Inside Pocket September 2019 by Inside Publications

SEPTEMBER 2019

POCKET

CHIURO OBATA: CROCKER ART MUSEUM

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS ARDEN

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ARCADE

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SIERRA OAKS

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WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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CARMICHAEL

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE:

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15 Rivermoor Court • $529,500 QUIET POCKET CUL-DE-SAC. Wonderful single story home featuring 4 bedrooms and updated 2 full bathrooms updated kitchen with brand new SS appliances and granite JULIANNE PARK 916-541-8403 DRE-01999740

7628 West Vista Way • $925,000 AMAZING ARCHITECTURE AND QUALITY. Original owners designed this home off a Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style home. Spectacular curb appeal, gorgeous grounds MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

6733 Breakwater Way • $529,000 SINGLE STORY GREENHAVEN CUSTOM HOME. 3 bedroom 2 bath home that features new white quartz counter tops tile roof, dual-pane windows/sliders, gas water heater with solar hot water. MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

744 Riverlake Way • $550,000 BEAUTIFUL AND SPACIOUS ON CUL-DE-SAC. 4 bedroom 3 bath home near the Sacramento River. 2 master suites (1 upstairs, 1 downstairs). Gorgeous built-in pool. MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

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5 Riverport Circle • $489,000 DESIRABLE GREENHAVEN POCKET HOME. Absolutely stunning 4 bedroom 2 bath, single story in desirable Greenhaven/Pocket neighborhood. Separate living and family rooms Nice kitchen Tankless hot water. PAULA LOPEZ 916-719-9210 DRE-01574668

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8673 Nemea Way • $399,000 LOVELY ELK GROVE AREA HOME. Desirable single-story 4 bedroom 2 bath plan with large master suite (including a walk-in closet), two guest bedrooms and an optional 4th STEPHANIE GALLAGHER 916-342-2288 DRE-01705253

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7714 River Village Drive • $475,000 Single story 3 bedroom 2 bath near Garcia Bend Park, the Sacramento river walkway & bike path. Separate living room with high ceilings and lots of good light, formal dining CONNIE LANDSBERG 916-761-0411 DRE-00850625

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EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD A BET TER PL ACE. SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

EAST SAC

ARDEN

LAND PARK/GRID

POCKET

BARBARA DOW

MILES HERMANN

ARDEN • ARCADE • SIERRA OAKS • WILHAGGIN • DEL PASO MANOR • CARMICHAEL

EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS

GARRICK WONG

CHIURO OBATA: CROCKER ART MUSEUM

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

CARMICHAEL

EAST SACRAMENTO • McKINLEY PARK • RIVER PARK • ELMHURST • TAHOE PARK • CAMPUS COMMONS

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

ARDEN

POCKET • GREENHAVEN •

POCKET • GREENHAVEN • SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

ARDEN

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ARCADE

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SIERRA OAKS

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WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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SOUTH POCKET • LITTLE POCKET • RIVERLAKE • DELTA SHORES

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ARCADE

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SIERRA OAKS

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WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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CARMICHAEL

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ARCADE

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SIERRA OAKS

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WILHAGGIN

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DEL PASO MANOR

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CARMICHAEL

LAND PARK • CURTIS PARK • HOLLYWOOD PARK • SOUTH LAND PARK • THE GRID • OAK PARK

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COVER ARTIST

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

info@insidepublications.com PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings EDITOR Cathryn Rakich editor@insidepublications.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland

CHIURO OBATA: CROCKER ART MUSEUM Born in Okayama, Japan, Chiura Obata (1885–1975) immigrated to the US in 1903 and embarked on a seven-decade career. He emerged as a leading ﬁgure in the Northern California art scene and as an inﬂuential educator, teaching at the UC, Berkeley for nearly 20 years. The exhibition--Chiura Obata: An American Modern--offers an unprecedented survey of Obata’s rich and varied body of work and includes over 100 paintings, drawings, prints, and personal items—many of which have never been on public display. The show runs through September 29. Visit crockerart.org. Shown in detail: “Setting Sun of Sacramento Valley,” hanging scroll: ink and color on silk; 111 5/8” by x 72 7/8 in.

DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel AD COORDINATION Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster DISTRIBUTION Sue Pane Sue@insidepublications.com ACCOUNTING Daniel Nardinelli, Lauren Stenvick daniel@insidepublications.com

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

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SEPTEMBER 2019 VOL. 6 • ISSUE 8 6 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 29 30 32 34 38 40 42 44 47

Publisher's Desk Pocket Life Pocket Beat Giving Back City Politics Building Our Future 'Not Humane' City Beat A Separate Peace Open House Sports Authority Farm To Fork Spirit Matters To Do Garden Jabber Open Studio Restaurant Insider Meet Your Neighbor Stand-Up Guy

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How to Build Community IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK WITH THESE IDEAS

rowsing in a gift shop recently, I came across a lovely poster with the headline, “How to Build Community.” Given that building our community has been my mission for almost 30 years, I was naturally attracted to the message. The poster listed dozens of suggestions. Here they are, with some thoughts along the way. And I’d love to hear your ideas— email me and we’ll publish them in an upcoming edition. Turn off your TV: I gave up watching local news two decades ago, preferring to read and write about local news, watch council meetings, and get involved in local activities and projects. Leave your house: It’s easy to find solace in your own nest. But connecting with others is a vital part of our human condition. Know your neighbors: Neighborhood Watch programs started

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

POC SEP n 19

a couple decades ago to help improve safety, security and communications. Knowing who lives around us should be everyone’s goal. Sit on your front porch: A simple activity that provides endless opportunities to better know your neighbors and understand your surroundings. Make sure your porch is clean and inviting for visitors who might stop by. Plant flowers: Even a few colorful touches will uplift your mood and brighten the day for people walking by. Look up when walking: With smartphones dominating our lives, this one act might save your life! Use your library: Libraries are far more than depositories for books. They are the center of neighborhood activities and programs for learning. Play together: Good advice for adults too. I’m not as playful as I’d like, so this will be my own challenge. Buy from local merchants: Those who advertise with Inside Sacramento offer the best in local products. In a world of Amazon and Google, always try to buy from merchants you know. The largest retail and tech companies in the world suck retail dollars from our neighborhoods and give nothing back.

Share what you have: We’ve never had more than three children in our home. But bigger families always manage to make do with less. I value the lessons kids learn from sharing. Help a lost dog: A friend who loves dogs told me to always carry a bag in the car with a leash and some treats. This can help you catch that stray dog you might encounter. Take children to the park: Even if you don’t have kids or grandkids, find someone else’s to join you and savor the joy of children at play. Garden together: Our nonprofit Friends of East Sacramento manages hundreds of volunteer gardeners each season. We have found group volunteer workdays are some of the most productive times in the garden. People learn from each other. Support neighborhood schools: Schools everywhere—especially in tougher neighborhoods—can use all the help they can get. Always say “yes” to kids raising money for schools. Fix it even if you didn’t break it: My husband can fix many things. There was a time when he could fix anything. And he cheerfully did when anyone approached him for help. Have potlucks: Whenever I invite folks for dinner, they always ask what

to bring. Take them up on it. You can enjoy meals with guests more often. Honor elders: My husband is 90, and tells me with age he has often felt ignored or invisible. Always reach out to greet and help the elderly and infirm in your life. Pick up litter: This is easy if you are prepared. I have a friend who loves to clean up public spaces. Gloves and plastic bags in his car mean he’s always prepared. Read stories aloud: We did this with our kids. But now my husband and I read a spiritual message every morning. It sparks wonderful conversations. Dance in the park: Or do yoga. Or take a nap on a towel. Or layout and just enjoy the weather. Talk to the mail carrier: My sonin-law is a postal carrier. He says many people hardly make eye contact with him on his daily route. Listen for the birds: Our cool mornings—even in the hot summer— are perfect for keeping our bedroom windows open. The best time is before anyone else is up. Put up a swing: I’m planning a new home design and landscape. I’ll work in a place for this relaxing activity.

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Help carry something heavy: Two sets of hands are better than one. Most injuries occur when carrying or lifting something. Barter for your goods: Bartering is as old as humanity, and relies on positive relationships rather than anonymous purchasing. Not everyone appreciates it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask nicely. Start a tradition: It can be anything you enjoy and want to repeat with others. Monthly dinners. Weekly walks. Your favorite food at special times. Get creative and make plans. Ask a question: I love to “interview” people. It helps break the ice, especially with shy folks. People love to talk about themselves or things they know. Hire young people for jobs: I started working as a babysitter when I was 12. Every job I had until after college helped prepare me for my adult and professional life. Look around and find a youngster who can assist with a task or small job. Carry cash: You never know when it might come in handy to satisfy a generous impulse! Organize a block party: When a young neighbor family moved next door 20 years ago, they started BBQ

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block parties around their pool. When they moved away, we took over this job for a decade. Our neighbors knew and appreciated each other best during those years. Make extra and share: Items you cook or make are perfect for sharing, as are fresh fruits and veggies from the garden or farmers market. Ask for help when you need it: My husband Jim struggles with this the most! I tell him it’s a way for others to feel useful and helpful—it’s a blessing to others. Open your shades: Energy conservation is good, but so is a neighborhood filled with life and activities inside every home. Sing together: My favorite part of going to church each week is singing while surrounded by other congregants. It’s the only time I sing anymore and it always feels cathartic. Christmas concerts are a great place to sing. Share your skills: With a long publishing and nonprofit career behind me, I often get asked for advice. I don’t have time for every request. But when I help, I never regret the time it took. What skill could you share? Take back the night: Every August the nation celebrates National Night Out. Make sure you do something

outside with neighbors at least once a year. Turn up the music: But not so loud that your neighbors can hear something they’d rather not! Support your local churches: Sadly, church attendance has been dropping. But I know how much churches strengthen the fabric of our communities. They care for our needs from birth to death and every stage in between. Listen before you react to anger: We’ve all known folks who do this and how hurtful it can be. When I suspect somebody might respond with anger, I say “I’ve got something to say that might upset you. Can you hear me through and then we can calmly discuss it?” Mediate a conflict: I’ve tried this a few times and it worked out well. A neutral outsider can bring perspective. Seek to understand: I recently heard this is much easier if you strive for true understanding—rather than agreement—as a goal. Learn from new and uncomfortable angles: Getting

outside of our ingrained thinking is tough, especially as we age. Working on the development of our new website this year was a huge challenge for me mentally. It was like being forced to learn Norwegian at age 63! Do something nice and unexpected: My husband walked by the ice cream counter at Rite Aid the other day and saw a grandma and her 11 grandchildren. She was trying to figure out if she could afford one cone for each child. When she came up short, Jim heard her disappointment, stepped in and handed the clerk a $20 bill. Grandma and the kids were thrilled. Jim said he had the best day as a result! Our motto at Inside is simple: Every day is a good day to make your neighborhood a better place. So please, let’s all get at it! Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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UPCOMING EVENTS Movie Night: Sixteen Candles Saturday, September 7th Doors Open 7pm

Movie Night: Practical Magic Saturday, October 19th Doors Open 6PM

Great American River Clean-Up at Discovery Park Saturday, September 21st 9am – 2pm

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Gray to Gold LOCAL AUTHOR HITS THE ROAD WITH LATEST BOOK

available from Amazon and Small Press Distribution. Check out Rice’s website www.dorothyriceauthor.com.

CULTURAL FOOD FESTIVAL Hawaiian BBQ is the newest addition to the annual community festival at St. Anthony Parish on Florin Road. The big event—always free—takes place Saturday, Sept. 7, from noon to 9 p.m. The International Food Alley will showcase homemade foods representing the rich cultural diversity in our community. Live music, children’s games, dessert and wine spins, book sales, a country store, bingo and raffle prizes combine to make this a mustsee Pocket celebration. For more information, call the parish at (916) 428-5678.

WELLNESS FAIR As we get older and wiser, embracing healthy lifestyles should be foremost in our minds. The Pocket community is invited to ACC Greenhaven Terrace for a Healthy Aging and Fall Prevention Fair on Friday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. Medical professionals will conduct free assessments, including fall-risk tests, medication reviews, bloodpressure checks and home-modification consultations. For more information, contact Susan Sarinas at (916) 393-9026 or ssarinas@accsv.org.

Dorothy Rice

BILINGUAL STORYTIME Families are invited to the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library on Saturday, Sept. 21, for a morning of stories and singing conducted in English and Spanish. The free program, designed for children ages 5 and under, starts at 10:30 a.m.

FREE MOVIE IN THE PARK

CM By Corky Mau Pocket Life

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ocket resident and author Dorothy Rice moves in the fast lane. Her second book, “Gray is the New Black,” launched in June. Within a month, she was interviewed by host Veronica Johnson for a segment on “Good Morning Washington,’’ the ABC affiliate covering the nation’s capital. For the next eight months, Rice will participate in book events from San Francisco to Montana to Belize.

Rice grew up in San Francisco during the psychedelic 1960s. “Now I’m in my 60s and the book is a belated coming-ofage memoir, my own journey to achieve self-improvement and self-acceptance,” she says. “It’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ without the fairytale ending.” The book is a personal story, but it resonates on a universal level with readers. “I’m learning how to love and embrace my silver strands,” Rice says. “Gray is the New Black” is

The always-popular movie and food truck night returns to Garcia Bend Park on Friday, Sept. 20. Food trucks and children’s activities will start serving up fun at 5 p.m. The free movie, “A Dog’s Way Home,” begins at dusk. The 2019 family film follows a canine named Bella who travels more than 400 miles to find her owner. It’s an adventure not to be missed.

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FITNESS FUN U-Jam Fitness is a dance/cardio fitness class where participants enjoy fun, creative workouts. Classes are Thursday nights at ACC from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Cost is $20 per month or $7 per class, if space is available. Instructors Jasmine Smith and Kimberly Wasserman advise students to wear comfortable, loose attire. To register, contact Anna Su at (916) 393-9026, ext. 330.

BOOK DISCUSSION Crime novel fans wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss the book discussion of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wife,â&#x20AC;? by New York Times bestselling author Alafair Burke, Saturday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. in the Robbie Waters PocketGreenhaven Library. Burke is a former prosecutor with a genius for plot. The book is a CrimeReads Best Novel of 2018 and is described as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;intriguing, twisty psychological thriller.â&#x20AC;?

INDIAN CUISINE At last, authentic Indian food has arrived in Pocket. I dropped by Hop

Junction at 7600 Greenhaven Drive recently with friends. Owner Jasdeep Purewal has expanded the menu to include savory curries and tandoori entreesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and a good variety of wine and beers are always available. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even karaoke on Saturday evenings. Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Silence is Telling COUNCILMEMBER WON’T EXPLAIN PARK BLOCKADE

e asked. And Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Hansen refuses to answer questions about why he opposes public access to the Sacramento River Parkway in Little Pocket. By keeping silent, Hansen appears to favor the interests of about 40 Little Pocket homeowners while he blocks public access for Sacramento’s 500,000 residents. Hansen is upset about a column I wrote last month for Inside Sacramento. I criticized the councilman for pushing the city to fence off public access to a parkway near the levee at 35th Avenue and Riverside Boulevard. At Hansen’s request, the city barricaded the access point in May. The blockaded parkway looks like a classic example of special interests stealing a public asset. Thanks to Hansen’s new gate and fence, a 10.5acre city park instantly became a private park. A few homeowners along the Little Pocket levee have free and easy access

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

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to the city’s rustic Chicory Bend nature area, whose official address is 797 Seamas Ave. As for you and me, we’re locked out, unless we arrive by boat or swim in. The city’s website explains, “Public access from the Sacramento River only; there is no public access from the levee to this park.” For accuracy’s sake, the statement should add, “At the request of Councilmember Hansen, a handful of property owners who live along the levee can walk right in and enjoy this park. You keep out.” Chicory Bend Park should not be confused with Chicory Bend Court, a street off Pocket Road in South Pocket. Chicory Bend Park is a prime example of Hansen’s goal to ensure the public gets nowhere near the beautiful levee parkway in Little Pocket. Oddly, Hansen supports public access to the levee in Greenhaven and Pocket. But when the parkway trail reaches Little Pocket, he expects cyclists, runners and walkers to tangle with traffic on busy Riverside Boulevard. He wants the Little Pocket levee parkway to serve as a private playground for those lucky homeowners, exclusively. The question is why? Last month, I described the hoops I jumped through while failing to get Hansen on the record. After the column ran, he complained I was inaccurate. When I tried again to speak to him, he emailed back, “Until the factual

inaccuracies from the last piece are corrected or at least acknowledged, I will not be meeting with you.” There were no inaccuracies. I noted Hansen’s gate and fence were built without an engineering survey, which means the fence wings appear to stand on private property—a gift from the city. I said there was no public outreach, and noted the gate and fence were quickly built. Hansen countered the entire project took about five months— proving my point, as anyone who has worked on a city project can attest. Finally, Hansen claimed multiple city departments were involved, as I originally noted. The essence of the column—that Hansen is breaking with a unanimous City Council in his quest to block public access to the Sacramento River Parkway—went unchallenged. Hansen

has not explained why he opposes public access to a public treasure. Hansen won’t speak to me, but there are ways to hold him accountable. In upcoming columns, I plan to compare Little Pocket waterfront property ownership names with Hansen’s campaign contributors. Maybe they will match up. And I plan to speak to Little Pocket levee homeowners and ask how they get such great service from their city councilmember. Meantime, the rest of Hansen’s constituents get locked out—unless they have a boat or are very good swimmers. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

READER THOUGHTS Thank you for all the time you have spent on this debacle to get our river access open like it should have been from the beginning. Thank you for all the honest reporting and transparency that you have done. It's very refreshing and something you could teach our so-called “elected officials.” I have followed your writing for decades and without a doubt you are one of my favorite reporters on matters that I feel everyone in Sacramento needs to hear about. You are fair, balanced and nonpartisan. I look forward to reading your articles every month! Ken Duran, 36-year resident of Pocket neighborhood

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Becoming Aware BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION VOLUNTEER CONNECTS WITH COMMUNITY

Melinda Carson

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

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or Melinda Carson, relationships are key. Whether in her former capacity as executive director of the Sacramento and Northeastern California Make-A-Wish Foundation or as current volunteer extraordinaire for the Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, Carson knows that

connecting with the community is crucial. “Relationships open doors,” says Carson, who has worked with Albie Aware since its inception in 2004 when her husband Doug founded the organization in memory of his late wife Albie, who lost her battle with breast cancer on July 4, 2002.

“Making connections in the community can help you raise money, certainly, but it can also provide an opportunity to do something really special for survivors and their families.” Carson says that when she and Doug first got together, she was very aware that Albie was going to remain an integral part of their lives. “I was coming into someone’s life after many years of a wonderful marriage,” she explains. “Her family was becoming mine.” Carson jumped in right away, helping build up the board and selling tickets to events that provide funds for lifesaving services. Albie Aware is aptly named—it aims to make men and women more aware of cancer-prevention methods and diagnostic tests. (Had Albie received a positron-emission tomography scan, it could have detected her recurrence more quickly, giving her medical team a better chance to treat the cancer that eventually claimed her life.) The organization also encourages early detection through self-examination and annual mammograms beginning at age 40—earlier if there is a strong family history—and provides financial assistance as well as advocacy when testing isn’t covered by insurance. Always full of ideas, Carson started new fundraising campaigns, such as Survivor of the Year (which has since morphed into Albie Champions) in which businesses, organizations, families and individuals form teams in honor of their chosen breast cancer “champions” to see who can collect the most donations. In 2020, Carson and her husband will co-chair the Rose Awards, which have historically honored outstanding volunteers but now recognize people in the community connected with Albie Aware to help share their stories. This year’s recipient will be breast cancer survivor Jim Bowman.

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3901 Land Park Drive, Sacramento · fairytaletown.org · (916) 808-5233 “Our mission has always been to bring testing and assistance to people who either have breast cancer or need testing,” Carson says. “The program side has developed very well, so now our goal is to expand and spread the word about Albie Aware into the communities and counties around Sacramento.” To do that, Carson is looking to implement events in other counties modeled after successful Sacramento shindigs, such as the annual party put on by Albie Aware volunteer group The Pink Ladies, which hosts a backyard bash in the Fab 40s every year.

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“Events open the door to people who have never heard of you,” Carson says. Which leads to new relationships, of course. For more information, visit albieaware.org. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Long Day’s Journey FROM TOKYO TO PARIS, TEAR GAS INCLUDED

s astute readers may have noticed, I have been missing in action. After nine years of writing a monthly column for Inside Sacramento, without missing a month, I decided to take the family on an extended vacation. I took my notepad to capture some observations for you, particularly as they relate to Sacramento.

TOKYO The train from Narita airport to the central Tokyo train station in Shinjuku covers 37 miles and takes an hour. I

CP By Craig Powell City Politics • OPINION •

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chuckled when I thought of folks who think Sacramento taxpayers should fork over $1 billion to $2 billion to extend Regional Transit’s light-rail system to Sacramento International Airport to avoid a rarely congested 10-minute drive from Downtown to the airport. A light-rail trip to the airport from Downtown would likely take an hour, as it would no doubt make eight stops at stations in South and North Natomas. The population density of Tokyo (with 14 million people) makes rail travel a necessity, compared to Sacramento’s low-density suburbs. The number of homeless people in Sacramento County is now 5,570. Roughly one of every 250 Sacramento County residents is homeless. Tokyo has an estimated 5,000 homeless persons with a population 10 times greater than Sacramento County. Walking around Shinjuku one afternoon, I came across an orderly pack of personal belongings under an elevated roadway. It seems Tokyo’s homeless pack up their belongings

each night so as not to be a nuisance to pedestrians during the day. Japanese are willing to give money to homeless people, but they rarely ask for handouts. Their dignity doesn’t allow it.

HONG KONG We saw massive numbers of worried residents marching to protect Hong Kong’s liberty and democracy, legacies established by the British who formerly ruled Hong Kong. The protesters oppose communist Chinese government efforts to impose a law that would allow extradition of Hong Kong residents to the mainland for criminal prosecution. The fear is China would use such power to further suppress free speech and punish dissidents. These are courageous people confronting an immensely powerful foe. They are appealing to world opinion to moderate China’s instinct to violently repress political opposition. Protestors conducted a measured attack on the parliament building during our visit.

The resulting traffic jam didn’t bother us. I resisted the urge to join the protesters. With a population of 7.4 million, Hong Kong has a homeless population of just 1,127. I observed a multifloor homeless shelter in Kowloon packed to the rafters with bunk beds. Ironically, such a living arrangement is not dissimilar to how many Hong Kongers live in one of the most densely populated places on earth.

SINGAPORE If Sacramento is one of our country’s most diverse cities, Singapore is one of the most diverse countries, with ethnic Malay, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and expatriates from across the globe. As a tiny island city-state that includes just 50 square miles, Singapore is a study in economic and social miracles—the beneficiary of extraordinarily skillful government leadership. After fending off aggressive neighbors and putting down a communist

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insurgency, Singapore adopted two prime directives: pursue high-quality economic growth to rapidly lift incomes and compete internationally; and convince its people to accept identity as Singaporeans first and eliminate ethnic and racial tensions. Some characterize Singapore as the Switzerland of the east for its affluence, independence and melding of diverse populations. With a population of 5.9 million, Singapore has fewer than 300 homeless people. The 5-mile drive from the exceptional Singapore airport to city center is akin to driving through a green paradise. Sacramento could learn a lesson from Singaporeans’ practice of making the greening of their city a sustained, high priority. The government is intolerant of quality-of-life infractions such as littering, jaywalking and vandalism. Bubble gum and vaping are banned. Customs forms warn that those caught dealing drugs will receive the death penalty. It’s an attention-grabber.

PARIS My wife Paige and I love Paris. But Paris teargassed us on this trip and we were not happy about it. And we’re not the only ones. The French government

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is brutalizing its people and radicalizing citizens. We thought we were fortunate to be in Paris on Bastille Day. We witnessed a majestic flyover of French military jets, but skipped the military parade to stroll through one of Paris’ prettiest parks, Parc Monceau. We walked up to the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees. The parade was long over, but we noticed a sizeable police presence. We chalked it up to a residual police presence following the big parade. We were wrong. The Champs Elysees has become a popular confrontation point between French police and “yellow vest” protestors who have clashed since President Emmanuel Macron and his government raised the gasoline tax as a climate-control measure last year. At first we heard peaceful singing by a modest number of people. The crowd was older, mostly retirees, none wearing yellow vests. Then we saw what we thought was a smoke bomb tossed into the street by police. A woman next to us warned, “Go! The police are using gas!” We were stupefied. Gas? Against people who were just singing? Not possible. But we followed her advice and began to leave. A gas canister flew over our heads and

landed in front of us. Gas exploded, incapacitating us and driving us to the ground, doubled up in pain. The stinging pain in our eyes was nothing compared to our inability to breathe. I used a bottle of water to irrigate our eyes, but we were panicked by our loss of breath. There was no warning. Police just started tossing tear-gas canisters. The crowd responded by hauling temporary metal fencing into the middle of the Champs Elysees in the time-honored French tradition of constructing barricades. Police flooded the area to trap the crowd. We barely escaped. The police strategy is to lull protesters into enclosed areas, close off escapes and pummel them with tear gas, explosive grenades and rubber bullets. People have been blinded and maimed. This is how revolutions begin. Craig Powell is a retired attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@eyeonsacramento.org or (916) 718-3030. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Sotiris Kolokotronis

A View for Rooms DEVELOPER REBOUNDS WITH FOCUS ON CITY CORE

GD By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

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he Tsakopoulos name is prominent on some admired Downtown landmarks, with good reason. A gift from Angelo Tsakopoulos in his wife’s honor closed a financing gap at The Sofia B Street Theatre complex on Capitol Avenue. Not far away, he helped

fund the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria on I Street. But another member of the family, Angelo’s nephew Sotiris Kolokotronis, who freely admits he moved from his native Greece to Sacramento because the California capital seemed like a

good place to make money, has had more to do with shaping Downtown’s renaissance than just about anyone. For the irrepressibly upbeat and optimistic Kolokotronis—he took a hard fall in the last recession when the market wasn’t as enthusiastic as he was—his recent success is as sweet as a slice of baklava. “You never know how things come together,” the 60-year-old developer said during a recent interview at a Midtown restaurant. “You throw different things at the wall and something will stick. But as far as rediscovering the urban core, someone else said, you need to go through hell to get to heaven. I use that comment all the time. You really need to hit rock bottom sometimes for things to come back together, and it looks like we’re getting there.” That is probably an understatement for the city’s core and for Kolokotronis himself. When he made headlines a few years ago, the news was all about financial setbacks and dashed plans. Now he is proudly showing off new apartment buildings, lofts, visionary urban infill, big ideas for future projects and an energetic vision for the city’s core. As City Councilmember Steve Hansen, whose district includes Downtown and Midtown, put it, “Sotiris has been the most consequential and prolific developer of infill housing in the central city, not only because of his buildings, but also because he’s inspired others to tackle complicated and ambitious projects, too. The sum of his impact can be seen in the increased vibrancy and quality of life in Midtown, 16th Street and the eastern R Street corridor.” Factor in the impact of his wife— Matina Kolokotronis is chief operating officer for the Sacramento Kings and was heavily involved in planning Golden 1 Center—the Kolokotronis legacy is even more impressive.

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After a development career that started in Sacramento’s sprawling suburbs in Folsom and Laguna, Kolokotronis and his partners have brought to the center city 501 residential units and 31,400 square feet of retail, with another 467 residential units and 9,000 square feet of retail under construction. Finished projects include the Fremont Building, Capitol Park Homes, lofts at 1801 L Street, Q19 apartments and much more. His apartment building on the Q Street site of The Sacramento Bee’s old parking garage will be the city’s biggest. And he’s been deeply involved with the special assessment districts that pay for a variety of Downtown amenities and services, making it impossible to walk 100 yards with Kolokotronis and not be stopped by well-wishers, friends, colleagues and people who seem to love the guy and his big-hearted personality. His SKK Developments has other big projects in the works. While Kolokotronis is quick to credit city planners and fellow developers, such as Michael Heller and Mark Friedman for their positive impact on Downtown, no one has done more to build the housing needed to serve people and attract restaurants and other commerce.

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916-224-5251 heidibattani@gmail.com Go Downtown on just about any night and you’ll find people enjoying the amenities, walking around, socializing, spending money and giving the city a sense of place it didn’t always have. It’s a far cry from the time Kolokotronis first brought his future wife to Sacramento after proposing to her in 1986. When she asked where Downtown was after a trip to Natomas, he told her, “We just passed it.” For Kolokotronis, Downtown started on its current revival in the early 2000s, when the state built its massive East End office complex near the Capitol. The monolithic project was a missed opportunity to bring a more pedestrianscaled ambience to the core. But by collecting thousands of state workers in one general area and getting rid of many run-down buildings, Downtown began its transformation. The outgoing developer has been riding this latest wave for more than a few years and shows no signs of slowing down. His good fortune has been the city’s good fortune as well. Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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‘Not Humane’ WHY CAN’T STATE HELP MENTALLY ILL HOMELESS?

BY JOHN M.W. MOORLACH

he homelessness problem keeps getting worse. A survey released June 26 found Sacramento County’s homeless count jumped 52 percent the past two years, to an estimated 5,570. A study released three weeks earlier found Los Angeles County’s homeless population rose 12 percent in the past year, to almost 59,000—despite massive new spending to combat the crisis.

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California is home to almost 25 percent of the nation’s homeless population, yet makes up only 12 percent of the total population. Obviously, California’s homeless need more housing. That’s why in 2018 I coauthored Senate Bill 1206, the No Place Like Home Act, with then-Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). The bill resulted in Proposition 2, last November’s successful ballot measure. It provided $2 billion in funding for housing mentally ill homeless people.

But housing is just a part of the answer. Another major problem is mental illness, which drives many homeless people to live on the street. Why are they allowed to stay there? The problem stems from civil commitment reforms created in the late 1960s that made it too difficult to care for individuals with serious mental illnesses if they refused treatment. As a result, many institutions that involuntarily housed mentally ill people were closed. Reforms began with the 1967 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, written as a reaction to abuses occurring at the time. The LPS Act changed our civil commitment process in California. The result? Mentally ill individuals migrated to the streets, then often to county jails. Then and now, the outcome is not humane. In April, Dr. Drew Pinsky, a noted psychiatrist with many years of clinical practice, explained the situation to me on his radio show. “Psychiatric symptoms are given privileged positions in the law,” he said. “Not just the pathology, but the actual symptoms themselves are being privileged over the well-being of the individual displaying those symptoms, the safety of that individual, our ability to render care to them and the safety and sanitation of the surrounding community.” Basically, our society has decided that someone shouting aimlessly on the street and eating out of garbage cans is not cause to treat him or her involuntarily for mental health issues. I was on Pinsky’s show to advance SB 640, which I authored at the doctor’s suggestion. SB 640 sought to clarify the definition of “gravely disabled” and tie in an individual’s capacity to make informed decisions about his or her personal well-being. The bill was shelved this year, but these definitional changes would have expanded treatment opportunities for our most vulnerable, put them into conservatorships and housing involuntarily, and helped diminish the inhumane neglect they currently suffer. My office is putting together research for when the Senate reconsiders SB 640 next year. In January, an audit of the 1967 LPS Act should be finished. Let’s hope the State Auditor provides recommendations to help the Legislature reassess what the state must do. Cost is another concern. As an accountant, I take money seriously. Currently, under Section 5150 of the state Welfare and Institutions Code, a

person can be held involuntarily for up to 72 hours “for assessment, evaluation, and crisis intervention, or placement for evaluation and treatment in a facility designated by the county.” If that period of holding is extended, hospitals are concerned their costs will rise. So it’s imperative to locate funding sources. Private charities are crucial. In Orange County, where I was a county supervisor from 2006 to 2014, Mind OC and Be Well OC help find beds for those who need special assistance. And the county is one of the few that has a county-operated health system and is using CalOptima dollars to provide solutions. Another source could be the Mental Health Services Act, passed by voters in 2004 as Proposition 63, which imposed a 1-percent tax on incomes of $1 million or greater. While an Orange County supervisor in 2013, I worked with then-State Sen. Darrell Steinberg to pass SB 585. It allowed money from the Mental Health Services Act to fund Laura’s Law, a 2002 state law that created “an assisted outpatient treatment program for any person who is suffering from a mental disorder and meets certain criteria.” Resources are available, but the problem always returns to the purported civil rights issue—that mentally ill homeless people have a right to refuse all treatment. As Pinsky said, this is “privileging pathology over wellness.” From his clinical experience, he explained, when people finally get treated for their mental condition, “They’re furious when that happens. They go, ‘People left me in that condition? And look how good I am now? Who did that?’” We don’t let our seniors with dementia fend for themselves. Why would we do the same with our severely mentally ill? Homelessness clearly needs a two-pronged solution: first, more involuntary housing; second, reform of the 1967 LPS Act. I’ll be working to improve the language in SB 640. The public has to understand that stranding people with serious mental illnesses on our streets is crueler than housing and treating them against their will. As homelessness keeps getting worse, the need for this solution will become more obvious. Sen. John M.W. Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) represents the 37th District in the California State Senate. His Sacramento office phone number is (916) 651-4037. n

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Oprah’s Curse A DECADE LATER, CITY SEEKS ANSWERS FOR HOMELESS

t all started with Oprah. In February 2009, the TV talk show icon sent reporter Lisa Ling to a homeless camp called “tent city” near the American River and Sutter’s Landing. Ling and her crew found several dozen people living rough, struggling for survival in the Great Recession. With images reminiscent of the 1930s, the presentation on Oprah’s show was heartbreaking. The broadcast humiliated Sacramento. And it inspired philosophical upheavals that continue today at City Hall. Oprah pushed Sacramento to reverse its approach and treat homelessness as something that can be defeated, if only wise leaders plow enough money into the right places.

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

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A decade later, Mayor Darrell Steinberg has become a prisoner to the movement inspired by tent city. He scrambles to find solutions to homelessness, but the city’s booming unsheltered population demonstrates the quicksand nature of his task. Steinberg has come up with a novel strategy. He wants to provide a shelter bed for every homeless person in Sacramento—5,570 at last count, well above Oakland’s record-busting number of 4,071. When it comes to homelessness, we are world class. But Steinberg added a brilliant twist. Under his shelter-for-all plan, sleeping outside won’t be tolerated. When beds are available, homeless people will not be allowed to camp under the stars or sleep in doorways. While the mayor’s plan is courageous, he hasn’t explained how to enforce or pay for it. There will be opposition— many homeless people believe it’s their right to camp wherever they please. Steinberg will have to fight. For generations, Sacramento was immune to the sights, sounds and smells of derelicts passed out along Front or Second streets. When Interstate 5 was built and the West End rebranded as

Old Sacramento, candy shops replaced skid-row saloons. The rummies moved up J and K streets. Some dug in along the American River. As long as they didn’t bother anyone, bums were left alone. Oprah shattered the narrative. Her video suggested our tent city was populated not with alcoholics, schizophrenics and junkies, but with honest, hardworking people crushed by economic turbulence and evictions. While homeless families and children sadly do exist, their presence was greatly exaggerated by Oprah and Ling. There were about 2,800 homeless people in Sacramento in 2009, a number that declined by 200 or 300 over the next six years as the economy improved and jobs returned. The folks who stayed homeless were spiritual descendants of West End bums. Today, the mantra is “housing first,” which prioritizes giving homeless people a roof before foundational factors such as alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness are addressed. California law mandates “housing first.” Steinberg knows all this. He’s an expert in homelessness. Much of his career has been devoted to allocating money for mental illness, addiction

and vagrancy. If he can deliver on his plan to shelter every homeless person and eliminate camping, he will have succeeded where his predecessors fell short. Like Steinberg, other mayors tried: Joe Serna and Heather Fargo created homeless programs with local service providers. Kevin Johnson invented Sacramento Steps Forward, a publicprivate partnership that housed 1,675 people in one year. Before the recession, Sacramento County spent $29 million annually on homeless programs. In 2011, the homeless count fell to 2,358. When Oprah’s crew arrived, the recession was blamed for Sacramento’s homeless crisis. Today, it’s the opposite—unfair economic prosperity and gentrification are blamed. The true major causes are addiction and mental illness. They are not conjured by economics. Even West End rummies knew that. Good luck, Mayor Steinberg. R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.com. n

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A Separate Peace BETTER ANGELS BRINGS CIVILITY TO POLITICS

BY TAB BERG

merica is binging on outrage because liberals are arrogant elitists recklessly opening our borders and bankrupting the country, while conservatives are hateful bigots bent on destroying the environment and oppressing poor people. Neither statement is true, but both stereotypes feed the outrage addiction that has become the default narrative of public dialogue. For far too many Americans, political discussions have devolved into attacking the “other side” with troll-inspired slams and belittling tweets—where scoring a “burn” on a political opponent is valued more than finding solutions or even being truthful. There is a better way. Instead of forcing Americans to choose between warring ideological tribes, we can engage the “better angels of our nature” by acknowledging our differences and embracing our similarities. Rather than escalating the fight, we can depolarize America. Depolarization sounds like a Madison Avenue word, but it simply means we can learn to listen respectfully to people with different political views and engage honestly and civilly with those with whom we disagree. Better Angels is not another summit of academics or a photo-op for politicians. It is citizen-to-citizen advocacy focused on breaking the cycle of political retribution and partisanship at the grassroots level.

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Unlike efforts to assign blame or browbeat people, Better Angels embraces ideological differences and focuses on returning civility to political disagreement. The program is based on the premise that there is value in honest, civil debate. We may even find that when partisan anger and recrimination are washed away, there is more that unites than divides us. And it’s working. More than 1,000 “Red-Blue” workshops across the country have helped thousands of citizens listen without fear and speak without rebuke. Sacramento’s Better Angels Alliance has become a leading force in this national movement, cohosting the National Convention and spearheading new efforts and programing. But we have a long way to go and need a lot more people to join the effort. Better Angels Sacramento provides something that has become rare: a place where both conservatives and liberals can come together and realize it’s OK to disagree. On May 17, in living rooms, community halls and churches across America, Better Angels premiered a documentary film of the first “Red-Blue” workshop held weeks after the 2016 election. Seven Republicans who supported Donald Trump and seven Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton got together to talk. At the start, none of the participants believed it was possible to have a rational discussion with the other side. After the Better Angels workshop, they told a different story.

The documentary proves people can find humanity in others. Even those who see the world differently are still patriotic Americans. That success has been repeated hundreds of times, and we’re now showing the documentary in churches, community centers and theaters across the Sacramento region. These “Red-Blue” workshops are the cornerstone of the Better Angels movement. More than 400 Sacramento citizens have participated. We’re taking the lessons learned in the workshops to further bridge the divide. Skills workshops teach progressives how to talk with conservatives and vice versa. Better Angels is hosting debates to demonstrate that issues the media label “divisive” can be discussed without rancor. The first debate was held in Carmichael in May, where more than 50 residents met for a parliamentary debate on Sanctuary Cities. After the event many participants said they gained a better understanding of how “the other side” felt. Few changed their position, but the goal was not to change minds or beat the other side into submission. The goal was to strengthen civic bonds and prove we can discuss difficult issues. Better Angels is not a political panacea. It’s not designed to solve all of our problems. Instead, we’re focused on the premise that division and polarization make it difficult to have a discussion about the challenges facing America. Public engagement is vital for democracy, but we are displacing engagement with gladiatorial politics.

We’ve allowed politicians and the media to stick us into bunkers and goad us into waging war against each other—or disengage from politics (and each other) altogether. Yet, studies show most Americans believe the bonds that bind us together are stronger than the divisions that tear us apart. We can strengthen those bonds and solve real problems by engaging the better angels of our nature—or we can continue to feed the worst impulses of our demons and continue to tear the country apart. For information on Better Angels Sacramento, visit betterangelssacramento.org. Join Better Angels Sacramento for a Debate on Healthcare in America, Sunday, Sept. 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the North Highlands-Antelope Library in Antelope. Unlike traditional debates where people compete to win, these are structured conversations where everyone thinks and listens together to grapple with a difficult issue. Participants are encouraged to express their views, while behaving respectfully toward one another. To register or for more information on Better Angels debates and other events, visit betterangelssacramento.org/events-1. Tab Berg is a political consultant in Sacramento and owner of TABcommunications. He can be reached at betterangelssacramento@gmail.com. n

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What’s Old Is New Again COUPLE PUTS MODERN SPIN ON TRADITIONAL EAST SAC HOME

allpaper on the ceiling? Why not? “This is probably my favorite,” says homeowner Tracy Skinner, looking up at the black and white linen-like wallpaper above her head. Because the first paper she chose was very dark, Skinner considered covering only one wall. But Sacramento interior designer Cheryl Holben dissuaded her.

CR By Cathryn Rakich Open House

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“Cheryl said, ‘That is totally trendy. You can’t do one wall.’” They found a more modern paper with a floral pop that was “perfect because it’s light and bright,” Skinner adds. “But it was super expensive. So Cheryl said, ‘Let’s do the ceiling.’ “Ninety percent of this house is Cheryl. Cheryl got me out of my box.” Skinner and her husband Russ purchased the two-story East Sac home in the Fab 40s in 2017, and went to work on a complete remodel. Keeping the same basic footprint with some reconfiguring, the couple added a fourth bedroom and a shower for three full baths. Working with Holben and Kristy Lingner with River City Builders, the Skinners wanted to keep the classic look of the older home, but give it a modern update. “We loved it because it has a traditional footprint,” Skinner says of

the 2,650-square-foot home. “But there is not one surface that has not been touched. We made everything new.” The fully remodeled kitchen features an inventive island created from an old wooden printer’s cabinet that Skinner found online at an antique store in the east and had shipped to Sacramento. A local woodworker removed the top half, fashioned deeper drawers and repurposed the typeset inserts as wall décor in the renovated basement. “We were specifically looking for something old—something super original and unique,” Skinner explains. The new white kitchen cabinets are recessed for an “old-style” look. Quartzite countertops resemble marble. “We had marble in the past and I love how it looks,” Skinner says. “But after a while I just didn’t want to worry about it.”

The couple kept the original built-in buffet in the dining room, but relocated the living room buffet to the downstairs bedroom, which is now used as an office. They also saved the original door between the kitchen and dining room, telephone nook in the hallway and staircase banister. A stunning crystal chandelier was refurbished and moved from the living room to the dining room. “I love all my lighting,” Skinner says, crediting Holben for helping choose the just-right light fixtures, including an intricate Kartell sphere hanging in the entryway that the family assembled on their dining room table. “All these little pieces came in a box,” Skinner points out, noting that the company is famous for its faux-crystal fixtures made of plastic. The old double-hung, single-paned windows, which were painted shut,

were refurbished. All the doors are new except the striking front door featuring beveled glass. Straying from the old style, the couple used “penny tile” in the downstairs guest bathroom, not just on the floor but up the walls as well. “It is such a small bathroom, I wanted it to have something that looked cool,” Skinner notes. A contemporary floating toilet was required for its clearance in the tiny space. “That’s what this house has—some old and some modern.” The fireplace was probably refashioned in the 1980s with “an ugly brown tile,” Skinner says. For a facelift, the tile was stripped off and the surface stuccoed and painted. Upstairs, the Skinners converted a linen closet into a laundry room, and reconfigured the oddly large and awkward master bathroom to create a bigger walk-in closet. Modern lighting, Carrera marble tile and a skylight create an updated master bath. As an unexpected twist, the Skinners chose a Dutch half door from the house to the backyard to allow in a cool breeze when the top half is open. Small hexagon tiles on the back porch spell out the home’s address. “The backyard was horrific,” Skinner emphasizes. “They had a koi pond and broken-up cement. And a privet tree hovering over our house that was about ready to fall.” The all-new landscaping includes a gas fireplace and swimming pool.

“THAT’S WHAT THIS HOUSE HAS— SOME OLD AND SOME MODERN.”

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Were there frustrations or surprises typically encountered with full remodels? “It all went smoothly,” Skinner says, giving kudos to Holben and Lingner. “It was really the three of us that worked together collaboratively on this house and that made it easy. They thought of everything—things I would never have thought of.” To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Cathryn Rakich at crakich@surewest.net. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

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Century of Aces HOW SUTTER LAWN TENNIS SURVIVED 100 YEARS

utter Lawn Tennis Club celebrates its 100th birthday in September, which prompts one Grand Slam question: How did the little East Sacramento jewel manage to last a century? A tempting story would tell how Sutter Lawn’s guardians intuitively aced the future and moved with the times at 39th and N streets. They adapted to changing tastes, acquired nearby properties and relentlessly expanded to become the city’s dominant sports facility. But none of that would be true. Here’s what really happened to Sutter Lawn after its birth in 1919: Things pretty much stayed the same. For decades, nothing happened at 39th and N, other than tennis and

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

swimming and community fellowship. And therein lies the secret of Sutter Lawn’s enduring appeal and remarkable instinct for survival. “If you walked up here 100 years ago and looked at the place, it wouldn’t look too much different than it does today,” says Joe Riehl, former Sutter Lawn president and 100th anniversary committee chair. “My guess is if we could come back in 100 years, it will still look the same.” The clubhouse was expanded around World War II, adding an upstairs bar, but no one remembers exactly when. A tennis court was torn out and replaced by a swimming pool in 1951. The pool was expanded in 1957, attracting new members with young families. The pool saved Sutter Lawn from bankruptcy. That’s about it. “The club’s board of directors have a history of being very reluctant to spend money,” Riehl says. “Whenever there was an idea to do something, a group of directors would say, ‘You guys want to spend money like drunken sailors,’ and they would vote it down.” Besides Sutter Lawn, there are only two other places in Sacramento—

Hughes Stadium and Memorial Auditorium, both publicly owned—that reflect the city’s history through generational memories of sporting events. Bjorn Borg, Stan Smith and Rosie Casals played in tournaments at Sutter Lawn. In 1971, U.S. Tennis Association Hard Court Championships were held at 39th and N. Among the competitors was Arthur Ashe. For many Sutter Lawn members, Ashe’s appearance could have taken place last weekend. His photo is prominent on the clubhouse wall. They still talk about what happened. Frustrated by a rare poorly played match, Ashe began to challenge a call by Sutter Lawn line umpire Grant Bennett. When Bennett stood his ground, Ashe merely nodded and said, “Good call.” It was Sutter Lawn’s finest moment, an instant that captured the game’s premier level of courtesy, class and dignity. Sutter Lawn was 52 years old when Ashe visited. For many tennis clubs, a half-century qualifies as elderly. Few survive for a 100th birthday. Riehl

has been working to enroll the club in the exclusive Centenary Tennis Clubs association, which has only nine U.S. members. “They want you to have to have at least eight courts, and we have five,” Riehl says. “But I think there’s room for an exception.” Sacramento has bigger, newer and fancier tennis clubs. Rio Del Oro has 24 courts. Arden Hills has 12. But no local tennis club has the timeless atmosphere and relaxed ambiance of Sutter Lawn, which has never had pretentions. The club has about 225 members, monthly fees of $117 and a $2,500 initiation. It’s a Sacramento institution to the core. “What we are is a neighborhood tennis and swim club,” Riehl says. “That’s what we were when I was a kid growing up here, and that’s what people love about Sutter Lawn today. We’ve never tried to be anything else.” R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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David Baker

David Baker (left) and John Boyer pick up from Sun & Soil twice a week.

Cycle of Life RESOIL HELPS BRING THE FORK BACK TO THE FARM

s the farm-to-fork capital, Sacramento is devoted to fresh, local, sustainable farming and food. But what happens after the “farm” reaches the “fork?” To bring

TMO By Tessa Marguerite Outland Farm-to-Fork

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the fork back to the farm and complete the natural cycle of composting, David Baker developed ReSoil Sacramento. Baker moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area and started working at Selland’s Market Cafe as a wine steward. While in the Bay Area, Baker noticed others taking restaurant food scraps and sending them back to a farm to be used as compost. Being an earth-minded individual, he decided to start a similar project in Sacramento. After a sundry of unfruitful attempts, Baker started his own program, ReSoil Sacramento, through the educational

nonprofit Green Restaurants Alliance Sacramento. ReSoil Sacramento is a community compost network that partners with local restaurants, schools and businesses to bring farm to fork back to the farm. Since its development in 2014, ReSoil has diverted an impressive 1 million pounds of food waste from landfills and returned it to Sacramento soils. California law mandates that all counties divert organic waste from landfills to reduce greenhouse gases. Food and other organic waste produce methane, which is particularly harmful

to the environment. Composting is one of the simplest and best ways to reduce the potential harm of food and organic waste. “Community composting is one way that communities can act to reduce greenhouse gases and build healthy, climate-resilient neighborhoods,” Baker says. After the food waste is collected from a restaurant or business, Baker and his team bring the compost to wherever it’s needed in the city. That could be a Midtown community garden, edible schoolyard, urban farm, private and public landscapes, or the International

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Rescue Committee garden for refugees in West Sacramento. “We’re like brokers of this material,” Baker explains. One of ReSoil’s first partnerships in Midtown and East Sac was with The Waterboy. “There’s a lot of emphasis in Sacramento on our incredible farmers and what the valley produces,” says Rick Mahan, chef and owner of The Waterboy and OneSpeed. “It is important that, as a community, we are just as concerned about giving back to the land and making sure we’re living as sustainably as possible so we can continue to enjoy the fruits.” Mahan believes it is important to be mindful of all the details involved in owning and operating a restaurant. “We carefully select our purveyors, focusing on small businesses that are responsibly run and who make quality products, whether it be tomatoes, cheese, wine or anything in-between,” Mahan says.

“We carry that mentality through our preparation of the food and our service to guests. Participating with ReSoil allows us to take that mentality full circle and responsibly deal with our waste so it can produce something new.” Another of ReSoil’s first partnerships was with Selland’s Market Cafe. Selland’s and The Waterboy “worked with us and trained their employees, and respect their waste meticulously,” Baker comments. The program now has 17 partners including Thai Basil, Sun & Soil Juice Company, Hot Italian, OneSpeed, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters, Magpie Cafe, Crocker Cafe, individuals at Midtown Farmers Market and even the Sacramento Zoo. “Animals eat healthier than people do!” Baker laughs. Through educating others, both older and younger generations, about the importance and natural simplicity of turning food scraps into compost,

RESOIL SACRAMENTO IS A COMMUNITY COMPOST NETWORK THAT PARTNERS WITH LOCAL RESTAURANTS, SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES TO BRING FARM TO FORK BACK TO THE FARM.

September 14–15 & 21–22 10am-5pm SACRAMENTO REGION’S LARGEST OPEN STUDIO TOUR

Sacramento could become a haven of healthy communities. “We really think Sacramento could be the leading regenerative city,” Baker says. ReSoil is seeking dedicated volunteers and supporters who want to help the program grow and promote a sustainable food community. Individuals can also contribute by donating food scraps at ReSoil’s free community drop off at the Midtown Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 20th and J streets. “Everybody can play a part in addressing climate change and greenhouse gasses,” Baker says. “We don’t need to wait for the city, per se. We could all get together and actively take part.” Visit grasacramento.org to learn more about ReSoil and the other programs connected to Green Restaurants Alliance Sacramento. Tessa Marguerite Outland can be reached at tessa.m.outland@gmail. com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

Loving, quality pet care in your home. Our pet services include: • Doggie Day Care • Pet Taxi • Watering house plants • Picking up mail & newspapers • Changing drapes & lights Owner Beni Feil, trusted member of the Sacramento community for over 50 years!

Call 916-451-PETS for a rate sheet or complimentary consultation. Licensed • Bonded • Additional pets and services negotiable

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LOOK FOR WAYS TO FIND THE ANSWERS TOGETHER

s a teenager, I often told my high school ROTC instructors that I aspired for a dual Air Force career—first as a flight navigator and second as a chaplain. “Strange combination,” they’d say. “Why is that?” “Simple. As a navigator, I can tell people exactly where they should go. (Pause for effect.) As a chaplain, I can direct them toward a more heavenly heading.” Unfortunately, I thoroughly bombed the Air Force pre-qualifying test for navigator. Fortunately, with a bit of grace, I graduated from seminary and became a chaplain. Still, I occasionally forget that I failed navigation. Such was a moment recently when my wife and I met a family day hiking into Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn. When our paths crossed on the lookout deck above the falls, my

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

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attention immediately went to their medium-sized labradoodle, a furball of cuteness they introduced as Chewy. Poor Chewy was towing an exhausted family of three children, a mom and a grandmother. I noticed the group posing for the obligatory waterfall picture, so I volunteered to snap the photo. Afterward I stroked Chewy while the kids took long draws from their water bottles, their mom wondering aloud what route to take back to their car. Should they return through the tree-lined creek trail or would they elect for the faster return up the sunbaked gravel road? Without being asked, I advised Chewy’s companions that the gravel road would be faster, but I preferred the cooler creek road. They were tired, and this was Chewy’s first hike, so they heard “faster.” The woman studied the road. One direction crossed a bridge, and the other headed up a steep hill and out of sight. “Which way toward the parking lot?” she asked. I pointed up the hill. Becky seconded my motion. Just before they set off, I made a promise. “If we don’t see you in the parking lot, we’ll send a search party.” They responded from the distance with soft chuckles. Ten minutes later, we were still at the lookout point when I caught the eye of a passing ranger.

I pointed up the hill, Chewy and company long out of sight. “Does that road lead to the parking lot?” I asked him. “Nope. Not at all. That’s a 9-mile hike into backcountry.” “Ruh-roh. I just sent a family with limited water on an endless hike.” My unsolicited advice was not too unlike the instructions people will sometimes impose on others concerning faith. They preach certitudes proclaiming their road is the only detour around a fiery damnation. As a chaplain who’s definitely not a navigator, I can tell you that pushing people into a particular brand of faith rarely ends well. Even if you see the convert through the baptistry waters, they’ll often backslide because it was never really their choice to begin with. The best approach in sharing your faith is to first wait until someone is truly seeking your advice. Then I suggest helping folks explore their options, not dictating your ultimatum. Look for ways to journey with them, seeking the answers together. This strategy echoes the advice of Teddy Roosevelt who said, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” When someone seeks your wisdom about faith or any other path, I suggest you consider the attitude conveyed in phrases like “May I share my experience?” “The best advice I ever received was….” “Can we explore your

questions together until we find what you are looking for?” As a chaplain, I’ve discovered there is frequently little value in the navigator approach, telling people where to go and how to get there. As for Chewy’s party of five, the ranger jumped into his pickup and drove up the hill. Ten minutes later the family came clopping back toward us. “Let’s get out of here,” my wife said. “I don’t want to have to explain my husband.” Without hesitation, I grabbed my daypack and scrambled down the path toward the car. I know good advice when I hear it. Join my wife and me on a trip to Honduras, March 8–15, 2020. We will be taking 16 readers with us to help support the Chispa Project, a nonprofit working to create school libraries and spark a passion for learning. For more information, visit chispaproject.org, or contact me at norris@thechaplain.net or (843) 608-9715. Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

Sacramento’s Most Comprehensive Restaurant Guide is now available @

THEATRE GUIDE FUDDY MEERS

Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre Thru September 8 1901 P St, Sac 925-784-6593 Claire has a rare form of psychogenic amnesia that erases her memory whenever she goes to sleep. This morning, like all mornings, she wakes up a blank slate. Her chipper husband comes in with a cup of coffee, explains her condition, hands her a book filled with all sorts of essential information, and he disappears into the shower. A limping, lisping, half-blind, half-deaf man in a ski mask, pops out from under her bed and claims to be her brother, there to save her. Every twist and turn in this funhouse plot bring Claire closer to revealing her past life and everything she thought she’d forgotten. It’s one harrowing and hilarious turn after another on this roller coaster ride through the day of an amnesiac trying to decipher her fractured life.

SKELTON CREW

Big Idea Theatre September 27 – October 26 1616 Del Paso Blvd, Sac 916-960-3036 BigIdeaTheatre.org At the start of the Great Recession, one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit is on shaky ground. Each of the workers have to make choices on how to move forward if their plant goes under. Shanita has to decide how she’ll support herself and her unborn child, Faye has to decide how and where she’ll live, and Dez has to figure out how to make his ambitious dreams a reality. Power dynamics shift as their manager Reggie is torn between doing right by his work family, and by the red tape in his office. Powerful and tense, Skeleton Crew is the third of Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit cycle trilogy.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY Capital Stage Thru September 29 2215 J St, Sac 916 995-5464 CapStage.org

InsideSacramento.com Search More than 80 Local Reviews by Neighborhood and Cuisine! As featured in...

Ex-cop and recent widower Walter “Pops” Washington and his newly paroled son Junior have spent a lifetime living between Riverside Drive and crazy. But now, the NYPD is demanding his signature to close an outstanding lawsuit, the landlord wants him out, the liquor store is closed—and the church won’t leave him alone. When the struggle to keep one of New York City’s last great rent-stabilized apartments collides with old wounds, sketchy new houseguests, and a final ultimatum, it seems that the old days may be dead and gone.

A STAND UP GUY

B Street Theatre – Mainstage September 10 – October 20 2700 Capitol Ave, Sac 916 443-5300 BStreetTheatre.org For years the B Street Theatre audiences have come to know Jack Gallagher. In his previous one man shows, Jack has covered all parts of his history and life except the one that he made his name on: his experiences as a professional stand-up comedian. In his new show, A Stand Up Guy, Jack will dive deep into his past and present. After 40 years as a professional comedian, Jack has some stories to tell…

Saturday k September 21 k 5:30 – 9:30 PM American River Ranch k 2140 Chase Drive k $75 per person

Join us for an evening at our historic American River Ranch, an urban agricultural oasis located on the American River Parkway in Rancho Cordova. Explore the farm, enjoy live music, sample seasonal and organic food prepared by prominent local chefs. Taste exceptional beverages and celebrate the harvest season under the stars. Get your tickets early, don’t miss this traditional farm-to-fork event! Tickets will not be available at the door.

Online at soilborn.org k Saturdays at the Farmstand k Call 916 363.9685

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Photo by Joan Cusick

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Award-winning Chinese artist and musician Zimei.

Zimei Concert 2019: An Elegant Musical Feast

TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

JL By Jessica Laskey

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Zimei Chinese Culture & Art Academy Saturday, Sept. 14, 6–8 p.m. The Theater at Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St. • zccaa.org This concert will feature award-winning artist and musician Zimei performing Chinese Guzheng, song, contemporary dance and Chinese ribbon dance with a live band. Tickets are $25; $15 for 12 and younger.

Living Voices High Tea Renaissance Society Tuesday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Casa Garden Restaurant, 2760 Sutterville Road • csus.edu/org/rensoc Enjoy tea and a silent auction to kick off a year of 19th Amendment centennial celebrations commemorating women’s suffrage, presented by the 19th Amendment Centennial Committee, part of Sac State’s Renaissance Society.

Sacramento Superheroes Archival Gallery Sept. 5–28 3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com This group show, celebrating comic book heroes, features work by the late Mel Ramos, LEGO artist David Truman Tracy, Robert Bowen, Carrie Cottini, GB Hettrick and Corey Okada.

“Rome,” oil on canvas by Miles Hermann, at Tim Collom Gallery.

ScholarShare Children’s Book Festival Fairytale Town Sept. 21–22, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 3901 Land Park Drive • fairytaletown.org Enjoy readings and presentations by children’s book authors and illustrators— including headliner Eric Litwin (original author of “Pete the Cat” books)—storytelling performances and hands-on literacy activities at the region’s largest free early-childhood literacy festival.

Author Eric Litwin at ScholarShare Children’s Book Festival.

Laudami Ensemble

Pueblo Dynasties: Master Potters from Matriarchs to Contemporaries Crocker Art Museum Sept. 22–Jan. 5 216 O St. • crockerart.org Featuring approximately 200 pieces by premier American Indian potters from the Southwest, this exhibition focuses on legendary matriarchs Nampeyo, Maria Martinez and Margaret Tafoya, as well as their descendants.

A Taste of Land Park Land Park Community Association Sunday, Sept. 22, 4–7 p.m. 10th Avenue between 13th and 11th streets • landpark.org This annual event is back featuring dozens of Land Park eateries, regional wineries and breweries, live music and art to raise money for LPCA. Must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets are $45 in advance; $50 at the door.

Crocker Art Museum Sunday, Sept. 8, 3 p.m. 216 O St. crockerart.org With its combination of harpsichord and baroque violin, the Laudami Ensemble (Michael Peterson and Laura Rubinstein-Salzedo) brings history to life through music with a concert of German composers and the Italians who inspired them. Tickets are $10 for museum members and students/youth; $20 for nonmembers.

Dinner in the Park: Carmichael Gourmet Dinner & Auction Carmichael Parks Foundation Saturday, Sept. 7, 5–8:30 p.m. Sutter-Jensen Community Park and Jensen Botanical Garden • carmichaelparksfoundation.org This annual fundraiser will feature appetizers, a family-style gourmet dinner catered by Bella Bru Cafe and blues-and-rock band Wasted Space. Find parking and shuttles at Carmichael Elementary School on Sutter Avenue. Proceeds benefit youth scholarships and park beautification. Tickets are $125.

Sac Open Studios Verge Center for the Arts Sept. 14–15 and Sept. 21–22 Various locations • vergeart.org The region’s oldest, largest and most prestigious artist studio tour returns with more than 250 participating artists. The 2019 tour is dedicated to Burnett Miller in recognition of his decades-long support of contemporary art in the Sacramento region.

American Indian pottery at Crocker Art Museum’s Pueblo Dynasties.

West Coast Jam with jazz musician Peter White.

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Fresh fruit and beverages at A Taste of Land Park.

West Coast Jam TunesWork Saturday, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. The Hanger at McClellan Park, 5411 Luce Ave. • tuneswork.org Part of HuskyShows’ Summer Jazz Series, this concert features contemporary jazz stars Peter White, Richard Elliot and DW3 to raise money for TunesWork, which provides customized therapeutic music for those with Alzheimer’s and others throughout Sacramento.

Laura Rubinstein-Salzedo of Laudami Ensemble at Crocker Art Museum.

Ian Harvey’s mixed media on mulberry paper at JAYJAY Gallery.

31st Annual Wines of Clarksburg Friends of the Clarksburg Library Sunday, Sept. 15, 1–4 p.m. Heringer Estates, 37375 Netherlands Road, Clarksburg • clarksburglibraryfriends.org Enjoy an elegant afternoon of gourmet food samplings, local wines, live music, gift basket auction and fine art auction. Proceeds benefit the Clarksburg Library—the only community-owned public library in California. Must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets are $50 in advance; $65 at the door.

Hermann/Collom: 20/20 Tim Collom Gallery Sept. 10–Oct. 3 915 20th St. • timcollomgallery.com This exhibition brings together new works by Sacramento artists Miles Hermann and Tim Collom, friends and colleagues who know and experience Sacramento in their own unique ways. The show features 20 paintings each, from figurative to landscape, including pieces on which they have collaborated.

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Where Hallucinations are Important Questions: New Work by Ian Harvey JAYJAY Gallery Sept. 12–Oct. 26 5524 B Elvas Ave. • jayjayart.com Ian Harvey’s large-scale paintings and drawings are a shot of adrenaline that stimulate the eyes, mind and body as the viewer is transported into worlds where there is no room for hopeless emptiness.

River City Toy Train Show Sacramento Valley Division of the Toy Train Operating Society Saturday, Sept. 28, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H St. • ttos-sv.org Check out toy train accessories, parts and supplies, plus operating train layouts and demonstrations, door prizes, refreshments and more. Tickets are $5; $9 for families; kids 12 and younger free with an adult.

19th Amendment centennial celebration commemorating women’s suffrage.

“Black Cat” by Mel Ramos at Archival Gallery.

Groundbreakers Q&A: UC Davis Chancellor Gary May California Groundbreakers Monday, Sept. 9, 6:30–8 p.m. Antiquité, 2114 P St. • californiagroundbreakers.org Listen in as Chancellor Gary May talks about his life and career as an engineer and innovator, his vision and goals for UC Davis and the Sacramento region, and his take on the state of higher education today. Appetizers will be offered with drinks available for purchase. Tickets are $10.

Historic Home Tour: Woodlake Preservation Sacramento Sunday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Corner of Woodlake Drive and Forrest Street • preservationsacramento.org The first-ever home tour of the Woodlake neighborhood offers a self-guided look at the area’s charming Tudor Revival homes and gardens. Following the tour enjoy a street fair with representatives from nonprofit organizations. Tickets are $30 in advance; $35 on day of the event. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Planning Your Winter Harvest The following cool-season vegetables should be planted mid-September to early October:

CABBAGES Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower

ONION FAMILY Garlic Leeks Onions

Garden of the Gods COOL-SEASON VEGETABLES NEED A HEAD START

t’s still summer, but it’s time to plant winter (cool-season) vegetables. If you get them in the ground while the days are still relatively long, you can harvest this winter. If you wait too long, peas will pause and broccoli will balk. Dormancy sets in when there are less than 10 hours of daylight. You need to give winter crops a head start before plant growth slows down or stops altogether. Ancient Greeks had a myth to explain this. Demeter was the goddess of fertility and harvest. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by smitten Hades, god of the underworld. Until that time, endless summers produced bountiful crops. Demeter was overcome by grief. Without her benevolent attentions, winter descended on the land. Nothing would grow and a famine caused great suffering. Demeter’s brother Zeus finally intervened with Hades, who agreed to release

AC By Anita Clevenger Garden Jabber

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Persephone as long as she had eaten nothing during her captivity. Alas, she had eaten a few pomegranate seeds. The gods made a deal. Persephone would return to Hades for several months every year, and then come back to earth. During her absence, Demeter grieved and the earth turned cold and dark. When Persephone returned, Demeter rejoiced and plants began to grow again. Garden writer Eliot Coleman calls the short days of winter “Persephone Days.” He recommends early planting to ensure that plants are at least 75-percent mature before days shorten to less than 10 hours. In Sacramento, shorter days begin Nov. 19. While greens will grow slowly throughout our mild winters, many other cool-season vegetables require 60 to 90 days to mature and should be planted no later than mid-September to early October. So this is a good time to plant cool-season crops. Even in a greenhouse, plant growth will slow unless you provide supplemental light. On Jan. 23, when days are once again 10 hours long, plants will return to active growth. I’m from Ohio where nobody has an outside winter garden because it’s too frigid. My attempts at Sacramento winter vegetable gardening have had mixed success, which I attribute to the

weather. I learned about “Persephone Days” in a Napa County Master Gardener blog last year, and realized that the winter gardens I planted earlier always did better no matter what the temperatures or rainfall. Winter annual flowers, such as violas and stock, also bloom better throughout the winter if you get them in the ground while the days are longer. This is also the best time of year to plant trees, woody ornamentals, hardy perennials, seeds and bulbs for springblooming plants. In our mild climate, roots continue to grow underground even if top growth is dormant. Persephone will soon return to the underworld. Sacramento isn’t as hot as Hades, and our winters are fairly mild. We can harvest from our winter gardens, pick citrus off our trees, enjoy green grass and flowers, and eat as many pomegranate seeds as we like. The next Open Garden, which will include information on preparing a winter vegetable garden, will be Saturday, Sept. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Fair Oaks. Anita Clevenger is a platinum Sacramento County Master Gardener. For a vegetable planting calendar and answers to gardening questions, visit

HERBS Coriander Parsley

LEGUMES Fava Beans Peas

GREENS Arugula Swiss Chard rrd d Collards Endive Kale Lettuce Mustard Spinach

RROOT OOTT VEGETABLES Beets Carrots Potatoes Radishes Turnips

sacmg.ucanr.edu. Contact the UC Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338 or mgsacramento@ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

FINGERLING POTATOES

BLUE LAKE BEAN

This small, waxy potato gets its name from its long, narrow shape, which makes it look like a finger. It comes in a variety of colors and maintains its shape when cooked.

This popular bean, also known as a snap or string bean, is considered the gold standard of green beans. Mild and versatile, it has a darkgreen, cylindrical, stringless, firm, plump pod. To eat: Use for quick pickling or canning.

To eat: Slice in half vertically, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a hot oven.

APPLE

PARSNIP

Nearby Apple Hill supplies the apples in our local farmers markets. They come in numerous varieties: Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith and more. This popular autumn fruit can be used in a variety of ways, from salads to desserts. To eat: Bake in a pie with a lattice crust or crumb topping.

Monthly Market A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN SEPTEMBER

This root vegetable looks like a top-heavy white carrot. It develops a rich, nutty flavor after cooking. Don’t try to eat it raw—it’s practically inedible. To eat: Add to soups and stews.

CELERY ROOT BEET

This root vegetable comes in a rainbow of colors: red, gold, pink, white, even striped. It has a very high sugar content and is a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Its greens are edible, too: Prepare them similar to spinach or chard.

Despite its name, this vegetable is not related to celery. A dense, fleshy white root vegetable, it is a flavorful source of vitamin C. It’s also known as celeriac. To eat: Use in salads and slaws.

To eat: Roast and serve in a salad with arugula, goat cheese and chopped walnuts.

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Seeing is Believing SCIENTIST’S 3-D ARTWORK IS INSPIRED BY MATH, CHEMISTRY AND COLOR

Henry Parada

DB By Daniel Barnes Open Studio

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espite our ability to perceive three-dimensional depth, the human eye only shows us two dimensions. However, for Henry Parada, a retired chemical scientist turned optical artist, seeing in three dimensions is second nature. When he was studying chemistry, he had to “think in 3-D all the time,” says Parada, who works out of a basement studio in his West Sacramento home. “You need to think how the atoms and molecules are moving in order to react. For me, it’s very easy to think in 3-D.” Parada’s unique ability to imagine in three dimensions gets reflected in his stunning paintings. He favors bold, contrasting colors and shapes, using optical illusions, tactile materials and unusual textures to give the impression of movement and depth. Indeed, Parada produces the kind of meticulous, detail-oriented, geometry-obsessed work that could only come from a scientist. His work is inspired by geometry, color relationships, mathematical systems and chemistry. Although Parada moved to West Sacramento eight years ago, his artistic journey began in Venezuela. Born in Maracaibo in 1951, he started painting when his boss recommended the new hire find a hobby to release stress. “I was working in the biggest and most important place for research in Venezuela,” Parada says. “When you are working in research, you can often have no results,” which leads to depression. “For that reason, the majority of scientists have another activity.” Over the last 45 years, Parada painstakingly filled the houses of family and friends with his eyecatching art. Mostly self-taught, he has built up an impressive body of work, although it often takes him several months to finish a single piece. “I’ve always been surrounded by his pieces,” says Mai Townsend, Parada’s daughter. “He has always been very prolific.” A longtime art lover, Parada found inspiration in the kinetic and innovative art of fellow Venezuelans Jesús Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-

Diez. He also revered the work of Victor Vasarely, “grandfather” of the optical art movement. Eventually, Parada’s artwork started to appear in group exhibitions, and he won several painting and photography prizes in Venezuela. Unfortunately, the political situation in Venezuela has changed drastically in the last couple of decades. Townsend had already immigrated to America at the age of 21, and she moved her father and other family members over in 2003. For a while, Parada kept working in chemistry, but he retired 10 years ago to focus on his art full time. In America, Parada gained access to

advanced technology unavailable in Venezuela. “At the beginning, I didn’t have the right tools, and I tried to get three-dimensional with only optical illusions,” he says. “I have moved to new technology to get a real threedimensional effect. I am trying to do something more solid.” His most recent artwork features immaculately sized pieces of carbon fiber, which Parada binds to the canvas to enhance the threedimensional effect. Instead of glue, he adheres the pieces by employing a gel generally used for mixing paints. “He uses his chemist’s knowledge to maximize the effect on how to bond

them together, and not to have as many issues with the wood and the paint,” Townsend says. “I think he is always evolving, trying to get more studies, trying to figure out what materials work best to create the full 3-D effect.” Always concerned with quality control, Parada even makes his own canvases. “I make everything except for the carbon fiber,” he says. “I try to do everything perfect.” Parada begins his artistic process by creating smaller works that he calls “prototypes,” then scales up for the final product. “When I have an idea, I try to start with small pieces because I don’t want to spend my time on something that will not work,” he says. “Later, when I have everything nice, I do big work.” He usually gives away the smaller versions as gifts.

Since moving to West Sacramento, Parada’s art has been displayed in a handful of exhibitions and events. He received a show at Gallery 1075 in West Sacramento in 2017, and contributed pieces to the Verge Center of the Arts annual auction. Parada also participated in the “Red Umbrellas” open-air art exhibit in San Francisco. “It’s my life,” he says. “I try to do the best.” View Henry Parada’s artwork at henryparada.net. Daniel Barnes can be reached at danielebarnes@hotmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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Seeing Double 2 LOCAL HOT SPOTS OFFER DIFFERENT TAKES ON PIZZA

izza, to use a modern phrase, is trending. Wood-fired, gas-oven, deep-dish, Neapolitan, thin-crust, Sicilian, New York. Think of a pizza style, from Connecticut to California, and you’ll find a sample of it at a Sacramento restaurant.

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

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Marvin Maldonado, local restaurateur, has two different pizza spots focusing on two completely different styles. Federalist Public House features Neapolitan thin-crust pizza fired in the Federalist’s potent wood oven. His new East Sacramento outlet, The Neighborhood Pizzeria, features a style with a plethora of regional names. Some call it “Detroit-style,” others call it “Sicilian.” You’ll even hear it referred to as “Grandma” pizza every now and then. This Motor City/Mediterranean/ maternal treat features deep, focaccialike crust topped with cheese, then

sauce and then a wide array of ingredients. Most notable might be that this style is cooked in rectangular pans and served by the square. These two pizza styles, the Neapolitan at Federalist and the Grandma pie at Neighborhood couldn’t be more different. The same can also be said for the restaurants’ atmospheres. Opened in April, The Neighborhood Pizzeria sits snugly and casually on H Street, looking more like a residence than a neighborhood pizza spot. The homey exterior belies a modern, minimal interior and a delightfully inviting patio. It’s an order-at-the-

counter place where your table number might be written on a vintage baseball card. This and other cheeky elements give the place that touch of fun that tells you the minimalist space is more blank canvas than serious artistic expression. While the pizzeria features the Detroit/Sicilian-style square pies, you’ll also find round pies offered with a modified, but still satisfyingly puffy and gorgeously crispy crust. The standard Detroit/Sicilian pizza, as mentioned above, has a crust influenced by the best Italian focaccia. The flavor, chew and fluffiness of the crust makes these

pies stand out. And the doughy beauty is only heightened by the cheesy, crispy exterior. The “Abuelita” (Spanish for grandmother) is a square slice with just the basics: mozzarella, oregano, tomato sauce, basil and parmesan. The “Fresh Prince” (a sly reference to Prince Street Pizza, a New York pizzeria that specializes in the Sicilian style) goes for the simple American combo of pepperoni and cheese. At $4 and $5 a slice, respectively, they are a filling treat for a solid price. Being in the pizza and beer business has its perks, Maldonado told me. One of those perks is getting to go on research trips to places like Italy and New York. While on a recent trip he and his wife fell in love with the beers coming out of Brooklyn Brewery. Their flagship Brooklyn Lager is a staple at bars and restaurants up and down the Eastern Seaboard, but doesn’t make it out to California much. Fortunately for Maldonado, a western push in distribution for Brooklyn Brewery lined up with the opening of his new restaurant. So now Brooklyn Brewery beers are, for lack of a better description, the official beers of the neighborhood pizzeria. You’ll find several on tap at any time, and plenty of bottles and cans to go. Federalist Public House is one of the more innovative spaces in town. Maldonado’s background in architecture came into play to create a space that utilizes a series of shipping containers as its frame. It works as an indoor/outdoor space built for the long Sacramento summers and briefer winters. The restaurant focuses on craft beer, wood-fired pizza and bocce ball. The faux grass bocce court attached to the informal dining room acts as a magnet for casual and competitive bocce players.

The beer lineup features a tap list of mostly local brews with a heavy consideration for the season and the number on the thermometer. The pizza oven steals the show, however, putting out thin-crust Neapolitan pies that range from traditional to inventive. On the traditional end, the “Formaggio” hits the spot with a simple combination of crushed tomato, cheese, oregano and olive oil. The tender, fire-kissed crust pulls just enough when offering that first bite. Its flavor shows smart decisions in dough making and flour sourcing. On the innovative side, the “Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy” features ingredients more frequently found in a Cubano sandwich: roast pork, ham and pickles. The clever pizza doesn’t pull punches with a heavy dusting of fresh dill and “Cubano sauce.” The unapologetic flavors really sing. You might not pick this one off the menu at first glance, but it’s definitely worth a second look. Whether you’re a fan of a big slice or small slice, deep dish or thin crust, red sauce or white sauce, you’ll find pizza to your liking at these two pizzerias. If variety be the spice of life, eat on!

Marvin Maldonado

The Neighborhood Pizzeria is at 5401 H St.; (916) 706-2561; theneighborhoodpizzeria.com. Federalist Public House is at 2009 Matsui Alley (20th and N); (916) 6616134; federalistpublichouse.com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Our Inside Sacramento Restaurant Guide and previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

THINK OF A PIZZA STYLE, FROM CONNECTICUT TO CALIFORNIA, AND YOU’LL FIND A SAMPLE OF IT AT A SACRAMENTO RESTAURANT.

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Mark Vangere and Linda Infante

Ballroom Glitz EAST SACRAMENTO DANCE HALL LIVES ON

DB By Daniel Barnes Meet Your Neighbor

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hen you step inside The Ballroom of Sacramento, you have stepped into a bygone era. The spacious ballroom floor is roughly the size and color of a basketball court. Throughout the mirror-walled dance floor, strings of tiny lights snake up 20 feet of support beams. Fred Astaire wearing a top hat and tails would feel right at home. Imagine what The Ballroom looked like two decades ago, back before social

media replaced most other forms of social engagement. “In the old days, when we were basically the only ballroom other than Arthur Murray, there were a lot of people dancing,” says Linda Infante, owner of The Ballroom. “We’d have 400 people here on the weekends for dances.” These days, The Ballroom is half as big as when it opened in 1996 on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento. “It started out with seven owners,

and little by little, they either died or wanted out,” says Infante, who took over ownership in January 2009. However, The Ballroom shimmies on, still holding dance parties on the weekends, as well as group classes and private lessons all week. Although The Ballroom still offers ballroom dancing lessons, those classes have significantly lower attendance compared to “social dance” classes like salsa and West Coast swing. Infante blames the high costs of competitive ballroom dancing, as well as disinterest among the younger generation. “Sacramento is very much a social dance town,” she says. “It used to be that a lot of people competed. But a lot of those people have gotten older and quit, and the new people just don’t want to do it.” A Washington native, Infante moved to Sacramento from Fresno following a divorce. She started attending country dances in Sacramento, and became a DJ in 1986, working national dance contests around the country, moving from country dance to West Coast swing to ballroom. After a decade on the road, she got tired of living out of a suitcase and started working at The Ballroom in 1997. Infante gave up dancing long ago because of bad knees and feet, but she still DJs once a week at The Ballroom. She also serves as the in-house plumber, electrician and air-conditioning repairwoman. “All these things you have to learn to do because there’s nobody else,” she says, stressing that owning The Ballroom is a 24/7 job. “I’m always here. Even when I’m not here, I’m here.” Keeping a place for people to dance inspires Infante to keep doing the work. “All the time, people say, ‘Thank goodness for The Ballroom,’” she says. Customers feel comfortable coming to The Ballroom because no alcohol is served, while Infante and

the instructors foster a friendly and energetic atmosphere. “We’ve had so many people meet here, get married, lots of hookups over the years. It’s like one big family.” The demographics in classes at The Ballroom skew older, in part because of the physical benefits of dance. “There’s a lot of older people that come just because it gives them exercise, and it keeps your mind sharp,” Infante says. No one understands the therapeutic benefits of dance better than Mark Vangere, a dance instructor at The Ballroom who Infante calls a “medical miracle.” In 1998, Bay Area native Vangere started having progressive seizures. Two years later, he had brain surgery, but the procedure left him paralyzed. Months of grueling physical therapy helped Vangere learn to walk again. Then he was diagnosed with RelapsingRemitting Multiple Sclerosis less than one year later. Vangere still kept dancing, even visiting The Ballroom the night before his 2008 heart bypass surgery. More than a decade later, Vangere teaches individual and group classes all week at The Ballroom. He gives a lot of credit for his recovery to the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of

dancing. “It allows me to express myself, to calm myself. It takes a lot of focus and concentration,” he says. “I really enjoy the way it allows me to work on my posture, my balance and my strength.” For her part, Infante looks forward to next year when she will celebrate her 70th birthday at The Ballroom. “I will have celebrated my 50th, my 60th and my 70th birthdays here,” she says. Despite the long hours, Infante plans to keep The Ballroom operating for the foreseeable future. “I’m not a sit-at-home-type person, so I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon,” she says. “I just hope the people keep coming so we can keep the place open.” Browse upcoming classes at The Ballroom at theballroomofsacramento. com. Daniel Barnes can be reached at danielebarnes@hotmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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DOWNTOWN Cafeteria 15L Classic American dishes with millennial ﬂavor 1116 15th Street • 916.492.1960 cafeteria15l.com

Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters Award-winning roasters 3rd and Q Sts. • chocolateﬁshcoffee.com

de Vere’s Irish Pub A lively and authentic Irish family pub 1521 L Street • 916.231.9947 deverespub.com

Mayahuel Mexican cuisine with a wide-ranging tequila menu 1200 K Street • 916.441.7200 experiencemayahuel.com

Old Soul Artisan pastries and roasted coffee 555 Capitol Mall • oldsoulco.com

Preservation & Company Preserving delicious produce from local farms 1717 19th Street #B • 916.706.1044 preservationandco.com

INSIDE’S

Downtown & Vine

Taste and compare the region’s best wines 1200 K Street, #8 • 916.228.4518 downtownandvine.com

Ella Dining Room & Bar New American farm-to-fork cuisine 1131 K Street • 916.443.3772 elladiningroomandbar.com

Esquire Grill Classic dishes in a sleek urban design setting 1213 K Street • 916.448.8900 paragarys.com

Firestone Public House Hip and happy sports bar with great food 1132 16th Street • 916.446.0888 ﬁrestonepublichouse.com

Frank Fat’s Fine Chinese dining in an elegant interior 806 L Street • 916.442.7092 frankfats.com

Grange Restaurant & Bar The city’s quintessential dining destination 926 J St. • 916.492.4450 grangesacramento.com

Hot Italian

Solomon’s Delicatessen Opening summer of 2018 730 K Street • Solomonsdelicatessen.com

South Timeless traditions of Southern cooking 2005 11th Street • 916.382.9722 weheartfriedchicken.com

OLD SAC Fat City Bar & Cafe American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location 1001 Front Street • 916.446.6768 fatsrestaurants.com

The Firehouse Restaurant The premiere dining destination in historic setting 1112 2nd Street • 916.442.4772 ﬁrehouseoldsac.com

Rio City Café California-inspired menu on the riverfront 1110 Front Street • 916.442.8226 riocitycafe.com

Willie’s Burgers A quirky burger joint 110 K Street • 916.444.2006 williesburgers.com

Remarkable pizza in modern Italian setting 1627 16th Street • 916.492.4450 hotitalian.net

THE HANDLE

La Consecha by Mayahuel

Unmatched sweet sophistication 1801 L Street, #60 • 916.706.1738 gingerelizabeth.com

Casual Mexican in a lovely park setting 917 9th Street • 916.970.5354 lacosechasacramento.com

Ma Jong Asian Diner A colorful & casual spot for all food Asian 1431 L Street • 916.442.7555 majongs.com

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan Farm-fresh New American cuisine 1215 19th Street • 916.441.6022 mulvaneysbl.com

FREE Initial

Living Trust Consultation

Mark J. Lamb Call (916) 485-2593 Wills•Trusts•Probate & Special Needs Trusts

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The Waterboy

Artisan pastries and roasted coffee 1716 L Street (rear alley) • oldsoulco.com

Classic European with locally sourced ingredients 2000 Capitol Ave. • 916.498.9891 waterboyrestaurant.com

The Rind A cheese-centric food and wine bar 1801 L Street # 40 • 916.441.7463 therindsacramento.com

Zocolo Tastes inspired by the town square of Mexico City 1801 Capitol Avenue • 916.441.0303 zocalosacramento.com

MIDTOWN

LAND PARK Casa Garden Restaurant Outstanding dining in a garden setting 2760 Sutterville Rd. • 916.452.2809 casagardenrestaurant.org

Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters Open Summer 2018 • 2940 Freeport Blvd. chocolateﬁshcoffee.com

Biba Ristorante Italiano

Freeport Bakery

Legendary chef, cookbook author Biba Caggiano 2801 Capitol Avenue • 916.455.2422 biba-restaurant.com

Award-winning neighborhood bakery 2966 Freeport Blvd. • 916.442.4256 freeportbakery.com

Block Butcher Bar

Iron Grill

Specializing in housemade salumi and cocktails 1050 20th Street • 916.476.6306 blockbutcherbar.com

A mecca to hearty eating 2422 13th Street • 916.737.5115 irongrillsacramento.com

Centro Cocina Mexicana

Riverside Clubhouse

Mexican cuisine in a festive, colorful setting 2730 J Street • 916.442.2552 paragarys.com

Traditional Amercian classic menu 2633 Riverside Blvd. • 916.448.9988 riversideclubhouse.com

Federalist Public House

Selland’s Market-Café

Signature woodﬁred pizzas and local craft beers 2009 Matsui Alley • 916.661.6134 federalistpublichouse.com

Family-friendly neighborhood café 915 Broadway • 916. 732.3390 sellands.com

Lowbrau Bierhalle

Taylor’s Market & Kitchen

Modern-rustic German beer hall 1050 20th Street • 916.452.7594 lowbrausacramento.com

A reputation for service & quality 2900 & 2924 Freeport Blvd • 916.443.5154 taylorsmarket.com

Old Soul at The Weatherstone

Vic’s Ice Cream & Café

Artisan pastries and roasted coffee 812 21st Street • oldsoulco.com

Family owned since 1947 3199 Riverside Blvd. • 916.448.0892 vicsicecream.com

Paragary’s French inspired bistro in chic new environment 1401 28th Street • 916.457.5737 • paragarys.com

The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar A focus on all things local 2718 J Street • 916.706.2275 • theredrabbit.net

Revolution Wines

Willie’s Burgers A quirky burger joint 2415 16th Street • 916.444.2006 williesburgers.com

Woodlake Tavern 1431 Del Paso Blvd • 916.514.0405 woodlaketavern.com n

Urban winery and kitchen 2831 S Street • 916.444.7711 • rev.wine

Sac Natural Foods Co-Op Omnivore, vegan, raw, paleo, organic, glutenfree and carnivore sustenance 2820 R Street • 916.455.2667 • sac.coop

Have you properly planned for your next great adventure?

Attorney at Law

Old Soul

2725 Riverside Blvd., Ste. 800

Lambtrust.com

Sun & Soil Juice Company Raw, organic nutrition from local farms 1912 P Street • 916.341.0327 • sunandsoiljuice.com

Suzie Burger

IRON GRILL 2422 13th/Broadway Banquet Room available: capacity 90

Burgers, cheesesteaks and other delights 2820 P Street • 916.455.3500 • suzieburger.com

Tapa the World Traditional Spanish & world cuisine 2115 J Street • 916.442.4353 tapatheworld.com

Temple Coffee Roasters 2200 K Street • 2829 S Street 1010 9th Street • templecoffee.com

Contact Sylvia 916-737-5115 irongrillsac.com

Stand-Up Guy FORMER SACRAMENTAN MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN COMEDY Grant Lyon

JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

comedy club owner once told Grant Lyon that to get booked, he needed three things: to be very funny, to be easy to work with and to be able to sell tickets. “I can’t sell tickets yet,” Lyon says, “but two out of three is still pretty good.” “Pretty good” is an understatement of Lyon’s comedy career. Since he started dabbling in stand-up in college at UC Santa Cruz, he’s made a steady rise in the industry, which includes being named a New Faces of Comedy at the Just For Laughs Festival, winning the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and making it to the finals in the Big Sky Festival. The 35-year-old was also recently featured in the second season of the Comedy Central show “Corporate” and he stars in the upcoming feature film “Killer Kate!” Not bad for a guy who started doing stand-up on a whim. “I’ve always liked making people laugh,” says Lyon, who attended Sacramento Country Day School for his last two years of high school before pursuing collegiate soccer at UCSC. “I

didn’t think I could be a comedian—I didn’t know it was an option. My family has a good sense of humor, but it’s not like my parents had old George Carlin and Steve Martin comedy albums sitting around.” In Lyon’s freshman year of college, his roommate made him listen to an album by the late comedian Mitch Hedberg, who was known for his surreal humor and unconventional, often deadpan, delivery of one-liners. Lyon was hooked. He reports that he burned a copy of the album and listened to it as he walked around campus, committing the material to memory. When he started telling Hedberg’s jokes to friends, Lyon was surprised at the reaction. “The start of my sophomore year, our soccer team did its pre-season in Costa Rica,” Lyon says. “The last night there, people started getting up and telling knock-knock jokes on the tour bus mic and someone said, ‘Grant, do some Mitch Hedberg.’ I did probably 30 minutes and it felt great. Even then, I didn’t think, ‘I’m funny’—I was just delivering this other guy’s jokes. But then my soccer coach said he wanted to

see me write some original material, so I did. I started going to open mics around campus, and in January 2005 I decided to commit to comedy.” Soon, Lyon was performing around the Bay Area, making a name for himself with his mix of “intellectual but silly” personal and social commentary at festivals like the Great American Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival and Bridgetown Comedy Festival. The Los Angeles native eventually decided that a return to his hometown would yield even more opportunities—and he was right. In the eight years since he’s been back in LA, Lyon has performed on the TV show “Comics Unleashed” and appeared in a number of national commercials for AT&T, Johnsonville Sausage, Cicis pizza and more. He wrote and starred in a short film, and his sketch videos have been featured online for Funny or Die, MSN and Huffington Post. “Because we live in a day and age with so many media outlets, the idea of getting one big break doesn’t exist anymore,” says Lyon, who regularly

returns to Sacramento to headline at Punch Line Comedy Club (his mom still lives in Rosemont). “Everybody in the entertainment business has to think of themselves as content creators. You have to do a lot of things to make a living. Standup can’t be the only thing I create, so I do sketch videos, podcasts. I’m writing a book. I designed a board game prototype. You can never rest on your accomplishments.” But you still have to acknowledge when hard work pays off. “I try to take moments to celebrate the small victories,” Lyon says. “It’s easy not to—intelligent, hardworking people expect a lot of themselves. But I’m trying to do a better job of taking the time to say, ‘This is really cool.’” Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

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