The home baked and canned goods were literally good enough to eat. / Photo, Susan Laird

The 75th annual Sacramento County Fair celebrated its diamond jubilee of making memories and magic over the Memorial Day weekend, May 26–30.

There were many exhibits showing the creativity of Sacramento County youth, including papier-mâché farm animals, photography, drawings, paintings, wheelbarrow gardens and much more.

The adult entries in the home-baked goods exhibit looked good enough to swipe and eat. Got milk, anyone?

Preliminary numbers show an increase in revenue. According to T.J. Plew, CEO, paid attendance at the fair this year will probably equal that of 2010, despite a cold and drizzly Saturday afternoon and evening.

“Saturday night is our biggest night so the weather directly affected attendance, food and carnival sales,” Plew said.

But, while they were at the Fair, visitors ate. Thousands filled up on fair food with increases in sales on Thursday and Friday, and record sales on Sunday. New vendors with savory and fruit crepes, homemade potato chips, and Hawaiian plates were big hits along with everyone’s favorite — cinnamon rolls overflowing with cream cheese frosting and topped with chopped nuts.

Numbers are only one measure of success, and visitors were enthusiastic about the Sea Lion Encounter show, while hundreds of children each day participated in Circus Imagination. The privacy lounge provided for nursing mothers, with rocking chairs and a diaper changing station, healthy snacks and a video center was well received by parents.

It was, indeed, a memorable fair.

The Folsom Symphony will perform the “Symphony No. 5, Opus 47 in D Minor” by Soviet Russian composer Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 – 1975) during its “Russian Power/Russian Passion” concert on March 26. / Photo public domain

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975) composed his “Symphony No. 5, Opus 47 in D Minor” with fear and trepidation – literally. As a Soviet Russian composer, his work was under constant scrutiny by the Soviet government to conform to “communist ideals.” As an artist, this was a difficult task – he was, in fact, denounced twice during his career. In Stalinist Russia, a denounced artist could vanish during the night. Many of Shostakovich’s friends did vanish, never to be seen again.

The Symphony No. 5 was composed as a “comeback” work after a period of denouncement, to show his loyalty to the party. Shostakovich also wanted to be true to himself as an artist. Remarkably, he succeeded, winning both popular and Communist Party approval for the work. It was first performed on Nov. 21, 1937 in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra.

Remember those friends who had vanished? Everyone in Russia knew someone who had been denounced, executed, exiled or “vanished” from society. It was a horrific time. What the public so related to in Shostakovich’s symphony was this: leitmotifs (musical themes) of the Russian Orthodox liturgy and requiem for the dead. Audiences recognized these tones, and actually wept during the first performances. It was an opportunity for public, physical release of their grief and fear – in short, a relief, if even for three-quarters of an hour. The standing ovation lasted well over half an hour at the inaugural performance.

Such is the power of music to release passionate feeling.

The second performance of the evening is “Scheherazade, Opus 35” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908), composed in 1888. Based on “The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights),” this is the composer’s most popular work.

“The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim (in series), for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely,” Rimsky-Korsakov wrote in his introduction to the score.

This work is lyrical and filled with leitmotifs for each character. The Sultan is literally a “heavy” in the opening notes of the work. The four stories of the Sultana Scheherazade are easily visualized in this lyric work: “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship,” “The Kalendar Prince,” “The Young Prince and the Young Princess,” and “Festival at Baghdad/The Sea/The Ship Breaks Against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman.”

This music is extremely sensual, as Scheherazade wins the heart of her husband and their leitmotifs soar into consummate ecstasy.

Racy stuff for those modest Victorians – powerful Russian passion, indeed.

The “Russian Power/Russian Passion” concert will be performed one evening only, on Saturday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. Order tickets soon, as the Folsom Symphony is swiftly becoming one of the more popular organizations in the region. Stage One at the Folsom Lake College Performing Arts Complex is located at 10 College Parkway (just off East Bidwell Street) in Folsom.

Single tickets are $22 to $42. To purchase, call (916) 357-6718 or visit www.folsomsymphony.com.

susan@valcomnews.com

Left to right, Justin Michael Duval, Jill Van Velzer, Ryan Drummond, Lisa Ferris and Melissa WolfKlain in the 2011 California Musical Theatre production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “A Grand Night for Singing” at The Cosmopolitan Cabaret. Performances run through May 8. / Photo courtesy of California Musical Theatre, Charr Crail

“A Grand Night” made its debut in New York City in 1993, where it was presented cabaret-style. It was nominated for two Tony Awards (Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical) and ran for 52 performances.

Cabaret in the United States has a rich history, dating back to the Jazz Age. In New York City, lovers of music could enjoy an adult beverage and dinner while stars of radio, screen and Broadway entertained on stage.

It was most popular in the ’40s and ’50s. Cabaret began to decline as a popular art form in the 1960s with the advent of the modern rock concert and popular variety shows on television, such as the Dean Martin Show.

While still appreciated by older generations, it is the present day younger generation of actors that is embracing cabaret as an artform for expression.

This Sacramento production of “A Grand Night for Singing” by California Musical Theatre features an experienced, highly talented cast of five: Ryan Drummond, Justin Michael Duval, Lisa Ferris, Jill Van Velzer and Melissa WolfKlain.

The music of Rogers and Hammerstein sparkles throughout this production. Featuring songs from the famous duo’s most famous musicals as well as their lesser-known productions, one will get a good taste of musical genres from 1943 to 1959.

This wide variety is also one of the challenges of this musical. “A Grand Night” is a choreographed musical showcase of tunes, as opposed to a musical with a story to tell. Divided into two acts, the first focused on “young love” and the second on “married/star-crossed love,” this musical can sometimes feel like a precious child’s lanyard necklace – one where each bead is colorful and unique…but where nothing matches. Audiences may find this confusing at first.

That aside, the music is excellent and the cast does a great job with the singing and choreography. Chris Schlagel shines as the pianist/accompanist. There are many light moments and good humor throughout. One really doesn’t mind the lack of plot near the conclusion when the entire audience goes silent for Drummond’s stellar rendition of “This Nearly Was Mine.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater.

“A Grand Night for Singing” runs through May 8. The Cosmopolitan Cabaret is located at 1000 K Street in Downtown Sacramento. Ticket prices range from $33 to $43 per person, depending on the day and type of seating (table seating or tiered seating).

Show days and times are Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. The box office at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret opens two hours before each show. For advance tickets, visit the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office or call (916) 557-1999. Parking is conveniently at the Capitol Parking Garage located next door at 10th and L streets. For more information, visit www.CosmopolitanCabaret.com.

susan@valcomnews.com

Lucky Manor, seen here in 1935, made national history as the first demonstration home built under the National Housing Act of 1934. Built by the Modernize Sacramento Committee, the home was viewed as an important catalyst to re-boot the flailing Sacramento economy at the bottom of the Great Depression. / Photo courtesy, Janet Gatejen

One home, however, represented the hopes of the entire community for an economic resurgence. It was built for one purpose, and one purpose only: to save the economy of Sacramento during the bottom of the Great Depression.

Nationally, the real estate market had collapsed. The banking crisis of the early 1930s had forced all banks to retrieve due mortgages – forcing home foreclosures. Refinancing was not available. Real estate values tanked as people lost their homes. Few home loans were issued during this time, and few new homes were purchased.

The National Housing Act of 1934 sought to reverse all this. Uncle Sam was going to sweep away “that old barrier of money worry” by offering Americans the first Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans. These loans could be used to build or purchase a new home, or to make improvements to an existing home.

Sacramento immediately organized the Modernize Sacramento Committee, chaired by Allyn L. Burr. The board of directors included community leaders of the day, including Clarence H. Breuner. The committee had representatives of the city, county and state governments, as well as leaders in the retail and building fields.

Together, they built four demonstration houses to educate Sacramento area residents about the programs available through the FHA. The most famous of these was “Lucky Manor,” located at 1701 11th Avenue in the College Tract of Land Park, in 1935.

First home of kind

Lucky Manor was significant because it was the first home in the United States to be completed to stimulate interest in the federal government’s long-term home financing program. Built by the leading builders of the day, the retail value of the home was $12,000 – a value of $177,000 in today’s dollars. Leading local retailers, including Breuner’s, Weinstock-Lubin & Co., Vogt Electric and others, furnished the home with examples of how “home happiness” could be achieved with modern furnishings and appliances.

It was the first “model house” ever. The Sacramento Bee devoted virtually the entire front section of the May 23, 1935 edition to the opening of the home to the public the next day.

Tickets to view the home were sold six weeks in advance, for 35 cents a ticket or 12 tickets for $3.50.

Home of hope

The original sign welcoming visitors to Lucky Manor in 1935 was recently re-discovered, hidden away in the home’s two-car garage. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Susan Laird

And the most amazing thing of all was that this home would be raffled off to one lucky winner. The public went wild to see the home and have a chance at winning large.

“Once upon a time, you would visit a home like ‘Lucky Manor’ and leave with a sigh of regret…because such comfort seemed so far beyond your reach. You’d wonder: Will we ever be able to enjoy anything half as nice?” stated the 16-page pamphlet each visitor to the home received. “But now! You can drink in every detail of ‘Lucky Manor’ and leave with your HEAD IN THE AIR…because that old barrier of money worry has been swept away by Uncle Sam.”

English rustic design

Lucky Manor was designed “along the lines of an English country home, with all the rustic beauty of its gabled roof and dormer windows,” the Bee said. “Its classic simplicity immediately calls to mind the English manor immortalized in the romances of John Galsworthy and the poet, Shelley.”

Visitors to the home could see idealized settings in each room and quality craftsmanship in the architectural details throughout the interior and exterior of the home. The 2,209 square-foot home featured three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, an entrance hall, living room, living room “terrace,” dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, service porch, service basement and a detached two-car garage – a novelty for the day, and considered very modern. The 8,712 square-foot corner lot featured professional landscaping.

A Dutch Colonial double door welcomed visitors to the home. To their left was the living room “the heart of the home,” furnished through the courtesy of Weinstock-Lubin & Co. – complete with a grand piano from Breuner’s. Visitors learned that – with a housing act loan – they could add to their own homes: a fireplace and chimney for $4/month, a built-in mantle for $3/month and hardwood floors for $3/month. All these loans would be paid off in just three years.

The kitchen featured a brand-new 1935 Super-seven Frigidaire electric refrigerator and a Spark cabinet gas range, a double basket-drainer Crane Co. sink, and hand-crafted cabinetry.

The upstairs bathroom was decked out in red, white, black and chrome. The built-in recessed shower was considered a novel note, with its glass door with chrome details.

The bedrooms were large, and closet space was ample.

The layout of Lucky Manor was designed to have a floor plan with good traffic flow, modern conveniences and “home happiness.” / Photo courtesy, California State University Library archives

“One of the most desirable features of any home is incorporated in this master bedroom of Lucky Manor,” the Bee said. “This is the abundance of space in the wardrobe closet with recessed shoe racks and hanging rods and shelves, making it easy to keep everything in order.”

The landscaping of Lucky Manor was designed to last by East Lawn Nursery. In fact, many of the seasonal shrubs and evergreens continue to grow, bloom and thrive at the home.

Lucky winner

Thousands of tickets to view Lucky Manor were sold – some 25,000 by opening day, in fact. On June 29, 1935, one very lucky ticket was drawn – to the astonishment of the winner, Mrs. Lucy D. Griffey, 64. Mrs. Griffey was a widow of some 43 years, whose husband was killed in a Southern Pacific Railroad accident in 1892, leaving her to raise an infant son (who died in 1923) and later a nephew and two nieces, on her own. She made her living as a dressmaker until her eyesight failed, and lived in the home she built at 2920 ½ G Street with her nieces, Mrs. Allemand and Mrs. Reilly.

Winning the Lucky Manor meant new opportunities for the widow who had experienced such misfortune in her life.

“I was so excited when they told me I had been awarded the house I couldn’t dress myself,” she told the Bee with a laugh. “They sent a taxi for me as soon as they told me about it, so I could go out to Lucky Manor. But the taxi finally had to go on – it was an hour before I could get myself ready.”

Mrs. Griffey planned to remain in her home, and contemplated selling Lucky Manor so she could retire.

“I guess I’ll stay right here,” she said. “I might travel just a little and not far from home. My life is here. But I’m not going to work.”

Lucky Manor has stood the test of time well. “Quality will show out,” as the old saying goes. The original architectural features of the home are still there, and the home continues to have a cheerful, “new” feeling to it – this after over 75 years and thousands of visitors, quite literally.

On the March market

Those interested in viewing this historic home will have a unique opportunity in early March, when Lucky Manor goes on the market. Yes, it is offered for sale to that special individual or family that will appreciate it for its quality construction, good schools and convenient nearby parks (it is just a few blocks from Sacramento’s historic William Land Park). The asking price is $649,000.

Interested parties may contact Janet Gatejen at (916) 420-8418, janet@urbanhoundproperties.com or visit www.luckymanor.com.

susan@valcomnews.com

This tunnel beneath Folsom’s famous Sutter Street is the source of many tales of yore, including stories of smuggled alcohol during the Prohibition Era of the early 20th century. Video footage of the tunnel will be on display at the Folsom History Museum’s “Secrets of Sutter Street,” Feb. 19 to March 20. / Photo courtesy

As a writer and news editor for “Folsom Life” newspaper many years ago, I had the unique privilege of learning many of Folsom’s secrets. Literally, where some of the bodies are – or were – buried. Years before the restoration on Sutter Street, I got to visit the tunnels and other secret places of Folsom.

Most are off limits to the public – and with good reason. These places are seriously dangerous. And if you are fearful of spiders, snakes, close places, subterranean water, ghosts or simply bumping your head…well, you get the picture.

Recent restoration work on Sutter Street revealed the existence of one of Folsom’s subterranean tunnels to the public, as well as other artifacts of the city’s pioneering inhabitants.

On Feb. 19, the Folsom History Museum will share much of this history, when it unveils “Sutter Street Secrets.”

“What did they find under Folsom’s Sutter Street? What secrets were revealed? Come to this wonderful new exhibit at the Folsom History Museum and find out,” said Melissa Pedroza, spokeswoman for the Folsom History Museum. “Last year, the City of Folsom began the Sutter Street Revitalization Project. The project had two purposes: the practical – to replace the crumbling 100 year old water/sewer infrastructure; and the cosmetic – to pretty up the street and make it more appealing.”

According to Pedroza, the exhibit will display many of the artifacts uncovered during the restoration, including bottles, coins, horse shoes and tools found during the digging.

“The Museum will also play a video of the tunnel discovered under Sutter Street,” Pedroza said. “This will be the closest most of us will ever get to seeing the tunnel. It’s not something to be missed.”

Also included in the exhibit is a description of the whole restoration process (sans the many, many Historic District Restoration Committee meetings that were held at Landmark Baptist Church). From the removal of the dying magnolia trees (plopped right on top of the pavement of old Highway 50) to the planting of over 100 trees along new sidewalks that incorporate Folsom’s history, visitors will have an opportunity to see how much work went into this project.

“The exhibit features hundreds of photos taken during the actual process of the day and night construction,” Pedroza said. “Big trucks, backhoes, and cranes and building facades tumbling down and being built back up.”

“Sutter Street Secrets” opens Feb. 19 and runs through March 20. The Folsom History Museum is located at 828 Sutter Street in Old Town Folsom. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for youth and free for kids under the age of 12. Folsom Historical Society Members receive free admission. Call (916) 985-2707 or visit www.folsomhistorymuseum.org for more information.

susan@valcomnews.com

Third graders at Pony Express Elementary proudly display the new dictionaries that were gifted to them by the Rotary Club of Pocket-Greenhaven. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Susan Laird

When you are in the third grade, you are reading to learn.

With this thought firmly in mind, the Rotary Club of Pocket-Greenhaven presented every third grader at Pony Express Elementary School a brand-new, “Macmillan Dictionary for Children” on Jan. 14. It was a gift from the Rotarians to each child. The book is his or hers to keep – forever.

The hardcover book features some 35,000 entries, with over 1,100 photographs and images in full color. Words such as “Internet” and “Website” are defined.

The book has long been popular with children for its visual interest and information. Teachers and parents like it as a resource for beginning readers and spellers. The dictionary retails for $19.99 in bookstores, but that day the books were free for the students – a gift from the local Rotary club.

“One of the highlights for Rotary International is literacy,” explained Judy Foote, president of the Rotary Club of Pocket-Greenhaven. “This particular project was started in San Francisco, and it came to our district.”

Brand-new dictionaries were neatly stacked before the presentation to the third graders. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Susan Laird

“The Rotary Dictionary Project started in 2003, when two of our district clubs delivered 167 dictionaries,” said Clarence Parkins, past district governor for local Rotary District 5180. “It has grown every year since and this year 34 clubs will deliver 10,465 books to third and fourth grade students. It is one of the most rewarding and successful projects clubs in our district have ever undertaken. Once a club does this project, it is very difficult not to continue it every year.”

The Pocket-Greenhaven Rotarians held a “tailgate party” to put labels for every student in the books. Then, on the appointed day, the Rotarians came to Pony Express Elementary to make the presentations to the third grade classes of Cindy Eberle and Linda Wortman.

“It’s awesome,” said Nick Anderson, age 8, about receiving his dictionary. “I could learn about astronomy and entomology – that’s insect science. I love to study science.”

Sidney Phillips, age 8, thought the Rotarians’ gift was very generous.

“I think it is a very nice looking dictionary, and I think I’m going to learn lots and lots from it,” she said. “I think that they are very nice and kind people to give the third graders dictionaries.”

Phillips thought that the Rotary Dictionary Project should be expanded globally.

“It would help people around the world,” Phillips said. “I think they should keep doing this because it makes kids learn stuff and it will open their minds up.”

According to Foote, the Rotarians enjoy giving the dictionaries away just as much as the kids enjoy receiving them.

What is the best part of doing this community service project every year?

“The look on the kids’ faces when they get a book,” Foote said with a smile.

“Far and Away” is a watercolor by Susan Montague, an artist whose work is part of the American Watercolor Society Travelling Show. The show will partner with the Sacramento Fine Arts Center for a unique collaboration of the visual and performing arts, “Art Song,” on Jan. 29 and 30. / Photo courtesy

“Art Song” will feature the musical talents of Donna Helmich-Agnello, dynamic soprano, and Michelle Xioa You, renowned violinist – as well as some 40 works by the American Watercolor Society International Traveling Exhibition.

Helmich-Agnello will perform a variety of works about love, betrayal, pirates and selections from J.S. Bach’s “Magnificat.”

Xioa You will play a dramatic selection of works, including Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Song of India” and Pablo de Sarasate’s “Zapateada.”

The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is the only California venue selected by the American Watercolor Society for the travelling exhibit. It is considered a feather in Sacramento’s cap, as the Society is highly selective and the exhibits are of high caliber. Past exhibitors of the Society have included Andrew Wyeth and Winslow Homer.

The January concert will be the first of a series of concerts presenting top musical talent to audiences in the Sacramento region.

“It’s a musical performance you will not see anywhere else,” said Richard Turner, president of the Sacramento Fine Arts Center and producer of the musicals. “There has never been a collaboration between the best watercolorists in the world and internationally renowned musicals artists.”

The concert will be performed at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, located at 5330-B Gibbons Drive in Carmichael. Turner encourages visitors to come “check it out. The acoustics are great – you don’t even need a microphone.”

The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is a 25-year old nonprofit community art education and outreach organization, conducting hands-on art classes for all ages and hosting a wide variety of exhibits throughout the year.

“Art Song” will be performed on two days, Saturday evening on Jan. 29 at 8 p.m., and Sunday afternoon, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. Seating is limited to 130 at each performance, so advance tickets are recommended. Open seating admission is $50 ($35 is tax deductible). Tickets may be purchased by calling (916) 971-3713 or by sending a check to the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, 5330-B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael, CA 95608. Also visit www.sacfinearts.org.

The Aerospace Museum of California will be among 26 museums that will open their doors to the public for the 13th annual free Museum Day on Feb. 5. / Photo courtesy

The free museum day is just that: a day to enjoy free admission to the many museums in Sacramento and throughout the region. This year’s event is presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums (SAM) and is sponsored by Umpqua Bank. Over 85,000 people participated in last year’s free Museum Day.

Museums are nonprofit and educational institutions that make a unique contribution to the community by interpreting and preserving the things of this world, according to the California Museum Association.

There is a museum for every taste and interest. There are art and natural history museums, science and technology centers, historical societies and museums, botanical gardens, zoos, children’s museums and much more.

“With an expanded and energized focus on the arts, culture and museum offerings in the Sacramento region, this is an exciting time to explore the rich experiences available at a wide variety of local museums,” said Paul Hammond, Sacramento Association of Museums chairman. “Sacramento Museum Day offers the perfect opportunity for everyone to visit a museum they haven’t been before – or return to an old favorite – to gain a new appreciation for or a fresh perspective about our region, our state, and our world.”

Event coordinators recommend planning ahead, and to limit the day to two or three different museums on the day of the event in order to allow adequate time to enjoy the experience. Free shuttles will operate throughout the day with stopping points located adjacent to many—but not all—participating museums. The California Museum, at 10th and O streets, serves as the central transfer point for shuttle routes in operation during Sacramento Museum Day. Volunteer “step-on” tour guides will be on-board to assist riders and narrate the route, courtesy of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Participating museums this year include: Aerospace Museum of California , the California Automobile Museum , the California Foundry History Museum , the California State Military Museum, the California State Capitol Museum, The California Museum, the California State Indian Museum, the California State Railroad Museum, the Crocker Art Museum, the Discovery Museum Science and Space Center, the Don & June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum, Fairytale Town, the Folsom History Museum, the Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, the Heidrick Ag History Center in Woodland, the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, the Museum of Medical History, the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum, Old Sacramento State Historic Park, the Sacramento Zoo, the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, the Sacramento History Museum, the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, the Wells Fargo History Museum on Capitol Mall and the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Sacramento.

Detailed information about participating museums, suggested parking, public transit options, and free event shuttle routes is available at www.sacmuseums.org (click on “Events”), or by calling the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau at (916) 808-7777.

Museums, in addition to being the stewards of our cultural and natural heritage, offer everyone the invaluable opportunity to refresh, relax, recharge and renew. As the old adage goes, “You’ve got to pour into yourself before you can pour yourself out for others.”

susan@valcomnews.com

Dr. Ken Hajek offers concerned dental patients an opportunity to get a second opinion on their dental diagnoses. A second opinion empowers the patient with knowledge and can even save money in some cases. / Photo courtesy of Devin Hajek

Have you ever gone to the dentist’s office and gotten the bad news that you need extensive –and expensive – care? And that you need it right away?

Have you ever wondered, “Did I really need to do this?”

This is an issue that Dr. Ken Hajek encounters frequently.

Hajek is an “old school” general dentist who believes in the private practice dentist taking care of “his” patients, honoring the trust they place in their dentist. He became increasingly concerned by the complaints he would hear from patients coming from large, “corporate” dental offices.

Concerns Hajek frequently hears include:

• “I just went in for my regular cleaning and they wanted to do $5,000 of work.”
• “I get a different dentist every time and they each want to do something different.”
• “The other dentist wanted to do eight crowns. Do I really need them?”
• “I’ve had good checkups for a decade and suddenly this new dentist says I need a lot of work.”
• “The doctor said I need $7,000 of work including (technical names of procedures). Then they asked, ‘How do you want to pay?’”

“Patients would routinely express uncertainty about treatment plans and ask my opinion,” Hajek said. “Sometimes I would be asked for a second opinion and my opinion would differ substantially with that of another dentist. I was distressed because some offices did not fit with my original concept of dentistry.”

An article in an industry publication put a name on it for Hajek: “aggressive diagnosis” – when a dentist diagnoses everything that he or she can possibly justify.

He immediately took issue with the concept. “Often those justifications are a stretch,” he said.

“I also felt that people were underserved regarding prevention, and I saw them return with new decay on a three to five year cycle,” Hajek said. “That does not have to be the case, but generally the ‘chair time’ to provide proper instruction was not taken. Restorative work was more important to the business goals. And with the elevation of corporate managers over employee-dentists, business goals have become paramount.”

Hajek felt that there had to be a better way. He reasoned that when a medical patient receives a serious diagnosis, it is a standard procedure to seek a second opinion before proceeding with care.

“The solution is to empower the patient,” he said. “Make them ‘smart shoppers’ who can oversee their own care. I am an informational resource for the patient. I am not there to judge other dentists.”

With that thought in mind, Hajek founded Second Opinion Dental, a second opinion dental office that provides exams and consultations, education and advice. Patients can take advantage of Hajek’s three decades of dental experience and ask questions before deciding on the direction they want to go with their dental care and program.

“We do no repair work, because that could present a conflict of interest,” he said. “We offer exams and our opinion on what a patient needs so they can make wise, economical decisions. We serve only the patient’s needs.”

Getting a second opinion can help a patient to decide whether or not a dental procedure is needed, and it also has the potential to save the patient a lot of money.

The services offered at Second Opinion Dental are not covered by standard dental insurance, but the fees are reasonable and affordable. In addition to a second opinion, patients also receive a valuable information session with Hajek on preventative dental care.

“Many patients aren’t receiving this in some dental offices, because it isn’t something for which a hygienist is compensated,” he said. “Just knowing how to properly brush and floss, and with the proper kind of brush, can prevent future costly dental problems.”

Ultimately, it is all about giving patients options, according to Hajek.

“Consumers can often save thousands of dollars with a second opinion,” he said. “Insurers, employers and society could cut dental costs by fully half were everyone to get both impartial diagnoses and prevention instruction.”

Second Opinion Dental is located at 3501 Walnut Avenue in Carmichael. For an appointment call (916) 616-6712 or visit www.secondopiniondental.net.

susan@valcomnews.com