Inside Pocket July 2022 by Inside Publications

26 S

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SUE TORNGREN

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

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EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD A BET TER PL ACE. 26 S

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Our Other Editions Serve: East Sacramento • Land Park/Grid • Pocket VISIT OUR WEBSITE: INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

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

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM 3104 O ST. #120 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

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

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SUE TORNGREN

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SUE TORNGREN This piece is one of 36 paintings in the Succulent Series created over a five-year period, culminating in an exhibition at Folsom's Gallery 49. A longtime Sacramento resident, Sue Torngren has shown in the western states for more than 40 years. Shown: "Warts and All," acrylic on canvas, 18 inches by 18 inches. This piece is available for $600. Visit suetorngrenart. com.

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

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JULY 2022 VOL. 9 • ISSUE 6 6 10 12 14 19 20 22 23 24 26 30 32 34 35 36 38 40 42

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

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SUMMER BREAKTHROUGH

STUDENTS THRIVE IN ‘NEAR-PEER’ TEACHING PROGRAM

Faith Galati and Jesus Aispuro Photo by Aniko Kiezel

s most Sacramento middleschoolers celebrate the lazy days of summer, a few fortunate students are beginning a life-changing journey. Breakthrough Sacramento, an educational nonprofit, operates a middle school summer academy taught by college students. After closing in 2020 under the pandemic and reopening with a hybrid model in 2021, the program is back in full force for its 28th year in Sacramento. “Our program partners motivated, but underserved, middle school and high school students to assist them in graduating high school and entering college,” says Michael Covey, chair of the organization’s board of directors

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

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and a retired teacher at Sacramento Country Day. During summers after their sixth, seventh and eighth grades, Breakthrough students participate in a rigorous, engaging six-week academy daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students receive additional tutoring and counseling during the school year. “School-year assistance is also provided during their high school years, along with college counseling. We help them apply to colleges and financial assistance,” Executive Director Faith Galati says. “Many of these students will be the first generation of their family to attend college.” Student teachers, recruited from colleges all over the country, receive 80 hours of training in best practices. High school students also help teach. “This near-peer teaching provides the middle school students with role models for the types of people that they aspire to become,” Galati says. “The Breakthrough teaching experience can be life changing as many of the

student interns go on to the teaching profession.” Jesus Aispuro has been part of Breakthrough since sixth grade. This fall, he’s headed to Stanford on a scholarship. “The program allowed me to continue pursuing higher education for both high school and college,” he says. “I’m grateful that my parents supported me throughout the program and my extracurricular activities.” He continues, “Breakthrough literally changed the course of my life. Through participating in Breakthrough, I was also selected for the Country Day Scholar Program—a full scholarship to attend Sacramento Country Day School. Before that, public school was my only option. Country Day exposed me to numerous opportunities I’d not otherwise have had.” Aispuro credits his Breakthrough college counselor who helped him apply to several highly select universities and arranged a visit to Columbia in New York City. “In the end, Stanford was my best option,” Aispuro says.

“The Breakthrough experience is vital in the lives of the participating students and their families. A college degree leads to an average full-time pay that is almost twice that of a high school graduate,” Covey says. “Over the last 20 years, unemployment rates for college graduates are one-half that of students who only graduated high school, regardless of the state of the economy. Statistically, a college graduate has less than a 5-percent chance of falling below the poverty line once obtaining their degree.” Limited access to quality academic programs has historically hampered the progress of students from underserved communities. In 2020, young people from families in the top 20 percent income brackets were almost twice as likely to enter college as students with family incomes in the lowest 20 percent. “Thankfully, the trends have been improving significantly over the last 50 years, with high school graduation rates climbing in all communities to at least 80 percent, and college entry in

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underserved communities climbing to above 45 percent,” Covey says. “But the opportunity gap between underserved communities and those with means still remains quite large.” Breakthrough Sacramento is funded by private donors and corporate and agency partners. “Our partnerships include the generosity of Sacramento Country Day School, SMUD, Kaiser, Teichert and many more,” Covey says. “Our board members and private individual donors are also a big help to fund our mission.” “I am still making a continued effort to be a part of Breakthrough,” Aispuro says. “I volunteered for the summer program as a ninth grader, and this summer I am working as a teacher. However, all of this would not have been possible if it were not for my involvement and the generosity of Breakthrough.” This summer’s enrollment includes 90 middle-schoolers and 107 high school students. “All students in our community are capable of success,” Galati says. “Breakthrough assists those who want that success to rise above the disadvantages of opportunity. Each of

these students are amazing in so many ways. We are privileged to be able to help them on their life-changing journey through middle and high school and into college.” For more information visit breakthroughsac.org. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Home, Sweet Home

Lynette Anderson Photo by Aniko Kiezel

ROTARIANS BRING HEALING TO FAMILIES, CHILDREN

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he red front door draws you in. Colorful, native plants adorn the walkway leading to a welcoming porch. What sets this house apart from nearby bungalows is the sign hanging over the porch: Oak Park Rotary House. The home is a temporary refuge for families whose children are undergoing long-term medical treatment at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. One Saturday morning, Little Pocket resident and Rotarian Michael DiGrazia invites me to visit the house. As I arrive, several Rotarians are busy with yardwork and maintenance. Oak Park Rotary House is a single-family, furnished two-bedroom residence for families with seriously ill children. The Rotary House Foundation owns, operates and maintains the home. Hospital social workers select the families. The partnership is built on a common goal: helping families heal, physically and emotionally. Lynette Andersen, a local attorney and Rotarian, says, “Rotary House is different from other patient homes like the Ronald McDonald House and the Kiwanis Family House. Rotary House is free to families. I’ve personally welcomed over 20 families since we opened in 2012. They incur so many expenses while their child is undergoing treatment. They’re grateful to have free lodging so close to the hospital.” How can a family stay at Rotary House? They must have a child requiring treatment at the children’s hospital for at least six months. Families must live at least one hour from Sacramento. I am fortunate to spend time with a guest from a small town in Northern California. To respect her privacy, she is nameless here. She’s a single, first-time mother whose 4-month-old had heart surgery. Now she and the baby are at UCD three or four days a week. The kitchen table is covered with medications, breathing and feeding equipment. The child will probably need additional surgeries. For the most part, the woman goes through this alone. Her story is touching. When I inquire about her well-being, she says, “I have to be strong. I’m hopeful my baby will get better.” She’s grateful for the wonderful care the family receives from the medical team, grateful for a place to stay for the next six to eight months. Previously, she was at Ronald McDonald House. She prefers

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the privacy and serenity of Rotary House. DiGrazia says, “I’m a parent. I can only imagine how difficult it would be if my child required constant medical attention. Knowing that Rotary can provide free lodging to these families reaffirms all the good things Rotary does in our local community.” Rotary House was built by Rotarians, community volunteers and contractors who donated materials and labor. A blighted lot was transformed into a loving home and a beacon of hope to ill children and families. For more information about Rotary House, visit oakparkrotaryhouse.com.

JULY 4TH PARADE The Fourth of July Pocket Parade is back! The parade begins at 10 a.m., Monday, July 4, at the corner of Windbridge and South Land Park drives. Participants walk along Windbridge to Garcia Bend Park. City Council member Rick Jennings sponsors the event. For information, visit july4thpocketparade.com.

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FREE ART CLASSES Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library staff lead two art classes this month. A pastels class is set for Wednesday, July 13. Two weeks later, the class features collage. Supplies are provided. No registration or experience necessary. It’s not too late to sign up for the library’s summer reading program. Talk to staff or visit saclibrary.org/ event/special-events/summer-reading.

JULY JAZZ Enjoy the smooth jazz tunes of Cynthia Douglas and the Sol Jazz Project on Friday, July 15, at Garcia Bend Park. Food trucks will be on site from 5 p.m. Or bring your own picnic, blankets and lawn chairs. The free concert starts at 6 p.m. Councilman Jennings sponsors the show. Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Legacy of Fear COUNCIL, CITY ATTORNEY LEAVE A MESS ON LEVEE TRAIL

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

POC JUL n 22

t some point the city will hold meetings in Pocket and tell residents what’s going on with the Sacramento River Parkway and levee bike trail. I’ve heard city authorities talk about these meetings, but only in a tentative way. Nobody knows when they will happen. But I have a good idea how they will unfold. Something like this: City Council member Rick Jennings will acknowledge the promise made in 1975 to build the levee parkway. He will offer excuses for the half-century delay and explain the need to respect concerns of people who bought homes along the levee. He will admit how some homeowners convinced themselves their property included the entire levee and even river itself, and how this misconception created problems for the city. Finally, Jennings will say the city wants to move forward, pave the levee top and finish the parkway north of Garcia Bend Park. (He won’t talk about the levee in Little Pocket, saying that’s another story.) He will describe procedures to keep residents safe near the levee, including placement of cameras that read license plates on streets near the river. He will mention legal details about recreational easements and eminent domain. After reminding everyone to be respectful of neighbors (variations of the word “respect” will be repeated often), the councilman will invite questions. A few people will ask questions. Others will make speeches about their privacy being violated, their safety being ignored, their property values threatened. On that note, the meetings will end. Eventually, paving equipment will appear on the levee and the trail will open, 50 years late. I’ve been writing about public access to the levee for eight years, pounding out the same tune with different arrangements, inspired by hundreds of community members who say please keep going. Every time I write about the parkway—I don’t count the columns, but I must have written 70—people email and say thanks, we’re with you, the city needs to finish the parkway, how can we help? Throughout this journey, I’ve returned to a question that occurred to me eight years ago: Why is the city afraid of a few homeowners along the levee?

Here’s what I know: For decades, the city wasn’t afraid. After all, it planned the parkway and promised the bike trail. But influential property owners near the river began to lobby City Hall, claiming perverts on the levee would peep into their windows or break into their homes. They found sympathetic City Council members. I argued with the most significant among them, my late friend Robbie Waters, who served 16 years as Pocket’s councilman. Robbie was determined to keep the public off the levee north of Garcia Bend. He insisted it was “private property.” I told him that was nonsense, that he was failing the community. We went back and forth. Neither convinced the other. We finally agreed to drop the subject. Robbie didn’t fear troublesome property owners. They were his friends. He took care of them. Another big problem is the city attorney’s office. When I told a deputy city attorney the “private property” claim was ridiculous and the state owned the levees, she agreed. Then she recited a theory about how some residents owned land under the levee—irrelevant, inaccessible dirt. Moreover, she insisted the state’s ownership rights were limited to maintenance, not recreation—an absurd idea given historical access and the state’s complete control over the levees. Substantial precedent says the city attorney is wrong. Errors are routine for the city’s legal team. Look no further than the disastrous redistricting map that left thousands of East Sacramento residents without representation until 2024. For more questions about the city attorney’s competence, check out the bizarre signs installed by the parks department on the levee near Benham Way. The signs describe parts of the levee as “private levee roads.” Walking there is described as “trespassing.” Wrong and wrong. The levee is not “private property.” Walking on the levee is not “trespassing.” Anyone who says otherwise is ignorant or lying. But guess what? The city attorney approved the message. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@iclould.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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The late John Skinner with his wife and bandmate Susan Skinner.

their instruments and go out with a bang on July 16. The evening will include a mixture of classic rock and swing dance tunes played by eight musicians, including Susan and John’s daughter, Kathryn. “Together, we’ll represent nearly 200 years of Skinner Band history,” Susan says. For more information, call (916) 481-0334 or visit John Skinner Band on Facebook.

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Take A Bow JOHN SKINNER BAND GOES OUT WITH A BANG

acramento’s own John Skinner Band will present a farewell show Saturday, July 16, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. as part of the Carmichael Recreation and Parks District’s Concerts in the Park series at Carmichael Park. The late John Skinner established the band in the 1970s upon his return from Vietnam and it quickly became a Northern California institution, playing gigs from weddings and circuses to backup for scores of world-famous stars like Bob Hope, Anne Murray, Natalie Cole and Luciano Pavarotti.

JL By Jessica Laskey Out & About

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“My husband’s favorite gigs were when his big band played every night for all three weeks of the California State Fair,” says Susan Skinner, John’s widow and longtime bandmate. “And he loved the Friday night dances at Town & Country Village, which had most of Sacramento dancing in the mall parking lot. California Gov. Pete Wilson hired the Skinner Band for most state shindigs—we even played his private parties. Gayle Wilson sometimes sat in with the band and she sang great!” Susan says that by the time she married John, the band was a staple for summer park concerts. It marked its 40th season at Carmichael Park with a $4,000 donation to CRPD. “Those were the days, my friends,” Susan says. “We thought they’d never end. And then they did.” John played his last solo at Carmichael Park in 2017 a few days before he died. An oak tree was planted on the spot. His wife continued the band after his death, but COVID made gigs scarce, so they’ve decided to hang up

The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce has hired Jenna Abbott as its new senior vice president of strategic initiatives. Abbott’s accolades include a designation as a Certified Zero Waste Practitioner completed in 2018, the Sacramento Police Department’s Business Partner of the Year in 2016, the California State Assembly Nonprofit of the Year and the Martin Luther King Changemaker Award in 2015. She won the Sacramento Kings Community All-Star Award in 2014. A graduate of the Sacramento City Management Academy, FBI Citizen’s Academy, Citizen’s Planning Academy and Leadership Sacramento, Abbott has traveled to Washington, D.C., as a delegate on the Metro Chamber’s Capitol to Capitol program every year since 2013. “Jenna will be a strong voice for the Sacramento business community,” says Metro Chamber President/CEO Amanda Blackwood of the former executive director of the River District. “As a proud city resident, Jenna understands the needs facing our region and will represent the Metro Chamber well as we continue to advance our public policy, advocacy and economic development agendas.”

EMPOWER WOMEN Women’s Empowerment recently received two large donations—$25,000 from Kaiser Permanente and $30,000 from U.S. Bank—to empower women experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. Funding will support Women’s Empowerment’s two-month employment-readiness program, which includes mental health assistance, and domestic violence and substanceuse support groups. The nonprofit provides paid job training, child care and support services so women and

their children can break the cycle of homelessness. Since its founding in 2001, the organization has graduated 1,740 women and their 3,864 children. For more information, visit womensempowerment.org.

EXECUTIVE MBA The Sacramento State College of Business MBA for Executives program will begin accepting applications Aug. 1. Applicants are admitted on a first come, first served basis, so don’t wait to apply. The 15-month, cohort-based Executive MBA program provides a mix of cutting-edge theory and creative real-world applications to prepare experienced professionals and managers who aspire to leadership positions. Students tackle case studies individually and in teams, and work with local businesses, government and nonprofit organizations on real-time business challenges. The College of Business is waiving the GMAT/GRE admission test requirement for EMBA applicants for this application cycle. The application deadline for Spring 2023 is Dec. 1. For more information, visit csus.edu/college/ business-administration/graduate/mbaexecutives.

WATER WALL The “California Water Wall” mural was recently unveiled at 830 S St. as part of Wide Open Walls. The 2,000-square-foot mural by California artists Carly Ealey and Amanda Lynn encourages Californians to save water as the state enters its third consecutive year of serious drought. “The mural is more than a beautiful and vibrant artwork,” says Danielle Blacet-Hyden, deputy executive director at the California Municipal Utilities Association. “It’s also an everyday call for Californians to save water no matter the month, season or year.” The mural was sponsored by CMUA, Association of California Water Agencies, California Water Association, Regional Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, city of Sacramento Department of Utilities and dozens of local water agencies. For more information, visit cawaterwall.org.

AQUATICS ART Yes, that is a giant pair of flip flops in the middle of the North Natomas

PATRIOT AWARD

Pamela Maxwell of U.S. Bank presents $30,000 check to Lisa Culp from Women’s Empowerment. Aquatics Complex. The 15-foot sculpture, “Between the Toes” by local artist Terrence Martin, is visible from almost every part of the recently opened complex, which includes an Olympicsized pool, recreational pool, zero-depth entry splash pool, waterslides and community center. “The sculpture highlights the quintessential summer experience,” says Martin, a former lifeguard. “It’s fun, playful and it’s big enough to make a splash.” Each sandal, made of stainless steel, recycled glass rocks and LED lighting,

weighs approximately 2,000 pounds. The sculpture was commissioned by the Office of Arts and Culture and funded through the city’s Arts in Public Places. The North Natomas Aquatics Center is open for recreational swim on Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 14. Admission is $5 for youth and $7 for adults. Kids younger than 2 are free. For more information, call (916) 808-2306 or visit cityofsacramento. org/parksandrec/recreation/aquatics/ nonataquaticscomplex.

Kelly Baker, military veteran and HVAC sales lead coordinator at Bonney Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Air, recently nominated her employer for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Spouse Patriot Award. Bonney provided assistance when Kelly’s husband, Senior Master Sgt. Josh Baker, was called away for duty with the 195th Wing at Beale Air Force Base. “When I started working with Bonney a year and a half ago, my husband was working midnight to midday shifts at guard headquarters, and even though I was new, the company’s support made it easier for our family,” Baker says. “My supervisor gave me flexible time off to spend time with him, provided regular checkins to see how I was doing and even occasionally shifted my schedule.” ESGR is a Department of Defense program that promotes cooperation between service members and their civilian employers. Many employers, like Bonney, voluntarily assist military spouses. “We strive to make employee satisfaction a major priority at our company,” says Bonney CEO Jeremy Macdonald, who accepted the award. “I am committed to putting our employees first, which results in our customers receiving the highest level of service in return.”

HISTORIC PHOTOS Local author Colette Kavanaugh is looking for historic photos of ArdenArcade for an upcoming pictorial history book that will be published by Arcadia Publishing as part of its series “Images of America.” Printing vintage photographs in a book is the best way to preserve the past, so open those attic boxes and email historical images that should be immortalized to Kavanaugh at ardenarcadeproject@gmail.com.

SINGER SCHOLARSHIPS

Jenna Abbott is the new Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce senior vice president of strategic initiatives.

Sacramento Master Singers has announced the winners of its 2022 Scholarships for Young Choral Singers, which support the musical growth of local students. For ages 20 to 22, first place was awarded to Filopatir Ebid from the University of the Pacific, second place to Tiara Abraham from UC Davis, and third place to Brianna Brock from Cosumnes River College.

For ages 17 to 19, first place was awarded to Magdalena Bowen from Christian Brothers High School, second place to Madelynn Ballard from Argonaut High School, and third place to Emily Martin from St. Francis High School. For ages 14 to 16, first place was awarded to Sophia Rivera, second place to Kate Kasten and third place to Greta Crumley, all from St. Francis High School. Since 2003, SMS has awarded more than $30,000 to talented and dedicated young singers in the Greater Sacramento area. For more information, visit mastersingers.org.

LEADER AWARDS Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento has honored Sacramento City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood and her office with a leadership award for its innovative Justice for Neighbors program. Justice for Neighbors helps transform former illegal cannabis grow houses into affordable housing for families in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Property owners who have been cited for illegally growing cannabis can choose to donate their properties in lieu of paying administrative penalties. The donated property then can be converted to affordable housing. In other news, the city of Sacramento’s community engagement manager, Lynette Hall, was honored with a Women in Leadership award from the Women in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Committee of the Greater Sacramento NAACP branch. Hall heads up the city’s Community Engagement Team, formed in 2019 to engage the public, businesses, community-based organizations and chambers of commerce to ensure all residents are aware of city resources and opportunities, and can provide input in decisions, programming, plans and processes. “I am especially honored to have received this award alongside California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, who has broken down barriers for women of color like me,” Hall says.

SAC MURALS ABC10’s brick building at the corner of 5th and Broadway is looking extra vibrant these days thanks to a new large-scale mural created in partnership

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“California Water Wall” mural encourages Californians to save water. Mural by Amanda Lynn and Carly Ealey Photo by Aniko Kiezel with the city of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture. The mural was made possible by Community Murals Sacramento, a city-funded pilot program designed to elevate the voices of neighborhoods across Sacramento’s eight districts. Artist-led teams partner with neighborhood community stakeholders and local residents to create each art piece. ABC10 is part of District 4’s Team Broadway, which includes lead artist Ryan Rhodes and assistant artists Stefhani Godinez, Brooke Mathews and Gerardo Zambrano. A Community Paint Day with work by Team Broadway contributed to the mural’s infusion of pop culture, local people and points of interest. For more information, visit communitymuralssacramento.org.

MURAL ALLEY Three new murals have been unveiled as part of Sacramento Mural Alley between 32nd and 33rd streets off Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento. New works by Sacramento artists Dawn Pedersen and John Stuart Berger and Bay Area artist Carrie Cottini join existing murals by Robert Bowen, Miles Hermann and Davy Fiveash. Pedersen’s “Loki Formulates a Theory of Everything” is a felineinspired work located on the corner of the Archival Gallery building. Berger’s “Gutter Trap” takes its name from the downspouts on the rear wall of Archival Gallery. Cottini’s “Call Me Maybe” is the first mural on a private residence in

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the alley, elevating the look of a garage door. All murals featured in the alley are part of a beautification project sponsored by Archival Gallery and the home and business owners who have bordering properties. Learn more at sacramentomuralalley.com.

WATER METER PROJECT The American Society of Civil Engineers has recognized the Sacramento County Water Agency with the Outstanding Community Improvement Project Award. The award honored Phase 2A of SCWA’s Arden Service Area Pipe and Meter Installation Project, a multiphase process to improve the water system in the Arden area by installing approximately 38 miles of new pipelines and nearly 3,000 water meters. Phase 2A installed nearly three miles of new pipelines and upgraded the service connections in the area between Watt Avenue and Mills Road. The area also received 40 new fire hydrants with larger water mains to improve flow. Before each phase, project manager Helen Rocha and her team meet with residents in the affected neighborhoods to explain the project, its impact and the expected outcome. A 2004 state mandate requires installing water meters to all customers by water suppliers, such as SCWA. The work must be completed by 2025. For more information, visit ardenservicemeters.org.

SACTOWN BITES SacTown Bites has reopened and is offering new experiences through the end of the year. “The Sacramento Valley is underrated as a food destination and I’ve made it my mission to change that,” says SacTown Bites founder Heather Fortes. “Our food and beverage experiences take a deep dive and take you on a journey that is fun, educational and delicious.” The Cocktails, Mocktails & Bites walking tour offers guests a relaxing two-and-a-half-hour stroll along Midtown’s tree-lined streets, plus custom cocktails paired with small plates from Alaro Craft Brewery, Saigon Alley, The Porch, Kasbah, Kupros and Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates. Tours are

every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. Adults are $145 (with cocktails/mocktails) or $125 (without cocktails/mocktails), children 6–12 are $85, and kids 5 and younger are free. The half-day Capay Valley Farm Tour offers wine tasting and wood-fired pizza at Taber Ranch Winery, a tour and treats at Capay Valley Lavender, and olive oil and wine tasting at the Yocha Dehe-owned Séka Hills. Tours take place Sundays through mid-July and from mid-September through December. Cost is $135 for adults, $85 for children 6–12, and free for kids 5 and younger. A Taste of the Delta takes guests on a half-day tour of the scenic Delta discovering local favorites and hidden gems, including a private tour of a pear cidery, custom cider tasting and snacks at Hemly Cider, lunch at Husick’s Taphouse and wine tasting with cheese, jams and chocolate pairings at Silt Wine Company. Tours are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m. Adults are $145 (with alcohol) and $125 (without alcohol), children 6–12 are $85, and kids 5 and younger are free. Private, customizable tours are also available for 6 to 60 guests. For more information, visit sactownbites.com.

FREE LIFE JACKETS Before you head to the river, stop by a Sacramento Fire Department station to borrow a life jacket. “We are working to remind people of the risks of swimming in our local waterways and the best practices for keeping themselves and their loved ones safe,” says Sac Fire Capt. Keith Wade. “This includes wearing a life jacket,

Community Paint Day is held at ABC10 on Broadway.

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A feline-inspired mural adorns Archival Gallery. Mural by Dawn Pedersen which you can rent for free from our fire stations.” Life jackets, available for children and adults for the day or weekend, are offered at Station 1 (324 Q St.), Station 5 (731 Broadway), Station 8 (5990 H St.), Station 11 (785 Florin Road), Station 15 (1640 West El Camino Ave.) and Station 60 (3301 Julliard Drive). “People may think that currents are slower this year because of the ongoing drought, but that is not the case,” says Daniel Bowers, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management. “The water right now is very cold from the snow melt and flowing fast. If people are going to safely swim in our rivers, they need to be aware of the conditions and take the proper precautions.”

FUTSAL COURTS Two new futsal courts at Tanzanite Community Park in Natomas have joined eight other courts across Sacramento, with more planned in the coming years. Futsal is a fast-paced variety of soccer played on a smaller, hard court.

“Completion of the Tanzanite futsal courts helps to meet a growing demand for this amenity and adds an additional safe space for young people to engage in positive sport activity,” says Mario Lara, director of the city’s Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment Department. The courts were developed with funding from the city and support from City Council member Angelique Ashby and Sacramento Republic FC.

‘YOU’ DECALS The next time you’re at your local SAFE Credit Union, make sure to grab a piece of Sacramento pride. SAFE branches are now stocked with collectible decals illustrating the capital region’s landmarks, residents and other notable Sacramento sights. The stickers were designed by local artist and Sacramento State alumnus Hans Bennewitz as part of the SAFE “YOU” campaign celebrating SAFE members and small business owners. The artist says he tied each of the three collectible stickers together by tapping into a minimalist style inspired in part by Works Progress

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Hans Bennewitz designs Sacramento-inspired decals for SAFE “YOU” campaign.

Administration posters and cartoons from the 1930s. “We are so happy to cement our place in the Sacramento region and connect with our members through these transportable pieces of art,” says SAFE Brand Manager Amy Brown.

SAFE SCHOLARSHIPS SAFE Credit Union recently awarded $1,000 scholarships to 10 graduating high school seniors from Sacramento, El Dorado and Sutter counties as part of its commitment to education, veterans and health care. SAFE has awarded $10,000 in scholarships annually for 22 years. This year’s winners from Sacramento are Hannah Leigh from Cornerstone Christian School, Audrey Mininger from

St. Francis High School and Araceli Robles from West Campus High School. Scholarships are awarded based on grade point average, financial need, letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

WATERSHED CONTEST Local high school students have done their communities proud by participating in the Caring for Our Watersheds proposal writing contest hosted by the Center for Land-Based Learning and Nutrien. The contest challenges students to research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and develop a realistic project to address that concern in their community. Students compete for more than $6,000 in cash rewards. Participating

East Sac Girl Scout Troop 3170’s Bronze Award project beneﬁts Sacramento SPCA.

schools are eligible for more than $11,000 in matching rewards. Nutrien also provides $10,000 to help implement students’ ideas. Mira Loma High School students Clara Nordahl, Celina Chen, Nora Ransibrahmanakul and Benjamin Hartman placed first, second, third and fifth, respectively, in this year’s contest. Nordahl’s proposal advocates for the 2022 California Plastic Waste Reduction Regulations Initiative and a reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic through informational posts and colorful infographics on social media. MET Sacramento High School students Samuel Hartsell-Jenkins and Kirby Slagle won for their proposal to start and maintain a composting system on campus. George Washington Carver School of Arts & Sciences students—and resin artists—Arana Katasema, Jaiden Gonzales, Bernie Xicotencatl and Bella Marroquin won for their proposal to promote the use of eco-friendly art material Ecopoxy as an alternative to synthetic resins.

and fifth grade—the troop met with SSPCA staff to learn about what they do, their needs and how the troop could help. They then researched, developed and tested different homemade/upcycled dog and cat toy prototypes. At their Paws for a Cause event at East Portal Park, troop members taught attendees how to make the toys and homemade dog treats, and discussed the SSPCA’s mission and needs. All the toys, plus dog and cat food, were donated to the SSPCA. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Adopt an orphan who will steal your heart.

BRONZE AWARD East Sac Girl Scout Troop 3170 recently sponsored an event benefiting the Sacramento SPCA as its Bronze Award project. To earn the award—the highest available to Girl Scout Juniors in fourth

“Between the Toes” is unveiled at North Natomas Aquatics Complex.

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sacpetsearch.com sspca.org happytails.org saccountyshelter.net

Caring Spirit SALVATION ARMY BOARD MEMBER GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND

Bill Martin Photo by Linda Smolek

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

hings have come full circle for Bill Martin. In May, Martin was presented with the Salvation Army’s annual Spirit of Caring Award, given to the person who demonstrates exceptional dedication to the Army and its mission. Martin was the 30th Spirit honoree. The first, in 1992, was Thayer Prentice, former president of Point West Bank, who got Martin involved with the Salvation Army. “I started as a volunteer passing out turkeys at Christmas and doing

different things on-call, but in 2002, they invited me onto the board—and I’m still on it,” Martin says. Martin has seen the organization through difficult times, including the 2008 recession when the Army was in the midst of $50 million in projects. The group was raising funds to build a school and daycare in Oak Park, had just purchased an apartment complex in Del Paso for people transitioning back into mainstream life after completing remedial programs, and working on a summer camp in Nevada City.

“I was chair at the time,” Martin recalls. “It was stressful but exciting.” During much of his board tenure, Martin was president and CEO of the Bank of Sacramento. He and the bank did so much for the Salvation Army that they were offered the Spirit of Caring Award seven years ago. But it wasn’t good timing. Martin was in the middle of negotiating to sell the bank he’d founded. He was ready to retire. When the award came back around to him this year, he was “shocked but very pleased.”

The longtime Fair Oaks resident explains the main work of the advisory board is, as the name suggests, to give advice. But the primary goal is raising money. Board members assist on “numerous changes like getting programs approved, real estate issues and temporary housing assistance. The board opens up doors and tries to expedite actions that the Salvation Army believes are necessary for the community,” Martin says. When it comes to board duties, Martin is a superstar. “Bill Martin is the poster boy for the Salvation Army in Sacramento,” says fellow board member John Frisch, a star fundraiser for the Los Rios Community College Foundation and United Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and chair of this year’s Spirit of Caring event. “He’s done absolutely everything that a high-achieving board member could do. He’s chaired every committee, he’s been board chair, he worked on the capital campaign, he’s a major donor and a great fundraiser for the Salvation Army.” Honorees who receive the Spirit of Caring Award are expected to raise even more funds as part of the ceremony. Martin “raised more money than any honoree ever has—he went above and beyond in his role,” Frisch says. “We have fairly high expectations of our honorees, but Bill exceeded all expectations.” Martin is humble about his fundraising. He sees his success as a reflection of his community connections. “I was very flattered by the reaction of people I’d done business with and known for a long time,” he says. “It reinforced that I’d maybe done a few things right along the way.” More than anything, Martin is glad that his efforts are helping support an organization that does good work. “The great thing about the Army is they’ve got great spirit—they put their heads down and get it done,” he says. “The main theme is always the same: Let’s get people who have fallen off for whatever the reason and need a hand up to get on their feet to get on with things. That need will always be there, and that’s what the Salvation Army provides.” For information, visit sacramento. salvationarmy.org. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Photo by Linda Smolek

Conceptual drawings courtesy of the California Assembly

Tear It Down DECREPIT CAPITOL ANNEX NEEDS TO GO

few months ago, I saw a flurry of nostalgic photos on social media from longtime friends and former colleagues working or posing in room 1190 of the state Capitol.

GD By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

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That’s the place in the old Capitol annex where reporters gathered for jousting sessions with governors and other elected officials. Because I spent considerable time there when I covered politics for The Bee and later as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speechwriter, the photos and social media posts caught my eye. But I have to confess, I feel no warm sense of nostalgia about the place and agree with political columnist Dan Walters, who wrote: “No one who works in and around the Capitol will be sorry to see the annex disappear. It is not only

plug ugly 1950s brutalist architecture at its worst, but dysfunctional to the max.” Walters is spot on, but he’s wrong about one thing. There are some who want to see the annex saved. At least four lawsuits have been filed contesting the state’s plans to tear down the annex and replace it with a modern, more functional building. Most of the opposition targets what litigants argue was an inadequate environmental review and the loss of dozens of old trees in Capitol Park that would be removed or relocated to accommodate the annex replacement.

Although the 70-year-old annex has some historical significance, the building hasn’t aged well. Still, there are some in town who would rather see it saved and renovated. Sacramento needs to get over the habit of grieving anytime a building with some historical currency gets torn down and replaced. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s worth saving. Buildings aren’t people. When they outlive their usefulness as this one has, getting rid of them is the right thing to do. The annex has a long list of deficiencies. Aside from being boxy and ugly, it’s not appropriately accessible

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to people with physical disabilities. Asbestos, lead and mold are found throughout. It’s cramped, antiquated and energy inefficient. The plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems are out of date. It needs to be replaced. A number of state officials, including the governor and all but a handful of legislators, had offices in the six-story, 350,000-square-foot building. But they’ve all moved to a new structure a few blocks away. I have many fond memories from working at the Capitol. But Schwarzenegger was right and could have been talking about the entire annex when he referred to the governor’s office as “rinky-dink.” Now the site is fenced off, trees have been marked for relocation or removal and not much else has been happening while the lawsuits get sorted out. It would be a good thing if they are settled soon and we can watch the annex disappear and get replaced by something that does a better job representing the capital of the fifth largest economy in the world. The current $1.2 billion price tag for the complete project, which includes the new annex, an underground visitors center and parking garage, is disconcerting. So, too, is the all-glass

heidibattani@gmail.com façade that one critic rightly called a “monstrosity.” One very preliminary rendering I saw made me wonder if the architects forgot when they designed the new annex that it would be attached to our elegant old Capitol. Completed in 1874, the neoclassical Capitol is still Sacramento’s most elegant building inside and out. The proposed annex looks like an ultra-modern hedge fund or internet headquarters. It would look out of place in Capitol Park attached to the original building. Here’s hoping I’m wrong. But either way, that doesn’t mitigate the need to get rid of the old annex and replace it with something people might actually like to visit. Nostalgia is nice. Real progress is better. It’s hard enough to convince people state government is working for them when the seat of the enterprise is a dysfunctional mess whose layout resembles a Halloween corn maze. Tear it down and quit fighting about a lost cause. Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Cannabis Reversal? SUPERVISORS MAY BE READY FOR COUNTY POT

tatewide voters blessed cannabis in California, but local jurisdictions—cities and counties—control the legalized pot market. Sacramento County prohibits commercial cultivation and retail sales in unincorporated areas. Now the Board of Supervisors is thinking about changing that. The move is motivated by the desire to collect taxes—lots of them. Within the county, only the cites of Sacramento and Isleton allow cannabis. Sacramento has 89 licenses for cultivation, 14 nurseries, 47 distributors, 41 manufacturers, 88 retailers, nine microbusinesses and three testing laboratories, according HdL, a consulting firm retained by the county.

HS By Howard Schmidt Inside The County

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For the 2020-21 fiscal year, Sacramento collected more than $20 million in cannabis tax revenue, the consultant says. To begin retail sales, distribution and cultivation, the county would need a regulatory framework. Currently, no framework exists. The only scenario under consideration is a tax proposal for the November ballot. To make that happen, supervisors must act in July. Supervisor Sue Frost expressed hesitation about the need to move quickly. She wants to hear from public safety and health officials. County Executive Ann Edwards says staff hasn’t had time to flesh out a regulatory scheme. But Edwards is ready to gather information, ideally before the tax measure comes before the board in July. The regulatory apparatus would dictate rules for cannabis operators, probably through zoning and business licenses. The city of Sacramento’s experience should provide a caution— administrators and politicians became vulnerable to accusations of cronyism. The county must also consider calls for “economic justice” from communities disproportionately

impacted when cannabis was illegal. Economic justice would promote equity in cannabis licensing. None of this has been discussed by the supervisors. Instead, they seem concerned about whether taxing cannabis is even viable in unincorporated communities. Given the large number of existing city retailers, consultant HdL found “there is not any unmet demand waiting to be filled.” In other words, new county retailers would have to lure customers from city retailers (not to mention from black market dealers). Building a legal cannabis trade in the county is possible, the consultant says, because “consumers in the unincorporated county will gravitate towards retailers closer to their location, rather than continuing to buy from retailers within the city of Sacramento.” Supervisor Rich Desmond, who represents most unincorporated areas, including Arden-Arcade and Carmichael, says the cannabis prohibition is “prudent.” But he’s willing to re-examine legalized pot. Supervisor Phil Serna, who represents a fraction of the unincorporated county, describes

the tax as a way to collect “valuable revenue that otherwise goes to other parts of our region,” meaning the city of Sacramento. Public testimony has involved only a few speakers, mostly pro-cannabis. That doesn’t discourage Supervisor Don Nottoli from expressing doubts about opening unincorporated communities to cannabis. In the end, Nottoli and Frost went against proceeding but were outvoted by Desmond, Serna and Patrick Kennedy. The next step is a July 12 hearing for the board to vote to place a cannabis tax proposal on the November ballot. From there, county staff will draft an ordinance on cannabis regulations for supervisors to consider. Howard Schmidt worked on federal, state and local levels of government, including 16 years for Sacramento County. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Dysfunctional Town TOO MANY CRISES LEAVE CITY LEADERS HELPLESS

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

n Railroad Drive, a security guard blocks a public street with his patrol car. He moves when people ask nicely. Unless they want to build an illegal homeless camp. At police headquarters, cops hear the words “use of force policy” and get confused. The policy changes often, a politicized moving target. Cops grow frustrated. In Washington, business executives and city officials meet with local members of Congress and remind them about matters of community importance. One City Council member, Katie Valenzuela, skips the

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

trip. She goes to Cuba and celebrates May Day with comrades. Greetings from Sacramento, summer of 2022, a place where no one’s in charge. Welcome to a town where residents take desperate measures to protect themselves against the rising tide of tent cities and street violence. Where cops fear for their careers, if not their lives, when answering calls for service. Where a councilwoman posts photos of herself partying in Havana. How quaint that only nine years ago the big controversy involved taking nickels and dimes from parking meters to support investment in a new arena. Those were the days. What went wrong? Let’s start with failed leadership at City Hall. When Darrell Steinberg was elected mayor in 2016, his appeal was based on two words: legislative experience. He was the city’s representative at the state Capitol for 14 years. He became president of the state Senate as a compromise between legislators

from Los Angeles and the Bay Area. His achievement was the city’s pride. Given his background, Steinberg sounded credible when he spoke about leveraging his Capitol relationships. We believed him when he said he could solve the homeless crisis. But there was a problem. Being a successful mayor requires skills specific to chief executives. Steinberg is no CEO. He’s a negotiator and consensus builder, a guy who makes deals, preferably in a back room without many people watching. By personality, reputation and inclination, he’s not a charismatic leader. He doesn’t conjure creative

solutions and convince people to follow. His most impressive accomplishment is an old idea borrowed from other places—hiking the local sales tax to infuse a city budget burdened by recession. Voters saw sensibility in Steinberg’s tax increase. They went along. When he borrowed another old idea—rewrite the city charter and grant the mayor executive authority— he tripped over his loafers and fell on his face. Here’s another problem. Sacramento residents want a chief TO PAGE 25

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, STEINBERG AND THE CITY COUNCIL COULD HAVE STEERED THE CITY THROUGH ONE CRISIS. BUT NOT WAVES OF DISASTERS, NOT TENT CITIES AND DOORWAY SLEEPERS AND CIVIL ERUPTIONS AND LOOTING AND COVID-19 AND GANG SHOOTOUTS. NOT THIS MAYOR. NOT THIS CITY COUNCIL. POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

NATIVE SON EXPLORES EMOTION THROUGH FILM

Spencer Tsang

JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

he room is claustrophobic. You can almost smell the tang of sweat and adrenaline. A face appears onscreen, uncomfortably close, marred by a wound. The camera reels as punches are thrown. You don’t know whether to look away or watch through your fingers. Spencer Tsang was able to capture this intense scene on film because he lived it. He and his friends would meet behind a Taco Bell near John

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F. Kennedy High School to fight. It wasn’t until Tsang was in college and won a grant to make “Fight Night,” a short film based on this time in his life, that he realized he could make a living exploring his own experiences through art. “I used to resist my artistic side,” says Tsang, a Sacramento native whose parents emigrated from China. “Being a minority Chinese American, arts are not encouraged. I grew up in a very masculine environment and tried to

suppress my artistic side. I was called names. People would say, ‘You think you’re so deep, you think you’re better than us,’ to try to cut down your ego. I was just trying to figure myself out.” Art became Tsang’s escape. He drew comic books. He daydreamed in class, making up episodes of Power Rangers. He went to the movies so often he’s pretty sure he ran subscription ticket service MoviePass out of business. By high school, Tsang discovered his love for writing, which “literally saved

my life.” During a suicidal episode senior year, he wrote a poem to his late godfather, who had died by suicide. Tsang entered University of San Francisco as a business major, determined to leave art—and Sacramento—behind. But art followed him. Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, came to USF his freshman year. Tsang and a friend submitted a short film that was chosen for screening out of 45 entries.

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accmtv.org 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. Tsang thought, if I can make a short film, what else can I do? COVID intervened and Tsang moved back to Sacramento. As his family’s restaurant struggled, Tsang wondered why no one was making ads for them, similar to larger companies. He and some college friends launched GrapePear, a creative marketing company, to tell small business stories. An ad Tsang wrote and directed for San Francisco burger joint Uncle Boy’s was viewed thousands of times and picked up by local media. The restaurant’s sales grew 40 percent. “It was a life-changing moment,” Tsang says. “I had used film to positively impact someone’s life. That was truly what I wanted to do.” Inspired, Tsang decided to try Los Angeles. By the end of 2020, he landed an internship, found a living situation and moved to LA. He worked on film sets, met amazing people and took classes at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting to learn the actor’s art. When he saw an ad for the Allstate Foundation Film Festival fellowship offering a $15,000 grant, Tsang thought it was a scam—but applied anyway. He submitted a script based on a short story he’d written in high school about toxic masculinity, friendship and

empathy among people of color. He animated the first three scenes to show the interview panel. He impressed them so much they asked no questions and gave him the grant. Months of hard work followed. He developed the script, did pre-production, secured permits, bought insurance, auditioned, rehearsed and eventually filmed “Fight Night.” The nine-minute movie will be shown at high schools nationwide to engage teenagers in conversations about positive relationships. “The fellowship turned my life upside down. I realized this doesn’t have to just be a hobby, it can be a job,” says Tsang, who’s finishing his senior year at USF while working three jobs—all in the film industry. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I have a long road ahead of me, but I’m dedicated to the journey.” To view “Fight Night,” visit joinonelove.org/vote. For more information, visit spencertsang.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.com. n

LIC 342700683

FROM PAGE 25

executive mayor who’s not a chief executive. They want a sincere person who articulates a path forward, guides City Council colleagues around controversies and operates within traditional constraints. Voters want local authorities to answer the phones at City Hall, keep the streets safe and clean, fill potholes, collect garbage and make toilets flush. Now the public’s expectations are destroyed by homelessness, civil unrest, economic mayhem from the pandemic and gang shootouts. Steinberg and the bureaucracy he leads are exposed and vulnerable, like sheep stalked by wolves. It gets worse. A City Council in transition, populated by naive and inexperienced members Valenzuela, Mai Vang and Sean Loloee, becomes an environment for poor judgment. December will deliver three more new members. Prediction: Dysfunction and bad decisions rule City Hall in 2023.

A sense of inevitability settles over events that push the wounded city into summer: the Railroad Drive blockade, muddled rules for police, Valenzuela’s Cuban frolic. Homelessness grows and drags the city down an aimless path. A willfully ignorant civilian police review commission dictates a mashup of dangerous policies. Valenzuela embraces radical politics and doubles down. Maybe, just maybe, Steinberg and the City Council could have steered the city through one crisis. But not waves of disasters, not tent cities and doorway sleepers and civil eruptions and looting and COVID-19 and gang shootouts. Not this mayor. Not this City Council. Katie Valenzuela didn’t represent the future of local politics when she picked Havana over Washington. But she sure sent a warning. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Memorable Update RENOVATION TOOK GOOD BONES AND MADE THEM BETTER

hen Susan and John Skinner purchased their 3,200-square-foot Carmichael ranch home in 1990, they knew they had a house with good bones. “It had been built in the 80s by a builder for his own father,” Susan says. “It was solid. There were no

CH By Cecily Hastings Photography by Aniko Kiezel OPEN HOUSE

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cut corners.” The house also had deep political roots: The owner was a Capitol lobbyist who loved to entertain. The newly married couple saw the immediate potential. “But the home was very dated inside with multitudes of conflicting patterned wallpapers and carpets. That was the first thing we changed,” Susan says. The Skinners installed oak hardwood floors, updated to a neutral carpet and added new neutral paint. “We always talked about more renovations, but a decade ago when John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s we decided just to live with it,” Susan says. John Skinner, a retired airline pilot and accomplished musician, died in August 2017. “Once I worked through

Ann Huntsman

the shock, and the first year of grief, I made a decision to stay put and make this the home I always dreamed about living in,” Susan says. Susan, a photographer and journalist whose work appears in Inside, loved the concept of indoor-outdoor living. The New Zealand native organized her plans into three parts and assembled a renovation team. Interior designer

Gayle Stimack—a friend and neighbor— created the design direction. Contractor Clyde Hagood of C&V Contractors performed the work. The first year, the team remodeled the kitchen and master bathrooms, painted inside and out, and updated lighting fixtures. The second year, they tackled landscaping and renovations of the 60-foot lap swimming pool and

outdoor entertaining area. This past year, they renovated the office and guest suite. The kitchen features sleek, light maple cabinets and dramatic quartzite counters and backsplashes. “Gail was thinking of a more neutral color for the counters, but when visiting the stone yard, I fell in love with the organic

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pattern and colors of quartzite,” Susan says. A highlight of her career has been creating a photographic journal of local nesting eagles. The journal influenced her decision. “I saw a dramatic eagle shape in the quartzite veining and knew it was exactly for me,” she says. This past year, the team completed the office-workroom. “John and I had

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always used it for our home offices, but it was far from ideal,” Susan says. The large room is now multipurpose, with a stand-up desk for Susan, a work island, lots of storage cabinets and a TV lounge area for guests using the guest room next door. The cabinets are the same contemporary style as the kitchen but with a charcoal stain and contrasting brass handles. Light maple open shelves are accented with Susan’s collections of art and sculpture. Quartzite counters complete the palette. Susan’s extensive local art collection influenced the design decisions, Stimack says. With local art luminaries, including David and Alan Post, Jian

Wang, Pat Mahoney and Earl Boley, her collection of paintings is largescale, primarily abstract, colorful and dramatic. “We wanted to create a warm neutral backdrop, so the art took center stage,” Stimack says. Susan adds, “Gail agonized over dozens of sample shades of wall color before we found the perfect shade.” With the renovations complete, Susan says, “It feels great to be surrounded by all the things I love—my memories of John, my art collection of 25 years, and all of it set in a beautiful and elegant package.” Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. To recommend a home or garden, contact editor@insidepublications. com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

SUSAN’S EXTENSIVE LOCAL ART COLLECTION INFLUENCED THE DESIGN DECISIONS. WITH LOCAL ART LUMINARIES, INCLUDING DAVID AND ALAN POST, JIAN WANG, PAT MAHONEY AND EARL BOLEY, HER COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS IS LARGE-SCALE, PRIMARILY ABSTRACT, COLORFUL AND DRAMATIC.

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On the Hoof CITY’S LAST REAL RANCH DELIVERS THE BEEF

GM By Gabrielle Myers Photography by Aniko Kiezel FARM TO FORK

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hin channels of water weave through green marshland along East Levee Road in North Natomas. Large geese, blue herons and egrets poke for food in mud still plump from a rare spring rain. To the road’s left, a vibrant pasture, thick with clover, rye, alfalfa and fescue, raises each blade to greet the sunlight. Behind me in the distance Downtown Sacramento’s buildings sit as dark dots. Tracts of suburban houses stand guard between the city’s agricultural and industrial land. Avdis Ranch, the only commercial cattle ranch inside the city limits, sits on more than 50 acres of grassland between wetlands and suburban sprawl. With another 100 leased acres, Avdis maintains its productive grass-fed cattle, sheep and goat operation. The result is healthy, local, pasture-raised meat for locavores to enjoy. Husband and wife Nick and Nikki Avdis carry on the tradition of ranching that has been in the family since 1940, after Nick’s parents and an uncle emigrated from Tripolis, Greece. As a boy growing up on the ranch, Nick would anticipate his father’s return from grazing sheep on the river trail as far away as Cal Expo. When Nick would see dust clouds rising from near the river and hear the sound of approaching hooves, he knew his father would be home soon. During the devastating floods of 1986, the family home and ranch land were immersed in water. After the floods, the recently formed Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency took measures to build higher levees and, through eminent domain, took over the family ranch. Nick’s parents, not fluent in English and still learning the new language, were unable to fight the loss of their land. Nick became an attorney in 2003, specializing in environmental law and land use. He now serves on the SAFCA reclamation board and turned what happened to his parents into fuel for his fight to treat individuals touched by SAFCA with respect and care. He doesn’t want what happened to his parents to happen to other people. “The experience of losing our land was traumatic and it shaped the way

Nick and Nikki Avdis

we saw the world,” Nick says. “It really fueled my desire to engage in public service and help the less fortunate.” Over the years, Nick and Nikki took what was left of the original family ranch and, bit by bit, expanded the acreage. The couple grew herds and flocks and created a closed, selfsustaining herd of about 50 Angus-cross cattle and a flock of 30 Dorper sheep. The Angus herd contains some of the genetics of the original Charolais line raised by Nick’s parents. On the day I visited Avdis Ranch, nine baby goats and sheep, just a few days old, awkwardly walked around a verdant pasture near the family home. The Avdis Ranch commitment to healthy and happy livestock shows in the way the animals are raised on abundant grassland with no growth hormones or unnatural additives. The

animals thrive on pastures that are irrigated only as necessary. During the cold season, when the grasslands need rest, Avdis animals are fed with a local mix of hay and orchard grass. The value of pasture-raised, natural and grass-fed meat becomes apparent in the kitchen and on the plate. Savoring a pan-roasted rib-eye, the steak’s thin, webbed marbling melts in our mouths. Next comes cottage pie. The ground beef’s savory juices infuse our mashed potatoes, carrots and turnip. Finally, we enjoy perfectly grilled tri-tip. Each thin slice is cut against the grain, smothered in morels with extra virgin olive oil. Avdis Ranch offers an authentic local experience from pastureland to purchase.

For ordering information, visit avdisranch.com or look for the booth Saturdays at the Natomas Farmers Market. Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest

book of poetry, “Too Many Seeds,” can be ordered from fishinglinepress.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Water Wise ‘STRESS LAWNS, SAVE TREES’ IN TODAY’S DROUGHT

elcome to the third year of extreme drought. As survivors of water restrictions and veterans of nurturing landscapes through heat, smoke and ash, we get rewarded with an extra serving of hot, dry mess. Crying about it is another waste of water. “Extreme drought, followed by extreme wet seems to be normal climate now,” says Amy Talbot, the Regional Water Authority’s water efficiency program manager. “Every year there is a new crisis and people may be suffering from drought fatigue. I hope people can say, ‘I can adjust.’” Sixty percent of water used during Sacramento’s hottest months is in landscapes, not indoor. Waste from runoff and evaporation runs 20 percent to 30 percent during the hottest months. According to Talbot, droughtresistant landscaping has become more “socially acceptable,” but the challenge remains to remind residents that water

DV By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

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usage and waste are more prevalent in summer. “Plants don’t save water, people save water,” Talbot says. “Swapping out your landscape to native plants doesn’t necessarily save water if you continue to irrigate using the same amount of water.” Entering Sacramento’s hottest months, the water authority, which represents 20 water providers and 2 million people in the Sacramento region, emphasizes saving our beloved trees at the expense of lawns. The campaign slogan: “Stress your lawns, save your trees.” During the previous period of drought (2012–2016), a 2016 assessment for the city of Sacramento revealed a chilling statistic. Eight percent of Sacramento’s tree canopy was dead or dying and another 11 percent was on the critical list. “We lost a lot of trees,” Talbot says. “Lawns came back, but trees died.” The water authority leads a partnership of water providers. Among the members are the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville, West Sacramento and several water districts, including Sacramento Suburban Water District, Carmichael Water District and Elk Grove Water District. The goal is to provide safe and reliable water supplies, support the region’s economy and “preserve the environment of the American River.”

Sacramento is among the top 10 urban tree canopies in the country and has been called the “City of Trees” since the 1850s. When lawn watering days are reduced by water districts, trees growing in lawn areas can mightily suffer. Even during the warmest summer months in non-drought years, trees need supplemental water. A dead mature tree takes decades to replace. The water authority and Sacramento Tree Foundation recommend five basic practices to nurture trees through the current drought: Be diligent testing soil moisture around trees. Use a moisture meter to probe soil and check for adequate moisture. A screwdriver and your finger are alternate methods. If dry, water the tree. Slow, deep watering is best. Water should seep 6 inches to 8 inches into the soil. Mature trees (5 years and older) benefit from soaker hoses or drip irrigation at the drip line, where branching ends. Stop when water runs into gutters or onto sidewalks. Wait an hour or so and soak again. Young trees require more frequent watering. Soak them two or three times a week with 5 gallons at a time. The “bucket method” is recommended and directions can be found at bewatersmart.info/young-trees.

Finally, spread a layer of woodchip mulch around the tree base to the end of the canopy, keeping it 4 inches to 6 inches from the trunk. Mulch cools the soil and retains moisture. Helpful information on tree care and related drought tips to preserve gardens can be accessed on the websites of the water authority at rwah2o.org and the Sacramento Tree Foundation at sactree.org. Water districts also provide help for customers. Those who have lost trees or plan fall landscape projects may want to attend Harvest Day Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Pam Bone, a retired urban forestry farm adviser, is a featured speaker. Her timely topic will be “Selecting trees for the home landscape in a changing climate.” Harvest Day is the premier gardening event in the Sacramento area. Admission is free. Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@ gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Dignified Ends HOSPICE CHAPLAINS OFTEN SEE PEOPLE AT THEIR GREATEST

s a hospice chaplain, I’ve learned a surefire way to bring down any conversation. I just mention what I do. “Oh, that must be a really sad job,” is the familiar response. “It can be sad,” I admit. “But most often it’s the opposite.” Folks sometimes respond with a confused look, perhaps like you’re doing now. To make my point, I offer two contrasting stories. The first happened while I was working in a hospital. The patient was an 82-year-old farmer with a failing heart, someone nurses call a “frequent flyer.” His heart problems had given his family multiple scares, but somehow doctors managed to stabilize his condition and allow him to go home. Each time, doctors told him he was

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

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terminal and suggested he sign up for hospice. Nothing doing. The family thought he would improve with medication. But on his final visit to the hospital, things drastically changed. Doctors twice restarted his heart and sent him to our ICU on a breathing machine. After a few days, the family was asked if the farmer could be disconnected from life support and be placed on “comfort care.” “No,” the family said. “You must do everything possible.” In the next few moments, our staff tried to define “everything.” We explained that if his heart stopped again, “everything” could involve nurses straddling his chest to do compressions, likely breaking ribs. The family didn’t seem to consider the indignity of it all. “Just do it,” they said. The man lingered several more days and required multiple resuscitations before he died. The staff and I definitely had sad jobs that day. But a year later I came to work for hospice and saw a much different approach to death. One of the first patients I met was an octogenarian and member of the greatest generation. This Navy veteran was lucid enough to see the battle ahead, so he agreed to be placed on hospice.

The veteran’s family also asked the doctor to do “everything.” By that they meant: Please do everything to make his passing comfortable and dignified. The family invited me to talk with him. Within moments of our meeting, he expressed his faith in God and spoke of the love that awaited him in an afterlife. On my second visit, his heavenly expression of faith inspired me to start humming a hymn. My humming leaked out of his room and soon, one by one, his family added the lyrics that filled the sacred space. Some glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away; To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away. A smile broke through the man’s pained expressions as he joined the chorus. I’ll fly away, oh glory, I’ll fly away; When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away. More humming. More quiet and then a request. “Will you say a prayer, chaplain?” his daughter asked. My prayer recalled the words of the psalmist, assuring this family there was no place their dad could go without the comforting presence of God.

“Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there,” the prayer went. At the end of the day, the difference between these two families was how they expressed their view of the word “everything.” The first family wanted doctors to do “everything” medically possible to keep their loved one alive. The second family wanted “everything” to include things that comforted medically, emotionally and spiritually. The farmer died alone, perhaps painfully, and likely scared. The veteran died as he had lived, with friends, family and faith. Yes, as a hospice chaplain, I have sad days. But those days often give way to fulfillment as I witness the dying courage shown in the faces of folks like this veteran. Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

1114 11th Street today Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Wanna Bet?

NEW SPORTS GAMBLERS ARE NOTHING LIKE JACKIE AND SID

he town’s favorite sports bookies didn’t wear mouse ears. They chewed toothpicks and smoked cigars. They hung out at the Bar of Music on 11th Street and Georgian’s on J Street. When those joints disappeared, they moved to Joe Marty’s on Broadway and Simon’s on 16th Street. What would our legendary gamblers—a hall of fame led by Jackie King and Sid Tenner—think about Mickey Mouse muscling in on the action? Alarmed by the implosion of its ESPN subscriber base, Walt Disney Co. figures there’s gold in the unhappiest place on earth, the universe of degenerate gamblers.

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

Disney is eager to build alliances with bookmakers and casinos. Imagine the Seven Dwarfs laying six-to-five odds Snow White bites the apple before she meets her prince. In remarks inspired by greed or cynicism, Disney CEO Bob Chapek told investors he was forced to become a bookie because younger audiences “desire to have gambling as part of their sports experience.” Where do Mouseketeers go when they are old enough to shave? Caesars Palace. Chasing Disney are California tribal casinos. They want to litter the November ballot with voter initiatives to extend their slot machine monopolies to sports betting. If you believe the Kings will lose to Golden State by eight points rather than the expected nine, an Indian casino wants your money. On a cool Sunday morning Downtown, I thought about these sad developments when I reached 1114 11th St. This is where the Bar of Music stood, an apostate in resistance to its enduring neighbor, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The Bar of Music was a nightclub and restaurant fronted by retired boxer

Buddy Baer, who twice lost to Joe Louis. Buddy’s brother Max was world heavyweight champ in 1934. The Baer brothers drew the crowds. The brains behind the Bar of Music belonged to Jackie King. He was either manager or owner or both, depending on who tells the story. King had many talents. He was a student of pop culture, skilled at hiring musicians who could pack the joint. He was a boxing promoter who guided the careers of local mid-century favorites, notably West Sacramento lightweight Joey Lopes. The kinship with prizefighters was memorialized by King’s motto: “If you can’t say anything good about somebody, knock the hell out of him.”

When King wasn’t running the Bar of Music or promoting fights at Memorial Auditorium or the L Street Arena in the West End, he was gambling. He often mixed all three passions. Bookmaking was illegal (and remains so in California). Jackie wasn’t prosecuted for making or taking a bet. But he was proud of his relationship with the human desire for risk. His sideline was as a “representative” of Reno casinos. He organized junkets, among other things. He was the guy to know if you wanted to gamble. Jackie died from cancer in 1968 at age 62. The late boxing impresario Don Chargin summarized his friend by saying, “Every deal I had with Jackie was on a handshake. He was a straight shooter. What he said on the telephone was better than a contract.” Best of all, King left a protégé, a furniture salesman from Chicago who became Sacramento’s most storied boxing promoter and sports gambler of the late 20th century, Sid Tenner. Sidney bet constantly. He won and lost a fortune. His defeats usually surpassed his victories. Asked why he gambled, he said, “I like the action, I guess.” Asked why he became a bookmaker, he said, “I got tired of losing.” He died in 2004 at age 81. The town’s favorite gamblers were public people with grand exteriors, always visible, ready for new friendships. They would be lost today, when offshore accounts make gambling a secretive, shameful vice conducted in solitude, swipes on a smartphone. Disney and the tribes want to crush our ability to resist sports gambling. They will bombard us with ads and propositions until we break down and make a bet. By comparison, Jackie King and Sid Tenner were saints. They let us pick our poison. They didn’t need to advertise. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

ALARMED BY THE IMPLOSION OF ITS ESPN SUBSCRIBER BASE, WALT DISNEY CO. FIGURES THERE’S GOLD IN THE UNHAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH, THE UNIVERSE OF DEGENERATE GAMBLERS. POC n INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

Bird Watching WILDLIFE FINDS REFUGE AT YOLO BASIN PRESERVE

Great horned owl at Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Photo by Mark Rakich

CR By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

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estled 40 feet high in the branches of a willow tree, the great horned owl scrutinizes her surroundings. Two chicks are barely visible within the confines of their twisted twig nest. Despite her skyward proximity and camouflage feathers, the bird of prey comes into touchable view through a spotting scope. Her home, along with 200 other bird species, is the stateowned Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Stretching 16,000 acres across both sides of the Yolo Causeway along

I-80 between Sacramento and Davis, the nature refuge is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for flood control, animal and habitat protection, recreation and education. On an early summer Saturday, I join five other visitors and three docents from the nonprofit Yolo Basin Foundation for a tour of the area’s native grasslands, riparian forests and seasonal wetlands. We follow a lead guide, each in our own vehicle, along the gravel “auto

tour” loop, pulling over along the way, cameras and binoculars in hand. Red-winged blackbirds, snowy egrets, great blue herons, a red-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, American white pelican and the great horned owl are among the 29 species we witness. The raptors and shorebirds are primarily year-round residents. November through January, our guide tells us, the skies and wetlands are painted solid with migrating waterfowl.

YOLO BYPASS WILDLIFE AREA EVENTS

he Yolo Basin Foundation offers numerous educational programs and events throughout the year.

GUIDED TOURS

Great blue heron at Yolo Basin wetlands. Photo by Mark Rakich The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area supports millions of migrating birds, including ducks and geese, who need a stopover on their annual north-tosouth trek along the Pacific Flyway. The wetlands provide open water and vegetation for nourishment and rest. Yet 90 percent of the Central Valley’s wetlands have been lost due to development and other factors. “Waterfowl and shorebirds migrating through the Central Valley today are surviving off of isolated, postage stamps of wetlands across a landscape of agriculture and urban development,” reports the National Audubon Society. In a mutually beneficial partnership between man and nature, much of the Yolo Basin land is leased to rice farmers. In return, the rice fields provide food and habitat to the wildlife who depend on the fields for survival. Come fall, after the rice is harvested, the migrating birds, as well as year-round residents, dine on the precious white grains left in the fields. “The rice growers used to burn the fields, but that changed,” says Martha Diepenbrock, executive director of the Yolo Basin Foundation. “The ecosystem between the wetlands and the rice and the birds has come to be a symbiotic relationship.” It’s rice planting season during our guided tour and crop dusters fly low across the terrain. “Most people think

when they see the planes that they’re dropping pesticide,” Diepenbrock says. “When they see those planes flying low over the rice fields, they are planting.” But the drought continues to threaten these surrogate wetlands. Less rain and snow mean less water devoted to agriculture, which results in fewer rice fields to support Sacramento Valley’s wildlife. “Millions of waterfowl and scores of other wildlife species in California lose critical habitat if fewer acres of rice are planted,” reports the California Rice Commission. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area “has old riparian water rights that go back a long time,” Diepenbrock says. “That’s why the wildlife area has been able to have some water. There is a lot of pressure on all the various species that depend on the wetlands and the water that is now all managed.” Our 9-mile tour ends at Parking Lot G where we are greeted by hundreds of cliff swallows as they dive and dance in the sky above our heads. An old wooden bridge provides shelter and structure for the swallows to build their gourd-shaped mud nests, lined with dry grass to keep their chicks warm. “You see so many different things over the course of the year,” Diepenbrock says. “Go out there more

Guided tours—October through June—take place at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. The driving tours, with several stops and optional short walks, are appropriate for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. While the wildlife area is open free to the public every day from sunrise to sunset (except Dec. 25 and periods of flooding), a guided tour is recommended for first-time visitors. “Taking a tour helps introduce people to how to navigate the wildlife area,” says Martha Diepenbrock, executive director of the Yolo Basin Foundation. “When you go back on your own, you have more confidence on where to go.” Tour guides often scout wildlife prior to the tour, and come prepared with spotting scopes and loaner binoculars. A $10 per-person donation is encouraged.

BAT WALKS These family-friendly walks let visitors experience the “flyout” of the largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats in California. The Bat Walks take place multiple evenings through late September. The popular bat tours sell out quickly. “But when people cancel, we open those spots up again, so checking back is the best way,” Diepenbrock says. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for youth 6–17 years, and free for children 5 and younger.

STARGAZING Sign up for stargazing at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area with amateur astronomers from the Davis Astronomy Club. Viewings include constellations, star clusters, galaxies, colored stars, the moon, Venus and Saturn. The tour is Saturday, Aug. 6, 7–11:30 p.m. Registration is $125 per person and includes drinks and hors d’oeuvres at sunset. To sign up for events, volunteer and donate, visit yolobasin.org. n

than once. The water changes. The animals change. The birds change. The sky changes. Each time is its own experience.” For more information, visit yolobasin.org. Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Robert Dvorak Photo by Linda Smolek

Citizen of The World TRAVEL INFORMS SOUTH LAND PARK ARTIST’S IMPRESSIVE OEUVRE

obert Regis Dvorak is an artist’s artist. He paints, draws, writes and sings. He teaches. He works in watercolor, oil, acrylic, ink, etching, woodcuts and silk screen. He’s filled more than 300 sketchbooks, many during trips abroad. Even after decades as a professional artist, he has ideas that will keep him busy for years.

JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

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“When you’re an artist, you do what your heart leads you to do,” Dvorak says. “If I had any sense about me, I would have gone into music— the path was there. But I really didn’t want to. I enjoyed drawing.” Dvorak hails from a musical family (yes, he’s related to Antonin Dvorak, the Czech composer), but knew from an early age he wanted to be a visual artist. His parents were concerned he wouldn’t make enough money. They convinced him to try architecture. The discipline proved interesting enough that Dvorak left home in Wisconsin to study architecture at University of Illinois. He found a job at a New York architecture firm but continued to study art. He took

printmaking classes and sold an etching to a Fifth Avenue gallery. From there, Dvorak traveled the world for almost three years, drawing and painting. He started in Rome, where he worked for an architecture firm. He landed in Japan by way of the Middle East, India, Thailand and Singapore. He had his first one-man art exhibition in Tokyo. (He’s now had 24.) Travel figures heavily in Dvorak’s work, whether in a stunning watercolor of a monastery in Folegandros, Greece, or a black-andwhite woodcut of a Venice street. He has visited 70 countries, often with groups eager to learn his tips for travel drawing and painting. He

credits the “rich environment” of California as the inspiration for many of his vibrant landscapes. After his first global adventure, Dvorak earned a master’s degree in architecture at UC Berkeley. He taught for seven years at University of Oregon and two years at Cal before realizing “it was time for me to be an artist” and leave architecture. “I was married with two small kids, so I had to bring in income,” Dvorak says. “It’s really difficult to make a living selling paintings, so I ended up teaching—and I’ve been teaching ever since.” Dvorak has taught for every community college in the region, the UC Extension and art centers all

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over the country. As he grew to love connecting with audiences, he joined the National Speakers Association and has given more than 3,000 presentations to schools, associations and businesses. Speaking led to his next chapter—becoming a published author.

His first book, “Drawing Without Fear,” was published by a schoolbook publisher and was read all over the country. Dvorak loved the process and now has 12 books, including his most recent, “A Book About Nothing and Other Tips On Telling Topics.”

When he’s not teaching, traveling or working in his two studios—one at his South Land Park home and another at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica—Dvorak plots his next project, a memoir tentatively titled “Drawing on My Life’s Experience” about “being an artist and a citizen of the world.” “Travel has been a very important part of my background and

education,” he says. “I have some great stories.” For information, visit robertregisdvorak.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Street Justice KIN THAI ELEVATES HUMBLE FOOD TO ART FORM

Photos by Linda Smolek

in Thai Street Eatery opened in December 2020, a tough time to start a restaurant. Yet the lively Midtown spot thrived from the start. Intense flavors and novel dishes familiar to Bangkok street markets make this exceptional restaurant flourish, even in difficult times. Street food is having a moment. Over the last decade, street food, especially Asian street food, jumped many rungs on the culinary ladder. Thanks to television personalities Andrew Zimmern and the late Anthony Bourdain, less adventurous diners

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

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have seen how some of the world’s best food comes from small stands on busy streets. In 2016, a street vendor in Singapore won a Michelin star for his chicken and rice. The announcement created a global conversation about street food and its significance. Inevitably, the newfound fame inspired the vendor to expand rapidly and lose his star. But street food is no longer seen as “less than.” One doesn’t have to be a globe-trotting adventurer to find great street bites. More restaurants bring street fare inside and put it on the menu next to traditional dishes. Customers can’t get enough. Kin, a bright and convivial place on 20th Street in the MARRS Building, embraces the street food of Thailand. The menu looks nothing like the standard American-Thai restaurant. Deep-fried bites, skewers and salads dominate, with vivid sauces and sweet relishes rounding out most dishes.

Take a seat at one of Kin’s heavy wood benches and under the undimmed lights you’ll see dumplings (listed as Thai ravioli) on nearly every table. You’ll smell the curry roti, a smart mashup of traditional Indian preparations mixed with Thai sauces, and want to order it. A quick glance at what’s coming out of Kin’s kitchen and you’ll find delicious chive cakes, corn fritters and root vegetable haystacks.

The chive cakes deliver enough savory umami to level a small city. When dipped in the accompanying sweet chili vinaigrette, angels sing. The corn fritters are Thailand’s answer to the hushpuppy. Taking that all-American ingredient—corn—and marrying it with spices of Southeast Asia is a brilliant move for culinary diplomacy. The haystacks (nicknamed The Roots) remind me of an Indian pakora,

Street food is no longer seen as “less than.” One doesn’t have to be a globe-trotting adventurer to find great street bites. More restaurants bring street fare inside and put it on the menu next to traditional dishes. Customers can’t get enough.

but stuffed with taro root, pumpkin and sweet potato. Once that crispy, salty, tangy itch has been scratched, you’ll need something on the meaty side. Get the pork skewers. Trust me. The smoky, grilled morsels of piggy goodness glazed with an insane tamarind marinade will satisfy any meat eater.

If you want the king of all meats, the massaman curry with stewed beef is my favorite dish of 2022. The chorus of ingredients, from coconut to cardamom, cinnamon to cumin, makes beautiful music. The atmosphere at Kin matches the neighborhood. The MARRS building is the epicenter of Midtown and the eating, drinking, laughing and partying

rarely stop. Kin is bright and alive, like any good night market. The service is quick and friendly, and the dishes come out as they’re ready. It’s the kind of place where you’ll want to over-order and let everyone at the table try a bite. Let the people at the next table try a bite, too. Maybe they’ll return the favor.

Kin Thai Street Eatery is at 1050 20th St. (between J and K streets); kinthaieatery.com; (916) 619-8144 Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

California State Fair at Cal Expo

JL By Jessica Laskey

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California State Fair & Food Festival Cal Expo July 15–31 1600 Exposition Blvd. • calexpostatefair.com Get your annual dose of fair fun with rides, competitions, art, concerts, booths and all the crazy fair food you can handle. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

John Skinner Band at Carmichael Park.

Fourth on the Field Sutter Health Park Monday, July 4, 6 p.m. 400 Ballpark Drive • sutterhealthpark.com/fourthontheﬁeld Celebrate the Fourth of July at the ballpark with vendors, food trucks, friendly competitions like potato-sack races, live music by Rod Stinson Band, concessions, a beer garden, merch and fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m.

July 4th 5-Mile Run/Walk

"Wherever You Go" by William Peterson at Archival Gallery.

Buffalo Chips Running Club Monday, July 4 Glenn Hall Park, 5415 Sandburg Drive • buffalochips.com This 40-plus-year Sacramento tradition returns. Following the run/walk, enjoy the River Park Neighborhood Association’s July Fourth celebration. Registration is free but $5 donations are requested to benefit WEAVE and American River Parkway Foundation. Registration begins at 6:45 a.m. Kids Half-Mile run starts at 9:40 a.m.

Introductions 2022

4th of July Bike Parade & Festival

Archival Gallery July 7–30 Second Saturday Reception July 9, 5–8 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com This show introduces new and emerging artists or established artists showing in the gallery for the first time. William Peterson presents a series of work in ceramics. Kiny McCarrick is known for her detailed art inspired by anatomy, life, death and morbid curiosity.

Arden Park Recreation & Park District Monday, July 4, 10 a.m. Arden Park, 1000 La Sierra Drive • aprpd.org Stick around after the parade to enjoy live music sponsored by the Arden Park Neighborhood Association, inflatables for the kids, raffle prizes, food and free pool admission from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Celebrate with Stories on Stage: A Literary Fundraiser Stories on Stage Sacramento Friday, July 22, 7 p.m. CLARA Auditorium, 2420 N St. • storiesonstagesacramento.org This fundraising shindig features performances by clarinet quartet CLARISONIX, readings from SOSS’ anthology “Twenty Twenty,” plus snacks, drinks, literary games, a raffle, silent auction, literary swag and more. Tickets are $20 with a goal to raise $5,000 to qualify for a matching grant for the 2023 season.

An Evening with Mike Epps Saturday, July 9, 8 p.m. Richard Marx: An Acoustic Evening of Love Songs Wednesday, July 27, 8 p.m. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, 3317 Forty Mile Road, Wheatland • hardrockhotelsacramento.com Bust a gut with actor and comedian Mike Epps, who joined the Def Comedy Jam tour in 1995. Then mellow out with musician Richard Marx, who has scored an astounding 14 No. 1 hits.

Concerts in the Park (Carmichael) Carmichael Recreation and Parks District Saturdays, July 9, 16, 23 & 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Carmichael Park, 5750 Grant Ave. • carmichaelpark.com Bring your family, blankets and lawn chairs out to enjoy Wasted Space on July 9, John Skinner Band on July 16, Groove Thang Band on July 23 and Maya Band on July 30.

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Concerts in the Park (Downtown) Downtown Sacramento Partnership Fridays, July 8, 15, 22 & 29, 5–9 p.m. Cesar Chavez Park, 910 I St. • godowntownsac.com Free live music is back in Downtown Sacramento. This month’s lineup includes headliners Picturesque on July 8, Nappy Roots on July 15, Cannons on July 22 and Mod Sun on July 29.

Family Campout Fairytale Town Friday, July 22, 5:30 p.m. 3901 Land Park Drive • fairytaletown.org This overnight adventure includes play time, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, games and bedtime stories. Wake up to a light continental breakfast. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for children ages 2–12, free for children 1 and younger. Fairytale Town members receive $5 off per ticket.

“Praying Mantis” by Robert Chaponot at Blue Line Arts.

Curator in Conversation Crocker Art Museum Sunday, July 17, 4 p.m. 216 O St. • crockerart.org Learn the symbolism and meaning of the exhibition “Radiant & Eternal: Chinese Jades” from the Crocker’s permanent collection during an intimate conversation between curator Amelia Kit-Yiu Chau and collector Kathleen King. Tickets are free for members, $12 for nonmembers. “Radiant & Eternal” is on view through Nov. 13.

Woven Art by Paula Sugarman Triple Exposure Studio Saturday, July 9, 7–10 p.m. 2998 Franklin Blvd. • facebook.com/tripleexposurestudios Paula Sugarman presents her beautiful woven art accompanied by music by Gerry Mamola and his country western band on the patio at this free event.

All Creatures Great and Small Elk Grove Fine Arts Center July 2–28 First Saturday Reception July 2, 4–7 p.m. 9683 Elk Grove Florin Road • elkgroveﬁneartscenter.org This juried art show features animals of all sizes, colors and shapes in fun and creative ways.

Classical Concert: Carlos Accotto Crocker Art Museum Sunday, July 10, 3 p.m. 216 O St. • crockerart.org Drawing inspiration from the Crocker’s permanent collection, pianist Carlos Accotto brings a performance of technical proficiency that will sweep listeners away. The concert includes “Three Argentinian Dances Op. 2” by Alberto Ginastera, “Songs of Spain” by Isaac Albéniz and works by Franz Liszt. Tickets are $15 for members, $25 for nonmembers.

Incense burner from "Radiant & Eternal: Chinese Jades” at Crocker Art Museum.

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THEATRE GUIDE PRESENTATION

SMART PEOPLE

July 15 & 16 B Street Theatre at The Sofia 2700 Capitol Ave, Sac Bstreettheatre.org

Thru July 24 Capital Stage 2215 J St, Sac CapStage.org

Set in the 1970s on the Texas border Lydia, written by Octavio Solis, is an intense, lyrical, and magical play. The Flores family welcomes Lydia, an undocumented maid, into their El Paso home to care for their daughter, Ceci. Lydia’s immediate and miraculous bond with Ceci sets the entire family on a mysterious and shocking journey. Produced by Teatro Nagual Directed by Pano Roditis

It is the eve of Obama’s first election. Four of Harvard University’s brightest; a surgeon, an actress, a psychologist, and a neuropsychiatrist, are all interested in different aspects of the brain, particularly how it responds to race. But like all smart people, they are also searching for love, success, and identity in their own lives. Lydia R. Diamond brings these characters together in this sharp, witty play about social and sexual politics.

Cast: "Navigating Covid-19" by Paula Sugarman at Triple Exposure Studio.

Folsom Americana Fest Wildwood Performing Arts Foundation Saturday, July 16, 4:30 p.m. 200 Wool St., Folsom • folsomfest.org Enjoy country music by national, regional and local artists, including headliners Ben and Noel Haggard & The Strangers, as well as food trucks, beer, wine and local vendors.

Art Walk & Membership Medley Blue Line Arts Saturday, July 16, 4–8 p.m. 405 Vernon St., Roseville • bluelinearts.org View more than 125 artworks in the Blue Line Gallery, then stroll along Vernon Street to enjoy live music, artist vendors, food trucks and fun activities at this popular community event.

Animal House Sacramento Fine Arts Center July 19–Aug. 13 Second Saturday Reception Aug. 13, 5:30–8:30 p.m. 5330 Gibbons Drive, Carmichael • sacﬁnearts.org This annual juried show features artwork celebrating the beauty and intelligence of animals through oil, acrylic, watercolor, ceramic and more. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Ceci – Patricia Rodriguez Rosa – April Maylene Misha – Rayden Rogers Claudio – Diego Martinez-Campos Rene – Angel Rodriguez Alvaro – Nathaniel Montes Lydia – Giselle Colmenares Vizcarra

ROCKY HORROR SUMMER EDITION July 16 Colonial Theatre 3522 Stockton Blvd, Sac Lovehorrorevents.com In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O’Brien). Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named “Rocky.” Costumes are encouraged but not required. This showing will include a live cast by Amber’s Sweets and will be hosted by Rob Roberts! General $21.50 VIP $35

PROCLIVITY FOR KITING Thru July 31 B Street Theatre at The Sofia 2700 Capitol Ave, Sac Bstreettheatre.org Imagine, for a moment, a city under siege. Government prohibitions are multiplying (for the good of the people). Strawberry pie is illegal. All bicycle tires, confiscated. The word effervescent has been outlawed. Kite Flying, once a popular pastime, is now a capital offense. David and Julia are making the best of things when a mysterious tapping starts to emanate from their apartment wall. As their suspicions proliferate, their world unravels.

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OUT

California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony PHOTOS BY LINDA SMOLEK

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Hundreds of peace officers from throughout California recently gathered on state Capitol grounds with local and state dignitaries for the 44th Annual California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony. This year, 36 officers who gave their lives in the line of duty were memorialized and formally honored. A new bronze statue depicting a female officer was added to the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Monument. Of the officers honored this year, three were female: Officer Natalie Becky Corona of the Davis Police Department, Officer Tara Christina O’Sullivan of the Sacramento Police Department and Detective Marylou Hernandez Armer of the Santa Rosa Police Department.

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Inside Pocket July 2022

Articles inside

Restaurant Insider

To Do

Animals & Their Allies

Open Studio

Sports Authority

Inside The County

Publisher's Desk

Spirit Matters

City Beat

Pocket Life

Open House

Meet Your Neighbor

Giving Back