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!

Mulch Madness

The Sacramento Tree Foundation's Mulch Madness event has become their most popular summer project for volunteers. Not only does it help protect McKinley Park's many majestic trees from drought and heat, but it is a project suitable to volunteers of all ages, children included. 

So this Tuesday, July 15, bring the kids and save the trees. From 6:30 to 8pm, volunteers will apply mulch rings around established and newly planted trees in the park. If you have your own wheelbarrows, gloves and rakes, please bring them along. Otherwise, supplies will be provided. For more information and to sign up as a volunteer, go to the events page at www.sactree.com.

California State Fair

Yup, it's that time again. For 17 days, from July 11-July 27, Cal Expo will host the 161st Annual California State Fair. Enjoy the many rides and games in the popular midway carnival, tour the candy-themed "Sweet--California's Tasty Journey" exhibit, and rock out to the performers at the Toyota Concert Series (including Steppenwolf, Macy Gray, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, America, Pat Benatar, Bret Michaels and many more).

Meanwhile, many other events and exhibits will show off the best the Golden State has to offer. This year, that includes awards for the finest California wines, craft beers and cheese (with official tastings during the Whiskey Festival on July 11 and Brewers Festival on July 19), horse racing and soccer showcases, and celebration of "The Farm," a large living exhibit of native California flowers, fruits and vegetables. 

And as always, you can also expect a delicious, bad-for-you plethora of fried foods. Ticket prices (for general admission, rides and special events) and hours vary throughout the run of the fair. For more information, visit www.castatefair.org.

July Food Truck Mania in McKinley Park

Food Truck Mania returns to McKinley Park this Friday, July 11, courtesy of Councilmember Steve Cohn and, especially, all the awesome food trucks presented by SactoMoFo (Sacramento Mobile Food Events). The event runs from 5-8pm; come as early as you can to enjoy all your favorite food, the beer garden and live music by the acoustic duo of Kally Pile and Phillip Lovejoy, otherwise known as Two Barrels Shy. 

For more info, go to sactomofo.com.

4th of July Parade in East Sac's Fab 40's

This year will be another great 4th of July parade in East Sac's Fab 40's!

We will start on 41st Street between J and M and sometime around 11:00 we will roll out in a large, neighborly mob up the block to J Street, down 42nd Street to Folsom and then back up 41st Street.

I'm not sure what makes this event so magical, but it is. There is no marching band, baton twirling troupes, fancy cars, groups of Kiwanis/Rotary Club/Fraternal Order of anything. It will be neighbors on foot, bike, wagon, motorized beer cooler or other crazy contraptions. Some people will dress up in red, white and blue, some people will dress up like Uncle Sam. Aside from a firetruck and some great front yard parties, there is very little organization that the casual observer can see. 

The vast majority of people that go to this 4th of July Parade aren't going to watch the parade roll past them, they are there to walk side by side with hundreds of fellow neighbors the whole route. I guess that is what makes this parade so special. We aren't going there to watch it, we are going there to be a part of it.

I do love my neighborhood!

Sacramento Independence Day Celebration

One of the many perks of living in East Sac is the close proximity to Cal Expo and all its great events. This is especially evident on the 4th of July, when the fireworks from the Sacramento Independence Day Celebration light up the night sky just across the river. It's so close that you can see much of the light show from your very own yard or the levy. 

But if you want to see it really close up, you can hop on the freeway and get to Cal Expo in about 5 minutes. Doors open at 4:30 and fireworks will begin at 9:30pm, with food and beverage sales going on throughout the evening. General admission is free, with a limited number of $10 reserve seats available. On-site parking is also $10. For more information, check out the Events by Cal Expo page at www.calexpo.com.  

Tree Tour of McKinley Park

If you missed the McKinley Park tree tour in June, do not despair. Another tour is being held this coming Tuesday evening, July 1. Attendees will congregate in the Shepard Garden and Arts Center parking lot at 6:30pm. Then for the next hour and-a-half, a certified arborist will lead a tour through the park.

Apart from comfortable shoes--and water if it's hot out--nothing else is required to attend. However, you are encouraged to bring a tablet or smartphone if you'd like to learn how to map trees electronicaly using the GreenprintMaps app. For more information, and to register for the tour, go to the events page at www.sactree.com.

 

Pops in the Park June 28, 2014

This Saturday, June 28, the final Pops in the Park concert will be held at McKinley Park. And what a finale it will be! Starting at 6pm, Garratt Wilkin & The Parrotheads will be performing a celebration of the music of Jimmy Buffett. Margaritas, beaches and boats. There's no way that won't be fun. The emcee for the night is KCRA and KFBK Financial Advisor Kelly Brothers. 

The place is sure to be packed, so get there early for the best view of the stage. Bring your own blankets, lawn chairs and picnic. Or you can get dinner and dessert from Burr's Fountain, Clark's Corner and the East Sac-Midtown Kiwanis Club. (Portions of the proceeds will go toward funding nighborhood improvements and next year's concert series.) For more info, go to eastsacpopsinthepark.com.

Since McKinley Park is just two blocks from my home and I plan on getting there early and staking out an area for my neighbors to have a block party! We did this last year and it was a blast. 

3522 D Street in East Sac Just Sold

When I first moved back to California many years ago, my wife and I rented a great little house in East Sac at 3522 D Street. It is on the friendliest block that I have ever lived on and I know more neighbors there than at all the others homes that I had lived in up to that point.

To me, this block of D Street exemplifies what a great neighborhood looks and acts like. It has all the qualities that make East Sac one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the area.

We do regular block parties and summer outdoor movie nights, we meet up at the local events like this weekends Pops in the Park in McKinley Park and we help each other out in so many ways.

I am so happy that I got to help a great person buy the house that Cheryl and I lived in for several years. I'm even happier that I get to introduce a wonderful new neighbor to this great block and know that I have just helped her move onto one of the friendliest streets in the neighborhood.

I love my job!

2014 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Starting this Wednesday, June 25, the USA Track & Field Championships return to Sacramento. For five days, the best American track and field athletes will compete at Hornet Stadium on the Sac State campus. Events will include sprints and long-distance running, shot put, javelin, hurdles, high jump, pole vaulting and more.

Sac State was chosen as the venue for this event, and undoubtedly many more, due to the completion of a vast resurfacing project. The Sac State track area is one of the first in the world to feature Mondo's Super X 720 surface (reformulated rubber).   

Ticket prices and events vary day by day. For more information on tickets (including VIP packages) and what events will occur each day, go to track.sacsports.com or call (916) 808-7781.

Pops in the Park

This Saturday, June 21, perennial Pops in the Park favorite, the John Skinner Band, will be rocking Bertha Henschel Park starting at 6pm. Their distinctive blend of hit songs from the 1950s--from swing to rock to Motown classics and ballads--are bound to get the audience dancing and singing along. The emcee for the evening is KCRA meteorologist Tamara Berg.

Come early for the best spot. Bring your blanket, lawn chair and picnic dinner. Or you can get delicious vittles at the event from Burr's Fountain, Formoli's Bistro and the East Sac-Midtown Kiwanis Club--with a portion of the proceeds going to fund neighborhood improvements. For more information about Pops in the Park, be sure to check out eastsacpopsinthepark.com.

Knob and Tube Wiring and Appliances

I am getting very close to helping a neighbor buy a house that I once lived in when I first moved back to California. It is a great older home in East Sac, on one of the friendliest blocks you could ever want.

The lender called me with the concern from the insurance company that the house still has knob and tube wiring. The lenders concern was that modern appliances shouldn't be run on knob and tube wiring and they wanted to know if the whole house is knob and tube.

I looked at the inspection report and the pictures of the electrical panel all opened up by the inspector. Sure enough, there is plenty of new wiring connectors in there. Looking at the pictures in the crawl space there is a mix of knob and tube as well as new wiring. When I asked my favorite home inspector what he remembered of this job from two weeks ago and if the wiring was updated for the appliances, he made a comment about the fact that most appliances weren't around when knob and tube wiring was around.

This got me thinking and I did a bit of digging on the internet. Apparently knob and tube wiring was popular from the 1880's through the 1930's and into the early 1940's.

The next search turned up that the first hand powered dishwasher was invented in 1887 but the first domestic dishwasher didn't come about until 1926 and they didn't gain main stream use until the 1950's.

The first clothes washing machine goes back to 1752 and the first electric one was advertised in 1904. Demand for the electric washing machine really started picking up in the 1940's and by the 50's they were very popular.

Electric stoves were first patented in 1892 but were just a novelty until after the 1930's since electricity prices were so high and other fuel was more affordable.

While there is some overlap of the use of knob and tube wiring and some of our main electrical appliance, the majority of American homes probably never had knob and tube wiring run to these appliances.


What did I learn from this hour long trip down the historical rabbit hole of wiring and appliance? That I'm very lucky to have been born when I was and to have always lived with these great luxuries! Sure, when I was a kid we didn't have cell phones and console games were things like Pong and Tank. Kids these days have no idea how good they have it, but then again, neither did I when I was their age (but I didn't have the internet to look up how good I had it).

Taste of East Sacramento

Right after Pops in the Park ends, it’s time to start thinking about next year. The Taste of East Sac event is just the thing to get the ball rolling. On Sunday June 29th, from 5-7pm at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park (at 34th Street) the 6th Annual Taste of East Sacramento will show off the best food, drink and entertainment the area has to offer.

Presented by the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce and Selland's Market, the event will include offerings from more than 15 area restaurants, wineries and food purveyors, including 33rd Street Bistro, Dos Coyotes and Hoppy Brewing Company. There will also be art on display and live music by The Brian Dougherty Trio.

Tickets for the event are $30 in advance. There are a limited number, and every year that have sold out quickly. They can be purchased at Selland's Market-Cafe, or call (916) 452-8011 or email eastsacchamber@aol.com. 

I went last year and had a great time. I've already bought my tickets for this year and plan on seeing a lot of my East Sac clients there!

East Sacramento Second Saturday

Why should Midtown have all the fun? On June 14, East Sac joins the Second Saturday party…with a vengeance. From 6-9pm at 57^th Street Antique Row, enjoy food, music and, of course, plenty of art and craftworks from local galleries and retailers. There will even be activities for the kids. The many participants are listed in the flyer below.