Pocket News - March 3, 2017

March 3, 2017 | www.valcomnews.com

Pock e t News — BRINGING YOU COMMUNITY NEWS FOR 26 YEARS —

POCKET HOUSE TURNS 100 YEARS OLD See page 3

Police Logs ..................................................2 Arts ..............................................................7 What’s Happening..................................... 17 Home Improvement ............................... 18 Classifieds .................................................. 19

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Dr. Seuss birthday celebration to be held at Pocket Library on Saturday, March 4

Inside the “Diary of a Fast Food Worker”

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Police Log Compiled by: Monica Stark

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The news items below are collected from police dispatchers’ notes and arrest reports. The information in them has often not been verified beyond the initial reports. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Reporting date: Feb. 14 (Suspicious subject): 5600 block of Gilgunn Way at 1818 hours.

Officers responded for a report of a subject trespassing on the roof. Officers arrived and detained the suspect who appeared to be under the influence. The suspect was arrested for drunk in public and taken to jail as he would not provide his name.

Reporting date: Feb. 17 (Robbery): 500 block of Rivergate Way at 4:28 a.m.

The victim arrived at the above location to meet a female. A male subject appeared and demanded money at gunpoint. The victim fled from the suspect, nothing was taken in the robbery. A report was generated and the investigation remains active.

Nick LaPlaca 764-7500

(Hit and Run vehicle accident): Lelandhaven Way / Riverside Blvd at 12:22 p.m.

Officers responded for a hit and run vehicle accident. Officers arrived and contacted the party on scene. It was determined the vehicle that fled collided with the vehicle on scene

and had forced it off the roadway into a tree and light pole.

The driver of the remaining vehicle was transported to the hospital for injuries. Officers took a hit and run report.

tending to a marijuana grow when numerous subjects started to get into the outbuilding on the property that contained a marijuana grow in its early stages. The suspects made entry into the building (Suspicious Device): 3000 before they were scared off. A block of Freeport Boulevard at report was generated and the 1:13 p.m. investigation remains active.

Officers responded to the location for a suspicious device (Warrant Arrest): 7300 block that was located in a bath- of Amherst Street at 9:04 a.m. room on the property. A par- Officers responded to the tial evacuation was done and address which was a vacant the device was isolated. The house. Officers received inBomb Unit responded to ren- formation that two subjects der the device safe. It was arrived on bicycles and potendetermined the device was tially entered the house. Ofinoperable. ficers contacted a subject in the house and found him to Reporting date: Feb. 18 have a felony warrant. He (Robbery Arrest): 3800 block was booked at jail for the outof Florin Road at 4:07 p.m. standing warrant.

Officers were dispatched to a business regarding a subject Reporting date: Feb. 25 who was fighting with em- (Structure Fire): 7000 block ployees after attempting to of Westmoreland Way at shoplift merchandise. While 4:52 p.m. responding to the scene, offi- While patrolling the area, an cers spotted a man matching officer came upon a residenthe suspect description and tial structure fire where occudetained him. After further pants of the home were seen investigation, officers deter- running from the home. The mined the detained man was officer quickly learned that an the suspect in the incident elderly woman was still inside and arrested him on robbery the home. The officer entered charges and violation of his the engulfed home where he probation terms. located the woman in a back bedroom. The officer helped Reporting date: Feb. 20 the woman exit to safety as (Burglary): 1700 block of Flo- fire personnel were arriving on rin Road at 6:59 p.m. scene to combat the now enOfficers responded to a bur- gulfed home. Fire personnel glary. The victims were at- took over control of the scene.

24 Hour Info @ www.NickLaPlaca.com

Pocket News

Pancake Breakfast At Greenhaven Estates

w w w. va l c o m n e w s . c o m E-mail stories & photos to: editor@valcomnews.com Pocket News is published on the first and third Fridays of the month in the area bounded by Interstate 5 on the east and the Sacramento River on the north, west, and south.

Publisher...................................................................David Herburger Editor............................................................................... Monica Stark

Vol. XXVI • No. 5 2709 Riverside Blvd.

Sacramento, CA 95818 t: (916) 429-9901 f: (916) 429-9906

Art Director.......................................................................John Ochoa Graphic Designer..................................................Annin Greenhalgh Advertising Director................................................... Jim O’Donnell Advertising Executives: Melissa Andrews, Steve Crowley, Linda Pohl Copyright 2017 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Pocket News • March 3, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Cover photo by: Lance Armstrong Other photos: Courtesy Courtesy

Please Join us for an informational breakfast as we chat with the experts about the effects of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Come prepared to enjoy a wonderful meal, view our lovely community and have all of your questions answered.

When: March 4, 2017 at 10:00 AM Where: 7548 Greenhaven Dr. Sacramento CA 95831 Greenhaven Estates 7548 Greenhaven Dr • Sacramento, CA 95831 Phone: (916) 427-8887 • Fax: (916) 427-8904 marketing@greenhavenassistedliving.com Copyright © 2016 by Uhlig LLC. All rights reserved.

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Pocket house turns 100 years old

By Lance Armstrong lance@valcomnews.com

One of the Pocket’s historic homes from the days when the area was rich with Portuguese residents and their families is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Built for Albert Joseph Rodgers and Annie Josephine (Silva) Rodgers in 1917, this small, Craftsman-style bungalow is located on the southern end of the Pocket, a mile north of Garcia Bend Park.

This historic house, which has maintained the majority of its original features, is located on a portion of what was formerly an 18-acre parcel owned by Albert Joseph’s father, Albert Mendes Rodgers.

The eldest Albert purchased that land in 1880 and had a house constructed on that property for himself and his wife, Rose Neves, about a year later. That home, which was expanded in the early 1900s, still stands on this historic land today.

The purchase price of the rectangular-shaped property, which originally extended across the old Riverside Road (now Pocket Road), was $1,800.

Albert Joseph, who was born in his parents’ c. 1881 house, was married to West Sacramento native Annie Josephine Silva in 1912.

They eventually raised four children in the featured 1917 home, which borders part of the eastern levee of the Sacramento River. Those children were Albert Anna, Albert Joseph II, Emily Marie and John Mendes.

Albert Joseph I, who died at the age of 92 in 1977, and his wife, who died

Photo by Lance Armstrong

Built for Albert Joseph Rodgers and Annie Josephine (Silva) Rodgers, this Pocket area house was built a century ago.

at the age of 89 in 1974, were no longer living in the house by the 1960s.

But the structure continued to remain in the family’s name, and was occupied by John Mendes from the 1960s to 2005.

One of the house’s current owners, Kathryn(Stordahl) Favila is the granddaughter of the home’s original owners. Her mother was Albert Joseph I and Annie’s aforementioned daughter, Alberta.

Kathryn resides in the 1917 house with her husband, Jaime, and daughter, Francesca. The couple also has a son named Stefan.

A unique trivia about the home is that it has had only 10 residents in its century-long existence.

However, the home has had a notable number of visitors during that time.

This fact is evident in the location of the house’s back door, Kathryn explained.

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“In Portuguese families, it was really important that there was an entrance into the house into the kitchen,” she said. “It was just a way they built their homes, so that people that came over to visit would come into the kitchen into the heart of the home. So, that’s why in this home I have an entrance into the kitchen and everybody uses that

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Century:

“And knowing that (the c. 1881 house)

Continued from page 3

entrance verses the front door.

“So, as a kid, I never really knew too much about the front door. We always came through the kitchen.”

Another detail about the house is that it was designed by one of Annie’s brothers and was constructed with redwood.

As a Craftsman structure, the home has no hallways.

Altogether it has three bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a parlor, and a large dining room. In the latter room is a dining table that has been in the room since 1931.

The house, which also includes a basement, was built

next door that my great-grandfather built is still there is amazing and I have a great deal of pride about that, too.”

–Kathryn(Stordahl) Favila

about 6 feet off the ground as protection against possible flooding in the area.

When the property for the 1917 house was deeded to Albert Joseph Rodgers, only 13 years had passed since a nearby levee break flooded the Rodgers’ property and the lower portion of their c.

1881 house.

Although she never lived in either of the Rodgers homes

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Albert Joseph Rodgers and Annie Josephine (Silva) Rodgers were married in 1912.

Another feature of the property is a garage that was expanded in about 1920.

Kathryn said that the Rodgers family was part of a very religious community of Portuguese people. “(Religion) was very much ingrained in the Portuguese people (of the Pocket),” she said. “ They had to be Catholic and they went to St. (Maria) Church for everything – church on Sunday, all their baptisms, confirmations, first communions.

And they used the festas (Portuguese religious festi-

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on the property, Kathryn is very familiar with both structures, its residents and the nearby land.

“My great-grandfather, he did some farming out here and a bit of a dairy,” she said. “He did a bit of everything to make it work.

There was a lot of hay out here and my grandfather, Albert Joseph Rodgers, was in the vegetable trucking business. And when he bought this business, he started doing farming (on the property).”

Kathryn said that her mother mentioned the property’s animals, which included pigs, rabbits and chickens.

And she added that her great-grandfather had a smokehouse on his property.

“He smoked all of the Portuguese linguica, all of the sausages,” she said.

As for her grandfather, Kathryn said that he did not farm on his own property for any kind of income-bearing purposes.

“He farmed in West Sacramento,” she said. “He inherited property there. He used to drive over to West Sacramento across the Freeport Bridge every day to go farming over there.”

By that time, Albert Mendes Rodgers had sold 11 of his aforementioned 16 acres.

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vals) and many of the Portuguese holidays to come together to meet with relatives and friends that they hadn’t seen. “ But they all made (religion) a part of their lives. It was very important to them.”

In pondering her family’s 137-year history in this portion of the Pocket, Kathryn expressed her appreciation for the legacy that they built.

“When I think about it, my great-grandfather came over here at 16 in 1865 with nothing, worked real hard, achieved the American Dream, raised a family and gave his children a legacy,” she said.

“And knowing that (the c.

1881 house) next door that my great-grandfather built is still there is amazing and I have a great deal of pride about that, too.”

Kathryn added that she also takes pride in maintaining the former, 1917 home of her grandfather.

“It’s a dream for me and I intend to keep it in the family forever, if I can,” she said.

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Dr. Seuss birthday celebration to be held at Pocket Library on Saturday, March 4

The Pocket Greenhaven Friends of the Library will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss with a Seussical Story Hour on Saturday, March 4 at 11 a.m. The readings will be from award-winning stories and there will be cookies and games to celebrate Dr. Seuss. Celebrity readers include: former Councilmember Robbie Waters, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Vice-Mayor Rick Jennings, State Assemblymember Jim Cooper, Chief of Staff Susan McKee and Library Director Rivkah Sass.

Shown here are file photos from the 2015 Seussical which included Rebecca Talley, Abe Sass, Sass, author JaNay WoodBrown, former Councilmember Robbie Water, Friends President Kathi Windheim, Rebecca Talley, 3. Thing 2 represented

by Larry Aronsen, Thing 1 represented by Kathy Donovan.

The Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library is located at 7335 Gloria Drive. For more information visit saclibrary.org.

Dr. Seuss Recipes “Children want the same things we Probably the most fawant. To laugh, to be challenged, mous Dr. Seuss inspired to be entertained and delighted.” dish! If you can face the –Theodore Geisel thought, simply scramble a few eggs, add a couple of Trying a Dr. Seuss recipe drops of blue or green food or two can be a fun accom- coloring to the mixture and panying activity to reading cook as usual. Serve with a one of the Dr. Seuss books slice of ham. or watching a film. Here are a few suggestions below.

Cat in The Hat Snack

center, then stack up regularly-cut slices of tomato, small snack-size rice cakes and more cream cheese to hold it all together. This hat is actually quite tasty!

The Sweet Version The ideal base for a sweet cat’s hat is a white chocolate covered biscuit. You could also use a circle cut out of Obviously for a cat in the ready-to-roll fonGreen Eggs and Ham hat snack you need, somehow, thickly-cut dant icing, but that would “Do you like green eggs and to create a tall red and white probably be too sweet! Melt ham?” hat! Here are two ideas: some additional white choco“I do not like them, Sam I late and add red food coloram. I do not like green eggs The Savory Version ing, or use ready-to-squeeze and ham.”

Start with a large rice cake red icing to pipe a small cirGreen eggs and ham for lunch! as the base. Spread a little cle in the center of your base.

Not very appealing for adults? cream cheese in a circle in the Pop on a white marshmallow, Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

and another layer of red icing or chocolate. Top with a second marshmallow. If you have used squeezy icing, you might want to pipe a couple of additional red lines around the marshmallows for authenticity.

Wiggly Fish This snack idea was inspired by “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”.

Prepare several different colors of jelly (jello) according to the packet instructions and pour each different flavor into it’s own shallow pan.

Add fruit pieces to the jelly, if you like, before it sets. When

set, use a fish shaped cookie cutter to cut the jelly into fish shapes. These look great on a white plate and are a big hit with the kids!

Pink Ink for the Yink The Yink in “One Fish, Two Fish” love to drink pink ink. Make your own version by combining a few strawberries (either fresh, or frozen and thawed) and some milk in a blender. Add a few drops of red food coloring if the “ink” isn’t pink enough!

Add a scoop of vanilla icecream for a treat. Or just serve strawberry milk.

Source: activityvillage.co.uk

www.valcomnews.com • March 3, 2017 • Pocket News

“40 years of accomplishment” since the flight from Laos Hmong exhibit showcased culture with school community

By Pat Lynch

At the entrance stood a shimmering tree of lights adorned with white tags, each tag featuring a Hmong name. “ This is a Unity Tree,” explained Mai Chee An-

gel Lor. She said the tags were Hmong family names.

“They show how everyone is all connected and related.” Her brother, Anthony Chee Meng Lor, nodded approvingly.

This was the initial display greeting visitors at the first Sacramento Hmong Story and Exhibit ( Hmong Story 40) Feb. 11 through Feb 25 at the Serna Center).

The overall exhibit, impres-

sive and carefully crafted, provided a vivid antidote to what one official called “the ugly verbiage coming out of DC these days.” In contrast, the Hmong event was a positive, flourishing dis-

play where Hmong community members celebrated 40 years of the Hmong presence in America, showcasing Hmong history, art, food and dance.

Beautiful, intricate tapestry was featured everywhere.

Bright and elaborately fashioned costumes were also in abundance, and children performed ceremonial dances and routines that pleased the large audience, especially the parents and family members who craned to see their young on stage.

School Board Trustee Mai Yang Vang, the first elected Hmong official in Sacramento and an event team member, spoke enthusiastically in Hmong and English. Other speakers did the same. This had the effect of making everyone feel welcome, the older Hmong speaking people as well as English speakers who came to see the show. The dual language presentation honored the Hmong language not as merely the old language, but as a persistently dynamic and cherished aspect of Hmong culture.

The program sought, successfully, to integrate past and present, to celebrate the continuum as an old and revered culture adapts to a new country.

After introductory comments Youa Xiong gave an inspiring rendition of the U.S. national anthem, and the large crowd stood and cheered.

Susan B. Anthony Elementary School (from the Hmong Dual Language Program) performed a bi-lingual song and did a dance that also charmed the audience.

A recognition of Chue Bee and Nhia Khang, one of the first Hmong couples to establish a family in the Sacramento region met with appreciative applause.

The chief thrust of the performances and colorful displays was identity. More than one speaker employed the quote, “ The greatest gift See Hmong Culture, page 9

Pocket News • March 3, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Women’s Wisdom Art transforms women’s lives in our community

By Jan Dalske

When Laura Ann Walton founded The Wisdom Project in 1991, as a part of Maryhouse, it was a daytime shelter for homeless women and children. The program was initially designed as an art empowerment program for women who were working to overcome poverty, homelessness, violence, and abuse.

The women formed an artist’s co-op and always donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the art that they created back into the program. Women’s Wisdom ART, what the current program is known as, operated under the wing of The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services from 2000 to 2012.

In June of 2012 Women’s Wisdom ART (WWA) was led by Laura Ann Walton, Helen Plenert, and a small Board of Directors, as well as a large group of volunteers. It operated as a non-profit corporation under the umbrella of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, received additional small grants and depended mostly on private donors. Ms Plenert recently retired after serving as the Program Director for WWA for ten years.

Last year, the organization celebrated a milestone of twenty five years of service to local women. The women they help have experienced some sort of trauma in their lives. The WWA staff members believe that the arts helps enliven and empower. As a result the lives of the women changed and they begin to heal themselves. Arriving at that milestone was a challenge.

The program was slated to be closed down in 2012, as the recession took its toll on funding sources.

But, some very dedicated volunteers and women that had been helped in the program convinced the leadership to keep it going. They kept it going, and helped it to thrive. The past five years were difficult. But, Ms Plenert was determined not to let the program fail.

2016 marked the 25th anniversary for WWA. In June of that year the WWA became Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

an independent 501c3 organization. The artist members now include a diverse range of women from across a broad spectrum. But, they all have two things in common: they are all women and they are all artists. They gather in their community to create art as a way to escape isolation, recover from illness or loss. They forge new friendships and become empowered to transform their own lives and the lives of others in their families and communities.

As a part of their celebration they developed an anthology which includes poems written by the members of the Wisdom community for the last 25 years. The title of the Wisdom Poetry Anthology is “Lift It Tenderly”.

During the last 25 years over 2,000 women have attended WWA. There are poems that were written by participants from 1991 to 2016. It is remarkable to read the thoughts expressed by the many poets over those 25 years.

This unique collection of poetry celebrates a chorus of voices, transparent with simplicity, honesty and courage.

Many of the poems are the very first that the writers had attempted. Others have written poetry all of their lives and have received recognition and prizes for their efforts. By purchasing a copy of this anthology you can experience the wisdom of the poems, such as “From the

death of innocence is born deep wisdom…from the dark, dark storm arise people of the wild who know pure wisdom…” Louie When I asked Helen Plenert what writing their poetry does for the women, she answered,“as in any art form, you have a sense of power over the medium that you are manipulating to create an image.

With poetry you are crafting the words to create an image in the listeners mind. It’s that power over the medium that transforms into power in one’s own life. I’ve seen young children who have self- esteem issues suddenly shine. The same is true for adults. Even the most selfassured people get knocked off their pedestal when trauma strikes their lives. It’s at this point that Art becomes a healing tool.

When I listen to the women’s poetry I can feel the emotion pouring out. I’ve had women tell me that once they put those feelings into words they began to feel much better physically.”

As far as whether they share their thoughts and feelings with the reader, she said that “sometimes the thoughts and feelings are meant to be private and are not shared. Most will share their writings.

Women’s Wisdom ART has always made time for the women to share their work with the public during art re-

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ceptions and invites from other organizations.”

Who had the idea for the Anthology? Wisdom has also created poetry chap books (small pamphlet type publications) over the years. The publisher of the last chap book in 2014 approached two of Wisdom’s Instructors, Susan Kelly-Dewitt and Lara Gularte, about creating an anthology. They included Helen in the conversations in 2015 and she insisted that they include poems from the past 25 years to celebrate the anniversary of 25 years in the Sacramento region. Everyone was in agreement but the person who actually did the physical hard work of putting the poems in order was the founder, Laura Ann Walton.

The Wisdom Poetry Anthology was presented to the public Friday, February 24, 2017 at the Parkway Theatre in South Sacramento. If you missed this special event you can call the office at 916-838-2981 or email WisdomArt@womenswisdomart.org They will be happy to tell you how you can support these women as they work to improve their lives.

Call Melissa at (916) 429-9901 www.valcomnews.com

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www.valcomnews.com • March 3, 2017 • Pocket News

Inside the “Diary of a Fast Food Worker”

By Monica Stark

editor@valcomnews.com

Set in the mid 1980s, “Dairy of a Fast Food Worker” a new memoir available at local bookstores follows diary entries of Pocket resident Kathey Norton who details her life as a young writer working in the fast food industry, and her struggle to remain creative while dealing with a soulcrushing boss, an ever-changing cast of co-workers, the drama of an atypical first romance, and the frustration and self-doubt that haunt her.

Kathey has written five books, published three, has one waiting to be published, and a few in various stages of completion. For Diary of a Fast Food Worker, Kathey painstakingly went through all of her diaries from 19851989 to find journal entries and photos that captured a snapshot in time.

In an interview with the Pocket News, she said reading some of the entries made her angry. “I was mad at myself for not being more brave to start that band I wanted to and take more chances during that time in my life. Reading the diary passages where I began to suspect my mom was getting Alzheimer’s took me right back to that place of fear

“It was a bit overwhelming having all of that daily interaction with people, but I got to know my coworkers and learned their stories about how they ended up in the fast food industry.”

–Kathy Norton and selfishly wondering how her Alzheimer’s would affect my ability to accomplish all of my goals and dreams.”

Kathey did find out from putting this book together that even though these experiences were far in the past, she still thinks like that 19year-old girl who had huge dreams and who wasn’t afraid to question authority and be a rebel or an advocate for others. “And, I’m proud of that,” she said. “Writing the book was also very poignant since I met some very good friends out of that fast food experience and they changed my life in profound ways, but their own lives did not turn out so well.”

In an effort to bring awareness to the fact that even out

Pocket News • March 3, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

of what we perceive as bad experiences, we learn lessons and become stronger, Kathey hopes readers get the following message: Life may not turn out exactly the way we plan, but it doesn’t mean that just because you reach a certain age that your life stops. “You can always reconnect with those things that you were passionate about before you became a responsible adult, got married, or had kids. I think if you don’t have personal goals or dreams for yourself, then you are merely existing but not living. By writing Diary of a Fast Food Worker, I was able to see what I overcame to get where I am now, and understand what I still hope to accomplish with the rest of my life.”

A young adult in Sacramento in the mid-80s was tough, Kathey recalls, noting, “There were not a lot of good jobs for kids coming out of high school, unless you wanted to work for the state, which I rebelled against doing at the time since I felt it would be the death of me and my creativity. I was able to get a job in a fast food restaurant and it was an eye-opening experience for a shy young writer who spent all her time in her room and didn’t socialize with kids my age. It was a bit overwhelming having all of that daily interaction with people, but I got to know my co-workers and learned their stories about how they ended up in the fast food industry.”

Kathey began writing at age 17, a very shy kid with aspirations to become a singer and musician in a band. With incredible stage fright coupled with a lack of confidence to pursue that, she started writing since it was something that provided her with a cre-

ative outlet to live out fantasies through her characters.

She published her first article at age 21 called “Reflection on Rejection,” a subject she knew a lot about, and she published a number of poems. “I really wanted to write screenplays instead of novels, but wasn’t sure at the time how to write a screenplay, so I wrote each novel as if I were directing a movie in my head. I could visualize each scene and the music I wanted to use,” she said. By the time she was 23, she had written five novels, but since they didn’t fit a specific genre she struggled with getting them published. Also, when she was 23, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Kathey became her caregiver for 11 years. She tried to keep writing in between working full-time, attending college, and caring for her, but all she could manage to write during that time was poetry.

She didn’t start writing again until 2010.

Kathey submitted to traditional publishers and agents,

but noticed that the publishing industry had completely changed and that indie writers were taking control of their careers, using social media as a way to promote their books, and basically not waiting around for validation from traditional publishers. “I saw this as a revolution that I wanted to be a part of,” she said. “I decided to dust off four of the novels that I had written when I was younger, re-edit, and work to publish them myself. I liked the fact that I could control when I would release a book (most traditionally published books take a year or more to come out), that I was able to achieve wide distribution for my books, and I could handle my own marketing, something I enjoyed doing anyway.”

Working in a fast food restaurant was an eye-opening experience for a shy young writer who spent all her time in her room and didn’t socialize with kids her age. “It was a bit overwhelming having all of that daily interaction with See Author, page 9 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Author:

Continued from page 8

people, but I got to know my co-workers and learned their stories about how they ended up in the fast food industry,” Kathey recalls. At the time, she explained, the restaurant had few teenagers working there, rather mostly people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s – all with very colorful backgrounds. “There were workers just released from prison, some sleeping in their cars because they couldn’t afford rent, both women and men in abusive relationships, and others struggling with their sexuality and living a double life--one for work and one outside of work. It was totally fascinating territory for a writer.”

It was the hardest job Kathey ever held down. She had to report to managers who treated employees so badly, and she started to rebel against that and speak out and question the conditions they worked in and the way employees were treated. She learned that if she were ever in a position to manage people, she would do the opposite of everything she witnessed those managers doing.

Also, being a creative person and really wanting to do something more with her life, she became so depressed working there and feeling that life wasn’t going anywhere. She thought about writing an expose of the fast food industry since she was keeping a diary about everything happening there and all the people she met.

“I had one district manager, who I believe was on cocaine,

pick up a salad container with a knife in it and throw it at me in a rage. We were forced to work in raw sewage on the back line where we were cooking just so the manager wouldn’t lose the daily sales, and there were dead rats in the shake machine. I really started to see it as a factory and we were workers turning out the widgets, and that management didn’t care about employee safety at all. I finally got out of there four years later and went to work for a corporate law firm, but I always had it in my mind that I wanted to tell that story. At the end of 2016, I published Diary of a Fast Food Worker, a memoir based on my actual diary entries from that time period. I figured the diary spoke the uncensored truth about my life as a young writer, my first romance with one of my co-workers, and my observations of the people I met, the treatment we endured, and my struggle to remain creative and hold onto my dreams.”

Kathey will be at Avid Reader’s new location, 1945 Broadway, on April 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a book signing. Anyone who is interested in her work can check out katheynorton. com, her Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or Pinterest pages.

Her book is also available on Amazon (in both print and in eBook format), Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. In addition to being a writer, Kathey actively is studying music and does plan on starting that band she never got to start, and she’s passionately involved in animal rights and issues affecting quality of life in Sacramento.

Hmong Culture: Continued from page 6

you can give someone is the gift of their history.” Events like this help older refugees to reclaim their history, while younger participants, many born here, are enriched by the celebration of their roots. However the exhibit had a deeper meaning than contemporary ethnic celebrations like the Irish wearing green on St. Patrick’s day. That’s because the Irish have become over time fully absorbed into American culture. The Hmong haven’t been here long enough to escape all the vicissitudes that plague immigrants: isolation, culture clash and the erosion of the old culture while adjusting to the new. Still, enormous progress has been made, and was justly celebrated.

Modern immigrants like the Hmong have a refugee status, like European immigrants of older times. The Exhibit program offered an eloquent historical testimony of their journey. “After fighting and losing The Secret War to protect ‘their’ homeland in Laos, after crossing the Mekong Delta to live in squalor…in the refugee camps in Thailand,” they crossed the Pacific Ocean “for a strange land.” After 40 years that strange land is not so strange: it is their own. They are now, they declare, “realizing the American Dream.”

Along the way of immigration some of the great treasures of the past may be lost—language, custom, a defining aesthetic. The exhibit succeeded in its effort to recover some of that, to celebrate it. Giving Hmong people and others who gathered the gift of Hmong history kept the past alive, and honored it.

The very large crowds moved slowly but cooperatively, pausing to study displays that highlighted a touted “40 years of accomplishment” since the flight from Laos. Photos, embroidery, traditional dress and testimonies combine to bring the Hmong story alive.

Photo by Ellen Cochrane

Mai Chee Angel Lor and her brother, Anthony Chee Meng Lor, in front of the Unity Tree.

Hmong Story 40 organizers hosted many local political leaders, all of whom expressed enthusiasm for the exhibit and pledged continued support for immigrant programs.

The theme of the exhibit was best expressed by these published program sentiments: “ The United States is a melting pot of many cultures. It is the blending of our differences that makes this country so great.

However, during the assimilation process our own identity, heritage and history can be lost. Through this exhibit we have strived to tell the Hmong story, with the realization that this isn’t exclusively a Hmong story… it’s an American story.”

This American story featuring American with Hmong heritage will be shown at the Serna Center, 5735 47th St. until Feb. 25.

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Sacramento Button Club to hold Button Bazaar

By Laura I. Winn

Think about your clothes. Picture your jackets, jeans and sweaters. Can you visualize the buttons on each item? Do the details jump out at you, or are the buttons just there to serve their fastening purpose? Function over fashion is typical of today’s buttons, but vintage and antique buttons tell a different story.

From buttons crafted out of black glass or white pearl to buttons hand carved of wood or hand painted with intricate pictures, these accessories are considered miniature works of art by their dealers and collectors. On March 4, the collectors in the Sacramento Button Club invite the public to see the difference for themselves at Button Bazaar, a free event featuring a diverse selection of buttons for sale from 18 Western dealers inside the La Sierra Community Center.

The Sacramento Button Club, a 52-year-old nonprofit organization, has hosted the Button Bazaar every other year for the last 10 years. For firsttimers, the sheer amount and variety of buttons at the bazaar can be overwhelming.

“People walk in the door and stand there like a deer in the headlights,” explained Faye Wolfe, a 20year veteran of the club, and one of the event’s organizers. “They just cant imagine there are that many different kinds of buttons.”

Although the vintage, antique, handmade and military buttons are the draw for many collecPhoto by Dave Shafer

See Button Club, page 11

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MONTHLY CAREGIVER EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS Positive Approaches to Caregiving Tuesday, March 21st at 2:00pm Presented by: Ashley Morse, Social Worker, Family Consultant, Del Oro Caregiver Resource center Caring for a loved one can be physically and mentally challenging.

This presentation will help you navigate through the challenges of care giving and help discover how ones attitude, stress, use of optimism, positive and negative self talk can change your perspective of care giving.

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Button Club: Continued from page 10

tors and can cost hundreds of dollars per button, dealers will have an assortment of budget-friendly buttons ideal for sewing and crafting. For hobby projects, scout the tote box collections, which offer deals such as five buttons for $1 or $1 each.

Because most crafters and seamsters are accustomed to what’s available at stores like Jo-Ann’s and Michaels, Wolfe said as newcomers browse the collections, they often exclaim, “I’ve never seen a button like that!”

Finding that one unique button that speaks to the shopper is a thrill for general hobbyists and serious collectors alike. “ The most challenging part of this hobby is the hunt,” explained Sacramento Button Club member Sue Rhoades. “Collectible but-

tons are still very attainable, but you need connections to find them.”

The Button Bazaar will not only connect shoppers with dealers, but it will also connect collectors with appraisers and give the community a chance to learn about the history and importance of buttons. If you’ve inherited your grandmother’s prized picture buttons or your grandfather’s military service buttons, the Sacramento Button Club encourages you to bring them in for free a appraisal and assessment.

Although the Sacramento Button Club is currently “rebuilding” and boasts just 16 members who meet at UC Davis on the second Saturday of the month, button collecting is still a popular hobby nationwide. In California, there are a dozen official clubs under the umbrella of the California State Button Society. For

many members, it’s a hobby that has been passed down through the generations.

Wolfe remembers her mother’s own unofficial button club in the 1950s.

Wolfe’s mother and six friends would write to European manufactures to request buttons for bracelet making. At a penny a button, it was an affordable way to create jewelry to color-coordinate with every outfit.

Now Wolfe collects buttons to display in frames as artwork on her walls. Her favorites are 18th centu-

ry pearl buttons, as well as wood buttons by acclaimed Bay Area artist Jon Sauer.

Sauer, whose artisan wood works are on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, will be one of the featured dealers at the bazaar. Buttons dating to the 1700s will also be for sale.

“When it comes to art and fine craftsmanship, these collector buttons are comparable to fine glassware, jewelry, metalwork, ceramics, enameling, woodworking and paintings,” explained Rhoades.

“ They’re absolutely beautiful works of art,” added Wolfe.

If you go: What: Button Bazaar When: Saturday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: La Sierra Community Center, 5325 Engle Road in Carmichael Cost: Parking and admission is free; a $2 donation is suggested.

Contact: Faye Wolfe at 489-1785

What’s New in March?

Is Someone Hurting or Controlling You? – Tuesday, March 7, 1:00-2:00pm; Free Diabetes 101: Avoiding Complications – Thurday, March 23, 6:00-7:30pm; Free Allergies & Their Affect on Us – Thursday, March 30, 10:00-11:30pm; $15/$20 Door Tips for Choosing Cell Phone Service – Thursday, March 30, 2:30-3:30pm; Free Water-Wise Landscape & Garden – Friday, March 31, 10:00-11:00am; $3/$5 Door For more information or to register, contact Anna Su at (916) 393-9026 or classes@accsv.org.

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City Theatre to present Jazz-era classic F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby City Theatre continues the season celebrating Sacramento City College’s centennial with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Adapted for the stage by Simon Levy, this classic of decadence, idealism and excess, creates a portrait of the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream. Experience for the first-time or revisit Jay, Daisy, Nick and all the others from Fitzgerald’s heralded book alive on stage. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby will open on Friday, Feb. 24 and play through Sunday, March 19. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays, with an added Saturday matinee on March 18 at 2:00 p.m.

Performances will be held in the Auditorium of the Performing Arts Center on campus at Sacramento City College, at 3835 Freeport Blvd.

Ticket prices for Friday and Saturday evenings are

Photo by Bruce Clarke

From left to right: Tom Buchanan (Matt Matson), Nick Carraway (Kevin Frodahl) and Myrtle Wilson (Linnea Nordquist)

$18 General Admission, and $13 for students with IDs, Seniors, SARTA members, Veteran/Military and Persons with Disabilities. Ticket prices for matinees are $15 General Admission, and $10

for students with IDs, Seniors, SARTA members, Veteran/Military and Persons with Disabilities. Group rates are available. All details and tickets are available online at citytheatre.net.

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THE STORY Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, passionately pursues the elusive Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway, a young newcomer to Long Island, is drawn into their world of obsession, greed and danger.

The breathtaking glamour and decadent excess of the Jazz Age come to the stage in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, and in Simon Levy’s adaptation, approved by the Fitzgerald Estate.

THE AUTHOR Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940) was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.

Fitzgerald is considered a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night and his most famous, The Great Gatsby. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also wrote many short sto-

ries that treat themes of youth and promise along with despair and age. First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby received mixed reviews and sold poorly. Fitzgerald died in 1940, believing himself to be a failure and his work forgotten. However, the novel experienced a revival during World War II, and became a part of high school curricula and numerous stage and film adaptations in the following decades. Today, The Great Gatsby is widely considered to be a literary classic and a contender for the title “Great American Novel.” Besides Levy’s authorized stage adaptation there have been seven film versions, three ballets, one opera and even two video games based on the novel.

THE PLAYWRIGHT/ ADAPTER Simon Levy is the Producing Director for the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles where he’s been a resident playwright, director, and producer since 1993.

His stage adaptation of The Great Gatsby, a Finalist for the PEN Literary Award in Drama, completes his Fitzgerald Trilogy, which includes Tender is the See Gatsby, page 15 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Gatsby:

Photo by Bruce Clarke

From left to right: Jay Gatsby (Alexander Quinonez)

Nash, Holly Nicola, Dennis Alicia Rivera, Jon Ruiz, Arslan Saeed, Christopher Sharpe, David Valdez Continued from page 14 and Kayla Willett. The production team will inNight (Winner of the PEN Literary Award in Dra- clude Shawn Weinsheink (scenic and lighting dema) and The Last Tycoon (winner of numerous signs), Rebecca Redmond (costume design), and awards and nominated for the prestigious Los An- Josh Anderson (production stage manager). geles Drama Critics Circle Ted Schmitt Award for Original Play). Levy was authorized and granted exIf you go: clusive rights to adapt The Great Gatsby by the Fitzgerald Estate. He’s currently writing a film, What: City Theatre presents: F. Scott The Wedding Dress, for Daniel Wilson Prods., Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and creating the book for a new musical. His stage Where: Performing Arts Center/Auditoriadaptation of Eliot Weinberger’s celebrated artium, Sacramento City College, 3835 Freecle, What I Heard About Iraq, has been produced port Blvd. worldwide, including the Edinburgh Fringe FesWhen: Friday, Feb. 24 to Sunday, March 19 tival (where it won the Fringe First Award); the Performance Times: Fridays and SaturAdelaide Fringe Festival (where it won the Fringe days at 8 p.m., $18-$13 tickets Award); was produced by BBC Radio; and reSundays at 2 p.m., $15-$10. There will be an ceived a 30-city UK tour culminating in Lonadditional performance on Saturday, March don. He was recently honored with the Los Ange18 at 2 p.m., $15-$10 tickets. les Drama Critics Circle Milton Katselas Lifetime Tickets are available online at citytheatre.net Achievement Award in or at the box office an hour before curtain Directing. He is the author of other plays, short Who: Adapted for the stage by Simon Levy stories and poems and his directing and producand directed by Lori Ann Delappe-Groning credits, along with his awards, are numerous. din. The cast includes: Mary Elizabeth Alexander, Daniel Conover, Kailey Diggs, THE PRODUCTION Natalie Evans, Kevin Frodahl, Shelby LarF. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby will be dison, Matt Matson, Kate Murphy, Betty rected by Lori Ann Delappe-Grondin. The cast will Nash, Holly Nicola, Linnea Nordquist, Alfeature Alexander Quinonez as Jay Gatsby, Kevin exander Quinonez, Hope Raymond, DenFrodahl as Nick Carraway, and Shelby Larsen as nis Redpath, Alicia Rivera, Jon Ruiz, Arslan Daisy Buchanan. Additional cast members include Saeed, Christopher Sharpe, David Valdez, Matt Matson as Tom Buchanan, Hope Raymond and Kayla Willett. Scenic and lighting deas Jordan Baker, Daniel Conover as George Wilsign is done by Shawn Weinsheink, cosson and Linnea Nordquist as Myrtle Wilson. Othtumes by Rebecca Redmond. The producer cast members include Mary Elizabeth Alexander, tion stage manager is Josh Anderson.

Kailey Diggs, Natalie Evans, Kate Murphy, Betty

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Best Bets

DON POLIZ ANNUAL ELKS 6 CRAB AND SHRIMP FEAST: On Saturday, March 4, for $55 you can get crab and shrimp and antipasto, pasta, green salad, garlic bread. No host cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. Huge raffle to follow, 6446 Riverside Blvd.

SUESSICAL AT POCKET LIBRARY: On Saturday, March 4, meet Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Vice-Mayor Rick Jennings, former councilman Robbie Waters, library director Rivkah Sass, State Assemblymember Jim Cooper, Chief of Staff Susan McKee in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. In addition to Dr. Seuss storytime, there will be cookies and games all at the Pocket Library, 7335 Gloria Drive.

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What’s

happening

Pocket/Greenhaven?

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

THURSDAY, MARCH 9

SUESSICAL AT POCKET LIBRARY: Meet Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Vice-Mayor Rick Jennings, former councilman Robbie Waters, library director Rivkah Sass, State Assemblymember Jim Cooper, Chief of Staff Susan McKee in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. In addition to Dr. Seuss storytime, there will be cookies and games all at the Pocket Library, 7335 Gloria Drive.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT AT MANLEY’S DONUTS: Community SPOTlight Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at Manley’s Donuts. For more information, call 916808-7007. 360 Florin Road.

DON POLIZ ANNUAL ELKS 6 CRAB AND SHRIMP FEAST: For $55 you can get crab and shrimp and antipasto, pasta, green salad, garlic bread.

YOUTH CUPCAKE DECORATING CLASS: Cupcake Decorating Class for youth (4th-6th grade); middle schoolers are welcome as well. From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., students will learn how to make two different homemade frosting and learn how to use a piping bag. In addition students will decorate cupcakes and take home their creations. Students will be working with peanut products and flour and may be exposed to tree nuts. The class is $40. Contact Sandie at luvsavorysweets@yahoo.com. No walk ups. <eventbrite.com/e/cupcake-decorating-class-youth-tickets31895008830>. 2114 Sutterville Road, 95822.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7 WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS HURTING OR CONTROLLING YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE: Are you being hurt by someone? Or is someone you know being hurt or controlled by someone? Come to this workshop to learn steps you can take to change the picture. Pre-registration required and free of charge.

Class will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call (916) 393-9026 ext 330, www.accsv.org

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8 “TWELVE WEDNESDAYS AT ACC” PRESENTS A SERIES OF RENAISSANCE SOCIETY SEMINARS, THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FLOODS AND THEIR PREVENTION: What is Renaissance Society? An organization for older adults in cooperation with Sacramento State University (CSUS) that provides opportunities for lifelong learning and community engagement. Currently there are over 60 seminars offered Fridays on campus plus another 30+ at various locations in the Sacramento area.

If you are interested in becoming a member please contact Allan Keown at (916) 501-8833. There are different weekly topics for the seminars offered at ACC (Asian Community Center). The public is invited. The fee to non-Renaissance members is $5 and free to members.

Members be sure to wear your name tag. On March 8, the topic, Northern California Floods and Their Prevention, will be presented by Dick Tarble. Dick worked his entire career with issues involving weather and water.

He has developed a unique view of flooding in Northern California that he is excited to share. The event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m.; ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 11 READ TO A DOG AT POCKET LIBRARY– Looking for a way to boost school-age reading skills? Join us in the library’s Reading Tower area and practice reading out loud to Marvin, the Wonder Corgi, a registered therapy dog. Kids are invited to bring their own books or borrow one from our collection, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 SACRAMENTO HISTORIC CITY CEMETERY AND EAST MEMORIAL PARK: ACC welcomes you for a field trip to the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery and East Lawn Memorial Park. The City Cemetery is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento and is designed to resemble a Victorian garden. East Lawn Memorial Park also holds a wealth of California history. Pre-payment of $10 and preregistration required. Trip will be from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call (916) 393-9026 ext 330, www.accsv.org “TWELVE WEDNESDAYS AT ACC” PRESENTS A SERIES OF RENAISSANCE SOCIETY SEMINARS, THIS WEEK’S TOPIC:ACTIVE RETIREMENT INVESTING: What is Renaissance Society? An organization for older adults in cooperation with Sacramento State University (CSUS) that provides opportunities for lifelong learning and community engagement. Currently there are over 60 seminars offered Fridays on campus plus another 30+ at various locations in the Sacramento area. If you are interested in becoming a member please contact Allan Keown at (916) 501-8833. There are different weekly topics for the seminars offered at ACC (Asian Community Center). The public is invited. The fee to non-Renaissance members is $5 and free to members. Members be sure to wear your name tag. On March 15, Marsha Holland and Bill Bailey present Active Retirement Investing.

Bill presents a seminar designed to update, educate, and inspire us to learn more about retirement assets. The seminar will be held from 1 to 3 p.m.; ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive.

ELKS LODGE, NO. 6 WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER: With a St. Paddy’s theme, there will be Leprechaun Lentil, Blarney con carne and more. Meals starts at 6 p.m. 6446 Riverside Blvd. $10, cash only.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18 “CHINESE COUPLETS” DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING AT POCKET LIBRARY– “Chinese Couplets” by Felicia Lowe is an epic tale spanning four generations of tenacious women that

follows a candid and touching immigration story about the filmmaker’s family. The film showing will be followed by a Q & A with Felicia Lowe, an award-winning independent producer, director and writer. Her documentaries reveal the unique experiences of Chinese Americans while underscoring our common humanity. This program is part of Let’s Talk About: Immigration and Californians: Community Conversations about Immigration, a program of the California Center for the Book. Saturday, March 18, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

TECH HELP APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE AT POCKET LIBRARY– Have a technology question or problem? Sign up for a one-on-one technology help session with our staff. We can help with basic computer, Internet or e-mail questions, and/or get you started with library services like e-books or emagazines! Stop by the service desk or call 916-2642920 during open hours to make an appointment.

Appointment times are available for most Wednesdays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursdays between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and noon, at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

BABY/TODDLER STORYTIME AT POCKET LIBRARY– Babies and toddlers (ages 0 to 3 years) and their caretakers are invited to join us for songs and rhymes. Arrive extra early or stay later for extra social time with other children and parents. Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

READ TO A DOG AT POCKET LIBRARY– Looking for a way to boost school-age reading skills?

Join us in the library’s Reading Tower area and practice reading out loud to Marvin, the Wonder Corgi, a registered therapy dog. Kids are invited to bring their own books or borrow one from the collection. 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

OHANA DANCE GROUP AT POCKET LIBRARY– The Ohana Dance Group’s focus is on Hawaiian music and dance. This interactive program will include a demonstration of several dances; children and families are invited to join in the dancing. Saturday, March 25 from 11 a.m. to noon at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4 BOOK CLUB “THE HAPPINESS OF PURSUIT”: A remarkable book that will both guide and inspire, The Happiness of Pursuit reveals how anyone can bring meaning into their life by undertaking a quest.

6:30 to 8 p.m. Meet at Starbucks, Greenhaven Drive and Pocket Road.

ONGOING SUNDAY BREAKFAST BUFFET AT THE ELKS LODGE, NO. 6: From 8:30 to 11 a.m., enjoy eggs, omelets, corn beef hash, bacon or sausage.

6446 Riverside Blvd.

TEA DANCES AT THE ELKS LODGE, NO. 6: Every first Sunday of the month from 2 to 5 p.m., dance to the music of the 30s, 40s and 50s, played by a live 16member orchestra., $8., 6446 Riverside Blvd.

JOB COACH APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE AT POCKET LIBRARY– Make an appointment to meet one-on-one with a volunteer job coach and get help with online job searching, using library databases, interviewing tips, resume writing, and more.

For questions or to schedule an appointment, please ask at the library service desk or call 916-264-2920 during open hours. Appointment times are available for most Wednesdays between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

KNIT TOGETHER AT POCKET LIBRARY– Love to knit? Want to learn? Join us for expert advice, great conversation and more. All crafters are welcome, not just knitters! Every Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

BABY STORYTIME AT BELLE COOLEDGE LIBRARY –Nursery rhymes, fingerplays, simple stories, and songs designed to encourage a range of early literacy skills. For children up to about 18 months old. Each child must be accompanied by a participating adult. Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive.

TODDLER STORYTIME BELLE COOLEDGE LIBRARY– Toddlers ages one to three and their caregivers will enjoy fun songs, stories, and fingerplays. After the storytime, there will be a stay and play group. Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. at Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive, Sacramento.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME AT BELLE COOLEDGE LIBRARY – Preschoolers ages three and older and their caregivers are invited for fun songs, stories, fingerplays and a play activity. Thursdays at 11 a.m. at Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive, Sacramento.

HOMEWORK ZONE AT BELLE COOLEDGE LIBRARY– Teen and adult volunteer homework coaches will be available to assist students in grades K-8 with homework assignments. Please note: Homework Zone ends on June 8, 2016. Space is available with coaches on a first-come, first-served basis. Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive, Sacramento.

www.valcomnews.com • March 3, 2017 • Pocket News

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19

Professor Michael Richardson, Astronomy Alumni at Sacramento City College

By James Peyton

As a child Michael Richardson voraciously read 1950s science fiction novels. He listened to science fiction shows on the radio and watched science fiction programs on television.

He studied science in school.

Professor Michael Richardson started teaching in 1986. This is his 31st year of teaching. His first teaching experience was teaching math and physics in graduate school. Later on, he taught at a private junior high. Professor Richardson also taught for 3 years at De La Salle High School. He taught at every level, be it junior, private, or graduate. He teaches primarily at Sacramento City College and has taught at the UC Davis outreach center as well. (Sac City Outreach Center in Davis) SCC is the only community college in the entire state with an outreach center on the campus of a UC. This is an experimental and unique relationship between SCC and The University of California.

Professor Richardson teaches Astronomy and Physics courses. He prepares physical science majors for transfer to a 4-year institution. He teaches the engineering, physical science, calculus based Physics sequence, and general education classes. The Astronomy classes are primarily general ed, while the Physics classes are mostly for Physical Science majors. When asked about the difference in teaching at SCC and the outreach center, he replied that the courses are equivalent, but the students are different in terms of student population. SCC students tend to be younger, and taking courses as part of their educational path.

Davis outreach students are older,

20

more focused, and more experienced, taking classes as they need them, for more varied reasons, not necessarily for a degree.

When discussing the subject of Astronomy, Professor Richardson says the best thing about teaching Astronomy is that it is the best science to relate to people’s everyday experience and is very visual. It hopes to tell who we are and where we came from, and people are interested in that. The other aspect of Astronomy is that it does not have to be for science majors, but can still provide quality science background. Students and other everyday people can develop a lifelong relationship with amateur Astronomy.

Amateurs help perform average tasks, there is a giant workload that needs to be done and amateurs can help with that. NASA has multiple programs that can be assisted by amateurs. The famous Shoemaker-Levy comet was discovered by a collaboration between professional Astronomer David H. Levy and amateur expert and cometfinder Carolyn S. Shoemaker. This is the comet that crashed into Jupiter.

Professor Richardson talked about his extensive experience teaching at SCC. When discussing Sacramento City College, he says his department peers are amazing, the administrators are fabulously dedicated, and that they know what they are doing, especially within his own department. There are problems between administration and staff at any school. When asked about this topic, he said that the SCC administrators have enormous respect for what the faculty does in the classroom, and understand that teachers are vital. Some problems are caused because the administration has to re-

Pocket News • March 3, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Photo courtesy

Professor Michael Richardson

act to outside pressures and so make ers, staff, and administrators would changes. The administrators don’t help to lessen this problem. understand the effect these changProfessor Richardson was asked es have on teachers and on the edu- what some unexpected hurdles of cation of students. More cooperation and communication between teachSee Retirement, page 21

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Retirement: Continued from page 20

teaching at SCC were. Academic freedom protects the right of the professor to have control over the teaching environment, and keeps hurdles at a minimum. This is very different than the federal and state mandated teaching in the K-12 system of education.

In the last 30 years, there has been a progressively greater trend toward outside forces trying to influence the college teaching environment. That has been the biggest challenge, trying to maintain the wisdom of academic freedom and what it represents amidst the confusion of what the future of education should be.

There are so many separate outside factors that can influence the arena of education. One significant aspect is a large push towards online education as a replacement for traditional education.

As far as the curriculum goes, Physics books of today are in most part the same information as they were 50 years ago. Professor Richardson states that over the years, the outside environment has become more chaotic, but teaching and learning has remained about the same. That does not mean there haven’t been changes and new developments in Physics, just that the basics of the field are still the same. As an example, we learn the alphabet as a baby, and new vocabulary as adults, but we still use that same alphabet to communicate.

When it comes to students, there have been humorous, inspiring, and unusual events over the course of his career. One in particular that came to mind was that one time someone came into the class, who was not a student, but was concerned about their grade. Apparently, you can be concerned about a grade without having one. The man was disheveled, pos-

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sibly alcoholic, and homeless. He thought you could go to college without enrollment and without money. But the man had dedication and wanted to learn. Something inspired him to learn, even in his different situation. Many of the students misguidedly made fun of him. Professor Richardson said that this was an inspiring and poignant experience. Teachers want everyone to have the opportunity to learn.

The quality of student work and behavior has stayed about the same over the years. New technology such as social media, changes student’s perception of school, there is more absenteeism. There is less commitment to go to class, and more of a focus on completing everything online. The students aren’t necessarily worse, but just different in their perceptions. This trend correlates directly with the advent of modern smartphones.

There have been several students who have went on to successful careers in education, but Professor Richardson has not heard from a lot of them after leaving the education arena and entering the workforce.

Professor Richardson used to participate in the Astronomy events, such as stargazing. Chris Hulbe created the program, and Professor Richardson ran a lot of it for several years, and other faculty has done it over the years as well. Liam McDaid is the Astronomy coordinator and outreach person.

What does a teacher like to do outside of the classroom? Well, Professor Richardson liked to play Tennis, he keeps up with the latest developments in math & science, he has a large family and spends time keeping up with his grandchildren, and is a trekkie and sci-fi buff. He has 20 years of Astronomy and of Scientific American Magazine. His favorite physicist is Albert Einstein because

he had intuition as much as intellect, and was simpatico with Mr. Richardson’s mystical nature. Einstein relied on his intuition as much as on his logical analysis, which was his genius.

Professor Richardson’s favorite constellation is Orion. Mine too.

These are the biggest things to be discovered in Astronomy during the last ten years: Exoplanets and Dark Matter. Thousands of planets have been catalogued; more recent discoveries are Earth-like in size and mass.

There is even one in the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. It would take 4 light years to reach that solar system. The next generation of telescopes may be able to get a visual of the planet, to determine if it has an atmosphere.

Dark matter revolutionizes our fundamental laws, theories, and ideals about space.

I asked Professor Richardson about technologies that have either been created or benefited from advances in Astronomy. The first he mentioned was adaptive optics. Large mirrors with actuators on the backside of the mirrors reshape the shape of the mirror in tiny increments. This is to compensate for distortions in the atmosphere, allowing earth-based telescopes to see through the distortion of the atmosphere (to some extent) without being outside of it. Next is interferometry, or synchronized, separate telescopes to form one large image. Radio interferometers are common, but the next wave is in visual light. We could then see massively farther and better.

When asked about the next 50 years of Astronomy, Professor Richardson predicts a reborn space age. Apollo 17 was the end of the space race, but the space age did not follow as expected, it was rather stillborn, and the computer age came next instead. Even with the massive money to put something in orbit, (about $10,000 per pound)

Professor Richardson sees space colonization, with bases on the moon and mars. Professor Richardson says the space age will be like the computer age on steroids. He predicts there will be tens of thousands of people living off of the earth on bases and installations. Elon Musk is trying to break the barrier with SpaceX; he is the same man who funded the company Tesla. When cost goes down, the space age will be reborn. He says, that the possibility for a warp-drive going faster than the speed of light is built into general relativity, that the principal is not impossible. A transporter or teleporter is also not impossible, and has already been done on an individual particle. An electronic device is a non-location tunneling diode, which causes electrons to jump through an electrical barrier through its wave function, since light is both a particle AND a wave at the same time.

In his lifetime Professor Richardson has heard the first satellite Sputnik on the radio, (beep-beep) saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon on live TV, and relates that this was a unique experience, a high moment, that captured so many people’s imaginations.

Man’s first steps on the moon were one of the few and far between special, unique and positive moments in history. This was the era of the space race, the late 1950s thru the 1960s and 70s.

Mr. Richardson was in the student lounge at Sac State when President Kennedy was assassinated. He was at home on 1-28-1986, the day the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.

It was interesting interviewing Professor Richardson and hearing what he had to say. He has influenced many people and taught Math, Science, and Astronomy throughout his career at Sacramento City College.

I’d heard him speak before, and was influenced by him, too. Many years ago, I was his student.

www.valcomnews.com • March 3, 2017 • Pocket News

21

Books on

Broadway Avid Reader at Tower to move down the street to old CarQuest Autoparts, Dimple to expand into Avid

By Monica Stark

editor@valcomnews.com

A literary Renaissance is underway on Broadway. As of March 1, Avid Reader is open for business in its new location, the old Carquest Auto Parts shop, located at 1945 Broadway, just four blocks and across the street from its current spot near Tower Theatre. And, with a hopeful date of May 1, Dimple hopes to stock the current Avid Reader location with used books and vinyl, a welcome addition to the current record store.

On Feb. 27, Avid Reader will begin moving and will reopen on March 1. Owner Stan Forbes said the new location will work better for the bookstore. “We’re mostly just going

to make use of the glass. The old auto parts place has 1,300 square feet. It’s all windows and there’s a 15-space parking lot. (The current location) has no windows. It’s like a bunker.

There’s no way of knowing it’s a bookstore. (The auto parts) place: you can’t miss it.”

Making use of the large glass windows of the auto parts shop will allow Avid Reader to display books for all passersby to see.“The whole side of Broadway will be kids books,” Forbes said with excitement, adding that come Christmastime, “(they’ll) do all sorts of fun stuff on the Broadway side.” For years, they’ve placed a 12-foot Christmas tree in the store, but Forbes said no one ever saw it unless they went inside. Besides the big windows, Avid’s new loca-

Photos by Monica Stark

Avid’s new home: As of March 1, the old CarQuest Parts store (shown above) is the new location for Avid Reader.

Stan Forbes (shown left), the owner of Avid Reader, stands inside the bookstore’s current location.

tion will include a permanent space for events.

For Dimple, the acquisition will enable the store to expand.

“We were interested of course because we’re next door,” Dim-

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ple Records co-owner Dilyn Radakovitz. said on Tuesday.

“And, I think this makes sense for us just because the Broadway store is so cramped that we have pushed so much product... This will give (the store) a little bit more room.”

Similar to the Arden location, the layout on Broadway will have the record store in its current spot and books and vinyl in the addition. While the goal is May 1, Radakovitz admitted it “takes awhile to build a bookstore.

We probably have more than enough books, but just not the right books.” Recently, Dimple moved its Roseville location, which they had been at since 1983 to the Trader Joe’s shopping center in Roseville, more than doubling the space.

Radakovitz said the goal is to get books into every location. “That’s what (moving into Avid Reader) would do and we wouldn’t be competing with Avid because they’ll be doing new books. We do mostly used and we buy back books from customers.”

This year, the Davis location of Avid Reader celebrates 30 years and the Sacramento location celebrates 10

years in Land Park. The previous 13 years before coming to the neighborhood, Sacramento’s Avid Reader was located downtown.

While about half of bookstores have failed over recent years, Forbes explains the longevity of Avid Reader, as follows: “This is puffery, but everybody knows who the Avid Reader is. We have real Sacramento penetration,” he said, listing events like Authors on the Move, library fundraisers and the store’s two to three author readings a week. “We run around the countryside doing events. We have a lot of coverage that way; people know who we are.”

As no moving sales are planned, Forbes said the store had to stop ordering books for about a month to prepare for the move, making inventory a little low right now, which is “actually a good thing.”

“We have an opportunity to go through the inventory and see what we have and don’t have and what we don’t want.

We will rejuvenate the inventory again,” Forbes said. Avid will continue to emphasize the children’s section, making that the heart of the store.

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

John F. Kennedy High School pledges to stop underage drinking Last December, students at John F. Kennedy’s Friday Night Live surveyed 522 students asking about alcohol.

The questions involved were asking if they drink alcohol and where they get it.

Of the 522 surveyed: 302 students said they had drank alcohol 153 students said they get alcohol from their own house without parent knowledge. And 135 said that older friends, The pledge includes the if I know or suspect they siblings, or relatives buy the following stipulations: have been drinking alcohol alcohol for them.

1. As an adult in the comor using drugs.

With this knowledge, Kenmunity, I agree to send a nedy High School is trying consistent message to un- 2. Can ( JFK) include your to make parents and commuderage youth that the use name in a directory of famnity members aware of how of alcohol and any illegal ilies who have signed the students are getting alcohol drugs is unlawful and unpledge? This directory will so that we can prevent unacceptable. I will not perbe promoted as a resource derage drinking. mit the serving of alcohol among parents who want How can we help your stuor drugs to minor chilto create positive change in dent avoid the potential pitdren, nor will I tolerate the their community. falls of underage drinking? presence of alcohol or othYOU pledge to help stop this er drugs brought on my You can sign the commutrend. Everyone must do their property by minors. I will nity member pledge at: part to create positive change make every effort to pre- https://www.surveymonkey. in our community. vent students from driving com/r/WVTGT3Q

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