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HEARNE PARDEE Hearne Pardee is a Davis-based painter who works on-site in oils and acrylics, going on to combine and edit his works in the studio using colored paper. He has exhibited extensively, both locally and nationally, and is a professor of art studio at University of California, Davis. Shown: “Façade,” acrylic collage, 12 inches by 19 inches. This piece is in a private collection. Visit hearnepardee.com.

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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Publisher's Desk Pocket Life Pocket Beat Out & About Inside The County Building Our Future Giving Back City Beat Farm To Fork Garden Jabber Spirit Matters Sports Authority Meet Your Neighbor Open Studio Open House Restaurant Insider

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BRIDGE TO PEACE

Joe Pane, Josh Pane and Ronnie Pane.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

FALLEN SPD OFFICER TARA O’SULLIVAN MEMORIALIZED BY H STREET SPAN

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acramento Police Officer Tara O’Sullivan was gunned down during a domestic disturbance call in June 2019. Her death sent the region into mourning. I’ll never forget waving our American flag on the Business 80 overpass as her funeral procession slowly moved from Rocklin to Elk Grove.

The idea for a beautiful tribute to Tara began over cups of coffee between friends earlier this year.

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“Our coffee group was deeply saddened when Sacramento Police Officer Tara O’Sullivan was killed,” says Joe Pane, an SPD officer from 1979 to 2007. “I started looking into her story, and what we could do to recognize this amazing young woman who met a tragic end. And then, given her strong ties to East Sac, we thought why not the H Street Bridge over the American River

by Sac State?”

Tara O’Sullivan was born and raised in Pleasant Hill. She grew up wanting to be a cop, and became an Explorer Scout with Pleasant Hill police while in high school.

“SPD Chief Daniel Hahn told me that she moved to Sac State to be a cop, majoring in child development because she felt like that would help her in her profession,” Pane says.

“When she moved to Sacramento, she rented a Midtown apartment I owned,” says Ronnie Pane, Joe’s cousin, who retired as chief sergeant at arms for the California Assembly after 41 years. Both cousins, and Joe’s brother, Josh Pane— who served on the City Council from 1989 to 1994—live in East Sacramento and proudly support law enforcement.

The three men put together an email to friends and contacts seeking support for the O’Sullivan memorial. The response was overwhelming. “When emails were too numerous for my wife Sue to manage, we posted a Change.org online petition,” Joe says.

Nearly 5,000 supporters joined the effort. Their plan went like this: They met with Chief Hahn, the Sacramento Police Officers Association, City Councilmember Jeff Harris, Sac State

President Robert Nelsen, the rest of the City Council, the city’s public works department, and numerous business and neighborhood groups, including those from River Park and Meadowview.

Tara was the first female graduate of an inaugural Sac State class called Law Enforcement Candidate Scholars’ Program, which prepares leaders for law enforcement. The director is Dr. Shelby Moffatt, a former SPD officer who became a Sac State professor.

Tara was killed in the North Sac neighborhood of Redwood Park. On that tragic day, there were two houses on Redwood Street that involved previous domestic violence calls. Officers told the female victim that if she would get her possessions together, they would come back to keep the peace while she moved out.

The Benefits of Mangos For Skin

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Vitamins and minerals are important for skin health, with a research showing that women with significantly

lower intakes of vitamin A and C had more wrinkles. Our skin typically contains high levels of vitamin C, which is important for collagen formation and to protect the skin against damage. On top of that, carotenoids, which are naturally occurring pigments that gives

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“When I was an officer, I worried about two things every day—that I would be in an auto accident or, worse case, that I’d be shot,” Joe Pane says.

“The auto accident and the sniper never left my mind, or that of my family, for 28 years.”

When Tara and her training officer arrived at the Redwood Street location, they knew a man there might have access to guns. But they were unsure of his location. They announced they were there only to help remove some items from the house.

As they entered the house, the man opened fire with a rifle. Tara was hit

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and mortally wounded. The shooter kept firing and prevented officers from reaching Tara for the 45 minutes it took her to die. All while he disgustingly taunted and cursed the fallen officer.

As a result of the Panes’ efforts, the City Council unanimously approved the bridge dedication May 26.

Best friends forever.

BY R.E. GRASWICH

changed its policy and adopted language used by San Francisco. The new language lets police use deadly he Sacramento City Council force “when reasonable alternatives finally admitted some police have been exhausted or are not emergencies aren’t resolved with calm, patient negotiation. feasible and the officer reasonably believes, based on the totality of the Backpedaling after criticism from circumstances, that such force is the public and Police Chief Daniel necessary.”

Hahn, the City Council revised its The earlier language written by policy on deadly force. The council Steinberg said officers could only acknowledged there are times when use deadly force as a “last resort.” It officers must quickly react by shooting continued, “Last resort means that a suspect. peace offi cers shall use tactics and The controversy was highlighted techniques that may persuade the in June editions of Inside Sacramento suspect to voluntarily comply or may after Mayor Darrell Steinberg mitigate the need to use a higher level proposed a deadly force policy that of force to resolve the situation safely.” required police to talk to suspects Hahn and his leadership team in all cases, even ambushes and were pleased with the revised policy. workplace or school shootings.

Steinberg said, “Let’s move forward Hahn told Inside Sacramento, together.”

“Our officers won’t be able to defend themselves or the public.”

R.E. Graswich can be reached at Three weeks after approving regraswich@icloud.com. n the Steinberg proposal, the council

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“Chief Hahn sent me the following text the day after it passed,” Joe says, sharing the text: “Thanks so much for your support on the bridge proposal approved by Council last night—the Tara O’Sullivan Memorial Bridge.

Thank you, Joe, and I appreciate you and your brother. That means a lot to us as our city should understand what Tara and her family sacrificed for all of us, and your efforts will help make sure we will never forget. Sadly, we were at preliminary hearing for the shooter right now, so God help us all.”

The next steps are to design and install a memorial sign for the bridge.

“Friends of East Sacramento—where I serve as a facility manager for our McKinley Park facilities—stepped up immediately to offer their financial support for the sign,” Joe says. “The nonprofit is going to work with other funding partners, including the SPOA, who want to help with the costs of the dedication.”

“The dedication signage will be visible from both sides of the bridge.

We’re just starting to work on the design,” Josh says.

Supporters hope the H Street span can also be known as “The Bridge to Peace.” This reflects the sacrifice Tara O’Sullivan made for her family, her fellow officers and our community while doing her best to help keep the peace on that tragic day in June 2019.

Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com.

Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Tony Antonucci and Ben Valencia Photos by Aniko Kiezel

Fun Brewed Up

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evice Brewing Company was on a roll. Owners Ken and Melissa Anthony ran three taprooms in town. The Power Inn Road taproom near Tahoe Park and Midtown’s Ice Blocks were popular. The long-awaited Pocket site

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opened in 2020. More than 1,000 retail locations carried Device brews. Then the pandemic hit.

“Last year was rough, but we’re finally rising from the ashes,” Ken says.

The company survived for two reasons. First, the community stepped up by ordering take-out meals and beverages. Second, the Great Plates Delivered program kept the kitchen open and staff employed.

Funded by federal COVID stimulus money, local restaurants prepared meals for homebound seniors. Device prepared 50 to 60 meals weekly, sourced ingredients from local growers and used Paratransit to deliver.

As restrictions loosen up, Device is accepting reservations for private parties. Pocket Little League was among the first to hold a fundraiser at Device. The brewery averages two to three private gatherings weekly.

The Anthony family’s dream of making Device Brewing the top Pocket hangout is coming to fruition. “We’ve always wanted to be more than a taproom and eatery. So now we’re offering family-friendly activities here,” Melissa says.

In the months ahead, Device plans live music. Meantime, here are a few events on tap:

Classic Car Shows: Car enthusiasts and Pocket residents Ben Valencia and Tony Antonucci organize shows in the parking lot at Rush River and Windbridge Drive. Hot rods and classics are featured. Friday evening shows are scheduled July 2, 16 and 30, from 5–8 p.m.

“We attend the American Graffiti in Modesto and Hot August Nights in Reno. So we love doing similar car shows in our neighborhood,” Antonucci says. Valencia adds, “You never forget your first car. Mine was a 1956 Chevrolet two-door sedan. Tony picked up a 1941 Plymouth Coupe when he was 16. We also bring classic cars to senior

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communities. The residents love to share their car memories with us.”

Come out and talk shop with car owners. Enjoy oldies music while strolling among these beauties. Shows run through October, ending with a “Trunk or Treat” event for kids.

Art n’ Sip: Artist Carrie Posey (known as Creatively Carrie) hosts monthly art sessions, no experience necessary. Posey guides guests through the process and guarantees you’ll have fun. “I love to help people find their creative voice, especially for those who think they have no artistic skills,” she says.

Posey taught art in public schools and has led countless art classes for adults. She was limited to Zoom classes during the pandemic and is glad to be back in person.

Melissa Anthony showed me some acrylic pour coasters she created in a Posey class. “I had loads of fun making them and it wasn’t hard at all,” she says.

This month, Posey has scheduled a “Succulent Terrarium Party” for July 11, and a wine and beer glass painting event for July 25. Register on the Device Brewing website at devicebrewing/ events or Posey’s Eventbrite website.

Posey holds similar events at Jackrabbit Brewing Company in West Sacramento and Bear Dive in Downtown. Find more information about Creatively Carrie at facebook. com/creativelycarrie and instagram. com/creativelycarriep.

Trivia Nights: What’s the name of the river that borders Oregon and Washington? (Hint: not the Cosumnes.)

You’ll have a chance to answer questions like this at Device Trivia Nights. Form a team, grab a patio table and play for prizes. Topics include current events, musical artists, sports, geography, history, famous people and anagram puzzles. Dayo Horton hosts each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s wonderful to see repeat people coming back each week,” Horton says.

“Trivia Night is a great social outlet for everyone.”

Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month.

Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Survival Mode Photo by Aniko Kiezel

POCKET COMES THROUGH STRONGER THAN EVER

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eople in Pocket and Greenhaven who have worked from home the past 16 months might believe their neighborhood exists in a universe removed from City Hall. It’s understandable. But I can tell you it’s not true.

The city did not forget about Pocket during the pandemic. The city had bigger things to worry about. Federal and state bailouts saved the day, making it easy to forget how bad the future looked at City Hall last summer.

To recap: Sales tax revenue and money from hotels, rental cars and conventions collapsed. Income from city garages and parking meters disappeared. There was no parking ticket revenue, because there were no parked cars. Social justice protests filled Downtown streets. Looting and

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property destruction spilled into retail areas.

Pocket and Greenhaven avoided those catastrophes. The community doesn’t cater to tourists, conventioneers or looters. There are no garages or parking meters. Protesters weren’t interested in Pocket’s placid, suburban streets, other than a few misfits who figured out where Mayor Darrell Steinberg lives and showed up at his home to yell, throw rocks and wreck garden ornaments.

City authorities did manage to slightly disrupt Pocket’s bliss, but no harm was done and the imposition was soon corrected. In September, the City Council took away just over $4 million designated for the Sacramento River Parkway Bike Trail.

At the time, the city claimed it was putting the money “on hold.” For people who don’t trust politicians, “on hold” might have suggested the city was breaking its promise to build the levee parkway—a promise “on hold” since 1975. For a while, I began to worry.

But the city isn’t backing away from the levee bike trail. Those parkway millions put “on hold” were strategic.

They helped keep the city’s books balanced until bailout money was secured.

Earlier this year, the city quietly added $4.5 million to the levee bike trail project between Garcia Bend and Zacharias Park—a stretch that for decades was blighted with illegal fences, gates and barbed wire strung by property owners near the river.

In a neat summation of the $4.5 million, the city manager’s office explains, “This will provide the public with open-space access along the Sacramento River, provide a safe path for bicycling and walking, and create stronger connectivity amongst neighborhoods and communities.”

“We actually got a little more money put back than was taken out in September,” says Dennis Rogers, chief of staff for Pocket City Councilmember Rick Jennings. Today, the project funds top $8 million, thanks to additional money from Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

Actions such as returning $4.5 million to the levee bike trail show how Pocket and Greenhaven aren’t ignored by City Hall. This is something residents should never take for granted.

If the City Council was filled with people who were shortsighted or beholden to Downtown interests, they could forget the cozy riverfront suburb to the south.

Pocket and Greenhaven were designed around 60 years ago to function as a bubble, a place apart from the city, a unique community where residents have everything they need.

Other than going to work or a hospital, there’s no reason to leave.

To understand the designer’s temptation to create the Pocket bubble, consult a map and remember what the planners saw: To the west was a broad river bend. To the east was a smooth new freeway. Interstate 5 stopped at Pocket until 1979, when the Stockton gap was finished. In those days, Pocket was the end of the road. A better bubble could not be imagined.

The past 16 months tested the bubble in ways planners didn’t anticipate.

Families lost loved ones. Businesses suffered. But the community’s future is bright, especially with $8 million for what City Hall calls “the most defining natural resource in the region.”

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

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Sustainable Station Sacramento Valley Station will include residential spaces, hotels and offices.

PLAN TURNS HISTORIC TRAIN DEPOT INTO ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HUB

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he City Council recently approved the Sacramento Valley Station Area Plan, which will turn Sacramento’s historic train station at 401 I St. into one of the most sustainable public places in California.

“This plan is more than four years in the making,” says project manager Greg Taylor. “The plan positions Sacramento as a regional center for sustainable transportation and a leader in sustainable design technologies, which will help combat climate change.”

The plan has already earned the prestigious Living Community Challenge Vision Plan Certification for environmental innovation, making Sacramento the first city in the world to receive the designation.

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By Jessica Laskey Out & About

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The plan is designed to connect pedestrians and transit users to infill development areas within the central city that include residential spaces, hotels and offices. All the buildings within the development will run on 100-percent renewable energy. The city hopes to begin construction by 2026.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING The City Council recently voted to commit $10 million to a new affordable housing complex on Stockton Boulevard.

It’s the first expenditure from the $31.5 million housing fund created in the mid-year budget at the request of Mayor Darrell Steinberg that will come from the general fund and Measure U dollars.

The planned 220 affordable apartments and townhomes will help fulfill the city’s commitment to invest at least $50 million in affordable housing along the Stockton Boulevard corridor to prevent displacement that might occur as a result of the new Aggie Square innovation district.

Seventy-five percent of the units will be reserved for low-, very low- and extremely low-income tenants. Another

25 percent will be priced for those with moderate incomes (up to $60,410 for a family of four).

In addition to the $10 million from the city, another $5 million from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency will round out a $15 million loan to Mercy Housing to build the complex.

“This investment is the first of many housing commitments made to neighborhoods surrounding the Aggie Square project and communities around Stockton Boulevard,” says District 6 Councilmember Eric Guerra.

“Addressing the housing crisis head-on and offering job opportunities is the only way we can help our neighbors find economic freedom and help them realize their dreams in this city.”

TWENTY TWENTY The award-winning nonprofit literary performance series, Stories on Stage Sacramento, is celebrating the publication of its first anthology, “Twenty Twenty: A Stories on Stage Sacramento Anthology,” inspired by a year like no other.

The book contains 43 essays and short stories written by Northern California and guest authors, including Karen Bender, Anita Felicelli, Joan Frank, Debra Gwartney, Sands Hall, Pamela Houston, Vanessa Hua, Joshua Mohr and Peter Orner.

Join SOSS on Friday, July 23, at 5 p.m. on Zoom for a book launch and readings by professional actors. On Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 1–4 p.m., SOSS hosts an in-person book launch reception at Capital Books on K Street.

Sales from the anthology will support the nonprofit’s ongoing programming, including paying authors and actors for their work. For more information, visit storiesonstagesacramento.org.

EAST SAC IN BLOOM Have you noticed “East Sac in Bloom” signs scattered throughout the neighborhood and wondered what they were about? Well, you’re in good company!

East Sac in Bloom is a new neighborhood event celebrating beautiful front yard spaces. Sponsored

by Friends of East Sacramento, Inside

SAC HISTORY FUN

An English cottage garden is one of the winners in East Sac in Bloom. Photo by Linda Smolek.

Sacramento and East Sacramento Realtor Ann Vuletich, the event is in its first year.

Inspired by similar events in other cities, Vuletich created the contest to celebrate East Sac’s beautiful front yards and promote local businesses.

“While we have an annual backyard garden tour, we didn’t have anything similar for our front yards. So I decided to create one,” she says.

Neighbors nominated 13 yards for an award. Winners were “announced” May 1 when they spotted a sign in their front yard and found a canvas tote bag on their front porch filled with goodies, including the Inside Sacramento coffee table book, a gift card from Archival Gallery and a bouquet of flowers grown by local floral designer Mary Kuyper.

Three judges evaluated each yard on five criteria: color, creativity, design, water-wise and “fit” with the architectural style of the home. Judges, all avid gardeners, were Kuyper, Vuletich and Tamara Engel.

One of the winning gardens, surrounded by a short wooden fence, is a 3-year-old English cottage garden near the McKinley Rose Garden. The homeowner worked with Kathleen Harvey of Browerbird Landscapes and

Sam Alongi with Alongi Yardscapes to create and install the inviting garden.

gazes out over her garden, enjoying its colorful exuberance.

Plans for next year include expanding the contest to recognize a public garden space, holding a tour to meet the winners and get gardening tips, and adding a new category for “most inviting front porch space.”

Send other ideas for next year to info@ eastsacinbloom.com.

25 MILLION STITCHES Verge Center for the Arts is the first stop for “25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee,” a traveling fiber art project showcasing 2,200 handsewn panels.

The tapestry installation will be on display through Aug. 22.

Created by Verge resident multi-media artist Jennifer Kim Sohn, the project is designed to bring awareness to the approximately 25 million people across the globe who have been o forced to flee their homelands t n e m a r c Stage Sa ries by ories on t as a consequence of genocide, S sto t A r : o y h t s Twen s and y a s s e s “Twenty war, poverty, natural in authors. y” conta Antholog orthern California disasters, targeted violence N and other grave threats.

Alongi re-scaped approximately 3,000 Each panel is the result of hours of square feet of lawn and installed a handstitched labor by participants from low-water-use garden that feeds both 49 states and 36 countries across six people and pollinators. The homeowner continents. For more information, visit sits on a daybed on her second story and 25millionstitches.com or vergeart.com.

The Sacramento History Museum— which now has more followers on TikTok than any other museum in the world—has reopened for indoor visitation and resumed its most popular activities.

Old Sacramento Underground Tour provides guests with the unique opportunity to explore what has been hidden beneath the city for more than 150 years. With the help of entertaining tour guides, guests explore excavated foundations, enclosed pathways and interesting archaeology exhibits, while hearing the sounds of 1860 street life.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for kids 6–17 and free for children 5 and younger.

In Gold Fever!, participants take on historical personas to relive Sacramento’s early days of the Gold Rush and discover if they’ve successfully escaped floods, lost their gold dust to gambling, and survived fires, disease and the occasional steamboat explosion.

Tickets are $12 per person. Kids 5 and younger are free.

All tour tickets include complimentary admission to the Sacramento History Museum. For more information and an updated schedule, visit sachistorymuseum.org.

EMPOWERING WOMEN Women’s Empowerment is celebrating its 20th year providing paid job training, child care and support services to women and children to help break the cycle of homelessness.

The nonprofit recently received a $25,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs and a $20,000 grant from State Farm.

“This is a milestone year for Women’s Empowerment, and we would not be here without the generous funding of local companies and foundations that are committed to ending homelessness for women and children in Sacramento,” says Lisa Culp, founding executive director of Women’s Empowerment. For more information, visit womensempowerment.org.

LOANER LIFE VESTS When you go out on the waterways this summer, make sure you’re wearing a life jacket. Don’t have one? Fire stations throughout the region offer life jackets on loan for the day or the weekend.

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More than 2,000 panels comprise “25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee.”

Old Sacramento Underground Tour explores excavated foundations and enclosed pathways.

prevention, under “Safety Tips,” then “Water Safety.”

Loaner life vests also are available through the county’s “Kids Don’t’ Float” program, which features numerous life vest borrowing stations along the American River Parkway.

Borrow one for your child and return it when you are done. For a list of stations, visit regionalparks.saccounty. net, under “Activities,” then “Water Safety.”

DINOSAUR PLAY

“Lower (water) levels, like we are experiencing this year, can lead to exposed debris, as well as deceptive currents,” says Daniel Bowers, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management. “Awareness of these

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conditions and the proper preparation— including the wearing of a life jacket— can literally be the difference between life and death.”

For a list of fire stations offering life jackets, visit cityofsacramento.org/fire/

District 6 Councilmember Eric Guerra and local community residents recently gathered at the city’s oldest existing playground in Oki Park, located in the College Glenn neighborhood, to celebrate recent renovations.

One of 175 park playgrounds overseen by the city of Sacramento, the Oki Park playground was installed in 1992. The new playground has a dinosaur-exploration theme that includes a flying Pterodactyl and T-Rex head, life-size dinosaur bones,

skulls and eggs, an exploration vehicle, stepping boulders and more.

For more information on Oki Park amenities and the playground renovation, visit cityofsacramento.org/ parksandrec, under “Parks.”

WATER WISE Our region is expected to experience an extremely dry year, according to the Regional Water Authority. What can you do to help conserve water—and save money at the same time?

The city offers a variety of rebates to help residents become more efficient with their water usage through turf conversions, irrigation upgrades, smart controllers, rain barrels, laundryto-landscape, high-efficiency toilets, washing machines and water fixtures.

Customers can schedule a free virtual “Water Wise” house call by calling the city’s water conservation team at (916) 808-5605. There are also a variety of resources available at epa. gov/watersense, beyondthedrought.com, bewatersmart.info, saveourwater.com and through the city’s SAC311 mobile

(From left) Anaiah Morris, Devin Gates and Tiara Abraham are first-place winners in Scholarship for Young Choral Singers. app, which allows you to make nonemergency service requests or report water misuse.

County residents can report water waste, get drought information and learn water-saving tips at sacramentocounty.net/ waterconservation.

SCHOLAR SINGERS Sacramento Master Singers has announced the winners of its annual Scholarship for Young Choral Singers to support the musical growth of local students.

Winners for ages 20–22 are: first place, Anaiah Morris, Cosumnes River College; second place, Andrea Chea, Cosumnes River College; third place, Dayed Amituanai, Cosumnes River College. Winners for ages 17–19 are: first place, Devin Gates, Folsom Lake College; second place, Shawntell Livingston, Bear Creek High School; third place, Sarah Levy, Davis Senior High School. Winners for ages 14–16 are: first place, Tiara Abraham, UC Davis; second place, Kathryn Kasten, Saint Francis Catholic High School; third place, Raquel Lewis, Bradshaw Christian High School.

Sacramento Master Singers also has been busy recording a series of digital performances to celebrate the changing seasons. Check it out on the YouTube channel or at mastersingers.org.

DOWNTOWN LIVE! The Downtown Sacramento Partnership is seeking local musicians and artists for its new entertainment series, Downtown LIVE!, featuring live music and art activations on five pop-up stages through Aug. 28.

Entertainment is scheduled for Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. and 4–6 p.m. Locations are 12th and K; Ali Youssefi Square, 7th and K; Pony Express at the Old Sacramento Waterfront, 2nd and J; Bishop Gallegos Square, 11th between K and L; and the Embarcadero at the Old Sacramento Waterfront.

Musicians and artists will be paid for their performances. For more information or to sign up as an entertainer for a two-hour time slot, visit godowntownsac.com.

BURNETT AWARDS The Sacramento History Alliance has presented the 2021 Burnett Awards to five honorees—The Sacramento Observer, Shasta Linen Supply, Iceland Ice Skating Rink, HUB International (formerly John O. Bronson Co.) and Taylor’s Market.

The Burnett Awards are named in honor of the late Burnett Miller, a native Sacramentan, former mayor, community icon, philanthropist, business leader and one of the city’s most prominent history enthusiasts.

Each year, the Sacramento History Alliance honors local legacy businesses that have stood the test of time and

contributed to the community culture in the Sacramento region.

Funds raised from award ceremony tickets help support the Sacramento History Museum and Center for Sacramento History. For more information, visit sachistorymuseum. org, under “Events.”

INCLUSIVITY TRAINING Starting this month, the Midtown Association—in partnership with WEAVE, Sacramento LGBT Community Center, Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, Faces Nightclub and Outword Media—presents “PRIDE, Pronouns & Progress: Gender Inclusion Training,” a new grant program and educational workshops.

The hourlong virtual inclusivity training sessions are offered for free to Midtown and central city businesses, and focus on three primary topics: educating businesses about gender identities, gender rights in the workplace and beyond, and the importance of pronouns.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe and seen when they come to work, patronize a business or walk through the streets of Midtown Sacramento,” says Beth Hassett, CEO of WEAVE. “When we all encourage people to show up as their true selves and make it easier to navigate their lives, it increases the chance that they will reach out for help if they need it and that the right help will be there for them.”

Businesses can apply to participate at exploremidtown.org/midtownpride.

CAPITOL MALL MARKET The seasonal Certified Farmers Market has returned to 6th Street and Capitol Mall, and is open Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

With more than 25 vendors, the weekly market also provides hot lunch options from Sacramento’s most popular food vendors, including Yolanda’s Tamales, Nash & Proper, Rosa’s Portuguese Bakery and What’s Poppin’ Kettle Corn.

SUTTER FORT MOVIES The Midtown Association’s popular “Movies at the Fort” has returned to Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park.

The fun, free, open-air movie program features family-friendly films played on the fort’s historic exterior walls at the corner of 26th and L streets.

On Saturday, July 10, enjoy “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”

On Saturday, Aug. 14, watch “Up.” The community is invited to arrive at 7 p.m. with movies starting at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome. Guests are asked to sit in physically distanced family units in line with all current guidelines.

Tickets must be reserved in advance at exploremidtown.org.

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CALIFORNIA STAGE California Stage continues its exciting Social Distance Theater outdoor programming. This month’s “Music in the Courtyard Concert” features singer/ songwriter Jessica Malone on Saturday, July 3. The event opens at 7 p.m. with music from 8–10 p.m. Tickets are $15.

As part of Second Saturday, July 10, enjoy an exhibition in the Courtyard Gallery from 4–7 p.m. The show features Jermaine Tilson’s vibrant paintings, Roy Tatman’s colorful

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wooden sculptures, and Gerry Mamola’s totems and wall pieces.

California Stage is at 1719 25th St. For more information, visit calstage.org.

STAGE NINE To celebrate 30 years of retail success, Stage Nine Entertainment at the Old Sacramento Waterfront has installed inside the store a 13-foot, 500-pound replica of the iconic Warner Bros. water tower.

Stage Nine specializes in pop culture toys, gifts, games and more.

Founded by Troy Carlson in the early ‘90s, the Stage Nine retail empire started as a small 500-squarefoot gift shop—then known as Old Sacramento Giftique —that specialized in model railroad products, souvenirs, Sacramento-themed apparel and unique gifts.

Today, Stage Nine has expanded into an elaborate five-store, 8,000-squarefoot premier entertainment retail destination specializing in pop culture toys, gifts, games and more. For more information, visit stagenine.com.

WATER VAULT Construction of the McKinley Water Vault at McKinley Park is nearing completion. The FILL phase is done.

The ENHANCE phase has started and is anticipated to be finished this summer.

Over the next few months, expect temporary sidewalk and street closures, and pedestrian and jogging path detours, as irrigation and jogging paths are enhanced. For more information, visit cityofsacramento.org/ mckinleywatervault.

FOR AMERICA

“Mother Courage II” by Charles White is part of “For America” exhibit at Crocker Art Museum.

Image by Google© The Charles White Archives.

Courtesy of American Federation of Arts

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The Crocker Art Museum presents “For America: Paintings from the National Academy of Design” from July 3 through Oct. 3.

Featuring 100 paintings created between 1809 and the present, this exhibition documents the history of American painting through the lens of the National Academy. Since its founding in 1825, the academy has required all academicians to donate a representative work to its collection.

Represented artists include Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent, Richard Estes, Lois Dodd, Andrew Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Cecilia Beaux, Wayne Thiebaud, Charles White and others.

Looking for fun this summer? The Crocker also has tons of in-person and virtual art experiences for all ages. Visit crockerart.org/calendar for a complete list of offerings.

TOYROOM ODYSSEY Toyroom Gallery celebrates its 20th anniversary with the exhibition “Toyroom’s Odyssey—A 20-Year Art Trip” at the Russ Room, upstairs in Solomon’s Deli at 730 K St. Opening receptions are July 16 and 17 from 6–9 p.m. The art will be on display through Sept. 12.

Artists include Shaunna Peterson, John Berger, Kim Scott, Robert Bowen, Carrie Cottini, Jack Howe, Bruce Gossett, Chuck Sperry, Shepard Fairey, Skinner, Charles Glaubitz, Kepi Ghoulie and Dennis Larkins.

Founded by co-owners Craig Maclaine and John Soldano in 2001 in an unnamed alley in a building without an address, the gallery started as a way of “optimistically bringing popsurrealist and low-brow art to a public eagerly looking for brighter and more colorful times,” Maclaine says.

The gallery was eventually named Toyroom and relocated to a space on K Street, where it lived until the 2008 recession forced it to move online. This exhibition marks its return to an inperson retail space.

“Though many (artists) are missing from the saga, we feel this is a good representation of Toyroom’s odyssey,”

“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by Carrie Cottini is shown at Toyroom Gallery.

Maclaine says. For more information, visit toyroomgallery.com.

3-ARTIST SHOW Archival Gallery presents Davy Fiveash, Sean Royal and Richard Stein in a three-person exhibition July 6–31.

The grouping promises interesting interplay among three very different artistic styles: Fiveash’s traditional still-life florals and collage; Royal’s contemporary textured wood and spray paint landscapes; and Stein’s graphic regional landscapes in bright colors.

The gallery will be open for a Second Saturday reception July 10 at 5 p.m.

Visitors also are welcome during normal business hours with no appointment needed, but masks or face coverings are required when indoors.

HUMBLE SKY Veteran PR professional Stuart Greenbaum just released his first work of fiction, “Humble Sky,” a novella about the beauty of letting your imagination run wild.

Through the life stories of protagonists Henry Bakersfeld, an ingenious old man living with dementia, and Sherman, a curious young boy living in the Bronx, readers learn to appreciate the intersection of cosmology and philosophy, curiosity, humility and the range of ages of the uninhibited mind.

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SAC MOTORCYCLING

“The Delta - Venice Island” by Richard Stein is on display at Archival Gallery.

M O N T H

This month, native Sacramentan, retired educator and writer Kimberly Reed Edwards is celebrating the publication of her book, “Sacramento Motorcycling: A Capital City Tradition.”

The book, published by The History Press, covers the first 50 years, 1910–1960, of what Edwards calls “the greatest sport in the world” right here in Sacramento.

“I wanted to learn about the people and their habits, influenced by the roaring two-wheeler that came to town,” says Edwards, whose father was a motorcycle dealer at 1520 16th St. in the 1950s. “This is our history—the pathfinders, many of whom we’ve never heard about but who played important roles in the retail community, the chamber of commerce, civic positions, the police department—even the judicial system.”

The book includes a deep dive on Sacramento’s history as a motorcycle

hub, as well as more than 100 photos and fascinating narratives of the figures who were active in the area at the time.

A presentation on the motorcycle pioneers of Sacramento and a book signing by Edwards is set for Saturday, July 17, from 2–4 p.m. at the California Automobile Museum. The book can be purchased at most online retailers.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Battle Lines COUNTY BOARD WILL DRAW ITS OWN DISTRICTS

SHERIFF’S ACCOUNTABILITY County supervisors recently created a community review commission to work with the County Inspector General to improve accountability and transparency at the Sheriff’s Department.

Inspector General Mark Evenson said he liked the commission idea and saw it providing a “supportive role” to his office. But he was concerned panel members might use subpoenas to play a more active role. He said some “vetting” was needed on the panel’s subpoena power.

In response, the board agreed to issue rules for the commission, including how subpoena power is administered.

Evenson and two supervisors will finalize the rules and regulations for presentation to the 11-member volunteer commission. The group will undergo orientation on law enforcement policies and procedures.

MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES

R

edistricting season has arrived.

Every 10 years based on census results, political lines are changed to ensure equal voter representation. How the lines are drawn can be controversial, especially when gerrymandering is involved. The process may allow politicians to choose their voters, rather than the other way around.

In Sacramento County, the Board of Supervisors will determine its own districts, with public input. The Sacramento City Council is going through a similar exercise but has

HS

By Howard Schmidt Inside The County

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appointed a public commission to draw the lines.

The county process is explained at the website saccounty.net/redistricting.

Workshops will be scheduled in July across the county to encourage residents to share their thoughts and suggestions.

Check the website for updates.

Official census data are expected in September, with the process finalized by Dec. 15 to accommodate 2022 elections.

Three supervisorial seats are on the ballot next year. Phil Serna (District 1) and Patrick Kennedy (District 2) will run to keep their jobs. District 5 Supervisor Don Nottoli will retire after 28 years on the board, so south county voters will elect a new representative.

New district boundaries could influence those elections.

Sacramento County will provide a web-based mapping tool for voters and community groups once the census figures are available. The tool will allow the public to draw and submit suggested boundaries for each county supervisor.

Politicians have checkered histories when it comes to drawing their own

boundaries. The late Congressmember Phil Burton (D-San Francisco) once concocted a district so bizarrely shaped he referred to it as “my contribution to modern art.” His design included Burton’s ideal constituencies, broken into four sections, two of which were connected by water and two by railroad yards.

Not surprisingly, redistricting can become intense political theater.

District changes can either help or hurt election prospects. Federal and state laws exist to limit the shenanigans, but they don’t always work.

The rules require districts to be substantially equal in population, “communities of interest” treated fairly (socio-economic geographic areas kept together), cities and neighborhoods not divided, and boundaries made easily identifiable with freeways, rivers and major roads. A representative from the League of Women Voters will monitor the county for compliance to the California Fair Maps Act.

In September, the board will decide whether law enforcement should continue to respond to persons experiencing mental health emergencies via 911 or turn the function over to social workers through a stand-alone call system.

Rancho Cordova Police are operating a new Mobile Crisis Support Team to respond to mental health emergencies.

The team consists of a police officer trained in crisis intervention and a licensed mental health clinician. A peer navigator follows up to ensure clients are offered support in accessing care systems.

There are six additional Mobile Crisis Support Teams in Sacramento County. Each team responds to an average of 50 to 80 calls a month. While these teams combine law enforcement and behavioral health experience, some advocates want the Board of Supervisors to end law enforcement involvement by ditching the 911 routing system for a stand-alone call center dedicated to mental health emergencies.

Howard Schmidt has worked on the federal, state and local levels of government, including 16 years for Sacramento County. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com.

Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Brain Holloway and Tricia Stevens Photo by Aniko Kiezel

The Right Way EAST SAC SHOWS HOW COMMUNITY GROUP SUCCEEDS

T

he East Sacramento Improvement Association is not just another neighborhood group. Established in 1958 when Sacramento was still a sleepy backwater, it’s believed to be the city’s oldest neighborhood association.

Founded as a way to coalesce local opposition to Mercy Hospital expansion when Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House, the East Sac Improvement group is one of the city’s largest and most effective grassroots advocates. It typically gets early peeks

GD

By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

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at proposed developments within its boundaries and has re-shaped or helped kill projects it dislikes.

Part of the clout comes from its history and the fact that East Sac includes some of the city’s most exclusive areas, including the Fab 40s.

The East Sac alliance surely has an advantage over less economically strong corners of Sacramento when it comes to being heard at City Hall.

But its influence also comes from its leadership and wise, nuanced positions.

The East Sac Improvement Association has moderated Mercy expansion plans over the years. It sidetracked a proposed Elvas Avenue connection that would have swamped the area with thousands of cars.

Perhaps most famously, it helped stop the massive Centrage development along Business 80 in the early 1990s.

The land is now occupied by McKinley Village, an attractive neighborhood developed by former California

State Treasurer Phil Angelides that complements its surroundings rather than overwhelms them.

The group’s president is Tricia Stevens, a respected former principal planner for Sacramento County known for her thorough but fair reviews of proposed developments over a career that spanned more than 40 years.

Brian Holloway is the group’s treasurer and land use chair, another planning professional who has run his own development entitlement and consulting firm for decades.

Opposite sides of the urban growth coin, a public planner and a developer’s advocate, the two neighborhood leaders have always gotten along.

“We know the language. We know the jargon,” Holloway says. “We know when good projects are being presented before us because we are not newbies in the development business.”

If you want proof of the association’s thoughtfulness, ESIA stands out among

neighborhood groups for endorsing rather than attacking plans that could soon allow multiplexes in neighborhoods historically zoned single-family residential.

In Sacramento and other cities where the move to add housing options has been proposed, most neighborhood groups predict the death of singlefamily residential neighborhoods. ESIA supports the proposed changes with conditions the city seems willing to accept regarding building size, location and other considerations.

“We talked about it a lot and we felt we needed to have more housing choices in East Sacramento,” Stevens says. “We’ve been hearing from people for a long time that they want to rent an apartment or a duplex but have very few choices. We’d really like to see a more diverse neighborhood with different choices for renting and buying, and we also recognize that this strategy

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starts to address in some ways past housing inequities that have stemmed from strict single-family zoning.”

Experience tells her a surge of new duplexes and triplexes in single-family neighborhoods is not likely.

“The economics are not necessarily there,” Stevens says. “It’s an opportunity and a choice. But in the greater scheme of things, most of the growth in the city is going to take place along corridors and other infill sites.”

Reasonableness can be hard to find in civic debates. The East Sac group exemplifies it.

What other hot issues are East Sac residents most concerned with? Stevens and Holloway did not hesitate when asked: homelessness. Both agree the city is trying but not solving the crisis.

“One of the biggest concerns people have is the whole criminal justice system where people that are homeless and may be committing crimes,” Stevens says. “They get picked up and released right away. We’re very encouraged with the city’s community response team and encouraged by the initiative to help with folks who have mental health issues, but it’s a very difficult problem to solve.”

Also high on the list are the city’s plans to require all-electric new buildings and a possible move to eventually require all-electric appliances in remodels and repairs as part of the fight against climate change.

“It probably makes sense in the grand scheme of things,” Holloway says, “but people are very concerned about this sort of piecemeal, costly approach that could be coming on remodels or even if your air conditioning system breaks down and you’d be required to replace it will all-electric. It hasn’t happened yet, but we’re watching it very closely.”

That’s what the East Sac Improvement Association does. It watches. It listens. It gets involved and does its homework. When the group weighs in, its views are respected and often heeded. The city and East Sacramento are better for it, a shining and too rare example of responsible civic engagement.

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

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Part of the

Billie Hamilton Photo by Linda Smolek

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By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

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B

illie Hamilton was born to be part of the action. The River Park resident has spent her life educating people and fighting for causes. At 93, she’s going strong.

“I’ve always been an activist,” Hamilton says.

Action RIVER PARK ACTIVIST STILL FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

Her history proves the point. She’s a member of the Sacramento chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and has been involved with the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, American Friends Service Committee and National Organization for Women.

When Hamilton wasn’t marching or getting friends involved in various causes, she taught elementary school for more than 40 years in New York, Indiana, Michigan and California. The avid musician has directed choirs and taught the recorder to kids and adults.

She sees teaching and activism as intertwined interests.

“Looking at what I’ve done all my life, everything seems to point to educating others,” she says.

When she came to California, Hamilton taught at a private Quaker school near Grass Valley and became deeply involved in the Quaker faith community with Sacramento Friends Meeting.

At the time, she was keenly interested in going to Washington to lobby congressional representatives to reduce Pentagon spending and address issues affecting the poor. Eight years ago, she realized her dream with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change solutions.

The Sacramento chapter is one of 587 around the world.

“One of my friends was involved with CCL and invited me to come to a meeting,” Hamilton says. “I met Jennifer Wood (Sacramento chapter leader at the time) and she said they needed somebody to go to Washington, D.C., to lobby. I knew nothing about the group, but I thought this is my opportunity to go to Washington, so

I took the challenge. I found it really exciting.”

Hamilton has traveled to Washington with CCL four times to lobby for the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307). She has served on the group’s advisory board as treasurer and liaison to Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento). Prior to the pandemic, she attended CCL conferences that left her with “a wonderful feeling of hope and love and care and kindness” thanks to the nonprofit’s culture of respect, which fits with her Quaker beliefs.

The acronym for the Quaker Testimonies “is SPICES—simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship,” Hamilton says. “I can apply all those things to CCL. They respect, they don’t bully, they care about people and the relationship of building political will.”

Post-pandemic, Hamilton is looking forward to resuming her full schedule of CCL conferences, singing in the choir at Sacred Heart, performing and teaching recorder with groups that include the Sacramento Recorder Society (which she founded in 1987) and singing protest songs at marches as part of the international social justice activist organization Raging Grannies.

“I never got depressed during the pandemic because I’m so involved in my interests,” Hamilton says. “Doing something all the time makes me hopeful.”

For more information, visit sacramentoccl.org.

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

ZUCCHINI

These fast-growing squash are low in calories, con contain no saturated fats or A and other vitamins. cholesterol, and are a good source of protein, vitamin vita To eat: Slice horizontally, brush with olive oil, sprinkle sprink with salt and pepper and grill over a hot fire.

PEARS

Pears are packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. They are low in calories, too!

To eat: Slice, top with a dollop of blue cheese and wrap with prosciutto for an elegant hors d’oeuvre.

WATERMELON

Low in calories, calorie watermelon contains dietary potassium, and vitamins C and A. Drink fiber, potassiu watermelon jjuice after a grueling workout.

To eat: For a refreshing salad, serve with arugula and feta. f

Monthly Market A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN JULY

TOMATOES

NECTARINES

Related to peaches, these delicious stone fruits are full of antioxidants and provide some B-complex vitamins and minerals.

To eat: Combine with raspberries to make a summery crumble or cobbler.

CUCUMBERS

This low-calorie vegetable has a surprisingly high amount of vitamin K. The peel is a great source of dietary fiber.

To eat: Peel and seed, then chop coarsely and combine with yogurt, garlic and lemon juice to make the zingy Greek dip known as tzatziki.

This summer treat—practically synonymous with Sacramento!—contains massive amounts of lycopene. According to a study from The University of Montreal, a diet rich in tomatoes may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

To eat: Slice, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper for the perfect summer salad.

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Photo by Aniko Kiezel

No Way L.A. DOWNTOWN CAN’T FOLLOW PATH TO SKID ROW

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fter a decade of looking for encouraging news about Sacramento’s homeless crisis, I’ve found some: Compared to downtown Los Angeles, Sacramento has no homeless crisis.

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By R.E. Graswich City Beat

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I visit downtown L.A. every couple of months and have watched its vibrancy sink into an abyss of misery, poverty, crime and wasted lives. Tents, doorway sleepers and garbage are everywhere. Recovery will take years. If L.A.’s anguish makes Sacramento look hopeful, it also carries a warning. As Mayor Darrell Steinberg says, “Los Angeles is a cautionary tale.”

Before the pandemic, about 4,600 homeless people lived in L.A.’s dystopian wasteland east of Main Street between Third and Seventh streets. The slum covers 50 blocks

and almost 3 square miles. Welcome to Skid Row. For 50 years, Skid Row was a containment zone. Flop houses, rescue missions and soup kitchens served derelicts, felons, lunatics and drug addicts. Tourists and office workers steered clear. Police considered it a cesspool of violence and vice. An invisible wall surrounded Skid Row. The pandemic breeched the wall and shattered it.

As offices closed for COVID and social-justice protests disintegrated into looting, parts of downtown L.A. near Skid Row—thriving

neighborhoods—were obliterated.

Restaurants, bars, hotels, bakeries, sandwich shops, clothing stores, gyms, record shops, florists, nail salons, coffee roasters, hairdressers and art galleries boarded up and left.

At least 145 downtown L.A. businesses closed. Now their sidewalks are filled with tents and people in cardboard boxes. The historic Skid Row boundaries of Main Street and Third Street are gone. Homeless camps blossom on all corners.

By comparison, Sacramento’s homeless crisis is fragmented and small. The city’s Skid Row flows away from Downtown toward North 12th Street and the River District.

Dingy single-room occupancy hotels that served transients and ex-cons are reborn as low-income housing.

Sanctioned campsites feature toilets and showers.

Sacramento follows a new strategy, designed by Steinberg to thin out homelessness, spread the problem around and make it less obvious.

Under Steinberg’s plan, each council district—there are eight—will support some type of services for unsheltered people. The Great Homeless Dispersal is underway. It’s the mayor’s most clever move in a crisis that has defined his two terms.

The dispersal comes weeks after a federal judge in L.A. ordered authorities to find shelter for Skid Row’s entire population. Judge David Carter sided with downtown L.A. business owners and residents who said officials abdicated their duty to clean up the mess. The judge wants L.A. to stop wasting tax dollars on TO PAGE 29

Joel Hockman, CCO, Pucci’s Pharmacy at 3257 Folsom Boulevard

Maria E. Munoz, owner of East Patio Mexicano on 5100 Folsom Boulevard

Alan Leatherby, Owner, Leatherby’s Family Creamery at 2333 Arden Way

LOCAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN KEEPS GROWING

Mary Ngo, Owner, The Sandwich Spot at 2108 11th Avenue

Cheri Malkasian, Owner, The Summer Porch at 3254 J Street

Photos Courtesy of Cecily Hastings, Lauren Stenvick and Sally Giancanelli We are happy to report that the PLEDGE 100% LOCAL campaign continues to grow and pick up new supporters. We invite other businesses and groups to join the effort. You can participate as simply as posting our signs at your business or by donating to fund signs and other resources.

Visit insidesacramento.com/100local. For more information, contact cecily@insidepublications.com.

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Killer Tomatoes SUMMER BRINGS OUT CITY’S FAVORITE FRUIT

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omatoes are so in this season.

Summer has arrived and farmers markets are bursting with freshly picked produce.

Blackberries and apricots drip with juice. Cucumbers and corn are dressed in bright greens and yellows.

To top it all off are tomatoes: cherry, beefsteak, green zebras, even Mr. Stripey heirlooms.

Many local farmers are vendors at neighborhood farmers markets and sell their tomato varieties throughout the year. The popularity of tomatoes runs deep in local history. For decades over the past century, at least five canneries operated in Sacramento.

Today the canneries are gone but tomatoes remain a favorite.

Jamie Dettmer is a market manager for Certified Farmers’ Markets of

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By Tessa Marguerite Outland Farm-to-Fork

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Sacramento County. She’s also an avid farmers market enthusiast and knows many vendors by name.

When asked who grows some of the best tomatoes, she rattles off an impressive list, describing the juicy and flavorful fruit grown on area farms.

One vendor with exceptional tomatoes is Juan Toledo of Toledo Farms, a certified organic grower in Lodi who works with his father Federico Toledo.

Toledo created his farm about 10 years ago on a modest 3 acres. A few years ago, the growing operation moved to its current plot in Lodi, with 30 acres of rich soil and plenty of space.

While the battle with grass and weeds never ends, the seasonal harvest is worth it.

Tomato varieties from Toledo Farms include heirloom, Brandywine and cherry. With help from the sun, soil and water, Toledo says his tomatoes grow quickly with sweet, juicy fruit. This summer, in addition to tomatoes, Toledo Farms is growing jalapeno, serrano and orange bell peppers, summer squash and watermelon. Whatever the season, there’s always something in rotation.

“It makes my job a lot easier when people say these tomatoes are a little bit sweeter or better tasting,” Toledo says.

“Feels good.”

Toledo attributes his tasty tomatoes to work and diligence. “There’s no cutting corners,” he adds. “When I sell my stuff, I know there’s hard work behind it. It’s pure.”

Toledo says his favorite way to eat his tomatoes is simply sliced on a sandwich or chopped cherry tomatoes in a salad.

His daughter loves ripe, juicy tomatoes straight from the vine. Toledo is proud of his farm and the full-flavored produce he shares with the community.

“Anything that comes out of Toledo Farms is grown with blood, sweat, tears

Federico Toledo

and hard work,” the grower says. “I have a lot of satisfaction in that.”

Toledo Farms is a vendor at the Elk Grove Farmers Market on Saturdays and the Downtown Farmers Market, temporarily relocated to the Arden Fair Mall parking lot on Sundays.

Other vendors with ripe and ready-to-eat tomatoes can be spotted

throughout the summer months at any farmers market in the area.

Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail.com.

Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

FROM page 26

homeless remedies that don’t work and lack accountability, such as Housing First.

L.A. authorities have appealed Carter’s order, but Steinberg is paying attention. “It’s a drastic order,” he says. “In Sacramento, we have the opportunity to accomplish the same goal contained within the judge’s order without the intervention of the court. We have an opportunity to do it better and differently.” That means disperse homeless people into temporary housing and shelters.

Before the pandemic, downtown L.A. boomed. More than $35 billion was invested since 1999. Skyscrapers, music halls and museums rose on Bunker Hill. Old factories and warehouses became expensive lofts.

Downtown L.A.’s population reached 85,000.

The L.A. Live entertainment district and Staples Center were inspirations for DoCo and Golden 1 Center. But Carter’s intervention shows why Sacramento can’t afford to copy L.A.’s acceptance of tents in parks and street corners.

Two factors will determine how Downtown Sacramento recovers from the pandemic. First, government workers must return to offices.

Second, tents and sidewalk sleepers must be dispersed. Many public employees won’t come back until September at the earliest. Without them, businesses will continue to struggle—a challenge made worse by people living on the street.

There are already signs of economic resurgence in Downtown. Michael Ault of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership says 27 businesses have opened since April 2020. They offset the loss of about 40 shops that closed.

The newcomers are diverse, from coffee shops to salons. Many are located in Old Sacramento, the city’s former Skid Row. What those new businesses need are lots of customers and zero tents.

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

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Water Wise DROUGHT MEANS YOU MUST PLANT SMART

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cant rainfall and drought, measured in degrees like “severe” and “extreme,” have slithered back into our lives.

Folsom Lake is a mud puddle, the Sierra Nevada snowpack was 59 percent of normal and rainfall is more than a foot below average.

Sacramento did not receive an April downpour. Zero precipitation was recorded for the entire month Downtown, a record, and the driest April since 1877, when data was first collected. Not even a trace of moisture settled on lawns and flowerbeds.

According to the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, landscape watering accounts for an estimated 50 percent of residential water consumption statewide. In the hotter inland suburban areas—think Sacramento—it jumps above 60 percent.

Persistent climate trends present landscape challenges. Parched earth dictates watering restrictions, but also triggers help through programs, rebates and educational opportunities.

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By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

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The city of Sacramento offers rebates for residents who decide to swap water-guzzling lawns with waterefficient landscaping. Customers can schedule water-wise house calls where deficiencies are red flagged and watersaving tips are presented. To schedule a home visit, call (916) 264-5011.

Department of Utilities spokesperson Carlos Eliason says the city has partnered with landscape designers to help homeowners successfully plan makeovers.

“Water efficiency is important year-round and especially so during dry periods, which are becoming more frequent,” Eliason says. “Saving water can help improve flexibility with water supplies in the future and education is critical to getting that message across. During the past few years, some Sacramento residents have even combined saving water with a sense of civic pride.”

The city boasts a new demonstration garden at the Department of Utilities main office at 1395 35th Ave. It’s open to the public and features lowwater plants, more efficient irrigation systems and environmentally friendly concepts. A virtual tour and information about the garden can be accessed at cityofsacramento.org/utilities/ sustainability.

Unfortunately, there is the perception that water-efficient landscapes are homely, barren Las Vegas-like moonscapes of gravel, river

rocks and spikey plants. Sacramento is not a desert city.

Visit the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center at the back of Fair Oaks Park and discover the beauty of low-water perennials, ground covers and trees.

The front demonstration gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk and plants are labeled. A plant list, garden layout and tips on creating and caring for a new landscape are online at sacmg. ucanr.edu. Click on “Water-efficient plants” and “Drought gardening” for numerous links to information.

The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is an excellent source for landscaping ideas. Visit arboretum. ucdavis.edu for a list of Arboretum AllStars (100 plants) and another plant list with choices specific for Central Valley performance. The arboretum features several demonstration gardens open to the public focusing on low-water, year-round blooming plant choices.

Admission is free.

Elk Gove maintains Rain Garden Plaza on Laguna Springs Drive across from Colton Park. Drought-resistant plants, pervious paving systems, water harvesting and other educational conservation practices are on display.

Plants are labeled.

Those who decide to reduce or eliminate lawn areas may want to consider some of these plants: lavender, butterfly bush, rockrose, ceanothus, sage, penstemon, grevillea, rosemary, lantana, sedum and caryopteris. All new

plantings require regular watering for the first year. Once established, waterefficient plants use much less water.

Escalating water bills and restrictions can be offset not only with water-wise plants, but simple home strategies. The Elk Grove Water District recommends prompt repair of leaky faucets, pipes and sprinkler heads.

Running lawn sprinkler systems for a couple of shorter cycles rather than one long water cycle allows water to soak in between cycles and reduces runoff.

This also works well in raised vegetable beds. The Regional Water Authority has many more tips and conservation information at bewatersmart.info.

Each water district has its own prohibited practices. Check your water district website for specific information.

Citations and fines are the reward for noncompliance during droughts. Good luck!

Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County.

He can be reached at masterg29@ gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

Dwindling Flock DECLINES SPELL TROUBLE FOR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

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ne recent Sunday morning, my wife and I pulled up to a stoplight near our home and spotted our neighbors alongside us. We exchanged the requisite fun faces of surprise before the green light signaled our Subarus to resume highway speed.

For the next 10 minutes, we passed each other back and forth along a 10mile, four-lane highway in the foothills.

Coincidently, we both turned off at the next stoplight.

“It would be fun if they were joining us this morning,” I said to my wife.

Three stoplights later, I drove into our church parking lot and glanced back to see the neighbors blur past as they continued into the Gold Country hills.

I can’t say where they were headed, but according to a recent Gallop

NB

By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

poll, they were probably like most Americans. They were not going to church.

The poll brings startling news for the faithful. America’s membership in a church, synagogue or mosque has declined at least 1 percent each year— dropping from 70 percent in 1998 to an all-time low of 47 percent by 2020.

Before 1998, church membership had remained steady as far back as 1937.

In just 22 years, we had a whopping 23 percent decline—the sharpest in American history.

Take a moment to consider that polling word “membership.”

As a young man, I considered myself privileged to pastor a 200-member church. However, I rarely preached to more than 70 people. I quickly learned that membership doesn’t equal commitment, attendance or activity level.

In a not-so-subtle effort to resolve that discrepancy and boost our attendance, I would sometimes ask neighbors, “If you went to church tomorrow, where would you go?”

They would pause a moment before naming their preference: “Either the church I grew up in or the one down the street.”

According to Gallop, the majority of people today would say, “I wouldn’t. I just wouldn’t.”

With more than 100 churches in the U.S. closing every week, where has our religion gone?

Besides the usual suspects of yard sales, the mall and sporting events, Shadi Hamid suggests a more disturbing answer in a March 10 article in The Atlantic titled, “America Without God.” Hamid is a contributing writer for the literary and cultural magazine and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

His Atlantic article argues there is a suspicious connection between the decline in religious faith and today’s rising ideological intensity.

He suggests our faith is a limited quantity. As we’ve invested more energy into our political ideals, we’ve become less faithful to our places of worship.

If that’s true, we may have to consider faith as something we must budget. And if that’s the case, we are confronted with the question, “Where do we spend it?”

We seem to be expending our faith coins on Red vs. Blue. Fascism vs. socialism. Pro-gun vs. gun control. Fox News vs. CNN. Trump vs. Biden.

The Bible identifies our misspent faith in the very first commandment regarding idolatry. Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Put simply, God should be the No. 1 item in our faith budget. (Not to be followed by country.)

My working definition of idolatry is: “Excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing.”

I’m as guilty of squandering my faith as you are. Consider the amount of time we’ve spent advocating for our pet issues on social media versus time spent volunteering at church or in prayer.

No wonder Americans find their faith nearly bankrupt.

In the meantime, the faithful are left to ask, “What do we do to save our churches?”

I believe it’s possible to restore our faith and recover our devotion to church. We simply have to reintroduce the priorities of passion and relevance.

I’ll share some thoughts on that next time.

Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. He will be guest speaker at Elk Grove Presbyterian Church for the 10 a.m. service Sunday, July 11, at 8153 Elk Grove Blvd. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.

Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

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First Love

FROM CIVIL RIGHTS TO THE RACE TRACK

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athaniel S. Colley died in 1992, but he’s having an excellent 2021. His home on Pleasant Drive in South Land Park has been declared a historic landmark, along with his office on S Street. A new school on Gerber Road is named for the civil rights attorney.

Tributes to Colley invariably mention his work to end housing discrimination and his status as the first African American lawyer to practice in Sacramento. That would be January 1949, when he was admitted to the California Bar. Six years later, he built his home at 5114 Pleasant Drive, integrating a whites-only neighborhood.

But Colley had another passion that usually goes ignored. He was a sportsman and mad about horse racing.

He purchased box seats at Cal Expo and rarely missed a day’s action during the State Fair thoroughbred meet.

When night harness racing became a Sacramento phenomenon in 1971, the best place to find Colley was not at his office or home, but the racetrack.

Colley was a bold horseplayer. He loved to search the Daily Racing Form or harness program for long shots. He believed he could conjure opportunities missed by other bettors.

I visited Colley’s box and Turf Club table several times and watched him in action. Judging from the torn betting tickets that littered the floor around his feet, I figured Colley was like many horseplayers. His long-shot dreams dissolved as his horse faded down the home stretch.

RG

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

Attorney Nathaniel Colley and son Nat Jr. with a thoroughbred in 1966 at Priscilla Bell Ranch in Elk Grove.

Colley suffered defeat like any bettor, but he was no common horseplayer. He served seven years on the California Horse Racing Board. He bred hundreds of racehorses at Priscilla Bell Farm, his 122-acre ranch in Elk Grove.

And in 1984, Colley kept harness racing alive in Sacramento by taking over the operation and running the show. Sadly, his Cal Expo harness season was a fiasco. It became a rare and costly failure in the Colley legacy.

Colley resigned his seat on the racing board before the 1984 harness meet.

Partnering with a food concession manager named Scott Esparza, Colley was the brains and financial heavyweight behind the operation. But he wasn’t a true heavyweight.

“What I’m saying is that I’ve had to exhaust my credit with my bank,” Colley told friends as his harness meet

began. He borrowed $350,000 to ensure the track met minimum requirements for cash on hand.

The odds were stacked against Colley. Track operators took small profits from parking, ticket sales and wagers made by customers. The real money was in food and drink.

But Colley didn’t preside over concessions. Cal Expo sold the track’s hot dog and beer contract to Ogden, a global food concessionaire that today

operates as Aramark. Colley despised Ogden.

“We put on the show and people come here to eat and drink beer. The profits are going to Ogden and they are running a tacky operation. It isn’t first class,” Colley said. He insisted Ogden failed to spend a promised $600,000 in track upgrades. “All Ogden has done is patch up the worn railings with tape.

They’re just not taking care of the public.”

Other problems emerged. Colley installed new wagering machines, but the equipment had glitches. Bettors grew frustrated. Several races were interrupted when the power grid failed at Cal Expo. Colley ended up losing money. “We wound up substantially in the hole,” he said. The 1984 harness season was a long shot that finished dead last.

Colley continued to breed thoroughbreds at his Elk Grove ranch. His first horse—a filly named Najermape—was a gift from a client to Colley and his law partner, a future judge named Mamoru Sakuma. The filly debuted at Vallejo and won her first race. That was 1958. Colley was hooked.

“The judge and I were so new we didn’t realize we were supposed to go to the winner’s circle,” Colley said.

Brain cancer ended Colley’s life at age 73. He died at Priscilla Bell Farm near the stables he loved so much.

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

HIS FIRST HORSE DEBUTED AT VALLEJO AND WON HER FIRST RACE. THAT WAS 1958.

COLLEY WAS HOOKED.

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Staying Power WEAVE LEADER

CELEBRATES 25 YEARS HELPING OTHERS

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quarter of a century. Makes a girl think.”

–Marilyn Monroe as Sugar in “Some Like It Hot.” Beth Hassett has been thinking a lot lately.

The chief executive of WEAVE is celebrating her 25th year at the nonprofit that provides crisis intervention for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Sacramento County.

The milestone has Hassett looking back to where she started.

And she’s looking ahead with the organization she’s served since 1995.

“Twenty-five years ago… I walked through the doors of WEAVE as the special events coordinator and the agency’s 278th employee,” Hassett writes in an email to the community. “I know now, I was—and remain—drawn to a complex combination of wanting to support that individual survivor; the urge to lead a team of compassionate, caring staff and volunteers to realize our agency’s mission; and a drive to make the world a more equitable and safe place for all people.”

JL

By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

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Beth Hassett Photo by Linda Smolek

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Living Trust Consultation

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Hassett didn’t intend to spend her career in the nonprofit universe. She studied finance at the University of Utah. After college, Hassett and her husband decided to attend graduate school for theater. Hassett’s parents were in show business and she grew up performing.

She planned to combine her interests and raise money for the arts. Instead, she ended up getting “a taste of working with the media” as publicity director for the school theater department. The experience changed her trajectory.

“Part of my challenge with the finance field is the juxtaposition between how to ethically raise money to operate a business while looking at it through the lens of (philosophers) like Kant and Mill of using people to get ahead,” Hassett says. “I was very drawn to the idea of working for an organization that worked with very difficult issues, but also the inequity of gender and race.”

While working fulltime in fundraising for WEAVE, Hassett volunteered for its crisis line and as a sexual assault responder. She sat with survivors as they underwent medical tests at UC Davis Medical Center. Coupled with the death of her mother, the experience was too much.

Hassett left and served in senior management positions with Capital Public Radio and the Mercy Foundation before WEAVE beckoned her back—this time as executive director.

Over the last 15 years, Hassett’s job morphed from executive director to CEO as the organization grew in size and complexity. She oversees a $10 million budget and hundreds of staff, including advocates, counselors and educators, and volunteers. The pandemic only complicated matters, forcing the organization to pivot in unforeseen ways.

3001 I Street, Suite 130

Lambtrust.com “When the shelter-in-place orders first hit, we saw a decline in people reaching out because they weren’t comfortable leaving and the shelters had stopped taking new people,” Hassett says. “By July, the calls to our legal line had doubled as people looked for legal solutions (such as restraining orders) to stay safe.”

In March, WEAVE launched an online chat function so people wouldn’t have to talk on the phone, which Hassett calls a “lifesaver.” They also introduced the telemedicine platform Doxy, which allows WEAVE to serve counseling clients remotely—a practice that will likely continue after the pandemic.

This year, Hassett wants to reframe what WEAVE means. She and others felt the original acronym, Women Escaping a Violent Environment, was too gendered for an organization that also serves men and nonbinary people.

When a young boy came up with a new basis for the abbreviation—When Everyone Acts, Violence Ends—it sounded like a perfect fit.

“In 2021, we’re focusing on what people can do to help end violence,” Hassett says. “Educating yourself about what leads to violent acts, intervening when you see somebody behaving badly, donating clothes to our thrift stores, donating money. I like the positivity of (the new name). It shows that we all have a role—even if we don’t think we’ve been touched by it, we have.”

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

InsideSacramento.com

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Cara Gregor Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Color Me Happy SURE, IT’S WORK, BUT THIS ARTIST HAS FUN

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t’s easy to smile at Cara Gregor’s artwork. The Curtis Park resident uses bright happy colors to create grin-inducing images of reimagined

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By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

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rainbows, energetic abstracts and bold florals, plus unique jewelry in equally vibrant tones.

As the artist herself says, “Art is fun. That’s why we do it.”

Gregor brings that sense of whimsy—and her amazing color palette—to the adorable 1914 bungalow she and her husband Benjamin are remodeling. The home had belonged to her grandparents since 1950. When Gregor’s grandmother died in 2019, the couple

decided to buy it and keep it in the family, with updates that maintain the historic Craftsman charm.

They’re documenting the process on Instagram @colorfulbungalow.

“We’re mainly freshening it up,” says Gregor, who grew up in Sonora but spent time in Sacramento as a kid with her grandparents. “My grandmother used to tell me, ‘When I’m gone, pull up these carpets, there’s gorgeous hardwood under here.’ She was right! We’ve restored

the natural hardwood floors and we’ve put in new cabinets and painted everything white to really make the art on our walls pop. It’s kind of a blank slate, which makes me very happy.”

Having plenty of wall space for her work has proven handy since Gregor embarked on a 365-day painting challenge last August. Gregor says the project was intended to provide that extra push to put something on

canvas—even one brush stroke— every day.

“That commitment has allowed me to open myself up to see where that can lead,” Gregor says. “It’s an experience of exploration, versus only making art that’s going to sell.

Posting my progress on social media allows me to share the process, explain my steps and show a painting being created from beginning to end.”

Gregor grew up drawing, but it wasn’t until 2009, while teaching English in Shanghai after college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, when she made art a serious part of her routine.

When she moved back to Sacramento in 2010 and started working at Heringer Estates winery in Clarksburg, she wanted to continue her newfound art practice. In the last decade, she worked her way up from wine sales to creative director at the winery and built a nice career as an artist.

When she’s not planning ad campaigns, painting, working on the house or designing colorful jewelry to sell on Etsy, Gregor shares her passion and skills as a teacher at Sierra 2. Though her entry-level art classes are now online due to the pandemic, Gregor says the move to virtual teaching has been positive.

“Class can now fit into your day so easily,” she says. “You don’t have to get up and drive anywhere. It’s easy to pop on after work or before dinner, and once you get over the hump of buying your own supplies, now you have them whenever you need them.”

Never short on projects, Gregor moved into illustration. She and friend Cary Zierenberg-Senge published the children’s book “Kate and CiCi Build a Sandcastle” in 2018—with plans to make it a series—and Gregor published an adult coloring book about succulents to encourage others to tap their inner artist.

“So often, especially as adults, we don’t make time to be creative,” Gregor says. “I want to inspire people to be more creative and to make art more accessible. Everyone’s an artist.”

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

For more information, visit caraemilia.com.

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Creative Conversions

HOMEOWNERS TURN GARAGES INTO ARTISTIC ESCAPES

W

hen Jim Darke first moved into his house in South Land Park in 2019, he knew immediately he would convert the garage into an art studio.

The painter and cartographer downsized from his former home in Little Pocket, but knew he still wanted a space where he could spread out his art materials. Though he has a studio at Arthouse on R, he does most of his work in his reimagined garage.

“The garage had the right framework to be a studio, so I hired my ex-son-in-law to do the conversion,” says Darke, whose ethereal paintings on canvas explore the connection between sky and land—a perspective gained while working as a naval aviator and glider pilot.

“He’s a talented craftsman, so he not only did the electrical work, he also insulated the very high ceiling, put in new LED lighting that approaches natural sunlight and installed a mini HVAC unit, so it can be 105 degrees outside, but it’s still only 75 in my studio.”

The pièce de résistance of Darke’s project was replacing the standard garage door with one made of frosted glass, which allows for a “big bank of soft, diffused light” that is perfect for painting but

JL

By Jessica Laskey OPEN HOUSE

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Jim Darke Photos by Aniko Kiezel

Photos by Megan Goetz

A GLASS GARAGE DOOR IS ALSO THE STUNNING FOCAL POINT OF MARK AND CAREN RODDY’S RECENT GARAGE CONVERSION.

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Mark and Caren Roddy with their children Eryn and Garrott.

Photo by Megan Goetz

maintains privacy, since the garage faces the street. He plans to open the door completely when he hosts visitors as part of the Verge Center for the Art’s Sac Open Studios in the fall.

A glass garage door is also the stunning focal point of Mark and Caren Roddy’s recent garage conversion. When the couple first settled in East Sac three years ago (by way of Phoenix and Oakland), they knew they wanted to make the garage a functional separate space. But it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that they finally made it happen.

“We decided to inhabit the garage as soon as we moved in, but when COVID happened and we were going to be spending time out there a lot as a family, we started thinking about how to really make it comfortable,” Mark says.

Both he and Caren are architects and faculty members in Sac State’s Interior Architecture department, so they designed the conversion themselves.

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They hired a contractor to install insulated windows, French doors that open onto their yard, new lighting and, of course, a fully functional glass garage door.

“We wanted an inside-outside space because the weather is so nice, but we didn’t want to enclose it,” Mark says.

“We can benefit from the light and still stay connected to the neighborhood even when the garage door is closed.”

Three-quarters of the space have been transformed into a “hang out” room designed by Caren, with eclectic furnishings—including a birdcage seat suspended from the ceiling. There’s plenty of room for drawing, dollhouse making and game playing with the Roddy’s two children, 11-year-old daughter Eryn and 14-year-old son Garrott. The remaining quarter of the space boasts much-needed storage (designed by Caren) for the family’s tools, camping gear and bicycles.

“We don’t all have to be minimalists—there’s no shame in having things you actually need and use,” says Caren, who runs a professional practice helping people organize, design and stage their interior spaces. “It’s all about helping you figure out what you need to live.”

Mark adds, “People often complain that they can’t do anything in their garages because there’s too much stuff in the way. But if they just organized it

in a different and clever way, they could benefit from a great, usable space that’s so often underutilized.”

For more information, visit jimdarke. com, markroddyarchitect.com and carenroddy.com.

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

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Delizioso!

HEAVENLY GNOCCHI TOPS NEW RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE

Photos by Linda Smolek

T MO

By Tessa Marguerite Outland Restaurant Insider

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M

attone Ristorante is East Sacramento’s newest fine dining Italian restaurant.

It’s the type of place

where you have to think about which fork to use, where the salt and pepper shakers go untouched. It’s also where the truffle ricotta gnocchi makes your mouth water.

For many Sacramento natives, Mattone will not be hard to find. The location on Folsom Boulevard was home to the famed Español restaurant, which closed in 2020. The new eatery

brought life back to the old building when June Chang opened Mattone in May. Stepping inside the familiar place, I found it warm and welcoming. A simple arrangement of a vase with pink carnations graced each starched white tablecloth. Surrounded by old brick walls and low candlelight, the sound of clinking glasses and muted laughter saturated the space. The wait staff moved through the three dining rooms like actors in a play, all rehearsed and confident in their roles.

The relatively short menu—an indication of a chef who has perfected the craft—offers four sections: antipasti, insalate and la zuppa, primi piatti and secondi piatti. The dishes are written in Italian, but their descriptions are decoded in English.

The first dish on the menu is calamari fritti. The shareable plate of crispy squid is surprisingly spicy, seasoned with cayenne and smoked paprika, accompanied by a creamy tomato sauce and lemon wedges. Each bite provides a delectable crunch.

For more daring eaters, there is the spuma di finocchino con granchio, a creamy crab salad layered on a fennel mousse topped with Sterling caviar. It’s mild in flavor but elegant, buttery and

smooth, served in a chilled martini glass and garnished with yellow endive.

If you order nothing else at Mattone, you absolutely must try the gnocchi al tartufo. You have not lived until you have had one bite of this dumpling. The waitress is correct when she predicts your eyes will roll back in your head after biting into one heavenly piece.

Blanketed in a rich cream sauce, the mouthwatering dish of truffle ricotta gnocchi is served with simple presentation, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The gnocchi itself is unbelievably fluffy and smooth, like a savory marshmallow dripping with garlic and butter. The menu changes seasonally, but the gnocchi should not be missed.

Two of the three appetizing options for the secondi piatti include pollo al Mattone and pesce del giorno. The first dish is served with a graceful presentation of traditionally blackened chicken atop seasonal vegetables with a decorative drizzle of a dark, sweet sauce called vincotto. It was cooked to absolute tenderness.

The pesce del giorno was presented beautifully with a creamy walnut pesto drizzled over braised garbanzo beans and a mountain of silky cauliflower puree. All that topped with dark green

arugula and a thick, juicy piece of seasoned swordfish.

The wine selection features many Italian-style vinos, including Chianti, Chianti classico and brunello.

If you manage to save room for dessert, it may be difficult to decide between a traditional affogato or cappuccino cheesecake. No doubt the reason so many families dine here together is for everyone to take bites from each other’s plate.

Mattone is a fine dining experience.

It’s also a memorable place for a couple to share an intimate meal or

celebrate an anniversary. Call ahead for reservations.

With its warm atmosphere, attentive staff and thoughtfully crafted Italian food, Mattone Ristorante could easily become the dining destination for locals, as well as big city folks.

Mattone Ristorante is at 5723 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 758-5557; mattonesac.com.

Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail.com.

Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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