Inside pocket mar 2015 by Inside Publications

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P U B L I C A T I O N S . C O M

2015

POSTAL CUSTOMER

I N S I D E

MAR

POCKET GREENHAVEN SOUTH POCKET

I N T O

T H E

N E I G H B O R H O O D

pending

SACRAMENTO JEWEL Beautifully renovated from head to toe - The Didion House - Rich wood, ¿ne detailing and spacious rooms. Historical in in both style, heritage and culture. 4 bedrooms 2 full baths and 2 half baths with new kitchen, three Àoors, including media room, and a full basement. $1,395,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395

QUALITY GREENHAVEN HOME Lee Basford built 3 bedroom 2½ bath home close to the Sacramento River. New two-tone paint, re¿nished hardwood Àoors, remodeled kitchen, master bath, Pella dual pane windows, plantation shutters and so much more! Newer front and backyard landscaping, and a pool! Wow! $432,500 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

pending

ADORABLE HOLLYWOOD PARK Darling 3 bedroom home with hardwood parquet Àoors, living room ¿replace, cute kitchen and formal dining room. Central heat and air, dual pane windows and bonus rooms at the back have been used as family room and 3rd bedroom. Fruit trees and work shop in backyard. $159,000 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715

pending

AMAZING REMODEL Recently remodeled 3 bedroom 2 bath home in the Didion School boundaries. New kitchen, electrical, baths, Àoors, windows, doors, paint in and out, baseboards, lighting, (includes LED lights), ceiling fans, landscaping, quartz counter top, farm house sink, designer tile Àoors and much more. $389,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

pending

sold

SOUTH LAKE SHORES Location! Location! 2 bedroom condominium with beautiful view and access to Lake Greenhaven! View the lake, sandy beach, boat dock and quacking ducks from living room and master bedroom as well as spacious deck views! Private gated driveways. Convenient comfort. $120,000 CONNIE LANDSBERG 761-0411

ELK GROVE CORNER Single story 3 bedroom 2 bath home on a larger corner lot. Excellent location. Home features upgraded laminate Àoors, new interior paint, tile roof, large cement patio with big patio cover and a great yard waiting for your ¿nishing touches! Close to lake and parks. Wow! $248,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

for current home listings, please visit:

DUNNIGANREALTORS.COM 916.484.2030 916.454.5753 Dunnigan is a different kind of Realtor.

POC MAR n 15

pending

GREENHAVEN PLANNED UNIT This single family 2 bedroom 1½ bath home features new exterior paint, open Àoor plan, spacious bedrooms, huge dining area, attached 1 car garage, community pool, plenty of parking, newer roof, covered patio, yard space, ¿replace, ceiling fans. Close to river, bike trails, parks, and downtown. $189,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

pending

ELK GROVE 4 bedrooms plus of¿ce and 3 full baths. 1 bedroom and full bath and of¿ce on 1st Àoor. Home features built-in pool, rv access, upgraded cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, wood Àoors, 6 panel doors, food pantry, custom window blinds, tile roof and much more. $390,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

sold

LIKE NEW! Elk Grove 3 bedroom 2 bath home with wonderful great room Àoor plan. Features include designer carpet, two-tone paint, granite counters and backsplash, stainless steel appliances, sunken tub, stone patio, tile Àoors and upgraded cabinets throughout. Great Elk Grove schools and close to everything. $309,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

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COVER ARTIST Earl Boley "I’m a practical man, a general contractor and a painter. I’ve been painting for over 30 years and don’t think of myself as an artist. I use strong, bright colors and thick paint. Up close my work has no subject, only color and texture. But step back and you’ll see flowers or ocean or landscape appear. That’s the beauty of the medium. My goal is to live simply, orderly and pleasurably, and with practice, someday be a better painter." Artist Earl Vincent Boley passed away in December 2013.

LOCAL

PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings publisher@insidepublications.com 3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only) EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY AD COORDINATOR ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL POLICY

MARCH 2015 VOL. 2 • ISSUE 2

Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller, Daniel Nardinelli Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli 916-443-5087

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Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 65,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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POC MAR n 15

Michael Boyd

Cecily Hastings Publisher - Select Accounts

Under the Weather RAIN OR SHINE, THERE ARE MORE INTERESTING THINGS TO TALK ABOUT

BY CECILY HASTINGS

PUBLISHER’S DESK

s I pen this column, rain is steadily drizzling down, and I am enjoying the pure pleasure that a much-needed stormy day brings. But my joy is tempered when I hear a drought expert being interviewed on the radio. “Don’t get too excited,” the expert says defiantly. “Because unless we have a storm like this every day well into the spring, it will make no difference whatsoever to the drought.” What a buzzkill, I think. Most of us know we are way behind on our rain and snowpack levels. Of course it will take more than one storm to get us out of the drought. But I find this kind of broad-brush admonishment insulting. What do the experts think we will do? Run out and start watering our lawns every day? Resume taking long, hot showers? I think not. I absolutely love the weather in Sacramento. There is just enough change of season to stay interesting and enough sunshine to maintain my own personal solar-powered nature. The drought aside, I pay little attention to weather except as it relates to my plans for outdoor

sports. I get weather forecasts from my iPhone WeatherBug app. It gives me a pretty accurate picture of the next few days’ forecast so I can decide whether or not to cancel a tennis game. For cycling, I don’t even bother to check. Working at home most of the time, I can dress for a ride in the morning and then, when the weather looks clear, hop on my bike. For dog walking, my husband and I do the same, or even just suit up and go out in the rain. But some of my friends wouldn’t miss the local morning or evening news shows for detailed weather reports. And they can talk about the weather for even longer than the broadcast runs. Having grown up in Michigan, I’d had my fill of winter snow by the time I turned 21, when I moved out west to a milder climate. Snow in winter was just part of the world we lived in. Snow days were built into the school calendar, yet I recall having only a few of them. A snow day meant getting cold and wet but still having a ball playing outside all day. This past January, a biblically proportioned East Coast snow and ice storm dubbed Snowmageddon was forecast. But it quickly became Nomageddon when it never arrived. The “storm of the century” seems to come every couple of months now. I was at a class with a friend the day before Snowmageddon was expected to strike. When another friend of hers arrived, she exclaimed, “OMG, are your kids OK?” Startled, the woman replied, “They are fine, but why on earth do you ask?” My friend said that she knew the woman’s adult kids lived back east. The lady shook her head and sighed.

Years ago I asked my mother how the conversation was with her new dinner companions after she moved to assisted living. “Fine,” she said, “if you want to talk about the weather.” A major storm last fall in Northern California was expected to bring punishing winds and widespread flooding. Even my husband—who takes protecting our home and property very seriously—went out and loaded sandbags at 6 a.m. to block our basement and office from flooding. Thankfully, nothing even close to what was predicted actually happened.

In our neighborhoods have much more interesting people, places and things to experience than the weather. I am fairly certain the news media hyperventilation about weather extremes hasn’t always been with us. I recently heard about a study that showed the amount of time spent on weather by national news broadcasts has more than tripled in the past 10 years. The conclusion was that this coverage was being driven by globalwarming or climate-change interests. While I am all for reducing emissions, conserving fuel and recycling everything possible, I am tiring of the political agenda that seems to blame the habits of our citizens for everything that

goes wrong with the weather. This especially applies to weather patterns that are seasonally normal, including lots of winter snow in Eastern and Midwest states, hurricanes and tornadoes in states that have experienced them for hundreds of years, and rainstorms all over the country. Even the rain I am listening to on my rooftop as I write was just yesterday hyped as an “atmospheric river.” But then again, maybe I’m wrong and it’s the Weather Channel that’s really to blame. But rest assured, this is likely the last time you will read about weather—other than maybe in our garden column—in this publication. After all, our urban neighborhoods have much more interesting people, places and things to experience than the weather.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: We started publishing Inside Pocket in February 2014. This month, we’re proud to announce plans to begin mailing the paper to several thousand additional homes in the 95831 ZIP code. That brings our direct-mail distribution in the PocketGreenhaven area to more than 11,500 copies, and our total circulation (including newsstand distribution) to 13,100. With four publications (Inside Pocket, Inside East Sacramento, Inside Land Park and Inside Arden), we now rank second in the region in print circulation, second only to The Sacramento Bee. We remain grateful for your readership and the support of our loyal advertisers. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com n

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Fortress Mentality THE PARKWAY LEVEE LAND GRAB CONTINUES

I checked with Jim Combs, director of parks and recreation for the city of Sacramento, and asked what he planned to do about the fences that shrank our parkway. Combs wrote back, “We are aware of these encroachments and we are evaluating how to handle them.”

The park belongs to you. But you can’t touch it. It’s hidden behind private fences at Chicory Bend and Rivershore.

BY R.E. GRASWICH POCKET BEAT

strange thing seems to happen to some people when they move next to the Sacramento River levee parkway. They become suspicious and withdrawn. Their sense of community grows hazy. And they build fences, not just “good neighbor” fences with wobbly posts and rotted boards, but imposing fences with warning signs and metal posts sunk deep into concrete, to keep the world away. It turns out that many of those fences that run along the parkway or blockade the levee violate the law. Either they trespass across public lands, or they exceed the limits of their permitted design, or they contain features that violate city code, like barbed wire. I’ve been looking at those fences— there are nine that block public levee access in the Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket, plus two more that illegally encroach on the levee at Chicory Bend and Rivershore courts. So far, I haven’t found one that could survive a real inspection. There is one place where fence builders have taken their fortress to extreme: at Chicory Bend and

POC MAR n 15

Rivershore courts in South Pocket. Not only did they build illegal fences on flood protection easements without permits, a few people went further: They built fences that expanded their backyards onto the levee parkway. They shaved off about 2,000 square feet of parkland for their own private enjoyment. The park belongs to you. But you can’t touch it. It’s hidden behind private fences at Chicory Bend and Rivershore.

The illegal fence placement came to light this winter, when the city surveyed its parkway property after Inside Publications raised a storm over illegal gates and fences on those streets. The survey didn’t find minor encroachments, an inch or two here or there. No, the survey exposed encroachments between 12 and 15 feet: a land grab where valuable public parkway slipped into private hands.

Combs noted only a few residents have yard fences that extend into the parkway. He said, “When we are ready to proceed, each one of these encroachments will be handled on a case by case basis with the individual homeowners.” I wanted to talk to the homeowners. Knocking on doors doesn’t work—remember, some people who live along the levee dislike strangers—so I checked with City Councilmember Rick Jennings. For reasons I don’t understand, Jennings supports the Chicory Bend and Rivershore fence builders. When it became obvious their fences were illegal, he tried to help them build new ones. He said he would help me set up a meeting with his buddies at Chicory Bend and Rivershore. He never followed through.

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And I turned to Jim Gonzalez, the only Chicory Bend resident who responds to my emails. Gonzalez seems like a reasonable guy. I asked him to arrange a meeting with the other homeowners. I told Gonzalez his neighborsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fence encroachments look bad, but who knows? Maybe the residents can explain it.

Regional bike and walking paths enhance communities, inspire healthy lifestyles and increase property values. Gonzalez wrote back that I should be â&#x20AC;&#x153;a responsible and objective reporter.â&#x20AC;? He said his neighbors whose fences encroach on public land were â&#x20AC;&#x153;good and honest people,â&#x20AC;? claimed the city survey was â&#x20AC;&#x153;rushedâ&#x20AC;?

and suggested I research construction histories of homes on Chicory Bend and Rivershore. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do the one thing I asked: help me meet with his neighbors. One day, I took a bike ride with Jim Houpt, who believes the Sacramento River levee is a wonderful community asset and should be open to public access from Old Sacramento to the Freeport water facility. We checked out six other levee fences in the Pocket. My focus was the fences at the 6500 block of Benham Way and the 6200 block of Surfside Way. Both should come down, primarily because they extend well past the high-water mark on the levee, which means they trespass over public lands: your land. Houpt is a lawyer, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happy to quote state law about public access along waterways and beaches. Basically, the same law that stops movie stars in Malibu from subdividing the Pacific Ocean prevents residents along the Sacramento River levee from subdividing our levee past the highwater mark.

But they build fences anyway. They block public access. And they get away with it. Many studies suggest regional bike and walking paths enhance communities, inspire healthy lifestyles and increase property values. I would love to tell that to our neighbors along the Sacramento River, if only they would open the gates and let me in. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com

PUBLISHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE In early February, Sacramento City Councilmember Rick Jennings called to let me know he believed that recent reporting By R.E. Graswich on illegal fences in the Pocket lacked factual basis. While I told Mr. Jennings that I stand firmly behind Bob Graswichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reporting, I invited the councilmember to respond in a guest opinion piece on the subject this month. He said he was not able to meet our deadline. I am hopeful he

will take us up on this offer and share his views with our readers in April. As per our editorial policy, we strive for accuracy and are eager to correct any factual errors we make. Mr. Jennings has not identified any significant factual errors in Graswichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s columns. Mr. Jennings has, however, made clear to me that he believes he was on firm ground while getting involved in a leadership, policy and decisionmaking capacity in the Chicory Bend and Rivershore courts fence controversy prior to being sworn into office on Nov. 25. He repeated to meâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as he repeated to Graswichâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; that he was elected on June 3 and that when the results were certified a few weeks later, he was in fact the councilmember for District 7. Both Graswich and I let him know that we disagree, citing the law that places a successful candidate into office with full responsibilities and authorities only after he or she is formally sworn into office. Prior to the moment Mr. Jennings affirmed his oath of office, Darrell Fong was the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only councilmember for District 7. n

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Every Drop Counts CHURCH SPONSORS A WALK THAT PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON WATER’S IMPORTANCE

Faith Presbyterian Church is at 625 Florin Road. For more information, contact David Nash at dnash@comcast.net

PANCAKES AND BACON The Knights of Columbus will hold a pancake breakfast at St. Anthony Parish on Sunday, March 15 , from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pancakes, sausages, bacon, eggs, potatoes and juice will be served. Tickets are $6. All proceeds benefit the community. Members of John F. Kennedy High School’s Marine Corps Junior ROTC will help out at the breakfast. There will also be a raffle. St. Anthony Church is at 660 Florin Road. For more information, call 613-8367.

BY SHANE SINGH POCKET LIFE

aith Presbyterian Church will hold its second annual Walk4Water on Sunday, March 22, starting at 10:30 a.m. During the two-mile walk, participants will get to experience what it is like for most people in developing nations around the globe to fetch water every day. Each walker will carry an empty container one mile to Greenhaven Cabana Club South. They’ll fill the container with water at the club pool, then carry it back to the church and empty the water into the courtyard fountain. Walkers are encouraged to bring a container of any size. The cost to participate is $25 for adults, $10 for children accompanied by an adult. All donations benefit World Vision Abaya Ethiopia Area Development Program’s clean-water projects. The church hopes to raise $10,000. It will make a matching donation of $5,000, which will provide one clean water source for an Ethiopian village. In light of California’s drought and water shortage, the church hopes the event will give people a greater appreciation for every drop of water they use.

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David Nash and his sponsored child Zinabua Moroma in walked one mile to fetch water in Ethiopia. Faith Presbyterian Church helped sponsor a clean water source. Below, David Nash takes a sip from the water source.

SIGN-UPS FOR SOCCER Did you know that more than 1.5 million American children play on organized soccer teams? Soccer has surged in popularity since the 1970s and is now the most popular youth sport in the country. Soccer’s benefits for children are tremendous. This columnist recently served as the head of our local soccer club, so the game is definitely an area of interest. Children who play soccer reap many benefits. They increase their level of fitness and learn the importance of regular exercise. Soccer is an aerobic sport, and it provides cardiovascular exercise that helps kids maintain healthy hearts and lungs. Regular playing also builds muscle strength, particularly in the legs, and POCKET LIFE page 10

Why Do You Live in

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me: red with a h s e v a h lients my c s n a so

“Love the location; easy to get to Downtown and other areas.”

April 25-26, 2015, 9-5

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“Inviting bike trails and easy walking.”

Yolo County Fairgrounds, Woodland • Bagpipers and drummers • Scottish athletes • Traditional and modern Celtic entertainment • Highland dance • Scottish food, crafts and wares • Scottish and Irish animals • Glen of the Clans • Try the haggis!

Discount tickets available online at www.SacramentoScotGames.org

“Very little trafÀc and no crowds.” “Great parks and easy, quick access to the river.”

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“The schools are highly rated and our boy love them.”

“The Pocket still has exceptional values”

The Friendly Games

“You cannot Ànd friendlier and nicer people anywhere. We truly are a community.”

Thursday March 12th 7:00 PM Friday March 13th 7:00 7: 7 : 000

Friday March 20th * Drewski’s Hot Rod kitchen

* Chandos Tacos & Wear your Plaid

Saturday March 21st 2:00 PM

Saturday March 14th 7:00 PM

Saturday March 21st 7:00 PM

“The nice thing is, these are some of the same reasons I moved to The Pocket years ago.” — Carol Crestelo

Looking to Buy or Sell, just give us a call! Carol Crestelo Realtor

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improves a child’s energy level over time. Soccer players must be fit and agile. They spend a huge portion of games sprinting after the ball or other players. Unlike many other team sports, there are no timeouts or breaks in play aside from halftime, which generally lasts only 15 minutes. It is therefore essential that soccer players have a high level of stamina to keep them from burning out during games. Improved stamina is something that comes with regular training and practice. Soccer offers benefits beyond physical fitness. As a team sport, it helps youngsters build social skills and make new friends. Because soccer players are required to compete as a team, communication skills are essential. These are transferable skills that they will use and build upon throughout their lives outside of sports. Soccer is also a great sport for promotion of self-confidence and self-image. Unlike a sport such as baseball, where players pitch or bat alone, soccer players are rarely put on the spot or singled out, and players share successes as a team. This gives children who may be less athletic than others a chance to take part in a sport. Soccer isn’t the most popular sport in the world for nothing. Tens of millions of children across the world reap the benefits of this demanding yet fun game. There are leagues for kids of all ages and genders. Competition is another benefit of soccer. It gives children something to strive for and teaches them about competition in a healthy and sportsmanlike way. Greenhaven Soccer Club fields an exceptional recreational soccer program for youth ages 4 to 18. The club will start fall 2015 sign-ups online on March 20. Practices start in August. For more information, go to greenhavensoccer.com

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LET THE DOGS OUT City Councilmember Rick Jennings will dedicate Lynn Robie Dog Park at Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex on Saturday, March 7, at noon. The new off-leash dog park is named after former councilmember Lynn Robie, who served on the council from 1979 to 1992. “I am very thrilled that this new dog park will be named after me,” said Robie. “It is just one example of what the community can do when they come together. Here, the neighbors wanted a dog park.” The two-acre facility includes a quarter-acre park for small dogs and a one-and-three-quarter-acre park for large dogs. Double fencing at the entry to each park provides a secure area to leash and unleash dogs. There are benches and drinking fountains. The park is at 7895 Freeport Blvd. Shane Singh can be reached at shane@shanesingh.com n

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What better way to toast St. Patrick’s Day than with the band The Irish Times calls “a spirit-raising concoction”? For two decades, this band hailing from County Waterford has been entertaining audiences internationally with its breathtaking vocals in Irish and English and virtuoso performances on traditional Celtic instruments. FREE Corin Courtyard concert before the show: One Eyed Reilly • 5:30PM

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Three actors voice dozens of characters, a Foley artist creates all the sound effects and a pianist plays a cinematic score while more than 1,250 comic book panels tell a raucous sci-fi adventure on an enormous movie screen.

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Hugh Masekela and Vusi Mahlasela 20 Years of Freedom TUE, MAR 10 • 8PM Celebrating the legacy of Nelson Mandela

Curtis Chamber Orchestra

FRI, MAR 13 • 8PM Robert Spano, conductor | Roberto Díaz, viola

Julian Sands

SAT, MAR 14 • 8PM & SUN, MAR 15 • 2PM A Celebration of Harold Pinter Directed by John Malkovich

Lang Lang, piano “Sacramento’s Volvo Service” 2009 Fulton Ave. Sacramento (916) 971-1382 svsauto.com

FRI, MAR 6 • 8PM

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War

WED, MAR 25 • 8PM

Donny McCaslin Group WED-SAT, MAR 25-28 • 8PM

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For tickets: mondaviarts.org

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Budgetary Soul Searching IS THE CITY COUNCIL’S ‘NEW CAUTION’ REAL OR RHETORICAL?

BY CRAIG POWELL INSIDE CITY HALL

aving observed the Sacramento city council for a few years now, I’ve rarely seen much more than brief flashes of budgetary prudence. Councilmembers talk the talk of budget responsibility. Then they typically approve generous (even grandiose) spending and borrowing proposals that belie their rhetoric. But after a year of approving huge borrowings ($295 million of arena bonds) and costly long-term labor contracts (12.5 percent raises for firefighters, 9.3 percent raises for police and 8 percent for most other city workers), the city council is showing incipient signs of what I dub a “new caution” when it comes to spending. To appreciate the signs, folks must understand the full extent to which Mayor Kevin Johnson now leads a transformed city council. His council critics of old are gone. Almost all the new councilmembers elected in the past two election cycles enjoyed the mayor’s backing and are supportive of him. Despite the loss of the strong-mayor initiative, Johnson is at the zenith of his political power. His attitude toward spending and

POC MAR n 15

budgetary matters is the one that counts. So what are the signs of a new caution? First, at council meetings in recent months, councilmembers, the mayor included, have expressed frustration with a city budget process that tends to largely ignore longterm impacts in favor of short-term budget decisions. They want to see more forecasts of the city’s long-term cash flows, particularly in light of the 2019 expiration of Measure U, rapidly increasing CalPERS contributions (aka the fiscal cliff) and mounting city liabilities for pensions and retiree health care costs. Second, the mayor is driving an effort to fund an independent budget analyst office that will advise the council on all budgetary matters, independent of the city manager. Information in government, as in most things these days, is power, and the city manager currently holds an effective monopoly on the city’s financial numbers. He proposes a budget in early May, and the council must adopt it by June 30, creating a high-pressure setting in which councilmembers (and city watchdogs like my organization, Eye on Sacramento) are hard pressed to digest and respond to a flood of data. While the council is supposed to provide policy direction to the city manager on the budget, in practice the city manager drives budget policy and the council is largely reactive. In early January, the council approved the hiring of staff for an independent budget analyst office ($500,000 annually). On Jan. 27, the council turned the council’s audit committee into the budget and

audit committee, with responsibility for evaluating proposed budgets, supervising the independent budget analyst, assessing the budget impact of council actions and helping the city adhere to balanced budgets. The mayor appointed himself chair of the reorganized committee and announced a much more frequent committee meeting schedule.

Almost all the new councilmembers elected in the past two election cycles enjoyed the mayor’s backing and are supportive of him. Despite the loss of the strong-mayor initiative, Johnson is at the zenith of his political power. He has announced plans to use these enhanced budgetary tools to produce, in collaboration with the council, annual directives to the city manager that will instruct him on policies the council wants to see reflected in the budget. Budget policy would be developed in committee meetings open to the public, providing a level of public input that would be unprecedented.

Some may dismiss these changes as attempts by Johnson to garner more power at the expense of the city manager. But it is clear to most observers that the current budget process is less than optimal, to put it charitably. Plus, the power shift is really from the city manager to the council as a whole, not to the mayor. Johnson’s personal political power is a function of his leadership chops with other councilmembers. This is how power is supposed to be exercised in a council-city manager form of government. Finally, the new budget structure should give the public much greater influence over city budgetary decisions. Currently, the public has almost zero input into the budget the city manager submits to the council. Previous city managers made a point of holding budget workshops at town hall meetings around the city to solicit public input. (That’s where I learned how the city budget works.) Now, by comparison, the city budget is a veritable black box. The public will be able to attend meetings of the budget and audit committee and make their case for changes in city budget policy directly to the councilmembers. Councilmembers will have the means to direct budget policy, rather than merely react to policies put forth by the city manager. Folks will also be able to buttonhole their councilmembers at the grocery store and express their views on the city budget. If the mayor and council are really astute, they’ll resurrect the practice of convening budget town halls to educate the public and CITY HALL page 14

xperience Paris at the turn of the 20th century—cabarets, cafés-concert, circuses, dancehalls, and brothels. This exhibition celebrates avant-garde artists who offered a new look at modern life in a shifting society. Don’t miss your chance to view world-famous art up close and personal at the Crocker. Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Tournée du Chat Noir (Tour of the Chat Noir), 1896. Color lithograph, 55 7/8 x 39 3/8 in. Stichting Het Kattenkabinet, Amsterdam.

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CITY HALL FROM page 12 develop community consensus on budgetary policy. So will improvements in the city’s budget process lead to improvements in policy? That’s the $64,000 question. The early signs are somewhat encouraging. On Feb. 10, city manager John Shirey advised the city council that the city had generated an unanticipated $17 million budget surplus in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2014. In almost the same breath, he recommended the council spend all but $1 million of it right away on various projects, ranging from new radios ($4.9 million) to a human resources software upgrade ($1.5 million), a new software program for managing city contracts ($1.5 million) and a further contribution to the city’s streetcar project ($3 million, for a total of $7 million). Traditionally, the council has treated surplus funds from prior years as found money and spent as rapidly as possible on things that are rarely carefully thought through or weighed against other budget priorities and constraints. In the face of a looming fiscal cliff, the responsible thing to do is for the council to put 100 percent of the $17 million into reserves, much like a family would bank an unexpected financial windfall when they know that the family’s breadwinner is expected to lose a chunk of his income in a few years. The council postponed a decision on what to do with the surplus and directed Shirey to provide greater justification for his spending plan. It will be interesting to see whether the rhetoric of fiscal responsibility matches the council’s actions. If the council decides to spend the $17 million bounty now on nonessential items instead of saving it, how can they credibly argue two years from now that city voters should further extend the Measure U half-cent sales tax hike?

POC MAR n 15

MEASURE U SALES TAX REVENUE EXPLODES Speaking of Measure U, when the sales tax hike was put on the ballot in 2012, the city told voters that the tax would bring in $27.6 million annually. But in a report to the city council last month, city budget director Leyne Milstein reported that Measure U is expected to bring in $41.5 million in the current fiscal year that ends in June, a stunning 50 percent increase. How could the city have been so wrong in its revenue estimate? Did the city ask for a larger tax hike than it needed or expected?

In the face of a looming fiscal cliff, the responsible thing to do is for the council to put 100 percent of the $17 million into reserves, much like a family would bank an unexpected financial windfall when they know that the family’s breadwinner is expected to lose a chunk of his income in a few years. Milstein explained that improvements in the economy were responsible for 5 percent of the higher revenues, but the real uptick in revenues is due to pent-up demand among city residents who deferred buying cars in the recession and are buying them in droves this year. While 75 percent of city residents purchase their cars outside of the

city, a quirk in the tax law requires car buyers to pay sales taxes based on where they live, not where they buy their car. So a North Natomas resident who takes a trip to Roseville Auto Mall to buy a beautiful new Chevy won’t be able to escape the clutches of the Measure U halfpercent sales tax. Another big factor in rising Measure U revenues is a new state law that imposes sales taxes on Internet sales. (Can you spell A-M-A-Z-O-N?) You can run from the taxman, but it’s getting increasing hard to hide from him in Sacramento. City taxes of all types are increasing markedly. That’s why the city is reporting a $17 million surplus, and that’s why Measure U sales taxes are exploding. The city’s property taxes, base sales taxes, utilities taxes (on city-provided utilities) and utilities user taxes (on all other utilities like cell phones, Internet service, SMUD and PG&E) are all increasing significantly. In light of such a strong recovery in city tax revenues, it’s hard to see how councilmembers can make a credible case that voters should extend the temporary Measure U sales tax hike that’s set to expire in March 2019.

THE STREETCAR TAX One of the challenges of writing a column that involves a two-week time lag between deadline and publication is my need to be nearly clairvoyant in how the future will roll out. But I’m afraid my crystal ball is cloudy when it comes to how downtown and Midtown property owners will vote on the proposed streetcar tax. The results were to be announced on Feb. 17, after this column goes to print. In January, Eye on Sacramento issued a report on the streetcar project that was highly critical of its lack of details, uncertain costs, potential impact on future city budgets and whether the streetcar would exacerbate downtown traffic congestion instead of relieving it. While downtown developers David Taylor and Mark Friedman have been cheerleading for the project and local business groups like Downtown

Sacramento Partnership and Metro Chamber (as well as The Sacramento Bee) have swung behind it, EOS received a total of 40 unprompted emails and phone calls from voting property owners, every one of which expressed strong opposition to the streetcar tax. So what’s next? If the property owners reject the tax, then it’s back to the drawing board for city officials, who will likely scramble to find another way to finance the $165 million construction cost. (Projects rarely seem to completely die in Sacramento; they just go into a kind of vague hiatus.) If property owners approve the streetcar tax, an election of registered voters who live in the proposed district (mostly renters who vote irregularly) will be scheduled for April or May. To pass the special tax, a two-thirds majority of votes will be needed. A group of homeowners (who do vote religiously) in the district have begun canvassing their neighbors, urging them to vote against the project if it comes to a vote of registered voters.

ETHICS & TRANSPARENCY REFORM FORUMS On Feb. 19, the City Ethics & Transparency Project, a joint project of EOS, the League of Women Voters and many community cosponsors, held the first of several public forums at Clunie Community Center. Panelists included Peter Scheer, executive director of First Amendment Coalition; Kimberly Nalder, CSUS professor and director of Project for an Informed Electorate; City Councilmember Jeff Harris; Paula Lee, president of the league; and yours truly on behalf of EOS. The forums provide opportunities for the general public to express their ideas and opinions on city ethics and transparency reform. Following the forums, a comprehensive package of reforms will be drafted and ultimately presented to the city council and, in some cases, city voters.

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(916) 427-5022 www.camelliawaldorf.org In case you missed the Clunie event, here’s a schedule of forums being held throughout the city over the coming months. Panelists will change with each forum. All forums will begin at 6:30 p.m.: Feb. 26, The Artisan Building (1901 Del Paso Blvd.); March 12, South Natomas Library (2901 Truxel Road); March 25, Robbie Waters PocketGreenhaven Library (7335 Gloria Drive); April 8, North Natomas Library (4660 Via Ingoglia). Craig Powell is a local attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@ eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030.

CITY TREASURER RESPONDS The February Inside City Hall column contained inaccurate information represented as fact regarding the city’s debt financing plan for the downtown arena. I thought this would be an appropriate time to describe more accurately the plan, which will make up the major share of the city’s financial contribution to the downtown arena project. Once the final litigation against the project is resolved this summer, the city will sell bonds to fund most of the city project contribution. In the finance plan presented to the city council last May, we assumed very high interest rate for the bonds of 6.7 percent, resulting in assumed annual

debt service of $22 million per year. This rate estimate was well above market conditions at the time. In our finance plan, only $7.5 million of that debt service would be paid with new parking revenue, not $15 million. The rest would come from lease payments from the Kings, new tax revenues from the project and existing parking revenue coming available when current debt is paid off. Over time, as Kings lease payments and tax revenues grow, growing parking revenue will be available for other city needs. This need for new parking revenue level is based on the very high interest rate. If our bond sale were not stalled by litigation, then the bonds could be sold now at an interest rate 1.5 percent or more less than our artificially high assumption. This would result in annual debt service millions a year less than the $22 million. Reduction in debt service would result in a dollar-for-dollar matched reduction in the need to grow parking revenue. In addition, the finance plan does not include the new revenues coming to the city from the hotel project adjacent to the arena and other projects near the site. The finance plan does not include the fact that public properties transferred to the private sector will go on the tax roll. These new revenues will only benefit city services. The city has a secure finance plan based on balance and diversification, which we are implementing. There are no last-minute frantic efforts. Russell Fehr City Treasurer n

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St. Patrick’s Day Tune-up SACRAMENTO MASTER SINGERS CELEBRATE THE BRITISH ISLES WITH ‘CELTIC JOURNEYS’

By Jessica Laskey RIVER CITY PREVIEWS

he Sacramento Master Singers wish you “Health!” this month with their rousing “Celtic Journeys” program celebrating music from the magical British Isles. Performances are March 14 and 15 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in midtown and at the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom on March 17. Raise a glass of green beer in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day and toast the Master Singers, under the direction of Dr. Ralph Hughes, and guest dynamic duo Men of Worth as they perform both traditional and contemporary songs from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. The program also will feature recent works by Ireland’s Michael McGlynn, the world premiere of Sacramento composer Clifford Shockney’s “Ye Jacobites,” featuring lyrics by beloved Scottish bard Robert Burns, and some songs fresh off “Celtic Memories,” the Master Singers’ new recording project with Men of Worth’s James Keigher and Donnie MacDonald. Performances will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church (1066 26th St.) at 8 p.m. on March 14 and at 3 p.m. on March 15. Call 788-7464 to purchase tickets.

POC MAR n 15

The Sacramento Master Singers perform “Celtic Journeys”, celebrating music from the magical British Isles

A special St. Patrick’s Day performance will be held at Folsom Lake College’s Harris Center for the Arts (10 College Parkway) at 7 p.m. on March 17. Call 608-6888 for tickets. For more information, go to mastersingers.org

BIRDS OF A FEATHER If you’re squawking with anticipatory delight over the Sacramento Ballet’s production of “Swan Lake,” don’t miss “Inside the Director’s Studio: Timeless Beauty

Revealed” with co-artistic director Carinne Binda from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13 at the ballet’s midtown studios. Binda will give attendees an inside look at the poetic passion behind “Swan Lake,” as well as a sneak peek at the ballet’s version of the piece, which returns to the Sacramento stage after a 15-year hiatus. For tickets to Inside the Director’s Studio, call the ballet box office at 552-5800, ext. 2. Looking for a way to catch all the fancy footwork without breaking the bank? Check out the ballet dancers’

free, open rehearsals from 4 to 5 p.m. on Second Saturday (March 14) as they prepare for “Swan Lake.” The Sacramento Ballet Studios are at 1631 K St. “Swan Lake,” arguably the most famous ballet of all time, will take the stage with opulent costumes, stunning scenery and, of course, breathtaking dancing on March 26-29 at the Community Center Theater. For tickets and more information, call 808-5181 or go to sacballet.org The Community Center Theater is at 1301 L St.

THE MISSING LINK Talk about beautiful music: The Trinity Cathedral Music Series will present its resident organist and canon musician for the past 30 years, David Link, in a pipe organ concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 to benefit NorCal AIDS Cycle. For the past five years, Link has participated in NorCal AIDS Cycle, a 330-mile, four-day bike ride that raises funds for local agencies serving those with HIV/AIDS. For Link, there’s a personal connection to the cause as well as a beneficent one: He rides in memory of Kenneth Piercy, a longtime Trinity Cathedral Choir member who died from complications of AIDS in 2011. The suggested minimum donation for the concert is $10 at the door, though donations of any kind will be gratefully accepted, as they go toward funding organizations that provide testing and treatment for this preventable disease. For tickets and more information, go to trinitycathedral.org Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is at 2620 Capitol Ave. For more information about NorCal AIDS Cycle, go to norcalaidscycle.org

DIY DESIGN Your green thumb will come in extra handy for the Relles Florist European Design Style Floral Bouquet class from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 14. It’s St. Patrick’s Day themed! Bring an apron and the knowledgeable staff at Relles will guide you through the making of your very own floral display piece, complete with tips and tricks on floral design and flower care, as well as all the tools and flora you’ll need. But don’t test your St. Patty’s Day luck: Classes fill up fast, so register now at 441-1478. For more information, go to rellesflorist.com Relles Florist is at 2400 J St.

brush of a sergeant in the Illinois Light Artillery, as well as the musket, cartridge box and discharge papers from the sergeant’s teenage son, who joined the Illinois voluntary infantry at age 16 and served until the end of the Civil War. A catalog of the items will be available prior to the auction, so hop to it! For more information, go to witherells.com Witherell’s Auction House is at 300 20th St.

LIFE IS A CABARET

The River City Chorale will perform “Steppin’ Out on Broadway,” March 7 and 8

auctioned off between March 4 and 18. The hand-colored tintypes of the 54th Connecticut Troop depict a group of relaxed men and their lieutenant, a rarity considering most photos from the time period depict men in a formal line rather than a casual stance. In the foreground are a large cannon and pyramid of cannonballs.

“It is so exciting to have a find like this come into our hands,” says Witherell’s chief operating officer, and “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser, Brian Witherell. “We have been entrusted with the photos of the troop, other photos of Lt. Samuel Thompson and family from the period and his sword.” Other items in the auction groups will include the Civil War discharge papers, presentation sword and horse

BLUES PERIOD To hear artist Milton “510” Bowens tell it, “All Blues Ain’t Blue,” which also happens to be the title of his new solo show on display at Gallery 2110 from March 11 through April 4. The Oakland native is regionally renowned for his work depicting the African American experience in contemporary America, from slavery to the black migration north into Chicago and Detroit, where modern blues was born.

NOT ON YOUR TINTYPE Are you a photography aficionado? Do you want to own a piece of history? Then don’t miss Witherell’s Auction House’s upcoming offering of a rare pair of Civil War photos to be

If you can’t get away to New York City anytime soon, don’t fret. The River City Chorale will take you straight to Broadway without an iota of air travel with its popular cabaret “Steppin’ Out on Broadway,” performing at the Serbian Church Hall in Fair Oaks at 2 and 4:30 p.m. on March 7 and 8. The performance will kick off cabaret-style with a traditional jazz band as you find your seats and enjoy tableside treats served by the singers themselves, as well as a no-host bar. The program will include individual acts as well as full ensemble pieces featuring thoroughly hummable show tunes from the likes of “My Fair Lady,” “Wicked,” “Les Misérables” and more. Parking is free but tickets go fast, so make sure you call now to reserve your table location by calling 3315810. For tickets and more information, go to rivercitychorale.org The Serbian Hall is at 7777 Sunset Ave. in Fair Oaks.

To hear artist Milton “510” Bowens tell it, “All Blues Ain’t Blue,” which also happens to be the title of his new solo show at Gallery 2110

PREVIEWS page 21

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The Art of the Ask COMPETING TO SHARPEN SKILLS IN THE ELEVATOR PITCH

worldwide, was launched in 2008 with a focus on education. Since then, it has raised more than $1 million for educational nonprofits. But, says SVP executive director Breanna Cahill, “it goes way beyond the money. These organizations need funding, but they also benefit from being connected to the business community. The executives can help

BY TERRY KAUFMAN

them with strategic planning and so

LOCAL HEROES

much more.” This is Sacramento’s first Fast

his month, 10 local nonprofits

Pitch competition. Other cities,

will compete in Fast Pitch, a

including Los Angeles, Scottsdale and

contest designed to help the

Cincinnati, hold their own Fast Pitch

organizations’ leaders hone their

events.

“elevator pitch.”

“We work with organizations that

What’s an elevator pitch? It’s a

we can make a difference for,” says

short, concise summary of a request

Cahill. “Most are small, and this

or proposition. The idea: If you’re

gives them a platform to address the

asking someone for something (like

community. They need to find a way

money), you should be able to make

to explain to the community what

your pitch in the minute or two it

they do.”

takes to ride an elevator from one

Earlier this winter, the finalists

floor to another.

received feedback from the coaches

Fast Pitch provides a “pitch stage”

after presenting their draft pitches.

for nonprofit leaders. The 10 finalists

The sessions included videotaping

were assigned volunteer coaches

and comparative scoring designed to

from the business community to help

strengthen the messages and their

them refine and present their pitch.

delivery.

On March 6, each finalist will make

Teach For America is one of

a three-minute pitch to a roomful

this year’s finalists. A 25-year-old

of potential funders and community

organization, its Sacramento arm

leaders. The goal: to be able to deliver

is just in its infancy. “We have the

a clear, concise message about the

muscle of a national organization, but

organization, punctuated with an

we also need to be integrated with

“ask.”

Sacramento and aligned with local

Fast Pitch is sponsored by

efforts,” says its executive director,

Social Venture Partners, a group

Nikolas Howard.

of businesses and philanthropists that works to strengthen the nonprofit landscape. The Sacramento organization, one of 40 SVPs

POC MAR n 15

Social Venture Partners of Sacramento executive director Breanna Cahill and volunteer Jane Tsai Weaver

Howard spent more than a decade working in education in Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles before coming to Sacramento. “This is a

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Celebrating 40 Years - 1975 to 2015

Crowley believes the experience

a database tool for nonprofits called

see worthy endeavors in the field of

Giving Edge, which helps them hone

education in one place,” he explains.

their message to donors. For Cutler,

“The process of having nonprofits

Fast Pitch has been a perfect fit.

come together and pitch has been

“We’re helping the nonprofits

really rewarding, and the coaches

develop their elevator speech,

have given selflessly.”

culminating in a significant ask,” she

Will he be cheering for his

says. “We want them to be able to tell

are competitive, and we all have

different community,” he says. “How

Foundation, and Bob Crowley, a

do I pitch my organization to this

venture capitalist who recently moved

community? The real goal for us is

back to the region. “I tend to make

not to win the contest but to tell our

things complicated,” Howard says.

story.”

“I had the framework, but Linda

To make his pitch, Howard received coaching from Linda Cutler, the CEO of Sacramento Region Community

and Bob have helped me weave the narrative.”

manages SVP’s funds. It also provides

is invaluable. “This is a great way to

nonprofit? “Successful people

Team Teach For America, Nik Howard, Linda Cutler and Bob Crowley, discuss their pitch during a recent practice session

BergamoSchools.com

their story more impactfully.” At least two and as many as five

a vested interest in seeing our

prizes will be awarded: judges’ award,

nonprofits succeed, but this has been

audience pick, coaches’ choice, a

tremendously collaborative,” says

“random act of kindness” award

Crowley. “I’ve been impressed with

and an online people’s choice. But

the quality and depth of passion of all

ultimately, every contestant will be a

of the teams.”

winner. According to SVP, as many as

Cutler was also inspired by the

70 percent of the finalists will receive

Fast Pitch experience. “What really

some funding in the first month after

floors me is that some of the nonprofit

Fast Pitch, just from having their

directors have been providing

message heard by prospective donors.

guidance to their competitors,” she says. “They’re all so passionate about not just their mission and their organization, but also the sector that they’re in. A rising tide raises all ships.” Cutler’s foundation has a special

Fast Pitch will take place Friday, March 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Lecture Hall at McGeorge School of Law, 3200 5th Ave. For more information about Fast Pitch, go to svpsacramento.org n

interest in Fast Pitch because it

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Living the Dream A TEACHER FOLLOWS HIS PASSION AND STARTS AN ORGANIC FARM

BY GWEN SCHOEN FARM TO FORK

our years ago, Jason Cuff was a happy special-education teacher. One day, he went on a tour of the UC Davis Arboretum. The facility, located on the UC Davis campus, is open to the public and features demonstration gardens where visitors can learn about sustainable and organic farming, among other things. “It was one of those life-changing events,” said Cuff. “I turned to my wife and said, ‘You know how people say if they had their life to do over, they’d take a different path? I’d go back and do something in agriculture.’ Her response: ‘Then you should do it.’” We first caught up with Cuff at the Saturday farmers market at Country Club Plaza in Arden Arcade. It was a miserable morning with gusty wind and pounding, cold rain. He was the most cheerful person we’d ever met, given the circumstances. Recently, we visited Cuff’s Hearty Fork Farm, eight acres of land just off Highway 80 at the Kidwell Road exit a few miles west of Davis. Now, having three years of farming under his belt, he looks as though he’s been farming a lifetime: baseball

POC MAR n 15

Jason Cuff, owner of Hearty Fork Farm, with some freshly harvested beets

cap, plaid shirt, mud-crusted boots and jeans. That wide grin, sparkling blue eyes and big laugh we had encountered that rainy Saturday at the farmers market told the story of someone who has found his calling and loves coming to work every day. “I grew up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon,” said Cuff. “My family worked in the ag business, and I

worked on farms until I left in the ’90s for college. I loved farming, but I thought it would be impossible to earn a living on a small farm so I went into teaching.” Not long after the arboretum tour, Cuff heard about the programs offered through the Center For LandBased Learning, a not-for-profit group that teaches teens and adults how

to work in the agriculture industry. There he could learn how to make the transition from teacher to farmer. “I applied and was accepted. After two weeks, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” said Cuff. “They introduced me to a whole world of farming on a small scale that I didn’t know was possible. I met fantastic people with farming experience and people like me who just wanted to make a life change and become a farmer.” The program lasted a year, but in six months Cuff was so eager to launch the next phase of his life that he quit teaching and planted his first crops on one acre at the center’s teaching farm in Winters. He also met another student in the program, Glen Baldwin, who became his business partner. “Together we leased the eight acres that are now Hearty Fork Farm,” said Cuff. “We bought some seed. Then we decided we needed a tractor, so Glen bought one.” With a puff of pride, he pointed toward the big machine in the middle of a field. For now, Baldwin has decided to postpone his farming adventure, so Cuff is working the land by himself. “I’m 41,” he said. “I didn’t want to wait until I was much older. I wanted to do it now while I’m young enough to handle the work.” His goal is to sell fresh, organic produce at local farmers markets and to local restaurants featuring farm-to-fork fare. “You’d be amazed at how much you can grow on a small plot of land,” said Cuff. “I’ve got seven small fields: one with herbs, another with all sorts of melons. In the summer, I grow corn in one field and tomatoes, eggplant

and peppers in another. Right now, I’m growing root crops.” That seems like a lot of variety for such a relatively small space. “When you have a small farm, you need to grow a variety of things so that you always have something to sell,” he explained. “Large farms can specialize in one or two commodities. At the center’s farm, I learned how much you can actually grow in an acre. It’s a lot if you plan carefully. Plus, the land here is so fertile that it’s easy to grow just about anything.” A storm was headed toward Davis, and Cuff was anxious to get his field turned. Besides, that big tractor was waiting. “And that’s my story,” he said as headed back out to live his dream. For more information on the Center for Land-Based Learning, visit landbasedlearning.org Gwen Schoen can be reached at gwen.schoen@aol.com n

PREVIEWS FROM page 17

As part of the Gallery 2110 mission to support nonprofit organizations, Gallery 2110 and Bowens will be donating a percentage of all sales to the Leonardo da Vinci School Blues Band and the Leonardo da Vinci Aquaponics Garden Projects. Don’t miss the VIP reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 12, where Bowens will share his view of the role of artists as important influences on culture, community and art history. Rub elbows with Bowens again during the Second Saturday Art Walk, unique to the Gallery’s new Del Paso location, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on March 14. For more information, call 476-5500 or go to gallery2110.com Gallery 2110 is newly located at 1023 Del Paso Blvd.

CIRCUS, CIRCUS The circus is coming to town at Crocker Art Museum. “Ooh” and “ahh” at the Crocker’s Art Mix: Cirque from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday,

March 12, as well as at various events throughout the month. Thanks to the ongoing Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit, the Crocker will be transformed on March 12 into an avant-garde circus spectacle complete with performances by Aerial Revolution, DJ Frenchy le Freak, the Element Brass Band, the Sacramento Comedy Spot and spookily spoton free tarot card readings. Drink specials are under $5 all night. The event is free for museum members, $10 for nonmembers, and college students receive a $2 discount. Before you get zany at Art Mix, check out the Classical Concert featuring the winner of the 2014 Mu Phi Epsilon International Solo Competition, harpist Rachel Brandwein, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 8. The internationally acclaimed harpist will play pieces inspired by the Crocker’s ongoing exhibit “Of Cottages and Castles: The Art of California Faience.” Tickets are $6 for museum and Capital Public Radio members, $10 for students and $12 for nonmembers. Call 808-1182 for tickets. If March has given you the munchies, don your bib and pull up a chair for the Crocker’s monthly Farm-to-Fork Wine Dinner from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. Delectable farm-fresh local fare will be presented with wine pairings that are sure to make you swoon as you swill. Spots sell out fast, so call the Crocker Café by Supper Club for a reservation at 808-1289. Wondering what the wunderkind are up to these days? Check out music by the Camellia Juniors, the youth string ensemble from the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, from 11:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, March 31, in the Crocker’s historic ballroom. The concert is free for museum members and free with general admission for nonmembers. For information on all events, call 808-1182 or go to crockerartmuseum. org Crocker Art Museum is at 216 O St.

WAX ON The new show at ARTHOUSE presents the whole ball of wax— literally. The show, entitled “The

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Whole Ball of Wax: Artwork by Members of Sierra Wax Artists,” will be on display from March 12 through April 7. In what is perhaps the largest display of wax art pieces you’ll ever see, the exhibit will feature encaustic, cold wax and Ceracolors (or punic wax) artwork utilizing a minimal palette, repetitive imagery and layers of translucent or opaque wax to create both two- and three-dimensional abstractions. It’s a celebration of the truly endless possibilities of mixed media. Don’t miss the artist reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. For more information, go to arthouseonr.com ARTHOUSE is upstairs at 1021 R St. in the Fox and Goose Pub House building.

POETS AND THEY KNOW IT Whether you’re musically or rhythmically inclined, or both, the third annual Poetry/Art/Jazz

Concert at 7 p.m. on March 7 at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center will be music to your ears. Produced in collaboration with the SFAC and the Sacramento Poetry Society, the event will feature the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet and Sacramento Poetry Society performance poets, who have composed original jazz and poetry (respectively) inspired by the art in SFAC’s annual “Animal House” exhibit. This highly anticipated concert sells out every year, so don’t wait to snag your tickets. Call the SFAC at 971-3713 or go to sacfinearts.org The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is at 5330B Gibbons Drive in Carmichael.

SWEET SUITE Bring your most enthusiastic vocals to the Sacramento Symphonic Winds’ spring concert, “Suite Ol’ Broadway!” The sing-along is at 2:30 PREVIEWS page 25

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The New DA PUBLIC SAFETY AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE ISSUES ARE ON HER AGENDA

BY ANNE MARIE SCHUBERT COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

and child molestation. More than

and other law enforcement agencies.

personal sacrifices in participating in

20 years ago, I developed a passion

These cases include homicides; gangs

the criminal justice process.

for the pursuit of justice through

and hate crimes; career criminals;

forensic DNA evidence and cold-case

child abuse; sexual assaults; major

Truancy (PACT): Identifies chronic

prosecutions. I believe very strongly

narcotics; domestic violence; human

truants, educates their parents on

that DNA evidence is the greatest tool

trafficking; elder abuse; public

the legal responsibility to keep their

ever given to law enforcement to find

integrity cases; real estate, public

children in school, and provides them

the truth, and it is our responsibility

assistance and insurance fraud;

with support services.

to seek justice for all families that

consumer and environmental

have been victimized by crime, no

protection cases; prison crimes;

Information for Teens (GIFT)

matter how much time has passed.

juvenile cases and misdemeanors. Our

program; driving under the influence

office files nearly 25,000 cases a year.

prevention programs, Before the

In 2000, I prosecuted California’s first John Doe DNA case, where

In order to effectively prosecute

Parents Against Chronic

There is also our Gun Violence

Impact and Real DUI Court in

we charged a serial rapist alleging

these crimes, our office has a staff

Schools; high school justice and law

t is with honor and excitement

only his DNA as his identity. Within

of 170 attorneys, 40 investigators,

programs, Youth Academy and Law

that I serve as district attorney

months of filing this case, the rapist

15 victim advocates and 138 support

& Public Policy Academy; an annual

of Sacramento County. I am so

was identified through California’s

staff.

diversity open house and reception

Our Laboratory of Forensic

for law school students; and an

fortunate to have found a job that

DNA Databank, which keeps

I absolutely love. Even if I won the

criminals’ DNA on file to help solve

Services is one of only three in the

annual public safety and community

lottery today, I would gladly show

other cases. That rapist was convicted

state where the district attorney

appreciation breakfast.

up to the office tomorrow.

and sentenced to prison.

oversees and manages the lab. It

In addition, we have collaborative

is essential to the prosecution of

courts that offer support services

is rooted in my upbringing. My family

County District Attorney’s Cold

many of our cases. Our 38 certified,

and treatment instead of jail time for

has been in Sacramento for more

Case Homicide Unit. The unit was

industry-leading criminalists provide

certain offenders who have unique

than 50 years. Growing up in the

highly successful in solving cases

the highest-quality service in trace

needs and circumstances, including

Arden area, I attended local schools

and convicting murderers for horrific

evidence, toxicology, controlled

drug, homeless, veterans’ and mental

crimes from as far back as the 1970s.

substances, firearm and tool marks,

health courts.

My commitment to this community

and returned here in the mid-’90s. I am raising my two young boys here

In 2002, I formed the Sacramento

When not prosecuting violent

DNA, and crime scene reconstruction.

Jan Scully led this office with

crime, my goal has been to design

Servicing all law enforcement

dedication and distinction for 20

new and innovative programs that

agencies operating in Sacramento

years. We are proud of what her office

prosecutor, I am both personally and

work to prevent crime and better our

County, the lab processed more than

achieved. As Jan told me often, there

professionally committed to the safety

community. Since 2009, I supervised

13,700 pieces of evidence in 2014.

is always more to be done to meet the

and well-being of every citizen of this

our Misdemeanor and Child Abuse

county.

Unit. These assignments better

community with innovative programs

prepared me for leading the office as a

and events. They include:

as well. As a mother and a career

While I officially took office in early January, my preparation for this job has unfolded over the last 25

manager and administrator. Now I am privileged to lead

Our office is also active in the

needs of public safety. I believe the role of a prosecutor goes well beyond the courtroom. A

Citizens Academy: Provides

prosecutor should not focus just on

an overview of the criminal justice

putting criminals in jail or prison.

years. My commitment to victims,

our entire team of dedicated

system and allows for critical analysis

As I have said often, the blueprint

justice and public safety has remained

professionals. With more than 400

of issues and exchange of ideas and

to public safety is prosecution,

steadfast as I have never had any

employees, the District Attorney’s

perspectives.

prevention and innovation.

other professional job in my life.

Office is the largest law firm in

Outstanding Citizen Awards

One of my more immediate goals is

the Sacramento region. The office

Ceremony: Honors victims and

to build upon our existing programs

been spent prosecuting violent crime,

receives approximately 40,000 cases

witnesses who go above and beyond

and create new ways to work with

including murder, sexual assault

a year from dozens of state, local

to help victims and/or make great

The majority of my career has

POC MAR n 15

Another Reason to have the right living trust: Your son-in-law, Larry • He has been “between careers” for three years. • He plays video games all night, every night. • He is building the world’s tallest pyramid of empty beer cans. • He wants to open a tattoo parlor, an “investment opportunity” he offers you at least once a month. • He thinks it’s “really cool” that your daughter will inherit your assets someday. What if your estate ended up in his control? Call me for a free consultation and learn how you can plan for the “Larry” in your life. Or visit www.wyattlegal.com.

law office of brian d.wyatt ,PC members of the community on crime

safety. California has passed laws

prevention.

that have dramatically changed

A significant change we have

include AB 109, which shifted of

Community & Government Relations

thousands of state prison inmates to

(CGR) Unit. CGR brings all of our

local jurisdictions, and Proposition

community-related efforts under

47, which reduced penalties for

one umbrella. This will allow us

nonviolent crimes. As your District

to maximize our reach, increase

Attorney, I am committed to being

accessibility and communication

a strong voice for our community on

between our office and the citizens

important public safety issues.

we serve, and have a greater positive impact across the county. CGR will include our nationally

many opportunities that lie ahead,

Sacramento County Board of

whether it is new partnerships, new

Supervisors, we now have five

programs or new ways to engage

prosecutors working in neighborhoods

with our community. Through

throughout the county. Community

aggressive prosecution and innovative

prosecutors create partnerships with

prevention programs, we can continue

citizens, law enforcement, community

to enhance the safety and quality of

groups and businesses to proactively

life for all of Sacramento.

address quality-of-life issues,

issues and take a proactive role in

As a dental professional I have the ability to educate, motivate and inspire my patients. The power of a smile promotes confidence, which can change lives.

have been set for our office. We

Unit. With funding from the

CGR will also focus on legislative

Esthetic Smile Design

These are just a few of the new

are excited and eager to seize the

and homelessness.

Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry

ideas, goals and priorities that

recognized Community Prosecution

including blight, prostitution, graffiti

Christopher J. Cantrell, DMD

the criminal justice system. These

already made is the creation of a

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PREVIEWS FROM page 21 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 at Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast. The 60-piece orchestra led by Dr. Les Lehr will perform selections including Robert Russell Bennett’s “Suite of Old American Dances” and a Broadway sing-along including tunes from “The King and I,” “The Music Man,” “My Fair Lady” and more. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors, and free for children under 10. For tickets and more information, call 489-2576 or go to sacwinds.org Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast is at 5321 Date Ave.

OUT OF THIS WORLD Travel the world, and back in time, from your seat at the Sacramento Community Concert Association’s performance at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, featuring the Camerata Capistrano Early Music Ensemble and the Sacramento State Jazz Ensemble at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Part one of the program will feature repertoire from the 17th century to the German baroque to the late French composers, all performed by the immensely talented Camerata Capistrano Early Music Ensemble, directed by Lorna Peters. The second part of the program will spotlight the skills of young jazz soloists who are part of the Sacramento State Jazz Ensemble. The students will perform music in a variety of styles, including swing, Latin, ballads and contemporary compositions directed by Steve Roach. For tickets and more information, call 400-4634 or go to sccaconcerts.org Westminster Presbyterian Church is at 1300 N St.

WINGS AND WINE If you love wildlife, and the wild life, be sure to check out “Wings and Wine 2015,” a benefit event for the Wildlife Care Association being held at High Hand Nursery in Loomis at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7. The Wildlife Care Association is the only nonprofit organization in the Sacramento region that specifically caters to the care of injured wildlife

The new show at ARTHOUSE presents the whole ball of wax—literally. The show, entitled “The Whole Ball of Wax: Artwork by Members of Sierra Wax Artists,” will be on display from March 12 through April 7.

such as birds that are hit by cars or fall from trees. Your ticket includes light hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary glass of wine, as well as the chance to gaze at the beautiful birds of prey—owls, hawks, falcons and eagles—that the Wildlife Care Association saves on a daily basis. Tickets are $25 and are sold in advance only; no tickets will be sold at the door. For tickets and more information, call 652-2065 or go to highhand.com For more information on the Wildlife Care Association, go to wildlifecareassociation.com High Hand Nursery is at 3750 Taylor Road in Loomis.

BUILDING BONDS Are you curious about what hiring an architect entails? Residential Architects Showcase, presented by the local chapter of The American

Institute of Architects, will give you a helpful head start on Saturday, March 14, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at AIA Central Valley Gallery. “Many people are intimidated to call an architect and meet with them,” says Pam Whitehead of Sage Architecture, Inc. “This open house gives them the chance to talk with various architects in an informal atmosphere.” Chat with architects from several local firms who specialize in residential architecture and ask them all your burning questions about the process of turning your design daydreams into residential reality. AIA Central Valley Gallery is at 1400 S St. For more information, visit aiacv.org

DIY DESIGN

European Design Style Floral Bouquet class on Saturday, March 14 from 10-11:30 a.m.—it’s St. Patrick’s Day themed! Bring an apron and the knowledgeable staff at Relles will guide you through the making of your very own floral display piece, complete with tips and tricks on floral design and flower care, as well as all the tools and flora you’ll need. But don’t try your St. Patty’s Day luck— classes fill up fast, so register now at 441-1478. For more information, visit rellesflorist.com. Relles Florist is located at 2400 J Street. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Please email items for consideration by the first of the month, at least one month in advance of the event. n

Your green thumb will come in extra handy for the Relles Florist

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More Than Just Puddles VERNAL POOLS ARE LOVELY HABITATS THAT BLOOM IN SPRING

BY DR. AMY ROGERS SCIENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Sacramento riddle for you: What am I? Bees without hives A bathtub with no drain Flowers mark the end of lives Dry shrimp will swim again. This could be a real stumper. But if you’re one of the thousands of elementary schoolchildren who have visited Sacramento Splash in Mather, you might have guessed the answer right away: vernal pools. Vernal pools are an extraordinary Central Valley habitat that not enough people have heard of. Eva Butler, who founded the nonprofit organization Splash to help local schoolchildren understand and value the natural world, says, “Fifteen or 20 years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of vernal pools. Part of the impact of Splash is now more Sacramentans know about them.” What is a vernal pool? The name gives us a hint. Vernal means spring. The most basic description of a vernal pool is a temporary pool of water that appears during our rainy season (winter and into spring), then dries up during summer and fall. But vernal pools are far more than simple puddles.

POC MAR n 15

Photo courtesy of Jenner Junghans

Vernal pools form only in places lined by hardpan, a layer of clay a few inches to a few feet beneath the surface of the ground that is so dense, it acts like a bathtub with no drain. Unlike a puddle, vernal pools don’t drain away. Water leaves the pool only by evaporation, so pools linger until late spring or summer. During the wet phase, vernal pools come alive. They are home to a wondrous array of animals and plants uniquely adapted to hatch, feed, breed and die during this brief period. On Splash field trips, children (and adults) are amazed by what they see in a scoop of vernal pool water: an abundance of exotic creatures that resemble tiny aliens, including fairy shrimp (a relative of “sea monkeys,”

which you may remember from childhood), seed shrimp, clam shrimp, dragonfly larvae and an endangered species found only in the Central Valley, vernal pool tadpole shrimp. Interestingly, you won’t see many mosquito larvae in a healthy vernal pool ecosystem. Unlike a bucket of stagnant water on the side of your house, a vernal pool is loaded with predators that eat mosquito larvae and compete with them for food. As the water dries up, the swimming creatures leave their eggs or cysts to wait for next year, and vernal pools put on their showy spring finery. It’s the flowering phase! Primarily in April, the pools turn into muddy ground from which dazzling vernal pool flowers blossom.

Species of solitary bees emerge from underground nests to collect pollen from a single kind of vernal pool flower upon which they depend for survival. Splash organizes guided walks of the vernal pool flowers on Sundays in April. The abundance and timing of the flowers’ bloom are unpredictable but, says Butler, “No one ever leaves a Mather Field flower walk unsatisfied.” Sadly, this singular natural wonder is in danger of disappearing forever. Thriving vernal pools are part of a native California prairie (grassland) habitat. Prairie habitat has been utterly devastated across the Central SCIENCE page 29

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS BOB GRASWICH

SHANE SINGH

Pocket and City Beat, Sports

Pocket Life

CRAIG POWELL

JESSICA LASKEY

Inside City Hall

Bob Graswich is a writer and media expert with 40 years experience in communications. He recently authored the book “Vagrant Kings,” about the history of the Kings basketball team in Sacramento. He also blogs at graswich.com.

A ﬁfth-generation Sacramentan, attorney, businessman and community activist, Craig Powell serves as president of Eye on Sacramento, a city watchdog and policy advisory group, and Land Park Volunteer Corps, a nonproﬁt organization that maintains William Land Park.

NORRIS BURKES

RC Previews & Artist Spotlight

Julie Foster is a freelance writer and book reviewer who has written for Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Zyzzyva, Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonﬁction, Orion Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Nevada Magazine, Minneapolis Star Tribune and other publications.

A Sacramento native, Jessica Laskey has written for Sacramento magazine and The Sacramento Bee. She is also a professional actress and works for KVIE Public Television as the grants and outreach coordinator.

GREG SABIN

Spirit Matters

Restaurant Insider

AMY ROGERS

Science in the Neighborhood

Norris Burkes is a syndicated columnist, national speaker and author of the book No Small Miracles. He works as a chaplain for the Sacramento VA Hospital and the Air National Guard.

Dr. Amy Rogers is scientist, writer, critic, and relentless promoter of scientiﬁc literacy. Learn more at her website, ScienceThrillers.com, where thriller fans put their geek on.

Greg Sabin is a nationally published food writer, actor, improvisational comedian, banjo player and ﬁnancial planner. He does not wear hats.

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

All in the Family FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, MAHMUD SHARIF HAS RUN A GEM OF A BUSINESS

BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK

ewelry is in Mahmud Sharif’s blood. The owner of Sharif Jewelers in Sacramento can trace the origins of his family business all the way back to 1930s Jerusalem. “My great-grandfather started in the business,” Sharif says from his bustling store on Howe Avenue. “Then my grandfather opened the Sharif Jewelers store in Jerusalem in 1932. In the Middle East, you call a business by the family name. The name is still everywhere there.”

“We are so grateful, and we show that by giving our customers unparalleled quality and personal attention and giving back to charities and organizations all over the region.” Sharif came to California as a young man to pursue his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at California State University, Sacramento. “Every well-to-do family in the Middle East wants their oldest son to be a doctor or an engineer, and I’m the eldest son,” Sharif explains.

POC MAR n 15

Mahmud Sharif owner of Sharif Jewelers, can trace the origins of his family business all the way back to 1930s Jerusalem.

But it didn’t take him long to realize that he wanted to continue growing his roots in the family business. “I took jewelry classes at Sac State as well as studying engineering,” Sharif says. “Jewelry manufacturing requires a mechanical background as well, so both art and engineering came in handy. I was also making jewelry in the evening and on

weekends in my garage, taking it to antique shows, flea markets, swap meets. But I found myself doing a lot of other jewelers’ work, and I wanted to start doing my own.” In 1980, Sharif made this desire a reality by opening the first of three Sharif Jewelry stores on Howe Avenue. (His brother, Hazem, runs the downtown store, and Sharif’s son,

whom he affectionately calls “the champ,” runs the outpost in Folsom.) Having now served the Sacramento region for more than 30 years, Sharif can safely say that his idea to continue his family’s legacy stateside was a good one. “We’re now at the point that we’re serving two generations of people,” Sharif says proudly. “People who

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came here to buy their wedding rings now have kids getting married who come in. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not kidding you: We have kids who come in as adults for wedding rings and say they remember loving the store when they were little.â&#x20AC;? That might have something to do with the tempting dish of sweets and fresh, homemade baklava that Sharif keeps stocked at each store, as well as the Turkish coffee and mint tea that he offers as part of the cultural tradition of Middle Eastern merchants. But it could equally be thanks to the warm, inviting atmosphere and highquality customer service that the businessman maintains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do everything in the jewelry industry,â&#x20AC;? Sharif says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do custom design, repair, appraisal, watchesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we fix them, we sell them, we take care of them. We carry estate and antique jewelry, high-end designer names, loose diamonds. All in all, we want every customer to have a really good experience.â&#x20AC;? And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just his clients who have a high opinion of Sharifâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

efforts. His son, daughter and nephew have all decided to follow in their familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footsteps. All three earned a business degree, followed by gemology certification. And Sharif and his brother are now looking to open a fourth location in Roseville as early as next year to give the fifth generation in the Sharif legacy a place to come into their own. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always tell the kids that you have to give back to the community that has given us this success,â&#x20AC;? Sharif says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are so grateful, and we show that by giving our customers unparalleled quality and personal attention and giving back to charities and organizations all over the region.â&#x20AC;? Compassion is just as much a part of the Sharif family legacy as fine jewelry, and both are clearly making their way to the next generation. Looking for that special something? Browse sharifjewelers. com or visit in person at 1338 Howe Ave.; 341 Iron Point Road, Suite B in Folsom; or 1001 K St. n

SCIENCE FROM page 26 Valley, with less than 10 percent of it left, a victim of urban development and agriculture. Sacramento retains two of the finest remaining vernal pool areas in the state (around Mather Field and Rancho Seco), but our county continues to lose thousands of acres a year of vernal pool prairie wild spaces. According to the Environmental Council of Sacramento, the County Board of Supervisorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; recent approval of the Cordova Hills development outside Rancho Cordova will destroy some of the finest remaining pools in the Sacramento Valley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no local government commitment to vernal pool conservation in Sacramento,â&#x20AC;? says Butler. In addition to suburban construction, the conversion of rangeland into vineyards is another threat to local prairie. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Agricultural operations (such as vineyards) bypass a lot of regulations that normally protect vernal pools,â&#x20AC;? Butler says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal to plant grapes right

around a vernal pool. Technically, the wetland isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t filled in, but the prairie habitat doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t function any more.â&#x20AC;? Sacramento Splash is dedicated to spreading the word about these local treasures. From their educational facility near Mather Field amid numerous vernal pools, Splash workers and volunteers lead tours, host schoolchildren and maintain a website (SacSplash.org) that is the finest vernal pool education resource on the Internet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you take young people to explore the place they live, they let their families know thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something special to see here,â&#x20AC;? Butler explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our homegrown habitat isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t impressive on the scale of mountains or redwoods. But on a small scale, our vernal pools are spectacularly complex and beautiful. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go somewhere else to see nature.â&#x20AC;? Amy Rogers is a novelist, scientist and educator. She can be reached at Amy@AmyRogers.com. Learn more about her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reversionâ&#x20AC;? at AmyRogers.com n

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Love: All THIS COUPLE COMBINED FAMILY, EXERCISE AND TENNIS

BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK

ill and Margie Campbell’s business might be called Spare Time Inc., but their ownership of 10 sports clubs in the Greater Sacramento region, including Rio del Oro Racquet Club on Scripps Drive, is more than a hobby. It’s become a lifestyle. “We’ve lived for the past 22 years in the Wilhaggin area right by Rio, so I’m there almost every day,” Bill says. “Margie and I both work out regularly and play tennis.” To say that the Campbells are avid tennis players would be an understatement. In fact, the couple met doing just that when they were teenagers. “When I was learning to play tennis, I asked my pro what I needed to do,” Bill recalls. “He told me to play as many matches as I could. My first match was with Margie’s mother, who attended the same club where I played. When she beat me, I asked her who else I could play and she said I needed to play her 14-year-old daughter. I called Margie and asked her to play and the match lasted about 40 minutes, including warm-up. I didn’t win one single point.” Margie’s prowess on the court impressed the then-19-year-old Bill— she was the number-two junior tennis player in Northern California, after all. But it wasn’t until their paths crossed again years later that they became an item. In the meantime, Bill had left UC Berkeley, where he’d been introduced to tennis in the first place as a freshman, with the

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Bill Campbell owns 10 sports clubs in the Greater Sacramento region, including Rio del Oro Racquet Club

intention of returning on a full tennis scholarship. “I took a tennis class in my spring semester at Cal and fell in love with playing,” Bill says. “My instructor was the men’s tennis team coach and he told me that I could become a really good tennis player, so I got really involved in it over the summer. I’m kind of driven, so for the next two years, I didn’t go to sleep unless I’d played 10 sets of tennis six days a week. I got a full ride for tennis to go

back to Berkeley, but the NCAA ruled that I only had one year of eligibility left. That would have been a waste, so I went to Sacramento State instead to major in accounting.” Although Bill successfully became a CPA, and eventually the chief financial officer of a development company, his love of tennis kept calling him back to the courts. While researching a paper on tennis and swim clubs for his MBA, he interviewed the managers of 22 local

organizations, which got him thinking about starting one of his own. “After Margie and I got married, we wanted to start a business which combined our many interests,” Bill recalls. “We knew that we both loved family, exercise, tennis and the Sacramento region. We decided that creating active, family-oriented club communities was what we both wanted to do.” Thus, Spare Time Clubs, Inc. was born, taking its name from the very fact that it was a business the Campbells were running in their spare time. They opened Rio del Oro, their first site, in March of 1973 and now have 10 clubs in Sacramento, Lodi and Oakley, almost 200 tennis courts, 1,500 employees and 75 tennis pros to their name. In addition to running their thriving clubs, the couple spend their time on the Rio tennis courts, in the weight room, with their five grandchildren or, in Margie’s case, serving as the president of the U.S. Tennis Association of Northern California. “We’re the biggest provider of USTA facilities in the region and we host about 50 tournaments a year,” Bill says proudly. “We have more than 340 adult USTA teams at our clubs and six of our teams went to nationals this year.” Needless to say, the Campbells have much less spare time than they used to, but they appear to be having a ball. Ready to get in shape and tackle the tennis courts? Check out sparetimeclubs.com to discover the Campbells’ many club locations. Rio del Oro Racquet Club is at 119 Scripps Drive. n

HAVE “INSIDE,” WILL TRAVEL 1. Gina Viani, Cindy Fabian, Cookie Lawrence and Pam Perata at Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York 2. Alan and Lynne Lenhart at the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany 3. Mary Ellen Shay on Waiheke Island, New Zealand 4. Uriel Gonzalez in Laie, Oahu, Hawaii 5. Chynna and Xander Hinrichsen in front of the famous Stari Most (bridge) in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina 6. Linda and Jay Rich at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City, Canada

Take a picture with Inside Publications and e-mail a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Can’t get enough of Have Inside, Will Travel? Find more photos on Instagram: InsidePublications

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Construction Zone A REMODELING INDUSTRY VETERAN TACKLES HER OWN HOME BY JULIE FOSTER HOME INSIGHT

risty Lingner’s creative eye is evident throughout her 1,100-square-foot home in Sacramento’s Poverty Ridge neighborhood. Built as a single-family house in the 1950s, it was turned into a duplex in the 1970s. In 2012, Lingner bought the building and now lives in one of the two units, which doubles as a cozy, art-filled, two-bedroom home and a home office.

So Lingner began looking for a home closer to work. It took three and a half years and seven or eight offers before she found the duplex. “This works out really well for me,” says Lingner, who uses the living room as her home office. “Being close to the freeway makes meetings with all the subs easier for everyone.”

Communication and patience are key requirements for a smooth project, says Lingner. During a remodel, she helps clients through the hundreds, if not thousands, of necessary decisions.

“Patience comes in when educating our clients to not only spend their money wisely,” she says, “but helping them narrow down their wants so the home will be their dream home forever, and not just the home of the moment.”

Lingner, the CFO and coowner of River City Builders, had lived in Antelope before moving to Poverty Ridge. But her commute between home and various job sites, many of them in Land Park or East Sacramento, became tedious, and subcontractors were reluctant to travel to Antelope for meetings.

The location offers an additional benefit: Lingner is now within walking distance of some of Sacramento’s best bars and restaurants. Lingner got into the construction business in a roundabout way. She began working as an interior designer but discovered that design

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“It’s a little quirky, a little unrefined, a little resourceful and a work in progress—I guess like me.”

wasn’t her strong suit. “I’ve found that my talent lies in taking other people’s ideas and making them happen,” she explains. While working for local architect Michael Malinowski, she met Carl Maloney, who founded River City Builders in 1979. In 2003, when Maloney began contemplating retirement, he asked her to help run the company. After purchasing her home, Lingner painted the interior, which took two weeks. As time allowed, she tackled other projects. “This is different from what I build,” she says. “It’s a little quirky, a little unrefined, a little resourceful and a work in progress—I guess like me.”

A clock made from a collection of her grandmother’s teacups sits over the kitchen stove. Lingner assembled a whimsical kitchen chandelier from pieces of family silverware and revamped an antique transistor radio box into a sturdy storage container. She repurposed silverware she found under the freeway into kitchen cabinet pulls. A small upstairs space, which the previous owner had used as a darkroom, now serves as a craft room where Lingner makes glass beads in a process known as lampworking. (Using a propane and oxygen torch, she “paints” the glass on a rod, adding glass until she is satisfied. Then, she fires the beads in a kiln.) Lingner disliked the duplex’s kitchen linoleum. So she removed

it, then applied a dark stain to the subflooring. Wanting an inexpensive and creative way to bring new life to the room, Lingner stenciled the floor in an intricate lace pattern. She distressed it for a bit of patina, then applied a clear coating. The staircase was steep and dark. Lingner kept tripping, and she worried about her parents’ falling when they visited. She removed the carpet and stenciled the treads in white to add light and definition. In the guest bedroom, she added a set of bunk beds and, on the advice of a friend, designer Cheryl Holben, kept the original knotty-pine paneling as an ode to the original home. Lingner notes her home projects have been mostly cosmetic improvements that she could do

by herself or with help from River City Builder CEO Kirk Todd and River City Building’s construction crew.

“These have been sort of weird creative things that we wouldn’t necessarily do for our clients,” she says. “These have been sort of weird creative things that we wouldn’t necessarily do for our clients,” she HOME page 34

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HOME FROM page 33 says. “But I can put the guys to work when they are not busy with paying projects.” Outside, Lingner added a reclaimed wood fence assembled from old corral fencing and deck boards, providing a bit of privacy for her tenant. “The only things I bought were the pressure-treated tops and bottoms and the posts,” she says. Behind the house, Lingner added a gas line and gas-burning logs to an existing brick fireplace. “I didn’t want to deal with firewood,” she explains. Being in the construction business, Lingner understands the challenges of living through a remodeling project.

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After the initial interior painting job, she experienced months of turmoil while her bathroom and kitchen floor were torn up. “That’s OK,” she says. “It’s my house, and I understand the construction process. But living in a construction zone is no fun.” Communication and patience are key requirements for a smooth project, says Lingner. During a remodel, she helps clients through the hundreds, if not thousands, of necessary decisions. “Patience comes in when educating our clients to not only spend their money wisely,” she says, “but helping

them narrow down their wants so the home will be their dream home forever, and not just the home of the moment.”

If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster. julie91@yahoo.com n

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The Big Leagues SACRAMENTO AND ELK GROVE WANT THE SAME THING: MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

BY R.E. GRASWICH SPORTS AUTHORITY

ow that Sacramento is certifiably nuts about soccer, there’s an interesting race underway between our region’s two largest cities to construct a big-league stadium and bring Major League Soccer to town. One city generates gobs of media attention with overheated press conferences and high-profile investors. The other plods along, buying land and cobbling together the money to actually build a new soccer stadium. If you haven’t guessed, the first city is Sacramento. The second is Elk Grove. “It’s like the tortoise and the hare. We’re the hare,” says Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis. “Sacramento and the Republic group certainly have momentum, and we wish them the best. But we’ll be ready just in case.” Soccer fever has been driven by the Republic Football Club, which stole hearts with a triumphant debut season in 2014. But for all its marketing skill and cheap-date appeal, the Republic remains an entry-level product, affiliated with the third-tier USL Pro league, playing in

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Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis

a temporary stadium bolted together on a vacant patch at Cal Expo. The Republic and the city of Sacramento are eager to move up to the big time. They want to convince Major League Soccer to grant Sacramento an expansion team. Elk

Grove is trying to do the same thing. But the approaches couldn’t be more different. The Republic figures that by trotting out some big names as investors (the San Francisco 49ers and Sacramento Kings have

apparently put money into the Republic but won’t say how much), the MLS will approve Sacramento as an expansion city. Elk Grove has deployed a different strategy, basically the flip side of Sacramento. Mayor Davis and company believe that by setting out to build a stadium before they have a team, the MLS will realize Elk Grove is the real deal. “Look at Miami, where the biggest name in soccer, David Beckham, hasn’t been able to get a team because he doesn’t have a stadium,” Davis says. “That shows you how critical the stadium is.” When Davis—or anyone else— talks about a stadium, he’s really talking about site control and construction funding. Without those two components, you can’t have a stadium. Nothing else matters until those two pieces are nailed down. The Republic group has plans for site control at the downtown railyards, but the deal’s not done. As for stadium financing, the Republic has said almost nothing, which probably means there isn’t much to talk about. These facts suggest that, despite the presence of 49ers owner Jed York and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, the Republic still must overcome the two biggest hurdles in stadium building: site control and funding. By contrast, Elk Grove owns the land for its project and is far along in identifying funding sources for a new soccer facility. The city bought about 100 acres of farmland and annexed it into Elk Grove. As for funding, Mayor Davis is taking a community-first approach, drawing up plans for 16 youth fields next to his pro stadium,

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which is penciled for 9,000 seats but can grow to 20,000, a desirable MLS number. “We are a soccer community, and we want that reflected in the sports facilities we build,” Davis says. “We have 6,000 kids playing soccer. And we did marketing studies a long time ago that predicted a local pro team would have the kind of success the Republic had last year.” So while Sacramento and the Republic have dominated the conversation about the MLS, Elk Grove has quietly done much of what really matters. “It’s not a competition with Sacramento,” Davis says. “We think the region deserves MLS and believe we can provide a very good option.” Soccer fans should use caution when jumping on the Republic’s MLS bandwagon. Here’s why: At some point, the team is likely to ask the city of Sacramento for money to help build a stadium at the railyards. Thanks to the Kings, the answer is probably going to be no.

Ironically for soccer fans, the Kings’ arena deal, where the city contributes about $255 million of the $477 million cost, is the main reason why Sacramento can’t help the Republic build a stadium. The basketball arena gobbled up what was left of Sacramento’s debt capacity. Now, the city can’t responsibly go out and borrow money for a soccer stadium, even if the city council wants to. Republic founder Warren Smith likes to say the MLS won’t expand into a suburb like Elk Grove, because the league prefers an urban entertainment environment with restaurants and bars. He’s right, but he’s wrong. Like all pro leagues, the MLS will ultimately go where the stadium money is greenest. Don’t be surprised if soccer’s greenest field is on Grant Line Road in Elk Grove. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n

THEATRE GUIDE IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER

JULIUS CAESAR

Thru March 14 Celebration Arts Theatre 4469 D St. Sac 455-2787 CelebrationArts.net This play has been described as “gritty coming-of-age stories,” about love, selfsacrifice and community. It is a tapestry of West African Yonuba cosmology, woven into a contemporary story, engaging audiences in exciting and unexpected ways as they follow Oya, a promising runner, hoping to make something of herself while struggling between duty and her dreams.

HAMLET THRILL-MA-GEDDON

March 4 – March 8 STC – Sacramento Theatre Co 1419 H St. Sac 446-7501 SacTheatre.org Lightning-quick, hilarious perversion of the greatest play in the English language. This light-hearted and hilarious play looks into how far a drama club will go to preserve theatre’s age-old mantra, “The show must go on.” To sell out, or not to sell out?

BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

March 9 & March 10 Harris Center for the Arts 10 College Pkwy, Folsom 608-6888 Now in its 25th amazing year, the “World’s most successful rock ‘n’ roll musical” continues to thrill audiences on tour around the world. Features the class songs, “Peggy Sue”, “That’ll Be The Day”, “Not Fade Away”, “Oh Boy”, Ritchie Valens”, “La Bamba”, and many more.

ITALIAN OPERA

Thru March 22 California Stage Theatre 2509 R St. Sac 451-5822 Local writer, Leslie Lewinter-Suskind’s zany send-up Italian Opera roasts the art, the business and everything in between. A hilarious operetta will feature Michael RJ Campbell, and Elly Award winning actress Janet Motenko.

Thru March 22 STC – Sacramento Theatre Co 1419 H St. Sac 446-7501 SacTheatre.org This history play concerns the conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, his assassination, and the defeat of the conspirators at the Battle of Philippi. STC’s production will apply a modern concept to this classic text: The Roman Republic was where money and politics were nearly synonymous, and comparisons between pre-Empire Rome and modern America are easy to make.

THE LYONS

Thru March 21 California Stage Theatre 2509 R St. Sac 223-9568 When Ben Lyon’s wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, Ben’s death becomes a catalyst that propels them into foreign territory: human connection.

EAR FILMS

March 19 – March 21 Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theatre 9399 Old Davis Rd, Davis 530 754-2787 Audience members are blindfolded, the better to be fully immersed in the 3D sound and cinematic musical score used to create a hyperreal aural experience. Breathing a new life into the tradition of storytelling, EarFilms produced “films” using purely audio and each listener’s imagination. The FIRST EVER feature length EarFilm, embraces the imaginative potential of literature, empowering every listener to participate in the creative process, by filling in the blanks, directing the camera angles and painting with sound.

DIA DE LOS CUENTOS

Thru March 29 B Street Theatre 2711 B St. Sac 443-5300 BstreetTheatre.org This is a world premier show written by Jerry Montoya. This show includes four hilarious, touching and sometimes spooky classic folk tales that are brought to life with music and dance in celebration of California’s Hispanic influence.

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A Decade Later CHANGE IS INEVITABLE AS A GARDEN GROWS AND MATURES

BY ANITA CLEVENGER

GARDEN JABBER

hether you’ve installed a new landscape on bare ground or changed some part of your existing landscape, you probably have found that things didn’t work out quite as you planned. After all, plants are living things. Or in some cases, very dead things. In the past decade, I’ve worked with two different landscapes from installation to maturity. One is my backyard, which my husband and I redesigned in 2005 after removing our swimming pool. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center’s Water Efficient Landscape (WEL) is a couple of years older, first planted by Sacramento County Master Gardeners in 2003. While the basic layout of both gardens endures, they have, of necessity, evolved. Trees are a significant issue in both of these gardens. We inherited some mature trees at the edges of the gardens and added more to provide shade and privacy. As they’ve grown, they’ve blocked out sunlight and sent out competitive roots that make it hard to grow anything nearby. I was stunned to find tree roots filling up my garden’s raised beds. On my plan, the trees by the fence were in

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A lilac can take up to seven years to mature enough to bloom

one area, and the vegetable garden occupied a totally separate space. The trees had no similar sense of boundaries. According to Robert Kourik in “Roots Demystified,” “A tree’s roots commonly grow one-half wider than a tree’s drip line (canopy), and occasionally to as much as three to five times wider,” with the majority of a tree’s roots within the top 18 inches of soil. Candace Schuncke, the local garden designer and Lifetime Master Gardener who helped design the WEL and who still volunteers as one of its project leaders, says, “We have to think hard about where to put our

trees.” Gardeners often find, she says, that “trees aren’t our friends.” Sometimes, the best solution is to remove a tree altogether, although you can also thin it to open its canopy or prune it for size. Otherwise, you’ll have to change what you grow underneath. Schuncke recommends succulents, which have shallow roots and don’t mind dry conditions and partial shade. She also says that you can put plants in containers in areas choked with tree roots. In my garden, I’ve chosen shade-loving hardy geraniums, liriope and a variety of ferns. We have been surprised by how big plants have grown in each of these gardens. I didn’t realize that a

“semi-dwarf” citrus tree would grow to at least two-thirds the size of a standard, so I didn’t allow enough space for the lemon tree that I planted against the fence. Another of my trees was misidentified. Instead of a ‘Krauter Vesuvius’ purple leaf plum, which grows relatively compact and bears little or no fruit, I was sold the common variety that grows twice as big and bears fruit heavily. Even if plants are identified correctly, they often grow bigger in Sacramento than the reference books say. Roses, especially, get two or three times the size of those in colder climates. Schuncke found that coyote brush and other plants in the WEL grew unexpectedly large, too.

In the WEL and at my house, we allowed plants to get too big and woody before learning how much they need to be cut back and when to do so. We’ve ended up having to take some of them out because they were too overgrown or required too much work to maintain. Some of the most successful plants in the WEL have been dwarf varieties, which Schuncke says are “the answer to low maintenance.” We have been especially pleased with a dwarf bottlebrush, Callistemon citrinus ‘Little John,’ and a dwarf pomegranate, Punica granatum ‘Nana.’ Smaller varieties aren’t always easy to find. I brought dwarf evergreens from Oregon for my Asian garden and mail-ordered an especially compact gold-leaved spirea, ‘Dakota Goldcharm.’ The extra effort to find a plant that grows to the right size for its space will save you effort for many years. Even though I tried to allow enough space for each plant in my backyard, I wanted it all: an Asian

garden with bamboo and a ginkgo tree, a wisteria arbor, a pond, a vegetable garden, roses, perennial borders and a woody shrub border against the fence. My husband insisted on a bit of lawn and a shade tree, too. We skimped on the depth of the planting beds and width of the paths to squeeze it all in. I’ve enjoyed the diversity but really need twice the space or half as much garden. I’ve edited out some things and need to do more. Schuncke says that change is an opportunity that we should welcome. “After 10 years, you see things differently,” she muses. Our gardens are different in a decade’s time. And so are we. Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call 875-6913, visit ucanr.edu/sites/ sacmg or go to Fair Oaks Horticulture Center during the next open garden on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to noon. The center is at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd. n

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The Notebook PRAYERS FROM A HOSPITAL CHAPEL

BY NORRIS BURKES SPIRIT MATTERS

s a hospital chaplain, I hear the prayers of patients who are hurting, sick and discouraged. Their private prayers are often so amazing that I’ve wished I could share them with my readers, but their privacy prevents me from doing so. I can, however, share the prayers that are written in the public journal in our chapel. Visitors are encouraged to write their prayers in the spiral notebook so others may pray with them. As you read these prayers, I encourage you to do two things. First, recall similar situations when God answered your prayers and granted his grace. Second, I ask you to offer your own prayer for the writers. Some of the prayers are simple oneliners, like the short prayer of a child asking, “Lord, help me to be a football player.” But most are deeply moving entreaties searching for healing, acceptance and understanding. One of the writers was earnestly searching for meaning: “God, or whoever, I don’t know if there is a Creator/God. I only know

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that my day to leave this life will come. I just hope that the memories of my mother and father will be with me just like my parents were with me the day I was born. If there is a Creator/ God, he/she will know that I tried to live my life with a clean heart.” Some of the petitioners, like this one, were clearly scared: “Dear Lord, I need your guidance now. I don’t have my mom anymore, so my dad and I are lost. My son and his wife have a sick baby girl. I need you to help us. Please hold my family tight. I love you, dear Father. In the name of the Father and Holy Spirit.” Other prayers showed a struggle that no one wants to face: “Dear Lord, Mom’s accident crossed your desk and you approved it. Now we have to turn off the ventilator. It’s the hardest decision this family has ever made. My sister is hanging on with vain hope. Please help her see the truth and let mom go. Mom is your child, Lord. I know she has a mansion waiting for her. The rest of us have peace about letting her go. Please pass that peace on to my sister. Time is a factor, Lord. Finances are a factor, too. The life she’s living now isn’t life. It isn’t fair to mom to have to be like she is. Please help my sister to understand that we are all suffering. Give our family the strength to cross this bridge and give mom a peace that only you can give. Amen.” One writer, likely a caregiver, compared her pain to that of her patients. She expressed the guilt many of us feel when seeing our problems in the light of the tragedy experienced by others:

“Dear God, No one I know is dying or suffering, so I need to stop being a baby about my problems. I should be praying for those who truly need love and support. I’m going through a divorce, and I feel depressed all the time. However, I’m grateful for my health, friends and family. Please help me overcome this feeling of anguish, loss, anxiety and jealousy. It’s not good for my health, and I’m unable to help my patients who truly need it. Thanks for listening. Amen.”

Finally, the last page of the prayer anthology pronounces a benediction for this column: “To anyone who reads this: “I hope God answers all your prayers. The Lord is good! Amen.” Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author of the book “No Small Miracles.” He can be reached at ask@ TheChaplain.net n

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EUROPEAN MASTERWORKS

Magnificat (West Coast Premiere) | Cecilia McDowall Great Mass in C Minor, KV 427 | W. A. Mozart

Nikki Einfeld

Hailed by Gramophone magazine as the new voice of English composers, McDowall’s evocative and poignant “Magnificat” is the perfect prelude to Mozart’s triumphant masterpiece. Nikki Einfeld, Soprano Marina Boudart Harris, Soprano Ross Hauck, Tenor Daniel Yoder, Bass

Projected supertitle translation s

Marina Boudart Harris

Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. – Pre-concert talk by Donald Kendrick Ross Hauck

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Doing It All CELEBRATION ARTS FOUNDER IS A ONE-MAN BAND

BY JESSICA LASKEY ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

he term “renaissance man” may as well have been coined for James Wheatley. As the artistic director of Celebration Arts, the multicultural, multidiscipline arts organization located on D Street in East Sacramento, Wheatley directs many of the company’s plays, teaches classes in theater, dance, music and visual arts for youth, teens and seniors, writes original pieces for performance, directs the Celebration Arts Chorale and still finds time to volunteer his time on several local boards and advisory committees. “I sleep on occasion,” Wheatley says with an easy laugh. “I retired from the state 13 years ago, so it’s great to still be so busy.”

“The Celebration Theatre Company has a reputation of doing quality work and telling stories that interest people.” James Wheatley

His work with the state is in fact what first brought the Los Angeles native to town many years ago, and he held positions with the departments of rehabilitation, employment development and labor

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relations before retiring in 2001. Even during all his state service, Wheatley managed to maintain a strong connection to his artistic roots in Southern California.

“For the first few years here, I was commuting to L.A. on the weekends to continue performing” as a dancer and singer, Wheatley says. “I eventually found some people here who wanted to work together, so

that’s when I decided to form a dance company.” When Wheatley founded the informal dance troupe in 1976, he quickly discovered a craving in the community for more arts education. “People heard about the troupe and wanted to be part of it,” Wheatley recalls. “I’d always had the idea of providing training and performance opportunities for community residents—people who wanted to dance or sing or act but didn’t have access for whatever reason to bigger institutions. So it made sense to incorporate.” Wheatley incorporated Celebration Arts in 1986 and has since built it into one of the most comprehensive destinations for artistic training for people of all ages in the Sacramento region. In addition to formal classes, Wheatley also seeks to educate the local public through theater performance. “The Celebration Theatre Company has a reputation of doing quality work and telling stories that interest people,” Wheatley says. “Many of the plays we do are local and regional premieres with AfricanAmerican themes. There are a lot more opportunities these days than when we first started, but we’re still basically the only African-American theater company in town. We pick interesting plays to attract people’s attention, but we also do pieces like Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ and ‘Race’ by David Mamet. People recognize the names, which has helped draw a lot of people.” Despite Celebration Arts’ unique niche in the community, it’s not easy

to keep an arts organization afloat, especially when it’s overshadowed by bigger companies. “It’s always a struggle because you have to depend on others,” Wheatley says. “We’re a small, 50-seat theater. If we were larger and had more resources, we could probably get corporate sponsors, but at our size, we depend on ticket sales and the largesse of the community. We’re an all-volunteer organization. Getting volunteers is not the easiest thing in the world. Our recent emergency fund drive, the Day of Giving and our fall fund drive helped tremendously. We’re just trying to hang in there.” But Wheatley doesn’t let cashflow woes get him down. In fact, he appears to be more inspired than ever. He still teaches every class that Celebration Arts offers, he writes every show that the children’s programs perform, and he even wrote last year’s holiday show, “A New Song for Christmas,” which Wheatley describes as “a drama with music.” “I wanted to do a Christmas program but I didn’t see anything

that really appealed to me,” he explains. “I thought, ‘Let me try it,’ so I wrote the whole show and did all the orchestration. I had no idea it was going to have music in it, but music is my first love. And I love a challenge.” Thankfully, so do his pupils. While rehearsing for the show, Wheatley encouraged his cast to step out of their artistic comfort zones. “Because the people we have aren’t all singers, I got the opportunity to teach them about music,” Wheatley says. “A lot of them had never been in a choir. They didn’t know how to sing harmony or how to read sheet music, so we provided the training. They ended up liking it because they’d never had that kind of approach. I demanded it from them. They said, ‘We have to dance? I’m not a dancer.’ And I’d say, ‘You know how to walk? You know your left from your right? Good, now move your arm at the same time.’ It’s been quite an educational experience.” Celebration Arts is at 4469 D St. For more information, visit celebrationarts.net or call 455-2787. n

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

A HARMONY OF TASTES Beneﬁting the Sacramento Children’s Chorus

Celebrate the Year of the Ram & Your Birthday!

Friday, March 20, 2015 6:30 p.m. Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th Street Sacramento 95818 TICKETS: $35 per person www.sacramentochildrenschorus.org

If you were born in February or March, bring in your birthday party of 2 or more and receive a FREE* entrée! Buy one entrée and get a second (of equal or lesser value) FREE! Plus, the birthday person gets a complimentary slice of our famous banana cream pie.

FEATURING ﬁne wines, local beer and eateries, and a silent auction.

Chinese Lunar Year 4713 • Year of the Ram

Fat’s Asia Bistro Roseville 916-787-3287 • Folsom 916-983-1133 • www.fatsbistro.com

SPONSORED BY: The Baer Family The Hancock Family

*May not be combined with any other offer. Proof of birthday required. Limit 3 birthday discounts per table. Maximum discount $16. Not valid at Fat City/Frank Fat's. Valid 2/1-3/31/2015. Dine in only. Tax and gratuity not included.

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The Magic Touch AKEBONO OWNER OPENS THIRD RESTAURANT; IT’S A WINNER

BY GREG SABIN RESTAURANT INSIDER

y wife and I have been going to Akebono, the Japanese restaurant on Freeport Boulevard, for years. In fact, we had our first date there. The sushi is some of the best in town, and the ramen stands up to the best in the country. It’s no surprise to find a line out the door there at almost any time of day. When I spoke with owner Sai Wong several years ago, I asked if he ever intended to open another restaurant. He said that he didn’t need the extra bother, that one restaurant was enough, and that he was worried about trying to be in two places at the same time. It was a familiar refrain that I’d heard from other restaurant owners throughout the years. Yet not long after that conversation, I learned that Wong planned to open a ramen shop in Midtown. I guess a man is allowed to change his mind. His second restaurant, RyuJin Ramen House, became a magnet for hungry Midtowners almost immediately after opening. The ramen is, if it’s possible, better than Akebono’s. Much like at Akebono, the service is speedy and polite, and the interior is clean, simple and absent of frills. After he opened his second restaurant, I though Wong might take a break. But not long after, he was looking at the years-vacant space across the street on 19th and S streets that used to be Sweetwater Restaurant & Bar. Apparently,

POC MAR n 15

Enjoy teppan okonomiyaki, a Japanese-style pancake with thinly sliced pork and vegetables, topped with ginger, bonito flakes, mayonnaise and katsu saice

staring at that empty storefront just yards from RyuJin’s front door was too much temptation for him. By last October, his third restaurant, Izakaya Daikoku, was up and running. Loosely translated, izakaya means sake house or pub, and Daikoku is a Japanese god associated with wealth. Put them together and you’ve got another successful enterprise for Sai Wong. Within weeks of its opening, locals were filling the seats at Izakaya for its hearty fare and vast array of sake.

The menu is diverse, the staff quick and friendly, the interior simple. If you’re not familiar with Japanese cuisine, especially the nonsushi side of the menu, a quick peek at the vast number of dishes offered at Izakaya might seem daunting. Don’t worry; here’s a beginner’s guide. First, almost everything on the menu is served in small, sharable portions. Plan on ordering four to six dishes for a party of two. Second, if you’re a trusting soul, just tell your server the kind of things you like, and she’ll be happy to suggest

dishes for you. Third, this is not a sushi restaurant. There’s sushi on the menu, but it’s more of an appeasement than an aspiration. Fourth, the menu is laid out in sections for easy perusal: rice and noodles, soups, okonomiyaki (more about this later), fish, yakitori (skewered grilled meats), otsumami (again, more later) and sushi. Let let’s break it down. Start with okonomiyaki. It’s a mouthful, in more ways than one. RESTAURANT page 46

Art Preview GALLERY ART SHOWS IN MARCH

Narrative Space: Drawings and Paintings by Joy Bertinuson and Patricia Wood will be a view until March 12 at the James Kaneko Gallery at American River College on 4700 College Oak Drive. Shown right: Sideshow by Joy Bertinuson. Visit Joybertinuson.com

ARTHOUSE on R presents The Whole Ball of Wax, a Sierra Wax Artists Membership Show. Exhibit runs March 12 - April 7. Shown left: Rise by Dawn Blanchfield. Visit arthouseonr.com

Twenty five high school students will show their best at the Mira Loma High School 2015 IB Art Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center from March 10 - 21. Shown right: Momentary Expression, watercolor by Katie Carson. 5330B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael

Red Dot Gallery presents a theme-oriented group exhibition called Common Threads: New/ Recent Work by Linda Welch, Melanie Bown and Stephen Schumm. Shown above: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Always More, a mixed-media by Melanie Bown. 2231 J Street, Ste. 101

Helen Jones Gallery presents the works of Sergey Smirnov (1953 - 2006.) Show runs through March. Shown above: "Scheherazade", mixed media on canvas by Smirov. Visit helenjonesgallery.com

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Finish off your meal with homemade Earl Grey ice cream

RESTAURANT FROM page 44 A thick, savory pancake filled with vegetables and meats and topped with more than one creamy sauce, it comes to the table sizzling on a cast-iron platter and is dished out in steamy, pizzalike slices to each diner. Each okonomiyaki can be customized to the diner’s preference. This isn’t highfaultin dining or sophisticated cuisine. It’s late-night bar food, meant to be consumed when you're already a bit tipsy. It’s

POC MAR n 15

the Japanese equivalent of a 2 a.m. burrito or a bacon cheeseburger. It’s filling, flavorful and just a little guilt inducing. The fish dishes at Izakaya are simple and straightforward. Typically a simple piece of grilled fish with a light sauce or condiment, these plates are small and shareable. They allow the quality of the fish to speak for itself. The yakitori are also simple treats. In addition to grilled chicken, there

are options like chicken liver, beef tongue and chicken heart. Finally, a word about otsumami. Loosely translated as bar snacks or drinking foods, otsumami is a collection of dishes meant to be snacked on while drinking beer or sake. Simple treats like fried chicken or breaded port cutlet share space on the menu with more intricate bites like fried fishcake and sauteed scallops. They’re small, salty bites to eat between sips and snippets of conversation. If you’re a lover of Japanese food but rarely find yourself going outside your sushi comfort zone, come spend some time at Izakaya Daikoku. Bring some friends and order enough dishes to cover the table. Throw back some sake and beer and catch up with old friends. This is pub dining from across the Pacific. Enjoy. Izakaya Daikoku is at 1901 S St.; 662-7337; izakayadaikoku.com Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com n

Neighborhood Real Estate Sales

The dining room at Izakaya Daikoku

95831 Sales Closed Jan 1 - Feb 10, 2015 6371 SILVEIRA WAY $280,000 6912 S LAND PARK DR $325,000 1156 ROSE TREE WAY $267,000 6661 S LAND PARK DR $287,500 6908 HAVENHURST DR $295,000 60 PORTINAO CIR $425,000 23 SAGE RIVER CIR $302,500 14 BLACK RIVER CT $460,000 6963 WESTMORELAND WY $289,000 7408 GOLDEN OAK WAY $305,000 6919 GALLERY WAY $316,800 6990 WATERVIEW WAY $317,500 540 RIVERGATE WAY $330,750 6761 FREEHAVEN DR $290,000 6640 S LAND PARK DR $395,000 6241 RIVERSIDE BLVD #219 $131,000 6775 LANGSTON WAY $425,000 19 QUAY CT $174,000 7757 ROBERTS RIVER WY $320,000 361 AQUAPHER WAY $359,000 7629 MARINA COVE DR $850,000 7356 PERERA CIR $389,900 7476 GREENHAVEN DR $385,000 51 CAVALCADE CIRCLE $430,000 7524 MAPLE TREE WAY $249,000 63 PARK VISTA CIR $355,000 6778 PARK RIVIERA WAY $385,000

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MIDTOWN

SIERRRA OAKS

NATOMAS

ELK GROVE

FAIR OAKS

FOLSOM

2014 CAPITOL AVE. #100 SACRAMENTO, CA 95811 916.227.8155

3620 FAIR OAKS BLVD #300 SACRAMENTO, CA 95864 916.609.2800

2081 ARENA BLVD. #100 SACRAMENTO, CA 95834 916.285.1000

9280 W. STOCKTON BLVD #111 ELK GROVE, CA 95758 916.405.5200

5252 SUNRISE BLVD. #6 FAIR OAKS, CA 95628 916.537.2400

2340 E. BIDWELL STREET FOLSOM, CA 95630 916.948.8778

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WE’RE YOUR NEIGHBOR!

CARMICHAEL

Desirable Cameron Ranch location. Open Àoor plan, large yard, breezeway, built in pool, spa, large covered patio, lots of fruit trees & mature landscaping. 4 Beds, 2 bths, new roof, corner lot. $417,900 DAVID OHARA 916-600-9495

SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS

3 bd, 2 bth, 1-story. Beautiful exposed wood Àoors in living room, hall & bedrooms plus laminate in family rm & kitchen. Large & bright enclosed patio. Updated dual-pane windows & sliders, more! $330,000 BILL BONNER 916-320-1888

GREENHAVEN/POCKET

Great single story home. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage. Breakfast nook & formal dining area. Living room with ¿replace. Walk-in jetted tub in hall bath. Attached sun room with window unit. Near library, public transportation & shopping. $279,900 MARY JEW LEE 916-425-3749

pending

ELK GROVE

Single story, 3 bed, 2bth Ranchette on 1.89 acres! New roof, carpeting and ac unit, dual pane windows, formal dining rm, separate living & family rms. Huge front pasture, two tool sheds, huge outbuilding and so much more! $515,000 BOB WILSON 916-207-6868

pending

GREENHAVEN/POCKET

Outstanding single-level near bike path, parks, shopping, pocket library, more! Great rm, formal dining rm or family rm/ den area. Many updates. Beautifully landscaped yards, large brick patio. $299,000 BILL BONNER 916-320-1888

GATED WESTLAKE

1- story within the gates of “The Avenues”. 3 bds, 3 bths, Of¿ce (could be 4th bed), kitchen w/granite tile counters, SS app. & island, laundry rm w/sink, wood lam Àooring, tile entry, crown moulding, lge corner lot w/private courtyard entry. $399,995 JOLEEN DUNNIGAN 916-717-3559

pending

GREENHAVEN/POCKET

4 bd, 3 bth, approx. 2764sf. Custom 2 story features remodeled kitchen w/island, downstairs bed/of¿ce, family room with ¿replace, spacious master, 2 car garage with drive thru, newer HVAC, tile roof and so much more! $520,000 NICK LAPLACA 916-764-7500

GREENHAVEN/POCKET

2 bedroom, 2 bath single story half plex, approximately 1219sf. Open Àoorplan plus bonus sunroom entry. Desirable location close to river and within Didion school boundaries. $259,500 JOHN WONG 916-531-7150

pending

GRANITE BAY

Spacious Àoorplan w/sep living & family rms, formal dining area, lge open kitchen with granite countertops & stainless steel appliances, double ovens & wine refrigerator. Built in pool, wet bar & personal spa..perfect for entertaining! $570,000 JOLEEN DUNNIGAN 916-717-3559

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Good to Know.™

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©2014 BHH AfÀliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH AfÀliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Houseing Opportunity.