By MONICA STARK

After 26 years, Kennedy band teacher George Miles is calling it quits. But before he leaves his position, he has one last show he hopes alumni come see. It’s a combined concert with Sutter Middle and Leonardo da Vinci students on May 16 at 7 p.m. in the JFK Auditorium.
Miles has had generations of students and some have gone into teaching and other music fields. He harbors mixed emotions about his retirement as he has fond memories of his career. The Kennedy band has played at the tree lighting ceremony for Governor Brown; he’s taken students to Hawaii, Florida and other places closer to home like Disneyland.
“I love to make music and I will miss that. And I will miss the kids,” Miles said. “When you are teaching kids to make music, there is a lot of collaboration and personal investment both ways and it’s something you share with the kids. People who haven’t done music, they don’t really understand … that musical connection. That’s not something you can describe, something you can’t put into words. It’s just something you do together,” Miles said.
But while he will miss making music with the kids, he also feels like it’s time to move on. “I am old enough,” he said “and marching band gets to be physical. It’s been hard in recent years to keep up with it.”
Originally from Illinois, Miles studied at Northern Illinois University for undergrad then continued on to Western Oregon University, which was then called Western Oregon State College. “When I was in Oregon I thought I was going to stay in Oregon but I heard about an opening down here and interviewed. I ended up being really impressed with what I saw and came here instead,” he said.
Twenty-six out of the 34 years he’s taught have been at Kennedy. Previously, he taught for five years in Oregon and two years at an Indian reservation in Illinois.
Miles looks forward to having more time to play music with friends. A trombone player, Miles used to get frequent requests to play with various groups, but often had to turn them down because of work commitments. Also, he has been putting off traveling to Europe, but adds that unfortunately his wife Sheryl isn’t ready to retire. So, he said, he’ll probably have to wait a year or two before he does that.
Sheryl teaches music at Caroline Wenzel and comes to Miles’s band room during her lunch to teach drumming. Sheryl also travels all summer with the Concord Blue Devils as the band’s manager.
Miles said the Kennedy band has about 85 students, which fares quite well in size compared to other bands. “There are bands much larger but they are in areas that are densely populated and they have an elementary program which we no longer have,” he said.
“When times get tough, you can tell what they value. Haven’t seen as much money as we used to,” he said. Besides paying Miles’ salary, he said the district provides $250 for repairs and supplies. “That was about it,” he said. “Everything else was provided by boosters or stuff I’ve had to buy out of my pocket,” he said. Some of those things included drum sticks, drum heads – “all kinds of stuff,” he said.
Though Miles will be sorely missed, Jeremy Hammond, the band teacher at Sam Brannan will split his time between teaching at Kennedy and teaching at the middle school. Miles speaks highly of Hammond. Miles said he has spoken to Hammond a lot about the personal connections he has made with students before or after school and that splitting time between the two schools may make that difficult for Hammond.

“When you are a teacher, you make a personal connection. You get to talk before or after school, but with a split (schedule), you give up a lot,” he said. “That’s something Jeremy and I have talked a lot about.”
For those who may be interested in music but have not had the opportunity to play, Miles has words of wisdom: “I would just say get in there. You know — old school: try.” He said the district is fortunate in that they have a lot of instruments. For students who can’t afford to buy own instruments, the school has some for them. “I think for a lot of kids it’s one of the bright spots in the day … it’s one of the classes you really get to look forward to,” he said.
Miles has brought such joy to many students and families over the years and several of them had such nice things to say about the beloved teacher:
Drummer Alex Pfiefer said: “Mr. Miles is and always will be one of the greatest music instructors I have ever known. With him, you can always tell he understands and loves the music because of the benevolence he has towards the piece that he is teaching.  His striving to improve the band as a whole is always apparent due to the support he gives to each individual band member.  But, when those members are irresponsible, the gloves come off and his iron fist comes down and establishes order with irrefutable leadership that everyone should take note of.”
JFK senior Joseph Barrett has been in the marching band for four years. To him, Miles has done such a great job and is very committed to his work. “He keeps us motivated and inspired to thrive musically and educationally. His ever-funny jokes he cracks in class are sure reminder of his awesome personality. His best trait is that he really cares about us all in the band. I would say what really makes the JFK band is Mr. Miles. Without him, the band won’t be the same. I will miss him greatly. He is a great role model to all of us,” Barrett said.  Barrett has played the clarinet for almost 10 years and will go to Sacramento City College with plans to transfer to Sacramento State University or Chico State to work towards a history major. He wants to teach history in high school.  
Barrett’s brother, alumnus Brian Barrett (former band drum major) said: “One memory in particular is seared into my mind in regards to Mr. Miles. The memory is of a day when the schools power went down and as a result the band room was in complete chaos. Mr. Miles stood there playing half-notes on his trombone in a chromatic scale like it was any other day. That is Mr. Miles at his core, turning chaos into order through music, the results are always magnificent.”
Joseph and Brian Barrett’s father, Alan Barrett, has been involved in the band since 2001 and is former band booster president. Alan Barrett said: “George and Sheryl Miles have had a positive and dynamic impact musically, enriching the lives of thousands of kids for over two decades in the Sacramento area. Many of George’s students have gone on to major in music and teach themselves. I would like to thank George for his tireless devotion over the years, especially in teaching all three of my sons about the importance of music and a good education.”

editor@valcomnews.com

Don and Holly Haws resided in Carmichael during the 1970s, while Don managed the Carmichael Park pool and was the head coach of the Carmichael Beavers Swim Team. Photo courtesy of Don Haws

Editor’s Note: This is part three of a series regarding the old Carmichael Park pool, which was recently demolished.

Back in the early 1970s, when Richard Nixon was still president and bell bottoms and disco were the rage, a young college student named Don Haws began working at the Carmichael Park pool.
And although his overall time working at the pool represents a relatively short segment of his life, Haws, during an interview with this publication last week, said, “Those were some of the most memorable, pleasant and fun experiences of my life.”
But long before he became acquainted with the pool, Haws, 69, had grown up in Santa Barbara.
Haws recalled how he learned how to swim in that city during his childhood.
“When I was about 5 years, I got over my fear of water and the ocean and discovered my body was buoyant and I could dog paddle,” Haws said. “Then when my parents (Karl and Wanda) got a boat, it was mandatory that I wore a lifejacket on the boat until I learned how to swim. So, I decided to take swim lessons at a public swimming pool.”
While attending Santa Barbara High School, Haws was a member of the school’s football team, which won the 1960 California Interscholastic Federation large school, Southern Section championship at the Los Angeles Coliseum. He also lettered on the school’s swim team as a distance swimmer.
After graduating from high school in 1961, he fulfilled his general education requirements and played football at Santa Barbara City College.
In about 1963, Haws joined the Army Reserves, and from about 1965 to 1967, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Central America in a district that covered an area from Guatemala to Panama.
After returning home from his mission, Haws continued his education at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pre-law and a minor in ergonomics (physical education) in 1970.
During his time at that university, Haws married his high school sweetheart, Holly Lyons, and they eventually had three children – David, Daniel and Shelly.
After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Haws was accepted to attend the McGeorge School of Law at 3282 5th Ave.
Haws said that his time at McGeorge was a short-lived endeavor.
“After six weeks, I dropped out, because I decided that law was not the profession that I wanted to pursue for a lifetime,” Haws said.
In the process of changing his direction in life, Haws visited Carmichael resident Dr. Jerome Needy, a department chairman at Sacramento State College (now Sacramento State University).
Needy allowed Haws to become a student in the recreation and park administration program under the provision that he completed undergraduate classes prior to being accepted into the graduate program.
In 1972, Haws applied for employment at the Carmichael Recreation and Park District as a day camp leader at Carmichael Park.
In addition to his work as a day camp leader, Haws served as a part-time lifeguard at the park’s pool.
He obtained that position due to his American Red Cross lifeguard certification, swim team experience and his major.
About seven months later, Haws was hired as the pool manager at Carmichael Park by the district’s administrator, Dick Pollock.
In recalling his work as the pool’s manager in 1972 and 1973, Haws said, “It was a real reward for my service and it was an incredible experience working under a park administrator who was so well trained in the field of aquatics. He was a pro. You couldn’t ask for a better mentor. He was on the swim team at UC Berkeley and he was a great diver.”
Additionally, Haws expressed high praise for the pool’s lifeguard program during that era.
“I truly believe that we and other pools in the Sacramento area were the avant-garde of pool lifeguarding in the United States at the time,” Haws said. “At our pool, we were developing a pool manual for policies and procedures. Our lifeguards had to sign in for weekly training and were required to swim laps to keep physically fit. We ran a tight ship and we ran it well. That pool was spotless. We had some outstanding lifeguards, including Lori Worthington, Harry Powell, Linda McBeth and Marcella Payne.
Haws added that the lifeguards were quite attractive, as well.
“All of our lifeguards were attractive, even the men,” he said. “I don’t know where they came from, like modeling places or something.”
While serving as the pool’s manager in 1972, Haws began coaching the 13 to 17-year-old swimmers of the Golden Valley Swim League’s Carmichael Beavers Swim Team, which at that time held its practices and home meets at the park’s pool.
His assistant was Sharon Faulkner, who coached the 12 and under team members.
In discussing his memories of coaching the Beavers, Haws said, “It was a very fulfilling experience watching the kids improve their performances. We were fortunate to win all our dual meets. Unfortunately, I didn’t have them sufficiently prepared for the finals and I totally except responsibility.
“There were many great stories associated with my time as the Beavers’ head coach. The one that touched me the most was the only moment when I had tears in my eyes at a swim meet. It was a race involving the 6 and under swim team members. The starting gun went off and it was obvious that one of the boy swimmers was not yet a strong swimmer, and he would have to swim several strokes without taking a breath and then grab onto the lane line to catch his breath. All swimmers had completed the race about one minute ahead of this boy when he finally finished the race. During the last portion of the race, everyone in the stands stood up and applauded his diligent and heart-warming effort. As the exhausted boy was attempting to climb out of the pool, I reached down and pulled him out of the water and embraced him, as tears came to my eyes.”
Haws, who was a certified scuba diver, brought the most unique program to the pool during the summer of 1973, when he arranged for scuba diving classes to be held at the pool.
After his two years of working at the Carmichael Park pool, Haws, who was then in a wheelchair due to back spasms, was nonetheless determined to take a county test at the old La Sierra High School in an attempt to become the pool manager at Elk Grove Park.
Haws had the highest score on the test and was offered the position. But he never worked a day on the job, since it was discovered that he had testicular cancer that required an operation and radiation treatment.
Fortunately for Haws and his family, these procedures were successful.
During his time of recovery, Haws completed his master’s thesis, which he titled “A Comparative Analysis of State Lifeguard Training Standards.”
His thesis was considered a landmark project, because it admonished people responsible for public pools that mere lifeguard certification through the Red Cross was insufficient to insure public safety at swimming pools.
In discussing his thesis, Haws said, “State requirements for public pool supervision needed to be revisited and upgraded.”
After completing his thesis, Haws worked as the recreation supervisor at Arden Park for about a year, and then he worked for about two years as the recreation superintendent for the North Highlands Recreation and Park District.
In 1979, Haws returned to his hometown, where he was hired as the general program supervisor for the city of Santa Barbara’s recreation department. Among the divisions that he supervised was the beaches and swimming pools division.
Eventually, Haws was enticed by his brother, Jerry, a real estate attorney, to become a real estate agent – a position he has held for the past 29 years.
Although he changed careers, Haws, who also has a brother named Karl, said that one day he hopes to assist in his former field by helping to prevent tragic drowning incidents through some avenue such as public speaking, authoring a book or becoming a teacher at the junior college level.

Barbara Lagomarsino holds a copy of her thesis, which she wrote while she was attending Sacramento State College – today’s Sacramento State University – as a history major in the 1960s. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part seven in a series about the history of the Sacramento River.

As presented in the previous article of this series, Sacramento became a city built upon a city, as a project of grand proportions was completed in response to the great flood of 1861-62.
In a valiant effort to hold back potential future floodwaters, the streets in the business section of the city were raised above the level of serious flooding.
Among the most knowledgeable people on the topic of the historic raising of the city’s streets is Sacramento native and longtime Pocket resident Barbara (Wassum) Lagomarsino, who was referred to earlier in this series.
In an interview with this publication last week, Lagomarsino, who graduated from McClatchy High School in 1950, said that she spent about two and a half years researching and writing about the early attempts to save the site of Sacramento by raising its business district.
“I started (the project) in 1966 and finished it in the early part of 1969,” Lagomarsino said. “I hired a babysitter. I had four children. One full summer, I spent three or four days a week at the library full time and then another summer, part of it, and then between times checking up on research. At that time, you didn’t have computers and I had boxes and binders and all these things and I was trying to coordinate them. By the time that you get the research done and then you collate the research and try to sort it out, get it ready for writing and you write it, it takes a long time.”
Lagomarsino added that balancing her schedule during that part of her life was additionally challenging, since she was also working as a teacher at Pony Express Elementary School at 1250 56th Ave.
After being asked why she decided to undertake such a project, Lagormarsino said, “(History professor Dr. Joseph A. ‘Joe’ McGowen) was my advisor at (Sacramento State College – today’s Sacramento State University) and so, he had a whole list of things that were possibilities to write about (for a master’s thesis). One of the (ideas) was people know that the streets have been elevated in Sacramento, but nobody knows exactly which streets (were raised) or when (they were raised) or how they did it or anything like that. He said, ‘We know the streets are raised and they’re higher in some places than they are in others, but we really don’t know much of anything about it.’ He didn’t even know. (McGowen said), ‘If you want to go look at (details of the street raising project) and see if you can find something about it, that would be good.’ So that’s what I did.”
Although Lagomarsino was interested in the other thesis topics that were suggested by McGowan, she said that, in her opinion, the topic of raising the streets was undoubtedly his most interesting suggestion.
“It was wonderful to have (McGowan) as an advisor, and, as I said, he’s the one who suggested this as an interesting thing to look at, and it sure was interesting to look at,” Lagomarsino said. “Of the choices he gave me, this by far interested me the most, because it was a mystery, you know. It was more fun. The only other (thesis topic suggestion) that I remember him giving me was the history of eucalyptus in California and why it’s important and how it’s used. I don’t know, because I didn’t write it. Eucalyptus does have kind of an interesting history in California. It was kind of a failure. It was meant to be a godsend and it just didn’t work out that way. It’s something that has been talked about and there has been a lot written about eucalyptus in California. There are different ways you can look at it, different slants, but certainly eucalyptus in California has been written about.”
Lagomarsino explained that acquiring information regarding the raising of the city’s streets was a consistently challenging endeavor, considering that it involved gathering many small pieces of information.
“You had to go through and look for little things that said like, so and so reports that they have filled in one and a half feet or one and a half square yard – I forget what they measured in – of stone from the Rocklin area,” Lagomarsino said. “So, you have to piece little bits and pieces together to find out what went in. It all fits together. You put all those little sentences together and they begin to make a little sense. Each step along the way was satisfying to me. Every time something was put in, that was very satisfying.”
In response to an inquiry as to what was the most difficult thing for her to figure out during her research, Lagomarsino said, “Probably the exact level that the streets were raised, because each level was raised slightly different and you had to go through and read a lot of things to see what (the raised level was of) J Street, between 8th and 9th (streets), or what (the raised level was of) K Street, between 2nd and 3rd (streets).”
And as for what she found to be the most interesting aspect of her project, Lagomarsino said, “I think I learned what it felt like to live in the 1860s. You kind of virtually go back there and live for a while. You get the feelings of the kinds of things that were important then, what was going on, what the entertainments were, what the problems were. You know, living in a different time, that was most important. The most interesting thing was just transforming in time back to the 1860s.”
During her research, Lagomarsino discovered many details of a topic that she felt could serve as a thesis on its own – the problems with sewage and water systems during that era.
“What really fascinated me was the system of delivering water and getting rid of sewage in Sacramento,” Lagomarsino said. “I saw problems at times, because they couldn’t get enough water pressure and had to do various things to try to get enough pressure to be able to feed the city. I never got very far into it. I just thought it would be an interesting thing to look into.”
In explaining the magnitude of the street raising project, Lagomarsino said, “This was a grand thing done by the city and it was on a huge scale at that time. The fact is that they were going to lose the Capitol; they were going to lose the city. They were drowning. In order to keep the Capitol and in order to keep the city, something had to be done to convince the world that it was feasible to have a city situated where two big rivers came together and overflowed periodically.”
Lagomarsino, who expressed her appreciation for the assistance that she received with her project from State Archivist Dr. William N. Davis, Jr., takes pride in her thesis that was approved by McGowan and Henry Wagner of the college’s advisory committee on June 2, 1969.
“I am proud of (the thesis) and it’s had a surprising amount of interest to a lot of different people,” Lagomarsino said. “There was nothing else before, so this (thesis was) the beginning. It was a good project, one I’m very grateful I was able to take part in.”

Elephants roam an area at the zoo in this c. 1955 photograph. These large animals are among some of the zoo’s earlier types of animals that are no longer a part of the zoo. Photo courtesy of the Sacramento Zoo

Note: This is part two in a series regarding past and present details about the Sacramento Zoo.

The Sacramento Zoo has experienced many changes since Sacramento State College – today’s Sacramento State University – published Marvin Delfendahl’s official William Land Park Zoo guidebook in 1952.
One of the zoo’s most noticeable changes was its increase in size from its original 4.2 acres to its present 14.3 acres.
And with this increase in acreage, the zoo houses many more animals than it presented when Delfendahl created the guidebook as his thesis when the college, which was then located a short distance northeast of the zoo, was less than five years old.
One of the 1950s most notable highlights was the Aug. 21, 1956 founding of the Sacramento Zoological Society, which was formed to support and raise funds for the zoo.
Among the animals that became residents of the zoo during the 1950s were an elephant named Winky, a male giraffe, 12 white-faced gibbons from Thailand, a blue wildebeest and four penguins from Peru.
During the same decade, various publications boasted the quality of the zoo.
In the November 1951 edition of the Sacramento City Employee, for instance, the zoo was referred to as “one of the best (zoos) in the state.”
The publication also noted the following: “Zoo experts and the general public rate (the William Land Park Zoo) equal to or better than the Los Angeles Zoo, and trailing only the world-famed zoos in San Diego and San Francisco.”
An indication of the level of growth of the zoo from its inception to the 1950s was presented in an article in the Nov. 15, 1959 edition of The Sacramento Bee.
In the article, it was noted that at that time, the zoo had become “the envy of visitors from other cities twice the size of Sacramento, many of which (had) no zoo at all.”
Credited in the article for much of the zoo’s progress was Anthony A. “Hank” Spencer (1907-1972), the zoo’s longtime superintendent.
Spencer, who grew up in Sacramento around a variety of animals, including horses, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and squirrels and also rode the rodeo circuit during his youth, studied animal husbandry and veterinary science while he was a student at Sacramento High School in the 1920s, when the school was located at 18th and K streets.
After graduating from high school, Spencer studied animal husbandry, veterinary science, dairy industry, poultry and horticulture at the University of California, Berkeley’s University Farm – today’s University of California, Davis.
The 1959 article described the job of the zoo’s superintendent as a natural position for Spencer.
Spencer’s experience as a horse trader during his rodeo circuit days gave him a valuable advantage when it came to acquiring animals for the zoo.
With this skill, Spencer managed to complete many quality trades for a large number of animals, including kangaroos, lions, leopards and chimpanzees. And by 1959, the zoo’s animal collection was valued at $60,000.
In commenting about his skill in animal trading, Spencer told The Bee, “I’m getting paid for something I’d do as a hobby.”
During his three decades as superintendent of the zoo, Spencer built up the zoo from about 75 animals to hundreds of animals.
In November 1960, a 6-foot-long, 220-pound alligator named Alvin arrived at Mather Air Force Base and was then delivered to the zoo by Spencer in the back of his station wagon.
Two and a half years earlier, Alvin had been lifted out of a Florida swamp and brought to Stead Air Force Base, near Reno, to be viewed by aircrews touring Stead’s survival school wildlife museum.
The Bee noted in a November 23, 1960 article that Alvin had grown to such an extent that he “literally ate himself out of the Air Force,” as he was consistently eating five pounds of raw meat per day.
Alvin became the zoo’s fourth large alligator at that time. The zoo also housed three small alligators, which The Bee described as “so small they hardly count.”
The zoo underwent many changes in the years of the late 1950s and early 1960s, including its expansion to a total of 10 acres.
With the 1960s came a major zoo renovation, which was an investment of $250,000.
A special dedication for the first of two phases of the improved zoo was held on June 11, 1961.
To introduce the new portion of the zoo, an untraditional ribbon cutting was held as Sacramento City Councilman Kneeland H. Lobner, with the “assistance of” a rose garlanded llama, cut a ribbon in front of the zoo.
Other attractions of the day included a speech by Sacramento Zoological Society President Albert W. Hellenthal, a concert by the Sacramento Symphonic Youth Band and, of course, opportunities to visit the newly renovated portion of the zoo.
The zoo’s new features included five, large, rock-walled moats for lions, bears and tigers, a monkey island, new cages for smaller cats and field animals, spacious walkways and new trees, shrubbery and flower beds.
One did not have to enter the zoo to observe a major change to the zoo at that time, as the zoo’s still present space-aged, Orbit gasoline station-esque-style entrance had been built along Land Park Drive in time for the 1961 ceremony. The former entrance was located south of the zoo’s present entrance, which was designed by architects Kenneth C. Rickey and Fred E. Brooks, whose offices were located at 2636 Fulton Ave.
Other not-yet-built portions of the project included cages for gorillas and orangutans, enclosures for flightless birds and a reptile house.
During his aforementioned speech at the ceremony, Hellenthal said, “Anyone comparing the old (zoo) with the new (zoo) will realize the work still to be done. When (that work) is accomplished, we will have one of the most attractive zoos in the country.”

Caption: “Livelyhood” by Noemi is one of the works in “Transparancy.” “Transparency,” a free exhibit of photos made by first-time photography students in Nicaragua and formerly abused women in India, runs Feb. 12-March 16 in Sacramento State’s Library Gallery Annex, on campus, 6000 J St. The two groups are using photography to capture their environment in honest and sensitive ways. Curated by Ethan Flanagan, the exhibit includes a reception at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, contact 278-4189

“Three Sisters Bound to the Elements” is the first of two free exhibits kicking off the Spring semester in Sacramento State’s Library galleries.
The exhibit by Chinese-born sisters Hong, Bo and Ling Zhang displays works based on the three elements of water, earth and wood,  and their interconnectiveness. It runs Feb. 1-May 24 in the University Library Gallery. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The Zhangs’ works show how the elements are bound together – wood grows in the earth, the earth absorbs the water, and wood needs  water to grow. As they are bound together, so are the sisters’ individual works bound together in one exhibition that includes charcoal drawings, watercolors on rice paper, and ink and pencil.
Hong Zhang is a Sacramento State alumna, receiving her master of fine arts degree in 2002 and her bachelor’s from the Central Academy  of Fine Arts in Beijing.
Hong’s twin sister, Bo Zhang, received her bachelor of fine arts degree in printmaking from Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts.  She then attended Georgia State University in 2004. In addition to her artwork, Bo Zhang works as an art consultant for the Beijing office of Soho Myriad, an art consulting service.
Eldest daughter Ling Zhang witnessed the Chinese Cultural Revolution and received her master of fine arts from Beijing Central  Institute of Nationalities in 1988. She came to the United States, and decided to stay, in the late 1980s to share her works at the invitation of Signet Fine Art, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Illinois governor.
All three artists have exhibited works around the world.
A reception will be held 4-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, and will include a talk by the artists. Hong Zhang also will give a talk, “Middle  Kingdom Meets Middle America,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in the gallery.
The second exhibit, “Transparency,” runs Feb. 12-March 16 in the University Gallery Annex. A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m.  Saturday, Feb. 16 in the gallery.
Curated by Ethan Flanagan, the exhibit is a collection of photographs taken by first-time photography students in the Nicaraguan  fishing village of Padre Ramos, and by young women in India who were formerly forced into lives of abuse and sex slavery.
“The Padre Ramos children use donated cameras to capture images of their environment in honest, intimate and sensitive ways,” Flanagan  says.
For the Indian women, photography is part of their rehabilitation. “They’ve learned to use photography to communicate without words  and see their lives and themselves from a new perspective,” Flanagan says.
For more information on the galleries, visit www.al.csus.edu/sota/ulg or call (916) 278-4189. For media assistance, call Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

When Professor Francie Dillon was named Arts Educator of the Year by the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento during an Oct. 12 luncheon, she wasn’t sure how to get her message across in her acceptance speech. So she borrowed lessons from the hokey pokey.
Dillon teaches Literature for Children and has been performing for years at venues such as Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Public  Library, where her shows have been aimed at bringing literature to children.
She has a reputation for throwing herself into her shows, and some of her fans have been very enthusiastic about her performances.  Following one show in front of young children, a 4-year-old came up to her and said, “When it’s time, I think I’ll hire you for my wedding.”
But Dillon has had to curtail many of her activities because of an undiagnosed neurological problem that has affected her mobility and speech. “I was concerned that if I did win, would my body allow me to say what I wanted to say, the way I wanted to say it.”
While approaching the stage, she was helped by Sacramento Business Journal columnist Ed Goldman and found her strength. “It was like the person who lectures and is the entertainer came out, and it all fell into place,” Dillon says.
Noting that her success has occurred through many components, Dillon quoted the hokey pokey to the audience. “When I put my right  hand in, always at the other end has been my family and my friends who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Left hand, right leg and left leg represent Fairytale Town, the library, the Sacramento Bee, and fans young and old. “And when you shake yourself all about, that’s when you acknowledge what it is to be human – the creativity, curiosity and participation in life. That is what it’s all about.”
Dillon was one of three nominees. The others were Art Professor Elaine O’Brien – who also is a Sacramento State instructor – and  Milton Bowens, lead artist in residence at the Twin Rivers Unified School District.
Dillon’s award was one of several given out Oct. 12. For more information, visit www.sacabc.org/programs/prelude-to-the-season/. For media assistance regarding Sacramento State’s arts programs, call the University’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

Water is getting a lot of scrutiny at Sacramento State this year. It’s the topic of the University’s new global education program, the One World Initiative, which each year uses a subject of worldwide importance in many different classes and course work elements, discussions and other events, examining it from several viewpoints.
The initiative is patterned after the University’s One Book Program, which chooses a book to be shared among many classes and disciplines across the campus.
The scope of water’s impact is one of the reasons it was chosen for this inaugural One World Initiative.
“Water is a very broad topic,” says Lisa Hammersley, geology professor and coordinator of the initiative. “It’s important scientifically. It’s a social issue. It’s a political issue. It has also inspired countless pieces of literature, music and art.”
Most of the effort is centered on getting instructors to incorporate the topic into their curricula. That, says Hammersley, allows  a student in four classes to examine one idea from four different perspectives.
And there are many perspectives to consider. Even the University’s Air Force ROTC is looking at the topic as part of its Setting  the World Stage class, noting the potential danger for 2.7 billion people who live in areas where water-related crises create a high risk of violent conflict.
But beyond the class work, there are many events that will shed light on the subject.
The Community Engagement Center kicks off the yearlong initiative with its Great American River Cleanup from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 15. Volunteers are still being sought to help beautify the river and reduce the threat of pollution. Visit www.csus.edu/cec/volunteer for more information.
Environmental Studies will host guest speaker Nadir Salman Abo-Tubikh of the University of Basrah Marine Science Center, Iraq.  He will discuss Saddam Hussein’s draining of the massive Mesopotamian Marshes to create severe hardships for the resident Marsh Arabs, and the efforts to restore the area. Abo-Tubikh will speak 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the Redwood Room of the University Union.
The WELL recreation and wellness center will support the initiative by informing students about the importance of staying hydrated and participating in conservation by utilizing reusable water bottles.
And Sacramento State’s Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Excellence will make water the topic of February’s STEM Lecture.
“It was our goal that no department would feel this was something that didn’t apply to them,” says Hammersley.
For more information on this year’s One World Initiative topic, visit www.csus.edu/oneworld/index.html. For media assistance, call Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

With the 2012-13 school year fast approaching, incoming high school freshmen often face that sometimes-difficult transition from middle school with a mixture of wonder, fear and trepidation.
To help alleviate a little of that fear, 16-year-old Shia Streator, McClatchy High School senior and WayUp facilitator, volunteered her time during the first few days in August for a three-day/two-night leadership camp.
Nearly 400 incoming 9th graders within the Sacramento City Unified School District converged upon Sacramento State for the Sacramento WayUp Youth Leadership Program Summer Camp, which was held July 31 to Aug. 2.
The goal of the leadership program was to build a bridge that dilutes freshmen fears and makes students more comfortable with the transition to high school, Streator said.
“When I came in as a freshman, I didn’t have anybody really to teach me anything social wise,” Streator said. “This three-day leadership program is designed to give the freshmen an essence of accomplishment and friendship during and after the camp. Because freshmen are usually alone the first couple of months, this summer program gives them an opportunity to know 300 freshmen who feel the same way as they do.”
Streator says programs like WayUp have helped her build her own leadership skills.
“When I entered my junior year last year after participating in the camp, I did come out of it with a lot more confidence and assurance of who I am and what I can do,” she said. “I have just become captain of my criminal justice academy, so it really applies to what I am doing in school.”
The Sacramento WayUp Youth Leadership Program Summer Camp teaches kids how to stand as leaders in their schools, communities and within their own lives under the camp theme “Evolution 2 Revolution: Leadership is Not an Option.”
Students participate in a variety of activities from team-building exercises to developing strategic-thinking and problem-solving skills.
“The three-day event nurtures, guides and grows the next generation of leaders,” said WayUp Sacramento Program Director Talia Kaufman. “This year’s tracks are specifically ‘change yourself, change your community and change your future.’ It’s teaching young teens to assert themselves and give them self-empowerment along with thinking about community change and how we as individuals can help.”
This year Streator taught her own track.
“I talked about life values and planning your own life future,” she said. “It’s a way to help freshmen discover their own passion and help them carve what they want their high school and college experience to be like. For example, if they want to pursue more art, music, sports, academics, it will help them understand their own passion and encourage them to go for it.”
Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond said programs like these are more vital than ever, especially given of the city’s limited resources.
“Our goal is to give kids … rich summer learning experiences so that all of our students return to school is September ready for the new school year,” Raymond said.
Years of state budget cuts have forced the school district to reduce traditional summer school program to remediation classes only, Raymond said.
“We simply don’t have the money to offer the summer school programs that students enjoyed in the past,” he said. “But we are enriching the lives of thousands of kids this summer with our Summer Matters programming.”
In one year, the WayUp camp has gone from mentoring 40 kids to nearly 400 this year.
“When this initiative started a year ago, we never imagined it would grow so fast,” Raymond said. “The rapid expansion of this program is a testament to the kids and everyone involved who has worked tirelessly to give our youth the tools they need in order to become the next generation of great leaders of this community.”
WayUp Sacramento is funded primarily through grants received from the California Endowment, as well as through contributions from numerous businesses and community-based organizations throughout Sacramento.
“To see these kids interacting, learning, growing, smiling and laughing together is truly inspiring,” Kaufman said.

Elizabeth@valcomnews.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sacramento County Undersheriff Mark M. Iwasa is Sacramento State’s new campus police chief effective Tuesday, Jan. 3.

MARK M. IWASA is Sacramento State’s new police chief. / Photo courtesy, Sacramento State University

The announcement was made Monday by Ming-Tung “Mike” Lee, Sacramento State’s interim vice president of Administration and Business Affairs, and chief financial officer.

Iwasa is already familiar with the campus, holding two degrees from Sacramento State. He has a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Criminal Justice (1990) and an M.A. in Public Policy and Administration (1993).

In his announcement, Lee notes that Iwasa brings more than 25 years of progressively expanding experience that includes criminal investigation, coordinated communication with neighboring municipalities, and administration of community-oriented programs.

“Undersheriff Iwasa is a seasoned officer with demonstrated knowledge, experience and skills in federal and California statutory code, case law, civil law and standards,” Lee said.

Iwasa replaces former Chief Dan Davis, who retired in November. Former campus chief Ken Barnett has been serving as interim chief.