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LAKE GREENHAVEN Beautiful brick exterior just hints of things to come. Step in and immediately enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Greenhaven thru the wall of windows in the living room. The spacious kitchen adjoins the pretty family room with contemporary ¿replace. The master suite features a wonderful desk area overlooking the lake. Pool! $895,000 PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715

MAGNIGICENT LOS LAGOS ESTATE Spectacular home and yard! Unsurpassed attention to detail. Yard features cascading pool, spa, outdoor kitchen and ¿replace, just breathtaking. Lime stone hardscape, tiered decks and dual curved staircases. 2 master suites, maid’s quarter with separate entrance, game/pool table room, huge family room, coffered ceilings, bar,wine storage, 5-car garage! $1,649,000 MONA GERGEN 916247-9555

sold

SOUTH LAND PARK CONDO Wow! What an opportunity! Move-in ready end-unit condo is everything you have been looking for. You’ll love the open Àoor plan with vaulted ceilings and ¿replace. The remodeled kitchen features newer cabinets, granite counters and stainless appliances. Sit outside on your private, enclosed patio. Located in a small, gated community! $139,000 KELLIE SWAYNE 916-206-1458

pending

CHURCHILL DOWNS HOME Charming Tri-level home is nestled near the end of a cul-de-sac. Fantastic kitchen overlooking a cozy family room. One bedroom and full bath downstairs. Spacious master bedroom retreat with walk-in closet and a great sitting room. Beautiful laminate Àooring throughout. Low maintenance backyard with built-in pool and solar panels! $468,950 SYLVIA MORENO 916-996-4760

pending

LAGUNA NORTH ELK GROVE Wonderful single story 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 3-car garage. Formal dining room and formal living room. Great room concept for kitchen and family room with a ¿replace and bar. Great layout for families and entertaining. New carpet and new paint. Master shower is huge with two shower heads and a bench. Front yard courtyard area as well. $378,000 LISA McCAULEY 916-601-5474

sold

SPECTACULAR GREEENHAVEN Quality Lee Basford built home close to the Sacramento River. 3 bedroom 2½ bath with tile roof in 2016, newer paint, re¿nished hardwood Àoors and updated kitchen! Beautiful pool and yard. Newer front and backyard landscaping/hardscape and fence. Charming outbuilding bar. Heat/air updated. Immaculate! Wow! $515,000 MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555

for current home listings, please visit:

DUNNIGANREALTORS.COM 916.484.2030 916.454.5753 Dunnigan is a different kind of Realtor.

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MARINA COVE AT RIVERLAKE Elegant and sophisticated best describes this home located in the prestigious gated Riverlake Community. Bountiful and beautiful moldings throughout, thermostat controlled ¿replaces, spacious downstairs master suite and upstairs media room are just a few of the wonderful features of this home. Pretty kitchen and soaring ceilings! $875,000 PAULA SWAYNE 916-425-9715

sold

PARK PLACE SOUTH HALFPLEX Sparkling, well maintained single story 2 bedroom 2 bath home. Granite kitchen counter tops, backsplash, and scratch resistant sink! New tile entry, newer central heat & air, inside laundry room. Bonus hobby/of¿ce room. Slip into backyard paradise with pebble tech pool and two soothing waterfalls! HOA covers the roof, exterior paint, front yard! $330,000 CONNIE LANDSBERG 916-761-0411

sold

SOUTH LAND PARK HILLS Wonderfully maintained 4 bedroom 2½ bath single story home in the hills of South Land Park. Conveniently located within an easy walk of Alice Birney School. Dual paned windows, hard wood Àoors, living room ¿replace and whole house fan! A spacious 1781 sf with inside laundry, covered patio and easy care yard. $470,000 MONA GEREGEN 916-247-9555

What is your Real Estate story? Everyone has one. Move-up Buyer? Downsizing? Investment Property? Transitioning into Senior Living? I can help you with your next chapter! With 25+ years in real estate, I offer a comprehensive experience to my clients and I go even further than what you would expect from your Realtor. Reach out to me to write your Real Estate story today.

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EAST SACRAMENTO McKINLEY PARK RIVER PARK ELMHURST TAHOE PARK CAMPUS COMMONS

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

COVER ARTIST Tim Mulligan Tim Mulligan’s paintings will be shown in a solo exhibition during the month of April at the Eliott Fouts Gallery at 1831 P St. Visit timothymulliganﬁneart.com and efgallery.com.

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

info@insidepublications.com EDITOR Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com PRODUCTION M.J. McFarland DESIGN Cindy Fuller PHOTOGRAPHY Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel AD COORDINATOR Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster DISTRIBUTION Sue Pane sue@insidepublications.com ACCOUNTING Daniel Nardinelli, Lauren Hastings

916-443-5087 EDITORIAL POLICY Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 75,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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MARCH 18 VOL. 5 • ISSUE 2 7 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 30 32 34 38 42 44

Publisher's Desk Pocket Life Inside City Hall Pocket Beat Building Our Future Giving Back Sports Authority Shoptalk Garden Jabber Home Insight Getting There Inside Downtown Spirit Matters To Do Artist Spotlight Restaurant Insider

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Construction Is Underway The City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities and its construction contractors are working on water meters, water mains, and water service lines in the area. Visit www.MetersMatter.org to learn more about the project and to ﬁnd out what may be happening in and around your neighborhood. This work may result in: • Traﬃc delays • Sidewalk closures • Construction-related dust and noise This work addresses the State’s mandate for water meters to be installed on all water services. Thank you for your cooperation on this very important project. Contact us for more information: www.MetersMatter.org Meter Information Line: 916-808-5870

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Face the

FACTS

THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR MONGERING ITSELF

e all have fears, and as we mature we learn to live with most of them. But we now have a

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

media that thrives on fear mongering. It’s part of the great polarization of our society and has contributed greatly to it. People trying to make a case for their side do their best to raise fears about what the other side is proposing. In the past year, this has risen to proportions that would be almost comical if it weren’t so harmful and sad for our country. In our community, one of people’s biggest fears is that of encountering

others who are homeless, drug- and alcohol-addicted and mentally ill. The problem affects almost every aspect of our civic life: public health and safety, economic development, even the garbage that this group of people generates. I live in the McKinley Park neighborhood and help run a nonprofit that manages Clunie Community Center and McKinley Rose Garden. On a daily basis, we

encounter problems with homeless people in McKinley Park facilities. As avid cyclists and walkers, my husband and I were excited about the city’s recent announcement of the Two Rivers Trail. The project, now in its second phase, will extend from Sutter’s Landing Park to the H Street Bridge, alongside the River Park neighborhood. The trail project was

TO page 8

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FROM page 7 planned and approved as part of the county’s parkway master plan in 2006 after extensive community outreach. It joins the 23 miles of parkway trail already in existence. The trail will provide a safe, off-street bicycle-and-walking link between Sac State, River Park and Midtown. The ADA-compliant trail will be built on the river side of the levee. Wherever possible, the trail is designed to avoid natural areas and the top of the levee, in order not to interfere with critical levee maintenance. City Councilmember Jeff Harris, who lives in River Park, believes that this project will provide significant benefits for the broader community. But a small opposition group recently formed to stop the trail from being built. The group generated a petition signed by about 200 folks who also oppose the project. “Unfortunately, the information they used to get the signatures was based on a flyer that made

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fear-producing statements not based on fact,” said Harris. As a councilmember, he carefully considers opposition and works to keep an open mind, even on a project he sees as beneficial. The group claims that the trail will increase car, cycle and foot traffic, which in turn will increase crime and lower quality of life in the neighborhood. It also compared photos of a pristine American River scene with a homeless camp along the river near Downtown, implying that the trail will attract homeless people and their camps to River Park. The group invited people to join a private Facebook page to help oppose the project. (Only opponents of the trail are allowed to see the content.) Harris recently met with the group and included city officials to address each of its claims. He noted that the group then seemed to shift its objection; some said they simply did not want the existing dirt trail to change. “I can actually understand some folks just wanting to maintain

the status quo. It is not unreasonable at all,” said Harris. When neighbors who support the project found out about the petition to oppose it, they started their own protrail petition. It attracted hundreds of signatures in just a few days. The project goes before the City Council in a few months for approval. Harris said the council will weigh the costs and benefits and make a decision based upon the benefit to the entire community. He will hold a community meeting on the subject in River Park in early April. “It is my belief that this trail will provide a scenic experience without intruding on the privacy of neighboring property owners,” said Harris. “Trails have been identified as one of the most desired community amenities by the National Association of Home Builders. Improving the trail and increasing the users to provide ‘eyes on the trail’ is one of the most effective ways to reduce crime.” Fear mongering affects just about every neighborhood at some time or another. In the Pocket, homeowners along the Sacramento River levee fought for decades to deny public access near their homes because of their fear of the “undesirable elements” bringing crime. Our son bought a condo at The Mill at Broadway in Upper Land Park and said that a master planned city park in the development has opponents who fear it will become a homeless camp. I’m glad the experience we have had with 23 miles of trail over three decades will help guide our civic decision makers on the wisdom of expanding the trails with this project. I’m also happy that we didn’t have this type of fear mongering—made much worse by both traditional and social media—in those early days when our civic leaders made the decision to develop the gorgeous parkway, often described as the “jewel in the crown” of our region. Our publications have given us the benefit of covering land-use decisions for the past 25 years. This experience has led me to see a pattern of opposition based primarily upon fear mongering.

I recall the cataclysmic neighborhood changes some people feared would result from the expansion of Mercy General Hospital and Sacred Heart Parish School. Early in the process, neighborhood groups raised some potential problems. The developers were responsive and made changes that helped make the project much better. But that didn’t stop opposition from a small group that continued unabated for years. It is now hard to even imagine the beautiful East Sacramento Mercy campus as anything but a huge neighborhood asset. More recently, that pattern of fear mongering was repeated before the city’s decision to approve the McKinley Village housing project. The opposition group claimed the development was certain to become an urban ghetto, and that traffic on neighborhood streets (including my own) would be gridlocked. If you haven’t seen McKinley Village, go see for yourself how beautiful the award-winning development is. There is no doubt that homelessness has caused myriad problems for our region. But I am—for the first time—guardedly optimistic that our local governments and the private sector, working together, will be able to make a significant dent in the problem, given the funding and attention it has generated. It would be a shame to see public-policy decisions about our long-term civic future shaped by this current problem. While social media offers benefits to some, it also contributes to fear mongering in our communities that wouldn’t have been imaginable a decade ago. We all need to stay fairminded and try to carefully sort out the facts from the fears. For more information about the Two Rivers Trail project, go to tworiverssac.org. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n

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Hair Today,

Gone Tomorrow LOCAL BAR OWNER TO SHAVE HIS HEAD FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Darrick Lam

iverside Sports Bar will host a St. Baldrick’s charity fundraiser on Saturday, March 10, at 2 p.m. The bar’s owner, Jay Jugoz, will get his head shaved at the event. This will be his seventh year of participating in the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser, which supports childhood cancer research. Jugoz has raised more than $2,000 annually for the charity.

CM By Corky Mau Pocket Life

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Local barbers and cosmetologists will volunteer their time for the event. People interested in participating or donating can register at stbaldricks.org. You can also show up on the day of the event to get your head shaved. Participants will receive a swag bag and a St. Baldrick’s T-shirt. Riverside Sports Bar is at 6401 Riverside Blvd. For more information, call (916) 346-4672.

NEW CHIEF AT ACC ACC Senior Services has a new chief executive officer: Darrick Lam, who succeeds Dr. Donna L. Yee. Lam has more than 27 years of experience in the field of aging, long-

term care and supportive services. He has held leadership positions with San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, American Society on Aging and California Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Most recently, Lam worked in San Francisco as an aging services program specialist for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. He provided program consultation to federal, state and local government agencies and community-based organizations. He also managed grants related to the Older Americans Act programs in California, Hawaii, American Samoa and tribal organizations. Lam recently moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area. He and his wife, Jackie, enjoy traveling and look forward to exploring the Sacramento region. They have two daughters. The community can meet Lam at the ACC CEO Gala on Saturday, April 14, at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation. Tickets are $100. For more information, contact Rod Malloy at rmalloy@accsv.org or (916) 503-0294.

FIREFIGHTER TO SPEAK AT ASSOCIATION MEETING The next meeting of the Pocket/ Greenhaven Community Association will be held on Thursday, March 8, at 6 p.m. at Robbie Waters PocketGreenhaven Library. There will be a presentation from local firefighter Fernando Vallejo. The library is at 7335 Gloria Drive. For more information, go to pocketgreenhaven.org.

COLOR RUN TO BENEFIT JFK MARCHING BAND John F. Kennedy High School’s Marching Band will sponsor a “color run” on Saturday, March 17, from noon to 4 p.m. The event will be held at the school’s grassy athletic field. During the untimed fun run, participants will run through “color splash zones” where they will be doused in color. Registration is $35 in advance, $40 on the day of run. Participants will receive a race bib, T-shirt and one color packet. After the race, there will be music, food trucks and a photo booth. Proceeds will go toward travel expenses for the band’s upcoming trip

to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Memorial Day Parade. The school is at 6715 Gloria Drive. For more information, go to jfkennedyband.com

ALL-DAY CAFE OPENS IN PROMENADE A neighborhood cafe called A Taste Above recently opened in the Promenade Shopping Center. The cafe is owned by brothers-inlaw Rich Wong and Ray Gin, along with two other business partners. A Taste Above serves Vaneli’s coffee from Rocklin, grab ’n’ breakfast items and Wong’s handmade cinnamon rolls for breakfast; sandwiches, Asian boxes and bowls, salads, soups and weekly specials for lunch; and seasonal entrees, weekly specials and kid-friendly choices, along with beer and wine, for dinner. The cafe is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Taste Above is at 7485 Rush River Drive.

ELKS COLLECTING SOCKS FOR VETS Elks Lodge #6 is collecting warm socks and lip balm for military veterans. Donations can be dropped off at a collection barrel in the lodge’s lobby. Donations will be accepted through March 15. Elks Lodge volunteers will deliver the items to Sacramento VA Medical Center in Mather at the end of the month. The lodge is at 6446 Riverside Blvd. For more information, call (916) 4226666.

LEARN ABOUT NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN On Monday, March 5, a community meeting to discuss the master plan for building a community garden in Sojourner Truth Park will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the College and Career Center at School of Engineering & Sciences. The school is at 7345 Gloria Drive.

MUSIC AT JFK John F. Kennedy High School’s orchestra, marching band and choir will hold their annual Spring Concert on Thursday, March 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. John F. Kennedy High School is at 6715 Gloria Drive.

EGG HUNTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD On Saturday, March 31, District 7 will sponsor two Easter egg hunts. The first event will begin at 10 a.m. at Garcia Bend Park, located at 7654 Pocket Road. There will be entertainment and children’s activities, followed by an egg hunt. The second event will take place at Mesa Grande Park, located at 4325 Valley Hi Drive. Entertainment and children’s activities will begin at 1 p.m.; the hunt is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

BUY A MATTRESS, SUPPORT JFK MUSIC The John F. Kennedy High School Music Boosters will hold its annual Mattress Sale fundraiser on Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Mattresses will be sold at up to 50 percent off retail prices. All proceeds support the school’s music program. The school is at 6715 Gloria Drive.

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ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HOLD OFFICE HOURS Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy will hold office hours on Thursday, March 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Come by to discuss local issues of importance to you. City Councilmember Rick Jennings will hold office hours on Thursday, March 15, at 6 p.m. This monthly

event allows constituents to discuss community concerns with the District 7 team. Both events will take place in the Community Room at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library. The library is at 7335 Gloria Drive. Corky Mau can be reached at corky. sue50@gmail.com. n

LEARN TO PLAY PICKLEBALL On Friday, March 16, from 9 to 11 a.m., ACC Senior Services will hold a Pickleball class for beginners. Played outdoors, Pickleball is a cross between tennis, badminton and table tennis. A loaner paddle and ball will be provided. Preregistration is required. To register, contact Anna Su at (916) 393-9026, ext. 330, or classes@ accsv.org. ACC Senior Services is at 7334 Park City Drive.

A Taste Above opens in Promenade Shopping Center.

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Tax Tsunami MULTIPLE TAX-HIKE PROPOSALS ARE LOOMING

ere’s the good news: 80 percent of all Americans will get a tax cut under the recently enacted federal income tax-reform bill, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. But before you start spending your tax cut, you should prepare yourself for local governments in Sacramento to take it all away (and perhaps more) through a number of tax-hike proposals over the next two years. Here’s the story: When city voters in 2012 approved a half-percent “temporary” salestax hike, known as Measure U, city officials said it would raise $28 million each year. They money, they promised, would be spent to restore positions lost to layoffs during the Great Recession, and it would not be used to fund salary

CP By Craig Powell Inside City Hall

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hikes or employee pension costs. Measure U was sold as a six-year gap filler, needed only until the city’s other revenues recovered from the recession. In fact, due to an estimation error by city officials, Measure U actually brought in $41.5 million in 2015. This year, it’s expected to bring in $45 million. Measure U expires on March 30, 2019. Mayor Darrell Steinberg, the Sacramento City Council and The Sacramento Bee editorial board all seem determined to see it renewed— if not doubled and made permanent— by voters this November. So much for promises that Measure U would be a temporary tax. The political establishment is so committed to keeping Measure U in place that they’ve used their considerable clout to persuade other local taxing agencies to keep pending tax-hike proposals off the ballot until 2020 lest they overwhelm city voters with a tsunami of tax-hike measures. The handwriting has been on the wall for some time. City politicians consistently rejected staff advice over the past few years to set aside a portion of Measure U revenues to help

the city wean itself from reliance on Measure U revenues in its final years. Councilmembers were even overheard discussing plans to renew Measure U just days after the measure passed in 2012. It’s been Sacramento’s most open political secret. Everyone seemed to know about it except the average voter.

WHAT WILL MAYOR STEINBERG DO? What we don’t know at this point is whether Steinberg will follow through with his recent talk of possibly seeking a doubling of the Measure U tax hike, raising it from a half-percent to a full one percent sales-tax hike, as well as not just extending the tax but making it permanent. What we do know is that Steinberg has been promising to move forward on the funding of a number of new and expensive projects, including a $120 million expansion/renovation of the Sacramento Convention Center, a $90 million rehab of the Community Center Theater, a $25 million rehab of Memorial Auditorium, a $30

million construction subsidy for Powerhouse Science Center, a $25 million investment in riverfront development, ill-defined subsidies for a new convention center hotel and $21 million to build 1,000 tiny homes for the homeless. Whew! To fund all these projects, he’ll need gobs of borrowed money. His challenge is that the city’s bonding capacity (its ability to borrow more money) is pretty much tapped. He wants more city tax revenue to support more borrowing. The problem is that city debt levels have exploded in recent years, rising from $1 billion in 2010 to nearly $3 billion today, due to rising bond debt (remember the arena bonds? utilities bonds?) and escalating unfunded retirement liabilities. State Sen. John Moorlach— the Legislature’s only CPA and a former Orange County treasurer— recently issued an analysis of the financial condition of California’s 482 cities, ranking them from best to worst. Sacramento came in at a dismal 427 in the fiscal rankings. City tax revenues from non-U sources have fully recovered from recession-era levels. Measure U has

performed its intended function as a budgetary gap filler: making up for the city’s revenue losses until economic recovery restored the city’s non-U revenues. So why should it be extended, let alone doubled? Frankly, it’s because our city leaders have little to no control over their spending appetites. There was a time when oldfashioned liberal politicians cared about the impact of tax hikes on average working families, the poor, seniors and those on fixed incomes. That’s why they were instinctively opposed to increases of regressive taxes, such as the sales tax. Such tax hikes have little impact on the lifestyles of the wealthy while doing real harm to those who lack the discretionary income to bear the burden of higher taxes. But today’s progressive politicians don’t think like old-fashioned liberals. They push for regressive tax hikes that harm the poor and working families while scrambling to find ways to ease the impact of federal income tax increases on a much smaller number of California’s affluent taxpayers. So much for caring about the “little guy.”

POLITICALLY HANDICAPPING MEASURE U Until 2016, Sacramento’s political class thought voters had an inexhaustible appetite for tax hikes. But in November 2016, voters narrowly rejected the two tax-hike measures on the ballot: Measure B, which sought to double the one-half-percent countywide

THE GAS-TAX REPEAL MEASURE IS PROVING QUITE POPULAR AMONG CALIFORNIA VOTERS, ACCORDING TO RECENT POLLING.

transportation sales tax, and the city schools’ Measure G, a $75 parcel-tax hike. Both those measures required a two-thirds majority for passage. A renewal or increase of Measure U will be structured, as Measure U itself was, as a general tax increase, requiring only a simple majority vote for passage. Measure U passed very comfortably in 2012 with 63 percent of the vote. But will it pass again, now that the recession is over? Will Sacramento voters swallow a doubling of the Measure U tax hike if the City Council asks for it? It’s not clear. At this point, it appears likely that the statewide initiative sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association to repeal last year’s hike in the state gas tax will qualify for the November 2018 ballot. The gas-tax repeal measure is proving quite popular among California voters, according to recent polling. While we have no data on how Sacramento voters feel about the gastax repeal, past elections show that Sacramentans vote pretty much like the rest of California voters do. Will local voter enthusiasm for repealing the gas-tax hike impact how city residents vote on extending or even doubling Measure U? Very possibly. It’s also possible that the presence of the gas-tax hike repeal measure on the ballot will drive up turnout among anti-gas-tax hike voters, which could diminish support for an extension or doubling of the Measure U tax hike. All of the taxing jurisdictions that are holding off placing tax-hike proposals on this year’s ballot will be back in force in 2020 with a number of tax-hike proposals. Yes, Steinberg is already lining up support for a “housing tax” measure in 2020, along with a housing bond measure of an uncertain amount to finance the construction of affordable and/ or homeless housing. (A proposed $4 billion housing bond will be on the statewide ballot this year.) The housing tax measure will likely take the form of a parcel tax, but it could be framed as a sales tax, depending on which polls better with voters. In 2012, LA voters approved a $2 billion housing bond, as well as a onehalf-percent sales-tax hike to fund

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homeless programs. It’s likely that our mayor is casting covetous eyes on those election results.

TRANSPORTATION SALES-TAX HIKE The Sacramento Transportation Authority will try in 2020 to avenge the 2016 loss of Measure B, its proposal to double the existing Measure U one-half-percent countywide transportation sales tax. However, a “Son of Measure B” proposal will have to overcome the fallout from the transportation authority’s serious management problems, including its 40 percent overestimation of revenues from Measure A, which led it to overspend and overborrow against future Measure A revenues over the past decade, as I reported last month. One update to my most recent column: The amount by which the transportation authority overestimated its Measure A revenues was not $1 billion, as I’d reported. According to a more recent staff

report, the authority’s overestimate was $1.94 billion. The transportation authority will also face the claim that it’s being greedy: It’s already collecting 60 percent of what it sought with Measure B from money it’s receiving from the recently enacted statewide gas-tax hike.

CITY SCHOOLS TAX HIKE In November, following the negotiation of a new labor contract between Sacramento City Unified School District and Sacramento City Teachers Association, Steinberg, who played a major role in bringing the feuding parties together, pledged to back a 2020 city schools tax measure that would fund arts, music and sports programs. Sac City Unified, like almost every school district in the state, is facing severe fiscal pressure from underfunded teacher pensions and rapidly escalating annual pension payments to CalSTRS, the teachers’ TO page 15

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Rascally Rodents RECLAIMING POCKET PARKS FROM AN ARMY OF GOPHERS

Karen and John Young

aren and John Young will never know why an army of rodents known as Botta’s pocket gophers decided to lay siege to the Youngs’ peaceful patch of heaven on the greenbelt next to Frank Seymour Park. The gophers aren’t talking. The Youngs arrived in 1977. Chances are the gophers were there first. But for almost 40 years, the rodents kept to themselves and minded their own business like good neighbors. Everybody got along. “The park was beautiful,” Karen Young says. “Kids would play there. Soccer teams would practice. People

RG By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

POC MAR n 18

would let their dogs run. You’d see young couples in the park holding hands.” But about three years ago, the Youngs began to notice signs of trouble. Small mounds of dirt appeared in the greenbelt, visible from a large window in the front of the Youngs’ home. The mounds were irrefutable evidence of rodent tunneling. And the mounds began to multiply. They grew as the invaders reproduced and expanded their territory. Soon, the gopher tunnels moved from the realm of mere annoyance to human hazard. Visitors to the greenbelt could no longer play or run through the grass—there were holes everywhere, perfect opportunities for twisted ankles. John Young actually saw the grass vibrate. Eventually, the grass began to die. The beautiful park became a barren no man’s land, undermined by hundreds or maybe thousands of

creatures who worked at night and rarely showed their yellow buck teeth, beady black eyes and puffy cheeks. Karen Young formerly served on the Sacramento City Unified School District board of trustees. She and her husband know how bureaucracies work, and they know a few shortcuts to City Hall. They also know gophers aren’t the biggest problem facing municipal authorities. Still, when they saw their neighbor’s front lawn become riddled with mounds of dirt and gopher tunnels, they decided to call their city councilmember, Rick Jennings. Jennings sent his chief of staff, Dennis Rogers, down to Seymour Park to investigate. Taking qualityof-life matters seriously has become a big part of Jennings’ political legacy. The gopher problem qualified as a true quality-of-life matter. Rogers understood gophers have been a recurring problem for years in Pocket and Greenhaven parks,

such as Seymour, Garcia Bend, Lewis, Marriott, Parkway Oaks and Sojourner Truth. But they were never this bad. As the council office dug more deeply into the problem, it learned the city parks department was all too familiar with gophers. In 2016, the city hired two contractors to deal with the rodents. The contractors did a fair enough job killing gophers. But the contractors’ agreements with the city were limited, and there were no follow-ups. And gophers are tenacious. Enough of them survived

IN RECENT MONTHS, THE PROGRAM OF ERADICATION AND CONTROL HAS MOVED UP AND DOWN PARKS ACROSS POCKET AND GREENHAVEN.

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to repopulate the parks in a matter of months. Last year, with Jennings asking questions, the parks department brought the eradication work inhouse. The department deployed city staff licensed and skilled to work with various poisons in urban settings. They marked off a 3-acre parcel at Seymour Park and began testing a zinc phosphide product. In six weeks, they delivered 515 applications of zinc. This time, the gophers got the message. “We had a major gopher infestation. We knew we had to step up our game,” says Eugene Loew, city parks maintenance manager. “When we set up our experiment area at Seymour Park, we were able to build a program and get the control we wanted. Then we were able to expand that program to other parks and get control.” In recent months, the program of eradication and control has moved up and down parks across Pocket and Greenhaven. The trick is to be at least as tenacious as the gophers. This means repeated treatments,

weekly at minimum, until the parks can be reclaimed. Sometimes, the grass must be cultivated or aerated before victory can be declared. As the control program moves through the community, the city has been able to work with the school district to cover areas of parkway that adjoin schools. Interagency cooperation is essential at places like Caroline Wenzel and Genevieve Didion schools, where gophers ignore the legal boundaries between park and campus. Loew credits Measure U, the 2012 half-cent sales tax measure, with providing funds that allow the parks department to mount an aggressive defense against the gopher army. He says, “The Measure U money kicked in at the right time.” At Seymour Park, happiness reigns. “We’re really pleased,” Karen Young says. She is not alone. Across the street, in the park beneath a tree, two young people sit and kiss, oblivious to the world, undisturbed by gophers. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n

New!

FROM page 13 retirement system. Sac City Unified is known for providing a relatively rich benefits package to its teachers, including generous retiree health care benefits. (Its unfunded liability for retiree health care costs now exceeds $700 million.) The district has also historically had a salary structure, banged out in bargaining with its teachers union, that compensates its senior teachers more generously than most other area districts, making it difficult for Sac City to compete for and attract the most qualified new teachers.

ROADMAP TO A POSTMEASURE-U WORLD Eye on Sacramento (the civic watchdog group I founded and head) is launching a new project called A Roadmap to a Post-Measure-U World, which will outline ways in which the city can adapt to the loss of Measure U revenues. It’s designed to be a collaborative effort with the community. If you’d like to participate

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in the project and offer suggestions for ways the city government can reduce costs, I encourage you to contact me and share your ideas. At Eye on Sacramento, we try not to just criticize the actions and policies of local governments without offering our own alternative policy solutions—solutions that offer people the opportunity to keep more of what they earn and that require local governments to function more effectively and efficiently in the delivery of vital public services. We welcome your input! We plan to widely distribute our roadmap well in advance of the November election. Please let me know if you’d like a copy. Or you can sign up to receive updates at eyeonsacramento.org.

Craig Powell is a retired attorney, 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. n

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Mixed Blessings BOLD DEVELOPERS ARE THE KEY TO SOLVING HOUSING CRISIS

n “The End of the Affair,” author Graham Greene writes that stories don’t really have beginnings or ends, only “the moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” Similarly, it’s impossible to bookend Sacramento’s current housing crisis. Do we begin before or after the 2007 recession? Or in 2011, when Gov. Jerry Brown drastically cut funding to redevelopment agencies? Or in 2015, when former mayor Kevin Johnson launched his “10,000 housing units” initiative? Each provides context for the story, but characters really tell the tale. Enter Ali Youssefi of CFY Development, the developer behind a mixed-use, mixed-income project that will be built at 1717 S St. Youssefi describes CFY Development, which his father founded in the 1980s, as an “an old-school, vertically integrated company.” CFY serves as developer, contractor and property manager for

JV By Jordan Venema Building Our Future

Ali Yousseﬁ of CFY Development Inc. at his company's develpment downtown.

POC MAR n 18

Thank you Sacramento for helping make Keller Williams #1! We are proud to announce that for 2018, Keller Williams is now the #1 Real Estate Franchise Company in the United States in Total Sales Volume, Total Closed Transactions and Total Agent Count.

WHEN YOU’RE FREE TO MOVE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! If you are ready to explore the possibilities, let’s have a conversation. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Dorne Johnson, Keller Williams Realtor, can be reached at 916 717-7190.

mixed-income housing, which includes both low-income and market-rate units. In housing discussions, “low income” refers to 80 percent or less of the region’s Area Median Income (AMI), determined annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sacramento’s AMI in 2017 was $52,000, so low income is considered $41,600 or less. In Sacramento, a one-bedroom unit renting at 100 percent AMI would cost $1,392 a month, while that same unit would cost $1,114 a month or less for low-income tenants. Rent for market-rate units typically begins at 120 percent AMI. CFY projects like 700 K Block and 800 Block challenge the stereotype of what low-income housing can achieve architecturally and aesthetically. Projects such as these are integral to the redevelopment of Sacramento’s city center. “Large projects like you see in Detroit and New York,” says Youssefi, “you don’t see anymore. Affordable

housing is better integrated into communities, and our goal is to design projects that look like normal marketrate apartments.” As Youssefi puts it, mixed-income housing is “diversifying at the micro level.” By creating housing for the barista and the CEO, Youssefi believes mixed-income development encourages increased tolerance for socioeconomic diversity while providing better amenities and higher-quality housing for low-income tenants. Typically, mixed-income developments like 800 Block, 700 K Block and 1717 S St. include more market-rate than low-income units. Another of CFY’s projects, Warehouse Artist Lofts on R Street, is an exception: 75 percent of its units are considered low income. Though unusual, the high ratio of low-income units allowed CFY Development to take advantage of the federal LowIncome Housing Tax Credit program, which funded nearly $20 million of WAL’s $41.2 million budget. Youssefi expects to receive approximately

$4.5 million in tax credits for the $63 million project at 1717 S St., because only 20 percent of its 159 units will be for low-income tenants. Once tax credits are approved, developers like Youssefi sell them to third parties, such as banks or companies like Google, which then become partial owners of the project. “From Google’s perspective, you’re either giving $20 million to the government or $20 million to mixedincome housing with added benefits,” explains Youssefi. “But for us, one of the major consequences of the recent tax reform is that, by dropping the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent, all of a sudden Google doesn’t need those tax credits. We just took a major blow, because now those tax credits aren’t as valuable.” Which raises another problem developers face when financing mixed-income projects: For projects that include low-income units, they can apply for federal tax credits or low-interest loans through the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. But they

have less incentive to build units in the 80 to 120 percent of AMI range, which aren’t considered low income. That hasn’t stopped Youssefi from including 32 units of the 1717 S St. project that will rent to tenants earning 120 percent AMI or less (in addition to the 32 units rented at 50 percent AMI or less). But the remaining 95 units will rent at unrestricted rates to justify the cost of construction. In recent years, Sacramento consistently has ranked high among major U.S. cities for the highest increase in rental rates. According to research firm Yardi Matrix, Sacramento’s occupancy rate hit 96 percent in 2017. With such high demand, Sacramento developers should be lining up for new projects. This would be good news for tenants if more units translated to more affordable rates. But Youssefi says a general shortage of skilled laborers is both slowing down development and pressuring developers to increase rent. TO page 19

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Cleanup Crew

HE FIGHTS TO KEEP THE AMERICAN RIVER PARKWAY SAFE FOR ALL

ierra Oaks resident and capacity building consultant David Lukenbill loves the American River Parkway. In 2003, he founded the nonprofit American River Parkway Preservation Society to make sure it stays as safe as possible. Here, he discusses the future of the region’s favorite outdoor playground. How did you get inspired to found ARPPS? I’ve been involved with nonprofit work most of my adult life, and I’ve always spent a lot of time in the parkway and on the river. I was president of the board of the American River Natural History Association about 20 years ago and was contacted by developer Bob Slobe, who wanted our help dealing with illegal camping in the North Sacramento Cal Expo area

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

POC MAR n 18

of the parkway. I was unaware how deeply illegal camping was degrading the parkway in that area and how seriously it was impacting the adjacent neighborhoods and businesses. After meeting with Bob and doing some research on my own, I asked the ARNHA board if they were willing to become advocates for the parkway. They decided it was outside their turf, so I left the ARNHA board and formed ARPPS. (Lukenbill serves as the founding president, CFO and senior policy director for the organization.) Why do you think stewardship of the parkway is so important? It is one of the most valuable and enjoyable river parkways in the country. It’s a relatively natural area in a suburban setting, providing a real getaway from the workaday world for walkers, runners, bike riders, dog walkers, photographers, artists and just plain sightseers. Right now, most of the parkway from Cal Expo up is pretty user friendly and safe, with occasional exceptions. But the area of focus needs to be on what we refer to as the parkway skid row, from Discovery Park to Cal Expo. With

our efforts, we hope to see the laws regarding illegal camping strictly enforced and to see the parkway expand—both of which, in our opinion, can only be satisfied through daily management by a nonprofit organization, like it’s done with Central Park in New York City. How has illegal camping degraded the parkway? In just the past three months of Parkway Ranger reporting, 508 unlawful camping sites have been discovered. All of those hundreds of people—plus many more whose campsites have not yet been found— use the parkway as a bathroom, kitchen (cutting wood for campfires, many of which wind up burning parts of the parkway), bike chop shop and general trash dump. How do you plan to relocate the people who are camping there? Our concern is with the devastation that illegal camping has been causing to the parkway, rather than determining the fate of the homeless when and if they are ever fully removed from the parkway. However,

we suffer when thinking about the misery and destitution that is part of the fabric of living without a home. We’re a big proponent of the Housing First approach: that until homeless people are actually housed, they will not have the internal resources to devote toward rebuilding their life. ARPPS is advocating the creation of a homeless transformation campus based on the model of Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas, which is the largest and most comprehensive homeless transformation campus in the United States. It provides residence to approximately 1,600 individuals on any given night across 15 buildings on 37 acres with almost 500,000 square feet of service space under roof. And, of course, if all of the improvements Mayor Darrell Steinberg is proposing actually come to pass, that will be of great benefit. Hope springs eternal. We believe that local leaders are operating with good intentions and will eventually get the job done. For more information about the American River Parkway Preservation Society, visit arpps.org. n

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FROM page 17 “You can’t justify new development otherwise,” he says. “Right now, there is a shortage of construction laborers, and I’m running into an issue where I go out to the market to get proposals for a project, and they have all the leverage,” says Youssefi, noting that Sacramento developers have to compete with Bay Area developers for contractors and construction workers. “[Bay Area rates] set a price for construction that’s almost unfeasible for us to work with here in Sacramento, and market-rate housing developers had been waiting for rent to get to a point that it justifies construction. They have no other choice, and the pieces fall into place only when you can afford to pay the framer who’s doing jobs in Oakland to stay and do jobs in Sacramento.” Which introduces a housing Catch-22. Supply and demand should dictate that more units will lead to lower rents, but to justify more housing, rents have to increase first.

University Art UArt Sacramento 2601 J Street 916-443-5721 One solution, Youssefi suggests, would be for local and state agencies to offer better financial incentives for development. “The more favorable the terms of financing, the less pressure on developers to underwrite projects at higher rent levels,” he says. Or, like CFY Development, developers could explore financial opportunities and incentives to construct successful mixed-income housing projects like WAL. “If developers were to set aside a portion of their units for low-income tenants, as we are doing at 1717 S, then they could qualify for additional funding like tax credits or lowinterest loans,” says Youssefi. “But right now, those funding sources are predominantly available for just the lowest income targets. One way to increase production would be to expand the types of units that would qualify for below-market-rate financing.” That, practically speaking, would benefit the average Sacramentan—the teacher, laborer, artist—who exists

just above the “low-income” threshold but cannot afford rent at 120 percent AMI. From a civic standpoint, the push for new housing to attract new residents is a push for more tax revenue. But if new housing comes at the cost of increased rent, which threatens to push out current residents, does it exist for the Sacramentans of today, or the Sacramentans of tomorrow? More than ever, the city of Sacramento needs to explore how to incentivize developers to think beyond the market-rate tenant. Because an even rarer commodity right now than skilled labor is developers like Youssefi who have the experience and conviction to build housing for the entire spectrum of tenants in Sacramento. They are the characters who will play an important role in how the story of housing in Sacramento develops. Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com. n

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COACHING PARENTS ON HOW TO NOT BE ‘THAT DAD’

Zach Streight

RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

POC MAR n 18

here is something about sports that can turn parents into fools. Consider the ride home after a kid’s soccer or softball or Little League game. Win or lose, the best thing a parent can do is say something like, “Hey, how about a little detour for some ice cream?” But no, this is when parents become fools. They squeeze the steering wheel and look into the rearview mirror and say, “I can’t believe you missed that open goal (or dropped that pop fly or struck out).” Fortunately, there is help for those of us—raise your hand if you have grilled your child after a game—who, despite our best intentions, simply can’t help ourselves

from blundering into the realm of post-match commentary after the final whistle. It’s natural. And it’s devastating. “The No. 1 mistake we make as parents is the postgame analysis in the car ride home,” says Zach Streight, executive director of the Sacramento chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to turning kids into better athletes and better people. “All the kid hears is, ‘When we get home, you’ve got to work on your hitting.’ Those encounters in the car are the leading reason why kids drop out of youth sports.” Positive Coaching Alliance is not a therapy session for wounded parents. It’s based on academic research (many of the strategies were designed at Stanford), with strong influences from the disciplines of psychology and philosophy. The idea is not to turn young athletes into wimps or indifferent losers, but rather to encourage athletic participation by making the games fun and challenging. “We embrace competition,” Streight says. “Our programs encourage them to be more competitive and better athletes, but also better people. The goal is to keep kids healthy and active and to teach integrity, sportsmanship and character—all life lessons.” Working with local youth sports organizations and schools to reach coaches, parents and young athletes,

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Positive Coaching Alliance provides video tutorials and speakers series to help organizers and participants understand the difference between “fixed mind-sets” and “growth mindsets.” Basically, people with fixed mind-sets are afraid of failure. The possibility of failure becomes paralyzing, thus guaranteeing the outcome that was feared in the first place. Conversely, the growth mindset hardly recognizes failure, even when clobbered by it. The growth mind-set tries to figure out new strategies to overcome setbacks, believing that if one approach didn’t work, another might. “The growth mind-set knows it takes hard work to succeed,” Streight says. “But they never really consider failure. They just say, ‘OK, what can I try next?’” The Sacramento chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance has taken some of its own medicine. The local group opened shop about 10 years ago after getting its start in the Bay Area. It had some success but eventually foundered beneath a model based

5900 Elvas Avenue Sacramento, CA 95819 www.stfrancishs.org/summer on one-time coaching seminars and lectures. Today, the group seeks to build years-long relationships with middle and high schools and youth sports organizations, delivering follow-ups and reaffirmations of lessons learned. Streight himself is a story of how the fixed mind-set can transform into growth. He studied business at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earned an MBA at UCLA. He moved into software development and management with no thought of working for a nonprofit. But as he reached his 40s, he felt burned out and, with his family’s support, decided to try something completely new. During the arduous interview process for a management position with Positive Coaching Alliance, he realized he had discovered his calling. “We deal with some pretty deep stuff,” he says. “People don’t set out to mess up their kids, but we all have blind spots.” Streight had his own blind spots, residue from his days as a high school athlete. He was able to apply

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Positive Coaching Alliance lessons to his relationship with his own son, who struggled with fear of failure. Together, they found pathways to success. “I’ve always been supercompetitive. I want to win,” he says. “And it’s OK if your definition of success is wanting an athletic scholarship for your kid. But you have to figure out how to use that in a positive way.” Few of the young athletes who benefit from Positive Coaching Alliance actually win athletic

scholarships, and even fewer earn their living from sports. Not surprisingly, former college and pro athletes are among Streight’s favorite encounters. They know exactly what he’s talking about. “College athletes and beyond are the easiest people in the world to work with,” he says. “After a game, they ask their kid, ‘What kind of ice cream do you want?’” R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n

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Gifts Galore HER DREAM OF OWNING A STORE CAME TRUE

Ruthie McRonald is the owner of Haberdasherie in Midtown.

JL By Jessica Laskey Shoptalk

POC MAR n 18

or anyone who knows Ruthie McRonald, hearing that she finally realized her dream of opening a shop—the charming Haberdasherie at J and 23rd streets— is anything but surprising. “I’ve talked about opening a shop for years,” says McRonald, who went

from stay-at-home mom to wine industry expert when she wrote a letter to the late Patty Bogle of Bogle Vineyards offering her help in whatever customer-service roles the winery might have available. Bogle hired her on the spot, and McRonald went on to manage tasting

rooms and wine clubs in Napa and Amador counties before opening Haberdasherie, a home goods and gift shop, in early 2017. “I have a love of beautiful things in my house, so the store is a collection of anything I find that I myself would love to have,” she says. “Nothing goes in the store if I don’t love it.” McRonald loves to shop, which she says she does “all day long,” looking for interesting items to add to her shelves. Her best friend, who works next door at Mojo Salon and helped McRonald find the space for Haberdasherie, also enjoys the thrill of the hunt. The pair spent three days in February perusing the 14 floors of a popular Los Angeles market to buy the store’s starting inventory. The result is an eclectic mix of items, including candles, hostess gifts, napkins, pillows, tea towels, throws, vases, products from Oakland-based artist Rae Dunn, tea sets, beach bags and more. It seems only fitting that the ever-shifting inventory should bear a name as whimsical as Haberdasherie. “The word ‘haberdashery’ was traditionally used in Europe for sewing notions,” McRonald explains. “It then morphed into Europe’s version of a five-and-dime in the 13th century, then into an apothecary, then into a store that sold hats, then men’s hats, then men’s clothing. In my mind, it means anything you want. Plus, it’s fun to say.” Haberdasherie is at 2318 J St. For more information, visit haberdasherie. net. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

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What Lies Beneath KNOW WHAT’S UNDERGROUND BEFORE YOU START DIGGING

t was just a matter of moving and create several new garden areas. a rose a few feet in my garden, Throughout the years, we’ve added making way to change a pathway. brick pathways, put in lighting and As we worked to dig it out, we planted compulsively and intensively. uncovered three irrigation pipes, both As we embark on this new project to solid and corrugated drain lines, a improve drainage and irrigation, we drain inlet, some bricks and a layer find that we can’t remember where of broken concrete. Our house is 80 everything was installed and when. years old. Did this all get installed We can only find some of the old during the four decades that we’ve records, and they are incomplete. lived here? Is any of it still functional? Garden plans are good, but things My landscaper said, “We’ve dug often change as a project progresses. several archaeological layers deep. We need to document “as built,” not Some of this could have been here just “as designed,” using photos, before you.” Maybe it was, and sketches and notes to record what’s maybe it wasn’t. In any case, I don’t been done. This time, we have remember. made final payment contingent on Memory is a tricky thing. After complete documentation of what’s all, I usually can’t find all of the been installed and how it works. What Christmas decorations from one year parts of the irrigation system does to the next. No wonder I can’t recall each valve control? Where are the what has been done in my yard over irrigation lines, and what are their so many years. specifications? Where are the wires We are currently finishing our for the lighting? Where are the new fourth major backyard project. We drain lines, and how do they tie into installed perennial the existing ones? We beds and a deck 35 need a record of all years ago, then redid that. much of the yard after Even if you building a masterare starting with bedroom wing a dozen a clean slate in years later. It wasn’t your landscape, By Anita Clevenger long before we decided it is possible that Garden Jabber to take out the pool there are surprises

POC MAR n 18

SPRING SEASON

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Mozart Requiem

Projected supertitle translations

Requiem | W. A. Mozart Exultate Jubilate | W. A. Mozart Lux Aeterna | Morten Lauridsen

Veni Sancte Spiritus, Agnus Dei â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lux Aeterna

Lux in Tenebris | James Whitbourn Nikki Einfeld, Soprano Michael Desnoyers, Tenor

Karin Mushegain, Mezzo Matt Boehler, Bass

Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 8:00 pm Pre-concert talk by Donald Kendrick 7:00 pm

Sacramento Community Center Theater

Nikki Einfeld

Karin Mushegain

Michael Desnoyers

1140 2ND AVE $515,000

This beautiful Land Park home features a formal living room with Ć&#x201C;UHSODFH GLQLQJ URRP XSGDWHG NLWFKHQ ZLWK JUDQLWH FRXQWHUV DQG QHZHU DSSOLDQFHV EUHDNIDVW QRRN ZLWK EXLOW LQV DQG D VXQ URRP with heating/air that adds an additional 400 sf to the original VTXDUH IRRWDJH RI 7KHUH DUH ODUJH EHGURRPV EDWKV and inside laundry room. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even a 1/2 basement that is large HQRXJK IRU DQ RIĆ&#x201C;FH JXHVW URRP RU ZRUNRXW URRP 7KH KRPH KDV EH SDLQWHG LQVLGH DQG KDV JOHDPLQJ QJ ZRRG Ĺ´RRUV 7KH \DUG LV OXVK DQG ORZ PDLQWHQDQFH FH DQG IHDWXUHV D FDU GHWDFKHG JDUDJH :DON WR VWRUHV FRIIHH VKRSV UHVWDXUDQWV RU 7RZHU 7KHDWHU HU 7KLV LV WKH SHUIHFW SODFH WR FDOO KRPH

Matt Boehler

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CONTACT UNDERGROUND SERVICE ALERT BY CALLING 811 AT LEAST TWO FULL BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE YOU PLAN TO DIG. underground. Before you disturb the soil, even just to plant a tree or install a fence post, contact Underground Service Alert by calling 811 at least two full business days before you plan to dig. This free service will notify the appropriate utility providers, which will let you know where gas, sewer, water and power lines are located. They will ask you to mark the area where you will be excavating with white paint. Document where your meters, control panels and water shut-offs are located. Where are your outside electrical outlets and hose bibs? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to write these important things

down and have the information in a central file. Whether you are digging for a major project or just doing routine gardening, proceed cautiously. If your shovel scrapes something, explore what you are finding before you do damage. As weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done this project, our contractor checks to make sure that he understands how each new thing that we discover is connected. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like finding a puzzle piece and trying to figure out how it fits. Drip irrigation has many virtues, but it often disappears under mulch and plants. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much too easy to damage it when you dig, weed or do other work in the yard. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count how many times I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve encountered a root, only to realize that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve punctured or cut through irrigation. Take time to locate the lines before you work in an area. If you damage a line and have to repair it, be sure to flush out the system to ensure that dirt does not clog the system. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to remember where bulbs or perennials have been planted when they are slumbering during their

dormant periods. Take care not to weed them out, dig them up or plant on top of them. Flags, tags, photos, notes, lists and garden sketches can serve as reminders. Better documentation will help my husband and me manage our landscape, but we are increasingly aware that we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be here forever. Will the next people who live and garden here want to keep, modify or change the landscape altogether? Good records will assist them.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no way that we will ever document everything buried underground. There is a certain thrill and mystery in discovering something and asking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What have we here?â&#x20AC;? In a way, all gardeners are archaeologists and explorers, probing the unknown. Anita Clevenger is a Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call the UC Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338 or go to sacmg.ucanr.edu. n

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Back in Sac THIS COUPLE MOVES HOME TO NEIGHBORHOOD THEY LOVE

CR By Cathryn Rakich Home Insight

POC MAR n 18

usic plays an important role in Tom and Kellie Hallenbeck’s remodeled East Sacramento home. Classic rock flows through a multi-room stereo system. Musical instruments are prominently displayed in the living room. A downstairs office hides away a hightech sound system, set up for all types of musical mediums, including vinyl. “It was important for Tom to have speakers in all the rooms,” says contractor Joedy Zapara, of Sacramento-based JAZ Developments, whose workers benefited from the Hallenbecks’ taste in tunes. “Homeowners can make an amiable environment for the contracting crew by including classic rock on demand,” Zapara adds with a smile. The Hallenbecks purchased the five-bedroom, two-bath home in 1995 when their third child was on the way and they needed to upsize. “I’ve always liked the older homes, the established areas,” comments Tom, an engineer who retired from Caltrans. “I wanted to ride my bicycle to work and the farmers market.” But just as the couple was beginning to think about remodeling the 1924 home, Tom’s job offered him an opportunity in Bishop, a small town in Inyo County. “I accepted the job with the idea that we would come back in about two years,” Tom notes. So the family rented out their East Sacramento home and bought a second house in Bishop. “But we fell in love with the town. … So we stayed there for 17 years.” The family, however, never stopped thinking about their home in East Sacramento, and they finally moved back in 2015. “We wanted to come back,” says Kellie, who grew up in Sacramento and worked for Tower Records in its “heyday.” “It felt like home,” adds Tom. “The trees, the diversity of housing, the neighborhood, the people.” At first, the changes to the 2,800-square-foot home seemed simple: expand and remodel the galley-style kitchen and add a bathroom off the master suite. But as they considered the requirements of an older home, the remodel “just grew,” sighs Kellie.

“Since we were remodeling the kitchen and adding a bathroom, as an engineer, I knew that was a good time to do the plumbing,” Tom points out. “But I was not too keen on rewiring the house. Everything works fine; just don’t touch it,” he adds with a laugh about the original knob-and-tube wiring. “But I wanted to respect this house. This was the opportunity to give it a new lease on life.” Tom admits that the rewiring was more than they bargained for. Channels had to be ripped in the lath-and-plaster walls throughout the house. “At some point, the whole thing just exploded,” says Zapara.

“Every wall surface, every piece of trim, every ceiling got touched.” The couple also lived in the home throughout the 15-month remodel. “It became ridiculous after a while,” laments Tom. “As they tore up a room and went to the next one, we would have to vacate it.” The couple “made the most of a fairly traumatic environment,” adds Zapara. In the end, all the trials and tribulations were worth it. The kitchen now features quartzite countertops, porcelain tile floors, custom cabinets, under-counter and recessed lighting, and new windows and appliances. A wall was pushed out 10 feet to create an additional

“IT FELT LIKE HOME. THE TREES, THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSING, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE PEOPLE.”

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POC MAR n 18

200 square feet. A brass foot rail was added under the sink cabinet for Tom to rest his foot on while washing dishes. The couple also credits interior designer Roxanne Stellmacher, who helped with many of the decorative decisions. “I told her I wanted my bathroom to be like the Fairmont in San Francisco,” says Kellie. Now, the homeowner enjoys a freestanding bathtub (complete with a crystal chandelier), a steam shower, heated floors and towel rack, a closet with a built-in vanity, and a bidet. The living room maintains its 1920s character with the original ceiling light fixture, red oak floors, glass doors leading to the dining area and a wood-burning fireplace. The couple added a guest bathroom upstairs and a wraparound deck off the kitchen with built-in seats, a hot tub and storage. In addition to electrical, the utility and

infrastructure upgrades included new high-efficiency heating and air conditioning, a water heater, sewer and water lines, underground cable and a whole-house fan. What would the Hallenbecks do differently? “Maybe not live through it,” says Tom. “The first year, Tom went to work, and I would take off with the dog,” says Kellie. “We scheduled a number of things around the dog’s mental health,” Zapara adds. But the Hallenbecks could not be happier being back in East Sacramento. “Even though it’s a big city, we knew this neighborhood would make us feel like we were part of a smaller town,” says Tom. “Like Sacramento is at its heart.” If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Cathryn Rakich at crakich@surewest.net. n

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Irrational Fears WEIGH THE FACTS BEFORE WORRYING

WS By Walt SeLfert Getting There

POC MAR n 18

n his 1933 inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt said that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Fear is a powerful emotion that can cloud the mind and make difficult judgments even more difficult. Fear often plays a role in how we get around and how people feel about transportation projects that directly affect them. Fear is based on a perception of danger or some other negative consequence. It is frequently difficult to assess the real risks of danger, particularly if risks take a long time to manifest themselves. Most of us don’t consider all pertinent risks or know the odds of particular outcomes, good or bad. Sometimes people fear things that are unlikely or unimportant. Sometimes they don’t fear things that are probable and significant. People seem not to fear the threat to the planet of climate change, or the health consequences of air pollution and physical inactivity. Over a lifetime, these are real and serious risks. Yet like the frog in the slowly warming pot put on to boil, we seem not to notice because they happen so gradually. Fear prevents many people from bicycling to get around. Many fear being injured or killed in a traffic collision, so they are unwilling to bike on the streets. While there are far too many bicyclists (and motorists) injured in crashes and we should make streets safer for everyone, the risks of inactivity far outweigh the risks of being involved in a car/bike crash. That’s hard to conceptualize because of the feeling of vulnerability we get riding a bike and our strong visceral response to bicycle crashes. People also fear the social stigma of bicycling. While this attitude may be gradually changing, many still consider bicycling as not only unconventional but downright weird. Despite the good bicycling does for people’s health and the health of the planet, in the United States, it remains clearly abnormal behavior. It accounts for only about 1 percent of all trips. People fear taking transit. Some are worried about their personal security and afraid of their fellow passengers. Others have more mundane fears: concerns about walking to a bus stop in bad weather or getting someplace on time. Even the presence of transit can be feared. When Regional Transit built the light rail line to the east toward Folsom, some residents feared that having a station near them would be a negative instead of a positive, bringing an undesirable element into their neighborhoods. Right now, most people fear self-driving cars because of the lack of hands-on control and the possibility of bugs in the technology. Surveys show that fear is decreasing even though autonomous cars are being used only in test programs in limited numbers and locations. Perhaps familiarity with the concept and increased press coverage about these vehicles have been enough to allay some concerns.

Please Drop In for Sacramento County Supervisor

Patrick Kennedy’s Pocket / Greenhaven Oﬃce Hours Thursday, March 1st • 5:30 – 7:30pm Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library Community Room

FEAR PREVENTS MANY PEOPLE FROM BICYCLING TO GET AROUND. MANY FEAR BEING INJURED OR KILLED IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION, SO THEY ARE UNWILLING TO BIKE ON THE STREETS. People definitely fear transportation and development projects. Sometimes those fears are greatly exaggerated, but other times they are based on a coldeyed assessment of realities. Some East Sac residents feared the potential vehicle traffic generated by the McKinley Village project and mounted a campaign against it. Others fear sprawl, which results in more costs, damage to the environment and traffic than any infill project such as McKinley Village. Typically, residents fear new bike trail projects in their neighborhoods, believing that they will result in increased vandalism, crime or impacts from the homeless. Yet there is considerable evidence that trails decrease crime and increase property values. Greenway trails are an amenity that benefits those nearby not just in the worth of their homes but in their quality of life. The larger community benefits as well. Fear can be irrational, but that doesn’t make the emotion any less strong. Before we flee or fight when confronted by a possible danger, whether it’s related to transportation or not, we should weigh all the facts to see where the balance is between good and bad. Our ability to reason, as well as our emotions, is what makes us human and gives us a way to conquer fear. Walt Seifert is executive director of Sacramento Trailnet, an organization devoted to promoting greenways with paved trails. He can be reached at bikeguy@surewest.net. n

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Making Sac Safe POLICE ASSOCIATION WORKS TO FOSTER CONNECTIONS

SC By Scot Crocker Inside Downtown

POC MAR n 18

Timothy Davis, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, chats with a bike patrol sergeant.

ike many police departments across the country, the Sacramento Police Department has at times been knee-deep in controversy in recent years. Issues have included lack of transparency and questionable police officer actions in lower-income and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. As the head of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, Timothy Davis works to create connections between police officers and the community. SPOA does more than negotiate pay, benefits and staffing levels for its members. It is as much a fraternal organization as it is a union. It awards scholarships, provides crisis relief for its members and the community, and supports charities and athletic activities. “We don’t see ourselves as a union,” says Davis. “We don’t require anyone in the department to be a member, but we have almost 100 percent of all active officers as members. They see the importance of what we do overall.” For Davis, the connection between law enforcement and the community is personal. “I grew up in Sacramento, went to high school here, and my dad was in the police force,” says Davis, who worked in the ranks of the police department and later received a law degree before being elected president of SPOA. “I have family here, and I want Sacramento to be as safe as it can be for the longtime residents, new residents and visitors.” The Great Recession that started in 2007 hit Sacramento hard. The city was cutting budgets across the board, and the police department had to cut budgets, too. Layoffs hurt the department. “We lost a generation of peace officers,” Davis explains. “In California during those years, no one was hiring.

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Those who might have considered law enforcement chose other careers and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t likely ever go into law enforcement.â&#x20AC;? As jobs returned, recruitment became competitive, and Sacramento wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keeping up with compensation offered by other police and sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s departments in the region. Quality applicants went elsewhere. At the end of last year, the city and SPOA reached an agreement for a pay and incentive package. The first increase in many years, it brought Sacramento in line with other law enforcement agencies. While the new contract and higher pay have had positive impacts on morale, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the cure-all for a department and community still trying to communicate and connect with each other. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know the majority of Sacramento supports us,â&#x20AC;? says Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Police officers are like any other human beings. They want to do a good job and want the recognition by the people they serve. We (law enforcement) donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sign up for a job and a paycheck. Service to the community is a noble profession. We want those who want to serve, and we want diversity in the department.â&#x20AC;? Davis says it is disconcerting when small, vocal groups criticize law enforcement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To our detractors, I say come join us,â&#x20AC;? he notes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work together.â&#x20AC;? Davis worries that if segments of the community continue to harbor negative feelings about law enforcement, quality candidates from those communities wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t join the

police department and help shape the future from inside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On a daily basis, our officers make countless sacrifices to ensure our community stays safe,â&#x20AC;? says Vance Chandler, a police department spokesperson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is imperative for our officers to connect with the people in our community to show how much we care about the people we serve. We appreciate the support we have from many community members and leaders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We serve our community with great compassion and professionalism to ensure every person, in every neighborhood, has the opportunity to thrive in our city,â&#x20AC;? he adds. Davis says the department is changing the way it works. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Technology is helping us do things faster and better,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s giving us more transparency with the community. We embrace these changes.â&#x20AC;? The police use cameras to monitor public areas and capture crimes in progress. Officers use body cameras and drones. Sound-recording equipment enables law enforcement to hear gunshots in real time and not wait for a 911 call. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After the Sept. 11 tragedy, we were able to upgrade to a state-ofthe-art communications center,â&#x20AC;? says Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know what might be next with technology to allow us to be more responsive to the communities we serve.â&#x20AC;? Even with technology, Davis says, officers on the street are critical to law enforcement. They learn the neighborhoods, know the residents and can identify problem areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If

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sleepdesign.com an officer responds to three separate car crashes at the same intersection, then the officer is going to take action. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to see a fourth crash,â&#x20AC;? says Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The officers are vested in the community personally and professionally.â&#x20AC;? Davis is quick to point out that police officers are human. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember when I was an officer,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d get upset over things at home, even small things like a broken washing machine. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard not to bring frustrations to work sometimes. We try not to let these things affect us at work. We do our best, but we are only human and we will make mistakes.â&#x20AC;? For the Sacramento Police Department, recruiting the very best candidates is a high priority. The hiring process is complicated and includes polygraphs, psychological testing, background checks and training at the academy. Most candidates donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it through. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it comes to new employees, we look for integrity,â&#x20AC;? says Davis.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most important trait. You just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show up and get a badge.â&#x20AC;? Davis is confident and upbeat about the direction of the Sacramento Police Department. He points to renewed optimism in the department under the leadership of Sacramentoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new police chief, Daniel Hahn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all just want to make Sacramento safe,â&#x20AC;? he says. Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@crockercrocker.com. n

THE HIRING PROCESS IS COMPLICATED AND INCLUDES POLYGRAPHS, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, BACKGROUND CHECKS AND TRAINING AT THE ACADEMY. MOST CANDIDATES DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MAKE IT THROUGH.

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Pay It Forward ONE WAY IS TO BRING BOOKS TO HONDURAS

t’s early January when my wife and I land at one of the most treacherous airports in the world in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. The final approach is so

NB By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

POC MAR n 18

nightmarish that passengers often post YouTube videos of the harrowing descent through a twisted ravine before landing on a way-too-short runway. The airport is in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. With 1.3 million people, the city is best known for its crime, corruption and nearly the highest reported murder rate in the world. Becky and I are here through the end of March to help our daughter Sara with the humanitarian project she started in 2014.

Sara named her undertaking Chispa Project, pronounced cheezpah, meaning “spark” in Spanish. Hondurans use the word to describe people with spark or drive. Sara chose the name because she believes that education will spark the sustainable change Honduras needs. Chispa has a simple mission: to start children’s libraries and equip them with quality books in Spanish. She accomplishes the mission in three ways: She solicits donations, coaches teachers and sponsors international volunteer projects to Honduras. Sara’s secret to success is her ability to inspire communities to design, fund and run their own libraries. Local people do the work and supply a small portion of the funding to maintain the libraries. During our second week here, we set out on a three-hour, roughroad drive into the high mountains outside La Esperanza, Honduras, to Southwest Bilingual School. Fortunately, our daughter Sara is driving, leaving my wife and me bouncing in our seats like popcorn. We are transporting 100 pounds of books—the second half of the 1,300 books bought with stateside donations. Every weekday, the students here ride five miles on a school bus that navigates the twisted and rutted dirt roads. The only thing that might prevent their journey is when heavy rains make it impossible for the bus to climb the 7 percent grade of a cratered road. Maybe it’s this tough terrain that inspired the name of the school’s mascot: the Wildcats. Sara parks inside the school compound, and we walk to the faculty lounge, hoping to recruit help to unload. Inside, we meet Edmundo, a science teacher who’s writing his lesson plans. The teachers are grateful to see us because Spanish books are rare and costly to purchase in-country. Most children grow up without a culture of reading in the home. “As a kid, I was bored with reading,” Edmundo says. “We had only reference books, and I’d fall asleep reading them. The books you bring will inspire our students to read.

“Muchas gracias,” he adds. “De nada,” I say. Literally translated, it means “It’s nothing,” an informal expression for “You’re welcome.” The vice principal, Corita Warner, a tall, take-charge American, enters the lounge. She quickly organizes a gaggle of seventh-graders to help us unload. We make our way to the library, where the kids tear open the boxes, nearly inhaling the titles. One girl shrieks when she finds a Harry Potter book, while another begins devouring “Moby Dick.” Justin, a focused 12-year-old, picks up Sean Covey’s book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” Justin speaks excellent English because he was born in the United States and returned to Honduras when he was 7. He asks if the book will help him succeed. I allow a “maybe,” then point out Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prizewinning book, “Angela’s Ashes.” Justin asks if McCourt’s Pulitzer won him a lot of money. It’s a typical question from a 12-year-old, more so from those without money. Southwest may be a private school, but money remains a concern for the middle-class parents who send their children there. Corita explains to me how the school was founded by three couples who wanted to bring subsidized education to the town. Many kids attend with scholarships, and the founders are working toward offering full scholarships to all their students. I’m not sure why, but their generosity brings moisture to my eyes and memories to my heart. I recall growing up in a pastor’s home, living on the edge of poverty. Like Justin’s mom, my mother made many meals of beans and corn and fried baloney. We did without many things, but no one ever told me that I couldn’t have a good education. In 1975, I was accepted to Baylor University, a Texas Baptist school. Through the generosity of anonymous benefactors, I took home a bachelor’s degree four years later. The generosity continued into seminary, from which I graduated in 1983 with a tuition-free master’s degree. These

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St. Francis Catholic High School Theatre 5900 Elvas Avenue . Sacramento, CA TICKETS: $12 Adults . $7 Children (under 19) www.stfrancishs.org/tickets

opportunities came from people who thought education was worthy of their contributions. Their charity recalls Jesus’ words: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” In other words, we must “pay it forward.” A few days later, as we prepare to leave Southwest Bilingual School, several children gather to thank us. My eye moisture returns. All I can manage to say is “De nada,” because for all that’s been given to me, it’s nothing for me to do this for Justin and his classmates. Go, Wildcats! Chispa Project is a nonprofit organization with a governing board. If you want to join the board, donate or land a mission team on the most maddening runway in the world, visit chispaproject.org. Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. n

Couch potato no more.

A Garden in Every School Symposium ~ Delaine Eastin

Sat , March 10 & Sun, March 11 $ 95 per person (Includes light breakfast, lunch and snacks both days. Space is limited.)

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The symposium brings together teachers, community leaders, school garden initiative parents, volunteers and university staff with local non-proﬁt and business resources. The program can create opportunities for our children to discover fresh food, to make healthier food choices and to become better nourished. Gardens offer beautiful, dynamic settings to integrate every discipline, including science, math, reading, art, environmental studies, nutrition and health. By encouraging and supporting a garden in every school, we create opportunities for our children to discover fresh food, to make healthier food choices and to become better nourished.

Workshops Success Stories Best Practices Panel Discussions Information Booths Delicious Food visit website for schedule

Space is limited, register today! Brought to you by the animal lovers at

INSIDE PUBLICATIONS

www.soilborn.org

a project of

SOIL BORN FARMS

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Art Preview GALLERY ART SHOWS IN MARCH

b. sakata garo will exhibit works by Betsy Kendall through March 31. Shown above: “Collage Dogs With Eugene.” 923 20th St.; bsakatagaro.com

Artistic Edge Gallery is featuring works by Ron Hall, Diana Ormanzhi, Jonathan Lowe and Carol Brown through March 31. Shown above: “Hanging on a Blue Note” by Ron Hall. 1880 Fulton Ave.; artisticedgeframing.com Sparrow Gallery presents “Crow Show,” a group show curated by artist Judy Knott, through April 6. Featured artists include Paula Wenzl Bellacera, Bob Androvich, Barbara Sebastian, Charlotte Cooper, Jill Allyn Stafford, Susan Silvester, Taylor Gutermute, Nicky Ruxton and more. Shown right: “In Harmony” by Barbara Sebastian. 1021 R St.; sparrowgallerysacramento.com

An exhibit of contemporary artwork called “Earthen Abstracts” will be at CK Art through March 31. The exhibit features the works of Anthony Maki Gill, Sandy Parris, Julie Maren, Peter Foucault, Nick Lopez and Jonah Ward. Shown above: a piece by Julie Maren. 2500 J St.; ckart-gallery.com JAYJAY presents “Monumental: Larger Than Life” through April 28. It features large-scale works from the gallery’s stable of modern and contemporary artists, including Suzanne Adan, Roger Berry, Trent Burkett, Mark Emerson, Stephen Giannetti, Anne Gregory, Ian Harvey, Michaele LeCompte, Peter Wayne Lewis, Jeff Mayry, Joan Moment and Koo Kyung Sook. Shown right: a large-scale acrylic by Rick Siggins. 5524B Elvas Ave.; jayjayart.com

POC MAR n 18

NANTES CARROTS

This citrus fruit is yellower and rounder than a regular lemon, and its flavor is much sweeter. To eat: Use the juice to make a sweet curd or a nicely flavored vinaigrette.

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

John Cleese

Live on Stage plus a Screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail WED, MAR 28

Buy early for the best seats!

A not-to-be-missed evening pairing a cult classic film and an audience Q&A* with comedy royalty. John Cleese will tell stories of his life and career, and you just may finally find out the air-speed of an unladen swallow. (Coconuts NOT included in ticket price.) * Absurd and/or ridiculous questions only are requested, please.

BROCCOLI

California grows 80 percent of the nation’s crop. Broccoli is packed with vitamin C and dietary fiber. To eat: Boil, sauté, steam or stir-fry.

U.S. PREMIERE!

Compañía Nacional de Danza Carmen SAT–SUN, MAR 3–4 Johan Inger’s Carmen is a visionary retelling of mythic and universal elements of passion and violence. This contemporary Carmen tells the tale through the eyes of a child, with its heroine a courageous and modern woman.

Zurich Chamber Orchestra

FAVA GREENS

DANIEL HOPE, MUSIC DIRECTOR AND VIOLIN

MON, MAR 19 The orchestra pays tribute to Yehudi Menuhin with Daniel Hope treating audiences to Edward Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Bechara El-Khoury’s Unfinished Journey for Violin and String Orchestra as well as violin concertos from Mendelssohn and Bach.

The leaves of the fava bean plant are mildly sweet and buttery. Early in the season, they are tender and can be eaten raw. Later in the season, it’s best to sauté or wilt them. To eat: Mix them into a salad or add to pasta or risotto.

mondaviarts.org POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Theater Galatea is producing “Julius Caesar & Macbeth.”

jL By Jessica Laskey

POC MAR n 18

“Julius Caesar & Macbeth” Theater Galatea March 29–April 7 William J. Geery Theater, 2130 L St. • theatergalatea.com Theater Galatea’s groundbreaking new production of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” and “Macbeth” will be performed in two acts with only four female performers. Use code “INSIDE” for $5 off your ticket.

William Ishmael Tim Collom Gallery March 6–April 5 Opening reception Saturday, March 10, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Rhoades' artwork will be on display this month at E Street Gallery.

915 20th St. • timcollomgallery.com Artist William Ishmael’s solo exhibition includes colorful works, mirrored works, translucent plastic printmaking sheets, sand-colored pieces, a 7-foot metal grid and an installation of metal tubes to explore emptiness and the lack thereof.

“Messiah” Camerata California Sunday, March 25, 4 p.m.

Books Before Bedtime Celebrating Dr. Seuss Fairytale Town Friday, March 2, 6–8 p.m.

First United Methodist Church, 2100 J St. • cameratacalifornia.net Parts Two and Three of Handel’s iconic “Messiah” will be performed in the chamber tradition of the Dublin premiere by this professional chamber choir.

3901 Land Park Drive • fairytaletown.org Don your pajamas to celebrate Theodore Seuss Geisel’s 114th birthday with Seuss-themed hands-on activities, bilingual story time, poetry, arts and crafts, and more.

“The Cycle”

Youth Art Month

Crocker Art Museum March 25–July 15

Crocker Art Museum March 8–April 1

216 O St. • crockerart.org In this new exhibition, sculptor Cyrus Tilton explores the world’s burgeoning human population and the trend of mass consumerism using the locust as a cautionary metaphor.

216 O St. • crockerart.org Youth Art Month, a statewide program presented by the California Art Education Association, celebrates exceptional arts education programs in this exhibition of student artwork.

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Winter Shorts Fest Sacramento French Film Festival Saturday, March 3, 7 p.m. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. • sacramentofrenchﬁlmfestival.org The Sacramento French Film Festival will present this year’s Césarnominated short films, complete with a wine and champagne bar.

Classical Concert Bring the kids to Fairytale Town for some Easter fun at the spring Eggstravaganza, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1. Photo courtesy of Greg Flagg.

“Spring Fling” Sacramento Symphonic Winds Sunday, March 18, 2:30 p.m. Crowne Plaza Northeast, 5321 Date Ave. • sacwinds.org This family-friendly concert features trombone soloist Tony Collins playing “Colloquy” by W. L. Goldstein, “The Hounds of Spring” by Alfred Reed, symphonic dance music from “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein, “Mock Morris” by Percy Grainger, and more.

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Crocker Art Museum Sunday, March 11, 3 p.m. 216 O St. • crockerart.org Sacramento soprano Susheel Bibbs will perform art songs built around the theme of “Songs of Love and Parting.” Bibbs will be accompanied by baritone Omari Tau and pianist John Cozza.

“Color Fields” E Street Gallery March 4–31 Second Saturday reception Saturday, March 10, 6–9 p.m. 1115 E St. • (916) 214-3496 Abstract painters Matt Rhoades and Cherie Hacker present spirited, emotional pieces that explore the dialogue between the artist and the painting.

Spring Eggstravaganza Fairytale Town Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. 3901 Land Park Drive • fairytaletown.org This fun-filled family weekend features egg hunts, prizes, handson activities and visits with Peter Cottontail. Daily egg hunts are held at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Puppet Art Theater Company will perform “Bunny Bootcamp” in the Children’s Theater at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Sharing Session Genealogical Association of Sacramento Wednesday, March 21, 12:30–2 p.m. Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive • gensac.org Bring your genealogy problems, questions and puzzles for a sharing session to help ease research roadblocks.

Behind the Cellar Door 2018 Amador Vintners March 2–4, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Various locations • amadorwine.com More than 40 Amador County wineries will participate in this weekend event, which will include food pairings, live music, a silent auction, educational seminars, and demonstrations and tastings galore. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

William Ishmael will be on exhibit at Tim CollomGallery in Midtown.

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Music Woman THIS SINGER AND CELLIST TEACHES STUDENTS THE MECHANICS OF MUSIC

oAnn Ross could not see herself as retired. The singer, cellist and music teacher has performed in choirs, orchestras, chamber music groups, jazz bands, opera and musical theater for more than 50 years, so when it came time to retire from her career as a podiatrist, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her newfound time. “Teaching was always something I thought I would do,” says Ross, who teaches cello and singing lessons out of a studio in her Carmichael home. “My parents were college professors. My daughter’s a teacher. My sister’s a teacher. But I knew I didn’t want to stand up and control a large room. I

JL By Jessica Laskey Artist Spotlight

POC MAR n 18

prefer one-onone.” Ross teaches singing to a wide range of students, from 9 to 85-plus years old, in a variety of styles that includes classical, musical theater, jazz and pop. Her own musical background is equally varied. She started playing cello out of necessity when she was in fourth grade: She wanted to play the flute but wasn’t allowed to until fifth grade, so her parents suggested she try the half-sized cello. Ross fell in love with the instrument and became versed not only in cello but also string bass and sousaphone. That allowed her to play in her school’s traditional band as well as a dance band that played at

proms and other social events in her hometown of Whittier. “In high school, I played with seven different organizations,” Ross recalls. “I would take academic classes during the summer so I could do more music during the school year.” In college, Ross decided to major in her other musical love, singing. But after graduating, she realized that making a living in music would be challenging. So she became a podiatrist instead.

“Podiatry allowed me to have a practice during the day instead of being called out at night,” says Ross, who raised her children while studying at California College of Podiatric Medicine. She practiced for 15 years in the Los Angeles area until music came calling once again— only this time, Ross was even better equipped. “As a podiatrist, you study biomechanics—how your muscles and nerves make things happen in your

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GANDHI

Divergent dreams and conflicts abound within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. Lena will soon receive insurance money because of her husband’s death. She has dreams about how she will use the money, including buying a home in a better area. But her son has other plans. The tensions and prejudice the family faces form a classic American drama. The Younger family’s heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.

A middle school boy in detention learns deeper values in life when forced to read the life of Mahatma Gandhi. A delightful tale of awakening set to Hip Hop and Indian Classical music.

Celebration Arts Theatre Thru March 24 2727 B St, Sac 455-2787 Celebrationarts.net

MACBETH

Sales | Service | Install | 33 yrs experience | Lic #764789 body,” Ross says. “I use that anatomy and physiology background in singing. Your instrument is a wind source, and you contort the spaces in your vocal folds to change the amplification of your voice.” Ross’ medical knowledge and the state-of-the-art technology she employs in her studio help her students get the most out of their voices. “I have software that maps the acoustics and frequencies of the voice so students can see what they’re doing,” Ross says. “Then we can manipulate the sound with the tongue and the larynx and change the color of what comes out.” This high-tech approach has made Ross a sought-after instructor for all kinds of students: those just starting to sing, people who perform in local musical theater and choirs, people preparing for college or already studying music who want to improve their skills. Despite Ross’ demanding six-daya-week teaching schedule, she takes cello lessons herself from one of Northern California’s premier cello

]A RAISIN IN THE SUN

Sacramento Theatre Company Thru Mar 18 1419 H St, Sac 916-443-6672 SacTheatre.org After receiving a prophecy from a trio of fantastical witches claiming that he is fated to be King of Scotland, Macbeth becomes consumed by the prospect of political advancement. Spurred to action by his equally ambitious wife, something wicked this way comes when Macbeth proves not a man worthy of the Kingship, but an immoral and tyrannical madman.

teachers and performs in groups like Beethoven & Friends Chamber Music Ensemble, which returned Ross to her very first instrument. “I didn’t play cello for 30 years, then took it up again 10 years ago,” she says. “I loved playing in local orchestras, but the evening rehearsal schedule made it hard to do lessons. So now I love getting to perform every so often with a dedicated group. Each experience feeds the other—it’s an overlap of ideas.” Sounds like a pretty great retirement plan. For more information, go to like2sing.com and celloantics.com. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

BACHELORETTE

Big Idea Theatre March 9 – April 7 1616 Del Paso Blvd, Sac 960-3036 BigIdeaTheatre.org Sir Robert Chiltern’s perfect life centers around his successful political career, his loving and brilliant wife Gerturde, and his supportive and quick witted sister Mabel. Lord Arthur Goring’s perfect life centers around lounging, partying, flirting with Mabel, and avoiding his father’s instance that he should marry. Life is easy! That is until the perfect world of these men is turned upside down by the arrival of old acquaintance Mrs. Laura Cheveley who has come with blackmail in mind. As gossip and lies begin to fly, it’s revealed that the man thought to be perfect is flawed, the man with all the flaws must do something right. The question remains: what makes an ideal husband?

B Street Theatre Thru Mar 11 2711 B St, Sac 443-5300 BstreetTheatre.org

19th ANNUAL SAC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL Crest Theatre April 19, 21 and 22 1013 K St, Sac CrestSacramento.com

19th Annual Sacramento Jewish Film Festival at the Crest Theatre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 19, 21 and 22, 2018. Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Yom HaAtzmaut – Israel Independence Day, the festival will showcase six feature films: * Hummus! The Movie * Epilogue: Ben-Gurion * Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story * Fanny’s Journey * Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema and 1945 (based on the acclaimed short story “Homecoming” by Gábor T. Szántó). OPENING NIGHT – Friday, April 19 will feature a hummus and pita reception with The KlezMeerkats of Sacramento performing Israeli and Klezmer music. The band will also perform on stage between the films. A special short film, Gefilte Fish, will be shown before Hummus: The Movie. Saturday, April 21 will welcome filmmaker Alexandra Dean who will introduce her film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story and lead a post-film discussion. A reception, catered by Solomon’s Delicatessen, and a Havdalah service will precede the film. The festival closes on Sunday, April 22 with screenings of Fanny’s Journey, Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema and 1945. Prior to Shalom Bollywood, dance troupe Arts of India will perform on stage. Central Valley Holocaust Educators’ Network (CVHEN) President Liz Igra will also lead a discussion after the 1945 showing.

SUBMIT EVENTS TO ANIKO@INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

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Beer on Broadway OAKHAUS IS A NEW-STYLE HOFBRAU AND BEER HALL

neighborhood more than a century old, Oak Park was a “streetcar suburb,” easily reachable by streetcars that were first drawn by horses and eventually ran on electricity. At the turn of the last century, the neighborhood was a thriving center for arts, culture, shopping and dining. Throughout the 20th century, events conspired to bring Oak Park down. The freeway building boom of the 1950s and ’60s dealt a double blow to Oak Park, cutting it off from

GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

POC MAR n 18

adjacent neighborhoods and allowing middle-class and prosperous residents to move out to the more remote suburbs farther from the city center. Recent revitalization efforts, however, seem to be taking hold. A handful of businesses have staked their claim around the newly named Triangle District, and their fortunes are on the rise. This isn’t luck or good timing, however. Many of the businesses nestled in the crook of the triangle, around 35th Street and Broadway, are serving quality food and drinks. They’re the kind of places that would be successful no matter where they set up shop. Two such spots are La Venadita, a Mexican restaurant, and Oakhaus, a hofbrau-style German bar and restaurant. Both are owned by Tom Schnetz, a successful Bay

Area restaurateur who grew up in Sacramento. Schnetz was raised not far from Oak Park and now owns a house just a few blocks away from his two restaurants. He grew up in a family with both Mexican and German roots, and his Sacramento restaurants bring together the national strains that make up his background. As a native of Sacramento, I grew up going to Sam’s Hof Brau with my grandmother, and I still love going there today. Oakhaus’ take on the hofbrau is more modern and streamlined. Think ’50s German electronics and kitschy midcentury beer posters in place of red velvet wallpaper and gilt-framed portraits of Rubenesque ladies. A large, sunny patio stretches along Broadway and is a perfect place for soaking up the sun and downing a

liter of fine German beer. Oakhaus pours multiple German beers—lager, Pilsner, Kolsch, Dopplebock—along with a wide selection of California brews. Some of these local offerings are in the German style, while others are strikingly American. In the fridge sits a vast array of imported beers brewed throughout Germany. Between tap and bottles, Oakhaus has one of the best German beer selections in the area. On the menu, you’ll find a host of German favorites like schnitzel, the pounded/breaded/fried pork cutlet nearly synonymous with Central European cuisine. Oakhaus’ take on the old standard is pretty standard. The fry is crisp and the pork tender. Add to it a side of vinegary-tart potato salad and you’ll be singing David Hasselhoff tunes in no time.

What is a German eatery without sausage? Here, the tube meat comes from V. Miller Meats in East Sacramento. Have it on a roll with an overly generous spread of mayo and mustard, and topped with a particularly aggressive sauerkraut. Or opt for the sausage plate with condiments and a side of that great potato salad. Small bites might be the best thing on the menu (as well as the best thing for riding shotgun to your lager). The house-made pretzel is simply the best pretzel I’ve had in recent memory. It’s especially delightful with a side of cheese sauce and mustard. And the “kraut balls”—small morsels of sauerkraut and carrots, breaded and fried—are a winsome treat. They’re a perfect accompaniment to a dark schwarzbier or earthy maibock. Oakhaus typically has at least one kind of cupcake at the ready for those

with a sweet tooth, but since it's only a few minutes from Gunther’s Ice Cream, there’s no need to put on a big show for dessert. Unpretentious and casual, Oakhaus provides a relaxing space in which to meet, mingle and kibitz with friends over a fine German beer and a small bite or two. Although it’s much less traditional than the hofbrau you might expect, the same feeling of conviviality makes Oakhaus a worthy overseas cousin to the beer halls and drinking tents of Germany. Oakhaus is at 3413 Broadway; (916) 376-7694; oakhaussac.com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. n

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

Life’s ﬁrst hellos start here. At Methodist Hospital of Sacramento’s Family Birth Center, we’re committed to the relaxation and wellness of both mom and baby. In addition to our compassionate team of experts, each private birthing suite and postpartum room is thoughtfully provided with an abundance of special amenities including: t t t t t

Doula services Rejuvenating organic bath and body products Gourmet meal and celebratory cupcakes Comfortable overnight sleepers for mom’s support person WiFi access, iPod docking station and flat screen TV

Methodist Hospital of Sacramento is proud to be recognized as Baby Friendly, a global designation for birthing centers with the highest level of care and breastfeeding services. Begin your journey in a place that anticipates and attends to your needs. Take a virtual tour online at DignityHealth.org/MethodistSacramento or call 916.453.4518 to schedule a “Stork Tour”.

POC MAR n 18

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GREENHAVEN/POCKET

4 bed, 3 bath spacious classic Greenhaven single story located on a desirable street and within the Didion School Boundaries. Peaceful backyard with spacious covered patio overlooking a lovely yard, majestic trees and a freeform pool. $519,500 NICK LAPLACA 916-764-7500

FAIR OAKS

This 4 bed, 3 bath in Desirable Fair Oaks! Fresh interior & exterior paint, new laminate Àooring downstairs, elegantly deisgned kitchen, triple pane windows, a sunroom that overlooks a beautiful pool and spa and so much more! $419,000 TERRY MULLIGAN 916-768-3796

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