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CLASSIC GREENHAAVEN HOME This is a terri¿c Contemporary home with great views of Seymour Park from the wall of Living Room and Dining Room windows. 4 bedrooms 3 baths, beautifully remodeled kitchen and bar area is a chef and entertainers dream! Enjoy the vaulted ceilings in almost every room, giving the home loads of light and spaciousness. Just move in! $639,000 PAULA SWAYNE 425-9715

AMAZING CUSTOM HOME 5 bedrooms 3 baths an easy stroll to Sacramento River levee. Remodeled kitchen and bathrooms. Upgrades include granite counters, appliances, carpet, wood laminate Àoors. 1 bedroom and bath downstairs.

Remodeled wet bar. 3-car garage. Big yard with large pool & patio.

Great for entertaining Wow! $715,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

EXCEPTIONAL ‘LITTLE POCKET’ HOME Nicely remodeled and wonderfully maintained 3 bedroom 2 bath home with lots of light and a spacious feel! Move-in ready, all the work has been done. Lovely unique kitchen tile work and backsplash, new appliances, separate family room / media room, pretty yard. $495,000 KAREN BOOTH 803-0530

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IMMACULATE SOUTH LAND PARK 3 bedroom 3 bath home on coveted Holstein Way. Completely remodeled in the last 3 years. Spacious open Àoorplan. New kitchen, baths, roof, water heater, HVAC, Trex deck. Resurfaced pool with dressing rooms and full outside bath. Wet bar in bonus game room! $699,000 CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483

FABULOUS SLP REMODEL New exterior stucco and paint, new interior ‘imperfect’ texturing and paint, new engineered wood Àoors, new kitchen with waterfall quartz topped island, two master suites, upgraded electric and interior plumbing, new dual zone HVAC. Big lot with pool. Wow! $949,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

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WONDERFUL RIVERLAKE HOME Prestigious Riverlake community! Beautiful lake. Wonderful home! 4 bedrooms 3 baths, new shake roof in Dec. 2012. Remodeled kitchen with high-end cabinets, soft close drawers, lazy susan, spice cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, engineered white oak Àoors. Refrigerator included. Downstairs bed and bath. $480,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

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DUTRA BEND AT RIVERLAKE Sophisticated home in prestigious Riverlake community. Open Àoorplan with soaring ceilings, remodeled kitchen, bar, shutters, downstairs master suite with 3 closets, dual sinks, jetted tub and separate shower.

Loft/possible 4th bedroom, professionally landscaped yards w/brick patio, fountain. 3-car garage, $659,900 ERIN STUMPF 342-1372

for current home listings, please visit:

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REMODELED SOUTH LAND PARK TERRACE All it needs is YOU! Brimming with light and beautifully renovated with style and space. Custom updates set the stage for a lifetime of memories. 4 bedroom, 3 baths and storage galore. Walkable. Close to William Land Park and Midtown; this wonderful home is exactly like nothing else! Come See! You’ll fall in love. $799,500 SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395

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CUSTOM BRIDGVIEW AT RIVERLAKE Amazing remodeled custom home with a most spectacular yard including ‘pebble tech’ built-in pool. Prestigious Riverlake gated community. Beautiful lake! 4 or 5 bedrooms, 3 bahts, marble Àoors, Simonton windows, Anderson slider, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, tile roof. Downstairs bed, bath and den! 3-car garage. $721,000 MONA GERGEN 247-9555

SOLD SOLD

PENDING PENDING

Modern Living in Coleman Ranch! $599,000

WOW Factor! $395,000

Move-In Ready in Roundtree! $185,000

Ideal Pocket Location! $399,000

Established South Land Park Hills Rancher! $389,000

Darling East Sac Tudor! $589,000

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EAST SACRAMENTO McKINLEY PARK RIVER PARK ELMHURST TAHOE PARK CAMPUS COMMONS

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ARDEN ARCADE SIERRA OAKS WILHAGGIN DEL PASO MANOR CARMICHAEL

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2017 S A C R A M E N T O ' S P R E M I E R F R E E C I T Y M O N T H LY

THE GRID

By Sherry Dilulo I N S I D E

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

COVER ARTIST Patris Patris Studio Gallery at 3460 2nd Avenue. in Oak Park is home to weekly drawing and painting classes.

Patris coordinates artist workshops, art exhibits, and other community events. Patris also features her own artwork, along with works by several other prominent local artists. Visit artist-patris.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 Jim Hastings, 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—©

SUBMISSIONS Submit editorial contributions to mbbizjak@aol.com

Submit cover art to publisher@insidepublications.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions at $25 per year guarantees 3rd class mailing. Pay online at insidepublications. com or send check with name & address of recipient and specify publication edition.

PUBLISHER Cecily Hastings

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JULY 17 VOL. 4 • ISSUE 6 7 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 30 34 36 40 44

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

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A Shocking Theft INSPIRATIONAL SCULPTURE WAS STOLEN IN PLAIN DAYLIGHT

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or last month’s column, I wrote about how the nonprofit group Friends of East Sacramento restored Clunie Community Center, home to McKinley Library, and McKinley Rose Garden. The group (which I helped found) still manages the center and the garden using a lot of volunteer labor. Before the column was even printed, we were shocked by a brazen and heartbreaking theft at Clunie.

On the afternoon of May 24, a 50-inch-tall bronze sculpture titled “Journeys of the Imagination” by Gary Lee Price, was stolen from Clunie’s lobby outside the library.

The piece, a whimsical depiction of an adventurous boy balancing on a paper airplane, was bolted to a console table in the center of the lobby. Also stolen was a moving cart stored in the nearby kitchen.

We heard a report that two men wearing “official-looking” vests had been seen in the lobby around the time of the theft. Lisa Schmidt, one of the founders of Friends of East Sacramento, was at the community center at the time, but she had stepped into the library for about 20 minutes to speak to McKinley librarian Bridget Laws. When she walked back into the lobby, the sculpture was gone.

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By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

been monitoring eBay and Craigslist.

Our only hope is someone sees it in a yard or house and lets the new owner know it was stolen.

The Clunie statue is part of a limited-edition series created by the Gary Lee Price Studios in Springville, Utah.

The "Journeys of the Imagination" statue was stolen from the lobby at the Clunue Center in late May.

The sculpture was purchased for the center in 2008 for $6,995, using funds Lisa and I had raised by holding East Sacramento home remodeling tours. The sculpture’s sentimental value is even greater than its monetary value. On many occasions, we have seen little children headed for the library stop and touch the statue with wonder and delight.

The piece reflects the charm of the historic library and the reason why

the community fought so hard to keep it open.

Lisa and I had never worried about theft in the lobby because the space is so used so much. There are always people around. I suspect the thieves may have seen the sculpture and identified its value on the artist’s website, then arranged for a buyer before stealing it. Sheriff Scott Jones put out a bulletin to all the Northern California metal scrap yards. I’ve

Sadly, we experienced another high-profile theft last year when a large metal trellis disappeared from McKinley Rose Garden. The trellis was recovered after it appeared in a photo on the thief’s Facebook page.

Richard Hengeveld admitted to stealing the trellis and transporting it to his niece’s wedding in Natomas.

He pleaded no contest to the theft and was sentenced to one year in county jail.

The Clunie statue is part of a limited-edition series created by the Gary Lee Price Studios in Springville, Utah. Of the 150 versions of this statue that have been sold, this is the first one to be stolen. It will cost nearly $10,000 to replace the art piece, including a security camera.

If you have seen the statue or know anything about its whereabouts, please call 452-8011 or email friendsofeastsac@aol.com.

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Bike riders enjoy the American River Parkway.

FROM page 7 Fundraising efforts for the statue’s replacement have already begun. Developer Phil Angelides gave $500 to kick off the campaign.

I’ve donated 100 copies of our book, “Inside Sacramento: The Most Interesting Neighborhood Places in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital,” to raise $2,500. A copy of

the book will be given as a thankyou gift for each $25 donation to FOES. Books are available at the Clunie office and McKinley Library.

Donations can be made online at friendsofeastsacramento.org or by check mailed to FOES, 3014 O Street #222, Sac., CA 95816.

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LOCAL SURVEY RESULTS

important component of people’s lives,” said Christine Ault of Valley Valley Vision and Sacramento Vision.

State’s Institute for Social Research The survey found that 91 percent recently released findings from of respondents consider civic and a public opinion survey aimed at cultural amenities important to their capturing regional attitudes on civic personal well-being and quality of and cultural amenities. life. It also found that 95 percent When asked to rank the amenity consider amenities important for the that most influences their quality Sacramento’s image to people living of life, respondents overwhelmingly outside the region. chose parks and recreational trails. Of About 87 percent of respondents less importance were other physical consider public amenities important places, such as museums, art galleries, for attracting visitors, while 93 sports venues, riverfront attractions, percent consider amenities an theaters and recreational areas, and important factor for individuals and organized festivals and community families looking to relocate to the activities where people congregate. region.

Sports venues were at the bottom The civic-amenities survey collected of amenities that respondents think responses from 748 residents in deserve public investment. Of note Sacramento County and parts of Yolo, is that Golden 1 Center has drawn Placer and El Dorado counties.

1 million spectators to Kings games This is just the first in a series of and concerts in its first six months of public opinion polls that Valley Vision operation. and ISR plan to conduct multiple The survey defined civic and times annually, according to Valley cultural amenities as regional Vision. attractions that improve residents’ Another notable finding: A majority quality of life and enhance the of people across most demographics attractiveness of the region to would pay $21 to $30 annually in outsiders. increased taxes to support local “The research findings show cultural, art or natural amenities. that support for these amenities transcends age, gender, wealth and Cecily Hastings can be reached at political affiliation and illustrate publisher@insidepublications.com. n that civic amenities are a critically

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Top School SES HONORED FOR ITS INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM

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chool of Engineering & Sciences was recently honored as a 2017 Gold Ribbon School by the California Department of Education.

It is one of 275 California schools to receive the designation.

SES received the award based on its unique instructional curriculum design, which emphasizes college preparedness. The school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum is integrated with real-world problems and concerns. This “linked educational approach” requires students to problem solve, collect data and use analytical skills.

Will Cannady, a history teacher at SES, described a recent class project initiated by students who were interested in learning more about North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

They studied past nuclear projects such as the Manhattan Project and the Chernobyl disaster. According to Cannady, such projects help students shape their “moral compass.”

Students at SES work with community partners such as SMUD, Sacramento State University’s School of Engineering, 100 Black Men and the Society of Women Engineers.

According to principal Jim Hays, the school’s goal is to increase the diversity of the region’s science and engineering workforce. Almost 70 percent of the school’s 530 students are from lowincome families.

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By Corky Mau Pocket Life

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Will Cannady with School of Engineering & Sciences students.

For more information about SES, go to schoolofengineeringandsciences.org.

MARCH IN THE FOURTH PARADE On Tuesday, July 4, the Pocket’s annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Lisbon Elementary School.

The parade will travel down Windbridge Drive and end at Garcia Bend Park. After the parade, there will be a community fair and food trucks at the park.

If you want to march in the parade, the preregistration deadline is July 1. Entry forms are available at River’s Edge Church (6449 Riverside Boulevard). Entry forms can also be downloaded at cityofsacramento.org.

Preregistered entrants will receive a preassigned parade space.

For more information, contact Linda Pohl at 429-9901 or linda@valcomnews. com.

FUN RUN ON THE FOURTH Matsuyama Elementary School will hold its annual Fourth of July 5k and 8k fun run/walk on Tuesday, July 4.

Race-day registration and check-in starts at the school at 7 a.m. The race begins at 8 a.m.

The route will go along the canal and greenbelt before returning to the school. One water station will be located at the halfway point.

Registration costs $20. Proceeds will help fund the school’s sixthgrade trip to Sly Park Environmental Science Camp.

Matsuyama Elementary School is at 7680 Windbridge Drive For more information, go to matsuyama.scusd.edu or email chairfunrun@gmail.com.

GREAT WAR HISTORIAN TO SPEAK New York Times best-selling author and historian Andrew Carroll will

talk about his new book, “My Fellow Soldiers: General John Pershing and the Americans Who Helped Win the Great War,” on Thursday, July 13, at Sacramento Elks Lodge #6.

The book includes little-known and newly discovered letters and diaries to create a vivid and moving account of World War I. The event starts at 1 p.m. and is free to the public. In lieu of an event fee, attendees are encouraged to donate back scratchers and flip-flops, which will be given to war veterans.

Carroll will also discuss his Million Letter Campaign project, designed to collect war-related letters and other communications reflecting the activities and thoughts of American war participants. The Elks Lodge will be a collection site for letter contributions, which will eventually be housed at Chapman University in Orange, Calif.

Carroll is a member of the faculty of Chapman University and the founding director of The Center for American War Letters. He was also a participant in a PBS documentary called “War Letters.”

Elks Lodge #6 is at 6446 Riverside Boulevard.

THIS MONTH AT ROBBIE WATERS LIBRARY Edible Magic Garden: Thursday, July 6, 1:30 p.m. Food Literacy Center will help attendees harvest their own mini garden, which includes a variety of baby greens and micro herbs.

Children will also make a vinaigrette dressing. Free for children from kindergarten through sixth grade.

Wild Animals Presentation: Saturday, July 8, 2 p.m. Get up-close

Matsuyama Elementary School will hold its annual Fourth of July fun run/walk

We’re shining a light on how you inspire us!

Together, we’ve brightened our region with volunteers, sponsorships, education and support for what you care about most. We’re YOUR electric utility and because of you, we are 70 years bright.

and personal with some amazing animals from around the world at this entertaining and educational presentation by Wild Things, Inc., a local wildlife rescue organization.

Artists and Crafters Meetup Group: Tuesdays, July 11 and 25, 1–3 p.m. Calling all artists and crafters who are interested in this social group. Bring whatever project you're working on.

Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library is at 7335 Gloria Drive. For more information, go to saclibrary. org/events.

DISTRICT 7 OFFICE HOURS City Councilmember Rick Jennings will hold District 7 office hours on Thursday, July 20, at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library.

The monthly event allows constituents to discuss community concerns with Jennings and his staff.

The library is at 7335 Gloria Drive.

Corky Mau can be reached at cmau789@sbcglobal.net. n

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Streetcar Fix DEVELOPERS EMBOLDEN CITY OFFICIALS TO DEFY VOTERS

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ith the news last month that the Regional Transit board of directors had approved spending $25 million of scarce RT capital improvement dollars on the proposed Sacramento streetcar, backers of the streetcar received a major boost for their dream of bringing clanging streetcars back to Sacramento after an absence of 70 years. Is the political steamroller that is driving Sacramento’s streetcar project poised to finally prevail over streetcar skeptics? It’s still too early to tell. There are chapters still to be written in the saga of Sacramento’s modern streetcar proposal.

STREETCAR JOURNAL As an active participant in the public debate over the streetcar proposal, allow me to share with you my perspectives on it. I see the streetcar project as another example of our city government ignoring the expressed will of the people, as well as objective evidence of how modern streetcars impact American cities that choose to build them.

Two years ago, the city held a special election of Downtown and Midtown voters near the route of the proposed streetcar. Voters were asked whether they would approve a 30-year tax on property in the area to cover

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By Craig Powell Inside City Hall

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part of the projected $150 million cost of the streetcar project. Proponents argued that the streetcar would increase the value of their properties.

But voters were unconvinced, and the measure failed by nearly 20 percent.

City officials didn’t miss a beat: The very next day, Councilmember Steve Hansen announced that the city was working on “Plan B,” an alternative way to finance the streetcar. Our city leaders couldn’t care less that the very people who were supposed to

benefit the most from the streetcar had soundly rejected a measure to partially pay for it. Elected officials were hellbent on working around the wishes of uncooperative voters—the people they’d sworn to represent.

ANTI-DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDES It is a common theme among senior city officials these days: We know what’s best for you, even if you don’t

like it, don’t want it and actually vote to oppose it. We saw the same attitude at play in the city’s successful efforts three years ago to abort the initiative measure that would have required a public vote on the $330 million of taxpayer subsidies that city officials sought to give to owners of the Sacramento Kings to build Golden 1 Center, even though initiative sponsors submitted more than enough verified petition signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.

The attitude was also evident in the byzantine legal jujitsu (including an artificially constructed sale/leaseback transaction) the city used to exempt the arena bond issuances from the California Constitution’s clear requirement that city voters must approve a city’s issuance of long-term debt. The city also employed artful legal fictions to overcome a state law that clearly prohibits the use of parking meter revenues for purposes other than maintaining public streets, a provision designed to prevent local governments from jacking up meter revenues to fund other government functions (i.e., like an arena). Viola!

Sacramento’s rapidly escalating parking meter revenues are now being used to fund debt-service payments on the city’s $300 million arena bonds.

ESCALATING OPERATING LOSSES The city’s Plan B was a new financing plan to build the streetcar that relied heavily on additional pots of money from Regional Transit ($25 million), state government ($30 million) and the Federal Transit Administration (a total of $100 million, up from $75 million). Local officials dropped their effort to tax Sacramento property owners to fund a portion of the construction costs.

Now, the city needs to raise money to fund the streetcar’s ever-escalating projected operating losses.

Officials initially claimed that the streetcar would lose $2 million a year. That estimate was then increased to $3 million, then to $5.1 million. Professor Emeritus Gregory Thompson of Florida State University, a nationally recognized expert on transit matters and vice chair of Eye on Sacramento’s Transportation Committee, has studied the matter and estimates that the streetcar will actually lose between $6 million and $8 million annually, or approximately $175 million over the next 25 years.

To qualify for federal funding, local officials must show that it has the funding in place to cover the streetcar’s expected operating losses.

(All streetcars lose money; some lose gobs of it.) West Sacramento has committed to contributing $2 million annually. Proponents claim that streetcar fares, advertising and sponsorships will bring in another $2.1 million annually. But EOS has obtained a copy of an internal memorandum, dated Nov. 22, 2016, between executives of engineering consultant HDR, the nation’s most prolific builder of streetcar systems, which candidly reveals that HDR executives believe the Sacramento streetcar can be expected to bring in only $300,000 a year in fare revenues and a paltry $13,000 a year in advertising revenues—$1.9 million less than the $2.1 million revenue estimate that local officials are peddling to the public, property owners and federal officials. Has this splash of cold water caused local officials to reassess the streetcar project or to adjust their official loss estimates upward? Of course not.

In late May, the city launched another tax election, this one focused on raising $2 million each year from Downtown and Midtown property owners to cover a portion of the streetcar’s annual operating losses.

But are the voting property owners the same voters who turned down the streetcar tax in 2015? Nope.

The city has cynically gerrymandered the new tax district to exclude all owners and residents of residential property (who voted against the 2015 tax) and to include only commercial property owners (who were more favorably disposed to the tax). It has also created a nonsensical checkerboard of voting commercial properties in the district, skipping some parcels while including others. In one case, an included property is located two blocks away from the nearest included property, with all properties in between omitted. Why? Well, back in early 2015, the city conducted a straw vote of property owners several months before the actual tax election held a few months later. The voting preference of each property owner who participated in the straw poll was tallied and made public. Did city officials use their

knowledge of the voting preferences of each property owner from the straw poll to select the commercial properties to be included in the new tax district, thereby assuring that the new tax proposal receives the two-thirds majority needed to pass it?

Almost certainly.

This is hardly democracy. In fact, it’s a corruption of democracy designed to defeat the will of the voters. The results of the new tax election weren’t available by our publication date, but it’s not difficult to predict its outcome.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has taken note of the city’s manipulation of this latest Mello-Roos tax election. In an April 20 letter, HTLA warned city officials that if the streetcar tax proposal received less than a unanimous vote of property owners, any property owner voting against the tax could successfully sue to have the tax declared illegal. The city hasn’t even bother to respond to the HJTA letter.

Even if the streetcar tax were found to be legal, the current plan for funding the streetcar’s annual losses would likely leave the system chronically short of operating cash. Professor Thompson puts the shortfall at between $22.5 million and $72.5 million over the next 25 years.

The RT board has declared that RT won’t fund a dime of the streetcar’s annual losses. That would leave it up to the cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento to decide whether to spend their own funds to cover the streetcar’s unbudgeted operating losses.

The most likely scenario is that streetcar operating deficits will be closed by reducing the operational tempo of the streetcar, which would lengthen the time interval between arriving cars from the currently projected 15 minutes to, perhaps, 30 minutes. In West Sacramento, where the interval is already projected to be 30 minutes, it could lengthen to 60 minutes.

Who is likely to wait 30 to 60 minutes to board a streetcar to travel a distance of a mile or less at an effective speed of just over 6 mph, particularly as an average person can

walk such a distance in 15 minutes or less?

MAKING THE PROJECT ‘BIGGER’ When the Obama administration announced it was increasing the amount of “New Starts” money available for streetcar projects from $75 million to $100 million, Sacramento officials jumped at the opportunity to increase the size of the project from $150 million to $200 million. Hansen candidly told the media at the time: “We didn’t want to leave money on the table. If we want to ask for more, we have to show a bigger project.”

And so the project got bigger. First, officials decided to move light rail trains off K Street and shift them to H Street to make room for the streetcar to travel down K. (Cost: $25 million.) Never mind that it would inconvenience state workers who mostly work south of K Street. The shift would supposedly address the concerns of K Street merchants who consider the elevated access ramps for disabled passengers unsightly.

However, some civil rights groups and advocates have shared with EOS their suspicious that the real motivation for moving light rail off K is to reduce the number of young people, mostly of color, who like to use light rail to travel to Downtown from their homes in South Sacramento.

That raises the specter of a claim against the city and RT under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by any government project financed with federal funds. (Light rail was built with substantial federal funding.)

Next, the proponents managed to make the project “bigger” by moving the planned maintenance barn for the streetcar from its originally conceived location under the W/X freeway (which would be easily accessible by the streetcar by using existing light rail tracks) to a new barn location under the I-80 Pioneer Bridge on the West Sac side of the river, which would require the laying of an

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Look to Malibu SACRAMENTO COULD LEARN FROM STATE COASTAL COMMISSION

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ehind Elks Lodge No. 6, where the elbow of North Point Way bends south at the Sacramento River levee, a dirt road climbs to the riverside bike path. The view from the top is inspiring—a purely Sacramento vista.

There’s the endless churn of the water. On the west bank, trucks and cars scuttle along River Road in Yolo County. Summer sunsets at this spot are especially nice.

Only the fences spoil the scene.

Three fences can be seen from the levee at North Point. They are blights on public access and the environment, permitted under state authority but all out of compliance, causing levee erosion and extending into the river, across the public domain.

Look closely beyond the fences.

Notice how people have carved steps into the levee, a dangerous and illegal practice. The Central Valley Flood Control Board knows about these problems but is unwilling to revoke the fence permits, at least for now.

One great mystery in the decadeslong battle to remove private fences along the levee in the Pocket, Little Pocket and Greenhaven has been the timid approach by the flood board, a state agency with complete control over access to our levees. By law, the board can order the fences down any time.

RG

By R.E. Graswich Pocket Beat

14

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River access continues to be a hot topic in the Pocket.

A few homeowners have claimed their property rights are superior to the board’s control, but they have never tried to prove that argument in court. And if the homeowners tried, they would surely lose. No judge would say homeowners have more authority over the levees than the state.

Yet for years, the flood board has behaved like a beaten dog around homeowners, afraid to offend anyone whose house backs up along the river. Fearful of lawsuits, rolling over when property owners make unsubstantiated claims about needing fences for safety,

the state consistently abdicates its responsibilities to the greater public.

The Central Valley Flood Control Board would be smart to study its big sister, the California Coastal Commission, which takes a different approach to public access and illegal constructions such as fences and stairs.

The Coastal Commission doesn’t mess around.

In December, the commission approved a $4.185 million fine against Malibu beachfront property owners Warren and Henny Lent.

The offense will ring familiar to people in Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket—constituents who

have tried for years to gain access to levee stretches blocked by private gates. The Coastal Commission voted unanimously to issue the fine after the Lents blocked access to Las Flores Beach with a locked gate and nonpermitted staircase.

“Either you’re going to let people down your stairs or you’re not,” commission chair Dayna Bochco said after the vote. “They have been playing very serious games, and that’s what led us here.”

Our local flood board takes a different approach to homeowners who play games. It finds excuses for not pulling down fences. It delays enforcement actions and tries to work

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with homeowners who build illegal barricades, staircases and gardens.

The board says it’s overworked, understaffed and too busy to chase after every homeowner who extends a fence across public-access points and fails to follow the obligations of a fence permit.

The state didn’t exactly hustle in its prosecution of the Lent barricades.

The commission first notified the property owners about the violations in 2007. Commission staff tried to work out a solution with more than 30 letters, phone conferences and site visits. Nothing worked.

Meantime, the Lents were busy making money at their Pacific Coast Highway property. They rented out the place for as much as $1,000 per night. The commission uncovered testimonials from guests boasting about the exclusivity.

The Coastal Commission wasn’t always so decisive. Before 2014, the commission couldn’t impose fines for violations by homeowners.

Knowing they would not face serious punishment, homeowners planted

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fake “no parking” signs and painted curbs red to keep visitors away. Some hired security guards to chase families from public beach areas.

The fines changed everything.

Faced with penalties of up to $11,250 per day, homeowners began to behave.

The Lent property included a public easement when the home was built in 1979. Sacramento River levee properties have easements going back a century—the original farmers sold unencumbered easements to the state and essentially gave ownership to the public.

Coastal Commission vice chair Effie Turnbull Sanders put the Malibu access matter into perspective with a question that should resonate along the Sacramento levee: “I think this is a matter of justice and a matter of what does access mean and what does this mean to Southern California and people who want to go to the beach?” she said.

Change three words and she could be talking about Greenhaven.

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

FROM page 13 additional mile of track. (Cost: $25 million.)

Why would streetcar boosters want to add an unnecessary—and expensive—mile of additional track from Tower Bridge to I-80 in West Sacramento? Because there’s a great deal of undeveloped land along that route owned by influential West Sac developers and land speculators whose holdings can be expected to increase in value if a streetcar line is built adjacent to them and—best of all—at no additional cost to themselves, since Sacramento RT and federal taxpayers are picking up the tab for the $50 million increase in the project’s costs.

So why did the RT board, made up of elected officials from throughout the county, vote unanimously last month to spend its $25 million in high-speed rail funds on the streetcar? RT staff provided the board with an extensive list of highpriority light rail projects on which the $25 million could have been spent, including a major purchase of light rail rolling stock to replace cars that have reached the end of their useful lives. RT estimates that it will need nearly $170 million in the near future to replace its fleet of aged light rail cars.

If the $25 million of RT’s highspeed rail funds were matched with $25 million of eligible federal funding, RT could have made major headway toward addressing this looming liability. Instead, local elected officials will almost certainly use the looming cost of replacing light rail cars as political justification

for a new “Son of Measure B” tax-hike proposal, following the narrow defeat last year of Measure B, which would have doubled the county’s existing one-half-percent transportation sales tax. (Full disclosure: I chaired the No on Measure B campaign committee.)

RT directors bought the argument that the streetcar would be a driver of economic development in Downtown and Midtown, a decision that is likely to have lasting consequences for the future of RT, as well as Sacramento taxpayers.

Next month, I’ll address the economic development justification for the streetcar and review the impact it would likely have on transportation in Sacramento. I’ll also handicap how the streetcar is likely to fare with the Trump administration and the GOPcontrolled Congress.

Publisher's Note: We asked Councilmember Steve Hansen, whose district includes the proposed streetcar route, to submit an opposing viewpoint article to run in this issue. While it was not submitted as scheduled, we hope it arrives and we are able to run it in a future month.

Craig Powell is a retired attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group.

He can be reached at craig@ eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030. n

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

15

Rebecca Garrison THE HEALING ARTS

R

ebecca Garrison, an appointed member of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, reflects on her journey from gallerist to volunteer arts advocate.

How did you first get involved with SMAC? The arts commission played a role in my gallery days long before I totally appreciated its role in the larger community. (Garrison ran the Sacramento Temporary Contemporary Gallery from 2009 to 2014.) As a new gallerist with no experience, getting insurance to cover artwork was a challenge. Through SMAC’s nonprofit arm, I was able to purchase insurance for several months until a private insurance company was comfortable with the risk. Then-County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashen approached me about serving on the commission as her representative. I was elected co-chair in 2014, just as I was closing the gallery. Taking on those new responsibilities at SMAC was a good bridge for staying engaged with the arts community.

Why do you think SMAC is so important?

I’ve come to value the role of the commission in more than just the arts community. Last year, we hosted a public meeting to help guide

JL

By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

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the eye of the beholder, but there’s no denying that art has critical value to a community, to a society. It adds to our enjoyment. It helps us cope. It prompts critical thinking. It helps us connect with each other.

There’s no denying that art has critical value to a community, to a society.

Rebecca Garrison

our race and cultural equity policy development. One gentleman from the audience said something to the effect of, “Art heals, and my community needs to be healed.” That hit me over the head about the need to make the arts accessible to everyone, in every part of the city and county. On a good day, the commission’s role can be somewhat invisible—quietly providing a steady foundation of support and access. We’re celebrating our 40th year of existence this year, and in the last 40 years, the county’s population has doubled. The commission’s public arts collection is now worth more than $25 million, and the arts and culture sector is a

more than $100 million industry in Sacramento County. But in the past decade, we’ve seen arts education suffer in our public schools. SMAC’s overall budget has decreased and our grant program has been reduced from $700,000 to $422,000. As needs have increased, our resources have decreased significantly. Clearly, this needs attention.

What does art mean to you?

I’ve given up trying to define “the arts.” Art is certainly found at the Crocker Art Museum, but it’s also a crayon drawing on a refrigerator. It’s a philharmonic performance and a busker on the street. I guess art is in

How do we support the arts?

The first step is to be and stay aware of the value of the arts. Once your mindset is on the power of the arts (however you define them), I think you will know how you personally can support the arts, whether it’s to become a season ticket holder to a theater company, tip a street musician or drop off art supplies at a senior center. Now more than ever, there’s an economic reason for supporting and nurturing the arts.

Those cool places that we compete with for jobs—places like Austin, Texas, and Portland—are investing more in their artist communities than we are. Per capita, Austin invests around $9 in the arts. In Portland, it’s around $6. In Sacramento, it’s less than a dollar. We’ve got to do better, and we’ve got to do better in a regional way.

For more information about the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, visit sacmetroarts.org. n

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17

Hurry Up WHY IS BASEBALL SO SLOW?

B

aseball is older than the Declaration of Independence, but the game’s true age is an open question. Experts typically emphatic in their knowledge disagree about how long people have played baseball.

But there’s general consensus about how long people are playing today: too long.

In a contemporary world where laptops, smartphones, tablets, social media and video games compete with sports for impatient eyeballs and tiny attention spans, baseball is losing ground. Each game that drags past 3 1/2 hours risks losing fans who may never return.

This year, baseball tried to address the slow-motion problem by tinkering with the rules. To see whether the adjustments are making a positive difference, I checked in with the River Cats and watched a couple of games.

I figured Sacramento’s Triple-A team would be a good barometer because they follow major league rules at Raley Field. But the River Cats aren’t burdened with the TV commercials that get crammed between innings at Oakland Coliseum or AT&T Park in San Francisco.

And I’ve always preferred attending games in West Sacramento over the bigger stadiums along the bay. River Cats tickets are cheaper,

RG

By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

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River Cats manager Dave Brundage, players and fans adjust to the new rules of the game.

the seats better, the weather warmer and the beer just as cold.

As for distinctions between talent levels, it’s not as great as Major

League Baseball wants fans to believe.

The difference between Triple-A players and most big leaguers is a very thin slice. For the price, the

River Cats are hard to beat, an entertainment bargain.

To speed up the game, baseball owners and the players’ union agreed to modest changes. No longer must a pitcher throw four outside balls to intentionally walk a batter. Now, managers just signal the umpire and the batter trots to first base.

(Baseball lost an opportunity with this change. Imagine the excitement if an intentionally walked batter could start on second or third.)

And they quickened the replay system. Managers have only 30 seconds to decide to challenge a call.

If they do register a challenge, the replay officials have two minutes to review. (A better time saver would be to eliminate replay reviews. Life has no replays.)

“We’ve instituted the new rules but haven’t seen any significant changes in games or the length of games,” says River Cats spokesman Robert Barsanti. “It hasn’t been a big deal.”

The River Cats may not be as sensitive to lengthy games as their big league siblings. Fans aren’t as invested, financially or emotionally.

Raley Field is a social and cultural phenomenon, a place to go for fun, a communal experience, fresh air and baseball, in that order.

If the game drags on too long, many people go home before the final pitch, not caring about the score. Fans who come for postgame fireworks shows boo late-inning pitching changes that delay the aerial excitement.

“We’ve never had a lot of complaints about games being too long,” Barsanti says. “I think most

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fans understand and like the pace of the game.”

Pitching changes are baseball’s biggest time waster. There has been talk about limiting the number of pitchers a manager can use in one inning or game, but relief pitching is such an essential part of baseball that limitations are unlikely.

Making matter worse, batters are trained to make pitchers throw more, to work the count and leave the batter’s box to adjust themselves, which devours time.

Another problem is the meetings around the mound that precipitate a pitching change. Everyone who attends business or staff meetings knows what a waste of time they can be. There’s no reason to believe baseball mound gatherings are any more productive.

Baseball is trying a radical experiment at the low minor league levels, far below the River Cats. In tied games, they start the 10th inning with a runner on second base. It’s

too soon to know the impact, but it can’t hurt. Games averaged 3 hours, 5 minutes in the majors last year.

There are ways to speed up baseball without changing any rules.

A no-nonsense umpire can refuse to allow players to call timeouts—a delaying tactic used by many batters after every pitch.

In a famously chilly scene at Candlestick Park in 1993, umpire Mark Hirschbeck ordered Giants pitcher Rod Beck to keep throwing even after Atlanta’s Ron Gant stepped outside the batter’s box. Gant assumed his timeout request would be automatically honored. Hirschbeck had other ideas. The umpire kept the game moving.

Beck threw a strike across the empty plate. Gant jumped back into position and popped up to end the game, a 1–0 San Francisco victory.

That contest took only 2:16. A worthy target for every baseball game.

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

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

19

Sky High DOWNTOWN CONDOS HAVE SOARING VIEWS—AND PRICES TO MATCH

A

t some point, we’ve all probably related to the lyrics from the 1995 hit “I Wish” by rapper Skee-Lo. Who hasn’t wished to be a little bit taller, a little more baller? Well, by the end of this year, select Sacramentans will have the opportunity to be both, and literally.

The Residences at The Sawyer, 45 luxury condos perched atop a

JV

By Jordan Venema Building Our Future

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16-story boutique hotel, are part of the tallest residential development in Sacramento, and they offer what some might consider a baller lifestyle, both for their amenities and proximity to the home of the Kings, Golden 1 Center.

Located on the southeast corner of J and 5th streets, The Sawyer is a joint development by JMA Ventures and the Sacramento Kings, which will occupy the entire fourth floor of the building. The San Francisco-based Kimpton hotel group will operate 250 rooms out of The Sawyer, while The Residences will occupy the top five floors of the building.

“This is an offering unlike anything Sacramento has ever seen,” says Christopher Miller, director of sales

for The Residences at The Sawyer, which are expected to open by the end of the year.

“I think people are drawn to that carefree lifestyle: lock and leave, everything taken care of for you,” says Miller, explaining the allure of living atop a hotel. “Drive up, the valet takes your car, you’re greeted by your doorman, you enter through your residential-only lobby. If you have groceries, the doorman will take them up for you. There’s also a concierge and 24-hour room service.”

Miller adds that, thanks to partnership with the Kings, owners of The Residences will be able to buy tickets to sold-out Kings’ games and other select events, with preferred rates and underground access to the

arena via tunnel between residential parking and the club level of Golden 1 Center.

The Sawyer’s third floor will include shared amenities with Kimpton guests: a fitness facility, bar and lounge, plus a terrace-level swimming pool overlooking Golden 1 Center’s plaza.

The Sawyer is named after Sacramento icon Lorenzo Sawyer, a California chief justice known for the Sawyer Decision of 1884, which ended the use of hydraulic mining in California, one of the country’s first environmental controversies.

In allusions to Sacramento as the City of Trees and the capital of the Golden State, the walls of the

building’s lobby will feature a goldveined leaf design.

Wide-plank oak floors and porcelain tile characterize the interior aesthetic throughout The Sawyer and The Residences, which were designed

by Puccini Group, a San Francisco firm. “You will see reoccurring aesthetics throughout,” says Miller.

“Sleek, clean lines, but not too contemporary.”

The Residences will have chef-caliber kitchens and floor-toceiling glass windows to capture commanding views. Prices start around $600,000 for a one-bedroom, 789-square-foot apartment, topping off at around $4 million for any of the six 3,323-square-foot penthouses on the top floor. So The Residences won’t be for every Sacramentan, but there still is plenty of interest.

As for availability Miller says, “We’ve been blown away by the response of the marketplace. It’s a really interesting demographic: everything from the empty nester to people who are priced out of the Bay

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21

Changes Afoot DRIVERLESS, ELECTRIC AND SHARED CARS ARE OUR FUTURE

T

hese are heady times for news junkies, especially for a transportation wonk like me.

While transportation happenings garner far less attention than politics, changes in the air will fundamentally affect our lives. There will be profound impacts on how we get around, how much our mobility costs and what happens to the environment.

S W

By Walt SeLfert Getting There

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POC JUL n 17

A UC Davis report calls the transportation changes revolutionary.

It says there are actually three revolutions. One is self-driving cars, which the report dubs automated vehicles. Another is a switch from gas-fueled to electric-powered vehicles. The third is shared mobility, which goes beyond Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services to vehicles with multiple occupants A summary of the report says, “Three transportation revolutions … could help reduce traffic, improve livability, eventually save trillions of dollars each year and reduce urban transportation carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent or more worldwide by 2050.”

We’re still in the early days of these revolutions, so it’s perilous predicting outcomes. It’s like envisioning Facebook, Google or Amazon at the start of the internet.

How transportation plays out will be affected by the complicated interactions of the revolutions.

Outcomes will also be influenced by how fast technology advances, by government policy decisions and by consumer desires.

The report concludes that the full benefits of the transportation revolutions won’t come without shared mobility. Automated vehicles by themselves could increase miles traveled and congestion. For example, driverless cars could be on

the road without any passengers.

Or commuters, able to devote full attention to work or other productive tasks while in the car, might be more willing to embrace long commutes.

Vehicle electrification is also a key.

Without clean electric power, carbon dioxide emissions might not decrease at all.

Besides the mix of revolutions, there are many competing financial interests. Companies are battling for future transportation market domination and potential profits.

There’s a Wild West atmosphere with private firms playing decidedly highstakes poker.

The current field of play involves three major groups. First are the

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auto manufacturers, including upstart electric vehicle maker Tesla.

Buoyed by speculators, Tesla’s market valuation is greater than that of giants General Motors and Ford, despite its spotty record of profitability. Second are technology companies, including Google and Apple, working on self-driving hardware and software. Third, there are the car-sharing companies, such as perennially pugnacious Uber.

There are others in the game, too.

Software designers, mapmakers, sensor builders, private transit companies, public transit agencies and the trucking industry have critical interests. We’re all involved in the social and environmental ramifications.

The private sector is a bewildering, constantly changing melange of friend and foe. Alliances and partnerships have formed. GM has invested half a billion dollars in Lyft. Big companies have gobbled up smaller ones. Uber bought Otto, a self-driving truck firm.

GM bought software maker Cruise Automation. The competition is fierce and frenetic, including a major legal battle between Google’s self-driving car offshoot, Waymo, and Uber.

Almost every day, there’s breaking transportation news: new autonomous Chevy Bolts to be tested in Boston; tests of French-made driverless buses; San Francisco accusing Uber and Lyft of being public nuisances; Boeing talking about pilotless airplanes.

What’s next? Right now, there are many more questions than answers about the future of transportation.

Many industry experts predict there will be less individual car ownership and more shared use. Raquel

Urtasun, head of Uber’s Advanced Technology Group, told the East Bay Times that 10 percent of Uber riders under 30 say they are giving up their car or no longer planning on buying a new car. Will new car sales plummet?

Will autonomous cars mean more driving or less? Will cheap trips via robotaxis mean people will abandon walking and biking for short trips?

On the other hand, will safer, less polluted streets cause more people to walk or bike? Will for-profit transit (with driverless vehicles and cherrypicked routes) be able to out-compete public transit?

Consumers and businesses will be making choices. In some cases, they may, like Betamax tape player buyers of old, pick a technology that never becomes the standard. Government policy decisions, including how public transit agencies react, will certainly shape the transportation revolutions and outcomes. In the 1950s, the federal government’s decision to build the Interstate Highway System, a decision made based on defense needs, tilted the transportation playing field toward automobile use. The interstates promoted and abetted sprawl. Building urban freeways demolished neighborhoods and separated others and heralded 60-plus years of auto-oriented city design.

We’re on the cusp of similar decisions—decisions that will have monumental and long-lasting consequences.

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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23

’Tis the Season FOR NEXT’S SPRING BULBS, START THINKING NOW

J

uly is to Sacramento gardeners what January is to gardeners back East. It’s not the cold that keeps us inside; it’s the heat. In the winter, East Coast gardeners snuggle by the fire, study seed catalogs and dream of summer flowers and vegetables. In the summer,

AC

By Anita Clevenger Garden Jabber

24

POC JUL n 17

Sacramento gardeners stretch out by the air conditioner, study bulb catalogs and dream of spring bloom.

Fall is the time to plant spring bulbs, when air and soil temperatures cool in late October or early November. They aren’t yet in local nurseries, but mail order companies are already taking orders for shipping later this year. Don’t wait if you want to secure more unusual varieties.

Think beyond the usual statuesque tulips and yellow trumpet-flowered yellow daffodils, which may not last more than a season or two in our growing conditions. There is an

astonishing array of bulbs bearing flowers, in many shapes, colors and sizes, that grow well in our warmsummer, mild-winter climate.

Bulbs have an embryonic flower and leaves nestled inside, ready to sprout and bloom. Once the flowers have faded, leaves feed the bulb until they wither and die. Then, bulbs await winter chill to signal that it is time to grow anew. Many bulbs need colder weather than we have in Sacramento. For best results, look for varieties that are rated for USDA zone 9 or higher.

While tulips will grow in any climate zone, tulip hybrids are usually grown as annuals. Even in the Netherlands, tulips are one-hit wonders, dug up and replanted every year. The exceptions are species tulips, which tend to be smaller and daintier and can persist for years.

Reliable, interesting choices include T. bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder,’ with large rose-lilac petals and yellow centers, T. sylvestris, with yellow fragrant flowers, and any of the T. clusiana varieties, including ‘Lady Jane,’ with red and white striped flowers, and ‘Cynthia,’ which has pointed flowers

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There are more than 13,000 varieties of daffodils, also called narcissus or jonquils. There are 13 divisions recognized by daffodil experts, including the familiar trumpet varieties and others that bear flowers in fragrant clusters.

Daffodil bulbs may rot if planted in poorly drained areas that get summer irrigation. You can dig them after their foliage dies down and store the cleaned bulbs in net bags or stockings in a well-ventilated, cool place until it’s time to plant in the fall. Since varieties from the Tazetta division are more tolerant of summer moisture, they are good choices for naturalizing. Varieties from the Triandrus and Jonquilla divisions are also recommended for zone 9.

In my garden, Tazetta ‘Soleil d’Or,’ which bears clusters of fragrant yellow, orange-centered flowers, has gradually spread underneath the flowering pear trees. I’ve also had good luck with cute miniature yellow ‘Tete a Tete,’ which have bloomed happily along my garden path for a decade. In the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, plantings of Tazetta ‘Constantinople’ blooms early every winter. This heirloom bulb is also known as the “scrambled eggs

daffodil� but fortunately smells much better.

Many other types of bulbs grow and persist readily here. One of my favorites is the summer snowflake, or Leucojum. Its bell-shaped white flowers have little green dots at the tip of each petal. I like to cut them and put them on the shelf by my kitchen sink so that I can enjoy their delicate detailing up close. I grow the larger variety, L. aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant.’ I’ve also had good luck with Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides hispanica. Each stem bears a dozen or more bell-shaped flowers. The white, pink or blue flowers have no scent, unlike their relative, the sweetly fragrant hyacinth, but they grow more gracefully and return year after year. Peruvian scilla, or Scilla Peruvian, produce foot-long stalks that bear a dome of 50 or more star-shaped flowers, an exotic, eyecatching sight when grown in clumps in your garden or in a container.

Spring star flowers, or Ipheion, dot the ground with six-pointed white or blue flowers, and they will return each year if drainage is good.

There’s nothing more hopeful than studying a bulb or seed catalog on a hot summer day, dreaming of fall planting and next year’s spring flowers.

Design Installation Maintenance

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/LF

Anita Clevenger is a lifetime Platinum Sacramento County UC Master Gardener. For answers to gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners at 876-5338, visit their website at sacmg.ucanr.edu or visit their booth at the State Fair. n

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A ‘Salt of the Earth’ House RETURNING A FORMER BOARDINGHOUSE TO ITS 1904 GLORY

T

JF

By Julie Foster Home Insight

26

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he last single-family home on 10th Street before downtown’s law offices and commercial buildings take over the landscape belongs to Mark Merin and Cathleen Williams. When the couple purchased the building 40 years ago, it was being used as a boardinghouse. Even in its rough condition, they appreciated the original Honduran mahogany paneling, box-beam ceilings, hardwood floors with intricate border patterns, airy upstairs and doublehung windows.

Over the decades, the pair completed numerous upgrades to the 1904 Foursquare house, but they retained many of the Craftsman design elements that were blended into the original design.

Foursquare homes were extremely popular in America from 1895 to 1930. As the Antique Home Style website explains, “It wouldn’t have hurt that it was a square house of dependable proportions and solid, honest construction in a country where a square deal was offered by then President Theodore Roosevelt.”

These houses generally had two or two-and-a-half stories. The simple floor plan was two rooms deep by two rooms wide on each floor. Hipped roofs often had a dormer window or a dormer on each plane of the roof.

Full or partial front porches gave growing families a bit more space, while large windows on the front of the house offered a street view of the neighborhood. Often, Craftsman or Prairie design elements were added to the homes. Rooms were generally large, with built-in cabinetry, window seats and buffets.

Merin and Williams purchased the house for $35,000. Their sensibilities matched the feeling of

the neighborhood. According to Williams, having both grown up in cities, they appreciated the “salt of the earth” population.

“We also felt the neighborhood was our place. Neither of us had grown up in suburbs. We related immediately to the vibe of the neighborhood,” she says.

Before moving in, they made a few small but important changes. The floors were worn and the beautiful woodwork paneling had taken a beating. The kitchen hadn’t been revamped in decades. Merin enlisted the help of his dad to refresh the home.

“The first was a quickie,” Merin says. “We painted and patched up the walls. We redid the kitchen, which needed a new dishwasher and a reasonable stove. And then we moved in.”

As the family grew over the years, so did their needs.

During the 1980s, the kitchen received a face-lift, including new cabinets, fixtures and an island. The dining room walls were faux painted. Many of the original windows upstairs were replaced with double insulated ones, which open up and pull out for easier cleaning.

In the 1990s, another major kitchen redo reoriented the kitchen to the backyard.

Counters were topped with elegant white Corian. Adding a family room with French doors brought more light into the back of the house.

“Before, the kitchen had been dreary. The side wall had frosted glass windows, and there was no sense of the outdoors,” says Williams.

A modern heater replaced the asbestos-wrapped boiler in the basement. Air conditioning installed upstairs made the second floor comfy during Sacramento’s summers.

In the 2000s, the pair again enlisted their favorite local architect, Donald Fugina of Donald Joseph Inc., who had designed their other projects.

“He can see within minutes how to do something,” Merin says. “He understands what people want.”

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THE HOME’S MANY LITTLE SPACES AND NOOKS ARE PERFECT FOR READING, WRITING OR CONTEMPLATION.

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They wanted a major remodel upstairs. The master bathroom received marble and new fixtures. A small space that had been a screened sleeping porch off the bedroom became a cozy reading area. A balcony on the south side offers a treetop view.

The home’s many little spaces and nooks are perfect for reading, writing or contemplation. The house is decorated with art and items from the couple’s travels.

The full basement is home to Merin’s photographic and stained-glass projects. A wine cellar and a pingpong table provide relaxation and fun.

The house has been a haven for many activists. The front porch is a safe place for those seeking shelter.

“We see our house as a resource and are proud that various hardworking activists have shared the house for a year or more,” Williams says. “Though we are surrounded by parking lots and continuous droning from cars on Highway 5, the house has given solidity and context to our lives 10 blocks from the river.”

The Merin-Williams home will be featured on Preservation Sacramento’s 42nd annual Historic Home Tour on Sunday, Sept. 17. The tour will showcase Sacramento’s oldest existing residential neighborhood, Alkali Flat. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 on the day of the tour. For the most discounted price ($10), volunteer for a two-hour shift. To volunteer, send an email with “volunteer” as the subject to preservation.sacramento@gmail.com. For tickets or more information, go to PreservationSacramento.org/hometour.

If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. n

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The Simple Life FOR CHEF RICK MAHAN, GOOD FOOD DOESN’T HAVE TO BE FANCY

S

acramento may be synonymous with farm to fork, but this wasn’t always the case.

Rick Mahan, chef and owner of two restaurants, The Waterboy in Midtown and OneSpeed Pizza in East Sac, is considered a progenitor of Sacramento’s farm-to-fork movement, but he says that’s just how cooking should be done.

“We’re the farm-to-fork capital, whatever that means,” he says with a laugh, “but it’s one of those things that we used to pay attention to long before the phrase came around. Now it’s grown into its own thing.”

The Waterboy is now in its 21st year, and Mahan, who grew up in Carmichael, has come a long way from washing dishes at a family restaurant during high school. “I ended up cooking and loved it. They inspired in me a real sense of pride, and I decided from that point forward to be a chef,” explains Mahan.

At 19, Mahan moved to San Francisco to apprentice as a chef at the St. Francis Hotel, after which he was offered a position at a hotel in Boston.

“But when I was done with my apprenticeship, the hotel was about six months out from being built,” says Mahan. He moved back to Sacramento, where he found a job and

JV

By Jordan Venema Meet Your Neighbor

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Rick Mahan is the chef and owner of The Waterboy Restaurant and OneSpeed Pizza.

met a woman. As it so often happens, he decided to stay.

After stints at several restaurants, Mahan became chef at Paragary’s, where in 1985 he bought his first box of organic produce.

“We established a relationship with a farmer,” says Mahan. “He would call and say what he had and we’d take what we needed. It was impressive to my young eyes what

he could bring versus a conventional supplier. At the time, this just wasn’t happening, but it made so much sense. This was how they do it in Europe. From that point forward, I made a commitment to support our local farmers as much as I could.”

After Paragary’s, Mahan and a partner successfully opened two restaurants and planned a third, until Mahan opted for a different course.

“My favorite restaurant on the planet always will be Chez Panisse in Berkeley. I’ve probably eaten there 50 or 60 times, and I’ve learned more from that restaurant than any other,” he says. At the time, a Chez Panisse chef was hosting culinary-inspired tours of the Bordeaux region of France. Mahan went on one.

“Going to France changed my life.

“Something happened. I decided that this is the kind of life I want to live.

I like the idea of taking a nap in the afternoon, or having a glass of rosé with lunch,” he says.

Drawn to what he calls the simplicity of life (“the no-BS atmosphere, the lack of pretense”), Mahan returned wanting to cook in a similar spirit. So he sold his interest in the restaurants and took six months to regenerate before opening The Waterboy.

Though a seasoned chef and restaurateur, Mahan admits this venture was unexpectedly difficult.

“Midtown was nothing like it is now,” he explains. “It was a lonely place in the evening, and I totally overestimated my popularity. I figured customers would understand how passionate I am about this, that we’re going to kill it, but the opposite happened.”

After a few successful first weeks, business slowed down, says Mahan.

“We opened with a barebones budget, and didn’t borrow money to open, so over the course of four years I pretty much lost everything: my house, my wife. There were plenty of nights I’d walk out with tears in my eyes, wondering what it would take.”

TO page 35

READERS NEAR & FAR 1. Spring break delayed 49 years for these two college roommates: Kathy Peterson and Prof. Linda Myers Russell at Hampton Court Palace, East Mosley, U.K. 2. The Stokes Family enjoying Easter and a wedding on the beach in KoOlina, Hawaii.

3. Ronald Filiault and Ruth Melrose in the Pacaya-Samaria Reserve, Peruvian Amazon 4. Bob Cochran, Carolyn Cochran, Janelle Miller and John Eilers at a winery in the Burgundy region for a tour of 12th century wine caves, lunch and tasting 5. Jim Geary at ďŹ nish line of 121st Boston Marathon 6. Doug and Linda Morris in Tucumcari, NM

Take a picture with Inside Publications and e-mail a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Find more photos on Instagram: InsidePublications

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Art Preview

GALLERY ART SHOWS IN JULY

Tim Collom Gallery’s second annual summer group exhibit runs through Aug. 3, with more than 20 local artists sharing their images of summer. Participating artists include Tim Collom, Cameron Walker, Deborah Ashley, Jill Allyn Stafford, Anthony Montanino, Shirley Hazlett, Keith Bachmann, Bob Miller and Patris. Shown above: “Lake Natoma Inlet #2” by Sue Chapman.

915 20th St.; timcollomgallery.com

WAL Public Market Gallery shows the work of Oak Park’s Sarah Golden in July. A concurrent exhibit will take place at Oak Park Brewing Company. Shown above: a group of her colorful paintings.

WAL, 1104 R St.; Oak Park Brewing Company, 3514 Broadway

Through Sept. 1, Sparrow Gallery presents “Dissent,” a group show featuring the work of Laurie Stevens, Nadine Robbins and other nationally known artists. Sparrow’s new microART gallery features the work of Nicky Ruxton through Aug. 4. Shown above: Ruxton’s creative-reuse work, which fuses collage and jewelry design with found-object assemblage.

1021 R St.; sparrowgallerysacramento.com

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Elliott Fouts Gallery presents a one-man show of the work of Micah Crandall-Bear through the end of July. Shown above: “Bios II.” 1831 P St.; efgallery.com

INSIDE

OUT

For four hours on Sunday, May 21, a 2-mile commercial stretch of Broadway was a car-free paradise, thanks to Sacramento’s inaugural Sunday Street.

CONTRIBUTED BY ANIKO KIEZEL AND ELAINE BOWERS

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Adventurous Spirit DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

I

n 1992, I dragged my family from our California-dreamin’ home to Houston, where I accepted my first job as a hospital chaplain. Within a few short months, changes were afoot when the Baptist denomination asked us to represent them in active military chaplaincy.

In the early interviews, my wife was asked, “Becky, are you willing to follow your husband anywhere the Air Force assigns you?”

Without missing a beat, my wife said, “Well, I followed him to Texas, didn’t I?” I’m fortunate enough to be married to a woman who follows me, even when we downsized into a dilapidated mobile home two years ago. Since I first wrote about our move to the rougher side of town, many readers continue to ask what it’s been like.

Well, just beyond our park security gates sit commercial neighbors like the Siemens rail technology plant, an adult continuation school and convenience stores. Not far away are the payday loan stores. The saving grace in the community comes from the winery conveniently available to the communicants of the nearby Catholic church.

Yet honestly, nothing about our last two years has been difficult, unless you count how our shower

NB

By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

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sinks a few inches every time I load it with my 185-pound self—so low, it feels like I’ll fall through into the crawlspace.

Sure, we lock the door when we hear the Sacramento police helicopter broadcasting its be-on-thelookout warnings. Then there is the occasional boom that sounds much like a shotgun, but I’m still hoping it’s just leftover fireworks from the thunderous Chinese New Year celebrations.

Our neighbors are real people— working folks—and very friendly. We talk about gardens, dogs, the weather and, as you might expect, we complain about the park management.

When I ask myself how it is that Becky and I have been so resilient in our moves, I think it’s because we didn’t short ourselves of those things that make our house into our home— besides our beds, art, favorite chairs, family photos, golf clubs and holiday decorations.

While we couldn’t bring everything, there were some things we never left home without. More than furniture and mementos, we brought a sense of ourselves to every home we’ve had.

We brought our adventurous spirit, our consciousness of togetherness and an understanding of what is essential in life. We brought our faith and our family.

Maybe that’s what Proverbs 24:3–4 is referring to when it says, “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by

Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Fashion for good.

Benefiting WEAVE.™ T RU ECLOT HING.ORG 1900 K STREET

FROM page 30 knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

More changes are in the works as we join the check-of-the-month club with pensions from the school district and the military. On July 6, we shed this prefab shell of a home and make the move to Belgium for the summer.

We’ll put a few treasures in storage, but we will carry most of what we need in suitcases or backpacks.

We’ll put a few treasures in storage, but we will carry most of what we need in suitcases or backpacks.

By November, we’ll be back in California for the holidays. Then, it’s off to South America for a while to help our daughter’s charity, which provides children’s libraries to rural Honduras (chispaproject.org). Then maybe a two-year move to Ecuador.

Not sure of it all yet. Life is an adventure.

But no matter where I go, I’ll promise you I’ll keep writing this column as long as my editors allow me to do so. But mostly, I’m hoping Becky will still be following me.

Norris Burkes is a chaplain, syndicated columnist, national speaker and book author. He can be reached at norris@thechaplain.net. n

Around the five-year mark, something clicked, though perhaps not how Mahan would have wanted.

At the time, two-for-one coupons were popular. But Mahan had said, “If I ever get to the point where I have to run a coupon, I’ll close the restaurant.”

Then, his friend and bookkeeper walked into his office crying and said, “If you don’t run a coupon, we’ll have to close.”

So Mahan did.

“I hated it. But it got people in.”

More than stimulating business, it humbled Mahan.

“There’s a time between your late teens and 30s when you’re as passionate about what you do as you’re ever going to be,” he says.

“The realities of the world haven’t set in yet, but eventually you step back and realize you’re not that great.”

There was a time when he wouldn’t carry certain wines, even if customers liked them, because he didn’t like the winery.

“But over the last seven or eight years,” he says, “I’ve totally released my ego.”

Now, Mahan is holding onto the lessons he learned in France.

“At the end of the day, the only thing I want now is for people to come in, to have a good time and be acknowledged.” And perhaps, as they do in France, enjoy a glass of rosé along the way. “The world would be a nicer place if we had a little bit of wine with lunch.”

Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com. n

THEATRE GUIDE BRILLIANT TRACES

9 TO 5

Three Penny Theatre Thru 9 1723 25th St, 606-5050 Ovationstage.com

Wells Fargo Pavilion July 25 – July 30 1419 H St, Sac 557-1999

As a blizzard rages outside a remote cabin in the wilds of Alaska, a lonely figure, Henry Harry, lies sleeping under a heap of blankets. Suddenly, he is awakened by the insistent knocking of an unexpected visitor, Rosannah DeLuce, a distraught young woman who has fled all the way from Arizona to escape her impending marriage. In the end their very isolation proves to be the catalyst that allows them to break through the web of old griefs and bitter feelings that beset them both and to reach out for the solace and sanctuary that only hard-won understanding, self-awareness and c ompassion for the plight of others can bestow.

HAND TO GOD

A hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the office place, based on the hit 1980 movie, featuring the Tony Awardnominated score by Dolly Parton including the Grammy Award-winning title song.

This musical is sponsored by Comstock’s Magazine.

SACRAMENTO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL at William Land Park The Sacramento tradition returns to William Land Park this summer. Throughout the festival, actors will be performing two plays:

The Comedy of Errors

7/1, 7/9, 7/14, 7/16, 7/22, 7/27, 7/29

B Street Theatre Thru July 23 2711 B St, Sac 443-5300 Bstreettheatre.org Robert Askins’ play finds a Fundamentalist Christian congregation reckoning with a hand puppet named Tyrone that’s possessed by the devil. “In Askins vision, deviance and debauchery aren’t that different from fervent piety, deep faith, the longing for purity and goodness… a point that makes every joke, every scandalous sight gag land with extra bite…”

— San Francisco Chronicle

The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful all sorts of shenanigans.

All’s Well That Ends Well

THE AMEN CORNER

7/7, 7/8, 7/13, 7/15, 7/21, 7/23, 7/28, 7/30

Celebration Arts Thru July 16 4469 D St, Sac 455-2787 Celebrationarts.net The spiritual leader of a small Harlem church is confronted by her past when her long estranged husband unexpectedly arrives and forces revelation of hidden truths that have haunted her.

All’s Well That Ends Well concerns Helena, a beautiful woman, and her pursuit of a man of higher social position than herself in the French court of Rousillon.

ON THE TOWN

Wells Fargo Pavillion July 11 – July 16 1419 H St, Sac 557-1999 Three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City find three high-spirited women in an unforgettable adventure. The soaring score by Leonard Bernstein features “Lonely Town” and “New York, New York.”

SUBMIT EVENTS TO ANIKO@INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

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TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

The Calamari Sisters will be at Sierra 2 Center this month.

“Cooking With the Calamari Sisters” Playhouse Productions Through July 23 24th Street Theatre, 2791 24th St. playhouseinfo.com Bring your appetite for big laughs as the two larger-than-life Calamari sisters—stars of a fictional cable television show—take you on a tour-de-force of pop, show tunes, Italian songs, and cuisine as they sing, dance and tell jokes through a cooking lesson you’ll never forget.

jL

By Jessica Laskey

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American Arts Auction Witherell’s Auction House Preview July 6, 1–5 p.m. (auction closes July 11) Witherell’s Annex, 1925 C St. witherells.com Don’t miss the chance to get your hands on a newly discovered Dale Nichols painting from the 1940s and rare Queen Anne furniture from the 1750s. The July auction covers the spectrum of American arts, including an elaborately carved wood desk and chair from the House of Representatives that belonged to Congressman George W. McCrary, which was recently featured on “Antiques Roadshow.”

This newly discovered 1940s Dale Nichols painting is one of the items up for sale at Witherell's.

Classical Concert: Anyssa Neumann Crocker Art Museum July 9, 3 p.m.

216 O St. crockerart.org World-renowned pianist Anyssa Neumann will return to her hometown to present a program of Central European composers from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including pieces by Richard Strauss, Leos Janacek, Nikolai Medtner and Ernst von Dohnanyi.

Wild Games Sacramento Zoo July 29, 5–8 p.m.

Pianist Anyssa Neumann is performing.

3930 W. Land Park Drive saczoo.org Do all the fun activities you miss from childhood at this new zoo event: Ride the carousel, jump for joy in an inflatable bounce house, play-fight as sumo wrestlers, compete in giant beer pong and other lawn games, learn how to hula hoop with Resolute Circles, get your face painted and much more. Ticket includes all activities and one drink.

(You must be 21 or older.) Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

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Celebrate all things tomato at the SacraTomato Festival.

Cat & the Fiddle Music Festival Fairytale Town July 29–30, 11 a.m.–2:15 p.m.

Don't miss the International Celebration at Fairytale Town.

3901 Land Park Drive fairytaletown.org “Hey, diddle diddle!” Rock out to this two-day music festival on the Mother Goose Stage. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and relax as you listen to a variety of family-friendly musical acts—check the website for a full list of performances. All concerts are free with paid park admission.

International Celebration Fairytale Town July 2, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

3901 Land Park Drive fairytaletown.org Kick up your heels for a day of international dance on the outdoor Mother Goose Stage. Enjoy back-to-back performances of ballet folklorico, Cambodian ballet and more. The program is free with paid park admission.

“On the Town” Music Circus July 11–16 Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1416 H St. californiamusicaltheatre.com This upbeat classic musical based on choreographer Jerome Robbins’ 1944 ballet “Fancy Free” tells the tale of three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City and the three wild women who join them on an unforgettable adventure. You might recognize a few of these Leonard Bernstein tunes—this is the show that brought you “New York, New York.”

California State Fair takes place at Cal Expo this month.

Photo courtesy of CAState Fair.

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Seven Sounds Band Sohini Sangeet Academy July 22, 6 p.m.

Jean Runyon Little Theater at Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St. sacramentomemorialauditorium.com Lend your ears to bandleader Binay Pathak and his new Seven Sounds Band—part of Pathak’s renowned music school, Sohini Sangeet Academy—as they perform songs from the Bollywood Golden Years, classic ghazals (a rhyming poetic form similar to a sonnet) and more.

SacraTomato Week and Festival Sutter District July 17–22 Midtown between Sutter’s Fort and Marshall Park exploremidtown.org It’s that time of year again—time to celebrate the tomato!

Visit Midtown’s vibrant Sutter District all week long and enjoy local restaurants’, bars’ and nightclubs’ take on Sacramento’s iconic agricultural staple in creative tomato-inspired dishes and drink specials. The week of festivities culminates on Saturday, July 22, from 4 to 8 p.m. at a family-friendly festival at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park featuring chef demonstrations, handson children’s activities, live music and more.

Jazz Night at the Crocker: Sandy Cressman Crocker Art Museum July 20, 6:30 p.m.

216 O St. crockerart.org The exotic sounds of singer Sandy Cressman will have you grooving all evening to a repertoire of contemporary Brazilian jazz songs sung in Portugese as part of Sacramento’s longestrunning summer jazz series. For the best seat in the house, bring your own chair.

Sandy Cressman will perform at the Crocker.

California State Fair July 14–30 Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd. castatefair.org It wouldn’t be summer in Sacramento without the California State Fair: free concerts, horse racing, midway rides, champion livestock, hands-on exhibits, more than 70 food vendors (you know you wanna try the deep-fried Snickers) and more. The biggest carnival in Northern California is the best place for fun in the sun.

“Hand to God” B Street Theatre Through July 23 2711 B St. bstreettheatre.org This irreverent comedy—about a possessed Christian-ministry hand puppet—has brought playwright Robert Askins plenty of accolades (the play was nominated for five Tony Awards when it debuted on Broadway in 2015), but it’s the story’s darkly hilarious honesty that makes it a show not to miss.

Sactown Wings Festival July 30, 2–6 p.m.

Southside Park, 2115 6th St. sactownwings.com For the fourth year in a row, this annual festival will serve up more than 40,000 chicken wings prepared by chefs from Barwest, Blue Cue, Logan’s Roadhouse, Adamo’s, Kupros Craft House, Chicago Fire and Flaming Grill Cafe. Guests can enjoy a wing-eating contest, craft beer from local breweries—proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity—face painting, bounce houses, live music and lots of family-friendly fun.

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

The comedy "Hand to God" will play at B Street Theatre.

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Nicole McKeever

Dance Like the Irish FORMER RIVERDANCE PERFORMER NOW TEACHES OTHERS

Y

ou could say that the

teacher and professional dancer

luck of the Irish has been

Nicole McKeever, but that would

1800s in Ireland,” McKeever says. “I

Riverdance came out,” McKeever

with certified Irish dance

underestimate the amount of blood,

grew up listening to Irish music, and

recalls. “That summer, while I was

JL

sweat and tears that have gone into

we would go to events and see the

waiting to start lessons, I rented the

her career.

Irish dancers. I wanted to dance so

video of the show and watched it

badly.”

every day. It became my life.”

By Jessica Laskey Artist Spotlight

The performer and instructor— whose McKeever School of Irish

“My family dates back to the late

When her family moved to New

“The year I signed up for lessons,

McKeever quickly moved up

Dance found a permanent home in

Jersey when McKeever was 12, she

the ranks of international Irish

the E. Claire Raley Studios (CLARA)

enrolled at DeNogla School of Irish

dance competition. She became an

last year—fell in love with Irish dance

Dance, an hour and a half each way

Open Champion, achieving the top

as a kid in Columbus, Ohio.

on the New Jersey Turnpike.

three standings at the Regional Oireachtas (an annual championship

40

POC JUL n 17

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competition), ranking in the top

The following year, she was scouted

five of American competitors at the

by Riverdance and began touring full

North American Championships

time with the idols of her youth.

and medaling at the All Ireland and

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I spent seven years living out of a

World Championshipsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for which she

suitcase and dancing professionallyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

qualified six times.

five of those with Riverdance,â&#x20AC;?

After earning her bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

McKeever says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I danced across four

degree in visual arts at Rutgers

continents and 26 countries, and we

University, she moved to Ireland

traveled the circumference of the

to earn a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in Irish

globe in one year on a bus. I got to

dance performance at the University

see places I thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never get to

of Limerick while competing

go and got everything I ever wanted

internationally. In 2007, McKeever

from Riverdance.â&#x20AC;?

was cast in RagĂşs, a popular showcase

tours come through town. I was on an

her own school. On the first day of

intense tour of China as I was turning

class at McKeever School of Irish

30, and I reached a point where I

Danceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Oct. 15, 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201D;no one came.

could see that I was missing some

McKeever told herself to be patient,

important things in my life. I wanted

that people would find her if she

to build something for myself.â&#x20AC;?

stayed true to herself and kept going.

Now, McKeever now has a school of 150 students who come to her with

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up listening to Irish music, and we would go to events and see the Irish dancers. I wanted to dance so badly.â&#x20AC;?

But the demanding schedule

competition circuit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very hard for an American to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so physically exhausting to tour. It has a shelf life,â&#x20AC;? McKeever says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You spend up to 11 hours on a

get discovered unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a world

bus and go straight into a show, which

champion,â&#x20AC;? McKeever says.

is mentally and physically taxing. A lot of people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize what the dancers go through when they see

12-year-old kid in Columbus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m forming a culture and a brand,â&#x20AC;? says McKeever, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now 34. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The kids in the studio have goals of becoming champions. I want to allow every dancer to have an opportunity to become what they want. My mission is to train dancers, athletes and artists and make Irish dance accessible to all people. I have what I always wanted.â&#x20AC;?

of Irish music, song and dance, thanks eventually caught up with her. to her success on the international

the same dreams as that starry-eyed

McKeever left Riverdance in 2013, returned briefly to New Jersey and then moved to Sacramento. She held

McKeever School of Irish Dance is at 2420 N Street. For more information, go to mckeeverdance.com.

odd jobs and taught art while renting studio space by the hour to teach Irish dance with the goal of opening

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

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

41

INSIDE’S

Fish Face Poke Bar

Hot Italian

1104 R Street Suite 100

1627 16th Street 444-3000

L D $$ Humble Hawaiian poke breaks free • fishfacepokebar.com

Iron Horse Tavern 1116 15th Street L D $-$$ Full Bar Gastro-pub cuisine in a stylish industrial setting • ironhorsetavern.net

DOWNTOWN Cafeteria 15L 116 15th Street 551-1559 L D $$ Classic American lunch counter with a millennial vibe • cafeteria15l.com

DeVere’s Pub 1521 L Street L D Full Bar $$ Family-run authentic Irish pub with a classic menu to match • deverespub.com

Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518 Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, flight or glass • downtownandvine.com

Ella Dining Room & Bar 1131 K St. 443-3772

Firestone Public House 1132 16th Street L D $$ Full Bar Sports bar with a classical american menu• firestonepublichouse.com

Frank Fat’s 806 L St. 442-7092 L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com

Ma Jong’s L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Cuisine from Japan, Thailand, China ad Vietnam. • majongs.com

Grange 926 J Street • 492-4450 B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com

Hock Farm Craft & Provision

Esquire Grill

L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region’s rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com

Sacramento’s Oldest Restaurant

South 2005 11th Street 382-9722 L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Timeless traditional Southern cuisine, counter service • weheartfriedchicken.com

OLD SAC

ITALIAN

1001 Front St. 446-6768

RESTAURANT

$10 OFF Total DINNER food order of $50 or more

With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts.

Expires 7/31/17.

$5 OFF

Total LUNCH or DINNER food order of $25 or more With coupon. Cannot be combined with other discounts.

Expires 7/31/17.

5723 Folsom Boulevard 457-1936 Dine In & Take Out • Cocktail Lounge • Banquet Room Seats 35 Lunch 11-4 pm • Dinner 4-9 pm Sundays • 11:30-9 pm • Closed Mondays

www.Espanol-Italian.com

42

POC JUL n 17

Magpie Cafe 1601 16th Street L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer Seasonal menu using the best local ingredients • magpiecafe.com

Nido Bakery

1409 R Street Suite 102 L D $ Bakery treats and seasonal specialities • hellonido.com

Shoki Ramen House

1215 19th St. 441-6022 L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting

Red Rabbit 2718 J Street L D $$ Full Bar All things local contribute to a sophisticated urban menu • theredrabbit.net

Paragary’s Bar & Oven 1401 28th St. 457-5737 L D $$ Full Bar Fabulous Outdoor Patio, California cuisine with a French touch • Paragarys.com

Fat City Bar & Cafe

2315 K Street

THE HANDLE

Suzie Burger

The Rind 1801 L Street #40 441-7463 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Cheese-centric menu paired with select wine and beer • therindsacramento.com

1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com

MIDTOWN Biba Ristorante 2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com

The Firehouse Restaurant

Café Bernardo 2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180

1022 Second St. 441-2211 L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting • ten22oldsac.com

Willie’s Burgers 110 K Street

2730 J St. 442-2552 L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com

Easy on I 1725 I Street 469-9574

Café Bernardo 1431 R St. 930-9191 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service

L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com

Tapa The World 2115 J St. 442-4353 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live flamenco music - tapathewworld.com

Thai Basil Café L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com

The Waterboy 2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com

OAK PARK La Venadita 3501 Thurd Ave. 4000-4676 L D $$ Full Bar Authentic Mexican cuisine with simple tasty menu in a colorful historic setting • lavenaditasac.com

Oak Park Brewing Company

L D $-$$ Bar & grill with American eats, including BBQ, local brews & weekend brunch • easyoni.com

3514 Broadway

Federalist Public House

Vibe Health Bar

L D $ Great burgers and more. • williesburgers.com

R STREET

29th and P. Sts. 455-3300

B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service

Centro Cocina Mexicana Ten 22

D $$ Inventive Japansese-inspired seafood dishes • skoolonkstreet.com

2431 J St. 442-7690

L D Wine/Beer $$ Bistro favorites with a distinctively Sacramento feeling in a riverfront setting • riocitycafe.com

L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com

L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Urban winery and tasting room with a creative menu using local sources • rwwinery. com

Skool

1110 Front Street 442-8226

1112 Second St. 442-4772

2831 S Street

L D $$ Japanese fine dining using the best local ingredients • sshokiramenhouse.com

D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com

Rio City Cafe

Revolution Wines

1201 R Street

Zocolo

ESPAÑOL Since 1923

B L D $ Full-service cafe with artisan coffee roasts, bakery goods and sandwiches • oldsoulco.com

1415 L St. 440-8888

1213 K St. 448-8900

CLOSED FOR VACATION JULY 1 - 10

12th & R Streets

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan

1431 L Street

L D $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space Elladiningroomandbar.com

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com

Old Soul & Pullman Bar

L D Full Bar $$ Authentic hand-crafted pizzas with inventive ingredients, Gelato• hotitalian.net

2009 N Street L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Wood-fired pizzas in an inventive urban alley setting • federalistpublichouse.com

L D $$ Full Bar Award-winning beers and a creative pub-style menu in an historic setting • opbrewco.com

3515 Broadway B L D $-$$ Clean, lean & healthy snacks. Acai bowls are speciality. Kombucha on tap • vibehealthbar.com n

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POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

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Localis Stays Vibrant THIS RESTAURANT OFFERS BEAUTIFUL FLAVORS AND GORGEOUS VISUALS

O

n the corner of 21st and S streets in the quiet neighborhood historically referred to as Newton Booth, a small space has housed short-lived but exceptional restaurants for a decade.

By Greg Sabin Rest Re stau aura rant nt Ins nsid ider er

44

POC JUL n 17

Ten years ago, chef Adam Pechal opened Tuli Bistro, a lively culinary enterprise that pushed amazing flavors and upscale cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Throughout its short stint on the corner, it garnered its fair share of fans, me included.

Due to marketing miscues and bad timing, two more restaurants came and went.

At some point, the Broderick group, owners of Broderick Roadhouse in West Sacramento and Broderick Midtown, came on board as owners of the space. They hired a young,

passionate chef to create a locally sourced, fine-dining menu. The result was Localis. Just six months ago, that same chef, Christopher BarnumDann, took over full ownership of the restaurant.

Localis is a thoroughly Northern California expression of dining. Each plate embraces the Sacramento ethos of farm-to-fork dining and local sourcing. But Barnum-Dann eschews the rustic charm of farm-to-table presentation. Instead, he treats every dish like a work of art.

The dishes at Localis are visually stunning. Even a simple salad is raised to high art, combining the freshest, most meticulously sourced ingredients with thoughtful preparation. Each farm and farmer is promoted to the level of superstar.

If you’re lucky enough to reserve a seat at the long, high counter at Localis, you’ll see the busy, expert kitchen at work. This is the type of dining experience in which kitchen staffers—saucing, sautéing, and conversing with guests—provide as

much entertainment as a Broadway show.

This is not modernist cuisine. The plates are not dominated by foams and emulsions. You will find a few of the techniques associated with molecular gastronomy.

For example, Barnum-Dann adds beet “dust” to his complex, lovely beet salad. Showcasing beets in multiple ways, the dish features ruby red and golden beets roasted, smoked and pickled with a light sifting of ingenuously engineered beet “dust.”

Rather than highlighting technique, the dust is there for an additional smattering of flavor and visual texture.

The chef’s tasting menu is where the big guns come out.

Other dishes satisfy with homey flavors and equally gorgeous plating.

A small plate of roasted octopus could not be more divine. Perched on a smear of root vegetable puree and delicately garnished with pickled cherries, it’s a plate not to be missed.

Simple fish-of-the-day and meatand-potato dishes hit home with deceptively simple ingredient lists and complex flavors. A healthy chunk of Wagyu beef with mashed potatoes is a gorgeous thing accompanied by morels and asparagus and some restrained yet powerful saucing. A lovely hunk of halibut sings over a joltingly spicy raft of coconut curry risotto.

Dessert is no less a thing of beauty.

On my last visit, the menu featured a strawberry bread pudding with buttermilk ice cream that was the best thing I’d put in my mouth this year.

Guests are welcome to pick and choose from the small but wellcurated menu, but the chef’s tasting menu is where the big guns come out.

A five-course, roughly $80 selection of always-changing dishes shows off the talents of Barnum-Dann and his kitchen.

Prices for small plates are in the mid- to high teens, entrees in the high 20 to mid-30. Portions are small, and the well-chosen wine list doesn’t have many bargain choices. Expect to pay between $150 and $250 for dinner for two. But this will be an exceptional culinary experience, not just another weeknight dinner. If you care to dip your toe in without the high price tag, “Local Hour” offers discounts on drinks and small plates from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Or try Sunday brunch.

The serving staff shows care and delicacy in their suggestions, their attentiveness and their presentation.

During my dinner at Localis, I felt taken care of, not pandered to, nor rushed through.

Reservations are a must. Given the small confines of the restaurant and the languid pace of service, Localis can accommodate a limited number of diners.

This is experiential eating. This is delicate eating. This is engagement with artistic vitality. Come with an open mind and expectations of a full evening spent surrounded by culinary creativity.

Localis is at 2031 S Street; 737-7699; localissacramento.com.

Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. n

POC n INSIDEPUBLICATIONS.COM

45

This Month @ the Market

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

46

ZUCCHINI

PEARS

NECTARINES

These fast-growing squash are low in calories, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol, and are a good source of protein, vitamin A and other vitamins.

To eat: Slice horizontally, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill over a hot fire.

Pears are packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. They are low in calories, too!

To eat: Slice, top with a dollop of blue cheese and wrap with prosciutto for an elegant hors d’oeuvre.

Related to peaches, these delicious stone fruits are full of antioxidants and provide some B-complex vitamins and minerals.

To eat: Combine with raspberries to make a summery crumble or cobbler.

CUCUMBERS

TOMATOES

WATERMELON

This low-calorie vegetable has a surprisingly high amount of vitamin K. The peel is a great source of dietary fiber.

To eat: Peel and seed, then chop coarsely and combine with yogurt, garlic and lemon juice to make the zingy Greek dip known as tzatziki.

This summer treat—practically synonymous with Sacramento!—contains massive amounts of lycopene.

According to a study from The University of Montreal, a diet rich in tomatoes may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

To eat: Slice, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper for the perfect summer salad.

Low in calories, watermelon contains dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and A. Drink watermelon juice after a grueling workout.

To eat: For a refreshing salad, serve with arugula and feta.

POC JUL n 17

z z

FoLkS CoMe HeRe from all over.

z

WE THINK

it’s the

$10 BoTtOmLeSs MiMoSaS z

Bottomless mimosas available during brunch with the purchase of entrée, Sat. & Sun. 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Fat City Bar & Café is the dining destination sure to make your day legendary.

Step into Fat City where the décor will transport you to simpler times and the cuisine will dazzle your taste buds with the very best flavors of today.

One sip or one bite and you’ll see why Fat City is historically delicious.

1001 Front Street • Old Sacramento • (916) 446.6768 • fatcitybarandcafe.com

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e called Russ, and he was there in two hours. It was determined our system was too old to be Àxed so he gave us a couple of quotes for new systems and actually recommended the one that cost less. He did not charge us for that visit because he was unable to Àx the problem!

The following Monday we received a call from Russ saying he had found a system that he thought would Àt and he could come the next day to install. Well, he came the next day, the system did NOT Àt and he had to return it but did Ànd one that eventually did! The operative word here is eventually.

Russ was at our home all day! He did not charge any extra and now we have a garage door and opener that WORKS!!!! I want to thank Russ and let him know I would recommend him to anyone needing garage door services. I only wish I knew more people that did.

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