Inside Pocket October 2023

1183 Cedar Tree Way - $530,000

WONDERFUL PARK PALCE SOUTH HOME 3 bed 2 bath with a primary bedroom, new permitted HVAC, 1-year old roof and beautifully landscaped backyard.

MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555

1325 Robertson Way - $1,100,000

CLASSIC MONTEREY COLONIAL IN LAND PARK. 3 bed 2 bath two story with balconies, formal living and dining rooms plus family room and office. Updated kitchen and baths

SHEILA VAN NOY 916-505-5395 DRE-00924678

1385 – 3rd Avenue - $1,300,000

BEAUTIFUL NORMANDY STYLE LAND PARK HOME 4 bed 3 bath with spectacular family room with wonderful backyard views. Updated kitchen, remote 4th bedroom or office. PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715 DRE-01188158

4637 Sunset Drive - $625,000

SOUTH LAND PARK TERRACE PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP 3 bed 2 bath. Newly refinished hardwood floors, new carpet, fresh paint. Large family room. Huge 2-tiered backyard PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715 DRE-01188158

1818 L Street #316 - $469,900

MIDTOWN STUDIO LOFT 1 bed 1 bath with 10ft ceilings, stainless steel appliances, PoggenPohl cabinetry, covered balcony and inunit laundry. Gated garage.

STEPH BAKER 916-775-3447 DRE-01402254

5301 Gilgunn Way - $676,000

GREAT SOUTH LAND PARK AREA DUPLEX. 2 bed 1 bath units with dual pane windows, numerous updates, fenced backyards and attached 1-car garages with laundry hookups

KELLIE SWAYNE 916-206-1458 DRE-01727664

3720 – 57th Street - $429,900

EAST SACRAMENTO COTTAGE IS A TREASURE 2 bed 1 bath Sunny interior with fresh paint, handsome laminate French Oak flooring, dual pane windows and drought tolerant yard

DAVID KIRRENE 916-531-7495 DRE-01115041

4831 Del Rio Road - $775,000

STUNNING SOUTH LAND PARK HOME 3 bed, 3 bath with 2011 sf on a spacious ¼ acre lot. Kitchen remodeled in 2017, two bedrooms with en-suite baths. Vaulted ceilings

HILARY BUCHANAN 916-397-7502 DRE-01359213

Land Park (916) 454-5753 DRE#00707598

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GRIGOR MALINOV

“The feel what I was looking for in this painting is lightness, gentleness and calmness,” Grigor Malinov says. “The breeze with its softness sends away the turmoil. The woman in the white kimono reflects the tranquility and peace that the breeze brings. I used characteristics of the Japanese culture, which is well known for its meditation traditions and practices.”

Shown: “With the Breeze,” oil on canvas, 24 inches by 24 inches. This piece is for sale at $1,400 and was awarded a 2023 Inside Publisher’s Award in the California State Fair Fine Arts Competition. Visit grigormalinov.com.

Leather by Stickley

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professionalism

- Eiji and Kathy Yamamoto

Kind Of Easy K i n d O f E a s y

Agood life is achieved with habits that bring happiness and wellbeing. Eat healthy. Move your body. Sleep well. Develop meaningful relationships. To those time-tested strategies I’ll add another. Cultivate kindness.

Three years of pandemic and lockdowns didn’t help a society well on its way to being far less connected and more self-absorbed.

One way out of this mess is for each of us to reconnect with the idea

BEING THOUGHTFUL AND NICE REALLY HELPS

of shared kindness. It’s all about being aware of your impact on the world.

Some people are born with a sense of kindness. Others have to work at it. One thing to keep in mind is that kindness is about giving of yourself. There’s no expectation of reciprocity.

Kindness isn’t always about being nice or friendly. It’s about being aware of others and knowing your interactions have a profound impact. Spreading kindness has a positive ripple effect.

When you are kind to someone with no expectation of anything, you experience the “helper’s high.” Serotonin rises. Blood pressure drops. As your body releases oxytocin—the love and bonding chemical—the effect is a boost to your cardiovascular system. As a bonus, your body makes endorphins, natural painkillers.

If you tend toward anxiety, kind acts can help. Your mood becomes more positive, your confidence increases. Kindness shifts you from a singlepoint perspective, where it’s easy to be consumed by personal problems and obstacles, into a more shared experience.

By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

Experiencing grief after my husband Jim died in January left me isolated

and depressed. A small group of friends and family showed kindness at every turn. Phone calls, cards, flowers, visits and invitations—they held me together.

To pick myself up in those dark times, I mailed cards to friends and loved ones who offered kindness in my grief. I expressed gratitude. When I took the cards to the mailbox, my mind was transformed to a better place. Days later, their responses were heartwarming.

Every morning a neighborhood gentleman tosses my Wall Street Journal from the sidewalk up onto my porch mat. One morning I caught him in the act and thanked him. He said he loved to start each day helping someone out. Each day I think of him.

Kindness is a universal language, one of the easiest to exchange. No backstory, explanation or social dance. When you commit an act of kindness, you live in the moment, don’t think about the past or future. It’s a powerful gesture when loneliness is rampant.

When Jim could no longer drive, just before 2020 lockdowns, I had to fit much more into my schedule. I realized how much he did to keep our household and small business

humming. The first few weeks were miserable. Our business was at risk of meltdown.

After one complicated shopping trip, I came home exhausted. Jim stood on the porch, ready to empty the car and put everything away. “I’m so envious that you get to do the shopping now,” he said. Why? “Because every errand is an opportunity to cheer up the poor clerks that have to work through this damn pandemic.”

I instantly reframed the task and began to savor the job. I now call clerks by name. I smile and look them in the eye. Jim always did! I channel his energy and return from errands to a far better emotional place.

Kindness is contagious. Acts of kindness stimulate feel-good chemistry in others. Imagine if everyone embraced kindness every day. We’d have a kindness pandemic.

Nelson Mandela said, “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.” To which I add, kindness is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

We all have challenges. There’s no need to add to anyone’s difficulties with

Sacramento’s Leading Pre-K -

harsh words or behavior. The ancients said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting some type of a battle.”

Readers ask how they can contribute to Inside Sacramento. Here’s how. Consider a paid supporting membership starting at $19.95 a year. Use the QR code and help support our mission to

Grade Independent School

deliver local news. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at insidesacramento.com.

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

COMMIT TO DAILY ACTS OF GOOD NEIGHBOR KINDNESS

•Smile and make eye contact with people you meet. Your act of acknowledgement and appreciation may be the highlight of their day.

•Make someone’s day with an authentic compliment, a simple but powerful act of kindness, humanity and connection.

•Look to help an elderly neighbor or someone struggling with health or loss.

•Shop locally to help the small business community.

•Pick up trash. A friend carries a vinyl glove for this purpose. It’s an act of kindness for your community.

•When eating out, add a little extra to your tip. It’s still rough times in the service industry.

•If your grocery cart is piled high, invite the person behind you to go ahead.

•Hold the door for others.

•Say please and thank you.

•Take in a neighbor’s trash can. Or remind them if their can isn’t out on trash day. n

Maui Now?

LOCALS ADVISE ON HOW TO VISIT AND HELP

Should you vacation in Maui? Simple question, no simple answer. Residents displaced by summer wildfires need hotels and condos for housing. And Maui needs tourist dollars.

The island’s destruction is personal. My family resides on Oahu. My extended ohana and longtime friends live on Maui. All my loved ones are safe. They mobilized in the relief efforts, collected supplies for the “kanaka Costcos” set up in Maui churches, cooked and delivered food, and fought small fires.

To the kanaka maoli (native Hawaiians), Maui is not Disneyland. It’s not a place to come for two weeks of golf and beach time. It’s an ancestral home, a sacred place. Everyone feels the pain, even those who left for the mainland.

Ana Manzano Fairbairn was born in Lahaina and graduated from Baldwin High School. She’s been in Sacramento since 2010 and belongs to the Ohana Dance Group in Pocket. Her father still lives on Maui.

“I’m not kanaka, but I support their beliefs. It’s kuleana to care for and protect the community where I was born,” Fairbairn says. “I have conflicted feelings about what to say to mainlanders. If they decide to travel, I hope they take the time to educate themselves about the history of the islands before they board the plane. Come with the best of intentions and a pure heart. Reallocate some vacation funds towards relief efforts.”

Similar thoughts come from Serge Jaimes-Vigaray, owner of Stay Rooted Kava, a beverage business. He shares aloha with the Elk Grove community. You can find him Fridays at A Seat at the Table Books, where he reads Hawaiian stories to children.

He graduated from Lahainaluna High School. His mother and other family

C M CM

By Corky Mau Pocket Life

members lost homes and jobs to the fires. He says, “Physically, they’re OK. But spiritually, they’re hurting. Their lives have been upended. It’s heartbreaking to see my old neighborhood is only ashes now.”

Jaimes-Vigaray believes longtime residents should join the rebuilding discussions. Elected officials should prevent land grabs. He says, “I don’t want the area to be filled with high-rise resorts. Lahaina should be an affordable, residential community that honors the kanakas and their history.”

If you visit Maui, don’t enter the disaster zones. Don’t fly a drone or snorkel near Lahaina to take photos. Be respectful, kind and sensitive. Respect the aina and leave only your footprints in the sand. Return the aloha spirit in every way possible.

You can support Hawaii from Sacramento. Purchase Maui products online, send donations to Hawaii-based groups such as Maui Rapid Response and Maui Strong Hawaii Community Foundation. Monies go directly to Maui organizations.

ARTS & CRAFTS

The Elks Lodge hosts its fall Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Local artists and craft vendors are inside and outside the lodge. Food is available for purchase. For information, email Pam Zanze at elks6craftshow@ gmail.com.

TRUNK OR TREAT

Bring the kids to Device Brewing Company’s classic car show Thursday, Oct. 26, from 4–8 p.m. Car owners will hand out Halloween treats. The event takes place in the Promenade Shopping Center parking lot on Windbridge Drive.

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

Ohana Dance Group

Photos by Aniko Kiezel

Serge Jaimes-Vigaray and Ana Manzano Fairbairn

Body painting for celebration

Five weeks after his arrival, the new executive officer at the Central Valley Flood Protection Board appeared to ignore state law when he quietly signed three authorizations for private fences to block access to the Sacramento River Parkway and levee.

Two additional fence authorizations soon followed.

By allowing temporary fences, Christopher Lief reversed years of flood board practice and seemingly violated a California regulation that requires the board itself—not executive officer Lief—to authorize levee fences.

With his approval, Lief invited private property owners to build barriers where a state flood expert warned fences can slow emergency response and interfere with critical levee maintenance.

An investigation by Inside Sacramento found Lief ostensibly violated state law by claiming the new fences are “minor alterations.”

California Code of Regulations Title 23 says all fence proposals “must be approved by the (flood) board prior to commencement of work.”

Flood board decisions require public notice and transparency. Lief signed the authorizations in private, without board approval or public awareness.

RGThree days after Lief issued his authorizations, private contractors erected slapdash chain-link gates and fences across the levee at sites between Garcia Bend and Zacharias parks.

Lief justified his fence authorizations in emails to Inside. He called the fences “minor alterations” and claimed they “appropriately balance the concerns of property owners, namely their desire to protect their private property from trespass.”

Yet the flood board’s own lawyer said protecting property owners from trespassers isn’t Lief’s job.

In November 2020, general counsel Jit Dua told property owners near the levee, “To the extent anyone is trespassing on your property, that’s a local law enforcement issue. It’s not a matter for the (flood) board.”

Fence authorizations did more than entangle the flood board with police business. The approvals dismissed warnings from the Department of Water Resources that fences and gates slow emergency access and impede levee maintenance.

In October 2020, flood maintenance chief Mitra Emami told the flood board, “During high water and flood events, vegetation and debris get caught in the (fences).”

She added, “Having to open and close gates during high water increases the state’s response time and limits the state’s ability to perform emergency operations.”

She said her agency “cannot endorse any encroachment permits that restrict flood maintenance or flood conveyance.”

Lief was required to obtain approval from Water Resources for his new fence authorizations. The water agency granted Lief permission, but wouldn’t explain why.

A Water Resources spokesman told Inside, “DWR does not endorse encroachment permits that it finds restricts flood maintenance or flood conveyance.” The agency had no comment about the problems caused

by fences and vegetation, debris and emergency response times.

The city plans to build a bike trail on the levee to connect Meadowview to Downtown. City officials cheer the trail as an equity project, a pathway toward alternative transportation and activity for everyone, especially people in underserved neighborhoods east of Interstate 5.

City officials sought to payoff homeowners near the levee for so-called “recreational” easements, but some owners refuse to negotiate. The city intends to acquire easements through eminent domain.

Mark Portuondo, an SEIU researcher who moved near the levee in 2019, helped convince Lief to authorize the new fences.

In emails to Inside, Portuondo refused to disclose how he, wine merchant Ryan Bogle and attorney Brian Manning secured fence authorizations from Lief.

Portuondo admitted the group expects to see the bike trail open by 2027. But he insisted property owners near the levee have “concerns” about people, who include newcomers from Meadowview, riding bikes and walking behind homes alongside the levee.

Portuondo declined to explain his concerns.

In an email, Lief told Inside the fence authorizations would have no impact on the city’s plans. The executive officer declined to clarify how an equity-flavored bike trail can coexist with five fences stretched across the levee’s asphalt bike path.

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

CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 23, WATERS, DIVISION 1, ARTICLE 3, SECTION 6(A):

By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

Inside’s investigation indicates the authorizations are invalid, meaning the fences should be immediately removed.

Every proposal or plan of work, including the placement, construction, reconstruction, removal, or abandonment of any landscaping, culvert, bridge, conduit, fence, projection, fill, embankment, building, structure, obstruction, encroachment or works of any kind, and including the planting, excavation, or removal of vegetation, and any repair or maintenance that involves cutting into the levee, wholly or in part within any area for which there is an adopted plan of flood control, must be approved by the board prior to commencement of work. n

Celebrating 75 Years

UNIVERSITY ART IS STILL VITAL PART OF COMMUNITY

University Art celebrates its 75th anniversary of providing art supplies, custom framing, creative gifts and stellar customer service to people of all stripes.

The store was started by two sisters, the late Laurie Cappiello and Ginny Biondi, and their father Anthony, in

Palo Alto on University Avenue, which gave the business its name. As success ensued, they expanded across Northern California, eventually owning five locations. The Sacramento and Redwood City stores remain.

The Sacramento location at 26th and J streets opened in 1997, when the Cappiellos bought out Taylor’s Art Center. The art supply and framing store has been a hub for the local arts community ever since.

“What we’ve always been known for is customer service,” says Cornelia Pendleton, Biondi’s daughter and company CFO. “Our sales people and framers are artists themselves, so they’re very knowledgeable and always have ideas.”

GROUNDBREAKING

The first phase of the new state-ofthe-art PS7 Elementary School campus in Oak Park has finally broken ground.

By Jessica Laskey Out & About

As a kid, I spent some of my favorite afternoons perusing the store with my mom, a painter. We’d pick out a new tube of oil paint or cool paintbrush and, most importantly, get some great advice from one of the many longtime University Art employees.

The staff have kept University Art at the top of its game. Many employees have been with the business for decades. COO Todd Ayers has been with the company for 48 years. CEO Charlie Affrunti was first hired at age 16 and just turned 74.

“I’ve always felt like part of the family,” Affrunti says. “We’ve lived through a lot together, but we’re still here.”

University Art is at 2601 J St. For information, visit universityart.com.

“This project is a long time coming,” says Cassandra Jennings, board chair for St. HOPE Public Schools, which runs PS7. “It means that the scholars at PS7 Elementary School will now have the campus they deserve.

“Our facilities here are old and in need of attention and improvement—a kind of ‘hug.’ This investment in a new school for our scholars will finally bring the quality of facilities up to meet the high quality of education they are receiving inside their classrooms.”

The renovation project includes constructing additional classrooms and

University Art celebrates 75 years of serving the Sacramento community.

an administration building, expanding the school kitchen, renovating the multipurpose room, reconfiguring the front entrance for added safety and reduced traffic, and installing new landscaping.

Against the dramatic backdrop of a giant earthmover at the groundbreaking, Jennings said, “What you see behind me … is a testament of what we can do when we all work together.”

For information, visit elementary. ps7.org.

AARP VOLUNTEERS

The Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center seeks volunteers for the AARP Foundation Experience Corps, a group of volunteers ages 50 and older who provide reading tutoring to K–3 students at 10 schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District.

Experience Corps volunteers give an average of four hours of support each week in person during afterschool hours. No teaching experience is required, but volunteers undergo a screening process.

For information, visit sccsc.org/ experiencecorps or email volunteers@ sccsc.org.

SPANISH CLASSES

Hoping to improve your Spanish language skills? Practice in a lowpressure environment with Roberto H. Romero, a former research librarian for The Sacramento Bee.

“I always like to do something special for my neighbors—this is a great community and we help one another,” says Romero, who started

as a copy boy at the Bee as a new immigrant from Chile and ended up teaching Spanish to reporters, editors and other employees.

After 41 years at the paper, he retired and earned a license to teach Spanish and English as a second language, and has been teaching free group classes, as well as private, ever since.

“Anybody with a desire to learn is welcome,” Romero says. “There is no age limit or required language level, just show up ready to learn.”

Classes are every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 6925 Havenhurst Drive in Greenhaven. For information, email Romero at rhrg18@yahoo.com.

SINGERS WANTED

If you’ve always wanted to sing Christmas music with a live orchestra, now’s your chance.

The Capital Chorale is looking for singers of all voice types to join rehearsals starting Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Pioneer Congregational Church at 2700 L St. Rehearsals will culminate in a concert, “A Festival of Lessons and Carols,” on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

To be included in the roster of singers, email Music Director Elliot Jones at musicdirector@pioneerucc.org. For information, visit pioneerucc.org.

EXPRESSIONS

On the last Friday of every month, musicians, painters and poets from every walk of life come together to present art in various modalities at “Expressions.” The event takes place at Lion’s Roar Dharma Center.

“The ‘Expressions’ showcase is where verbal art intertwines with visual and acoustic art, expressing the aesthetic spirit,” says Clemón Charles, a local singer/songwriter. Charles teamed with the center’s spiritual director, Lama Yeshe Jinpa (aka Stephen Bryant Walker), to host the monthly event as a way to bring awareness to the lack of access to mental health care.

“Expressions” supports the Middleway Health Foundation, where Lama Jinpa works as a licensed marriage and family therapy counselor. The foundation’s mission is to close the access gap by providing free one-onone psychotherapy, social work and consulting for low-income individuals.

The next “Expressions” is Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. Lion’s Roar Dharma Center is at 3240 B St. For information, visit lionsroardharmacenter.org.

COMPLETE STREETS

The first phase of the $21 million Broadway Complete Streets project recently broke ground.

The project turns the 2-mile section of Broadway between Third and 29th streets into a less “terrifying” corridor, as described by Megan Johnson, senior engineer for the city of Sacramento.

New buffered bike lanes and reduced car lanes will make it safer for travel on foot, bicycle and transit. The enhancements link up with other Broadway improvement projects at Fifth, 10th, 19th and 21st streets to create an extensive connected bikeway network in the Downtown grid.

For information, call the project hotline at (279) 236-3799 or email broadwaycompletestreet@gmail.com.

TOWEL DONATIONS

Before you chuck those old towels, consider donating them to the Sacramento SPCA to keep the animals in their care clean and cozy while waiting for their fur-ever homes. Drop off your old towels at the donation station at 6201 Florin Perkins Road during business hours. For information, visit sspca.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

Cassandra Jennings (fifth from left) with St. HOPE Public Schools joins others at groundbreaking for PS7 Elementary School in Oak Park.

Photo courtesy of Arrows Digital

When the Sacramento Greek Festival returns for its 60th year Oct. 6–8 at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation across from McKinley Park, it won’t just be

All In The Family

GREEK FESTIVAL KEEPS TRADITIONS GOING FOR GENERATIONS

smoothly. She remembers the early days with fondness.

“My mother and aunt would go to my aunt’s vineyard and pick grape leaves for the dolmathes,” Theodore recalls, fingering the pages of a festival recipe book from 1972 and an apron from 1984 she dons every year. “They would bring the leaves back to the church hall to be boiled, then a group of ladies would roll hundreds of dolmathes for the festival.”

Theodore has deep roots in the community. Her father was born in Crete, her mother on the Greek island of Skopelos. They met in California. Theodore’s father owned a bar at Second and K streets, the old West End. The family lived in Alkali Flat.

Theodore was introduced to her future husband, Regos, because “he was also Greek,” and was already familiar with her father’s bar.

in raising money for the church’s new 43,000-square-foot complex at 616 Alhambra Blvd., which was completed in 2017 after nearly three decades of planning.

The festival has also grown and changed. It was held at the old church on N Street for many years before it outgrew the space, then moved to the convention center, with one year at Cal Expo. Now it’s found a permanent home at the beautiful new complex on Alhambra.

“The festival is so special because the food is amazing, obviously, but also because it addresses the religious portion, the orthodoxy—people can go into the church and hear the choir sing—and also shows what true traditional folk dances look like in Greece and teaches people about Greece itself,” says Theodore-Pasco.

a celebration of Greek food, music and culture.

It will be a celebration of decades— and generations—of community.

“Everyone has something to do,” says Sophie Theodore, one of the festival’s longest-serving volunteers. “Some people make the sweets, some do the main dishes, someone makes sure the rice isn’t mushy. We even have the teenagers clean the tables.”

By Jessica Laskey

Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

At 95, Theodore has helped behind the scenes every year of the festival, cooking, preparing pastries and making sure the three-day event runs

They married in 1952 and followed Regos’ military career to far-flung locations. They settled back stateside in the late 1950s in East Sacramento near McKinley Park. The neighborhood has been home to their large extended family ever since.

“I remember riding bikes to other family members’ houses all the time,” says Theodore’s daughter Zoe Theodore-Pasco, who grew up working the festival with a Greek dance group from age 12 to 20.

Over the years, the Theodores have seen the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation grow and change. Theodore’s parents were instrumental

“I didn’t realize how special that was until I was older. Sometimes traditions are lost and people go looking for their roots. But here, they’re celebrated on a regular basis.”

The Sacramento Greek Festival will be held Oct. 6–8 at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation at 616 Alhambra Blvd. For information, visit sacramentogreekfestival.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

Sophie Theodore with her daughter Zoe Theodore-Pasco

Photo by Linda Smolek

Exercise your well power.

The life you live and the people you love are a magical mix of chance and choice. When it comes to health care, the choices you make can really make a difference. If you’re comparing health plans this season, consider the advantages of a plan that connects you to Dignity Health’s award-winning doctors. And your choice of where to see them, from virtual care to medical complexes with on-site primary and specialty care, labs and imaging all in one location. All backed by nationally recognized hospital programs for heart, stroke, cancer care and other specialties.

Learn more about the Dignity Health difference and the plans we accept at DignityHealth.org/OpenEnrollment.

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

Can a gas station that never got built cost taxpayers more than $28 million? Yes, when that unbuilt gas station involves Crocker Village.

Turning an industrial site into a neighborhood of homes, shops, parks and offices is never easy. Crocker Village was no exception—a difficult infill project from inception two decades ago.

The village sits atop a former polluted rail yard. It required deep, expensive environmental remediation.

Some residents opposed Crocker Village from the start. When developer Paul Petrovich introduced the idea of a gas station within the development, opposition became more intense.

The fueling station was not allowed under the project’s zoning rights. That meant a conditional use permit from the city was necessary.

HOW SCHENIRER, COUNCIL COST CITY $28 MILLION

Petrovich applied for the permit, and won approval from the planning and design commission.

The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association appealed the decision, forcing the City Council to consider the matter. Councilmember Jay Schenirer, who represented the area, got busy in discussions with neighbors and the development team. He got too busy. Schenirer’s actions led to years of litigation. While making his rounds, Schenirer advocated to stop the gas station. He didn’t uphold his duty to remain unbiased in a quasi-judicial hearing.

At a meeting that proved more staged than objective, the City Council overturned the planning commission and denied the gas station permit. Schenirer made the motion to deny. He followed a script of how the hearing would unfold.

That script became evidence when Petrovich sued the city, claiming he was denied a fair and unbiased hearing. The script indicated the council’s vote was predetermined—a backroom deal worked out in advance by several councilmembers.

JHWhat followed was an expensive, humiliating loss for the city.

By Jeff Harris City Realist

In finding for Petrovich, Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny wrote, “Councilmember Schenirer’s assistance to opposition to the gas station in obtaining the City Council’s vote against the project was

not a mere technical error that can be deemed harmless or nonprejudicial, but rather a fundamental flaw in the process.”

Kenny continued, “In the days preceding the hearing, Councilmember Schenirer was no longer a neutral, unbiased decisionmaker… There was evidence that Councilmember Schenirer was counting—if not securing—votes on the City Council against the gas station and communicating an ‘update’ on that score to Mayor (Kevin) Johnson… Petrovich did not receive a fair hearing.”

The judge said Schenirer prepared “talking points” for the Sierra Curtis neighborhood group and Johnson. That’s not all. Schenirer coached opponents to advocate for denial of the gas station. The court documents are exhaustive and fascinating.

They make you wonder about other deals, other decisions.

The City Council, led by a newly elected Mayor Darrell Steinberg, a close friend of Schenirer, decided to appeal the court’s decision—an expensive process unlikely to succeed.

The state appellate court denied the city’s appeal. A new hearing was ordered for the conditional use permit. Schenirer recused himself, but history repeated. The City Council voted down the gas station a second time.

Again, Petrovich sued, this time for damages, financial and personal. The Sierra Curtis neighborhood group successfully defeated the gas station with Schenirer’s help, but taxpayers must pay millions of dollars for the victory.

Under a settlement, Petrovich will receive $26 million from the city, in retribution for Schenirer’s actions. In addition, the city spent more than $2 million in legal fees.

Luckily, the city doesn’t have to cover the full settlement in cash. City Manager Howard Chan negotiated a deal for the city’s purchase of a building owned by Petrovich at 827 K Street.

The building accounted for $18.5 million, leaving the city on the hook for $7.5 million in cash. Petrovich received an apology from the city, plus a park named for his family.

The moral of the story? Elected officials must keep their actions and words within the law. To do otherwise is an abuse of power. As usual, taxpayers got stuck with the bill.

Jeff Harris represented District 3 on City Council from 2014 to 2022. He can be reached at cadence@mycci. net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

to perform their duties. Civic life should never reach a point where depositions and document discovery precede clean streets and political accountability.

Motivations are important here. Ho fulfilled his oath to uphold the law. Steinberg and the City Council were called out for breaking their oaths and lying to voters.

Imagine if Steinberg told the truth during his campaigns of 2016 and 2020. Imagine if he said:

To The Rescue

DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS CITY’S BEST HOPE FOR RECOVERY

For reasons I don’t understand, some people have a hard time figuring out Thien Ho. They think the district attorney wants homeless people thrown in jail. Or they think he enjoys “going to war” with city officials, an unfortunate exaggeration while real warfare compounds elsewhere.

Disingenuously, they claim he’s behaving like a politician.

For me, there’s nothing mysterious about Ho and his entanglements with Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other sinners on City Council. Ho wants to do his job. And he wants Steinberg and friends to do their jobs.

Ho has better ways to spend his time than jousting with Steinberg

and eight City Council members. But negligence on the homeless front, a disease that metastasized since the mayor’s 2016 election, forced the district attorney to take action.

The steps Ho took followed three basic escalations of law enforcement familiar to every police cadet: You ask for compliance. Then you tell them. Then you make them.

First, Ho laid out the problem in a letter to city officials. He described how Sacramento must proceed with enforcement of camping regulations. He laid out a roadmap to compassionately deliver clean, safe streets.

The mayor and City Council ignored the letter.

RGNext, Ho sued the city. He listed 14 homeless camps where unhoused people terrorize neighbors, brandish weapons, brutalize animals, start fires, sell drugs and commit violence against other homeless people.

By R.E. Graswich City Beat

In each case, Ho describes the city’s failure to act. The examples end with police or City Hall telling victims, “Nothing can be done.”

There’s the problem Ho wants to resolve. For seven years under Steinberg, the city ignored its own laws. Civic authorities made homeless people exempt from rules. As a result, the homeless population grew by 250% since Steinberg was elected.

On Sacramento streets, anything goes. Word gets around. Mayhem thrives.

Ho asked and is now telling the mayor and City Council to do their jobs. To force compliance, the district attorney went to court.

Ho doesn’t want money from the city. He’s not asking for damages. He’s not trying to embarrass Steinberg and colleagues. He wants city authorities to live up to their responsibilities.

Next will come subpoenas to expose the actions city officials took to prevent police and code enforcement from writing citations, making arrests and clearing homeless camps.

Now we have the spectacle of one elected official trying to force others

“I will make Sacramento the homeless capital of California and encourage tent communities to flourish on sidewalks across our city. I will ignore violence, drug sales, drug use, open fires, crime and antisocial behavior. I will work to ensure no homeless person gets prosecuted for violating city ordinances or state laws involving health and safety, civil and penal codes.”

The mayor didn’t say those words. He didn’t tell the truth. Neither did City Council members Katie Valenzuela, Mai Vang and Caity Maple. They told other stories. In 2016, Steinberg promised to resolve homelessness.

Once sworn into office, stories shifted. Officials fought against enforcement. They created environments where the tragedy of being unhoused carries immunity from society’s laws, where living in a doorway or sidewalk or vacant lot is supported by city authorities.

The mayor and City Council wrecked local businesses and drove residents to despair. They made Sacramento a national example of how not to run a city.

When Thien Ho arrived to help the mayor and council recover their civilization, they accused him of playing politics.

If Steinberg and Valenzuela, Vang and Maple are smart, they will follow their rescuer home. My bet is they stay lost and lose a landmark lawsuit.

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 or Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Thien Ho

No Legitimate Reason

STATE FLOOD BOARD OVERREACHES WITH FENCES

“CVFPB is the State regulatory agency responsible for ensuring that appropriate standards are met for the construction, maintenance, and protection of the flood control system that protects life, property, and wildlife habitat in California’s vast and diverse Central Valley from the devastating effects of flooding. CVFPB issues encroachment permits and works with other agencies to improve the flood protection structures, enforces removal of problematic encroachments, and keeps watch over the Central Valley’s continually improving flood management system.”

The flood board’s role is important, but limited to flood protection. Its role is not to disallow public access to our levees, unless there is a legitimate, flood-related reason.

In this case, there is no legitimate reason. The recent allowance of cross-levee fencing is clearly an overreach by the state flood board.

True, the river levee top through Pocket has a mix of public and private ownerships. The levee top south of Aquapher Way (just north of the Pocket Canal Sump Station) to the Freeport Regional Water Authority Intake is public property. The paved trail begins at Garcia Bend and runs downstream to the south.

BY PATRICK KENNEDY

In 2022, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments board of directors, which I currently chair, adopted a regional trails plan that lays the groundwork for a 1,000-mile-long regional trail network linking the Sierra Nevada, Sacramento and Delta.

The plan aims to address greenhouse gas emissions and provide transportation and recreational opportunities for residents. The Sacramento River levee trail is an integral part.

The vision for a riverfront trail in Pocket is nothing new. It has been in city plans for nearly 50 years. Fast forward to 1997 when the city adopted the Sacramento River Parkway Plan Update that identified a preferred trail alternative, locating the trail on top of the Sacramento River levee.

In 2012, the city created an implementation plan. The Area Council of Governments provided funds to complete preliminary engineering and environmental clearances, and prepare the final design.

At build out, the parkway will run between Garcia Bend and Zacharias parks. The project is designed for construction in two segments, depending on funding. The first stage runs from Garcia Bend to Arabella Way. The second stage is from Arabella Way to Zacharias.

The project includes:

• Construction of a paved, ADA-compliant levee top trail between Garcia Bend and Zacharias.

• ADA-compliant access ramps at locations along the trail.

• Improved connections between the Pocket Canal Parkway and Sacramento River Parkway.

• Development and implementation of the Sacramento River Parkway Project neighborhood safety plan.

Enter the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. The flood board recently permitted cross-levee fences that will curtail the efforts to develop a levee top trail, forbidding public access.

At question is the appropriateness of these permits. The flood board website says:

North of Aquapher Way is a mix of public and private ownerships along the levee top. The privately owned segments of the levee top typically provide easements for flood control and maintenance activities, but admittedly do not include easements for public access.

The city has expressed its intention to work with potentially affected property owners to obtain any necessary rights to public access for the proposed trail, after completion of the environmental reviews and project approvals, and prior to trail construction. This is the appropriate process.

Local government should take the lead on non-flood related decisions regarding the levee, not a governor-appointed body with little public accountability. The Central Valley Flood Protection Board should halt further issuance of permits and allow locals to control this process moving forward.

See R.E. Graswich’s column for background on the flood board’s new fence permits.

Patrick Kennedy represents District 2 on the County Board of Supervisors, which includes Pocket, Little Pocket, Land Park, Curtis Park, Meadowview and South Sacramento. He can be reached at supervisorkennedy@saccounty.gov or (916) 874-5481. n

Patrick Kennedy

Painting by Judy Kennedy

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

INSIDE

OUT

Happy Halloween!

PHOTOS BY LINDA SMOLEK

Homes around Sacramento celebrate Halloween with spooky decorations for all to enjoy.

S t e p B y S t e p Step By Step

COUNTY MAKES PROGRESS ON HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness is more than a housing crisis. It involves mental illness, drug addiction and criminal behavior, often committed by homeless individuals against others in encampments. While unsheltered individuals suffer, so does the quality of life in some of our neighborhoods.

Sacramento County takes a balanced approach using what I call the “four C’s”—compassion, coordination, capacity and consequences.

We must have compassion for troubled souls living on our streets. Causes of homelessness are complex, with many factors. The county has an obligation to help people overcome housing, employment and other barriers to a productive life. Treatment for drug addiction and mental illness must be part of the equation for most.

Homelessness isn’t confined to specific jurisdictions. That’s why we improved coordination with Sacramento and other cities. We approved a partnership agreement with

RD

By Rich Desmond County Supervisor's Report

the city to help guide county obligations and outline city efforts.

We consolidated our homeless efforts under a new County Department of Homeless Services and Housing. We supported Sacramento Steps Forward with the development of a new Local Homeless Action Plan that creates a road map for concrete measurements to gauge progress.

Of course, coordination means nothing if we don’t increase shelter and housing capacity.

The county recently opened 100 tiny homes near Power Inn and Florin roads under our Safe Stay Communities program. The location has services and 24/7 management. Another 45 cabins will open this fall on East Parkway at the county Department of Health Services parking lot.

In the design phase are 200-plus tiny homes for North Highlands. We will open 30 “Safe Parking” spots at the site. These shelters don’t include the several hundred new permanent supportive housing beds recently opened or approved.

Expanding shelter and housing must be linked to services, which are provided directly at shelters and permanent supportive housing locations. The county added hundreds of new residential treatment beds for people suffering from acute mental illness and addiction.

Outpatient services are expanding. We are near the point where we can offer treatment and services immediately to people in need.

Some homeless individuals are reluctant to accept services. Why? Lifestyle choice, opposition to rules, not wanting to give up pets or belongings, and insisting they are “OK” physically and mentally.

Adding more shelter will provide the leverage to get people off the streets. We must insist they accept the services offered.

While we continue to make progress with better coordination and capacity, it’s important to make sure there are consequences for people who break the law or disrupt our communities.

The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance last year that bans camping around shelter sites because it disrupts lives and reduces the success of those we’re trying to help.

The ordinance, and a companion rule focused on the American River Parkway, bans encampments that pose a threat to critical infrastructure. The county also bans encampments that impact public safety by obstructing roadways and sidewalks.

Enforcing these bans demonstrates good faith to the community that we understand our obligations. Helping the homeless is balanced with our duty

make sure communities are clean and safe.

The board funds the Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Team to make sure county ordinances are enforced and criminal activity related to encampments or individuals is addressed.

The sheriff’s office recently released findings on 926 contacts during the first half of the year. Data show 402 homeless individuals were sexually assaulted. Of those, only 162 incidents were reported. We must not criminalize someone for being homeless. But homelessness isn’t an excuse to commit crime.

Sacramento County still has much work to do. Progress is far too slow. I’m frustrated by the pace, but also confident our approach will help people become productive members of society and ensure our neighborhoods are protected and safe.

For information on Sacramento County’s homelessness efforts and the Local Homeless Action Plan, visit www.schs.saccounty.gov and www. sacramentostepsforward.org

Rich Desmond represents District 3 on the County Board of Supervisors. He can be reached at richdesmond@ saccounty.gov. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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.

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.

QUINCE

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

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.

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.

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.

Family Ties

HOME HAS NEW OWNERS, BUT LEGACY LINGERS

Robert Puleo and Dan Gentry purchased their San Antonio Way home from the original owner in 2018. It was built in 1923.

Puleo went to school with the owner’s granddaughter. The couple bought the home from her grandmother, who was born in the house. When new, it was the only residence on the street.

“We wanted to live in a charming East Sac neighborhood, and we got it,” Gentry says.

C H CH

By Cecily Hastings

Open House

“It was interesting because the first time we came through, we realized that one had to have a lot of vision to see the possibilities, because the walls were drab and dirty with ugly curtains and old Venetian blinds,” Puleo says.

The home is a high-water bungalow. It sits about 5 feet higher than typical homes in the neighborhood. The original owners turned the flood space into a basement.

“The woman we bought it from remembered her father digging out the dirt to create a cooler summer living space for the family,” Puleo says. “It has a full living space, including a living/dining space, bathroom, kitchenette and bedroom. The family just moved downstairs when it was hot.” Now it’s space for hobbies and storage.

The home is 920 square feet, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but Puleo and Gentry love the feeling of the openness and light. There was one Jack and Jill bathroom, but the new owners closed one side and added a master bath suite, replacing a screened porch.

Photography by Aniko Kiezel

Robert Puleo and Dan Gentry

“Our home is deceptively large. Since there are no hallways and now a large opening between the kitchen, dining and living areas, the home feels much larger,” Gentry says.

“When you stand in the middle of the house, you can see out all the windows.”

Basking in the light are original maple floors, refinished to golden blonde.

For years the couple lived in Rancho Cordova with a pool. They spent years remodeling. Nine years ago, they sold to Puleo’s sister and rented an apartment Downtown so they could travel. The dark apartment grew depressing. Time for a change.

Puleo is a retired state employee. He and Gentry moonlighted in the antique and vintage business, and established Puleo Gentry Gallery at the 57th Street Antique Row. The shop closed in 2018, and retirement beckoned, just in time to embark on remodeling their new East Sac home.

The couple chose white Shakerstyle cabinets for the kitchen and bathroom. The countertops are quartz with a gray and white marble pattern. The spaces feature accents of decorative tiles that reflect Moroccan and Venetian aesthetics. Each room has vintage art hung in studio gallery style.

“We saved two leaded glass windows from a china cabinet we removed and used them in the new kitchen cabinets as an ode to the original home,” Puleo says.

The compact house is nearly surrounded by generous gardens. Puleo works the land like a county gentleman. The couple replanted nearly every tree and shrub. They saved a huge lemon tree and built a back porch around its trunk.

The backyard focal point is an enormous wooden trellis that supports dense wisteria vines. The trellis shades a rectangular dining table. “We can easily entertain groups of up to 20 for dinner,” Gentry says.

The couple loves gardening, especially growing food. The south side yard is dedicated to vegetables. My visit found cherry and heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers in raised beds. Herbs thrived in pots.

A fig tree and carefully pruned Italian grapevine highlight the side yards. The back has fruit and citrus trees, plus miniature Italian cypress. Behind the garage is a greenhouse created from the home’s recycled windows.

They relandscaped the front yard, keeping only the original camellia bushes, planted when the home was new.

„Gentry says best of all are the wonderful neighbors. Puleo agrees, but also highlights the light and bright interior spaces.

“But to me this property feels somewhat sacred,” Puleo says. “Knowing the family and their Italian history, I just feel that I belong here.”

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

THE WOMAN WE BOUGHT IT FROM REMEMBERED HER FATHER DIGGING OUT THE DIRT TO CREATE A COOLER SUMMER LIVING SPACE FOR THE FAMILY.

READERS NEAR & FAR

1. River Park Little League 11U All Star team in Fallon, Nevada, for the regionals tournament.

2. Robyn Jensen at Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

3. Ben, Stella and Daphne Molin in Manchester, England.

4. Ema Gluckmann in Glendalough, located in County Wicklow, Ireland.

The Bear Truth

WRESTLERS HAD NO EASY NIGHTS AT MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM

Earlier this year, when kick boxing ate pro wrestling for breakfast, I wondered what Red Bastien would make of the meal.

Bastien was the last promoter to book monthly wrestling shows at Memorial Auditorium. He was also a champion pro wrestler. He could hold his own against Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, Kinji Shibuya, Pepper Martin and Pat Patterson, but not all at once.

Pro wrestling was a weekly, biweekly or monthly attraction at Memorial Auditorium since before World War II. The mayhem ended in 1986, when the building closed for 10 years while authorities contemplated seismic repairs.

New promoters tried to revive Memorial Auditorium as a pro wrestling cathedral in 1997–1998 with five shows called “Superstars of Wrestling.” The ring shook with thunderous leaps from the steel turnbuckles. Seats stayed mostly empty. Blame Vince McMahon.

R G RG

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

McMahon flattened the profitability of local wrestling in the late 1980s, when he built the World Wrestling Federation into a cable TV monster. McMahon hired the game’s biggest stars. He bulldozed local traditions like the one at 15th and J streets.

I thought about those old shows when I learned McMahon was finally swallowed by a smarter, younger promoter, Ari Emanuel, a Hollywood agent. Emanuel bought McMahon’s wrestling operation and combined it with the mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship. The marriage produced a $21 billion machine of staged TV brutality.

Red Bastien, who died in 2012 at age 81, would be impressed by Emanuel’s ambition. As a 48-year-old pro wrestler turned Sacramento promoter, Red complained about paying $1,000 rent at Memorial Auditorium. The steep overhead left him with crumbs.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Bastien, Pepper Gomez, the Masked Interns, Dr. Ken Raimey and many others grappled their way through town. They choreographed their matches under rules of “kayfabe,” carnival slang for theatrics carried to the edge of plausibility, at least in the audience’s mind.

Here was kayfabe: battle royals ending with an elbow smash, atomic

drop or Boston crab. Heels and faces, villains and good guys. Top showmen known as workers. Workers threw good bumps. They launched opponents skyward. Spectacular climaxes were called finishes. Once finished, workers, faces and heels, showered fast, iced their bumps and carpooled to Stockton. Bastien swore he could still wrestle when he became a promoter in 1979. His body disagreed. His decline began four years earlier when he was blindsided by Vern Stevens during ring introductions at Memorial Auditorium.

Sneak assaults were not unknown in pro wrestling, but this one hurt. Stevens didn’t realize Bastien was in pain from a weight-lifting injury. Red tried to defend himself, but couldn’t move. He was hauled from the canvas on a stretcher.

Pro wrestling was territorial. Promoters carved up geographic swaths and avoided competing against each other. Sacramento was serviced by two Northern California promoters, Roy Shire and Louie Miller.

TO PAGE 27

The wrestling bear add appeared in Sacramento newspapers in December 1972. The ad with the photo of Kinji Shibuya appeared in Sacramento newspapers in July 1973.

Where To From Here?

FOCUS ON RESILIENCY IS THE FACE OF TRAGEDY

On April 4, 1991, I was halfway finished with a yearlong chaplain training program at UC Davis Medical Center when a social worker approached me with news.

“Our team is on standby tonight,” she whispered. She meant our Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team, which was specially trained to debrief people who witness horrific incidents.

“Why?” I asked.

“You better catch the news,” she said, pointing toward a waiting room of people watching television. The special report conveyed the early hours of what is still the largest hostage crisis on American soil.

After botching a robbery of the Good Guys! electronics store at 65th Street

and Stockton Boulevard, four young men, ages 17 to 21, used hostages as human shields, laying them in front of windows in view of news cameras. They threatened to execute hostages if not given safe passage to Thailand.

Eight hours into the crisis, sheriff’s deputies attempted to end it with a sniper, concussive grenades and tear gas. The barrage killed three robbers and wounded the fourth, but not before the suspects killed three hostages and wounded 11 more.

The seriously wounded were taken to our trauma unit. After they received medical care, our debriefing team tried to get them to talk about their trauma. Doing this within 24 hours was supposed to help victims more quickly return to normal living.

With that in mind, I approached a young man who lay on a hallway gurney awaiting X-rays. I introduced myself to him and his wife.

By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

As it turned out, he was a Baptist seminary student from my alma mater. We had the same theology professors, so I wasn’t surprised when his survivor’s guilt took a theological twist.

He told me he felt divine protection while mayhem exploded around him. He was thankful God saved him, but asked, “Why hadn’t God saved everyone?”

“I don’t know,” I said, trying to delay his theological analysis. “I can only consider what will happen now.” I wanted to redirect the conversation off the circular path of “why” to the more constructive question, “Where to from here?”

I wanted him to focus on his resiliency as a future minister. To do that, he had to look past this day and see a time when he would complete his training and pursue his calling.

“Where to from here?” is the question we all must ask ourselves when tragedy strikes. What will I become from here? Will I become so mired in this tragic moment that my whole life is defined by it?

Will people always know me as the guy whose home was lost in the flood? Or the one whose child died? Or the man who was shot in the store? Or will I become the person who overcame?

The future pastor would have to answer those questions another day. At

that moment, I could only hint at what was coming in his chosen career.

I wrapped up our talk with the scripted debrief question: “What was the worst part of your ordeal?”

“The worst part was when the robber stuck a gun in my face and asked if I wanted to die,” he said.

“That’s a hard thing to hear from your husband,” I said to his wife.

She didn’t answer. She simply looked at the ceiling and fainted into my arms.

Fortunately, like her husband, she was resilient. She recovered quickly and remained with her husband throughout the night. I wasn’t so lucky.

I ignored hospital training to never catch the dead weight of a fainting person. I wrenched my back and was out of work the rest of the week.

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

Fight For Ferals For Ferals

WHERE IS FRONT STREET IN CARE FOR COMMUNITY CATS?

The temperature hovered around 100 degrees in August when feral cat trapper Maria Calderon took three homeless kittens to the city’s Front Street Animal Shelter.

Calderon trapped the 6-week-old felines earlier that day. “One had an upper respiratory infection— discharge coming from his eye. I wanted to get them off the street,” says Calderon, who has been trapping in Sacramento for two years.

C R CR

By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

With Front Street’s policy to take only ill and injured cats, Calderon expected the shelter to give the kittens a safe haven and medical treatment.

That was not the case.

“They are not sick. They are not injured. They are not less than 8 weeks old. So we will not be taking them in,” Front Street staff told Calderon. The eye discharge was not severe enough to qualify as an illness.

“The girl was saying they are healthy and big enough to fend for themselves,” Calderon says. “No, they are not. They are babies. It’s 100 degrees outside and they want me to return these kittens to where they were. They don’t deserve to live their lives outside.”

Feral cats—also called community cats—face starvation, disease and injury. Yet Front Street turned the kittens away—aware of the dangers, aware they would eventually add

to the overpopulation of homeless, unwanted animals.

“If we are beyond our capacity, young kittens under 12 weeks should be returned where found so their mother can continue to care for them,” Front Street Manager Phillip Zimmerman says. “If they are over 3 months, the kittens are generally able to fend for themselves and should also be returned where found.”

Calderon walked through the city shelter. “There were only five cats in the cattery,” she says. Subsequent visits confirmed numerous empty cages.

Calderon also traps cats in the county and relies on Bradshaw Animal Shelter. “This would never happen at Bradshaw,” she says. “I’ve taken several kittens in with URIs, just like these kittens. They take those kittens—no questions asked.”

Zimmerman established Front Street’s reduced intake policy—

refusing to accept healthy stray cats and kittens—at the onset of COVID. It continues today.

“Aside from the closure from COVID, there is a legal burden on animal shelters to accept animals and care for them,” says attorney Hilary Bagley Franzoia, who headed the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Unit and Animal Cruelty Task Force.

Senate Bill 1785 (Hayden’s Law) passed in 1998, provides it’s better for public and private shelters, rather than private citizens, to take in animals. Accepting animals is important for public health and safety, aiding in the return of animals to owners and preventing inhumane conditions for lost or roaming animals.

Bradshaw partners with the Community Spay Neuter Clinic to help reduce the number of community cats in the area. Trappers can book appointments for trapped cats three days a week.

The Sacramento SPCA holds a community cat spay/neuter clinic the first four Sundays of every month, free to local trappers, altering 80 to 100 feral cats every Sunday. Monday through Saturday, the SSPCA accepts up to 10 trapped cats each day without an appointment for cats trapped in Sacramento County, also at no cost.

“Spaying and neutering is the most effective way of reducing pet overpopulation and the number of pets entering our region’s shelters,” SSPCA CEO Kenn Aline says. So far this year, the SSPCA has altered more than 4,000 community cats, 500 more cats than this time last year. Both clinics also provide vaccinations, flea prevention and treatment for ear mites, tapeworms and minor wounds.

The system is not perfect. Appointments at the Community Spay Neuter Clinic go fast. At the SSPCA, trappers line up as early as

Feral cat Mama Goose is the 300,000th animal spayed at the Sacramento SPCA since 2007.

3 a.m. to snag one of the 10 slots. But it’s something.

Front Street Animal Shelter provides no funding or programs to spay and neuter community cats.

Under former manager Gina Knepp, the city shelter dedicated funds to community cats. “Gina didn’t care if cats were feral,” says a Front Street volunteer not authorized to speak for the shelter. “She said, ‘Get them all spayed and neutered.’ Now, it’s a completely different mindset about spay and neuter.”

With a shelter budget of $7.3 million, Zimmerman says funds aren’t the problem. It’s lack of high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter services. Yet local animal advocates have identified various spay/neuter surgical teams that will work within Front Street’s budget. Those resources have been ignored.

“Front Street wants as few animal intakes as possible,” Calderon says. “It should not be a fight to get kittens into Front Street.”

For information on spaying/ neutering community cats, visit

animalcare.saccounty.gov, under “Services,” and sspca.org, under “Programs & Services.”

Support the SSPCA’s Feline Spay and Neuter Fund by visiting sspca. org/donate. Under “Please use my gift:,” select “Community cat clinics” on the dropdown menu.

FERAL CAT WALK

In honor of National Feral Cat Day, join the Coalition for Community Cats for its annual 5K Feral Cat Walk, 9 a.m. to noon, Sunday, Oct. 15, beginning at the California Automobile Museum. Registration is $35 and includes an event T-shirt. Children 12 and younger are free. For information, visit coalition4cats.org.

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

WWW.ELLA

In the late 1970s, Shire and Miller feuded. The partners became competitors. Bastien saw an opportunity at Memorial Auditorium. He booked two shows a month, Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m., wrestling time.

The Shire and Miller battle ignited over a bear. As deranged as this sounds today, bears sometimes joined wrestling shows 50 years ago at Memorial Auditorium. They were audience favorites. They often subdued their human opponents.

In 1974, Victor the Wrestling Bear was booked into Memorial Auditorium by Shire and Miller. Thousands of tickets were sold. Full house! But hours before showtime, Shire and Victor’s owner argued over payment.

The owner refused to produce the bear.

Shire panicked. He ordered ring announcer Hank Renner to tell the crowd Victor was killed in a car crash traveling from Arizona to Sacramento.

Miller sued Shire. The plaintiff alleged the defendant’s bear fiasco ruined wrestling’s local reputation. Bastien tried rebuilding that reputation, but the damage was done.

I can’t find the judicial outcome of Miller v. Shire. But I know three facts about Victor.

First, she was not male as advertised. Second, Victor was not her real name. Third, she was not killed in a car crash in 1974. She wrestled in Oakland as recently as 1978, under an alias. I want to say she won.

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

FROM PAGE 24

Dirt Rich

SOIL BORN FARMS GROWS NOURISHING LESSONS

Soil Born Farms is the farm in the farm-tofork capital.

Walking the farm at American River Ranch, off Chase Drive in Rancho Cordova, the bounty and its possibilities present themselves in powerful ways.

First, let’s admire the farm beds, prepared a year or two in advance with cover crops that promote carbon sequestration. Next, here’s an area soon to be planted in tall oaks. Nearby is a restored creek, cleared for salmon and steelhead spawning.

A walkway features hundreds of California native plants. An outdoor classroom is shaded by hanging grape clusters. At the demonstration garden, children find runner beans, sunflowers, peppers and tomatoes flush for picking.

G M GM

By Gabrielle Myers

Soil Born Farms, founded by Shawn Harrison and Marco Franciosa in 2000, and joined two years later by Janet Whalen Zeller, is a nonprofit teaching farm. Lessons include how to be responsible land stewards and nourish ourselves with food we grow. The organization has a permanent home next to the American River.

Through a collaboration with nearby Cordova High School and the Folsom Cordova school district, Soil Born is building a barn for cows, pigs, sheep, goats and other animals for students to raise, study and show.

Soil Born helped develop school gardens in Sacramento and Rancho Cordova. The farm supplies greens for students to enjoy at lunch. Seeing the cycle of nourishment helps young people become invested in their health and wellness, Harrison says. He notes, “Through this relationship, they will make better decisions about what to eat.”

Between Sacramento City and Folsom Cordova school districts, about 60,000 students are served. When those students become adults, the impact of early healthy eating will help transform how our community manages its environment and food.

Harrison describes his passion for agricultural as rooted in his family’s struggles with health. “On the health side, we’ve had a lot of diet-related disease in my family,” he says. “Soil Born brings

Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork

Shawn Harrison

two passions together of caring for the earth and caring for ourselves.”

He continues, “Let’s put a farm in the city, and bring these issues together. Literally put a farm front and center in the urban environment and heavily program it to show people how

intimately food, the environment and our health are connected.”

At Soil Born, young adults work as counselors for summer camps, farmworkers, produce packers and culinary team members in Phoebe’s Tea & Snack Bar.

While some teens and young adults are interns receiving credit, most are paid. Many are from lower-income areas. The farm hosts more than 100 classes a year for adults and youth to learn how to garden and farm.

Soon visitors to Soil Born will immerse themselves in an agroforestry planting of 3 acres of valley and live oaks for acorn flour. There will be native elderberries and wildflowers for medicinal value, a program the farm is developing with United Auburn Indian Community.

Saturday is the busiest time, with Soil Born open to the public from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to pick up online produce orders, visit the snack bar for homemade scones and pastries, wander through the aisles of Mille’s Mercantile for local

and sustainably raised dry goods, participate in classes, and visit the demonstration garden and restored American River creek habitat.

Like most nonprofits that survive on donations and grants, Soil Born always seeks financial support. Volunteers with culinary and gardening expertise are welcome to help.

For information, visit soilborn.org. Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest book of poetry, “Too Many Seeds,” can be ordered from fishinglinepress. com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Bee Gone

In every city with a decent daily newspaper, historic decisions swirled around the building where journalism was conceived, produced, printed and distributed.

That was certainly true at 21st and Q streets. For seven decades, the Bee reported on political scandals, natural disasters, athletic achievements, social shifts and horrific crimes. Stories from the paper’s Midtown headquarters impacted generations.

In my 16 years at the Bee, I was fortunate to work with many talented journalists at 21st and Q. I covered elections, earthquakes, floods and murders—endless human accomplishments and failings. It’s natural that I feel melancholy when I

G D GD

By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

HISTORIC NEWS BUILDING AWAITS DEMOLITION

see the Bee building today, silent and empty.

As the Bee continues to shrink—its offices and newsroom moved in 2021 to The Cannery business development on Alhambra Boulevard—the home of the once-proud flagship of regional journalism will soon be demolished. A densely packed housing project will remove any trace of the newspaper’s historic presence.

On a Facebook site for former Bee employees, there is nothing ambiguous about how they feel about the building’s demise.

“Losing an institution and losing character,” one former Bee employee posted. “Market-rate apartments. Great,” another comment read.

“Desecration of an historic site… not to mention the congestion and other traffic-related problems that will accompany this latest example of greed,” a former staffer wrote.

It would be wonderful if the paper were still healthy, adding circulation and continuing its role as the region’s conscience and watchdog. But too much has changed for that to be the story.

There are still talented journalists at the Bee doing good, important work.

But most newspapers can’t keep pace with transitions brought by technology. The Bee is no exception.

Our region is worse off as a result. A strong local daily newspaper is a point of pride and a tremendous community asset. But for many reasons, we no longer create new readers of newspapers. We haven’t for decades.

When I was growing up in Chicago, my dad came home from work each day with four Chicago dailies, two published in the morning, two in the afternoon. I couldn’t wait to read the latest stories about my favorite sports teams.

Soon I was captivated by the rest of the news. In Chicago, that often meant scandals about local corruption and chicanery. I was hooked. Now most of us scroll our phones while daily newspapers shrink and close.

Midtown Sacramento is changing, too. Striving to come back from the

pandemic and civic unrest, the area booms with new housing. The old Bee plant is a prime location, especially with its proximity to light rail.

So prime, in fact, that when it was purchased by Shopoff Realty Investments for a reported $56.75 million in 2017 from McClatchy, the Bee’s then-owner, Shopoff touted the 6.3 acres as “the largest infill development site in Sacramento.”

Shopoff says it plans to sell the property once it gets approval from the city to build more than 500 apartment units where the newsroom and printing presses stood. The investors say they will seek to add another 48 townhomes just to the south.

At that scale, the Bee will become one of the central city’s largest residential projects. New homes will erase any trace of the activities that once took place there.

NEW HOMES WILL ERASE ANY TRACE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ONCE TOOK PLACE THERE.

Renderings courtesy of Shopoff Realty Investments

11 Performance focusing on hip and torso movements

12 Arthur Ashe’s alma mater

13 Stick around 18 “Field of Dreams” state

22 Bull markets

25 Apple you might find in a produce market’s office

27 Sushi fish that is poisonous if uncooked

28 Because of 29 “Keep it together, everyone!”

30 Seasoned rice dish

31 Nile vipers

32 Plains tribe

33 Keeps after taxes

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

6 “Please, eat!”

That’s what happens in cities. Old uses run out of steam. Something more lucrative arrives. Before the Bee moved into 21st and Q in 1953, the site was the Buffalo Brewery.

Sacramento needs more housing, especially of the affordable variety. With the Bee gone from a neighborhood mostly residential already, 21st and Q is a prime location.

When he built a 277-unit apartment building a few years ago on the site of the Bee’s old parking garage, developer Sotiris Kolokotronis paid homage to the newspaper by naming his project The Press. It was a nice gesture.

I wouldn’t expect anything similar from the current owners, based in Orange County. They bought the property as an investment. Its value will only increase if the city approves the housing plans.

The Press apartments will still exist across 21st Street, but the memories and history that inspired the name will be long gone.

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

What’s the Meaning of This?

was so easy. Why did I wait so long?”

HARDSCAPE CAN MAKE, NOT BREAK, A GARDEN

Stone is not fragrant. It doesn’t bloom or sway in the breeze. Bees and butterflies treat it like a flyover state, settling on flowers. It’s not plucked and tucked in a vase, and rarely photographed. Moss and lichens find it, but gardeners too often ignore it. Yet it commands that other indispensable garden design group, hardscape.

Hardscape is any structure or feature unrelated to plants. Gardens stir conversations about trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses. Stone, should

D V DV

By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

you look beyond plants, is stacked, mortared and set into patios, pathways, retaining walls, water features and dry stream beds, or placed for decorative purposes. Stone serves garden whims and fundamental needs.

My interest in rocks and stones began in my mother’s rock garden. Mom’s weekend trips yielded more interesting rocks and crevices to start low-growing plants. The old station wagon served two purposes, grocery and rock hauler.

In college, I enrolled in a geology course. The final was identifying 50 rock samples in paper cups placed around the lab. I rocked it and exited with an appreciation for all rock family members sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. Later, gardening with stone became seamless.

Is a rock the same as a stone?

Generally, rocks are large masses and stones are smaller and more suitable for gardens. For simplicity, stones and rocks will be considered the same “hard stuff.”

“Rocks, especially boulders, add important accents in the garden,” says landscape designer Roberta Walker of Sacramento’s Roberta Walker Landscape Design (robertawalker. com). “They create focal points and also height, which breaks up the plantings and adds interest.”

Walker has designed more than 1,000 gardens and is known for her sustainable, drought-tolerant gardens of year-round color. Before designing gardens, she was an artist and graphic designer. She speaks at home shows and gardening events and has been featured in national magazines and home and garden television programs.

She emphasizes the easiest and most affordable path to drought-tolerant landscapes and breaks landscape rocks into four categories:

Cobble, a mixture of small, medium and large cobble, for dry stream beds that should meander and flow with bends and curves.

Boulders, no more than 2 feet high or wide, for accents and standalone

sculptures. Any larger boulders may be too heavy and expensive to position and move.

Crushed rock for walkways, patios or top dressing (instead of bark mulch). If crushed rock is used for a pathway, she recommends borders to keep the rock in place. Walker uses various colors of lava rock for top dressing. Bark mulch moves when blowing off leaves and debris. Lava rock stays put.

Flagstone for pathways and patios. Flagstone, set in decomposed granite or concrete, can be used for a new pathway to the front door once lawn is removed.

A single stone can become a garden focal point. A long stone can be laid flat in a bed. Use it upright and it’s a spire to draw the eye. One large boulder can hide a utility meter, cable box or irrigation valves. Walker once drilled through a 12-foot-high wall of rock to plumb an outdoor shower. And, wait for it, rocks do not require water, fertilizer, pesticides or maintenance.

Garden design and photo by Roberta Walker

Braver Angels Sacramento

Like all landscaping material, the cost of stone has increased, but not as much as other materials.

“It is up, but nothing like lumber, pools and labor,” Walker says. “Labor costs reflect the inflation that has occurred over the last couple of years. Rock is still a relatively cheap way to dress up landscapes, all things considered.”

However, she adds flagstone and larger boulders have become more expensive to buy and install.

Walker cautions against the dreadful all rock garden, resulting in a moonscape front yard neighbors hate.

Remember, a well-designed garden is a combination of plants and hardscape, a balance of depth, color and interest. Great garden design is art.

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

Past To Present

ARCHIVAL RESEARCHER AND ARTIST BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE

Avintage ad for a cyclery inquiring “Why are the Tallest People the Laziest?” snuggles next to a poster for a Frank Sinatra concert, which sits above a front page from the defunct Sacramento Union. This is perched above personals ads from the 1940s. Those are next to an old Sports

Illustrated cover featuring Kings stars Vlade Divac, Jason Williams, Peja Stojaković and Doug Christie.

What does this amalgam of historical documents have in common?

The answer is archival producer, researcher and artist Chris Lango. He’s been a resident at the Warehouse Artist Lofts on R Street since 2015.

but in time, what they’ve done is so valuable you can’t put a price on it.”

Lango has made a living sifting through archives for almost 30 years. The Michigan native started as a television sports producer in Connecticut before joining KCRA in 1993.

a gold mine of local historical materials.

By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

“My whole journey (working as) an archival researcher has allowed me to be in situations—and meet people—that are totally interesting because of what has been saved,” Lango says. “In real time, those people might be viewed as strange,

While working for Channel 3, Lango did side projects such as documentaries on pioneering architect Leonard Starks, boxing champ Max Baer and Kings forward Chris Webber’s collection of African American artifacts.

When the economy tanked in 2008 and TV work got scarce, Lango volunteered to process film for the Center for Sacramento History,

The center had recently received a collection from the family of Nathaniel Colley, the first African American attorney in Sacramento, who fought for fair housing, employment and education during a civil rights career that spanned almost 50 years.

“As I was leaving one day, I looked down and sitting on top of a stack of papers was a telegram from President Kennedy,” Lango says. “That led me down this path.”

The telegram invited Colley to Washington to discuss civil rights.

Since then, Lango produced a documentary with Steve Davis

Chris Lango

Photos by Aubrey Johnsson

Productions about Colley that aired on PBS KVIE. Lango also produced a documentary on the history of Capitol Mall and a video about the fight for fair housing in Sacramento as part of the history center’s series “Unlocking the Past,” which recently won a 2023 Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History.

Lango works with the Nathaniel Colley Civil Rights Coalition, a nonprofit aimed at preserving Colley’s contributions. He’s working on a documentary about Virna Canson, “the mother of civil rights in the West,” with a grant from the Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture.

In 2014, Lango began to create large-scale installations of hundreds

of reproductions of historical documents that he arranges “like the biggest bulletin board” at restaurants and his place at the artist lofts, which he opens each month during First Fridays.

“I have a collection of letters to the editor from back in the day and I hear people reading every single one,” he says.

Lango’s choice to live at the artist lofts was serendipitous. During research, Lango learned Colley’s first job was as a store clerk packing textbooks in a warehouse at 11th and R streets, the warehouse that became the lofts.

He also learned the third floor where he lives in the 109-year-old building once housed the Secretary of State’s central records repository.

Rae Ann Whitten, DDS General and Cosmetic Dentistry

As a dentist, I have the ability to improve people’s lives by improving the health and beauty of their smile. •

•

•

“I’ve spent a lot of time in backrooms going through old archives and now I live in one,” he says.

For information, visit @journal. artist and @firstfridaywal on Instagram and check out Lango’s YouTube channel.

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

ART

Barbara Kempe

PBS KVIE Gallery

Oct. 17–Dec. 15

Artist Reception Thursday, Oct. 26, 5–7 p.m.

2030 W. El Camino Ave.; kvie.org

More than 20 colorful paintings recall the artist’s global travels, as well as gorgeous island botanicals. Kempe won the First Place Landscape Award in the 2022 PBS KVIE Art Auction.

ABC–123: Fletcher Benton’s Sculptural Alphabet

Oct. 1–March 24, 2024

AI Am I?: Artificial Intelligence as Generated by Alexander Reben

Oct. 22–April 28, 2024

Drawn to Beauty: Fifteen Years of Acquisitions for the Crocker Art Museum

Oct. 22–April 28, 2024

Crocker Art Museum (216 O St.); crockerart.org

Check out three new exhibitions: steel geometric letter by American sculptor Fletcher Benton; work emphasizing human-machine symbiosis by multimedia artist Alexander Reben; and highlights from the Crocker’s collection of European drawings.

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

By Jessica Laskey Calendar Editor

Fall Show & Sale

Art by Fire Sacramento Potters’ Group

Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Shepard Garden & Arts Center (3330 McKinley Blvd.); artbyfire.org

Start your holiday shopping early with handcrafted treasures made by skilled local artisans who use fire or extreme heat to produce work in clay, glass and metal.

Cuba: After the Revolution Viewpoint Photographic Art Center

Oct. 11–Nov. 4

Second Saturday Reception Oct. 14, 4–7 p.m.

Artist Reception Sunday, Oct. 15, 1–4 p.m.

2015 J St., Suite 101; viewpointphotoartcenter.org

This exhibition features more than 30 photo-based encaustic artworks by artist John Angell inspired by his trip to Cuba in 2015.

Expressive Autumn

The Art Studios Sacramento

Saturday, Oct. 14, 4–9 p.m. 1727 I St.; theartstudiossacramento.com

Explore acrylics and watercolors by studio members Lori Franz and Adele Ohs, and abstract acrylic landscapes by guest artist Jason Richardson. Resident artist studios are also open.

Late Night Double Feature Picture Show

Archival Gallery

Oct. 5–28

Costume-Optional Second Saturday Reception

Oct. 14, 5–8 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalgallery.com

Delight in the macabre, mysterious and magical at this show inspired by scary drive-in movies and, of course, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Featured artists include Athena Alber, Glen Hettrick, Cynthia Hipkiss, Bill Maul, Corey Okada and more.

Trinity Art Show

Art Gallery at Trinity Cathedral

Oct. 14–Nov. 5

Opening Reception Oct. 14, 5–8 p.m. 2620 Capitol Ave.; trinityartshow.org

This annual national juried exhibition features art providing a unique perspective on the Christian view and experience in contemporary life.

LIVE PERFORMANCE

Stained Glass Concert: Music of the Spheres Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra Saturday, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. Fremont Presbyterian Church (5770 Carlson Drive); sacramentochoral.org

Tickets: $40 general; $50 reserved; 50% student discount

Enjoy music by Handel, Vivaldi, Gjeilo, Zelenka and Forrest performed under conductor Donald Kendrick and featuring organist Ryan Enright and soloists Sarah Sy, Ken Dulay, Joshua Simka and Chris Mackey.

Friday the 13th Horror Night

Stories on Stage Sacramento

Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

The Auditorium at CLARA (1425 24th St.); storiesonstagesacramento.org

Tickets: $15

Hear eerie tales from SOSS Artistic Director p joshua laskey and reporter, filmmaker and horror writer Jonathan Mumm read aloud by professional actors.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

60th Annual Sacramento Greek Festival

Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

Friday & Saturday, Oct. 6–7, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. 616 Alhambra Blvd.; sacramentogreekfestival.com

Admission: $5 ages 13–64; $3 ages 65-plus; free if you bike over

Be Greek for the weekend at this annual celebration of traditional homemade food, music, dance and culture in a village-style atmosphere.

5K Feral Cat Walk

Coalition for Community Cats

Sunday, Oct. 15, 9 a.m.–Noon

California Automobile Museum (2020 Front St.); coalition4cats.org

Registration: $35 ( 12 and younger walk free)

Put your best paw forward at this annual fundraiser to create awareness of the thousands of abandoned community cats in the Sacramento area, promote responsible pet ownership and support a monthly spay/ neuter clinic.

“Street in Nazare, Portugal” by Barbara Kempe at PBS KVIE Gallery.

Bufferlands History Tour

RegionalSan

Saturday, Oct. 7, Noon–2 p.m. & 2:30–4:30 p.m. Nicolaus Dairy, Elk Grove; regionalsan.com/ bufferlands

Learn about the history of Bufferlands, a 2,150-acre wildlife habitat surrounding the wastewater treatment plant, then take a tour of the restored farmhouse and barns. The event is free, but registration is required the week prior. To register, contact Roger Jones at jonesro@ sacsewer.com or (916) 875-9174.

WORKSHOPS/MOVIES

Finish Your Book in Three Drafts with the Book Architect

California Writers Club Sacramento

Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Cattlemen’s (2409 Folsom Blvd.); cwcsacramentowriters.org

Cost: $149

This workshop with ghostwriter, independent editor and writing coach

Stuart Horwitz introduces writers to a process for organization and revision that includes in-depth exercises throughout the day.

“The Great Lowrider Tradition” Screening California Museum Saturday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m. 1020 O St.; californiamuseum.org

Tickets: $15

View the first Northern California screening of the award-winning documentary “The Great Lowrider Tradition” by high school custodian and self-taught director Martin Torrez, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

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

STAINED GLASS

SOLOISTS

Sarah Sy, Soprano Ken Dulay, Countertenor Joshua Simka, Tenor Chris Mackey, Bass

Ryan Enright, Organist SCSO Chamber Ensemble

Donald

Kendrick

Music Director

Music of the Spheres

Sat, October 28 at 7:30 pm

Fremont Presbyterian Church 5770 Carlson Drive, Sacramento

Jubilate – Handel

Magnificat – Vivaldi

Luminous Night of the Soul–Ola Gjeilo

ADDITIONAL WORKS BY Jan Dismas Zelenka, Dan Forrest

“Habana Rooftops 3” by John Angell at Viewpoint Photographic Art Center.

River Dance

OLD FAVORITE REMAINS CONSISTENTLY GOOD

GSBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

Scott’s Seafood on the River is a hidden gem for some, an old standby for others. Tucked away near Riverside Boulevard between Land Park and Pocket, Scott’s has delighted locals and travelers for 15 years.

Attached to the Westin hotel on the river, Scott’s hides in plain sight. Some readers may not think of heading to a hotel restaurant for a nice local meal. However, Scott’s Seafood on the River is independently owned by husband and wife Sigrid and Alan Irvine. They are independent from Westin and separate from other Scott’s in Folsom and the Bay Area.

The riverside location brings great views and Delta breezes to the dining room and patio. Earlier this year, it also brought the Army Corps of Engineers.

As part of levee fortifications, Corps contractors commandeered the restaurant parking lot and built a wall along the frontage. The river view was blocked. Some business owners would have flipped. Alan Irvine took it in stride.

He did two things I admire. One, he asked local muralist and fellow restaurant owner, Stephanie Taylor (Willie’s Burgers on Arden and Fair Oaks), to paint a river-themed mural along the temporary wall. Taylor’s bright fish, clever quotes and watery vibe turned a drab view into a cheeky vista.

Then Irvine wrote an op-ed in The Business Journal, describing his situation and emphasizing that if he needed to sacrifice some business for the betterment and safety of the community, that’s OK.

“The levee restoration has seriously disrupted a significant segment of our business,” Irvine wrote, “but we remain proud to be part of the project.” I admire the grace and community spirit of this approach.

The good news is that if all goes according to plan, the wall should be gone when you read this review. Parking may still be valet only, but those Delta breezes will whistle once again.

Despite the construction, Scott’s kitchen remains consistent. Many dishes have been available for years

and still work. Clam chowder and crab bisque are two of the best in town. The chowder is light, creamy and wellseasoned. The bisque is punchy with pepper and bright with tomatoes, yet still supports the crab.

Ahi poke nachos have been on the menu since Scott’s had its Loehmann’s Plaza location in the mid-1990s. Still delightful. Poke is pungent with ponzu and tobiko. Wonton chips are crisp and fun. Regardless of age, these are crowd pleasers.

Petrale sole and cioppino are two standouts, classic preparations, San Francisco-style. Sole, lightly battered and topped with a lemon-caper sauce, arrives gorgeously flaky. Cioppino messes up clean shirts with fishy bits and spicy tomato broth. Scott’s extrasour sourdough bread soaks everything up.

Service is chipper and casual. Friendliness comes through. On a night where three parties of 10 dominated the room, our server and the manager checked in and made sure things went smoothly for the rest of us.

It’s easy to overlook old favorites, especially when there’s a wall blocking the view. I’m glad I re-engaged with Scott’s, wall or not.

Scott’s Seafood on the River is at 4800 Riverside Blvd.; (916) 379-5959; scottsseafoodontheriver.com.

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

Photos by Linda Smolek

THE RIVERSIDE LOCATION BRINGS GREAT VIEWS AND DELTA BREEZES TO THE DINING ROOM AND PATIO.

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Every Transition is an Opportunity for a Fresh Start...