Lynn La

e to arrive at a consen- of sometimes rowdy and
Cost: Admission is $5,
,” Avella said last week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
drunken people into town.
free for anyone 11 and
e question now is
But the festival tanked in
ether Sacramento
OUR
has the 2008, generating a $100,000
REGION
younger. Various parking
sites charge $5. Some
erewithal to deal with debt and finally leading to it
big questions. … I see being sold off to organizers in
REGION street parking IN BRIEF is available B2 Grand jury report
on the town’s outskirts.
ramento lurching from Red Bluff.
LOTTERY More information: B2
El Dorado County grand jury
is to crisis.”
Yokotobi got the idea for
REMEMBRANCES www.isletonchamber.com B5 outlines gender bias in the
t was one thing to
the new festival and, with
ieve consensus in a
help from advertising Mark Lamberton Jr., 11, of Susanville takes a close look at a crawdad before WEATHER GALLERY: B8
Sheriff’s Office. Page B3
ramento that had only throughout B4 The Northern Sacramento Bee Califor- | Sunday, June trying 19, 2011
the Delta delicacy for the first time with granddad Mark Lamberton of
high school until 1936.
ISLETON | Sunday, June 19, 2011 | The Page B5 Folsom and sister Emily, 9. The festival offered many activities for kids.
FROM Sacramento THEBee COVER | sacbee.com/ourregion
he influence needed to
ve ideas today is beyond
sacbee.com/photos
B1
scope of benevolent
ramentoOpinion families who County: SACRAMENTO Pot COUNTY shops ELK “When GROVE you have a child that started ELK GROVE the year INDUSTRIAL at 13 percent lung SITES function, you go
ed the shots and whose
in knowing that he may not finish Elk Grove the year is evaluating becauseseven he may industrial not be sites around. to see whether
s were invested MARCOS in Sacra- BRETON
alternative uses, such as restaurants or offices, would be
nto.
a
Pot
nuisance in
shop
many Without Broader
curbs
that lung transplant, he would not
protested
have graduated high school.
compatible in those locations.
t used to be that civic
We would be talking about him in the past tense.” – JIM PFEIFER
ers such as Arthur Dud- areas, report says
2 miles
Sacramento
Site 6
had widespread commu-
FROM PAGE B1
on their one cookie every industrial
backing. In the 1930s,
to provide a method for them day,” Degooyer said. “They’re
99
ley rallied Sacramento
to operate ... in a way that bal- being denied this (under the
Site 4
und securing McClellan
ances the needs of the commu- plan.) Where are they sup-
Elk Grove e
ld and the 24,000 workers
nities,” ORDINANCE interim County ExecuposedMIGHT to get it?” property
attorney for the Sacramento in the county despite orders to
mbreton@sacbee.com
UPROOT DISPENSARIES
tive Steve Szalay said in astate- The new rules would be ef-
residents it attracted.
Alliance of County Collectives, close. Thirteen others went
ment.fective
until July 26, when the
Site 1
f Dudley were working
Under a proposed tempo- Board of Supervisors is due to
a group representing 15 local out Site of7business. ay, how many environrary
By ordinance, Peter the Hecht county is adopt the plan Yet as athe perma- county’suse effort to regurged
ries or force them into undesir- marijuana dispensaries. Since then, new dispensa-
seeking phecht@sacbee.com
to permit dispensa- Renée C. nent Byer ordinance rbyer@sacbee.com
SACRAMENTO CO.
ntal lawsuits Can would he we be
ulate or consider a legal an marijuana trade able industrial locations. And “They’re on the wrong side of ries have continued to open in
ries only in specified commer- alternative.
Site 5
slapped with?
Tim Pfeifer cial or light After gotindustrial new more lungs zones. than in aaSeptember year Advocates of is were surgery. drawing hoping the sharp By Anne protests Gonzales the proposal would deny history.”
unincorporated areas of the
onsider the proposed
“They’re trying going to shutter to put themdozens
county of wouldfrom follow medical the city cannabis Bee Correspondent advo- many medical marijuana 5 us- Sacramento Site 2 County Site has3
county, despite officials’ insis-
ntowna arena. ‘can-do’ in the
There isn’t
marijuana middle of nowhere dispensaries, ... on of Sacramento Saccates. in how it treats
Faced with an ers80the percent ability to cultivate been trying to rein in untence that no local ordinance
the complete outskirts,” Re- medical marijuana.
n a financing plan and TRANSPLANT ichelramento said. “TheyCounty couldn’t officials The GIVES
city passed They an charge ordi- that vacancy an rate “ur- intheir its industrial own plants, they say. wanted marijuana dispensa- allows them to exist.
re is already a battle
moreare effectively considering deny medi- newnance rules that set gency strict ordinance” rules on property to be consid- stock, Elk “It’sGrove a terrible is Source: ordinance. city of Elk InGrove
ries since the spring Sharonof Okada 2010. sokada@sacbee.com “These dispensaries are op-
city again?
wing between business GRAD cine to permit people. A They NEW thewould medical theSTART operation pot ered and location by supervisors of
looking Tuesday at allowing all seriousness, restau- it’s pathetic,” But by January, at least 27 diserating illegally and we want
never do this to a pharmacy.” medical pot stores.
labor groups over
Instores. a list of “findings” in- But, unlike would the county close plan, most rants,dispensa- offices and complained nonprofits Mark ingReichel, codes should an pensaries be amended were still Theoperating first in a series of public COUNTY | Page B4
ether the arena n itsshould infancy, beSacramento
By Lynn cluded Lawith I lla@sacbee.com
the county plan, the city allowed 32 of 38 local to set up shop in the city’s in- to allow other uses.
workshops on the city’s seven
lt with unionwas labor. named the Indomi- Timofficials Pfeifer declared has every that reason mari- dispensaries to complain. to apply to stay dustrial zones as a way to help “We’ve had some property industrial areas is set for 6 p.m.
juana dispensaries and pot at their current locations de-
acramento Iis
table largely City because its When cultivation he wasare 2, ahe nuisance was diagnosed in spite violating with cystic requirements fi- property owners recoup owners asking us to allow Tuesday at the council cham-
en by acitizens mentality would ema- not surrender brosis, many a genetic parts ISLETON
of disorder the county. that banning causes them his body from to being losses from deserted space. compatible uses, such as resbers, 8400 Laguna Palms Way.
ing fromto interest fire, floods groups or disease. produce “The thick cultivation, mucusdistribu in his near lungs schools, andchurches, leads to parks Allowing some business taurants and business and pro- Kirchgessner said the city
tion, dispensing or sale of med- and other sensitive locations.
ose political “By strategies an act of collective chronic ical respiratory marijuana infection. ... can ad- Leighann Moffit, the coun- and professional offices and fessional offices, in industrial plans to have a total of three
Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
based on will, protecting Sacramento decided to Now, versely at 18, affect he’s had the more health, than ty’s interim a dozen planning surgical director, eateries Tim Pfeifer, inright, its industrial jokes with hisareas mother, Ellie, zones,” at home shein said. Elk Grove. “With Thethe 18-year-old, cur- who workshops got an ovation through from his Chris- July.
ir turf. fight back,” wrote Stevenprocedures.
safety and During well-being hisofjunior the said year mostat marijuana Christian stores would tian Brothers also High give School businesses classmates ata graduation rent market, last month, there’s next plans a lot to study of va- accounting The at Sacramento city earlier State, this whichmonth
county and
hese groups Avella fund in “Sacramento: the Crowds its residences,” the won’t be allowed to return remain
In- Brothers High School, he caught the H1N1 virus – chance could prove atuseful more infor aaffordable business he started losome
with cant hisspace father. He inalso ourwants industrial to Cajun get a summer ar- also job andcut moveits out on building fun
his own.
document reads. It said medic- but may seek permission to
fees in
iticians, domitable who are trying City,” toa
luminous which, inal according pot operations to hisincrease father, move Jim elsewhere. Pfeifer, “almost cations.eas,
and owners see this as an half for commercial develop-
ance broken
history
budgets
of the capital citydid
him“the in.” risk of criminal activity, “This is intended to provide The city’s senior planner, Sa- opportunity to lease space.” ment and increased fees by
degradation of the natural en- a mechanism for folks to meet
hout gutting
which
every
has been reprinted Tim Pfeifer takes 50 pills a day, every day, and will rah Kirchgessner, said prop- On the other hand, city offi- 50 percent for residential convironment,
Delta malodorous town’s the parameters, obtain a use
ded public service. Even- continue smells to do andso … for electrical the rest fire of permit his life. and be able to opererty owners asked officials to cials are concerned that allowstruction in a reorganization
several times since first
Transplant: Teen wants to be
lly politicians discover
To complain hazards.” about all this ate,” would she said. have been a expand the allowed uses of ining other uses on industrial of the city’s construction fee
t the interest
being
groups
published
–
in 2003. The ordinance revamped
would ban George Mull, an attorney
waste of his breath; breath that didn’t come too easdustrial-zoned land to attract property could deplete Elk schedule.
ir benefactors
For
–
Sacramento
need to
to sur- outdoor marijuana cultiva- for the California Cannabis Asily
for him before his double lung transplant in Sep- business. The request has led Grove’s stock of industrial The City Council adopted a
e a hit tovive, theircity entitle- fathers literally crawdad event independent and contribute
tion in the county, limit the sociation, said there may be
tember number at Lucile of plants Packard that can be Children’s only one dispensary Hospital in atthe
to a city review of the amount property, making it less com- new fee structure designed to
nts to balance movedthe thebudget. American River. grown indoors and bar sales county that can
TRANSPLANT |
survive at its
Page B4 and kinds FROM PAGE of industrial B1 lands petitive in theclass regional was standing marand
encourage applauding forjob me, creation. it was The
BRETON They raised | Page J and B4 K streets, of edibleseems products such asto pot current be alocation
under the
Stanford.
quite amazing,” he said. “It just felt like all that hard
in the “It city, wasand basically whether like taking zon- one ofketplace. those little cof-
INDUSTRIAL |
brownies or cookies that can proposed rules.
work paid off. It was pretty awesome.” Page B5
improved the levees, kept be popular with youths. “They’re also making everyfee
stirrer straws, and trying to breathe through One of his teachers, Holly Peterson, was at the
the railroads from leaving The proposed hit with ban on edi- public
body apply for a conditional
that,” said Pfeifer, describing what it felt like to ceremony and described the scene as electric.
town and built an infrastrucbles irked Jessie Degooyer, use permit. So even if you’re in
head baker of Ganja Goodies, the right place, there’s no certure
to last.
a local kitchen By Sam thatStanton creates tainty they’ll let you stay,”
It’s a proud history that baked goods sstanton@sacbee.com
for medical mari- Mull said. “There is a huge up-
belies the current civic juana users, Isleton including has cancer always roar. been Patients alit- are upset their
patients and others who don’t collectives are going to close.”
malaise caused by years of want to smoke. tle bit different.
budget deficits.
“I have patients The quirky who use Delta Calltown The Bee’s has Peter Hecht,
the product and they depend (916) 326-5539.
The disasters threatening tried over the years to solve its
Sacramento, while not liter- economic woes by selling conally
flames and floodwaters, “I see cealed Sacramento weapons lurching permits from crisis or
are no less daunting. to crisis.” embracing a massive medical
– STEVEN AVELLA, author of “Sacramento:
With double-digit unem- Indomitable marijuana City” farm, all without
breathe before the surgery.
“The students went right up on their feet, there
At school he carried an oxygen tank, and he had was no hesitation,” said Peterson. “There was no,
trouble climbing stairs and walking to classes. But ‘Should we stand up? Should we not stand up?’ It
when moving from his room to the living room was clear admiration for him.”
couch became too difficult, Pfeifer and his family For Pfeifer, however, graduating is only the begin-
OUTPUT: began to consider 06/18/11 a lung transplant. 22:17 USER: BFINLEY ning. He V44S_BR is in the midst MASTER of more health 10-12-10 problems.
A year later, he finally received a pair.
Due to the surgery, he now has diabetes, and be-
“At the time I woke up from that transplant, they cause of the immunosuppressant drugs he is taking
had me intubated on a breathing machine,” he said. to keep his body from rejecting the new organ, he
“I remember taking my first breath. It was like has developed a type of cancer known as post-trans-
when you hold your breath underwater and you plant lymphoproliferative disease. Maintaining a
come up and you take that big gasp of air. It was just standard of normality is his priority.
amazing.”
He will go to Sacramento State and plans to go
His parents remain grateful to his donor, a stu- into accounting, a useful skill that will help with the
dent from Modesto Christian School, without barbecue pit-selling business he started with his faployment,
people are con- success.
whose decision to be an organ donor, their son ther. He has a driver’s license, plays “Call of Duty,”
would not be alive today.
and relishes his high-calorie diet of pizza and hamstantly
fighting over vanish- But on Saturday it looked
“When you have a child that started the year at 13 burgers.ing
resources. The district Breton: as though Interest
this town of about
percent lung function, you go in knowing that he Much to his parents’ dismay, he wants to find a
attorney, county sheriff and 800 may have found a win-
may not finish the year because he may not be summer job to save money to move out.
around,” said his father. “Without that lung trans- Pfeifer said he does all this so he can stand on his
Sacramento’s chief of police groups ning formula fuel by reviving chaos its
plant, he would not have graduated high school. We own two feet. He wants to contribute to the people
all are being forced to fire once-famous tradition of a
would be talking about him in the past tense.” around him and doesn’t like to be coddled. He also
officers of the law because FROM PAGE Father’s B1 Day weekend millions and street balance the
Graduating from high school was all Pfeifer ever doesn’t spend time coddling others.
Then you have chaos, budget. The cops are balk-
wanted. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation ap- When his mother, Ellie, asked him if there was
they don’t have the money Sacramento-style: festival. Protests ing and spending money on
proached him, the only thing he wished for was to anything he wanted to tell her before going Lezlie intoSterling
lsterling@sacbee.com
to pay for them.
from worthyThousands people plead- mailers of people that warn of deep
finish school. When he emailed his teachers, it was transplant surgery in case something were to haping
for their programs to be hits to public safetyTerry if they Stoker of Menlo to ask about Parkthe enjoys schoolwork a dance he needed withto Linda do to fin- Vannpen, of Pfeifer Elk Grove refused onto Saturday accept any negative duringthoughts. Isleton’s Cajun Festival. For
So here’s a question: Is trekked to town for the first
funded and interest groups don’t get their way. a $5 entry fee, festivalgoers ish school. And gained when he access received toa standing live music, ovation clowns, Recalling face-painting, the conversation, cold beer, he chuckled. huge turkey “I told legs and, of course,
Sacramento still the indomi- refusing Cajun to bend onFestival their inThese Isleton, are good people at
crawdads. “It is solast neat month to see whileall getting these hissmiling diploma, faces,” it was because said Jean her, ‘No. Yokotobi, There will head be noof confessions the town’s here.’ Chamber ” of Commerce.
table city?
entitlements. where the $5 entry heart who feeare got playing typi-
he finally finished school.
Here is where a lot of us cal Sacramento politics.
“When I went across that stage and my whole Call The Bee’s Lynn La, (916) 321-1086.
I was moved to call a lament athem Sacramento access thatto
live They entertain- are trying to protect
Catholic priest – Avella isn’t what ment it usedon tomusic be. I’m stages, their turf clowns, by couching it in a
himself – because figuring sick of it. face-painting, Our community public safety warning of
Holding medi-
cold beer, tur-
IF YOU GO
whining is an insult to the fired cops if the city doesn’t
cations in one
out an answer requires faith. indomitable keyheritage legs the of size of back a small off on dog them.
hand, Tim
What: Isleton’s first Cajun
Along with wearing a Sacramento and, – and of course, it’s a crawdads. The truth is that the city
Pfeifer throws
Festival is scheduled to
priestly collar, Avella is a cop-out.
has to borrow money just to
a toy for his
“It is so neat to see all these
We always talk about
maintain its reserve and
continue dogs. today. He faces
professor of history at Mar- holding the smiling politicos faces,” ac- said make Jean payroll. Yoko- There is sim-
more health
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
quette University and knows countable,tobi, but head how about
ply no more money.
of the town’s Cham-
problems
holding ourselves account-
Johnson and the rest of
Where: since Along his lung Main Street
as much about Sacramento ber of Commerce. the council need to rally the
able for electing the politi-
in the Delta transplant: town along
as anyone.
cians and for From not paying 1986 until cops a few – andyears the rest of us –
diabetes and –
around a vision for the city
Highway 160, about
“When push came to attention? ago, What Isleton’s do we want
because of the
old Crawdad without budget Fes- gimmicks.
our community to be?
30 miles anti-rejection south of
shove, past generations were I wanttival everypacked elected offi- tens ofPaint thousands a transparent pic-
drugs he takes
ture of a Sacramento revival
Sacramento.
able to arrive at a consencial in Sacramento of sometimes to have
where rowdy everyone and
– a type of
is making a
Cost: Admission is $5,
sus,” Avella said last week. the samedrunken mantra: Bring people jobs
cancer known
into sacrifice. town.
back to Sacramento.
free foras anyone post-trans11
and
“The question now is
I want Mayor But Kevin the festival Maybe tanked thenin the public
plantlympho- would consider paying more
younger. Various parking
whether Sacramento has the Johnson2008, to bringgenerating the same ina city $100,000
proliferative
taxes to support
sites charge $5. Some
wherewithal to deal with dynamism debt to the and city finally budget
disease.
needed leading services. to itSacramento
that he brought to the arena might then fix its structural
street parking is available
the big questions. … I see issue. I want being himsold to gooff to to organizers in
deficit and start building
on the town’s outskirts.
Sacramento lurching from the first Red majorBluff. group to again.
support his mayoral candi- Can we find the consen-
More information:
PAGE: B 4
BLACK YELLOW CYAN MAGENTA
Franklin Blvd.
Hood Franklin Rd.
Laguna Blvd.
Elk Grove Blvd.
Bilby Rd.
Bruceville Rd.
BigHorn Blvd.
Whitelock
Kammerer Rd.
SACBEE - FINAL - 4 - 06/19/11
Waterman erman an an Rd. Rd. Rd.
Bradshaw Rd.
Bond Rd.
Calvine Rd.
Sheldon Rd.
Excelsior Rd.
Dillard Rd.
Wilton Wilton ton
Rd. Rd.

TRANSPLANT GIVES GRAD A NEW START by Lynn La
This was the first story I did during my fellowship and I was very nervous. A
reader emailed us saying that she had attended this kid, Tim Pfeifer's,
graduation. She said the standing ovation was incredibly moving and thought it
would be interesting if we could write about him. I contacted the tipster, and we
got the family's permission to come over and conduct an interview and take
pictures. To be granted this sort of access and ask questions about someone's
personal medical issues was daunting, but I was motivated to get Tim's story as
accurate as I could. His story was extremely moving and inspiring. The strength
this kid had was unbelievable and I felt a lot of people could benefit from reading
about his story as well.
What's more is that the photographer who was assigned this story is Pulitzer
Prize winner Renée C. Byer. I was a fan of her work beforehand and to work
along side her was a great experience. We went to the Pfeifer residence,
conducted a two to three hour interview, and I wrote it for print a few days later. I
got a lot of emails from readers saying they read and liked the story and I was
just glad people were able to connect with Tim.
This article, which originally ran on June 19, 2011, has been reproduced in its entirety on our
website with permission from The Sacramento Bee.