Inside Pocket May 2020 by Inside Publications

MAY 2020

POCKET

MARCY FRIEDMAN

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MARCY FRIEDMAN Marcy Friedman is an incredible talent, emerging from the creative shadows in Sacramento. Her work, inﬂuenced by greats such as teacher Wayne Thiebaud, is entirely fresh, original and captivating. The philanthropist and artist is being honored as the 2020 Person of the Year by the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce. Shown: “Untitled,” oil on canvas, part of a private collection. Visit marcyfriedman.com.

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

Lauren Stenvick accounts@insidepublications.com 916.443.5087 ACCOUNT Sally Giancanelli 916.335.6503 SG@insidepublications.com SERVICE TEAM Lauren Mugnaini 916.956.0540 LM@insidepublications.com Lauren Stenvick 916.524.0336 LS@insidepublications.com Victoria Viebrock 916.662.2631 V V@insidepublications.com EDITORIAL POLICY Commentary reﬂects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reﬂect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 80,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. Inside Publications welcomes readers’ comments. Letters to the Editor should be submitted via email to editor@insidepublications.com. Please include name, address and phone number. Letters may be published as space permits and edited for brevity. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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MAY 2020 VOL. 7 • ISSUE 4 6 8 10 18 20 22 24 26 30 32 33 34 36 38 40 42

Publisher's Desk Pocket Life Out & About Survival Device City Beat Giving Back Meet Your Neighbor Open House Farm To Fork Spirit Matters Garden Jabber Sports Authority Open Studio Restaurant Insider Animals & Their Allies I Got Your Back

The heroes among us. As valued partners and dedicated professionals, health care providers and staff can be relied upon to do their best for patients every day. And as we manage COVID-19, they are all going above and beyond to ensure we meet the needs of our patients and the safety of our community. To doctors, nurses, first responders and health care staff, for what you do today and every day, we thank you.

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Vice Mayor Jeff Harris and Cecily Hastings Photo by Linda Smolek

Take the 100% Local Pledge! WORKING TOGETHER, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WILL COME BACK

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

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nside Sacramento provides readers with 100-percent local content unavailable elsewhere. When the massive small business shutdown was ordered throughout California, my thoughts first went to the many small business owners who serve our neighborhoods and support our publications. Our readers know that our publishing business champions the local community in all its various elements. And many neighbors have taken the heed to support all things local.

Yet still, small business owners face uphill challenges every day—from rising rents and escalating labor costs to online ordering from national retail giants. Very few I know feel much security in their business futures. So we moved quickly to lead a communitywide effort to make the case to support local in an urgent manner— TAKE THE 100% LOCAL PLEDGE was launched. First we designed and printed hundreds of colorful signs for shop windows. We added a social media campaign. Vice Mayor Jeff Harris

not only immediately endorsed the campaign, but donated an East Sac billboard. And Meridian Signage contributed 50 lawn signs. County Supervisor Susan Peters and City Councilmembers Allen Warren and Larry Carr have offered to help the campiagn. And we hope Councilmembers Rick Jennings, Steve Hansen, Angelique Ashby, Eric Guerra and Jay Schenirer will respond to our invitation as all have small businesses in their districts that need support in order to survive.

HOW TO LIVE THE 100% LOCAL PLEDGE Get it to go. Order from your local restaurants, coffee shops and bars via delivery service, to-go, or curbside pickup. Buy in advance. Purchase gift cards or services or book services from local businesses to use at a future date. Follow along. Your favorite local businesses are online ad sharing speciﬁc ways you can support them.

Shop small online. Websites haven’t closed and it’s important to leave positive reviews for local vendors and businesses. Stay looped in. Keep up with your memberships, and with services that are still offered online. Say thank you. Many business owners and workers are risking their health to provide critical products and services. Be grateful.

BE GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WILLING TO WORK AMID THE HEALTH CRISIS. THANK THEM WITH YOUR WORDS AND YOUR SMILE. On March 26, to promote the campaign, we filmed a television spot with Good Day Sacramento at Temple Coffee's newly opened East Sacramento location. Another Good Day spot was shot March 30 at East Sacramento Hardware and Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters at 48th Street and Folsom Boulevard. How can you help? Download a sign at insidesacramento.com. Share the message wide and far. Take a photo of yourself with the sign at a local shop and post it on social media. Live it every day. Make a permanent pledge to support 100 percent LOCAL of everything. Send me your thoughts and ideas at publisher@insidepublications.com. n

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helter in place. Essential or non-essential services. Physical distancing. Distance learning. Empty store shelves. Restaurants with only take-out service. Toilet paper hoarding. Retail clerks shielded behind plastic walls. Wash your hands for 20 seconds. Wear gloves and facemasks in public. This has been our new normal since mid-March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide “stay at home” order. How have Pocket and Greenhaven residents managed?

CM By Corky Mau Pocket Life

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Walk around our neighborhood and the greenbelt canal. You will see inspirational “chalk the walks” messages. It’s art therapy for all of us. People find creative and compassionate ways to handle anxiety and pay it forward. Serene Erby and Judy Friedman make an effort to stay in touch with others. “I suspect others feel alone, vulnerable and a little helpless,” Friedman says. “So, I’m trying to stay in touch on a daily basis with my friends via a phone call, email and text.” Blythe Antrim and son Logan shop and run errands for others. Sherrie Stanley delivers her homegrown Meyer lemons to friends. “I’m getting muchneeded exercise on my bike and it feels good to share our crop with others,” she says. Students at the School of Engineering and Sciences, along with other gardeners, donate their community vegetable bounty to

residents in need. Art Ballad offers free landscaping maintenance to employees at the Rush River Bel Air grocery store. A number of residents create facemasks for local medical facilities. Cassie Fong and Helen Yee, avid pickleball players, rally fellow players to temporarily trade their paddles for scissors and sewing machines. “Elastic seems to be in short supply, so if you know of any sources of elastic, we’d love them!” Yee says. “Fabric and elastic can be dropped off at the Asian Community Center.” Local Easter hunts were canceled. David Stuart, Amanda Dasinger and Rowena Lopez organize teddy bear hunts for children. People join “drive through” birthday parties. I’m using Zoom to get virtual hugs from my family in Hawaii. My neighbors check to make sure I’m OK. When Chris Yorita does a Costco run for his parents, he offers to shop for me. Peggy and Craig Lindsey offer to deliver a homecooked meal. Rick Zeman and Steve

Gibson, my library bookstore buddies, call to offer a hand. In spite of losing two Faith Presbyterian congregation members to the virus, Pastor Jeff Chapman works to bring comfort to others. Weekly worship services are done online and “House to House” messages of encouragement are emailed daily. The local office of Meals on Wheels has adjusted meal deliveries. Instead of daily deliveries, three weeks of frozen and shelf-stable foods are delivered at one time. “Our volunteer workforce is mostly retired or older individuals,” says executive director Kevin McAllister. “We lost 75 percent of them when the stay-at-home order went into effect. Fortunately, others stepped in to make sure our homebound participants are being cared for.” Thank you to all the essential workers in our community—medical personnel, grocery and retail clerks, suppliers and truckers, postal workers, restaurants, educators and more.

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Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Find the Good and Praise It LOCAL COVERAGE CELEBRATES THE BEST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

Temple Coffee CEO Sean Kohmescher (center) thanks Mercy General Hospital workers for their dedication during COVID-19 health care crisis. BY CECILY HASTINGS

his month, join Inside Sacramento in celebrating—and we mean celebrating—getting our print editions out and into your mailboxes. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of our loyal small business advertisers had to skip a month because of closures. Given that more than 1,000 local publications across the nation have faced cutbacks, we are very grateful to be able to continue delivering vital local news to our readers this month. For May, we decided to publish as much positive local news as possible. As a result, our regular story lineup is modified. The following articles are a compilation of news written by our publisher Cecily Hastings, editor Cathryn Rakich and writer Jessica Laskey. Additionally, it is vital that our readers sign up for our e-newsletter so we can deliver extra local coverage to your inbox every week. To sign up, please visit insidesacramento.com/shop. Our ability to deliver in print could still be in jeopardy if the business shutdown stays in place longer than anticipated.

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Please consider becoming a member of Inside Sacramento. Your support helps us bring you high-quality local news by some of the best writers in our area. Our four neighborhood print editions reach more than 80,000 Sacramentans each month—free of charge. To support our news coverage, please visit insidesacramento.com/shop/ membership. Plus, this month we added a crossword puzzle similar to what is published in The Sacramento Bee. If you sign up for our e-newsletter, we’ll email you another new puzzle every week to download and print at home. Be good, do good, and be sure to find the good and praise it!

CAFFEINE COMFORT With health care workers in our neighborhood hospitals taking on more frequent and longer shifts, fresh hot coffee is in high demand. Two local business owners have stepped up with generous hearts to put their best cup forward. Sean Kohmescher, CEO of Temple Coffee, had the unfortunate experience of opening his new East Sac location at 42nd and H streets in mid-March—

just as the COVID-19 shutdown was ordered. Staff kicked into high gear and cleared out the wooden chairs from around the 25-foot-long center table and quickly converted to a strictly carryout operation. When Inside Sacramento developed its Take the 100% Local Pledge campaign, Kohmescher immediately reached out to help. Together we filmed a Good Day Sacramento television spot March 26 in his new shop. Following the campaign kick-off, Kohmescher wanted to help the workers he saw streaming in and out of Mercy General Hospital just a few blocks away. One hundred $5 gift cards were delivered April 2 to the appreciative hospital leadership, with an additional 50 cards planned for the following month. “Temple Coffee is a great new neighbor and we all appreciate their generosity,” hospital President Edmundo Castañeda says. Edie Baker, owner of Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters, took another approach to help hospital workers. Baker, a former nurse, set up an online donation program where folks can pay it forward to help deliver fresh coffee to area hospital workers.

Baker has delivered gallons of coffee to Mercy General Hospital, UC Davis Medical Center, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and Kaiser South Sacramento and Morse Avenue medical centers. She’ll continue as long as donations come in. “People are so grateful for our health care heroes,” Baker says. “It’s important they know we have their backs.” Chocolate Fish closed its Downtown location when nearby state offices shut down, but quickly converted its East Sac and Land Park locations to carry-out only. For more information, visit chocolatefishcoffee.com and templecoffee.com.

FEEDING THE HEALTH CARE FRONTLINE Feeding the Front Line is a campaign to support medical personnel working in Sacramento’s hospitals by providing workers with hot meals while on the job. “Those working the frontline in our community hospitals are making an enormous personal sacrifice on behalf of our country,” says Sheri Graciano who organized the fundraiser. “They

Sacramento restaurants participate in Family Meal providing free pre-cooked meals to the community. are working very long hours and are separated from loved ones.” Roxie Deli and Chandos have agreed to partner with Graciano and provide grab-and-go, with new restaurants joining the effort. “Thanks to your support we fed the entire team in the Emergency Department at Sutter General Hospital yesterday,” Graciano recently reported. To donate, visit gofundme.com, then search for “Feeding the Front Line.” Also, to help local health care workers stay healthy and strong, Vibe Health Bar has partnered with UC Davis Medical Center, Mercy General Hospital and Sutter Health to provide medical teams with boxed lunches, smoothies and organic cold-pressed juices. A donation of $10 will provide one boxed lunch for a health care worker. To donate, visit gofundme.com, then search for “Help Feed Our Healthcare Warriors.”

3 BLACK CHEFS Three local chefs have come together to cook and distribute free to-go plates in the Meadowview neighborhood during the COVID-19 health crisis. Under the name 3 Black Chefs, Willis Webster, Mike Harris and Berry Accius are feeding neighbors in need every Thursday and Friday at the Pannell Meadowview Community Center. Their ultimate mission: “To help combat food insecurity during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, as well as make a meaningful difference in the lives of those not just in the Meadowview community, but surrounding communities as well,” Webster says. The trio prepares the meals at Fresher, a Sacramento nonprofit that provides healthy, affordable

meals to underserved communities. Plates are wrapped up at the Fresher facility and given out to-go at Pannell Meadowview Community Center at 2450 Meadowview Road. On the first day, 3 Black Chefs expected to prepare 200 plates, but received more than 100 additional requests. The following day, the chefs got more than 600 requests from South Sacramento to Del Paso Heights. To ensure 3 Black Chefs can continue to provide meals for the duration of the pandemic, funding is needed for food and supplies. “Any donation would be helpful and much appreciated,” Accius says. “And thanks in advance for your generosity!” “Folks need a break. People can get their food, but they’re stretching and stretching, so we want to tell folks to place the troubles of their day on us, and let us support you,” Webster adds. Donations can be made at fundly. com/three-black-chefs, through PayPal to 1voiceoftheyouth@gmail.com or at Cashapp to $berryaccius.

MEALS FOR FAMILIES As local businesses strive to help the community during the COVID-19 health crisis, five Sacramento restaurants have launched Family Meal, a program that provides thousands of free pre-cooked meals to people in need each week. Allora, Camden Spit & Larder, Canon, Binchoyaki and Mulvaney’s B&L prepare, assemble and drop off food kits where needed, including to seniors in Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency apartment buildings. Allora, Canon and Mulvaney’s provided 1,000 meal kits to organizations such as Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which then redistributed the food among members.

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hawksrestaurant.com or call (916) 7916200 for information. Beyond apps and online options, some restaurants still offer food the oldfashioned way, minus the table service. Their doors are open for delivery orders or for customers to arrive and take food away.

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Free videos of Sacramento Ballet’s past productions, such as “Cigarettes” performed by dancers Julia Feldman and Stefan Calka, are available on YouTube. Photo by Keith Sutter Family Meal also helps small area farmers who sell primarily to restaurants continue to have a revenue stream until restaurants reopen. Each kit costs $20 to produce, with $15 going toward labor and ingredients. The city of Sacramento will pay for SHRA’s meals, and a private underwriter sponsored Canon’s first 300 kits. However, the program is also seeking community support, corporate underwriting, and state and federal funding. Every $20 raised will feed one family in need. To sponsor a meal, visit spotfund.com and search for “Family Meal Sacramento.”

CURBSIDE CRAWLS In addition to restaurants, many small businesses are still open for curbside pick-up and/or online orders— and won’t survive without shoppers. That’s why the Sacramento-based photobooth business, Giggle & Riot, has launched Curbside Crawl. “Curbside Crawl is our solution for continuing to support local small businesses that are not just offering restaurant services,” says Caroline Winata, co-founder of Giggle & Riot. “It’s like a pub crawl, but you don’t go indoors—or even touch a door handle!” A Curbside Crawl is available for Midtown, Downtown, Oak Park, Land Park/Curtis Park and East Sac. For a list of businesses on each crawl, visit giggleandriotfun.com. If you stop by one of the businesses listed, take a selfie, upload it to social media and use #curbsidecrawlsacramento or

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#curbsidecrawl916 and the business name.

SAVE A RESTAURANT Internet technology can’t prevent the spread of coronavirus, but it can make the battle a little easier. While numerous restaurants in Sacramento have closed, many hope to operate on a limited basis by offering food for delivery or pickup. That’s where tech comes in. By downloading food delivery apps such as DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates, Delivery.com and Instacart, residents can order food and have it safely brought to their homes without risking community contact. The apps allow users to search for cuisine, price and wait times. The software explains delivery fees and allows for payment and tips. Visit the delivery websites or app store to compare services for easy access and registration. A local tech-based alternative is Pick Up Fixe, a new app that allows Sacramento customers to safely order and pick up boxed, multi-course meals directly from restaurants. The web address is pickupfixe.com. As restaurant owners struggle with economic uncertainty, many rely on creativity to keep the doors open. Hawks restaurants of Sacramento and Granite Bay devised “Hawks at Home,” which provides a weekly special menu that can be ordered over the phone and picked up. Hawks will give a free meal to one of their employee’s families for every “Hawks at Home” meal sold. Visit

The city of Sacramento has converted 10 on-street parking spaces near restaurants and coffee shops in Downtown and Old Sacramento to free temporary loading zones for people picking up food and goods. “Facilitating easier curbside pick-up and food delivery is one of the many ways the city is making it easier for the public to safely access healthy meals from our restaurants and needed goods from our retailers,” says Councilmember Steve Hansen. Locations are marked with colorful temporary signage at Front and K streets, 2nd and K streets, 5th and J streets, 7th and K streets, 8th and K streets, 8th and L streets, 10th and L streets, 12th and J streets, 13th and J streets, and 15th and K streets. Restaurants may request evaluation for a curbside pick-up zone near their establishment by contacting 3-1-1. Free metered parking is also available after 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Temporary $6 early-bird flat rates are in place in all city garages for customers who park before 10 a.m. and leave after 4 p.m. Visit sacpark. org and godowntownsac.com for more information.

MIDTOWN MICRO-GRANTS The Midtown Association has granted funds through its new emergency microgrant program to 11 local businesses: Capital City Beads, Der Biergarten, The Golden Bear, Humani Pilates Studio, Nekter Juice Bar, The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar, Sacramento Eco Fitness, Identity Boutique, Revolution Wines, The Rind and Urban Yogi. In total, $5,129 was awarded to assist with creating to-go platforms, online programs and tutorials, live-streaming of fitness classes and more. “We hope this is just one more way our amazing community is working collaboratively and creatively to lift one another up and move forward with positivity and promise for the future,”

says Emily Baime Michaels, executive director of the Midtown Association. To donate to provide more microgrants, call (916) 442-1500. For more information, visit exploremidtown.org.

FOCUS ON SAFETY We don’t need to tell you that this is a stressful time for small business owners. Everyone is stepping up to do their part, but some—like East Sac Hardware owner Sheree Johnston—are going above and beyond. In addition to taking immense sanitary precautions throughout the store (including limiting customers to six at a time and marking out correct social-distancing procedures at the cash registers), Johnston is making sure her elderly and health-compromised clients are as safe as possible. She and her staff close the store one hour early (at 5 p.m.) to make deliveries to those who cannot make it into the store. They also offer curbside pick-up and in-store assistance to anyone who doesn’t want to wander around. Johnston is also looking out for her team. “At this time, I’m focusing on my employees, as this is a very stressful time for them,” she says. “I’m only paying essential bills to make sure I don’t have to lay anyone off and I buy lunch for all my employees every day as treat—and to support our local restaurants.”

HEALTH WITH DIGNITY No one is more affected by COVID-19 than those on the frontlines—health care workers. Dignity Health, which operates six acute-care hospitals in the greater Sacramento area, is taking extra precautions and putting additional measures in place to ensure patients get the care they need as safely as possible. The hospital group has expanded access to virtual health, as well as reorganized departments to care for any potential overflow of ICU patients. Staff has put prescreening measures in place and provided child care arrangements for essential team members. In addition, the group is working closely with regional hospitals on how to share resources and implement transfers to ensure COVID-19 patients are safely and skillfully treated without jeopardizing care for others. "In this time of uncertainty, know that our dedication has not wavered," says William Hodges, director of external communications. "As we’ve worked with public health agencies on

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TRADITIONS FOR THE FUTURE LYON VILLAGE, SACRAMENTO 916.487.7853 the local and state level, as well as the CDC, we can say there are many on the frontlines of this pandemic whose perseverance is also strong. We are committed to doing our part to care for our community and to help stop the spread of this virus."

VOLUNTEER ACTION CENTER HandsOn Sacramento is helping volunteers connect with nonprofit organizations that need help distributing food and packing food boxes for the elderly, disabled, food insecure and those going through hard times during the COVID-19 public health emergency. HandsOn Sacramento, created in 1998, is a full-service volunteer action center serving the greater Sacramento region (Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, El Dorado and Nevada counties) with more than 8,000 registered volunteers and 450 nonprofits. For a list of COVID-19 volunteer opportunities, visit handsonsacto.org.

CALLING ON THE COMMUNITY

SUPPORT THE RED DOOR

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services is calling on the community to donate and volunteer during this public health emergency. SFBFS is seeing increased cost in its operations. Agencies, school districts, local officials, families and individuals are reaching out that have never needed the services before. “We are finding our resources stretched and we urgently recognize the need for our community to come together to help feed our neighbors,” says SFBFS President and CEO Blake Young. For every $1 donated, SFBFS provides five meals for a family in need. To donate, visit sacramentofoodbank. org. SFBFS is also looking for volunteers between 10 and 64 years old with no underlying medical conditions. To access volunteer opportunities, visit sacramentofoodbank.org/volunteer. For information on Food for Seniors, visit sacramentofoodbank.org/foodfor-seniors or call (916) 456-1980. For families and individuals in need of food, visit sacramentofoodbank.org/find-food or call (916) 456-1980.

Saint John’s Program for Real Change has launched an online fundraising campaign—Support the Red Door—to help keep its doors open to the more than 200 formerly homeless women and children residing on its campuses. The 35-year-old nonprofit reports that it is facing a deficit of up to $150,000 per month to keep all current operations up and running due to repercussions of the COVID-19 health crisis. Saint John’s has had to postpone multiple fundraising events, close its campus to more than 450 volunteers, and close its two restaurants and catering business. In addition, more than 200 women and children are quarantined on the campuses, adding to food and housing costs. “We are suffering a huge financial loss that is quickly escalating,” says Saint John’s Interim CEO Marc Cawdrey. “We have reached out to local, state and federal agencies for assistance, to our church partners to request increased donations, and now, we are reaching out to all members of the community to help us as they are able,” Cawdrey says.

To donate to the Support the Red Door campaign, visit supportthereddoor. org. To create a fundraising page and enlist family and friends to donate, visit saintjohnsprogram.org/fundraise. To donate items, the best and safest way is through Amazon at saintjohnsprogram. org/amazon.

DONATE4SACRAMENTO The city of Sacramento and a coalition of public, private, nonprofit, labor and philanthropic partners has launched Donate4Sacramento, a fundraising effort to help those hurt economically by the pandemic. “This fund was established to deepen and expedite support for workers, families, community organizations and small businesses—many of whom were already experiencing some of our society’s deepest inequities,” says Chet P. Hewitt, president and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation. The campaign has received major commitments from Health Net, Sierra Health Foundation, Comcast and Teichert Foundation. Donations can be made at donate4sacramento.org and specified in one of five ways: Support for Families, Support for Small Businesses,

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Services for Our Unhoused Neighbors, Nonprofit Support or General Support. Funds will be administered by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, Sacramento Region Community Foundation, United Way California Capital Region and the city of Sacramento.

VIRTUAL SERVICE CALLS

THANK YOU

The coronavirus pandemic has made some essential businesses create innovative ways to continue helping their customers. At a time when many homeowners might be hesitant to call a service technician into their homes, local service provider Bonney Plumbing has forged a safer path. “We know how important plumbing needs are and why putting them off might not be the best idea,” says Sam Blakley, general manager of Bonney’s plumbing division. Bonney is now offering an innovative way to bring solutions to customers through virtual service calls. “We hope we can help those in isolation,” Blakely says. Through a virtual plumbing diagnosis, Bonney’s certified technicians help assess the customers’ plumbing issues, and coach customers on professional, quick and safe repairs. If necessary, technicians will determine if a house call is necessary. “It’s a fast and convenient option for our customers,” Blakley adds. Bonney is a local plumbing, electrical, heating and air contractor. For service, call (866) 459-3909 or visit bonney.com.

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To support Sacramento-area artists and galleries during the COVID-19 health crisis, UnOpen Studios has announced a Call for Artists. UnOpen Studios, co-founded by local art maven D. Oldham Neath (otherwise known as The Art Lady), gives the visual arts community a creative outlet for stress relief during these uncertain times, and offers the public an opportunity to explore and support local artists and their crafts. There is no entry fee and the Call for Artists is ongoing with no submission deadline. All entries must be from artists or galleries within Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto, including Placer and Yolo county. Entrants are asked to submit a video (no longer than 5 minutes) that showcases work in a studio or gallery on a specific art project. Viewers will be

encouraged to comment and rate the videos, learn more about the artists and purchase artwork. For guidelines, visit unopenstudios.com.

DANCE ON! Even though the Sacramento Ballet’s season was cut short, it’s still making beautiful ballet available to local audiences through free videos of past performances at youtube.com/sacballet. An anonymous Sac Ballet patron has stepped forward with a $5,000 challenge—the donor will match every gift to keep this vital local arts organization afloat. To make a taxdeductible donation, text BALLET to (916) 884-6255 or visit sacballet.org.

SUPPORT FOR LOCAL ARTS To address the COVID-19 public health crisis, Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture is providing support to the local arts community in several important ways, including working with partners to develop online content and a list of resources for individual artists and arts nonprofits. OAC also is coordinating with local organizations and the mayor’s office to develop emergency relief plans for the creative economy, and working with artists-in-residence and grantees regarding changes to their projects. In addition, many of OAC’s staff are available to offer assistance via email. For up-to-date information, sign up for the OAC newsletter at arts. cityofsacramento.org or follow OAC on Facebook or Twitter.

PANTRY FOR PETS The Sacramento SPCA has launched the community’s first drive-thru #PAWPantry to provide free emergency pet food to those who have lost their jobs. On the first day of operation, the nonprofit animal shelter distributed 154 bags of pet food to families in need. The #PAWPantry operates every Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6201 Florin Perkins Road. Visit sspca.org for more information or to make a donation to help the shelter continue this vital work for our animal community.

VIRTUAL TOURS While you can’t visit local museums in person, two organizations have launched online platforms to keep

Do not expect a concentrated effort all day long. Build in frequent breaks and vary activities from screen-based to paper and pencil. Understand that this situation is stressful and children may need support to navigate their anxiety and their sadness. For more information, visit saccds. org.

EDUCATION TRANSFORMED

The Sacramento SPCA’s drive-thru #PAWPantry provides free emergency pet food. Sacramentans connected to their favorite tourist sites. The Center for Sacramento History and Sacramento History Museum are offering Anytime Tours as a free way for visitors to access content remotely. Now you can experience 50-minute digital walking tours through the Historic City Cemetery and Old Sacramento from the safety of quarantine. The tours can be accessed at anytimetours.oncell.com or by downloading free of charge from the App Store or Google Play by searching “Anytime Tours.” The California Automobile Museum is offering Virtual Memberships via Patreon at patreon.com/calautomuseum. Memberships include access to video tours of featured exhibits, interviews with car owners and deep dives into the cars in the collection. All-access virtual memberships are $4 per month. VIP memberships are $10 per month and include exclusive episodes and access to VIP-only events once the museum re-opens to the public.

ENCINA CARE PACKAGES Middle school history teacher Laney Martyn was concerned for her students at Encina Preparatory High School when the school closed due to COVID-19. “At least 93 percent of students at my school are economically disadvantaged,” Martyn explains. During the closure “many of these students do not have the resources regularly provided at school. These students crave stability, love and creative activities, all of which have been suddenly taken from them.” So Martyn took action. She began to assemble care packages filled with snacks, school supplies, academic

resources and toys—all personally delivered by Martyn herself. After posting an Amazon wish list, she received so many donations—enough supplies to assemble 200 care packages—that she’s now encouraging anyone who would like to participate to donate directly to the Sacramento Food Bank. She’ll be delivering care packages to students and their families every day until June. For information on donating to the Sacramento Food Bank, visit sacramentofoodbank.org.

The Los Rios colleges have moved all classes and student services online until further notice. During the campus closures, online resources can be found at scc.losrios.edu/onlineservices. Sacramento State has transitioned all courses online for the remainder of the spring semester and university staff have transitioned to virtual operations wherever possible. Commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 15–17 at Golden 1 Center have been postponed, with no reschedule date yet announced. For up-to-date information and FAQs regarding classes and campus operations, visit csus.edu/alert/ coronavirus.html.

All 13 school districts, including Elk Grove, Natomas, Sacramento City, San Juan and Twin Rivers, in Sacramento County have closed. Children under 18 who need food can access it at mobile food centers set up at school sites around the region—whether or not they’re enrolled in a school at the district. The Sacramento City Unified School District is offering free breakfast and lunch to students at 40 SCUSD school sites from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free meals will also be available from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at 14 locations, including the district’s Serna Center. For a list of sites, visit scusd.edu/covid19-meals.

BOOKSTORE FIX For those missing your bookstorebrowsing fix, locally owned bookstore Capital Books on K Street next to the Crest Theatre is offering curbside pickup or hand-delivery by shop owners Heidi, Ross and Tom. Also available is traditional shipping for all purchases made at capitolbooksonk.com.

HOMESCHOOLING TIPS Like all local schools, Sacramento Country Day School has temporarily moved learning online for all prekindergarten through 12th grade students. The school upped its tech support—loaning devices and making internet access available to all families—and is hosting many of its normal activities on Zoom to keep its community connected. Since families are suddenly faced with supporting their students from home, Country Day teachers weighed in with tips to keep kids motivated during this stressful time: Create a schedule that includes time for work, movement, creativity and social time with friends via FaceTime or Zoom. Create a workspace that’s stocked with learning materials. Monitor your child’s online activity. Some people are taking advantage by trying to gain access to your files through phishing and malware. When children are online, keep that activity in a public space so you can keep an eye and ear on what’s happening.

Encina Preparatory High School teacher Laney Martyn delivers care packages to students.

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And if you’re a regular attendee of the literary performance series Stories on Stage Sacramento, make sure you pick up a copy of the books that would have been featured at in-person events and participate in the nonprofit’s online book clubs. Capitol Books is the series’ official bookselling partner. For more information, visit storiesonstagesacramento.com.

LIBRARY ONLINE The Sacramento Public Library has dozens of online resources, including books, magazines, newspapers and research, to keep you and your family busy during this time of social distancing and school closures. Find thousands of ebooks or audiobooks, complete research for online classes or learn a new skill. Access daily editions of The Sacramento Bee and New York Times, or flip through magazines like National Geographic, Cosmopolitan and Food & Wine. For genealogy research, online visitors can discover their unique family history with billions of free records from around the world, including census and vital records, immigration and passport records, periodicals, books and photos. For activities appropriate for children of all ages, look for fun indoor activities and games to play. Check out quick videos offering ways to boost learning or streamline animated picture books. For more information or to get instant access to all these digital resources, apply online for a library card at saclibrary.org.

CALL FOR BLOOD DONATIONS The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage—due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during the COVID-19 health crisis—and is looking for healthy individuals to donate now. The Red Cross has implemented precautions to ensure the safety of donors and staff. Healthy individuals can donate in areas that have issued shelter-in-place declarations. “Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood or platelets,” states the Red Cross. The Red Cross also urges organizations to maintain scheduled blood drives as it works to identify and replace blood drives canceled due to workplace and school closures. The blood shortage could impact patients

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who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or patients fighting cancer. Note that individuals should postpone donations for 28 days following travel to China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Iran, Italy and South Korea, or if diagnosed with or have had any contact with anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. To find local blood drive locations, visit redcrossblood.org/give.html/finddrive.

SOCIAL DISTANCING ON AMERICAN RIVER PARKWAY Spring is here, the sun is out—and families with children and dogs are converging on the American River Parkway, the perfect escape for muchneeded exercise and fresh air during the COVID-19 public health crisis. However, with social distancing still in effect, the American River Parkway Foundation reminds the community to practice recommended etiquette when walking, running or biking on the parkway trails. Walkers, runners and hikers should practice social distancing of at least 6 feet when passing others. Keep to the left side going against traffic. Cyclists should ride by yourself, not in packs. Dog walkers should pick up after your animals. Equestrians should stay on designated trails. And fisherman should take all fishing gear, including lines, away with you.

FABRIC DONATION FOR MASKS River Park resident Phil Pluckebaum proudly shared the story of his parents helping amid the coronavirus pandemic: “My folks—Bill and Joyce Pluckebaum—own House to Home Interiors, a local window covering company out of Rocklin,” Phil says. “They donated their entire inventory of 100 percent cotton fabric to anyone who wanted to make masks for health care workers.” With overwhelming demand, the company owners cleaned out their storage unit in less than eight hours. Phil also reports that Placer County deputies picked up fabric for folks to work on in jail, and that several large churches, including Bayside Church and Adventure Church, picked up fabric. Visit www.myhousetohome.info.

Capital Books on K Street offers curbside pickup, delivery and shipping.

ONLINE FITNESS CLASSES Although all gyms and fitness studios are closed for the foreseeable future, there’s no reason you can’t continue to get your sweat on in the privacy of your own home—often even with your favorite instructors. Union Barre’s East Sac studio is offering online classes with instructors like Jacqueline Mietus, who’s holding group classes via Zoom. Download the free Zoom app and log in, then enter class ID 9347576164 to be connected to Mietus’ lengthening and strengthening barre classes. Check out @union_barre on Instagram or unionworkout.com for more class times and instructors. Land Park’s Studio Physique Dance & Fitness is pre-recording its adult dance classes at the studio and posting them for free viewing during the same time classes would normally be held. Register at physiquedancefitness.com. California Family Fitness on Arden Way has closed its club—and frozen memberships so as not to charge

people while shut—but is offering a wide variety of free online workouts at watch.lesmillsondemand.com/at-homeworkouts. Spare Time Sports Clubs (which runs Rio Del Oro and Natomas Sports Clubs, among others around the region) has made live-streaming real-time video workouts available to members featuring your favorite instructors. Classes are offered seven days a week through Zoom. Check out sparetimesportsclubs.com for schedules, class descriptions and links. Carmichael Recreation and Park District has launched a Virtual Recreation Center at carmichaelpark. com/virtual-recreation. The website features online fitness classes, virtual tours and a Keeping Busy page full of activity ideas for kids. For more information, visit InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Survival Device

LOCAL BREWER GETS CREATIVE TO SAVE HIS DREAM

Ken and Melissa Anthony Photo by Aniko Kiezel

en Anthony wasn’t among the global airline, hotel and casino companies that instantly lined up for taxpayer handouts when the coronavirus struck. He was too busy trying to keep his small business alive. Anthony owns Device Brewing Company, which runs three taprooms in Sacramento, including a new restaurant in Pocket’s Promenade Shopping Center. Like countless small business operators, his life collapsed in mid-March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sacramento County health officials closed public gathering places to slow the pandemic. Unlike corporate titans such as Boeing, American Airlines and Marriott Hotels, Anthony didn’t command an army of lobbyists to beg

RG By R.E. Graswich

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for federal bailouts. He couldn’t count on handouts. He had to get creative. This meant recalibrating his strengths and assets, and hoping the community would pitch in and help a local guy stay afloat. “For the first week, we had a new business model every day,” Anthony says. “It’s kind of like being in an escape room. Somebody says, ‘Here you are. Here are the tools you’ve got to work with. Now go figure out how to survive.’” When government authorities in Washington and Sacramento opted to sacrifice the economy in a gamble to save the nation’s health, they didn’t think about people such as Anthony. But Anthony and Device are important—their story represents millions of small businesses that play by the rules, pay their taxes, employ tens of millions of workers and provide services enjoyed across communities large and small. A structural engineer by training, Anthony gave up his career in 2013 and with wife Melissa opened his small Device brewery in the Power

Inn Road industrial area near Tahoe Park. Five years later, they opened a Midtown taproom in the Ice Blocks. Their most ambitious location followed this year in Pocket. When the coronavirus struck, Device brews were a success— available in more than 1,000 retail locations from Bakersfield to Chico. Like most small businesses, Device represents more than just a brewery. The taprooms serve as gathering places for the community, a welcoming location for fellowship and conviviality. In the Promenade center, Device became an instant landmark of community pride. The restaurant enhanced the revitalization of a neighborhood shopping center that languished for years with empty storefronts after the Great Recession. Then came mid-March and the COVID-19 crisis. Anthony realized there was no roadmap or precedent for managing an overnight economic collapse. There was no way to estimate how long public prohibitions

would continue. There was no help. He was on his own. “On one level, it’s exciting to have to figure this out, but it’s extremely concerning to have to suddenly figure out how to survive,” he says. “We have to come up with a business plan that’s entirely new and legal. And it’s not like we’re working on strategies for the next couple of months. Our model has changed. This is forever, until we hear different.” Device sells craft beer, an important commodity for many adults and highly regulated. Unique state licenses are required for commercial brewing, wholesale and retail sales, on-premises consumption and off. Anthony holds multiple licenses and was quick to brainstorm ways to leverage his position. “We want to be as creative as possible to meet the needs of our customers and keep everybody safe and stay within the rules,” he says. The first move was to make craft beer available for take-away. Device encourages customers to visit and take home growlers, six packs or even kegs. Coincidentally, more people are running home draft beer delivery systems with kegerators. Device offers delivery of 100-pound half-barrels and smaller kegs to residents within neighborhood boundaries of the taprooms. Device also produces takeaway meals in Pocket. Ultimately, creativity can’t save the day without help. Anthony needs the community to recognize the importance of supporting small businesses, now more than ever. There are no corporate bailouts for the local independent operator. “At this point, our survival depends on the willingness of our customers to support us,” he says. “That’s always been the case in a general sense, but today it’s far more intense. If people want us to survive, they will give us their business during this crisis. Then we will come out OK. If they don’t, we won’t survive.” R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Homeless and Helpless LEADERS SLOW TO TAKE ACTION IN CRISIS

acramento has a gift for growing smart, experienced local political leaders. Mayor Darrell Steinberg served at the highest levels of California governance. County Board of Supervisors Chair Phil Serna was raised in a home led by two educators, one of whom was mayor. But somehow, local leaders are struck dumb by homelessness. Five years ago, when Steinberg decided to run for mayor, he built his campaign around solutions for homelessness. He promised to resolve

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

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the problem during his first two years. From every perspective, he’s failed. Serna has performed no better. During his 10 years as a supervisor, he’s been the county’s point man on homelessness. Despite countless media appearances and endless pronouncements, Serna has overseen an explosion in the unsheltered population. Like Steinberg, he’s failed. The coronavirus pandemic made this ugly situation worse. In mid-March, Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled out a $150 million strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the homeless population. The plan was simple. It involved getting unsheltered people off the street by moving them into motels and camp trailers. Counties across the state quickly executed the design. Within days, hundreds of homeless people were placed in safer, cleaner environments throughout a diverse range of locations, from Fresno to Ventura and San Diego to Santa Clara.

In Sacramento, nothing happened. Weeks passed. The virus spread. More Californians died. And Sacramento’s homeless people mingled in their street shelters and tents along the river—conditions perfect for contagion. Pressed for explanations, Serna played defense. He made excuses. He said the county was being “deliberate” and claimed it would be “foolish” for Sacramento to rush into quick solutions without planning for longer-term consequences. Under normal circumstances, deliberation, coordination and planning are good things. Sacramento would not suffer today from its massive homeless problem had the city and county done better in the areas of deliberation, coordination and planning. Ten years ago, I worked in Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office when we created Sacramento Steps Forward, a nonprofit to coordinate homeless assistance programs.

In those days, the county controlled public health dollars to combat homelessness. The city had the biggest homeless problem, but none of the money. And there were church groups and charities and the housing authority and for-profit companies all trying to help. Sacramento Steps Forward was envisioned as a clearinghouse for solutions. One day, I asked my colleague Andie Corso, an extraordinarily smart woman who oversaw Sacramento Steps Forward in the mayor’s office, whether Sacramento had enough money to end homelessness. She smiled and said, “There’s plenty of money to end homelessness. Money’s not the problem.” The problem, she said, was where and how it’s spent. Today I think of Andie’s comment every time I see a homeless person. Mountains of dollars have been wasted to resolve the homeless crisis in Sacramento, only to make things worse.

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have been identified. But the numbers are nowhere near enough to move Sacramento’s nearly 6,000 homeless people into sanitary conditions. Serna is right to be deliberative, but coronavirus won’t wait. If hundreds of homeless people get sick and require local ICU beds and medical staffing and equipment, the time for deliberation will be over.

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Garden Manager Nisa Hayden

Volunteer Linda Jayne

Flower Friends ROSE GARDEN VOLUNTEERS SET THEIR OWN SCHEDULES onprofit organizations suffered this spring when social-distancing orders due to COVID-19 gradually closed up most volunteer positions. For the McKinley Rose Garden, run by nonprofit Friends of East Sacramento, the timing couldn’t have been worse. “Our volunteers start up at the end of April and continue throughout the year until the New Year,” says Nisa Hayden, who started her position as garden manager and volunteer coordinator in late March. “But flowers are dictated by nature, and the beautiful spring weather and generous fertilizing all winter have brought glorious blooming to our 1,200 rose bushes.” In previous years, FOES has hosted a volunteer orientation and workday

CH By Cecily Hastings Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

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the first weekend of May to kick off the season. It normally attracts close to 100 new and former volunteers. The timing is designed to be just perfect as the most prolific rose blooms of the year are on full display. “Without immediate deadheading, the roses will not be able to bloom again as easily or as plentifully,” Hayden says. With a big group event no longer possible, the nonprofit decided to schedule smaller training sessions where new volunteers can get their hour-long orientation before they work independently. “We will maintain all social-distancing practices in effect at the time to keep people safe,” Hayden notes. While coordinating hundreds of volunteers every year has been a big part of the rose garden job, FOES co-founder Lisa Schmidt says the group recently introduced new communication tools to work with volunteers. “We now have an e-newsletter, and are using the VOMO platform for larger events, when, of course, we are able to have them once again,” Schmidt says. She adds that a member of the Fremont Presbyterian Church recommended the platform after using it successfully at the church this winter. Fremont employs hundreds of volunteers each

week, both on campus and at work in the community. VOMO is an online platform that allows nonprofits to create their own custom volunteer page. It also allows volunteers to sign up for specific workdays and times, and sends email and text reminders. The garden’s service program uses volunteers in various ways. “We have individuals who, once trained, work on their own schedule to deadhead roses or simply weed. These folks enjoy their autonomy and ability to set their own schedule,” Hayden says. The beautiful garden setting and flexible scheduling make it the “best volunteer job ever,” reports Linda Jayne, longtime volunteer at the McKinley Rose Garden. “In addition, we also have organized workdays both for groups of neighbors and groups that come from businesses, service groups, schools and churches,” Hayden says. Schmidt says in recent years the Bayside Church, in particular, has provided a hardworking group of dedicated volunteers who have worked hundreds of hours. “But there are also lots of other groups, small and large, that help our nonprofit keep the garden in beautiful shape,” she adds. The nonprofit faces additional struggles this year as spring and

summer event rentals, which fund the care of the garden, have all been canceled. “Sadly, most of our events take place in this season,” Schmidt says. “It was heartbreaking sending back more than $50,000 of rental deposits, which is our sole income stream for Clunie and the rose garden, and at the same time thinking about all the joyful events that have to be placed on hold.” The small volunteer-led nonprofit, like so many others, is trying to find a fiscal path forward to continue its garden and community center stewardship. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, sign up for the e-newsletter by emailing mckinleyrosegarden@gmail.com. To register for McKinley Rose Garden events visit app.vomo.org/campaign/ mckinley-rose-garden. Introductory information to read and watch before training is also provided on the VOMO page. Donations to help fund the garden can be made at friendsofeastsac.org. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. She is the co-founder of the Friends of East Sacramento, a nonprofit that renovated and has managed the McKinley Rose Garden and Clunie Community Center since 2012. n

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It’s All Greek to Him

hen people ask Jay Greenwood how long it took him to write his new historical fiction novel “Race to Marathon,” his answer is simple: a little over half a century. The Oregon native credits his “fantastic English teachers” in high school with first piquing his interest in Ancient Greek literature and history. As a freshman, Greenwood recounts that he was assigned “The Odyssey” in class—which he calls “a very heavy lift for a country boy from Oregon.” But when he managed to finish the book and realized he’d just read one of the greatest works ever written, he was hooked—so much so that it changed the course of his career. Always “red hot” in math, Greenwood enrolled at Oregon State as an engineering major but retained his interest in humanities. When he was told by the dean of engineering to stop taking “foo-foo classes” (meaning English), Greenwood realized that not only did he enjoy those classes more, he was doing better in them—as in, straight-As better. He shifted his major to English and philosophy, and never looked back. Greenwood’s deft ability to “string my words together” led to a graduate degree in political science at UC Davis after serving two tours of duty in Vietnam as an officer. He then went onto an impressive career writing about political issues and working for the Fair Political Practices Commission, as well as serving as chief of staff for members

Jay Greenwood Photo by Aniko Kiezel

FORMER LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT BRINGS ANCIENT GREECE TO LIFE

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of both the state Assembly and Senate, and as a chief consultant in the California Legislature for many years. But the call of Ancient Greece was still strong for the Sierra Oaks resident, who was inspired to finally channel his love of history into a manuscript when he discovered his protagonist: Themistocles. Greenwood describes the real-life Themistocles as “the Winston Churchill” of the Greeks—namely for his heroic efforts to save his people from the invading Persians. “Themistocles was the heart of salvation of Greece and Western civilization,” Greenwood says. “It was

Had the tiny Greek city-states not managed to stop the invading Persians—who far outnumbered and outarmored the Greeks—it’s likely the Persians would have pushed all the way to Portugal and England, changing the face of history as we know it.

like he had a crystal ball—he was a genius of human nature and knew what was coming from the Persians and then outfoxed them all. When I first read about him, I was impressed to the point of being flabbergasted.” Thus began months of research and writing for what became “Race to Marathon,” a page-turning historical fiction book that Greenwood says is intended to get people interested in the subject of Ancient Greece and inspire readers to learn about this critical part of our shared history. “When Americans think of the ancient Greeks, we tend to think of Classical Greece, which was around 460 BC—the time of the famous philosophers like Socrates and the great playwrights,” Greenwood explains. “We don’t think of the era that preceded it, known as Archaic Greece. It was a fascinating period of time in which strange things are happening—Greece is figuring out how they see themselves as a culture and how to rule themselves.” The book’s focus on the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC is due to its role as a turning point in history. Had the tiny Greek city-states not managed to stop the invading Persians—who far outnumbered and out-armored the Greeks—it’s likely the Persians would

have pushed all the way to Portugal and England, changing the face of history as we know it. But lest you think this book is all about war and “ugly, guy kind of stuff,” as Greenwood puts it, don’t be deterred. To balance the story, Greenwood purposefully implemented a “strong women’s theme” surrounding Themistocles’ wife and other female characters who historically helped the fight by keeping Athens strong while its men were away at war. “There were two driving forces in Greece at this time: valor and glory,” Greenwood says. “And valor was attributed to both men and women—it wasn’t limited to the battlefield. It’s uplifting for our society to know a little bit more about where they come from. As the Ancient Greek adage goes, ‘Know thyself.’” For more information, visit ancientgreecepersia.com. “Race to Marathon” is available on Amazon.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Legal Lair CLASSIC LAND PARK COLONIAL GETS BRIGHT NEW FUTURE

uilt in 1951, the two-story Colonial was home to attorney Stephen Downey of the Sacramento law firm Downey Brand, whose roots date back to 1926. Downey and his family, which included 11 children, were the

CR By Cathryn Rakich Photography by Aniko Kiezel OPEN HOUSE

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original owners of the 2,800-square-foot home that overlooks Land Park. Meredith and Jeff Schaff, with two young children of their own, purchased the classic house in 2018. “We are both lawyers, so we were very excited to take over the house because it’s such a great family name,” Meredith says. But the home, which had not been updated since the 1970s, needed a complete overhaul. To give the four-bedroom, three-bath abode an open floor plan, the couple rearranged the footprint so “when you walk in, you can see to the backyard,” Meredith says. She notes they removed a “strange L-shaped hallway,” which allowed for a larger downstairs bathroom. Oak hardwood floors, which were covered in carpeting (including on the staircase), were brought back to life.

Jeff and Meredith Schaff with their children Marissa and Jacob, and dog Parker.

A wall came down to open up the galley-style kitchen to the dining area. “The designers wanted this to be a wow moment when you walk in,” Meredith says. Center stage finds an industrial, two-panel Lacanche range from France, complete with brass accents and a massive custom-made hood flanked by two new windows. “All the bloggers I follow have this range because it’s so beautiful, but it also works really well,” Meredith says. “My husband wanted it because he’s the chef.” Quartzite countertops have the appearance of marble. The backsplash of handmade tile by Clé studio, based in Marin County, is set in a “subway rustic” French design to compliment the range. The Schaffs opted for glass and brass open shelving instead of upper kitchen cabinets, while lower white cabinets provide ample storage. A large white farmhouse sink sits to the left of a small prep sink where the “kids can wash their hands,” Meredith says.

To the right of the stainless-steel Thermador refrigerator is a coffee and alcohol bar complete with a small drink fridge that can be hidden away behind closed cabinet doors. A new three-panel sliding glass door off the dining room opens to a spacious backyard that features a dramatic pergola where the family entertains. They also installed a Jacuzzi to the existing pool, which underwent a major revamp. New decorative molding was added to the living room walls for architectural richness. The diamond-gridded windows on both sides of the front door and in the upstairs laundry room are original. But the Schaffs installed all-new windows, framed in black for a contemporary contrast to the bright white walls, throughout the rest of the home. Black tiles border the fireplace, which is surrounded by a columned white mantel. The couple added a built-in display case and wall panels to the downstairs den, then painted the room “a really

“Plan everything out ahead of time—tile, lights, fixtures. We put them in a spec book that was kept on site, so any contractor that had questions could just refer to the book.”

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dark green—it almost looks black,” Meredith says. “My husband wanted the dark so it would be different from the rest of the house.” A Ralph Lauren light fixture completes the scene. The enlarged downstairs bathroom features an eye-catching hexagon tile floor and Calcutta marble countertop with clear Lucite legs. “We decided it was OK to do marble in the bathrooms because you don’t have food or wine or coffee,” Meredith notes. “They’ve held up well.” Upstairs was “a huge bedroom— almost like an army-barrack style because they had so many children,” Meredith says—with an exterior staircase to the backyard. “They probably wanted it so the kids could go in and out of the pool without traipsing through the house.” The Schaffs removed the stairs and created two rooms—a playroom/homework/TV room and another bedroom. Meredith explains how a closet and “weird landing space” upstairs became

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a laundry room with open wooden shelves and scalloped grey floor tiles by Arto, based in Southern California. “It was difficult to get the plumbing up here, and stacking washer and dryer, but we did and it works.” The couple turned the original master bathroom into large his and hers walk-in closets. A bonus room off the master bedroom became the couple’s bathroom, with two new windows, a freestanding tub in an oversized doorless shower stall, oak vanity, double sinks and a mixed pattern of Calcutta marble on the floor and walls. Throughout the home, light fixtures and knobs are brass; handles and faucets are polished nickel. “It’s a designer’s rule of thumb,” Meredith says. “You can mix metals as long as you have two things alike.” Using Design Shop Interiors for the remodel, the Schaffs chose most of their materials early on in the process. “Plan everything out ahead of time—tile,

lights, fixtures,” Meredith advises. “We put them in a spec book that was kept on site, so any contractor that had questions could just refer to the book.” To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Cathryn

Rakich at crakich@surewest.net. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Fair Trade Future LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS FACE UNCERTAIN HARVEST

Coffee farm Fazenda Santa Luzia in Brazil.

offee, as simple as it may sound, is an essential part of many people’s lives. When Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order in March required all non-essential businesses to cease operations to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, an abrupt halt came to daily routines. No more sitting in cafes sipping hot pour-overs, nor chatting with friends over cranberry scones and lattes.

TMO By Tessa Marguerite Outland Farm-to-Fork

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The mandate threatened not only local businesses, bars and cafes, but also their suppliers such as farmers who sell green coffee beans. Most of Sacramento’s local coffee shops have been able to remain open by offering togo and curbside-pickup, but the impact has been heavy on coffee roasters and farmers. Sacramento is excellent at harvesting coffee shops, as evident in the last 40 years. The first appearance on the specialty coffee scene in Sacramento began when Coffee Works sprouted up in 1982. Naked Coffee was established in 2002, followed by Temple Coffee Roasters and Old Soul Co. in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Two years later, Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters entered the field, then Insight Coffee Roasters in 2011, Camellia Coffee Roasters in 2015

and Milka Coffee Roasters in 2019. The list goes on and continues to grow. At these small-batch specialty coffee shops, fair trade or direct trade are important. Many Sacramento coffee roasters have taken fair trade one step further by employing direct trade and often visiting the coffee farm. When roasters buy green coffee beans straight from the growers, they cut out the traditional middleman buyers and sellers. This movement, like fair trade, aims to improve social, economic and environmental standards. Husband-and-wife team Andy and Edie Baker opened the first Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters in 2008 in Downtown Sacramento. They now own two additional cafes in East Sacramento and Land Park/Curtis Park. Upon Gov. Newsom’s order, the Bakers were

tasked with making some severe and necessary changes for their business. They decided to temporarily close the Downtown location, and cut store and staff hours at the other two locations. Management and owners work as baristas, according to Edie. Andy, who is also the cafe’s head roaster, says safety measures due to the coronavirus crisis are hugely affecting their business. The pandemic may have an impact on this year’s harvest and purchase of green coffee beans, as well. “But right now, in early spring most crops are in the middle of harvest so the effect will not be evident until August,” Andy says. Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters has direct trade relationships with farmers in Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Nicaragua and Brazil, to name a few.

SACRAMENTO IS EXCELLENT AT HARVESTING COFFEE SHOPS, AS EVIDENT IN THE LAST 40 YEARS.

Since coffee shops across the globe will most likely sell less coffee this year, Azzi expects to see that reflected in coffee bean sales. However, she remains hopeful about the future of the farm and this year’s harvest. “We are doing higher training intensity with employees and also improving a lot of points we need and didn't have time to do it,” Azzi says. "Every crisis also brings us a powerful and new way of thinking.” Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail. com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Nathalia Martins O. Azzi is CEO of Our Coffees Inc., with coffee farm Fazenda Santa Luzia in Brazil. Azzi began working on her father’s farm to improve systems, organization and training with the goal of creating quality coffee. Now, Our Coffees sells to businesses around the world, including Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters, from a coffee plantation of almost 1,000 acres. In early April, Azzi reports the government took precautions to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. “The city where the farm is located has 14,000 habitants,” Azzi says. “No one who lives outside the city can come in.” On the farm, they have implemented their own safety measures. “We are taking care of the employees,” Azzi says. “Each one has their own material, washes hands and uses alcohol gel in every activity exchange.”

Andy and Edie Baker

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Separate, Don’t Isolate STAY CONNECTED THROUGH INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA

hese days, I’m opening scores of emails from companies announcing their new COVID-19 policies. Grocery stores tell me they are disinfecting carts. Car rental companies proclaim their vehicles are safe to rent and schools promise to operate online. They are all good policies, but the pandemic plan I prefer to follow is “Let’s Thrive, Not Just Survive.” If it sounds familiar, you probably know that I self-plagiarized the policy from the book I wrote in 2015 called, “Thriving Beyond Surviving.” If you depend on practicing your faith by assembling in person, you’re probably finding it frustratingly hard to follow the biblical admonition to “not give up meeting together.”

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

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A news story in my local Sacramento Bee says health officials report that “Nearly a third of Sacramento County’s coronavirus cases are connected to churches.” That’s 100 out of 316. Worse yet, 71 infections come from one church whose congregants have continued to hold in-person fellowship meetings. I get it, pastors. I miss assembly too. I miss my pastor’s wife greeting us with her warm hug and infective smile. I thrive on the real conversations I have with the men in the foyer. I feel the pull of grace in the music. I know the heart tug to seek forgiveness during communion. I need to hear what the minister has prepared during the week. But pastors, please—practicing faith needn’t involve endangering lives. That’s why I try to emphasize “separate” instead of “isolate.” Keep your social distance, but don’t isolate yourself from human contact. In some ways, this coronavirus intersects a convenient time. The internet, television and social media make it easier to connect. As Christianity Today recently put it, “When God closes a church door, He opens a browser window.”

In times such as these, we are able to consider online meetings. These online meetings will be the centerpiece of faith practice in the weeks to come. That’s because, as I’ve said for nearly 20 years in this column, faith has to work in everyday life. It must interact with people or it doesn’t work at all. And right now, quarantine has become our everyday existence. I’ve found a few resources to help sharpen your skills. Barry Smith, my former pastor, has been doing internet church for years with 5-minute sermons in the “You Choose Community” at youchoose. community. The website promises a choice of when and where you do church. Barry’s views tip more conservative than mine, but I trust his heart. My wife, Becky, enjoys the Bible Project at bibleproject.com. The site has a wide variety of biblical word analyses and historical book studies, all done with narrated, highly artistic drawings. I especially recommend them to those who appreciate objectivity.

If you do an internet search for “online churches,” you’ll find scores of opportunities. Finally, no matter what faith you profess, hear this encouragement from the New Testament book of Hebrews: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess …. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together … but encouraging one another….” In the midst of the flood of company policies, Missy at Delta Airlines tweeted me some great news. She issued a refund for the Paris tickets Becky and I bought to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. It seems the best policy is to still stay inside just a bit longer. Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

Essential Gardening LOCAL NURSERIES PROVIDE LIFE, BEAUTY AND NEW GROWTH

CH By Cecily Hastings Garden Jabber

aking to a garden in the midst of a crisis is not a new concept. My mother got her first start with gardening by creating her own “Victory Garden” of edibles during World War II. She went on to enjoy it until the end of her life, and shared the love of gardening with her three children. And yet, with this current worldwide crisis underway, one decision in

particular made by our state leaders could not be more appreciated. That was to exempt the closure of homeimprovement and gardening shops from the retail shutdown. I’ve been a lifelong gardener. But in recent years, as we prepare to build a new, smaller home, interest in my own garden has seriously waned. Last year—as the magnolia trees we planted

14 years ago have flourished—the sun to our backyard was so limited that my handful of rose trees had hardly a bloom. Even before the virus struck, another life-altering event brought new hope to our garden. My husband, Jim, at age 91, decided to quit driving. With energy and fitness to spare he offered to renovate the backyard so it would be attractive next year when we put it on the market. It was an offer I could not refuse! When I was looking for shade-loving plants at my favorite nursey—The Plant Foundry in Oak Park—I came across a beautiful and fragrant lilac bush. Lilacs, I discovered the hard way decades ago, need full sun. But on an impulse, I bought it anyway, keeping in mind our future and much larger garden of our new house. When I got the lilac bush home, I decided not to plant it, but instead transplant it into a large pot we can move around the garden to capture the sun it needs to bloom again. My new Pocahontas Canadian Lilac requires a special sunny, yet cooler, location to thrive in Sacramento. But I will do my best for now to find the perfect spot, and allow Jim to nurture it to perfection. Given it will be the first plant in our new garden, we can easily find it the perfect permanent home. Jim nicknamed it our “Victory Bush,” and every spring when it blooms in March and April we will be reminded that our state, country and the world overcame the worst calamity most of us have ever known—be it to our health, the economy or our own businesses. My escape from working too many long hours has been to visit the nursery. It takes my mind off the pressure of keeping our family healthy and our business afloat. Even while ensuring my facemask is secure and keeping distance from fellow shoppers, it lifts my spirit to see so much life, beauty and new growth taking place all around. Even if gardening isn’t your thing, this might be a good time to give it a try. There is lots of great advice online, and the fresh air and sunshine in our backyards are refreshing and health-giving. Whether it is growing vegetables from seed or starters like my friend Shauna did last weekend, planting colorful petunias and impatiens, or putting in your own Victory Bush— there is no time like now to enjoy the many pleasures that gardening offers to those of us lucky enough to have our own patch of soil. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n

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Same Name Game BASEBALL STORY THROWS HISTORY A TWIST Walt Yost Photo by Aniko Kiezel

ike many baseball fans, Walt Yost enjoys poking around the cobwebbed cellars of baseball history. He’s a member of the Dusty Baker Sacramento chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, a global fraternity of historians and statisticians united in their devotion to baseball. He loves old baseball stories. Now he’s told one. His new book, “A Glove and A Prayer,” is a novel that imagines the life of a 1890s baseball vagabond named August Yost. It’s the perfect diversion for baseball fans anchored in the doldrums of sports cancellations caused by coronavirus. The name August Yost is not an author’s conceit. There really was a baseball player named Gus Yost in 1893. The story merges studious research with flourishes of imagination. About 10 years ago, Walt Yost began to wonder about the Yost tribe of

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

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Major League Baseball players. From Swiss-German origins, Yost is not a unique name. And it’s not common. Yost knew baseball history rabbit holes were exhaustive. They would detail the exploits of any player or manager named Yost. The writer went to work. He knew about Ned Yost, a former catcher who managed the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals until retirement last year. And he knew about Eddie Yost, a third baseman whose career with Washington, Detroit and the Los Angeles Angels stretched from World War II into the early 1960s. But he didn’t know about Gus Yost. Nor did anyone else. “If you appear on a lineup card in a major league game, there’s a record,” Yost says. “But with Gus, there was very little. We know he pitched one game in 1893, but that’s it. The reference sources don’t show his birthdate, where he came from, whether he was right-handed or lefty. We know he stood 6-foot-5, which was big for that era. But other than that, nothing.” Yost teaches journalism at Sacramento State. He’s a former journalist. He knows plenty about digging into stories, doing background research, going where the narrative takes him. Gus Yost led nowhere. There

was one game, June 12, 1893, when he pitched 2.2 innings for the Chicago Colts, walked eight batters, gave up four runs on three hits, took the loss and disappeared. “I did quite a bit of research and still couldn’t find any biographical information,” Yost says. The less Yost knew about Gus, the more intrigued he became. The 1890s were a historical thicket, full of racial violence, labor strife and economic depression. Like many people with journalism backgrounds, Yost always dreamed of writing a book. His forgotten namesake inspired him to action. “That time period was really violent, far worse than today, and I thought the story of Gus Yost in the middle of it all would make an interesting book,” he says. “When I couldn’t put the pieces of Gus Yost’s real life together, I decided, why not create this guy’s life? The book went from nonfiction to fiction.” The novel took nine years to finish. Yost procrastinated. He started and stopped. He hired editors to trim excessive research and historical meanderings. He reworked and polished sentences and finished with a tight, brisk 150-page tale.

To produce “A Glove and A Prayer,” Yost turned to the local writer’s resource, I Street Press, the publishing division of the Sacramento Public Library. “They were great. They helped me with the setup and printing,” Yost says. Once books are written and published, they require marketing. Yost had no experience (or interest) in book marketing, but he launched himself into the task. He did a public reading at his local library and plans to flog the book among his fellow baseball research enthusiasts. “I never expected to make any money at this, just not spend too much,” he says. He’s giving proceeds of about $500 to help Sac State sports journalists pay for travel costs when they cover Hornet road games. The true story of Gus Yost remains lost. But today the tall pitcher is remembered, not only for his failure in June 1893, but for days and nights that might have been. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

READERS NEAR & FAR 1. Zahraa Al Tuhaﬁ and family at Flinders Street Railway Station in Melbourne, Australia. 2. Allison Otto, Dr. Lesley Scheblein and Lindsey Fudge at Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand. 3. Tom and Brenda Mock with Tiffany MockGoeman in Dublin, Ireland. 4. Nathan Adams at the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. 5. Donna Ouchida with family and friends at the Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. 6. R. Paul and Paul Villaluz Weubbe off to a New Year's cruise from Long Beach to Mexico.

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Life With Intention MULTITALENTED ARTIST PURSUES MANY PLATFORMS

Tory Scroggins Photo by Linda Smolek

JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

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ory Scroggins lives his life by the law of intention. “Whenever I do a job, I go in with the intention to do my best work ever,” the multitalented actor, photographer and makeup artist explains. “Do that every time and eventually somebody will notice it.” As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, Scroggins knew he wanted to be an entertainer, but extreme introversion held him back. When he took an extra-credit photography class to fast-track his way out of high school—he never liked school, though he now holds an AA in theatre arts from Sacramento City College—he unexpectedly fell in love with the art form. “For the first time in my life, I thought, ‘This is something I could do for a career,’” Scroggins says. But he didn’t stop there. As he worked to emulate the images he so admired in magazines, Scroggins felt like something was missing. When he stumbled across a book by famed late makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, it dawned on him—he was missing the makeup. So Scroggins set to learning how to do makeup, often practicing on his 7-year-old sister. After assisting a well-known makeup artist on several shoots, Scroggins got his solo shot— the lead makeup artist on a Harper’s Bazaar shoot with Queen Latifah became unavailable and Scroggins was asked to fill in. That led to gigs doing makeup for Janet Jackson and even a new girl group that was just starting out—Destiny’s Child. But even with all the high-profile gigs, Scroggins still felt the pull of his childhood dream of performing. When a model friend asked him to portray her boyfriend for an agency audition, Scroggins jumped at the chance—and the agent liked him so much that he offered to represent him. Scroggins spent the next few years auditioning for film and television, while also performing in plays to beef up his résumé. “My goal at the time was to be a movie or TV star because that’s what everybody else was pursuing,” Scroggins explains. “But as the years went by, I found I really loved doing

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theater. Nothing is the same as performing live.” Fast forward to 2013 when Scroggins moved to Sacramento to be closer to family and he suddenly found himself in an unexpected theatrical haven. “The theater here is so diverse,” says Scroggins, who has appeared in plays at Celebration Arts—he calls artistic director James Wheatley “one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had”—as well as Big Idea Theatre, Capital Stage and B Street Theatre. “As a black actor, I don’t have to go to a black theater to get a lead role.” He was also pleased to discover a new niche for his photography. As actors are often in need of headshots, Scroggins started offering his services at affordable prices (including makeup and retouching at no additional cost) under the aegis of Tory Scroggins Photography. The Curtis Park resident has even finally broken into film—which he finds ironic now that he no longer lives in L.A. Photos of Scroggins in a local production of “Balm in Gilead” caught the attention of a

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Lambtrust.com San Francisco casting director, who cast Scroggins in the soon-to-be released Netflix feature “All Day and All Night” directed by Joe Robert Cole (cowriter of the film “Black Panther”). Scroggins also recently wrapped a sci-fi fantasy film, he’s teaching himself piano for a solo show he’s writing about Nat King Cole, he’s posting regular makeup tutorials on his YouTube channel, and he’s still performing and photographing to his heart’s content. Clearly when you live with intention—and work as hard as Scroggins—the artistic possibilities are endless. Follow Scroggins on YouTube, Instagram @toryscroggins and @makeupbytoryscroggins or on Facebook at Tory Scroggins Photography. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Distance Dining RESTAURANTS NAVIGATE PANDEMIC WITH TO-GO OPTIONS

ear reader, as I write this in early April, I hope that you, several weeks later, can see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping that May will bring the possibility of venturing out, seeing friends, sharing a meal and reconnecting with loved ones. These last few weeks have seen a change in the everyday way we lead our livesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more drastic than any other time I can remember. With the rational but difficult decision to shelter at home and physically distance ourselves from others, our friends in the restaurant industry are feeling the blow unlike almost any other group. Throughout March and April, I tried to balance a routine of home cooking and social distancing with a few trips out to those restaurants still serving food to-go.

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

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Flaming Grill Cafe Photos by Linda Smolek

For those one or two trips a week, I tried to stick to local restaurants. Locally owned joints are what makes a neighborhood a neighborhood, and I’d hate to see any of my favorites not be there when we come out on the other side of this. So, while the landscape is ever changing and each day brings new challenges, here’s a few happy dining highlights over the last few weeks to share.

ONESPEED The East Sacramento favorite offers a diverse lineup of pizzas to go, each with a unique twist on an old favorite. My favorite without reservation is the sausage pie—a gorgeous creation blending house-made Italian sausage, tomato sauce, red onions, pepperoncini, mozzarella and oregano. The simple pepperoni is a winner as well, and not that simple. A combination of sautéed mushrooms, three cheeses, tomato sauce and garlic oil make for a spectacularly sophisticated pepperoni pie. For the DIY crowd or those looking to turn dinner into an interactive family event, OneSpeed offers “pizza kits,” with dough and toppings to help you make a few pizzas at home with the kids. OneSpeed is at 4818 Folsom Blvd., (916) 706-1748, onespeedpizza.com. For other pizza options, try ordering a pie from Masullo on Riverside Boulevard, (916) 443-8929, masullopizza.com; Wenelli’s at Arden and Eastern, (916) 482-1008, wenellispizza.com; or Luigi’s on Stockton Boulevard, (916) 456-0641, luigispizzaparlor.com.

Urban Roots

FLAMING GRILL CAFE One of my favorite burgers on the planet comes from the humble kitchen of the Flaming Grill. Burgers, fries, specialty sandwiches like ahi and ostrich burgers, and beer to-go can be had from their Elk Grove and West Sacramento locations. Go off the beaten burger path with the carne asada fries or deep-fried alligator bites. Step outside your comfort zone with buffalo, elk or boar burgers. Unfortunately, with the complete closure of the Country Club Plaza, the restaurant there is temporarily shuttered. But the Elk Grove outlet will deliver to Pocket, and the West Sacramento location will deliver to the Grid and Land Park/Curtis Park. Call ahead for pick up or delivery.

OneSpeed

Flaming Grill is at 2513 West Taron Court, Elk Grove, (916) 226-9918, and 1350 Harbor Blvd., West Sacramento, (916) 520-0142, flaminggrillcafe. com. For more burgers, try Pangaea Bier Cafe in Curtis Park, (916) 454-4942, pangaeabiercafe.com, or Broderick in Midtown, (916) 469-9720, broderickroadhouse.com.

URBAN ROOTS The newish brewery/restaurant in Downtown is still pushing both incredible beer and food out the door. While the menu’s been trimmed down and the beer list is a little shorter, the offerings are still high quality and the happiness that comes from smoked meat and great suds just can’t be beat. The ribs, meaty and peppery, or the rib tips, sweet and sticky, are both standouts. The cheesy grits do not disappoint, nor do the spicy, meaty greens. Easily overlooked, the pulled pork tastes of rich smoke, perfectly seasoned meat, and lays itself open for the sauce of your choice. A rare opportunity from Urban Roots is the current ability to walk out the door with a case (24 cans) of their best-in-class beer at wholesale prices. In the current hunt for silver linings, my most recent was a case of EZPZ pilsner to enjoy at home.

Urban Roots is at 1322 V St., (916) 706-3741, urbanrootsbrewing.com. For more barbecue, try Tank House on J Street (also selling butcher cuts of meat and tiki cocktails from the sister restaurant Jungle Bird), (916) 431-7199, tankhousebbq.com, or MacQues BBQ, (916) 381-4119, macquesbbq.com. I was going to write about the great work that Randy Selland and his staff at Selland’s are doing to keep their enterprise going, but just minutes ago I read that all Selland’s locations are temporarily closed to ensure employee safety. It’s important to note that California restaurants, already under some of the strictest sanitation codes in the U.S., are going well above and beyond to protect their employees and customers. When you do order out, make sure to tip generously and thank your restaurant professional for braving the conditions during these unprecedented times. I hope to see you out and about come May and June. Drop me a line to let me know where you’re finding some comfort food these days. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

When you do order out, make sure to tip generously and thank your restaurant professional for braving the conditions during these unprecedented times.

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Cynthia Page and Levi Bohon pick up foster dog Walter from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter.

Fostering in Place

COMMUNITY STEPS UP FOR THE ANIMALS

CR By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

POC MAY n 20

he sign posted at the entrance of Sacramento County’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter reads, “The shelter is closed to public access until further notice.” It’s late March, three weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency and ordered Californians to stay home to help combat the spread of COVID-19. As a result, Sacramento animal shelters have shut their doors to the public.

With skeleton crews and volunteers directed to stay home, shelters do not have the resources to care for all the animals. But homeless dogs and cats living in kennels and cages don’t know that. They still need a safe place to lay their heads, eat and receive care. That’s when the community stepped up. With so many people sheltering in place and working from home—with extra time on their

hands—companion-animal fostering has moved up on the list of volunteer opportunities. “Happy Tails has seen an unprecedented influx in requests to foster dogs over the past two weeks,” says Kelly Cunningham, dog foster coordinator for Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary in East Sacramento. “In one week, Happy Tails was able to assist the local shelters in moving 13 dogs into private homes”—including the Midtown home of Cynthia Page and her partner Levi Bohon. “Levi and I made the decision to foster because we knew we had more than enough space in our home and our hearts to provide a safe, loving place for a dog needing a forever family,” Page says. “Upon hearing of the shelters closing, we knew it was time to step up.” Inside the Bradshaw shelter, which is typically bustling with visitors, staff and volunteers, the atmosphere is subdued as personnel work diligently to match pets with emergency foster homes and local rescue groups. After sending out a plea for help, the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter reports that more than 100 pets were transferred into emergency foster homes and the shelter is practically empty. The Sacramento SPCA on FlorinPerkins Road moved out nearly 200 animals through adoptions and fostering, greatly reducing its population so employees can focus on the sick and injured left behind for medical care. “We have a much smaller population at the shelter being cared for by our staff,” says Dawn Foster, director of marketing and communications at the SSPCA. “This enables us to focus on the emerging needs of our community’s pets.” As the public reached out to help, shelters and rescue groups kicked into high gear. People interested in taking in an animal on a temporary basis were interviewed to ensure fostering was a good fit for person and pet. Shelter staff and rescue group representatives maintained social distancing while meeting with new foster parents, and transferring pets into their temporary residences.

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All three shelters are now closed to the public and have suspended adoptions. The Bradshaw and Front Street shelters are still assisting people who have lost their pets, as well as with online licensing. The SSPCA is accepting ownersurrendered animals by appointment only, but only sick and injured pets. With the shelters closed, what should community members do if they find a stray animal? “We are not accepting strays at this time unless they are sick or injured,” says David Dickinson, director of the Bradshaw shelter. If people do pick up a stray, “they should be willing to hold it and can go online to the appropriate neighborhood app and post flyers at nearby grocery stores and on posts near intersections.” Dickinson also emphasizes the importance of ensuring all pets have

an identification tag with at least one current phone number, as well as a microchip, so lost pets can be returned to their owners immediately. In addition, “animal owners need to arrange for emergency caregivers to take in their animals if needed due to COVID-19,” Dickinson says. “They should make plans now with neighbors, family and friends to assist so shelters are not impacted.” RedRover, a national nonprofit helping animals in disasters, offers resources, including emergencyboarding grants. Go to redrover.org. Despite the enormous impact on people and pets during this unprecedented pandemic, what’s important is that Sacramento animal lovers are coming forward to help. “The crisis has impacted our community in so many ways, and it is encouraging that animals in need

WITH SKELETON CREWS AND VOLUNTEERS DIRECTED TO STAY HOME, SHELTERS DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CARE FOR ALL THE ANIMALS.

are being considered in our shelter-inplace plans,” Cunningham says. “So many community members are asking how they can help,” Foster notes. “With the closing of our public programs, the revenue that provides a significant part of our income disappeared. That is why we are asking the community to make a monetary donation to ensure that we are here for whenever and however we are needed.”

Best friends forever.

For information on donating and the status of operations, visit each shelter’s website: Bradshaw Animal Shelter at animalcare.saccounty. net; Front Street Animal Shelter at cityofsacramento.org/communitydevelopment/animal-care; or the SSPCA at sspca.org/covid19. Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

sacpetsearch.com sspca.org happytails.org saccountyshelter.net Brought to you by the animal lovers at

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I Got Your Back RESTAURANTS TACKLE MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA WITH PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT

Patrick Mulvaney with IGYB mural artist BAMR, and Rodg and Geoff Scott with Oak Park Brewing Co. Photo by Linda Smolek

What the pilot program found was that there is a dramatic increase of awareness about mental health services. There was also a significant increase in people’s willingness to discuss mental health issues in the restaurant among their peers.

or as long as Patrick Mulvaney could remember, his industry had four responses for restaurant workers dealing with depression. “They were: go home, get back on the line, stop drinking or let’s do a shot,” says the chef and owner at Mulvaney’s B&L. “None of them were good.” The insufficiency of those methods was exposed in early 2018 when several suicides rocked the local food scene. Following the May 2018 death of Noah Zonca, former chef at The Kitchen, Mulvaney and other prominent local chefs and restaurant owners started searching for a solution to an issue that their industry had ignored for ages: mental health. On the Friday before a planned meeting to discuss the issue, news broke that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain died by suicide. That tragedy only emphasized the literal life-or-death urgency of the problem. “Ten days after Bourdain’s death, we had 15 chefs and restaurateurs sitting around a table with the leading lights of mental health in Sacramento,” Mulvaney says. Out of that meeting came the beginnings of the I Got Your Back program. Started by Mulvaney and his wife Bobbin, IGYB is a peer-to-peer resource and support system designed to combat the stigma of discussing mental health. IGYB teaches employees to look for warning signs, creates a safe environment to talk about personal issues and provides access to mental health resources. At least one restaurant employee trained in peer counseling wears a purple hand marker during each shift. The marker signifies that the employee is available to listen to colleagues’ mental health and addiction problems. He or she can also seek out coworkers who are believed to be seriously struggling. Meanwhile, managers and

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owners take regular mental health “temperature checks” to encourage communication. In November 2019, a dozen Sacramento restaurants wrapped up a two-month pilot phase of IGYB funded by Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, UC Davis and the Sacramento Kings. “What the pilot program found was that there is a dramatic increase of awareness about mental health services,” Mulvaney says. “There was also a significant increase in people’s willingness to discuss mental health issues in the restaurant among their peers.” According to a 2015 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study, nearly 17 percent of full-time food service and hospitality employees have substance-abuse disorders. Meanwhile, a 2016 survey found that 73 percent of restaurant workers reported dealing with multiple mental health conditions. Mulvaney believes that part of the problem stems from a natural inclination toward hospitality. “Because we’re always focused on the other, we don’t take the time to focus on ourselves,” he says. “We now finally in our industry are starting to talk about what our self-need is.”

Oak Park Brewing Co. co-owner and head brewer Geoff Scott sees firsthand the pressures that restaurant workers deal with. “I’d never worked in a restaurant before. You watch these people, and they work extremely hard,” he says. “They work under high pressure. When the restaurant’s slammed, everyone’s hustling.” Oak Park Brewing recently partnered with IGYB on a beer collaboration to raise money and awareness for the project. Twenty local bars and restaurants sold 100 gallons of IGYB Red Lager. Participating restaurants received one keg apiece, and most places ran out of the beer that night. “We wanted to brew a lower-alcohol beer, almost as low as possible,” Scott says. “We added some crystal malt and some roasted malt to give it a lot more malt flavor.” Oak Park plans to bring back IGYB Red Lager every year on Oct. 10 to commemorate World Mental Health Day. As for the IGYB program, Mulvaney has already seen positive results. Last Christmas, one of Mulvaney’s employees came into work and told the “purple hand” on shift that he was thinking about suicide. That employee received the mental health services he needed.

Mulvaney’s experiences also came in handy when multiple deaths shocked the Cincinnati restaurant scene in January. “I got phone calls from my friends out there to say, just like us in 2018, ‘What do we do?’” Mulvaney shared resources with his friends in Cincinnati and, within a few weeks, they held several meetings and started a Facebook group with more than 1,000 members. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the Mulvaneys to put off plans for program expansion. Previously, they were working with restaurant associations in several states and planning engagements. The couple were also talking with the Steinberg Institute and other local organizations about mental health, while making their case to U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui and other politicians. “Those are all things that are not in my comfort zone. I’m a cook, and I just want to make soup,” Mulvaney says. “But it’s amazing that it resonates, and that people are paying attention.”

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Daniel Barnes can be reached at danielebarnes@hotmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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TAKE THE 100% LOCAL PLEDGE • SHOP Local • STAND With Small Businesses • SUPPORT Those Who Employ Our Neighbors Get it to-go. Order from your local restaurants, coffee shops and bars via delivery service, to-go or curbside pickup. Buy in advance. Purchase gift cards or book services from local businesses to use at a future date. Follow along. Your favorite local businesses are online and sharing specific ways you can support them.

Shop small online. Websites haven’t closed and it’s important to leave positive reviews for local vendors and businesses. Stay looped in. Keep up with your memberships and with services that are still offered online. Say thank you. Many business owners and workers are risking their health to provide critical products and services. Be grateful.

We Will Come Back From This Together!