Inside Pocket July 2020 by Inside Publications

JULY 2020

POCKET

JOSE DI GREGARIO

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COVER ARTIST

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

JOSE DI GREGORIO Jose Di Gregorio is a local interdisciplinary artist whose paintings and murals focus on intricate geometric patterns with vivid gradient colors and celestial nightscapes. Shown: Detail of a mockup for a mural, created in oil paint, marker and spray paint on panel. Visit josedigregorio.com.

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

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JULY 2020 VOL. 7 • ISSUE 6 6 7 8 10 12 18 19 20 22 24 25 27 30 32 34 36 38 40 42

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Road to Recovery ONLY A HEALTHY CITY CAN HEAL ITSELF

Adam Attia Photo by Aniko Kiezel

eaders know my passion for local small businesses. Sacramento merchants make immense contributions to our neighborhoods. Our sense of community, lifestyles and health depend on their “open for business” signs. The past four months have frayed the protective fibers of our community. Businesses and schools were shut. Healthy lifestyles disrupted as gyms and fitness centers closed. Self-isolation. Families and friends kept apart.

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

POC JUL n 20

Then our world shifted again with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death at the hands of rogue police officers sparked a nationwide reckoning about race and equality. Peaceful protests in Sacramento gave way to violence and looting. Our frayed community was torn further apart. A trip down J Street in early June told the story: shattered glass, boardedup shop windows and spray-painted epitaphs on walls. Business owners in my East Sac neighborhood boarded their windows in advance. Other merchants around town did the same, hoping to save their investments. A city can’t consider itself healthy if our elected officials fail to make decisions to protect small businesses. It took two nights of violence before our elected leaders adopted a curfew designed to stop the looting. Damages to more than 200 businesses exceeded $10

million. Many of those businesses are owned and staffed by the very people the protestors were marching to protect. The response to COVID-19 also showed inconsistencies in our priorities. We express concern about mental and physical wellness. Then we block access to gyms and fitness centers. Some were allowed to open in June. But all were given onerous safety rules and protocols. I was stunned to receive an email from my favorite fitness studio detailing state protocols for re-opening. The small studio has always been a clean and thoughtful organization. But the new rules read like we were preparing to enter an infectious disease ward. My heart goes out to any business trying to bring back clients under such mandates. The same rules apparently didn’t apply to major retailers such as Walmart, which reported record sales (and pandemic-defying crowds)

and booming stock prices. The aisles were packed despite social-distancing protocols. More than 20 Walmart employees died from coronavirus-

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related complications in two months. Meanwhile, local gyms were locked down. Adam Attia, owner of East Sac’s Fitness Rangers gym, has been devastated by the shutdown. He joined other fitness community leaders to lobby Gov. Gavin Newsom for help in getting gyms open. Attia explained the industry followed state protocols to develop new guidelines. “I guarantee our clients will be safe, feel safe—safer than any other business sector that has already been allowed to open. We are selling health and wellness. We are helping our clients beat diabetes, obesity and providing a mental outlet to deal with the tremendous stress we are all facing,” he says. Fitness Rangers will need more than a year to financially recover from the shutdown, Attia says. And that’s if the gym is lucky. As we move forward and think about the people and places in our community that need attention, nurturing and protection, small businesses must be high on the list. As we prioritize our support for all people, especially those we have neglected, we must think of mom-and-pop shop owners—local folks who have poured their hearts and

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investment dollars into Sacramento’s diverse neighborhoods. And we must protect and support neighborhood businesses that provide opportunities to improve our health. Those businesses should be allowed to safely re-open. If our health, fitness and mental wellness are suffering, if neighborhood businesses are disappearing, how can we begin to fix deeper, systemic problems?

HELP SUPPORT INSIDE Please sign up for our Inside Sacramento weekly newsletter, with even more local news than we deliver to you in print. And consider an Inside membership, staring at $19.95 a year. Visit insidesacramento.com/shop. And TAKE THE 100% LOCAL PLEDGE! Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidesacramento.com. Previous columns can be read and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram: @insidesacramento.com. n

BY CECILY HASTINGS

hen gyms, playgrounds, pools and parks are closed and everyone told to stay home, exercise opportunities are foreclosed to all but the resourceful. One activity I managed to continue during lockdowns was tennis. In the first month of shelter-in-place, courts in public parks closed one by one. Many older players dropped out. Our tennis club was the last to bar play, but thankfully, they let family members still share the courts. My adult son had to be convinced to play tennis with his mother. After every public court was shuttered, a friend discovered a pair of unlocked tennis courts in an Arden apartment complex where her daughter lives. The condition of the courts was bad—cracked, faded, with only ghostly white lines. We repaired the nets with shoelaces. But no one complained. We took a vow of silence not to disclose the location of our secret court. We developed our own safety protocols. This included social distancing on the sidelines and using our own personal ball rather than the usual sharing.

When public courts re-opened, new rules were posted. The Mission Oaks Park District prohibited doubles play. I see the same people playing doubles nearly every day and I’m confident the coronavirus death toll isn’t attributable to excessive doubles. That same park district also removed the benches. The new conditions presented a real inconvenience, especially to older players. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky in Sacramento. Tennis is inherently adaptable to social-distancing protocols, but courts in some cities—Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver and elsewhere—were still not open by early June. Such draconian measures go far beyond the reasonable guidelines created months ago by the U.S. Tennis Association. Behind these and other COVID-19 edicts is the notion that people aren’t smart enough to use good judgment. Physical activities, including tennis, are good for the body and mind. Those of us who love being active need our workouts now more than ever. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidesacramento.com. n

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Street treett Sh S Show w

MUSICIAN BRINGS STAGE HOME DURING SHUTDOWN

Dinorah Klingler Photo by Aniko Kiezel

hat can performers do during a lockdown when they can’t reach a live audience? Dinorah Klingler, who simply goes by Dinorah, set up a stage in front of her Pocket home. For three months, the popular Latina musician and producer of regional mariachi festivals has entertained neighbors and friends. Once a week, her cul-de-sac comes alive with joyful singing and dancing in the street—all with social distancing. Count me as a fan. When shelter-in-place orders began, Dinorah canceled band gigs at Mango’s

CM By Corky Mau Pocket Life

POC JUL n 20

Sacramento, plus commitments for weddings and graduation parties. Dates at Miner’s Leap Winery, Brookside Bar & Grill, Vegan Food Festival and Cinco de Mayo Festival were also canceled. For now, the festivals have been rescheduled. “On a professional level, the past few months have been challenging,” Dinorah says. “In addition to canceling our gigs, I also had to reschedule two mariachi festivals that were supposed to take place in March. The new date for our Sacramento festival is July 12 at the Memorial Auditorium. But this could change depending on when larger audiences are allowed to gather in our city. In the meantime, I’m trying to bring a little bit of love to those around me.” Dinorah is an award-winning singer, songwriter and musician. She has performed for audiences throughout the U.S. and Mexico for more than 30 years. Since 2012, she has won three local

Sammies awards. Of these, two (2016 and 2017) were for World Music Artist of the Year. Dinorah sings in five languages— English, French, Italian, Greek and Spanish. She sings flamenco, bolero, blues, jazz, mariachi, salsa, cumbia, merengue, funk and rock. She’s performed with Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Mariachi Vargas, Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Celia Cruz and others. She’s been featured on Good Day Sacramento and Capital Public Radio’s Insight with Beth Ruyak. Born and raised in Mexico City, Dinorah grew up in a musical household. “We listened to the Radio Universal station all day long. My parents weren’t classically trained, but they taught us to embrace music,” she says. While her parents were at work, she and her sister would roam the streets and subways in Mexico City, singing to whoever would listen. “We were so happy when people gave us money to sing.” In 1996, she moved to the United States with her young children and then-husband, a medical student. After stops in Michigan and Colorado, she landed in Los Angeles and formed Los Alondres, the city’s first all-female mariachi band. After a long career in show business, Dinorah knows her industry is anything but stable. The coronavirus shutdown has made life even more challenging for entertainers. “I think musicians will be the last consideration as businesses begin to reopen, unless there is outdoor space to accommodate entertainment,” she says. “I will continue to play as a solo artist—be it at my home or in other neighborhoods. I’ll also continue streaming live on my Facebook page.”

The luckiest person is her husband Mark Klingler. “I’m entertained all day long,” he says. “Dinorah wakes up singing. She sings when she cooks and works in the yard. It’s fun to watch everyone dance in the streets and sometimes sing along with her. We have great neighbors and I think these weekly gatherings have brought us all closer.” To learn more about Dinorah or have her sing for your neighbors, visit dinorahmusic.com or her Facebook page, Dinorah Entertainment.

CURBSIDE LIBRARY SERVICE Curbside service for library materials is now available at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library. Patrons must make an appointment, which are available Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. For information, visit saclibrary.org.

EVENT CANCELLATIONS Due to coronavirus restrictions on large public gatherings, several July events are canceled: Fourth of July Pocket Parade, Matsuyama Fun Run and Trucks & Such at Garcia Bend Park (Friday nights). Weekly Jazz in July concerts may take place online. For information, contact Henry Adkisson at (916) 8087192 or hadkisson@cityofsacramento. org. Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Caged Drivers

CARS BRING PROTECTION, BUT THERE’S A PRICE

ctivists for walking and bicycling sometimes refer to drivers as “cagers” since automobilists are encased by a ton or more of metal and cut off from their environment. In the age of COVID-19, instead of being a cage, a car seems more like a protective steel bubble in a world that’s turned hostile. When they aren’t staying home, people take advantage of that protection when they venture out, even taking pleasure rides when cabin fever becomes too much. With movie palaces and playhouses closed, drive-in theaters are enjoying a surge in popularity. In some places, people can attend plays, concerts, comedy shows and church in their cars. Drive-by celebrations of birthdays and graduations replace large in-person gatherings. Far sadder occasions have been marked by drive-by wakes and funeral viewings. Restaurants offer “touchless” curbside meal pick-ups for drivers who stay in their car. Pop the trunk or hatch

WS By Walt SeLfert Getting There

POC JUL n 20

and your prepaid food order gets tucked inside. Food banks operate in a similar fashion. Virus testing is being done for people queued up and ensconced in vehicles. You don’t have to leave your SUV to have a swab shoved up your nose. The federal government encouraged private car use as coronavirus prevention. For employers who are reopening office buildings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially recommended: “For employees who commute to work using public transportation or ride sharing, consider offering … employees incentives to use forms of transportation that minimize close contact with others, such as offering reimbursement for parking for commuting to work alone or singleoccupancy rides.” Close quarters are typical on public transit. Ride sharing via Uber or Lyft and carpooling add their own risks of virus exposure. It’s impossible to physically distance inside a car and virtually airtight car cabins concentrate the virus. A Harvard study indicates opening car windows three inches greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, transmission risk by circulating outside air. The idea that everyone will avoid transit and drive alone as restrictions loosen prompted concern, especially in cities such as New York, Boston,

Chicago and San Francisco with relatively high transit use. Cheap gas provides another impetus to drive. Some transportation planners foresee Carmaggedon—epic traffic tie-ups. There’s only so much road space. If everyone drives alone, gridlock is the outcome. But that scenario is not inevitable. Many employees may continue to work from home. Employers may stagger shifts to cut staff density. Further, the economic consequences of the pandemic mean lots of jobs don’t exist anymore. No job, no commute. The CDC recommendation is consistent with past commute patterns in most places, such as Sacramento, where public transit is little used. By far, most commute vehicles have just one occupant. Cars are convenient, offering drivers independence and flexibility despite traffic issues. But too much independence can become alienation. Too much automobile autonomy can threaten the social fabric. Driving alone may offer protection to solo drivers from the virus, but cars threaten everyone else with their mass, speed and pollution. CDC’s early recommendation that employers offer incentives to solo drivers was woefully wrongheaded. Thankfully, CDC now recommends walking and bicycling. It still suggests solo driving, but drops the idea of incentives.

If transit is to be avoided in the shortterm, the first choices for commuting should be walking and bicycling. Those are healthy transportation choices that strengthen the immune system and afford virus protection. Walking and bicycling don’t endanger people the way cars do. Solo driving is problematic on many levels. Car crashes kill thousands annually and injure millions. Car emissions cause lung and heart disease and harm the environment. Disease control has to be a priority for CDC. The long-term transportation future, beyond COVID-19, can’t be more cars. Yes, car cages offer temporary disease protection. And cages increase safety for their occupants, though they threaten the flesh and blood of vulnerable road users outside. But there’s not enough room in cities, or enough dollars in government budgets, for unlimited solo driving. In the long run we need to be caged less, not more. Walt Seifert is executive director of Sacramento Trailnet, an organization devoted to promoting greenways with paved trails. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Best Foot Forward COMMUNITY STEPS UP TO CLEAN UP AFTER VANDALISM

Volunteers remove graffiti from the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. Photo by Aniko Kiezel

undreds of Sacramento community members came together in the early morning hours of May 31 and June 1 to clean up Downtown and Midtown following vandalism and destruction stemming from protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Wearing masks and gloves, and clutching brooms, dustpans, garbage bags and cleaning supplies, volunteers bagged broken glass, garbage and debris, while others scrubbed graffiti off of buildings and other structures. As many as 200 businesses were vandalized over two nights, resulting in millions of dollars in damage, according to Emilie Cameron with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, which

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POC JUL n 20

partnered with the Midtown Association to launch the community cleanup effort. “You would see blocks where every business had their windows broken,” Cameron says. Volunteers, business owners and city crews cleaned up broken glass, debris and spray paint along J and K streets and surrounding areas at sites such as Macy’s, Tony’s Deli & Mart, Sharif Jewelers, Mike’s Camera Shop, Lofings Lighting, BevMo and several restaurants. “Macy’s was significantly impacted,” Cameron says. “The whole block of restaurants on 15th and 16th between J and L really got hit hard. Tony’s Deli at 12th and J was vandalized both nights.” Near the state Capitol, volunteers removed graffiti from the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building, and the California Peace Officers’ Memorial. At Sacramento’s Downtown Commons, home of Golden 1 Center, city workers cleaned spray paint from two pieces of public artwork. In addition to Downtown and Midtown, other areas of Sacramento experienced damage, including Land

Park where Target’s glass doors were smashed, and Arden-Arcade where several businesses were vandalized. “It was very difficult for the businesses to experience the level of damage that occurred,” Cameron says. “But it was really inspiring and restored the spirit of those business owners to have the community come out and support them, be there and help in the recovery efforts.” To support those recovery efforts, the community may make tax-deductible donations through a grant program under the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. Seeded with a $30,000 contribution by the partnership, the program will issue grants up to $1,500 to Downtown businesses to directly cover the cost of insurance deductibles and storefront repairs. To donate, visit godowntownsac.com/ donate or mail checks made out to the Downtown Sacramento Foundation to 980 9th St., Suite 200, Sacramento, 95814. Downtown businesses can learn more and apply at downtownsac.org/ recovery.

JOB-READINESS PROGRAM Women’s Empowerment has received $26,500 from U.S. Bank and $12,600 from Union Pacific Foundation to support the nonprofit’s job-readiness program. Under the program, women experiencing homelessness are given support through career skills workshops, paid job training, transportation assistance and mentoring to help them re-enter the workforce. To date, the organization has graduated 1,635 homeless women and their 3,726 children. Last year, 70 percent of graduates found homes and secured 186 job placements. For more information, visit womensempowerment.org.

MIDTOWN ONLINE Small business owners and organizations in Midtown are offering unique online experiences in lieu of inperson activities.

Join us for our

New Summer Menu Wine Tasting Hotel Sophia LaPerle (left) and Nicole Young are the winners of the Sacramento Master Singers Scholarship for Young Choral Singers. Many are either free or low cost, and focus on entertainment, fitness and education. For example, there are DIY jewelry-making tutorials, live music broadcasts and online comedy shows. Fitness activities include virtual 5K, 10K and half marathons, online yoga, biking and Pilates classes. For teaching programs, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park offers children’s how-to videos and SMUD has online energy-focused lessons for kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit exploremidtown.org.

educating Sacramento’s littlest ones,” Ashby says. The library contains approximately a dozen new and well-loved titles, such as “Green Eggs and Ham,” read by Chad Augustin, deputy chief of the Sacramento Fire Department. Other local luminaries include KFBK afternoon host Kitty O’Neal, Sacramento Police Department chief Daniel Hahn and Sacramento Kings announcer Scott Moak. For more information, visit angeliqueashby.com/ story-time-sacramento.

STORY TIME AT HOME

SINGING SCHOLARSHIPS

Story Time Sacramento, an online video library of popular children’s books read by community leaders, is now live. The project was spearheaded by Councilmember Angelique Ashby. “This online library was inspired by all of the teachers and parents at home doing such amazing work to continue

The Sacramento Master Singers has announced the winners of its Scholarship for Young Choral Singers. Launched in 2003, the scholarships support the musical growth of local singing students. First place for ages 14 to 16 went to Sophia LaPerle of Davis Senior

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For immediate mental health and/or co-occurring substance-abuse services, call the Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic at (916) 520-2460. If you’re struggling and need to talk, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 273-TALK (8255). The Hope Cooperative Peer Support Line is also available at (855) 502-3224, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more COVID-19 resources, visit saccounty.net.

MOBILE WI-FI

The Sacramento Ballet offers virtual summer programs for students at home. Photo by Amy Seiwert High School. First place for ages 17 to 22 was awarded to Nicole Young of Sac State. For more information, visit mastersingers.org.

KEEP IT CLEAN Stage Nine Entertainment Inc. is the first retailer in Sacramento to offer the CleanKey, a small keychain tool with a pointed edge that can be used to touch keypads at places such as grocery stores and ATMs. CleanKey, made from antimicrobial copper alloy, also has a handy hook that can help open doors, press buttons and pull levers. Stage Nine has five retail stores in Old Sacramento: Stage Nine Entertainment Store, G. Willikers Toy Emporium, The Vault, Old Fashioned Candy and Confectionery Store, and California Clothiers. The stores are back open for walk-in business, but still offering hundreds of unique items in their online stores for those who prefer to shop from home. For more information, visit stagenine. com.

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MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES This has not been an easy time for those suffering from mental health issues. Sacramento County is offering several services for those in need. Sacramento County residents on Medi-Cal can contact the Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services Division at (916) 875-1055 for overthe-phone assessments and referrals to mental health service providers, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Youth, parents and caregivers of youth can call or text (916) SUPPORT (787-7678) or visit thesourcesacramento.com for an online chat. Support is available 24/7. For those who need guidance on how to approach a loved one about seeking mental health services, Sacramento County’s Community Support Team can be reached at (916) 874-6015, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff support individuals with navigating mental health services, providing fieldbased assessments and giving referrals to other community resources.

Wi-Fi Buses will be rolling through the city to provide free wireless hotspots to communities with limited high-speed internet access, thanks to a partnership among the city of Sacramento, Sacramento Regional Transit District and California State Transportation Agency. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the project in April as part of the state’s efforts to support distance learning and close the digital divide during the pandemic. Approximately one in five students in California lack high-speed internet access and nearly half of all low-income households in the state do not have broadband service at home. The repurposed Wi-Fi Buses— outfitted with equipment provided free of charge by partners AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless and Aruba—will provide three and a half hours of wireless broadband service at two locations each day, with updated schedules available at thewifibus.com. Sacramento-based Symsoft Solutions also developed a free mobile app that provides real-time updates on the location and availability of Wi-Fi Buses. To download the free app, visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and search “WiFi Bus Sacramento.”

NEW CITY PARK Just in time for summer weather— and socially distant fun—the urban master planned community The Mill at Broadway has opened its new Olympian’s Park. The 3 1/2-acre city-owned and -maintained park features a large game court, picnic area, walking and biking trails (which will eventually connect to the American River Bike Trail at the Miller Park marina via an I-5 underpass), community center and amphitheater. For more information, visit millatbroadway.com/communitypark.

BALLET EDUCATION The California Arts Council recently awarded the Sacramento Ballet a $32,778 grant to help fund the ballet’s ongoing programs in Arts Education and Youth Arts Action. Arts Education–Artists in Schools brings ballet to local public schools as part of the daily curriculum. Arts Education–Exposure provides free tickets to “The Nutcracker” to four schools each year. Youth Arts Action provides after-school dance training. “These opportunities have an enormous impact on children in our local community,” says Amy Seiwert, the ballet’s artistic director. “With these grants, Sacramento youth will have the opportunity to learn ballet, experience live performance, and participate in something that is good for both their physical and mental health.” To that end, the Sacramento Ballet is offering virtual summer programs on Zoom in the Children’s Division, Student Division, Pre-Professional Division and Trainee Program. For more information, visit sacballet.org/ sb-at-home.

SCHOLARS PLAYGROUND Square Root Academy is celebrating four years of providing free STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs for youth. The academy has also launched the online learning platform Scholars Playground with community partners to increase its reach during the pandemic. The platform features live tutoring and education segments for kindergarten through 12th grade students hosted by community educators on topics such as STEM, language arts, mindfulness and more. The classes are available in 30-, 60- and 90-minute increments. Courses include performance poetry writing workshops with Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, African-American art history classes with the Crocker Art Museum, creative writing workshops with 916ink, Kemetic Yoga with Afro Yoga, and classes with Square Root educators on block coding, 3D modeling and more. For more information, visit scholarsplayground.org and squarerootacademy.com.

WATER VAULT UPDATE The McKinley Water Vault’s build phase is approximately 60 percent done

Square Root Academy has launched Scholars Playground for youth.

“Spirit of California” by Miles Hermann brightens an exterior wall at Archival Gallery. and on track for completion by early fall. Be on the lookout for temporary sidewalk and street closures, and pedestrian and jogging path detours over the next three months. The water vault, located in McKinley Park, is an underground storage tank that will hold storm water and wastewater during significant rainfalls when the sewer system is at capacity. This will reduce street flooding and sewer system outflows. The project also includes $1 million in park enhancements, such as new shade structures, trees and bathrooms. For more information or to sign up for construction email updates, visit cityofsacramento.org/ mckinleywatervault.

CLASS PROJECT The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Leadership Sacramento Class of 2020 has selected the local nonprofit Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps as its class project. SRCC is Sacramento’s largest education and workforce training program for young adults ages 18 to 25 from high-risk environments. Leadership Sacramento’s improvement projects with SRCC will include beautifying its campus; designing, installing and cultivating a vegetable garden for SRCC Corps members; and funding for personal protective equipment, including hand sanitizer, masks, protective eyewear and disposable gloves. Founded in 1985, Leadership Sacramento is a yearlong interactive program of workshops, meetings and community-betterment projects designed to address issues that impact the region’s economy. For more

information, visit metrochamber. org/foundation/programs/leadershipsacramento.

SPIRIT OF CALIFORNIA Archival Gallery has unveiled a new mural—“Spirit of California” by Miles Hermann—on its building at 3223 Folsom Blvd. The mural “depicts the promise California has to offer,” Hermann says. “A place where countless people from around the globe have sought the potential for prosperity and reinvention.” This is Archival Gallery’s third mural along with “Sting” by Robert Bowen (featured in Wide Open Walls 2019) and “Providence” by Davy Fiveash. Limited-edition prints of Hermann’s mural will be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting Mercy Pedalers, which reaches out via bicycle to men and women experiencing homelessness. Hermann’s new landscape and stilllife paintings will also be on display inside the gallery July 8 to Aug. 1, alongside the sculpture and painting installation “31 Days” by Debra Kreck-Harnish and Leslie McCarron. Information on visiting hours is at archivalgallery.com.

NEW SAC STATE DEGREE Sacramento State will offer a new hospitality and tourism management degree beginning this fall to train students to work in the tourism and restaurant industries—and, hopefully, help those businesses recover from the pandemic-spurred downturn. The bachelor of science degree will focus on hotel management, tourismdestination marketing, convention

and meeting planning, the basics of entrepreneurial businesses, and the skills needed to work with for-profit and “experience industry” agencies like resorts, theme parks, travel agencies and more. Local industry professionals from the Sacramento Hotel Association and Visit Sacramento (Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau) will work closely with department faculty to provide internships and job experience. “These industries can absolutely make a difference in how we cope with and recover from global health

emergencies,” says Tony Sheppard, program coordinator and professor in Sac State’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration.

KINSHIP CARE United Ways of California and the California Department of Social Services recently rolled out a new website, KinshipCareCA.org, a free compendium of information to help kinship caregivers and foster parents

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access local resources, benefits and support. Approximately one-third of California’s formal child welfare system—59,156 children—are living with extended family members or other relatives. However, records show that in California, more than 285,000 children are being raised by relatives outside the child welfare system. Studies have shown that kinship care can lead to better emotional health, fewer placements and better outcomes. The new website offers locationbased resources in 53 of California’s 58 counties for respite care, childcare, health care, education and more, as well as resources on utility, housing and food assistance. Call specialists are available 24 /7 and a live chat function will be added in coming months.

ROAD TRIP ART Painter Kathy Dana’s solo exhibition “Road Trip” will be on display at Sparrow Gallery July 10–31. Two years in the making, the show’s acrylic-on-canvas and wood-panel work features scenes of highways, bridges, small towns and back country roads seen through a car window. Sparrow Gallery is at 1021 R St. For more information, visit sparrowgallery. com and kathydanaart.com/gallery#/ road-trip.

CROCKER ‘WHITE HOUSE’ Artist Al Farrow’s iconic 2018 art piece “The White House” will be on display July 26 to Nov. 15 at the Crocker Art Museum. Using guns and ammunition as his materials, Farrow transforms tools of destruction into intricate sculptures of architectural monuments. The Crocker exhibition, composed of just one sculpture, is intended to “remind all of us of the importance of this building and what it stands for,” explains Scott Shields, associate director and chief curator. “It is also meant to jolt us out of complacency, no matter on which side of the political divide we stand.” For more information, visit crockerart.org. 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 the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

INSIDE

OUT

Community Unites to Clean Up After Looting Clutching brooms, dustpans, garbage bags and cleaning supplies, hundreds of volunteers helped clean up Downtown and Midtown the mornings after vandalism and destruction following protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The community bagged broken glass, garbage and debris, while others scrubbed graffiti off of buildings and other structures.

IMAGES BY ANIKO KIEZEL

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Market Crash

VIRUS DESTROYS LOVE AFFAIR WITH GROCERIES

hate the grocery store. Dread walking into one. It wasn’t always this way. Until mid-March, when the coronavirus grabbed California by the throat, I loved markets. I visited grocery stores several times a week, often for no reason, even when the refrigerator was full. If a neighbor needed a half-gallon

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

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of milk and a ripe tomato, I was ready to go. Eric Stille taught me how to appreciate grocery stores. Stille runs Nugget Markets. In 2003, he gave me a tour of his new store in Pocket’s Lake Crest Village. The store was ready to celebrate its grand opening. Stille drove over from Nugget headquarters in Woodland to ensure the meat counter and cheeses and wines and olives looked beautiful. He explained Nugget’s secret sauce: Make shopping sexy. Make the grocery store a destination. “We call it a warm environment,” Stille told me. “Studies

show most people don’t enjoy shopping for groceries. We’re hoping to change that.” Longtime Pocket residents will remember the challenges faced by Stille. Three grocery stores failed in Nugget’s Lake Crest space. The site was ugly and aggressively not sexy. The old stores were boring. They covered their brown bricks with drywall. Nugget changed everything. Down came the drywall. The Roman statues and coffee bar and carving station and skylights introduced by Stille were treats for Pocket shoppers. Those classy touches made Nugget a bright

and shining winner—a status the Lake Crest store carried into 2020. But thanks to the virus, none of those pleasures matter anymore. Grocery stores became a consumer’s battleground for survival, surrounded by force fields of negative energy. With their acrylic shields, personal distancing floor tape, unpredictable and weirdly depleted inventories, and masked and gloved clerks and customers, markets are not places to linger. Grab what you need. Engage as little as possible. And get out. You touch it you buy it. Wash your hands—or even better, shower—the instant you get home. A psychologist friend explains why grocery stores turned into anxiety factories thanks to COVID-19. “You’re scared when you walk in,” she says. “You worry that someone might get too close while reaching for a can of beans. You look in other shopping carts to see if they got the last roll of toilet paper. You hear a guy cough and wonder if he’s sick. It’s competitive and dangerous. It’s not a warm and fuzzy place.” Grocery stores have always challenged some people because they have 30,000 items, present confusing choices and require endless decisions. Aniko Kiezel That’s whyPhoto manybycustomers buy the same stuff and never try anything new. That’s why people like bulk warehouse stores. Nugget and Bel Air, the premier Pocket grocery stores, have managed the virus better than many businesses. Both companies are hiring new workers—“Are you in need employment? We’re hiring!” shouts the website for Bel Air and Raley’s. Grocery workers have been hailed as heroes in the pandemic. And heroes they are. As much as I hate visiting the market now, I would be horrified to work in one. A friend of mine works for Bel Air in the Promenade Shopping Center. He’s been miserable since the crisis began, worried about getting sick and passing COVID-19 onto his family. “We’re on the frontlines every day,” he says, sounding like a weary soldier. Back in 2003, Eric Stille told me, “The atmosphere is free.” He meant the joy of being in Nugget, surrounded by gorgeously curated aisles stuffed with food, not fear. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Little by Little

Dawn Dais

NONPROFIT SHOWS HOW SMALL ACTS CAN ACCOMPLISH BIG THINGS

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

very little bit helps. No one knows aging out of the foster system and into that more than Dawn Dais, their own housing. She also prepares founder of the nonprofit Throwing meals and provides backpacks full of Starfish Foundation. cold weather items for the homeless “People want to help, but they get population. overwhelmed because there’s so much Throwing Starfish really took off need,” Dais says. “It makes you want when the Camp Fire started Nov. 8, to throw your hands up—but the truth 2018. When Dais’ friends in Chico lost is, if we all did a little bit, it adds up to their homes, she began to brainstorm something really large.” ways the nonprofit could help. She Dais has done more than a little raised nearly $200,000 through for those in need. She built houses donations and grants from the North with Habitat for Humanity in Central Valley Community Foundation to America in her early 20s, as well as in provide survivors with cold weather New Orleans post-Katrina, and has essentials, gift cards for food and volunteered for local homeless and gas, home goods like furniture and women’s shelters for years. But her kitchen items to help people set up new career as a graphic designer and writer residences, resources for those living off of political mailers really makes her the grid and much more. crave giving back to her community. “The Camp Fire let us really expand To counteract “the vitriol of election our network,” Dais says. “I’ve met season,” Dais plans community so many amazing people doing (these projects each year to cleanse her soul projects). I’ve found that if you start of the negativity. doing things—if you She started by plant the seeds—people volunteering with show up who want to be Together We Rise, part of that garden.” “People want to help, but which helps children These experiences in foster care. As Dais also prepared her to they get overwhelmed assembled hundreds respond quickly to the of Sweet Cases (duffle because there’s so much pandemic. Throwing bags filled with Starfish has assembled essentials to replace and distributed Health need... but the truth is, the trash bag kids Worker Care Kits are often given to if we all did a little bit, it for nurses at Mercy tote their belongings) General Hospital, the adds up to something for the organization, trauma surgery clinic she was pleased at UC Davis Medical really large.” to see how many Center, the ICU at people were willing Kaiser Permanente to donate items, time South Sacramento and money when Medical Center and asked. Dais figured if she put her skills the COVID-19 unit at Sutter Roseville organizing people to good use, she could Medical Center. Dais is also looking into expand her efforts and make an even creating kits for seniors sheltering in bigger difference. place while continuing her other work In 2018, the Roseville resident and with the homeless, foster kids—and mother of two made her intentions anyone else who needs a helping hand. official by founding the Throwing “We have to get involved in our Starfish Foundation. The name comes communities,” Dais says. “We have to from a story Dais heard as a teen about put boots on the ground. We have to an old man who comes across a boy figure out little ways that we can make throwing starfish stranded by high tide a difference. We don’t need to save the back into the ocean. The old man tells world, but we can throw one starfish the boy, “Son, there are thousands and encourage others to do the same. of starfish and only one of you. What And little by little, we can make a difference can you make?” The boy difference.” picks up a starfish, gently tosses it into the water and tells the man, “I made a For more information, visit difference to that one!” throwingstarfish.org. That mindset—one small act can make a big difference—has guided Jessica Laskey can be reached at Dais in dozens of projects, including jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous assembling and distributing hundreds profiles can be found and shared at the of Comfort Bags (her version of Sweet all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow Cases) for children currently in foster us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: care and Apartment Kits for those @insidesacramento. n

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Photo by Aniko Kiezel

DoCo Or Else CITY RECOVERY WILL PLAY OUT ON K STREET

o see how Sacramento is managing the economic crisis, visit Fifth and K streets. That’s the heart of the Downtown Commons entertainment center. It’s a six-block stage where the city’s recovery will play out in miniature. Until March, DoCo represented everything grand and hopeful about Sacramento. The whale was Golden 1 Center, drawing audiences from valley to foothills. Profitable symbiotic

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

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relationships formed with multiple restaurant groups, including Yard House, Polanco Cantina, Sauced BBQ, Punch Bowl Social and Echo & Rig, plus a handful of retailers and the Sawyer Hotel. DoCo is the rare Sacramento space lubricated by outside dollars. It attracted investors from Livermore (Sauced), San Rafael (Polanco), Las Vegas (Echo & Rig), Denver (Punch Bowl Social) and Orlando (Yard House) who could drop money elsewhere, but chose to build Downtown. Pulling businesses into K Street has been tough for 50 years. DoCo made the phones ring. Today, as the city lurches onward in turbulence brought by COVID-19, DoCo is the test case. Along with Old Sacramento, DoCo relies on the critical mass generated by crowds swarming from elsewhere—crowds that won’t

return until the virus is reasonably under control. If DoCo stumbles and loses tenants, the impact will be severe. While the chances are remote that DoCo will follow previous K Street malls into the oblivion of wrecking balls, nothing is impossible. Businesses in East Sacramento, Midtown, Land Park, Arden-Arcade and Pocket rely on locals and regulars to nurse them through the economic dead zone. DoCo has only a handful of residents. It lacks legacy and needs Golden 1 Center to operate at high capacity and draw regional audiences. As California reopens, the last places to fill are arenas, stadiums and concert venues. Generous occupancy limits may never return. It’s impossible to predict Sacramento’s fate. The local engine is powered by public employment. With

the state facing massive budget deficits, nightmares from the Great Recession of 2008 are roaring back. A decade ago, state workers were furloughed on Fridays. City workers— even cops—were laid off. Public swimming pools were padlocked. Fire stations closed on a rotating basis. Property values plummeted amid foreclosures. Local unemployment pushed 12 percent. Pain from 2009 still lingers. The City Council restored many but not all services cut in the recession. City leaders believe Sacramento will survive the coronavirus economic meltdown with minimal hardship. City Manager Howard Chan predicts a $92 million whack to the general fund over two years, primarily through loss of sales taxes and fees. But the city has reserves, plus an $89 million stimulus check from the federal government

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Monthly Market A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN JULY to help cover expenses related to COVID-19. Sacramento sales taxes have collapsed. Sales taxes provide 31 percent of city revenue. But city leaders believe the other great civic resource—property taxes—will continue with minimal disruption. Property taxes deliver 28 percent of city income. If public agencies begin to layoff workers and local real estate markets crash, faith in property taxes will seem naïve and irresponsible. Despite its troubled history, Fifth and K has been the corner where the city bets on its future. Interstate 5 was built on the east side of the Sacramento River to deliver cars to the original K Street mall. Macy’s is the lone survivor of that dream. Sauced BBQ and 24 Hour Fitness stand nearby, where Liberty House and I. Magnin department stores once dazzled. K Street has always fought back. Here comes the fight of its life. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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WATERMELON

Low in calories, watermelon contains dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and A. Drink watermelon juice after a grueling workout. To eat: For a refreshing salad, serve with arugula and feta.

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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.

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Curbside pickup at Belle Cooledge Library. Photo by Linda Smolek

Booked Up VIRUS PROVES HOW LIBRARY CHANGES WITH TIMES

or many people—seniors to young students—the neighborhood public library was a second home, a springboard to knowledge. Today, it’s easy to think libraries have seen their best days. Maybe they should fade away like typewriters, cassette tapes and film cameras. The internet has made libraries redundant and obsolete, right? Wrong. Behind the scenes, the Sacramento library system is being reinvented. Services have adapted to contemporary needs. Our local libraries are far from down and out.

SC By Scot Crocker Inside Downtown

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The process began slowly, but quickly gathered momentum under the leadership of Rivkah Sass, director of the Sacramento Public Library system. She arrived in 2009, when the institution suffered from personnel problems, budget shortfalls and relevancy questions. Since then, Sass has resurrected the library, which includes 28 neighborhood branches that serve 1.4 million people throughout the county. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations, but the system was already making changes that provide external and online services. In winning the $250,000 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize last October, the Sacramento library was honored as a fully integrated community asset. New service orientations gave the library creative ways to serve during the lockdown. “The money was a real opportunity for us,” Sass says. “We had many new strategies already implemented, from remote access to e-books to audio books. The pandemic has brought people back to the library for learning. We have a different kind library now, from online

storytelling for students to virtual book clubs to author discussions.” A recent online event with Madeleine Albright, former U.S. secretary of state, brought a large remote audience together for a meaningful conversation. “It’s a very serious time and libraries are positioned to adapt quickly,” Sass says. “Relative to other institutions and other libraries around the country, we have done a lot without a lot of money. We know how to be creative.” By using Zoom, crowdcasting, digital books, audio and other technology, the library reaches new audiences without the need for visits. Branches have continued to deliver physical books with curbside pickup. Sacramento libraries have seen a 20 percent increase in e-book checkouts. The popularity of new services means the library will reassess how much space it needs for physical locations. You may see library access at hardware stores to learn about home repairs. “It might be awhile before we can open all our libraries,” Sass says. “We are looking at that now, but we had discussions for years about how to best

deliver services. We can be a one-stop shop for those wanting convenience. We want to make it as easy as possible.” That includes sharing spaces at schools, coffeeshops and parks. It means changes so people don’t have to stand in line to check out books. High-contact interactions will be eliminated. There will be “touchless” services, drop-off locations for election ballots, access to tutors for students and what Sass calls “the library of things.” “Many people don’t know about the library of things, where you can come to the library and check out things like yard and garden tools, still and video cameras, GoPros, musical instruments and more,” Sass says. “We even have 3D printers for people to use and we used them ourselves to make hundreds of masks for health care professionals.” Sass wants the community to view the library as vital. It can help retrain unemployed people. Or help craft a resume. “What we do best, or should be doing best, is listening to the community about what they need,” she says. “When we are successful, they should think of us first, not last.” Stereotypes surrounding the library have changed. Libraries can still be a place for socialization. But for many, the appeal is online access at no cost for books and more. “I think we have a great story to tell,” Sass says. “A good community has a good library system. We can be a part of the education system to help with literacy and to make our workforce job ready. Learning and gaining knowledge is a lifelong process. We have a role in that.” The future depends on money. The Sacramento system is a joint-powers agency whose funding is spread across the county and its cities. The latest budget runs almost $50 million, but cuts are expected. The library has already furloughed some staff. “We have one eye on the future and one eye on how to serve the public right now,” Sass says. “It’s an evolution, not a revolution. We have new ideas like more virtual programing and ramping up a concierge service. We can focus on education and not just leave that to schools. One day, we could offer daycare and start the learning process early for children. We will adapt.” Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@ crockerbranding.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

READERS NEAR & FAR 1. Alan and Lynne Lenhart entering Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Africa. 2. Gary Ishimoto, Irene Takeda, Allan and Meriko Hoshida, Shirley Kato, Yvonne Ishimoto, Peggy Mori, and Lynn and Dennis Sunahara in Arnarstapi, Iceland. 3. Irene Paulin and Mary Sue Ferrell visiting the Port Arthur Penitentiary in Tasmania, Australia. 4. Steven G. Monette with his husband, Steven A. Monette, in the Miraﬂores district in Lima, Peru. 5. Shu Sebesta in Serbia on a Danube River cruise. 6. Hailey, Marita and Michael sheltering in place while relaxing in the pool.

Visit our new website at InsideSacramento.com, under “Near & Far,” for a map with past readers' photos! You can also submit photos directly from our website. It's never been so easy!

Take a picture with Inside and email a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com or submit directly from our website at InsideSacramento. com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Find us on Facebook and Instagram: InsidePublications.

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Destination

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Bliss

CYCLISTS SHOULDN’T MISS THIS RIVERSIDE TREAT

t a certain time each day, the most beautiful place in Sacramento is Oak Hall Bend. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it. What really matters is how you get there. You can walk, but the best way to approach this exquisite patch of geography is by bicycle. Pedal down Riverside Boulevard. Just past the modest hill that ascends at 35th Avenue, turn right and go onto the levee. Ride 100 yards and behold Oak Hall Bend. From Pocket, catch the levee at Zacharias Park and head north about one-quarter mile. You’re there. No cyclist should miss it. Sacramento is a cycling town. This spring, when the coronavirus began to wipe out socialization, bars, restaurants and retailers, a local resident interested

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

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in buying a bike—or an experienced road biker eager to upgrade—could find six excellent cycle shops between H Street and Sutterville Road. The options are endless. All price ranges, makes and models. Test rides may be problematic due to contagion concerns, but Sacramento has been lucky in the shadow of pandemic. There were no state-mandated limits on cycling. A person who wished to ride from Midtown to Folsom on the American River Bike Trail could make the 30-mile trek without detour. The landslide that closed the trail near the Orangevale bluffs in 2017 was finally cleared in February. The trail’s reopening crossed the finish line a month before the virus. Beyond cycling, we can argue about the city’s status as a sports town. I’ve always thought it was a lousy one, at least compared to Chicago, Philadelphia or Boston. This isn’t Sacramento’s fault. To be a great sports town, you need great sports teams. Sacramento is the type of sports community where the accurate descriptor is a cliché that deploys the words “one” and “horse.” True, Sacramento has been relentlessly loyal

to its NBA team, whose championship trophy cabinet hasn’t been touched since 1951. But otherwise? Uh, we almost beat the Lakers. So forget basketball. The Sacramento cyclist has better options. Midtown, East Sacramento and Land Park are lovely places to ride, especially for cyclists who don’t clip in. Downtown remains treacherous, even without the traffic that normally makes J and L streets hazardous for two wheels. Light rail tracks are a minefield for bicycles. Modified Regional Transit schedules prompted by COVID-19 mean fewer trains, but they don’t make tracks less dangerous. The Riverside trek to Oak Hall Bend is not a perfect ride. Too many motorists treat Riverside as a speedway. But it’s better than Freeport or Franklin. From Broadway, a cyclist without gears can reach Oak Hall Bend in 12 minutes. The golden hour is 30 minutes before sunset. Oak Hall Bend is a half-mile south of Chicory Bend. It’s where the Sacramento River makes a sharp northwest turn, a jag that must have kept riverboat captains awake on foggy nights in 1928. The Riverfront

Apartments keep watch over the site. The residents inhabit a special place. My former Bee colleague Carlos Alcalá discovered the origins of Oak Hall Bend while researching his 2007 book “Sacramento Street Whys.” Checking the 1909 city directory, he found advertising for a hotel on Riverside Road called Oak Hall. The owner was Harry G. Hoag. He sold cigars, liquor, food—“Hot Chicken Dinners a Specialty”— and rooms. The place eventually became a whorehouse and was torn down in 1949. The river bend behind the hotel endured. Much of the Sacramento River Parkway is closed for repairs. But Oak Hall Bend is open and must not be missed. Here’s why: It’s where the Sacramento River seems to pause and reflect back on itself, glancing over its shoulder. The setting sun makes the water shimmer and dance. At that moment, the cyclist’s life has no limits. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Too Hot to Handle

GARDENERS NEED STRATEGY TO BEAT THE HEAT

ummer days in Sacramento, when air becomes insufferably hot and soil bakes to Death Valley beige, can test our gardening superpowers. The challenge of keeping plants happy and alive is compounded by watering mandates, courtesy of below normal rainfall and Sierra snowpack. People and pets need protection and ample hydration when summer’s blast furnace goes triple digits. So do plants. Our leafy friends are not able to bolt for an air-conditioned kitchen and refreshing drink. Once plants are heat stressed, they hunker down into survival mode. Leaves wilt and sometimes drop. Flowers fizzle (especially vegetables) and young tree bark can be severely damaged by sunburn. Miss a watering cycle or two and container plants and raised vegetable beds can cook to well done. Water is a precious resource. We are reminded every time the specter of drought bellows, “Water conservation!”

DV By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

Water districts have scheduled specific days when irrigating landscapes is allowed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports 60 percent of water usage in dry climates is for outdoor purposes. Lawns are especially thirsty. Dealing with Sacramento restrictions and hot weather pushes efficient watering to the head of the line. Drip irrigation on a controller puts water where it’s needed: at the root zone with little, if any, runoff. Flower beds and borders, trees and shrubs, containers and raised vegetable beds are ideal for drip systems, which distribute water through tubing and emitters in a slow drip. Drip eliminates wasteful evaporation. Lawn sprinkler systems are more water efficient if run from midnight through early morning when there is less chance of wind, temperatures are cooler and evaporation is much reduced. Sprinkler spray patterns are tricky to control, so expect overspray and runoff onto sidewalks and driveways. Adjust watering-cycle minutes to reduce runoff. Mulch is as sexy as a flat tire, but its importance during summer months is right behind proper watering. Spread on top of soil and around plants, mulch performs like attic insulation, lowering soil temperature, retaining soil moisture and discouraging weeds that rob moisture.

Go big on mulch. Buy a mountain range of bark chips. It’s sold in great quantities by the cubic yard. Bagged bark from the neighborhood nursery will work for smaller gardens. Are the neighbors taking down a tree? Ask for the wood chips. Spread mulching materials 3 to 5 inches deep. Other organic mulch materials include straw, shredded leaves, dried grass clippings and pine needles. Inorganic mulches, like gravel, can be used around trees and shrubs. Edibles are most often mulched with straw, shredded leaves and lawn clippings that have not been treated with weed-andfeed chemicals. Hay often contains field grasses and weed seed heads. Straw is the better choice for mulch. Straw is the stalk, minus the seed head, of harvested grains. A straw bale of wheat or rice is about $10 at feed stores. Plants that suffer from too much hot sun should be sheltered and shaded. Japanese maple lace-leaf varieties will suffer burned leaves. Hydrangea leaves will wilt if planted on the wrong side of a home (south and west) and receive all-day sun. Large pots on casters allow gardeners to roll small trees, such as Japanese maples, to shadier areas. Casters, pot feet and pieces of wood placed under containers will protect plant roots from frying through direct contact with scorching hot concrete, stone or tile surfaces. Give containers a lift.

Shade cloth can be purchased to shelter plants or use old sheets and bath towels. In the veggie garden, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, cucumbers and eggplant are among vegetables that can be sunburned by too much direct sunlight. Sunburn, also called sunscald, is a whitish-yellow lesion that can appear wrinkled and is found near the top or sides of the vegetable. It’s not a pretty sight. Gardeners require protection, too. When it is rocking 100 degrees, garden during early morning or evening hours. Pull a wide-brimmed hat over the noggin, slather on sunscreen and stay hydrated. Work in short intervals, taking breaks when needed. Hammocks are optional. For additional local information, visit bewatersmart.info and sacmg.ucanr.edu/ drought. Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County and former Home & Garden writer for The Sacramento Bee. 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 the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Arden Town Center merchants, including Victoria Morales of Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Properties Team (center top)

Rich Desmond, District 3 County Supervisor Candidate

INSIDE

OUT LOCAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN GROWS By Cecily Hastings

Joe McClure, VP, Golden Pacific Bank Rich Cazneaux, Realtor

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We are happy to report that the TAKE THE 100% LOCAL PLEDGE campaign has grown and picked up new supporters, including Golden Pacific Bank. I invite other businesses and groups to join the effort as well. You can participate as simply as posting our signs at your business or by donating to fund signs and other resources. Visit insidesacramento.com/supportthe-100-local-pledge-campaign. For more information, contact me at cecily@insidepublications.com.

Rita Gibson, Financial and Insurance Services Virginia Varela, President, Golden Pacific Bank

A Century in the Making MIDTOWN BUNGALOW IS HOME AND STUDIO TO LOCAL ARTIST

or 100 years, a quaint bungalow on a corner lot in Midtown has sheltered its occupants and kept watch over a peaceful neighborhood. The century-old home stands strong while others were demolished to make way for multi-unit apartment buildings. And for the past 20 years, Pat Orner has been the fortunate guardian of the historic structure. “These were the homes of the worker bees,” says Orner, who bought the bungalow, located in Midtown’s New Era Park, in 2000. “Those were the doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs in the bigger homes,” she adds, referring to the more spacious dwellings just across the street in Boulevard Park. In fact, Orner speculates that her two-bedroom, one-bath home may have originated from a mail-order catalog. “This house was probably a kit from Montgomery Ward or Sears.” Kit or no kit, the 1920 abode has kept its original charm under Orner’s care. “It had good bones,” she says, reflecting back on when she first saw the bungalow. “The character felt good.” Orner, former owner of a Sacramento relocation company and an accomplished artist, has made it her mission to respect those bones when making upgrades to the 1,160-squarefoot house. Changes include removing the “cottage cheese ceiling” added in a previous decade, installing central heat and air, and remodeling the modest kitchen. “The kitchen only had one wall of cabinets,” Orner says. By removing walls and rearranging the footprint, the homeowner was able to add more cabinets in the kitchen and laundry room. Using basic bases from Home Depot, she had custom cabinet doors and drawers installed on the new and original cabinetry. The initial kitchen demolition uncovered the old brick service chimney hidden behind sheetrock. “We literally ran into a brick wall,” Orner shares. “So we had to reboot.” But she kept the exposed brick as a nod to the home’s past.

CR By Cathryn Rakich Photography by Aniko Kiezel OPEN HOUSE Pat Orner

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The avocado-colored sink had to go. The addition of a dishwasher was a must. Laminate Wilsonart countertops were added, as were two new garden windows in the kitchen and laundry room. Orner made shelving out of the shallow wall insert that once held a built-in ironing board. The original windows were replaced throughout the home with energyefficient double-panes. However, Orner made sure the frame designs matched the originals, including the gridded windows that flank the brick fireplace. The solid wood floors in the living and dining rooms were brought back to life, while engineered hardwood was added to the hallway and bedrooms. The latheand-plaster walls feature a different

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vibrant paint color in each room, but red is the primary accent hue. “I’m very colorful,” Orner says. A new vanity and floor tiles were installed in the bathroom. The upgraded window has rain glass for privacy to match the glass in the original bathroom door. Solar tubes in the bathroom and dining room provide an abundance of light. “You don’t have to turn on the light, even at night if there’s a full moon,” Orner notes. Step outside to “Pat’s Garden Café,” a peaceful setting embellished with several garden murals painted by the artist homeowner. The café mural is reverse painted on the back of the home’s original front window and hangs near a cozy bistro table for two. Another

painted garden graces the side of the neighbor’s garage bordering Orner’s property. Her latest work transformed the front yard’s worn wooden fence into a blooming Buddhist garden with birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Orner became known for her virtual gardens and was sought out by clients who wanted one of her mural creations for their own. But the work was “challenging, especially big walls. My daughter doesn’t like me getting on ladders,” the muralist says. So now Orner, who was an original artist at the Kennedy Gallery where she is still in residence, focuses on fine art with a sense of whimsy and color. The “old, brown, ugly garage” was updated with two side doors, windows, white paneling and storage cabinets. The addition of a few extra feet created an artist studio—with a skylight, ceiling fan and track lighting—where Orner paints and holds art classes. A framed photo tribute to her friend and partner,

Keith Hopkins, also an artist who died in 2013, hangs on the studio wall. A visit to Orner’s garden reveals a trove of family treasures—birdhouses crafted by her son, a wooden panel painted by her grandfather, a volunteer redwood tree that snuck in as a sapling with an angel’s trumpet cutting from her mother. “It’s a gift from my mom,” who passed in 2006. A path along the side yard is paved with hand-decorated steppingstones given to Orner by her grandson every Christmas since he was born. To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Cathryn Rakich at crakich@surewest.net. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Deep in the Roots

Photos by Linda Smolek

SMALL FARMS FLOURISH AS COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE MAKES RESURGENCE

s the community turns to local food sources instead of the global chain, is it possible Sacramento could dig even deeper into its roots as the farm-to-fork capital? Small farms across the region that have been impacted by the pandemic are seeing some opportunities. To help support America’s farmers and maintain the integrity of our nation’s food supply chain, the U.S. Department

TMO By Tessa Marguerite Outland Farm-to-Fork

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of Agriculture implemented the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Announced in mid-April, this $19 billion immediate relief program provides critical assistance to farmers. The program receives funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act and other USDA existing authorities. CFAP includes two major elements: direct support to farmers and ranchers, and USDA purchase and distribution. With $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers, the program assists farms that have experienced lost demand and short-term oversupply caused by COVID-19 for the 2020 marketing year. Produce Express, a wholesale distributor to the greater Sacramento

Valley, experienced that lost demand and oversupply all at once. General manager and part owner Jim Boyce reports that when the pandemic hit, sales dropped 65 to 70 percent. “The night the Kings quit playing our business fell apart,” he says. “It left us with a ton of inventory that nobody wanted.” While grocery stores were selling out of milk, eggs and meat products, restaurants and the farmers who grew their ingredients were shuttered. Since Produce Express deals primarily with restaurants and sporting arenas, the impact could have been devastating. Through CFAP, the USDA partnered with regional and local distributors in the Farmers to Families Food Box program. To support those who were significantly impacted by the closure

of restaurants, hotels and other food service businesses, the USDA purchased $3 billion nationally in fresh produce, dairy and meat for distribution to food banks and other nonprofit organizations. Produce Express was awarded a grant from Farmers to Families Food Box for 3,080 boxes each day. It partnered with CDS Distributing Inc. to send boxes of apples, oranges, potatoes and Romaine lettuce to food banks in Yolo County, San Jose and Concord, as well as some small churches. Produce Express also designed its own program with wholesale-priced Consumer Boxes containing ingredients for fresh meals. With funding from the same Farmers to Families Food Box program, Capay Organic worked with Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra to connect

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with Asian Resources Inc., La Familia Counseling Center and Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services to feed more than 10,000 families weekly. Nationally, the packaged boxes included $461 million in fresh fruits and vegetables, $317 million in a variety of dairy products, $258 million in meat products and $175 million in a combination box of fresh produce, dairy and meat. The program was approved to run for six weeks beginning May 15, but the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service reports it may be extended up to $3 billion nationwide depending on its success and remaining funds.

COMMUNITYSUPPORTED AGRICULTURE While those selling to restaurants and processors may be struggling to find solutions, direct consumer farms are discovering a resurgence of communitysupported agriculture, an idea that sprouted in North America in the 1980s. This food production and distribution system connects farmers and consumers directly through the purchase of a "share" of a farm’s harvest. The family

or individual then receives a portion of the crops as they are harvested. The ReFarmery is a small farm in Rio Linda with pasture-raised poultry, eggs, fruits, flowers and about 120 varieties of specialty vegetables. Since The ReFarmery’s market is primarily its CSA members and farmers markets, Jon Kupkowski reports his farm is thriving as consumers become more interested in where their food is coming from and who is growing it. “When you’re using direct consumer farms like this one, there’s no middle man,” says Kupkowski, owner and farmer at The ReFarmery. “There’s no shipping, distribution, processing ... it’s a secure and local food source.” In May, The ReFarmery’s CSA program was up 300 percent from the previous year. At the Natomas Farmers Market, Kupkowski says he sold out by the end of the morning, along with almost every other farm stand at the market. “It’s a strange time and I’d prefer it wasn’t here, but I’m staying busy,” Kupkowski says. The ReFarmery did not apply for any USDA or other assistance as none was necessary. During normal operations, produce from West Sacramento Urban Farm is sold at farm stands and to local restaurants and school districts,

including Washington Unified, Robla, Natomas Unified and Davis Joint Unified. Leading the charge at school districts is Fiery Ginger Farm. But with the sudden closure and shift of these expected markets, Sara Bernal, Urban Farm program manager, says they have been compelled to unearth creative solutions to fulfill growing farm and community needs. “Now farmers are trying to launch CSA programs to provide produce without having a farm stand,” Bernal says. Before the pandemic, Bernal was in the process of creating a new project called the Homegrown Mobile Market. A refrigerated farmer’s truck would transport locally sourced produce with regular stops around West Sacramento, especially in low-income “food deserts.” Bernal expected the Homegrown Mobile Market to be operating by May, but it has been delayed due to current nonessential trade restrictions with Canada, where the truck is being manufactured. She is hopeful that the Homegrown Mobile Market could be in operation as early as July. The West Sacramento Urban Farm is part of the California Farm Academy’s Farm Business Incubator, which is under the nonprofit Center for Land-Based Learning. The center

has not applied for COVID-19-related grants, according to Sri Sethuratnam, director of the center’s California Farm Academy, adding that many individual farmers in the program are finding it difficult to apply for them. “It’s a lot of paperwork and the grants are more suited to larger scale operations,” Sethuratnam says. “There is a challenge for new farmers and smaller farms.” Sethuratnam added that while the restaurant market plunged, the demand for CSA boxes dramatically increased. If the practice of individuals partnering with direct consumer farms continues, Sacramento could see a more permanent change even after the pandemic. Small local farms that are thriving are a result of communitysupported agriculture within a secure and local food source. Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail. com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Not Run of Mill BROADWAY HOMES DELIVER SOMETHING NEW

Photos by Linda Smolek

evelopers are capitalists. They assume risk, borrow money and partner with investors to make a profit and enjoy their piece of the American Dream. But as anyone can see, there is more than just profit motive driving The Mill at Broadway, a hip and innovative condominium project on an old industrial site a few minutes south of Downtown. “We don’t build homes, we build community,” says Rachel Bardis, one of two Sacramento cousins who founded Bardis Homes, the project’s builder. The company is an offshoot of a wellregarded family firm that has built more than 10,000 homes in California, Nevada and Idaho.

GD By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

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“We’re advocates for creating something more than a house or a living environment because our lives are so much more than that,” Bardis adds. “When you buy a house, especially for so many of our buyers, this is the first time that they’re making such a big investment. It’s important to us that they feel comfortable with their investment and that they are getting something more.” If that sounds like developer hype, a visit to The Mill at Broadway illustrates the passion, determination and skill of the Bardis cousins. Rachel and Katherine Bardis-Miry developed a few smaller projects in the area before teaming up with the investment firm partners who own the old Setzer Forest Products factory and mill site south of Broadway at Fifth Street. With tight streets and straight architectural lines that give the community a quasi-industrial feel, The Mill at Broadway is the type of compact urban neighborhood more commonly found in cities such as Seattle and Portland than Sacramento. Rooftop decks on eight of the neighborhood’s 24 “penthome” units

provide a stirring view of a city that was teeming before the coronavirus and police-brutality protests slowed things down. But residents can still enjoy being smack in the city and just enough apart from it to find tranquility. When the cousins began their involvement with the Mill in 2014, condominiums were not the rage in Sacramento. We have long been a place more accustomed to single-family homes and apartment buildings. But with the latest influx of young buyers from the Bay Area, Sacramento began to experiment. The city embraced different types of housing not seen here in the past.

“If you go way back, people have tried to do condo communities and failed and failed and failed,” Bardis-Miry says. “We had to overcome and convince a lot of the trade partners we work with to get back into condo, to be part of this. This movement, to be on the leading edge of what Sacramento is missing, that middle housing type. “It’s not apartment, it’s not single-family detached. Let’s get this movement going and be on the front end of it. It took a while. It also took a while for insurance to say yes, but we are not two people who quit easily on any project.” The cousins, the landowners and the Bardis subcontractors, most of whom

The Mill at Broadway is the type of compact urban neighborhood more commonly found in cities such as Seattle and Portland than Sacramento.

are women, have produced one of the more significant Sacramento housing developments in recent years simply because it’s so different. It is also priced lower than some other contemporary projects such as McKinley Village, with prices starting at the high $200,000s for studio units to the $600,000s for the higher-end dwellings. At full build out, the 30-acre site will have about 1,000 units, with the vast majority owner-occupied. The Mill has 11 different housing styles. The eclectic neighborhood changed direction somewhat with the recent announcement by a Roseville investor of new plans for the 87-year-old Market Club building. That handsome brick structure is now expected to include 22 studio apartments and 9,100 square feet of retail and other commercial space. The community was recently enhanced with completion of a 3 1/2-

acre city park with bike lanes, two dog parks and several art pieces that tie the neighborhood together. Those pieces, the public market and other amenities infuse the Mill with its cool, modern ambiance so different from just about anything we see in the Sacramento core. When I cycled through on my bike the past few weekends, the place was alive with walkers, joggers, cyclists, moms, dads and young kids enjoying the amenities and proximity to Downtown. Speaking at a public forum last year with her developer husband, Bay Miry, who has built several innovative projects Downtown, Bardis-Miry summed up her feelings about the undertaking this way: “Being able to pull off the first couple phases and see this old warehouse logging factory that was really underutilized and that nobody knew existed turn into a thriving community that is

continuing to grow and have new people come in every day is really special.” That is not developer hype. Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns

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

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David Lukenbill Photo by Linda Smolek

Suburban Glory WHO NEEDS URBAN COOL WHEN YOU HAVE RANCH HOUSES?

DL By David Lukenbill

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or as long as I can remember, living in the suburbs was reserved for the uninformed and decidedly unhip. It was a narrative I bought into for many years. Though I was born and spent much of my life here, it took me a long time to realize how much I love Sacramento suburban living.

I lived in other parts of the country—Seattle, Santa Cruz and Madison, Wis.—long enough to discover that each lacked what Sacramento already had. So I returned home. One major reason I love Sacramento is that it’s a suburban town. Another reason is the climate,

four seasons but each benign if, like me, you love 100-degree days. Is there anything finer than a hot summer day floating down the American River or lounging by the pool? I have lived in urban Sacramento— Midtown and Downtown—and enjoyed it. Those were my single days, either as a student or Downtown worker. My parents lived in the suburbs when I was born in 1942. Several years later they divorced. My mother remarried and we wound up in Reno in one of the city’s first suburbs. It was a suburb of flattop houses, and in the wonderful times of the early 1950s, the neighborhood kids stayed out until dusk when our moms would call us home. I loved Reno, the high desert weather and its stark four seasons. I was in high school when I moved back to Sacramento with my father. We lived in the suburbs near Fulton Avenue, where my father had his Volvo dealership. Once I started working and living on my own, I lived in Midtown and Downtown. I didn’t need a car. I loved the freedom of not having expenses that come with driving. When I married and had a family, the suburbs were the only place to live. We moved for all the usual reasons: good schools, backyards, safety and double-car garages with driveways for basketball hoops. There is a spiritual simplicity about suburbs, a sense of Zen in the spacious layout and rambling ambience, a predictability anchored in change and a humane absoluteness, alongside certain orderly expectations, all crucial to familial life. D.J. Waldie writes about this in his 1996 book, “Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir.” It’s indispensible for suburbanites. The safety aspect is a central part of our love affair with suburban life. Strangers stand out whether they are

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Elk Grove: 2513 W Taron Ct, Ste 180 • 916 226-9918 | West Sacramento: 1350 Harbor Blvd, Ste A • 916-520-0142 walking or driving. The neighborhood eyes—plus cameras today—generally guarantee suspicious activity is recorded. Neighborliness is easier in the suburbs. Most people walking suburban streets are probably neighbors. In urban settings, that’s not always the case. I have been among the thousands of Sacramentans fortunate enough to live near the American River Parkway. The parkway, surrounded by suburban neighborhoods, is analogous to Central Park in New York, surrounded by urban neighborhoods. It represents a value to Sacramento as Central Park does to New York. Someday, I hope the philanthropic generosity directed to our parkway will reflect a love similar to what New Yorkers bestow on Central Park. The most important reason I love the suburbs is the ranch house, the California emblem of suburban living. Alan Hess captured this icon in a 2005 Architectural Digest story about a West Los Angeles home. He wrote, “The ranch house had everything

a California house should be. It had cross ventilation, the floor was level with the ground, and with its courtyard and the exterior corridor it was about sunshine and informal outdoor living.” Outdoor living is congruent with suburban living. California is the perfect stage with its swimming pools, barbecue kitchens and gardens. The ranch house is also excellent for aging in place. As we move into our later decades, we see no reason to live anywhere else. I love living in our ranch house in the suburbs. The Sacramento suburbs are some of the finest in the country, connected to everything and surrounded by the beautiful ambience of Sacramento itself: rivers, meadows, rolling hills and—though an old Sacramento cliché—driving close to the sea, mountains and snow. David Lukenbill is founder of the American River Parkway Preservation Society, a nonprofit that advocates for the parkway. He can be reached at dlukenbill@msn.com. n

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Making Art Matter

Dennis Wilson Photos by Linda Smolek

OIL PAINTER TAKES WORK FROM HOBBY TO CAREER

here are three things that have happened to Dennis Wilson in the past few years that have changed the trajectory of his art career. “Winning awards in the 2015 and 2016 KVIE Art Auctions, meeting (fellow painter) Bob Miller and joining an art critique group changed things,” Wilson says in the kitchen of his Rosemont home, where dozens of his striking oil paintings share wall space with family photos. “Meeting people and making contacts are key for me.”

JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

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Considering the 78-year-old’s endearing affability, it’s no surprise that once people meet him and see his extraordinary paintings— depicting everything from celebrities and buildings to furniture and farmscapes—they want to work with him in whatever way they can. That’s what happened when Wilson landed a booth next to celebrated local watercolorist and adman Bob Miller at a pop-up art show hosted by Dunnigan Realtors. “Bob is the sweetest person,” says Wilson, who hails from Compton but has called Santa Cruz, Monterey and now Sacramento home. “He invited me to lunch with a bunch of other artists who meet at OneSpeed Pizza regularly and now I’m part of that community.” Community has always been big for Wilson, both personally and professionally. After attending college and serving as an officer in

the Airforce during Vietnam, Wilson decided to go to graduate school and earn a teaching credential. Since he’d already been painting as a hobby, he figured he would teach art. When the only position open at the time was for a special education teacher, Wilson took it—and taught for the next 34 years. Wilson continued to paint in his free time and even entered a few contests. He won $100 at a competition held at a Fresno shopping mall, as well as various awards in shows for the Central California Art League, Santa Cruz Art League and Society of Western Artists. But his life took an unexpectedly familial turn when he met and married Janet in 1996, bringing her three school-age children into the mix. “With a bunch of little wild ones running around, I figured I probably shouldn’t have expensive art supplies sitting out,” Wilson laughs.

He happily took a break from painting for the next 15 years as the kids grew up, but recently returned to his calling after retiring and moving with Janet to Sacramento, where he now has a whole room to himself to make art every day. He joined the Sacramento Fine Arts Center and Northern California Arts, and began entering juried art shows, which is when the recognition started rolling in. In 2015, Wilson won first place in contemporary painting at the KVIE Art Auction, followed by an award of merit in the 2016 California State Fair’s Fine Art Competition. He also won a juror’s award at the 2016 KVIE Art Auction (doled out by nationally recognized muralist Esteban Villa), which convinced Wilson that perhaps his art was “good enough to take things further.” Other artists also took note of Wilson’s abundant ability to paint

things that “strike me, stop me in my tracks and make me record them,” and he was soon invited into an art critique group with the likes of prominent artists Steve Memering and Sandy Delehanty. “Critique is invaluable,” Wilson says. “Everyone understands it’s not personal, and it’s amazing to have such good eyes looking at your work from a fresh perspective.” Last year, Wilson was given his first solo show at The Brickhouse Gallery in Oak Park, which featured approximately 38 paintings that range in subject matter from portraits to landscapes to slightly surreal images of figures juxtaposed against sharply defined architectural elements. But no matter what he’s painting, Wilson knows that there’s really only one reason he’s doing it.

“When I paint, the information and knowledge that’s in my brain just comes forth,” he says. “Words can never accurately describe what I’m doing—I think they actually diminish it. They can’t capture the feeling behind a painting. Ultimately, I don’t put anything out there I don’t like. I have to be inspired.” For more information, visit denniswilsonfineart.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Savor Every Bite OFFERING GOODBYES AND APPRECIATIONS TO CITY EATERIES

Allora Photos by Linda Smolek

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m writing this piece during the heartrending events of late May/early June that have seen a tragic death in Minnesota ignite a storm of outrage that led to peaceful protests nationwide, that led to violent actions blocks from where I write these words. The circling helicopters I can hear are a constant reminder of the fractures of our society, our unmet duties to our neighbors and the love we fail to hold in our hearts for our brothers and sisters.

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

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Frank Fat's

All that is to say, if this piece seems more fatalistic than normal, you’ll know why. And fatalistic it will be, for this piece is about those restaurants, those community gathering places we have lost. But, not to be too dour, this is also a reminder to treasure those eateries, those centers of community that are still here and make Sacramento one of the most vibrant eating cities in the country. In May, Biba’s owners announced the restaurant was closing permanently. Within the same 12 months, founder and icon Biba Caggiano passed away, then the restaurant temporarily shuttered due to a global pandemic. It was simply the end of an era. Biba’s had no peer in the region. Both sophisticated and approachable, serving Italian white-tablecloth fare in a building that brought to mind an English guild hall, featuring old school piano music and iconic California wines, the place did not compare to anything else. But Biba’s wasn’t the only iconic restaurant to close recently. Several closures—Jim-Denny’s Diner, Café Rolle, Café Marika, The Press Bistro, Cielito Lindo—left us with a poorer dining scene and are difficult, nay impossible, to replace. So what can we do to celebrate the heritage, diversity and deliciousness of Sacramento’s restaurant scene? Eat local. Eat 100 percent local, in fact.

Treasure those institutions that make our city the unique dining destination it is. Do you miss the sophistication, elegance and novelty at Biba Caggiano’s namesake restaurant? Then take the time to sup deep at Rick Mahan’s The Waterboy. Nearly 25 years after a characteristically quiet opening on a characteristically quiet corner, The Waterboy continues to deliver excellent food that stands up to the test of time. It’s simplicity on the outside, well-oiled machinery on the inside. Or are you looking for Biba’s fine dining take on Italian cuisine? Try recent local standout Allora. Unlike the host of farm-to-table, let-theingredients-shine, simple-preparation, rustic-kitchen restaurants that have opened in the last decade, Allora has a definite traditional fine-dining bent. Sure, the tablecloths aren’t white (actually, there are no tablecloths), but the Italian-inspired dishes coming from Chef Deneb Williams’ kitchen are artistic and architectural in their beauty, sophisticated in their flavors and jewel-like in their proportions. Spend a lifetime in a city and you'll see plenty of businesses come and go. It's always joyous, therefore, to celebrate generation-spanning institutions. And there is no more prominent culinary institution in Sacramento than Frank Fat’s. Claiming the title of "Sacramento's oldest eating

establishment," Frank Fat's has been serving Sacramentans since 1939. Now, 80 years later, the Fat's enterprise shows no signs of stopping. Coming in well behind Fat’s, but just as historically iconic in my heart, is Sam’s Hof Brau. No matter what you get, it will be a rib-sticking experience. There is no “lite fare” on the menu. There is no vegan menu. There is, however, a giant barrel of homemade pickles that my mother swears are the best in the world. What else makes our food scene unique? According to some demographers, Sacramento is the

most diverse city in the U.S. and our restaurant scene shows it. Take Sarom’s Southern Kitchen, a greasy-spoon Southern diner in the spirit of JimDenny’s. Owner and chef Sarom Doeuk is Cambodian, and only recently started cooking Creole and Cajun fare, which I believe makes Sarom’s Southern Kitchen a particularly excellent expression of California’s inclusive food and restaurant scene. I’d be remiss without mentioning that most iconic American fare, barbecue. A recent find, Louisiana Heaven, is a small storefront on Valley Hi Drive that serves some of the best ribs I’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring. Add to that an amazing menu of Southern treats, such as turkey wings with gravy, and you’ll be a quick fan. One more barbecue recommendation is Urban Roots Brewery and Smokehouse. Rob Archie’s fine smoked meats pair rather insanely with his partner Peter Hoey’s ridiculously fine beers. Fine, one more. For nearly 20 years, this town has had a quiet point of excellence in MacQue’s BBQ. The house-made hotlinks are exceptional, the pulled pork phenomenal, the location invisible. A small storefront on Elder Creek Road hides some of this town’s best barbecue. Seek it out and keep it going as a small business that makes our small city what it is. Be well. Stay safe. Love one another. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Urban Roots

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o you remember where you were four months ago when our world began to tilt? I was at Republica De Francia, a Honduran elementary school deep in the gang-ridden neighborhood of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. I was there with two dozen of my readers to help Chispa Project establish its largest library yet, one of more than 60 libraries. All around us, children were behaving typically—teeming, screaming and careening down echoing hallways. Several stopped to hug us, sharing broad grins and cheeky smiles that stretched for miles and miles. Amidst the recess bustle, I was surrounded by five schoolgirls of single-digit ages, all grinning with unrehearsed wonder. They weren’t subtle. They wanted to see the new books we were shelving. I handed a book to Maria, likely the oldest of the group. She opened it with some reluctance, but soon began to read aloud the “Fiesta Secreta de Pizza,” the Spanish version of Adam Rubin’s children’s book about a racoon planning a secret pizza party. All we needed was tea and cookies to really get this new book club going. If you know the excitement U.S. children express over a new video game, you can conceive the enthusiasm that began to build in these Honduran students upon seeing their first children’s picture book. It was incomprehensible that someone like Rubin wrote pizza books to especially engage them. And even more incredulous that strangers from another country would think them important enough to personally hand them this book. I felt a bit overwhelmed by this kid gaggle, but fortunately I had backup nearby.

World of Possibilities

Norris Burkes reads to Honduran schoolchildren. Photo by Terry Brakhane

In the school parking lot, 10 volunteers worked an assembly line offloading 2,000 new library books from the top of our bus. In a side yard, another five painted and assembled bookshelves for the library. Inside classrooms, volunteers projected and outlined colorful murals to celebrate the school’s newly adopted emphasis on reading. Then they carefully filled in the outline with bright primary colors that brought book characters to life. On the fourth and final day, Chispa volunteers hosted the library inauguration, a sort of allday birthday party. The busyness returned as students rotated among classrooms for hands-on fun that included puppets, science experiments and storytelling. At the end of the day, the children gathered in the courtyard and dazzled us with a cultural dance in swirling dress. A few days later, most of us boarded planes to a quickly changing reality with flights half full and passengers donning masks and compulsively washing their hands. Now, four months later as COVID-19 still spreads, I wonder if Maria is even able to eat, much less enjoy her books. She, like two out of three Hondurans, experience a handto-mouth existence. Quarantine there means her family will likely see their food chain greatly impaired. The crisis makes books appear irrelevant. After all, if you can’t eat, why would you care about reading? But Chispa knows that reading offers skills that can change systemic poverty in the long run. Reading helps children develop critical thinking, analytical skills and the imagination to rewrite their own futures. And we volunteers have just provided 2,000 new worlds of possibilities. To learn more about Chispa Project and how you can help, visit www. chispaproject.org.

READING HELPS CHILDREN REWRITE THEIR FUTURE

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

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

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Nesting in Natomas KINGS DEVELOPMENT THREATENS WATERFOWL ROOKERY

Above: Sleep Train Arena Pond. Right: Snowy egret chicks at Sleep Train Arena Pond. Photos courtesy of J. Roberson Photography

naware they are trespassing on land owned by the Sacramento Kings, hundreds of snowy egrets and black-crowned night herons have taken up residence in a deserted oasis on the north side of Sleep Train Arena. From a chain-link fence surrounding the grassland, the birds can be seen gliding among cement slabs and rebar, the foundation for a baseball stadium project led by Greg

CR By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

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Lukenbill in the late 1980s that never came to fruition. Because of the high water table in North Natomas, the excavated stadium filled in over the years with a pond, trees and other foliage, creating an inviting wetland habitat. This is nesting season—April to August—for the long-legged waterfowl who have set up a rookery for their young at the defunct site. As many as 500 nests are safely perched high within a 5-acre grove of cottonwood trees and the “Sleep Train Arena Pond” of this still undeveloped piece of land. “Still undeveloped” is the key phrase here. This past October, the Kings presented a draft report to the Sacramento City Council outlining a vision to turn 183 acres, including the site of Sleep Train Arena, into a

mixed-use residential and commercial development. The 70-page “Natomas Arena Reuse Planned Unit Development” report makes no mention of the pond or rookery. “The threat to these birds is that they plan to develop the area,” says Christy Berger, president of Sacramento Heron and Egret Rescue.

“The document that was released for the rezoning, what they showed, what they envision for the development, didn’t mention the pond at all.” SHER is partnering with the Environmental Council of Sacramento and Habitat 2020 to work with the city on a design that would incorporate the Sleep Train Arena

Christy Berger with Sacramento Heron and Egret Rescue. Pond into the Kings’ vision for the area. “The ideas presented in the PUD completely ignore that there is a fully functioning aquatic resource (the Sleep Train Arena pond) in the Plan area that is currently providing habitat and nesting opportunities for hundreds of Waterfowl,” states SHER, ECOS and Habitat 2020 in a joint letter to the city. If incorporated into the plan, “The pond would provide the area with a nature viewing experience that would serve as a recreational and educational opportunity,” the letter notes. Berger co-founded SHER in 2015 while volunteering for the Sacramento Wildlife Care Association. “A lady who lived in an apartment complex in south Natomas was bringing us birds every single day— baby herons and egrets,” Berger says. “She was at her wits end because there were all these injured and dead birds.” The chicks were falling out of the trees onto the cement, getting hit by cars, and suffering broken bones and abuse. “One day, she brought in a baby that had a stick jabbed into its back,” Berger recalls. “That’s what made us say, ‘OK, we have to do something.’ “We organized a group of volunteers to go out every day and pick up the injured babies—the ones that were too little to survive,” and move them to a rescue facility.

When nesting season was over, the apartment complex cut back the trees to discourage the birds from returning—an example of what could happen if the birds nesting at the Sleep Train Arena Pond are forced elsewhere. “If this pond is eliminated, the over 1,000 herons and egrets that nest from April to August each year would very likely move to the surrounding neighborhoods to roost and nest, creating issues for residents and businesses,” states the joint letter. “This would also result in hundreds of injured baby birds each year that would greatly strain local wildlife rescues, which are doing the work that our local shelters would otherwise be dealing with.” When the birds at the Natomas apartment complex were forced to go elsewhere, Berger, who works in the area, was on the lookout for where they might relocate. While out driving, she sighted a number of egrets flying overhead and followed them. “Low and behold—they flew right toward Sleep Train Arena,” Berger says. But it was difficult to see past the no-trespassing fence in the parking lot. “I needed someone with a drone to get footage.” Using the video footage and Google Maps, she discovered more than dry grass and bushes. “So many birds—it was just stunning,” she says. By the end of December, the city had received more than 260 public

Snowy egret at Sleep Train Arena Pond. Photo courtesy of J. Roberson Photography comments on the Kings’ draft development plan, reports Berger. After reviewing the comments and making changes, the Kings are expected to release a final project plan this summer. The next step will be an environmental impact report. Habitat 2020, which is the conservation committee of ECOS, is guiding SHER through the process with the city. “They are also helping with this next phase, the environmental impact review,” Berger says. The arena pond is in city Councilmember Angelique Ashby’s district. “It is important that any proposal to redevelop the arena address the promises made to the community, as well as any habitat conservation that may need to be done,” Ashby says. In addition to the commercial and residential development, there is talk

about the Sacramento Zoo relocating to the area, which wouldn’t be all bad, according to Berger. “They wouldn’t be the first zoo to do that,” she says. There are two zoos—Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago— that have active heron nesting sites. To view the drone footage of birds nesting at Sleep Train Arena Pond and learn more about the status of the proposed development, visit sacheronsave.org/arenasite or SHER’s Facebook page. Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Inside Pocket July 2020

Articles inside

Caged Drivers: Cars Bring Protection, but There's a Price