There are stages in all of our lives: a time to be born, a time to die. Between those two points in time, there is the “stuff” life is made of: childhood, the school, high school and college years, family life, friends, growing older. The list goes on and on.

SANDWICH GENERATION. Generations that cared for their children often need to be cared for by their children and grandchildren. Susan Laird, the toddler in this photo from 1967, is stepping down from her post as editor at Valley Community Newspapers so she can care for her mom who is recovering from transverse myelitis. / Photo courtesy, Susan Laird

I’m now at the “sandwich” stage of life. Much as I wish this was about delicatessen delicacies, it’s not. The Sandwich Generation, loosely defined, is that group of people who are still raising a family (or supporting kids in college) while taking on the additional responsibility of caring for aging parents.

My mom, a healthy widow of 72 years of age, was struck by a condition called “transverse myelitis” on April 25. This auto-immune disorder attacks the spinal cord. Only 100 people per year are affected nationwide. There is no known cause. Within 24 hours, Mom was a quadriplegic.

And my entire family’s life was changed.

The good news is: Mom has every reason to learn how to walk again in the next 12 to 18 months. She’s regained much of the use of her arms. Hands and feet are slower. The central nervous system, I’m told, is the slowest part of the human body to heal itself.

The challenging news is: things have to change for each family member.

I am stepping down from my position as editor of Valley Community Newspapers, because Mom will need 24-hour care for many months. I’ll be the caregiver, taking care of physical needs, making the rounds with doctors and therapists and taking care of anything else that needs taking care of as Mom recovers.

My daughter got two jobs at Seton Hall University to supplement her merit scholarship and she is looking into other options to take care of the balance of her tuition.

My husband is taking care of Mom’s house for the next year or so, because Mom really wants to go home eventually. And we don’t want her to lose her home.

Mom, for her part, is a real saint. She wishes that she wasn’t putting us in this situation, and she is doing all she can to work hard in her physical and occupational therapy sessions to re-learn how to do the very things we each take for granted. She prays for others – a lot.

Will this be a rough time? Sure. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

Will this be a blessing in our family? Absolutely. Blessings are pouring out in abundance.

The initial blessing was: “We still have Mom.” We have a second chance to appreciate each other and to say the things that need to be said.

The second blessing, for me, has been the emptying out of my house as I prepare to welcome Mom in for her 12 to 24 month rehab period.

I always knew I had too much “stuff.” I wasn’t a hoarder, but I simply would put things off for another day.

I put off a lot.

Well, that day has come…and as I’ve gone through boxes and boxes of ephemera, I’ve had to ask myself, “Why did I keep all this? I don’t need any of it.”

Mahatma Gandhi taught, “Live simply, so others may simply live.” I have a greater appreciation for the beauty – the art – of simplicity and what is truly needed in life. I plan to continue to simplify my life as much as possible. It’s an on-going lesson I’m learning.

Finally, the greatest blessing is the support of a worldwide community of friends. Through local churches, Rotary clubs, the Sacramento area and social media, friends and strangers have shared their love, wisdom, prayers and support for ideas and resources. I had no idea we were so rich in the quality of our friends. It is a humbling realization. We are blessed.

The past is the past.

The future is something we can only prepare for, and it is promised to no one.

What matters most is how we handle the “Present Moment.” Today.

As the Romans said, “Carpe Diem” – Seize the Day. Hug your family. Do a good deed for a stranger. Pray. And appreciate the beauty and true wealth that surround you.

slaird@handywriting.com

The first phase of the renovation of Camp Mokitana – the old Camp Fire Girls camp located in River Bend (formerly Goethe) Park – was celebrated when the camp’s amphitheater was dedicated in memory of Rotarian Chandler Copps on Sept. 15.

DEDICATION. Members of the community gathered to dedicate the Clarence Copps Amphitheater at Camp Mokitana in River Bend Park. Those attending included Rotarians, representatives from SaveMart Supermarkets and the American River Parkway Foundation and former members of Camp Fire Boys and Girls. Rotary and SaveMart have committed to raise $500,000 for the restoration effort over five years. / Photo courtesy, Rotary District 5180

Dignitaries from the county, Rotary District 5180 and SaveMart Supermarkets were on hand for the dedication – as were members of the American River Parkway Foundation, which had voted just the night before to become partners in the restoration of the facility.

Located in the heart of River Bend Park, Camp Mokitana’s 10 acres are in the heart of the bend of the river. In effect, the rest of the park “barbells” around it. The restoration of the old camp by the Rotarians and their partners will restore this prime property to the Sacramento community, for use by scouting groups, Boys and Girls clubs, church youth groups and other family groups.

Rotary District 5180 and SaveMart have jointly committed to raise $500,000 to the restoration effort over a five-year period.

The camp site is significant and holds great sentimental importance to generations of Sacramento area children – now adults – who attended summer Camp Fire camps at Camp Mokitana for well over a half century.

The property was originally gifted to the Camp Fire Girls by Charles M. Goethe, a strong believer in conservation. The Sacramento-Sierra Camp Fire Council ran decades of successful day camp and overnight camp programs for Sacramento Valley youth there.

When the council closed in 2008, the property reverted back to Sacramento County – with the provision that it remain a camp for youth in the region, and that any future Camp Fire youth would have access to the camp.

At the dedication, eyes grew misty as a Dutchman’s Pipevine butterfly flew over the heads of those dedicating the renovated camp amphitheater in memory of Rotarian Chandler Copps, who saw the need to restore this resource to the community – and took action to make it happen. The butterfly’s caterpillar, called “Charley” by campers, can only survive on Dutchman’s Pipevine, which grows abundantly at Camp Mokitana. It is a precious habitat.

“We’ve become friends, working together on this project,” said Don Bean, director of community relations for SaveMart Supermarkets. “Our primary giving interests center around health, wellness and feeding the hungry. This project really fit into ‘health and wellness’ for young people and families. We’ve been here four years and we are doing our best to get involved with the community. We are proud to be working with Rotary, because they always take on the tough projects.”

“I want to acknowledge and thank to Rotary and SaveMart and others for supporting the renovation,” said County Supervisor Don Nottoli. “We now have an opportunity with a strong local cadre involved in the restoration and improvement, and hopefully once it is completed it will be an area in the American River Parkway where people can come enjoy the natural setting and get a better sense of what a crown jewel this really is. We tend to forget that young people in the area don’t get to experience something like this.”

“We are over 40 Rotary clubs in the area and almost 2,000 Rotarians strong,” said Jack Taylor, District 5180 governor. “Rotary has been successful because of the partnerships we’ve formed with SaveMart and others. Our theme for this year is ‘Share Your Rotary Passion.’ This is one example of the many, many ways Rotarians share their passion for the community.”

Elaine Copps, Chandler’s widow, perhaps summarized things best at the dedication.

“Not too long ago, I found a note in Chandler’s desk, in his hand,” she said. “It said: You do not get love. You give love. And it returns the favor.”

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

Sister Catherine Connell, SSS has dedicated her life to helping others find healing. She and her dog, Billie, continue to make a difference in the Sacramento community. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Susan Laird

His human, Sister Catherine Connell, SSS, has already been up for an hour of prayer. She says it is “really essential, so I can be present to those I am serving and see God’s presence in them. As well as helping them see God’s presence then in me in the work I am doing to help them come to healing.”

Sister Catherine’s day begins early, at 4:40 a.m. After her hour of prayer, she and Billie have their breakfast and a morning walk in Land Park.

Each day is dedicated to the service of others, and has been ever since Sister Catherine, a licensed clinical social worker, became a member of the religious order known as the Sisters of Social Service. It is a calling she heard when she was a teenager in the late 1950s.

The Call to serve

The middle child of five children, she grew up in a Catholic family. Still, “a lot of communication went back and forth” between the sisters at the Sisters of Social Service and the teenager before she approached her parents for their blessing. It also meant having to tell someone else about the call she was hearing to dedicate her life to others. 

“I had a steady boyfriend at the time,” Sister Catherine said. “He wanted to marry me, but I felt I needed to check this (calling) out first. It was a strong feeling that I needed to go and pursue this to see: is this is what God really wants for me?”

The two parted as friends. He later married another girl and had a happy marriage.

When she left her home in Muscatine, Iowa for the “Mother House” in Los Angeles, “it was quite a send-off with my grandparents, parents and three priests,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was on my way to the airport that I burst into tears because I realized I was leaving.”

When she entered the “novitiate” stage on Feb.1, 1959, Sister Catherine began a journey that would include religious studies, a college education and hands-on field work, known then as “family visits” in parishes.

“It was a wonderful preparation,” she said. “The prayer, the classes, the different assignments. You learned the focus of living a spiritual life.”

The Sisters of Social Service value education. Sister Catherine graduated from Mount St. Mary’s College with a degree in sociology, and from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. with a master’s degree in social work. She took her final religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in 1967.

Sister Catherine Connell’s first assignment was to Holy Name Parish in Los Angeles. She was working with families there during the Watts Riot of 1964.

Her field work took her around the nation, from working at Holy Name Parish near the Watts area of Los Angeles (“During the Watts Riot, I went to work anyway,”) to working at Walter Reed Army Hospital during the Vietnam War (“I worked in a ward of 80 men. Every last one of them was missing legs, arms, eyes…There were major disabilities,”) and finally, to Sacramento, where she became known for her work in opposing the state’s death penalty and for her support for making state prisons true places of rehabilitation. Last year, she was honored by Death Penalty Focus’ Friends Committee on Legislation.

In the 1987, Sister Catherine and Sister Claire Graham founded the Wellspring Women’s Center in Sacramento. Wellspring Women’s Center is a drop-in center for women and their children established to foster the innate goodness and personal self-esteem of all who enter its doors. “Hospitality with dignity and love” is the foundation on which Wellspring is built.

Guests at Wellspring are diverse in age, personal background, and ethnicity. Many guests are young mothers seeking adult companionship or a break from child rearing. Wellspring provides a sense of “family” to older single women without a support system. Administered today by the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the center will celebrate 25 years of service to the community this year.

Cancer survivor

A new phase of Sister Catherine’s life would come in 1998 that would change her life forever, when a visit to the doctor came back with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

“I began a year of chemo in 1999,” she said. “Dr. Ernie Bodai was my doctor. He is wonderful.”

She beat the cancer, but four years later she learned that she was in the early stages of breast cancer. Because of early detection, she beat this cancer, also.

Because of the ovarian cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy, Sister Catherine decided to step down from her position as director at Wellspring.

“That’s when I decided to try something where I wasn’t managing a whole agency, but could still serve,” she said.

Sister Catherine Connell, SSS and Dr. Robert Ruxin, head psychiatrist at South Sacramento Kaiser's Department of Psychiatry, collaborate on a patient's history. / Photo courtesy

Clinical therapist

Sister Catherine applied for and accepted a position as a therapist at Kaiser. Each week, Sister Catherine directs two groups: a codependency group that covers “every variety of codependency: relationships, etc.” and a bipolar support group.

Because she is still vowed to poverty, her paychecks go to the Sisters of Social Service, who in turn support her with housing, food and any other needs.

She works at Kaiser three days a week.

“Those are my very busy days,” she said. “On my less busy days, Billie and I go out on our visits.”

Sister Catherine and the little dog (rescued from the Sacramento City Animal Shelter) visit a wide variety of people. Together, the two stay “very much in touch” with the religious community and the community at large, meeting countless needs for a kind word, dignity and support. They have many friends. Included in their rounds is Mercy McMahon Terrace, a residence for seniors.

“The seniors there love Billie, and he loves them. Billie also loves to visit with Bishop Quinn,” she said with a smile. “He is one of Billie’s favorite people.”

Each day is full, and through it all Sister Catherine has found that the motto she adopted when she took her final vows – “That In All Things God May Be Glorified” – is appropriate to every day.

“It certainly has been true for me,” she said.

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

Senesino was one of the great castrato singers of his era. Handel composed no less than 17 leading roles for the famous singer, including the lead in “Orlando.” Sacramento Opera will perform this opera Nov. 19 and 21. / Public domain image

Sacramento Opera kicks off its 30th season with themes of love and madness in George Frideric Handel’s “Orlando” on Nov. 19 and 21.

It is in perfect keeping with Sac Opera’s 2010 – 2011 theme of “Love Makes You Crazy.”

The title character is a great soldier in the Emperor Charlemagne’s army. Orlando (“Roland”) falls in love with the pagan princess, Angelica, the Queen of Cathay. He is torn between conflicting desires for “love and glory.”

Angelica, on her part, is in love with an African prince, Medoro.

Orlando can’t handle any of this. His obsession with the beautiful princess and his dreams of glory drive him to madness. He is prevented from wreaking havoc, however, by the magician Zoroastro, who eventually returns his sanity to him.

Considered to be one of Handel’s “most daring and virtuosic operas,” this work in three acts was written in 1731 and was first performed in 1732 at the King’s Theatre in London on January 27, 1733. After ten performances, (due to “artistic differences” between the composer and the lead singer), it languished until being revived at the Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon on May 6, 1959.

This production will be Sacramento Opera’s first foray into the Baroque repertoire.

“Orlando” is considered a “virtuosic opera” because of the degree of talent required to perform it.

“Performers need not only have great flexibility and agility in their voices to execute amazing amounts of notes that fly by at blinding speed, but also the ability to improvise,” said Timm Rolek, artistic director and conductor of Sacramento Opera.

This is not surprising, as “Orlando” was written for one of the famous castrati of the era, Sensino.

A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano or contralto voice. This was produced by castrating a young boy before puberty. This process, outlawed in Italy by 1870, resulted in larger rib cages with child-sized vocal chords. With training, a castrato’s voice was extraordinarily flexible and quite different. A castrato who could really “belt it out” quickly rose to the 18th century equivalent of one of today’s super rock stars. Today, the high-range roles written for the castrati are sung by countertenors.

“Mutilating young men in the name of art is a practice that I am glad ended long ago,” Rolek said. “Now when composers look for the sound of a prepubescent male voice, they either write for low voiced women dressed as boys, or for boys. The problem with the later is that there is not a lot of volume or length of musical phrase with youngsters, so in most cases composers will opt for low-voiced women”

Performing the role of Orlando will be counter tenor Randall Scotting, who makes his debut with Sacramento Opera in this performance. He is known for his commanding stage presence, rich voice and innate musicality. He performed the part of Orlando with the Liszt Frenc Orchestra in Budapest last season.

Also making their debuts with Sac Opera this season are Celine Ricci, lyric coloratura soprano (as Angelica) and Diana Tash, mezzo soprano (as Medoro). Antoni Mendezona, coloratura soprano (as Dorinda, a shepherdess) and Dean Elzinga, bass baritone (as Zoroastro) round out the cast. Frank Kuhn is the stage director.

“Randall and Celine are internationally known Baroque opera specialists, and Diana, Antoni, and Dean are all exceptional singing actors,” Rolek said.

The music, composed by one of the masters of the age, will be well worth experiencing, according to Rolek.

“Handel at his essence is a theatrical composer, while Bach (born the same year) is essentially a church composer,” he said. “Music from both of these men still speaks to us today through their deceptive simplicity.”

Because the tale of Orlando is a timeless one, the stage setting will have a mythical tone, instead of being locked into one fixed time and place. The opera is about two hours and forty-five minutes with one intermission. This Sacramento Opera premiere is sung in Italian with projected English supertitles.

“Orlando” will be performed at the Sacramento Community Center Theater, located at 1301 L Street in Sacramento, on Friday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. Single ticket prices are $18 to $108 each. Season tickets are now on sale and offer a 20 percent discount off the single ticket price. For tickets, call (916) 808-5181 or visit tickets.com. For more information, visit www.sacopera.org.

susan@valcomnews.com

Members of the St. Francis Robotics team (the “Fembots”) with their newest creation, “Lucky.” This robot plays soccer – it can actually kick a ball and run with it – and is able to hang from seven feet in the air, thanks to a robotic hook. Left to right, Dani Demas, junior; Jasmine Randhawa, sophomore; and Ashley Peng, senior. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Susan Laird

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – areas in which women traditionally do not pursue careers. Some 30 companies staffed booths at the fair, with the intent to show the students at the all-girl school just what is possible.

“I want them to see the technology throughout the branches of service,” said Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Stephen Kujawa as he encouraged the young women to check out a secured radio, night vision goggles and other items. “This allows them to see the technology behind the scenes. Military technology developed the GPS, night vision goggles and secured radios. It benefits everyone.”

The Fembots, the St. Francis High School Robotics Team, had their own booth to show off two of the robots the club made in the last two years: the B-2 and “Lucky.”

The students designed the B-2 to pick up moon rocks – simulated by “moonballs.” Lucky is the 2010 model. It plays soccer and scores points “by hanging off a seven-foot tall tower as long as possible,” according to members of the team.

Students learned at the fair that they can approach technology from many different angles.

“I’m a very hands-on person,” said Camille Soutiere, a junior and rookie robotics team member. “I’m not an electronics person, I’m the building kind of person. Tell me what to build and I’ll build it.”

“I just thought it would be really cool to learn about robotics and just to learn more about being around public speaking,” said Jordin Fong, a freshman and also a rookie robotics team member. “This semester, I did a presentation on my rookie year thus far to PLATT, one of our sponsors. PLATT is an electronics supply company.”

Career opportunities presented ranged from (literally) rocket science to nursing to accounting and financial management to criminal science investigation (CSI).

“We’re still using rockets in the space program,” said Sharon Clark, director of training and organizational development at Aerojet. “We would hire a woman engineer in a heartbeat.”

“We’re here to encourage young women to consider careers in STEM,” said Lora Anguay, SMUD project manager. “It’s important because we are always looking for engineers and people working in engineering and technology.”

Anne Smith Harty, NP was on hand to discuss the advantages of nursing careers. She is also an alumna of the school.

“Nursing can be a very flexible for women,” Harty said. “If you work in one field for a few years and you want to move on to a different field in nursing, you can. You don’t have to start all over. You use critical thinking skills and it’s very rewarding to know at the end of the day that you have helped someone. And: you can get a job anywhere in the world.”

“We’re here just to expose students at St. Francis to potential careers with the FBI that are related to science,” said Steven Dupre, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Engineering and science majors are backgrounds that we recruit for agents and professional support positions, such as evidence response teams. Science ties directly into investigations.”

Senior St. Francis Troubadours were taking a hard look at the possibilities in store for them, as well. College application deadlines are looming ever closer, and the choice of major can be vital with admission to some colleges. The stakes for high school seniors across the country are high, so every bit of information about a potential major is important. The choice of college can turn on a dime.

“I want to go into prosthetics,” said Senior Ashley Peng. “I originally wanted to go into mechanical engineering. But an experience I had at the Shriner’s Hospital made me think about the need for prosthetics. And a sculpting class with Mr. Romo made me interested. At the fair today, I met people from Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics. They handed me an entire list of colleges that specialize in prosthetics. So the STEM Fair really helped with my college apps.”