Pocket News

January 4, 2019 | www.valcomnews.com

Poc k e t News — Bringing you community news for 27 years —

BEST OF

YEAR IN REVIEW Meet Your Pocket Area Lending Team

Best of 2018 Pocket News (Editor’s Note: Thanks to the talented team of writers at Valley Community Newspapers, I am proud to present the Best of 2018 for the Pocket News. -Monica Stark)

20,000 lights brightened up the Pocket Canal

A Challenging New Market!

Seasoned

Same Old Area Specialist

By Devin Lavelle

Painting by Curtis Park resident Ngan Tran

Pocket News

w w w. va l c o m n e w s . c o m

Nick

LaPlaca 916-764-7500

E-mail stories & photos to: editor@valcomnews.com Editorial questions: (916) 267-8992

Vol. XXVII • No. 01

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.

1109 Markham Way Sacramento, CA 95818 t: (916) 429-9901 f: (916) 429-9906

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Copyright 2018 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Cover by: Annin Greenhalgh

Last fall, I asked readers of the Pocket News to “Imagine a community – our community – coming together” to make the dream of lighting the Pocket Canal Parkway for the holidays a reality. We needed to raise the money, figure out a number of challenging logistical issues and bring together dozens of volunteers to install the display.

The community stepped up in a big way. We raised thousands of dollars to purchase the lights, insurance and everything else see Canal page 3 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Canal:

continued from page 2

need to make the project a reality! (Of course, it is never too late to donate: lights.devinlavelle.com) Sacramento City Council Member Rick Jennings’ office did the yeoman’s work of figuring out a slew of logistics from providing electricity to the site to the collection of donations.

On Saturday, Dec. 8, a team of fantastic volunteers came together to hang the lights. The dream became a reality. The dream of nearly 20,000 lights in a string about a mile long lining the Canal Parkway from Pocket to Rush River, glistening off the water, has been offering a gentle shimmer as the water ripples from the wind. Families have enjoyed walking hand in hand down the canal, sharing their holiday dreams. Neighbors have been meeting neighbors, exchanging season’s greetings and auld acquaintances joyfully brought to mind.

I am so excited and grateful for the incredible support our community has shown for this project. So many friends, old and new have enthusiastically came forward with kind words of support, offers of assistance and, of course generous donations.

Devin Lavelle is the parks commissioner for District 7.

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

And the winning word.... vociferous; Matsuyama Spelling Bee crowned fifth grader Giada Bhan its champion and raised $875 for the Boys & Girls Club of Paradise

By Monica Stark

It was quite apropos the winning word of the Friday, Dec. 14, 2018 Matsuyama Spelling Bee was vociferous, deriving from the Latin word, vox, which means “voice.” While according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out, there really was none of that, but there was excitement in the air as the kids went 12 rounds, spelling 112 words correctly before declaring champion, fifth grader Giada Bhan.

“Some of the people’s words I was wondering, ‘Oh, if I got that one, I’d be out already,’” Giada said.

Toward the end of the bee, there were back-and-forth rounds between her and second place winner Colsen Nguyen. While many may have been anxious during that period, Giada said, “I was thinking, ‘Colsen (Nguyen): Just spell the word.’”

Giada now moves on the next level of competition for other school champions in the Greater Sacramento region. She will take a written test of Spelling and Vocabulary in mid-January. If she receives one of the top 50 scores, she will advance to the California Central Valley Spelling Bee on March 6

at the Rocklin Event Center.

The winner will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC in May. Two weeks prior to the spelling bee, a preliminary round was held for all interested spellers, bee organizer and proud parent Sue Ping Kuo Jiang explained to the audience during her introductory remarks. “Because it was our first year having a Bee, Photo by Monica Stark we weren’t sure what to exShown in the front row are the top three finishers of the Matsuyama Spelling Bee, pect, but we had a great turnwhich was held on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. From the left, third place winner Kavina out, with 81 spellers across all Ma, second place Colsen Nguyen, and first place winner Giada Bhan. Behind grade levels, showing up to them are 24 additional finalists who competed that day. take a 25-word written spelling test,” she explained.

“We have some really young Spell-a-thon raised a total of sponsors included Sacramenspellers competing against the $875 for the Boys and Girls to City Council Member Rick oldest kids in the school,” Ji- Club of Paradise. Community see Vociferous page 4 ang said. “We also have some kids here tonight for whom Whether your buying, selling or investing - call me, English is not their first language. And even one stubecause “knowledge always pays the best interest.” dent whose family just moved -Ben Franklin Whether your buying, selling or investing - call me, because "knowledge always pays the best interest." to the United States seven Waterfront Investment Need Financing?

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Vociferous: continued from page 3

Jennings, Realtor Renee’ Catricala and Girl Scout Troop #1309 who donated their cookie money saved from five years of selling cookies. Additionally, there were two anonymous donors.

These donations supported the spellers, the school and the young fire victims of the 2018 Camp Fire, all at the same time. “This cause is especially meaningful as our own Principal Farina’s father had to be evacuated from his home in

South Land Park residents unveiled new sustainable product business at Alice Birney’s Winter Faire

Butte County and her husband, Charlie is currently doing relief work in Paradise,” Jiang said.

The Matsuyama Spelling Bee words were announced

by Principal Farina and the event was judged by yours truly and Libby Reynolds, a former Matsuyama student and junior at CK McClatchy High School. Reynolds is the head coach of the new Matsuyama Speech and Debate Team and is an accomplished Policy Debater competing at the National Level at C.K. McClatchy By Monica Stark editor@valcomnews.com High School.

Photo by Monica Stark

South Land Park business residents, Nick and Alisha Lee, unveiled their new business Nudge Minimal Waste Shop at the Alice Birney Winter Faire on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018.

In the spirit of gift giving and shopping locally, the Alice Birney School community came together in support of one another at the annual Winter Faire, held on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018.

The line was long, at times, for the children’s shop to open at 3:45 p.m. But unlike a Black Friday line of

anxious shoppers, yelling, “open, open,” the young ones waited, oh so patiently, for a chance to enter the fairy forest themed boutique. No adult shoppers were allowed inside that room, as the littles exchanged tickets for gifts they kept secret from their parents. see Sustainable page 5

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Sustainable continued from page 4

In other classrooms, artsy parents sold crafts and wares with proceeds set aside for their children’s classes, while in others, outside vendors sold handmade and sustainable goods to support their livelihood.

The winter faire has become an important school fundraiser, bringing in about $10,000 toward the Waldorf-inspired public school’s fundraising goals.

And it also, to a T, encourages community and support of the local economy.

For two AB parents, Nick and Alisha Lee, the event was an opportunity to unveil their sustainable product business among a supportive flow of customers and a push to get their website live.

Taking shop in Room 10 near the blackboard, the Lees displayed some products they’ve made and some they’ve curated, for their business aptly named, Nudge Minimal Waste Shop. “(The name’s) a gentle nudge towards sustainability – sustainable choices, sustainable products,” Nick explained, as Alisha kept customers’ interests, during an on-the-spot interview with this publication. Trying to source as locally and sustainably as possible, Nick said the business is years in the making with lofty goals of one day opening a brick and mortar location.

While curating the products, Nick tries to find businesses as local as possible to source. “ The definition of sustainability can be defined in so many different ways, and I think one of the things we want to define ours is local.”

While the products may seem mundane – toothbrushes, band aids, pot scrapers, Bento boxes, copValley Community Newspapers, Inc.

per cleaning cloths, lip balm, laundry dryer balls – their very ingredients support their business’s mission of sustainability. As one might ask him, why bamboo toothbrushes?

Nick’s response is ecological: “Every plastic toothbrush ever made is still in existence today and will be for hundreds or thousands of years and bamboo toothbrushes will decompose and become part of the earth again.”

Meanwhile, the onlymade-in Australia biodegradable and compostable band aids come in varieties such as the soothing aloe vera or the charcoal, that draws out impurities and repairs minor abrasions.

Also among their curated items include California-made Knotty Picks – cornstarch-based, bamboo-coated flossing picks with activated charcoal that helps whiten teeth.

They also sell dryer balls with which you infuse a few drops of essential oils and throw into the dryer, giving clothes a bit of a fluff without the waste that comes with dryer sheets.

Alisha has come to make her own versions of items she’s been inspired by.

A seamstress in her free time, she has sewn Furoshiki Bento wraps, which are traditional (and fashionable) Japanese wrapping cloths that hold your lunch and fold out into a place setting. She’s also made various lip balms under the guidance of Jolie Adam of Jolie’s Herbals, whose products are available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

“I called her and said this is what we’re doing. I’m not somebody who makes my own products, so I’d like to see what you have to offer.’ And she said, ‘I’d love to help you. And she came over and she had advice and recipes.”

That sense of community support of giving and receiving is indicative of their success thus far. Naturally, the husband-wife team has come together in launching the business. Nick – the curator, researcher, the marketer – gives credit to Alisha as being the “brains behind the operation” with a community-mindset. “If I say, ‘I want to have organic bamboo cutlery, she says, ‘If we build a kit that means a stay-at-home mom can build this kit and we can build that community together.”

An “amazingly successful” first day in business, Nick said there’s “a lot of energy, a lot of really positive energy, really good vibes from people, a lot of good feedback. I learned some things from customers that I hadn’t thought of.” One customer suggested they sell copper tongue scrapers for their antibacterial properties, rather than the metal ones that were for sale. Pointing to the copper cleaning clothes on the table, he said, “ That’s why they’re copper – they’re antimicrobial. It makes sense to have that for your tongue too, and that didn’t even cross my mind.”

That goes to why the Lees want to bring the community together to curate these products. “Yes, I’ve done a lot of research,” Nick said, “I have a masters in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco, but that doesn’t teach you how to curate and find the best goods. There’s lots of definitions of what sustainability is. And we all have a different definition of it. As a community, I think, if we come together, we can make more sustainable choices.”

For more information, visit NudgeEcoStore.com or email sales@nudgeecostore.com

Pocket artist Melissa Andrews dabbles in a variety of mediums and interesting subjects

Image courtesy

A pet portrait of a cat by the talented Pocket artist and VCN ad rep Melissa Andrews.

By Jan Dalske

Melissa will be the first to tell you that she has dabbled in a variety of mediums over the years. She started painting about ten years ago. She was inspired by an extended trip to Europe. While she was there, she noticed what she described as “so many cool images”, and wanted to see if and what she could replicate.

Her maiden name is Artman, so possibly, she was destined

to be creative. Her Dad was a technical illustrator and artist in his own right.

She paints with acrylics primarily, but has recently started creating her art work with markers. Her first pet portrait was a birthday gift for her daughter’s friend.

She loved a picture of their Jack Russell terrier, Jackson, and set out to duplicate it on canvas. She liked the see Artist page 6

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Artist:

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end result and the picture was very well received. So, Melissa started wondering if people would pay money to have a portrait painted of their pets. And, she was surprised to find out that they would.

No, the pets don’t “sit for their pictures”, even though Melissa feels that it would be great fun. She works from a favorite photo of the “client”. She says that she has not kept track, but she has probably done between

6

thirty and forty, and each one of them was a true labor of love.

Melissa says that “My challenge is to capture, with paint-on-canvass, the ‘soul’ of the animal – basically, it’s in the eyes. Pets/animals are my favorite subject. Most of my clients are people who’ve seen one of my paintings – either a friend, in my office, or exhibited somewhere. They make a truly unique, oneof-a-kind gift. People seem to like the ‘life and realism.’

I feel a piece of my heart goes out with each painting to the recipient, into their

Pocket News • January 4, 2019 • www.valcomnews.com

home. As an animal lover, I know the importance our precious pets have in our lives”.

About a year ago, she approached the owner of a new business in Land Park who was looking for local artists to show in her store . . . Garden Party Tea & Coffee, which is located at 5972 S Land Park Drive in Sacramento. You can call them at (916) 431-7408. The owner, Elizabeth Moseby, has been a wonderful outlet for her and there “umpteen pieces” hanging on her shop’s walls. Melissa has also created an entire line of paintings incorporating tea pots, many of them with animals, which has provided her with “endless hours of amusement.”

Earlier last year, she started doing what she calls ‘zentangle’ designs. These are images from repetitive patterns. The artwork started with a pineapple design for her co-worker’s birthday. “Again, I jumped in with both hands (mixed metaphor LOL) and now have a collection of Sharpie pens that any artist would envy – every color of the rainbow, metallic, glitter – and a bunch of new pictures” shares Melissa. This evolved into note cards which are also at the Garden Party and more recently at Crawford’s Books next to Hollywood Hardware in Land Park.

Most of her paintings have been done as a challenge to herself, simply to see if she can do it. She strives for realism but her husband thinks she sees color differently from most people because her work is very colorful. He recently coined the phrase ‘art that makes people happy’ in conjunction with her line of note cards.

Melissa says, “How sweet, eh? But with all humility, he’s right – when I watch people look at my art it’s

very common for them to smile”. Melissa creates most of her art work on her couch in her living room, or while wandering around the house, preferring to work in a smaller format. And, she is assisted by one her three inquisitive cats. Melissa can be reached at the Valley Community Newspapers’ Land Park office at 916429-9901 and via email at melissandrews@comcast. net. Her website – MelissaAndrews.com – is under construction.

What is the Construction at Rush River and Greenhaven?

By Patricia A. Clark

Many Pocket residents have seen the construction at the corner of Greenhaven and Rush River drives for months now but are not sure what the project is.

Anyone driving through the intersection must notice the construction, as it requires a narrowed traffic lane on Rush River.

The project is called “Sump 137 Reconstruction” and provides important updates to a critical part of the City’s sewer system infrastructure, which we all rely upon. While some of the details of this project are a bit technical, the background and need for the project illustrate the rapid growth the Pocket area has seen over the past decades and the city’s effort to replace aging and unreliable infrastructure.

The May 2015 staff report to City Council provided a historical look at growth in the south Pocket area. Constructed about

1975, this sump facility was designed to serve the first 600 acres to develop in the South Pocket area, according to the report. In 1984, additional pumps were added to increase the capacity to serve another 540 acres.

Additional development in the South Pocket area since 1984 has increased the service area of this sump to over 1,400 acres.

A sump is a pit or reservoir serving as a drain for liquids, frequently with a pump to move the material elsewhere, in this case to the Sacramento Regional Sanitation Facility in Elk Grove. Reconstruction will use the existing underground concrete shell and add new internal devices.

New pumps, new electrical control equipment, improved access, new pipes on site and a new generator are included in the project scope. The project budget is $2.4 million dollars and the contract was awarded to T & S Construction Co., Inc. of Sacramento. The funding for the project comes from the city’s wastewater fund.

Notably, Sump 137 will have a new lower emissions generator that will power the station when a power outage occurs. This emergency component is critical when you consider that many of our large storms with excessive amounts of rainfall are also accompanied by a power outage.

The need for the reconstruction is attributed to the increasing age of the facility at 43 years, the critical nature of the facility, and the current difficult access for maintenance by City Department of Utilities (DOU) staff.

DOU Project Manager Rosa Millino emphasized the critical nature of the facility for the Pocket area by noting the high capacity see Construction page 7 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Contruction: continued from page 6

of pumping 10,000 gallons per minute.

Sump 137 is one of 41 sumps in the City. Most pump around 600 gallons per minute maximum whereas Sump 137 can pump 10,000 gallons per minute. With at least 15 times the capacity of other sumps in the Pocket, the critical nature of this facility is clear. Additionally, this facility serves the southern one-third of the Pocket area.

Currently, there is no bypass around the sump so staff cannot gain access to the “wetwell” and appurtenant structures that need periodic maintenance. The upgrade includes better access for city workers which will improve safety.

The impact to traffic on Rush River Drive is due to the need for a temporary bypass during the reconstruction period, as the service must be kept operational. That temporary bypass is located under Rush River Drive just off the intersection with Greenhaven Drive.

The project began in May 2018, and the expected finish date is March 2019 or 11 months. Becky Bell, who lives just off of Greenhaven Drive in the area, has been following the construction. While Becky is confident the project is needed and glad the infrastructure is getting an update, she questions whether it needed to take so long. “ There were days no workers were there,” Ms. Bell noted, commenting that since she works from home she goes through that intersection sometimes several times a day. “It does seem like it’s more regular (with workers working) now,” she added with an optimistic tone.

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Park Place South Homeowners Association’s President Dave LaManna has also been following the project since the spring start. Mr. LaManna thinks the project is necessary. His biggest concern is how the roadway will be finished at the end of the project. Are they going to use a patch or re-pave the entire intersection? Rosa Millino, the city’s project manager, responded that the surface restoration will be accomplished by repaving the trenches and any damage due to construction.

Maintaining our infrastructure has a price but when infrastructure fails, the price can be much more difficult. When asked to place this project into perspective, City Department of Utilities’ Engineering Division Manager Dan Sherry summed it up this way, “ The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is committed to maintaining a high level of service to its customers through preventive maintenance and replacing infrastructure (pipes and pump stations) that have reached the end of their useful life.”

Sherry continued, “It’s similar to your car, you perform preventive maintenance like changing the fluids and checking the tires, and then there comes a time when the car has reached the end of its useful life and you either invest in major repairs or purchase a new car. We take a similar approach with managing our assets by performing preventive maintenance to maximize the life of our facilities and when facilities reach the end of their useful life they require major rehabilitation work on the electrical, mechanical and structural components of the facility, similar to the work being performed at Sump 137.”

Parkside Community Church blessed voters at community event

By Monica Stark editor@valcomnews.com

In the midst of political turmoil when it’s easy to become hopeless or complacent when faced with scandals and hostility in government, Parkside Community Church hopes to lift up the notion of voting as one thing we can all to do make a difference.

On Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018,

the church (located at 5700 South Land Park Drive) invited the public to enjoy a fun outreach event that included a bounce house, kids activities, a multicultural buffet, social justice volunteer opportunities, voter education booth and a blessing booth. “(We had) pinatas as well, which represent concepts like war, poverty, racism, and patriarchy that we’d all like to smash,” said Pastor Elizabeth Griswold.

She says while voters don’t necessarily need to be blessed, the church wanted to “offer a blessing to voters as a way of supporting them in their bettering of our community and our country.”

As far as voter education, Griswold explained they had information about a couple propositions they really care about and presented

an activity in which participants of all ages had a chance to “vote” in that moment for what issues they care about most.

“On that note, it should be said that we as a congregation have taken official votes over the years to determine our identity and to proclaim it publicly. We have voted to become an ‘Open and Affirming’ Church especially welcoming of LGBTQ folks, a ‘Solidarity’ Church supportive of immigrants and refugees, and a ‘Just Peace’ Church committed to peace and social justice. We want the community to know that there is a Progressive Christian congregation right here in the neighborhood, and that we care about all of our neighbors and want to support them in the civic duty of voting that we all share. see Parkside page 8

Happy Next Year!

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937 Sonoma Way 5804 Laurine Way 8915 Los Posas Ct 3124 Lines Ln 6781 Langston Way 5201 Clearly Ln 1831 Bidwell Way 7724 River Grove 7640 Bridgeview Dr 4710 Mead Ave 216 21st St 7744 George River Ln 3212 Sondiesa Way

991 Shellwood Way 10 Black River Ct 9473 Triathlon Ln 7215 Harbor Light Way 2165 Eastwood Dr 915 South Beach Dr 7746 River Village Dr 3301 N Park Dr #416 1016 Roundtree Ct 6601 Serra Bella Ct 2833 Tree Swallow Cir 1824 N Bend Dr 6716 Salvaterra Cir

2925 Tree Swallow Cir 403 Pimentel Way 1231 Gilcrest Ave 729 El Macero Way 9652 Peller Way 9 Capay Ct 7741 James River Way 9357 Porto Rosa Dr 626 Rivercrest Dr 7029 Treasure Way 419 Deer River Way 11340 Green Rd 390 Nasca Way

6320 Summertide Way 6798 Coachlite Way 6750 Park Riviera Way 7791 Elena Marie Dr 8735 Sleepy Hollow Ln 95 Hidden Lake Cir 6848 Flintwood Way 801 Crestwater Ln 9736 Country Falls Ln 6214 Allenport Way 1101 W El Camino Ave

Call me in 2019!

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916-267-8992 www.valcomnews.com • January 4, 2019• Pocket News

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Parkside:

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“We wanted to do an outreach event--something that would be fun for the surrounding community and let people know that we’re here and what we’re about,” Griswold said.

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“Crazy Rich Asians” inspired red carpet affair at Regal Delta Shores 14

By Joe Perfecto

The late-summer U.S. release of the Warner Bros. film “Crazy Rich Asians”, based on Kevin Kwan’s book of the same name, took countless Asian communities by storm, sparking launch parties ranging from small, informal gatherings of friends to huge, professionally-staged events held at major venues. At one end of the spectrum was the Austin Asian American Film Festivals “Crazy Rich Asians Experience & VIP Soiree,” held Aug. 4, 2018 at that city’s Long Center.

Billed as the nation’s larg-

est, the fundraising event commanded $150 for standard admission and featured a menu designed by a master chef, a high-fashion runway show and panel discussions featuring several of the film’s celebrities.

Closer to home, on Aug. 17 a small number of fans gathered outside the Regal Delta Shores 14 theater off I-5 and Cosumnes River Boulevard for somewhat more modest festivities.

Emceed by Tina Macuha of local CBS affiliate CW31-TV and organized by Pocket resident and teacher Elizabeth Xiu Wong, the proceedings included a brief discussion of the film and the correct reading of its title. Does said title refer to “Crazy, Rich Asians” or “CrazyRich Asians?” Wong asserted that it does both, and should be read as “Crazy, Crazy-Rich Asians”–which she said is the status the assembled fans surely all aspired to attain: to live like the one-percenters depicted in the film. For, far from a gathering of globe-trotting jet-setters, this was simply a group of wannabes indulging in an evening of fantasy, each taking the role of the film character shown on his or her name tag while strolling toward the theater on a faux red carpet.

Toward that end, most participants were dressed to the proverbial nines– or so it would appear at first glance. Most of the flashy garments and jewelry in evidence were in fact cheap knockoffs of designer brands–a collection of “Goodwill Gucci” fakes posing as Saks Fifth Avenue finery. In fact, the sum cost of all these ensembles would amount to less than the sales tax on a single Oscar de la Renta ball gown.

Some participants, however, eschewed ostentatious sartorial displays in favor of see Crazy page 9 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Crazy:

continued from page 8

everyday duds that wouldn’t garner a second glance, in accordance with the mindset of one-percenters who prefer to keep a low profile and avoid the autographseekers, paparazzi and other riffraff.

Emcee Tina Macuha of Channel 31 and event organizer Elizabeth Wong address the crowd.

All fanciful joviality aside, at the heart of the buzz surrounding the film is not adulation for lifestyles of the obscenely wealthy (Kwan in fact portrays this social group satirically) but the composition of the production’s cast and crew and its significance for the future of the film industry.

Following closely in the footsteps of 1993’s Joy Luck Club, Crazy Rich Asians is based on a book about Asians by an Asian author, and the director, one screenwriter and most of the cast are Asian. Joy Luck opened to overall positive critical acclaim and did relatively well in theaters, taking in $33 million. This was noteworthy in that Asians have long maintained a relatively minor presence in a less-thandiverse cinematic industry, and were mostly limited onscreen to stereotypical roles; for all its achievements, however, the film did not change that situation appreciably.

In contrast, many observers expect the new Warner release to usher in an era of increasing Asian prominence and wider dramatic territory. Societal change, they argue, has produced a level of demand for Asian performers and content sufficient to provide Hollywood with a healthy return on investment.

What’s more, through the social networking power of the Internet, sizeable sectors of the audience have the ability to organize and mobilize to make their wants known and support preferred content.

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Photo by Joe Perfecto

Outside the Delta Shores Theatre, participants of a local red carpet event celebrating the movie “Crazy Rich Asians”, posed for photos with a large movie poster.

For these reasons, there won’t be a second 25-year wait for the next Asian blockbuster, Vanity Fair writer Wesley Yang told MSNBC’s Richard Lui. “The culture has changed, and the discussion around diversity has changed, and it’s actually gotten to the point where through social media we’re able to influence the outcomes and the decision making of Hollywood executives,” Yang said. “This was a kind of referendum; people were able to vote with their dollars, by purchasing tickets to make it known that it’s possible to actually create Asian-American movie stars.”

Those dollar-based votes continue to roll in; barely four weeks after the film’s release, North American ticket sales hovered near $120 million. Hollywood’s “enormous wager”–as Yang phrased it– has clearly paid off in spades, but per Yang’s allusion this outcome was by no means a safe bet from the industry’s standpoint. “(T)he objection always has been that there are no Asian-American movie stars to carry a blockbuster Hollywood movie, and this is what has prevented [one from being produced],” he said.

“But of course there’s a chicken-or-egg kind of problem–if you don’t cast Asians in a lead role, they don’t become movie stars. This shows that it can be done.”

In addition to pent-up audience demand, the industry has the Asian infrastruc-

ture to run with any potential trend. “(T)here’s lots of talent; there are screenwriters, producers, everyone behind the scenes who have been preparing for this moment their entire lives,” Time writer Karen Ho told MSNBC’s Lui. “People have been working for a long time for this kind of opportunity and they are ready to go. And we know already that there are pilots and series being greenlit as a result of the success of this film.” Said Yang, “The studio made it clear that if this was a success that the other two books were also going to be made into films,” referring to Kwan’s China Rich Girlfriend

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Rich:

continued from page 9

and Rich People Problems.

As of early Sept., all three titles ranked in the top 10 on the New York Times best sellers list, and in the top five just a few days later; Crazy Rich Asians has consistently placed on the list since June, often taking the number one spot.

As did many fellow fans, local launch party organizer Wong purchased tickets in bulk as a gesture of support.

“I wanted to make sure this (film) is gonna be successful for the weekend,” she said.

“I bought this block of tickets three weeks ago; no one had heard about it, no one knew what was going on, but I just wanted to make sure we had 35 people show up.” As it happened, Wong underestimated the demand. “There was a bidding war last week,” she noted gleefully.

More than just a fan of cinema and an advocate for greater Asian presence in the industry, Wong has long involvement with the theater arts locally. “I used to have a non-profit arts organization called the Asian Cultural Exchange, and we used to present plays written by Asians to provide a platform for more diversity,” she said. “It’s not only what’s on stage–it’s behind the scenes, the play-

Brownie’s Lounge founder reminisces about his long career in the bar business

By Lance Armstrong

Photo by Lance Armstrong

Clair “Brownie” Brown is in the process of selling his longtime South Hills Shopping Center business, Brownie’s Lounge.

A month has passed since Clair “Brownie” Brown, founder of Brownie’s Lounge in the South Hills Shopping Center, began settling into his new life as a retiree.

After more than a halfcentury in the bar business, he is certainly in very unfamiliar territory.

Brown, 85, said that he was in the bar business for so long that he has no idea how he will spend his retirement years.

As for his departure from Brownie’s Lounge, Brown mentioned that he sold the bar after losing his lease on his business space at 5858 South Land Park Drive. “(The property owners) came to me one day and

said, ‘You’re out of here,” he said. “I didn’t renew my (five-year) option, and the girl from the company said, ‘Didn’t you look at your lease? I said, (expletive), I don’t even know where my lease is.”

Brown, who resides in the Pocket area with his wife, Carolyn, noted that he had hoped to operate Brownie’s Lounge until he was at least 90 years old.

The bar – which has retained the name, Brownie’s Lounge – has instead been leased to the owners of Florez Bar & Grill, which is also located in the South Hills Shopping Center.

Brown, who has one daughter and two grandchildren, noted that at the

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wrights and everything else.

That company has closed, but one in Nevada City puts on one play a year.”

She also has a connection to the Joy Luck Club. Her daughter, who was nine years old at the time, made it to the third round of auditions before she was cut because she couldn’t speak Mandarin. Ironically, Wong herself had established the Mandarin program at John F. Kennedy High School, which her daughter was far too young to attend. It was the daughter– now in her 30s–who encouraged Wong to organize the launch party.

And while the Delta Shores party did eventually get under way, it unfortunately was plagued with delays and cancellations and last-minute changes. The limo was a noshow–and what happened to the planned flash mob dances? But the attendees were in good spirits nonetheless, and at bottom, they were there primarily to see a film that held great significance for Asians on both sides of the screen.

At one point Wong asked the crowd, “Who wants to be crazy-rich?” to a response of much cheering. “Tonight,” Wong said, smiling, “we are all crazy-rich”–referring, perhaps unintentionally, to the changes that are bound to come to the world of filmmaking, and very likely beyond, via a more diverse Hollywood.

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time of his retirement, he had already achieved a significant milestone in local bar history.

“I owned a bar longer than any one single owner (in Sacramento),” he said. “ There was Ronnie (Alvernaz) over at the Distillery. He went out of business. He was next to me.

Then there’s the ( Joanne Martin-owned) Flame Club. But no one has been close in years.”

Brown added that he believes that small, neighborhood bars are “on their way out.”

Long before establishing himself in the bar business, Brown began his life in Yuba City. He was one of the 10 children of Leo and Hazel Brown.

A 1951 graduate of Modesto High School, Brown served in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1957. He was stationed in Japan before being discharged at McClellan Air Force Base.

It was also during the 1950s when Brown acquired his first job in a bar at The Stable, a pizza and beer business at 4563 Freeport Blvd. He was hired while taking general education classes at Sacramento Junior College see Brownie’s page 11 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Brownie’s: continued from page 10

– now Sacramento City College.

Brown also worked for some time at a Union service station at 131 Capitol Ave. (now Capitol Mall).

While working at the Union station one evening, Brown was approached by a man who informed him that someone was hollering for help in the Sacramento River.

After running to the river with another service station attendant, Brown eventually discovered a man hanging onto a limb in the river, near the Tower Bridge.

Brown said that he made the decision to go into the river to save him.

“I told the guy, ‘Don’t grab me, I’ll grab you,’” he said. “I didn’t want him to pull me down, because we could go right between the barges. So, I reached and he grabbed me and he scratched my nose and I got away from him.

“I swam back around and I raised my hand up and I grabbed him, so he couldn’t grab me, and then I swam toward the beach.

I finally got mud on my toes and I got him up on the beach. I never heard who the guy was.”

Brown later took a job at The Captain’s Table, a cocktail lounge that was located at 4350 Riverside Blvd., in the area where Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar is now located. He also worked at the Gas Lamp bar at 4450 24th St. Brown purchased the Gas Lamp in 1966, and the place became known as Brownie’s Gas Lamp.

While working behind the bar at Brownie’s Gas Lamp in 1976, a man entered his business with a gun.

Brown bumped the man’s gun while handing him cash from the register.

The robber reacted by firing the gun at Brown.

The bullet came so close to striking Brown’s head that he could feel it sail through his hair.

But that incident was far from an isolated one, Brown noted.

“I had 21 armed robberies,” he said. “I was shot at three times. Once in the back of my (pant) leg, once over my shoulder and once through my hair.”

Brown also mentioned a New Year’s Eve party at the Gas Lamp in 1970.

During that celebration, four men rushed in the bar at about 1:30 a.m., fired two shots and departed with about $850 in cash. One of the shots

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flew above a bartender’s head.

Brown recalled an incident in which he searched for a man who had robbed him at his bar.

“I go down this street (with a gun) and here’s this car and this guy is taking his mask off,” he said.

“I go, ‘Freeze.’ If he had a gun he would shoot me.

Well, I’m going to shoot him. Anyway, the guy laid down on his seat, and I didn’t know he had his engine running. I thought I had him, but he hit his accelerator with his hand and took off. I fired six shots at the car. The guy got away.”

Although Brown said he retired his guns before opening the current location of Brownie’s Lounge, he mentioned that two very dangerous situations occurred at the bar in more recent times.

“Four years ago, a car ran into the other (neighboring business space) and came into the bar and ruined the jukebox and everything,” he said. “ The other night, on March 4, a girl came in the parking lot, didn’t step on the

breaks, didn’t turn the wheel, and drove right straight into the front of (Brownie’s).

“I had to take the booths all out that were destroyed. The jukebox, the ATM machine, and (some) stools were (also) destroyed. She didn’t take out the bar though. (The latter incident) caused $46,000 worth of damage to the place.”

While working as a bar owner, Brown has tended the bar, cooked meals and socialized with his thousands of customers.

He also participated in the Honourable Guild of St. Patrick’s Day Mummers’ annual evening parade in Sacramento from 1960 to 1997. That organization, which he cofounded, named Brown as the Irishman of the Year in 1977.

The Irish theme has also been notable at Brownie’s through many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and weekly corned beef and cabbage lunches.

Asked to summarize his many years in the bar business, Brown said, “It’s been one hell of a ride.”

Chicana Pocket artist invited the public into her home for studio tour

By Monica Stark

Simona Hernandez’s paintings and prints have been described as Chicana art and storytelling, reminiscent of Latin American magical realism. A figurative artist preferring joyful, loose visual movement, Hernandez combines realism with fanciful 2-dimensional images that tell a story.

From the happy and silly times experienced through her culture, family, community, and in nature, Hernandez also draws inspiration from places and buildings, even roads, that played important roles in her life.

The only Pocket/Greenhaven participant in the 13 Annual Sacramento Artist Studio Tour held on Sept. 8 see Chicana page 12

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11

Chicanca: continued from page 11

and 9, 2018, Hernandez sold limited edition art of some of her large paintings, new original oil paintings and watercolors; and prints on varnished canvas or fine art paper. All was on sale from inside her great room downstairs.

The only Pocket resident opening her home at the open studio tour, Hernandez says she usually doesn’t “let being the “only person” stop me from doing what I want.

Maybe that’s because I’m the eldest of nine children and changed schools frequently... so this is my comfort zone. … I know I have the support of family and friends so this is a great opportunity to exhibit new art.” That said, the tried to interest others to par-

the home unless she’s painting or drawing on location.

Hernandez’s children and grandchildren have attended schools in this area, and she has made life-long friends.

“Many, many of my college friends, co-workers, and some family also reside here. When I go to the grocery store, I’m sure to see someone I know... it’s like a little village,” she says.

Hernandez’s father was a professional photographer and draftsman and at an early age he taught his daughter to draw perspective. “I could draw very realistically by the Image courtesy time I was in 4th grade and “Tejanos”, a painting by Pocket Chicana artist Simona Hernandez, was one of many on display inside her home at the Sacramento Artist Studio Tour. never stopped ‘doing’ art,” she says. Having earned a double ticipate in the tour through A resident of Sacramento’s bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts the Next Door, the social net- Pocket Road area for over 30 and Journalism from Caliworking site for neighbor- years and an artist even longer, fornia State University, Sachoods. “Hopefully they will Hernandez finds she doesn’t ramento, Hernandez later in future years,” she says. need to create art outside of worked as a graphic artist in

her early 20s and a newsletter editor. “I learned much about technical illustration, printing and photography through Journalism which fueled my interest in printmaking; i.e., etching, engraving, stone lithography, silk screening, etc.”

In her 30s, Hernandez earned a Master’s of Public Administration and worked in that area for many years, however, she continued to create and exhibit her art simultaneously.

Esteban Villa, co-founder of Sacramento’s Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), was Hernandez’s professor and became a close family friend.

“He always encouraged me to keep painting; and we’ve often exhibited together.” Another influence, Carol Wagner, was a local printmaker in the 1990s who hosted regsee Tour page 13

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Tour:

continued from page 12

ular Friday evening printmaking events, which Hernandez often attended. “I’d been through the commercial printing program at Sacramento City College. Her enthusiasm made me passionate about original prints so I pursued more education through Kala Printmaking Institute (now Kala Art Institute).”

She has showed her work at CSUS alumni exhibits, KVIE’s Art Auction, the California State Capitol, various Northern California galleries, including a few she rented downtown. Simona has exhibited her art at such venues as the California State Fair; CSUS Library; La Raza Galeria Posada, Sacramento; C.N. Gorman Museum, Davis; Allen Short Gallery and Artistas de Valle both in Stockton; and the Tahoe Art Center, Tahoe City. In 2009, she operated a gallery at Sacramento’s Foundry, Inc. and later at Gallery 2110.

Additionally, Hernandez has exhibited at some special functions in the Lake Tahoe area and Southern California. Her story and art have been the subject of a Sacramento Magazine feature article; and my art has been published in a major anthology of Mexican-American artists, “Triumph of our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican-American Art.” She operated a part-time special events photography business in the early 1990s while she was also employed full time with the State of California. In 1992, she cofounded the Co-Madres Artistas, six visual Chicana artists and long-time community activists within the Sac-

ramento area. She exhibited with this artist cooperative for over a decade. In 2005, she concluded a long-term career with the State that focused in the publishing and small business areas. She presently exhibits at public and private art venues and operates Simona’s Fine Arts.

The size of her paintings vary, from usually 3x4 feet to 9x12 inches, though she always has a large painting in progress, but work more quickly on smaller pieces.

Over many years, Hernandez painted a series of five large canvases that are nostalgia pieces that she sells as limited edition fine arts prints.

She is near completing one more related to the Matador Club, a popular nightclub on Franklin Boulevard. That said, Hernandez gets excited about all her art. “It’s fun to see how it turns out. This is something I can’t totally predict.”

Jesus in a cage: Nativity display prompts discussion on immigrant children held at the border

thought of the idea of setting up a display on the church’s front lawn to demonstrate our solidarity with immigrant families separated at the border. She immediately agreed. Her husband, Rev. Raj Rambob, committed on the spot to being our building project leader. Our Church Council voted unanimously to support it. So then while I tracked down nativity scene figures of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus; the Rambobs bought the supplies for our makeshift jails—and we were ready to begin.

Church members gathered in the morning of Saturday, June 30, 2018 to construct the fences around the Holy Family, before heading over to the “Families Belong Together” rally at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) offices downtown. The idea was that we have a unique perspective as a church, and a unique voice with which to proclaim it.

Photo courtesy

On the Parkside Community Church lawn, the congregation imagines what it might look like if Mary and Joseph entered the U.S in 2018 seeking asylum with their baby, Jesus. Matthew 2:13-23 tells the story of the Holy Family fleeing from a violent ruler in their homeland. They found refuge in Egypt. The church states, “How is their story different from the many families seeking asylum at our border? As Christians, we denounce the cruel policy of separating families seeking asylum in the U.S. We demand that all children be reunited with their parents immediately.”

Our perspective is one of faith—and in our Christian tradition we follow a savior who was himself an asylum seeker, who lived as a Jew under the oppressive Roman Empire, who died as a Person of Color at the hands of the state. And we feel it is our duty to use our Christian voice to con-

nect that biblical story to the stories of families facing similarly harrowing experiences today.

It’s easy to forget that the story of Jesus’ birth includes a disturbing chapter in the Gospel of Matthew that sounds like it was ripped from today’s headsee Jesus page 14

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13

Jesus:

Congregation. We pledged to aid any family who is facing deportation and is seeking sanctuary; and we committed to stand in solidarity with immigrants by making public declaration of our support. So Parkside decided to creatively raise our Christian voice to proclaim this current unGodly treachery against the human family by inserting the biblical characters into the modern narrative. Creating this display was our faithbased obligation.

Even in an artistic display, how hideous it is to see Jesus, Mary, and Joseph separated and locked up! And since every family is a Holy Family, in real life how hideous it is to see our sisters and brothers from the south separated and locked up!

My daughter, who helped create the display at Parkside, explains that we hope everyone who sees the cages understands that just as Jesus shouldn’t be in jail for being an immigrant, nei-

continued from page 13

lines. In Matthew 2, the Roman-appointed King Herod feels threatened by the baby Jesus. So like any oppressive ruler worth his salt, he makes a commanding, racist, and violent decree. All children under age two shall be killed. In fear for their lives, Jesus’ holy family is forced to leave their country to find safety in neighboring Egypt. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph flee violence in their homeland and seek asylum in another country until it is safe for them to return.

Yet that’s where our modern tale takes a different turn. Unlike ancient Egypt, the contemporary United States is not welcoming families who are fleeing violence. We are locking them up in cages!

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ther should anyone else.

Our message is really that simple.

Elizabeth Griswold is a pastor at Parkside Community Church on South Land Park Drive and 35th Avenue.

Reward for “Pocket Puppy Killer” soared to $16,000

By Monica Stark

Julie Virga, Pocket native and animal lover, really wanted to find the puppy killer and posted reward fliers in the neighborhood. The reward soared to $16,000 for the killer.

A group of local Sacramentans dedicated to the safety and protection of domestic animals, and representatives of the City of Sacramento, called attention to the brutal beating and murder of a 4-month-old female puppy found Jan. 19, 2018, hanging from a tree on the Sacramento River levee at Riverside Boulevard at Rio Viale Court, directly behind Brookfield Elementary School.

With a reward now up to $16,000, information leading to the arrest and conviction for this heinous crime has been trickling in. While there are “no smokingguns”, there continue to be leads worth tracking, says Chief Animal Control Officer Jace Huggins, Chief Animal Control Officer with the City of Sacramento.

Described as a darkmixed breed, weighing about 12 pounds, the dog was found by a citizen utilizing the bike trail.

Photo by Monica Stark

Julie Virga, Pocket native and animal lover, was dedicated to find the puppy killer and posted reward fliers in the neighborhood. The reward went up to $16,000 for the killer.

“While we have information, we don’t have enough and we don’t want this to fall to the wayside and be forgotten about, as I am fairly certain somebody out there knows what happened,” Huggins said.

While their hands had been full over at the shelter with 300 cases at any given time, Huggins said this was the worst case he’s seen since he began working this position six years prior.

Sacramento’s Alhambra Theatre captured the hearts of many area residents. And although more than four decades have passed since this movie palace met the wrecking ball, its memory is about to become more vivid.

Through the work of Pocket filmmakers Matías Bombal and Chad E. Williams, the Alhambra – a venue where many classic films were shown throughout its nearly 45-year existence – hit the big screen itself.

In their attempt to capture the storied memories of the Alhambra Theatre, which majestically stood on a block of land at J and K streets on the eastern side of Alhambra Boulevard, Bombal and Williams produced a 55-minute documentary film, titled “Alhambra: Sacramento’s Palace of Fantasy.”

The film will made its public debut at the Tower Theatre, 2508 Land Park Drive, on Feb. 21, 2018 with two showings.

By Lance Armstrong A finely weaved mix of vinOnce recognized as the tage films, photographs, inter“showplace of Sacramento,” see Alhambra page 17

Pocket moviemakers created Alhambra Theatre documentary

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Alhambra: continued from page 14

views and information gathered through research, this documentary does everything it can to showcase the former glory of this celebrated theater.

Designed by Sacramento architect Leonard F. Starks and Edward Flanders, the Alhambra Theatre was rich with elegance.

It was constructed in the likeness of the famous, luxurious Moorish palace and fortress, known as The Alhambra, which was built near Granada, Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Beyond its alluring exterior and gardens entrance, this cin-

ema palace had an attractive interior that included a ceiling with a colorful dome-like effect, long beams leading to an ornamented proscenium arch, perforated grillwork, many rows of fancy seats divided by a large center aisle, a balcony, a 75-foot stage, elegant lighting, drapes, tapestries and a large gold velour curtain with an image of the historic Alhambra of Spain.

Certainly, Bombal and Williams did not rebuild the theater in its old, physical form, but the footage taken from old television newsreels should give audiences of this new production the feeling that they are both inside the Alhambra and meandering outside in its spacious, beautiful gardens.

Williams described the uniqueness of the Alhambra Theatre, which opened on Sept. 24, 1927.

“What strikes me about it is most theaters are part of a city block,” he said. “They are a building within a larger building in some cases. (The Alhambra), on its own and at the time, was kind of in the middle of nothing.

916-267-8992

1109 Markham Way, Sacramento 95818

Courtesy of Matias Bombal

Local movie makers Matias Bombal and Chad Williams made a documentary about the Alhambra Theatre, which premiered on Feb. 21, 2018 at the Tower Theatre.

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Tiny therapy horses brought joy to children at Belle Cooledge Library

Garnering many ooohs and aaahhs from children and their parents, the horses named Hope and Valor were led around the community room.

“Do they eat breakfast? Do they eat dinner?” -- were the common questions raised by children who were surprised by the answer: “They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between, they get little tiny snacks like carrots.”

“Just like me,” one young

By Monica Stark girl replied.

“Yes, but, I bet you don’t Sharing the Hope, a ser- sleep in shavings.” vice-based organization that And so it goes, the joy began as a way to bring com- of meeting 5-year-old, fort and joy to children with 165-pound Hope and Valor, cancer in local Sacramen- age 3 and 134 pounds was to hospitals like Sutter and had by children that day, Shriners, brought its two mirroring the comfort these miniature horses to Belle two have brought to the Cooledge Library on Sat- most in need. Whether in urday, Feb. 24, 2018, for a hospice or in children’s on20-minute educational pre- cology, Ken and Lisa Schaefsentation and meet and fer, the horses’ owners, feel greet. the joy reciprocated.

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It’s hard to believe how different life for them -- the horses and the Schaeffers -- has become in just three years. Lisa, then a massage therapist in Elk Grove, was sitting at her desk and had a vision that changed each of their lives.

“I saw a picture of a little child with no hair, standing next to the horse,” Lisa recalled. “He said, ‘This is your next thing.’ I said, ‘I’m in.’”

Moving quickly, she went to VistaPrint for marketing materials and “made the whole thing up.”

“I didn’t have a horse, didn’t have a place to put it. I didn’t have anything.

We lived in a mobile home.

And now we have five acres in Wilton and it’s the most beautiful place you ever saw in your life.”

Back then, Lisa’s mother was in her 90s and told her to find a place for the little

horses and she could have her inheritance early. “We drove by this place (in Wilton) because it was so beautiful, but it wasn’t for sale.

Shortly thereafter, it went on the market, we made an offer.”

While Lisa had horses when she was a child and trained them for a living for about 20 years, she switched from caring for horses to humans, married her husband and all was well. But after the “Himpossible”, religious experience, her vision has been brought to fruition, a miracle in its own right.

The first horse adopted, Hope, has become more vibrant in personality and Valor has been brought up with a youthful bounce in his step. “Everyone who meets her, loves her,” Lisa said, talking about Hope (though the comment is relevant to both).”My husband did leading exercises with her so she could go into any little tiny space,” a convenience for sometimes cramped hospital rooms.

After Hope came Valor, who was still hanging

onto his mother, recalled Lisa. “She was carrying him around, like this,” she said in a bit of a show-and-tell.

“Over the moon with Shriners,” Lisa says the pair of tiny horses can go anywhere in the hospital unless the patient has a bacterial problem and their health would otherwise be compromised. “(Shriners) never had a horse before. Then we were accepted at South Sacramento Kaiser. We’ve been to hospice. The horses are very quiet around someone who is not feeling well.”

Certified with Pet Partners, a large non-profit that registers therapy dogs and other therapy animal pets including horses, cats, rabbits, and birds, Hope and Valor continue to bring hope and instil valor to those in need.

(Side note: If you see a minivan traveling that appears to have two tiny zebras in the back, you might be looking at Hope and Valor. Blanketed in zebraprint, that’s how the two get around town.) You can follow their adventures on Facebook at Sharing the Hope.

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What’s SATURDAY, JAN. 5 READ TO A DOG - 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 a registered therapy dog.

Kids are invited to bring their own books or borrow one from our collection. First and third Saturdays ( January 5 and 19), 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

BOOK DISCUSSION - If you like to read and you like to talk about books, look no further than the Pocket Library book discussion group. The group reads a wide variety of books to challenge the minds and interests of all group members. At this meeting we will be discussing The Woman Next Door

by Yewande Omotoso. (February’s selection will be The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin.) Saturday, January 5, 1 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

TUESDAY, JAN. 8 POP UP SALE AT BELLE COOLEDGE LIBRARY: On Tuesday, January 8, 2019, the Belle Cooledge Library is having its Pop Up Sale from 10am to 5 pm. Book prices are $1 for hardback, .50 for trade and paperbacks.

Fill up a grocery size bag for $5. No credit cards please. Belle Cooledge is located at 5600 South Land Park Drive.

ANDROID SMARTPHONE TRAINING CLASS: Make your Android smartphone work better for you! Learn how to make it louder, send text messages, connect to Bluetooth, operate basic functions and much more. Pre-registration required. Free of charge. Class will be held Tuesday, January 8, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call (916) 393-9026 ext 330 or www.acssv.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 11 CREAMY CHICKEN AND CORN CHOW: Chicken corn chowder is a soup you can eat year round. This is a versatile recipe, allowing for additions like bacon and chopped pepper. It can be cooked in a crockpot instead of the stove.Pre-registration and pre-payment of $16 required. Class will be held Friday, January 11, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m. at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call (916) 393-9026 ext 330 or www.acssv.org.

TUESDAY, JAN. 15 “ALL IN” GAMING AND SOCIAL HOUR FOR ADULTS AND SENIORS – Join us for games, refreshments, conversation, and fun! Available games will include poker, chess, Scrabble, checkers, dominos, Mahjong, cribbage, and more! Tuesday, January 15, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Robbie Waters Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

happening Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16 SOUND THERAPY: Explore the world of using sound to assist in creating and maintaining health. Learn about the latest medical research and sound therapy techniques that use classical music, white noise, Mantra prayers, and ancient musical instruments.

Experience the Himalayan Singing Bowls and learn ancient techniques to relax the body and mind and bring balance into your life. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $20 required. $25 drop-in fee at the door. Class will be held Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from 1:30-3 p.m. at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call (916) 393-9026 ext 330 or www. acssv.org.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP – Practice speaking English in a friendly, small group conversation led by a facilitator on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

Discussion topics include everyday life, news, local things to do, and more. All levels and parents with children are welcome! No registration is needed. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, January 2 and 16, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

THURSDAY, JAN. 17 iPHONE SMARTPHONE TRAINING CLASS: Make your iPhone smartphone work better for you! Learn how to make it louder, send text messages, connect to Bluetooth, operate basic functions and much more. Pre-registration required. Free of charge. Class will be held Thursday, January 17, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call (916) 393-9026 ext 330 or www.acssv.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 19 READ TO A DOG - 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 a registered therapy dog.

Kids are invited to bring their own books or borrow one from our collection. First and third Saturdays ( January 5 and 19), 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

SATURDAY, FEB. 2 DREAM VARIATIONS: A SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Sacramento Youth Symphony presents a major community concert event celebrating the ongoing contributions by African-Americans to our country’s artistic landscape. Musical selections will include celebrated works by Duke Ellington, William Grant Still, Emmy

Pocket/Greenhaven?

Award-winning composer John Wineglass, and much more. An impressive roster of special guests will join the orchestra on-stage for this special event. Some of our guests include: Emcee-Omari Tau; Speaker-Courtney Dempsey; Guest Artists-Jay Mason, Chase Spruill 4th, Indigo Moore, Julian Dixon, Leslie Sandefur, & Sheryl Counter. Tickets: General $25, Students/Children/Seniors $20. For more information, visit www. sacramentoyouthsymphony.org

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER: This class is designed for beginner or students with limited or no experience with computer. Learn about computer hardware, system components, software and more. Prepayment of $30 and pre-registration required. Class will start from January 16 thru 25, 2018 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at ACC Senior Services, 7334 Park City Drive. For more information, call 393-9026 ext 330, www.accsv.orgs.

ONGOING

ARTISTS’ AND CRAFTERS’ GROUP – Held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, this meet-up was started to allow participants from past and current “In Creative Company” classes to continue meeting. Any artists or crafters who are interested in this social group are welcome--just bring whatever you’re working on and join us! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUP: Every first Monday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m. Location: Sacramento. Call 916-428-3271 for exact location. Description: Is your friend or family member in a domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking situation?

This free, drop-in group is for you. Learn how to support your loved one, and receive some support yourself among people who are in the same situation. Feel free to call My Sister’s House for more information: 916428-3271. #METOO SUPPORT GROUP: Every third Monday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m.

Location: Sacramento. Call 916-428-3271 for exact location. Description: This dropin support group is free, confidential, open to all genders, and available to sexual assault survivors at any point in their healing. Feel free to call My Sister’s House for more information: 916-428-3271.

MUSIC AND MOTION AT BELLE COOLEDGE COMMUNITY CENTER: Rowena Alverto brings exercise classes for seniors with a combination of yoga, tai chi, zumba, for seniors on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. $3. 5699 South Land Park Drive.

LOW-COST VACCINATION CLINICS AT THE SSPCA: Mondays and Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for vaccines; no appointments necessary. Vaccines include: 1) DAPP vaccine ($20) — DAPP stands for Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus. While important for dogs of every age, puppies are susceptible to the Parovirus.

2) Bordetella ($20) -- often referred to as the kennel cough vaccine, this helps protect against a strain of bacteria that can cause kennel cough. Many boarding kennels and groomers require this vaccine for services, 3) FVRCP vaccination ($20) prevents three potentially deadly airborne viruses: rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia in cats, 4) Rabies shot ($6) -- this vaccine is required by animal control or to license your dog. The first vaccine is valid for one year, subsequent vaccines if given on time will last 3 years.

If you are 65 or older, vaccinations are free!

The Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is located at 6201 Florin Perkins Road, Sacramento.

THE CLARKSBURG COMMUNITY BAND INVITES YOU TO JOIN: How about dusting off that horn and getting involved! The band is a group of musicians that enjoys sharing a love of music with each other and our communities. The band is looking to expand the ensemble and wants to welcome those who are interested and who play a standard concert band instrument. The band meets Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Delta High School, 52810 Netherlands Ave., Clarksburg. For more information contact Randall Veirs, Delta High School Band Director at rveirs@rdusd.org FREE LINE DANCE CLASS: Every Thursday from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. “Two Left Feet” dance class for beginners. If you think you have “two left feet” this class is for you.

Anyone can participate in this fun activity.

Friendly group of people. Drop-ins welcome.

Sponsored by ACC Senior Services. Class held every Thursday at ACC Greenhaven Terrace, 1180 Corporate Way. First class is always free. For more information call (916) 393-9026 ext 330. www.accsv.org

WEDNESDAY COFFEE AND CONVERSATION GATHERING: Every Wednesday morning from 7 to 10 am., join neighbors at Cafe Latte, 7600 Greenhaven Drive, for conversation and fun. Find the group back near the piano.

“ALL IN” SENIOR SOCIAL HOUR – The Pocket Library will provide games, refreshments, conversation, and fun on the last Wednesday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m.!

Games available to play include poker, chess, Scrabble, checkers, Dominos, Mahjong, cribbage, and more! Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTH SACRAMENTO: The friendliest club in Sacramento, the Rotary Club of South Sacramento meets every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Casa Garden, 2760 Sutterville Road.

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.

SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF SACRAMENTO SOUTH: Meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Aviators Restaurant, Executive Airport, 6151 Freeport Blvd. For more information, call Dee at 341-7852.

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 PocketGreenhaven Library, 7335 Gloria Drive, Sacramento.

CalBRE# 00692245

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