Sidney Pope Memorial Orchid Award and Onion Award

2023

Orchid Award: East Sac Ace Hardware.  Recently opened at 51st and Folsom Boulevard, East Sac Ace Hardware is a full-service hardware store in the heart of East Sacramento.  They have a complete stock of traditional hardware items along with household favorites and, best of all, their friendly knowledgeable staff will provide professional help in finding what you want.  East Sac Ace Hardware is a welcome addition to our neighborhood.

2022 

Orchid Award:  Sutter Park Neighborhood designed by Stonebridge Properties.  Located on the former site of Sutter Memorial Hospital, this new community provides diverse types of residences that blend in with the surrounding neighborhood.

2020/2021

 The ESCA Board of Directors decided to forgo the Orchid and Onion Awards in 2020/2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019

Orchid Award: East Lawn Children’s Park Renovation. Located at 42nd Street and Folsom Boulevard, the park now has new ADA compliant play structures and walkways, as well as new picnic tables, benches, a shade structure, and landscaping. A community collaboration, the East Lawn Children’s Park is a special place in East Sacramento.

Onion: Vacant building at 6300 Folsom Blvd., former location of Hoppy Brewing. The exterior of the vacant building has gone downhill since the brewery and brewpub moved.

2018

Orchid Award: Compton’s Market, located on McKinley Blvd. Still an “old time” grocery store with staff who are always helpful and friendly. The 2017 remodel included the addition of Willy’s Café and a bar with wine and beer on tap – both of which have become a place for neighbors to meet and socialize.

Onion Award: Cigarettes & More at 5615 Folsom Blvd.

2017

Orchid Award: Inside East Sacramento, which has been delivered to our doorsteps for twenty years. Locally-written, engaging stories help us keep in touch with what’s going on in East Sac and the community at large.

Onion Award: Japanese-German Auto “Boneyard” on Elvas Avenue. Simply put, an eyesore.

2016

Orchid Award: Sacramento Animal Hospital @ 5701 H St.; a very tasteful dramatic remodel and upgrade for an East Sacramento institution that dates back over 70 years.

Onion Award: 616 Santa Ynez Way. An egregious example of a poorly-conceived and over-sized residential remodel and expansion that is inappropriate for its site and its immediate neighbors.

2015

Orchid Award: 33rd St. Bistro @ 3301 Folsom Blvd.; 3714-3720 J St., a nicely refaced multi-tenant building.

Onion Award: Express Furniture @ 5116 Folsom Blvd.

2014

Orchid Award: 41st Street neighbors for opposing inappropriate residential construction.

Onion Award: SW Corner of Alhambra Blvd. and J St. (for blight).

2013

Orchid Award: Talini’s Nursery @ 5601 Folsom Blvd.

Onion Award: Former Luis’s Restaurant @ Alhambra Blvd. & L St. (alley) – (abandoned).

2012

Orchid Award:Friends of East Sacramento for assuming management of the Clunie Clubhouse and the McKinley Park Rose Garden.

Onion Award: Blighted Alley, between 30th St. and Alhambra Blvd., on the block bounded by L St. and Capitol Ave. (behind McDonald’s).

2011

Orchid Award: Friends of Bertha Henschel park.

Onion Award: 3009 K Street – uninteresting medical building.

2010

Orchid Award: Sacred Heart Church @ 39th and J Sts.; One Speed Restaurant @ 4818 Folsom Blvd.

Onion Award: Former Mary Ann’s Bakery building @ 320-350 Alhambra Blvd. (abandoned since 2006).

2009

Orchid Award: 38th St. Neighbors for the new Setback Ordinance.

Onion Award: Express Furniture @ 51st St. and Folsom Blvd.

2008

Orchid Award: Corti Brothers Market @ 5810 Folsom Blvd.

Onion Award: Intersection of 65th St. and Folsom Blvd.

2007

Orchid Award: East Sac Hardware @ 4800 Folsom Blvd.

Onion Award: None.

2006

Orchid Award: Pops in the Park (since 1991).

Onion Award: None.

2005

Orchid Award: St. Francis Catholic High School @ 5900 Elvas Ave.

Onion Award:None.

2004

Orchid Award: Selland’s Market @ 53rd & H Streets.

Onion Award: Cigarettes & More @ 5615 Folsom Blvd.

2003

Orchid Award: Randy Butler. Randy started his shoe business in East Sacramento in 1942, expanding it to include uniforms and selling it in 1966. He’s 95 years young and still “works” in the store.

Onion Award: Camellia Cleaners @ 5901 Folsom Blvd.

2002

Orchid Award: Coffee Works @ 34th & Folsom Blvd. for replacing a dull, uninteresting building with an architecturally-inviting one.

Onion Award: Express Furniture @ 5116 Folsom Blvd.

2001

Orchid Award: East Sac Village @ 56th St. and Elvas for its creative and contemporary new development.

Onion Award: Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for locating a program to treat mentally disturbed felons one block from McKinley Park.

2000

Orchid Award: The East Sacramento Art Garage @ 34th & Folsom Blvd. for converting an auto repair shop into an art gallery.

Onion Award: Sacramento City Departments of Public Works and Neighborhood Planning for advocating to replace the greenspace at 57th & J Sts. with a commercial mini-mall.

1999

Orchid Awards: Quality Market @ 51st & Folsom Blvd. for significantly remodeling the site. Corti Brothers Market @ 59th & Folsom Blvd. for their long-time quality service to the neighborhood.

Onion Award: CalTrans for its very ugly property at 65th Street and Folsom Blvd.

1998

Orchid Awards: Affleck Pharmacy @ 5301 F Street (oldest operating pharmacy in Sacramento – 77 years, 25 years in East Sacramento). Brillhart Shell @ 5730 Folsom Blvd. (last remaining full-service gas station in East Sacramento). Ione Bocceri for over 20 years of outstanding service as ESIA Secretary and Board Member.

Onion Award: C&H Paint @ 3201 Folsom Blvd. (dull and uninteresting).

1997

Orchid Award: Folsom Blvd. Apartments @ 4921 Folsom Blvd. (City Redevelopment Agency apartments).

Onion Award: Folsom Blvd. strip-mall at 50th-51st Folsom Blvd.

1996

Orchid Award: Fran & Roy Yermol.

Onion Award: Auto-quick Automotive @ 30th & E Streets.

1995

Orchid Award: Sacramento City Public Works Dept. for landscaping J St. median near CSUS.

Onion Awards: Camellia Shopping Center; Taco Bell @ 58th St. & Folsom Blvd. (poorly-conceived expansion effort).

1994

Orchid Awards: Lucky’s @ 48th & J Sts.; ESIA Graffiti Busters let by Katherine Travers-Cohn.

Onion Award: Quality Market @ 51st St. & Folsom Blvd.

1993

Orchid Award: Harrison’s Cyclery, 3200 Folsom Blvd. – Alfred Anderson (90 and still working).

Onion Award: Express Furniture @ 5110 Folsom Blvd.

1992

Orchid Awards: Rick McWilliam (15 years President & VP of ESIA); Firehouse #4 @ 3145 Granada Way; Steve Cohn (ESIA President & Stop Centrage effort): Denas Henas Design for designing ESIA’s logo.

Onion Award: City of Sacramento Traffic Department.

1991

Orchid Award: Cindy Leathers for developing East Lawn Playground.

Onion Award: Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity @ 5286 J St.

1990

Orchid Award: Rust Florist @ 5215 Folsom Blvd.

Onion Award: Safeway @ Alhambra & J Sts. (ugly parking lot).

1989

Orchid Awards: Old Alhambra Market @ 1100 Alhambra Blvd.; Doug Pope, City Councilman.

Onion Award: Sacramento Glass Works @ 34th & Folsom Blvd. for the toxic mess at rear of its property.

1988

Orchid Awards: Sacred Heart Church; City Planning Department staff.

Onion Awards: MedClinic @ Alhambra Blvd. & N Street; Larry’s Comfort Shoes @ 4801 Folsom Blvd.

1987

Orchid Awards: The Rest Stop @ 35th St. & Folsom Blvd.; Elvas Medical Plaza @ 5340 Elvas Ave.

Onion Award: Jim Bloodgood, City Trafic Engineer for proposing & supporting the Elvas/Richards connector; Medical Building @ 3800 J St. (lack of landscaping, setbacks and size).

1986

Orchid Awards: Phillips Bakery and New Phillips Bakery (60 years).

Onion Award: Almost New Car Lot @ 51st St. & Folsom Blvd.

1985

Orchid Awards: Fran & Roy Yermol (for landscaping H St. underpass); Mark-Gaddi Seed & Supply @ 51st St. & Folsom Blvd. (for helping Fran & Roy).

Onion Award: Camellia Shopping Center.

1984

Orchid Award: Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat Center @ 3810 J St.

Onion Award: Andrews Body Shop @ 51st St. & Folsom Blvd.

1983

Orchid Awards: Rosemount Grill (50th Anniversary); Sidney Pope (President & co-founder of ESIA).

Onion Award: None.

1982

Orchid Awards: Victorian home @ 5347 Folsom Blvd.; Sacramento Valley Orthopedic Center @ 1273 32nd St.

Onion Award: Winchells Doughnut Shop @ 37th & J Sts.

1981

Orchid Awards: Gary Little and Jim McGinnis (for renovating corner @ 34th St. & Folsom Blvd.); Dreyfuss & Blackford Bldg. @ Santa Ynez Way and Folsom Blvd.

Onion Award: Camellia Shopping Center.

1980

Orchid Awards: Franke’s Pharmacy and Knott’s Pharmacy; Archie’s Hardware at 56th St. and J St.; Frank Johnson for moving two bungalows onto vacant lots at 3400 & 3408 M St..

Onion Awards: Two vacant gas stations at 51st St. and 48th St. and Folsom Blvd.; Assemblyman Leroy Greene (for anti-neighborhood legislation).

1979

Orchid Awards: Sutter Lawn Tennis Club (60th Anniversary); East Sacramento Action Committee -Irene Stone (for the battle to prevent Sutter Memorial from expanding); Lloyd Connelly, City Councilman.

Onion Awards: El Dorado Grammar School (lack of maintenance); Sidewalk Pizza (tall weeds and lack of maintenance).

1978

Orchid Awards: 41st St. July 4th Parade (50th Anniversary); J Street Trolley and Walker’s Liquor Store @ 38th & J Sts.; Butler’s Uniform Store @ 56th & H Sts.; Nadya Andrews for her service on the City Planning Commission; Les Frink (City Traffic Engineer).

Onion Award: Mercy General Hospital @ 4001 J St. (for removing several Victorians to expand).