On Tuesday, Nov. 27, patrons of Belle Cooledge Library were treated to the sounds of music coming from the community room. Every week from 4 to 4:30 p.m., parents and children alike are invited to join in with Mister Cooper’s Sing-A-Long club, a free program which encourages children to learn and be social through music.

The event, sponsored by the library and hosted by award-winning children’s musician Ken Cooper, is tailored for younger kids but open to all. Both parents and children are encouraged to sing and dance along with classic songs like “Days of the Week” and “Freeze Dance,” as well as original songs written and performed by Mister Cooper.

The community room is set up to encourage children to talk and play with one another during the performance. Rows of chairs are set up along the walls for parents, with Mister Cooper at the front of the room. However, the inside floor is where the fun happens. As soon as Mister Cooper started to sing and play his guitar, the kids joined right in. Many knew the words, and those who did not could still dance or clap with the beat. When Mister Cooper began the freeze dance, almost every kid got up and participated.

Songs were not the only things sung that day. After it was revealed that I am Mister Cooper’s son, parents began to sing me his praises. “We love your dad!” one mom told me as she was leaving. “The Sing-A-Long really got my son out of his shell.” Another told me how glad she was that Mister Cooper had started the club, and how much her children loved him. Her kids, who were standing by her side at the time, nodded their agreement.

A list of Mister Cooper’s upcoming events can be found on his website, http://mistercooper.com/, as well as videos, free downloads, blog posts, and a coloring book corresponding to his original song, “Circle of Seeds.” His original songs are also available for purchase through the site.

The Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven’s prepared and served meals on Thursday, Nov. 15 and Thursday, Dec. 15 at St. John’s Shelter.  On the November date, six rotarians participated and approximately 50 residents of the shelter were fed.  The Club has been involved with St. John’s Shelter for the past four years, due to a recommendation from one of our members.

In addition to St. John’s Shelter, the Pocket/Greenhaven Rotary Club is active in the community with projects such as presenting dictionaries to third graders at Yav Pem Suab Academy, volunteering at the Pocket/Greenhaven Library, volunteering and participating in the Pocket July 4th Parade, providing Ice Cream Socials for residents of the ACC Nursing Home, sponsoring a high school student for a week at the Rotary Youth Leadership Camp, sponsoring and hosting high school students for a year abroad on a Rotary Youth Exchange program, sponsoring a high school INTERACT club at Kennedy High School, staging a High School Speech Competition, supporting the Home Depot Health Fair and ACC 10th Annual Celebration, and donating blood to BloodSource.

The Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven was recently honored as one of three outstanding clubs in the Sacramento metro area. Additionally, one of the members, Judy Foote, was recognized as the Rotarian of the Year.  The club meets on Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. at Aviator’s Restaurant, located in the Sacramento Executive Airport.

For information, contact President Keiko Wong (kwong@cookrealty.net) or visit the Pocket/Greenhaven Rotary website (pocketgreenhavenrotary.org).

An apricot and white poodle mix dog by the name Savannah went missing on Nov. 28 in the vicinity of Greenhaven Park, Bearflag School and Gloria Dr. in Sacramento. The dog is micro-chipped. Owners have put out a $300 reward for the return of the dog. Call 803-5880 if you have any information about the dog.

Missing dog named "Savannah," $300 reward.

Children’s book author Kate David with her two daughters in their Land Park home. / Photo by Monica Stark

When a rainy day threatens to spoil a little girl’s plans to play outside, her disappointment quickly disappears when her mother shares a “magical” hat with her.  This “magical” hat has the power to whisk the little girl away to any place she imagines. The real magic in “Murphy and the Magical Hat” lies in Land Park children’s book author Kate David’s message – imagination can lead children from despair to delight in a matter of a few moments.

David reminds parents of the importance of kindling their children’s imaginations, particularly, when life seems bleak and boring. David believes it is critically important that children develop resilience to life’s disappointments and the book shares that poignant message with parents while delighting the child.

David was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio.  She received her degree in Journalism from Ohio University after numerous higher education creative writing courses. In her prior life, David was in advertising and marketing for both radio and television stations. She feels fortunate to make her lifelong dream of becoming an author a reality, in “Murphy and the Magical Hat.”

Sparked from the birth of her daughter, Murphy, in June 2010 in New York City, Kate had spent many days imagining all the adventures she would take with her daughter and the idea for the book began.   Kate currently resides right in the heart of Land Park with her two daughters and husband, Jeff.  She spends her time caring for her two daughters and working on the next book in the “Murphy and the Magical Hat” series.

David said it’s definitely been a challenge working on the book while staying home and raising two children. “Some days are better than others,” she said. “It was definitely something that I wanted to do – in regards to the book and certainly to have kids. So I do the best I can.”

With two really well-behaved girls, she tries to get work done on her second book during their naps. “It’s a lot of work, for sure,” she said with a chuckle. “But I don’t know, you manage it.”

Self-publishing was a huge learning curve for David. After reaching out to agents before she started this process, she got great feedback but no takers on the book, so she decided to self publish. After going through three different companies, she settled with Outskirt Press.

“It was a huge learning curve. I knew nothing about the publishing industry. I’m still learning everyday … I think you have to be prepared for a lot of curve balls,” she said.

One of them was the unanticipated cost of self-publishing a book. Another had to do with coordinating the text with the illustrations. And then she also had to choose the font and design the layout of the book. “I thought somebody would have helped me through all of that. You have to do everything even though you are working with a company that will eventually publish the book,” she said.

However, she said self-publishing companies can provide a lot of assistance for you if you want it. They guide you through the process – the step-by-step ways of doing it. You are the one making a lot of the decisions.

David started writing “Murphy and the Magical Hat” when her daughter was 6 months old, or about two years ago and she didn’t have a book until this past January.

The illustrator she chose was one she found online named Helen Turner who lives in the United Kingdom. “It’s funny, we never met. We communicated through email. She had such a great, creative vision. It just came together perfectly,” David said.

“For my first book, I am really pleased with the way it turned out but it was a fantastic, scary, wonderful, terrible process. It was just all of those things.”

For David, it was more important to fulfill this dream she had to write a children’s book, than to go the route of selling millions of copies. “It would be fantastic if I do, but it was more important to do it and see it through,” she said.

David, her husband Jeff and Murphy were living in New York City when the idea for the book came about.  “I had all these wonderful thoughts of what I’d do with (Murphy) when she was old enough,” she said.

As it turns out, Murphy loves carousels. They have enjoyed the one in Arden Fair Mall, the one at the zoo and the one at Funderland. Though when they go to the mall’s carousel, Murphy chooses to ride on the bench. “It’s fun to watch her choose … “it’s fun to watch her enjoy that, as much as I enjoyed putting that to paper.”

David has always been a big day-dreamer. For her high school senior thesis, she took pictures all around town and wrote the stories that went on behind them. Especially with New York City and even now in Sacramento, there are things she wants her daughters to experience.

“They’re sponges. I think that it’s so important to expose them to so much. So wherever we are living, I feel imagination is so important,” she said.

The Davids came to Sacramento after Jeff took a marketing job for the Sacramento Kings. Before that he worked for the NBA league office. “So that’s why we’re here … It’s a big job. He loves it. It’s a great place for us to be. He has seen tough days but it’s a good job for him.”

She said she couldn’t have finished the first book without him. “Jeff has been a never-ending source of support and encouragement. I’m very lucky,” she said.

You can get it on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com. Locally, you can purchase it at Koukla Kids in East Sacramento and Puddles in the Arden area.

To our readers:

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, filled with joy and happiness. We are starting a new tradition here at Valley Community News. If you have children or grandchildren who are writing their wishlist for Christmas, send a copy to editor@valcomnews.com and we will print them in a “Letters to Santa” special section. Letters will run in the Dec. 20 issues of the East Sacramento and Pocket News. Send a photo of your little one along with the wishlist (not to exceed four wishes). Ages 5 to 10 only please. Deadline is Thursday, Dec. 13.

Happy holidays from everyone here at Valley Community News.

Sincerely,
Monica Stark

Pamela Vann is a resident of Land Park, who along with her business partner, runs a company called Eileen Marie Designs. They make gorgeous hand-crafted necklaces and earrings, using precious and semi-precious stones set in either sterling silver or 14K gold fill.

The gems she works with are wire wrapped and suspended from custom made links and/or fine chain. Some of the necklaces are also precious or semi-precious stones strung in a coordinating design. She has pieces in sapphire, emerald, citrine, peridot, pearls, iolite, kyanite, ruby and many more types of gems.

Now in business for two years, Eileen Marie Designs is a second business for Vann. A licensed landscape architect with more than 25 years in the design industry, Vann works in private practice as well as for a public agency part-time.

She was looking for a craft that would allow her to use her extensive design experience in a new and different way.

“I love working with my hands and expressing my creativity with color. Jewelry creation is a wonderful way to explore form, shape and color with beautiful materials that many people love to wear,” she said.

Vann started with the idea that she would make jewelry for herself, friends and family, but it quickly became much more of a passion and she found a wonderful outlet for sharing her ideas with others who appreciate the craftsmanship of her work.

“This has been a real journey from a simple hobby to a real passion for creating beautiful art that can be worn and appreciated for a long time,” she said.

It really began on one weekend when Vann and her friend Judith Eileen Cook (the Eileen in Eileen Marie) went to the bead store to find something to do. Vann was overwhelmed with the variety of materials available and started with just some simple beaded necklaces and earrings. She spent a few months learning how to make the wire wraps and about how materials are combined.

The two spent their time together to help teach each other how to do the fine wire wrapping. They honed their skills working with simple and inexpensive (relatively) materials. Vann soon discovered my passion for finer materials and began working with fine gemstones and semi-precious stones. She hunted for materials over the Internet and found a wealth of beautiful crafted gemstones to work with.

As she found more interesting materials, her designs evolved and her skills refined.

She started wearing her jewelry and also showed it to her landscape design clients and acquaintances.

“People began wanting to buy the jewelry and it was at this time that Judy and I decided we needed to create a more formal business and take it more seriously,” Vann said.

That’s when they formed Eileen Marie Designs In Fine Jewelry. They each design and craft their own pieces, but share the business responsibilities and marketing. They started doing home parties at friends’ houses and were successful in selling out pieces. They even encouraged them to look at fairs and festivals.

“While we have some smaller, one-day craft fairs, the Harvest Festival in Sacramento will be our first large multi-day festival. We are extremely excited about the prospect of offering our beautiful jewelry to a broader audience,” she said.

Vann feels it is important for people to support independent artists and handmade products because there are so many talented craftspeople out there looking for an outlet for their creative endeavors.

“The fine quality and one-of-a-kind art that many of us do provides the public with a terrific opportunity to own something both beautiful and unique. Without the public support, artists like myself could not afford to continue producing such unique pieces of art,” she said.

Vann can be reached at pam@eileenmariedesigns.com or by calling 530-219-1265.

The Greenhaven Mothers Club 2012 Annual Charity Fundraising Auction raised more than $4,000.  Combined with remaining proceeds from the 2011 Charity Auction, the group is donating $800 to each of the six public elementary schools in the Greenhaven/Pocket area, for a combined donation of $4,800. The donations have no strings attached, only a request to hear what they used the money for (balls, jump ropes, paper, etc)

The six schools are: Didion, MLK, Pony Express, Caroline Wenzel, Matsuyama and Alice Birney

At the 2012 Auction, held on March 15, 2012, the group welcomed its largest attendance of members and guests ever, and exceeded its fundraising goals.  A survey of members and a vote by our Board of Directors determined that 2012 auction proceeds would be directed toward neighborhood schools.  The 2013 charity auction will be held on March 21, 2013.

The Greenhaven Mothers Club (GMC) is a non-profit organization serving
the Greenhaven/Pocket Neighborhood of Sacramento since 1969.  GMC is dedicated to promoting the welfare of mothers and children in their community.  GMC provides social and educational activities for members and their families, has a longstanding tradition of supporting local charities, and welcomes new members.

Overall, nearly half of San Juan Unified’s schools met or exceeded the state’s target API of 800: 48 percent of traditional K-12 District schools – 31 in all – reached that threshold, an increase of two percentage points over the previous year and 13 percentage points since 2008. / Photo courtesy of the San Juan Unified School District

Roughly a quarter of San Juan Unified schools recorded 20 or more points of growth in their statewide measures of academic achievement, according to 2012 Academic Performance Index (API) data.

That distinction includes Cottage Elementary School, whose 69-point increase was one of the largest in the region.

Overall, nearly half of San Juan Unified’s schools met or exceeded the state’s target API of 800: 48 percent of traditional K-12 District schools – 31 in all – reached that threshold, an increase of two percentage points over the previous year and 13 percentage points since 2008.

“While these results are only one measure of performance, they illustrate continued progress as teachers, principals, families and school communities strive to personalize instruction for students – all of whom we believe can and will learn,” said Superintendent Glynn Thompson.

API scores are a composite of students’ performance on standardized tests. Schools are assigned scores from 200-1000, and the state has established 800 as a desired level of performance.

API results are used to compare schools to other sites across the state and to other schools with similar demographics. The scores are one of many tools used to track schools’ academic performance as San Juan Unified continues efforts to improve teaching and learning through special literacy programs, instructional coaching, a strong arts program and a focus on 21st century skills.

Even if they did not hit the 800 API target, many San Juan Unified schools saw significant progress: 65 percent of schools, for instance, met their school wide growth target (calculated as 5 percent of the difference between the previous year’s API and 800).

Compared to the state, San Juan Unified’s overall API of 790 is two points higher than the state’s and showed a six-point gain over last year, while the state posted a 10-point gain overall.

Some 53 percent of schools statewide scored at or above the state API target of 800.

All student groups in San Juan Unified experienced growth or held steady in their APIs, except for African Americans, who saw zero growth, and American Indians, whose API scores dropped by eight points.

Students with disabilities, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and white students all realized API growth at a rate higher than the District as a whole.

In its community developed Strategic Plan, San Juan Unified has made it a goal to reduce achievement gaps in areas such as standardized tests, graduation rates and college readiness by at least 50 percent by 2015.

Test scores each school in the district can be found here:
http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Acnt2012/2012GrthAPIDst.aspx?allcds=3467447

This article has been reprinted with permission from SJ Scene, the San Juan Unified School District’s newsletter.

In the musical INTO THE WOODS the final lyric is sung by Cinderella “…. I Wish…”  The idea of the possibility of a wish being fulfilled is a central theme of this provocative musical. 
Sondheim and Lapine take recognizable fairy tales and intertwine them into a journey of discovery. Some of it is very good and some of it is very bad! Jack’s Mother wishes her son were not a fool, Cinderella wishes to go to the festival,  The Baker’s Wife wishes she might have a child, Jack wishes his cow would give some milk and Rapunzel wishes to see the world.
 The music and story masterfully explore the consequences and responsibilities attached to each wish.  Ultimately there are no clear answers just a few glimmers along the path.  
The orchestra members, cast and crew are girls from St. Francis High School and guys representing high schools in the Sacramento area.
St. Francis High School is excited to present this extraordinary musical opening with a Gala performance Nov. 8.  INTO THE WOODS runs for two weekends closing on Nov. 17. 
Special outreach performances are scheduled for area schools on November 13.  Tickets are $10 for children and $15 for adults for the matinee and most evenings. Performance times and tickets are available online at www.ticketyguys.com/stfrancis. Tickets are sold online and at the door.

Performance datesPerformance dates

Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.: Gala performance, $25 per seat with delicious sweets and spirits during intermission

Nov. 9, 10, 16, 17: 7:30 p.m.  $15 adults, $10 under 19

Nov. 10, 1:30 p.m. matinee   $15 adults, $10 under 19

Jeff Louie & Benjamin Phillips-Leseñana

Co-working – not a novel idea or one that would be exceptionally newsworthy except for the fact that Land Park entrepreneurs have taken the idea of working together and made a business out of it.

Capsity, which is now located in Land Park on 21st Street next door to Sol Collective, is an owner-occupied professional workplace. Originally built in 1949 as a U.S. Post Office, modern renovations provide an interior of more than 4,500 square feet, workspaces, a meditation room, game room and community art gallery.

Jeff Louie, the 31-year-old co-founder, acknowledges that co-working isn’t necessarily a new thing.

“People are always working together – architecture firms, co-ops,” he said in an interview. “But the model is now applied to business.”

Occupying eight of the 10 current offices include:  Real estate brokers, Nina’s playhouse (a theater workshop), Sac Trips, Raoul Photography, Sac Hats, Sac TShirts, The Tree Network, Thomas Dodson PR.

Thursday, Oct. 11’s celebratory evening doubled as an art reception for neighborGOOD, an in-house gallery exhibition elevating themes of local-to-global consciousness.

Recent work from Raoul Ortega and Pachamama Coffee photojournalists Olaf Hammelburg and Thaleon Tremain explore interweaving threads of community, responsible commerce, and everyday environment.

Local jazz guitarist Ross Hammond and Chinese guzheng player Zimei rounded out the festive event with musical performances.

Founded in 2008, Capsity first was located in midtown at the corner of P St. and 23rd.

Reflecting on Capsity’s  recent progress, Louie said: “Four years ago, we were just a space that provided B2B services in a building that encountered its fair share of difficult challenges,” he said. “We can now claim our own building with remarkable partners, amazing neighbors like Sol Collective, and a focused desire to do good work.”

Amenities to the contemporary modern interior include WiFi, free coffee/tea and snacks, access to a kitchen, conference room, private room, a sunlit lounge and reading area, ample whiteboard spaces, a meditation room, and to provide work-time respite, Nerf toys, foosball table, and ‘80s-era Galaga console.

Louie is an idealist who knows how to get down to business. Part of his dream of developing Capsity was to blend fun with productivity and achievement.

The realization is evident with the inclusion of the meditation room and the game room. While having a clean and well-stocked bathroom was a first priority, having an office that integrated a place to retreat was also important. “We thought: wouldn’t it be nice to have a space where we can retreat and take five minutes of our time to quietly think or not think. A lot of times people think their office can be a place where they can retreat,” he said.

While Louie is co-founder, he holds the title, Community Activator. His practice? To activate everyone who enters the office and see what is dormant inside them, in terms of their business and passions and to get them to leverage their skill sets the best they can.

“My belief is that everybody has a genius skill set; they just haven’t found it,” he said.

Capsity is located at 2572 21st St., Sacramento. For more information, contact Capsity at 585-3004, office@capsity.com or visit www.capsity.com.