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WILL SEXUAL

IS DE’AARON FOX READY TO BE ‘THE MAN?’

ASSAULT

ACCUSATION SHADOW NEW KINGS COACH

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LUKE WALTON? 16

THE

BY FOON RHEE

SACRAMENTO’S NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

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VOLUME 31, ISSUE 25

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2019

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NEWSREVIEW.COM

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CONTENTS

Will the elusive El Gato show up to his album release show?

OCTOBER 03, 2019 | VOL. 31, ISSUE 25

23

Celebration

of

Inclusive Communities EDITOR’S NOTE LETTERS ESSAY STREETALK GREENLIGHT 15 MINUTES NEWS FEATURE ARTS + CULTURE

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 16 20

MUSIC STAGE DISH PLACE CALENDAR CAPITAL CANNABIS GUIDE ASK JOEY

23 24 26 30 32

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COVER DESIGN BY SARAH HANSEL COVER PHOTO BY KARLOS RENE AYALA Fong, Ron Forsberg, Michael Jackson, Calvin Maxwell, Greg Meyers,Jenny Plummer, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan, Carlton Singleton, Viv Tiqui

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 Editor Debbie Arrington Associate Publications Editors Derek McDow, Thea Rood

N&R Publications Staff Writers/Photographers Anne Stokes, Allen Pierleoni

N&R Publications Editorial Coordinator Nisa Smith Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant Elizabeth Morabito

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, Aaron Carnes, Jim Carnes, Joey Garcia, Kate Gonzales, Howard Hardee, Ashley Hayes-Stone, Jim Lane, Chris Macias, Ken Magri, Illyanna Maisonet, Tessa Marguerite Outland, James Raia, Patti Roberts, Dylan Svoboda, Bev Sykes, Jeremy Winslow, Graham Womack Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard-Arthur Art Directors Sarah Hansel, Maria Ratinova Publications Art Director Serene Lusano Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Publications and Advertising Designer Nikki Exerjian Ad Designer Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold

Advertising Manager Michael Gelbman Sales & Production Coordinator Skyler Morris Senior Advertising Consultants Rosemarie Messina, Kelsi White

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Director of First Impressions Laura Anthony Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Assistant Lob Dunnica Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Beatriz Aguirre, Rosemarie Beseler, Kimberly Bordenkircher, Mike Cleary, Tom Downing, Marty Fetterley, Chris

Development Consultant Greta Beekhuis Marketing & Publications Consultants Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Sherri Heller, Rod Malloy, Celeste Worden

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

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Facing the forever drought One of California’s largest water recycling projects is coming to Sacramento County

by Foon Rhee

California isn’t in an official drought and under mandatory water conservation, but climate change means that saving water is always crucial.

Digging up thirsty lawns, taking shorter showers and making other lifestyle changes can reduce residential consumption. But to significantly cut water use, bigger and broader measures are also needed.

That’s why a recent announcement should not go unnoticed: the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District won state approval to deliver recycled water to agricultural and habitat conservation land in the southern part of the county. When complete, it will be one of California’s largest water recycling projects—50,000 acre feet a year for about 16,000 acres that now use precious groundwater for irrigation.

That’s a lot of water, about 16.3 billion gallons.

Regional San’s treatment plant near Elk Grove now puts 130 million gallons a day into the Sacramento River. At full rollout, about 45 million gallons a day would be recycled instead.

The project, officials say, could restore depleted groundwater levels by 35 feet within 15 years, improve more than 5,000 acres of wetlands, increase flows in the Cosumnes River for fall-run Chinhook salmon and support threatened species including the Swainson’s Hawk and sandhill cranes.

No wonder the project is endorsed by a wide range of environmental and conservation groups.

Regional Sans says the recycled water, after three levels of treatment, will meet all health and safety standards for agricultural use.

Farmers can still pump groundwater, but the recycled water will cost about the same and be 4 | SN&R | 10.03.19

Photo courtesy of sacramento regional county sanitation District

Farmers in southern Sacramento County will soon be using recycled water to irrigate their crops.

fo o nr @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

a more dependable supply, said Christoph Dobson, Regional Sanitation’s director of policy and planning. Of the land in the project area, 27% is used to grow field crops, 22% for alfalfa and 18% for vineyards. There are eight dairies.

California farms rely on groundwater for about onethird of their water supply, even more during droughts.

But some aquifers have been pumped nearly dry; the ground is actually sinking in parts of the Central Valley.

So as part of California’s water-saving strategy, the Legislature passed a package of laws in 2014— in the middle of the record drought—to set rules for farmers’ use of groundwater for the first time.

And groundwater sustainability is getting a big chunk of Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion bond issue approved by voters in 2014. In July 2018, the California Water Commission gave as much as $280.5 million in Prop. 1 money for the Regional San project.

Because that grant is covering construction and because the eventual $4 million in operating costs is built into current rates, the project won’t raise the bills of the 1.4 million people who get wastewater service from Regional San, Dobson said.

To make the project work, however, landowners have to sign up. In 2016, of the 100 or so farmers and other property owners, enough submitted letters of interest for about half the recycled water.

This fall, Regional plans to start securing letters of intent.

Final design of the distribution system is scheduled for 2020-21 and construction to start in 2023, but it could be 20 years before the project is fully completed.

At this point, there are no plans to recycle water for drinking and cooking, as some systems in Southern California do. “It takes an even higher degree of treatment, and it’s quite expensive,” Dobson said.

But who knows, water could become so scarce around here one day that it makes financial and environmental sense. □

letters

Email to: sactolEttErs@nEwsrEviEw.com. @SacNewsReview

@SacNewsReview

Facebook.com/SacNewsReview

Still superior to Trump Re: “For which people?” by Scott Morris (Feature, Sept. 12): OK, so people have issues with Sen. Kamala Harris as a politician. Who doesn’t have such issues? However, she far surpasses in intelligence and capability the fraud in the White House now.

ElizabEth halloway S acr am e nt o / v i a e m a i l

A less expensive fix Re: “A capital idea” by Foon Rhee (Editor’s note, Sept. 19): I’ve always considered Capitol Mall to be Sacramento’s “welcome mat” therefore I read the article with great interest. The current state of Capitol Mall is an embarrassment to the city and the state, but there is no need to spend $16 million to $17 million for a major makeover that would certainly go over-budget.

Why not just start watering the grass again (after all, Gov. Jerry Brown declared the drought over in April 2017), fix the fountain and plant some flowers such as camellias and shrubs?

MikE RodRuigEz Sac rame n to / v i a em ai l

Playing with fire Re: “Nuclear power works” by Michael Stinson (Letters, Sept. 12): In his letter supporting nuclear power, Michael Stinson correctly observes that the reactor at Diablo Canyon “has never caused one problem.”

But with nuclear reactors, you can’t wait for “one problem” before taking action, because it can be catastrophic. The nuclear plant at Chernobyl “never caused one problem”—until the day in 1986 that it exploded, releasing far more radiation than the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; contaminating a huge area including pockets as far as Greece; necessitating the permanent evacuation of 350,000 residents; and inflicting acute radiation sickness upon hundreds, with a death toll expected to rise (with resultant cancer) into the thousands. The cleanup is costing tens of billions, and will not be completed until 2065.

At best, relying on nuclear power is playing with fire. Siting a reactor on a geological fault line, as with Diablo Canyon, is asking for trouble.

Closing it was the only sensible option.

david uRMan S acr am en t o / v i a e m a i l

Microwave illness is real Re: “5G for fighting” by Scott Thomas Anderson (News, Sept. 12): I am glad to see this story being covered as I am also involved in the efforts to bring the truth out about the dangers of radio frequency microwave pollution. I also spoke at the City Council meeting on Sept. 3. I suffer from what is known as “microwave illness” or “electro-hypersensitivity.”

It is estimated that 3% to 10% of the population experience a wide range of these symptoms, including headaches, heart palpitations, ringing in the ears, dizziness, chronic fatigue, nausea, eczema, cramps, nose bleeds, asthma and worsening of chronic illnesses including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, neurological conditions and cancer.

I believe the prevalence is likely much higher and that the causal connection between these symptoms and RF has yet to be appropriately investigated. For those who choose to deny that microwave illness is real, recently it was reported that U.S. officials in China and Cuba were targeted using radio frequency devices.

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A note from the resistance House must act quickly on impeachment of President Trump In the aftermath of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that the U.S. House of Representatives will pursue a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, the media talking heads have been full of predictions about what it will mean for the 2020 elections. A very different conversation is taking place among engaged citizens in the “resistance community,” one that gets to the heart of our belief in the institutions of government and the rule of law.

Before November 2016, many citizens now active in such grassroots organizations as Indivisible, Sister District or Swing Left had never done anything more politically active than vote. By the 2018 midterm elections, however, we had pushed outside our comfort zones to organize, protest, canvas, phone-bank, lobby and write in defense of American values and institutions we believed were under attack. We believed that flipping control of the House to Democrats would limit the damage of a corrupt and power-hungry administration.

Since that election, however, many of us wondered if the system was broken beyond repair. Even with a Democratic House, the human rights abuses continued, special counsel Robert Mueller’s report came and went with no appreciable action and the Trump administration repeatedly thumbed its nose at House investigations. And through it all, calls for an impeachment inquiry were muffled by Democratic leaders’ fears of political fallout. Finally, Trump, emboldened by lack of oversight, dared to openly solicit the help of the Ukrainian government in digging up dirt on a political opponent—and allegedly used congressionally-approved military assistance as leverage.

This was a bridge too far, even for Pelosi.

For those of us in the resistance, the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry validates our efforts and beliefs and is not merely a tactic for 2020.

Ellen Chapman is a retired teacher who is on the planning committee of Indivisible Sacramento.

There is, in fact, a line Trump cannot cross. There is, in fact, hope that the institutions of government still have a heartbeat and that Congress yet will rise to defend its place as a co-equal branch.

It assures us that political courage is not dead.

And yet, we are not naive. Even if the House approves articles of impeachment, we do not expect the Republican-held Senate to convict and remove Trump from office. Indeed, there is some speculation whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would even hold a Senate trial, constitutionally required though it may be. So our expectation is not that Trump will be removed, but that his abuse of power is called out, that the evidence of such abuse is revealed and examined in public and that Congress reasserts its power to oversee the executive branch.

As we move forward, the resistance community (specifically Indivisible) will advocate for some specific actions. First, we expect every Democratic member of Congress to go on record in support of public impeachment hearings. Second, we expect the House to cancel its scheduled recess the weeks of Sept. 30 and Oct. 7. Third, we support Pelosi’s decision not to establish a special impeachment committee, but to let existing committees continue their ongoing investigations. Finally, Indivisible is asking the House to quickly vote on impeachment once all evidence is heard.

While there is still room for tactical debate, we all agree that this inquiry cannot be sidelined by protracted legal fights or other stalling tactics often used by this administration. Trump has gone too far; the time for decisive action is now. Ω

streetalk

by Graham Womack

Asked on AlhAmbrA boulevArd in eAst sAc:

Kings season predictions? mike PhilliPs medical sales rep

The Kings are gonna do well this year. They have a lot of young talent … Having played together for a year ... I would expect them to play just above .500 and hopefully make the playoffs.

Fr An bl Aine retired

I think they’ll probably do the same record they always have.

Because I think they may have gotten better, but I think the teams that they compete with in their division have also gotten better.

JAmie gr Ant medical worker

I think they’ll do good. It’s been awhile. It’s been actually a long time. So I think it’s our turn. I think it’s Sacramento, California’s turn to make it to the playoffs.

omAr rodrigue z IT worker

I think they’re gonna do fine ...

I really, really think that with this new group that they have or some of the players that they’re trying to bring in, they’ll be doing better than they did last year.

stAn hutchinson psychologist

For a young team, you can’t underestimate the value of a coach. And I’m not sure how proven Luke Walton is, and considering his legal difficulties ... probably not the best prognosis.

mArthA gome z stay-at-home mom

The same as they’ve done the last few years: Not as great.

‘Cause they just can’t get it together.

10.03.19 | sN&r | 7

greenlight

Why a Sacramento County supervisor election matters

by Jeff vonKaenel

Elections are important. And some are more important than others. For example: The March 2020 primary for Sacramento County supervisor in District 3, a seat now held by Republican Susan Peters, who recently announced that after 16 years on the board, she is not running for reelection.

There are five county supervisors: two progressives in Phil Serna and Patrick Kennedy, two conservatives in Peters and Sue Frost and the moderate Don Nottoli.

Getting three votes on any issue is difficult and exhausting. And developing bold and innovative solutions to our county’s housing, environmental and transportation problems is nearly impossible.

As a result, the county is often in gridlock.

While the mayor of Sacramento has the best bully pulpit for presenting a community vision, the five county supervisors actually preside over a much larger budget. The Sacramento city budget is about $1.2 billion, providing public safety and utility services to 500,000 city residents. The county not only provides some similar services for the 500,000 residents living in the unincorporated area, it also provides health services for the whole county. The county budget is $4.4 billion. So while Sacramento’s mayor has the microphone, the often forgotten Board of Supervisors has the power and the money.

This is why the District 3 race is so important. If Peters could be replaced by a progressive candidate, then political gridlock could be ended.

Historically, defeating an incumbent supervisor who can easily raise campaign donations has been very difficult. In the 2016 election, Peters won with 74% of the vote.

But over the last 16 years, District 3 has steadily become a Democratic district. At latest count, Democrats have 64,015 registered voters while Republicans have only 46,311 and 37,694 are not registered with any party.

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In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton won the district by nearly 18,000 votes.

While there are numerous candidates considering running for this seat, including Matthew Ceccato, district director for U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, the race seems to be a twoperson contest between conservative Rich Desmond and liberal Gregg Fishman.

Peters has thrown her support behind Desmond, a California Highway Patrol officer and attorney who has also been endorsed by the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen and numerous current and former Republican office holders including Jim Nielsen, Doug Ose and Roger Niello. The Sacramento Republican establishment is behind Desmond On the other side, the Sacramento Democratic establishment is lining up behind SMUD board member Gregg Fishman, who has also received endorsements from the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, the Sacramento Central Labor Council and numerous current and former Democratic officeholders including Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Serna, Don Saylor and Roger Dickinson. The entire SMUD board also supports his campaign.

Fishman is a solid guy. Fishman wants to improve city and county cooperation towards solving our area’s homeless problem. He wants to streamline the county’s development process to make it easier to create more housing. He wants to allow the county to take advantage of marijuana tax revenues. His experience on the SMUD board, his seven-year tenure at the California State Association of Counties and his work as a journalist have given him a solid understanding of county government.

Fishman would make an excellent supervisor. And his vote would allow us to start getting things done at the county. Ω Jeff vonKaenel is the president, CEO and majority owner of the News & Review.

15 minutes

by Patrick Hyun Wilson

Darrion Jeffery sits on the same steps seen in his video for “Dear Sacramento.”

PHOTO BY PATRICK HYUN WILSON

Sincerely, Darrion When Darrion Jeffery posted the video to his latest song, “Dear Sacramento,” he didn’t expect much, maybe 2,000 views.

The Sacramento-area rapper, who goes

by Darrion on stage, says he grew up surrounded by drugs, violence, gangs and death. In “Dear Sacramento” he confronts the complicated relationship he has with the city that’s caused him a lot of pain but that still holds a special place in his heart. The video opens with clips of police violence in Sacramento and features Jeffery, sitting on the front steps of a house and writing a letter to the city.

Within a week, the video racked up more than 100,000 views on YouTube, blowing away any expectations Jeffery had. The song is the title track to the album he released on Sept.

27, which is comprised of similarly themed songs addressing the issues of poverty and violence. SN&R caught up with Darrion to talk about his music, what life was like growing up here and the hold the city has on his heart.

When did you start making music?

I started rapping when I was 13 years old and I was in a—like a dance group. We called ourselves the Fly Boys, and I had a big brother, my brother-in-law, and he was rapping. I just got inspired. I seen him doing it, and I always loved music, and I just tried it out for myself. And I ended up falling in love with it.

What were those first songs about?

The first songs was really about being a little kid, like, just turning up, having fun, 13 years old, just seeing what I see and stuff. They really had

no meaning behind them. The deeper I got came later on down the line. When I was 17, I started doing poetry in high school. I joined a program from my English class called SAYS, and I started doing poetry.

What do you rap about?

Yeah, they was telling me like, you know, “Your story, it’s touching because a lot of folks are afraid to say anything.” I would talk about the gang violence—and you know, you’re seeing things as you grow up in a poverty-stricken environment … What else could I rap about? … I could be around a person and then the next day they get killed. Just like yesterday: A person, from my area, a good kid, was murdered yesterday afternoon. You know what I mean?

How were you inspired to write “Dear Sacramento”?

I’m from a bad area, and I see some things. I see kids who are less fortunate. And that stuff kind of affected me. I’m like, man, I know how to hustle. I can go get me some money, and you know, figure it out, but you got these kids that really ain’t got no choice … They might not have a father around, or they may not have both parents around, you know, and the gang members and stuff? I’m around all of that.

The song is a response to the violence and police brutality in Sacramento, but you come back around and reaffirm your love for the city. Where is that love coming from?

The people. The people. ’Cause it’s home, man.

Ain’t no place like home. They love me out here for real, for real. I love them back regardless of what happens and what’s going on. It’s really a love-hate thing, ’cause I hate what goes on out here. I hate how people live. I hate the streets. I really do. With a passion. I lost so many people to it. I hate it. But you know, it’s home. □

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Carmen Setser, a resident of the Capitol Park Hotel, will be searching for a new home soon.

PHOTO BY SCOTT THOMAS ANDERSON

After the hotel, uncertainty Will downtown homeless shelter project lead to different people being homeless?

BY SCOTT THOMAS ANDERSON

It’s a quiet afternoon as people crowd the counter of the Capitol Park Café, one of the few diners catering to low-wage earners and residents on fixed incomes in the heart of downtown. A full lunch can cost less than $8. The same held true for the soup-and-salad kitchen that was, until recently, just two windows away and also tucked at the base of the Capitol Park Hotel. For a few more months, a similar establishment will soldier on—the historic hotel’s bar, Henry’s Lounge, which is clinging to drink prices from an era when 10

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service industry workers could still unwind after punching the time clock.

But it’s all going away—just like the last of the single-room occupancy units for people one step above homelessness.

The rooms, known as SROs, traditionally represented a final housing option for disabled renters, people with criminal histories and locals surviving on Social Security.

The Capitol Park Hotel once had 180 units. Now, it has 73. Soon, it will have zero.

sc o tta @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Under a joint agreement between the city and county’s housing authority and a statewide nonprofit, the nine-story, 60-year-old hotel is in the process of being converted into a temporary homeless shelter. Later, it will be remodeled into permanent apartments to support formerly homeless Sacramentans who struggle with addiction and mental health issues.

It’s exactly the type of long-term project that advocates have been pleading for as the county’s homeless numbers rose by another 19% in the past two years.

Yet it comes at the cost of a tool the city has used for nearly 50 years to stave off homelessness.

In 2016, the current City Council— minus Mayor Darrell Steinberg—voted to weaken a policy that protects the 712 remaining SROs in the urban core by more than doubling the amount of time the city has to replace lost SRO units to seven years.

City leaders and the housing authority cited tougher economic challenges for developers as part of the reason, though, at the same time, they ignored the economic challenges for renters by keeping their displacement fees low, despite skyrocketing rents.

Alan Durning, the founder of the Sightline Institute, a Seattle think tank, and the author of Finding Home: Three Keys to Affordable Communities, says that declining political support for SROs across the West Coast has played an acute role in the affordable housing crisis.

BIG LABOR’S BIG COMEBACK See NEWSY

12

THE STEPHON CLARK STORY ISN’T OVER See NEWS

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LUKE WALTON’S SHADOW See COVER

16

BEATS

OPEN SEASON PRIMARY “We make it so difficult to build and operate a new SRO, but we have huge housing shortages all across the West,” Durning said. “It strikes me as shooting ourselves in the foot.”

LESSONS FROM THE PAST On a November evening in 2016, the Sacramento City Council prepared to amend its ordinance on SROs, even as city staff acknowledged such units had been an important source of affordable housing between 1920s and 1960s.

Once, there were 78 downtown hotels offering those inexpensive rooms, but by the ’70s, they were fast disappearing. When six residential hotels closed in the early ’80s, the council passed a 1983 moratorium against converting SRO hotels for other purposes. Three years later, when there were just 16 of the hotels left, council members passed a measure that required relocation benefits be paid any time a renter was displaced.

And in 2006, when the council took action to protect the last of downtown’s 10 SRO hotels, it established in city code that there always be at least 712 units. If any were converted or torn down in the name of economic development, they had to be replaced within three years.

The city’s ordinance worked. Between 2009 and 2015, the code allowed the Wendell Hotel to convert some of its SROs while the Marshall Hotel was gutted to make way for a luxury Hyatt near the Golden 1 Center. Those lost units were replaced by the 7th and H Housing Community.

But by 2016, the disappearance of state redevelopment funds made it more difficult to replace SROs within the three-year mandate. The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency requested a seven-year window instead.

Only two residents spoke against that change that evening. One was Linda Roberts, who works with the disability rights group, DOGFITE. “We do not feel that there have been any positive outcomes to folks already moved from the SROs, and we want to see proof that there were any positive outcomes,” Roberts said. “Three years is unreasonable for a replacement. Seven years is a nightmare.”

She also commented on the virtually stagnant displacement fees—$2,400 to an ousted SRO renter, or $4,000 total for two or more people occupying the same room.

“In less than six months, the moved person would be out of this relocation money and be on the streets,” Roberts said.

Her arguments did not sway the council.

“A lot of these tenants have mobility issues, cognitive issues,” Jaramillo said.

“Many down there don’t know who to talk to, and a lot of them don’t know their rights.”

CAPITAL FORESIGHT On that first point, Daues of Mercy Housing agrees. “There is a wide spectrum In 1983, the United States was only of needs with these residents, as anyone beginning to emerge from a recession would know who’s spent any time there. when Sacramento council members … Right now, there are a few who aren’t enacted the moratorium against cooperating with the consultant, but most of destroying SROs. In 2016, the country them are.” was experiencing its seventh straight Due to the complicated formula of year of economic growth when council state and federal housing funds Mercy members weakened their SRO policy.

Housing is using for the project, the Now the renters in the Capitol Park tenants at the Capitol Park Hotel will Hotel have to figure out what that be getting far more financial means for them. assistance than the meager Stephan Daues, a $2,000 displacement fee. regional director for Daues says most will Mercy Housing “No one here is going be receiving between California, said the $400 and $700 a to rent to me for the nonprofit has hired month for 42 to 60 an experienced real same price.” months. estate and logistiAs for whether Carmen Setser cal firm, Overland the 180 SRO units resident, Capitol Park Hotel Pacific Cutler, to help in the hotel will be displaced renters look replaced within the for new housing. mandated seven years, the “The consultants are agency charged with making really taking the time to assess that happen, SHRA, says that they the needs of the residents,” Daues said. don’t need to replace the units at all.

“We’re trying to make sure they’re going to SHRA spokeswoman Angela Jones told land in a place that works for them.”

SN&R via email that the housing authorBut Carmen Setser, who has lived ity arrived at this conclusion through the in the Capitol Park Hotel since 2016, following formula: is skeptical. She says that under the In recent years, SHRA has helped building’s former owner, Irene Henry— build enough housing units that are who still owns the café and bar in the similarly priced to SROs in downtown building—major problems were fixed that the equivalent SRO count is 763 quickly. units. That is 50 units higher than the However, now that it’s being operated 712 minimum required by the city code.

by SHRA and a contract property manager, Jones went on to explain that the there have been a host of water, elevator 130 permanent supportive housing and vermin issues. Setser says this isn’t units Mercy Housing will eventually inspiring a lot of confidence that the plan build inside the hotel will be counted put together by the city, SHRA and Mercy

by SHRA directly against the 180 Housing will end with former residents lost SROs. That means there is only landing on their feet. a net loss of 46 units, and those will “I’m very concerned about findbe replaced with the previous 50-unit ing a new place,” Setser told SN&R. “Downtown is my home. It’s where I live. surplus, she wrote.

But from the perspective of Durning, No one here is going to rent to me for the the author, cities should strive to build same price. All the seniors who live in as many housing units as possible the building are in the same situation. It’s for those on the very bottom of the their home, too.” economic ladder because while the Erica Jaramillo of the Sacramento factors leading to homelessness are Tenants Union says that since learning complex, there are mathematical about the situation at the Capitol Park realities.

Hotel, her organization has gone into “The entire housing market in a city the building numerous times to conduct is like a big game of musical chairs,” outreach. She says that many of the Durning said. “Unless you have enough elderly and disabled tenants are still homes for everyone, someone’s getting confused about what will happen to pushed out.” Ω them.

After serving four terms on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, Susan Peters is hoping to hand the reins over to another pro-business, pro-law enforcement conservative when she leaves office in 15 months. The choice that voters make this March could swing or stalemate a moderate five-member board with a $4.4 billion budget on issues of sheriff oversight, homeless outreach and development sprawl.

Peters announced her plan to retire at the end of her current term during a luncheon held by the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce, the Carmichael Times reported on Sept. 4. Peters, who didn’t return a message from SN&R, told the lunch crowd she wanted to “exit on a high note to avoid burning out—so residents still get the attention they deserve,” the community newspaper reported.

Peters has already endorsed her pick to replace her—Richard Desmond Jr., a Carmichael attorney and California Highway Patrol chief whom Peters appointed to the town’s Community Planning Advisory Council. On his campaign website, Desmond says he supports law enforcement interceding on homeless encampments and sees controversial property and business improvement districts as a tool for economic growth. But he also says he favors more treatment and supportive housing programs and wants local infrastructure improvements.

Seven candidates have emerged to succeed Peters as the supervisor for District 3, which includes the neighborhoods of Arden Arcade, Cordova, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, North Highlands and Old Foothill Farms. Early campaign filings suggest competition from two moderate Democrats.

According to electronic filings from July, SMUD director Gregg Fishman had $28,422 in cash, and 11 donors for the six-month period.

Matthew H. Ceccato, a wounded combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and district director for Rep. Ami Bera, had $7,118 cash on hand from 33 donations. (Raheem F. Hosseini)

SHORT SHRIFT FOR OLD THRIFT A downtown thrift store run by the Sacramento SPCA is nearing the end of its 42-year-run. The Adoptable Goods SPCA Store on 1517 E St. has stopped accepting donations and will close in December.

Sacramento SPCA CEO Kenn Altine told SN&R that the store— which offered vintage and second-hand clothing, collectibles, household items and décor—played an “integral role” in the community. In a release, Altine explained what he meant, saying the location generated “$3.2 million towards shelter programs, building improvements and most importantly, the building and remodeling of the Sacramento SPCA’s Spay/Neuter Clinic, which performs more than 18,000 life-changing surgeries every year.”

Rising operating costs and an inability to make enough sales weren’t new problems, Altine said in an interview.

“We’re seeing this happen in the retail industry,” he said. “It’s tanking. Any brick- and-mortar retail is not doing well, in fact doing very poorly. And in the resale market, we’re also seeing a pretty big contraction in the market.”

Stores such as Thrift Town and Salvation Army are also closing or reducing locations in Sacramento, part of an “inevitable decline of a much cherished institution,” Altine said.

The SPCA is still accepting books and items for its animal shelter, but asks that donations be dropped off at the shelter at 6201 Florin Perkins Rd., rather than the thrift store. Altine also said the public can still look forward to annual events such as the book sale and online auctions. (Deana Medina)

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Uber driver Luke Rivera stands in front of the state Capitol holding an American flag during a July 9 rally supporting Assembly Bill 5 and the right for independent contractors to unionize.

fact that, however California regards its 200,000-plus gig workers, the federal government still categorizes them as freelancers.

And it remains to be seen whether unions, even in California, can turn a paper victory into a meaningful labor movement that results in more privatesector members. Union membership has fallen to a historic low as a share of the state’s workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unionization rate here is 50% in the public sector and just 8.3% in the private sector.

The Tide TUrnS

Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CAlMAtters

After banner year for labor, will workers unionize?

California unions won three major bills at Legislature

by Judy Lin and Ben Christopher

Last summer, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled public sector unions couldn’t compel fees from nonunion workers, the talk was that organized labor had been hit hard, was facing a mass exodus and was playing defense even in pro-labor California.

Talk about a comeback.

As state lawmakers wrapped up for the year, labor is celebrating a banner year in Sacramento: New restrictions on California charter schools at the behest of the teachers unions. A bill to allow unionization for child care workers. And the signing of Assembly Bill 5, a nationally watched measure converting 1 million California freelancers into employees while granting them a suite of protections along with the right to join unions. The bill takes effect Jan. 1.

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C a l M a t t e rs

The turnaround is no accident. After the Supreme Court’s dues-gutting decision in the case of Janus v. AFSCME, labor went into political overdrive last year in California, pushing a series of bills through the Legislature that, among other things, forced state and local governments to give unions access to newly hired public employees. That helped shore up membership—and dues—in the influential unions that represent teachers and government workers.

But experts say labor still has its work cut out, even with the passage of AB 5, touted as a path to more job security for gig economy workers.

Uber, Lyft and DoorDash say they will put $90 million toward seeking an end run around it. In his signing statement, Gov. Newsom alluded cryptically to what may be an Achilles’ heel in the legislation: the

Looking back, the tide turned for labor almost immediately after Janus came down. Last year was a gubernatorial year, so the teachers union endorsed then-candidate Newsom over Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles who was backed by charter school boosters. In the Legislature, Democrats made record gains.

Meanwhile, perhaps by serendipity, the California Supreme Court gave them another judicial shot of momentum.

Ruling in an outsourcing lawsuit brought by a same-day courier service, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, the state high court made it more difficult for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors, thereby saving on payroll.

What followed was a benchmark year for labor unions that could significantly expand collective bargaining in the private sector. Labor leaders and their political allies believe that with an increasing wealth gap and automation, burgeoning campaigns such as the Fight for $15, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, Gig Workers Rising and Mobile Workers Alliance are pivotal for the future of workers.

“For so long, we had focused so much on public sector unions—and we’re going to continue to defend and protect those— but we’re also going to look at the private sector,” said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, AB 5’s author. “We see income inequality growing at staggering paces and a lot of that is the narrowing number of unions in the private sector. There was a desire to push back and go hard.”

In shifting workers to employee status, companies would have to offer basic worker protections such as guaranteed minimum wage, overtime pay, contributions to Social Security and Medicare, unemployment and disability insurance as well as workers’ compensation, sick leave and family leave.

“The protection they’re going to get under AB 5 is going to be a vast improvement,” said Bob Schoonover, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents 95,000 public employee workers in Southern California.

Among those protections: the right for cities and the state to sue over violations, a strong tool for enforcement.

Tech iS reSiSTing Meanwhile, companies from tech to trucking vow to continue their resistance.

On the same day lawmakers passed AB 5, Lyft and Uber said they would fight the court’s year-old Dynamex decision at the ballot box in seeking an end run around AB 5.

Republican lawmakers also criticize AB 5 for netting workers they consider to be legitimate independent contractors such as foresters, health care professionals, physical therapists, interpreters, translators, single-truck operators and even musicians and nonprofits. But GOP members have been marginalized in the Trump resistance state.

In a particularly heated exchange in the Senate on the final day of session, Sen. Jeff Stone, a Republican from Temecula, accused his more liberal colleagues of thwarting “the will of the voters in the name of big labor union bosses” and decried union “control” of the body.

That prompted a reprimand of incivility, which in turn led to cries of bullying, lecturing and personal attacks.

Deliberations were temporarily put on hold to let things cool things down.

So far, Californians are supportive. A survey by Emerson Polling found 50% support giving gig workers employee status, compared to 24% opposed and 27% undecided.

And workers are hopeful. Oakland resident Luke Rivera, 39, who drives about 30 hours a week for Uber, said he aspires to be like his uncle, whose work as a long-haul truck driver represented by the Teamsters supported a home and a family.

“When he passed away five years ago, he had a million dollars saved up from driving a truck,” said Rivera. “We want the opportunity to work our butts off and say, ‘God dang it, I was able to save a million dollars in my lifetime.’” Ω

CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

An unabridged version of this story is available at newsreview.com/sacramento.

Taking a stand against

high drug prices Members’ personal stories at the heart of campaign

annual pHarMaceutical Spending per perSon

$1,220

U.S.

By yvOnnE R. WALKER p r e s i d e n t, s e i U l o c a l 1 0 0 0

C

alifornia has the most poverty in the country. We don’t have a resource problem; we have a distribution problem.

And one way we are kept from thinking about redistribution is to pit working people against each other.

Expanding access to medical care for immigrants or lower wage workers, for example, does not raise the cost of care or reduce services for other people. More health care for me does not mean less health care or services for you.

We reject how people are pitted against each other.

Instead, we advocate that everyone have affordable medical care. Drug companies, hospitals, and insurance providers should not make excessive profits at the expense of working people – black, white, Latinx, Asian-Pacific Islander, born here or in another country.

We all know drug companies are making excessive profits, and the prices for drugs are much lower in other countries.

According to Congressional research, U.S. drug prices were nearly four times higher than average prices compared to similar countries.

How greedy are some drug companies? They’re not only among the most profitable companies in the country, but once patents expire, they pay producers of generic drugs to not make those lower cost alternatives to keep lower-cost generic drugs off the market.

In California, Assemblymember Jim Wood of Santa Rosa authored a bill that would ban this practice, otherwise known as “Pay for Delay.” The bill analysis noted this practice costs consumers nationally at least $3.5 billion per year.

From a state worker perspective, in addition to the high cost of prescription drugs, the high cost of care in rural areas in California is a problem. Fewer public hospitals and HMOs are in rural areas; they have a monopoly and can charge a lot. Also, it’s harder to recruit and retain doctors and specialists in rural areas. In addition, consolidation further limits choices.

Costs vary widely, but it’s hard for consumers to tell in advance what they’ll be charged. Also, laws around transparency allow hospitals and insurers not to disclose all the information about the level of profits they have, and the services they charge for.

As a pilot project, CalPERS has started to identify a reasonable cost for treatment. Centers of excellence that provide non-urgent procedures are free for our employees. If people prefer to use a different center or specialist, then they pay the difference.

Tough pill to swallow

Japan

$838

Canada

$832

Germany

$823

Australia

$673

France

$653

Photo courtesy seIu LocaL 1000

We will continue to explore ways to lower costs, control profits and maintain quality. One way we are doing this is asking our members to share their experiences with us and make sure that the pilot projects CalPERS implements address problems our members face.

Here is Lisa’s story. She lives in Redding, where there are only two small HMOs. There are no specialists. Many people travel to San Francisco, Sacramento or even out of state to Oregon or Nevada to see a specialist, she said. And even when they follow the insurance rules, they run into big bills.

“One of my sons was operated on, and I received a bill for $23,000 because the anesthesiologist was out of network. How can the hospital be in network, but the anesthesiologist out of network? And when I talked with the insurance company, we were told it was my responsibility to check.”

This was not an isolated case, Lisa said. “One of our members had a baby, and while she waited for the bill, she received a 30-day notice that she would be sent to collections if she didn’t pay for the out-of-network doctor who helped to deliver her child, again at an in-network hospital.”

Our goal as a union is to continue advocating with our CalPERS Board to force insurance companies to improve services and reduce costs. By sharing these stories, we’re pushing them to listen to our members, to reduce the amount of profit being leaked from our health care systems, and make sure everyone receives quality health care at a reasonable price.

Because we don’t have a resource problem – we have a distribution problem. And lawmakers and the CalPERS Board can and should be allies in helping redistribute resources.

SPONSORED by SERvicE EmPlOyEES iNtERNatiONal uNiON lOcal 1000

Sweden

UK

$515 $468

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$403

netherlands

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Source: HouSe WayS and MeanS coMMittee

SEIU LOCAL 1000 1808 14th Street Sacramento, CA 95811 (866) 471-7348

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Photo by Kate Gonzales

Stevante Clark and other family members remembered Stephon Clark on Aug. 10, what would have been his 24th birthday.

No justice, no surprise Officers who killed Stephon Clark reinstated shortly after being cleared by Trump’s Justice Department

by Raheem F. hosseini

ra h e e m h @ne w s re v i ew.c o m

In a wound-opening development for the family of Stephon Clark, the two Sacramento police officers who shot and killed the unarmed 22-year-old black father more than a year ago are returning to active duty.

The announcement was made only moments after a more predictable one last week: The Trump administration’s Justice Department concluded that Clark’s civil rights weren’t violated in March 2018, when Officers Terrence Mercadel and Jared Robinet rounded a blind corner in pursuit of a windowbreaker and fired 20 rounds without announcing themselves. At least seven of those rounds struck Clark, who was standing in his grandparents’ Meadowview backyard holding only a cellphone.

Clark’s death launched sustained protests and enough momentum for California legislators to pass one of the strictest police reforms in the country— Assembly Bill 392, which permits deadly force only when officers or the public are objectively threatened.

Throughout it all, Clark’s family said they wanted one thing above all else—accountability for the officers who stole Clark’s life. Last week’s conclusion of the federal review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI means they won’t get it.

Stevante Clark was the first to break that news on his Facebook page during a meeting with federal officials on Sept. 26. “No charges will be filed[.]

[T]he officers who killed my brother will remain on the Sacramento Police Department,” he posted around 2:45 p.m. Later that night, Clark shared a mockup of a wanted poster with images of the officers beneath the message, “I want you all 2 never forget the fact we have two killers roaming the streets freely.”

Reactions flooded in from around the region.

Black Lives Matter Sacramento, Sacramento for Black Lives, the ACLU of Northern California and the Sacramento chapter of the National Lawyers Guild all urged against reinstating the officers.

“We are disappointed that the officers involved in this horrendous episode will be allowed to resume their jobs as if nothing happened,” family

attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement.

The announcement came 21 days after the city agreed to pay Clark’s two sons $2.4 million as part of a structured settlement. A federal lawsuit involving Clark’s mother, grandmother and uncle is ongoing.

In a press release, McGregor W. Scott, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California, and Sean Ragan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Sacramento division, said their review of the incident was unable to “prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any officer’s actions violated federal criminal civil rights statutes.”

But like earlier reviews by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and California Attorney General’s office, which cleared officers of criminal charges, federal authorities didn’t conduct their own investigation. Instead, they based their determinations on the investigation of the Sacramento Police Department, which employs Mercadel and Robinet.

That fruit-of-the-friendly-tree approach could drive the next police reform test in the state Capitol.

Democratic Assemblyman Kevin McCarty of Sacramento previously told SN&R that he is interested in reviving legislation to require California’s attorney general to investigate such deadly force cases, taking the investigations out of the hands of elected districts attorney who work closely with law enforcement. A review of such models in other states, however, found little difference in the outcome.

Meanwhile, Berry Accius, a youth mentor and community activist who helped organize student marches in support of AB 392, favors drug-testing officers involved in violent encounters, including for steroids.

While Clark’s body was blood-tested following his death, the officers who killed him were not. □ For more on the reaction from City hall, visit sacblog.newsreview.com for an expanded version of this story.

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Hop Harvest Festival

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Don’t miss the fun—come explore fresh hop beers from top brewers

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HopSaint Brewing Company

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ierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the California Craft Beer Association will host the fifth annual Hop Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct.19, where participants will include more than 50 top breweries from around the U.S. and beyond. The event will celebrate the hops harvest season and the adventurous brewers who explore the boundaries of their explosive flavors.

The invitational brew festival will allow festival-goers to sample from more than 100 unique beers that aren’t usually available throughout the year. On top of that, they can munch on food provided by various local food trucks and vendors and enjoy live musical entertainment, as well as a “Hop Talks” discussion about the trajectory of hops and innovation within the craft brewing industry.

Details Sierra Nevada Hop Field 1075 East 20th Street, Chico, CA, 95928 Saturday, Oct. 19 | 3-7 p.m.

General Admission $55 Early Access (one-hour prior) $75 Designated Driver $30 Tickets at SierraNevada.com/HopHarvestFestival

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“These breweries have planned out what their fresh hop beers are going to be and are excited to present them to the local craft beer fanatics in Chico,” said Molly Kopta of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. “They know good beer and brewers are excited to come to this festival and not only showcase their beer to their brewery peers, but to showcase it to a knowledgeable craft beer fan base that we have here in Chico.”

Complimentary parking is available at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, which is a short walk to and from the brewery, or a shuttle will be available on a continuous loop from 1:30 to 8 p.m. Pick-up and drop-off are at the transit center on the corner of 2nd and Salem in downtown Chico. Attendees can also leave their cars at the fairgrounds overnight and pick them up the next day.

Kern River Brewing Company Knee Deep Brewing Company Lucky Luke Brewing Company Maui Brewing Co. Modern Times Beer Moksa Brewing Co. Mother Earth Brewing Co. New Belgium Brewing Company New Glory Craft Brewery Odell Brewing Company Payette Brewing Company Pinthouse Pizza Brewing Pizza Port Brewing Co. Redwood Curtain Brewing Company Revision Brewing Company

Live music by Omar, Love & Shane of Amo Amo and more!

Russian River Brewing Company Secret Trail Brewing Company Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Societe Brewing Company The Hop Concept Three Weavers Brewing Company Trillium Brewing Company

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company 1075 East 20th Street Chico, CA 95928 (530) 893-3520

Trumer Brewery Urban Roots Brewing

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The

court of public opinion

by Foon Rhee fo o nr@ne w s re v i e w . c o m

Kings say case closed, buT will sexual assaulT accusaTion shadow new coach?

W

hen the Sacramento Kings open season No. 35 this weekend with preseason contests in India—the first NBA games there ever—diehard fans will be wondering whether the team wins on the court.

But many fans will also be watching whether the team’s new coach wins in court—and in the court of public opinion.

Luke Walton was hired to replace Dave Joerger after the Kings collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the 13th season in a row.

But mere days after Walton’s hiring in April, a bombshell dropped: Former Los Angeles TV personality Kelli Tennant accused him of sexual assault.

Walton denied the accusations through his lawyers and in court filings.

And following a joint investigation by the Kings and the NBA, they announced on Aug. 23 that “there was not a sufficient basis to support the allegations” and that Walton would not face any punishment.

“The investigation’s done,” Kings General Manager Vlade Divac told SN&R at the team’s annual media day on Sept. 27.

“We’re moving forward. Done.”

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Kings head coach Luke Walton holds a press conference at the team’s annual media day on Sept. 27.

Photo by Karlos rene ayala

But even if the Kings don’t want to talk about the case and their investigation is over, the accusations still shadow Walton.

As Sue Ann Van Dermyden, founder of the Sacramento law firm that did the investigation, stated last year: “These days, sexual harassment complaints are not playing out in legal courtrooms, but in the court of public opinion, where there are no statutes of limitations.”

CHANGE THE CULTURE

“ I’M HERE TO DO MY JOB AND FOCUS ON OUR KINGS AND GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO GET. THE REST OF IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.”

The #MeToo movement started two years ago this month with blockbuster reports detailing decades of sexual harassment allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, one of the most powerful men in Hollywood.

The movement has brought longtime abusers to justice, raised public awareness and produced significant changes in law and policy. Yet advocates are quick to point out how much further the movement needs to go.

Luke Walton “One thing to recognize is change is slow,” Head coach, Sacramento Kings said Linda Tenerowicz, vice president of Fem Dems of Sacramento. “We continue to push forward, but we’re fooling ourselves if we think this issue will be solved overnight.”

Some advocates have bigger goals than just SON OF A LEGEND spotlighting sexual harassment and supporting It seemed like a coup when the Kings survivors. “We need more than policy,” said signed Walton on April 13 to a fourSurina Khan, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of year deal to be the 18th head coach in California. “We really need to be thinking about Sacramento. The 39-year-old son of changing the culture so that men and women do Hall of Famer Bill Walton, he was an not tolerate the kind of sexual harassment we have assistant coach for the Golden State seen over many, many decades.”

Warriors when they won the 2015 To that end, the foundation in July launched a championship. When a back injury $10 million “culture change fund” to build public forced head coach Steve Kerr to the support for “gender justice,” which also includes sidelines the following season, Walton reproductive rights and economic equality. Khan stepped in as interim coach and the said $5 million has been raised so far for the firstWarriors went 39-4 on his watch. of-its-kind fund, also supported by the California Then Walton increased the win total Endowment, Ford Foundation and others. each year in three seasons as the head At the same time, coach of the Lakers, one of the NBA’s Denise Tugade advocates say cases PHOTO BY NICOLE FOWLER most storied franchises. like Walton’s show But the mood soured on April 23 how much more when Tennant held a press confermust be done to ence, the day after she filed a civil highlight—and lawsuit accusing Walton of a sexual fix—inequities and assault in a Santa Monica hotel room discrimination in in 2014, while he was coaching with the legal system so the Warriors. that accusers are not She claimed that he pinned her silenced or shamed. down on the bed and forcibly kissed Tenerowicz and her. “I thought he was going to rape Denise Tugade, me,” said Tennant, who was 25 president of Fem at the time and a year into Dems of Sacramento, her new job as a regional said they’re not that surprised sports network host. She by what has happened in the also alleged physical Walton case—not because they and verbal harassdon’t believe Tennant—but ment over a threebecause it follows a pattern year period after the that discourages women initial incident. from speaking out: The Tennant did not accuser’s motives (fame, report the alleged money, revenge?) and timing assault to police or are questioned. And the way to her bosses. In her these cases are investigated, press conference, she Denise Tugade it’s very difficult to prove the said that fame, money President, Fem Dems of Sacramento allegations. and power were all on “The refrain is: it’s ‘he said, she Walton’s side and that she said,’” Tugade said. “Overwhelmingly, “was scared for my job, my he’s going to win in these cases.” safety and what my livelihood Still, in this #MeToo era, similar allegations would be like.” brought down famous men. So does the Walton case suggest that the pendulum has swung to a higher burden of proof when there are no criminal charges? Or are the rules different in professional Kings head coach Luke Walton, center, poses sports than in the corporate world? And what’s with Bogdan Bogdanovic, left, and De’Aaron Fox. PHOTO BY KARLOS RENE AYALA fair if the accusations are completely false?

In a statement, her lawyers said that by filing the suit, Tennant, who runs a women’s self-help motivational business, is “saying #timesup to the culture of abusing women in the NBA.” In Walton’s initial legal response, his lawyers called the allegations “factually baseless” and claimed she had sued “because she needs money.”

While acknowledging the two met at the hotel, the court filing said that “their encounter was very short, entirely pleasant and consensual.”

And in their Aug. 23 statement, the Kings and NBA said while investigators interviewed more than 20 people and reviewed numerous documents, their repeated attempts to talk to Tennant were turned away by her lawyers. “The investigation is considered closed unless new evidence becomes available,” the statement said.

Walton didn’t directly address the accusations during his preseason press conference at the Sept. 27 media day.

Asked how he’ll prevent the case from becoming a distraction to him and the team, he said: “What we have to focus on is what we have in front of us and what we can control. So this is my job, it’s my job to be the best for my players, to be there for my players. And that’s what I plan to do.”

At media day, point guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters that Walton hasn’t talked to the team about the case, and that their bond is already strong and will continue to grow.

Forward Caleb Swanigan said that it’s up to Walton whether to address the allegations with the team, but said the coach is a man of “great character.” “It’s not going to be a distraction,” Swanigan told SN&R. The next hearing in Tennant’s civil case against Walton could be as soon as this month, but the case could continue for years unless there’s a financial settlement. It could expand to include the Lakers, Warriors and the NBA—all with deeper pockets than Walton.

Depending how long this case lasts, this might not be the only season the Kings have an accused sexual harasser as coach.

“THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION” continued on page 19

“It’s concerning to see comments that women are coming forward for fame or for money ... It’s really hard to hear that.”

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A

FOX

will lead them

DE’AARON FOX’S INNER CIRCLE BELIEVES THE SPEEDY POINT GUARD IS READY TO BECOME SACRAMENTO’S MOST IMPORTANT KING

BY JOHN FLYNN

I

n his third game of high school basketball, De’Aaron Fox scored 50 points. His coach, Emmanuel Olatunbosun, hoped he might get a similar performance every night. But then his star point guard did something unexpected—he passed, a lot.

“He probably could take over every game,” Olatunbosun said. “But he really was so unselfish—to the point where sometimes, you’d pull him over and be like, ‘Hey man, be selfish.’”

Olatunbosun, now Fox’s manager, and agent/trainer Chris Gaston form the core of the point guard’s representation, and they see a young player about to springboard into NBA super-stardom after his breakout second season.

“He’s ready to lead, ready to be the man,” Olatunbosun said. “He wants to put them on the map again.”

The Kings will need their 21-year-old captain to be spectacular if the team has any hope of ending their league-worst 13-year playoff drought. Facing a stacked Western Conference and escalating expectations from restless fans, is Fox prepared to be Sacramento’s most important King?

“I go out there and I play my game,” Fox told reporters at the Kings media day on Sept. 27. “I feel like every day I continue to get better.”

RISING STAR, RISING CHALLENGE Before last season, Fox made his commitment to Sacramento clear. In a video for the Player’s Tribune, Fox called the Kings’ faithful “the best fan base in the league,” then applauded the 18

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impassioned effort to keep the team in town in 2011.

“I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep, but I’ll promise this, you fought for us, for this team, this franchise and this city,” Fox said. “And that’s why we’ll fight for you.”

Fox has been fighting for years to prove he belongs among the NBA’s elite.

As a young player, the Houston native lacked the standout physical gifts he now wields, but possessed an advanced grasp of basketball’s intricate rhythms, said Gaston, who, like Olatunbosun, has known Fox since the eighth grade.

“I was really impressed by his IQ and his skill level for a kid that age,” Gaston said. “His feel for the game was off the charts.”

After one year at Kentucky, Fox arrived in Sacramento in 2017, just months after the messy DeMarcus Cousins trade. To change the team’s culture, General Manager Vlade Divac signed veterans including Vince Carter, Zach Randolph and George Hill. But these aging players proved an awkward fit with the speedy Fox and the Kings lost 55 games.

“When you come up as a top player, go to the top school, 90% of the time, you’re winning,” said Reno Dupor, Fox’s best friend. “So coming in and taking all of those losses just did something to him where he’s like, ‘I don’t want to go through something like that ever again.’”

In his second season, Fox took a leap, averaging more than 17 points and seven assists per game—up from 11.6 points and 4.4 assists his rookie season—while also showcasing a credible three-point stroke. The Kings notched 39 wins and

Fox placed third in Most Improved Player voting.

Sports Illustrated placing him 33rd on its list of top 100 NBA players.

Teammates Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes also made the list, one year after no Kings were on it.

Off the court, Fox committed to the people who helped him get to the league by signing with Family First Sports Firm, which was founded by Gaston and also includes Dupor and Fox’s brother Quentin. Already, Nike has given Fox his own sneaker—the Air Max 1 “Swipa,” an artfully mismatched pair of kicks, accented by math equations and colors common among the planets, a nod to Fox’s interest in astronomy.

Noting Fox’s quirky charisma, Olatunbosun called it “a blessing” to watch Fox grow from a teenager into a man over the last eight years.

“He’s a great kid,” Olatunbosun said.

“I love him like a son, like a little brother.

It’s bigger than basketball for us.”

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

This summer, more than a few national voices harrumphed when Fox and fellow King Marvin Bagley III withdrew from USA Basketball to focus on the upcoming season. The U.S. finished a shocking seventh in the World Cup. Fox said he doesn’t regret not going, and still wants to be on the U.S. Olympic team in 2020.

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox talks to reporters during media day on Sept. 27.

PHOTO BY KARLOS RENE AYALA

Focusing on the season is understandable. In a summer of blockbuster moves, Anthony Davis joined LeBron James on the resurgent L.A. Lakers, Russell Westbrook paired with James Harden on the Houston Rockets and superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George formed a dynamic duo on the gritty L.A. Clippers. Barring injuries, seven teams seem to be locks for the playoffs, meaning the upstart Kings will have to consistently grind out victories to snag the eighth and final spot.

Despite these challenges, Fox’s team believes deeply in his potential. The phrase “the sky’s the limit” recurs often when they talk about him. And during his third season in Sacramento, Fox will look to take the Kings to new heights.

“Sacramento was a perfect fit,” Gaston said. “He was able to develop at his own pace and now it’s his team.

He’s a franchise player and he’s right where he wants to be. There’s no ceiling.

Literally, no ceiling.”

Fox, himself, said that he worked on his playmaking during the offseason, and said that it’s a realistic expectation to make the playoffs because even though other teams in the West improved, so did the Kings.

If they miss the playoffs again, he said, “it’ll be a lot more disappointing than last year, put it that way.” □

“the court of public opinion” continued from page 17

protecting workers While it’s high-profile cases like this one that grab headlines, the vast majority of sexual harassment is happening quietly at factories, offices and stores.

So last year, advocates helped push through a series of laws in response to the #MeToo movement. Lawmakers introduced more than two dozens bills and strengthened protections for women in the workplace, including by outlawing required secret settlements or nondisclosure agreements in cases involving allegations of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination.

Then-Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed several other bills, but the Legislature passed many of them again this year in hopes that new Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign them into law. The measures include two opposed by business interests: Assembly Bill 9 would give workers three years instead of just one year to file harassment claims, while AB 51 would prevent companies from requiring employees to go through private arbitration instead of the courts.

Last year, Atkins helped draft broader legislation to empower women—a first-inthe-nation law that requires publicly owned corporations to have at least one woman on their boards of directors by the end of this year. However, Judicial Watch, a conservative interest group, sued in August to stop Senate Bill 826 from taking effect, calling it an unconstitutional gender-based quota.

At the same time as they change rules in workplaces across California, lawmakers have had to face harassment accusations in their own house. Three legislators resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct.

The Legislature created a new unit to investigate claims of sexual harassment or discrimination.

Van Dermyden Maddux, the law firm that did the Walton investigation, was hired in December 2017 by the state Senate to do a two-year investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

In October 2018, Sue Ann Van Dermyden delivered to the American Employment Law Council a report about what had happened in the year since the

“ we really need to be thinking about changing the culture so that men and women do not tolerate the kind of sexual harassment we have seen over many, many decades.”

Surina Khan CEO, Women’s Foundation of California

Also, in the final days of this year’s session, legislators approved AB 547 to require janitorial contractors to provide on-the-job training against sexual assault and harassment. Supporters of the Janitor Survivor Empowerment Act called it “the most progressive, worker-led #MeToo law in the country” and “a historic win for immigrant women of color.”

Toni Atkins, a San Diego Democrat who became the state Senate’s first female leader in the wake of #MeToo, declined to comment about what the Legislature has tried to do.

Weinstein case. The report noted that since April 2017, more than 400 high-profile executives and employees had been accused of sexual harassment, and 190 of them were fired or forced to resign, plus 122 placed on leave, suspended, or were the subject of an internal investigation.

The report also detailed the public pressure that companies face: “How do we balance taking swift action with giving the respondent a fair process? This million dollar question has never been so prevalent.”

what about the fans?

But how much do fans really care about the allegations against Walton?

The Kings say they have not received any protests or seen any impact on ticket sales because of his hiring or the lawsuit.

Danny Beckham, who calls himself one of the team’s biggest fans, said the accusations don’t matter. “People dig up dirt” and allegations are made against prominent people all the time, he said.

What matters to him is that the team stayed in Sacramento and has a new arena, and that a new season is about to start.

But another fan, Maya S., disagreed.

“He’s representing the team and the city and our community. We don’t want a negative outlook,” she said outside Golden 1 Center.

“Carmichael Dave” Weiglein, who hosts the morning drive time show on Sports 1140 KHTK, said the Kings fan base is “very progressive” and “cares very much about things bigger than basketball.”

The team is also progressive, he said, noting its response to the Stephon Clark killing by police. After protests disrupted two games in March 2018, the team wore T-shirts honoring Clark and the Kings worked with community groups.

The team has also supported the Sacramento region’s primary provider of crisis services for survivors of sexual abuse, which might help explain why Beth Hassett, CEO of WEAVE, didn’t respond to repeated requests over a month to comment for this story.

From what fans have said on his radio show and online, Weiglein said that their attitude appears to be: “If it turns out that Luke is exonerated, great, let’s move on.”

But if more evidence emerges, other people come forward or it turns out that Walton lied, “that would be a big problem” and the Kings would have to fire him.

Rafe Wong, editor at A Royal Pain, a Kings fans news and opinion website, said many fans are skeptical about Walton—not so much because of the allegations, but because they wanted the Kings to keep Joerger, who had started rebuilding the team into a playoff contender.

Wong agreed that unless there’s new blockbuster evidence against Walton, he expects the Kings to keep him as coach.

So maybe the 2019-20 season will focus on the young Kings. And there is cause for optimism, despite the late swoon last season.

Fox and versatile forward Marvin Bagley III are budding stars, and sharpshooter Buddy Hield is back. Wong said that despite a new

Danny Beckham, who calls himself one of the team’s biggest fans, said the accusations don’t matter. “People dig up dirt” and allegations are made against prominent people all the time, he said.

coach, many fans are even more hopeful because the Kings kept their young core and filled some holes on the roster with veteran free agents.

On the other hand, the Western Conference is loaded and other teams added established stars—Anthony Davis joining LeBron James on the Lakers, and Kawhi Leonard teaming up with Paul George on the L.A. Clippers.

The margin for error to finish in the top eight and make the playoffs could be even smaller. A hot start to the season is essential.

So is a fully engaged head coach, not one distracted by legal troubles or TMZ tabloid headlines.

“I’m here to do my job and focus on our Kings and get us to where we need to get,” Walton said. “The rest of it will take care of itself.” □

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Sacramento Ballet artistic director Amy Seiwert and guest choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie observe dancers in motion during a recent rehearsal.

With Sacramento Ballet's dramatic transitions finally out of the spotlight, artistic director Amy Seiwert aims to push the company to great heights

Grace under pressure

by Marcus crowder

photos by karlos rene ayala

20 | SN&R | 10.03.19

Amy Seiwert slowly circles the large ballet studio, holding up her phone, shooting video of a cluster of rehearsing dancers. A former ballerina, she could be dancing herself, gliding along the edges of the room watching the bodies in motion at the center.

It’s her second season as artistic director as she continues with the formidable challenge of making the company into the “Sacramento Ballet 3.0” she envisions.

The dancers struggle to keep the comically inebriated soprano Carrie Hennessey upright as she teeters perilously while singing her way through the Mozart variations “Ah vous diari-je, Maman.” The dancers scramble around Hennessey, maintaining their own choreographed performance to her unwavering voice.

The comic scene resembles a classic cartoon, and the dancers’ agility and subtle dexterity recalls silent film performers.

The Sacramento Ballet is rehearsing a new work “On the Rocks, Please!” by choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie, one third of its season-opening program Mozart In Motion, which starts Oct. 3 at the Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts in Midtown. The program also includes “Embellish” by Jodie Gates and “Requiem” by Seiwert.

Last year, the emotional drama surrounding former co-artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda's grudging

departure hovered over the season. Despite the turmoil, Seiwert’s national reputation rose as she became one of only a handful of women leading professional ballet companies.

Now, the stakes for Seiwert and the company remain high as they focus on growing their audiences.

Having Moultrie, who has choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Beyoncé, create new work represents much of what Seiwert wants: classic background, innovative creativity and talented diversity.

After the scene finishes, Seiwert shares her video with Moultrie and the dancers, who crowd around watching themselves in the work in progress.

Seiwert calls the new season “Sights Unseen,” meaning all works in the five programs will be new to Sacramento audiences except for Seiwert’s version of The Nutcracker, which premiered last year.

Seiwert’s The Nutcracker was the only full-length ballet made by a woman produced last year at any of the top 50 U.S. ballet companies, and it’s only the third The Nutcracker ever choreographed by a woman.

Two-thirds of Sacramento Ballet’s works will be choreographed by women this year, which ties nationally with American Ballet Theatre.

Sacramento Ballet is leading the field in part because it’s performing many of Seiwert’s works. The gender equity issue in ballet remains a priority, one she says she will approach more directly after one year on the job.

“There was so much happening to just keep the wheels on the train, and the train on the track and the train going forward on the track,” Seiwert says in her office just off a main rehearsal space at the CLARA in Midtown. “Those were the goals, and those were lofty goals, as it turns out.”

The train in question is Cunningham and Binda's active resistance to the decision of Sacramento Ballet’s board not to renew their contracts. The dancers, audience and arts community all found themselves embroiled in the dispute.

Despite the tensions, Seiwert says Cunningham was “tremendously supportive” and attended almost all the performances last year.

For his part, Cunningham says he’s not retired and has worked with several companies. He naturally has outsized feelings for the dancers here, though.

“We put them forward, we want them to be successful, we want them to continue experiencing a career at the highest level possible,” Cunningham says.

Seiwert’s relationship with Cunningham

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22

predates the controversy. She danced with the company under him before she was a choreographer.

Now, she says, she has negotiated the difficult transition. “My relationship is primarily with the dancers, and these dancers didn’t choose the change that happened to them,” Seiwert says. “They had their career on one path, and that path got changed, and now I’m a part of it. I’m very cognizant of that as a responsibility.”

Michelle Katcher, who danced Marie, the female lead in The Nutcracker last season, says this year has a “good flow.”

“Everything feels much more at ease; it’s like having an old

Sacramento Ballet dancers rehearse new work including choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, who has worked for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—and Beyoncé.

see music

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“'' My relationship is primarily with the dancers, and these dancers didn' t choose the change that happened to them.''

Amy seiwert artistic director, sacramento ballet

board has also been almost entirely remade over the last two years. The transition, she adds, has been emotionally exhausting for everyone, and they all needed a reset.

“Now we’re actually able to dream about the vision for the future, and we’re making some steps towards that,” Seiwert says.

Seiwert says she learned a lot last year staging The Nutcracker, which involved 300 children and was a record-breaking success, bringing in more than $1 million.

This year’s challenge involves staging the production in Memorial Auditorium as the Community Center Theater undergoes

recession in detroit see stAge

renovations.

Hamlet, a stunning production that opened Valentine’s Day weekend, didn’t get much traction with audiences.

Seiwert says she knows she must get people to attend programs other than The Nutcracker to sustain all the work.

“We need to rebuild the community that thinks ballet is awesome in general and loves this company—that’s my biggest job,” she says.

To that end, the ballet’s executive director, Anthony Krutzkamp, reports that attendance in 2018 grew from 2017.

“Our patrons were becoming accustomed to attending the Sofia for our mixed repertoire shows,” he says.

Back in the ballet studio, Sacramento Ballet co-founder Barbara Crockett sits with Cunningham in the front row of a recent open rehearsal. They watch choreographer Jodie Gates guide dancers Stefan Calka and Lauryn Winterhalder through a difficult lift and pirouette sequence.

“I think the program is amazing,” Cunningham says later. “Jodie Gates is a brilliant choreographer, her ballet is wonderful. Darrell’s thing is so witty.”

Seiwert knows progress can be difficult to see at times. So in her office, there’s a sheet of butcher block paper tagged in marker and taped to the wall.

“Transformative” is written large and circled. Other phrases include “Change the way my field is perceived” and “Share Intent.”

“It’s my brain,” she says. “My goals.

Things to remember.”

On another wall, there are patterns of Post-it notes in yellow and green, all bearing names of artists she wants to bring in and ballets she wants to produce. “I keep saying I want to walk through these hallways and for something to always be happening—I want these spaces activated at all times,” Seiwert says.

“Wednesday morning, I walked in and we are doing our ‘falls prevention classes’ for senior citizens. We had company class upstairs with all of our trainees, too ... and we had an open class to the community,” she says. “Every large studio was full and the problem was that we don’t have enough barres.”

She’s happy to have the problem. □

Catch Sacramento Ballet's season opener, Mozart in Motion,

7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3-Saturday, Oct. 5 and 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 6.

The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts, 2700 Capitol Ave. $65. bstreettheatre.org or (916) 443.5300.

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giAnt pumpkin festivAl see cAlendAr

32

Post Malone, post-show Post Malone doesn’t look like your typical “sensitive” artist. His face is tattooed with barbed-wire and the words “Always Tired” on either cheek, and gold grills evoke a materialistic rap star.

But there’s more to “posty,” which is what fans call the post-pop/rap crooner, than meets the eye. About 15,000 fans packed golden 1 center on sept. 19 amid a flash of multicolored lights and guitar plucks. Malone, real name Austin Richard Post, emerged from the catwalk, somberly belting out the opening song, “Hollywood’s Bleeding.”

The 24-year-old musician, along with openers tyla yaweh and swae lee, made Sacramento their fourth stop on Malone’s Runaway Tour. The shows are in support of his third album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, which was released Sept. 6.

Malone fueled the crowd with stage jumps, raised arms and hype-man antics. After the second song, “Better Now,” the singer lifted a blue cup toward a packed house.

“I’m here to play you some music and get f---ed up while we do it,” he told them.

Malone’s big break came in 2015, when his single “white iverson” went viral on Soundcloud. Since then, he’s gone triple-platinum with his 2016 debut album Stoney. His second record, Beerbongs & Bentleys, was nominated for four Grammys this year. And as of Sept. 30, Hollywood’s Bleeding still ranks at no. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it his second album since “Beerbongs & Bentleys” to top the U.S. chart.

He performed songs from the new record, including moody breakup anthems “Take What You Want,” “Circles” and “Goodbyes.” The stage was minimal: a simple runway blasted laser lights, pyrotechnics, giant projections and fog. Especially fog, fitting for the artist, who mentioned early in the show that most of his songs are sad.

Malone hopped on the guitar during “Stay,” a haunting tune from Beerbongs & Bentleys that provoked swaying of glowing cellphones. Some of the night’s last songs included rapper Swae Lee, who threw sunflowers onto the crowd as they both delivered their duet single, “sunflower,” from the 2018 animated movie Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse. During “Rockstar,” Malone chan-

neled his inner rock ’n’ roller and smashed a guitar.

Before ending the night with

“congratulations,” his 2016 hit about persePost Malone. verance and overcoming the haters, Malone offered some advice.

“Sacramento, this is my way of telling y’all, live your f---ing life,” he said. “Be whoever you f---ing wanna be ’cause you can do f---ing anything.” —Ashley hAyes-stone

Photo by Ashley hAyes-stone

friend versus making a new friend,” Katcher says.

This season, Seiwert has added three new dancers. There are 19 dancers and three new apprentices in the midsize company, which maintains a $3 million annual budget.

One dancer not returning is longtime principal Alexandra Cunningham, daughter of Cunningham and Binda.

Her doctors have advised her to stop dancing while both her injured knees heal.

“I miss being in the studio for the process,” she wrote in an email. “But I have no regrets about my career and I am filled with so much happiness when I look back.”

Seiwert says she sees the changes as a natural attrition process. The ballet’s

cAt in the mAsk

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Elephant on the Block co-host Russell Cummings, pictured here with his daughter, hopes to “go big” with his new comedy series, which happens monthly at Rink Studios in North Sacramento.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RUSSELL CUMMINGS

& Veggies ofu T h

Big joke energy A new comedy series and cutting-edge venue bring creativity and vision to North Sacramento “Is that your man?”

Comedian Jay Rich asks the question as he stares down into the front row at The Rink Studios.

A man sits between two women, the spotlight shining on them. One woman, laughing, shakes her head, “no.”

So Rich turns to the other woman. “Is that your man?” he repeats.

She screams “No!” while laughing hysterically.

“Oh, so you’re with both of them?” Rich says to the man. “My man!”

The audience roars with laughter. For a moment, any worries they brought with them may have disappeared.

This is the vibe during Elephant on the Block, an interactive monthly comedy series. The brainchild of Rink Studios co-owner Joann Martin and host/curator Russell Cummings, it offers a carefully selected lineup of comedians chosen

because of their ability to deliver laughs while engaging with the crowd.

The aim, Cummings said, is to create a space where folks can forget the outside world for a couple of hours. It’s a spirited community goal in a perhaps unlikely setting.

From the outside, the Rink looks like many other buildings along the well-worn strip of Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento.

Inside, the 11,250-square-foot venue, which opened earlier this year, has transformed from an abandoned skating rink into a space that fosters creativity by way of music, poetry and comedy.

The hardwood floors of the 1926 building seemingly echo with the laughter of children’s parties, skate hops, and first dates.

It was that feeling that Martin, who built built her career in branding and marketing, says she fell in love with the first time she set foot inside in early 2017.

Martin and her partners purchased the building with the intent to turn it into a music incubator for Sacramento talent.

Now, when people first walk in, they may feel as if they’re in the middle of a Comedy Central soundstage. Martin and her team installed high-definition cameras and microphones above the audience for crowd shots and audio response. A 30-foot digital screen acts as the backdrop to comedians on stage. Each Elephant on the Block show is recorded and edited; its creators are bundling footage to pitch to nationally streaming networks, such as Hulu, Netflix and Twitch.

The shows feature a question-andanswer session between comedians and audience members and a host who is often just as funny as the acts. They have proven popular; the August and September shows are sold out.

Martin explains the series’ unique name. “You know how the ‘elephant in the room’ is always that thing that no one is talking about? For us, the Elephant on the Block is the vast amount of talent here in Sacramento,” she says.

Cummings, she said, has helped her bring it to life. “This is a big vision, and he is the only one I trust to carry out that vision,” she says. Cummings says his goals are two-fold.

“The calm side of me wants to be able to put together such a well thought out event you can’t help but be entertained,” he says with a smile “But the larger-than-life version of me sits back and thinks: ‘If someone hadn’t started Motown back in the day, then the world loses out on so much.’ So honestly, that’s the goal. Go big.” Ω

Catman returns

Our ramen is healthy and delicious and always made from scratch. Our broth, tare, and toppings are prepared fresh at Shoki using Chef Yasushi’s original recipe.

Masked musician El Gato reemerges with a new album

BY STEPH RODRIGUEZ

“He’s a performer of some type, right? I’ve never heard of him,” asks Amanda Chavez, vocalist of the garage rock band Gamma People.

Chavez and fellow bassist Dire Deparra sit in a private room at Star KTV Lounge on Freeport Boulevard, along with Sean Arrant, music producer for the Northern California indie label Mechanical Bull Records, and guitarist Evan Bailey of the indie rock band Oh, Lonesome Ana. They were all summoned to the Hong Kong-style restaurant and karaoke bar by El Gato, an elusive masked musician who hasn’t been seen—or heard from—since his debut album release show at Press Club two years ago.

Now, he has resurfaced to release his fivesong followup, The Executive Party Box Volume 2: Going Underground with El Gato, at Sol Collective on Oct. 11 with performances by Pets, Gamma People and Oh, Lonesome Ana. SN&R first interviewed El Gato in a dingy downtown parking garage in 2017, when a towering, slender man wearing a sleek, black cat-luchador mask refused to reveal his identity.

Arrant, who produces El Gato’s music and also acts as his mediator, described the musician’s mission: to terrorize the eyes and ears of fans with sonically immersive experiences.

And he did. At the packed Press Club show, El Gato appeared on about a dozen old televisions stacked near the small stage in between live sets from Mondo Deco, Ex Rippers and Failure Machine. His silver eyes beamed menacingly as he bellowed ominous “meows” followed by humorous subtitles before fuzzy TV static engulfed his likeness. Although El Gato never appeared in the flesh, his upcoming show at Sol

Collective may happen differently Arrant said.

As a multi-instrumentalist, El Gato spans genres such as pop and indie rock with folk-style storytelling. But his music also has a dusty, desert rock ’n’ roll vibe. In the new song, “Oh My Darlin’,” twangy guitar fades in and out to the clicks and taps of percussive instruments that keep a mellow tempo.

Meanwhile, a low, cigarette-tinged voice sings a somber farewell to his lover: “Oh my darlin’ I believe this may be the last time / I can hold you in my arms and hold your face to mine / Step inside my love while we are here inside our home / ‘Cause where I go from here I go alone.”

Back at Star KTV Lounge, the summoned musicians chat and joke about the mysteriousness of the evening. Were they brought there to sing karaoke renditions of Stray Cats’ songs? As the playful conversations continue, a flat-screen TV mounted to a far wall flickers on—and there’s El Gato. Apparently, the cat man can Skype—from a secret location, of course.

He lets out a low and distorted, “Meow … meow … meow … meow,” peering down at the room full of astonished faces. The words “Translation in progress” blink across the blackand-white screen.

“What the heck?!” Chavez shouts over laughter.

“Is this thing working?” El Gato asks before thanking them for participating in the upcoming show.

“I want to deliver an experience to the people at Sol Collective that they will never forget,” he says. “I’m trying to offer a stimulation overload that will leave the user with a feeling similar to a mental hangover and have them questioning their life decisions.”

“Can you see us?” Chavez asks.

“I don’t know,” El Gato replies.

“Will we be able to see your face at the end of the show?” Chavez asks.

“You’re looking at my face right now. I don’t understand the question,” he says before the conversation abruptly ends and the screen fades to black. □ PHOTO COURTESY OF EL GATO

El Gato and his nefarious partner in crime, General Electric (right), just may show up in the flesh at Sol Collective on Oct. 11.

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Join El Gato for The Executive Party Box Volume 2’s album release show on Oct. 11 at Sol Collective, 2574 21st St., 8 p.m., $10 suggested donation; Pets, Gamma People and Oh, Lonesome Ana will also perform. All proceeds benefit the Library of Musiclandria; facebook.com/whoiselgato.

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Now playiNg

ReviewS

Photo courtesy of Jesse Janzen

Car trouble

by Jim Carnes

Photo courtesy of yarcenia Garcia

Stage pick You don’t have to tell them twice: Getting a life sentence is no joke.

Jailhouse rock Four working-class Detroiters struggle to survive in the midst of the Great recession.

Skeleton Crew

4

thu 8pm, fri 8pm, sat 8pm, Mon 8pm; through 10/26; $12-$18; Big idea theatre, 1616 Del Paso Blvd, (916) 960-3036, bigideatheatre.org.

It’s 2008, during what we optimistically call the last “Great Recession,” in a Detroit automobile stamping plant. Other plants are closing, and there are rumors that this one, too, is headed for extinction.

Skeleton Crew, now at Big Idea Theatre, tells the story of four workers at this imperiled plant. It’s a family drama, really, as Faye (Voress Franklin), Dez (Tarig Elsiddig), Shanita (Brooklynn Solomon) and Reggie (Tory Scroggins) have become family, familiar with each other’s lives, hopes—and now—fears.

Faye, also the employee union rep, has 29 years on the line and hopes to make it to the 30-year mark to get her pension. Dez, a smart young hustler, hopes to open his own auto repair shop. Shanita is a very pregnant single-mother-to-be, with all the excitement and trepidation that it brings. And Reggie, their supervisor, is a man constantly walking a tightrope between what he knows from management and what he can say or do to help his friends while protecting himself.

It’s a strong, experienced cast. Franklin is a fourtime Elly Award winner; Solomon shone as Ginger in STC’s production of Ginger Rutland’s When We Were Colored; and Elsiddig and Scroggins co-starred in the outstanding Blue Door at Celebration Arts. They act and interact well together, only Scroggins appears a bit restrained here.

Director Anthony D’Juan helps playwright Dominique Morisseau dramatize her exploration of big themes on a personal scale on a perfectly realized stage designed by Russell Dow. □

1 2 3 4 5 fouL

fair

GooD

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WeLL-Done

suBLiMe Don’t Miss

3 Into the woods Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy and a love story filled with star-crossed lovers, mischievous forest fairies and an amateur thespian group.

The Actor’s Theatre of Sacramento’s co-directors Ed Claudio and Mark Heckman tackle this Shakespeare classic, which enables them to bring together 30 actors of various ages, backgrounds and expertise onstage in a variety of colorful and imaginative roles. This gives opportunities to actors on all different levels, but also burdens them with the density of Shakespearean dialogue and plot lines.

Many of the actors are current or former students in Claudio’s Actor’s Workshop of Sacramento, where he’s given lessons to blossoming actors since 1989. And many Actor’s Theatre productions are a way to give hopeful and experienced actors onstage opportunities.

Though all the actors display willingness, enthusiasm and great intentions in this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and some are able to deliver, others stumble through a bit more, which makes the show come across as a student production at times.

The four leads—Eileen Hoang as Hermia, Mark Ruis as Lysander, Gaya Murthy as Helena and Robin Sanders as Demetrius—do bring the story to life as lovers who are thwarted and rejoined by the magical powers of forest creatures, eternal hopefulness and the enthusiasm of their fellow thespians.

—Patti RobeRts a Midsummer night’s Dream: fri 8pm, sat 8pm, sun 2pm; through 10/13; $18-$20; california stage co., 2509 r st.; (916) 501-6104; actinsac.com.

Only one week left to share a cell with Two Blind Bitches, an original show by local playwright Leah Finity. The perps?

Roller Baby, a former addict expecting to receive a life sentence, and Peach, a would-be robber waiting for parole.

As the two hit it off romantically, Peach decides to fight the system and clear Roller Baby’s name. Will she succeed, or will the walls of prison close in on them both? Thu, 10/3, 8pm; Fri, 10/4, 8pm; Sat, 10/5, 8pm; Sun, 10/6, 8pm; Through 10/6; $20-$30; Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre, 1901 P St.; (916) 443-5099; twoblindbitches.brownpapertickets.com.

—Rachel mayField

ScReeN pick When life gives you rats, make … rat juice?

Wipe out An aimless ex-surfer with a snake-bitten bum leg and dreams of reopening his dead dad’s pool-cleaning business limps into a fraternal order way past its prime. This is the joke-played-straight setup for Lodge 49, a deceptively deep dramedy about heroic quests in the age of numbing economic inequality. You’ve probably never heard of this show, now quietly approaching the end of its shambolic second season on AMC. I almost missed it myself. But due to a coincidence that the show’s main character Dud (human golden retriever Wyatt Russell) would ascribe as fate, a blurb on some TV critic’s Top 10 list steered me to the first season on Hulu last year, when I was feeling the same this can’t be it ennui that courses through Lodge 49. But that’s the thing about this weirdly zen show—everything potentially magic about it is also blithely mundane, forcing its characters to confront the same question: When you finally realize you’ll never get what you were promised, what do you do next?

—Raheem F. hosseini

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ILLuSTRATION BY MARIA RATINOvA

Perfect for the upcoming cold weather, try the Katsu Curry served with a crispy, panko-breaded chicken or pork cutlet over white rice beside a thick vermilion sauce studded with chunky carrots and potatoes.

Taste of Spain taPas, alaRo cRaft bReWeRy Sacramento’s heat makes small, shareable bites much more appetizing than a heavy full meal. Alaro Craft Brewery has a fantastic tapas menu including traditional Spanish dishes such as Papas Bravas ($8) and Croquetas de Jamón ($9). The Papas Bravas is a surprisingly large serving of crispy chopped potatoes nestled atop a spicy tomato sauce and drizzled with creamy aioli. The Croquetas are fried in seasoned bread crumbs with a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth harmony of creamy dough and ham on the inside. Take yourself on a trip to Southern Spain for some classic tapas without even straying from Capitol Avenue. 2004 Capitol Ave., alarobrewing.com.

—tessa MaRGueRite outland

PHOTO BY ILLYANNA MAISONET

Curry and California rolls Banzai Sushi 6409 Riverside Blvd.; (916) 421-4055

by Illyanna MaISonet

And it’s never a bad idea to order the Mixed Tempura ($7.95) with its springy shrimp and snappy vegetables all covered in an ethereal batter.

One of the things I order most at Japanese restaurants Japanese, South Sacramento $$$ is the Salmon Collar ($9.95). I don’t know why I don’t see it on tables more often. The combination of the fatty salmon, crispy skin that forms after being grilled over the open fire and the smokiness is addictive.

There are still people out there who are leery of What I don’t order much is the Katsu Curry. Most consuming raw fish. There are some that refuse to even places use pre-made, processed or powdered curry with go to sushi restaurants on the assumption there’s nothing a sad little fried protein cutlet. It’s not worth it. But when else but raw fish. There are also those who do go, but Banzai Sushi’s Katsu Curry ($12.95) appears, it’s another only order the chicken teriyaki bento box. game: An inviting moat of thick vermilion sauce And don’t forget those who won’t eat raw embedded with huge chunks of chicken, potafish if it didn’t come straight out of the toes and carrots that sit on a ceramic plate water within a few miles of the restaurant.

If you’re broke, side by side with white rice and a huge Of course, for those who are prepared to panko-breaded chicken or pork cutlet. It’s busted and out “try anything once,” know that at most perfect for the upcoming cold weather.

Japanese restaurants, the menus are there dating, Banzai If you’re broke, busted and out expansive.

Sushi also has an there dating, Banzai Sushi also has Open since 2006 (and sold to an impressive happy hour menu. impressive happy the Kaizen Dining Group in 2014), You and your date can hunker down Banzai Sushi offers donburi bowls, hour menu. with the usual suspects: California Roll bento boxes, ramen, udon, soba and ($6.95), two-piece Nigiri ($4.50), Salmon sushi rolls. The Ebi Nigiri ($5.95) might Collar ($7.50) and Sake Bombs ($2.50). The be the training wheels of sushi introduction modest-size restaurant is perfect for an intimate for skeptics, and yet its cold sweetness atop a bed experience. It has a lot of light in the front, where you of seasoned sushi rice is still delightful. The temaki can sit at the counter and watch the chefs assemble has all of the components of sushi rolls, except it’s your rolls and nigiri. But the back of the restaurant hand rolled into a cone filled with your choice of can be a bit cavernous. The customer service is really accoutrements. I always go with the Salmon Skin personable. And with so many options, you should not Temaki ($5.95), a trumpet of gossamer salmon skin, be ordering the chicken teriyaki. □ cold and crisp cucumber, scallions and unagi sauce.

Good for: Date nights and happy hour bites Notable dishes: Katsu Curry, Salmon Collar

26 | SN&R | 10.03.19

Rice-made spirits Wheel house Malted Rice Whiskey, Gold RiveR distilleRy Gold River Distillery adds a unique ingredient to its Wheel House Malted Whiskey ($5 for 1.5 ounces, $55 per bottle). The Rancho Cordova-based company uses rice grown right here in Sacramento and then ships it off to Eckert Malting & Brewing in Chico for malting.

Each pour packs a taste that is unusual, yet fascinating. The aromatics are like a fragrant treasure hunt as you attempt to identify each flavor component between sips. The whiskey is not exactly a scotch notwithstanding its pleasant smokiness and complex background tones. The secret here is the subtle and sweet coffee notes that become more pronounced the deeper you get into the glass. Call it a multi-directional whiskey. 11460 Sunrise Gold Cir C, Rancho Cordova; goldriverdistillery.com.

—Jed PRessGRove

plaNeT V

Sac goes vegan in October Get a move on! As you’re reading this, the 2019 Vegan Chef Challenge has already started. About 40 Sacramento-area restaurants are expanding their vegan offerings throughout October, not just to elicit glee among Sacramento vegans who feel like they’ve exhausted all the vegan offerings in town, but also to sway omni-eaters who write off vegan food as bland and uninteresting. Vegetables: Who knew? The challenge was started

by Bethany Davis as a Sacramentocentric endeavor. In its ninth year, the cook-off has gotten more ambitious, partnering with Vegan Outreach to take it nationwide. Ms. Nacheez herself, Ilsa Hess, is onboard with VO to facilitate Vegan Chef Challenges beyond Sacramento. There’s a VCC scheduled in Twin Cities in Minnesota with more cities signing on. Here in Sacramento, you can find a list of participating restaurants and vote on your favorite dishes at sacveganchefchallenge.com.

—lindsay oxfoRd

BUY 1 GET 1 1/2 OFF Buy any dinner entree at regular price, get the second for HALF OFF! Must present coupon, cannot combine with other discounts.

One per table. Valid Mon-Thu only. Expires 10/16/19.

Happy Hour

Monday–Friday 3–6pm Voted “Best of Sacramento” 3 years in a row!

Did someone say

dRiNk

1315 21st St • Sacramento 916.441.7100

fried chicken?(and bahn mi, and ramen)

Join us everyday for our multi-Asian inspired menu, and reserve for our Chef’s Counter and Kaiseki dining experiences.

illustration by Mark stivers

White Claw’s grip

4801 Folsom Blvd | Sacramento | 916.400.3075 | origamiasiangrill.com

by Bradley Geiser

Fresh & Tasty Peruvian Cuisine & CAteRing

What began as a fringe drink from the parent Claw is favored by 20- and 30-somethings going to company that launched Mike’s Hard Lemonade in punk rock venues and pizza parlors. This eclectic the late ’90s has landed at the crossroads of ironic mix of potential consumers is, perhaps, hard fandom and a genuine viral boom. seltzer’s biggest draw.

Tapping into a similar market as La Croix, White “It seems like a lot of millennial restaurant Claw is marketed as a hard seltzer—a low-calorie, 5% industry folks are into it—bartenders and the alcohol-by-volume beverage that may give drinkers like,” Bazett said. “I went on a rafting trip with the buzz they want, but it won’t replace a classic some guys last week and they were buying vodka soda. a couple of cases.”

Gabriell Garcia, who co-owns Cafe This diverse customer base is key.

Colonial on Stockton Boulevard, said Not constrained to the ice bins of White Claw appeals to customers who yachts featured in White Claw’s White Claw is want something a little bit different. commercials, the hard seltzer favored by 20- and “It’s just a new twist on has drifted from the ocean to the drinking,” Garcia said. “I think they shores of the Sacramento River.

30-somethings going to just keep reinventing alternatives Bars, restaurants, liquor stores, punk rock venues and to beer. It is cool for us at Cafe soccer stadiums and grocery pizza parlors.

Colonial as we are only beer [and] stores alike have dipped their toes wine, and this helps satiate that cocktail into White Claw’s waters. drinker.”

Pabst Blue Ribbon, Natural Ice Bottle & Barlow co-owner Kimio Bazett and even Four Loko have thrown their said he’s also seen the White Claw craze. “I think hats into the hard seltzer ring, and while it speaks to the power of good marketing and brandWhite Claw reigns supreme, other brands such as ing,” Bazett said. “And if you take that out, there’s Truly are also having fair amounts of success. nothing special about it as a product, but it’s going to But will the hard seltzer trend continue to grow? hit people in the hearts and minds—and it works.”

Or will it fizz out?

The commercials used to propel White Claw’s “Things like this pop up overnight,” Garcia mystique are reminiscent of a certain infamous said. “I’m sure [White Claw] will be reinvented island music festival, but its grasp has reached far much like the Tequiza, Zima [and] Bartles & beyond yachts and white sandy beaches. White James of yesteryear.” □

Ceviche Clasico

Jimmy’s Ceviche is the national dish of Peru, seafood or fish (raw swai fillet diced, marinated and “cooked” in fresh lime juice), topped with red onions and cilantro, served with sweet potatoes and Peruvian cancha corn. Rocoto spicy salsa on the side (GLUTEN FREE).

$5 OFF* With Ad

*Minimum $20 order, cannot be combined with any other offer.

Lomo Saltado

Jimmy’s signature Lomo Saltado is Peruvian pan fried steak, red onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, red wine vinegar and garnished with fresh cilantro.

3032 Auburn Blvd @ Watt Avenue FB @JimmysPeruvianRestaurant 10.03.19 | SN&R | 27

wiNe

Casque on the Placer Wine Trail concentrates on Rhone varietals.

By Allen Pierleoni

Come celebrate with us!

Taber Ranch Vineyard & Event Center is now taking holiday party reservations! Please contact us for packages and pricing Join us for Live Music on 9/8 and 9/22

Now serving small plates and wood fired pizza.

open friday, SaTurday & Sunday 11am-5pm family & dog friendly! Join our wine club!

Taber ranch Vineyard & eVenT cenTer • info@Taberranch.com 530.665.3691 • 16628 counTy rd 81 capay, ca 95607 • www.Taberranch.com 28

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Follow Placer trail to Loomis Casque finds niche at Flower Farm An early-afternoon drive on the

Placer Wine Trail took us along twisty twolane blacktops, past thick woods and fallow fields, grazing sheep and faded-wood barns.

The trail meanders through rural Auburn, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Loomis, Newcastle, Rocklin and Meadow Vista, delivering the curious to 20-some winery tasting rooms.

The newest, Dora Dain Wines, is anticipated to open soon. Download a map at www.placerwine.com.

We pulled into the 10-acre Flower Farm in Loomis, a shady oasis with a grapevinecovered trellis shading a bocce ball court that’s presided over by a near-life-size plastic cow. It’s a citrus farm and plant nursery, with a popular café and a tin-sided gift shop that’s really a mini-barn. (Anyone for a bottle of “goat milk lotion”?)

Flower Farm is also home to the Casque Wines tasting room, where part of one wall is crowded with awards from wide-ranging competitions.

Owner-winemaker Kevin Stevenson and assistant winemaker Tim Weyrich have mastered the art of blending varietals into a portfolio of reds and whites.

“Over the last four years, we’ve expanded from 2,200 cases a year to about 5,000,” Stevenson said. “We’ve grown organically by word of mouth. We’ve been getting some really nice scores in (wine industry) magazines, so the wines tend to sell themselves. Our rose is gone two weeks after we release it in the spring.”

Casque bottles 14 to 16 Rhone-style wines a year, many of them blends made from three to five varietals. For instance, its complex Calotte Blanc mingles marsanne, viognier, grenache blanc, roussane and picpoul blanc (90 points from the Wine Enthusiast). The red version of Calotte is a GSM, a blend of the classic Rhone varietals grenache, syrah and mourvedre (91 points).

All of Casque’s fruit is sourced from 10 to 12 different vineyards in the Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area).

A flight of eight to 10 tastes is $5, waived with the purchase of a bottle.

The Casque tasting room is at 9280 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis, 916-6522250, www.casquewines.com

By Allen Pierleoni

Upcoming EvEnts: Saddle up for the Auburn Wine, Ale and Food Festival, oct. 12-13. Details and tickets at www.auburnwinefestival.com.

Practice for it at the Big Crush Harvest Festival, oct. 5-6, by dropping by any of the 42 wineries in Amador Wine Country.

Download a map and get details at

This column is produced by N&R Publications, a division of News & Review separate from SN&R Editorial.

For more information, visit www.nrpubs.com

’19 2017 - 2019

VOTED #1 TO SIP WINE 3 YEARS IN A ROW!

u o y e ar l a c o al

? t s i t r a Do you dream of covering the city in artwork? Well, we’ve got a box-shaped canvas you can start with.

If you’re a local artist interested in painting one of SN&R’s newspaper racks, reach out to Greg Erwin at GREGE@NEwSREvIEw.com ttER

fGRAymA

ARto ARtISt: @

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P

gaRdeN

place

a beautiful garden, a big sale Davis recognizes an asset, Sacramento garden clubs join forces

grow

by Debbie Arrington Huei’s Garden in Davis will host a tour Oct. 19.

her own property. An expert in feng shui, she has earned an international reputation while raising funds for several local charities. Her zen-inspired garden features waterfalls, fountains and pools as well as timeless beauty.

your business with our new place section to advertise, call us at 916.498.1234

For voting us the Best vegan Burger

in Sacramento

2301 K Street 30

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Twice a year, Sacramento’s garden and crafts clubs come together for a big sale and showcase at their official home, the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park.

The proceeds not only benefit the individual clubs, but help keep the center’s doors open.

The annual fall sale and celebration on Saturday and Sunday will feature plants from dozens of clubs, including California natives, cymbidium orchids, bearded irises, African violets and bamboo, according to center director Kathy Norton. This inventory was all nurtured by clubs that regularly use the center for their meetings and other activities. Members of the Sacramento Floral Design Guild will create flower arrangements for sale.

Get a jump on holiday shopping, too. Local artisans will offer handmade jewelry, clothing, crafts, garden art and more. Also, find photos, antiques, used books and other interesting items while also meeting club members. Looking for a hobby? This is a great place to start. □ Photo by Debbie Arrington

thank you

BiG sale tHis weekend

Huei’s Garden now has new status along the city bike path in Davis. It’s officially a beautiful asset to its community—something Huei Young has been working toward for decades.

“The City of Davis realizes how pretty the garden is and they want to keep it that way, so they made a special fund to maintain this garden,” Young said. “It has been hard work for almost 40 years. My wish has come true.”

Donations are now being accepted for the upkeep of “Huei’s City Garden”—the landscaping strip along the bike path—via the city of Davis webpage (cityofdavis.org). Contributors can also go to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation (ssl. charityweb.net/sacregcf), look for the link for donations to “YCF Davis Recreation & Community Services (RCS) Program Fund,” then make a notation that the gift is for “Huei’s City Garden.” Checks event details also are accepted.

Fall garden sale The extra funding will help keep the many 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, flowering shrubs and perennials under the massive Shepard Garden and arts center, redwoods mulched, pruned and fertilized.

3330 McKinley Blvd.

To help kick off the new fund, Young is hosting admission and parking are free. a tour of her private garden as well as the adjoining Details: sgaac.org city garden at 10 a.m. Oct. 19, Young’s birthday.

The two-hour tour ($25) includes light refreshments as well as her enthusiastic advice. To reserve a spot, email her at hueis.garden@yahoo.com.

Debbie Arrington, an award-winning garden writer and lifelong A longtime Davis resident, Young planted and gardener, is co-creator of the Sacramento Digs gardening blog cared for the strip garden by herself in addition to and website.

home

Shavonda Gardner of SG Style used black paint to add drama to her own Sacramento bungalow.

Lisa and Gary ashLey of Create + Gather/Courtesy sGstyLe

Black makes big, bold impact Sacramento designer shares tips on going dark In her own home, Shavonda

Gardner is not afraid to paint it black.

Rich, deep, true black (not dark gray) covers walls, doors, even a bedroom ceiling in her Arden Arcade bungalow. Black creates instant drama and impact, making other details pop.

“Give me all the black!” said the Sacramento interior designer. “I’m the queen of dark and moody. My favorite color is purple, but I can’t get enough black.”

Gardner liberally uses black in her design work.

“The biggest challenge is people’s misconception about what black does to a space,” she said. “They think it’s going to look like a dungeon or cave or be

depressing or make the room look small.

But that’s not the case at all. By going darker, you make the space feel very lux, cozy and warm. It’s a completely different experience. It feels rich.”

Gardner is best known for her blog, SG Style (www.sgstyleblog.com). As a social media influencer, she’s among the winners in SN&R’s Best of Sacramento issue.

The biggest influence on her design style? “For sure, travel,” she said. “I’m really inspired by the way other people live.

I’m super inspired by British design; they just kill it. Their style is so bold, unabashed.

They have the confidence to design for themselves, not what’s trendy or ‘in.’ I also like Turkey and Morocco.”

This month, she’s also featured in the 2019 Real Simple Home design house in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Gardner painted the home office black with a stunning floral wallpaper ceiling.

“That’s one of my top tips: Don’t forget the ceiling,” she said. “It’s a fifth wall and an amazing opportunity to make an impact in any space. You can paint it with an accent color, use wallpaper or carry your wall color up. It completely changes the space.”

Her No. 1 tip: “Before you start any design project, design for your heart,” she said. “Think about what you want to feel.

It’s your home; it’s not about what other people think about it. Make it yours.”

by Debbie Arrington

This column is produced by N&R Publications, a division of News & Review separate from SN&R Editorial.

For more information, visit www.nrpubs.com

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foR the week of octobeR 03

by maxfield morris

Now is that a giant pumpkin or what? … It’s actually two normal sized ones, but the festival will have big ones.

POst eveNts ONliNe FOR FRee at

www.newsreview.com/sacramento

MUSIC THURSDAY, 10/3 tHe alCHeMY tOUR NGHtMRe + slaNDeR, seveN liONs, tHe GlitCH MOB: Spend some time in the company of various electronic dance music makers, including DJs, DJ duos, individual DJs and more—namely Nghtmre, whose name only includes silent vowels— plus Seven Lions, Slander and more. 5pm, $55. Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd.

all tHat ReMaiNs: These Springfieldians are from Massachusetts, but their musical taste is from the genre of heavy metal. 5pm, $28. Ace of Spades, 1417 R St.

CHaRlY Bliss: Poppy sounds and music from PHOTO COURTESY OF JASMINE CORO

5 0 GH tHROU 06

HUUN HUUR tU tUvaN tHROat siNGeRs: Throat singing is back on the menu. Join these performers as they put their voices to the test and make some unique music with their throats. 7:30pm (also Friday), $12-$38. Harris Center, 10 College Parkway, Folsom.

JON MClaUGHliN W/saWYeR at HaRlOW’s: Jon McLaughlin is touring on his Me and My Piano tour, so he and his piano will be performing with Sawyer. 7pm, $20$50. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

Giant Pumpkin Festival

FRIDAY, 10/4

Elk GrovE Park, 10am, no covEr Fall is here in a big way—a very big way.

The way that it’s here is also gourdy and unsettlingly large: It’s the Giant Pumpkin Festival. Prolific producers Festivals of rotund produce arrive in droves to have their pumpkins weighed in hopes of taking home top honors. Come check out the big fellas this weekend, along with a host of other activities. There’s a

the foursome of non-golf performers.

They’re originally from Brooklyn and add some power to the pop sounds. 7pm, $13. Holy Diver, 1517 21st St.

DOMO WilsON: The singer-songwriter who

pumpkin pie eating contest, a scarecrow contest, lots of live entertainment and more.

Plus, Sunday is also the day of the Pumpkin Regatta, where human adults board and paddle pumpkins as if they were watercraft.

Last year’s heaviest pumpkin was more than 2,000 pounds—what will this year’s be? 9950 Elk Grove Florin Road, yourcsd.com/392/ElkGrove-Giant-Pumpkin-Festival.

dabbles in hip-hop and who built a career from the ground up utilizing only talent and the elaborate network of social media and who can only be introduced in a run-on sentence and whose name is Domo Wilson is coming to perform. 7pm, $15-$75. Holy Diver, 1517 21st St.

GRieves- MR. NiCe GUY tOUR | saCRaMeNtO, Ca at tHe staRlet ROOM: The hip-hop artist who has hip-hopped all over the country is performing on his Mr. Nice Guy tour. 8pm, $15-$17. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

tHe MiCHael RaY BaND: Music very well may be

tiCKet WiNDOW HObO JOHNSON & THE LOVEMAkERS These hometown

hobos are doing a two-day stint at Ace of Spades, which means it’s time for you to grab a ticket or two for yourself and your cool uncle. 11/29 and 11/30, 8pm, $29.50, on sale now. Ace of Spades, concerts1. livenation.com.

DOUg bENSON Doug Benson of

Doug Loves Movies fame is coming to Sacramento to perform some comedy, and also to record Doug Loves Movies.

Catch him or the podcast, or both.

10/31 and 11/1, various times, $20-$37.50, on sale now. Punch Line Sacramento,

punchlinecomedyclub.com.

MIRANDA LAMbERT The country musician is on tour, and that means

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the universal language, but some people are more fluent than others! Join some musical native speakers from the Michael Ray Band, including Andre Fylling, Joe Lev, Ratatat Pat and Matthew Hevesh. 9pm, $8. Torch Club, 904 15th St.

Tickets are different than fruit.

there’s a Sacramento stop in her future. She’ll be joined by Cody Johnson and LANCO. 2/29, 7pm,

$35.75-$90.75, on sale 10/4 at 10am.

Golden 1 Center, ticketmaster.com

bILLIE EILISH The musical artist behind “Bad Guy” and probably some other songs is coming to Sacramento next year, so line up and get some tickets ASAP, which is this Friday if you don’t have access to any presale tickets. 4/8,

7:30pm, $39.50-$149.50, on sale 10/4 at noon.

Golden 1 Center, ticketmaster. com.

Bury my friend, Billie.

gREEN DDAY That’s

right, Green Day is back on tour, and they’re bringing some support that you may have heard of: Weezer and Fall Out Boy, plus the Interrupters.

7/21, 6:30pm, $29.50-$199.50, on sale now.

Oracle Park, San Francisco, livenation. concerts. com.

tOtal ReCall: Total Recall is a Sacramentobased ’90s alternative cover band ready to entertain fans of bands such as Weezer, Foo Fighters, Third Eye Blind, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Oasis, Blink 182 and many more. 10pm, $0-$5. Highwater, 1910 Q St.

tRavis MeaDOWs: The Nashville country artist has a history and a story as deep as an ocean and as long as a racetrack. From coping with addiction to dealing with family issues, Meadows lays it all bare. 7:30pm, $15. Goldfield Trading Post, 1630 J St.

UNCHaRteD PReseNts liviNG ROOM viBes: Get some living room experiences in a place as far from your living room as can be: Arden Fair mall. A Tribe Quartet will be performing. 6pm, no cover. Arden Fair, 1689 Arden Way.

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

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.

SATURDAY, 10/5 aRt-JaZZ-POetRY: Do you want to spend some time with artwork, jazzwork and poemwork? There’s only one place to get all three, and it’s this evening at the Arts Center. 5pm, $20. Sacramento Fine Arts Center, 5330 Gibbons Drive, Suite B, Carmichael.

HeaRtless-a tRiBUte tO HeaRt at HaRlOW’s: Heartless comes to Harlow’s below the Starlet Room to start a smart Heart tribute show. Get the Heart tribute you know you deserve. 5:30pm, $12-$15. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

staRset: Dustin Bates’ musical excursion ventures into the world of rocking, rolling music from Columbus. 6pm, $25. Ace of Spades, 1417 R St.

SUNDAY, 10/6 Nat BROWN GROOviN’ WitH sMOOtH: Nat Brown gives some musical performance via voice and saxophone. There are some songs you know from other artists and some original ones to boot. 3pm, $15-$20. Harris Center, 10 College Parkway, Folsom.

ROBeRt eaRl KeeN: This Houston performer and singer-songwriter is coming to Crest Theatre for some musical stylings. 7:30pm, $35-$45. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

tRasHCaN siNatRas-ONe NiGHt, tWO alBUMs: Spend some time with the Trashcan Sinatras as they play a night of two musical albums. 5:30pm, $25-$30. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

MONDAY, 10/7 lOCal $5 sHOWCase: Join Dajon, Mac Zay, Kris Woods, ZU and T30 for a $5 local musician showcase. 6:30pm, $5. Holy Diver, 1517 21st St.

FESTIVALS FRIDAY, 10/4 5000 Watts: Join 5000 Watts for a festival of science, technology, engineering, arts and math. There will be two nights of high-wired fun and artistic endeavors, all benefiting the education of underrepresented youth. 6:30pm (also saturday), $25$100. Drake’s: The Barn, 985 Riverfront Street, West Sacramento.

ClassY HiPPY tea FiRst FRiDaY NiGHt MaRKet aND lOUNGe sessiON: Have a bit of fun in Oak Park with Classic Hippie Tea Co. There are vegan vendors, vegan art from vegan artists, plus live music from vegan instruments. 5pm, no cover. Classy Hippie Tea Co., 3226 Broadway.

Fall Fest 2019-BeNeFitiNG PCa saCRaMeNtO: Fall is here, and so are the festivals that celebrate the sights and flavors of different fall-themed drinks. There are plenty of brewers and drinks for you to taste and consume responsibly. 6pm, $35-$55. The Park, 1116 15th St.

NORCal NOiseFest 23: Noisefest is back in town and requests your presence for three days of musical experimentation. There are

Saturday, 10/5

Cream of the Crypt Sacramento HiStoric city cemetery, 10am, no cover

Are pumpkins not enough to frighten you into the spirit of the season? Perhaps a literal burial ground is more your speed.

Join some docents from MuseuMs the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery as they walk you through their favorite tales of woe and wild happenings contained within the grounds of the cemetery. It’s free, and you may just learn a little bit about the city’s history—unless you’re not paying attention for some reason. 1000 Broadway, historicoldcitycemetery.com.

performers from all over the world—yes, that world—and plenty from the country as well. All tickets include earplugs. 7pm, $15$50. Cafe Colonial, 3520 Stockton Blvd.

sACRAMeNTO BeeR FesT: These Realtors aren’t just selling you houses, they’re also selling tickets to this beer fest. Having trouble telling apart the Sacramento Beer Fest, Sacramento Beer Festival, Capitol Beer Fest and the California Brewer’s Festival?

So am I. 6pm, $40-$50. Women’s Council of Realtors Sacramento, 2003 Howe Ave.

sACRAMeNTO GeM FAIRe: The Gem Faire is back in town. Time moves pretty fast, and the jewelry, crystals and gems are moving just as quickly back into the Scottish Rite Center. Talk to plenty of vendors, plenty of manufacturers and plenty of minerals. Noon, $7. Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 6151 H St.

sACRAMeNTO INTeRNATIONAL HORse sHOW: Want to see some horses? Want the horses to be performing at an international horse show?

Want there to be 13 outdoor arenas? Look not much further than this show in Rancho Murieta. 6pm, $10-$20. Murieta Equestrian Center, 7200 Lone Pine Drive, Rancho Murieta.

Saturday, 10/5 BeLLA VIsTA ARTs AND CRAFTs FAIR: Bella Vista High School is known for its Katies and Brynns, but it’s also known for its Arts and Crafts Fair, a staple of the community since 1983. Grab some crafts and foods from more than 200 vendors. 8pm, no cover. Bella Vista High School, Fair Oaks.

GIANT PuMPKIN FesTIVAL: Want to see what the big deal is with these pumpkins? It’s that they’re very big. If you want to experience that first-hand, show up and see the pumpkins that are measured in fractions of cars’ weights. There are all kinds of gourd activities for you to choose from. 10pm, no cover. Elk Grove Regional Park, 9950 Elk Grove Florin Road, Elk Grove.

suPeRVIsOR PATRICK KeNNeDY’s 3RD ANNuAL FuN FAIR!: When you were a kid, did you ever imagine you’d end up at Supervisor Patrick Kennedy’s 3rd Annual Fun Fair? Potentially not. Anyway, here it is, featuring free health screenings, dental screenings and more. 11pm, no cover. Southgate Plaza, 4242 Florin Road.

FOOd & drINK Saturday, 10/5 FesTIVAL OF FLAVORs: The Festival of Flavors is in full swing, and that means tongues are going to be tasting beer, wine, food and music. Show up and partake of the festival’s offerings. 6pm, $45-$60. Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St.

MONday, 10/7 ORGANIC FARM sTAND: Join Lucero Organic Farms and catch some Galt produce, fresh from the field. 1pm, no cover. Lucero Organic Farms, 12561 Hauschildt Rd., Galt.

FILM tHurSday, 10/3 MeRATA HOW MuM DeCOLONIZeD THe sCReeN: Head to the Crocker to celebrate the work of late New Zealand filmmaker Merata Mita. 6:30pm, $8-$16. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St.

“A PLACe CALLeD sACRAMeNTO” FILM ReTROsPeCTIVe AND YOuTH “MY NeIGHBORHOOD” sHOWCAse: See some of the hall of famers from A Place Called Sacramento, plus some youth entrants in the world of Sacramento filmmaking. 7pm, $11. Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

WEdNESday, 10/9 HITCHCOCKTOBeR: Celebrate Hitchcocktober at the Tower Theatre the only way you know how: by watching movies. This week is North

By Northwest. 7pm, $10.50. The Tower Theatre, 2508 Land Park Drive.

COMEdy ACe OF sPADes: Scotty Sire with Toddy Smith feat. Bruce Wiegner & Chris Bloom. A verified, veritable, full-fledged member of David Dobrik’s Vlog Squad is coming to town to perform. Plus, there’s Toddy Smith, Bruce Wiegner and Chris Bloom. Friday 10/4, 7pm. $25. 1417 R St.

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SEE MORE EVENTS AND SUBMIT YOUR OWN AT NEwSREvIEw.COM/SACRAMENTO/CALENDAR

THROUGH 11/2

THE WILKERSON THEATER: As Is by William M. Hoffman. Catch the William M. Hoffman work about a broken-up couple living and working in New York in the onset of the AIDS crisis. Through 10/12. $18-$20. 2509 R St.

Heartstoppers Haunt the mine ShaFt, 7pm, $25-$90

ART BEATNIK STUDIOS: Goofed Up by Edwin Forrest.

So it’s become clear that historical scares simply don’t do it for you; you need ON STAGE simulated horror stimulation to get your adrenaline kick.

That’s fine, no judgment PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIUS DROST here—just head on down to Heartstoppers Haunted House in the Mine Shaft. They’ve got all the manufactured terror you could want in four distinct haunts: Deadlands, The Ward, 3D Underland and Murk. Each of them have distinct storylines and are populated by dedicated haunters on Fridays and Saturdays.

2300 Mine Shaft Lane, Rancho Cordova, heartstoppershaunt.com.

Catch Edwin Forrest’s solo exhibition of painting. With a career as a stone mason behind him, Forrest carves canvases instead. 6pm. Through 10/4. No cover. 723 S St.

MUSEUMS CALIFORNIA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM: Work of Giants Lecture. Join Russell Low for a discussion of his family’s story and their intertwined relationship with the American West. Specifically, talking about Low’s family working on the transcontinental railroad and the massive effects it had on their lives. 6pm. Through 10/4. No cover. 111 I St.

CALIFORNIA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM: Delightful

Scream Queens Gorelesque is putting on a Halloween candy-themed show, with countless variety performers putting on drag, comedy and more. There are all manner of performers and plenty of wax play, so show on up. Saturday 10/5, 7:30pm. $20-$25. 2791 24th St.

CALENDAR LISTINGS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

FAIR OAKS VETERANS MEMORIAL AMPHITHEATRE: Comedy Under the Stars. Start laughing and laughing under the stars—which you are all the time, technically, but it’s at night.

Tom McClain is the comedian of record and will be performing. Friday 10/4, 8pm. $15. Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre, 7991 California Ave., Fair Oaks.

ART COURT THEATRE, SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. This story of a teenager with a penchant for mathematics and a mystery on his hands comes to Art Court Theatre at Sac City College. Through 10/20. $18. 3833 Freeport Blvd.

FLAMINGO HOUSE SOCIAL CLUB: Bobby’s World Comedy Show. Robert Omoto is rolling back the formalities and adding a nickname to the comedy show. Plus, Kabir Singh and Stephan Sanders are also comedicizing. Thursday 10/3, 7pm. 2315 K St.

B STREET THEATRE: Mozart in Motion. Spend a little time in the company of Mozart—and some choreographers who worked to choreograph some dance to his music. We’re talking Jodie Gates, Amy Seiwert and Darrell Grand Moultrie. It’s Sac Ballet vs. Mozart— see who comes out on top. Through 10/6. $60. 2700 Capitol Ave.

LAUGHS UNLIMITED COMEDY CLUB: The Big Battle Spoken Word Competition!. Want to watch some spoken word performances, but wish there was an element of competition? Lance Wood hosts this evening that has you covered. Thursday 10/3, 8pm. $10. 1207 Front St.

HARRIS CENTER: Russian Ballet Theatre presents Swan Lake. Remember Tchaikovsky?

Remember Swan Lake? Well, you’re 90% of the way toward being an attendee of this showing of the Russian Ballet Theatre’s performance of Swan Lake. Through 10/3. $56-$82. 10 College Parkway, Folsom.

PUNCH LINE: Josh Blue. He got his start when he was born in 1978—then he got another start in 2006 after appearing in and being voted Last Comic Standing—we’re talking Josh Blue, folks. Through 10/5. $25. 2100 Arden Way, Ste 225.

STAB! COMEDY THEATER: Dregs of Craigs. I’m fresh off a terrible experience on Craigslist, so even I may show up at this STAB! show about the weirdest, funniest, most bizarre parts of Craigslist. It’s a podcast, also. Saturday 10/5, 7pm. $5. 1710 Broadway.

SACRAMENTO COMEDY SPOT: Sacramento Comedy Festival. Want to hear some comedy at an actual, factual comedic festival? Check it out, then, and enjoy the various groups of comedians, be they improv, sketch or other-based performers. Through 10/6. $15$45. 1050 20th St., Suite 130.

HARRIS CENTER: Panto Company USA’s Rumpelstiltskin. Get the story of Rumpelstiltskin from the Panto Company USA. There’s lots of music, costumes, puppets and more. Through 10/5. $11.50-$18. 10 College Parkway, Folsom.

SACRAMENTO THEATRE COMPANT: Northanger Abbey. STC premieres this adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel of the same name, the first novel Austen ever wrote but that wasn’t published until after her death. 7pm,

8pm, 2pm, 2pm, 7pm. Through 10/27. $30$40. 1419 H St.

THE MINESHAFT PROPERTY: Heartstoppers

ON STAGE 24TH STREET THEATRE: Halloween Candy presented by Scream Queens Gorelesque. The

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Haunted House. Head on down to the Mineshaft in Rancho Cordova to get scared out of your wits with the Heartstoppers. Through 11/2. $25-$40. 2300 Mine Shaft Lane, Rancho Cordova.

Not Frightful “Spookomotive” Train Rides To Treat Passengers All Four Weekends in October. These train rides aren’t really frightening. Instead, they’re good fun and engaging rides in Old Sacramento. Get on the Halloween-themed vehicles in costume and celebrate the season. 11am. Through 10/27. $19-$20. 111 I St.

POWERHOUSE SCIENCE CENTER: Family Workshop Dissection Discovery. Join the Powerhouse Science Center for a cow eye dissection, and learn about eyes in the process. 9:30am. Through 10/5. $25. 3615 Auburn Blvd.

SACRAMENTO HISTORIC CITY CEMETERY: Cream of the Crypt. The tour guides of the cemetery share their spookiest stories with the more easily affected audience

in town—you! 10am. Through 10/5. No cover. 1000 Broadway.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS FRIDAY, 10/4 STAGECOACH TRAIL HIKE: Walk and hike strenuously with Ami Stroud along Stage Coach Trail. It’s 3 miles and at the confluence of two forks of a famous river around these parts. 1:30pm, $5$10. American River Conservancy, 348 State Highway 49, Coloma.

SATURDAY, 10/5 BATTLE OF THE BADGES, “CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT NIGHT!”: Badged folks fight against other badged folks in this night that pits security officers against other security officers in boxing matches. 6:30pm, $30-$50. Ali Youssefi Square, 701 K St.

TOUR D’ARCHITECTURE BIKE RIDE (2019 EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURE): Want to go on a bike ride on public streets and see various architectural landmarks of Sacramento?

What if you got to meet architects and builders along the way, and you got to sign a liability waiver? Then this is your day. 10am, $20. Various locations.

WWE HELL IN A CELL: Catch some wrestling title matches as WWE comes to the Golden 1 Center. 3:30pm, $40-$565. Golden 1 Center, 500 David J Stern Walk.

TAKE ACTION SATURDAY, 10/5 GREATER SACRAMENTO WALK TO DEFEAT ALS: Walk with the ALS Association of Greater Sacramento in order to help defeat the terrible disease. 9pm, no cover. Raley Field, 400 Ballpark Drive, West Sacramento.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WALK OF HOPE: Support RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association at this walk at Capitol Park. 9pm, no cover. California State Capitol, 1315 10th Street, South Steps.

URBAN COW HALF MARATHON, TWO PERSON RELAY, 5K & HALF CALF KIDS’ RACES: There aren’t a lot of urban cows living in Sacramento, but you can be one this weekend at a half marathon or a 5K or a two-person relay. 8am, $25-$85. William Land Park.

Freeport Blvd. & Sutterville Rd.

SUNDAY, 10/6 RIDE THE PARKWAY: Go bike along the American River Parkway with some other cyclists as you all pedal to your hearts’ content.

After the ride, you’ll have some barbecue and beer in the park, and the whole shindig benefits the American River Parkway Foundation. 7am, $80. William B Pond Recreation Area, Carmichael.

MONDAY, 10/7

Kids & Teens in the Kitchen: Chicken Enchiladas Sacramento natural FoodS co-op, 4:30pm, $25

Even after the previous event highlights, you’re still hungry for seasonal terror? OK, there’s one more thing you can CLASSES try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you: Send your kid or teen to learn to cook chicken enchiladas with the Sacramento CoOp. They’ll get hands-on experience cooking, and you’ll be faced with the realization that they won’t be young forever, that the ravages of time and the kitchen spare no one, not even your spawn. Bwuahaha! 2820 R St., sacfood.coop.

CLASSES THURSDAY, 10/3 JAAC 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPEAKER MIA YAMAMOTO: Join speaker Mia Yamamoto, a civil rights attorney and activist, for a discussion about her work at the intersection of race and gender identity. 2pm, no cover. Sacramento State, 6000 J St.

FRIDAY, 10/4 COMPOSTING WITH WORMS: Get yourself down to the “worm convention” and learn about setting up your own worm bin and more worm-related things. 1pm, no cover. ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive.

View+Think+SolVe! Art Exhibit and Community Event in Sacramento View+Think+Solve! is a project that aims to create a place where artists, non-profit advocates, and the community at large can come together and converge over art and issues local to Sacramento Metro Area. We believe that with the help of advocates, artists, and community supporters like yourself we can bring awareness and resources to problems local to Sacramento area.

ocTober 11Th: Event Opening 6pm-9pm ocTober 12Th: Exhibition 12pm-6pm Event 6pm-9pm ocTober 13Th: Public Exhibition 12pm-6pm rSVP here

T h e AT r i u m 9 1 6 - S u STA i n A b l e A rT

7300 Folsom blvd Sacramento CA 95626

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THURSDAY 10/3 ArmAdillo music

207 F ST., DAvIS, (530) 758-8058

BAdlAnds

Poprockz 90s Night, 9pm, no cover

2003 k ST., (916) 448-8790

BAr 101

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

FRIDAY 10/4

SATURDAY 10/5

SUNDAY 10/6

Niantic, 8pm, no cover

Justin Tuell, 8pm, no cover

RAQIA, 2pm, no cover

Fierce Fridays, 7pm, call for cover

Spectacular Saturdays, 6pm, call for cover

B.P.M. & Sunday Funday Remixed, 4pm, call for cover

Live Music, 9:30pm, no cover

Live Music, 9:30pm, no cover

Blue lAmp

The Seafloor Cinema, Saint Juniper, Predisposed and more, 7pm, $8

Alterbeast, Cognitive, Micawber, Warforged and more, 7pm, $10

cApiTol GArAGe

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

Maz Jobrani, 7:30pm, $35-$96.50

“A Place Called Sacramento” Film Festival, 7pm, $16

Robert Earl Keen and Waylon Payne, 7:30pm, $35-$45

The Mighty Zep, 7:30pm, T, $37-$57

Absolut Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

Sequin Saturdays, 9:30pm, call for cover

Funday Frolic, 3pm, no cover

Every Damn Monday, 8pm, M, no cover

Kent & Cavileer, 6pm, call for cover

Jacks Band, 8pm, call for cover

The Nickle Slots, 8pm, call for cover

Irish Jam Session with Stepping Stone, 8pm, no cover

Sacto Storytellers and Yogoman & Bongo Jac, 9pm, $10

Fully Covered, 9pm, $5

Travis Meadows, 7:30pm, $15

Mark Mackay and Dustin Burke, 7:30pm, $10-$12

1500 k ST., (916) 444-3633

cresT TheATre

A Place Called Sacramento Film Retrospective and Youth, 7pm, $11

1013 k ST., (916) 476-3356

FAces

7:30pm Thursday, $15 Goldfield Trading Post Gypsy punk

Trivia, 6:30pm, M, no cover; Open-Mic, 7:30pm, W, no cover

The BoArdwAlk

9426 GREENbAck lN., ORANGEvAlE, (916) 358-9116

Diego’s Umbrella

2000 k ST., (916) 448-7798

FATher pAddY’s irish puBlic house 435 MAIN ST., WOODlAND, (530) 668-1044

Fox & Goose

1001 R ST., (916) 443-8825

Sworn In, Distinguisher, Avoid, Kind Eyes and more, 7pm, M, $12

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

Golden 1 cenTer

WWE Hell In A Cell, 3:30pm, $50-$565

500 DAvID J STERN WAlk, (888) 915-4647

GoldField TrAdinG posT

Diego’s Umbrella, 7:30pm, $15

1630 J ST., (916) 476-5076

hAlFTime BAr & Grill

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

5681 lONETREE blvD., ROcklIN, (916) 626-3600

hArlow’s

Jon McLaughlin and Sawyer, 8pm, $20-$50

2708 J ST., (916) 441-4693

Heartless, 6:30pm, $12-$15; Rituals of Mine and the Seshen, 10pm, $12-$15

The Trashcan Sinatras, 6:30pm, $25-$30

hideAwAY BAr & Grill PHOTO cOURTESY OF REPUblIc cOUNTRY clUb

Trapicana, 10pm, W, no cover

Cherubs, Low Dose, Shadow Limb and NMTA, 8pm, $10-$15

1400 AlHAMbRA blvD., (916) 455-3400

PHOTO cOURTESY OF DIEGO’S UMbREllA

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 10/7-9

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

2565 FRANklIN blvD., (916) 455-1331

Robert Earl Keen

hiGhwATer

with Waylon Payne 7:30pm Sunday, $35-$45 Crest Theatre Americana

holY diVer

Charly Bliss, Blushh and the Countermen, 7pm, $13

kupros

Live Music with Joshua Haines, 7pm, no cover

1910 Q ST., (916) 706-2465 1517 21ST ST.

1217 21ST ST., (916) 440-0401

Total Recall, 9pm, $5

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

Domo Wilson and Yanaa, 7pm, $15-$75

Sage Francis, Kasket Cult and Just Is, 7pm, $24

Trivia Factory, 7pm, M, call for cover; Geeks Who Drink, 7pm, T, call for cover ‘68, the Inspector Cluzo, the Messenger Birds and more, 6pm, $13

Futuristic, Ray Vans, Scribe Cash, Ekoh and more, 7pm, T, $17

Triviology 101, 7:30pm, no cover

Live Music with Kyle Rowland, 5pm, T, no cover

GET MORE EYES ON YOUR SHOW OR EVENT

SN&R’S ONLINE CALENDAR

cal

en

da

r

a c b nt! it eve

subm

voted sacramento’s

best dance club 2017/2018

WeDnesDays

college night dance party $3-$5 drink specials 18 & over

thursDays

salsa or west coast swing lessons and dance

live MuSic 10/5

unleashed

FriDays

free country dance lessons at 7pm • $3 Jack 8-9

10/11 todd morgan

saturDays

free dance lessons at 7pm $3 tullamore dew 8-9 Log onto www.newsreview.com and visit the calendar section to add your next event, show, fundraiser or exhibit. You’ll have access to nearly 200,000 viewers!

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sunDays trivia at 7:30, dance lessons at 9 18 & over (prizes)

Karaoke nightly Wed- sunday 9pm

$10 ribeye thursdays 6pm $10 prime rib dinner fridays 6pm $10 filet mignon dinner saturdays 6pm Until they rUn oUt…

1320 Del paso blvD in olD north sac

2 steps from downtown | 916.402.2407 stoneyinn.com for nightly drink specials & events

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10/12 bongo furys

10/19

garage openers

101 Main Street, roSeville 916-774-0505 · lunch/dinner 7 days a week fri & sat 9:30pm - close 21+

/bar101roseville

Eat. Drink.

Be Merry. Repeat.

1217 21st St • 916.440.0401 www.KuprosCrafthouse.com

Submit youR calendaR liStingS FoR FRee at newSReview.com/SacRamento/calendaR THursdAy 10/3 Luna’s Cafe & JuiCe Bar 1414 16TH sT., (916) 441-3931

fridAy 10/4

sATurdAy 10/5

sundAy 10/6

MOndAy-wednesdAy 10/7-9 Nebraska Mondays, 7:30pm, M, $10; Jazz Jam w/ Byron Colburn, 8pm, W, $5

Poetry Unplugged, 8pm, $2

The sTarLeT room

Redlight King and the Deadbeat Cousins, 8:30pm, $10

Grieves, Mouse Powell and Don Cody, 9pm, $15-$55

Nacho Picasso and the Doppelgangaz, 7:30pm, $10-$12

oLd ironsides

Miss Lonely Blues, Foxy Blues and Beggars Canyon, 8pm, $5

The Tattooed Love Dogs, Danny Morris & Lipstick!, 9pm, $5 the California Stars and more, 8pm, $10

Live Music with Heath Williamson, 5:30pm, M, no cover

PaLms PLayhouse

Cris Williamson and Barbara Higbie, 7pm, $12-$23

Robbie Fulks, 8pm, $12-$23

2708 J sT., (916) 441-4693

1901 10TH sT., (916) 442-3504 13 MAin sT., winTers, (530) 795-1825

PLaCerviLLe PuBLiC house

414 MAin sT., PlAcerville, (530) 303-3792

Powerhouse PuB

614 suTTer sT., fOlsOM, (916) 355-8586

The Press CLuB

Michael Beck, 9:30pm, call for cover

Afternoon Contra Dance, 1:30pm, $8-$12

Mark Harrod, 8pm, call for cover

Frankie & the Defenders, 8pm, call for cover

Neon Playboys, 10pm, call for cover

Motley2, 10pm, call for cover

Shotgun Slim, 3pm, call for cover

Karaoke, 8:30pm, T, call for cover; 98 Rock Local Licks, 9pm, W, call for cover

Pop 40 Dance with DJ Larry, 9pm, $5

DJ Larry’s Sunday Night Dance Party, 9pm, no cover

High Fidelity: Bring Your Own Vinyl, 9pm, M, no cover

2030 P sT., (916) 444-7914

Oh, Lonesome Ana, Sun Blood Stores and Ghost Mesa, 8pm, $7-$10

The sofia

Mozart in Motion, 7:30pm, $65

Mozart in Motion, 7:30pm, $65

Mozart in Motion, 7:30pm, $65

Mozart in Motion, 2pm, $65

West Coast Swing Dancing, 7pm, no cover

Hot Country Fridays, 7:30pm, $5-$10

Stoney’s Saturdays with Free Line Dance Lessons, 7pm, $5

Sunday Funday, 9pm, no cover 21+

Nothin’ Personal, 6pm, $5

Mick Martin, noon, $10-$12

The Spazmatics, 2pm, $9-$11.50

2700 cAPiTOl Ave.,

sToney’s roCkin rodeo

1320 del PAsO Blvd., (916) 927-6023

swaBBies on The river

5871 GArden HiGHwAy, (916) 920-8088

The TorCh CLuB

Magic in the Other, 9pm, $7

Michael Ray Band, 9pm, $8

wiLdwood kiTChen & Bar

Jayson Angove, 7pm, call for cover

Dan Rau, 7pm, call for cover

904 15TH sT., (916) 443-2797 904 15TH sT., (916) 922-2858

You Front the Band, 8pm, call for cover Hans Eberbach, 7pm, call for cover

yoLo BrewinG Co.

Starset 7pm Saturday, $25 Ace of Spades Hard rock

Travis Alan and the Elder Creek Band, 8:30pm, T, call for cover

Ryan Hernandez, 11:30am, call for cover Free Yoga at Yolo, 11am, no cover

1520 TerMinAl sT., (916) 379-7585

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

PHOTO cOurTesy Of sTeve Gullick

Ttodd Trivia, 7pm, T, no cover

all ages, all the time aCe of sPades

All That Remains and Lacuna Coil, 6pm, $28

Cafe CoLoniaL

Open-Mic with Marty Taters, 7:30pm, call for cover

1417 r sT., (916) 930-0220 3520 sTOckTOn Blvd.

Scotty Sire, Toddy Smith, Bruce Wiegner and Chris Bloom, 8pm, $25

The CoLony

3512 sTOckTOn Blvd.

shine

1400 e sT., (916) 551-1400

The Shine Free Jazz Jam, 8pm, no cover

Alex Walker, Vinnie Guidera & the Dead Birds and ATM Machine, 8pm, $8

Starset, 7pm, $25

Delain and Amorphous, 7pm, T, $26

Norcal Noisefest, 2pm, $15

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regulated market, then I would suggest staying away from vape pens entirely.

How can consumers research vape companies?

Reach out to the company—call them, email them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If they’re proud of the way they’re producing, they won’t hide the information.

What is the endocannabinoid system and how does it work in our bodies?

PHOTO COURTESY OF OUTER ELEMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY

The science behind the high Educator and consultant Emma Chasen talks consumption, vaping scares and the therapeutic effects of cannabis

BY DANIELLE SIMONE BRAND

Emma Chasen, a cannabis educator and consultant, has been described as an overachiever, a label she proudly owns. After she graduated from Brown University in 2014, she worked at Brown’s Cancer Research Center on Food and Drug Administration pharmaceutical trials until the day her supervisor rejected a cannabis study.

“That,” she said, “is when I realized I wasn’t where I wanted to be.”

So Chasen moved to Portland and landed at Farma, a local dispensary, during the peak of legal adult use. Soon, she discovered that her background in science helped her effectively explain cannabis’ effects and benefits to patients and consumers. “I ended up falling in love with it,” she said.

She eventually stepped down as Farma’s general manager to pursue her own work in cannabis education

and now runs Portland-based Eminent Consulting with her business partner Matt Taylor. Together, they cover buyer and budtender education and business development. She has been featured in Newsweek and Forbes.

SN&R spoke with Chasen about the science behind cannabis consumption, the safety and health concerns that surround vaping and whether or not indica and sativa labels are accurate.

Until all facts are gathered, should consumers avoid vaping altogether?

Most of the health issues that have been reported in the media come from cartridges bought on the illicit market. There seems to be a lot of correlation with tocopherol

acetate, which is vitamin E oil, but really it’s just any oil that’s in there [that could be problematic]. Our lungs aren’t meant to remove those kinds of toxins. So what happens when you vaporize oil, is that the oil becomes vapor and then re-coagulates in your alveoli and prevents the exchange of gases. And that’s where you get these awful respiratory symptoms.

But there are other additives [even in some legal vape cartridges] like propylene glycol and even artificial terpenes that can turn into really awful substances when inhaled. So if you’re a person who avoids smoking because of lung issues, I would recommend using a dry vaporizer with flower instead.

If you do want to vaporize concentrate, then you need to conduct a fairly vigorous investigation of the company you’re going with. And if you don’t have access to the

The whole goal of the ECS is to achieve homeostasis or balance. I like to use the analogy of the oil to the Tin Man, where our body is a complex machine with so many different parts, running constantly. So, it’s gonna encounter some rusty kinks that make it gum up from time to time. There’s no organ associated with the ECS, but it acts as the oil to our body’s Tin Man. Essentially, it allows us to keep the engine of the body running smoothly.

Does the ECS regulate things like sleep and appetite?

Yes. It’s also linked to our endocrine system which in turn regulates circadian rhythms, stress, anxiety, depression—helping to modulate many different physiological processes.

How does cannabis affect the ECS?

Cannabis’ primary compounds we call phytocannabinoids—meaning cannabinoids derived from a plant—THC and CBD, being the most well-known of those.

Our body does make endogenous cannabinoids. However, there is a theory that says everyone may be operating at a deficit level of endogenous cannabinoids.

And so, by supplementing with phytocannabinoids, we can influence things like inflammation and the healing response.

“THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HIGH” CONTINUED ON PAGE 41

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If the indica/sativa classifications are breaking down, why do budtenders and dispensaries still use these terms?

Why do people feel a certain way one day when consuming cannabis and a different way the next, whether it’s the same product and dose?

This takes us into the zone of botanical medicine and the necessity to reframe how we think about health and wellness and Ultimately, it’s just a product of prohibimedical intervention … Let’s say you’re tion. The lack of education and information taking ibuprofen, it’s gonna deliver pretty sharing throughout prohibition has led to much the same experience each time, even this co-opting of language and this developif you take it on a different day, or if you ment of a prevalent culture in the cannabis eat something different, etc. community. And it’s hard to let But with any that go. I don’t think it will medicinal plant, there’s such fully be shed until we do high variability because adopt more widespread “Reach out to we have to look at the education that allows the company—call constantly changing us to talk about these physiological states. them, email them.

Don’t things in a more Your experience is nuanced way. be afraid to ask questions. dependent not only My primary If they’re proud of the way on the compounds concern is the fact in the matrix they’re producing, they won’t that budtenders are of what you’re using indica/sativa hide the information.” consuming—the dichotomies to cannabinoid and Emma Chasen predict an experience, terpene profile—but co-founder, Eminent Consulting and that doesn’t serve also how much you’ve consumers and patients. eaten that day, whether So what I try to find out you’ve consumed fat, how is how people are determining much water you’ve had, if you’re that something is an “indica.” Are they stressed, if you had a fight with your partlooking at Leafly, or are they considering ner, if you had a really good day at work. the chemical matrix of the flower?

Your mental/emotional/physical state will The only way to predict experience with influence your overall experience. And if a certain degree of scientific legitimacy is you’re consuming with people you know in to look at the chemical compounds in the a really cozy space, or with people you’re matrix—the major and minor cannabinoids, not comfortable with … that will all have as well as terpenes. So, if someone is influence. coming in and saying, “I want a heavy indica,” then the budtender should be asking, “What kind of experience are you looking for?”

People ask a lot about hemp vs. cannabis.

They don’t understand that hemp is just a subspecies of cannabis, that it’s an arbitrary distinction about THC levels that The bottom line to me is to investigate the distinguishes it as far as the government is quality of a company’s practices. If you’re concerned. buying flower, ask about the farm. Seek out I also get a lot of questions about what’s grown in living soil. whether CBD alone is effective, or whether If you’re looking at extracts or edibles, ask THC needs to be present. My philosophy about their extraction methodology. Are they is based around the entourage effect, which using full spectrum or isolate? says that the more compounds you can get Beyond product information, ask them in there, the more likely you’ll experience about dosing and titration of the dose. Ask the therapeutic effect. □ what the side effects are, if any. Ask about storage conditions. Really, ask them anything you can think of that will give you the best possible consumption experience.

What do people ask you about the most?

What questions should we be asking budtenders?

Follow Emma Chasen on Instagram @echasen.

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By Ngaio Bealum

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

Baking with CBD I run a cake business, and I am really interested in playing around with weed, but mainly [cannibidioil], in my bakes. I know how to make infused weed products, but I’m confused about CBD. What is the best way to cook with CBD, and what type should I be using?

Hello! CBD is excellent for edibles.

Quick refresher: CBD is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. It is a known anti-inflammatory, so it’s good for aches and pains, and it has also shown promise as an antidepressant.

We used to say that CBD is nonpsychoactive, but if that were true, it wouldn’t be a very good antidepressant, would it? CBD is psychoactive, but it doesn’t get you high like THC does. CBD is also relatively legal (Thanks Farm Bill!), meaning that the Drug Enforcement Administration won’t raid your bakery, but if you make health claims while trying to sell someone a slice of CBD-infused cake, the Food and Drug Administration may want to have a word with you.

As to your question: CBD is fat soluble, so you can infuse it into butter or oil in the same way you would infuse THC. If you don’t want spend hours waiting for your crock-pot to work its magic, or don’t know where to get pure CBD distillate, there are internet sites that will sell you a bottle of CBD-infused olive oil, no problem.

Use that for your cooking, and you should be good to go.

Quick note: while CBD will not show up on a drug test, some CBD oils (especially those labeled “full spectrum”) may contain trace amounts

of THC. By law, CBD hemp must contain less than 0.3% THC. And while that is a very small amount of THC, we mustn’t forget that THC stays in the body for a while, so even if there is only a small amount in every CBD pill you take, it can build up enough for you to test THC positive. It’s rare, but people have definitely been fired.

Stay woke.

I hear the feds may allow banks to accept money from weed businesses. Is this true?

It isn’t true yet. It is true that the House just passed the Secure And Fair Enforcement Banking Act, which would allow banks, credit unions and whatnot to accept money from legal canna-businesses. This is great for cannabis, mostly because clubs having to store stacks of cash in a dispensary is a robbery waiting to happen, but also because I can’t wait to use my credit card to buy weed. Seriously, frequent flier miles would take on a whole new meaning.

However, the bill still has to make it through the Senate (good luck getting Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to do anything that actually helps people) and also has to be signed by the president. Something tells me that the president probably has things other than cannabis on his mind right now, although I bet that if the bill allowed Russian banks to accept weed money, we would have it signed within a week. Ω

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Free will astrology

ask joey

by ROb bRezsny

For the week oF october 3, 2019 ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1956, the U.S.

boring bros

by JOey GARCIA

Sacramento seems saturated by ultra-mainstream bros or dudes destined for McMansions in Granite bay. that was my impression during a recent trip. Is it true? I’m asking because the company I work for has offered me a transfer to Sacramento, but I’m 26 years old and don’t want to get stuck in a dating desert. what are the real options here? Are there guys in Sacramento who have their s--t together and are sophisticated enough to have experienced the world?

You’re asking whether it’s worth moving here for the men. No, it isn’t.

Don’t move to Sacramento or any city, country or village with the expectation that you will find your soul mate.

Move here only if the opportunity your company offers will fulfill a career goal or push you above the glass ceiling.

Move if exploring another city for a few years sounds like fun. But don’t relocate to prove that your first impressions of the men are right or wrong. That’s not a good use of your life energy.

I love everything about my life except my marriage. For the last five years, my wife made me feel like all problems were my fault. out of nowhere she starts changing. everything is great. then I catch her having an affair. She’s begging me to forgive her and try again.

I’m torn because our kids don’t want us to get divorced. Advice, please!

Don’t let your children decide your destiny.

You didn’t mention their ages, but you can bet they wouldn’t want you to choose who they should love or leave. So let’s focus on you. Some people respond to betrayal by trying to control the partner who cheated: imposing rules, checking text messages and insisting on knowing their whereabouts 24/7. It’s painful to live in that head space.

So ask yourself: Do I love my life with my wife enough to forgive her and wipe the slate clean? A good therapist can help you process your thoughts and feelings.

Your kids may not understand now, but growing up within an unhealthy marriage has repercussions that can negatively impact their intimate relationships in the future, while seeing a parent act with integrity is priceless.

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@AskJoeyGarcia

why do separated guys get so clingy with girls they date? You would think they would want to get to know someone slowly since their marriage is breaking up. what can I do about a man getting attached too fast?

Understand how your behavior wounds the man you date. Your emotional detachment likely triggers him. His dying marriage represents an ending, no matter how he feels about the loss. When you pull away, he (unconsciously) fears more loss and makes frantic attempts to stay connected to you. You experience this as clinginess and it inspires you to pull further away.

The more you lean back, the more intensely he dives for you.

Heal this awkward rhythm by becoming more attached to what you really want and believing you can have it. Don’t believe that the kind of man you desire would be interested in you?

Have faith in yourself! Cling to a more inspired love story for your life, then make it happen. □

MedItAtIon oF the week “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth on them,” said Ida B. Wells, journalist and civil rights activist. What are you turning the spotlight on this week?

Write, email or leave a message for Joey at the News & Review. Give your name, telephone number (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.

Write Joey, 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 1360; or email askjoey@newsreview.com.

Joey is a keynote speaker for the Sacramento Black Chamber’s women’s conference on Oct. 11 at the Hilton Arden West. Register at sacblackchamber.org.

government launched a program to build 40,000 miles of highways to connect all major American cities. It was completed 36 years later at a cost of $521 billion. In the coming months, I’d love to see you draw inspiration from that visionary scheme. According to my analysis, you will generate good fortune for yourself as you initiate a long-term plan to expand your world, create a more robust network and enhance your ability to fulfill your life’s big goals.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus-born YouTube blogger Hey Fran Hey has some good advice, and I think it’ll be especially fresh and potent in the coming weeks. She says, “Replacing ‘Why is this happening to me?’ with ‘What is this trying to tell me?’ has been a game changer for me. The former creates a hamster wheel, where you’ll replay the story over and over again. Victimized. Stuck. The latter holds space for a resolution to appear.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “The soul has illusions as the bird has wings: it is supported by them.” So declared French author Victor Hugo. I don’t share his view. In fact, I regard it as an insulting misapprehension. The truth is that the soul achieves flight through vivid fantasies and effervescent intuitions and uninhibited longings and non-rational hypotheses and wild hopes—and maybe also by a few illusions. I bring this to your attention because now is an excellent time to nurture your soul with vivid fantasies and effervescent intuitions and uninhibited longings and non-rational hypotheses and wild hopes.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I know people of all genders who periodically unleash macho brags about how little sleep they need. If you’re normally like that, I urge you to rebel. The dilemmas and riddles you face right now are very solvable if and only if you get sufficient amounts of sleep and dreams. Do you need some nudges to do right by yourself? Neuroscientist Matthew Walker says that some of the greatest athletes understand that “sleep is the greatest legal enhancing performance drug.” Top tennis player Roger Federer sleeps 12 hours a day. During his heyday, world-class sprinter Usain Bolt slept 10 hours a night and napped during the day. Champion basketball player LeBron James devotes 12 hours a day to the rejuvenating sanctuary of sleep.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Actor and dancer Fred Astaire was a pioneer in bringing dance into films as a serious art form. He made 31 musical films during the 76 years he worked, and was celebrated for his charisma, impeccable technique and innovative moves. At the height of his career, from 1933 to 1949, he teamed up with dancer Ginger Rogers in the creation of 10 popular movies. In those old-fashioned days, virtually all partner dancing featured a male doing the lead part as the female followed. One witty critic noted that although Astaire was a bigger star than Rogers, she “did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and while wearing high heels.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, you may soon be called on to carry out tasks that are metaphorically comparable to those performed by Rogers.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your number one therapy in the coming weeks? Watching animals. It would be the healthiest thing you could undertake: Relax into a generously receptive mode as you simply observe creatures doing what they do.

The best option would be to surrender to the pleasures of communing with both domesticated and wild critters. If you need a logical reason to engage in this curative and rejuvenating activity, I’ll give you one: It will soothe and strengthen your own animal intelligence, which would be a tonic gift for you to give yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Every time my birthday season comes around, I set aside an entire day to engage in a life review. It lasts for

many hours. I begin by visualizing the recent events I’ve experienced, then luxuriously scroll in reverse through my entire past, as if watching a movie starring me. It’s not possible to remember every single scene and feeling, of course, so I allow my deep self to highlight the moments it regards as significant. Here’s another fun aspect of this ritual: I bestow a blessing on every memory that comes up, honoring it for what it taught me and how it helped me to become the person I am today.

Now is an excellent time for you to experiment with a similar celebration.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Depression is when you think there’s nothing to be done,” writes author Siri Hustvedt. “Fortunately I always think there’s something to be done.” I offer this hopeful attitude to you, trusting that it will cheer you up. I suspect that the riddles and mysteries you’re embedded in right now are so puzzling and complicated that you’re tempted to think that there’s nothing you can do to solve them or escape them. But I’m here to inform you that if that’s how you feel, it’s only temporary. Even more importantly, I’m here to inform you that there is indeed something you can do, and you are going to find out what that is sooner rather than later.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “How inconvenient to be made of desire,” writes Sagittarian author Larissa Pham. “Even now, want rises up in me like a hot oil. I want so much that it scares me.”

I understand what she means, and I’m sure you do, too. There are indeed times when the inner fire that fuels you feels excessive and unwieldy and inopportune. But I’m happy to report that your mood in the coming weeks is unlikely to fit that description. I’m guessing that the radiant pulse of your yearning will excite you and empower you. It’ll be brilliant and warm, not seething and distracting.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I envision the next 12 months as a time when you could initiate fundamental improvements in the way you live. Your daily rhythm 12 months from now could be as much as 20% more gratifying and meaningful. It’s conceivable you will discover or generate innovations that permanently raise your long-term goals to a higher octave. At the risk of sounding grandiose, I predict you’ll welcome a certain novelty that resembles the invention of the wheel or the compass or the calendar.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Modern literary critic William Boyd declared that Aquarian author Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was “the best shortstory writer ever,” and “the first truly modern writer of fiction: secular, refusing to pass judgment, cognizant of the absurdities of our muddled, bizarre lives and the complex tragicomedy that is the human condition.” Another contemporary critic, Harold Bloom, praised Chekhov’s plays, saying that he was “one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre.” We might imagine, then, that in the course of his career, Chekhov was showered with accolades. We’d be wrong about that, though. “If I had listened to the critics,” he testified, “I’d have died drunk in the gutter.” I hope that what I just said will serve as a pep talk for you as you explore and develop your own original notions in the coming weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pisces-born Dorothy Steel didn’t begin her career as a film actress until she was 91 years old. She had appeared in a couple of TV shows when she was 89, then got a small role in an obscure movie.

At age 92, she became a celebrity when she played the role of a tribal elder in Black Panther, one of the highest-grossing films of all time. I propose that we make her one of your inspirational role models for both the coming weeks and the next 12 months. Why? Because I suspect you will be ripening fully into a role and a mission you were born to embody and express.

Sea otters are in danger ‌ of being too cute! They’re also endangered.

10.03.19

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