Tall and lean, Chad Sweitzer had a contagious smile on his face as he begins to talk about his new role as principle of Kennedy High School.

Chad Sweitzer’s academic journey has come full circle, from his time as a student in the Greenhaven area to his new job as principal at John F. Kennedy High School. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Sally King.

“I want to bring back good culture, good athletes and a strong student curriculum,” Sweitzer said. “I am going to focus on meeting graduation requirements.”

Sweitzer was the principal at Sutter Middle School for three years. Prior to that he was assistant principal at Kennedy from 2004 through 2006. He has come full circle and said he is happy to be back.

Linda Okada, office manager at Sutter Middle School, said he will be sorely missed.

“Chad is unique in his administrative style in that he brings the no-nonsense demeanor of authority, the compassion and guidance of a counselor and the common sense of an educator whose experience is such that nothing surprises him anymore,” Okada said.

Sweitzer said he enjoys working with the students, getting involved in activities such as sports and rallies.

“I see Kennedy being very competitive this year in sports,” Sweitzer said. “We are back to the old metro system and great rivalries.”

Sweitzer grew up in Greenhaven, off Riethmuth Way. He attended Caroline Wenzel Elementary School and Sam Brannan Middle School. He graduated from Kennedy in 1990. Sweitzer lives in Elk Grove with his wife of 13 years, and two children, ages 10 and 6 years old.

Sweitzer remembers his physical education teachers and coaches mentoring him as a young student and from an early age he wanted to work in the field of education.

Sweitzer’s career began as a counselor at Luther Burbank High School. He said when the position opened up at Kennedy; he thought this was his chance to be back home.

“I want a personal connection with the students,” Sweitzer said. “I want students to be able to remember me as someone they can trust and have fun with. I enjoy being silly and goofy.”

Sweitzer said as part of the focus for graduation requirements, he believes early intervention articulation works to help students from dropping out of high school. He said when eighth graders visit high school and become familiar with the layout, the students and teachers, it is no longer a scary place and the transition is easier.

Sweitzer said the school has lost a tremendous amount of money due to budget cuts and will be looking to parents to help with school supplies and needed items like tissues.

Kennedy has a staff of 85 people and five school counselors. Sweitzer wants the staff to feel like a family. He said the teachers at Kennedy love to work with the students.

Kennedy has a program called ASSETS, which stands for After-School Safety and Enrichment for Teens and serves up to 250 students. Sweitzer said it is a great program that provides a study hall and tutoring, a safe place for teens to hang out after school.

“I want a school where students know that people care about them and there are high expectations of the students,” Sweitzer said.

While other students are scrambling to finish their Senior Projects, Otto Ducey will be at ease, since he finished his Senior Project in late July, before his senior year even began, by raising funds for the Sacramento Police Department K9 Unit.

“Bandit’s Buddies” successfully raised $1,000 for two cooling units and a fan for the K9s who protect and serve the community with their human partners. Otto Ducey, left, presents a check to Sacramento Police Officer Gary Dahl and Bandit, his German Shepherd K9 partner. Bandit survived being shot in the line of duty earlier this year. Future fundraisers may go to purchasing Kevlar vests for K9s. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Celia Green

“Our goal was to raise $998, to purchase two cooling units and a fan for the dogs,” Ducey said. “We ended up with $1,032.”

Money was raised by selling “Bandit’s Buddies” bracelets and local businesses Dude, Where’s My Yogurt and Subway (both in the Promenade Shopping Center) gave a portion of proceeds from one night to the fund. In addition, many friends and neighbors made cash donations.

Bandit is a four-year-old German Shepherd who was shot in the line of duty in March of this year. He returned to work a month later and served, with his partner Officer Gary Dahl, as Grand Marshal in the Pocket neighborhood’s 4th of July parade.

“Of course, we will always accept donations,” Dahl said. “We’ll be getting two more K9 officers in September, and possibly a third. That third officer will need a vest. And the vests don’t last forever. After about five years the Kevlar doesn’t protect you like it should, so new vests have to be purchased.”

“I’m really grateful that so many people contributed, and that businesses like ‘Subway’ and ‘Dude, Where’s My Yogurt?’ were able to take part in such a great experience that will benefit the dogs who serve everyday in the police force,” Ducey said. “I would also like to give a special thanks to my friends, neighbors, and family, and of course to Kathi Windheim, who came up with the idea and helped me the whole way.”

For more information, or to donate, visit www.spdk9.org.

Dorothy Casalegno celebrated her 103rd birthday with cake, ice cream and a room filled with friends and family members at the Merrill Gardens retirement community on Aug. 23.

Dorothy Casalegno turned 103 years young at the Merrill Gardens retirement community in September. She credits her longevity to "a great family," good nutrition and good health habits. / Pocket News photo by Susan Laird

Bright, sharp and alert, the centenarian-plus-three smiled and laughed as everyone made much over her.

Née Dorothy Howe in Santa Ana, Calif., she moved to Morgan Hill where she grew up. She received her degree in nursing from San Jose Nursing School in 1929. One of her first jobs was as a member of the medical team that cared for the workers who built Boulder Dam – now known as Hoover Dam.

She worked in the first Sutter Hospital in Sacramento, just two years after it opened.

Dorothy was married for 60 years to the late Alfred Casalegno. Together, they raised three children, Bob Casalegno, Michael Casalegno and Carole (Casalegno) Dell’Agostino. Today, Dorothy has eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

In 2005, she moved to Merrill Gardens at the young age of 98. She still lives independently and loves her make-up, cute outfits, friends, social and physical activities as much as ever. In fact, with her dazzling smile, she could easily pass for a youngster of 75.

When asked the secret to a long life, Dorothy laughed and said that, in addition to having a great family, “I’ve always been interested in nutrition. I never smoked or drank, either.”

At the conclusion of the festivities, Dorothy thanked one and all.

“Everyone has been wonderful to celebrate my birthday,” she said.

A silent epidemic, CKD affects 31 million adult Americans, with more than 360,000 individuals suffering from kidney failure and currently on dialysis. The chance that an American adult has CKD is almost as high as an American woman’s risk of getting breast cancer, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize CKD as a major public health problem that not only reduces the quality and length of life, but is also expensive to treat.

“To be among a group of people so dedicated to this cause is truly inspiring,” said Schwarz. “This is an opportunity for us to push ourselves physically for all of our dialysis patients who struggle physically every day. We are  proud to be a part of this dedicated team of kidney care advocates and we are confident that together we can make a real difference.”

To participate in the 2010 Tour DaVita, each rider raised a minimum of $750 in donations and paid his/her own travel expenses. The participants’ individual fundraising combined with DaVita and other corporate sponsorships is expected to contribute more than $700,000 to The Kidney TRUST™, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to prevent kidney disease through public education and awareness across the United States .

For more information about the 2010 Tour DaVita, visit www.tourdavita.org.

In my previous articles in this series, I discussed the adjustments that parents need to make when their teen leaves for college, which includes the need to recognize that younger siblings are also having struggles. In this article, I am focusing on how parents can help their family’s adjustment when their teen attends college locally and lives at home.

During my senior year of high school I applied and was accepted to a school several hours away. Late in the year, I was badly injured in a car accident, and my plans fell apart. I remained at home for a year and attended the local community college. It was the right decision, but I was devastated, as I was READY to leave home, be free of my parents, and do whatever first year college students do when left to make their own decisions.

Like me, countless high school graduates continue living at home after high school, rather than go away for school. Be it for financial, medical, or any of many other reasons, community colleges are often the best option for recent graduates.

In spite of this, it’s important to anticipate that many of the same difficulties that arise when your teen leaves for college will exist, and your family will go through an adjustment period. Rather than risk unnecessary conflict, it’s best to be proactive and have a frank conversation, in which you both share your concerns, hopes and expectations and listen to your teen’s responses.

A good starting point is to help your teen make plans and set goals for this year and beyond. Much that you’d hope that he or she would transfer to U.C. Berkeley, it’s crucial to recognize that your teen is an adult and needs to make decisions on his or her own. Thus your job is to guide and support him or her in whatever the goals may be (within reason,) rather than trying to force your agenda.

On a practical level, it’s crucial to discuss changes in your teen’s schedule and the impact they will have on the family. With night classes, study groups and social outings, it makes sense that your teen will be coming and going pretty frequently. Although your teen shouldn’t have the same flexibility as he or she would have if living in the dorms, it makes sense to extend or discontinue curfew. At the same time, you shouldn’t have to tiptoe around the house, as you get ready for work, just because your teen wants to sleep until noon.

Another topic is household responsibilities. Even though much of your teen’s time will be spent outside the house, it’s important that he or she be an active member of the family. If, for example, your teen has always fed the dog and taken out the trash, the responsibilities shouldn’t change, just because college has begun. And if you feel strongly about the family having dinner together on Sunday nights, it’s realistic to insist that this continue.

It’s also crucial to discuss finances. As much as community colleges are much more affordable than universities, it’s important to recognize that your teen’s expenses will increase significantly. Regardless of your expectations regarding financial contributions, it’s important to discuss the issue honestly. Your teen is now an adult, and this is the perfect opportunity to educate him or her on adult responsibilities.

Ultimately, your teen’s graduation and move into college, regardless of the location of his or her school, will be a period of great transition, and challenges are inevitable. In order to minimize the difficulties and shorten the adjustment period, frank conversations are important. If both you and your teen are able to speak openly and listen to the other, this period will be as easy as possible.

steve@rivercitycounseling.com

In my last article, I wrote to parents about how they can cope with the feelings that arise when their child leaves for college. In this article, I’m going to focus on how parents can help their younger teens cope when their siblings leave for college.

Several years ago, I counseled “John,” a junior in high school. His parents brought him in because he’d left drugs on his bathroom counter and was generally dishonest. They were confused because he’d been a “perfect child” until a few weeks before.

Almost immediately, he became tearful and told me that his older brother “Dan” had just left for college. He’d been blindsided by all sorts of difficult feelings and made poor choices trying to cope. Part of what was difficult was that his parents seemed so caught up in their own feelings that they didn’t seem to notice that he was also struggling.

In fairness to his parents, John didn’t hang a banner over the front door telling them that he was struggling. Instead, the opposite seemed true. By the time Dan’s flight touched down, John had commandeered his brother’s bedroom and celebrated by having friends over for an Xbox marathon. However, underneath the bravado was a sad teen. Had his parents anticipated this, they could have done some things prior to Dan’s departure.

The effects of upcoming transition can be minimized if teens spend quality time together. Instead of encouraging this, they’d allowed Dan to work all summer and stay most nights at friends’ houses. Had they been aware of how much John would miss his brother, they could have encouraged the two of them to hang out more frequently.

Before departure day, it’s important to talk with your younger child about what changes to expect and what issues could arise. As the new “oldest child,” it’s reasonable to expect him/her to be more responsible and take over some of your college-bound teen’s responsibilities. At the same time, it’s also reasonable to increase privileges. Had this honest dialogue occurred, it’s likely that John and his parents would have begun the transition being on the same page and had an easier time adjusting.

When it’s time for your teen to head to college, it’s helpful for the entire family to “drop him/her off.” As John’s parents weren’t aware of how he was feeling, Dan’s father took him to school, while John and his mother stayed home. Had they gone together, John would have been able to see where Dan was living and tour the campus. This could have left him feeling more involved in Dan’s experience and helped them stay more connected.

Once home, recognize that your younger teen is going to have strong feelings. Be understanding of what he/she is experiencing, while reminding him/her that certain behaviors are unacceptable. When John’s parents realized this, they were more understanding about the choices he had made, while at the same time giving him appropriate consequences. Although John wasn’t happy, his behavior improved.

Furthermore, encouraged your younger child to contact his/her older sibling regularly. When they did this, John reacted by getting annoyed, as he didn’t want to appear vulnerable by admitting that he missed his brother. However, when he started texting Dan frequently and keeping in-touch on Facebook, John admitted to feeling better and being more of a part of what Dan was experiencing.

Although you may face some resistance, also encourage your older teen to come home regularly. Doing so will help keep the family connected (and maybe help with some homesickness.) Although he wasn’t always happy to miss socializing with his friends, Dan came home four times during his freshman year, which seemed to help everybody.

When teens leave for college, families are forced to adjust, and difficulties are challenging to avoid. Just as you are likely to be struggling, keep in mind that your younger teen will also be having strong feelings. By remaining aware of this and taking steps, both prior to and after departure day, some of your younger teen’s struggles should be minimized.

In my next article in this series, I’m going focus on what parents can do to help families adjust when their teens stay at home, rather than leaving for college.

steve@rivercitycounseling.com

When I started college my parents drove me to school, helped me move in, and attended a few parent/student events. I wondered if they’d ever leave. Finally, we hugged and kissed, and they drove away. And with that I turned and sprinted across campus, beside myself with happiness, relief, and excitement. I was free and on my own.

Looking back, I realize my parents worked hard the summer before I left to prepare me for this successful transition. They also took steps to prepare themselves for my departure. After all, I was their “baby” and their nest was about to be empty.

As departure day approaches, it is important to change the tone of your relationship with your teen, such that you become less of an authority figure and more of a guide. After all, your teen will soon be making the vast majority of decisions on his or her own. It is important for them to begin this transition before they leave. I’m not suggesting letting your teen stay out all night and having full access to the wine cellar. You still need rules and expectations. But if they make poor choices, focus more on discussion and guidance than on consequences.

As much as your college-bound teen will be pulling at the reins, seemingly full of confidence, remember that they’re also fearful and anxious about leaving home. When you sense this, reassure them that they’ll be fine and you’ll be there to help, if they need you.

Plan for regular check-ins, be it by phone, text, Facebook, Skype or email. Along with this, plan your teen’s visits home. By doing this, your teen will have the reassurance of knowing that you’ll communicate regularly.

It is also important for parents to share some of what they are feeling. You want your teen to know how proud you are and how much you’re going to miss him/her. Don’t overdo it. If your teen gets the feeling that their departure is going to overwhelm you, then leaving will be more difficult. Share your more intense feelings with others.

After your child leaves, you’ll have many different feelings, and most are normal and OK. Perhaps you’ll feel depressed, empty and lonely. Or you might feel happy and relieved. Be patient, the feelings will get easier. If necessary, seek out the support of friends and family to help with your transition.

You will also have more free time now that you aren’t going to games and monitoring homework. You need to figure out what to do. One option is to stay home and wallow in your feelings. Or you can find new things to do. It’s your time to explore and do what you’ve always meant to do but couldn’t find the time.

If your teen doesn’t contact you as frequently as you’d like, try not to take it personally. Your teen is in a period of extraordinary change and excitement, and staying in-touch won’t be a priority. Be patient and continue checking-in. Even if your teen seems disinterested and gives one-word responses, rest assured that your communications are helping with the adjustment.

When you do communicate, celebrate what’s going well and offer to help with what isn’t. Work hard not to judge and lecture. If your teen gets the message that you are there to guide rather than criticize, they’ll be more likely to speak openly and seek your support.

When a teen leaves for college a family is thrown into a period of great challenge and transition. If parents and teens don’t work hard to make it a positive experience, relationships can be strained or even damaged. However, if parents help their teens to prepare prior to departure and support them once they’re at school, along with taking care of their own emotional needs, the likelihood of a successful transition for teen and parents is high.

In my next article, I will focus on how parents can help their younger children when their older siblings go to school.

steve@rivercitycounseling.com

The LEED-nominated Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library opened Aug. 28 and cost $15 million to build. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Danny Kam

Big, round chairs that invite one to sit down and stay awhile are just one of the great features of this new library, where everything is state-of-the-art. So much so, that the library is nominated for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver accreditation.

About 500 people showed up to attend the grand opening celebration that took place Saturday, Aug. 28.

Robbie Waters, Sacramento City Councilmember for District 7, who spent many years helping to plan the library, thanked all who participated in donating their time and money to the construction and furnishing of this 15,387 square foot library.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said it is an impressive building.

“It feels like a Borders in the middle of the Greenhaven-Pocket area,” Johnson said. “It has a big meeting room, public computers, it is kid-friendly and energy efficient. A real tribute to Robbie Waters.”

Many Sacramento City Council members attended the event, along with State Senate President Pro Tem Daryl Steinberg and Nathan Dietrich, district director for Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

Waters said the $15 million cost to build the library came from the City of Sacramento Community Reinvestment Capital Improvement Project Funds, Freeport Regional Water Authority Mitigation Funds, and City of Sacramento Council District 7 Discretionary funds.

Enhancement funds came from Roger and Carolyn Fong in memory of their daughter, Michele Fong Beam, First Five of California and Friends of the Pocket-Greenhaven Library.

Library patrons checked out brand-new books, dvds, cds and audio books at the new library. There were 158 new library cards issued on opening day. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Danny Kam

“This is a happy day for Sacramento,” Steinberg said. “This is an opportunity to be thankful. For a down economy, three new libraries opened this year. Three things make a library important: It is a place for people of all walks of life to gather, it provides access and exposure to institutions of education and it creates lifelong learners.”

“I love this library,” said Ian Briggs, an eleven-year-old, who attends Matsumoto Elementary School and was busy using one of the new kids’ computers.

Friends of the Library member Kathy Donovan said the new facility is a beautiful, fantastic place for the community.

“It is within walking distance for many people,” Donovan said. “Another convenience is the Friends bookstore to the left at the entrance of the library that sells used books between 50 cents and a dollar and is open during library hours.”

Yvonne Correa, who also said she is very excited that she can walk to the library in eight minutes, is looking forward to bringing her grandchildren here.

“I appreciate the large print books,” Correa said. “Your eyes don’t work as well as you get older.”

Many people who attended the opening celebration walked to the library from their homes, bringing kids and babies in strollers. There is a large bike rack for cyclists.

Robbie Waters, councilman for Sacramento's District 7, checks out a book from the new library which bears his name.

It didn’t take but a few minutes, once inside the library, for people, old and young alike to start using the new facilities. Most of the computers in the adult section and the kids section were in use. A woman with book in hand sat in a comfy chair, reading in the well-lit room, undisturbed by the large crowds drifting through.

The special features of the library include:

Radio Frequency Identification, a time-saving device where embedded chips in the books and other materials allow the borrower to check out a stack of books all at once, without having to scan each item individually.

A 72-seat community room for meetings and events. It has a built-in projector, sound system and a drop-down viewing screen.

Forty Internet-access computers, a Kid’s Place where parents and caregivers are able to share stories, a Ready to Read Center that offers computers with early-learning software for children, ages eight years and younger and a Teen Room, with comfortable reading chairs, and computer stations.

Lots of smiling faces could be seen checking out the new library. As they perused the isles, there was a lot of “oohing” and “ahhing” over the many custom features available.

The Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library is located at 7335 Gloria Drive in Sacramento. Library hours are: 12 noon–8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, Closed Sunday and Monday. Learn more by calling (916) 264-2700 or visit www.saclibrary.org.

An afternoon on the golf course is one of the most relaxing things in the world. The smell of the grass, the birds chirping and a quiet stroll through a landscaped course can be a beautiful experience. Or it can be if you’re good at golf, anyway. For most of the people who play golf for “fun,” it ends up being a terribly frustrating experience, chock full of humiliation and less-than-appropriate language. 

Local junior golfers from C.K. McClatchy and St. Francis high schools have been selected to play at Pebble Beach in the Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open over Labor Day weekend. Left to right, Ashley Noda (St. Francis H.S.), Taryn Yee (McClatchy H.S.), Briana Mao (St. Francis H.S.). / Photo courtesy of Briana Mao

St. Francis High School’s Ashley Noda and Briana Mao and former McClatchy High School’s Taryn Yee have probably never experienced such consternation on the links as the rest of us, for they are among the very best in the world at what they do. And on Labor Day weekend they will travel to Pebble Beach to put their skills to the test – again.

Noda, 16, was just three years old when she took her first hacks. She received a set of lefty clubs for Christmas that year and was hooked immediately. She demanded of herself that she spend up to three hours a day at the driving range until her hands were raw and blistered. When she was eight years old she began to lap the competition, and at the time the competition was all boys. By the time she turned 12, Ashley was playing 18-hole tourneys – and winning them too.

Mao, 17, waited a little longer to get started. She was the ripe old age of six when she began her career.

“I never thought of it like I had talent (for golf),” Mao said. This coming from someone who qualified for a tournament across the country in Georgia at the age of six. She, too, got bigger and stronger and before long she was winning more tournaments than she knew what to do with.

Yee, 18, was a competitive tennis player before exchanging her racket for a three-iron. She didn’t start taking golf seriously until she was 10. She chose to play golf because it let her spend more time with her father. But as it turned out, she was a natural. With her parents working many hours, the Little Linkers program was something for Taryn to do with her time. It wasn’t long before she started dominating too.

Eventually all three girls joined the First Tee program. The First Tee of Greater Sacramento has a tour for boys and girls between the ages of 12 to18 called the Junior Tour. In 2009, the three girls applied for entry into a Champions Tour event to be played at Pebble Beach called the Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open. Juniors ages 15-18 from across the country applied. Participants were chosen based on “playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and core lessons learned through involvement with The First Tee,” according to a press release from The First Tee.

All three of the girls made the cut. They spent a week down at Pebble Beach soaking it all in and playing before a national audience. Pebble Beach is one of the most famous courses in the world, so naturally the immediate reactions were ones of awe and goose bump-inducing wonder for the three youngsters.

Mao recalled her reaction on the Tuesday morning before the event when she played her first practice round.

“Oh my gosh, I’m about to play Pebble Beach,” Mao said.

“It was amazing,” recalled Yee of her first impression of the course. “It never entered my mind that I would one day play Pebble Beach.”

“It is such a magical place,” said Noda. “It’s so different being on the course as opposed to watching on TV. It was a breathtaking experience.”

Each junior golfer was paired with an amateur golfer and a professional from the Champions Tour (formerly the Senior PGA Tour) for the three day event. Noda was paired with Isao Aoki; Yee with Jim Thorpe and Mao with Mark O’Meara. They got to meet a number of the world’s most famous golfers such as Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and Peter Jacobsen.

The girls became friends with the golfers throughout the week. They talked about golf, family and everything in between. O’Meara even spent some time during a practice round to help Mao with her bunker play.

“Ever since then I have had no trouble with bunker shots,” she said.

One year later, the threesome is ready to go out and do it again. This year, 245 juniors from across the country applied for the event. Altogether, 74 boys and girls were chosen. Once again, the names Noda, Mao and Yee will adorn the scoreboard at Pebble Beach.

“I’m really excited,” said Mao. “Ashley and I have been talking all week about how we can’t believe we get to go to Pebble Beach again. I can’t even concentrate on school right now.”

The girls, who have gotten to know each other over the past several years as opponents and friends, are ready for the challenge once more. Who knows if the views will be as majestic and dumbfounding this time around, but regardless of outcome, these three likely won’t hook a dozen balls into the Pacific like the rest of us would.

The Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open, which takes place Sept. 3-5, will be televised nationally on the Golf Channel.

benn@valcomnews.com

As a community newspaper reporter, it is my ongoing quest to continuously gain a more thorough knowledge and understanding of the past and present businesses of local communities. And it was just last week, for instance, that this quest led me to Three Sisters Mexican Kitchen and Cantina.

The three sisters of Three Sisters restaurant in East Sacramento also own Tres Hermanas Restaurant in midtown Sacramento. They are, left to right, Norma, Dora and Sonia Saenz. / Valley Community Newspapers photo by Lance Armstrong

Three years ago, while covering a Cinco de Mayo story at Tres Hermanas Restaurant at 2416 K St., I learned from this midtown Sacramento business’s co-owner, Sergio Saenz, that there really were “tres hermanas” or “three sisters” behind the naming of the restaurant.

Sergio explained to me that the midtown restaurant, which opened its doors for the first time on Oct. 18, 1996, had been named after his sisters.

And it certainly came as no surprise to me when Sergio revealed to me how many sisters were in his family.

After telling me that his “tres hermanas” were Norma, Dora and Sonia, he also informed me that Three Sisters restaurant at 5100 Folsom Blvd. was also part of his family’s restaurant endeavors.

In an attempt to enhance my Cinco de Mayo story, I asked Sergio if I could arrange a meeting with all three sisters.

Sergio informed me that it would be best to leave such a meeting to another time, since Norma and Dora were operating the East Sacramento restaurant and Sonia was working with him at the midtown restaurant.

Although my Cinco de Mayo Tres Hermanas story was successfully completed without the presence of all three sisters, the idea of one day gathering these sisters together for one interview continued to intrigue me.

Undoubtedly, there were many people in Sacramento who were familiar with Tres Hermanas and Three Sisters restaurants, yet had no idea why these restaurants received these names.

Being that my travels often take me past Three Sisters restaurant, it recently occurred to me that it was about time to make an effort to obtain my desired interview with all three sisters.

In my attempt to secure an interview with all three sisters, Dora informed me that I would have to wait until the following week in order to conduct my “tres hermanas” interview.

Considering that in a way, I had already waited 181 weeks for this interview, I figured that it would not be too much trouble on my part to wait just another week.

When the day of my interview finally arrived, it was nice to see not una hermana or dos hermanas, but actually tres hermanas.

After confirming that these women were the three sisters that I had arrived to meet and not just three unsuspecting women at the restaurant who I suddenly sat down with – that could be an awkward moment – I began to learn about these local business women.

Born in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua and raised in the town of Cuahtemoc – a place of about 80,000 people that is comparable to Stockton, with a downtown, suburbs and orchards – the three sisters are among the seven children of Guadalupe Saenz and her late husband, Simon Saenz.

After arriving in the United States with their family in 1988, Norma, Dora and Sonia worked in different restaurants in Sacramento for eight years prior to making the decision to open their own restaurant.

The sisters’ search for a restaurant ended when local real estate broker Angelo Tsorakis of Elk Grove offered them the K Street restaurant site that had formerly housed Food for Thought.

After the three sisters acquired their midtown business location, Tsorakis presented the idea of naming the restaurant, Tres Hermanas.

Norma admits that the name was initially rejected, but was later reevaluated and accepted.

Dora, who often enjoys telling young visitors of Three Sisters restaurant that she is the real life character from the animated children’s television series, Dora the Explorer, recalled how challenging it was to operate a new restaurant for the first time.

“We thought we knew everything, but we’re still learning, actually,” Dora said. “It was funny. Everybody thought, ‘I’m going start my own business and I’m going to be the boss.’ It is not exactly that way.”

The sisters quickly learned that owning the business also meant performing just about every duty that was necessary to operate a successful restaurant.

As the sisters’ midtown business progressed, Tsorakis approached Norma about the possibility of moving the restaurant to East Sacramento.

After Norma told Tsorakis that she was happy with the midtown site, the topic arose about the sisters acquiring a second restaurant location.

Norma related the humorous scenario in which the sisters purchased the East Sacramento restaurant site, which formerly housed the Irish pub, Gallagher’s Bar and Grill.

“Angelo said to me, ‘I think you need a second restaurant,’ and I said, ‘Oh no, Angelo,’” Norma recalled. “I told him I didn’t want to see it, but he didn’t take no for an answer. It was only about five minutes away, so I finally went and looked at it. The building already looked Mexican with the arched windows. I later called Angelo and said, ‘Nice, but no.’”

Since Tsorakis remained persistent about the sisters acquiring the second site, Norma offered $30,000 on the location, which was being offered for $65,000.

Norma said that it was her way of easing out of the situation with Tsorakis.

“I offered him $30,000, because I knew they were not going to take it,” Norma said. “(Tsorakis) came back like two days later and said, ‘Norma, they think the offer is too low.’ I said, ‘I’m not going to offer any more, Angelo.’ He later came back and told me they took the offer. Instead of being happy, I was like, ‘Oh no, don’t tell me this, Angelo.’ And here we are and thank God, because we’ve been very, very successful.”

With the notoriety of Tres Hermanas, Three Sisters was more easily able to establish itself as a popular restaurant.

In addition to having similarities to the midtown restaurant, Three Sisters was established with different characteristics, including a few different food items, a distinct décor and a full bar, including many tequilas, as opposed to the midtown site’s small, beer and wine bar.

But one undeniably similar aspect about both locations is the Saenz family’s concentration on presenting a friendly atmosphere.

“We’re doing what we love and we love to entertain people,” Norma said. “This is our life. The customers become our friends. The greatest friends we have, we found in here at the restaurant.”

Sonia added, “I like to see people happy. It’s so nice just to see people when they’re eating and on their faces they look happy.”

But certainly, a great aid in having people look happy when they’re eating is presenting quality food, which is something that both restaurants understand quite well.

Already having high expectations for Three Sisters’ food, since I have great memories of enjoying the carnitas entrée at Tres Hermanas, I decided to try out the Chicken Mole Poblano ($13.99).

And what a wise choice this was, as with my first bite, the many wonderful flavors of the mole sauce instantly danced upon my taste buds.

The sauce, which takes almost a whole day to prepare and includes about 35 ingredients, is undoubtedly one of the best mole sauces that I have ever tasted.

Furthermore, the chicken, which was topped off with thin strips of onions and sesame seeds, was extremely tender and the entrée was complimented with homemade beans and rice, fresh tortillas, chips and salsa.

But the quality of both restaurants’ food should come as no surprise for those who have heard the passion in which the business’s owners speak about their love for using high quality, fresh ingredients and creating all their dishes from scratch.

New guests of these excellent Sacramento restaurants will discover that these eating establishments offer different tasting, more spicier foods, since these restaurants are inspired by the northern Mexico cooking of Guadalupe, her mother and her nine sisters.

Norma said that these notable differences in tastes are due to the fact that most of the Mexican restaurants in the Sacramento area present food derived from recipes from Jalisco and Michoacan in the south part of Mexico.

Other popular dinner entrées at both restaurants include: Camarones (shrimp) a la Three Sisters/Tres Hermanas ($14.99), Carne Asada ($13.99), Beef Chimichanga with Chipotle Sauce ($13.99), Vegetarian Tamales ($12.99) and Navajo Chicken Salad ($11.99) with house creamy cilantro dressing.

Welcoming the community to visit Three Sisters Mexican Kitchen and Cantina and Tres Hermanas Restaurant, as well as the family’s other restaurants, Sabores Mexican Cuisine at 10341 Fairway Drive in Rocklin and Tres Hermanas Restaurant at 805 2^nd St. in Davis, which opens this month, Dora said, “Everybody should come and try our restaurants. If you give us one chance, you’ll be coming back.”

And based on my visits to the Saenz family’s Sacramento restaurants, I couldn’t agree more.

Three Sisters and Tres Hermanas restaurants, which serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, are open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For additional information about these restaurants, call (916) 452-7442.

lance@valcomnews.com