South Overbrook Neighborhood Blog

Holiday Potluck 2009

2009-12-13T08:50:00.001-08:00

We had a festive neighborhood holiday potluck dinner here at Yvette Soto’s house last Thursday December 10. It was a fun get-together with some great food. There was a short Neighborhood Watch meeting and we talked a few issues:

I talked about a few recent home burglaries here and how we all should remember to lock all doors including back doors when we leave our houses. Also always make sure your cars are locked and valuables are out of site.

Also I passed along the good news that our area is once again being serviced by the Carmichael Sheriff’s Service Center and Francie Fitzimmons is once again our Neighborhood Watch liaison to the department.

Janice reminded us to replace washer hose gaskets every five years or so and she told a story of how someone she knows had a flood when the gasket wore out.

Yvette talked about the county’s program to repair potholes and sidewalk problems. You can call Sacramento County Transportation Maintenance at 916 875-5171 to make a service request.

Also, Fran Clarke left a flyer about a French Gardens trip to the French Riviera, Provence and Paris she is hosting May 5th through the 19th. You can email Fran for details and price before January 3rd at fclarke@surewest.net.

A nice time was had by all and it was great to get together with all our neighbors again. Thanks again to Yvette for hosting the event!

National Night Out 2009

2009-08-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

We celebrated National Night Out here, Tuesday August fourth with a neighborhood potluck barbecue hosted by Bernice Zaborski and Dick and Lois Parker. Bernice and the volunteer crew transformed her front lawn into a festive park-like picnic ground just in time for the 6:30 start time. The weather was cool for this time of year, but still it was very bright with the light of the setting sun bathing the entire scene.
Bernice ran the meeting, explaining what National Night Out is, and also gave a brief history of our Neighborhood Watch here. Guest speaker Brooks Hillian from SMUD gave a talk about street lighting options and other energy and money saving programs available to us. He brought DVDs and lots of informative flyers and handouts.
We also had a visit from CHP Officer Milton Toppings who gave a short talk about how the CHP works with communities like ours, followed by taking questions.
Later, our local fire department crew showed up in their big fire truck and opened it up to show its many impressive features. They were on call, so they may have had to leave at any time, but they stayed long enough for all to visit and then left with all the trucks lights flashing. We appreciate them taking the time to stop by and say hi!
Towards the end of the event we had a surprise visit from Francie and her volunteer crew from the Carmichael Sheriff’s service center. They just stopped by to say hi at the end of their busy National Night Out schedule. I think they had about 15 stops at various Neighborhood Watch functions that evening. It was great to see them, even though they are officially no longer working with us now.
Thanks to all who participated and helped out with this nice event and especially to Bernice for hosting, and to Stan for some of the nice pictures.
PS – I talked to Fran Clarke at the event and we’ll be planning another Fall Tree Walk through our neighborhood for sometime in early November.

June Meeting and Potluck

2009-06-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great meeting and potluck on Wednesday June 10th at my house here on Damon Avenue. The turnout was good and so was all the food everyone brought.

Shirley Kaye, who is our new crime prevention specialist and Neighborhood Watch Coordinator from the Northwest Service Center came and gave a talk. She updated us on the changes that are happening at the Sheriff’s department right now.

Here are the highlights:
The Sheriff’s service centers area boundaries have been changed. We are no longer in the area serviced by the Carmichael Service Center in the Raley’s shopping center on Manzanita and they will no longer be working with us. Our new center is the Northwest Service Center in North Highlands where Shirley works. It is located at 7511 Watt Ave. #105, North Highlands, CA 95660. The phone number is 332-7794. Their website is: http://www.sacsheriff.com/organization/field_services/garfield_station/west_service_center.cfm

(My editorial here: I think it’s sad that after years of a great relationship with Francie Fitzimmons and the folks at the Carmichael Service Center, we can no longer work with them due to the redistricting. For us, it makes no sense as the Northwest Service is farther away in a different neighborhood.)

The Sheriff’s department budget for this coming year is currently under review and the Problem Oriented Police program is slated to be entirely cut, among other things. Apparently there will be some final decisions made in the next few weeks. Watch the news for updates. Here a link to one recent article: http://www.sacbee.com/localgov/story/1956501.html

She also talked about a new online issue reporting website the service center will be using. (I don’t have a link to it yet, but will let you know when I hear about it.)

Aside from Shirley’s talk, we discussed new Hemlock Street stop signs which are slated to be installed anytime now, (unless they slashed the budget for it.) The plan went through multiple planning phases over the last two years and had final approval from the Board of Supervisors in April. Last we heard they are to be installed sometime in “late spring”, so we’ll see what happens.

Also, we revisited the old street light issue again. We do not have an agreement in our group whether to pursue getting street lights here or not. About half think it’s a good idea and half not, and we’ve heard arguments for both sides of the issue. I will see if someone from SMUD can come and talk to us about it for an upcoming meeting to explain what options we have. Perhaps if a few people or a half a block want them, they can be installed without affecting those homeowners who don’t want them.

Our next big event will be National Night Out, Tuesday August 4th. We have preliminary plans to hold it near the corners of Holyoke and Meckel!

That’s about it for now. Thanks to all who helped out, lent tables and chairs, helped set up, brought food, thanks to Stan for some of the pictures, and especially to Shirley Kaye for coming to talk to us.

Recycling for Wine Country Greyhound Adoption

2008-12-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I am sending this post to invite people in the neighborhood, your friends, your co-workers and family members to feel free to drop off their plastic recyclables on my porch any day, any time. 100% of the proceeds goes directly back to assist the retired-racing foster greyhounds Wine Country Greyhound Adoption (http://www.winecountrygreyhounds.com) brings in at various times throughout the year. The money we gather from the recyclables helps with their medical needs, food etc...

I currently have two hounds of my own and am fostering the last one (Shannon) we brought from Oklahoma in October. We're just waiting to find her the perfect home. We plan to bring in more in January if the weather cooperates.

I would "greytly" appreciate your help with raising funds for these beautiful, loving and deserving dogs.

Many thanks,

Mary Lynne (Elly May, Fizzler and The Foster...Shannon)
4844 Holyoke Way
95841
916-879-5918 (cell)

Holiday Potluck 2008

2008-12-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

We had a festive holiday potluck on Wednesday evening December 17th at Steve and Yvette Soto’s home on Hemlock Street. The event featured some favorite potluck recipes and we had an informal Neighborhood Watch meeting. We talked about the Hemlock Street traffic management issue mostly, how we are anticipating new stop signs from the County at Hemlock and Overbrook and Hemlock and Damon.

Many people generously brought toys and gift certificates to donate to the Sheriff’s Toy Project to benefit local needy children. I brought all the toys over to the Carmichael Sheriff’s Service Center on Thursday morning just in time to have the items sorted and given to the previously selected families. Our donations were very much appreciated because they said donations were light this year and there were more families than ever applying for help because of the economy.

Thanks again to all who participated in this fun event and especially to Steve and Yvette for volunteering to host again!

Here are the recipes:

Fran’s
POTATO CROSTINI WITH PESTO CHEESE APPETIZER

Olive oil
Approximately ½ - bag (1 ½ - 2 pounds) Sierra Gold or
Klondike Rose potatoes (or similar), cut into ¼ - ½ inch slices.
garlic salt
4 oz. of cream cheese or reduced fat cream cheese
¼ cup of prepared pesto
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper sauce
(optional)
¼ - cup finely chopped or narrow 1 inch strips of prepared roasted
red peppers. (You can broil your own red bell peppers, too.)
Snipped fresh chives or minced green onion

Heat oven to 400ºF. Coat aluminum foil spread on baking sheet with olive oil (cooking spray may be used, if preferred). Arrange raw potatoes in single layer; brush with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt evenly over potatoes. Roast 20 – 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, pesto and pepper sauce, if desired. Pipe or spread pesto mixture onto each potato slice; top with chopped red pepper or a small strip of red pepper. Sprinkle with chives or bits of minced green onion, if desired.

Note: Red, green and white are the colors of the Italian flag, as well as Christmas. I adapted this recipe from one at www.discovery-gardens.com.

Viki’s
Mexican Casserole
(Serves 10-12)

1 lb. very lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp. Garlic powder
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1-8oz Can tomato sauce
I C. sour cream
1 C. cottage cheese
1 sm. Can chopped green chilies
2 C. tortilla chips, crushed
2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat; drain. Add onion, garlic powder, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce. Mix together well.

In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, cottage cheese, and chilies.

Spray a 9x13” casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Put the chips in the bottom of the dish (save a few for the tip). Layer the meat on top of the chips, and then spread the sour cream mixture over the meat. Sprinkle the saved chips on top and top with the cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly. Enjoy!

Joan’s
Chile
Serve’s 4

2 Tablespoons Oil
1 med onion chopped
1 clove of Garlic
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 ½ lbs Ground Turkey
½ cup chopped bell pepper
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 ½ cups of water

In a large pot heat oil, brown meat and drain. Sauté onion, pepper, chopped garlic. Return meat to pot. Add tomato sauce, paste and water. Add the following seasonings:

1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1 teaspoon Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring to a boil then down to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Stir occasionally.

Bernice’s
Ghirardelli Almond Bark

¾ cup roasted almonds (whole or halves)
16 oz. Ghirardelli White Chocolate Candy Making and Dipping Bar (8 sections)

Melt white chocolate in bowl. Add almonds and stir. Spread to desired thickness on waxed paper. Cool until hard (approximately 25-35 minutes). Break into pieces.

Paul’s
Triple Meat Lasagna Florentine
(Most of the time I double this recipe and make 2 of them since it’s so much work!)

1 package lasagna noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. Italian sausage or Sage sausage
1 large can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 large chopped onion
1 bunch chopped parsley
4 or 5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 10 oz frozen spinach
1 lb shredded mozzarella
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup grated parmesan
Olive oil
3 tbs. oregano
Salt and pepper

The meat sauce:
In a cast iron skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, oregano, meats and parsley in a little olive oil slowly until the meat starts to brown. Remove meat, then sauté the tomato paste in the leftover oil for about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat and tomato paste to a large pot and stir in the tomato sauce, wine and salt and pepper to taste. You can add a little water if it is too thick.

The spinach/ricotta mixture:
Cook the frozen spinach just about 5 minutes, then drain and cool. In a large bowl mix the spinach with the ricotta, eggs and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble:
Cook lasagna in boiling water 10/12 minutes until just tender. Drain and then plunge it into cold water until cool enough to handle. In a large, deep casserole dish, scoop about ½ cup sauce, then on top layer 3 or 4 noodles. On top of that layer half the spinach/ricotta mix, then a cup of the meat sauce. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending up with noodles, sauce and sprinkled cheese on the top.

Bake at 325 about 50 minutes or until the ricotta mixture is firm.

National Night Out 2008

2008-08-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Our Neighborhood Watch group participated in National Night Out on Tuesday evening at 6:30 with a big barbecue and potluck at my house on the corner of Damon and Hemlock. The weather was perfect and we had a great turn out of maybe seventy-five people or so. The evening was highlighted by visits from some of our local law enforcement and fire department people.

Our local Sergeant Mendoza, head of the Carmichael Sheriff's Service Station, showed up to say hi with a group of friendly volunteers and officers, including a member of the bomb squad with his K-9 bomb-sniffing partner, a Labrador mix.

Later, we got a surprise visit from our hard working local firemen from the Auburn Street station. The guys just came from a long shift and a call. It was great to see them, and they enjoyed showing off their amazing firetruck to us.

Also, CHP Officer White came by and visited for a while. More than one neighborhood kid got to sit on his motorcycle!

Thanks to all the who lent tables and chairs and showed up with all the great food... and a special thanks to Pete who manned the barbecue. It was a great event!

June Meeting and Potluck

2008-06-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Rachel Schutz hosted a June Neighborhood Watch meeting and potluck last evening at her home on Tufts Street.

The highlight of the evening was a presentation with slides by Fran Clarke, UC Master Gardener titled: “Water-wise Gardening in our Sacramento Climate”. The slide show focused on the similarities of gardening in our climate with that of the Mediterranean area of Europe. It featured examples of Mediterranean gardens that were designed for minimal water usage, using native and other drought-tolerant plants and trees. Pictures of our local neighborhood gardens were also shown, with suggestions of how to maximize their functionality and health, specifically focusing on the water requirements of different types of plants and trees. She suggested that when planning a garden it is best to group plants that share similar water needs, and also gave advice on how much and how often to water, and showed examples of what can happen when over or under watering.

Thanks to Fran and Rachel, and to Stan for the pictures!

Spring Meeting and Potluck

2008-05-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

We had a great Neighborhood Watch meeting and Potluck on Thursday April 24th at Jeff and Dana Thomas’ home on Tufts Street. Hilary Gould from Neighborhood Services came and spoke about problems with vacant/for sale homes. Also, Jane Steele from Arcade Creek Park spoke about the Holyoke Nature Area improvement ideas and said that they will hold a community meeting in the near future to talk about it. Thanks to Jeff and Dana for hosting!

Lost Tabby Cat: Jasper

2008-04-22T19:25:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to send out this quick note: Our cat Jasper is missing. Please keep an eye out for her. She is a brown, black and orange mix tabby cat with green eyes. She is a very little cat, most of you know her and have seen her on Tuft Street. Please feel free to call me at home anytime 339-2695 or at work during the day at 774-3528.
We let her out Monday 4-21-08 morning for the day and she has not returned.

Thanks,
Dana Thomas

Paul's Local Restaurant Picks

2007-09-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Normally I like to cook and eat at home, but sometimes I just feel like going out to a meal. I love to eat, and for me, local dining is all about friendly people and delicious food at a good price. In the five years we’ve lived here friends have introduced us to some great little places and we’ve discovered more on our own. Here’s a few of my favorites – give them a try if you haven’t yet next time you’re hungry!

Cricket’s Country Kitchen
4745 Auburn Boulevard
331-6405
For a fun breakfast you can’t beat Cricket. They feature really good big breakfasts with daily specials like steak and eggs or biscuits with country gravy. From the plastic flowers out front, to the model train running around the back room ceiling, this place has the most eclectic décor you’ll ever see! It’s a fun place to take visitors and the staff is very friendly. It can get busy at peak times. Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-3pm, Sun 8am-2pm

Pasquale’s Italian Pizzeria
7609 Fair Oaks Blvd
944-4040
By the décor, you’ll know exactly where you are – in a cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant. Great pizza and they’re famous for their lasagna. If you want to converse, avoid sitting under the TV if there’s a game on.

Hing’s Chinese Restaurant
5800 Madison Ave Suite Q
334-0760
One of our favorites for take out or delivery, but also to dine there, Hings offers really good old fashioned style Chinese food at a great price. The have all your favorite traditional Chinese fare and it’s always good. The people there are very nice too!

Shere-e-Punjab
6400 Fair Oaks Blvd. (Marconi at Fair Oaks Blvd.)
722-5400
http://www.sherepunjabrestaurant.com/
When I get a craving for really good Indian food, Shere-e-Punjab is the only place I go. It’s all you can eat, and the food is outstanding, so make sure you’re really hungry when you visit. There are normally some Indian music videos playing softly in the background which adds a lot to the atmosphere. Friendly people, good food and plenty of it, this place is really tops in my book.

Tara Thai Resaurant
6191 Greenback Lane (near Auburn St)
726-4346
Okay, I’ll confess that Thai food isn’t one of my favorite cuisines… but OH! I haven’t had Thai food this good since we moved here from L.A. This is a new place and we’ve been there a few times already. It’s fantastic food. They have all the traditional favorites like padthai, satay and different curries. For me, their green curry is just to die for… I can make a meal of just that and white rice. But everything there is really good. They say they say their most asked for dish is a special fish with three sauces. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds intriguing!

Felipe’s Mexican Restaurant
7959 Auburn Blvd
722-5400
I hate to let the cat out of the bag to those of you who don’t know this place, but hey, we’re all neighbors right? Felipe’s has the best Mexican food in these here parts and that’s all there is to it. Not fancy at all, but people from all over flock to it. They greet you with warm chips and fresh homemade salsa. All the food is delicious and the portion sizes are Grande. The beef tacos are out of this world, honestly. As a neighbor told me a while back, the food there is “muy authentico”! We’ve dined there quite often over the last several years and we’ve always enjoyed it.

To conclude, here are a few more tips:
Did you know that the Denny’s on Auburn near Watt is not a franchise? It’s actually owned by Denny’s Corporate and is used as a model for the company. When we first went over there we noticed a difference right away. The service is great and food actually looks like the pictures in the menu. If you like Denny’s you’ll love this one!

For more great authentic Mexican food I love the Familia Lopez Carniceria market over on Manzanita (4132 Manzanita in the shopping center where the Good Will store is). It’s not a restaurant, it’s a market, but they do have a kitchen where they make take-out food to order. Ever have a craving for fresh homemade tortillas or tamales? This is the place! Experts agree that these are some of the best homemade tamales you can get… even better than we used to get in L.A. And while you’re waiting for your food you can look through the little market, which is full of Mexican specialties you won’t find at your normal supermarket. And everyone who works there is so nice!

Aficionados of fast food will tell you IN & OUT BURGER is the best. Everything is made to order fresh, including the French fries made from actual potatoes while you wait. Well, rumor has it that the closed Eppie’s restaurant over at Madison and 80 will be torn down next year to make room for… you guessed it, an IN & OUT! There goes my diet!

National Night Out 2007

2007-09-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

Our August 7th National Night Out event here was so big that it took up the front of two houses on Meckel Street! It was a potluck, so there was lots of good food. The local Fire Department, CHP and Sheriff’s Department stopped by to say hello and gave out pamphlets. Our local Target store on Madison participated by joining in with a tent, giveaways, a snow cone machine and volunteers. Thanks to all who helped out with this fun event, and thanks to Stan for the great pictures!

Cinco De Mayo Potluck!

2007-05-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

An overcast day didn’t stop neighbors for coming out for an impromptu Cinco De Mayo Neighborhood Watch potluck barbecue last Thursday evening. There was quite a turnout from all over the neighborhood and there was lots of great food!

The potluck was held at Tony and Donna’s house on Meckel and we had a couple of tents set up and 2 barbecues going.

We had a short Watch meeting and talked about the new county traffic program, where they are doing studies in areas that have specific problems like speeding. I had a few official petitions I got at the last Carmichael Sheriff’s meeting for people to sign to get the county to look into some of our problems here. I got plenty of signatures for our area except for Hemlock Street. I still need to get about 10 signatures for Hemlock and will be going door to door there soon. Also I passed on along some information from the Sheriff’s meeting about mail theft here, and how they’ve discovered organized rings of mail thieves working all over the city.

All in all a fun time was had by all!

Join me on a trip to Italy this September!

2007-03-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

by Fran Clarke

HERITAGE AND GARDENS OF ITALY – AMALFI COAST TO ROME
(Including the Islands of Capri and Ischia, Pompeii, Naples, Paestum)

September 25 – October 11, 2007
(17 days, 15 nights)
(9 nights in Sorrento, 3 nights in Grottaferrata (near Frascati), 3 nights in Rome)

Explore Campania and southern Lazio, regions of incomparable history and culture influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and others. Visit historic sites and superb examples of Roman gardens from Emperor Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, to the gardens and dwellings preserved by volcanic ash in Pompeii, the villas, palaces and gardens of the Renaissance (Villa d’Este) and Baroque (Villa Aldobrandini) eras, the Royal Palace at Caserta (built to rival Versailles) to renown gardens of the 20th century: La Mortella, La Landriana and Ninfa. Discover the beautiful islands of Capri and Ischia in the Bay of Naples, Mt Vesuvius, the magnificent Amalfi Coast and the Greek Temples at Paestum. Sample traditional foods and native wines. Finally there is Rome, the Eternal City with its fountains, piazzas, Roman monuments, and papal riches of art, architecture and gardens. Flexibility to choose your own activities, meals or leisure on most days. For more details contact me at fclarke@surewest.net or (916) 283-5884. (Itinerary details subject to change.)

From $3,499, plus taxes and fuel surcharges (approximately $275 per person), double occupancy based on 25 people. Rooms with twin beds and private bathrooms with bathtub or shower have been reserved.

Here's a little about me:
My husband, Bob, and I contracted with Streng Brothers to have our house on Holyoke Way built in late 1963. We moved into our new home in early 1964--almost 43 years ago! We were both teaching school in the San Juan Unified School District and this was going to be a temporary house. We already had property at Folsom Lake that bordered on the State Park. However, we decided to stay and reared our son Sean and daughter Heather here. In 1980 I was selected to become a UC Master Gardener in Sacramento County and in 1983 I decided to pursue my love of plants professionally by working in a local garden center. I became friends with Dick Tracy, garden writer for the Sacramento Bee, and we began in lead garden tours to England, the United States and Holland. I went to work for the Sacramento Tree Foundation sixteen years ago, continuing to research, design, escort, and lead garden and cultural tours to the British Isles, New Zealand, France and Italy. This will be my last trip to Italy for awhile, but I am planning trips to other countries. I prefer longer stays in cities and regions than typical tours and encourage people to choose their own activities if they desire. I am checking out Spain soon so I suggest that people contact me before March 15 or after April 5 if your are interested the beautiful Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Capri and Rome. May 1 is the deadline for the deposit. It would be great to have a group from our neighborhood!

Holiday Potluck a Big Success!

2006-12-06T18:03:00.000-08:00

Yvette and Steve Soto hosted our Neighborhood Watch Meeting and Holiday Potluck dinner last night. Francie Fitzimmons, our local Sheriff’s department Coordinator, and our local POP Officer Troy Mohler were guest speakers. There was a good turnout for the event and the food was terrific!

Donations of toys and gift cards were collected to benefit the Sherriff’s Holiday Toy Project that helps poor families with children in the area.

The talk began right at 6pm. Some of the topics discussed were the local Vacation Watch program, (where volunteers will watch the perimeter of your home while you are on vacation) and general holiday time safety. Shopping safety was discussed, as many robberies and identity theft occurs this time of year, especially ATM pin number theft. Be aware of who is around you whenever you use your ATM card or enter your pin number, like at store counters.

Officer Mohler talked about what to do about specific neighborhood nuisance problems such as loud noise or regular loud late parties. Report it! Problems that have multiple complaints from different people tend to get resolved quicker than those that are not reported as much.

We also talked about the need for better neighborhood night lighting. Francie suggested we take a look at the special SMUD showroom that features outdoor lighting options.

Everyone had a good time meeting and talking to all their neighbors, and we all left stuffed!

Thanks again to Yvette and Steve for sharing their beautiful home for the event.

Tony and Donna Natsoulas will selling artwork at the Davis Art Center Holiday Sale this weekend

2006-11-27T12:52:00.001-08:00

Please join Donna and Tony Natsoulas at the
Davis Art Center Holiday Sale. The Natsoulas' will have ceramic
sculptures of fish, dogs and cats.
There will be over 70 artists there selling
everything from ceramics to jewelery.
This is the Natsoulas' 10th year doing this
sale and it is the best and most fun show they do.
Please see this link for a preview... http://www.davisartcenter.org
Friday Dec. 1st, 12- 8pm
Saturday Dec. 2nd, 10-6pm
Sunday Dec. 3rd, 10-5pm
The Davis Art Center is on the conner of F and Covell in Davis.
Take the Mace exit and follow it until you get to F.
(530) 756-4100

Lois and Dick Parker celberate their 50th wedding anniversary!

2006-11-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

Dick and Lois Parker met in Taft, California in 1948, and were married November 10th 1956. In 1957 their son Craig was born, and then their daughter Nancy was born in 1960. Dick and Lois moved to a new subdivision here in Sacramento, October 10th, 1962 and put down roots on Meckel Way right here in the Overbrook #1 area being built by the Streng brothers. Dick and Lois moved into their new home where neighbors were scarce since houses were still being built. They were one of the of the only 2 households living in the area at that time. Dick taught school and was a couselor at American River College. Dick retired from American River College in 1987. Lois a Registered Nurse at American River Hospital, retired in 1997. Now after being married for 50 years, this couple spends their time on the go! Gardening, (pruning and sculpting that beautiful tree next to their drive way) golfing, doing the cross word puzzles together, reading, and knitting. I haven't actually seen Dick knit, so I believe this is Lois's hobby only! The two love packing up with their adorable dog Skippy and taking to the road in their RV trailer. They have been on some fabulous get aways, from the ocean, to the desert and every stop in between! We love Dick and Lois, and are so thankful to have them as friends and neighbors! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!

Fall Tree Walk this Sunday!

2006-11-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

We will be having a Fall Tree Walk through our neighborhood with Fran Clarke our local resident Master Gardener this coming Sunday November 5th at 2pm.

We will meet in front of 5243 Damon Avenue (corner of Damon and Hemlock).

Fran can assist with identification and helpful advice for all your trees and plants. Please join us!

Here is some good pruning advice from Fran:

DON’T TOP TREES!

People provide many reasons for topping trees, including: my tree is getting too tall so I need to make my tree safe, I want to force my young tree to spread, everybody is doing it so it must be the correct thing to do or they might admit they don’t want to rake leaves. The situation is different for fruit trees, but this must be done with knowledge.

HERE ARE THE FACTS:

Removing more than ¼ to 1/3 of a tree’s crown destroys the ability of the tree to manufacture food necessary to be stored in the roots. The tree may appear to be more vigorous when it produces many sprouts, but it is frantically using its reserves to replace that food making ability.

The dense upright brushy growth produced is not firmly attached and is prone to breakage in windy weather.
THE TREE IS NOW UNSAFE AND MORE DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE TO BE PRUNED CORRECTLY.

Large stubs (more than 3-4 inches in diameter) seldom close, creating a tree vulnerable to decay, borers (insects) and disease. Removing large amounts of the foliage and destroying the tree’s ability to produce foliage eventually, increasing its susceptibility to sunscald, inviting decay and insect invasion.

THE RESULT:

The tree has lost the beauty of its natural form. It is disfigured by unsightly stubs and decayed and broken branches. The tree’s life may be drastically shortened. IT NO LONGER PROVIDES AS MUCH ENERGY SAVINGS OR ENHANCES THE PROPERTY OR NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOUNG TREES:

It is important to keep a SINGLE DOMINANT leader on a potentially medium or large tree for the first 20-30 feet. If the tree is topped it will produce two or more competing leaders, which will be a source of future breakage if not corrected. This is why trees such as mature ornamental pears and Liquidambars are known for breaking branches. Inspect even newly planted trees this winter for competing leaders, which should be cut back (but not off!). If you need help, I will be glad to give free advice. Remember: young trees need to grow in height before they spread.

REMEMBER:

Most pruning should be done when the trees has lost its leaves. Dead branches, broken branches and suckers can be removed anytime. If pruning cannot be done from a low ladder, leave it to an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified Arborist.

Fran Clarke, fclarke@surewest.net
UC Master Gardener, ISA Certified Arborist #1319

Meet Our Neighborhood's First Homeowner

2006-11-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure to sit and talk with Antoinette Sanburg and her daughter Elise a few weeks ago and ask some questions about what our neighborhood was like in the 60's and how she came to live here.

Antoinette was born Christmas Day 1919 in the very small town of Helper, Utah. (The town got its name in 1881 because of the “helper” locomotives that were standing by at the train depot to help the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway travel up the nearby steep grade of Soldier Summit.)

Antoinette met her husband Harold in German class at college in Grand Junction, Colorado. The couple fell in love and married in 1942. Six weeks after the wedding, Harold was sent to England serving in the Air Force. During the war while waiting for Harold to return, Antoinette lived at the Travelers Hotel in downtown Sacramento and worked full time as a clerk-typist at McClellan. She used to take the bus back and forth.

After WWII the couple lived in various places including their small cattle ranch in Colorado. As the couple began having children, Harold’s job as a sales manager took him to various places throughout the west, and then
they moved to the Sacramento area.

In 1961, this area was all pastures and orchards. The new development “Overbrook 1” was nothing but bare streets and foundations, ready for construction. The couple was already familiar with Streng homes from seeing other local neighborhoods that were built in the late 50’s. The modern style of the homes reminded them of the Eichler homes they admired from living earlier in Palo Alto. So the Sanburgs were the first family to purchase a home here, followed by Dick and Lois Parker soon after.

Antoinette and Harold settled in and raised their five children here. When I asked Antoinette how the neighborhood has changed since the 60’s, she said, “It was quiet. It was surrounded by farms and there were many fig trees. The neighborhood dogs bothered the farmers, they would bark at their animals. The kids used to play in the fields and orchards. They rode horses and went to Hemlock Grammar School.”

I asked Antoinette if there was anything she missed. She said, “There was a nice K-Mart on Auburn, and also a market called Giant Foods at Auburn and Hemlock we all used to shop at.”

Daughter Elise remembers the neighborhood as very quiet and rural, with lots of kids. “We all played in the street, there was no traffic around. We were always making tree houses in the orchards and playing along the creek. We had big block parties then too.”

Elise ended up marrying the boy next door, the son of neighbors Bob and Louise Towers. They have been married now for 24 years.

One of Antoinette’s other daughters Alix, liked the neighborhood so much that she eventually bought the original old farm house that had remained in this neighborhood from before the Strengs built the development.

Antoinette has always liked the modern style of her house. She commented on the aggregate entry floors typical to many of the homes here, “Elise learned to walk at 8 months old because she was tired of trying to crawl across that floor!”

Antoinette says, “Back then this neighborhood was… well, I wouldn’t call it exactly Bohemian, but it was an upscale neighborhood, full of artists and teachers, lawyers and professional people. Very creative types.”

I think it still is! Thanks to Antoinette and Elise for sharing their story.

Cat owners!

2006-10-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

I am feeding the neighborhood birds in my backyard. Naturally, cats are coming to hunt. Please help me by either keeping your pets indoors, or putting bells on them. The cats are killing a lot of birds. I keep finding the remains scattered around my yard. I get very upset each time I find the remains. Please try to understand that the birds are an integral part of our environment. They deserve to survive. I think you would miss them if they all disappeared.

Thank you for your consideration,
Cecilia (Shery) Wright

Mack and Margarette leave to the east coast.

2006-10-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is a sad week on Meckel Way. Our dear friends and neighbors Mack and Margarette Law (original owners of their Streng home at 5218 Meckel Way) will be leaving us all, to go to Virginia! They are building their dream home overlooking a 75 acre pond called Cow Creek Mill Pond, near the Chesapeake Bay.

Mack and Margarette met and were childhood sweethearts in Tennessee. They were married a few years later, and they have had many amazing adventures since! Mack flew for the United States Air Force and was stationed in Korea soon after they first were married. Margarette te taught school, English primarily, (VSIS courses) at the Military Academy overseas in Taiwan, and Jr. High in Japan. Through the years Margarette te and Mack lived in Taiwan, Germany, France, and Japan before settling back in the United States. First S. Carolina was called home, before one of the Law’s best friends Raymond Woodrow Witt (an artist and teacher here in Sacramento), talked them into settling into the Northern California Valley. They lived in Carmichael for a brief period, always looking for a modern architectural home to buy. They were keeping up with all the Streng developments in the greater Sacramento area, and fell in love with a brand new subdivision called “Overbrook 1”. Mack and Margarette bought the home on Meckel Way sight unseen (since it had not been built as of yet) and bought the home on the spot. They met their soon to be next door neighbors Dick and Lois Parker, and became fast friends with another couple who would be their other next door neighbors Duncan and Lois Courvoiser. Both Margarette and Mack talk fondly of the night they danced on Duncan and Lois’s slab that the house would soon be built on. “We drank champagne and danced to Benny Goodman on 78 rpm records and other big band music all night long” Margarette said “we had so much fun”. The 2 couples had a lot in common, art, photography, food, wine and the willing to have a good time. So in 1963 the Laws moved into their 3 bedroom, 2 bath Streng home with their 2 (then) very young children Stephanie and Peter. “The entire neighborhood was surrounded by orchards” Margarette said. There were Pecans, Pears, and Apples Mack remembers, “It was a wonderful environment for children, lots of places for them to play”, Margarette added.

As Mack and Margarette ’s children grew, they attended Mission School and from there transferred to Whitney Elementary, then to Jr. High at Charles Peck Jr. High then to Churchill Jr. High, before going to La Sierra High on Ingle, Garfield and Gibbons. “This area had a lot of public and private schools to choose from, and we seemed to have tried them all”, Margarette said. “We had our son Peter in private school on Hemlock for awhile as well” Mack added.

Mack retired from the United States Air Force in 1971, but continued to fly. He has always been a keen photographer and some of his photos have been in Harpers Magazine! Mack also took up building Formula Vee Cars. Formula Vee cars are race cars, a hobby he and his son have had in common. In the day, they were known to “try them out” around the neighborhood. He is an excellent mechanic, and has helped all of us BMW owners out more than he would probably like to remember. Their son Peter has taken up flying as his dad did, but working for ATI. (Air Transport International)

Margarette an excellent cook and hostess, belongs to the Republican Women Federated where she has helped man a voters registration booth. Her style and grace will be missed around here. She classed up the place! We are sure both she and Mack will be spending a lot o time with their daughter Stephanie and her husband who own a gallery in Virginia called the Morning Glory Gallery, and their only grandchild Jessica now 27.

Thank you Mack and Margarette for everything you two contributed to the neighborhood, friendships and the sorts.

Donna Natsoulas

2006-10-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

Jon and Rachel Schuts hosted the Neighborhood Watch Meeting today at their home on Tufts Street.

There was a brunch buffet and a plant sale organized by Fran Clarke to benefit the Neighborhood Watch fund.

The overall turnout was low this time compared to our last meetings due to the garage sales happening today and a football game that coincided with the meeting. Nevertheless, it was still a well-attended meeting.

I ran the meeting and we discussed the following:

Recent crime in the neighborhood. It has been pretty quite lately, but there was a radio stolen out of a car on Meckel this last week. In addition, someone siphoned gas out of a car on Damon Avenue. So be aware of where your car is at night. Get a locking gas cap and keep your car in a well-lit area at night.

Future meetings. We are planning a fall tree walk with Fran Clarke in early November. For December, we are planning another holiday buffet and in addition, we are hoping to have a guest speaker from the Sheriff’s department.

Open discussion. We talked about the issue of all the cars parked on Hemlock during this new semester and how difficult it is to turn onto Hemlock Street from Damon. I will investigate what our options are for what to do about it. Ideally, we would like a no parking zone at the corners to give us more room to see oncoming traffic.

Neighborhood nuisance issues as well as what to do about situations as they come up. Noisy parties and kids in loud cars peeling out late at night are the latest concern and specific instances have already been reported to the local POP (Problem Oriented Policing) Officers a few weeks ago. It has been relatively quiet since then.

My thanks to all who participated and especially to Jon and Rachel for hosting, to Mike Keefe, Rachel, and San Blois for helping distribute the flyers and to Fran Clarke for organizing and running the plant sale!

New book from Atomic Ranch puts our neighborhood on the map!

2006-09-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Do you know how cool the Streng Brothers modern style homes in our neighborhood are? Way cool baby! Atomic Ranch magazine has just released a new coffee table book called “Atomic Ranch, Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes” and two homes from our very own neighborhood are featured in it! Ours and Tony and Donna Natsoulas’ homes are featured in the chapters called “Pure Fun” and, “Adding Personality”. Both articles include four pages of pictures and interviews.

If you are not aware of how popular the modern style homes in our neighborhood are becoming; you need to be! The mid-century modern style is all the rage now, and our own neighborhood features some of the most sought after Streng Brothers (the builders) designs. The modern style homes in our neighborhood were designed by the famous architect Carter Sparks, who also designed homes for Joseph Eichler in the 1950’s and 60’s. Homes in our neighborhood have been featured in Atomic Ranch and other magazines, the Bee, and on HGTV. If you have yet to embrace the modern style for your mid-century modern home, consider it for your next makeover!

There are many resources around for inspiration. Here are some ideas:

The “Eichler Network” of Eichler homeowners throughout Northern California produces “CA Modern” magazine. You can see them online at: http://www.eichlernetwork.com/
Look for the articles featuring our Streng homes.

Atomic Ranch is a great quarterly magazine that showcases stylish ‘ranch’ and modern style homes. You can see them online at: http://www.atomic-ranch.com/

The new coffee table book is available at Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Ranch-Jim-Brown/dp/1423600029 0029

For cool new modern furniture check out our own Copenhagen furniture store just up the street from us on Hemlock (just across the street from Bank of America at the corner of Hemlock and Auburn). You can see them online at: http://www.copenhagenfurniture.com/

There are other modern furniture stores around also like Scandinavia designs near Sunrise Blvd.

So take good care of your mid-century modern home as they continue to gain in popularity and value!

Tufts Street Treasures!

2006-09-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Stan Blois of 4986 Tufts has organized a Multi-Family Garage Sale for this weekend, Saturday Sept. 30th and Sunday October 1st from about 8am to 4pm. As of this report on Saturday afternoon, the event seems to be a great success.

There is great cool sunny weather and lots of people participating today. There are some terrific items for sale too! (I already outspent my budget on some cool finds!)

So thank you to Stan for getting this great event together.

Welcome Message

2006-09-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our Neighborhood Blog!

I am starting this new blog with the hope that it will become a useful open forum for our neighborhood. We can use this blog to communicate neighborhood news, issues, concerns and events.

As an open forum, consider it yours! Feel free to contribute any topics you feel would be interesting. I will start the ball rolling by offering up a few articles to follow.

Our neighborhood, for the sake of our Neighborhood Watch Meetings consists of Damon Avenue, Creek View Way, Holyoke Way, Meckel Way, Tufts Street and the west side of Hemlock between Damon and Overbrook. We have an open invitation extended to the folks over on Overbrook Street also to join us at our Neighborhood Watch Meetings. (They had their own, well organized Watch group over there last year, but I think the organizer moved away recently so they are in transition at the moment.)

I have done a little blogging already, but like for most of us, it is still a pretty new thing to me, especially formatting pictures. So bear with me as we figure out how to use this new tool!

Cheers!
Paul

Carmichael Sheriff's Service Center is there for us!

2006-09-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

You don't know where to turn for questions or advice about non-emergency neighborhood safety or crime issues?? The Carmichael Sheriff's Service Center in the Bel Air Shopping center is there for us. They have a volunteer staff who are very helpful and can answer your questions.

Our Neighborhood Watch/Sheriff's liason, Francie Fitzimmons' office is there also. Francie helps coordinate Neighborhood Watch information for this entire area.

Good to know about!

Here's the scoop:

Carmichael Service Center
4005 Manzanita AvenueCarmichael, CA 95608(Bel Air Shopping Center)916.487.4292
Public hours of operation:9:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday

Here is what their web site says about it:

"The Northeast Division's two Service Centers are staffed by Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Officers who are dedicated to handling specific community problems which cannot normally be addressed by patrol officers. Patrol officers are limited in the time and resources they can commit to specific problems, while POP officers utilize a unique and varied array of resources in resolving identified community problems. POP officers work in conjunction with other agencies such as fire, code enforcement, licensing, animal control and numerous others to alleviate complex neighborhood problems.

The office staff and volunteers assist the community through the organization and presentation of community meetings, helping establish Business and Neighborhood Watch programs, taking reports and providing public assistance and information at the front counters of the Service Centers. The Service Centers also provide a vacation check service for residents. Volunteers will record the dates and location and conduct the vacation checks for residents. Please contact your local Service Center for this service.

Both Service Centers are equipped with Megan's Law computers for public use. Additionally, both provide inked fingerprinting services."