June 2014 NEWSLETTER - boulevardparkna.org

Park Beat
The Pulse of Greater Boulevard Park
Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association ¶ Box 163179, Sacramento 95816 ¶ June 2014
Ferment fest: Summer Kick-off Picnic
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An Open letter to city council
regarding mckinley village
O
ver the past year, BPNA has been involved with a coalition of
10 neighborhood groups from both Midtown and East Sacramento regarding McKinley Park Village. While all of the groups
were opposed to the project the reasons and mitigations discussed
were varied, the group was finally able to agree on a unified
position that would be presented at the City Council Meeting
on April 29, 2014. The fact this diverse group was able to come
together was no small feat, and is largely due to the leadership of
Councilmember Steve Cohn. Steve worked tirelessly with the
group, holding several community forums and many meetings in
the Council chambers. The position taken by BPNA and the other
neighborhood groups was that a third access point at Alhambra
should be absolutely required if the project was approved, but
there are several other reasons this project is flawed.
IT’S NOT SMART, SUSTAINABLE INFILL. Smart infill is built
near public transportation. Restaurants, shops, and schools are
within walking distance. Smart infill is integrated into surrounding
neighborhoods rather than built as an isolated island with poor
access and egress. Smart infill includes affordable housing and
housing for seniors, rather than more than 300 single-family houses.
POOR AIR QUALITY WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT THE
RESIDENTS. The proposed site is not suitable for habitation
because the houses will be built in a valley between a busy
freeway and railroad tracks where tons of auto exhaust, diesel,
and particulate matter will get trapped on a daily basis. Residents,
especially children, the elderly, and those with compromised
immune systems will inhale polluted air.
PNA will host a picnic on June 21, 2014 from 5-8 p.m.
in the commons between 21st and 22nd Street and F
and G Streets. If you are a fermentation enthusiast making
your own sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha, this is the place
to share your craft with neighbors. Don’t worry if you don’t
ferment, just bring a potluck dish to share, lawn chairs or blankets for
sitting and your own reusable dinnerware. BPNA will provide hot dogs
and drinks for all, and dinnerware for those who forget. This promises
to be a fun event for the whole family with Bocce ball, bean bag toss,
water balloons and more. Hope to see your there. l
Donate Tree Trimmings to Feed the
zoo Animals
W
ith more than 500 animals that call the Sacramento Zoo home, there
are a lot of mouths to feed. From the tiny yellow-banded poison dart
frogs to the tall giraffes, each animal is given a specific diet. This includes
everything from blueberries to bugs and beef bones to browse. What is
browse you ask? Browse is non-toxic leafy branches from trees and shrubs
that can be found in your front or backyard. That’s right; your tree trimmings
can be a feast for the animals.
The Sacramento Zoo is accepting donations of browse all year for preapproved specific species of plants, and with spring in full-bloom, donations
of large branches are also accepted. So rather than placing your tree
trimmings in the green waste bin, animals such as giraffes,
bongos, chimps, lemurs and many birds can benefit from
your browse donations. Sharing your trimmings with the
zoo also means less is going to the landfills.
Not only is browse a supplement to the animals’ diets, but
they also enjoy nibbling leaves, stripping bark and chewing
on stems, which stimulates their minds through natural
behaviors, just like in the wild.
To learn more about donating your browse to the
Sacramento Zoo, and for a list of edible plants, please visit
saczoo.org/browse or contact the zoo at 916.808.5888 or
at browse@saczoo.org. l
continues on pg. 3
boulevardparkna.org
Places to Go, People to See
Every Monday. Monday Night Skate. 7 p.m. Meet at the parking lot
at the corner of 3rd and S Streets. For more information, go to www.
sacramentoskating.com or call Brian Malone at 715-2808 or Bernard
Scoville at 568-1491.
Every Saturday. Midtown Farmer’s Market. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on J
Street between 20th & 21st Streets.
Every Saturday. Free Yoga in the Park. 9 a.m. at the McKinley Park
Clunie Center. Yoga in the Park is provided by Yoga Across America. For
more information, go to www.yogaintheusa.org.
Tue., June 3. Fireside Concert Series: Derek Thomas and Larisa
Bryski. 5:30 p.m. Camp Pollock. (See article)
Wed., June 4. BPNA Board Meeting. 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Contact
BPNA Chair Lorna Martens by June 2 at lornajmartens@gmail.com or
718-3900 to add items to the agenda. Open to BPNA members and other
interested neighbors.
Sat., June 14. Second Saturday Art Walk. Galleries open to showcase
specific artists and new shows; bands and vendors line the sidewalks.
Mon., June 19. Park Beat newsletter content due. To submit articles
and calendar entries, email Julia Marino at julia.c.marino@gmail.com or
call (330) 289-5758. To place an ad, call Jennifer Knutson at (925) 3241289 or email jennifer@knutsonarchitecture.com.
Sat., June 21. Green Thumb Brigade. 9 to 11 a.m. Meet in the
alley behind 711/715 22nd Street. The most crucial task now is to keep
the devices swept and weeded. If you’d like to help our leafy friends,
contact Sally Flory O’Neil at 446-3390 or sfoneil@comcast.net for more
information.
Sat., June 21. Sutter’s Fort Hands on History: War in California!
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 445-4422, or visit
www.suttersfort.org. (See article)
THE YEAR AHEAD–FRIENDS OF THE RIVER BANKS
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June 14
July 12
aug. 9
Native Peoples of the River Banks
Bats
Dragons and Damsels
THE YEAR AHEAD FOR BPNA
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JUNE 21
aug. 5
sept. 13
BPNA Ferment Fest!
National Night Out
Spaghetti Dinner
Camp Pollock Fireside Concert Series
June-August Camp Pollock Every Tuesday 5:30 p.m.
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The Sacramento Valley Conservancy (SVC) presents the Fireside
Concert Series at Camp Pollock. Playing free of charge to the public
every second Tuesday starting at 5:30 p.m. through August, the series will
host an eclectic mix of bands including: Derek Thomas & Larisa Bryski
on June 3; Shade Chasers & Connor and Karlee on July 8; and River
City Ukulele Orchestra on August 12.
Enjoy tunes indoors in the lodge beside the 1920’s stone fireplace or in
warmer weather, outside in the beauty of nature, under the stars on the
Pollock grounds, often near one of the fire-pits. There will be no food
or drink vendors on site, but attendees are welcome and encouraged to
bring a picnic basket and blanket. Parking and entry are free, however SVC
welcomes donates to help with our lodge renovation project. For more
information visit www.sacramentovalleyconservancy.org. l
Sutter’s fort hands on history:
War in California
Sat., June 21 Sutter’s Fort 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
adults $7, kids 5-17 $5 and kids under 5 free
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In 1846, Mexican California was in a continuous state of political unrest and
threats from foreign powers were a constant menace. The English Navy was
anxious to have a good seaport on the Pacific Coast and kept warships in the
area; French emissaries had approached John Sutter for an alliance; United
State President James Polk was espousing the concept of manifest destiny and
the dream that the U.S. would extend from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. The
turmoil reached an apex in June of 1846, when as many as five flags may
have had a turn flying over Sutter’s Fort.
Join Sutter’s Fort Hands on History for an exciting day of scavenger hunts for
history and demonstrations of black powder weapons. Hear debates about
which alliance Sutter and the Fort should take in the conflict; find out which
five flags may have flown over the Fort. For more information, please call
(916) 445-4422 or visit www.suttersfort.org. l
Ready for Spaghetti?
Sat., Sept. 13 21st and G Streets 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
adults $10, kids 5-12 $5 and kids under 5 free
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BPNA’s Annual Spaghetti Dinner is a terrific way to get to know your
neighbors while eating pasta and salad in a beautiful setting. The food is
fine, with homemade spaghetti sauces and salad dressings, garlic bread
and desserts, as well as wine, sodas, and Tom Marten’s House of Spirits
craft brew. The evening also includes the presentation of our annual award
honoring volunteers for outstanding service to BPNA and our community.
Back by popular demand, all the way from Faerie Land, will arrive Sparkle
Faerie at the For Kids Only (FKO) dessert table.
An even better way to get to know your neighbors is to work side-by-side with
them (1) setting up Saturday morning at 9 a.m.; (2) working in the kitchen
stirring sauces, monitoring boiling pasta, tossing salads, and lowering food
from the kitchen to the serving tables (45 minute shifts); (3) serving food
(45 minute shifts); and (4) cleanup on Sunday at 9 a.m. for about an hour.
Contact Suzie Johnston at 397-9294 or suzqnquincy2@sbcglobal.net
if you are willing to volunteer. l
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Park Beat, The Pulse of Greater Boulevard Park
Committees
BPNA Board of Directors 2014
Chair
Lorna Martens
718-3900 lornajmartens@gmail.com
Secretary Nita Davidson
448-8064 nadavidson@att.net
Treasurer Dave Philipp
212-1322 dave@davephilipp.com
Eric Knutson
925-324-1289 eric@knutsonarchitecture.com
Marsha McCormick
448-1032 mccormickjm@att.net
James McDaniel
802-5228 specterzero@sbcglobal.net
Suzie Johnston
397-9294 suzqnquincy2@sbcglobal.net
Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association purpose: The BPNA is created to support,
promote, and improve the quality of life for the residents of the greater Boulevard Park
neighborhood. By achieving this goal we strive thereby to improve the quality of life for
others who work and live in and around Boulevard Park and for Sacramento as a whole.
continued from pg. 1
MITIGATION FOR HABITAT LOSS ESSENTIAL IN THE
IMMEDIATE AREA. The proposed site is adjacent to the American
River Parkway, which has a number of plant and animal species
that depend on riparian, meadow, and agricultural habitat. For
example, the Swainson’s hawk, a threatened species in California,
makes its home around Sutter’s Landing Park and forages in the
surrounding grassy meadows, including the proposed building site.
Membership: Dave Philipp, 212-1322
Preservation: Eric Knutson, 925-324-1289
Park Beat Production Team
Editor / Designer: Julia Marino, 330-289-5758, julia.c.marino@gmail.com
Block Captain Coordinator: Joe Cress, 698-7938, cressj@saccounty.net
Ad Manager: Jennifer Knutson, 925-324-1289, jennifer@knutsonarchitecture.com
Great ad rates! Call Jennifer at 925.324.1289 for details.
Don’t forget! The deadline for ads and copy for the June issue of
Park Beat is June 19 by 5 p.m.!
seeking newsletter editor
BPNA needs a skilled writer/editor for Park
Beat newsletter editor. Julia Marino would like
to step down from the position to focus on her
more-than-full-time job and start-up nonprofit.
The newsletter editor is part of an overall production team that
includes Board members who author articles (editor and others
do as well), proofreaders, the graphic designer, printer, and block
captain coordinator. The editor needs to have strong writing skills,
the ability to turn around articles quickly, and committed time to
produce the newsletter on schedule each month. If you think you
would be interested or want more information or what is involved,
please contact BPNA Chair Lorna Martens at 718-3900 or
lornajmartens@gmail.com. l
THE RESULT BEING. At the Council meeting, our own
Councilmember Steve Hansen started the discussion by making
a motion to approve the project. As part of this motion he offered
several amendments to the building plan— the only significant
one being that the building of the Alhambra tunnel becomes a City
project rather than a developer project or requirement. The effect
of this change is that the developer will pay only the small portion
of any tunnel that he had always proposed paying, or to put it
another way, about 10 percent or less of the total cost estimate of
the tunnel. The taxpayers are on the hook for the rest, and there
is no guarantee or requirement that it will ever be built. Hansen
argued that it was the best project we could get on this site, so we
should go ahead with it, but the criteria used for this judgment
were not spelled out. After much public testimony, the McKinley
Village project was approved, with Councilmembers Steve Cohn,
Angelique Ashby and Kevin McCarty opposing.
seeking web designer / developer
BPNA needs a webmaster and someone to revamp and update the
current website. If you think you would be interested or want more
information or what is involved, please contact BPNA Chair Lorna
Martens at 718-3900 or lornajmartens@gmail.com. l
While one could be tempted to wonder if a less politically wellconnected developer would have gotten even close to getting this
development approved, it’s also fair to surmise that if the standard
is now to go with whatever is the best project on the table, perhaps
those connections won’t be as important going forward.
BPNA will continue to work with the neighborhood coalition to try
and make the Alhambra tunnel a reality. l
BPNA is on Facebook!
Want to stay in the know on the latest events in the
neighborhood? Then find and “like” the Boulevard Park
Neighborhood Association page on Facebook. We post stories about
recent developments and reminders about BPNA events. It’s another
great way to connect with BPNA and your neighbors!
don’t let fruit go to waste!
Anyone who walks or rides the streets and alleys of midtown know that
tons of fruit goes to waste each year: lemons, grapefruit, peaches, apricots, and (sigh) figs! It doesn’t have to be this way. Soil Born Farms,
a local urban farming and education nonprofit, has started Harvest
Sacramento, which organizes volunteers to pick fruit and nuts from
trees whose owners invite them. The harvest is shared with the tree
owner, food banks, and the harvesters themselves. The organizers of the
midtown/downtown harvest are Julia Bauer and Mike Phillips and
can be contacted at harvestmidtown@gmail.com or (512) 981-735.
They can also tell you about how Soil Born Farms helps people set up
community gardening in unusual spaces.
For more information or to get involved with Harvest Sacramento’s
programs please contact Program Cordinator Dominic Allamano at
dallamano@soilborn.org l
June 2014
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forb update: BUGS at the river
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n Saturday, May 10, about a dozen people gathered to explore
the insects of Sutter’s Landing Park. Daven Stillwell, one of our
neighborhood entomologists, led the expedition.
Daven set the stage by talking about the riparian (river) habitat and the
history of the American River in that area. As the group walked toward the
river, the discussion focused on the plants they saw such as curly dock,
elderberry trees, and cottonwoods, and how these support communities of
insects, birds, and mammals.
The group found a variety of insects such as leafhoppers, box elder bugs,
click beetles, weevils, cabbage butterflies, and a snakefly. They watched
an immature dragonfly crawling out of the water to a place where it could
transform into an adult dragonfly. Along the river bank, the group found
clumps of sandbar willows with sawfly stem galls.
The insects by the river match the ever-changing plant cycles, so chances
are you’ll always see something new. By August, the FORB adventure will
involve dragonflies, and we should see a cross section of insect life very
different from that of mid-May.
The next FORB gathering will be Native Peoples of the River Banks
on Saturday, June 14 at 9 a.m. Meet at Camp Pollock where Chuck Kritzon,
primitive education expert, will focus on how the local native people lived
and thrived along the river for thousands of years by carefully managing
and then respectfully gathering from this natural bounty. Chuck will share
examples of some of the everyday things that the Nisenan Maidu made
from the plants and animals of the area. This will be a hands-on event for
children and adults.
Camp Pollock is located just upstream from the confluence of the
Sacramento and American rivers. Take 16th Street (160 North) and turn
left on Northgate Blvd. Drive under the freeway and make a second left,
following the paved road. Turn right on the dirt road just before you enter
the trailer park.
The dirt road will lead to Camp Pollock’s gateway and its
parking lot and historic lodge. l
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Park Beat, The Pulse of Greater Boulevard Park
HISTORIC HoUSE
Knutson Architecture
630 21st Street
Clinton White House
Eric Knutson
architect-aia, leed, ap, cgbp
2231 h street, sacramento
925.324.0587
eric@knutsonarchitecture.com
commercial and residential
specializing in historic preservation
and detail-driven sustainable design
T
his home was built by Clinton White, a prominent attorney
and President of the Park Realty Company, the partnership that
developed Boulevard Park. This Colonial Revival corner house faces
the 21st Street median but its deep porch opens to G Street. Its large
cube form has elements of both Colonial Revival (pyramid roof, boxy
shape) and Craftsman features (shaped rafter tails) and shows a
restrained use of details that heralded a modern post-Victorian aesthetic. The second story doors, balcony and stairway, shown in the
drawing, were a later alteration to convert the home into a boarding
house. These features have been removed by the present owners.
Clinton White became Mayor of Sacramento in 1909. During his
tenure, he campaigned for the extension of the 21st and 22nd
street parked median strips to P Street, but the measure was voted
down in a referendum. Until recently, this house was a group
home for adolescents, owned by the Sacramento Children’s Home.
It has been returned to a single-family home. l
[Adapted from “Boulevard Park: A Walking Tour” by the
Historic Boulevard Park Committee.]
June 2014
5
LOUIE
Critter Corner: new kit in town
A
ibhlin (aka Avi
Clare) Martens got
a kitty for her fourth
birthday from grandma
and grandpa. On her
birthday, she went on
a special adventure
to Elk Grove to pick
out her kitty. Avi
noticed Oscar right
away, picked him up
and cuddled him and
the two were instant friends. On the way home, Avi decided that Oscar was
not the right name for this kitty. Grandma suggested Olaf, Sven or Hans (a
tribute to the current Frozen frenzy at the house), but those were rejected.
“How about Ivan from Peter and the Wolf,” Grandma suggested. “Of course,
Ivan is his name,” Avi replied. And so Oscar became Ivan.
Ivan is a little blond kitty with green eyes. He has a personality a bit like
Avi’s little brother Eamon—part scallywag and part Prince Charming—
nipping at your toes one minute and cuddling under your neck the next.
Ivan has adapted well to the life in the big house. Even Anniper, the 17-yearold matriarch cat at the house, has only given him a look of disdain, which
means she secretly likes him (or will at least tolerate him).
Got an unusual pet or a great pet story you’d like featured in Critter
Corner? Send information and photo to Board Member Suzie Johnston at
suzqnquincy2@sbcglobal.net. l
DONALD J. LEWIS, JR.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
REPAIRS
HANDIWORK
AFFORDABLE HOURLY RATES
FOR SMALL JOBS
LOCAL TO THE MID-TOWN AREA
916-443-6617
916-443-6618 FAX
916-838-5677 CELL
lcnlew@sbcglobal.net
louie1250@vzw.blackberry.net
WINDOWS AND DOORS
CARPENTRY
PLUMBING
ELECTRICAL
ETC.
KITCHENS AND BATHS
DRYWALL AND PAINT
CONCRETE AND STUCCO
DECKS AND FENCING
ETC.
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
CSLB #662431
EDMONDS AND PHILIPP: Your
Way Home
Whether buying or selling, call the team that lives & works in Boulevard Park.
Recycling vintage homes in record time is our specialty!
Dave Philipp
Realtor
916.212.1322
dave@davephilipp.com
Liz Edmonds
Realtor
916.838.1208
liz@lizedmonds.com
Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association Membership Form
Send form with your $5 to $15 check per member for the remainder of the calendar year to: P.O. Box 163179, Sacramento, CA 95816-9179
Name:_ __________________________________________________________________________________
Address:_ ________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone:____________________________E-mail:_______________________________________________
New Member
Renewing Member
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Park Beat, The Pulse of Greater Boulevard Park