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T A H W S N A E M T I N A E B TO N A C I R E AM ?

9 1 0 2 IN CRAMENTO A S M O R F S W E I V r FOu PAGE 14

Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

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contents

july 4, 2019 | Vol. 31, Issue 12

R C E E A R TION E D U N Right Down The Street!

Experience the premier destination for clothing-optional fun and relaxation in Northern California.

Enjoy a spectacular range of accommodations in 200+ acres of unspoiled nature.

Former astronaut Cady Coleman and her bandmates are out of this world, and they’ve been out of this world, literally—the band is mostly former astronauts.

editor’s note letters essay streetalk greenlight 15 minutes news feature arts + Culture musiC

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 14 20 22

20 stage dish PlaCe Calendar CaPital Cannabis guide ask joey

23 24 26 28 35 42

Cover design by maria ratinova Greg Meyers, John Parks, Jenny Plummer, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan, Carlton Singleton, Viv Tiqui

• Seven pools and spas • Lounge/nightclub • Full-service lakefront restaurant • Basic to luxury rooms & cottages • RV and tent camping • Lake and river with sandy beach • Deluxe fitness center • Game room • Archery Range • 2 Tennis & 6 Pickleball courts • Volleyball - water & hard court • Theme events & entertainment • Day visits & annual memberships

N&R Publications Editor Debbie Arrington N&R Publications Managing Editor Laura Hillen Associate Publications Editor Derek McDow N&R Publications Staff Writer/Photographer Anne Stokes

Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

N&R Publications Staff Writer Thea Rood N&R Publications Editorial Coordinator Nisa Smith Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant

Editor Foon Rhee News Editor Raheem F. Hosseini Managing Editor Mozes Zarate Staff Reporter Scott Thomas Anderson Copy Editor Steph Rodriguez Calendar Editor Maxfield Morris Contributing Editor Rachel Leibrock Editorial Assistant Rachel Mayfield Contributors Ngaio Bealum, Amy Bee, Rob Brezsny,

Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Sherri Heller, Rod Malloy, Celeste Worden, Greta Beekhuis

Aaron Carnes, Jim Carnes, Joey Garcia, Kate Gonzales, Howard Hardee, Ashley Hayes-Stone, Jim Lane, Chris Macias, Ken Magri, James Raia, Patti Roberts, Dylan Svoboda, Bev Sykes, Graham Womack

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President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Account Jedi Jessica Kislanka Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815 Phone (916) 498-1234 Fax (916) 498-7910 Website newsreview.com Got a News Tip? sactonewstips@newsreview.com Calendar Events newsreview.com/calendar Want to Advertise? Fax (916) 498-7910 or snradinfo@newsreview.com Classifieds (916) 498-1234, ext. 5 or classifieds@newsreview.com Job Opportunities jobs@newsreview.com Want to Subscribe to SN&R? sactosubs@newsreview.com Editorial Policies: Opinions expressed in SN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permissions to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. SN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or review materials. Email letters to snrletters@newsreview.com. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel.

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In public opinion surveys, immigrants are often more patriotic than native-born Americans. We know how special this nation is and how lucky we are to live here. Many immigrants try to give back and make America better. My path was to be a reporter and editor, to help inform the public.

So when President Donald Trump continually attacks the press as the “enemy of the people,” it hits close to home. And as an immigrant, it infuriates Coney Island is quintessentially and saddens me to see Trump—and his American, especially on the Fourth of July. zealous “make America white again” adviser Stephen Miller—trying to slam the door on immigrants seeking a better life, refugees fleeing war and natural When I first arrived in America in 1972, I was in calamity and asylum seekers yearning for politifourth grade at Frances Lacy Elementary in cal and religious freedom.

Raleigh, N.C. My classmates were somewhat “Our country is full,” Trump declared during confused by the first Asian most of them had an April 5 visit to the California-Mexico border. ever met, a little boy with a British accent.

That’s a ridiculous statement, even for him.

It didn’t take me long to feel American. I Instead of the fair immigration and asylum memorized the preamble to the Declaration of reform we need, his administration has gone Independence and the words to “This Land Is out of its way to be cruel, separating families Your Land.” I quickly became a fan of football, and putting children in cages. On May 16, the baseball and, especially, college basketball. president made a big deal out of presenting I loved hamburgers and hot dogs and school another heartless and pointless “plan” to limit cafeteria peanut butter cookies. legal immigration.

I went back to Korea for a year, in 1976, so A month later as he officially kicked off his I missed America’s bicentennial celebration, reelection bid, he threatened to start deporting which I’m still disappointed about. I became a “millions” of illegal immigrants, though, as is citizen in October 1982 while in college. so typical, Trump exaggerated. It turns out to be That’s the short version of my immigrant story. a limited ICE sweep in 10 cities of about 2,000 We’re a nation of immigrants, and people—not criminals but merely under court California has far more than any other state. order to be removed. Then, he delayed the raids Of the 43 million-plus people in the U.S. for at least two weeks, until after July Fourth. born in another country, about 11 million As we celebrate America’s 243rd birthday, live in California. More than one-fourth of I worry about the division and anger in our Californians were born abroad. country that Trump is ginning up and the damage For me, the variety of those other places he has already done. is always one of the highlights at citizenship If he doesn’t get impeached and removed ceremonies. The last one I covered, just first, it’s clear that he will run an anti-immigrant, before July Fourth in 2016, was especially racist campaign for reelection. So it’s not an for children. They came from Belarus, Fiji, overstatement to say America as we know India, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, it—the nation symbolized by the Statue of Russia, Thailand and Ukraine. Another in Liberty—is at stake in 2020.

2012 at Travis Air Force Base was for service Thanks to the genius of our democracy, we’ll members who got their green cards by signing get to decide whether America is a nation of up for the military. They came from Haiti, immigrants—or a nation of hate. Ω Mexico, Nepal and the Philippines.

Photo by Foon Rhee

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Re: “Lying in wait” by Raheem F. Hosseini and Mozes Zarate (News, June 27): I have been a longtime reader, but I will no longer pick up your newspaper. On the day of Officer Tara O’Sullivan’s funeral, you feature a picture of her and of her alleged killer.

That’s sick. We should respect the people trying to protect us, and she died trying to keep a woman safe from someone who was abusive.

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It takes a village

Correction

Re: “‘A hidden gem’ for homeless kids” by Margherita Beale (News, June 20): I just read your article about the Mustard Seed School and found it really interesting.

I would like to say I really appreciate what they’re doing.

I am not homeless, but the fact that others are makes me feel thankful for my own family but sad for those less fortunate.

I volunteer for community service and am happy to see that the school is built on the foundation of support and help from others. I love that they’re making the sacrifice to give these kids a chance at an education. So I just wanted to send my support through this letter and let them know that they’re doing a great job and should keep up the good work.

Re: “Does our strong mayor want more power?” by Foon Rhee (Editor’s note, June 20): The photo credit was incorrect.

The photographer was Karlos Rene Ayala. SN&R regrets the error.

brad boyce Sac rame n to / v i a em ai l

Eyesore in railyards A photo was recently published of the first proposed housing project in Sacramento’s downtown railyard. Its planners failed to make it look attractive. Its unpleasant color is depressing to look at in a photo, let alone to live there and see it every day. If this proposal is accepted, it will give rise to a host of ugly buildings nearby because later developments will have to blend in.

Simple white paint, which is used by the most beautiful cities in the world, including Paris, would change this eyesore dramatically for the better.

PeTer dudaS Sac rame n to / v i a m ai l

A history of poaching Re: “Hunting poachers” by Scott Thomas Anderson (Feature, June 27): My grandfather lived on a mining claim in Calaveras County. After he sold it, we would camp and fish at a nearby creek. He knew everyone.

At our night campfire, a Jeep came down and went into an unmanned ranch. There was one .22 shot and a little later they drove back by.

My grandfather said that they used a spotlight at the salt lick.

“They know the rancher. A lot of people here are on welfare. This is how they eat.” The light fines and prosecutions are a holdover from those days.

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Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

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Volume 31, iSSue 11

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The case for reparations Impact of slavery lingers 150 years later The issue of reparations has taken on a new life recently as it has become a discussion point among the Democratic presidential candidates.

Webster defines reparations as the making of amends for a wrong someone has done by paying money to help those who have been wronged.

I define it as making amends for the 250 years that America kept a large population of people as cattle, as property, or as less than human.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky dismissed this call for reparations.

He was followed by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black Republican in the U.S. Senate, who said it’s too complicated to figure out who to compensate.

You should not be surprised. Whites and even blacks and other people of color who are privileged or “advantaged” often have a problem with “leveling the playing field.”

Many who side with this group also mistakenly believe that slavery completely ended in 1865, but forget about the policies and discriminatory practices that allowed the remnants of slavery to exist up until the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Families of former slaves were impacted by slavery until 55 years ago.

It’s also a fact that though all slaves were considered freed in June 1865 and promised 40 acres and a mule, this promise was never realized for most. This promise was only fulfilled for a few hundred “soldier slaves” who fought alongside Union soldiers and happened to live along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. The land and animals were taken back upon the death of President Abraham Lincoln in that same year.

Sadly, the property was returned to the former slave owners.

The 13th Amendment (1865) ended slavery, the 14th Amendment (1868) guaranteed African Americans the rights of American citizenship and the 15th Amendment (1870) guaranteed black men the right to vote.

But the 13th Amendment was replaced by today’s prison system. Descendants of the enslaved make up the largest percentage of prisoners in the country. The 14th Amendment

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Derrell Roberts, right, is co-founder of the Roberts Family Development Center in North Sacramento and co-host of Bookends on KDEE radio. He is pictured with Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund.

was compromised when Southern states enacted black codes to prevent African Americans from achieving political and economic autonomy. And the 15th Amendment was not made whole until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, After the Reconstruction era ended, lynching, disenfranchisement and segregationist laws proliferated across the South. There were also sharecropper farmers, separate-and-unequal equal schools, red-lining bank policies, white flight and much more. It was not until after World War II and the 1960s civil rights movement that Jim Crow segregation was outlawed.

If we gave each descendant of slaves $1.5 million, one estimate is that reparations would cost $60 trillion. Whether I agree with that or not is not the point. What I do understand is that 150 years after slavery, there are still remnants of the systems set up to make it difficult for blacks to be successful in this country.

Who is at fault? The Ku Klux Klan and its sympathizers, Lester Maddox types, George Wallace types, Strom Thurmond types, Steve King types, Mitch McConnell types and, unfortunately, Tim Scott types, to name a few.

As the Democratic presidential hopefuls talk about the issue of reparations, I hope this season of campaigning gives us a better understanding why this discussion continues 150 years after it started. Ω

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Worst BBQ side dish?

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Coleslaw because I just don’t like the texture, and I get disappointed seeing it at every barbecue.

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Bad potato salad because sometimes people put too much mustard or not enough … I only eat my mom’s potato salad because she has the best potato salad I ever had.

Voting starts July 11.

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ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER PRODUCED BY Rollin’ On The River is part of the 23nd Artown Festival throughout July 2019. Established in 1996, Artown is a leader in the Northern Nevada arts and culture industry using the festival as a platform to present culturally diverse and thought provoking performances. Artown, a month-long summer arts festival, features about 500 events produced by more than 100 organizations and businesses in nearly 100 locations citywide.

Please do not bring glass, alcohol, tobacco, animals, high-back chairs or coolers to the shows.

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greenlight

We built it, and they are coming

by Jeff vonKaenel

I want visitors to come to Sacramento. I particularly like visitors who attend our museums, festivals, concerts and sporting events because their dollars support institutions that make the town more fun for those of us who live here.

That is why I support Visit Sacramento and its efforts to bring tourists and conventions to our community.

I attended its annual State of Hospitality Industry Event, held last week at Memorial Auditorium. Over a very good lunch, we heard Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa and his team explain their efforts to sell Sacramento to the rest of the world.

How does our city compare to other cities? As wonderful as our two rivers are, they are not the Pacific Ocean with its beauty and ability to make better weather. So we have to work harder.

Sacramento’s farm-to-fork movement has received national buzz because of our many farmers markets and year-round growing season, but most importantly for tourists because of our wonderful restaurants. Testa was delighted about the recognition we’d received from the premier worldwide restaurant guide, Michelin. Recognizing numerous Sacramento restaurants, Michelin had special praise for Mother, Canon and Frank Fat’s.

But we’ve got more than just great food: Golden 1 Center and the revitalized downtown, an upgraded convention center and more hotel rooms to host bigger conventions, the proposed soccer stadium and nearby practice fields to attract more sporting events and a science center coming soon. Each addition to this list makes Sacramento a better place to visit.

We built it, and they will come.

According to the Visit Sacramento annual report, visitors added $177.6 million to the local economy last year. Sacramento’s 408 conventions attracted 414,828 delegates spending 8

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je ffv @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

183,743 nights in our hotels. That’s a lot of people dropping dollars in our restaurants, stores and hotels. It’s a lot of jobs. It also makes Sacramento a better place for us to live.

Some will say we should not spend our precious government resources on tourism-related projects when we have such pressing housing and social service needs. This is an excellent point. But it may not be an either-or question. It is hoped that investments to make our community more attractive to visitors will bring in additional dollars so that we end up with both a more attractive city and more money to support housing. We can have our cake and eat it too.

But not all investments made to attract tourists pencil out.

Stockton’s experience with its money-losing sports and arts arena is one example of an ill-advised project.

In my experience, some of the best investments are low-cost grants to local arts and entertainment groups.

For example, SN&R started the Friday Night Summer Concert Series in the Park with a $10,000 grant from the city.

I am thrilled that the city of Sacramento has increased its arts budget and made a commitment to support culturally diverse artists, small creative businesses, youth-focused organizations and more arts in neighborhood and community settings.

I imagine that at a future State of Hospitality Industry Event, Testa will be telling us how Sacramento attracts so many national and international visitors because of our wonderful arts and entertainment scene that celebrates so many different art forms, from traditional to cutting edge. Ω

Jeff vonKaenel is the president, CEO and majority owner of the News & Review.

15 minutes

by Ashley hAyes-stone

Kate Rose lives and breathes air guitar.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY HAYES-STONE

Breathtaking air guitar The scene: last summer in Oulu, Finland. A giant stage built for a rock star. Professional lighting, flashy projections, a roaring crowd in the center of the city. Sacramentan Kate Rose runs out on stage sporting a very ’80s patriotic fringe crop top paired with skintight black leggings while carrying a bag of fun size Kit Kats she tosses into the crowd.

Rose—whose stage name is KitKat—holds her arm up in the air, then does a high kick as guitar riffs from Thundermother’s “It’s Just a Tease” erupt from the speakers. There’s suddenly a guitar in her hands, albeit an invisible one, and she immediately begins to air shred. Watch the video.

While representing Sacramento, Rose

received fifth place at the 2018 Air Guitar World Championship. Now, Rose holds the title of Santa Cruz champion and helped host the Sacramento Air Guitar Qualifier Competition at B Street Theatre last month. Before heading to compete in the U.S. Air Guitar National Finals in August, Rose set aside time from her air rock ’n’ roll lifestyle to chat with SN&R.

What made you want to be an air guitarist?

So Kyle, my partner, got me into air guitar. At first, I was like, this is amazing, but I could never do anything like this because you have to set your ego aside and make an ass of yourself on stage for 60 seconds. But as soon as I searched YouTube and saw a bunch of people essentially dancing on stage, I was like, “Oh, this is dancing.

I can do this.” I don’t know how to play guitar for anything, but I can dance.

How did you get your stage name, KitKat? My partner and I met playing kickball, and he would describe me to his friends like, “Oh, you know, Kickball Kate.” He tried shortening it to Kick Kate, and then he ended up calling me KitKat

accidentally, and it just stuck. He finally told me when I was trying to think of a stage name to compete with. He was like, “Well, I just called you KitKat to the guys.” I was like, “How did I not know about this adorable nickname before?” It’s perfect because it’s related to chocolate—which I love—and cats, which I also love. I usually throw Kit Kats into the audience and I’m currently working on a new Kit Kat-throwing technique, because I accidentally threw it at a guy’s face. But he was a good sport about it.

What’s your go-to song to shred to?

I’m really feeling Heart. I tried really hard to make a version of “Barracuda” work, and I did a cut of it in the second round in San Diego last year, and it just felt so good to rock to that on stage with that amazing riff. So, Heart is always a great go-to because there are two women in the band and it feels like a good fit for KitKat. I always try to represent and pick at least a female vocalist, if not a female guitarist, to do my set to.

What’s “airness”?

The way that air guitarists describe it, it’s like porn. You know it when you see it. It’s that extra oomph that takes you from just being on stage and kind of performing. It’s like elevating it from air guitar to performance arts. It’s like you did something different and the crowd is eating it up.

The most memorable moment on stage?

It was the 2017 Sacramento air guitar competition, and we were still hosting it at Starlite Lounge. We were in the second round and I wanted to finish strong, so the song I chose was a rock version of Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams.” It was perfect for me ’cause I just got to dance and lose my mind on stage. And then at the very end, I jumped on my brother’s shoulders and Kyle’s brother’s shoulders, and I continued to air guitar as they walked me through the crowd to the judges’ table, and everyone lost their minds. Ω True fans will catch Kate Rose at the U.S. Air Guitar Finals in Nashville on Aug. 3. Tickets are $10-$15, airfare likely costs more.

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Rev. Shane Harris stands with Stephon Clark’s fiancée (right) on March 2, after the District Attorney’s Office announced there would be no criminal charges against the officers who killed Clark.

Photo by Raheem F. hosseini

The thick blue line Despite calls for accountability, California and other states have found no surefire way to investigate cops

by Raheem F. hosseini ra he e mh @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

to learn about a controversial police shooting in Los angeles, visit sacblog. newsreview.com/ sacramento for an extended version.

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As a stricter use-of-force standard navigates the state Capitol, one question remains unanswered: Who should investigate cops when they take a life?

Almost three years after two Sacramento police officers gunned down her younger brother, Vernadine Murphy Mann doesn’t have an answer.

“I just don’t see anyone being on our side,” said Mann, whose brother Joseph Mann died in a hail of gunfire on a North Sacramento sidewalk on July 11, 2016. “We’re in year three and nothing’s happened to them. They’re probably out living their lives like nothing’s wrong.”

Assembly Bill 392, the California Act to Save Lives, states that peace officers |

07.04.19

would only be justified in using deadly force if they reasonably believed it was necessary to defend themselves or others from imminent danger. However, the bill, which the state Assembly approved last month and the Senate is now considering, wouldn’t change who’s responsible for deciding what’s a crime—elected district attorneys.

“It’s a good start,” Rev. Shane Harris, founder and national president of the People’s Alliance for Justice, said of AB 392 during a March 2 press conference, after learning Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert declined to charge the two city officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark a year earlier. “It still

does not deal with the independent investigation aspect.”

Thus far, California cities and state legislatures across America haven’t found a foolproof method that does.

First, let’s define terms: What the Sacramento County DA’s office conducted with regard to the police slayings of Clark and Mann were not technically investigations. That would have required the office to gather evidence independently of the Sacramento Police Department’s investigations, which didn’t happen.

In clearing the officers of any criminal charges, the DA’s office primarily reviewed the police investigations, which

focused more on the actions of the men who were killed than the men who killed them.

With regard to the 2018 police killing of Clark, an unarmed black man pursued into his grandparents’ backyard, both Schubert and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sidestepped questions about whether they requested any additional information from police before clearing the officers. When pressed by reporters, Schubert admitted her office didn’t request cellphone records or toxicology tests of the officers, though she scrutinized that information for Clark.

According to a time line released earlier this year by Sacramento police, Becerra’s office did interview two of Clark’s relatives and received a review of the county autopsy from San Diego County medical examiners, but that was the extent of its investigation.

It’s unclear whether the DA’s office conducted any independent legwork at all.

That may be why some reform advocates still think the state should conduct wholesale investigations of law enforcement killings.

County gets a restraining order see neWs

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Homeless surge explained see neWs

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ameriCan dreams (plural) see CoVer

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beats

armed and unknoWn Hours after schubert told reporters she wouldn’t prosecute the officers who rounded a blind corner and fired 18 rounds at Clark, Rev. Harris stood with Clark’s fiancée and two sons in a tiny church to advocate for what he coined the Stephon Clark Act. The undrafted bill would serve as a successor to a failed 2015 bill from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty of Sacramento that would have required the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate deadly law enforcement encounters, as well as be the “sole authority to determine whether criminal charges should be filed” against cops. During his press conference, Harris called for a simpler set-up—have the attorney general make these decisions.

“This would create transparency in California,” Harris said. “We’re leading the country in police shootings.”

Harris noted that 10 states—including New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin— already conduct some form of outside criminal investigation when local authorities injure or kill civilians. But none of the state systems have changed much on the ground, and Sacramento County’s former inspector general isn’t a fan of the idea.

“First of all, I don’t think we need to take it out of the DA’s hands,” Rick Braziel, the retired Sacramento police chief who came into conflict with the county’s sheriff, told SN&R in a previous interview. “Bigger doesn’t always mean better.”

What Braziel meant is that California is too ungainly for what he sees as a one-sizefits-all investigative process. He said something like that might work in Tennessee, where the state’s Bureau of Investigation probes violent encounters involving local police, as it did recently in Kingston and Bristol. But California, with its broad geography and diverse constituencies, would do better under a Goldilocks option akin to what Placer County has, Braziel argued.

Placer County Lieutenant DA Noah Brommeland is credited with organizing the countywide committee that decided on a task force model to investigate deadly law enforcement encounters, with an officer from each local agency assigned to it.

Eleven law enforcement agencies developed the protocol a decade ago, giving the rural-suburban county’s DA more power— not less—to steer the actual investigation rather than just passively react to it. The agency where the incident occurred retains control of the evidence and interviews, but the DA quarterbacks the show, Braziel said.

“There’s one standard for the entire county and that’s set by the DA,” Braziel

said. “They ultimately decide whether it’s driven by law enforcement can be legal or not, so why not let them” set the trusted by the public. protocol. “It just makes more sense to me, “That’s still a wash, because they’re unless you have a county that’s really mess- still involved,” she said of the regional ing up.” task force idea.

Smaller communities with fewer Mann said her family has struggled to resources and less experience handling usefind peace since her 51-year-old brother of-force cases would particularly benefit, died with a knife in his hand and 14 bullets he added. in his body. Two 911 calls reported erratic “In my opinion, there’s huge value in behavior by a man performing karate moves that,” Braziel said. “It does create a little and appearing to soil himself. One caller more independence.” described a handgun in Mann’s waistband Sacramento County law enforcement that was never found. officials flirted with a similar idea Responding units trailed Mann as in 2011, after then-District he stalked Del Paso Boulevard, Attorney Jan Scully ended shouting things and once her office’s reviews of throwing a water container “I just don’t see use-of-force cases during at a police SUV’s anyone being on budget cuts. But a review windshield. The situation panel made up of the remained unresolved— our side.” sheriff and local police until Officers John Tennis Vernadine Murphy Mann chiefs never materialized, and Randy Lozoya raced sister of Joseph Mann and the county lacked any to the scene. The patrolmen third party to review deadly twice attempted to hit Mann force for the next three years, with their squad car, then until Schubert restored them in jerked to a stop at a cement median 2014. and chased Mann beneath the awning of a As for doubts that cops will thoroughly saloon. investigate their own, Braziel said he’s The officers shouted commands and never seen a homicide detective go easy on closed the gap. When Mann’s hand with the a case. “It’s what management does with it knife flinched, Tennis and Lozoya unloaded later that” is the problem, he said. their service weapons.

Braziel was referring to the police shootWhile the DA’s office cleared both ing of Mann, which resulted in no criminal men of criminal wrongdoing, Tennis was charges for the two officers, who tried to fired and Lozoya retired before he could be hit Mann with their patrol car twice before terminated for violating the department’s chasing him and opening fire. use-of-force policies.

McCarty said that while changing The family received a six-figure settlethe use-of-force standard is consuming ment in civil court, but was prevented from the legislature this year, he still wants to pursuing a more recent civil action. empower the attorney general to “remove By contrast, the Clark family is reportthe cloud of uncertainty” over such edly closing in on a $20 million settlement investigations. with the city.

“I’m still very interested in the In pondering aloud who she’d like to investigation and potential prosecution see investigate violent law enforcement for some of these cases,” he told SN&R encounters, Vernardine Mann said the on June 21. person would have to be truly objective, While the ACLU Foundation of able to conduct complex criminal investigaCalifornia supported McCarty’s bill to tions and not be employed by any law give the attorney general simultaneous enforcement agency. Additionally, she said authority to conduct investigations victims’ families should have some say in alongside county prosecutors, it doesn’t who investigates their loved ones’ deaths. have “a global position” on who should But the typically sunny Mann, who investigate police shootings, said Peter describes a strong Christian faith in God, Bibring, the foundation’s director of isn’t holding out much hope for a civilian police practices. investigator “with the family’s interests at Such investigations should be “as heart” any time soon. independent as possible,” he added.

“When you’re dealing with earthly “The devil’s in the details on these people that don’t think like I think, that’s types of things.” a challenge,” she said. “We were taught wrong is wrong and right is right. But it Vernadine mann remained skeptical looks like in our society, wrong is right and that any use-of-force investigation right is wrong.” Ω

Responding to unspecified criticism against the Police Department that employed his daughter, Denis O’Sullivan stood in front of a podium last week to say only one person is to blame for his child’s death.

That man is accused cop-killer Adel Sambrano Ramos, 45, who police say had a stash of firearms and a murderous intent to use them when officers came to his Noralto neighborhood house on a domestic violence-related call.

“What happened on June 19th falls squarely on one individual,” O’Sullivan told reporters only six days after his 26-year-old daughter, Sacramento police Officer Tara O’Sullivan, was shot while assisting a woman retrieve her belongings from Ramos’ home.

O’Sullivan lay mortally wounded in the suspect’s backyard for nearly 45 minutes while, police say, the suspect blasted rounds from two assault rifles, a shotgun and a pistol, all strategically placed around his house. Crisis negotiators finally persuaded Ramos to surrender the following morning, after a siege that lasted hours. By that time, the rookie officer was already dead.

“I think the question in this case is what were they able to see before they went to the home,” said Julia Weber, a Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence fellow. “In sort of an ideal world, the person taking the call should ask, ‘Well, does he have firearms?’”

Police spokesman Sgt. Vance Chandler didn’t respond directly to that question, but said at last week’s press conference that detectives still had much work to do.

Denis O’Sullivan described his daughter, who was raised in the East Bay city of Martinez some 60 miles south, as falling in love with sacramento during college. Last week, during a widely attended service, O’Sullivan was laid to rest not far from her adopted home, in Elk Grove. (Raheem F. Hosseini)

a smoldering mystery For years Queen of sheba has brought North African cuisine and a taste of the world to Broadway. But now some in the community are worried the restaurant’s cultural significance may also have been the reason it was targeted by a suspected arson.

The blaze at the popular Ethiopian dining hub broke out in the early morning hours of June 24.

Sacramento Fire Department Captain Keith Wade said the flames mainly damaged the restaurant’s exterior and front entrance. Wade confirmed the incident is being investigated as an arson. That conclusion is based, in part, on footage from a security camera at Loyalty Pawn, which shows a suspect starting the fire before running away on foot.

Owner Zion Taddese told reporters she doesn’t know why anyone would target Queen of Sheba, though investigators have not ruled out a hate crime.

This week, Wade told SN&R that his department hasn’t linked the Queen of Sheba crime with any other recent commercial fires or arsons.

In 2017, momo’s meat market and supreme Barber lounge were both vandalized with racial slurs and swastikas spray-painted on the walls. Several months later, two Sacramento-area mosques and the local Council on american-islamic relations were all targeted for various types of hate crimes. In 2018, menacing racist graffiti was discovered in a bathroom at sacramento City College and, in May, leaflets with a swastika were drone-dropped on an event at sacramento state university.

As of June 25, a GoFundMe account had raised nearly $9,000 for Queen of Sheba, which expects to reopen this week. (Scott Thomas Anderson)

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Pictured here, the old Hemly estate.

Employees from the state Department of Water Resources were recently caught drilling on private property without permits not far from the property.

Photo by Scott thomaS anderSon

Slap and go Sacramento County hits pro-tunnel state agency with restraining order

by Scott thomaS anderSon

The standoff between Sacramento County and the California Department of Water Resources over the Delta’s future took a twist in June, moving from quiet canals and pear orchards along the river to a courtroom in the central city. That’s where county officials were granted a temporary restraining order against DWR to halt what they call risky and illegal drilling.

At issue is whether the state agency can use eminent domain powers to bore exploratory holes around Courtland without county permits. DWR is conducting the drilling to salvage some version of the controversial California WaterFix, which Gov. Gavin Newsom decided will be a one-tunnel project if it’s built.

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s c o t t a @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

But attorneys representing Delta communities and environmental groups believe a one-tunnel system still has the potential to negatively impact farms, water quality and historic resources in the region. Sacramento County continues to be one of 30 litigants waging a long-term legal battle over the project.

The county’s June restraining order is one of its most direct actions yet on that front. Meanwhile, Delta residents are worried what could happen if DWR is granted permission to drill again later this summer.

The county’s latest salvo with DWR started June 17, when Chris Hunley, a supervisor for Sacramento County’s

Environmental Management Department, statutory requirements” when making his pulled up to property not far from the old decision.

Hemly estate near Courtland.

But Tom Keeling, one of the main Hunley spotted workers for DWR attorneys involved in the San Joaquin and its drilling contractor, Gregg Drilling County case, says it’s not that simple.

Inc., boring into the earth and deterKeeling represented some 125 landownmined DWR’s drilling crew had already ers in five Delta counties trying to hit a depth of about 25 feet. block DWR access to their lands for “It’s my understanding DWR was scientific testing. That was back when drilling the bore hole at the site in the WaterFix project was better known as connection with geological explorations “the twin tunnels” and was being chamfor the Delta water conveyance project, pioned by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. previously known as ‘WaterFix’ or Keeling said that DWR was only ‘the tunnels,’” Hunley wrote in a court granted access to a handful of properties. declaration. “Neither DWR nor Gregg More importantly, he says, DWR failed Drilling had applied for or obtained or to include Sacramento and San Joaquin stated an exemption from Sacramento counties as parties to the lawsuit and its County’s well permit requirement for conclusion. any drilling work to be performed.”

Therefore, it’s Keeling’s legal opinion Hunley issued a stop-work order to that Sacramento County officials are not everyone there. bound by that court order.

Three days later, attorneys for the “The issues litigated in that case bear county appeared before Sacramento no resemblance to the issues that would Superior Court Judge David I. Brown exist between the county and DWR,” to request a temporary restraining order Keeling told SN&R. “The county’s against DWR on the grounds it was permitting is totally unrelated. … In my threatening the area’s drinking water. view, DWR is flat-out wrong on this.”

“Unregulated drilling … can be The next court hearing is set for early harmful and detrimental to water July. In the meantime, Judge Brown quality, including potable drinking granted the county’s restraining order water supplies,” Hunley wrote in court against DWR. “The state agrees to stand filings. “The drilling can remove or open down on all activities,” Brown scribbled up preexisting underground geologic on the order in gnarled cursive. layers between aquifers and expose Nicky Suard, owner of Snug Harbor groundwater resources to pollutants, Resort and Marina in the Delta, said contaminants and sediments that county officials and from other aquifers that Courtland residents have had no prior hydrologic good reason to worry “Unregulated connection.” about the drilling. In drilling … can be Representing an addendum that DWR, state DWR attached to harmful and detrimental Deputy Attorney its San Joaquin to water quality, including General Bruce case, the agency potable drinking water D. McGagin acknowledged argued that the that between supplies.” state can ignore 2010 and 2011 Chris Hunley, county regulait carried out supervisor for Sacramento County’s tions because it “landslide drillEnvironmental Management was granted limited ing activities” on Department access, via eminent a number of Delta domain, to the property properties that weren’t from San Joaquin Superior represented by Keeling.

Court in 2017.

Suard remembers those “This court lacks jurisdiction to hear days well. the matter,” McGagin wrote, emphasizing “People who were staying here that the previous court order not only at the resort were complaining about allows DWR access to the property under vibrations at night,” Suard recalled. its powers from the state water code, but “They were asking if we were having that the San Joaquin County judge took earthquakes.” Ω “due consideration of constitutional and

Photo by scott thomas anderson

Stone cold sober Mayor reacts to latest increase in Sacramento homelessness

by Scott thomaS anderSon

scotta@newsreview.com

Mayor Darrell Steinberg gave his view of a new homeless count at a City Hall press conference on June 26.

Sacramento Mayor Darrel Steinberg wasted no counted were originally from Sacramento. He time calling a gaggle of reporters together to defend said that’s proof the city’s new policies and his administration’s handling of homelessness in the efforts are not, as some critics have suggested, face of a new report showing the number of people acting as a magnet to draw more homeless on the streets rose by 19% over the last two years. people to Sacramento.

Since taking office, the mayor has presided Finally, Steinberg said he expects the new over a host of new programs and spending homeless shelter downtown at the Capital Park initiatives aimed at getting homeless people into Hotel to be providing 180 beds by August. shelters or housing. Yet on June 26, when the Efforts to turn a CalTrans underpass near Land new Point-In-Time count for countywide homePark into a shelter, as well as some property lessness was released, Steinberg acknowledged near Cal Expo, are going considerably slower, some progress that’s been made has been greatly the mayor acknowledged. hampered by Sacramento’s broader affordable “I’m attempting to run through these walls housing crisis. as fast as possible,” he said.

The count was conducted at the end of Sacramento State professor Arturo Baiocchi, January and involved an army of volunteers who oversaw the count, said it was important spreading out across the county with surveys to remember the 2019 canvassing was more drafted by researchers at Sacramento State sophisticated and cast a wider net than previUniversity and Sacramento Steps Forward, ous years. the region’s coordinating agency for homeless “I do think it’s one of the more accurate services. The result of those efforts offered a counts,” Baiocchi said at the press confersnapshot of 5,570 people found living ence. “We were covering three times on the streets on the two nights of the areas.” The previous canvasses the count. could have significant under“Why During his press confercounts because of their are more ence, Steinberg stressed methodology, he said. people becoming there was an important Steps Forward CEO figure in the new report Lisa Bates told reporters homeless while chronic that needed unpacking, to expect a more nuanced homelessness is down? It’s specifically that the and in-depth figures in the affordability crisis.” number of chronically future Point-In-Time counts homeless people who were thanks to the university’s Sacramento Mayor Darrell without shelter was down by expertise.

Steinberg 7%. The mayor said this key “This gives us a good basefigure was proof that the city’s line moving forward,” Bates said. recent direction in tackling longThe mayor agreed, urging the term homelessness was starting to work. media not to abbreviate the opening line “We have a housing crisis in Sacramento,” of his remarks.

Steinberg said. “Why are more people becom“I find the numbers sobering, but I’m ing homeless while chronic homelessness is hopeful,” he emphasized. “This is the single down? It’s the affordability crisis.” issue that challenges our place as a great city.”Ω He also emphasized another figure in the report—that 93% of the homeless people

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What it means to be an american in 2019 t

he Fourth of July is about patriotism and tradition— parades, picnics, fireworks and all the rest.

It should also be a good time to think about what it really means to be an American.

In 2019, that question is front and center. With his anti-immigrant and nationalist speeches, tweets and policies, President Donald Trump presents one clear answer.

But there are many other views as well.

SN&R asked a diverse group of prominent people in the Sacramento area for theirs: Pat Fong Kushida, president & CEO of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce; Basim Elkarra, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Sacramento Valley chapter; Ebony Harper, a Sacramento activist who is head of the new National Alliance for Trans Liberation and Advancement; and Eric Guerra, vice mayor of Sacramento.

Read their essays and see if you agree with them. Then consider: What do you think it means to be an American in 2019? Ω

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n A c i r e ‘The Am e h T s i y sTor ’ y r o T s T n A r g i imm For newcomers, owning a small business is the fastest path to the middle class

by PAt FOng KuShidA

i

t is fitting that I started reflecting on this Independence Day commentary on Memorial Day— thinking about those who came before me.

I’m a first-generation American, and when I reflect about what it means to be an American in 2019, my thoughts immediately jump back to my grandfather who was born in China and my father and mother, who were also born in China, and immigrated to California.

Like all immigrants, their experience of making a life in a new land consisted of persistent challenge and unlimited opportunity. My grandfather, Walter Fong, born in 1903, came to America searching for that opportunity. By the 1930s, he lived in Sacramento, working at a poultry shop and eventually owning one. Over the next 50 years, he built a chain of local grocery stores, Farmers Market, and died in 1990 a multi-millionaire.

I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, watching my family work hard in my grandfather’s grocery business to provide for us. I think it was then that I developed a love for the retail business that became my first career out of college. Since both my parents were born in China, our first language was Cantonese. I saw

Pat Fong Kushida is president & CEO of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

my mom struggle to read English so she could pass her driver’s license test. There were many times that I felt the sting of prejudice. It hurt, but only made me more determined to succeed.

When I moved to the Bay Area, I worked in San Francisco as a merchandise buyer. The city is a showcase of immigrants, a passing parade of people living the American Dream. As a young businesswoman 30 years ago, that was exciting to see and experience. As a first-generation American myself, I was one of them.

I felt blessed.

I married a second-generation Japanese American. His mother was born in Japan and came here when she married my husband’s father.

My father-in-law and his family were housed at Tule Lake during the Japanese internment during World War II. Many of their friends and relatives lost everything, and yet when they were released, they did not complain but set about rebuilding their lives.

Over the last century, many immigrants have faced prejudice in their new country. That’s why it’s notable that most small businesses in the U.S. are started by immigrants. Operating a small business is fraught with its own perils, so having to handle this

kind of hostility makes the job even harder.

For immigrants, owning a small business is the fastest way to rise to the middle class—the shortest route to be a “successful American.”

Certainly, this is what immigrant families want for their children and themselves—to be called Americans.

That’s why the nationalism rising in America is deeply troubling.

The internet has made us a global community. The millennials, our newest generation in the workforce, don’t see color. Demographically, Sacramento is, itself, now a majorityminority city.

The American story is the immigrant story. With determination, perseverance and luck, anyone can be successful here. My love for this country is wrapped up in the opportunities that come with being an entrepreneur.

So, in 2019, when I reflect on what it means to be American, it’s still about opportunity. I’d tell anyone that the American Dream—so rooted in small business ownership—is alive and well. We need more immigrants committed to success. So please come, you are welcome and needed here in America. Ω

n a c i r e m a ‘Being an p u g n i d n means sta ’ e c i t s u j for We must join together to stop a rising tide of hate

by BASIm ElkARRA

i

n 2019—the era of Donald Trump—the United States is a country divided. Americans stand on a precipice: Will we succumb to the dangerous pull of white nationalism, or stand and defend justice for all?

As executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Sacramento Valley/ Central California chapter, I firmly believe that being an American means standing up for justice and equality for all.

Amid the increasing turmoil, hatred and violence we are witnessing today, it brings me solace to see so many fellow Americans of all backgrounds coming together to fight for these values. Time and again, America has proven that

in bias incidents from 2016 to 2017.

The top two factors motivating perpetrators were a person’s ethnicity and religion. There was also a 17% spike in California hate crimes from 2016 to 2017, according to a report by the attorney general. Hate crimes involving religious bias increased by 21%.

As members of an organization dedicated to empowering American Muslims and protecting justice for all, my team and I have seen this increase in hate incidents first-hand.

CAIR-California recorded an 8% increase of anti-Muslim bias incidents in the state in 2017 compared to 2016. The Sacramento Valley chapter received 147 civil rights complaints from Muslim community members in 2018, a significant

Time and again, America has proven that unity in the face of oppression is its strongest and most enduring quality. unity in the face of oppression is its strongest and most enduring quality.

There is no denying the increase in hatred and violence in the U.S. In 2019, there have been an average of two mass shootings a month, with a total of 51 fatalities. An FBI report showed a 17% increase nationwide

increase from 118 the previous year, and the highest number in the past seven years.

These statistics correlate with the growth in anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric and policies nationwide (and even worldwide), which fuel hate crimes.

There have been dangerous, hateful campaigns and death threats against the nation’s first two Muslim congresswomen, with the president, himself, fanning the flames; attacks at houses of worship both here and abroad; and the dehumanizing policies of the travel ban on Muslim-majority nations and the separation of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, which left families traumatized and torn apart.

Last December, our team faced one of its most high-profile cases to date. We represented the family of Ali Hassan, a U.S. citizen and father of 2-year-old Abdullah Hassan, who was suffering from a brain disorder.

The family moved to Egypt from Yemen in 2017 amid the ongoing civil war, and Hassan was forced to bring Abdullah to the U.S. in October 2018 without his Yemeni mother, Shaima Swileh, as their son’s condition deteriorated.

Prior to our involvement, the couple had attempted to contact the U.S. embassy in Cairo nearly 30 times to grant Swileh an emergency waiver so she could travel here to get medical treatment for Abdullah. In a final desperate attempt to reunite Swileh with her son, a hospital worker contacted us in December 2018. We filed an emergency lawsuit in federal district court on the family’s behalf.

The lawsuit, alongside a powerful effort to lobby elected officials and

a massive media and social media campaign, led to Swileh finally receiving a waiver. She was able to be with Abdullah in his final days, allowing the family to mourn the loss of their young son with dignity.

The case highlighted how the travel ban’s waiver process is a sham. After the family spent a year pleading for a waiver, our team was able to secure one in mere days due to legal, public and media pressure.

The case was heart-wrenching and bittersweet, but it also highlighted the best of what it is to be American. As soon as we publicized the family’s plight, our allies of different faiths and backgrounds joined us to ensure this family would see justice. We received calls, emails and handwritten notes from across the country expressing support for the family and decrying the inhumanity of the travel ban.

It proved that the combination of perseverance, solidarity and compassion can overcome any obstacle—no matter how insurmountable it seems.

If that’s not American, what is? Ω

Basim Elkarra is director of the Sacramento Valley/Central California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

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Ebony Harper, a Sacramento activist, is leader of the new National Alliance for Trans Liberation and Advancement.

s i s u f ‘NoNe o l i t N u e fre ’ e e r f s i e N o y r eve Black and brown trans women are seeking liberty

by EboNy HArpEr

o

n July 4th, 1776, the Second Continental Congress legally severed the binds that British colonial rule had on America. The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Many politicians, citizens and important figures have attempted to keep its intention alive.

But a closer look at life in the margins illuminates a sad truth: freedom and liberty only exist for some of us.

Since our founding, some have been left out, not just on the basis of race, but also based on sexuality and gender identity.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, a pivotal moment in the gay liberation movement.

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While the battle for queer rights has seen tremendous victories since Stonewall, many black and brown queer, trans and non-binary folks living in poverty witness the duality of a queer America that liberates some while tightening the chains on others.

As the transgender community gains more cultural visibility, it’s difficult not to notice how regularly we are being attacked, both inside and outside the queer community. Trans people, particularly our black women and femmes, were on the front lines of the Stonewall Rebellion, yet we’re on the back lines of the gay and lesbian liberation. We were the first ones to declare how so sick of hiding and dying we were, to call for resistance. And yet, we have not seen the fruits of our labor.

What we know now is that there are rising attacks on transgender lives.

Since Donald Trump has taken office, hate crimes against transgender women of color have spiked dramatically. The murders of black transgender women are a silent American crisis.

A few weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a young black trans woman shot to death in Dallas. Muhlaysia Booker was her name. A few days later,

the body of Chynal Lindsey, another black trans woman, was found in a Dallas lake. We don’t even have time to mourn, let alone pick ourselves up from the depths of despair, before another one of us is murdered and the cycle of grief

supposed to define and to fight for the least protected, least heard and least supported among us. None of us is free until everyone is free, especially black and brown trans women. That means everyone has to find ways to support us—economically, culturally, educationally, professionally, politically.

The murders of black transgender women are a silent American crisis ... We’re dying one after another, and it feels like no one but us even knows we’re alive. repeats. We’re dying one after another, and it feels like no one but us even knows we’re alive.

Zoe Spears, Chanel Scurlock, Paris Cameron, Michelle “Tamika” Washington, Claire Legato, Ashanti Carmon, Jazzaline Ware, Dana Martin.

These are the names of other transgender Americans who have been killed this year while embodying the very essence of what this nation claims to be as liberated, free women striving for happiness and peace in the face of adversity. They chose to walk in their truth, no matter what, to be themselves and to love their lives, no matter what.

It is our duty as citizens of this country to protect the liberties and freedoms that being an American is

The fight for liberty did not end in Philadelphia with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a daily battle for many in this country and it will continue until we all internalize this fact: There is no freedom when there is also terror, just as there is no justice when there is also corruption.

This Independence Day, I want you to think of those who don’t have true liberty in this country and what you’re going to do to amplify their voices. I implore you to let the banner yet wave for all citizens—yes, even trans citizens. Ω

“WhAT iT meAns ...” continued on page 18

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“whAt it meAns ...” continued from page 16

y d o ‘Nob s d e e c c u s ’ e N alo We must work together and unite to move forward

by EriC GuErra

Vice Mayor Eric Guerra represents District 6 on the Sacramento City Council.

I

am a proud American, an American who immigrated here undocumented and became a citizen by choice.

Being an American in 2019 is a paradox. On the one hand, I have a strong sense of brotherhood with my fellow Americans, brought about by the aspirational values of our Constitution and common belief than anyone can succeed.

On the other hand, Americans hold a deep respect for the individual

Being a proud American means stomping out influences of hate, racism and inequality. As Americans, we cannot forget to fight for our neighbors and friends. and the protection of personal freedoms and civil liberties.

I was born in my grandmother’s adobe house in a small village in Mexico but raised in Esparto, a modest farming town in Yolo County. I spent much of my youth picking produce with my family in order to help make ends meet. To this day, I can still recall the sounds of my dad trying to start the old Ford Ranger before we headed out to the fields. In the early hours of the morning, I always prayed that it wouldn’t start.

Paying my way through college as a janitor, I was able to earn an

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engineering degree and master’s degree from Sacramento State—an achievement that allowed my family to join the middle class in less than a generation. It is unlikely to find the same opportunity for a path out of poverty in many other nations.

Although the memory of living in poverty remains fresh in my mind, I have since reaped the benefits of a public education. I owe my success to the numerous people who answered my calls for help, intervened when no one asked and genuinely cared for my well-being. Good Americans cared.

My family and I have been no strangers to hard work, but the misconceived idea that a true American pulls themselves up by only their bootstraps is a fallacy. I learned early on you can never replace hard work and perseverance, but nobody succeeds alone.

These days, what wakes me up is not that old Ford Ranger, but my 18-month-old son, Javier. Every morning my wife and I get him ready, I pack my briefcase into my car and start my day as the vice mayor of the city of Sacramento.

I know that my son will have a very different childhood than I did, but I hope he will recognize the diaspora of being American, that he has a grandmother from Mexico and another from Long Island. I hope he will recognize that the backbone of this nation are families just like his and that

his middle-class childhood came about because other Americans cared.

He will understand that being an American in 2019 is not synonymous with being a nationalist. To the contrary, being a proud American means stomping out influences of hate, racism and inequality.

As Americans, we cannot forget to fight for our neighbors and friends, the people who serve our food, watch our children, clean our offices and homes, and for all our hard-working taxpaying families trying to provide for their loved ones.

Now, more than ever, we must find ways to come together and unify as Americans. We must fight together to protect our individual freedoms and not to suppress individuals we believe are different.

I have faith that as a country we can move forward as one.

The threat of nationalism aims to divide us as a nation and isolate us from the rest of the world. We can no longer afford to be passive regarding threats placed on our core American values.

Being an American in 2019 means that we cannot simply tolerate our differences; we must celebrate them and acknowledge that it is our diversity that makes us stronger together. Our country continues to evolve in thought, being an American is a paradox and maybe this is just my two cents.

But E pluribus unum, our nation’s motto, is printed on our penny: Out of many, one. Ω

r e m m u S S i h t t i f y a St ! b u l c e h at t in g in a r t l a n o S r e p e fer + fre f o t n e m l l o r n e l S p e c ia j u ly ! in in o j u o y n e h pa c k a g e w 019 2 / 1 3 / 7 0 s d n e r e off

916.442.3927 | www.capitalac.com | conveniently located at the corner of 8th &p 07.04.19

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Space jam 20 | SN&R | 07.04.19

Bandella’s cosmic take on folk music is out of this world

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songs of summer see musIC

mexICan InquIsItIon see stage

by MaxFIELd MoRRIS

Y

Photos courtesy of cady coleman and nasa

Left: In space, everyone can hear retired astronaut Cady Coleman toot her own horns.

Bottom: Former spaceman Steve Robinson on the standup bass, Coleman largerthan-life in background.

Right: Bandella, on Earth.

ou’re in low orbit, 254 miles above the Earth. The world looks small from up here, you’re contemplating human existence and performing science experiments—then it hits you— Greenwich Mean Time is seven hours ahead of the East Coast. You’re late for band practice!

Cue a Huey Lewis and the News riff and a skitched ride off the back of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

OK, that’s not really how it works.

If you happen to be in space while the band’s on the planet, practice takes place through a sat-link, as retired astronaut and former NASA scientist Cady Coleman explains.

She, along with fellow former astronaut and noted David Bowiecoverer Chris Hadfield play in Bandella, a folk group that’s played the world over and over the world.

“You can actually play together with people on Earth,” Coleman said. “There

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vegan maC see dIsh

m a x fi e l d m @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

is a time delay. You basically have to decide: Are the people in space going to follow the people on Earth? Or are the people on Earth going to follow the person in space? And it is easier, actually, to follow the person in space. And so we did that with Chris at one point.”

Another former astronaut plays with Hadfield and Coleman: Steve Robinson.

Three astronauts in one band? Isn’t that above average?

Like many bands, Bandella is made up of people who share experiences— experiences that just happen to involve space flight. Hadfield, Coleman and Robinson all flew on the space shuttle and have been to the International Space Station.

Coleman plays flute and Hadfield handles some vocals and guitar.

Robinson—a Sacramento native and UC Davis engineering professor—takes

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great for the gut see drInk

lead acoustic guitar and other strings.

Micki Pettit, who is married to former astronaut Don Pettit, is on lead vocals. And longtime friend of the band, Dave Webb, will be joining on keyboards for their show at the Palms Playhouse in Winters on July 6. The core members have played together for 16 years.

Coleman has been playing the flute since before she even considered becoming an astronaut, which happened in college.

“Really, it never occurred to me until the women’s alumni association had Sally Ride come and give a talk after her mission.” Coleman said. “I just thought, ‘Wow, maybe I could try to have that job.’”

Coleman ended up working at NASA for 24 years. Early on in her career, she started collaborating with fellow “musicstronauts”—or “astrocicians.”

“Chris Hadfield and I started in the same class [at NASA] and started playing music sometime in the first few months,” Coleman said. “It takes a certain chemistry to play ... Some people it just works particularly well with, and Chris happens to be one of those people.“ Music is one way to spend the time in orbit, with its zero-gravity challenges. Guitars, like everything else not tied down, tend to float away. A flute temporarily abandoned, Coleman says, once hid itself somewhere in the space station. Despite such setbacks, Hadfield says, “NASA psychiatrists and psychologists realized just how important music is and art is to mental health, and so they put the guitar on the International Space Station in the summer of ’01. So it’s been there for 18 years, so I guess that guitar’s been

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around the world, gosh … a hundred thousand times? More than Keith Richards, I guess.”

You can put instruments in space ships, you can have astronauts phone music home, but why do it? Space is inhospitable to life, and it seems like it’s fairly inhospitable to jamming out.

“Music, on a spaceship, is mostly solo,” Hadfield said. “It’s also a really noisy place, it’s that level of constant machine noise that’s keeping you alive.”

It’s not the best place to play music, but Hadfield says there’s no better place to go for inspiration, evidenced by an entire album of original work he made on the ISS. There’s a sunrise every 90 minutes, stellar views of the planet and plenty of work to be done.

“I think art helps each of us explain the world to ourselves,” Hadfield said.

“That applied while I was aboard the space station.”

Coleman agrees. “I think playing music together is a very human thing,” she said. “There’s some joy that always happens when all of us are together and when Chris and Micki are singing.”

Coleman has also had the opportunity to play lots of music with other humans. She’s performed with the Chieftans, a traditional Irish band, and also played with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson live from space.

“I think there’s a lot of similarities between being in a band on the road and living in a space station in that it’s not like you can decide you want a different bass player,” she said. “It’s hard to change them, and you have to figure out a way to get over the things you wish were different.”

Imagine being miles away from billions of humans, but you can still be trapped in the close company of a few folks on the ISS. No matter where you go, so much of your life is shaped by the humans you interact with. While Hadfield denied ever getting stage fright—once you’ve gone to space, certain things seem smaller—Coleman finds that the interactions still have an edge.

“One of my favorite quotes,” Coleman said, “is that there’s no way to take the danger out of human relationships—and I would say that applies to musical relationships as well.” Ω

catch Bandella at the Palms Playhouse in Winters on July 6 at 8 p.m. tickets are $12-$22 and include a chance to watch real astronauts play music.

07.04.19 | SN&R | 21

Kennedy Wrose (hip-hop)

The Mindful (rock)

Wrose is putting out an ambitious 16-song LP on July 12, with a kick-off show at the California State Fair on July 13. It’s called Wrose to the Occasion, a continuation of the artist’s theological hip-hop that makes scripture fashionable and accessible, and life’s blessings a central theme.

Prog-jazz rockers The Mindful release their debut album on July 27. The band raised more than $5,000 via Indiegogo to fund Full Blown Gallery, a collection of songs that are as eclectic as the LP name suggests. At times, it deals in restful country-folk love songs (“Cowboy Pan” and “Minds Made Up”) then dares into electric jazz-funk territory with tunes such as “Startin Somethin” and “Slump.”

Wherever it goes, it always sounds lifecelebratory. There’s a release show at Momo Lounge (2708 J Street).

soundcloud.com/kennedywrose

Lightweight (punk) If funerals can be a party, Lightweight’s debut album, Spirits Down, is the album you pair with the keg stand. Released on June 21, it’s 11 songs of breathless ’90s punk crunch. Listen to “Heartburn,” and keep your head up to the earnest lyrics and endless guitar chug. lightweightpunk.bandcamp.com

Makebelief (experimental pop) the cover of pop-artist Yayah’s single “Hard Life.”

Photo courtesy of yayah

Sounds of summer 2019

facebook.com/makebeliefmusic

Local music releases for the hotter season

by Mozes zarate

When temperatures boil in Sacramento, some artists hit the road while others squeeze in their latest releases. SN&R compiled a list of some new local music to hear and anticipate between now and September.

Amber DeLaRosa (electro-pop) The Flourish singer dropped a solo single called “Get To Me” on June 28, and the video is making waves with about 18,000 Facebook views as of press time.

Heavy ’80s pop chill and DeLaRosa’s pop-star-in-the-making vocals pair well, along with the music video’s aesthetic: 22

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Confusion Fruit is slated for a summer release, and one-man pop band Schuyler Peterson creates soundscapes that are both erratic and daydreamy. In the song “Begin Again,” low-tempo acoustic guitar, keys, chirps, bells and synths sample through vocals on auto-tune overdrive.

m o z e s z @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

dark, retro and neon-lit, like something inspired by Tron, Sia and analog music equipment. facebook.com/amberdelarosamusic.

Aye Tee (hip-hop) “Priorities,” which released July 1, is familiar yet fresh nightclub “shawty” fare, which is perfect coming from the local hip-hop artist Aye Tee, a prolific maker of smooth, Akon-esque nightlife anthems. Check out Aye Tee’s newly released three-song demo, A-Class EP, on Soundcloud. soundcloud.com/that1guyayetee

Poor Majesty (hip-hop/rap) A member of the Sac rap supergroup MyNorities, Poor Majesty dropped his latest album, Dreamer, on June 29, and it’s a master class in soul-searching rap with socially conscious themes. Check out the music video for its single “Broadway,” and watch the story of a postal worker contributing to systemic oppression, narrated by some heavy lyrics such as: “It’s hard to win when your skin is a probable cause.” poor.bandcamp.com

Shawn Thwaites Rebel Quartet (hip-hop/jazz) The Trinidadian steel drum master is planning a collaborative LP with local singer Camilla Covington for September.

A March NPR Tiny Desk entry shows promise: A soft beat and beachside steel drum melody lounge to Covington’s soulful R&B singing, calling on you to be “Just be yourself, right? / better for your health, right?” strq.tv

themindful.bandcamp.com

Turnbuckle Blues Review (blues/rock ’n’ roll) TBR’s 10-song LP Backbpack Full of Soul released June 15, a Swiss Army knife of acoustic country, dirty blues and rock that’s fitting for highway drives and the saloon jukebox. Into Dire Straits?

Check out “Sleeping Bag Tom,” and enjoy a twangy, talky story about an encounter with a vagrant bar visitor.

Facebook.com/turnbucklebluesreview

Wastewalker (metal) On May 29, the Sacramento hypermelodic metal band released a 3-minute instrumental taste of its second album, Lowborn. The cover spells the sound out, showing riot police fending off a mob of demons in a war-torn downtown as a giant obelisk juts out of the skyline. The demo is an apocalypse of blistering guitar harmonies and blast beats that only ever takes a breath to offer more foreboding riffs. Lowborn releases July 23. wastewalker.bandcamp.com

Yayah (electro-pop) If Depeche Mode and New Order are your jam, local drag queen Yayah is releasing a single titled “Hard Life” that’ll satisfy an inkling for somber notes and punchy ’80s beats. And like those bands, the introspective lyrics (“Take a look around you and tell me what you see / All of these people in pain and misery”) are made addictively upbeat by thick bass notes and eerily uplifting synth melodies. The EP drops Aug. 2. instagram.com/yayahtheartist Ω

now playing

Reviews

Bad habits

by Bev SykeS

Photo courtesy of Davis shakesPeare festival

scReen pick It’s not every day you discover the teachings of a radical Catholic nun.

The Tenth Muse

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Wed 8pm, sun 2pm. through 8/3; $15-$30; Davis veterans Memorial theater, 203 e 14th street in Davis, (530) 802-0998, shakespearedavis.org.

Set in 18th century Mexico, Tanya Saracho’s The Tenth Muse tells the story of three young women who are admitted to a convent for their protection during the Mexican Inquisition, an extension of the Spanish Inquisition.

Jesusa (Gabby Battista) is a “mestiza,” a woman of mixed race. Tomasita (Leah Sanginiti), a servant of indigenous heritage, is brought by her mother for the shelter of the nuns, and Manuela (Talia Friedenberg), a noblewoman with her own secret, is also seeking refuge.

The women are put in a basement where they can sleep, but are told not to touch a large locked cabinet. Naturally they do, and inside they find the writings of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a revolutionary intellectual who died 20 years earlier and whose writings were supposedly destroyed.

The three women read and act out Sor Juana’s writings. It’s delightful, but quickly becomes terrifying when they are discovered by the strict Sor Filomena (Laurie Strawn) and Mother Superior (Lisa Quoresimo), who fear reprisals if the documents are found by members of the Inquisition.

While it’s a bit puzzling to figure out the message of this play in the first act, act two brings it all together in wonderful fashion.

The story becomes a fight for women’s rights when, at the urging of Sor Isabel (Kelley Ogden), the women find a way to save at least some of the writings, while the nuns frantically burn the rest. The final scene is dramatically beautiful. Ω

Just two sisters, one bar and the rising tensions within a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

Growing up Latina Challenge the throne Celebration Arts makes its first foray into Shakespeare with a staged reading of Macbeth, adapted by returning director Khimberly Marshall.

It is the beginning of a five-year Macbeth Project, which will see the play re-adapted each year as Celebration Arts partners with different community organizations. The first full production, planned for 2020, will pair with local West African drum and poetry groups to bring Marshall’s concept to life.

Marshall brings her classical training and deep love of Macbeth to this Afro-futurist reimagining of Shakespeare’s tale of ambition. Marshall draws on African history and folklore alongside nontraditional gendered casting to open up new themes in the familiar play. How does Macbeth change when we bring the text into a culture that values female warriors, or where connection to ancestors has real impact on one’s fate?

According to Marshall, this production and the larger Macbeth Project signify a desire to return Shakespeare to popular audiences. “[Shakespeare] was for the common man. It was for the whole of society” she says. “It’s become isolated in this upper echelon of the theatre world. Our goal is to bring it back to the people.”

Board member Karen “KT” Travis says the huge turnout at auditions validated the company’s decision to embark on classics such as Shakespeare. “There are people who are really interested in Shakespeare, they want to learn Shakespeare—and the fact that they want to learn is exciting.”

—Sawyer Kemp Macbeth: fri 8pm, sat 8pm; through 7/6; No cover; celebration arts, 2727 B street; (916) 455-2787; celebrationarts.net.

In the drama series Vida , creator Tanya Saracho invites viewers to delve into the inner struggles of Boyle Heights, a rapidly changing neighborhood in East L.A. Saracho humanizes issues of gentrification and financial struggle, weaving them throughout the intimate lives of a largely Latinx cast, who, through their crucial roles, demonstrate the intricacies of growing up in a traditional LatinxAmerican family.

Vida captures the authenticity of what it feels like to love your culture, even if you haven’t found that common ground yet. The story follows the complex relationship between two sisters, Emma (Mishel Prada), a straightforward—at times cold—businesswoman with a corporate job in Chicago, and Lyn Hernandez (Melissa Barrera) a young, lackadaisical woman who lives a life of luxury dating rich white men in San Francisco.

Both sisters return to their childhood stomping grounds of Boyle Heights after the death of their mother, Vida. The two must sort through their mother’s estate, starting with the rundown corner bar and the apartments that lie above it. It’s a bit of a dive, but it has good bones. It’s also the center of a lot of the drama, and a haven for the local LGBTQ community.

The show is also richly populated with characters such as Mari Sanchez (Chelsea Rendon), who embodies Eastside youth activism culture, and Eddy (Ser Anzoategui), Vida’s roommate—but there may or may not be more to that story. No spoilers!

Vida (which just wrapped up its second season on Starz) is a must-see show, especially for the Latinx and LGBTQ communities. Saracho, who identifies as queer, has created a multi-layered story that shows that representation matters.

—Steph rodriguez

1 2 3 4 5 foul

fair

GooD

Well-DoNe

suBliMe DoN’t Miss

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IllUSTRaTIOn BY MaRIa RaTInOva

Heart healthy tacos Vegan tacos, bambi Vegan tacos

Veg Cafe’s Mac N Cheese with smoked cheddar and chewy garlic chips sometimes comes with truffle breadcrumbs.

PHOTO BY STEPH RODRIGUEZ

Mindful eats Veg Cafe 2431 J Street, 2nd floor; (916) 448-8768 Good for: Plant-based comforts and scenic street views Notable dishes: Curry Bowl, Summer Peach Salad

$$$

Plant-based, Midtown

With a menu that’s 100% plant-based, Veg Cafe in Midtown is a haven for vegans, vegetarians and those with dietary restrictions such as gluten allergies. The restaurant sits above Thai Basil and is owned by Suleka Sun-Lindley, who is the chef and owner of both restaurants.

One recent evening, Veg was bustling with diners at just about every table. Wood-paneled walls are adorned with original artwork, and crystal chandeliers and healthy house plants are aplenty. There’s also ample window seating so customers can watch the busy J Street traffic whiz by.

Once I was seated, a fragrant vegetable curry at an adjacent table lured me into ordering the same dish, the Curry Bowl ($12), while my dinner date tried the Impossible Burger ($13) with smoked cheddar ($2.50) and Aaron’s Fries ($4).

The curry is loaded with seasonal vegetables such as sweet potato, cauliflower, kale and other hidden bits all swimming in a creamy cashew korma. It’s served with spiced basmati rice and lentils, which pack a mild heat between bites. It’s a rich and comforting dish that’s quite filling.

The Impossible Burger had a rosy pink hue on the inside giving it that real-deal meat appeal. The smoked cheddar was a bit heavy handed and dripped down the sides of the buns (a bit messy), but it truly gave this juicy patty that drive-thru, cheeseburger feel. The wedge fries resembled 24 | SN&R | 07.04.19

Bambi Vegan Tacos is a Sacramento food truck serving “farm fresh scratch made delicious AF vegan tacos.” These mind-blowing street taco options include “Chorizo” ($6), Baja ($6) and Bambi Deluxe ($6). The Chorizo taco is a zesty combination of cauliflower, harissa slaw, crispy fried potatoes, garlic hot sauce and hunks of pineapple in a flour tortilla. It literally melts in your mouth. As for the Baja, inside its soft shell is cider-battered cauliflower, sweet chipotle slaw, spicy tomatilloginger salsa and sliced avocado. The delicious Bambi Deluxe is a fried shell wrapped in a soft tortilla with tender, house-made crimini mushroom beef, refried beans, tangy garlic crema slaw and a dusting of Parmesan. bambivegantacos.com.

—tessa maRgueRite outland

Fit for a Rolling Stone Keith RichaRds, tupelo coffee & Roasting

by Steph RodRiguez

s t e p h r@ne w s re v i e w . c o m

the tasty, seasoned variety found at grocery store delis: crispy and tender. This meal was 4-year-old and mommy approved as my son didn’t notice a lick of difference and I was able to try my first Impossible Burger.

On a follow-up visit, I snagged a window seat and admired the late-evening light that filtered through the dining room. On special was a roasted vegetable soup that I paired with a half-order of Summer Peach Salad ($15).

The salad had little bursts of flavors and textures with fresh mixed greens, crunchy radicchio and a cool almond ricotta that added a nice creamy element to the grilled white peaches. Dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, this delightful salad is also topped with sweet roasted corn, pistachios for nutty crunch and pickled green almonds, which brought chewy moments and a welcome bitterness.

The roasted veggie soup ($7) warmed my bones with a deep broth and an abundance of corn, new potato, sweet potato, cauliflower, onion and cilantro. All veggies were cut so proportionally that I was able to enjoy a little bit of everything with each spoonful. I also ordered the Mac N Cheese ($13) with smoked cheddar and truffle breadcrumbs.

Unfortunately, my breadcrumb topping was missing, but all the spiral noodles were aptly covered in cheddar sauce.

However, I do wish the kitchen would dial back its use of liquid smoke. As creamy and comforting as this dish was, the aftertaste was like I had smoked a cigarette. And the chewy garlic chips on top were a nice touch, but if you’re not a fan of whole garlic pieces you may find them off-putting.

The ambience at Veg is laid-back, and the menu offers a variety of dishes and appetizers that are great for those who seek to eat less meat. At the end of a meal, you walk away thinking about the potato latkes you should’ve most definitely ordered. Next time. Ω

I’d heard of an iced coffee drink at Tupelo’s vigorous enough to bring the dead back to life, or at least keep ‘em stumbling along for the evening. Sounded like the perfect remedy for me after a long, bone-sapping hike. The Keith Richards ($4.75) boasts two shots of espresso poured over a glass of ice and Shasta Cola. The combination is an unusual flavor to accept at first, kinda like burnt matchsticks in a sugar bath. But I kept sipping, appreciating how the harsh, bitter brew smoothed out into a sweet cola tickle. Soon synopses fired, blood pumped, and I was reanimated, ready to party into the wee hours. 5700 Elvas Avenue, nakedcoffee.net.

—amy bee

PlaNet V

Blazin’ hot The ads for Blaze Pizza’s new vegan chorizo read: “Caution: It’s Fuego.” They don’t lie. Scattered across a fast-fired pie, the crumbly chorizo comes on hot and sustains a pleasant burn after multiple slices. Let’s just say you’ll be glad the drinks come with free refills. Know what else is free? The chorizo itself—which is to say it’s not extra on a $9.75 pie with unlimited toppings. Blaze eschews the “vegan tax” imposed by many restaurants that charge more for plant-based options, while offering meat items at a standard price. At Blaze, you can order vegan cheese, tofu “chicken,” chorizo and all the veggies at no extra cost. (Compare this with Pieology Pizzeria, whose new “plant proteins” cost an additional $1 per ounce—with fine print on the website explaining it takes 3 ounces to cover a pizza.) Good thing Blaze has multiple locations in the Sacramento area, including Elk Grove, Gold River, Davis and soon Citrus Heights. Find out more at blazepizza.com.

—becca costello

illustration by Mark stivers

Italian Made from Scratch, Served Fast!

Fresh Italian Food Hand-Made Everyday

(916) 330-1595 3101 Zinfandel Dr Ste 128 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Your journeY starts here

drink

Good libations

by Rachel Mayfield

Fourth of July is here, that time of year for eating barbeque, shotgunning beer and experiencing the unpleasant effects of eating barbeque and shotgunning beer. Let’s face it: The gut is a delicate ecosystem that can be drastically transformed by dietary changes and is in more danger during cookout season. Before disaster strikes—or even as it strikes—take stock of some pro-digestive drinks that taste almost (but not quite) as good as those grilled chicken wings.

Dressing up Vibe Health Bar’s cold-pressed Wellbelly Shot ($4) is one of many probiotic drink options. The label breaks down what each ingredient does, with vinegar and vegan probiotic assisting in gut health and digestion.

Turbinado sugar supposedly “aids in fermentation process” while purified water helps with … ‘hydration.’” Hmm, the jury’s still out on that one. Mostly it tastes like a thick strawberry vinaigrette, which isn’t a bad thing, especially if you’ve been craving salad but still haven’t emotionally recovered from last year’s E. coli lettuce outbreak. 2770 East Bidwell Street in Folsom; (916) 990-5367; liquidologybar.com.

For the culture Sweetened tea fermented with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, also known as kombucha, is another probiotic beverage that’s been said to help with recolonizing gut bacteria. Zeal’s Vanilla Pine Kombucha ($3.99 per bottle at Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op) doesn’t immediately assault your senses as it trickles down your tubes. Instead, the sparkling

PH: (916) 509-9556 7 4 1 9 Laguna B Lv d . # 1 8 0 JourneyToTheDumpling.com

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You should be

coral-hued refreshment has a light, mild fizz and goes down smooth. You can find it bottled or on tap around town, and it may even pair better with a burger than your standard IPA. Plus, it tastes like vanilla and pine.

getting it

2820 R Street; (916) 455-2667; zealkombucha.com.

once a week.

Spice world Life isn’t just about cultivating your microbiome.

Sometimes, you just want to kick back, relax and sip on something that won’t inflame your digestive tract. The Golden Milk ($6.50) at Backbone Café is a lactosefree, honey-sweetened delight. Not only does it contain a blend of coconut and almond-pecan milk, it’s infused with spices such as turmeric, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom, all of which are said to be useful in treating an upset stomach. Ask for it cold, and it’s almost like drinking an iced latte, minus the coffee, the milk or the ice. 729 J Street; (916) 970-5545; backbonecafe.com.

Fight and flight

if you would like to carry the paper for free, call GreG at 916.498.1234, ext. 1317 or email GreGe@newsreview.com n e w s r e v i e w.c o m

Best in Sacramento Sac Mag & ABC 10

Fresh, healthy, Mediterranean.

Sun & Soil’s piping hot Turmeric Tea ($5) is definitely a last resort, but it’s pretty effective at combating squirming intestines. Just one 12-ounce cup boasts an arsenal of turmeric, ginger, chamomile, licorice root, cinnamon, black pepper and dandelion root. The added honey gives it sweetness. but not enough to lessen the sting when it hits the back of your throat. It’s a dangerously spicy elixir that does a bang-up job muffling the moans inside your body long enough for you to politely excuse yourself from the family picnic and power walk all the way home to, ahem, take care of business.

1912 P Street; (916) 341-0327; sunandsoiljuice.com. Ω

1004 J Street 3620 N Freeway Bl 3539 Bradshaw Rd 2690 E Bidwell St ( FolSom )

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gaRdeN

plAce

Field to vase American Flowers Week promotes locally grown

by Debbie Arrington

Consult. Design. Construct.

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Photo courtesy of Bloom

OUTDOOR LIVING SPECIALISTS

gardener might never try growing, such as lisianthus,” Prinzing said.

Kitaura, 31, is one of a growing number of Sacramento area gardeners who turned their hobby into a business. She packed the planters in her Pocket/Greenhaven backyard with more dahlias, plus zinnias, sunflowers, strawflowers, lisianthus and other fastgrowing blooms. She also enlisted the help of friends and family, borrowing space to grow more flowers.

“I have a suburban farm,” explained Kitaura, a former speech therapist. “I grow Amanda Kitaura of Bloom at four homes. We’re small; I don’t have produces bouquets, mostly from acres and acres. … It’s small space but high her Sacramento backyard, for density, as much as I can fit.” her subscribers.

Part of the Sacramento Valley Flower Collective, Kitaura sells her flowers online via her service Bloom. Subscribers receive For Amanda Kitaura, it started with a bag of fresh locally grown bouquets weekly, monthly dahlia tubers from Costco. or by special order. Prices start at $35 for a large “I’ve always loved flowers,” she said. “I put arranged bouquet. those dahlias in the yard and it was the best thing “They look like they came out of someone’s ever! I wanted to do something more. That’s when I garden, because they did,” Kitaura said. decided to be a flower farmer.”

When she needs more flowers to fill her orders, This is American Flowers Week, a celebration Kitaura buys them from other local flower farmers. of American-grown flowers and the farmers—like “There are tons of reasons to buy local Kitaura—who produce them. flowers,” she said. “You’re supporting the local Author Debra Prinzing, who lives outside Seattle economy in your area; you’re supporting your and is the mother of the “Slow Flowers” movement, neighbors’ hard work. Local flowers smell so much created this week in 2015 to draw attention to better. They’re not flown in from somewhere. attempts to bring back commercial flower farming to They’re not chemically treated to last for weeks.” the United States. About 80% of all flowers sold in Slow Flowers also are catching on with the U.S. are grown overseas. traditional florists.

“I get asked this question often: Why should “Support the American grower; that’s the I care where my flowers come from?” Prinzing biggest reason,” said Jim Relles of Relles Florist in said. “The parallels between the Slow Food Sacramento. “You also can get different varieties of movement and the Slow Flowers movement flowers. Certain flowers don’t travel well at all.” are obvious. When we know where, who and Among those fragile flowers are such favorites how flowers are grown, we vote with our as iris, gerbera daisies, larkspur, delphiniums, stock, pocketbook.” tulips and some lilies.

A natural in the Farm-to-Fork Capital, this “We work with California growers from Arcata movement goes field (or sometimes backyard) to Carlsbad,” Relles said. “We’re pretty lucky. to vase.

California growers can generally grow these “What I find really exciting is the amazing products year round.” Ω diversification, especially in small-cut flower farms, including those in the Sacramento Valley, who are growing unusual and heirloom annual varieties of cut flowers from ageratum to zinnias, highly-valued garden roses for the floral marketplace, and flowers that the home

Debbie Arrington, an award-winning garden writer and lifelong gardener, is co-creator of the sacramento Digs Gardening blog and website.

building a

HealtHy

Sacramento

Community Leaders Join Together to Restore Morrison Creek

by E d g a r S a N C H E Z

I

n 2017, the Avondale Glen Elder Neighborhood Association (AGENA) wanted to apply for a hefty state grant to help restore Morrison Creek, a storm water drainage canal that stretches from Rancho Cordova to Elk Grove.

But the application was never filed.

“When we went to fill it out, we realized we wouldn’t qualify,” said Nailah Pope-Harden, AGENA’s community organizer. “We didn’t have the right community parties to support the application and didn’t have the city of Sacramento involved.”

Fast forward two years and AGENA has a stronger coalition of support, with the city as a partner and The California Endowment’s backing. Pope-Harden said the group will apply for a $1 million Urban Stream Restoration grant from the State Department of Water Resources (DWR). Sacramento city officials have called for additional outside funds for the creek’s revitalization, starting in Avondale Glen Elder in South Sacramento.

Potential features of the multi-phase project include gardens and a ½-mile bike trail from Power Inn Road to 65th Street.

“We’re trying to create healthier spaces in our underserved neighborhood,” said Pope-Harden, outreach coordinator for the Morrison Creek Project, a mixture of community partners that — in addition

to Sacramento — include AGENA, the Sacramento Community Committee, the newly formed Morrison Creek Community Committee and DWR. Neglected for years, Morrison Creek’s unkempt banks don’t discourage litterbugs from dumping more refuse along its banks — from old mattresses and car tires to everyday household rubbish which includes diapers and plastic bags.

“WE’rE trYiNg to CrEatE HEaltHiEr SPaCES iN our uNdErSErvEd NEigHBorHood.”

draden graf and his son riley, 10, live in a South Sacramento home beside Morrison Creek. they are excited about the prospect of a restoration project for the creek. Photo by Edgar Sanchez

Nailah Pope-Harden Outreach coordinator, Morrison Creek Project

Sacramento County and other sections are federal property,” which can make it difficult to allocate funds for cleanup efforts.

In 2017, AGENA’s call for volunteers to help clean the creek every three months brought many respondents. One of them was Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra, who represents Avondale Glen Elder and who has become a regular at the cleanup events.

He and City Councilman Jeff Harris, both members of Sacramento’s Water Committee, have asked the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency to pursue federal monies to help Morrison Creek’s restoration.

Draden Graf, who has lived in an Avondale Glen Elder home for decades next to Morrison Creek, welcomes the news about its cleanup and renewal.

“The creek is multi-jurisdictional. Some parts of it are owned by Sacramento or

Your ZIP code shouldn’t predict how long you’ll live – but it does. Staying healthy requires much more than doctors and diets. Every day, our surroundings and activities affect how long – and how well – we’ll live.

Health Happens in Neighborhoods. Health Happens in Schools.

Health Happens with Prevention.

paid with a grant from the california endowment

BuildiNg HEaltHY CoMMuNitiES in 2010, the California Endowment launched a 10-year, $1 billion plan to improve the health of 14 challenged communities across the state. over the 10 years, residents, communitybased organizations and public institutions will work together to address the socioeconomic and environmental challenges contributing to the poor health of their communities.

For more information, visit the Morrison Creek Project Sacramento facebook page. www.SacBHC.org 07.04.19

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for the week of July 4

by maxfield morris

PoSt EVENtS oNlINE For FrEE At newsreview.com/sacramento

FOURTH OF JULY THURSDAY, 7/4 2019 rIVEr PArK 4th oF July FEStIVAl: It’s time to celebrate Independence Day, so join the River Park Neighborhood Association as it celebrates the day in River Park. As you will find at most of these festivals, there will be plenty of people, music, games and more.

You can buy food, participate in contests and peruse vendors. 9am, no cover. Glenn Hall Park, 5415 Sandburg Drive.

07

thu

Celebrate your independence from traditional Independence Day festivities. This isn’t a fireworks show.

Drive-in Fourth

tICKEt WINDoW burning on the dance floor, and Sean Kingston has no intention of putting it out.

Come spend some time with the musician at the State Fair. 7/19, 8pm, $20, on sale now.

Golden 1 Stage at Cal Expo, etix.com.

sale now. Memorial Auditorium, purchase. tickets.com.

RUPAUL’S DRAg RACE The hit

reality show is coming to Sacramento on its Werk the World Tour 2019. Michelle Visage and a host of drag queens are going to save the world through their talents, and want you to join them. 9/20, 8pm,

WEIRD AL YANKOvIC There’s still

time to get some pretty bad seats at the master of pop parody music’s concert. Grab them before some other poor sap does!

8/11, 8pm, $49.50-$65, on sale now. Memorial Auditorium, purchase.tickets.com.

EARTH, WIND AND FIRE The

venerable R&B, jazz, soul, funk and other genre band is coming to Sacramento to rock your world using only the three main elements of matter, plus instruments.

Catch them! 9/18, 8pm, $70.25-$325, on

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TV ads, movie trailers, old-timey cartoons and more. Drive right in and sit right down for a mildly bizarre evening. There will be food and popcorn available, there will be Scoptione music films—which are sort of like music videos—and plenty of moving images you may never have seen before. Check it out, or do something else. 4311 Attawa Avenue, Suite 300, tworiverscider.com/events1.

$52-$162, on sale now.

Memorial Auditorium, purchase.tickets. com.

SOCIAL DISTORTION

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The punk rock band will be playing their hearts and fingers off at

you like celebrating the fourth day in July near a neighborhood pool? Then this fete is your scene. Take to the park and enjoy some rocking tunes, discounted pool admission, free food and drinks and plenty of patriotic colors and spirit—potentially more patriotic spirit than other events. 2pm, $1. Cottage Park, 3097 Cottage Way.

4th oF July FAMIly BlASt: Yee-haw! The gates are opening up to your newest, most independent celebration of the birth of this nation. There will be some tailgating with propane grills, some carnival activities, some free kids’ activities, some activities for kids and plenty of live music. There will be fireworks once it gets dark outside, because they found out it looks more impressive that way. 4pm, $3-$45. El Dorado County Fair and Events Center, 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville.

Online listings will be considered for print. Print listings are edited for space and accuracy. Deadline for print listings is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Deadline for NightLife listings is midnight Sunday.

Send photos and reference materials to Calendar Editor Maxfield Morris at snrcalendar@newsreview.com.

ElK GroVE SAlutES thE rED, WhItE AND BluE: Elk Grove is showing up to the table, bringing its 23rd year of festivities to the people. There will be vendors, food trucks, entertainment, a pie-eating contest, a parade and music from the Spazmatics. 4pm, no cover. Elk Grove Regional Park, 9950 Elk Grove Florin Road in Elk Grove.

Fourth oN thE FIElD: Spend your day on the field at Raley Field. Show up and get your face painted, your legs in a potato sack, your vocal chords singing along with some performances and more. There will be food trucks on the warning track, live music, a beer garden, fortune tellers, a whole bunch of people as well as a fireworks show at the event of the night. 6pm, $12. Raley Field, 400 Ballpark Drive in West Sacramento.

hAlF-PrICE DAy At thE SACrAMENto Zoo: Independence Day at the zoo means the entry fee is half the price. Show up and appreciate all the freedom you have while checking out the animals. 9am, $5.75$8.25. Sacramento Zoo, 3930 W. Land Park Drive.

July 4th At CAl EXPo: Check out the fireworks at Cal Expo. They’ll be lighting off the same number of fireworks whether you attend or not. Join in the fun and watch the show that starts at 9:30 p.m. There will be music and entertainment prior to the show, including performances from Rachel Steele and National Lines. 4:30pm, no cover-$60. Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd.

PySChotroNIX FIlM FEStIVAl: In a switcharoo from the rest of the events, you can celebrate Independence Day with this film festival. Check out the event highlight on this page. 7:30pm, $3. Two Rivers Cider, 4311 Attawa Ave., Suite 300.

ArDEN PArK July 4th BIKE PArADE AND FEStIVAl: Nothing quite says “Independence

grab one ticket for you, one for gary.

SEAN KINgSTON There’s a fire

a minute with the Tahoe Park Fourth of July festival. To celebrate the federal holiday, there will be a park-traversing parade, a food truck bonanza and water-themed fun.

Not enough fun? There will be more events to be announced. 10am, no cover. Tahoe Park, 3501 59th St.

4th oF July CElEBrAtIoN At CottAGE Pool: Do

Two RiveRs CideR, 7:30pm, $3 First of all, happy Independence Day from all of us here on the Calendar team. As always, you should Fourth oF July do something to celebrate your individuality. This year, we’re suggesting this Drive-in Style Film Festival at Two Rivers Cider. Its celebration of rare, 16mm films nicely echoes your freedom to do what you please on this day. There are retro

4th oF July-tAhoE PArK SPArK-tACulAr: Spend

Papa Murphy’s Park along with Flogging Molly. It’s punk rock, brought to you by take-and-bake pizza—yum. 9/24, 5:30pm, $45-$145, on sale now. Papa Murphy’s Park, ticketmaster.com.

RAFFI The children’s

musician is coming to Sacramento for one day featuring two shows.

You could attend both and get a double dose of his Raffi-ing. 10/26,

1pm and 4pm, $33$78.50, on sale now.

Crest Theatre, ticketfly.com.

Keep driving us wild, Sean.

Day” like a bike parade and corresponding festival. Join the Arden Park Recreation and Park District as it competes with other local districts for the best celebration.

There will be free swimming, music from Danny Morris and the California Stars after the parade, purchasable hamburgers and hot dogs as well as enormous inflatables to play on. 10am, no cover. Arden Park, 1000 La Sierra Drive.

DoWNtoWN roSEVIllE 4th oF July CElEBrAtIoN: Not a city to be outdone, Roseville is also getting into the Independence Day celebration game. There’s a fun run, a parade, a selection of activities, a bunch of fireworks and more. Catch the fun run as it takes off at 7:20 a.m. at Vernon Street Town Square. The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. at intersection of Riverside, Vernon and Douglas, and activities take place at Royer Park. 7:20am, no cover. Throughout Downtown Roseville.

snr c a le nd a r @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

MUSIC THURSDAY, 7/4 throWBACKthurSDAyS: Throw it back, way back to the noises folks heard in clubs and radios during the 1990s and 2000. 9pm, no cover. Ambiance Lounge, 910 2nd St.

FRIDAY, 7/5 AuStIE A PrESENtS AuStIPENDENCE DAy: Join the hip-hop/rap performer Austie A performing live along with Igwe Aka, K Hella, Ego Death and more. It’s Austipendence Day themed, which isn’t technically a federally recognized holiday. Soon, though. 7:30pm, $10. The Colony, 3512 Stockton Blvd.

BE BrAVE BolD roBot: Join the acoustic, funky locals, Be Brave Bold Robot, for a bit of fun at Tower Brewing. There will also be food trucks and whatnot on site for you to select foods from. 7pm, no cover. Tower Brewing.

SATURDAY, 7/6

Free Fishing Day Clinic Howe Park Pond, 8aM, no cover

Nothing like waking up early on a Saturday morning, putting on your fishing hat and heading to … Howe SPORTS & OUTDOORS Park? That’s right, the pond is stocked with catfish, and you, the uninitiated fishing public between the ages of 5 and 15, are invited to learn all about the ins and outs of fishing in this entirely free clinic.

There are loaner rods, bait and tackle—but you don’t need to return the bait. Come learn a new thing. 2201 Howe Avenue, wildlife.ca.gov/ Fishing-in-the-City/Sac.

CHRCH: Doom metal is headed your way, as

you. Show up to dance, to sing and shout and drink the metaphorical marrow from your reusable water bottle. 9pm, $5. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St.

Sacramento-based CHRCH is coming to town. Other bands on the docket include Usnea, an Oregon-based band that share a name with a fungus, and Chrome Ghost, Sludge rockers from Sacramento who don’t share a name with any fungus—any scientifically known fungus, that is. 8pm, $10. Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd.

RUMOURS: They’re a Fleetwood Mac tribute

DWIGHT YOAKAM: The country star is headed

THE SPEAK LOW: Grab a seat and sit in it, as

to Sacramento, and “Suspicious Minds” are concerned he might not sing their favorite song of his, but that suspicion is “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere.” 7:30pm, $69-$99. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

FREE MONTHLY UKULELE STRUM-A-LONG: Grab your ukulele quickly, toss it into your bag and head on over to The Strum Shop. They’ll be singing and playing some familiar songs, and all skill levels are welcome to join in the musical fun. 7pm, no cover. The Strum Shop, 209 Vernon St. in Roseville.

HANK & LULU: Who are Hank & Lulu? Well, they’re the new project of Kevin Seconds and Allyson Seconds. Come check out the debut along with special guests Noah Nelson and Dave Dalton The Unfortunate Bastard. 9pm, $5. Fox & Goose, 1001 R St.

ROLAND TONIES: The SAMMIES-nominated artist is performing with Yo and the Electric, as well as with The Honest. 6:30pm, $10. Momo Sacramento, 2708 J St.

THE STRUTS: The Struts are on their Young and Dangerous tour, which means they’re coming to this city for another sold-out show. Sorry. 7pm, sold out. Ace Of Spades, 1417 R St.

SATURDAY, 7/6 GROOVEMENT AFTER DARK: Time to head to the dance floor—but not the one at the local club dancing establishment! Instead, join this class at Sierra 2 Center with all kinds of dance included. We’re talking hip-hop, fem and more. 9pm, $10. Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St.

ISLEY BROTHERS TRIBUTE: Check out the R&B experience of the Isley Brothers at this tribute band. They’re awardwinning, they’re having a good time and are performing at a hotel near you. 9pm, $25-$30. Doubletree by Hilton, 2001 Point West Way.

JEFF TURNER: Jeff Turner’s coming to Holy Diver—slow down. If you just got excited for the Nets and Magic player/broadcasting announcer, you’re in the wrong section of the calendar. This Turner is a rapper and won’t be calling shots, he’ll instead be singing songs. 7pm, $15. Holy Diver, 1517 21st St.

THE LIPSTICK 19 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!: Lipstick!

They are your friends, and they’re celebrating a 19-year anniversary with

band just dying for you to be their Fleetwood Mac tribute audience. Check them out. 7pm, $18. Ace Of Spades, 1417 R St. long as the seat’s located in Luna’s Cafe during this Saturday show with the Speak Low trio and other acts. Those acts include Mona V and Daryel Cheni Dillon. 8pm, $6. Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar, 1414 16th St.

THE SUGAR HIGH BAND: As you might imagine, the Sugar High Band delivers a high-energy performance. Join them for one memorable night in a sea of forgotten moments and distant islands. 10pm, $12-$15. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

SYNTH TRIPS FEATURING EKTOPY: Grab your synth-appreciating goggles and join the folks at MusicLandria for an evening of synth music. There will be a feature performance from Ektopy, AKA Balaji Mani, and there will be homemade food for you to eat. 6pm, $10 suggested donation. The Library of MusicLandria, 2181 6th Ave.

SUNDAY, 7/7 BAILE MASIVO DEL AÑO: Head to the local baseball diamond for some singing from Gerardo Ortiz and Pancho Barraza and dancing from you. 4pm, $40.91$150. Raley Field, 400 Ballpark Drive in West Sacramento.

SATURDAY, 7/6 SACRAMENTO RIVERFEST SEAFOOD AND BARBECUE FEST: You like the river, you like R&B music,

town is coming to this town! 9pm, no

cover. LowBrau, 1050 20th St.

WEDNESDAY, 7/10 THE JOY FORMIDABLE: Special guests join the Welsh alternative rock band for a night of special guest-energy music. 8pm, $18$20. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

MICHAEL BUBLÉ: Catch one-of-a-kind vocalist and musician Michael Bublé in a night of Canadian music. 8pm, $65-$139.50. Golden 1 Center, 500 David J Stern Walk.

JAKE SHIMABUKURO: Jake Shimabukuro is a ukuleleist of some repute, regard and esteem. Catch the unique ukulele act from Hawaii and get a real dose of the fourstringed instrument. 7:30pm, $35-$75. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

YUNGER: Catch Yunger and Anemoria as they

perform at the Holy Diver. 6:30pm, $10. Holy Diver, 1517 21st St.

FESTIVALS

you like barbecue food, you like cliché lists of too-specific event details at the start of your blurbs—this event is perfect for you. Catch the seafood festival with a very special, very legendary performance from the Dazz Band. There are two stages of music being performed constantly, lots of food to try and enjoy as well as plenty of interesting people to talk to, probably. 11am, $20-$200. Miller Regional Park, 2701 Marina View Drive.

SUNDAY, 7/7 DAVIS CRAFT & VINTAGE FAIR: A city has its very own craft and vintage fair, but they decide to name it after the city instead of something badass like “Screaming Lemurfest’s weekly Chic and Vintage Artisan Goodmakin’ Time.” That’s fine, you can still show up and join in the fun with some live music and purchasin’. 11am, no cover. Davis Central Park, 3rd. & C St. in Davis.

DEL PASO BLVD. DAY FESTIVAL: King Cong Day Festival is nearly, nearly here! Check out the event highlight on page 30, featuring music, music and more. 3:50pm, $12. King Cong Brewery, 1709 Del Paso Blvd.

FIESTA DE FRIDA: If you’re like Frida Kahlo, you may have a chance to win $150! That’s just one aspect of the Fiesta de Frida, a lookalike contest. Other aspects include the Little Frida parade, local craft vendors, food for you to consume ravenously, food for you to nibble at delicately, and more activities to celebrate the life and art of Kahlo. 11am, no cover. Latino Center of Art and Culture, 2700 Front St.

FRIDAY, 7/5

FOOD & DRINK

FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT MARKET AND LOUNGE SESSION: Classy Hippie Tea Company shares this night of marketable vibes. There are vegan vendors, vegan artists, vegan musicians and you can even buy things using vegan money. 5pm, no cover. Classy Hippie Tea Co., 3226 Broadway.

FRIDAY, 7/5

Sac. Have some beers, walk around, look at a plant, go home safely. It’s a hot way to spend an afternoon/early evening. 5pm, no cover. The Plant Foundry, 3500 Broadway.

SUNDAY, 7/7 FARMER’S MARKET: Due to factory errors, farms are left with a surplus of foods that they can’t consume themselves, and they’re passing the savings on to you! Show up to the El Dorado Hills Farmers Market to get some great deals on great food. Ask event organizers about the market’s low, low APR options and refinancing your mortgage to take home some fresh fruit straight off the lot. 8am, no cover. El Dorado Hills Town Center, 4364 Town Center Blvd Suite 310 in El Dorado Hills.

FILM FRIDAY, 7/5 FAR FROM HOME WALL CRAWL: Join Oblivion Comics and Spider-Man enthusiasts for this celebration of Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Dress as a spider-member of the spiderverse and participate in festivities including: photoshoots, theater activities, movie watching, food and more. Noon, $14.50$18. Oblivion Comics, 1020 11th St., Suite 100.

SATURDAY, 7/6 FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: Catch the hugely popular Marvel movie about the African kingdom thrown into turmoil by internal divisions and commentary on isolationism, Black Panther, in this free showing at Esther’s Park. 7pm, no cover. Esther’s Park, 3408 3rd Ave.

SUNDAY, 7/7 SIXTEEN CANDLES: John Hughes’ movie about a teenage birthday and featuring a neverto-be-replicated performance from Gedde

FIRST FRIDAY’S POP UP BEER GARDEN: Head to the northern part of Oak Park for a pop-up beer garden brought to you by Beers in

CALENDAR LISTINGS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

BRETT SHADY: The Nevada City folk musician will be performing, but Shady’s not the only one taking the stage by storm. There’s also Sacramento hometown sweetheart and musical favorite/all-around good time performer Brian Hanover. 8pm, $5-$10. Riving Loom, 2741 Fruitridge Road, Suite 6.

TUESDAY, 7/9 ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY: Want to see someone take regular old acoustic music and transmute it directly into your ears as pure gold?

Probably not—you couldn’t hear with all that gold in your ears, but come check out Acoustic Alchemy for some smooth jazz. 7pm, $60. B Street Theatre, 2700 Capitol Ave.

JACKIE MENDOZA: Jackie Mendoza specializes in playing ukulele electro-pop on the ukulele, as well as visiting places like Sacramento on tour. Lillian Frances, Sacramento staple specializing in sound collages and handstands is also performing. 7:30pm, $10$12. Momo Sacramento, 2708 J St.

SAVANT: Le Youth is performing as the next installment for LowBrau’s Savant series.

The electronic musician from a different

ThROUgh MONDAY, JULY 9 The Drowsy Chaperone Music circus, various tiMes, $45-$83

Do you like your 1920s musicals like to be like your favorite badly forged Picasso paintings—not really from the ’20s and parodying the subject? Then this metamusical featuring a play within ON STAGE a play is calling your name.

Originally performed in 1998, it’s making its Music Circus premiere. Concerning a hermitesque “Man in Chair” character who’s also a Broadway enthusiast—played by Bruce Vilanch in this production—the comedy will take many turns and make fun of roaring musical comedies of the 1920s. 1419 H Street, broadwaysacramento.com.

PhOTO COURTESY OF gREg hERNANDEZ, CC BY 2.0

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see more events And submit your own At neWsrevieW.com/sacramento/calendar

CALendAr ListinGs Continued From PAGe 29

Watanabe returns to the Crest. 7pm, $8-

$10. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

monday, 7/8 deAtH-Positive FiLm eXtremis: Take in a film that explores the end-of-life decisions humans face in the face of imminent death, unending life support and difficult choices— it’s Extremis. 6pm, no cover. Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd.

comedy yoLo brewinG Co.: Brewery Comedy Tour.

Grab a beer or a hearty glass of water and

sit down to laugh in a brewery. wednesday 7/10, 7:30pm. 1520 Terminal St. in West Sacramento.

b street tHeAtre: Seekers of the Strange.

It took this Calendar editor a while seeing this recurring show to understand that it is a comedic paranormal investigator show.

Featuring improvisation and strange happenings, you should seek it out. sunday 7/7, 7pm. $12. 2700 Capitol Ave.

bLACKtoP Comedy: Kevin Fraser. The South African comedian and DJ is from Durban, South Africa, the same place my friend Kaylan’s from, I think—I still have his parents’ “A” installment of the World Book.

Anyway, check out Fraser if you want.

Through 7/5. $25. 3101 sunset blvd., suite 6A

in rocklin.

LAuGHs unLimited Comedy CLub: Brad Bonar Jr. Bonar is the complete package—funny guy, magician, has a funny name, is a speaker—and you can catch him along with Kris Trinkle at this show. through 7/6. $10. 1207 Front St.

PunCH Line: Gene Pompa. The comedian will perform, catch his somewhat low-key style if you’d like. through 7/6. $20. Johnny Taylor.

This comedian is also going to perform, so check him out if you like his stuff! Check out a video of his first, potentially. through 7/7. $17.50. 2100 Arden Way, Suite 225.

Wednesday, 7/10

Art with a Heart Sierra 2 Center, 5pm, $25-$35

Want to celebrate some local artwork while benefiting a great cause? Come to My Sister’s House’s 2019 Art installment of its Art with a Heart fundraiser. It features artwork along with live music, plenty of people to talk to and more. There’s wine and cheese, if those are to your liking, and all of the proceeds go to benefit victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, specifically the Women to Work program. 2791 24th Street, my-sisters-house.org/events/ art-with-a-heart-2.

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stAb! Comedy tHeAter: Lights Out (Comedy In The Dark). Again, the lights will not be on for this show, and Ray Molina will host. You get the deal. saturday 7/6, 9pm. $7. Token Straight Friend. Join some of the nation’s best LGBTQ+ comedians but with a twist—there’s a token straight person also performing. There will be some Daniel Humbarger, some Melissa McGillicudy, some Marcus Williams, some Jason Anderson. saturday 7/6, 8pm. $10-$15. 1710 Broadway.

sACrAmento Comedy sPot: 3 on 3 Improv Battle-Championship Round. Improv comedy takes a turn, as it becomes a battlefield with teams of three going at it with their “yesses” and their “ands.” Friday 7/5, 9pm. $12. The Movie. Catch the Zexy Banditoz as they make an improvised movie for your amusement. It’s also probably for their own amusement. saturday 6/7, 10:30pm. $5. 1050 20th St., Suite 130.

on staGe bAdLAnds: Yvie Oddly. Catch the RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist as she performs. You could even pay for a meet and greet session if you’d really like to meet then greet Yvie Oddly. Friday 7/5, 8pm. $25. 2003 K St.

CeLebrAtion Arts: Dramatic Stage Reading of Macbeth. Shakespeare is a classic choice for a dramatic stage reading—he’s kind of a big deal. Catch this free, filmed production about Macbeth, an African general and his actions that lead him down a path that perhaps he wouldn’t have chosen if he’d been able to make a more informed decision. through 7/6. no cover. 2727 B St.

sACrAmento City CoLLeGe: Shakespeare in Love. Seriously, let’s all agree to stop producing and Shakespeare productions. OK? Good. This is the last one we’ll ever see—it’s a meta-theater piece about the playwright, William Shakespeare (have you heard of him?) as he writes Romeo and Juliet based on his own life experiences. through 7/28. $20. 3835 Freeport Blvd.

tHe tower tHeAtre: Hamlet-National Theatre Live. What about our agreement? Come on, guys, we just talked about this. OK, join another Shakespeare production, this time

Sunday, 7/7

Del Paso Boulevard Day Festival King Cong Brewing Company, 3:50pm, $12

A lot of festivals claim to be “lit,” “fire” or “blazed,” but this one’s the real deal.

Featuring live fire Festivals dancing with real, noncomputer-generated flames, this festival begins in the afternoon and takes off from there. With tons of local bands including hosts PolyFunktion, What Rough Beast, Love Mischief, the Brian Jennings Band and more, it’ll keep the music oozing out of the instruments all day. There will be food and drinks at the brewery, and there will also be artwork. 1709 Del Paso Boulevard, facebook.com/polyfunktion/events.

featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet in a live theater streaming presentation at the Tower Theatre. tuesday 7/9, 7pm. $20. 2508 Land Park Drive.

tHeatRe iN tHe HeiGHts: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised].

Alright, the prank on me has gone too far.

Catch all the Bard’s works in one tidy package in this show. through 7/7. $15. 8215 Auburn Blvd., Suite G in Citrus Heights.

Wells FaRGO PaviliON: The Drowsy Chaperone.

Catch this Music Circus production featured on page 29. through 7/9. $45-$83. 1419 H St.

aRT sieRRa 2 CeNteR: My Sister’s House 2019 Art with a Heart. Join My Sister’s House for this evening of art and helping survivors of domestic violence, featured on page 31. Wednesday 7/10, 5pm. $25-$35. 2791 24th St.

tiM COllOM: Ali Futrell Oops it Up. Ali Futrell’s bringing the art in this exhibition entitled “Ali-Oop!” Check it out and appreciate the large-scale works, as well as collaborations with Jose Di Gregorio and Beau “Bonzo” Thomas. through 8/1. No cover. 915 20th St.

MuSEuMS CROCKeR aRt MUseUM: Guest Curator ShiPu Wang on Chiura Obata. ShiPu Wang is going to be your guest curator for an afternoon discussing Chiura Obata, the Japanese-American artist. You’ll explore the 20th-century works of arts produced by Obata, as shared by Wang. sunday 7/7, 2pm. $14. 216 O St.

SPORTS & OuTdOORS SaTuRday, 7/6 URBaN FaRM YOGa: Join the Yisrael Family Urban Farm for a vinyasa class with nature and plants very adjacent. Have some water, participate in the Afro Yoga event, bring your own mat and find some community. 9am, $5-$15. The Yisrael Family Urban Farm, 4505 Roosevelt Ave.

RESTAURANT SCHEDULE Taco Tuesday 4:30 - 8:30pm Wed - Fri 4:30 - 8:30pm Sat 2:00 - 8:30pm Authentic Mexico City Street Food

FRee FisHiNG DaY CliNiC: Want to learn to fish?

Join in the fishing fun in this event featured on page 29, with all the basics of fishing that you know and love. There are loaner rods and bait, free instruction, free fun and free everything. 8am, no cover. Howe Park Pond, 2201 Cottage Way.

leGaCY live PRO WRestliNG 4tH aNNiveRsaRY: Join Virgil Flynn III Productions for this final regular show of the pro wrestling extravaganza. 6:30pm, $10. Colonial Theatre, 3522 Stockton Blvd.

6241 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 916.283.4082 Located in the Milagro Centre

Sunday, 7/7 RiO liNDa CUstOM CaR & BiKe sHOW: Check out some custom cars, some custom bikes and some custom at this swap meet/vendor hangout/music show. 1pm, no cover. 848 Elkhorn Blvd. in Rio Linda.

WEdnESday, 7/10 BiG tRUCKs sUMMeR vaCtOR aND DUMP tRUCKs: Vactors and dump trucks are the subject of this educational event. It’ll tell you everything you need to know about the vehicles, and you’ll see some of the tools in action. Sand will be moved, kids can play in the sand, you’ll meet some utility workers and have a real blast. 9:30am, no cover. Maidu Regional Park, 1550 Maidu Drive in Roseville.

CLaSSES SaTuRday, 7/6 PiNCH POt WORKsHOP: Learn to make a handmade pinch pot with Broad Room. It’s all inclusive, and you’ll come back later to glaze your pot. 11am, $40. Broad Room, 2311 S St.

Sunday, 7/7 FUNDaMeNtals OF iNDiaN COOKiNG: It’s about time to learn the fundamentals of Indian cooking. This vegan class will run you through the basics—just register in advance. Plan things, don’t live life on the edge of your seat so much. 3pm, $50. Southside Park Cohousing Common Room, 434 T St.

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THURSDAY 7/4

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ArmAdillo music

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Chrch, Usnea and Chrome Ghost, 8pm, $10

Spankys Electro Swing Soiree, 9pm, $8.79

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Crowns and Sparrow, 8:30pm, $10

Control-Z and Sacred Moon, 8:30pm, $10

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Capitol Fridays, 10pm, no cover before 10:30pm

Dinner and a Drag Show, 7:30pm, $5$25; Karaoke, 9:30pm, call for cover

Boot Scootin Sundays, 8pm, $5

Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm, W, no cover

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Dwight Yoakam and me&you, 8pm, $69-$99

Sound of Music, 7:30pm, $8-$10

Sixteen Candles, 7pm, $8-$10

Jake Shimabukuro, 7:30pm, W, $35-$75

Absolut Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

Sequin Saturdays, 9:30pm, call for cover

Every Damn Monday, 8pm, M, no cover; Noche Latina, 9pm, T, no cover

Hank & Lulu, Noah Nelson and Dave Dalton, 9pm, $5

Nice Monster and Adam Varona, 9pm, $5

Open-Mic Night, 7:30pm, M, no cover

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Live music, 9:30pm, no cover

101 MAIN ST., ROSEvIllE, (916) 774-0505

PHOTO cOURTESY OF SGT. RANDAll A. clINTON

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Matthew Torres and Big Brave Dog, 7pm, Tajlyn, 1pm, no cover no cover

1013 k ST., (916) 476-3356

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The Sugar High Band, 10pm, $12-$15

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Let’s Get Quizzical, 7pm, T, no cover; Cornhole, 6pm, W, $10

Live music, 9pm, call for cover

The Joy Formidable and Warbly Jets, 8pm, W, $18-$20

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Shitshow Karaoke, 8pm, M, no cover; Record Roundup, 8pm, T, no cover

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Night Swim with Joseph One, 10pm, call for cover

Trivia Factory, 7pm, M, call for cover; Geeks Who Drink, 7pm, T, call for cover

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College Night Wednesdays, 9pm, W, $5-$10

with the Warbly Jets 8pm Wednesday, $18-$20 Harlow’s Alternative Rock

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for more cannabis news, deals & updates, visit capitalcannabisguide.com

Cannabis and booze pairings see ask 420

37

nerds love gadgets. weedheads, er, “cannabis enthusiasts” have fiddled with all sorts of pot smoking gewgaws and accessories for hundreds of years. From the roach clips and power hitters (ask your hippie granddad) of the ’70s to the dab rigs and state-of-the-art, diamondcut, interchangeable blade weed grinders of today, most stoners have at least a few devices designed to enhance the cannabis experience. This review will take a look at two new entries in the cannabis accessory scene.

First up is Sneakies. A new company out of Florida, it makes “connoisseur grade” stash boxes. Did you know that in most recreational cannabis states— including California—users are required to transport their cannabis in locked or child-proof bags? Those weird, damn near impossible to open, zombie Ziploc

bags from the dispensary are not great.

Sneakies offers a more stylish way.

“We thought that for the new consumption in the recreational states, this is a great method of transport,” one of the owners said in an Instagram message. (We are not naming them because federal drug paraphernalia laws are hinky.)

The boxes are odor-resistant, portable (about the size of a large lunch box) and embedded with a programmable combination lock. Pro tip: “420” is probably not the most secure password. Inside each wellpadded box: A little tray for rolling, a really nice grinder and four large glass jars.

The great thing about these jars (besides the fact that you can easily put a half-ounce in each one) is that they have a space for you to write the name of the strain. A dry erase pen is included,

see goatkidd

39

person who always has a few different strains laying around. By the way, dabbers and fans of the concentrate needn’t feel neglected. Sneakies has plans to introduce a stash box aimed at the fashionable hash head.

Up next is the Primo Piece, a notquite-a-novelty item from two dudes in the Northwest. The Primo consists of two pieces: The first is a long metal straw and the second is a sort of rubber, The Primo Piece allows you to build your own bong out of a plastic and stainless steel doohickey. soda, water or beer bottle.

This is how it works: Find a bottle— soda bottle, beer bottle, water bottle, whatever. Put some water in the bottle, Photos courtesy of Primo Piece stick the straw into the doohickey, put it on the bottle and you now have a working bong. And a pretty nice bong it is, delivering a big, smooth hit, although the carburetor device is a little tricky to use.

The Primo is easy to clean. The company says that the piece is machine washable, but I worry that my dishwasher will end up smelling

by Ngaio Bealum like bongwater, so I haven’t tested its claim. It also comes in a really nice box, so if you’re into making unboxing videos about weed, you should talk so you don’t have to run to the store one of your friends into buying one before you start getting your for you. weed drawer in order.

The Primo is also great Right now, Sneakies for parties. I haven’t The offers two styles: dropped it (yet), but Primo is also “The Sport” and it seems to be sturdy “The Executive.” great for parties. enough to survive a The Sport is made mini-rager. Priced I haven’t dropped it with nylon mesh at $65, the Primo is (yet), but it seems to and comes with a way cheaper than a shoulder strap. It’s be sturdy enough to traditional bong, and fairly rugged, and probably won’t break survive a minigreat for weed festiwhen one of your stoner rager. vals and harvest parties. friends drops it in your The Executive is more of driveway. It’s a fun item to a smallish hi-tech briefcase have around, and I look forward to and looks great on the coffee table, seeing what improvements and innovaor maybe handcuffed to your wrist if you tions the Primo team has in store. Ω are gonna take some weed to a fancy pants dinner. Priced at about $100, the Sneakies stash box is excellent for the 07.04.19 | SN&R | 35

designed with the stoner in mind SN&R’s cannabis columnist reviews two ganja gadgets perfect for summer parties

without a paddle

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By Ngaio Bealum

as k 420 @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

Cross-faded Should I buy black market cannabis or only legal weed?

do too much, you get spins and the vomiting, and no one wants that. So with moderation in mind (a good rule of thumb is to get stoned first or to do it at the same time), I like a Chocolate Hashberry joint paired with a good scotch on the rocks.

The smokiness of the scotch and the smooth mild sweetness of the Hashberry make a great pairing. And citrus flavor weeds (Tangie, Lemon Haze) are great with lagers, IPAs and sunny days. Blueberry goes well with a good Malbec, but indicas and red wines will probably put you right to sleep. I wonder if any readers have any favorite booze and weed combos.

Let me know.

Tough question. I think it is important to support legal cannabis businesses, and not just because I have one (please try my line of pre-rolls from Mothership Cannabis Company).

But there are times when the legal industry is just not convenient.

Cannabis clubs have to close by 10 p.m. What do you do if you want a joint at 11? The black market has a solution. Cannabis is still prohibited in 77% of the cities and counties in California. What do you do if you are in a prohibited area and you want some weed? The black market is more than willing to help you. What if you require a large amount of cannabis for your medical needs and you can’t afford the high prices (and Nope. THC is odorless. taxes) at a dispensary?

However, a strong The grey market holds smell indicates fresh weekly “sessions,” terpenes, which are I like a Chocolate which are a sort of what gives weed farmers’ market Hashberry joint its flavor and some for people with side effects. You paired with a good recommendation can learn more about scotch on the rocks. letters from their terpenes and their doctors. They have effects at Leafly.com. everything you need at Also, weed should smell rock-bottom prices. like weed, and not hay or Weed has only been chlorophyll. I always advise fully legal in California for a folks to follow their nose when it year and change. I am sure that the comes to picking a good weed, but state Bureau of Cannabis Control today’s regulations make it almost (and all the cities and counties still impossible for the clubs to offer toeing the prohibitionist line) will consumers a good sniff. Bring back eventually get it together, and we the deli-style cannabis dispensary. Ω will have a statewide, open-late, consumer-friendly, legal cannabis system. Until then, you have a choice to make.

Does a stronger smell necessarily mean a more potent strain?

What is the best alcoholic drink to pair with weed?

This is a difficult question. Mixing cannabis and alcohol—“getting crossfaded”—can be pleasant, but if you

Like more money with your weed? See online-only discounts at: capitalcannabisguide.com.

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premier cannabis dispensary Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento comedian, activist and marijuana expert. Email him questions at ask420@newsreview.com.

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Free will astrology

ask joey

For the week oF July 4, 2019

Perfect, except for no sex

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When the universe

by JOey GARCIA

@AskJoeyGarcia

mechanisms. Repeating past patterns My girlfriend and I have been together for 10 years and love each other won’t nourish intimacy with your new unconditionally. It’s perfect, except woman. Choosing love requires resisting we haven’t had sex in eight years. She habituated behaviors, but it will bring you has no interest whatsoever. She told into authentic love. me years ago that she didn’t care if I One method of investing in change is to hooked up with other women as long as admit out loud to your partner the struggle she never found out, it was never in our you’re experiencing as it’s happening. home and I never had sex with the same Imagine again that the two of you have had woman more than once. It was cool until an argument. Be transparent. Say: “I want last year when I broke those rules. I to run right now and that scares me. Can we met a girl I could see myself with longtalk about this problem in a way that helps term. we’ve been dating and she knows me feel like I belong here with you? That’s everything about my situation. her little what I need. I want to stay connected with boy accidentally called me daddy the you. What do you need?” other day and it just melted For deep transparency to my heart. how do I leave work, you have to agree a woman and living to engage honestly with situation I love to be your partner on a regular with the woman I basis. That way when love and want to If you remember that something difficult marry? love is a journey, not a arises, you have a practice in place that Accept your destination, you will relax invites you both to heal heart’s progress. into real love. and strengthen your You’re leaving bond. If you remember a platonic love that love is a journey, not relationship for a a destination, you will relax love that embraces all into real love. That’s a beautiful of you, including your gift to your woman, to yourself and sexual desires. to that little boy who recognized you as After living a split life for years, being “daddy” long before you knew it as true. Ω deeply connected to one woman might come as a relief. Stay conscious about your new commitment. When the going gets rough, as it can even in the best relaMedItatIon oF the week tionships, you might lean on the habit of finding emotional or sexual solace outside your primary commitment. Why? You “The secret of happiness have trained your heart to hunt for what’s is freedom. The secret of missing. If you want your new relationfreedom is courage,” says ship to work, pour effort into building on author Carrie Jones. Where do what you have. you wish love will take you?

Let’s say you and your new woman have an argument. You’re upset and want to feel better. It would be easy to dial your ex and convince yourself that you’re just curious about how she’s doing. Hearing her voice might flood you with good vibes. You could tell her Write, email or leave a message for about the argument you had with your Joey at the News & Review. Give new girlfriend and feel affirmed when your name, telephone number she takes your side. Or you might hook (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential. up with a stranger and ride a dopamine Write Joey, 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA high. Either way, you’re not evolving.

95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 1360; or email You’re running backward into old coping askjoey@newsreview.com.

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07.04.19

by ROb bRezsny

began 13.8 billion years ago, there were only four elements: mostly hydrogen and helium, plus tiny amounts of lithium and beryllium. Now there are 118 elements, including five that are key components of your body: oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus. All of those were created by nuclear reactions blazing on the insides of stars that later died. So it’s literally true to say that much of your flesh and blood and bones and nerves originated at the hearts of stars. I invite you to meditate on that amazing fact. It’s a favorable time to muse on your origins and your ancestry; to ruminate about all the events that led to you being here today—including more recent decades, as well as the past 13.8 billion years.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Most American women couldn’t vote until 100 years ago. Women in Japan, France and Italy couldn’t vote until the 1940s. Universal suffrage has been a fundamental change in how society is structured.

Similarly, same-sex marriage was opposed by vast majorities in most countries until 15 years ago, but has since become widely accepted.

African-American slavery lasted for hundreds of years before being delegitimized all over the Western world in the 19th century. Brazil, which hosted 40% of all kidnapped Africans, didn’t free its slaves until 1888. What would be the equivalent of such revolutionary transformations in your own personal life? According to my reading of the astrological omens, you have the power to make that happen during the next 12 months.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini musician Paul Weller is famous in the U.K., though not so much elsewhere. According to the BBC, he is one of Britain’s “most revered music writers and performers.” To which I say: revered, maybe, but mentally healthy? Not so much. He bragged that he broke up his marriage with his wife Dee C. Lee because “things were going too well, we were too happy, too comfortable, everything seemed too nice.” He was afraid that “as a writer and an artist I might lose my edge.” Don’t you dare allow yourself to get infected with that perverse way of thinking. Please capitalize on your current comfort and happiness. Use them to build your strength and resilience for the months and years to come.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian voice actor Tom Kenny has played the roles of more than 1,500 cartoon characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Spyro the Dragon, Jake Spidermonkey, Commander Peepers and Doctor Octopus. I propose that we make him your role model in the coming weeks. It will be a favorable time for you to show your versatility; to demonstrate how multifaceted you can be; to express various sides of your soulful personality.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo author Donald Miller reminds us that fear can have two very different purposes. On the one hand, it may be “a guide to keep us safe,” alerting us to situations that could be dangerous or abusive. On the other hand, fear may work as “a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.” After studying your astrological indicators for the coming weeks, I have come to the conclusion that fear may serve both of those functions for you. Your challenge will be to discern between them; to know which situations are genuinely risky and which situations are daunting but promising. Here’s a hint that might help: Trust your gut feelings more than your swirling fantasies.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Why do flocks of geese fly in a V formation? Because doing so enhances the collective efficiency of their travel. Each bird generates a current that supports the bird behind it. Let’s make this phenomenon one of your power metaphors for the coming weeks.

What would be the equivalent strategy for you and your tribe or group as you seek to make your collaborative efforts more dynamic and productive? Unforeseen help will augment any actions you take in this regard.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “A conversation is a

dialogue, not a monologue,” mused Libra author Truman Capote. “That’s why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.” That cynical formulation has more than a few grains of truth in it, I must admit. But I’m pleased to tell you that I suspect your experience in the coming weeks will be an exception to Capote’s rule. I think you have the potential to embark on a virtual binge of rich discussion and intriguing interplay with people who stimulate and educate and entertain you. Rise to the challenge!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In accordance with astrological rhythms, you are authorized to make the following declarations in the next two weeks: 1. “I refuse to participate further in this situation on the grounds that it might impinge on the expansiveness of my imagination.” 2. “I abstain from dealing with your skepticism on the grounds that doing so might discourage the flights of my imagination.” 3. “I reject these ideas, theories and beliefs on the grounds that they might pinch, squash or deflate my imagination.” What I’m trying to tell you is that it’s crucial for you to emancipate your imagination and authorize it to play uninhibitedly in the frontiers of possibilities.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I invite you to make a copy of the testimonial below and give it to anyone who is in a position to support your Noble Experiment. “To Whom It May Concern: I endorse this Soulful Sagittarius for the roles of monster-tamer, fun-locator, boredomtranscender, elation-inciter and mountaintop visionary. This adroit explorer is endowed with charming zeal, disarming candor, and abundant generosity. If you need help in sparking your enthusiasm or galvanizing your drive to see the big picture, call on the expansive skills of this jaunty puzzle-solver.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Life will conspire to bring you a surge of love in the coming weeks— if you can handle it. Can you? Will you be able to deal adeptly with rumbling love and icy-hot love and mostly-sweet-but-also-a-bit-sour love? Do you possess the resourcefulness and curiosity necessary to have fun with funny spiritual love and running-through-the-labyrinth love and unexpectedly catalytic love? Are you open-minded and open-hearted enough to make the most of brilliant shadowy love and unruly sensitive love and toughly graceful love?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I don’t endlessly champion the “no pain, no gain” theory of personal growth. My philosophy holds that we are at least as likely to learn valuable lessons from pleasurable and joyful experiences as we are from difficult and taxing struggles. Having said that, I also think it’s true that our suffering may lead us to treasure if we know how to work with it. According to my assessment, the coming weeks will bring one such opening for you. To help you cultivate the proper spirit, keep in mind the teaching of Aquarian theologian and author Henri Nouwen. He said that life’s gifts may be “hidden in the places that hurt most.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Japanese word “wabi-sabi” refers to an interesting or evocative imperfection in a work of art that makes it more beautiful than if it were merely perfect.

“Duende” is a Spanish word referring to a work of art that gives its viewers the chills because it’s so emotionally rich and unpredictably soulful.

In the coming weeks, I think that you yourself will be a work of art with an abundance of these qualities. Your wabi-sabi will give you the power to free yourself from the oppressive pressures of seeking too much precision and purity. Your duende can give you the courage you need to go further than you’ve ever dared in your quest for the love you really want.

Recognize me? I’m you from the future, here to warn you not to order the shrimp scampi.

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