Left to right, Kiwanis members Judee Shoemaker, Jan Lovejoy, Vonnie Kramer and Diane Powell attend the 50th anniversary event at the Carmichael home of Michael and Debbie Koerner. / Photo courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Carmichael

Certainly the world was a much different place in 1962, as John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records, the Vietnam War was far from ending and gasoline cost about 28 cents per gallon. And in this community, the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael was founded.
Many other significant events have since made an impact on the world and gasoline prices have soared to uncomfortable and depressing levels for many people.
As the years have passed by following its founding, the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael has continued to dedicate itself to its work as a constantly motivated service organization.
Altogether Kiwanis history dates back to its 1915 founding in Detroit, Mich.
The headquarters of this international organization is in Indianapolis, Ind. Its international status was established in 1916, when it expanded to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Originally established as a business networking organization through the work of Detroit natives Allen S. Browne, a professional organizer, and Joseph C. Prance, who was a tailor, and other men who they recruited, the Kiwanians changed their focus to service three years after the club’s inception in Detroit.

Kiwanis name, motto and membership
The name Kiwanis was derived from the Otchipew Native American language expression, “Nunc-Kee-wanis,” which is translated as “We have a good time, “We make some noise” or “We trade or advertise.”
In 1920, Roe Fulkerson, the editor of the Kiwanis magazine, proposed the term, “We Build,” as the Kiwanians motto.
This international organization, which has more than 600,000 members, adopted a new motto, “Serving the Children of the World,” in 2005.
The Kiwanis Club of Carmichael, which has 94 members from different areas, including Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Sacramento, Roseville and Lincoln, is part of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District and is one of the clubs of Division 44.
This local club, which is the largest club in Division 44, was chartered on August 15, 1962.

Special gatherings
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the club recently held two special gatherings.
The first of these gatherings was a catered dinner at the Carmichael home of Michael and Debbie Koerner on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Seventy-six people, including Carmichael club members and notable Kiwanians, were in attendance at this event, which had the theme of “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation.”
The next gathering occurred during the following morning at the Carmichael Elks Lodge with special Kiwanian guests, Lt. Gov. of Division 44 Bernie Bowes and California-Nevada-Hawaii District Gov. Dick Olmstead. While Olmstead lives locally, Bowes traveled from the Lancaster, Calif. area to participate in the event, which was attended by 80 people.
During his visit, Bowes, who travels about 300 days per year, installed Sky Pohle, a local scoutmaster, as the Carmichael club’s 94th member.
Another feature of the Wednesday morning event was District 3 Supervisor Susan Peters’ presentation of a proclamation honoring the club.

Carmichael resident Cathryn Snow is the current president of the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael. / Photo by Lance Armstrong

Kiwanis International
Cathryn Snow, president of the Carmichael club, met with the Arden-Carmichael News last week to share details about the local club and the overall efforts of Kiwanis International.
Very early in her interview with this publication, Snow recognized the Kiwanis Family House, which provides temporary support to families of seriously ill or injured children and some adults who receive treatment at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
“We’re the only Kiwanis Family House in the world,” said Snow, who was born and raised in Modesto. “Two wonderful Kiwanians started (the house). The med center gave up the eternal lease on the land and then we built the house. It is run similar to a Ronald McDonald House, in that it’s the families of critically ill children and even some adults. If we have room, we’ll take adults. Those people are referred to the family house by the hospital. They pay, if they can. If they can’t, they don’t (pay). It’s a wonderful service that they have there. This last month, we served 1,200 people (at the house).”
Snow also recognized Kiwanis International’s work of eliminating iodine deficiency throughout the world.
She added that Kiwanis International is presently working toward achieving its goal of eradicating maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide.
“A series of three shots cost $1.80 per person to eradicate (maternal and neonatal) tetanus in the world,” Snow said.
She noted that millions of dollars are still needed to accomplish this goal.

Local club projects
Locally, the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael is dedicated to many other projects.
The club supports local scouting programs and elementary schools.
Kiwanians of the Carmichael club provide tutoring and classroom participation at Cameron Ranch School in Sacramento.
During each winter holiday season, local Kiwanians also dedicate themselves to their See’s Candies program, which supports the San Juan Unified School District’s fine arts program.
Carmichael Kiwanis club members also worked with other service club members to create a current “Welcome to Carmichael” sign.
Other Carmichael Kiwanis projects include contributions to the American River Parkway, the Effie Yeaw Nature Center, middle and high school jazz programs in the San Juan Unified School District and three food closets.
One of the exciting elements of the Carmichael Kiwanis club, Snow said, is that the club is “an active, growing club.”
And she added that Kiwanis International records more service hours than any service group in the world, and that Olmstead recently described the organization as the only service club in the world that is growing.

Another anniversary to celebrate
Snow, who joined the Carmichael club in 1994, said that in addition to the club’s 50th anniversary, another anniversary is also occurring this year.
“It’s also the 25th year of the women in Kiwanis,” Snow said. “The first woman to join Kiwanis was Kathy Stake, who lives over in the Monterey area now, and I believe she’s still a Kiwanian.”

California-Nevada-Hawaii District Gov. Dick Olmstead was a special guest of the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael during its recent 50th anniversary events. / Photo courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Carmichael

First members
Overall, Neil Loveridge, a now retired dentist, and Bob Cosans, who was a San Juan Unified School District educator, were the first members of the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael.
Neil said that the Carmichael club’s anniversary is especially meaningful to him, because he acquired his dentistry license on the same day that the Carmichael club held its first meeting.
It was through his brother, Gordon, who was already an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Sacramento Suburban, that Neil learned that efforts were underway for the establishment of the Carmichael club.
He added that it was also because of his brother that he decided to move to Carmichael from his native state of Utah in 1962.
“I came to Sacramento (from Provo, Utah), because my brother was here practicing dentistry and he’s my only sibling,” Neil said. “We decided if we could be close together, we could somehow get our parents to visit us more often.”

Membership grew
During its early years, with the exception of a brief relocation to another local eatery, the Carmichael club met in a back room at Sambo’s Pancakes at 7201 Fair Oaks Boulevard in Carmichael.
When the Carmichael club was established with about 15 members on its charter roll, it was limited to men who either lived or worked in Carmichael. And no more than two people from a single profession could join the club at the time.
Other charter members of the Carmichael club included Ted Baker, a banker for Bank of America, Paul Barkin, a pediatric dentist, Oden Bohlander, the principal at Coyle Avenue School, Bill McCreary, the club’s first president, and Orrell M. James.
Neil, who acquired his practice on Fair Oaks Boulevard from Dr. Darol Rasmussen, said that the club’s first project was raising funds through the operation of a cotton candy booth at the Carmichael 4th of July parade.
Bill Fellers, whose father was a Kiwanian, said that he was also an early member of the club.
“I was teaching at American River College and the college president (Bill Priest) wanted us to get out and (join) organizations and other things to make a name for ARC,” Fellers said. “So, I joined in 1966, when Neil was president. When I went in, I think there were 30 (members).”

Making great progress
Fellers said that the club has made great progress during its half-century-long existence.
“The club has become much stronger and much better, much bigger and able to make more money to give to charitable organizations,” Fellers said.
The Kiwanis Club of Carmichael meets every Wednesday from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Carmichael Elks Lodge at 5631 Cypress Avenue in Carmichael.

For additional information about the club, contact Cathryn Snow at csnow@cbnorcal.com.

In today’s world of advanced communication technology, news can still travel slowly.
For instance, many longtime Arden and Carmichael residents would have trouble guessing the obvious newsworthy answer to the question: “What do the Coral Reef, the Palomino Room, Ken’s Red Barn and Buggy Whip all have in common?”
A quick answer would be that these are names of popular restaurants that have operated at various times in the north area of the city.
Although this answer is true, the newsworthy answer is these are all north area restaurants that are no longer in operation.
Certainly many years have passed since the Coral Reef at 2795 Fulton Ave., the Palomino Room at 3405 El Camino Ave. and Ken’s Red Barn at 500 Fulton Ave. were serving their customers.
But still, there are very many residents of the area who remain unaware that Buggy Whip, at 2737 Fulton Ave., ceased operation on May 8 after more than 52 years in business.
Arden-area resident Cindy Simmons, for instance, said that she was surprised to hear that Buggy Whip closed three months ago.
“I had no idea (Buggy Whip) closed,” said Cindy, who has been an occasional patron of the restaurant since the mid-1960s. “I got married (to Doug Simmons) in 1966 and we probably went there three or four times a year and we would go with other people. We would always get the same thing – the prime rib. It was a wonderful meal with the soup and salad and the whole nine yards. You could always count on a good meal at an appropriate price. We never had a bad meal there. It was always very positive. I’m really sad that they needed to close. I hope they find a way to open again.”
Fortunately for Cindy and other locals who have enjoyed dining at Buggy Whip at various times during this eating establishment’s longtime existence, some very positive news may be on its way.

Good news?
“I am edging toward the idea of reopening the restaurant,” said Larry LeSieur, who took over ownership of the restaurant in 1980 following the death of his father, Aaron LeSieur, who opened the restaurant in 1959.
But of course, many people are still left wondering why the restaurant closed in the first place.
With a quick view inside Buggy Whip’s windows, the old eatery’s tables remain set like a place that has been closed for several hours, as opposed to the past 90 days.
On one of these windows and on a glass panel on the front door are signs, which read: “Remodeling: Closed for repairs. Thank you.”
As of the publishing of this article, no recent remodeling had occurred and the restaurant building sat awaiting its unknown future.

Setting the record straight
When presented with the opportunity to share details about his landmark restaurant with readers of this publication, Larry LeSieur, 65, was eager to set the record straight.
“What really happened was (Buggy Whip) was a union restaurant for 50 years,” he said. “I talked to the union (representative). I had to sign a new contract, and I said, ‘Hey, listen, we’re going through the toughest times.’ You can’t have a mom and pop (union) restaurant. We’re the only one left, except for The Firehouse (in Old Sacramento), in all of Sacramento. And the reason we were union is because 50 years ago, everybody was union. You can’t be in the union. So, anyway, I said, ‘I can’t pay benefits. There’s no way. You can’t have health, welfare and pay these three-week vacations. You can’t do that.’ Most (employees) were only kind of part-time, too. They wouldn’t even work 40 hours (per week). So, basically, I said, ‘I can’t sign (the contract),’ and I didn’t sign it. But I didn’t get out right.”
LeSieur said that a year and a half later, the union representative who had worked with him had left his job, and LeSieur was then approached by a different union representative who told him his contract was still valid.
Eventually, however, LeSieur was sued and the restaurant was later closed.

The lawsuit
“When you get out of a contract, you have to do certain procedures, which I didn’t do,” LeSieur said. “So, they had me red handed. So, what they do is get a judgment against you. The judgment was $60,000 or $90,000. But then they said, ‘Hey, listen, we’ll let you pay $30,000, but you’ll have to sign a new contract with us.’ I said, ‘Either way, I can’t pay the $30,000, but let’s just say I would pay the $30,000, the problem is I can’t sign a new contract going forward, because I can’t make any money.’ You can’t have health and welfare benefits for a small, little mom and pop restaurant. So, I filed and that’s how I ended up in Chapter 11. And some mistakes were made and now it’s into liquidation. Otherwise, I would still be open today.”
Regarding his financial situation with the restaurant, LeSieur said he paid off most of the IRS debt, but he still owes the state board and the Education Development Department a small amount.
“It’s a lot of money, but it’s not a lot of money,” he said. “I would have to make those whole and then go back in, but the liquidation would take care of those things.”

To reopen or not to reopen
LeSieur said that if he reopens his restaurant, it would likely reappear with a slightly different name change. He said that the place would probably become known as “The Buggy Whip” – a name so subtlety different that many people would never notice that the name had been changed.
Although he does not like the idea of keeping many of his former customers in limbo, LeSieur said that he needs some time to determine what he wants his future to be in the local restaurant industry.
“The update is I’m just not quite sure what I’m going to do,” he said.

Lance@valcomnews.com

For the past 67 years, the Carmichael Recreation and Park District (CRPD) has continued to offer a variety of programs and manage the area’s parks.
According to Deputy Administrator Jack Harrison, high attendance at area parks shows that the community is taking advantage.
“People really seem to be invested in the parks system in Carmichael and they really enjoy the recreational program,” Harrison said. “That’s why we have such large numbers in our programs. We know it makes a difference in peoples’ lives. We believe what we’re doing is very important, and the response from the community to everything we do makes it really clear this is very important to the community as well.”

Disc golf
One of the newest recreational offerings through the district is the disc golf course at Carmichael Park, which had been relocated from Schweitzer Grove Nature Area.
“It’s been very successful,” Harrison said. “If you drive by the park, you’ll see them out here pretty much all the time.”
Harrison says the course is a nine-hole disc golf course that closely mimics a traditional golf course.
He explained disc golf is played with a disc, similar to a Frisbee, and players throw their disc from a designated “tee” toward the “hole,” which is really a basket mounted on a post.
The basket has chains on the outside that help the disc fall in to the basket. And like in golf, players try to get their disc into each basket with the least number of throws as possible.
According to Harrison, the game attracts players of all ages. Those new to the game can borrow discs from the CRPD Office at Carmichael Park to give disc golf a try.
However, Harrison says those serious about the game will have different types of discs, similar to how golf players have different types of clubs.
Schweitzer Grove Nature Area
Now that the disc golf course has been moved to Carmichael Park, the district is looking to make some improvements to the 17.2-acre Schweitzer Grove Nature Area.
Harrison said the district is working on a master play for the grove, which will be coming before the CRPD Board in late August. The plan would include creating a trail system, as well as an outdoor education where youth groups and the Schweitzer school next door can come and get an environmental education in the outdoors.
The grove primarily contains oak and eucalyptus trees, as well as a variety of bird life, and Harrison says the plan would include interpretive signs on the trails to explain particular trees or birds that are common to the area.
“People walk the site now for exercise or to walk their dogs,” he said. “We’ve outlined a very interesting trail system so people can get their exercise, be able to traverse through some very pretty areas and have a little environmental education along the way.”

La Sierra Community Center
CRPD is currently under construction with a new playground at the La Sierra Community Center, which is expected to open to the public on Aug. 15.
Harrison says since the La Sierra site used to be a high school, there was no need for a playground. But with new schools leasing space at the site, there was a high desire to have a playground for elementary-age children in the area.
“That will be not only an advantage for the students who are at the various schools that lease space from us, but also children who come out to the soccer fields (and) Little League baseball – all those outdoor sporting areas will have access to this playground,” he said. “We think it’s going to get an awful lot of use by all the visitors to La Sierra, which is a large number each year.”
According to Harrison, the California Montessori Project is sharing the cost of the new playground with the district as one of La Sierra’s new tenants is a Montessori preschool.
Harrison said the preschool has been open for about four months and is a state licensed preschool that operates full week, full day year round.

The future
New tenants like the Montessori preschool will eventually help CRPD financially, according to Harrison, as they provide a source of revenue.
This year, that revenue is being used to restore La Sierra for its tenants, but next year Harrison says monies brought in from the leases should have a positive impact.
“We won’t see the full benefit of that revenue until we’re on the other side of all the improvements we have to make for our new tenants, but those are five year leases and we should get some financial benefit from that for at least three years, possibly into part of a fourth year,” he said.
This is all part of CRPD’s overall budget plan of becoming solid again.
Harrison said the district recently passed its budget for this fiscal year and things are turning around. “We’re certainly not at the point where we can add employees or give raises or any of those things – we haven’t done that in years – but at least we’re not facing layoffs and the kind of cutbacks that we were facing the last three years,” he said. “We think we’re turning a corner and not this fiscal year, but next July, our budget should have some extra money to do some things we’ve been differing for a long time.”
And that money will then help CRPD implement the items from its recently adopted Recreation Master Plan, which Harrison says is the most important thing the district has done in the recreation area as it sets priorities for the kinds of recreational services they will provide to the community.
Harrison said the plan is built with feedback from the Carmichael community and research.
“The master plan sort of paints the picture for over the next five years these are the things we’d like to accomplish assuming the budgetary funds are available,” he said.

corrie@valcomnews.com

Swami Prapannananda has served as the swami-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of Sacramento since 1996. / Photo by Lance Armstrong

The diversity of the Sacramento area is undoubtedly great. And a fine example of this can be found at a unique place on Mission Avenue, just north of Fair Oaks Boulevard.
This place is the Vedanta Society of Sacramento at 1337 Mission Ave. on the Carmichael side of the Sacramento-Carmichael border.
The Vedanta Society of Sacramento is a nonprofit religious organization that promotes the practice, study and teaching of the philosophy and religion of Vedanta – the ancient spiritual wisdom of India, especially as expounded by Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) and Sri Sarada Devi (1853-1920).

What is Vedanta?
Swami Prapannananda, minister and teacher of the Vedanta Society of Sacramento, presented the following words when asked to describe Vedanta:
“Vedanta forms the basis of the various branches of Hinduism and is one of the living philosophies and religions of the world. The word, ‘Vedanta,’ means literally, ‘the concluding portions of the Vedas,’ and also ‘the supreme spiritual knowledge.’ The Vedas are India’s most ancient scriptures, whose composition (is) said by scholars to extend as far back as 4000 B.C. The books that comprise Vedanta – known also as Upanishads – were composed, for the most part, during the second millennium B.C., and consist of the accumulated knowledge of God, soul and the universe, as derived from the spiritual experiences and discoveries of generations of India’s seers.”
The basic Vedanta teaching is that God exists in every being and man’s real nature is divine, he said.

Society’s roots
The roots of the Vedanta Society of Sacramento’s history date back to 1948, when a small group of Sacramento area residents became interested in Vedanta teachings and began traveling to San Francisco on a regular basis to attend services at the Vedanta temple in that city.
The Vedanta Society of Northern California was established in San Francisco on April 14, 1900.
This Sacramento group’s travels to San Francisco, coupled with the desire of various residents of the area to have a Vedanta temple in the capital city, led to efforts to construct a local Vedanta center.
Heading this project was Swami Ashokananda, who was then serving as swami-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of Northern California in San Francisco.
By the following year, a branch of this main society in San Francisco was formed in Carmichael, and the center of the branch was named The Church of Universal Philosophy and Religion.
It was not until November 1970 that the center was registered as an independent religious corporation and renamed the Vedanta Society of Sacramento.

Constructing the center
The earliest branch classes were held at the residence of a local devotee.
For the purpose of establishing a permanent place for services and other uses, all but one acre of the local Vedanta center’s present 8-acre Mission Avenue site was purchased in 1950.
An additional acre of property, which included a small house and walnut trees and was located adjacent to the north side of the property, was purchased in 1963.
After the acquisition of the initial property, architect Henry Gutterson of San Francisco drew plans for structures that would be built on the property.
These plans were designed in a manner that construction would occur based upon the growing needs of the branch.
Initially, volunteers provided the entire workforce for the project. But as construction progressed, several Vedanta members from San Francisco added to these labor efforts.
A temporary chapel was dedicated on the grounds on Feb. 28, 1953.
Altogether it took 14 years to complete the main portion of the project, and the temple was dedicated on Saturday, Nov. 14, 1964.

The new temple
Swami Aseshananda, swami-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of Portland, officiated the dedication.
In attendance at this special event were about 220 people, including swamis, monks, nuns and devotees from the Bay Area and Portland.
Today, the site includes a permanent chapel, a monastery, an auditorium, a 3,500-volume library, offices and a bookstore.
The present chapel, which has a seating capacity of about 100, includes an altar with the universal OM, or Order of Merit symbol, which is an ancient, sacred Indian representation of the highest impersonal spiritual ideal.
Also included on the altar are flowers, candles and images of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Sarada Devi, Guatama Buddha and Jesus Christ.
It is at this altar where daily worship is performed. The Sunday services, which are held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., are the most widely attended services. These services are followed by an 11 a.m. public lecture.

The grounds
Adding to the uniqueness of this religious site is its landscaped, lightly-wooded grounds, which, for the most part, have the appearance of a beautified park.
Many first-time visitors of this site are pleasantly surprised to observe such a highly developed, serene setting, which includes tall Italian cypresses, magnolia trees, fruit trees, lotus ponds, lilies, roses and statuary.
These grounds were recently enhanced with the presence of colorful, lotus blooms, which are used as a religious symbol in Hinduism, as well as in Buddhism.
The garden of this local Vedanta center is known as Santodyan or “Garden of Saints.”
Included within the garden are shrines dedicated to St. Francis, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Moses, Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Shankaracharya, Sri Chaitanya and Guru Nanak.

Religious tolerance
Swami Prapannananda described the idea behind the garden’s wide variety of shrines.
“We respect all kinds of religions and we learn from all spiritual personages, so to focus on that, we have made this Garden of Saints,” he said. “People can also learn from this sort of teaching of religious tolerance or mutual understanding.”
Swami Prapannananda, who is a native of Kolkata, India, became a resident of Gujarat in 1966. Gujarat, a highly populated state in western India, is the world famous birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.
In 1989, Swami Prapannananda came to the United States to become the assistant swami of Carmichael’s Vedanta center.
Seven years later, he replaced Swami Shraddhananda as the local center’s swami-in-charge. Swami Shraddhananda, who came to San Francisco from India in 1957 to become the assistant swami of that city’s Vedanta center, served as swami-in-charge of the Carmichael Vedanta center from 1964 to 1996.
Vedanta centers are located throughout the world, including more than 150 centers in India and 13 centers in the United States.
The local compound is open daily from 6 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. or dusk, whichever arrives first.
For additional information regarding the Vedanta Society of Sacramento, call (916) 489-5137 or visit www.vedantasacto.org.

Lance@valcomnews.com

A “barking good time” can be had by dogs and owners at the Carmichael Canine Corral off-leash dog park.
It is well fenced, including a double-gated area for entry so any anxious four-footed “friends” could not easily get away. Most of the dogs run loose and are well behaved.
Dogs of all sizes can run free, chasing balls or other toys and get plenty of exercise in a large fenced-in area.
The dog park at Carmichael Park is located in the southeast corner. If you enter the park off Fair Oaks Boulevard, at 5750 Grant Ave..
Turning left at the end of the parking lot and follow the drive around, you will find the dog park on your left near the natural outdoor theater area.

bill@valcomnews.com

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part series regarding the history of the Antone “Tony” Luiz Silva and Joao “John” Luiz Silva families and their descendents.

Among the many early Portuguese families of the Pocket area were the Antone “Tony” Luiz Silva and Joao “John” Luiz Silva families.

Both Tony and John, who were brothers, immigrated to the United States from Topo, Sao Jorge Island in the Azores Islands of Portugal. The brothers’ original surname was Avila, but they acquired the surname, Silva, after arriving in the U.S.

Tony was the first to arrive
The first of these immigrants was Tony, who arrived in America at the age of 17, and joined his brother, Joseph, who was herding sheep in Inyo County, around Lone Pine and Bishop.

In that county, Tony worked for two separate wages. One of these wages was $1 per day and for another employer, he was paid with food. However, Tony was not content working for food and after three days, using his broken English, he asked to be paid $3. The employer responded by giving Tony three kicks in his rear and ordering him off his property.

After leaving Inyo County, Tony, who was known to sign his name, “A.L. Silva,” because of his illiteracy in English, went to Sacramento County and became employed at the Elk Grove Winery in Elk Grove.

He then went to the Grant area in today’s Carmichael area and worked on a hay bailing press and farmed hay and grain.

Tony and Mary meet
While in the Grant area, Tony met his future wife, Maria “Mary” Nevis, who was born in the Azorean island of Terceira on Aug. 5, 1881. Mary had then-recently immigrated to the Pocket with her cousin, Vera Bettencourt, and lived with one of the two Costa families of that area.

Tony and Mary were married – most likely at the St. Joseph Church in Freeport/today’s Clarksburg – in April 1899.

In about 1902, Tony and Mary moved to the Freeport area, where Tony farmed and had a small dairy, adjacent to where John also farmed and operated a dairy.

Together Tony and Mary had seven children, Mary, Joseph L., Olive, Rose, Hazel, Anthony and the first-born Rose, who died in infancy. As a father, Tony acquired the nickname, “Lavafraldas,” which indicated the “washing of diapers.”

One day, one of Tony’s friends was driving by his home and observed Tony hanging up his children’s diapers on the outside line next to his house. The friend rolled down the window of his vehicle and shouted, ‘Oh, Antone Lavafraldas.’ This name became Tony’s nickname and remained with him for the rest of his life.

Tony and Mary settle down in Pocket
Sometime after the 1904 Edwards Break, which flooded the Sacramento side of the Sacramento River, mostly south of Sutterville Road, Tony purchased 102 acres of swamp land in the Pocket.

Before Tony could even begin to farm this land, the property had to be drained of its river water seepage and cleared of tules and brush.

It was also on this property that, in 1909, Tony had a 10-room Victorian constructed for him by Manuel Valine, a contractor who was known as “Calisto.” As a protection against flooding, Calisto built the home on a knoll.

In order to continue his work as a dairyman, Tony established a dairy on his Pocket property. The property also included a large orchard and a family vegetable plot.

In about the early 1920s, Japanese families began residing in the Pocket area and, in many cases, leased land from Portuguese farmers. It was during this early period that Tony leased his Pocket property to Saichi Hironaka, who was an American citizen. Hironaka then subleased the property in three parts to the Tanaka, Ishimoto and Shirai families.

In 1934, Tony acquired an additional 100 acres from Joe Rico.

Tony passed away on Jan. 30, 1945 and his entire property remained with his family in the ownership of his widow.

What became of the property
From the early 1960s through the mid-1980s, Tony’s former property was sold at different times in individual sections for the residential redevelopment of the Pocket.

Twelve acres of Tony’s former Pocket property was donated in 1960 to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento for the construction of a new church and parochial school. These 12 acres were exchanged for a 5-acre site on Florin Road, where the church was built and named St. Anthony Church in memory of Tony.

John immigrates to America
Tony’s previously mentioned brother, John, who was born on Jan. 10, 1879, immigrated to America in 1896. He arrived in New Bedford, Mass., where two of his sisters resided and then lived with them there for some time before joining Tony in California.

John was later hired to work at the Sacramento Brick Co. on Riverside Road (now Riverside Boulevard). He maintained this employment for several years.

On Dec. 17, 1904, John married a 20-year-old, Faial, Azores Islands-born woman named Inacia “Nancy” Silva at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. For their honeymoon, the couple traveled on a riverboat to San Francisco.

After returning to the Sacramento area, John and Nancy settled on rented property that was owned by the Glide family on Babel Slough in Yolo County. On this property, John operated a dairy with his brother, Tony.

The brothers grew alfalfa for feeding their cows and potato and beans to feed their families, which included John and Inacia’s eight children who were born on this property. Altogether, John and Inacia’s family included nine children: Mary, John L., Jr., Madeline, Tony, Anna, Joaquim (“King”), Manuel, Dolores and Emily.

In 1916, John purchased about 100 acres in the Pocket area from Frank Rico. Included with this purchase were two houses, three barns and a large orchard, which was located between the houses. Orange trees were among the trees of this orchard.

Also within John’s Pocket property were various crops, including alfalfa, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, sugar beets, spinach and milo.

John farmed his property into the 1950s, at which time he retired and his sons continued the operation of the farm.

Just prior to John’s death on July 7, 1970, part of his acreage was sold to developers.
Nancy died on Dec. 3, 1976, and the remaining part of the property was sold by her family in 1979.

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part series about the history of the American River in relation to the area of today’s city of Sacramento.

Certainly, few cities can claim themselves as a river city and for Sacramento, its claim as a river city is at an extremely notable level, considering that the capital city is actually home to two intersecting rivers, the Sacramento and American rivers.

These rivers, which join together near Discovery Park, have played significant roles in the city’s history from providing advantages in transportation and commerce to presenting natural beauty and entertainment opportunities.

And the river most directly associated with East Sacramento is the American River.

What the river offers
The American runs from the Sierra Nevada to El Dorado County through Folsom, Fair Oaks and Carmichael and alongside Sacramento State University before making its way to the Sacramento River, which flows to San Francisco Bay.

Presently the river is known as a convenient, nearby sanctuary away from everyday life within built out communities.

This river, which is the most important tributary feeding the Sacramento River, is often celebrated for its scenic parkway, with a long bicycle trail and pedestrian bridges.

It also serves as a corridor for wildlife, includes dams and provides an essential water supply for this continuously growing metropolis.

Changes over the years
The American, like a great number of things in the area, has experienced many changes throughout the years.

Those viewing the river in much earlier times saw miles of cascading cataracts on the middle and north forks of the river.

And when the snow melted at higher elevations in the spring, the American would become a coarse rush of water and sediment that would increase its acceleration while making its way toward today’s Sacramento.

The determination of the river’s progress was such that it would crack boulders and create new islands and sandbars.

Respecting the power of the river
During the time when indigenous Indians lived in large numbers along this river, they carried with them an understanding of the river and its natural benefits and dangers.

With their understanding and respect of the physical power of the river and its propensity for flooding during the springtime, these indigenous people would settle on mounds and other places beyond the reaches of the flood plain.

These natives partook in the many benefits of the river from its salmon to the blackberries and grapes, which grew near its banks.

Many oak trees in the area provided an additional food source through their acorns.

Also important to the natives were willows, vines and bamboo-like grasses that were used as materials for housing and baskets.

Some of the first visitors
Historical records suggest that Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga was the first European to reach the American River
.
Moraga visited the Sacramento Valley during the years of 1806 to 1808 in search of Indians who had escaped from California missions and to punish the Indians who had helped Indians escape from those missions.

Since the Valley Indian population was so dense and the Indians were knowledgeable of their surroundings, Moraga was generally not very successful in these efforts.

Naming the river
As he did with many other places he encountered during his journeys, Moraga named the river, which would eventually be known as the American River. Moraga is credited for giving the river its first non-Indian name. But what exactly that name was has often been disputed.

In his diary, Moraga refers to having named the river, “Rio de las Llagas,” which in English means “River of Sorrows.”

An interpretation of this name could be that Moraga gave the river this name because of his own sorrows due to his lack of success with the Indians who were hostile toward him while defending their homes.

The confusion with the name “Rio de las Llagas” exists due to the fact that a man who accompanied Moraga as part of the expedition recorded the name, “Rio de los Lagos,” which translated to English means “River of the Lakes.”

One should also consider this latter Spanish name as possibly being the actual name that Moraga gave the river, since he was in the region in August and this waterway would have then had the appearance of a series of lakes joined by the main current.

Despite its many changes, the river still has various islands and sandbars with a series of pools.

Jedediah Smith
Many people who use the present, paved, multi-use trail along the river are familiar with the name Jedediah Smith due to the trail’s official name, the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. This popular trail extends 32 miles from the city of Folsom to Old Sacramento.
By whatever name Moraga called the river, that name was relatively short lived, since Smith led a company of fur trappers into the area in the 1820s and as a result of this visit, the river received a new name.

Smith and the other Americans, who traveled with him in the area from 1826 to 1827, probably camped for an extended period of time near the present day community development, Campus Commons, which is located east of the Guy A. West Memorial Bridge.

These men camped on the riverbanks to rest and gather supplies before becoming the first non-Indian people to cross the Sierra.

River of the Americans
The natural crossing of the river at that time was near the site of today’s H Street Bridge and a natural levee was located at the approximate site of Fair Oaks Boulevard.
After Smith and the other men departed from the area, the local natives, who by then spoke Spanish as a unifying language due to their connection with the mission Indians, began referring to the waterway as “Rio de los Americanos.”

This name, which is literally translated as “River of the Americans,” eventually became known as the “American River.”

This name likely remained in use because it was also the name used to identify the river by the Hudson’s Bay Company trappers who came to the area from Oregon during the 1830s. These trappers frequently visited the region during that time to exploit the river’s rich beaver and otter population.

The continuously increasing number of Hudson’s Bay Company trappers in the area brought diseases for which the natives had no natural defense. It has been estimated by some historians that diseases brought to the area during a large trapping expedition in 1833 and 1834 resulted in an epidemic that killed 70 percent of the area’s Indian population.

Not surprisingly, the negative circumstances resulting from the trappers’ presence on their land caused the Indians to have a rush of emotions, including fear, anger and anxiety. These emotions caused the Indians to harbor resentments against the trappers and have a greater hostility toward Western civilization.

Despite the devastating decrease in the native population, the remaining locals continued to deny the Hudson’s Bay Company from establishing a permanent outpost in the lower Sacramento Valley.

Carmichael’s rejected governor’s mansion at 2300 California Ave. is now a private residence with no connection to state government. / Photo by Lance Armstrong

When Californians refer to the “governor’s mansion,” they are generally speaking about the Second Empire Italianate-style Victorian mansion on 16th Street, along the old Highway 40. But at times, some of these references are directed toward the historic Stanford Mansion at 800 N Street or the mansion built for this state’s governors in Carmichael.

Many people in the Sacramento area recall this latter, controversial estate overlooking the American River.

It was that very mansion at 2300 California Ave. that was to solve this state’s void of a permanent structure for its chief executive.

But this mansion was already a major issue of debate while it was still under construction in 1974, as Gov. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Jr., during his second term in office, refused to reside in the structure.

Despite the fact that nearly every other state in the Union has a designated, permanent governor’s residence, it has been 45 years since such a place has existed in California.
The French Second Empire/Renaissance Revival-style Stanford Mansion was once home to the state’s eighth governor, Leland Stanford, and the following two governors, Frederick F. Low and Henry H. Haight.

The mansion on the 16th Street
And the aforementioned 16th Street mansion, which was built in 1877 for Albert Gallatin of the hardware business, Huntington, Hopkins & Co., was the home of every California state governor from 1903 to 1967.

Following the 16th Street mansion’s nine decades as a residence, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan and his family became the final residents of the mansion. The Reagans moved from the mansion into a leased home in the upscale East Sacramento neighborhood, known as the Fabulous Forties.

This move occurred only four months after the Reagans moved into the 16th Street mansion.

California First Lady Nancy Reagan was dissatisfied with the structure’s living conditions and declared it a “firetrap” with a neighborhood that was unsafe for small children.

The 16th Street mansion and its property, which is known today as the Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, is now recognized as one of Sacramento’s most important historic sites and is a popular destination for visitors and locals seeking to learn some history through daily, guided tours.

Carmichael Mansion construction begins
Construction on the 12,000-square-foot, concrete block Carmichael mansion began during the final stretch of Gov. Reagan’s second and last term in office. Contracts for the job were let in October 1974 and construction began shortly thereafter.

The mansion, which was completed in 1975, was built within 11.3 acres on the bluffs that were donated by friends of Gov. Reagan.

Brown criticizes construction
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1974, Brown, a then-36-year-old bachelor, was elected to replace Reagan as governor.

Brown had made it an issue in his campaign to refer to the construction of the $1.3 million, 17-room governor’s residence, which Gov. Reagan was determined to have built, as an inappropriate use of funds during a recession, in which many California residents could not afford adequate housing.

Gov. Reagan, however, stressed that the construction of the Carmichael mansion was appropriate in that it would fill the void of a permanent governor’s residence, and serve in this capacity for at least a century.

“It is not a residence for one particular governor,” Gov. Reagan told reporters in 1974. “It is a residence for governors on down through the years, a hundred years or more.”

Continuing, Reagan said, “I recognize there are some forces in Sacramento that believe the residence should not be a residence, so much as a tourist attraction downtown. I think that’s unfair to anybody who occupies this job.”

A Venus-like statue stands amidst greenery just inside the entrance to the old governor’s mansion grounds. / Photo by Lance Armstrong

Brown dubbs it “Taj Mahal”
Although Brown did not take office until Jan. 6, 1975, soon after being elected governor, he continued to publicly voice his opinion and intentions regarding the construction of the governor’s mansion, which was patterned after a Spanish villa.

In speaking to local reporters only two days after he was elected as the state’s next chief executive, Brown said, “I have not looked at (the under construction Carmichael mansion) yet. I want to take a look at the contract and see if it is legally and economically feasible to terminate it. I certainly want to, if I can.”

Brown was unable to halt the construction of the mansion, which he famously dubbed a “Taj Mahal.” However, he held true to his words that he would not live in the structure, as he instead opted to make a sparsely-furnished, two-bedroom apartment at the Dean Apartments at 1400 N St. his gubernatorial home.

Others were also critical of the Carmichael mansion, which some people referred to as having the appearance of a Safeway supermarket.

The Sacramento-born writer Joan Didion called the mansion “an enlarged version of a very common kind of California tract house.”

The mansion’s loyal caretakers
A 1979 United Press International article, however, described two couples who were very fond of the mansion.

According to the article, Lonnie and Mildred Eastmade and Jim and Ruth Bryner were at the time dividing the monthly cost of $1,600 per month to live in and take care of the estate. The couples were responsible for security of the place, various upkeep and escorting reporters and state visitors around the mansion.

The article noted that the Eastmades and Bryners did not “take kindly to putdowns of the river bluff villa – even from Gov. Brown.”

Deukmejian takes office
Unlike Brown, Gov. George Deukmejian, who served as Brown’s successor from 1983 to 1991, said on multiple occasions that he wanted to reside with his family in the Carmichael mansion.

However, Senate Democrats insisted on the sale of the mansion, and on July 15, 1983, Deukmejian changed his stance on the matter and advised lawmakers that there was no need to block the sale of the Carmichael estate.

The Deukmejian administration had rejected a $1.5 million bid to purchase the mansion in June 1983.

In its Sept. 14, 1984 edition, The Sacramento Union announced that Southern California developer Matt Franich had submitted the winning bid of $1.53 million for the Carmichael mansion.

According to the article, Franich offered Deukmejian the opportunity to reside at the mansion, but Deukmejian found the $18,000 per month minimum rent payment to be too costly.

Current owners
Today, the old Carmichael mansion that was built as a governor’s residence is the privately-owned home of a local physician and his wife.

Altogether the original, 11.3-acre property includes eight lots, four of which have houses. The lots for the non-governor’s mansion homes were sold in 2003 and 2004.

The entire property is gated in from the street. And on a brick pillar supporting the entrance gate is a plaque bearing the Spanish name, La Casa de los Gobernadores – “The House of the Governors.”

Kim Pacini-Hauch, Lyon Real Estate agent and a resident of the gated community, said that presently there is a rare opportunity for one to purchase a home within the community.

“The (available) house was built in 2007 and it’s listed for sale for $1,595,000,” said Pacini-Hauch, who grew up in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe and has resided in the Sacramento area for nearly 30 years. “It’s about 4,200 square feet on just a little under an acre and it (has) beautiful quality construction. There’s just two (homes) here overlooking the bluff in a gated community and there’s nothing like it.”

And in describing her very unique neighborhood, she added, “It’s just a beautiful (community). It’s peaceful and quiet and it’s just a lovely place to live.”

On Saturday, June 2, and Sunday, June 3, the Sacramento Suburban Kiwanis Club will host more than 1,500 artisans at their 54th annual Art Fiesta at Town & Country Village on Fulton and Marconi Avenues in Sacramento.

According to Beverly Sanchez, co-chair of the Art Fiesta Committee for the Sacramento Suburban Kiwanis Club, the Art Fiesta is a fine arts show featuring jewelry, ceramics, paintings, pottery, watercolors, stained glass and more. “These are highly qualified artists,” she adds.

One of these highly-qualified artists is Jerry Harr and his wife, Fran, who have been hand-making jewelry for 37 years in Palo Cedro, CA. This will be their fifth year at the Art Fiesta, a show Harr says they enjoy coming to. “Most of the people that we’ve met are looking for a painting or something else like that, a nice piece of glass or pottery – they’re looking for something they can’t buy in the local store,” he explains.

Howit all began

Sanchez says the Art Fiesta got its start 54 years ago through the efforts of Harold M. Anderson, one of the original founders of Anderson Bros. Pharmacy in Town & Country, who was also a founding member of the Sacramento Suburban Kiwanis Club.

“Like a typical community service organization we’re always looking for different ways to raise funds to then spend in our community,” Sanchez explains. “Mr. Anderson approached the owners of the shopping center and said would you donate your sidewalk space to us so we can have an art show. They gave us permission to do that and they have been donating their sidewalk space to us every since.”

Sanchez says although over the years management of Town & Country has changed hands, the new owners have consistently continued to support the group’s efforts. “They have worked very well with our group and have been very, very supportive throughout the many, many years we’ve done this and just bend over backwards to make this work for us and be very accommodating,” she adds.

Raising funds

As a major fund raiser for the Kiwanis group, Sanchez says although the event itself is free they raise funds through the booth fees they charge the artists. The proceeds go towards the myriad of community programs the group supports throughout the year, including the Kiwanis Family House, high school Key Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts, Boy’s and Girl’s State, and Just for Kids.

Sanchez says they also ask each artist participating in the Art Fiesta to donate one piece of their art to the Kiwanis Club, which in turn uses them as silent auction items at a fund raising event in the fall. “So it’s a fund raising event that builds from one right into another that we offer in the fall,” she adds.

Aiding the community

Additionally, Sanchez says the Art Fiesta also provides a benefit to the entire community by making residents aware of the retailers in the Town & Country Shopping Center.

“We want to be able to attract customers to their businesses and that’s been part of the goal – get people into that shopping center, let them see what businesses are back there, and at the same time allow us to raise funds for our different community service events that we do for all our community,” she says. “The last several years all retailers have suffered because of the economy and they need every little bit of help they can get to get people in to their areas, into their businesses.”

Harr agrees, saying those that come to shop at the Art Fiesta also go to and buy from the store owners around the artists, helping everybody out. “I think…the good shows actually help to stabilize the community – I think they help a lot,” he adds.

For more information, call the Art Fiesta hotline at (916) 972-7337 or visit www.townandcountryartfiesta.org.