Sac County Ordinance: Dogs Must Be On A Leash!!

By U.S. Air Force Photo by Josh Plueger. Postwork by Dove (Derivative work from) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Do you see dogs running around without a leash in your neighborhood here in South Sac?  They pee and poop all over your yard, mark your car's tires and create havoc.  Sometimes big dogs harass smaller dogs, real dog walkers, or pedestrians.  It's common to see people walking in South Sac carrying golf clubs or just big sticks for protection.  The people who allow their dogs to run loose - besides being inconsiderate - are breaking the law!!!

The Sacramento County document titled Animals (Title 8) covers everything about animal control, including rabies, permits, vicious animals, and cats. The section below (8.08.056) is information pertaining to dogs off-leash.

Definition of AT LARGE: "At large" means an animal off the premises of its owner and either: a) not under the control and in the immediate presence of the owner, or b) if a dog or a cat, not under physical restraint. (SCC 0815 § 2, 1990; SCC 304 § 4, 1977; Ord. 1053 § 7, 1969).

8.08.056 DOGS AT LARGE.

No person shall permit or suffer a dog to stray from private property owned or legally possessed by the dog owner or the person who has a right to control the dog unless the dog is restrained by a leash or lead not exceeding eight feet in length, except in the following situations:

1) When the dog is assisting a peace officer who is engaged in law enforcement duties or when the dog is participating in a search and rescue effort at the specific request of a law enforcement authority;

2) When the dog is enrolled in and actually participating in a dog training or obedience course, exhibition, or competition conducted by an organization or private or public property with the permission of the owner or operator of the grounds or facilities;

3) When the dog is assisting the owner of person in charge of livestock in the herding or control of such livestock; or

4) When the dog is accompanying and under the direction of a person engaged in hunting on land which is within a restricted shooting district as defined in Section 9.40.060 of the Sacramento County Code.

The question is do you want to confront your neighbors and create hate and discontent, or just call animal control and see if they ever show up.

Two South Sac Bicyclists Killed in June - Where's Our Supervisor?

Ever See a Sac County Supervisor Bicycling in South Sacramento?

By Villy Fink Isaksen (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

UPDATE:  Today (6/28) The day after this post was originally published, we learned that a bicyclist was struck by a light rail train in the City of Sacramento.  See here.  Can we start talking more about bicycle safety and better infrastructure?

Two bicyclists were hit and killed this month by motorists in South Sacramento.  That's not okay, and our local leaders need to step up and advocate for bicycling and pedestrian safety.

Last year, the Sacramento Bee published an article entitled, "Sacramento is not a friendly city for cyclists," by Daniel Weintraub. 

In addition to describing how difficult it is to bicycle in the City, Weintraub noted that bicycling to the City - such as from unincorporated South Sacramento - is dangerous.

"Bike trails are almost nonexistent, and bike lanes outside the city center either don’t exist or aren’t continuous. They end randomly or are squeezed by traffic structures and shifting vehicle lane widths. Cars, trucks and buses speed by inches from your ear as drivers rush to and from work."

In fact, Weintraub might have been writing specifically about South Sacramento when he added:

"These problems are especially bad in the city’s lower-income neighborhoods, where more people depend on bikes as their only form of wheeled transportation. Bike lanes are even sparser, and the roads tend to be vast arterials designed to move cars quickly without regard to the safety of cyclists or pedestrians."

more here: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/the-conversation/article26030500.html#storyl

As they used to say, if they can put a man on the moon, why can't they come up with road designs where bicyclists won't get killed?  Actually they have, see here and here.  The solution boils down to funding and political will.

We realize that Sacramento County Supervisors must contend with numerous important issues, but the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians must be one of those issues.  If it's true, as Weintraub suggests, that bicycling is particularly dangerous (even terrifying) in areas such as South Sac, and design solutions are available, then shouldn't our County Supervisor be doing more to give us safer streets here?

Supervisor Kennedy?

Death From Bicycling

The first June bicycling fatality occurred when a bicyclist turned right on to French Road from a driveway.  You can read more about that accident here.

The map below shows the general location - the accident occurred south of the marker.




The second fatality - from a hit and run accident - occurred last Friday on the 4200 block of Stockton Boulevard, south of San Francisco Boulevard.  More on that accident can be found here.




Here in South Sacramento we're sadly familiar with bicycling deaths.  Last April a bicycle rider was hit by a car and killed as he rode south on Center Parkway C Parkway.  You can read about that accident here.




And before that, in 2014, a woman bicyclist was hit by a truck and killed on Florin Perkins Road, near Elder Creek. The story for that accident is here.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/the-conversation/article26030500.html#storylink=

A Good Thing About Living in South Sac . . .

Incredible Farmers Market!

Here's a short post to give favorable mention about the Farmers Market in South Sacramento.  It's held every Thursday, from 8:00 a.m to 12:00 noon, in the Florin Mall parking lot in front of Sears.



The photo below shows our latest "harvest" consisting of white peaches, nectarines, green beans, big beefy tomatoes, green bell peppers, 2 heads of cabbage, and bok choy.  All for just $8.00!!

The fruit is sooo sweet, like candy.  Amazingly delicious.  You can't buy produce this good in stores.

More pics . . .

Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries Continues to Amaze!

Even Better Than We First Thought!

As we posted here, in the Search for the Best Crispy Fried Tacos in South Sacramento, Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries - on Florin Road just east of Power Inn Road - took the early lead.  Their crispy fried fish and shrimp tacos, with freshly made corn tortillas (you can watch them make them!), and then fried until puffy, with delicate fish or shrimp, and their own sauce, set the high standards for deliciousness and freshness.  I just haven't found any tacos like this anywhere else in Sac Town.

But we put those tacos in their own category - fish and shrimp - tacos, because that's how they are listed on the menu at Taco Fresco.  In other words, the other tacos at Taco Fresco, with carnitas, beef, and chicken, are offered on the menu with the soft - non-fried - corn tortilla.

We returned to Taco Fresco the other day to verify our belief, and to our pleasant surprise, we discovered that we were wrong.  So to clarify:  The amazing crispy fried tacos at Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries are available with any filling they have, such as fish, shrimp, as well as beef, pork, and chicken!   All you have to do is ask.  People, these tacos are incredible.  For one thing, where else do they make their own corn tortillas?  Why there isn't a line out the door here is beyond me.

Here's some pics of their fluffy fried tacos, one with carnitas and the other with chicken.  Note the generous servings of cheese.

It gets even better.  As you can see, we also ordered a torta with carnitas, and  . . .

Our minds and taste buds were completely blown.  It was delicious!  The bun and carnitas by themselves would have been tasty and filling, but as you can see, the torta also has fresh avocado, jalapeno, lettuce, and tomato.  I think I would rather get one of these than a sandwich at Togos, or Subway - and I do love my Subway tuna fish sandwich on Fridays.  But check out this offering from Taco Fresco:

Size comparison.  Two tacos and one torta (cut in half).  This hearty sandwich will fill you up.

Taco Fresco also has a pick-up window for telephone orders.

In our search for the best crispy fried tacos in South Sac, Taco Fresco Burgers and Fries is the clear front runner.  But we are ditching the larger chain restaurants to investigate the smaller establishments like Taco Fresco.  We suspect there are other taquerias out there in South Sac that will pleasantly surprise us.  And we are determined to find them!

There is so much delicious food down in here in South Sac, thanks to this region's diversity, that we are in awe.  

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill - No Crispy Fried Tacos

Not a Contender for Best Crispy Tacos

South Sac Blog's search for the best crispy fried tacos in South Sacramento continued yesterday at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill.  Alas, Rubio's is not even a contender, because they don't offer crispy fried tacos.

As I blogged here, when I was growing up, my mother, who was Mexican-American, made tacos by wrapping the filling in a soft corn taco and then frying it in a skillet. That's how her mother made them. When prepared properly, the corn tortilla is slightly crispy, but not anything like the dreadful hard shell taco sold in boxes.  Because it was soft, the tortilla absorbs the juices and flavors of the seasoned meat filling and oil, making it moist and soft inside - and muy delicioso!

The problem is that although I have lived here in South Sac for 13 years now, I had not stumbled upon an establishment that sells those delicious crispy fried tacos like my dear mother used to make. So we have devoted the resources of South Sac Blog to identify any local restaurants and taquerias that do prepare them that way.

Rubio's is famous for its fish tacos so we were anxious to see if crispy fried tacos were also on the menu.  We went to the Rubio's in South Sacramento, on Bruceville.  It's right behind the Target.




We strolled to the counter and inquired about Rubio's tacos.  No, we were told, there are no crispy fried tacos made there.  But something called the "'Grilled Gourmet Taco' has toasted cheese, and offers a bit of crunch, so why not try that?"  I agreed and ordered the two taco plate (comes with rice and beans), with my second taco being the "Classic Taco" for comparison.  South Sac crew members ordered various soft tortilla fish tacos.

The lunch crowd was there consisting of professional types from the nearby medical offices.  The atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming.  We found some empty tables and waited for our orders.

Here's my taco plate:

The Grilled Gourmet Taco offers a blend of mozzarella, Monterey jack, and white cheddar heated directly on a hot flat grill until it’s melted and toasted.  This cheese mixture is then layed on a warm, stone-ground corn tortilla to create the foundation for the rest of the taco.  The filling has your choice of meat, bacon, avocado, cilantry, onion and two chile sauces.  I wish the grilled cheese bed had been a little thicker.  I thought the chile sauces tended to drown out the flavors of the other items.

The Classic Taco has fresh guacamole, cheese, salsa fresca, lettuce, and is drizzled with chipotle sauce.

Quite honestly, I thought my tacos were okay.

I didn't care much for the large drizzling of sauce.  I thought it made the tacos too wet and runny.  I had terrible heartburn an hour later and I suspect it came from the chipotle sauce.  But everyone is different and your tummies may vary.  I left disappointed, because I'm searching for a taco prepared in a particular way, and didn't find one.  However . . .

I must emphasize that my reaction is not a reflection on the other items on Rubio's menu.  There are seafood tacos which crew members raved about.  It's obvious Rubio's has made an effort to infuse its seafood offerings with rich flavors.  The fish and shrimp have a nice seared exterior with delicate interior.  The fish tacos come with traditional cabbage or slaw on top, and are made with Mahi Mahi, Tilapia, or Salmon.    

Also on the Rubio's menu are seafood burritos, regular burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and other items.  The Rubio's down on Bruceville offers a pleasant place to sit down and enjoy lunch or dinner. We didn't see any unhappy faces.  I would stick to their famous fish tacos if I returned.

So there it is.  In our search for the best fried crispy fried tacos in South Sac, the amazing Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries holds on to its early lead.

We're going to venture back into the wonderfully diverse heart of South Sac for our next review.

Fun at the Filipino Fiesta

On Sunday South Sac Blog spent some quality time at the Filipino Fiesta of Sacramento, at the Jose Rizal Community Center, deep in the loving heart of South Sacramento. The festival is held every first Sunday in June, in part, to celebrate Philippine Independence Day.

Other important goals of the annual festival are: 1) To foster teamwork, cooperation and friendship among the various associations organizing this cultural event; 2) To provide opportunity for Filipino youth to develop and showcase their talents; 3) To bring all generations to learn and enjoy Filipino culture and traditions; and 4) To promote good relations and understanding among the diverse cultural groups in Sacramento.

A lot of people attended and when we arrived at around 2:00 p.m., parking was only available a few blocks away. No problem. It was a very hot day, however, around 102 degrees or so. I'm glad I carried a water bottle.

At the festival there were many information booths, booths offering things for sale, and food vendors. In the middle of the fair there was a stage where various entertainers performed.

While we were there, Sacramento mayoral candidate Darrell Steinberg took the stage and offered a few words of praise for the local Filipino community. I don't know if any other candidates or local politicians attended.

Shade was at a premium due to the heat. Our only complaint was that there was insufficient covered seating to allow people to sit and chow down on the many food items available and enjoy the wonderful entertainment. There was some shade available from trees on a grassy knoll, but no chairs. Not everyone wants to sit on the ground. Not everyone can due to injuries and old age. The majority of people sitting in shade were those manning the booths.

That deterred us somewhat, so we didn't get anything to eat. When the South Sac crew eats, we like to sit, eat with gusto, and chill. But we did have some cool refreshing drinks and checked out the car show.

 

Here's my favorite, a nice Volkswagen Baja Bug! I wish I had one of those!

More vendors and booths . . .

So we'll be back next year - and hopefully there will be more shaded seating.  

Gator Captured in South Sacramento!

Update:  The following post was written on June 2, 2016, weeks before the terrible tragedy involving the death of a child in Florida on June 14th.  We offer the child's family our deepest and sincere condolences and prayers.  The post below is intended as satire to highlight the sad state of urban conditions in South Sacramento.

With reports from Florida and Georgia concerning sightings of large alligators, the South Sac Blog brings you an update.  This unidentified man reportedly captured a large alligator found roaming the streets and open drainage ditches of unincorporated South Sacramento. 

The gator was allegedly removed from a typical South Sac drainage ditch like the one below by Elsie/Cottonwood and Wilbur.

The alligator may also have been attracted to the large bush-like weeds growing out of cracks in the crumbling South Sacramento sidewalks as shown on below.  These litter-infested areas, ignored by local politicians, may offer concealment for wild animals.

The gator was reportedly released back into the wild, and its current location is unknown. 

Chando's Doesn't Sell Crispy Fried Tacos - the Search Continues!

South Sac Blog has been searching for the best crispy fried tacos in South Sacramento.  We've been to Super Taco, Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries, and we even strayed into Elk Grove to check out Flakos and Chevys.  Today we resumed our search here in South Sac to see what Chando's Tacos on Power Inn offers.  Concerning crispy fried tacos, the answer is: nothing.  But don't let that discourage you from going to Chando's for their delicious street-style tacos and other items.

When I was growing up, my dear Mother, who was Mexican-American, made tacos by stuffing the corn tortilla with the filling and then frying the entire thing in a skillet.  The tortilla was crispy on the outside, but a little soft on the inside having soaked up the juices from the meat.  Yes, it may have been just a little oily, but that only added to the incredible flavor.  The sad thing is that I have not been able to find any crispy tacos like that sold in restaurants or taquerias.  Well, except for one place.  Cactus Taqueria down in Berkeley offers incredible crispy fried tacos that sets the standard.  My mission is to find similar tacos here in South Sac.

Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries took the early lead in my search with its crispy shrimp and fish tacos.  They actually make their own corn tortillas fresh and fry them just for you.  Their tortillas puff up a little when fried and are simply amazing.  I'm not even sure if Cactus Taqueria makes its own tortillas!

Enough small talk.  Chando's certainly makes the best filling for its tacos than any place I have sampled so far in South Sac.  You can read about the different meat fillings here, and Chando's history here.  When we were there they were grilling the meat outside.

Here's my three tacos below with chicken, carnitas, and carne asada; all with cilantro, onions, and salsa:

But those are in their soft corn tortillas - not fried.  And since I m searching for crispy fried tacos, there's no point in going further.  I did order a tostada just to fill my crunch craving.  I had the carne asada and you can see they don't skimp on the meat:

Yes, we got the delicious super nachos, too:

The nice thing about the super nachos is that the meat and cheese is layered between different rows of chips, not just all dumped on top. 

Anyway, Chando's isn't in the running for the best cripsy fried taco in South Sac.  So the search continues.  Where to go next?

Vineyard Community Planning Advisory Council Meets June 7, 2016

The South Sacramento "Vineyard Community Planning Advisory Council" will meet on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 7:00 p.m., at:

Heritage Peak Charter School
8065 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Suite 160
Sacramento, CA 95829

The agenda is here. 

 

Yes, Another Cool South Sac Bike Commute Video

Is it still Bike Month?

Here's a cool video from YouTube (taken with permission) showing a morning bike commute in the wee early hours.  Up Power Inn Road if I am not mistaken.

Keep them coming!

Who's Your Sacramento County Supervisor?

Do you know who represents you on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors?

Assuming you care, here is an easy way to find out.  Go to this page on the Sacramento County website and simply input your address.  You will then be taken to the home page for your supervisor.

Find your Supervisor.

If you live way down here in forgotten South Sac, your supervisor is . . . ?

South Sacramento Community Planning Advisory Council

Make Your Voice Heard

Next South Sacramento CPAC Meeting is today – May 18, 2016 at 6: 30 p.m. in the Sheriff Community Room 7000, 65th Street, Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95823. 

Interested in having “a say” in the projects going forward in South Sacramento?  Then maybe you should attend a meeting of the South Sacramento Community Planning Advisory Council (South Sacramento CPAC). 

Generally, CPACs were created in the unincorporated County to facilitate and encourage direct citizen participation early in the planning process when it’s supposed to be easier for the project proponents and decision-makers to respond to public concerns.  CPACs gather community responses to proposed projects.

What kind of projects?  These can range from broad policy questions that apply countywide, to small development projects of only local interest.  Entitlements reviewed include General Plan and Zoning Code amendments to plans, zoning matters and use permits.

What goes on during a CPAC meeting?  During a typical meeting, the people advocating for a project will make a presentation to members of the particular CPAC and the members of the public who attend.   The council will ask questions and express any of their concerns.  Then, members of the public will be asked for input on the project.  General public response/specific concerns are recorded in the CPAC minutes and forwarded to Planning and Environmental Review for inclusion in staff reports.

CPACs are advisory only and do not make final decisions. CPAC recommendations and neighborhood input, however, are carefully weighed by the final decision-making bodies.  The public can provide input directly to any subsequent hearing body that takes final action through letters or public testimony during the hearing.

The members of the South Sacramento CPAC are Burke Lucy, Todd Lambert, Orga Pacheco, and John Newman.

Next South Sacramento CPAC Meeting is today – May 18, 2016 at 6: 30 p.m. in the Sheriff Community Room 7000, 65th Street, Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95823. 

The agenda for tonight’s meeting is here.

Items on the agenda include a permit to add electronicequipment, such as six new antennas to the Franklin Boulevard Wireless Facilityat 7301 Franklin Blvd. 

The other action is a request to extend the expiration date fora Tentative Subdivision Map to divide approximately 65.4 acres into 384 lots in the RD-10, RD-7, and RD-5, and O zones approximately 1,000 feet south of Florin Road on the west side of Elk Grove Florin Road in the South Sacramento.

The Amazing Crispy Tacos at Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries!

Our search for the best crispy tacos in South Sac took us to Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries (Taco Fresco).  The review can be summed up this way:  Taco Fresco rocks! 

Taco Fresco is located at 8168 Florin Road (near Power Inn Road).



Taco Fresco has the appearance of an old-style drive-up burger joint.  Before drive-thrus, were invented, you would park your car and order your food at the walk-up take-out window.  You could also order at the counter inside.  Taco Fresco is located in one of those old style burger joint buildings.  It was a nice sunny day and one of our crew said eating there reminded her of Florida.  Go figure.  Anyway, everyone agreed the place has character and is cool.  Seating inside is individually at the window, or at a few tables for couples and groups.  There is also seating outside.

I knew immediately that Taco Fresco was special.  That's because one of the first things I noticed once inside was one of the ladies working there making fresh corn tortillas.  I started salivating even before I placed my order.  Since the purpose of this adventure is to find the best crispy tacos, we ordered the two on the menu:  Crispy Fried Shrimp or Fish tacos.  Their menu has a good selection of other things, but those are the two crunchy tacos. 

The two tacos were fantastico.  As you can tell from the pictures, their freshly made tortillas puff up when they are fried.  They are light and crunchy, and wonderfully compliment the fish or shrimp filling.  Each has good portions of shrimp or fish - they are good deals and you really get your money's worth.  The fish tacos have a small topping of red cabbage to give it some more crunch.  They don't have a fishy taste either.  The tacos each have a topping of some kind of creamy sauce that is only mildly spicy.  But they come with a side order of their own sauce that is very spicy so you can add as much heat as you like.  I seriously can't wait to go back. 

My only criticism - if you could call it that - is the fried puffy tortillas may only be available for the shrimp and fish fillings.  At least according to the menu.  I'll have to go back and ask (and order more tacos).  One of the South Sac crew also ordered a breakfast burrito with chorizo.  It was good.  Breakfast burritos are a whole other category so we're not going down that road in this review.  It's mentioned here just to let you know that Taco Fresco has several things on their menu. 

So Taco Fresco Burgers and Fries takes a big early lead in the search for the best crispy taco in South Sac.  But there is a caveat.  They take the lead for the best fried fish and shrimp tacos.  Beef? Chicken? Pork? Steak?  Taco Fresco convinces me that there are even different categories for crispy tacos.  The search continues.  Where to next?