Pocket News 5-5-2023

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By Lance Armstrong vcneditor@gmail.com

The Sacramento Camellia Show, one of the city’s longest running events, will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year in a different venue: the Scottish Rite Masonic Center.

That facility, which features 9,900 square feet of event space, is located at 6151 H St., just north of California State University, Sacramento.

With demands for a larger venue to present their centennial show, officers of the Camellia Society of Sacramento began a search that resulted in their plans to relocate from the smaller, 6,700-squarefoot event space at Sacramento Elk Lodge No. 6.

The show was first held at the lodge in 2020, after the society ended its longtime annual arrangement with the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.

Shortly after presenting its show at the lodge in that year, the COVID-19 stay-at-home order was issued. The pandemic also led to the cancellation of the society’s 2021 show.

Julie Vierra, the society’s president, spoke about her organization’s decision to depart from the Elks lodge.

“The board and our group, we just decided we wanted to make (the show) bigger and better,” she said. “We wanted the flower arrangers in

the same room with us. Also, our (Camellia) Photo Contest (which was held from 2010 to 2017) is coming back.

“We were pretty packed in there, between the flowers and the (show) button contest, the Matsuyama (sister city) people, and the raffle and everything. We kind of outgrew (the lodge) this year.”

Vierra added that the society is already experiencing a lot of positive pressure to create a show for 2024 that is worthy of its centennial.

The society is currently seeking artwork from artists for its button contest.

Although those entering the contest do not need to reside in Sacramento, they must not be professional artists.

The artwork selected for the 2024 button will also be used for the event’s T-shirts, hats and other promotional items.

Also planned for next year’s show will be the arrival of artist David Peterson and his small group of artists who will draw pictures at the event. Those pictures will later be judged in various categories for awards.

Vierra mentioned that the show’s board is considering inviting former Camellia Festival queens and princesses to participate in the event.

“(They) can maybe come down and hobnob with everybody,” she said.

About 70 people enter camellias each year in the capital city’s Camellia Show, and with a larger venue for 2024, there will be plenty of space to add to that number.

Presented every March, the Sacramento Camellia Show is the last remaining remnant of the Sac-

3 and 1/2

Photo courtesy of the Lance Armstrong Collection

ramento Camellia Festival, which was held every March from 1955 to 1993.

Prior to the establishment of that festival, Sacramento’s first Camellia Show was held at David Lubin School (now David Lubin Elementary School) at 3700 K St.

Continuing the Sacramento Camellia Show each year is not an easy task, Vierra noted.

“It’s really important and it’s getting harder and harder every year, because not a lot of young kids garden,” she said. “This year, we picked up four new members and they’re all younger than we are. So, we’re so excited. And they’re excited.

“One couple actually came down to the Nor Cal meeting to put their camellias in. So, we’ve got them hooked, you know? (One of them said), ‘We didn’t realize how easy this is and how much fun it is and how much fun you people are.’

“We’re hoping we can pull in

some more people that love to garden, because I don’t have just camellias in my yard. I have roses, hydrangeas, iris(es). I’ve got everything growing in my yard. So, it’s a garden thing, and we just hope more people come down and realize how much fun it is to compete and get to meet some of the members, because we are a fun group.”

Asked what she thought about celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Sacramento Camellia Show,

Vierra responded, “We’ll never do it again.”

“That’s why we wanted to make it bigger and better this coming year,” she said. “It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Not a lot of garden clubs last this long. And because it’s Sacramento, it’s a special place. The (official) flower of (the city of ) Sacramento is the camellia, and we just want to make it fun and have more people.”

Next year’s show is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3.

For additional information about the Camellia Society of Sacramento and their show, visit the website, www.CamelliaSocietyofSacramento.org, call (916) 371-2174, or write to j4sfgiants@sbcglobal.net.

Photo by Lance Armstrong

The camellia is the city of Sacramento’s official flower.

Photo by Lance Armstrong Camellias adorn a table at the Sacramento Camellia Show at the Memorial Auditorium in 2017.

Photo courtesy of the Camellia Society of Sacramento

Jackie Randall, chairperson of the Camellia Photo Contest, is pictured at the contest’s winner’s table at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium in 2015. The contest, which has not been held since 2017, will return next year.

Civil War Days coming to Elk Grove May 6-7

By Lance Armstrong vcneditor@gmail.com

The 3rd annual Civil War Days will be held at the Mahon Ranch in Elk Grove on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7.

This event will be presented by the Elk Grove Historical Society, the Linda Mae Mahon

Lema Foundation, the Native Sons of the Golden West, and the Mahon Ranch, which is located at 10171 Grant Line Road.

The hours of this event are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

As an action-filled attraction, the event will include Civil War battle reenactments

with muskets and cannon firings, horses and encampments.

More than 200 Union and Confederate army reenactors will participate in this event.

Jim Entrican of the Elk Grove Historical Society mentioned that a special feature for this year’s event will be performances by actor Robert Frank Broski as President Abraham Lincoln. He will give the Gettysburg address.

“Well, we think this guy is a pretty authentic Lincoln,” he said. “He’s 6-foot-something high, he’s got the beard, he’s got the demeanor. He’s going to be a great speaker.”

Also making an appearance will be Nancy Whittle as Harriet Tubman.

Tubman was an abolitionist and social activist who served as a Union scout during the Civil War. She was also active in the Underground Railroad, to help Southern slaves escape to the north into freedom.

While Broski will perform

both Saturday and Sunday, Whittle will only make an appearance on Saturday.

Whittle will be joined by a reenactor portraying Sojourner Truth, who was very active in getting freed slaves to fight in the war with the Union.

Entrican mentioned that guests of this event should also be on the lookout for a reenactor portraying Ulysses S. Grant, the Union Army’s commanding general who led his troops to victory against the Confederate Army in the Civil War.

“It’s a rumor that Ulysses (S.) Grant is going to come in for a secret meeting with Lincoln, and he’s going to inspect his Union troops before the Deer Creek battle,” he said.

This year, there will be many more reenactors at this event, Entrican noted.

“The Union camp this year will be increased to almost 100 troops, and it will be maybe two or three times bigger than it was (at) the other two

events,” he said. “The South, the Confederate, they also have an increase in the number of people coming. As this (event) gets bigger every year, more and more people travel

Photo by Steve Crowley

Civil War Days will be held at the Mahon Ranch in Elk Grove this weekend, May 6 and 7. The event will feature more than 200 Union and Confederate army reenactors.

Photo courtesy of the Elk Grove Historical Society Robert Frank Broski will portray President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War Days event at the Mahon Ranch in Elk Grove on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7.

See CIVIL WAR on page 12

schools

By Lance Armstrong vcneditor@gmail.com

Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon told this paper last week that his life in Sacramento began nearly a half century ago when he and his wife, Deborah, purchased their South Land Park home.

“We bought a house for $37,500,” he said. “And my inlaws loaned us the down payment, and we paid them back and we still live in the same house. We arrived (to reside in that house) in June of 1973. We had come out and bought it a little earlier, in April or May. So, it was ready to move in(to) in June.”

Despite the many changes in his life since he moved to California’s capital city, Gordon is somewhat amazed that he will soon celebrate 50 years as a Sacramentan.

“You know, it doesn’t seem that long, I’ll tell you,” he said. Having spent the majority of his life residing in Sacramento, Gordon still reminisces about his days growing up in New York, long before he would build a storied career in education.

“I grew up in Manhattan, in New York City, in the 1950s and 1960s,” he said. “It was a bit of a tumultuous time. We lived with my grandfather for a time and he was a politician and a judge and a community leader in the Jewish community. He actually ran for mayor in 1945, before I was born.”

Gordon mentioned that he was raised by Julius and Beatrice Gordon, who adopted him as their only child. Julius was an accountant and Beatrice was an elementary school teacher and artist.

While growing up, Gordon was quite tall for his age, he noted.

“I was always unusually big

a

a lot about a lot of things (by) riding my bike places and riding the subway. So, it was a wonderful

place to grow up and learn.”

He also noted that he became

for my age,” he said. “So, I was close to 6 feet (tall) at like 12 years old. The nice part of that is that I played a lot of sports, but also my parents didn’t worry about my safety, because I was pretty big.”

Gordon recalled his early adventures of traveling from place to place in New York City.

“I had a bike and I had enough money to get on the subway, so I could sort of go anywhere I wanted,” he said. “And I learned

Florin Road (adjacent to Kennedy High in Greenhaven/Pocket)

community loving Christ, building disciples,

Photo by Lance Armstrong

South Land Park resident David W. Gordon, who serves as Sacramento County superintendent of schools, sits in his office inside the Sacramento County Office of Education headquarters on the former grounds of Mather Air Force Base.

Gordon

Continued from page 5

an avid reader during his childhood, with history being one of his favorite topics.

As a young athlete, Gordon grew up playing pickup basketball and baseball games in sandlots and local parks with a lot of really good players.

“I pretty much concentrated on baseball (in high school) and when I first got there, they started asking me, ‘Have you played organized ball?’

“Now organized ball to a lot of these kids who came from the parts of the city that were more like suburbs, it was being on a traveling team or Little League

team or whatever. And I hadn’t played organized ball. So, I got scoffed at a little bit until we started playing.”

Gordon attended The Bronx High School of Science, a threeyear, specialized high school that he commuted to and from by subway, an hour and a half each way.

During his high school years, Gordon held a variety of jobs, including working in the city’s garment district, as well as in food service as a busboy and waiter.

Gordon said that his earlier working experiences provided him with a “good sense of a work ethic and what it took to be part of a working team.”

After graduating from high school in 1963 when he was 16 years old, due to skipping a grade in middle school, Gordon attended Brandeis University, a small, liberal arts institution in the Boston area.

Gordon mentioned that this university was founded by the Jewish community in the 1940s, and that it is especially memorable to him as the place where he met Deborah, who, like Gordon, was then majoring in political science.

They were married in 1967 and will celebrate their 56th anniversary on Aug. 27.

After graduating from Brandeis University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1968, Gordon spent several

years teaching before beginning his graduate school studies. He attended Harvard University, where he earned a master’s degree in education in 1971, and then he was offered a fellowship to go into the doctoral program.

While in that program, the Gordons welcomed their first child, Jennifer.

Gordon, who ultimately earned a certificate of advanced study in educational administration at Harvard in 1972, recalled his introduction to California.

“(In 1969), we had gone on a vacation when I was a teacher,” he said. “We had taken a whole summer off and we crossed the country. We camped in national parks mostly, and we passed through California. I had never

been to California.”

Gordon noted that as a fan of the New York Mets baseball team, the only downfall to the trip was that he missed watching the “Miracle Mets,” who after seven losing seasons unexpectedly won 100 games and beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

“They crafted their miracle with us on the road,” he said.

With his education completed, Gordon began seeking new employment. He made the decision to decline job offers on the East Coast and accept an offer from the California State Department of Education in Sacramento.

Photo courtesy of David W. Gordon David W. Gordon is pictured with his wife, Deborah, and their grandchildren, left to right, Claire, Emma and Natalie Stoecklein, in 2014.

Photo courtesy of David W. Gordon As an honor given to him as a Sacramento Kings season ticket holder since 1985, David W. Gordon rings the Kings Bell before the team’s final 2022-23 regular season home game at the Golden 1 Center on April 7.

At that time, Gordon and his wife were awaiting their second child, Brian.

Gordon noted that he traveled to the Golden State without his family in a newly purchased used Volvo car that was filled with many items and had no license plates.

“So, here I’m a young guy driving, I’ve got another 2,000 miles to go and my car looks like I just robbed somebody’s house,” he said. “So, I got stopped probably six times and I had cops coming up with their guns drawn, you know, thinking, ‘Boy, who is this guy?’”

Gordon added that he and his wife would grow to love Sacramento.

“We really fell in love with Sacramento,” he said. “It was a diverse community, which was important to us, because that’s where I’d grown up and in the city, and it was affordable. It

was safe and it was a really great place to raise kids.”

Altogether, Gordon spent 17 years working for the state Department of Education, first under Superintendent Wilson Riles for about nine years, followed by Bill Honig, who replaced Riles in that position.

Riles opted to run for the U.S. Senate in the 1982 election, instead of attempting to serve a fourth term as the state superintendent of schools.

After serving as the associate superintendent and the deputy superintendent on separate occasions, in 1991, Gordon was recruited by Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) Superintendent Bob Trigg to serve as the assistant superintendent of that school district.

Gordon was initially hired by Trigg to serve as the assistant superintendent for elementary schools.

“When I got there, there were not a lot of schools,” he said. “The district hadn’t had the mass of

growth that occurred while I was superintendent. But there were 15, 16 elementary schools.”

The EGUSD currently includes 43 elementary schools.

Following the retirement of Trigg in 1995, Gordon applied for the Elk Grove superintendent position, and at the same time, he applied for the superintendent position in a smaller district in San Joaquin County, and the director of the California Inter scholastic Federation (CIF), the state’s governing body for high school sports.

was offered, but turned down the CIF job and the superin

tendent position in San Joaquin County.

“I had two good job offers and no job,” he said. “I was hanging out and all of the other candidates for the superintendent job in Elk Grove were experienced superintendents, some of them from high-profile districts, and I figured, well, what I can I do? Do the best I can. And so, they chose

He mentioned that a large part of his interest in that position was that it gave him a different opportunity: “to serve all of the school districts in the county.”

Gordon said that as the superintendent, he is working with his office on the continuous effort to “figure out how to do these things

“I’m really impressed with the team we have here and a lot of the innovations we’re working on are pretty fragile, because the conventional systems that we

See GORDON on page

Photo by Lance Armstrong David W. Gordon addresses attendees of Sacramento County History Day at Inderkum High School last month.

Photo courtesy of David W. Gordon

David W. Gordon is pictured with the Israel-born Sacramento Kings player Omri Casspi in 2009.

Cottage Mart neighborhood market opens beer, wine bar

By Joe Perfecto

At 51st and V streets in the Elmhurst neighborhood stands a decidedly vintage-looking building with a weathered Spanish tile roof and two wide, arched windows holding large signboards that advertise beer, wine, cigars, espresso, sandwiches and snacks.

At the entranceway is a security door, which is held open by a bungee cord. The door sports a 1960s oval, tin sign, which reads, “Rainbo is Good Bread.”

From all appearances, the place looks to be a good, oldfashioned neighborhood grocery store – and that it is. But more than that, it’s a real piece of history, a portal to the past.

Purpose-built as a neighbor-

hood grocery store, the structure has operated under various names and ownerships for many decades.

Such stores trace their roots

to the first New England settlements. From the earliest days of this country’s colonial period through the many decades of westward expansion that fol-

lowed, trading posts and general stores sprang up to serve the population clusters that increasingly dotted the map.

As pioneer enclaves grew in both number and size and became established, such businesses evolved into emporiums – typically found in larger cities – and smaller shops, such as the archetypal “mom-and-pop” grocers, which were present in communities of all sizes.

In Sacramento, for example, through much of the 20th century, most neighborhoods were served by numerous small stores, and it was not uncommon to find them situated within a few blocks of each other, or to even see several on the same city

But as the now-ubiquitous “supermarket” – and the shopping malls in which many were located – began to emerge from coast to coast, the small neighborhood shop began to disappear from the urban landscape, and today a happenstance sighting isn’t very common.

But while the presence of mom-and-pop stores has vastly diminished, as compared to that of just a few generations ago, the importance of such still existing

In many smaller communities and in economically-depressed parts of numerous urban areas, they are still a necessity for local residents, and their traditional role is essentially unchanged.

In other areas, they provide neighbors a convenient means of grabbing a few items, as opposed to trekking to the nearest big-box store.

There’s also the social connection that developed between patrons and proprietors – not just by virtue of repeated contact, but as traditionally grocers lived behind or above their shops, customer and shopkeeper were literally neighbors.

This holds true for Cottage Mart, owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team, Chandrasen “Eugene” and Kiran Dass, who live just five blocks from the store.

When the Dasses acquired the market in 1984, they had been running Gene’s Market in Colonial Heights for six years.

What drew them to Cottage Mart was its ample storage space, something the diminutive Gene’s sorely lacked. The new site could be used to stock both stores.

Gene’s closed in 2007. The Dasses demolished it and erected a four-bedroom house in its place.

At first glance, there’s not much to distinguish Cottage Mart from the average mom-andpop market, aside perhaps from the fact that the store actually is run by a mom and pop – twice over, really, since they’re grandparents.

The inventory on the shelves

Vang

Photos by Joe Perfecto Cottage Mart owner Chandrasen “Eugene” Dass sits at Cottage Mart’s bar.

A bartender peers forward while patrons of the bar sit with glasses of white wine.

Continued

is a typical mix of sundries, food items, housewares, snacks, beverages – both hard and soft – and a small assortment of cheap toys.

Near the register, there’s a freezer full of ice cream products and assorted frozen confections. A glass case holds a variety of items such as baklava, “pistachio delight” and squares of assorted kinds of cake.

There’s also an espresso station offering the usual fare, including frappés and herbal teas. The deli menu, however, is not so typical, as in addition to the standard range of hot and cold sandwiches, a few house-made Indian and Pakistani dishes are available. Those dishes include veggie pakora and samosas, aloo gobi, chana masala and chicken tikka masala, all of which are quite popular with customers.

Beyond the deli menu, what makes this market stand out is a small, adjacent, fenced-in patio full of small flowers and lush greenery, which is largely shielded from the nearby road intersection by shrubs. The Zen-like space is an ideal spot for customers to cool their heels while having a beverage and a bit of a nosh.

Prior to the Dasses’ ownership of the site, this was a partdirt, part-blacktop patch that customers used for parking.

However, for many years, those wishing to enjoy an adult beverage with their food were out of luck, as the patio could only be accessed via the sidewalk in front of the store, and doing so would have violated Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations. This finally changed with the completion of this market’s latest addition: a beer and wine bar inside the store.

The family had wanted to install some type of bar for years. Eugene had actually envisioned a coffee shop, while his daughter, Danielle, lobbied for a wine bar.

When an antique wooden bar became available after Roxy Restaurant & Bar closed last year, Eugene snapped it up, and as the piece was far more suited to a wine and beer bar than to a coffee shop, Eugene decided to go with Danielle’s concept.

The bar piece is a great mirrored, pillared, wooden behemoth, dating to 1909, that Roxy sourced from Louisiana. It was placed at the back wall of what until then had been used as storage space for supplies and a

pingpong table. And in the fall of last year, construction of the bar space commenced.

After six months of construction and chasing permits, at long last the day came – April 1 to be exact – to open the swinging saloon doors, literally, to the tippling public.

A few patrons filtered in for the grand opening a bit before the official start time of 2:30 p.m. to beat the rush and enjoy the quietude of the moment –which proved to be short-lived,

as it didn’t take long for many more to pour in and fill the space to capacity.

At some point, a representative of the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce appeared with a big, red ribbon – presumably accompanied by some sort of cutting implement – and, indeed, some sort of ceremony may have occurred. But due to the wall-towall crowd – which spilled out into the small, al fresco seating area behind the building – and accompanying cacophony, it was difficult to see or hear what was happening.

When the closing time of 5:30 p.m. rolled around, the festivities were unsurprisingly still rollick-

ing at full steam, and Eugene had to announce to the disappointed crowd that the party was, in fact, over.

In the week following the overwhelmingly successful first day, although the conditions were less hectic, numerous customers availed themselves of the opportunity to have some chow and throw back one or two at the bar.

There’s likely enough local interest to keep the enterprise afloat, judging by one brief interaction that transpired during this publication’s interview with Eugene in the bar area.

Cottage Mart’s outdoor patio serves as backdrop for Cottage Mart owners Chandrasen “Eugene” and Kiran Dass and a young helper.

Cottage Mart is located at 2130 51st St. in the Elmhurst neighborhood.

Del Rio Trail project continues to progress

Although a wet start to 2023 postponed trail grading work for the Del Rio Trail project, the contractor made good progress on form work for the Land Park Underpass widening over Interstate 5. It will add a 12-foot, bicycle and pedestrian overhang path to the south side of the bridge structure. The nighttime lane closures to install the form work are now complete.

Library launches new speaker series

The Sacramento Public Library will present its new Enter the Chat speaker series, featuring Hilton Als, Ear Hustle podcast hosts, and Ann Bannon.

This series consists of three separate events at the Central Library’s Library Galleria at 828 I St.

Ear Hustle

May 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

With more than 60 million

downloads, Ear Hustl e is one of the most popular podcasts in history. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, podcast co-hosts and coauthors of “This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life,” will share stories of the daily realities of life inside San Quentin State Prison and outside post-incarceration.

This event will be moderated by

See SPEAKER on page 13

Earth work will commence once the ground has dried out. From now through mid-May, the contractor will be working on the following:

Removing fences, debris and other miscellaneous encroachments from the project corridor, and installing rebar on the Land Park Underpass overhang widening.

Sometime late in the week of April 10, preliminary ground preparation near the south end of the bridge, just east of Riverside Boulevard, began. Also scheduled for that time period was grading work on the trail alignment between River-

side Boulevard and Sutterville Road, and the demolition of the existing Willow Slough railroad bridge, a small wooden trestle structure south of Charlie Jensen Park. That structure will be replaced with a modern, prefabricated steel truss bridge.

Important reminder: no public through-access on the project

alignment is permitted during construction.

Construction notification signage is installed throughout the project and at each trail entrance, from each roadway intersection.

For project updates, visit the website, www.DelRioTrailConstruction.org.

Photos courtesy of city of Sacramento

Photo by Rivkah Gevinson Pulitzer Prize-winning essayist and author Hilton Als is among the featured speakers of the Sacramento

the Central Library’s

the dog seeks new home

“Hello, my name is Carnitas. I am a male, brown-and-white pit bull who was brought to the Front Street Animal Shelter as a stray on Feb. 28. I am about 3 and a half years old and I weigh about 62 pounds.

Previously, I lived in a foster home for a little while, and my foster parents said that I was the smartest boy and appeared to be potty trained and crate trained.

Although I love people, I don’t always get along with other dogs. However, with patience, I may be able to live with other dogs.

Perhaps I might whine a little at first, but I will sleep through the night and I will stay in a crate without issue when left alone.

I know the “sit” command, and my foster family is sure that I could learn a bunch of other tricks, because I love food.

A community member has paid for my adoption fee, so it would be free to adopt me.

To meet me, make sure I’m still available at www.FrontStreetShelter.org, then ask for me at the shelter from noon to 5 p.m. seven days a week. My animal identification number is A658196.”

The Land Park Volunteer Corps (LPVC) will hold its 100th Park Work Day on May 6, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Put on your gardening gear and join the Land Park Volunteer Corps.

This group meets at its “base camp,” which is located behind Fairytale Town, 3901 Land Park Drive, in William Land Park.

There will be free coffee and pastries for extra energy, as well as a complimentary barbecue lunch for all hardworking volunteers. All

you need to do is wear your gardening gear and show up.

This is a great opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise while supporting William Land Park. It’s also perfect for students needing a few extra volunteer hours for the month.

LPVC hosts its Park Work Day once a month from March through November.

For more information about this organization and its Park Work Day event, visit www. Facebook.com/LandParkVolunteerCorps.

Sacramento Elks Lodge No. 6, on behalf of the CaliforniaHawaii Elks Association, is offering vocational grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 for the first year.

There is an option to renew for a second year to anyone residing in the Sacramento area who is a citizen of the United States and planning to pursue an eligible vocational/technical course resulting in a certificate or two-year degree and leading to employment opportunities.

To fill out the application,

visit www.chea-elks.org.

The program is open to male and female applicants, who will be judged on an equal basis. While graduating high school seniors may apply, it is not limited to high school students – in fact, it is open to all prospective students who require training or retraining to compete in the workplace.

The vocational grant is for one academic year, with an option to renew for one additional academic year. This grant may be used only for usual and required

costs of a student’s course of study; that is, for tuition and fees, room and board (if living on campus) and books and supplies. Payment will be made to the school. Awards will be between $500 and $2,000 for an academic year, depending on the length of the course.

The definition of an eligible program shall be comparable to that contained in the federal vocational legislation. That is defined as a two-year or less vo-

Carnitas celebrates Easter with one of her friends at the Front Street Animal Shelter.

Photos courtesy of Front Street Animal Shelter Carnitas is a brown-and-white pit bull. His animal identification number is A658196.

Civil War

Continued from page 4

from far distances to have the reenactment.”

Other highlights of the event will be various vendor booths, including the Native Sons of the Golden West wine tasting booth. That booth will feature wine from five local wineries.

Additionally, David Lema, of the Linda Mae Mahon Lema Foundation, will present podcasts pertaining to California veterans who fought in the Civil War.

Saturday’s event schedule includes a dress formation at 10 a.m. and battle scenarios at 1 and 3:30 p.m.

The schedule for Sunday includes an old-time church service at 10 a.m. and a battle scenario at 1 p.m.

Individual admission for this event is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Parking at the site is free.

For additional information about Civil War Days at the Mahon Ranch, visit the website, www.CWDElkGrove. com.

Gordon

Continued from page 7

have are often hard to move and hard to change, not impossible to change,” he said.

“But I just love the people that I work with, and just seeking ways to do this work better and make the systems work better is a challenge that is exciting to me.”

In addition to his dedication to his career, Gordon noted that he is a devoted family man, who has six grandchildren.

“Family to us is the heart of the matter,” he said. “It’s our source of joy, and our relationships with our kids and our grandkids is paramount for us.”

Along with his wife, Gordon is an active member of Congregation B’nai Israel in Land Park.

He has also been a Sacramento Kings season ticket holder since the team’s inaugural season: the 1985-86 season.

Gordon told this paper that he has been very impressed with the success of the team this season.

“I give a lot of credit to the

Riverlake Halfplex

general manager and the coach, because I know from running large organizations that creating that positive winning culture, where the individuals working there are supporting one another, it’s huge,” he said. “It’s the difference between a high-functioning team and an average team. And it’s really nice to see. So, anyway, we’re really excited about the playoffs.”

Gordon mentioned that he is grateful for his nearly 50 years of experiences in Sacramento.

“I’m just so grateful for all of the people I’ve come to know, and the opportunities that I’ve had, and, most of all, for my family,” he said.

“There have been great times and hard times and we’ve worked through them all together, and I just feel blessed and grateful for Sacramento and for being here and our family being here. And I think most of them will say the same thing. And go Kings!”

Women’s fitness festival coming to downtown Sacramento June 4

Gather your mothers, daughters, sisters and friends and register today for the Kaiser Permanente Women’s Fitness Festival.

The event will be held on June 4 on 9th Street, between L Street and Capitol Mall. This is a one-of-a-kind, all-women’s event that includes medals and a beautiful race T-shirt for 5K and 10K finishers.

Participants of the Princess ½-Mile Fun Run receive a medal.

After the event, there will be a breakfast and celebration with friends in the mimosa garden. Complimentary health screenings will be available at the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Pavilion.

To register, visit www.RaceRoster.com, and search for the “Kaiser Permanente Women’s Fitness Festival.”

Photo courtesy of Elk Grove Historical Society

Reenactor Nancy Whittle will make an appearance as Harriet Tubman at the Civil War Days event at Elk Grove’s Mahon Ranch on Saturday, May 6. Tubman was an abolitionist and social activist who served as a Union scout during the Civil War.

Speaker

Continued from page 10

Alyssa Mack, attorney and adjunct professor at University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. She teaches federal habeas corpus and mentors aspiring public defenders.

Hilton Als

May 18, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Hilton Als, Pulitzer Prize-winning essayist and author and Joan Didion superfan, will chat with Sacramento-based curator Faith J. McKinnie about Als’ most recent work on Joan Didion and her lasting impact.

Elks 6

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cational/technical program culminating in a terminal associate’s degree, diploma or certificate, but less than a bachelor’s degree. Students planning to transfer to a four-year school to pursue a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply.

Examples of courses approved recently are six-month police academy, 13-month cosmetology, three-month electrical line worker, 13-month veterinary technology, and two-year fire science.

A student must plan to attend school on a full-time basis

Ann Bannon

June 22, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Ann Banno n , Sacramentobased award-winning author and pioneer in gay and lesbian fiction, will chat about LGBTQIA literature, how her work has endured for more than 60 years, and her thoughts on recent censorship challenges in schools and libraries.

For additional information about this speaker series, visit www.SacLibrary.org/EntersTheChat.

Cottage

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A store customer walked up and asked if the bar was open, and was told it was open.

“Awesome!” he replied. “Beer and wine, huh? I’ll be here one of these days. I’ll do a taste test of all the beers you have.”

His voice trailed off as he made his way to the front of the store.

In truth, it wouldn’t take long to sample all the beers and all the wines, as they’re modest in number. The bar offers just four taps; at present Modelo Mexican lager, Oak Park Brewing Mystic Cloud Hazy IPA and Track 7 Panic IPA are on hand. A Two Rivers hard cider is on the way.

There is no room for expansion, but the beer selection will change if there’s demand.

and the hours – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and qo a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays –are limited by both necessity and design.

Practically speaking, there’s just not enough storage space for a wider range of products. Also, the closing times are uncharacteristically early for a bar. But then, Cottage Mart is first and foremost a store.

for a minimum of 60 days. An academic year is determined to be a minimum of nine months (about 39 weeks) of continuous full-time study.

Payments may not be used to cover retroactive charges and may only be applied to expenses in the academic year.

Applications for Sacramento residents must be filed with the scholarship chairman, exalted ruler, or secretary of Sacramento Elks Lodge No. 6 at 6446 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95831. An application may only be filed with one lodge.

For additional information, call (916) 422-6666.

Eugene chose the beers, but per his own admission, he knows nothing about wine. The small wine list was curated by Danielle, who is said to be quite the oenophile.

Selections currently include a DAOU chardonnay, a Pine Ridge sparkling chenin blanc-viognier blend, a Substance pinot noir, an Alexander Valley Vineyards zinfandel, and a Klinker Brick Winery cabernet.

Both the beverage selection

The bar component – just like the store itself – is intended as a convenience for customers, whether they live nearby, work at the sprawling University of California, Davis Medical Center just up the street, or are just passing by. It’s meant to be an asset to the area and not a source of problems, Eugene noted.

“I’ve been here 39 years and we wanted to keep the neighborhood nice,” Eugene said. “We don’t want to get too rowdy (of) people

coming, so we are happy with the hours.”

Those limitations notwithstanding, anyone who’s feeling a little pyaasa – the Hindi word for thirsty – could do worse than to start off the evening with Eugene and company by grabbing a little tikka masala and sidling up to the bar at this historic spot in a little corner of Elmhurst.

Early arrivals line the bar counter during the grand opening of Cottage Mart’s beer and wine bar on April 1.

Red ribbon in hand, an East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce representative addresses the assembled patrons at the Cottage Mart on April 1.