Inside pocket may 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

MAY

POCKET GREENHAVEN SOUTH POCKET LITTLE POCKET

I N T O

T H E

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

pending

GREENBELT CLOSE Conveniently located Greenhaven 3 bedroom 2 bath home within easy walking distance of the greenbelt. 1908 sf with spacious living room and dining room and large family room with wet bar just off the kitchen, also a breakfast nook. Built-in pool, covered patio and 2-car attached garage. $359,000 KELLIE SWAYNE 206-1458

ON THE RIVER Sweet Greenhaven 3 bedroom 2 bath home backs to the Sacramento River! 1785 sf with “great room” style, family room and dining area, nicely appointed kitchen with stone counters and breakfast nook. Family room ¿replace, lovely backyard with pool and covered patio. 2-car attached garage. $449,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

pending

AMAZING GREENHAVEN Beautifully maintained 3 bedroom 2 bath home with possible rv or boat storage. Beautiful hardwood Àoors, remodeled kitchen and baths, new front and back landscaping, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, remodeled ¿replace. Big yard. $349,900 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

pending

WONDERFUL ELK GROVE Beautifully maintained single story 4 bedroom, 2 bath home located in quiet community. Great open kitchen, dining and family room combo. Master bath, walk-in closet, and sunken tub. Well-manicured backyard. Conveniently located! $379,900 SYLVIA MORENO 996-4760

pending

GREENHAVEN POCKET 4 bedrooms, 2½ baths, open Àoor plan great for entertaining! Features include family room ¿replace, master bedroom opens to 2nd bedroom, inside laundry. Beautifully landscaped with raised brick garden and extended driveway $339,000 LINDA WOOD 802-8042

QUALITY BUILT HOME Lee Basford built 4 bedroom 3 bath home with two master bedrooms and a remote bedroom. Newer carpet, some new interior and exterior paint and new lighting. Great Àoor plan with separate living/ family rooms. Built-in pool on a wonderful street with many long term neighbors. $429,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

pending

BRENTWOOD VILLAGE Lovely 3 bedroom 2 bath home conveniently located, close to stores and schools. Light and bright with hardwood Àoors, updated kitchen, formal dining room, living room ¿replace, central heat and air conditioning. Private backyard with mature landscaping, 2-car attached garage. $199,900 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715

PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP ON DISPLAY Well maintained South Land Park home just shines with pride of ownership! 3 bedrooms 2 baths, 1621sf with pretty hardwood Àoors, spacious rooms and loads of light! Nice Àoor plan is perfect for entertaining or fun family nights. 2-car attached garage. $279,000 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715

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WELL MAINTAINED Impeccably maintained, roomy 3 bedroom 1½ bath on a big .2 acre lot. Lifetime roof, newer water heater and carpet. Heat pump and attached 1-car garage. Convenient to park and transportation. $187,000 LISA McCAULEY 601-5474

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COVER ARTIST Maureen Hood Hood is a local artist working in collage and painting. “New Works by Maureen Hood and Wes Horn” will be shown at The Archival Gallery (3223 Folsom Blvd.) during the month of May with a reception on Sat. May 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. Hood’s work will be shown along with the mosaic works of gallery newcomer Wes Horn.

Visit maureenhood.com • archivalgallery.com

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

MAY 2015 VOL. 2 • ISSUE 4

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No to Faux—But Why? IN DROUGHT, ARTIFICIAL TURF COULD SAVE TONS OF WATER

BY CECILY HASTINGS

PUBLISHER’S DESK

acramento homeowners should have the option of installing artificial turf in their front yards. Given that we are headed into the fourth consecutive summer of devastating drought, I cannot imagine why the city and county of Sacramento still outlaw artificial turf in front yards. Lawns are major water hogs compared to other types of landscape materials. Eliminating them could produce significant water savings. Sacramento residents cut back water use by just under 20 percent in 2014 compared to 2013. And this year we must do even better, as Gov. Brown has mandated cuts of 25 percent for urban water users. My husband and I first came across artificial turf about 12 years ago when we purchased a 10-by-5-foot piece and installed it in a planting area alongside our driveway. It was attractive, and it worked beautifully as a potty area for our two dogs. After we installed it, I forgot to

tell the gardener. When he showed up to mow and blow, I looked out the window and saw him trying to edge it. That’s how natural looking it was. I recently received a letter on this subject from real estate developer Michael Moser, who is finishing a major remodel of his Land Park home. The plans he submitted to the city’s design review committee for this project, calling for artificial turf on his front lawn, were turned down. He was dumbfounded by the city’s decision. According to his research, it takes approximately .5 acre-feet of water per year to keep the average Sacramento lawn green and healthy—a whopping 447.5 gallons of water per watering cycle, by his calculations. And this is in addition to all the other water uses

in a household, including showers, cooking, cleaning, etc. A current city ordinance requires residents to have livable landscape in their front yards. Artificial turf is not allowed. The element of the ordinance requiring homeowners to water and maintain livable turf has been suspended because of the drought. In practice, this means you can let your grass die, though you do need to cut it. Dave Gonsalves, district director to councilmember Jeff Harris, told me that the city staff is not currently working to write a new ordinance governing artificial turf. Still, Harris says he plans to work to advance this subject with his colleagues. But it could easily take six months to a year

or more to pass. (I hope the county will take similar action.) At the house my husband and I own, our side and back yards feature artificial turf used decoratively between concrete stepping stones. It looks terrific and is easy to take care of. Most tree debris can be blown or raked away. We have an older version of artificial turf, which sometimes gets embedded with tree droppings. We use a shop vac once a year in spring to get them all out. Since artificial turf was first introduced as AstroTurf for use on sports fields, the product has come a long way in design and functionality for residential uses. Home Depot’s selection includes turf in seven shades of green styled after various grass types. The look of natural thatch is designed into the product, a design feature that seems likely to prevent debris from building up. It is certainly not inexpensive to install at about $2.50 per square foot. Consider using smaller amounts of artificial turf combined with other watersaving landscape materials including decomposed granite and stone. But the benefits of artificial turf go beyond water savings and include the cost savings from not having to mow, fertilize, reseed, aerate and weed. Even water-efficient landscapes require some maintenance, especially weeding.

Artificial turf in a backyard

PUBLISHER page 7

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Safe and Secure FOR LEVEE FENCES, THE SAFETY ARGUMENT RINGS HOLLOW

state authorities blindly issued fence permits. Then and now, the safety argument won the day.

BY R.E. GRASWICH POCKET BEAT

omeowners who build fences to block public access along the Sacramento River levee have always understood the power of one little word to excuse their behavior: Safety. It’s the shield they hide behind, the card that ends the debate. Politicians quiver and look for a place to hide when they hear the word safety. Bureaucrats adopt dubious policies, no questions asked. All of which makes safety the perfect word for people with motives that may not be such a quick sell without manipulated immunity from six little letters. In the case of levee fences, nine of which block public levee parkway access in the Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket, safety has been used to justify barricades for at least five decades. As far as I can tell from stacks of public records, the justification has been amazingly hollow—a false front to obscure idyllic private-dock access, private picnic areas and expanded backyards for a few lucky homeowners.

POC MAY n 15

Pocket resident requested data under a Freedom of Information Act. She discovered both assaults were allegedly committed not by vagrants or drunken teens, but by Chicory Bend and Rivershore residents themselves.

Fences have been moved to correct limits and gates will remain unlocked from dawn to dusk for public access

Years ago, before the Pocket was thoroughly subdivided for suburban homes, a few residents asked state officials for permits to blockade the levee. Permit requests indicate some residents expressed fears that levee “vagrants” would invade homes. The

solution was private security fences, built over the levee crown to keep the vagrants away. While bands of marauding levee vagrants were fictional creations by the homeowners (there’s no evidence any such thing existed in the Pocket),

While bands of marauding levee vagrants were fictional creations by the homeowners (there’s no evidence any such thing existed in the Pocket), state authorities blindly issued fence permits. And the fences grew more muscular and threatening. And they expanded beyond their legal limits. They were enhanced with warning signs. They stretched past the high-water line, trimmed with spikes and barbed wire, out of compliance, against laws written to protect public access to California’s coastline and waterways. Give some people an inch and they take a mile, my mother used to say. Earlier this year, Sacramento City Councilmember Rick Jennings held the first of what he promised would be a series of public meetings about river levee parkway access. He made several references to safety and security to justify private fences.

POCKET BEAT page 8

PUBLISHER FROM page 5 Those I know who have artificial turf in their backyards love it. I have a friend in Arden who did her entire backyard in artificial turf. It goes right up to the edge of her pool, and it looks terrific five years after installation. Most of her yard is under huge redwood trees, where real grass would have been troublesome to grow. The faux turf also provides a cool and clean play area for her grandkids. If the drought continues much longer, the days of lush lawns may be gone—at least in California. City and county leaders should have to explain why it is better to have brown lawns all over our neighborhoods when we could easily have lush, green faux lawns that use zero water.

BIG DAY OF GIVING THIS MONTH The Sacramento Region Community Foundation and its partners spent months gearing up for the first BIG Day of Giving in May 2014, which I covered in my column last year as part of a nationwide community effort at charitable fundraising. They had hoped to raise $1 million in donations and $250,000 in matching funds. Their efforts paid off and the results far exceeded that goal: $3,020,000 was raised from 18,915 donors for 394 local nonprofit organizations. Sacramento ranked second in the entire country in terms of total donations. This year’s BIG Day of Giving is May 5. Starting at midnight, you can make a donation to one or more charitable organizations of your choice at givelocalnow.org. Each gift is tax-deductible (a minimum of $25 and maximum of $10,000) via credit card. You’ll receive an emailed acknowledgement within an hour. Mobile giving via smartphone makes it even easier. Another big benefit of donating on the BIG Day of Giving is the matching funds that accompany your gifts. Since the event is part of a national day of giving called Give Local America, foundations all over the country will participate. Donations will be eligible not only for local

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matching funds but national funds, too. Deciding which organizations to give to is the fun part. You may know local nonprofits you want to support. But if not, givelocalnow.org allows you to search thousands of GivingEdge local profiles and provides you with comprehensive portraits of participating organizations. If you have given to nonprofits before, expect them to market to you for this special big day. The foundation is hosting a halftime celebration downtown at Cesar Chavez Plaza that day. Stop by from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for live entertainment, food trucks, giving stations and special speakers. You can also stop by the BIG DOG Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hot Italian at 1627 16th St. to toast the success of the day with entertainment and special announcements. This is your big chance to amplify your giving to help benefit our local nonprofit communities. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com n

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POCKET BEAT FROM page 6

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Jennings talked about his desire to “balance the security of people who live next to the levee with public access.” He said, “I ran on a platform of public safety and it’s a top priority for me.” No question, Jennings swooned for the safety hustle. For months, he justified his decision to defend illegal fences at Chicory Bend and Rivershore courts—fences built without permits by residents allegedly to keep drunken teenagers at bay—by saying those residents deserved the “safety” provided by their barricades. Jennings called the fences a “compromise” for security: Gates would be unlocked for public access by day, sealed at night. Only a few residents would have keys. They would be responsible for unlocking the gates each morning. To justify his security argument, Jennings pulled stats from Sacramento police crime files. From those stats, a document was created that tried to validate the need for fences at Chicory Bend and Rivershore. The numbers appeared to show crime went down when the fences went up in 2009. Jennings used his document for dramatic effect. “Have you seen the crime numbers, before and after?” he asked me. But had he bothered to look deeper, he would have learned the numbers didn’t reveal any crime waves in South Pocket. There was no correlation with fences. The stats showed an average 2.8 crimes per year before the illegal Chicory Bend and

Rivershore fences, and 1.7 per year afterward. And Jennings noted the nature of the crimes. Before the fences, the culde-sacs had two assaults. The number dropped to zero once the fences went up. Impressive! But like a million examples of numbers telling lies, the assault stats cited by Jennings conveniently left out some key details. Thankfully, Pocket resident Linda Buzzini examined the data under a Freedom of Information Act request. She discovered both assaults were allegedly committed not by marauding vagrants or drunken teens but by Chicory Bend and Rivershore residents themselves. One was domestic violence. The other was battery. Both times, police arrested or cited a cul-de-sac resident. So much for Jennings’ argument. I asked Jennings about the foolishness of his security stats. He had no comment. One fact that endures is this: Pocket and Greenhaven are among the safest communities in Sacramento. We have been for years. Police (and even Jennings) might agree with me when I say we’re safe because we pay attention to our surroundings, take pride in our community, check on our neighbors and report suspicious activities. Not because we “compromise” and let private fences block our levee under the self-serving cry of safety. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n

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Bark in the Park NEW DOG FACILITY OPENS ITS GATES TO FOUR-LEGGED VISITORS

roam with 1.34 acres. Each play area contains wood bark and turf areas for the enjoinment of our fury friends.

SUMMER CAMP FOR SENIORS

BY SHANE SINGH POCKET LIFE

ur community’s newest public amenity, Lynn Robie Dog Park at the Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex, recently was welcomed into service by approximately 175 neighbors and dignitaries, along with about 50 four-legged friends. City Councilmember Rick Jennings led the ceremonies for the dog park, whose namesake served on the city council from 1979 to 1992, representing what is now the Pocket-Greenhaven area. Also in attendance were former mayor Anne Rudin, former city manager Bill Edgar, City Councilmember Jeff Harris, Assemblymember Jim Cooper, former councilmembers Darrell Fong, Robbie Waters and Josh Pane, supervisor Patrick Kennedy and city parks director Jim Combs. Rudin noted Robie’s service as one of the first women on the city council and credited her “excellent oversight during the development of the PocketGreenhaven area and her community work.” Harris thanked city park staff and singled out designer TinWah Wong for her work on the new facility. Harris served on the Parks Commission when the new dog park was designed and approved.

POC MAY n 15

Lynn Robie Dog Park at the Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex is now open for canine fun

The celebration featured a bestdressed dog contest, vendors and doggie gift bags for canine guests. Contest winners received gift baskets and other prizes from Unleashed by Petco, Mueller Pet Medical Center and Grateful Dog Daycare. Team Front Street from the city’s animal shelter sought “forever homes” for three pups and their mother at the event. According to city

animal control director Gina Knepp, all the puppies were adopted. The park is located within the Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex at 7895 Freeport Blvd. It features doggy drinking fountains, lots of room to run and romp and benches for humans. The park welcomes dogs of all sizes, with an area for small pets covering about one-quarter acre. Larger dogs have plenty of space to

Pocket and Greenhaven residents over age 50 who seek wilderness activity this summer should check out the Senior Adventure Camp or Classic Senior Camp, sponsored by the city parks department’s Wellness Program. Adults 50 and older can enjoy challenging hikes, kayaking, biking and more during the day at Senior Adventure Camp. Days at Classic Senior Camp are filled with activities such as memoir writing, basket making, craft classes, yoga and nature hikes. Activities continue into the evening with campfires, singalongs and more. The camps provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy leisure time in the Sierra. The summer camps take place at Camp Sacramento in Eldorado National Forest along Highway 50, about 18 miles west of Lake Tahoe. At an elevation of 6,500 feet, with tall pines, clear blue sky and meandering river, Camp Sacramento provides a scenic setting that offers a wonderful way to relax in the mountains, meet friends and relive the carefree days of summer camp. Senior Adventure Camp runs Aug. 10 through 14, with a second session, Classic Senior Camp, Aug. 17 through 21. For more information, call 8081593 or email fiftypluswellness@ cityofsacramento.org

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Faith Presbyterian Church’s new 5,000-square-foot addition was recently completed

Church’s new 5,000-squarefoot addition is completed, with classrooms, a kitchen and an expanded Link Fellowship Hall. Pastor Jeff Chapman said, “We ran out of space to house ministries in our own church, which help people grow in faith and service. We also ran out of space to allow for other groups and ministries in our neighborhood that are doing great work to build and renew our community. This new addition solves both problems. We’re excited to see how it will be constantly used.” The new facilities will allow the church to expand its ministry and provide meeting space for community groups. “There is a strong commitment at Faith to remembering that we are called to be a community that serves beyond itself,” said Chapman. “There’s an old saying that says the church may be the only organization in the world that exists for the benefit of its nonmembers. Even before construction was

completed at the church, groups of leaders have been meeting to envision how we might open our new space to other groups and organizations within our part of the city that are doing work that is also seeking to renew our city.” For more information, call 4283439.

WORKING THE SOIL TOGETHER Will Cannady, a teacher at School of Engineering & Sciences, has been leading a series of community meetings about starting a community garden in the neighborhood. Currently, more than 30 neighbors contribute input through the Pocket/Greenhaven community garden email list that Cannady maintains. The group also has been obtaining feedback from neighbors through Nextdoor.com. “Through Pocket Nextdoor, we organized a

meeting to review the possibility of a neighborhood farmers market,” says Cannady. “During the meeting, many of our neighbors mentioned our lack of a local community garden. I then set about organizing community meetings to help establish our first community garden. What continues to inspire me is the idea of a communal garden area where my neighbors, my students (local youth) and families can come together to collectively work the soil.” Cannady envisions the community garden being located near Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library and the School of Engineering & Sciences. Various programs will be offered through the library in association with the nearby garden. In addition, the students of SES will use the garden to add to their curriculum. Many children who would never have been given access to working in a garden will now be able to do so. “It would also be great to see families from a more disadvantaged socioeconomic background have access to healthy local produce,” says Cannady. To add yourself to the distribution list, email Cannady at willcannady@gmail.com

PAPER SHREDDING On Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to noon, Boy Scout Troop 259 and Elks Lodge will sponsor a free papershredding event at 6446 Riverside Blvd. This will be your opportunity to shred documents containing private information and protect yourself from identity theft. Donations will be accepted. Proceeds will benefit the Elks and the Scouts. Bring your documents in paper grocery sacks that can be

shredded. Boxes will be recycled or returned to you upon request. Call 422-8351 for more information.

CONTEST FOR BEST DROUGHT-TOLERANT LANDSCAPE Kit Carson International Baccalaureate Candidate School’s Design and Technology Class is holding a design contest to find the best drought-tolerant front yards in Sacramento. The contest, called Beauty Without Water, will honor pioneering Sacramento residents who have responded to the drought with landscaping creativity and ingenuity. “By replacing grass yards with landscapes that showcase drought-resistant plants, scenic bark/ rocks, and other inspired features, these residents have found a way to beat the drought without sacrificing beauty,” said Jed Larsen, who teaches the class. To enter the competition, send up to four photos of your front yard, plus a short written description, to JedLarsen@scusd.edu. The deadline for submission is Sept. 1. The winners will be featured in an upcoming issue of Inside Publications. The contest is open to Sacramento residents in Inside Publication’s readership areas, which include East Sacramento, Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown, the Pocket, Greenhaven, Arden and Carmichael. Kit Carson is in East Sacramento. For more information, go to kitcarson.scusd.edu Shane Singh can be reached at shane@shanesingh.com n

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The New Normal HOW LONG MUST WE LIVE WITH DEGRADED PARK CARE STANDARDS?

BY CRAIG POWELL INSIDE CITY HALL

ity parks have long been treated as the redheaded stepchild of city services when budget time rolls around. It’s a truism of city government that police and fire always stand first in line for budget dollars while city parks are left with table scraps. Parks funding is always the first to be cut in tough budget years and the last to be restored when revenues recover. Here are the numbers: During the recession and its aftermath, the police lost 296 positions or 23 percent of its total manpower to attrition or layoffs, while the fire department actually gained four positions, increasing its manpower by 1 percent. How did the parks department (which includes both park care and rec facilities) fare? It lost 317 positions or 50 percent of its manpower. Then, in 2013, along came Measure U, the voter-approved temporary onehalf-percent sales tax hike that is now bringing in $41 million annually in additional city revenues. I remember the Measure U campaign well, having led the campaign to defeat it. My view was that a sales-tax hike hurts lowerincome Sacramentans while reducing

POC MAY n 15

the motivation of city leaders to rein in spending on salaries and benefits, a view borne out by the city council’s recent approval of labor contracts with significant pay hikes for most city employees, including a 12 percent pay hike for firefighters over the next 24 months, already the city’s most highly compensated employees. The Yes on Measure U campaign used a common—and successful— mantra for its campaign signs and other campaign material: Restore Police, Fire and Parks. City manager John Shirey told The Bee last year, “We’ve done exactly what we told the voters we would do. We said we would restore city services in critical areas: police, fire and parks and recreation. And we said this money wouldn’t be used to give employees raises.” But in 2013, then-councilmember Steve Cohn told a News10 reporter, “Certainly, we’ll use a lion share of Measure U to restore police and fire services,” a signal that the old truism that city parks always take the hindmost in budgeting was still alive and kicking at city hall. So why did the Yes on Measure U campaign adopt the “restore police, fire and parks” mantra? The policy argument was that police and fire services are the most critical of city services, while park maintenance services were the most severely cut in the recession and were most in need of restoration. The city also did polling before placing U on the ballot, and it showed that police, fire and parks were the core city services that voters were most concerned about. But different poll respondents expressed different priorities, with some placing top importance on

Volunteer groups who perform park maintence were designed to be a stop-gap measure and not a permanent solution for the city. The River Park Volunterr Corps is pictured above, while the Land Park Volunteer Corps is shown below.

police, some on fire and others on parks. The folks who designed the Measure U campaign were savvy enough to focus on all three services to broaden U’s appeal to the greatest number of voters. But because nothing in the measure explicitly

promised that its proceeds would be divided proportionately among police, fire and park care, it was left to the city council to decide how the Measure U pie would be divided. And that’s where city hall political pressures have come into play.

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police and firefighter unions, the city’s two most powerful unions, is certainly a considerable factor. Their endorsements and campaign cash are thought by some to be highly influential in council races. (I’ve previously reported how their actual impact on campaign outcomes may be more perception than reality.) Nevertheless, the two unions have significant influence over much of the council. By contrast, the union that represents park workers, Stationary Engineers Local 39, while representing the largest number of city employees, is politically weak by comparison. Its endorsements in council races are considered of far lesser value than those handed out by the police and the firefighters unions. And Local 39’s political influence has ebbed in recent years with the departure of a number of its supporters from the council. No group can pack the city council’s chambers with supporters and family members better than the firefighters when an issue affecting their interests is before the council, with the police a close second. No

councilmember wants to be dubbed hostile or unfriendly to the police or firefighters. And don’t think for a moment that the council isn’t swayed by a chamber full of single-issue pleaders with long memories. Supporters of city parks currently do not compete with such political heavyweights. While supporters of recreation programs mobilize when city rec programs, community centers and pools are on the budgetary chopping block, parks advocates aren’t currently organized to march on city hall with pitchforks and torches. (That’s a metaphor, incidentally.) In council hearings over how the Measure U pie should be divided, parks advocates have been most notable by their absence. City budgeting is an inherently apolitical process. Several councilmembers, particularly those recently elected, are very aware that their constituents are concerned

VISIT

But first the numbers: Since 2013, 150 cops have been hired with Measure U funds, restoring 51 percent of those lost in the recession, and 95 firefighters have been hired, increasing the department’s total manpower to 14 percent above what it was before the recession. Meanwhile, 22 park maintenance workers have been hired, restoring just 25 percent of the park worker positions eliminated in the recession. But the imbalance is actually much greater when the Measure U dollars spent on each service are considered. Because cops and firefighters are typically paid almost three times as much as park maintenance workers, the police department is slated to receive 49 percent of total Measure U funding next year. The fire department will take in 37 percent, while the entire parks department (park care and recreation) will receive only 13 percent, of which only about 4.5 percent ($1.7 million) will actually go to park care. What are the forces that drive such lopsided budget allocations? The political influence of the

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about inadequate park care. They were reminded of it as they knocked on voters’ doors during their CITY HALL page 14

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CITY HALL FROM page 12

corps and similar groups step up to

taxpayers between about $31 and

community centers and clubhouses

campaigns. But to exert sustained

try to fill the gap left by unrestored

$37 per hour, while private landscape

are now operated by nonprofit

influence, parks supporters must

cuts in park worker staffing.

firms have labor costs that are half

organizations. Department managers

come together to create a highly

Councilmember Jeff Harris founded

such rates. The wage differential

recognized early on the importance

visible and organized presence at city

and led the volunteer group that

is so significant that the city could,

of park volunteer groups and made

hall. In 2009, some neighborhood

has maintained Glenn Hall Park

by contracting out basic park care,

smart, targeted investments to equip

associations came together to form

in his River Park neighborhood.

significantly increase the number of

and coordinate them. I have no doubt

an ad hoc group known as Rescue

Neighborhood leader Isaac Gonzalez

park workers caring for our parks

they could just as effectively adapt

Sacramento Parks to press the city

created Tahoe Park Volunteer Corps

while reducing the city’s current

to a world in which basic park care

council to adopt proposals designed

to sustain Tahoe Park. In William

expenditures for park maintenance.

is outsourced to private landscaping

to arrest the decline in the condition

Land Park, Land Park Volunteer

That would improve the quality of life

firms or nonprofit organizations,

of city parks in the face of very severe

Corps (led by yours truly) started its

in Sacramento while taking pressure

subject to sound department

budget cuts, including a proposal that

sixth season this year with a record-

off the city’s budget.

oversight.

the city launch a pilot program to

breaking turnout of 200 volunteers at

outsource basic park maintenance to

its March park work day. And there

landscape companies. If the city can

are many more.

manage to restore only 25 percent of

To take it even further, Friends of

the park worker positions lost in the

East Sacramento was formed in 2012

recession at a time when Measure

to save and restore both the Clunie

U money is flowing full blast, then

Community Center and McKinley

alternatives should be explored lest

Rose Garden in McKinley Park when

we come to accept the degraded

they were threatened with closure

condition of most city parks as a “new

by the city. Each year this group,

normal.”

led by our publisher Cecily Hastings

What are the new post-recession

and Lisa Schmidt, logs thousands

park care standards, and how do they

of volunteer hours to manage their

compare to pre-recession standards?

operation and raise tens of thousands

Bathrooms are cleaned and trash is

of dollars needed to maintain the two

picked up only half as often for half

historic facilities.

of each year. A broken pipe spewing

As inspiring as these efforts are,

water takes twice as long to fix as it

they only fill gaps in park care in

did before. While parks used to be

some of our city parks. There are no

mowed weekly, they are now mowed

volunteer support groups caring for

once every two or three weeks. Turf,

the majority of city parks, particularly

which used to be fertilized four

those in lower-income neighborhoods

times a year, is no longer fertilized

where folks often don’t have the time

at all. Athletic fields that used to be

to volunteer to care for neighborhood

renovated twice each year are no

parks.

longer renovated, rendering them less

And those who are running these

safe for use by young soccer players.

volunteer support groups are surely

Bushes, to the extent they’re trimmed

tiring of the effort. It is a minor

at all, are trimmed by volunteers.

miracle that so many groups are still

The city has also dropped rodent and

at work several years after they were

gopher control and pond maintenance

first launched. These groups were

and eliminated its team that repairs

never intended to last forever, but

picnic tables, benches and fixtures.

to serve as stopgap measures until

Before the recession, the city

the city got its act together and once

employed 17 full-time workers to

again adequately maintained our

care for William Land Park. (Before

parks.

the advent of automatic sprinklers, it

We, as citizens and taxpayers,

employed 50 workers in Land Park.)

have a right to expect the city to

Today, the city assigns two and a half

either adequately fund the proper

permanent full-time park workers to

maintenance of city parks or get out

Land Park, supplemented by a small

of the business of park maintenance

number of temporary workers in the

and contract with private firms that

summer.

can maintain them for a substantially

Not all city parks are in dire condition. We’ve seen park volunteer

POC MAY n 15

lower cost that we can afford. The average park worker costs city

In the next 60 days, the city council will be deciding how Measure U

If any reader wants to be part of our new broad-based, citywide park advocacy group called Restore Sacramento Parks, please let me know and Like our Facebook page.

revenues will be spent in the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1. If you’d like to see an improvement in the condition of city parks, you can call or email your councilmember and let him or her know you want more park worker positions restored. Councilmember contact information is available at eyeonsacramento.org. If any reader wants to be part of our new broad-based, citywide park advocacy group called Restore Sacramento Parks, please let me know and Like our Facebook page. Next month, we’ll compile and publish the times, dates and places where volunteer park support groups throughout the city are working.

The city has already realized $500,000 in budget savings from fully outsourcing the operation and, more recently, the maintenance of all of the city’s municipal golf courses. It is a tested model that, with the proper transition provisions, provides displaced park workers the opportunity to keep their jobs with a new employer, albeit at a lower overall compensation level. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, led by director Jim Combs, has had to deal with more challenges from recession-driven cuts to staffing than perhaps any other city department. When budget cuts threatened the closure of city community centers, clubhouses, rec programs and pools, the department managed to keep them open (or reopened) by recruiting nonprofit partners and negotiating facility and program management agreements with them. Half of the city’s

TRANSPARENCY MEETINGS Eye on Sacramento and the League of Women Voters will host two additional public forums on their Ethics & Transparency Reform Project. First, a neighborhood forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, at Temple B’nai Israel, 3600 Riverside Blvd. A final wrap-up forum, intended for both previous and new attendees and featuring facilitated breakout discussion sessions, will be held at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, at Clunie Community Center, 601 Alhambra Blvd. in McKinley Park. 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. n

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One Lump or Two? ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR AND TEA WILL FEATURE EIGHT PRIVATE OUTDOOR SPACES

BY JESSICA LASKEY LIFE IN THE CITY

f you love garden decor, delicious tea and donating to a good cause, the 17th annual Land Park Garden Tour & Tea, hosted by Holy Spirit Parish School on Saturday, May 2, is just what you need. The self-guided tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature eight unique, private gardens throughout Land Park that include beautiful pools and water features, original sculptures and art, outdoor kitchens and more. If all that perusing has made you hungry, tuck into an elegant tea luncheon at a stately private residence in the heart of Land Park. Guests will enjoy a traditional English tea at tables beautifully decorated with individual themes. Feeling lucky? Enter the raffle—a new event feature this year—for a chance to commission an original painting by Land Park artist Marisa Gutierrez. Once your sweet tooth is sated, why not shop for some cool finds at the Fine Arts Festival in the HSPS gymnasium from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.? Local artists will be on hand with original paintings, jewelry and sculptures for sale, food vendors

POC MAY n 15

The 17th annual Land Park Garden Tour & Tea takes place on Saturday, May 2

will have plenty of good grub to offer and guests will be treated to a performance by the HSPS school choir.

Guests will enjoy a traditional English tea at tables beautifully decorated with individual themes. Best of all? All proceeds from the event will go toward HSPS’s fine arts program and Mustard Seed School, a free, private school for homeless children at Loaves & Fishes.

For luncheon table reservations, call Kristen Riddell at 606-4195. Tickets are also available at Taylor’s Market, Vic’s Cafe, Collected Works, Parkside Pharmacy, Lofings Lighting, Talini’s Nursery and the school office. For more information, visit hs-ps. com

THE MAGIC OF BALLET Where can you see a magical unicorn, a handsome prince, beautiful maidens, fluttering butterflies and madcap marionettes all on one stage? “The Unicorn Fountain,” an original ballet choreographed by Don Schwennesen, will bring all of these fairytale fantasies together with the help of the Crockett-Deane Ballet corps on Saturday, May 23, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 24, at 2 p.m. at The Center at Twenty-Three Hundred.

Schwennesen’s ballet first premiered in 2009 for the dance company and school (Deane Dance Center) that he co-founded with his wife, Allyson Deane, and Deane’s mother, legendary dancer and teacher Barbara Crockett, who is also the founding director of the Sacramento Ballet. This magical ballet shares its triumphant return this season with the Regional Dance America Pacific Festival, an event first hosted in Sacramento in 1965 by the Regional Dance Company America, a national association of pre-professional dance companies. This year’s festival will take place May 10 to 13 and will feature performances, premieres and master classes by and for young dancers from all across the country, including a piece choreographed by Crockett and performed by the Crockett-Deane Ballet to honor their founder’s many years of devotion to the world of ballet. The Center at Twenty-Three Hundred is at 2300 Sierra Blvd. For tickets and more information, call 453-0226 or visit deanedancecenter.com

ONE PERSON’S TRASH Find some hidden treasures that your neighbors might be trashing at Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association’s annual Neighborhood Yard Sale on Saturday, May 16, at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community. Held every year since 2007, the SCNA sale is a great way to put your spring cleaning to good use and do a little shopping. The event is

advertised in The Bee, on Craigslist and through other community news outlets, so the turnout is guaranteed to be good. You never know what you might find. The Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community is at 2791 24th St. For more information, visit sierra2. org

FAIRYTALE TOWN NEWS Now that the sun is shining almost every day, why not have a good oldfashioned frolic at Fairytale Town and take in some fresh air, cool theater and make a few new friends? Entertain the little ones with the Puppet Art Theater Company’s updated version of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. The classic tale of a bored little boy is turned on its head when he decides to shake things up and set off his dad’s wolf alarm, the “Wolf Alert 3000.” Tricking his dad is all fun and games until a real wolf shows up. It’s up to you whether you help him escape! Tickets are $1 for members and $2 for nonmembers in addition to paid park admission. Is your kid curious about what really happens on a farm? Then don’t miss Farms, Friends & Fairytales on Saturday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can watch Fairytale Town’s resident sheep get sheared, then watch the wool get spun into yarn with an old-fashioned spinning wheel. Kids can also participate in agriculture-themed hands-on activities and visit with representatives from local farms and ag organizations. The program is free with paid park admission. Still trying to figure out what to do with the tykes for some of summer vacation? Take a look at Fairytale Town FunCamps, 16 exciting and educational summer camps for children ages 4 through 9. Each weeklong FunCamp is designed for a specific age group and features a unique theme, including visual and theater arts, literature, puppetry, animals, gardening and more. Registration opened April 1, so visit fairytaletown.org to get in on the fun.

Is your kid curious about what really happens on a farm? Then don’t miss Farms, Friends & Fairytales on Saturday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fairytale Town is at 3901 Land Park Drive. For more information, call 808-7462 or visit fairytaletown. org

KEEPING UP WITH THE CORPS Soak up some sunshine and help keep your local park pretty when the Land Park Volunteer Corps meets for its monthly cleanup on Saturday, May 2, at 9 a.m. Now that spring has sprung, Land Park is in need of a good trimming, so roll up your sleeves and don your best dirty duds to keep everything looking spruced up and springy. The Corps will meet in the large picnic grounds just behind Fairytale Town (3901 Land Park Drive) and enjoy a light breakfast before heading out, then a delectable lunch once work is done for the day. For more information, call Craig Powell at 718-3030.

STAYING COOL AT BELLE COOLEDGE Craving something cold now that the sun has started shining? Stop by the 17th annual Barbara Jean Hansen Ice Cream Social at Belle Cooledge Library for some sweet treats, hot tunes and good reads on Friday, May 29, from 6 to 8 p.m.

For the past nearly two decades, this event has been a fun—not to mention delicious—way for the library to give back to the community. After enjoying your free treat from Vic’s Ice Cream, rock out to the Read to the Rhythm concert featuring Musical Robot from 6:15 to 7 p.m. and Fenix Dance & Drum Company from 7:15 to 8 p.m. Create musical instruments with Sacramento’s ArtBeast and shop at the library book sale until 9 p.m. Proceeds benefit the library. Belle Cooledge Library is at 5600 South Land Park Drive. For more information, visit saclibrary.org

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

complete with lemonade, tea, coffee, finger sandwiches, breads and cookies. Because these events are so popular, two weeks’ advance reservations are required. Call 808-5888 to reserve your spot. On Friday, May 8, at 9 a.m., the 14th annual Swingin’ Safari Golf Tournament will be in full swing at Teal Bend Golf Course. Golfers (and their supporters) can register for a day full of food, prizes and great golfing. The annual tournament supports the Sacramento Zoological Society’s educational programs. To register or for more information, call 808-5166. On Mother’s Day (May 10) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., help your fellow furry moms at the Missing Orangutan Mothers (MOM) Day Book & Bake Sale. Proceeds benefit Orangutan Outreach Missing Orangutan Mothers, an organization that aids orphaned orangutans in the wild. Are you a Zoo Parent? Your Zoo Parent benefits may include an invitation to the Zoo Parent & Volunteer Party on Saturday, May 16, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Find out more and RSVP at the Zoo Parent Party page on saczoo.org or call 808-5888 to purchase a Zoo Parent package and get in on the fun. The Sacramento Zoo is at 3930 W. Land Park Drive. For more information on all zoo events, call 808-5888 or visit saczoo.org

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE

The Sacramento Zoo is chock-full of wild and wonderful events this month, so don’t miss out. On Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can partake in “Where the Wild Things Are,” a day of kidcentered cultural entertainment, art, music and dance. Local museums, historical societies and genealogy groups will be on-site with plenty of information as well as arts and crafts. The family fun is all included with regular zoo admission. On Mondays, May 4, 11 and 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., those over 55 can enjoy Senior Tea & Tours, featuring a guided tour of the zoo followed by a delightful tea break

If you’re a fan of “The Sound of Music,” you probably know that the film is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Why not ring in a half-century of the magical musical with a live production of the stage show, performed the weekends of May 15 and 22 by the Young Actors Stage at 24th Street Theater? Relive every “Do-Re-Mi” and recapture your “Favorite Things” with this talented Main Stage cast of experienced youth performers. The three young women sharing the role of Maria von Trapp (Ana-Riley Portal, Milan Williams, and Adan Hensley)

LIFE IN THE CITY page 19

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Helping Kids Grieve ART THERAPY GROUP HAS BEEN AIDING KIDS FOR 30 YEARS

BY TERRY KAUFMAN LOCAL HEROES

hirty years ago, Peggy Gulshen started an art therapy program for children mourning the death of a loved one. Since then, her program—Sutter Health’s Children’s Bereavement Art Group—has helped more than 11,500 children deal with grief and loss. In 1985, Gulshen was working for Sutter’s hospice program, where she observed how hard it was for the children and grandchildren of her patients to talk about what they were going through. She realized that they needed a safe place to explore their feelings and work through their pain, anger and helplessness. So she started a small art therapy group. Some of the participants came from the hospice program. Others were referred by colleagues at Sutter. Before long, Gulshen had a staff, as well as sizable grants from the likes of Union Pacific Railroad and Sierra Health Foundation. Offered at several sites throughout the region, the program received a Point of Light Award from the George H.W. Bush administration in 1991. Today, it serves about 250 children a year

POC MAY n 15

The Children's Bereavement Art Group uses the creative arts as a second language to help children and their families express the grief experienced when a loved one has died

in Sacramento and Roseville. The program is open to children between the ages of 4 and 17 who have experienced the death of a significant person within the past year. A lot has changed since 1985, but the landscape of grief has not changed at all. “We live a life of opposites,” says Gulshen. “There is life and death, the known and the unknown, change and no change. We have to learn to reconcile these polarities,

but our Western culture gives us an omnipotent sense of ourselves. When teens are trying to rationalize their loss, they need a safe container for the intellectual part of their journey.” Gulshen notes that in past centuries, grief was a tribal ritual with funeral masks, dances and communal wailing. “In our modern society, we’re mechanized and technologized,” she says. “We’ve lost the ability to share stories.”

Art provides the path to tap into those stories. “Art is transformative,” says Gulshen. “It is mindful, calming.” Art allows children and teens dealing with death to confront their demons and move forward. “People are uncomfortable around grieving people, because it takes us to a dark, shadowy place,” says Gulshen. “It’s scary to go to a sorrowful place, but it allows us to be vulnerable.”

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law office of brian d.wyatt ,PC Dillon and Sierra Garrett lost their father Chris to a brain tumor in 2011. While their father was still alive, they took part in an art therapy program for the children of cancer patients; after his death they transitioned to the bereavement group. “The group encouraged them to be honest, to talk about their feelings and to celebrate the moments,” says their mother, Julie Garrett. “Adults didn’t want to talk about it, but the other kids did. It was really helpful for them. They were talking while they created the art, and they learned that these are normal feelings. They learned to show they were mad in a more positive way.” Garrett credits Gulshen with helping her children through the difficult transition. “Peggy told us, ‘This is going to be your new normal.’ She gave them unconditional love and helped them create memories.” Today, the Garrett house holds a shelf of memories of Chris, as well as sculptures created by his children. “Every kid should have access to a program like this,” says their mom.

Gulshen aims to provide a place where children dealing with loss feel heard, seen and validated. “They need to be accepted just as they are,” she says. “I always follow the child’s lead. I ask them what is hardest for them, and I’ll ask again in a week.” The validation is critical. “The greatest predictor of the ability to reconcile grief is community support,” she says. Last month, Sutter Memorial Hospital celebrated the program’s 30th anniversary with an event on the East Sac hospital’s lawn. Donors included local restaurants, grocery stores and the Jesuit High School drama department, which donated art supplies. “I love that the whole community is part of this,” says Gulshen. “This work never feels stagnant for me. It always feels fresh. I always feel enlightened.” For more information about Sutter Health’s Children’s Bereavement Art Group, call Peggy Gulshen at 4546555. n

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LIFE IN THE CITY FROM page 17 have more than 15 years of musical theater experience combined. Show times are Fridays, May 15 and 22, at 7 p.m.; Saturdays, May 16 and 23, at 1, 4 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 17, at 1 and 4 p.m. The 24th Street Theater is at 2791 24th St. For tickets and more information, visit youngactorsstage. com

GOOD EATS Lunchtime is hopping at Casa Garden Restaurant this month. Bring your appetite and treat yourself to some delicious meals while supporting Sacramento Children’s Home. On Tuesday, May 5, tuck into lunch and a “Wine Social” with red and white wine by the glass offered by Moniz Family Winery paired with delicious Casa hors d’oeuvres at 11:30 a.m. Entree choices are stuffed pasta with spinach, ham and fontina or sesame Thai beef salad. For dessert,

3406 American River Drive Suite B Sacramento, CA 95864 273-9040

there’s a decadent latte mocha torte. Meals are $24 per person. On Thursday, May 7, and Friday, May 8, gain free entry to shop Crafters Corner featuring gift items handmade by Casa volunteers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and enjoy lunch at either 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Entree choices are stuffed pasta with spinach, ham and fontina or sesame Thai beef salad, plus latte mocha torte for dessert. Meals are $18.60 per person, which includes an entree, nonalcoholic beverage, dessert, tax and gratuity. On Sunday, May 10, join Casa Garden for its inaugural Mother’s Day Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will include traditional buffet offerings and $3 mimosas. Meals are $25 per person, which includes coffee/ tea. Children younger than 12 eat for $15, which includes milk, orange juice or lemonade. Seats fill up fast, so make your reservations now by calling 452-2809. Casa Garden Restaurant is at 2760 Sutterville Road. LIFE IN THE CITY page 21

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Brush Away the Hassles EAST SAC HARDWARE PITCHES ‘ONE-STEP PAINT’ THAT SAVES TIME, EFFORT

“A lot of great pieces are trashed, but they’re well-made,” Johnston says. “With One-Step Paint, you can refinish that piece and it doesn’t go into the landfill. Cecily (Hastings, the publisher of this very paper) brought in a piece that was an absolute wreck that had been in her basement for 20 years and it came out beautifully.” But lest you think this paint can only refresh furniture, Johnston makes you think again. “Not everyone’s into painting furniture, so I painted a bag,” Johnston says. “I went to thrift store and got an old, ugly clutch and I redid it in aubergine and dark grey with a lime green accent. I was down in Las Vegas at a hardware show and Amy was there so I brought it to show her

BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK

ou know you’ve done something right when, 45 minutes after a class ends, people are still hanging around to chat. You know you’ve done something really right when that class was on furniture painting and people are this excited. “A lot of people don’t want to commit to a three-hour class, but then they come for our two-hour class and are having such a good time they stay late,” says Sheree Johnston, owner of East Sacramento Hardware and the teacher of said fascinating furniture class. “Everyone just has so much fun.” It probably doesn’t hurt that Johnston has a master’s degree in education and ran the East Sac Hardware paint department in the late 1980s and early ’90s. “I love teaching and I love paint, which helps,” Johnston admits. But the subject matter that has people hooked is just as important as their stellar instructor. Johnston is giving classes on the new Amy Howard At Home One-Step Paint line that she added to the East Sac Hardware lineup in February. If “one-step paint” sounds too good to be true, the paint pro assures you it’s not. “The coolest part is that you don’t have to do any sanding, stripping or priming before you can paint,” Johnston says. “That means you can accomplish a project in a short

POC MAY n 15

East Sac Hardware owner Sheree Johnston, center, with Jan Martineau and Lisa Perry Uro by the Amy Howard display. Amy Howard paints make it easier to refinish furniture since the amount of prep work needed is less. Right, a dresser got new life with Amy Howard paint.

amount of time because you don’t have to go through the grueling prep process.” Amy Howard is a darling of the interior design world who has more than 20 years of experience in the high-end furniture business, restoring and building luxury home furnishings with her husband, Gene. One-Step Paint follows Howard’s “Rescue, Restore, Redecorate” motto that pervades all her products. Essentially,

the paint represents an effort to keep older pieces from ending up in the garbage by giving them new life with a fresh finish.

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LIFE IN THE CITY FROM page 19

CONTEST FOR BEST DROUGHT-TOLERANT LANDSCAPE Kit Carson International Baccalaureate Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design and Technology Class is holding a design contest to find the best droughttolerant front yards in Sacramento. The contest, called Beauty Without Water, will honor pioneering Sacramento residents who have responded to the drought with landscaping creativity and ingenuity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By replacing grass yards with landscapes that showcase drought-resistant plants, scenic bark/ rocks, and other inspired features, these residents have found a way to beat the drought without sacrificing beauty,â&#x20AC;? said Jed Larsen, who teaches the class. To enter the competition, send up to four photos of your front yard, plus a short written description, to JedLarsen@scusd.edu. The deadline for submission is Sept. 1. The winners will be featured in an upcoming issue of Inside Publications. The contest is open to Sacramento residents in Inside Publicationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readership areas, which include East Sacramento, Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown, the Pocket, Greenhaven, Arden and Carmichael. Kit Carson is in East Sacramento. For more information, go to kitcarson.scusd.edu Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n

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Vroom Service VOLVO REPAIR SHOP HUMS ALONG THANKS TO THE LONGTIME EXPERTISE AND PASSION

BY JESSICA LASKEY SHOPTALK

obert Marcello’s favorite quote is “There are no problems without solutions,”

and he seems to have lived by that saying most of his life. As the president and founder of Sacramento’s Volvo Service on Fulton Avenue, Marcello applied that adage to his career long before he first opened SVS in 1980. You might even say he’s felt that way since early childhood. “When I was a boy, I used to take apart watches looking for the jewels,” Marcello says. “I eventually found my way to machines that I could fix. At age 5, I had a mechanical toy called Mr. Machine. I took it apart and reassembled it time after time. Eventually I wore out the gears.” This dogged determination to figure out how things work from the

Ken Cochrane, John Dettman, Robert Marcello and Ron Flynn will make sure your car runs like new

inside out led Marcello, a native New Yorker, to pursue automotive studies at a trade school in his family’s

test) while working as a mechanic at

was fired from my job. My wife was

explains. “I have myself, I have Ken

Winter Volvo in Sacramento, one of

pregnant, I had no insurance and

and I have a 35-year head start.”

ignorant person around cars that you

the city’s three Volvo-specific service

I had to figure out what to do. So I

can imagine to six years later being

centers in business at the time. But

started SVS and hired Ken as my

machines he keeps running and on the

the youngest winner of the 1978

it was Marcello’s stint as a mechanic

VP in 1981. Now all three of us who

road.

Volvo International Service Training

and team foreman at the recently

worked at the dealership are back

Award when I was only 23,” Marcello

defunct Turner Volvo dealership that

together again.”

says proudly. “The award is like

helped build the business he owns

earning a black belt in karate. After

today.

adopted hometown of Tacoma, Wash. “I went from being the most

It appears to be a winning

And an abiding affection for the

“We love the product we maintain,” Marcello says. “Volvos last a long time, and Volvo believes that life is

combination, considering SVS has

precious. Volvos protect you with

consistently been the top-rated

safety, so it’s my job to protect the

working at the dealership,” Marcello

independent Volvo repair and

consumer.”

says, referring to his vice president

maintenance facility in Sacramento

accolade (following four open-book

and general manager, Ken Cochrane,

for decades.

written tests, a behind-closed-doors

and parts manager, John Dettman.

written test and a 10-point hands-on

“When I expressed interest in opening

you win it, that’s when the learning really starts.” Marcello won the prestigious

“I met Ken and John while I was

my own Volvo service business, I

POC MAY n 15

“There are three things I have over other service centers,” Marcello

To that end, Marcello has grown his business over the past 35 years into a powerhouse 14-person team that serves nearly 3,500 customers per

year, including the third generation of some of his long-standing clients. “Seeing people’s children and grandchildren come in with their cars keeps me in a state of awe most of the

Best friends forever.

time,” Marcello says. “Most of today’s consumers have no idea how much it

HOUSE, HOME & COMMUNITY

costs to bring good service to them,

S I N C E 19 51

but people keep coming back because HARDWARE

we never forget the human element. We serve people through the medium

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The Hardware Lady

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of cars. “My idea of success is the daily journey, not the arrival. I’m grateful each day to have one more day to do what I do, each day is a whole new day. And we do it as a team.” Sounds like Marcello’s biggest problem now is finding time off from his bustling business. But we’re sure he’ll come up with a solution. Do you have a Volvo in need of some TLC? Take it to Marcello’s team of pros at Sacramento’s Volvo Service, at 2009 Fulton Ave. To make an appointment, call 971-1382 or go to sacvolvo.com n

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LYNN ROBIE DOG PARK GRAND OPENING The Pocket areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s canine residents now have a new place to get some exercise and make new friends. The Lynn Robie Dog Park is located within the Bill Conlin Youth Sports Complex and includes benches, drinking fountains for dogs, and plenty of room to run. Dogs of all sizes are welcome to play and run around. The park boasts a small dog park and a large dog park. Both dog parks contain turf areas and wood bark.

POC MAY n 15

Get your old moves back. (Minus the shoulder pads.) You shouldn’t have to live with joint pain. Our joint care specialists have many ways to help you ﬁnd relief. And if you need a joint replacement, they’ll go the extra mile to help you get back to doing what you love as quickly as possible. Attend one of our informational events, where you can meet our renowned joint specialists to learn more about joint pain causes and treatment options. Wednesday, April 29

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Both events are from 6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Healthy appetizers and beverages will be served. To register and reserve your space, or for additional information, go to DignityHealth.org/SacramentoOrthopedics or call 916.851.2511.

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The Real CSI A LOOK INSIDE THE DA’S CRIME LAB

BY ANNE MARIE SCHUBERT COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

phone call in the middle of the night: Police have discovered a body covered with a sheet in an alley. A criminalist from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Laboratory of Forensic Services— the crime lab—responds to the scene to document and collect evidence. There, the criminalist finds a blood trail from the body leading across the street to a second-floor apartment. Inside, furniture has been turned over and contents from kitchen cabinets are strewn across the floor. In the bathroom, the criminalist finds walls lined with blood spatter. It will be a long evening. With the use of a state-of-the-art 3D laser scan, the crime scene is documented and frozen in time so it can be reconstructed later for court. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, our crime lab is available to assist any law enforcement agency in Sacramento County.

OVERVIEW OF THE CRIME LAB The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office is one of only four

POC MAY n 15

DA offices in the state with its own crime lab. With a total staff of 39, including 37 criminalists, our crime lab not only responds to crime scenes but processes nearly 13,000 pieces of evidence a year. Every day, criminalists at the laboratory are determining the blood alcohol content of blood samples, performing DNA analysis on rape kits or analyzing bullets from a crime scene to determine if the bullet came from the gun used in a drive-by shooting. Our talented and hardworking staff and state-of-the-art equipment make our lab one of the finest in the nation, if not the world. It has been said that forensic evidence is the silent witness to the truth: It can identify the guilty and exonerate the innocent. The real cases of the crime lab demonstrate the value they bring to finding the truth.

TOXICOLOGY ANALYSIS In September 2012, Sarah Stephens found her 7-month-old baby dead in his crib. A nearly full baby bottle was next to him. Testing showed the baby’s heart blood to have a high concentration of methadone, along with several prescription drugs. The investigation revealed that Stephens had a history of drug use, and the baby had previously been hospitalized for opiate toxicity. The hospital believed it may have been due to exposure through breast milk and warned Stephens to not breastfeed while taking drugs. The crime lab was called upon to answer this question: How did the drugs get into the baby’s system? If the drugs were spiked into the formula, rather than through breast

milk, it would likely qualify as a homicide. The crime lab first had to determine if there was breast milk or formula in the bottle. From there, the crime lab examined if there were drugs in the bottle that the baby could have ingested. Looking at the baby’s stomach contents could also assist with this examination. Determining breast milk vs. formula required extensive testing of known breast milk and formula references, in order to look for chemical components that were characteristic for each sample type. This testing showed the liquid in the bottle was much more consistent with formula, not breast milk. The crime lab’s examination to identify and quantify any drugs present turned out to be the more interesting and important part of the case. The liquid in the bottle was found to have only a very low concentration of methadone. The stomach contents, meanwhile, had an extremely high concentration of methadone along with lower concentrations of prescription drugs and delta-9-THC, a component of marijuana. Through scientific analysis, the evidence suggested the methadone was intentionally given to the baby. As a result of this testing and other evidence, Stephens was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and child endangerment. She was sentenced to 12 years, 4 months in prison.

TRACE EVIDENCE AND GLASS ANALYSIS The crime lab’s state-of-the art glass examination equipment

performs highly advanced testing of glass and other trace materials by comparing chemical properties. This instrument is one of a kind in California. In fact, is the only instrument of its type west of Mississippi. The power of the technology was evidenced in a double homicide that occurred in Galt. Darrin Gunder used a wooden bat to break a sliding glass door at his ex-wife’s home. Gunder gained access to the home and executed his ex-wife and her mother. He then left the scene in his truck and was later arrested in the Stockton area. The crime lab processed Gunder’s truck and located a wooden bat on the floorboard. Further examination revealed several glass fragments imbedded in the bat. With the advanced technology, the fragments were compared to the glass from the sliding glass door of the victim’s home. The glass recovered from the bat and glass from the sliding door of the victim’s home was found to be indistinguishable. Gunder was tried and convicted of two counts of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

DNA SOLVES ‘ROAMING RAPIST’ CASE Between 1998 and 2003, Sacramento had a series of 10 violent stranger rapes. While DNA testing proved they were all committed by the same man, they remained unsolved for many years. There was no match to anyone in the FBI’s DNA Database

DISTRICT ATTORNEY page 29

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Say Cheese THIS FAMILY-RUN DAIRY MAKES ITS PRODUCTS THE OLD-WORLD WAY

BY GWEN SCHOEN FARM TO FORK

few years back, a friend gave me a kit for making homemade cheese. The first step in the process: “Begin with a spotlessly clean kitchen.” I figured that was impossible, so I gave up before I began. That doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of great cheese. At one time, my goal was to sample my way around the entire cheese counter at Whole Foods. I never accomplished that goal either, although I certainly gave it the college try. Not long ago, I was happily sampling my way through a farmers market when a young man offered a taste of Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Co.’s farmstead cheese. “We make it at our dairy in Orland,” said Tom Pedrozo, 22. “My family makes it by hand. Try it with fresh or dried fruit and nuts. My dad likes it with sweet white wines.” Wow. I could never make cheese that tasted that creamy and rich, no matter how clean my kitchen. “So tell me about this dairy,” I said, fishing for an invitation to visit the family and watch the cheesemaking process. After scoring an invite, I set out on a 90-minute drive north, up I-5 to Orland. It’s primarily a farming community where neighbors are so

POC MAY n 15

Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Co. in Orland is committed to sustainable agriculture and responsible stewardship. Their cows have year-round access to the outdoors and graze on natural grasses as long as the pastures are in bloom.

far apart they see each other only as clouds of dust behind tractors. I pulled into the gravel driveway next to a house that was in serious need of some paint. As I stepped out of the car, Tim Pedrozo, Tom’s father, greeted me with a big smile and a hearty handshake. A third-generation dairy farmer who moved his family and his herd of dairy cows up to Orland from Modesto in 1999, he’s the sort of man who loves a good laugh. The calluses on his hands tell the story of someone accustomed to hard work and few days off. “I’ll show you the first step in cheesemaking,” said Pedrozo as he led me across a field to the other side of a barn. There, 30 lazy-looking cows strolled through a grassy pasture. “Our cows are all grass fed,” he said. “We have Holstein and Jersey, so the cheese is a mixture of milks. “Before we moved up here, we were trying to sustain the dairy by selling fluid milk. It was just too difficult,” said Pedrozo. “I really wanted to try making cheese, so I started looking for a place where we could do that while raising our own cows. We bought this 20-acre property because it already had a small cheese plant ready to go. Cheesemaking is physically challenging, so the family we bought from wanted to leave the business, but they were hoping to sell to someone who wanted to keep the dairy going. It was perfect for us. The sellers spent some time teaching us their method, and then I began taking classes and studying the art of making cheese.” Over the years the Pedrozos have developed their own style. “Basically, we use a Dutch method of making old-world-style cheese with raw milk. The milk is never heated warmer than a cow, which is 101 degrees,” Pedrozo explained.

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Cheese production takes place three days a week. It’s a six-hour process that involves heating, churning and draining in order to produce curds. The curds are pressed into wheels. Wheels are soaked in a salty brine solution that pulls out excess moisture before aging. Cheese is aged 60 days in a cool, dry room before it’s ready for sale. Pedrozo produces four types of farmstead cheese: peppercorn, which is studded throughout with crunchy black peppercorns; Blondie’s Best, a mildly sweet cheese named after the cow who made the family’s first batch of cheese; garlic and herb, the most popular, with a mild garlic flavor; and Northern Gold, a buttery, creamy, gold cheese. “We also make Tipsy Cheese,” said Pedrozo. “It’s a wheel that is soaked in sediment at the bottom of Speidel fermenting tanks used for storing and aging red wine.” The soaking gives the cheese a velvety red exterior. It is available by special order only. After a few samples, Pedrozo said I needed to make one more stop before heading home.

“Everyone wants to see the calves,” he said, leading me back across the pasture to another barn. As he approached the corral, the little guys, ranging in age from three days to a year, moved to the fence and clamored for his attention with soft moos. They found great delight in nuzzling his arms and sucking his fingers. The dairyman’s face glowed as he gave each calf a scratch. As I walked back to the car, it was clear why the house was in need of paint. There are no days off and no vacations for a dairy farmer. If you aren’t tending to the cows, you’re making cheese. In between, you’re trying to sell what the cows produce. Not everyone is content with the lifestyle, but it seems to suit the Pedrozo family just fine. Pedrozo cheese is available at many local farmers markets and at Sacramento Natural Foods Coop. For more information, go to RealFarmsteadCheese.com Gwen Schoen can be reached at gwen.schoen@aol.com n

Sac / Elk Grove / Davis / Woodland

(916) 865-5380 DISTRICT ATTORNEY FROM page 26 of convicted offenders, arrestees or unsolved crimes. The assailant became known to law enforcement as the Roaming Rapist. In 2012, the Sacramento County DA’s Office and Sheriff’s Department requested the California Department of Justice perform a familial search on the Roaming Rapist cases. Familial searches compare crime-scene DNA to known offenders in the DNA Databank by looking for a high number of shared genetic markers between profiles to identify family members. In December 2011, the brother of the Roaming Rapist was found guilty and sentenced to prison for rape. As a result of the brother’s conviction, his DNA was collected and put into the DNA Databank. The familial search led Sacramento County Sheriff’s detectives to the brother of the Roaming Rapist, due to genetic markers shared between the two brothers. After being informed of the brother’s name, detectives followed the possible perpetrator and collected a discarded cup and straw.

BergamoSchools.com The crime lab performed DNA analysis on these items and made a direct match to the DNA profile of the Roaming Rapist. Dereck Sanders was arrested, charged and convicted by a jury of all charges. He was sentenced to 396 years to life in prison.

THE REAL CSI OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY These are just a few of the cases that highlight the critical work our criminalists perform. The crime lab staffers are the real CSI. No fiction here. The work they do helps solve crimes to hold the guilty accountable and exonerate the innocent. They are dedicated to their profession and providing conclusions in an unbiased manner. I am very proud of the work they do and the contributions they make to public safety. Anne Marie Schubert is the Sacramento County district attorney. She can be reached at daoffice@sacda. org n

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Moving Day OPENING SUTTER’S NEW ‘BABY HOSPITAL’ IS A LOGISTICAL FEAT

BY R.E. GRASWICH BUILDING OUR FUTURE

f you wake up one bright morning and decide it would be a nice idea to build a new hospital for women and children, here are some things to consider. There’s the time involved. For good measure, figure about 13 years. There are architects and construction companies to think about. It’s possible they will change halfway through the project. And there’s money. You should budget upward of $500 million. These cautionary notes are not meant to frighten the prospective hospital builder but to demonstrate the bewildering realities faced by Cindy Banta, a former journalism student who wandered into the nursing profession and became the common thread that formed the fabric that will be Sutter Medical Center’s new Anderson Lucchetti Women’s and Children’s Center on L Street. Banta didn’t physically build the new hospital. But she’s the lone Sutter staff member who’s been assigned to the center since its conception. She has watched architects and construction teams and colleagues and hospital executives come and go. She saw the economy crash and rebound. She saw delays and setbacks and culture shifts, and she endured. Such is the mountain of disruption that has accompanied the closure one hospital—Sutter Memorial, the venerable East Sacramento “baby hospital”—and the development of its successor in Midtown. The new baby hospital is Banta’s baby.

POC MAY n 15

Cindy Banta

“It feels like I’ve been working on this project for a lifetime,” says Banta, Sutter Health’s director of patient care and planning. “I’ve seen

a lot of changes from when we started back around 2002 to now. It’s been an incredible journey.”

Constructing a hospital is nothing like building a shopping mall, office or arena. Expectations are far more exacting for a structure that delivers medical services from sutures to blood to oxygen. Even if the essential task of delivering healthy babies is timeless, the culture of medicine has changed since the women’s and children’s hospital was first planned. Levels of patient care, privacy and even service providers’ bedside manner have all been significantly upgraded. “The experience of the patient having her baby in the new hospital will be far different from what it was at Sutter Memorial,” Banta says. “One big example is that all rooms are private, so you won’t be next to another family whose issues may not necessarily be compatible with yours.” The velvety new world of customer service—not exactly a priority in the old days of obstetrics and pediatrics— will be evident from the moment the patient enters Anderson Lucchetti. While the new hospital is designed to blend into its familiar sister across the street, Sutter General, the wonders of modern medicine unfold with pastel murals and color-coded elevator portals. Anderson Lucchetti is intended to comfort and sooth, not terrify (though for some reluctant young patients, a calm environment may not ease the sharp end of a needle). The hospital is named for the Sacramento family that owns Pacific Coast Building Products, a clan devoted to Sacramento. The new hospital won’t be a theater for surgical miracles. Operations will still take place across

the street at Sutter General, where renovations are creating 24 operating rooms and an expanded emergency center. Acute medical services will run through Sutter General, which is taking on cardiac work formerly done at Sutter Memorial, plus oncology, orthopedics and neurosciences. Altogether, Sutter General will have 274 beds. The new women’s and children’s hospital will provide another 242 beds. The financial investment for the whole Sutter Center campus has risen to $750 million, with about 1 million square feet of medical services. Sutter doesn’t expect to endure the construction process again soon in Midtown. There’s room for growth and expansion engineered into the project. For example, the fifth floor of the new women’s and children’s hospital will be held vacant—“a shell,” Banta says—until the space is required. Banta is proud of the architectural and design integration between Sutter

General and Anderson Lucchetti. She escorts a visitor through hallways and locked doors to reach a three-level sky bridge above L Street. “You really can’t tell when you’ve passed from one to the other,” she says. After 13 years of planning and construction, there’s still one big job ahead. Sutter Memorial must be closed and its patients transferred to the new center. The nature of medicine requires the final maneuver to be completed with the precision of a jewelry heist, causing minimal disruption for Memorial’s final roster of patients. Sutter has scheduled Aug. 8 for move-in day. Banta has been working with a company that specializes in making such hospital transfers seamless. “It’s been a lot of work getting here,” she says. “But there’s a lot to be proud of.” R.E. Graswich can be eached at reg@graswich.com n

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May: Farm-to-Fork WHAT’S FRESH THIS MONTH AT OUR LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

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ARUGULA

ENGLISH PEAS

A member of the pea family, these beans have a nutty taste and buttery texture. Look for sturdy green pods with velvety fuzz. They need to be shelled and peeled before eating. Favas are high in protein and dietary fiber. Eat it: Steam them until tender and serve with olive oil, salt and lemon.

This edible annual plant, sometimes known as rocket, belongs to the same family as mustard greens and kale. Its peppery green leaves are green in salads. Arugula is a rich source of certain phytochemicals as well as vitamin A. Eat it: Tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice and topped with shaved Parmesan.

Also known as shell peas or garden peas, these sweet legumes enjoy a short season in late spring and early summer. Their pods aren’t edible, so shell them immediately before cooking. High in protein, they’re also low in fat. To eat: Boil them briefly until crisp-tender, then add to a pasta salad

GREEN GARLIC

ASPARAGUS

ENDIVE

This perennial is one of the first plants of spring. Its tender young shoots are delicious when steamed, roasted or grilled. Nutrient dense, it’s rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Eat it: Toss the spears in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then roast outdoors on a hot grill until charred.

Sown in spring, chicory seeds produce a root that’s harvested and placed in a dark, humid “forcing room.” The result: endive, the second growth of a chicory root. Crisp, with a sweet, nutty flavor, it’s a good source of potassium. To eat: Separate the leaves and top each one with a spoonful of chicken salad or edamame with miso dressing.

Also known as spring garlic or baby garlic, this young plant is a highlight of the spring farmers market. It looks like an overgrown scallion and has a mild yet garlicky flavor. Plants in the garlic family are known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Eat it: Use it raw in a salad or cooked in a frittata.

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Why Do You Live in

e er

me: ared with h s e v a h s lient my c s n a so

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

He r e ar ea

few of t

The Pocket?

SUMMER SESSION

2015

“Inviting bike trails and easy walking.”

Sessions First 6-week session: June 1 – July 12

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

Second 6-week session: July 13 – August 23 Full 12-week session: June 1 – August 23

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

WHY TAKE SUMMER SESSION? Finish a class in 6 or 12 weeks Complete GE requirements Take classes that are normally impacted Choose from a wide range of courses Graduate early!

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“The Pocket still has exceptional values” “You cannot Ànd friendlier and nicer people anywhere. We truly are a community.”

“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! Scott Mercer

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Carol Crestelo Realtor

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Condo Life NEW YORK NATIVES EMBRACE EASY LIVING IN CAMPUS COMMONS BY JULIE FOSTER HOME INSIGHT

hen New York transplants Larry and Barbara Rubin purchased their Campus Commons condo, it was a study in boring beige. Inside, the house was dark and drab. The bathrooms were in bad shape. The beige carpeting was old and dirty. “Our biggest challenge was wanting to create a home that was as good or better than our home on the East Coast,” says Barbara. Their previous residence, she says, was a scenic, wood-decked “tree house” overlooking a pool and a hillside covered with trees.

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“We have made wonderful friends and have a great social life. We love condo living.” The couple began with a bathroom remodel, updating the old fixtures, installing new tile and replacing the rusted shower stall with a glass shower. The second bath was in a similar bad shape and too small. They modernized the space with new

tiles and fixtures and enlarged it by removing a hall closet. Barbara is the main driver of the home interior’s contemporary style. “She has impeccable taste,” Larry says. Favoring a minimalist style, she blended contemporary furnishings,

antiques, art and family memorabilia into a comfortable and sophisticated mix. The house is filled with toys for visiting grandchildren and for the couple’s three rescue animals: one dog and two cats. The Rubins ripped up carpeting throughout the house and installed eco-friendly bamboo flooring to substantially brighten the interior. They chose three shades of gray paint for the walls to highlight their extensive collection of artwork. In the living room, the eye goes to a painting by Stanley Sobossek over the gas fireplace.

Outside, what was once a bare cement slab and an unfinished garden plot along the back of the house became a delightful outdoor deck overlooking the neighborhood greenbelt. A large outdoor dining table and a cozy lounge area make relaxing with friends or family a treat. “The new deck would almost duplicate the deck at the rear of our Westchester home,” says Barbara. “We contracted and built the deck so that it extends the entire length of the home.” Inside, the Rubins turned the third bedroom into a tidy family room with a well-organized desk and a television and reading area. “I am really neat, so this works just great for me,” says Barbara. Black-and-white photos of the couple’s children and grandchildren line one wall. To remodel the kitchen, Barbara supplied pictures of the look she wanted—clean, sleek, with a

European feel—to a designer from Lowe’s. The countertops are Caesarstone. The eye-grabbing cabinets are made from tigerwood laminate. There’s a new island with seating on one side, where Larry enjoys having his morning coffee. The ventilation fan is thoughtfully recessed into the island counter, rising up when needed. The microwave discreetly slides out of its own compartment rather than taking up valuable counter space. The kitchen boasts two pantries. The couple worked wonders with underutilized space off the kitchen. Originally, it was nothing but a concrete slab where the air conditioning unit and the garbage cans resided. “We had a raised deck built and furnished it,” Barbara explains. “We had an automatic electric awning

HOME page 38

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HOME FROM page 37 installed to reduce the heat in the kitchen and thus extend the use of the deck in all weather.” For Larry, the refurbished space offers a simple pleasure. “This is California, and I like to be outside in this weather,” he says. Both admit they don’t miss the New York winters or humid summers. Though Barbara was initially concerned about the look of the house when they moved in, her feelings have changed. “I love the spaciousness and that I was able to incorporate some of our ultra-modern furniture, 1970s pieces and antiques,” she says. Larry is adamant that their new home is a great bargain. It’s not just the solid construction of the home and the beautifully maintained grounds that he appreciates. “We have made wonderful friends and have a great social life,” he says. “We love condo living.” 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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Next Time SAC REPUBLIC LOST THE BATTLE BUT WILL WIN THE WAR

BY R.E. GRASWICH SPORTS AUTHORITY

ive to fight another day” may not make for an inspirational mission statement, but it’s the foundation of all great organizations. Absorb your setbacks, learn a lesson or two and move forward. Now we can count the Sacramento Republic as a group hardened and improved by adversity, an organization that will fight again— and win. The decision by Major League Soccer not to include the Republic in the 2015 expansion round was a deep disappointment to the community and team, but it wasn’t an insurmountable setback. There will be big-league soccer in Sacramento’s future. The only question is the timetable. If anything, the Republic may have done too good of a job presenting itself as major league material. The remarkable levels of public support and obvious appeal of the regional market amplified the shockwaves that rolled across Sacramento when news broke that the MLS would first introduce Minnesota, rather than Northern California, to the expansion calendar. But don’t worry. Once the community recovers from its

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The decision by Major League Soccer not to include the Republic in the 2015 expansion round was a deep disappointment to the community and team

disappointment, sports fans will realize that the Republic stands as a stronger MLS entry next time around, thanks to the experience of having finished behind the Minnesota United. While it hasn’t been reported in the media, the Republic’s game-day strategy for the 2015 expansion negotiations contained a gusty leverage move—the stuff that will define the Republic as an organization that plays smart and tough and isn’t afraid to take a calculated risk. The leverage play was a contingency offer, made to show Sacramento meant business while demonstrating its business savvy.

When the discussion turned, as it always does in pro sports, to the question of a new stadium, the Republic gave the MLS a proposition with one condition: Deliver us into the family of big-time U.S. pro soccer this year, and we’ll build you a $150 million downtown stadium in a soccer-ready, sports-crazed region of Northern California. Here’s the deal: The MLS invitation must come first, before the stadium, which will be built with private funds. “We have one contingency,” Republic marketing chief Erika Bjork told me just before the Minnesota deal was consummated. “And that’s

that they accept our application for expansion.” The contingency was smart because it acknowledged that the MLS doesn’t run like other top-level sports leagues. It doesn’t operate on the franchise principle. Its teams are owned by one group of investors, rather than by a cartel of rich guys who operate separate franchises around the country. This is called “single-entity” ownership. It means the MLS never has to mess around with renegades like Al Davis, moving under threat of antitrust litigation. And there’s another factor that makes the MLS different. It’s a new kid on the block, eager for acceptance

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into the big time and willing to take chances. The MLS has been playing for only 20 years and is just a dozen years removed from financial loss, nearly empty stadiums and contraction among investor teams. The MLS single-entity model may need adjustments to survive the long haul. So far, its conservative payroll practices have left the league unable to compete for prime international talent locked up by European teams. But for now, the MLS is pulling the right levers. And the fans are happy. Which brings us back to Sacramento. The Republicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quest for MLS membership, which began three years ago, was originally based on proving the market was ripe for soccer. This was accomplished with sold-out games at Hughes Stadium and a fun makeshift pitch at Cal Expo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal has been to establish ourselves in the market, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve clearly done that,â&#x20AC;? Bjork says. And hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where things got interesting. While the sellouts were publicly celebrated, another level of romance was required with the MLS, a seduction hidden from the

spotlight. The Republic had to show its ownership included serious, experienced investors, stadium site control and a real funding path to a big-league soccer grounds. And in Sacramento, those categories had to be satisfied without the promise of taxpayer dollars. The Kingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new arena has eaten up the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity to borrow money by selling bonds. Those can be tricky issues, but the Republic had them handled. Bjork told me the Republic has site control contracts at the railyards, the only hold-up being the transfer of the acreage to new ownership. Just before the Minnesota announcement, she said the Republic sent its $150 million stadium-finance plan to the MLS, underscored by zero reliance on taxpayer support. Backed by lead investor Kevin Nagle, who made a bundle in the pharmacy benefits management world, the Republic clearly made a strong, positive impression on the MLS. Our community is primed for next time, and the MLS knows it. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n

Learn About: Gardening â&#x20AC;˘ Composting Native Plants â&#x20AC;˘ Herbs Beekeeping â&#x20AC;˘ Cooking Raising Chickens â&#x20AC;˘ More for more info: 916.363.9685

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Magical Mulch DURING THE DROUGHT, KEEPING MOISTURE IN THE SOIL IS KEY

BY ANITA CLEVENGER GARDEN JABBER

n late March, after two of the driest, warmest winter months on record, I did a simple test. I dug my finger into sandy soil that was covered with a layer of wood chips and compared it with nearby bare soil. The difference was stunning. An inch or two beneath the mulch, the soil was moist. Without mulch, I could detect no moisture six inches down. Mulch is magical. It not only reduces evaporation from the soil by half; it also discourages weeds and can keep the ground warmer in winter and cooler in summer. In this time of drought and mandatory water conservation, maintaining a layer of mulch around your plants is one of the most water-wise things that you can do. You can even use it on container plants. What is mulch, anyway? It’s a protective ground covering in a garden or landscape. Mulch is usually organic, but it can also be an inorganic material such as gravel. Mulch can be spread over plastic fabric or sheeting. Inorganic materials are relatively permanent, and many people like how they look. However,

POC MAY n 15

I’m not a fan. Plastic and rocks can be expensive and hard to remove if you decide to change your landscape. Inorganic materials can have a sauna effect, retaining and reflecting heat. Rocks and gravel can be hard to keep clean and weed-free. My biggest complaint, however, is that inorganic materials don’t do anything to improve the soil. As organic mulch decomposes, it slowly improves the soil’s structure and organic content. The soil couldn’t be more different in the two gardens where I spend much of my time. My East Sacramento yard was once a stream bottom, with heavy silt-clay soil that holds nutrients and water readily. When it’s wet, the soil forms a tight ball if you squeeze it in your hand. It’s nearly impenetrable when it dries out. The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery is on a sand hill cast up by the Sacramento River. It drains readily. It crumbles when you squeeze it, wet or dry. Years of spreading wood chips over the surface have changed both types of soil for the better. At home, my soil is looser. In the cemetery, it holds together. Organic mulch can be a variety of materials, and I’ve tried many of them. You can pick up free wood chips from SMUD at its Sacramento and Elk Grove yards. You can shred leaves or chip your own wood trimmings, or purchase chips commercially. I’m

fond of medium-sized bark chips and shredded “walk-on bark,” particularly in more visible areas. I also spread compost over my planting beds. What’s the difference between compost and mulch? Ideally, compost is fully decomposed and its nutrients are readily available. It can be mixed into the soil or spread on top. Wood chips and other undecomposed mulches may rob the soil of nitrogen if mixed beneath the surface, but they have little effect on the underlying nutrients if left on the surface. Mulch works its magic by blocking sunlight from the soil, so you need to spread it deeper if your material is coarse. A couple of inches of compost or fine bark is enough, but if your

mulch is coarse, pile it on deeper. You can spread cardboard or layers of newspaper underneath to reduce light penetration even further. Mulch will gradually break down, so replenish it every year. A few cautions, though. UC Berkeley native bee experts decry “mulch madness” and urge gardeners to keep areas of bare soil to encourage ground-nesting bees. Many droughttolerant plants demand perfect drainage and may rot if planted in heavy, well-mulched soil. Keep mulch at least four inches from the base of trees and other woody plants to allow air to circulate to their roots, and pull it back from your building foundations, too. Wait to mulch your

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NARI of Sacramento’s most award-winning remodeling company! vegetable garden until the soil warms up. Despite these concerns, it simply makes sense to mulch. In nature, the ground is covered by leaves and the soil teems with life. It’s silly for us to blow every shred of organic material away or to bag up and haul away grass clippings. Grasscycle by leaving clippings on the lawn, add them to your compost pile, or dry them out and mulch with them. If you want to know whether there is moisture at the root zone of your lawn or plants, dig down and feel

the soil. You don’t have to get dirt under your fingernails. Soil moisture meters can be bought for less than $10, or you can simply dig down with a screwdriver, shovel or trowel. When the soil is dry two or three inches below the surface, it’s time to water deeply. And mulch, mulch, mulch. Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call 876-5338 or go to ucanr.edu/sites/ sacmg n

UArt Sacramento 2601 J Street 916-443-5721 UniversityArt.com

SPRING GALA & ART AUCTION ARNHA and the Sacramento Fine Arts Center present

“Art Where Wild Things Are” Join Artists, Nature Lovers and Philanthropists to Raise Funds for the Nature Center On the beautiful grounds of the Effie Yeaw Nature Center, guests will enjoy a live & silent auction, delicious food, wine and art of the American River Parkway and its wild things.

Art Show Judge

Shoreline (detail) by Maria Winkler

David Lobenberg

Honorary Gala Chairs

Greg & Moni Kondos and Congresswoman Doris Matsui

Tickets $60 per person. Pre-registration required. Purchase tickets by calling 916-489-4918 or at www.SacNatureCenter.net

May 30, 2015 5pm to 8pm

Auctioneer

David Sobon

SATURDAY, MAY 30

Benefiting the American River Natural History Association and Effie Yeaw Nature Center

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Master and Muses BALLET’S ‘MODERN MASTERS’ PAYS TRIBUTE TO FOUNDER BARBARA CROCKETT

Tagawa, Bill Lowrey, Steve Peterson and many others, along with banjo vendors onsite, free workshops and plenty of jamming. For tickets and more information, contact event coordinator Bonnie Harris at 412-3020 or go to sacramentobanjoband.com The Lions Gate Hotel is at 3410 Westover St. at McClellan.

By Jessica Laskey

FEATS OF CLAY

RIVER CITY PREVIEWS

his season, the Sacramento Ballet is celebrating its founding director Barbara Crockett through its innovative programming, and what better way to pay homage to such an influential force than to invite some of her former students back to their old stamping grounds to premiere their own original works? “Modern Masters” will perform on the Main Stage of Sacramento City College on May 8 and 9. Professional choreographers Jodi Gates, Parrish Maynard and Robert Kelley can all trace their artistic roots back to the early days of the Sacramento Ballet under the tutelage of Crockett. They will present their newest works alongside current CoArtistic Director Ron Cunningham’s first work with the ballet, the intensely dramatic “Incident at Blackfriar.” Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. For tickets and more information, call the ballet box office at 552-5800, ext. 2, or go to sacballet.org Sacramento City College is at 3835 Freeport Blvd.

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“Modern Masters” will perform on the Main Stage of Sacramento City College on May 8 and 9. Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter.

50 YEARS AND COUNTING Get ready to strum those strings as the Sacramento Banjo Band hosts Banjo-Rama, as it has for more than 50 years, at the Lions Gate Hotel from May 14-17.

Banjo-Rama brings together the world’s best four-string banjo performers for an event that is sure to get your toes tapping to music from the 1920s through the ’50s. Performers this year will include Johnny Baier, Linda Lehmann, Bill Dendle, Shelly Burns, Charles

If you’re an art aficionado and you’re up for a bit of a jaunt, don’t miss the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art at the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts in Davis from May 1-3. The conference coincides with Natsoulas’s annual Ceramics Festival, now in its 27th year, and features leading national and international ceramic artists for a weekend of creative instruction and collaboration. This year’s CCACA will feature lectures and hands-on demonstrations by renowned ceramicists Patti Warashina, Irina Zayctevea, Richard White, Chris Antemann, Beverly Mayeri, Shalene Valenzuela, Esther Shimazu and many more. Special weekend showings will be open from Friday, May 1, through Sunday, May 3, and will include free exhibitions of ceramic work by art students from 40 colleges and universities, as well as by wellknown local artists at 10 other Davis locations. Free shuttle service will be provided. For more information or to register for the conference, call (530) 756-3938 or go to natsoulas.com The John Natsoulas Center for the Arts is at 521 First St. in Davis.

Nature Center Is Calling ART GALA RAISES FUNDS FOR EFFIE YEAW BY SUSAN SKINNER

ow in its fifth year operating as a nonprofit, Effie Yeaw Nature Center is preparing for its annual art auction fundraiser with new patronage. Celebrity painters have donated canvases for auction at the May 30 “Art Where Wild Things Are” benefit. But the best news for Effie Yeaw supporters is the event’s endorsement by Rep. Doris Matsui and the VIP art team of Greg and Moni Kondos. As honorary event chairpersons, the team follows Supervisor Muriel Johnson and philanthropist/artist Marcy Friedman in this role. “Just by being there,” says Effie Yeaw Fund Developer Betty Cooper, “community figures like Doris Matsui, Congressman Ami Bera, Assemblyman Ken Cooley and Supervisor Susan Peters demonstrate that the nature center’s work is vital.”

REMEMBERING MICHAEL ANDERSON The Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra recently lost beloved Concertmaster Emeritus Michael Anderson, and what better way to honor his memory than with a performance of the music he loved? The SCSO will present “Songs of Eternity” at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, at the Community Center Theater. In true SCSO fashion, the concert will include large-scale choral orchestral works with projected supertitle translations by three major American composers, Dan Forrest (the West Coast premiere of his “Requiem for the Living”), James Hopkins (“Songs of Eternity”) and Howard Hanson (“Sea Symphony”). A pre-concert talk given by Maestro Donald Kendrick will begin at 7 p.m., and the performance will be followed by a reception. For tickets, call the

Administered by the American River Natural History Association, the facility and its preserve welcome more than 90,000 visitors per year. Notes Betty Cooper: “The center has a special history in this community and the support of caring people keeps us open and available for future generations.” A portion of funds raised on May 30 will provide free Effie Yeaw science enrichment programs to schools that cannot otherwise afford them. The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is a vital gala partner. The art show that supports the fundraiser will offer work from throughout Sacramento, juried by David Lobenberg. Celebrity artists include David Peterson, David Lobenberg, Tim Collom, Gregory Kondos and Maria Winkler. CBS-TV weatherman Dave Bender adds to the celebrity lineup as event emcee. An annual highlight is a sale of specially selected artworks under the hammer of David Sobon. Silent auctions will offer other award-winning work.

Community Center box office at 808-5181. For more information, call the SCSO office at 536-9065 or go to sacramentochoral.com The Community Center Theater is at 1301 L St.

BIKE MONTH Did you know that May Is Bike Month? You do now, so whip out those two-wheelers for some spring fun and two exciting events. May Is Bike Month is coordinated by a coalition of public agencies, notfor-profit transportation management organizations and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and encourages residents of the Sacramento region to swap car drives for bike rides to commute to work and school, run errands, exercise and have fun.

Before the date, these can be viewed at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center (5330 Gibbons Drive) in Carmichael. A sunset supper and beverages are all part of the $60-per-person admission. “Art Where Wild Things Are” runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the

Nature Center in Ancil Hoffman Park. Table sponsors are welcome. For information on the event, visit sacnaturecenter.net To learn about the Sacramento Fine Arts exhibition, visit sacfinearts. org n

Last year, nearly 10,000 people accepted the bicycling challenge and pedaled 1,987,030 miles across the region. This year, the goal is to break 2 million miles! For a little extra incentive—other than cleaner air and a healthier environment, of course— participants are invited to register their bicycle-trip miles throughout the month for chances to win prizes and pledge miles. To get you in the biking spirit, the Sacramento Area Council of Government will host two events on Friday, May 1. The first is the May Is Bike Month Morning Kick-Off from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Capitol Rose Garden (15th Street and Capitol Avenue), which will include music, giveaways, shirts, bike-related information and activities, free coffee from Insight Roasters and pastries from Magpie and Yellowbill Cafés.

Later in the day, head to the May Is Bike Month After-Work Party from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hot Italian (627 16th St.) and enjoy free pizza (you’ll burn it off, anyway), music, giveaways, shirts, raffle prizes, bike-themed activities, information and more. Ready to cycle your heart out for the month of May? Visit mayisbikemonth.com for daily updates and a calendar of events. Now get biking!

THE ARTY MONTH OF MAY The Crocker Art Museum is getting in on the May Is Bike Month fun with a special cycling-related event midMay, as well as plenty of concerts, a family festival and an art show for all those art aficionados looking to bolster their burgeoning collections. PREVIEWS page 48

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PREVIEWS FROM page 47 First up is the Classical Concert featuring Duo Tuo at 3 p.m. on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10. The French chamber music duo, featuring Elizabeth Coronata on flute and Beverly Wesner-Hoehn on harp, will serenade moms and museum visitors alike with the soothing tunes they’ve performed all over the city with the Sacramento Philharmonic, Opera and Ballet. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets in advance by calling 808-1182. Tickets are $6 for museum and Capital Public Radio members, $10 for students/youths, and $12 for nonmembers. Get “up to speed” for May Is Bike Month from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, at the Crocker’s “Art Mix: Bikes + Blues + Brews.” This minibrewfest presented by the Crocker Cafe by Supper Club will feature music by High Profile Transients, tips and tricks from local fashionista Phoebe Verkouw (a.k.a. the Dress Fiend) as well as bicycle maintenance tips from the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen. As you might imagine, there will be a free bike valet provided by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. The event is free for museum members, $10 for nonmembers, and college students receive a $2 discount. Happy hour is from 4 to 6 p.m. and drink specials will be under $5 all night.

For something the whole family can enjoy, check out FamilyPalooza: A Free Family Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 17 (the museum will be open and free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Bring the tykes for some good, old-fashioned family fun, including hands-on art-making, main stage performances and plenty of activities to keep the little ones entertained. If you’re looking to expand your art collection without breaking the bank, don’t miss the Crocker’s annual “Big Names, Small Art” auction from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 21. As the name suggests, the event will feature small-scale artwork (12-by-12 inches or less) by big-name artists and the bidding starts at just $25 a pop. Drinks and appetizers will be available for purchase. The event is $10 for museum members and $20 for nonmembers. For tickets and more information on all Crocker events, call 808-1182 or go to crockerartmuseum.org The Crocker Art Museum is at 216 O St.

THE DOCTOR IS IN Spend an evening basking in the intellectual glow of author, professor and philosophizer Dr. Cornel West at “An Evening With Dr. Cornel West,” celebrating 25 years of the UC Davis Cross Cultural Center, at 8 p.m. on

Get ready to be impressed when the E Street Gallery exhibits “Cardboard Art” May 10-23

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Saturday, May 30 in Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center in Davis. West is well-known for his impressive educational background— he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton—as well as for his teaching at Union Theological Seminary, Yale, Harvard and the University of Paris. He also is known for his thoughtprovoking writing, all with the aim of preserving the “legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice” like his inspiration, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He has written 19 books, including “Race Matters,” “Democracy Matters” and his new memoir, “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.” He frequently has appeared on “The Bill Maher Show,” “The Colbert Report,” CNN and C-Span and Tavis Smiley’s show on PBS. He also has appeared in more than 25 documentaries and films and has made three spoken word albums, including “Never Forget.” For tickets and more information, call the Robert and Margit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts Center box office at (866) 754-2787 or go to mondaviarts.org

WELL, WELL, WELL Are you over 50 years and looking for something fun to do this summer? The city of Sacramento’s Older Adult Services’ 50+ Wellness Program has just what you’re looking for: Senior Adventure Camp and Classic Senior Camp hosted at the beautiful Camp Sacramento this August. Lest you think you’ve outgrown the excitement of sleep-away camp, think again. The Senior Adventure Camp will get your blood pumping with hiking, kayaking, biking and more, while the Classic Senior Camp will get your mind running with memoir writing, basket making, craft classes, yoga and nature hikes. When the sun goes down, the fun continues with campfires, sing-alongs and more. Maybe roast a s’more or two! Registration is open and will continue until all cabins are full. For more information, call 8081593, email fiftypluswellness@ cityofsacramento.org or go to cityofsacramento.org/parksandrec

Camp Sacramento is in the Eldorado National Forest along Highway 50, 18 miles west of Lake Tahoe.

30 FABULOUS YEARS The Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus will cap its 30th anniversary season with a one-night spectacular that is sure to blow the roof off of the Memorial Auditorium. “Milestones: Our Journey Continues” will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 8. “This is unlike any concert in my three years as artistic director and conductor,” says musical director Steven Johnson. “Everyone performing in this concert has discovered his own place in the culmination and creation of our art. It’s engaging, it’s captivating and simply an amazing event to be a part of.” The concert will include the Big Gay Sing, which features gay anthems from throughout the decades, as well as cameo appearances by representatives of various community organizations that have supported the chorus during their 30-year history. The event will also include special singing guests from the Sacramento Children’s Chorus, sensational instrumentalists, acrobatic aerialists, soloists and local celebrity emcees, all of whom share the core values of community spirit, musical excellence and unparalleled entertainment that has kept the Chorus going strong. A portion of concert proceeds will support Sierra Forever Families, a Sacramento-based nonprofit adoption agency that specializes in finding and nurturing permanent families for children living in foster care. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $40 for VIP seating and can be purchased at the Community Center box office (1301 L St.), the Gifted Gardener (1730 J St.), from any chorus member, or at sacgaymenschorus.org The Memorial Auditorium is at 1515 J St.

OUTSIDE THE CARDBOARD BOX Ever wondered what wonderful whimsy could come out of such a

mundane medium as cardboard? Get ready to be impressed when the E Street Gallery exhibits “Cardboard Art” May 10-23. Local artists Garr Ugalde, Ron Peetz, Roy Tatman, “Cactus Pete” Stegall, Julia Stagg, Jose Pacheo and others will show off their skills in the cardboard arts. Ask them how they think outside the “box” in person at the Second Saturday reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on May 9. E Street Gallery & Studios is at 1115 E St.

GUITAR HERO Ready for a treat for your eyes and ears alike? Don’t miss guitarist Jon Merriman’s first solo concert, “Jon Merriman Spotlights the Music of the ’60s,” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15, at the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom. Merriman has spent years playing background music for events all over the region, but the time has come for him to step out into the spotlight and earn the artistic accolades he deserves. Growing up as a kid in rural Nebraska in the 1960s, Merriman learned to imitate the music he heard on the radio with just two hands and a guitar—yet you might swear that you can hear more than one instrument strumming away in his beautifully complex renditions of some of his favorite popular tunes. The instrumental songs will be accompanied by videos Merriman has produced to take the place of the lyrics. “This is more than a solo guitar concert,” Merriman explains. “It’s a one-man show with music, video, lots of yakking and audience interaction.” Sign us up! For tickets and more information, call 608-6888 or go to harriscenter.net The Harris Center for the Arts is at 10 College Parkway in Folsom.

YOUR OWN AMERICANA If you’ve ever wished you could own a piece of American history, now’s your chance. A preview of Witherell’s Western Americana Auction will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at its auction house on C Street.

Items up for bid include an incredibly rare watch fob fashioned from extra gold broken off of the final spike that railroad magnate Leland Stanford hammered in when joining the Union and Central Pacific Railroads, a slot machine from the Pope Valley Stage Coach Stop and a Frederick Remington bronze bust. “What makes this business so exciting are finds like these,” says Brian Witherell, “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser and Witherell’s chief operating officer. “I didn’t know this spike was even in existence.” Get your hands on them before they’re gone! The online auction will be open May 1-15. The auction preview will take place on May 2 at 200 C St. For more information, go to witherells.com

Over 50 and looking for some fun summer adventure? Senior Adventure Camp and Classic Senior Camp will be hosted at the beautiful Camp Sacramento in August

DOUBLE TROUBLE

LOOKING SHARPIE

What do you get when you combine not one but two artistic minds? You get the exciting exhibition “Dual Pursuits,” featuring the works of Sue Anne Foster and Anne Bradley, on display at the Shimo Center for the Arts from May 8 through June 10. Foster is a sculptor who holds a master’s degree in art and a doctorate in education. As the president of the Valley Sculpture Artists, Foster has curated numerous exhibitions, and her three-dimensional art made from recycled materials has won awards throughout the region. Bradley started as a professional watercolor and acrylic painter and went on to study welding and casting at Sierra College before creating her own award-winning medium: sculptural painting. Both artists share a love of the sculptural form and have worked together on numerous installations. “Dual Pursuits” will feature work by both artists in the form of sculptures, paintings and a mix of the two using glass, clay, metal and other found objects. Meet the dynamic duo in person at the Second Saturday reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on May 9. For more information, call 706-1162 or go to shimogallery.com The Shimo Center for the Arts is at 2117 28th St.

Still stuck on what to get Mom for Mother’s Day? Why not make her a stunning scarf at the Verge Center for the Arts’ Sharpie Shibori Scarf Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6? Let instructor Kate Farrell introduce you to the shibori shaperesist technique, a method using shapes to prevent Sharpie pens’ ink from penetrating fabric. Mom will wear the scarf for years! To register or for more information, call 448-2985 or go to vergeart.com The Verge Center for the Arts is at 625 S St.

SING A SONG Where else can you hear five choirs sing songs from around the world all in one concert? Look no further than the Sacramento Children’s Chorus annual spring concert “The Art of Song,” at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, at the Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church. You heard that right: Five SCC choirs will perform music ranging from the Italian Renaissance (“Ave Maria” by Tomas Luis de Victoria) to music by Franz Schubert (“An Die Musik”), folk tunes, jazz accompanied by a live jazz combo and a revue of “The Sound of Music” in honor of the beloved movie’s 50th anniversary. Watch out for soprano Carrie

Hennessey’s cameo performance as the witch from the opera “Hansel and Gretl.” For tickets and more information, call 646-1141 or go to sacramentochildrenschorus.org The Carmichael Seventh Day Adventist Church is at 4600 Winding Way.

SPOK-TACULAR Help Sacramento celebrate its hosting of the first stage of this year’s Amgen Tour, as well as May Is Bike Month, with an artistic collaboration that’s sure to make your wheels spin. The Arthouse on R, Sparrow and Art of Toys Galleries will come together to present “Spokes,” a bicycle-inspired exhibition on display at both Arthouse on R and Sparrow Gallery from May 7 through June 10. As you might imagine, the art will contain all manner of bike accoutrements (spokes, wheels, etc.) and the Art of Toys Gallery (1126 18th St.) will even feature bike bells that have been painted by local artists. In addition to regular gallery hours, Arthouse on R Gallery (1021 R St.) and Sparrow Gallery (2418 K St.) will be open for the Second Saturday Art Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. on May 9. For more information, go to arthouseonr.

PREVIEWS page 51

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Put Yourself First WHEN IT COMES TO PRAYER, THAT IS

BY NORRIS BURKES SPIRIT MATTERS

uring my cross-country speaking jaunts, I’ve practically memorized this part of the flight attendant’s safety speech: “If you are traveling with children, or are seated next to someone who needs assistance, place the mask on yourself first, then offer assistance.” Since I’m a chaplain, it seems counterintuitive to put myself before all others. But I know that it’s strategic advice to save myself first so I am able to help save others. As ironic at that advice seems, it’s solid counsel—especially when it comes to prayer. In fact, it’s guidance I give every week during the spirituality group I conduct inside a locked psychiatric facility. The group is composed of fewer than a dozen inpatients from various religious and nonreligious backgrounds. Because of those varied backgrounds, the group isn’t the Bible study you might expect from a pastor. Nevertheless, we delve into some spiritual resources from a page of powerful faith quotes from the likes of Billy Graham, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King and others.

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I close the group by asking participants, “What are you praying for yourself?” (I allow the nonreligious to supply their own verb: hoping, seeking, desiring, etc.) “This can’t be a prayer for Aunt Mary or a new car,” I say. “In your heart of hearts, tell me what you personally seek from God.” Invariably, most respond with a single word: sobriety, peace, forgiveness, direction or contentment. I know it sounds outlandish for a chaplain to suggest that you pray for yourself before praying for others, but there’s rhyme to my reason.

Maybe the time we spend praying to become the creation God intends us to be is God’s way of helping everyone around us: the helpless, the hapless, the homeless, the sick and wounded journeying beside us in our flight through this world. And it’s this. In the book “God for the 21st Century,” Dale Matthews contributed a chapter called “Faith and Medicine” in which he cites university studies investigating the efficacy of two kinds of prayer:

intercessory prayer (praying for others) and petitionary prayer (praying for yourself). Matthews admits that the results that come from praying for others are hard to measure. He cites research done by Dr. Harold Koenig, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University and the country’s leading authority on faith-andmedicine studies. According to Matthews, Koenig found that when one person prays for the health of another, there is scant if any effect. Now please don’t think I’m arguing that prayer doesn’t work; it just doesn’t lend itself to laboratory studies. But Koenig found that when someone prays for his or her own health or peace of mind, there are tangible and quantifiable results. The study has caused me to urge patients to pray for themselves before praying for that errant grandson. Before praying for a new job, perhaps pray for yourself. Before praying that your spouse will stop drinking, pray for yourself.

Does that seem selfish? I don’t think so. I see a cogent parallel between the flight attendant asking you to tend to yourself and me asking you to pray for yourself. Maybe the time we spend praying to become the creation God intends us to be is God’s way of helping everyone around us: the helpless, the hapless, the homeless, the sick and wounded journeying beside us in our flight through this world. So I encourage you to voice prayers for yourself. And while you do, my prayer will be that whatever miracle you seek from God’s hand will begin with the changes he makes in you. At this time, you may return your seat to the upright position and remember that your baggage may have shifted during the reading of this column. Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and author of the upcoming book “Finding Forgiveness in a War Zone.” He can be reached at ask@ TheChaplain.net n

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From the Short Center South” is displayed at Gallery 2110 from May 7-9. These talented artists, adults with developmental disabilities who attend the fine arts program at the Short Center South, have all been mentored by professional local artists to find their own unique style and have even become professional, exhibited artists in their own right. You can buy a piece of the action by bidding on the stunning pieces during the silent auction at the VIP reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 7 (the auction will remain open until May 9). A percentage of all sales will go back to the Short Center for the purchase of supplies for other aspiring artists. Gallery 2110 will be open for the Second Saturday Art Walk from noon to 9 p.m. on May 9. For more information, call 333-3493 or go to gallery2110.com Gallery 2110 is at 1023 Del Paso Blvd.

TERRIFIC TWOSOME If only history class had been this fun. Let the McAllister Keller Guitar Duo lead you through four centuries

of classical guitar music at their concert “Songs: Old & New” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, at Trinity Cathedral and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The dynamic duo will explore the concept of song, both for guitar and voice, from the Renaissance to the present day. The program will include songs from Elizabethan England by John Dowland and Robert Johnson, an original arrangement of an Italian madrigal by Carlo Gesualdo, folk and art songs from South America and duets by Paulo Bellinati, Mario Lavista, Steve Reich and the Duo’s own Derek Keller, a local Sacramentan. Tickets are available at the door for a $10-$15 requested donation. Trinity Cathedral is at 2620 Capitol Ave. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is at 7850 Watt Ave. in Antelope. 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

A preview of Witherell’s Western Americana Auction will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2

PREVIEWS FROM page 49 com , sparrowgallerysacramento.com or artoftoys.com

HAPPY SONG Talk about mastering your art: The Sacramento Master Singers will be celebrating 30 years of choral artistry this year with an appropriately amped-up concert, “A Jubilant Song,” on May 16 and 17 at First United Methodist Church in midtown. Under the baton of Dr. Ralph Hughes, the choir will perform pieces from its thousand-song repertoire, including Moses Hogan’s “Elijah Rock,” René Clausen’s “A Jubilant Song,” Eric Whitacre’s “Water Night” and, in anticipation of the group’s June concert in Scotland, new

compositions by Scottish composer James MacMillan and London-based composer, and winner of the 2014 British Composer Award for choral music, Cecilia McDowall. Speaking of awards, you’ll also be treated to the song stylings of the winners of the Master Singers’ annual Asya Pleskach Choral Competition for Young Choral Singers. Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. For tickets and more information, call 788-7464 or go to mastersingers.org First United Methodist Church is at 2100 J St.

ART FROM THE HEART Get a glimpse of the power of creativity when the show “Artists

The Arthouse on R, Sparrow and Art of Toys Galleries will come together to present “Spokes,” a bicycle-inspired exhibition

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One-Man Band AFTER PLAYING BACKGROUND, THIS SOLO GUITARIST MOVES INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

BY JESSICA LASKEY ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

hen guitarist Jon Merriman says that he became a soloist “out of necessity,” he’s not exaggerating. when he was a kid growing up in rural Wayne, Neb., in the 1960s, Merriman’s only connection to the wide world of music he loved so dearly was his radio—a love he explores in his solo concert at Folsom’s Harris Center on May 15. “The only culture I had was the radio at night,” Merriman says. “Music was everything for me because I really had nothing else. I begged my parents to get me a guitar at an early age, and I’ve been in love with it all my life. Being out in the middle of nowhere, I became a soloist out of necessity. I developed my own style where I play everything at the same time. I’m the whole band.” This claim might sound lofty at first, but just listen to Merriman play and you’ll be astounded at the tones he coaxes out of his instrument. On his YouTube channel, a simply dressed Merriman sits on a stool and strums the melodies of familiar 1960s classics and contemporary Disney tunes with equal aplomb and an ease that belies the difficulty of what he’s achieving musically. “People are kind of confused when they first hear me play,” Merriman admits. “They think I’m playing to a background track.” But there’s no other music source in sight. Everything you hear is Merriman’s doing, from the background chords to the melody and every guitar lick in between. You might expect someone this talented

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Jon Merriman

to have blown up on the international music scene by now, but Merriman has taken a decidedly quieter route. “I started out playing in wine bars and restaurants, then moved from

that into more corporate work,” says Merriman, who came to California in 1980, first landing in Santa Cruz (“too wild and crazy”) before making his way to Sacramento, which he says

reminds him of his hometown. “As a ‘commercial’ or ‘corporate’ musician, I play events at corporate offices, music for mixers and do sound work for PA systems. When you’re doing background music, you’re not really the main feature.” After years of playing “in corners,” as he puts it, Merriman decided that his time in the spotlight was long overdue. “Nobody dreams as a young boy about being a background musician,” Merriman says. “I’m grateful for the work, but it’s not a goal. I always wanted to move to a concert stage, where people are quiet and listen to me. I’ve recorded three CDs over the years, so I was going to do one of my CDs as a concert, but something just wasn’t working with it. I realized that if I really wanted to express my joy of music, I should play ’60s music—the stuff that’s so deep in my heart.” Hence, Merriman’s solo show was born. When it came time to pick a venue, the musician figured he’d settle for a small space, but his wife Stephanie had another idea. “Stephanie said, ‘Let’s pitch it to the Harris Center,’” Merriman recalls. “She’s had a lot to do with pushing me to do it and she’s put up with a lot. She’s a saint. So we pitched it to the Harris Center, they said yes, we picked a date and away we go.” In addition to performing his sensationally complex guitar solo versions of favorite childhood tunes, the avid videographer has produced video content to accompany each song that will be projected on a 10-foot screen built into the set.

ARTIST page 54

THEATRE GUIDE Best of Enemies

Quilters

Thru May 9th Celebration Arts Theatre 4469 D Street 455-2787 This powerful drama reveals a universal truth: that all people, no matter their differences, are capable of change. Amidst their incendiary words of prejudice and fear, Ann, a civil rights activist, and C.P., an Exalted Cyclops of the KKK, forge an unlikely friendship based in mutual respect and trust in North Carolina circa 1971. James Wheatley directs this Celebration Arts production of the potent play about school desegregation and unexpected solidarity

May 13 – May 17 Sacramento Theatre Company 1419 H Street 446-7501 In the American West, a pioneer woman named Sarah and six women called her daughters to face frontier life. This play presents itself as a series of short tales and tableaux matched with musical numbers. Each piece presents an aspect of frontier life or womanhood, from girlhood, marriage, old age and, finally, death.

Cinderella May 12 – May 17 Community Center Theater 1301 L Street 557-1999 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award-winning Broadway. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations, and all the moments you love -- the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball, and more -- plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved songs.

God’s Ear by Jenny Schwartz May 8 – May 30 California Stage Theatre 2509 R Street 223-9568 In this play, a husband and wife have trouble coping with the loss of their son and they find themselves speaking in cliches. The husband travels to forget, while the wife stays with their daughter and the tooth fairy trying to figure out how to cope from home.

There Is a Happiness That Morning Is May 8 – May 31 KOLT Run Creations at Wilkerson Theatre 1723 25th Street 454-1500 Written in rhymed verse, story is told via two lectures on the poetry of William Blake; one given in the morning by Bernard, a middleaged, barely published poet ; and the other in the afternoon by his lover, Ellen, a reputable Ph.D. Having engaged the evening before in a highly inappropriate display of public affection on the main lawn of their rural New England campus, the two undergraduate lecturers must now, in class, either apologize for their behavior or effectively justify it if they want to keep their jobs.

The Pirates of Penzance Thru May 17th Sacramento Theatre Company 1419 H Street 446-7501 The Pirates of Penzance, one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular works, makes its debut as part of STC’s “Season of Legends, Epics, and Icons.” The comic story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his 21st year, is released from his apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates.

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Coriolanus May 1 – May 30 Big Idea Theatre 1616 Del Paso Blvd. 960-3036 In a time of great public strife, the exalted war hero Coriolanus returns to his homeland and, at the behest of his manipulative, controlling mother, seeks political office. Though victorious in battle against his enemies, he is less successful at winning the hearts and minds of his aggrieved countrymen, whom he arrogantly regards with contempt. This version of Shakespeare’s timeless yet timely story of ambition and vengeance speaks to a common disillusionment with leaders unwilling to compromise for the common good.

The Homecoming Thru May 31st Capital Stage Company 2215 J Street 476-3116 In an old and slightly seedy house in North London there lives a family of men. Into this sinister abode comes the eldest son, Teddy, who, having spent the past six years teaching philosophy in America, is now bringing his wife, Ruth, home to visit the family she has never met. As the play progresses, Teddy’s younger brothers make increasingly outrageous passes at their sister-in-law until they are practically making love to her in front of her stunned but strangely aloof husband.

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Grits and Gravy SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN SOUTHSIDE PARK

BY GREG SABIN RESTAURANT INSIDER

’m a sucker for Southern food. Greens, grits and biscuits all put me in a singular state of mind. Whether it’s Creole or Cajun, Lowcountry or just country, Southern food hits me in a spot that’s hard to reach with other cuisines. Maybe it’s the blatant disregard for the Surgeon General’s healthy-eating guidelines; maybe it’s the long hours of simmering love; or maybe it’s just the indulgent, unapologetic flavors that infuse every bite of truly well-made Southern grub. Whatever it is, the folks at South, Sacramento’s newest Southern eatery, have got the formula down pat. A quick peek at the interior makes one think of modern, hip, urban eating, but the plates coming out from the kitchen are pure Southern indulgence. Opened just last December on a quiet stretch of 11th Street in the Southside Park neighborhood, South combines two modern trends in neighborhood dining: unaffected casualness and back-to-basics cooking. Embracing a not-so-subtle rejection of recent fads (think molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine), owners N’Gina and Ian Kavookjian root their dishes and their restaurant’s philosophy in an older and enduring American tradition. As their website puts it, “At South we are not trying to reinvent the wheel. We are just trying to express 200 years of our family’s story on a 12-inch plate.” And express that story they do. Two Cajun staples—gumbo ($12) and

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Shrimp and grits at South

barbecue shrimp and grits ($13)—are spot-on Gulf Coast recipes, lovingly recreated here in California. The gumbo is a simple mix of chicken, andouille sausage and a rich, dark roux, with only a light smattering of veggies. It’s a fine version of the

classic and a perfect example for Californians who haven’t yet acquired a taste for okra. The shrimp-andgrits plate breaks no new ground, nor should it. The shrimp are plump and substantial, the grits coarse and cheesy, and the spicy “bbq jus” is just

hot enough to let you know you’ve been somewhere without declaring war on your GI tract. Southern favorites like fried green tomatoes and hush puppies ($8 each) are perfectly thought out in terms of presentation and perfectly executed in terms of flavor. The cornmeal crust on each thick tomato plank could not have been more expertly handled. The green tomato jam served with the hush puppies could not have complemented the brilliant little balls of dough any better. Speaking of dough, South’s biscuits are insanely good. My wife and I dined at South recently with our good friends, The Crushers, who consider themselves biscuit aficionados. They were swooning with admiration for South’s top-notch drop biscuits. But nothing beats South’s fried chicken ($13). In the few months since opening, this chicken has become regionally famous. People talk of it in hushed voices and reverent tones when praising its crispiness, its moisture content, its flavor, even its hue. This chicken has its own fan club, its own Facebook page, its own seat on the city council. (I made one of those up.) If you’re a fried chicken fanatic, this is the place for you. As at any self-respecting Southern restaurant, the desserts at South are housemade and gooey. You can’t go wrong with a piece of pecan pie or a mighty hunk of bread pudding. The pudding is especially good, probably the best I’ve had in the region. The vibe is casual, hip and minimalist. Diners order at the counter, and the food is delivered to

RESTAURANT page 54

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your table by casual and competent servers. The order-at-the-counter system is still a little hard to navigate on busy nights. You can’t take a table until you’ve ordered, and you can’t order until a table has opened up. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than at some local restaurants that let the customers fight it out for themselves for limited real estate while standing back and watching the chaos unfold. My congratulations to N’Gina and Ian Kavookjian, who have turned their many years in the restaurant industry into a standout project. Without pretension, without fanfare, without fancy marketing, they’ve opened a neighborhood spot with heart, soul and a line out the door. It’s heartening to see good things happen to good people.

“All of my music is instrumental, so there are no lyrics,” Merriman says. “The videos take the place of the lyrics.” This multimedia platform will give Merriman an idea of how he wants to pursue performing in venues outside of Sacramento. “I would love to give this show legs, if possible,” Merriman says. “It’s very road-worthy at the moment, so this is kind of a speculation show to feel out the area, see if people are excited about it, maybe build some buzz. I’ve had day jobs for many years: I was a home dad for 10 years for my son and daughter, I was a day care provider, I taught Jazzercise for seven years. I’m thankful for every day with my music, but I’m hoping this is the very beginning of me moving from one phase of my career to another.”

South is at 2005 11th St.; 382-9722; weheartfriedchicken.com Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com n

For tickets and more information about Jon Merriman’s May 15 show, go to harriscenter.net n

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$1,079,000

4000 Random Lane

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#1 in Luxury Home Sales over $1M Sacramento County, past 11 years

3445 Garden Hwy Carmichael

What Kimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clients are saying:

$1,595,000

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for someone who is passionate, tenacious, smart and an incredibly hard worker on your behalf, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found that individual in Kim PaciniHauch!â&#x20AC;? -Andrea L. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quite frankly the most knowledgeable real estate agent...When it comes to the biggest purchase youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ever make...stick with a proven expert: Kim Pacini...the most respected.â&#x20AC;? -Barbara B.

3500 Autumn Point

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Sierra Oaks

Palisades-

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WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE YOUR NEIGHBOR!

GREENHAVEN/POCKET

Elegant 5 bd, 2.5 bth, tile roof, cul-de-sac locale within Didion school boundaries. Master ste +2nd bdrm down. Upd kitchen, carpet, int paint, more! Sep living & family rms, formal dining. Enclosed patio room, park-like backyard w/spa. $520,000 BILL BONNER 916-320-1888

LAKE GREENHAVEN

Mediterranean style 3 bd 2.5bth. View & frontage w/boat dock on Lake Greenhaven! Spacious master ste. Great rm w/Âżreplace. Formal dining. Kitchen w/brkfst area, granite counters. Upd carpet, laminate Ă&#x20AC;rs, most windows/sliders. $499,000 BILL BONNER 916-320-1888

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ELK GROVE

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2 year new single story home move in ready! 1768sf, 3bd, 2bth w/formal living/dining rm & separate family room. Kitchen w/ granite counters that opens to nook area & family room. Low maintenance bkyrd with large patio perfect for outdoor living & bbqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Must see! $328,950 LYNN LUK LEE 916-628-2843

916-422-3756

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