The spirit of an elementary school slated for closure next fall was expressed and preserved on Sunday, April 21 when students and staff came together to create a gigantic, multi-part mural under the direction of celebrated artist Milton Bowens. Washington Elementary School, established in 1869, is one of seven under-enrolled elementary schools that the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education voted last month to close. Students from Washington will attend either William Land in or Theodore Judah in East Sacramento, depending on their address.

As a way of easing the transition process, sixth grade teacher Kim Williams worked with Bowens on an innovative mural project. Students were asked to draw images capturing the school’s “spirit.” Bowens, a nationally recognized artist whose multi-media pieces are collected by such celebrities as LeBron James, then worked to incorporate common themes from the drawings into a cohesive, colorful design.

On Sunday, April 28, the design was projected onto six panels measuring 8 feet-by-4 feet and an outline created. Students painted the panels following the outline – a sort of collaborative paint-by-numbers project.

Once completed, the mural was split into halves of three panels each. One half will go with Washington students to William Land and the other half will be displayed at Theodore Judah. Bowens will then work with students and staff at William Land and Theodore Judah to create new panels to make each mural “whole again,” said Dixon.

“There will be a symbolic combining of Washington with the other campuses to create new schools,” Dixon said. “It’s bittersweet but for the children it’s going to be very impactful.”

Throughout the design are images that reflect Washington’s commitment to “green” values, such as recycling. There is also a rainbow, a giant butterfly and jigsaw puzzle pieces.

“It is hoped that the mural will help ease the students’ transition to their new schools, as well as fulfill the vision of Project Green,” said Dixon.

Editor’s Note: This is part 10 in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Sacramento has been known as a political city, a city of trees and many other things during a large portion of its existence. And among its greatest achievements was becoming a city of breweries, which included the Buffalo Brewing Company.
In the previous article of this series, Philip Scheld, who was interred at East Lawn Cemetery (today’s East Lawn Memorial Park), was celebrated for his proprietorship of the Sacramento Brewery, which was established a short distance from Sutter’s Fort in 1849.
Many other breweries were opened in the capital city during the 19th century.
An example of the production of local breweries during the 19th century was recorded in the county assessment books for 1872.
This source notes that in that year, Sacramento had eight breweries that produced 252,000 gallons of beer.
Furthermore, according to the 1880 book, “The History of Sacramento County, California,” the area’s eight local breweries in 1878 “made, in aggregate, 530,200 gallons of beer, and in 1879, 560,000 (gallons of beer).”
With a walk around East Lawn Memorial Park, one can find the final resting places of several men who were associated with the Buffalo Brewing Company, which was also known as the Buffalo Brewery, and was for many years under the direction of Buffalo Brewery, Inc.
Certainly the most notable of these brewery men were the German-born Herman H. Grau (1846-1915) and William E. Gerber (1852-1928), who were both interred at East Lawn Cemetery.
Herman, a former East Coast brewer who came to Sacramento from Buffalo, N.Y. in about 1886, was the man who organized the Buffalo Brewery, which would eventually become the largest brewery west of the Mississippi.
At the age of 12, Herman came to America and settled in Buffalo, N.Y.
Along with his wife, New York native J.F. Bertha (Ziegele) Grau (1848-1915), who he married in Buffalo prior to coming to Sacramento, Herman had nine children.
Herman’s association with William became an important part of the city’s brewery history, as these men laid out the plans for the Buffalo Brewery.
In addition to his involvement with the Buffalo Brewery, William, a New York native who came to Sacramento in 1860 and was eventually the secretary of the Buffalo Brewery, served, at different times during his life, as president of the California National Bank and chairman of that bank’s board.
William, who studied in Sacramento schools and the St. Louis Academy and at a business school in Buffalo, was also, at a various times, a bookkeeper and co-owner of a grocery store, state fish and game commissioner, auditor of Sacramento County and the city treasurer of Sacramento.
Also interred at the cemetery was Hattie A. Gerber (1857-1928), who was the mother of his five children.
Construction on the Buffalo Brewery, which was located on the block bounded by 21st, 22nd, Q and R streets, began in 1888.
In being that this section of Sacramento was many years away from being built out at that time, upon its completion, the large brewery structure could be seen from a considerable distance within the city.
With the opening of the Buffalo Brewery in 1890, Herman became the company’s first general manager and Adolph Heilbron (1833-1913) served as the brewery’s first president. Heilbron’s final resting place is located at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery at 1000 Broadway.
Also interred at East Lawn were Henry Gerber (1851-1928), one of the brewery’s first stockholders, and Henry I. Seymour (1861-1913).
Seymour was among the prominent men of the brewery, as he replaced Grau as the company’s general manager in 1896 and continued to serve in that role for 17 years.
But Seymour was not new to the brewery when he became its general manager, as he had been working for the brewery since 1890.
Another well-known person in local brewery history was Sacramento native Frank J. Ruhstaller (1872-1943), whose father was Swiss native Frank Ruhstaller (1846-1907), who was an original officer of the Buffalo Brewery.
The brewery resume of Frank Ruhstaller, who was interred at today’s Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, also included serving as the proprietor of the City Brewery at the northeast corner of 12th and H streets and the superintendent of the Sacramento Brewing Co.
As for the resume of Frank J. Ruhstaller, he became the president of the Buffalo Brewery in 1913, following the death of Heilbron. He retired from that position in April 1939.
Additionally, the younger Ruhstaller served as the assistant manager of the City Brewery and superintendent of the Sacramento Brewing Co., and was a member of the city’s war rationing board during World War II.
In speaking about Frank J. Ruhstaller during his retirement dinner at the old Elks Temple at 11th and J streets, Superior Court Judge Peter J. Shields said, “Charities, kindnesses and justices have characterized his whole existence. The aroma of good deeds during his life has perfumed the entire community. He has been modest, never seeking the limelight nor the vanities of life.”
Frank J. Ruhstaller’s wife, Alice Marie (Root) Ruhstaller (1871-1969), was also interred at East Lawn. The couple, who was married in Sacramento on Nov. 22, 1899, was residents of East Sacramento, residing in the Fabulous Forties neighborhood at 1301 44th St.
Much has been said and written about the Buffalo Brewery, which created beer that was popular well beyond Sacramento.
During its pre-Prohibition days, the Buffalo Brewery distributed its beer great distances.
In addition to shipping this beverage to many parts of Northern California, including San Francisco, the brewery also sent its beer to the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, Central America, along the Mediterranean, Russia, Japan and China.
A summary about the brewery in the Feb. 2, 1907 edition of The Union included the following words: “Sacramento boasts of many large manufacturing enterprises, but none are more in keeping with the general progress of this section than (the Buffalo Brewery). It is known by the excellence of its product. New Brew and Bohemian, its special brands, are known throughout the Pacific Coast. Ask any dealer and he will tell you there are none superior to them.”
The brewery, which experienced much physical growth at its local plant, returned to full, post-Prohibition production in December 1933 and continued its operations at its historic site until 1949.
The brewery buildings were razed in 1949 and 1950 in preparation for the construction of the newspaper, radio and television operations of McClatchy Newspapers – publishers of The Sacramento Bee – which was then headed by its president, Eleanor McClatchy.

Lance@valcomnews.com

In 1959, the East Sacramento Little League constructed a baseball field at the intersection of 60th Street and M Street.  It was a beautiful field with forest green fences, built-in dugouts and a lush green outfield.  We all signed up for little league baseball that year.  But, after the baseball season ended, we discovered another great use for the field:  tackle football without pads.  Up until then, we had no grass field to play on, so we usually just played touch football in the street on Janey Way.  This field offered a whole new option for us.
At first we just played among ourselves, usually in four on four games.  However, subsequently we began to play games against other neighborhood gangs:  the O Street boys, the T Street gang and a group of kids from around East Portal Park.  The games were typically friendly rivalries and no one suffered anything more than a cut, bruise, or bloody nose, despite the lack of padding.
I recall one game, however, that turned out to be pretty rough.
One day, a group of us showed up at the field to toss the ball around and maybe play a little game.  We found another group of boys on the field.  No one recognized these boys.  A couple of them were large Neanderthal looking characters calling themselves “big hand” and “big foot.”  I think they were brothers.  They looked pretty ominous.
Eventually, one of the boys came over to challenge us to a game.  Naturally, we had to accept the challenge.
The two groups agreed to a game of four 10-minute quarters; one of the spectators agreed to time the game. Out to the field, sans pads, we went.  They got the ball, and scored first, pretty easily. We followed with a score of our own.  But, the first half ended in a 7 to 7 tie.
At half time, we worked up a strategy for tacking the big guys—gang tackling.  It worked.  They scored the first touchdown of the second half, but we followed with a score of our own making it a 14 to 14 tie.  Then we kept them from scoring again
We got the ball back with about 5 minutes left in the game.  I handed the ball to Al Wilson on first down for a 10-yard gain.  Then, I threw the ball to Lou Viani for a 20-yard gain. On third down, I ran a quarterback draw play up the middle.  When I hit the 10-yard line, one of their players grabbed me.  I kept running.  At the 5-yard line another defender latched on to me.  Finally at the one, the big guy hit the pile and knocked us all into the end zone.  We took a lead, which we never relinquished.
They got the ball back in the end, but failed to score. 
After the game, the strangers gathered on the side of the field, picked up their gear and left with heads hung down. We all stood in the center of the field and congratulated ourselves on a great victory. To celebrate our victory, we walked over the A and W drive-in on 65th Street and Elvas Avenue for a celebratory root beer.
The strangers never came back to our field again.  We must have made a lasting impression on them.  Now our days of tackle football without pads are just another bone-crushing Janey Way memory.

The Sacramento Brewery was located at 28th and M (now Capitol Avenue) streets.

Editor’s Note: This is part nine in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Among Sacramento’s identity during its earlier years was undoubtedly its position as a brewery city. And with a recent review of the records of East Lawn Memorial Park, the remains of at least seven high level local brewery men are interred at this East Sacramento cemetery.
Among these men was Philip Scheld, former owner of the Sacramento Brewery, which was located at 28th and M (now Capitol Avenue) streets.
The brewery, according to the 1880 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” was established in 1849 by a German immigrant named Peter Kadell, who during the following year began brewing beer at that site. Peter’s surname is also spelled “Cadel” in other historic references.
According to The Sacramento Union, in its June 15, 1872 edition, the brewery was rented by Philip Scheld in 1853 and purchased by him a year later.
The 1880 county history book indicates that Philip became involved in the brewery business in Sacramento in 1852.
Another version of this story, as described in the 1890 book, “An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California,” notes that Philip “rented the brewery on the East M Street, and a month later bought it.”
Prior to becoming a Sacramentan, Philip, who was born in the town of Giessen in the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in Germany on Oct. 13, 1827, attended government schools and worked on his family’s farm.
He later immigrated to the United States with his brother, Henry. They arrived in Philadelphia after a five-week voyage on July 11, 1845.
While residing in Philadelphia, Philip worked in the bakery industry and Henry dedicated himself to the cabinet making trade.
Both brothers eventually made their way to California. Henry arrived in 1849 to become a miner.
A year later, Philip, who was then living in Baltimore, was inspired by a letter that he received from his brother to head to California immediately.
After arriving in San Francisco on March 24, 1850, Philip traveled to Sacramento aboard the steamer “Hartford” before heading to El Dorado County.
He reunited with his brother in Volcano (Amador County) several weeks later.
Philip and Henry eventually worked together teaming between the mines and Sacramento.
Both the 1880 and 1890 county history books recognize Philip as becoming involved in the hotel business outside of Sacramento.
According to the 1890 county history book, this venture began after Philip and his business partner, Daniel Troy, acquired a hotel as a default method of payment for their work baking for that hotel.
Philip and Daniel had a larger hotel built to replace the hotel they acquired, and they also had a second hotel built. They continued in this business until the fall of 1852.
After Philip became the proprietor of the Sacramento Brewery, the brewery underwent many changes, including the construction of new buildings, an increase in its property size, and the addition of Switzerland native John Oschwald as co-owner of the brewery in 1869. That partnership continued until 1876.
The aforementioned June 15, 1872 edition of The Union notes that in 1860, Philip had the old brewery moved to the rear portion of the property and had a 61-foot by 42-foot, brick building constructed on the site’s northeast corner.
The 1880 county history book described the building as having been expanded to a size of 120 feet by 100 feet. The “two-story, brick addition” was built at a cost of $4,000 by Martin Madden, who was described in the Jan. 1, 1883 edition of The Union as “the leading builder in this part of the state.”
On Oct. 2, 1873, a fire occurred at the brewery’s two-story, 24-square-foot, brick, malt house.
The fire began when the malt that was being burned in the kiln overheated. The damage, which was contained inside the building, was financially covered by the brewery’s insurance.
Another building at the brewery caught on fire on Oct. 11, 1877, resulting in $1,500 in damages.
In between these fire years, Philip, who married Germany native Margaret Fritz on April 7, 1858, was involved in a near fatal accident.
During the early afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 14, 1874, following a morning of hunting several miles east of Sacramento, Philip Scheld was driving his buggy with his son, Adolph.
As Philip was resting his arm against the muzzle of his rifle, one of the buggy’s wheels ran into a squirrel hole, causing the firearm to discharge. A shell passed through his left arm, just below his shoulder, and exited out the other side of the arm.

The Scheld family mausoleum is located on the Folsom Boulevard side of the cemetery. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Although the injury resulted in Philip losing his arm to amputation, it was believed that he would have bled to death had the powder of his rifle not severely burned his arm, thus slowing the bleeding.
Oddly, 20 years later, Adolph accidently shot and killed Frederick C. Glueck while he was target shooting with some of his military friends.
The Union, in its Jan. 1, 1877 edition, noted that the brewery included extensive sheds and outhouses and had utilized 200 tons of barley and three tons of hops and produced 3,000 barrels of beer in the past year.
At that time, the brewery also included a 40-foot by 100-foot malt kiln and a 40-foot by 100-foot storehouse.
In the 1880 county history book, the operation of the brewery, which was then located on nearly a whole block of land, was described as follows: “It has steam power for mechanical purposes, three steam pumps, and is complete in every particular, employing throughout the year six or seven men, and having a capacity of eighteen barrels per day.”
The Union, in its Jan. 1, 1880 edition, noted that the brewery’s advantages for the manufacture of beer and shipping throughout California were “unsurpassed by those of any competitor in business.”
The 1913 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” recognizes the financial rewards that the brewery brought Philip, as follows: “Still in the pioneer period of the ‘50s, (Philip) identified himself with the brewery business that by his own industry and sagacity brought him a fortune.”
The same book also referred to the Sacramento Brewery as “one of the most profitable properties of the kind in the state.”
Evidence of the wealth of Philip, who was a millionaire, could be seen through his stately home, which he had built at 1105 L St. in 1880.
In February 1869, while still dedicating himself to the brewery as its proprietor, Philip became one of the original directors of the Capital Savings Bank of Sacramento at the southwest corner of 4th and J streets.
And from about 1878 to 1913, he was involved with Sacramento Savings Bank at the northwest corner of 5th and J streets.
In the final 12 years of that time, Philip served as president of this latter named bank.
Following his aforementioned accident, Philip continued his role in the brewery’s ownership for many years thereafter.
Beyond his brewery and banking activities, Philip also owned a considerable amount of property in Los Angeles County, served as a longtime local firefighter, president of the Sacramento Rifle Club and a director of the Sacramento Beet Sugar Company, and was a member of the Sacramento Turn Verein.
He died at his L Street home at the age of 85 during the early morning of July 30, 1913.
His funeral was a private affair held at his home two days after his passing and he was interred at East Lawn Cemetery during the same day.
Philip’s remains are located inside the Scheld family mausoleum on the Folsom Boulevard side of the cemetery.
This mausoleum is East Lawn’s only private, family mausoleum that contains both large and small crypts.
Also interred in this mausoleum are the remains of Margaret, who passed away at the age of 80 in 1916, Adolph, who died at the age of 84 in 1946, and three other members of the family – Adolph’s wife, Leila C. Scheld (1869-1936); Adolph and Leila’s daughter, Margaret Scheld Cook (1897-1961); and Philip’s niece, Ottilie Fritz (1865-1917).
Another Scheld family member, August C. Fritz, a Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany native who died at the age of 21 on Feb. 27, 1872, had his funeral services at the Sacramento Brewery during the afternoon of the following day. He was originally buried at the New Helvetia Cemetery at 31st Street (today’s Alhambra Boulevard), between H and J streets.

Arthur Serviss Dudley was a resident of East Sacramento during the 1920s and 1930s. Photo courtesy of Aerospace Museum of California

Editor’s Note: This is part eight in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Among the most notable people to make their final resting place inside East Lawn’s two-story mausoleum was former East Sacramento resident Arthur Serviss Dudley (1883-1977).
Born in West Salem, Wis., where he attended elementary and high schools, Arthur was the son of Lewis R. Dudley, a public school principal, and Nora (Serviss) Dudley.
In 1903, three years after receiving his high school diploma, Arthur graduated from the Illinois College of Photography in Effingham, Ill.
During the same year, he married Ada Broome of Effingham and moved with her to Palo Alto, Calif., where he established his own photography studio.
His successful professional photography career also included founding the California College of Photography in Palo Alto.
After the institution was severely damaged by the 1906 earthquake, Arthur and Ada returned to the East, where Arthur spent three years editing a 10-volume publication – “The Complete Self-Instructing Work of Practical Photography” – for the American Photo Text-Book Co. of Scranton, Pa.
Arthur remained with the company promoting the publication in various parts of the country, and then served as the business’s manager until 1911.
He later worked as the editor and advertising manager of The Camera and The Bulletin of Photography for Chambers Press of Philadelphia.
In 1913, Arthur was once again residing in California, this time farming on a 10-acre piece of property that he purchased in Riverside County. But that venture ended when his farmland washed out during a major storm.
This incident caused Arthur to return to his photography endeavors during the following year, as he moved to San Jacinto (Riverside County) and opened a photography gallery.
It was also in San Jacinto, where he assisted in the organization of that city’s chamber of commerce.
As a representative of Riverside County, Arthur assisted with the famous 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, which many Sacramentans traveled to San Francisco to attend.
In April of that year, Arthur was elected to serve as the secretary of the Riverside Chamber of Commerce. And a year later, he became the assistant secretary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
During his time in Riverside County, Arthur assisted in the effort to have the Army establish the airfield that eventually became known as March Air Force Base.
Arthur, who had one son and three daughters, became a resident of Sacramento for the first time in August 1920 after being named as the new secretary of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce – today’s Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to his service with the local chamber of commerce, Arthur was a member of the advisory board of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, president of the Secretaries of the California Chamber of Commerce and director of the National Association of Commercial Organization Secretaries.
He also led efforts for the early 1920s construction of the $100,000 Chamber of Commerce Building at 917-21 7th St. and was a driving force behind the city’s “Days of ’49” celebration in 1922.
During his initial three-year residency in Sacramento, Arthur lived at 2162 33rd St. (1920-21) and 530 21st St. (1921-23).
In August 1923, he moved with his family to Portland, where he was instrumental in the formation of the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce. He also served as that chamber’s manager.
A year and a half later, Arthur was residing in San Joaquin County and working as the secretary of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce.

Arthur Serviss Dudley resided in this Fabulous Forties home at 1445 42nd St., just north of today’s East Lawn Children’s Park, from 1928 to 1929. Photo by Lance Armstrong

However, Arthur was not through moving, as he became the secretary-manager of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce in 1927 and a resident of East Sacramento at 1445 42nd St.
Although the Dudleys moved downtown about three years later, they would return to East Sacramento. The family lived at 1426 41st St. from 1933 to 1935, and altogether the Dudleys had at least 10 Sacramento area home addresses.
Arthur, who enjoyed camping, hunting and occasional games of tennis, belonged to various Sacramento civic organizations, including the Sacramento Trade Club and the Rotary Club of Sacramento, which then met on the mezzanine level of the Hotel Senator at 1125 L St.
Among the major highlights of Arthur’s many years with the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce was his noteworthy work with the military.
Arthur, who was the local chamber’s first paid executive, was involved with various aspects of both Mather and McClellan airbases.
Although he led efforts to halt the early 1930s closure of Mather Field – as Mather Air Force Base was then known – it was officially placed on inactive status on Nov. 1, 1932.
But after about a decade of maintaining its inactive status, Mather Field, with the assistance of Arthur, who used his chamber of commerce experience and status to his benefit, had a timely rebirth, less than a year prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
In his early 1960s writings about Arthur’s contribution to the U.S. air defense, Fenton L. Williams, who served as the historian for the Sacramento Air Materiel Area at McClellan Air Force Base, wrote: “As a result of his activity – his able, enthusiastic pushing – the country became conscious of the need to begin air defense work without delay. It is safe to say that no other one person in our whole country did so much to stir interest and get action when it was so badly needed – action that resulted in an effective air defense. Not only Sacramento, but the whole country and the free world owe a debt of gratitude to Arthur S. Dudley.”
Although McClellan Field (later known as McClellan Air Force Base) was named after Maj. Hezekiah McClellan, who died as a result of a flight test accident on May 25, 1936, Arthur is known as the “Father of McClellan.”
Arthur, who at separate times served as president and chairman of the National Air Frontier Defense Association, which was comprised of chamber of commerce secretaries, led a nationwide drive to establish more air bases.
His efforts resulted in seven new bases, one of which would become McClellan.
In his writings about Arthur, Williams noted that few people were initially informed about the plans to establish the base.
“Those who had information as to what was in the making guarded it closely to avoid a skyrocketing of prices,” Williams wrote. “Dudley confided in one person – Alden Anderson, president of the Capital National Bank. He, in turn, commissioned Carroll A. Cook of Artz and Cook real estate (and insurance) company to obtain the options (from landowners). Cook, himself did not know the purpose, so he acted naturally and did not create any wonderment.”
Arthur, who married Elizabeth Trumbo in 1946, about two years after the death of Ada, announced on May 7, 1936 that Sacramento’s new $7 million, 1,100-acre Army Air Corps repair and supply depot, which would later be known as McClellan Field, would be constructed. The base had its formal dedication nearly three years later.
Considering the economic impact that local air bases had on Sacramento, Arthur’s legacy on that point alone is grand.
His name is also preserved through Arthur S. Dudley Elementary School at 8000 Aztec Way in Antelope, and Dudley Boulevard and Dudley Way on the old grounds of McClellan Air Force Base. A small section of Dudley Boulevard was formerly known as Dudley Loop.
Arthur, who continued to serve as the local chamber’s secretary-manager until 1950, led efforts to have the Port of Sacramento constructed and witnessed McClellan’s expansion to more than 2,600 acres, passed away at the age of 94 on Feb. 16, 1977.
Services in his remembrance were held two days after his passing in the East Lawn chapel.

About 300 dogs sniffed out eggs filled with tasty treats at the fourth annual Easter Egg Hunt for dogs at McKinley Park on Saturday, March 23.

After about 10 minutes after the horn went off signaling the start of the hunt, dogs and their caretakers cleaned the field. Some dogs were dressed to impress with pastel colored tutus and bunny ears at this family friendly event.

Families also got a chance to share get their picture taken with the Easter bunny, which was fun to watch, as caretakers tried their best to get their dogs to sit still for the photo op.

Sponsored and organized by Wag Hotels in West Sacramento, proceeds from the hunt benefited Chako Pit Bull Rescue, which according to their website “aims to alleviate the persecution of the Pit Bull breeds by finding homes for Pit Bulls in need, promoting responsible dog ownership, and standing against breed discrimination.”

That last of the statement of the rescue’s mission hit a chord with Wag Hotels, as there are no breed restrictions at the hotel.

“Pit bulls — they get such a bad wrap and Chako’s is a smaller rescue that would benefit with the proceeds. Just seem to fit right,” said Kristin Rau, general manager of Wag Hotel, who said the egg hunt raised $1,700 for the rescue organization.

Rau said the hotel wanted to hold an event offsite that would attract a good crowd. “We wanted a nice, dog friendly community, which East Sacramento is and McKinley Park is gorgeous. We tried to attract those in the community who would be most interested,” she said.

“That was the largest event we’ve had so far,” added Nicole Marchal of Wag Hotels. “We were not expecting quite the turnout we had,” she said.

More about Chako Pit Bull Rescue

Although Chako Pit Bull rescue is based in Sacramento, the organization works on both a state and national level. It provides advocacy efforts for responsible dog owners, free and low cost Pit Bull classes, and educational events throughout the year. Also check out the Pit Bull Owner’s Guide for information every Pit Bull owner should know. Chako will pay to spay or neuter your Pit Bull!

About Wag Hotels

Wag Hotels is a stay and play resort for dogs and cats. Founded in 2005, Wag offers hotel-style boarding, all day play/doggie day care, training and pet education, grooming, and spa services. Plus, they are always open.

Back in the 1950s when I grew up on Janey Way, in East Sacramento, over 40 children called it their home.  We played together daily in the neighborhood and in the pit (the vacated sand and gravel site behind the houses on the eastern side of the block.)  We formed close friendships, and proudly called ourselves the Janey Way Gang.  But other neighborhoods in the area formed their own “gangs” too.
Three blocks away, the Pesce’s, Franzoia’s, Myais and others called themselves the O Street Boys.  We sometimes feuded with them.  Remember the story I wrote about Christmas Tree Wars.
Further south, across the railroad tracks, on T Street, another group of boys usually ran together.  They were the T Street Boys.  This group included guys I know well today:  Dan Blakolb, Don Fancher, George Vargas and Larry Simson.  Our gang often tussled with them in the pit.  We had no fist fights or anything like that, but rock fights were not uncommon.  We sort of figured the pit was our territory.  They had different ideas.  Fortunately, no one ever sustained serious injuries.
Just a few blocks west of Janey Way on 56th Street, Al Wilson, the Gilson brothers and Frank Masuda formed a small band of brothers.  They were a small group, however, and eventually merged with our gang.  Al Wilson and Mike Gilson attended St. Mary’s school with me, and usually came straight to Janey Way after school. 
Finally, over in River Park, some of my other St. Mary’s friends had their own gang.  Vince Angell, Richard Carroll, Tom Watson and Mike Senna often played in Glen Hall Park or over by the American River.  We rarely saw them near Janey Way though.  It was simply too far away from our neighborhood.
By the mid-1960s our world began to expand and some of these rival gangs became our good friends. 
Bob Pesce drove his car over from O Street to cruise with us on K Street, ride over to the river, or drive out to West Sacramento on Saturday nights to watch the hard top races.  We made him an honorary member of our gang. 
The T Street boys came over to play football or poker at the Ducray house.  They were a small group and ultimately joined forces with us.  Today, over 50 years later, we still maintain strong friendships with them.
Al Wilson and Mike Gilson joined us and became my close friends.  Sadly, they are no longer with us.
On January 29, 2012, my lifetime friend Randy Puccetti, held a reunion party at his home in Elk Grove.  Old Friends from Janey Way, O Street and T Street attended.  We shared good food and drink and reminisced about the old times on Janey Way.  Nowadays, the times we spent back then, playing and feuding in the pit, are just some other wistful Janey Way memories.

Knott’s Pharmacy, an East Sac presence on J Street for more than 75 years, has moved its operations to Coyle Avenue in Carmichael as of Jan. 15. But worry not, faithful Knott’s customers, owner Steve Dokimos stresses that it’s business as usual, even from the new surroundings.

Dokimos delivers around 20 prescriptions himself every night free of charge to long-standing customers in East Sac in an effort to show customers that they can still have their orders filled by Dokimos and company.

The pharmacy moved away from its most recent home at 4819 J St. because of a failed attempt to buy the leased property from its owner. Dokimos, who became the owner on Feb. 2, 2002, held a 10-year lease that expired in 2012. After trying unsuccessfully to buy the property, (the owner apparently had no intention of selling) Dokimos settled on paying month-by-month rent for the next year.

After briefly considering moving into the plot next door on J Street, Dokimos decided that his best move would be to shift the pharmacy to Coyle Avenue while he tries to find another plot in East Sac.

“I’m looking for places on H Street, J Street or Folsom Blvd.,” Dokimos said. “I’m working with a leasing agent to look for places.”

Somewhere near the intersection of 51st and L at the old Lucky’s lot would be ideal for Dokimos, as he grew up visiting his grandmother at the intersection when he was just a boy.

Despite moving his base of operations, Dokimos said that many long-time customers have stayed with him.

“I get a lot of visitors from East Sac,” he said. “I probably get more business catering to East Sac than I do around here.”

Despite moving into a former pharmacy space in the St. George Medical Building on Coyle Ave., Dokimos wants East Sac customers, who may be unaware of the pharmacy’s moving, to know that they can still do business with him.

“I want to get the word out that we moved – not closed. We are still open for business.”

As far as getting back in the J Street area, Dokimos said that he would like to get a lease agreement signed within the next three months and hopefully be open for business within another three months.

“We will be back,” he said. “We are dedicated to our clients and we try our hardest for them.”

For more information, Knott’s Pharmacy can be reached at 455-3068.

The East Sacramento Little League held opening day festivities on Sunday, March 10. According to their website, the day was marked by beautiful weather, great attendance, and lots of excitement for the upcoming season. Scores of families turned out for the celebration, which included team introductions, an appearance by Dinger from the River Cats, and a series of exhibition games.

East Sacramento is home to a 48-acre plot of land that currently lies uncultivated and unused. Plans to turn the area into new housing have failed over the years, but Riverview Capital Investments (RCI) has begun the early stages of getting the idea back on track.

The project, dubbed McKinley Village because of the land’s proximity to McKinley Park, would be made up of new homes for people who wish to live near the downtown area. RCI is headed by developer Phil Angelides, who was also part of the 2006 McKinley Village plan. The 2006 design is being updated for the company’s 2013 attempt. Coming from Arden Fair Mall, the land is visible from Business 80, looking east.

Megan Norris, vice president of RCI and spokesperson for the project, detailed what the company is doing.

“We are currently updating the proposed design of McKinley Village taking into account input that we have received from the community and current market information about the desires of consumers/potential homebuyers who are seeking to live in or near downtown, midtown, and the East Sacramento and McKinley Park neighborhoods,” Norris said in an e-mail.

No final plans have been officially submitted for a vote and may not be submitted until sometime in the spring, but that hasn’t stopped some East Sacramento residents from paying close attention.

At a regularly scheduled East Sacramento Preservation meeting on Feb. 12, some 25 residents showed up to hear what was going on at the mere mention of the housing project getting back on track.

Ellen Cochrane, president of East Sacramento Preservation, said that she expects the numbers of concerned citizens to climb rapidly as the plan moves forward.

“Usually our meetings are attended by 5-10 people, but word got out that McKinley Village was going to be discussed,” Cochrane said. “That is still a very small number compared to what we expect when a final plan comes.”

The Feb. 12 meeting was used by RCI’s Norris and Bret Hogge to ask residents for possible improvements to the 2006 plan. One of the questions posed by those in attendance was whether a traffic study will be done. Cochrane called the possible traffic ramifications of the project “a huge concern,” particularly on Elvas Avenue.

There are no current financial figures for the project, but Norris said “we will have the capital resources to build the community, particularly given the increasingly strong demand of homeowners who want to live in a sustainable, urban infill neighborhood.”

While RCI wants to push forward, Cochrane remains skeptical that the plan will be a success.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but my feeling is that not doing anything with the land is fine as far as residents are concerned,” Cochrane said.

Cochrane also said that there are a number of residents who would like to try to turn the area into a Soil Born farm. The Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project is an organic farming non-profit that promotes healthier eating among people in Sacramento.

“It would be a legacy to leave for our children,” said Cochrane.

Norris said that RCI hopes to have model homes available in 2015 if all goes according to plan.

“We will ensure that the community is well designed with strong community amenities, tree-lined streets, attractive parks and public spaces, and homes with architectural distinction,” Norris said.