Inside Pocket October 2022

409 – 41st Street – $999,000

EAST SACRAMENTO CHARMER IDEAL LAYOUT. 4 bed 3 bath with two berooms and bath down and two bedrooms and two baths upstairs. Built-ins and backyard oasis. NATHAN SHERMAN 916-969-7379 DRE-01875980

1301 – 11th Avenue - $2,300,000

MAGNIFICENT 1938 LAND PARK COLONIAL 5 or 6 bedrooms 4½ baths, on a corner facing Land Park. Extras include sport pool, basketball half court, 3+ car garage; wine cellar. SHEILA VAN NOY 916-505-5395 DRE-00924678

982 South Beach Drive - $659,999

PARKER-BUILT CUSTOM RIVERLAKE HOME. 3 bed 2½ bath in gated community close to Garcia Bend Park, restaurants and shopping. Walk or bike to Sacramento River MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

1737 – 42nd Street - $774,900

EAST SACRAMENTO DARLING! 4 bed 2 bath. Remodeled kitchen and downstairs bath keeping original 1930s charm. Covered patio and newly landscaped yard. DAVID KIRRENE 916-531-7495 DRE-01115041

Avenue -

LAND

STACEY SHELLY 916-203-5244 DRE-02060258

15 Sand Court - $665,000

GREENHAVEN CUL-DE-SAC. 3 or 4 bed 2 bath with recently remodeled kitchen and family room, new HVAC.

backyard with

spa and

patio, and

PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715 DRE-01188158

916-969-7379

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HEATHER HOGAN

Heather Hogan’s current series is on women's struggles to have it all and hold it all together—a balance between caring for loved ones and pursuing careers and passions. Photos are printed on waterslide decal paper, sprayed with clear acrylic, then collaged over abstract painted and collaged backgrounds. Shown: “Esther Sometimes Got Emotional,” mixed media on wood panel, 12 inches by 12 inches. This piece, available for $225, is on display with 23 other pieces at Jimmy's Barber Garage in Midtown through Nov. 15. Visit tenaciousgoods.com.

OCTOBER 2022

Research shows that people living with chronic illness who receive palliative care generally live longer and report a higher quality of life and a better sense of well-being than those who do not.

Palliative care can help you manage your symptoms, connect you to essential resources, and coordinate your care so that you can savor the moments that mean the most to you.

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STILL SUFFERING

PAIN FROM LOCKDOWNS ISN’T GOING AWAY

Sacramento is still recovering from COVID-19. As of September, the pandemic killed 3,399 people in Sacramento County, with 1,830 COVID deaths in the city. Those numbers are tragic, and they especially impact older folks with pre-existing conditions.

But just about every problem faced by our communities, schools and businesses resulted from broad lockdown policies authorities ordered despite the societal and economic damage closures would inflict. It was myopic, short-term, “let’s

C H CH

By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

do something” thinking that will negatively impact a generation.

Many experts advocated for isolating medically vulnerable people, rather than the entire society. Their voices were slandered and censored by lockdown architects, led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president. He recently stated lockdowns had not gone far enough.

It has been argued there were no studies to support lockdown policies, as detailed in the recent book “A Plague Upon Our House” by Dr. Scott Atlas of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Dr. Atlas said reports he prepared to challenge lockdown policies were ignored by the White House pandemic taskforce he worked on during summer 2020. A Johns Hopkins University meta-analysis of studies around the world concluded that lockdown and mask restrictions have had “little to no effect on COVID-19 mortality."

I was in a unique position to see the economic damage. I’m a small business owner and our publications are supported 100 percent by hundreds of other small businesses. Many local business operators are longtime friends of mine. The financial and personal tolls have been devastating, and it’s not yet over.

My business had challenges, especially the first few months. At Inside, we were unsure we could collect advertising dollars owed us. But as Congress made federal funds available, many small businesses realized they could survive. I cannot state how valuable this was to so many.

Personally, the first few months were terrible. Mandatory masking caused my husband, who has dementia and is hearing impaired, to lose his hearing aids. Lockdowns closed exams at hearing aid centers. Our conversations often consisted of me shouting and Jim not understanding. At times we both just hugged and sobbed. It was four

months until medical offices reopened. But his cognitive decline could not be reversed.

I recently asked several small business owners about their worst lockdown experiences.

Josh Nelson, CEO of Selland Family Restaurants, told me it was heartbreaking to lay off 370 team members without direct communication. “We went from 375 to five on our staff and the workload was crushing,” he says. “And of course, the two weeks to ‘stop the spread’ became more than a year of openings and frustrating closures.”

Sheree Johnston, former owner of East Sac Hardware, had other problems. Folks were clamoring at her door while she and her adult children filled every shift. Vulnerable employees were sent home.

Eventually, she closed her business and shut out all the negative feelings. When I call her, she says, “I had some PTSD forcing myself to relive

Left: Selland's Cafe in East Sacramento; right: Rick Mahan of The Waterboy. Photo by Aniko Kiezel

BROKEN BACK IN THE GYM

THE

EVAN PATIENT – SPINAL RECONSTRUCTION

When an accident left Evan with a broken back and an X-ray that showed he may never walk again, his UC Davis Health orthopedic surgeon and physical therapists refused to give up on him. Driven by an unfailing care plan and nonstop determination, today Evan is back on his feet and back in the gym. Find a UC Davis Health doctor you connect with today.

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE EXHAUSTED AFTER 30 MONTHS OF DISRUPTION. MANY HAVE DEPLETED THEIR SAVINGS AND RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS.

it. It was a terrible time. Customers were plenty, but too many were nasty and demanding. Mask and political arguments were awful. And we noticed that customers wearing masks often showed very little social grace when they discovered we didn’t have what they wanted in stock.”

While her plan was to retire and pass the business to her children, they lost desire to work in retail. “Yes, it had that much impact on our family,” she says.

Lisa Schmidt, volunteer leader of the nonprofit Friends of East Sacramento, who manages the Clunie Community Center, McKinley Rose Garden and Shepard Garden and Arts Center, faced many challenges.

“We had always been able to cover our employee salaries and daily operating expenses—rent, utilities, janitorial service, etc.—with the income from renting the venues,” she says. “So, it was a very sad week when I had to mail refund deposit checks to renters.

“But in July 2020, it finally sunk in that it was going to be a long time before families and friends would be allowed to gather and rent our venue spaces. We had to make the decision as to what to do with our employees, who we had continued to pay since day one of lockdown using our rainy-day funds. Grants and (federal) funds gratefully helped us bridge that gap.”

She says, “I also was affected by the loss of all the beautiful life-enhancing events that use our facilities. My work is all on a volunteer basis and I realized how much these events uplifted me personally. I can only imagine the loss to these families who could not celebrate weddings, memorials and special occasions.” Schmidt retires next month, when her nonprofit returns the McKinley Park facilities to city management.

Restaurants suffered disproportionately. Food is perishable, costs rose quickly and supplies were difficult to find. “We were used to simply ordering what we needed and that was in season. But then we were lucky to get some items at all,” says Rick Mahan, who owns The Waterboy and OneSpeed Pizza. “It was frustrating, exhausting and stressful for our entire team. It still is!”

Downtown restaurants and retail shops had the worst time. Lockdowns

sent tens of thousands of state workers home. Riots after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 caused millions of dollars in property damage—some not yet repaired—and left many suburban residents afraid to go Downtown. Sadly, many stalwart businesses never reopened, including de Vere’s Irish Pub, Lucca Restaurant and the original Simon’s Café.

“If (federal money) had not come through in its final form, we would have had to close the doors in summer of 2020,” says Mark Miller, who owns Rio City Café in Old Sacramento with his wife Stephanie. “We had run through our capital to stay afloat. We also tried to hold on to staff that had become part of our family. Even before the lockdowns we knew great staff was key to our success.”

Miller recalls unemployment benefits were unknown at the time and state online systems failed many applicants. Add the burden of knowing more than 200,000 small businesses nationally had closed. I was overwhelmed emotionally, realizing more than 200 newspapers and publications were gone, several locally.

While closures and mask and vaccine mandates seem a thing of the past, new concerns have surfaced. Street crime is rampant and threatens staff and customers. Polls show more than two-thirds of business owners are pessimistic, given rising costs due to inflation, supply shortages, delivery delays, staff shortages and more government regulations, including a new California law that looks to raise the minimum wage to $22 an hour for food workers.

But more than anything, small business owners are exhausted after 30 months of disruption. Many have depleted their savings and retirement accounts. Locally owned businesses add unique experiences and vitality to our neighborhoods. We started a campaign in April 2020 that called to support 100 percent local businesses. The message is as important today as it was in 2020— maybe even more.

Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC

SHE’S MADE CARAMEL PINK LADIES HER BUSINESS

Some people love sweets. Not me. Not until I bit into a decadent concoction of caramel, dark chocolatecovered coffee beans, almonds and toffee over a chilled, crispy apple. This was my initiation to the “applesbyterri” fan

club. Longtime Pocket resident Terri Fong-Martinez is the brains behind these dessert-on-a stick creations.

Caramel apples are synonymous with fall, especially Halloween. Coincidentally, Oct. 31 is National Caramel Apple Day. Supposedly, the first caramel apple was created in the 1950s by a Kraft Foods employee. He was experimenting. The rest is history.

Fong-Martinez started her business in 2015, but the journey to create an adult-style gourmet caramel apple began long before.

season and I couldn’t find caramel apples anywhere. So, I decided to make my own,” she says. “My first caramel batch was so hard I couldn’t break it with a hammer.”

She tweaked the recipe until she was satisfied. Then, the big apple decision. Not a fan of Granny Smiths, she bought every other variety she could find. Family and friends became taste testers. The Pink Lady won.

“I’ve spent countless hours perfecting my apple topping recipes and learning how to run a business. It’s been on-thejob training. There isn’t a caramel apple manual,” says Fong-Martinez, a former court reporter.

Husband Ron, recently retired from Bel Air in Natomas, helps prep, dip, top and package each apple. “My former co-workers became our unofficial focus group,” he says.

By Corky Mau Pocket Life

“About 10 years ago, I was craving a caramel apple. It wasn’t Apple Hill

She made caramel apples for her daughter’s baby shower and her cousin’s retirement party. They were a hit—applesbyterri was born.

The product line includes almost 20 different toppings. Among them: caramel with s’mores, dark chocolate and sea salt, dark chocolate and peppermint, and toffee bits.

Terri Fong-Martinez and husband Ron

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

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I’m impressed how these apples are made at home, not in a commercial kitchen. They need five refrigerators to store apples and completed batches.

The family discovered a different business niche for their caramel apples. Wineries request them for special events. It seems caramel apples are not only works of art, but pair well with wine.

On Saturdays, find applesbyterri at Rendezvous Winery in the Old Sugar Mill and the Natomas Farmers Market (May to September). They’re at the Elk Grove NeighborGood Market Thursday evenings (May to December).

Check the website at applesbyterri. com for custom apples and information.

HAUNTED HALL

Portuguese Hall hosts a Halloween Party for kids of all ages Saturday, Oct. 29, from 6:30–11:30 p.m. Family games, a costume contest and haunted house are featured. Admission is $15 for anyone over 13, $8 for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and younger. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

Portuguese Hall is at 6676 Pocket Road. For information, contact Judy Dias Allen at (916) 947-6695.

CONLIN’S TREES

Volunteers are needed to plant trees at Bill Conlin Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tools and snacks are provided.

In 2019, a “wall of trees” project was started to shield the youth sports fields from Interstate 5 noise. The final phase brings trees beyond the T-ball and soccer fields. For information, contact District 7 Parks Commissioner Devin Lavelle at parks@devinlavelle. com. Volunteers can RSVP at bit.ly/ d7conlin22.

HOLIDAY CRAFTS

Kickstart your holiday shopping at the fall Arts & Crafts Festival at Elks Lodge No. 6. This popular event takes place Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, contact the lodge at (916) 422-6666.

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

30+ years, Catricala Real Estate Group has been representing sellers & buyers in the Greater Sacramento area. Our client services include Probate, Relocation, Trade Ups, Downsizing & Senior Services. Contact us!

Secrets No More

moved away. Never mind that levee encroachment permits had no transfer rights.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Four decades ago, when property owners along the Sacramento River levee realized they could build fences to keep the public away, they had two big weapons.

First was political influence. They had friends at City Hall. Those friends wouldn’t squawk about fences and gates that blocked public access to Sacramento’s greatest natural resource.

And they had secrecy. They could quietly seek permits from the state flood board to build fences and gates across the levee. There were no town halls or public hearings where residents could object to fence permits.

Property owners eventually learned something else. Once they built fences, there was minimal enforcement by authorities to ensure the barricades confirmed to permits. Details about height, length, materials and location were conveniently forgotten.

Fence permits were passed along when a property owner died or

It drives property owners nuts when I say every fence along the levee is illegal, but it’s true. Here’s why—none confirm to permits issued decades ago.

Now that the Army Corps of Engineers is removing fences and gates for the Big Fix levee repair project, encroachment permits have been revoked. The state flood board has made it clear permits won’t be issued for replacement fences or gates.

The state hasn’t issued any levee fence permits for at least 25 years. A formal no-fence policy was established in 2020.

Unfortunately, some property owners didn’t get the message. They continue to agitate for new fence permits once levee slurry walls are built and the levee project is completed.

RGEvery month, I get emails from readers warning about Zoom strategy sessions by residents along the river lobbying for new fences. I’m thrilled to receive these notices. They demonstrate public vigilance.

What this means is no more secret permits, no more political sleight of hand, no cozy relations with City Hall or state officials to block the public’s right to access the levee and river.

Here’s a good place to describe the relationship between the city and state when it comes to public access along the river. The state owns the levees. A state agency, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, is responsible for keeping them safe and clear of encroachments.

The flood board is not concerned about recreational opportunities along the levee and river—although for decades it allowed residents near the levee to create their own recreational playpens behind the gates.

Today the flood board cares only about the maintenance and safety of the levees. Those are reasons the board gives when it rejects requests for a new fence, citing “limitations on the ability to access the levee for maintenance, inspection and flood fight procedures,” board staff says.

The state supports the bike path. A paved trail will ease levee maintenance and inspection. But the state doesn’t want to deal with loudmouth households near the levee complaining about cyclists and pedestrians peeking in their windows.

So the city and state have an understanding. The city will handle the bike trail and NIMBY residents. As levee landlord, the state will remove encroachments—illegal fences, gates and stairways—and support a paved bike path.

Levee repairs should be finished in 2024. The city plans to pave the levee in Pocket immediately after. City Hall anticipates litigation, which has me worried only because the legal work would presumably fall to City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood.

After her dismal performance on reapportionment, Wood is respectfully hereby requested to hire a law firm that understands eminent domain and the state’s fee simple levee ownership. I can’t say it any more nicely.

By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

No longer will people in Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket sit back and sheepishly let a few property owners near the levee turn the calendar back on public access.

Meanwhile, the city cares a lot about recreation. That’s why city officials promised to build the Sacramento River Parkway in 1975. It’s why the City Council finally got around to funding the engineering and material for a bike trail atop the levee.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

STATE WON’T RETURN TO OLD DAYS OF LEVEE FENCE PERMITS

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TakeTheChallenge!

be announced in early November. Many restaurants keep the most popular dishes in regular rotation after the challenge.

The Vegan Chef Challenge is presented by Vegan Outreach, an international animal advocacy organization, and Only Sunshine Sanctuary, a local nonprofit farm animal sanctuary. For more information, visit sacveganchefchallenge.com or onlysunshinesanctuary.com.

TUNNEL 2 TOWERS

Registration is open for the second annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk on Saturday, Nov. 5, beginning at 9 a.m. at William Land Park.

The Sacramento 5K Run & Walk is one of more than 70 events held across the country in support of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established in memory of fallen 9/11 FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller to pay off the mortgages of families with young children of law enforcement officers and firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty.

FIGHTINGCLIMATECHANGE

J L JL

By Jessica Laskey Out & About

WITH DIET CHANGE

Bring your appetite to the 12th annual Vegan Chef Challenge taking place throughout October at more than 50 area restaurants.

The Vegan Chef Challenge is a monthlong event showcasing plant-based menu items created by local chefs to help Sacramentans fight climate change with diet change. As veganism becomes more mainstream, restaurants are adding

options to accommodate their growing number of patrons who don’t eat food derived from animals.

Participating restaurants include The Golden Bear, Mayahuel, Veg Cafe, Thai Basil, The Porch, Capitol Garage, OneSpeed Pizza, Andy Nguyen’s, Revolution Winery & Kitchen, River City Brewing, Kupros and more.

The public is encouraged to vote for their favorite dishes and winners will

The family event is open to all, including friendly dogs. The run/walk will honor and celebrate Sacramento first responders, as well as military service members. To register, visit t2trun.org and click the Sacramento event.

VILLAGE FEAST

Celebrate this year’s harvest with the return of the Village Feast on Sunday, Oct. 16, from noon to 3 p.m. in Midtown and Davis.

This communal meal is modeled after France’s traditional “grand aioli,” where participants sit at long community tables and pass around bottles of wine and platters of food, including bowls of aioli, the garlicky mayonnaise that is the centerpiece of every grand aioli in French villages.

This year’s feast will be held at two locations: Mulvaney’s B&L in Midtown and Great Bear Vineyards in Davis.

Participants bring their own tableware—plate, utensils and napkin— in keeping with the French tradition. The event raises funds for Davis Farm to School, which provides farm-based

The Golden Bear joins more than 50 restaurants offering plant-based items in this month’s Vegan Chef Challenge.

Photo by Chef Cyn Vazquez

education to schoolchildren, and the Sacramento chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, which supplies scholarships to women in the food and hospitality industries.

Tickets are $165 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/thevillage-feast-2022-tickets-388884192087.

In addition, an online silent auction features food- and travel-related items. To participate in the auction, visit auctria.com/blog/auctria-mobile-app.

CREATIVE COURTYARD

Crocker/Riverside Elementary School’s parent teacher organization recently unveiled the results of a multiyear project to transform the school’s unused front lawn into a climatefriendly community space.

Nearly 23,000 bricks were installed to form a permeable courtyard complete with 14 benches topped by metal art

plaques etched with inspirational quotes and life lessons. The PTO worked with Sacramento City Unified School District, SMUD, Sacramento Tree Foundation, Teichert, South Land Park Construction, Capital Metal Works and Northern California Construction Training.

“We are thrilled to welcome our students back to campus with this new courtyard, where families can safely gather and connect,” Crocker/Riverside Principal Ygnacio Zarate says. “Our students have suffered during the pandemic, so I am proud to be part of this project that shows them just how much our community cares about them.”

Bricks imprinted with names are available for $150 each. Benches can be purchased for $5,000. For information on the brick campaign, visit crockerriverside.org.

REFLECT ON AGING

River Park resident Marilyn Reynolds is releasing her latest book, a collection of 28 essays titled “Over 80: Reflections on Aging.” In the book, Reynolds explores how to survive a sudden health crisis, create your own form of spirituality, share a dog and think about the past without becoming mired in it.

Reynolds, a retired teacher, first started writing books that would appeal to her students at a continuation high school. She’s now written loads of volumes, including two memoirs and an 11-book series about adolescent life. She also works with 916 Ink, a Sacramento literacy program for underserved youth.

“Over 80” is available at area bookstores and at newwindpublishing. com. Don’t miss the launch event Saturday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento on Sierra Boulevard. To RSVP, email info@newwindpublishing. com.

CEREAL CAFÉ

Cerealism, a new cereal-themed dessert café, has opened in Old Sacramento.

Owner Laterica Reddix hopes to bring back the nostalgia of Saturday mornings with a variety of breakfast cereals that can be eaten traditionally in a bowl, blended into ice cream or made into a cereal-infused milkshake.

Cerealism also features a variety of cereal-themed desserts like Cinnamon Toast Crunch S’mores and Cereal Sushi (made with bananas, crepes and cereal toppings).

Each room in the café, including a party room and a Super Mario-inspired video game room, has been painted by local muralists Jaya King, Uli Smith and Nicole Keith to create what Reddix calls “an immersive, Instagram-able experience.”

POOCH FRIENDLY

Hate to leave your pooch at home when you go out and about? Midtown has tons of pet-friendly places to bring your four-footed friends.

More than 30 Midtown restaurants and eateries— including Café Bernardo, Federalist Public House, INK Eats & Drinks, LowBrau, Paesanos, The Waterboy and Zocalo—welcome pets on their patios and outdoor spaces. Pets are also welcome at the Midtown Farmers Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Treat your favorite family member with a chew toy, accessory or “pup cake” at Leash & Collar on Q Street, and at the dog bakery and art gallery Paws & the Palette on 24th Street.

Of course, there’s always Truitt Bark Park at 18th and Q streets for a bit of socializing. And don’t miss the annual Midtown Halloween Festival & Pooch Parade on Saturday, Oct. 29, from noon to 3 p.m. at James Marshall Park featuring an always-adorable costume contest.

FIND YOUR DISTRICT

If the redistricting kerfuffle has left you confused, check out the city’s new “Find Your District” tool at cityofsacramento.org/mayor-council/ find-your-district.

Last December, the Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission adopted a new City Council district boundary map based on the 2020 census. The changes created quite a hubbub, so in April the council directed the preparation of an amendment to the City Charter to clarify new redistricting maps. The amendment will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.

On the website, enter your address to see your current district/councilmember and when that may change. The city will update the tool in December to reflect new councilmembers as they’re sworn in.

“We hope this tool will help the public to quickly and efficiently access information about their districts and council representatives,” says Maria MacGunigal, the city’s chief information officer.

COUNTY COMMISSIONS

Sacramento County residents are needed to serve on the county’s nearly 100 advisory boards and commissions covering a wide range of topics from youth to mental health.

This is a chance to use any specialized knowledge or interest you may have to help get things done where you live.

Vacancies and application information are posted at sccob.saccounty.gov/pages/ boardsandcommissions.aspx.

CLIMATE TASKFORCE

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has appointed 13 members to the newly created Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force.

Crocker/Riverside Elementary School Principal Ygnacio Zarate performs ribbon-cutting honors for new climate-friendly courtyard.

Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk takes place Nov. 5 at William Land Park.

The taskforce is comprised of citizens who have expertise in air quality, agriculture, manmade structures, economics, energy and transit/ transportation.

“After a thorough interview process, we have picked 13 of the best candidates in the region to provide input, guidance, oversight and assistance to my office, and to serve as an advisory body to the county,” says Sustainability Manager John Lundgren.

The technical experts on the taskforce are Justin Hwang, Austin Miller, Mackenzie Wieser, Roslyn Roberts, Kevin Head and Ghazan Khan. Environmental justice members are Timothy Irvine, Rolando Villareal, Saheb Gulati, Supriya Patel, Ajay Singh and Kathleen Stricklin. The youth member is Benjamin Jacobs. For information, visit green.saccounty.net.

BUSINESS ASSIST

The Sacramento City Council has approved $500,000 for implementation of a business-assistance and supportservices program for local minorityowned micro and small businesses. The program will be run by the California Black Chamber of Commerce with funds from the American Rescue Plan.

“The program will connect our local minority-owned businesses with access to capital and business mentors to help them recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth opportunities,” explains Mikel Davila from the city’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development.

To deliver these services, the California Black Chamber of Commerce will partner with local workforce training, community outreach and

business support organizations Green Tech, Neighborhood Innovation and Black Small Business Association. For information, visit calbcc.org.

CHILD CARE FUNDS

The City Council has approved $1.5 million in funding to expand child care services in Sacramento after the pandemic permanently shuttered 272 child care provider facilities, leading to a 13-percent drop in the child care workforce.

“These child care programs will help add slots for families and increase capacity to support Sacramentans getting back to work,” says Janine Cooper, the city’s child care project manager.

The city will work with Child Action, Inc., Los Rios Community College District and California Capital Women’s Business Center to expand child care services through provider stipends, education and job placement. The program was modeled after the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency’s Head Start apprenticeship program.

FREE RT RIDES

Students! Parents! Don’t miss free rides on the Sacramento Regional Transit network through RydeFreeRT.

The program offers students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade who live in or go to school within SacRT’s service area (which includes the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and parts of Sacramento County) free rides on buses, light rail and on-demand shuttle services (SmaRT Ride).

A 2019 survey found that in three Sacramento City Unified schools, approximately one in four students reported missing at least one day of school during a six-week period because of transportation issues.

RydeFreeRT is available all day, every day, all year during regular service hours. New cards for the current 2022-23 school year are distributed by schools and are valid through June 30, 2023. For information, visit rydefreert. com.

GUN BUYBACK

The Sacramento Police Department is inviting the public to hand in unwanted firearms and receive compensation—a $50 gift card for each

River Park resident Marilyn Reynolds releases latest book, “Over 80: Reflections on Aging.”

New cereal-themed dessert café opens in Old Sacramento. Photo by Jaya King

firearm they turn in. The Gun Buyback event will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Public Safety Center at 5770 Freeport Blvd.

More than 130 firearms were turned in at the May 21 Gas for Guns event, including at least one assault weapon, numerous components for privately manufactured firearms (ghost guns) and other illegally configured weapons.

No identification is required to participate. Firearms must be fully functional to receive a gift card. No ammunition is allowed at the event.

CREATIVE CORPS

The city of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture has been selected to receive $4.75 million—the highest award possible for a single organization—from the California Arts Council to implement the state’s new California Creative Corps program in Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Alpine and Solano counties.

The program’s goal is to increase public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, emergency preparedness, and relief and recovery through art.

“The creative community is uniquely positioned to help people understand and engage with some of the most urgent and complex issues of our time,” says Megan Van Voorhis, the city’s creative economy manager.

The Office of Arts and Culture will work with regional partners to distribute grants to artist collectives,

nonprofit social service/civic organizations, arts nonprofits, local government and tribal governments for creative campaigns. Information on how to apply will be available at arts. cityofsacramento.org.

VISION ZERO

The city’s traffic safety Vision Zero plan is helping nine local schools and their surrounding neighborhoods become more pedestrian friendly with new curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, and additional bike lanes and buffers through $2.2 million in federal funds.

The nine schools—Aspire Capitol Heights Academy, Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary School, Natomas High School, Oak Ridge Elementary, Hope Public School 7, Smythe Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Met Sacramento High School, West Campus High School and William Land Elementary—are among 20 that were highlighted in the Vision Zero School Safety Plan as historically disadvantaged or in an area with a high number of severe injuries and fatalities from traffic crashes.

Since Vision Zero was adopted in 2017, the city has invested more than $20 million in safety upgrades— including reduced speed limits on 225 streets—through local funding and competitive grants.

CROCKER ART ARK

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Crocker Art Museum’s beloved Art Ark has returned.

Since its launch in 1980, the 50-foot mobile art center has brought hands-on

Truitt Bark Park is one of many dog-friendly Midtown stops. Photo courtesy of Midtown Association

art experiences to more than 200,000 public school students throughout the region to supplement arts education in the classroom.

This fall, the Art Ark will be repurposed as part of Block by Block, the Crocker’s community-based arts initiative. Over the next several months, the Art Ark will take up residence at four community hubs around Sacramento to showcase “Sacramento Narratives,” a hyper-local exploration of the city’s rich and diverse cultural landscape through art activities, conversations and workshops.

Art Ark’s upcoming residencies include Leataata Floyd Elementary School, Sept. 20 to Oct. 5; Crocker Art Museum, Oct. 6–10; and Maple Neighborhood Center, Oct. 10 to Nov. 22. For information, visit crockerart. org.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Center Of Everything

CARMICHAEL ART SPACE OFFERS GIFTSHOP, EXHIBITS, CLASSES, CAMARADERIE

What’s the most important thing Anne DeStefano wants people to know about Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael?

“That we exist!” says DeStefano, a fiber artist and jewelry maker who joined the center 10 years ago. “I don’t know if people realize that the center is there and that we have significant gallery space. Each month, we have a different show on exhibit. It’s quite a range of variety.”

Sacramento Fine Arts Center was founded in 1986 by several local, independent art clubs that came together to share their love of art and pool resources for shows and classes. The center now boasts roughly 300 members from different disciplines— painters, sculptors, fiber artists and more. They share responsibilities, run the giftshop and teach classes.

The center holds local and national juried art shows throughout the year to give members the opportunity to show and sell their work, and raise funds to continue the organization’s operation.

“When I first joined, the fiber arts group would put on at least one show a year at the center and hold classes and other events regularly,” DeStefano says. “But we had trouble growing our membership, so the group disbanded about five years ago. By then, I liked being part of the process at the center, so I decided to continue my membership and started volunteering in the giftshop.”

DeStefano is one of many members who work in the gallery’s giftshop, which offers a rotating stock of

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By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

handmade original art pieces, including jewelry, notecards and ceramics. She helps select inventory and arranges items to make them as attractive as possible. “It’s more than selling,” she says. “It’s about looking at the giftshop as a whole and making it more interesting.”

Before health issues sidelined her, DeStefano helped hang and take down shows. Volunteers act as docents, greeting visitors and sharing information about classes and exhibitions.

When DeStefano isn’t busy in the store, she creates jewelry with various fiber techniques. A member of the Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts since the early 1990s, DeStefano loves all things fiber: sewing, knitting, crocheting, macramé, kumihimo (a Japanese braiding technique). She migrated to wearable fiber art by making jewelry out of beads, wire and cording.

Her hope is that the community learns about the gallery and gift shop, classes and workshops, and enjoys the monthly art exhibitions.

The Sacramento Fine Arts Center giftshop is open during regular business hours, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. For information on upcoming classes, such as painting with acrylics, oils, watercolors and paper, visit sacfinearts.org/art-classes. For information on workshops, including creating encaustic art, visit sacfinearts. org/workshops.The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is at 5330B Gibbons Drive in Carmichael. For more information, visit sacfinearts.org.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

Anne DeStefano

Photo by Linda Smolek

Camped Out

What happens when camping is banned on the American River Parkway?

Sacramento County will soon find out.

Homeless advocates predict people will die. Parkway environmentalists say the natural waterways will continue to be harmed if campers remain. Average citizens express fear for their safety unless campers are removed.

Now that the Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved the parkway camping ban, don’t expect anything drastic to occur right away.

The supervisors signaled there will be no immediate sweeps. At most, the county may push campers to higher ground, away from places vulnerable to brush fires and floods.

Homeless advocates claim the board’s action is illegal under the 9th U.S.

HS By Howard Schmidt Inside The County

Circuit Court of Appeals case Martin v. Boise. In Martin, the court ruled local governments can’t make being homeless illegal.

Many advocates and some local officials use the Martin decision to claim authorities can’t remove homeless camps unless an equal number of shelters are provided. However, the decision approves of camp removals from locations considered dangerous or sensitive.

“These ordinances will literally kill people” predicted a homeless advocate who identified himself as Alejandro. He wore a T-shirt saying, “Decarcerate Sacramento.”

People favoring the ban point to the environmental impacts caused by camping and the need to make the parkway safe. But many self-described “unhoused” individuals told the board that sweeps by park rangers disrupt their lives and they have nowhere else to go.

Stephen Green of the Save the American River Association says the mess on the parkway “didn’t have to happen because we have the laws,” but noted with frustration those laws “need to be enforced.”

Dianna Poggetto of the American River Parkway Foundation complained to the supervisors about frequent fires near parkway homeless camps. A twoalarm fire was underway near the river as the board approved the camping ban. Park rangers reported more than 70 parkway fires from January to May this year.

Many of the ban’s proponents insisted they aren’t “anti-homeless.” Poggetto said the foundation’s stewards provide bags to campers so they can collect their trash. She said her group is working with developers to “have safegrounds on the parkway” to relocate campers.

Green spoke about how the river association suggested a homeless camp at Cal Expo. The plan was rejected by State Fair leadership.

Also speaking for the ordinance was Elk Grove City Council member Pat Hume, who is running to succeed retiring Supervisor Don Nottoli. Hume said “homelessness is not a victimless situation” and noted campers are preyed upon by sex traffickers, drug dealers and other criminals.

County staff reported six homicides in the parkway near encampments in 2021. This year, one female parkway

visitor was raped, tortured and murdered. The alleged assailant is homeless.

A “safe and clean parkway is a priority” Supervisor Phil Serna said, adding he didn’t expect the ordinance to be “exploitive” against campers. Supervisor Patrick Kennedy said the ordinance was “not being designed to punish.”

Supervisor Rich Desmond said the county needs “to regulate these encampments both morally and legally” until more housing can be obtained. County Executive Ann Edwards assured the board she is committed to engage with campers “before enforcement.”

Opponents insisted the ordinance “criminalizes” homelessness. Their interruptions prompted a frustrated Nottoli to call for a quick vote without further deliberations.

Howard Schmidt worked on federal, state and local levels of government, including 16 years for Sacramento County. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento n

COUNTY READIES FOR REMOVAL OF HOMELESS FROM PARKWAY

Voter Harassment

YOUTH SERVICE INDUSTRY MAKES ANOTHER CASH GRAB

It sounds virtuous. Take 40 percent of the cash Sacramento collects on cannabis sales taxes and give the money to youth programs. Activities for kids would receive about $10 million a year.

But that’s not how Measure L on the city’s November ballot really works. Millions of tax dollars won’t go straight to support young people.

The cash will be laundered through a middleman: the youth services industry.

Yes, greedy adults stand at the heart of the comically titled “Children and Youth Health and Safety Act.” The proposal establishes a permanent

transfer of city money to a special interest group.

It’s a cash geyser for the youth services industry.

The “Children and Youth” plan wasn’t written with real children in mind. The “Purpose” paragraph, a mere 57 words, makes vague references to services for homeless youth, foster children and kids with mental health and drug problems. No details are offered. “Purpose” is a dream.

The dollars are real. The plan requires City Manager Howard Chan to cut around $10 million annually from the general fund and give the money to youth organizations.

measure, they anticipated critics might complain about the lack of accountability. Did they include performance goals?

No. They envision a commission formulating goals. Nothing beats a commission when it comes to erasing accountability.

Better yet, they plan to rig the commission, filling it with friends and associates.

The City Council gets to choose the commissioners. But the council must select people connected with the youth services industry. Only foxes guard this henhouse.

“We will have significant performance benchmarks,” says City Councilman Jay Schenirer, who helped shepherd Measure L onto the ballot. Jay retires from council in December, possibly to run another— yes!—youth services organization.

Measure L promoters understand the youth services industry draws sketchy characters and fast-buck hustlers. The measure includes language to discourage shady operators from stealing too much money under the subterfuge of “administrative” expenses.

By R.E. Graswich City Beat

RGTrouble is, public safety and parks are financed by the general fund. This means fire, police and park maintenance will suffer cuts as Chan scrounges to pay for afterschool programs. Remember that while calling 911.

When youth industry insiders wrote the “Children and Youth”

Contrast the proposed “Children and Youth” commission with the Sacramento Community Police Commission, formed by the city in 2015.

While prospective youth fund commissioners must be industry insiders, the police commission won’t seat anyone with a law enforcement background. Knowledge is bad when it comes to public safety.

The ballot measure recognizes the irresistible tendency among some youth service leaders to commingle public and private dollars for personal use, fancy meals, trips and hotel rooms.

It sets up a sliding scale where youth program executives can grab only 20 percent, then 15 percent and finally 10 percent of their city windfall for “administrative” purposes.

Another problem with Measure L is its permanence. As a charter measure, the proposal will be tattooed in red ink on the city’s backside forever.

The only way to erase a charter amendment is to return to the ballot box and ask voters to rescind their mistake. In a word: unlikely.

Sacramento voters already rejected two “Children and Youth” propositions. The stench that smothered Measure Y in 2016 and Measure G in 2020 clings to Measure L.

In previous years, residents were worried about accountability and pillaging the general fund. Asking a third time feels like harassment.

A final cautionary reminder to voters is the city’s stellar performance on homelessness.

Since 2016, when Mayor Darrell Steinberg promised to end homeless in three years, hundreds of millions of dollars have disappeared down the homeless services drain. Meanwhile, the unhoused population swelled from 2,700 to nearly 10,000.

Other than losing his strong mayor bid, Steinberg suffered no

political pain for his incompetence. He supports the $10 million “Children and Youth” giveaway.

The true beneficiaries of the “Children and Youth” act are not kids but adults who run youth service companies. Measure L reduces their obligation to raise money and prove themselves. Picture an eternal cascade of dollars, few questions asked.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.

CORRECTION

A column in our September edition by City Councilman Jeff Harris headlined “Still A Bad Idea” incorrectly stated City Councilman Jay Schenirer owned a nonprofit that provides youth services. Schenirer has never owned a nonprofit. n

House of Memories

OLD ARENA PAVED WAY FOR BIGGER, BETTER STAGE

It was hard not to feel nostalgic looking at photos of a demolition team tearing down old Arco Arena.

Like many Sacramento residents, I spent a lot of time there and have a head and heart full of memories.

Many are wonderful, like the games my family and I attended when Chris Weber, Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac and the rest of the talented roster made a heartbreakingly close run at the NBA Western Division championship in 2002.

I watched more losses than wins by the home team, but most of the time, a visit to Arco was good, if costly, entertainment. My wife and I saw some great concerts, including U2 and

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By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

Bruce Springsteen, mediocre acoustics notwithstanding.

As arenas go, it was never best in class. It was a bargain-basement project, built cheaply and quickly by Gregg Lukenbill and Joe Benvenuti, the developers who brought the team from Kansas City. They got it done without public subsidies, a rarity then and now.

Lukenbill knows a lot about building. He constructed the first temporary home for the Kings near Arco while telling everyone it was an office building because a sports facility was not allowed under the zoning code. His contributions to his native Sacramento are impressive and long-lasting.

But basketball was never his forte or even his primary interest, an unfortunate reality for a team owner. I will never forget seeing him at Arco one Saturday afternoon during a Kings practice as he introduced himself to Rodney McCray, an indifferent NBA journeyman.

“We’re going to build our franchise around you,” Lukenbill told him. “God, I hope not,” I said to myself.

Lukenbill pulled multiple rabbits out of his hat to bring the team to Sacramento and get his second arena built in a part of the city that had long been off-limits to development. Unfortunately, his promotional prowess didn’t translate to NBA success.

The Kings played 28 seasons in Arco, so it served its purpose. The hospital, housing, retail and other uses planned for the site will pump activity into this once-bustling slice of Natomas. But I’ll miss the old building, even with its many imperfections.

Typical of the design flaws were signs that let you know where you left your car. They marked different sections of the parking lot, but when you gazed up to the signs, a blinding spotlight rendered the exercise futile.

And who can forget the game when a hard rain caused the roof to leak and Lukenbill climbed into the rafters and dramatically stretched a banner under the leak to catch the water and allow the game to continue? A game the Kings lost, of course.

The best thing about Arco is that it got built. Despite some trying moments for the city, Kings fans and a basketball team that periodically seemed headed to Anaheim or Seattle, Lukenbill’s arenas paved the way to what we enjoy today.

Golden 1 Center cost more for taxpayers and the team’s owners, but Sacramento now has a first-rate multipurpose sports arena Downtown, which is exactly where it belongs. Representatives from other cities come to see how to do these projects the right way.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Lukenbill’s arenas paved the way to what we enjoy today.

Locations throughout California, including seven in the Sacramento area.

Downtown Sacramento: 801 K Street, Suite 110 (916) 648-9370

This is not a guarantee to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval.

Lukenbill explained it well a few years ago in a radio interview when he called Golden 1 Center a “global-scale building,” proud because his two nowgone arenas were “stepping stones” to a brighter future for the city.

“You can’t have quality of life without the quality of the facilities to support the development that creates the aspiration and inspiration for kids to see other people excelling on a national or global scale come into the community,” he said. “For me, it was always about the facilities.”

Lukenbill has talked about growing up with a chip on his shoulder because community assets he loved—the Alhambra Theatre and Edmonds Field at Broadway and Riverside—were torn down and never replaced.

We lost another local landmark that outlived its usefulness when Arco was demolished, but this time it was replaced with something better. That’s progress, whether you are a basketball fan or not, and none of it would have happened without Gregg Lukenbill.

Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Meaningless Measure

CITY PUTS COUNTY ON HOOK FOR HOMELESS PLAN

In a sure sign the homeless disaster has moved from tragedy to farce, Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council want to fix the mess with political games.

This is the story of Measure O on the November ballot. Known as the “Emergency Shelter and Enforcement Act,” it has no connection with emergencies or enforcement. Even the word “act” is a lie.

If, for some reason, voters approve Measure O, nothing will happen. Or maybe something might, one day. But that’s up to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

The act is a mirage, suspended unless the county rescues the city from the homeless abyss. Which is no way to run a city.

The protagonists in our drama are the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and a political operative name Dan Conway. Angered by Steinberg’s failure to slow the growth of tent cities, street drug markets, robberies, burglaries, fires and mayhem associated with homeless people, the chamber and Conway took a DIY approach.

They wrote a ballot measure with two requirements. One, the city must produce a certain number of homeless shelters. Two, the city must move homeless people into those shelters. Failure in either task would expose the city to endless legal calamity.

Next, the chamber and Conway sidestepped the easy way to get the plan before voters, a method that simply requires five votes from the City Council. Instead, they fanned out and gathered signatures for a ballot initiative.

They presented their proposal as a “grassroots” effort unaffiliated with the incompetents at City Hall. Petitions began to circulate from Pocket to Natomas.

Terrified the chamber and Conway might get enough signatures to place their initiative on the ballot, the mayor and his colleagues retreated in fear.

The prospect of unknown legal liabilities, hundreds of new shelters and the mandated removal of tents from Broadway, Alhambra and other sidewalks made the City Council seek a peace treaty.

An agreement was reached. The City Council would place the “Emergency Shelter” plan on the ballot, but the final version would cut the number of shelters and required time to create them, among other details.

Everyone was satisfied. Or so it seemed.

Months passed. The deadline for November ballot measures approached. All was quiet. But surprise! Steinberg never forgot the bum’s rush he received from the chamber and Conway.

The mayor has many shortcomings—among them an inability to keep his promises or complete any sort of significant project.

But Steinberg is a genius of backroom politics, especially when vengeance is involved. He knows which gears at City Hall are vulnerable to sand. He carries a bucket of sand.

initiative could stay, but a disclaimer would be added, saying Measure O would not take effect without support from Sacramento County.

What Steinberg knew was this: The city has tried for decades to get the county to pay for city homeless services. And this: The county will never yield control over its social service and mental health resources.

Agreements on homelessness between the city and county are always deceptive. In the end, nothing changes.

When the chamber and Conway regained consciousness, they held a press conference and complained about Steinberg’s poor sportsmanship. They said Measure O was “gutted.”

As for Steinberg, he smugly suggested the Chamber of Commerce and Dan Conway got what they deserved.

“They made a leverage play,” he shrugged.

By R.E. Graswich City Beat

RGBoth sides were motivated to compromise. Gathering signatures is expensive. But the chamber and Conway didn’t trust Steinberg. They agreed to negotiate only with City Manager Howard Chan. They told the mayor to get lost.

As the window on November initiatives closed, Steinberg announced he would ask the City Council to yank the “Emergency Shelter” proposal from the ballot. It was unfeasible, he said, unless the County Board of Supervisors contributed millions of dollars for mental health and addiction support.

Pretending to be reasonable, Steinberg let the chamber and Conway salvage their pride. The

Once again, the big losers are city residents. They can waste a vote on Measure O. Or they can pray for a mayor and City Council that actually fix things.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

From-here-tothere care.

This Open Enrollment, choose a plan that gives you access to Dignity Health.

With more than 1,000 affiliated providers supporting our communities across more than 200 locations, we have you covered with care that best fits where you are and whatever your day brings. Learn more at DignityHealth.org/OpenEnrollment.

INSIDE OUT

PHOTOS BY LEAH GARIS

Midtown Halloween Festival & Pooch Parade

Get into the Halloween spirit with the Midtown Halloween Festival & Pooch Parade on Saturday, Oct. 29, from noon to 3 p.m. at Marshall Park at 915 27th St. This free annual event offers fun activities for the whole family, including your furry friends.

For more information, visit exploremidtown.org.

Afew months ago, our photographer went to Clarksburg to shoot the home studio of artist Julia Couzens. The place was as fascinating as the woman who occupies it.

The 2-acre property runs along a country road. The house appears to sit up on a throne. Many homes near the Sacramento River have elevated living spaces above levee roads to take advantage of river views and cooling breezes.

The three-story home of Couzens and her husband, attorney Jay-Allen Eisen, consists of the artist studio on the ground floor, main living area on the second, and offices and a guest suite on the third.

“The home was originally a Victorian that had burned in a fire. Architect Carter Sparks lived down the road with his wife Doti, and he was commissioned to design the replacement home. It was completed in 1989,” Couzens says. “We purchased the property in 1997.”

Sparks is best known for his midcentury modern tract homes in Arden and Carmichael built by the Streng Brothers. Midcentury design aficionados love to restore and remodel the properties.

But this home is different, highlighting the architect’s approach to a custom design.

The exterior features a traditional Delta farmhouse look, complete with wraparound porch on the second level. The entrance is a wide and welcoming set of stairs to the porch.

By Cecily Hastings Photography by Aniko Kiezel Open House

“The main living space on the second floor has floor-to-ceiling windows and doors to capture not only the farmland and river views, but also the Delta breezes,” Couzens says. “Despite the heat, we almost always have a cool breeze flowing through the first floor and, as a result, we don’t use much air conditioning.”

Julia Couzens

HOME TAKES

ADVANTAGE OF RIVER VIEWS

With 3,400 square feet, Julia and Jay-Allen live big—much bigger than the square footage, thanks to Sparks’ creative design.

The simple material palette consists of light maple cabinetry, doors and flooring, with pale grey granite tiles used throughout. The palette helps expand the space visually.

The first-floor studio is the coolest spot with a large French door opening to the backyard. It has multiple rooms and a full bath. Closets keep Couzens’ art supplies organized, including paints, papers, fabric, yarn and trims used for her painting and textile artwork.

The main floor has a huge living room with several seating areas, a dining room and fireplace. The large kitchen has eat-in and lounge areas with a fireplace-indoor grill combo. “The carved marble fireplace is the only thing that survived the fire and the original owner wanted to use it in the new home,” Couzens says. “It adds a historic touch and I like it.”

The master bedroom and bath are generous, as are the many built-in closets and storage areas. “Sparks used numerous wide opening pocket doors to help better contain and manage the open spaces,” she says.

The top floor is smaller and features a colorful guest room with vintage treasures, a full bath and offices for both Julia and Jay-Allen.

When they purchased the property, it had a swimming pool and tennis court. The couple decommissioned both. “I love to swim distances, but not in a kidney-shaped chlorinated pool,” Couzens says.

They transformed the pool into a water garden filled with cattails, water hyacinths and water lilies. The tennis court is now a generous outdoor open space.

The garden and patio areas alongside the Bogle vineyards were Couzens’ creation. The design features fountains, climbing vines, roses and perennials. It’s best seen from the wraparound porches that offer glorious farm or garden views.

Every inch of the home reflects Couzens’ creative spirit and vision. Art (her own and others) fills the space, but the home also holds collections of vintage textiles, pottery, metalwork, rugs and found objects.

Many are family treasures passed on to Couzens from her mother and grandmother. Every surface is an opportunity to create a tableau. The overall effect is best explained as “organized chaos”—a description that fits much of her artwork.

The interior design moves through light and dark spaces. “With all the natural light on the first floor, I chose dark paint finishes in the hallways and stairwell. I love the light-dark contrast,” Couzens says.

The couple never had children, so as she grows older Couzens is planning to share her family treasures and collections with younger members of her extended family. “My mom lived past 100, so I probably have a bit more time,” she says. “But I really ought to at least get started.”

Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. To recommend a home or garden, contact editor@insidepublications. com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

EVERY INCH OF THE HOME REFLECTS COUZENS’ CREATIVE SPIRIT AND VISION.

An (Un)Civil Debate on Measure L

CHANGE YOUR OPINIONS, OR ELSE

To Cecily Hastings:

I have lived in Sacramento my whole life and in Land Park since 1987. I have tolerated R.E. Graswich’s opinions for many of those years, but his article “Not Again” in the August editions of Inside veered too far from the point and the truth. The column criticized Measure L, the “Sacramento Children and Youth Health and Safety Act,” on the November ballot.

As publisher and editor, you are responsible for employing Mr. Graswich and publishing articles like this. You have responsibility and accountability for this hit piece. Of course there are many legitimate things you might raise to critique Measure L, but to lump the entirety of Measure L’s scope and intent to past problems of the Roberts Family Development Center is unconscionable and irresponsible journalism. If the current city audit of the Roberts Center shows that its past problems are now resolved, do you plan to write some form of retraction? I should hope so.

Have you considered having balanced reporting on this issue, or are you simply committed to defeating Measure L for your own personal reasons? Your answers to these questions could impact my decisions on how I choose to proceed with my own next steps.

As the senior pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, a large-ish faith community, I am no stranger to receiving emails like this one. It is difficult to speak to the community without receiving criticism. When I am criticized, if the critique is valid, I try to do better. I ask the same commitment from you as publisher of one of Sacramento’s important publications. In addition, as a Downtown pastor, I experience the daily failures of our society. That is why I am committed to creating opportunities for our people, especially young people.

So I ask you to consider the significance of publishing articles like the one Mr. Graswich wrote, writing exclusively about the Roberts Center, rather than what Measure L will actually do and how it will work. Having read more than one article like this from your columnist, I will take additional steps to right these wrongs, if need be.

My wife is a successful Realtor with a major advertiser of your paper. I know more than a few agents who could be rallied to do something about having their names attached to your unjustified position of Measure L, linked as they are to your publication through advertising.

As a leader of my faith community, person of conscience, and life-long Sacramentan, I request that you not only desist from publishing misleading and inflammatory articles of this nature, but also, for the sake of journalistic integrity, do something to right this wrong.

Sincerely,

Pastor Frank Espegren, Senior Pastor, St. John’s Lutheran Church n

An (Un)Civil Debate on Measure L

PASTOR’S THREATS DON’T INSPIRE SUPPORT

To Pastor Espegren:

The editor and publisher of Inside Sacramento asked me to thank you for your email in regards to my column “Not Again” in our August editions. While I was surprised by the threatening contents of your email, and generally don’t respond to threats, your position in the community and St. John’s Lutheran Church motto of “Live God’s Love in the World” inspired me to reply.

If I understand your email, you demand that I retract my factually correct column on Measure L, publicly reverse my position, and support a political initiative that I oppose. If I refuse to reverse my opinion, you will drag your wife and her business associates into this political disagreement and make them “do something” that causes financial harm to Inside Sacramento.

Living God’s Love in the World indeed.

As for the August column, there are no errors to retract. I find it astonishing that you consider my opinions “unconscionable” and “irresponsible,” yet offer no criticism of Derrell Roberts and his organization, which, according to the California Attorney General, misappropriated thousands of dollars destined for impoverished farmworkers. Those are facts, not opinions.

Apparently, taking money from farmworkers is OK because “past problems are now resolved.” I hope so. Mr. Roberts was cited by Measure L proponents as an example of someone who deserves public funds. That makes him relevant for discussion.

As for Measure L, it’s a $10 million annual cash grab against the city’s general fund. That’s a fact. I believe it’s bad public policy. That’s an opinion.

Given that Measure L is a political and secular matter, I’m disappointed to see it provoke a senior pastor and “person of conscience” to debase himself by making threats against a small business, pulling his spouse and her colleagues into a political disagreement over a guy who writes opinion pieces for a local magazine.

Seriously, Frank, if Measure L stirs up this kind of anger and vengeance in a “leader of my faith community,” then it absolutely deserves to fail.

Best, Bob Graswich n

Challenging weather patterns amplified the wailing and woes heard during my UC Master Gardener stints at the California State Fair and Harvest Day at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center.

Ailing perennials, struggling annuals, disappointing veggie yields and low morale affected many Sacramento gardeners this summer.

Among the most common lament was, “What’s wrong with my tomatoes?” I can relate. This was the first year my annual planting of the heirloom tomato Cherokee Purple didn’t produce a single tomato. Each morning, I

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By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

BeatClimateThe

AND

inspected the plant with hopes of discovering a tiny green orb.

PRINCIPLES TAKE GARDENS FORWARD

Nope. Heat and blossom drop ensured a shutout. Concerned about water waste during a period of extreme drought, I dug it up in early August.

On the flip side, hybrid tomatoes produced an abundant crop, which is why I now mix fussy heirlooms with reliable hybrid varieties.

Garden writer Lee Reich once wrote, “My gardening is something like my writing. I do a draft and then edit it again and again.” Repeated editing is especially necessary in the Sacramento region because of changing and sometimes extreme growing conditions.

Updating practices and tweaking outdated thinking are steps forward, followed by reminders of a few valuable guidelines we may have forgotten or ignored. Not much room for error these days.

Beating the climate continues to rely on basic principles: adequate sunlight, healthy soil, a water source and the right plants for the location. Choosing

plants that have the best chance to flourish is an invaluable guideline. Plants are expensive. Nobody rejoices when one dies.

Nurseries mostly sell plants suited to Sacramento’s growing zone, which the USDA deems Zone 9b. Inspect the back of the plant label to find the recommended zone.

Zones are determined by the average extreme low temperature. In Sacramento that would be 25–30 degrees. Gardens have unique microclimates that can raise or lower temperatures. Some Joe Bag-of-Seeds in my neighborhood may have plucked two dozen Cherokee Purple tomatoes. Slightly different growing conditions in the same neighborhood can result in varying results.

One garden receives an abundance of shade. Another next door is aglow with all-day full sun. Last month, a reader lamented the sudden loss of shade and privacy when her neighbor removed trees along the property line. Same thing happened to me last year. What

had been a late-afternoon shady area, became an oven on broil. Time to edit.

Before purchasing a plant, research how many hours of sunlight it requires. Poor citrus yields can be caused by not enough sunlight. Scorched Japanese maple leaves indicates too much direct sunlight. Like real estate, reducing plant problems depends on location, location, location.

Not all nursery plant labels include important information like growing zone, light requirements, width, height, and water and soil needs, especially if the nursery grows its own or buys from local growers. If detailed label information is absent, search for larger signage on the display table or ask when buying.

For Sacramento-specific perennials, shrubs and trees, visit the waterefficient gardens at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks Park. The gardens are open daily, dawn to dusk. The demonstration gardens are open until Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free.

If you go online, seek reliable sites with addresses that end in .edu or .gov. The Sacramento County Master Gardener website—sacmg.ucanr. edu—has plant information focused on Sacramento. “The New Sunset Western Garden Book” also is a valuable resource.

Finally, when chatting with local gardeners at events, many admitted they did not use mulches. That nomulch story requires immediate editing. Mulches, spread atop the soil, are a necessity for happy plants. Use wood chips, bark chips, shredded leaves or straw to help retain soil moisture, add organic material to the soil and deter weeds.

Did your summer gardening story have a happy ending? I hope so.

Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@ gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

HEIRLOOM TOMATO

Summer may be over, but you can still find heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Eat it: Slice and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Monthly Market

A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN OCTOBER

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This long squash is one of the tastiest winter squashes, with a subtle flavor similar to pumpkin.

Eat it: Roast the flesh and use in a simple risotto.

BLOOOMSDALE SPINACH

This old spinach variety (from the 19th century) has a crinkled leaf and a deep, interesting flavor.

Eat it: Sautee in olive oil with garlic and hot red pepper flakes.

logo by Liam S. (Age

Finding Peace

The retired engineer who occupied our ICU bed knew he was dying. He’d known for a long time.

He told his doctor not to take any heroic measures to prolong his life. He only wished to share his last words with his family.

I called his family from the waiting room and assembled them around his bed.

It was a tender moment as he thanked his wife for being such a hero. He thanked her for helping raise their kids and expressed his deep and eternal love for her.

She answered only with streaming tears.

Next, he turned to his son and repeated much the same sentiment. Before I could gauge the son’s response,

EXTREME FORGIVENESS CAN EASE THE PAIN

the doctor summoned the family into a consultation room, along with me and a social worker.

The doctor began by confirming the patient’s wishes.

“He says he doesn’t want to be kept alive with a machine.”

The son spoke for the family with quick certainty. He said, “Good. He deserves nothing.”

A moment later the family dispersed, leaving the doctor to ask her team, “What just happened?”

“Terminate with extreme prejudice,” the social worker replied.

“What?” asked the startled doctor.

I recognized the phrase popularized by the 1979 film “Apocalypse Now” in which an Army special ops captain is ordered to use “extreme prejudice” to kill an errant American colonel. The order allows for an irrational level of violence that gives no chance of survival.

NBI shook my head at the term’s use here. Was the son only present to make certain his dad died?

“Your dad said some nice things,” I said, fishing for answers.

“My dad’s an —” He paused, thinking better. “Sorry, Chaplain, but you know.”

No, I didn’t know.

“Can you say more?” I asked. “I’m OK with the language.”

“Then you’d have liked my dad,” he said. “In between chugging the beer, my father swore nonstop. Dad kept sober work hours, but just long enough to collect his check. He wanted everyone to think that he’s this loving father and husband. No one knew he slapped our mother around.”

“I can see why you’d call him an —” “Yes!” he said, bleeping my sentence short. “We won’t miss him.”

“You didn’t care for his words today. What would you like to hear him say?” I asked.

“I’d like to hear him say, ‘I’m sorry, son. Forgive me for being such an a-hole!’”

And with that, the man stood and left to rejoin his family.

It’s been said chaplaincy is like pastoring an airport runway because we don’t often see the end of the stories. Sometimes I imagine this ending:

The son would return to our patient’s room in evening light and say to his comatose father, “Dad, you said your piece so now you have to listen to mine.”

He would unload the things he shared with me and then lean close with a whisper, “I forgive you.”

And because those words often need practice before they become truth, the son would find it redeeming to repeat the same phrase over his father’s grave for several years until he uncovered peace.

I imagine he would have done this not for his dad, but for himself. Because the only resolution to his feelings of “extreme prejudice” would be extreme forgiveness.

By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

I went to find the son, a 30-something man. He sat slumped over in his seat in the nearly empty waiting room, staring at the stained carpet.

As I approached, he removed his hands from his face and gave me a pensive nod to sit beside him.

“See you later,” I told him.

“Later,” he said. Both of us knew that wasn’t true.

Our patient died during the night. Now 10 years later, I’m not able to tell you how the son resolved his feelings.

Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

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ACROSS

1 Toot your own horn 5 Waffle brand 9 Sound of a perfect basketball shot

14 Put to sleep, perhaps 15 Queen consort of Jordan 16 Japanese bread crumbs

17 *“You kids hush now!”

19 Muppet with a rubber duckie 20 Gambler’s wager 21 Genome molecule 22 Game of checkers? 23 Back talk 25 Ingredient in fries, informally 27 “Dropped” drug 30 *Flying saucer’s purpose 34 Artist Yoko 35 Christmas lights might hang from one 36 “Mad Men” hat 37 Gear teeth 39 Psychic power, briefly 41 Knighted fellows 42 Impede 45 Part of B.A. 48 Army bed 49 *When college students may hit the beach

51 Triage ctrs. 52 En pointe, in ballet 53 “Judge” of taste 55 It floats up the flue 57 He/him/___ 59 Big name in cubism? 63 Alumnae, e.g. 64 *Complete 180 (Note: The title hints at what can follow both words of each starred clue’s answer) 66 Declares 67 Diagram type with circles 68 Cut loose 69 Unlike this clue, which is far too wordy and could have simply been just “curt” 70 CEO, CFO, COO or CTO 71 “I’ve ___ better” DOWN 1 Jul. 4 cookouts 2 Defeat soundly 3 Big song at the Met 4 Some speak fluent Klingon 5 Finish 6 *“Talked your way out of that!”

7 Oscar night dress 8 Lavishly decorated

9 Titular org. in a 2015 Bond film

10 “Extreme Sour” candies

11 What only you can hear

12 Goes down a snowy hill, say 13 Tools to break up soil 18 Taunt 24 The aptly named business Face It, for one 26 DOJ division 27 Bodies of water that sound secure 28 Be nosy 29 One who makes a boxer look smart?

31 Labor activist Chavez 32 Editor’s catch 33 Isn’t just a fad

38 Bad eggs or rotten eggs 40 *“To continue in English, ___”

43 Like a strong feeling 44 “The GOAT” hides it 46 “The Joy Luck Club” author Amy 47 Hybrid activewear garment 50 “Act nice!”

54 Polishes 55 Sultan of ___ (Babe Ruth nickname) 56 “You’re in my way!”

58 Goat with curved horns 60 Naked 61 Slushy treat 62 Avid 65 Tar Heels’ sch.

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Ahead of Time by Trent H. Evans

Must Win?

WHY KINGS NEVER STOP REBUILDING

My two favorite sports clichés are “must-win game” and “rebuilding year.”

Back when I was a young Sacramento sportswriter, I avoided those phrases. They were trite. But I always smiled when local TV and radio pundits rolled

R G RG

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

out “must win” and “rebuilding.” Still do.

With the Kings, the first mention of a “must-win” game usually arrives around the third week of the season.

This makes little sense, given that NBA campaigns stretch across 82 games. How could a team face a “must-win” situation in November with 75 games to play?

Easy, because the Kings aren’t just any team. They are the NBA’s biggest losers.

Just watch. By the third week of the season, the Kings will have lost two or three consecutive games. Doom pounds on the door.

Local experts will regard an upcoming match against a mediocre opponent as a last, best chance to plug

holes in a ship that’s sinking before it clears harbor.

Hence, a “must-win” game.

As for “rebuilding year,” that curtain falls across the Kings between New Year’s Day and the NBA trade deadline in February. By that point, the Kings are miles behind the conference leaders. While not mathematically eliminated, history confirms any chance for success is theoretical.

Declaring the season a “rebuilding year” is a nice way to say the situation is hopeless without upsetting too many fans. The words cauterize the embarrassment and introduce a whisper of hope for the future. When players recently hailed as saviors are

jettisoned in trades, the rebuilding campaign is officially underway.

I mention this in anticipation of a new Kings season.

In most other NBA towns, the first few weeks don’t mean much. Fans are focused on football. Sacramento is different. Here, the opening weeks are decisive, a time when anything seems possible if you close your eyes and fantasize.

This season is interesting because the Kings have another new coach, Mike Brown, whose most recent job was helping Steve Kerr guide Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to their fourth championship in eight years.

Brown has bounced around the NBA for 30 years. He knows there’s no comparison between the Warriors and

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

ARUGULA

Cleaning

Kings. But many Kings fans, lacking reference points, think he sneaked some Golden State magic into his suitcase.

If nothing else, Brown will benefit from low expectations.

Kings fans, media pundits and stockholders would be thrilled to reach the playoffs. Notice how nobody talks about winning any playoff games? After a 16-year drought, getting swept in the first round sounds glorious.

The NBA is a meritocracy. There are only about 400 people in the world with full-time NBA player contracts. None of them rely on connections or donations made by rich parents.

Curry’s little brother Seth has played on eight teams, the Kings included. Seven teams didn’t consider Stephen’s brilliance when they waived or traded Seth.

The problem is finding the right four or five players. For the Kings, this means finding people eager to play for a team with a miserable track record and microscopic ambitions. Who wants to work for that company?

In 37 years in Sacramento, the Kings blundered into a truly winning formula just once, in 2002. Success was like quicksilver, here and gone, impossible to replicate.

Today the Kings have no clue how they did it.

Sadly, the NBA’s meritocracy doesn’t extend to management and ownership. Climb the front-office food chain and talent counts for less and less. Relationships and personality matter more than brains and skill.

The Kings haven’t had a proven, successful general manager since Geoff Petrie was fired in 2013. They staggered through losing seasons, bad trades, wasted draft opportunities and coaching upheavals under Pete D’Alessandro, Vlade Divac and now Monte McNair.

Meritocracy evaporates when you reach the owner’s suite. If managing partners were judged on wins and losses, Vivek Ranadive would have been bounced years ago. Unfortunately, Sacramento is stuck with him until the real estate market prompts him to cash out.

Meantime, let’s call every Kings game “must win.” The rebuilding year starts opening night.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

This leafy green can be used as an herb, a salad or a vegetable. It has a peppery, spicy flavor.

Eat it: Dress lightly with fresh lemon juice and serve on top of grilled steak or chicken Milanese.

Monthly Market

A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN OCTOBER

SUNCHOKE

Also known as a Jerusalem artichoke, this tuber has a fresh, nutty taste.

Eat it: Roast in the oven with other vegetables, or puree for a soup.

This knobby golden fruit looks like a pear and is generally too hard and sour to eat raw.

Eat it: Stew in water or wine, then bake in a tart.

My husband and I noticed something amiss when our 13-year-old chihuahua mix, Tammy, was uninterested in breakfast. She was moving slowly, not the perky wide-eyed pooch spinning in circles for a morning treat.

I called our veterinarian’s office, assuming it would be booked for the day but hoping staff could squeeze us in. They couldn’t.

I reached out to six other veterinary clinics near our home in Wilhaggin. Only one was accepting

By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

Who Will Help?

VET SHORTAGE IS REASON FOR CONCERN

new patients, but the wait was three weeks.

Not to be defeated, I tried two local 24-hour emergency hospitals. Both turned us away. “We are at capacity and cannot see any more emergencies today.”

It’s a pet owner’s nightmare: an animal with a serious illness or injury and nowhere to go, no one to help.

There’s a critical shortage of veterinary professionals across the United States, and Sacramento is no exception.

Mars Veterinary Health, a network of 2,500 veterinary clinics, hospitals and diagnostic labs, including corporate-owned Banfield and VCA Animal Hospitals, both prominent in Sacramento, released a report earlier this year detailing the severity of the nation’s shortage.

Vet care appointments were up 6.5 percent in 2021, due in part to increased pet adoptions by people working from home during the pandemic. Longtime pet owners spending more time at home were also noticing maladies overlooked before.

Compounding the problem are nearly 2,000 veterinarians retiring nationwide each year. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average turnover for animal doctors is double that of human physicians. Veterinary technicians have one of the highest turnovers of all health care positions.

Overworked, highly stressed veterinary professionals are burning out. “Animal owners will need to realize that many practitioners are overwhelmed and their hospitalsclinics and availability will be limited,” says Dr. Karl Jandrey, a

small animal emergency and critical care professor at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

VCA Animal Hospitals reported more than 50 veterinarian job openings at its eight Sacramento facilities in August. “And we don’t just need vets, but also positions that don’t require medical background, such as customer service representatives,” says Joseph Campbell, VCA’s corporate communications director.

“My problem is that I don’t have enough staff to see the cases that want to be seen,” says Dr. Laura Hart, owner of Reagor Pet Hospital on Walnut Avenue. “I’ve had an ad out for a veterinarian for two years. I’ve gotten four resumes,” she says.

VCA Sacramento Medical Group in Carmichael reports each of its doctors is seeing two to four more

Suite

appointments per day than prepandemic due to fewer doctors on staff.

Even with new veterinary graduates over the next 10 years, a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians will likely exist nationwide by 2030, Mars Veterinary Health reports.

“It’s nationwide. It’s not just California. It’s not just this region,” says Hart, who has limited her open days to four a week due to the shortage. “It’s also harder for an independently owned practice because we don’t have the ability to borrow staff from other hospitals. Corporates that have multiple practices commonly share staff. That’s a luxury I don’t have.”

To address the shortage, the Mars study suggests adding more veterinary schools and increasing class sizes. “There are a few veterinary schools opening around the country, but the current demand will unlikely be met by the supply of veterinarians now or five to 10 years from now,” Jandrey says.

Other suggestions to tackle the shortage include placing more emphasis on preventive care, recruiting new vet students through programs targeting underrepresented groups, providing student debt relief, and increasing access to telehealth and virtual-care options. VCA Sacramento Medical Group offers clients free 24/7 live chat for general medical questions.

Giving more responsibility to credentialed veterinary technicians would free doctors to perform work that calls for their advanced education. “More complete development of the roles and

contributions of veterinary nurses/ technicians will be essential,” Mars reports.

So how do pet owners prepare for the current and future vet care predicament? “Try not to wait until a problem is an emergency,” Hart says. “The dog is vomiting on Monday, don’t wait until Friday afternoon to seek help.”

Book appointments for annual exams and vaccinations in advance. If you don’t have a primary-care vet, get one. “Establishing a relationship with a veterinary practice means your pet will have a team to help that is familiar with his or her medical history if something happens,” Campbell says.

Established clients can get on a waiting list if there is a cancelation or get a drop-off appointment where the doctor will exam the animal as time permits.

“They will also need to educate themselves on preventive health strategies and be prepared for emergencies,” Jandrey says. Keep a list of 24-hour emergency hospitals. If one turns you away, call another.

With limited options for our dog Tammy, my husband and I decided to monitor her for 24 hours. She has a history of being overly dramatic. Sure enough, she was eating and wagging the next day.

But what if she wasn’t?

Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Scan here to join Girl Scouts today, and get ready for an amazing journey.

EMERGENCY VET HOSPITALS

There are seven 24-hour emergency veterinary hospitals within a 30mile radius of Sacramento. Keep this list handy—you never know when you’ll need one.

VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center 9801 Old Winery Place (916) 362-3111

Vista Veterinary Specialists 7425 Greenhaven Drive (916) 231-4445

VCA Mueller Pet Medical Center 7625 Freeport Blvd. (916) 428-9292

MarQueen Pet Emergency & Specialty 9205 Sierra College Blvd. Roseville (916) 757-6600

Atlantic Street Pet Emergency Center 1100 Atlantic St. Roseville (916) 783-4655

UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital 1 Garrod Drive Davis (530) 752-1393

VCA Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic 3901 Sierra College Blvd. Loomis (916) 652-5816

Mixed MediaMixed Media

Susan Tonkin Riegel

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

Susan Tonkin Riegel’s biggest tip for fellow artists is simple: “Do the work, keep working and don’t do something that doesn’t feel like you.”

Riegel has crafted an impressive art career by being herself. Her mixed-media works are arresting for their playful, abstract and figurative compositions and intricacy. Riegel loves to experiment with materials, from two-dimensional mixed media and oil paint to clay, fabric, batik, papier-mache, wood and, most recently, raw canvas that she paints and sews.

“I get tired of cranking the same thing out, so I switch media,” the longtime Granite Bay resident says. “My style is always changing.”

A native of San Francisco and graduate of UC Berkeley and Sacramento State (where she got bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively, in studio art), Riegel has always been creative. As a child, she felt inspired whether painting with oils in art lessons or playing in the mud.

JLWhile raising her son and daughter, she completed an apprenticeship to become an herbalist and found that field was “like making art.” When she started teaching at American River and Sierra colleges, she realized teaching was an artform.

“Learning from my students fed my creative spirit,” she says. “I realized I wanted to work in a more spontaneous, intuitive way—it felt like coming home.”

Riegel finds inspiration in travel and has completed several international residencies, starting

GRANITE BAY ARTIST FINDS INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE

Send a Problem Solver to the State Senate.

at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada, in 2009. She recalls, “A colleague said to me, ‘Why don’t you try a residency?’ I thought, why? I have my own studio and I love it. They said, ‘No, it’s different.’ So I thought, all right, I’ll apply. Those 10 days were a total lifechanging experience.”

During the residency, Riegel was invited to go on a meditation excursion in the mountains with a fellow artist. As she sat on the mountaintop, she heard a voice. “It said, this is what you’re going to be doing for a big part of your life,” Riegel says. “It was totally unexpected but it means we really have to listen to that voice we all have inside.”

Riegel has since followed her inner voice to residencies in Switzerland,

Mexico, China, Sweden, France and Norway. Post-pandemic, she plans to return to France to “get away from my everyday life and have a dialogue with my art.”

She maintains an impressive exhibition schedule stateside, showing her work in solo, group and juried shows all over California, plus Chicago, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Georgia. Her most recent project was creating work for the entire fifth floor of the new Fort Sutter Hotel at 28th and Capitol, a boutique Hilton that features local artwork in public spaces and each guest room.

When she’s not in the studio, Riegel teaches creativity workshops for kids and adults, moves her body with yoga, hiking and hip-hop dance classes, and travels. She and her husband, who’s

also an artist, recently completed a maiden voyage to the ocean in their 13-foot vintage trailer, with plans to drive to Canada.

“It’s nice to have something to look forward to,” Riegel says. “If you’re not excited about what you’re doing, no one else will be.”

For more information, visit susantonkinriegel.com.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

Just steps from the Capitol, Prelude Kitchen & Bar serves a splendid lunch and dinner to more than politicians and lobbyists. “Like any Downtown restaurant, it’s a mix of tourists and locals,” says executive chef Tom Patterson. Given the diversity of culinary influences and focus on seasonal ingredients, Prelude appeals to just about anyone.

Prelude’s location is coveted real estate. Two previous eateries, Chops Steak Seafood & Bar and The Diplomat Steakhouse, both put in time at the spot. Now, Prelude looks to eclipse those previous tenants, creating a farm-focused yet innovative menu that might garner Michelin attention. At least, that’s what some involved with

the project proclaimed when Prelude opened last December.

For now, the focus is on quality cooking with local bounty. “We use the freshest seasonal and highest quality ingredients we can find,” Patterson tells me. “(We take) advantage of the local bounty of products that the Sacramento area provides.”

Photos by Linda Smolek

DOWNTOWN KITCHEN TAKES ADVANTAGE OF REGIONAL BOUNTY

He doesn’t exaggerate. The bruschetta appetizer takes the ripest peaches, plums and nectarines and elevates them with house-made ricotta and prosciutto di Parma. My charming dining companion said it was the best bruschetta she ever had. While I was too much of a gentleman to ask how many bruschetta she typically consumes each year, it was a high compliment.

The late summer menu was full of creative uses of seasonal ingredients: stone fruit complementing the green salad, peaches cooked into a mostarda (an Italian fruit and mustard condiment), corn risotto, compressed melon and heirloom tomato salad.

The joy of such an approach to cooking is that by the time you read this, the menu will have pivoted to an early autumn palate of apples, squash, persimmons and more. Our local bounty

is so robust, so undeniable, I often take it for granted.

I was reminded of this while I drove a coworker visiting from Indiana up and down the valley. He asked about every tree and plowed field, wondering what was growing. I listed the ridiculous number of fruits, vegetables and nuts produced outside our backdoors. His response was that in Indiana, just about every field is corn or soybeans.

So yes, it’s easy to take this embarrassment of riches for granted. But Chef Patterson does not.

“Connecting with local farmers is what we do. Some of our produce even comes from the Sacramento Waldorf School, where kids learn to grow and harvest seasonal fruit and vegetables,” he says.

The tight, approachable menu is served in a comfortable, clubby

atmosphere. Simple tables surround a substantial bar, with a fireplace and overstuffed chairs creating a lounge atmosphere. Out of sight from most diners is a private dining space that can accommodate up to 80 people downstairs.

The outdoor patio, shaded by trees and sighted directly on the Capitol, is a great place for a fall lunch or dinner on a warm Sacramento evening.

When I ask Chef Patterson to name his favorite dish, he says, “My favorite at the moment has to be the bucatini pasta carbonara with house-made lamb bacon and summer peppers. But I’ve been told many times by diners that we have the best pork chop in town.”

If sampling flavors of the season is on your to-do list or you happen to be Downtown for pleasure or on business, Prelude is a worthy stop.

Prelude Kitchen & Bar is at 1117 11th St.; (916) 898-1071; preluderestaurant.com.

Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insideasacramento. n

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

River City Toy Train Show

Toy Train Operating Society Sacramento Division

Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 6151 H St. • ttos-sv.org

Buy, sell, trade and peruse toy trains, accessories, parts, supplies and operating train layouts at this annual show. Parking is free and food is available for purchase. Kids 17 and younger participate in a train set drawing. Admission is $5. Children 12 and younger are free with a paid adult.

JLBy Jessica Laskey

11th Annual CruiseFest on Fulton Avenue

California Automobile Museum

Saturday, Oct. 8, 3–7 p.m.

Fulton Avenue from El Camino to Marconi • calautomuseum.org

Sacramento’s premier car cruise features hundreds of eye-popping custom and classic cars. Also enjoy food trucks, a live DJ and beer garden. Admission is free for spectators. Cruisers register online—$29 for museum members, $45 for nonmembers, $60 day of the event.

Gabriela Garcia and Stephanie Bray

Stories on Stage Sacramento

Friday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.

CLARA Auditorium, 2420 N St. • storiesonstagesacramento.com

This award-winning literary performance series presents an excerpt from author Gabriela Garcia’s book “Of Women and Salt” and Stephanie Bray’s story “What We Keep,” read aloud by professional actors followed by a Q&A with the authors. Tickets are a $10 suggested donation.

Bold Expressions

Northern California Artists Inc. Oct. 4–30

Sacramento Fine Arts Center, 5330 Gibbons Drive • norcalartsinc.org

This annual international exhibit features daring, high-impact pieces in a variety of media, from traditional to experimental.

The Firebird!

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m.

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St. • sacphilopera.org

This season-opening concert features conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya and violinist Tai Murray performing John Wineglass’ “Fanfare,” Wynton Marsalis’ “Violin Concerto” and Igor Stravinsky’s “Suite from The Firebird.”

River City Toy Train Show at Scottish Rite Masonic Center.

Bucks for Ducks

Yolo Basin Foundation

Sunday, Oct. 9, 3–6 p.m.

El Macero Country Club, 44571 Clubhouse Drive • yolobasin.org/bucksforducks

This annual fundraiser features drinks, hors d’oeuvres and an online auction offering photography, art and other unique items. Proceeds help connect the community and schoolchildren to the beauty and importance of wetlands, specifically the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Online auction open Oct. 2–10.

Black Artists on Art: Past, Present, and Future

Crocker Art Museum

Through Oct. 23

216 O St. • crockerart.org

This exhibition features the work of legends, including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett and Jacob Lawrence, alongside contemporary and emerging artists. The series is organized by Unity Lewis, grandson of the late Dr. Samella Lewis—artist, historian, author, educator, often referred to as the godmother of Black art—who passed away May 22 at 99.

Whiskers in Wonderland

Sacramento SPCA

Saturday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. 6201 Florin Perkins Road • sspca.org

Take a trip down the rabbit hole at the SSPCA’s annual fall gala. Enjoy dinner, libations, silent and live auctions, entertainment and an up-close look at the shelter’s lifesaving services. Tickets are sold out—to be added to the waitlist, contact Kristi Maryman at kmaryman@sspca.org or (916) 504-2802.

Annual Fall Sale

Shepard Garden & Arts Center

Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 3330 McKinley Blvd. • sgaac.org

Shop for jewelry, plants, crafts, flowers, antiques, art, food and more at this annual sale to benefit SGAC and the numerous clubs that meet there.

Season Opening Concert

Sacramento Symphonic Winds

Sunday, Oct. 9, 2:30 p.m.

El Camino High School Center for the Arts, 4300 El Camino Ave. • sacwinds.org

After a long pandemic hiatus, the musicians are back for the 2022-23 season under the direction of new Artistic and Music Director Dr. Matthew Morse.

Cruiser Frank Towse with 1950 Mercury Coupe at Fulton Avenue CruiseFest.

“Madonna” by Elizabeth Catlett at Crocker Art Museum.

“Look of Love” by Dwight Head at PBS KVIE Gallery.

Draw a Rumor: Dwight Head

PBS KVIE Gallery

Oct. 11–Dec. 9

2030 West El Camino Ave. • kvie.org

This exhibition features more than 20 drawings, collages, comic books and mixed media by Sacramento artist Dwight Head, who has won numerous awards, including first place in the 2021 PBS KVIE Art Auction in the contemporary category.

Safe & Super Halloween

Fairytale Town

Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 15 & 16, Oct. 22 & 23, 5–9 p.m.

3901 Land Park Drive • fairytaletown.org

Enjoy four days (weather permitting) of trick-or-treating and familyfriendly fun at this Halloween extravaganza featuring treat stations, a costume parade, hands-on activities and more. Advance tickets are $13 (members get $3 off); day-of tickets are $16.

“Deborah’s Gift” Book Launch and Reading

Avid Reader

Sunday, Oct. 16, 3 p.m.

1945 Broadway • newwindpublishing.com

Sacramento author and former American River College instructor Lois Ann Abraham celebrates the publication of her new book. Set in 1900, the book details St. Louis native Deborah Huntworth’s determination to follow her artistic dreams from Martinique to New York City.

California Funk to Figuration: A New Narrative Mythology

John Natsoulas Gallery

Through Jan. 7

521 First Street, Davis • natsoulas.com

This exhibition features works by the incredible men and women— including Roy De Forest, Robert Arneson, Peter Saul, Robert Colescott, David Gilhooly, Louise Stanely, Patrick Siler, Jim Albertson, Gladyss Nielsson, Jim Nutt and many others— who shaped the Funk Movement.

NatureFest

Effie Yeaw Nature Center

Sunday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 2850 San Lorenzo Way (inside Ancil Hoffman Park) • sacnaturecenter.net/events/naturefest

The center’s largest family event of the year promotes science and nature education through live animal presentations, kids’ activities, demonstrations, guided nature hikes and more. Admission is $7 for 12 and older; $3 for kids 3–11; free for kids 2 and younger.

Jesuit Art Event

Jesuit High School

Friday, Oct. 21, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m.–noon 4660 Fair Oaks Blvd. • jesuithighschool.org/social/jesuit-art-event

Support Jesuit High School and enjoy curated pieces from top local artists, including Pat Mahony, William Ishmael, Leslie Toms, Miles Hermann, Margarita Chaplinska, Patris Miller, Whitney Lofrano and others.

Celebrating California

California Art Club and Blue Line Arts

Through Oct. 29

Third Saturday Reception Oct. 15, 4–8 p.m.; artist lectures, 4–5 p.m. 405 Vernon St., Roseville • bluelinearts.org

This show includes several premier contemporary-traditional artists, including Laurie Kersey, Brian Blood, Paul Kratter, Charles Pyle and Keith Wicks, currently working in California.

The Fox on The Fairway

Theatre in the Heights

Saturday, Oct. 1, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 2, 4 p.m. 8215 Auburn Blvd. • theatreintheheights.com

A tribute by playwright Ken Ludwig to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s, this show takes audiences on a hilarious romp at a private country club about love, life and man’s eternal love affair with golf. Tickets are $20.

“Slow Your Roll: Orange Buoy” by Whitney Lofrano at Jesuit High School.

“Roy and the Canine Range” by Roy De Forest at John Natsoulas Gallery.

Sweet! by Polly LaPorte and Robert Gonsowski

Elk Grove Fine Arts Center

Oct. 1–27

First Saturday Reception Oct. 1, 4–7 p.m.

11th Annual Art Tour Oct. 8, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

9683 Elk Grove Florin Road • elkgrovefineartscenter.org

This show captures the bold and delicious colors and shapes of desserts of all kinds depicted by Sacramento artists and friends Polly LaPorte and Robert Gonsowski. The Annual Art Tour showcases talented artists in the community and features an art raffle to support the center.

Run for a Safe Haven

My Sister’s House

Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m.

William Land Park, corner of Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard • runforasafehaven.com

Join hundreds of runners and walkers and make a difference! Whether you participate in person or virtually, your support will help provide services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Sacramento Armenian Food Festival

St. James Armenian Apostolic Church of Sacramento

Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

8071 Old Auburn Road • foodfestival.stjamessacramento.org

Don’t miss a night under the stars with live music, traditional Armenian dancing and authentic cuisine, including yalanchi (stuffed grape leaves), cheese boureg (cheese-filled phyllo triangles), taboule (parsley, tomato and bulgur salad) and paklava (phyllo layered with nuts and syrup).

Honoring Harry Fonseca Exhibition

Arthur F. Turner Library

Through Oct. 31

1212 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento • email: lvessell@sbcglobal.net

Celebrate the life and work of this internationally known West Sacramento artist of Nisenan Maidu, Portuguese and Hawaiian descent. The exhibit contains many Fonseca family photographs and other memorabilia related to his personal life and artistic endeavors.

“Dressing Sacramento: 120 Years of Fashion”

Sacramento State

Through Oct. 8, Tuesday–Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday, noon–4 p.m.

University Library Gallery, 6000 J Street • csus.edu/university-galleries

This exhibit, from the Sacramento State Costume Collection, includes pieces from the Civil War, Roaring ‘20s, World War II, turbulent ‘60s and ‘80s, to outfits created by Sac State students in 2019. Paired with archival photos of local people and places, the exhibit puts fashion into historic, social and cultural context.

“Men and Motor Oil" by Charles Pyle at Blue Line Arts.

“Doughnut” by Polly LaPorte at Elk Grove Fine Arts Center.

My Sister’s House “Run for a Safe Haven” at William Land Park.

Reliquary & Arthur Sordillo’s Legacy Collection

Archival Gallery

Through Oct. 29

Second Saturday Reception Oct. 8, 5–8 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com

Enjoy this group show inspired by the ancient tradition of creating containers for relics. Featured artists include Phyllis Cottrell, Shenny Cruces, Lindsey Dillon, Al Farrow, Maureen Hood, Erin Martinelli, Corey Okada, Sean Royal, DL Thomas and Eric Wyss. On the front wall, find a legacy collection by the late Arthur Sordillo during his birthday month.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

THEATRE GUIDE

DRACULA

Oct 7 – 30

Celebration Arts 2727 B St, Sac Celebrationsarts.net

Dracula fills the stage with eerie gothic grandness, its costumes and music will envelope you in its haunting world of evil temptation and transfix you from first bite. Johnathan Harker, a naïve real estate agent travels from warmth of Louisiana and through the cold, dark and mysterious Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania to meet with…Count Dracula! But when Dracula’s door creaks open, it is not the Count who greats Harker…but The Countess! And she is even more dangerous. She bends Harker to her will, then takes up residence at an estate in the American Bayou. Full of superstition and dark mystery of the Bayou and Carpathia, Dracula will seduce you and leave you hungry for more.

SPECIAL EVENT: Halloween Gala on October 29th post show. Include best costume contest, raffle prizes and Halloween treats. This production is for mature audiences only! It includes depictions of simulate violence, blood, gore, fog and strobe effects. Halloween costumes are encourage at the show. The script was written by Steven Dietz. Directed by Khimberly Marshall.

GLORIA

Oct 12 – Nov 13

Capital Stage 2215 J St, Sac Boxoffice@capstage.org

An ambitious group of editorial assistants at a prestigious Manhattanbased literary magazine are each chasing the same dream: a life as successful writers—and to get out of their cubicles before they turn thirty.

When a regular day at the office suddenly becomes anything but, the stakes for who will get to tell the careermaking story are higher than ever.

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD

Oct 8 – 30

B Street Theatre – Family Series The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts 2700 Capitol Ave, Sac 408 679-2602

Based on the classic stories by Arnold Lobel, A Year with Frog and Toad leaps from the B Street stage! Follow two best friends, the cheerful Frog and the grumpy Toad, as they hop, sing, and dance their way through a year of adventure. As the seasons change from spring to fall, these beloved characters learn lessons about life and the importance of friendship.

EVENTS TO ANIKO@INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

“Two Thumbs of Santo Guerro” by Al Farrow at Archival Gallery.

READERS

NEAR & FAR

1. Lucas and Linnea Gerkovich in Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.

2. Madeline and Sullivan Groppo, Ava and Jack Montelongo, Ellie Olmstead, Noah Wilson, Cole and Cameron Martinez, Evan Belmonte, Michael & Tommy Heffron, Jaden and Aaron DeWald at Camp Sacramento.

3. Evelyn Gipson and Charlotte Chadwick at Holyhead Marina, Wales.

4. Maeve and Lorcan Montoya by the Tower Bridge in London.

5. Sally Freedlander, Corky Mau, Bonnie Cornwall and Diane Van Maren with the Hadzabe, indigenous ethnic tribe in Tanzania.

6. Stephanie Pierson in Evora, Portugal, at Casa do Governador with Cassie Berube and her band of Wandering Women.

Visit our website at InsideSacramento.com, under “Near & Far,” for a map with past readers' photos! You can also submit photos directly from our website. It's never been so easy!

Take a picture with Inside and email a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com or submit directly from our website at InsideSacramento. com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Find us on Facebook and Instagram: InsideSacramento.

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