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SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS This home has been wonderfully updated and is move-in ready! 4 bedrooms 2½ baths, beautiful hardwood Àoors in the family room and bedrooms. Stacked slate stone ¿replace. Kitchen features 5-burner gas range, stainless steel sink and appliances. Large covered patio! $449,000 BETH SHERMAN 800-4343

BEAUTIFUL GREENHAVEN HOME Fabulous Àoor plan! Large, open 3 bedroom 2 bath, 2134 sq. ft. Formal dining room, formal living room with a ¿replace, family room with a ¿replace, large kitchen. Plantation shutters throughout. Inside laundry room, 2-car attached garage. Great location, close to schools, shopping, and greenbelt. $389,000 LISA McCAULEY 601-5474

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TUCKED AWAY SLP Convenient Jennywood Development, a must see to appreciate. Spacious, bright 2 story 3 bedroom 3½ bath home in a planned unit development on a quiet cul-de-sac. Huge wrap around yard with gazebo, ready for your personal touch. Plenty of storage space! $399,000 CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483

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INCREDIBLE SLP PROPERTY You’ll have to look twice or three times at this fabulous property. The larger residence has 3 bedrooms, gourmet kitchen and 2 baths on the upper level. It has a lower level with kitchenette, living room, big bedroom and bath. PLUS a connected 2 Bed 2 bath, separate unit. $975,000 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395, CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483

BRIDGEVIEW AT RIVERLAKE Beautiful property located in gated Riverlake community. Well maintained 4 bedroom 3 bath home with new roof, hardwood Àoors, downstairs bedroom and full bath. Crown Molding, designer paints and beautiful mural in one bedroom. Relaxing back yard with waterfall and heated pool. $628,000 SUE LEE 833-5122

SOUTH LAND PARK Beautifully updated South Land Park Hills 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. New paint, re¿nished hardwood Àoors, carpet, granite counters and much more. Enjoy the spacious and private yard, large family room, convenient location and fantastic curb appeal! $429,000 JAMIE RICH 612-4000

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CLOSE TO GARCIA BEND PARK This 2 bedroom home features newer roof, appliances, lighting, carpet, paint, updated kitchen and bathroom. Brand new Àooring in the kitchen and bathroom. So warm and inviting with a cute yard and wonderful layout. Attached garage, convenient location and so much more. $232,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

GREAT POCKET LOCATION Gorgeous single story home! 3 bedroom 2 bath, beautiful new carpet and interior two-tone paint. Great location near walking path and canal. 50 year high quality roof; upgrades include lighting, ceiling fans, laminate Àoors, wainscoting, blinds and gazebo. $342,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

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CAMBRIDGE HOME ELK GROVE Highly desired builder and Àoor plan. Excellent schools. 4 bedrooms 3½ baths, tons of upgrades; professionally landscaped yard with large covered patio. Features designer interior paint, beautiful tile Àoors, high quality carpet, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and more! $462,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

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EAST SACRAMENTO McKINLEY PARK RIVER PARK ELMHURST TAHOE PARK CAMPUS COMMONS

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NOVEMBER 16

S A C R A M E N T O ' S P R E M I E R F R E E C I T Y M O N T H LY

THE GRID

By Susan Tonkin Riegel

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THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES & CULTURE IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

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COVER ARTIST William Ishmael Collaborations The Archival Gallery presents the work of “William Ishmael and Friends," collaborative works with Jerry Barnes, Julie Didion, Maureen Hood (shown on cover), Margaret Teichert, Robert Jean Ray and others through Dec.3. The Archival Gallery is at 3223 Folsom Blvd.

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

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916-443-5087 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 75,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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Art at the Arena STUNNING LOCAL WORKS ADD TO GOLDEN 1 CENTER’S BEAUTY

the world through the eyes

judgment of both Mark and Marcy

of an artist. Even though

Friedman in matters of art and

I haven’t practiced studio art in

design, I was totally willing to give

more than a decade, my involvement

them the benefit of the doubt. When

with the arts in our community

the Koons sculpture was unveiled

is the driving force behind much

in September, I immediately saw its

of my energy. While my husband

appeal and why they were willing

appreciates art and design, he’s

to go to such great efforts to make

hardly an expert. But he reminds me

it happen. It is a remarkable and

often that his life has been enhanced

delightful piece, and the quality is

because, after more than 27 years of

gorgeous. Its mirror-polished stainless

marriage, I still help him see things in

steel surface is rich with transparent

a new way.

color. The sculpture reflects the

y husband says that I see

But given my high regard for the

I’m grateful that the past few

surrounding buildings, lights and

months in Sacramento have been very

people, lighting up with visual activity

art-oriented. On the tail end of the

that quickly changes as one walks

hugely successful Sacramento Mural

around the structure.

Fest in August came the opening of

Many locals in and out of the arts

Golden 1 Center. The arena’s public-

community were concerned that the

art component brought about one

arena’s entire public-art budget was

of the most significant community

going to a New York artist. Luckily,

controversies ever about the role of

Marcy Friedman responded in a big

public art.

way. The arts philanthropist put up

An expert panel chosen by the

an additional $1 million to fund local

Sacramento Metropolitan Arts

art for the project.

Commission and charged with

I thought the panel’s selection of

selecting the art was presented early

local artists Bryan Valenzuela and

on with the idea of a single Jeff Koons

Gale Hart was inspired, given what I

sculpture for the arena plaza. (The

had seen of their previous work.

established practice for a public-

Valenzuela’s work appeared on

art decision of this size would have involved selecting among various site-specific proposals from several qualified artists.)

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher

one of our covers last year, along The idea was put forth by Marcy

Book 4,” aka Piglet. All we had was a

Friedman and her son, Mark, along

rendering to help the public visualize

with Sacramento Kings owner Vivek

the piece in location on the arena’s

Ranadive. It was no small detail

plaza. To me, it looked like it was

that the sculpture’s $8 million cost

made of colored Plexiglass shapes

surpassed the original $5.5 million

sandwiched together. I’m pretty sure

art budget. Putting money where

I had never seen a Koons original

their hearts were, the group raised

until early this year, when I saw his

the balance of the funds with private

work at The Broad museum in Los

donations.

Angeles. Its design and quality were

I must be honest: I never really saw the beauty of Koons’ “Coloring

very impressive.

with an artist profile. As part of the arts commission’s remarkable artist series, Valenzuela joined Hart for a discussion of their arena commissions. The event was held last month at Crocker Art Museum. Both artists joined in conversation with Shelly Willis, the director of the arts commission. Many people are surprised to learn that most public art is designed by PUBLISHER page 9

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The Perfect Solution LEVEE MAINTENANCE SOLVES THE FENCE ISSUE

hanks to Google Maps, we officially know what to call the public pathway that stretches along the top of the Sacramento River levee from Bill Conlin Sports Complex to Old Sacramento. Google Maps has identified the levee top as the Sacramento River Bike Trail. Google shows no interruptions for private fences. And phony private-property claims are positively ignored. On the ground, things are slightly more complicated. Several private fences still prevent cyclists, walkers and runners from enjoying uninterrupted journeys along the Sacramento River Bike Trail. But the clock is ticking on those barricades. One was removed this summer near Garcia Bend Park, when crews from the state Department of Water Resources resurfaced the levee top with fresh gravel and clean dirt. The resurfacing is a preview of coming attractions. A blueprint for how the remaining fences will be hauled down has emerged: Maintenance and levee repairs require removal. Homeowners along the river who allege they “own” the levees are out of luck. By telling homeowners the fences must come down for levee repairs, the state will avoid lawsuits over easement rights. There’s no question that levee maintenance and repairs

RG By R.E. Graswich

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Bike riders enjoy the Sacramento River Bike Trail

take precedent over a property owner whose chief priority is protecting his picnic table, barbecue and boat dock from prying eyes along the waterfront. Now we have a general timeline for these good measures to begin. Sometime after the spring of 2018, the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency will break ground on levee improvements between Freeport and downtown. The work will be substantial. The levee runs about 12 miles between Freeport and Broadway. Approximately half of the levees within those 12 miles will require improvements to meet the latest flood protection standards. The community can expect at least six miles of repairs and improvements.

“The schedule is aggressive and will be driven by the complexity of the work required as defined by the final design, acquiring the necessary state and federal permits and the availability of state funding,” Jay Davis, a consultant and project ombudsman for SAFCA, tells me. “Also, it’s important to understand that the Army Corps of Engineers may also perform additional work in this area.” The upcoming levee maintenance allows the state and city to quietly resolve the old controversy over private cross-levee fences—without getting into the middle of a fight. Nine fences, which prevented the public from enjoying the beauty of the community’s greatest natural resource, were permitted by officials

at the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. Language on each permit allows for fence removal at any time. But state officials were afraid to revoke fence permits for fear of provoking legal battles with property owners. Over time, state authorities realized they had a solution to what Sacramento City Councilmember Rick Jennings calls “the sins of the past.” State officials knew the Pocket and Little Pocket levees would require improvements to meet new 100-year flood (and ultimately 200-year flood) standards. They knew a few riverside property owners would squeal if their private levee fences were removed because they were simply no longer needed. But who can squeal POCKET page 11

PUBLISHER FROM page 7

at the age of 21 as the designer of

Laboring under an unbelievably

“Sonic Passages,” by San Francisco-

artists but almost always fabricated

the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in

tight deadline, he and his team often

based Bill Fontana. It extends on the

by craftspeople working from plans

Washington, D.C.)

worked in the middle of the night

north side of the plaza and features 19

created by the artist. Oftentimes,

to install the piece without being

small loudspeakers embedded in the

engineers are called in to help ensure

impeded by other contractors.

“green wall” sections of the landscape

the fabrication is structurally sound and safe. Though I am an appointed member of the arts commission and have

All in all, we have much to be proud of artistically at Golden 1 Center.

Gale Hart’s work, located on L

planters. The sounds I heard were

Street and on the south entrance

those of songbirds and nature, and

to the plaza, is equally compelling.

they were delightfully intermittent.

The multiple-component sculpture,

Also still to be installed are interior

called “Missing the Mark,” takes

murals by the venerable Royal

a fun approach to the idea of

Chicano Air Force, a local Chicano art

gamesmanship. The first pieces you

collective, founded in 1970 by José

at the event. Valenzuela is known

encounter on L Street are larger-

Montoya and Esteban Villa. This part

largely as a two-dimensional artist,

than-life stainless steel and fiberglass

of the project has been commissioned

working on large canvases and using

darts in the sidewalk, near a terrazzo

by the county of Sacramento.

participated on several art selection panels, I learned a great deal about the process and the artists themselves

intricate tiny lettering as part of his almost magical compositions of images derived from nature. After the panel selected him as the artist for the interior lobby of the building (based on his submitted portfolio of past work,) they were stunned and delighted when he submitted a design for 400 handblown blue-green glass globes, ranging from 12 to 20 inches in diameter, suspended from the ceiling in a sculpture called “Multitudes Converge,” echoing the theme of our two great rivers coming together. Valenzuela is 34 years old, and this was his first public art commission. What a gorgeous work he created! (Remember, Maya Lin was selected

The artist had the globes hand-

dartboard also set in the sidewalk.

All in all, we have much to be

blown in a small town in the Czech

Next appear three raised concrete

proud of artistically at Golden 1

Republic after discovering only three

numbers and dart tails. When you

Center. The masterful architectural

places in the world had the capability

turn the corner and walk up the plaza

and technological work of AECOM—

to fulfill his design vision—and all

stairs, an 11-foot bronze-and-steel

in partnership with the Sacramento

were in the same small town. He

hand, holding more dart tails, sets the

Kings—is the perfect backdrop for a

spent six weeks abroad this summer

stage before you see the Koons piece

terrific public-art showing we should

overseeing the glass fabrication,

displayed on the plaza level. Hart’s

all be very proud of.

including the painstaking process of

work presents a humorous take on

drilling holes in all the globes in order

the serious world of corporate sports.

to slide metal rods inside to suspend them in the lobby. But he found the most challenging

At the lecture, Hart became a delightful storyteller as she took the audience through the challenging

part to be the installation. Even the

process of creating her multipart

delivery of the crates with the glass

work and working with numerous

needed to be carefully coordinated by

fabricators using multiple materials

the dock master who controlled all

and processes.

that went in and out of the downtown construction site on a 24/7 basis.

The fourth element of the arena’s public art is a sound sculpture called

INSIDE SACRAMENTO BOOK UPDATE It is with profound gratitude that I report we are nearing the last several hundred books that remain available from our first-edition print run of 7,000 copies of “Inside Sacramento: The Most Interesting Neighborhood Places in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital.” We are grateful to Steve Mammett, the general manager of Embassy Suites hotel, for his leadership in helping us get the book placed into every top-tier hotel room in town. We had initially ordered in quantities we had estimated could supply books to sell throughout the 2016 holiday gift-buying season. (A reprint is not schedueld until later next year.) So if you had planned on giving the book for a holiday gift (it is the perfect gift!), I encourage you to do so immediately before it sells out. The book makes an excellent corporate gift; we have a bulk purchase program that includes custom labels. Books are available online with free shipping at insidesacbook.com and at local sellers detailed on our website. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com n

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Expansion , Maybe BIGGER CONVENTION CENTER ISN’T NECESSARILY BETTER

ast month, the City Council gave an ambiguous amber light to city manager John Shirey’s plan to spend $170 million to expand the Sacramento Convention Center, last renovated in 1995. However, the council voted to move full speed ahead on a proposal to spend $83 million to renovate the nearby Convention Center Theater and a further $16 million to upgrade the Memorial Auditorium so it can serve as a temporary venue for performing arts events while the theater is being renovated. Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg had asked the council to defer any decision on the convention center for several months to give him a chance to weigh in on the future direction of our money-losing convention center. Instead of deciding to move irrevocably ahead with the convention center expansion plan or deferring the decision, as requested by Steinberg, the council approved an ambiguous compromise: It elected to move forward with center expansion planning documents while also commissioning an economic feasibility study that would examine various expansion options. If you are scratching your head over the council’s inconsistent actions, you aren’t alone. Local media were left in a state of confusion

CP By Craig Powell Inside City Hall

POC NOV n 16

over exactly what the council had approved: The Bee reported that the council “passed a plan to complete conceptual designs for an expanded … center,” while KCRA News reported that the council had “tabled a vote on the proposal for another time.” In Sacramento local government, momentum is everything. Without it, perfectly sound, beneficial public projects can limp along for years, only to wither and die. A good example is our city’s 50-year failure to develop the Sacramento River waterfront. But with momentum, even crazy projects seem to have the wind at their backs, gathering support and velocity. A dirty little secret is that momentum for a public project rarely has anything to do with robust research, rigorous analysis of future

returns or a thoughtful weighing of alternative public investment opportunities. Too often, a public project’s momentum depends on how adroitly elite opinion is formed and manipulated by local masters of the public relations and governing arts. The proposed convention center expansion is the latest example of a crazy local project that has had the wind at is back for the past year. The project’s champions have been outgoing city manager Shirey, downtown hotel and restaurant owners and Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau (renamed Visit Sacramento). The question now is: Will momentum for center expansion, at least in its current form, fade once financial analysts start seriously examining the market demand and

economic feasibility of the project and the mayor holds a promised public debate on the center’s future? It’s anyone’s guess.

AN ABYSMAL HISTORY The convention center has had a perfectly awful 40-year financial track record. In 1974, the City Council increased the city hotel tax from 6 percent to 7 percent to fund construction of the center. Early losses were so severe that the council raised the tax to 10 percent in 1978 to cover unexpected center losses. When the center was expanded in 1995, its performance immediately fell far short of projections, forcing the council to provide $10.4 million CITY page 13

a e r t f G o r k F o all o L

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1462 33rd Street • 737-PINK POCKET FROM page 8 when fences are removed for levee

along the river or owned places there

maintenance reasons?

themselves. Maybe that’s the case,

“Any encroachment that falls within the final construction

but I’ve never been able to prove it. But I do know the state’s

footprint, whether it be utilities, a

attitude toward fences has changed

gate, fence or vegetation, will need to

dramatically over the past couple

be removed or temporarily relocated

of years. The flood board stopped

in order to construct improvements,”

handing out levee fence permits.

Davis says, adding SAFCA doesn’t

In the past two years, they actually

yet know precisely where the

said no to various homeowners. And

construction will take place.

they began to enforce rules against

For about 30 years, the state’s

illegal encroachments by riverfront

local flood control agency had an

homeowners, whose disregard

extraordinarily liberal policy toward

for public access rights can be

handing out cross-levee fence permits.

monumental.

Basically, any property owner who

So the battle for public access to

bothered to file paperwork asking

the Sacramento River Bike Trail has

for a fence permit got one. I’ve been

reached the mop-up stage. Politically,

researching the issue for two years

the city and state are aligned to make

and have never found an explanation

the levee and waterfront accessible.

for this misguided policy.

Maintenance provides the perfect

Some longtime Pocket neighbors believe there’s a cynical answer:

reason to tear down the fences. Even Google Maps is on board.

basic, old-fashioned greed and backscratching. They think certain state officials either had family or friends

R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com n

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Mad for Design KENNEDY’S PROGRAM SETS STUDENTS UP FOR CAREERS

ocal high school students interested in a career in manufacturing and design have an excellent program at our neighborhood school. Kennedy High School’s manufacturing and design (MaD) program offers a college and career pathway in areas such as global manufacturing, robotics, design, automotive and aviation. The 20162017 school year marks the first time the program has been offered at all four grade levels. Freshman Lauren LaBrasca is new to the MaD program. She plans to pursue a career in fashion design. “At first, I questioned if this program was for me,” she said. “The program director encouraged me to consider the program. As other students might be designing buildings, I could design a pair of shoes.” Students get to design projects in 3D using the latest technology. “The MaD program is very interesting in various ways and I believe will provide opportunities for me in the future,” says LaBrasca. “The program allows me to take these sophisticated classes as part of my high school coursework that will be applied to college credit.” For information about the MaD program, contact director Robert Greene at robert-greene@scusd.edu.

Lauren LaBrasca is a student in Kennedy High School's manufacturing and design program

HOMELESS CAMP ON THE LEVEE Local resident David Nash recently went for a run along the levee and came across a camp of homeless people about 150 yards north of Garcia Bend Park’s boat ramp. Concerned about a large amount of garbage he said he saw, Nash reported the encampment to City Councilmember Rick Jennings’ office. Within a few days, police evicted the campers, and the city hired a hazardous waste disposal company to clean up the site.

By Shane Singh Pocket Life

The trash left behind by a homeless camp has now been cleaned up

LIFE page 14

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CITY FROM page 10 in emergency loans to the center starting in 1997. The center lacked the revenues to make payments on the loans for years. It still owes $6.5 million, with full repayment (without interest) expected in 2040. A proposal to expand the convention center was floated three years ago but was quickly shelved following the public release of a report from Eye on Sacramento (the civic watchdog group that I head) that revealed the center was losing an astonishing $16 million annually and been consistently losing money at such levels for 14 years, a fact unknown at the time even by city councilmembers. Last month, EOS released a second report on the convention center. Annual losses have increased to $19 million, while aggregate city losses over the past 17 years have amounted to an eye-popping $267.9 million— more than enough to cover 100 percent of the city’s cash subsidy for the construction of the new Golden 1 Center. Let that fun fact sink in for a moment. Sacramento currently spends 87 percent, or $19 million, of its $21.8 million in annual hotel tax revenues on subsidizing convention center losses, while the 10 West Coast cities we principally compete with for convention business use only between 14 percent and 64 percent of their hotel taxes on their convention centers. (Average use: 45 percent.) In those cities, remaining hotel tax revenues are used to fund general government functions like police, parks and street repairs. So despite a convention center track record of consistent and growing failure, city staff again wants to expand the convention center, as if a bigger center will somehow magically turn around the financial disaster that the center has been for decades. This same song and dance has been played out before city councils across the country in recent years, leading to one gigantic money pit after another. In 2011, Las Vegas doubled the size of its convention center. Attendance of 1,279,383 in 2011 dropped to

1,212,038 in 2012—despite a doubling of the center’s size. In 1997, before a major expansion, Seattle’s Washington State Convention & Trade Center hosted 183,875 out-of-state attendees. By 2011, its attendance had fallen to 147,345. The Pennsylvania Convention Center expansion in the 1990s was forecasted to generate 664,800 hotel night bookings by 2001. But by 2002 it had only 336,000 bookings. In 2011, after another expansion, it had just 311, 810. In 2003, San Francisco expanded Moscone Center. In the late ’90s, attendance averaged 694,000 a year. After the expansion, attendance fell to 540,660 in 2004 and 482,035 in 2005. The same sorry story of absurdist consultant projections and falling attendance has played out in St. Louis, Orlando, Washington, D.C., Chicago and numerous other cities, large and small. After poor attendance results followed Boston’s 2004 convention center expansion, the then-executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, James Rooney, had this to say about the experience: “When I talk to people from other cities about making a public investment in a convention center, I’m equally blunt about the feasibility studies these consultants use to justify [such] investments … some of these guys ought to be taken out and shot.” The adage “build it and they will come” works just fine in fantasist Hollywood movies, but it’s a reckless and thoroughly discredited approach to convention center investments.

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PULLING THE WOOL OVER THE COUNCIL’S EYES On May 3, the City Council approved $1,340,825 in contracts to three firms “… to proceed with the project development phase of an integrated project to renovate the Community Center Theater and expand the Sacramento Convention Center.”

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The city plans to add large rocks to the area to dissuade future campers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We as a neighborhood need to report any camps we see ASAP to avoid it growing to the size this camp did,â&#x20AC;? said Nash. To report encampments along the river, call the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call center at 311 or Jenningsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; office at 808-7007.

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CITY FROM page 13 The city staff report that was used to sell the council on the idea of expanding the Convention Center relied heavily on a 2012 study prepared by Conventions, Sports & Leisure International. But that study, entitled “Preliminary Findings Associated With the Current and Future Market Potential for the Sacramento Convention Center,” contains critical comments against an expansion that are suspiciously and inexcusably absent from staff’s May 3 report to the council. In short, city staff cherry-picked data and findings from the CS&L study but failed miserably to provide councilmembers with crucial points in the study that clearly state that an expansion of the convention center is not needed. It was on the basis of the May 3 report that the council first decided to move forward with the expansion of the convention center. The latest EOS report concludes: “We’ve now determined that the council was misled by its staff into believing that its principal convention center consultant … was solidly in favor of the proposed expansion when, in fact, it was largely opposed to it.” The CS&L study states that: “Demand research specific to Sacramento did not identify an immediate or short-term need for significant additions of space” and “[t]hese data indicate that there is not a large base of existing unmet event demand to support a near-term significant expansion of convention space.” None of these findings, or another half dozen similar to them, were ever disclosed to the city council in the May 3 staff report. It’s very serious business when city staff misleads the council into a decision to incur hundreds of millions of dollars of debt for a project that the city’s own principal consultant counsels is ill advised. But the current mayor and city manager are heading out the door and, as with most publicsector scandals and project failures, it’s unlikely that anyone in city government will be held accountable for such contemptible, fraudulent misconduct.

For the past three years, Eye on Sacramento has been a strong advocate of both ethics and transparency reform in city government. Following 10 public forums on ethics and transparency reforms, EOS and its Ethics Reform Subgroup have proposed a city ethics code that would require, among other provisions, that all city employees who appear before, or provide reports to, the City Council annually sign statements promising never to lie to, or mislead, the council. The EOS ethics code also provides that staff will experience adverse impacts on their careers if they break their promise, up to and including termination. EOS has also proposed that the city charter be amended to create a fully independent, funded and staffed ethics commission, with the jurisdiction and authority to hold senior city officials accountable for violations of the ethics code. The council’s law and legislation committee has been dragging its feet for 14 months reviewing a heavily watered-down set of ethics and transparency reforms, none of which, if ever adopted, would provide any remedy or mechanism for effectively and judiciously dealing with senior city staff who chose to lie to or mislead the council.

THE ‘GO BIG OR GO HOME’ ALTERNATIVE Barry Broome, the high-energy, plainspoken CEO of the Greater Sacramento Area Economic Council, has voiced many of the same concerns that EOS has about the city’s rush to expand the convention center: inadequate vetting of the current proposal, the absence of a clear business plan or feasibility study, the lack of adequate public outreach and public dialogue, misleading staff characterizations of the findings of its principal consultant, and inadequate research. To these concerns, Broome adds another: a failure by city staff to consider alternatives to expanding the current convention center. The current campus of the convention center and theater is pretty tightly landlocked. Broome and his principal ally on the

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Reserve your Visitation November 17 & January 19 Visit the Mira Loma website for application and other information at www.sanjuan.edu/MiraLoma Contact Jeannine Hall: jhall@sanjuan.edu or 971-7488 Mira Loma High School • 4000 Edison Avenue issue, Josh Wood of Region Builders, believe that the city should think big or go home, meaning build a substantially larger new convention center so that Sacramento can break into the market for larger conventions, perhaps in the up-and-(slowly)-coming Downtown Railyards. Broome is also excited over the possibility of developing a convention facility through a public/private partnership, with much of the development capital provided by private-sector partners. Broome is aware of the strong market trend toward holding conventions in convention centers owned and operated by adjoining hotels. According to Broome, hotel-based convention centers now draw 56 percent of all convention business in the country. (I attended a four-day conference last month in Nashville at the gargantuan and luxurious Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, next-door to the legendary Grand Ole Opry. I left the grounds just twice during my stay.) The fundamental problem with such an idea is that the size of a convention center is not the primary determinant

of market demand for convention space, as the disastrous experiences of Las Vegas, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Francisco, etc., show. While hotel-based convention centers are increasingly popular and quite convenient for conventioneers, the tourist attractions that a city offers visitors are also a very large factor in the siting decisions of convention planners. If the attendees of a large convention have a choice of going to a convention in San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach or Sacramento, which city are they likely to choose? As much as I love my hometown, I don’t think I’d bet the farm that they’d choose Sacramento. To read the EOS report “History of Sacramento’s Hotel Tax Subsidy & Convention Center Subsidy: A ‘Tsunami of Red Ink,’” go to eyeonsacramento.org. Craig Powell is a local attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030 n

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Yes on Measure B IT WILL FUND CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS

BY STEVE HANSEN

emember the last time rushhour gridlock made you late for work? Or the time you swerved to miss a gaping pothole and nearly careened into the car in the next lane? Count these among the many aspects of our deteriorating roads and transit system—mounting problems for which Measure B offers a longterm solution. Measure B, on the November ballot, will generate $3.6 billion over 30 years to repave streets, repair aging roads and bridges, fund highway, connector and interchange projects, and support maintenance, security and expansion of transit services.

A majority of this money will go toward filling potholes, resurfacing roads and modernizing roadways. A majority of this money will go toward filling potholes, resurfacing roads and modernizing roadways throughout the county so that they are safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, drivers and transit users. We all recognize the need here in Sacramento to “Fix It First.” Every day when we drive to work, we see and feel potholes that damage our vehicles and make our

POC NOV n 16

roadways dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians. If we don’t fill the potholes now, they will only get bigger and more expensive to fix, and make it even more expensive for cashstrapped families to repair damaged vehicles. Measure B will also fund essential countywide transportation projects, including fixing the Capital City Freeway bottleneck and improving service, safety and security on light rail and buses. Measure B requires that 75 percent of the funds generated in the first five years address lingering and deferred

maintenance issues. To ensure that these funds are spent properly, a citizens oversight committee will perform annual audits of the expenditure plan, which can be found at sacramentogo.com. In the unincorporated areas of Sacramento County alone, the budget is $8 million a year for road repair and maintenance versus a $450 million backlog. The cities of Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt and Isleton face similar daunting backlogs. That’s why nearly 70 percent of Measure B funding is directed

proportionally to all local agencies for road repair and maintenance. Measure B provides a dedicated source of local funding so that Sacramento County can secure state and federal matching funds when they become available. These funds will be necessary to complete our future plans to bring light rail to the airport and Elk Grove and improve our transportation infrastructure as our regional economy continues to grow. The transportation improvement projects in Measure B will keep Sacramento motorists safe, pave the way for first responders to do their job, enable businesses to run efficiently, make our region attractive for economic investment, and allow families to make their way safely around the county. That’s why Democrats like Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg and Republicans like Supervisor Susan Peters have joined with local businesses and labor unions, Friends of Light Rail, Downtown Sacramento Partnership and others to support Measure B. So this fall when you get your ballot, find Measure B and vote yes. Steve Hansen represents District 4 on the Sacramento City Council. n

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Follow the Rainbow HERNANDEZ ELEVATED TO LEADERSHIP ROLE IN LGBT BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

ongratulations are in order for Richard Hernandez, the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors’ recently elected president. He becomes the organization’s first Hispanic president since its founding in 2001. Hernandez, along with other newly elected chamber board members and officers, were sworn into office by Sacramento Mayor-Elect Darrell Steinberg at the chamber’s 2016 Awards and Scholarship Dinner on Sept. 15. “I am proud of our chamber’s accomplishments and growth over the past several years and it is my honor to serve as its president,” Hernandez says. “Rainbow Chamber has helped expand opportunities for LGBT-owned businesses throughout California through the legislative process, led efforts to designate the Lavender Heights neighborhood and install the landmark Rainbow Crosswalk, and contributed to the economic growth of our community. “With the support of the outstanding business leaders and professionals who make up our board, I am confident we will continue to build on our achievements in the coming year.” Among its accomplishments over the past year, the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce led

jL By Jessica Laskey

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For more information, go to support.pancan.org. William Land Park is at 3800 Land Park Drive.

MERCY ME!

Richard Hernandez is the new president of the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce

fundraising efforts for installation of a Rainbow Crosswalk in Lavender Heights, commemorating Sacramento’s historic LGBT neighborhood; took over production of monthly Drag Queen Bingo events, raising more than $30,000 for local nonprofit organizations; increased its membership by nearly 50 percent; endorsed 14 candidates for office in the 2016 primary election through its nonpartisan RainbowPAC affiliate; and won a 2016 National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Community Impact Award. For more information, go to rainbowchamber.com.

PURPLE PRIDE It’s common knowledge that cancer touches everyone, whether you yourself are battling it or know someone who is or has. So why not join the fight by donning your sneakers to help stamp out pancreatic cancer at the PurpleStride Sacramento 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk on Nov. 12 at William Land Park? This year’s family-friendly race will take participants on a lovely route through the park to help raise funds, awareness and support for pancreatic cancer research. The day will also include children’s activities, music, refreshments, the ShopPurple store and more.

It’s almost time to start your holiday shopping in earnest (yes, really), so start the season off right at the Mercy General Hospital Guild Fabulous Holiday Boutique and Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the Dante Club. Fortify yourself with a delicious lunch of pork chops with risotto and chicken with balsamic sauce, green salad, seasonal vegetables, rolls, beverage and dessert. Then get your wallet ready for an outstanding selection of vendors to make all those you give a gift to this year happy to know you. You’ll also be supporting the Mercy Guild, a nonprofit group that provides information and clerical support to Mercy General Hospital. The boutique and social hour will take place at 11 a.m. and the luncheon will begin at noon. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by check and sent (along with your menu selection) to BeBe Wright, 7247 Havenside Drive, Sacramento, CA 95831. Reservations must be received by Nov. 7. For more information, call 4242628. The Dante Club is at 2330 Fair Oaks Blvd.

GET INVOLVED If you live in Land Park and have ever wondered what goes on with the Land Park Community Association, check it out for yourself at the LPCA’s monthly meeting at Eskaton

Lodge on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Find out what the neighborhood group has going and meet your neighbors and fellow Land Park lovers at this informational meeting. For more information, go to landpark.org. Eskaton Monroe Lodge is at 3225 Freeport Blvd.

STEP UP The Down Syndrome Information Alliance needs your help. What better way to pitch in than to get some exercise and lend a hand (foot?) at the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk and 5k Run from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Nov. 6, in William Land Park?

This fun-filled day and picnic will help the DSIA raise muchneeded money to continue its lifechanging programs and outreach. This fun-filled day and picnic will help the DSIA raise much-needed money to continue its life-changing programs and outreach into 2017 and beyond. Event highlights will include food trucks from Chando’s Tacos, Kado’s Asian Grill, Cecil’s Taste and Yolanda’s Tamales, a fire truck display, bounce houses, a kids’ activity center, resource tables from local agencies, entertainment from Dusty’s Puppets and Music to Grow On, a table full of delectable baked goods, popsicles and hot chocolate provided by Umpqua Bank, and a visit from Now 100.5 Radio. Registration for the 5k starts at 8 a.m., the run starts at 9 a.m. (when registration for the walk begins), the walk starts at 10 a.m., and lunch and entertainment begin at 11 a.m. To sign up or for more information, go to downsyndromeinfo.org/events/.

The Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk and 5k Run takes place on Nov. 6

The event will take place in William Land Park at Village Green at the corner of Freeport Boulevard and Sutterville Road.

MEAL ON WHEELS Hungry? Of course you are! Don’t miss this month’s installment of Food Truck Mania from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the corner of Freeport Boulevard and Sutterville Road. Join the Land Park Community Association for oodles of gourmet food trucks, great music and kidfriendly entertainment and celebrate living in this wonderfully vibrant neighborhood.

For more information, go to landpark.org.

WINTER IS COMING Winter might be rapidly approaching (Fairytale Town’s winter hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., start on Tuesday, Nov. 1), but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the great outdoors at the newly opened Sacramento Adventure Playground, a project of Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Play Coalition. Check out this awesome play area for free at Community Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12. All ages are invited to create their own play structures and spaces by re-purposing everyday items such as

cardboard boxes, household wares, natural elements and unexpected items. The playground is a fun and safe environment where children can use their imagination and creativity to direct their own play, which is a proven method to encourage growth and development. Community Day also will feature special activities and craft projects, including Box Forts, Mud Play and Slide, Sand Play, bike riding (bring your bike and helmet!), craft projects, bubbles, painting and more. Families are requested to wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get messy. The event will take place rain or shine. The Sacramento Adventure Playground is at 3301 37th Ave. LIFE IN THE CITY page 20

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LIFE IN THE CITY FROM page 19 After you’ve finished stuffing yourself with turkey, celebrate Nationwide Free Admission Day and the Canned Food Drive at Fairytale Town from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25. On this day after Thanksgiving, get free admission by bringing a canned food item for donation to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services Holiday Spirit of Giving Food Drive. The day also includes free arts and crafts activities. For more information, call 8087462 or go to fairytaletown.org. Fairytale Town is at 3901 Land Park Drive.

PARK PLANS If you’ve been eagerly awaiting news about the plans for the Land Park retail center The Park, proposed for 4700-4790 Freeport Blvd., Ben van der Meer of The Sacramento Business Journal had some news to share in his article on Sept. 9. According to van der Meer, new plans for the center were recently

The Sacramento Adventure Playground is at 3301 37th Ave.

resubmitted to reflect suggestions for changes from the city and its

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residents. Those changes include adding more bike and walking paths, a new bike entrance and more outdoor patio space. Other than that, as van der Meer quotes Todd Oliver, a principal with development firm Mo Capital, “The general site plan as a shopping center is pretty much the same.” Raley’s has already signed on as an anchor tenant with a 55,000-squarefoot store on the site of the former Capital Nursery. Apart from Raley’s, the developer hasn’t identified any other possible tenants in the center, but we do know what it doesn’t have: a gas station. Good news

in the wake of discussions over a proposed Safeway gas station for the retail center in the Crocker Village development being built by developer Paul Petrovich a few miles away. (The gas station proposal was denied.) The Park proposal went before the City Planning Commission for a vote on Oct. 20 and is projected to go before the Sacramento City Council before Thanksgiving. Then, says Oliver, “If we get approved, we’ll try to get things going as quickly as possible.” Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com n

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Signs waiting to be restored

The Pacific Neon Company crew, Rick Hatala, Esau Garcia and Ryan Drury

Bright Lights NEON SIGNS OF THE TIMES ARE DISPLAYED AT GOLDEN 1 CENTER

ower Records. Shakey’s Pizza. Coronet Portraits. From the 1920s through the 1960s, the most popular form of commercial signage was the neon sign. In Sacramento, neon illuminated much of Midtown and downtown.

SC By Scot Crocker

The signs are tested at Pacific Neon Company

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Many of the city’s neon signs were built by Sacramento’s Pacific Neon Company. The Center for Sacramento History, an archive of Sacramento memorabilia, historical artifacts, documents and more, now houses more than 17 large neon signs from local businesses. The owners of the Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center decided to use some of those signs as historic art at the new downtown arena. They picked six signs that once hung outside local businesses:

Tower Records, Shakey’s Pizza, Coronet Portraits, Sleepers Stamp and Stationery, Franke’s Drugs and Fountain and Newbert Hardware. “It was a no-brainer to pick iconic businesses like Tower and Shakey’s,” says Veronica Kandl, a curator at the Center for Sacramento History. “We had to consider other factors when selecting signs, like size and how structurally sound they were.” Pacific Neon, which has been building and installing commercial signs in Sacramento for 70 years, took on the challenge of fixing the signs,

adding new wiring and transformers, replacing the blown glass and refilling the glass with gas. “We wanted the signs in working order but not completely restored,” says Kandl. “In the museum field, you don’t completely restore history. The patina of an old sign tells a story, and we wanted to retain that. These signs do not look new. That’s how we wanted to show them in the arena.”

DOWNTOWN page 25

The signs are transported and installed at the new arena

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No on Measure B IT’S A SHORTSIGHTED APPROACH TO TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

he Sacramento Transportation Authority placed a questionable sales-tax measure on the November ballot. It calls for Sacramento County residents to tax themselves even more whenever they make a purchase. The new tax would be on top of the existing countywide sales tax devoted to transportation. Measure B would double the transportation tax rate and be imposed for 30 years. While sales taxes are convenient for government to collect, Measure B is decidedly bad tax policy. It’s even worse transportation policy, bad environmental policy and bad health policy. There are much smarter, fairer ways to raise and spend money for transportation. From the very start, the process that developed Measure B was flawed. The public was excluded as decisions were made by nonelected government staff and paid consultants. When the proposal developed behind closed doors was put before elected officials, those officials gave short shrift to public concerns about project priorities and their environmental impacts. In contrast, they paid very close attention to comments from developers and construction industry representatives, prime beneficiaries of the measure.

WS By Walt SeLfert

POC NOV n 16

Taxes hit people in the pocketbook, so any new tax must be carefully crafted and spent wisely for the greatest good. Federal and state legislators have been derelict in their duty to adequately fund transportation. Gas taxes have been fixed on a per-gallon basis for decades, with no adjustment for the better mileage newer cars get or for the effects of inflation. But raising transportation funding through a local sales tax instead of a gas or mileage tax is not the right way to go. It’s unfair and regressive. Those who use the roads the most should pay more for new road projects and maintenance. Everyone pays sales taxes, whether they drive or not. The poor pay proportionately more, even though they drive less. Yet the biggest problem with Measure B is not the taxation method but how the money will be used. Wellthought-out regional transportation plans call for any new transportation revenue to be used exclusively for road maintenance and transit maintenance and operations—known as a “fix-it-first” approach. There is nothing inherently wrong with that approach. Unfortunately, the proposed work in Measure B is not limited to fixit-first projects. It includes hugely expensive road and transit projects, such as the Southeast Connector and extensions of light rail to Elk Grove and the airport. These projects are sprawl inducing and sprawl supportive. Over the long term, the road capacity projects will induce more people to drive. They won’t, as the measure claims, result in congestion relief. Instead, they will

cause more congestion grief. We need transit that provides frequent and fast service, not a system that ensures poor service by diluting it over a large area.

Over the long term, the road capacity projects will induce more people to drive. They won’t, as the measure claims, result in congestion relief.

While the automotive and tech industries recognize that transportation is going to be transformed, Measure B doesn’t. It locks in 30 years’ worth of spending based on today’s transportation model, not a future system that will be radically different. It’s simply not flexible or visionary enough. Measure B’s business-asusual approach will not improve neighborhood livability or quality of life. In fact, increased traffic will result in more noise and air pollution. Transportation is the economic sector that creates 40 percent of the greenhouse gases that causes global warming. Measure B doesn’t change the existing fossil-fuel-burning transportation paradigm. Measure B’s promotional materials promise to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, but there is absolutely no certainty it will deliver on that promise. The measure makes using funds for cost-effective, healthy pedestrian and bicycle projects optional, not obligatory. Further, the increased traffic from road capacity projects will make pedestrians and bicyclists less safe, not more. We need taxes that are fairly raised and wisely spent. We need a transportation system that doesn’t hurt neighborhoods or the environment and helps make our citizens healthier, not sicker. Measure B fails as a fair tax measure and fails to deliver the best transportation system. Not only can we do better; we must do better. Vote No!

The 30-year life of Measure B is hugely problematic. Because of emerging self-driving technology, we are on the cusp of a revolution in transportation. It is not clear how this future will play out, but we should anticipate dramatic changes. These changes will come soon, perhaps within five years. They certainly will materialize within the 30-year life of Measure B. Driverless cars are already on the streets in Pittsburgh and Singapore. There is fierce competition to develop and mature self-driving technology. Consortiums of automakers, tech companies such as Google and Apple, and transportation service providers such as Uber and Lyft have hired thousands of employees and are Walt Seifert writes “Getting There” investing billions of dollars to alter fundamentally the way we get around. for Inside Publications. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net n

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For Pacific Neon, the job required a combination of craftsmanship, artistry and detective work. “We left the rust and the aged look for each sign,” says Ryan Drury, an account representative and a thirdgeneration member of the family that owns Pacific Neon. “It was an involved process that involved checking out every part of the sign.” Drury’s crew took the signs apart and cleaned them. They tried to salvage transformers and wiring, but in many cases they had to add new, high-voltage wiring. They repaired and replaced neon tubes. If sections were missing, they had to guesstimate the bends in the tubes from old photos. “It was an amazing experience,” says Drury. “These older signs are all unique. Many represent our history. Pacific Neon did all the Tower signs locally and throughout the world, so bringing the Tower neon signs back and to see them in the arena is a thrill for us.” Fixing neon is no easy task. Most commercial lighted signs now use LED lights, which are more efficient and cost effective. The old outdoor signs had taken a beating from the elements and from critters that had used them as their homes. Finding people who know the art of glass blowing and bending becomes more difficult every day. “We got a guy who knows neon,” said Drury. “He’s kind of the last

of his kind. He’s in his 50s and was interested in neon and learned how to blow glass from an old pro who taught him how. He’s very talented and knows the art form.” Pacific Neon doesn’t make many neon signs these days. But it still gets requests for neon. Drury says the company produces neon or neonlike signs for businesses like as Pizza Rock, Fox & Goose and Zelda’s Pizza. “Neon is a brilliant source of illumination and advertising,” he says. “These older signs are unique with cool colors and the drama of advertising as it used to be.” After repairing the signs, Drury and his team packed them up and shipped them to Golden 1 Center for installation just in time for the arena’s opening in early October. Kandl credits the owners of the Kings and the arena for paying for the repairs and restoration of the nostalgic signs and putting them on display. “It’s so nice to see them come to life,” she says. Drury agrees. “It’s been an amazing experience,” he says. “We gave life to these old signs. While the arena may be the most high-tech arena ever, these signs represent old-school Sacramento. You can’t help but notice them. While they aren’t my era, many in Sacramento will remember the names and iconic brands of the companies that made Sacramento home.” Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@crockercrocker.com n

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What Lies Beneath IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SOIL

nless we are growing root vegetables such as radishes or carrots, we tend to focus on what is above ground in our gardens. We think in terms of feeding plants when what we really need to do is build a healthy soil conducive to growth. The soil provides air, water and nutrients to a plant’s roots, but it can also be a source of problems. You need to dig beneath the surface, figuratively and literally, to evaluate the health of your plants. You may already have removed your summer vegetable garden. If you haven’t, pull up the plants and take a good look at the roots. They should be devoid of masses of white nodules that indicate root knot nematodes have invaded your planting area. Nematodes are bad news for many fruits and vegetables, although there are some resistant varieties. You can reduce nematode population by solarizing the soil in the summer, rotating crops or leaving soil fallow (unplanted) for a year or two Tomatoes should have deep root systems. If the roots haven’t penetrated very far, it could be that you didn’t loosen the root ball of the plant during planting, or the soil was too dry or compacted. Sometimes you will discover that the roots have rotted away and the soil is soggy just a few inches beneath the surface. You may simply be overwatering, or there may be an

AC By Anita Clevenger

POC NOV n 16

impenetrable layer of hardpan under the surface. Most vegetables need regular water and good drainage. Drainage is an issue for most of the drought-tolerant plants suited to our Mediterranean climate. Many a salvia and lavender have rotted miserably away in my home garden’s dense silt-clay soil. They thrive in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery’s well-drained sandy loam, where I’ve gardened for many years. At my house, if you fill a hole with water, it drains very slowly. In the cemetery, it empties in 30 minutes or less. It’s amazing how different the soil is just 5 miles apart. If you have poorly drained soil, improve its drainage by mixing in fine lava rock, known as “lava fines,” and building mounds before planting.

If you aren’t sure what kind of soil you have, get your hands dirty and feel it. Squeeze a handful of damp soil and form it into a ball. If it holds together, feels smooth and makes a 2-inch or longer ribbon when you rub it between your thumb and forefinger, it’s clay. If the soil feels gritty and makes a short ribbon or crumbles apart, it’s sandy. Many soils are a combination of both, along with silt and organic matter. The condition of all types of soil will benefit if you maintain layers of compost and mulch on its surface, feeding the underground organisms that enrich and aerate the soil. Replenish this layer regularly because it rapidly decomposes.

Most Sacramento soils are low in nitrogen and organic matter and are somewhat alkaline. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth but is water soluble and quickly runs through. You can analyze soil to see what nutrients are present and determine its pH (a measurement of acidity or alkalinity). Use a do-it-yourself test kit, available online and in garden centers, or send a sample to a laboratory for more complete analysis and recommendations. With the test results, you can better determine what fertilizers and other amendments are needed for the plants you want to grow. If an area will remain unplanted during the winter, many gardeners improve their soil by planting a cover

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crop of nitrogen-fixing plants, such as vetch, clover, fava beans or peas, in early fall. It’s a bit late in the season to start a cover crop, but Bill Maynard, Sacramento’s director of community gardens, recommends spreading a layer of compost, steer or chicken manure over your garden and covering it with a deep layer of leaves or straw. You can dig fruit and vegetable kitchen scraps into the soil underneath the leaves to add more organic matter, but bury them at least 6 inches deep to avoid attracting

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rodents. When it’s time for spring planting, the soil will be richer with very few weeds. For the best plants above the ground, make sure that the best soil lies beneath. Anita Clevenger is a Lifetime Sacramento County Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, including a list of laboratories that do soil testing, call the Master Gardeners at 876-5336 or go to sacmg.ucanr.edu n

There’s still time to ¿nd the right school for your child

Tickets

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Diego El Cigala TUE, NOV 1 • 8PM

Diego El Cigala has often been touted as “the Sinatra of Flamenco.” The Madrid native and three-time Grammy winner has earned a reputation for seamlessly melding the rhythms and melodies of his Spanish Gitano heritage with styles ranging from bolero to tango and Afro-Caribbean jazz.

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE A Dance Company SAT, NOV 5 • 8PM This program includes a rousing ensemble piece exploring Afro-Cuban rhythms and a look at the parallel journey of U.S., Cuban and West African traditions towards love.

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny

SUN, NOV 6 • 3PM Adapted from Margaret Wise Brown’s classic tales, both stage adaptations feature endearing animal puppets, stunning scenic effects based on Clement Hurd’s illustrations, and evocative musical accompaniment.

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SAT, NOV 12 • 8PM In their inaugural tour of North America, the Havana Cuba All-Stars presents an eclectic yet intimate collection of sounds revealing the rich Cuban tapestry of music.

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Merry Kerrie

LOCAL DESIGNER’S HOME FEATURED ON CHRISTMAS TOUR

jF By Julie Foster

POC NOV n 16

hen the organizers of the Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour approached Kerrie Kelly and her husband, Vinny Catalano, about including their East Sac home on the upcoming tour, they weren’t expecting a positive response. So they were delighted when the couple said yes. During the holidays, Kelly and her design team at Kerrie Kelly Design Lab usually spend their time and creative energy decorating other people’s homes for the holidays. “So mine never gets done,” she says. But her husband pushed for a change in their routine. “He said, ‘Let’s do the tour. I want a Christmas tree this year,’” she explains.

“

WE WANTED TO CREATE A MEMORY ALONG WITH A SENSE OF HOSPITALITY.

When Kelly and Catalano moved into their 1927 bungalow in 2010, they revamped the three bathrooms, painted the interior and added bookcases, trim and molding throughout. A new outdoor kitchen extended their entertaining area. Tour goers will get a hint of what’s inside when they catch a glimpse of the couple’s newly refurbished 1986 Wagoneer with wood trim parked in the driveway. The seats were reupholstered with leather and Black Watch tartan fabric. Plaid-on-plaid blankets will fill the trunk. A Christmas tree on top will evoke the holiday spirit.

”

The front porch’s banisters will be draped with vintage lights in primary colors. Pillows tucked into red Adirondack chairs announce Kelly’s decorating theme: Welcome to East Sacramento. Relles Florist will supply florals for the house, including red roses, magnolias and eucalyptus. “There will be nothing cute or tricky about this,” Kelly says. “It is just about celebrating the holidays.” Kelly’s previous work with Ralph Lauren is evident throughout her polished, preppy home. The decorating scheme will

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incorporate equestrian touches such as horse ribbons and lots of plaid. “Layering plaid on plaid is the new black this holiday season,” she says. Kelly plans to switch out some of her fabrics and draperies for the tour. A few pieces of furniture from Kelly’s new company, 42nd Street, will be integrated into the design. “We have a lot of new products to share,” she says. Five chefs will offer treats from Kelly’s kitchen. Coffee, cider, nibbles hot off the Wolf cook top and holiday cookies provided by Sweet Celebrations are just a few of the goodies that will be on offer. “People get hungry,” Kelly explains. “Some have even tried to eat the fake foods that have been put out on home tours.” Both the backyard and porch will be decorated. The garage will morph into a pop-up shop offering for sale many of the items seen throughout Kelly’s home. All proceeds from the sale will go to Sacred Heart School. Kelly notes her home is small.

POC NOV n 16

“I am an exercise in small-space living,” she explains. The short tour route through her home puts a special emphasis on seizing tour participants’ attention quickly and exciting their senses. “For many people, going on the home tour is a tradition and getting ideas for their home along the way,” she says. “We wanted to create a memory along with a sense of hospitality.” The 43rd annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour will take place Friday, Dec. 2, Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 on the days of the tour. For more information, go to sacredhearthometour.com. If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com n

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Art Preview

GALLERY ART SHOWS IN NOVEMBER

“Visions,” 17th Annual Open Juried Photography Show runs through Nov. 20. Shown above: “Jack Feeds His Friends”, a photograph by R. Favour. Sacramento Fine Arts Center, 5330-B Gibbons Drive, sacﬁnearts.org DaDas Art Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of paintings by Colombian artist Alejandro Naranjo through Dec.3. Shown: “Life Series” by Naranjo. DaDas Gallery is at 3655 J St.

Beatnik Gallery presents the work of Sacramento artists Bryan Valenzuela, Brain Shea and Rora Blue through Nov. 30. Shown: “Full of the Feels in the Nebulous Deep,” Bryan Valenzuela, mixed media. 723 S St.; beatnik-studios.com

POC NOV n 16

Sparrow Gallery presents the work by Linda Clark Johnson and Mary Carboni through Dec. 3. Shown above: Linda Clark Johnson’s “Moon Daisies” Cyanotype 2418 K St., sparrowgllerysacramento.com

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Too Tall? AT 14 STORIES, MIDTOWN PROJECT RAISES A HOST OF ISSUES

amanee is the name of a 14-story development proposed for the southeast corner of 25th and J streets. The building will have 134 for-sale luxury condos located above 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and multiple stories for parking. According to Midtown resident and Yamanee developer Ryan Heater, the building will be world-class. Yamanee’s designers include New York architect Chris Smith and Australian Bruce Henderson, who, according to Heater, not only has offices in London and Hong Kong but “is really one of the best in the world.” This is his first major American project. While there’s been little objection that Yamanee could be a beautiful building, the issue of its height and location has raised eyebrows. According to Sacramento’s 2035 general plan, new development in J Street’s urban corridor cannot exceed six stories, which means Yamanee will rise some 100 feet higher than currently permitted by code. However, a clause within the general plan allows projects to deviate from those limitations when they provide “significant community benefits.” Proponents of Yamanee have cited benefits such as sustainable development, alley activation, public connectivity,

JV By Jordan Venema

POC NOV n 16

Rendering of Yamanee

decreased dependency on cars, and new housing units to justify the development, and the city agreed.

The city’s Planning Commission approved Yamanee’s proposal in May, and though preservationist William Burg subsequently filed an appeal, the

City Council unanimously rejected that appeal. Following the appeal’s rejection, an organization called Sacramentans

for Fair Planning filed a lawsuit to stop the development, claiming that the loophole within the general plan could permit developers to deviate from the code without exception. Karen Jacques, co-founder of Sacramentans for Fair Planning, says the general plan has “created a total loophole where essentially you have the potential to say that anything about a project offers significant community benefit.” This loophole, she continues, has allowed the city “to approve a building that is 100 feet taller than allowed under the zoning code, three times the floor area ratio. They evoke significant community benefit, but the city has no formal definition of what that is, let alone how to measure it or what you should get back.” One possible way to measure benefits, suggests Jacques, is to create a ratio between affordable and market-rate units, which could allow limited deviation based upon the number of affordable units provided. Jacques argues that the general plan must have guidelines that are “clearly defined, measurable, enforceable and with a limit.” Angela Tillotson, president of Midtown Neighborhood Association, says she understands Jacques’ concern but supports the project. “As far as significant community benefits goes, I agree that it’s a vague term, but trying to define community benefits is like trying to define beauty,” says Tillotson. “To me, the greatest community benefit is housing. We are in a severe housing crisis.” Interpreting the general plan becomes even more difficult in the context of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s In Downtown housing initiative, which was announced in January 2015 and called for 10,000 new housing units to be built in the central city over the next decade. The 2035 general plan was finalized only two months later in March 2015, after four years of workshops, meetings and community input. “So that [housing initiative] brings a different perspective to interpreting the plan,” says Tillotson, “and had they known about it during the

planning process, it would have had some influence.” “This is where judgment comes in,” says Heater. “Otherwise, we don’t need planners, and we’d just plug [a project like Yamanee] into the computer and it would give a pass or fail and we’re done.” For Heater, the issue comes down to the trust placed in elected officials and planners who understand the planning process. “This is why we have elected officials and vote for people who study and understand the issues.” City councilmember Steve Hansen, in whose district Yamanee will be built, compares the city’s general plan to a living document. “Slavish adherence to a plan that was created a decade ago is not typically how cities operate,” says Hansen. “It was a moment in time that sets some expectations but also has flexibility in it, and a general plan is not etched in stone.” But Jacques and Yamanee opponents argue that Yamanee establishes a precedent that other developers can ignore limitations within the general plan. “On a larger level,” explains Jacques, “when you approve something for which there is no clear definition to allow approval, or without clear limit, you’ve entered into planning chaos. This is the basis upon which land speculation is encouraged. “As a landowner in Midtown, I may assume that, ‘Oh, I’m going to be able to build something much taller, and get more money out of it in the future, so I’m not going to put energy into maintaining my current building.” Tillotson disagrees. “That in itself is speculative,” she says. “You are speculating that people are going to speculate.” Speculation aside, Yamanee raises another question: Did the community’s input into the general plan even matter? California cities are required by state law to include its residents in the process of creating a new general plan, and Jacques was one of many Sacramentans who attended local workshops and meetings.

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“There were four years of community input and decisionmaking about what overlay zones were appropriate and where,” explains Jacques. “I felt we had a really good plan, and that if the city stuck to it, going forward it would protect the things that we love but also add a lot of density, which we need.” When the city approved Yamanee, Jacques felt betrayed. “I feel that they betrayed all of us,” she says. “And the larger issue, the larger tragedy, is that when something like this happens, you send a message to the community and everybody who works in good faith: Don’t bother. Your input doesn’t matter anyway.” Will Yamenee improve the Midtown economy or lead to speculation blight? Will the building be architecturally significant or stick out like a sore thumb? Says Hansen: Projects like Yamanee “are sort of like Rorschach tests for a lot of folks.” Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com n

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Calling in Sick LIFE LESSONS FROM A MISGUIDED DAY OFF

ho hasn’t feigned illness to take a day off from work? This was my question as I called the Baylor University bookstore one Friday morning in the fall of 1978. When my manager picked up the line, I winked knowingly at my new girlfriend sitting beside me. “I’m not feeling well today.” Cough, cough. “I can’t come in until Monday.” “Then you’re fired!” he said. I wasn’t expecting the finality in his answer. I could hear a pulse in my ears. “Don’t come back,” he added before slamming down the phone receiver. My face flushed and my eyes suddenly felt overhydrated. I was having a grief reaction, anticipating the loss of the prestige I’d enjoyed interacting with university professors and freshman co-eds. How had I miscalculated this scenario? Was my boss aware of the love-struck hormonal illness with which I was afflicted? How would I afford to take my girlfriend to the backto-school dance? I had to make this right for many reasons. The bookstore was the center of university life, and I didn’t want to be dodging my boss for the next year. I needed to apologize. How does one apologize for such bald-faced lying? First, it’s always good to allow a cool-down period. I waited a few weeks

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

POC NOV n 16

for the back-to-school rush to and called for an appointment. Once inside the manager’s office, I kept it simple. I admitted that I hadn’t been sick. Plain and guileless. “I’m sorry for lying.” I didn’t excuse my action or bring my girlfriend into the picture. Second, I expressed understanding for his situation. I admitted that I had abandoned my colleagues, causing them to be shorthanded at the store’s busiest time of the year. Third, I asked for forgiveness. He granted that.

Finally, I think I surprised him when I asked his help to clarify the lessons I needed to learn. That question brought his deepest thought. “Who is it you want to be?” he asked. “Pardon me?” “Well, I know you’re a ministerial student, so I know what you want to be. But beyond that, who do you want be?” I thought I got his drift, but I wasn’t entirely sure. “I think above all,” he said, “you want to be a person who people trust.

I think you want to be a person who keeps his word.” “I see three lessons,” he continued. “First, don’t lie. Lying shows you don’t believe you’re capable of being who you want to be. Don’t sell yourself short. I know you are capable of being who you want to be.” “Second, if I’m not mistaken, Jesus said, ‘Let your yes be yes and your no, no. Whatever is more than these is from the evil one.’” In other words, my ex-boss was telling me to be sure of what I want before I commit to something. And when I do commit, I should keep my word. “Third.” He cleared his throat, trying to remember his third point. He gave up on that. “Just remember those two for now. Don’t lie and keep your word.” The bookstore manager was OK in my book—even if he didn’t give me my old job back. Fortunately, he gave me a good reference for a better-paying job as a night watchman in a local bank. Good thing, too. I could afford to take the girl to the dance. Unfortunately, I can’t dance, and she broke up with me. Happily, I met and married my wife after that. But that’s a story for another day. Norris Burkes is a chaplain, national speaker and author. On Veteran’s Day weekend, he will give a sermon at Impact Community Church about a soldier who asks God to forgive the insurgents who killed his squad leader. The church is at 8299 East Stockton Blvd. Services will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday and 9, 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Burkes can be reached at norris@thechaplain.net n

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No Shortcuts MAGPIE CAFE IS A LEADING LIGHT OF THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT

t’s a little before lunchtime on a Monday. A chalkboard on P Street announces Magpie Cafe’s daily specials, including a BLT that makes me wish I liked bacon. Inside, the menu is written on rustic butcher paper and attached to a yellow post. Wine lists are neatly stacked in baskets. Check out the ceiling. There is a lot of black, but it is an efficient and modern black. Ed Roehr, Magpie’s co-owner, walks in the front door carrying a stack of clean blue towels. He’s wearing sneakers with black socks, plaid shorts, large sunglasses and a porkpie hat—at least I think it is a porkpie. It’s a memorable ensemble even without the hat. It’s another day at the “office” for Roehr. While Roehr and Janel Inouye, his wife and Magpie’s co-owner, did not pioneer Sacramento’s farm-tofork movement, they are the next generation to embrace it. “We might have been first in the new wave,” Roehr says. He tips his hat to other Sacramento restaurants like Biba, Paragary’s and The Waterboy and says they were doing a great job before he and Inouye started their catering company in 2005, the forerunner to Magpie Cafe. “We’re at the same big table together,” he says. The couple earned their spot at Sacramento’s farm-to-fork table

AK By Angela Knight

POC NOV n 16

Janel Inouye and Ed Roehr of Magpie Cafe Photo courtesy of D L Cunningham Photography

through hard work and a commitment to offering seasonal and locally sourced food. Roehr started early in the business, washing dishes at Schooners, a restaurant that was located across the

street from Paragary’s. “I just never left the kitchen,” he says. “It seems like that was where I was supposed to be.” Inouye, a Sacramento native, also spent a lot of time in restaurants,

but her focus was on the front of the house. At one point in his career, Roehr went to Italy and worked in a restaurant in Venice for a year. That’s where he absorbed the philosophy behind the Slow Food movement, which advocates using quality, locally sourced ingredients, among other concepts. “The time I spent there was more about the lifestyle. There were no bars, TV or fast food,” he says. “It made me think about Sacramento and the bounty around us. How come we’re not doing this?” Although they’ve lived and worked in other places, including Santa Cruz and Honolulu, Roehr and Inouye returned to Sacramento to open their catering business. The couple started Magpie Catering with $10,000 and a business plan. They put an ad in the Yellow Pages (remember those?) and installed a business phone in their apartment. On the side, Inouye waited tables at Rubicon Brewery & Pub, and Roehr worked as a personal chef. They shared a commercial kitchen, which they rented by the hour, with other businesses. “We tried to offer foods that were seasonal,” Roehr says of those early days, but they had some pushback from their clients. Root vegetables, in particular, were a hard sell. “We had to show them how beautiful things can be in the dead of winter,” Inouye says. They eventually moved operations to R Street and opened Magpie Cafe. Magpie has relocated to an ultramodern space on P and 16th, and the couple has added Nido, a casual dining spot, and Yellowbill, a cafe

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and bakery, to their business lineup. But their philosophy has stayed the same. They don’t use frozen food. They support local farms. They offer fresh, seasonal produce. They even bake their own hamburger buns.

“It’s always a challenge to do things right in a world filled with shortcuts,” Roehr says. Roehr returned to Italy this fall as Sacramento’s community leader delegate to Terra Madre Salone del

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Gusto, an international Slow Food event. After that, Roehr, Inouye and their young son visited Venice and the restaurant where Roehr had worked. When I met with the couple before they left on their trip, Roehr said it

would be an opportunity for him to “connect the dots” and wondered if he would be “bringing something there or bringing something back.” Inouye assured him the answer would be “both.” “It’s an opportunity to get a fresh breath,” she says. “Look around and see what’s going on.” While we talked, Roehr monitored his cellphone and greeted customers. One woman gave him a hug and said she wanted to drop by and have lunch. Inouye sat quietly next to Roehr. They are yin and yang. It’s easy to see why this partnership works. I asked them about the best part of their jobs. Inouye says it’s the people. Roehr adds, “As a chef-owner, your job is to look for all the issues. We have a lot of people to keep happy. I spend a lot of time figuring out what we need to fix. Every once in a while, I sit at Magpie and people are coming in, enjoying themselves. Those are the times.” Angela Knight can be reached at knight@mcn.org n

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2000 musicians will come together at the Memorial Auditorium for Symphony of 2000 on Nov. 20

TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

2000 Strong “Symphony of 2000” presented by the Sacramento Youth Symphony Sunday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St. 731-5777, sacramentoyouthsymphony.org

After making history with its Symphony of 1000 (1,000 musicians coming together to play the same music in a concert of epic proportions), the Sacramento Youth Symphony is doubling down and inviting all instrumentalists and vocalists of the Sacramento Valley region to come and participate in the Symphony of 2000, a unique orchestral and choral experience under the able baton of artistic director and conductor Michael Neumann. People of all ages and abilities are invited to choose and perform as many pieces as they would like from the selection of classical and well-known compositions that include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” George Frideric Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from “The Messiah,” “Amazing Grace” and John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes.” Check out their website to ﬁnd music selections and more information.

Forget Her Not “Ani Lo Eshkakh—I Will Not Forget,” a one-woman show by Sherilyn Zeff Saturday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m.

jL By Jessica Laskey

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The Center at Twenty-Three Hundred, 2300 Sierra Blvd. 818-653-6519, 541-3720, tinyurl.com/aniloeshkakh

Emotions will abound when performer Sherilyn Zeff presents her one-woman dramatic anthology of the Holocaust, constructed of excerpts from books, plays, diaries, memos, poems and songs set in chronological order from 1933—when Adolf Hitler came to power—to the end of World War II in 1945. Zeff portrays 12 characters, ranging in age from 11 to 50. This multimedia production is sponsored by the KOH Library and Cultural Center and the Central Valley Holocaust Educators Network (CVHEN). The Sunday matinee performance will be followed by a short discussion, moderated by Holocaust survivor and CVHEN President Liz Igra.

Call Him Ishmael “William Ishmael and Friends” art exhibit Nov. 7 through Dec. 3 Second Saturday reception on Nov. 12 from 6-9 p.m. The Archival Gallery, 3223 Folsom Blvd. 923-6204, archivalgallery.com

It’s a group effort! Check out new collaborative artwork created by beloved local artist William Ishmael along with a roster of fellow creatives Jerry Barnes, Julie Didion, Maureen Hood, Margaret Teichert, Robert-Jean Ray and others. The exhibit, which took over a year to complete, offers a peek into the artistic collaborative process. And congratulations are in order: Archival Gallery is expanding! A larger gallery space will be unveiled during this exhibition. While Archival will still offer in-house framing, the gallery portion of Archival will be expanded to include new artists.

Self-Preservation “40 Years of Preservation” photography exhibit Nov. 5 through Dec. 17, Reception on Nov. 12 from 3:30-5 p.m. Ella K. McClatchy Library, 2112 22nd St. saclibrary.org, sacramentoheritage.org

This photographic exhibit highlights several successful projects that have been preserved, restored, rehabilitated and adaptively reused to contribute to Sacramento’s unique historic identity and evolving neighborhood character as part of a 40-year preservation program. The city of Sacramento established this historic preservation program in 1975 and, over the past four decades, has acted to recognize and inventory hundreds of historically signiﬁcant buildings, structures and landscapes and 33 historic districts in our capital. This exhibit is a collaborative effort of the city of Sacramento Preservation Commission, Sacramento Heritage Inc., and many other local organizations.

Mary Dignan's mosaic masks will be on display at SMUD Art Gallery. Photo courtesy of Diana Jahns.

Masters of Disguise “Masked: Sacramento Area Artists Explore the Art of Disguise” art show Through Nov. 16 SMUD Art Gallery, 6301 S St. smud.org, smac.org

Through a variety of mediums—including photography, ﬁber, paintings, drawings, mosaic, metal and collage—Sacramento area artists depict the various ways of hiding identity or revealing issues of social or cultural import in this fascinating exhibition at the SMUD Art Gallery, part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program. The exhibit features diverse works by 20 contemporary artists, including Dawn Blanchﬁeld, Judy Butler, Laura Caron, Mary Dignan, Marie Dixon, Sha Sha Higby, William Ishmael, Jaymee Kjelland, Barbetta Lockart, Barry Lowery, Yoli Manzo, Eileen Marcotte, La La Ortiz, Carol Matthew-Rogers, Jill Allyn Stafford, Susan Silvester, Angela Tannehill, Garr Ugalde, Jace Ugalde and Carol Wittich.

A collaborative work by William Ishmael and Sean Royal at the Archival Gallery this month

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Primed for Laughs “Prime Time for the Holidays,” a new retro musical comedy by Bob Cooner Oct. 28 through Nov. 20 Woodland Opera House, 340 Second St., Woodland 530-666-9617, woodlandoperahouse.org

Ready for some belly laughs just in time for the upcoming holiday season? Take a seat for the world premiere of local playwright Bob Cooner’s new retro musical comedy “Prime Time for the Holidays.” Set in 1960s Hollywood, the play harkens back to the “Mad Men” era with the wise-cracking humor of beloved sitcoms and the pop-ﬂavored music of classic variety shows. The show is appropriate for all ages and guarantees a laugh- and music-ﬁlled return to Christmases past but not forgotten. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Fresh Beats Crocker Classical Concerts presents “The Festival of New American Music” Sunday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m. Street photographer Ingrid Lundquist will be on exhibit at Viewpoint Photographic Art Center

Gifts Galore Crocker Holiday Artisan Market 2016 Nov. 25, 26 and 27 Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H St. creativeartsleague.com

Ready to get your shopping on? The Crocker Art Museum is delighted to partner again with the Creative Arts League of Sacramento to bring regional residents the chance to shop for distinctive, one-of-a-kind treasures at this annual three-day market. Fine and functional work will include glass, textiles, wood, ceramics, paper, photography, painting, sculpture, ﬁber and textiles, jewelry and more. More than 109 artists and their original works have been carefully juried into this special event to give gift shoppers an exciting, varied and quality shopping experience. Bring your family and friends for a photo with Victorian Santa on Friday, enjoy delightful food served by Ambrosia Café, listen to local musicians playing lovely music throughout the venue and get your face painted by pixies and elves. Market hours are noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Bring in the Holiday Market 2016 ad from the Crocker Art Letter magazine, The Sacramento Bee, this very paper or from the CALS website for a $1 discount on admission.

Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. 808-1182, crockerartmuseum.org

The Festival of New American Music, a project of the School of Music at California State University, Sacramento, returns to the Crocker to showcase some of the most talented musicians and composers working today. This year’s concert will feature Juilliardtrained flutist Laurel Zucker accompanied by Saturday Club president John Cozza on piano. Zucker will perform a concert of new and recent American works for flute, including the premiere of her own “Grand Canyon Sonata” for flute and piano. Check out all of the festival events at csus.edu/music/fenam.

Raise Your Voice “ArtMix: Howl” Thursday, Nov. 10, from 5-9 p.m. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. 808-1182, crockerartmuseum.org

Election Day might have passed, but we all still have something to rant, rave or howl about. Check out Activism Articulated’s Altars for Justice project and join Sol Collective for art making that will get you thinking. DJ Novela, Rasar Amani, Paul Willis and CatchaKoala will drop beats that speak, plus you can lend an ear to an open microphone and socially conscience performances that are sure to get you talking. Enjoy food and drink discounts during happy hour from 5-6 p.m. and $5 drink specials all night.

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Laurel Zucker will play at Crocker Art Museum

When in Rome … Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera Classics concert “The Pines of Rome” Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera Pops concert “Classical Mystery Tour” Saturday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. 808-2000, sacphilopera.org

Whether you’re a fan of the classics or like your music a little more fab (as in the Fab Four), don’t miss the Sacramento Philharmonic and Orchestra’s November offerings. “The Pines of Rome” will feature dramatic moments from Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Forza del destino,” “Otello” and “Un ballo in maschera,” Pietro Mascagni’s “Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana,” Giacomo Puccini’s “La Boheme Act I Finale,” Gioachino Rossini’s “Semiramide” and, of course, Ottorino Respighi’s “The Pines of Rome.” Christoph Campestrini will conduct guest singers Katherine Whyte, soprano; and Adam Luther, tenor. If you’re giddy for some groovy tunes, hop on board the “Classical Mystery Tour” featuring a full Beatles cover band (members of the original cast of Broadway’s “Beatlemania!”) under the baton of guest conductor Martin Herman.

¡Hola, Ingrid! “Hola Baja: the texture of the place, the heartbeat of its people,” a solo photography show featuring work by Ingrid Lundquist Nov. 9 through Dec. 3 Artist’s reception on Friday, Nov. 11, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Public reception on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 5-9 p.m. Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, 2015 J St. 441-2341, viewpointgallery.org

Photographer Ingrid Lundquist explains her ﬁrst solo photography show best: “Saying ‘hola’ (‘greetings’ in Spanish) causes your face muscles to move upward in an openly welcoming manner. ‘Baja’ is the land of the beating sun where dust clings to your body like a cheap price sticker and the colors vibrate to distract you from the surrounding hardships.” Lundquist shoots candid images of people and ordinary objects in their natural environment, lending her images a photojournalistic quality that makes the viewer

Prime Time for the Holidays runs through Nov. 20 at the Woodland Opera House

beg for more. Since her artistic rebirth (as a certiﬁed special event professional, Lundquist designed huge temporary installations until she returned to her ﬁrst love, art, in 2011), her photos have won several awards and been included in more than 50 juried shows in New York, Vermont, Texas, Oregon, California, Florence and London.

Hi, Ho, Silver! Auction of the California silver collection of Edwin Iloff presented by Witherell’s Auction begins Friday, Nov. 4, at 10 a.m. Auction preview on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 1-7 p.m. Witherell’s Annex, 1925 C St. 446-6490, witherells.com

More than 400 lots of impressive silver pieces dating from the mid-19th to early 20th century will be sold to help fund science endowments that the late physics professor Edwin Iloff established at California State University, Sacramento. “I hope this exhibit and auction will inspire others to explore the artistic and historic merits of this distinct California art form,” Witherell’s chief executive officer and PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser Brian Witherell says. To wit, the Crocker Art Museum called the original 1,000-piece collection the most comprehensive California silver ever assembled. Don’t miss your chance to make some of these beautiful pieces part of your collection.

Sacramento Heritage Photogrpahy Show at McClatchy Library runs through Dec. 17 Photo courtesy of Rudy Calpo Photography.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

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Artistic Intuition TONKIN RIEGEL REFINES CREATIVE PROCESS, GUIDES OTHERS

express. “We all have something. It’s a matter of whether we want to be open to it.” Riegel is dedicated to guiding others through the creative process and hosts workshops at her Granite Bay Studio. “At first I taught kids, but then their parents wanted to make art too.” So she added workshops for adults in 2006. Riegel is an attentive listener and workshop leader who offers a range of creative experiences from printmaking to copper enameling to mobile making. No matter what the medium, Riegel says the workshops are about connecting with creativity, which she believes involves being in the moment and letting the process happen without worrying too much about what’s next or the outcome. She says many people view the workshops as a retreat where they can unwind and let go. “In life we always get caught up with what’s next. There is really nothing that compares to being in the zone and fully immersed in the act of creativity. It’s a feeling of full involvement and energized focus.”

don’t know what I’m doing,” says Susan Tonkin Riegel. But she says it with the conviction of a lifelong artist. Inside of her spacious studio is a procession of work: canvases, assemblage, encaustic, works on paper and new pieces incorporating plaster, wood and cardboard. Her art is symbolic and colorful with a hint of mystery and intrigue. “I let the piece and the materials guide me,” she says. “It’s an intuitive process.”

“The window painting was one the most fun jobs.” Riegel is excited about the combination of color and materials and just starts working, letting the process evolve. The trick, she says, is to stop before the piece is overworked. “It’s better to keep work slightly unfinished and fresh.” Over the course of teaching art for 25 years at Sierra and American River Colleges, she says this was a difficult concept for students. She advised students to pay attention to how they felt about the work—to notice their gut or heart

DB By Debra Belt Artist Spotlight

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Susan Tonkin Riegel

reaction and not intellectualize the process too much. She retired from Sierra College last fall and expects the change in routine to register in her work as she prepares for a November show at Artspace 1616 on Del Paso Boulevard. “Change

is simultaneous with life,” says Riegel, who lives in Gold River. “When life changes, our work changes.” She believes all artists, whether a poet, a dancer or a musician, are “recording life in a subconscious way,” and that everyone has some creative thing to

“There is really nothing that compares to being in the zone and fully immersed in the act of creativity.” The creative process hooked her in second grade, when she made

a papier mache solar system and painted it. While she has always had the desire to draw and make art, she never thought she was as good as other people at drawing or painting. This changed once she went to UC Berkeley and studied with noted Bay Area figurative painters Joan Brown and Elmer Bischoff. “Joan Brown encouraged my strange compositions and the way I drew people and told me I was a good artist.” Bischoff was a big influence, too. Riegel describes him as a quiet man who didn’t say much, but when he did, it was profound. “Bischoff always told me to keep the practice going and also to go it alone and not worry what my friends were doing artwise, and listen to my own artistic voice.” It was not a direct route to UC Berkeley for Riegel. She grew up in Sacramento and went to C.K. McClatchy High School, attended University of the Pacific and then UCLA. “I was searching. My parents were divorcing and it was a chaotic time,” she recalls. She took a year off to travel and worked for six months on a kibbutz in Israel, lived on a Greek island for three months and visited France and Italy. Upon her return, her mother persuaded her to go to UC Berkeley and finish college. “I think that was the only time I followed her advice,” she says. She worked at a variety of jobs including office work and waitressing in Berkeley, framing, art sales, color consulting and painting holiday

windows in Sacramento and Berkeley. “The window painting was one the most fun jobs,” she says. “It was good money in a short amount of time, and I could paint Santas and angels on windows and also learn the art of business and how to deal with executives.” Soon after her children were born, she started looking for teaching jobs, first teaching at Learning Exchange and then Sierra College and American River College. Her two children are grown now, and she continues to work alongside her husband of 32 years, sculptor Mike Riegel, whose studio is adjacent to hers.

“It’s much more crucial to have time to make art.” Riegel has shown work in Sacramento since the early ’80s and has been awarded residencies in France, Sweden, China, Mexico, Switzerland, San Francisco and Alberta, Canada. The residencies give her the chance to dig deep into work and have time alone to seriously consider her compositions. She acknowledges it can be a balancing act between creating and selling art. “Selling work is important, and I love

it when my work resonates with someone, but I don't like to put pressure on myself to sell. “It’s much more crucial to have time to make art.” For more information, go to: susantonkinriegel.com and redbarnstudios.org n

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No Sophomore Slump HAWKS PUBLIC HOUSE A DELIGHTFUL ADDITION TO EAST SAC RESTAURANT SCENE

lmost 10 years ago, Michael Fagnoni and Molly Hawks opened an ambitious new restaurant in Granite Bay. It focused on the fresh, local and seasonal and took an uncompromising approach to cooking and serving. A meal at Hawks is still widely regarded as one of the finest dining experiences in the region. A trip to

GS By Greg Sabin

POC NOV n 16

Granite Bay (which some who live in the city regard as a Lewis-andClarkian expedition) is a treat if a visit to Hawks is included. Fagnoni and Hawks created a restaurant that exceeds expectations and exudes quality. It was with great anticipation, then, that news of a Hawks outpost in Midtown was greeted. The people of the grid waited with fervid excitement when the new eatery was first announced in early 2014. Then they waited some more. Then more waiting. Then a little more waiting. The Christmas lights were up in 2015 by the time Hawks Public House opened.

Things don’t move fast when you’re opening a business in Sacramento. It’s rare when a business isn’t delayed by permitting issues or licensing issues or health issues or parking issues or even noise issues. But that’s a discussion for a different column. In December 2015, Hawks Public House opened on Alhambra Boulevard and P Street. It was worth the wait. The architecture is an updated take on the Moorish splendor of the dearly departed Alhambra Theatre, with graceful arches and a lighted sign that’s a nod to a classic movie marquee. The interior switches up genres and goes with a rustic, steampunk vibe. Old-fashioned

overhead fans and large Edison light bulbs with large-looped filaments hang over the fairly simple space and give the place a cheeky ambience. Thankfully, there are no clever glassware or silverware choices meant to set apart the dining experience from the everyday. Hawks Public house lets its cooking speak for itself. The frequently changing menu has a definite Italian bent, with multiple pasta dishes and a few other Italian accents. But a good portion of the menu speaks to a more international point of view. Some of the highlights of Hawks’ menu were the pork ribs ($33), well shellacked and served with blistered

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figs and roasted fingerling potatoes; the roasted squid small plate ($12) with indulgently rich beans and a palate-tingling herb puree; and pan-roasted arctic char ($26) over a sumptuous base of chickpeas and chorizo.

The service on each of my visits was nothing short of exceptional. The menu changes often and leans towards seasonal fare. One of the standbys is the Wagyu beef burger and fries ($18). Served on a brioche

bun and topped with aged cheddar and mushroom-bacon marmalade, it stands out as one of Sacramento’s great burgers. Some might blanch at the price, but the cost is close to some of the best restaurant burgers in town, like the Whiskey Burger at Formoli’s Bistro and the awardwinning burger at Pangaea Cafe. However, price is a component of any dining decision, and it’s fair to say that the cost of dining at Hawks isn’t in everyone’s budget. At a recent lunch, I sampled the casarecce (narrow, twisted and rolled tube pasta) served with a satisfying braised pork. It was a competent, unfussy dish that would fill up any reasonable diner. Yet it’s price—$22—seemed a little ambitious, especially for lunch. The lesser-priced small plates range from $5 to $16, but “small” is

exactly what they are, providing a few expertly crafted bites but not meant as a meal. Thankfully, those looking for ublime the same sublime execution from Hawks’ kitchens without the finedining prices can grab a bite at the casual food-to-go counter next door at Hawks Provisions. s, Sandwiches, salads and baked goodss are ready att a moment’s notice and are, for the quality, very fairly priced. The service on each of my visits was nothing short of exceptional. Whether it was the quick and efficient

delivery of proper plates and fresh utensils or the expert descriptions of the (sometimes confusingly listed) menu items, the staff radiates casual confidence and und understated pro professionalism. F fans For H of Hawks in Gr Granite Bay, the ex excellence on di display at Hawks P Public House is no surprise. F For those u unfamiliar, tthe fare that ccomes from tthe exemplary kitchen is a delight. Hawks Public House iis at 1525 Alhambra Blvd.; 588-4440; hawkspublichouse. com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com n

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