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AUGUST 17

S A C R A M E N T O ' S P R E M I E R F R E E C I T Y M O N T H LY

THE GRID

By Miles Toland of Wide Open Walls

THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES & CULTURE IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

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THE GRID AUG n 17

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INSIDE THE GRID @insidepublications

AUGUST 17

VOL. 2 • ISSUE 3

3104 O St. #120, Sac. CA 95816 (Mail Only)

info@insidepublications.com EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY AD COORDINATION DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL POLICY

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GRID COVER ARTIST Miles Toland

Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster ads@insidepublications.com Sue Pane sue@insidepublications.com Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli, Lauren Hastings 916-443-5087 Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 75,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©

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Cecily Hastings

Miles Toland is one of the 40 artists participating in the Wide Open Walls mural festival August 10-20. Visit wideopenwalls916.com or milestoland.com.

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THE GRID AUG n 17

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TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Capital Dance Project will perform "Behind the Barre: Made In Sacramento " in August.

“Behind the Barre: Made in Sacramento” Capital Dance Project Aug. 25–27 Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. capitaldanceproject.org Capital Dance Project, a local professional dance collective, presents its summer dance series. On Aug. 25 at 6 p.m., CDP will partner with the Sacramento Kings and Kings Foundation for a sensory-friendly dance performance, with fewer loud sounds and flashing lights for the benefit of individuals with autism and other sensory disabilities. On Aug. 26 and 27, CDP will present nine world premieres of works by its resident choreographers, who collaborated with visual artists and musicians on multidisciplinary works.

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jL By Jessica Laskey

Don't miss the Fire Spectacular this month. Photo courtesy of Cedric Sims Photography.

10th Annual Fire Spectacular Obsidian Butterﬂy and Sacred Fire Dance Company Saturday, Aug. 12, 11 a.m. Land Park Amphitheater, 3901 Land Park Drive sacredﬁredance.com Celebrate a decade of stunning fire performance from the founder of the Sacramento “fire scene,” Obsidian Butterfly. The event promises eye-catching dance, music and, of course, fire and LED light entertainment.

"Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." Photo courtesy of Jeremy Meehan with Day Forty-One Photography.

“Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” Errant Phoenix Productions Aug. 4–20 Mesa Verde Performing Arts Center, 7501 Carriage Dr., Citrus Heights errantphoenix.com The year is 1976. The place is Marfa, Texas, where James Dean’s famous movie “Giant” was filmed in the 1950s. This dramatic comedy drops the audience into the 20th reunion of the Disciples of James Dean in West Texas, where the arrival of a stranger ignites conflict, controversy and more than a little soul searching.

Enjoy food and drink while supporting Fairytale Town at the annual Tales & Ales Brewfest.

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Jazz Night at the Crocker: Ray Obiedo Crocker Art Museum Thursday, Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m. 216 O St. crockerart.org Cool down and chill out to the smooth Latin sounds of Ray Obiedo, Capital Public Radio’s jazz music director Gary Vercelli’s pick for this installment of Sacramento’s longest-running summer jazz series. The Bay Area-based contemporary jazz composer and guitarist Obiedo will offer an eclectic evening of multiethnic rhythms.

“Love’s Labour’s Lost” Theatre in the Heights Through August 6 8215 Auburn Blvd., Citrus Heights theatreintheheights.com In one of Shakespeare’s classic comedic masterpieces, King Ferdinand imposes a ban on women in court to focus on his studies but forgets that he’s due to receive the princess of France. Insulted by the ban, the princess sets up camp in front of the court to exact revenge, while the court fool Costard gets involved in a merry mix-up of love letters, punishments and mistaken identities.

Ray Obiedo will perform at the Crocker jazz night.

Tales & Ales Brewfest Fairytale Town Saturday, Aug. 26, 5–9 p.m. 3901 Land Park Drive fairytaletown.org Happy 58th birthday, Fairytale Town! To celebrate the play park’s special day, check out this family-friendly fundraiser featuring beer tastings from local craft breweries, food trucks and live music by AKAlive on the Mother Goose Stage. Proceeds will support Fairytale Town’s education programs and park improvements.

“Miss Saigon” Young Actors Stage July 28–Aug. 6 24th Street Theatre, 2791 24th St. youngactorsstage.com Local talents Alexi Ishida and Alex Greenlee star in the school edition of the smash Broadway musical “Miss Saigon.” Ishida, who studies drama at UC Irvine, portrays Kim, a 17-year-old barmaid who, in the waning days of the Vietnam War, falls in love with an American GI named Chris, played by Greenlee. Both earned raves for their work last summer in a local production of “Les Miserables.”

THE GRID AUG n 17

Classical duo Stephanie and Saar will perform at the Crocker on Aug. 13.

There will be plenty of cold treats at Sacramento Zoo's annual Ice Cream Safari on Aug. 19.

33rd Annual Ice Cream Safari Sacramento Zoo Saturday, Aug. 19, 4–8 p.m. Alex Greenlee and Alexi Ishida, who play the roles of Chris and Kim in the Young Actors Stage production of "Miss Saigon."

3930 W. Land Park Drive saczoo.org

SacTown Nachos Festival

Bring your appetite and your sweet tooth for the zoo’s coolest event of the year. All-you-can-eat ice cream stations throughout the 14-acre zoo will offer cones, sundaes, floats and unlimited Coca-Cola drinks. Enjoy a scoop while you scope out the wildlife!

Saturday, Aug. 26 Cesar Chavez Plaza, 910 I St. sactownnachos.com The first nachos festival in Sacramento will take the city by storm. The festival will feature 40 varieties of nachos¬, from traditional to Oreochos (yes, Oreo cookie nachos), by local chefs. There will also be a beer garden, performances by the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera and a personal appearance by Kings point guard Ty Lawson, who’s sponsoring the event. A large portion of the proceeds will be donated to the local nonprofit Project Optimism, which benefits children, the homeless and individuals diagnosed with cancer.

“Stephanie and Saar: one piano, four hands” Crocker Art Museum Sunday, Aug. 13, 3 p.m. 216 O St. crockerart.org Pianists Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia will perform Bach’s intriguing composition “The Art of Fugue”—the very last fugue Bach ever wrote, and one that he mysteriously left unfinished. Of further intrigue? The pair will play the composition together on a single piano.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

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EXPANDED MURAL FESTIVAL WILL LITERALLY PAINT THE TOWN

rt supporters, including me, are excited at the direction our city is now taking to become a leader in the arts. I’m convinced that we certainly have the talent locally. But what we have lacked is the right apparatus to showcase that talent we have here, both to our local residents and to attract visitors from the region and beyond. Last summer’s inaugural Sacramento Mural Festival was a great success, bringing on 11 artists to paint mural locations throughout the Grid’s urban core. The celebration captivated the city for eight days last August, and visitors flocked to watch the artists in action as they completed their largescale projects. The event concluded with a creative-themed street party called Art Jam that raised funds for arts education in local schools. This year, the event has taken on a new identity—it’s now called Wide Open Walls—and has a new organizer in arts fundraiser and auctioneer David Sobon. The event runs Aug. 10–20. I know and like David (he’s a fellow Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commissioner) and definitely consider him a “big thinker.” His energetic approach—fueled by his personal passion for the arts—has broadened the festival to include more than 50 artists and 40 locations, with spots well beyond the Grid, including Natomas, South Sac, Del Paso Heights and Oak Park. About three dozen of the artists are local, including Bryan Valenzuela,

CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk

THE GRID AUG n 17

David Sobon

Jose Di Gregorio, Maren Conrad, Micah Crandall-Bear and Stephanie Taylor, all of whom have had their work featured on our covers. The remaining artists represent 12 countries including Australia, China, France, Germany, New Zealand and the U.K. (To honor some of the local artists who are participating in the mural festival, we have chosen five of them to showcase for this month’s cover art.) Sobon is also expanding the festival to include activities for the

public to engage with the artists, many of them modeled after ones that formed spontaneously last summer. This includes walking tours, pop-up exhibits, gallery openings, busker performances and more. There will even be a muralfinding phone app. All mural artists will have had their mural designs approved by owners of the buildings where they’ll appear. The artists also receive a stipend for participating and have paint and other materials provided to them. Artists arriving

from out of the country will have accommodations and airfare covered, said Sobon. Sobon said funding for the event is provided by dozens of public and private sponsors. Recognizing the ability to draw people to town, Visit Sacramento signed on as the event’s presenting sponsor and provided a significant contribution to the event. Our publications have signed on as a major sponsor, and you’ll see on the adjoining pages a

Scenes from last year's mural fest. listing of artists and mural locations, along with recognition of the sponsors that contributed funds to help make it a success. We are also producing a special festival program, called “Inside Wide Open Walls,” that will include artist biographies and statements. Pick one up at each of the 40 mural locations and learn more about the artistic talent at work. This year’s conclusion event is called The Wall Ball, an outside-thelines creative party that will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, to benefit local arts education. Tickets are $100 each and available at wow916.com. In July, I saw an ad for the Artown festival held each summer in Reno. It’s been going on since 1996 and now includes more than 500 arts-related events during the month of July, with more than 70 percent of the events free to the public. I have friends who live there and they love attending all the events. They say a great many folks visit that month just for the festival.

Nothing against Reno, but it is hardly known as an art town, especially compared to Sacramento. As I’ve written previously, as a city we need to step up our game to showcase our local art talent to our own residents, and at the same time attract new visitors. This mural festival is a great place for us to start and build on in future years. The festival is planned to celebrate the relevancy and diversity of street art and provide the public with the unique opportunity to watch artists as they create these large-scale works of art. David told me that with this much diversity of talent there are bound to be favorites and not-sofavorites depending on the viewpoint of the artist. I can hardly wait … don’t miss it! Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n

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THE GRID AUG n 17

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Meet ‘The Soﬁa’ NEW B STREET THEATRE GETS FUNDS AND A NEW NAME B Street Theatre's new space at 27th Street and Capitol Avenue will open next year and is named Soﬁa. Photo courtesy of Rudy Meyers Photography.

f you’ve driven by the corner of 27th Street and Capitol Avenue in the past several months, you’ve no doubt seen the construction of the new $29 million B Street Theatre complex. After more than a decade of fundraising, a final $3 million contribution from the Tsakopoulos family and Sutter Health Community Benefit will allow B Street to complete the project.

JL By Jessica Laskey Life on the Grid

THE GRID AUG n 17

To honor the family’s generosity, the 48,000-square-foot complex now boasts a new name: the Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts (“The Sofia” for short), named for Angelo K. Tsakopoulos’ art-loving wife. The complex is expected to open in February 2018 and will include a 365-seat children’s theater that will host B Street’s Family and B3 series as well as other events, a 250-seat Mainstage theater, and a lobby, fullservice restaurant, open-air courtyard and rooftop deck. For more information, visit bstreettheatre.org.

GOING APE The Sacramento Zoo recently participated in an eight-day seminar at Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo in China to discuss the management of orangutans and chimpanzees in Chinese zoos. Janine Steele, the zoo’s lead primate keeper, was one of four great ape experts from the United States at the January seminar. “We toured the zoo, talked to the director, vice directors, horticulturist, vets and keepers,” says Steele, who’s worked at the Sacramento Zoo for 15 years. “They were interested in every aspect of what we do in Western zoos. They were looking at what we do compared to what they do.” Steele says the seminar was crucial to connecting primate experts from all

over the globe to discuss the common goal of improving care for these endangered and critically endangered species. Steele joined keepers from zoos in Shanghai and Hangzhou for discussions on research, nutrition, exhibit design, behavioral management, animal welfare, primate communication, training, primate social groups and enrichment. “I just love primates,” says Steel, who has contributed to the Chineselanguage “Orangutan Husbandry Manual” as an author and reviewer. “They’re always challenging me. They’re very intelligent and complex. They keep you on your toes.” Visit the primates at the Sacramento Zoo at 3930 W. Land

THE FRONT STREET EMBARCADERO RENOVATION PROJECT IS NOW UNDERWAY AFTER A “BOARDBREAKING” CEREMONY IN LATE JUNE.

Park Drive. For more information, go to saczoo.org.

“We threw around lots of ideas and one thing became clear,” the statement read. “We need to streamline our systems … and we NO MORE LUNCH need to provide our chefs the time and opportunity to cook the food they AT KRU really want to cook with the passion Kru Contemporary Japanese that landed them at Kru in the first Cuisine announced in June it would place.” stop its lunch service. Kru is at 3135 Folsom Blvd. The East Sac restaurant is now For more information, visit open Monday through Sunday for small bites and cocktails at 4 p.m. Full krurestaurant.com. dinner service begins at 5 p.m. “Here at Kru, we have always A STREETCAR prided ourselves on pushing culinary NAMED QUAGMIRE boundaries and offering exceptional Earlier this summer, Sacramento food and service,” the Kru team said in a statement. “After 11 years at our Regional Transit agreed to put $25 million into a construction fund for previous location, we realized that the Sacramento streetcar project. The we had outgrown our beloved little funds will be contributed toward the restaurant and that it was time for project’s $200 million budget. an upgrade. Through this transition, Proponents include Mayor we also found ourselves wandering Darrell Steinberg and Sacramento down divergent paths. On one hand, Congresswoman Doris Matsui. And in we wanted to continue to elevate our offerings; on the other hand, we were June, major downtown businesses— including the Sacramento Kings, trying to figure out exactly how best Macy’s and 300 commercial property to serve our new neighborhood.” owners—voted to tax themselves The masterminds behind Kru at least $50 million over the next (owner Billy Ngo and talented chefs 25 years to pay for some of the Ricky Yap and Tyler Bond) quickly streetcar’s operating costs. realized upon opening their new But the project has its fair share space on Folsom Boulevard that the East Sac lunch crowd was “extremely of detractors—namely, those who believe that SacRT funds should be pressed for time” at midday, which invested elsewhere. prompted a slimmed-down menu to “If the RT board wastes the $25 speed up lunch service. million of available capital on the When that didn’t work, they streetcar project instead of spending composed an entirely new lunch it on light rail car replacement, RT menu that could be executed more quickly, but the internal challenges it will have no funds available to begin purchasing replacement light rail presented made it unfeasible for the cars that it desperately needs to long haul.

Sacramento Zoo's lead primate keeper Janine Steele

maintain reliable light rail service,” warns Craig Powell, president of civic watchdog group Eye on Sacramento. “Who, then, will end up bearing the projected $160 million-plus cost of replacing RT’s collection of 30-yearold light rail cars? Sacramento taxpayers.” Traffic is also of grave concern, according to Powell. Part of the latest plan involves shifting light rail’s Blue Line to H Street to allow the streetcar to operate on K Street. “Multiple RT sources have reported that the shift will result in jamming four transit lines onto a single street, which is certain to cause major light rail service delays throughout the county,” Powell says. For more information, visit sacrt. com.

BREAKING GROUND Exciting news for Old Sacramento visitors and business owners: The Front Street Embarcadero renovation project is now underway after a “boardbreaking” ceremony in late June. Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Councilmember Steve Hansen and representatives from Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Old Sacramento and California State Parks were in attendance to kick off the riverfront revitalization effort between J Street and Neasham Circle, west of Front Street. To allow visitors and commerce to continue to flow in Old Sacramento, construction began in June and will be completed in phases to keep businesses open. The project should be completed by November.

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OAKHAUS BRINGS THE BRATS What kind of food can’t restaurateurs Tom and David Schnetz tackle? The talented duo behind Oak Park’s popular Mexican eatery La Venadita recently opened a new—and entirely different—outpost in the neighborhood: Oakhaus, a Bavarianinspired restaurant. The Schnetz brothers and chef Matthew Ridgeway created a hofbrauthemed menu that includes pastrami and roast beef sandwiches, bratwurst, potato salad, meatloaf and ciderbraised red cabbage. Oakhaus is at 3413 Broadway. For more information, visit oakhaussac. com.

LOVE YOU A LATTE If you love coffee, get thee to the Sacramento Public Latte Art Tournament on the last Thursday of each month through October. Founded in 2014 with the help of Edie and Andy Baker (co-owners of Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters), SPLAT is the perfect place for baristas to exercise their latte-making mojo.

This year’s tournament will feature up to 48 top baristas per event competing for coffee art domination at local coffeehouses. The event kicked off on June 29 at Old Soul Co. on Capitol Mall and continues at 7 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month. SPLAT will take place at Naked Coffee (3527 Broadway) on July 27, Identity Coffees (1430 28th St.) on Aug. 31 and Insight Coffee Roasters (1901 8th St.) on Sept. 28. The grand finale—co-sponsored by Temple Coffee & Tea and Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters—will take place at The Vintage Monkey (400 N. 16th St.) on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the end of Specialty Coffee Week Sacramento. Three professional barista judges will score each round’s latte art on contrast, texture and symmetry. Competitors accumulate points throughout the events to vie for the title of Sacramento’s Top Barista. The top three competitors in each round will be awarded prizes and money, including an AeroPress coffee and espresso maker. For more information, visit splatsac.com.

Kru chefs Ricky Yap, Tyler Bond and Billy Ngo

WELL-DRESSED AT DOCO The Sacramento Kings and JMA Ventures recently announced that Urban Outfitters—the quirky lifestyle retailer—is confirmed as one of

the newest residents of Downtown Commons (DOCO) across from Golden 1 Center. Urban Outfitters will be located on the ground floor of the 16-story mixed-use Sawyer hotel tower in a 10,300-square-foot retail space. The brand offers men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, home decor, music and more. “Adding a premier retailer like Urban Outfitters showcases the global attention on DOCO and Sacramento,” Kings president Chris Granger said in a statement. “We’re excited to grow our retail portfolio with a leading lifestyle retailer.” Urban Outfitters joins the list of 10 tenants that DOCO has announced so far for its 1.8 million square feet of retail, dining, accommodations and entertainment anchored by Golden 1 Center. For more information, visit docosacramento.com.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

SPLAT latte contest. Photo courtesy of Josh Corrigan.

THE GRID AUG n 17

Sacramento Zoo presents our annual

Cones, Cups & Floats

fari

Saturday, August 19 4 to 8 pm

Music, Ice Cream, Exotic Animals and More!

Early Bird through Aug. 13

$20 Adults | $15 Kids (ages 2-11)

General Sales Aug. 14 – 19

$24 Adults | $18 Kids (ages 2-11)

Zoo members receive $2 off per ticket through Aug. 13!

If it’s creative... it’s here! art supplies custom framing decorative papers greeting cards

photo frames ready-made frames classes, workshops demos– and more!

Tickets at: saczoo.org | 916.808.5888

When you need an MRI, give us a call.

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Bright New Light SELLAND’S OPENS ON THE EMERGING BROADWAY DISTRICT

roadway used to be more of a

That Broadway is no more, of

alive with some of the most popular

upgrades and redevelopment on

“Broadway” than it is today.

course. The ballpark burned down, and in its place is now a Target. The

restaurants in town. A host of top-notch international

nearly every block. One of the first to

It used to be the highfalutin,

strutting thoroughfare of town.

restaurants and clubs slipped down a

restaurants moved in over the decades

Selland with his new Selland’s

The movie house, the bars, the

rung in their grandeur. The cemetery

as well. While some less familiar with

Market-Cafe.

restaurants, even the ballpark used to

fell into a bit of disrepair. One of

the neighborhood might drive right

be on Broadway.

Sacramento’s greatest brands, Tower

on by, the locals (I include myself in

might know the Selland group by

Records, came and went.

that description, having lived just a

the fine-dining standouts Ella and

few blocks from Broadway for many

The Kitchen, it’s probably Selland’s

Riding one of the many streetcars rolling up and down its length, the

Now, however, as large and

get in on the revitalization is Randall

While most Sacramento residents

Sacramentans of the early 20th

midsized cities all around the country

years) knew that they could find

Market-Cafe that actually turns

century could get their shopping

start to rediscover their neglected

some of the city’s best Indian cuisine

the most tickets. It’s affordable,

done, see a show or ballgame and

urban cores, Broadway emerges as a

(Kathmandu Kitchen), Ethiopian food

convenient, quick and, for the most

take a stroll in the elegant cemetery

great boulevard of opportunity.

(Queen Sheba) and Vietnamese fare

part, delicious.

(a popular distraction at the time), all without leaving the Broadway stretch.

Some of the old bones are still there. The Tower Theatre still

(Viet Ha Noodles & Grill) all on the same street.

What makes Selland’s work is its casual, order-at-the-counter system

Well, it appears that Broadway is

and seemingly endless list of special

prominence jutting out into the sky.

the place to be once again. Drive along

events, deals and offers. The menu, a

The Old City Cemetery remains

its length and you’ll see construction,

combo of soups, sandwiches, pizza and

stands, its beautifully garish neon

a beautiful city landmark, well maintained by a cadre of dedicated volunteers. Smart and dedicated

By Greg Sabin Rest Re stau aura rant nt Ins nsid ider er

THE GRID AUG n 17

restaurateurs like Jim Seyman, owner

WELL, IT APPEARS THAT BROADWAY IS THE

of Tower Cafe, and recently passed

PLACE TO BE ONCE AGAIN.

and sorely missed Jamie Bunnell of Jamie’s Broadway Grill kept the flame

prepared hot dishes, hasn’t changed much in the 17 years since the first Selland’s Market-Cafe opened in East Sacramento. But seasonal specials and weekly offers keep curious diners coming through the front door without nudging out the favorite dishes that keep the neighbors coming in week after week. This new Broadway outlet is a large, spacious hall with a high, noisebouncing roof and a flood of light coming through the floor-to-ceiling

time. The chicken breasts smothered

($17.25) are both totally solid and

itself. Make sure to check the website

windows. Like each of the other

in mushroom gravy ($8.75) rarely

without flaw.

to see the offerings each week. Odds

locations, the kitchen is wide-open

disappoint, offering a slightly more

The dessert case is a thing of

and on full display. Where the original

muscled-up American version of the

beauty. Don’t miss what might be

East Sac location is cozy and the El

classic chicken marsala. Paired with a

the best carrot cake in town or the

Dorado Hills outlet is quaint, this

side of hand-mashed potatoes ($3.25)

delightfully light and playful seasonal

new Broadway space is modern and

or potatoes au gratin ($3.75), it’s a

strawberry cupcake. Well-made

industrial.

hearty way to go. Meatloaf, teriyaki

cookies and perfect lemon squares are

chicken thighs and salmon fillets also

also available.

The hot and cold cases overflow with offerings not unfamiliar to

hit the spot with rigid dependability.

the frequenter of Randall Selland’s

Standout sandwiches include the crab

special of two entrees and a bottle of

other fast-casual spots. The menu

cake po’ boy ($13.75) and the citrus-

wine for $25 is well worth the trip in

is synonymous with those of the

curry turkey dip ($10.75).

restaurant’s other locations. Of the classics, it’s hard to choose

Selland’s weekly and rotating

are, even if you’re not a local, you’ll become one pretty soon. Selland’s Market-Cafe is at 915 Broadway; (916) 732-3390; sellands. com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. n

The pizza oven turns out sturdily delicious pies of high quality and up-

a favorite. Selland’s busy kitchen

front flavor. The simple Margherita

has figured out a range of simple,

($15) and the very American combo

hearty dishes that hit the spot every

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It’s a Mod, Mod World

ASSESSING THE CITY’S STOCK OF MIDCENTURY-MODERN HOMES

his summer, the city of Sacramento and the nonprofit organization Sacramento Modern partnered with volunteers to preserve a part of Sacramento’s not-so-remote architectural and cultural history: midcentury-modern development. Characterized by clean, sharp lines and the interplay of interior and exterior, midcentury modern became prominent in American architecture following World War II

JV By Jordan Venema Building Our Future

THE GRID AUG n 17

and dominated development in the late 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. According to Carson Anderson, the city’s senior planner and preservation director, these homes and developments are at risk. “The reason we want to showcase these homes,” says Anderson, “is that most people don’t look at things from the late ’40s, ’50s and ’60s as being possible historic resources, and a lot of demolitions and alterations can occur without people really understanding what they’re doing.” The hope is that people who want to renovate or modernize these buildings can learn to do so sympathetically. “That’s a conversation we have regularly,” says Anderson. “But before we can even get there, we need to know what’s out there.”

And as they’ve discovered, there’s a lot out there. According to Anderson, there are roughly 48,000 properties developed in Sacramento between the late ’40s and the late ’60s. In order to locate and identify these homes, and perhaps even designate them as historic landmarks, the city and Sacramento Modern created a volunteer program to survey Sacramento neighborhoods for midcentury-modern architecture and development. Sure, many of those 48,000 homes are junk, admits Anderson, “made cheaply and built quickly—maybe 85 percent of it. But it’s the 15 percent that we’re looking at, while focusing on who designed them and what sort of stories they tell about the development of the city in the postwar period.”

The value of these homes is recognized by the California Office of Historic Preservation, which provided a grant to fund the program. Volunteers attended three-hour workshops hosted by the city on April 29 and May 6. They received training on how to identify the hallmarks of midcentury-modern architecture and how to input those findings into a mobile application that would provide the city with live updates. Richmond resident Joann Pavlinec volunteered for the program, driving to Sacramento once a week, and says identifying the homes wasn’t as easy as it might sound. “It’s tricky because it’s not just one style,” says Pavlinec, a former city planner for the city of Berkeley and a historic preservationist who sits on Richmond’s Historic Preservation

Midcentury-modern buildings can be found all over town and are both private residences and commercial structures.

Commission. “It’s a simplified style with clean lines, but the different characteristics between substyles is not that easy to detect.” Pavlinec loves midcentury-modern design. “It’s the simplicity of it,” she says. “It definitely exposes the structure of a building, and modernism, especially in housing, is so simple and has very clean lines. But you don’t realize how special that is until you’re on the inside. So it’s deceiving to a lot of people, because it’s the flow of space, the floor plan, the openness and how the inside of the house relates to the outside. There’s an interaction with its environment.”

Pavlinec says there is a bias against midcentury modern. “Look at a Victorian: the detail on the outside, and the articulation of the design elements,” she says. “If you look for that on a midcentury-modern home, you won’t find that much of a distinction.” In other words, she says, midcentury-modern homes aren’t as flashy as Victorians. “But people hated Victorians and used to strip them. Historically, it just takes a lot of time to appreciate newer styles,” she concludes. “So it’s good to get these homes marked so people at least know they’re midcentury modern and work with somebody who knows how to retain those elements if they want to remodel.”

The volunteer program, which wrapped up in July, identified significant midcentury-modern tracts and hot spots in Sacramento, especially in South Land Park and some areas of Land Park. According to Anderson, there is a group of homes along South Land Park Drive that were designed by the famed California architect Joseph Eichler, “and that grouping of buildings likely merits a historic district designation,” he says. Which is ultimately one of the goals of the program. Developments like this, says Anderson, “are part of the cultural and architectural history of the city.” Furthermore, the

program broadens the definition of preservation in Sacramento. “What is historic? What does that even mean? Does it just mean Victorian architecture, which Sacramento obviously has, or does it also mean Craftsman bungalows? Or does it include buildings from the recent past that tell equally compelling stories about the cultural development of the history of the United States and Sacramento in particular?” asks Anderson. Thanks to the work of local volunteers, the city of Sacramento and Sacramento Modern are in a better place to begin answering these questions. Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com. n

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portrait of an Artist BRINGING SCULPTOR TONY NATSOULAS TO LIFE ON THE SCREEN Benjamin Fargen

hen Benjamin Fargen stopped by Rick’s Dessert Diner one evening in 2016, all he had on his mind was a towering slice of German chocolate cake. But a chance meeting with an old friend would open the door of possibility, propelling the composer and filmmaker (after he finished his cake) into a yearlong journey of professional growth and artistic exploration. Fargen, a Sacramento native who lives in Carmichael, always had an affinity for writing and recording music. He began playing guitar at age 12. After years of playing in bands, he

BY RACHEL MATUSKEY ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

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added bass keyboard and vocals to his repertoire and gradually built a career as a serious composer. His music has appeared in numerous television shows, including “Duck Dynasty” and “Leah Remini: It’s All Relative.” Fargen also owns Exclusive Amps, a guitar amplifier company, and in order to generate promotional content for his products he began teaching himself the basics of videography and editing. He spent 15 years casually honing these skills, eventually realizing that he had become, in his words, “fairly competent” at editing. Then one day, after watching a documentary that left him unimpressed, he found himself thinking he could do better. The more he thought about it, the more he was intrigued by the artistic challenge of directing a film and scoring it with his own original compositions. The only question that remained, Fargen says,

was “who or what would be a worthy or interesting subject?” Enter ceramic sculptor Tony Natsoulas, who just happened to be sitting inside Rick’s that fateful evening. Fargen and Natsoulas first became acquainted when they shared a studio space in Midtown in the

early 1990s—Fargen making music and Natsoulas working with clay, molding it into his now-iconic forms. At times, the two collaborated, with Fargen providing raw materials like old guitar strings and tubes that Natsoulas would then incorporate into his colorful, campy work. “When

“One of my biggest challenges was to find a way to show this underlying humor while also emphasizing the incredible hard work and dedication Tony has put into his craft throughout the years.”

I ran into him again at Rick’s,” Fargen says, “a light bulb went off. I realized that Tony’s story was the perfect one for me to tell. It’s a pretty uncommon one among local artists in terms of reach and success. He’s very respected in the ceramic art community, and his larger-than-life subjects and characters have been shown around the world.” The self-funded film weaves interviews, photographs and voiceover narration to give viewers an intimate look at Natsoulas’ unique style and the humor that resonates in his work. “One of my biggest challenges was to find a way to show this underlying humor while also emphasizing the incredible hard work and dedication Tony has put into his craft throughout the years,” Fargen says. The story focuses on Natsoulas’s early childhood, as well as his art education at UC Davis, where he earned a master’s in fine art. Production wound its way across Northern California, capturing various pivotal moments in Natsoulas’ life and 30-year career.

Along the way, Fargen found that he liked everything about the filmmaking process. “I was surprised at how smooth and enjoyable the one-on-one interviews were,” he says. “Everyone in the film has their own unique story that pertains to some part of Tony’s history as an artist. I also really loved reconnecting with Tony and learning so much more about the rich history of our local ceramic art and artists.” At its heart, the film’s message is inspirational, says Fargen. “Tony’s story shows that when passion, dedication and hard work are applied to your craft, anything is possible.” Fargen titled his film “A Face in the Crowd,” referring back to Natsoulas’ focus on sculptures depicting large-scale human forms and exaggerated personalities. Examples of his work can be seen locally at Bing Maloney Golf Course, Tahoe Tallac Little League Park and Granite Regional Park. One large, gravity-defying sculpture of a teetering man struggling to hold too many objects—a metaphor for modern life, entitled “Balancing Act”—

stands on Freeport Boulevard near Sacramento City College. “I thought the film’s title was also appropriate in terms of Tony’s work as a whole,” Fargen says. “I visualized his work lined up alongside other artists’ work and thought that it would always stand out as a unique ‘face in the crowd,’ literally and metaphorically.” Fargen says he will continue making documentaries. With Natsoulas as collaborator, he plans to focus his next film on artist and UC

Davis professor Robert Arneson, who was Natsoulas’ mentor and one of the catalysts behind the California Funk art movement of the 1970s. “A Face in the Crowd” premiered Feb. 25 at UC Davis’ Shrem Museum of Art. It is will be screened this fall at Crocker Art Museum. To view the trailer, go to vimeo.com/201584718. For updates on Benjamin Fargen’s future film projects, go to everymanproductions.us. n

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Also in West Sacramento, South Sacramento, Arden Arcade, Davis (hours vary)

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A Great Resource TREES ARE PART OF SACRAMENTO’S DNA

SC By Scot Crocker Inside Downtown

THE GRID AUG n 17

n Sacramento, there are a lot of battleground issues: water, growth, cyclists versus cars, conservatives versus liberals. There’s even some contention over our trees. The most recent controversy was over the replacement of the “City of Trees” slogan on a water tower on Interstate 5. The slogan was taken down and a new one went up: “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital.” Whether that’s our brand or not, it really doesn’t matter. The simple fact is that we have a lot of trees. And we will remain the City of Trees if most city planners and leaders, environmental nonprofit groups and individual activists have their way. “I loved the water tower,” says Matt Van Donsel, community engagement manager at the Sacramento Tree Foundation. “It was iconic. But a city can have multiple identities. We see this as an opportunity. It’s very telling that people have been so passionate about the tower.” Tree issues won’t likely go away. In recent years, there’s been controversy over how all the leaves from trees in the city would be picked up. Then there are the regular media reports about someone cutting down trees they shouldn’t or diseased trees that should be removed but aren’t. During the drought, many were concerned that trees would wither away and die. Some did. All agree we have an unbelievable natural resource in our trees and the benefits they provide. On a hot day, people and pets seek out shade. Trees line the city streets in their magnificent glory. Some give fruits. Others give nuts. Some have been around for more than a century. All those trees are part of what experts call an urban forest. The forest includes trees, plants and vegetation on both public and private lands. Sacramento’s urban forest is part of a regional network of urban forests in the county and adjacent counties and cities. In Sacramento, only about 20 percent of trees are considered public trees found in parks, city rights of way and other public spaces. The other 80 percent of trees are privately

owned and found in the front and backyards of homes. Some people like to say Sacramento ranks up there with Paris as a city of trees. According to Van Donsel, a better metric to use is the Green View Index, which measures the amount of green someone would see when looking around a city from a street perspective, not just from overhead. That study was done by researchers at MIT, working with the World Economic Forum. They created Treepedia, a website that measures and compares cities’ foliage using Google Street View data. “As it turns out,” says Van Donsel, “Sacramento ranks third in the world, just behind Vancouver and Singapore. And Paris actually ranked much lower.” The importance of so much green isn’t just its beauty. Advocates of urban forestry have done many studies to determine the impact trees and greenery have on the human condition. According to this research, green space reduces health complaints, allowing people to live longer lives. Trees filter pollutants from the air to reduce asthma and other respiratory conditions. Studies also show trees reduce stress in people and can reduce anger and aggressiveness. Studies of workers who have office plants and window views often show improved productivity, job satisfaction and attentiveness. Studies also show that patients in hospitals who can see trees recover faster. Streets lined with trees are safer because drivers tend to slow down. Neighborhoods are often safer because people will be outside in shade-covered yards and sidewalks. It’s proven that crime rates are lower in neighborhoods with trees and greenery. Trees also lower noise levels because of their sound-buffering abilities. Finally, trees shade people from the sun, screening away harmful UV radiation, and keep surrounding areas cooler. This is the one benefit everyone wants and sees. For Van Donsel, the urban forest can’t be taken for granted. “We need to plan how we are going to take care of our public street trees,” he says. “When developers and

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city planners are doing their work, trees and green space can’t just be an afterthought.” Van Donsel thinks developers and city planners have a shared feeling that the urban forest enhances new and existing developments in the city. “Really, we all want more walkable and shaded space,” he says. “The city’s new tree ordinance is a good step in the right direction.” The ordinance, which was approved in 2016, was designed to provide clarity and accountability for those managing the urban forest by replacing existing laws that were out of date and didn’t adequately address new challenges of development, disease and replacement. “One of the big problems we see is the fact that many streets in the city are lined with trees of a similar species and age,” says Van Donsel. “That’s a problem. We have an aging canopy, and we need some sort of succession planning to ensure that our urban forest remains healthy.” While the city has its new ordinance, the Sacramento Tree Foundation is focused on a regional

framework to grow and manage the best urban forest. Called Greenprint, it guides the growth of, and investments in, urban forest initiatives. “Our goal for the region is to plant 5 million new trees,” says Van Donsel. “We also want to look at the tree canopy to be equitable. So we are looking at areas like Del Paso Heights and South Sacramento.” To that end, 1 million of the planned trees are destined for under-resourced, low-tree-canopy neighborhoods. The other 4 million are for the development community to meet expected growth and additional 290,000 homes that could be built by 2035. Big developments like the Railyards will need to have a seamless tree canopy coming from the adjacent Downtown corridor. Keeping the tree canopy healthy will be a challenge even as local government and nonprofits plan for the future. With most of the trees on private property, property owners and homeowners will have to play a vital role.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation’s mission is to educate people about pruning and watering new trees and the older trees lining some of Sacramento’s most beautiful neighborhoods. If the trees are not properly cared for, they could easily die or be susceptible to disease. Drought makes it difficult for people to water their trees. That problem is only compounded by strong storms and rain, like those we had this past winter, which downed

weakened trees and overly saturated the ground. There are a lot of issues to battle over in Sacramento. Trees may be a source of contention, but mostly they are source of cooperation. Regardless of city branding, trees represent a vital part of Sacramento’s identity and a cherished resource that adds to our health, comfort and quality of life. Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@crockercrocker.com. n

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Lindsay Zimmerman (left) with exchange students Adomas Gatelis from Lithuania, Leonardo Venturino from Italy, and Lori Tibbett.

The Matchmaker SHE MATCHES FOREIGN STUDENTS WITH LOCAL HOST FAMILIES

ahoe Park resident Lindsay Zimmerman is a local coordinator for CCI Greenheart, a nonprofit that connects Americans with international students through cultural exchange programs. Here, Zimmerman describes what it takes to coordinate visitors from all over the world and place them with host

JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor

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families in the greater Sacramento area.

lucky that it’s turned out to be such a great organization.

What got you interested in working with CCI Greenheart? I had always traveled abroad for much of my life. I lived in Spain as a college student and taught English in Japan in 2008. When I got married and moved from Arizona to California, I wanted to keep my international connections. I decided to bring the world to me and Googled “working with exchange students.” I found CCI Greenheart and got an interview with Lori Tibbett (the executive regional director of the western region, who lives in Curtis Park). I feel really

You’ve been a local coordinator for seven years. What does that entail? We’re the middlemen between the students, the host families, and family members back home. We monitor the students as required by the Department of State. There are new requirements every year for how best to keep kids and families safe, so we get recertified through the Department of State every year. CCI Greenheart receives applications from kids all over the world at their Chicago headquarters. Then, they

send those applications out to their field offices to match applicants with local families. Once we place a student with a host family, we do an initial home visit, and then a second home visit about a month after the student arrives. And we have an email, inperson, or phone visit once a month and at least one in-person visit per semester. What’s the hardest part of the job? My biggest challenge is finding a family willing to take on a student for a 10-month academic year and then finding them space at a school. McClatchy is one of the schools

with the most exchange students because of its HISP (Humanities and International Studies) program, but it’s a tricky process to place students there because the school is so impacted. (Two of Zimmerman’s charges are attending McClatchy this year: Leo, a senior from Italy living with an empty-nester family in Curtis Park, and Adam, a junior from Lithuania living with a family with teens in East Sacramento.) Placing students early is helpful, so it’s first come, first served. Once we’ve fully vetted the family and international student and everything is in place (shots, records, testing, etc.), we supply the information to the school, and whoever gets the spot first gets to come. What are the benefits of participating in a foreign exchange program? Lots of people have a desire to travel, but it’s hard when you’re highschool age. Many of our participants are leaders in their home countries, so this is a way to follow through with

that. It’s also a great way to work on their English. Learning in immersion is so much more beneficial when learning a language. And it gives them a new cultural experience. Our organization is one of the only ones that require students to volunteer eight hours each semester. We want a little more than students coming here and hanging out with friends. It gives them a deeper experience. The students may drag their feet at first, but once they do it, they get very excited. Do issues ever arise? The visiting student is a permanent “guest” but must be treated like a member of the family, so it takes flexibility on both sides. It’s like a marriage between the student and the family. Conflicts can arise from cultural differences, personality differences—an outgoing family versus a shy student or sibling rivalry. So we try to think of these things when we’re placing the students. We also have separate contact with the host families and the students to make sure we’re operating on

neutral ground to work out problems with both sides. There are so many factors to consider—we’re just the matchmakers, after all. Eighty percent of the time it works. The other times, we need to be conflictresolution managers. What’s changed over the years? Hosting can be more complicated these days. Technology can be challenging with the kiddos, but it also means they can FaceTime their host families way ahead of time and stay more connected to their home families. The exchange experience is changing. I mean, when I was in Spain, I called my mom from a pay phone on an international calling card! For more information about the exchange programs offered by CCI Greenheart, visit cci-exchange.com or email Lindsay Zimmerman at lindsayzimmerman123@yahoo.com.

OUR ORGANIZATION IS ONE OF THE ONLY ONES THAT REQUIRE STUDENTS TO VOLUNTEER EIGHT HOURS EACH SEMESTER.

Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n

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Home Again AFTER MOVING AWAY, A LAND PARK COUPLE RETURNS

JF By Julie Foster Home Insight

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elocating to a larger home is a common enough occurrence for growing families. But how often have you heard about a family moving in and out of the same house several times? Bill Parks and Lorrie Valvo purchased their Land Park home in 1983. After living there for 10 years, the couple moved to Nevada City, opting to keep the house as a rental. In 2001, they returned for a year. They then built a large home with an open floor plan on five acres outside

of Nevada City. That translated into spaciousness inside and out for their two sons, two dogs and a kitty. But as their sons grew, they expressed an interest in attending Jesuit High School in Sacramento. That required a return to Sacramento. The couple realized that their one-story, 1,447-square-foot, threebedroom, one-bath house in Land Park would be a tight fit with two teenage boys, two dogs and a kitty. In 2014, they drove through various neighborhoods searching for a new

home. It didn’t work out. “I really didn’t see anything I liked,” Valvo explains. During one trip to Sacramento, the pair visited a Land Park neighbor who suggested they get in touch with local architect Michael Malinowski of Applied Architecture Inc. It was a perfect match. Malinowski has a 30-year track record of taking a “neighborhood-considerate” approach to his projects. For Malinowski, success is when you can’t tell from the

street whether the second story was always there or added later. “Mike was so simpatico with our goal of trying to keep the original look of the house and make it fit into the neighborhood,” says Parks. By the beginning of 2015, plans were completed; construction began in April. The family moved into the two-story 2,410-square-foot, fivebedroom, two-bath house the day after Thanksgiving. As the boys grew older, Valvo says, she began to understand the privacy

“

TRULY IT WAS PROVIDENCE THAT EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE.

benefits distinct rooms have over open floor plans. One bedroom is used as an office; another serves as the boys’ TV room. The house’s original footprint changed little except for a 6-foot addition off the back of the house. The kitchen received a major rehab and was enlarged, which facilitated the pleasing placement of the new staircase. The new upstairs master bath is a showstopper, with an oversized shower and travertine floor tile. The charmingly petite window in the

” INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

TO RETAIN THE COTTAGEY LOOK OF THE PARK/VALVO HOME, HE WORKED FROM THE OUTSIDE IN

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shower (where the roof lines come together) illustrates Malinowski’s genius for solving the biggest conundrum of the project. According to Malinowski, the exterior appearance of a house is his starting point. To retain the cottagey look of the Park/Valvo home, he worked from the outside in, effectively using what might have been seen as wasted space. “The biggest challenge was to fit the interior design into the exterior shell,” he says. “The shower is a great example of how well that worked out.” Malinowski suggests homeowners consider shifting the way they think about adding a second story to their

home. Instead of an addition, he says, think of it as a conversion. “We don’t want to visually drop something on top of a house,” he explains. “Rather, we want to convert a one-story house into the character, flow and function that would have been there if the house was originally built as a twostory home.” The backyard was once home to a large landmark tree recognized by the Sacramento Tree Foundation. When it had to be removed, the house became much warmer in the summer, and much of the vegetation died off. Recently, the front and back yards were revitalized by The Garden Tutors.

Parks and Valvo had no idea when they attended an open house at Jesuit High School years ago that the family would one day be back living in their first home. They love Land Park and are so pleased with the results of the remodel, which retained the character and charm of the house. “It’s good to be home again,” says Valvo, “this time with our two teenage boys, who will be in ninth and 11th grades at Jesuit. Truly it was providence that everything fell into place.” If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. n

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Streetcar Fix DEVELOPERS EMBOLDEN CITY OFFICIALS TO DEFY VOTERS

ith the news last month that the Regional Transit board of directors had approved spending $25 million of scarce RT capital-improvement dollars on the proposed Sacramento streetcar, backers of the streetcar received a major boost for their dream of bringing clanging streetcars back to Sacramento after an absence of 70 years. Is the political steamroller that is driving Sacramento’s streetcar project poised to finally prevail over

CP By Craig Powell Inside City Hall

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streetcar skeptics? It’s still too early to tell. There are chapters still to be written in the saga of Sacramento’s modern streetcar proposal.

STREETCAR JOURNAL As an active participant in the public debate over the streetcar proposal, allow me to share with you my perspectives on it. I see the streetcar project as another example of our city government ignoring the expressed will of the people, as well as objective evidence of how modern streetcars impact American cities that choose to build them. Two years ago, the city held a special election of Downtown and Midtown voters near the route of the proposed streetcar. Voters were asked whether they would approve a 30-year

tax on property in the area to cover part of the projected $150 million cost of the streetcar project. Proponents argued that the streetcar would increase the value of their properties. But voters were unconvinced, and the measure failed by nearly 20 percent. City officials didn’t miss a beat: The very next day, Councilmember Steve Hansen announced that the city was working on “Plan B,” an alternative way to finance the streetcar. Our city leaders couldn’t care less that the very people who were supposed to benefit the most from the streetcar had soundly rejected a measure to partially pay for it. Elected officials were hellbent on working around the wishes of uncooperative voters—the people they’d sworn to represent.

ANTI-DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDES It is a common theme among senior city officials these days: We know what’s best for you, even if you don’t like it, don’t want it and actually vote to oppose it. We saw the same attitude at play in the city’s successful efforts three years ago to abort the initiative measure that would have required a public vote on the $330 million of taxpayer subsidies that city officials sought to give to owners of the Sacramento Kings to build Golden 1 Center, even though initiative sponsors submitted more than enough verified petition signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. The attitude was also evident in the byzantine legal jujitsu (including an artificially constructed sale/leaseback

transaction) the city used to exempt the arena bond issuances from the California Constitution’s clear requirement that city voters must approve a city’s issuance of long-term debt. The city also employed artful legal fictions to overcome a state law that clearly prohibits the use of parking meter revenues for purposes other than maintaining public streets, a provision designed to prevent local governments from jacking up meter revenues to fund other government functions (i.e., like an arena). Viola! Sacramento’s rapidly escalating parking meter revenues are now being used to fund debt-service payments on the city’s $300 million arena bonds.

ESCALATING OPERATING LOSSES The city’s Plan B was a new financing plan to build the streetcar that relied heavily on additional pots of money from Regional Transit ($25 million), state government ($30 million) and the Federal Transit Administration (a total of $100 million, up from $75 million). Local officials dropped their effort to tax Sacramento property owners to fund a portion of the construction costs. Now, the city needs to raise money to fund the streetcar’s ever-escalating projected operating losses. Officials initially claimed that the streetcar would lose $2 million a year. That estimate was then increased to $3 million, then to $5.1 million. Professor Emeritus Gregory Thompson of Florida State University, a nationally recognized expert on transit matters and

vice chair of Eye on Sacramento’s Transportation Committee, has studied the matter and estimates that the streetcar will actually lose between $6 million and $8 million annually, or approximately $175 million over the next 25 years. To qualify for federal funding, local officials must show that it has the funding in place to cover the streetcar’s expected operating losses. (All streetcars lose money; some lose gobs of it.) West Sacramento has committed to contributing $2 million annually. Proponents claim that streetcar fares, advertising and sponsorships will bring in another $2.1 million annually. But EOS has obtained a copy of an internal memorandum, dated Nov. 22, 2016, between executives of engineering consultant HDR, the nation’s most prolific builder of streetcar systems, which candidly reveals that HDR executives believe the Sacramento streetcar can be expected to bring in only $300,000 a year in fare revenues and a paltry $13,000 a year in advertising revenues—$1.9 million less than the $2.1 million revenue estimate that local officials are peddling to the public, property owners and federal officials. Has this splash of cold water caused local officials to reassess the streetcar project or to adjust their official loss estimates upward? Of course not. In late May, the city launched another tax election, this one focused on raising $2 million each year from Downtown and Midtown property owners to cover a portion of the streetcar’s annual operating losses. But are the voting property owners

the same voters who turned down the streetcar tax in 2015? Nope. The city has cynically gerrymandered the new tax district to exclude all owners and residents of residential property (who voted against the 2015 tax) and to include only commercial property owners (who were more favorably disposed to the tax). It has also created a nonsensical checkerboard of voting commercial properties in the district, skipping some parcels while including others. In one case, an included property is located two blocks away from the nearest included property, with all properties in between omitted. Why? Well, back in early 2015, the city conducted a straw vote of property owners several months before the actual tax election held a few months later. The voting preference of each property owner who participated in the straw poll was tallied and made public. Did city officials use their knowledge of the voting preferences of each property owner from the straw poll to select the commercial properties to be included in the new tax district, thereby assuring that the new tax proposal receives the two-thirds majority needed to pass it? Almost certainly. This is hardly democracy. In fact, it’s a corruption of democracy designed to defeat the will of the voters. The results of the new tax election weren’t available by our publication date, but it’s not difficult to predict its outcome. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has taken note of the city’s manipulation of this latest Mello-Roos tax election. In an

April 20 letter, HJTA warned city officials that if the streetcar tax proposal received less than a unanimous vote of property owners, any property owner voting against the tax could successfully sue to have the tax declared illegal. The city hasn’t even bother to respond to the HJTA letter. Even if the streetcar tax were found to be legal, the current plan for funding the streetcar’s annual losses would likely leave the system chronically short of operating cash. Professor Thompson puts the shortfall at between $22.5 million and $72.5 million over the next 25 years. The RT board has declared that RT won’t fund a dime of the streetcar’s annual losses. That would leave it up to the cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento to decide whether to spend their own funds to cover the streetcar’s unbudgeted operating losses. The most likely scenario is that streetcar operating deficits will be closed by reducing the operational tempo of the streetcar, which would lengthen the time interval between arriving cars from the currently projected 15 minutes to, perhaps, 30 minutes. In West Sacramento, where the interval is already projected to be 30 minutes, it could lengthen to 60 minutes. Who is likely to wait 30 to 60 minutes to board a streetcar to travel a distance of a mile or less at an effective speed of just over 6 mph, particularly as an average person can walk such a distance in 15 minutes or less?

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READERS NEAR & FAR 1. David and Nancy Boyer celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary at the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite National Park 2. Rita Gibson and Nancy Brodovsky on the Cap-to-Cap trip in Washington, DC 3. April and Adam Dougherty celebrating their anniversary at To-ji, the tallest pagoda in Japan 4. Ron Starr and Ralph Simoni stopped in front of the walled city fortress in Carcassonne, France 5. John and Miriam McCormack enjoying Venice, Italy 6. Ted and Jennifer Kappel with their daughter, Abby Rose, in Cancun, Mexico

Take a picture with Inside Publications and e-mail a high-resolution copy to travel@insidepublications.com. Due to volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee all photos will be printed or posted. Find more photos on Instagram: InsidePublications

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TO QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, LOCAL OFFICIALS MUST SHOW THAT IT HAS THE FUNDING IN PLACE TO COVER THE STREETCAR’S EXPECTED OPERATING LOSSES.

MAKING THE PROJECT ‘BIGGER’ When the Obama administration announced it was increasing the amount of “New Starts” money available for streetcar projects from $75 million to $100 million, Sacramento officials jumped at the opportunity to increase the size of the project from $150 million to $200 million. Hansen candidly told the media at the time: “We didn’t want to leave money on the table. If we want to ask for more, we have to show a bigger project.” And so the project got bigger. First, officials decided to move light rail trains off K Street and shift them to H Street to make room for the streetcar to travel down K. (Cost: $25 million.) Never mind that it would inconvenience state workers who mostly work south of K Street. The shift would supposedly address the concerns of K Street merchants who consider the elevated access ramps for disabled passengers unsightly. However, some civil rights groups and advocates have shared with EOS their suspicion that the real motivation for moving light rail off K is to reduce the number of young people, mostly of color, who like to use light rail to travel to Downtown from their homes in South Sacramento. That raises the specter of a claim against the city and RT under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by any government project financed with federal funds. (Light rail

was built with substantial federal funding.) Next, the proponents managed to make the project “bigger” by moving the planned maintenance barn for the streetcar from its originally conceived location under the W/X freeway (which would be easily accessible by the streetcar by using existing light rail tracks) to a new barn location under the I-80 Pioneer Bridge on the West Sac side of the river, which would require the laying of an additional mile of track. (Cost: $25 million.) Why would streetcar boosters want to add an unnecessary—and expensive—mile of additional track from Tower Bridge to I-80 in West Sacramento? Because there’s a great deal of undeveloped land along that route owned by influential West Sac developers and land speculators whose holdings can be expected to increase in value if a streetcar line is built adjacent to them and—best of all—at no additional cost to them, since Sacramento RT and federal taxpayers are picking up the tab for the $50 million increase in the project’s costs. So why did the RT board, made up of elected officials from throughout the county, vote unanimously last month to spend its $25 million in high-speed rail funds on the streetcar? RT staff provided the board with an extensive list of highpriority light rail projects on which the $25 million could have been spent, including a major purchase of light rail rolling stock to replace cars

that have reached the end of their useful lives. RT estimates that it will need nearly $170 million in the near future to replace its fleet of aged light rail cars. If the $25 million of RT’s highspeed rail funds were matched with $25 million of eligible federal funding, RT could have made major headway toward addressing this looming liability. Instead, local elected officials will almost certainly use the looming cost of replacing light rail cars as political justification for a new “Son of Measure B” tax-hike proposal, following the narrow defeat last year of Measure B, which would have doubled the county’s existing one-half-percent transportation sales tax. (Full disclosure: I chaired the No on Measure B campaign committee.) RT directors bought the argument that the streetcar would be a driver of economic development in Downtown and Midtown, a decision that is likely to have lasting

consequences for the future of RT, as well as Sacramento taxpayers. Next month, I’ll address the economic development justification for the streetcar and review the impact it would likely have on transportation in Sacramento. I’ll also handicap how the streetcar is likely to fare with the Trump administration and the GOPcontrolled Congress. Publisher's Note: We asked Councilmember Steve Hansen, whose district includes the proposed streetcar route, to submit an opposing viewpoint article to run in this issue. While it was not submitted as scheduled, we hope it arrives and we are able to run it in a future month. Craig Powell is a retired attorney, businessman, community activist and president of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. He can be reached at craig@ eyeonsacramento.org or 718-3030. n

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Dr. Paul Phillips & Dr. Barry Dunn Serving East Sacramento since 1991 1273 32 Street 452-7874

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She Makes House Calls

Dr. Caron Houston chats with a family member of a patient.

r. Caron Houston glanced at her watch as she crossed the empty parking lot to her car. It was 8 o’clock. Somehow she’d put in another 12-hour day without realizing it. By the time she got home, it would nearly be her kids’ bedtime. She worried for a moment that the new nanny was going to burn out, but she pushed the thought away as she turned the car radio to a local jazz station. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was playing, and the image of bluebirds flying over the rainbow struck a chord with Houston. “When it got to the part about happy little bluebirds, I thought, ‘Wait a minute. I don’t have to be this factory line. I could be a happy little bluebird.’ I really decided at that point that I needed to get back

FL THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW—AT YOUR HOME

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By Faith Lewis Meet Your Neighbor

to the soul of what I like to do,” says Houston, who has now been a doctor for more than 20 years. “And that is geriatrics.” That realization came back in 2014. Since then, Houston has created a thriving home health care practice called House Calls of Carmichael. She services elderly patients who have trouble leaving the house for one reason or another and would otherwise struggle to get the medical care they need. This concierge model of health care was inspired by several encounters Houston had while still working in a medical office. “Some patients really just are too sick to come into the office,” she says. Two patients immediately come to mind for Houston: a woman who was morbidly obese and unable to see a doctor for so long that her prescriptions were no longer eligible for refill and an elderly dementia patient who wandered out of the office while his wife was being seen. He was missing for more than four hours. For these patients and many others Houston sees, receiving regular

medical care at home brings them a new quality of life. Houston effectively brings the whole doctor’s office to her patients in two suitcases packed to the brim with everything from an EKG machine to a urine-testing kit. She also maintains relationships with several other mobile medical professionals, such as a phlebotomist who draws blood for labs and a mobile X-ray team. “I had to really find partners who had the same philosophy of care,” she says of her quality-over-quantity approach to geriatric home care. “And I have found them. There are many people out there that have that really heartfelt approach.” While a referral to a specialist like a neurologist or a cardiologist would require the patient to go in for an appointment, not much else does. Prescriptions can often be delivered to the patient’s home or picked up through a pharmacy in the patient’s assisted living community. And while health insurance is a hot-button issue right now, Houston hasn’t experienced too much pushback with her practice. For

Caron Houston (M.D.) and her dog Mango.

those who do not have an insurance plan like Medicare that covers house calls, the convenience and Houston’s attentiveness have been well worth the out-of-pocket costs. “I think medicine has soul,” Houston says, explaining why her patients are willing to pay more to be seen by her than go to an office that prioritizes how many patients can be seen as quickly as possible. “You put your soul into it, and your patients are so vulnerable. Once it becomes a numbers game, you lose that personal touch.” For Houston, who now works from home much of the time, the decision to start House Calls of Carmichael has been just as life changing as it has for her patients. Home life is a far cry from what it used to be when both Houston and her husband, also a doctor, were regularly working

12-hour days and relying on a team of three nannies to make ends meet. Now that Houston is able to be home with her 11- and 13-year-old children much of the time, she feels more connected to her family. While there is no less work, the flexibility in scheduling has allowed her to focus more on her personal life and give more to her patients. “I really feel good about life if I’m practicing and doing what I like in terms of work, but now I can do both,” she says. “I do end up staying up really late at night continuing to do my work, but I made a personal choice that I want to take care of my kids after school and actually get to see them.” For more information about House Calls of Carmichael, call (916) 2456464 or go to housecallsofcarmichael. com. n

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Cannabis Czar

Joe Devlin is chief of cannabis policy and enforcement.

NEW CITY OFFICIAL CRACKS DOWN ON CRIMINAL ‘GROW HOUSES’

RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat

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ess politicized than Oakland, bet better regulated than Los Ang Angeles, Sacramento has bui built a profitable relationship wit with legalized cannabis. But a major pr problem haunts the city’s b ggest gro bi biggest growth industry. T irty d Th Thirty dispensaries in Sacramento generate millions of dollars in sales taxes. They have provoked no upswing in neighborhood crime since becoming regulated in 2010. About 70 cultivators have applied to City Hall for commercial indoor growing permits. The trouble comes from outlaw growers who ignore regulations and have no interest in legalizing

their businesses. In neighborhoods across the city, an estimated 1,000 private homes have been turned into illegal cultivation sites, filled with ramshackle wiring, holes cut through walls and fire hazards everywhere. “If we had capacity to bust three of these houses a day, and no new ones popped up, we would have to work a full year, seven days a week, to eradicate them all,” says Joe Devlin, the city’s new chief of cannabis policy and enforcement. “I could spend all day on this.” Devlin, who served seven years as chief of staff for City Councilmember Jay Schenirer, doesn’t have all day

to kick in doors at suspected illegal cultivation houses. The city’s cannabis office is busy with many chores. There’s the alignment of city ordinances with new state laws on adult-use retail sales, delivery services, distribution and transportation regulations. There’s testing and conditional-use permits for commercial cultivation and manufacturing facilities. The rules are complex. The task list is long. But illegal grow houses have become a preoccupation with Devlin, if only because of the danger they present to Sacramento neighborhoods. “These are not mom-and-pop operations with a few plants,” he

ILLEGAL CULTIVATION SITES ARE INEVITABLY DANGEROUS, WITH HAZARDS THAT EXTEND BEYOND SLOPPY CONSTRUCTION.

says. “There’s an organized element to this. They go in and they purchase or lease multiple homes, and they go inside and gut them and turn them into what are commercial cannabis production facilities.” Illegal cultivation sites are inevitably dangerous, with hazards that extend beyond sloppy construction. In April, Sacramento police investigated a double homicide at a suspected grow house in South Sacramento. Authorities believe the murders occurred during a botched home invasion robbery. “They are simply unsafe for a number of reasons,” Devlin says. “Nothing is up to code. There’s lots of electrical work that’s unsafe and unpermitted.” Sacramento attracts criminal cultivators for three primary reasons, Devlin believes. Homes can be obtained here at relatively cheap prices, at least compared to the Bay Area, San Diego and Los Angeles. Easy freeway access allows cartel growers to quickly get their product beyond California, as most illegally grown marijuana is destined for other states. And there’s SMUD, the publicly owned utility that provides power

at economical prices. Every indoor cannabis farmer—legal and otherwise—requires significant jolts of electricity to drive the lighting systems that stimulate the crop’s growing cycles. “SMUD is a great utility provider,” Devlin says. “A grower can do the math on the back of an envelope and say, ‘Wow, I’ll save 30 percent on my power bill in Sacramento.’” SMUD helps local authorities catch criminal cannabis cultivators. The utility works with the city to identify homes and businesses with unusually high power usage. Officials obtain an inspection warrant—easier to get than a criminal warrant—and knock on the door looking for code violations. Code violations typically don’t bring criminal prosecutions, but they can put the illegal grower out of business, at least temporarily. State and local laws are evolving to allow confiscation of illegal plants and dangerous, nonpermitted equipment. The criminal grow house is a sinister presence in a city that has worked hard to establish a positive relationship with regulated cannabis. Sacramento was among the first major California cities to create

ordinances for medical cannabis dispensaries. The city is a leader in converting warehouse space to professionally operated indoor farms. (Outdoor grows are illegal in the city.) Responsible growers and dispensary operators pay permit fees and sales taxes to fund the city’s enforcement activities. The city doesn’t have a cap on commercial grow permits, but the high investment costs for regulated indoor farming should limit the competition. “I hope that money will allow us to eradicate the illegal cultivation,” Devlin says. Regulation and compliance take time. Nineteen years after

the Compassionate Use Act was approved by voters in 1996, the State Legislature finally passed laws to oversee medical cannabis. Recreational cannabis was approved last year. Cities and counties are presently working to create regulations that will align with new state rules, which take effect Jan. 1. Sacramento is blazing a leadership trail, helping legitimate cultivators, manufacturers and retailers get their product to market. And telling illegal growers to move somewhere else. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n

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Art Preview

GALLERY ART SHOWS IN AUGUST

“Fields of Grain: The Art Collection of the California Rice Commission” will be on display at the Robert T. Matsui Gallery in Sacramento City Hall. Shown right: “Summer Rice Fields, Colusa County” by Phil Gross. The show runs through Nov. 14. 915 I St.

Archival Gallery presents the collage paintings of Maureen Hood and the collage sculpture of Sean Royal through Sept. 4. Shown right: “Dead Valley” by Royal. 3223 Folsom Blvd.; archivalgallery.com

Tim Collom Gallery welcomes Richard Stein for a solo exhibition titled “New Fields” through Sept. 1. Shown above: “Garden Farms.” 915 20th St.; timcollomgallery.com

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Sacramento Fine Arts Center presents “Celebrating the Figure,” featuring drawings, paintings and sculpture by the Friday Morning Figure Drawing Group. The show runs through Aug. 15. Shown above: “Time Vectors” by Steve Memering. 5330 Gibbons Drive; sacﬁnearts.org

Sharon Gillum

GIVING OTHERS A LEG UP

Assistance League of Sacramento volunteers Sharon Gillum (center) and Ann Billington chat with a customer.

hen Sharon Gillum joined the Assistance League of Sacramento—the allvolunteer organization that funds philanthropic programs in the Sacramento area—she discovered not only a great group of like-minded women, but also 280 future friends. “One of my colleagues at Rio Americano High School joined Assistance League after retiring,” Gillum says. She had also retired from Rio after teaching a variety of subjects and directing the school’s renowned political studies program, Academia Civitas. “June told me it was an organization I would really enjoy.

JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back: Volunteer Proﬁle

When I joined in 2010, I found out that I already knew a lot of people. There were several members whose children had been my students as well as some of my neighbors. Even with those I’d never met, I found something in common: We all want to serve the community. We come from varied backgrounds, but our lives have overlapped. I’ve had the most rewarding friendships with these women.” Assistance League volunteers like Gillum oversee 10 philanthropic programs that serve approximately 16,000 people each year. Operation School Bell provides school clothing, uniforms, shoes, backpacks, hygiene kits and underwear to elementary schoolchildren. “Children learn better if they feel comfortable,” Gillum explains. “And a lot of that has to do with clothes.” The Governor’s Mansion History program gives local fourth-graders a peek at the

past with History in a Trunk, with costumed Assistance League docents bringing 19th-century artifacts to the classroom for a hands-on learning experience about California history. Kids on the Block is a Muppet-style puppet show that presents topical performances on personal safety and anti-bullying at regional elementary schools. “That’s for those of our members with a dramatic bent,” Gillum says. This September will mark Assistance League of Sacramento’s 50th year of service, a landmark it is celebrating by introducing still more philanthropic programs. One is Fresh Start, which is designed to help people transitioning into their own housing by supplying them with goods like towels and dishes. The second, Reaching Out, is making a difference for people with a “hurdle” to getting on with life. “Maybe they’ve been through a rehab program through drug court

and have a job lined up, but they don’t have steel-toed shoes,” Gillum says. “We can give them those shoes. Maybe someone can get a job but can’t drive legally because of a traffic warrant. We can pay that warrant.” Part of what makes volunteering for Assistance League of Sacramento so rewarding for people like Gillum is the tangible connection to those in need. “This work changes the community,” Gillum says. “Not in a grandiose way, but in the intimate ways of helping people feel like they’re part of the community. It’s us saying, ‘We know you’re ready; let us do this for you.’ We’re committed to making life better in Sacramento for those who need a little leg up.” Assistance League of Sacramento secures funding through donations and its resale store, Fabulous Finds on Fulton, managed by volunteer Ann Billington. “The resale store is essentially our bank account for the philanthropic programs,” Gillum explains. “Everything we earn from the store gets reinvested into our local programs, so it’s incredibly important. And Ann is amazing at running it—she manages 175 volunteers.” Thanks to the work of Billington, Gillum and their fellow members, Sacramento residents are getting that “little leg up” they need. “We’re helping all across the board, not just the neediest,” Gillum says. “Sometimes the middle group gets forgotten, but it’s like teaching high school: You have to invest in the middle kids. They’re often the ones who carry it forward.” To volunteer with Assistance League of Sacramento, go to assistanceleague.org. Fabulous Finds on Fulton is at 2751 Fulton Ave. n

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Farmers Market to Fork

t’s Wednesday on a temperate morning in mid-May. I’m with a group waiting to tour the farmers market at Cesar Chavez Plaza with executive chef Oliver Ridgeway—part of Grange Restaurant’s “Follow the Chef” event. After a quick introduction, we fall into a haphazard line and follow Ridgeway across J Street to the market. Three waitresses, wearing long aprons and black shirts, accompany us. The air is scented with smoke from food trucks and pop-up vendors. Music comes courtesy of a man with a blaring boom box. The plaza is crowded with professionals wearing skirts and suits, taking a break from their air-conditioned offices. “Let’s have a walkabout,” says Ridgeway. He’s tall, or does he just seem tall? He looks even taller dressed in his white chef’s jacket. He dons a pair of cool sunglasses, and there’s more than a hint of Sussex in his accent (he’s originally from England), which increases his cool factor. But I digress.

AK By Angela Knight Farm to Fork

THE GRID AUG n 17

YOU SHOP WITH A CHEF, THEN EAT WHAT HE PREPARES

Vendors are already selling stone fruit, even though it seems early in the season. We stop at a stall to sample peaches. I admit to feeling guilty if I don’t buy produce after I’ve sampled it, but here’s a tip from the chef: Sample before you buy. Here’s another: Don’t buy produce before it’s ripe. “The beauty of a farmers market is you can try [the produce],” Ridgeway says. He touched, smelled and sampled nearly everything. At Loving Nature Farm, we tried lovage, which tasted like overly intense celery, and at Gotelli Farms we ate dark, sweet Brooks cherries. We didn’t sample kohlrabi, but Ridgeway picked one up and recommended marinating slices

in olive oil, lemon and dill. We didn’t try the asparagus, either (he called it “Sacramento grass”), but here are two more of chef Ridgeway’s tips: He likes thicker asparagus stalks earlier in the season; he buys thinner ones later, when they get woody. Albion-variety strawberries from V&M Farms were a hit with our group. (Chef tip: Do not wash strawberries until you’re ready to eat them. It clogs their pores. Put them in a sealed container lined with paper towels until ready to use.) And cheese? We sampled lots of cheese. I worried I wouldn’t be able to eat lunch. Did I mention lunch is part of the Follow the Chef event? There are three courses, inspired by seasonal

produce, prepared by Ridgeway and his crew. Ridgeway said he had purchased 30 pounds of blueberries earlier that morning because they were beautiful, tasty and he got a great deal. Those blueberries might make it into a gin sauce, which would be served with duck, or he might dip them in egg whites, coat them with sugar and allow them to dry for a garnish. I could almost see the chef’s wheels turning inside his head. “Chefs don’t have time,” he explains, to shop at farmers markets every day. It’s a romantic idea but it’s not practical. He shops at the farmers market on Wednesdays; it’s a quick trip with his cart. He also visits a

Grange's executive chef Oliver Ridgeway leads a tour of the farmers market on a recent Wednesday.

farmers market on Sundays, when he shops for his family. “I go out to farms and visit them,” he says. “I’ve never lived and worked in an environment like [Sacramento].” Ridgeway keeps his menus fluid so he can adapt based on what comes in. He says, “I have a farmer who calls me and says, ‘I’m picking today.’” That’s the level of service and freshness he likes. “Food doesn’t have to be complicated. It has to make sense.” Back at Grange, we sipped refreshing spritzers made with blueberries (oh, yes, those blueberries), rhubarb, lemon and club soda. Our group consisted of Deshon Gyamfi, who lives in Lodi; Jennifer Ware; Jennifer’s husband, Jeremy; and Joelle, the couple’s almost-3-yearold daughter. Deshon and Jennifer are sisters; the Wares were visiting the area from New Mexico. They signed up for Follow the Chef, the first event this year, because they couldn’t get reservations at The French Laundry, a dining destination for food lovers. Everyone at our table was a foodie, even the 3-year-old. Ridgeway came by to introduce dishes. The first course was a salad made with dark cherries (oh, yes,

those cherries), peas, arugula and whipped ricotta. The main course was Skuna Bay salmon served with shaved asparagus and tzatziki made with Straus yogurt. Ridgeway had previously visited Skuna Bay’s fish farms located around Vancouver Island; the veteran chef features the company’s salmon on Grange’s menu. He and Jennifer discussed buying farmed versus wild-caught fish. No matter where you stand on that issue, the salmon was satisfyingly crispy on top and moist inside. He had seared it in a hot cast-iron skillet, skin side down, for about two minutes, popped it in the oven to finish, and sprinkled a bit of sea salt over it at the end—one of the best and least complicated pieces of salmon I’ve had. Dessert was panna cotta, with fresh fruit and pistachio dust, served in a Mason jar. I was almost too full to walk to my car and drive home. Follow the Chef takes place every other Wednesday until October. For information and reservations, go to grangesacramento.com. Angela Knight can be reached at knight@mcn.org. n

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Things

JL By Jessica Laskey Shoptalk

A PLACE TO ENJOY A CUP OF COFFEE AND A COMIC BOOK

riends and fellow geeks Neil Estaris and Laura Benson won Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s 2016 Calling All Dreamers contest for their retail concept, a comic book shop and coffeehouse called Oblivion Comics & Coffee. Estaris fills us in on going from winner to business owner.

How did you and Laura first come up with the idea for Oblivion? Laura and I both have geek backgrounds. We met at the Art Institute of Sacramento when I was studying graphic design and Laura was studying web design. So we would always get together to see the new

THE GRID AUG n 17

Marvel movies. We’d see the midnight premieres but never had a place to go after the fact. Coffee shops don’t stay open that late and comic book shops aren’t really set up for people— especially over-30-year-olds—to hang out. We kept saying that it would be cool if there was a place for us to go to talk about geek things. And coffee is the ideal conduit for conversation. When did you decide to enter the Calling All Dreamers contest? Laura had heard about the contest two years ago when she was working for a marketing agency, and it seemed like the perfect fit. We’d already done as much as we could on our own. We’d made a business plan and done

research, but it came to a point where we hit a wall. No one wanted to invest in the business because we were new and inexperienced. It was hard to get people to take us seriously. We actually tried to get into the contest the year before but decided we weren’t ready. We spent the next year refining and solidifying our research and focusing our idea. Being that prepared is the best thing we could have done and it really paid off. Clearly! As the 2016 winners, you were awarded a business service prize package that included financial planning, store design, marketing, graphic design, legal services, accounting,

permit process assistance and more. How did it feel making your dream a reality? After winning, it was a bit of “hurry up and wait.” We wanted to get things open quickly, but there were a lot of legal things that we had to get done as a new business. It took almost a whole year from start to finish for the buildout and the approval of plans and permits. The services helped quite a bit, often more than we knew. You officially opened on May 10. How’s it going? It’s been a very happy but stressful learning process. We’re still finetuning the shop. And since it’s our

Oblivion Comics & Coffee owners Laura Benson and Neil Estaris

first time owning and running a business, we’re running into a lot of problems we’ve never dealt with before. What can a first-time Oblivion customer expect? We have comics for sale and a personal stash for people who just want to read and relax. We carry comics from Marvel, DC and many independents for first-time comic book readers. You can read them in one sitting without investing in a whole series. We serve Chocolate Fish

WE REALLY WANT TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AND BE A GEEK

coffee because the owners, Edie and Andy Baker, are wonderful people and geeks just like us! We get a mix of old-school patrons, who maybe had comic books a long time ago and want to jump back in, and the “interested” people who come in for a cup of coffee and ask for a recommendation. Our sales team has an amazing grab bag of knowledge. We also feature a new artist every Second Saturday. We really want to build a community and be a geek hot spot in Sacramento. Why comics? I’ve always been fascinated by comics. Marvel and DC were part of my childhood. Now they’re becoming increasingly marketable, with superhero movies and Comic-Con drawing huge crowds. These stories are part of our generational culture and are finally getting the attention they deserve.

HOT SPOT IN

Oblivion Comics & Coffee is at 1020 11th St. For more information, go to

SACRAMENTO.

oblivioncomics.com. n

SEASONAL | LOCAL | ARTISAN | SUSTAINABLE | FRESH

LOCALLY GROWN. GRANGE CRAFTED.

926 J Street | Sacramento, CA 95814 | grangesacramento.com | 916 492 4450

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Never Give Up

THIS ULTRA ATHLETE INSPIRES OTHERS TO REACH THEIR GOALS

osh Mathe’s childhood in Los Angeles revolved around playing baseball. Something about the hustle and bustle of the second most populated city in the country kept him from venturing out of the batting cage and out of his comfort zone. It wasn’t until his family moved to Folsom just in time for Mathe to start attending Folsom High School that he realized his weight was affecting his athletic performance. This realization would spark an interest in fitness and nutrition and catapult him into a career as a personal trainer, ultraendurance athlete, motivational speaker and author. “Through the crucible of sport, you can learn so much about yourself,” says Mathe. “When you’re training for an Ironman or an ultra run, you

FL By Faith Lewis Meet Your Neighbor

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Josh Mathe

realize you may not be the best, and all of your insecurities come up. Helping [people] navigate that and realize maybe there’s value in it, even though they’re not the best … that gives me goosebumps.” Mathe has a master’s of science in human nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, along with a handful of certifications as a sports nutritionist, a performance enhancement specialist and a running coach. But he points

to personal experience as the best teacher. When he was in his early 20s, two failed attempts at backpacking the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range taught him one of the biggest lessons of his life. “I failed twice because I had no plan for what happens when it gets hard,” he recalls. “What happens when I’m lonely? Or what happens when it’s really hard and I don’t want

to do this anymore? That never even occurred to me.” In the years that followed, Mathe by all accounts became very successful. He and his wife own a Midtown gym where he puts his personal training certifications to use. He has successfully completed several Ironman Triathlons. But those failed attempts on the John Muir Trail still nagged at him. So, in his mid-30s, he

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BodeandBode.com • 1215 21st Street returned and ran the 211-mile trail in six days. “It was hard and there were times that I wanted to quit, but I recognized in training for it what talked me off the trail before was that I had no mental toughness plan,” says Mathe. “So I actually engaged in not only physical training, but also mental training.” Mathe says that’s when he realized he could help others achieve their goals as well. He was inspired to write his first book, “In the Footsteps of Greatness,” about his experience on the John Muir Trail. Soon after, he accepted his first motivational speaking appearance at the flagship REI store in Seattle. “It was so transformational and so fun,” he says of the writing process, which allowed him to be introspective about his experiences. His objective is simple: help people realize the goals they think are just out of reach. “Helping people find and step into the strongest, truest versions of who

they are—I’m really passionate about that,” he says. “Whether I’m writing a book. Whether I’m up there speaking to 1,000 people. Whether I’m meeting one on one with a client and we’re doing bicep curls. It’s about helping them realize that they’re capable of so much more than they think they are.” “I, Athlete” is Mathe’s second book, which was published in February. Unlike “In the Footsteps of Greatness,” it focuses less on Mathe’s personal experience and more on helping readers achieve their own goals. In the book, Mathe again draws on the lessons he learned on the John Muir Trail, focusing his attention first on how to forge an athletic mindset and then an athletic body. “‘I, Athlete’ was also fun [to write], but was more work,” he says. “I had to sit down and think about what I was going to write and craft it. ‘In the Footsteps of Greatness’ was just there, and I had to tell the story.” For more information about Josh Mathe, go to joshmathe.com. n

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INSIDE’S

THE HANDLE The Rind 1801 L Street #40 441-7463 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Cheese-centric menu paired with select wine and beer • therindsacramento.com

Zocolo 1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303

DOWNTOWN Cafeteria 15L 116 15th Street 551-1559 L D $$ Classic American lunch counter with a millennial vibe • cafeteria15l.com

DeVere’s Pub 1521 L Street L D Full Bar $$ Family-run authentic Irish pub with a classic menu to match • deverespub.com

Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518 Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, ﬂight or glass • downtownandvine.com

Ella Dining Room & Bar

Rio City Cafe 1110 Front Street 442-8226 L D Wine/Beer $$ Bistro favorites with a distinctively Sacramento feeling in a riverfront setting • riocitycafe.com

MIDTOWN

Café Bernardo

L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com

Ten 22 1022 Second St. 441-2211 L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting • ten22oldsac.com

110 K Street

R STREET

2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service

Centro Cocina Mexicana

L D $$ Humble Hawaiian poke breaks free • ﬁshfacepokebar.com

Iron Horse Tavern

L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com

1725 I Street 469-9574 L D $-$$ Bar & grill with American eats, including BBQ, local brews & weekend brunch • easyoni.com

1431 L Street

Old Soul & Pullman Bar

926 J Street • 492-4450 B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com

Hock Farm Craft & Provision

Magpie Cafe 1601 16th Street L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer Seasonal menu using the best local ingredients • magpiecafe.com

1415 L St. 440-8888 L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region’s rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com

Nido Bakery

South

L D $ Bakery treats and seasonal specialities • hellonido.com

1409 R Street Suite 102

2005 11th Street 382-9722 L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Timeless traditional Southern cuisine, counter service • weheartfriedchicken.com

OLD SAC Fat City Bar & Cafe 1001 Front St. 446-6768 D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com

THE GRID AUG n 17

L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Wood-ﬁred pizzas in an inventive urban alley setting • federalistpublichouse.com

Hot Italian 1627 16th Street 444-3000 L D Full Bar $$ Authentic hand-crafted pizzas with inventive ingredients, Gelato• hotitalian.net

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan 1215 19th St. 441-6022 L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting

12th & R Streets B L D $ Full-service cafe with artisan coffee roasts, bakery goods and sandwiches • oldsoulco.com

Grange

Shoki Ramen House 1201 R Street L D $$ Japanese ﬁne dining using the best local ingredients • sshokiramenhouse.com

2431 J St. 442-7690

The Waterboy 2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891

1116 15th Street L D $-$$ Full Bar Gastro-pub cuisine in a stylish industrial setting • ironhorsetavern.net

L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live ﬂamenco music - tapathewworld.com

Easy on I

2009 N Street

1104 R Street Suite 100

2115 J St. 442-4353

Thai Basil Café

B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service

Fish Face Poke Bar

Tapa The World

L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com

Federalist Public House

Firestone Public House

29th and P. Sts. 455-3300

2730 J St. 442-2552

1431 R St. 930-9191

L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Cuisine from Japan, Thailand, China ad Vietnam. • majongs.com

D $$ Inventive Japansese-inspired seafood dishes • skoolonkstreet.com

L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com

Ma Jong’s

Skool

Biba Ristorante

Café Bernardo

L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com

L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Urban winery and tasting room with a creative menu using local sources • rwwinery. com

2315 K Street

1213 K St. 448-8900

806 L St. 442-7092

2831 S Street

served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com

L D $ Great burgers and more. • williesburgers.com

Frank Fat’s

Revolution Wines

1112 Second St. 442-4772

L D $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space Elladiningroomandbar.com

L D $$ Full Bar Sports bar with a classical american menu• ﬁrestonepublichouse.com

L D $$ Full Bar Fabulous Outdoor Patio, California cuisine with a French touch • Paragarys.com

Suzie Burger

1131 K St. 443-3772

1132 16th Street

1401 28th St. 457-5737

2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine

The Firehouse Restaurant

Willie’s Burgers

Esquire Grill

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com

Paragary’s Bar & Oven

Red Rabbit 2718 J Street L D $$ Full Bar All things local contribute to a sophisticated urban menu • theredrabbit.net

L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com

OAK PARK La Venadita 3501 Thurd Ave. 4000-4676 L D $$ Full Bar Authentic Mexican cuisine with simple tasty menu in a colorful historic setting • lavenaditasac.com

Oak Park Brewing Company 3514 Broadway L D $$ Full Bar Award-winning beers and a creative pub-style menu in an historic setting • opbrewco.com

Vibe Health Bar 3515 Broadway B L D $-$$ Clean, lean & healthy snacks. Acai bowls are speciality. Kombucha on tap • vibehealthbar.com n

CARROTS

A Sacramento Tradition Since 1939 78th Anniversary Special August 1 - September 30, 2017.

This root vegetable is packed with beta carotene. Classically orange in color, it also comes in white, red, yellow and purple varieties. Look for tender baby carrots at the market. To eat: For a cooling summer soup, make carrot vichyssoise.

Chinese Chicken Salad | Frank’s Style

PLUMS

This delicious stone fruit is a relative of the peach, nectarine and (surprise) almond. When dried, it’s a prune.

To eat: Eat out of hand, or slice and bake for a cobbler, pie or upside-down cake.

Monthly Market A LOOK AT WHAT’S WHA IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN AUGUST

CANTALOUPE This melon has antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. It belongs to the cucurbit family of plants, which includes cucumbers, pumpkins and squashes. To eat: Using cantaloupe, Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis makes an unusual and tasty dish called Spaghetti al Melone.

2013 James Beard America's Classics Award Winner 806 L Street, Sacramento 916-442-7092 frankfats.com *other restrictions apply

Thank You Sacramento! Cele ating

30 Years

2966 Freeport Blvd. • 442-4256 • Freeportbakery.com

INSIDESACRAMENTO.COM

Coldwell Banker

#1 IN CALIFORNIA

ADORABLE EAST SAC COTTAGE! Updated 2 bed, 1 bath, hardwood ﬂoors and detached MIKE OWNBEY 916.616.1607 CaBRE#: 01146313

PRIME EAST SAC LOCATION! Completely renovated. Large Tudor style home with 3BD/3BA, over 2300sf, lrg open LR w/frplc, din rm & kitch pantry. SCOOTER VALINE 916.420.4594 CaBRE#: 01896468

TOWNHOME-CAPITOL-CLOSE LOCATION 1788sf, vaulted ceilings, hrdwd ﬂrs, & 2 car gar. Master bdrm loft plus a sep ofﬁce or in-law studio. $629,000 POLLY SANDERS & ELISE BROWN 916.715.0213 CaBRE#: 01157878/01781942

LUXURY LIVING IN EAST SAC Brand new construction. Incredible Elmhurst location near UCD Med Center. 3BD/2.5BA, and 1840sqft. $819,000 TOM LEONARD 916.834.1681 CaBRE#: 01714895

EAST SAC TUDOR! Wonderful 2BD/1BA, 1174SF hm. Features include hrd ﬂrs, Frml liv rm, w/blt-ins & frplc, fml din rm, lrg kitch w/nook & blt-in seating. $519,950 RICH CAZNEAUX 916.212.4444 CaBRE#: 01447558

EXPANSIVE BACKYARD! 3BD/2BA, 1419SF on a lrg lot. Updtd kitchen, wd ﬂrs in the open din/liv rm combo. Master has doors to expansive bkyd w/deck. $549,950 RICH CAZNEAUX 916.212.4444 CaBRE#: 01447558

WILHAGGIN OAKS Tastefully rmdld, living/dining rm & small den/ofﬁce. Kitch w/cabinetry & granite cntrs. Master has sitting area w/frplc. $ 759,000 JAN LEVIN 916.341.7883 CaBRE#: 00672462

LARGE FAMILY HOME THAT SPARKLES! Two story 6 bd, 3 ba in popular Pocket area neighborhood. It’s pristine. IT SPARKLES. Pool, park nearby, 2-car garage. $629,900 SABRA SANCHEZ 916.508.5313 CaBRE#: 01820635

STUNNING SIERRA OAKS! Great 4BD/3.5BA, Updated kitchen, living rm w/frplc, 2 master both with access to backyard w/swimming pool. MARK PETERS 916.600.2039 CaBRE#: 01424396

MCKINLEY PARK BEAUTY! Crips & charming, this 3 BD/1.5BA brick Tudor w/period details and view of McKinley park, will steal your heart. $749,000 POLLY SANDERS & ELISE BROWN 916.715.0213 CaBRE#: 01157878/01781942

ADORABLE TAHOE PARK! 2BD/1BA hm in pristine condition. 2 story w/one bdrm located upstrs. Bonus area upstrs. 1 car det garage. Cute lndscped yrd. $299,500 BRENDAN DELANEY 916.628.0831 CaBRE#: 01873794

SENSATIONAL MIDTOWN! Midtown townhome features 2 patios and a deck, plus a covered garage! Across from Fremont Park. Updtd kitch, 2 BD/2BA. STEPH BAKER 916.775.3447 CaBRE#: 01402254

SACRAMENTO METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard #150 • 916.447.5900

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©2017 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each ColdwellBanker Residential Brokerage Office is Owned by a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.