About Sacramento's Land Park

In a time when jobs are an envied commodity, when "upside down" has taken on a scary and all new meaning, when retirement has adopted a new horizon and a college education carries with it no guarantees, there is a silver lining.

These economic times have forced, at the very least, a review of how things were done in the past as opposed to how they need to be done in the future. People have drawn together and, rather than have some lose their job, have taken an across the board pay cut. Some, who lost their jobs, found their passion and have found a new and joyful way to support themselves and their families. Owners of businesses have taken no salary to ensure the health of their businesses and the continued employment of their workers. We have learned how to get by with less.

Now, you may be wondering how this applies to the sucker patrol. William Land Park, a beautiful, 144acre park in the heart of Sacramento has had their maintenance workers dwindle from 50+ to 6. You can imagine that this gem of Sacramento simply cannot be maintained with such a drastic cut in care. Well, a man with some foresight saw a solution in creating the Land Park Volunteer Corp. He called upon the adjoining Land Park residents to step up...and we have...typically 60 strong, the first Saturday of every month.

Today, we trimmed ivy off of the Funderland wall. We maintained 4 flower beds that we re-created when they were let go. We weeded, we raked and we trimmed. Me? Well, I got to help one of the 2 "Sucker Patrol" teams. The trees were doing their very best to create little trees and new branches all around their base and trunk. We got to attack those volunteer "suckers" with a vengeance. Now, with the 2 and 1/2 hours that we were allowed, we only got to about a third of the trees that needed trimming, so I think we will be attacking again in August.

The best part is that this program has been such a success, that other neighborhoods that adjoin city parks are adopting the program as well. So, just when you think that good can't possibly come out of these difficult times, think again. The silver lining? People are working together to save what is really important in our lives. There is a new clarity...and isn't it wonderful?

Yup...that's what I was...a muddy mess! However, I sure had fun gettin there!

Yesterday was the annual Doggy Dash - a fundraiser for the local SPCA. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a sunny, beautiful June day. Unfortunately, our weather has been anything but normal, so despite the prayers of everyone involved, it rained...just as it has been doing all spring.

Just as evidence of Sacramento's dedication to it's pets, the turnout was still impressive! Thousands of people and dogs sloshed through William Land Park's normally hardy grass, now a mushy, muddy quagmire. Vendors pressed themselves to the middle of their canopies, hoping to keep their wares just a little dry.

The dogs? Well the water-loving dogs not only enjoyed the rain, but relished in traipsing through the water filled gutters. The less enthusiastic dogs had owners who knew them well and covered them with rain coats or warm vests. The older ones were toted in flower-decorated wagons towed by loving owners. They all barked a little, whined a little, sniffed a lot and wagged tails.

Me? Well, my dog has a tendency to pounce on me with her two front paws...a lot. She particularly enjoyed the water and the mud. So, as high as she could reach, I was muddy....and wet. Can you think of a better way of getting there? (oh...there will be a real photo as soon as my daughter can send it to me!)

All in all, a great morning!

The rumors have been running rampant for years. Trader Joes was it's favorite topic, but there were others.

The eyesore of Land Park and South Land Park sat on the corner of Sutterville Road and Land Park Drive. LaBou and Parkside Pharmacy did their best to improve it's patronage and appearance, but they could only do so much. This strip shopping center needed not only tenants and a new facade, but the internal workings included leaking roofs and outmoded electrical systems. Something had to be done.

It was announced yesterday that Sunflower Marketsigned a 30 year lease! At last an opportunity to offer a new market to the neighborhood, but to improve the street scape as well! It can be assumed that the neighbors will be elated to have a close, well stocked market just around the corner. It also offers a nice mid-sized market to compliment the plethora of offerings of Raley's and the specialized, gourmet offerings of Taylors Market.

Welcome Sunflower Market!

Where did springtime go? This was our weather yesterday in Land Park, Sacramento. It's so cold this morning our furnace is running. I better go catch it.

My husband shot this video with his new iPhone.

Maybe some agents are living under a rock and do not have access to MLS? I don't understand why some agents continually bombard me by sending spammy email flyers. Half the time there is no unsubscribe option. Isn't that breaking some law? They think nothing of sending a listing to other agents.

Consumers, end users, need to see your flyers, not other agents.

Even if some agents are sleeping in their cars, they can still park in front of Starbucks to get free Wi-Fi. They can go to MLS. See, the thing is if I'm looking for a home like the one you have listed, Mr. Spammy Email Agent, I will find it by myself. I don't need the email in my inbox. If I am not looking for a home like the one you have listed, I don't need to know about it. If I don't work in that area, I don't care about it.

If you were to ask me about the homes in Land Park or East Sacramento and what's on the market right now, I could tell you in a heartbeat. Because I study the market of homes in Land Park. Even if I'm not working with a particular type of buyer at the moment, I still list a lot of homes in Land Park and need to stay on top of the market. Besides, it's where I live. Not surprisingly, I routinely receive phone calls from sellers who are represented by other agents or about to list with another agent who want to confirm with me that they are pricing their home correctly. Which means I probably know about new listings before they even come on the market.

So, please don't spam me with your email flyers. I know the marketing company that sold you the program promised you that other agents are eager to receive your junk mail, but that's just plain silly. Wise up. Think twice before you send your listing to other agents. Otherwise, an agent might spot your name and associate that name with a word: annoyance.