Food Truck Mania

The ever-popular Food Truck Mania returns once again to McKinley Park this Friday, September 12. From 5-8pm, enjoy the delicious bites from one, two or, if you think you're up to the challenge, all 11 food trucks that will be on hand. For adults, the food will be supplemented by refreshments in the beer and wine gardens and live music by The Soulshakers. And the kids will enjoy playing around in the bounce house, the face painting and balloons.

Presented by Councilmember Steve Cohn and Sacramento Mobile Food Events (SactoMoFo). For more information, go to sactomofo.com.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

This Thursday, September 11, come on by McKinley Park for what will be the Sacramento Tree Foundation's last park tree tour of the season. From 6-7:30pm, attendees will be guided through the park by a certified arborist. You can commune with nature tech-free, or bring along a tablet or smartphone to learn how to use the GreenprintMaps app to identify trees.

Visitors will congregate in the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot wearing comfortable walking shoes and their own water as needed. For more information, go to www.sactree.com or call (916) 974-4333.

Mulch Madness

This coming Monday, September 8, is the last Mulch Madness of the season at McKinley Park. So if you haven't had a chance to help out yet, now is the time. It's very satisfying to clean up around McKinley's many trees and protect their roots from, keeps weeds down and retain moisture. Plus you get to meet with your neighbors and enjoy the lush park setting.

Volunteers will meet up at 6pm near the Shepard Garden and Arts Center and--with their own tools, wheelbarrows and gloves, or supplies already on hand--will spread mulch rings until about 8pm. For more information and to register, go to the Sacramento Tree Foundation website at www.sactree.com or call (916) 974-4333.

Fire Station Open House

The Sacramento Fire Department's oldest functioning fire station, Fire Station 4, will hold an open house for the public this coming Saturday, September 6, from 2-4pm. Originally built in midtown in 1902, the fire station moved to East Sac in 1933. As such, it is celebrating its 81^st year at its current location at 3145 Granada Way (near Alhambra). 

People are encouraged to come on by to meet the staff, tour the facilities and get information on fire safety. For more information, call (916) 808-1011 or go to sacfire.org.

Volunteer Day at McKinley Rose Garden

Those gorgeous flowers don’t prune themselves. So, from 7-11am this coming Saturday, September 6, volunteers are encouraged to come on by--clippers and gloves in hand--to the McKinley Rose Garden for some light pruning and weeding.

Volunteers will congregate near the garden benches, and they will be led in their efforts by an expert rosarian. RSVP’s ahead of time are encouraged, but drop-in help will also be appreciated. For more information and to RSVP, call (16) 452-8011 or send an email to friendsofeastsac@aol.com.

Hair & Fashion Battle Expo

This Saturday, August 23, come to the Scottish Rite Center to satisfy your craving for cutting edge fashion and beauty at this year's Hair & Fashion Battle Expo. As stated on the H&F Battle website:

"Hair & Fashion Battle Expo is a professional competition & trade show presented for the benefit of enhancement of your learning and understanding in the field of hair and fashion. This event will feature the top salons and designers from Sacramento and surrounding areas, which will showcase and compete in the areas of hair, make-up and fashion for cash and other prizes. With our diverse battle and showcase this show will showcase the most innovative stylists and designers highlighting unique hair and fashion styles worn by trendy fashionistas from every background, body shape & size." 

The battle begins at 6:30pm. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Roberts Family Development Center. For more information, go to www.hairandfashionbattle.com or call (916) 271-2351.

Glenn Hall Park Volunteer Day

This Saturday, August 23, volunteers are needed from 9am-12noon to help keep Glenn Hall Park looking neat and tidy. Tasks will include pruning hedges, weeding and planting flowerbeds. While some equipment will be available, volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gloves, hat, clippers, rakes, etc. Coffee and snacks will also be available. 

While RSVPs are preferred, drop-in help will not be turned away. For more information, email cadence@surewest.net.

Ice Cream and Magic

This year, Friends of McKinley Library will hold its annual ice cream social on Tuesday, August 19, from 5:30-7pm at McKinley Park. In addition to all the delicious free ice cream from What's the Scoop?, magician Mike Della Penna will be performing. There will also be outdoor games, children's crafts and face painting.

You can even make an evening of it and bring a picnic dinner. For more information, call (916) 264-2920.

Photographing Jewelry and Small Artworks Lecture

Anyone who sells things online and wants their products to stand out, or who is in the visual arts and trying to get their portfolio to stand out, will benefit from the Photographing Jewelry and Small Artworks Lecture that will be held at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center this Monday, August 18, from 1-2:30pm. 

Artist and photographer Charr Crail will discuss lighting, set-up, backdrops, equipment, necessary file formats for online presentation and how to devise your signature look. This lecture is presented by the Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts (SCTA). Admission for non-SCTA members is $10, while members get in free. 

This lecture will be followed next Monday by a hands-on workshop. For more information about both sessions, call (916) 736-2014 or email bosley.diana@gmail.com.

31 River Bluff Lane Just Listed in Carmichael

I've just listed a great property at 31 River Bluff Lane in Carmichael. It is a three bedroom, two and a half bath home listed for $550,000.

I was able to help the owners transform it from a heavily wallpapered and dated looking home into a stunning beauty by working with several contractors. Since they were unavailable to manage the contractors directly, I worked with several contractors to get bids and after the owners selected which ones to work with I helped with access and updates along the way. Seeing the transformation and hearing the feedback has been greatly rewarding.

Here is the listing description:
You’ve found the perfect oasis in the gated community of Riverwood. This highly sought after floor plan with a ground level master suite is in a quiet interior location. 

The living room has vaulted ceilings, a gas fireplace & lots of light. Enjoy a large kitchen with a breakfast nook & seating area. 

You can access to your two private patios from the kitchen, dining room, living room or master bedroom. The lush grounds with many trees turns your patios into the perfect outdoor living spaces.
Riverwood has two pools, a tennis court and wonderful views and access to the America River to call you out to play in the great outdoors.


Here are some of the links to the properties listing and all of the details about it:
The properties own website.

The listing on the local MLS client page.

The listing on my own website, www.east-sac.com.
 
The general MLS page.

Sutter's Fort 175th Anniversary

175 years ago, John Sutter arrived in the Sacramento area, leading to the construction of Sutter's Fort, discovery of gold and the eventual founding of Sacramento. To commemorate Sutter's arrival in August of 1839, Sutter's Fort State Historical Park will conduct a special Hands On History event. 

From 10am to 5pm this Saturday, August 16, you can relive history through a display of rare Sutter family and Fort artifacts, special guests (including Sutter family descendants) and a variety of interactive activities. These will include pioneer dress-up, cooking demonstrations, a corn husk doll craft station, period games for kids, and much more. 

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children 6-17 and free for children 5 and under. For more information, go to www.suttersfort.org or call (916) 445-4422.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

The next free Sacramento Tree Foundation tour of McKinley Park's numerous trees will take place this Tuesday, August 12, from 6:30-8pm. Attendees will meet up at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot. From there, a certified arborist will lead the tour through the park.

Anyone attending is encouraged to come ready with comfortable shoes, water if the weather's hot and, for the technologically inclined, a smartphone or tablet to learn how to use the tree mapping app GreenprintMaps. For more information and to sign up for the tour, go to www.sactree.com.

Food Truck Mania August 8th

Yay, it's here again! This Friday, August 8, stop by McKinley Park from 5-8pm to enjoy the latest round of amazing food trucks. This month's lineup will offer dinner and dessert that purists, adventurers, carnivores, herbivores, kids and adults will all enjoy. 

Live music will be played throughout the evening by The Pressure Lounge. For adults, there will be a beer garden and wine garden. And for the kids, there is a bounce house, face painting and balloons. For more information, go to sactomofo.com.

I hope to see you there!

National Night Out

More than 30 years ago, the National Night Out was devised in an effort to heighten awareness about crime and drug prevention, encourage support of and participation in neighborhood anti-crime programs and generally enhance community spirit. The 31st Annual National Night Out continues this tradition, and takes place tonight Tuesday, August 5, from 6-10pm.

Neighborhoods can participate by holding block parties, barbeques, ice cream socials, etc. East Sacramento Preservation will be holding its own event at 926 43rd St. from 6-8pm. In addition to free ice cream, local elected officials and reps from area fire departments and police are expected to be on hand to chat with East Sac residents and answer questions. For more information, contact jbonner@pd.cityofsacramento.org or call (916) 808-6467.

My wife and I have organized our own block party BBQ and Neighborhood Watch kickoff meeting tonight as well. We've invited every neighbor on our block as well as the neighboring block that our street ends into. We are providing the hotdogs, bottled water and lots of safety information. It's time to stop the wave of crime that has swept through our neighborhood!

Mulch Madness

It's been a long, hot summer so far, and there's plenty more to come. Mulch Madness, organized by the Sacramento Tree Foundation, will help protect the trees in McKinley Park from the dry conditions. The mulch rings applied around the bases of new and established trees throughout the park will help keep the soil cool, retain moisture and prevent weeds.

This Monday, August 4, from 6:30 to 8pm, volunteers of all ages are encouraged to help out--with or without their own gloves, wheelbarrows and rakes. For more information and to fill out the Volunteer Release form, go to www.sactree.com.

East Sac Community Meeting About Crime

A little while ago my wife contacted Councilmember Steve Cohn’s office to coordinate an East Sac Community Meeting to discuss all of the crime that our neighborhood has recently seen. 

Steve's office just confirmed the details of this meeting. It will be held on Wednesday, August 27^th from 6:30-8pm at the Clunie Community Center.  Councilmember Steve Cohn and his staff have put together a wonderful structure. The Sacramento Police Department will give us an update on the crime in the area as well as discuss crime prevention strategies.  Jena Swafford, Sacramento’s Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, will discuss how to set up a Neighborhood Watch and how using NextDoor.Com is a great way to connect with neighbors for a variety of ways including crime prevention.  A Park Ranger will also speak about Park Safety and what volunteers can do to stay safe. Lastly Steve Cohn will also speak at this meeting. 

This is such an important meeting for the East Sac community to attend.  Will you help us get the word out for this meeting?  Please forward the flyer that is attached by email and/or hand delivering it to your members/neighbors.  The more East Sac residents in attendance, the more we can make a difference in our neighborhood!!!

We hope to see you at the meeting!

Fab '40s 5K Run/Walk

It is no exaggeration to say that Alzheimer's disease affects millions of Americans. Odds are that, even if you don't have anyone in your family with Alzheimer's, you know someone who has. In order to support the families and caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease, the East Lawn Memorial Park will hold its 6th Annual 5K walk/run through the scenic Fab 40's neighborhood this Saturday, July 26. 

More than 1200 people are expected to participate in this popular event. The course starts and ends in East Lawn Memorial Park. The main part of the course is back and forth along M Street, with a loop around next to East Portal Park. With the tree-lined streets and the exquisite architecture of Fab '40s homes, this is truly a gorgeous way to support a great cause. 

Registration is $35 for adults, and $16 for the kids' fun runs. For more information and to register online, go to fab40s5k.org or call (916) 492-8966.

McKinley Park Tree Tour

Sure, you might appreciate the beauty of the trees in McKinley Park, but how much do you know about them, really? To learn more, stop by the parking lot near the Shepard Garden and Arts Center to take a tour of the park from 6:30-8pm on July 22nd, led by a certified arborist.

The only requirements are comfortable shoes and water if the weather is warm. Optional, but encouraged, is to bring along your smartphone or tablet to learn how to identify and map trees using the GreenprintMaps app. For more information, and to sign up for the tour, go to www.sactree.com.

10044 Prairie Dunes Way Just Sold

Last week we closed on my listing at 10044 Prairie Dunes Way.

This is a great house out by Wildhawk Golf Course just a little bit past Bradshaw and Florin. Yes, that is a ways outside of East Sac, but I'm happy to go where my clients need me. These clients were referred to me by some of my past clients (now neighbors). I helped them buy a wonderful brick house here in East Sac recently and then list and sell their old home.

We were able to get more for their house on Prairie Dunes Way than they originally expected and the closing went very smoothly, despite a slight delay in the closing due to the buyers loan.

You can see the full listing and pictures here. 

38th Street Annual Blood Drive

For the 6th year, Alice McAuliffe and her husband Pat will host a blood drive outside their home at 1141 38th Street, complete with refreshments and East Sac neighborhood camaraderie. On Thursday, July 17, from 3 to 7pm, two bloodmobiles from BloodSource will be taking donations. This year, the goal is to collect 45 pints of blood to help patients and hospitals during the busy summer months. 

A set appointment during the hours of the event is required to donate. To do so, go to bloodsource.org/drives and enter location code M597. For more information, you can also call Alice directly at (916) 451-5507 (she is a wonderful lady to talk with, so you might want to call instead of going online)

I regularly give blood at the downtown BloodSource location at 16th and Q and this will be my first year of joining my neighbors in the local blood drive. I've already set up my appointment to go and give blood and I hope to see a lot of you there!