest trophy of them all—State Cup winners.” 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

East Sacramento Youth Soccer Club’s under-13 boys team wins Norcal State Cup.

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Let’s Get Personal MAYORAL CANDIDATES DEFEND PAST DECISIONS

Flojaune Cofer

Third of three parts

nside Sacramento interviewed the four candidates for mayor in the March 5 primary election—Flojaune Cofer, Steve Hansen, Kevin McCarty and Dr. Richard Pan. The top two finishers will advance to a runoff in November if no candidate receives at least 50.1% of the March vote. The election is nonpartisan. Cofer is policy director for Public Health Advocates, a nonprofit that promotes community health care. This is her first run for public office. Hansen is a managing partner for Lighthouse Public Affairs, a corporate consulting firm. He served as a City Council member for eight years. McCarty is a five-term state assemblymember and former City Council member, serving 10 years. Pan, a pediatrician, is a former state senator and assemblymember, serving two terms in each house. This is his first campaign for city office. Our final questions were specific to each candidate. Interviews were edited for clarity and length. Cofer: Since 2020 you have repeatedly and publicly called for defunding police. Since then, crime has risen dramatically. Will you defend your position as mayor?

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Steve Hansen

What’s always missing from the context of that question is what I asked for us to fund. From 2017 to 2020, we had no youth homicides in the city. We did that by funding and networking violence prevention and intervention. People who were maybe on the high risk of doing shootings were part of this network and were part of the prevention. It’s shortsighted to just say, ‘Oh, look, we don’t care about public safety.’ No, we’re trying to make sure we’re investing in prevention. I’m a public health professional. I’m a woman who has lived alone in this city, who understands the importance of safety. What I want to do is fund what works. Your defense of your alleged violation of campaign finance rules is that the law itself was wrong when it was updated. Shouldn’t you follow the law and take a responsibility, or at least returned any money? I’m not alleging that the law is wrong. I’m alleging the law as it’s written is right. It says that the primary election period starts on April 1, and goes until March 31. This year there’s a March election, and I didn’t even open my campaign committee until April 13. I am in compliance with the law as it’s written. We followed the letter of the law and even reached out to city staff

Kevin McCarty

Richard Pan

to confirm that that was the correct interpretation.

fund. The arena was built, and we need to make sure it succeeds.

Hansen: In recent years you favored fences to prevent public access on the Sac River Parkway. Do you regret opposing public access to the river and levee? I support public access to the river and the levee. I want to make sure that we’re smart about how we do it. And that we continue to prioritize the on-street safety of people. But I will commit to continuing to work with the community to eventually create that access. That’s always the position I’ve had. We just didn’t align policy and practice.

Pan: You pushed and voted for the passage of AB 2098, which was repealed a year later. Do you regret that vote? Note: Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022, AB 2098 said that a doctor who spread false or misleading information about COVID prevention and treatment or questioned the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines could have his or her license suspended, placed on probation, or revoked. I don’t regret the vote. The purpose of the bill was to address a very real problem of a small handful of physicians who basically were not providing accurate information to patients. There’s an argument to be made that that the Medical Board of California already had the power to do that. But they wanted us to send a signal that yes, the legislature wants them to be able to do that. It’s important that the health providers you go to give accurate, truthful information.

McCarty: You voted against funding Golden 1 Center and were part of a lawsuit to stop it. Do you regret those votes? I voted against the subsidy because I thought the people should have a chance to weigh in, like for school bonds. And I wasn’t convinced that it properly protected the general fund. Unfortunately, my fears are materializing. The general fund is now paying that debt service. But the arena did a great job and saved a dying mall. Thirteen years later, I still have those concerns about protecting the general

Please submit reader comments to Cecily Hastings at publisher@ insidepublications.com. n

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Sacramento City Hall

Drunken Sailors SPENDING SPREES BACKFIRE ON CITY COUNCIL

hen the Great Recession took hold in 2009, Sacramento found itself in dire financial straits. Revenues plummeted. Nearly 20% of the city workforce was laid off. It was tough times. Has the current City Council learned from those days? Apparently not. No member of today’s council was at City Hall in 2009 to deal with the municipal fiscal emergency. Now they face a similar situation, but with different causes.

JH By Jeff Harris City Realist

POC FEB n 24

Since 2016, the city finance team warned of deficits down the road. The budget now shows a $47 million shortfall for the next fiscal year. State law says the budget must be balanced. This means the council must either increase taxes or make drastic cuts. To put this in perspective, in 2009 the council faced a $45 million gap. That meant laying off 1,000 city employees, including police officers; closing community centers and pools; and cutting constituent services. Fire stations were shuttered on a rolling basis. The city desperately needed more revenue. Measure U created a half-cent sales tax and helped bring financial stability. Mayor Darrell Steinberg led the campaign to increase the tax to a full cent, saying the money would be used to improve neighborhoods.

The truth was most of the money was needed for unfunded pension liabilities, larger CalPers retirement contributions and repairs to aging infrastructure. During the pandemic, finances got tight. But there was outside help. The federal government allocated about $200 million to Sacramento. The City Council used some of this one-time money to start new ongoing expenditures. The Office of Diversity and Equity was formed. Climate spending was increased. New programs included the FUEL Network, Thousand Strong, RydeFreeRT, The People’s Budget and Summer Night Lights. The Office of Public Safety Accountability and the city attorney’s office hired new employees. Are these worthwhile programs? They have value—if you can afford them.

To make matters worse, city public employee unions have been given substantial hikes in wages and benefits in every negotiation. This year they received 6% raises. That’s about $10 million out the door, more in future years. As a councilmember, I argued against binding arbitration to give the city more bargaining power and keep increases within our budget. My colleagues rejected the idea. The council just increased its own office budgets by $500,000. Charter officers got big raises. Voters passed Measure L, which locks up $9 million annually for youth spending. I vigorously opposed it. The current deficit isn’t a revenue problem, as it was in the recession. It’s a spending problem. What do constituents want? Annual surveys make the answer clear. A clean, safe city with decent roads. Strong enforcement of code violations. Thriving businesses. These fundamentals have not been achieved. How did we get here? Simple. Unrealistic desires of councilmembers and the mayor. They wanted to make a positive impact. But they overspent. There’s been a glaring lack of fiscal responsibility. When Steinberg exits in December, he leaves the city in far worse fiscal shape than he found it in 2016. The new mayor will spend most of their time leading the council to make budget cuts. What will hit the chopping block? Possibilities include staff positions, homeless spending and programs mentioned above. Perhaps concessions from unions will be considered. It’s not going to be easy to close the gap and pass a sustainable budget. Solutions require fiscal discipline. That’s what has been missing. 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

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City Council candidate Phil Pluckebaum. Councilmember Katie Valenzuela did not respond to request for a photo session.

Fresh Start PLUCKEBAUM STEPS UP WHERE VALENZUELA STUMBLES

any years ago, Ray Kerridge, then city manager of Sacramento, invited me to lunch. Between his salad and my cheeseburger, he asked a profound question. If I were on City Council, where would my loyalties stand—with the district that elected me, or the entire city? I fumbled for an answer and made up something diplomatic. If I didn’t look after people in my district, nobody else would. But my

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

POC FEB n 24

City Council decisions would impact everyone in town, not just one council district. My loyalty goes to the city. Ray’s question has been on my mind as I think about the City Council District 4 election between Katie Valenzuela and Phil Pluckebaum. Ballots are in the mail for the March 5 primary. With only two serious contestants, there shouldn’t be a runoff. If Pluckebaum wins, the community will judge how he answers Ray’s question—whether he puts the city or district first. Pluckebaum served on the planning and design commission but never had to worry about the impact of a City Council vote. Valenzuela is another story. She was elected to City Council in March 2020, nine days before COVID-19 lockdowns. She beat a two-term

incumbent and arrived with zero municipal experience. But Valenzuela had something priceless—the opportunity to lead her community through two generational crises, a pandemic and homelessness. Success would depend on her answer to Ray’s question. Valenzuela could have chosen to put the city first. Or she could have concentrated on the disgrace illustrated by tent villages across her district. She picked a third option. She decided to represent herself. There’s nothing unusual about politicians who represent themselves and ignore the people who elect them. Some politicians go to selfish extremes. They accept bribes or secure civil service jobs for family members and friends. Others set themselves up for higher offices or lobbying jobs.

Valenzuela is different. Her selfrepresentation took a philosophical path. As a strident democratic socialist, she decided to serve as a proselytizer for her faith. She made decisions based on radical political beliefs, not caring what constituents thought. She knew few of the 40,000 or so people in District 4 shared her extreme views. But that didn’t matter. She won the election. She knew best. Valenzuela, who stopped speaking to me more than a year ago, is easy to like. She began her political career by ignoring political pros who told her to forget her challenge to Steve Hansen. She campaigned mostly alone. She knew nothing about City Hall. She ran because she felt the city wasn’t doing enough to support new housing and reasonable rents for young middle-class residents with

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jobs in government or hospitality or health care. People similar to her. She didn’t hide her democratic socialist beliefs. Nor did she shout them. Voters found her earnest and eager. Immediately, there were problems. Valenzuela made it clear the energetic wannabe who surprised everyone with her victory was consumed by global issues far beyond apartment rents. Attending remote council meetings from home—City Hall was closed—she launched into rambling, incoherent monologues. She couldn’t shut up. She lectured and scolded. Her passions veered toward climate change and global income inequities. After unrest triggered by George Floyd’s murder left dozens of local shops smashed and vandalized, she wanted police defunded. As for the homeless problem, her answer was simple. Leave them alone. Or give them free houses and support. For many constituents, Valenzuela became the councilmember from Mars.

Now she’s running for reelection with a massive disadvantage. The 2021 reapportionment disaster orchestrated by City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood stripped Valenzuela of much of her distinct. The new map pushed her into neighborhoods where, if residents know her at all, they hate her. Valenzuela can’t play energetic newcomer in East Sacramento and River Park. People in those neighborhoods heard her monologues on the evils of public safety budgets. They saw her defend homeless camps. They realize she’s an ideologue, a party of one, ready to force her political views on everybody in District 4. This time you know what you’re getting. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us at Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Kitty Whisperer Barbara Dow Photo by Linda Smolek

SPCA VOLUNTEER IS A FRIEND TO ALL FELINES

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

POC FEB n 24

arbara Dow is in her happy place, a chair in the cattery at the Sacramento SPCA, playing with two 8-year-old stray cats who are being socialized. “Rowdy has eye problems, but he knows my voice,” Dow says. “He’s not up for adoption right now, but they did take him to UC Davis to see what they can do for him. The other one, Rachel, is shy, but she loves me and lets me rub her tummy.” Dow has volunteered at SSPCA since 2018 and is lead mentor at the cattery.

She trains other volunteers to work with the shelter’s felines, among the 6,000 stray or surrendered animals the nonprofit receives each year. Dow spent 17 years at Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary as an adoption counselor when she decided to check volunteer opportunities at SSPCA. She was impressed with the organization and its “amazing people.” She started as a cat socializer and worked up to lead mentor. “It’s very important for (volunteers) to understand what’s going on with

each cat before they just dive in and start petting away,” Dow says. “You have to understand the cat’s body language, when it’s approachable and when it’s not.” Dow spends most of her time in “teaser rooms,” where she sits with cats and learns their behaviors and preferences to pass along to other volunteers. “My job is to try to relax the cats and get them to not be so fearful,” Dow says. “The paperwork on each cat stall tells us who the cat is, where it came from, its age, intake type, as well as any medical problems. After we’ve gone in and evaluated them, we write the date and what we were able to do with them and what we observed.” Each cat is assigned a color code to designate friendliness—key information as volunteers come and go when schedules allow. “Orange means approachable and friendly, which is where volunteers start,” Dow says. “Green is in between, sometimes it might be friendly, or it might hide, so go slow. Pink is a hissy kitty that does not want to be bothered. “Sometimes I’ll just sit there with them and sing a song or talk in a mommy voice to them. I make a total fool of myself, but sometimes it relaxes them.” When Dow isn’t busy cooing to the kitties, she paints them. An artist trained in watercolor and oil at American River College, Dow paints all kinds of subjects, but pet portraits are among her favorites. She helped orchestrate cat-paw paintings for Happy Tails’ “Painting for Paws” fundraisers when she volunteered there. Though she used to keep a studio, Dow says the pandemic made selling art harder than ever. So she focuses on volunteering. “Being retired for years now, this gives me a purpose besides my painting to do something special for the animals as best as I can,” she says. “The people here are so amazing and so devoted to the animals, it’s like one big family. I’m never afraid to ask a question. There’s nothing to complain about.” For information on volunteering, adopting or donating, visit sspca.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

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Heavenly Appeals REDISCOVERED PRAYER JOURNAL DISTILLS HOPE

efore my retirement as a health care chaplain, I was privileged to hear the prayers of patients who were hurting, sick and discouraged. They were heavenly appeals I wanted to share with you, but patient privacy prevented publication. In other cases, patient families recorded their prayers in the public journal of our hospital chapel. The journal was a spiral notebook on the altar where visitors wrote anonymous requests. I recently rediscovered some of those requests. Now I feel comfortable sharing them. As you read these collected prayers, I encourage you to do two things. First,

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

POC FEB n 24

recall situations where God answered your prayers and granted grace. Second, offer your own prayer for these writers. Some prayers are simple one-liners, like the child who asked, “Lord, help me to be a football player.” But most are deeply moving entreaties searching for healing, acceptance and understanding. One writer searched for meaning: “God, or whoever, “I don’t know if there is a Creator/ God. I only know that my day to leave this life will come. I just hope that the memories of my mother and father will be with me just like my parents were with me the day I was born. If there is a Creator/God, he/she will know that I tried to live my life with a clean heart.” Some petitioners were scared: “Dear Lord, “I need your guidance now. I don’t have my mom anymore, so my dad and I are lost. My son and his wife have a sick baby girl. I need you to help us. Please hold my family tight. I love you, dear Father. “In the name of the Father and Holy Spirit.”

Other revealed a struggle no one wants to face: “Dear Lord, “Mom’s accident crossed your desk and you approved it. Now we have to turn off the ventilator. It’s the hardest decision this family has ever made. My sister is hanging on with vain hope. Please help her see the truth and let Mom go. “Mom is your child, Lord. I know she has a mansion waiting for her. The rest of us have peace about letting her go. Please pass that peace on to my sister. Time is a factor, Lord. Finances are a factor, too. “The life she’s living now isn’t life. It isn’t fair to Mom to have to be like she is. Please help my sister to understand that we are all suffering. Give our family the strength to cross this bridge and give Mom a peace that only you can give. “Amen.” One writer, apparently a caregiver, compared her pain to that of her patients. She expressed guilt many of us feel when seeing our problems in the light of tragedy experienced by others: “Dear God,

“No one I know is dying or suffering, so I need to stop being a baby about my problems. I should be praying for those who truly need love and support. I’m going through a divorce, and I feel depressed all the time. However, I’m grateful for my health, friends and family. “Please help me overcome this feeling of anguish, loss, anxiety and jealousy. It’s not good for my health, and I’m unable to help my patients who truly need it. “Thanks for listening. “Amen.” Finally, the last page offered a benediction for this column: “To anyone who reads this: “I hope God answers all your prayers in the New Year. The Lord is good! “Amen.” 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

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MCCARTY’S VOTING RECORD: NO ON ARENA, NO ON KINGS

evin Johnson was elected mayor twice without talking about basketball. An NBA All-Star for the Phoenix Suns, Johnson downplayed his sports legacy on the campaign trail. He wanted to be known as a business and education leader from Oak Park. He saw himself as a local success story and visionary, not an old jock. This year’s mayoral election brings another Kevin with basketball history.

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

POC FEB n 24

The candidate is Kevin McCarty, state assemblymember and former City Council member. McCarty wasn’t a basketball player. But during his City Hall tenure, basketball was a big part of his life. McCarty did his best to kill Golden 1 Center and hustle the Kings off to Seattle. For 40 years, most Sacramento City Council members tripped over themselves showing love for the Kings. They brag about attending games. They wear purple. Councilmember Katie Valenzuela produced a campaign video from a Downtown rooftop last year when the Kings made their brief playoff appearance. She stopped just short of taking credit for the season. Never mind that she has nothing to do with Golden 1 or the Kings. McCarty is another story. He was lead agitator in efforts to stop the City

Council from partnering with Kings ownership 10 years ago. He didn’t want city dollars spent on Golden 1 Center. He voted against the Kings every chance he got. McCarty wanted the arena subsidy placed on the ballot. Let voters decide, he said. Based on previous arena ballot measures, McCarty knew there was an excellent chance voters would say no. I’m not sure an arena ballot measure would pass today. Most people who attend Kings games live outside the city. Residents of Carmichael, Folsom, Roseville or Elk Grove don’t worry about their local tax dollars backstopping bond payments for a Downtown arena. They can’t vote in city elections. McCarty played political games. He knew the City Council had authority to sell bonds for arena construction. He knew the City Council’s job was to make tough decisions.

He knew a public vote was unnecessary. It’s an escape hatch for politicians who lack courage to do their jobs. Today McCarty doesn’t apologize for his attempts to kill the arena. He tells Inside, “Unfortunately, my fears are materializing because the general fund is now paying that debt service.” He’s right. Debt service on the city’s $273 million arena bonds is anchored by parking revenues. Dollars collected from garages and meters shrank, but not because of anything McCarty anticipated. The pandemic and permanent remote status of public employees broke the model. Today the general fund covers the shortfall, almost $3 million a year. The money comes from an emergency account the city created in 2015. I worked for Johnson in the mayor’s office when McCarty started causing

trouble with the Kings. We considered him an annoyance. We knew he lacked City Council support to kill the arena. I was sympathetic to McCarty, but knew he missed the point. As a columnist for the Bee, I argued against several arena iterations. They were money grabs by wealthy team owners. The Golden 1 Center deal was different. Downtown was devastated by the recession. Businesses closed. State workers were furloughed. Westfield prepared to shutter its shopping mall at Seventh and K streets and walk away. The Kings abandoned their fans and packed their bags, first for Anaheim, then Seattle. At City Hall we envisioned Johnson being ridiculed as the All-Star mayor who lost his city’s team. Vivek Ranadive and his financial supporters brought unprecedented

opportunities. The new Kings owners agreed to pay for about half the arena and build a hotel and entertainment center on Westfield’s footprint. Making the deal was easy for all but two members of the City Council, Darrell Fong and McCarty. Now McCarty wants to be mayor. He recognizes the importance of the Kings and arena. But he can’t change history. If he had been mayor a decade ago, the Kings would have left town. Golden 1 Center and Downtown Commons wouldn’t exist. He never apologized. Which tells me he’d do the same thing all over again.

ACROSS 1 *HS class where students bond over bonds 7 *Like some notes or blocks 13 Haifa resident 14 Device for digital books 16 Rod for twisting yarn 17 Another name for Buddha 18 Fey who wrote “Bossypants” 19 Boxer who said “If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize” 21 Trample 22 *___’s razor 24 *Glowing remnant 26 *Explosive letters 27 Biblical name hidden in “Kenosha” 29 Fable ﬁnale 31 What a Yankee swings 33 G-Shock watch producer 35 Print smear? 39 *Composer Stravinsky 41 *Like Hunter S. Thompson’s journalism 43 *Major chip maker 3/7

44 Co-op kin 46 Homeowners’ documents 48 ___ Talks 49 Inert gas whose name comes from the Greek for “lazy” 51 HVAC tube 53 *“Web” or “spy” follower 56 *Writer Jong 58 *Wafer brand 61 “On a different note ...” 63 Mrs. Peron 65 Rip 66 Buckle up 68 Remove with effort 70 American or Spirit 71 Altered version of songs 72 With 73-Across, deli purchases found within each row of starred clues’ answers 73 See 72-Across DOWN 1 Meaty jelly 2 Tigers’ Ivy League school 3 Biblical promised land 4 Third-person contraction 5 Singer Fitzgerald or Mai 6 High-end German appliance brand 7 Actress Ryan

8 Tip for a revision? 9 On nobody’s side 10 London art museum 11 Adjust to change 12 Fruit that anagrams to “melon” 13 Analogy phrase 15 Vent your frustration 20 Status of an impending event 23 Comfy shoe, brieﬂy 25 Liquor 28 Slump 30 Rapper ___ Yachty 31 Cristal pen producer 32 A long time follower? 34 “Me too” 36 Broad-bladed weapon, as some spell it

37 Pupil’s location 38 Trippy drug 40 Food label ﬁg. 42 Unconventional 45 Dessert with a crushed cookie crust 47 The “S” of SPF 50 What athletes may pull 52 Type of acid in oranges 53 Senor’s residence 54 Bit of tomfoolery 55 Fragrant gift from the Magi 57 States ﬁrmly 59 Strings on skates 60 Crafts’ partner 62 In good shape 64 Skating jump 67 Formerly named 69 “No more deets, pls!”

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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

MCCARTY DID HIS BEST TO KILL GOLDEN 1 CENTER AND HUSTLE THE KINGS OFF TO SEATTLE.

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End The Confusion CITY’S RIVER PARKWAY MUST MOVE FORWARD

BY KENDRA RAMSEY

he Sacramento River Parkway is a crucial route for many residents who get to work by bike and an important resource for recreation. It’s a transportation facility of regional significance. The parkway provides 65 miles of off-road riverfront paths when combined with the American River Parkway, plus dozens of additional miles of off-road bicycling and walking paths that connect many neighborhoods to our rivers. As a native Sacramentan and frequent user of our river parkways, I’ve learned to navigate the complicated and confusing on-road connections between completed segments of the Sacramento River Parkway. Recently, as I was strapping on my helmet at a Land Park coffee shop, a resident asked about access to the Sacramento River Parkway. He’d tried without success to find it. The river trail shouldn’t be confusing or difficult to access. It’s a civic treasure. Getting more people on bikes demands a convenient network. Just as we have for cars. The Sacramento River Parkway Project, the most recent phase of a 50year effort to complete the Sacramento River Parkway, will close a gap through Pocket between Zacharias and Garcia Bend parks, extending this essential public amenity and eliminating confusion. However, divided control of the levee top is creating literal roadblocks for the bike trail. Some route-completion areas cross private property under the

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jurisdiction of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. Instead of working together to prepare the ground for the parkway completion, the flood board has actively worked against the completion of this transportation route. The board has approved permits for residents to build fences across the parkway. The city of Sacramento needs to close this gap in the bikeway, which provides an off-road route safe for people of all ages to ride, roll and stroll on. Active mobility is essential as California’s climate crisis deepens. The city should move quickly to build out this project. Completing the Pocket segment of the Sacramento River Parkway involves working with property owners to secure rights of way. In some cases, eminent domain may be needed. But first, the city needs the flood board to deny future fences and support the construction of the river parkway project. Safe, connected bike networks are among the best ways to encourage people to choose bicycling as their mode of transportation to work, school and errands. Sometimes creating connections involves hard work and tough choices. But, as we’ve seen in cities such as Paris, Copenhagen and Vienna, creating connected bikeway networks can significantly reduce car trips, improve air quality and enhance health. Sacramento has a long way to go before we become a city where people in every neighborhood can easily choose a bicycle as a primary mode of transportation. Completing the Sacramento River Parkway is a critical step in the right direction.

The city should do everything it can to move the project forward. Climate change won’t wait.

and prosperous communities where bicycling helps enable all Californians to lead healthy and joyful lives. She can

Kendra Ramsey is executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, which advocates for equitable, inclusive

be reached at info@calbike.org. n

Kendra Ramsey

WE’RE OPEN

STEVE HANSEN for Sacramento Mayor

I'M RUNNING FOR MAYOR TO HELP BUILD SACRAMENTO— to lead our city into its next great chapter — and leave no one behind.”

Learn more about Steve’s vision for Sacramento at

Steve4Sacramento.com Paid for by Steve Hansen for Sacramento Mayor 2024

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Pit Crew

FARM FAMILY TURNS ITS TALENTS TO OLIVE OIL

ur region is perfect for olive trees. Drive from Sacramento in any direction and you encounter olive groves unfolding away from the roadside, their branches reaching for the sun, standing tall in orchards. Each year, local olive ranchers practice harvest preservation by curing olives or pressing them into gold-green oil. As a devotee of extra-virgin olive oil, I’m always searching for the area’s best orchards and olive mills. For several years, I’ve headed south on Interstate 5 and driven to the tight and trimmed rows of the Coldani family Calivirgin Winery and Olive Mill on North Thornton Road. On a recent visit to the ranch, tasting room and gift shop, I met Julie Coldani and learned the history of her husband’s family.

GM By Gabrielle Myers Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork

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The Coldanis came from Italy’s Piedmont and farmed row crops around Lodi for more than 85 years. They cultivated alfalfa, corn and tomatoes, and raised cattle. The newest generation decided to concentrate on olives and wine grapes. With innovative practices, such as planting olive trees in tight rows and keeping them trimmed for mechanical harvesting, the Coldani olive ranch grew from its first planting in 2005. The Calivirgin brand was formed in 2007 as a way to sell olive oil from robust harvests. The family mechanically harvests Arbequina and Koroneiki olives at peak with speed and efficiency. Olives are pressed within hours of leaving the trees. This is important because olives degrade quickly after harvest. Calivirgin’s Olio Nuovo, with its buttery, herbaceous tongue-coat and vibrant flavor, showcases the preservation of the olive more than any other oil I’ve tasted in our region. With tiny olive fragments at the bottom, this unfiltered oil captures the soil’s true Delta fertility. The Coldanis conserve water with drip irrigation. After milling, olive pits and pastes are spread in orchard rows and turned over to help next season’s olives grow to full potential.

The Calivirgin and Calivines brands have expanded to include multiple varieties, including infused olive oils, balsamic vinegars, cured olives and several wines. Infused olive oils are distinguished from other flavored oils because the fruits, vegetables and herbs get pressed with olives in the last two phases of production. Local produce is mostly used in the blends, including lemons, oranges, limes, habanero and serrano peppers, garlic, basil and rosemary. When asked what motivates the family to continue farming and production, Coldani says, “When you have a healthy product you feel good about what you’re giving to your customers. We know everything from tree to bottle, and we feel good about the product we’re providing.”

The recently expanded Calivirgin winery, tasting room and gift shop offers wine and olive oil tastings, small bites and produce from other local farmers. “We have all grown up here in Lodi, so to work and live here, provide jobs, and give back to the community are important for us,” she says. Calivirgin Winery and Olive Mill tasting room is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 13950 North Thornton Road, Lodi. For information, visit calivirgin. com or phone (209) 210-3162. Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest book of poetry, “Too Many Seeds,” can be ordered from fishinglinepress. com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

THE COLDANIS CAME FROM ITALY’S PIEDMONT AND FARMED ROW CROPS AROUND LODI FOR MORE THAN 85 YEARS. THE NEWEST GENERATION DECIDED TO CONCENTRATE ON OLIVES AND WINE GRAPES.

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‘A’ Winner TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE REALLY PAYS OFF

he idea that government can do things well is a tough sell in some circles. But I’ll go out on a limb to argue Measure A, the half-cent sales tax for transportation approved twice by local voters, is a success story. Don’t confuse this with the so-called “citizens’ initiative” Measure A that went down in flames in 2022. That Measure A was opposed by goodgovernment groups such as the League of Women Voters, who denounced it as “the product of developers, business organizations and labor advocates” rather than sound and balanced transportation planning.

GD By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

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The Measure A I’m talking about is administered by the Sacramento Transportation Authority, an independent local government agency overseen by a 16-member board of directors. Elected officials from cities in Sacramento County, along with county supervisors, comprise the board. Measure A generates about $170 million a year in revenues. Between 2009 and 2019, it pumped more than $3.5 billion into the county’s economy, including matching and assorted monies from state and federal sources. Sure, we still have too many potholes. Traffic is a major headache. There are local bottlenecks that drive us all crazy. We don’t do enough to encourage people to drive less. But think about where we would be if voters rejected Measure A in 1989. Or again in 2004, when an astounding 75% of the electorate approved the measure and allowed it to continue until 2039. “Measure A has improved the quality of life for all of those that live, work and visit the county of Sacramento and its seven cities,” Kevin Bewsey, executive director of the Sacramento

Transportation Authority, tells me. “This continued investment has created a truly multimodal transportation system with the ability to make further improvements over time.” If anything, Bewsey, an affable executive with years of experience in the public sector, may be understating Measure Kevin Bewsey A’s impact. Money raised by the sales tax expanded light rail, paid elected officials—with real community for renovation of the multimodal participation—rather than developers train station Downtown, financed eager to improve access to their new improvements to the Highway 50-Watt subdivisions, call the shots. The defeat Avenue Interchange, supported mass of the 2022 Measure A extension drove transit, fixed potholes, and accelerated home that point. economic development and job creation And while some people are anxious with transportation investments. to nail down another extension, Rich I would rather see more Measure A Desmond, the Sacramento County funds go for projects that encourage supervisor who chairs the Sacramento cycling and cycling safety and other Transportation Authority, is wise to non-automobile uses. But the list of counsel patience. projects funded by Measure A serves “Measure A contributes on so many many interests. different levels,” Desmond says. The list will never make everyone “Obviously, in providing us more happy, but it’s best when accountable resources to fix our roadways but also

Kevin McCarty FOR MAYOR

Problem Solver FOCUSED ON OUR FUTURE KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE CREATING JOBS AND NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSING UNTREATED MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN AND BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROTECTING THE AMERICAN RIVER PARKWAY THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP ON HOMELESSNESS POLICIES

LEARN MORE

Paid for by McCarty for Mayor • FPPC#14609 • 1809 S Street, #101-368, Sacramento, CA 95811

to upgrade our roadways to make them more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists and make them safer. “And while doing that, it really opens up economic investment opportunities in areas that make our transportation network more accessible to people.” Desmond believes 2024 isn’t a good time to press for a Measure A extension, given economic and other uncertainties. He says, “I think we need to get a lot of stakeholders together from all the cities in the county, obviously the county supervisors and Regional Transit, environmental organizations, bike advocacy groups, and talk about an initiative possibly in 2026. We have to have a lot of people at the table because we have to strike the right balance to really make it work.” He’s right. Desmond has a strong, experienced executive director in Bewsey. Voters have shown they’ll support a local tax increase at the right time for the right projects if the right people are part of the planning. 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

Let our Valentine Specialists tell your Love Story through Flowers

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Home Remedies WHY SHOP WHEN YOU CAN GROW YOUR OWN

y millennial son asked if it’s possible to grow summer vegetables indoors. A large, rambunctious dog roams his backyard, which resembles Road Warrior terrain. It wasn’t the site question that intrigued me, but his reason for growing his own food for the first time—nutritional and health benefits. He and my daughter-in-law are workout fanatics. They’re extremely particular about ingredients they use in meals. It was only a matter of time before they stopped “borrowing” my fruits and vegetables and explored their own home garden. A National Gardening Association study found more than 18 million new gardeners spawned during the pandemic. Millennial gardeners increased 65%, Gen Z gardeners 44%.

DV By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

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Both groups are interested in the environment and healthy living. These were children who pushed peas under the last bite of mashed potatoes when Mom looked away. Now they grow peas. Sacramento benefits from a long summer growing season and relatively mild winter. An extended summer of warmth and sunlight results in sweeter and better tasting produce with higher, nutrient-rich yields. Our home gardens are tiny pharmacies, bottles of supplements and mini med clinics to help balance out jelly donut consumption. Eating well revolves around choices. Peppers are among the most nutritious veggies, along with spinach, carrots, kale, garlic, collard greens and sweet potatoes. Peppers are loaded with essential vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. They are low-calorie, with around 30 calories in a bell pepper. Lucky for us, peppers are easy to grow. The little guys love warm weather. Research studies and less scientific polling always place tomatoes as the overwhelming favorite summer garden treat. Tomatoes are stuffed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, especially lycopene. Lycopene helps combat heart disease and some cancers. Behind the revered tomato in popularity are peppers, cucumbers, green beans and squash.

Blueberries, apples and citrus fruit are healthy additions to gardens. Blueberries have been elevated to the “superfood” category, along with peppers, tomatoes, avocados, spinach, garlic, onions, kale and a few other home garden choices. A superfood has an abundance of nutritional benefits, including antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. Spanning all age groups, vegetables still fall under two categories, yuck or yum. Taste buds are notorious tricksters. People instantly decide personal winners and losers. Kale and cilantro are a couple of love ’em or spit ’em hall of famers. Both are cool weather vegetables. Eggplant is a polarizing choice. Several varieties of eggplant are gorgeous to behold. But try to give one away. “I don’t eat eggplant” or “What do you do with it?” are common refrains. Grow what you or your family enjoy eating and what neighbors find palatable. There’s no nutritional value in uneaten produce. As we contemplate which edibles to buy and plant, consider other healthful aspects. Some folks feel more comfortable knowing they prepared the soil themselves. Home gardeners eliminate or greatly reduce pesticide use and monitor applications of what and how much fertilizer. Market

produce is apt to be loaded with pesticides and fertilizers. Environmentally conscious gardeners consider carbon emissions connected to growing food. Growing at home eliminates a fraction of transportation energy concerns. Grocery store produce suffers reduced nutritional value and flavor because of time spent in storage and transit. It was bred to look pretty, but not necessarily to have an attractive taste. Bite into a supermarket tomato for proof. Choose garden fruits and vegetables wisely. Buy seed packets and nursery plants for good health and divine flavor. Nurture your produce and respect its value. Should you decide to forego growing edibles this year, our wonderful farmers markets can fill needs. Yes, we are truly blessed. Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr. edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

2024 Advertiser Hall of Fame PLEASE SUPPORT THESE FINE BUSINESSES.

WE THANK THEM FOR BRINGING THE BEST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO YOU EVERY MONTH! 28 YEARS

10 YEARS

• Elise Brown, Realtor®

• Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Drysdale Properties • Paloma Begin, Realtor® • UC Davis Health • Univeristy Medical Imaging

26 YEARS • Coldwell Banker, Sacramento Metro • D & J Kitchens & Baths. • El Dorado Savings Bank • Pet Pals • Rich Cazneaux, Realtor® • Sutter Terrace Dental

9 YEARS

EAST SAC + LAND PARK/GRID + ARDEN + POCKET

24 YEARS • Tim Collom, Realtor

22 YEARS • Coldwell Banker Sierra Oaks • Dignity Health • Dunnigan Realtors® • SMUD

21 YEARS • Jeanine Roza, Realtor® • Rio Del Oro Raquet Club • Sacramento Country Day School

20 YEARS • Downtown Sac Partnership • Fremont Presb. Church • Lyon Real Estate • Sacramento Ballet • Sellands, Ella & The Kitchen

19 YEARS • 57th Street Antique Mall • Angela Heinzer, Realtor® • Bella Bru • Reid and Price, Realtors®

18 YEARS

15 YEARS

13 YEARS

• Bertolucci’s Collision Shop • Cheryl Nightingale, Realtor® • EPY Center • St. Michael’s Day School

• Avid Reader • Friends of East Sacramento • Brian Wyatt Law Offices • Chris Little Real Estate • Fugina Construction • Jesuit High School • The Jewish Federation • Our Lady of Assumption • St. Ignatius School

• Broadway Sacramento • Destination Aesthetics • East Sac Dental • East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce • Jamie Rich, Realtor® • Nothing Bundt Cakes • Tom Phillips - Realtor®

17 YEARS • Christian Brothers High School • David Kirrene, Realtor® • Fulton Ave. Association • St. Francis High School

16 YEARS • Sacramento Turn Verein

14 YEARS • Artisan Window & Sash • City of Sacramento • Crocker Art Museum • Donahue Schriber • Mercy McMahon Terrace • Race For The Arts • Relles Florist & Gifts • Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra • Sacramento SPCA

12 YEARS • Arden Village Service • Capital Confections • CSUS College of Continuing Education • Temple Coffee • Wenelli’s • Willo Salons

• Craig Diez, Realtor® • Old Sugar Mill • Pedro Gomez - Porta Realty • Rio City Café • The Plant Foundry

7 YEARS • Edward Jones - Jeff Fletcher • EZ Living Cleaning • New York Life Insurance Company • Renee Catricala, Realtor® • Sara Raudelunas, Realtor®

6 YEARS • Dentistry of East Sacramento

5 YEARS • A Therapeutic Alternative • Girl Scouts of Central California • Laura Miller, Realtor • Leatherby’s Family Creamery • Mr. Moulding, Mouldings & Doors • The Hearing Solution

4 YEARS

11 YEARS • Brookﬁeld School • Grebitus Jewelers • Law Office of Mark J. Lamb • Steffan Brown Realtor®

• Exotic Plants • That Guy Eyewear • Timothy Scott • Tri-Counties Bank • Yolo Cares

INSIDE CELEBRATES 28 YEARS!!! SHOP 100% LOCAL STAND With Our Small Businesses SUPPORT Your Neighbors POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

Divine

Inspiration PAINTING IS AKIN TO PRAYER FOR ELK GROVE PRIEST

ainting is not just painting for the Rev. Sylvester Kwiatkowski. As a priest at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Elk Grove, Kwiatkowski sees painting as a form of prayer and a connection to himself, his community and God. “Art helps me communicate and have contact not only with Christian people, but also people of different faiths and non-believers about universal values: love, compassion, hope, friendship, unity,” Kwiatkowski says. Kwiatkowski has always been drawn to art, even before being ordained in 1989 in his native Poland. He loved drawing as a small child. When he went on vacation to Paris, Madrid, London and Moscow, he visited museums to study his favorite artists, among them Salvador Dalí and Vincent van Gogh. “My dream was always to somehow at some point in my life grab the palette, acrylic and brushes and do whatever my heart tells me to do,” he says. The dream took time. Kwiatkowski left Poland for California in 2000 to work with Polish immigrants who were part of Solidarity, the Polish social movement. He worked as a chaplain for a small Polish Catholic chapel in North Sacramento. At a 30-day silent retreat in Massachusetts in 2012, divine inspiration struck. “On the third day of the retreat, an unknown power brought me to the art room, and through my feelings and emotions, I started drawing on a piece of paper,” he writes in his artist’s

Sylvester Kwiatkowski Photo by Linda Smolek

JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

POC FEB n 24

statement. “When I presented my artwork to my spiritual director, he strongly encouraged me to continue my emotional outlet through art. On that day, I was not aware that it would be the beginning of my new creative journey towards art.” His calling to “describe the movement of God’s grace through the Holy Spirit with colors and shapes” led him to an art supply store in Grass Valley, where he bought what his heart told him. In October 2012, he “threw everything on the floor and started to paint.” Kwiatkowski was practicing intuitive painting, where an artist removes self-judgment from the equation and paints what comes to mind. For the priest, riotous color and movement and shapes came pouring out through various mediums, including watercolor, acrylic and collage. He began incorporating his artwork into Mass, painting a particular piece as a way to enrich the readings and gospel. His congregations in North Sacramento and Elk Grove, where he moved in 2019, responded well. “They didn’t know how powerful paintings could be,” he says, until they saw them up on the dais alongside their priest. “My friend (artist) Kathy Dana said to me once, ‘If you are using

words to evangelize people, why not colors and shapes and paintings?’” Kwiatkowski recalls. It’s tough to make time to paint, but Kwiatkowski finds 15 minutes late at night or early in the morning to create. The silence allows space to “be connected with yourself, with God, with eternity, and then the colors and shapes flow,” he says. His paintings grace his office and the church. His nearly 6-foot painting of a monstrance—a vessel in which the consecrated eucharistic host is carried or displayed—is on view in preparation for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in 2024. He donates paintings to fundraisers to help local organizations and ministries. “Painting brings you to a completely different reality,” Kwiatkowski says. “It can heal your trauma, increase your creativity and intuition. It brings hope and the joy of life.” To view Kwiatkowski’s work, visit his Instagram @skwiat.art. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacrameto.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Phillip Joseph Rocamora and Eugene Obille in “Cinderella” at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center. Photo by Tony Nguyen

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS By Jessica Laskey Calendar Editor

LIVE PERFORMANCE Cinderella Sacramento Ballet Feb. 16–18 SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center (1301 L St.); sacballet.org Tickets: $35–$99 Sergei Prokofiev’s playful ballet gets a modern update with choreography by Nashville Ballet’s Paul Vasterling and music by Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

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Memoirs of Boyhood Stories on Stage Sacramento Friday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. The Auditorium at CLARA (1425 24th St.); storiesonstagesacramento.org Tickets: $15 Hear funny and touching stories of boyhood by authors Josh Fernandez, Frank Gioia and Philip Jacques read aloud by professional actors Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya and Elio Gutiérrez. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf Celebration Arts Feb. 2–25

Guild Theater (2828 35th St.); celebrationarts. net Tickets: $10–$25 This groundbreaking fusion of poetry, music and dance follows seven women through a world of racism, oppression and sexism with passion, humor and raw honesty. Presented in partnership with St. Hope for Black History Month. Love Letters Hey Day Quintet Saturday, Feb. 10, 5 p.m. & 7 p.m. Twin Lotus Thai (8345 Folsom Blvd.); twinlotusthai.com

Groove to your favorite jazz love tunes with Susan Skinner, Del Gomes, Joe Gilman, Shelley Denny and Tim Metz. No cover charge. Reservations required. Frozen & Encanto Disney on Ice Feb. 15–19 Golden 1 Center (500 David J. Stern Walk); golden1center.com Tickets: $15–$140 Sing along to your favorite Disney songs while enjoying world-class ice skating, aerial acrobatics and more.

“Sunshine Alley” by Patris at PBS KVIE Gallery.

Teagarden Jazz Festival Sacramento State Saturday, Feb. 10, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. 6000 J St.; teagardenjazzfestival.org Tickets: $15 for adults, free for students Enjoy traditional jazz music with special guest artist Adrian Cunningham on reeds and the all-star festival band, plus performances by student jazz combos. Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition Sacramento Theatre Company Feb. 16–25 1419 H St.; sactheatre.org Tickets: Start at $23

Follow the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High.

ART Patris PBS KVIE Gallery Feb. 1–March 29 Artist’s Reception Feb. 8, 5–7 p.m. 2030 W. El Camino Ave.; kvie.org/gallery

The Red Dress Challenge Art Show The Art Studios Saturday, Feb. 10, 4–8 p.m. 1727 I St.; theartstudiossacramento.com Enjoy paintings, illustrations, drawings, watercolors, glass, sculptures and ceramics with a “red dress” theme by more than 40 local artists to celebrate Heart Month and Valentine’s Day. Planes, Trains, Automobiles and High Desert Hi-Jinks Twisted Track Gallery Feb. 2–24 First Friday Reception Feb. 2, 6–10 p.m. Second Saturday Reception Feb. 10, 5–8 p.m. 1730 12th St.; (916) 639-0436 This playful, transit-oriented exhibit features the work of mixedmedia artists Jerry Cagle and Michael Schaffer and acrylic painter Sue Graef. Hollow Veil: Mirabel Wigon Axis Gallery Feb. 2–25 Artist Talk Saturday, Feb. 10, 4:30 p.m., Reception 5–8 p.m. 625 S St., axisgallery.org Wigon’s landscape paintings question experience, immersion and separation in an encapsulated world situated within the confines of the canvas. Celebrating the Figure Sacramento Fine Arts Center Feb. 27–March 16 Second Saturday Reception Feb. 10, 5:30–8 p.m. 5330 Gibbons Drive; sacfinearts.org See a variety of art featuring the human form from the center’s popular Friday Morning Figure Drawing open studio.

SPEAKERS

“Bayonne Bridge” by Sue Graef at Twisted Track Gallery.

Using the General Land Office Records Website Genealogical Association of Sacramento Wednesday, Feb. 21, noon

Words Take Wing: Honoring Diversity in Children’s Literature Sacramento Public Library Tuesday, Feb. 27, 6–8 p.m. Tsakopoulos Library Galleria (828 I St.); saclibrary.org In partnership with UC Davis School of Education, this free event features a conversation with award-winning authors Thanhhà Lại, Pam Muñoz Ryan and Grace Lin, moderated by Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood. 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

insidesacramento.com

INK Archival Gallery Feb. 1–24 Second Saturday Reception Feb. 10, 5–8 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalgallery.com This exhibition features drawings and collages using oak gall and specialty inks on Yupo paper by Al Farrow, Craig Frazier and Drew Frazier.

Belle Cooledge Library (5600 S. Land Park Drive); gensac.org Learn how to use the General Land Office records website for genealogical research with guest speaker Lisa Gorrell.

VISIT

Revel in stunning landscapes, street scenes and more by prolific local artist Patris.

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All photos taken at Sampino’s Kitchen at Joe Marty’s by Linda Smolek

La Dolce Vita TWO ITALIAN KITCHENS SERVE THE SWEET LIFE

ampino’s Kitchen at Joe Marty’s offers a traditional Italian American experience, spaghetti and meatballs included, on Broadway. Across the grid, newcomer

Willow presents Italian food through a fine-dining lens. Both are special places.

Joe Marty was a legend when he opened his bar at the Tower Theatre in 1951. A former major league baseball player and star for the minor league Sacramento Solons, Marty parlayed his recognition into a successful saloon and eatery.

By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

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SAMPINO’S KITCHEN AT JOE MARTY’S

Marty died in 1984 and new owners moved in. A fire in 2005 closed the joint for a decade. When Bill and son Michael Sampino took over restaurant operations in 2017, they aimed to honor Marty’s legacy and do what they do best, cook family-style Italian food. They succeeded. Today the place is known for packed houses, a convivial bar and one of the best meatball subs this side of Chicago. The menu is the star, along with raucous laughter that never seems to diminish.

You can sit beneath a framed jersey of San Francisco Giants great Juan Marichal while tucking into a plate of cheese tortellini and bolognese sauce. Or you might be parked underneath a portrait of Frank Sinatra while enjoying fettuccine alfredo. Where some “red sauce joints” skimp on the finer points, Sampino’s emphasizes the little things. Each recipe is built with care and expertise. Every entrée comes with a complimentary salad. The meatball sub is slyly sophisticated. The combination

of house-made meatballs with pepperoncini, provolone, tomato, garlic aioli and balsamic is a dish greater than its parts. I’ve yet to find an equal. Whether it’s spumoni ice cream at the end of a meal, a handshake from the owner or the mob movies playing on TV, Sampino’s brings a smile.

WILLOW In another dining universe, Willow offers southern Italian as haute cuisine. The dining room, attached to The Exchange Hotel by Hilton, is subdued and elegant. The service is as fine as you will get anywhere in town.

A short walk from Golden 1 Center, Willow feels like a quiet retreat at Fourth and J streets. The 1914 building, former home to the California Fruit Exchange, provides a stately edifice. Inside, the comforting weight of soft fabrics and plummy hues feels miles from the thoroughfare just beyond the door. Service at Willow cannot be improved upon. The polite and attentive waitstaff see to every need. Whether it’s a wine top-off or a refolded napkin, no detail is ignored. Opened since last September, the kitchen delivers elegant presentations and creative recipes with a little

unevenness, which one might expect from a new restaurant. The gnocchi are a must. Big, pillowy dumplings are served alongside delicata squash and blistered tomatoes and topped with goat cheese and sage. It’s a seasonal exploration that hits the mark. The small but elegant bar is a gorgeous place to grab a drink or small plate before a game or at the end of a Downtown visit. Check out the happy hour menu. Meatballs and prosciutto are fantastic small plates. Old school to new school, down home to high-end, Sampino’s and Willow

satisfy your desire for Italian food. Buon appetito! Sampino’s Kitchen at Joe Marty’s is at 1500 Broadway; (916) 3829022; joemartys.com. Willow is at 1005 Fourth Street; (916) 938-8001; willowsacramento.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

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