The Pocket News is a fine example of how important local newspapers are to small communities. A celebrated paper held in high esteem by its readers, the publication serves as the only newspaper for the Pocket and Greenhaven areas. The Pocket and Greenhaven communities are also home to a series of gated communities bordered by Rush River Drive, Lakefront Drive, and Pocket Road.
www.valcomnews.com Community News in Your Hands The Pocket News since 1991 Pocket resident earns honorary PGA membership 2 July 4, 2013 Sac Prep held end-of-the- year event 26 In the Pocket ............................................... 5 Local history feature ............................ 6–7 Sports .......................................................... 8 Trip to Africa ......................................... 20 Calendar .................................................... 24 PROMOTING WOMEN’S CYCLING Greenhaven Bike Shop to host free women’s maintenance clinic July 30 See page 8
Transcript
www.valcomnews.comCommunity News in Your Hands
The Pocket Newssince 1991
Pocket resident earns honorary PGA membership
2
July 4, 2013
Sac Prep held end-of-the-year event
26
In the Pocket ...............................................5
Local history feature ............................ 6–7
Greenhaven Bike Shop to host free women’s maintenance clinic July 30
See page 8
� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
The Pocket Newsw w w . v a l c o m n e w s . c o m
Pocket News is published on the first and third Thursdays of the month and delivered by mail and home delivery in the area bounded by Interstate 5 on the east and the Sacramento River on the north, west, and south.
Correction: In the caption about the Ohana dance group, it was stated that mayor Kevin Johnson
took hula classes. But actually, the photo simply showed the Ohana dance group with the mayor and his former Sacramento High School coach, the late Bob Honda.
The Northern California Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association is pleased to award its 13th Honorary Mem-bership to the Northern California Sec-tion of the PGA to sports media person-ality Frank LaRosa for his distinguished service to the NCPGA Section, its PGA Professionals, and countless non-prof-it organizations. The induction of this unique ambassador to golf took place dur-ing the NCPGA Semi-Annual Meeting on June 30 at the El Dorado Hotel Casi-no in Reno.
“When I think of those dedicated to our Section, the name that rises to the top is Frank LaRosa,” said Chris Thomas, NCP-GA Executive Director and COO. “It is an honor and a privilege to bestow upon Frank an Honorary Membership to our Section.”
LaRosa displays an exceptional abil-ity to reach and touch people through his creativity and communication exper-tise. Whether he is hosting ESPN Radio’s “Golf to Go,” writing an article for NCGA Magazine, hosting “ Tee Time: Golf in Northern California for Public Television, or producing hundreds of yearly informa-tional videos, his ability to take a piece of news and transform it into a captivating
story that the audience will connect with is his hallmark. His reach and impact for the Section have transcended all commu-nication mediums — from print, to radio and television, to the Internet.
A Man of DistinctionThis is not LaRosa’s first honor by the
Section. In 2005 and again in 2010 he
PGA Awards Honorary Membership to Pocket resident
See Golfer, page 3
�www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
was awarded the distinction of NCPGA Sports Media Person of the Year. Owner of Frank LaRosa and Associates Advertis-ing and Marketing Agency, his passion for golf is reflected in his many achievements including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the NCPGA Foundation and a Board Member of the Morton Golf Foundation.
“Frank has been a friend of the NCP-GA and the game of golf for many years. I personally have seen him give his time to the game of golf, the community, and quietly gone about his way in promoting us as individuals and the NCPGA Sec-tion,” said Bob Young, Honorary Presi-dent, NCPGA.
A Stroke of GeniusHis impact on the game extends to many
charitable organizations including The First Tee of Greater Sacramento, The George Archer Memorial Foundation for Literacy, Saving Strokes, and more.
LaRosa was instrumental in helping the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association create Saving Strokes in 2000 to offer stroke survivors an opportuni-ty to participate in golf for pleasure as well as for physical rehabilitation.
The program, which utilizes NCPGA Professionals to deliver specialized golf in-struction, was initiated in Sacramento. Thirteen years later, this small program has
grown to 22 sites in five states. It now serves more than 1,000 participants annually and engages more than 100 golf professionals and instructors.
“I am humbled by this award,” LaRosa re-vealed. “It’s gratifying to know that my ac-tions have made a difference in supporting community organizations, the Northern California PGA and its Professionals, and the game of golf.”
This is only the thirteenth time Honor-ary Membership to the NCPGA has been awarded since 1920.
About the Northern California Section of the PGA of America (NCPGA)
Organized in 1920 to promote in-terest in the game of golf, the birth of this association was heralded as an im-portant step to the advancement of the game in this district. The Northern California Section is one of the forty-one designated Sections of the PGA of America , the world ’s largest working sports organization. With over 1,100 dedicated PGA Professionals and ap-prentices at over 500 golf facilities in Northern California and Northwest-ern Nevada, the association continues to have a positive impact on the game of golf and communities both regional-ly and nationally.
Golfer: Frank has been a friend to the game for many yearsContinued from page 2
� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Flag Day at the Elks Lodge No. 6 Photos by Linda Pohl
In the United States, Flag Day is cel-ebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the Unit-ed States, which happened on that day in 1777. So, the Elks being the patri-otic organization it is, l ined the drive-way with hundreds of flags on that day. Inside they had a ceremony talk-ing about the history of the U.S. flag and its changes over time. They had some of those flags.
On Sunday, Sept. 29, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., the community is invited to share their ser-vices at this community outreach fair at the Elks Lodge, No. 6 as the goal of this event is to bring information to our community not only about the services that our Lodge has to offer but the services that are avail-able from local organizations, businesses, and healthcare providers. In addition, me-dia and local elected officials will be invited
and scheduled tours of our facility will be offered along with refreshments.
If you are interested in participating in this event and reserve a table, con-tact Jane Gallagher at (916) 422-8351 or (916) 607-8347.
There are different levels of sponsorships. The gold level is $100, the silver $75, and bronze is $50. The Elks is located at 6446 Riv-erside Blvd.
Sacramento Elks Lodge # 6 to hold second annual resource fair
�www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
By Shane Singh
Wheels of Fortune: What makes Greenhaven and Pocket great? High on the list is our walkabili-ty and bike-ability. Frankly, our bike-friendly status has been questionable in recent years, given that we couldn’t support a bike shop. All is forgiven with success of the new Greenhaven Bike Shop in the Greenhaven Plaza on Florin Road. The store fea-tures everything from ex-pensive racing bikes to fash-ionable Electras for stylish cruising. There are even adult “trikes” for those of us who have trouble balanc-ing on two wheels. Owner Jesse Scatton attributes his success to providing “profes-sional” selection, assembly, fitting and follow-up cus-tomer service. Greenhaven Bike Shop brings full-ser-vice treatment to the neigh-borhood, meaning you can drop in for tune-ups, repairs and accessories. That’s what makes a community great. ...
VIPS Dedication: Pock-et resident Wilkie Liang received the Sacramento Police Department’s 2012 “Volunteer of the Year” award for his service to the Volunteer in Police Service Program (VIPS). Wilk-ie is retired from the state Department of Justice and Air Force Reserves. His VIPS duties include man-ning DUI checkpoints, as-sisting customers at po-
lice stations, organizing charity fundraisers and helping with community patrols. Wilkie’s work has been essential the past few years. Police spokesman Officer Doug Morse not-ed that from 2008 to 2012, the police budget was re-duced by 31 percent. The cuts resulted in a 19 per-cent reduction in police of-ficers and 44 percent re-duction in civilian support staff. “ This is why volun-teers are so important. Vol-unteers help keep impor-tant community programs running. They keep offi-cers on the streets to per-form their assigned duties,” Morse said. Wilkie carries an additional responsibili-ty by raising and lowering the flag at the Public Safe-ty Headquarters on Free-port Boulevard. Wilk-ie served in Vietnam and considers his flag duty his way of saluting his com-rades. “You could say it’s a personal thing,” Wilk-ie said. “ There’s a purpose and a meaning behind rais-ing and lowering the flag. It’s because of respect and honor for the veterans. It’s remembering them for their sacrifice.” Salute to Wilkie! …
Sports afield: Pocket baseball player extraordi-naire Vinnie Carticala has been traded from the Seat-tle Mariners to the Oakland A’s. The Carticala name is synonymous with success in the Pocket, with Vinnie be-ing the son of local real es-tate legend Renee Cartica-la. Vinnie was the Mariners’
“Minor League Player of the Year” in 2011. Soon af-ter joining the A’s, the Oak-land club assigned Vinnie to its Double A farm team in Midland, Texas. We caught up with Vinnie while he was in Arkansas for a road game. Vinnie came to pro-fessional baseball after three years playing third base for the University of Hawaii – which Carticala admits was not a bad place to turn dou-ble-plays. He acknowledg-es missing Hawaiian college life, but has become accus-tomed to the demands of pro baseball, which includes get-ting traded. “The Oakland A’s were my team growing up, and also going to River Cats games was a lot of fun, so I am looking forward to playing for the A’s,” he said. Vinnie’s favorite player as a kid was former A’s third baseman Eric Chavez. Look for Vinnie to suit up for the River Cats on his way up the baseball ladder. …
Brain food: It’s well es-tablished that over sum-mer, children forget a lot of material learned during the school year. Reading is one way to keep those young minds percolating. Sign-up for summer reading at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, where young readers get a free book and adults receive a reusable book bag. Our library even has prizes to attract young readers, including an iPad Mini and $100 Target gift card. No excuse not to start that summer learning. …
Pitch perfect: Over the last few years, cuts to the City of Sacramento’s general fund budget have seriously dam-aged the park and field main-tenance in the Greenhaven and Pocket community. To
provide desperate-ly needed field im-provements, the Greenhaven Soc-cer Club has spent about $30,000 renovating the soc-cer fields at Garcia Bend and Zacha-rias Parks. Up to seven Club soccer teams will play at Garcia Bend this fall, and up to 12 local youth teams will play at Zach-arias Park. One of the Greenhaven Soccer Club’s fields coordinators, Greg Wong noted, “We want to thank our board members, parents and our partners at City Parks for this project in helping with our children’s recreational opportunities.” The renovations are all about keeping our kids safe while they play -- a true communi-ty effort. …
Clean Sweep: Speak-ing of parks, be on the alert
for a neighborhood parks clean-up campaign July 13. The event will be or-ganized by Pocket-Green-haven Parks Commis-sioner Araceli Mercado and take place at Parkway Oaks Park next to Lisbon School, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Save the date. And plan to ride your freshly tuned-up bike to the park clean-up.
In the Pocket
� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Editor’s Note: This is part 14 in a series about the history of the Sacramento River.
The Delta King, as not-ed in the previous article of this series, returned to Sac-ramento after a longtime ab-sence that included its ser-vice during World War II.
The classic river steam-er arrived in the capital city from the Stockton deep wa-ter channel, where it had sat for the past decade, and was docked at the old River Lines wharf, just south of the Tower Bridge, on July 20, 1969.
How the boat returned to Sacramento for the first time in almost three de-cades is a story of much ad-venture.
The roots of this ad-venture had been plant-ed with the removal of the twin steamers, Delta King
and Delta Queen, from their regular transportation routes between Sacramento and San Francisco in 1940.
On April 17, 1941, The Sacramento Bee announced that earlier in the day, Wil-liam P. Dwyer, president of the River Lines, had an-nounced that the U.S. Navy had renewed its contract to use the Delta King and Del-ta Queen.
The article included the following words: “Instead of gliding smoothly through the delta, the Delta King and Delta Queen will act as agents to teach naval crews the science of mine sweep-ing, mine laying and oth-er wartime operations. The King is stationed at Yer-ba Buena Island and the Queen is at Angel Island.”
The King and Queen would never return to their original service of trans-porting passengers and freight between Sacramen-to and San Francisco.
With the ownership of the Delta King caught in a legal debate, a group work-ing under the auspices of River Boat’s Coming, Inc., a Sacramento nonprofit cor-poration that was formed on Friday, July 18, 1969, ar-ranged a secret project to bring the vessel back to the capital city.
In preparation for the re-moval of the boat from Stockton, under attor-ney Geoffrey P. Wong’s le-gal counsel and assistance, a $14,000 legal note for the assumption of a wharfage lien against the boat was giv-en to J. Edward Ogden, the apparent owner of the land along the channel where the boat had been tied up since April 29, 1959. The Sacra-
mento group also acquired a letter from Ogden that re-quested that the boat be re-moved from his property.
A day after the corpora-tion was established, the Delta King was physical-ly prepared for its voyage, which would begin late that night.
Leaving the Stockton channel on that Saturday night aboard the old steam-er, which was powered by two tugboats owned by C.A. Lauritzen, Jr. of a towing business in Antioch, were Wong, Sacramento Union columnist Tom Hor-ton, stockbroker Gordon McDonald, engineer Dee Heaberlin, real estate sales-man Dan Clarke and Justus Ghormley of the California
Department of Transporta-tion.
As the Delta King was be-ing towed toward the cap-ital city, Horton, who was a longtime supporter of bringing the boat back to Sacramento, wrote an arti-cle that appeared in the July 20, 1969 edition of The Union.
The article included the following words “ABOARD THE DELTA KING – The mighty King is coming home. The last of the great California river steamers and the one-time monarch of the Sacramento Riv-er, its paddlewheel stilled and its smoke stack (sic) silenced since World War
Delta King’s history includes secret, late night escape to Sacramento
See River, page 7
Photo by Tom Myers The Delta King is transported to its current site in Old Sacramento on July 27, 1984.
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II, was towed quietly away from its berth in the Stock-ton channel Saturday night and began floating toward a new home on the Sacra-mento waterfront. An au-dacious group of Sacra-mentans, acting with all the raw nerve of river-boat gamblers, claim this is where the King belongs. When the still majestic King rounds the bend at Miller Park later today, it will climax one of the most daring river maneuvers ever seen on the historic inland waterways, and may touch off one of the big-gest riverboat battles since paddlewheelers first began carrying man and supplies from San Francisco to Sac-ramento.”
In partially explain-ing the legality of the se-cret, 90-mile riverboat mis-sion, Horton wrote: “(The corporation) didn’t exact-ly purchase the Delta King, but they didn’t exactly steal it either.”
And he added that the “ownership of the King has been more muddied than the Sacramento River.”
On July 21, 1969, The Bee ran an article, which car-ried the headline, “Delta King comes home under le-gal cloud.”
About five months lat-er, the King was relocated to the city’s O Street dock due to concerns that the boat might pull the old Riv-er Lines dock into the river during a winter storm and high water.
During its first year back on the Sacramento River, a “Save the King!” fundrais-ing effort was launched to raise money to restore and keep the Delta King in Sac-ramento.
In December 1970, the Delta King was deemed a fire hazard and barred from the public by the city coun-cil until extensive remodel-ing of the vessel was com-pleted.
On Feb. 4, 1971, the boat was moved across the river
to Yolo County, where of-ficials were a bit more le-nient. And while the vessel sat in West Sacramento, the courts supported a claim by Los Angeles business-man Gene Detgen that he was the Delta King’s right-ful owner.
With this ruling, Det-gen had the Delta King re-located to Solano County, initially to Collinsville and then later to Rio Vista.
In 1978, the Solano County sheriff arranged to sell the Delta King out of bankruptcy through an auction.
Although the auction was won by Tom Fat, the son of Sacramento restau-rant owner Frank Fat, for $35,000, he lost owner-ship of the boat to Berke-ley restaurateur M.K. Sun, who later offered $35,200 at a confirmation hearing.
Sun, who died in 1981, had the Delta King moved to the Red Rock Marina in Richmond, and later about six miles away to Rich-
mond’s inner harbor, where it was eventually submerged part way in the mud near the dock.
After 14 months in this condition, the Delta King was raised from the mud on June 24, 1982 and was taken to Todd Shipyard in Oak-land, where the hull was re-stored.
To the delight of many Sacramentans, the Delta King, which was then 70 percent owned by Coyne and Company, Inc. (Coyne family) and 30 percent by Delta King Enterprises, Inc. (Sun family), once again re-turned to Sacramento for its continued restoration on July 27, 1984.
Former Delta King Gener-al Manager Charlie Coyne, whose family became sole owners of the Delta King in July 1985, recalled acquir-ing the sternwheeler.
“We negotiated the pur-chase of the Delta King from Mr. Sun’s family,” Coyne said. “We felt that the Delta King was an in-tegral part of Califor-nia’s steamboating history, since it was the last and the
greatest of the riverboats to ply the inland waterways of California. We’ve been very pleased with the reception that the Delta King has en-joyed at its current location in Old Sacramento.”
Against many odds, the restored Delta King, which reopened in Old Sacramen-to in 1989, is once again the pride of the Sacramen-to River.
And today, like in its days of old, the Delta King pro-vides its guests with fine dining, entertainment and overnight accommodations on a nightly basis.
River: Delta King is still the pride of the riverContinued from page 6
Every cyclist needs to know how to change a flat says Pocket resident Lurline P. Hodnett who will be host-ing a free bike maintenance clinic for women at Green-haven Bike Shop on Tuesday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m.
At the clinic, learn how to change a flat tire, recog-nize tire wear, learn how to clean and lube your chain, perform a safety check, adjust your seat and pedals properly, clean your frame. This free beginner’s class is designed for all women riding road, commuter or mountain bikes. Hodnett encourages women to bring their bikes for a hands-on learning experience.
With women comprised as the largest growing segment of bicyclists in the United States, Hod-nett said she’s seen many women who are interested in riding, but are hesitant to ride alone due to their unfamiliarity with fixing a flat tire or servicing their bikes. This maintenance clinic is designed to pro-vide them with the information and skills that they will need to feel more confident in their riding.
An avid cyclist Hodnett has wanted to meet other women who are interested in getting or staying fit, and enjoy being out of doors.
She began her business, PedalDiva, three years ago as a way to express her personal passion for cycling. “My logo is designed to express a tongue-in-cheek at-titude of fun and is available on cycling jerseys, spin shirts, water bottles, cycling gloves, runner’s caps (for post-ride helmet hair) and cycling socks,” she said.
Hodnett has teamed up with Carmichael Cycles and Greenhaven Bike Shop to reach out to women in the community who would like learn more about properly maintaining their bikes. She leads a women’s group ride on Wednesday evenings from Carmichael Cycles out to the American River Parkway bike trail. She said the ride is designed to help women feel comfortable riding in a group and improve their riding skills. It has allowed the women to make new friends who also enjoy riding and it has built a wonderful sense of camaraderie.
“It has been so popular that I now have two groups - Group A rides 25 miles at a pace of 17 mph, and Group B is riding 20 miles at 11-13 mph. Jesse Scatton, the owner of Greenhaven Bike Shop and East Sac Bikes has expressed an interest in having me organize a similar group in the Greenhaven/Pocket area,” Hodnett said.
Hodnett said most of the women cyclists she has met have done it for fitness and health. “We want
to facilitate women’s desire to ride … and Jesse is catching on.”
There are a large number of women who will ride alone and she wants to instill the same confidence she has in other riders.
Hodnett said the improvements in technology of how bikes are made has helped make it easy to get into riding. “I am small and I like the fact my bike weighs 14 pounds. Some of the changes that have come about include lighter frames,” she said.
The July 30 clinic will be her fifth clinic of the season and the response and demand continues to grow. This clinic will be lead by Adamen Hannaford of Greenhaven Bike Shop. Adamen has more than 15 year’s experience as a bi-cycle mechanic and is familiar with all types of bikes - road, hybrid, mountain and commuter. There is space for 15 participants and interested parties must RSVP to [email protected] to reserve a place.
Getting women into cycling
Greenhaven Bike Shop to host free women’s maintenance clinic July 30
Photo by Richard Masoner
�www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Wanted! Korean War Vets (1950-1953)Help us locate and honor men and women who served the key years in the Army, Navy, Air
Force or Marines. The 60th Anniversary Tribute of the 1953 Peace Treat takes place Thursday, July 25 at Raley Field at 6:30 p.m. before the Sacramento-Colorado Springs PCL game.
Contact Lou Coppola (Sgt.) US Army at 444-6138. Send photos of the vets in Korea or a current picture. In 2003, the Sacramento River Cats honored 18 vets at the 50th Anniversary Tribute. Seats for friends and family members are available for $16 (Section 117, Rows 21-23) down third base near the River Cats dugout.
Officials Join Efforts to Prevent Drowning Deaths in SacramentoDetails of expanded life jacket loaner program announced at press conference
With daytime temperatures already reach-ing above 100 degrees, Sacramento’s rivers, lakes and streams are popular destinations for people to cool off and relax. While the water looks inviting, unfortunately it is very danger-ous in some places with strong currents below the surface and extremely cold water.
Kids Don’t Float, a life jacket loaner pro-gram operated by the American River Park-way Foundation, currently provides life vests at seven access points along the American Riv-er Parkway. Despite this, there are still far too many adults and children who go into the wa-ter without a proper flotation device.
Following the tragic but preventable drown-ing death of a teenage boy last weekend in Sac-
ramento, County Supervisor Phil Serna called on colleagues and the community to help ad-dress this problem by expanding the life jack-et loaner program.
Besides the two boards in Discovery Park, the one at Watt, one at Howe, one at Ancil Hoffman, one at River Bend and one at Sun-rise, there are now boards of jackets at Glenn Hall, and Sand Cove on the Sacramento River.
Jeff Leatherman, director of regional parks for Sacramento County, said the loaner pro-gram is meant to be backups in addition to brining one’s own life jacket. “We encourage the parents to bring their own with them. We don’t have enough for everybody on busy days,” he said.
10 The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Primrose held its fifth annual senior resource fair at St. Anthony’s Parish, located at 660 Flo-rin Rd. on Saturday, June 29. Agencies and nonprofit organizations offered free blood pressure checks, glucose checks, hearing tests, foot exams, memory testing, bone density testing, massage therapy sessions, legal advice and more. Guest speakers included: Betty Vosters-Kemp of Ava-lon Hearing Aid Centers, Inc. on the relationship between Alzheimer’s and hearing loss; Janice Wong and Anthony Chee of New York Life Insurance on planning for long term care and Aron Womack of American Medical Response on Hands Only CPR.
11www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
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MONA GERGEN 247-9555
A SLICE OF HISTORYThe Didion House in Poverty Ridge! 4 bedrooms 2 full baths and 2 half baths with 3rd floor media room that features state-of-the art equipment. Turn of the century woodwork and detailing; new kitchen and full basement. Beautifully updated while reserving the homes original quality and style! $1,650,000
SHEILA VAN NOY 505-5395
SOUTH LAND PARK TERRACEWonderful 3 bedroom 2½ bath home; beautifully updated kitchen with marble counters, glass and subway tile back splash and a butch-er block prep area. Pool-sized yard with children’s playhouse. Newer exterior paint. Tankless water heater, recessed lighting, updated laundry room The list goes on!! Great location too! $525,000
KAREN SANDSTROM 803-0530
SLP CROWD PLEASERSomething here for everyone! 3 or 4 bedrooms 2 baths, on nearly a quarter acre of park like grounds. An overabundance of storage space and a family room that could do double duty as a master suite plus an office and dark room. Also a detached Summer House. $449,000
CHRIS BRIGGS 834-6483
CLASSIC SOUTH LAND PARKWonderfully spacious 4 bedroom home with two master suites and 3 baths! Lovingly maintained, open floor plan (great for entertaining), tasteful landscaping front and back, dual pane windows, central heat and air, breakfast nook; and finished garage has insulated garage door! Convenient to shopping and downtown! $324,900
PAULA LOPEZ 719-9210
SLP INVESTOR SPECIALComfy 2 bedroom home conveniently located near transportation and park is ready for you! Extensive remodel completed in 2012. Everything is new from the ground up! New kitchen and bath, granite and stainless steel, large yard, beautiful flooring throughout. Please call agent for details! $125,000
JAMIE RICH 612-4000
CUSTOM HOME IN HOODBeautiful custom built with pride and attention to detail! High ceilings, arches, 8’ doors, Brazilian Cherry wood flooring, this unique home oozes quality! Amenities include porcelain tile floor, stainless steel appliances, granite counters, pantry, breakfast nook, dual paned windows, maintenance free yards..and much more! $390,000
BETH SHERMAN 800-4343
SPACIOUS POCKET HALFPLEXRoomy 2200 square feet of space in this 3 bedroom 2½ bath two story home that also features living room fireplace, family room, connected dining space, skylight and a bonus room! The kitchen has been updated; the backyard is fenced and there is also a 2-car attached garage! Conveniently located near shopping and Didion school district. $309,000
MONA GERGEN 247-9555
HOLLYWOOD PARKOpportunity knocking! This home has been lovingly maintained. Step inside to enjoy the gleaming hardwood floors and inviting living room. 3 bedrooms offer nice closet space and good natural light. Entertain friends in the large, open kitchen or in nice yard. $150,000
KELLIE SWAYNE 206-1458
PENDING
PENDINGPENDINGPENDING
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Walk with a Doc held at Garcia BendPhoto by eveTTe TSang
Assemblymember Dr. Richard Pan led health enthusiasts on a walk through Garcia Bend Park and up to the levee on the morning of Saturday, June 22. The event was called Walk with a Doc and it encouraged healthy physical activity in people of all ages. More than half of all California adults age 18 and over are either overweight or obese, which can contribute to a num-ber of chronic diseases. Research shows one of the most effec-tive ways to address obesity is through exercise and physical ac-tivity and that walking for as little as 30 minutes a day can have significant benefits.
1�www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
The Merryhill Preschool on Pocket Road will relocate to 7335 Park City Drive later this summer – Upgrades to be made to classroom equip-ment and playgrounds
Merryhill Schools is set to acquire the Phoenix Pre-school at 7335 Park City Dr. Merryhill has had a presence in the Pocket area for more than 25 years, and is now in-vesting in this new location to expand and upgrade its fa-cilities for the future. Later this summer, Merryhill Pre-school on Pocket Road will move to the current Phoenix Preschool campus and make improvements to classrooms, playgrounds and shade struc-tures. Phoenix Preschool will take on the Merryhill School name and the two communi-ties of learning will come to-gether to form a new, perma-nent and modern preschool. The school will serve chil-dren ages six weeks to pre-kindergarten.
“Merryhill School is known for providing a safe and nur-turing environment, as well as for our strong early-age curriculum called Links to Learning,” said Stacey Roth, executive director of for Mer-ryhill Preschools. “We look forward to welcoming the Phoenix Preschool families and staff to our community and we are also excited to of-fer a larger, more modern fa-cility to our current Pocket parents.”
Merryhill School has been successfully educating chil-dren in the Sacramento area since 1949 and operates 13 preschools and five elemen-tary schools in the area. En-rollment is currently un-derway for the 2013-2014 school year. To schedule an appointment or learn more, call the admission office at 877-430-4333 or visit www.pocket.merryhillschool.com <http://www.pocket.merry-hillschool.com> .
Merryhill Schools to acquire Phoenix Preschool on Park City Drive
The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito &Vector Control District announced that more evi-dence of West Nile virus activity has been detected in widespread areas throughout Sacramento and Yolo counties as 24 mos-quito samples and three bird tested positive for the disease today.
“The extremely hot temperatures of the last few days have rapidly accelerated the produc-tion of mosquitoes and West Nile virus is on the rise putting the public at a higher risk” said David Brown, District Manager. The increased West Nile virus activity comes at a time when many will be enjoying the out-door activities this holiday weekend and the District reminds the public to take protec-tive measures against mosquitoes.
“Many will be participating in family barbecues and watching fireworks around dusk, a time when mosquitoes are most ac-tive. We urge you to wear an effective repel-lent to prevent mosquito bites. All it takes
is one bite from an infected mosquito to get the disease,” said Brown.
The Center for Disease Control recom-mends using an insect repellent that con-tains the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or the plant based Oil of Lemon Eu-calyptus. Always follow label directions when applying repellent. Along with an increase in West Nile virus activity, two new invasive and disease-carrying mosquitoes are now posing health threats to California residents. These are the Yellow fever mosquito (aedes aegypti ) and the Asian Tiger mosquito (aedes albopictus).
While these mosquitoes have not yet been found in the District area, both mos-quitoes are capable of transmitting dengue fever (known as breakbone fever), yellow fever and chikungunya. In response to the recent WNV findings, the District has in-creased its surveillance and started ground fogging around areas where positive mos-quitoes and birds have been found.
West Nile Virus Activity Increases Throughout Sacramento
1� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
1�www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
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6 REyES COURT • $1,195,000SUSIE K. PARKER • 768-8494
1012 EILEEN WAy • $419,950PAmELA LIgHTFORD LygREN • 806-1020
1029 RIO CIDADE WAy4 bedrooms, 2.5 full bathrooms, and approximately 3060 square feet. $470,000 SUSIE K. PARKER • 421-3546
18 IRON RIvER COURTWonderful single story home on a cul-de-sac. Huge master bedroom, could have been 4th bedroom owners chose to make it a large master. Harwood floors thruout most of the home, seperate liv/fam rm. $339.000SUSIE K. PARKER • 421-3546
2 PARKLITE CIRCLELovely classic home in the heart of Greenhaven. Just down the street from a greenbelt. Lush mature land-scape gives this home great curb ap-peal. Spacious open floor plan with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths make this home very appealing. KEIKO WONg • 718-7400
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766 STILL bREEzE WAyexquisite custom home built by builder for his own personal home. two fireplaces, large granite slab island mixed with easy care corian kitchen. $1,075,000SUSIE K. PARKER 421-3546
2373 CORK CIRCLEBeautiful home in the charming neighborhood of Fuller town by ex-ecutive Airport. 4 spacious bdrms, 2.5 baths, family & living rooms w/double sided frplc. $259,000.KATHERINE HOWES 548-3632
1029 RIO CIDADE WAy4 bedrooms, 2.5 full bathrooms, and approximately 3060 square feet. $470,000 SUSIE K. PARKER • 421-3546
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1� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Notes From The Eagles Nest:
Two Troop 259 Eagle Scouts add their names to the Eagles NestBy BiLL KiRK
On Sunday, June 23, 2013 two new Eagle Scouts, Dylan Chris-topher Jon Kirk and Mark Alexander Thompson, were honored at an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at Elks Lodge #6 on River-side Boulevard. They were joined by the family, friends and fellow Scouts of Troop 259 in Greenhaven to celebrate the achievement of Boy Scouting’s highest rank—the rank of Eagle Scout. The Master of Ceremonies at the event was Scoutmaster Ike Krieg. Pastor Jeff Chapman of Faith Presbyterian Church delivered the Invocation and Benediction.
Both Kirk and Thompson joined Cub Scouts in September 2001 and came up through the ranks, earning the Arrow of Light Award before crossing over into Troop 259 in March of 2006. Those 11 years in Scouting culminated in earning the Eagle Scout rank in the fall of 2012. As Krieg noted in his opening remarks, “In Boy Scouting, each boy blazes his own trail, expressed in the form of the Scouting skills he learns, the leadership positions he takes on and the Merit Badges he earns along the way.”
To earn his Eagle, every Scout must meet several intermediate rank advancement requirements, earn 21 Merit Badges and live by the Scout Oath and Law. In addition, an Eagle Scout Candi-date must complete an Eagle Scout Service Project. Its purpose is to give the Scout an opportunity to learn and demonstrate proj-ect management and leadership while making a contribution to the community.
Like the Eagles who preceded them, Thompson and Kirk each identified a need, overcame challenges and completed a beneficial project that clearly left its mark. Kirk’s project was a landscap-ing and paver patio project at the Sisters’ Animal Sanctuary in Elk Grove to support the organization’s goal of feline care and adoptions. Thompson designed a salmon life-cycle diorama at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery to educate visitors about protecting the salmon’s aquatic home and preserving the species for the future.
As the Troop’s two newest Eagle Scouts, Kirk and Thompson are in rare company nationally. “Since Boy Scouting was started in the U.S. in 1910, only about 2.2 percent of all Scouts have earned the Eagle Scout rank,” Krieg noted. According to the Boy Scouts of America website, out of all registered Boy Scouts in 2012, the number of Scouts earning the Eagle Scout rank was 57,976.
Closer to home, the number of Eagle Scouts awarded by Troop 259 is now 163 since the Troop was originally chartered on Au-gust 25, 1966. Speaking on behalf of Elks Lodge #6, Past Exalted Ruler Ron Brusato offered his personal congratulations. “If any-one wonders about our youth and the future of our community and our country, they need look no further than Troop 259 and the Boy Scouting program to be assured we will be in good hands,” Brusato said.
The highlight of the Court of Honor was the presentation of a special resolution from the County Board of Supervisors to each Eagle Scout. The presentations were made by Mamie Yee, Chief of Staff to Supervisor Jimmie Yee. “The resolutions acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of these young men during their 11 years in the Scouting program,” said Yee.
In their personal remarks, both Scouts talked about the valuable foundation Scouting provides. Kirk noted that his journey to Ea-gle taught him to “stick with it and never give up on your goals.” He also recalled experiencing the beauty of nature through Scouting, “such as awesome high-elevation backpacking trip in Yosemite Na-tional Park.” For his part Thompson commented on the core val-ues he learned through Scouting. And speaking specifically to the younger Scouts he reminded them of the importance of learning. “Remember to keep learning everything you can in Scouts and in school, about science, math, history and all the rest,” he said.
1�www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Two dogs were found miss-ing toward the end of June in the Pocket area.
A handsome little corgi was found on without a col-lar and at this time it is un-sure if he is chipped. If he looks familiar, please contact Brett at [email protected].
Mia, a timid Chihuahua Dachshund Mix has been missing since June 28 near Greenhaven Drive and Pocket Road. Mia has a light brown and blonde coat and has light brown and yellow eyes.
Missing dogs:
1� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
A special gathering occurred at the home of the Capital City Motorcycle Club last Saturday, June 22, as many of its members and their close friends and family members, as well as mem-bers of motorcycle clubs from other cities, celebrated the 100th anniversa-ry of the local club’s founding.
In being a publication that cel-ebrates local history, and act-ing upon an invitation it received from this Sacramento club about eight months ago to attend the pri-
vate event, Valley Community News stopped by the clubhouse to ob-serve the day’s festivities.
Upon the arrival of this publication, it was quickly noted that the event un-derwent significant planning in connec-tion with the city, as a portion of 13th Street had been closed to through traf-fic between Broadway and X Street.
A crowd of more than 100 people had assembled in and around the or-ganization’s old clubhouse, which is lo-cated at 2414 13th St. on the west side of the street, opposite the parking lot of the Asian Food Center and Iron Steaks, which catered food for the event.
And of course, the glare of chrome from the many motorbikes parked along the street and in the aforementioned parking lot was a dominant scene.
During the event, attendees sat and mingled with one another while din-ing on barbecued ribs, chicken and side dishes and listening to classic songs performed by the band, The Baja Boyz.
Considering the history celebrat-ing theme of the gathering, it was certainly no challenge to locate peo-ple who were interested in sharing their own personal memories re-garding the club.
Celebrating his own anniversary with CCMC, C.J. Smith recalled join-ing the club 30 years ago.
“I joined (CCMC) in 1983,” said Smith, who rides a Yamaha Road Star. “I used to drive for Greyhound and there was another guy (Mick Meyers) who drove for Greyhound and he told me about the club and he brought me in. I was drawn in by motorcycle riding and the camaraderie of the members.”
Another CCMC member Barbara Sutton said that a short time after she purchased her first bike in November 2006, Troy Rowsey, owner of a local
Capital City Motorcycle Club celebrates 100th anniversary
See Motorcycle Club, page 19
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motorcycle shop, recommended that she consider joining CCMC.
“I called the treasurer (of the club) and I came (to a meeting) by myself, and the rest is history,” said Sutton, whose current bike is a 2012 Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback.
In commenting about the club’s cen-tennial, Ralph Venturino, the club’s unofficial historian, said, “Certainly for the club members, what I heard is that they feel that it is special to be a part of something that has some history, both related to Sacramento and also related to the sport of motorcycling, in gener-al. Most of the folks here have been rid-ing for quite some time and it’s really a good group of people. We’re proud of our history and heritage.”
George Keenelarsen, the club’s pres-ident, and many other members of the club speak about how this histo-ry and heritage began through a bi-cycle club known as the Capital City Wheelmen.
The June 25, 1886 establishment of the wheelmen club was recognized three days later in the Sacramento Re-cord-Union, as follows: “An organiza-tion to be known as the Capital City Wheelmen has been effected in this city, with the following officers: H. Bennett, president; William Lamp-ort, captain; John Brenner, first lieu-tenant; L.H. Cook, second lieutenant; C.H. Oatman, secretary and treasur-er; L. Ball Hughes, bugler.”
T. Ten-Bosch served as the first president of the Capital City Wheel-men, who originally met in a building at 5th and J streets.
The Capital City Wheelmen’s appli-cation for its name change to the Cap-ital City Motorcycle Club was signed in open court by Superior Court Judge Charles N. Post on June 23, 1913.
One of CCMC’s first large events was held at the State Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 5, 1913, as motorcyclists tested their speed in various races.
Among the scheduled participators of the event, which also included a novelty sidecar race, was the club’s top rider Captain Chester A. Scott, and professional riders, including Dudley Perkins and Freddie Walker.
Due to a strong north wind that blew dust along the track, the profes-sional race was cancelled, as the pro-fessional racers refused to compete for a $50 purse.
The greatest crowd pleaser of the meet was Ernie Fabian, a 14-year-old rider who won two events.
Another popular event of the club during its early years was its endur-ance runs.
Among those participating in the club’s endurance run on Nov. 9, 1913 were club members, Scott, William
Hateley, Romauld Mello, “Dutch” Fa-bian, George McCormack, Charles C. White, D. Wickham, Leo McCarthy, William A. Langley and Harry Ten-Bosch.
The route began in Sacramento and continued to Jackson, then to Auburn before ending in Sacramento.
The top finishers in the event were Will Trapper, McCormack, and Lang-ley, who owned a store at 1025 10th St. that sold bicycles and motorcycles.
Participants of the race experienced many adventures from difficult ter-rain and accidents to broken machin-ery and displays of sportsmanship.
Scott was expected to perform well in the race, but the frame of his Harley-Davidson bike broke in Placerville.
In another instance, Langley pulled Fabian out of a ditch.
Certainly among the most adven-turous parts of the event occurred when certain animals were encoun-tered along the route.
Hanley ran over a pig and killed it, McCarthy ran into a dog, Mello killed a sheep and Trapper killed a rooster.
On Jan. 6, 1914, the club elected Frank M. Woodson, president; Fred A. Pearl, vice president (and eventual multiple term CCMC president and CCW president in 1908 and 1912), Marcellus F. Trebilcox, secretary; George McCormack, treasurer; Frank J. Murray, historian; and Ben Bolt, Harry Ten-Bosch, Charles White and Clemont Brokaw, directors.
During the same meeting, the club discussed its endurance run to Fres-no.
Under the latter named officials, the club worked with the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce to establish the “Safety First” campaign to better traffic conditions through such things as improved road signage and better numbering on the business streets.
Another one of the club’s endur-ance races occurred in July 1922, when Finnegan Speer of San Francisco won a race from Sacramento to Reno. Fin-ishing in second place was George L. Faulders, who resided at 2609 ½ D St.
The early popularity of the club is evident through a decision in the fall of 1926 to limit the number of its members to 60.
The officers of the club at that time were Edward F. Hannon, president; Ed Frichette, Jr., vice president; Ernest O. Fulgham, treasurer; Al Wallenber-burg, secretary; and H. P. Van Dyke, road captain.
The club disbanded in about 1925, and was reactivated in 1937 with Tre-bilcox as president.
In the same year, local female rid-ers, who were not yet allowed to join the club, founded the Sacramento Cy-clettes.
Although the majority of the names of the earliest members of the club are not “household names” at the club, one name of a club member of the past that is well known by pres-ent members of the club is Arman-do Magri.
Fortunately, Ken Magri was pres-ent at the anniversary event to share details about his father, Armando.
“My father joined the club in the mid-1930s,” Ken said. “He used to come down from Chico for the Fri-day night speedway races at Hughes Stadium. He fell in love with Sac-ramento and moved here in 1936. Shortly after that time, he joined the CCMC and went to work at Frank J. Murray’s Harley-Davidson dealer-ship (at 815 12th St.). ‘If it involves motorcycles, I’m all for it,’ my father used to say.”
Frank was already well established with his motorcycle business when Armando moved to the capital city.
The shop was opened in 1920 as a Harley-Davison agency that carried a wide variety of motorcycle and bi-cycle parts, and also serviced bicycles and motorcycles.
The shop was originally located at 508 J St., and was relocated to 815 12th St. in 1933.
Armando became the shop’s new owner in 1950 and operated the busi-ness on 12th Street until 1973, when it was relocated to 1000 Arden Way.
Although Frank and Armando are deceased, lifetime CCMC member Merrill Wolhart, who joined the club in 1951, explained that he maintains a direct connection to these old Har-ley-Davidson shops.
“I worked for Magri for 33 years,” Wolhart said. “I started as a mechanic and then I went into parts and sales, and when they built the new store, I went back in to shop for them.”
Frank’s connection to the current 13th Street clubhouse is quite signif-icant.
In 1940, CCMC had the clubhouse constructed with the assistance of $4,000 that the club borrowed from Frank’s sister-in-law, Irene Kamin-sky.
To reimburse Kaminsky, the club held various events, including endur-ance runs, road runs, field meets and motorcycle polo.
But the club’s largest fundraisers were short distance motorcycle races, one of which was a half-mile race in Dixon in 1946 that allowed the club to pay $500 of its clubhouse debt.
Just prior to that era, the club par-ticipated in Delta King and Queen runs, which involved members travel-ing aboard these river steamers with their bikes to and from San Francis-co and spending a day in the City by the Bay.
In the late 1940s, the Land Park area furthered its connection to mo-torcycles with the opening of the mo-torcycle businesses, Zollner-Durkee Servicycle Co. at 2324 Broadway and Joseph Sarkees’ motorcycle dealer-ship at 2515 Broadway. Sarkee had previously worked as a wartime me-chanic at McClellan Field.
Unlike outlaw bikers depicted in various films, the club’s members were considered relatively low key in their demeanor. Their favorite Land Park area hangout was Hoyt’s Doughnut Shop, which was located at 1800 Broadway.
With Frank and Armando’s long-time connection to the club, the club existed for many years as mainly a Harley-Davidson club.
Today, club members are not loyal to any particular brand of motorcy-cle, and they take pride in the club’s inclusion of female members.
And with about 60 members and a strong commitment to continuing to add to its history and heritage, the Capital City Motorcycle Club appears firmly dedicated to riding toward its next 100 years.
Photo by Lance ArmstrongMembers of the Capital City Motorcycle Club gather in front of their historic clubhouse. The club’s first meeting in this Sacramento structure was held on May 22, 1940.
Motorcycle Club: Organization looks at the next 100 yearsContinued from page 18
�0 The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
By JiM COOMBS
In 1997 after our son had graduated from college, Marilyn and I decided we wanted to see the world. Since that time we have traveled in over 60 countries and in every continent but Antarctica.
We got our start when we took seven small-group trips to Europe with ex-McClatchy and Kennedy teach-er Byron Clemons. We branched out with kayaking in Papua New Guinea and scuba diving in Bonaire, St Lu-cia, and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
The last few years have seen us in China, Tibet, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and this spring, we took a 14-day safari to southern Af-rica (Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) and Cape Town, South Africa.
WHAT A TRIP!! We saw over 130 different types of birds and water-fowl and over 60 species of animals. The 14 days were like a National Geo-graphic video.
Our safari adventure, which included 15 people from all over the US, would take place in the Kalaha-ri Desert area. Water is crucial for survival of the an-imals and a number of rivers meander from the jun-gles of Angola through the grasslands, forests, and marshy areas of the Kalahari.
We met our group leader Taitus Munkuli, an en-thusiastic, organized, and friendly young man from Zimbabwe, at Victoria Falls and off we flew to Chobe National Park in Botswana. Along with a great vari-ety of animal watching, the area is known for its huge elephant population, over 120,000.
Up before 6:00 each day, morning safari drive from 7:00 until 12:30, back to camp for lunch, and two plus hours to rest in our luxurious camp tents, an afternoon talk about history, culture, and African lore, an early evening safari drive with a “sundowner” and 14 glori-ous sunsets, back for a great dinner, and an early bed-time under a sky full of stars. A very busy day.
In Botswana “the woman of traditional build” is preferred and people will often say, “You are looking good, you have gained weight.” When young peo-ple become interested in each other, the young man will send an older brother or uncle to visit the girl’s “aunty” to propose marriage.
The two families then get together and the bride’s dowry is agreed upon, usually about 12 cows. The cows are then divided up among the girl’s immediate relatives, brothers, aunts, and uncles.
Taitus’ brother had died from AIDS, so he is tak-ing care of the family, making certain the children had tuition for school, uniforms, and food when needed. When the two girls get married, he will get some cows for his generosity. Family is extremely impor-tant in Africa, and what Taitus is doing for his broth-er’s family is commonplace.
We had two great guides in Chobe, Matts and S. P., who created their own roads to spot animals. We saw hippo, giraffe, elephants, waterbucks, impala, red lechwe, cape buffalo, whistler ducks, ibis, and roller birds, our favorite. The Chobe and Zambezi rivers merge to create lush grasses, tasty trees, and lots of bugs and small aquatic animals to eat.
One night I asked S. P. if he was married yet. He said no, but intimated that he had found the girl he wanted to marry. When I asked him why he was not married, he said he didn’t have enough cows yet. Tra-
ditions are still being maintained but changing quickly as more people, particularly girls, are being educated.
Leaving Chobe with sadness early in the morning on the main two-lane highway to the airport, we saw a giraffe, a family of lions with two cubs, hyenas, wild dogs, and a warthog.
After flying from Chobe to the Okavango Delta, the largest fresh water inland delta in the world, we arrived before the flood season started but still had plenty of water. In the first five hours as we drove to camp, we spotted two young male lions happily sleeping in the shade. They were obviously full from the night’s hunt, looked at us with disdain about 20 feet away, and went back to sleep.
The one-lane roads were very sandy and difficult for our two guides Mr. T (he told us T stood for terrific) and Chaps to drive on. One of our safari activities used a “mokoro, “ a dug out canoe that is poled along by our guide and was a good way to see hippo, birds and frogs.
On our second night, hippos came to eat right out-side our tent. It sounded like 50 but was probably only about 6-8. The hippo serenade lasted all night and they were gone, back in the water when the sun came up. They need to be in the water during the day because they sunburn easily, and the water helps to take the weight off their joints.
On our last night we spent our “sundowner” drink-ing wine at a watering hole, watching the hippos be-gin to emerge from their daily bath. Words cannot paint the serenity, beauty, and nature’s perfection of this evening.
Off to Kafue National Park in Zambia where the Kafue and Lufupa rivers merge. To get there we drove, flew on a small plane, drove, crossed the Zam-bezi by boat, drove again, flew into a grass runway, and drove to our camp. A logistical nightmare for Taitus, but all of the drivers/pilots were there when needed, and we got to camp around 4:00 in time for our early evening “sundowner.”
I will always remember guides Robert and Maisol, camp manager Sophie, and her assistant Helen, who delighted us with information and tales of the Kaf-ue basin.
We discussed witchcraft which is still prevalent, polygamy which is beginning to die out as younger generations become more educated, and the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the African culture.
In many villages, the leaders would take as many as five wives, adding a new one every 5-8 years. Sometimes the youngest wife would be the age of the oldest son. Often a younger wife would become bored being with her husband only one week a month, and take a village lover. She would bring AIDS back to the marriage and all six would end up dying, leaving many orphans.
Today, the African custom of never using condoms, has changed and they are available everywhere. As early as elementary school, students learn about us-ing condoms for safe sex.
One of the true highlights of the trip came on one of our late afternoon drives. We spotted two cheetah
Ultimate Africa: This trip was like a National Geographic video
Photos by Jim Coombs and friendsOur readers travel, too! Pocket resident and retired C.K. McClatchy teacher Jim Coombs and wife Marilyn traveled to Africa where they learned a lot about the culture and wildlife.
See Africa, page 21
�1www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
resting in three-foot tall savannah grass right next to the airport runway. For about 30 minutes we sur-rounded them and forced them to move, so we could get pictures as they were totally hidden in the tall grass. One cheetah made a call to its companion that sounded just like that of a house cat.
Later, while coming home in the dark, a huge hip-po as wide as the dirt road blocked our way about a quarter mile from camp. After slowly following him for about three minutes he gave us a dirty look and headed into the bush.
A minute later, we turned left toward camp and there was a leopard on the road heading right into our camp. Our driver called ahead warning the staff to get into the kitchen and lock up. The leopard then turned away from our camp and headed toward the staff camp.
We followed him for about five minutes as he saun-tered into the staff camp. Suddenly, a young hippo popped out of the river on the right, took one look at the leopard, and charged. The leopard wanted no part of the hippo and took off into the bush. A Na-tional Geographic moment!
Another highlight for me was catching a five-pound catfish in the Lufupa River one morning. It was probably the biggest fish I ever caught. The food here was exceptionally good with Santos the cook providing great omelets every lunch. Throughout the trip the food was outstanding and each tent was comfortable and spacious.
Our last afternoon, a mother warthog and her baby dropped in to say hello at our tent. Even though they were only three feet away, they were oblivious to us. My camera was at the lodge being charged, so no Kodak moment. Warthogs get down on their front knees to eat short grass and crawl short distanc-es that way while eating.
Another plane flight to Victoria Falls, crossing bor-ders from Zambia to Zimbabwe, and another flight to our last camp in Hwange National Park. Here we would meet new staff friends Sibs, Lawrence of Zim-babwe, and Elizabeth. We were definitely in the savan-nah grasslands with lots of zebras, cape buffalo, wilde-beest, giraffe, impala, kudu, baboons, and ostrich.
The impala was my favorite animal. You spot a heard of between 20 to 60 females and one male. He spends 24 hours a day herding the females together and keeping his harem safe. About 300 yards away awaits the bachelor herd of 20-30 males.
At night the bachelors surround the female herd forcing the male to race back and forth to drive the bachelors off as they try to mate with his harem. Af-ter about two weeks of this, the male becomes so psy-chologically and physically tired, he is driven off by one of the alpha-male bachelors who now assumes conrol of the herd for his two to three week stint.
The third part of the impala group is the lone male who has staked out some good grass area and silent-ly waits for some females to come along. Sibs told us that he will wait up to two weeks before giving up and becoming part of the bachelor herd.
Elephants are also a different group. We would see herds of 10-12 adult females and younger ones from babies up to five years old. There is one older matri-arch who leads the herd and can remember where to find grass and water from previous years when there was draught. The females are very protective when they have babies with them.
The males run in smaller groups and you find them fairly close to the females when it is mating season. One day we saw a group of elephants and one in par-ticular had a very swollen leg and could hardly walk.
We asked about what could be done, and our guide said “Nothing.” The elephant would die soon as part of nature’s plan and would become food for lions, hy-enas, and vultures. We saw lots of elephant and oth-er animal bones on our safari drives.
While in Hwange, we visited Ngamo Primary School with about 270 students, a third being or-phans as a result of AIDS. Many walk up to four miles a day one-way to get to school. The students were on holiday, but the blackboards were full of les-sons that included math, English, the native language, science, history, and morals/values from the Bible.
Students must pay $10 per semester with a month off between each semester. The teachers live in small huts right on campus, and I saw an ugly outhouse that said “teachers” about 50 yards from the nearest hut. The school did get a well last year to provide fresh drinking water for students and for their gar-den that provides fresh vegetables for lunches.
The head teacher, Moyo Mthenjwa, a local who re-turned to teach, said that on days that hot lunches are served, they have almost 100% attendance.
The highlight of the entire trip was our last night in Hwange when we went out for our “sundowner.” We drove to a spot where lions had killed a giraffe about three days earlier about 25 yards off the road in an open area.
Three female lions and their eight cubs were eat-ing and climbing on the giraffe as we watched intent-ly. The male slept nearby. The cubs played happi-ly, chasing each other, biting tails, and poking around
on the giraffe. One of the females had been injured, probably during the kill, and was limping.
Watching nature’s beauty on the final night, made me realize how truly amazing nature is. All of the plants, birds, and animals have their place in Africa’s perfection.
It is only when man comes along and almost exter-minates the rhino for its horn that supposedly has the effects of Viagra that nature is thrown out of bal-ance. I can truly see why Dr. Robert Livingstone and Sir Cecil Rhodes were so drawn to this incredible continent and all of its beauty.
For more information about this trip contact Jim Coombs: [email protected]
Africa: Watching nature’s beauty on this trip showed how amazing nature isContinued from page 20
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�� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
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Send your event announcement for consider-ation to: [email protected] at least two weeks prior to publication.
July
Bi-Polar AnonymousJuly 5: Free 12-step program/support group, for people who have Bi-Polar and those who love them. Meets every Friday, 7-8:30 p.m. 4300 Auburn Blvd., Room 106. (916) 889-5786.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Fire Station 11 Open HouseJuly 6: The Sacramento Fire Department will be hosting Fire Station Open House from 2 to 4 p.m., located at 785 Florin Rd. You are invited to bring your family and friends to visit with firefighters, take a tour of the fire station, and more! For more in-formation, call 808-1011.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
International Celebration at Fairytale TownJuly 6: From 11 a.m. - 3 p.m, Fairytale Town presents a day of internation-al dance and fun on the outdoor Moth-er Goose Stage. Enjoy performances from regional groups performing danc-es from around the world. Free with paid park admission. Weekend admission is $5 for adults and children ages 2 and old-er and free for children ages 1 and under. www.fairytaletown.org, 808-7462. Fai-rytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Dr., 95822––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music in Carmichael ParkJuly 7: Metro Swing, swing music, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carmichael Park Band Shell 5750 Grant Ave. 485-5322. www.car-michaelpark.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Merryhill School on Pocket Road to Offer Mommy & Me Classes for the Community July 8-aug. 26: Free Mommy and Me class-es are being offered to the Sacramento com-munity this summer at the Merryhill School located at 7450 Pocket Road from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The classes are being held each
Monday and will help introduce mothers and children to basic learning skills needed to build a strong academic foundation. Each hour-long class will be guided by a Merry-hill instructor and will focus on one of the following areas of learning including math-ematics, wellness, art, Spanish and the com-munity. These areas of learning are also taught at Merryhill as part of the preschool’s Links to Learning <http://nobellearning.com/Links_to_Learning_Curriculum_Guide.pdf> curriculum. Classes will be limited to the first 10 registrants and will be available to children age’s three through five. Please call (916) 424-2299 to register. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Rotary Clubs of Arden-Arcade, CarmichaelJuly 9: Guest speakers address local, region-al and international topics. Visitors wel-come, every Tuesday. Arden-Arcade meets at noon, Jackson Catering and Events, 1120 Fulton Ave. (916) 925-2787. Carmichael meets at 6 p.m., Palm Street Pub & Grill, 6416 Fair Oaks Blvd. www.rotary.org. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Soroptimist International of Sacramento North meetingJuly 9: An organization for the betterment of women and children meets at the atria El Camino Gardens at 2426 Garfield, Carmi-chael. Call Sheila at 624-4643.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
East Sac RotaryJuly 10: Meets at noon, Evan’s Kitchen, 855 57th St. Sacramento. www.eastsacrotary.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Rotary Club of Pocket/GreenhavenJuly 11: Guest speakers address local, re-gional and international topics. Visitors welcome. 7:30 a.m., every Thursday. Avia-tors Restaurant, 6151 Freeport Blvd. (916) 684-6854. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The Mission Oaks Computer Club meetingJuly 11: The meeting topic will be “As-sets and Aging: Planning Ahead”, pre-sented by radio program host Bob Scrivano. A problem-solving clinic, led by Adam Lacey of Applications, Etc, will follow the meeting. First-time visi-
tors are welcome. For additional infor-mation call 366-1687 or visit our website at www.missionoakscomputerclub.org. The meeting will go from 1 to 3 p.m. at Mis-sion Oaks Community Center, 4701 Gib-bons Drive, Carmichael.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Bi-Polar AnonymousJuly 12: Free 12-step program/support group, for people who have Bi-Polar and those who love them. Meets every Friday, 7-8:30 p.m. 4300 Auburn Blvd., Room 106. (916) 889-5786.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Harmony HennaJuly 12: Starting at 3 p.m., get a beauti-ful or intriguing henna tattoo from the tal-ented Jacqueline Robbins. For more in-formation visit www.saclibrary.org or call 264-2920. Belle Cooledge Library is locat-ed at 5600 South Land Park Dr. Good for tweens/teens.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Ninth Annual Sacramento Japanese Film FestivalJuly 12-14: This festival will screen seven movies from Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 14 at the Crest Theatre. Films include: Ha-ru’s Journey, a movie about a grandfather and his teenage granddaughter who take to the road in a search for a new life; A Let-ter to Momo, Studio Ghibli’s anime with a feisty young heroine and winner of the 2012 Asian Pacific Screen Award for Best Ani-mated Film; 13 Assassins, a samurai film which won 4 Japanese Oscars in 21011; and Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, a documentary on Keiko Fuku-da, the only woman awarded the black belt in Judo. Filmmaker Yuriko Romer will be at the Crest to present her film. Single tick-et prices: $10; All Fetival Pass $35. Crest Theatre Box Office, 1013 K St.: 916-5189, Tickets.com: 1-800 - 225 - 2277.http://www.sacjapanesefilmfestival.net/. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Fire Station 17 Open HouseJuly 13: The Sacramento Fire Department will be hosting Fire Station Open House from 2 to 4 p.m., located at 1311 Bell Ave. You are invited to bring your family and friends to visit with firefighters, take a tour of the fire station, and more! For more in-formation, call 808-1011.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Very Special Arts Day at Fairytale TownJuly 13: From 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., perfor-mances, visual art shows, and art “fun-shops” will be featured at this annual event
presented by I Can Do That! Very Special Arts Day brings together children of all abilities to interact through, create and en-joy the arts. Enjoy a performance by ACT ON!, a children’s theater camp project of I Can Do That!, and view visual arts cre-ations by I Can Do That! students. Stop by the art “funshops” to make flying sau-cers, rhumba shakers, pipe cleaner jewel-ry, spiral mobiles and more. This program is free with paid park admission. Week-end admission is $5 for adults and chil-dren ages 2 and older and free for children ages 1 and under. For more information, visit www.fairytaletown.org or call (916) 808-7462. Fairytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Dr., 95822––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Delta Day and Sacramento Nights at Old Sugar MillJuly 13: Old Sugar Mill is partnering with the downtowngrid association to bring Sec-ond Saturday to the Old Sugar Mill. Or-ganizers are looking forward to hosting Installation Receptions, Hands on Demon-strations, and Artist in the Round Curation. From noon to 5 p.m., there will be artists fea-turing multiple medias of art. Old Sugar Mill is located at 35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Whip up a Cookbook! July 13 – 11am –Collect, organize and put it all together during this 6-part se-ries. Workshop #3 will focus on the es-sence of good writing and learning how to write headnotes. For more information vis-it www.saclibrary.org or call 264-2920. Belle Cooledge Library is located at 5600 South Land Park Dr. Good for adults.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
‘Wreck it Ralph’ at Lewis ParkJuly 13: The Didion/Lewis Park Recre-ational Center Committee (DLPRCC) will be showing “Wreck It Ralph” from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Lewis Park, Didion Gym amphi-theatre with free refreshments and prizes for all attendees. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music in Carmichael ParkJuly 13: Departure – Journey Tribute Band, songs by Journey from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carmichael Park Band Shell 5750 Grant Ave. 485-5322. www.carmichaelpark.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music in Carmichael ParkJuly 14: Z.O.O.M. (Zydeco On Our Mind), Mardi Gras jazz from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carmichael Park Band Shell 5750 Grant Ave. 485-5322. www.carmichaelpark.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Family Sundays at Central Library GalleriaJuly 14: Family Sundays at Central are free monthly entertainments programs geared for the whole family. The July event features Hawaiian music and dance with the Ohana Dance group. Learn about Hawaiian culture through traditional and modern hula along with stories of the Hawaiian people. The band Kua’aina brings ‘Island’ flavor to the program with fresh harmonies and lively in-strumentation. The event starts at 2 p.m.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Rotary Clubs of Arden-Arcade, CarmichaelJuly 16: Guest speakers address local, re-gional and international topics. Visitors wel-come, every Tuesday. Arden-Arcade meets at noon, Jackson Catering and Events, 1120 Fulton Ave. (916) 925-2787. Carmichael meets at 6 p.m., Palm Street Pub & Grill, 6416 Fair Oaks Blvd. www.rotary.org. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Soroptimist International of Sacramento North meetingJuly 16: An organization for the betterment of women and children meets at the atria El Camino Gardens at 2426 Garfield, Carmi-chael. Call Sheila at 624-4643.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
East Sac RotaryJuly 17: Meets at noon, Evan’s Kitchen, 855 57th St. Sacramento. www.eastsacrotary.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Food trucks at Carmichael ParkJuly 17: From 5 to 9 p.m., enjoy food from various food trucks at Carmichael Park, 5750 Grant Ave.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Adult Workshop: Adventures in Play at Fairytale TownJuly 17: Play is the cornerstone of child de-velopment. Fairytale Town’s executive di-rector Kathy Fleming spent three months abroad exploring how play is researched, perceived, organized and delivered in Eng-land and Europe. In this workshop, adults will learn why play is essential to chil-dren, how children play in other countries and what is happening to the state of play for today’s children. This workshop is open to parents, teachers, caregivers and those adults who are still children at heart. From 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., this workshop is free, but advance registration is required. To register, please email [email protected]. For more information, visit www.fairytale-town.org or call (916) 808-7462. Fairytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Dr., 95822––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
��www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Rotary Club of Pocket/GreenhavenJuly 18: Guest speakers address local, region-al and international topics. Visitors welcome. 7:30 a.m., every Thursday. Aviators Restau-rant, 6151 Freeport Blvd. (916) 684-6854. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Fifth annual 38th Street Blood DriveJuly 18: There will be tables on the front lawn, and two bloodmobiles parked on the street from 3 to 7 p.m. There will be yum-my sausages on the grill, as usual. To sched-ule an appointment online, go to www.blood-source.org/drives and enter location code M597 or call 451-5507 or email [email protected]. Anyone 17 years old or older can donate. Those who are 16 can do-nate with parental permission. Please bring a photo id and drink plenty of fluids before-hand. If you have any questions about eligi-bility, please call 800-995-4420 and ask for “Nurse of the Day”. Pat and Alice continue to do this in memory of Alice’s terrific mom, who lived years longer as a result of numer-ous blood transfusions. 1141 38th Street––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Bi-Polar AnonymousJuly 19: Free 12-step program/support group, for people who have Bi-Polar and those who love them. Meets every Friday, 7-
Teens and Tweens Create Mexican CuisineJuly 19: – 3:00pm – Teens and Tweens Create Mexican Cuisine! A monthly food class with the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op (ages 9-18). For more information visit www.saclibrary.org or call 264-2920. Belle Cooledge Library is located at 5600 South Land Park Dr.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Whip up a Cookbook!July 20: – 11am –Collect, organize and put it all together in this 6-part se-ries. Workshop #4 focuses on interi-or cookbook design. Bring ideas for how you would like your cookbook to look. For more information visit www.saclibrary.org or call 264-2920. Belle Cooledge Library is located at 5600 South Land Park Dr. Good for adults.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Fire Station 1 Open HouseJuly 20: The Sacramento Fire Department will be hosting Fire Station Open House from 2 to 4 p.m., located at 624 Q St. You are invited to bring your family and friends
to visit with firefighters, take a tour of the fire station, and more! For more informa-tion, call 808-1011.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Children’s Play Day at Fairytale TownJuly 20: From 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., cel-ebrate the importance of childhood play with a fun-filled day for the whole family. This program features games, hands-on activities, arts and crafts and more. Plus, enjoy a performance of “Jack and the Meanstalk” by the Fai-rytale Town Troupers on the outdoor Mother Goose Stage. Children’s Play Day and the theater shows are free with paid park admission. Weekend admission is $5 for adults and chil-dren ages 2 and older and free for chil-dren ages 1 and under. For more infor-mation, visit www.fairytaletown.org or call (916) 808-7462. Fairytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Dr., 95822––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music in Carmichael ParkJuly 21: On Air, Power Horns, Motown Gold, classic rock and 90s swing, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carmichael Park Band Shell 5750 Grant Ave. 485-5322. www.carmi-chaelpark.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
�� The Pocket News • July 4, 2013 • www.valcomnews.com Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.
SACRAMENTO RIVER CATSgames are fun for the entire family!
Buy tickets today at rivercats.com or by calling 800.745.3000
Toyota Family Value TuesdayEnjoy $1 hot dogs & desserts, yum!
Free Parking Wednesdaypresented by Jiffy Lube
Mom & dad will love Free Parking!
Fireworks FridayFireworks are now on Friday nights too!
Sutter Health Fireworks SaturdayFireworks light up the Sacramento Skyline!
U.S. Bank Sunday FundayEnjoy kids run the bases & player autographs plus face painters and
balloon artists!
Don’t miss these fun family events:
On May 24th, SAC Prep Charter School held an end-of-the-year celebra-tion for it students and families, and a team of lo-cal Stanford alumni was on hand to help.
Volunteering at SAC Prep for the second year in a row, the alumni were participating in Stan-ford’s annual Global Ser-vice Day, when thousands of alumni, family and friends volunteer for com-munity projects through-out the world. Principal Norm Hernandez had or-ganized a fun-filled after-noon with a dunk tank, face painting, food trucks, and games, and the alum-ni provided and staffed three activities for the students—a beanbag toss, a fish toss, and a cupcake walk.
The beanbag toss was ac-tually a “College Toss” de-signed and constructed by Greenhaven resident Jay Waterbury and his wife Suzie. With delight, stu-dents threw beanbags at targets labeled “Stanford
Cardinals”, “Cal Bears”, “Oregon Ducks”, “UC Da-vis Aggies”, and “ Washing-ton Huskies” as they rec-ognized names of colleges that also bear the names of their classrooms. Bill Eng, of Greenhaven, and Ellie McCalla of Lincoln, managed the cupcake walk and congratulated all win-ners as they selected their cupcake prizes.
“ It’s so hard to choose because they all look so
yummy,” said one student. Carol Hoge of Lincoln, Jan Boel of Gold River, and Suzie (Waterbury) encouraged students to win prizes by landing ping pong balls on fish bowls. Barbara Lemus of Elk Grove helped and cheered on students whose bean-bags sailed through the college targets. Marilyn van Loben Sels of Clarks-burg organized the events and supplies and shared
cupcake-baking duties with Julie Garcia of Rock-lin. They baked and dec-orated over 120 cupcakes, which were happily de-voured by the students.
The volunteers thor-oughly enjoyed the af-ternoon and repeatedly commented on the ca-maraderie and outstand-ing behavior of the stu-dents. SAC Prep families expressed much appre-
ciation to the volunteers for helping the students and school. As one par-ent commented, “ We are so surprised that Stan-ford alumni would give up their time to come and help us.” And an alum re-plied, “ We can’t wait to come back! The students are wonderful!”
SAC Prep, located on Gloria Drive in Green-haven at the former site of Bear Flag Elementary, prepares students for high school and college and fo-cuses not only on learn-ing, but also on the values of taking school seriously, working hard every day, being responsible, being part of the school com-munity and pursuing ex-cellence in all aspects of their lives. Students have been responding well to SAC Prep’s program and expectations, and the school has received nu-merous recognitions from Sacramento City Unified School District for con-tinued high marks for its API (Academic Perfor-mance Index) each year. There is no tuition, and SAC Prep is open to all students.
SAC Prep Charter held end-of-the-year celebration
Bill Eng & Ellie McCalla--Student choosing cupcake prize.Principal Norm Hernandez in Dunk Tank.
��www.valcomnews.com • July 4, 2013 • The Pocket NewsValley Community Newspapers, Inc.
Non-stop, roundtrip shuttle service is avail-able to and from the California State Railroad Museum and the Sacramento Zoo beginning on July 6 and continuing through August 25. Coordinated by the Sacramento Zoo, the 20-person bus will shuttle interested visitors back and forth between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sat-urdays and Sundays for an affordable $2 per person roundtrip (children ages one and un-der are free).
The convenient shuttle will transport visitors from the California State Rail-road Museum, Sacramento History Mu-seum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park to the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town, allowing guests to easily visit mul-tiple destinations in a single trip. With
ample parking available in Old Sacramen-to, the shuttle also helps to alleviate park-ing constraints in the residential communi-ty that surrounds the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town.
The shuttle bus departs on weekends from in front of the California State Railroad Mu-seum on-the-hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and in front of the Sacramento Zoo on the half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day it is running.
For more information about the shuttle or the Sacramento Zoo, please visit www.saczoo.org or call 916-808-5888. For more information about the California State Railroad Museum, please visit www.californiastaterialroadmuseum.org
Round-trip shuttle service now available from Railroad Museum to Sacramento Zoo on weekends this Summer
