Salutatorian Derek Taylor
Derek Taylor earned a weighted GPA of 4.5 and has plans to attend UC Santa Barbara next year. He’s interested in studying philosophy after taking an AP literature class at McClatchy, in which he read books like Hamlet, Heart of Darkness and The Stranger. “It’s really a hard class ‘cause you have to apply yourself … There’s no right answers; you just have to back things up.” His advice to students out there: Take the SAT and ACT pretty seriously. “A lot of stuff rides on those two scores.” Secondly, he suggests people learn just to learn. “It makes it more enjoyable,” he said. It’s a better way to go at schooling.” Over the course of his time at McClatchy, he played rugby and water polo his freshman year, water polo, baseball and basketball his sophomore year, water polo and basketball his junior year and finally football and basketball his senior year. Asked if there was anything he’d like to add, he proudly said: “Go Lions!”

Valedictorian Jorge Vargas
Jorge Vargas immigrated to the United States just two years ago from Cuidad Juarez, Mexico and is now being recognized as this year’s Valedictorian at C.K. McClatchy. According to an interview with the student newspaper, the Prospector, Vargas has earned a full ride scholarship to UC Berkeley with the goal of one day becoming a neurosurgeon. He loves gardening, science (especially physics). He has been living with friends of his extended family in Curtis Park. His parents and siblings still live in Mexico and surely they are so proud of their son for his incredible accomplishment.

Salutatorian Will Block
Will Block is graduating from C.K. McClatchy with a 3.7 GPA with plans on studying film and theater, with an emphasis in acting at UCLA this fall. He was briefly the president of and art and poetry club on campus and was in a number of productions at McClatchy, both acting and directing. He most recently directed “As You Like It” and previously was in the production of “Guys and Dolls.” His advice for prospective theater students: “Just say ‘yes’ to everything …sometimes the stuff that’s scary is the most rewarding.”

12th Annual Sacramento Juneteenth Celebration will be held on June 14-16 at William Land Park. Seen at center is 2012 Juneteenth Talent Contest winner, Reyna Armour.

Hundreds of attendees will grace the grounds of William Land Park on June 14-16 when the 12th Annual Sacramento Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom comes to town.
Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth is the annual observance of the end of slavery in the United States.
Specifically, the observance marks the date of June 19, 1868 that Union soldiers adhered to President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation; freeing all remaining slaves in Galveston, Texas.
The festive Sacramento celebration will include a host of live music, activities, and a plethora of good eats cooked up by some of the best local restaurants and independent proprietors.
The event also features the popular “Juneteenth Talent Show,” where the best of the best in dance, spoken word, and song compete for prizes.
The inception of the event was the brainchild of the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Multicultural Affairs division, which focuses on supporting and creating the community’s cultural and ethnic festivals.
The department decided to coordinate an occasion to commemorate Juneteenth, as there wasn’t one of its kind being held locally.
“We originally put it together as a show of love to the community,” said department director Gary Simon. “It’s now grown to be ‘the’ festival to celebrate Juneteenth in the Sacramento area.”
The family orientated event will include children’s activities, such as face painting, magic shows, and water slides.
Attendees will be able to enjoy a fishing derby, the Juneteenth Educational Theater that will focus on the historical time-line representing the African slave trade, a health and wellness area providing on-site health screenings and healthy cooking demonstrations, and plenty of vendors offering arts and crafts throughout the weekend.
Local soldiers will also be honored with awards at the event.
Simon noted that the multifaceted celebration aims to feature something for everyone, as it was created for all people to enjoy.
“Juneteenth is a part of American history not just ‘African American history,’” Simon said. “Defeating the confederacy gained freedom not just for African Americans, but for Americans in general.”
The spacious, shady park will be filled with festive fun on June 14, when several of the Sacramento area’s best gospel artists perform at the celebration’s official kick-off event, Gospel Under the Stars.

Seen are children enjoying the fishing derby at last year’s Juneteenth celebration.

The soiree will take place from 7:30-9 p.m.
Activities on June 15 will run from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. beginning with the Freedom Walk fundraiser.
The one-mile walk will benefit St. Hope public schools; participants from age 8 and up can take part in the event.
Registration is open at  www.RunRSA.org.
The Emancipation Proclamation Parade will follow the walk at 11 a.m.
Attendees can groove to local jazz and R&B artists, including Prophecy, Ayanna Charlene, Jackie Bryant, Shawn Raiford and Saxual Chocolate, and Karla Fleming, will perform on the Main Stage throughout the evening.
The big weekend will conclude on June 16 with a golf tournament at 7:30 a.m.; team registrations will begin at 6 a.m.
Golf enthusiasts will be awarded with trophies and prizes at the event.
William Land Park is located at 3800 Land Park Drive.
For more information about the Sacramento Juneteenth Celebration, visit www.SacramentoJuneteenth.com.

Bridget Lewis, owner of Delta Workshop, stands in front of her new gallery, located at 2598 21st Street. // Photo by Monica Stark

Making artwork in several different media over the past 15 years and earning a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts has taught Bridget Lewis a variety of technical skills in several areas be it ceramics, photography, wood or metal. But her main focus more recently has been on bringing other people together at Delta Workshop, a new art space in Land Park, to create a place where others can learn these skills too, and surprise themselves with their own creativity.

“Sacramento has so many great artists, and I want more people to know about them,” Lewis said. So under the roof of Delta Workshop, 2598 21st Street, Lewis will offer three ways to experience art, a gallery, shop, and classroom. The gallery will show artwork by emerging and established artists, with a new show each month.

Delta Workshop offers handmade items and artwork, including the work of many local artists. The range of objects in the shop includes ceramics, greeting cards and works on paper, jewelry, textiles, books and supplies. In addition to her show in the gallery, Frances Marin will also have some handmade works in the shop, including a few zines, block printed journals, and hand-painted brooches.

“Because we have such a broad range of artists and makers represented in the shop, and most are operating at a very small scale making unique pieces, it’s a great place for discovery, even if you don’t know much about art. I hope that people will come in to browse, to be inspired, to find a unique greeting card or a special gift for someone, or even to find a gift for themselves,” Lewis said.

Finally, there is a classroom, which will offer a range of art classes on art techniques, fun creative projects, and professional development for artists.

The ‘Delta’ part in the name not only comes from the geography of Sacramento, Lewis said, but also to reference the meaning of ‘delta’ as a place where change happens.  The ‘Workshop’ refers to a place for creative projects, both those that are done and those still to come, she said.

The block that Delta Workshop is on is home to a small stretch of galleries and collectives. Nearby is Sol Collective, a center dedicated to art, culture and activism. A profile on their current exhibit can be found in this edition of the Land Park News. And further up, closer to Broadway is Capsity, a co-working space that features local artists all the time.

When Lewis was in art school, she loved making objects and learning new techniques. “It was all so inspiring,” she said. “When I left school, I ended up getting one day-job after another to make ends meet, and worked on my own artwork on the side,” Lewis said.

While she was working, she volunteered with arts organizations, and visited galleries and museums, and kept hoping to find an art-related job, but it just didn’t happen. Last year, when she was laid off from my job, she decided to create the job she wanted and start Delta Workshop.

Lewis then took a business class through the Women’s Initiative in the Bay Area that was helpful in developing a business plan, and she put the plan into motion early this year. That class was where she met Frances Marin, the first artist who will be featured in the gallery.

The gallery, located on 21st Street near 1st Avenue, is about 1,000 square feet and the business that was there beforehand was La Jardin, an antique store.

Delta Workshop just held a soft opening on Tuesday, June 4 and its first Second Saturday event on June 8. The first exhibit shows landscape paintings by Frances Marin, a Bay Area artist who loves to camp in the Sacramento/American River area. Her paintings are inspired by these trips. This first show will be up for three months to give people a chance to discover Delta Workshop and see Frances’ work, but the shows will change monthly after that, Lewis said.

Delta Workshop is actively looking for more artists, curators, and instructors for retail, exhibition, and classroom opportunities. Anyone interested is welcome to visit the shop in person, or email (b@deltaworkshopsac.com).

If you go:
What: Delta Workshop
Why: It’s a new gallery in your neighborhood
Where: 2598 21st Street (near 1st Avenue in Land Park)
When: The hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Second Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, visit Delta Workshop’s website at http://www.deltaworkshopsac.com, the Facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/deltaworkshopsac, on Twitter: @DeltaWorkshop or finally on
Instagram: deltaworkshopsac

Martin Luther King Children’s Center, a school district before and after school program on the campus of MLK K-8 Elementary School, collects a variety of items for recycling with TerraCycle.  The Children’s Center collected drink pouches, used toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes, empty beauty bottles, cheese wrappers along with dairy tub containers and sends them postage paid to TerraCycle.  MLK Children’s Center earns about $.02 per item.

TerraCycle then converts the collected waste into a wide variety of products and materials. TerraCycle’s purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste. Founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, then a 20-year-old Princeton University freshman, TerraCyle began by producing organic fertilizer, packaging liquid worm poop in used soda bottles.

Since then Terracycle has grown into one of the fastest growing green companies in the world. Terracycle is creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable waste.  MLK Children’s Center is just one group of 20 million people collecting waste in over 20 countries.

TerraCycle has diverted billions of units of waste and used them to create over 1,500 different products available at major retailers ranging from Walmart to Whole Foods Market.  The goal is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating collection and solution systems for anything that today must be sent to a landfill.

So far, MLK Children’s Center has sent in 18,146 drink pouches alone. Staff, students and families collect these items from their homes along with collection tubs in the school cafeteria at lunchtime. It’s a great way we celebrate Earth Day everyday! Good for the environment, community and especially the children.

Here are some accolades from the students:

“Terracycle is cool because we help the environment by recycling our trash.” — Leiomi Gastinell, sixth grader

“It’s so easy to save and bring in the items.” — Alyson Eystad, fourth grader

“It’s a good way to help the environment and the children’s center without doing anything hard or extreme.” — Elise Ledesma, sixth grader

Kristen Encinas is the Head Teacher at MLK Children’s Center

Photo by May Okuhara

Ever since he was an infant, Pocket resident Wes Okuhara could hardly wait for the annual family jaunt to Disneyland. The soon-to-be CK McClatchy graduate will soon embark on realizing his dream and hopefully one day work for Disney as an Imagineer. His parents, May and Ken, wondered if he played too many video games as a child. Well, apparently it paid off.

“Growing up, I frequently visited the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ or Disneyland, and it really was a ‘happy’ place for me. Eventually, I was motivated to develop this passion into a potential career. Combining my skill in math and science and love for Disney, I am inspired to pursue a path as an Imagineer. I want people to be happy too!” Okuhara says.

Imagineering is responsible for designing and building Disney theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, and other entertainment venues at all levels of project development. Imagineers possess a broad range of skills and talents, and thus more than 140 different job titles fall under the banner of Imagineering, including illustrators, architects, engineers, lighting designers, show writers, graphic designers, and many more. Okuhara would like to focus on engineering animation, which is fascinating to him.

Okuhara will attend the University of California, San Diego this fall where he will major in Computer Science and Engineering. At McClatchy, Okuhara is enrolled in the Humanities and International Studies Program (HISP). HISP is a rigorous honors program that teaches students to explore global perspectives on learning, study college-level literary works and ideas, and prepares them for the rigors of college.

Okuhara is a member of the National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Key Club, Fair Trade Club, and Japanese Club. He carries a weighted 4.3 GPA. He is also the team captain for the McClatchy varsity golf team where he recently earned Metro League MVP, All-League (for the second year in a row), and McClatchy Senior Student/Athlete awards. Okuhara currently has a 4.0 NCGA golf index and wants to improve his short game this summer. He hopes to continue his golf career at UCSD.

Okuhara is also an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 50 (sponsored by the Sacramento Betsuin Church). As a Life Scout, Okuhara planned, organized, and supervised his Eagle Scout project by replacing a large turf area with a new decomposed granite parking lot at the Walnut Grove Buddhist Church. He also installed new landscaping around the parking lot and a drip irrigation system. His project logged a total of 331 hours. A long-time Walnut Grove resident commented to him that she had not seen the church look so vibrant in over 40 years.

One of many Pocket students on the journey to realizing a dream and make people happy along the way.

(From left) Allison Yamamoto, Second Vice President for SCUSD Board of Education Darrel Woo, and JasMin Khoe at the grand opening of the Bound Together Library in the Pocket. Photo courtesy Kathi Windheim.

McClatchy High School seniors Allison Yamamoto and JasMin Khoe needed to come up with an idea for their senior project. As they both had a far-reaching love books and libraries, they decided to do a project to promote literacy.

Yamamoto is a member of the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) for Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, while Khoe was on the TAB of the Belle Cooledge Library and for the past year has sat on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Sacramento Public Library.

At first, they set their senior project as a book drive at McClatchy. Yamamoto says they conducted the drive by placing donation boxes in classrooms at the school and by working with academic groups that focused on community service. Through this effort, they were able to collect more than 600 books.

“My goal was around 500 (books) … I was really happy when I found out there was over 600 — it was a great surprise,” Khoe says.

Books for Rwanda
With the books collected, Yamamoto and Khoe decided to send 270 of the books to an orphanage in Rwanda through an organization called Streets Ahead Children’s Center Association (SACCA).

Khoe was introduced to SACCA when she traveled there last summer to help build a school. “I met a lot of kids in Rwanda and so I was really inspired to do something for them,” she explains. “I wanted to send them some materials over, and then I thought books — just to promote literacy would be really great.”

Khoe says SACCA works to take kids — ranging from infants to teens — off the streets in Rwanda to giving them food, clothing, and shelter, and helping them with education. “I was really inspired by that organization and what they do, so that’s where we sent the books,” she adds.

(From left) Jonathan Louie, Allison Yamamoto, and JasMin Khoe install the first Bound Together Library. Photo courtesy Kathi Windheim

Bound Together
Now with still books to use from their book drive, Yamamoto says they began to look for an opportunity to help promote literacy in their own community. Then they heard about a recent movement where community members build small libraries, which look like oversized birdhouses, and set them up in a public area such as outside a home or in a park. The library is stocked with books, which anyone can take. Once you read it, you can return it. Or if you want to keep it, community members are urged to replace it with another book.

Yamamoto says they decided to built similar libraries on their own they could stock with the remainder of the books they had collected and called them Bound Together libraries. “JasMin and I are really close friends and the whole purpose of the project is to bring the community together, so we call them Bound Together libraries,” she explains.

The only problem was the girls now needed help in actually building the libraries. For that, they turned to Khoe family friend and East Sacramento resident Greg Stults, who in addition to being a past teacher at Crocker Riverside Elementary has experience in construction and woodworking.

Stults says he met with Yamamoto and Khoe to design the two libraries they would be building. Then after purchasing necessary hardware and using scrap wood and tools he had, he guided the girls in constructing their libraries. He says it took them about 10 hours to build both libraries.

“I wanted them to do as much of it as possible,” he says. “I wanted them to learn how to use the table saw, bandsaw, nailgun — I would demonstrate and make sure they were safe. They did the majority of the work themselves, so they learned a lot about measuring and how to use the tools.”

Yamamoto says she learned a lot from Stults when it came to how to use the different tools. “I learned a lot about the whole mechanics and how much thought you really have to put into constructing something,” she adds. “It was just really fascinating.”

“First Two of Many”
On May 2, Yamamoto and Khoe, along with community members, held the grand opening of their first Bound Together Library on Arabella Way in the Pocket area. The second library is expected to be placed in Curtis Park by the end of May.

Yamamoto hopes that more students and community members will take up the charge to build Bound Together libraries and place them in other areas of Sacramento. She says there are other students at McClatchy, as well as students at John F. Kennedy High School already talking about building their own libraries. “Hopefully this is just the first two of many,” she adds.

According to Kathi Windheim, president of the Pocket-Greenhaven Friends of the Library, the Friends has set aside $500 to reimburse students and have more built, and Eagle Scout Jonathan Louie plans to build one.

To help community members learn more about Bound Together libraries, Yamamoto and Khoe will be offering a workshop on Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library. “We’ll be there presenting what it is, how they can use it and how they can build their own,” she explains.

Bertha Norton age 101, (cq) gives her great great grandson Joshua Ramirez 16 months, a pinch and a kiss. Bertha is from Maidu and Wintun tribes. PIcture taken the California State Indian Museum while celebrating "Gathering of Honored Elders". 5/28/00. Sacramento Bee/Bryan Patrick

To honor and commemorate California’s Native Elders, the State Indian Museum will host the 36th Annual “Gathering of Honored Elders” on-site at the Museum on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.   During the special event, an annual celebration of the California Indian Heritage Center Foundation and the State Indian Museum, the California Indian community Elders—the keepers of the traditions—will be honored for their role in passing down the important history and culture of Native California people.

In addition to complimentary admission for the special day, a sponsored lunch will be provided to the tribal Elders and Indian foods will be available for purchase by Museum visitors.  Native American dancers, guest speakers, community service organizations, and arts and crafts vendors will also be on hand to enrich the experience.

An official proclamation from the Governor’s office in celebration of the contributions of California’s Indian people will be shared by Cynthia Gomez, Tribal Advisor, Office of Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr.  In addition, the event will include door prize drawings of unique, native-made arts and crafts donated by local Native artisans.
The Gathering of Honored Elders event is co-sponsored by California State Parks, California Indian Heritage Center Foundation, Buena Vista Rancheria, Hutuanape Foundation, Jackson Rancheria, Native American Health Center, Shingle Springs TANF, Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk, the United Auburn Indian Community and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.  The special “Gathering of Honored Elders” event hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Museum is open until 5 p.m. that day.  For more, call 324-0971 or visit www.parks.ca.gov/indianmuseum .

If you go:

What: 36th Annual “Gathering of Honored Elders” Event
Where: State Indian Museum State Historic Park, 2618 K Street in Sacramento
When: Saturday, June 8. Event hours:  10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Museum hours:  10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free!
For information, call 324-0971 or visit www.parks.ca.gov/indianmuseum

Shane Singh

Lost Pets: Sad to report that a neighborhood pet store, Pet Haven, was shuttered in May, leaving the Greenhaven Plaza shopping center in an unannounced move that caught many residents by surprise.  Countless Greenhaven-Pocket dogs, cats and birds found their human families at Pet Haven, which was a full-service shop featuring low-cost vaccinations in addition to adoptions and pet supplies. So it’s a double loss to the community — one less option to outfit our four-legged and winged friends, and farther travel for Spot’s and Snowball’s needs.

Ice Creamed: Another local business, the Cold Stone Creamery, went dark months before the hot summer heat was scheduled to arrive at Lake Crest Center.  The good news is that the neighboring Rite Aid opened an old fashioned “Thrifty Ice Cream” counter to put some chill into June, July and August.  Neighborhood parents won’t complain about the price break found at Thrifty …

Dusted for Prints: In case you wondered why hundreds of people were snaked around the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library a couple of weeks ago, the answer is: protecting our kids.  The lines were for “Live Scan” fingerprinting of the soccer coaches who will oversee hundreds of recreational youth teams in the fall.  More than 340 coaches and administrators’ prints were processed at this event hosted by Greenhaven Soccer.  Club vice-president Jean Seaton comments, “The volunteer coaches are the backbone of our soccer program, we thank them for waiting in line for the fingerprints.”  And yes, wise guy, no two prints were alike …

The Beautiful Game: Speaking of soccer, Norwich City FC, a bottom-feeder in the English Premier League, takes on Club Dorados of Sinaloa, Mexico in a friendly match at Raley Field on July 18 as part of “Sacramento Soccer Day.”

Warren Smith, the owner of the new pro soccer team notes, “Sacramento Soccer Day will marry the past, present and future of soccer in the Sacramento region. Sacramento has an incredibly rich and intriguing soccer history that has flown under the radar for too long. It is time to celebrate the generations of dedicated people that have laid the groundwork for the incredible soccer culture that exists here today. This event is for them.”  Expect a sell-out crowd. With the Kings staying, you’d think we could have attracted Manchester City, but no such luck. Get your tickets early. I’ll buy a pint at Pocket Bistro for the first reader who can tell me what city Norwich plays in (hint, it’s not London) …

Baby Vice: Exhaustive research by this column has established beyond a reasonable doubt that the bouncing new baby girl delivered by Angelique Ashby represents the first time a Vice Mayor of Sacramento has given birth on the job (well, Angelique wasn’t exactly on the job at the time, but you know what I mean). Congratulations to Mom and family …

Gaggle: Another springtime arrival has taken up residence in The Pocket.  A gaggle of geese has taken up residence in and around Florin Rd. and Windward Way.  The baby geese are about the size of old duck, I’m told (but taste better, I’ll wager).

Summer Reading: The annual Friends of The Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library Summer Reading program kicks off on June 15th at 10 am.  Friends president Kathi Windheim reports that this year’s theme is “Reading is So Delicious!”  Show up for the free entertainment and delicious goodies …

Sacramento Kings: Under the leadership of Mayor Kevin Johnson, the community united and saved our sole major league franchise.  The NBA approved the sale of the team from the Maloofs to a group led by software magnate Vivek Randadive. Randadive Tweeted, “…It is an honor & a privilege to be part of such an amazing community.” We agree.

Summer has arrived and the first of four Pops in the Park concerts in June began Saturday, June 1 at 6 p.m. The concert took place at East Portal Park, featuring Tom Rigney & Flambeau.  Buck Busfield and Bill Blake joined in the fun as emcees. Food and drinks are available for purchase with proceeds to benefit neighborhood projects. Vendors this evening included Burr’s Fountain, Clark’s Corner and the Midtown East Sac Kiwanis Club.

The following are the upcoming concerts, which each start at 6 p.m.
Saturday, June 8 – Mercy Me at Glenn Hall Park
Saturday, June 15 – The John Skinner Band at Bertha Henschel Park
Saturday, June 22 – Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers at McKinley Park

Selected students in grades Kindergarten through 8th Grade from Martin Luther King Jr. K-8 School have had their stories published by the Sacramento Public Library’s I Street Press.  Sixty-five authors’ works have been published in one of three volumes.

Student authors and their families had the opportunity to see their books rolling off the press in person when they visited the I Street Press at the Central Library on May 21st.  The authors were each presented with a copy of their book.

The Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library hosted an Author Celebration event on June 4.  MLK’s Young Authors signed their books and reading selections of their works.

This program was supported by the MLK PTA, The Greenhaven Mother’s Club, Pocket-Greenhaven Friends of the Library, and the Sacramento Public Library.