Inside East Sacramento January 2023

LAURIE

4297 D Street - $1,350,000

MAGNIFICEENT EAST SAC CRAFTSMAN 4 Bed 3½ bath rebuilt, foundation up, in 2017. Gorgeous kitchen with quartz counters, Carrera marble island, wine refrig and salt-water pool MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

401 – 34th STREET - $749,000

JUST A HALF BLOCK SOUTH OF McKINLEY PARK 3 or 4 bed 1½ bath. A charmer with office or 4th bedroom. Decades of owner pride! Large living room, dining room, high ceilings. DAVID KIRRENE 916-531-7495 DRE-01115041

3401 – 23rd STREET - $600,000

1 Porto Santo Circle – $839,000

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING SINGLE STORY POCKET HOME 3 bed 2 bath 2233 sf. Open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, gourmet kitchen. Custom stone fireplace oak mantel 3-car garage PAULA LOPEZ 916-719-9210 DRE-01874668

316 Outrigger Way - $749,000

CLOSE TO GENNEVIEVE DIDION SCHOOL. 3 bed 2 bath Gorgeous remodeled single story home with pool and backyard for entertaining. Breathtaking kitchen

MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

7302 Gloria Drive - $629,000

CUSTOM GREENHAVEN POCKET SINGLE STORY 3 or 4 bed 3 bath. Tastefully updated kitchen, quartz counter, maple cabinets. Great room with fireplace. Bubbling fountain. CONNIE LANDSBERG 916-761-0411

6816 Havenhurst Drive - $660,000 WONDERFUL SPANISH STYLE HOME. 4 or 5 bed, 3 bath. Elegant two-story with many upgrades, bamboo flooring, sophisticated lighting. Backyard oasis with pool

HILARY BUCHANAN 916-397-7502 DRE-01359213

6807 Greenhaven Drive - $460,000

LOVELY SINGLE STORY HOME IN GREENHAVEN 4 bed 2 bath original owner home with newer roof, large lot with enclosed patio, RV parking possible. Sacramento river close

MONA GERGEN 916-247-9555 DRE-01270375

Whether you are looking for that perfect neighborhood or that home you’ll never want to leave, we want to hear all about it. After 20-plus years in Sacramento, Tim and his Team don’t just know where to look; chances are, they’ll show you something you’ve never seen.

3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only) info@insidepublications.com

Cecily Hastings Cathryn Rakich editor@insidepublications.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel @anikophotos Michele Mazzera Info@insidepublications.com or visit insidesacramento.com

Daniel Nardinelli, COO, daniel@insidepublications.com Lauren Stenvick accounts@insidepublications.com 916.443.5087 Sally Giancanelli 916.335.6503 SG@insidepublications.com Lauren Stenvick 916.524.0336 LS@insidepublications.com

Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Sacramento. Inside Sacramento is delivered for free to more than 80,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. Inside Sacramento welcomes readers’ comments. Letters to the Editor should be submitted via email to editor@insidepublications.com. Please include name, address and phone number. Letters may be published as space permits and edited for brevity. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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COVER ARTIST

LAURIE CURRAN

Laurie Curran studied art at UC Berkeley and San Francisco Art Institute. Her style is a masterful balance between abstraction and realism. Just enough detail is shared with the viewer, and yet the abstracted forms and color fields retain a degree of mystery. Shown: “Time Flies," oil, 14 5/8 inches by 18 inches. The piece is for sale at $2,200 and was awarded a 2022 Inside Publisher’s Award in the California State Fair Fine Arts Competition. Curran’s art is represented by Joel B. Garzoli Fine Art in San Francisco. Visit jbgfineart.com or contact Curran at lkcmvca@gmail.com

Research shows that people living with chronic illness who receive palliative care generally live longer and report a higher quality of life and a better sense of well-being than those who do not.

Palliative care can help you manage your symptoms, connect you to essential resources, and coordinate your care so that you can savor the moments that mean the most to you.

By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

We are grateful for engagement with readers. It primarily comes from email, but for me engagement also happens while I’m shopping or at community events. It’s almost always positive.

The compliments often end with one thought: “I appreciate what you write, but I wish it was read by more people.” I chuckle at this because we are—by miles—the widest read print publication in the city and county.

Each month we print 83,000 copies of Inside Sacramento. More than 80,000 are mailed to homes in our readership area. The rest are distributed through newsstands.

A few months ago, I came across a ranking of the top 25 newspapers in the county by print circulation. No. 1 was The Wall Street Journal with 697,493 print copies. In second was The New York Times at 329,781. The Washington Post ranked fourth with 159,040 and Los Angeles Times sixth at 142,382.

As a free monthly, Inside Sacramento wasn’t included. But our 83,000 printed copies would have put us at No. 12 nationally, ahead of The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and Chicago Sun-Times. The Bee, with a reported 37,454 print circulation, didn’t make the list.

So our fans need not worry about Inside Sacramento being widely read! Obviously, we don’t depend on paid print subscribers to fund our business. Most major newspapers survive on a combination of paid advertising and subscriptions. Both categories have plunged in the last decade, decimating print journalism.

We rely on small businesses to advertise in our pages to reach their best local audiences. They report there’s no better, cost-effective way to attract customers.

WE’RE OPEN

The pandemic threw a wrench into our business. As small businesses suffered from the uncertainty of extended lockdowns, so did Inside. Paper costs skyrocketed. We have to work smarter and look for cost savings just like every other small business.

As we celebrate our 27th year in print, I’m beyond proud of how we grew into this leadership position.

I started off humbly in 1996 with one neighborhood publication in East Sacramento and a print circulation of about 10,000. As our advertising dollars grew, we expanded circulation and mailing. We added editions in Land Park/Grid, Arden/Carmichael and Pocket/Greenhaven. While we expanded, The Bee lost readers, advertisers and staff, and went bankrupt.

We get our share of criticism. Occasionally I get emails from readers who disagree with some of our more hard-hitting articles. I appreciate feedback, positive and negative. I ask people to keep it reasonable, constructive or analytical.

Over the years we’ve had interesting relationships with local politicians. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many. Some are honorable, excellent public servants. Sadly, many more are self-centered, vindictive and

partisan. And more interested in scoring political points than creating long-term solutions.

I can count numerous times local politicians told me our columns left out facts or didn’t report the whole story. My answer is always the same: Send us the facts and the other side of the story. How often do they follow through? Once that I can recall. His response was a statement of opinion with no new information to challenge what we published.

Many local politicians underestimate our ability to reach voters in our readership areas. And, some at their own peril.

Given the huge numbers we reach locally, we take our journalism seriously. We vet what we publish. Opinion pieces are fact-based and researched with credible sources. Our goal is to bring readers reasonable viewpoints based upon sound analysis. Some may disagree, which is fine.

What has changed in recent years is our focus on local problems, including criminality, homelessness and drug addiction, government waste and corruption, and the demise of local businesses.

Five years ago we only occasionally covered these issues. But as the quality

of life in our neighborhoods declined, so did local media. We stepped up to provide readers with independent coverage and analysis not available elsewhere.

Some critics say we fear-monger and focus on the negative. But when a man is murdered while walking to a tennis club, we can’t pretend it didn’t happen.

One reader suggested we stop criticizing local elected officials and instead give them awards. That’s not our job. Part of our mission is to hold politicians responsible for their actions. With our quality of life in decline, the vast majority of readers expect and support our efforts to bring accountability to the City Council and County Board of Supervisors.

Inside isn’t all about political failures and tragic outcomes. Our pages are balanced with celebrations of the best of our community. Every issue profiles

volunteers, interesting neighbors and small business success stories. Not to mention our coverage of Sacramento’s farm-to-fork movement, and arts and cultural scene.

Celebrating the good while also calling out misguided civic leadership is a model that serves our readers well. Please join us on this path and welcome the new year with Inside!

Here’s how you can support Inside’s mission. Visit insidesacramento. com/shop and sign up for our weekly newsletter. Also consider a paid membership starting at $19.95 a year. Every little bit helps us serve our community.

Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Concept drawings show the planned state-of-the-art zoological park.

Up Close & Personal

NEW ZOO CONCEPTS FEATURE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

The Sacramento Zoological Society and city of Elk Grove have released a series of concept drawings for the planned stateof-the-art zoological park.

The drawings by SHR Studios and Mangolin Creative depict a multiphased, modern zoo featuring an immersive experience where visitors get up close to the wildlife. Guests can even stay overnight in a luxury tent-cabin with views of the hippopotamus lake.

“The most exciting part of these conceptual renderings are the depictions

J L JL

By Jessica Laskey Out & About

of the interactions between the animals and people,” says Jason Jacobs, executive director of the Sacramento Zoological Society.

“An incredible zoo doesn’t just take care of animals; it also takes good care of people,” he adds. “We want this new zoo to be one of the best in the United States and something that Elk Grove and the entire region can really be proud of.”

The next steps include developing a schematic design and financing plan, and completing an environmental impact review. The Elk Grove City Council is expected to formally consider the new zoo project later this year.

To view the drawings, visit saczoo. org/about-us/new-zoo.

MUIR PARK MURAL

The basketball court at Muir Park on C Street is looking extra spiffy these

days thanks to a vibrant new mural installed by Midtown Association and its nonprofit arm Midtown Parks.

Local artist and curator Manuel Fernando Rios led the artwork, which highlights and preserves the rich Chicano and Latino history of the surrounding neighborhoods. Rios was mentored by the late Ricardo Favela, a founding member of the Royal Chicano Air Force artist collective.

“When I saw the opportunity to create the designs for this project, my team—Tomás Montoya and Amar Azucena and I—were excited to share the history of the Chicano, Chicanx, Latino and Latinx people in a colorful and historically accurate way by chronicling Mexican heritage all the way back to Olmec indigenous culture,” Rios says.

The designs incorporate local landmarks, such as Tower Bridge and Washington Neighborhood Center, and highlight everyday activities like

skateboarding and playing basketball, “both activities central to preserving and continuing our culture,” Rios says.

FAIRYTALE STORIES

Story Center, Fairytale Town’s much-anticipated newest attraction, is now open.

“It’s a wonderful day for the children and families of Sacramento,” says Fairytale Town Executive Director Kevin Smith-Fagan. “In this space, kids will grow in creative thinking, which is the foundation of problem solving and is crucial for success in life.”

The quaint thatched cottage and its adjacent outdoor classroom will host rotating exhibits and activities to give visitors a “multicultural and welcoming” place to write, illustrate and act out their own original ideas. The center will also serve as home base for

the Land Park Community Association and events.

The building was designed by Land Park resident Tim Mattheis of WMB Architects and constructed over 13 months by Otto Construction, which built the original Fairytale Town castle in 1959. It has been outfitted with custom furnishings designed by local artist and Sac City professor Gioia Fonda.

Access to Story Center is included in paid park admission. For information, visit fairytaletown.org.

ANCESTOR SEARCH

Have you ever wondered who your ancestors were, where they came from or how they made a living?

Members of the Genealogical Association of Sacramento gather monthly to share research and discoveries, and hear from a guest professional genealogical researcher.

GAS meets the third Wednesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 South Land Park Drive. For information, visit gensac.org.

CAR SEAT SAFETY

The California Office of Traffic Safety has granted Sacramento County Public Health and partner agency Mercy San Juan with $71,500 to administer a program to help educate parents and caregivers on how to properly secure children in a car safety seat.

The grant will cover a variety of community outreach events and focuses on underserved and refugee communities. The program runs through Sept. 30.

“Like seat belts for teens and adults, correctly installed car seats are the best protection for children while they are traveling,” says OTS Director Barbara Rooney.

For information, Sacramento County residents can contact Riley Stoltenburg at stoltenburgr@saccounty.gov or call (916) 875-6094.

ALCHEMIST GRANT

The Alchemist Community Development Corporation’s Community Gardens project has received a $5,000 grant from SAFE Credit Union to help purchase a solar-powered generator and other supplies to expand its program in the River District and Oak Park.

Founded in 2004, Alchemist CDC connects communities by addressing food access issues and providing locally grown produce at affordable prices to underserved neighborhoods.

“We look forward to holding more workshops and demonstrations on how to prepare the fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables that have been grown in the gardens,” says Alchemist’s Neighborhood Empowerment Manager Joe Robustelli.

The grant will benefit the Mirasol Village Community Garden in the River District, Oak Park Sol Garden in north Oak Park, and Oak Park Art Garden and Pansy Community Garden Park, both in central Oak Park. For information, visit alchemistcdc.org.

BRIDGING THE DREAM

Citrus Heights resident KamDyn Hardin has won a $10,000 Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors from Sallie Mae in partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is one of only 25 recipients selected out of 1,000 applicants nationwide.

Hardin was chosen based on his academic performance and upstanding character, both in his academic and personal life. Now a freshman studying business management at Louisiana State University, he plans to use his degree to create a business in sports and entertainment marketing.

“The Bridging the Dream Scholarship has allowed me to attend the college of my choice … while pursuing my dream of becoming a successful student-athlete and entrepreneur,” Hardin says.

BUSHY LAKE GRANT

Sacramento State Environmental Studies Professor Dr. Michelle Stevens and her students have received one of 15 Anchor Grants from the university to support their work at Bushy Lake to save endangered turtles and restore wetland and riparian acreage.

KamDyn Hardin wins a $10,000 Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors.

Alchemist CDC's Neighborhood Empowerment Manager Joe Robustelli conducts a garden workshop.

Story Center at Fairytale Town hosts exhibits, activities and community events.

Humankindness is always near.

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We’re proud to have served as your health partner for decades. And we’re honored to continue supporting you in all the years to come. Learn more about us at DignityHealth.org/Sacramento.

Bushy Lake along the lower American River is a vital habitat for northwestern pond turtles, whose numbers are declining due to habitat deconstruction made worse by recent fires. Stevens and her students regularly trap, measure, weigh and release turtles to keep tabs on the population. They also plant, water, pull invasive weeds, clean up trash and document other area wildlife.

Now in its second year, Sac State’s Anchor Grants help fund projects designed to improve student success, advance equity and inclusion, and further community engagement.

CASA ENDOWMENT

National meat purveyor Farmer John recently presented Court Appointed Special Advocates Sacramento with $25,000 to support its commitment

to children in the foster care system through court-appointed volunteer advocates.

The endowment is part of Farmer John’s California Kindness Project, a grant program designed to support nonprofits making an impact in their local communities. CASA Sacramento was selected out of 120 applicants.

“We want to extend a special thank you to our dedicated volunteers for their endless support and advocacy for the young voices of Sacramento,” says CASA Sacramento Executive Director Carol Noreen. “Thanks to their hard work and compassion, we’re able to continue spreading kindness to our community and work towards providing children in our city with safe and permanent homes.”

GARDEN CALENDAR

The UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County’s “2023 Gardening Guide & Calendar” is a feast for the eyes with beautiful photos of irresistible edibles.

Each month includes advice and science-based tips for planting, irrigation, fertilizing, pruning and pest management for the entire garden. A seasonal guide for planting and harvesting vegetables in the Sacramento region is also included.

Proceeds from calendar sales support Master Gardener community projects. The guide/calendar is available online at sacmg.ucanr.edu for $10, including tax, plus postage.

Also purchase at Emigh Ace Hardware (3555 El Camino Ave.), Fair Oaks Boulevard Nursery (4681 Fair Oaks Blvd.), Green Acres Nursery & Supply (four locations), Plant Foundry Nursery & Store (3500 Broadway) or Talini’s Nursery & Garden Center (5601 Folsom Blvd.).

EPPIE DONATION

Eppie’s Wellness Foundation (formerly Eppie’s Great Race Foundation) made one last $290,000 donation to support Sacramento County Regional Parks before it was dissolved last month.

Of the donation, $140,000 will be placed in the Regional Parks’ restricted funds to be used for future Therapeutic

Recreation Services over the next 10 years.

The remaining $150,000 will be used to complete construction of the Gibson Ranch Sensory Playground Pathway to Play project, which will create a play area designed to be accessible and inclusive for all children, especially those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Sacramento restaurateur and entrepreneur Eppie G. Johnson founded Eppie’s Great Race in 1974 to raise funds for local causes dear to his heart. Up until the final race in 2018, the event raised more than $1.5 million.

“Eppie had a deep appreciation for the American River Parkway and he was an avid supporter of Therapeutic Recreation Services, a recreation program offered through the department serving those with a variety of disabilities,” says Liz Bellas, director of Regional Parks. “We will be forever grateful to Eppie and his family and the tremendous generosity they have shown Regional Parks over the years.”

NEW ART GALLERY

The next time you’re at the Milagro Centre in Carmichael, don’t miss the newest art space, Salt & Light Gallery.

Local developer Allan Davis offered artist and Carmichael resident Michelle Andres the space to show her work and that of a small stable of other artists to “lift people’s spirits and have positive visual relationships,” Andres says.

Dr. Michelle Stevens works to save northwestern pond turtles at Bushy Lake.

“Rocks at Bodega Bay” by Erin Martinelli is on display at the new Salt & Light Gallery.

“The work is light and uplifting, lending a sense of hopefulness and calm,” she continues. “It offers a place to rest, look and breathe.”

Salt & Light Gallery is nestled between the Bella Bru Event Center and Serritella’s restaurant. For information, visit saltandlightgallery.art.

STEM EXPO

Girl Scouts Heart of Central California recently held its annual STEM Expo at Camp Pollock to provide hands-on experiences designed to foster curiosity and confidence in science, technology, engineering and math.

The event featured a variety of activities in partnership with local organizations for 142 participants. Highlights included solar bracelet making, ecology and botany learning, robot programming and play, paper rockets and more.

STEM is one of the four pillars (along with outdoors, life skills and entrepreneurship) that forms the foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. For information, visit girlscoutshcc.org.

top airport in the nation out of 50 of the country’s busiest airports.

Airports were evaluated across 19 categories, from on-time performance and security waits to customer satisfaction and ticket prices.

Sacramento ranked highest among all airports surveyed in the reliability category, and ranked high in arrival and departure times, low flight cancelations, quick taxi and security clearance times, and a max walking distance of only 1,213 feet. For information, visit sacramento.aero.

HALL OF FAME

The 15th class of the California Hall of Fame was recently inducted by Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at the California Museum on O Street.

The inductees include actor and singer-songwriter Lynda Carter, chef Roy Choi, physicist Steven Chu, ice skater Peggy Fleming, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild, choreographer Alonzo King, teacher and former astronaut Barbara Morgan, soccer player Megan Rapinoe, singer Linda Ronstadt, artist Ed Ruscha and the band Los Tigres del Norte.

business and labor, entertainment, food and wine, literature, music, public service, science and sports. For information, visit californiamuseum.org.

SINGERS WANTED

If you’ve always wanted to sing Duruflé’s “Requiem” with a live orchestra, now is your chance.

The Capital Chorale is looking for singers of all voice types to join rehearsals starting Thursday, Feb. 2, at 6:30 p.m. at Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ at 2700 L St.

The concert will take place Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m. To be included in the roster of singers, email Music Director Elliot Jones at musicdirector@ pioneerucc.org. For information, visit pioneerucc.org.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

BEST AIRPORT

The Wall Street Journal has named Sacramento International Airport the

Launched in 2006, the California Hall of Fame honors history-making Californians for achievements in arts,

Girl Scouts Heart of Central California holds STEM Expo at Camp Pollock.

Crisis Management

HAS CITY FOUND A STRATEGY FOR HOMELESSNESS?

Idon’t want to shock anyone, but the new year brings the chance that City Hall will stumble into a way to control and even reduce homelessness. This revelation follows the embrace of a tool other cities have deployed for years.

It’s called a Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS. The idea is obvious: coordinate services, outcomes and data involving homeless people. That’s about it.

There’s nothing new about coordinating housing and mental health services for people who live on the streets or in shelters. Integrated management systems have been around for years. Semi-annual homeless counts are one example of coordination.

But for reasons that have nothing to do with homelessness and everything to do with politics, Sacramento city, county and state authorities only got serious about their coordinated management information system in December. That’s right, December 2022.

RGIf this sounds like shutting the gate after the cattle have scattered, the frustration is understandable.

lack of coordination among service providers.

A decade ago, when I played host for a local radio program, I interviewed a guy who worked with homeless people. I can’t remember his name, but he was an academic researcher with an advanced degree in social work. He studied the homeless problem from street level to the state Capitol.

I’ll never forget what he said when I asked what’s the biggest obstacle to getting these people off the streets and into a dignified existence.

Me: “Is it money?”

gravity. It thrives regardless of pandemic, recession or inflation, fueled by lousy or nonexistent coordination among service providers. Dollars flow in and disappear. Things get worse. Repeat.

In Sacramento, where the homeless population grew from about 2,700 in 2016 to almost 10,000 last year, millions of dollars were wasted on localized, piecemeal approaches to shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing, and treatment for addiction and mental health. Troubles grew as services expanded.

By R.E. Graswich City Beat

For years observers on the ground complained about bureaucratic disconnects that made homeless solutions not elusive but impossible. Foremost among those failures was

Him: “No, it’s not money. It’s the lack of coordination of services. The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.”

It’s never been about money. The homeless crisis has been a resilient, productive financial engine for California. It ignores economic

An old-fashioned editorial cartoon would illustrate what I’m saying.

Picture Mayor Darrell Steinberg and eight City Council members shoveling a pile of dollars into a raging furnace. Flames spell the word “homelessness.” The caption says, “Whistle while you work.”

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

That’s not how things work in San Antonio. The Texas city leads the nation in homeless solutions and re-housing thanks to Haven for Hope, a centralized campus that provides coordinated care for homeless people. Sacramento leaders visited Haven for Hope. They admired its triumphs. Inside Sacramento profiled Haven’s success in these pages.

Haven for Hope opened in 2010. The facility is divided into two sections, the Courtyard and Transformational Campus. The Courtyard is a no-frills shelter that takes anyone, including stoned campers moved by police. It’s clean and safe, nothing more. The Transformational Campus presents another world: drug treatment, education, jobs, housing, childcare, even dog kennels.

The key is, clients must agree to enter the Transformational side and participate in their own recovery. They aren’t treated like helpless children as they are in Sacramento.

The Haven for Hope model would resolve Sacramento’s homeless

problem. But the city and county can’t agree on a site. They’ve talked for years but can’t work out the details, which swirl around control of $1 billion the county dispenses each year for health and human services.

Worse, the city has lurched in the opposite direction. Steinberg proposed disparate homeless services scattered around town—the reverse of Haven for Hope and coordinated services. His chaotic plan delivered nothing. Sometimes voters trust the wrong politician.

On the bright side, Sacramento’s new Homeless Management Information System is an essential ingredient in the Haven for Hope model. Real coordination is a good start for the city, county and state. What’s needed next is a courtyard and transitional campus to finish the job.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

The Dante Club, an Italian social and gathering organization, has thrived and survived for almost 100 years. That’s 100 years of family, food and fraternity.

The Dante Club was established in 1926 “to help Italian immigrants adapt to life in America among people who spoke their language and had similar customs.” It has been a comfort to its members, particularly to new arrivals and through some challenging times. Today it has an even broader reach.

Seventy-eight presidents have served the group since its inception. “The warmth of the place and its

people are just part of our heritage. We wrap our arms around our culture and community,” says Tom Novi, current president.

In 1926, the club bought its own building, a residence at 1511 P St., which remained the club’s home for 34 years before it built an event center in 1960 off Fair Oaks Boulevard. The site was an open field of hops in an undeveloped area.

Covering more than 15,000 square feet, the Dante Event Center, depending on the seating arrangement, can comfortably accommodate from 500 to 900 guests in rooms romantically named The Sicilian, The Tuscan and The Venetian. A large, luxurious bar adjoins all three. Outside, a tent can hold 200 to 400. Mediterranean motif and mood prevail.

By Leane Rutherford Meet Your Neighbor

Past & Present

ITALIAN SOCIAL CLUB WRAPS ITS ARMS AROUND COMMUNITY

strewn path toward a captivating white gazebo with its velvet green lawn.

A little further out on the property you’ll find rollers playing on bocce ball courts. The handsome grounds were planned, planted and donated by member George Procida, a commercial landscaper.

However, the Covid pandemic almost sank their gondola. “The Dante Club membership, composed of Italian American professionals, contractors, tradesmen and others decided to treat this dark time as an opportunity … to invest in a complete restoration of the event center,” Novi says.

With a loan and spearheaded by then-President Ron Pane, club members used their downtime and considerable skills to renovate, restore and refurbish the center. Buckets of sweat equity were involved. Ron Fiorica and Procida, among others, “pounded nails, painted buildings, and planted trees and shrubs,” Novi recalls.

Tom Mezzanares laid washed pink brick archways, updated doors and installed lighting. His daughter, Jammi Harshbarger Mezzanares, designed the inviting interior. All floors were re-laid for dancing. It was, as Novi says pridefully, “a Phoenix rising from the ashes.”

planned around Italian fare, but not necessarily. Remembering the diversity of Italian cuisine, chef Jonathan Diaz consults with planners and his collection of 40-plus cookbooks to design the desired, delectable menu. Jennifer Peretti, Dante Event Center manager, makes things happen.

The Ladies Auxiliary, the feminine face of the club headed by Debra Cattuzzo, coordinates an annual cioppino feed, the club’s biggest fundraising event. To accompany the seafood stew, risotto is cooked in huge vats and stirred by young men wielding paddles like gondoliers.

Family dinner on Sunday is an Italian custom. Each month the club features a reasonably priced Family Sunday Dinner open to the public and by reservation. More than food, these dinners foster connection, comfort and community.

With approximately 250 members, The Dante Club aims to encourage friendship, sustain the Italian heritage and be good citizens in the community. As a good citizen, the club recently distributed $20,000 in scholarships for high school seniors and helped raise funds for the UC Davis Ronald McDonald House.

On any given day you might find a baby shower, rehearsal dinner, retirement celebration or engagement party. If you glance outside, you might see a bride being escorted down a petal-

The club has something enjoyable for all ages and interests. Fioricas’s goats charm children at a petting zoo during Easter egg hunts. Bocce ball courts lure players to league and open play. Golf tournaments are announced in the group’s newsletter.

The club’s food offerings—linguini, rigatoni, penne pasta, biscotti, cannoli, spumoni—are focal in connecting people and place. The menu can be

By all measures, The Dante Club is reaching its goals and getting stronger as it links its past to the present.

For more information, visit danteclub. com.

LeAne Rutherford can be reached at lrutherf@d.umn.edu. More stories can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

Tom Novi

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

•

• Life catches us surprise.

•Life catches us by surprise.

• Now is a time to

•Now is a good time to plan.

•An up-to-date trust will give you peace of mind.

• An up -to - date trust will give you peace of mind.

• Your loved ones will have a to turn if

•Your loved ones will have a place to turn if something happens.

•If

The Great The Outdoors

CARMICHAEL RESIDENT HELPS KIDS CONNECT WITH NATURE

Next time you visit Earl J. Koobs Nature Area in Carmichael near La Sierra Community Center, look for groundskeeper Linda Rose Jones.

She’ll be playing in the mud.

“I love going into the area looking for millipedes,” Jones says. “I love following little kids and watching their discovery. That’s what lifts my heart.”

For more than two decades, Jones has helped maintain the nearly 5-acre nature area off Engle Road named after the late La Sierra High School biology teacher Earl “Ranger Jack” Koobs. The riparian environment, established in 1971, includes creeks, ponds, meadowlands and a bird sanctuary.

“I just do the raking,” Jones says of the vast volunteer labor she’s given the park.

When Jones’ son was in third grade at Garfield Elementary, the school used the nature area as an outdoor classroom run by Koobs, a teacher and World War II veteran. Jones and Koobs struck up a friendship that lasted until Koobs died in 2015 at age 94.

A key component of the nature area is the La Sierra Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Created in 1973 and thought to be the state’s first Vietnam memorial, the beautiful metal structure is dedicated to 14 La Sierra High School students who gave their lives.

When the nature area was almost sold in 1988, the La Sierra and Garfield communities created the “Save Our Soil” campaign to have the park placed in an educational trust. The memorial was rededicated that November.

California Cadet Corps and local scout troops.

“So many people in the community used to say, ‘I didn’t know this was here,’” Jones says. “Now it’s respected instead of just forgotten in a pile of weeds.”

Weeds are no problem for Jones, a Bay Area native who grew up enjoying the “serendipity of nature” while walking along creeks. When she and her husband moved to Sacramento in 1986, they bought an acre lot in Carmichael with a house built in 1909. When not working her day job in skilled nursing and elder care, Jones still loves to be outdoors, especially when acting as docent for school kids who visit the nature area.

Beth Shalom, collecting more than 1,200 pints in 20 years. She volunteers for Sacramento Kindness, Family Promise and Fair Oaks Theatre Festival. It’s easy to see why she was one of District 3 County Supervisor Rich Desmond’s Community Heroes last year.

But the Koobs Nature Area is dearest to her heart.

“I love to tell young people, ‘Who owns this area? You, because you’re a student of San Juan,’” Jones says. “They can plant a tree that they can someday show their grandchildren. I like that we’re emphasizing sustainability to help make this world a better place for other generations.”

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By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Profile

Over the years, attendance dwindled at the memorial until 2001 when Jones made it her mission to provide an opportunity for more formal observances. She helped launch the first Day to Honor and Remember, Nov. 11, 2001, now an annual tradition on both Veterans Day and Memorial Day supported by Kiwanis Club of Carmichael, La Sierra Alumni,

Jones credits Kiwanis Club of Carmichael for the park’s endurance. In 2016, the club adopted the nature area as a signature project to maintain. Jones says Kiwanis is “always doing something,” from raising money for arts education in the San Juan Unified School District to making lunches for Special Olympics.

Outside of Kiwanis, Jones runs the annual blood drive for Congregation

Earl J. Koobs Nature Area is open the first Saturday of the month, March through October, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, visit kiwanisclubofcarmichael.com/koobsnature-area.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Linda Rose Jones

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

Levee Work

CRITICAL REPAIRS UNDERWAY TO KEEP CITY SAFE

BY JEFF HARRIS

You may have noticed construction crews along the American River levee near the Officer Tara O’Sullivan Memorial Bridge on H Street.

The repairs are part of a multi-year effort by the Army Corps of Engineers to restore nearly 11 miles of levees on the American River. Over time, erosion can wear away the riverbank. The repairs will strengthen our levees and help protect Sacramento against catastrophic floods.

Similar work has been underway on the Sacramento River between Broadway and Pocket as part of a $1.8 billion project to keep our community safe from high water.

The American River work started in 2022 along the most vulnerable sections of the levee system that protects River Park, East Sacramento and Campus Commons. Last year’s work focused along the left bank of the river between Glenn Hall Park and Guy West Bridge and the right bank of the river at the Campus Commons Golf Course.

The riverbank will be revegetated with native plants and trees starting

this spring. Downstream of Guy West Bridge, adjacent to Sacramento State University, you can see a mature tree canopy that developed since previous levee work was completed. In addition to onsite revegetation, planting areas are being established at Rossmoor, Rio Americano and Paradise Beach.

The erosion protection work is located within urbanized areas where access points to the levee are limited. In most cases, the only way to access work sites is by use of neighborhood streets.

Outreach to neighbors and public meetings have helped raise awareness of the levee work. The impacts are

temporary. Construction traffic will subside. Bushes, trees and trails will return, and our neighborhoods will be significantly safer from the threat of floods due to erosion.

Ironically, we are currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, so floods are far from peoples’ minds. These are the perfect conditions to get this work done. Once the bank protection is complete, we can rest a little easier.

For project updates, visit the Army Corps website at www.sacleveeupgrades. com. n

Photos by Linda Smolek

Giving Shelter

COUNTY MOVES FORWARD WITH HOMELESS SOLUTIONS

Sacramento County’s homeless problem is complex, especially when it comes to providing services and housing. For people experiencing homelessness, we want them to regain health, income and housing stability.

But that requires cooperation from those who need help. Unfortunately, not everyone will accept services.

I know because I’ve talked to dozens of unhoused people, along with providers who try to connect them with shelter and help.

The reasons vary: lifestyle preference, bad experiences in communal housing, opposition to rules, not wanting to give up pets or belongings, addiction and insistence they are “OK.”

RDTo make matters more complex, there are court-imposed limitations to removing people from campsites or compelling them to accept services.

to cooperate with the communities impacted by homeless encampments to ensure our efforts don’t further harm our neighborhoods.

Recently, the Board of Supervisors agreed to purchase a large commercial site near Watt Avenue in North Highlands to expand homeless sheltering and temporary housing under our “Safe Stay Communities” program.

immediate safe and hygienic alternative to street encampments and the trash that accompanies them.

Furthermore, the county is committed to making this resource available primarily to the homeless population in the surrounding community. Refusing an available space inside the facility allows the county to clear camps nearby.

By Rich Desmond County Supervisor's Report

I’m convinced adding more shelter and housing will provide the legal and moral leverage to get people off the streets. But Sacramento County needs

At a series of community meetings, many residents and business owners expressed fear this effort will cause more problems. While that’s a natural reaction, I’m confident this project will benefit the community and help remedy the situation.

The Safe Stay shelter, linked with appropriate services, will provide an

Housing recipients will be screened before being placed in the facility. There will be no walk-up referrals. The area will be fenced and gated with an on-site operator and security around the clock. Only registered occupants, staff and emergency personnel will have access.

The county’s recently adopted anti-camping ordinance will bar

encampments near the site by establishing a 1,000-foot buffer. That buffer will benefit neighboring businesses.

Services provided, besides shelter, will include behavioral health, job training, food, sanitation and case management to receive eligible benefits. Having services on-site should limit the need for occupants to leave the location. The site will have a curfew to ensure occupants will be inside at night unless a documented exception exists, such as employment.

Pets will be allowed with rules about restraining animals, care and feeding, and cleaning up after them. Provisions will be made to store belongings with efforts to support people with decluttering.

The Board of Supervisors previously approved two other Safe Stay sites: 100 sleeping cabins at Power Inn and Florin Road, plus 45 cabins on East Parkway. These will accommodate nearly 200 unsheltered people.

The new location off Watt Avenue, like the others, is intended as an interim approach between unsheltered homelessness and temporary shelter and housing. A stay at any of these

facilities is expected to provide a transition to permanent housing.

Due to the size of the North Highlands parcel, the county is exploring several options, including a safe parking arrangement where a household can live in their vehicle, segregated sleeping areas for individuals, and interior “cabins” allowing for couples to temporarily reside together.

Although details must be worked out, I anticipate the site could eventually shelter a few hundred people and make a significant impact in their lives while allowing us to clean up the surrounding area.

Ultimately, this facility will be a stepping stone to stabilize and support individuals on a pathway to permanent housing and becoming healthy and productive members of our community.

Rich Desmond represents the Third District on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. He can be reached at richdesmond@saccounty. gov. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

6541 Chesbro Circle, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683

This property is a little slice of heaven. Overlooks water and hundreds of acres of ranch and conservancy land with snowy Sierras in background. Step onto your lake deck and experience abundant wildlife with swans, wild turtles, otters and Canadian geese. Watch bald eagles dive for fish. Secluded 2706 sf single story home was completely remodeled in 2021-2022. Primary suite has enormous walk-in closet and two separate vanities, seated shower and Jacuzzi tub. New junior suite has extra-large shower with pebble stone floor reminiscent of nearby Cosumnes River. Additional guestroom with bath. Open floor plan has floorto-ceiling windows for lake views and all new Hunter Douglas shades. Expansive great room opens to large deck overlooking Lake Chesbro. Remodel includes stunning new whole-house hand-scraped random plank designer hardwood flooring, tall baseboards, all fresh paint and new decorator LED lighting and fixtures. New kitchen with slab quartz counters has extensive counter space, glass tile backsplash, farmhouse sink, solid-panel cabinetry and entertaining bar. Oversized three-car-garage has new Alpine cabinets, new epoxy floor, new garage doors and a back fenced courtyard for a garden or dog run. New Bel Air Market, Napa-style restaurants, golf club, miles of hiking trails, biking, fishing, tennis and pickleball make this a unique 24 hour guard gated community. $1,298,000

Locked Out?

COUNTY MUST FIX JAILS, OR COURT TAKES OVER

Sacramento County’s jail system is in trouble with the federal court. The Board of Supervisors is trying to figure out what to do.

In 2020, the county settled a lawsuit obligating it to remedy unconstitutional jail conditions. Among the required improvements are better mental health services and medical care, suicide prevention, out-of-cell time and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The court monitors progress with inspections every six months. Each report has found the county not in compliance due to staffing challenges and physical facility limitations.

The big challenge is the Downtown Main Jail, built in 1989 for 1,250

inmates and later increased to 2,380. It needs a major overhaul. Maybe even a new building.

The other facility is the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in Elk Grove. In early 1960s, it was converted from a former Air Force base. Capacity is 1,625. Like the Main Jail, the Elk Grove site, called R Triple C, has deficiencies.

The problems go beyond remodeling and upgrades. County consultants say the Main Jail must reduce by 1,000 inmates to comply with the court. Failure to deal with overcrowding and services could bring federal receivership. If that happens, the county loses control over its jails.

Social justice advocates such as Decarcerate Sacramento want to shift jail funds toward “community-based systems of care.” The group says many inmates suffer mental illness.

or are serving felony sentences. Only 4.5 percent represent misdemeanors.

Cooper adds the challenges have been made worse by Assembly Bill 109, the 2011 legislation that shifted state prisoners to county jails to relieve state prison overcrowding.

“Counties are taking it in the shorts” he said.

County jails are designed for short-term custody, a year at most. Nor are jails designed for diseases such as COVID. These facts inform the recommendation to make capital improvements at the jails, which social justice activists oppose.

Ho believes there must be a balance, including the need to “build a state of art facility” and incarceration alternatives.

The Board of Supervisors agreed to continue with alternatives to incarceration. The decision on capital improvements was more contentious.

Capital improvements were approved 3-2, with supervisors Phil Serna and Don Nottoli opposing plans to modify and enlarge the Main Jail.

Serna felt support for jail enhancements was the result of “fear mongering.”

Supervisor Rich Desmond said avoiding capital improvements would increase the possibility of federal receivership.

“We shoulder this burden or the burden is shouldered on us,” Desmond said.

By Howard Schmidt Inside The County

HSSheriff Jim Cooper doesn’t agree. He told the Board of Supervisors, “You can’t lock people in jail unless there’s a crime,” refuting the narrative that inmates are there because of their mental condition.

District Attorney Thien Ho points out more than 86 percent of county inmates were arrested and charged with felonies

The county has a plan to reduce jail admissions and cut lengths of stays. The strategy includes crisis response programs that keep people out of jail when they have mental health needs. Other ideas involve expanding release of low-risk detainees, custody alternatives for low-risk inmates and mental health treatment courts.

The plan could reduce average daily jail populations by more than 500.

This spring, the board will get cost estimates and timelines. Failure to act could trigger court receivership and the possibility of large-scale inmate releases.

Howard Schmidt worked on federal, state and local levels of government, including 16 years for Sacramento County. He can be reached at howardschmidt218@aol.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Making Connections

FARM-TO-FORK PROGRAMS BUILD NEIGHBORHOOD LINKS

Relationships distinguish the farm-to-fork movement. While farmer-to-chef seems like the obvious partnership, one joy I get from this column is digging beneath the surface to see a myriad other relationships that bring food to our tables and connections to our neighborhoods.

Researching last month’s column on the city’s Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone Program, I met Earl Withycombe, a landowner, community activist and incentive zone pioneer.

He told me how as a landowner he collaborated with city officials to help develop the zone program and work out details so other landowners might benefit.

Partnerships spin out at all levels. As a young man, Withycombe worked in Sierra County to help people

gain access to basic health care through the National Health Service Corps. He realized “individuals could make a difference in improving the quality of life in their communities. I could help improve the quality of life in the area that I lived in,” he says.

In our conversation, Withycombe mentioned how he worked with Oak Park Sol to turn his vacant lot into a garden. Earl inherited the plot from his father and decided “to have it used by the community for something that would benefit the community.”

Through a series of partnerships, the empty lot was transformed into a site of nourishment for Oak Park. With the help of a landscape architecture student from UC Davis, Withycombe got assistance designing and installing an irrigation system required by the city.

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By Gabrielle Myers Photography by Aniko Kiezel Farm To Fork

As the years unfurled like a robust grapevine in the Sacramento summer, the Oak Park Sol community garden became a place where residents grow their own food and create a community.

At the garden, members bring their kids to a children’s garden and creative space. They enjoy a tranquil pond, seating areas and art fence. This level of relationship allows the community to find connection with urban lands that nourish us spiritually, mentally and physically.

Mural by Franceska Gamez, Shaun Burner and John Horton

Earl Withycombe and Joe Robustelli

Closed November 1 - 30*

95608

7032 FAIR OAKS BLVD #3 $250,000

5949 VIA CASITAS $260,000 5925 BEAUMERE WAY $270,000 4044 KNOLL TOP COURT $305,000 3939 OAK VILLA CIR $328,500

3724 CHAMBERLAIN WAY $340,000 5329 SONORA WAY $340,000 4116 RUTLEDGE WAY $372,000 6252 CASSADY WAY $413,000

3825 OLIVEBRANCH LN $420,000

3729 MARSHALL AVE $425,000

6332 ASLIN WAY $429,000 6224 ORSI CIR $435,750

5124 LOVE WAY $445,000 4904 ENGLE RD $450,000 4025 ROCHDALE DR $455,000 3942 ROCHDALE DR $491,000 3619 E TARRO WAY $499,500 4741 RUSTIC OAK WAY $530,000 5949 ASHWORTH WAY $537,000 3538 TARRO WAY $548,000

6204 SAMOA WAY $550,000

3219 SMATHERS WAY $560,000 5316 NYODA WAY $565,400

5654 VEGA CT $599,900

5014 CRESTVIEW DR $610,000 3932 HENDERSON WAY $615,000

37 COVERED BRIDGE RD $615,000 1501 MENLO AVE $665,000 4407 WOODVIEW ST $675,000 3249 MISSION AVE $690,000

4221 TYRONE WAY $749,000 5945 WEDGEWOOD AVE $859,000

3701 CASA LOMA WAY $950,000

5201 YORKVILLE PL $1,520,000

95815

2381 GIBSON ST $197,000

422 ARCADE BLVD $211,000

2556 RIO LINDA BLVD $270,000 1909 KENWOOD ST $300,000

245 LINDLEY DR $330,000 3020 ALTOS AVE $355,000 141 REDWOOD AVE $365,000 916 FRIENZA AVE $365,000 3263 DEL PASO BLVD $405,000 3176 CLAY ST $412,000 1621 ARCADE BLVD $415,000 1961 CANTERBURY RD $450,000

95816

621 23RD ST $365,000 3538 D ST $549,000 405 26TH ST $550,000 3204 DULLANTY $660,000 308 26TH ST $725,000 565 39TH ST $960,000 3739 MCKINLEY BLVD $965,000 2620 P ST $1,040,000 640 35TH ST $1,400,000 95817 3249 44TH ST $240,000 3431 SAN JOSE WAY $335,000 3307 42ND ST $435,000 3653 3RD AVE $450,000 3738 3RD AVE $450,000

95818

1926 SLOAT WAY $337,000 1029 YALE ST $424,000 2510 COLEMAN WAY $500,000 2006 20TH ST $575,000 2831 CASTRO WAY $588,000 2625 14TH ST $659,000 1765 VALLEJO WAY $671,300 1838 CASTRO WAY $724,900 2621 17TH ST $815,500 518 DUDLEY WAY $822,000 1617 7TH AVE $885,000 1130 MARIAN WAY $910,000 1221 ALBRIGHT WALK $955,823 2763 12TH ST $1,160,000

95819

4125 F ST $550,000 4901 F ST $570,000 4461 C ST $599,000 4848 BRAND WAY $620,000 925 SONOMA WAY $785,000 5312 CALLISTER AVE $975,000

95821

3582 LARCHMONT SQUARE LN $285,000 3150 RUBICON WAY $425,000 3609 SEAN DR $446,000 3017 MIRAMAR $493,000 4128 BOONE LN $499,000 5005 DIXON LINE WAY $500,000 3040 SHASTA WAY $510,000 3424 KENTFIELD DR $520,000 3612 RONK WAY $599,999 2766 LACY LN $660,000 2840 WALTON WAY $690,000 4001 HANCOCK DR $750,000 2706 WRENDALE WAY $865,000

95822

5885 GLORIA DR #1 $325,000 2640 52ND AVE $325,000 51 PULSAR CIR $330,000 7529 COSGROVE WAY $335,000 5657 JOHNS DR $339,000 1428 ATHERTON ST $349,000 7323 TAMOSHANTER WAY $355,000 2015 ONEIL WAY $362,780 1421 WACKER WAY $374,900 7372 MILFORD ST $380,000 7375 15TH ST $382,000 1570 GLIDDEN AVE $390,000 1440 STODDARD ST $410,000 6334 25TH ST $438,000 104 PETRILLI CIR $490,500 2367 HALDIS WAY $500,000 7489 CANDLEWOOD WAY $510,000

936 STERN CIR $549,000 5700 GILGUNN WAY $587,500 4421 EUCLID AVE $600,000 1711 HARIAN WAY $640,000 1511 43RD AVE $650,000 3948 BARTLEY DR $1,157,500

95825

931 FULTON AVE #433 $149,000 1019 DORNAJO WAY #168 $178,500 887 E WOODSIDE LN #6 $180,000 1019 DORNAJO WAY #123 $199,500 615 WOODSIDE SIERRA #5 $215,000 2163 COTTAGE WAY $290,000 878 WOODSIDE LANE EAST #3 $310,000 532 WOODSIDE OAKS #3 $315,000 2309 BELL ST $320,000 2120 CARLOTTA DR $340,000 3200 COTTAGE WAY $359,000 2333 CORTEZ LN $359,900 2228 LANDON LN $380,000 3015 GERALD AVE $405,000 208 HARTNELL PL $455,000 2229 LANDON LN $490,000 1318 COMMONS DR $520,000 112 E RANCH $525,000 546 HARTNELL PL $535,000 918 VANDERBILT WAY $563,500 2329 AMERICAN RIVER DR $620,000 2281 SWARTHMORE DR $630,000

95831

784 SILLIMAN WAY $435,000 7739 WINDBRIDGE $438,000 817 KLEIN WAY $440,000 251 RIVERTREE WAY $499,000 38 HIDDEN COVE CIRCLE $502,000 7315 PERERA CIR $510,000 7030 FLINTWOOD WAY $535,000 554 LITTLE RIVER WAY $536,000 7133 REICHMUTH WAY $545,000

15 RIVER GLADE CT $545,000 326 BELLO RIO WAY $550,000 6441 S LAND PARK DR $551,000 6291 14TH ST $577,000 6675 SURFSIDE WAY $579,000 6778 PARK RIVIERA WAY $585,000 419 BLUE DOLPHIN WAY $595,000 330 HATTERAS WAY $600,000 7645 AMBROSE WAY $639,900 61 MOONLIT CIR $720,000 7705 LOS RANCHO WAY $740,000 22 AXIOS RIVER COURT $780,000 819 LAKE FRONT DR $830,000 715 LAKE FRONT DR $1,025,000 95864 3407 WINDSOR DR $349,000 1240 JONAS AVE $395,000 2220 IONE ST $425,000 4360 MORPHEUS LN $480,000 1856 NEPTUNE WAY $525,000 2205 EASTERN AVE $549,000 2213 GILA WAY $555,000 2045 MERCURY WAY $565,000 4516 ULYSSES DR $585,000 3751 LUSK DR $600,000 1808 OLYMPUS DRIVE $610,000 440 ROSS WAY $680,000 2960 JOSEPH AVE $730,000 4228 BERRENDO DR $730,000 4603 AMERICAN RIVER DR $760,000 324 WYNDGATE RD $780,000 941 CASTEC DR $800,000 451 WILHAGGIN DR $825,000 2801 AMERICAN RIVER DR $834,900 523 GROVESNOR CT $855,000 2000 MAPLE GLEN RD $950,000 630 CAMBRIAN CT $1,020,000 1414 EL TEJON WAY $1,335,000 3615 LA HABRA WAY $1,350,000

SPONSORED BY:

Oak Park Sol merged with the nonprofit Alchemist group several years ago. Joe Robustelli, a neighborhood empowerment manager with Alchemist, says the organization hopes to offer healthy cooking demonstrations and involve more local residents. He calls the garden “a place to build community.”

Through another series of partnerships, Alchemist assists the growth of numerous small farm-tofork businesses in under-resourced neighborhoods. In the Microenterprise Academy, future businesses owners learn how to safely prepare food, develop business plans, and sell and market their products. They receive mentorships on growing their businesses via the Alchemist Kitchen Incubator program.

Robustelli describes the food artisans in the Alchemist Kitchen—a commercial kitchen space for Incubator program recipients—as a close group that supports and helps each other while their businesses expand.

The Alchemist group hopes to build the Alchemist Public Market on a vacant lot in the River District. In another example of partnership, former state Sen. Richard Pan helped the group fund the land purchase and local architects helped design the future market.

The market will serve as a gathering place to enjoy local products. A café and beer and wine bar are also planned.

Oak Park Sol’s partnership with Alchemist has allowed both groups to flourish and accelerate their service to traditionally underserved neighborhoods.

We all have the power to impact positive change. Through collaborations and partnerships, community members and local governments continue to make Sacramento not just the farm-to-fork capital, but a best practice example

for other cities—a place that welcomes vibrant, healthy and creatively inspired individuals.

Gabrielle Myers can be reached at gabriellemyers11@gmail.com. Her latest book of poetry, “Too Many Seeds,” can be ordered from fishinglinepress.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Nelson Hawkins with "We Grow" at River District community garden.

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This School Works

CRISTO REY COMMUNITY HELPS STUDENTS DREAM BIG

When the alarm goes off in the morning, Kate Coulouras has good reason to get out of bed.

“The kids are my purpose,” says Coulouras, in her third year as principal of Cristo Rey High School at Jackson and Florin-Perkins roads.

“These kids work so hard and face obstacles I can’t imagine having to face in high school. Their work ethic is phenomenal. Their families are also fabulous and committed to wanting to learn and support their kids. They’ve made huge sacrifices for them to be able to be here. That really drives me to be creative and solve problems. The students deserve the absolute best education.”

Cristo Rey is a private, Catholic high school that serves low-income students with a combination of traditional college preparatory academics and a work study program that trains for careers in local businesses. The work study piece helps offset tuition, and earned Cristo Rey the moniker “The School that Works.”

“The work study program allows us to exclusively serve kids who come from very low financial circumstances,” says school President Dave Perry. “Families can’t afford to pay $16,000 a year for tuition, so the kids work five days a month in corporate jobs, and that pays about 60 percent of our operating budget.”

Cristo Rey’s Sacramento campus opened in 2006, one of 37 Cristo Rey schools across the country. The local campus has graduated more than 780

JL

By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

Kate Coulouras and David Perry

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

6.00

800.874.9779

“Our students have a different mindset when they start college. They have a depth of experience that other kids don’t,” says Perry, who’s been involved in Catholic education since 2008.

For East Sac resident Coulouras, who started at Cristo Rey as a Spanish teacher and moved up the administrative ranks after earning her master’s degree at Notre Dame, the key to success is opportunity.

“Money is great, but the biggest thing is students’ access to resources,” she says. “Students graduate, go to college and then come back to (work in) high-level positions. For example, one of the students who was in the freshman class when I started teaching eight years ago just graduated from Sac State. He had stayed on with his work study site at a law firm through college, then he started working as a paralegal and wants to become an attorney.

“Those connections impact the Sacramento community at large. That’s why we encourage people to get involved, learn more and share the mission.”

Though the pandemic challenged most schools, Cristo Rey was hit

exceptionally hard by learning loss. The average Cristo Rey student starts one to two years behind in math and English. With students not able to attend class in person, the learning gap grew.

Thanks to dedicated teachers, staff and administrators, and unprecedented support from parents and the community, the future looks promising.

“The community has always been generous, but the last two years, it’s been off the charts, which is the only reason Cristo Rey survived,” Perry says. The school celebrated its Securing the Dream philanthropic campaign in November, receiving more than $8 million in contributions.

“We’re building a culture of belief in the students, as well as making sure teachers have all the tools they need to help our students be successful. There are a lot of people who don’t know about Cristo Rey, but the more people who do, the brighter our future will be.”

For more information, visit crhss.org.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

No Sitting Still

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By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

Clive Savacool has a hard time sitting still.

For the first time in years, he only has one responsibility—running LogRx, the narcotics tracking app he co-founded for paramedics—instead of countless demands as a fire chief.

“As a fire chief, you’re always in crisis mode,” says the 44-year-old who lives in Sierra Oaks after resigning from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue last May. “Every day is a form of damage control. You can make great progress forward, but your to-do list is

going to be bigger at the end of the day no matter how much you get done.”

Savacool always thrived in highpressure situations. He says, “The fire service is the kind of career where if you’re willing to go above and beyond, no one holds you back.” From his start in Contra Costa County, he swiftly moved up the ranks.

When Savacool sustained lung damage from a fire in 2011, he created an app called Exposure Tracker. The health and safety program helps firefighters track their exposures to create a medical history they can reference throughout their careers. The app was acquired by a software company in Indiana.

A side interest stimulated Savacool’s tech ambitions. He raced motorcycles and had just won a 2019 American Federation of Motorcyclists championship when a crash sidelined him in 2020.

A fellow racer ran a startup and regaled Savacool with tales of traveling the world to work with clients such as Ducati.

Savacool got jealous—and involved. He started consulting with mobile incident command software company Tablet Command, where he met startup guru Skye Thompson. The two hit it off and partnered on LogRx. The company assists paramedics who must track the narcotics they dispense during medical emergencies.

“LogRx had always been on my mind because everywhere I’d worked, we’d done narcotics tracking on pen and paper,” he says. “I started LogRx in 2016 as a side project to see what I could do with it. But in 2019, I really pushed it forward when I realized how much need is out there.”

When LogRx took off, Savacool was still serving as a fire chief, first

Clive Savacool

Photo by Linda Smolek

FORMER FIRE CHIEF DEVELOPS DRUG TRACKING APP

Dorado

then

Tahoe Fire Rescue. During his time in Tahoe, he secured permanent funding to keep fire houses open, upgraded the agency’s dispatch system and led the region through several natural disasters, including the Caldor and Tamarack fires and a major snowstorm in December 2021.

As LogRx gained clients, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Savacool found himself burning out. He realized he “had to pick one.” He left the fire service and hasn’t looked back.

“I didn’t realize how long my brain had been in crisis mode,” he says. “I got so much gray hair, especially over the last year, that my wife says it’s like now I’m reverse aging. It’s been a relief not to have that kind of burden, but my brain is still adjusting to having just one thing to focus on. I can’t sit still.”

For more information, visit logrx.com.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Parking Lot To Paradise

A GARDEN BLOOMS BENEATH SUTTER’S OLD PAVEMENT

Buried beneath a parking lot, compressed and denied sunlight and water for decades, this dirt presents a gardening horror story to send chills down a rake handle.

In the 1930s, Sutter Memorial Hospital was constructed at 5151 F St. The buildings were demolished in 2016,

D V DV

By Dan Vierria Garden Jabber

the land redeveloped and christened Sutter Park.

Cecily and Jim Hastings purchased a quarter acre lot and built a spectacular contemporary home where the hospital’s paved, overflow parking lot once existed. The home was designed by their friend and former neighbor Tyler Babcock, AIA.

“Of all the things I considered in purchasing a lot, probably the last thing was the soil,” says Cecily Hastings, publisher of Inside Sacramento. “Ours was effectively dead. When the contractor started digging for the foundation, she said, ‘Your landscaping budget has got to go up because this is just the worst soil.’”

The couple moved into the home a year and a half ago. Floor-to-ceiling glass floods the interior with light and allows a seamless blend of modern

architecture and organic vignettes. It’s a marriage of beauty and privacy, a modern organic union.

“The organic part is being able to stand in a room and look out and see foliage and vignettes,” Hastings says.

That marriage of indoors/outdoors was literally on the rocks (and clay) when landscaping began.

The couple previously owned homes and gardens near McKinley Park, where shaded yards favor plants that prefer a leafy canopy to defend against summer heat.

Her shade-loving plants also benefited from grand soil, a jarring departure from the moonscape encountered at the Sutter Park lot.

The old hospital parking lot, plus abuse from heavy equipment and home building, squeezed the life from the land.

Hastings described it as rocks, heavy clay and hardpan, a monumental challenge for a new garden. Healthy soil is the indispensable life blood of all gardens.

Hastings is an experienced interior designer but sought guidance in creating a new garden. Landscape architect Bill Roach was called upon. Once raised planters, walkways and other hardscape elements were completed, she was confronted with improving the soil and selecting plants for a completely different microclimate.

The lot had no mature trees or any trees at all. It was exposed to sunlight and drying winds.

“When we moved in, we had not done one thing outside the house,” says Hastings. “Not one thing. Not one fence. Not one piece of concrete. Not one plant.”

Living in the home prior to landscaping allowed her to visually design the view outdoors from each room. She shifted into garden nerd mode and studied regenerative agriculture techniques, which basically transforms awful soil into fertile, revitalized soil teeming with microbial good guys.

“I started looking at what makes good soil,” she says. “My mission was to regenerate the poor soil.”

Landscaping crews hauled off truckloads of bad soil. Using backhoes and jackhammers, they removed about 6

inches from planting beds and backfilled with a topsoil/compost blend.

She purchased and introduced earthworms and released beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, and bird feeders to entice more birds. Mature trees, including fruitless olives and Japanese maples, were planted with hopes tree roots would eventually penetrate and break up the clay.

Drip irrigation waters the entire property, except a tiny square of grass next to the garage where the couple’s two Hungarian vizslas frolic. Hastings purchased an old-school push mower,

but when she attempted to mow, the cutting reel clogged. A gardener now mows weekly.

Gardens are never finished, but her current garden boasts layers of texture, color and fragrance. Roses, lilacs, an espaliered apple tree, a thorny Australian finger lime, boxwoods,

container plantings and herbs form eclectic groupings. Vegetables thrive in galvanized livestock water troughs.

“In architecture and interior design, you design it once and it pretty much stays that way,” she says. “The garden changes every day, every month, every

“

„ My mission was to regenerate the poor soil.

Drone photos of the Sutter Park property: Before in 2020 and After 2022. Drone Photography courtesy of River City Builders.

year. Gardening is the beauty, the growth, the improvement. I like to make things better. So I made this little plot of earth.”

Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact the UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr. edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Photography courtesy of Cecily Hastings. n

If you’re a cynic convinced government rarely gets anything right, walk to Seventh and P streets and check out the new headquarters for the California Natural Resources Agency. Then let me know how you feel.

You enter a different kind of state building when you step into the lightdrenched lobby, see a quote from poet Gary Snyder emblazoned over the outline of a grizzly bear—“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home”—and learn part of the wall is covered in wood salvaged from the deadly Paradise Camp Fire.

G D GD

By Gary Delsohn Building Our Future

Restore, Protect, Manage

California is resilient. This 834,225-square-foot, 21-story office tower makes a powerful statement about resiliency and the role natural resources play in the state’s mythology and our hearts and minds.

Produced by the design-build partnership of Turner Construction, architect AC Martin and the Department of General Services, the building does so much right it’s hard to know where to start with highlights.

It’s already won numerous awards despite being only partially occupied 18 months after opening, thanks to the pandemic and the bureaucracy’s hybrid work model.

As someone who spent 11 years in the public sector following my stint at The Bee, I’m most impressed with how the building shows appreciation for its employees.

In addition to the Natural Resources Agency, the tower is home to eight state departments, among them CalFire, Water Resources, Energy Commission,

Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Conservation.

Interiors are bright, filled with natural light and open spaces. The building includes a health and fitness center, 300-seat auditorium that Gov. Gavin Newsom used for his annual budget presentation, multivendor food court and pedestrian plaza.

As the agency says in a statement that requires just a little imagination, “The building’s silhouette mimics rock formations found around California, and spaces between columns in the building produce images of naturally formed slot canyons.”

Outdoor pavers highlight some of California’s threatened species to remind visitors what’s at stake. Signature public art pieces underscore what a miraculous state we live in, challenges notwithstanding. My favorites: the two-story media wall of digital public art and the oversized mosaic of loomed “beads” of new and

recycled skateboard wheels called “Here.”

The artist for the multi-colored beads project is Los Angeles-based Ishi Glinsky of the Tohono O’odham Nation. The gorgeous piece pays homage to our original inhabitants.

A 130-child daycare facility was constructed on top of an existing state office building across the street, with a landscaped playground that includes synthetic turf, rubber surfacing, sand boxes and two play structures.

Projects like this are never easy. With a price tag of $596 million and a three-year construction schedule, state officials and the design-build team had to contend with civil unrest, pandemic, supply chain disruptions, massive wildfires that distracted future tenants and more. But the project came in on budget and seven weeks early.

Before skeptics gripe about the cost or amenities that include outdoor terraces and cool soundproof phone booths for people needing to make a call,

Photos courtesy of California Natural Resources Agency.

NEW NATURAL RESOURCES BUILDING SPEAKS TO AGENCY’S MISSION

I’ll just say the state payroll has some of the hardest working and devoted public servants I’ve encountered.

Those charged with protecting and enhancing our natural resources should work in a place that’s inspired, functional and uplifting.

The old resources building across the street is now being renovated. Opened in the early 1960s, it was a bleak outpost with so many deficiencies a state survey declared it to be in the worst shape of any state office building in Sacramento, which is saying something.

State buildings for high-profile agencies and departments are about more than making workers feel

comfortable and prideful. This building shouts to the world: California values its natural resources.

That’s the story the building tells. It speaks with grace, beauty and harmony as it follows the agency’s mission to “restore, protect and manage” our natural and cultural resources for current and future generations of all backgrounds and cultures. That should mean a lot to everyone.

Gary Delsohn can be reached at gdelsohn@gmail.com. Previous columns can be found and shared InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Design+Build Over 30 Years Experience

Shifting trends in the industry

Paws For Love

FIND STRENGTH WHERE ‘TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED’

During my years as a chaplain for Sutter Medical Center, I usually flew solo for patient visits.

While I was occasionally interrupted by a well-meaning staff member offering an unsolicited prayer, or even an overambitious clergy pressing his or her theology, I was happy to yield my sacred patient space to Toby.

Like me, Toby preferred to work off leash. That’s because he was a therapy dog, a Queensland heeler, a pun not lost on our healing team. He liked people of all flavors, having never met a human he wouldn’t lick.

Part of my duties was to conduct a support group at Sutter Senior Care, a daycare support facility for elderly people.

One afternoon, I went to the unit to lead my spiritual support group, only to learn the group was canceled in favor of a Christmas potluck. Not a bad trade considering how renowned the staff was for potlucks.

As I made my way to the food line, a social worker pulled me aside to tell me the change in routine had caused a panic attack in one of our elderly patients. Since the woman normally attended my group, the social worker suggested I talk with her.

Leaving the food line, I found a woman sitting anxiously near the exit. Her name was Dorothy, as in the “Wizard of Oz.” She was drumming her feet, repeating the litany, “I want to go home. I want to go home.”

At my appearance, Dorothy stilled momentarily to ask whether we were having our group today.

NBI tried to explain, “No, we’re having a potluck.”

Her shaking prayer resumed. Her eyes left the conversation.

“We can still sing, just you and I,” I said, excusing myself to search for a hymnal.

When I returned, Toby was warming my chair.

What’s the dog doing here? I thought. This is my gig. I didn’t need Toby sticking his wet nose in my clerical business.

Yet, as I watched, the woman extended a shaky hand greeting for Toby. He responded by wrapping his tongue around her hand like a kid’s tongue encircling an ice cream cone on a hot day.

Dorothy’s frown transformed into a smile. She took a grip on Toby’s collar. Hesitantly and despite the fact I had been upstaged, I started to see the wisdom in letting Toby take over.

When I opened the hymnal and asked Dorothy what she wanted to sing, she replied, “Amazing Grace.”

“Yes. It certainly is amazing,” I said.

our last song and pinched our last pie crumb, Dorothy walked herself to her bus, finally answering her prayer to go home.

People ask me whether they have to attend church to worship God. No, you don’t have to go to a building to worship. But Dorothy and I reaffirmed the wisdom in the biblical promise that God will be present any place “two or three are gathered” (Matthew 18:20).

That afternoon, Dorothy and I were two people gathered. Even though Toby made us an iffy threesome, our worship connected us with our creator and renewed our strength. God’s handprint of love, if not Toby’s paw print, was evident.

For information on Sutter Senior Care, visit sutterhealth.org/lp/pace.

By Norris Burkes Spirit Matters

“We can still sing our hymns,” I said, coaxing her back into our exchange. “Nothing is stopping us from singing.”

She tossed a glance through the noisy crowd.

During the next 15 minutes, we sang one duet after another. Between songs, I couldn’t help but notice a calmness permeate the woman’s spirit as she hugged Toby’s neck a little tighter.

Her joy was beginning to spring forth from this connection, first in drips and then gushes. By the time we sang

Norris Burkes can be reached at comment@thechaplain.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. Burkes is available for public speaking at civic organizations, places of worship, veterans groups and more. For details and fees, visit thechaplain.net. n

Football Fantasy

CITY HAS A HABIT OF MAKING TEAMS DISAPPEAR

Sacramento will never have an NFL team. It won’t have a stake in a major college bowl game. January playoffs and bowl games present a cruel reminder of these facts.

A city without an NFL or major college team isn’t necessarily deprived.

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By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority

Local football fans can find joy watching Sacramento State score touchdowns against Northern Colorado and Montana. Several high schools have excellent programs.

And there’s always the 49ers. Santa Clara is a miserable drive. The worst Levi’s Stadium seat is ridiculously expensive. But there’s no threat of the 49ers moving too far.

In the late 1980s, the Raiders discussed moving from Los Angeles to Sacramento. It was a leverage strategy by Al Davis. He ignored a $50 million down payment from the City Council and returned to Oakland. He played us.

Despite its barren condition, Sacramento has history as a football town.

The city’s greatest sports promoter, Fred Anderson, loved football and squandered a fortune on it. Before he died in 1997, Fred established two teams, the Surge and Gold Miners. Both forced Anderson to dig into his savings to cover salaries, rent and expenses.

Fred had plenty of savings. He started with a lumber truck and grew very wealthy by expanding his company, Pacific Coast Building Products, into one of the West’s largest building materials operations.

Fred was stubborn. He never wanted to admit he backed a loser. The Surge and Miners weren’t bums on the field, but Fred kept company with the wrong football crowd—guys who lacked his fortitude and values.

The Surge performed in the World League of American Football, a developmental stepchild of the NFL. The goal was to promote pro football in secondary cities, with three European metropolises sprinkled in to advance the NFL fantasy of world domination.

NFL owners helped fund the World League but quickly lost interest. The show lasted two years, folding in 1992, weeks after the Surge won the World Bowl championship.

Fred was stuck. He spent money fixing up Sac State’s Hornet Stadium and didn’t want to waste all that wood and steel. He repurposed the Surge into the Gold Miners and joined the Canadian Football League, the first American club to fly l’Unifolié.

Football has been on the local sports scene for decades, but in recent years, the most success has come from the Sacramento State Hornets.

Photo by Aniko Kiezel

9 F1 neighbor 10 In a careless way 11 Hybrid orange fruit 12 Ink mishaps 15 ___ apso 18 Furry friend, maybe 22 Advanced deg.

26

Word before “empty” or “full”

Pool table’s place, informally

39

Lack of problems

Candy bar whose name ends with “!” 42 Goes undefeated in 43 Lawyers’ org. 44 Groups (together)

Papa

Greatest partner?

The “S” of ESPN

Helps unlawfully

29

Name that anagrams to “calmer”

Least inhibited

It may be inflated or bruised

Fitting name for a sculptor?

Wears for a while, like new boots

Greek P

Square footage

Chapel Hill sch.

Gobble up 61 Spanish for “river”

Certain fishing lure

Two years of mediocre Canadian football at Hornet Stadium convinced Fred his experiment was doomed. He moved the Miners to San Antonio, rebranded them Texans and shut down for good in 1995.

Pro football returned to Sacramento in 2011 with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League, which tried to capitalize on NFL labor strife and apathy among fans. Strife and apathy soon sank the UFL.

The Lions were owned by Paul Pelosi—Nancy’s beleaguered husband— and led by former NFL coach Dennis Green. There were few fans and fewer games. The team abandoned Hornet Stadium for Raley Field in 2012. Green exited in a pay dispute. The Lions played just three home games before the league tanked.

Fred Anderson will always stand as Sacramento’s most ambitious football owner. But the path he took was blazed decades earlier.

Starting in 1964, the city spawned a half dozen semi-pro football teams, featherweights drowning in debts. They had zero marketing, sparse attendance and amateur playing grounds.

There were the Sacramento Lancers, who lasted until 1967, followed by

the Buccaneers, Capitols, Statesmen, Condors and Buffalos. The best of them, the Buffalos, carried on until 1981. Teams hired high school coaches, recruited former high school players and performed on high school fields. A preparatory educational experience never to be repeated.

While this was happening, the 49ers and Raiders staked claims to Sacramento. Each Monday they sent players to booster club nights at Stroh’s Neptune Table (Raider Rooters) and Christie’s Elbo Room or The Dante Club (49er Goal Rushers). In my sportswriter days, I covered many such boozers.

One night in October 1980, local 49ers fans wanted to meet new starting quarterback Joe Montana. Backup Steve DeBerg arrived instead. “We have a lot of people who have to come around for us,” DeBerg said, meaning Joe. The presses didn’t stop for that quote, but I wrote it down anyway. After all, he said it in Sacramento.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

5/5 Stand-in

by Scott Hogan and Christina Iverson

the

Stop The Breeding

SPAY AND NEUTER IS PATH TO NO-KILL SACRAMENTO

More than 100,000 adoptable dogs and cats are killed in California animal shelters each year—second only to Texas.

California has made progress. In 1998, we destroyed a half million dogs

C R CR

By Cathryn Rakich Animals & Their Allies

and cats annually. That year, the Hayden Act established state policy that no adoptable or treatable dog or cat can be euthanized at an animal shelter.

The killing slowed, but didn’t stop. Breeding continues. Shelters are overwhelmed.

Recognizing that we’ve fallen short, Gov. Gavin Newsom allocated $50 million in the 2020-21 state budget to make California a “no-kill” state.

The funding was assigned to the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. Under the name California for All Animals, the program allocates

the state dollars to shelters through grants, consultations and staff training in “best practices.”

Among those practices is decreasing animal intake through “surrender-prevention programs.” Community members who find a stray dog or cat are encouraged to hold onto the animal and search for the owner. It’s called “community sheltering” or “finder fostering.”

“Finder fostering is when someone finds a lost animal and helps to reunite that animal with its owners before they take it to the shelter or call animal services for pickup,” says

Amanda Newkirk with California for All Animals. “People have been turning to online community forums like Facebook and Nextdoor to help connect their neighbors with their lost pets.”

It’s easy to reunite a neighborhood dog or cat with the owner, especially if the animal has a collar and ID tag, or a microchip—determined by a quick trip to a veterinary office where the animal can be scanned at no charge.

But what about pets who have wondered far from home with no identification, not neutered, rabies vaccination is unknown?

INSIDE SACRAMENTO

Is it fair to ask the finder to house, feed and care for the animal until someone claims him or her? Will the pet get altered, vaccinated, treated for fleas, microchipped?

“UC Davis’ approach to shelter management hinges on the importance of keeping shelter populations low,” reports People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The fewer animals entering the shelter, the fewer are killed.

“The complete focus is on shelter management and adoption while ignoring the primary cause of shelter overcrowding and high euthanasia rates: companion animal overpopulation,” PETA states. “While this state money will undoubtedly improve conditions for animals lucky enough to gain shelter admission, it is likely to make things worse for those outside the shelters.”

In opposition to past efforts to implement community sheltering, a coalition of 20 public and private animal shelters and humane organizations, including Stockton, San Francisco, Napa and Los Angeles counties, spoke out.

“The goal should be to reduce intakes and euthanasia through humane education and by reducing procreation,” the coalition says. “The (community sheltering) approach appears to be to simply abandon these animals to their fate, thereby reducing euthanasia at animal shelters. This does not solve the problem; it merely pushes it out into the community for residents to struggle with.”

More emphasis must be on low-cost spay and neuter.

“One piece of the puzzle to achieving no-kill in shelters and their communities is the collective work in making spay/neuter accessible to all,” says Alina Hauptman with Best Friends Animal Society, which is collaborating with UC Davis.

But the nationwide veterinary shortage is not helping. At the Sacramento SPCA spay clinic— one of two high-volume, low-cost clinics in our area—the wait time from requesting an appointment to receiving a surgery date is three months.

Join or renew annually for $15. Or three-years for $40. Become a life member for $150. Visit eastsacramento.org/register/

Membership is an excellent way to stay involved in your neighborhood! Examples include: •Monthly East Sac Essential e-newsletter to keep you informed of important happenings Candidate Forums •General membership meetings 2-3 times per year with engaging speakers Advocacy for East Sac on topics such as homelessness, crime, development projects, and representation.

“Another part of that issue is the lack of support staff,” says SSPCA CEO Kenn Altine. “We, at times, have had a shortage of registered veterinary technicians and, even more critically, veterinary assistants.”

The inability of people to get an appointment with their regular vet, coupled with sharp increases in cost of care, has resulted in more people trying to access the SSPCA’s low-cost services, “leading to higher demand and, as a result, longer wait times,” Altine says.

In the first round of the $50 million in state funding, Sacramento’s three main shelters—Front Street Animal Shelter, Bradshaw Animal Shelter and SSPCA—each received a “welcome grant” of $5,000. SSPCA received a second grant of $18,000 to upgrade kennels.

In the most recent grant cycle, nearly $10 million was allocated statewide to build capacity for spay/neuter. SSPCA was awarded $705,000. Front Street received $53,500.

Front Street Animal Shelter will use the funds for spay/neuter,

vaccines and microchips for approximately 300 dogs and cats whose owners are experiencing homelessness, reports Phillip Zimmerman, Front Street’s animal care services manager.

Despite obstacles, if we’re ever to achieve a no-kill Sacramento, spay/ neuter must be a priority.

Cathryn Rakich can be reached at crakich@surewest.net. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Savory Sounds Sounds

By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider

CURRY AND JAZZ MATCH FLAVORS AT THIS THAI RESTAURANT

hen Joe and Kai Gilman opened their restaurant, Twin Lotus Thai, early in 2022, they had no intention of turning it into a music venue.

Joe says the business was an “emptynest” project for his wife Kai. But the humble spot in College Greens quickly became one of Sacramento’s best jazz rooms.

How did this transformation happen within 12 months? It’s no mystery once you know the Gilmans.

Joe is a pianist and jazz studies professor at American River College and Sacramento State University. He toured and recorded with some of the

greats, including vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. Gilman has released 13 albums since 1987.

Kai arrived from Thailand soon after the horrific tsunami of 2004 that killed more than 230,000 people. Prior to the disaster, she ran several businesses on the island of Phuket. In Sacramento, Kai focused on her family. But now that the Gilman children are old enough to drive, she wanted to re-engage her entrepreneurial talents.

“Kai had several good friends who worked in or owned Thai restaurants,” Joe tells me. “They were happy to share their knowledge, and before long we were looking for a location.”

Faster than the family could grasp it, they were restaurant owners. “It was a whirlwind,” Joe says.

Twin Lotus opened as a straightforward neighborhood Thai restaurant. Recipes are inspired by Kai’s southern Thai roots. The kitchen focuses on sourcing fresh and local ingredients. The food is excellent.

Green curry hits with heat and flavor. Thai chow mein brings a truckload of savory shrimp and noodles delicately mixed in a crisp vegetable medley. A myriad fried appetizers (shrimp, chicken, eggrolls) are what you want when you want something fried and dipped in something delicious.

Photos by Aniko Kiezel

“We never planned to be anything other than a restaurant,” Joe says. “But we had some slow nights, and they didn’t need me to bus tables, so I thought I’d set up a keyboard in the corner and play a few tunes for some atmosphere.”

Had Joe been an amateur musician, things might not have gone any further.

But this is Joe Gilman, who bends harmony to his will, who captivates crowds with his fingers on a keyboard at venues such as Blue Note Tokyo, Dizzy’s Club in New York, Yoshi’s in Oakland and Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle.

Soon enough, Joe thought it would be fun to have a singer perform. When word got out, the restaurant had to initiate a reservation system and turn over the room several times a night to accommodate all who wanted to eat and listen.

Things have progressed since then.

Now Twin Lotus does double duty. Three to four nights a week the restaurant functions like any

neighborhood Thai joint. There are hot curries and silky noodles bursting with sweet or savory notes.

On Saturday and Sunday nights, Twin Lotus presents top-level music. The room has two seatings that fill up fast through the online reservation system.

“Right now, it’s just jazz,” Gilman says. “But we’re branching out. This whole thing’s been an experiment and we’re not done yet.”

In the jazz tradition, Joe and Kai Gilman improvised their way into a unique slot in the city’s culinary and entertainment scene. I can’t wait for their next set.

Twin Lotus Thai is at 8345 Folsom Blvd; (707) 564-3277; twinlotusthai.com.

Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. Previous reviews can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

Circles Of Life

PAINTER USES SPHERES AND STORIES TO MAKE MEANINGFUL ART

By Jessica Laskey Open Studio

Amoody blue dreamscape punctuated by floating golden crescents and shadowy orbs hangs on the wall. Next to it, a small placard with text.

“Golden Moons,” it reads. “There seems to be a price for living with

full intention, awake and alive to the possibilities of the world. You two watch me take the risks. Holding light in a dark corner no one wants to look at. And it scares me to see you pivot away from me and on to your own path with the same luminosity. And that action, my golden moons, excites

me and scares me. With audacity and flair, telling the world what you need to shine. Where did you learn this? Did I teach you or did you teach me?”

Artist Whitney Lofrano of Story Circle Gallery is a storyteller in paint and words. An art director by training, Lofrano learned early that communication takes many forms.

“You can’t really have a painting without a story,” says Lofrano, who began her career working on “Got milk?” and other big ad campaigns. “With my advertising background, I wasn’t cited as a copywriter but I was working with brilliant writers. To be able to distill an idea in time has served as a catalyst for selling my art. I’m able to make people feel.”

Growing up in Berkeley, Lofrano would often go museum hopping with her grandmother, a world traveler and self-taught artist. She taught Lofrano the science of color and how to make any palette out of red, yellow and blue.

“She taught me that if the color is pleasing to the eye, an OK painting could be magnificent,” Lofrano says.

When she decided to formalize her art education at University of Oregon, Lofrano’s dad insisted she pick a more “practical” major. She chose another of her interests: journalism. “I’d always had an easy storytelling capability,” she says. “I found it natural.”

Oregon happened to have an award-winning advertising department and Lofrano quickly found her people among the “whacky and weird ad folks.” When her college team won a New York Times ad campaign contest, Lofrano was thrust into the advertising elite. She ended

Whitney Lofrano with her dog Prince

Photo by Linda Smolek

up at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco after graduation.

After a “really wild, crazy ride” in the world of Bay Area advertising, she moved to Sacramento to be with her long-distance boyfriend (now

husband) and landed a job at Crocker Flanagan and later Glass McClure, where “they really let my storytelling fly.”

When Lofrano became a mom, she realized her “Mad Men lifestyle” of

long hours and short deadlines wasn’t going to work. She left her job and tried to settle into family life, but soon found herself “spinning out” and struggling with alcohol to satiate her anxiety.

Art saved her. She called up a friend, gallery owner and fellow artist Tim Collom, and said, “I’m going to tell stories of people in circles. I’m going to have a show in a year and come out to my friends as a recovered alcoholic. Can I have your gallery?”

The answer was yes. Lofrano spent the next year attending AA meetings and painting up a storm. Her inclination toward storytelling led Lofrano to write a short blurb next to each painting to explain the meaning behind the imagery. The Collom show in 2007 almost sold out. Lofrano has

since had several other shows with similar results, proving she’s on the right path.

“I feel like a conduit, like I’m being used by some other something. It’s a weird sensation,” Lofrano says about her work. “On a molecular level, we’re made of circles. We’re on a big circle hurtling through space. Circles are a natural thing that can mean so much to so many.”

For commissions and information, visit whitneylofrano.com.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profiles can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

TO DO

THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Metaphor, Myth, & Politics: Art from Native Printmakers

California Museum

Through March 19

1020 O St. • californiamuseum.org

This exhibition features 36 contemporary works on paper by 29 native and indigenous artists drawn from the collection of UC Davis’ C.N. Gorman Museum.

JL

By Jessica Laskey

Second Chances

Sacramento Fine Arts Center

Jan. 31–Feb. 25

5330B Gibbons Drive • sacfinearts.org

SFAC members showcase their art in oil, acrylic, watercolor, ceramics and more at this annual exhibition.

Art for the People: Paintings from the WPA Era, The Dijkstra Collection

Crocker Art Museum

Jan. 29–May 7

216 O St. • crockerart.org

This exhibition, from the collection of Sandra and Bram Dijkstra, includes work from the American East, Midwest and West during the Works Progress Administration era (1935–1943) showcasing the artists’ divergent political views but collective interest in humanity.

“enit” by Wendy Red Star in Metaphor, Myth, & Politics at California Museum.

Vintage Glass, China & Pottery Sale

International Depression Glass Club

Saturday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 22, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H St. • idgc.org

Browse beautiful vintage and mid-century glass, china, pottery, jewelry, linens, lamps, kitchenware, silver and more. Admission is $6 per person; $5 if you mention this listing in Inside! Sunday admission is two-for-one.

Breaking Ground

Sacramento Fine Arts Center

Jan. 3–28

5330B Gibbons Drive • sacfinearts.org

Sac State MFA students present new work in this special exhibition.

Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink

Downtown Sacramento Partnership and Dignity Health

Through Jan. 16

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 2–9 p.m.

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

Ali Youssefi Square, 7th & K streets • godowntownsac.com/icerink

The city’s annual ice rink is a winter favorite. Tickets are $15 for general admission; $8 for children 6 and younger. Price includes skate rental. Show your ice rink wristband at participating businesses to receive discounts.

Hard Rock Live

Air Supply, Jan. 20, 8 p.m.

George Lopez, Jan. 21, 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, 3317 Forty Mile Rd., Wheatland • hardrockhotelsacramento.com/entertainment

Check out the January lineup at the region’s newest entertainment venue. Tickets are $36–$126.

Open Garden

UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County

Saturday, Jan. 21, 9 a.m.–noon

Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd. • sacmg.ucanr.edu

Venture out for a free morning in the garden and bring your questions for the Master Gardeners. The “2023 Gardening Guide & Calendar” is available for $10 including tax.

Vintage Glass, China & Pottery Sale at Scottish Rite Center. “On the Beach” by Palmer Schoppe in Art for the People at Crocker Art Museum.

George Lopez at Hard Rock Live.

Jim Marxen

Archival Gallery

Jan. 5–31

Second Saturday Reception, Jan. 14, 5–8 p.m. 3223 Folsom Blvd. • archivalgallery.com

Jim Marxem’s artwork is bright, colorful and full of conviction that humans must live in a sustainable manner within the environment.

Second Saturday Reception features live music by Cactus Pete.

Lottery for the Arts

Blue Line Arts

Preview Night: Jan. 21, 4–8 p.m.

Exhibition: Jan. 21–Feb. 10

Lottery: Feb. 10, 5:30–9 p.m. 405 Vernon St., Roseville • bluelinearts.org

This fundraiser provides collectors with an opportunity to acquire original works by professional and emerging artists, while supporting arts education and community programs. Purchase one or more lottery tickets online. Review the juried art on the website or in the gallery. At the event, tickets are placed in a spinner, and when your name is drawn, choose your favorite work of art.

Fanciful Visions

Elk Grove Fine Arts Center

Jan. 7–26

First Saturday Reception, Jan. 7, 4–7 p.m. 9683 Elk Grove Florin Road • elkgrovefineartscenter.org

Open your mind to the surreal, fantastical, magical and macabre in this art competition judged by local artist Dwight Head.

Crocker-Kingsley National Art Competition

Blue Line Arts

Through Jan. 14 405 Vernon St., Roseville • bluelinearts.org

This exhibition is a collaboration between Crocker Art Museum and Kingsley Art Club with a history spanning more than 80 years. For the exhibit, 134 pieces were selected from 2,428 entries. From this group, jurors from the Crocker select five pieces for display at the museum Feb. 5 to April 30.

Jurassic Quest

Cal Expo

Jan. 6–8

1600 Exposition Blvd. • jurassicquest.com

Get up close to life-size, realistic dinosaurs! This epic event includes walk-throughs, rideable dinosaurs, shows, fossil digs, inflatables and more. General admission is $25 for ages 2–64; $19 for seniors; free for children younger than 2. Parking is $10.

Disney’s Frozen

Broadway Sacramento’s Broadway on Tour

Jan. 4–15

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St. • broadwaysacramento.com

The beloved Tony-nominated musical is now on tour across North America with sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances. Tickets are $29–$169.

“In Stride” by Nate Ditzler in Crocker-Kingsley National Art Competition at Blue Line Arts.

“Clouds and Dawn” by Jim Marxen at Archival Gallery.

Beethoven’s Eroica

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

Saturday, Jan. 21, 8 p.m.

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St. • sacphilopera.org

Hear one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works, Symphony No. 3, also known as the “Heroic Symphony,” featuring conductor Douglas Boyd and virtuosic pianist Janice Carissa.

Bolero!

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

Saturday, Jan. 28, 8 p.m.

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, 1301 L St. • sacphilopera.org

Enjoy Maurice Ravel’s most famous composition conducted by François López-Ferrer featuring magnificent cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan.

MLK Celebration Sacramento

MLK Celebration Committee

Saturday, Jan. 28, 5–10 p.m.

Sac State University Ballroom, 6000 J St. • mlkcelebrationsacramento.org

Honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at this commemorative event. The 2023 Robert T. Matsui Community Service Award is presented to Dr. Olivia Kasirye, Sacramento County public health officer, and Dr. Robert S. Nelsen, retiring Sac State president.

The

T. and Melissa A. Egan Family Foundation

Anonymous JD Lauppe

SKK Development, Sotiris Kolokotronis Alison Turner and Associates

Mary Antoine Hunt & Gordon Hunt, MD Sulema Peterson Dr. Purvi Parikh

Erin Dalzell

Johnny and Sonia Susac Leonard & Emily Galindo Chris & Lisa Ksidakis

Julie Sauls

Dr. Robert & Jennie Kincade

Hannemann Homes Real Estate

Kappel Mortgage Group, Inc. BPM, LLP

Ellis Architects Susan Fiore Annette Black Deborah Contini

Dr. Yogesh & Renuka Parikh Kniesel’s Collision Center

www.AlbieAware.org

Sacramento Chocolate Salon

Sunday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Citizen Hotel, 926 J St. • sacchocolatesalon.com

Chocolate aficionados, fanatics, lovers and addicts experience the finest in artisan, gourmet and premium chocolate from award-winning chocolatiers, confectioners and other culinary artisans. Tickets are $18.95 for adults; $11 for children ages 6–12; free for children younger than 6 (two children per adult).

Broadway Karaoke Night

Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance

Saturday, Jan. 14, 7–11 p.m.

Track 7 Brewing, Curtis Park, 3747 West Pacific Drive • sarta.com

Have fun singing karaoke with KJ RobertoBob spinning Broadway tunes. Enjoy craft beers and cider, and free arcade games. Admission is $5 or free with a donation of a blanket, hat, socks or mittens to be distributed to local charities. Photographer Leonard Rowe is onsite 7–9 p.m. for professional headshots for a $20 donation.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

The Albie Aware Pink Ladies would like to thank our sponsors for their amazing support. You made our “Seventh Annual End of Summer Celebration” our most successful ever!

Gordon

The Cindy Ditler Family

Because of you more lives will be saved!!!

Cello soloist Narek Hakhnazaryan in “Bolero!” by Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

Piano soloist Janice Carissa in Beethoven’s “Eroica” by Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

INSIDE OUT

McKinley Rose Garden Winter Prep

PHOTOS BY AUBREY JOHNSSON

Volunteers joined Friends of East Sacramento’s Nisa Hayden for a final volunteer event at McKinley Rose Garden after 10 years of nonprofit management. The city has not announced a future plan for the care of the 1,200 rose bushes in the public garden.

THEATRE GUIDE

THE CHINESE LADY

Live Theatre & Virtually on Demand

Jan 25 – Feb 26

Capital Stage 2215 J St, Sac Boxoffice@capstage.org

Inspired by the true story of the first Chinese woman to step foot in America, Lloyd Suh’s critically acclaimed play is a tale of dark poetic whimsy and a unique portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of a young Chinese girl. In 1834, 16-year-old Afong Moy sailed into New York Harbor and was immediately put on display for a paying public who were mesmerized by her exotic ways and horrified by her tiny bound feet. As audiences follow Moy’s travels through America as a living exhibit for decades, THE CHINESE LADY shares her impressions of a young country struggling with how to define itself.

THE LAST WIDE OPEN

Jan 18 – Feb 26

The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts 2700 Capitol Ave, Sac Tickets@bstreettheatre.org

A musical love story, THE LAST WIDE OPEN follows the near hits and misses of Lina and Roberto’s relationship. Through three different yet parallel realities, Lina (a waitress) and Roberto (an Italian immigrant) meet and waver between connection and heartbreak. Accompanied by the sweet folk sounds of guitar and ukulele, THE LAST WIDE OPEN is a heart-warming musical about the mystical ways the universe conspires to bring us all together.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE WITH IAN HOPPS AN ACTOR’S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND PLAYING SHAKESPEARE

Sundays, Jan 8 – Feb 12

Sacramento Theatre Company 1419 H Street, Sac 916 443-6722

Sactheatre.org

Does verse give you the Shakes? Are you afflicted with phobia of prose? Well, this course is designed to set the actor up for success in braving the Bard. Under the direction of seasoned Shakeperean Ian Hopps, the class will spend time close-reading and analyzing selected texts and bringing them to life as a collaborative and supportive group of beginning and intermediate actors. The class starts Jan. 8th and runs through till Feb. 12th on Sundays from 5-7pm. Contact Education@sactheatre. org with any questions.

DISNEY’S FROZEN

Presented by Broadway Sacramento Jan 4 – Jan 15

SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center 1301 L St, Sac 916 808-5181

info@broadwaysaramento.com

From the producer of THE LION KING and ALADDIN, FROZEN, the Tony®nominated Best Musical, is now on tour across North America. FROZEN features the songs you love from the original Oscar®-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers.

An unforgettable theatrical experience filled with sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances, FROZEN is everything you want in a musical. It’s moving, It’s spectacular, And above all, it’s pure Broadway joy.

Are you sick of all the political fighting? So are we. Help us do something about it.

Braver Angels Sacramento

We bring Reds and Blues together to talk, listen and learn about each others’ views. We are more on the same page than we think! Come to a Braver Angels event and learn the skills to understand others and express your views with passion and civility.

Learn more at: www.braverangelssac.org

Readers

Near & Far

Going somewhere distant or out exploring for the day? Take us with you and send us a photo!

Take a picture with Inside and email a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com or submit directly from our website at InsideSacramento.com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Find us on Facebook and Instagram: InsidePublications.

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