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

Fernando Arroyo of Luther Burbank High (1970) / Courtesy photo

Butch Metzger and Fernando Arroyo—two rival pitchers from the old Metro League who eventually  pitched in the major leagues—head the list of eight ballplayers and one journalist to be inducted in the  2013 Class of the La Salle Club Baseball Hall of Fame.

Also inducted in this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame will be: Tom Dicktakes, Joe Gill, Mike Green, Leon  Lee, Nick Peters, Gene Sackett and Gary Szakacs.

The 59th annual Hall of Fame event is set for Saturday, April 27 at Christian Brothers High School Field  House. It will begin with a no-host social at 5:30, followed by a sit-down dinner at 6:30.

Arroyo, a three-sport star at Luther Burbank High (1970), compiled a 24-37 career mark while pitching  eight seasons in the American League for Detroit, Minnesota and Oakland.  He also played 13 seasons  in the Mexican Winter League, where he once pitched a record 17-inning contest. After retirement, he  coached in the minor leagues for Detroit, Florida and Oakland, and spent two years in the Taiwan  Major League.

Dicktakes (Sacramento High 1954) played bush baseball into his ‘40s, culminating his long career with a  championship with the Sacramento Smokeys in 1981. He is better known as “Twin Cam Tommy” for  developing a high-powered overhead cam nitro dragster that has topped out at 240 mph.

Gill (Bishop Armstrong 1963) recently passed away after a long illness. He starred for the Falcons and  Southside American Legion, played at USF where he was drafted and played one season in the New  York Yankees minor league system. He coached Christian Brothers baseball team from 1993 to 2006,  leading the Falcons to two Division II North section titles.

Green (Bishop Armstrong 1962) was twice voted the area’s top baseball player while leading the  Falcons to a 22-2 record in 1962. He twice hit over .400 and went 9-0 his senior season with a 0.28 ERA  and 127 strikeouts in 75 innings—all area best stats for pitchers.

Butch Metzger of Kennedy High (1970), taken at a New Faze youth baseball camp in 2010. / Photo by Rick Cabral

Lee (Grant 1971) starred at Grant High and Haggin-Grant Legion when those teams had some of their  best seasons. He spent seven seasons in the Cardinals farm chain before playing nine years in Japan,  often dominating that league in tandem with brother Leron Lee (Grant 1966). He is the father of  former major leaguer Derrek Lee (El Camino 1993).

Metzger, who prepped at Kennedy High (1970) and twice made All-City as a pitcher, pitched five years  in the major leagues for San Francisco, San Diego, St. Louis and New York Mets. He was selected the  National League 1976 (Co-)Rookie of the Year and tied a major league record of winning 12 consecutive  games without a loss. Metzger also played in Night League and Men’s Baseball League and was a staple  of the Sacramento Smokeys pitching staff.

Peters—Beginning in 1962 the San Francisco-born sportswriter covered the Giants for 45 years,  including his last newspaper stint with the Sacramento Bee from 1998-2007. He also covered most  major sporting events involving Bay Area teams, including the 49ers and Raiders Super Bowls, the  Warriors championship and many others. In 2009, Peters was elected to the writer’s wing of the  National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Sackett (McClatchy 1969) was the perennial catcher for the Lions and Post 61 Legion in the late ‘60s.  He played one season in the Dodgers minor league system, and coached locally as an assistant at  Christian Brothers High for eight years, including their Division I North Section title in 1988.

Szakacs (Mira Loma 1969) led his team to the Capital Valley Conference title in 1969 and played  professionally three minor league seasons, two with the Phillies organization. A fixture in the Night  League and Winter League, from 1973 through the early 1990s Szakacs was a mainstay on the  Sacramento Smokeys.    Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are $25 per person. To order online, go to:    http://www.cbhs-sacramento.org/eengine/index.php/alumni.

For more information call Chairman Joe  McNamara at 916/813-5699.  The La Salle Club is a non-profit organization that has raised funds for Christian Brothers High School  since 1939. The Club inducted its first Hall of Fame member—former Sacramento Senators’ manager  John “Buddy” Ryan—in 1953. Since that time, more than 460 individuals have been inducted into the  Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame.  For the complete biographies of the 2013 inductees and a list of all Hall of Fame members, go to:  http://www.baseballsacramento.com/LaSalle_Club_Baseball_HOF.html

World War 2 veteran and Pocket resident Richard Moss will turn 90 years old on March 27.

He will be honored this month with a resolution from the Sacramento City Council, a recognition certificate from Senator Darrell Steinberg and a letter of recognition from Congresswoman Doris Matsui whose office is working with the White House to get one signed by the president.

One could easily write a whole book on Moss’s life. During the past 90 years, he has been as brave during wartimes as he has been an ambassador of peace since then.

Moss was enlisted in the US Army at age 19 to serve in the U.S. Army 86th Infantry, Blackhawk Division which was named after the famous Sauk Indian Chief Black Hawk of Illinois.

Moss completed training at Camp Crowder, Missouri as a signal corp operator charged with insuring communication among the divisions using the first FM backpack radios and other technology. These multi-channel radio broadcasts allowed for increased security and signal boosting that supported and enhanced U.S. military success.

He was active duty in the European Theater Operations arriving in France on March 4, 1945 and then reliving the 86th infantry, Blackhawk division while crossing the Rhine River to Elbelhausen Germany in April. Thereafter, he advanced successfully across German to Oberndorf, Austria and finally assisted the processing of German prisoners of war.

Moss’s service continued with deployment to the Philippine Islands in August 1945. His division was still aboard ship in Leyte Harbor when the Japanese surrendered. The division completed closing efforts in Angeles, north of Manila until his return and honorary discharge in 1946.

Moss received the Good Conduct Medal, and he and his unit were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Victory Medal.

Thirty-five years later, he returned to the village of Oberndorf, in peace, and met with the adult children of townspeople he met during the war.

Besides his accomplishments as a war veteran, his professional and community service to the city of Sacramento is unwavering.

Moss began his employment as an auditor with the California State Board of Equalization in June 1948 until his advancement to Chief, of Special Contracts and Provider Standards with the Department of Health Care Services.

He became an unwilling expert in the emerging process of dialysis and
worked long and diligently to develop regulatory criteria and fiscal impact at the state level from 1966 to 1973.

Moss was promoted to Chief, Provider Participation Section, Health Services for the State of California and continued to develop regulations for the safe administration of care and fiscal management of dialysis centers and nursing homes leaving his position to embrace retirement in July 1973.

Moss’s efforts at retirement failed dismally, so he began a tax and accounting practice to further occupy his professional skills until his second retirement in 1986.

During his many years of professional practice he also gave willingly of his time and energy to promote the well being of the community through his involvement in a membership drive for the YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America, Jobs Daughters, the Order of DeMolay and his Masonic Lodge. Richard enjoys spending time with his family, friends, golf and Masonic activities.

His family and friends couldn’t be more proud of him.

Born Richard Levick Moss on March 27, 1923, in Belleville, Illinois, the WW2 veteran married Margaret Schweitzer on July 20, 1946 and they were married for 56 years. They had four daughters: Janet Moss of Boise, Idaho, Elaine Weathersbee who lives in the Pocket, Kathy Garcia who lives in the Pocket and Phyllis Katich who lives in Alameda. He has four grandsons and one great granddaughter. After losing his wife, Margaret, he remarried four years ago to Inez Perrine.

Matsuyama Elementary School honored its namesake and Sacramento’s sister city – Matsuyama, Japan – with a traditional Cherry Blossom Festival on March 1. Japanese heritage and culture were celebrated through food, crafts, performances and art. The day also emphasized the school’s warm relationship with Sakura Elementary School in Matsuyama.

Eugene Okada at the Yorozu store on Riverside. Okada died Sept. 21. He was 93. Okada was the last owner of the Yorozu, which has been family owned and operated for almost 100 years. / Courtesy photo

The longtime owner of the Yorozu Japanese gift store on Riverside Boulevard, Eugene Hirohisa Okada, died in his sleep after battling prostate cancer on Sept. 21. He was 93.
Last May, Okada was placed in hospice care, but despite that, he continued to drive to and operate the Yorozu six days a week.  He continued to work fulltime until two weeks before his death when his condition finally prevented him from getting out of bed.
His closest living relative is his older sister, Agnes Kojima, who now lives in Hyogo Ken, Japan.  His younger brother Harold Toshihisa died on Feb. 8, 2006. Okada never married.

Yorozu Oriental Gifts / photo courtesy Serene Lusano

The Yorozu store was the place in town to buy Japanese gifts, be it magazines, dishware, or origami. The store will be open until all items have been sold and proceeds will go to his estate: Okada’s older sister Agnes.
Because the Yorozu store was a landmark in the Sacramento community for almost 100 years, the Okada family quietly donated products and funds to charitable organizations and churches throughout the Central Valley.
After Eugene’s death, thousands of appreciation letters were uncovered in the back of the Yorozu store evidencing his lifelong generosity to the community.
Friends have called Eugene a very modest man who never sought attention for his generosity. They said he would give free community event dinner tickets to friends and neighbors. He would even give Christmas gifts to his tenants at his apartments.
A prime example of the unpublicized generosity of Eugene and Harold Okada was when the Sacramento Buddhist Church bell, still used to signal the beginning of a Buddhist funeral, was stolen. Church members began gathering donations for a replacement bell. When they heard of this theft, Eugene and Harold simply ordered a new bell from Japan and delivered it to the church without fanfare. That same bell now signifies the beginning of Eugene’s funeral.
Before Okada’s birth on April 3, 1919, his father Kichi Okada established in Sacramento one of four United States branch stores of the Yokohama Shoji Corporation. The name given to this store was the Yorozu.
In the early 1900s, the Yorozu was a large department type store employing many people and located on 13th Street in downtown Sacramento. It sold Japanese products and distributed Japanese reading materials to the working Issei throughout North America.  Thus, Eugene became exposed to the Japanese retail store business from a very early age.
Eugene attended Lincoln Elementary School and Lincoln Junior High School as well as Sacramento High School.  After graduating from high school, Eugene obtained his Associate of Arts degree in 1938 from Sacramento City College.  In 1940, Eugene began his studies at the University of California at Berkeley.  Unfortunately, due to the growing hostilities between Japan and the United States, he was never able to complete his studies at UC Berkeley.
In 1942, because Eugene’s father was a Japanese businessman who traveled extensively to and from Japan, Jiro Okada was seized from his family and transported to a special war camp in New Mexico with Americans of German ancestry. Eugene immediately returned home to Sacramento to be with his mother and younger brother when they were send to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center.
That year, in 1942, Eugene wrote a letter to Edward J. Ennis, Director of the Alien Enemy Control Unit for the Department of Justice, stating that he and his family decline “considerations” for repatriation.
According to the letter, which was found in Eugene’s home after his death, his father was injured in an automobile accident while en route to the San Francisco’s Bureau of Investigation.
“We understand that his leg was injured and that he finds difficulty in walking. Being that he is in such a condition, and is also aging, we would very much like to have him with us in order that we may care for him and rest assured that he is well. Also, he was injured in an automobile accident few months prior to internment …”
Eugene goes on to say that he bought a home and had intended to establish himself in Sacramento. “America is our home – the only place we call home.”
According to sister Agnes, the father was never reunited with the family until World War II ended. He was released to Sacramento and met his family there.
But before that, it’s known that Eugene and his brother Harold were granted an early release from Tule Lake and relocated to New York due to the efforts of their older sister Agnes, who lived in New York and was able to serve as their “sponsor.” While in New York, Eugene began working at a store that sold “Japanese accessories” which cultivated his skill in the retail industry.
Then, in 1946, Eugene returned to Sacramento where he joined his father and reopened the Yorozu as a branch store of Nippon Shinpan Boeki, a company that took over the Yokohama Shoji.
Initially, the parent company in Japan was extremely hesitant to re-establish another Japanese retail store in Sacramento. It did not believe that the Nisei there would buy Japanese products or read Japanese language magazines and books.  However, Eugene and his father persevered and finally convinced the main company in Japan that there was still a viable market for Japanese merchandise due to the influx of additional immigrants as well as the arrival of thousands of “war brides” from Japan.
Eugene and his father were correct and the Yorozu again flourished.  They soon resumed the sale and distribution of Japanese books and magazines throughout North America.  The Okada family also began exporting Japanese reading materials to South America for the Japanese farmers and labors residing there.
After realizing their success, Eugene’s parents leveraged the stock they owned in Nippon Shinpan Boeki in the early 1950s, and purchased the Yorozu from the parent company. Eugene, who was later joined by his younger brother Harold, continued to operate the Yorozu in Sacramento after their father’s death.
In 1968, Eugene purchased the land and reestablished the Yorozu in a new building on Riverside Boulevard where it stands today.  Even after he lost the ability to walk due to a spinal condition, Eugene continued working at the store full-time in a wheelchair six days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the same business he grew up in.
Eugene’s family was very involved in the Sacramento Buddhist Church ever since Eugene and his siblings were children.  His parents were officers and elders of the Church both in Sacramento and in Japan.
Eugene was also active in the Sacramento Buddhist church singles group and the YBA.  Even while in New York, Eugene served as the president of the New York YBA in 1945.  Later, Eugene served as an officer and sponsor of the Nisei and Sacramento Bowling Leagues.  Eugene was also the last surviving Charter member of the Senator Lions organization.

Members of the community gathered on the weekend of August 11 and 12 to enjoy wonderful food, Taiko drum groups, dance performances, and demonstrations to further acquaint the community with Japanese culture and heritage. Hundreds turned out for the 66th Annual Japanese Food and Cultural Bazaar at The Buddhist Church of Sacramento, 2401 Riverside Boulevard. More than 750 church members volunteered to bring this event to the community.

“A dynamically gifted person.” “She’s been my mentor for 10 years.” “An impressive lady.” “A remarkable woman.” “Kay is St. Francis.”

These are just a few of the myriad of comments by staff and alumni of St. Francis High School about Kay Gaines, who will be retiring from the school after 43 years on March 31.

“I think it’s a good time to retire – I have my health, I have my energy, so I want to move while I can still re-engage,” Gaines said about her upcoming retirement and move to Lewiston, Idaho at the end of March so she can be closer to her sister’s family, as well as her two grown sons and two 3½ year old granddaughters currently living in Colorado.

“It will be very difficult to leave my life-long friends in Sacramento, but I’ll carry wonderful memories with me,” Gaines said in a letter emailed out to St. Francis High School supporters in February. “I have good health, lots of energy and a loving family, so I’m very fortunate.”

Where it all Began

Gaines began her St. Francis High School career at literally the very beginning of 1969 – she came in to interview for a part-time social studies teacher position on Jan. 2 and started the very next day. Gaines worked part-time from 1969 to 1973, then became full-time from 1974 to 1984, and later the Social Studies Department chair from the mid-70s until 1985.

Rosemarie Bertini, a 1972 graduate of St. Francis who came back in 1997 to become an Italian instructor for the school, recalls Gaines’ reputation as teaching difficult, serious classes.

“When you’re a kid at that age, you’re just going to do anything you can to not put yourself in that position, but when we got to senior year there was no way around it – Civics was Mrs. Gaines,” Bertini said. “And I just thought, ‘Am I going to live to see the end,’ because I knew it was a lot of work!”

Reflecting on her student experience, Bertini said that although at a young age taking a class from Gaines might have been something a student would want to avoid, Gaines knew it was something her students could do. And Gaines would do what she could to keep them on track.

“In the end we were so full of accomplishment – when you left that class, you’d truly learned something and in addition you had this confidence in it,” Bertini added.

Gaines herself admits she was a really tough teacher.

“I think that students can reach very high levels if you ask them to – they can learn skills, improve their own academic knowledge,” she added. “We did a lot of writing in my history classes because that skill you’ll take with you for the rest of your life.”

St. Francis Theology Department Chair Rick Norman recalls beginning his own career at the school in 1977 when Gaines was the chair of the Social Studies Department. He said her long career has allowed her to have a real grasp of the history and vision of St. Francis as she’s managed of number of transitions the school has gone through, from changes in campus location, buildings, administration and enrollment.

“She’s had to weather all the transitions and she’s been just incredibly graceful at guiding that school academically and administratively, and supporting just so many programs at the school,” Norman said.

Also during her time as a teacher, Gaines taught the first advanced placement (AP) U.S. history course St. Francis, which is a course high school students can take for college credit. According to St. Francis AP Literature teacher Rich Weldon, the AP program Gaines started then has grown. He said of the two English AP courses the school offers, over 100 students take the junior year course, while between 60 to 80 students take the senior year course.

“The AP programs, not just in English but in other departments, have really flourished under her because she just believes they could do it and it didn’t matter if it was math or chemistry – it was kind of like move over boys, here come the girls,” Weldon said.

Nora Wehrenberg Anderson, 1983 alumna, recalls her first interaction with Gaines in August 1981 in her AP U.S. history class.

“Lucky for me, I learned so much more,” she said in a note she recently wrote to Gaines to wish her well on her retirement. “I learned how to think critically, to write well, and about how positive role models are all around us – people like you!”

Leaving a Legacy

Gaines continued to support the AP program at St. Francis as she made the move to assistant principal in 1985, followed by becoming principal in 1998. Gaines then decided to retire from the principal position in 2004 to take on her current role as director of special projects.

Gaines said her current role is a “catch-all” phrase that covers a wide variety of unrelated things, a good portion of which are connected to the school’s academic teams, many of which Gaines started during her career, including the Mock Trial, Model United Nations, and Academic Decathlon, and others she also coached, such as the school’s Robotics Team.

St. Francis Director of Admission Moira O’Brien said Gaines is the reason why they have academic teams at the school. Although Gaines ran them herself for a while, she then found staff to take on each team and stick with them.

“We were the first all-girl school to ever go to the national championship in robotics, our speech team wins so many prizes,” O’Brien explained. “It’s all Kay’s energy, she built them, and they are so successful and the girls love it.”

And Norman said the building of these academic teams is what is bringing students to St. Francis today.

“For the first time we interviewed the incoming freshmen – many students now are coming to the school for academic teams,” he said. “She was the one that really got all that rolling.”

For 2010 graduate Amy Bush, being part of the St. Francis Debate Team is what she recalls most from her time at the school.

“Participating in debate meant a lot to me because I had spent eight years in speech therapy prior to coming to St. Francis,” she recalled in a written note to Gaines. “To have St. Francis welcome me and make me feel that they were proud of me is something that has inspired me beyond measure, and still continues to.”

Another program Gaines began and currently oversees is an exchange program with a sister school in Japan. The program with Nakamura Gakuen Girls High School in Fukuoka, Japan has been ongoing for 15 years now.

St. Francis 2001 graduate Jayme Hennessy recalls the exchange program and the impact it had on her education.

“That was really neat because we were able to experience a global perspective with girls our own age from another country,” she recalled. “That was really something I remember a lot – especially as a high school student, it was pretty great.”

Saying Goodbye

With the eve of her retirement upon her, Gaines reflects back on her experience at St. Francis and a comment a colleague she had taught with for 35 years said to her one morning that while driving to school one morning, he realized he had never gone to work a day in his life.

“And I said, ‘Yup, I feel exactly the same’,” Gaines recalled. “I’ve never gone to work a day in my life. In 43 years I just came to play, and I think a lot of people here feel that way. We work really hard, we work really long hours because we wear so many hats, but it’s just such a rewarding experience.”

That constant drive has Gaines already making plans for her retirement, including involvement with the church, League of Women Voters, and schools in the area, as well as taking technology courses at the local community college.

“I don’t intend to sit,” she laughed.

When asked what she has learned the most from her experience at St. Francis, Gaines said one thing was that she grew in her own faith as a Catholic, which has become an integral part of who she is. And she also learned respect.

“Respect for my colleagues, respect for the kids and their parents,” she added.

Gaines said what she will miss the most is the community.

“This is truly a family, truly a community – people really do care about each other,” she said. “I will miss living in a truly faith-based community where it just happens so naturally and people just celebrate together and pray together.”

And her parting words for her St. Francis family? Be creative, be adventurous, and love each other.

“I’ve just had the best career that I could ever possibly have desired and in the best place,” Gaines said. “I’ve been blessed for sure.”

Girl Scout Troop 762 is working hard to raise $1,000 to help relieve the suffering in Japan after the devastation of Japan’s recent earthquakes and tsunami last March.

Girl Scout Troop 762 is working to raise $1,000 to help relieve the suffering in Japan after the devastation of Japan’s recent earthquakes and tsunami last March. Here, they present their first check to Joseph Symkowyk of Catholic Relief Services. / Photo courtesy, Girl Scout Troop 762

So far, the six girls of Troop 762 (Francesca Heidig, Olivia Peters, Kiley Poletti, Natalie Tobin, Emily Wes and Cameron Williams) have raised $400 toward their effort to raise awareness and funds to address natural disasters throughout the world. They hope to raise a total of $1,000. this year.

The $400 was raised by having an exciting Parent’s Night Out for children in the Land Park community. They played games, make crafts (including origami cranes to send to Japan), danced and watched a movie. About sixty children attended.

The girls presented their first $400 check to Joseph Symkowyk of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for their Japan Relief Fund. CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. It works to alleviate suffering and to provide assistance to people in need in nearly 100 countries without regard to race, religion or nationality.

Troop 762 is continuing its effort to raise funds to support the injured and homeless in Japan. They intend to hold a car wash summer in the parking lot of Holy Spirit Church on Land Park Drive. For more information, contact Francesca Heidig at (916) 392-3172.

In the wake of the horrific earthquake and tsnunami last March in Japan, middle school students from Brookfield School in Land Park found a unique way to express their support to the people of Japan.

The students folded over 1,000 paper origami cranes that contain contact information for relief agencies helping with the aftermath of the devastation from the recent earthquakes and tsunami.

The students are placing the cranes in baskets to be distributed to local businesses. Customers may take home a crane with their purchase, to remind them to send in a donation.

Paper cranes symbolize hope. A traditional Japanese belief is that 1,000 folded cranes will result in a granted wish. Brookfield’s students accomplished this daunting task with the hope that their wish for the swift recovery and safety of the people of Japan will be fulfilled.

Brookfield School continues to raise funds for disaster relief for Japan through parent bake sales and student-made Japanese-inspired craft sales.

To request a basket of cranes for your place of business, email info@brookfieldschool.org.

Following his time as a Pacific Coast League umpire, P.R. “Tony” Tonelli served in the Navy during World War II. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Although the name Tony Tonelli is not a familiar name for the majority of local baseball fans of this era, those who attended baseball games at this local stadium at just about any time during the years 1939 to 1941, likely have at least a vague recollection of seeing Tony.

This is a certainty when considering that Tony was a regular at these games, as he called balls and strikes from behind home plate, which was located at what is now the northwest corner of the Target parking lot.

At 88 years old, Tony admits that many of his memories of his days of working as a Pacific Coast League umpire have faded with time.

Love of the game

But that does not take away his love for this part of his life or his place in the grand history of baseball in Sacramento.

As a baseball city, Sacramento was once home to a large, 10,000-seat, mostly wooden stadium that was home to the Pacific Coast League’s Sacramento Senators or Solons, depending upon the era.

Originally known as Moreing Field and later receiving the name Sacramento Ball Park, then Cardinal Field, Doubleday Park and lastly Edmonds Field, the stadium stood at the corner of Riverside Boulevard and Broadway from 1922 to 1948. A second Edmonds Field opened at the same Land Park site in 1949. 

The PCL years

It was the first Edmonds Field, however, where Tony spent three seasons working behind the plate.

As a PCL umpire, Tony never resided in Sacramento, as he instead lived in Oakland, which was one of the six California cities that were home to PCL teams.

Although the league consisted of eight teams, including teams in Portland and Seattle, Tony said that he only umpired games in California.

P.R. “Tony” Tonelli points to a photograph of the USS Saratoga, the aircraft carrier that he served on for more than two years during World War II. Tonelli described the vessel, which carried about 4,000 workers, as a “city onto itself.” / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

In addition to its teams in Sacramento, Oakland, Portland and Seattle, the league, during this time, included teams from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hollywood and San Diego.

Among the Sacramento players who Tony recently recalled from his years of umpiring were: Art Garibaldi, Gene Handley, Robert “Buddy” Blattner, Walker Cooper, Al Sherer, George “Red” Munger, Max “Milo” Marshall, Herman Franks and Averett “Tommy” Thompson.

Tony, who was born and raised in Cottonwood, Ariz. by his parents, northern Italy immigrants Peter Tonelli and Julia (Arigoni) Tonelli, also recalled Pepper Martin, the former Major League All-Star who became Sacramento’s manager in 1941.

Although Tony does not immediately recall the names of former Sacramento players and managers, he was certainly quick to name Dominic “Dom” DiMaggio as his all-time favorite baseball player.

Dom DiMaggio, who was the brother of the legendary New York Yankees slugger Joe Dimaggio, played for the PCL’s San Francisco Seals from 1937 to 1939. He later had a lengthy Major League Baseball career with the Boston Red Sox.

Despite maintaining a longtime involvement in baseball, Tony said that he did not play baseball during his childhood.

“I was probably 19 when I first started playing baseball,” Tony said. “I was a catcher. My father passed away when he was 42 in 1932 and I was the only boy. I was 10 years old at the time. I had two sisters, Margaret and Mary, and one half-sister, Eleanor. We owned a motel – we called them cabins back then – so, I had to help my mother out with the business.”

The U.S. aircraft carriers USS Saratoga (CV-3), foreground, and USS Enterprise (CV-6) are underway with aircraft spotted for launch in this August, 1942 photo from World War II. / Photo public domain

Tony said that his road to becoming an umpire included his coaching of a youth team in Southern California.

“There were about three complexes in the area and all the kids had one team and we were undefeated for two years,” Tony said. “I wish I could remember the name of the kid that was on the team, but he ended up playing on, I think it was the San Diego Padres. His (batting) average in Major League Baseball was about .280.”

Pre-WWII ump in Japan

Tony said that his time as an umpire began through his friendship with a man, named Chris, whose last name, to the best of Tony’s knowledge, is spelled, “Peliciutus.”

“(Chris) asked me to be an official at a baseball game at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo,” Tony said. “He said, ‘I have letters from people over there who would like to see an American umpire.’ So, we went to Japan. I was (umpiring) behind the plate and (Chris) was (umpiring) at first base. That was something. There were probably 10,000 people there. I naturally got butterflies and so did Chris, but we thought it was great.”

Tony said that Chris wanted him to work as the home plate umpire due to his ability to speak Japanese.

“I spoke enough Japanese to get by, so that’s why I went behind the plate,” Tony said.

In addition to learning English and Italian in his childhood home, Tony developed a fascination with languages at a young age and he eventually learned Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese.

Although he was only working as a guest umpire for one game, Tony said that there was nonetheless added pressure to be accurate on his calling of balls and strikes.

“Japanese are very fanatic about being precise on their calls and umpires are considered upper class in Japan,” Tony said.

Due to his friendship and baseball experience with Chris, Tony, who also umpired community baseball games in Southern California, was asked by Chris to be a PCL umpire. And to become qualified for this position, he spent six weeks attending an umpire school in Florida.

World War II

Tony’s time as a PCL umpire ended with the U.S. involvement in World War II.

P.R. “Tony” Tonelli (front, center) gathers together with other Fleet Reserve Association members in this 1981 photograph. / Photo courtesy of Tony Tonelli

Having joined the Navy on June 6, 1939, Tony said that he was called to sea in 1942.

“I had orders (from the Navy) to go to sea,” Tony recalled. “I went aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga, CV-3, which went from Long Beach to the Pacific, between the states and Hawaii. I was aboard the ship for two and a half years.”

Tony’s subsequent duties included assignments on the USS Midway, USS Coral Sea, USS Ticonderoga and a converted carrier, known as USS Salvo Island.

Altogether Tony spent 42 years in the Navy and also worked as an attorney at law and was a dedicated parliamentarian.

Today, Tony enjoys spending time with his wife Dorothy, participating in USS Saratoga Association and Fleet Reserve Association of the West Coast Region gatherings and annually donating funds to Easter Seals.

Reminiscing about his many experiences in life, Tony said, “In knowing what I did, I’d do it all over again. That’s how much I loved the work that I did.”

lance@valcomnews.com