Skateboarder and Pocket resident Eustaquio Lafranco.

Pocket residents Demetrius Williams and Eustaquio Lafranco both love to skateboard.

Williams, who has been skating for five years, enjoys the freedom skateboarding gives him. “With this you’re not really required to do anything – you’re required to go out there and have fun, learn as much as you want or as little as you want,” he says.

And Lafranco, who has been skateboarding for the last 10 years, says the skateboard population in the area is steadily growing and although there is now a skate park at Reichmuth Park in South Land Park, it would be beneficial to have more skate parks as an interest in skateboarding continues to grow.

Now with the help of the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), Freeport Renovation on the Move (FROM) and other community members are coming together to give skateboarders like Lafranco and Williams another skate park at Argonaut Park in Freeport Manor.

Getting Support

During their initial work on trying to get a local skate park built, the teens were meeting at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, where they met Kathi Windheim, president of the Friends of the Pocket-Greenhaven Library. She suggested Argonaut Park as a possible location as it was adjacent to New Technology High School and she knew the school had a group of skateboarders.

Windheim contacted New Tech’s Principal Paula Hanzel, who supported the project. “We’re in a neighborhood where kids need stuff to do, and they need the right stuff to do,” she explains. “And the more we can put in that park for not only my kids, but all the kids in the neighborhood to do, the better off we are.”

Next on board was Darrel Woo, second vice president for SCUSD Board of Education representing District 6, who believes the skate park will be a nice compliment to the workout stations that were put into Argonaut Park a few years ago.

Also on board is Sacramento City Councilman Jay Schenirer representing District 5. “I think anything that we can do to provide positive outlets for young people and safe places for them to be when they’re not in school is a good thing,” Schenirer says of why he supports the project.

And the group received support the of FROM, which according to President Barbara Moore works to provide a healthy way of life for children and teens in the Freeport Manor, South Land Park and Pocket areas. “It’s a need and we have so many kids that like to skate,” she explains. “There’s not (a skate park) that close, so we decided let’s put a skate park over here – we have the space and it would be a great thing.”

Skateboarder and Pocket resident Demetrius Williams. // Photos courtesy of Eustaquio Lafranco

Plan in Action

Now with support in place, plans could start for the Argonaut Park skate park.

According to Windheim, as another skate park is being built at McClatchy Park in the Oak Park area, they asked Schenirer if they could be part of the design process for McClatchy so they could design both at the same time to save money, and he agreed.

On March 5, Windheim says a meeting was held at the Evelyn Moore Community Center to begin planning the design of both skate parks. The meeting was lead by Aaron Spohn from Spohn Ranch Skate Parks in Los Angeles, who Windheim says will be designing both parks.

Dennis Day, landscape architect for the City of Sacramento, says Spohn discussed with those at the meeting what was possible for the skate parks. “He led them – there were some adults there as well as high school students – on what they would like to see in their ideal skate park,” he explains. “They got to design and move around templates of skate elements.”

Community skateboarders, including Lafranco and Williams, attended the meeting to give their input on what they would like to see in the skate parks. “He pretty much gave us a piece of paper and a layout of other parks he’d did that were similar, and just said put the pieces where you want them and that’s what we did,” Williams says.

Hanzel says letting the neighborhood kids help design the Argonaut Park skate park is huge. “You want to teach kids to be civically responsible and civically involved, and the sooner you get them involved and have that be a positive experience, the more likely to have that continued throughout their adult life,” she explains. “When you empower, you create positive people and positive people move things.”

Multi-Use Design

Although a design for the McClatchy Park skate park has reportedly been finalized, the design for the Argonaut Park skate park is still in the works.

According to Woo, the concept for Argonaut Park is still conceptual, but they are looking at a design that would create a “low-level stage amphitheater that the kids can skate around” with a pathway around the perimeter. This way, he says the skate park could serve multiple purposes as it could also be used as a stage area for New Tech. “It looks like a plan that will harmonize with the existing facility without taking away the other purposes of the facility,” he adds.

Hanzel says right now New Tech does not have a room where she can fit all of her 300 students at the same time. ” It would be great to have an outdoor space where we could all gather and engage in the things that we now have to do twice,” she says.

And Windheim says they are considering some skateboard-specific elements for the park, such as a stair set with rail and “hubba bank,” a roller, “curved taco” and flat ledge. She says the Argonaut Park skate park will be roughly 5,000 square feet. “We will be smaller than McClatchy Park (skate park), but with many of the same great elements and a different layout,” she adds.

Finding Funds

Although plans for the design are in motion, much is still needed to be done in terms of fund raising to build the skate park.

Windheim estimates the Argonaut Park skate park will cost around $120,000 to complete.

According to J.P. Tindell, manager of park planning and development for the City of Sacramento Parks & Recreation Department, the City has set aside $20,000 of Park Impact Fees as “seed funding” for the Argonaut Park skate park

Windheim says they are now in fund raising mode for the rest of what they need. “We’re trying to raise the rest of this money through grants, fundraisers, (and) different community support,” she adds.

In regards to fundraisers, they recently held a rummage sale in Belle Cooledge Park, and are now planning an event at Argonaut Park on Saturday, June 8 from 1-5pm that will feature a jazz band, food, prize drawings and a skateboarding demonstration. Windheim says the event will be funded through an $815 community grant they received from Schenirer’s office.

And they will be launching an online fundraiser where community members can vote for the best skateboarding trick videos on votdo.com. Windheim says from May 15-30 skateboarders can upload their videos to the site. Then visitors to the site can vote for $1 per vote from June 1-30. The most votes in each category, Windheim says, will win skateboarding gear donated by Spohn and Spohn Ranch Skate Parks.

Something Positive

Williams says he is going to be “pretty proud” once the Argonaut Skate Park is built as he will know he had a hand in helping make it happen. He also feels the additional skate parks will help people improve and build a love for skateboarding. “It’s going to be bring a lot more people out there to try to skateboard because every time there is a park, there’s people that see the park and say I want to try and they get out there.”

Moore also believes the new skate park will get more kids interested in skateboarding. “I think it’s going to revitalize the youth out there and make really something positive to bring to them because they need some positive reinforcement in the neighborhood,” she adds.

Lafranco believes the new skate parks may even bring new businesses to the area. He says right now skateboarders in the area have to travel to Elk Grove, Natomas, or downtown for skateboarding supplies. “With all these new skate parks emerging, … it could bring in a new business opportunities for skate shops,” he says.

Donations for the Argonaut Skate Park can be made out to “FROM” and mailed to Barbara Moore, 6013 McLaren Ave., Sacramento 95822. For more information on the Argonaut Skate Park, call Kathi at 392-0101 or e-mail Rosio Ruano in Councilmember Jay Schenirer’s office rruano@cityofsacramento.org.

Argonaut Park is located on Kitchner Road near Freeport Boulevard.

First place winning photograph “A Winter Morning” by Sierra Brown, senior at C.K. McClatchy High School.

Approximately 60 Pocket area students, parents and community members came out to the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library on the evening of Friday, March 15, to see more than 40 photographs taken by teens not just in their community, but all over the world.

The showing was part of a photography contest held by the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) at the library. TAB members and C.K. McClatchy High School seniors Allison Yamamoto and Michelle Sarracino had come up with the idea for contest as a way for area teens to both express themselves and learn more about what the library offers.

Yamamoto hoped the event would help draw teens to the library for more than just completing school work, but to also “show that we have these events going on at the library that are open for students to participate in and get something out of,” she says.

“A Changing World”

Tracey Joe, youth services Librarian for Robbie Waters Pocket Greenhaven Library, says the library was happy to support TAB and the contest, as well as give local teens an opportunity to express themselves through art and show it to the community. “We just wanted to give them the opportunity to be creative and interpret it however they wanted to, and we thought it would be a really awesome thing that we could do for the community,” she explains.

The theme of the contest was “A Changing World,” which Yamamoto says they came up with when noticing the differences between generations that came to the library. “We thought it would be cool to see how other teens would interpret ‘A Changing World,’ whether they think it’s a good thing or a bad thing,” she explains.

Of the approximately 40 entries the photography contest received, 24 were from local students while 18 were from teens across the United States and even from other countries such as Peru and Australia. Yamamoto says she created a Facebook event for the contest, which helped spread the word to teens in other areas.

Sarracino was pleased they were able to include photos from teens all over the country as it would allow all those that attended the gala to “not just see the changing world around our community, but also expand their horizons and get a feel for how other kids see the changing world in other places,” she adds.

Kathi Windheim, president of the Friends of the Robbie Waters Pocket Greenhaven Library; Sierra Brown, senior at C.K. McClatchy High School and first place photography contest winner; Tracey Joe, youth services Librarian for Robbie Waters Pocket Greenhaven Library; Allison Yamamoto and Michelle Sarracino, both seniors at McClatchy.

And the Winners Are …

Four judges – including library staff Joe and Brendle Wells, branch supervisor; Kathi Windheim, president of the Friends of the Robbie Waters Pocket Greenhaven Library; and Corrie Pelc, reporter for Valley Community Newspapers – determined the winners of the contest, which included top three awards for local contributors, as well as an International Award, and awards for “Best Perspective” and “Most Moving.”

Top honors went to Sierra Brown, a senior at C.K. McClatchy High School who took first place for her photo “A Winter Morning.” “I found that flower in the garden and just thought it was really neat how it was a yellow flower, but had this white glistening signs of winter on it even though winter hadn’t hit yet, so I just took a picture of it,” she says.

Brown – who has been taking photos since the ninth grade – says her photo fits the theme “A Changing World” as it shows that the world is constantly changing. “We can see this best in even the most insignificant things, such as a simple yellow flower painted in winter’s frost,” she explains. “True, today winter is here and the flowers are dying. But not matter what, we can always expect that tomorrow will bring another sunrise, a new flower, and constant change.”

She also believes it’s “extremely important” for teens to have a way to express themselves, such as through photography. “The youth have such a different view of the world than do adults, and I think the best way to voice such a view is through artistic expression,” she says. “It’s great that teens have so many opportunities to share their expressions with others, such as the library’s photo show.”

Other local winners of the photography contest included Benjamin Potter, a senior at McClatchy, who took second place with his photo “Abandoned,” and Andrew Kageyama, a junior at Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove who took third place for his photo “Fall in Love.” Daniel Escobar, a junior at McClatchy, won “Most Moving” for his photo “Soarin’ Solar Dreams.” The “Best Perspective” award was given to Jonathan Beach from Los Angeles, while Ashleigh Polinelli from Perth, Australia won the International Award.

Joe says the library hopes to keep the photos from the contest on display for a few more weeks so community members who were unable to attend the gala can enjoy them.

And Sarracino hopes the contest will become an annual one, “but maybe bring in some other types of art as well,” she adds.

President Keiko Wong, speech contest winner Daniel Li, and Treasurer Judy Foote at this year's club level speech contest held on March 7, 2013. Photo courtesy Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven.

Now in its sixth year, the Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven has been doing what it can to help those at home and abroad with projects such as distributing dictionaries to third graders, launching a high school service club, supporting the Robbie Waters Pocket Greenhaven Library, and even helping to eradicate polio in other countries.

Although their club is small — with currently 14 members — President Keiko Wong says they do the best they can to help. “We are community minded … we try to brainstorm and think what can we do, where would the needs be,” she adds.

Judy Foote — a charter member, past president and current treasurer of the Rotary Club who was recently named Rotarian of the Year for their district — says the club helps meet the education and literacy needs of children in the Pocket area, and she believes by the club being involved in worldwide efforts they can share this information with family friends to make them more aware of what’s going on in other places. “All of a sudden we have a chance to have some concrete information to share with others, and I think it’s a wonderful thing to be able to do that,” she adds.

Helping Out

A number of the Rotary Club’s projects revolve around education and literacy. For instance, one project the Club recently completed on March 7 was the delivery of about 75 dictionaries to third graders at Yav Pem Suab Academy in the Pocket. Wong says this is the third year the Academy’s third graders have received dictionaries. “A lot of times the kids may not even own a book, so this is a wonderful thing for them to have and they get to take it home and it is there’s – we label it and put their name on it,” she explains. “They’re just thrilled to death to receive that.”

Another project of the Club is helping the Friends of the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library with their book sales. Wong says the next Friends of the Library book sale the Rotary Club will be helping with will be held on March 23.

Foote says the Club helped with book sales early on before the library was built and they were held in the Elks parking lot by helping set up and take down the book sales and sell the books. Now the Club still helps the Friends by working at their large book sales during the year, and helping to keep the book sale storage areas organized. “It’s a wonderful place for us to at least make sure that we have books in the hands of kids,” Foote adds.”

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Third graders at Yav Pem Suab Academy enjoy reading the dictionaries donated to them by the Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven on March 7, 2013. Photo courtesy Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven.

However, the Club also has a number of community efforts throughout the year. For example, on April 21 the Club will hold a Rotary Day fundraiser at the River Cats with a portion of tickets going towards helping to end polio, Wong says. Additionally, Wong says the Club provides a number of tickets to a community youth group to attend who may not normally have the opportunity to attend a River Cats game. Last year the Club sponsored a group of 20 high school students to the game. “It was special for them and special for us to give back to the community,” Wong adds.

And on July 25 from 9:30am to 1:30pm, the Club will hold its 2nd Annual Blood Drive with BloodSource. Wong says a mobile unit will be parked at Pacific Business Centers at 1104 Corporate Way next to Greenhaven and South Land Park. Those interested in donating blood can contact Tracy Wilson at 395-4400 to make an appointment.

Supporting the Future

One local student that has become quite involved with the Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven is Daniel Li, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School. Since his sophomore year, Li has won Rotary’s annual speech contest on the club level — including just winning this year’s contest on March 7, for which he will compete on the district level in Elk Grove on April 2. Last year Li won both the club and district levels and took second place in the regional speech competition.

Additionally, last year Li was selected by the Club to be sponsored for RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), which Wong says is a week-long leadership/motivation camp usually in the Tahoe area. “They learn all sorts of leadership skills and get in touch with themselves and learn to take it to the next level,” she explains.

Li says the opportunities he has had through the Rotary Club so far have been “pretty exciting” and allowing him to expand his ideas and express himself in a way he does not normally get to. And he says his RYLA experience was “fascinating” as it was the first leadership camp he ever attended. “(RYLA) provided a really great foundation for me for the rest of my life in terms of leadership and communications and just finding out things for myself,” he says.

Charter members of the new Interact Club at John F. Kennedy High School, which was charted on February 13, 2013 in the Kennedy Little Theater. Photo courtesy Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven.

Interact Club

Through RYLA, Li says he was able to meet those that were involved in Rotary’s Interact Club, which is a service club for high schools. “I was very interested in forming one at JFK to provide the foundation for other Kennedy students,” he says.

After returning home with the idea of an Interact Club and getting support from his school, Li and the Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven charted a new Interact Club at John F. Kennedy High School on February 13.

Currently with 50 members, the Interact Club has been busy with a number of fundraisers, including one that helped raise money for polio vaccinations in countries that cannot afford it, as well as a fundraiser through the international disaster relief charity ShelterBox to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Li — who is president of the Interact Club — says they are working on new fundraisers, including selling bento boxes at JFK in May, as well as holding some car washes and helping out with book sales at the Robbie Waters Pocket Greenhaven Library.

Foote says the Rotary Club is very proud of the Interact Club and the fundraising work they have done so far. “Youth of today, they’re so excited and encouraged and they want to act — they don’t want to sit back and listen, they want to do something,” she says. “They’re the leaders of the world, that’s our future, and I think to be cognizant of the needs of the world and helping people instead of fighting people is going to make a huge impact on our world.”

Li says by being part of the Interact Club he has learned there is a need to help, and if he and his peers band together and unify themselves, they have the power and will to make a change. And he also says being involved with the Rotary Club has made a very good first impression and has plans on joining a local chapter in the future. “It is a club that I will definitely join on the college level, and that’s definitely something I’ll want to be a part of for the rest of my life,” he says.

The Rotary Club of Pocket/Greenhaven meets every Thursday morning from 7:30am-8:30am at Aviator’s Restaurant at the Sacramento Executive Airport. For more information, visit pocketgreenhavenrotary.org, or call Keiko Wong at (916) 718-7400.

A wise man named Dr. Seuss once said, “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

An organization making sure that children in the Sacramento area have a chance to build the early reading skills they will need for the rest of their lives is Reading Partners – a nonprofit that provides volunteer-led, one-on-one literacy tutoring to students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade in low-income elementary schools.

According to Deanna Berg, Sacramento/Chico regional executive director for Reading Partners, the organization works in local communities to provide early intervention for children who are behind six months to two and-a-half years in reading abilities.

“Statistics show that kids who aren’t reading on grade level by third grade is an indicator for high school drop out rates and their ability to be successful as they move on through their school years,” she explains. “So we really focus on those early years with the belief that if we can catch them in that first part of their education, we’re going to get more impact in the long-run.”

Between the Lines

Reading Partners currently operates 11 programs in the Sacramento area, including two schools in the Arden area – D.W. Babcock Elementary School and Thomas Edison Elementary School – and Caroline Wenzel Elementary School in the Pocket.

Betty von Werlhof, principal of D.W. Babcock Elementary School, says this is the second year they have had the Reading Partners program at the school. She says last year, 33 students took part in the program, and this year they have 29 students enrolled so far. “That list is growing, we’re adding students every month – as we get more tutors, we get more students,” she adds.

According to von Werlhof, Reading Partners is a “wonderful program” and they received “fantastic data” from last year – of the 33 students enrolled in the program 93 percent of students accelerated their rate of learning. “The average gain for every month the child was tutored, they gained two months of reading, so they were doubling their rate of progress while they were being tutored,” von Werlhof says. “It’s really exciting. Programs like this are helping us to get kids up to grade level. Not only do they learn to read, but they can use their reading skills to learn everything else they need to know.”

Over at Caroline Wenzel, Dennalia Harris, onsite coordinator for Reading Partners at the school, says this year the program has 38 students enrolled, however she hopes to hit her 55 enrollment goal by the first week of March. She says the students know they are behind, and through a one-on-one environment students can go at their own pace and see their progress.

“Reading Partners does make a difference — when I did the mid-year review, I saw the difference and it’s amazing,” she explains. “It’s outstanding how much (the students have) grown in just three months. And that’s because of tutors – without tutors we wouldn’t be able to do that.”

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Read All About It

So how does Reading Partners work?

Berg says the program uses volunteer tutors that provide one-on-one tutoring sessions to each child in the program twice a week. Reading Partners uses its own curriculum created and developed by education and literacy experts. There are two tracks — one for beginning readers that focuses on phonics and early reading skills, and a comprehension track for kids who are able to read, but not necessarily comprehending what they’re reading.

Teachers refer students to Reading Partners, Berg says. “When a child is referred to our program, we do an assessment to determine where they are reading, and that places them in the curriculum,” she explains. “They start there and they move through the lessons sequentially, each one builds on the next, so it’s really a highly organized system that’s really effective by our research that we’re doing.”

In addition to the initial assessment, Reading Partners also conducts assessments mid-year and at the end of year. “Our data shows for every month that they receive tutoring in our program, they make 1.6 months worth of gain in readability, so we’re really helping to move them along,” Berg adds.

The Reading Partners’ onsite coordinators at each school also work closely with the teachers and principal to keep them informed of each student’s progress. According to Tina Khatcherian, community builder and onsite coordinator for the Reading Partners program at Babcock Elementary, teachers are given the results of the students’ initial assessments, plus what strategies and goals Reading Partners will be working with. Additionally, she provides progress reports for each student when report cards are due.

“There’s not only written forms of communication, but I sit down and I observe classes in the beginning of the year, and I also find out what things they are studying so that I can do what I can to reiterate what they’re learning in class and support the teachers,” Khatcherian adds.

Helping Hand

To keep a program like this going, a strong set of volunteers is needed. Berg says their goal is to have 750 volunteers in the Sacramento area, which serve 575 children, and their volunteers range from high school students to business professionals to retirees.

Berg says they look for volunteers that are willing to make a commitment to a child for at least one hour a week for one semester, and volunteers do not have to be a literacy expert or credentialed teacher to help out. “The nice thing is our curriculum is really designed to where each lesson has one concept that’s being explored, and it has step-by-step instructions for a tutor to be able to pull out the instruction sheet and be able to teach that lesson following the steps in the packet they’re given,” she explains. Volunteer tutors participate in a new tutor orientation and a shadow session to get started.

Khatcherian says anybody can volunteer, and they provide constant coaching, feedback and ongoing training throughout the year “in order to make that volunteer the best tutor they can be.”

And von Werlhof says the tutors also provide a support for the children, as they are able to form strong relationships with an adult. “It’s just wonderful to see the relationships that the children are forming with these tutors that come, and care about them and support them, not just in the 90 minutes a week — I’ve even heard of tutors going to some of their sporting games and other events in their lives,” she explains. “It’s very heartwarming.”

For sign up to become a volunteer for Reading Partners or learn more about how you can help through financial contributions or children’s book donations, visit  http://readingpartners.org/.

Members of the Sacramento Steampunk Society in costume. // Photos by Connie Ricca

During the day, Jennifer Brown works for a bank, doing a lot of data work and problem solving.

On her off time, Brown has found an outlet for her creativity as a member of the Sacramento Steampunk Society.

“It’s that spirit of never got over Halloween – it’s that love of getting dressed up, combined with a love of history and sci fi, and being able to combine all of that together to have fun,” she explains about attracts people to steampunk. “It’s that aesthetic that draws people in because it’s fun and whimsical.”

And on Saturday, Feb. 16, the Society will host a Steampunk Emporium and Swap Meet in the Arden area that will help introduce others to the steampunk culture.

Steampunk 101

So what exactly is steampunk?

According to Wikipedia, steampunk is “a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century.”

Brown says steampunk is a cross between the Victorian era, when steam power was starting to be used, with modern science fiction. She explains this allows you to take the beauty of the Victorian era and put a modern spin on it. “It gives you free reign to create really anything, from time travel like Dr. Who to anything that Jules Verne would have created in his books,” she says. ““The phrase I hear all the time is it’s a world that never was, but should have been,” she adds.

Lon Lee, a member of the Society for over a year and one of its nine administrators that helps run the group, says adds steampunk is a type of “retro futurism,” where the past is mixed with the future, or the future is mixed with the past. “It’s basically like H.G. Wells’ time machine where you mix the futuristic technology with old values, old styles,” he says. “Anything’s possible.”

Lee says the Sacramento Steampunk Society, which just celebrated its third birthday, is a social group for those interested in steampunk to meet once a month. He says they have more than 1,100 members worldwide – including members in France, Germany, Japan and England – that represent all genders and nationalities and range in age from 4 to 80.

Express Yourself

For those who follow steampunk culture, there’s a variety of ways to express their interest, from literature to art to music. One way many showcase their love of steampunk is through costumes.

A love of Victorian fashion was one of the things that drew Brown to steampunk. An administrator for the group and Society member for more than two years, Brown now enjoys making her own costumes and learning from others in the Society. “There are a lot of people in the group who are excellent at being able to sew and create, so sometimes it’s about finding the right idea and the right person to help you with it, and other times it’s really just finding the great thrift store find that works perfect,” she says.

Lee says most of the Society’s members make their own costumes, jewelry and props. “Some of the costumes, some people spend hours and hours working on just one costume – it’s always interesting to see what somebody comes up with next,” he says. “There are some members that make really exceptional items … It’s inspiring what some of the people do.”

Lee himself was drawn to steampunk due to his artistic background, as a sculptor, painter, photographer and creator of CGI artwork. He says creativity is a main part of steampunk. “It’s individuality – everybody picks and chooses what they like for their style, so nobody looks the same, nobody dresses the same,” he adds.

Letting Off Steam

Although individuality is a big part of steampunk, that’s not to say everyone does not share their tips and tricks on making their own costumes and accessories.

In fact, it’s the willingness of those in the Society to share and help each other out that Brown loves about being a member. She says even if you have an idea that you are not sure how to make, there’s bound to be a member of the group that has the skills to help you accomplish your goal. “Everybody’s just really open about sharing everything, and that has helped me become more creative because somebody sparks an idea that then gives you an idea to do something else,” she adds.

Society members also have an opportunity to learn from each during the group’s monthly meetings, which Lee says are held the first Thursday of every month at the Arcade Library at 6:30pm. While the first half of the meeting is devoted to Society business, the rest of the meeting includes time for members to show-and-tell projects they are working on, plus there is a how-to demonstration lead by a Society member. “So somebody can come in and show how you modify a plastic gun to make it look like a sci fi ray gun, or how you age clothing or make jewelry,” Lee explains.

Members of the Sacramento Steampunk Society in costume. // Photos by Connie Ricca

Brown says the monthly how-to demonstration gives Society members an opportunity to teach whatever they would like, from making photographs sepia tone to teaching swordplay using a walking cane. “It gives everybody an open venue to come in and teach something,” she adds.

Emporium & Swap Meet

Now that steampunk has caught your fancy, how can you learn more?

Lee says the group’s upcoming Steampunk Emporium and Swap Meet on Saturday, February 16, at Great Escape Games on Howe Avenue is a great opportunity to come and see what steampunk and the Society is all about, with about 50 vendors, plus entertainment.

Brown says the Emporium is an artists’ bazaar with a steampunk flair, featuring artisans selling items they have made, including costumes, jewelry, leatherwork, books, and hats.

Entertainment at the Emporium is scheduled to include the Aether Brigade, SwingGoth and Equilibrium Fire Arts. Plus members of a number of groups will be on hand, including the League of Proper Villains, High Desert Steam, Steam Federation, The Great Basin Costume Society, and the Pirates of Sacramento.

And Brown says attendees will have the opportunity to meet New York Times bestselling steampunk author Gail Carriger, who will be holding a book signing from 1:30-3:30 p.m. “We were very excited that she was interested in coming down and hanging out with us since she is a steampunk writer and very well known in the genre,” Brown adds.

Brown hopes those that come to the Emporium and Swap Meet will have the opportunity to find groups the would like to become part of, and will leave with “an understanding a little bit more of what steampunk is and how a lot of it can carry over into normal life,” she adds. “Like a great necklace with gears on it doesn’t have to be just a costume piece – it can also be something you can have in your every day that’s a little different and a little fun.”

For those interested in learning more about the Sacramento Steampunk Society, Brown urges them to join their Facebook group, which can be accessed through their website  http://sacsteam.org/, to stay up-to-date on upcoming meetings and events, and come out to their monthly meetings that are open to the public. “Steampunk is just so welcoming and everybody is so friendly – that’s one of the things that I’m the proudest of our group,” she says.

The Sacramento Steampunk Society meets the first Thursday of every month at the Arcade Library, 2443 Marconi Ave., in Sacramento, at 6:30 p.m. Meeting times and locations may change – visit http://sacsteam.org/ or join their Facebook page for most up-to-date information.

IF you go:

What: The Steampunk Emporium and Swap Meet
When: Saturday, Feb. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Great Escape Games, 1250 Howe Ave., Suite 3A, in Sacramento.
Cost: Free and open to the public
For more information: sacsteam.org

Eddy – therapy dog of Lend A Heart President Barbara Street – listens while a young reader practices their reading. // Photo courtesy of Maryann Farmar/Lend A Heart.

Every Tuesday, about 25 children ranging in ages from five to 10 come to the Carmichael Library after school to work on their reading skills.

They’re not reading to a librarian, or a tutor or a teacher. Instead, they’re reading to one of the trained therapy dogs that calmly sits for an hour and lets the children read to them.

“It’s really fun and the kids just love it,” says Shelley Andrews, branch supervisor for the Carmichael Library. “Everybody enjoys it – the kids love it, the staff loves it because we love to see the dogs, the owners of the dogs love it, and of course the dogs love it with all the attention they’re getting. It’s just really fantastic.”

Read to Rover

Carmichael Library began offering what they call the “Read to Rover” program back in 2007 when Carmichael resident Ellen Wildfeuer presented the idea to the library. A retired nurse, Wildfeuer knew of the benefits of pet therapy, and had a dog that had gone through the process of becoming a certified therapy dog.

To start the program, Wildfeuer used her connections to therapy dog associations to find other volunteers to bring their therapy dogs to the program. Currently they have 13 teams of therapy dogs and handlers that rotate coming to the library each week, with at least seven of those teams coming every single week, she says. “In 2011, we donated almost 2,000 hours of volunteer time,” Wildfeuer adds.

Carmichael Library is one of five branches of Sacramento Public Library that offers a “read to a dog” program. Another is Belle Cooledge Library in Land Park, which has been offering their “Read to a Dog” program for about three years and is currently held the last Tuesday evening of each month, according to Youth Services Librarian Donna Zick.

Zick says they can have upwards to 30 children at each monthly session, who have the opportunity to read to one of five to 10 therapy dogs. She says the focus is on kids in grades kindergarten through fourth grade, “because we know now that’s an important marker for kids’ reading levels and we want them to be reading at that stage and want them to be fluent and comfortable with reading.”

ReadToDog_Carmichael.jpg: “Read to Rover” volunteer Cathy French and her therapy dog, Kalie, listen to a young reader. // Photo courtesy of Ellen Wildfeuer.

Belle Cooledge’s program is run by volunteers through Lend A Heart Lend A Hand Animal-Assisted Therapy. According to President Barbara Street, Lend A Heart began in 1987 and is an organization of volunteer therapy dogs, cats and rabbits and their handlers that serve hospitals, assisted living centers and memory care centers. Street says Lend A Heart had started a “Read to a Dog” program at Rancho Cordova Library nine years ago, and the success of that program caught the attention of Belle Cooledge Library, who then her to start the program at their library.

Relaxed & Fun

So how does a program like this work?

At Belle Cooledge Library, Street says the dogs are in large dog beds in a circle in the children’s corner of the library. She says the hour normally starts with the children petting the dogs, then they select a book they want to read and a dog they want to read it to. “Sometimes two children will read to the same dog, sometimes they’ll just rotate around the room or find the one dog that they really want to spend more time with,” she adds.

A similar situation happens at Carmichael Library, where the therapy dogs and their handlers are in the library’s community room. Andrews says once a child signs up for the session, they can select a book they would like to read or bring their own book, then sit down and read to a dog. Once they are finished, they can sign up again to read to another dog. “Many times they come in and read to two or three dogs,” she adds.

And during this time, Zick says parents are able to sit by to watch or visit with other parents while their child is practicing their reading. “It’s a very relaxed environment,” she adds.

A Lend A Heart volunteer and therapy dog work with a young reader at the “Read to a Dog” program at Belle Cooledge Library. // Photo courtesy of Maryann Farmar/Lend A Heart.

Learning Curve

Many parents may be asking how can a child improve their reading skills by reading to a dog?

First off, Street says it gives children an opportunity to practice their reading in a relaxed, non-classroom environment with a non-judgmental companion. “It’s more of building that really good feeling about reading and then being able to sit there and read out loud to a dog that doesn’t care if you mispronounce word or is not judging you if you’re reading too slow,” she explains.

Wildfeuer agrees, and says this is a fun way for children who have difficulty reading to gain personal confidence. “It’s an enhancement of how the children are learning to read in school in a less structured, more fun, atmosphere,” she adds.

Zick says she has seen the positive impact of the program through a seven year old boy who when he came to his first program did not want to participate, saying he didn’t feel he could read well and didn’t like to read. “He was there the whole hour reading to the dogs, just completely engrossed in it,” she recalls. “He had convinced himself he wasn’t a good reader. Reading is just practice, so this is just another way to practice.”

Although the children are there to read to the dogs, Wildfeuer says the dog handlers are there to help if a child asks for it. “We’ll tell the kids if they need help, let us know and we’ll help them sound out a word,” she adds.

Plus children who participate in the Read to a Dog program can also learn about how to properly behave around animals and how to be more comfortable around dogs, says Andrews. She says the therapy dogs range in sizes from little lap dogs to Great Pyrenees, so for some kids it takes a while for them to be comfortable around the larger dogs. “But they’re all learning after they come for a while and they start feeling comfortable reading to the big dogs, so that’s also a very positive part of it,” Andrews says.

The Read to Rover program at Carmichael Library is held every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30pm. The Read to a Dog program at Belle Cooledge Library is held the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm. For more information on these programs, visit www.saclibrary.org.

Students participate in general exercises taught by Carl Hammer. // photos by Corrie Pelc.

It’s a Wednesday morning at about 9:30 a.m., and approximately 60 seniors ranging in age from 50 to about 90 are making their way in to the Memorial Center at St. Anthony Parish in the Pocket area.
What are they all here for?
They’re here for the senior fitness class offered three times a week by 88 year-old Carl Hammer and his wife, Sandra.
“I don’t know what I would do without this class and the people in it,” says Pocket resident Nancy Cherry, who has been coming to the class for the past eight years. “Besides the exercise, it’s the people talking, getting together, seeing how everyone’s doing – it’s another family. They have an average of 60 per class that come, so when you have that many people who are faithful to coming to a fitness class, then you know it’s got to be besides just the fitness.”

Jump Up …

Hammer and his wife, Sandra, have been offering a fitness class for seniors for the last 17 years. He says the class first began at E.M. Hart Senior Center in Midtown Sacramento, when he had the opportunity to take over a senior fitness class he and Sandra had been attending, but were not happy with. “I said, I can do that,” he recalls. “I’ve been a salesman most of my life, so I’m just selling something different – I’m selling fitness.”

Hammer and his wife also worked to become certified as older adult trainers. “It’s not quite as detailed as a personal trainer, but just learning what to look for in seniors and what type of exercises are best for seniors,” he explains.
After holding the fitness class there for about six years, Hammer says they were invited to bring their class to St. Anthony Parish, and are now in their 11th year at their current location.
Hammer says they typically have 80 attendees at their Monday morning class, and then about 60 at both the Wednesday and Friday classes. By having such a large number of attendees at each class, he says they’re able to keep their class prices low and only charge $2 per class.
“It’s been a very rewarding place to have a class that big,” Hammer says. “We have a nice commercial carpeted area to work on, and it’s nice in the warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and there’s plenty of parking.”

Jump Down …

As the fitness class is geared towards seniors, Hammer says they focus on things like mobility, flexibility, breathing, and balance.
For example, the class begins with stretching exercises, followed by some breathing techniques, including deep breathing and breathing through the nose. Then Hammer moves participants into leg and balance exercises, and then some marching exercises to get them moving. And later on in the class, attendees may work with one to two pound weights, balls and resistance bands as well.
As each participant has a chair to work with, he says they can use it to hold on to during balance exercises, or some will do some exercises seated depending on their physical limitations. “It’s all different – we’ve had people in wheelchairs, we’ve had some people with walkers and canes,” he explains. “So they do what they can within their ability and capabilities.”
Additionally, Sandra keeps an eye on all the participants to make sure everyone is okay. “Some of them might have a bad shoulder or something, so she’s keeping tabs so that somebody doesn’t overdue it,” Hammer explains.
For Sidney Thomas of South Sacramento who has been coming to the class for a year and-a-half, the exercises have helped him become limber and have helped him with some ankle issues. “Because I’ve been volunteering with a group that does home safety services and we’ve been crawling up in a lot of areas, lately my ankles are really stronger,” he says.
And Pocket resident Roberta DelPonte says the class has taught her better health and that she must keep moving. “It keeps us all healthy, it keeps us moving, it keeps us going and doing,” she adds.

And Move It All Around

In addition to the obvious fitness benefits of the class, Hammer says it also provides a social aspect as the class gets seniors out of the house and meeting others.
Greenhaven resident Gloria Marquette agrees, and says over the past four years she’s enjoyed the social part of the class. “I have a lot of my friends here from the church and then I’ve met other people and we’ve become good friends over the years,” she explains. “It brings people out, people who would normally just be sitting at home – they come out and socialize and get their bodies moving.”
Hammer says he’s seen a lot of friendships develop. “It’s a fantastic thing to see somebody come in who’s kind of shy and after a month or four or five weeks they’re talking to everybody and going out to lunch,” he explains.
Additionally, Hammer says about four times a year they hold a potluck meal to add to the social nature of the class. “Because we have such a diverse attendance of all different ethnic groups, it really makes it interesting and fun, and gets people out and gets them moving,” he adds.
Fr. Bong Rojas, pastor of St. Anthony Catholic Church, believes the fitness class contributes to the quality of life of the seniors, and helps them create more energy. “With the network that these classes provide, the participants build strong friendships and eventually provide pathways for wider networking in the Pocket community,” he says. “I believe that in everything we do, we build on relationships; and this classes provide an opportunity to foster those kinds of relationships.”
And as Pocket resident Dottie Fong will tell you – who has been taking fitness classes instructed by Hammer since 1998 – the classes have helped her become very healthy and strong at her age.
Fong highly recommends the class to all seniors as she believes it can help their bodies and their minds. “Come and try it because you never know what you’ll learn,” she says. “And if you feel that you can’t do it, you’ll be surprised – you can do it.”

Head-to-Toe Senior Fitness classes are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:45-10:45 am at the Memorial Center at St. Anthony Parish. For more information, call 929-2418.

corrie@valcomnews.com

California is currently facing as shortage of qualified teachers – including special education teachers – according to an article printed in September on US News on NBCNews.com.

The article cited a report, “Greatness by Design” released by the California Department of Education in September – a report designed to help improve how teachers are recruited, trained and mentored – that states “there are still shortages of qualified teachers in fields such as special education.”

Dr. Pia Wong, department chair for the Department of Teaching Credentials and professor at California State University Sacramento, says one reason for the shortage is teachers retiring without anyone to fill their positions. “When you look at the average age of teachers in special (education) and general education, it’s an aging population,” she explains. “Based on when people typically do retire or can retire, we know in the next 10 years we’re going to see very high numbers of retirement.”

Another reason, says Dr. Wong, is a growth in the population of students who qualify for special education services due to better diagnostic processes. “Because we have better tools for understanding the special needs that students have, there’s more students that are identified and therefore that creates a need for special programs, special classes, specialized teachers,” she says.

So what does this mean for Sacramento?

Inclusion Practice at SCUSD

In Sacramento City Unified School District, Director of Special Education Becky Bryant says there’s not a shortage of special education teachers overall, but there is a shortage in certain types of special education specialties, such as speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists.

Overall, Bryant says the amount of special education teachers they have is cyclical and will depend on the number of retirees they have each year and if there are new teachers coming to replace them. “Because Sacramento is the capitol, we have a lot of people that kind of move in and out because they have to relocate or something,” she adds.

According to Bryant, SCUSD employs 260 special education teachers and serves 88 schools plus charter schools. She says there are resource specialist programs at all school sites, and throughout the district there are special day programs.

Bryant says SCUSD is in the third year of implementation of an Inclusive Practice program at six schools in the district – C.K. McClatchy High School, California Middle School, Sutterville Elementary, Oak Ridge Elementary, Leataata Floyd Elementary, and Caleb Greenwood K-8 School. Through this model, says Bryant, students who would have been in a traditional special day class setting are now in general education, and the general educator and special education teacher co-teach together to provide instruction to all students in the classroom.

According to Bryant, Inclusive Practice helps teach students skills they will need when they become adults and enter into a diverse society, and it allows all students to learn together and be part of a community. “It’s not about singling out students with disabilities and sending them somewhere else,” she adds.

Special Programs & Inclusion at SJUSD

Over at San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD), Dayle Cantrall, program manager for special education, believes that special education is a growing need because there is not always a pool of credentialed teachers at the ready to fill any holes they may have. “When we have credentialed teachers, they usually end up in a job and they stay – they don’t face layoffs like general education teachers do, they’re always in high demand,” she adds.

According to Cantrall, SJUSD currently employs 307 special education teachers, including speech therapists and adaptive PE teachers. She says there is at a minimum a half-time resource teacher at every school site, and some high schools have upwards to nine special education teachers at a school site. And special education students range from those that need speech therapy to specialized programs for severe autism and the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Cantrall says recent changes in special education programs at SJUSD include specialized programming for severe autism students and a new transition center for kids ages 18-22 this year.

Additionally, there are specialized inclusion programs from elementary through high school on a few campuses in the district, says Cantrall. “We have support built into the particular campuses, including increased number of instructional assistants,” she explains. Plus some campuses also have the capability for a special education student to attend the same school as their brothers and sisters through the support of “roving inclusion teachers” and resources teachers.

What It Takes

To help ensure there are qualified special education teachers for California schools, Dr. Wong says one thing CSUS has done is advocate for an admission cycle for the special education credential program every semester. Additionally, faculty has been active in securing grants from the federal government to help candidates interested in pursuing the special education credential.

For those considering becoming certified to become a special education teacher, Dr. Wong suggests they look into it by doing some research and visiting some classrooms. “I think people may have certain preconceptions about what it means to teach students with special needs,” she explains. “I think if they were to visit some classrooms, they would really see some positive, exciting things happen and maybe find it’s something that attracts them.”

Bryant says they look to hire special education teachers who have a passion for kids in general, and a passion to work with students with disabilities. “(We look for) people who have a clear understanding of how to manage a classroom, how to motivate kids, and who are really willing to work on creating relationships with kids,” she adds.

And Cantrall says if you have a calling to work with at-risk kids, you’re not afraid to collaborate, think outside the box, and do what’s needed to meet the best interests of that child’s needs – go for it. “We need people in special education who are not only dedicated to kids, but dedicated to paving the way so those kids can continue to learn in the least restrictive environment possible,” she says.

Breads from Les Baux. / Photos by Corrie Pelc

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to walk down the bustling streets of France or New York City, chances are you would encounter bakeries, almost one on every street, featuring crusty loaves of fresh baked breads.

The good news is you don’t have to go that far anymore if you live in East Sacramento. Just head to the corner of 51st Street and Folsom Boulevard to the new Les Baux bakery and bistro.

Co-owner Trong Nguyen showcases two breads from Les Baux – the French rye and the épi type baguette. / Photos by Corrie Pelc

Why East Sac?

Co-owned by Trong Nguyen and his wife, who also founded La Bou Bakery & Cafe, Nguyen says the vision for Les Baux came from their travels to Europe. “We thought maybe (with) our experience, knowledge, resources and skills, (we could) put together a cool neighborhood bakery cafe bistro – the kind of place people would come and hang out and have a good time, like the places we would love to (go) … in other parts of the world,” he explains.

For this concept, Nguyen says they decided on East Sacramento because they loved the neighborhood. “It’s a really wonderful neighborhood on both sides of Folsom Boulevard, and very accessible to bicycles and foot traffic, and near the parks,” he says.

Nguyen appreciates the support he has received from the East Sacramento community since Les Baux first opened its doors about six months ago, with many customers already becoming repeat customers and others returning with their friends. “The people in East Sac are just incredible,” he adds.

One fan of Les Baux is East Sacramento resident Ed Christenson, who has become a frequent customer for the store’s bread and pastries. He says the bread is a very good quality and with a good flavor. He says it’s nice to “have a good bread store nearby” and feels Les Baux is a “nice addition” to East Sacramento.

And South East Sacramento residents Rosemarie Bertacchi and M. Teresa Lew say they have become consistent customers of Les Baux, and feel the restaurant is unique and neighborly. “(It) has the ability to be casual, as well as beginning to be in the class of epicurean,” Lew adds.

Breads from Les Baux. / Photos by Corrie Pelc

The Bakery

For the bakery part of Les Baux, Nguyen says they wanted to make a traditional bakery that you would find in France, New York and San Francisco.

The star attraction of the bakery is the bread. Les Baux offers a variety of breads, from baguettes to pain au levain (country white) to a multigrain bread. The bakery also offers types not normally seen, including the French rye and épi type baguette – rather than a straight loaf, the baguette has angled sections making it easy to break pieces off for eating.

According to Nguyen, all the breads are made each day from scratch from a natural ferment. The starter for the dough is made the day before baking. Each day at midnight, staff members come in to make the dough, which Nguyen says takes a few hours.

Then the bread is baked. Nguyen says these types of breads require a traditional deck oven, which requires a certain set of skills to operate as the dough is dropped directly on to the stone hearth. “It makes the best bread – it has a really good steaming system and even heat,” he explains. “That’s the kind of setting for making wonderful bread.” To help ensure his bread would be great, Nguyen even brought in bakers from Europe and New York to teach him how to make this type of bread.

In addition to the bread, the bakery at Les Baux features a variety of pastries, including croissants, scones, pain au chocolat, and different types of cookies.

Pastries from Les Baux. / Photos by Corrie Pelc

The Bistro

For the bistro, Nguyen says they wanted to create a place that was more of a neighborhood hangout than a restaurant. “A French diner where people would come to eat a few times a week,” he explains.

To accomplish this, Nguyen says they focused on making an interesting and diverse – yet affordable – menu using classic French bistro dishes. “I want everything to be affordable prices, the kind of thing a neighbor could walk over and have dinner – they don’t have to wait for their anniversary or birthday to come here,” he adds.

On the breakfast menu, dishes include the “3 Day” French Toast, so named, Nguyen says, because the French toast takes three days to create – two days to make the bread, and one day for it to naturally air dry, resulting, in what he calls a very light French toast. Other items on the breakfast menu include a breakfast focaccia and a continental breakfast.

For lunch and dinner – Les Baux just began offering dinner Tuesday through Saturday – Steak Frite (steak and French fries) Nguyen says is a very popular and traditional French bistro staple. Nguyen says other well-known French bistro dishes on their menu include Moules Frites (mussels and French fries) and raw oysters on the half shell, as well as three different types of tarts.

Patrons can also enjoy a glass of wine with their meal. Nguyen says they have developed what they call the “Left Side Only Wine List,” where every bottle on the menu is $25 and every glass is $6, so there is no right side of the menu with prices listed. “People can concentrate on just the wine that they like,” he adds.

“A Luxury”

Now with six months under their belt, Nguyen says that so far he is very pleased with the outcome of Les Baux. He says although people in this area do not buy as much bread as Europeans or those on the East Coast do, “little by little the people are beginning to come in and buy bread.”

“For those living in East Sac, the fact that they have a real artisan bread bakery in their neighborhood is a luxury because most America does not have this – it’s rare to have such an entity in your neighborhood,” he says. “You can walk over or ride your bike over and grab a loaf of bread for dinner.”

And he’s happy with the feedback he’s been receiving from community members that have found Les Baux and are very pleased to have done so. “Those kinds of encounters really motivate us and keep us going,” he adds.

Find It:

Les Baux
5090 Folsom Blvd.
916-739-1348
www.lesbauxbakery.com

Every Monday evening the Sacramento Women’s Chorus – which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2013 – holds its weekly rehearsal. // Photos by Kati Garner

Stroll by First Christian Church between 6:30 and 9 p.m. on a Monday evening and chances are you will be treated to the sweet sounds of the Sacramento Women’s Chorus.

Every Monday evening the Chorus – which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2013 – holds its weekly rehearsal, says Robin Richie, who has been director of the Sacramento Women’s Chorus for the past three years.

An instrumental music teacher at Rocklin Unified School District with a Master in Music Degree from the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Richie decided to take on the director position because she says she would bring a “wealth of skills and style” to the group. “My emphasis is on vocal production and performance skills and that’s exactly what they were looking for,” she says.

Since then, Richie has grown the Chorus in both size – from 18 to 48 members ranging in ages from 20s to 70s – and skill. She also says the director position has allowed her to continue to grow musically. “Any time I get in front of the Chorus it’s kind of like OK, what can I bring new to them tonight and what can I learn from this experience that I can go back next week and make it even better,” she says.

Music Makers
One person who appreciates the work Richie does for the Sacramento Women’s Chorus is Mary Nikakis – a retired Sacramento County social worker who has been a member of the Chorus for seven years.

Nikakis says she decided to join the Chorus because she loves to sing and unless you’re in school or a church choir, there aren’t many places to sing. “I was drawn to the philosophy, the wonderful group of women, and just the chance to sing marvelous things,” she says.

One of Nikakis’ favorite things about the Chorus is its sense of community. “We go and do things together, we help each other move, we take soup when somebody’s sick – it’s really a much closer group than a few people that come together to sing for an hour and leave,” she explains.

She also loves the diversity of the group. “We all comes from different places, stages, backgrounds, economic status, and we’re all united in wanting to sing,” she adds.

As a past president of the Chorus’ Board, Nikakis says she has learned skills that she would not have been able to learn elsewhere. Additionally, she feels it has given her an outlet for stress relief and it has given her “someplace to go where I know I’ll be welcomed and happy every week.”

Sing Out Loud
Nikakis likes that the Chorus performs for various groups that promote the rights and well-being of women, such as WEAVE, the Center for AIDS Research and Education, Wellspring Women’s Center, Girl Scouts, Eskaton, and Loaves & Fishes. She also likes that the group performs at events such as Take Back the Night and women history events at the State Capitol.

Richie said the group performs for these organizations and events free of charge, as with their motto – “opening hearts and minds through harmony.” “That’s our way to give back – we give back through song,” she says.

In addition to these numerous community performances, the Chorus performs two ticketed performances a year. Their upcoming annual Holiday Concert and Sing-A-Long will be held on Dec. 10 at the First Christian Church in East Sacramento. “It’s a draw for community people to come in and give them a chance to sing some Christmas carols and fun songs that they may not have opportunities to do,” Richie says. “It’s just amazing – we’ve had audiences of 150-200 people participate in sing-a-longs.”

And on March 9, 2013, the Chorus will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a special concert at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks. Richie says the Chorus will be inviting past directors back to direct songs for the concert.

Plus Richie was recently given permission to write an arrangement for a song called “A Woman’s Voice,” which was originally written for Senator Barbara Boxer, and the Chorus will be premiering the arrangement at the concert. “No one has done this particular arrangement of the song – we actually wrote it for the Chorus – (so) that’s going to be a really big deal for us,” she says.

Add Your Voice
Although the Sacramento Women’s Chorus has grown over the last few years, they are still looking for new voices to add to their ensemble.

In fact, on Jan. 14, the Chorus will be holding an Open House to give those interested an opportunity to see what the Chorus is all about. Richie urges those interested to attend the Open House or just come by for one of the group’s Monday evening rehearsals. “You can look at a website and you can read about it, but until you’re actually there, you hear what we do and meet and greet the people that are part of the Chorus, you don’t really get a good feel for it,” she says.

And Nikakis urges any woman considering joining the Chorus to go for it. “You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain,” she says. “We have women of all different levels of musical ability – it’s just a wonderful place to have a little creative outlet, explore yourself a little bit, learn something new, and enjoy the company of a really fun community of people.”