December 26, 2013 | www.valcomnews.com
Land Park News — Bringing you community news for 22 years —
The Ladies of Kennady Lane Long-time residents honored for their neighborly love
See page 16
Over the Fence.............................................
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Local history feature. .....................................
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Arts. .................................................................
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Calendar.......................................................... 20
Over the Fence:
What’s new with Curtis Park Village
See page 2
Southside Improvement Club celebrates 100 years See page 4
Land Park News w w w. va l c o m n e w s . c o m E-mail stories & photos to: editor@valcomnews.com The Land Park News is published on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month in the area bounded by Broadway to the north, Interstate 5 on the west, Florin Road on the south and Freeport Boulevard/21st Street on the east. Publisher....................................................................... George Macko General Manager......................................................... Kathleen Egan Editor............................................................................... Monica Stark Art Director......................................................................John Ochoa Graphic Designer.............................................................Ryan Wunn Advertising Executives Linda Pohl, Patty Colmer, Melissa Andrews, Jen Henry Distribution/Subscriptions....................................... George Macko Copyright 2013 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
Vol. XXII • No. 24 2709 Riverside Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95818 t: (916) 429-9901 f: (916) 429-9906
Cover by: Monica Stark Other photos Greg Brown Courtesy
The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
Brownie’s Lounge now has a drive-through. Well, it did temporarily last week. A guy nick-named “49er Steve” barreled into the adjoining business and crashed through the wall at Brownie’s. He wasn’t a patron. He was wearing a foot cast and had a problem with the gas pedal of his Ford SUV. Don’t wear a cast and drive people! Scott the bartender said, “It sounded like a bomb went off.” He also told me “The jukebox is dead.” Nooooo! Not the jukebox. The jukebox was full of cool. It was a cavalcade of classic rock. The Who, Doors, Zeppelin to name a few. Even some of your favorite Irish tunes. They have now brought in an Internet jukebox. I’m thinking of starting a Change.org petition to protest! Bring back the old school jukebox. It played CDs. I’m in mourning. Brownie said, “The jukebox is what saved the car from going through the bar and hitting the bartender.” I told Brownie, “I guess no more Clancy Brothers.” An-
Photo by Greg Brown
A man wearing a foot cast drove into Brownie’s Lounge, destroying a lot of the interior and even the jukebox. This photo was taken shortly after the accident.
other patron piped in, “It also had Louie Prima!” The good news is nobody was injured. The jukebox actually helped prevent injury because the bar was full of regulars that night. Claire Brownie told me “We can laugh about it now but when I pulled up in front I thought Oh shit somebody might be dead in there”. So next time you’re at Brownie’s Lounge, play some “Crash Test Dummies”. The Curtis Park Village project is humming along. The orange cones are every-
where in Curtis Park along Sutterville Road. Lots of men in orange, too. The backhoes and excavators are moving and digging dirt… It’s Teichert-mania! Councilmember Jay Schenirer had to be the bearer of bad news at the recent Curtis Park Neighborhood Association meeting. There will be no park in Curtis Park Village. Huh? What? Are you kidding? 4.3 acres were supposed to be used for a park and drainage. It got to the point where it was mostly drainage See Over the Fence, page 9
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www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
Southside Improvement Club celebrates 100th anniversary By LANCE ARMSTRONG Lance@valcomnews.com
Members of the Southside Improvement Club gathered in the Monsignor Val Fagundes Hall of the historic St. Elizabeth Portuguese National Church at 1817 12th St. on Dec. 5 to celebrate a very special occasion – the 100th anniversary of the organization’s incorporation. The milestone was actually achieved on Nov. 10, a century after more than 125 local citizens met at the O.D.E.S. Hall on W Street, between 5th and 6th streets, to officially work as a unit in securing needed improvements for the “South Side” section of the city, which was then described as being located from Front to 15th streets and from R to Y streets. Although historic newspaper accounts recognize the Southside Improvement Club as operating for about a decade prior to its Nov. 10, 1913 anniversary date, the organization had not yet been incorporated during those earlier years. On Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1913, The Sacramento Star published an article entitled “New improvement club is formed.” The article noted that the objective of the club was to clean up and improve the south side of the city.
The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
Photo by Lance Armstrong
The gathering was attended by members of the club and their female guests.
The Sacramento Bee’s Nov. 11, 1913 report on the same topic noted: “It was agreed that any person owning property on the south side (of the city was) eligible to membership” and that “the club (would) fight for desired public improvements.” Charter members of the organization included Ben Adams, J.V. Azevedo, F. Butler, Daniel H. Carroll, William A. Carroll, J.T. Connor, Cornelius C. Conrad, William A. Durant, Joe Enos, William S. Gloria, R. Arthur Leiva, John B. Martin, Joseph McDermott, Peter J. Nusbaum, Charles S. Ralph, William L. Rose, Elwood Santos, J.G. Thomas, Elmer O. Walker and Charles W. Walser.
During the aforementioned Nov. 10, 1913 club meeting, the following officers were elected: Ralph, president; Rose, vice president; Nusbaum, treasurer; and Walser, secretary. The club’s constitution was read and approved during the organization’s following meeting, which was held on Nov. 24, 1913. Early activities and improvements instituted or supported by the club included the development of Southside and William Land parks, the repairing and removal of levees, the construction of the Robert E. Callahan Memorial and improvements to local streets. The club was also influential in the efforts to have the See Anniversary, page 5
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Anniversary: Continued from page 4
current swimming pool constructed at Southside Park 60 years ago. The 100th anniversary gathering began with an installation of officers presented by the club’s President Joe Waters. These incoming officers are Larry Budney, president; Manny Perry, vice president; Steve Silva, second vice president; Robert Salerno; secretary; Michael Budney, treasurer; and Judge Jerry Bakarich, sergeant at arms. These men will officially begin working in these positions in January. In discussing his upcoming role with the club with the Land Park News, Larry said, “We have basically come from a political lobbying type of club (with) concerned citizens that were looking to improve and beautify the city, and certainly that probably still exists in people’s hearts here. But the reality is we’re getting older and politics is really complicated nowadays, and I’d rather just focus on doing something that’s a little more practical and focusing on how we can be helpful to the community. In that way, we can work with individuals, like if you know a kid who needs scholarship money or if we’re going to help a family and improve their life maybe by giving them some extra money for Christmas gifts or whatever. In that way, we would be more philanthropic. It’s also going to require that we think about it. I’m going to
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throw it out there to the guys in my first meeting (as president) and say, ‘Okay, we’re called the improvement club, so in reality, what are we really improving? What is it that you really want this club to do that would be meaningful?’” The next portion of the Dec. 5 gathering was a historical review of the club by Judge Jerry Bakarich. Bakarich then introduced the club’s historian, William Burg, who presented a slide show featuring historic photographs of the club, the south side area and other scenes of Sacramento. The event, which was the club’s second ladies’ night of the year, also included a brief speech by Larry Budney and comments by Dr. Herbert Yee, a rib-eye steak and chicken dinner prepared by Joe Semon and his crew and a raffle for prizes that were donated by club members. The raffle was conducted by Jerry Balshor. The club also had a collection area for donated coats for the News10 Coats for Kids drive. In celebration of last week’s special gathering, several members of the club shared details about the organization and their memories about the club and its anniversary. Portions of the comments of these members are presented, as follows: Al Balshor: “I think it’s great (that the club is celebrating 100 years) and we’ll keep it at $3 a year (for) dues. We’ve had many, many dignitaries in office – mayors,
One of the Southside Improvement Club’s historic events was this May 21, 1938 testimonial dinner at the Elks Lodge No. 6 building at 921 11th St. The gathering was held in honor of Nettie Hopley, then-retiring Lincoln School principal and a member of the Sacramento County Board of Education.
Photo courtesy of Al Balshor
city managers, supervisors. The old club, if you didn’t go through the Southside, you never got a job. The old dignitaries (who were members of the club included) George Klumpp, Frank Seymour, Jim Garlick. Bartley Cavanaugh was the city manager (and a member of the club). We (formerly) met back for many years at the Southside Park clubhouse. (The club) used to have, all the way from the early 1930s or so, fireworks in the park. The city would pay for the fireworks. It cost them $2,500 and we would put it on with entertainment at the Callahan Memorial there. I’ve been president (of the club) twice. I was president in 1954 and 1997, and each See Anniversary, page 15
www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
See answers, page 17
The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
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St. Joseph’s Cemetery established nearly a century and half ago By LANCE ARMSTRONG Lance@valcomnews.com
Editor’s Note: This is part five in a series regarding Sacramento area cemeteries. St. Joseph’s Cemetery – the predecessor of St. Mary’s Cemetery, which was featured in the first four parts of this series – was established at Freeport Road and Y Street (now 21st Street and Broadway) nearly a century and half ago. The cemetery site was acquired during the summer of 1864 by the congregation of St. Rose Church, which was located at the northeast corner of 7th and K streets. Originally, the cemetery grounds consisted of two 10acre tracts, one of which extended northward to Y Street. The cemetery presently covers a 10-acre area. Many longtime Sacramentans recall when a portion of a former section of the cemetery was home to Christian Brothers High School. That school, which had the address of 2535 21st St., opened at that site as Christian Brothers College on Sept. 15, 1924. Since the 1960s, Christian Brothers has been operating at its present location, which has the address of 4315 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Bishop Manogue High School filled the vacancy at the Broadway site and remained in operation there until 1990. The property presently includes offices of the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and an Arco AM/PM gas station and convenient store. On May 7, 1865, St. Joseph’s was consecrated by the Rev. Joseph Sadoc Alemany, archbishop of San Francisco. However, burials at St. Joseph’s Cemetery predate that time. For instance, in a March 1865 cemetery report, Israel Luce, superintendent of the city cemetery, noted that of the city’s 24 deaths during the previous month, three of the bodies had been transValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
ported to the “new Catholic cemetery.” Early details regarding the cemetery were presented in the March 24, 1865 edition of The Sacramento Union, as follows: “The new Catholic cemetery lying south of Poverty Ridge is being improved by the erection around the ground of a substantial fence, the planting of trees, shrubbery, etc. The entire tract embraces about twenty acres of land. Carriage ways and footpaths are being laid out in accordance with a general plan. The soil is decidedly favorable to improvements such as are going on, and the cemetery will doubtless be greatly beautified within a few years time.” Among those buried at St. Joseph’s during its first year of operation was John McGarrahan, a former resident of the capital city. McGarrahan died as a result of having been thrown from his horse about a year earlier in Newcastle (Placer County). His remains were exhumed from a cemetery in the Newcastle area
Photo by Lance Armstrong
and reinterred at St. Joseph’s during the afternoon of June 28, 1865. In August 1865, Jesse Morrill, who had replaced Luce as the superintendent of the city cemetery, reported that of the 33 deaths that had occurred in the city during the previous month, four of those people had been interred in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Also among the people who were interred at St. Joseph’s during 1865 was Patrick Kelly, who drowned in Beach’s Lake, south of the city, on Oct. 30, 1865.
A large number of his friends attended his funeral two days later and his remains were accompanied to the cemetery by those friends and the Emmet Guard. In another report, Morrill noted that of the 28 deaths in the city in December 1865, three of those people were buried at St. Joseph’s. During the following year, the monthly number of interments at St. Joseph’s increased. For instance, the bodies of seven people were placed in the cemetery in August 1866 and nine more peo-
ple had their remains interred in those grounds during the following month. Another fairly early interment at St. Joseph’s was that See Cemetery, page 21
www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
Spanglish Arte now inside Sol Collective By Monica Stark
Inside the Sol Collective art gallery and center for culture and activism, is Spanglish Arte, a retail space which features “local artists with a global following.” Spanglish relocated from its space in midtown on J Street and has been inside Sol Collective for about three months now, explained Mari Arreola, the creative director. With the slogan local arte for the masses, Arreola said the mass production of prints she has for sale works toward that mission of being able to provide all income levels with quality local art. She said she has enjoyed the new space inside of Sol Collective as it has a good vibe with student interns who are interested in art and culture. Sol Collective is located at 2574 21st St.
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Over the Fence: Continued from page 2
and not so much park. It’s not so much Paul Petrovich as it is the city. The City of Sacramento is saying that the area would have to be able to take 250,000 gallons of water during a storm. What Petrovich is considering is getting rid of the park altogether and making it a water feature. It could be 2.12 acres of water features with benches around it…and more housing. Not a very green solution. The trade off, according to Councilmember Jay Schenirer, is because Petrovich is no longer doing a park he’ll have to pay Quimby fees and housing fees: 1.9 million in Quimby fees and $2.5 million in housing fees, $4.3 all together and that could be spent on Curtis Park…the park itself. Then Jay took questions…. One resident mentioned, “It’s a serious trade-off. That $4 million will be spent but
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that public space will still not be there. If you spend the $4 million on Curtis Park that’s still the only public space to support the new development and the existing neighborhood.” Schenirer answered by saying the water feature would be a public space with benches, just not green public space. And then the resident mentioned, “Then they’ll have to spray for mosquitos.” Jay retorted, “Always look at the glass half full.” Jay just wanted to give everybody a head’s up that this was coming. He didn’t have all the details and all the answers because he had just been informed about it. Curtis Park resident Rosanna Herber said, “One thing that concerns me is that things get chipped away like the street that was in front of the park that got taken away because we want to make sure the kids have an easy way to get over to the park and play. Losing that road was a significant benefit
for Petrovich but not so much to the people who will be living there. She added, “This is what bothers me. Now we have this change, now we’re making another change, and it’s a slow whittling away of the benefit that we’re trying to keep in the development.” “I think people need to see the stuff we continue to lose as this gets dragged out.” I wonder if Paul Petrovich will suggest a gigantic metallic soaring eagle or maybe a giant silver metallic unicorn where water shoots out the horn. Stay tuned because I have a feeling this whole thing ain’t over. Following up on a story I mentioned last week in Over The Fence, Mexican grocer Mercado Loco is vacating their location at Franklin and Sutterville. When the lease runs out, a CVS will be moving in. A lot of neighborhood See Over the Fence, page 14
www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
Current art at Capsity Here are a few pieces on display at Capsity from local artists. Founded in 2008, Capsity is an owner-occupied professional workplace located on at 2572 21st St., just south of Sacramento’s Broadway corridor. It includes a community art gallery. General hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Capsity is located at 2572 21st St. Photos by Monica Stark
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“Amorous” by Sherrell A Cisco, acrylic (36x24)
The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
“Fauna” by Leilani Joy, acrylic and collage on canvas (25x48)
“Today” by Erin Wapple, (20x16 ½)
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Over the Fence: Continue from page 3
folks were caught off guard by the news. Some were outraged. It’s even sparked a Change.org petition online. So far over 355 people have signed it. Will it make a difference? Some of the neighborhood locals hope so. One of the petition signers was Gretchen Steinberg who said: “I’d rather people be able to walk to their local store to get fruits and vegetables than hobble over there to get overpriced junk and medicine de-
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The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
signed to counterbalance poor access to fruits and vegetables. C’mon Sacramento -- follow through on your ‘Farm to Fork’ principles that you touted earlier this year!” Magic Munson added: “It is important to me because too many smaller businesses are forced out of business by these larger companies. Being a small business owner who can see Mercado Loco from my business window, I don’t want to look at a CVS.“ If you have any news or items of interest feel free to e-mail me. Greg@valcomnews.com.
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Anniversary: Continued from page 5
(term was) two years. I didn’t join (the organization) much long before (1954), because I was under 18. You have to be 18 to get in. I think there are about 12 left of (the surviving) presidents (of the club). (Among them is) old Manny Perry. He’s of my age. We meet on the third Thursday of each month at St. Elizabeth Church at 12th and S (streets), and occasionally we’ll take bus trips. We’ll go to Reno, (etc.). We have a ladies’ night twice a year. It’s still a men’s club, but we’ll bring them as our guests.” Manuel “Mannie” J. Viera, Jr.: “My dad (Manuel J. Viera, Sr.) belonged to (the club) for years. And I got my cousin, Ricky Dias, into it, too, or vice versa. I’m not sure which. I like the camaraderie (of the club). There are a lot of people who I’ve known since I was a young man going to (Holy Angels School and Christian Brothers High School). We reminisce about those things and stuff like that. I think it’s tremendous (that the club is celebrating its centennial). A lot of clubs don’t last that long. The membership drops and they get disinterested and that sort of thing. But (the Southside club) seems to be doing a pretty good job over there, so I’m glad I’m with them.” Ron King: “I joined the (club) about 45 to 50 years ago. Everybody at south side used to belong to it back then. They took care of everybody in south side. I lived right by (Southside) Park at 3rd
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and W (streets). I think (the 100th anniversary) is outstanding. A lot of old-timers went through that club, and big wheels, too. They had mayors, police chiefs, stuff like that. I get to see a lot of guys (at the club) who I grew up with. There are a lot of old-timers there who lived down by (Southside) Park. So, you get to see them and talk to them and hash over old times.” Bob Dias: “Ron King and a lot of friends I had in there (at the club) – Gene Plecas and a guy who worked for me, Tony Viegas, and his brother, Danny Viegas – (were members of the organization). I just got interested in it. There are few clubs that have lasted as long (as the Southside Improvement Club), so you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. Financially, they never had a lot of money to operate on, but they survived.” Joe Waters: “I joined about 20 years ago. My friend, (Tony Scalora), who passed (at the age of 78 on April 20, 2004), he and I were great fishing buddies, and he said, ‘Why don’t you come down (to the club) and I’ll pay your dues?’ It’s $3 a year. It’s the best two-bit club in America. I live in the north area. (Originally), there were no (residential) boundaries (for the club members, but today) some (members) live in the north area, some of them live in the Bay Area, some of them live in Elk Grove, Auburn, El Dorado Hills. They’re scattered all over now. When I first got out of the Air Force (in 1960), I lived on W Street (near) 16th
Street. I (initially) thought (the club) was a hoot. The guys, they would get up and they would talk about baseball and what we’re going to do to help the area. (Despite its more social approach), it’s still an improvement club. We give to (St. Elizabeth) church, we give to the different schools and what have you. It’s a great club and I hope we’re going to do another 100 (years).”
www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
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The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
Photo by Monica Stark
The ladies pictured here, from the left, Carol, Mary, Suzanne, Tomi, and Muriel, were honored for their neighborly love and generosity to the community. They all live on Kennady Lane and have long ties to the other women on their street. They were honored at an international tea at their neighbor, Nikki’s house on Sunday, Dec. 8.
The ladies of Kennady Lane:
Long-time residents honored for their neighborly love By Monica Stark
editor@valcomnews.com
Loved by their neighbors – Mary, Muriel, Carol, Suzanne, and Tomi – five ladies from Kennady Lane, were honored for their generosity over the years, the friendships they forged and their dedication to the community. A lovely affair, the honorees were treated to an international tea on Sunday, Dec. 8 at their neighbor Nikki’s home. Bringing out savory bite size dishes like samosas, English sandwiches, cheese and crackers, pork boa, and, of course, traditional English desserts like mince pies, Nikki set tables with her mother’s bone china for the big day, which included about 14 ladies from Kennady Lane. Neighbors Jen and Mike are known on the street for hosting friends for dinner and Nikki felt it was her turn to do the honors and make sure “certain people” could come. “I went around and asked the key players and started to plan it,” she said. “Because Jen is British and does lovely entertaining and I never pay back, and, well, I just retired and thought I should have a tea for Jen,” Nikki said, adding that Jen loved the idea,
but that she wanted to honor others on the block. With an idea in motion, Nikki started asking key players if they could make the Dec. 8 date. The thing about the street, Kennady Lane, like many streets in Sacramento, is that people raised their kids on them, but what’s unusual, Nikki said, is the street has a large amount of neighbors who have lived on it for a long time. “It has the continuity of a street people want to live on,” Nikki said. “We really feel fortunate to live here and know all these people,” she said. At the tea, each attendee introduced herself and described what it has been like living on Kennady Lane. Nikki said when she and her husband first moved to the lane, they got to know Muriel’s husband Art rather well. “Art was always on the street talking to people. He was why people got to know each other.” And about Muriel, one of the honorees, Nikki said: “She really is a great lady. She’s fiery and independent.” Muriel loves ballroom dancing, and, as a former independent instructor at Arthur Murray dance studios for many years, she said, “it was
wonderful. I loved it. I miss it right now. I still have all my tapes I teach with.” Muriel said she first learned by taking lessons and then built herself up, and, from there, she ended up teaching in her own studio and winning in Northern California dance competitions. To this day, Muriel said, “I still have my shoes.” A volunteer at the Belle Cooledge Library bookstore, Muriel was asked by a librarian to teach staff how to dance and they all learned in an hour. Also an animal lover, Muriel is known for taking care of neighborhood cats when their owners are out of town and she feeds the squirrels and birds. Muriel’s late husband Art used to teach math at Fern Bacon Middle School and Muriel remembers how they would have students come over for cookies while they studied. Muriel and Art didn’t have children of their own but they took in the students as their own. Attendees were especially pleased that one of the honorees, Tomi, made it out to the tea. Accompanied by a caretaker, Tomi sat in a wheelchair and remained quiet. Neighbors were prepared to bring See Kennady, page 17 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Photos by Monica Stark
(above left) Carol and Mary were two of the honorees at an international tea on Sunday, Dec. 8. They, along with neighbors Suzanne, Tomi and Muriel, were honored for their neighborly love and generosity to the community. They all live on Kennady Lane and have long ties to the other women on their street. (above right) Ladies of Kennady Lane gathered to honor five of their neighbors at an international tea on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Kennady:
Continued from page 16
Tomi a plate to her home if she didn’t make it to the tea. Tomi’s husband was a dentist in town. “Their story, they were amazing people,” Nikki said. “One of the things is that every New Year she would make sushi and bring some around to all the neighbors,” Nikki said. Among other things Tomi would share to neighbors included plants from the garden. “They were really involved in their yard,” Nikki said. Another of the honorees, Mary, is known for her good sense of humor, having the ability to make everybody laugh. Devoted to her family, she still cooks for them on a regular basis. “She has family here and they are all involved in her life. She has visitors everyday. She cooks for them and does the holidays still. Her life has been devoted to her family. She is lucky to have them here,” Nikki said. Upon remembering certain things about Mary, Nikki said, Patty, Mary’s daughter, used to drive up in a little BMW. “You would always hear Patty honk when she was leaving,” Nikki said. Mary has a son named Bob back in Virginia and grandchildren here. Also known as a fabulous cook, she brings cookies around to people on the block. At the tea, Patty said she remembers moving into their Kennady Lane home when Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
she was just 4 years old. Now 62, she described the differences of when she grew up on the street versus the way it is today. “It’s very different and I attribute it to garage door openers. Back then, everybody knew everybody and you played in the street back then. The kids would all come out on the summer nights. We’d all play baseball. We would set up on our front porches and bring our junk out and play store. We would roller skate. It’s probably considered trespassing because we’d roller skate up and down everybody’s driveway. There’s no sidewalks.” The original owner of her home, honoree Suzanne bought the house in 1964 with two children, one of whom was 3 years old and the other age 4. “One of my neighborhood claims to fame is that our son Rick used to deliver The Bee and a lot of people knew him because of that.” At the tea, neighbors commented on the different style of house Suzanne has, to which, she said she used to live on South Land Park Drive near Sutterville Road and even back then South Land Park Drive was a very busy street, but, that there was a home on it that caught her attention and so luck had it she was able to find a builder who took ideas and built a home to spec on Kennady Lane. “It’s so cozy; the builder had his parents living there until someone bought the house. Now I know why the fireplace was on. There was
no heating in that house,” Suzanne joked. Linda, who lives second to the corner and who has the sustainable landscape, moved into her home in 1986. “I was told it was nice to have kids in the neighborhood, and we had toddlers, but they didn’t mean them; they meant us (she and her husband Dave). It was just really welcoming. I really felt connected right away.” Another of the honorees, Carol, moved into her home in about 1970, she said. Because her husband became sick, Carol took a job with the State of California later in life and worked until she was about 70 years old. Neighbors remember watching her walk down the hill every day to the bus stop where she’d pick up the No. 6 bus and take it downtown to work. Upon speaking about one of her neighbors named Marjorie, Jen said, she lived over on the corner and she would run around with two poodles. “She was flamboyant. But, she was our Realtor and she did us great justice, because, of course, we love the neighborhood,” Jen said. The name Kennady Lane also has an interesting story unto itself. On one end of the street, the sign spelled it “K-EN-N-A-D-Y” and on the other end it was “K-E-N-N-E-D-Y”. There were various explanations neighbors brought up as to the discrepancy. One said: “Art told me that when Kennedy High School was built, all the signs got stolen, so they
changed the spelling (from KE-N-N-E-D-Y to K-E-N-NA-D-Y).” Another lady said, “Well, I have another story: We bought from Rosa and Ron. They were both teachers there and they said that was where the original ranch was, and, we found the horseshoeing pit and a lot of horseshoes and they said it was a ranch and it was not (pronounced) Kennedy it was either (pronounced with a long-a sound) Kennady or (a short-a sound)
Kennady. Rosa was very, very sure of that. And we did look if there were cemetery headstones. And they (the Kennadys) were an old family.” The spelling differences could be problematic in the event of an emergency. “What if we call an ambulance and they’re looking for Kennedy and we’re on Kennady?” Whatever the reasons for the name, one thing remains the same, the love the women have for each other and for the street they call home.
www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
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Celebrating 47th Anniversary of Kwanzaa!!! Join the Sacramento Area Black Caucus (SABC), the Black United Fund of Sacramento Valley (BUFSV), and Brickhouse Art Gallery for their annual Kwanzaa Celebration Friday, Dec. 27. The Kwanzaa Gala starts at 6pm-9pm located at the picturesque Brickhouse Art Gallery, 2837 36th St. This year’s principle is: Kujichagulia (KOO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEEYAH), Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community. This year’s program features; African drumming, poetry, music, libation, unity cup, candle lighting ceremonies, and a panel discussion. Additionally, we are asking participants in this year’s Kwanzaa to bring a dish for the Karamu or feast, and bring NEW, UNWORN caps, neck
scarves, and gloves for infants, children, women and men. On our annual MLK Day of service in January 2014, we will assemble them into packets to be distributed to local homeless shelters. Our 2013 Co-sponsors: Brickhouse Art Gallery ,The Talking Drums Newsletter, Kakwasi Somadhi, The Merritt Law Clinic, Sacramento ChapterBlack Child Development Institute, Phil Nelson, Dr. Carolyn Minor, Katye Ridgeway, Leslie & Faye Kennedy, Sacramento Area Black Caucus, and Sacramento Association of Black Social Workers. Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. It is celebrated every year beginning December 26th thru January 1st. Its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it
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Send your event announcement for consideration to: editor@valcomnews.com at least two weeks prior to publication. Editor’s note: City Councilmember Kevin McCarty told the East Sacramento News the city council has likely postponed the vote for the controversial student housing project, Campus Crest, to Jan. 14. It was previously scheduled for the Dec. 10 meeting. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
AARP tax aide seeks volunteers for 2014 The nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service is seeking volunteers for tax assistance/preparation and leadership coordinators. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. Each year from Feb. 1 through April 15, AARP Tax-Aide volunteers prepare federal, state, and local tax returns for low and middle income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 60 and older. Volunteers are especially needed to assist with electronic filing of tax returns. You do not need to be an AARP member or retiree to volunteer. For more information on how you can join the AARP Tax-Aide team in Northern California, contact Ron Byrd at NoCalTaxAide@ Outlook.com or visit website at; www.aarp. org/taxaide ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Attn. students: Submit now for water efficiency video contest High school students can win cash prizes and the chance to view their video on the Raley Field Jumbotron by entering the 2014 Water Spots Video Contest. The contest, sponsored by the Regional Wa-
17th Annual Crab Feed Fundraiser Bella Vista High School Football Boosters Saturday, February 1, 2014 5 – 11 p.m. Divine Savior Church 9079 Greenback Lane, Orangevale $40 per person/tables seat 8
ter Authority (RWA) and the Sacramento Bee Media in Education (MIE) program, challenges teens to create compelling and original 25-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos on a select water efficiency topic. The 2014 water efficiency theme is: Don’t be a gutter flooder: Prevent overspray and runoff. Judging will be based on creativity, entertainment value, accuracy, originality and incorporation of the water efficiency topic. Finalist videos will be displayed on the Raley Field Jumbotron screen and winners announced at a Sacramento River Cats game in April 2014. Winning students and their teachers will also get cash prizes. The grand prize winner’s spot may become part of RWA’s 2014 television ad campaign. Submissions due Feb. 28. Visit www.BeWaterSmart.info for more information and tips on using water more efficiently and to submit entries or get more information about contest rules, judging and prizes, visit www.sacbee.com/water-spots ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The Sacramento Capitolaires meeting A men’s Barbershop Harmony group, meets every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Pilgrim Hall (Sierra Arden United Church of Christ), 890 Morse Ave., Sacramento. Info: www.capitolaires. org, call 888-0877-9806, or email info@capitolaires.org ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Artisan holds Food Drive Artisan Salon is participating in the Spirit of Giving Food Drive. Over the last 17 years, the Spirit of Giving (SOG) drive has helped Sacramento Food
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The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
Bank collect and distribute over 4.6 million pounds of canned and non-perishable food items for local families in need. Help support families in need by participating in this year’s drive! Artisan Salon is located at 3198 Riverside Blvd. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Soroptimist International of Sacramento South meetings A service organization dedicated to insure the status of women and girls, the group meets at Aviator’s Restaurant, 6151 Freeport Blvd. for lunch and to discuss the day’s topic. Meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 12:15 p.m. The meetings discuss our fund raising Projects and Community Service, often with speakers from our community. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Adopt a child for the holidays Help Sunburst Projects bring joy to the lives of children living with HIV/ AIDS. Contact Sunburst Projects at 1095 19th St. Suite 1A, Sacramento. 440-0889, ext. 301. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Women With Good Spirits monthly meetings Women With Good Spirits is a networking group that engages women in the Sacramento community with non-profit organizations that make contributions to our quality of life and care for our fellow residents. Each month, Women With Good Spirits invites a community non-profit to present on its mission work. The meeting is held at Revolution Wines on the second Tuesday of each month and starts at 6:30 p.m. The presenter will start their presentation promptly at 7:15p and will last 15-20 minutes with an open Q & A forum after. A $5+ donation per person that will go directly to the nonprofit presenting that month. For more information, visit www.womenwithgoodspirits.com/
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Free event: Estate Planning Safari at the Sacramento Zoo
Dec. 26: Visitors Welcome, weekly breakfast meeting on first, second and third Fridays at 7:00 AM and Dinner meeting on fourth Thursday at 6:00 PM. Topical weekly speakers and ‘first meal for visitors on us’. Meet at The Kiwanis Family House, (at UCD Med Ctr/ 50th St & Broadway) 2875 50th Street Sacramento, CA 95817. www. eastsacmidtownkiwanis.com, Meeting/ Membership info: 916-761-0984, volunteers always welcome! ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Jan. 23: Held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Kampala Center in the Sacramento Zoo, this free informative seminar will navigate through a jungle of topics presented by local attorney Mark S. Drobny, California State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Topics will include, but are not limited to: Living trusts versus wills; how to avoid probate; reasons for using powers of attorney, advance health care directives, charitable gift annuities. Seating is limited. To RSVP, call 808-8815 to guarantee your seat.
Rotary Club of South Sacramento meeting Dec. 26: Guest speakers address local, regional and international topics. Visitors welcome. Every Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at Iron Steaks Restaurant, 2422 13th St, Sacramento, CA 95818. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Bi-Polar Anonymous Dec. 27: Free 12-step program/support group, for people who have Bi-Polar and those who love them. Meets every Friday, 7-8:30 p.m. 4300 Auburn Blvd., Room 106. (916) 889-5786. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Rotary Clubs of Arden-Arcade, Carmichael Dec. 31: Guest speakers address local, regional and international topics. Visitors welcome, every Tuesday. Arden-Arcade meets at noon, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in the Pavilions on Fair Oaks Blvd. (916) 925-2787. Carmichael meets at 6:30 p.m., Ancil Hoffman Golf Club. www.rotary.org –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Dec. 31: An organization for the betterment of women and children meets at Aviator’s Restaurant, 6151 Freeport Blvd. for lunch and to discuss the day’s topic. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
February Sacramento Community Concert Association performance Feb. 22: Celebrating Black History Month, SCCA presents Tenor Darron Flagg & Soprano Candace Johnson and The UC Berkeley Gospel Chorus at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian, 1300 N St. Singer-actor Darron Flagg is recognized as a standout professional bel-canto tenor, lauded for his heart-felt performances. Candace Johnson is a dynamic vocal artist who has experience in musical theater, television commercials, poplar songwriting, and piano performance. The UC Berkeley Gospel Chorus started in the 1970s as an informal student activity. Since 2007, director D. Mark Wilson has taken the Gospel Chorus in new directions, building a repertoire, which includes traditional and contemporary gospel music, spirituals, and classically influenced gospel anthems. Regular subscription: $90, Group discount (8 or more people): $75, Students subscription: $45, Single Ticket: $25. For more information, contact Sacramento Community Concert Association www.sccaconcerts.org; info@scc.aconcerts.org; 400-4634.
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Cemetery: Continued from page 7
of Patrick Degman, who was placed in the cemetery under the care and direction of the Sisters of Mercy on June 6, 1867. According to a funeral announcement in the June 6, 1867 edition of The Union, the remains of Degman “were brought down (to Sacramento) from Summit City on the Central Pacific Railroad cars” two days earlier. On June 19 and 20, 1868, Masses were held in honor of the Rev. James S. Cotter, who had served as pastor of St. Rose Church since 1865. He died at the age of 33 on June 18, 1868 and was buried at St. Joseph’s two days later. Following Cotter’s funeral, which was held at St. Rose Church on June 20, 1868, a cornet band played the Roman Catholic hymn, “O Sanctissima” – aka the “Sicilian Mariners Hymn” – while his casket was placed in a hearse that was attached to four black horses. A procession then left the church and headed up K Street en route to the cemetery. Included in the procession were six carriages carrying the clergy, about 150 girls of the St. Joseph Academy at 8th and G streets, about 150 boys of the Catholic Sunday school, members of the Emmet Guard in fatigue uniforms, and representatives of Knickerbocker Engine Co. No. 5. During the procession, people viewed the scene from the streets and balconies and en-
gine houses paid tribute to the late Ireland-born pastor by ringing their bells. In a showing that Cotter was well remembered, on Dec. 5, 1872, J.C. Devine & Bro., a marble cutting firm at 216-218 K St., placed a 17 and a half-foot-tall Italian marble monument for Cotter at his gravesite. The sides of the monument, which was placed on a granite base, were created with an inscription bearing Cotter’s full name and other details about him, panels for additional inscriptions, and carved images such as those of a lamb and cross, two cherubim and a wreath of roses. The circular-shaped lot containing Cotter’s grave was lined with evergreen shrubs and trees. Other people who were interred at St. Joseph’s during the early 1870s included Kentucky native John Harris, who passed away in Shingle Springs (El Dorado County) at the age of 58 on May 20, 1871; Ireland native P.J. McMahon, who passed away in Sacramento at the age of 46 on July 18, 1871; Ireland native Owen C. Casey, who passed away in Sacramento at the age of 52 on Dec. 15, 1871; and Ireland native Peter Riley, who passed away in Hicksville (Sacramento County) at the age of 46 on June 1, 1873. Harris was the father-inlaw of John T. Whyte, the conductor of a Sacramento Valley Railroad train; McMahon was a former proprietor of the three-story Unit-
ed States Hotel at 55 Front St. and a fireman with the aforementioned Knickerbocker company; Casey was one of Sacramento’s leading liquor and soda dealers; and Riley worked as a blacksmith in Dry Creek (Sonoma County). In early 1872, the St. Rose Church congregation appointed a committee to attend to improving and beautifying the cemetery grounds. And later that year, in accordance with the Legislature’s 1868 approval of an act to “encourage the planting and cultivation of shade and fruit trees upon the public roads and highways of the state,” shade trees were planted from the northwest corner to the southwest corner of the cemetery grounds, along Freeport Road.
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www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
21
Former Land Park resident shares more about his ghost hunting adventures By LANCE ARMSTRONG Lance@valcomnews.com
Editor’s Note: This is part four in a series about former Sacramento disco king, Paul Dale Roberts. For this final article of this series about the adventures of former Pocket resident Paul Dale Roberts, he explained more about his work as a Fortean investigator and had the author of this story join him as a guest at one of his paranormal investigations. As noted in the previous article of this series, Paul Dale Roberts is recognized as one the nation’s leading paranormal investigators. Additionally, Roberts is a writer for Phenomena magazine in England and The Costa Rican Times, he has written four HPI Chronicles series books related to the paranormal and he has appeared on eight documentaries regarding the same topic. Roberts, whose writings are included in 11 paranormal-themed books, said that he was reading Brad Steiger paranormal books at the age of 12, and that he now has articles published in several of Steiger’s books. Roberts has met paranormal icons, Bill Murphy, lead scientist on the SyFy television channel’s investigation series, “Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files,” and Paul Bradford of the SyFy series, “Ghosthunters International.” Stanton Friedman, the star of Discovery Channel’s “UFO Hunter,” and Brad Klinge of the paranormal television series, “Ghost Lab,” have contributed to Roberts’ paranormal articles. Additionally, Nick Pope, a former British minister of defense and a well-known journalist, endorsed one of Roberts’ books. Roberts is considered the “go-to guy” in Hollywood for Northern California investigations, and he was contacted by the producers of the paranormal television series, “A Haunting,” “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” (in which he was considered for a technical consultant position), “Ghost Adventures,” “Paranormal Witness,” “The Haunted” (on the Animal Planet channel), “The Othersiders” (on the Cartoon Network), “Haunted Collector,” “Ghostly Encounters” (on the Biography Channel), “Haunted Highway” and “When Ghosts Attack” (on the Destination America channel). For the “Othersiders” series, Roberts was used as a finder-locator for paranormal hot spots in Northern California. “When Ghosts Attack” recently showed an episode based on an article that Roberts had written about HPI’s Keith Dovichi’s demon case in Pioneer, Calif. Additionally, Roberts was supposed to be included in an episode of the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Ad22
Photo by Lance Armstrong
(above) Jeri Smith’s 11year-old daughter, Macie Whitten, studies nonhuman-like handprints on a mirror in her home’s living room. Jeri Smith is shown in the background.
(left) Paul Dale Roberts and an assistant use paranormal investigation instruments during the Nov. 27 investigation.
ventures” in regard to his investigation at the National Hotel in Jackson. However, when Roberts and his team arrived at the National Hotel, the “Ghost Adventurers” crew was at a different National Hotel about two hours away. Roberts laughed and while pretending to be engaged in a conversation on his cell phone, he said, “Hello, I’m in the lobby. I don’t see a camera crew.” In speaking about his business, Roberts explained that HPI originally stood for Haunted and Paranormal Investigations. But after Roberts became HPI’s owner, it became known as Hegelianism Paranormal Intelligence (International). The organization was named after the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Hegel’s idealism and philosophy utilizes the pros and cons of any given situation. Roberts uses the pros and cons of every investigation to determine the conclusion of whether the place of investigation is haunted.
The Land Park News • December 26, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com
Roberts’ investigators are actually known as “paranormal intelligence operatives,” and HPI is considered international, since Roberts has traveled to 55 countries and territories to conduct investigations. Among the places where Roberts has investigated are Area 51, Skinwalker Ranch in Utah, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Panama, Guatemala, Stonehenge and the Tower of London in England, Dublin Castle in Ireland, the bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand, San Miguel Island in search of the legendary cryptid, Chupacabra, Mount Shasta for Bigfoot and UFO hunting, and the Auburn and Colfax area’s Green Valley Vortex. The latter place has been rumored to have had UFO sightings, a crop circle and ghostly activities. In discussing the topic of paranormal activities in the Pocket area, Roberts said, “On one investigation in the Pocket area, the occupants were complaining See Disco King, page 23 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Photos by Lance Armstrong
(above left) “Beyond the Norm” is the third volume in Paul Dale Roberts’ HPI Chronicles book series. (above middle) Paul Dale Roberts is known as the “Demon Warrior” in the paranormal community. (above right) Jeri Smith gives Paul Dale Roberts a hug following his Christian blessing of her home.
Disco King: Continued from page 22
that ceramic cups flew off the kitchen shelves and came crashing onto the kitchen floor. This was too much for the occupants to handle.” Roberts said that he conducted an investigation at that house and captured many electronic voice phenomena or “EVPs,” and that some disembodied voices spoke in a foreign language. He added that when he conducted a Catholic house blessing to cleanse the home of the entities, a resident of the home looked at him with surprise and claimed that an orb flew between them and “shot up into the night sky,” and that the house has been “peaceful ever since.” Orbs, Roberts explained, can be anything from dust, skin flakes and light refractions to dew, lint and bugs. But he added that if an orb presents an “intelligent movement,” then it can be deemed as paranormal. Since Roberts conducts Catholic house blessings for the purpose of ridding homes of malicious entities and malevolent, dark forces, he is known by the nickname of the “Demon Warrior” in the paranormal community. Roberts said that his success rate in “cleansing” homes is at “an all-time high.” And he added that there are many ghost hunting groups that have equipment to conduct investigations, but “have no methods of cleansing a home.” Roberts’ arsenal of cleansers consists of Christian, Buddhist, Wiccan, Apache, Choctaw, Greek Orthodox, metaphysical, and even Voodoo. Roberts explained that there are many haunted locations throughout the world, and that he receives a lot of calls from residents in the Land Park area, because so many homes are “old and have a history.” Roberts said that HPI has 43 investigators, 12 of whom are noted to have psychic abilities. And he added that the organization has a “stockpile of equipment,” including infrared cameras, digital recorders for EVPs, night vision goggles, digital cameras, camcorders, temperature gauges, K-II meters and EMF (electromagnetic field) readers. K-II meters and EMF readers determine if there is a fluctuation in Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
the electromagnetic spectrum. Such detection, Roberts said, may indicate that there is “an entity present.” In continuing, he said, “Temperature gauges measure drops in temperatures. This may indicate that an entity is feeding off the energy of a particular area, causing a vacuum in that immediate area, which will cause a cold temperature drop.” Roberts added that at times his team even uses dogs in their investigations. “Dogs have a natural sixth sense and can pick up on ghosts,” he said. “(Roberts’ dogs), HPI (pronounced hi-pee) and Princess Hannah, will sometimes sense a presence.” Roberts noted that he uses his dogs and his psychics as tools to locate hot spots and it is up to the investigators to prove that something paranormal is actually occurring in those hot spots. “I will not just take the word of a psychic without positive proof,” Roberts said. Roberts also spoke about the use of what he referred to as a “spirit box.” The instrument utilizes radio frequencies to attempt to communicate with spirits. But he noted that “spirit boxes” and dowsing rods – another tool used in attempts to communicate with spirits – are only tools of the trade and are not used to substantiate the existence of an entity. Instead, EVPs are more valuable instruments for paranormal investigators. On the eve prior to Thanksgiving Day, the author of this article joined Roberts for an investigation of an alleged haunted house in south Sacramento. Jeri Smith, one of the house’s residents, claimed that she had experienced paranormal activities in her home. “The first incident was like a year ago,” Smith said. “I had seen a really black, distinguished figure on my ceiling in my room, and there were no shadows in the room or anything. It was a perfect black figure of a man with a hood.” Smith also shared details about several other incidents that she explained as being possibly paranormal in nature. These alleged experiences included the sound of mysterious voices and footsteps in the house and nonhuman-like handprints on mirrors.
Smith’s friend, Lesa Willis, added that on an occasion when she spent a night at Smith’s home, she also heard mysterious footsteps in the house. As Roberts investigated this home, he did capture a few anomalies through digital photography. But Roberts was not able to deem any of those photographs as evidence of paranormal activity. Roberts also performed what he called a “quick and dirty EVP session.” During that time, he spoke simple phrases into a recorder such as “Is there anyone here?” Roberts paused each time to allow a possible entity to respond. These tests did not capture any “disembodied voices,” as he called them. While Roberts was using a pair of dowsing rods at the home, the rods underwent very limited activity. Following the investigation, Roberts conducted a Catholic blessing at the home. Roberts noted that although the pre-Thanksgiving investigation did not result in the detection of any paranormal activity at the home, he said that two days later his team traveled to Tracy and conducted another investigation. During the latter investigation, a woman, who was a guest at the home, said that she had become possessed and acted as if she was possessed. Photo by Lance Armstrong
Paranormal investigator Paul Dale Roberts utilizes a pair of dowsing rods during the recent investigation in south Sacramento.
Roberts commented, “If she wasn’t possessed, she was a damn good actress.” Toward the end of his last interview for this series, Roberts expressed appreciation for his opportunity to share his life adventures with Valley Community Newspapers. And he added, “If you see a Kia Forte – aka the Rusty Anomaly – with ghost hunting car magnets on the car doors in your neighborhood, don’t be alarmed it’s only the ‘Demon Warrior’ making sure that your neighborhood is safe from any paranormal activity.” Roberts’ paranormal stories can be read at www. jazmaonline.com and he can be contacted through the paranormal hotline: (916) 203-7503.
www.valcomnews.com • December 26, 2013 • The Land Park News
23
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