Growing up and now raising a family in West Sacramento, I have watched the community grow, change, and struggle to improve – as I have too – and that has anchored the city in my heart. I have lived in 12 different houses in five different West Sacramento neighborhoods since the mid-70s. I loved growing up here and I love living here now. Although a lot has changed over the years, so much feels the same. I could live anywhere I want, but I choose to live in West Sacramento.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
After a year of having to stay close to home all the time due to COVID and living in very close quarters, I have confirmed that not only do I love my family – I also very much enjoy their company! My wife, Darcy, and I met when I was 15 and she 14. We were friends throughout high school and after college we kept bumping into one another seeing live music around mid-town Sacramento… and fell in love to the soundtrack of the early 1990s. We have two kids, Jack and Sullivan. We are all very strong-willed and independent people that also happen to get along very well.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Sacramento is a “Company Town” and I have spent almost 30 years working in and around the State Capitol for state agencies, elected officials, and private companies. I’m currently a lobbyist with an association that focuses on statewide policy issues impacting commercial property. I’ve been able to observe and learn and participate in how government works for one of the largest economies in the World. What I love most about my career is that it has allowed me to apply some of that knowledge to help make my community better by serving the city for over 20 years on two different commissions.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Darcy and I love restaurants in West Sacramento and probably go out more than we should. I can remember a time when we’d regularly cross the Tower Bridge to go eat – now that almost never happens. For every one restaurant I name, there are two others that should also be on the list, but here are the places we frequent a lot; Cornerstone in Bryte for a comfort food diner; Tree House Café in Washington for the best outdoor seating and salads and sandwiches after a bike ride; Pooja Indian Grill on Merkley for the butter chicken but also everything else; Vientianne on Jefferson, an amazing family-run Thai/Laotian restaurant; Dona Chuyita for delicious tacos; Raku in Southport for fresh sushi; Bike Dog for locally brewed beer; the P.Club for family gatherings and nostalgia… Savoury, Lenise’s Café, Roman’s Pizza, Devil May Care Ice Cream, Zocolo on West Cap, La Crosta, Pizzasmith at the Barn, Ay Jalisco, Chando’s, Jack Rabbit and Campus brewing, Carol’s and Whitey’s (my mom’s two favorites), Gyro 2 Go…. All places we love.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Since I was a little kid in the mid-70s.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
“Big Herb” Wilfong Sr. and his family. The Wilfong’s lived at 15th near Park Blvd for decades and until his recent passing well into his ‘90s, Big Herb could be seen chatting with his wife Johnnie (who passed before him in 2016) and neighbors on the porch happily greeting everyone that went by. A plaque dedicated to his son, Herbie, rests at the base of the flagpole at the Broderick Boat Ramp and stories of his fishing, hunting, and general good-natured mischief in West Sacramento are legendary. They were good people that were very generous and welcoming to my mom, sister, nephew, and I, and I miss them.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Any vaccination clinic that has a shot available for me! I long to get back to normal and go places without worrying about the need to avoid fellow humans. I can’t wait to stand in a crowd of people watching live music again.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Favorite movies go back to my teenage years, Repo Man, Spinal Tap, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Aliens. Lots of good movies have been made since the early ‘80s, but those are movies I can always watch again. Favorite current TV shows are Survivor and The Expanse which is a hard Sci-Fi show that started out as a film noire gumshoe story in space. We have watched all 40 seasons of Survivor.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Say “yes” more often.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
See live music in Manchester, England. Spend New Year’s Eve in Dublin.
Q: What is your go to band when you cant decide what to listen to?
The Feelies, Yo La Tengo, Black Uhuru, or the Avett Brothers, are always good to seed a playlist when I’m undecided. If I’m listening with my daughter then Destroy Boys, Tired Lion, or Harry Styles.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
From the recent past, my all-time pizza was a West Sacramento original and a labor of love by a local family – Wicked West Pizza. It was the furthest restaurant to the South that I think we have ever had, located in Southport where the VCA Vet is now. They made the best pizza, from scratch, using fresh locally grown ingredients. Hired local kids. And had a fun and welcoming atmosphere for us and our kids. I still dream of being able to have one last slice of their vegetarian “Old Lady” pizza. Mmmmm…. Wicked West Pizza. From childhood, I’m still nostalgic about Willie’s Market (which turned into Happy Market). This was a real neighborhood grocery store – not a convenience store – you could do all your shopping there, including buy good meat. It was located on 15th street in the building which is now owned by Results Training Gym. My mom would send me there all the time and I’d happily go because I always left with some candy. At one point in the early ‘80s they put in some video games, so it became one of the spots I’d hit when my sister’s friends would give me quarters to get rid of me. I remember at various points they had the games Q*Bert, Crystal Castles, and Tempest. When I go to Results now I still “see” the way the store was set up way back then. I also love that Results has restored the building to give it many more years of service.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I’d meet Tony Hawk at the West Acre Skate Park and have a sandwich and chips from Raley’s. I’d let all the local kids know he was there so they could watch him skate, then we’d all make the case that his foundation should fund a regional skate/bike park here in town.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
That we are a small island surrounded by water on all sides. This fact is why I think West Sacramento feels like more of a cohesive community than other areas in the region as we tend to look inwardly, within the city limits, for most services and social activities from schools, to stores, to sports leagues. No matter where you live in town you are part of the same school district; the same baseball league; have the same local hangouts, and stores, the same rec center. Which means we cross paths with one another a lot.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
On Deerwood, where I am now. Hopefully still able to still ride my bike in the sand of Honda Hills.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I worked as an intern in the Pentagon during Desert Shield in the Summer of 1990. That was wild for a 20 year old kid from West Sac!
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
I’ve been to a lot of really pretty places. But the spot I love the most is standing on the city’s Western levee along Prospect Slough and looking out over the Yolo Bypass Wildlife area when it has just a bit of water and watching the sun disappear behind the Vaca Mountains.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
October. Thanksgiving. Today.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Bike maintenance service at Edible Pedal on 3rd Street in Old Broderick/Washington.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Darcy and my kids. I want us to be a cute couple in our 90s doting after great-grandkids so I’m trying to be healthier. Its hard.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
When Nor-Cal Beverage is making Go-Girl. I can smell it at my house. I love it.
Q: What is one business you would like to have in West Sacramento? (which we don’t have one already)
An independent bagel shop that boils fresh chewy pumpernickel bagels, has meaty lox, and serves strong coffee.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
WestSac Best Sac.
